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| Monday - April 1, 2002 |
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UFC 36 Pictures: Behind the Scenes Photography By Tom DeFazio  Click here for more pictures Keep checking back, more to follow! 
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From the event's promoter: HOOKnSHOOT announces Revamped Lineup for ALL LADIES 'REVOLUTION' on April 13th! All Women's MMA show! Memorial Coliseum, Evansville, IN. // April 13th, 2002 'We survived the weekend!' jokes promoter Jeff Osborne. 'We know the show is still two weeks away, but we feel really good about this lineup! Let the hype begin!' continues Osborne. 
'Jessica Taran from San Francisco has stepped up to replace the injured Jennifer Howe
and take on Judy Neff. The match is on short notice, so it will be 2 rounds, under
official SHOOTO rules. We will have much more on Jessica and on theis card in the days
to come. We want to thank SHOOTO organization for honoring 'REVOLUTION' and
sanctioning the event. It is a milestone event.' states Osborne.'We also confirmed Erica Montoya will compete, as she is OK after her fight in Hawaii this past weekend, so the card is set!' concludes Osborne. Check out tickets APRIL 13th WOMEN'S EVENT! See fightworld.com in the HnS section or e-mail hooknshoot@aol.com for details! THIS IS OFFICIAL SHOOTO. Complete Card - Subject To Change: 
Evansville, Indiana's Executive Inn has been chosen as the hotel for the upcoming HOOKnSHOOT 'Revolution' show. Voted the Best Hotel in Evansville, this hotel is stacked with extras! You can get a room mentioning the 'HOOKnSHOOT rate' for only $60 a night by calling (812) 424-8000. Free shuttle service to and from the airport is offered as well. The Executive Inn is conveniently located just two minutes away from the Memorial Coliseum and riverfront in downtown Evansville. To guarantee your room, give them a call today! 1-812-424-8000. |
| Tuesday - April 2, 2002 |
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By Eduardo Alonso Despite PRIDE's intention to have their Heavyweight champion defending his title for the first time on April 28th, the Brazilian Top Team member won't be figthting on the next PRIDE card. Rodrigo "Minotauro" Nogueira won his title at PRIDE 17, in November, with a win over Heath Herring. After this victory Nogueira fought a non-title match at the last PRIDE event, in February, against seasoned veteran Enson Inoue. "Minotauro" came out as the winner, and DSE wanted him to finally defend his belt at PRIDE 20. His opponent was heavily rumored to be UFC veteran Semmy Schilt, but Schilt opted for a K-1 deal and he became unavailable to face the champion in April. Other opponents were approached, with no deal being close, and in the end FCF was told today that Rodrigo "Minotauro" Nogueira surely won't be fighting in the next PRIDE card, but his twin brother, Rogerio "Minotoro" Nogueira, is still negotiating for a possible appearance. Minotauro is likely to defend his title at PRIDE 21. |
FCF TV is not on tonight (Tuesday) on MSG, it has been pre-empted until Thursday night (Friday morning) at 1:00AM with the replay on Sunday night (Monday morning) at 1:00AM |
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UCC 8 Fast and Furious Mike "The Shooter's Shooter" McNeil UCC 8 Fast and Furious Held at the Rimouski Coliseum. 
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DEEP 2001 4th IMPACT DEEP 2001 4th IMPACT in Nagoya Saturday, March 30, 2002 Aichi Prefectural Gymnasium(Aichi, Japan) Live gate: 6,500 * four(4) amateur 2x5-min rounds matches * twelve(12) DEEP rules professional 3×5 min rounds matches
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| Thursday - April 4, 2002 |
From Josh Hedges of Zuffa/UFC: ULTIMATE FIGHTING CHAMPIONSHIP TO PRESENT ULTIMATE SUBMISSIONS ON CABLE, SATELLITE TV, APRIL 12 One-hour show to feature best submissions in UFC history LAS VEGAS, April 2... The Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) will present Ultimate Submissions, a one-hour television special, on iN DEMAND, DIRECTV, Dish Network, BellExpressVu and Viewers Choice Canada pay-per-view starting at 10 p.m. EST/7 p.m. PST, Friday, April 12. The show will be re-played throughout April on those networks. Viewers should check their local television listings for the re-play schedule. The suggested retail price is $9.95. Ultimate Submissions will feature the best submissions in UFC history by its champions and top contenders including current and former stars Royce Gracie and Ken Shamrock, Tito Ortiz, Josh Barnett, Murilo Bustamante, Pat Miletich, Frank Mir, Elvis Sinosic, Ricardo Almeida, Evan Tanner and others. The UFC's next live fight will be High Impact on Friday, May 10, at the Centurytel Arena in Bossier City, La. Tickets, $150, $100, $50 and $25, are on sale at the Centurytel Arena box office in Bossier City, at all Ticket Master outlets, Ticket Master Charge-By-Phone, 318-741-9700, or at www.ticketmaster.com. Service charges may apply depending upon point of purchase. Middleweight Champion Murilo Bustamante (10-1-1 in Mixed Martial Arts) of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, will defend his title for the first time against top contender and U.S. Olympic Wrestling Silver Medalist Matt Lindland (7-0-0) of Eagle Creek, Ore. Bustamante claimed the middleweight crown January 11 when he knocked out former champion Dave Menne in the second round at the Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Conn. Other match-ups will include a lightweight bout between Caol Uno (11-4-2) of Kanagawa, Japan, and Yves Edwards (8-4-1) of The Woodlands, Tex., and Heavyweight contender Ricco Rodriguez (8-1-0) of Las Vegas, Nev., versus Tsuyoshi Kosaka (3-2-0) of Shiga, Japan. Light Heavyweight contender Chuck Liddell (9-1-0) of San Luis Obispo, Calif., will meet an opponent to be named as will Lightweight top contender BJ Penn (4-1-0) of Wainaku, Hilo, Hawaii. High Impact will be available in North America on iN DEMAND, DIRECTV, Dish Network, Bell ExpressVu and Viewers Choice Canada pay-per-view and in Brazil on Globosat Programadora LTDA. It will air live at 10 p.m. EST/7 p.m. PST in the United States and Brazil and on a tape-delayed basis on WOWOW-TV in Japan. The suggested retail price in North America will be $29.95. The Ultimate Fighting Championship, headquartered in Las Vegas, Nev., is the world's leading mixed martial arts sports company. It is owned and operated by Zuffa LLC and has distributorship agreements with WOWOW, Inc. in Tokyo, Japan, British Sky Broadcasting (BSkyB) in London, England, Globosat Programadora LTDA and Sportv in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, and networks in over 20 other countries. The Ultimate Fighting Championship is a sport that brings together the world's most talented mixed martial arts (MMA) athletes from disciplines such as karate, boxing, jiu-jitsu, kickboxing, wrestling, sumo and others in a quest to become an ultimate fighting champion. |
Be sure to check out the HUGE $avings on King of the Cage video & DVD packages For FASTEST service call in your credit card order (516)676-0033 Or Click here to order securely online with your credit card or print off the order form & mail it in with your payment |
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As a professional athlete and trainer of other athletes in the sport of Mixed Martial Arts (MMA), I would like to make the following statement: In the last eight years since achieving my childhood dream and turning professional in the sport in of MMA I have witnessed a great many changes to our sport of mixed martial arts, both for the good and bad. In 1995 the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) was the most popular selling Pay-per-View (PPV) event on television, even setting a PPV record at the time. Sadly just three years later UFC/MMA struggled to stay on satellite as the sport was banned from cable, namely TCI/Time Warner, for political conquests. When I first turned pro in 1994 this sport was just gaining national recognition, unfortunately that recognition was for the negative aspects associated with the marketing of the sport, not for the talents of the athletes. As MMA became less and less accessible by way of television, our numbers were growing at a grass roots level at an unstoppable pace; our martial artists and athletes were demanding to compete and participate. With this demand a new sport was born and a new breed of martial artist and athlete. During those times of struggle with the cable companies we became an easy target for politicians to step on us on their way to the top. How can we blame them, after all our sport was initially advertised as " No Holds Barred", "There are NO Rules" and "Anything Goes". It was during these tumultuous times that instead of tearing our sport apart, WE, as a community joined together to make the merits of our sport and our athletes known to the general public. Everyone did their part.
Now that we are being given this recognition as a real sport, we must strive to emulate the standards and ethics of other American sports. As a true sport we will require some sort of regulation to protect our athletes...and our fans. When I heard what happened at the Ultimate Athlete event (UA) at the Morongo casino, I was outraged. How could UA let this happen? Who is regulating these athletes so promoters can't take advantage of them and fans don't get hurt? Who are these promoters and what right do they have to use our fighters and all of their hard work for a quick buck? If our sport were more organized and evolved we could tell who belonged in the ring and who did not. As for the athletes they are the first ones to be affected by events like the UA incident, and the last ones to get paid. Just today I read in the Wrestling Observer that BJ Penn donated $10,000.00 (ten thousand) dollars to the 9/11 FUND because he had said that "if he got a title fight" he thought "he would win a lot of money and he would donate some money to the Fund". He lost that fight; but kept his word. These are the kind of athletes that make me proud of being a professional MMA fighter and I believe that MMA athletes are the best in the world, in the ring or out of the ring. I must admit that I do not follow this sport and its every move on the Internet but it was this sport and the desire to conquer it that made me who I am. I am an exceptionally private person and have always treasured my private life and the quietness that it brought . I never really wanted to be famous, I just wanted to be really good at something and this was the result... With all that said: I have been approached in an advisory capacity by several State Athletic Commissions who are all jointly concerned about the safety of the athletes. They feel that we have proven the merits of a real sport but that we need some kind regulation. We need to monitor, promote, and protect our sport and athletes. I would like your help as a community to create a regulatory organization whose primary goal is to protect our athletes and their futures. Please send your comments on how to create a regulatory organization, and or suggestions, and advice to the following e-mail: MMASPORTS@HOTMAIL.COM
Frank J. Shamrock MMAsports@hotmail.com |
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Kirk Jensen Promotions Inc. Sports & Entertainment Press Release: Saturday, April 6th Kirk Jensen and Maurice Smith will be promoting a Kickboxing, Muay Thai and Submission fighting event on Saturday, April 6th, 8:00 pm. Main event: 4 round Kickboxing Heavyweight State title bout Freddy Meddellin (Maurice Smith Kickboxing) vs. Joey Guel (Victory Athletics) Semi-Main event: One 10-minute round Tag team submission bout Team Maurice Smith (Roman Roytberg & Pat Hawk) VS. Team AMC (Ivan Salavary & Aaron Riley) FEMALE KICKBOXING BOUT Deannie Williams VS Christina Linn (Kickboxing) Luis Guillen VS. Sean Sanada (Submission) James Barnette VS. Dareon Denison (Muay Thai) John Hall VS. "Jody" (Submission) Adam Dreller VS. Jamie Stewart (Kickboxing) Tony Sablan VS. Mark Ashton (Submission) Morgan Hefper VS. John day (Kickboxing) Tickets on sale now at Maurice Smith's Kickboxing Center (425) 576-5300 and AMC Kickboxing (425) 822-9656. Tickets are $25 Reserved Ringside and $20 General Admission. FIGHT LOCATION: Maurice Smith's Kickboxing 2620 - Bellevue Way N.E. - Bellevue, Washington Saturday, April 6th, 8:00 pm |
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From the event's promoter: "New Blood" Blaisdell Arena, Honolulu, Hawaii Friday June 7,2002 Main Event Light Heavyweight Championship Title Bout David "Kawika" Pa'aluhi Vs. Sean Gray Many of you witnessed Sean Gray beat Hawaii's Falaniko Vitale via TKO for the #1 contender spot. Now Kawika Pa'aluhi, who just had a big knock out victory over Bobby Southworth, will have the fight of his life. Gray and Pa'aluhi will do battle for the vacant Warriors Quest Light Heavyweight Championship title. Gray is favored to win the championship, but he better come prepared for a war. |
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From the event's promoter: UNDEFEATED COLLEGE WRESTLER CAEL SANDERSON AND IOWA STATE COACH BOBBY DOUGLAS By Eddie Goldman We focus this week on the history-making performance by undefeated college wrestler Cael Sanderson of Iowa State, who captured his fourth straight NCAA Division 1 national championship to become the first college wrestler ever to complete four years with a perfect record. This week on the "No Holds Barred News" segment on WBAI radio's "Lightshow" we will be hearing from Cael himself along with his legendary coach, Bobby Douglas, both of whom I interviewed shortly after Cael notched his 159th win at the 2002 NCAA Division 1 Wrestling Championships, held March 21-23 in Albany, NY. "Lightshow" airs weekly late Friday night/early Saturday morning, 3-5 AM Eastern Time. The "No Holds Barred News" segment airs in the second hour of the show, between 4 AM and 5 AM EST, early Saturday morning, April 6. This week's segment is prerecorded. WBAI broadcasts in New York on 99.5 FM. For those not in the New York area, WBAI can also be heard live on the Internet. There are two sites that stream the signal: http://www.wbai.org/ and http://www.2600.com/wbai. At this time broadcasts of "Lightshow" are not archived, but we are working on getting these audio interviews posted. We also have an e-mail address for our segment on: nhblightshow@yahoo.com. WBAI is a 50,000 watt, non-commercial station. This means that, unlike the advertiser-supported media, our opinions are not restrained by any commercial interests. "Lightshow" is an arts and entertainment show whose main host and producer is Fred Geobold. I was a co-producer on this show from 1993 to 1998, and rejoined the show as a producer and co-host in September 2001. |
| Saturday - April 6, 2002 |
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Give Us Your Thoughts... With the next two UFCs fast approaching -- #37 on May 10th in Louisiana & #38, the first to take place in Europe, will be held this summer in England, the UFC has quite a few matches to put together. One match the fans have been writing us about is Matt Serra vs. BJ Penn, with the winner possibly going on to fight for the lightweight title currently held by Jens Pulver [who is tentatively scheduled to fight Din Thomas in UFC 38 in England, but due to contract disputes between Pulver & Zuffa, the match is in question, along with Pulver's future with the UFC]. Penn & Serra have been on a collision course from quite some time now. The two BJJ black belts swept through the Jiu-Jitsu world quickly and impressively, leaving a trail of tapped out and blacked out opponents. Although it seemed inevitable that the two would face each other in a Jiu-Jitsu world championship or in Abu Dhabi, it never materialized. Now that they've focused their energies on MMA, they seem to be heading towards each other once again. Serra's style, using a non-stop flurry of submissions, and his exciting performance at the last UFC, along with BJ's fast-paced take-no-prisoners style have resparked the flame of interest in seeing these two exciting young fighters face off. This is only one of the many great possibilities that are open to the UFC in selecting matches for the upcoming events. If you had the ear of UFC matchmaker Joe Silva, who would you suggest he pair off? Please give us one match (any weight class, any fighter that is realistically available) and give us your thoughts on why that match would be your favorite fight to see. Some of the commentary we receive may appear in the April 2002 issue of FCF Click here to take the survey |
From Susumu's Gallery: Hello, We have added pictures from a Pancrase event held on March 25th and DEEP held on March 30th. Please enjoy! Susumu's Gallery: http://come.to/susumu |
| Sunday - April 7, 2002 |
From the event's promoter:
HONOLULU, Hawaii -- Hoping history will repeat itself, a talented field of heavyweight fighters will put it all on the line April 26-27 at the Blaisdell Arena in search of instant recognition and the opportunities that go with it.Super Brawl 24: Return of the Heavyweights, presented by Full Contact Fighter, promises to be the most exciting event held in Hawaii in recent years. The two-day, 16-fighter tournament boasts $20,000 in prize money and hopefully a chance to start a career with the sport's major organizations. "Without a doubt, some stars will be discovered in this tourney," said Super Brawl promoter T. Jay Thompson. "We have a talented field of competitors and the only thing that is certain is we're going to have people throwing bombs and people getting knocked out." Just over two years ago in the same arena, Super Brawl held what is considered to be the most successful heavyweight tournament in the sport's history. Of the eight competitiors, six went on to compete in either UFC, Pride, or both. Advancing to UFC were: Josh Barnett, Bobby Hoffman, Travis Fulton and Ricco Rodriguez. Advancing to Pride were Heath Herring, John Marsh and Rodriguez. Barnett, the newly crowned UFC champion and winner of the first tourney, will be on hand to personally put the belt on this year's champion. Half of the field for "Return of the Heavyweights" was selected through qualifying 8-man tournaments held earlier this year in Iowa and Utah. The rest, were selected from a long list of applicants asking to take part in the event. "We have received more interest from fighters than we ever imagined," said Extreme Challenge promoter Monte Cox, who is co-promoting the event. "We have stuck to our promise to only use up-and-coming fighters who have no prior experience in the UFC or Pride... we're looking to make some fighters' dreams come true." Ben Rothwell (11-1) of Milwaukee, Wis., won the Iowa event, beating Mike Radnov (9-4) of Dallas, Texas, in the final. Tim Sylvia (10-0) of Bettendorf, Iowa, won the Utah event, beating Matt Frembling (8-1) of Buena Park, Calif., in the title match. All four will compete in Hawaii. Adding to the local flavor will be Hawaii favorite Wes "Cabbage" Coreirra, who has become a Super Brawl standout. All 16 fighters will compete in single bouts on April 26... reducing the field to eight fighters. On April 27, the eight will continue the tourney until one fighter wins three bouts (four over two days) and is crowned the champion. 
