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| Friday - September 1, 2006 |
 New episode of FCF Radio In our latest broadcast, we talk with Denis Kang and Devin Cole. Click here to listen/download. |
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By Marcelo Alonso
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Check out what's in the current issue of FCF ...|
The Wizard Readies Himself for the Ninja By David West
FCF: What do you know about Murilo Rua? MW: I know he comes from a very good camp but I keep saying to people you can have a good camp and good training partners but when you're fighting you're in there on your own. Unless he's picked up some real good skills, it isn't going to make a difference. I don't think I'm the type of fighter you can find anywhere. Whether he's looking to stand or go to the ground is up to him really, I'm much more powerful than he thinks I am. He's very determined; he doesn't seem to want to quit, that's his main strength. I don't think he's the best technician, but he's very relentless. It's a case of me making him make a mistake, finding that mistake and catching him. FCF: How's your training going? MW: Very well. I've got a lot of guys competing around me so they are keeping me in shape. I find that if I rush into training too hard, because I love my striking I can get a thing with my shoulder blades sticking so I have to bring myself to a good level, then recover. Thursday is my day off. Each time I'm recovering I'm getting stronger, each week, each fight. It's a case of not tipping over that balance where the fatigue becomes an injury. I put myself in a lot of bad positions, because that's when you're going to gas is when you've been put in a bad position and you're fighting to get out of it. I'm trying to bring it to another level because I know a lot of good things are coming from these fights, like recently going to PRIDE. From this fight there's a possibility of going to PRIDE or the UFC. People only like winners so my main thing is to keep winning and keep doing what I know I'm good at. FCF: Would you like to return to PRIDE: Bushido? MW: I wouldn't mind. I didn't like my performance against Dennis Kang. I don't normally get fazed by anything but the event was a bit overwhelming. I wasn't quite sure about their set up, when they take you out, what sort of time they took you there, bringing food with me. On the exchange with Dennis Kang I damaged my hand, basically I just hit him wrong so that's down to me. I believe my performance could have been better, especially when it went to the ground and I couldn't really grab hold of him. If Murilo Rua has looked at that I'm hoping he'll gauge my groundwork off that and then I think that will bring him a false sense of security. On top of that I'm very confident going into this. He's on my turf so although he's very experienced I reckon the scales are tipped to my side. FCF: After Rua, would you like to fight Anderson Silva for the Cage Rage World Middleweight title? MW: Oh yeah, I've always dreamed about that. Years ago I was meant to but since Lee Murray comes from London and they like the local guys they put him first. Anderson Silva is no walkover. I'd like to fight him because of our similarity. He's very good on the stand up and I think it would make a unique fight. FCF: Is it on the cards? MW: If it's not I'm going to try to make it that way! I don't expect things, you've got to make things happen. FCF: Will you be defending your British title? MW: Yeah, there are two guys fighting off for it now -- a guy called Zelg Galesic and James Evans-Nicolle. The winner of those two will fight me. I like to walk around saying I'm the number one guy at my weight in this country so that fight means a lot. What I'm going to try to do is train up hard for this and feed off the high off this fight to defend my title and progress from that. FCF: Alex Reid has been clamoring for another crack at you. Will you give him one? MW: I fought him in 1999, I knocked him down and submitted him. We had a rematch, he had a very good close run. I cut him up and they stopped the fight on the cut. He was gassed as well - he wasn't going to win that fight. Now he wants a third match. I can't see the point. It's a case of me having to keep fighting him until he gets lucky, that's what it seems like. I don't see any reason to fight him. No one keeps fighting the same person. It's not really doing me any favors. I have no interest in the slightest. FCF: Are you disappointed that you never had the chance to fight Lee Murray? MW: He was saying that I was running scared, which is a total lie. If you ask any of the guys from Cage Rage they'll tell you I'm always up to fight anybody. I said, 'You tell Lee I'll fight him,' and every time I said it, he always came back with some excuse. Everybody thinks it's the other way, he was going on the Internet making out it was me running scared, but it was never that way. I never turned down anybody. It ain't going to happen now. The only thing that is annoying is I wanted to set the record straight, because he reckoned he was number one but I think he has to prove it. I was the only one stepping up and fighting the potentials, like Alex Reid, Sol Gilbert. Anybody they put in front of me and said, 'This guy could be the potential number one in the country', I fought them. All these guys seem to come from London Shootfighters and train together. They classed me as the country guy and they reckon we must wrestle with bears down here because we're so strong and determined. We're always winning. I've got another stablemate, Matt Ewin, he's beaten all those guys. I've got another guy, Che Mills, he just beat another guy from there this weekend. It really goes to show that the Gloucester club is a better club than London Shootfighters. The proof is in the pudding. Although we're not as mouthy and always on the Internet banging our own drum, we are the top fighting gym in England. FCF: Are you surprised by the growth of the sport in the UK? MW: No, not really. A lot of people put me on a pedestal where I was the one who helped people start recognising British fighters with the quick knockout I had back in 2002. Along with what Ian Freeman did, I think when people look back at the start of the sport, they'll have me somewhere in there as one of the guys who pioneered it, who showed we have potential over here. The thing that everybody asks now is how the hell am I still going? I'm still hanging around and knocking down the potentials of this country. It makes me look good and I'll just keep going as long as I can, that's my motivation anyway. |
 MFC Holds BBQ to Feed Homeless in Edmonton Just one week before the organizations upcoming card in Edmonton, Alberta, the Maximum Fighting Championship held a free BBQ on Thursday, August 31st at the Shaw Conference Centre, to help feed the cities less fortunate and homeless. MFC staff, ring girls and several of the organization's local fighters, donated their time for the one hour long lunch to help give back to the Edmonton community, which has established itself over the last several years as a MMA hotbed. "In a small way, this is our chance to give back to the community where we've had a lot of our success and give a helping hand to those who are less fortunate," says MFC owner and President Mark Pavelich, "even if that is just one good meal." Certainly, one would think that holding a charity function, would go a long ways in dispelling some of the negative stereotypes that often are projected on the sport of MMA by those who are unfamiliar with the sport and its participants. Although the organization has received favorable coverage due to its work in feeding the homeless, Pavelich maintains that this is not the main reason the MFC has taken up the cause. "The big reaction from the fans and the media isn't something we're particularly looking for," says Pavelich. "I know from the feedback we have received that they think it is a great thing that we do, but we're not looking for attention when we do this. It's just something that we feel is important to do. The MFC fighters and staff enjoy getting out and helping and it's something we will continue to do." MFC 10 "Unfinished Business" is set to be held on September 8th at the Shaw Conference Centre. The card's main event will feature local fighter Victor Valimaki taking on Lethbridge native Jason Day for the MFC Lightheavyweight Championship, while top ranked Canadian middleweight Jason Macdonald will meet UFC veteran Tyrone Roberts, and highly renowned Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu instructor Fabio Holanda, will take on Edmonton fighter Mike Bell in the night's more notable under card action. King of the Cage Canada and Freedom Fight Productions Announce Working Relationship KOTC Canada promoter Ken Kupsch and Freedom Fight promoter Pete Rodley announced this week, that the two MMA organizations will be working together closely over the coming months. In a press release statement, the promotions stated that a more concerted effort will be put into holding more events in Eastern Canada, the region of Canada that KOTC has yet to hold any events in. "King of the Cage has gained huge market penetration in Canada and our next logical step is to bring the brand to our fans in the East." Kupsch said in the press release. "This is a gigantic step for King of the Cage and really solidifies the goal to be truly national. Pete Rodley has a proven track record and it's very exciting to have Pete Rodley and Freedom Fight join forces with us." Rodley's Freedom Fight has held several events in the Hull, Quebec region, and also has a broadcast deal with The Sports Network cable network like King of the Cage Canada. The announcement of this new relationship between the two organizations comes only months after MMA promoter Keith Crawford resigned from KOTC Canada, and Rodley announced that Freedom Fight would no longer be working with the Apex Fighting Championship. KOTC Canada is set to hold its next event in Calgary, Alberta, September 29th, and will feature KOTC World Lightweight Champion Mac Danzig taking on John Mahlow in the main event. |
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From the event's promoter: (MONTREAL, CANADA), August 31st 2006 -- TKO Major League MMA is pleased to announce the co-main event for TKO 27: REINCARNATION. World Lightweight Champion, SAM "Hands of Stone" STOUT (9-2-1) will defend his title against a ghost from his past, JAY "EL TERRIBLE" ESTRADA (13-5-0). This is a long awaited rematch with lots of bad blood that just had to happen! It was the professional debut of both fighters when they first fought each other. Estrada was the victor at only two minutes into round one, winning by rear naked choke. Since that loss, Stout has emerged as one of the best and most exciting lightweight fighters in the world. Estrada's career has been almost equally impressive, except for the fact that he remains relatively unknown, mostly fighting in smaller MMA shows around the United States. Finally, Estrada will get his chance to shine as the whole world will be watching this much anticipated rematch! "I'm going to squash him, just like I did the first time we met!" exclaimed an enthused Estrada after receiving the call from TKO. "We should have fought at TKO 24, but Sam pulled out with a mysterious injury because he got his call from the UFC. I understand, of course, because he knew he'd get crushed again and lose his chance at the big dance. It worked out even better for me, because he's got a bigger name now and lots of fans. I've been waiting a long time for this fight because it's my chance to become champion and get my well deserved recognition." "I went out and partied after watching his fight against Kenny Florian! Three years after our first fight and he's still got the same holes!" explained Estrada. "I'm going to walk through him, become TKO Lightweight Champion, and then I'll teach a lesson to this new kid, Chris Horodecki." Stout wasn't very impressed by Estrada's comments "He's not going to face the same opponent he fought 3 years ago -- there's no way he's gonna walk through me, I made a mistake against Kenny Florian and I learned from it and he's no Kenny Florian." Stout became emotional when the name Chris Horodecki was brought up in the conversation "What he said about Chris will just give me a little incentive to knock him out cold -- Nobody messes with Team Tompkins and with my belt!" On September 29th 2006, these two great warriors will settle their score once and for all! It is a dream card which cannot be missed! For tickets, call 1-800-361-4595 or 514-790-1245. Tickets are also on sale at the Admission's ticket offices and at the Bell Centre! |
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From the event's promoter: NEW YORK, August 31, 2006 – The International Fight League (IFL) and Dale and Thomas Popcorn today announced a new strategic partnership for IFL fall events and for the 2007 season. The partnership will begin with the quarterfinal IFL "World Team Championship" events to be held in Portland, Oregon on September 9 and Moline, Illinois on September 23 and continue through the 2007 inaugural season. "We are very excited to be working with Dale and Thomas Popcorn," said IFL president Gareb Shamus. "This is a union of two growing companies with the same core demographic, and it will be fun to create some very unique cross marketing opportunities that will combine the on-site excitement of our events with a product that our fans will love." "We are thrilled to be associated with an exciting organization like the IFL," said Warren Struhl co-founder and CEO of Dale and Thomas Popcorn. "The sport of Mixed Martial Arts is growing in popularity very quickly, and we are pleased to be able to team up with a fast growing brand that understands how to reach a very powerful and influential demographic." The partnership will include ring and arena signage and promotional opportunities for Dale and Thomas, branding opportunities at IFL viewing parties and promotional giveaways. The IFL will also designate Dale and Thomas as their "Official Snack Food." It is the second time that Dale and Thomas has taken on a joint venture with an organized sports league, with an existing two year deal with the New York Mets, as the official popcorn for the 2006-2008 seasons. The first official IFL season will begin in the first quarter of 2007. Founded in 2006 by Kurt Otto, a highly successful real estate investor and a life-long martial arts participant and Gareb Shamus, chairman of the comics empire Wizard Entertainment Group, the International Fight LeagueTM (IFL) and Pure SportTM were created to establish a centralized and structured organization that brings the power and influence of the mixed martial arts industry together. For more information and action, go to www.IFL.tv. Dale and Thomas, is a privately held company, which manufactures America's first line of farm fresh—chef crafted--premium popcorn products. The Englewood, New Jersey based snack food company sells through wholesale, retail and direct channels. The company has recently introduced Popcorn, IndianaTM a wholesale, premium, kettle corn line sold at supermarkets, chain stores and boutiques throughout the county. The company has also achieved a high level of recognition as it was selected by Oprah Magazine as one of her favorite things. The company's Chef Ed has appeared on the Today Show, The View, as well as other national television appearances. Currently centers are located in: New York City, Teaneck, New Jersey; Philadelphia and Lake Success Shopping Center, with additional openings in November in, Florida, Boston and New Jersey in the coming months. Dale and Thomas Popcorn is also available at www.daleandthomas.com and 1800-POPCORN. |
| Sunday - September 3, 2006 |
 Icon Sport 48: Mayhem Vs. Lawler Held September 2, 2006 Blaisdell Arena - Honolulu, Hawaii Report by Chris Onzuka - Photos by Aaron Meyer "It" was a long time in coming. First "it" was on, then off, then on again. "It" is Robbie Lawler, the current champ, taking on Jason Miller, the man that has run through Hawaii like a hurricane. The consummate grappler took on the powerful striker. The only thing is this striker can wrestle and this grappler can take a punch. This much anticipated main event was supported by a solid under card, which crowned a Flyweight and Welterweight Icon Sport champion. Chico Cantiberos displayed crisp punches and good ground skills against the game veteran in Kevin Delima. Delima took a lot of punishment, but would not go down easy as he fought Cantiberos all the way until a well timed and placed knee sat Delima onto the canvas and Cantiberos seized the opportunity to finish the fight and be crowned Icon Sport's first Hawaii State Flyweight champ.
