| VISIT THE REST OF OUR SITE BY CLICKING THESE LINKS | |||||
| SUBSCRIBE | FCF SHOP | HOME | PICTURES | VIDEOS | FCF TV SHOW |
Warning: all pictures on this site belong to Full Contact Fighter and are copyrighted.
They are not for use on other sites or other commercial use without the written consent of FCF
| Wednesday - November 1, 2006 |
|
|
Fights Confirmed For Cage Rage 19 By David West
Robert "Buzz" Berry, who unsuccessfully challenged Broughton in September, will face one of Esch's previous opponents, Wesley "Cabbage" Correira on the same bill. At 10-5-0 Berry is the less experienced of the pair, with Correira's record standing at 18-11-0, and since both like to stand and slug it out, it seems unlikely to go the distance.
After defending his World Lightweight title against wrestler Abdul Mohamed, BJJ technician-par-excellence Vitor "Shaolin" Ribeiro will make his second defense against Japan's Daisuke Nakamura, who is coming off a win over Seichi Ikemoto at PRIDE: Bushido. Like the champion, Nakamura is a submission stylist with seven of his ten wins coming by submission, so this should be a chance to watch two top grapplers test their skills on the canvas. The show will be the promotion's first event at the Earl's Court arena, as they were unable to secure a suitable date at Wembley during December. |
From the event's promoter: Fury FC 93 kg GP Final Four: Who will be crowned on November 30th? On November 30th, in South America's largest city, Sao Paulo, Brazil, four premier young talents will decide the first-ever Fury FC Grand Prix Champion, in the up-to-93 kg weight class, as Fury FC 2 - Final Combat will take place in the high-class house of spectacles Tom Brasil. The show will count also with a set of single matches, however with the conclusion of the eight men grand prix coming up, the spotlights will be certainly on these four fighters from Brazil, who survived the first round of the tournament that took place this past September 27th, at Fury FC 1 - Warlords Unleashed, in a four bouts that showed dominance from the Brazilians. Jiu Jitsu black belt Vitor Viana was the only one to fight a Brazilian opponent in Joao Assis, and he controlled the action until a TKO was a natural consequence. Also coming from a Jiu Jitsu background, but representing the Chute Boxe team, Thiago Silva had the task of facing experienced Dutch fighter Dave Dalgliesh, who has even defeated seasoned fighter Valentijn Overeem in his career. Thiago managed to apply a heel-hook submission on his opponent, and secured his spot on the semifinals. Also fighting a European opponent in Russian Denis Komkin, Gracie Barra Combat Team member Danilo "Motoserra" faced the challenge of going up a weight class, and although surprised early on managed to secure a guillotine choke and also walked away with the submission win. Also a winner on the first round, striker Dimitri Wanderlei, who had a quick first round knockout over Japanese Yusuke Masuda, will be the only absence from the original field of four winners at the Fury FC 93 kg GP semifinals next November 30th. With a serious knee injury, he will be replaced by Brazilian Top Team representative Claudio Godoi, who brings his experience to the table while fighting in his hometown, guaranteeing the high-level of competition in one night where any of the four can emerge as the champion after two wins. Take a chance to learn a little more about the final four, while we await the final combat at Fury FC 2, where only one will be crowned the champion!
|
Thiago Silva - Coming from Sao Paulo, Thiago Silva is a student of Pride and UFC veteran Jorge "Macaco" Patino and represents the famous Chute Boxe team. With very good ground skills, an aggressive style, and a stand up game that is improving all the time, Thiago brings an undefeated MMA career to the table when he steps inside the ring, as he is considered one of the most talented young fighters to appear in the country in recent times. With a judges' decision win against other Fury GP semifinalist Claudio Godoi, Silva submitted Dutch fighter Dave Dalgliesh in the first round of the Fury FC up to 93 kg Grand Prix, and will have a lot of supporters in the crowd trough fighting in his hometown.
Danilo "Motoserra" - Representing Gracie Barra Combat Team, this fighter from Rio de Janeiro has already a lot of experience in his young career. Having fought names like Pride veteran Daniel Acacio, and Deep veteran Fabricio Monteiro, Danilo took the challenge to go up one weight class, to engage on the Fury FC up to 93 kg Grand Prix. In the first round, this bet paid off, as he was able to overcome a tough start to submit Russian fighter Denis Komkin with a guillotine choke. Now, bringing a series of four streak wins to the ring, Danilo is in hope of conquering the most prestigious belt of his career so far on next November 30th.
Vitor Viana - A Jiu Jitsu stand out from the state of Espirito Santo, this young grappling prodigy, and BJJ black belt, is a student of legendary Leonardo Vieira, representing Brasa Team and NeverShake, and has been making an impact on his Mixed Martial Arts run. Undefeated, and already with fights overseas in Holland, Viana comes in likely considered the most technical ground fighter from the final four of the Fury FC up to 93 kg Grand Prix. In the first round, this past September 27th, he dominated tough opponent Joao Assis in a TKO winning effort, and comes into the semifinals on November 30th highly regarded among the favorites.
Claudio Godoi - Maybe the most experienced fighter on the final four, Godoi got the gig trough the bad luck of first round winner Dimitri Wanderlei, who had to withdraw from the semifinals due to knee injury. Fighting out of Sao Paulo, and representing the famous Brazilian Top Team. Having fought in many Brazilian shows, as well as in Korea, Godoi has a history of tough fights, with battles against names like other GP semifinalist Thiago Silva, Fury FC 1 winner Dimitri Wanderlei, as well as a win over Pride veteran Evangelista "Cyborg" Santos. After a evenly and hard fought match against Helio Dipp in the first edition of Fury FC, where he lost a split decision, Claudio was called to take Dimitri's spot due to the show's policy on not having two fighters from the same team in a tournament, making it impossible for Helio Dipp to join the GP. However, with his solid BJJ skills as a black belt, his good Boxing, endless experience and hometown crowd factor, Godoi has clearly a good chance of stealing the show.
 New episode of FCF Radio In our latest broadcast, we talk with Mark Kerr and Bill Mahood. Click here to listen/download. |
|
By Steven Marrocco Once again, Portland's Rose Quarter hosts the IFL World Team Championship semifinals as the Toronto Dragons make their debut against the dominating Silverbacks. In other team action the Portland Wolfpack meets their toughest test yet as they face the Anacondas, who have been the only team to sweep an opposing team in IFL competition. 1st Half of Card: Toronto Dragons vs. Quad City Silverbacks Ivan Menjivar vs. Bart Palaszewski Canada's Ivan Menjivar steps up a weight class to take on the tough Bart Palaszewski. Keith Wisniewski vs. Rory Markham The highly experienced Wisniewski takes on powerful Miletich striker Rory Markham, who has ended his last three fights with strikes. Joe Doerksen vs. Ryan McGivern Doerksen is a highly experienced submission vet who has fought a who's who of mixed martial arts in recent years. McGivern is a relative newcomer, with both of his two losses coming by submission. Obviously, Doerksen will do everything in his power to take the fight to the ground, where McGivern is vulnerable. Brent Beauparlant vs. Mike Ciesnolevicz Fresh off of his decision victory over the Pitbulls Raphael Davis, Beauparlant takes on vet Mike Ciesnolevicz, who hopes to reverse his luck in the IFL with his first win for the Silverbacks. Wojtek Kaszowski vs. Ben Rothwell Kaszowski faces a huge uphill battle as he is thrown in against the highly experienced vet Ben Rothwell, who is on a six fight win streak, going undefeated in his IFL ventures. As most of his victories have come by strikes, it could be lights out for Wojtek if he doesn't find a way to get Rothwell to the ground. 2nd Half of Card: Los Angeles Anacondas vs. The Portland Wolfpack Chris Horodecki vs. Ryan Schultz The Lightweight bout between Anacondas' ace striker Chris Horodecki and the Wolfpack's Ryan Shultz has fight of the night written all over it. Both are coming off impressive victories in the Quarterfinals of the tournament, Schultz defeating Tigershark's Cam Ward and Horodecki defeating the Sabres' Ed West. Both are very agressive on their feet and like to trade punches. Horodecki fancies himself a technical striker while Shultz is often thought of as a brawler. On one hand, Schultz has been tested against a greater variety of opponents and is far more experienced than the young gun. On the other hand, Horodecki's accuracy in his stand up game may put him ahead of the brawler, frustrating the vet by picking him apart over the course of the fight. As virtually all of Horodecki's wins have come by strikes, it is highly likely that Schultz will show his Team Quest roots and take the fight to the ground. As Shultz is not known for his submissions, he will most likely try to grind out Horodecki on the mat as the youngster responds with submission attempts. Jay Hieron vs. Chris Wilson This welterweight match up should also be very contentious as both fighters are known for their aggressiveness in the ring. Hieron comes from a wrestling background but has claimed that working with Bas Ruten has rounded him out as a striker. His last test against the Sabres' Amos Sotelo was a walk in the park, choking Sotelo out in 30 seconds at the Quarterfinals in October. Wilson fought a three round war against the Tigersharks Brad Blackburn, rocking him with a couple of flying knees that nearly took the Seattle fighter out. Wilson gave Blackburn all he could handle, but came out behind in the scorecards, losing a unanimous decision. Hieron will no doubt try to put his stand up game to the test, but will most likely take the fight to the ground should he run into too much resistance. Chris Wilson's striking is far more refined than Sotelo's, and should he connect, we could see a TKO or KO. Mike Pyle vs. Matt Horwich Pyle boasts some impressive credentials, giving recent UFC standout Jon Fitch one of his only two losses, winning the WEC middleweight belt against Shonie Carter, and fighting the always tough Andrei Semenov to a draw in the MFC. In his last fight, he also took out his Sabre opponent with a guillotine in only 17 seconds. If the fight is not ended due to an errant punch, you can expect this fight to be a battle of submissions, as both fighters have ended the majority of their fights on the ground. Though Pyle is a technically better fighter than Horwich, never count the Wolfpack fighter out, as he has an immense amount of heart when faced with adversity. If Horwich is able to take the fight to Pyle at every range, we may see an upset as Pyle is worn down by his relentless attack. Alex Schoenauer vs. Aaron Stark Light Heavyweight Schoenauer took part in the streak of guillotines that dispatched the majority of the Tokyo Sabres, winning his bout in just over a minute. Originally touted as a striker on the inagural Ultimate Fighter show, most of his fights have been ended by submission. Recently he has shown a much improved ground game, but has also proven vulnerable to submissions, losing the majority of them by chokes. Wolfpack fighter Aaron Stark recently drew even in his record, stopping Reese Andy with strikes in the third. All indications would point toward a stand up battle; if it does go to the ground, Schoenauer's experience gives him the edge here. If Alex is able to let his hands go, utilizing the striking instruction received from coach Rutten, he could catch Stark early as they clash on the feet. Krzysztof Soszynski vs. Devin Cole TKO vet Soszynski fought his way through a bad cut to rock Tom Howard late in the first to capture his first IFL win. Facing him is the heavy handed Devin Cole, who knocked Allan Goes senseless before losing by submission. If Cole is able to connect with his hands, it could be a short night for Soszynski as many of his losses have come by strikes. If Soszynski is able to negate Cole's striking power and take him to the ground, we could see Soszynski pull of a submission. Look for Cole to come out swinging and end this fight early. Superfights: Allan Goes vs. Daniel Gracie Both are highly experienced vets having taken part in Pride FC's early years, and both are known as ground technicians. In his last fight for the Tigersharks, Goes showed little improvement in his stand up game, coming very close to a TKO stoppage against Wolfpack fighter Devin Cole. As a result, Gracie may look to take Goes out on his feet before the fight hits the ground. If Daniel manages to connect, it could be a mercifully short fight. For his part, Goes finds his home on the ground and will undoubtedly take it there if given the opportunity. Most likely, if the fight goes past the first three minutes, it will turn into a chess match on the ground. Mike Whitehead vs. Mark Kerr Whitehead is on a six fight winning streak, recently defeating Ruben Villareal at Valor Fighting. Most of his wins have come by submission, as he has shown a special affinity for keylocks. Kerr is coming off a two year absence including a near return to the ring against Wes Sims in Colorado. In the preparation for that fight, Kerr had spoke of his extensive work on the stand -up game, working with kickboxing coaches in preparation for his fight against Sims. Outside UFC 64, Whitehead praised Kerr's wrestling ability. "He's a tough guy," Whitehead said as he made his way outside the Mandalay Bay Events Center. "I'm training for it like it's the old Mark Kerr that smashed everybody. It's the biggest fight of my career." Look for both to trade punches initially, then shoot for top position on the ground. This fight will be decided by who gets the first solid takedown. As neither men are known for their ability to fight from their backs, we could see a protracted wrestling match with many stand-ups from the ref as the fight lingers toward a decision. |
| Thursday - November 2, 2006 |
|