For additional information, email T.Jay Thompson at tj@superbrawl.tv or call (808) 524-6062. |
Be sure to check out the HUGE $avings on UFC video packages For FASTEST service call in your credit card order (516)676-0033 Or Click here to order securely online with your credit card or print off the order form & mail it in with your payment |
| Tuesday - April 9, 2002 |
From Josh Hedges of Zuffa/UFC: TICKETS ON SALE APRIL 10 FOR UFC'S FIRST EUROPEAN FIGHT, JULY 13, AT ROYAL ALBERT HALL IN LONDON English Heavyweight Ian Freeman to Meet Las Vegas' Frank Mir LAS VEGAS, April 9... Officials of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) today announced that tickets, £100, £75 and £50, will go on sale Wednesday, April 10, for its first European fight show to be held Saturday, July 13, at the Royal Albert Hall in London, England. Tickets are available at the Royal Albert Hall box office, at all Ticket Master outlets in the United Kingdom, by calling Ticket Master at 011-44-020-7316-4709, or on the internet at www.ticketmaster.co.uk. The event also will be available in the United Kingdom, Ireland, North America and Brazil on British Sky Broadcasting (BSkyB), iN DEMAND, DIRECTV, Dish Network, Bell ExpressVu , Viewers Choice Canada and Globosat Programadora LTDA pay-per-view television. It also will be televised on WOWOW-TV in Japan. The fight will be televised live at 7 p.m. (BST, British Summer Time) on British Sky Broadcasting (BSkyB) and on a tape-delayed basis in the other countries. Viewing dates and program schedules will be announced. The suggested retail price in North America is $29.95. A full fight card will be announced but Heavyweight Ian Freeman (10-4-1 in Mixed Martial Arts) of Sunderland, England, will meet Frank Mir (4-0-0) of Las Vegas, Nev., and Middleweight Mark Weir (12-0-0) of Gloucester, England, will fight an opponent to be named. "We are really excited about bringing the UFC to the United Kingdom for our first fight in Europe. The viewership for our weekly television show on Sky Sports since February has been excellent and we are looking forward to bringing the UFC live to thousands of U.K. fight fans," said Dana White, UFC president. The UFC airs a one-hour show, Ultimate Fighting Championship, at 11 p.m. (BST) each Thursday on British Sky Broadcasting (BSkyB). It is soon to be expanded to two hours. The Ultimate Fighting Championship, headquartered in Las Vegas, Nev., is the world's leading mixed martial arts sports company. It is owned and operated by Zuffa LLC and has distribution agreements with WOWOW, Inc. in Tokyo, Japan, British Sky Broadcasting (BSkyB) in London, England, and Globosat Programadora LTDA and Sportv in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. The Ultimate Fighting Championship is a sport that brings together the world's most talented mixed martial arts (MMA) athletes from disciplines such as karate, jiu-jitsu, kickboxing, wrestling, sumo and others in a quest to become an ultimate fighting champion. |
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From K-1 USA: Six-time world kickboxing champion, Rick "The Jet" Roufus makes his long awaited return to the ring and joins the K-1 evening lineup at The Mirage. 
April 8, 2002, Las Vegas. President of K-1 USA, Scott Coker publicly announced in an interview today that six-time world kickboxing champion, Rick "The Jet" Roufus will make his long-awaited return to the kickboxing ring at the May 3rd K-1 North American Championships in a Superfight.Roufus, nearly 35, is ready to make his comeback. "My drive and determination gets stronger every day," said the heavyweight who was hospitalized for a severe knee injury two years ago and was forced to undergo surgery. He attributed much of his inner strength to the support that he has received from his fiancée as well as his brother, Jeff "Duke" Roufus, who will be making his second consecutive appearance in K-1 USA tournament action on May 3rd. 
Rick Roufus, also a former World Boxing Council (WBC) Continental Americas boxing champion, is sure to make a comeback worth seeing. The Superfight is scheduled for five three-minute rounds. Roufus's May 3rd opposition has yet to be determined but one thing for sure, it is going to be a true battle to see who's #1. If Roufus proves victorious in this battle he will advance to the K-1 World Semi Finals taking place August 17,2002 at The Bellagio Hotel and Casino.Tickets are selling fast, to purchase your tickets visit www.K-1USA.net or call The Mirage box office at 800-963-9634. Ticket prices are $30, $50, $100, $150, & $250 per person. The doors open at 5:30 pm; the preliminary round is at 6:00 pm and the first K-1 tournament bout begins at 7:30 pm. Upcoming Events
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| Wednesday - April 10, 2002 |
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Three more matches official By Eduardo Alonso As the 28th of April approaches, the PRIDE 20 card continues to look better and better. FCF was told today about 3 new matches for the card. As has been already mentioned on the Internet, Chute Boxe fighter and PRIDE veteran Murilo "Ninja" Rua will be facing none other than Brazilian Top Team member and 3-time BJJ World Champion Mario Sperry! This will mark the first meeting of two big name fighters from both camps in the ring, and could build an even bigger rivalry between the two camps! This fight was confirmed by both camps and will be announced by PRIDE at any moment! As if Wanderlei Silva vs. Mirko "Cro Cop" Filipovic, Gilbert Yvel vs. Sam Greco and "Ninja" vs. Sperry wouldn't be enough for a great card, FCF learned today about two new matches that are confimed for PRIDE 20! In one of the matches, Rogerio "Minotoro" Nogueira, Brazilian Top Team member and "Minotauro's" twin brother, will be making his PRIDE debut against seasoned veteran Gary "Big Daddy" Goodridge! Goodridge was also Rodrigo Nogueira's first PRIDE opponent, and now he'll welcome Minotauro's twin brother to PRIDE. In addition, two PRIDE veterans will be returning to the ring on April 28th... Ricardo Arona will face off against Dan Henderson in a fight that promises to have big implications in the run for Wanderlei Silva's middleweight title. FCF was told today that all 3 fights are a done deal. Keep checking FCF for the latest PRIDE and fighting news! |
| Thursday - April 11, 2002 |
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By Eduardo Alonso In a surprise turn of events occurred during last night, FCF just received the info at around 1:20 AM here in Brazil that Gary Goodridge won't be facing Minotauro's twin brother! But Rogerio won't be out of the PRIDE card, and instead his new opponent will be another PRIDE and UFC veteran, none other than Guy Mezger! Mezger is coming off a loss to Ricardo Arona, and a win over Nogueira can boost his career in Japan once again. This creates an interesting match-up, since both guys are closer in weight than Goodridge and Nogueira were. As Nogueira's camp was all set for a fight with Goodridge, this last-minute change of opponents came as a big surprise to them. |
| Friday - April 12, 2002 |
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From Josh Hedges of Zuffa/UFC: Ultimate Submissions premiers tonight on pay per view at 10:00 pm eastern. The show is a one-hour feature highlighting the best submission finishes in the UFC's history. The show will be broadcast on iN DEMAND, DirecTV, Dish Network, Bell Express Vu, and Viewer's Choice Canada. It will be replayed throughout the month of April. Check local listings for date, time, and channel. 
Four more fights have been added to the card for UFC 37: High Impact on May 10, 2002 in Bossier City, Louisiana. Plagued by injuries, the card has taken longer than usual to finalize.In a Lightweight bout, "The Prodigy" BJ Penn returns to action to take on UFC newcomer Paul Creighton. Penn is coming off a five-round war with Jens Pulver that saw him on the losing end of a majority decision. He is 3-1 in the UFC and is ranked among the top five lightweights in the world. Creighton trains in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu under the legendary Renzo Gracie. With a 5-0 record in MMA, Creighton has been wrestling since age five and is a purple belt in BJJ. Ivan Salaverry, from AMC Pankration in Seattle, Washington, will take on Russian Andrei Semenov in a Middleweight bout. Salaverry won the Hook N Shoot Middleweight Championship on March 9, 2002 when he defeated then-champion John Renken by TKO in 23 seconds. The two preliminary fights will feature all new blood in the UFC Welterweight division. Aaron Riley, fighting out of AMC Pankration in Seattle, Washington, will take on Robbie Lawler, who trains with Pat Miletich in Davenport, Iowa. Riley is 11-2 in MMA and has been involved in some of the most exciting fights ever. His most notable fights were his wars with UFC veterans Steve Berger and Yves Edwards. Lawler is undefeated in MMA and recently defeated Japanese fighter Shogun Kawakatsu by TKO. In the second Welterweight prelim, Joao Pierini will take on Benji "The Razor" Radach. Pierini, a 2nd degree black belt in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, is 5-0 in MMA and trains with Eugene Jackson at the Gladiators Training Academy. He has won all his fights by submission or knockout. Radach (10-0 in MMA) is one of the top students out of Dennis Hallman's gym Olympia, Washington. He has knockout power and coming from Hallman's camp, he's very well-rounded in all aspects of the game. The official card for UFC 37: High Impact is as follows: Middleweight Championship Bout Murilo Bustamante (champion) vs. Matt Lindland Heavyweight Bout Ricco Rodriguez vs. Tsuyoshi Kosaka Middleweight Bouts Andrei Semenov vs. Ivan Salaverry Phil Baroni vs. Amar Suloev Lightweight Bouts BJ Penn vs. Paul Creighton Caol Uno vs. Yves Edwards Welterweight Preliminary Bouts Aaron Riley vs. Robbie Lawler Joao Pierini vs. Benji Radach |
From DSE USA: PRIDE FC "Armed and Ready" (A.K.A. PRIDE 20) Five Additional Matches Announced Event information: PRIDE-20 Date: April 28th, 2002 Gate open: 2:00 PM Fights start: 4:00 PM Place: Yokohama Arena (Yokohama, Kanagawa-Pref., Japan) Pay-Per-View: Announced matches:
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Dan Henderson
Ricardo Arona
Murilo Ninja
Mario Sperry
Quiton Jackson
Masaaki Satake
Alexander Otsuka
Sanae Kikuta
Norihisa Yamamoto
Bob Zapp
Wanderlei Silva
Mirko "CroCop" Filipovic|
by Eddie Goldman 
He is the kind of man that many seemed either to love or hate. Outspoken, abrasive, opinionated, but always upfront -- both his friends and enemies likely agree that these features characterize him.I call him "The Maestro," because he orchestrated some of the best mixed martial arts events ever, both as a promoter for the now-defunct Extreme Fighting organization, and also as matchmaker for the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) during some of its darkest days when it was censored on American cable television. All this, of course, refers to one, and only one, man -- John Perretti. He has recently left New York for California, and left the fight game for acting and stunt work. But he has not left behind his opinions, and in our interview with him, he took, as always, a no-holds-barred approach. This week on the "No Holds Barred News" segment on WBAI radio's "Lightshow" we will be hearing from John Perretti. "Lightshow" airs weekly late Friday night/early Saturday morning, 3-5 AM Eastern Time. The "No Holds Barred News" segment airs in the second hour of the show, between 4 AM and 5 AM EST, early Saturday morning, April 13. This week's segment is prerecorded. WBAI broadcasts in New York on 99.5 FM. For those not in the New York area, WBAI can also be heard live on the Internet. There are two sites that stream the signal: http://www.wbai.org/ and http://www.2600.com/wbai. At this time broadcasts of "Lightshow" are not archived, but we are working on getting these audio interviews posted. We also have an e-mail address for our segment on: nhblightshow@yahoo.com. WBAI is a 50,000 watt, non-commercial station. This means that, unlike the advertiser-supported media, our opinions are not restrained by any commercial interests. "Lightshow" is an arts and entertainment show whose main host and producer is Fred Geobold. I was a co-producer on this show from 1993 to 1998, and rejoined the show as a producer and co-host in September 2001. |
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From RITC Writer/Statistician John Petrilli: Del Hawkins vs Farrell Frisby 
RITC 35 Date: Friday, May 3, 2002 Time: Doors Open: 6 PM, Fight Time: 8 PM Location: Celebrity Theatre, Phoenix, Arizona Tickets $20 (rows 14-25), $35 (rows 4-13) and $45 (rows 1-3) Kids under 12 are free !!! $5 discount cards will be sent to everyone on the RITC mailing list. Some key matchups for RITC 35 have been announced. In the Main Event, Del "The Filipino Delight" Hawkins (53 - 8) [pictured] has been on a personal quest to avenge a loss to Farrell "Full Moon" Frisby (19 - 5) that occurred in RITC 21 on October 4, 2000. Del has dispatched 5 straight RITC opponents by submission or KO while patiently awaiting the opportunity for his desired rematch. His wait is over !! These two warriors will face-off in the Main Event at RITC 35. These are exciting matchups and this promises to be one of the best RITC Fight Cards ever. Main Event: Del Hawkins (145 lbs) vs Farrell Frisby (150 lbs) Super Fight #1: Homer Moore (210 lbs) vs Vince Lucero (270 lbs) Super Fight #2: Drew Fickett (175 lbs) vs John Lansing (165 lbs) Featured Fights: Brad Pole (150 lbs) vs Santino Defranco (155 lbs) Edwin Dewees (195 lbs) vs Joe Grant (235 lbs) Joseph Riggs (235 lbs) vs TBA Plus 6 other matchups to fill out the 12 Fight Card. Fight Card subject to change. Tickets for RITC available at the Celebrity Theatre Box Office (602-267-1600) or at Ticketmaster (480-784-4444). For additional information, please call 480-446-8127 or visit www.rageinthecage.com |
| Saturday - April 13, 2002 |
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All-women's MMA card becomes a reality By Joe Hall Photography by Loretta Hunt 
EVANSVILLE, Indiana -- Promoter Jeff Osborne stepped to the microphone surrounded by fighters on both sides. To his left were seven women -- and no men. To his right were seven opposing women -- and no men. As Osborne spoke, the press conference began for HOOKnSHOOT "Revolution," an event set to write U.S. mixed martial arts history as the first-ever all-women's show.Other than individually standing and introducing themselves, the women sat quietly as Osborne expressed his vision and confidence in women's mixed martial arts. As a group, Saturday night's combatants appeared a bit green to the tidal wave of media attention surrounding the groundbreaking event. In addition to the hype that has been building in MMA circles for months, various media outlets are converging in Evansville for the weekend: HOOKnSHOOT staff are filming a documentary on the women, a crew from the ESPN series Outside the Lines is expected at the show, and local news coverage is stronger than ever. While the women might be unaccustomed to such a stage, they are handling the blitz like the professional athletes that they are. Perhaps fighters like Mayra Conde, who put on a short yet stunning flexing exhibition after weighing-in, are naturals in the spotlight, or perhaps they just grasp the significance this show has for women's mixed martial arts. An occasional women's bout has been mixed in on MMA fight cards in the past, but no promotion has ever tried an all-women's lineup. Anything could happen Saturday night, including the possibility that "Revolution" could flop and subsequently slow women's presence in the sport. Matchmaker Miguel Iturate doesn't plan on that and even made it clear that women's fighting has a strong future in HOOKnSHOOT. "I definitely see potential for women's matches probably on HOOKnSHOOT shows from now until the end of the year and possibly two [women's] shows a year as a format," Iturate said. Osborne released even bigger plans: "I would like to run two to four more [women's] matches this year and build towards -- since the 135-pound division is so stacked -- crowning a champion in Las Vegas in October." With the capital of combat sports on the horizon, the push for women's legitimacy in MMA has rapidly approached, and this event may be a glimpse of what's to come. As the press conference smoothly concluded, it became apparent that HOOKnSHOOT has stepped up as a promotion. They have provided the platform and meticulously set the stage. Now, it's up to the women to walk across it and start their revolution. The weigh-ins
HOOKnSHOOT in Vegas? Full Contact Fighter caught up with Jeff Osborne after the weigh-ins to clarify his plans for a show in Las Vegas. He told FCF that it is not certain, but an event is indeed being worked on. While still tentative, the card would likely have both men's and women's matches taking place in a small venue near mid-October. |
| Sunday - April 14, 2002 |
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HOOKnSHOOT 'Revolution' Delivers By Joe Hall Photography by Loretta Hunt The revolution has come, but it has not gone. Women's MMA was jumpstarted Saturday night as the first all-women's mixed martial arts card in the U.S. successfully drew and entertained a substantial crowd. If anyone showed up anticipating a hair-pulling catfight or a series of slaps, trained competitors abruptly educated them. All of the punches were not straight and crisp; all of the submissions were not perfectly set up or flawlessly executed -- but several were. There were sharp right hooks, smooth transitions, and shins that precisely drilled their targets. It was clear that plenty of work awaits women mixed martial artists, though there is no denying the skill and potential already present. In the opening bout, 17-year-old Erica Montoya powerfully shot a double-leg takedown that put Ruth Mejia on her back. Montoya then patiently passed the guard and swiveled to an armbar from the mount for the win. The show quickly moved to the next match, featuring the card's two heaviest participants. Shannon Hooper, cornered by UFC Heayvweight Champion and boyfriend Josh Barnett, came out strong, snapping combinations at Olga Bakalopoulous. Looking in danger on the feet, Olga struggled to take the fight to the ground. Before she could get it there, however, she gained momentum by blasting Hooper with a right hand that landed squarely on the chin. Olga then worked the fight to the ground and finished Hooper with a key lock. Jessica Ross dismantled Jennifer Irons in the third fight of the evening. After jumping to the guard, Ross transitioned from a triangle choke to an armbar and finally back to a triangle choke for the tap. In the next match, Angela Wilson and Tanya Vlahac roused the crowd with a back-and-forth battle. Vlahac relentlessly fired right hands while Wilson used a variety of sweeps and throws to ground her adversary. On the mat, Wilson eventually tore through Vlahac's defense with punches in the half guard to end the crowd-pleasing affair. 
