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| Thursday - May 2, 2002 |
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By Eduardo Alonso On this Thursday, May 2nd, FCF spoke with the "Axe Murderer" to hear what he had to say about his fight against "Cro Cop" at PRIDE 20, as well as his future plans. PRIDE's Middleweight Champion, who just got back to Brazil on Wednesday, told FCF he is just fine and didn't break any ribs as some thought. In fact, he is already back in training! "I'm going to train right after this phone call! I'm fine and pumped to train even harder for the next one now!" Vanderlei Silva is eager to fight again hoping he will also be a part of PRIDE 21. Silva told FCF that he was surprised by the quick stand-ups during his fight against "Cro Cop", and he was even more surprised by Filipovic's lack of aggression during the fight. "When you're pressing the stand-up action in a fight, going right at the guy, you always have the risk of eating a bomb in the process and it's all over! It's much safer to fight counter-striking... he didn't try to engage and I had to pursue the fight standing up the whole time! He was supposed to be the one initiating the stand-up fight." Because of "Cro Cop's" lack of aggression during the fight, the "Axe Murderer" feels he won the fight, and he was very happy to know the fans found a new respect for him for standing up and trading with the K-1 fighter. "It's great! I'm not afraid of losing. I want to fight, and I want it to be exciting and entertaining for the fans, so I'm very happy to know they liked my attitude." With Vanderlei Silva already training again, and looking for a fight at PRIDE 21, the question is: Who will be in line for the next shot at the "Axe Murderer"? |
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Official IFC press release: INTERNATIONAL FIGHTING CHAMPIONSHIPS WARRIOR'S CHALLENGE IFC FIGHTING CALIFORNIA IFC ANNOUNCES SHOWS AT EAGLE MTN. CASINO 
The International Fighting Championships ("IFC") is moving down - to the Southern California Area. The IFC is proud to announce its affiliation with Eagle Mtn. Casino in Porterville, California (approximately 50 miles north of Bakersfield). The IFC and Eagle Mtn. Casino have already planned a Great Show, so Southern California fight fans should get ready for real fighting action.The action will begin on May 22, 2002, at 8:00PM when the IFC presents Warrior's Challenge 17. IFC will keep all California fight fans happy. Two heavy hitting heavyweights will swing the leather in the cage. Both of these tough combatants are known for their knockout power and this is a matchup that isn't expected to go the distance. Also, the women will go toe-to-toe in the cage. Make sure to get your tickets for the IFC Warrior's Challenge 17, The house will rock! For Tickets: www.vallitix.com or 1-888-825-5484 ask for Eagle Mtn. Casino for Warrior's Challenge 17. See web site for locations. For more information about Eagle Mtn. Casino you can check out its website at www.eaglemtncasino.com, or call them at 1-800-903-3353. |
| Sunday - May 5, 2002 |
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From Josh Hedges/Zuffa: UFC Light Heavyweight Champion Tito Ortiz and "The Voice of the Octagon" Bruce Buffer will be appearing on Monday's edition of "The Best Damn Sports Show" on Fox Sports. Check your local listings for the air time of the show. |
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Give Us Your Thoughts...  Controversy has recently shaken up the UFC Championship ranks. In one of the issues, the NSAC filed a complaint that UFC World Heavyweight Champion Josh Barnett tested positive for steroids (see April 26 post on the FCF news page). We'd like your opinion on this situation. Some of the commentary we receive may appear in the upcoming issue of FCF Click here to take the survey |
From Mike Onzuka: Just when you had enough of the Onzuka twins... Chris got the call last night at Jiu-Jitsu to make a run to the hospital. He probably at first thought that this was another warning, but the real deal occurred. Chris and Patty had twins (boy-girl combo) Logan and Katelyn (don't quote me on the spelling of the names, they kept them a secret until this morning) at about 3:00 am this morning. Logan came in at a slim trim 4 lbs 10 oz and Katelyn came in at 4 lbs 3 oz. Again, don't quote me on the weights. Chris called me at 5:00 am this morning and I was still sleeping. Other than some congestion for Logan, both twins are happy and healthy. Patty had the twins at Kapiolani Women and Children's Hospital and I assume will be there at least for today. The twins' older sister, Brandi, is extremely happy for two more rug rats. She wanted a baby brother first and then switched wanting a baby sister. Now she has both! Congratulations to both of them and watch out world, now there are three Onzuka twins! For those that don't know, our other brother had twin boys as well. My wife, who has twin sisters, is extremely worried at this point. Mike Congrats to Chris, Patty and the whole Onzuka clan from the Onzukas' other family here at FCF |
From the event's promoter: UFC 37 promo event schedule
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| Tuesday - May 7, 2002 |
Writer extraordinaire Aaron Crecy has been around the world covering MMA events for FCF. This past weekend Aaron traveled to Washington for Matt Hume's Mid-day Mayhem. This show was a bit different for Aaron, he was there to make his fighting debut. It seems that Aaron has been paying attention at all of the shows he's attended as a reporter, as he knocked out his much larger opponent with a right hook to the jaw at only 50 seconds into the bout.Here are the full results from the event: United Full Contact Federation's Mid-day Mayhem May 4, 2002 Funsters Grand Casino Seattle, WA Official Results Fight One-Novice Pankration, 155 lbs. Kazushi Sugiyama (Oregon Jiu Jitsu) def. Casey Barkmeir (Team Quest) by submission (armbar), 1:19 R1 Fight Two-A Class Kickboxing, 140 lbs. Christina Lin (AMC) def. Sue Sanders (Mountain Kung Fu) by judges' decision Fight Three-Novice Pankration, Heavyweight Jeremiah Futch (AMC) def. Ben Manning (Team Quest) by majority judges' decision Fight Four-Novice Kickboxing, 185 lbs. Adam Villander (Mountain Kung Fu) def. Jacob Carter (AMC) by judges' decision USA vs. Canada 
Fight Five-Boxing, 119 lbs.Jacob Operskalski (AMC, Team USA) def. Trevor Chard (Team Canada) by judges' decision Fight Six-A Class Pankration, 185 lbs. Craig Sloan (Gibson Pankration, Team Canada) def. Andrew Taylor (Pearson Black Belt Academy, Team USA) by judges' decision Fight Seven-A Class Pankration, Heavyweight Aaron Crecy (Team Quest/Full Contact Fighter Magazine, Team USA) def. Paul Trudel (Team Canada) by KO, :50 R1 Fight Eight-Kickboxing, 205 lbs., UFCF Pacific Northwest Title Fight Chris Monson (Pearson Black Belt Academy, Team USA) def. Ryan Grahm (Team Canada) by majority judges' decision Fight Nine-Pankration, 155 lbs., UFCF North American Pankration Title Fight Blake Fedrickson (Gibson Pankration, Team Canada) def. Charlie Fortec (Idaho Pankration, Team USA) by submission (triangle choke), 1:30 R1 Final Score: Team USA 3, Team Canada 2 |
| Wednesday - May 8, 2002 |
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Set to Touchdown in Louisiana By Jim Genia and Loretta Hunt With a card plagued by injuries, one cannot help but wonder if the Ultimate Fighting Championship 37's "High Impact" show is somehow cursed. Numerous fighters' injuries slowed the announcement of a complete card for weeks, while the card itself went through enough revisions to make one's head spin. Light-heavyweight contender Chuck Liddell was first set to take on Vitor Belfort, who came down with allergies. Then, Evan Tanner had to bow out with injured ribs and rumors flew about the return of Extreme Fighting legend Igor Zinoviev, sidelined by injuries himself. Explains UFC matchmaker Joe Silva, "For Chuck, after going through three different main guys, he decided that if he wasn't going to fight a name guy, someone that meant something for him, then he would wait." (Chuck has since been moved to the London show, Tanner once again a likely opponent). 
In the lightweight division, "There were just tons of problems," says Silva, explaining how even injuries from the last show further compounded this card's outcome. An injury early on for Din Thomas, scheduled to fight Matt Serra at UFC 36, had to be scratched and with that the hopes that Serra would take on returning BJ Penn at the next show. Serra is working through injuries of his own -- a biceps tear suffered during training just prior to UFC 36. Rumina Sato was also rumored to be in the mix, but once again fate intervened when word came from Japan that Sato had sustained training injuries as well. Penn's next opponent -- Lions Den stand-out Joe Hurley -- was hurt in a car accident, leaving Silva to scramble for a replacement. "For BJ, nobody wanted to fight him on one month's notice. You make the rounds and you call the "name guys", but there was no one for him to fight. I got numerous calls from Matt Serra and Gil Castillo, suggesting I get Paul Creighton [pictured] in."Misfortune did not hit these two weight classes alone. Dave Menne was slated to take on the Russian, Andrei Semenov, but the former middleweight champ separated and chipped the bone of his shoulder during training. Newcomer Joao Marcos Pierini was to clash with fellow rookie Benji Radach in the Octagon, but a herniated disc forced Pierini out as well. Is it all merely a case of " Ultimate bad luck"? Or is there dark voodoo magic at work here? Will the show, scheduled for May 10 in Shreveport, Louisiana, come off without any other setbacks -- and deliver the same level of excitement as its predecessors? Click here to continue the preview Check back frequently, we will be posting interviews and profiles of the up-and-coming fighters on the card over the next couple of days. |
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Gekkeikan Sake Press Release: Fighters, Gekkeikan Girls to Host Sake Company's Thursday Night Party at N Cahoots Sports Bar with Limited Edition Tee Shirts and Posters Available to Fans 21 and Over; Pre-Fight Autograph Signing at CenturyTel Center Scheduled for Friday 
NEW YORK--Gekkeikan Sake is excited to announce that it will host two pre-fight events for mixed martial arts fans 21 and older prior to UFC 37. With two-time UFC Heavyweight Champion Randy Couture and UFC 17 Champion and Pride FC star Dan Henderson already on its roster, the Gekkeikan Fight Club is proud to introduce its two newest members-Matt Lindland and Benji Radach.On Thursday, March 9th, Gekkeikan will host a party at N Cahoots, Shreveport's largest sports bar. Located at 1303 Shreveport Barksdale Highway (318- 865-4541), N Cahoots is just minutes from Harrah's Casino, the host hotel for UFC 37, and CenturyTel Arena, where the official weigh-ins will take place on Thursday afternoon. Hosted by Couture, Henderson and the gorgeous Gekkeikan Girls, the event will feature giveaways such as special edition tee shirts and full-color autograph cards of all four fighters. N Cahoots will also offer several drink specials, including Gekkeikan Draft Sake Bombs. 