This event also fed the pipeline by pitting some outstanding young fighters to line up the next set of contenders for the newly crowned champions. Two stars from Grappling Unlimited and Animal House were on a collision course that made for a great fight. These two young warriors went after each other and displayed poise and technique well beyond their ring experience. Albino squeaked out a decision victory, but there was definitely no loser in this fight. Number one contender for the 135lbs Icon Sport title, Mark Oshiro from the Bulls Pen, showed why he deserves the number one slot by KO'ing Paul Gorman in a mere 20 seconds. Grappling Unlimited's other star Tyson Nam won his match and this set up a great match up between Nam and Oshiro for Icon's December event. Another great match up came about when Jay Jack to town and dominated Mike Russo. The Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt matches up well with Sydney Silva. The great night of fights led up to the main event, which brought the crowd to fever pitch after viewing each fighter's intro video on the giant screen. Lawler paced in his corner like a caged animal, while Miller came to ring dancing the whole way with a reggae theme, dreadlocks and all. The first round had everyone puzzled, Miller included as Miller landed leg and body kick at will while Lawler did not even throw a punch. The second round saw a more confident Miller pick up where he left off, but this time Lawler pulled the trigger and unleashed a fury of punches, knees and dominated Miller. It looked like Lawler was going to win via referee stoppage, but Miller kept moving and changing positions. He ended the round strong by fighting his way back up to his feet and firing back. In round three, Lawler was spent and Miller took over by taking down Lawler and doing what he does best, applying submissions. After Lawler defended an arm triangle on the right side, Miller sunk one in on the left side and captured the title by tapping out Lawler [see photo at beginning of article]. The crowd exploded with the result and it was deafening as Miller climbed up on the ropes and thanked the fans of his adopted home.
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Report by Jim Genia – Photos by Gaby Genia
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| Monday - September 4, 2006 - Labor Day |
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New episode of FCF Radio In our latest broadcast, we talk with Chris Horodecki and Victor Valimaki. Click here to listen/download. |
| Wednesday - September 6, 2006 |
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Will It Be "Dooms Day" for Valimaki at MFC 10? Canadian Martial Arts Centre fighter Jason "Dooms" Day will meet Victor "The Matrix" Valimaki this Friday, September 8th, in Edmonton, Alberta, for the Maximum Fighting Championship Lightheavyweight Championship. The main event for MFC 10 "Unfinished Business" features two of Canada's more notable up and coming 205 pound fighters, and with a Championship belt on the line, this very well might be the biggest fight thus far in Day's four year career. "This title means a lot to me, "Day tells FCF. "I know Mark (Pavelich) is very careful of when and who he puts up for a title shot in the MFC. Mark works hard at his shows and he follows the Canadian MMA scene very closely so he knows what is going on out there, so it is an honor that he gave me this shot, it means he thinks that I am in the top 2 in Canada in my division. To me this is a big fight, I don't believe that there is any body in my weight division in Canada that can hang with me right now and I am looking forward to proving it next weekend." Day comes into this fight with a combined pro-am record of 9-5, and on an impressive 5 fight winning streak, which includes a rather notable TKO stoppage of tough Winnipeg veteran Chris Fontaine. In just the last year Day has turned his career around in dramatic fashion, having not lost a fight since he was stopped by IFL fighter Krzysztof Soszynksi last April. "After I came back the first time from breaking my ankle I fought Krzysztof and lost, my head just wasn't in it," says Day. "I was focusing more on my injuries and avoiding get hurt then I was on winning. I took some time off and refocused. I changed the way I thought and the way I approached fighting, now when I go to the ring I know I am going to win. Before you fight you know what you have to do to win, I focus on that and get it done. Lee Mein has also been a huge factor in my success. He works hard as my trainer and manager and helps me stay focused, he is always incorporating new techniques and training strategies never letting me get complacent." In Valimaki, Day will take on another fighter who has also been on a winning streak as of late, having won all three of fights since returning to competition last year. Valimaki came back from a three year lay off, after losing to Team Tompkins' fighter Rob Macdonald in 2002, only to defeat UFC legend Dan Severn by unanimous decision at MFC 8 last September. Valimaki trains out of Edmonton, Alberta with Jason Macdonald, Mike Yackulic, and Roger Alves among others, and Day is keenly aware of the tough challenge that is in front of him. "I think Victor has a solid ground game from what I have heard and is a smart fighter when it comes to the stand up striking," says Day in assessing Valimaki's capabilities as a fighter. "I know he is very strong, has a solid jab and very good takedown defense. I am not too worried about the strength factor, I train with guys everyday that are bigger and stronger so I am used to it. I think my advantage will be standing. I have worked very hard on my stand up over the last year and feel very comfortable trading with anyone right now. I know he has been working with Josh Russell on his ground game so my ability to avoid submissions should show there. As far as a game plan goes it always changes the minute that bell rings, I just do what feels comfortable at the time. I would like to keep this one standing and see how it plays out though." Day also offered his prediction for the September 8th fight: "I think this fight won't go past the first round," says the confident Day. "My call, 'Doomsday' by TKO at 3:49 of the first round, and the new MFC Lightheavyweight Champion!" In other MFC 10 action, top ranked Canadian middleweight Jason Macdonald will take on Edwin Aguilar, lightweight Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Black Belt Fabio Holanda will fight Edmonton resident Mike Bell, and Keith "The Celtic Warrior" Weafer will meet Jeff Montemurro. Victor Valimaki shared his thoughts on his upcoming fight with Jason Day on FCF Radio, to hear the program, click on the FCF Radio banner above. |
| Friday - September 8, 2006 |
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New episode of FCF Radio In our latest broadcast, we talk with David Loiseau and Gabe Ruediger. Click here to listen/download. |
 Give Us Your Thoughts... This month we'd like to get your thoughts on who will win the rematch between Matt Hughes and BJ Penn. 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 |
| Saturday - September 9, 2006 |
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By Marcelo Alonso 
Friend and training partner of Rodrigo "Minotauro" Nogueira, Anderson Silva bets that Nogueira will win the Pride Open Weight GP tomorrow night in Japan. "Rodrigo Minotauro is in my heart; we are almost brothers. He is an example as fighter and person. I'm his biggest fan," said Anderson who believes that Minotauro won't have any problems getting past Josh Barnett in the semifinals. "Rodrigo is very well trained to neutralize Barnett's strong points," guaranteed the former Chute Boxe fighter.Asked about a possible final between Minotauro and his ex-training partner, Wanderlei Silva, Anderson had no doubt as to who will win: "Minotauro will win easily. Wanderlei doesn't have a game to beat him, even though Wand is a tough fighter that doesn't need to prove anything. [The only way] Minotauro can lose is if he gets hit by an unpredictable punch, but I don't believe that [will happen], because Rodrigo is very well prepared and focused on getting this belt," the UFC fighter concluded. Anderson Silva is scheduled to fight for the UFC middleweight title against the champion Rich Franklin at UFC 64 on October 14. |
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The 2005 star is finally ready to turn 2006 into a winning season. By Eduardo Alonso 
Rising fast in a quick and impressive career, Mauricio "Shogun" Rua showed great talent since his very debut in MMA, and seemed to be destined to success in the sport from day one. Maybe even more impressive than the skills and potential he showed in each of his bouts, was the amount of improvement he was able to display from fight to fight, and finally in 2005 the originally underdog of Pride's middleweight Grand Prix took the world by storm and captured the belt in amazing fashion, facing likely the toughest roster of opponents a MMA Grand Prix champion ever did, and establishing himself as a leading force in his weight class at just twenty three years of age. When things seemed perfect for the young prodigy, and there were no limits, his first venture as a heavyweight turned into the most serious injury of his career, sending him to the sidelines and creating a lot of questions regarding his future. Now, around six months later, after an impressively fast recovery, the younger brother of Murilo "Ninja" Rua, is ready and on his way to a much awaited comeback! Mauricio Shogun will be stepping inside the Pride ring this coming September 10th to face not only striker Cyrille Diabate, but also to overcome a serious injury and resume a career that always seemed destined to great achievements. FCF had a chance to catch up with the fighter right before his departure to Japan, in an honest conversation about his last months, his present and his near future, enjoy!FCF: You are finally coming back to fighting after being sidelined for the longest period of your career due to the serious elbow injury you suffered in your last fight, back in February. How was it for you to deal with this recovery process? MR: I really got very sad with my injury, but I tried my best to focus so I wouldn't let any fears hinder my recovery. I tried to remain tranquil cause I knew that if my emotions were in place, I would likely recover sooner. I did all the needed procedures during my recovery as well as I could, and with that I thankfully had a speedy recovery and I can say that I'm in perfect condition now. FCF: I recall that when you resumed your training you impressed everybody with the high intensity you were able to put right from the start. Comparing to your form when you won the 2005 Middleweight GP, how would you rate your condition now? MR: I'm surely 100% Eduardo! I am feeling as good as in the past, and I promised myself that I would come back from my injury better than I was before. This is something I promised to myself, and now once I arrive in Japan [Interview was done on the day of his departure] I'll try to do some three or four good training sessions, and I hope that I'll be able to give my best during the fight. This is what I have been asking God, to be able to do my best inside the ring, so I can show all of my game and perform as well as in training recently. FCF: With all this time on the sidelines, are you very anxious to fight? How are you dealing with this anxiety as fight-time approaches? MR: Being an athlete you get used to a life routine where you are always in a hurry, always training hard and spending the most of your energies. You are always busy somehow, so the first three months after the injury where I barely couldn't do anything, I almost went mad (Laughs), as I would have to stay at home without doing anything! Then I was able to start to swim, as this was the first physical activity that I was allowed to do, and from there things progressed. I'm surely very anxious to fight again, as fighting is what I love, so besides being my profession I do it gladly. Fighting is my life, so I can't wait for the fight to start, as I feel I'm already 100% again, making this the right time to comeback. Click here to continue the interview. |
| Sunday - September 10, 2006 |
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ANACONDAS AND WOLFPACK VICTORIOUS Report by Steven Marrocco - Photos by April Pishna Over 5000 vocal fans witnessed the International Fight League's first foray into the Pacific Northwest this Saturday at Portland's Memorial Coliseum, proving once again that it is a vital fight scene in the MMA world. Bas Rutten's Anacondas gelled as a team for the first time and redeemed themselves of a lackluster showing in the inaugural IFL show. Matt Lindland's Wolfpack also stood out against the Seattle Tigersharks, as their Team Quest-heavy roster of fighters edged out Maurice Smith's Sharks, revealing a local rivalry within the crowd that night.
