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  Thursday - August 1, 2002

From the event's promoter:
WORLD EXTREME CAGEFIGHTING
"RUMBLE UNDER THE SUN"
East Coast vs. West Coast

WORLD EXTREME CAGEFIGHTING ARRIVES TO THE EAST COAST

FRANK SHAMROCK REPRESENTS THE WEST COAST IN A RUMBLE WITH EAST COAST NATIVE RICARDO ALMEIDA


Uncasville, CT (AUGUST 1, 2002) - Kicking off the Labor Day Holiday weekend this year, World Extreme Cagefighting (WEC) announced that they have signed "The Fight of The Decade" for their "East Coast Vs. West Coast-Rumble Under The Sun" event to be held at The Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville Connecticut on August 31 at 8:00 p.m.

The WEC is extremely proud to announce that it has signed one of the worlds top submission specialists, Frank Shamrock, to represent the West Coast in an all out battle against the East Coast's Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu technician and Renzo Gracie disciple Ricardo Almeida. These warriors are lethal weapons in their own right and are known for never backing down from a good battle. Expect to see a war for who can make the other succumb to their arsenal of submissions first. This fight has all the makings of a good night of pulse-pounding action that is not to be missed!

Tickets will go on sale this Saturday, August 3rd for the Saturday, August 31st card through www.tickets.com and at the Mohegan Sun Arena box office (1-800-mohegan). Ticket prices range from $25 to $200.

The Mohegan Sun, owned by the Mohegan Tribe, is one of the largest, most spectacular entertainment, gaming, shopping and meeting destinations in the United States. Situated on 240 acres along the Thames River in scenic Southeastern Connecticut, the Mohegan Sun is within easy access of New York, Boston, Hartford and Providence. With its state-of-the-art lighting and sound system, and 10,000 seat capacity, the Mohegan Sun arena is the premier entertainment venue on the East Coast.

The WEC features single elimination matches in which top competitors from all over the world use any and all fighting styles such as boxing, wrestling, kickboxing, karate, jiu-jitsu, judo, tae kwon do, kenpo and more inside a Pentagonal cage. The WEC is the ultimate crossover sport capturing the attention of whole new generations of martial arts fans and yet still it appeals to traditional boxing and wrestling fans. It is truly the best of all worlds.

Stay tuned for the official card line-up, which will be released soon.

For more information on this event, please contact:
Paula Romero prome100@aol.com

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The Brazilian Beat
The second edition of "The Brazilian Beat" was supposed to happen in about a week or so. However, in a month full of action and with lots of things happening on the Brazilian NHB scene I decided to rush things over and present the readers with some very interesting and relevant information about several Brazilian fighters. With several major events happening in the coming weeks -- such as UFO and Shockwave -- all the Brazilian NHB camps are training as hard as ever. With all this activity and new deals being inked all the time, we will continue to do keep an eye on things in the effort to present you with the latest facts and breaking news from Brazil, so enjoy the news as "The Beat" continues in its fast pace at Full Contact Fighter!
  • Pride Heavyweight champion Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira is finally set and ready to fight in UFO on August 8th. After much talk his management confirmed his participation in the new Japanese event since he is allowed to do so by contract. Also, after Minotauro expressed his will to fight at Shockwave if Pride wants him to do so, FCF was informed that the champion's camp is already negotiating a fight between Rodrigo Minotauro and K-1's Mark Hunt! Right now they are negotiating the rules for the fight, which will probably be Pride rules. The fight isn't signed yet, but it's close to being signed.

  • Speaking of Minotauro, he and his twin brother Rogerio Nogueira are leaving for Japan this Thursday. The "Zen Machine" Mario Sperry will be leaving on Friday due to some visa issues. The three of them are in shape and anxious to fight at the Tokyo Dome. Sperry, who is also a manager, will stay a few extra days after his fight to take care of some business in the land of the rising sun.

  • Vitor Belfort is continuing to train hard after his fight against Chuck Liddell. Despite some early rumors of Belfort losing motivation once again, this is not the case as "The Phenom" told FCF he is training very hard at Macaco's academy in Sao Paulo and is probably fighting on the November UFC card, with Evan Tanner being a likely opponent. Belfort, who appeared in some TV shows in Brazil this week, said to Full Contact Fighter that (contrary to Internet rumors) a rematch with Chuck Liddell would be very much welcomed, and he is still very serious about his training and fighting career.

  • Speaking of TV, starting next week Brazil will have its first fighting only channel! "Premier Combate" will be a premium cable channel that will show UFC, Pride, Meca, KOTC, and other NHB events, both old and recent, as well as some boxing matches. The channel, which is a SporTV partner, will also feature special interviews and coverage of fighters training and will begin broadcasting only on Fridays charging a monthly fee to its viewers. Best wishes for the new channel and hopes that more fighting channels will appear all over the world.

  • UFC Middleweight champion Murilo Bustamante will be also leaving for Japan this week to corner his friends and teammates at the UFO event. After this short stay in Japan Murilo will be flying to the USA where he will teach some seminars at the American Top Team academy. Once he returns to Brazil, Bustamante plans to finally be able to define his situation regarding a new contract with the UFC.

  • Speaking of the UFC, Vale Tudo legend and Chute Boxe's eternal star Jose Pele Landi is training hard and told Full Contact Fighter he is very much willing to fight in the UFC! Pele is eager to fight in the Octagon and hopes to be able to do it as soon as possible. Chute Boxe's manager Rudimar Fedrigo also told FCF he will do everything he can to make Pele's wish a reality, as he wants the Chute Boxe team to have a steady and positive relationship with the Ultimate Fighting Championship in the years to come.

  • As the Chute Boxe team never stops working, Pride veteran and Heavyweight contender Assuerio Silva is finally recovering from his knee surgery. Assuerio is doing physiotherapy every day and is already training hard at the Chute Boxe academy. His Muay Thai is getting sharper and he is reported to be weighing 110kg now, with a very low percentage of body fat. Silva is expected to be ready to fight again in two months and will return to Pride as soon as possible, as his goal is to be the Pride Heavyweight Champion, and according to Master Rudimar this is bound to happen in the near future.

  • Another star from Curitiba who is continuing to train hard is Vanderlei Silva. Vanderlei has been sparring a lot and preparing himself for his likely fight at Shockwave, but the deal hasn't been closed yet. During the course of this week his probable opponent changed, however is still very likely that it'll be a K-1 fighter under Pride rules. Vanderlei is eager to fight and expects the deal to be inked by the end of this week. On a side note, Chute Boxe's rising stars Anderson Silva and Murilo "Ninja" Rua are both training hard as always, and they'll be likely both be fighting on Pride's September card against yet to be named opponents.

  • The Jiu-Jitsu community was agitated these past days with two Jiu-Jitsu World Championships going on at once. The Jiu-Jitsu "World Cup", created by Nova Uniao, attracted several top athletes from teams such as the Brazilian Top Team and Alliance with the payment of purses to the fighters, while the traditional "BJJ Worlds" promoted by the Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Confederation and had the presence of Gracie Barra and Gracie Humaita. However one of the biggest attractions at the "BJJ worlds" was the presence, outside of the mats, of Rickson and Renzo Gracie. The Gracie cousins came down to Brazil for the World Championship and the presence of the legendary fighters in Brazil is already a major happening for Jiu-Jitsu practitioners. Rickson plans to return to the NHB ring in 2003.

  Friday - August 2, 2002

From the event's promoter:
BATTLE AT THE BEACH III
(NAGA Submission Tournament)

WHEN: Saturday, Aug 3rd (10 AM TO 6 PM)
WHERE: Wildwood, NJ (Wildwood H.S. Gymnasium)
WHAT: Over 72 Gi & No-Gi (Kids, Teen, Women, Senior & Adult) Divisions
MORE INFO: Kipp Kollar at (860) 632-2753 or Email President@Nagafighter.com
RULES: NO GI: Use standard NAGA Rules, ADULT GI: Use standard BJJ Rules

TROPHIES are BACK - 1ST THRU 4TH PLACE

BATTLE AT THE BEACH III - SUPERFIGHT
JOE D'ARCE (Renzo Gracie) vs. SCOTT SCHULTZ (Tai-Kai)

We have teams from all over the US pre-registered including Oklahoma, North Carolina, etc. Hope you can make the trip to Wildwood this weekend!

From the event's promoter:
UCC Hawaii logo
UCC INVADES
AMERICA'S
PARADISE!

MONTREAL (CANADA) - On September 17th 2002, the Universal Combat Challenge will finally bring its unique brand of intense MMA action south of the Canadian border. Working in conjunction with two of the most recognizable MMA promoters, Monte Cox and T.J. Thompson, the UCC will present Hawaii's most popular talent against some of the UCC's top guns as well as top talent from around the world. "Monte's help since I started in this game is one of the biggest reason the UCC is the fastest growing promotion in MMA today" stated UCC president Stephane Patry, "Having Monte and T.J. to help me on this show is just awesome, I'm thrilled!" added Patry. Athletes from Brazil, France, Canada and the USA will all be at the Blaisdell Arena for the fight of their lives.

The main event will see a first in MAA history as UCC World Super Lightweight champion WAGNNEY FABIANO (1-0, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil) faces #1 contender, BARET "The Finisher" YOSHIDA (3-1, Honolulu, Hawaii) currently ranked #4 in the world. This will see the first time that two Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Black Belts compete for a world title! These elite athletes are regarded as two of the best grapplers out there but at UCC HAWAII we will find out who is the best MMA fighter of the two!

UCC 6 veteran ANTONY REA (1-0, Paris, France) and Team Extreme superstar RICH FRANKLIN (7-0, Cincinnati, Ohio) will put their respective undefeated streaks on the line in a light heavyweight challenge that will be sure to ignite the UCC ring. Rea stunned UCC fans with a brutal KO win over former UCC Canadian Light Heavyweight champion Jeromie Sills and has been training hard for his UCC return ever since. Franklin was victorious in his UCC debut and has his sights set on gaining UCC gold and sees Rea as the next step to his goal.

Former UCC Canadian Light Heavyweight champion JEROMIE SILLS (3-3, Niagara Falls, Canada) will return to action as he faces Hawaii's MMA superstar and Superbrawl standout FALANIKO VITALE (8-1, Honolulu, Hawaii). Known as one of the most dangerous striker in the UCC, Sills brings to the ring incredible strength and accuracy with his fists as well as a solid wrestling background. Vitale is also a gifted young athlete with lightning fast hands and slick ground work that could end any fight in a blink of an eye. These powerhouses are hungry for the KO and always put on a great show for the fans. Look for this bout to be no different.

After two failed attempts to compete for the UCC in Canada, LAVERNE CLARK (10-8, Davenport, Iowa) will FINALLY enter the UCC ranks. Former UCC World Middleweight champion DONALD OUIMET (4-1, Montreal, Canada) will put his 17 plus years of boxing experience against the experienced Clark. Clark's hands are a known factor in the MMA world as is his wrestling abilities while Ouimet brings his stellar fists and BJJ experience with him every time he fights. The fists will fly when these super strikers go toe to toe in this Welterweight ranking bout.

Also in action will be highly ranked UCC warrior IVAN MENJIVAR (6-2, Zavateluca, Salvador) taking on Hawaii's EDDIE YAGIN (6-0, Honolulu, Hawaii). Menjivar proved that he is ready to take on top international talent when he dismantled the experienced Jeff Curran at UCC 10 in Canada. Yagin has been raising a few eyebrows as of late and this is his big chance to show the fight world what he has to offer.

STEPHAN POTVIN (4-3, Montreal, Canada) of 454 Vale Tudo will go to war with Team Extreme's DREW McFEDRIES (1-1, Davenport, Iowa). Potvin shocked the MMA world when he dominated and defeated the highly ranked Joe Doerksen at UCC 6 in what was considered to be a huge upset by insiders. McFedries has built a serious rep in the American Midwest and showed his huge heart in his victorious UCC debut at UCC 10. This will be Drew's biggest test yet as Potvin is a hungry lion looking to regain prominence in the UCC ranks.

Also in action PAIN PETERS (6-2, Brampton, Canada), KERRY SCHALL (7-3, Cincinnati, Ohio), YAN PELLERIN (2-2, Sherbrooke, Canada), RICHARD CHOU (0-1, Honolulu, Hawaii), BRENNAN KAMAKA (1-7, Honolulu, Hawaii) and a fighter to be determined soon.

The Blaisdell arena will see electricity like never before when it houses the Universal Combat Challenge's ERUPTION IN HAWAII. Tickets go on sale soon so don't be left out! This historic event will also be telecast on Pay-Per-View in Canada and some awesome news will come out of the UCC office shortly regarding a Pay-Per-View deal in the United States!

OFFICIAL LINEUP:
UCC Line-up graphic
UCC Line-up graphic
UCC Line-up graphic
UCC Line-up graphic
UCC Line-up graphic
UCC Line-up graphic
UCC Line-up graphic
UCC Line-up graphic
UCC Line-up graphic

  Saturday - August 3, 2002

By Loretta Hunt
For MMA fans, August 4th's UFC Special will be "As Real As It Gets"

With the moniker "As Real As It Gets" below its growingly familiar gold and black logo, the Ultimate Fighting Championship draws one step closer to the prospects of a weekly TV show with tomorrow night's one hour special set to air on the Fox Sports Network.

The two specials, airing Sunday, August 4th and then again on the following Sunday the 11th, will unfold on Fox's regularly scheduled programming Sunday Nights Fights, a slot that up to this point had been mainly reserved for boxing. And just how did mixed martial arts snag this coveted spot from the hands of the rival combat sport? Says White, "Boxing is heading into a bad place right now. Everybody's looking for cool new programming. The UFC's been around forever, but with the way we've been doing things lately, we've created a big buzz, a buzz that's been breaking through to Hollywood. It's our time."

Initially, White admits, the show's producers were a somewhat "standoffish" to America's premiere MMA promotion when it premiered on "The Best Damn Sports Show Period" back in late June, but once the ratings were in, they were singing a different tune. "I don't know the exact number of how many people watched, but it was the second best ratings they ever had." In addition, White says the impression left by those that attended June 22nd's UFC 37.5 live event, undoubtedly tipped the scales. "I don't think that event was at all what they expected. They were really blown away."

As for the specials themselves, White tried to remain somewhat vague on the details to their format. "I really don't want to get too much into it because I don't want to blow it for everybody, but it's fast-paced, it's got a lot of style and it's cool." In addition to what White says will be "three of the sport's most exciting fights," a press release distributed days ago describes "profile features that will introduce UFC fighters to many American sports fans for the first time." Tomorrow night's episode will most likely visit fighter's training camps and observe the training regimens that mixed martial artists must endure- an angle that might entice viewers getting their first glimpse at these modern-day warriors.

As for the prospect of the UFC winning its own weekly time slot with Fox or beyond, White is optimistic. "We've been pitching shows to almost every network Even before the "Best Damn Sports Show Period" aired, we had interest from all the networks." With ratings now and always a factor, White hopes that loyal American MMA fans will come out in droves. "I think it's what all the hard core fans and us [Zuffa] knew it could be. If there was ever a time you wanted to introduce friends and family to the sport, this is it. Please tune in." We, for one, will be watching.

From Josh Hedges/Zuffa:
UFC on Sunday Night Fights
ULTIMATE FIGHTING CHAMPIONSHIP TO TELEVISE 2 SPECIALS ON FOX SPORTS NET SUNDAY NIGHT FIGHTS, AUG. 4, AUG. 11

UFC: As Real As It Gets To Expand on Ratings Success of Best Damned Sports Show Period

      LAS VEGAS, July 31, 2002... Following its recent ratings success on Best Damn Sports Show Period, the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) will return to Fox Sports Net at 6 p.m. (local time), Sunday, Aug. 4 and Aug. 11, with UFC: As Real As It Gets, special one-hour editions of the network's Sunday Night Fights. The shows will offer taped bouts of exciting fight action and profile features that will introduce UFC fighters to many American sports fans for the first time. The UFC is the world's leading mixed martial arts sports event. It brings together the most talented mixed martial arts athletes from disciplines such as karate, jiu-jitsu, kickboxing, wrestling and boxing in a quest to become an ultimate fighting champion.
      Fighters who will appear include Light Heavyweight Champion Tito Ortiz of Huntington Beach, Calif., Welterweight Robbie Lawler of Davenport, Iowa,; Heavyweight Frank Mir of Las Vegas, Nev., Lightweight Matt Serra of Long Island, N.Y., and two former Welterweight champions, Pat Miletich of Davenport, Iowa, and Carlos Newton of Newmarket, Ontario, Canada.
      Fight action will be presented by the voices of UFC events, play-by-play announcer Mike Goldberg, analyst Jeff Osborne and Bruce Buffer, the "Voice of the Octagon."
      UFC bouts, a staple of pay-per-view television, were shown on FOX Sports Net for the first time June 25 and July 19 on Best Damn Sports Show Period. Network executives reported that BDSSP achieved some of its highest ratings when UFC fights were aired.
      "We knew the new UFC was a hot property, we just didn't know how hot," said Dan Harrison, senior v.p., programming and strategic planning for Fox Sports Net.
      "The network's ratings for Best Damn Sports Show Period tell us that American sports fans like our brand of fighting. Now more fans will see how real it is and how talented our athletes are," said Dana White, UFC president.

Dr. Flip Homansky
Dr. Flip Homansky on
the Josh Barnett Hearing

By Joe Hall

Dr. Flip Homansky is one of five Nevada State Athletic Commission members who heard the complaint against Josh Barnett on July 26. He firmly stated his opinion during the hearing on the source of the metabolites found in Barnett's system by saying, "It is my firm conclusion that this gentleman has been taking steroids to gain an unfair advantage." Here are a few of his comments regarding the hearing, with much more to come in the next issue of FCF.

FCF:   Did the hearing go as you expected?
FH:     No, the hearing didn't go as I expected. The hearing was more confrontational than it needed to be, and there was more time spent talking about whether the urine was gathered to the specifications of Mr. Barnett's people rather than to the problems of steroids in our sport and the dangers of Josh taking these drugs.

FCF:   The first issue Matt Hume brought up concerned a prior agreement that he said was made verbally. Was there an agreement? And how close was this matter to being solved before the July 26 hearing?
FH:     We had an agreement with Rick Roufus and we would have had an agreement with Josh Barnett. We were not looking for a confrontation. All we were looking for is an acceptance that there were anabolic steroids in the urine, and that he would get counseling and would never take them again. When Matt speaks of one word being different, it's like saying the only word different was "I did" or "I didn't." It was a critical word.

FCF:   Is it safe to say that if Barnett had made the agreement you described, there would not have been a suspension?
FH:     Yes.