RESULTS
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From the event's promoter: The Biggest Tournament in History! Huge heavyweight event begins to take shape
HONOLULU, Hawaii -- What has 32 legs, 16 noses and weighs more than 4,000 pounds?Answer: The tournament field for the upcoming Super Brawl 24: Return of the Heavyweights. That's right... the fighters in this year's field for the mega 16-fighter tourney have an average weight of more than 275 pounds. And, they have combined to win more than 80% of their mixed martial arts matches. Super Brawl 24: Return of the Heavyweights is sponsored by Full Contact Fighter and promises to be the most exciting event held in Hawaii in recent years. The two-day, 16-fighter tournament is scheduled April 26-27 at the Blaisdell Arena and boasts $20,000 in prize money and hopefully an opportunity for some fighters to point their careers toward the sport's major organizations. "There is no shortage of size... or talent in this tourney," said Super Brawl promoter T.Jay Thompson. "I haven't been this excited for an event in a long time. I look at the field, and realistically we have at least a dozen guys who are expecting to make it to at least the semifinals." Just over two years ago in the same arena, Super Brawl held what is considered to be the most successful heavyweight tournament in the sport's history. Of the eight competitiors, six went on to compete in either UFC, Pride, or both. Advancing to UFC were: Josh Barnett, Bobby Hoffman, Travis Fulton and Ricco Rodriguez. Advancing to Pride were Heath Herring, John Marsh and Rodriguez. Barnett, the newly crowned UFC champion and winner of the first tourney, will be on hand to personally put the belt on this year's champion. Jens Pulver, the reigning UFC lightweight champion, also will be in attendance. Half of the field for "Return of the Heavyweights" was selected through qualifying 8-man tournaments held earlier this year in Iowa and Utah. The rest, were selected from a long list of applicants asking to take part in the event. "We have received more interest than we ever imagined," said Extreme Challenge promoter Monte Cox, who is co-promoting the event. "We are trying to discover stars... and have only accepted up-and-coming fighters who have no prior experience in the UFC or Pride. We're looking to make some fighters' dreams come true." Ben Rothwell (11-1) of Milwaukee, Wis., won the Iowa event, while Tim Sylvia (10-0) of Bettendorf, Iowa, won the Utah event. As announced earlier, those fighters will be joined by local favorite Wes "Cabbage" Coreirra (12-3), who has become a Super Brawl standout. Also competing will be muscular Travis Wiuff (5-1) of Minneapolis, Minn.; Kerry "Meat Truck" Schall (12-4) of Cincinnati, Ohio; Gabe Beauperthuy (6-3) of Colorado Springs, Colo.; and Bryan Stromberg (1-0) of Portland, Ore. Stromberg represents Team Quest, which features former UFC heavyweight champion Randy Couture and Pride standout Dan Henderson. All 16 fighters will compete in single bouts on April 26... reducing the field to eight fighters. On April 27, the eight will continue the tourney until one fighter wins three bouts (four over two days) and is crowned the champion. A special priced ticket for both nights is available at the Blaisdell Center box office, all tickets plus outlets or online at http://www.ticketplushawaii.com/ Much more information is available at http://www.superbrawl.tv/ For additional information, email T.Jay Thompson at tj@superbrawl.tv or call (808) 524-6062. |
"Highly Unlikely" Word from inside the Guy Mezger camp is that although Mezger was originally supposed to fight on the April 28th Pride card (he's been training under the premise that he would be fighting brawler Quinton Jackson), last-minute changes in his opponent make it "highly unlikely that he will be fighting in Pride 20." |
| Monday - April 15, 2002 |
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Looking to Take Over K-1! Text & Photos by Eduardo Alonso 
With the huge success achieved by the Chute Boxe Academy athletes in NHB over the years, with Vanderlei Silva, Pele Landi, Murilo Ninja, Anderson Silva, among others winning fights and titles in the world's most important events, many could have wondered why a Chute Boxe fighter was yet to step into the K-1 ring. The Chute Boxe team is originally a Muay Thai team, and K-1 is the biggest stand-up fighting event in the martial arts world, so it was natural that many Chute Boxe fighters would have the desire to compete and test their skills in K-1. Finally the chance has materialized, and just one week before PRIDE 20, K-1 will host the debut of a Chute Boxe fighter in the event. The man selected for the job is Nilson de Castro [pictured]. A Chute Boxe fighter who got his black belt on the same day that Vanderlei Silva got his, and has already fought some tough NHB battles. Nilson is an IVC veteran, and he was away from the ring for a while. However, after some incentive from his teammates Nilson decided to come back to the hardcore training at the academy, and resume his fighting career! The decision proved to be the right one, and Nilson de Castro came back with an impressive win at MECA 6 in January, and he is now welcoming his chance in K-1, hoping to open the doors to his teammates at the event and possibly start an NHB career in Japan as well, much like his long-time friend Vanderlei Silva. FCF had the chance to catch-up with Chute Boxe coach Rudimar Fedrigo, and the man himself, Nilson de Castro, just before they left for Japan!FCF: You have been dedicating yourself to NHB again, and even won at the last MECA. Did this opportunity to fight in K-1 surprise you? Nilson: To tell you the truth I was expecting an invitation from PRIDE, but since the K-1 invitation appeared, it was great! It's every Muay Thai fighter's dream to fight in K-1! I welcomed this opportunity very much, and it was a surprise -- a very good surprise. I was expecting an invitation, but it was a surprise that it came from K-1! FCF: Since you have been dedicating yourself to NHB, how long have you been away from stand-up only fights? Nilson: Well, to be honest with you I fight standing up every day! [Laughs] FCF: [Laughs] Of course, but I meant not counting the Chute Boxe academy training! Nilson: [Laughs] I know! In terms of official fights, well, I believe I haven't competed in Muay Thai since 1998, or 1999. I have been doing only NHB lately. FCF: Finally a Chute Boxe fighter will be fighting in K-1. This could be considered the realization of another Chute Boxe academy's dream... Rudimar: Without a doubt, Nilson's fight will be very important to us! This is something that we have been waiting for a long time and he's very happy to be fighting at the biggest "Muay Thai" event in the world. FCF: Considering that the Chute Boxe team is originally a Muay Thai team, was it an old dream for the academy to have someone fighting in K-1? Rudimar: Yes, this was an old dream of the academy! FCF: How did this invitation for Nilson to fight in K-1 come about? Was Nilson the first fighter that the promoters invited to fight at the event? Rudimar: Well, what happened was the product of a group of things: The success of the Chute Boxe fighters in Japan, Vanderlei Silva's good performances there, and also Nilson's excellent fight at the last MECA. All those things lead to the invitation for Nilson to fight in K-1, and I think it's going to be excellent! FCF: But Nilson, how did you get the news about this fight? Do you remember how it was? Nilson: Oh Yeah! I was training and the master came up to me and said, "You were invited to fight in K-1!" Man! It was really something you know. It was a huge happiness! I mean, I got very happy! FCF: Was it tough to prepare a fighter to compete in K-1, and at the same time prepare other fighters to fight at PRIDE? Rudimar: No, we didn't have any extra difficulty because of it. We were always working a more specific Muay Thai training with Nilson, and he is feeling very well. He is prepared for this fight, and I'm sure it'll be a great fight! FCF: How was the preparation for this fight? Did you train only Muay Thai? Nilson: Of course, I train exclusively Muay Thai for this fight. Click here to continue the interview |
| Tuesday - April 16, 2002 |
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From Josh Hedges of Zuffa/UFC: Join us tomorrow at the Sports Cafè in London as the UFC invades the UK. At 11:00 am, the UFC and Sky Sports will hold a press conference to officially introduce the UFC. Everyone has landed in London and they are all gearing up for the history-making day ahead of them tomorrow. Since the first rumors of the UFC coming to the UK several months ago, the response has been astounding. Several members of the British media attended UFC 36, including journalists from Front Magazine and The Sun, the UK's biggest selling tabloid. The media is all over the UFC. Early expectations were for about 50 members of the media to cover the event, but now we're expecting well over 100 to show up. Fighters attending the conference will be former UFC Welterweight Champion Carlos Newton, and British stars Ian Freeman, Mark Weir, and Leigh Remedios. UFC President Dana White will also be on hand to host the press conference and answer questions. |
| Wednesday - April 17, 2002 |
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By Eduardo Alonso 
Jorge Macaco Patino is one of the most controversial and charismatic NHB fighters in Brazil, and has been this way ever since his first battles with Pele Landi several years ago. Wherever Macaco is fighting, he brings excitement to the event. The last MECA event in Curitiba, where he fought RVT member Gustavo Ximu, was no exception. In a conversation held before his fight at MECA, Macaco shared a lot of his views on fighting, training and a fighter's behavior. Unfortunately, Patino ended up losing his fight against Ximu by submission, but it was still very interesting to review this interview and share it with FCF's readers, because Macaco is really an interesting character and he surely will be around the NHB game for a long time. The Octagon awaits...FCF: You are already a well known fighter abroad, but you spend a good amount of time without fighting in the major events, only training and helping your students. How was it for you to stay away from the ring for such a long time? JMP: Well, the last event that I fought was Deep, in January 2001. Then I suffered an injury on my left hand, I broke the capsule of my hand hitting the opponent's face and the also hitting the ring. From then on, I have been working with my students. I have been working on my cardio, my techniques, and focusing on my students. But, if something came up, I would fight! I already had a fight abroad scheduled for this year and the MECA invitation came about. MECA is very important here in Brazil, and my students can watch me, so I need to work here inside Brazil too. It's here that I make my money. When you go to fight abroad, you don't have students there. But here I have students. So I have to put my neck on the line! I make a living out of this, and I like it. Besides, MECA is for sure the biggest NHB event in Brazil, and if I'm not in it, I'm losing! Rudimar [Fedrigo] opened the doors for me, and got me a very tough fight against Ximu. So, may the best man win! FCF: You have been to some previous MECA editions, bringing your students over to fight. This is the first time that you will actually fight in the event. How can you compare both experiences? JMP: I can only congratulate Rudimar on the event's organization, and the Chute Boxe team for the great reception they always give us! We always participated in the event, from the first MECA to the fourth! We only haven't been here in the fifth. Now we're back to MECA, with Luiz Azeredo and myself. Azeredo already won two times in MECA, and he's coming for his third fight at the event. My students have been working very hard, and you know that it's not easy to step inside the ring. It's very tough! You need very tough psychological work. There are some days that everything will go right for you, and there are others that nothing will go right. As a fighter, I know that, because it happens to me a lot of times! I trained the whole year, I'm more than ready, but when I step into the ring I get kind of locked. But I'm relaxed, and I'll try to do a good work there. I have Jesus in my heart, and thank God we had a great reception once again. All the guys from the Chute Boxe team gave us a great support, and we're here to add something to the event. 