The second round opened and closed quickly as Lindland countered a high kick from Horn with a left hook that hit him right on the button, dropping him into the turtle position, where Matt rained down punches at Jeremy's back until the referee stopped the bout. Visibly upset at the post fight press conference, Jeremy admitted "Matt fought like professional, and tonight I fought like an amateur." Asked if he would continue fighting, he conceded he might be suffering a little burnout with his extremely busy schedule, and that both coaching and R&R might serve him best in the near future. In the preliminary bouts of the evening, the Sabres' Shane Johnson ran out of gas in the second round after his submission attempts failed. Capitalizing on his tiredness in the second round, Bobby caught Shane with a flying knee that knocked Shane to the canvas and ended the bout. The Tigersharks' Dustin Dennis displayed some slick ground skills against the Wolfpack's Brian Foster, nearly sinking in a triangle and then an armbar before catching a right hook that also dropped him to the canvas and caused the ref to step in. By the end of the opening team match-ups between the Tokyo Sabres and Los Angeles Anacondas, one thing became abundantly clear: if the Sabres do not learn how to defend a guillotine, their team will be short lived. Of the shutout that the Anacondas dealt the Sabres, three of them were by guillotine. Amos Sotelos, John Cole, and Pride veteran Kazuhiro Hamanaka all fell prey to the move within the first two minutes of their bouts. Whether the pro wrestling roots of the team played a hand in this, or perhaps their lack of experience together, the Sabres left themselves vulnerable to this move time and time again. An easy candidate for fight of the night, undefeated Chris Horodecki squared off against nearly undefeated Ed West. Whether training with Bas Rutten has put a swagger in his step, or Horodecki is a natural performer, he displayed a confidence in the ring that wore West down during the course of the fight. His proficiency in striking and wrestling and ability to segue from one to another was very impressive. West was undoubtedly one of Horodecki's toughest challenges yet, as Horodecki ate several good punches from the bottom after being taken down in the second round, narrowly escaping a Kimura that was sunk in deep. Horodecki's gas tank was simply a little fuller for this fight. After standing his way out of a takedown in the third, Chris unleashed a series of thigh kicks to the prone West that had the audience cheering for each shot landed, reminiscent of Pride fans. From there, he took West down and grounded pounded him until the final bell, earning a unanimous decision and causing at least one audience member to call out "who IS this guy?" In the second series of team matches, the Portland Wolfpack's Ryan Schultz finally got his wish to fight the Tigersharks' Cam Ward, who had cancelled an earlier bout due to a burn injury on his back. Schultz got the better of most standup exchanges, wobbling Ward several times before sending him across the ring with an overhand right that forced an immediate stoppage in the second round. A runner up for fight of the night was the Wolfpack's Chris Wilson against Brad Blackburn of the Tigersharks. In the first round, Wilson let it all hang out with two flying knees that caught Blackburn's body, until Blackburn got wise to the move and countered the flying knee with a right cross that flattened Wilson. Unable to stop the fight from the top, Wilson recovered to fight another round. Perhaps wary of his earlier recklessness, the second round saw both men tentative, trading punches and kicks until Blackburn secured another takedown, attempting to ground and pound from there. After a brief scramble to the feet, Blackburn surprised the audience as he suplexed Wilson right on the sound of the bell. The third round saw Wilson narrowly escape a guillotine after a series of flashy high kicks to end the bout. Both fighters clearly felt they had won, but Blackburn's first round knockdown and submission attempts gave him a sound advantage, as he walked away with the unanimous decision.
The Wolfpack's Matt Horwich simply overwhelmed Tigershark Bristol Marunde with a combination of dirty boxing, takedowns, and straight punches that resembled Randy Couture's dismantling of Chuck Liddell in UFC 43. Exhausted but elated, Horwich walked away with the Heart of a Lion award from promoters Gareb Shamus and Kurt Otto. Allan Goes returned to MMA once again, winning his first battle as a Tigershark against up and comer Devin Cole of the Wolfpack. Cole was seconds from sending Goes to Queer street, landing six unanswered punches from an early clinch that had Goes seeing "three devils" on the mat, until Cole got a little overzealous and shot for a double leg, exposing his neck to a guillotine that Goes quickly took advantage of, tapping him at 2:05 of the first round. IFL "World Team Championship Results
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Malice at the Palace 1 Held September 9th, 2006 - Cow Palace Arena Report and photos by Keith Mills San Francisco, CA -- Billed as the first MMA show in San Francisco "Malice at the Palace" was also the first show put on by Full Contact Promotions (no relation to Full Contact Fighter). Fighters from Team Frank Shamrock, AKA, Team Cesar Gracie, and more fought in the Cow Palace, a legendary arena that has booked everything from the Rolling Stones to evangelist Billy Graham. Local and regional heroes Jake Shields, Nam Phan, and Urijah Faber all picked up key victories in match-ups that on paper were closer than many thought but in execution surprised few in attendance. In the main event current Rumble on the Rock Welterweight Champion and former Shooto Champion Jake Shields controlled three-time UFC vet Steve Berger en route to a 2nd round TKO victory. Berger acknowledges he is picking up wrestling late in his career but on this night just wasn't a match for Jake's experience at controlling positions, taking multiple powerful elbows to the side of the head from Jake in full mount in both rounds.
KOTC and WEC Featherweight Champion Urijah Faber's fight unfolded like several of his fights to date: unconventional standup setting up powerful takedowns and devastating elbows/forearms from guard that open cuts and end fights. Sport Fight Champion Enoch Wilson seemed to be fairing better than most of Faber's victims but Faber's speed and accuracy with his short strikes got through Wilson's defenses enough to open a cut and finish the evening for Wilson. Nam Phan is a name not many recognize yet but given performances like tonight's that should change quickly. Phan's strategy seemed based around taking Nelson down but actually scored most of his damage with knees to the head. With Faber and Shields seemingly destined for bigger opportunities by the end of the year fans at least can be satisfied tat on "Malice at the Palace 2" on January 20thk, 2007 that Phan at least is more than likely to return, next time hopefully fighting the level of talent Faber and Shields did on this night.
Two other pieces of news had polar opposite affects. First Daly City, California Mayor Michael P. Guingona presented Full Contact Promotions an official proclamation declaring this day "Malice at the Palace Day". Not bad for a first-time event. In less settling news, both Shannon Ritch and Brian Ebersole have been indefinitely suspended by the Boxing Commission for what several insiders say was interpreted as being a fake fight or "work." Ritch adamantly denies said allegations and stated he plans on appealing the suspension within the rules of the Commission. Ebersole as of this writing could not be reached for comment and no member of the Boxing Commission will comment on the record at this time. Look for a full report in an upcoming issue of Full Contact Fighter. Full Results:
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| Tuesday - September 12, 2006 |
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Valimaki Wins LHW Championship at MFC 10 "Unfinished Business." The Maximum Fighting Championship held its tenth event "Unfinished Business", Friday night, September 8th, in Edmonton, Alberta, and 3000 MMA fans packed into a sold out Shaw Conference Centre to enjoy the show. The cards main event, which pitted two of Western Canada's more notable 205 pound fighters in Victor "The Matrix" Valimaki and Jason "Dooms" Day against each other for the MFC Lightheavyweight Championship, turned out to be a rather short affair. After landing some hard punches to Day shortly into the bout, Valimaki would quickly end the fight soon after, submitting his Lethbridge opponent at 3:19 of the first round with a rear naked choke. "I was absolutely sure that there was no way Jason was going to beat me," said Valimaki in a MFC press release. "I didn't really even get the choke around his neck. It was up on his jaw and I was just trying to rip his head off." The win for Valimaki was also the highlight of the night for promoter Mark Pavelich, who was also extremely happy with the sell out Edmonton crowd that was able to witness their local fighter walk away with the Championship belt. "The crowd was off the hook, 3000 total sell out," Pavelich tells FCF. "What stood out most in my mind was Victor Valimaki's dominating win over Jason Day, first breaking his jaw, then submitting him and all this took place in around two minutes." In other MFC 10 action, Jason Macdonald submitted Neil Berry at 3:19 of round one with a rear naked choke. Berry took the fight against one of Canada's better middleweight fighters on only a couple days notice, after Macdonald's previous 2 scheduled opponents, Tyrone Roberts and then Edwin Augilar, were unable to compete. In other notable action, BJJ instructor Fabio Holanda tapped out Mike Bell with an armbar at 2:30 of round one, Chad Hamzeh also won via an armbar against Tim Tamaki at 2:32 of round one, and Jeff Montemurro defeated Keith Weafer by TKO at 2:37 of the opening round. Stay tuned for a complete report on MFC 10 "Unfinished Business," in the next edition of Full Contact Fighter. Hominick Continues to Get Ready For September 29th Fight With Menjivar Mark "The Machine" Hominick will face another one of Canada's better 145 pound fighters, Ivan Menjivar, this month, in the main event of TKO 29, to be held at the Bell Centre in Montreal, Quebec. Hominick, whose record is 11-5, had been originally scheduled to take on Hatsu Hioki, who defeated Hominick for his TKO 145 pound title last May, but Hioki was unavailable to fight due to his recent obligation and subsequent win over Jeff Curran in last months PRIDE, Bushido. Hominick, despite yearning for a re-match title fight with Hioki, is now concentrating on the rather difficult task at hand, defeating the 20-4 Menjivar. "I absolutely want Hioki, but my focus is on Menjivar," Hominick tells FCF. "I believe he is one of the top three fighters in the world and has well rounded skills. He has proven himself all over the world as a serious contender which is why I accepted this fight. I always want to fight the fights that the fans want to see and prove that I belong among the world's best." Menjivar will be hoping to get by "The Machine" unscathed, as he is also scheduled to fight Caol Uno, October 9th, in the next round of K-1 HERO'S Lightweight tournament in Japan. Menjivar advanced to the event's semi-finals in defeating Hideo Tokoro by split decision on August 8th. TKO 29 will also feature; Sam Stout putting his TKO Lightweight Championship on the line against Jay Estrada, Icho Larenas defending his TKO HW belt against Krzysztof Soszynski, Martin Desilets, who will look to remain undefeated against Todd Gouwenberg, and the undefeated Chris Horodecki, is set to take on Samuel Guillet. TKO 29 will also debut the organizations new Octagon Cage, and will be the first MMA event to be held in Montreal's 21,500 seat Bell Centre. |
| Wednesday - September 13, 2006 |
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New episode of FCF Radio In our latest broadcast, we talk with Rory Markham and Jake Shields. Click here to listen/download. |
| Friday - September 15, 2006 |
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"Wanderlei is talking about his next fight" By Marcelo Alonso
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New episode of FCF Radio In our latest broadcast, we talk with Carlos Newton and Fabio Holanda. Click here to listen/download. |
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From the event's promoter: With a frenzied audience awaiting the inaugural episode of the Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) reality series, BodogFight, digital entertainment powerhouse Bodog.com has announced a new launch date to allow for additional footage in its action-packed weekly series. Episode 1 will air September 19 on Men's Outdoor and Recreation, which is carried in over 23 million homes and on DISH Network, and online at BodogFight.com. While traversing the globe in search of the world's greatest MMA fighters, Bodog.com's billionaire founder, Calvin Ayre, has not only set the stage for the toughest fighters to showcase their talents, but also raised the standard for reality TV and digital entertainment. In the eight-episode series, seven elite modern-day American warriors will earn the right to represent the United States. As part of "Team USA", the seven fighters will square off against members of the Russian Red Devils Team, a group known for its fierce roster that includes world heavyweight champion Fedor Emelianenko. This USA vs. Russia grudge match will be broadcast live on a future pay-per-view event that will also include three Superfights. Viewers will get a behind-the-scenes look at the secret training regimen of the elite Russian squad as well as the individual training programs and lifestyles of the American fighters. Those intimate scenes will all be presented through the eyes of BodogFight's special agents - rock phenomenon Bif Naked in the United States and her beautiful Russian counterpart Natalya Vilkova. The sexy duo will be on a quest to find the toughest, most ruthless Mixed Martial Arts athletes the two countries have to offer. Plus, audiences are going to be treated to up-close and personal experiences with fighters as they prepare to enter the ring, and spectacular training and interview footage shot in the lush Central American jungle and rustic Costa Rican cities - visuals that will leave no doubt BodogFight has set the new standard for reality TV. "When BodogFight's inaugural episode launches, viewers are going to witness a new standard in mainstream digital entertainment," says Calvin Ayre, Founder of Bodog.com Entertainment Group and creator of a number of reality television series, including Bodog Salutes the Troops which aired on Spike TV. "The additional footage capturing the essence of Mixed Martial Arts as a sport and lifestyle will add a new degree of rawness never seen before." Elimination battles, behind-the-scenes training, interviews with fighters, and lifestyle segments will compose seven of the weekly one-hour "BodogFight" episodes, with the recap finale leading into the PPV main event. The three massive super fights and the spectacular USA vs. Russia event will be produced by the Mixed Fight Championship (MFC) and sponsored by BodogFight. For biographies of all the fighters, exclusive footage, and unedited interviews and confrontations, go to http://www.bodogfight.com. Each of the eight episodes will air simultaneously on the Men's Network and on BodogFight.com broadband network. |
| Monday - September 18, 2006 |
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By Georgia Tsao
Like his IFL coaching predecessors, Carlos Newton is a decorated MMA fighter touting Dragon Ball Jiu-Jitsu as his fighting style. It's no wonder his popularity has risen in Japan's preeminent fight arenas as well as being well respected as a UFC veteran. The Ronin's most notable professional accomplishment was capturing the UFC Welterweight Championship after beating founding IFL Siverbacks' coach Pat Miletich in May 2001 and subsequently losing his highly controversial first title defense 6 months later in UFC 34 to MFS practitioner, reigning Welterweight Champion, Matt Hughes. Walking into the Dragons' training den, respectfully known as Warriors Martial Arts Centre in New Market, Ontario and "The Ronin's" alma mater, Rob "The Spider" DiCenso and Claude Patrick were trading sprightly blows while Wojtek "Kazz" Kaszowski exchanged ground tacks with Newton.