FCF:   When the length of the suspension was being discussed, you said that the Nevada State Athletic Commission had been "enormously disrespected." How so?
FH:     Our only goal is to protect the sport and help the fighters. No one on that commission gets paid. No one enjoyed themselves on that morning of the hearing. We were willing to listen to the arguments of Josh and his camp. The Nevada State Athletic Commission, I believe, is the best boxing commission in the United States. And I also believe the promoters and boxers recognize us in that capacity. This was a situation where a camp totally disregarded the process we were in and felt they could go to the press and possibly intimidate us into doing what they wanted. I can assure you something like that is not going to happen.

FCF:   You amended Dr. Alamo's initial motion by proposing a one-year suspension from the date of Barnett's win over Couture [March 22]. Are you satisfied with the Commission's final decision for a six-month suspension from the date of the hearing [July 26]?
FH:     Very satisfied. What it is is a 10-month suspension from the date of the fight. I think that's very fair. I honestly hope that after the first of the year, a clean Josh Barnett is given another chance to win the heavyweight championship of the world. I mean that.

FCF:   Do you think it would have been better for Barnett to have been represented by an attorney rather than his trainer?
FH:     Josh would have been well represented by himself. Josh could make an elegant case. He should have spoken more during the hearing. The very little he did speak, every commissioner listened to him intently. Josh was his own best witness.

FCF:   Why has the Commission pushed for their suspensions to be honored by other organizations, like events in Japan?
FH:     It's not by events in Japan; it's by anyone else who is a licensee of this commission. It's the same as with a boxer. If we suspend a fighter, we expect every other state in America to suspend him. You can't do that to another country, but let's say a promoter who's licensed here takes a fighter that we feel shouldn't fight and fights him in another country. We would do the same thing. And when we licensed Pride before the Josh Barnett issue, we brought that up with them. When we licensed King of the Cage, we brought that up with them. That's how we function with boxing.

FCF:   Just to clarify, let's say Pride runs a show in Japan. You expect a sanction to be honored there as well, correct?
FH:     If they run a show anywhere in the world, we expect them to abide by our sanctions, not just on Josh but on anyone. And when we originally licensed Pride, we brought the issue up, and they said anyone that was sanctioned by the state of Nevada, they would not use.

FCF:   What would be the Commission's stance if Barnett fought outside of their jurisdiction?
FH:     We would have nothing to say about it.

Matt Hume Discusses Barnett Hearing
By Joe Hall

Josh Barnett and Matt Hume after Barnett's fight with Randy Couture Although it may have at times been detrimental, Matt Hume passionately defended Josh Barnett for over two hours before the Nevada State Athletic Commission on July 26. While a conclusion to the hearing came all too slowly for most involved, Hume would likely still be debating the protocol used to test Barnett, and other issues, if he had been allowed. Here are just a few of his comments concerning the hearing, with much more to come in the next issue of FCF.

FCF:   Did the hearing go as you expected?
MH:     It went as I expected.

FCF:   Early in the hearing, you argued that a prior agreement had already been made. What was the mentioned agreement?
MH:     The agreement was that Josh would provide them with a current clean test and would do a steroid counseling session with Dr. Webber [who runs the drug-testing program for the United States Powerlifting and the International Powerlifting Federations], and that they would not proclaim any guilt upon Josh. And it was to be over; there was to be nothing beyond that hearing.

FCF:   Was that made over the phone or in person? And who was present?
MH:     A hearing by teleconference is what they called it. Josh Barnett, Roy Silbert [United Full Contact Federation President], Dr. Webber and myself were there, and Flip Homansky [NSAC member], Marc Ratner [executive director of the NSAC] and Keith Kizer [Chief Deputy Attorney General who serves as legal counsel to the NSAC] were there.

FCF:   When was it made?
MH:     I don't have the dates in front of me. I would have to look back. It was quite a while back.

FCF:   So they sent you a draft of that proposed agreement, but you didn't accept it?
MH:     It's not that we didn't accept it. We said this isn't what we agreed to. And then we redrafted it and sent it to them. Then they redrafted theirs, and we went back and forth with drafts for a long time with the expectation that we were going to have an agreement based upon what we agreed to in the teleconference.

It was one word that we couldn't agree on. And that word was "knowingly." They wanted Josh to say that he acknowledged their test. However, that acknowledgement did not mean that he knowingly took steroids. That wasn't what we agreed on because that's saying that he could have taken steroids. Our position was that he did not take steroids, not that he had some ninja slip him steroids.

FCF:   Dr. Homansky has confirmed that if an agreement had been met prior to the hearing, it is safe to say there would not have been a suspension. Do you agree with that?
MH:     No. I don't agree with that. If that were the case ... we asked them that. Roy Silbert questioned them. Roy said, "So what if Josh signed this thing that said 'knowingly'? Is that a guarantee that there's going to be no suspension?" They said, "No, there's no guarantee. This has to go before the Commission, and we can't promise what the rest of the Commission is going to do." The fact that they were trying to get us to sign something, and then telling us they couldn't give us any guarantees -- they gave us nothing. They just pulled us to the end, leading us to believe that they were going to make a deal, when I don't think they had any intention of ever making a deal.

FCF:   Why did you choose to represent Josh rather than hire an attorney?
MH:     It was the only thing we could do because they led us to believe we had an agreement. I would not have wanted to represent Josh; I'm not an attorney. Like I said, they led us to believe there was going to be a deal. When it was evident there wasn't, it was only two days before. That's not enough time; that's not enough notification. That's the reason that we didn't have any legal representation, because they didn't give us time.

FCF:   Is it fair, in your opinion, that the NSAC expects their suspensions to be honored by licensees even if the event is outside of Nevada?
MH:     It's fair that they want that. Is it fair that this happened to Josh? No. If they're treating people just, then it's OK for them to want their suspensions honored everywhere. But I don't feel that this was a just suspension.

FCF:   Will Josh look for a fight outside of the Nevada Commission's jurisdiction?
MH:     Right now, we're not sure where he's going to fight. But Josh has to make a living, and we are going to look for fights. We don't know where, though.

Menne Gets Confusing Win at Palladium

Dave Menne in action       LOS ANGELES -- After more than 7 months of inactivity, including 2 months of nursing an injury, former UFC middleweight champion Dave Menne only wanted to return to the ring and shake off the rust.
      Menne got the hard workout he desired, but also found himself in the middle of some wild controversy.
      "This turned out to be a lot of crap... from the beginning to the end," Menne said. "Everything I agreed to a month ago was all of a sudden not good enough for my opponent. The weigh-in was a problem, the weight was a problem, the rounds were a problem, the overtime was a problem. I'm surprised they let me wear the trunks I came out in."
      Robert Ferguson put up a spirited fight in the ring at Ultimate Cage Fighting... an event that features open-hand striking like old Pancrase events. After two rounds, the judges came to the decision it was a draw. According to UCF rules, if the fight is a draw after regulation, a 3-minute overtime is used to decide a winner.
      "After the show had started, I'm told by the promoter (Darin Dotson) that Ferguson isn't happy with Menne weighing in during the afternoon... that he wanted him to weigh in again," said Menne's manager Monte Cox. "He was 189 at noon and felt he was 191 to 193 at the show, so we agreed to weigh again. The scale they had was broken, and then we're told he needed to be at 185 because Ferguson was 175... I said the agreement was for 190 from Day 1.
      "I was told by the promoter that Ferguson may pull out if we didn't agree to drop the fight from 3 rounds to 2 rounds. Reluctantly, we agreed, but I said 'that means an overtime if necessary, right?' and I was assured that it did."
      Obviously, some of the information about the changes never got to ringside. After the second round, a ring girl entered for round 3 and announcer Bruce Buffer announced a third round.
      Informed that it was changed to 2 rounds, Buffer entered the ring and announced the draw.
      "When I heard draw, I went up to the cage and said 'what about the overtime?' Menne was there and also asked for the OT. The brother of the promoter said we can't do the overtime because Ferguson couldn't continue... understandably, I got irate... I said if he can't continue, then he loses... that's how it works. I mean, if he couldn't have continued after the first round, would that be OK? Would we call it a draw?"
      After a brief discussion, Buffer was instructed to announce Menne as the winner.
      "I know Ferguson's camp isn't happy... they say that the promoter told them different things than he told us," Cox said. "Mistakes happen, but they basically said everything was different... weight, weigh-in, rounds, overtime... you can see where we have to be a little skeptical of all of this being the promoter's fault."
      For Menne, the verdict is already behind him. He has a date to fight Phil Baroni in the UFC on Sept. 27. A victory would put him in line for a rematch with Murilo Bustamante for the world title.

  Monday - August 5, 2002

From Zuffa:
UFC 39 graphic
COUTURE, RODRIGUEZ TO CLASH FOR VACANT UFC HEAVYWEIGHT TITLE WHEN THE WARRIORS RETURN, SEPT. 27, ON PAY-PER-VIEW

2 Lightweight Fights at Mohegan Sun Arena
To Set Stage For Future Title Showdown

      LAS VEGAS, August 5, 2002...Two-time Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) Heavyweight Champion Randy Couture (7-3-0 in Mixed Martial Arts) of Gresham, Ore., will clash with top contender Ricco Rodriguez (9-1-0) of Las Vegas, Nev., for the vacant heavyweight title in the main event of UFC 39: The Warriors Return, Friday, September 27, on pay-per-view television from the Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Conn. The UFC is returning to the Mohegan Sun, the site of its January 11 sell-out of UFC 35: Throw Down, its first show this year. (The Mohegan Sun is located off Interstate 395 at exit 79A. It is approximately 21/2 hours driving time from New York; 11/2 hours from Boston and 45 minutes from Hartford and Providence.)
      UFC officials withdrew the heavyweight title from Josh Barnett July 29 following his six-month suspension by the Nevada State Athletic Commission. The NSAC concluded he violated Nevada's unarmed combat laws by having three, separate anabolic agents in his body when he won the crown from Couture March 22 in Las Vegas.
      Two lightweight bouts, between top contenders B.J. Penn (5-1-0) of Hilo, Hawaii, and Matt Serra (11-1-0) of Long Island, N.Y., and Din Thomas (16-2-0) of Orlando, Fla.,versus Caol Uno (12-4-2) of Kanagawa, Japan, will set the stage for the two winners to meet for the vacant lightweight title at a future date.
      Tickets, $200, $100, $60 and $30, will go on sale Wednesday, Aug. 7, at the Mohegan Sun Arena box office, at tickets.com or by calling tickets.com at 1-800-477-6849. The Mohegan Sun box office is located at the Spring Gateway that connects the Casino of the Earth and The Shops.
      UFC 39: The Warriors Return will be available on iN DEMAND, DIRECTV, Dish Network, TVN, Bell ExpressVu and Viewers Choice Canada pay-per-view television. The suggested retail price is $29.95.
      Other bouts on the eight-fight card will include two heavyweight matches, two middleweight bouts and a welterweight showdown. One heavyweight fight will pit veteran Pedro Rizzo (11-3-0) of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, against Gan McGee (10-1-0) of San Luis Obispo, Calif., the other will feature UFC newcomers Tim Sylvia (15-0-0) of Davenport, Iowa, and Wes Correira (7-2-0) of Hilo, Hawaii. Both middleweight bouts promise to be wars. Former champion Dave Menne (35-4-1) of Forest Lake, Minn., returns to Mohegan to face Phil Baroni (5-1-0) of Long Island, N.Y., and Matt Lindland (7-1-0) of Eagle Creek, Ore., will meet Ivan Salaverry (9-1-0) of Seattle Wash. The welterweight fight will match exciting newcomer Benji Radach (11-0-0) of Olympia, Wash., with veteran Sean Sherk (20-0-1) of Brooklyn Park, Minn.
      Couture, a former two-time UFC heavyweight champion, suffered his only defeat in the Octagon to Barnett in the March 22 title fight. Couture dominated the first round and half the second before Barnett negotiated a reversal on the ground and rained punches on Couture that he couldn't defend. Referee John McCarthy stopped the fight at 4:35 of the second round.
      Rodriguez has won four straight fights by technical knockout in a meteoric rise to the top of the heavyweight division. He defeated Tsuyoshi Kosaka at UFC 37: High Impact, May 10 in Bossier City, La.; Jeff Monson, January 11 at UFC 35: Throw Down; Pete Williams at UFC 34: High Voltage, November 2 at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, and Andre Arlovski, June 29, 2001, at UFC 32: Showdown In The Meadowlands.
      Penn returns to the site of his only loss, his January 11 title fight with former lightweight champ Jens Pulver that went to a decision after five rounds. Penn won a TKO over previously undefeated Paul Creighton May 10 in Bossier City. In Serra's last fight, he defeated Kelly Dullanty by triangle choke tap out in the first round March 22 in Las Vegas.
      In their last fights, Thomas won a unanimous decision over Fabiano Iha Sept. 28 at UFC 33: Victory in Vegas and Uno defeated Yves Edwards by unanimous decision May 10 in Bossier City.
      The Ultimate Fighting Championship, headquartered in Las Vegas, Nevada, is the world's leading mixed martial arts sports event. Owned and operated by Zuffa, LLC, the UFC programs six live pay-per-view events yearly through cable and satellite providers. In addition, to its US distribution on iN DEMAND, DIRECTV, TVN and Dish Network, UFC events are distributed internationally through British Sky Broadcasting, WOWOW, Inc. in Japan, Globosat in Brazil and Modern Sports and Entertainment in Scandinavia. UFC licenses video games for all major playing platforms through Crave Entertainment.
      With its state-of-the-art lighting and sound system, Mohegan Sun Arena is the premier entertainment venue in Connecticut. Pollstar Magazine, a major concert industry publication, nominated the Mohegan Sun Arena for the 2001 Concert Industry Award for Best New Concert Venue. Mohegan Sun Arena was among five nominees for this prestigious award. Major sporting events, including the UFC, championship boxing, college and professional basketball, tennis and bowling, along with world-renowned entertainers such as Tim McGraw, Gloria Estefan, Janet Jackson, Cher, Aerosmith, John Mellencamp, Tom Petty and Alicia Keys have performed in this 10,000-seat arena.

What's on your mind?

FCF Survey

Give Us Your Thoughts...

What are your thoughts on the Josh Barnett situation? (testing positive for metabolites, his subsequent suspension by the NSAC and Zuffa's decision to withdraw Barnett's heavyweight title). In addition, feel free to talk about anything on your mind concerning the sport of Mixed Martial Arts. This is your chance to be heard around the world -- sound off! Some of the commentary we receive may appear in the upcoming issue of FCF.

Click here to take the survey
 

  Tuesday - August 6, 2002

Pulver Says He's "Ready to Rumble" in UFO

Jens wearing FCF War T-shirt       TOKYO, Japan -- Former UFC lightweight champion Jens Pulver will take a lot of confidence into his first-ever bout out of the country here Thursday at the Tokyo Dome.
      "I've showed everybody in America that I'm the best lightweight fighter in the world... now, I'm here to prove it to the Japanese fans," Pulver said at the UFO press conference on Tuesday.
      Pulver retired the UFC belt after going 6-0-1 in the most prestigeous MMA organization in the U.S. He was 3-0 in title fights.
      "I've always wanted to fight in Japan," Pulver said. "This is a dream come true and I hope to make the most of it."
      Pulver, who is 27-2-1 overall, will fight Takehiro Murahama in the first-ever UFO event. The show will be televised live from 7-9:30 p.m. on Nippon-TV... the first-ever live network coverage in Japan.
      Pulver has been attracting a lot of attention from the Japanese media since he defeated Caol Uno for the UFC lightweight championship. This week has been no different as he has spent much of his pre-fight time giving interviews and posing for pictures.
      "I hope to return to the UFC some day, but right now I'm really enjoying the attention in Japan," Pulver said. "Man, these are the greatest fans in the world... I only wish we could get the same treatment in the U.S."
      Pulver is being cornered by Miletich Martial Arts teammate Jeremy Horn, who is familiar with Japan after multiple bouts in Pride and RINGS.

  Wednesday - August 7, 2002

From Josh Hedges/Zuffa:
Tito Ortiz on National TV

UFC Light Heavyweight Champion Tito Ortiz will be appearing on the #1 cable news morning show "Fox and Friends" tomorrow (Thursday, August 8). The show runs from 6:00am to 9:00am ET on the FOX NEWS Channel. Check local listings for channel information. Tito's segment will be in the last hour of the show, between 8:00am and 9:00 am.

By Eduardo Alonso
Heating up for UFO:
Sperry Takes His Class Act to a New Stage!

One could say a lot of things about Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt Mario Sperry, however no one would be able to deny one thing: he is a true class act. After a career marked by all possible titles in Jiu-Jitsu, and some memorable NHB fights over the years, Zé Mario had to deal with a serious injury, which required surgery, for the first time in his professional and victorious career more than a decade long. This didn't take away Mario's will to fight and only some months later he is already back in great fashion, at a brand new event that will be broadcast nationwide in Japan by one of the country's most famous TV stations, attracting a cast of celebrities outside of the ring such as Mike Tyson and NHB's legendary Rickson Gracie. In a conversation with FCF just one day before leaving for the land of the rising sun, Sperry shared his views on his last fight, his serious knee injury, his next challenge and much more. As Full Contact Fighter is more heated than ever for UFO, he continues to be all about class! Let the "Zen Machine" speak...

Mario Sperry FCF:   Your last fight was against Murilo Ninja, at PRIDE 20. This fight was considered by many one of the best fights in recent years. Now, after some time has passed, how do you analyze that fight? Would you do anything different?
MS:     Man, in fact I believe I entered the fight too confident and at the time I don't know what happened. I thought, "I'm going to test how this kid fighting standing up" and I risked trading strikes. There I paid the price of my will to test things. You know, I'm an older guy and I already conquered a lot of things in my life, but this for me, despite being a job, is something exciting! So I like to test myself, to rate myself, and unfortunately in the beginning of the fight I took a serious knockdown that got me dazed for twenty minutes and injured my knee. That doesn't take away his merit! He is a spectacular guy, who knows the ground game, knows Muay Thai and has a great physical condition! But that punch I took in the beginning of the fight decided it for sure.

FCF:   You injured your knee in the first round of that fight. What made you continue till the end? Was it tough to fight like that?
MS:     Sincerely speaking, I didn't feel much pain in my knee at the time. I felt that something was wrong, but I didn't feel much pain. What I felt was a bit of a lack in response from my knee. I wasn't been able to do a good guard, I wasn't being able to change positions and position myself, which is my strong point. Despite the fact that Murilo is a strong guy who knows the game very well, he was pushing me and having a certain superiority in the clinch, and this doesn't happen in the academy when I train with athletes who weighs more than 110kg [242.5 lbs.], strong guys who are used to wrestling. Fighting for me is my life! It's a pleasure for me to be able to keep fighting and for me this was an unforgettable fight! I gained a lot experience with it. I spent twenty minutes fighting with a top guy, feeling debilitated, all broke up! [Laughs] For me this is a pleasure! I would only stop if the referee told me to stop or if he knocked me out!