Gekkeikan will host another autograph signing on Friday from 5:30 to 6:30 PM outside CenturyTel Arena, where fans will receive free autograph cards and can pose for photos with Couture and the Gekkeikan Girls.Fans must be 21 years of age or older to attend either event-valid identification will be required. Beginning Tuesday, May 14th, high-resolution pictures from both events will be available at www.gekkeikanfightclub.com. |
From the event's promoter:
May 4th, 2002 Quick Results The Freestyle Fighting Championship II played to yet another full house Saturday night in Biloxi, Mississippi. There were five NHB Matches, two Submission matches, and a Pancrase rules match. Here are the quick results: Pancrase Rules Match Jarrett Becks. Hattiesburg, Ms. Vs Austin Parks. Waco, TX Becks by rear naked choke round one. NHB Matches Adam Peeples. Houma LA. Vs. Mark Beecher. OK Beecher via ref stoppage round one. Strikes Aaron Williams. Biloxi, MS vs. Nick Roscorla. OK Williams via guillotine choke round one. Bone Sayavongsa. Waco, TX. Vs. Billy Shelton. Pensacola, FL Sayavongsa via ref stoppage round one. Strikes Warren Donely. Metairie, LA vs. Jeremiah O'Neil. Dallas, TX Donely via unanimous decision. [Pictured below: O'Neil in Donely's guard] 
Submission MatchDave Benefield. Slidell, LA vs. Gene Gildea, Ocean Springs, MS. Gildea via unanimous decision Submission Super fight Adriano Lucio. Rio De Janeiro vs. Phil Cardella. Dallas, TX Lucio via unanimous decision. FFC Lightweight 145.0-154.9lbs. World Championship bout Rich Clementi Biloxi [Pictured with belt above], MS vs. Joe Jordan, Lexington, KY. Clementi via arm bar Round 1 |
| Thursday - May 9, 2002 |
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By Jim Genia and Loretta Hunt Ivan Salaverry Born in Toronto, the Washington-by-way-of New York-native fights out of the AMC Pankration school. With Matt Hume behind his grappling and striking skills, and UFC heavyweight champ Josh Barnett as one of his training partners, Salaverry is unquestionably well-rounded -- and his 8-1 MMA record can attest to his abilities. A veteran of SuperBrawl, SHOOTO, and the International Fighting Challenge (IFC) and HOOKnSHOOT (where Salaverry is a champion), he can submit or knockout his opponents. Says Salaverry of his training: "I think the AMC format has basically made me well-rounded in striking and grappling." UFC 37 will be Salaverry's debut, and his opponent will be the extremely dangerous Andrei Semenov. What does Salaverry know of him? "[He's] a tough guy. I know he' s got a boxing and judo background." The up-and comer is confident, though, and his gameplan is simple. "There's so many variables, you gotta go in there well-rounded and fight with heart." A wrestler and jiu-jitsu exponent before he moved out to train at AMC Pankration, Salaverry has been training in combative sports for years. "The UFC," he responds, when asked what got him started in mixed martial arts. He adds: "The Gracies, of course." Says trainer Matt Hume of his newest middleweight entry, "Ivan's a very strong ground fighter who's been to Abu Dhabi, but has won both his [IFC & HOOKnSHOOT] championships with striking. He's very well-rounded, well-conditioned, and he'll be a big 185-pounder coming in." How did Salaverry learn of his break in the "big show"? "My agent, Miguel Iturrate, basically pushed me through 'cause I'm the HOOKnSHOOT champ and IFC middleweight champ. I got a call on the cellphone and Miguel said, 'you ready?' and I said, 'ready for what?' 'The UFC.' [Laughs] 'Awesome!'" Benji Radach A native of Castlerock, Washington, Radach is an accomplished state wrestling champ and former Alaskan fisherman. "I've wrestled since I was old enough to walk," says the welterweight fighter making his Octagon debut at UFC 37. "[I] wrestled all the way through school, through high school, and made the National team the last few years in a row." Sporting an amateur boxing record of 2-1, he has heavy hands to go with his takedowns and sprawls -- and is not afraid to use them. Having trained under former UFC lightweight contender Dennis Hallman for the last year, Radach has earned a reputation as a nice, friendly guy outside the ring and an intense brawler inside it. On his affinity for MMA competition, he says: "It's right up my alley. I love it." Originally slated to fight Brazilian black belt Joao Marcos Pierini, training injuries forced the Gladiator's Academy fighter to withdraw from competition. UFC veteran Steve Berger has filled the void, leaving Radach only three weeks to train for the highly experienced welterweight. Does the adjustment faze Radach? "Actually, this fight with Steve has been one that Dennis has been trying to set-up for a quite a while, so I'm happy to see it finally happen. I know Steve's real tough and is the type of guy that can come back in the third round and win fights." Will strategy change now that Radach will be clashing with the formidable Berger? "I definitely had to change my gameplan from fighting Joao," laments Radach. "With him, I was going to keep it on my feet and maybe catch him with something. [With Steve,] I'm going to have to go out there and feel it out. If I'm more comfortable on my feet with him, that's where I'm going to keep it, just because it's more exciting there. I want to put on a good show for my first shot in the UFC." Like most (if not all) competitors out there, Radach has had UFC aspirations for some time. His dreams suddenly came true on his recent birthday. "Dennis called me up. It was my birthday and I was celebrating, and he calls me up on the phone and says, 'hey, I got a good birthday present for you.' And he told me." The fisherman-turned-fighter laughs. "It was awesome, man. I was stoked. I really didn't expect it to happen this soon. I figured another year or two of training and stuff, but I got the opportunity so I'm going to take it." Click here for more profiles |
| Friday - May 10, 2002 |
From the event's promoter: FIGHT NIGHT 17 Tomorrow Night! May 11, 2002 at South Plainfield Middle School In South Plainfield, New Jersey
Come join us for an action-packed night of fights May 11th - Seating begins at 6pm, fights begin at 7pm South Plainfield Middle School 2201 Plainfield Avenue South Plainfield, New Jersey 07080 For more information call 908-352-0622 or visit http://members.aol.com/shootfyter For more info please call 908-352-0622. |
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Matt Lindland Sets His Sights on the UFC Middleweight Title By Loretta Hunt Regardless of the outcome of UFC 37's "High Impact" middleweight title bout on May 10th, competitor Matt Lindland can already be considered a champion. Having wrestled since the age of fifteen, he is one of the most highly decorated athletes to ever grace the UFC Octagon. His sixteen year wrestling career has spanned high school state placings, college championships, multiple appearances on the National, World, and Olympic Teams steadily since 1993, and has culminated with a Silver medal in Greco-Roman Wrestling at the 2000 Olympic Games in Sydney, Australia. Since his UFC debut in late 2000, Lindland has stacked up four victories on the road to the Middleweight title, yet still remains one of the lesser-known competitors of the sport. Happily married and a father of two, this reserved yet extremely focused athlete never dreamed that he would be "going for the gold" again -- UFC gold that is, in the shape of the Middleweight belt. His opponent, the formidable Murilo Bustamante, will be defending the belt for the first time, yet Lindland seems more than ready for the task. As fans become more familiar with this wrestler turned fighter, it becomes clear that losing is simply not an option with Matt Lindland. Contrary to opinion, Matt Lindland is no stranger to the limelight. In his bid for a spot on the 2000 Olympic Wrestling Team, he was unwillingly propelled into it when an Olympic qualifier match was awarded to his opponent. "I had beaten Keith Sieracki nine time s in a row prior to this. The final Olympic matches with him and I were scored completely incorrectly" he recalls. Knowing he had actually won the match, Lindland went through various stages to have the verdict appealed. The case finally went to "final and binding arbitration", where it was decided that Lindland had won the match decisively. Although Sieracki appealed this decision all the way to the Supreme Court, his case was still denied. Lindland didn't actually find out he'd be on the team till the day he left for his Olympic processing and although he went on to win an Olympic Silver Medal, he admits the ordeal was taxing. " I don't think it helps you focus on what you've got to do. I was just focusing on getting on the team, when I knew I should have been there anyway." The case garnered much publicity from prominent press outlets like The Wall Street Jour nal and USA Today, and when he eventually made the crossover to MMA, his new counterparts would dub him with the nickname "The Law." Click here to continue the article |
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By Jim Genia 
Shreveport, Louisiana -- It was truly a sight to behold: former Welterweight Champ Carlos Newton, gently wrestling with a female radio broadcaster; lightweight contender Matt Serra, showing two members of Caol Uno's entourage how to do an omoplata armlock; Phil Baroni, shadowboxing and talking trash to heavyweight Gilbert Yvel and the Russian Red Devil Team; Aaron Riley, Ivan Salaverry, Yves Edwards, Steve Berger and others, hopping around and goofing off -- all of them inside the Octagon nearly 24 hours before showtime. Seeing the fighters, fresh from the weigh-ins and rules meeting, killing time in the cage as the production crew put the finishing touches on the lights and stage, was certainly something to see. Hopefully, the Ultimate Fighting Championship 37 "High Impact" show tomorrow will be as awe-inspiring.Today's chaos aside, one would expect at least some of the fighters to be ill or to not make weight on a card as troubled as High Impact's. Thankfully, this was not the case. The weigh-ins, held at the Centurytel Center (where the show will take place), went off without a hitch. UFC Middleweight Champion Murilo Bustamante stepped on to the scale looking healthy and confident -- despite having had to deal with a finger infection that had impeded his training -- and came in at 183 pounds. Challenger Matt "the Law" Lindland, equally healthy and confident, was exactly 185 pounds. As for the other middleweights on the card: Russian pretty boy Andrei Semenov weighed 184 pounds, while his opponent Ivan Salaverry -- the AMC Pankration fighter -- was 185. Fellow Russian Amar Suloev came in at 183.5 pounds, as his opponent Phil Baroni was his typical buff-self at 184. In the only heavyweight match-up for High Impact, veteran Tsuyoshi Kosaka weighed 222.25 pounds and Ricco "Sauve" Rodriguez was a whopping 249.75. Both men were in good spirits, due in no small part to the wisecracking of Maurice Smith on the sidelines. 
For the first fight of the night in the lightweight division, Japanese superstar Caol Uno weighed 154.75 pounds, while striker Yves Edwards was 154. In the other lightweight war-waiting-to-happen, a grinning "Phenom" BJ Penn tipped the scales at 155. His opponent, Paul Creighton, was 154. Judging by their friendliness and relaxed composure, one would never guess these two would be fighting tomorrow night.In the welterweight bouts (scheduled for the preliminaries), a focused Robbie Lawler was 170 pounds exactly, as accomplished scrapper Aaron Riley was 168.5. And for the match that could be dubbed as a "battle of the nice guys", Steve Berger and Benji Radach were 168.25 and 169 pounds respectively. Also present was the usual cast of characters: trainers, such as Matt Hume, Renzo Gracie, Pat Miletich, and Ricardo Pires; training partners, such as Randy Couture, Dan Henderson, and Dennis Hallman; and champions, such as Matt Hughes and Josh Barnett (yes, he's still the champ). The chaotic yet entertaining goofing around in the Octagon. The troubled card panning out into a stable show. The who's who-list of trainers and fighters. Do all of these ingredients make for a good show? Time will tell. |
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From Team King of the Cage: "The World's Best Guitarist to Perform at King of the Cage" LOS ANGELES, California -- "King of the Cage" is proud to announce that guitar god Yngwie Malmsteen will perform at "King of the Cage: Revolution" on May 17th from the Silver Legacy Resort Casino. The Grammy nominated artist will be playing the National Anthem, as well as some other surprises during the course of the show. Yngwie has long been a fan of mixed martial arts, having written the "Power & Glory" theme for Japanese Wrestling Champion Nobuhiko Takada in 1994. Malmsteen's latest release in January 2002 entered Japan's International Billboard Charts at # 4 and Yngwie was voted "Best Guitar Player" in Burrn! Magazine's 2001 Reader's poll. This is your opportunity to see the best in mixed martial arts action and the world's greatest guitar player! Yngwie Malmsteen will also be signing autographs at the conclusion of the event. Don't forget the fights . . . "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. Dave Roberts (Team Punishment) Mike Rogers (Rodrigo Vhagi) Vs. Ahmad Hempstead Dave Fox Vs. Rocky Batastini PRELIMINARY MATCHES*: * May Not Be Televised Phillip Miller (Williams Combat Grappling) Vs. Roberto Ramirez (Chicago Fight Team) Cal Worsham Vs. Rick Kollup (Reno Academy of Combat) Joey Villasenor Vs. Jimmy Walker "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. KING OF THE CAGE . . . KNOCKING OUT THE COMPETITION! |
| Saturday - May 11, 2002 |
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While the Rookies Steal the Show By Jim Genia Bossier City, Louisiana -- It was a night of fresh faces, made bloody by hard fought battles and impressive displays of heart. UFC 37 "High Impact" is now one for the record books, and a card plagued by replacements and substitutes will go down as one of the most action-packed ever. Middleweight champ Murilo Bustamante proved again why he's the best in the world -- out-striking, out-wrestling, and submitting Olympic silver medallist Matt Lindland -- but the real thrills of the night came in the preliminary bouts, where the rookies of the Octagon seemed to steal the show. 
Though relegated to the preliminaries, no one doubted there'd be a war between welterweight AMC Pankration brawler Aaron Riley and Miletich-protégé Robbie Lawler [Pictured post-fight at right]. True to form, these two first-timers gave their all. Lawler showed off his heavy hands, landing blow after blow, while Riley gamely ate every one of them and kept coming. In the second round, Riley scrambled and took his opponent's back, nearly sinking in the choke as Lawler remained standing and defended. In the third round, the seesaw battle continued. Lawler eventually earned the unanimous judges' decision, but both fighters had earned the praise and recognition they deserved.The other showstopper was the preliminary match-up of middleweight AMC Pankration fighter Ivan Salaverry and Russian warrior Andrei Semenov. These two men went at it at a breakneck pace, with Salaverry relentlessly attempting submissions and Semenov doggedly escaping each one. The punishment eventually took its toll, though, and as an exhausted Semenov was unable to effectively defend himself from Salaverry's blows from the side-mount, the referee was forced to step in. Salaverry was victorious at 2:27 of the third round. 