By Kelsey Mowatt According to TKO President Stephane Patry, TKO MMA has begun legal procedures against top-ranked Canadian fighter Ivan "The Pride of El Salvador" Menjivar for allegedly breaching his contract with the organization. Menjivar had been slated to fight Team Tompkins representative and UFC veteran Mark Hominick at TKO 27 on September 29th, but withdrew from the fight several days prior. Menjivar then competed in the semifinals of K-1 Hero's lightweight tournament on October 9th, where the El Salvador native lost to Japanese star Caol Uno by unanimous decision. "Honestly there's not much I can say," says Patry in regards to the lawsuit with Menjivar, a fighter whose career Patry was also managing. "He was supposed to fight Hominick on the 29th, he even showed up for the photo shoot, the press conference, even the pre-fight video taping. Then eight days before, he backs out saying that he wasn't ready for Hominick's stand up. We weren't happy about it but I tried to understand, then he says the next day that he can't fight because of his fight in K-1 and that he never wanted to do both fights. He did interviews blaming me, trying to make it look like it was our fault that the fight with Hominick didn't happen. The suit isn't about the money we lost because the fight was off, I don't care about that. It's so that people know what really happened." According to Patry, it was Menjivar who wanted to pursue both fights against Hominick and Uno despite the fact they were scheduled to be only 10 days apart. "He insisted that he wanted to do both fights because of the money," Patry tells FCF. "I asked him again and again if he was sure this is what he wanted to do, he said yes, that it was good money. K-1 agreed to it if I found a replacement for Ivan in case he got hurt or cut badly against Mark. This will all come out in court, but we had a replacement for Ivan in K-1, Urijah Faber would replace him if it was needed. Then I went to Tri-Star to watch Ivan train and he told me he wasn't ready for Hominick." The TKO president maintains that there was no conflict of interest between his duties as a promoter and representing Menjivar as his manager. Patry, as well as a few other Canadian promoters, also manages several fighters. Menjivar is scheduled to fight Bart Palaszewski this Thursday, November 2nd at the IFL's semi-finals event in Portland, Oregon. In light of the current legal and contractual issues looming between Menjivar and his manager Patry, speculation continues as to whether or not "The Pride of El Salvador" will be able to compete. "I did talk to Kurt Otto," says Patry in regards to Menjivar's contract and competing in the IFL. "But we haven't come to an agreement yet that will allow Ivan to fight. As the promoter of TKO I never managed him in his TKO fights, only internationally speaking. When I asked him about fighting Hominick for TKO I could have asked him to do it for $500, but I didn't, I just asked him how much money he wanted, he said how much, and that was that. There was no conflict." International Fight League President Kurt Otto confirmed to FCF that he has spoken with Stephane Patry, and that Dragon coaches Carlos Newton and Terry Riggs are reviewing the situation. "He called me once," Otto says in referring to Patry. "I told him that I haven't even seen the contract and that Terry Riggs and Carlos Newton were looking into it. They seemed to think it was okay because this would be considered an international fight, but if Ivan can't legally compete in the IFL then he won't." Riggs then informed FCF that Menjivar should be competing in the IFL semi-finals event this weekend. "Carlos and I haven't seen his contract either," says Riggs in regards to Menjivar's much discussed contract. "Ivan explained to me that he had an exclusive in Quebec but that he is allowed to fight elsewhere internationally. The most important thing though, is that I'm really happy the Dragon's have a lightweight of his caliber." FCF reached Menjivar in Portland as he continues to prepare for his fight this weekend as a member of the Toronto Dragons. When asked about the lawsuit and his current status with Patry, Menjivar had this to say: "I haven't really spoken with Stephane about this," says Menjivar. "I just got back from K-1 and have been training so I don't have anything to say about it." Menjivar, whose record now stands at 20-6, will take on Silverback lightweight Bart Palaszewski, the Miletich fighter who has also amassed a rather credible record, coming into this fight at 23-7. "I'm just going to try to win the match," Menjivar says in evaluating his opponent. "I'm fighting for the team now so I just want to get points, win the fight and help my team make it to the finals. I just don't want to get injured." Menjivar was approached by the team's Head Coach Carlos Newton to take over the Dragon's lightweight roster spot, and although Menjivar has not as of yet had time to train with his new teammates, he's excited to be a member. "No, not yet," says Menjivar in regards to training with the Dragons. "I've been doing my training still at Tri-Star. The difference is that I still need to be able to train with guys my size, I'm small, even 155 is not my real weight class, 145 is so I can't train with the big guys as much. After this fight though. Carlos Newton is very good with the jiu-jitsu, Brent [Beauparlant] is a very good wrestler -- I'm looking forward to it." |
 Ultimate Cage Wars "War Zone": Pariseau Defeats Popov in Main Event Winnipeg, Manitoba, hosted the Ultimate Cage Wars "War Zone" event last Saturday on October 28th, marking the fifth time the promotion has held a card in Winnipeg, a city that is quickly becoming noted for its MMA community. "Warzone" featured 9 fights on the evening, which included athletes from all over the country, including several home grown fighters from the Manitoba city. One of the cities' favorite adopted sons, Russian native Alex Popov, took on lightweight Dave Pariseau in the night's main event. Popov, who trains under local fighter and instructor Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Black Belt Curtis Brigham, had gone undefeated in his first 4 MMA fights. In Pariseau's last fight at TKO 27 in September, the Quebec fighter defeated Jacob Macdonald by kimura, a nice rebound victory for Pariseau, who lost to Team Tompkins's Chris Horodecki by TKO in January. Unfortunately for many of the hometown fans that were rallying behind Popov in the night's main event, Pariseau was able to stop his opponent with strikes for the second round TKO victory "He was very nervous before the fight," says Pariseau's manager Stephane Patry. "Popov beat David's trainer Steve Claveau by armbar which is very impressive. He knew if could keep the fight standing he would be able to beat Popov, but Alex was able to get the fight to the ground. Alex pretty much went for everything against David, but he was able to avoid any submissions and did really well. Then in the second round David started to land some solid strikes, and got the win with the ground and pound." The victory pushes the 19 year old Pariseau's record to 5-2-1 while Popov falls to a combined pro-am record of 4-1. According to Patry, the victory is a significant win in Pariseau's career, not only because it was a main event fight, but also because of the level of competition his fighter had to face. "I had heard nothing but great things about Popov," Patry tells FCF. "David is only 19, so sometimes he doesn't have the confidence he should have, so for him to beat Alex is huge. When we first signed that fight we had no indication that it was going to be the main event, so it's great for him to get that experience. He did a good job; Jonathan Goulet also did a good job in his corner and getting him ready." Another young fighter, Lethbridge's 17 year old Jordan Mein, also defeated a Winnipeg fighter at "Warzone", submitting Jason Geiger with a short choke in the second round. Mein, who trains under the watchful eye of his father, fighter and Canadian Martial Arts Centre instructor Lee Mein, secured his first professional win by defeating Geiger. "He had his back and was going for the rear-naked choke but wasn't able to get it wrapped in," Lee Mein tells FCF in recalling his son's victory. "I started yelling short choke, short choke, and Jordan really started to ream on it, he said he heard the jaw pop a bit, and Geiger tapped. The guy really didn't want to stand the whole fight, so Jordan managed to sprawl a few times, stop the takedown but finally wound up on the mat. It was a back and forth fight, but Jordan looked strong the whole time." Jordan Mein's combined pro-am record now stands at 5-3, a remarkable feat considering that he began competing against adult fighters in both Muay Thai and MMA amateur bouts at the age of 15. The benefactor of years of martial arts training and learning not only from his father Lee but from the many other professional fighters that now train out of CMAC, Jordan is quickly beginning to garner attention. "He handles it really well," says Lee Mein in regards to the media coverage his son is now receiving. "He knows that there are other good young fighters like him self that are out there and he also knows that there are adult fighters out there that could spank him. Jordan's always looking to fight the best fighters and he always wants to be tested, he's really good at setting yearly and monthly goals for himself and trying to achieve them. His next fight will probably be on December 31st at Rumble In the Cage's "Season's Beatings", he's been dropping names of pretty tough guys already that he wants to fight." Mein's teammate, Justin Tavernini, also was victorious for CMAC at UCW'S "Warzone", submitting Grant Tennant with a first round triangle choke. Apex and Championship Fighting Series Announce Partnership and Television Deal In a press release this week, Apex Entertainment and the Championship Fighting Series announced that the two MMA promotions will be organizing together to create Hardcore Championship Fighting. The release also further states, that the new promotion has singed a broadcasting deal with "The Score" sports network in Canada, that will televise 52 episodes of the promotion's MMA action, set to begin November 15th. The first five episodes will contain fights taped from Apex's last card, "A Night of Champions" which occurred on October 14th. The decision by "The Score" to include MMA programming means that now all three of Canada's major sports networks, "The Sports Network", "Canada Sports Net" and "The Score" are now broadcasting MMA. |
From the event's promoter: INTERNATIONAL FIGHT LEAGUE (IFL) NAMES HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPION IAN FREEMAN AS COACH OF BRITISH TEAM FOR 2008 Expansion into Europe for world's first Mixed Martial Arts league begins in the United Kingdom NEW YORK, November 1, 2006 - The International Fight League (IFL) today announced the beginning of expansion into Europe by naming world champion Ian Freeman as the coach of the IFL's English team, which will begin participation in the IFL in 2008. The English team will begin training and participating in IFL activities later this year. "We are very excited that Ian Freeman has decided to become the first of what we expect to be several IFL entries from various countries in the next few years," said IFL co-founder and commissioner Kurt Otto. "The United Kingdom has fervent support for fight sports in general and is a growing hotbed for MMA, and we are proud to be able to begin to establish our European base with Ian and his athletes." "Being a part of the team concept that the IFL has put together is an honor for me," Freeman said. "The UK is the perfect starting point for the league in Europe, and I am looking forward to working with, and competing against, some of the sports greatest legends as well as training many of its future stars." A former boxer, "The Iron Ambassador," is arguably one of the most popular figures in the fight game in Europe. He began his MMA career training with world champions (and now fellow IFL coaches) Renzo Gracie and Marco Ruas and competed in amateur vale tudo before turning pro in 1999. He steadily gained notoriety, eventually taking the UFC title over Frank Mir in front of a record British crowd at Royal Albert Hall in July 2002. Freeman has trained, coached and competed in various organizations over the past few years, most recently taking the British Light Heavyweight title from Mark Epstein in September 30, 2006. |
| Friday - November 3, 2006 |
|
New episode of FCF Radio In our latest broadcast, we talk with Din Thomas. Click here to listen/download. |
|
Report by Steven Marrocco - Photos by Jim Berry Two New Coaches, Teams Announced On a dreary Northwestern night, the IFL returned to the MMA friendly market of Portland, Oregon for the semi-finals of the second season. Fresh off his loss in Florida to Tito Ortiz, Ken Shamrock further solidified his retirement from active competition by announcing he would become the eleventh coach of the IFL, taking the helm of the newly formed Northern California Lions. Sitting on the other end of the press conference table sat the future twelfth coach, Ian Freeman, who will be captain of the British Bulldogs.
One thing became clear throughout the night as the four teams faced each other: The team that lives together, wins together. The Quad City Silverbacks once again dominated their competition, going 4 wins to 1 against the new team on the block, The Toronto Dragons. Hometown favorites, the Portland Wolfpack scored their second victory in a row, inching out the Los Angeles Anacondas 3-2. In the superfight action of the night, Mike Whitehead rocked legend Mark Kerr early in the first, hitting him with a hard right that Kerr said gave him a flash knockout. "I looked back at the tape and you can see I couldn't get my bearings back," Kerr said after the fight. Though Kerr was able to shoot under one cavalcade of punches for a takedown, the punch left him laying and praying until Whitehead was able to get back to his feet and resume punching. Whitehead showcased a far more refined stand up game than he is known for, catching Mark with a combination of punches from the inside of the clinch that sent Kerr teetering to the mat, turtled up in defense. After a solid 30 seconds of unanswered punches had Whitehead staring at the ref for a stoppage, the bout was called at 2:41 of the first round. Prior to the fight, Whitehead had proclaimed he was training for the old Mark Kerr, but admitted he did not meet that person this night. "To be honest, no, he didn't feel as strong," Whitehead said afterwards. "I was a little surprised." Winning under the same roof as the one he had captured a state wrestling championship, Whitehead could not hide his joy at the outcome of the fight.