FCF:   On the tape, it's evident that you massage your knee during the fight....
MS:     No! There I was putting my knee back into place! Every time you see me putting my hand on my knee during the fight is because I'm putting it back into place.

FCF:   I know you're extremely professional, but would you like a second fight against Ninja?
MS:     I would like another fight with Ninja not to prove I'm better or to take any doubts of what could've happened if I did anything different. I would like to fight him again because he is a great fighter and for me it would be a great experience, as any other great fighter! Like I would fight against Vanderlei, or against Tito Ortiz, because they're all great fighters and for me a great challenge is always welcome! This is what I look for. I look after challenges, like I did against Vovchanchyn. I try to improve and surpass my limits; this is what makes me alive and willing to train. So, of course it would be a great pleasure to fight against Murilo Ninja again, but not because of revenge or anything like that. I don't believe in "ifs," I believe in victory and defeat. If you won, you won, if you lost you lost. But if one day I get to fight him again, it will be a pleasure because he is a great athlete.

FCF:   Your knee injury wound up being more serious than even you thought, and you ended up having to have surgery. How was it for you to have to go through this situation for the first time, after such a long career free of injuries?
MS:     Well, that's how it goes man! Everything in life serves as experience. I'm a guy that always took pride in never having to take any surgery in my career and never suffering any serious injury. I only had small injuries during my career that would never make me have to stop training because of them. This was the first time this happened in my career and in some sense I'm using this as experience! I was hurt and started to do physiotherapy and learned some ways to train without hurting myself, so I try to face everything that comes in my life as a challenge and a situation to improve us in the future and try to pass it to the younger guys. So it was something positive.

Click here to continue the interview

  Friday - August 9, 2002

From Josh Hedges/Zuffa:
ULTIMATE FIGHTING CHAMPIONSHIP'S WORLD TELEVISION PREMIERE ON FOX SPORTS NET HAILED A MAJOR SUCCESS!

HIGHLY ANTICIPATED 2ND SPECIAL ON FOX SPORTS NET EXPECTED TO CONTINUE RATINGS MOMENTUM

      LAS VEGAS, AUGUST 7, 2002....Following its recent ratings success on Fox Sports Net, the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) will return for a second installment of UFC: As Real As It Gets at 6 p.m. (local time), Sunday, Aug. 11. This special one-hour edition of the network's Sunday Night Fights will once again showcase an array of taped bouts of exciting fight action never before seen on TV and profile UFC fighters, including Ken Shamrock.
      Featured fights include a title bout between UFC Light Heavyweight Champion Tito Ortiz of Huntington Beach, California vs. Elvis Sinosic of Sydney, Australia; a welterweight match-up between Pat Miletich of Davenport, Iowa and Carlos Newton of Newmarket, Ontario, Canada and a heavyweight fight between Frank Mir of Las Vegas, Nevada and Roberto Traven of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
      "We are excited about the UFC returning to our air this Sunday night. It promises to be a highly anticipated event and we hope to build on the success of last Sunday's show," said Dan Harrison, Senior VP, Programming and Strategic Planning for Fox Sports Net.
      "We know from Fox Sports Net's first broadcast of As Real As It Gets that American sports fans like our brand of fighting. It's exhilarating to know our world television debut was so well received and we look forward to this Sunday's show," said Dana White, UFC President.
      UFC's next PPV event is 10:00 p.m. (EST) Friday, September 27, 2002, live from Mohegan Sun Arena in Connecticut.

From Brian Cimins/Destro Sports Entertainment:
Sportfighting logo

Event: Sportfighting Mixed Martial Arts Championships
When: Saturday, September 14th, 2002
Where: Onondaga Nation Territory Sports Arena
326 Route 11 - Nedrow, New York
(Note: Event Starts at 8:00 PM, seating starts at 7:00 PM; Venue just 10 minutes from Syracuse, NY, Exit 16 off of Route 81)

The event's rules and regulations have been approved by The Onondaga Nation Territory Athletic Control Board.

Get Discount Tickets Online today at: http://www.grapplers.com/store/content.cfm?product_type=misc or Visit our official sponsor and Discount Ticket Center located within CUSTOM CARS at 3060 Erie Boulevard E, Syracuse, NY 13224. For more information call Custom Cars at: 315-445-2020

Recommended Discount Hotels within 10-15 minutes of the Onondaga arena:
(*NOTE: Please mention SportFighting to get the discount rate listed; Reserve your rooms ASAP)

- Quality Inn, 1308 Buckley Rd., Syracuse, NY, (315) 451-1212 - Special Rate: $59.99 per night
- The Hotel Syracuse, 500 South Warren Street, Syracuse, NY - Phone: 315-422-5121 - Special Rate: $75 per night
- Holiday Inn Fairgrounds, 100 Farrell Road, Syracuse, NY - Phone: 315-457-8700 -Special Rate: $69 per night
- Cresthill Suites, 6410 New Venture Gear Drive, East Syracuse, New York - Phone: 315-432-5595 - Special Rate: $79 per night

SportFighters to be featured on The Main Card:

 
4-Man Light Heavyweight Belt Tournament:
 
Kenny Kronenberg
Trained by Marcos Santos & The Machados
Head Instructor Tai Kai Machado Jiu Jitsu
Syracuse, New York
Approx. Weight: 195 lbs.
Vs. Jon Fitch
Perdue Wrestling Team Captain
Trainers: Gary Goodridge & Tom Erickson
West Lafayette, Indiana
Approx. Weight: 200 lbs.
Justin Ellison
Trained by Walt Bayless & Mark Schultz
2-TIme World Pankration Champion
Salt Lake City, Utah
Approx. Weight: 195 lbs.
Vs. Kaream Ellington
Trained by Steven Katz
Representing: Combined Martial Arts
Jackson Heights, New York
Approx. Weight: 204 lbs.
 
Super-Heavyweights (265 lbs. & over):
 
Brian Shepard
Tai Kai Machado Jiu Jitsu
Syracuse, New York
Approx. Weight: 300 lbs.
Vs. Jeff "Grizzly" Gerlick
Eastern Illinois University Wrestling
Chicago, Illinois
Approx. Weight: 293 lbs.
 
Middleweights (170-184.9 lbs.):
 
Eddy Rolon
Team End Game
2-Time IFC Tournament Champion
Rutherford, New Jersey
Approx. Weight: 176 lbs.
Vs. Jamie Cruz
Renzo Gracie Jiu Jitsu Brown Belt
Approx. Weight: 175 lbs.
James "Angry Snowman" Gabert
Renzo Gracie Jiu Jitsu & Muay Thai
Approx. Weight: 183 lbs.
Vs. Forrest Petz
Marcus Marinelli & Dan Bobish
Cincinnati, Ohio
Approx. Weight: 184 lbs.
Rich Latta
Team Renzo Gracie Jiu Jitsu & Hatfield Martial Arts
Approx. Weight: 184 lbs.
Vs. Dennis Sugrue
Tai Kai Jiu Jitsu
Syracuse, New York
Approx. Weight: 180 lbs.
 
Heavyweights (205-264.9 lbs.):
 
Joshua Corum
Yoshin Ryu Ju Jutsu
Ithaca, New York
Approx. Weight: 225 lbs.
Vs. Jeremiah Fountain
Tai Kai Machado Jiu Jitsu
Syracuse, New York
Approx. Weight: 218 lbs.
Renoe Guerrero
8-Arm Dojo
Fayetteville, North Carolina
Approx. Weight: 230 lbs.
Vs. Norman "Shaq Daddy" Schack
Representing: Team Renzo Gracie Jiu Jitsu
Hazlet, New Jersey
Approx. Weight: 225 lbs.
 
Light-Heavyweights (185-204.9 lbs.):
 
Dante Rivera
Team End Game/Eddy Rolon
Jackson, NJ
Approx. Weight: 204 lbs.
Vs. Matt Butler
Tatu Jiu Jitsu
Scranton, Pennsylvania
Approx. Weight: 195 lbs.
 
Welterweight (155-169.9 lbs.):
 
Zach Wakeman
Tai Kai Machado Jiu Jitsu
Syracuse, New York
Approx. Weight: 169 lbs.
Vs. Themi Papadimitriou
Combined Martial Arts
Bronx, New York
Approx. Weight: 169 lbs.
Joe VanBrackle
Team Yamasaki Jiu Jitsu
Collegeville, Pennsylvania
Approx. Weight: 167 lbs.
Vs. Jeff Williamson
Professional Karate Academy & Machado Jiu Jitsu
Approx. Weight: 169 lbs.
Wally "The Weapon" MacDonald
Empire Martial Arts & Casal's Boxing Gym
Rochester, New York
Approx. Weight: 165 lbs.
Vs. Andrew Curringa
Tai Kai Machado Jiu Jitsu
Syracuse, New York
Approx. Weight: 160 lbs.
Mike Bidwell
Tai Kai Jiu Jitsu
Newark, Delaware
Approx. Weight: 170 lbs.
Vs. Joey "El Kaboblo" Paladino
Hybrid Submission Fighting
Montour Falls, New York
Approx. Weight: 165 lbs.
 
Lightweight (145-154.9 lbs.):
 
Jay-Shannon Russell
Team Renzo Gracie/Jay WhiteAlbany, New York
Approx. Weight: 150 lbs.
Vs. Joey "Knockdown" Brown
Samurai Jiu-Jitsu Nagai Ryu & Team End Game
Lodi, New Jersey
Approx. Weight: 154 lbs.
 
Bantamweight (135-144.9 lbs.)
 
Alan Teo
Team Renzo Gracie Jiu Jitsu
New York, New York
Approx. Weight: 145 lbs.
Vs. Junior Ramirez
Muay Thai & Freestyle Wrestling
Ontario, Canada
Approx. Weight: 145 lbs.

From the event's promoter:
UCC Logo
TWO MORE FIGHTS ADDED TO UCC 11!
"LITTLE EVIL" AND "BANG" TAKE
UCC TO THE NEXT LEVEL AT UCC 11!

Jens Pulver JENS PULVER AND DUANE LUDWIG WILL GO TO WAR AT UCC 11!
THE BIGGEST MAIN EVENT IN UCC HISTORY!


MONTREAL (CANADA) - The suspense is finally over as the Universal Combat Challenge finally announces Jens Pulver's opponent for UCC 11: The Next Level! Denver's own DUANE "BANG" LUDWIG, one of the best strikers in the game will go head to head with Jens Pulver in the biggest event in UCC history! "I'm so excited about that fight" said UCC president Stephane Patry, "This has the potential to be the fight of the year! Fight fans saw super fights this year with Lawler-Riley in the UFC and Vigneault-Sills in the UCC but this one has something special about it..." added the proud president about this upcoming main event.

The UCC wanted someone who would want to stand up with the best pound for pound fighter in the world, Jens Pulver. This fight will crown the first UCC World Lightweight champion and is the final touch to an impressive fight card that will feature 4 World championships and 2 Canadian championships. The UCC knock-out sensation will also be one of the main events as Steve Vigneault (7-1 with 6 KO's) will try to send Anthony Fryklund (7-1 with 4 KO's) down on his impressive list of knock-out victims.

JOHN ALESSIO TO DEFEND HIS UCC CROWN AT UCC 11!
UNDEFEATED WARRIOR JASON BLACK STEPS UP TO THE PLATE!


Black and Alessio UCC World Welterweight champion JOHN ALESSIO (11-3) has been on a huge winning streak as of late. With an impressive King of the CageTM record, he entered the UCC ranks with a brutal KO victory over fan favorite Sean Pierson to claim the title. Since becoming the champion, John has continued his winning streak with a win over Chris Brennan in King of the CageTM as well as a big win in Pride'sTM "The Best" show.

Now he returns to the UCC and is ready for his biggest challenge yet in JASON BLACK (9-0-1). Black is one of the very few undefeated MMA fighters in the world with an impressive 9-0-1 record. This "Team Extreme" member made his UCC debut with an impressive one in soundly defeating the top ranked Ivan Menjivar thus earning his shot at the gold.

Black is confident that his wrestling credentials and aggressive fight style will earn him a spot in UCC history while the champ Alessio sees this fight as yet another notch on his 15-pound UCC World Championship title belt. We'll find out on October 11th in Montreal!

From the event's promoter:
RCF 19

RCF 19 poster Reality Combat Fighting will once again return to the Bayou in Houma, LA. for another great venue at the Abyss Nightclub. RCF has brought MMA to Houma, LA and its there to stay. On a consistant basis, with close to 1,000 fans packed into nightclub to see the Houma Bad Boys fight it out in RCF, you can only expect to see one thing, a great night of fights. The main card will consist of Houma's favorites fighters, Ricky Folse, Nathan Sanchez and Anthony Barbier. For tickets call Body Elite: 985-851-4215

PRO CARD
ROB MORRIS (AL) VS. NATHAN SANCHEZ (LA)
JOE GARCIEA (TX) VS. ANTHONY BARBIER (LA)
EDWIN ALLSEITZ (TX) VS. RICKY FOLSE (LA)

AMATEUR CARD
JOSHUA McDONALD ( LA) VS. WILL STAFFORD (TX)
ANTHONY MIDDLEBROOKS (AL) VS. MATTHEW BLANCHARD (LA)
STEVE KINNISON (LA) VS. LANE YARABROUGH (TX)
SCOTT ARGO (TX) VS. DAVID HARDGRAVE (TX)
J.C. PENNINGTON (LA) VS. AL BOUDREAUX (LA)
BRYAN DYWER (LA) VS. DOUG TAMEZ (AL)
KENNY STEVENS (LA) VS. SCOTT TOUPS ( LA)
ADAM PEEPLE 169# (LA) VS. TBA
ROCKY LONG 145# (TX) VS. TBA

  Sunday - August 11, 2002

King Of The Cage 12 DVD
KOTC 12 DVD
Cold Blood
February 9, 2002
Soboba Casino - San Jacinto, California
  • Brian Warren vs. Adam Lynn
  • Randy Velarde vs. Tom Kenney
  • Thomas Denny vs. Ray Perales
  • John Hosegood vs. Phillip Miller
  • Jerry Gummo vs. Joe Stevenson
  • John Alessio vs. Nassor Lewis
  • Fernando Vasconcelos vs. John Crisostomo
  • Jason Jones vs. Jason Lambert
  • Dean Lister vs. Jacen Flynn
  • Charlie Valencia vs. Dave Velasquez
  • Eric Pele vs. Dan Bobish

Be sure to check out the HUGE $avings
on King of the Cage video & DVD packages

For FASTEST service call in your credit card order
(516)676-0033
Or
Click here to order securely online with your credit card
or print off the order form & mail it in with your payment

  Tuesday - August 13, 2002

Nogueira, Pulver Shine Most in UFO Event

Minotauro vs. Kikuta by Susumu Nagao       TOKYO, Japan -- With the UFO struggling for an identity, two of the world's premiere mixed martial arts fighters stepped forward and showed promoters the way of the future.
      Rodrigo Nogueira and Jens Pulver, both considered the best fighters in the world in their respective weight divisions, put on inspiring performances that overshadowed the presence of pro wrestling.
      "TV executives are now clear... the no-rules fighting is more exciting than the pro wrestling," said a UFO insider who asked not to be identified. "In the next show, we will have more real fights and much less pro wrestling. No-rules fighting is the future in Japan."
      UFO was televised live on Nippon-TV and an estimated 7 million people watched the show... to go along with a live crowd of 20,000 at the Tokyo Dome. While the live crowd was smaller than hoped, the TV numbers were good enough for UFO to plan another show in January.
      In its debut, UFO mixed real NHB matches with pro wrestling bouts, thinking that it would take a big-name wrestler like Naoya Ogawa to get people to watch the show. While Ogawa is very popular, his bout against grossly overweight Matt Ghaffari was not a hit. Ogawa landed one punch to the nose of Ghaffari, who turned and ran away before quitting.
      In real matches, Nogueira, the heavyweight champion from Pride, dramatically ended his grappling chess match with Abu Dhabi champion Sanae Kikuta when he countered a low kick with a straight right that dropped the Japanese favorite and left him unconscious for several minutes. The end came at 2:29 of the second round.
      Pulver, the longtime UFC lightweight champion, made his Japan debut with a 15-minute standup war against K-1 competitor Takehiro Murahama. All rounds featured lots of punches landed, but Pulver pulled out a split decision, running his post-UFC record to 2-0. He was 6-0-1 in the UFC and is 29-2-1 overall.
      "I know I could have taken him down and probably won much easier on the ground," Pulver said. "But I prefer to stand up and fight and I was determined to come here and beat Murahama at his own game. From the way the fans reacted, I'd say they enjoyed the fight... and that's important to me."
      Pulver, a member of Team Extreme and Miletich Fighting Systems, said he has been asked to fight in the next UFO event.
      In other bouts, Vladimir Matyushenko overpowered and outwrestled Rogerio Nogueira (twin brother of Rodrigo) to win a unanimous decision. There was little standup in this bout, but Matyushenko landed enough strikes from the top position on the mat to win handily.
      Mario Sperry won a very low-energy bout against Wataru Sakata, claiming a unanimous decision. Sperry was severely cut above the left eye early in the bout and officials nearly stopped the fight. Afterwards, Sperry continued to get takedowns and maintain position on top.
      "They said if the cut opened up again, they would stop the fight... and I would lose or get a no-contest," Sperry said. "I got 10 stitches, so I did what I had to do to win the fight."
      Wallid Ismail, coming off a loss in Pride, stopped Murakami Kazunari with punches on the ground. A bloody Kazunari protested, but the TKO officially stopped the contest at 2:33 of the second round.
      In the night's first bout, Hirotaka Yokoi made quick work of Canadian wrestler Bulldozer George, sinking in a rear choke at 47 seconds of the opening round.
      In a "suspect" bout, Pride standout Kazuyuki Fujita beat wrestler Tadao Yasuda by shoulder lock at 2:46 of the first round. The bout lacked any striking and seemed to support the rumors that it was a pro wrestling bout.
      In a bout labeled an "exhibition," former WWF wrestler Chyna (now Joannie Laurer) defeated last-minute replacement Chika Nakamura in 1:50 by referee stoppage. Nakamura was "recruited" from the crowd, where she just happened to be wearing fight gear.

