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| Saturday - May 1, 2004 |
 An "Eruption" of Action By Jim Genia (April 30, Lowell, Massachusetts) The Tsongas Arena played host to "Eruption" tonight, and though the turnout was a scant few hundred, this marked the low point of an otherwise impressive debut show. Competitors flown in from as far away as Brazil and Texas to test the mettle of New England's own stars, and fans who made the trek were rewarded with 11 action-packed MMA bouts. Representatives hailed from Team Elite, Team Renzo, Yves Edwards' Thugjitsu, and Brazilian Top Team, among others. Highlights of the night included:
Jerry Mosquea (Rodrigo Gracie/Team Renzo-149lbs) vs. Joe Lauzon (Reality Self-Defense-149) Lauzon at 2:37 of Round One via ref stoppage due to unanswered strikes. Nardu Debrah (Rodrigo Gracie/Universal Self-Defense-160lbs) vs. Ricardo Deborba (ChuteBoxe-156lbs) Debrah via KO at 3:30 of Round One - an impressive return for Nardu! [Deborba is pictured above being tended to after the fight] Jay Hieron (Bellmore Kickboxing/Rodrigo Gracie-168lbs) vs. Fabio Holanda (Brazilian Top Team-170lbs) Hieron via unanimous decision - this one was a hard-fought war! Super-Lightweight Title Renato Migliacci (Team Renzo-145lbs) vs. Rocky Long (Thugjitsu-145lbs) Migliacci via unanimous decision. Lightweight Title Mark Colangelo (Ricardo Almeida/Team Renzo-155lbs) vs. Matt Lee (Team Elite-155lbs) Lee via unanimous decision - a great standup battle. Bryan Bressler (Miletich Fighting Systems-170lbs) vs. Jason Hathaway (USF-169lbs) Judges' decision - draw. Light-Heavyweight Title Lance Everson (Boneyard-193lbs) vs. Tim Credeur (Thugjitsu-195lbs) Credeur via armbar at 3:02 Round One. Everson popped his own arm out of his elbow trying to escape Credeur's picture-perfect armlock from the bottom. Welterweight Title Marcus Davis (Miletich Fighting Systems-167lbs) vs. Nuri Shakir (Team Elite-170lbs) Shakir via rear choke at 2:38 of Round Three. Another great fight by Shakir! Fabio Leopoldo (Team Renzo-204lbs) vs. Brendan Seguin (MASH-197lbs) Leopoldo via doctor stoppage at :43 of Round One - a bout-ending cut brought this one to an abrupt end before it barely even began. Sam Hogar (Miletich Fighting Systems-247lbs) vs. Chris Herring (Gorilla Nation) Hogar via side choke at 2:37 of Round One. With pinpoint accurate high-kicks and a smooth string of submission attempts from the bottom, Hogar looked extremely impressive. Middleweight Title Jorge Rivera (Team Elite-185lbs) vs. James Gabert (Ricardo Almeida/Team Renzo) Rivera via ref stoppage (a flash-KO) at 4:10 of Round 3 - a scrappy performance by Gabert and dominant performance by Rivera. Get this man back in the UFC! |
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McDonald Regains His Reign Written By Michael Afromowitz muaythaimes@aol.com In a sold-out event filled with non-stop thrills and heart-pounding action, two-time K-1 tournament champion Michael McDonald reclaimed his throne in North America by earning a unanimous judges' decision over a ferocious Dewey "The Black Kobra" Cooper during the K-1 "Battle At The Bellagio II" tournament at Las Vegas, Nevada's Bellagio Hotel and Casino on Friday, April 30th. From the outset of his quarterfinal round matchup with K-1 Superfight veteran and tournament first-timer, Marvin Eastman, McDonald's chances capturing a third K-1 tournament title on United States ground appeared bleak as he was roughed up in the first three minutes by his aggressive and somewhat unorthodox opponent. Eastman scored a handful of jumping knee strikes to the Canadian's midsection before landing a hard left hand that sent his opponent reeling back towards the corner. During an exchange, McDonald was put on the canvas for a partial referee 10-count. |
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From the event's promoter: Repeating the huge success of the first edition, Jungle Fight set up its second edition, to break, once again, all PPV records in Brazil. After a successful and surprising Jungle-Fight 1 which took place on the middle of Amazon Forest in September 13th, 2003. Antonio Inoki and Wallid Ismail already stated: 'We've a lot of surprises for this next event, the world never watched nothing equal. Our intention is to capture all attention of the MMA world with our innovations.' Fourteen MMA warriors together in the biggest Forest of the Planet - Amazonia - in an original and extremely gorgeous scene. Jungle Fight 2 is confirmed for next May 15th of 2004 in Studio 5 - Center of Conventions - Manaus. Inoki and Ismail are waiting 5,000 spectators in the place. For this event we will count on the presence of some national and international celebrities. The following battles are already scheduled:
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From the event's promoter: Pardoe, Homer & A-Dawg Win Aldano named Fighter of the Night A huge turnout welcomed RITC back to Dodge Theater. Superstars Mark Kerr and Brock Lesnar were in attendance. Among the exciting match-ups was a 3 second KO by Gilbert Aldano. This is the fastest KO in RITC history and earned Fighter of the Night (FOTN) honors for Gilbert. Other candidates for FOTN were Troy Tolbert, Carlos Ortega, Ed West, Hans Marrero, Bryan Pardoe and "A-Dawg" Sullivan. Troy Tolbert (139), Leininger Dojo won by submission (choke), 1:37 Rd 1 Aaron Millican (143), Team Brausa Carlos Ortega (149), Arizona Jiu-Jitsu won by decision (3-0) Matt VerHalen (144), Freestyle Gilbert Aldano (255), Team Brausa won by KO, :03 Rd 1 Herb Garcia (300), AZ Punishment Ed West (148), Hinzmann's MMA won by submission (key lock), 1:01 Rd 1 Amos Sotelo (153), ACS Hans Marrero (190), Marrero Combat Academy won by submission (arm bar), 1:58 Rd 1 Robert Rose (187), Leininger Dojo Bryan Pardoe (219), Rufus Kickboxing won by submission (key lock), 1:28 Rd 1 BJ Gile (201), Genesis Jiu-Jitsu Jamie Varner (167), ACS bout ruled No Contest, :54 Rd 2 James Upshur (164), Team Brausa Rich Alten (219), Ryan Defense Systems won by fighter retirement (broken thumb), 2:33 Rd 1 Mike Rainieri (212), Team Brausa Homer Moore (212), Team Bang won by decision (3-0) Andy Montana (235), AZ Punishment Main Event "A-Dawg" Sullivan (210), Savage Te Dawg Pound won by decision (3-0) Shane Johnson (210), Hinzmann's MMA Academy The next RITC show is just days away. RITC 62 - More Punishment Saturday, May 15, 2004 Casa Grande RITC 63 - It's Time Saturday, June 12, 2004 Phoenix (Dodge Theater) |
| Sunday - May 2, 2004 |
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Held May 1, 2004 By Keith Mills 
Ft. Lauderdale, FL -- in what was billed as an up-and-comer show, Jason MacDonald surprised most fans but submitting heavily favored Anthony Rea in the first round to take the vacated Light-Heavyweight belt. Not as surprisingly American Top Team continued their dominance of the South East, going 4-0 while Paulo Geurreiro picked up the Fighter of the Night award.