The ghost of Maurice Smith inhabited the body of Allan Goes for his bout with Daniel Gracie, as he put on a kickboxing clinic that dominated his fellow Brazilian. Claiming a score to settle, Gracie surprised all by choosing to stand and trade with Goes, as he lunged forward with big overhand rights. For his part, Goes stayed patient and methodical as he clinched repeatedly with Gracie, grabbing the back of his head and firing short upward punches at him from the clinch. By the end of the first round, Goes' dirty boxing had already left its mark, as Gracie's nose bled and his eyes began to swell. Meeting at the center of the ring for the second round, the two resumed their punching war, Gracie again swinging for the fences as Alan clinched with him again. This time, Alan connected with a beautiful right uppercut that knocked Gracie onto the mat, where he followed with a series of punches and hammerfists from the top position, calling out to the ref "he's out!" until the ref finally stepped in. Later at the press conference, Goes gushed over the training prowess of Smith, whom he fights clean up for in the Tiger Sharks. "He is the best ever," Goes cried. "He drives me crazy sometimes, he tells me so many things, my head feels like it's going to explode. But he is the best, and I am a good student. I just listen." Quad City Silverbacks vs. Toronto Dragons In the first team fight of the night, Bart Palaszewski scored big points by dropping Canadian lightweight Ivan Menjivar in the first Dragon/Silverback bout. At the brink of stoppage, Menjivar kept his composure and managed to get back to his feet, where he resumed an onslaught of spinning back fists and kicks that frustrated Bart. Although he was able to land quite a few of the showpiece strikes, Bart got the better of many of the standup exchanges, walking away with a split decision. "I was surprised it was a split decision," Palaszewski said later. "I dropped him and I did all the damage, and that's what I think a fight should be judged on, damage. I did feel I earned the decision." Rory Markham's intensity gradually wore down Dragon vet Keith Wisniewski, as his cardio kicked in to high gear in the third. Taking the fight on three weeks notice, Wisniewski showed an impressive counterpunching game as he picked his shots while moving back from Markham's flurries. As the fight wore on, Wisniewski's relaxation in the ring turned to exhaustion, as his feet flattened and his bounce disappeared. Markham was able to capitalize this, scoring with a huge left hook that wobbled Wisniewski at the conclusion of round three and left no doubt the bell had saved him in the third. "I was basically out on my feet at that point," Wisniewski said of the conclusion. According to the judges, the night was not over for Wisniewski. With a 29-28 for the Silverbacks, a 29-28 for the Dragons, and a lone judge scoring it an even 29-29, the judges had called for a fourth round, making it the IFL's first overtime round in its short history. Hanging on the ropes in his corner, Wisniewski declined to come out for the round and Markham took home the win to make it 2-0.
Silverback Ryan McGivern was out of his league when Canadian Joe Doerksen caught a kick attempt and swept him to the mat, quickly gaining the mount. Transitioning between the mount and McGivern's back, Doerksen bided his time in working for the finish. "He held off really well," Doerksen said later. "He had me a little nervous there." Unable to improve his position, McGivern tapped as Doerksen sunk in the rear naked choke at 3:04 of Rd. 1. The Dragons were finally on the board. Their jubilance was cut short when light-heavyweight Mike Ciesnolevicz took advantage of a sloppy shot from Dragon Brent Beauparlant, sinking in a guillotine that put the Dragon in survival mode as he desperately tried to push Ciesnolevicz's leg down to relieve the pressure from the choke. Undeterred, Ciesnolevicz kept control of Beauparlant's head and cranked the guillotine shortly after, getting the choke from a near sitting position at 2:31 of the first round, clinching the trip to the finals for the Silverbacks. Later at the press conference, Ciesnolevicz described it as "probably the greatest moment I've had in fighting. I had the opportunity to clinch before and it didn't go my way, so it was great." Silverback Ben Rothwell was dominant in his clinch work against Dragon Wojtek Kaszowski, firing off knee after knee in response to the Kaszowski's flurries of wild punches. Staying calm under fire, he threw an uppercut that was too much for the Dragon, sending him cowering to mat on his side as Rothwell hammered away. When it became obvious that the ref was giving Wojtek a little too much time for his taste, Rothwell grabbed his right arm and cranked a keylock, stopping the bout at 3:14 of Round 1. Of the Silverbacks plans for the upcoming finals, a pleasantly bear buzzed Rothwell told the press, "We're going to pick up the intensity and bring it, because we want those rings." Los Angeles Anacondas vs. Portland Wolfpack Chris Horodecki went a step further in establishing himself as a star of the IFL, taking on the hard hitting veteran Ryan Schultz in the opening bout of the night. In his toughest test yet, Horodecki traded punches with a game Schultz, throwing quick three punch-kick combinations that pushed the Team Quest fighter back. Refusing to go quickly into the night, Schultz hit Horodecki midway through the third with a series of knees to the young fighter's head, holding him in a front headlock. Coming out for the second, Schultz had clearly gotten the word to take this young gun down. As Schultz lunged forward for a shot, Horodecki nailed him with no less than three head kicks, severely dazing Ryan. Following it up with a clinch and a hard knee to Schultz's head, the ref saw he was out on his feet and stopped the bout at :24 of the second round. For his troubles, the 19 year old won a trip to a Sandals resort. Seizing on the opportunity to taunt the partisan crowd, coach Bas Rutten held up a sign that said, "Don't hate us because we're good looking." Wolfpack fighter Chris Wilson has proven once again that he likes to earn every cent of his paycheck, trading punches with abandon against Anaconda Jay Hieron. In a seesawing battle, the two threw everything they had against each other, with Wilson coming out ahead in many of the exchanges. Although Hieron appeared to be rocked several times, he hung in the fight, continuing to work for a takedown he finally landed in the opening stanza of the second. Investing all of his energy in a losing guillotine, Hieron redeemed himself by landing big left hook that dropped Wilson to the canvas. "It took me a couple of seconds into the third round to hear my coaches again," Wilson said of the punch later. With both fighters slowing in the third, Wilson showed the same resilience he had in his previous fight with Tigershark Brad Blackburn, launching a spinning back kick that landed flush on Hieron's midsection, following with a takedown that signaled his advance. Ultimately, the judges agreed as they awarded him a unanimous 29-28 decision, evening the team score at one apiece. Matt Horwich surprised many MMA pundits by taking Mike Pyle's back midway through the second round. Though Pyle was adept at defending the rear naked attempts by the Oregonian, his luck ran out as his missed Horwich's arm and succumbed to the choke. "There's not a whole lot he does besides stick to his game plan, read the bible, and train," a proud Matt Lindland said later.
In a bizarre turn of events, the referee stepped in to stop what appeared to be a fight ending heel hook that Alex Schoenauer applied as a counter against Aaron Stark, instead standing the two fighters up to reset. Reverting to his recent favorite finish, Alex attempted a guillotine in response to Stark's takedown attempt shortly after the separation, but found himself being choked after Stark popped his head out, using a combination of a neck crank and guillotine that ended the fight at 2:43 of the second. As Alex was sent to the hospital for a painful internal muscle tear, similar to the one sustained by BJ Penn at UFC 63, coach Rutten was both cynical and optimistic. "He tapped," Rutten said of the heel hook. "I know because I saw him scream and slap his leg. But we learned an important lesson today, so it won't happen again." With Stark clinching the Wolfpack's trip to the finals, Los Angeles Anaconda Krzysztof Soszynski made the final statement early in the second round by trapping an overextended Devin Cole in an armbar to round out the evening. With 7,632 in audience, the IFL set a new company attendance record to gear up for the final installment of the World Team Championships held on December 29th at the Mohegan Sun in Connecticut. Full Results:
|
|
From the event's promoter: INTERNATIONAL FIGHT LEAGUE (IFL) NAMES KEN SHAMROCK COACH OF NORTHERN CALIFORNIA TEAM NEW YORK, November 2, 2006 -- The International Fight League (IFL) today announced that MMA legend Ken Shamrock has been named as coach of the Northern California-based Lions. The addition of the Lions brings to 11 the number of teams for 2007, with one more to be added shortly. The inaugural IFL season will begin in the first quarter of 2007. "This is a great day for the IFL and for fans of Mixed Martial Arts in general," said IFL co-founder and commissioner Kurt Otto. "We have been able to bring one of the sports greatest personalities and champions in Ken Shamrock to our organization." "I am very proud to be joining the IFL, and believe fully in the concept as a big part of the future growth of the sport," Shamrock said. "The athletes in this sport are some of the best in the world, and I am looking forward to working with the organization to take MMA to the next level and help create the game's next stars." Originally one of the most popular members of the WWE, Shamrock has enjoyed a 13 year career in MMA and wrestling that has made him one of the fight world's most recognizable personalities. He has been an MMA trailblazer, beginning in 1993 with the launch of Pancrase in Japan, and quickly emerged as one of the sports early stars. He brought that star power back to the United States, joining the original UFC group to participate in the first-ever "Superfight" (with Royce Gracie in 1993), and went on to become a star of the highly-acclaimed series "The Ultimate Fighter" on Spike TV. He also began his highly successful coaching and training career, founding the Lion's Den, a group dedicated to the training of mixed martial arts fighters. Shamrock returned to professional wrestling during it's late 1990s success as well, competing in some of the biggest WWE cards ever before returning to MMA again in 2000. He competed first in PRIDE before retuning to the UFC in November of 2002. In late November of 2005, he was selected by the UFC as a coach for the third season of The Ultimate Fighter and has enjoyed great success as an author, competitor and coach over the last nine years. He was inducted into the UFC Hall of Fame in 2004. |
| Monday - November 6, 2006 |
|
From the event's promoter: Finale Storms into Vancouver, Canada Three Superfights and Team USA vs. Team Russia Tournament Equates to One Incredible Fight Card BodogFight brings you the BodogFight: Season 1 Finale, presented by the Elite Fighting Championship. Live from The Agrodome in Vancouver, British Columbia, the PPV event will be available to an international audience Saturday, December 2, 2006. For ticket and PPV ordering information, go to www.bodogfight.com. "The live event marks the finale of the remarkable first season of the BodogFight show and the beginning of BodogTV's foray into the exciting world of mixed martial arts," says Calvin Ayre, whose digital entertainment empire includes an international record label, Bodog Music, as well as a publishing division and television production house. "This event's fight card pits two dominating nations head-to-head, as both USA and Russia vie for international bragging rights on the MMA world stage." As part of the PPV event, one of the three Superfights will showcase Roger Gracie in his professional MMA fight debut. An incredible tournament showdown and the introduction of a new Gracie family member to MMA fans worldwide: With all of that action, the BodogFight main event is shaping up to be the largest event of its kind. If Roger Gracie versus Ron Waterman isn't enough needed to satisfy fight fans, then MMA fighter Antonio Silva's bout against Eric Pele should do the trick. The third fight features Eddie Alvarez against Aaron Riley in a welterweight championship bout. Also being announced at the PPV event will be the BodogFight favorite fighter as voted by viewers, with the winning warrior taking home the $50,000 cash prize. Be sure to cast your vote soon at www.bodogfight.com , where biographies of all the fighters, exclusive footage, and unedited interviews and confrontations are readily available and continuously updated each week. The final televised episodes will air simultaneously on the Men's Outdoor and Recreation channel, Comcast, Cox, Time Warner, and online to viewers worldwide at the official BodogFight web site, www.bodogfight.com. With its drive into the international MMA scene, the incredibly popular BodogFight series is available in over 43 million homes across North America. Elimination battles, behind-the-scenes training, interviews with fighters, a soundtrack featuring Bodog Music artists, and lifestyle segments compose the weekly one-hour BodogFight episodes, with the finale leading into the PPV main event December 2 in Vancouver, British Columbia. Filming for BodogFight: Season II - USA vs. The World is scheduled to begin in mid-December in the breathtaking city of St. Petersburg, Russia. |
|