Complete results:
Hirotaka Yokoi def. Bulldozer George, rear naked choke, :47 R1
Jens Pulver def. Takehiro Murahama, split decision 3R
Vladimir Matyushenko def. Rogerio Nogueira, unanimous decision 3R
Mario Sperry def. Wataru Sakata, unanimous decision 3R
Wallid Ismail def. Kazunari Murakami, TKO, 3:03 R2
Rodrigo Nogueira def. Sanae Kikuta, KO, 2:29 R2
Kazuyuki Fujita def. Tadao Yasuda, shoulder lock, 2:46 R1
Naoya Ogawa def. Matt Gaffari, TKO, :56 R1

The Brazilian Beat
The Brazilian Beat:
Minotouro to Take on TK,
Storm Getting Closer!

The UFO Legends event is already history and now the focus in Brazil is turned to Shockwave and the next edition of Deep. August promises to be a busy Month for the Brazilian NHB community with the participation of Minotauro, and the likely participation of Vanderlei Silva, at PRIDE Shockwave, as well as Brazilian fighters preparing for Deep and the September UFC. Not only that, but the Muay Thai community here will have another edition of the Storm Muay Thai event, showcasing fighters from all over the country and developing new talents for Muay Thai and NHB as well. With all those things shaking up the fight scene in Brazil, FCF keeps up the rhythm, as the beat goes on...
  • The next edition of the Storm Muay Thai event, promoted by the Chute Boxe team, is set to once again shake the city of Curitiba on August 24th. With the event fast approaching, the card is taking its final shape... Chute Boxe fighter & MECA veteran, Silvio Urutum, ended up out of Storm. His opponent jumped out of the event last week due to an injury, and with little time left before the 24th, Urutum will have to wait until the next show to be able to perform in front of the Chute Boxe home crowd. However, veteran Chute Boxe fighter with NHB experience, Osmar Dias Fernandes will be competing against Kleverson da Silva, who is a fighter from the BVT academy in Sao Paulo. Two other matches that promise to heat up the event are Paiva vs. Rafael, and Marlon vs. Peterson. Chute Boxes's own Marlon Matias was considered one of the best athletes at the last Storm and is already preparing to do NHB in the near future.

  • Speaking of NHB, Ruas Vale Tudo star Pedro Rizzo is already training hard for his upcoming fight in the UFC against Gan McGee. Rizzo told FCF he is training mostly with heavier opponents, due to McGee's weight, and will fly to the USA two weeks before the event to finish his preparation with his master, Marco Ruas. Pedro will also have the help of K-1 legend Peter Aerts to help in his stand-up training for the fight. Aerts is coming to Brazil next week and will stay training with Rizzo until the date of his departure.

  • On another small Ruas Vale Tudo note, Renato Babalu Sobral apparently signed a new contract with the UFC after his win over Elvis Sinosic in London, and is likely to be fighting at the UFC November show, although no opponent has been set at this point.
  • The first ever fighting-only channel in Brazil, Premiere Combate, finally debuted this last Friday. The first day of broadcast focused on UFC 27, with Pedro Rizzo's own commentary about the event and as well as discussion behind the scenes happenings. The most interesting part on the first day of broadcast was some interviews with fighters, footage of training sessions and Frank Mir teaching the infamous shoulder lock that he used to defeat Pete Williams. The first day of broadcast also featured some boxing matches. The channel costs approximately 10 dollars per month to be viewed.

  • Rodrigo Minotauro Nogueira, his brother Rogerio and Mario Sperry arrived back in Brazil on Monday after their participation at the UFO event. While in Japan, fighting and training weren't the only things they did. The "Zen Machine" and Minotauro also attended to the release party of a book showing a bit of the Brazilian Top Team members' lives... from their training to surfing. A Japanese crew, who spent a good amount of time in Brazil following the day-by-day routine of the BTT stars and taking several pictures in the process, did the book. Sperry and Minotauro signed several autographs for a packed house during the release party, showing the importance of NHB fighters in Japan.

  • As the Brazilian Top Team continues its conquest of Japan, the Deep event is the next stop on the "Top Team train." After three members fighting at UFO and Minotauro signing for Shockwave later this month, the next edition of Deep will also see the presence of three BTT members: MECA veteran Fabio Mello will be competing in Japan for the first time in his career, along with his teammate Gilson Ferreira. However the biggest surprise for Deep will be the appearance of Rogerio "Minotouro" Nogueira facing none other than UFC veteran Tsuyoshi Kohsaka! After his loss to rAw Team member Vladimir Matyushenko, Rogerio will be the third BTT member to grace the Deep ring in its next edition.

  • Rodrigo "Minotauro" Nogueira is keeping his promise of fighting at both UFO and Shockwave! Nogueira was supposed to fight against K-1 fighter Mark Hunt, but Hunt supposedly only wanted to do the fight under full K-1 rules, and Minotauro felt he needed more time to prepare, so the PRIDE Heavyweight champion will wind up facing Bob Sapp, while Hunt got his K-1 rules fight against Don Frye. "Mino" is in Brazil now, but will be leaving again for Japan later this week to finish his preparation for his fight against the huge Sapp in the land of the rising sun.

  • On the subject of the Chute Boxe team once again, Vanderlei Silva is still training hard in preparation for Shockwave, while negotiations are still going on. The negotiations for a fight with K-1's Ray Sefo fell through about two weeks ago, and as of now another K-1 fighter, Cyril Abdil, will likely be Silva's opponent at Shockwave. Since anything can change at any minute when PRIDE is involved, it's tough to say exactly what'll happen, but the fight will probably be signed this week since time is running out. The training sessions have been so hard that the "Axe Murderer" -- who is known for never training with headgear -- was sporting two black eyes last week, courtesy of Anderson Silva and Pele, and is now walking around with a very swollen nose. Reports have it that Vanderlei has been taking sparring very seriously and is probably in the best shape of his fighting career, being already around the 97kg, which will likely be the weight division for this next fight.

  • After much talk and debate it seems that things are finally taking shape for the most important NHB even in Brazil nowadays, MECA World Vale Tudo. Promoter Rudimar Fedrigo told FCF that it has been now agreed with Sportv that MECA will have two more editions before the end of this year, and as of now the promoters are waiting for Sportv to define its schedule and set the date for the next one, which will likely be at the end of September or beginning of October. With fights like Eugenio Tadeu vs. Marcelo Giudice on hold, and the possible participation of Pele on the card, we can only hope things will be defined sooner rather than later!

From Natalie Salzman at Bender/Helper Impact:
(DSE/Pride representative)

TWO TITANIC MATCHES WILL ROCK SHOCKWAVE
DreamStage Entertainment Announces Additional Bouts For PRIDE FC: ShockWave

Bill Goldberg - photo courtesy of DSE Los Angeles - August 12, 2002 - DreamStage Entertainment rocks the mixed-martial arts world with the latest additions to ShockWave, the largest PRIDE Fighting Championships event to date, taking place at the prominent Yoyogi National Stadium in Tokyo, Japan on August 28, 2002.

At a press conference held in Tokyo on August 12, 2002, two official matches were announced. The first card addition, Antonio Rodrigo Nogueria vs. Bob Sapp, will be conducted under PRIDE FC rules. The second card addition pitting Don Frye vs. Mark Hunt will be conducted under K-1 rules. DreamStage added that prospective fighters who have expressed interest in participating in ShockWave are Wanderlei Silva, Semmy Schilt, Ernest Hoost and Mike Bernardo. It has also been confirmed that former WCW superstar Bill Goldberg will be providing commentary for the PPV event, adding more excitement to an already thrilling event card.

The two previously announced matches are the highly anticipated Royce Gracie vs. Hidehiko Yoshida and Kazushi Sakuraba vs. Mirko Cro Cop. It has been determined that strikes will be allowed in the Yoshida vs. Gracie bout. The rules for the Sakuraba vs. crop Cop match have yet to be determined.

Additional card information will follow shortly.

*Pay-Per-View Networks include: DIRECTV, DishNetwork, TVN, Bell Express Vu and Viewer's Choice Canada
* The actual event will take place on August 28, 2002 - the start time is 6:30 pm Japan time

From SB promoter T. Jay Thompson:
"The Machine Gun" Returns!

Ronald Jhun For the past two years, Ronald "The Machine Gun" Jhun, has been destroying competition throughout the world and occasionally in Hawaii... But not in the SuperBrawl ring. It is now confirmed that Jhun's management and the SuperBrawl organization have come to terms on a multi-fight deal that will keep Jhun in the ring that began his illustrious career.

"We could not be more excited to have 'The Machine Gun' back home." says T.Jay Thompson, SuperBrawl promoter. "Ronald began his career with us and we hope to now propel him to the international recognition he deserves."

"The Machine Gun" will make his return on September 17, in the multi-national co-promotion "Super Brawl presents, The Universal Combat Challenge, Eruption in Paradise!"

His opponent will be a Canadian UCC veteran to be named later this week. Expect bullets to fly on Tuesday night, Sept 17 at the Blaisdell Arena in Honolulu Hawaii!

Super Brawl Signs 6 Super Stars to Multi-Fight Contracts!

In a first for the SuperBrawl organization, 6 fighters sign exclusive multi-fight contracts. Ronald "The Machine Gun" Jhun, Cabbage, Falaniko Vitale, Baret Yoshida, Eddie "The Filipino Phenom" Yagin and Kolo Koka have all signed deals that will keep them exclusively in the Super Brawl ring for up to one year.

"We could not be more pleased to give these talented athletes the security of a multiple fight contract. Although all these guys love to fight, money and contract negotiations are an issue. And now that is one less thing they will have to worry about." says SuperBrawl promoter T.Jay Thompson.

The contract do, however, allow the pursuit of fights outside of Hawaii. "These fighters are now part of the Super Brawl family and we will take care of them as such. With our extensive contacts inside the MMA world, we will actively search for appropriate fights for these guys around the world. We have already secured a fight for Cabbage in the September UFC."

  Wednesday - August 14, 2002

By Loretta Hunt
UFC UK
The Trials and Tribulations
of Taking it on the Road

Eight months ago, a carefully laid plan was put in place. The plan was fairly simple. Fly in low under the radar, dig in deep, and then explode onto the scene. While sounding more like a World War I strategy, the "little company that could" gambled millions on it that it would pay off. In its quest to become an international sensation, Zuffa Sports Entertainment set out to take their mixed martial arts promotion where it had never been before. On July 13, 2002, the planning came to fruition. To the applause 4,500 plus fans, the Ultimate Fighting Championship made its European debut at England's famous Royal Albert Hall. It was a hard road to London, harder than most will ever know, with obstacles arising in the days and even hours leading up to UFC 38 that will never be told. But true to its name, Zuffa wasn't going to give up their greatest challenge yet without a fight. With its Las Vegas office packed in suitcases, Zuffa made the 10-hour flight overseas, knowing that the stakes were high, but the payoff would be sweet.

It's July 29th, two weeks after the show, and Zuffa president Dana White is trying to balance his one-year-old on his knee as he talks shop. The subject is London and he discusses how the city first came into the big picture. "When we first bought the company," he starts, "we were only on DirectTV in the United States and Brazil and we had Viewer's Choice in Canada. We were taking this thing global and that meant London. We talked to the guys from SKY TV and we drafted a good game plan with how to run this thing with free shows on TV, then turn it into pay-per-view. Basically, it was a strategy."

With the premiere of the UFC's weekly show in the United Kingdom at the beginning of this year, Zuffa knew it had its foot in the door. A culmination of fights, past and present, sprinkled with commentary and (of course) advertisements for the upcoming UFC in London, the weekly show initially introduced the product to the fans. Within a couple of months, the show's success bumped it up to two-hour installments. "We were playing on TV for months and months there. The viewership grew every week -- huge. Our ratings were just below the WWF there, but they were blowing away major league baseball, the NHL, and the NBA -- blowing them away!"

With the show wetting the public's appetite, Zuffa turned its attention next to a venue that would make a strong statement. Hoping to a make a splash overseas, Zuffa set its sights high on a 140-year old historical landmark, the Royal Albert Hall. But just how did Zuffa get the house where such luminaries as Ella Fitzgerald, Liza Minnelli, and Frank Sinatra once performed? Explains White, "We kind of flew in under the radar. That's how we got the Royal Albert Hall. We really did a 'soft launch' to them. What you have to understand about the Royal Albert Hall is it's not like a regular venue where they're out to make some money. That place is like a national treasure. The Rolling Stones and the Beatles have played there. They have a board of directors there who decides what goes in there and what doesn't. When the Royal Albert Hall found out what the UFC event really was, they weren't too crazy about it."

Click here to continue the article

From Josh Hedges/Zuffa:
UFC TO PREMIERE BELFORT VS. LIDDELL FIGHT SHOW ON ALL CABLE PAY-PER-VIEW NETWORKS, AUG. 16

LIGHT HEAVYWEIGHT SHOWDOWN HAS NEVER BEEN TELEVISED;
SHOW INCLUDES 5 ADDITIONAL FIGHTS FROM BELLAGIO IN LAS VEGAS

      LAS VEGAS, August 13, 2002…The Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) will premiere Belfort Vs. Liddell, a special two-hour fight show at 10 p.m. EDT/7 p.m. PDT, Friday, Aug. 16, on all its pay-per-view television networks and satellite providers, iN DEMAND, DIRECTV, TVN, Dish Network, Bell ExpressVu and Viewers Choice Canada. Belfort Vs. Liddell will be the first opportunity that most fight fans will have to see the Light Heavyweight showdown between top contenders Chuck Liddell of San Luis Obispo, Calif., and Vitor Belfort of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, from Bellagio in Las Vegas because it has never been televised. The suggested retail price is $19.95.
      Pay-per-view re-plays and encore performances will continue to air during August and early September. The iN DEMAND re-play schedule is 7 p.m. EDT/4 p.m. PDT on Channel iN2, Saturday, Aug. 17; 2 p.m. EDT/11 a.m. PDT on iN2 and 6 p.m. EDT/3 p.m. PDT on iN1, Sunday, Aug. 18, and 1 a.m. EDT, Friday, Aug. 23/10 p.m. PDT, Thursday, Aug. 22, on iN2.
      DIRECTV will offer All Day Ticket re-plays on Aug. 18, 20, 22, 26 and 30, and Sept. 1 and 6. Dish Network will offer encore performances at Midnight EDT, Saturday, Aug. 17/9 p.m., Friday, Aug. 16, and All Day Tickets on Aug. 18, 19, 21, 23, 25, 27, 29 and 30.
      Five additional fights from the Bellagio card, including highlights of the Welterweight battle between Robbie Lawler of Davenport, Iowa, and Steve Berger of St. Louis, Mo., that was televised on Fox Sports Net's Best Damn Sports Show Period, will be included in the show. Also featured will be two welterweight bouts between Benji Radach of Longview, Wash., and Nick Serra of East Meadow, N.Y., and Pete Spratt of Denison, Tex. versus Zach Light of Cedar Rapids, Iowa; a middleweight fight between Tony Fryklund of Boston, Mass., and Rodrigo Ruas of Rio de Janeiro, and a lightweight dual between Joao Pierini Marcos of Sao Paulo, Brazil, and Yves Edwards of The Woodlands, Tex.

KOTC Update
By Keith Mills

Just one week after their last Pay Per View show the California based King Of The Cage is set for a busy fall with three shows lined up so far. September 19th 6-0 Romie Aram takes on 13-4 Joe Stevenson with the winner to take on Dennis Hallman in November. This show takes place at the Santa Anna Star Casino in Albuquerque, New Mexico with tickets going on sale Friday. Last time the 4000 tickets sold out quickly, so get them early. Watch for further card announcements in the days to come.

On October 19th KOTC returns to the Soboba Casino in California where Debi Purcell, who many consider the number 2 ranked female 135 lb fighter, is signed to fight a so far unnamed opponent. Debi has been making waves since headlining HOOKnSHOOT "Revolution", the all-woman's show from last April and released on DVD last weekend. Since then Debi beat Amy Pitan for the Ultimate Wrestling title but had to cancel her IFC appearance due to a minor training injury. Now back in training look for Debi to come back with a vengeance.

On November 1st KOTC returns to Pay Per View with the winner of Aram/Stevenson to fight Dennis Hallman for the title in Reno.

KOTC also announced the signing of Dan Severn to a 3-fight deal and Don "The Dragon" Wilson to a 3-5 fight deal. No word is available on when these two legends will make their KOTC debut but they are sure to spread the reputation of KOTC to a larger audience.

From the event's promoter:
Warriors Quest 7
Aug 30, 2002

Warriors Quest
Light Heavyweight World Championship

David "Kawika" Pa'aluhi Vs. Sean Gray

Gray is coming back Hawaii and says he's is going to leave the Champion. Gray also states his first round TKO win over Falaniko Vitale wasn't a fluke and he is here to prove that. And in the other corner, Hawaiian ppwer house Kawika Pa'aluhi has othe plans. He came back after a long lay off and knocked out highly favorited Pride veteran Bobby Southworth. Pa'aluhi also has his eyes set on going home the new Champion.

  Thursday - August 15, 2002

HnS Revolution DVD
HnS Revolution DVD
REVOLUTION
ALL WOMEN'S NHB! 14 WOMEN GOING ALL OUT IN REAL FIGHTS!
Available in DVD format only

History was made on April 13, 2002 as HOOKnSHOOT presented MMA's first EVER sanctioned women's MMA event in the U.S.

The best in women's MMA collide on this fully interactive DVD that chronicles the fights from beginning to end and includes dozens of BONUS pieces in this incredible DVD.

ALL REGION ENCODED! So it plays in EVERY DVD player in the world!

125lbs Ruth Mejia battles Erica Montoya (only 17 years old)

155lbs Jennifer Irons vs. Jessica Ross

170lbs Olga Bakalopoulos takes on Shannon Hooper (girlfriend of UFC Champ Josh Barnett)

135lbs Angela Wilson vs. Tanya Vlahac for Canadian bragging rights! THESE TWO ROCKED!

150lbs Mayra Conde vs. Angela Restad in the fight of the night! Talk about a war!

135lbs Shelby Walker and Tara LaRosa make an attempt to settle a dispute.

135lbs Debi Purcell and Christine Van Fleet square off in the main event!