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| Tuesday - May 4, 2004 |
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Highlights ICE 9 
FAIRFIELD, Ohio -- Kerry Schall is excited about his rematch against Chris Herring this Friday in the ICE 9 event at Tori's Station."I'm not mad, and I don't want revenge or anything like that," Schall said. "I'm excited because the first fight was going to be a good one... he wanted to stand, and I wanted to stand... we were going to have a slugfest." Unfortunately, during the first clinch, Herring landed an unintentional knee to the groin that dropped Schall and halted the bout. The fight was declared a no-contest and the rematch was added to this weekend's card. Schall, better known as "the Meat Truck," has won 7 of 8 fights and has a 17-6 record. The Cincinnati resident hopes this will be a good year for him. "I've trained harded this year than ever before... and I'm healthy right now," Schall said. "I'm thinking this is going to be my year to do something in the sport." Schall has another rematch scheduled on June 26 in Fontana, Wis., where he will face Damien Decorah in the main event of the XFO event. Schall won a split decision over Decorah late last year. Also fighting on the card is local favorite Ron Fields, a good puncher who will face Leo Sylvest in what promises to be a standup war. ICE 9 is scheduled this Friday at Tori's Station. Doors open at 7 p.m. with the first bout starting at 8 p.m. Tickets are available by calling (513) 290-3259. The lineup: MAIN EVENT Chris Herring vs. Kerry Schall Leo Sylvest vs. Ron Fields Ricky Hutchins vs. Chris Moore Kevin Rinear vs. Trevor Garrett Sam Sheridan vs. Jason Keneman Josh Howat vs. Anthony Smith Rod Housley vs. Shawn Coffman Clay Coffman vs. Gerald Pierson John Coleman vs. Brian Paul Brian Williams vs. Adam Bass Sam Riley vs. Nick Ollberding Jeremy Coomer vs. TBA (185 pounds) |
| Wednesday - May 5, 2004 |
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Rumble On The Rock Up Next By Loretta Hunt
Despite the UFC's decision to lock down Stout instead, Jhun insists that all is well between him and the UFC. "I didn't sign anything," he says. "We were in talks and negotiating for a possible fight with Lee Murray, and I was telling them I fight at welterweight now, and would it be possible for me to crack into the UFC at 170?" Since moving down to the welterweight division, the 20-11-2 fighter has celebrated a level of success, with draws to UFC vets Shonie Carter and Dennis Hallman, and another victory over Carter in their rematch that followed six months later. Jhun has gone 6 for 2 in his last eight fights. Following the unofficial news that Stout was in and the heap of unsubstantiated negative gossip that followed, Jhun says he was grateful to receive another phone call from Silva. "He kind of shed some light about me fighting in the UFC," Jhun comments. "He said I've pretty much been on their list for quite sometime, but it's been bad timing. Either I've had an event that was scheduled around that time or I had a big fight that I lost or something. But, I've been contacted by them [the UFC] at least two or three times already. I think that the position that Joe Silva is in right now, he's kinda under the gun and he needs to get a committed fighter right now." "He said that Lee Murray requested me," Jhun adds, with a twinge of approval in his voice. Dubbed "the Machine Gun" for his stand-up tenacity, it is feasible to see why the UFC would encourage a match-up of its kind. In addition, Jhun has a win over Murray's teammate and UFC 38 participant James Zikic at Superbrawl 12. But, for now, Jhun is doing what many fighters do in situations like these. "I'm not even looking past this guy," the Hawaiian wisely conveys about his pending battle with Schultz. "I just been kind of brushing everything off. Guys have been calling me asking for interviews and how I feel about the UFC, and I'm like, first of all, I gotta fight next week. This fight that I have coming up is a big fight to me. It's a big deal, because it could make or break both of us guys. I've seen a few of this guy's fights, and even though he a wrestler at heart, he's looks to be a brawler. He just tries to go in and knock everybody's heads off." If Jhun is able to get past Schultz, though, he divulges there's already been talk with Zuffa for a debut on the UFC 49 card, tentatively scheduled for August. Till then, a cheerful Jhun says he will continue to take it one fight at a time, having already reached a level of notoriety in the biz that attracts some of the gamer opponents out there. "They should call me the 'Billy the Kid' of this sport," Jhun laughs. "Everybody that I fight, they become famous after it, not me." All in due time, Ron, all in due time. |
| Thursday - May 6, 2004 |
 Give Us Your Thoughts... With UFC 48 fast approaching, we'd like your opinions on who will win each of the scheduled fights. Also, we'd like to hear about anything you have on your mind ... the reasons for your picks, the state of MMA today, legislation and/or controversies affecting the sport, anything happening in the MMA world today. The results of the survey and some of the commentary we receive may appear in the upcoming issue of FCF. Click here to take the survey |
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From Koichi "Booker K" Kawasaki: Here is the fight card of PRIDE BUSHIDO VOLUME 3 announced at Dream Stage Entertainment office Today. JAPAN VS GRACIE 3 vs 3 Ikuhisa Minowa vs. Ryan Gracie (Renzo Gracie Jiu-Jitsu Academy) Takanori Gomi vs. Ralph Gracie (Ralph Gracie Jiu-Jitsu Academy) Ryo Chonan vs. Ricardo Almeida(Renzo Gracie Jiu-Jitsu Academy) Also on the card: Daiju Takase vs. Carlos Newton Kazuhiro Nakamura vs. Chalid "Die Faust" Tamakairiki vs. TBA Mirko Crocop vs. TBA PRIDE BUSHIDO VOLUME 3 Date: May 23rd 2004 Place:Yokohama Arena |
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The Brazilian Beat: It is often said that time flies, and we seem to get this notion in endless ways in our personal lives. One day you're dreaming of that toy you just have to have, and the next thing you know, you're buying one for your own kid. However, for one family, time is going as slowly and painfully as possible, as we're approaching four months without any valid information on Priscila Belfort. It seems like yesterday that Vitor Belfort, Priscila's brother, fought Randy Couture for the UFC Light Heavyweight title without any information on his sister for around a month, and now we're already counting 120 days as hopes fade away and the suffering only increases for the family. Some ways of human nature go beyond our understanding, and as it's inevitable to think of the worst at this point and as nothing will ever justify something like that happening, we still hope for the best. At this very point the best for the family can come in many different ways, but as friends and members of the fighting community we all can only pray for the suffering to end, being it for Priscila or the family as we hope to never have to report this kind of news again and still somewhat dream or hope to report good news about this case. As time insists on moving on, and keep making us learn to also move on, the sport of MMA continues to bring news here in Brazil and here we are once again to report those! After the first round of the PRIDE Heavyweight Grand Prix, the focus now turns to the next events to take place in the country and the next fights abroad for our main icons of the sport. With Wanderlei Silva defining his recovery strategy, fighters preparing for Korea, Arona set to face Jackson, a Brazilian qualifying to the Olympic Games in Wrestling for the first time in 12 years, MECA and Jungle Fight 2 coming up, there's plenty of news for you to read! So, enjoy your reading cause times truly fly and life never ceases to surprise us but no matter what FCF keeps the beat going all the way from Brazil!
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| Friday - May 7, 2004 |
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Penn Confirms MMA Showdown with Ludwig for May 22nd K-1 By Loretta Hunt 
Making a strong launch into the growing mixed martial arts market, it appears as if top-ranked kickboxing promotion, K-1, has scored a coup of sorts in booking one of America's most sought after lightweight fighters for its May 22nd card. Although the match-up will take place at 170 pounds, it's been unofficially announced that Duane Ludwig will be BJ Penn's first K-1 opponent as part of a non-exclusive two-fight contract he recently signed with the promotion. Just a few hours ago, FCF spoke with the current UFC welterweight champion in his native Hawaii to confirm the match-up and although the bout agreement has yet to be signed, a sober Penn relayed, "It's gonna happen." Penn said he got word of the proposed bout last night.The news comes during a murky time for Penn regarding his relationship with the UFC promotion. "I don't really know what's going on," Penn vaguely comments when asked where he stands with America's top MMA promotion at this moment, but will divulge that he and his representation did go back into talks with Zuffa Sports Entertainment, the owners of the UFC, following an exclusive interview he did with FCF on May 18th. In that interview, Penn expressed Zuffa's resistance in allowing him to fulfill a lucrative deal with K-1 while still remaining a part of the UFC stable, even though Penn claims he had a verbal agreement with UFC president Dana White that he would renounce the welterweight title to move back down to the lightweight division to fight for a reinstated title there and be granted the flexibility to pursue other fights in the interim. Penn also stated in the interview that the term on his UFC contract had expired, and these current negotiations were an attempt to hash out an appropriate pay scale for a new three fight deal that came with his championship victory. Resisting comment on just what transpired at these meetings, Penn would only add this cryptic statement: "I don't know how they can strip the title without looking bad." |
 Rumble On The Rock 5 Weigh-Ins Held May 6, 2004 at Dave and Busters Honolulu, Hawaii By Mike Onzuka The Rumble On The Rock returns to Oahu to throw another big production event on the most populated island in the Hawaiian chain. The much-anticipated return of Wesley "Cabbage" Correira to Hawaii is on despite what the Internet rumors may have said. Due to the technical knockout of Cabbage by Andrei Arlovski in UFC 47, the Nevada State Athletic Commission temporarily suspended Cabbage's eligibility to fight. There's speculation on how long that suspension is and whether this effectively banned Cabbage from fighting on this card. Due to some legal action pending, the intricate details have to be left unsaid, but the main thing is that John Marsh will finally get his hands on Cabbage and hopefully throw more than a water bottle at the tough Hawaiian. Marsh looked to be in very good shape coming in at 240.5 pounds like Cabbage looked big as life 277.5 pounds. This grudge match should keep the fans drooling until these fighters get it on.
Olympic Silver Medalist and UFC's number one ranked fighter at 185 lbs, Matt "The Law" Lindland, makes his Hawaii fighting debut against the Freak, Tony Fryklund from Team Extreme. There has been a war of words between these two on the Internet and I, for one, love to read Lindland's rebuttals. I just hope his opponents keep insulting him so that I can continue to get an entertaining laugh from this educated and almost poetic fighter. Both fighters made weight and the Freak was ripped as usual. Former UFC Welterweight Champ and trainer extraordinaire Pat Miletich accompanied Fryklund. Due to a car crash about two weeks ago, Ross "Da Boss" Ebanez had to remove himself from the card which leaves the very experienced Steve Berger holding the bag as he tries to get his career back on track since he has lost three of his last four. Berger tells me that he has a fight lined up at TKO in Canada in about two weeks.