FCF: Everybody knows what you're capable on the ground, but you have been training a lot of Muay Thai lately. Are you already feeling more comfortable to trade now?JMP: Since I have been training Muay Thai with Luiz Azeredo for more than a year and a half now, we have been hitting each other for that long, I could do a good showing of my stand up in Japan. I traded a lot of strikes with my opponent at Deep, I was able to hit him with several punches and kicks, but I couldn't knock him out because he was very tough indeed! He was a real Samurai. He was much bigger and stronger than me. As for my fight with Ximu, let's see what happens. It'll be like a major test. He is also a stand-up fighter, which I wasn't in the past, but I'm becoming one now! So I'll look for the stand-up fight. I'll look to fight in his style... let's trade! It'll be all or nothing, let's do the event's show. I came here to give a show! Let's brawl standing up and the best will win! If I have the chance to take the fight to the ground, I'll take it to the ground. But I'll trade standing up first. FCF: What do you expect for your career after this fight at MECA 6? Do you have any plans to fight abroad? JMP: First of all I would like to thank everybody at the Cleber Luciano academy for all the support. Every time that I go there they treat me very well. My cousin Lili is married to Cleber Luciano, and we do good work there. My cousin is my manager, and she always gets the fights abroad for me. As a matter of fact in 2000 I had 17 wins, and I fought seven times abroad. In 2001, I fought 3 times abroad, and I won the Pan-American Jiu-Jitsu Championship. So, MECA gives you the opportunity to go to PRIDE, and I already have a fight signed with the UFC. I'm only waiting to finish my work here to be able to work on that. FCF: You had a big rivalry with Pele in the past, but nowadays you two get along very well. Do you fear that the fans from Curitiba, Pele's hometown, will be all against you in the fight? JMP: We're, Pele and I, both professionals. Inside the ring we will try to beat the hell out of each other, we hate each other! But outside of the ring we're professionals. We talk, eat together, and shake hands and stuff like that! This is the life of a real fighter. Outside the ring we're regular people just like anyone. And inside the ring we do our work. Since I'm a very charismatic fighter, I don't worry about the crowd. I have a very good psychological aspect. I'm sure the crowd will scream and call me names, because this is part of the event. But as much as they scream, it gives me even more strength in the fight. I like it! But I'll also have my supporters here. There are some buses with my supporters coming from Sao Paulo to watch the show. I love when the crowd from Curitiba calls my name! This is part of the event, and it helps promote the sport, and this proves that I'm alive in the sport. I'm not the sort of guy who talks a lot but doesn't put his neck on the line. Currently I have 25 fights, with 20 knockouts in under a minute! I also have 4 losses and a draw. If you take a close look among the Brazilian fighters, I'm one of the fighters with more fights on their records. Besides that, my defeats only helped me to learn from my mistakes and improve my game. FCF: The best of luck for you, and thanks for the interview! JMP: It was my pleasure. |
"Stuttering John" Melendez of the Howard Stern show is in training for his upcoming fight against Crazy Cabbie and we've got the exclusive pictures. Check out the amazing Before & After look of "Handsome Johnny" |
| Friday - April 19, 2002 |
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Ninja wants to prove his value inside the ring! By Eduardo Alonso 
Coming from the Chute Boxe team and following in the footsteps of teammates Pele Landi and Vanderlei Silva, Murilo "Ninja" Rua first appeared on the NHB scene fighting in the inaugural MECA World Vale Tudo event, in his hometown of Curitiba, and quickly drew the attention of fight fans worldwide. With wins coming from triangle chokes to knockouts, Ninja always displayed a lot of heart and will to learn all the aspects of the game. After a series of wins at MECA, the Chute Boxe rising star got an opportunity at PRIDE replacing his teammate Anderson Silva, who couldn't fight because of contractual issues. Ninja didn't waste his chance! He quickly became a new star on PRIDE's roster, establishing his name with two decisive wins over Daijiro Matsui and Alex Andrade, and one controversial loss to Dan Henderson, where he proved he can hang with the very best the sport has to offer. At only 21 years old, Ninja is now about to face the toughest challenge in his young career, facing legendary fighter Mario Sperry. This fight is becoming one of the most intriguing fights on the PRIDE 20 card and it promises to escalate the already heated rivalry between the Brazilian Top Team and Chute Boxe! FCF starts to heat up for PRIDE 20 in great fashion, catching up with Ninja himself to learn a bit more about what he thinks about his fight and much more! Check FCF's page in the following days to see what Mario Sperry has to say about the match-up, as FCF delivers the best PRIDE 20 coverage in the world!FCF: You suffered a serious injury in January that forced you to stay away from training for a period of time. How was the recovery process? Are you already feeling 100%? Ninja: Yes! I'm already feeling a lot better, and besides I believe that Rudimar wouldn't put me to fight at PRIDE if I wasn't already 100%. I did all I need to do to take care of my injury; I think it took two to three months. I did physiotherapy and stuff, and now I'm ready to fight again! FCF: What's your training been like since the recovery? Ninja: For this next fight I was swimming on the mornings, doing Muay Thai and jiu-jitsu. It varies a bit. Sometimes I run, in fact right now I have been running every day! I also lift weights, of course, but I always trained a lot. It's not just because of this fight. FCF: Your opponent for this fight will be Mario Sperry, who dropped some weight recently to compete in PRIDE's middleweight division. How much will you be weighing for this fight? And what do you know about your opponent's game? Ninja: I'll be weighing 93 Kg for this fight. I only know that he is a jiu-jitsu fighter, and I'll try to knock him out standing. But if we ever hit the ground, I also train jiu-jitsu, so I'll try to defend myself, and if I have a chance to finish him, I'll finish him for sure. FCF: As all the Chute Boxe fighters, you didn't watch any tapes of him to prepare for the fight? Ninja: No, I never watched any tapes of any opponents I had. I don't even know with whom I'm going to fight. FCF: And you don't even care to know as always (Laughs) Ninja: I don't care to know for sure! (Laughs) This way you can expect everything in the fight, and you won't fight the other guy's game! FCF: Is it true that even if this fight never materialized at PRIDE 20 you were planning to challenge him? Ninja: Yeah, I was already willing to fight him for some time! Thankfully this fight appeared. I heard some rumors in the past that he said that if he were going to fight me he would finish me very quickly. Since this got to my ears, I want to see if he's really going to finish me quickly! FCF: Do you believe that this fight can increase the rivalry between Brazilian Top Team and Chute Boxe? Ninja: Man, I don't know! I can't tell you that. FCF: Do you enter this fight with any special motivation because he is a Brazilian Top Team fighter? Ninja: For sure man! This is one more factor that makes me want to demonstrate more violence in the fight! I'm going there to really brawl! I'm going there to fight! If he makes some mistakes I'm going to break his jaw. I'm training a lot. In fact I want to knock him out badly. FCF: How do you believe this fight is going to unfold? What do you expect to happen in this fight? Ninja: Man! I don't know what to say. A fight is a fight, anything can happen. But I'm willing to decide it standing! And if we have to go to the ground, we will go to the ground, but there's no rules against striking on the ground you know -- it's different from jiu-jitsu. I'm going to brawl! I just can't fight his game you know, if we hit the ground I'm going to strike him hard. I'm there to brawl. FCF: Rudimar and Vanderlei already left for Japan last Monday. Who is going to be flying with you to PRIDE? Ninja: Next Monday I'll be flying with Pele, Rafael Cordeiro, Anderson Silva and Cristiano Marcello! We're going in a bunch of guys this time! FCF: Speaking of Vanderlei Silva, he is going to be facing Mirko "Cro Cop", a fighter who came from K-1, on the same card. What are you expecting from Vanderlei's fight? Ninja: Gee, I think Vanderlei is going to knock him out! He is very strong nowadays. Vanderlei trains so hard man! I don't even need to say, he proves it every time he fights. He has been training a lot and I'm sure he is going to win again. FCF: It was recently announced that you will be one in the PRIDE videogame. Did you ever think that you would one day be a videogame character? Ninja: Man, I would never have expected it! (Laughs) Did they really announce my name on the game? FCF: Yes, you and Vanderlei are already officially in the game! Ninja: That's great! Man, I would never have dreamed it. I 'm excited about it! Who wouldn't like to be in a videogame? I think it's great! I never even imagined that I would be fighting in PRIDE so early, at only 21 years of age! Let alone be on the videogame! FCF: What are your plans after this PRIDE? Ninja: I don't know. I plan to keep on fighting. Maybe I'll fight "Navalhada" next. I don't know. This is up to master Rudimar. But I'm already prepared for Navalhada. FCF: What about your fight with Navalhada? Do you believe you'll still fight him in MECA? Ninja: This is supposed to happen. I'm waiting to fight him; it's going to happen for sure. FCF: Don't you think that PRIDE may not want you to fight in MECA if you keep on winning there? Ninja: But man, I'll have to fight him no matter what! He talked a lot about me! With him, things are going to be really personal! He is very arrogant. I want to fight him. It's a personal thing. FCF: Besides Navalhada, is there anyone that you would like to fight? Ninja: That "Brazilian Killa" guy [Alex Stiebling]! He is very arrogant! And I'm not saying that just because of that T-shirt. Even the first time he went to PRIDE, he was already very arrogant… I mean very arrogant! I would like to fight him. FCF: Any final message for your fans? Ninja: Man, I trained a lot and I'm going to do everything I can to win this fight! Everybody from the Chute Boxe Academy always wants to put on a good showing for the fans, and I expect to do it again. FCF: Good luck and thanks a lot. Ninja: Thanks a lot. |
From the event's promoter: UCC 8: FAST AND FURIOUS FROM COAST TO COAST!!! The latest installment of the UCC 2002 tour will be invading your living room this Saturday April 20th as UCC 8 will be aired throughout Canada on Bell ExpressVu, StarChoice, Viewer's Choice Canada, and Canal Indigo PPV carriers. See the UCC debut of undefeated warrior Jason Black as he faces UCC veteran Ivan Menjivar. UFC and SHOGUN veteran Anthony "THE FREAK" Fryklund battles Jiu-Jitsu star Jonathan Goulet, C.J. Fernandes is back for revenge as he goes to war with powerful striker Dany Laflamme. FEEL THE PAIN! as PAIN Peters returns to shut Jeff Davis's mouth once and for all in a special grudge match! The SUPERFIGHT of the evening will pit two of the most explosive and popular UCC stars against each other as DEMOLITION MAN Claudionor Fontinelle faces THE CROW David Loiseau in bout that will see the winner move on to fight for the UCC World Middleweight championship at UCC 10 in Hull! This will be Loiseau's biggest challenge in his young career. In the first of 4 titles on the line Richard "THE MONKEY" Nancoo is set to defend his Canadian SLW title against undefeated UCC warrior Steve Claveau. Known as LOAF, Justin Bruckmann has been a main stay since UCC 1 and is back to defend his Canadian WW title against # 1 contender Joel Leblanc. The LION HEART Steve Vigneault will face long time rival JP Cantin with hopes of once again defending his Canadian MW title. In the main event of the evening Donald Ouimet will be in action to defend his UCC World MW title against Team Extreme member Jesse Jones. Jones is best known for submitting Dave Menne and is looking to add Ouimet to the list of MMA greats that he has defeated. Don't miss it! SATURDAY APRIL 20th on PPV! Stephane Patry, President/CEO Universal Combat Challenge CanSport Communications visit us at: http://www.ucczone.ca/ |
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From the event's promoter David Lea: World Freestyle Fighting Championships 
Fight 1Bob Shabaga (Toshido Submission Fighting) def James Hanson (Sholty Jiu-Jitsu) by Armbar (rd1) - After a brief exchange on their feet, James ended up in Bob's guard. Bob kept busy throwing elbows to the thighs of James, until he locked out the arm for the win. Fight 2 Rob Acton (Poesener Pankration) drew with Gord Cummings (Sholty Jiu-Jitsu) - This was a WAR! Both competitors banged non-stop for 2 five minute rounds! Both fighter's showed tremendous heart, with the outcome being a draw. Fight 3 Jeremy Whittingham (C-Franco Pankration) def Chad Hamzeh (Canuckles MMA) by armbar (rd 1) - After an explosive takedown by Chad, Jeremy took over with one armbar attempt after another, until he finally caught Chad for the submission. Good showing for Jeremy. Fight 4 Travis Galbaith (Sholty Jiu-Jitsu) def Eddy Ellis (Victory Athletic) by armbar. After an attempted reversal by Eddy, Travis rolled for a very slick armbar for the win. Fight 5 Craig Sloan (Gibson Pankration) def Dan Shenk (Sholty Jiu-Jitsu) by Judges Decision - Craig dominated the fight with an effective ground and pound from Dan's guard. Dan showed great heart, but Craig controlled the bout with heavy punches that earned him the win. Fight 6 Shane Biever (Maximum Martial Arts) def Paul Trudel ( Toshido Submission Fighting) by TKO (rd 1) - Paul rushed in clenching Shane against the ropes. Shane landed a punch that stunned Paul, Paul tried to shoot for an ankle pick, but Shane defended the takedown and landed some good punches, until the Ref stopped the bout. Fight 7 - Canadian Light-Weight Title Fight Jason Towns (Toshido Submission Fighting) def Frank Colcher (Toronto, Ontario) by TKO (rd 1) - After a brief exchange of punches, Frank dropped to guard, where Jason dominated position. Jason worked back to his feet, where he chopped at the legs of Frank who was laying on his back. Frank got back to his feet, but was thrown on to his shoulder. Jason went back to kicking the legs of Frank, who verbally submitted to the ref. As it turned out Frank dislocated his shoulder from the throw. This was a great showing for Jason putting him as one of the best in Canada in the 150 lb weight class. Frank is always game, and will undoubtedly be back in the mix as soon as his shoulder heals. Fight 8 - Semi-Main Event John Alessio (Millennia Jiu-Jitsu) def John DeLaO (DeLaO Jiu-Jitsu) by TKO (rd 1) - Alessio has obviously been working on his takedown defense as DeLaO was unable to capitalize on numerous takedown attempts. After an exchange on their feet, DeLaO ended up on his back clutching his knee (which was heavily braced from a previous injury), and was unable to continue. Alessio proved why he is the current UCC World Champion, with a great showing against the skilled DeLaO! Fight 9 - Main Event Denis Kang vs Dennis Hallman ruled a No-Contest (rd 2) - After a dominating performance by Denis Kang, Kang threw an unintentional foul, kicking from his back that caught Hallman in the face. Hallman was unable to continue, so the bout was ruled a No-Contest. Although the outcome was unfortunate, this was a great fight, showing that Vancouver native, Denis Kang, is more than prepared for the World's elite fighters. |
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From the event's promoter: April 13, 2002 Caged Heat 4 Bears Casino Newtown, ND. This show was in the new event center and 1500 spectators got to see a great night of fights. Kaos Stone was on hand to play the entrance music for the fighters. Pro 200 lb North American Championship Title Tournament William Jennette TN. vs. Scott Shipman OH. Shipman 3:36 2nd round rear naked choke Jesse Ault TN. vs. Chael Sonnen OR. Sonnen OT Unanimous decision Final Scott Shipman vs. Chael Sonnen Sonnen 7:08 2nd round tap out to choke Congratulations to Chael Sonnen the 200 lb. title holder! Single Bouts Kyle Olsen ND. vs. Jim Tollefson ND. Olsen :40 tap out to strikes Mitch Rosland ND. vs. Roger Stiner ND. Rosland 3:40 standing neck crank Ethan Boyle ND. vs. Brian Criddle ND. Boyle 1:28 2nd Rd. triangle choke Mark Smolinski Can. vs. Pat Russo ND. Smolinski could not answer bell for second rd. Chris Fontaine Can. vs. Bruce Nelson MN. Fontaine 2:41 Triangle arm bar Sam Adkins TX. vs Tyrone Roberts Roberts OT Unamious decision Main Event Dan Severn MI. vs. Steve Sayegh AZ. Severn 5:45 tap out to elbow smashes to head Broadripple Place Fight Night III April 7 Ft. Wayne, IN. 135-150 lb. Tournament John Fraser vs. Truc Nguyen Fraser :38 TKO Mike Rooney vs. Nick Hawk Rooney Dustin Blaskie vs. John Fraser Fraser :39 Mike Rooney vs. Mike Miller Rooney :13 tap out Final John Fraser vs. Mike Rooney Rooney 2:39 tap out 190-210 Joel Blanton vs. David Bailey Blanton Bailey did not show to fight Joel Blanton vs. Layne McDaniel Blanton 1:48 tap out (McDaniel took the fight after his single bout to help out the show) Single Bouts Kurt Illeman vs. Corey Kildurn Illeman 2:20 ref stoppage TKO Layne McDaniel vs. Steve McCabe McDaniel 2:00 tapout Dan Lamping vs. Chris Herring Lamping :54 KO Nathan McCabe vs. Dave Dillon McCabe 3:19 second round TKO Dave Morris vs. Robert Brideges 1:34 tapout arm bar Single Pro Bout 145 lb. Dan Swift vs. Josh Mason Swift 3:48 tap out |