THIS IS ONE OF MOST RECOMMENDED DVDs ON EVERY MMA FAN'S LIST! Order now and save!
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Ladies Night:
HOOKnSHOOT Revolution
Offers a First Glance
at the Women of MMA

By Loretta Hunt
Originally published in the May 2002 issue of FCF

      It's a man's world, but don't tell that to the fourteen gifted women that put it all on the line to participate in the first-ever, all-female mixed martial arts show in America. On April 13th 2002, HOOKnSHOOT Revolution ushered in a new chapter for women's MMA, as some of the sport's most promising female competitors finally got their day in the sun. Up till this point, female fighters had been confined to sporadic single bouts on the men's cards, and with many promoters hesitant to put women on their rosters at all, many were still waiting in the wings for their chance to compete. With men's MMA gaining some momentum in the last year and the number of shows to compete in steadily rising, opportunities seemed inevitable. But without an organization to step forward to harness this largely untapped talent, women's MMA seemed destined to continue in the shadow of its counterpart.
      Enter Jeff Osborne and Miguel Iturrate. The two men responsible for the successful HOOKnSHOOT shows felt the timing was right to give the ladies their own night. Inspired by the successful all-female Japanese promotion dubbed ReMix, Osborne and Itturate set out to find their cast of characters via the "information highway." The Internet proved a useful tool in enlisting willing females from across the country and beyond including Texas, California, Washington, and even Canada. With many of the fighters having had only one or two MMA fights to their name, special consideration was taken early on to make sure that the matchmaking would be as even as possible. Fight tapes were submitted. Calls were made. Weight classes were considered. Contracts were signed. With SHOOTO sanctioning the event, the sixteen women chosen set off to perfect their training for the making of history.
      Traveling to Evansville, Indiana, I too wanted to be a part of history. Knowing very little of what this card might have to offer, I wanted to meet the women that had undoubtedly sacrificed countless hours in the name of the sport. I wanted to hear their stories firsthand. I wanted to know what drove them in their quest for victory. What I got introduced to was the lives of four very different women brought together by a common love for this ultimate competition. These four women gave me my first glance into the growing world of women's MMA.

Mayra Conde
Mayra Conde       Sitting across from Mayra Conde in the hotel lobby, one's eyes cannot help but fall on her impressive physique. With fourteen years of bodybuilding experience, Mayra is the one of the most chiseled specimens to grace these proceedings. Her sculpted, muscular physique is a stark contrast to what seems to be the hundred or so teenage girls that filter past to the elevator bank. Apparently there is a Young Miss This Or That Pageant competition occupying the hotel as well that weekend, and as Mayra speaks frankly of her life as a fighter, a tiara-clad hopeful or two whisks by. What strikes you after a few minutes in Mayra's presence is not necessarily the fact that she has spent years and years to get here, but that she had no doubt in her mind that she would somehow make it as a fighter. With an overall record of 18 and 1 -- including her pankration, kickboxing, Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, and two victorious NHB bouts, Mayra is one of the more experienced fighters to touch down at this Indiana show. You can tell she's hustled to get this far, placing first in numerous tournaments, including the recent U.S. Open Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Championships and the World Wide Pankration Championships in Greece. She is also honored to have been a member of the Canadian Olympic Pankration team.
      Having grown up on a farm with her grandfather, Mayra says she was instilled with the mentality that she could do anything she set her mind to. Turned on to fighting through a friend, fellow female competitor Zee Vjesalicu, Mayra has dedicated the last five years to honing her skills, training with the likes of Bas Rutten and Marcus Vinicius. She prefers to train with men, hoping to someday pass her knowledge on to other women for self-defense. Knowing that a female is more likely to be attacked by a male on the street, she says she tries to get her teammates to spar with her at full force. "If I can get these guys to go hard on me and I can stay with them and grapple with them and even make them submit -- then I know I am at the top of my game," she remarks. In her opinion, the only difference between herself and her male training partners is that she doesn't wear a cup.
      When asked why she thinks more women aren't involved in MMA, her reply comes quickly. "I think it has a lot to do with what's up here," she quips, pointing to her head. "Once society starts opening its doors, I think that more women will have the mentality to do this." She speaks of the support needed from boyfriends and husbands to pursue this sport, and while many men that already compete in MMA are far more understanding to women participating, men outside of this group still need some convincing.
      Mayra goes on to have the fight of the night, the only bout to go the distance with a seamless blend of some of the best stand-up and submission attempts and escapes of the evening. When the judges rule the match a majority draw, the look on Mayra's face speaks volumes. She came to win or to lose, but not to tie. Backstage, with one eye swelled shut, Mayra hesitantly accepts the congratulations that are thrown her way, not willing to believe the adulations she says until she can review her performance on tape. I make my way through the crowd to hug her. She shrugs and raises a finger to her head before saying, "I guess it is all up here."

Ruth Mejia
Ruth Mejia       With looks that remind you of the girl you'd hire to baby-sit your kids, it's hard to imagine that twenty-two-year-old Ruth Mejia will be stepping into the ring as an NHB fighter for the very first time. Ruth has fought at HOOKnSHOOT before in a grappling match, her performance obviously gaining her a trip back to Indiana. Instead of displaying nervousness for her MMA debut, the native Texan is instead overjoyed in the fact that she will actually get a chance to compete. At 114 pounds, finding opponents for Ruth has proved an obstacle in itself.
      Though extremely soft-spoken, her smoky voice reels you in closer, as she begins to tell her story. She recalls going to a gym two years ago to get in shape and wandering to the back where a Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu class was in progress. By her second month with the discipline, she had already beaten her first guy, she admits with pride. The prospect of fighting came not long after when she added boxing, judo, and Muay Thai to her regimen. She's fared well with both boxing matches and judo/jiu-jitsu tournaments, but felt inspired by the men of MMA to give it a try. "I love watching Sakuraba," she squeals. "He's a very different fighter -- a very entertaining fighter. That's the type of fighter I want be."
      Attending college and working part-time as a computer technician, the BJJ purple belt says she still finds time to train four to five hours a day. Since starting her training, she says that men tend to treat her a little differently than before. "They show a little bit more respect towards me. They're amazed at what I do. They ask me how it feels. I haven't had negative feedback. It's all been very positive."
      At the show, Ruth fights valiantly, but is overpowered by her even-younger opponent, who outweighs her by ten pounds. Her opponent is both tenacious and aggressive, gaining the mount and raining down strikes before pitching off Ruth's side into the inevitable armbar. As I catch up with her after her fight, Ruth seems slightly dejected yet already somewhat wiser as she remarks that she needs to work on her ground game and maybe put on some more weight. When asked if she is deterred by the loss, she chimes in, "No, not at all. Not at all. This give me more of a motive to keep on working. I just fought a real good fighter. I'll just keep going out there and try my best."

Olga Bakalopoulos
Olga Bakalopoulos       With her striking Greek features, her flowing black hair streaked with bright purple highlights, and the flare of a pro-wrestler, I expect Olga Bakalopoulos' performance to be nothing short of breathtaking. As training partner to Mayra Conde, her training is both efficient and diversified. Mornings consist of cardio, followed by a session of grappling, rest, and then later at night a technical session of whatever discipline has been scheduled.
      Having started weightlifting at the age of seventeen, Olga remembers placing pictures of female bodybuilders in her high school locker and wanting to look just like them. She met Mayra at a competition in Toronto and was relieved to find someone that would finally take her aspirations seriously. Olga eventually moved to California to train in weightlifting with Mayra, and in those few years has gone from 140 to 185 pounds.
      The Canadian was introduced to MMA in 1998, after watching a tape of one of the UFCs and realizing that fighting was what she really wanted to do. Now a blue belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, Olga feels her strength as a fighter lies on the ground, but admits she is gaining confidence with her striking. When she describes her first NHB fight, her voice builds with excitement, and you can tell she is almost reliving that moment when the crowd was chanting "Olga" over and over again. Her two MMA wins have both been by submission.
      As for her more muscular physique she says, " I get a lot more attention. I've noticed nowadays guys actually like muscular women that are in shape. It's not so much the model-type anymore. This body-type is more appealing -- a healthy body."
      When asked why she thinks men have become more accepting of women's MMA in the last couple of years, Olga has this to say on the subject: "Women are starting to train with men," she explains. "In the beginning, there weren't that many women in dojos or gyms training. Now, men are seeing that women can be strong and tough and can do the same things they can do."
      Olga's father likes the idea that his daughter is able to take care of herself. She calls her mother "a bit old-fashioned" by wanting her to get married and into any career that doesn't involve fighting. Of course, when her daughter wins, it's another story. When asked how Olga pictures her own MMA story ending, she says she hopes with fame and fortune.
      Olga's fight is the second of the evening, and after stunning her opponent with a powerful punch, she capitalizes on the situation by quickly taking the fight down to her domain before maneuvering her adversary into an irreversible keylock. After the show, she is beaming pure delight. Olga Bakalopoulos is in her element.

Erica Montoya
Erica Montoya       Like any other teenager, Erica Montoya claims that when she is being punished, her parents take away something that means everything to her -- training privileges. At seventeen years of age, Erica is quite possibly the youngest female mixed martial artist in America. With two no-holds-barred fights now under her belt, this high school junior is well on her way to making a mark in the sport. She's also in a unique position. As women's MMA grows in the next five, even ten years, Erica will still be in her fighting prime and might still be around to reap future benefits.
      Erica got her first taste of the martial arts at the tender age of 12, when she and her brother tried out "freestyle fighting" at a local California academy. Showing prowess early on, Erica was encouraged to compete in some local tournaments, which led her to try out other disciplines as well. "Wrestling, judo -- you name, I tried it," she says, as every weekend had her parents driving her to one tournament or another. Eventually, this experimentation led her to the discovery of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. She started to train under Rigan Machado, eventually making her way up through the tournament circuit to the Pan American Games, where she placed first in her division. After winning the World Championships in Brazil last year, and gaining her purple belt in the process, the 16-year-old decided to give MMA a try. Erica's father had also seen the ReMix tapes and agreed that this might be the next step in his daughter's career. Erica sought out the help of UFC and KOTC veteran Chris Brennan and his Next Generation Team of fighters. Brennan had first seen Erica fight in a couple of open-handed cage events back when she was only 13 years old, and even then, the potential for greatness was there. "I always knew I'd see her fighting on the scene when this [women's MMA] blew up, and now that she's come to me for her no-holds-barred training, I know I can offer her a lot and she can give a lot back to the team."
      Erica and her parents make the hour drive to Next Generation practically every day. In the few months she's been training with the team, Erica has already had her first professional fight, at one of MMA's better-known venues nonetheless. Her win at Warrior's Quest in Hawaii has cemented her appearance on the HOOKnSHOOT card and at 17, she will be the evening's youngest participant.
      Pleasant, polite, and agreeable -- talking to Erica is like talking to your little sister. When asked what she does outside of her life in the martial arts, Erica says that besides school, she has little time for anything else. She doesn't have a boyfriend and she claims her friends stopped asking her to hang out on weekends long ago. What little TV she watches swings toward medical shows as she would like to someday attend UCLA Medical School and later work in a hospital ER. Having already accomplished tasks that take other's lifetimes to complete, I picture Erica running down a hospital hallway in her long white labcoat, stethoscope in hand.
      I sit with Erica's parents ringside at the show. They are noticeably edgy and can't wait for the whole scenario to finally play out. Luckily for them, Erica's fight is the first one of the night. The brawl quickly goes to the ground, where Erica dominates her opponent into submission. After Erica's hand is raised in victory, she is whisked backstage before her parents can get a good look at her. Her father leans over to me and whispers that his main concern is that Erica took a hit in the beginning of the round and that her face will show the results going home. Erica appears moments later with her coach, mentor, and "big brother" Chris Brennan, unscathed by the whole ordeal. Her father breathes a sigh of relief as a little girl approaches Erica for her first-ever autograph request. Welcome to the world of women's MMA.

  Saturday - August 17, 2002

FCF Sweatpants Back in Stock!
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By Aaron Crecy
Countdown to K-1
World-class kickboxers converge upon Las Vegas for World Grand Prix Elimination Tournament

LAS VEGAS -- Ernesto Hoost. Stefan Leko. Mike Bernardo. These are just some of K-1's living legends that will put their extraordinary talents on display tonight at the Bellagio Hotel & Casino. Hoost, Leko and Bernardo will appear in Super Bouts, which will accompany the K-1 World Grand Prix Elimination Tournament.

Ernesto Hoost The Elimination Tournament features eight fighters battling for a berth to November's finals. Oddsmakers list Canadian Michael McDonald and Australian Adam Watt as two-to-one favorites to win the Elimination Tournament. Meanwhile, Hoost, Leko and Bernardo are also heavy favorites in their respective bouts.

Notes:
  • Gary Goodridge is accompanied by Tom Erikson, who stated that he was signed to fight Hoost but was denied a license by the Nevada State Athletic Commission due to inexperience in kickboxing competitions. Look for him on the September K-1 card in Japan, possibly versus Bob Sapp. Ray Sefo
  • Goodridge, Erikson, Sapp and Heath Herring are among the Pride contingent in Las Vegas, along with commentator Stephen "The Fight Professor" Quadros. Former UFC and K-1 star Maurice Smith is also in attendance, as are 2000 World Grand Prix finalist Ray Sefo and UFC heavyweight contender Ricco Rodriguez.
  • Sapp is training with Smith, Matt Hume and Josh Barnett as he prepares to take on Rodrigo "Minotauro" Nogueira at the upcoming Pride Shockwave.
  • King of the Cage and World Fighting Alliance veteran Marvin Eastman will face Duke Roufus in the Elimination Tournament's reserve match. The winner will replace a winning fighter who recorded a KO or TKO but cannot continue due to injury. According to K-1's "Survivor Rule," if the injured fighter won by decision, the losing fighter advances. Stephan Leko
  • Michael Jordan, "Mini Me" and Mike Tyson are among the celebrities expected to attend the show.
  • With more than 24 hours remaining before the show, K-1 announced that it is just 600 tickets shy of selling out the Bellagio Hotel & Casino's 5000-seat Grand Ballroom.
  • Welterweight George Tsutsui failed his pre-fight physical and withdrew from his scheduled undercard bout versus Melcor Menor.
  • Elimination Tournament bouts will be three three-minute rounds, while the Super Bouts will be five three-minute rounds. All undercard bouts will be three two-minute rounds.
  • Jägermeister joins K-1 as official event sponsor. In recent weeks, the fun-loving German liqueur has sponsored an assortment of mixed martial arts fighters, including Kevin Randleman, Vernon White, Shonie Carter, Heath Sims, Dave Gardner and Chael Sonnen. Look for the world-famous Jägerettes as they escort the K-1 fighters to the ring on Saturday night.
  • K-1 is filming the show for broadcast on ESPN 2, possible as soon as next week -- stay tuned for details.
Official Bout Order
K-1 World Grand Prix Elimination Tournament
Bellagio Hotel & Casino Grand Ballroom
August 17, 2002

Adam Watt Undercard Bouts -- 6:00 PM

Bout 1 -- Light Welterweight (Muay Thai rules)
Shawn Yacoubian vs. Marcos Matamoros

Bout 2 -- Super Middleweight (Full Contact rules)
Brian Schwartz vs. Shannon Ritch

Bout 3 -- Light Heavyweight (Muay Thai rules)
Eddy Millis vs. David Denisen

Bout 4 -- Light Heavyweight (Muay Thai rules)
Kit Cope vs. Heath Harris

Bout 5 -- Heavyweight (K-1 reserve match)
Duke Roufus vs. Marvin Eastman

Petr Vondrachek K-1 Elimination Tournament

Quarterfinal 1
Michael McDonald (Canada) vs. Ricardo Duenas (Spain)

Quarterfinal 2
Tony Gregory (France) vs. Petr Vondrachek (Czech Republic)

Quarterfinal 3
Adam Watt (Australia) vs. Pavel Majer (Czech Republic)

Quarterfinal 4
Andrew Thompson (South Africa) vs. Errol Parris (Holland)

Super Bout 1
Ernesto Hoost (Holland) vs. Johannes Nortje (South Africa)

Semi Final 1
Winner QF 1 vs. QF 2

Super Bout 2
Stephan Leko (Germany) vs. Remy Bonjasky (Holland)

Semi Final 2
Winner QF 3 vs. QF 4

Super Bout 3
Mike Bernardo (South Africa) vs. Gary Goodridge (Trinidad & Tobago)
Mike BernardoGary Goodridge

Elimination Tournament Finals
Winner SF1 vs. SF 2

  Sunday - August 18, 2002

From Koichi "Booker K" Kawasaki:
"Dynamite"

Event Title: Dynamite! SUMMER NIGHT FEVER in National Stadium (aka "PRIDE Shock Wave")
Date: August 28th, 2002
Open: 3:30 PM -Start: 6:30 PM

K-1 president Mr.Ishii, who is also producer of "Dynamite" (aka , PRIDE Shock Wave in USA), announced the following addition to the card:

Ernesto Hoost (Holland/Vos Gym - 3-time K-1 GP Champion)
vs.
Semmy Schilt (Holland/Golden Glory)
* This fight is under K-1 Rules

Previously announced match ups:
Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira (Brazil/Brazilian Top Team)
vs.
Bob Sapp (USA/Maurice Smith Kickboxing Center)
* This fight is under PRIDE rules

Don Frye (USA/Free)
vs.
Mark Hunt (New Zealand/Liverpool Kickboxing Gym)
* This fight is under K-1 Rules

Kazushi Sakuraba (Japan/Takada Dojo)
vs.
Mirko Cro Cop (Croatia/Cro Cop Squad Gym)

Hidehiko Yoshida (Japan/Yoshida Dojo)
vs.
Royce Gracie (Brazil/Gracie Jiu-Jitsu )

Mr.Ishii said he will announce about Wanderlei Silva's match up in a few days.

  Monday - August 19, 2002

By Loretta Hunt
Frank-ly Speaking
Injury Sidelines Shamrock's Return, But Not His Spirit

"Talking on the phone seems to be my main purpose in life," laments Frank Shamrock from his office in San Jose, California. It's been an eventful two weeks for the beloved former UFC champion, a roller coaster of developments that began with the long-awaited and highly-rumored announcement that was almost three years in the making -- Frank Shamrock was returning to MMA competition. But just as quickly as the golden carrot was dangled in front of the masses of hungry fans, it was hastily snatched away. There was only a week to ponder and debate the possible outcomes of his match-up with Renzo Gracie black belt Ricardo Almeida at the World Extreme Cagefighting's August 31st event, because fate obviously had other plans this time around. Shamrock had succumbed to the one thing he says he hates about the fight game -- getting injured. With the realization that his return will be delayed, it would seem the undefeated 5-0 UFC veteran has some time on his hands... or does he?