By Jim Genia Is mixed martial arts legal in Delaware? Promoter Ed Hsu certainly thought it was, and so he scheduled an edition of his highly successful USKBA-sanctioned amateur event there for November 18th. But since announcing his plans, he's been assailed by threats of legal action – both from a Delaware martial arts instructor claiming discrimination and a rival promoter pretending to be something he's not. Is there some sort of conspiracy underway to keep Hsu's event out of the state? "We want to use elbow [attacks] to the limbs – but it's like they're scared of us," says Allen Sachetti, a Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu brown belt and instructor in the Filipino art of Dumpag. "It's like telling a Korean they can't kick!" What is Dumpag? "Dumpag destroys the kickboxer and shuts down the grappler," Sachetti told FCF over the phone. "I teach an art that's different than 90% of the things I've seen in MMA." Sachetti's bone of contention lies with the USKBA amateur rules, which prohibit the use of elbow strikes (as well as knees and kicks to the head, and strikes to the head while on the ground). "These rules were devised by kickboxers or grapplers who wanted to protect their art," he says, and in emails to Hsu stated: "The elbows in Dumpag are the glue that holds the art together. It is a fair analogy to compare it to wrestling and grabbing. You could not use any wrestling or jiu-jitsu technique if you were prohibited from [grabbing]." Adds Sachetti: "It is wrong to create rules that state an amateur is someone who can use knees to the body but not elbows to the body. These rules discriminate and exclude Filipino Dumpag from having equal access to compete in amateur tournaments." How far is Sachetti willing to go with this? According to him, he's willing to go to court under the claim that Filipinos are having their civil rights violated. "We have spoken to our attorney and we want to file charges in civil court if we are denied our rights to compete in one of your events in Delaware," said Sachetti in an email to Hsu. "We want to hear what the Delaware courts will say." He adds: "There are other arts besides Jiu-Jitsu and Muay Thai and if this question was examined by a Judge you might find yourself losing a courts decision. Either way it is an issue to be decided by the courts and that's certainly where we will take it." (Author's note: based on the extensive case law pertaining to civil rights issues, it's highly unlikely Sachetti's case would go far.) At face value, it may seem that Sachetti might have some ulterior motive for his actions. He insists that's not true. "I've been running MMA events since 1996 here, and I've never had anyone hurt in a fight." But, he adds, "I'm not a rival promoter… I just don't want this disease in New Jersey to infect us here in Delaware, the disease being the rules that prohibit elbows." As one of the people who helped iron out the USKBA's amateur MMA rules, Nick Lembo, Chief Legal Counsel for the New Jersey State Athletic Control Board, has done a lot to help the sport grow in the Garden State. It's no wonder he took great umbrage at Sachetti's claims of discrimination. "I drafted these rules that are intended to be used in Delaware for amateur mixed martial arts," said Lembo in an email to Sachetti. "The limitations on elbows were made after consultation with many experts in the industry. It was a decision purely based on health and safety factors alone. In fact, many, if not most, professional MMA shows in the United States do not include the use of elbows. I don't think it is discriminatory towards a particular ethic group, namely Filipinos. For certain, Thai, Brazilian and American raised fighters train routinely in the use of elbows. Why don't you simply start your own organization that allows for elbows in the amateurs instead of attacking a legitimate promoter. In the alternative, fight on the promotions that do allow the use of elbows. Are you aware that the use of elbows increases the cost of medical insurance that a promoter must carry? GHK is certainly not biased toward Filipinos or anyone. I can't count the number of different ethnic backgrounds that fighters on their shows have come from. It is somewhat insulting to make that type of allegation when they are simply following NJ developed rules and USKBA rules. Is it your argument that Filipinos cannot compete at the amateur level without the use of elbows? Every other ethnic group seems able to do so. We, in NJ, developed the professional MMA rules which include the use of elbows. Again, amateurs are restricted from using elbows because of the damage they can cause not because we intend to exclude Filipinos." Lou Rosen doesn't want the show to go on either, and in email correspondence with Hsu, made that very clear. "I work closely with the State Rep, there is no way this event is going to happen, it is too violent and [poses] too many problems. You must provide a valid Promoters license as well as info for the State of Delaware. We have not yet made the decision that we will approve of this in the State of Delaware!" Added Rosen: "We just closed down the event on November 3rd because we did not feel that the appropriate rules where being made… These events are more violent than Toughman boxing competitions and we feel that there has to be the proper rules taken so no one gets hurt…" From his initial exchange with Hsu, one would think Rosen must work for the state in some official capacity. But he doesn't. In fact, he was paired with promoter Damon Feldman on the 'Xtreme Gladiators' show – the very event that was slated for November 3rd - until it was cancelled. "Actually we where involved as the company's safety coordinator," Rosen told Hsu when Hsu called him on his true role as a promoter. "But when they decided to do their own thing, we decided to do the same thing to their event on the 3rd. We recently founded SFMMA ('Safety for MMA!') that has been approved by the Delaware State as there is no commission there, and we will seek that this event does not go on unless the medicals are completed! It is promoters like you that have no concern for the competitors and end up destroying the sport. We are making it a point to make sure that this event is legal!" (Note: under USKBA amateur MMA rules, competitors must have written clearance by their personal physicians and undergo a pre-fight screening prior to stepping into the cage. The full medicals required of pros are not necessary.) "We are not interested in any interviews as of now," Rosen told FCF when asked for his perspective. "We are trying to help Delaware understand the means of what MMA is [sic]." When told that Hsu was being interviewed for this piece, Rosen replied: "I am not familiar with him." Why would Rosen want to keep Hsu's amateur event – an event that usually has over a dozen bouts and over a thousand people in attendance – out of Delaware? In an email to Nick Lembo, Rosen revealed a possible motive. "… I was involved with MMA for years and I have been working on bringing a PPV event with one of the larger companies and these promoters with smaller amateur events could ruin the whole possibility if someone gets hurt. The other company, Xtreme Gladiators, was trying to do the same thing and they could not provide the credentials. I want to bring a show to Delaware on the higher level at one of the arenas." "The first contact I had with Lou Rosen was in regards to Damon Feldman's Xtreme Gladiators show," says Hsu. Rosen was listed as a contact for that event, and the two even spoke of cage rentals. But things took a drastic turn when Hsu announced his November 18th event. He remains, however, undaunted. "I have been told that Lou Rosen does not work or represent the State of Delaware in any way," says Hsu, who instead went to Jean Betley, from Delaware's Division of Professional Regulation, for approval. "She does not know Lou Rosen and he does not work for them." And what of the SFMMA? "He is making up something that does not exist." The State of Delaware is one of the handful of states that do not regulate mixed martial arts, yet they do allow the events to go on. To help educate them, Hsu has invited representatives from Delaware to attend his Voorhees, New Jersey show on November 11th, and has also invited the local police to attend his November 18th event. Threats of lawsuit notwithstanding, is everything a 'go' for his harried event? Says Hsu: "Yes, the show is 'go.'" |
| Tuesday - November 7, 2006 |
 Give Us Your Thoughts... This month we'd like to get your thoughts on the October 28th Pride Real Deal event, Pride's first show held in the United States. We'd also like to get your picks and thoughts on the upcoming UFC 65 event. 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 |
|
By Jim Genia (November 5th, New York City) "Amazing. Simply amazing," said the New York Times photographer, on assignment to capture images from the Big Apple's only MMA event. And after the final bout of the night -- an epic battle between a striker and a wrestler -- the photographer's sentiments were certainly shared by many. Tonight, the Underground Combat League's latest edition provided a packed venue with some high-intensity warfare, and everyone, including UFC veteran Luke Cummo, seemed happy with the action. Highlights of the night included:
Results: Grappling
|
|
Now available in the FCF Shop
Click here to order securely online with your credit card |
IVC 5| Wednesday - November 8, 2006 |
From the event's promoter: Louis Neglia's Ring of Combat Launches new "Tournament of Champions" Series Exciting new format brings next level of MMA action to the northeast! Ring of Combat returns to Atlantic City, NJ on Friday, November 17th to the Tropicana Resort & Casino. Ring of Combat XII, presented by former World Kickboxing Champion Louis Neglia, will feature the most talented, exciting and undiscovered MMA fighters in the world today. ROC XII marks the beginning of the new, high-stakes "Tournament of Champions" MMA event series. Under this new format, eight fighters in three weight classes will battle it out for the championship of their division and their share of over $100,000. Tournament participants have been selected based upon experience, events they competed in the past, prior martial arts experience and the team they train under. The entire tournament will last for three events and all at the Tropicana. The winners from this event will move on to the semi-finals and ultimately the Tournament Championship in 2007. All shows will be broadcast on Cable TV in 2007. Following are the match-ups for this first Tournament of Champions event: Lightweight – 155 lbs Charles Wilson {Double Tap Fight Crew} vs. James Jones {Ground Control/Renzo Gracie} Kevin Roddy {Rhino Fight Team} vs. Jesse Moreng {AZ Combat Sports} Ian Loveland {Team Quest} vs. Adriano de Lima Pereira {BBT & Memphis Judo} Jay Estrada {Gilbert Grappling/Estrada "K-9" Unit} vs. Kevin English {Duneland Vale Tudo} *Alternates – Rich Boine {Team Tiger Schulmann} & Will Kerr {Strikezone} Welterweight – 170 lbs Dominic Dellagatta {Team Tiger Schulmann} vs. Jay Coleman {Rhino Fight Team} Yon Guenecha {FFA Young Tiger Foundation} vs. Colin O'Rourke {Team Renzo Gracie} Phillipe Nover {Insight} vs. Abner Lloveras {Esport Rogent & BBT} Jamie Toney {Jorge Gurgel} vs. Todd Moore {Houston BJJ & Revolution Dojo} Middleweight – 185 lbs Landon Showalter {Charlie's Combat Club} vs. Don Wagner {Shido Seimei MA} Nissim Levy {Team Tiger Schulmann} vs. Marc Stevens {Tai Kai Jui Jitsu} Johnny Carson {The Hit Academy} vs. Jason House {Jan Jira Gym} Mitch Whitesal {Wreck Room Athletics} vs. Mike Dolce {Team Quest} *Alternate – Hans Calderon {Freestyle Fighting Academy – Young Tigers} Be sure not to miss this electrifying night of MMA as Ring of Combat returns to the Tropicana Resort & Casino in Atlantic City, NJ on Friday, November 17th. The doors open at 8 PM and the bouts start at 9 PM in The Showroom. Tickets can be purchased online at Ticketmaster.com or by phone through Ticketmaster at 1-800-736-1420 or in person at the Tropicana Box Office. Join us on November 17th as 24 championship caliber fighters begin their journey and try to take one step closer to their share of $100,000. |
|
New episode of FCF Radio In our latest broadcast, we talk with Joe Stevenson and Michael Patt. Click here to listen/download. |
| Friday - November 10, 2006 |
|
From the event's promoter: Fury FC 2 - Brackets Set for 93 kg GP Semifinals! 
Little more than twenty days away from crowning its first ever up to 93 kg Grand Prix champion, Fury FC has set the brackets for the finals of the tournament to be decided on November 30th, in Sao Paulo, Brazil. With four fighters left in the race for the belt, after the first round that took place on September 27th, all will be decided in the show's next edition, Fury FC 2 - Final Combat, as to become the champion, one of the participants of the semifinals will have to win two bouts in one night.Having won his first round battle against Dutch fighter Dave Dalgliesh, Chute Boxe representative Thiago Silva will battle rival academy Brazilian Top Team's representative Claudio Godoy in one side of the GP semifinal brackets, in a rematch of a bout that saw Thiago emerge as the winner by judges' decision earlier this year. The experienced Godoy had destiny on his side in finding a spot in the Grand Prix semifinals, as first round winner Dimitri Wanderley saw a severe knee injury sidelining him out of the tournament. Understanding the size of the opportunity, Claudio Godoy is confident about his chances "Now it's time to take the chance that destiny has given me, and showcase all my potential. Since luck has giving signs to be at my side, be sure that I'm coming to this Grand Prix to win it!" Having previously suffered a loss to his opponent doesn't affect his confidence either "This time things will certainly be different, and I won't wait any judges' decision to defeat him!" On his part, coming to the tournament finals with an undefeated professional MMA record, Thiago Silva has his own share of confidence and is looking at the big scene, not being concerned only about potentially the first bout of the night "There'll be only hard fights, cause only the best fighters are left, the Brazilians, and I'm sure it's going to be a great show. I'm ready to fight against any one of them! Awaiting the winner of another chapter on the Chute Boxe versus Brazilian Top Team rivalry, in Thiago Silva facing Claudio Godoy, there'll be Jiu Jitsu MMA sensation Vitor Vianna, a student of grappling legend Leonardo Vieira, squaring off against tough Gracie Barra Combat representative Danilo "Motoserra". Danilo, from Rio de Janeiro, has been in enjoying a four streak wins series, and defeated Russian Denis Komkin on the first round to earn his place in Fury FC 2 - Final Combat. Usually competing at 83 kg, he doesn't get intimidated by the challenge of going up in weight and fighting heavier opponents, and is ready for the toughest challenge his career has seen yet "My team and I thought this would be a great opportunity for me to participate in a great show, so we accepted it! It's worthy to remember that my real weight is around 93 kg. Plus, all of them are very tough fighters, so any opponent will be a tough one!" When the bell rings on November 30th, a very tough Vitor Vianna will be waiting on the opposite corner, as Vitor also comes into the show with an undefeated MMA record, amazing BJJ credentials and recent successful Muay Thai outings in Holland! Considered by many the likely favorite to take home the belt, the BJJ black belt takes a humble approach to what may be the turning point of his career "I think this Grand Prix doesn't have any favorites, so I want to get there ready to defeat any of them. But I think my time has finally come, and I'm truly ready for this challenge. See you all on November 30th!" With four of the toughest and most skilled young Brazilian fighters of nowadays ready and set to battle at Fury FC 2 - Final Combat, the real winners will be the fans, as action is guaranteed. The show will also count with an alternate bout for the Grand Prix, and five other single matches to be announced soon. Fury FC 2 - Final Combat Thursday, November 30th at Tom Brasil, Sao Paulo, Brazil. GP 93 kg - Semifinals: *Single matches and 93 kg GP alternate match to be announced soon. Card subject to change. |
|
New episode of FCF Radio In our latest broadcast, we talk with James Irvin and Jason Day. Click here to listen/download. |
|
By Peter Parsons The UFC first had its eyes on coming to Canada back in its pre-Zuffa days for UFC 22 in September of '99 in Kahnawake, a Mohawk reservation outside of Montreal. Fast forward to September of this year, UFC 63 was originally scheduled to be headlined by Matt Hughes vs. Georges St. Pierre and was speculated to take place in Montreal. The most recent talk is that the UFC will land in Montreal in 2007. Why might the timing be right for the UFC to come to Montreal in March of 2007? There are two big fights coming up featuring French Canadian fighters within the next two weeks. This Saturday, November 11, Patrick Cote will be fighting Travis Lutter in the Middleweight finale of TUF 4 for a chance to face champion Anderson Silva. A week later on November 18, UFC #1 Welterweight contender, Georges St. Pierre will face champion Matt Hughes for the 170-pound title in a one of the most anticipated fights of the year. If Cote and St. Pierre were to win their respective fights, there would be the potential to have them co-main event the UFC this March in Montreal. In the main event Georges St. Pierre would face the winner of the TUF 4 Welterweight finale between Matt Serra and Chris Lytle. In the co-main event Patrick Cote would challenge Anderson Silva for the Middleweight title. The event would make for a good comeback stage for Cote or St. Pierre should they lose their next fights. So why would a UFC in Montreal be successful?