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KERRY MCCOY, CHRIS BONO, AND CAEL SANDERSON, AND THE 2002 U.S. NATIONAL WRESTLING CHAMPIONSHIPS By Eddie Goldman They are all ranked first in their weight classes in freestyle wrestling in the U.S., and all hope to win a national championship at the 2002 U.S. National Wrestling Championships, April 26-27 in Las Vegas. This week on the "No Holds Barred News" segment on WBAI radio's "Lightshow" we will be hearing from these three elite wrestlers, Kerry McCoy, Chris Bono, and Cael Sanderson. We spoke to Kerry at the last week's freestyle dual meet between teams from the U.S. and Russia at the New York Athletic Club. And we spoke to Chris and Cael when they visited New York to conduct several wrestling clinics in this area. Besides getting their comments on the upcoming U.S. Nationals, we also spoke to them about the NCAA Wrestling Championships. With Chris and Cael, we also discussed art, baseball, singing, pastry, beer, and, oh yes, wrestling. Cael had been invited to lead the crowd in the traditional singing of "Take Me Out To The Ballgame" during the seventh-inning stretch at a Chicago Cubs game, but that game was rained out. We tried to get him to sing it for us, and, well ... you'll just have to tune in to find out what happened. "Lightshow" airs weekly late Friday night/early Saturday morning, 3-5 AM Eastern Time. The "No Holds Barred News" segment airs in the second hour of the show, between 4 AM and 5 AM EST, early Saturday morning, April 20. This week's segment is prerecorded. WBAI broadcasts in New York on 99.5 FM. For those not in the New York area, WBAI can also be heard live on the Internet. There are two sites that stream the signal: http://www.wbai.org/ and http://www.2600.com/wbai. At this time broadcasts of "Lightshow" are not archived, but we are working on getting these audio interviews posted. We also have an e-mail address for our segment on: nhblightshow@yahoo.com. WBAI is a 50,000 watt, non-commercial station. This means that, unlike the advertiser-supported media, our opinions are not restrained by any commercial interests. "Lightshow" is an arts and entertainment show whose main host and producer is Fred Geobold. I was a co-producer on this show from 1993 to 1998, and rejoined the show as a producer and co-host in September 2001. |
| Saturday - April 20, 2002 |
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In this issue... |
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By Eduardo Alonso 
Darrel Gholar [pictured beating on Johil de Oliveira at IVC 5] has won his share of NHB fights in recent years, one of his accomplishments was winning a WVC eight-man tournament in Brazil, fighting under the traditional NHB rules. In addition to his achievements in the ring, the veteran wrestler has also helped train some of the best fighters in the world -- most recently the Brazilian Top Team. The improvement in those fighters' games has been quite evident, and much of that is due to Gholar's experience and wrestling skills. FCF had the opportunity to catch up with Darrel Gholar just before the last MECA event in Curitiba, and briefly interviewed him to learn a bit more about his views on the game and his role in the BTT's success. Gholar also shared his view on the much awaited, and once again postponed, fight between Vitor Belfort and Tito Ortiz, and he was very honest in voicing his opinion. Learn more about the man behind many of the top Brazilian fighters' recent improvements... FCF: You fought in and won the WVC 13 tournament in Recife, Brazil. How do you compare WVC and MECA? How do you analyze the differences in the organization of both events? DG: The only real big difference that I see, because I have seen a lot of the same fighters here, well not a lot of the same fighters... I think I maybe have seen one of the same fighters here that I saw there [at the WVC], but a lot of the same people are here. But Recife has a beach... FCF: So I see that you like beaches [Laughs]... DG: [Laughs] I mean that's the only big difference, they're both well run. I guess there were a few more names in Recife, but it's pretty much the same. FCF: Yeah, I meant more on the organization side of it... DG: Oh yeah, that's what I was saying, I mean, organization-wise it's pretty much the same. They treated me well while I was there [at the WVC], and I've been here [at MECA] not fighting, but they're treating me well here. The fighters care more about the facilities, and they've been good. Everybody has been fed and stuff. I fought in the WVC and it was good... they paid me on time, and that's the most important thing. FCF: Right now you have been focusing more on training fighters and helping people, teaching them wrestling. Do you ever consider the chance of fighting again in an NHB event? DG: You know, if the money is right, I'll fight; but if it's not, I'll just continue to train fighters. After this I'm going to go back to California, and probably going to start my own team. Click here to continue the interview |
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From RITC Writer/Statistician John Petrilli: Del Hawkins vs Farrell Frisby Date: Friday, May 3, 2002 Time: Doors Open: 6:30 PM, Fight Time: 8 PM Location: Celebrity Theatre, Phoenix, Arizona Tickets $20 (rows 14-25), $35 (rows 4-13) and $45 (rows 1-3) Kids under 12 are free !!! $5 discount cards will be sent to everyone on the RITC mailing list. The Heavyweights are back !!! 7 of our planned 12 fights will be in the popular Heavyweight Division. Steve Sayegh (235 lbs) will be returning to compete in RITC 35. Steve is a Battle Dome Champion and he recently faced MMA legend Dan "The Beast" Severn in a Dangerzone bout held in North Dakota. The full fight card for RITC 35 has been announced. This outstanding card, which is stacked with talent and competitive matchups, promises to make RITC 35 one of our best events ever. Featured Fights: 1. Brad Pole (150 lbs) vs Santino Defranco (155 lbs) 2. Adam Durant (160 lbs) vs Gabe Casillas (170 lbs) 3. Rich Moss (180 lbs) vs Jason Welch (180 lbs) 4. Brian Pardoe (205 lbs) vs Joey Vigueria (240 lbs) 5. Andy Montana (250 lbs) vs TBA 6. Justin Lyon (375 lbs) vs Marty Salamon (225 lbs) 7. Edwin Dewees (210 lbs) vs Joe Grant (235 lbs) 8. Joseph Riggs (235 lbs) vs TBA 9. Steve Sayegh (235 lbs) vs Jed Hunt (315 lbs) Super Fights: 10. Drew Fickett (175 lbs) vs John Lansing (165 lbs) 11. Homer Moore (210 lbs) vs Vince Lucero (270 lbs) Main Event: 12. Del Hawkins (145 lbs) vs Farrell Frisby (150 lbs) There will be 12 fights (Arizona Commission limit). We have several good stand-by alternate fights lined-up if any of our planned matchups fail to take place. Fight Card subject to change. The World Champion Arizona Diamondbacks will be hosting the Montreal Expos on May 3. For this reason, the RITC 35 post-fight party will be moved from downtown Phoenix to Tempe. The RITC 35 post-fight party will be held in the patio area of Minder-Binders located at 715 S. McClintock Drive on the northeast corner of University and McClintock. There will be a DJ and drink specials all night long. Tickets for RITC available at the Celebrity Theatre Box Office (602-267-1600) or at Ticketmaster (480-784-4444). For additional information, please call 480-446-8127 or visit www.rageinthecage.com |
| Sunday - April 21, 2002 |
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By Eduardo Alonso Little more than a month since he joined Brazilian TV's biggest reality show, "Casa dos artistas" [House of artists], "The Phenom" Vitor Belfort was voted out of the show on Sunday, April 21. Belfort received the most votes from Internet respondents, and also received 4 votes from the other members of the house. With that he went to the final vote with another participant. In the final vote, people who call the TV show live from home would decide who would get out of the house. After a short while Belfort was voted off by all of the persons who called the show to vote! With that he was forced to leave the house and now he's out of the TV show. Vitor started to get some heat from the show's spectators because of his jealousy for his girlfriend, Joana Prado, who's also participating in the TV show. The couple was fighting all the time during the show, and most of time people thought that this was caused by Belfort's jealousy and his image began to drop in the past two weeks. The show will continue with his girlfriend on it, but without "The Phenom." The couple was even starting to plan their wedding, with the sponsorship of the TV Channel that is promoting the show, and now everything is up for grabs with the couple's future and most importantly with the Brazilian fighter's career. Many are hoping that Belfort will resume his fighting career very soon, and get back to the Octagon to do what he does best: Fight. We'll keep a close eye on the developments of Vitor Belfort's career after the TV show. |
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From Koichi "Booker K" Kawasaki: K-1 BURNING 2002 IN HIROSIMA K-1 JAPAN SERIES K-1 BURNING 2002 IN HIROSIMA DATE: April 21, 2002 PLACE: Hiroshima Sun Plaza (Hiroshima-Pref, Japan) Opening Fight Hiraku Hori (Japan) VS Takigawa Ryo(Japan) Winner: Takigawa Ryo(2R 1:02 KO) 1st Match HIROMI AMADA(Japan) VS TAKERU(Japan) Winner: HIROMI AMADA by KO 1R 1:52 2nd Match TSUYOSHI(Japan) VS TOORU OOISHI(Japan) Winner: TOORU OOISHI by Decision (2-0) 3R 3rd Match ANDREW PECK(New Zealand) VS RYUTA NOJI(Japan) Winner: Draw 5R(1-0) 4th Match NILSON DE CASTRO(Chute Boxe Brazil) VS SHINGO KOYASU (Japan) Winner: NILSON DE CASTRO by Decision (3-0) 5R 5th Match ERNEST HOOST (Holland) VS TSUYOSHI NAKASAKO (Japan) Winner: ERNEST HOOST by KO 1R 1:46 6th Match PETER ARTS (Holland) VS NICHOLAS PETTAS(2001 K-1 Japan champDenmark) Winner: PETER ARTS by KO 1R 2:50 7th Match SEMMY SCHILT (Holland) VS MUSASHI (Japan) Winner: SEMMY SCHILT by Decision(2-1) 5R |
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From Koichi "Booker K" Kawasaki: DSE/PRIDE has announced an additional match and the fight order for PRIDE.20 (AKA PRIDE Fighting Championships "Armed and Ready") as follows: Rogerio "Minotoro" Nogueira vs Yusuke Imamura(Takada Dojo) has been added to the card. PRIDE.20 / PRIDE Fighting Championships "Armed and Ready" DATE: April 28th, 2002 OPEN: 3:00 PM START 5:00 PM PLACE: Yokohama Arena (Kanagawa-Pref, Japan) 1st Match Bob Zapp vs Norihisa Yamamoto 2nd Match Masaaki Satake vs Quinton "Rampage" Jackson 3rd Match Rogerio "Minotoro" Nogueira vs Yusuke Imamura(Takada Dojo) 4th Match Dan Henderson vs Ricrado Arona 5th Match Murilo Ninja vs Mario Sperry 6th Match Sanae Kikuta vs Alexander Otsuka 7th Match Wanderlei Silva vs Mirco Cro Cop |
| Monday - April 22, 2002 |
 UFC 36: Elvis Sinosic vs. Evan Tanner Was this fight stopped too soon? Should Elvis have been allowed to continue working his submission attempt before the doctor was called in? Should the doctor have allowed the cutman to fix it up and send him back in? Was the fighter's safety at risk in this situation? What's your opinion? In this month's FCF Survey we'd like to hear what the fans have to say about some of the controversial stoppages they've seen. Some of the commentary we receive may appear in the May 2002 issue of FCF Click here to take the survey |
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From the event's promoter: May 18 in Minnesota 
The Extreme Challenge Trials will make its first appearance in Minnesota this year on May 18 at Spikers Grill & Beach Club in Fridley.The Trials consist of amateur tournaments in five weight divisions -- 150-under, 170-under, 190-under, 210-under and heavyweight. The winners of each division advance to the MMA Nationals, scheduled for the end of the year. Nationals winners receive pro deals to compete in Extreme Challenge and Super Brawl. Action starts at 8 p.m. and more than 25 bouts are expected. Tickets are available at all TicketMaster outlets (call 651 989-5151 to order by phone). To enter the event, contact Monte Cox at 563 332-2075 or at Fiteiowa@aol.com. |
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From the event's promoter: TOURNAMENT OF CHAMPIONS KICKBOXING PRESENTED BY: KIRK JENSEN PROMOTIONS T-8, (T - MEANING TOURNAMENT, 8 - MEANING NUMBER OF COMPETITORS). This tournament will allow some of the best Kickboxers in the Pacific Northwest to compete against each other. They will fight in an eight-man, single elimination Amateur tournament to determine the first T-8 Champion. The Champion will receive a high quality Title belt, and the right to be considered the best fighter in the Northwest. This format is similar to Amateur Karate, Amateur Boxing, and of course the K-1 Professional Kickboxing tournament. This tournament will be fought in a single evening, with at least two fighters fighting three times. Their first two fights will be 3 X 2 minutes rounds in duration. The final fight will also be 3 X 2 rounds for the right to be called "The T-8 Champion" All fights will be fought under the rules the T-8 and U.F.C.F. Each of the eight competitors expenses will be covered, Hotel, food and travel. There will be four seeded fighters, they will be divided into two brackets. The T-8 committee will choose these four fighters. This will not be a popularity contest, they will be seeded based upon their abilities and prior accomplishments. The first T-8 will be a Middleweight Tournament. All eight fighters must be between; a Minimum weight of 160 lbs to a maximum weight of 175 lbs. The First T-8 will be held on September 14th, 2002 at the Beautiful "Meydenbauer Center Ballroom" in Bellevue, Washington. Competitors interested in applying for one of the 8 spots, you must be located in the Pacific Northwest, which includes Washington, Oregon, British Columbia and Idaho. Please e-mail your profile; name, weight, height, record, trainer, city, contact phone # etc. to: Kirkmanager@hotmail.com Thank you, Kirk Jensen, Promoter |
| Wednesday - April 24, 2002 |
 FCF TV returns this summer for an action-packed new season! Bigger, badder and better than ever! New fight footage from around the world. New sponsors join the FCF team for the new season. |
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Arona is looking for the belt! By Eduardo Alonso 
Brazilian fighter Ricardo Arona impressed all the fighting world with a great showcase of strategy and grappling skills at Abu Dhabi wining both the absolute and his weight division at the event at 2001! However, for his teammates this wasn't much of a surprise since he had already won his weight division at Abu Dhabi on the previous year, and used to show tons of skills at every Jiu Jitsu tournament he fought in! Combining a lot of power with good strategy and great technique, Arona quickly made the transition to NHB, where he found the same success at RINGS in Japan, and rapidly drawing the attention of PRIDE! With people like Mario Sperry helping his career, it didn't take long before Ricardo Arona was finally making his debut at Japan's biggest NHB event, facing the seasoned veteran Guy Mezger at PRIDE 16. Despite being ill he won the fight, and established his name among the contenders for PRIDE's middleweight belt. After some time away from the ring, due to a rib injury suffered at his PRIDE debut, Arona is now finally returning to action against another top fighter, non other than Team Quest's own Dan Henderson! The Abu Dhabi and RINGS champion is eager to fight again, and more importantly has a close eye on Vanderlei Silva's belt! In this interview during Arona's class he shared his expectations for this fight, and his views about the future of his career as FCF continues to get more and more heated for PRIDE 20!FCF: You suffered an injury in your ribs that prevented you from training for a good period of time. How was your recovery? Don't you feel any pain right now? RA: Nowadays I'm feeling 100% recovered! I don't have any problems during training, nor do I have any problems after training! I'm 100% recovered from my rib injury. I stayed almost two months resting, because you can hardly breath correctly when you have a rib injury! But nowadays I'm 100% again! I don't feel any pain, and the recovery was great. FCF: You're finally coming back to PRIDE after your win over Guy Mezger at PRIDE 16. Was it tough to stay away from the ring all that time? RA: Without a doubt it was Eduardo! Because I had two more events to fight in, and I should already have three fights in PRIDE by now! And because of my injury I had to stay away from fighting, and wait till I was fully recovered. So it was tough for me because I wanted to be fighting regularly! But on the other hand, it was good for me because I could improve in other professional aspects that I was still lacking. FCF: Did you get anxious to fight again? RA: Yeah mean, because this time away from fighting is not really good for a fighter. You always have that adrenaline from the moment, so it's always good to be fighting regularly to be very used to this adrenaline and stuff, and to be in rhythm. But like I told you, I believe this time-off was also good for me because I could work and improve in another aspects that I was needing to work on, and now I'm coming back much more complete! FCF: How was your preparation for this fight? RA: For this fight against Dan Henderson I studied his game a lot watching tapes! I have been training a lot of Muay Thai with professor Tonico, and I also have been doing a physical preparation with Marcelinho, who is a great professional from Body Planet academy, who have been doing my physical preparation! Working a lot on my cardio, strength and power! He has been changing a lot my way of fighting, because he has been improving my physical condition and lot, and therefore I'm feeling very prepared! FCF: What about your ground game? Who has been preparing you on the ground? RA: As for the ground game, I have ten years of Jiu Jitsu, and this gives me a great background, so I don't need to have someone to direct my ground training all the time! I can do my "ground game maintenance". What I need is someone to direct my training in Muay Thai, Wrestling and physical preparation. I'm at home on the ground! FCF: How much will you be weighting for this fight? RA: Around 93 or 94KG. This is my regular weight, so there are no problems about it. FCF: A fight between you and Dan Henderson started to be rumored some months ago. What do you think of him as a fighter? RA: Dan Henderson is a very tough fighter in my opinion! A guy that loves to fight as much as I do! We're going to do a great fight for sure! But I have a great expectation to win, because I have been preparing specifically to fight him! So I'm sure I'm going to do a good fight, and I'm sure it's going to be a great fight that everybody is going to like! He is a warrior, and I believe that I can win this fight, but regardless it's going to be a great fight, and that is the most important thing! FCF: What do you expect from this fight? How do you think the fight will unfold? RA: Henderson is a guy that likes to trade standing up, and he also likes to do takedowns from the clinch, because he's a great Greco-Roman wrestler. So I think we're going to trade a lot of punches, and we're also going to trade a lot of positions on the clinch trying to take the other down! I expect it to be a great fight! Click here to continue the interview |