"I got into MMA for self defense and to be able to fight..." remarks the straight-faced and reserved 5'9" light-weight DiCenso. "I'll teach you self defense!" quips Newton while maneuvering Kaszowski, "...real eye gouging and biting...actually I pull hair...that's self defense!" All uttered in good fun amidst the obvious comaraderie within a team that has only been together for 7 short weeks. "...[Rob's]'s shy..." pokes Kazz, the joker of the team. "They're all differenet personalities" adds Newton between transitions, "but we all get along." The shy 25 year old Kazz referred to is a BJJ purple belt and calls Woodbridge, Ontario home and Karma (now known as Wagnney Fabiano's BJJ and MMA Club) his home gym. "The Spider" makes his MMA debut in the IFL after becoming the champion of ADCC (Abu Dhabi Combat Club) Canadian Pre-Trials defeating Alberto Crane by rear naked choke and Gilbert Melendez by decision. "[Being a part of this team and the IFL] is something I wanted" says DiCenso. "I want to make fighting a career for a short period of time and then possibly teach if it's offered to me...and then I'd like to go back to school" remarks DiCenso humbly. "It's different in MMA, with fighting, you can pick and choose when you fight and you can prolong your career because you have time to heal." On the other end of the weight spectrum is a third degree black belt in Tae Kwon Do. The 6 foot 205 pound Newton prodigy Kaszowski started training at the tender age of 10. Currently holding a 2-0 record in kickboxing but yet to see glory in MMA ring after 2 losses. "I'm fighting Dwayne Compton...he's a wrestler, I have a thing with wrestlers, lost my two fights to wrestlers..." jabbs Kazsowski. Being an athlete at a young age and even playing semi competitive tennis, "Kazz" fell in love with martial arts. "I started it and loved it. It [wasn't] about hitting and hurting people, you train and your game just goes to the next level...point sparring and then full contact. I started getting older, learning more and then this MMA opportunity came up. I am the biggest guy here but they still [all] give me a workout (laughs)... but I'll fight anyone..." beams Kazz. [And one day] I want to fight in K-1...and I want a big thick guy... I want to fight Jerome LeBanner..." With a long MMA career ahead of him and a not so shabby recent Bachelor of Commerce degree from the Univeristy of Toronto to fall back on, it's one step at a time as he counts down his face-off with Compton. Calling himself a "Freelancer," Claude Patrick is easily the hardest working member of the Dragons. This rising star goes where the training and fights lead him. It's not unusual to see Patrick on the mats in Toronto at Kombat Arts and Toronto BJJ or even Tristar in Montreal. "They contacted me and was living in Montreal [at the time], so I came back." Most recently Patrick's MMA fights have left little to the imagination, walking out unscathed while rapidly disposing of his opponents be it by submission or devestating knock-outs proving that Ray Steinbeiss will have more than his hands full on the 23rd. It's no secret that several of the IFL teams have fighters from different corners so having the opportunity to train together as a unifed team is not always possible. For the Dragons, it's no different with Brent Beauparlant (LHW) fighting out of Montreal and Joe "Dirte" Doerksen (MW), the most recognized MMA fighter on the team training out of Winnipeg Manitoba. A BJJ blackbelt under Rodrigo Monduruca and a student of K-1 veteran Giuseppe DeNatale has helped Doerksen add a pro boxing record of 1-0 to his varied fight accreditations. But his recognition comes mostly in MMA, with a collection of impressive wins over John Alessio, Denis Kang, Brendan Seguin, Jay Buck, Chris Leben and "Lightening" Lee Murray. With punishing dominance of their opponents, the Silverbacks' winning streak in the IFL begs the question of the merit of being from one fight camp as the fighters from the Razorclaws are Team Shamrock members. "We're a smaller community and we know who our fighters are as we have local boys [on our team who] are tapped into the same network" informs Newton. " They're a part of a very intimate circle of fighters. They all know one other and have faught one other at one time or another and now they're on the same team. So they rest on one another's shoulders, stand high and push one another. And the guys outta town, we chose them because we know they've got the stuff and they're doing well where they are." The Ronin's training regiment has always been consistent; train to be the best, perfect your strengths and fine-tune your weaknesses. "You don't have to be a Wayne Gretzky at everything," he explains, "... it doesn't make sense to even try to be. You have to very proficient at your game, know who you are, know what works for you, stick to it and executive it flawlessly, that's what makes you win. It's [also] one part fighter...the rest is experience and their coaches experience." This coaches experience has taken his MMA carrer around the globe and now with his focus on his fighters, The Ronin, in his mild mannered yet intense way, is confident of his young team's ability to step up and triumph in the IFL. "I believe a lot in the guys we have on our team. They have given a lot to me and to the team. If they do what they're trained to do...they'll win." And on Sept 23, as the Dragons meet the Razorbacks, there's a high probabilty that the Dragons will follow their victories by adopting The Ronin's very own unique ring posturing, something we know as the Kamehameha, the fictional energy attack performed by Newton as celebration following his triumphant wins. |
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From the event's promoter: Honolulu, HI -- Frank "Twinkle Toes" Trigg, the former number one U.F.C. welterweight contender, is back. And he's hoping to stop the "Mayhem." On Friday, December 1st Trigg will square off with Jason "Mayhem" Miller for the Icon Sport World Middleweight Title. This will be Mayhem's first title defense in the middleweight division. Like Mayhem and Robbie Lawler before him, Trigg is moving up from welterweight (170lbs) to middleweight (185lbs) in Icon Spot. Trigg recently considered retiring from MMA, but his non-stop training regimen indicates that he is anything but retired. In the last few months Trigg has intensified his workouts under legendary grappler and trainer Rico Chiapparelli. He has also focused on strength training, and is rumored to be both fit and agile at 200-plus pounds. When not training, Trigg serves as the color commentator for Pride Fighting Championships broadcasts on Fox Sports Net. Icon Sport Founder/President T. Jay Thompson commented on Trigg vs. Mayhem: "Trigg has all the tools to become the next Icon Sport Middleweight Champion. He excels at doing damage from the top position. And we saw what happened when Lawler got on top of Mayhem in that now-infamous second round of their bout...Lawler nearly finished the fight right there. Mayhem will be in real trouble if he finds himself under someone who has the wrestling and ground-and-pound skills of Trigg. Trigg vs. Mayhem will be an absolute war." The December 1st Icon Sport event, which will be named "Unstoppable," will be one of the biggest MMA events of the year.
WHAT: Icon Sport: Unstoppable WHEN: 7:30pm, Friday, December 1st WHERE: Blaisdell Arena, Honolulu TICKETS: On sale September 30th at Ticketmaster and outlets. |
| Tuesday - September 19, 2006 |
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UKMMAC / Cage Fighters 16 Held September 17, 2006 Circus Tavern, Purfleet - Essex, UK By David West Having made the switch from using a ring to a cage, the sixteenth UK Mixed Martial Arts Championships show featured two title fights amongst three pro contests and seven fought under amateur rules. Fighting for the vacant British Welterweight belt were Masters Academy Matt Chapman and Paolo Milano from London Thai Fighters. Most of the fight was contested on the floor, where Chapman dominated position and landed elbow strikes as Milano tried to tie him up in a rubber guard and looked to set up a triangle. Chapman was in control for most of the match, roughing up Milano while sitting in his guard, and after three rounds Chapman took the unanimous decision.
Clifford Hall, from the Total Dojo, tried to jump guillotine on Cambridge Free Fight's Will Jackson in their middleweight fight. Jackson escaped the first time, but when Hall scored a big takedown he pulled guard a second time and this time Jackson had nowhere to go, tapping out at 3:33 of the opening round. Pancrase London team member Wesley Felix closed the evening hurting Denas Banevicius with knees in the clinch before finishing the fight on the floor courtesy of a forearm choke, applied from on top that made Banevicius tap out, which seemed to surprise Felix as much as his opponent.
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From DSE/Pride:  BARNETT, HUNT, BUTTERBEAN ADDED TO THE REAL DEAL Mixed Martial Arts event, sponsored by Caesars Palace, hits Las Vegas on October 21 TOKYO, Japan -- PRIDE FIGHTING is proud to announce two additional bouts for its first ever show on American soil, "THE REAL DEAL." The event will take place on SATURDAY, OCTOBER 21st at the THOMAS & MACK CENTER in LAS VEGAS, NEVADA. Just added to the card: "THE BABY FACE ASSASSIN" JOSH BARNETT battles PAWEL NASTULA and ERIC "BUTTERBEAN" ESCH faces off with " THE SAMOAN MONSTER" MARK HUNT. The first announced bout features "THE BABY FACE ASSASSIN" JOSH BARNETT versus Polish Judo expert PAWEL NASTULA. A native of Seattle and former UFC Champion, Barnett has established himself as one of the world's top mixed martial arts heavyweights. A submission wrestler, Barnett is coming off of an impressive string of victories in the absolute weight tournament including wins over former PRIDE heavyweight champion, Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira, Kazuhiro Nakamura and Aleksander Emelianenko. Barnett lost in the finals of the tournament to eventual champion Mirko "Cro Cop" Filipovic. Barnett's opponent, Pawel Nastula, is a former two-time Judo World Champion and 1996 Olympic gold medallist who is coming off of a victory over Brazilian slugger, Edson Drago. Training at the legendary Takada Dojo, Pawel Nastula will be ready for anything when he faces off against Josh Barnett on October 21st. A former IBA World super heavyweight Champion, ERIC "BUTTERBEAN" ESCH brings more than 350 pounds of fierce fighting energy to PRIDE FIGHTING. In addition to his successful boxing career, Butterbean has also been seen kicking butt in MTV's film Jackass: the Movie, where he beats down professional prankster Johnny Knoxville. Challenging this massive tough man is the "SAMOAN MONSTER" MARK HUNT, a former K-1 WORLD GP tournament winner who is establishing himself in PRIDE with his deadly arsenal of punches, Muay Thai knees and kicks. So far in PRIDE, Hunt has defeated the likes of former WBO NABO cruiserweight boxing champion Yosuke "Yosukezan" Nishijima, as well as "The Croatian Sensation" Mirko "Cro Cop" Filipovic. Headlining the Thomas & Mack event is PRIDE FIGHTING heavyweight champion and 2004 Grand Prix champion, FEDOR EMELIANENKO against former Olympic wrestler and PRIDE FIGHTING 2000 open weight Grand Prix champion MARK COLEMAN. Also, 2005 tournament champion, MAURICIO "SHOGUN" RUA will meet the explosive two time NCAA wrestling champion, KEVIN "THE MONSTER" RANDLEMAN in a match to be remembered. Tickets to PRIDE FIGHTING's "The Real Deal," sponsored by Caesars Palace, are available at 1-866-US FIGHT. Ticket prices range from $50 to $700. PRIDE FIGHTING's first U.S. card will also be featured on Pay-Per-View for $39.95. Check your local cable or satellite provider for details. North American Pay Per View Schedule: PPV Premiere Date: Saturday, October 21st Premiere Time: 9:00pm EST, 6:00pm PST Fight Card Fedor Emelianenko (Russia) vs. Mark Coleman (USA) Mauricio "Shogun" Rua (Brazil) vs. Kevin Randleman (USA) Mark Hunt (New Zealand) vs. Eric "Butterbean" Esch (USA) Josh Barnett (USA) vs. Pawel Nastula (Poland) Additional bouts to be announced soon. Fight Card Subject to Change |
| Wednesday - September 20, 2006 |
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By Marcelo Alonso After winning the Pride Middleweight Grand Prix and being talked about as the big MMA star of 2005, Chute Boxe fighter Maurício "Shogun" Rua is not having the same luck in 2006. Eight months after suffering a serious arm injury during his fight against Mark Coleman, Shogun had another serious accident 15 days before his long-awaited return to the ring against Cyrille Diabate in Pride Open Weight Grand Prix. "I was parking my car in the garage at my house, totally exhausted after a hard MMA training session, when my dog [a pit bull named Chacal] ran out into the street. I immediately left the car to grab him, but I forgot to pull the hand break. While I was holding my dog, the car came down and hit me from behind, taking me to the ground and running over my arm and back," reveals Shogun, who suffered a very serious scratch on his back and arm and was advised by the doctors to not fight. "I couldn't even think about the possibility of not fighting. Eight months away from the ring almost made me crazy. But I have to say it was hard. It was so painful that I was having a hard time sleeping too," remembers Shogun who stopped training 15 days before the fight.