Montreal has been a hotbed for MMA over the past decade. Kahnawake played host to numerous MMA events in the late 90's including numerous IFC events and the infamous Extreme Fighting 2 event in '96 that was nearly shut down due to political pressures. Quebec was the first province to sanction MMA in Canada and in 2000, the Universal Combat Challenge (now TKO) was born. TKO, Canada's #1 MMA promotion, based out of Montreal, continues to be very successful having hosted events to over 5,000 fans on numerous occasions. Most recently, according to the promotions website, TKO 28 played host to over 7,000 fans at the Bell Centre where the Montreal Canadiens play hockey. The Bell Centre has a capacity of over 21,000 and if TKO can do 7,000 then it stands to reason the UFC should be able to do 15,000. UFC veterans such as George St. Pierre, David Loiseau, Patrick Cote, Jonathon Goulet, Mark Hominick and Sam Stout have all come up through the ranks of TKO fighting in front of the Montreal faithful. Montreal has a very knowledgeable MMA fan base. Montreal is very well located geographically. It is approximately 5 and a half hours from Canada's largest city Toronto. Montreal is only a 2 hour drive from Canada's capital city of Ottawa. Montreal is also very close in location to the north eastern States being approximately a 6 hour drive from New York and a 5 hour drive from Boston. Montreal is definitely the fight capital of Canada for MMA as well as boxing. It has a huge pro wrestling fan base which has cross over appeal to MMA. Montreal fans are known to be very passionate and particularly like to rally behind their own. The UFC has stated on numerous occasions that they have an interest in becoming a more global organization. What better opportunity to achieve this then by bringing the UFC brand to their neighbors of the north. |
|
King of the Cage "Icebreaker": St. Louis Wins Main Event, Macdonald Continues His Rise Prince George, British Columbia, hosted King of the Cage Canada's latest offering "Icebreaker" last Friday night, November 3rd, at the CN Centre, and once again the small city in the Northern region of the Province reinforced its reputation as a solid MMA community. Despite the rather troublesome weather, local fans braved poor road conditions to attend the event, conditions so poor in fact, match maker Bill Mahood tells FCF the event's promoters considered a last minute name change for the card. "We were going to change the name from "Icebreaker" to "Snowplower", "jokes Mahood. "Due to the sudden snow storm and extreme road conditions, this really knocked down our walk up traffic fight night, as well I believe many people had tickets and did not attend due to the weather. Even still though, we were probably at around 1900." (In attendance) In the night's main event Jason "The Sumo Samurai" St.Louis took on Kevin Manderson, who was a last minute replacement for the injured Tim Thurston. Manderson was coming off an October 10th submission loss to Mark Bocek at Apex's "A Night of Champions," while St.Louis also dropped his last fight, losing by rear naked choke to Jason Ireland at KOTC "Insurrection" on October 6th. St.Louis and Manderson agreed to a catch weight in between 170 and 155 pounds for the night's main event, as Manderson and St.Louis have been competing at lightweight and welterweight respectively as of late. "It ended very quickly when St Louis caught Manderson in a slick arm bar from the bottom," Mahood tells FCF. "The fight started with St Louis keeping a low stance and throwing jabs looking to set up his hands, this feeling out ended when St. Louis threw a back kick and ended up in a clinch with Manderson. St Louis tried a trip over wrestling throw but ended up on the bottom, so he worked for position and slapped on a very quick arm bar when the opportunity presented itself. Manderson looked like he was going to escape, but ended up tapping when St Louis adjusted to the escape attempt." The win extends St.Louis's record to 11-8; while the loss drops Manderson's combined pro-am record to 12-7-1. One of Team Toshido's top prospects, 17 year old Rory Macdonald, continues to impress Canadian MMA observers, as the Kelowna fighter defeated Yoon Heo in the second round. Macdonald has now gone 5-0 to begin his MMA career, while the loss drops the Marcus Soares' trained Yoon Heo's record to 3-4. "Rory got to showcase his standup against Yoon Heo at the King of the Cage," says Macdonald's trainer, David Lea, "TKO'ing him at the beginning of round 2 with a flurry of knees and punches. We knew going in that Yoon was good on the ground, so we wanted to test his standup. What many people don't know is that Rory's standup is as amazing as his Jiu-Jitsu game." The results from KOTC Canada have Macdonald winning by rear naked choke; however, the Prince George Citizen also reported the fight as a TKO stoppage due to strikes. In other action from KOTC "Icebreaker," Prince George Fight Club fighter's Brandon Carlick and Ryan Chiappe each won their bouts, stopping Jack Sawel and Rob Withers by TKO respectively. Team Revolution's Matt Leo returned to action for the first time in a year, submitting Ryan Hare with an ankle lock, Lethbridge's Tim Tamaki defeated Prince George's Terry Thiara with a rear naked choke, Tim Hague stopped Jesse Jones via TKO, and Nanaimo's Nick Hinchliff also won his fight via TKO, stopping Iowa fighter, Shane Lightle. BodogFight Arrives In Vancouver December 2nd BodogFight announced this week that the event's upcoming pay per view event will be held in Vancouver, British Columbia, December 2nd at the PNE Agrodome. The card will feature the winners of the BodogFight reality show taking on the Russian Red Devils fight team, as well as several other "super fights", which will include Roger Grace meeting Ron Waterman, and Antonio Silva taking on Eric Pele. The Vancouver MMA promotion Elite FC, will be teaming up with Bodog to host the event and local resident and BodogFight commentator Paul Lazenby, is looking forward to it. "I'm overwhelmingly excited that Bodog has chosen to bring their event to Vancouver and feel honored to be working on what I expect to be the most momentous MMA card in Canadian history", Lazenby tells FCF. "I was impressed with both Bodog and Elite Fighting when working with them as separate entities, and no one was happier than me when they decided to join forces. A lot of people are going to be shocked when they see just how much the two companies are capable of doing together, and I know that this show will be a milestone for Canadian mixed martial arts. I feel like a little kid waiting for Christmas." |
| Monday - November 13, 2006 |
|
From the event's promoter: Place: Auburn Super-Mall, Vision Quest Sport and Fitness. Date: Dec 2nd 2006 Time: Doors open 7PM, Fights start 8PM General Admission tickets $25, VIP $30, Ringside $40-$50 Tickets available at: Vision Quest – Auburn Supermall 253-333-7771 AMC Kickboxing & Pankration – Kirkland 425-822-9656 www.pankration.com Don't miss the superfight!!!! |
|
Give Us Your Thoughts... This month we'd like to get your thoughts on the October 28th Pride Real Deal event, Pride's first show held in the United States. We'd also like to get your picks and thoughts on the upcoming UFC 65 event. 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 |
|
Now available in the FCF Shop
Click here to order securely online with your credit card |
| Tuesday - November 14, 2006 |
|
Day wins at MFC "Unplugged 2" as march to Francois continues The Crowne Plaza Chateau Lacombe in downtown Edmonton, Alberta, hosted the Maximum Fighting Championship's "Unplugged 2" last Friday night, November 10th, the second installment of the "Unplugged" series that mostly features younger and upcoming fighters from the MMA promotion. The event, which was held in a far smaller venue then the usual, larger, location of choice lately for the MFC, the Shaw Conference Centre, was sold out according to the organization, with 750 fans attending. The main event featured Jason "Dooms" Day, who was replacing MFC Lightheavyweight Champion Victor Valimaki, due to his upcoming December UFC bout against David Heath, taking on Shawn Marchand. Day had won 2 fights in a row since losing to Valimaki in the LHW championship bout at MFC 10 in September, while Marchand came into the fight having lost his last fight against Scott Arnold at UGC 14, suffering his only career loss to that point after winning his first 3 MMA bouts. The far more experienced Day however was apparently too much for Marchand, stopping the fighter with strikes for the TKO victory at 1:54 of the first round. "I went into this fight wanting to end it quickly and safely because I fight again in two weeks," Day tells FCF. "I took him down and had him in side mount working elbows and throwing a few punches, I heard his corner say stand them up, there's no action. So I took mount and starting raining down punches. I landed several hard shots and he was unable to get out of my mount, the ref stopped it as he rolled to his side. I have to give him credit thought he took some hard shots and didn't give up." Day is scheduled to fight Ricardeau Francois at the upcoming King of the Cage Canada event "Amplified," which will also take place in Edmonton at the Northlands' Agricom Arena. Day, who now carries a combined pro-am record of 12-6, will take on Francois, who shares the same MMA record of 12-6, for likely the number one contender spot in KOTC Canada's LHW division. Francois failed in his bid for the organization's 205 pound title in June, when he was submitted by Travis Galbraith with a guillotine choke at the promotion's "Widowmaker" event. Francois, who stands 6'6", carries a reputation for being a strong striker, with 6 of his 12 victories coming way of TKO, one of which came against Wes Sims in 2004 at Apex "Genesis". The Montreal resident also nearly defeated UFC veteran Patrick Cote at TKO 19 in January of 2005, losing the fight by split decision. Day seems to be keenly aware of his upcoming opponent's capabilities and is looking forward to the bout. I felt great after my fight, no injuries I think I only took one punch but it didn't leave a mark," says Day. "I am sticking to my usual game plan for Francois. It is no secret that my strength is on the ground and in the clinch. I am planning on keeping it a tight fight, work him hard in the clinch, take him down and pound him out. His strength will be in his reach and his kickboxing back ground, I plan on taking that part of his game away from him early in the fight. I can't wait for this fight, I am coming out hard and fast and I will push the pace to see if he can keep up." In other action from the MFC "Unplugged 2" show, Edmontonian Ryan McGillivray took on Calgary fighter Jon Kennedy, in what according to the MFC press release; was the fight of the night. "With the result still up for grabs entering the third, McGillivray again unloaded on Kennedy with several good combinations before the fight went to the ground," the MFC release reported. "McGillivray stayed calm and quickly locked on an armbar earning the submission victory at 1:30 of Round 3. The fight will definitely go down as one of the contenders for MFC's Fight of the Year and was one of the all-time best encounters in the MFC ring." Ryan Machan submitted Kevin Olson at 1:16 of the second round with a rear naked choke, Dan Chambers stopped Nick Perry with strikes in the first round at 3:04 for the TKO win, Kyle Dillman also earned a TKO victory by defeating Curtis Poulin with strikes at the thirty second mark of round two, and Graydon Tannas submitted Mike Bell with a rear naked choke at 3:05 of round 1, to round out the "Unplugged 2" card. Maximum Fighting Championship 11, "Gridiron", will take place on February 3rd, in Edmonton once again, which will feature the MMA debut of local professional football player Adam Braidwood. The card will mark the second time the MFC has had a member of the cities' cherished Edmonton Eskimo Football Club fight for the organization, as Braidwood's teammate Mike Mauer, also made his MMA debut fighting for the MFC, defeating Darren Apels by submission in March. |
|