As impressive as the rookies were, middleweight champ Bustamante [Pictured post-fight at right] was no slouch in his derailment of the runaway locomotive known as Matt Lindland. Handing Lindland his first defeat in the Octagon, the Brazilian took him down and controlled him early in the first round. A near fully-extended armbar and a gesture interpreted for a tapout saw referee Big John McCarthy step in -- only to restart the fighters from their feet after acknowledging that he'd made a mistake. Undaunted, Bustamante remained focused, avoiding Lindland's strong flurries and landing a stunning right that sent the wrestler to the canvas in the third round. Capitalizing on Lindland's condition, Bustamante sunk in the guillotine choke and got the tap -- this one clear and undisputed -- at 1:33 of round 3.The action on the rest of the card was almost comparable. Japanese lightweight superstar Caol Uno engaged in a methodical and technical ground war with Texan Yves Edwards. Edwards, showing off some slick grappling skills himself, came close to landing a few submissions on the "submission specialist." Uno prevailed, however, and got the judges' nod after three rounds. Also, lightweight monster BJ Penn looked relaxed and patient as he controlled Renzo Gracie-fighter Paul Creighton. Creighton -- who lasted longer than Penn's first three opponents in the Octagon -- did his best to tie up the "Phenom," but ended up losing via referee stoppage due to unanswered strikes from the mount at 3:20 of the second round. In the only heavyweight bout of the night, Ricco Rodriguez secured a win over veteran Tsuyoshi "TK" Kosaka. Keeping ahead in the scrambles, Rodriguez stayed on top for most of the fight (TK did have some impressive escapes). Unanswered blows from the mount forced the referee to stop that match at 3:25 of round 2. Rodriguez comes one step closer to earning his shot at the heavyweight belt. Representing the middleweights, "New York Badass" Phil Baroni talked trash about his opponent -- Russian striker Amar Suloev -- and backed it up with some devastating striking on the ground. Utilizing his newly-refined grappling technique (courtesy of Brazilian Jiu-jitsu trainer Ricardo Pires), Baroni weathered an illegal knee to the face and an armbar attempt to escape and gain the half-mount. There, Baroni rained down his fists of fury, knocking out Soloev at 2:55 of the first round. And in the most controversial fight of the night, welterweight veteran Steve Berger found his match called as he was hunting for a leglock on opponent Benji Radach. Radach, a Dennis Hallman-protégé and strong puncher, had floored Berger with a right and was continuing to nail him in the head -- prompting referee Mason White to step in at 0:27 of the first round. Was the fight stopped too soon? Many thought so, but Radach got the win, while Berger will undoubtedly get another shot in the Octagon. For the fans that had expected little, this card turned out to be an action-packed surprise. Bustamante kept his belt and looked good in the process, while a fresh crop of rookies made their mark -- and secured their futures in the UFC. High Impact was a resounding success. Results:
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| Sunday - May 12, 2002 |
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Out of PRIDE 21 Due to Injuries! By Eduardo Alonso NHB fans around the world will have to wait a bit longer to finally watch Rodrigo "Minotauro" Nogueira's first PRIDE title defense. Since beating Heath Herring to win his belt at PRIDE 17, Minotauro has only fought in a non-title match against Enson Inoue. He was originally scheduled to defend his title at PRIDE 20. However his proposed opponent, Semmy Schilt, opted for a K-1 bout instead, and the fight was postponed -- likely to be held at PRIDE 21. However, in an unfortunate turn of events, FCF was told today that Rodrigo Nogueira hurt his back and will need about one month to recover and begin training again, therefore he is officially out of PRIDE 21. In another piece of unfortunate news for the Brazilian Top Team, Ze Mario Sperry found out this week that he hurt his knee during the first round of his match against Chute Boxe's Murilo "Ninja", and he will have to have knee surgery this coming Wednesday. Sperry was already negotiating a fight at PRIDE 21, and the promoters were so pleased with his performance at PRIDE 20 that they wanted him over to fight again in their next event. Unfortunately, after examining Sperry, the doctor prescribed further testing and determined that Mario needed immediate surgery. Sperry told FCF he expects to get back to training about one month after the surgery. Despite this injury Sperry is looking to fight again as soon as possible. We wish both Minotauro and Sperry a speedy recovery and will keep a close eye on their progress. |
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By Loretta Hunt Submissions. Escapes. Slams. Strikes. Last night's Bayside Academy of Martial Art's Fight Night 17 had a little of everything to offer the enthused fight fan. Around 250 spectators turned out at South Plainfield Middle School in New Jersey to take in thirteen match-ups of shootfighting, muay thai, and MMA-style action. Two shootfighting tournaments yielded new champions, and with numerous competitors making their debuts, BAMA continues to offer the sport's future a valuable opportunity to test out their skills. Here are the quick results: Muay Thai
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From Josh Hedges/Zuffa: UFC 37: Replay Schedule iN DEMAND - Cable (iN2) Tuesday, May 14, 2002 7:00P(ET) (iN1) Tuesday, May 14, 2002 10:00P (ET) (iN2) Thursday, May 16, 2002 10:30P (ET) DIRECTV Saturday, May 11 Direct Ticket all day(ET) More dates to be announced soon Dish Network Sunday, May 12 7:00pm (ET) Monday, May 13 All Day Ticket(ET) Wednesday, May 15 All Day Ticket(ET) Friday, May 17 All Day Ticket(ET) Saturday, May 18 8:00pm (ET) Thursday, May 23 All Day Ticket(ET) Friday, May 24 All Day Ticket(ET) Saturday, May 25 All Day Ticket(ET) And don't forget, Legends of the Octagon: Ultimate Royce Gracie debuts on June 16th, and UFC 38: Brawl at the Hall is LIVE on July 13th in London, England. |
| Tuesday - May 14, 2002 |
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This Thursday 
The infamous "Stuttering John" vs. "Crazy Cabbie" fight is fast approaching. The bout is set to take place at the Trump Taj Mahal in Atlantic City, NJ on May 31st and the pre-fight action is beginning to heat up.This Thursday morning (May 16th, some time after 7:30am), Howard Stern will host a press conference between the two camps. Stuttering John is being trained by FCF staffers the Mouth of NHB and kickboxing champion Derek Panza along with Steve Weinberger (owner of Bev Francis Gold's Gym). Cabbie is reportedly being trained by Bernard Hopkins -- the undisputed middleweight boxing champ is known for his controversial antics (a riot ensued after Hopkins made disparaging remarks and gestures to the crowd at a press conference in Puerto Rico prior to his fight with Felix Trinidad -- the final straw that caused the crowd to charge Hopkins was when he threw a Puerto Rican flag to the floor). Mix Hopkins' penchant for controversy with Cabbie's sparkling personality, The Mouth's quintessential New York take-no-shit attitude and the bad blood between John and Cabbie and you've got the potential for heated exchanges and major fireworks. Tune in to the Stern show Thursday morning for what's sure to be one of the most memorable shows to hit the radio waves. |
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From the event's promoter: May 25th, 2002 Memorial Coliseum, Evansville, Indiana 
Tickets are on sale for HOOKnSHOOT RELENTLESS, HnS' much anticipated followup to the March OVERDRIVE show, featuring Rogerio 'Minotoro' Nogueira. 'We are developing as a company' comments promoter Jeff Osborne, a veteran of over 40 shows. 'With RELENTLESS, we have Yuki Nakai's Paraestra Tokyo team back, and Japan's SHOOTO fighters always answer the call and come to HOOKnSHOOT for tough fights. Takumi Nakayama comes to face 3x BJJ World Champion Vitor 'Shaolin' Ribeiro. Shaolin is the real deal - the top shelf of JJ, scouting reports on him describe a fighter with a lot of focus, hunger and heart. And he beat SHOOTO legend Rumina Sato in Abu Dhabi - so this match is getting a lot of attention in Japan!''Hermes Franca and Yohei Suzuki - of course, we will see what happens because the SHOOTO commission in Japan decides these things, but I think the winner has a chance at moving to 'A' Class - both are really rugged, and there are a lot of people looking forward to this one as well!' continues Osborne. 'Scott Henze and Shiko Yamashita will also be war! Yamashita is ranked #6 in SHOOTO, and Scott is #8 - so this match has repercussions in the rankings - and with Scott being the hometown fighter, Shiko knows he comes to the Lion's Den, so to speak.' states Osborne. 'The title match is a real skillfest. Some may criticize us for giving Travis Lutter a title shot in his MMA debut, but Travis is incredibly talented, and by winning two ADCC Qualifiers here at HnS, he has a lot of fans here who KNOW about him. And he wanted a challenge right off the bat! In Chris Monsen, we get a guy who will definitely come to grind. He finds a way to win, and is tough on anyone he fights. He just won a kickboxing title, and has wins over 'Cacareco' Ferreira and Dave Menne. The title will be well represented by either man' describes Osborne. 'We are psyched ATT'ers Jeff Monsen and Dustin Denes are on the card. With Conan & Marcello Silveira and Ricardo Liborio instructing, that team is going to make some noise. I expect Dustin to challenge for the 205 lb. title someday, and Monsen is world class already! The whole card is looking to be stand out!' concludes Osborne. Card Subject To Change: THIS IS OFFICIAL SHOOTO USA 2 Rounds B Class (185 lbs.): Luke Pedigo (Freelance, Danville, IL.) v. Joseph Baize (Freelance, Owensboro, KY.) 2 Rounds B Class (135 lbs.): Travis Phippen (American JJ, KC, KS.) v. Dan Swift (JJ( Pittsburgh, PA.) 2 Rounds B Class (135 lbs.): Jim Bruketta (Silverbacks, Canton, IL.) v. Mike Cardoso (Freelance, Miami, FL.) 2 Rounds B Class (155 lbs.): Hermes Franca (American Top Team, Orlando, FL.) v. Yohei Suzuki (Paraestra, Tokyo, Japan) 2 Rounds B Class (205 lbs.): Dustin Denes (American Top Team, Orlando, FL.) v. Tom Jones (LD, Tulsa, OK.) 3 Rounds B Class (225 lbs.): Jeff Monsen (American Top Team, Orlando, FL.) v. TBD 3 Rounds A Class (155 lbs.): Vitor 'Shaolin' Ribeiro (Nova Uniao, Rio, Brazil) v. Takumi Nakayama (Paraestra, Tokyo, Japan) 3 Rounds A Class (185 lbs.): Scott Henze (Freelance, Tell City, IN.) v. Shiko Yamashita (Paraestra, Tokyo, Japan) For the vacant HOOKnSHOOT Title at 205 lbs: 3 Rounds A Class (205 lbs.): Chris Monsen (AMC Pankration, Seattle, WA.) v. Travis Lutter (Next Generation, Dallas, TX.) |
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From the event's promoter: Massachusetts Set To Rock This Weekend! 