On the day of the fight against Diabate, the scratch was almost okay. "I knew that my only problem would be taking guard position, but thank God it was not necessary and everything worked out well," says the Brazilian who is hoping that the bad luck times have gone and is anxious to fight Kevin Randleman in Pride Real Deal in the USA. "Actually I wanted to face Coleman, but he didn't accept and put his student Randleman in; it will be a great fight anyway. Kevin is one of the strongest fighters in this weight class and a great wrestler, but I'm ready to make my game," guarantees the Chute Boxer. |
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From the event's promoter: Anacondas vs. Sabres Portland Event Highlights Hour-Long Coverage NEW YORK, September 20, 2006 -- Fox Sports Net (FSN) will broadcast the first of 10 hours of International Fight League (IFL) coverage on Sunday, September 24 at 6 p.m. local time. Sunday's action will include the IFL World Team Championship quarterfinal matchup between the Anacondas, coached by Bas Rutten and based in Los Angeles, and the Sabres, based in Tokyo and mentored by Antonio Inoki. The bout was contested on Saturday, Sept. 9, in Portland, Oregon. The Superfight held that night between IFL Wolfpack coach Matt Lindland and MMA veteran Jeremy Horn, along with several other bouts, will air on the next broadcast on Oct. 1. The next night, Monday, Oct. 2, a special two-hour prime-time edition of "Best Damn Sports Show Period" will feature the Pat Miletich vs. Renzo Gracie Superfight, as well as the battle between the teams they coach: Miletich's Silverbacks, based in Quad Cities, and Gracie's Pitbulls, who train in New York. FSN also aired three hours of the IFL Legends Championship earlier this year. The IFL, the world's first mixed martial arts league in a team format, will launch its first full season in the first quarter of 2007. The fall IFL broadcast schedule on FOX Sports Net will be: (all times p.m.) Sunday, September 24 6:00* Sunday, October 1 6:00** Monday, October 2 8:00 (Best Damn Sports Show Period, Two Hour special) Sunday, October 8 6:00* Sunday, November 12 6:00** Sunday, November 19 6:00*** Sunday, November 26 6:00*** Sunday, December 31 6:00 (Two hour championship finals show)**** *- Featuring matches from Sept. 9 Portland, Ore. Quarterfinal event **- Featuring matches from Sept. 23 Quad Cities, Ill. Quarterfinal event ***- Featuring matches for November Semifinal event (site TBD) ****- Final event at site TBD |
| Thursday - September 21, 2006 |
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Jason Macdonald Headed to Ultimate Fight Night 7 Top ranked Canadian middleweight fighter Jason "The Athlete" Macdonald will be fighting Team Quest fighter and "Ultimate Fighter" star Ed Herman at UFN 7, October 10th. The announcement that the Red Deer resident had indeed finally made it to the UFC was made only days after Macdonald defeated Neil Berry at Maximum Fighting Championship 10. The victory, which came via a rear naked choke in the first round, was Macdonald's 4th in a row, bringing his record to 16-7. It has been speculated for sometime that "The Athlete" would get a shot in the UFC if the fighter put together a winning streak, considering Macdonald holds victories over UFC veterans like Joe Doerksen and Gideon Ray. ""This is where I want to be," said MacDonald in a MFC press release. "I've felt for a long time that I've deserved to be there, but it's taken a long time and that's OK. Now that I'm going to fight in the UFC it's made the whole journey a lot sweeter. But I don't want to wake up on the morning of Oct. 11 and say 'Well, I've fought in the UFC, that's all I ever wanted," I'm not going there to compete and just say I've fought in the UFC. I'm going there to win." Macdonald's camp also announced that Brazilian Top Team Canada head instructor Fabio Holanda and UFC veteran Patrick Cote (who narrowly defeated Macdonald earlier this year for the MFC Middleweight Championship) will be helping Macdonald prepare for the October 10th fight. In addition to the Macdonald UFC signing, Maximum Fighting Championship also announced this week that the promotion will be holding another smaller event, MFC Unplugged 2, at the Chateau Lacombe in Edmonton, Alberta, November 10th. The card has yet to be announced. Jason "Dooms" Day: "I Am More Determined and Motivated Than Ever." Canadian Martial Arts Centre fighter Jason "Dooms" Day is remaining upbeat and confident despite his recent loss to Victor Valimaki at MFC 10. Day succumbed to a rear naked choke in the first round at his recent September 8th fight, giving Valimaki the MFC Light-heavyweight Championship. Although there had been some reports that Day's jaw had in fact been broken during the fight, Day clarified his condition with FCF. "I have no injuries from the fight that will keep me from fighting," says Day. "I thought that he had broken my jaw in the first couple exchanges but it had just popped out, they said something about tearing a ligament or tendon but I am not sure exactly. I have been getting it realigned by a chiropractor and it is almost as good as new. When Victor went to put the rear naked on I tucked my chin and he ended up crossfacing me instead and moving my jaw farther out of place, I had to tap to the pain, it was unreal." Day is returning to action almost immediately at Rage in the Cage's September 30th event in Lethbridge, Alberta. Although an opponent has not been lined up for the light-heavyweight fighter just yet, Day is confident he'll be ready and is eager to fight again. "It is strange to say but that loss could be the best thing that happened to me," Day tells FCF. "I am more determined and motivated than ever. I realized that I was not training as hard as should be and I was ignoring my strength training. I started a new conditioning program the next day and have not quit since. I fight here in Lethbridge on the 30th and hopefully at least 2 or 3 times after that before Christmas. Then I fight here again on December 31 and Lee Mein has something big in store for everyone so keep your eyes open for that one." Elite Fighting Championship Announces September 29th Card The Elite FC has announced their upcoming September 29th card, to be held at the PNE Agrodome in Vancouver, British Columbia. The main event will feature a lightheavyweight clash between UFC veterans, Vernon "Tiger" White and Marvin "The Beast" Eastman. Other notable bouts on the card include Blake Fredrickson meeting George Kassimatis, and Garett Davis taking on Myles Merola. Apex Fighting Championship: Curran to Meet Fabiano On October 14th, Apex FC will host its next event in Gatineau, Quebec, and will have the highly anticipated fight between Jeff Curran and Wagnney Fabiano as its main event. Curran made comments earlier this year that he was displeased with Fabiano when the BJJ Black Belt was late for his weigh in with Curran's student Matt Fiordirosa. Fabiano subsequently defeated Fiordirosa by unanimous decision at the Apex-Freedom Fight card on January 14th. The undercard's other more notable bouts will feature Nabil Khatib taking on Fritz Paul for Apex's Canadian Middleweight Title, and Nuri Shakir meeting James Gabert for the Apex World Welterweight Title. |
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From DSE/Pride: TOKYO, Japan -- Two semi-final tournament bouts have been announced for PRIDE FIGHTING'S upcoming event, BUSHIDO SURVIVAL '06: THE FINALS. Canadian Denis Kang is set to battle the colorful Akihiro Gono aka DJ GOZMA and Team Grabaka's Kazuo Misaki will take on Brazilian Top Team's Paulo Filho. The winner of each bout will face off in the finals held on the same night! PRIDE FIGHTING'S exclusive 16-man welterweight tournament continues on November 12th, with BUSHIDO SURVIVAL 06: The Finals, premiering at 9:00pm (EST), 6:00pm (PST). Don't miss the final four fighters as Denis Kang, Paulo Filho, Kazuo Misaki and Akihiro Gono all look to take home the belt! Don't miss all the knockouts, slams, and submissions, as the world's biggest and best mixed martial artists go head to head at PRIDE FIGHTING'S BUSHIDO SURVIVAL 06: THE FINALS! WELTERWEIGHT TOURNAMENT MATCHES Denis Kang (Canada/Korea) vs. Akihiro Gono (Japan) Kazuo Misaki (Japan) vs. Paulo Filho (Brazil) Winner Kang/Gono vs. Winner Misaki/Filho PPV Premiere Date: Sunday, November 12th, 2006 Premiere Time: 9:00 pm EST, 6:00 pm PST, Count Down show: 8:30 pm EST, 5:30 pm PST Fight Card Subject to Change. For additional replay times, please contact your pay per view provider. |
| Friday - September 22, 2006 |
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New episode of FCF Radio In our latest broadcast, we talk with Sam Stout and Krzysztof Soszynski. Click here to listen/download. |
| Sunday - September 24, 2006 |
 Gracie Submits Miletich, Silverbacks & Dragons Advance to the Semifinals By Dustin Lee DePue
Two new coaches and two superfights were announced. Marco Ruas and Don Frye will each coach teams next season. Mark Kerr versus Mike Whitehead and Allen Goes verus Daniel Gracie were the fights announced. In preliminary action, Joseph Heleno landed a highlight reel-worthy flying knee on opponent Ben Uker, sending Uker to the mat where Heleno quickly followed with punches for the TKO stoppage at 3:14 of the first round. Dennis Hallman looked sluggish in his victory over Jeff Quinlan. Unwilling to trade on the feet, Hallman took the fight to the ground, where it was clear he came close with an armbar and several triangle chokes which he nearly finished at the end of both the first and second round en route to a majority decision victory. Razorclaws Vs. Dragons In the opener for the team match-up of the Carlos Newton-coached Dragons versus Frank Shamrock's Razorclaws, lightweight Josh Odom of the Razorclaws but a beating on an extremely tough Rob Di Censo. Odom opened the fight with very crisp leg kicks, something he would use throughout the fight. Di Censo, making his MMA debut, was able to take the fight to the ground on multiple occasions but couldn't get anything going on the mat. Odom opened up the second round with a spinning back kick to the midsection. Clearly hurt by the kick, Di Censo opted to roll to the ground. It was a smart move as Odom wanted to stay standing and therefore allowed Di Censo back to his feet, effectively giving Di Censo a few seconds to recover. Standing back up, Di Censo came at Odom swinging wildly; a last defiant hurrah, like Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, outgunned and out maneuvered but not lacking in heart and will. It wasn't enough as Odom continued to pick Di Censo apart with strikes, finally ending it in the third round after a series of kicks to the midsection followed by a punch that sent Di Censo crumbling to the mat. Some follow up strikes on the ground and the ref called the bout at 1:47 of round 3. Odom looked very impressive in victory while Di Censo showed a level of poise you don't often find in a debut fight. Razorclaws 1, Dragons 0 Razorclaws welterweight Ray Steinbeiss was overwhelmed by Claude Patrick. Patrick was able to score with knees from the clinch before getting a takedown and punching from the top. Steinbeiss looked to reverse but as he made his attempt, Patrick wrapped his neck and fell back and pulled guard. Despite only getting half-guard, Patrick, who described the guillotine choke as his "secret weapon" was able to force the tapout at 3:12 of round 1 and put his team on the scoreboard. Razorclaws 1, Dragons 1 Razorclaws Brian Foster and Dragon Joe Doerksen had a war for two rounds. Doerksen showed his Jiu-Jitsu skills early, working an armbar and several beautiful sweeps to keep the pressure on Foster throughout much of the round. A referee standup gave Foster the window he needed to rock Doerksen with a vicious right hand that had Doerksen doing the wobble dance as he desperately hung on for round two. Starting the round, Foster came out looking to finish what he started. Doerksen looked cloudy as he took more heavy shots but was able to fight back, landing some punches of his own before eventually getting a takedown. With a minute and a half left in the round, Doerksen mounted Foster. He used strikes to force Foster to turn and give up his back where Doerksen was able to finish with a rear naked choke at 3:40 of round two. A gutsy performance by Doerksen, whose experience fighting all over the world clearly played a role in his recovery from almost certain defeat. Doerksen was given the "Submission of the Night" which, like all the rewards, are given out for each team match-up. Razorclaws 1, Dragons 2 Light-Heavyweights Raphael Davis of the Razorclaws and Brent Beauparlant of the Dragons displayed plenty of heart if not much solid technique. It was clear from a very early point in the fight that cardio was an issue for both fighters as the fight quickly degraded to a sloppy haymaker exhibition that appeared at times to be taking place underwater. Davis did manage to land some nice knees from the clinch and had a couple of Kimura attempts, however, Beauparlant was trumped him with a suplex and total ground control to earn the unanimous decision victory that sealed the team win for the Dragons. Razorclaws 1, Dragons 3 To end the match, Travis Wiuff dominated a very