One of the most interesting fights on paper is the Justin Mercado/Harris Sarmiento fight. 808 Fight Factory's Sarmiento has been on a tear and is a very active fighter having one the Super Brawl 155 lb eliminator tournament and numerous kickboxing matches while Grappling Unlimited's Mercado is a golden gloves quality boxer with a solid sprawl and brawl style. Heavy hands should fly and both fighters usually are very aggressive which makes this fight the one to watch. Everyone made their weights and finally after a few changes in the card, the fights are set. I will commentate with former UFC lead interviewer Ryan Bennett for this event and with all the strikers on the card, the local crowd should be in for a night of action. Rumble On The Rock 5 Fight Card Blaisdell Arena, Honolulu, Hawaii May 7, 2004 Royden Demotta (BJ Penn's MMAA) 174.5 lbs. vs. Vance Pu Justin Mercado (Grappling Unlimited) 153 lbs. vs. Harris Sarmiento (808 Fight Factory) 154.5 lbs. Kaynan Kaku (BJ Penn's MMAA) 153.5 lbs. vs. Santino Defranco (Arizona Combat Sports) 155.0 lbs. Mike Rogers (Team Vaghi) 205 lbs. vs. Jason Lambert (North County Fight Club) 208.5 lbs. Joe "Diesel" Riggs (Arizona Combat Sports) 185.0 lbs. vs. Kendall Grooves (Maui Full Contact) 183.5 lbs. Danny Steele 159 lbs. vs. Melvin Murray 150 lbs. Ronald Jhun (808 Fight Factory) 170 lbs. vs. Ryan Schultz (Team Quest) 163 lbs. Matt Lindland (Team Quest) 184.0 lbs. vs. Tony Fryklund (Team Extreme) 180.5 lbs. Main event Wesley "Cabbage" Correira (Grappling Unlimited) 277.5 lbs. vs. John Marsh (Team Neutral Grounds) 240.5 lbs. |
| Saturday - May 8, 2004 |
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Held May 7, 2004 at Blaisdell Arena - Honolulu, HI By Chris Onzuka Being the relative "new kid on the block" in Hawaii, Rumble has garnered a lot of attention, especially due to the fight cards that are put together. Like almost all great cards, they never seem to hold up. First, Vladdy Matyushenko was scheduled as Cabbage's original opponent but had to withdraw from the card, then at the last minute two exciting fighters, Kawika Pa'aluhi and Ross Ebanez had to pull out due to injuries. The show must go on and those lost matches were not missed due to the quality of the other matches. The Sarmiento-Mercado fight was one of the most anticipated matches for local MMA fans because both fighters have been on a tear. This fight had the fans loving the action as these two fighters went at each other. BJ Penn's Kaynan Kaku has been increasing the level of his opponents and rising to the challenge. He controlled journeyman, Santino Defranco throughout the bout. Ron Jhun showed why he is UFC material with his skill and the excitement he brings to the cage by having the fans go into a frenzy in his fight against Ryan Schultz. There is no question why they call Schultz the Lion. He took what Jhun threw at him and coaxed Jhun to turn the fight into a brawl and landed a couple of wide hooks that stunned Jhun. After every great hook landed, Jhun smiled and yelled for more. In the end, Jhun refocused and took Schultz down and pounded him with devastating body punches, followed up by powerful shoulder punches. Matt Lindland controlled Tony Fryklund throughout the fight, but Fryklund would not go out easy as he took all of Lindland's punches on the ground and scrambled back to his feet on occasion. Both fighters had heated punching exchanges while standing. Lindland showed that he had no problem going toe to toe with anyone. The main event was a sleeper as this grudge match that started at UFC 45 after Cabbage's victory over Tank Abbott fizzled. Marsh used his speed and mobility to get off punches first, sticking Cabbage with a jab-cross combination and then moving. Cabbage spent the entire match stalking Marsh looking to land his patented left hook, but Marsh kept sticking and moving. Marsh out-pointed Cabbage for the win. Royden Demotta (BJ Penn's MMAA) def. Vance Pu (Freelance, Maui) TKO, corner threw in the towel due to strikes at 1:34 into R1. Harris Sarmiento (808 Fight Factory) def. Justin Mercado (Grappling Unlimited) Split decision [(29-28), (28-29), (30-28)] after 3 rounds. Kaynan Kaku (BJ Penn's MMAA) def. Santino Defranco (Arizona Combat Sports) Unanimous decision [(30-27), (30-27), (30-27)] after 3 rounds. Jason Lambert (North County Fight Club) def. Mike Rogers (Team Vaghi) TKO via referee stoppage due to strikes from the back mount at 1:31 into R1. Joe "Diesel" Riggs (Arizona Combat Sports) def. Kendall Groves (Maui Full Contact) KO via elbow from the guard at 1:31 into R1. Muay Thai Match: 3 Rounds - 3 Minutes Danny Steele vs. Melvin Murray Draw [(29-28),(29-29), (28-29)] after 3 rounds. Ronald Jhun (808 Fight Factory) def. Ryan "The Lion" Schultz (Team Quest) TKO due to referee stoppage due to strikes from the mount after the end of Round 1. Matt Lindland (Team Quest) def. Tony Fryklund (Team Extreme) Unanimous decision [(30-27), (30-26), (29-28)] after 3 rounds. Main event John Marsh (Team Neutral Grounds) def. Wesley "Cabbage" Correira (BJ Penn's MMAA) Unanimous decision [(30-27), (30-27), (30-27)] after 3 rounds. |
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Both fighters were brought into the cage last night at Rumble On The Rock to hype up a possible match at the next Rumble On The Rock. I say "possible" because the fight was supposed to take place at Shamrock's event, then at the WEC and I believe one more event. Both fighters had heated words to exchange. Cesar Gracie: "You know what happens when a Gracie fights a Shamrock." Frank Shamrock: "I respect everyone who steps in the cage. You have to be a man to step into the cage. Cesar has never stepped into the cage, he isn't a man." Keep your fingers crossed to hopefully see Frank Shamrock return to the cage and hopefully back into regular action and to see the long awaited debut of Cesar Gracie. The man who has trained Nick Diaz, David Terrell, Gil Castillo and Steve Heath. |
| Sunday - May 9, 2004 |
From the event's promoter: Dates Announced for EUPHORIA MFC's Return To Atlantic City! Euphoria MFC, the group whose first show featured the 'RUSSIA v USA' theme last March 13th at Atlantic City's TAJ MAHAL casino, has announced 4 more shows over the next year. 'Our first show got a lot of attention.' states matchmaker Miguel Iturrate, 'Now with the opportunity to plan 4 shows over a short period of time, this allows for some real planning. We will have some additional announcements and some more official signings in the next few weeks.' When asked to reveal some names, the matchmaker would only say 'Russia's RED DEVIL Team was featured on our first event, and they will have several fighters in October. We want to have several of the standouts from our first show back, and for October, we are working on the TEAM EXTREME fighters Rich Clementi, Justin Eilers and Travis Wiuff.' The matchmaker adds 'the October show will be an international event. We have offers out to Japanese fighters, European fighters and fighters from all over the Americas. This isn't just 'Russia vs. USA' anymore.' More details in the weeks and months ahead! EUPHORIA MFC CALENDAR:
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| Tuesday - May 11, 2004 |
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Matyushenko Injured; Wiuff Steps Into Jungle Fight 2 By Loretta Hunt 
Minnesotan heavyweight Travis Wiuff is clocking in some mean frequent flyer miles these days. Tomorrow he embarks on a 25 hour trip to Brazil for this Saturday's Jungle Fight 2, Wallid Ismael and Antonio Inoki's MMA promotion held deep within the Amazon rainforest.Confirmed by longtime RAW manager and coach Rico Chiapparelli today, UFC veteran Vladimir Matyushenko has dropped from the event's main event due to a dislocated toe he sustained ten days ago in training. According to Chiapparelli, Matyushenko's big toe was at one point perpendicular to his foot and the bone did pierce through the skin, but he expects the Belarusian back to training in two to three weeks. Matyushenko was to have squared off against Leopoldo Montenegro, a veteran of the Jungle Fight's inaugural September 13th event. The catch to it all? It hasn't been confirmed that Wiuff is actually replacing Matushyenko on the card, only that he will be fighting come Saturday. The quiet former college wrestler, managed by Monte Cox, says he has learned to keep his body and mind fine tuned for occasions just like these. "I enjoy staying active," the Team Extreme fighter said, having just come off a dominating victory over Red Devil fighter Roman Zentsov at March 13th's Mixed Fighting Championship, another fight he took on only two days notice when ATT rep Jeff Monson had to resign last minute. "I'd rather have it this way than fighting every three or four months. I guess the opponent doesn't really bother me unless his name's Minotauro or Silva," he laughs. Following Jungle Fight, Wiuff is scheduled to appear at June 11th's Extreme Challenge, and is planning to train for a week with Team Quest to expand his game. "Randy [Couture] is my idol without a doubt," Wiuff shares, "and anything he says I'm gonna pay attention to. He seems to have the perfect game right now." While in Oregon, Wiuff says he hopes to sharpen his clinch work and dirty boxing techniques, talents the wrestler-friendly gym has become famous for. 25-year old Wiuff has amassed a whopping 29-4 record in less than three years time and is currently on a thirteen fight winning streak. |