TSONGAS ARENA, Lowell, MA. - Saturday May 18th, 2002This coming Saturday, the New England area will host RING of FURY, the first closed fist event for this group. Nine Mixed Martial Arts bouts are scheduled for an explosive evening! These will be the first ever fully sanctioned 'closed fist' event in the history of the state of Massachusetts. Comments by promoter Tom Hafers "we have done a lot of work with the boxing commission, with local advertising and with a state of the art arena. We have laid the groundwork for a very positive first show - everything's done but the fights - we cannot wait!" Tickets for the event are on sale at the Tsongas Arena box office, all Ticketmaster locations or charge by phone at 617.931.2000. www.ticketmaster.com for TICKETMASTER on the web! Group discounts are available by calling Joanne at 978-848-6906. Card Subject To Change: MAIN EVENTS: (185 lbs): Keith Rockel (MSA Team Elite, Clinton, MA.) v. Leo Dalla (BTT, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil) (205 lbs): Jorge Rivera (MSA Team Elite, Milford, MA.) v. Jacen Flynn (Miletich Systems, Davenport, IA.) UNDERCARD: (170 lbs): Nuri Shakir (Dragon's Lair, Nashua, NH.) v. Todd Fox (Rodrigo Vaghi JJ, St Louis, MO.) (155 lbs): Bobby Andrews (Dragon's Lair, Framingham, MA.) v. Anthony Hamlet (Northern Elite, Seattle, WA.) (170 lbs): Matt Lee (NE BJJ, Everett, MA.) v. Jeremy Bennett (Freelance, Pittsburgh, PA.) (155 lbs): Gunnar Olson (Team Kevlar, Burlington, VT) v. Jason Maxwell (Freelance, Dallas, TX.) (265 lbs): Shaun Wagner (NE) v. Bryan Antonelli (Relson Gracie JJ, NJ.) (205 lbs): Rich O'Connor (Boston BJJ, Boston, MA.) v. Jay Thomas (Gillett's Academy of Extreme Combat, Boston, MA.) (145 lbs): Mike Brown (Team Choi/MSA, Clinton, MA.) v. Eddie Odquina (Honolulu, HI.) |
| Wednesday - May 15, 2002 |
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Handsome Johnny Photos 
"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" |
From Josh Hedges/Zuffa: UFC BRITISH SKY BROADCASTING SHOW TO EXPAND TO 2 HOURS, MAY 16 LAS VEGAS, MAY 15, 2002... "Ultimate Fighting Championship," the one-hour mixed martial arts television show that airs at 11 p.m. (British Summer Time) each Thursday in the United Kingdom and Ireland on British Sky Broadcasting (BSkyB), will expand to two hours starting May 16. It will air at 10 p.m. (BST). Produced by the Ultimate Fighting Championship, the world's leading mixed martial arts fighting company, "Ultimate Fighting Championship" features videotaped championship fights and top matches in each of its five weight divisions and brings U.K. and Irish fight fans an insider's view of mixed martial arts with personal interviews with its top stars. It began airing February 7 and is hosted by UFC announcer Mike Goldberg. "Viewership has been excellent and our U.K. fan base increases weekly. The UFC and Sky Broadcasting are increasing the show's length due to the demand," said Dana White, UFC president. The first two-hour show will feature two matches from UFC 34: High Voltage, which took place November 2 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas. Middleweights Phil Baroni of Long Island, N.Y., and Matt Lindland of Eagle Creek, Ore., will tangle before Heavyweight Ricco Rodriguez of Las Vegas, Nev., meets Pete Williams of San Diego, Calif. Other fights on the card include Ken Shamrock versus Patrick Smith from UFC 1: The Beginning on November 12, 1993, at McNichols Arena in Denver, Colo.; Lightweight Enson Inoue versus Royce Alger at UFC 13: The Ultimate Force May 30, 1997, at Augusta Civic Center in Augusta, Ga., and Heavyweight Mark Coleman taking on Williams at UFC 17: Redemption on May 15, 1998, at the Mobile Civic Center in Mobile, Ala. The UFC will stage its first live event in Europe on Saturday, July 13, when it brings The Brawl At The Hall to Royal Albert Hall in London. Tickets, 100 pounds sterling, 75 pounds sterling and 50 pounds sterling, are now on sale at the Royal Albert Hall box office in London, 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 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., while Middleweight Mark Weir (12-0-0) of Gloucester, England, will meet an opponent to be named. Pay-per-view replays of High Impact, the Friday, May 10, fight card at CenturyTel Center in Bossier City, La., will continue the remainder of the month on iN DEMAND, DIRECTV and Dish Network. The suggested retail price is $29.95. The show will air on iN DEMAND's iN2 network at 10:30 p.m. EDT May 16. On DIRECTV, it will be available all day on Direct Ticket on May 15, May 16, May 23, May 25, May 28, May 29, May 30 and May 31. On Dish Network, the show will be available on its All Day Ticket on May 15, May 17, May 23, May 24 and May 25. It also will air at 8 p.m. EDT, Saturday, May 18. The Ultimate Fighting Championship, headquartered in Las Vegas, Nev., is the world's leading mixed martial sports company. It is owned and operated by Zuffa LLC and has partnerships with British Sky Broadcasting (BSkyB) in London, England; WOWOW, Inc. of Tokyo, Japan, and Globosat Programmadora LTD 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, boxing, sumo and others in a quest to become an ultimate fighting champion. |
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From RITC Writer/Statistician John Petrilli: Main Event: Drew Fickett vs Edwin Dewees Date: Saturday, June 22, 2002 Time: Doors Open: 6 PM, Fight Time: 8 PM Location: Celebrity Theatre, Phoenix, Arizona At RITC 34 in March, Drew Fickett (Bassett Gym) and Edwin Dewees (Brausa Academy) "squared off" in one of the best matches in RITC history. Here's what MMA reporter Mike Sloan, from sherdog.com, had to say about their first encounter. "Fickett and Dewees battled it out for three grueling rounds in by far the most captivating match up of the evening. The two young guns attacked each other from the start. It was definitely the best grappling of the night. Each grappler tried virtually every move in the book, only to be reversed and out-smarted over and over. It was non-stop action, the crowd was wild and right when you thought that one of the fighters was caught and about to be submitted, he'd escape. Unbelievable. The outcome of the battle was announced as a split decision, with the win going to Edwin Dewees. The fight was extremely close and I thought that Fickett won, but since it was such a close, intense war, I can't argue with the result whatsoever." Both fighters will be determined to keep "The Rematch" from going to the judge's scorecards. 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 |
| Thursday - May 16, 2002 |
UFC 37 Pictures! "NY BadAss" Phil Baroni sets up the KO victory on Amar Suloev  Ivan Salaverry landing a devastating knee on Andrei Semenov Click here for more pictures Keep checking back, plenty more to follow! |
 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 also join the FCF team for the new season. |
From Paula Romero, WFA Marketing & Promotions: WORLD FIGHTING ALLIANCE THE WORLD FIGHTING ALLIANCE RETURNS SECOND CHAMPIONSHIPS SHOW SCHEDULED FOR JULY 5TH AND WFA "CONTENDERS" SHOWS INTRODUCED Las Vegas (May 14, 2002) - The future of mixed martial arts is here. The World Fighting Alliance is proud to announce its second highly anticipated installment - WFA 2 will be hosted by the Hard Rock Casino and Hotel in Las Vegas this coming Friday, July 5th. Exploding onto the scene over America's most patriotic weekend, expect this show to supply its own fireworks with a stacked card of eight mixed martial arts bouts featuring some of the sport's top talent. But leave it to WFA owner and co-promoter John Lewis to not stop at that! The World Fighting Alliance will also introduce its new "Contenders" series -- six action-packed shows that will give MMA's finest up-and-comers a chance to test their mettle in the WFA cage. WFA will surely set a precedent this year by introducing the future of MMA superstars to the fighting arena & allow them the opportunity to showcase their skills and quite possibly give many their first step in professional MMA action! The first "Contenders" show will take place this August, also at the Hard Rock, and will culminate with WFA 3 - to be held at the Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino this September. Lewis, in conjunction with famed "Club Rubber" owner John Huntington, pledges to give MMA enthusiasts a unique experience that only the WFA can deliver - dazzling lights, pulsating sounds, and beautiful women galore! With six "Contenders" shows and four "Championship" installments scheduled for the year, mixed martial arts will never be the same! Stay tuned for announcements next week regarding July 5th's card, ticket information, and more surprises on the way for all those who dare to enter "where the fight club meets the night club." For more information, please contact: Paula Romero, WFA Marketing & Promotions (paularromero@yahoo.com) |
| Friday - May 17, 2002 |
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By Eduardo Alonso 
After his participation on Brazilian TV's biggest reality show, "The Phenom" is already focused on fighting again and back in training. Despite the beliefs of many that Belfort [pictured at right]wasn't interested in fighting anymore, about a week after he left the TV show Vitor told FCF that he was already training again and looking for a fight in the UFC, possibly in September. However, we spoke today with Belfort's management and in surprising news his camp told FCF that Belfort is signed to fight "The Iceman" Chuck Liddell at the UFC in London in July! Also, SBT [One of the most important TV stations in Brazil, and the one where the reality show that featured Belfort was broadcast] is negotiating with the UFC for a possible Live broadcast of the event on National Television in Brazil. Vitor's camp insists the fight is already a done deal and Belfort is about to end all his media appearances in Brazil to start focusing only on his fight against Liddell, and Vitor's main focus is now his fighting career!Vitor Belfort will be moving to Sao Paulo, where he will live from now on and he is currently training at Jorge "Macaco" Patino's academy. Belfort's camp mentioned that his training will begin to intensify in about 10 days from now, when people will come over from the USA to help his training. Belfort and Liddell were initially supposed to fight at UFC 37, but "The Phenom" chose to enter the TV show instead of fighting at the UFC. Now, if information from Belfort's camp is true, this fight promises to have the potential to be one of the most exciting fights in the year of 2002, with two top-ranked Light Heavyweights facing each other on the Octagon. In other Belfort news, Vitor has plans to open an academy in Sao Paulo towards the end of the year, focused not only on general people, but also on fighters. Belfort has also been approached by some toy companies to make a Vitor Belfort action figure and chances are very likely this will happen sometime this year. But according to Belfort himself this is all postponed for now, because his focus and goal right now is to train hard and fight in the July UFC! |
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From Josh Hedges/Zuffa: In the June 2002 issue of Front Magazine, British boxing promoter Frank Warren had some disparaging things to say about Mixed Martial Arts. "I bet certain members of the public would buy a ticket for a public hanging. Extreme fighters wouldn't last five minutes with a proper, schooled boxer. Boxing is an art, a way of life. That ultimate fighting stuff is for guys who chuck steroids down there neck, pump weights in the gym and get out of breath after a couple of minutes. I hope it doesn't catch on," says Warren. UFC President Dana White issued this response to Front Magazine regarding Warren's statement: "As a respected British boxing promoter, Frank Warren is certainly entitled to his opinion. But, he is dead wrong. The fighters who fight in the Ultimate Fighting Championship are the best in the world. UFC fighters are world-class athletes who train much harder every day than boxers would even think of training. We will be in London July 13th at the Royal Albert Hall. Tell Warren to get his fighters ready, guys like Joe Calzaghe, Ricky Hatton, Harry Simon, and Anthony Farnell, or anyone else he thinks can handle us, and I'll have mine ready in the same weight division. We will put together a fight between any two, and I'll bet him $50,000 (34,483 pounds sterling) even money on the outcome." Will Warren put his money where his mouth is? |
| Sunday - May 19, 2002 |
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By Jim Genia Photography by Keith Mills 
May 18, 2002 -- The Tsongas Arena in Lowell, Massachusetts, played host tonight to the debut of Ring of Fury - the first closed-fist mixed martial arts competition in the state - and the event went off without a hitch. There were nine action-packed bouts on the card featuring local boys such as Keith Rockel and Nuri Shakir battling it out against some not-so-local boys in Leo Dalla (of the Brazilian Top Team) and Todd Fox (of Vaghi Jiu-jitsu in St. Louis). With numerous state athletic commission officials and a crowd of approximately 2100 fans in attendance, the fighters gave it their all - and showed Massachusetts what the sport of MMA is all about.UFC-veteran Keith Rockel squared off against Brazilian Leo Dalla with the United States Mixed Martial Arts (USMMA) Middleweight Championship belt on the line. The fight of the night, this was a back-and-forth match that saw Dalla imposing his will and top-notch jiu-jitsu skills on Rockel in the first round, and Rockel coming back strong with his striking and sprawls in the second round. Nearly derailed by a nasty cut over his eye, Rockel earned the win with a referee stoppage as he rained down unanswered blows on an exhausted Dalla. 
In the USMMA Light-heavyweight Championship match, local warrior Jorge Rivera punched his way to victory over Joe Nye. Sporting the chainmail headgear of a Conquistador as he made his way to the ring, Rivera made short work of jiu-jitsu brown belt Nye, sending him to the canvas with a right hook and following up with strikes that forced a referee stoppage at :52 seconds of the first round. Elsewhere on the card, Nuri Shakir fed Todd Fox (teammate of UFC fighter Steve Berger) some heavy leather until bleeding prompted the doctor to halt the match, giving Shakir the win. Texan cowboy Jason Maxwell looked impressive with his knock out of Gunnar Olson, while a determined Jeremy Bennett earned a unanimous decision over the very game Matt Lee.With Massachusetts' first Ring of Fury show a success, look for some more good things to come out of the New England state. Results: 
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Day 1 By Eduardo Alonso 
This weekend, the Brazilian Jiu Jitsu Confederation (CBJJ) promoted the Brazilian Teams Jiu-Jitsu championship of 2002, at the city of Sao Paulo, in Brazil. The most important BJJ teams in Brazil battled for the sport's supremacy in several divisions, however this year an unusual situation changed some things. Two Brazilian teams tournaments were organized on the same day, one in Rio de Janeiro, and the other one in Sao Paulo, with the one in Sao Paulo being the official tournament of the confederation. However, as politics goes on, some teams decided not to come to Sao Paulo and take part of the confederation's tournament, like the Brazilian Top Team and Nova Uniao. However BJJ teams such as Alliance, Gracie Barra and Gold Team are all competing in Sao Paulo to be recognized as Brazilian Champions. FCF was on hand in Sao Paulo covering all the action, and the first day of competition featured the BJJ stars of the future.For the first day of competion, the gymnasium of the Sirio Libanes club received a good crowd, comprised of Jiu-Jitsu pratictioners for the most part, and some well known names were on hand to check the women's, Children's, Blue and Purple belt divisions fighting all day long. Jiu-jitsu icon Fabio Gurgel could be seen supporting the Alliance team's youngsters. Ryan Gracie also made an appearence, and Jorge Macaco Patino worked as a referee for the event. Carlinhos Gracie, the president of CBJJ was also on hand, as well as some jiu-jitsu legends such as professor Flavio Behring. The action itself on the mats showcased a lot of young talent and some strong teams developing at blue and purple belt, like Gracie Barra and Gracie Barra-BH [from Belo Horizonte, another capital in Brazil]. The female division was also a highlight of the day, with girls from purple to black belt impressing everybody in the gymnasium and showing that women are definitely improving drastically in BJJ. 