strong and very game Wojtek Kaszowski. Kaszowski was unable to stop Wiuff from taking him down and unable to get back up as Wiuff controlled the somewhat slow and uneventful bout. Wiuff wins by unanimous decision with a score of 30-25, 30-25, 30-27. Pitbulls Vs. Silverbacks The first team match-up of the night featured the Silverbacks versus the Pitbulls. Adding tension to the quarterfinal match was the looming presence of the superfight between Silverbacks coach Pat Miletich and Pitbull coach Renzo Gracie. To start things off, Marcio Feitosa took on Bart "Bartimus" Palaszewski in the lightweight division. Bartimus started off firing several three punch combinations and trying to find his range. Feitosa continually shot in for the takedown, getting Palaszewski on the mat and controlling in both the first and second round. Although he never really had Palaszewski in danger, he certainly built up points and looked to be in control of the match. In the third Palaszewski landed a monster right hand that dropped Feitosa. On losing end of two rounds, it looked like he would need to finish to win the fight. "Bartimus" was relentless and put a real beating on Feitosa's face, but he couldn't seal the deal. Heading into the judges decision it looked to be a 29-28 fight in favor of Feitosa, however, two of the judges saw differently as Palaszewski was awarded the split decision victory by scores of 29-28, 30-28, 28-29. It was a hard pill to swallow for the Pitbulls but both fighters put on a tremendous display of heart and were rewarded with "Fight of the Night" honors and thousand dollar bonuses. Pitbulls 0, Silverbacks 1 Next up were Welterweights Marcelo Dos Santos of the Pitbulls and Rory Markham of the Silverbacks. Markham survived an early submission assault on his leg, rolling from one end of the ring to the other as Dos Santos switched from a heel hook to an Achilles lock. Escaping to his feet, Markham landed a one-two combination that hurt Dos Santos and followed it up with a jumping, Superman right hand that landed flush and put Dos Santos down. With seconds left in the round, Markham pounced on Dos Santos, raining down punches for the TKO stoppage at 3.58 of round one. Pitbulls 0, Silverbacks 2 With two losses, the Pitbulls needed to make something happen. It was up to Middleweight fighter Fabio Leopoldo of the Pitbulls to get the team back on track. His opponent, Ryan McGivern, didn't make it easy. McGivern was busy with this hands, throwing several one-two combos and landing a nice straight right that staggered Leopoldo. Clinching, Leopoldo went for a guillotine choke, pulling guard and squeezing with all his might to try and finish but McGivern was able to escape. Round two saw McGivern become even more dominate with the strikes, hurting Leopoldo, who was firing back but getting tagged. After a McGivern takedown, Leopoldo, who was clearly behind on points, turtled up, prompting McGivern to swing around to try and take the back. Leopoldo, using what may have been the last of the gas in his fuel tank, rolled and took hold of McGivern's leg, slapping on the kneebar that forced McGivern to tap at 0:49 of round 2. A great display by both fighters. Fabio Leopoldo was awarded the submission of the night. Pitbulls 1, Silverbacks 2 The Light-Heavyweight match-up featured Andre Gusmao of the Pitbulls verses Mike Ciesnolevicz of the Silverbacks. Gusmao was very impressive as his explosive power gave him the edge both standing and on the feet. While all of the Renzo-coached Pitbulls were willing to trade strikes with their opponents, Gusmao was the only team member whose standup truly looked dangerous. He proved that early in the second round when he opened up on Ciesnolevicz, mixing up knees and hooks that put Ciesnolevicz down. Gusmao followed him to the ground where he delivered more punishment forcing the ref to step in at 1:01 of round 2 and giving his team the chance to take the team title. Pitbulls 2, Silverbacks 2 With four fights down and two wins apiece it was up to the big boys to decide who would be advancing to the semi finals. The Pitbulls' Bryan Vetell took on Silverback Ben Rothwell in a battle of heavyweights. With a home-town crowd behind him, Rothwell looked calm and seemed to be feeling out Vetell's rhythm, waiting to throw the right hand. Built like a tank, Vetell threw a punch and followed it by pushing Rothwell to the ropes, where he landed several knees from the clinch. Rothwell, however, was able to free himself from the clinch and he caught Vetell with a big right hand that ended Vetell's night early in the first and secured the team victory for the Silverbacks. The jumbo screens repeated the knockout punch several times, elliciting the deafening roar of a well satisfied home-town crowd. Big Ben Rothwell was awarded the "Knockout of the Night"and the Silverbacks advance to the semi's. Pitbulls 2, Silverbacks 3 The superfight of the evening brought the Mark to its feet as not a sitting fan could be seen in the sea of cheering, fist-pumping bodies bearing down on the IFL ring. MMA legend Renzo Gracie made his entrance to a throng a boos which, however inappropriate, were testament to the hometown crowd's love and loyalty for their resident legend and hero, Pat Miletich. The man could run for office in these parts. The sound was deafening as his name was called and his face appeared on the jumbo screens as he made his way down the catwalk and into the ring. Circling, both fighters judged each other with jabs and feints before Gracie shot in for a leg. Miletich sprawled and was able to stay standing. He clinched and pinned Gracie in the corner until the ref broke them up. Miletich quickly clinched again and pushed Gracie against the ropes. Miletich fatigued early and could be seen sucking wind as he prepared for his next move. Before he could, Gracie jumped into guard and slapped on a guillotine. At the press conference, Gracie stated that he knew he didn't have the choke at first, but he readjusted and was able to cinch the choke in tighter, eventually forcing Miletich to tap at 3:37 of the first round. With the victory, Renzo Gracie's camp stormed the ring and hoisted him up on their shoulders. At the press conference, Miletich announced his retirement from competition, while Renzo, all smiles, was looking forward to getting in the IFL ring again with another legend of MMA. Full Results Superfight Renzo Gracie def. Pat Miletich - Guillotine choke 3:37 R1 Pitbulls vs Silverbacks Bart Palaszewski def. Marcio Feitosa - Split decision (29-28, 30-28, 28-29) Rory Markham def. Marcelo Dos Santos - TKO (strikes) 3:58 R1 Fabio Leopoldo def. Ryan McGivern - Knee bar 0:49 R2 Andre Gusmao def. Mike Ciesnolevicz - TKO (strikes) 1:01 R2 Ben Rothwell def. Bryan Vetell - KO 3:17 R1 Razorclaws vs Dragons Josh Odom def. Rob Di Censo - TKO (strikes) 1:47 R3 Claude Patrick def. Ray Steinbeiss - Guillotine choke 3:12 R1 Joe Doerksen def. Brian Foster - Rear-naked choke 3:40 R2 Brent Beauparlant def. Raphael Davis - Unanimous decision Travis Wiuff def. Wojtek Kaszowski - Unanimous decision (30-25, 30-27, 30-27) Prelims Dennis Hallman def. Jeff Quinlan - Majority decision (29-27, 29-29, 29-28) Joseph Heleno def. Ben Uker - TKO (Strikes) 3:14 R1 |
 A Hardcore Card for a Mainstream House By Steven Marrocco Anaheim, CA -- Under the roof where the Mighty Ducks fly, UFC 63 introduced some strong newcomers, solidified the talent of veterans, and answered a lingering question in the reign of the most dominant 170lb fighter mixed martial arts has ever known. Coming into his fight with Matt Hughes, BJ Penn was clearly a little bit cocky. He had a good reason to be so. He was one of the select few who had bested the champion, and one of the only men to do it on public stage of the UFC. "I've got Matt's number," he proclaimed in the weeks before the show. And with the highlight reels running full speed on the Arrowhead big screens throughout the night, showing his dispatch of the MFS fighter by rear naked choke, one might agree with him. One prediction of the fight's outcome that proved to be prophetic was provided by the man who was supposed to face him that night, Georges St. Pierre. "If it ends in the first round, it will be because BJ won," Georges remarked at ringside. "If it goes the full five rounds, it will be because Matt Hughes has won." Early in the first round, it looked like BJ was on his way to repeating history as he managed to stuff Hughes' legendary takedown, hopping on one leg as Hughes' furiously pulled and twisted his leg to no avail. After Hughes finally gave up on his initial attempt, BJ wrenched himself away from him, agreeing to trade with Hughes and test his stand up meddle. His power had obviously flourished in his training prior to the fight, as he landed a left hook that dazed Matt, causing him to re-attempt his single leg staple. After an accidental thumb in Hughes' eye caused a doctor stoppage, Hughes grew eager to return the favor. Unfortunately for Matt, the situation only got worse in the second round. After finally scoring a takedown in the opening stanza, Matt found himself fighting off a rear naked choke attempt by BJ, a virtual carbon copy of the technique he used in their first meeting whereby Penn maneuvered his way out of Hughes' guard and took his back. The house was going absolutely crazy. Matt's power allowed him to twist free of the danger, but Penn's slick jiu-jitsu once again reared it's head as he transitioned from a rear naked choke to an armbar and then a triangle. Most of the audience thought Matt had escaped as he twisted out of the rear naked; the gravity of the situation was only revealed when the screens showed the ringside camera view. Matt was faltering under the pressure of the triangle, turning purple as BJ cranked his hold with everything he had. The house was beside itself. There was only one problem for BJ: Hughes would not tap. After a ten nail-biting seconds, Hughes was saved by the bell. Eddie Bravo had scored both rounds for Penn, making it a do or die situation for Hughes. Matt immediately went to work in the third, peppering BJ with jabs, body punches, and leg kicks. One thing had become clear: BJ had used all of his gas in the submission attempt. Offering virtually no defense to Matt's punches, he finally collapsed to the mat, where Hughes followed, trapping BJ's arms from side mount and raining down punches that ended the bout at 3:50 of the third round. Amidst the frenzy of the audience after being re-fitted once again for the belt, Hughes admitted that BJ had come close to finishing him with the armbar. "I just wish he had come in shape to go five rounds," Hughes said. "I really wanted to show what I could do in five rounds." In the night's co-main event, Mike Swick hopefully made his last argument as to why he should get a title shot at middleweight champ Rich Franklin, facing off with previous title challenger David Loiseau. While Swick looked impressive in his standup skills, putting on crisp display of boxing and Muy Thai, he did not face the same competitor that had given Franklin a five round war. Throughout the first two rounds, Loiseau was unable to find his rhythm or mount any solid offense as Swick brashly showed that he couldn't be hurt by "The Crow". Finally coming alive in the final round, Loiseau landed an overhand right that stunned Swick, putting him on the defense for the first time. From there, Loiseau took Swick down and re-asserted himself, landing several hard punches and elbows inside Swick's half guard. Scrambling back to their feet, Swick ate some more elbows, but was anxious to let the audience know he wasn't slipping, waving his finger "no" from the clinch after Loiseau let up. All in all, it was too little, too late as Swick earned the unanimous decision from the judges, who all scored it 29-28 in favor of Swick. Overjoyed, Swick profusely thanked his fans and remarked at his ring posturing in the replay after the fight. "I don't know what that was,' he laughed. Then the screens showed Swick catching a vicious elbow from the clinch. "I know what that was," he said. "Those hurt like hell. I take nothing away from my opponent. He's a really tough guy." It was a brief and unforgiving welcome back into his former home as Miletich standout and former lightweight champ Jens Pulver was upset by newcomer Joe "J-Lau" Lauzon, who caught him early with a stiff hook against the fence in the opening note of the fight. Regaining his composure as he resumed his boxing stance, Jens shook off the cobwebs and attempted to trade with "J-Lau". After a brief exchange, Jens mistakenly sprawled against a non-existent takedown that allowed Lauzon to clinch and fire a knee to Pulver's head that sent him reeling back. Following it with a right that clipped Pulver's chin, Lauzon pummeled him with punches until referee Herb Dean called a stop to the bout at just 48 seconds of the first round. Wearing a "Fear No Evil" shirt, Lauzon was cautiously optimistic post fight when Rogan suggested that he was basically lightweight champion. "I don't think I'd go that far," he quipped. "I'd put myself up there though. There are a lot of tough guys in the division." After an initially slow start, TUF 2 winner Rashad Evans put an exclamation mark on his characteristically methodical style against North