From Dream Stage Entertainment: CRO COP, NEWTON, GRACIES VS. JAPAN FOR BUSHIDO VOLUME 3 LOS ANGELES, California - The fight card for PRIDE FC: BUSHIDO VOLUME 3 has been assembled and will feature Mirko "Cro Cop" Filipovic, Carlos "The Ronin" Newton, and the second edition of Team Gracie versus Team Japan. BUSHIDO VOLUME 3 will take place on May 23rd, 2004 from the Yokohama Arena in Japan and is scheduled to debut on North American pay per view on same day delay. The first match features Croatia's Mirko "Cro Cop" Filipovic against Japanese fighter Hiromitsu Kanehara. Fresh off of his devastating elimination from the 16-man heavyweight Grand Prix (via a KO loss to Kevin Randleman), "Cro Cop" has re-dedicated himself and is looking to begin the road to title contention once again. His last victory was at BUSHIDO VOLUME 2 on February 15th, when he earned a TKO victory against PRIDE FC veteran, Norihisa Yamamoto. "Cro Cop's" opponent, Hiromitsu Kanehara, is a RINGS veteran and last fought in PRIDE FC at CHAMPIONSHIP CHAOS 2. Also on the card ... UFC/PRIDE FC veteran Carlos "The Ronin" Newton returns to Japan to take on Japanese mixed martial arts star and grappling expert, Daiju Takase. Newton's last appearance in PRIDE FC was at the inaugural BUSHIDO show in October of 2003. Fighting for Team Japan that night, Newton earned an impressive decision victory against Brazilian Jiu Jitsu legend, Renzo Gracie. Takase is also a UFC/PRIDE FC veteran and is coming off of a decision victory at BUSHIDO VOLUME 2 against American fighter Chris "The Westside Strangler" Brennan. In addition to these matches, BUSHIDO VOLUME 3 will feature the second edition of Team Gracie versus Team Japan. At the inaugural BUSHIDO show, Team Gracie was victorious over Team Japan, 3-2. For this latest edition, Ralph Gracie (6-0) makes his second PRIDE FC appearance, taking on one of the best middleweights in the world in Takanori Gomi (14-2). In the next match, the "bad boy" of the Gracie family, Ryan Gracie, makes his return to the ring, going up against another "bad boy" in Ikuhisa "The Punk" Minowa. In the third match team match, representing his instructor, Renzo Gracie, highly decorated Brazilian Jiu Jitsu star, Ricardo Almeida (7-2) faces Japanese star and U-File representative, Ryo Chonan (6-3). This is just the beginning of a stellar fight card! PRIDE FC: BUSHIDO VOLUME 3 Fight Card Team Gracie vs. Team Japan Ryan Gracie (Brazil) vs. Ikuhisa "The Punk" Minowa (Japan) Ralph Gracie (Brazil) vs. Takanori Gomi (Japan) Ricardo Almeida (USA) vs. Ryo Chonan (Japan) Additional Matches: Mirko "Cro Cop" Filipovic (Croatia) vs. Hiromitsu Kanehara (Japan) Carlos Newton (Canada) vs. Daiju Takase (Japan) Chalid "Die Faust" Arrab (Germany) vs. Kazuhiro Nakamura (Japan) Akira Shoji (Japan) vs. Tamakairiki (Japan) Norihisa Yamamoto (Japan) vs. Choi Mu Bae (Korea) Jorge Patino Macaco (Brazil) Vs Kazuo Misaki (Japan) (Fight Card Subject to Change) PRIDE FC: BUSHIDO VOLUME 3 will premiere on North American pay per view through iNDEMAND, DIRECTV, DISH NETWORK, UrbanXtra, TVN1, Bell Express Vu, and Viewer's Choice on Sunday, May 23rd, 2004 (same day delay). The premiere time is 9:00pm EST, 6:00pm PST and the count down show is at 8:30pm EST, 5:30pm PST. The event will be available at a reduced rate of $19.95. For additional replay times, please contact your pay per view provider. |
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Held May 9,2004 at Barnsley Metrodome,England Strebendt Makes Submission History and Matt Ewin defines the word "Champion" in a great return to form for Cagewarriors "Showdown" By Jim Burman
Gerald Strebendt's twister submission that took him only 58 seconds to land, the first one in MMA history. Strebendt was like submissions answer to Mike Tyson as he came out hunting the submission from the get go. Audience members asked "what?", we said "wow"! Matt Ewin defending his title against tough as hell Greg Bouchaleghem in a four round war. Within minutes of the fight starting Bouchalegham had Ewin's back and was raining down elbows and punches with alarming force and accuracy. Ewin dug deep though and proved that great conditioning and a lot of heart wins through as he turned the tides on the Frenchman and managed to get the stoppage in the 4th to retain his title. Dave Roche smashing into Gav Bradley before tapping him out with a guillotine against the fence. Roche was like a man possessed in this one and the fans went crazy for his aggressive style.
Mark Chen vs Frederick Fernandes (F/W) Fernandes via unanimous decision (round 3) Andy Walker vs Lee Dorski (W/W) Dorski via verbal submission (armbar) 3:06 round 1 Gav Bradley vs Dave Roche (L/W eliminator) Roche via submission (guillotine) round 1 Matt Ewin vs Gregory Bouchalegham (M/W Title) Ewin via ref stoppage (towel) 2:25 round 4 Paul Daley vs Ressa Moradi (k1 rules; 3x3 rounds) Daley via cut stoppage round 1 Dave "Speedy" Elliott vs Gerald "The finishing Machine" Strebandt (L/W eliminator) Strebandt via submission (twister) 0:58 round 1 Tengiz Tedoradze vs Andy Ryan (H/W Title) Tedoradze via GnP 2:05 round 1 Ian "M16" Butlin vs Emmanuelle Fernandes (F/W Title) Fernandes via submission (triangle) 4:59 round 1 |
| Thursday - May 13, 2004 |
 Go sleeveless with our new NHB Sleeveless T For FASTEST service call in your credit card order (516)676-0033 Or Click here to order securely online with your credit card or print off the order form & mail it in with your payment |
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By Eduardo Alonso Promoted by Wallid Ismail, Jungle Fight 2 was truly a mystery until not too long ago. Endless questions and doubts surrounded the show as Ismail kept himself quiet until there was mere weeks before the event, leaving fans and press wondering if the show would actually happen and what fighters would be gracing the ring in case Jungle 2 was a go. Well, the show is not only going to happen but will present an even more interesting card than in its first edition, showing that Wallid still has some good tricks under his sleeve as a promoter! Among others the show will count with PRIDE veterans such as Ebenezer Braga, Carlos Barreto and Assuerio Silva, as well as UFC veterans Travis Wiuff and Bobby Hoffman. The most important MMA teams in Brazil will be represented on the show as Chute Boxe, Brazilian Top Team, Ruas Vale Tudo and Gracie Barra Combat Team are all on board. Although one of the biggest attractions on the first Jungle Fight was the atmosphere created for the show, being the first MMA event ever to take place in the middle of the rain forest, this time Wallid is bringing the event to the city of Manaus, capital of the state of Amazonas up in the north of Brazil where the biggest part of the Amazon Forest is located. This puts Jungle Fight 2, this next Saturday May 15th, around 4 hours by boat from the location of the first show, bringing fight action to STUDIO 5, a house of spectacles that is usually used for concerts and such. Being broadcast live for Brazil on Pay Per View, fans will certainly benefit from having the show's biggest point on the actual fights as the card was finally unveiled, only 3 days before the show! Check out Jungle Fight 2's card as we will bring a preview of the show in the coming days:
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From Koichi "Booker K" Kawasaki: Announced K-1 MMA Championship ROMANEX May 22, 2004 Saitama Super Arena Japan
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| Friday - May 14, 2004 |
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By Derek Callahan Some matches that had to be rearranged due to injury don't look to have shaken up Mass Destruction 16, as the show still plans on hitting Boston's Avalon Night Club full force this Saturday, May 15th. Boasting fighters who have swept through NAGA grappling circuits, and others who prefer to stand and trade like they've done in the boxing ring, the upcoming show, on paper, offers a little of everything from the fighters and for the fans. In one of the higher profile match-ups, possibly one of the most dangerous fighters on the card will be looking to extend his one fight win streak. After avenging a loss to Will Murphy that he suffered in December of 2003, Jerry Spiegel looks to conquer a game Will Hogan. The X-factor may be the gap in rounds each has fought. Although he has only four MMA fights, Spiegel is 9-1 in pro boxing, his only loss at the fists of Muhammad Ali's nephew Ibn. A Renzo Gracie trained fighter, he won his last fight against Murphy via guillotine choke. "I improve every time," he said on why he thinks he'll have the edge in the bout. The plot thickens with the tale of Ted Govola, Jr. Looking to comeback from a loss to MD middleweight champ Alex Karalexis, Govola will have a night of choices when he comes face to face with Mandela "Delicious" Kponoa. Known as a quality striker with solid boxing experience, Kponoa will have his work cut out for him in MMA. 1-0 with a victory at the end of 2003, he faces a relentless ground fighter in the 11-2 Govola. The twist though lies in the fact that as of his last fight, Govola could be considered the weaker striker. However, sparring countless rounds with some of New England's best boxers have given Govola enough confidence to, as he puts it, "test," his opponent on the feet. One of the men to have helped train Govola is Randy "the Savage" Rowe. The man behind Team Venom, Rowe has fought the likes of ex-UFC heavyweight champion Tim Sylvia, to whom he lost a split decision to in 2000. "I rocked him a couple times," remembered Rowe, a half Black Foot/half Cherokee Native American. Looking to get a could-be promising career on track at age 30, it will be no easy task to dismantle Ronald Stallings from the high horse of which he sits. Only 21, stick a hyphen in his age and there's his record. Fighting out of Bellaire, Maryland, Stallings has learned since his debut loss to stay intense in the ring when necessary, and not to relax much in the midst of a fight. Against a manic fighter like Rowe, relaxation won't be an option, but with his smooth submissions and pronounced height advantage of five inches, the six-foot Stallings has as good a chance as any to turn "the Savage" into "the Civilized" in what is sure to be a hard fought affair.