Frank Shamrock By now, the MMA world is quite familiar with the details of this untimely occurrence. It all started in training at the American Kickboxing Academy, as Shamrock fired off a right kick that caught training partner "Crazy" Bob Cook's elbow. It registered with Shamrock immediately, as he had to stop to recover for twenty seconds, something he says he never does in sparring. Although in pain, Shamrock felt able to continue, and continue he did -- for an entire week. "I even went to the St. Louis stadium where the Cardinals play and ran it," he recalls jovially. Although he couldn't tie his shoes and the leg continued to swell, it wasn't until a regular visit to his chiropractor that Shamrock began to fathom the scope of the damage received. Complaining of a focused pain in one area, the doctor decided to take an X-ray which immediately revealed a crack in the bone. With this knowledge, Shamrock admits he trained for one more day, but a persistent phone call from his chiropractor persuaded him to go to a specialist for treatment. The second X-ray revealed a clean break directly through his right fibula, and it was there he says that reality set in -- he wasn't going to be able to fight. The break could have been worse had the bone been displaced or moved -- a small favor that will force Shamrock to sport a temporary "walking cast" over a cumbersome plaster one for the next month. Following that month, it will be approximately two weeks before Shamrock can start sparring again, and from there, he says, he will need about two months to get into fighting form again.

As he sits by the phone with his newfound friend (the cast he has already affectionately dubbed "Big Daddy"), Frank adds up the time in his head. "December or January," he blurts out, "but I don't want to fight anywhere cold," he quickly adds. "I hate cold weather." His demeanor is cheerfully contagious for a man who just spent months of arduous training for a fight that is not going to happen. "I was feeling down for the first three days, mostly because I felt old. Then, I remembered that I'm not even thirty yet," he zips with his undeniable charm. It is a combination of charm and unquestionable talent that has propelled Frank to the top of the fighter chain and has kept him there, even in retirement. Former UFC champion Frank Shamrock One cannot help but think his small venue request can surely be accommodated for one of the sport's most popular and revered fighters ever. Following a very healthy stint in Japan's Pancrase organization (where he fought 3 wars with Bas Rutten), Frank went on to defeat Enson Inoue, Olympic Gold Medalist Kevin Jackson, Jeremy Horn, and Igor Zinoviev -- to name a few. Having left the fight scene at the height of his popularity, moments after handing a young, brash Tito Ortiz a loss at UFC 22, Frank has room to negotiate.

Click here to continue the article

From Koichi "Booker K" Kawasaki:
K-1 WORLD GP 2002 in Las Vegas results:
"Big Daddy" KO's Bernardo!

K-1 WORLD GP 2002 in Las Vegas
Date: Saturday, August 17th 2002
Place: Bellagio Hotel (Las Vegas/U.S.A)

8-MAN TOURNAMENT + Three SuperFights

1st match Tournament-1st Match
Michael McDonald VS Ricardo Duenas
Winner: Michael McDonald KO 1R 1:25

2nd match Tournament-2nd Match
Petr Vandrachek VS Tony Gregory
Winner: Tony Gregory KO 1R 2:48

3rd match Tournament-3rd Match
Adam Watt VS Pavel Mayer
Winner: Pavel Mayer decision 3R

4th match Tournament-4th Match
Andrew Thomson VS Errol Parris
Winner: Errol Parris KO 1R 2:59

5th match Super Fight-1
Ernesto Hoost VS Jan "The Giant" Nortje
Winner: Ernesto Hoost KO 1R 1:29

6th match Tournament Semi-Final 1st Match
Michael McDonald VS Tony Gregory
Winner: Michael McDonald decision 3R

7th match Tournament Semi-Final 2nd Match
Pavel Mayer VS Errol Parris
Winner: Pavel Mayer KO 1R 1:25

8th match Super Fight-2
Stefan Leko VS Remy Bonjasky
Winner: Stefan Leko decision 5R

9th match Super Fight-3
Mike Bernardo VS Gary Goodridge
Winner: Gary Goodridge KO 1R 1:38

10th match Tournament Final
Michael McDonald VS Pavel Mayer
Winner: Michael McDonald TKO 2R 1:01

*ESPN 2 will broadcast This event on August 26 or August 27.

  Tuesday - August 20, 2002

The Brazilian Beat
The Brazilian Beat:
Babalu to face Liddell, Wallid to return to PRIDE, Storm coming up, MECA 7 scheduled and more!

As the Shockwave event approaches, things are heating up in Brazil, with everybody paying close attention to what promises to be the biggest mixed martial arts event ever. Camps like Chute Boxe and the Brazilian Top Team are preparing their champions to compete in Japan, and both teams leave for Japan this week. However, Shockwave isn't the only thing drawing attention in Brazil right now. The next editions of the UFC are also creating expectations with fighters training hard for it and new fights being commented all the time! If that's not enough for a fight fan MECA 7 is finally set to go and promises to be the biggest MECA ever, Storm Muay Thai is getting closer and the one and only Wallid Ismail is ready to come back to PRIDE, as The Beat continues its never-ending groove...
  • After his impressive win at UFO against Murakami Kazunari, who trained for the fight with the Brazilian Top Team, Wallid Ismail is already back in the USA to continue his training. Ismail has been training hard with the rAw team, and also in boxing with the likes of Al Stankie at Antonio Inoki's own LA Dojo. Wallid told Full Contact Fighter that the training sessions have been extremely hard with great fighters such as Frank Trigg, Vladimir Matyushenko and Fernando Vasconcelos. Wallid went on to say that negotiations are ongoing for the formation of a fight team -- combining the forces of Carlson Gracie, LA Dojo and the rAw team -- intent on leading an assault on the Japanese NHB events! On the subject of fighting at UFO with his former teammates in the corner of his opponent Wallid Ismail commented to FCF: "Because it was Bebel [Duarte] who was in Kazunari's corner I even found it funny, since he is a friend and someone who grew up with me. Also, if I would have lost, I wouldn't be upset with their competence in doing good work with the training, instead I would be upset with myself for not have [achieving good training results]. I'm not like others who get upset with my professional competence instead of getting upset with their own incompetence. When these people look in the mirror, holding whatever titles they hold, they know their own incompetence"

  • Charismatic as always, Wallid also told FCF how amazed he was with Rico Chiapparelli's competence as a trainer and cornerman. Ismail reported that Rico gave him a lot of confidence during the fight, giving him the right atmosphere to perform his best like only Carlson Gracie can give him. The former IVC champion believes he is in the best shape of his life and has his new challenge already in his sight, a likely fight at PRIDE 22 in September, against an opponent to be named in the future, for which Wallid Ismail is already preparing himself. We will continue to keep a close eye on Wallid's preparation and his next fight in PRIDE.

  • UFC Legend Marco Ruas is already in the final stages of his recovery process from the broken hand he suffered while training for UFO. Ruas is already training, concentrating mostly on kicks instead of punches for obvious reasons, and doing physiotherapy. "The King of the Streets", who is already teaching again at his academy in the USA, told Full Contact Fighter that he believes in around one month his hand will be fully recovered and he will be able to resume full training once again, to then start getting ready for at least one more fight in the near future since he is still not retired!

  • Speaking of the Ruas Vale Tudo team, Light Heavyweight Renato "Babalu" Sobral will be returning to the Octagon in November to face none other than "The Iceman" Chuck Liddell! Although not announced yet, the fight is likely to be a done deal and will probably showcase a stand-up war! "Babalu" is taking this challenge as the fight of his life and will be moving to the USA in the coming weeks to live and train with Marco Ruas until fight time, in order to be in the best possible shape to attempt such a difficult task... beating Chuck Liddell.

  • Things are heated up at the Ruas Vale Tudo Team headquarters in Brazil as K-1 Legend Peter Aerts is already at Rio de Janeiro helping his friend Pedro Rizzo to train for his September UFC fight against Gan McGee. Reports have that the training sections has been as tough as ever and "The Rock" is sharpening up his Muay Thai skills with Aerts looking for a knockout against the huge McGee.

  • The next edition of MECA World Vale Tudo is finally scheduled and approved for November 7th, at the "Palacio de Cristal" in Curitiba. The 7th edition of the show feature 12 NHB fights for the first time in the history of the event. Initially, the promoters planned on holding several editions throughout 2002, however Sportv ended up approving only one edition for November, so several fights planned for other editions were added to the November card. The event will be broadcast live on pay-per-view in Brazil and also broadcast later in two parts on Sportv.

  • Still on the subject of MECA, it is now confirmed that Chute Boxe legend Pele Landi will be back in the event! The former WEF and IVC champion will be facing Ruas Vale Tudo team member Alexandre "Cacareco" in one of the event's headline bouts! Pele is training hard and hopes that his fight will take him a step closer to the UFC. Among the other 11 fights being scheduled for the next MECA some interesting battles are set to happen: Luta-Livre legend Eugenio Tadeu will face Ryan Gracie student Marcelo Giudice; the debut of Mauricio "Shogun", Murilo Ninja's brother, in NHB; a possible fight between Chute Boxe's K-1 winner Nilson de Castro against Luta-Livre's Bigu, as well as the presence of an American fighter, Dave Phillips on the card; and even a possible return of Jorge "Macaco" Patino! FCF will keep following the developments on the biggest NHB event in Brazil.

  • On the always interesting subject of the Chute Boxe team, PRIDE Middleweight champion Vanderlei Silva will be leaving for Japan this Wednesday, August 21st, to compete at Shockwave. Vanderlei will fly to the land of the rising sun along with his master Rudimar Fedrigo and trainer Rafael Cordeiro. "The Axe Murder" is in top shape and will be leaving Brazil still not knowing who his opponent will be, although his opponent is about to be announced very soon in Japan. Negotiations for Vanderlei's opponent began with K-1's Ray Sefo, then went to another K-1 fighter in Cyril Abdil, and even got to a point where a Sumo player was a likely opponent. However, at this point Silva is truly in the dark. With nothing still certain about his opponent and his departure just moments away, the Axe Murderer said to FCF in typical Vanderlei form: "I don't care! Let's go there and fight!"

  • As Shockwave is drawing most of the Brazilian NHB community's attention right now, another PRIDE champion who will be leaving for Japan this week is Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira. "Minotauro" will be leaving Brazil this Thursday along with Mario Sperry and the rest of the Brazilian Top Team crew to face the giant Bob Sapp. Nogueira is feeling fresh and ready after his knockout win over Sanae Kikuta at UFO and promises to deliver another exciting performance for the fans, despite the weight difference.

  • This weekend will also feature another edition of the Storm Muay Thai event, promoted by the Chute Boxe team, in Curitiba! This Saturday, May 24th the beautiful Opera de Arame, one of the city's landmarks, will host for the second time a night full of hard hitting Muay Thai action. Not even the participation of Vanderlei Silva at Shockwave was able to jeopardize the event that is set and ready to deliver. Among the most interesting notes on the event will be the participation of Mauricio "Shogun," Murilo Ninja's brother, facing Sariow, a fighter from the state of Santa Catarina, in a Muay Thai match. Promising Chute Boxe fighter Marlon Matias facing Peterson and NHB veteran from Chute Boxe Osmar Dias Fernandes facing Cleverson are also two fights to take note of in this event. The event will also feature a women's Muay Thai fight to open the night of action, as well as the return of former Storm winner Nelson who scored the quickest knockout at the last edition. Things will also be interesting ringside, with fighters like Pele Landi, Murilo Ninja Rua, Assuerio Silva and Nilson de Castro all on hand to add prestige to the event.

  • Another Brazilian fighter competing at Shockwave is Royce Gracie. The legendary fighter is already on the last stage of his preparation for the upcoming fight against Olympic gold medallist in judo, Hidehiko Yoshida. Royce has been training hard with his brother Royler and will have a impressive corner to help him in his fight against Yoshida. Helping Royce Gracie will be none other than Royler, Renzo, Rolker, Charles, Rodrigo and the legend himself, Helio Gracie. Since the early UFCs, the NHB world hasn't seen so many Gracies united to win a fight, adding to the already major impact this fight is having in Japan. Royce told Full Contact Fighter that unfortunatelly Rickson Gracie won't be able to join them for this fight in Japan due to particular issues, although he would have liked to come.

From Josh Hedges/Zuffa:
TITO ORTIZ vs. KEN SHAMROCK
AT UFC 40: VENDETTA;
LIVE FROM THE MGM GRAND, NOVEMBER 22


Shamrock Returns To Face Ortiz In A Super-Fight Between Ultimate Fighting Championship's Old Guard Against New

Live Event Tickets To Go On Sale This Saturday, August 24

      LAS VEGAS, AUGUST 19, 2002... The much anticipated fight that will pit Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) Light Heavyweight Champion Tito Ortiz and UFC legend Ken Shamrock has finally arrived. Fight fans know Ortiz and Shamrock have a major score to settle based on long-standing hostilities between each other, although the two have never fought. They will finally do just that in the main event of UFC 40: Vendetta, live on pay-per-view at 10 p.m., EDT, Friday, November 22 from the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas. Live event tickets for the eight-fight card go on sale at Noon this Saturday, August 24, with prices ranging from $30 to $300. Tickets can be purchased at the MGM Grand Garden Arena box office and all Ticketmaster locations, by calling Ticketmaster at 1-877-632-7400 and (702) 474-4000, or at www.ticketmaster.com.
      UFC 40: Vendetta will be available live at 10 p.m.EDT/7 p.m. PDT, Friday, November 22, on iN DEMAND, DIRECTV, TVN, Dish Network, BellExpressVu and Viewers Choice Canada. The suggested retail price is $29.95.       Fight fans have been anticipating Shamrock's return to the UFC ever since he defeated Brian Johnston by forearm choke submission Dec. 7, 1996, at Ultimate Ultimate '96 in Birmingham, Ala. Shamrock vs. Ortiz will pit the UFC's old guard against the new.
      The hostility between the two fighters was building for years, but reached a boiling point March 5, 1999, at UFC 19: Young Guns in Bay St. Louis, Miss., after Ortiz battered Shamrock protégé Guy Mezger forcing stoppage of the fight. In the post-fight celebration, Tito donned a T-shirt parodying Mezger's name. Shamrock attempted to vault the Octagon fence and has since vowed to teach Ortiz some humility. "I cannot leave the game without fighting him," Shamrock said.
      Ortiz, of course, has risen to become the light heavyweight champion and is now fully recovered from a torn anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee suffered in a training mishap in February. In his last title defense, he won a unanimous decision over Vladimir Matyushenko September 28, 2001, at UFC 33: Victory In Vegas. His response to Shamrock's return is typical Tito. "I can't wait to welcome him back to the new UFC."
      The UFC's next PPV event will be at 10 p.m.EDT/7 p.m. PDT on Friday, Sept. 27, live from Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Conn.

Note:
  • UFC Light Heavyweight Champion Tito Ortiz' mixed martial arts record is 10-2-0. He lives in Huntington Beach, Calif.
  • Ken Shamrock's mixed martial arts record is 8-4-2. He lives in San Diego, Calif.
  • The remainder of the card for UFC 40: Vendetta will be announced.

  Wednesday - August 21, 2002

UFC 40 Banner
From Joseph Cunliffe:
Cage Rage IV Results
Held Saturday, August 17, 2002
Johanning Civic Center - Kokomo, IN

Quick Results:
  1. Richard Bentley of Kokomo, IN defeated Wayne Bogard of Kokomo, IN by Split Decision after 3 rounds.
  2. Joel Mason of Windfall, IN defeated Jimmy Percy of Kokomo, IN by DQ at 3:58 of Round 3.
  3. Ed Myers of Tipton, IN defeated Skyler Berndt of Kokomo, IN by tap out to a guillotine choke at 1:36 of Round 1.
  4. Shawn Porter of Spartanburg, SC defeated Tim Howell of Peru, IN by TKO/Ref Stoppage due to strikes at 0:47 of Round 1.
  5. Nick Hyde of Indianapolis, IN defeated Josh Mason of Windfall, IN by tap out to an arm bar at in Round 2.
  6. Justin Weiman of Ottowa, IL defeated Jeremy Brown of Delphi, IN by tap out to a rear naked choke at 1:40 of Round 1.
  7. Anthony Burton of Peru, IN won the Cage Rage Middleweight Championship by default when York Ash did not show.
  8. Richard Bentley of Kokomo, IN defeated Anthony Burton of Peru, IN by TKO at 0:57 of Round 2 to earn the Cage Rage Middleweight Championship.
  9. Brian Ebersole of Charleston, IL defeated Dan Hart of Roscoe, IL by TKO/choke out at 1:48 of Round 1 to retain the Cage Rage Heavyweight Championship.
  10. Jay Massey of Muncie, IN defeated Joel Blanton of Logansport, IN by TKO at 3:00 of Round 1 to earn the Cage Rage Light Heavyweight Championship.
  11. Darrell "The Bulldog" Smith of Noblesville, IN defeated Brian Garaghty of Kenosha, WI by Unanimous Decision after 3 rounds to retain the ISCF Professional United States Welterweight Championship.

  Friday - August 23, 2002

Pick up the August 2002 issue of FCF Today!

FCF New Issue In this issue...

UFC 38: The Brawl has it All. Jim Genia takes you to London, England for a live view of the action.

UFC Middleweight Champ Murilo Bustamante tells all in a huge, candid interview with Eduardo Alonso.

Do Nice Guys Really Finish Last? Jeremy Horn talks with Loretta Hunt.

Coverage of the Josh Barnett Suspension, including observations on the situation from Barnett, Barnett's trainer Matt Hume and NSAC Commissioner Dr. Flip Homansky

Randleman returns to action at Revolution Fighting Championships in Vega$.

MMA Diary: Go behind the scenes to take a look at WFA: Level 2 from the inside and out.

Down Goes Pequeno! Read about how it happened in this month's SHOOTO Report

The Brawl Outside the Hall, get first-hand accounts of the alcohol-induced antics outside of the after-fight party from both Pat Miletich and Lee Murray (the man who had it out with UFC Light-Heavyweight champ Tito Ortiz).

CBJJ & CBJJO: Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu championships compete with each other, with the fans coming out the winners. Great shots of the action from Brazil.

MMA in MA: Reality Fighting at the Palladium

Debi Purcell: Making Women Count Mike Afromowitz takes a look at this exciting up and coming fighter.

SuperBrawl XXV: Heated action in Honolulu.

Egan Inoue Retires after his KO victory at SuperBrawl XXV and talks with Chris Onzuka about his "final" fight.

Keith Mills covers IFC & 21st Century Warriors shows.

In part 5 of his article on Periodization, Former AMC Pankration strength & conditioning coach Mark Ginther discusses Explosive Power.

Vitor Belfort BioFile: learn about "The Phenom", such as his most painful fighting memory: the loss to Randy Couture.

Fight fans speak out on the Josh Barnett suspension and subsequent stripping of his title.

In our monthly columns...
In Matt Hume's techniques, Jennifer Hua and Christina Lin demonstrate Reverse Triangle 1/2 Nelson; and in the Punchers Corner, champion kickboxer Derek Panza discusses Counter Punching off the Your Opponent's Kick.