County Fight Club's Jason Lambert, stopping him with a series of brutal punches that completely knocked out the Californian. Even though Lambert looked as if he had 20lbs on the Michigan native, Evans was able to power through Lambert's ground defense, transitioning to mount in the second round and unleashing the blows that put a stop to the fight. Until the light heavyweight division thickens, Evans could see a dramatic uptick in the level of his competition very soon. Fellow TUF 2 cast member and newly anointed Team Punishment fighter Melvin Guillard survived a rough patch against former WEC champ Gabe "Godzilla" Ruedinger, possibly scoring the UFC's first one punch body blow knockout in history. Humbled after fending off a series of strikes and a rear naked choke attempt in the first, Melvin took coach Tito Ortiz's advice and went to Ruedinger's solar plexus, connecting with a straight cross that sent Ruedinger back a foot. Ruedinger's face registered a look of worry, but he shrugged it off and re-took his position in front of Guillard. The second body punch was the one that made the difference. Firing the cross again, Guillard hit "Godzilla" in the solar plexus again. Almost instantly, Ruedinger dropped to the ground, wincing in pain as Guillard charged at him to stop it. The ref mercifully stepped in to stop any further damage, putting a half to the bout at 1:01 of the second round. In his UFC debut, Roger Huerta made good on his promise to be impressive, winning a unanimous 30-27 decision against a game but overmatched Jason Dent. Total Combat and King of the Cage veteran Eddie Sanchez made the best of this late replacement of Gabriel "Napao" Gonzaga, knocking him out at 0:17 of the second round with the trademark overhand right he desperately wanted to utilize. Although he lost a close split decision, TUF 3 cast member Danny Abbadi impressed the audience with an impressive display of counterpunching as he fought off TUF 2 vet Jorge Gurgel. Having popped his knee out only two days before the fight, Gurgel was admirable in pressuring Abbaddi throughout the match, pushing Danny back with overhand rights and leg licks. Ultimately, his aggressiveness was the deciding factor in the fight, earning him a tie breaking 29-28 score on the third judge's scorecard. The tables were unexpectedly turned as newcomer Tyson Griffin submitted fellow newcomer and submission artist and Erik Paulson student David Lee, tapping him out with a rear naked choke at 1:50 of the first round. Full Results for UFC 63:
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Combat Fighting Championships 2 Held Sept 23, 2006 At the University of Central Florida Arena By Keith Mills Orlando, FL -- On the same night as UFC 63 and just weeks before UFC returns to the Sunshine State it was another organization, Combat Fighting Championships, that was making waves among Orlando fans. People may not have realized it but Orlando has become the second hottest spot for MMA in Florida with UFC vets like Crafton Wallace, Luigi Fioravanti, and Seth Petruzelli all hailing from the immediate area. Take those vet's training partners and up-and-comers, throw in local teams like Team Trauma and Gracie Barra, and add rumored interest from a Disney subsidiary and one has the makings of news the likes of which hasn't emerged from outside California all year. The main news was TJ Cook took the inaugural Combat Fighting Championships belt by defeating Jesse Chilton while Sauer and Whitehead advance to face each other for the inaugural CFC Heavyweight belt in December. Whitehead/Buchkovich showed Whitehead using surprising techniques before reverting to a more traditional ground-and-pound strategy to take Buchkovich almost entirely out of his game. Buckkovich was holding his own trading knees in the clinch with Whitehead and avoiding Whitehead's Kimura attempt in the first ground segment but seemed to run out of gas the second time these two Heavyweights went to the ground, succumbing to a barrage of punches with Whitehead mounted on his back. Sauer/Sylvest was more disappointing. Sylvest took an early right that left him off balance but not truly knocked down. Sauer charged, forcing Sylvest down while Sylvest seemed to be tapping on the way down as if he didn't think he could recover with Sauer barreling down on him. At thirteen seconds into the fight Sauer earned the right to face Whitehead in December but the brevity and method didn't truly satisfy, especially considering the talent on the rest of the card. In he Middleweight title fight Jesse Chilton didn't seem to have an answer for TJ Cook's kicks which may be the factor that resulted in Chilton succumbing to a knee injury. CFC are also keeping pace with some of the more established "feeder shows" by holding significant women's fights while still standing out for having this one at 125 pounds instead of the established 135 class. This fight was also significant as it was one of two between American Top Team affiliates and Team Trauma. This angle alone could prove interesting in the months to come but more on that in the full report. Tamera Arnold was making her pro debut but did a hell of a job as she and Marcus Paumpa's Jessica Aguilar went to war. Both fighters at times had mount and were raining down punches, both fighters scored on the standup, and both fighters deserve a closer assessment. IN the end this night it was Aguilar's edge with submissions that earned her the guillotine choke with just twenty second left in the second round. One of the pleasant surprises this night was Jonathan Brookins of Team Trauma. At Lightweight this kid can move fast and knows his striking and submissions. It would be interesting to see him step up and fight someone with more experience than him such as a champion of one of the other feeder shows or an up-and-comer from a better known team. For now fans had to settle with seeing Jonathan dominate a game but overwhelmed Ryan Nakamura, pulling off the win in a little over a minute. More interesting up-and-comers were on this card but Brookins had that "something else" that set him apart, a charisma that could take him a long way.
Look for a full report in an upcoming issue of Full Contact Fighter. Full results:
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| Monday - September 25, 2006 |
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From the event's promoter: Scorpions and Piranhas to be based in Tucson, Arizona and Southern Calif September 25, 2006 -- The International Fight League (IFL) today announced that world champions Don Frye and Marco Ruas have been added as coaches for the 2007 season, bringing to 10 the number of confirmed teams for the inaugural season. Frye will coach the Scorpions, based in Tucson, Arizona, while Ruas will mentor the Piranhas, based in Southern California. Two additional teams will be announced before the end of the year. The IFL will launch its first full season with 12 teams in the first quarter of 2007. "We are very excited that Don and Marco have chosen to join us," said Kurt Otto, IFL co-founder and commissioner. "Like our other coaches both are legends in the sport, expert instructors and quality people who will help us continue to grow mixed martial arts beyond its current boundaries. The addition of another team training in Southern California and one in an MMA hotbed like Arizona also will help to create a more consistent presence for the IFL in two key geographic growth areas." Don "The Predator" Frye is considered one of the original "cross-trained" MMA competitors. He was a collegiate wrestler at NCAA powerhouses Arizona State University and Oklahoma State University, holds a 2nd degree black belt in Judo and has fought as a professional boxer. He has held a championship belts for the UFC and is also a veteran of K-1 and PRIDE in a legendary career. He is also an accomplished actor, and will appear in the upcoming Rob Schneider film Big Stan. Marco "The King of the Streets" Ruas is one of the most renowned tacticians in MMA, and is regarded as the founder of Ruas Vale Tudo, a hybrid of Brazilian submission fighting and kickboxing. He too is a former UFC champion and is currently training several of the sport's rising stars in Southern California. |
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"Big" Eric Pele By Chris Onzuka 
FCF: Let's start off with your background...EP: I started fighting around 2000. I started with jiu-jitsu, boxing and then started doing MMA. But before that I had experience in high school wrestling and a little in junior college, but that is about it. When I first started, I trained with John Lewis and I pretty much stayed with him for my brief career. It was John Lewis or Marc Laimon who I trained with or who cornered me. Currently I am freelancing it. I am going to Xyience [training center]. I am going to Marc Laimon's and John Lewis' J-Sect [academy] and getting more information that is out there. I think it is just a better way for me to do it right now. This way I can stay out of all the politics. FCF: You are scheduled to fight at X-1, here in Hawaii. This is actually your second fight in Hawaii. Tell us about your first fight, which happened to be your debut. EP: Yeah, my first fight in Hawaii was actually my very first fight. It was great to fight in Hawaii. Oh my God, I can't wait to get on the plane and get back to Hawaii to fight there again. The first time it was in the RINGS tournament B [block]. I fought Cabbage first and won by arm bar and then I fought Roger Neff to a decision. That was fun. I always wanted to come back. I talked to the Hawaii promoters, but could never hook that up. JD [Penn] was one of my first instructors and taught me so much jiu-jitsu. He is the one that, after everyone blew me off, was the one that showed me the fundamentals. We couldn't get anything going because I wasn't sure what was going on in my life at the time. Anyways, the Blaisdell was where it all started for me. It has been a while since coming back. I got all my Uso's over there you know? [laughs] There is a bunch of people that I haven't seen in a while. Click here to continue the interview |
| Tuesday - September 26, 2006 |
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From the event's promoter: Mixed martial arts followers crave Episode 2 of hot new series Continuing its groundbreaking push into mixed martial arts (MMA), Bodog Fight, the brainchild of billionaire entertainment mogul Calvin Ayre, takes its second epic battle to the air tonight. On the Men's Outdoor and Recreation channel and online at www.bodogfight.com, MMA fans will get to see the thrilling battle between Bronx role-model Kaream Ellington and MBA intellectual Mike Patt. "This fight pits two phenomenal athletes and human beings together in a head-to-head war," says Calvin Ayre, Founder of Bodog.com Entertainment Group and creator of a number of reality television series, including Bodog Salutes the Troops, which has aired on Spike TV. "The fact that Patt trains six days a week while finishing his MBA and Ellington is recognized as a true role model in The Bronx's mean streets reveals striking characteristics about their integrity and commitment to the sport." A light heavyweight trained in Brazilian jiu-jitsu, Muay Thai and wrestling, Ellington is married and has a three-month-old baby who he cherishes more than anything. Being born and raised in one of the USA 's lowest income-per-capita areas, perseverance and commitment to professional MMA training and fighting was a catalyst in rising above adversity. Although never his intention, he is becoming a role model to underprivileged youth in a community where fighting is part of daily life. With his gigantic smile, open heart and humble character, Ellington exemplifies the qualities necessary to learn from past mistakes and press forward toward achieving goals. His adversary is from the other side of the fence - a financial analyst and MBA student. Patt is also trained in boxing and has similar stature and fighting style as Ellington. With star-studded past successes in football, wrestling and rugby, Patt's MMA career evolved under the coaching of Jorge Gurgel, renowned Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and submission grappling instructor, and has been highlighted by the surprising victory in the 8-man FCC Tournament in July 2004. After winning his first two professional MMA fights by submission, and not having thrown a punch in either, Patt devised his own fight philosophy: Go in swinging and punch someone - hard - for the knock out. If the opponent shoots in, then tap him out on the ground. With an impressive 11-1 record, this strategy has been very effective. |