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for Eduardo's pre-PRIDE interview with Mario Sperry! |
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From the event's promoter: April 26-27 - Blaisdell Arena - Honolulu, Hawaii Sylvia vs. Whitehead 4.23.02 Somebody's "0" must go. Sylvia is a menacing 6'8" and earned a berth in the tournament by winning the Utah qualifier. He is coming in to the tourney as a favorite. Whitehead will have something to say about that. With an impressive 7-0 record and trained by "Crazy" Bob cook, he will give Sylvia all he can handle. Jordan vs. Schall 4.22.02 Jordan is a little known up and coming fighter from the south who is looking for respect. He has a solid ground game and will need it against "The Meat Truck". Schall is still stinging from his loss to Ben Rothwell in the Iowa qualifier. He fractured his foot in the first bout of the night but fought on anyway. The foot is healed and he already has his sights set on revenge. He may get the opportunity in the second round. Cambra vs. Ballard 4.20.02 Kekumu Cambra has had a 3 year lay-off from the ring. He is one of the head instructors at Egan Inoue's Grappling Unlimited. He is well rounded with a bit of a mean streak in the ring. Ballard has a solid wrestling background. He is one of the up and coming stars from the talent rich Northwest and those in the know are calling him an early favorite. Lambert vs. Faircloth 4.19.02 Lambert's impressive record is matched only by his talent. Fighting out of Ted Williams Combat Grappling, look for him to be a seasoned pro who will be amongst the favorites to make the finals. Faircloth is another Dave Strasser trained fighter. He is rough and can do damage from both the top and bottom. What he lacks in weight (235lbs is light in this behemoth field) he makes up for in heart. Rothwell vs. Crawford 4.18.02 Rothwell earned a spot in Super Brawl 24 by winning the 8-man qualifying tournament in Des Moines, Iowa in March. Trained by Dave Strasser, he is well rounded and will certainly be one of the favorites to win it all. He will face Team Quest's Brian Stromberg who recently beat Gladiators Challenge Heavyweight Champion, Kauai Kapuhea. Crawford is a kick-boxer who trains with former UFC Heavyweight Champion, Randy Couture, Dan Henderson and the rest of Team Quest. With lethal hands and wrestling and submission instruction from some of the best in the business, he will be a formidable opponent for anybody in this tourney. Wiuff vs. Henderson 4.17.02 Nearly 700lbs will test the ropes at the Blaisdell Arena in the 7th bout of Friday nights preliminaries! Wiuff (pronounced "VIEW") carries about 5% bodyfat on his 270lb frame and scored a brutal 6 second knock out in the Des Moines, IA qualifying round. Henderson is a load! He was robbed of a performance in the Utah qualifier when he was pushed over the ropes just 30 seconds into the 1st round and suffered a major concussion. Beauperthy vs. Stromberg 4.16.02 Beauperthy was convincingly beating undefeated Tim Sylvia (Extreme Challenge 47,Utah Qualifier Champion) for over 10 minutes before finally getting caught. This ex-arena football star has no fear and is not afraid to trade bombs! Cabbage vs. Neal 4.15.02 This matchup puts Hawaii heavy Cabbage against Chad Neal of Fresno, Ca. Neal, who tips the scale at 295. These two monsters will battle in the final preliminary fight on Friday night. Although Cabbage is one of the many favorites to win the tournament and has gone 5-0 in the last year, he will have no easy task with Fresno's brawler Chad Neal. |
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From the event's promoter: COMING TO SILVER LEGACY IN RENO AND TO THE COUNTRY ON PAY-PER-VIEW LOS ANGELES, California -"King of the Cage," the hottest brand of no-holds-barred fighting, takes its show on the road! "King of the Cage: Revolution" is proud to feature nine bouts in all on a stellar fight card. In the first of two main event title matches, Daniel "The Bull" Bobish defends his King of the Cage World Heavyweight Championship against bruiser Mike Kyle of the Primal Fighting Club. Then, Javier "Showtime" Vazquez puts his World Lightweight title on the line against Sean "The Peace Maker" Wilmot. Also included on the card . . . Quinton "Rampage" Jackson, Akira Shoji from Pride, and Mike Rogers. MAIN EVENTS: King of the Cage World Heavyweight Championship Match Daniel "The Bull" Bobish (Champion) Bart Vale Shoot Fighting Vs. Mike Kyle Primal Tribe Fight Club King of the Cage World Lightweight Championship Match Javier "Showtime" Vazquez (Champion) Millennia Jiu Jitsu Vs. Sean Wilmot Massachusetts Submission Academy FEATURE FIGHTS: Quinton Jackson Team Punishment Vs. Sean Gray Shootwrestling U.S.A. Akira Shoji A3 Gym Vs. Brian Sleeman Dragons Lair Mike Rogers Rodrigo Vhagi Vs. Bobby Southworth Frank Shamrock's Team U.S.A. Zane Frazier Murder Inc. Vs. Rocky Batastini "King of the Cage: Revolution" will be held on May 17, 2002 from Silver Legacy Resort Casino in Reno, Nevada. Doors open at 3:30pm PST and preliminary matches begin at 4:30pm. Combining Nevada's turn-of-the-century silver mining heritage with state-of-the-art architecture and unrivaled entertainment theming, Silver Legacy Resort Casino is northern Nevada's most spectacular "must see" property. Silver Legacy also features the finest in gaming, with 85,000 square feet of gaming space, including the newly renovated Race & Sportsbook, two Keno lounges, 80 table games, 2,500 slot machines, and 7 night clubs. In addition, "King of the Cage: Revolution" marks the North American pay-per-view debut of the show. "KOTC" will be available to over 27 million households. The pay-per-view broadcast begins at 6:00pm PST/9:00pm EST. For more information on pay-per-view listings or availability, check your local listings. For tickets, go to www.ticketsplus.net or call 1-800-585-3737. For general information, visit our web site: www.kingofthecage.com KING OF THE CAGE . . . KNOCKING OUT THE COMPETITION! |
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From the event's promoter: READY TO "GET IT ON" IN PRIMETIME Leading mixed martial arts sports company to expand brand into mainstream TV LAS VEGAS, April 24, 2002... Officials of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) and LMNO Productions of Los Angeles, Calif., today announced they have signed an agreement to bring UFC to broadcast television. The Ultimate Fighting Championship is the world's pre-eminent fight promotion that brings together world-class, mixed martial artists (MMA) from disciplines such as karate, jiu-jitsu, boxing, kickboxing, wrestling, sumo and others in a quest to become an ultimate fighting champion. "The UFC is the only real fighting sport that is available to fans on every pay-per-view television platform in the United States. Presently UFC events air in over 52 million households on pay-per-view on iN DEMAND, DIRECTV, the Dish Network, Bell ExpressVu and Viewers Choice Canada. With our amazing success in pay-per-view the timing is prefect to develop a weekly program based on the only original brand. We have the premier fighters, the experience and credibility, " said Dana F. White, UFC president. LMNO's CEO Eric Schotz said his company will develop multiple ideas for broadcasters including a weekly program as well as a large scale network reality series. "Ultimate Fighting is a quality brand name sport that until now was virtually untapped on network or cable TV." Schotz said, "Ultimate Fighting Championship is a rare blend," he added. "It has all the entertainment value of WWF, but it is completely real. There is nothing like it on the air." The UFC was purchased in January 2001 by Zuffa LLC of Las Vegas, Nev. The new owners, Frank J. III and Lorenzo J. Fertitta designed a marketing strategy to take the UFC to pay-per-view television prominence and into the mainstream of sports in the U.S. and internationally. The once " no holds barred sport has made a dramatic transformation since Zuffa took over in 2001. In addition to new rules and new fighters, the sport is now officially sanctioned by the Nevada State Athletic Commission and the New Jersey Athletic Control Board. Now the fans can't get enough. After two sellouts in New Jersey at the Trump Taj Mahal and Meadowlands Arena, the UFC held two fight events in Las Vegas, September 28 at Mandalay Bay Hotel & Casino and November 2 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena. Both ranked in the top 10 list of fight gate receipts for 2001 published by the Nevada State Athletic Commission. On March 22, 2002, UFC enjoyed another sell-out at the MGM Grand, which is the highest-grossing fight gate receipt in 2002 in Nevada. LMNO (Leave My Name Off) Productions is one of the foremost providers of reality-based programming for network, cable and syndicated television. Some of its high-profile credits include the FOX series, "Boot Camp"; the CBS series "Kids Say The Darndest Things," hosted by Bill Cosby; the FOX series, "Guinness World Records: Primetime"; and "Behind Closed Doors With Joan Lunden." Currently, LMNO is producing the series "I Want A Husband: Alaska" for FOX; the new primetime series, "Sidelines," for ESPN; the third season of "Behind Closed Doors With Joan Lunden" for A&E; "Final Justice" for Lifetime; "Intuition" for the Game Show Network; "Cold Clues" for Court TV; "Travel Channel Secrets," "Best of" and "Destination Earth" for the Travel Channel as well as several hours of programming for Discovery Health Channel. The Ultimate Fighting Championship, headquartered in Las Vegas, Nev., is the world's leading mixed martial arts (MMA) fight promotion. It is owned and operated by Zuffa LLC and has distribution agreements with WOWOW, Inc. in Tokyo, Japan; British Sky Broadcasting (BSkyB) in London, England, and Globosat Programadora LTDA and Sportv in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil |
| Thursday - April 25, 2002 |
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The "Zen Machine" Is Ready for Yet Another Test! By Eduardo Alonso 
The "Zen Machine", Mario Sperry, doesn't need any introduction among the NHB fans all over the world. Three times BJJ world champion, Sperry stayed undefeated in BJJ competitions for 14 years, and more impressively without having a single point scored against him in competitions during all those years! His amazing success in BJJ was also repeated at Submission Grappling with memorable wins at Abu Dhabi, and as true champion Mario wasn't satisfied with that and wanted a new challenge to his career, testing his skills in NHB! To resume his NHB career Mario Sperry finally signed a contract with PRIDE, and despite what many would believe he started by fighting the very best the event has to offer, facing one of the most active and feared fighters in NHB history, Igor Vovchanchin. Not only the "Zen Machine" fought Vovchanchin but he also beat him! Now, after several months waiting for another chance to fight at PRIDE Sperry is finally coming back to the event, facing a young, up and coming fighter from the Chute Boxe team, Murilo Ninja, in what promises to be one of the more intriguing matches so far in 2002. FCF already got Ninja's words on this classic Brazilian Top Team vs. Chute Boxe encounter, and now, just before his trip to Japan for the fight, Mario Sperry himself shared his views about this fight and showed why he's considered a true class act, as FCF delivers the heath for PRIDE 20! FCF: After your win at PRIDE 17 against Igor Vovchanchin, you're finally coming back to the event. How was it to deal with the expectation to fight during several months and never getting a shot? MS: It was sort of some tough times for me because I was intending to fight a good while ago, and the fights wouldn't happen. I tried several times to contact the event's people, but we couldn't get an agreement. But the good thing about it is that I kept on training, I didn't stop! I continued to train and looked to improve my technique, in fact not only mine but my student's techniques as well. And in the end, thank God, everything went right. FCF: PRIDE only announced your opponent with little more than two weeks before you're the fight. So, how was your preparation for this fight? Did you get the chance to do any specific preparation for Ninja? MS: This time it was even a bit more tranquil than in my previous PRIDE fight, because last time I found out that I was going to fight Igor Vovchanchin only five days before going to Japan! So basically I try to make sure that I'll prepare in all aspects, like physically, and technically in the same way for every type of athlete. But in the end we start to draw a strategy, we look at our opponent's strongest points and stuff like that! So I don't think this was much of a problem because this time I consider that I even had a good amount of time to prepare for my opponent's game. FCF: You recently dropped some weight, joining PRIDE's middleweight division. How much will you be weighting for this fight? And are you already at your fight weight, or will you have to drop some extra pounds in Japan? MS: I will be weighting at the division's limit, around 93 or 94 kg. By the way I'm already weighting that much, so I won't have to drop weight there. FCF: Several opponents were cogitated to fight you at PRIDE 20. Did the choice of Ninja as your opponent surprise you in any way? MS: Look man, I never liked to fight against other Brazilian fighters, and in fact this will be the first time in my career that this will happen abroad. But I expect anything! To tell you the truth what really surprised me was to fight Igor Vovchanchin! (Laughs) Not disrespecting Ninja by any means! Not at all! But I'm prepared to anything, and I'm not in position to pick fights or fighters, I'm here to fight. I'm a PRIDE employee, so I have to expect anything and accept anything. FCF: What do you think of Ninja as a fighter? What are the strongest and weakest points of his game in your opinion? MS: He has a very few weak points! He is an excellent all around athlete! He works very well in all aspects. He works very well on the ground, he knows some ground game! He also knows Muay Thai; he is very aggressive and has a great cardio. So he's a dangerous opponent for anyone! He will be a tough fight to anyone! He's a great athlete. Click here to continue the interview |
| Friday - April 26, 2002 |
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Current UFC Champion Josh Barnett Named in NSAC Complaint By Loretta Hunt 
A bombshell was dropped on the mixed martial arts community late Wednesday, when it was reported that current UFC Heavyweight Champion Josh Barnett had tested positive for steroid use. Barnett voluntarily submitted to a urinalysis following his victory over former champion Randy Couture at UFC 36, held on March 22, 2002 in Las Vegas, Nevada. Upon receipt of the test results, Barnett had been verbally notified of the outcome during the week of April 15th and a formal written complaint, filed by the Nevada State Athletic Commission (NSAC), was mailed to him one week later. In the complaint released by Keith Kizer, Chief Deputy Attorney General and acting legal counsel for the NSAC, alleged violations included the use of the anabolic steroids Boldenone Metabolite, Fluoxymesterone Metabolite and Nandrolone Metabolite -- drugs or injections that are not approved for use by the NSAC. Kizer confirmed that all sixteen competitors that evening had gone through standard drug testing, which includes testing for marijuana among other foreign substances (including masking agents), but not steroids. However, the four participants of the title fights -- Barnett, Randy Couture, Matt Hughes, and Hayato Sakurai -- were tested additionally for steroids. Barnett's urinalysis was the sole sample of the four to come back positive. All steroid tests were administered following the fights. Barnett has twenty days to respond in writing to the allegations. At this time, he can admit to or deny the facts alleged in the complaint. Then, a hearing will be scheduled at the Commission's offices, where Barnett will have the opportunity to plead his case himself or through an attorney of his choice before the five-member board, chaired by Luther Mack. Marc Ratner, the Executive Director of the NSAC, will present the evidence relevant to the case at the proceedings, with Kizer there to assist him. If Barnett fails to appear at these hearings, a decision can still be reached in his absence. Explains Kizer, "The Commission must first decide whether or not there is sufficient evidence to show that Barnett did indeed use these non-approved drugs or injections. We use very high quality labs, so it will be hard for him to argue otherwise, but he's free to do so and he may be successful. If he is, then it ends right there." If the Commission does find sufficient evidence to prove that Barnett did use at least one of named anabolic agents, the fighter will then be penalized. Presuming that he is found guilty, Barnett's license to fight in Nevada could be suspended for any given period of time deemed appropriate by the Commission, including permanent suspension or revocation of license. The least severe response would be to give Barnett a warning. In lieu of or in addition to the suspension or revocation of his license, the NSAC can also administer a penalty not to exceed $250,000 or 100% of Barnett's fighting purse, whichever is greater. The NSAC does not have the jurisdiction to decide the status of the UFC Heavyweight title, which exchanged hands the night of testing. Says Kizer, "As the rules currently stand, there is no basis to overturn the decision [of the fight], and again, the belt is something that's beyond our control. The Commission does have the right in the future, if they so desire, to change their regulations to include something like this." For now, any determination to revoke the Heavyweight belt from Barnett, rule the fight a no contest, or even reinstate Couture as champion are all considerations left in the hands of the UFC's owners, Zuffa Sports Entertainment. When asked what the UFC may be considering in response to the allegations, UFC president Dana White had this to say, "There's nothing we can do. Really for me to say anything right now... I can't without seeing what the Commission says." The NSAC has jurisdiction