Every issue of Full Contact Fighter is jam-packed with fight news from the U.S. to Brazil to Japan. FCF travels the globe to bring the fights to you. Get yours today! Available at Tower Records stores around the world or by subscription...


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From Natalie Salzman at Bender/Helper Impact:
(DSE/Pride representative)

PRIDE FC: Shock Wave Fact Sheet
DreamStage Entertainment Announces Additional Bouts For PRIDE FC: ShockWave

EVENT NAME: "SHOCK WAVE"
PREMIERE DATE: SUNDAY, SEP 1, 2002. 9:00PM EST/6:00PM PST
*** Satellite feed from Japan
PPV RUNNING TIME: APPROXIMATELY 3 HOURS
PPV PRICE: $29.95
LIVE EVENT DATE: WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 28, 2002 TO BE POSTPONED TO AUGUST 29 OR 30 IN CASE OF HEAVY RAIN
VENUE: NATIONAL STADIUM
PROMOTER: DREAM STAGE ENTERTAINMENT
US PPV: DIRECTV, TVN AND DISH NETWORK

FIGHT CARD:
  • PRIDE RULES
    ... VANDERLEI SILVA (BRAZIL/Chute Boxe Academy) VS JERREL VENETIAAN (HOLLAND/Vos Gym)

  • PRIDE RULES
    ... GARY GOODRIDGE (TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO/Free) VS LLOYD VAN DAMS (HOLLAND/Chakuriki)

  • K-1 RULES
    ... ERNESTO HOOST (HOLLAND/Vos Gym) VS SEMMY SCHILT (HOLLAND/Golden Glory)

  • K-1 RULES
    ... DON FRYE (USA/Free) VS MARK HUNT (NEW ZEALAND/Liverpool Kickboxing Gym)

  • PRIDE RULES
    ... ANTONIO RODRIGO NOGUERIA (BRAZIL/Brazilian Top Team) VS BOB SAPP (USA/Maurice Smith Kickboxing Center)

  • SPECIAL JACKET MATCH RULES
    ... ROYCE GRACIE (BRAZIL/Gracie Jiu-Jitsu) VS HIDEHIKO YOSHIDA (JAPAN/Yoshida Dojo)

  • PRIDE RULES
    ... KAZUSHI SAKURABA (JAPAN/Takada dojo) VS MIRCO CRO-COP (CROATIA/Cro Cop Squad Gym)

  Saturday - August 24, 2002

By Eduardo Alonso
Heating up for Shockwave:
Vanderlei has his Axe ready for Another Murder!

PRIDE Middleweight champion Vanderlei Silva is once again just days away from yet another fight in his already extensive career. After winning his belt at PRIDE 17, back in November of 2001, Silva already fought three times, beating two Japanese opponents and fighting K1 fighter Mirko "Cro Cop" Filipovic to a draw. However this time the Brazilian fighter had to face a new situation in his fighting career, traveling to Japan without even knowing who his opponent will be [After the interview PRIDE announced Dutch fighter Jerrel Venetiaan as his opponent]. Vanderlei Silva In typical Vanderlei fashion he didn't care, and unlike most people would do in his place he signed the fight anyway and departed anxious to compete in what promises to be the biggest MMA venture ever: Shockwave. Just a few hours before catching his plane, Vanderlei Silva talked with FCF about his last fight against "Cro Cop", his next challenge and much more! As Shockwave is delivering the heat for NHB fans, Full Contact Fighter checks the "Axe Murderer" appetite for yet another victim...

FCF:   Your last fight was against Mirko "Cro Cop" at PRIDE 20. Now that some time went by since this fight, how do you analyze your performance in the match-up?
VS:     I analyze it in a positive way since the rules didn't favor me and his weight didn't favor me as well. I really think I did well in the fight and I think I did an intelligent fight with him. From the second or third round and on he sort of chickened out and started to walk backwards. He really chickened out and I felt from the second and third round and on he didn't have all that tough guy attitude of his, and in fact I think I won the fight.

FCF:   What did you think of "Cro Cop's" attitudes before and during the begging of the fight, like blowing kisses to you? Did this motivate you even more?
VS:     That was desperation. The guy was in fact scared as hell to face me. You can even check his facial expression when he makes his entrance; it's not a tranquil expression like someone who is willing to brawl. The guy was nervous; he was scared to fight me.

FCF:   What about his stare down before the fight? Usually most fighters don't stare back at you, but he did. Do you get more motivated when someone stares back?
VS:     It doesn't matter in the end, because this is my line in the play. If the other guy wants to do a little guest appearance, or work in a supporting role it's ok with me, but this is my line after all [Laughs]

FCF:   Still speaking of your last fight, what did you think of fighting under those different rules, with no judges and shorter rounds? Would you fight again under those rules?
VS:     To tell you the truth I don't chose much of these things. If I have to do, I'll do it. It's tranquil, I don't pick any rules or I don't pick any fighters. I think when a fighter starts to demand a lot of things in order to fight he doesn't gain much credibility with the public, and this is what I praise the most.

FCF:   Mirko told the press after the fight that he thought neither of you were aggressive during the fight, and since now he fought you in NHB rules you should return the favor and face him under K1 rules. What do you think of those comments?
VS:     Maybe he will even want to play ball with me! [Laughs] I'm an NHB fighter and I think he should stay a bit quiet and admit he lost to me. Also, he wasn't aggressive but I was, so I believe he had his opportunity and if he didn't take advantage of it I gave me show.

FCF:   What do you think will happen in his fight against Sakuraba at Shockwave?
VS:     Good question! I hope Sakuraba will kick his ass to be honest with you. I don't have anything against this guy [Cro Cop] but I didn't really like him, I didn't like much of his attitude, therefore I'm rooting for Sakuraba.

Click here to continue the interview

From the event's promoter:

JEREMY HORN SET TO
"RUMBLE UNDER THE SUN"


WORLD EXTREME CAGEFIGHTING'S
OFFICIAL LINE-UP PITS
"EAST VS. WEST" SHOWDOWN

UNCASVILLE, CONNECTICUT -- From the beautiful woodland oasis of the Mohegan Sun Casino and Resort, World Extreme Cagefighting is proud to bring its fourth highly-anticipated event to the eastern seaboard this August 31st. With a blend of Native American culture and East coast hospitality, "Rumble Under The Sun" will host ten exciting mixed martial arts match-ups for the audience's approval. With nine of those bouts hosting some of the East and West's most promising up-and-comers, only one side can be victorious in the war for coastal supremacy. Will it be the Eastern warriors, represented by the top schools of Team Renzo Gracie and Pedro Sauer Jiu-Jitsu, among others? Or will the Western gladiators edge out the competiton with its force of American Kickboxing Academy, RAW, and Next Generation delegates? With the inevitable clash of fighting styles, which coast will come out on top?

In a main event bout, one of today's most exciting heavyweight fighters will battle it out for the respect of the fans. Jeremy Horn, representing the famed Miletich Martial Arts fighting team, is set to clash with a soon to be released opponent. Coming off of a decisive win against world-class striker Gilbert Yvel in Pride, Horn's one hundred plus fight record boasts some of the slickest ground work in the sport to date.

Squaring off to determine the WEC's Featherweight Champion, Cole "The Apache Kid" Escovedo - from Fresno, California - will meet up with New York's own Renat Myrzabekov. Escovedo is a Brazilian Jiu-jitsu stylist known for his deadly triangle choke; Myrabekov is a Russian striker with a reputation for raw toughness. Where this match will end up is anyone's guess, but with the featherweight belt on the line, both men will certainly be giving it their all.

Highlighting the "East vs. West" rivalry showdown, Team Extreme representative and Boston-native Tony Fryklund will face off against California's own Paul Herrera. Fryklund is a UFC veteran who likes to bang, as evidenced by the recent serving of punishment he dished out on his way to a TKO victory over Rodrigo Ruas. Paul Herrera has also clocked time in the infamous Octagon and as a member of Tito Ortiz's Team Punishment, expect a ferocious cage warfare that should truly put this Miletich fighter to the test. Will the recent strife between these two top teams elevate this bout to a true grudge match?

World Extreme Cagefighting "Rumble Under The Sun" Line-Up

MAIN EVENT: WEC Heavyweight Superfight
Jeremy Horn
Miletich Fighting Systems
Team Extreme
Davenport, IA
Vs.
TBD

MAIN EVENT: WEC Featherweight Title Bout
Cole Escovedo
"The Apache Kid"
Brazilian Jiu-jitsu
Pacific Martial Arts
Fresno, CA
Vs.
Renat Myrzabekov
Tae Kwon Do
Team Khazakstan
Spring Valley, NY

Tony Fryklund
"The Freak"
Miletich Fighting Systems
Team Extreme
Davenport, IA
Vs.
Paul Herrera
Submission Wrestling
Team Punishment
Huntington Beach, CA

Jason Jones
RAW combat
RAW Training Center
Los Angeles, CA
Vs.
Glover Teixeira
"The Brazilian Pit Bull"
Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu/Judo

John Valerio Pereira Team/War Memorial Gym
Danbury, CT
Christian Wellisch
Submission Fighting
American Kickboxing Academy
San Jose, CA
Vs.
Jay White
Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu
Team Renzo Gracie
Albany, NY

Eric Mainiai
Submission Fighting
American Kickboxing Academy
San Jose, CA
Vs.
John Rallo
Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu
Team Renzo Gracie
Baltimore, MD

Mike Swick
Submission Fighting
American Kickboxing Academy
San Jose, CA
Vs.
James Gabert
Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu
Team Renzo Gracie
East Windsor, NJ

Richard Crunkilton
"Cleat"
Submission Fighting
American Kickboxing Academy
San Jose, CA
Vs.
Luciano Oliveira
Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu
New England BJJ/Joao Amaral Team
Boston, MA

Bao Quach
Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu
Wrestling/Kickboxing
Next Generation
Irvine, CA
Vs.
Jeff Curran
Jiu-Jitsu/Boxing
Pedro Sauer Jiu-Jitsu
McHenry, IL

Mac Danzig
RAW combat
RAW
Los Angeles, CA
Vs.
Kurt Pellegrino
Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu
Team Renzo Gracie
Point Pleasant, NJ

The Mohegan Sun, owned by the Mohegan Tribe, is one of the largest, most spectacular entertainment, gaming, shopping and meeting destinations in the United States. Situated on 240 acres along the Thames River in scenic Southeastern Connecticut, the Mohegan Sun is within easy access of New York, Boston, Hartford and Providence. With its state-of-the-art lighting and sound system, and 10,000 seat capacity, the Mohegan Sun arena is the premier entertainment venue on the East Coast.

Don't miss out on an evening of Native American flare, casino sights and sounds, and unforgettable mixed martial arts action. Tickets are now available at the Mohegan Sun's in-house Box Office, on-line through tickets.com, or by calling 1-800-477-6849. Tickets are also available through any tickets.com outlet. Ticket prices range from $25 to $200.

For more information, please contact Prome100@aol.com.

  Sunday - August 25, 2002

From Koichi "Booker K" Kawasaki:
PRIDE.22 Matches Announced

Today (August 25th) in Japan, DSE/PRIDE announced two match-ups for PRIDE.22:
  • SHUNGO OYAMA vs RYAN GRACIE
  • MARIO SPERRY vs ANDREI KOPYLOV
PRIDE.22
DATE: September 29, 2002
OPEN: 2:00 PM START 4:00 PM
PLACE: Nagoya Rainbow Hall, Japan (Aichi-Pref, Japan)

From the event's promoter:
WEC HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPION AARON BRINK SETS TO "RUMBLE UNDER THE SUN" WITH JEREMY HORN THIS SATURDAY

UNCASVILLE, CONNECTICUT (August 25, 2002) - From the beautiful woodland oasis of the Mohegan Sun Casino and Resort, World Extreme Cagefighting is proud to bring its fourth highly-anticipated event to the eastern seaboard this August 31st. With a blend of Native American culture and East coast hospitality, "Rumble Under The Sun" will host ten exciting mixed martial arts match-ups for the audience's approval. With nine of those bouts hosting some of the East and West's most promising up-and-comers, only one side can be victorious in the war for coastal supremacy. Will it be the Eastern warriors, represented by the top schools of Team Renzo Gracie and Pedro Sauer Jiu-Jitsu, among others? Or will the Western gladiators edge out the competiton with its force of American Kickboxing Academy, RAW, and Next Generation delegates? With the inevitable clash of fighting styles, which coast will come out on top?

In a main event Title bout, two of today's most experienced heavyweight fighters will battle it out for the respect of the fans. Jeremy Horn, representing the famed Miletich Martial Arts fighting team, is set to clash with Aaron Brink. Coming off of a decisive win against world-class striker Gilbert Yvel in Pride, Horn's one hundred plus fight record boasts some of the slickest ground work in the sport to date. Aaron Brink, representing Tito Ortiz's Team Punishment, is also coming off a devastatingly impressive win. In a recent WFA, Brink went toe-to-toe with RINGS' and Pride's veteran superstar Valentijn Overeem and broke Overeem's spirit with a flurry of punches that lead to a ref stoppage. At this week's WEC event, will Horn take it to the ground and quickly dethrone the WEC Heavyweight Champion or will Brink slug it out and show Horn that his throne is not yet up for grabs? Either way, this match promises to be explosive and one not to be missed this Labor Day weekend!

Come join today's MMA superstars such as: Renzo Gracie, Frank Shamrock, Tito Ortiz, Chuck Liddell, Ricardo Almeida and Sean Alvarez - just to name a few - and participate in what is destined to be a memorable night of extreme cagefighting action! Remember, this show will settle the debates and award bragging rights to the best fighting Coast. It's the East Coast vs. the West Coast. Don't miss it!

The Mohegan Sun, owned by the Mohegan Tribe, is one of the largest, most spectacular entertainment, gaming, shopping and meeting destinations in the United States. Situated on 240 acres along the Thames River in scenic Southeastern Connecticut, the Mohegan Sun is within easy access of New York, Boston, Hartford and Providence. With its state-of-the-art lighting and sound system, and 10,000 seat capacity, the Mohegan Sun arena is the premier entertainment venue on the East Coast.

Don't miss out on an evening of Native American flare, casino sights and sounds, and unforgettable mixed martial arts action. Tickets are now available at the Mohegan Sun's in-house Box Office, on-line through tickets.com, or by calling via phone at 1-800-477-6849. Tickets are also available through any tickets.com outlet. Ticket prices range from $25 to $200.

For more information, please contact Prome100@aol.com.

  Monday - August 26, 2002

By Eduardo Alonso
Heating up for Shockwave:
The Relentless Champion Takes His Magic to Japan for the 2nd time in August!

NHB fans rarely seem to agree in any subject, with different fans always defending different fighters from all corners of the World. However, if there's any fighter who is close to a unanimity status in our sport this guy is Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira, better known as Minotauro. A true champion, Nogueira has been facing all comers in his division, and has wins over the likes of Mark Coleman, Heath Herring, Enson Inoue and most recently Sanae Kikuta, just to name a few. Not only the PRIDE heavyweight champion has all those wins in his record but he won most of them by submission, showing probably a never seen before dominance in the heavyweight division. Minotauro Looking to add another impressive accomplishment to his already successful career, Minotauro is about to compete in what promises to be the biggest MMA event ever against a man most fighters are fearing right now, the monster who attends by the name of Bob Sapp! Not only that, but this will be the second time Rodrigo Minotauro Nogueira steps in the ring in less than a month, showing how much he loves to compete, and most of all showing his is a man of his word. Just one day before he left for Japan, Minotauro spoke with FCF about his last fight against Kikuta, and his upcoming challenge against Sapp and more. As the heath is already extremely high for Shockwave, Full Contact Fighter engages the Champion for yet another challenge...

FCF:   You fought recently at UFO, beating Sanae Kikuta by knockout. Did the fight go how you expected? What did you think of your performance?
ARN:   I liked my performance because I could change my strategy during the fight. I went there looking to do more of a ground game with him, well, I went to fight on the ground and standing because it was an NHB fight, not a Jiu Jitsu fight, but I was looking for a ground fight against him. However he was not allowing a lot of positions on the ground, cause he has a very stalled game. He positions himself very well and he defends the positions very well too. I tried to get him on a triangle but he stood up, I tried to get him on a footlock but he escaped well, and he was fighting very conservative inside my guard. He wasn't trying to pass my guard and wasn't moving a lot. So I realized there that he would try to stall the fight and take it to a judges' decision, and I changed my strategy. I told him to get up, I got a bit nervous and wanted to end the fight quickly. I got impatient. In all of my fights I get a bit impatient if the fight starts to look like it'll go for a judges' decision, and I start to want to finish it quickly.

FCF:   Did he frustrate you on the ground in the first round, so you came for the second round looking to trade strikes standing up?
ARN:   For sure. He was stalling a bit, and if he played more openly in the ground I could've played more of a ground game with him. But since he got up and risked kicking myself, I guess he wanted to trade strikes. He left his guard open, and this is a position that I train a lot so you go and figure it out [Laughs]

FCF:   There was a big controversy regarding your participation at UFO. When you finally got to Japan, how were things with PRIDE regarding your participation in UFO? Was there a lot of resistance to allow you to fight in it?
ARN:   Before I went to Japan there was some resistance from PRIDE, because they feared I would fight in UFO and wouldn't fight at PRIDE Shockwave now. Since Shockwave is a joint venture with K1, PRIDE would have to get some fighters on the show, and since I'm their Heavyweight champion and they are doing a huge event on a 100,000 spectators stadium, therefore they need big names to attract the public, there was a pressure for me to fight in this event. But I never said "no" to PRIDE. Before I fought in UFO I gathered with the PRIDE representatives, we had a meeting before the fight, and they were afraid their champion could lose to Kikuta in another event, who is a good fighter but not a champion yet. So we had this meeting two days before my fight, we talked and I guaranteed them that I would fight at Shockwave so they didn't oppose to my fight at UFO. I gave them my word that I would fight in both events, and that I would win in UFO, since they were afraid I wasn't going to fight in great physical conditions and could lose to Kikuta because of it.

Click here to continue the interview

Minotauro
After drawing a near-capacity crowd on Saturday, August 17th, the 2002 K-1 World Grand Prix Semifinals will be made available to 84 million homes for 90 minutes on ESPN2 this Tuesday, August 27th at 10:30 pm EST (7:30PM PST).