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Experience sets the tone as careers are on the line in Brazil. By Eduardo Alonso This Saturday at around 10 PM New York time Jungle Fight 2 will begin and mark a crucial step into the careers of a lot of fighters that are taking part in the show, that in this reporter's opinion brings a solid evolution in its technical aspect in relation to Jungle 1. To be honest, each and every fighter on this card has his reason to consider their fights crucial. For fighters such as Rani Yahira and Fredson Paixao, who are on the early stages of their careers, winning on their first national PPV gig (In Brazil) can mean more invitations and some spotlights on them. For fighters on the mid-stages of their careers, like Daniel Acacio and Gabriel Napao a win in this event means another important step forward, and for veterans such as Carlos Barreto, Ebenezer Braga and Assuerio Silva, a loss can possibly mean the end of their dream of returning to PRIDE or the UFC. This could be considered more than enough to bring the attention of the fans, but believe it or not there's even more drama to be unfolded at Jungle Fight 2. Ronaldo Jacare will put his prestige as a grappler on the line once again by risking himself into MMA, after his losing debut in Jungle Fight 1 against Jorge Macaco Patino. Jacare was at the top of his game in both Jiu-Jitsu and Submission Wrestling back then, and his MMA debut was long awaited. Unfortunately things didn't turn out well for him, as he lost by KO and a second lose could mean the end of his short MMA career at this point, so you can imagine the pressure he is facing before his fight against Russian fighter Victor Babkir. With that in mind, less than 48 hours before the show, FCF brings you a small preview in the most important fights of Jungle Fight 2, that also has Ronaldo Jacare facing Victor Babkir, Katsuyori Shibata from Japan facing "Ice Man" from the USA [Of course it's not Chuck Liddell, however at this point no one has solid information on this fighter], Adriano Martins facing Boris Jonstomp from France, and Gabriel Napao matching up "Charlie Brown" from Brazil. Now let's move on the most interesting fights: Fredson Paixao vs. Rani Yahira: A BJJ World Champion Fredson Paixao is a great grappler and this is well known by everybody in the Jiu-Jitsu circles. Very strong for his weight, Fredson was always among the top of his division in competitions with the gi on and has been looking to make the transition to MMA for a good while already. Since he joined the Gracie Barra Combat Team his focus turned almost totally to MMA and he has been trying to improve his striking skills lately, this is by the way the biggest question mark going into his debut in our sport. This match-up was scheduled for HEAT FC 3, that was postponed with no date set yet, so both Fredson and Rani have been training with each other in mind for months already! To add to this drama they fought already in submission wrestling matches and some sort of feud started, with none of the fighters making any secret on their desire to face each other. Click here to continue the article |
From the event's promoter:
Here is the full fight card for the RING OF FIRE #12: NEMESIS event in Castle Rock, Colorado on May 22nd.Promoter and match maker Sven BOOGIE Bean is very pleased with the card, even though he has had to deal with the almost expected last minute drops. "This card is as strong as any I've put together match making wise. This is what ROF is all about, showcasing some of the best 'B' level guys on a great card with hopes that the big guys will take notice. With that said, don't be fooled, this card rocks!...I've always said that a 'B' level guy is just an 'A' level fighter who hasn't been discovered yet! I'm hoping that as in the case in the past, some one from this show will get the call." said Bean. The 10 bout card features fighters from 6 states and veterans from KOTC, EXTREME CHALLENGE, GLADIATOR CHALLENGE, VFC, SHOOT BOXING JAPAN, and even the WWE! RING OF FIRE #12: NEMESIS! Saturday, May 22nd, 2004 Douglas County Event Center Castle Rock, CO MAIN EVENT: 185 lb 3 x 5 minutes Jay Jack (ME) AMMA/BJJ Boulder vs John ANNIHILATOR Cronk (CO) Warrior Dojo PRESTIGE BOUT: 155 lb 3 x 5 minutes Jake Hattan (CO) TEAM THUNDER vs Carlos Condit (NM) FIT NHB FEATURE FIGHT: 170 lbs 2 x 5 minutes Ali Abdelaziz (Egypt) Bloodline/HIT SQUAD vs Chee Bates (NM) FIT NHB FEATURE FIGHT: 155 lbs 2 x 5 minutes Luke "Li'l HULK" Caudillo (NE) TEAM WISEMAN/MILITECH vs James Martinez (NM) AKKA FEATURE FIGHT: Heavy Weight 2 x 5 minutes "BIG" Gabe Beapurthey (CO) Bloodline/HIT SQUAD vs Craig "BIG Z" Zellner(NM) FIT NHB FEATURE FIGHT: 155 lbs 2 x 5 minutes Brock Jensen (CO) High Altitude M.A. vs Justin James (IA) Independent FEATURE FIGHT: 185 lbs 2 x 5 minutes Brett "Wrecking Ball" Schafer (CO) TEAM THUNDER vs Brandon Melendez (UT) Independent PRELIMINARY BOUT: 155 lbs 3 x 3 minutes Denis "Tenacious D" Acuna (CO) 3-D Competition Team vs Steve Graniery (CO) Grappler's Edge PRELIMINARY BOUT: 140 lbs 4 x 2 minutes, K-1 Rules Mike "No Excuses" Baldwin (CO) Freedom Fighters vs TBA (NM) PRELIMINARY BOUT: Heavy Weight 3 x 3 minutes Tom Clemen (CO) High Altitude M.A. vs TBA (CO) $25.00 General Admission, $40.00 Reserved (Sold Out), Purchase VIP TABLES by calling 303-246-5237 Tickets are available at all KING SOOPERS Locations or online at www.ticketswest.com. |
| Saturday - May 15, 2004 |
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From the event's promoter: FFC IX Held May 14th at the Beau Rivage in Biloxi, MS.
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| Sunday - May 16, 2004 |
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by Derek Callahan Mass Destruction 16 Held May 15, 2004 Avalon Night Club Boston, MA
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King Of The Cage Held May 15, 2004 At Sky City Casino - Albuquerque, NM
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Wiuff, Barreto, Werdum and Assuerio prevail in a night of action-packed fights By Eduardo Alonso Jungle Fight 2 is now history and it was most certainly a very entertaining show. With a few surprises like Jiu-Jitsu stylist Fabricio Werdum scoring a knockout win over seasoned Muay Thai fighter Ebenezer Braga, in what got even Werdum himself surprised, and Assuerio Silva making Brazilian Top Team fighter Fabiano Scherner tap out due to a tight guillotine choke. Assuerio's win wasn't a surprise, however the way he won certainly wasn't expected by many. It also had some tough costumer of the MMA game coming back in great style, like Carlos Barreto completely dominating UFC veteran Bobby Hoffman, and giving hopes of a possible rematch against Travis Wiuff after the American showed once again he is improved for real and deserves a shot at the bigger shows as soon as possible, as Travis once again used his brain and his power to mix strategy with aggressiveness forcing the referee to stop the fight with Montenegro already ready to go to dreamland!