Here are the champions from the first day of competition:Juvenile: Blue Belt Lightweight: Champion : Gracie Barra, 2nd Place: Gracie Recreio Blue Belt - Heavyweight: Champion : Gracie Barra, 2nd Place: No other team to compete in this division. Women: Purple/Brown/Black belt: Champion : Ac. Equilibrio, 2nd Place: Alliance Men: Blue Belt Lightweight: Champion : Gracie Barra/BH, 2nd Place: Caveirinha Team/BH Blue Belt Middleweight: Champion : Gracie Barra, 2nd Place: Caveirinha Team/BH Blue Belt - Heavyweight: Champion : Gracie Barra/BH, 2nd Place: Alliance Purple Belt - Lightweight: Champion : Gracie Barra, 2nd Place: Ac. Cia Paulista Purple Belt - Heavyweight: Champion : Ac. Equilibrio, 2nd Place: Ac. Cia Paulista |
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From the event's promoter: MAY 25, 2002 AT CLUB SOUTH BEACH MACON, GA. The Danger Zone is heading south with the most action packed fighting event in the country! Georgia's own Kevin Brooks will headline the event taking on Jonathon Ivey from team Team Havok in the pro bout of the evening. The single amatuer bouts set for this action packed night of fighting are as follows:
The Danger Zone is working with Gauntlet Productions Matthew Waller in Macon to make this show a successful one. Tickets are $15 and $25. and are available at the door. Club South Beach is located at 4821 Sheraton Dr. in Macon, GA. Laquinta Inn is the hotel for the fighters and they are located less than 5 minutes from the venue. 3944 River Pl. Dr. 478-475-0206. Dan The Beast Severn will be on hand signing autographs as well as Cam McHargue the ISCF title holder and many more! Sanctioned by the ISCF. (card is subject to change) |
| Monday - May 20, 2002 |
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From Josh Hedges/Zuffa: Las Vegan Frank Mir To Meet Britain's Ian Freeman in Heavyweight Showdown LAS VEGAS, May 20, 2002... One of the fights Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) fans have been waiting for, the Welterweight Championship re-match between Champion Matt Hughes and former champion Carlos Newton, will be the main event Saturday, July 13, when the UFC goes to Europe for the first time for Brawl At Royal Albert Hall at Royal Albert Hall in London, England. Hughes (26-3-0 in Mixed Martial Arts) of Hillsboro, Ill., captured the UFC Welterweight crown Nov. 2, 2001, at UFC 34: High Voltage at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas with a controversial knockout of reigning champion Newton (10-5-0) of Newmarket, Ontario, Canada. Hughes picked up Newton as he was attempting a triangle choke and slammed him to the mat. The force knocked Newton out just as Hughes went unconscious from the choke. Referee John McCarthy separated the fighters and awarded the victory to Hughes. Many thought Newton won. Hughes defended his title March 22 at UFC 36: Worlds Collide at the MGM Grand with a fourth round technical knockout of legendary Japanese fighter Hyato Sakurai. Newton last fought on February 24 in Japan where he defeated highly ranked Brazilian striker Jose "Pele" Landi-Jones by arm bar submission. Hughes is one of the best all-around athletes in Mixed Martial Arts. He was a U.S. High School All-America wrestler at Hillsboro (Ill.) High School, a two-time junior college All-American wrestler at Lincoln Junior College in Lincoln, Ill., and a two-time NCAA All-American wrestler at Eastern Illinois University in Charleston, Ill. He has competed in Mixed Martial Arts events for three years and has fought all the top fighters around the world. Newton won the welterweight title May 4, 2001, at UFC 31: Locked And Loaded at the Trump Taj Mahal in Atlantic City, N. J., with a third-round tap out by choke of Pat Miletich. The pre-med student at York University in Toronto, Canada, did not compete again in the UFC until he met Hughes. Newton is currently the Canadian Pankration Champion and was a three-time Canadian jiu-jitsu champion. He fought and won three fights in the PRIDE organization in Japan and won the Vale Tudo Japan Open in 1997 and 1998. Another key match on the London card pits fast-rising Heavyweight Frank Mir (4-0-0) of Las Vegas, Nev., against veteran Ian Freeman (12-5-0) of Sunderland, England. Mir has had two fights in the UFC and neither lasted longer than a minute. In his debut at UFC 34: High Voltage, he met savvy Brazilian jiu-jitsu veteran Roberto Traven and won with an arm bar in 1:00. Then at UFC 36: Worlds Collide, he met another veteran, Pete Williams. Mir took him out in 46 seconds with an arm bar. Freeman is a powerful puncher who won his last two UFC fights. At UFC 26: Ultimate Field of Dreams June 9, 2000, in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, he defeated Nate Schroeder at 2:13 of the second round by tap out due to knee and elbow strikes. At UFC 27: Ultimate Bad Boyz, September 22, 2000, in New Orleans, La., he defeated Tedd Williams by unanimous decision. Tickets for Brawl At Royal Albert Hall, 100 pounds sterling, 75 pounds sterling and 50 pounds sterling, are on sale now at the Royal Albert Hall box office in London, 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. Brawl At Royal Albert Hall 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 Programmadora LTDA pay-per-view television. It will also be televised on WOWOW-TV in Japan. The fight will be televised at 7 p.m. (BST) on BSkyB in the U.K. and Ireland and on a tape-delayed basis in the other countries. Viewing times will be announced. The suggested retail price in North America is $29.95 and in the U.K., 14 pounds sterling. 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 partnerships with British Sky Broadcasting (BSkyB) in London, England; WOWOW, Inc., in Tokyo, Japan, and Globosat Programmadora LTDA 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, boxing, sumo and others in a quest to become an ultimate fighting champion. |
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Day 2 Gracie Barra Gets Gold! By Eduardo Alonso 
The second and final day of the Brazilian Teams Jiu Jitsu championship promoted by CBJJ delivered some very technical and disputed match-ups, as the rivalry between Gracie Barra and Alliance created a lot of excitement on the crowd when the two top Jiu Jitsu teams decided the heavyweight title among the brown and black belts. This last Sunday, May 19th saw the Middleweight Purple belts from Gracie Barra win the championship closing the last division apart from the Brown and Black belts. However the public on hand for the event was more interested in the brown and black belts fights with some big names like Rodrigo "Comprido" Medeiros, "Pé de Pano", Alexandre "Cafe" Dantas, Fernando "Terere" and Leonardo Vieira trying to crown their teams as champions! 
The first big surprise of the day happened on the Heavyweight semi-final, when Rodrigo "Comprido" Medeiros lost his fight to Roberto Tozzi from Ac. Godoi by advantage [Comprido vs. Tozzi is pictured at right]. Rodrigo couldn't get his game going and Tozzi fought with a smart strategy to get the win. However Alliance would advance to the finals anyway to face Gracie Barra in a very awaited meeting! Another surprise was Jorge Macaco Patino being submitted by armbar from the guard in his first and only fight of the day. Macaco helped a lot in the organization of the event, and he clearly didn't have the time to prepare properly to fight, and ended up being surprised. The highlight of the night was without a doubt the Heavyweight finals between Barra Gracie and Alliance, with the crowd going wild and the supporters from both teams screaming all fights long. Gracie Barra started the best of five series with UFC veteran Alexandre "Cafe" Dantas wining his fight by armbar in impressive fashion. Then Fernando "Terere" gave Alliance its only point wining an exciting match against a very game opponent. However, on the third fight, "P´ de Pano" managed to escape several leg locks attempts by his opponent and scored the second point for Gracie Barra, giving them the lead! The fourth match put 18-year-old brown belt Roger Gracie to face Alliance's black belt Demian. [Roger is on top of Demian in the photo at the top of the article] Alliance hoped for a win so Rodrigo Medeiros could take home the title in the final match, however this wasn't the young Gracie's plans as he surprised the Alliance black belt in the best fight of the night passing his guard and mounting him near the end of the fight and taking home the win for Gracie Barra, and therefore the championship! Rodrigo "Comprido" didn't even have the chance to fight and Ryan Gracie and the Barra supporters went crazy with the title, as Gracie Barra was the biggest winner all competition long.