From RITC Writer/Statistician John Petrilli:
RITC 38 - "Let's Roll"
Riggs vs Pardo (UFC Veteran)
Dewees vs Ritch (Pride Veteran)

In one Main Event, Joseph Riggs will face Joe Pardo. Joseph Riggs is a 19 year old Wrestler/Boxer. He's a two-time State Wrestling Champion and an ex-Arizona Golden Gloves Champion. Riggs is currently ranked #1 in the RITC Heavyweight Division. Joe Pardo is a UFC veteran. He's a jiu-jitsu specialist that once trained with the Gracie's. He's traveling to Arizona from California to challenge the #1 ranked RITC Heavyweight. Pardo's teammate and Pride veteran John Marsh will accompany Joe to Arizona to serve as his corner man. Marsh has fought MMA notables Ricco Rodriquez, Josh Barnett, Vladimir Matyushenko and Jerry Horn.

Two of Arizona's most active fighters will be featured in the other Main Event for RITC 38. Edwin Dewees, in just over 2 years, has posted a 22 - 4 record in RITC bouts. Shannon "The Cannon" Ritch had his 91st career fight at the K-1 event held at the Bellagio hotel in Las Vegas on August 17th. Shannon is the most active MMA fighter in the world. He has fought in Japan, Holland, Burma, Mexico, Canada, England and of course the United States. He is a veteran of Pride (where he faced Kazushi Sakuraba), K-1 (where he faced Frank Shamrock), KOTC, ISCF, and SuperBrawl.

These intriguing fights along with a strong supporting card will make for another exciting evening of RITC fights. We're going to work hard on the supporting card right up until fight time to have the best available action for our loyal RITC fans.

Double Main Event:

Joseph Riggs vs Joe Pardo

Edwin Dewees vs Shannon Ritch

There will be 12 fights (the Arizona Commission Limit).

Fight Card subject to change.

Celebrity Theatre, Phoenix, Arizona
Saturday, September 7, 2002
Doors Open: 6 PM, Fight Time: 8 PM
General Admission Tickets still only $20!!!
Tickets $20 (rows 14-25), $30 (rows 4-13) and $40 (rows 1-3)
Tickets for RITC available at the Celebrity Theatre Box Office (602-267-1600) or at Ticketmaster (480-784-4444).
Please visit www.rageinthecage.com or call 480-446-8127 for more information.

  Tuesday - August 27, 2002

From the event's promoter:
BAMA logo
FIGHT NIGHT 18
BAMA Fight Night pictureBAMA Fight Night picture
BAMA Fight Night picture

Come join us for an action-packed night of fights

September 28th - 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.


Fighters interested in competing in this or future BAMA events, please call 908-352-0622

  Wednesday - August 28, 2002

From Josh Hedges/Zuffa:
Ortiz and Shamrock on
Best Damn Sports Show Tomorrow


BDSSP logo provided courtesy of Zuffa On Thursday, August 29th, UFC Light Heavyweight Champion Tito Ortiz and his challenger, UFC legend Ken Shamrock will appear on Fox Sports Net's "Best Damn Sports Show, Period". Ortiz will be live in studio and Shamrock will be live via satellite. The personal vendetta between these two is so serious that they can't even be in the same studio together.

The two-hour show airs nightly at 8:00 p.m. and/or 11:00 p.m. local time on most Fox Sports Net regional sports networks, and at 10:00 p.m. and midnight on FSN Bay Area, Chicago, Florida, New England, New York and Ohio.

FCF NHB Tank Top Our popular
NHB shirt is
now available
in a Tank Top.

Order yours today!


For FASTEST service call in your credit card order
(516)676-0033
Or
Click here to order securely online with your credit card
or print off the order form & mail it in with your payment
 

From the event's promoter:
SportFighting on The Reservation,
Schedule for Saturday, September 14th
has officially been cancelled:


The Onondaga Nation's Lawyer issued us a letter on August 27th stating that our event scheduled for September 14th in Nedrow, NY has been 100% cancelled. No reason was given and they will not accept our phone calls.

They wrote, "I regret to inform you that the Nation and the Arena are forced to exercise their rights under Section 1.3 of the July 4th, 2002 Rental Agreement and are hereby canceling your company's scheduled use of the arena floor, pursuant to the Agreement."

Here is an excerpt from the contract: "Section 1.3 - Upon reasonable notice shall be at least thirty (30) days, The Onondaga Nation reserves the right to cancel any date or change the time for usage..."

As many of you can clearly read, what Section 1.3 states makes no sense, because we were just served this letter today, August 27th, only 18 days before the event.

We built this event around the City of Syracuse and recruited fighters from around that region. We spent thousands and thousands of dollars on promotional advertising on radio, posters, direct mailings, time, etc., and as you can imagine, we are devastated, to say the least.

We attempted to move the event to New Jersey and I was even able to secure a venue, but it came to my attention today that only approx. four (4) of the scheduled 14 matches would be able to occur between the New Jersey Athletic Control Board regulations AND inabilities of several of the Central New York native fighters to make the 4-5 hour trip to New Jersey to fight. We are forced to refund almost 900 tickets sold as well, due to the inability for many of the local spectators to attend the show in New Jersey.

It is with this very unfortunate post that I must inform you all the SportFighting on the Reservation has been 100% cancelled. We will attempt to salvage several of the scheduled bouts for the now NEW PREMIER of SportFighting, Saturday, November 9th, 2002 at Marist High School in Bayonne, New Jersey.

My deepest apoligies to all the fighters and instructors who have supported me along the way. I know you all worked so hard to support me and I truthfully appreciate it. I hope this in no way changes your opinions of me. I tried everything in my power to salvage the September 14th show to no avail. All ticket sales can be refunded directly from the fighter who sold them to you, or through contacting me at: President@Grapplers.com

Sincerely,
Brian Cimins
Destro Sports Entertainment
Phone: 973.831.4121
Email: President@Grapplers.com

Grapplers Quest World Championships
Saturday, October 19th, 2002
Marist High School
Bayonne, New Jersey

SportFighting
Saturday, November 9th, 2002
Marist High School
Bayonne, New Jersey

Grapplers Quest Las Vegas
Saturday, November 16th, 2002
Las Vegas, NV (Durango High School)

From the event's promoter:
UCC 10 banner
ON PAY-PER-VIEW THIS FRIDAY AUGUST 30th
UCC 10 FROM COAST TO COAST!
Bell ExpressVu logo   Viewer's Choice logo

Montreal (Canada) - There is now only 3 days left until the most star studded MMA event in Canadian history hits your screen on Pay-Per-View. UCC 10TM has created a huge media buzz on both sides of the Quebec/Ontario border which has prompted fight fans from all parts of Canada to anxiously cross the days off their calendars as the time creeps closer and closer.

UCC 10: BATTLE FOR THE BELTS 2002 features a World Championship main event. Renzo Gracie's disciple, KOTC and ADCC veteran SEAN ALVAREZ will go toe to toe with the newest member of Team Extreme, 6'4 - 270 pounds wrestler MIKE RADNOV. This fight will see the first time in UCC history that two athletes of such great size have faced each other… can the UCC "Ring of Fury" handle over 540 pounds of aggression?

The main events keep coming as UCC Canadian Light Heavyweight champion JEROMIE SILLS returns to defend his title against none other than UCC Canadian Middleweight champion STEVE "LION HEART" VIGNEAULT. These two fighters have a combined 8 knockouts in their UCC careers and are known from coast to coast as explosive striking machines. The bombs will fly as these two great champions meet in the ring. It will be champion vs. champion!

UCC Canadian Welterweight champion JUSTIN "LOAF" BRUCKMANN will be in action to face up and coming star, GEORGES ST-PIERRE with the title on the line. St-Pierre is one of the top young guns in the UCC roster with his superb conditioning, massive strikes, and solid ground game but will all that be enough to overcome the proven devastation and experience of the champion?

RICHARD "MONKEY" NANCOO swings back into action once again as he is looking for his third straight defense of the UCC Canadian Super Lightweight title. Standing in his way is Team Tompkins member, North American Kickboxing champion, and Canadian Pankration champion MARK "THE MACHINE" HOMINICK. Mark has developed quite a name for himself outside of the UCC and now is his chance to prove that he is ready to hang with the big boys of MMA.

UCC and UFC veteran C.J. FERNANDES is back after a devastating 35 second KO win at UCC 8. He will go head to head with none other then PAIN PETERS. After investigating on some of the facts that happened between Pain Peters and a journalist of a local Ottawa newspaper, UCC President Stephane Patry decided to lift Pain's suspension and the "Bad Guy" will be able to compete and face the toughest challenge of his career. Pain has left a path of destruction behind his UCC journey and promises to bring the hurting onto Fernandes and show the fans in Hull what he's all about.

Also in action will be the former UCC World Welterweight champion SEAN "PIMP DADDY" PIERSON as he is set to get it on with Renzo Gracie student MARK COLANGELO.

Don't miss your chance to see first hand why the UCC is the hottest ticket in Canada! Claim your spot in MMA history and order now on BELL EXPRESSVU and VIEWER'S CHOICE CANADA!

COMPLETE PAY-PER-VIEW FIGHT CARD

WORLD HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP - VACANT TITLE
MIKE RADNOV (Dallas, Texas) vs. SEAN ALVAREZ (New-York, New-York)

CANADIAN LIGHT HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP - CHAMPION: J. SILLS
STEVE VIGNEAULT (Îles de la Madeleine, PQ) vs. JEROMIE SILLS (Niagara Falls, ON)

CANADIAN WELTERWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP - CHAMPION: J. BRUCKMANN
GEORGES ST-PIERRE (Montreal, PQ) vs. JUSTIN BRUCKMANN (Toronto, ON)

CANADIAN SUPER LIGHTWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP - CHAMPION: R. NANCOO
MARK HOMINICK (London, ON) vs. RICHARD NANCOO (Toronto, ON)

WELTERWEIGHT CHALLENGE
C.J. FERNANDES (St-Louis, Missouri) vs. PAIN PETERS (Brampton, ON)

WELTERWEIGHT CHALLENGE
MARK COLANGELO (New York, New York) vs. SEAN PIERSON (Toronto, ON)

LIGHTWEIGHT CHALLENGE
JEFF CURRAN (Moline, Illinois) vs. IVAN MENJIVAR (Montreal, PQ)

  Friday - August 30, 2002

From the event's promoter:
HOOKnSHOOT "New Wind"

Last minute tickets for next weekend's HOOKnSHOOT "New Wind" event are on sale at https://sabrina.super.nu/fightworld/order.htm.

HnS poster The show features fighters from Brazil, Japan, Canada and the United States in bouts officially sanctioned by Shooto.

OFFICIAL SHOOTO USA:
- 2 Rounds (185): Joseph Baize (Freelance, Owensboro, KY.) v. Luke Pedigo (Freelance, Mt Vernon, IL.)
- 2 Rounds (145): Mike Loyd (Team Havoc, Ft Campbell, KY.) v. Ryan Ackerman (Taro Submission Academy, Canton, IL.)
- 2 Rounds (155): Nick Agullar (Freestyle Academy, Milwaukee, WI) v. Darrell 'Bulldog' Smith (ISCF Champion, Fishers IN.)
- 2 Rounds (185): Curtis Stout (American JJ, Kansas City, KS.) v. John Renken (Team Havoc, Ft Campbell, KY.)

WOMEN'S MATCHES:
- 2 Rounds (135): Tara LaRosa (Freelance, Durham, NC) v. Angela Wilson (Freelance, Toronto, Canada)
- 2 Rounds (135): Tanya Vlahac (Total Fitness, Ottawa, Canada) v. Chris Van Fleet (Rogue Power Militia, Medford, OR.)

FEATURE BOUTS:
- 3 Rounds (185): Izuru Takeuchi (K'z Factory, Tokyo, Japan) v. Dustin Denes (American TOP TEAM, Ft Lauderdale, FL.)
- 3 Rounds (145): Hermes Franca (Challenger, American TOP TEAM, Ft. Lauderdale, FL.) v. Anthony Hamlet (Northwest ELITE, HOOKnSHOOT CHAMPION, Seattle, WA.)
- 3 Rounds (155): Yves Edwards (Third Column, Houston, TX.) v. Kohei Yasumi (Paraestra, Tokyo, Japan)
- 2 Rounds (205): Scott Henze (Freelance, Tell City, In.) v. Steve Van Fleet (Rogue Power Militia, Medford, OR.)

Online orders will be accepted up until Thursday September 5, 2002.

K-1
After drawing a near-capacity crowd on Saturday, August 17th, the 2002 K-1 World Grand Prix Semifinals will be made available to 84 million homes for 90 minutes on ESPN2 Today, August 30th at 11:00 pm PST.

Featuring the fights:
  • Michael Bernardo vs. Gary Gooddridge
  • Stefan Leko vs. Remi Bonjasky

  • PRIDE Shockwave/Dynamite Results are in

    Click here for the results

    PPV Schedule for PRIDE Shockwave**

    DIRECTV
    Sept. 1 - 9:00pm EST Premiere
    Sept. 2 - 12:30am EST
    Sept. 5 - 6:00am EST *
    Sept. 10 - 6:00am EST *
    Sept. 13 - 6:00am EST *
    Sept. 16 - 6:00am EST *
    Sept. 19 - 6:00am EST *
    Sept. 28 - 6:00am EST *
    * All Day Ticket

    Bell ExpressVu
    Sept. 1 - 9:00pm, Midnight, 3am ET
    Sept. 8 - 9:00pm, Midnight, 3am ET
    Sept. 12 - 9:00pm, Midnight, 3am ET

    DishNetwork
    Sept. 1 - 9:00pm premiere
    Sept. 2 - 12:00am
    Sept. 3 - 5:00am ADDT*
    Sept. 6 - 5:00am ADDT
    Sept. 8 - 5:00am ADDT
    Sept. 11 - 5:00am ADDT
    Sept. 13 - 5:00am ADDT
    Sept. 16 - 5:00am ADDT
    Sept. 19 - 5:00am ADDT
    Sept. 26 - 5:00am ADDT
    * All Day Ticket

    TVN 1
    Sept. 1 - 9:00pm EST premiere
    Sept. 2 - 12:00am EST
    Sept. 3 - 10:00pm EST
    Sept. 5 - 11:00pm EST
    Sept. 11 - 10:00pm EST
    Sept. 15 - 10:00pm EST
    Sept. 19 - 12:00am EST

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    Sept. 1 - 9:00pm EST premiere / 12:00am EST replay
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    **Check your local listings for verification

      Saturday - August 31, 2002

    Jeremy Horn vs. Aaron Brink
    World Extreme Cagefighting Gearing Up To
    Rumble Under The Sun --
    The Weights Are In
    By Loretta Hunt

    The picture couldn't be friendler-looking, but don't let that fool you. Behind the smiles and congeniality, Jeremy Horn and Aaron Brink are ready to have it out in the World Extreme Cagefighting event scheduled for tonight at the Mohegan Sun Casino and Resort in Uncaville, Connecticut. Promoters Scott Adams, Brian Bozsum, and Reed Harris have been working in overdrive to ensure a smooth event for the MMA fans that will turn out for the ten bouts scheduled. With the official weigh-ins for the event now recorded and all fighters successfully making the weights assigned them; Horn, Brink, and a selection of east and west coast representatives will strut their stuff for an eager audience that awaits them.

    Following a long, thorough, and grueling medical examination period by the Mohegan Sun Gaming Commission, the weigh-ins were finally underway. As the last couple to take the stage, main event headliners Horn and Brink were both poised and confident, and made it a point to shake one another's hands in a show of sportsmanship and mutual respect. Contracted to come in under 220 pounds, Brink easily made his designated weight, coming in at 218 pounds. Horn came in at 216 pounds, making this an official heavyweight bout under the IFC sanctioned rules being followed for the show.

    Speaking to Brink after his weigh-in, he had this to say regarding his game plan for tonight. "I'm not gonna go in there and blow my gas fast, because I know he's counting on that. He thinks I'm going to lose my stamina, so he can weather the storm and then catch me in a submission. I'm going to keep myself under control, but if I have a chance to stop him, I'll stop him. I want to pace myself and fight smart."

    Horn divulged a strategy of his own. "Don't let him hit me. I know he hits hard and that's his biggest weapon. If I can avoid that, then I can win the fight. We'll feel out the standup and if he hits too hard, we'll take it to the ground."

    As for the rest of the card; in the co-main event, Pacific Martial Art's Cole Escovedo came in at a lean 144 pounds, while his opponent Renat Myrzabekov, of Team Khazakstan, was 145 pounds. They will be vying for the WEC Featherweight title.

    For a featured bout, Team Extreme and Miletich Fighting System's representative Tony Fryklund came in at a light 181.5 pounds, much to the shock of his teammates surrounding him, who couldn't quite figure where the extra pounds had gone. But Fryklund's opponent Zach Light, of Team Punishment, came in even less at 177 pounds. Light, who has fought at welterweight in the past, is now making the jump to the middleweight division.

    For the three other heavyweight bouts to grace the card, the following fighters came in at the following weights. Last minute replacement and local Connecticut fighter Randy Rowe (of the Dog Pound), came in at 198.5 ponds while RAW Training Center's Jason Jones (the tallest competitor of the evening at a towering 6'5") logged in at 203.5 pounds. Both Christian Wellisch, of the American Kickboxing Academy, and opponent Jay White, of Team Renzo Gracie, stepped off the scales at 235 pounds. In the largest weight differential of the event, AKA's Eric Mainiai's weight read at 226 pounds, while Team Renzo Gracie's John Rallo tipped the scale at 253 pounds.

    In the second middleweight bout offered for the evening, AKA's Mike Swick came in at 184.5 pounds, while opponent Jame Gabert, of Team Renzo Gracie, recorded 181 pounds.

    Rounding out the card, three lightweight bouts will pit the east and west's most promising up-and-comers against one another. AKA standout, Richard Crunkilton came in right at the mark at 155 pounds. His adversary, Luciano Oliveira of New England Brazilian Jiu-jitsu/Joao Amaral Team, came in at 154 pounds. Bao Quach, representing Chris Brennan's Next Generation, was a perfect 155 pounds. Jeff Curran of Team Extreme and Pedro Sauer Jiu-jitsu, usually a featherweight, packed on a few more pounds to come in at 149 pounds. RAW's Mac Danzig and his opponent Kurt Pelligrino of Team Renzo Gracie came in identically together at 153.5 pounds for the second time they will meet in their careers to fight.

    With the weights all tallied, IFC founder Paul Smith led the group through the rules meeting. Utilizing modified IFC rules that will reflect those in use by the Nevada and New Jersey State Athletic Commissions, no knees will be allowed to the head on the ground (something the IFC says it has allowed in the past). In addition, all of tonight's ten scheduled bouts, including the championship bout, will clock in at three five-minute rounds. Drug testing, including steroid testing, will be mandatorily done for the title bout, while other bouts may be tested randomly. In accordance with the IFC, a two-minute standing rule will be in effect at the discretion of the referees.

    With the lengthy yet necessary formalities out of the way, it would seem that the WEC is full-steam ahead.

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