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Held May 14, 2004 At the Croation Cultural Centre Vancouver, British Columbia By Mike Neva
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Campbell High School Gym, Ewa Beach, Hawaii May 15, 2005 By Chris Onzuka
150lbs. Kickboxing 3x1 1/2 Minute Rounds Randy Rivera (HMC) def. Tommy Laugamen (B.G.) Split decision [(30-25), (25-30), (30-25)] after 3 rounds. Exhibition: Kickboxing 3x45 Seconds Rounds Jada Perriera (E.B.F.C) drew Tristin Kamaka (808 Fight Factory) Exhibition: 90lbs. Kickboxing 3x 45 Second Rounds Shaun Ahlo (Casca Grossa) drew Cole Porlas (House of Pain) 175lbs. Kickboxing 3x 1/2 Minute Rounds Frank Robello (Advanced Kenpo) vs. Blake Hottenberg (Kodenkan) Draw [(29-28), (27-30), (28-28)] after 3 rounds. 135lbs. Kickboxing 3x1 Minute Rounds Gerald "G-Money" Arevalo (808 Fight Factory) def. Chad (Team Big Dog) Unanimous decision [(28-27), (30-25), (28-27)] after 3 rounds. Exhibition: 60lbs Kickboxing 3x 45 Second Rounds Tristen Pebria (E.B.F.C) drew Dido Rodriques (W.K.C) 168lbs. MMA 2x3 Minute Rounds Mike Ganigiehi (Animal House) vs. Mike Tafflinger (Freelance) Majority draw [(19-19), (19-19), (19-18)] after 2 rounds. 205lbs. Kickboxing 3x1 1/2 Minute Rounds Val (Team Big Dog) def. Joshua Versola (Advanced Kempo) Majority decision [(19-19), (19-19), (28-27)] after 3 rounds. 135lbs MMA 3x3 Minute Rounds Mark Oshiro (Bulls Pen) def. Matt Matsuda (Kodenkan) TKO via referee stoppage due to strikes from the triangle at 2:00 into R1. 145lbs Kickboxing 3x1 1/2 Minute Rounds Dyson (Team Big Dogs) def. Brandon Antonio (Jesus Is Lord) Split decision [(29-28), (28-29), (30-27)] after 3 rounds. 145lbs MMA 3x3 Minute Rounds Kevin Delima (Bulls Pen) def. Jerome Kekumu (Hard Knocks) Submission via rear naked choke at 2:28 into R2. 165lbs. Kickboxing 3x11/2 Minute Rounds Ikaika (Backyard) def. Oscar Kano (HMC) Unanimous decision [(30-27), (29-28), (29-28)] after 3 rounds. 135lbs. MMA 3X3 Minutes Rounds Toni Rodriquez (Team Big Dogs) def. Ryan Lee (Bulls Pen) KO at 2:13 into R3. 140LBS. Kickboxing 3x11/2 Second Rounds Dominator Lopes (Team Big Dog) def. Brandon Absher (Hawaii Self Defense) Unanimous decision [(27-26), (29-24), (29-26)] after 3 rounds. 125lbs Kickboxing 3x 1 1/2 Minutes Rounds Stephen Paling Jr. (Jesus Is Lord) def. Derwin Wright (House of Pain) TKO via verbal submission at 1:20 into R1. Kickboxing 3X 1 1/2 Minute Rounds Wayne Pierin Jr. (Team Big Dogs) def. Jesse Matilda (HMC) Split decision [(29-28), (28-30), (29-28)] after 3 rounds. 175LBS. Kickboxing Rounds Tommy Pestana (Team Pestana) def. Deshaun Johnson (HMC) Unanimous decision [(30-27), (30-27), (29-28)] after 3 rounds. |
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From the event's promoter: Tolbert named Fighter of the Night Aldano scores another KO It was a sizzling hot night in Casa Grande. Eight exciting matchups were featured with all fights ending by submission or KO. Gilbert Aldano, who scored a 3 second KO in RITC 61, scored another KO. Aldano was then challenged by Andy Montana to fight in RITC 63 on June 12th. Troy Tolbert faced very tough Cameron Mayer. Troy withstood aggressive attacks to win by arm bar submission and earned Fighter of the Night (FOTN) honors. Other candidates for FOTN were Matt VerHalen, Michael Grandinetti, Brandon Roberts, Israel Juarez, Michael Perales, Gilbert Aldano and Vince Lucero. Matt VerHalen (141), Freestyle won by submission (choke), :44 Rd 1 Brandon Oliver (136), Team Brausa Troy Tolbert (141), Leininger Dojo won by submission (arm bar), 1:22 Rd 1 Cameron Mayer (133), Hinnzman's MMA Michael Grandinetti (175), Leininger Dojo won by submission (strikes), :26 Rd 1 Joe Bochenek (165), Freestyle Brandon Roberts (166), Ultima MMA won by submission (strikes), 1:25 Rd 1 Jason Dehart (165), Team Brausa Israel Juarez (171), Leininger Dojo won by TKO, 2:29 Rd 1 Brett Schreiner (166), Sac BJJ Michael Perales (190), Devil's Den won by submission (strikes), 1:42 Rd 2 David Canuas (192), Freestyle Gilbert Aldano (251), Team Brausa won by KO, 1:55 Rd 1 Karl Perkins (244), AZ Punishment Vince Lucero (291), AZ Punishment won by submission (strikes), 1:52 Rd 1 Cory Timmerman (335), Team Brausa Upcoming Events: Desert Quest #8 Saturday, June 5, 2004 Westwood High (Mesa) RITC 63 - It's Time Saturday, June 12, 2004 Phoenix (Dodge Theater) |
| Tuesday - May 18, 2004 |
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From Zuffa/UFC:
LAS VEGAS, NV, May 17, 2004.... Zuffa, LLC, owner of the Ultimate Fighting Championship®, announced that due to BJ Penn's reported signing with the K-1 organization, Penn would no longer compete in UFC events. Additionally, Penn's actions have resulted in him being stripped of his title. "I am looking forward to moving on and crowning a champion," stated UFC president, Dana White. An announcement will be made soon regarding who will compete for the welterweight championship. |
| Wednesday - May 19, 2004 |
East Coast stand-out Jay Hieron will step up to take over for legally-plagued Jason Miller at UFC 48. Undefeated in MMA (4-0) and kickboxing, Hieron will fight Georges St. Pierre at the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas, Nevada on June 19th. Check back soon for more info. |
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Available in the FCF Shop 
This double-sided special edition DVD is packed with great Mixed Martial Arts action! Including both Ring of Fury 2 and Ring of Fury 3, the Ring of Fury DVD is for the serious fight fan! Over 3 hours of KOs, submissions and furious fight action!SIDE 1
(516)676-0033 Or Click here to order securely online with your credit card or print off the order form & mail it in with your payment |
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From the event's promoter: Dodge Theater Saturday, June 12, 2004 Doors Open: 6 PM, Fight Time: 7:30 PM RITC 63 tickets now on sale (Fan Appreciation Prices). Advanced ticket prices shown below ($5 higher if purchased on fight day). Ticket prices: $15 Club (rows 1-11), $20 (rows 28-36), $30 (rows 17-27), $50 (rows 1-16). Call Dodge Theater Box Office at 602-379-2888 and press 2. Rage in the Cage is back again at the $40M Dodge Theater. The planned fight card is unbelievable. Fight Card: Main Events: Shane Johnson (205) vs. Doug Berube (195) Homer Moore (210) vs. Tim McMullen (240) Unfinished Business: Jamie Varner (170) vs. James Upshur (165) RITC Middleweight Championship Tournament (Finals RITC 64, July 2004): #2 Rich Moss (185) vs. #3 Hans Marrero (185) #1 Brodie Farber (185) vs. #4 Randy Lavrar (185) Special KO Challenge Bout: Andy Montana (235) vs. Gilbert Aldano (250) "World War III": Nike Knight (135) vs. Shuji Yamauchi (155) Discovery Channel or Showtime Documentary: BJ Gile (205) vs. Rich Alten (215) Leininger Dojo vs. Devil's Den: Robert Rose (190) vs. Michael Perales (190) Exciting Rematches: Matt VerHalen (145) vs. Carlos Ortega (150) Troy Tolbert (140) vs. Cameron Mayer (135) Plus: Ed West (150) vs. TBA Matt Hendricks (185) vs. TBA Fight Card subject to change. Dodge Theater 400 West Washington St Phoenix, AZ 85003 (602) 379-2888 www.dodgetheater.com Upcoming event: RITC 64 July TBA, 2004 Dodge Theater |
| Thursday - May 20, 2004 |
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Refusing to Surrender! UFC and Pride veterans show they still have what it takes in the North of Brazil By Eduardo Alonso It has been a while since Travis Wiuff, Carlos Barreto and Assuerio Silva had a shot at the UFC or Pride and people often debate on whether certain fighters are done for the "big thing" or not. This past Saturday, entering the early hours of Sunday, up in the north of Brazil at Jungle Fight 2, those three fighters surprised many showing they not only have what it takes to have a shot at the "Major Leagues" of our sport, as well as they are in constant evolution despite the ups and downs an MMA fighter career can present. Among many things, Jungle Fight 2 also helped to show that with our sport becoming so even, with fighters going fast from the "next big thing" to a "tomato can", it's very important to give new chances to competitors that once were considered among the elite of mixed martial arts. In the hot weather of the city of Manaus, counting with a interesting production and a good crowd on hand, Wallid Ismail and Antonio Inoki clearly saw an upgrade in the level of excitement from their first Jungle Fight venture to last Saturday night's Jungle Fight 2. In the fight that was maybe the most awaited one, former Chute Boxe fighter Assuerio Silva stunned most of the audience with his improved ground skills in a winning effort against Brazilian Top Team fighter Fabiano Scherner. The first round saw Scherner get a slight upper hand with some takedowns and a bit of ground and pound, but doing close to no damage to his opponent. However, in the second round Assuerio dominated the action with his Boxing skills, connecting with solid uppercuts only to make Fabiano fall victim of a guillotine choke that amazingly submitted the Jiu-Jitsu stylist. Following this fight, the main event saw a smart, fit and strong Travis Wiuff execute a perfect gameplan and give no chance to local hero Leopoldo Montenegro. After Montenegro's submission win over Mark Schultz at Jungle Fight 1, expectations were high among local fans, but what they saw was Wiuff hurting him on stand up early in the fight, controlling the takedowns and escape every submission attempt from the bottom, until Leopoldo tried for a triangle that made Wiuff slam him so hard on the mat he got semi-unconscious, so Travis would just finish him with hammer-fists and punches still in the first round. Another highly awaited match-up had two UFC veterans battling each other in Carlos Barreto against Bobby Hoffman. Many doubted Barreto's chances against Bobby's pure aggressiveness, however the Brazilian Top Team fighter worked a Jiu-Jitsu clinic on Hoffman, attempting one triangle choke, one footlock, one kata-gatame choke from the bottom, another one from the top and one armbar from the guard, all in mere five minutes of fighting! Bobby came into the fight with a strategy to ground and pound Carlos, however