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From the event's promoter: Legendary Matchups will round out semifinals at site to be announced shortly NEW YORK, September 26, 2006-- The International Fight League (IFL) today announced the addition of two Superfights for the November World Team Championship semifinals. The matchups will have Daniel Gracie facing Allan Goes in one fight and Mark Kerr taking on Mike Whitehead in the other. Those two fights will follow the team semifinal matchups, featuring Bas Rutten's Anacondas vs. Matt Lindland's Wolfpack in one matchup, and Pat Miletich's Silverbacks vs. Carlos Newton's Dragons in the other. The location, date and time of the IFL World Team Championship semifinal will be announced shortly. "We are very pleased to be able to pair these MMA veterans as a highlight to what will be a very special semifinal evening," IFL Co-founder and Commissioner Kurt Otto said. "These four great athletes represent many of the disciplines that make up mixed martial arts, and seeing them together on the same card will be a treat for all in attendance." Kerr is an MMA legend who will be making his first appearance in the ring since 2004. The former NCAA wrestling champion and NCAA All-American (at Syracuse University) and UFC and PRIDE heavyweight champion has been training recently with Rutten in Los Angeles as part of his comeback. His opponent, MMA veteran Whitehead, was also a three time all-America wrestler at North Idaho Junior College, Southern Oregon University, and the University of Missouri has posted an 8-1 record in his last nine MMA bouts. Brazilians Gracie and Goes have both made successful IFL debuts on the team level, with Gracie defeating Wes Sims in an IFL Superfight in June and Goes defeating Devin Cole in September as part of the Tiger Sharks. |
| Wednesday - September 27, 2006 |
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New episode of FCF Radio In our latest broadcast, we talk with Jorge Gurgel and Jesse Bongfeldt. Click here to listen/download. |
| Thursday - September 28, 2006 |
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"Lamborghini" Davis Looks For 7th Straight Victory This Friday at the Elite FC Marcus Soares' student and Universal MMA fighter Garett "Lamborghini" Davis (9-6) will look to continue his six fight winning streak this Friday night at the Elite Fighting Championship, in Vancouver, British Columbia, against Myles Merola (6-1). The fight for Davis will be his first since the welterweight decided to take a couple months off from competition due to some personal issues. Davis had been extremely busy in 2006 having already fought 3 times this year, before taking a leave of absence from fighting after he submitted Shannon Ritch at KOTC "Widowmaker" in June. "I have been dealing with a lot in the last couple of months with my Mom and Sister being sick plus other personal issues," Davis tells FCF. "I have actually had a hard time with my training, especially outside the dojo, my diet and sleeping has been way off, but I continue to have really good sparring sessions, which helps me stay confident and ready to fight. Life is tough, but you do what you got to do!" The fight between Davis and Merola pits two fighters from British Columbia's Lower Mainland area against each other, two fighters who have a fair amount of local buzz behind them. Merola most recently defeated Justin Jones, at the National Fighting Challenge in July, by toe hold for his sixth victory in seven fights. Davis, who had gone 3-6 to begin his MMA career, has defeated such notable fighters like Jesse Bongfeldt and Derick Downey during his current winning streak, and has been preparing with earnest for his fight with Merola this Friday. "I am training with guys that use to teach him and train with him, so I like to think that I know a lot about his style," says Davis in evaluating Merola. "I have also seen him fight a few times so I know what to expect in the ring. I have been training just like I train for all my other fights, lots of striking, jiu-jitsu, wrestling and strength and conditioning workouts." Davis is looking forward to his MMA return, and will be able to return to action with plenty of hometown support. "Yeah, I like fighting in Vancouver, it's a good crowd," Davis says. "Having family and friends in the audience cheering me on means a lot to me as well." Elite FC promoter Rob Harris announced Wednesday that Marvin "The Beast" Eastman would be unable to compete in his Lightheavyweight title defense against Vernon "Tiger" White, the scheduled main event for this Friday's card. Instead, Edmonton fighter and recently crowned Maximum Fighting Championship Lightheavyweight Champion Victor "The Matrix" Valimaki, will take Eastman's place, who has been sidelined with a hand injury. Other more notable fights for this weekend's Elite FC include; Blake Fredrickson taking on George Kassimatis, Cesar Narita fighting Sean Fewer, Leonard Carter meeting Chris Ade, and Hardeep Singh against Adam Laporte. Doerksen Makes Dragons and IFL Debut a Successful One Joe "El Dirte" Doerksen earned the 36th victory of his career last Saturday night, at the International Fight League in Moline, Illinois, by submitting Brian Lee Foster with a rear naked choke. The win came for Doerksen in the second round, as the UFC veteran recovered from some heavy shots from Foster in the opening round to come back and earn his 4th victory in a row. "Foster landed some good right hands in round one, which was frustrating," Doerksen tells FCF, "but I collected myself between rounds and came back a lot stronger. Mind set is always the same. Every fight is dangerous, and every fighter has to be taken seriously. I felt very stiff in the first round, and had some trouble moving. Round two was better, I was warmed up, and my timing seemed to be better." Doerksen earned a win in the middleweight bracket for his Toronto Dragon club, helping aid the team to make its IFL debut a successful one. The Dragon's earned a narrow 3-2 victory over the San Jose Razorclaws, due to the wins Doerksen and teammates Brent Beauparlant and Claude Patrick gave the Dragons. "El Dirte" enjoyed his IFL experience, and is looking forward to competing for the Carlos Newton coached team in the future. "Dragons won their debut, very satisfying." Doerksen says. "First IFL experience, very positive one. Looking forward to the next show." Canada To Have 4 Card Weekend There are 4 MMA events scheduled in Canada this weekend, lending much evidence to the fact that the sport has never been more popular North of the border. Friday night will see the cities of Vancouver, Montreal, and Calgary all play host to the Elite FC, TKO , and King of the Cage respectively, while Saturday night, Lethbridge, Alberta will be home to yet another, Rumble in the Cage. |
| Friday - September 29, 2006 |
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New episode of FCF Radio In our latest broadcast, we talk with Mike Swick, Shawn Tompkins and Blake Fredrickson. Click here to listen/download. |
From the event's promoter: INTERNATIONAL FIGHT LEAGUE (IFL), FOX SPORTS NET PROVIDE CONSECUTIVE NIGHTS OF ORIGINAL ACTION SUNDAY AND MONDAY First-ever airing of Matt Lindland-Jeremy Horn fight runs Sunday, Pitbulls-Silverbacks and Gracie-Miletich Superfight airs Monday as part of two hour "Best Damn Sports Show Period" Special NEW YORK, September 28, 2006 – The International Fight League (IFL) will provide fans with two consecutive nights of action this coming Sunday, Oct. 1, and Monday night, Oct. 2, on Fox Sports Net. Sunday night, fans will get to see a one-hour special featuring the Jeremy Horn-Matt Lindland fight from Memorial Coliseum in Portland. On Monday night, the IFL and FSN will present a special two-hour prime-time edition of "The Best Damn Sports Show Period," featuring last week's battle between the Silverbacks and the Pitbulls. The team matchup will then be followed by the much-anticipated Pat Miletich-Renzo Gracie Superfight, which wrapped up the "World Team Championship" quarterfinal evening last Saturday at The Mark in Moline, Illinois. The Monday matchup will also see the legendary announce team of Stephen Quadros and Bas Rutten reunited for the first time in several years. "These consecutive nights of IFL action will go on the 'must-see' list for all MMA fans, and being part of the 'Best Damn Sports Show Period' Monday night will be an added plus," said IFL Commissioner and co-founder Kurt Otto. "The fans who witnessed these two events first hand will get to relive them on tape, while those around the country will be treated to the action they have only read about thus far for the first time." The Sunday night action on FSN is slated to run in most areas at 6:00 p.m. local time, with the exception of FSN Arizona, where it will air at 5:30 p.m. The show will also be re-broadcast throughout the week, and the entire FSN schedule is available online at www.ifl.tv. The Monday night two-hour special will air in most markets at 8:00 pm. local time, with the exception of FSN Arizona, where it will air at 7:30 p.m. The show will also be re-broadcast later that night and throughout the week. |
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By Jim Genia When: September 30th. Where: Brookdale College in Lyncroft, New Jersey. What: Combat in the Cage III, "Marked Territory." Promoter Ed Hsu returns once more to the realm of pro MMA combat, this time with a card featuring a veritable who's who in local fighting talent. From the pioneers of the sport to the current top-of-the-heap, Marked Territory has got 'em all in what promises to be a night of action. Here's a look at some of the fighters:
185-pound Title Fight Dante Rivera (Team Renzo/Almeida) vs. Eric Tavares (ATT/IM Sports) 170-pound Title Fight Chris Ligouri (Rhino Fight Team) vs. Matt Brown (Jorge Gurgel) 205-pound Title Fight Todd Going (Team Renzo/Almeida) vs. John Doyle (freestyle) Main Card Jose Rodriguez (Rhino Fight Team) vs. Tenyeh Dixon (Ground Control) Carlos Moreno (freestyle) vs. John Murphy (Team Shamrock) Jim Miller (Planet Jiu-Jitsu) vs. Binky Jones (Ground Control) Eddy Rolon (Team Endgame) vs. Jerry Spiegel (Team Lionkill) Tom Galechio (Rhino Fight Team) vs. Jose Sulsona (Ultimate Dragon) Andre Soares (ATT/IM Sports) vs. Matt McCabe (Jorge Gurgel) Jay Coleman (Rhino Fight Team) vs. Dave Drago (Team Drago) Dave Church (Team PKA) vs. Greg Soto (Jersey Shore BJJ) George Sullivan (Rhino Fight Team) vs. Marc Stevens (TaiKai) Tom Purcell (Team Propain) vs. Sergio Vignare (Team Renzo/Almeida) Branden Bice (PA Posse) vs. Glen Sandull (Cornerstone Martial Arts) Anthony Montanaro (Pitts Penn) vs. Khristian Geraci (Pittsburgh Fight Club) |
| Saturday - September 30, 2006 |
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Cage Rage 18 Weigh-in By David West Alex Reid, with his new nickname "The Detonator", unashamedly stole the show at the weigh in for Cage Rage 18, confronting Tony Fryklund dressed as Superman. Fryklund cracked up, asking aloud "Where's my kryptonite?" After his loss to Anderson Silva at Cage Rage 16, Fryklund bounced back with two wins at the Titan Fighting Championships in the U.S., while Reid has spent the time since dropping a decision to Dave Menne training in Thailand and promises to stand and bang with Fryklund when they clash on Saturday night. Topping the bill is the British Light-Heavyweight title bout between challenger Ian "The Machine" Freeman and champion Mark "The Beast" Epstein. Freeman's announcement of his retirement after his abrupt knockout loss to Melvin Manhoef has been short-lived and at 39 he is only two years older than the title holder. Epstein started his career as a heavy-fisted brawler, but showed a much improved ground game against Ryan Robinson when he won the title in April, before knocking out Dave Legeno in July. The middleweight clash between Mark "The Wizard" Weir and Murilo "Ninja" Rua should be explosive as Weir tests his lightning fast hands against Rua's flying knees and Muay Thai. After his stunning upset stoppage of James Thompson in July, British Heavyweight champ Rob Broughton is back to prove it wasn't luck when he meets Robert "Buzz" Berry in his first title defence. Berry has promised to finish Broughton in under two minutes, but Broughton showed he can take a beating and come back for more when he survived two rough rounds against Thompson only to pound him into dreamland in the third round. Abdul Mohamed will face his toughest challenge to date when he challenges Vitor Ribeiro for the World Lightweight title. Mohamed is an accomplished wrestler who loves to slam his opponents and then pound them on the canvas, but he has never faced a submission wizard as dangerous as Ribeiro before, a fact borne out by Ribeiro's stellar record of 15-1-0. British heavyweight Mark Buchanan will be giving away 150 pounds when he faces Romanian man-mountain Alexandru Lungu. The Romanian's only MMA fight to date was his loss to James Thompson at PRIDE 30, so at 4-1-0 Buchanan has the edge in experience, if not size. Full fight card: Zelg Galesic 185 lbs (83.9 kg) vs. James Evans-Nicolle 185 lbs (83.9kg) Xavier Foupa-Pokam 183 lbs (83kg) vs. Alex Cook 184 lbs (83.5kg) Robbie Olivier 145 lbs (65.8kg) vs. Brad Pickett 145 lbs (65.8kg) Sol Gilbert 170 lbs (77kg) vs. Paul Daley 170 lbs (77kg) Alexandru Lungu 375 lbs (170kg) vs. Mark Buchanan 235 lbs (107kg) Henry "Sentoryu" Miller 251 lbs (114kg) vs. Mustapha Al-Turk 247 lbs (112kg) Tony Fryklund 178 lbs (81kg) vs. Alex Reid 185 lbs (83.9kg) Abdul Mohamed 160 lbs (73kg) vs. Vitor "Shaolin" Ribeiro 160 lbs (73kg) Robert Berry 247 lbs (112kg) vs. Rob Broughton 280 lbs (127kg) Kimo Leopoldo 225 lbs (102kg) vs. Dave Legeno 233 lbs (106kg) Murilo "Ninja" Rua 185 lbs (84kg) vs. Mark Weir 183 lbs (83kg) Ian Freeman 205 lbs (93kg) vs. Mark Epstein 200 lbs (90.5kg) |
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