over the sports of boxing, kickboxing, "Toughman" competitions, as well as MMA, which it sanctioned as a sport in July of 2001. Starting January 1, 2002, the NSAC took a more aggressive stance with its drug testing and began regularly testing for steroids in title fights for all its unarmed combat sports. Josh Barnett's case is the first instance the Commission has ever had in which an unarmed combat sports competitor has tested positive for the anabolic agent. The only "similar" circumstance the Nevada Commission has had in the realm of MMA came last year, when UFC competitor Bobby Hoffman tested positive for marijuana and one of its masking agents following November's UFC 34. The Commission ruled to suspend Hoffman from the sport for one year. Will that case hold any precedent to this current one? Says Kizer, "The Commission has been used to marijuana or cocaine as being the drug that been tested positive in its competitors in the past, and those drugs usually aren't considered performance enhancing. This might be something to treat differently because it is something possibly or probably performance enhancing, but that's something the Commission will have to decide when they hold their regulations meeting in Nevada." When reached for comment in Hawaii, where he is currently attending the SuperBrawl event, Barnett had this to say regarding the turn of events. "There's more to this than meets the eye." Matt Hume, Barnett's manager and trainer, could not be reached for comment. It is public knowledge that Josh Barnett is in current contract negotiations with Zuffa, and rumors have run rampant regarding his future with the UFC as well as numerous MMA promotions around the world. When asked how these recent developments will effect negotiations with Barnett, again White stated, "It depends on what the Athletic Commission decides. If he gets suspended for a certain amount of time... it's serious. It's very serious. You have to look at us as a company and the money we've invested in Josh Barnett to build him up to the spot where he fights for the title, wins it, but then it doesn't count -- because he cheated?" But keeping in mind that the allegations are currently just that, he added, "The bottom line is, at the end of the day, we can talk and speculate all we want. Until he has a hearing, we really can't speculate or make any decisions till we find out. But if that was the case that he is guilty, then that would be my position." As for rumors that Barnett was or is being courted by rival promotions and how these new developments fit in with that, White had this to say: "This has nothing to do with him wanting to go to Japan or anything like that. All of that is speculation, too. Every conversation we've ever had with Matt Hume and Josh Barnett is that Josh and Matt are fairly dealing with us and us alone and they want to be a part of the UFC. And we want Josh Barnett to be a part of the UFC, or we wouldn't have made the investment we made putting him in the position for a title. As for the contract negotiations, I'm in them right now with Josh. I want Josh. I want him to be a part of the UFC, but it's all going to depend on how this thing ends up with the Commission." Following a ruling by the NSAC, is there the possibility the Commission will suggest a course of action to Zuffa regarding Barnett's case? "No. I can't imagine we would. We're strictly under our own regulations - what, if any, discipline should be given to his license, and that's where we leave it at." says Kizer. Once Barnett responds to the charges, the formal hearing may not be scheduled for months, meaning a resolution to this situation is a long way off. At that time, the ball will then be in Zuffa's court as to Josh Barnett's future in the UFC. Claiming to just have gotten news of the allegations on Wednesday, Dana White says he is just coming to grips with the whole situation himself. "We really don't know what to do. We're going to sit back and see how this thing unfolds." As will the world of MMA. |
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Vanderlei Just Wants To Brawl! By Eduardo Alonso 
PRIDE Middleweight Champion, Vanderlei Silva became a true star of the sport, especially in Japan! The 25-year-old Brazilian Fighter never dreamed he would emerge from the peaceful city of Curitiba to achieve fame and success overseas, and conquer an ever-increasing number of fans in the most diverse countries of the globe. After his impressive and devastating win over Japanese hero Kazushi Sakuraba at PRIDE 13, "The Axe Murderer" fought all the Japanese contenders that PRIDE had to offer and, needless to say, beat them all. Now Vanderlei is about to face possibly the toughest challenge of his career in recent years, fighting against the already feared Croatian striker Mirko "Cro Cop" Filipovic. "Cro Cop" stunned much of the NHB world with a TKO victory over Inoki's protégé Kazuyuki Fujita, who was still undefeated in NHB by then, and was considered some sort of an indestructible fighter. With some impressive K-1 credentials, Mirko Filipovic is seen by many as the best striker in the game today and, being a striker himself, Vanderlei Silva will probably meet his most intriguing challenge since his fight against Vitor Belfort back in 1998. "The Axe Murderer" talked to FCF just one day before his trip to Japan, and shared his views on how he approaches this fight, as well as his career, and much more. With a few days left for PRIDE 20, FCF gets as heated as ever ad continues to deliver the best fight coverage in the world!FCF: after so many wins in Japan against Japanese idols, like Sakuraba and Tamura, how do you feel the Japanese fans look at you? VS: In fact I'm very popular over there! They love my work in Japan! When I walk in the streets there I even get impressed with all the siege from the fans! I mean, sometimes the people that sees me there will even run to buy a camera and take pictures and stuff like that. They really love me there. FCF: Do you feel they admire you over there, or there are people who hate you because of your wins over their idols? VS: I believe that nowadays there's not that sort of idol thing anymore. People are Really wanting to see the fighters brawling. FCF: Inclusively you beat Kyoshi Tamura by KO in your last fight, who's also very popular in Japan. Did he surprise you in any moment during the fight? What did you think of him as a fighter? VS: He is a very tough fighter. He's a very good fighter. What really surprised me in fact was that he took a lot of punishment and was able to keep on going. He took a lot of punches from me, and I was hitting him with everything I got, but he endured everything and he really showed a lot of guts, like all the Japanese fighters use to show. I think there are no cowards there, or if they have any I didn't fight them yet! [Laughs] FCF: This time you won't be fighting a Japanese fighter; instead you'll face a fighter with K-1 background, who's also considered a great stand-up fighter. What do you know about Mirko "Cro Cop's" style? VS: From "Cro Cop" I know, just to change things a bit, nothing! [Laughs] To tell you the truth I have never seen one of his fights. I just saw his fight against Takada, but that wasn't much of a fight, so it doesn't count to analyze his potential. And as always I don't care to know about his style either, it would hurt my way of fighting. FCF: Does the fact that he's also striker like yourself, motivate you even more for the fight? VS: For sure! I believe that the better your opponent is, the better the fight will be! As for him being a good stand-up fighter, he didn't trade with me yet, so let's see if we'll make "a good trade" [Laughs] Click here to continue the interview |
From the event's promoter: HOOKnSHOOT Announces 'RELENTLESS' May 25th, 2002 MEMORIAL COLISEUM - Evansville, Indiana "We are working on streamlining a lot of things at HOOKnSHOOT, both behind the scenes and with the event presentation. With the May show, called RELENTLESS, we think we are going to take another leap, and we are going to test out some things" reveals promoter Jeff Osborne. "We will announce a card early next week, but we think we have another strong offering!" continues Osborne. When asked to comment on the future of women's events, coming off the successful REVOLUTION show on April 13th of this year, Osborne states for the first time "We are planning a second show involving women's matches on July 20th. We are not sure if it will be a 'mixed' show with men and women's matches or another all-women event. The bottom line is HOOKnSHOOT has fights coming up in July as well!" |
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From the event's promoter: Macon, GA. May 25 6pm. Club South Beach The Danger Zone will be running an amatuer card with one pro bout with local stand out Kevin Brooks on the card. "We are looking forward to this opportunity to bring a great show to South Beach and to the fans in the Macon area". All interested fighters please go to our site http://www.the-dangerzone.com/ and fill out a fighter application. All amateurs that had been interested in fighting on the previous card in Augusta you can now compete on this card. Please contact me at dzmatchmaker@yahoo.com The Danger Zone and Gauntlet Productions promoter, ISCF rep and fight manager Matthew Waller will be working on making this card a great success. We are not just looking to run a one time show. We are looking to develop a relationship with the community so we can continue to come back and run future shows. This will be an ISCF Sanctioned event. Becky Levi This will be an ISCF Sanctioned event. |
| Saturday - April 27, 2002 |
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News and Notes 
TOKYO -- Vanderlei Silva doesn't seem to mind the pressure of being the centerpiece in yet another main event -- this time, he's the poster boy at Pride 20: Armed and Ready. Breaking his string of Japanese opponents, Silva will square off with Croatian kickboxing sensation Mirko "Cro Cop" Filopovic. And after complaining for so long that his foes refuse to trade with him in the standup, it appears that Pride has finally served up a dish that Silva might not be able to swallow. Because at 6'2", 214 lbs., Cro Cop is two inches taller and within one pound of the Pride middleweight champion, with lethal hands, concussive knees and axe-like kicks. According to sources inside Silva's camp, the Chute Boxe star's brains will outweigh his bluster -- FCF was told that Silva plans to take the action to the ground in this non-title affair.
Representing K-1, newcomer Bob Sapp looks like a laboratory experiment gone horribly out of control -- and he has been treated as such by his supporting organization. A six-foot seven-inch, 360-pound behemoth with enough muscles to cause an eclipse in his immediate vicinity, Sapp is supposedly kickboxing's eventual antidote to Tom Erikson. But with just five months of training under Maurice Smith, the former Toughman competitor and onetime NFL player is woefully inexperienced. So for now, he'll just have to be content to devour unfortunate fan favorite Norihisa Yamamoto. But before the bludgeoning can commence, Pride must first find a pair of gloves to fit Sapp's massive hands!A kinder, gentler Quinton Jackson has been on display in Tokyo this week. While still leveling complaints about the Pride organization -- albeit halfheartedly -- his ire has only been truly roused when discussing Daijiro Matsui, the recipient of a generous Christmas gift in the form of a DQ victory over Jackson in Pride 18 on December 23, 2001, due to an errant knee. So, other than an occasional profanity-laced tirade directed at Matsui, it appears that Jackson is focused on his bout with Masaaki Satake, a credible opponent with solid striking ability despite recording just one win in seven Pride appearances. 
Antonio Rogerio Nogueira is excited to make his Pride debut. Accompanied by his twin brother, Pride heavyweight champion Antonio Rodrigo, "Minotoro" is primed to put the beatdown on the bowling ball-like Yusuke Imamura. Just 5'6" and a corpulent 231 pounds, the latest Takada Dojo product would seem to be considerably overmatched by the fine-tuned Top Teamer. Six-foot three inches and 208 lbs., Rogerio has visions of someday claiming Silva's middleweight title belt.Coming in at 212 pounds for his fight with Murilo "Ninja" Rua, Mario Sperry is another Top Team fighter with middleweight title aspirations. Meanwhile, Ninja seems to be aimed at the heavyweight belt after weighing in at just a cheeseburger short of 214 pounds! Despite his increased weight, the gritty young Chute Boxer's incredible cardio has yet to suffer. 
But the man who Nogueira and Sperry will eventually have to go through if they want a shot at Silva is Dan Henderson. With Randy Couture in his corner once again -- the former UFC heavyweight champion fought in Las Vegas the day of Henderson's Pride 17 victory over Ninja -- look for Team Quest's other founder to execute a solid gameplan against well-muscled Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu world champion Ricardo Arona. Pride 20: Armed and Ready Sunday, April 28, 2002 at 5:00 PM (US PPV 6:00 PM PST/9:00 PM EST) Yokohama Arena, Ykohama, japan Official Bout Order Fight One Bob Sapp (6'7", 359.3 lbs.) vs. Norihisa Yamamoto (6'2", 222.7 lbs.) Fight Two Quinton Jackson (6'0", 210.3 lbs.) vs. Masaaki Satake (6'1", 213 lbs.) Fight Three Antonio Rogerio Nogueira (6'3", 208.6 lbs.) vs. Yusuke Imamura (5'6", 231.5 lbs.) Fight Four Dan Henderson (5'11", 194.9 lbs.) vs. Ricardo Arona (5'11", 201.9 lbs.) Fight Five Mario Sperry (5'11", 212.1 lbs.) vs. Murilo Rua (5'10", 213.8 lbs.) Fight Six Sanae Kikuta (5'8", 198.6 lbs.) vs. Alexander Otsuka (6'0", 200.6 lbs.) Fight Seven Vanderlei Silva (6'0", 215.2 lbs.) vs. Mirko Filopovic (6'2", 214.3 lbs.) |
FCF: It was recently reported that Josh Barnett failed his drug test after UFC 36. What is your initial reaction to that news?RC: My initial reaction is, what is that going to do to the sport? It doesn't change the fact that I lost that fight, and that's all that is really important to me -- how I competed in that competition. What he does is of no consequence to me. If he chooses to take shortcuts... whether or not it's true, I mean, I don't really know. FCF: But if it is true? RC: I competed in a sport where that was reputed to be occurring in all the Eastern Bloc and former Soviet countries. We competed against them all the time and certainly we had plenty of successes. That's their choice, and all I can really concern myself with is how I compete and how I prepare myself. So I'm not going to get pissed off or caught up in that whole deal because I can't affect it -- it doesn't make any difference to me. FCF: What is your personal opinion on steroids and performance-enhancing drugs? RC: I don't agree with them. You can call it cheating or taking shortcuts or whatever you want, but I don't see how you can feel... at least my opinion is, how you can feel good about being victorious or about being a champion if you know you had to enhance what God gave you by using drugs to get there. Personally, I'm against it. The risks outweigh the possible gains, in my opinion. Click here to continue the interview |
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Return of the Heavyweights Day 1: The First Round Blaisdell Center, Honolulu, Hawaii April 26, 2002 By Chris Onzuka - Chris@Onzuka.com
Total combined weight: 4,231lbs Competitors' average weight: 264.44lbs. Competitors' average height: 6'2" Combined record: 91-20 Percentage of victories: 82% 
I don't know about you, but when I see some statistics like that, I get excited. I had to sit down and calculate that just for fun. I was expecting a lot of... lets say competitors with excess girth visited by the "questionable conditioning" fairy, but these big boys were in shape and came to fight. Another surprising fact was the lack of bombs being thrown by these fighters. Don't get me wrong, there were hard punches, but not the knock out punches that you would have expected. The technical level varied a bit, but most of them had a background in wrestling and knew at least one submission hold -- the Americana key lock -- even though only one of them was successful with it. These fighters represent the new breed of heavy or super heavyweights. They are not only big, but are using more and more technique and strategy to beat their opponents. The field has been thinned down to eight fighters. Three of the fighters have to considered favorites based upon their performance tonight; winner of one qualifier, Tim Sylvia for his punching ability and sheer size, Brian Stromberg for his quick submission (from the guard no less), and of course, Cabbage who pounded his opponent. However, waiting in the wings, we have a fresh and uninjured Kerry Schall and Travis Wiuff, who received byes in the first round due to injured opponents. I can't wait for tomorrow. Well, now that I have picked five of the eight fighters, I think my odds are good enough for now. This is the great thing about MMA, there are so many factors concerning each competitor that only time will tell which prove to be more valuable than others.Day 1: The First Round Results - April 26, 2002 Tim Sylvia (Miletich Fighting Systems, Bettendorf, Iowa, 6'8" 265 lbs., 10-0) Def. Mike Whitehead (Medford, OR, 6'2" 260 lbs., 7-0) TKO via referee stoppage from strikes at 3:46 into round 1. 
Boyd Ballard (Pearson's Martial Arts, Seattle, WA, 5'10" 220 lbs., 1-0)Def. Kumu Cambra (Grappling Unlimited, Honolulu, HI, 6'0" 240 lbs., 1-0) Unanimous decision after 2 rounds. Jason Lambert (Ted Williams Combat Grappling, Apple Valley, CA, 5'11" 245 lbs., 10-2) Def. Ron Faircloth (Freestyle Academy of MA, Madison, WS, 5'11" 235 lbs., 5-3) Unanimous decision after 2 rounds. Brian Stromberg (Team Quest, Portland, OR, 6'2" 235 lbs., 5-1) Def. Gabe Beauperthuy (Colorado Springs, CO, 6'2" 265 lbs., 6-3) Submission via triangle choke at 1:43 into round 1. Ben Rothwell (Freestyle Academy, Knish, WS, 6'5" 270 lbs., 12-1) Def. Curtis Crawford (Team Quest, Portland, OR, 6'2" 240 lbs., 1-1) Submission due to forearm choke at 1:03 into round 1. Kerry Schall (Meat Truck, Inc., Cincinnati, OH, 6'3" 270 lbs., 12-4) Bye due to injury Travis Wiuff (Lion's Lair, Minneapolis, MN, 6'2" 270 lbs., 5-1) Bye due to injury Alternate Match: Ron Faircloth (Freestyle Academy of MA, Madison, WS, 5'11" 235 lbs., 5-3) Def. Gabe Beauperthuy (Colorado Springs, CO, 6'2" 265 lbs., 6-3) Submission due to Americana key lock at 0:22 into round 2. 