Cage Rage Contenders 3 Held Nov 12, 2006 at Hammersmith Palais By David West Stand out moments from the third Contenders feeder show for Cage Rage included Andre Winner and Sami Berik letting it all hang out for three rounds. In round one Winner, from the Rough House team in Nottingham, caught Berik in a triangle that turned Berik's face purple, but he refused to tap so Winner switched to an arm bar. Despite having his elbow badly hyper-extended, it was clear Berik had no intention of tapping and he eventually escaped the submission and survived to the end of the first round. Round two saw Berik take the fight to Winner standing, but he was brought down and pounded mercilessly. It was a weary Berik who answered the bell for the last round. He still tried to turn the tables, frantically trying to punch out Winner when the round started, but Winner fired back and dropped Berik against the fence with a flurry of punches and knees, forcing the referee to save Berik 1:50 into the third round. Eltham Warriors' Jake Bostwick went after Marvin Arnold Bleau, of the Elite Fighting System, hammer and tongs, making Bleau work hard for the takedowns and punishing him with heavy punches at every opportunity. The end came in the second round when Bostwick took mount and started trying to pound Bleau through the floor until Bleau tapped out at the 1:05 mark rather than prolong the battering. Heavy-fisted Dorlan O'Mally, from London Thai Fighters, made short work of Team Titan's Danny Cornwall, overpowering him in the stand-up exchanges and knocking him down with a brutal knee to the chest. O'Mally backed away from the fallen Cornwall, who told the referee he had had enough after 38 one-sided seconds. Mark Weir's cousin Che Mills looked good against the more experienced Paul Taylor, of Team Supreme, bloodying his nose before taking his back and choking him for the win midway through the first round. At the top of the bill Lee Doski, from Tsunami Gym, struggled with Elite Fighting System team-member Dean Bray's high-kicking style before Bray slipped to the canvas throwing a kick and Doski jumped straight on him, taking his back and catching the rear naked choke that won the match. Full Results: Sergei Ussanov NO CONTEST Andrew Burnett (Accidental Illegal Blow) Tony Pasos def. Dan Movahedi by Rear-Naked Choke 1:56 R1 Darren Russell def. Harvey Harra by Armbar 0:50 R1 Steve Elliott def. Jason Young by Armbar 3:59 R1 Dorlan O'Mally def. Danny Cornwall by Verbal Submission 0:38 R1 Jake Bostwick def. Marvin Arnold Bleau by Tap-Out to Strikes 1:05 R2 Ed Smith def. Rocci Williams by TKO (Ref stoppage – strikes) 1:16 R1 Marius Zaromskis def. Dariusz Swierkosz by Triangle 0:52 R2 Andre Winner def. Sami Berik by TKO (Ref stoppage – strikes) 1:50 R3 Michael Johnson def. Andy Walker by Verbal Submission 2:28 R2 Che Mills def. Paul Taylor by Rear-Naked Choke 2:37 R1 Lee Doski def. Dean Bray by Rear-Naked Choke 4:35 R1 |
| Wednesday - November 15, 2006 |
|
New episode of FCF Radio In our latest broadcast, we talk with Denis Kang, Scott Smith and Matt Fiordirosa. Click here to listen/download. |
|
From the event's promoter: INTERNATIONAL FIGHT LEAGUE SILVERBACKS-DRAGONS SEMIFINAL TO AIR ON FOX SPORTS NET THIS WEEKEND Action From Portland On Deck As FSN Coverage Of IFL World Team Championship Continues Through December 31 NEW YORK, November 15, 2006 – The International Fight League World Team Championship semifinal between the Silverbacks, based in Quad Cities, Ill./Iowa, and Dragons, based in Toronto, will air on Fox Sports Net this Sunday, November 19, with rebroadcasts on many of FSN's regional networks throughout next week. The mixed martial arts matchup took place in Portland on November 2, and determined one of the two spots in the finals, set for December 29 at Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Conn. The coverage is part of FSN's 10 hours of IFL World Team Championship coverage this fall, which continues on November 26 with the Wolfpack-Anacondas battle and concludes with the final on New Year's Eve. Rogers Sportsnet will also be airing coverage of the quarterfinal matchup between the Silverbacks and Pitbulls beginning on Saturday, November 18. The Canadian sports network will also broadcast quarterfinal action next weekend. Total hours on FSN and Rogers Sportsnet vary by region, and viewers should check local listings for the correct time and channel in their area. |
|
By Dustin Lee DePue Hoffman Estates, IL -- An estimated five thousand fight fans in Chicagoland filled the newly minted Sears Center Arena as it played host to the X-treme Fighting Organization on Saturday night. Featuring an eighteen-bout card, including title fights at 205 and 145 pounds, the return of Chicago area "Master" Bob Schirmer, and the MMA debut of former NFL defensive lineman and Chicago Bear Alonzo Spellman, XFO 13 had expectations running high. In the main event, undefeated Rafael Assuncao took on UFC-veteran and local favorite Jeff Curran in what proved to be a grueling back and forth battle. Both fighters were relentless in their aggression, trading bombs on the feet and slick transitions on the ground. Curran suffered two illegal blows by Assuncao in the first round: a solid groin kick early followed by a kick to his leg when he was down (kicks to a downed opponent are illegal in Illinois) that clearly hurt him and seemed to affect him for the remainder of the round. Regarding the kick to his leg, Curran said, "I definitely think I have a cracked bone or something and that kind of took it out of me a little." Assuncao didn't let the referee warnings affect his aggression as he continued to land snapping leg kicks whose loud smacks echoed throughout the arena. Curran countered with punches, landing stiff jabs and several big hooks that had Assuncao's mouth bleeding. Going into the third and final round, Assuncao turned it up, scoring several takedowns and landing solid knees from the clinch. He appeared to be winning the round, however, a third foul for fence grabbing cost him a point and as the round finished the question was whether he had shot himself in the foot with the fight seemingly in the bag. Mixed reactions came forth from the crowd as Jeff Curran was declared the victor by majority decision. Addressing the crowd on the microphone, Curran apologized, saying, "I don't think I won that fight."
Speaking in the locker room, Assuncao felt that he won the fight but didn't appear to hold any ill will toward Curran or the XFO, saying, "No bad feelings, good fight, maybe a rematch in the long run." He added, "I'm pretty disappointed, it was my first loss but he was a tough guy." After the fight, Curran reinforced his statements in the ring. "If I was a judge it was definitely going to be Raphael's fight. I'm not looking to stretch by and take these close wins or anything like that. I think what gave me the stretch was he was warned twice on some illegal things he was doing in the fight. On the third thing he was holding onto the cage while he was landing shots and ref felt it was time to take off a point." Curran added, "In my eyes and my heart, I give him the victory." Antoine "Herc" Hayes had strong words regarding opponent Alonzo Spellman. "He's not a fighter, he's a football player trying to fight. I respect him as an athlete but not as a fighter. He hasn't earned a fight against me." When pressed to say how he'd like to finish the fight, Hayes said with a smile, "Kick to the head." It was not to be, however, as Spellman, all 6'4" and 300-plus pounds of him, was able to stifle much of Herc's offense early on. After eating a smacking leg kick, Spellman charged, using his enormous body and his superior strength to pin Herc against the fence, where Spellman was able to repeatedly dig his gigantic knees into Herc's midsection. Spellman followed with a trip takedown where he took Herc's back and worked for a rear naked choke. Herc got his chance to finish in the second and third rounds, each of which saw him securing a tight arm bar. Spellman survived both attempts and his control of the first round plus his strong finish in the final minutes of the third earned him a unanimous decision.
Chicago stalwart Bob Schirmer returned to action after a seven-year hiatus from MMA competition. Known in the Windy City for his draw with Carlson Gracie Jr, the fifty-year old took on opponent Chris McDaniels, who had to be half Schirmer's age. After struggling for the takedown, Schirmer was able to get McDaniels down, and with the crowd chanting his name, he went for an arm bar. McDaniels slipped out at the last moment and ended up in Schirmer's guard, where he hammered Schirmer with several concussive blows that knocked him unconscious. Slow in getting up, the crowd cheered as he was helped to his feet. UFC-veteran Terry Martin overcame two point-deductions for fouls in his battle with opponent Jason Guida, dropping him with a big right hand just eight seconds into the third round. Guida was game but overmatched as Martin imposed his will both standing and on the ground. In the bizarre scene that followed Martin's KO victory, Jason Guida's brother Clay was attacked by Martin as he jumped over the fence to aid his fallen brother. Hanging from the top of the fence, Clay yelled to Martin, who thought Clay was jumping in to start a fight, that he was just trying to help his brother, after which Martin backed off. Justin McElfresh captured the XFO 205-pound title, quickly taking down opponent Ron Fields and securing an armbar from the mount midway through the first round. Matt Fiordirosa put his 145-pound belt on the line against challenger Justin Robbins, successfully defending it within the first round. Both fighters scored knees from the clinch before Fiordirosa landed a wicked right hand that put Robbins on the mat. Fiordirosa followed him down where he was able to finish Robbins with a rear-naked choke. Fiordirosa continues to impress at 145 pounds. Brian Gassaway returned to the XFO to face Donnie Liles. Victorious at XFO 12, Gassaway defended Liles's takedown attempts early. A few brief exchanges later and Liles was able to get the fight to the ground, where he caught Gassaway in a rear-naked choke to end the fight. Full Results Professional Fights (3x5-minute rounds) Jeff Curran def. Raphael Assuncao by majority decision (29-27, 29-27,29-29) Alonzo Spellman def. Antoine "Herc" Hayes by unanimous decision Chris McDaniels def. Bob Schirmer by KO 3:37 Rd 1 Donnie Liles def. Brian Gassaway by rear-naked choke 3:58 R1 Terry Martin def. Jason Guida by KO 0:08 R3 145 lb Title Fight Matt Fiordirosa def. Justin Robbins by rear-naked choke 3:07 R1 205 lb Title Fight Justin McElfresh def. Ron Fields by armbar 3:17 R1 Mike Marrello def. Josh Taibl by rear-naked choke 2:31 R1 Kerry Schall def. Geza Kalman by guillotine choke 0:21 R1 Ryan Williams def. Kenny Nyquist by TKO (Ref stoppage - strikes) 3:54 R1 Nate Mohr def. Norm Alexander by TKO (Ref stoppage - strikes) 1:20 R2 Mustafa Hussaini drew Jon Hosman Amateur Fights (3x3-minute rounds) Mike Stumpf def Tony Rook by rear-naked choke 1:04 Rd 1 Jay Little def Art Guerrero by TKO (Ref stoppage - strikes) 1:35 R2 Russ Janca def Jon Slaten by TKO (Ref stoppage - strikes) 0:19 R1 Cal Ferry def Chris Barbeau by unanimous decision Sean Najm def Steve Johnson by unanimous decision Camrann Pacheco def Jason Wagner by TKO (Ref stoppage due to strikes) 1:56 R1 |
|
From the event's promoter: Most popular MMA warrior receives $50,000 November 15, 2006 - With the final battle between Trevor Prangley and Kyacey Uscola now complete, BodogFight, the hit mixed martial arts (MMA) reality TV series created by Bodog.com Entertainment Group Founder Calvin Ayre, makes fan opinion matter as the polls to crown the BodogFight Favorite Fighter are now open. Fans can visit www.bodogfight.com/contests to cast their votes for the gladiator they deem worthy of an additional $50,000 paycheck. Each fan who votes is also eligible to win an ultimate mixed martial arts prize package, complete with a five-day trip to Los Angeles, fight lessons and up to $10,000 in cash. As part of the PPV event, one of the three Superfights will showcase Roger Gracie in his professional MMA fight debut. With an incredible tournament showdown and the introduction of a new Gracie family member to MMA fans worldwide, the BodogFight main event is shaping up to be the largest and most exciting event of its kind. "We have utilized every technical aspect possible in this contest to ensure fan participation directly impacts one athlete's financial award," says Calvin Ayre, whose vast digital empire includes Bodog Music, the international record label responsible for the incredible soundtrack heard each week on BodogFight. "The ability to vote either through text messaging, online or using DISH networks i-Ad campaign ensures no fan's voice will go unheard." BodogFight is the first sports league to reach beyond traditional programming and offer fans more enjoyment from their TV viewing without ever having to leave their seats. Developed by DISH Network and TMG, the comprehensive iTV campaign consists of a "trigger," or on-screen prompt, that takes the BodogFight viewers to an i-Ad, or web-like environment, on their TV. From this space, viewers can watch a 1/4 screen of the episode in progress while also instantly voting for their favorite fighter and entering for the trip to L.A. With advertisers developing powerful new methods to connect with viewers beyond the traditional broadcast, BodogFight is committed to bringing these advances to MMA fans worldwide, giving them access to a deeper level of enjoyment beyond what TV regularly offers. On December 2, the first season of BodogFight culminates with a groundbreaking global clash as Team USA takes on Russia in a pay-per-view extravaganza being broadcast live from Vancouver, Canada. A few days later, the second season of the TV series, which has already reached more than 43 million homes in America, begins filming in gorgeous St. Petersburg, Russia. For all the news on BodogFight, including fighter bios, behind-the-scenes footage and full-length episodes, visit BodogFight.com. |
| Thursday - November 16, 2006 |
|
Now available in the FCF Shop
Click here to order securely online with your credit card |