the was forced to spend the whole fight defending, even being saved by the bell in the first round when he was caught in a tight kata-gatame choke from the top. The second round saw the same domination, as Barreto mounted him and pounded away until the referee saw indications that Hoffman wanted no more after one impressive outing by a fighter most call boring. Another UFC veteran, Ebenezer Braga, didn't had the same luck as he was controlling the fight against Fabricio Werdum, defending takedowns well and hurting him with knees and punches, until he was caught by a prayer in the second round that sent him do dream land in brutal fashion. To his credit, Werdum is an amazing grappler and proved he have a great chin and will only improve. As knockouts weren't rare in Jungle Fight 2, Daniel Acacio scored his first KO as a Chute Boxe member, completely dominating Buck Greer with better Wrestling and more aggressive stand up, despite the reach difference. The other fights of the night saw Gabriel Napao fighting cautiously against 43 year old "Charlie Brown" because of his punching-power, and earning his win due to superior cardio and speed, French Kickboxer Boris Jonstomp controlling Adriano Martins on stand up, and prevailing with his cardio and agility, even though he got caught by a hard knee that almost got in out in the second round, Jiu Jitsu prodigy Ronaldo Jacare making quick work of Victor Babkin with a quick takedown followed by a mount that got the Russian helpless, Japanese Wrestler Katsuyori Shibata running over "Ice Man" needing around one minute to secure a side choke for the win, and BJJ world champion Fredson Paixao showing amazing heart and will in his MMA debut, imposing his pace and aggressiveness against a surprisingly passive Rani Yahira that didn't seem comfortable at any moment in the fight. Happy with the success of Jungle Fight 2, Wallid Ismail is already planning the third edition for September, and a rematch between Carlos Barreto and Travis Wiuff, who fought at HEAT FC 2 with Wiuff winning a judges' decision, is being considered for the main event. |
| Friday - May 21, 2004 |
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Available in the FCF Shop 
Coming at ya from Hawaii -- BJ Penn takes on Takanori Gomi, Dennis Hallman battles Ray Cooper and Renato Verissimo goes against Gill Castillo! Plus many more action-packed fights, order now!
(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 |
| Saturday - May 22, 2004 |
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Held May 22, 2004 Saitama Super Arena Japan
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Melendez, Parisyan shine in the desert Held May 21, 2004 The Palace Indian Gaming Center - Lemoore, CA Report and photos by Keith Mills
Look for a full report in the June issue of Full Contact Fighter.
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Team Quest goes to Denmark as MMA continues to spread in Scandinavia! By Eduardo Alonso The effort to make our sport grow in the Nordic European countries continues, as European Vale Tudo goes to its third edition emphasizing on the international appeal, having fighters from numerous countries, and giving chance to young fighters to continue to develop their careers. After two very successful editions, the first in Denmark counting with Guy Mezger on the card, and the second one in Sweden featuring more Lions Den fighters, EVT returned to Denmark again on May 22nd, this time bringing Team Quest for the first time in the young promotion history adding some spice to a card that featured fighters from nine different countries. The relationship between Team Quest and Scandinavia has been growing a lot during the past years, as Randy Couture himself already went to the region to teach seminars a number of times, leading the naturally open doors at the biggest MMA promotion in the area. Young fighters Chris Wilson and Dennis Davis represented Team Quest in the show and both did well under the circumstances. Dennis fought a very experienced fighter in Thomas Hytten and managed to win by submission, while Chris was controlling most of the action when he accidentally hit Stale Nyang in the eye with a kick, making it impossible for the Norwegian fighter to continue. At first the American was considered the winner, but after further review the result was changed to a no contest. Another USA native fighter, although currently living in the UK, Pierre Guillet didn't give his opponent a chance as he secured a triangle choke in less than a minute, with the fastest submission of the night. Another stand out in the show was German hot prospect Daniel Weichel. Weichel was undefeated until he got surprised at the last EVT show losing a decision to Mattias Awad, but the Shooto Japan veteran came back strong to redeem himself and dominated both the stand up action and ground work to score his first win in European Vale Tudo, against Brittish fighter Gaz Roriston. Nordic fighters Tchadar Pavlov and John Oskar Hammer also continued their streak at EVT, winning their fights in a solid effort. Here are the full results of the show:
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| Sunday - May 23, 2004 |
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Held May 23, 2004 Yokohama Arena PRIDE: Bushido 3 North American PPV premiere date: May 23, 2004 (tonight) |
| Monday - May 24, 2004 |
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with FCF new sleeveless T's For FASTEST service call in your credit card order (516)676-0033 Or Click here to order securely online with your credit card or print off the order form & mail it in with your payment |
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Lee Murray and Jason Miller out LAS VEGAS, NEV, May 24, 2004.... Due to issues regarding his travel visa, Zuffa, LLC, owner of the Ultimate Fighting Championshipâ, has replaced Lee Murray on the UFC 48 fight card. Murray, from London England, is vigorously trying to resolve his visa problems but it appears that the matter can't be resolved until after the June 19 bout. Until Murray secures his travel visa no announcement will be made on when he will fight again. South African, Trevor Prangley (21-2) will take Murray's place. Prangley will be making his UFC debut against Curtis Stout (7-3-1). Prangley is coming off a unanimous decision win over Andrei Semenov at EE - Russia vs. USA this past March. Due to on going legal problems Jason Miller has been replaced. Taking Miller's place will be Jay Hieron (4-0). Hieron, from Long Island, NY will make his UFC debut against Georges St Pierre (6-0). With these bouts in place here is what the rest of UFC 48 looks like. The main event at UFC 48: Payback will feature Heavyweight Ken Shamrock as he returns to the Octagon. Shamrock, "The World's Most Dangerous Man," (25-8-2) and Kimo (10-3-1), will meet in a long-awaited re-match. Shamrock submitted Kimo with a knee bar at UFC 8: David Vs. Goliath and fans have anticipated a payback fight ever since. Kimo is coming off an impressive submission victory over hometown rival Tank Abbott at UFC 43: Meltdown last June in Las Vegas. Tim Sylvia (18-0) makes his much anticipated return to the Octagon taking on Frank Mir (7-1) for the Heavyweight championship. Former UFC welterweight champion Matt Hughes (36-4) will meet Renato "Charuto"Verissimo (6-0-0). Power striker Phil Baroni (6-3-0) will battle Evan Tanner (30-4-0) in a re-match of their controversial middleweight fight November 21 at UFC 45: Revolution. Dennis Hallman (51-8-2) looks to avenge a previous defeat to Frank Trigg (9-2). Veteran lightweight Matt Serra (12-3) will meet Ivan Menjivar (13-2) in his UFC debut. Tickets for the all-star, fight card are $350, $250, $150, $75 and $35, are on sale now at the Mandalay Bay Events Center box office in Las Vegas, at all Ticketmaster locations, www.ticketmaster.com and www.mandalaybay.com. Tickets also may be ordered by telephone at 1-877-632-7400 or 1-702-474-4000. Ticket purchases are limited to eight per person and are subject to transaction fees. UFCâ 48: Payback will be available LIVE on pay-per-view at 10 p.m. EDT on iNDemand, DirecTV, Dish Network, TVN, Echostar, Bell ExpressVu and Viewers Choice Canada. The suggested retail price is $29.95. |
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Held May 23, 2004 Ceasar’s Nightclub, London, UK Results by David West Results:
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In the current issue of FCF...|
From the event's promoter: Euphoria MFC 4 Show Series To Feature Grand Prix Style Tournaments!!! 'Things are beginning to take shape with Euphoria MFC.' starts matchmaker Miguel Iturrate. 'MFC is starting to contact fighters and extend contract offers for the 4 show series planned. Earlier, we said 'this isn't just RUSSIA v USA anymore' and that is true. Though we are putting an emphasis on signing fighters from our first event, MFC is also extending offers to fighters from Europe, Japan and elsewhere. We think these will feature an international field of fighters, and the compact timeframe for the tournaments will provide the athletes with optimum conditions to prepare for. When the tournaments are done and the belts are awarded to the winners, something will have been accomplished - new champions will be standing.' 'Of course, all the cards and matches must be approved by the New Jersey State Boxing Commission. After our first event last March, MFC feels comfortable that we can meet their high standards, and that the next series of shows will raise the production level. these shows will be something to behold.' concludes the matchmaker. EUPHORIA MFC CALENDAR:
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| Wednesday - May 26, 2004 |
From the event's promoter: Minnesota's "Elite 3" Headline Extreme Challenge 58 MEDINA, Minn. -- For the first time ever, the three premiere MMA fighters in Minnesota will showcase their talent in the same event. Extreme Challenge 58 will feature Dave Menne, Sean Sherk and Travis Wiuff on June 11 at the Medina Entertainment Center. "Not only do we have the top 3 guys in the state, we also have quality opponents for them," said promoter Monte Cox.