Cabbage Coreirra (Grappling Unlimited, Hilo, HI, 6'3" 291 lbs., 12-3)Def. Kevin Jordan (Ranger Jiu-Jitsu, Columbus, Ga., 6'3" 245 lbs., 4-1) TKO via referee stoppage from strikes at 4:28 into round 1. Fighters that pulled out of tournament: Ernest Henderson (6'3" 390 lbs., Ellensburg, Washington) - Did not pass medical exam. Chad Neal (Fresno, CA, 6'0 290 lbs.) - No show. Day 2: The Final Round - April 27, 2002 Tim Sylvia (Miletich Fighting Systems, Bettendorf, Iowa, 6'8" 265 lbs., 10-0) Vs. Boyd Ballard (Pearson's Martial Arts, Seattle, WA, 5'10" 220 lbs., 1-0) Brian Stromberg (Team Quest, Portland, OR, 6'2" 235 lbs., 5-1) Vs. Jason Lambert (Ted Williams Combat Grappling, Apple Valley, CA, 5'11" 245 lbs., 10-2) Kerry Schall (Meat Truck, Inc., Cincinnati, OH, 6'3" 270 lbs., 12-4) Vs. Ben Rothwell (Freestyle Academy, Knish, WS, 6'5" 270 lbs., 12-1) Travis Wiuff (Lion's Lair, Minneapolis, MN, 6'2" 270 lbs., 5-1) Vs. Cabbage Coreirra (Grappling Unlimited, Hilo, HI, 6'3" 291 lbs., 12-3) Alternate: Ron Faircloth (Freestyle Academy of MA, Madison, WS, 5'11" 235 lbs., 5-3) Single fight: Eddie Yagin (Grappling Unlimited, Hawaii) Vs. Charlie Pearson (Pearson's Martial Arts, Seattle, WA) |
| Sunday - April 28, 2002 |
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Jens Pulver is released by the UFC By Chris Onzuka - Chris@Onzuka.com 
UFC Lightweight Champion, Jens Pulver recently told FCF, "I have been released from the UFC. I am free to fight anywhere else and I am no longer the lightweight champion of the UFC." This comes as a shock to some, while others have heard rumblings about Pulver possibly fighting outside of the UFC. That was all rumors, up until now.The primary reason for Pulver's departure was... What else? Money. Pulver signed a multi-fight contract with UFC while it was still under SEG's control. "At that time, it was good money," Pulver stated. After Zuffa purchased the UFC, Pulver expected to renegotiate his contract, but they stated that the terms of his current contract would stand. As the UFC grew, so did the fighter's purses. All except Pulver's. Pulver went on to say, "The guys that I fought [Uno, Hallman and Penn] all got paid more money than me." At the UFC 35, Pulver said, "I fought in the MAIN EVENT for 11 [$11,000 to show] and 11 [$11,000 to win]. I had to win to get $2,000 more than BJ got for losing." While to some that sounds like a decent purse, Pulver stated the real issue was that his purse wasn't anywhere near the size of UFC's other champions. "Tito's getting 90 and 90. Randy Couture fighting Josh Barnett gets $100,000 and 65 more to win." Pulver stood true to his word and finished out his contract, taking on all comers. At the end of his contract, Pulver was expecting much better paydays. Zuffa offered 20 and 20, 25 and 25, and 30 and 30 for each subsequent fight. [The money that Jens is quoted as saying that other fighters were paid has not yet been verified with Zuffa] Pulver feels that this showed a total lack of respect for him and the whole lightweight division. "Now a lot of people think that is a lot of money, but the truth is all I ever asked was to compare me to the other champions. They are making triple of what I am making. I am the ONLY fighter that even has a chance of beating Royce Gracie's (UFC) record. I am three fights away. I can end up the whole thing with 10-0-1. I didn't get to fight in tournaments. I fought the best guys they put in front of me." Zuffa told Pulver that heavier fighters are paid more because of the competition from Pride. Pulver went on to describe how tough the lightweight division is, "None of the other champions have had to fight all of the top five guys. Actually, you know who has? Matt Hughes. He just fought [Carlos] Newton. He fought [Hayato] Sakurai, he's on the same path. Tito has not had to fight the best two guys. None of them has had to fight a guy like BJ [Penn] who knocked out the top two guys in one round. That's how tough our weight class is. And then you [UFC] tell us, 'we are not paying you the big money, because you are too little.' This is the only weight class that is legitimate, where the number one guy went through everybody. And the number two guy whacked through everybody. The rest of the weight classes are political. Who does Tito get to fight? Kondo, who weighs 185lbs, Matyushenko? I am not taking anything away from Tito, he is a great fighter and he had some guys pull out on some fights, but what I am hearing now is that the guy gets to fight Ken Shamrock in a non-title fight. That guy has been out for four UFC's and he gets a non-title fight. Chuck Liddell has fought every one that was thrown out in front of him. When does he get a title shot? He's been waiting for it. He ain't never going to get it. It's all about who they [Zuffa] love and who they want to take care of." It got personal to Pulver when Zuffa said that he was too little and had no leverage to bargain because UFC paid top dollar for fighters in his weight class. Pulver especially felt used because he thought that he has struck up a friendship and something that meant more than just business. "I love them as friends, but like they tell me and if there is one thing that I learned through all these contract negotiations, business is different. I don't work that way. If you are my friend, that is business. And I treat my business [relations] like my friends." For that reason and the fact that Pulver felt an obligation to his fans as the UFC Lightweight Champion. "The thing is, I'm the champ, 24-7. Anywhere they wanted me to go, I did it. When I got to commentate the show, I tried to rock the shop. Ricco Rodriguez comes in and all he does is talk about himself. He goes out on a limb and picks the winner of every single fight and gets one of them right. I heard what he said about Matt Hughes and it was a joke. He made himself look stupid literally. [When I commentated] the two hours wasn't about me. Ricco made it about himself. I was there to talk, enjoy the fights and break it down the best way I could. I did everything I could to represent the sport. I didn't want to be one of those guys that say that they want a lot more money, but I ain't going to do anything to help you make money." Jens Pulver has always been a fan favorite, if not for his accomplishments in the Octagon, for his old-fashioned determination to get out from under the cloud of being abused as a child and reaching the pinnacle of this sport. However Pulver will never forget his past and always looks for ways to give back to the MMA community. Monte Cox adds, "I get on the forums just like anyone else and say my piece and go back and forth, but I think the real fans are the people you see when Jens goes places and people will run to get autographs and talk to him. They e-mail us and say: 'he's our favorite.' You can take any fighter, like Tito [Ortiz], who is probably the most popular guy in the sport right now and there is a ton of people that can't stand the guy. That is just the way it is. People are jealous and have their own reasons for not liking somebody. In general, everywhere we go, people love Jens. They love what he went through in his own personal life and what he's become. Sometimes you have to look at what a person does outside of the ring when you are evaluating their value. I think Zuffa made a mistake. Jens could have been one of the guys that continues to make them better than Pride. We are going to be hustling for the next couple weeks to get Jens in Pride. That's just another step up they will have on Zuffa." According to Monte and Jens, the problems were compounded with the UFC's contract restrictions, Pulver could not fight in other organizations for a year and a half. In addition, UFC contracts allow the UFC to choose when you are going to fight, sometimes giving a fighter inadequate time to properly prepare for his opponent. "You never know when you are going to fight. They could call you in to fight a month [before the fight]. Then your rights are sold away, video games are out there, whatever. We don't get anything from that. No other sport is like that." Pulver even offered the UFC to sign the contract for the stated purses, if they would allow him to fight in other organizations to make up the difference. The UFC did not accept those terms even though Chuck Liddell and Carlos Newton have done so and are back in the UFC. "I just want to fight the best guys. The money would have never been an issue, if I was never told by Joe Silva in the beginning that it was all about bargaining and leverage. And nobody else pays the lightweights the way we do." Pulver went on to say, "I don't think anyone loves them more than I did, but the fact of the matter is that they told me that I can't fight in Japan and they are not going to raise the money. And that's the way it is." Once Pulver was released, his manager, Monte Cox did not take the news quite like Jens. "I look at it as a business decision. I don't blame Zuffa for what they are doing. Jens takes it a little more personal because they struck up a friendship with him and they made it seem like more than an employee-employer relationship. Jens is shocked that it came down to business. I have been around a while and I understand how it works. It came down to, we have to decide what Jens is worth. You're only worth what someone else is willing to pay you. If we had looked around and we couldn't get any more money, then we'd still be with the UFC, but we looked for about 15 minutes and found someone who was willing to pay almost double what the UFC was offering and with that being the case, to me, that's his market value. They can either pay it or let him go. It took them a couple of months to come to this decision. The bottom line is that they felt that they couldn't pay that kind of money for the lightweight division. Jens takes it a little more personal, but from a business standpoint they did nothing wrong. They decided this is what they are willing to pay and it wasn't enough, so we had to part company. My job is not to worry about the UFC. My job is taking the number one rated fighter in the world and see what the world will pay him. We started adding it up and within the next three to four months, Jens will make more money than the entire UFC contract is offering. So if that is the case I think we made the right decision. If I am not able to get these fights, then we made the wrong decision, but every now and then you have to stand up for yourself and decide if you are worth more and then go and find it." Fighting in Japan is very lucrative, but Jens is not looking to fight against easier opponents. Two big names in the lightweight division have been brought up, Royler Gracie and Alexandre "Pequeno" Nogueira [current Shooto champion]. The offers in Japan would pay Pulver as much if he lost as two fights in the UFC. Pulver went on to say that the rumors about Pride are unfounded, "Pride has never contacted me." Japan is not the only one interested in Pulver. Pulver has a match lined up at Brad Kohler's Ultimate Wrestling event [August 8th] and Stephane Patry of the UCC in Canada has expressed strong interest in Pulver for their event in September. Pulver himself has also stated that he wants to fight in K-1. "My ultimate goal is to fight Muay Thai. That is something that I always wanted to do." Pulver also believes that the UFC is doing things to spite him at this point. Pulver said that the UFC came out in the middle of his negotiations and informed him that they are doubling Matt Hughes' purse in the middle of his contract. Pulver said that the last thing that was said between him and the UFC was, "You are making the biggest mistake of your life by not signing with us. I [Pulver] said, 'no, the biggest mistake of my life would be signing for that money and watching all the people that I'm fighting getting paid more than me because all it [MMA as a sport] is going to do is grow." Pulver said that he is a little worried about making this decision, but has piece of mind. "If I never fight again, I won the world title and got to defend it against the best they could throw at me. I did everything I could for the sport. The biggest lesson that I learned was, when it comes to them, it doesn't matter how good a friend you are, business is business and personal is personal. And I had to find that out the hard way." Don't count Jens Pulver out yet; the 26 year old is far from over. "After all of that, I am going to let the chips fall. That is the one thing about being with Monte [Cox], I believe in my promoter. I believe in my manager, my team and in what I do. The UFC told me that I made the biggest mistake of my life. You know what, the bottom line is that they made the biggest mistake of their life. I started one weight class in the UFC. I'll start five more in every other show. God's got a plan for me. If everybody ain't religious that's fine. I'm not the biggest Holy Roller, but the fact is I am sitting in the right spot. I lived in shit and I am coming out. Ride the coat tails because everybody is going to get paid who weighs under 155lbs. That's the bottom line." [Due to the weekend we have not been able to reach Zuffa for comment yet.] |
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Return of the Heavyweights Day 2: The Finals Blaisdell Center, Honolulu, Hawaii April 27, 2002 By Chris Onzuka - Chris@Onzuka.com 
Tim Sylvia, the big man fighting out of Iowa, pounded his opponents to make it to the finals. There was a scare when Rothwell rushed in for a takedown on Schall and Schall went right through the ropes and head first through a chair. Medical staff rushed to the scene and he was carried out on a gurney. According to Monte Cox, Schall has a fractured or broken thoracic vertebrae. The Cabbage-Wiuff fight was the fight of the night, possibly the fight of the year. Wiuff did something that hasn't happened to Cabbage since he was around three years old, pick Cabbage up over his head two times in a row! Wiuff picked Cabbage up like a sack of potatoes and slammed him to the mat. He then mauled Cabbage for the first round, but Cabbage's ground defense kept him out of danger and minimized Wiuff's damage. The second was Cabbage's payback, as he made Wiuff pay every time he attempted a take down. The scorecards at the end of round 2 were a majority draw, which prompted a three-minute over time. Cabbage took advantage of the winded and hurt Wiuff and finished him off. That was a tremendously exciting fight. Sylvia bloodied a tough Jason Lambert until finally finishing him off in the second round. Due to a broken hand, Cabbage was replaced by Mike Whitehead. Whitehead dominated position on Ron Faircloth for the decision. Pearson started off the fight with a solid thigh kick and followed up with numerous kicks. Yagin appeared to be slightly more cautious than his usual "go for broke" style. Yagin waited for his opportunity and seized it by catching one of Pearson's kicks and tripping him down. Pearson scrambled back to his feet for a double-leg takedown on Yagin and ate a hard knee by Yagin. Yagin went with the takedown, so that he could lock in a modified guillotine (one of Pearson's arms was inside). Pearson tried to pry open Yagin's hands but had to tap. Yagin is growing by leaps and bounds in every fight. It will be interesting to see which fighter will be next to test Yagin, because Yagin is taking out everyone placed in front of him. In a weird turn of events, Whitehead ended up facing Sylvia who beat him in the first match of the first round of the tournament. This time, Sylvia took a little under a minute less to beat Whitehead than the first time to become the Return of the Heavyweights Tournament Champion.Tim Sylvia (Miletich Fighting Systems, Bettendorf, Iowa, 6'8" 265 lbs., 12-0) Def. Boyd Ballard (Pearson's Martial Arts, Seattle, WA, 5'10" 220 lbs., 2-1) KO via knee at 3:10 into round 1. Jason Lambert (Ted Williams Combat Grappling, Apple Valley, CA, 5'11" 245 lbs., 12-2) Def. Brian Stromberg (Team Quest, Portland, OR, 6'2" 235 lbs., 6-2) Submission via arm triangle choke at 4:59 into round 2. Ben Rothwell (Freestyle Academy, Knish, WS, 6'5" 270 lbs., 14-1) Def. Kerry Schall (Meat Truck, Inc., Cincinnati, OH, 6'3" 270 lbs., 12-5) TKO via injury (Schall fell out of the ring and through a chair) at 2:10 into round 2. Cabbage Coreirra (Grappling Unlimited, Hilo, HI, 6'3" 291 lbs., 13-3) Def. Travis Wiuff (Lion's Lair, Minneapolis, MN, 6'2" 270 lbs., 5-2) TKO via referee stoppage from knees at 1:40 minutes in Over Time. Semi-Finals: Tim Sylvia (Miletich Fighting Systems, Bettendorf, Iowa, 6'8" 265 lbs., 13-0) Def. Jason Lambert (Ted Williams Combat Grappling, Apple Valley, CA, 5'11" 245 lbs., 12-3) TKO via referee stoppage from strikes at 4:11 into round 2. Cabbage Coreirra broke his hand so Mike Whitehead replaces him. Mike Whitehead (Medford, OR, 6'2" 260 lbs., 8-1) Def. Ben Rothwell (Freestyle Academy, Knish, WS, 6'5" 270 lbs., 14-2) Unanimous decision after 2 rounds [(20-18), (20-18), (20-18)]. Co-Main Event (Single Fight): Eddie Yagin (Grappling Unlimited, Hawaii, 7-0) Def. Charlie Pearson (Pearson's Martial Arts, Seattle, WA) Submission via modified guillotine (10 fingers) choke at 4:01 into round 1. Finals: Tim Sylvia (Miletich Fighting Systems, Bettendorf, Iowa, 6'8" 265 lbs., 14-0) Def. Mike Whitehead (Medford, OR, 6'2" 260 lbs., 8-2) TKO via referee stoppage from strikes at 2:38 into round 1. |
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By Aaron Crecy Click here for Pride 20 results & fight summaries |
| Tuesday - April 30, 2002 |
From Susumu's Gallery: Hello, We have added pictures from the PRIDE 20 event held on Appril 28th. Please enjoy! Susumu's Gallery: http://come.to/susumu |
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From RITC Writer/Statistician John Petrilli: Date: Friday, May 3, 2002 Time: Doors Open: 6:30 PM, Fight Time: 8 PM Location: Celebrity Theatre, Phoenix, Arizona Tickets $20 (rows 14-25), $35 (rows 4-13) and $45 (rows 1-3) Kids under 12 are free!!! $5 discount cards have been sent to everyone on the RITC mailing list. Main Event: Del Hawkins (145 lbs) vs Santino Defranco (155 lbs) Super Fights: Homer Moore (210 lbs) vs Vince Lucero (270 lbs) Drew Fickett (175 lbs) vs John Lansing (165 lbs) Farrell Frisby's training injury (ribs), which was being monitored on a day by day basis, has proved too serious to allow him to compete in RITC 35. Farrell has committed to facing Del in a future RITC show. Santino Defranco, a teammate of Farrell Frisby, has agreed to step-up and face Del Hawkins at RITC 35 this Friday night. This promises to be one of the best RITC Fight Cards ever. The Heavyweights are back!!! 7 of our planned 12 fights will be in the popular Heavyweight Division. Steve Sayegh (235 lbs) will be returning to compete in RITC 35. Steve is a Battle Dome Champion and he recently faced MMA legend Dan "The Beast" Severn in a Dangerzone bout held in North Dakota. There will be 12 fights (Arizona Commission limit). Fight Card subject to change. The RITC 35 post-fight party will be held in the patio area of Minder-Binders located at 715 S. McClintock Drive on the northeast corner of University and McClintock. There will be a DJ and drink specials all night long. Tickets for RITC available at the Celebrity Theatre Box Office (602-267-1600) or at Ticketmaster (480-784-4444). For additional information, please call 480-446-8127 or visit www.rageinthecage.com |
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