Here are the final results for day two:Purple Belt Middleweight: Champion: Gracie Barra; 2nd Place: Ac. Integração Brown and Black Belt Lightweight: Champion: Gracie Barra/BH; 2nd Place: Gracie Barra Brown and Black Belt Heavyweight: Champion : Gracie Barra; 2nd Place: Alliance Overall: Juvenile: Champion: Gracie Barra; 2nd Place: Gracie Recreio Women: Champion : Ac. Equilibrio; 2nd Place: Alliance Men: Champion: Gracie Barra 2nd Place: Gracie Barra/BH 3rd Place: Ac Equilibrio |
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Blaisdell Arena, Honolulu, Hawaii Held May 18, 2002 By Chris Onzuka 
UFC Veteran, Todd Medina held his first MMA event in Hawaii and it was very good. The production went smooth even with the light show, DJ, video screen and introduction video and they even shipped in a cage, not to mention the ring girls. The only thing that I could say bad about this event was that the cage was very small. It was about 5 feet high and seemed very narrow. However, like rats becoming aggressive when kept in tight quarters, it seemed to work for the fighters too. Fight teams both here in Hawaii and elsewhere were well represented: Todd Medina's Medina's Freestyle, Millennium Jiu-Jitsu and Grappling Unlimited, who went undefeated, and 808 Fight Factory and their related groups. Most of the matches fought were wars, where each fighter had to give everything they had and then some to pull out the "W." A very impressive debut for Todd Medina as a promoter and for his event.Under card: Jason Bruddick (Millennium Jiu-Jitsu, 5'11", 165lbs, (3-4)) def. Brennan Kamaka (Gamebred) TKO via injury or referee stoppage due to strikes at 1:09 into round 1. Nassor Lewis (808 Fight Factory, 5'7", 175lbs (3-2)) def. Jay R. Palmer (Universal Roughhousing, 5'8", 175LBS, (25-10)) Submission via arm bar from the cross position at 1:30 into round 2. Tripson Kerisiano (808 Fight Factory, 5'6", 175lbs, (2-1)) def. Harris Sariento (Koden Kan, 5'7", 175lbs, (1-1)) Unanimous decision after 2 rounds. Fred George (Team Villain, 6'0", 216lbs, (1-0)) def. Asrian Perez (Team Rhino, 6'1", 235lbs, (2-3)) TKO via referee stoppage due to strikes at 54 into round 1. Jeff Newton (1-0) def. Jason McCormick (HMC, 6'1", 200lbs, (1-1)) TKO via doctor stoppage due to cut over McCormick's eye in round 2. Adam Lynn (Next Generation, 5'7", 155lbs, (2-1)) def. Deshaun Johnson (HMC, 5'11", 165lbs, (1-2)) TKO via referee stoppage due to strikes from the mount at 2:34 into round 2. Jeremy Williams (Next Generation, 6'3", 165lbs, (7-2)) def. Shannon "The Cannon" Ritch (Buell Fighting Systems, 5'11", 175lbs, (82-16)) Verbal submission due to strikes from the mount at 3:00 into round 1. Main Events: Niko Vitale (Grappling Unlimited, 6'1", 195lbs, (7-2)) def. Charlie West (Millennia Martial Arts, 6'0", 200lbs, (2-1)) Submission via toe hold at 1:15 into round 2. Jamal Perkins (808 Fight Factory, 5'6", 155lbs, (3-0)) vs. Juan Ayala (Medina Freestyle, 5'6", 154lbs, (5-0)) Unanimous decision after 2 rounds. Wesley "Cabbage" Correira (Grappling Unlimited, 6'2", 265lbs, (16-3)) def. Kauai "The Hawaiian Assassin" Kupihea (Team BRAUSA, 6'2", 260lbs, (18-6)) TKO via referee stoppage due to strikes from the mount at 2:53 into round 2. |
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From the GQ promoter Brian Cimins: The Grapplers Quest and Brazilian Jiu Jitsu Community will be hosting The Copa Atlantica Brazilian Jiu Jitsu Championships, Saturday and Sunday, June 8-9, 2002. The event promoter, Brian Cimins (http://www.Grapplers.com), and The New Jersey FoodBank (http://www.NJFoodbank.org) have developed a unique food donation program for the upcoming martial arts event. Discounts for the event will be $10 off for competitors and $5 off for Spectators. To qualify for the discount in admission to the event, all you need to do is bring in 2 or more non-perishable canned goods to the event. Examples of non-perishable canned goods are Canned Fish (Tuna, Sardines), Canned Meat (Spam, Vienna Sausage), Canned Corned Beef Hash, Canned Soups (Chicken Noodle), Pork & Beans, Canned Spaghetti, Chili, Canned Vegetables, Canned Fruits, Peanut Butter, Bags of Rice. Any assistance in helping The Grapplers Quest and New Jersey FoodBank "grapple" hunger would be greatly appreciated. Event Information: 2002 Copa Atlantica Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Championships Date: Saturday and Sunday, June 8th and June 9th, 2002 Where: Marist High School Gym - 1241 Kennedy Blvd., Bayonne, NJ 07002 Weigh-ins: 8:00 AM, Children's Divisions Start at 10:00 AM Saturday, June 8th - All Divisions, except Absolute Divisions Sunday, June 9th - All Absolute Divisions for the Copa Atlantica Gold Cups Children and Women Regular Division Pre-Registration: $40 Men's Regular Division Pre-Registration: $50 Men's Pre-Registration for Regular Division plus Absolute Division: $75 Bring 2 or more Non-Perishable Canned Food items and receive a $10 discount off competitor fees at-the-door. Compete for the Copa Atlantica Gold Cups in the Absolute Divisions on Sunday Pre-Purchase Tickets: $10 (each day) Bring 2 or more Non-Perishable Canned Food items and receive a $5 discount off spectator admission at-the-door. Download an event package now: http://www.grapplers.com/article_images/copa.doc Visit the official Web Site at: http://www.Grapplers.com |
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By Roberto Martinez Reno's Silver Legacy Resort & Casino hosted King of the Cage REVOLUTION on Friday May 17, 2002. King of the Cage is the second major MMA organziation to air a pay-per-view since the Nevada State Athletic Commission legalized the sport in the state. The KOTC broadcast was available to a world wide audience in the US, Brazil, Israel, Canada, France, and New Zealand. The Silver Legacy oversold the event and an estimated 3,650 fans packed into the City Center Pavilion to watch nine MMA bouts. Promoter Terry Trebilcock couldn't have been happier with the production of REVOLUTION. Apparently, the Silver Legacy cannot wait until KOTC returns to Reno.
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| Tuesday - May 21, 2002 |
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By Eduardo Alonso The Brazilian city of Curitiba, known for producing NHB champions like Wanderlei Silva and Pele Landi, is a true "Muay Thai fighter factory." Wiith academies such as Chute Boxe, among others, always producing tough Muay Thai fighters (as proved by Chute Boxe's own Nilson de Castro in his K-1 debut), Curitiba has been establishing itself as the Muay Thai capital in Brazil, and once again will hold Brazil's biggest Muay Thai event, the Storm Muay Thai World. The Fifth edition of STORM will take place on Saturday, May 25th at "Opera de Arame." This will be the first time a fighting event will be held in this Curitiba landmark. The place is truly beatiful, and promises to add a special feeling to this exciting fighting night. Among the surprises planned for the event is the presence as a guest of Master Nelio Naja, the man who brought Muay Thai to Brazil and taught Rudimar Fedrigo himself! He was disapeared for a while, but now he was found and will receive and tribute at the event like he deserves. Additionally, STORM will also feature a tribute to Nilson de Castro, due to his win at K-1 in Japan, showing video of his fight to the audience. Wanderlei Silva and Pele Landi will be among the referees for the event that will have 13 fights on the card, including the participation of some STORM veterans such as Fabio Pelezinho, who won fights in the first and third editions of the event, and Fabio Tigrao who already won three fights at STORM. The event also will feature some NHB veterans on the card, like Gildo Lima and Osmar Dias. Some of the fights will have 3 rounds of 3 minutes each, and the most important fights of the night will feature 5 rounds of 3 minutes each. This is the biggest card in STORM's history so far, and promises to deliver an action-packed Muay Thai night of fights for the fighting fans of Curitiba. Here's the card:
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| Wednesday - May 22, 2002 |
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In the May 2002 issue of FCF...| Friday - May 24, 2002 |
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From Josh Hedges/Zuffa: LAS VEGAS, NEV., May 23, 2002... Undefeated British Middleweight Mark Weir of Gloucester, England, will put his 16-0-0 Mixed Martial Arts record on the line when he meets Eugene "The Wolf" Jackson (11-4-0) of East Palo Alto, Calif., in one of the feature fights in the Ultimate Fighting Championship's (UFC) Brawl At Royal Albert Hall, Saturday, July 13, at Royal Albert Hall in London, England. Light Heavyweight Elvis Sinosic (4-5-1) of Sydney, Austrailia, will meet Renato "Babalu" Sobral da Cunha (9-1-0) of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, in another feature on the eight-fight card. The main event will be the long awaited re-match for the UFC welterweight championship. Champion Matt Hughes (26-3-0) of Hillsboro, Ill., will defend his belt against former champion Carlos Newton (10-5-0) of Newmarket, Ontario, Canada. A heavyweight showdown between undefeated Frank Mir (4-0-0) of Las Vegas, Nev., and Ian Freeman (12-5-0) of Sunderland, England, also promises to be an action-packed bout. The four remaining fights will be announced. Weir, one of the U.K.'s top ranked mixed martial arts fighters, is renowned for his speed and ability to adapt to almost any style of fighting. He has won U.K. and European championships in tae kwon do, thai boxing, kick boxing and grapple and strike and is the most dangerous when he has the opportunity to combine styles. In 2001, he won four championships as a light heavyweight, Millenium Brawl IV, where he defeated PRIDE fighter Shannon "The Cannon" Rich; Millenium Brawl III, where he defeated UFC fighter C. J. Fernandes; Grapple & Strike III, a victory over Paul "Stone Monkey" Jenkins, and Grapple & Strike Switzerland, where he defeated Conez Christoph. Jackson is a UFC veteran known for his strength and punching power. He has knocked out some of the world's top ranked fighters, including Royce Alger at UFC 21: Return of the Champions, July 16, 1999, in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, and Kei Yamamiya at UFC 23: Ultimate Japan 2, November 19, 1999, in Tokyo. In his last UFC fight, Jackson defeated Keith Rockel January 11 by tapout choke at 3:46 of the second round at UFC: Throw Down at the Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Conn. Sinosic is a former Australian Vale Tudo Open Champion and Pan Pacific Heavyweight Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Champion. The Canberra, Australia, native made his UFC debut February 23, 2001, at UFC 30: The Battle On The Boardwalk in Atlantic City, N.J., where he met highly-ranked Jeremy Horn. Sinosic dispatched Horn quickly with an armbar tapout in the first round. On March 22 at UFC: Worlds Collide in Las Vegas, Sinosic took on Evan Tanner of Gresham, Ore. At 2:06 of the first round, Sinosic suffered a cut and doctors stopped the fight. Sobral da Cunha, "Babalu," has won Brazilian national championships in both kickboxing and wrestling. He made his UFC debut November 17, 2000, at UFC 28: High Stakes in Atlantic City, N.J., where he won a unanimous decision over Maurice Smith. In his most recent UFC fight, he took on highly-ranked Light Heavyweight Kevin Randleman January 11 at UFC: Throw Down at the Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Conn. After three tough rounds, Randleman won a unanimous decision giving Sobral da Cunha his only career loss. Hughes captured the welterweight crown November 2, 2001, at UFC 34: High Voltage at the MGM Grand Garden in Las Vegas with a controversial knockout of Newton. Hughes picked him up as he was attempting a triangle choke and slammed him to the mat. The force knocked out Newton just as Hughes went unconscious from the choke. Referee John McCarthy separated the fighters and awarded the victory to Hughes. Many thought Newton won. Mir has had two UFC fights and neither lasted longer than a minute. In his debut at UFC 34: High Voltage, he met savvy Brazilian jiu-jitsu veteran Roberto Traven and won with an arm bar at 1:00. Then at UFC 36: Worlds Collide, he met another veteran, Pete Williams. Mir took him out in 46 seconds with a shoulder lock. Freeman is a powerful puncher who won his last two UFC fights. At UFC 26: Ultimate Field of Dreams June 9, 2000, in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, he defeated Nate Schroeder at 2:13 of the second round by tap out due to knee and elbow strikes. At UFC 27: Ultimate Bad Boyz, September 22, 2000, in New Orleans, La., he defeated Tedd Williams by unanimous decision. Tickets for Brawl At Royal Albert Hall, 100 pounds sterling, 75 pounds sterling and 50 pounds sterling, are now on sale at the Royal Albert Hall box office in London, 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. Brawl At Royal Albert Hall 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 Programmadora LTDA pay-per-view television. It will also be televised on WOWOW-TV in Japan. The fight will be televised live at 7 p.m. (BST) on BSkyB in the U.K. and Ireland and on a tape-delayed basis in the other countries. Viewing times will be announced. The suggested retail price in North America is $29.95 and in the U.K., 14 pounds sterling. 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 partnerships with British Sky Broadcasting (BSkyB) in London, England; WOWOW, Inc. in Tokyo, Japan, and Globosat Programmadora LTDA in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. The UFC is a sport that brings together the world's most talented mixed martial arts athletes from disciplines such as karate, jiu-jitsu, kickboxing, wrestling, boxing, sumo and others in a quest to become an ultimate fighting champion.  UFC 38 Corner-man Contest For the past two events, the UFC has offered one lucky fan the opportunity to be in the corner of his or her favorite fighter at a UFC. When the UFC invades the UK on July 13th, another fan will have the opportunity of a lifetime. From May 23rd through June 25th, fans can enter the UFC 38 Corner-man Contest at www.ufc.tv. The grand prize winner will be in the corner of the fighter of his or her choice at UFC 38 in England. Imagine being backstage helping your favorite fighter warm-up. Imagine walking down to the Octagon behind him. Imagine being able to help coach your fighter to victory. This will all come true for one UFC fan. The Grand Prize winner will receive round trip transportation from their hometown to London, England on Thursday, Friday July 12, 2002 through Sunday, July 14, 2002. Hotel accommodations will be arranged and meals will be provided on a per diem basis. All ground transportation to and from the airport, event and hotel will be arranged and corner credentials will be provided. Other contest prizes include autographed merchandise, pay per view vouchers, and merchandise packages. |