Doors open at 6:30 p.m. with the first bout at 8 p.m. Tickets start at $25 and are available at the Medina Box Office (763) 478-6661 and Minnesota Combat Arts (651) 336-2777. LINEUP Co-main events Marcus Hicks vs. Sean Sherk Todd Carney vs. Dave Menne Feature fights Jerry Vrbanovic vs. Travis Wiuff Shannon Ritch vs. Darryl Guthmiller Melvin Guilliard vs. Richie Miller Main card Ted Worthington vs. Chad Sutton Ryan Antle vs. Cliff Saunders TBA vs. Andy Kemp |
| Thursday - May 27, 2004 |
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By Loretta Hunt "Mismatch" can be a dirty word in MMA, a touchy subject that is often acknowledged when it happens, but quickly dismissed as an inevitable occurrence of a young sport still in the throws of development. The New Jersey State Athletic Control Board, however, has chosen not to perpetuate such occurrences in its own backyard. Following April 24th's Ring of Combat 6 event held in Elizabeth, NJSACB Chief Inspector Sylvester Cuyler flagged two competitor's performances as less than acceptable within its jurisdiction.
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From the Department of Corrections: In the WEC X results (posted May 22, 2004), there was an error in the results of the Mike Serr vs. Rafael Real fight. The correct result is "Mike Serr def. Rafael Real 2:19 R1 by submission to strikes." The original post has been adjusted to reflect the correct results. |
| Saturday - May 29, 2004 |
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The Brazilian Beat: In the last Brazilian Beat of May of 2004 the focus is already set for June, as next month promises a lot of interesting things for an MMA fan, being him from anywhere in the world. June will bring the second round of the PRIDE GP, that because of the card's single matches, such as Quinton Jackson against Ricardo Arona, promises to be more interesting than the first round of the same Heavyweight GP. Also, June will treat Brazilian fans to MECA 11, in one of the best cards every put together at this Brazilian promotion, with some intriguing match-ups. Besides those two marquee happenings for any Brazilian fan, June will witness to first big MMA show ever in Korea, with plenty of PRIDE and UFC veterans taking part on the card, and a handful of Brazilian fighters competing in it. So, with the eyes set on June we enjoy the last hours of May with news from both present and near future of the Brazilian MMA scene, FCF brings yet once again another Beat straight from the often hot, and now cold weather of Brazil [believe it or not it's damn cold here now], enjoy the news! |
| Sunday - May 30, 2004 |
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Newest UFC 48 Entry Trevor Prangley Wears Three Hats At Once By Loretta Hunt 
It was a stroke of bad luck three weeks ago when Professional Fighting Association (PFA) promoter Trevor Prangley got word that he'd lost one half of his headliner for his June 3rd "Pride & Fury" event in Coeur D'Alene, Idaho. Team Quest rep Chael Sonnen had taken a last minute match-up with Jeremy Horn in another event and had sustained twenty-two stitches to his forehead. Sonnen was to have squared off against Lion's Den fan favorite Vernon "Tiger" White, but a fighter himself; news of Sonnen's demise didn't shake Prangley particularly. After thirteen amateur shows with longtime Team Idaho/Lion's Den coach Derek Cleveland, pulling off their first professional event seemed a foreseeable undertaking. The wheels were set in motion to find White a suitable opponent, that is until White was offered a match-up against light-heavyweight Chuck Liddell at UFC 49.Prangley couldn't blame White for his choice to jump events. The South African Olympic wrestling alternate got his call from the UFC a week ago himself. British import Lee Murray was having visa issues, and a capable middleweight would be needed to replace him in his fight with UFC 30 veteran Curtis Stout. Prangley had faired well in his drop to the middleweight division against Russian Red Devil fighter Andrei Semenov back at March's Euphoria Mixed Fighting Championship. His hard-earned unanimous decision over the feisty UFC 35 and 37 veteran, along with a notable showing before that against eventual IFC tournament winner Renato "Babalu" Sobral last September, had garnered the 8-1 Prangley enough buzz to propel him into America's premiere MMA promotion.
But, the best was yet to come. Amidst contract signings and card juggling galore, Prangley welcomed the most important little fighter to his brood just two days later when wife Sherrie went into labor five weeks early. Six pound twelve ounce Sebastian Zion made his world debut that Sunday, and both parents couldn't have been happier. With his own event and his biggest career opportunity virtually coinciding, as well as a squawking newborn thrown in for good measure, is the old adage "feast or famine" a fitting mantra for the 32-year old fighter? "I just think we get sent tests to make us test our character and so on to see where we're at," comments Prangley of his harrowing time. "It's not feast or famine. I think it's a testing. Life tests you all the time and sometimes, just when you've had enough, you get a break. This is one of my times, you know? It's to see how well you handle it and what kind of character you can build out of it. It's been tough. I'll tell you what. This is like the hardest time in my life right now, as far as trying to put everything together." But, things do have a way of coming together. The Sonnen-White main event has since been replaced with welterweight powerhouse Sean Sherk facing off against Division I Boise State wrestler Eric Heinz. Sebastian and mom are home and resting well, and daddy is squeezing in training for his June 19th showdown with the hopes of etching his place in the UFC middleweight division. Following June 3rd, Prangley is off to the American Kickboxing Academy to get the finishing touches on his accelerated training with longtime friend and UFC lightweight standout Josh Thomson. The two met during their wrestling days at North Idaho College, and "The Punk" will make the famed march to the Octagon with Prangley when he's ushered into the Mandalay Bay arena come fight night. Grappling with what life has thrown him in the last few weeks, getting the chance to tussle one-on-one will probably be a treat for the Prangley, an industrious fighter of many talents. |
| Monday - May 31, 2004 - Memorial Day |
Full Contact Fighter would like to thank all the men and women who have fought in the many wars to preserve our freedoms. Many unsung heroes have lost their lives in the fight for freedom. Full Contact Fighter would like to thank you and thank the families of the fallen heroes.
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By Eduardo Alonso The beautiful city of Vitoria, located near Rio de Janeiro in the state of Espirito Santo, in Brazil, received its first taste of quality MMA action as yet a new promotion debuted in the country this past Saturday, May 29th. Vitoria Extreme Fight [in addition to being the name of the city, the word "vitoria" means "victory" in Portuguese,] featured two 4-man tournaments, one for middleweights and the other for heavyweights, as well as three single matches, mostly involving local heroes, such as Jiu-Jitsu standout Eduardo Jamelao in the main event. However, most of the excitement didn't come from the single matches, as the tournaments gave local fans a true taste of MMA action. In the middleweight tournament, Nova Uniao fighter Thalles Leite, despite his lack of mixed martial arts experience, surprised many by submitting UFC veteran Flavio Moura in the first round, advancing to the finals where he also dominated Lucio Linhares, from Alliance, becoming the first ever Vitoria Extreme Fight middleweight champion. In the heavyweight tourney, K-1 Brazil runner up Eduardo Maiorino managed to use his striking skills and ring experience to secure the title. After connecting with a high kick to KO opponent Chico Mello in his first match, Maiorino got the nod in a close decision against a brave Danilo "Motoserra," where his superior stand-up technique made the difference as he became the heavyweight champion. All in all it's great to see more quality shows appearing in Brazil, and the promoters are planning the second edition of the show for October. Here are the results from all the fights: Middleweight Tournament: Semi-Finals: Thalles Leite def. Flavio Moura by Katagatame choke in R1 Lucio Linhares def. Julio Cesar by unanimous decision Final: Thales Leite def. Lucio Linhares by Forfeit after R1 Heavyweight Tournament: Semi-Finals: Eduardo Maiorino def. Chico Mello by KO in R3 Danilo "Motoserra" def. Ailton Jacare by ref stoppage in R1 Final: Eduardo Maiorino def. Danilo "Motoserra" by split decision Single Matches: Bruno de Paula def. Danilo Scherman by unanimous decision Gilmar de Andrade def. Luis Pimpolho by armbar in R2 Eduardo Jamelao def. Marcelo Uirapuru by unanimous decision |
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