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From the event's promoter: INTERNATIONAL FIGHTING CHAMPIONSHIPS WARRIOR'S CHALLENGE IFC FIGHTING CALIFORNIA IFC ANNOUNCES SHOWS AT EAGLE MTN. CASINO IFC WARRIOR'S CHALLENGE POSTPONED The IFC WARRIOR'S CHALLENGE scheduled for this Wednesday, May 22 at Eagle Mountain Bingo and Casino in Porterville, CA has been postponed until July 12 at the request of Eagle Mountain. Construction and technical delays along with weather concerns were cited as the reason. According to IFC Commissioner Paul Smith, "This is the first event of this nature at Eagle Mountain and they really want to do it right. Their outdoor arena isn't quite ready to go yet. Of course we are disappointed by the delay, but we know that this will be a much better facility now. The fighters and fans will not be disappointed." According to Smith the anticipated card featuring K-1 Veteran Carter Williams, Gary Marshall, Chris Lytle, Steve Heath, Jake Shields, Robert Ferguson and many more should remain intact and in fact some additional fights will now be added. Tickets for the rescheduled event will go on sale on today. All tickets already sold for the May 22nd show will be honored too. Call Eagle Mtn. Casino at 1-800-903-3353 for more information. |
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Blaisdell Arena, Honolulu, Hawaii May 23, 2002 By Chris Onzuka - Chris@Onzuka.com The second AFC promised more action than your average event due to the rules, if for nothing else. The AFC is basically a modified Toughman contest. The fights were 3 - 1 minute rounds with an added twist of allowing one take down per round. As with all boxing related events that involve amateurs, leather was flying, often times right past their intended targets. It was obvious that two fighters from each division would be meeting in the finals after their first fight was over. In the under 200lbs division, P. J. Dean put on a fine display of the sweet science, getting off the better punches much faster than his opponents. On the other side of the bracket was Clyde Paling, brother of ranked Shooto fighter, Stephen "Bozo" Paling. Clyde showed incredible marksmanship as he threw a high percentage of quality punches that hit their targets. In the over 200lbs bracket, the biggest man in the event, Kaleo Westbrook, son of a famous local boxer and gym, steamrollered over his opponents on route to the finals. While one of the lightest fighters in the over 200lbs division, Shiloh Ho, showed that true grit coupled with conditioning and nice inside combo's can over come size. You could not ask for better matches the finals of each division. Dean and Paling were slipping, ducking and landing everything in their arsenal in every round, with Dean squeaking out a victory over Paling by stunning Paling for a second late in the final round. Ho tried to use the strategy of keeping the pressure on Westbrook in order to smother his power. It seemed to be working for a little while until Westbrook started slipping in some punches and then started landing more of them, fully utilizing his approximately 50lbs weight advantage on his way to a TKO victory. Ray and Monica Cooper, along with their family, put on a great show with lots of action, unfortunately, not very much Hawaii fans came out to see it. However, the fans that did were not sitting down during the two final matches. Under 200lbs 8-man Tournament: Jason Verdadero def. Louis Kuamo'o Decision after 3 rounds. Over 200lbs 8-man Tournament: Wayne "Cowboy" Ham def. Lavelle Brown Decision after 3 rounds. Under 200lbs 8-man Tournament: Clyde Paling def. Eddie Ohia Decision after 3 rounds. Over 200lbs 8-man Tournament: Shilo Ho def. John Vistante TKO via referee stoppage (fighter not adequately protecting himself.) in round 2. Under 200lbs 8-man Tournament Alternate: Michael Stone def. Jake Hanawahine Decision after 3 rounds. Over 200lbs 8-man Tournament: Kaleo Westbrook def. George St. Germaine TKO via referee stoppage at 39 seconds in round 2. Under 200lbs 8-man Tournament: P.J. Dean def. Eddie Pagelsdorf TKO via referee stoppage at 59 seconds in round 2. Over 200lbs 8-man Tournament: Christopher Kaawa def. Samson Taito TKO via referee stoppage at the end of round 1. Under 200lbs 8-man Tournament: James Romano def. "Bam Bam" Kaaikamanu Decision after 3 rounds. Semi-Finals: Under 200lbs 8-man Tournament: P.J. Dean def. Jason Verdadero TKO via referee stoppage at 59 seconds in round 2. Over 200lbs 8-man Tournament: Kaleo Westbrook def. Wayne "Cowboy" Ham TKO via corner throws in the towel at the end of round 1. Under 200lbs 8-man Tournament: Clyde Paling def. James Romano Decision after 3 rounds. Over 200lbs 8-man Tournament: Shilo Ho def. Christopher Kaawa TKO via referee stoppage in round 3. Finals: Under 200lbs 8-man Tournament: P.J. Dean def. Clyde Paling Decision after 3 rounds. Over 200lbs 8-man Tournament: Kaleo Westbrook def. Shilo Ho TKO via referee stoppage at 54 seconds in round 2. |
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From Koichi "Booker K" Kawasaki: DSE/PRIDE announced two matchups for PRIDE.21 on June 23rd as follows:
DATE: June 23rd, 2002 OPEN: 2:00 PM START 4:00 PM PLACE: Saitama Super Arena (Saitama-Pref, Japan) |
From the event's promoter:
Here's the Full Results of "Quest Combat Challenge" held May 18th in Missoula, Montana.-UFC heavyweight champion Josh Barnett acted as guest referee and cornered the White Buffalo Warriors team. The event was featured on local news station KECI, and the story showed the sport in an extremely positive light, featuring commentary and instructional segment. Light wt: Matt Lawlor (Pain Cave) wins over Ricky Tobin (Siahoka) pulling a "no show" Lightwt.: Trapper Stehlik(Rocky Mountain Vale Tudo) Defeated Aaron Nixon(self-trained). By Triangle Choke Round 1. Welterweight: Brandon Olsen(Pain Cave) Defeated John Anderson(team Neff) by Rear Naked Choke and Kevin Adams(Team Neff) by strikes on the ground. Lt. HWT: Judge Diesel(white buffalo warriors) Defeated Matt Myers(team Neff)by armbar. Lt. HWT: Dan Ethell(Team Neff)defeated Kyle Carlson(Winchester Posse) by Choke in the 2nd round after taking a pounding in Rd 1 HWT: Will "BIG Medicine" Hammond(White Buffalo Warriors) Defeated Jake Sligar(winchester posse)by referee stoppage due to strikes. |
| Saturday - May 25, 2002 |
Yesterday, May 24th, at the Caravelle Palace Hotel in Curitiba, the rules meeting was held for the fifth edition of the biggest Muay Thai event in Brazil. Organized by Chute Boxe coach Rudimar Fedrigo, the event is drawing the attention of the whole fighting community in Brazil, and, as always, all the stars from the Chute Boxe team were on hand for the rules meeting. 
From PRIDE Superstar Wanderlei Silva, to K-1's newest sensation Nilson de Castro, all the fighters from the Chute Boxe team were happy to attend the event that wasn't only an ordinary rules meeting but a State of Parana Muay Thai Federation official event. Rudimar Fedrigo was the founder and president of the federation for several years, and after leaving his position, he passed the torch to his long time friend and student Rafael Cordeiro, in an important ceremony for the Muay Thai community in Brazil. Another important presence at the rules meeting was Master Nelio Naja, the man who brought Muay Thai to Brazil and taught Rudimar the art of Thai boxing. After the official ceremony and some speeches, the rules meeting took place with no complaints or doubts from the competitors. Some of the fights will have 3 rounds of 3 minutes each, and the more important fights will be 5 rounds of 3 minutes each. The highlight of the night was the production level of the rules meeting, with every single fighter being introduced with music playing and videos showing fights all over the screens. This type of production has never seen before at a Muay Thai event in Brazil, and shows how serious the organizers are taking their jobs.
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| Tuesday - May 28, 2002 |
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Becomes Submission Exhibition By Joe Hall Photography by Keith Mills EVANSVILLE, Ind. -- It was a great night to introduce a new spectator to the art of groundfighting. Six of the eight HOOKnSHOOT "Relentless" bouts ended in submissions, including two armbars, a kneebar, a rear naked choke, a side choke, and a guillotine choke. Saturday was also a terrible evening to be from the Japanese Paraestra team, which was winless in three bouts: Shiko Yamashita drew with freelance fighter Scott Henze; Takumi Nakayama was destroyed by Nova Uniao's Vitor "Shaolin" Ribeiro; and Yohei Suzuki was steamrolled by Hermes Franca of the American Top Team. 
In the main event, local favorite Scott Henze and middleweight counterpart Shiko Yamashita enlivened the crowd for three hard-fought rounds. The opening five minutes started slowly as both fighters cautiously maneuvered on the ground. Yamashita looked to take Henze's back early, but found little offense. Likewise, Henze could not inflict any damage in Yamashita's half guard. Reversals filled the second round, which began with Yamashita tripping Henze to the mat. The Japanese fighter then passed to the side mount, though Henze escaped after giving his back. Henze punched from the top only momentarily before Yamashita executed an elevator sweep. Following Yamashita's advance back to the side mount, Henze pulled off yet another reversal and resumed punching. The final round belonged to Yamashita. After missing an armbar because he was too close to the corner, Yamashita used another elevator sweep to reverse Henze. He then passed his opponent's half guard and moved to the mount. As time dwindled, Yamashita unloaded from his superior position to the dismay of the Evansville audience. Henze rolled to his stomach to avoid the barrage of punches, but Yamashita wisely wrapped his hooks around Henze, flattened him out, and tagged the Indiana native until time expired. The bout fell to the judges, whose cards declared a majority draw. The first two rounds were tough to call on initial viewing, although many in attendance felt the third round should have cinched the victory for Yamashita. There was no doubt that Travis Lutter is a wizard in submission competition, but the question surfacing prior to the HOOKnSHOOT light heavyweight title match concerned Lutter's MMA skills. Specifically, how would he fair on his feet? He did just fine. After weathering an opening onslaught by AMC Pankration's Chris Munsen, Lutter shocked and staggered his adversary with a powerful right hand. Munsen wobbled, and Lutter immediately slapped on a rear naked choke. Turning blue, Munsen tried to escape, but the effort was futile against such a seasoned grappler. The impressive victory begins Lutter's reign as HOOKnSHOOT light heavyweight champion. 
Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt Vitor "Shaolin" Ribeiro simply walked through his tough Japanese opponent, Takumi Nakayama. The lightweight fight began with Nakayama throwing a punch, but by the time it was extended, Ribeiro was already underneath him. After completing the takedown, Ribeiro began to pass Nakayama's half guard. Catching a side choke, Ribeiro choked his foe all but unconscious while still in the position. As soon as he completed the pass, Nakayama slumped asleep, and Ribeiro stood untouched.American Top Team brought an intimidating contingent to support team members Dustin Denes (light heavyweight) and Hermes Franca (lightweight). Both fighters delivered victories; from his back, Denes submitted Tom Jones with an armbar, and Franca dominated Yohei Suzuki with a flurry of punches followed by a guillotine choke. In bantamweight action, Ryan Ackerman battled Mike Cardoso to a majority draw. Also at 135 pounds, Travis Phippen quickly defeated Dan Swift by pulling guard and spinning into an armbar. The first fight of the night set the tone for the series of submissions that would follow as John Renken, who appeared to be headed for a decision loss, tapped Keith Wisniewski with a kneebar late in the final round of a middleweight match.
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This past Saturday, May 25th, the city of Curitiba probably witnessed the biggest Muay Thai event ever realized in Brazil, in one of the most beautiful places ever to hold a fight. The arena in the "Opera de Arame" -- one of the city's most important landmarks -- is surrounded by glass so everybody in the dome can see the sky from inside the building. Not only that, but the arena is located in the middle of a small forest, creating a spectacular scenario for the fight night. The event started with fireworks and, needless to say, the crowd was packed. Despite some last minute problems that caused some changes in the card, STORM showcased several young and promising Muay Thai fighters from Brazil, facing some experienced veterans and one would have a hard time to find a boring match this night. Most of the fighters were looking for knockouts from start to finish, and the result was clear in the end with only 3 of 14 fights going the distance.Anderson Silva student and Chute Boxe future star Zanon "Pitbull" [pictured below in the corner with coach Anderon Silva, punching Thiago & celebrating his victory] once again delivered in furious fashion and got the win after the referee was forced to stop the fight, due to the considerable amount of blood coming out of Thiago's nose after "Pitbull" hit him with several punches. "Pitbull" is a 16-year-old kid that looks like a 12-year-old, but despite his apparent fragile physic he is a small version of the "Axe Murderer" and never stops going after his opponent! The Chute Boxe team believes he will be their star of the future and the kid is already training some NHB. 
Gildo was the heavy favorite, but got surprised by a huge punch and was knocked out on the spot. Another Chute Boxe fighter who is willing to do NHB very soon, Marlon Matias was very impressive in his win by knockout. He showed great composure and never rushed anything in the ring, yet he was aggressive during the whole fight. The crowd was screaming for him during the fight, showing he is already making a name for himself in Curitiba and he didn't disappoint his supporters, scoring a knockout in the first round. MECA seems like the next step for him. The last fight of the night was also a highlight, with lots of tension between the fighters and even the referee, Vanderlei Silva! Ednei is a veteran Muay Thai fighter and teacher from Curitiba, and he was fighting a war against Zeli Ferreira from Sao Paulo. Both fighters were having their moments in the fight, and Zeli's antics were annoying the crowd and even Vanderlei, who thought Zeli was breaking the rules on purpose. Surprisingly, when Ednei seemed to gain control of the fight and was about to score a knockout, there came a punch out of nowhere by Ferreira, and it was lights-out for Ednei. Another impressive knockout to end a night full of KO's! Check out FCF's next issue for a complete report of the 5th edition of STORM Muay Thai in Curitiba.Here are the complete results of the event:
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From Koichi "Booker K" Kawasaki: K-1 WORLD GP 2002 IN PARIS K-1 WORLD GP 2002 Date: Saturday, May 25th 2002 /Starts 20:00 Place: Palais Omnisports de Paris-Bercy Mark Hunt (New Zealand) vs. Jerome Le Banner (France) WINNER: Jerome Le Banner (TKO, 2R towel thrown in) Ernesto Hoost(Holland) vs. Stefan Leko (Germany) WINNER: Ernesto Hoost (KO, 1R 1:41) Alexey Ignashov (Belarus) vs. Bjorn Bregy (Switzerland) WINNER: Alexey Ignashov (3-0 Decision, 5R) Remy Bonjasky (Holland) vs. Petar Majstorovic (Switzerland) WINNER: Remy Bonjasky (KO, 3R 2:05) Tony Gregory (France) vs. Azem Maksutaj (Switzerland) WINNER: Tony Gregory (2-0 Decision, 5R) Cyril Abidi (France) vs. Nick Marray (England) WINNER: Cyril Abidi (TKO, 1R 2:05) K-1 SURVIVAL 2002 in Toyama, Japan Ebenzer Fontes Braga is out of next K-1 Japan due to injury. Sergei Gur (SWA/Belarus and K-1) will fight Nicholas Pettas. *Sergei is winner of K-1 World GP 2001 Regional Tournament in Italy. K-1 JAPAN Series K-1 SURVIVAL 2002 Date: Sunday, June 2nd 2002 Place: Toyama General Gym Different School Match 1st Tsuyoshi Nakasako (ZEBRA244/Japan) vs. Bob Zapp (Maurice Smith's Kickboxing Center/USA) Different School Match 2nd Hiromi Amada (Japan) vs. Chalid "Di Faust" (Golden Glory/German) Different School Match 3rd Ray Sefo (New Zealand) vs. Julio Cesar Santana (Chute Boxe /Brazil) Different School Match 4th Peter Aerts (Mejiro Gym/Holland) vs. Kirsanov Andrei (SWA /Russia) Different School Match 5th Nicholas Pettas (Kyokushin Kaikan Denmark) vs. Sergei Gur (SWA/Belarus) K-1 Japan Series 1st Nobu Hayashi (Chakuriki/Japan) vs. Hajime moriguchi (TEAM TBC/Japan) K-1 Japan Series 2nd Tatsufumi Tomihira (Japan/SQUARE) vs. Great Kusatsu (Japan/Team Andy) |
| Wednesday - May 29, 2002 |
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with Steve Berger By Jim Genia 
Though UFC 37's "High Impact" show was a success, controversy did rear its ugly head -- this time taking the form of a questionably premature stoppage in the match pitting UFC veteran Steve Berger against newcomer Benji Radach. Berger found himself on the wrong end of Radach's powerful right hand, and the ensuing scramble had the veteran working a submission attempt as the rookie held the fence and rained down blows. Referee Mason White called a halt to the bout at just 27 seconds of the first round. Though White was well within his power to stop the fight due to safety concerns, he admittedly missed the fence holding -- a move that was illegal, and most likely affected the outcome of the match.I caught up with Berger at the Ring of Fury show in Massachusetts, where he was cornering teammate Todd Fox. Always friendly and personable, Berger was eager to answer a few quick questions concerning the Radach fight and where we might see him next. FCF: How are you feeling? SB: Pretty good. Doing all right now. Ready to fight. FCF: About that stoppage: obviously, you were very upset about it. Tell us your version of what happened. SB: Basically, what everybody saw was I was off to a bad start. He caught me with a good right hand -- he faked a shot and caught me with the right hand. Caught me right on the button. I was stunned for a second, I went down and immediately recovered, and from there I never felt like I was in danger. As a matter of fact, I felt that I had him in danger when they stopped the fight. I was very comfortable on the leg, and I thought I had a potential leglock or anklelock. FCF: Was he hurting you when he was hitting you? SB: No, [they were] just shots to the back of the head. Anybody who's a fighter knows those don't hurt. They really weren't fully extended, and he was clinging to that fence to keep himself up, so there wasn't much power on them. FCF: When you went backstage, what did Joe Silva and Dana White say? SB: Joe and Dana both just came up to me right as I was walking down the Octagon stairs and they apologized for a premature stoppage, and they reassured me that they'd have me back. FCF: You mentioned that your father was sending in the paperwork to contest the outcome of the fight? SB: Yeah, he called Joe [Silva]. No offense to Benji, but I think he just grabbed the fence out of instinct -- I think anyone would've done that -- 'cause he felt he was falling and I was on the leg tight. You know, I'm not a psychic and I don't know whether I would've gotten [the submission] or not, but the fight would've went on. You can't win a fight when you're committing something that's illegal, and I really don't think Benji would even dispute that 'cause he immediately ran over to his corner and was ready to re-fight... I think we were both a little shocked that [the ref] stopped it. FCF: So there's a good chance the fight will be ruled a "no contest"? SB: We talked to the commissioner and he said assuming the tape shows that Benji's holding the fence, which from "go" he is -- as soon as I get the leglock he's holding the fence -- he said that yeah, it would be ruled a no contest. FCF: This was the Louisiana state athletic commissioner? SB: Yeah. The Louisiana state commissioner. FCF: What's next for Steve Berger? SB: Joe Silva called me two days ago and asked me to fight June 22nd on their show. It'll be a war. This is my last weekend of eating the junk food and I got five weeks to train, and I'll hopefully get a chance to show my skills. FCF: Have any words for the fans out there? SB: Hopefully, we'll all get a chance to see me fight. [Laughs] I can't control it whenever the third man in the ring stops it, but hopefully next time around I'll produce a good fight. |
| Thursday - May 30, 2002 |
From Josh Hedges/Zuffa: Belfort to Face Liddell at Bellagio On Saturday, June 22nd, top light heavyweight contenders Vitor Belfort and Chuck Liddell will face off in a battle to decide the number-one contender for the UFC Light Heavyweight Championship. The event will be at the Grand Ballroom in the Bellagio Hotel and Casino on Saturday afternoon. The doors open at noon, and the first fight starts at 1:00 pm. The undercard will feature many rising MMA stars of tomorrow, including several young guns from the exciting UFC 37 card. In the preliminary to the main event, Pat Miletich protégé Robbie Lawler will take on Steve Berger in a welterweight showdown. 20 year old Lawler, the UFC's newest rising star in the welterweight division, put on spectacular show in his UFC debut at UFC 37, winning a standup war that many people believe to be one of the top five fights in UFC history. Also in the welterweight division, Benji Radach will face Nick Serra, the younger brother of lightweight star Matt Serra; and Zack Light will fight Pete Spratt in a battle of newcomers. UFC 14 veteran Tony Fryklund makes his long-awaited return to battle Marco Ruas' nephew Rodrigo Ruas in a middleweight showdown. In the lightweight division, Joao Pierini will fight Josh Thomson. Tickets, priced at $150, $100, $50, and $25, go on sale Friday (May 31st), at the Bellagio ticket office (888-488-7111). Seating will be extremely limited, so don't hesitate. The event will not be televised. |
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From the event's promoter: The Extreme Challenge, one of the nation's longest-running mixed martial arts events, will make its first-ever appearance in Tama, Iowa, on July 27 at the Meskwaki Casino * Hotel. Headlining the event will be big Tim Sylvia of Bettendorf, Iowa, one of the nation's most promising young heavyweights with a record of 14-0. Sylvia, 6-foot-8 and 270 pounds, recently captured the "Return of the Heavyweights" 16-man tournament in Honolulu by knocking out all four opponents. Sylvia's opponent is yet to be determined. The event will feature the return of Tama heavyweight Andre Roberts, a three-time veteran of the Ultimate Fighting Championship. Roberts, 6-2 and 350, will face two-time UFC veteran Zane Frazier, 6-5, 280. Tyrone Roberts, younger brother of Andre and also a UFC veteran, will face Greg Wikan of Buffalo, Minn., in another heavyweight battle. Vern Jefferson, former MMA National Champion, will face an opponent yet to be determined. Besides the pro bouts, Extreme Challenge 48 will serve as an Extreme Trials event, which will bring in top amateur talent from around the nation. Winners at the Trials advance to the MMA Nationals at the end of the year. Weight divisions for the trials are: 150-under, 170-under, 190-under, 210-under and heavyweight. For more information, contact Monte Cox at Fiteiowa@aol.com or 563 332-2075. |
| Friday - May 31, 2002 |
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From Josh Hedges/Zuffa: IN SETTLEMENT WITH SAN JOSE VIDEO GAME COMPANY LAS VEGAS, MAY 30, 2002...Zuffa LLC, the owner of the Ultimate Fighting Championship, today announced it achieved a favorable legal settlement this week with Bam! Entertainment, Inc., a San Jose, Calif.-based video game software company whose "Fire Pro Wrestling" game incorporated certain Ultimate Fighting Championship elements, which Zuffa asserted were infringing on its trademarks. In the settlement agreement, Bam! acknowledged Zuffa's ownership of Ultimate Fighting Championship trademark registrations and applications, including the validity of Zuffa's trademark and trade dress rights in its octagon-shaped fighting ring. Bam! agreed to immediately discontinue depicting in any of its products an octagonal-shaped fighting ring in the video display screen and in its packaging, advertising and web site material. 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 partnerships with British Sky Broadcasting (BSkyB) in London, England; WOWOW, Inc. in Tokyo, Japan, and Globosat Programmadora LTDA in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. It also has a partnership with Crave Entertainment, which creates and markets UFC video games on PlayStation, PlayStation2, X-Box and GameCube in retail outlets and on www.ufcvideogame.com. The Ultimate Fighting Championship is a sports event that brings together the world's most talented mixed martial arts athletes from disciplines such as karate, jiu-jitsu, kickboxing, wrestling, boxing, sumo and others in a quest to become an ultimate fighting champion. For more information, check the web site at www.ufc.tv. |
From the event's promoter: THE WFA "PLAYAS" HAVE ARRIVED... WORLD FIGHTING ALLIANCE ANNOUNCES OFFICIAL LINE-UP FOR JULY 5th LEVEL 2 CARD LAS VEGAS (May 28, 2002) - Kicking off the holiday weekend with a bang, July 5th marks the return of mixed martial arts at its best. The World Fighting Alliance Championships: Level 2 promises to top its predecessor with even more electrifying sights and sounds to rock "The Joint" at the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino. Fans are once again invited to go "where the fight club meets the night club". At the heart of MMA's most unique viewing experience are seven of the sport's most anticipated match-ups, including the WFA's very first title fight of the year. Spanning the globe for MMA's hottest talent, the card boasts the return of a legend, the slick styling of an "international" ladies man and the power of a "hurricane". The Playas are ready to put it all on the line and fans won't have to look to the skies to take in the fireworks. In the main event, sparks will fly in the WFA's first-ever Middleweight Championship. Kickboxer supreme Jermaine "Bamm-Bamm" Andre locks horns with New Mexican scrapper Joey "Poncho" Villasenor. Both men are devastating strikers known for never backing down. Expect a brutal face-off to see who can get the KO first. In the co-main event, the legendary heavyweight brawler Kimo makes his return to the cage after a four year hiatus. Facing him will be the always tough Californian Gladiator Tim Lajcik. Will ring rust and the "Bohemian's" wrestling and boxing prowess be too much for Kimo? The WFA Championships: Level 2 Playas -
Don't miss out on the next level in MMA competition. Tickets go on sale the week of June 3rd and can be purchased through the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino's box office (702-693-5000) and through all Ticketmaster locations (www.ticketmaster.com). Visit the WFA's official web site in the coming days for exclusive interviews and bio information on the entire card (The World Fighting Alliance website). For more event information, please contact Paula Romero, WFA Marketing & Promotions at paularromero@yahoo.com. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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