 Ring of Combat 12 Preview By Jim Genia When: November 17th. Where: Tropicana Casino & Resort, in Atlantic City. What: Ring of Combat 12, featuring the opening round of the Tournament of Champions. In the style of Pride's Grand Prix elimination tournaments, promoter Louis Neglia returns with a card chock full of exciting fighters from tough camps. From Team Quest to Team Renzo Gracie, from Team Serra/Longo to Team Tiger Schulmann -- it's a roster of badasses, and the winners going on to face each other at a future show. Here's a look at the match-ups: Lightweight Tournament -Charles Wilson (Double Tap Fight Crew) vs. James "Binky" Jones (Team Renzo/Ground Control) -Kevin Roddy (Rhino Fight Team) vs. Rich Boine (Team Tiger Schulmann) -Ian Loveland (Team Quest) vs. Will Kerr (Strikezone) -Jay Estrada (Gilbert Grappling) vs. Kevin English (Duneland Vale Tudo) Welterweight Tournament -Dominic Dellagatta (Team Tiger Schulmann) vs. Jay Coleman (Rhino Fight Team) -Yon Guenechua (FFF/Young Tiger Foundation) vs. Colin O'Rourke (Team Renzo) -Phillipe Nover (Insight) vs. Abner Loveras (Esport Rogent/BTT) -Jamie Toney (Jorge Gurgel) vs. Todd Moore (Houston BJJ/Revolution Dojo) Middleweight Tournament -Landon Showalter (Arlington Kickboxing Academy) vs. Don Wagner (Shido Seimei Martial Arts) -Nissim Levy (Team Tiger Schulmann) vs. Marc Stevens (Tai Kai Jiu-Jitsu) -Johnny Carson (The Hit Academy) vs. Jason House (Janjira Gym) -Mitch Whitesel (Wreck Room Athletics) vs. Mike Dolce (Team Quest) Preliminary Bouts -Joe Bentz (Fight Factory) vs. Steve Vitti (Rhino Fight Team) -Joe Scarola (Team Serra/Longo) vs. Bill Worfolk (freestyle) |
|
By Jim Genia Strangely, there is no shortage of fraternal duos in the world of mixed martial arts. Consider Andre Roberts and Tyrone Roberts, Nick and Nate Diaz, or Joe and Dan Lauzon. On October 6th, Planet Jiu-Jitsu's Dan Miller captured the middleweight crown at the Cage Fury Fighting Championship, and when his arm was raised in victory, his brother Jim was there sharing in Dan's success. Jim himself is considered by many to be one of the top lightweights fighting in New Jersey – a fact that makes these homegrown sparring partners part of the "brothers in arms" club. "I started wrestling when I was kid - about five-years old - and wrestled from then until my senior year of high school," says Dan, who, when not training and fighting, works in construction. "That's basically my whole fighting background." At Reality Fighting 10, Dan had little trouble submitting Tenyeh Dixon with a triangle, and followed up that win with an armbar victory over Jay Coleman at Reality Fighting 11. These bouts put him on a collision course with Mike Massenzio, with the winner getting a shot at the Reality Fighting middleweight belt. Dan lost via split decision in a close, close fight. "We had a conflict of styles and back then my wrestling was my base," he says. "And he was a better wrestler, which made the fight real tough." Two months later, though, Dan was back, stepping into the cage at the Cage Fury Fighting Championship against Dave Perez. Perez couldn't keep up with Dan's pace and didn't answer the bell for Round Two – which meant Dan was back in the running for another belt. The one man standing in his way: the veteran Lance Everson, who, with 16 fights to Dan's four, had a definite edge in experience. But the Planet Jiu-Jitsu representative made it look easy, experience notwithstanding, and with a rear naked choke at 2:26 of the first round, Dan finally had a belt to call his own. How did Dan get into the sport of mixed martial arts? "Just from watching the UFC," he says. "My brother would get the UFC and we'd say, 'yeah, I could beat that guy,' or 'I could do that.' From there we went on the Internet and found a place to train, and that's about it." As brothers go, Dan could do worse. After all, Jim may not have a championship title yet, but with an unblemished record against tough competition, he's ranked near the top in the 155-pound division. Jim, who also works in construction, has parleyed a year of college wrestling into a solid grappling game, and in five fights has tapped out some of the area's best. At the last Combat in the Cage event, Jim took on the veteran James "Binky" Jones, and showed a ton of adaptability when he won the bout using his guard. "It was kind of a new way of fighting for me," says Jim. "I went after him on my feet and that was the first fight where I ended up on my back. But that's what I've been training for since I started fighting. I was actually having fun on my back, so I didn't mind as much." The instructor at Planet Jiu-Jitsu, Jeff Miller (no relation), has helped more than a few wrestlers make the transition into MMA – former Reality Fighting champs Glen Sandull and Rich Attonito, just to name a couple. Do the Miller brothers supplement their training anywhere else? "I train exclusively at Planet [Jiu-Jitsu] right now," says Dan. "I would like to start working stand-up more often. We do work it down there, but not as much as I'd like." "Dan and I spar," says Jim. "We do a lot of pad work and stuff like that. We've had a lot of help from Jonathan Helwig [of Team Endgame]. He's been helping us a little bit with defense and counter punching. It's gotten a little bit crisper lately. We've won fights by subs and using wrestling, now we're trying to get more well-rounded and get the strikes coming in there." On November 18th, Jim will square off against Rhino Fight Team's top-ranked Frankie Edgar for the Reality Fighting belt. It's sure to be his toughest test yet, and it's a match-up that's been a long time coming. "There's some history between us, so it should be good," says Jim. "It's nothing real personal. It's just that when I was wrestling for Virginia Tech he was wrestling for Clarion [University], and we would've had two occasions to wrestle each other and both times something happened to me. So we weren't able to wrestle." Adds the lightweight submission stud: "I just haven't gotten the opportunity to compete against him and I'd really like to." With New Englander Joe Lauzon getting called up to the UFC, and in turn knocking out former UFC champ Jens Pulver, it seems the doors have been opened for top local guys to get their big break. If Zuffa's matchmaker Joe Silva called tomorrow, would Dan hesitate? Or would he drop everything and go? "I would not turn down an opportunity like that," says the CFFC Middleweight Champ. "I'd like to make it all the way to the UFC or Pride." "That's a hard one to turn down," says Jim. "If they call me and say I'm going to fight Jens or BJ [Penn], I'm quitting my job and training my ass off, and going in there with nothing to lose." Until the UFC calls, however, it's still the Frankie Edgar match-up that's foremost on the lightweight Miller's mind. Is there anyone else out there he'd like to face? "When you look on the Internet, and they say who they want to see on the next "Ultimate Fighter" show, it's always the same list of guys – the same names. I want to fight them. I want to show people what the guys on the East Coast can do." Fast-paced and aggressive grappling. A championship belt and a spotless record. An impending war with the one of the toughest 155-pounders in the Garden State. With what the Millers have accomplished thus far, it's clear to New Jersey fight fans what these brothers in arms can do. It's only a matter of time before the rest of the world finds out. |
| Saturday - November 18, 2006 |
|
$100,000 Tournament of Champions Begins Report by Timothy J. Hands – Photos by Tom DeFazio The Ring Of Combat Tournament Of Champions got off to a rip-roaring start at The Tropicana last night in Atlantic City, New Jersey. The first installment of the tournament got underway as local heroes, up-and-comers, and seasoned veterans from different parts of North America all came to the tournament to advance and hopefully find a way to take home some of the cash the winners of the series will receive. And maybe, just maybe, to win a fight or two in the process. It was a night of blistering endings, foot-stomps, and left-hooks that kept most of the crowd in awed enthusiasm, squirming around in anticipation for more action. And with an excellent production value and the overall organization of this first round of this tournament, promoter Lou Neglia might very well be on the verge of something special here. PRELIMINARY BOUTS 140 lbs: Steve Vitti (Rhino) vs. Joe Bentz (Fight Factory) A good win for a newer talent. Vitti came out hard, went for a big flying knee, but eventually it was his ground game that got him the hard-earned "W," with an impressive triangle near the end of the second round. 165lbs: Joe Scarola (Serra-Longo) vs. Bill Worfolk (Depasquale JJ) Scarola had Worfolk close with a guillotine early on, but lost it when Worfolk gouged Scarola's eyes. Scarola got revenge a short time later with a tighter-than-tight armbar that closed the deal.
LIGHTWEIGHT TOURNAMENT
Roddy and Boine are rising stars in the lightweight division, and this one was a hell of a match-up. Roddy tried to force his game on the ground and extend his arms while standing, but Boine was just too sharp all around, and the southpaw finally found his moment with a left hook at the beginning of the third round. Charles Wilson (Double Tap) vs. James "Binky" Jones (Ground Control/Renzo) Wilson showed some flash and determination, but Jones was just too good, too experienced, and wouldn't fall for much this night. Jones is back with a win. Ian Loveland (Team Quest) vs. Will Kerr (Strikezone) Along with Rich Boine, Loveland has to be the other favorite in the lightweight division. Solid wrestling intertwined with his athleticism and submission know-how, Kerr just couldn't match Loveland's ability, and found himself guillotined halfway through the first round. Kevin English (Duneland VT) vs. Jay Estrada (Gilbert Grappling) This bout was deemed a "No Contest". WELTERWEIGHT TOURNAMENT Colin O'Rourke (Renzo Gracie) vs. Yon Guenecha (FFA/Young Tigers) O'Rourke did what he does best on a good night -- take his opponent to the ground and either pound him out or look for the sub. Here, O'Rourke chose to rain down thunder; opponent Guenecha was unable to weather the storm for very long and tapped out. Phillipe Nover (Insight) vs. Abner Lloveras (Esport Rogent/BTT) A back and forth affair, Nover took the nod in a well-deserved split decision. Nover could be tough in the second round of this tournament.
This was perhaps the most anticipated match-up of the night. Dellagatta, an intense and gifted wrestler. Coleman, a strong and furious grappler. Dellagatta shows real confidence in his jab. It looked like Dellagatta was going to keep Coleman at the end of this jab all night, but as Dellagatta attempted adjust his footing at one point … WHAM! Coleman steps in and laces a left-hook that catches Dellagatta flush and knocks him out on the spot, 38 seconds in. Not an upset necessarily, but a surprise to say the least, at least the way it ended. Impressive. Coleman, for the time being, has this tournament at the edge of his fingertips. Dellagatta, a promising and capable fighter, was perhaps regarded along with Coleman as an early favorite to win the tournament. With both fighters facing off in the first round, one of these favorites had to go down, and Coleman calmly provided the exit for Dellagatta with a brisk, short left-hook. "I'm a pretty-good wrestler myself, but he has more credentials than me, so I figured he wanted to beat me that way", Coleman said after. "But the rumor was he wanted to bang with me, and with his reach, I wanted to stay back, in case he jabbed and wanted to take a shot. When I caught him with that first right, I figured he would want to shoot on me, but he didn't, and I just dropped down. You know, I'm a professional; I don't talk shit, I just fight." Jamie Toney (Jorge Gurgel) vs. Todd Moore (Houston BJJ) Toney basically owned this fight early on, but Moore kept trucking and moving. Toney has slick and respectable sub skills, but Moore's takedowns were probably the difference, as he earned the decision. MIDDLEWEIGHT TOURNAMENT Johnny Carson (The Hit Academy) vs. Jason House (Jan Jira) After effectively chopping away at Carson's legs with round kicks in a close first round, House reversed a Carson takedown attempt and then transitioned from mount to Carson's back to sink in a rear choke a minute into the second. Mike Dolce (Team Quest) vs. Mitch Whitesel (Wreck Room) Dolce charged out hard, but got too overzealous, and looked in trouble for the first round and a half of this fight. Whitesel seemed to have all the answers, but Dolce stopped asking and started producing, earning the right to move on to the next round with a gutty performance. Landon Showalter (Charlie's Combat Club) vs. Don Wagner (Shido Seimei MA) This fight started out as what looked to be a one-sided drubbing, but became a tad bit interesting in the second round. Showalter appeared to be on the brink of knocking Wagner out cold in the first round, but inexplicably fell into a bit of quicksand in the second. Showalter did enough to remain in charge though, and garnered the victory. So what was the apparent fall-off in Showalter's performance after the first round? A broken hand, Showalter says. "I broke my right hand on the second punch of the night. It was a frustrating night for me, I should've knocked him out. It was a KO waiting to happen." Marc Stevens (Tai Kai JJ) vs. Hansel Calderon (FFA/Young Tigers) Stevens, entertaining to watch, had an entertaining opponent -- a very tall, last-minute replacement named Hansel Calderon. Calderon tried his best to slow down Stevens, which is never easy, but Stevens managed to bully and brawl his way through on the ground, and won a pretty crisp and solid unanimous decision. FULL RESULTS:
|
|
By Jim Genia When: November 18th. Where: Boardwalk Hall, in Atlantic City. What: Reality Fighting XXIV. Kipp Kollar's MMA promotion returns once again, this time headlined by a lightweight title match-up that pits the Garden State's two top 155-pounders against each other. But aside from the impending Jim Miller/Frankie Edgar war – and a war it certainly shall be - the rest of the card looks solid. Here's a look at some of the fighters:
MAIN CARD Khristian Geraci (Pitt Fight Team) vs. Rob Guarino (Rhino Fight Team) Cory LaPlant (Team Balance) vs. Ido Pariente (freestyle) Bryce Harrell (Miletich/KOA) vs. Brendan Barrett (Ronin) Nate Lamotte (Burgess) vs. Tom Galechio (Rhino Fight Team) Erick Uresk (United MMA) vs. Steve Theodorou (Fight Factory) Bill Taylor (Gold Medal) vs. Steve DeAngelis (Rhino Fight Team) Lewis Pascavage (Miletich/KOA) vs. Ed Medeiros (Team Mendes) Chris Reedy (Unbreakable) vs. Joseph Aviles (Jungle Gym) Light-Heavyweight Title Fight Tim Boetsch (wrestling) vs. Hazem Ibrahim (Team Renzo/Almeida) Welterweight Title Fight Chris Schlesinger (United MMA) vs. Chris Ligouri (Rhino Fight Team) Lightweight Title Fight Jim Miller (Planet Jiu-Jitsu) vs. Frankie Edgar (Rhino Fight Team) |
|
By Steven Marrocco After a nearly two-hour holdover to accommodate L.A.'s perpetually late and trendy, the packed house at the Culver City Memorial Auditorium got their money's worth. Squired onto the mat by cage stalwarts Bruce Buffer and "Big" John McCarthy, a legend returned to competition without the four ounce gloves that made him a star. Randy Couture brought the house down as he stood across rising star Ronaldo "Jacare" Souza, a two-time ADCC and Mundial Champion. Couture's competitive blood had not been cooled by his retirement from NHB, having jumped at the opportunity earlier in the year to test his mettle against the submission ace. Rico Chapparelli, his original link to the world of ultimate fighting, would give the jiu-jitsu schooled crowd a look into how the veteran's reaction time was faring in his early fourties. Meeting at the center of the mat, the submission-only match took a fast turn towards Jacare's favor as he dropped to the canvas and trapped Couture's leg. Working to control Jacare's body, Couture closed the distance to prevent a leg lock, then fought off a lighting-fast transition into an armbar. Staying calm, the former champ pulled back out of the hold and lunged forward to tie the Brazilian up from his half guard. Jacare would not be deterred as he transitioned again to a triangle attempt, spinning around to Randy's legs when that didn't work. Jacare pulled with all of his might for a kneebar, but couldn't power through Couture's defense. Amazingly enough, the nearly five submission attempts from Jacare netted no points from the judges. "He was very slick, very quick," Couture later said. "He made me work hard just to stay in it. I was basically surviving." Already covered in sweat and breathing hard, Couture hovered up to Jacare for the second round. The Brazilian hadn't even broken a sweat. Jacare repeatedly dropped on his back at Randy's feet, trying to secure a leg, but was rebuffed at every attempt. Another kneebar attempt briefly had Randy at Jacare's back, but the wrestler couldn't get his hooks in and ran out of time as the two stalemated once again in Jacare's half guard. Going into the first of two one minute sudden death rounds, the two fighters circled each other, pawing away, but never fully engaging. Though Randy was moving forward, the fighters saw the remaining two minutes slip away as Jacare once again attacked Randy's left leg as the bell rung finally. After the fight, Couture was encouraged by his performance against the young up-and-comer. "He's one of the best guys on the planet at this and I managed to hang in there and stay with him," Randy said afterward. "I'd like to have a little more time to prepare next time so I can come in and be more aggressive and wrestle like myself." Ronaldo "Jacare" Souza was extremely gracious about his opponent, stating "I knew he was going to be tough." "He's a great competitor. I do this because I love the sport of it, not to make my name." In the co-main event of the evening, Marcelo Garcia fought off two guillotine attempts by Rumble on the Rock tournament winner Jake Shields to apply his own guillotine from the youngster's guard, submitting him at 3:40 of the first round. "The Janitor" Vladimir Matyushenko seemed unwilling to engage Brazilian Vinicius Magalhaes, scoring the single winning point after the ref gave him Maalhaes's leg as a gift following a restart. Taking the jiu jitsu stylist to the mat, it was the lone punctuation in an extremely slow match. Alberto Crane smothered NHB vet Joe Camacho from the beginning, scoring big with two nearly-sunk north south chokes before taking an armbar from the top position to clinch the win at 2:38 of the second. Kron Gracie worked opponent Andy Wang's legs very well as he scored with an attempted ankle lock. For his part, Wang couldn't mount any solid offense as he lingered in Gracie's guard for the majority of the bout. After a last ditch attempt at a kneebar failed, Gracie took home the win with a 4-0 score. Father Hickson Gracie was cautiously optimistic about the results. "I'm very pleased with his victory, but he's got a lot of homework to do," Gracie said. "He gives a little too much space and I'd like him to do better next time." Rafael Lovato outclassed Roberto Camargo with a series of guillotine and armbar attempts that racked up points and put him ahead for a 7-0 win. Aggressive grappler Shane Rice took the fight to opponent Jeff Glover, jumping guard several times and working for footlocks that had Glover on the defense for the majority of the bout. In the end, the attempts were the difference, winning him a 3-0 victory. King of the Cage Lightweight champ made quick work of the overmatched Allen Zborvofsky, rolling him into a north south choke that brought the tap out at 3:42 of the first. X-Mission Final Results Randy Couture vs. Ronaldo "Jacare" Souza Draw at 1:00 of 2nd Sudden Death Round. Marcelo Garcia def. Jake Shields at 3:40 of Round 1 by Submission (Guillotine Choke) Vladimir Matyushenko def. Vinicius Magalhaes at 4:00 of Round 2 by Decision (1-0) Alberto Crane def. Joe Camacho at 2:38 of Round 2 by Submission (Armbar) Kron Gracie def. Andy Wang at 4:00 of Round 2 by Decision (4-0) Rafael Lovato def. Robert Camargo at 4:00 of Round 2 by Decision (7-0) Shane Rice def. Jeff Glover at 4:00 of Round 2 by Decision (3-0). Mac Danzig def. Allen Zborvofsky at 3:42 of Round 1 by Submission (North-South Choke). |
| Sunday - November 19, 2006 |
|
By Gaby Genia (November 18th, Atlantic City, NJ) Boardwalk Hall played host to yet another action-packed installment of promoter Kipp Kollar's Reality Fighting show, this one dubbed "Fall Brawl". Featuring a card filled with impressive local talent, as anticipated, there were scuffles, fisticuffs and all-out-wars. Highlights of the evening:
|
|
From the event's promoter: INTERNATIONAL FIGHT LEAGUE (IFL) COACH AND MMA LEGEND KEN SHAMROCK TO HOLD OPEN TRYOUT FOR HIS 2007 LIONS TEAM Once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to be held in team's new home base in Reno, Nevada on November 29 NEW YORK and RENO, Nev., November 17, 2006- The International Fight League and head coach of the new Nevada-based Lions team, MMA legend Ken Shamrock, today announced that the team will hold an open tryout for elite MMA hopefuls at Reno's premiere sports facility, The Stadium Sport and Fitness Club, located at 9393 Gateway in Reno, Nev., at 10:00 a.m. on Wednesday, November 29. Shamrock's Lions will have eight team members, five of whom will be selected to compete per event, when the first IFL season opens in late January. The tryout is open to all experienced professional fighters. The full 11-date IFL season will also be announced during that week. "While we do have some athletes in mind, we felt that there is a great interest in the sport and this would be a good opportunity to both show people what great athletic talent someone needs to compete in the IFL and to give some of that unknown talent a chance to shine," Shamrock said. "We will screen all of the applicants prior to the tryout and see if we can identify some of the new faces that will help mold the face of this rising sport. Holding the tryout in both a state and a city that is very passionate about MMA, and where we will be training as Reno's first professional sports team, will be an added plus." "One of the greatest things about the sport of Mixed Martial Arts today is that we are all finding that the pool of very elite talent and athleticism is deeper than we all may have thought," said IFL Co-founder and Commissioner Kurt Otto. "Having one of the world's greatest competitors in Ken Shamrock give some of this talent an opportunity to succeed is very rare in professional sports, and it will be a treat to see which, if any, of these young hopefuls will stand up to the test." The tryout will be limited based on space and time, and it will be open to the public for viewing. For further details, contact Jerry Milani at 212/356-4009. |
| Monday - November 20, 2006 |
|
From the event's promoter: SILVERBACKS-WOLFPACK MATCHUP, GRACIE-NEWTON SUPERFIGHT HEADLINE INTERNATIONAL FIGHT LEAGUE WORLD TEAM CHAMPIONSHIP FINAL DECEMBER 29 AT MOHEGAN SUN ARENA Eight Other IFL Athletes To Compete In Intraleague Superfights On 10-Fight Card NEW YORK, November 20, 2006-- The International Fight League (IFL), the world's first team-based professional mixed martial arts league, today announced the rosters for the 2006 IFL World Team Championship final, to be held at the Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Connecticut, on Friday, December 29, at 7 p.m. The team matchup between the Silverbacks, coached by Pat Miletich and based in Quad Cities, Iowa/Ill., and the Wolfpack, coached by Matt Lindland and based in Portland, Ore., yields five outstanding bouts. Renzo Gracie (Holmdel, N.J.) and Carlos Newton (Newmarket, Ontario) will square off in a Superfight matching two MMA legends and the coaches of the New York and Toronto teams, respectively. And four other bouts will feature members of IFL teams which did not advance to the finals, for a total of 10 fights on the card. Tickets for the IFL World Team Championship Final at Mohegan Sun are on sale now and are available through the Mohegan Sun Box Office and Ticketmaster. Customers may log onto www.ticketmaster.com, call any Ticketmaster phone number, or visit any Ticketmaster outlet. The pairing of the Silverbacks and Wolfpack, who advanced to the final with respective semifinal victories in Portland on Nov. 2, brings together many of the league's top athletes in intriguing matchups. The lightweight bout pits the Silverbacks' Bart Palaszewski (Wonderlake, Ill.) against Ryan Schultz (Eagle Creek, Ore.). Sluggers Rory Markham (Chicago) and Chris Wilson (Portland, Ore.) go at it at 170 lbs. Ryan McGivern (Bettendorf, Iowa) takes on Matt Horwich (Gresham, Ore.) in the middleweight division. Mike Ciesnolevicz (Williamstown, Pa.) tangles with Aaron Stark (Portland, Ore.) at light heavyweight, while Ben Rothwell (Kenosha, Wis.) and Devin Cole (Medford, Ore.) battle in the heavyweight bout. In addition to the Gracie-Newton Superfight, four intraleague Superfights involving IFL athletes supplement the card. Erik Owings (New York), who has fought for the Pitbulls, takes on Ed West (Tucson, Ariz.), a member of the Sabres this past year, in a 155-lb. bout. In a pair of light heavyweight fights, Brent Beauparlant (Montreal, Quebec) of the Dragons challenges Alex Schoenauer (Las Vegas) of the Anacondas, while the Pitbulls' Jamal Patterson (Hoboken, N.J.) battles the Tiger Sharks' Reese Andy (Billings, Mont.). Krzysztof Soszynski (Winnipeg, Manitoba) of the Anacondas and Mike Whitehead (Central Point, Ore.), who defeated Mark Kerr in an IFL Superfight in Portland on Nov. 2, clash in a heavyweight matchup. "The Silverbacks and Wolfpack both proved they belong in the finals after their exciting victories in Portland," IFL co-founder and Commissioner Kurt Otto said. "By combining those interesting matchups with the Newton-Gracie Superfight and a series of intraleague Superfights showcasing some of our best athletes, we have a card that fans will really enjoy seeing." The main Superfight will be the second contest between Newton and Gracie. Newton claimed a split decision on Oct. 5, 2003, in Saitama, Japan. It will be the first career matchup for competitors in each of other 10 bouts on the card. About Mohegan Sun Mohegan Sun, owned by the Mohegan Tribe, is one of the largest, most distinctive and spectacular entertainment, gaming, shopping and meeting destinations in the United States. Situated on 240 acres along the Thames River in scenic southeastern Connecticut, Mohegan Sun is within easy access of New York, Boston, Hartford, Providence and located 15 minutes from the museums, antique shops and waterfront of Mystic Country. What began with the Casino of the Earth in 1996 has evolved into a legendary destination that now includes: the Casino of the Sky and over 300,000 square feet of total gaming space; The Shops at Mohegan Sun, featuring more than 60 retail shops and dining venues ranging from food court-style to gourmet; the 10,000-seat Mohegan Sun Arena for world-class sporting events and concerts, and an intimate Cabaret; and a 34-story luxury hotel, featuring 1,200 guestrooms and suites, premier meeting and convention space and a world-class spa. More information is available by calling 1.888.226.7711 or visiting mohegansun.com. IFL World Team Championship Final, Mohegan Sun Arena, Uncasville, Conn., Dec. 29, 2006 Wolfpack vs. Silverbacks 155 lb. Ryan Schultz (Gresham, Ore.) (1-1, 14-8-1) vs. Bart Palaszewski (Wonderlake, Ill.) (4-0, 24-7) 170 lb. Chris Wilson (Portland, Ore.) (1-1, 10-3) vs. Rory Markham (Chicago) (4-0, 10-1) 185 lb. Matt Horwich (Gresham, Ore.) (2-1, 17-7-1) vs. Ryan McGivern (Bettendorf, Iowa) (2-2, 8-3) 205 lb. Aaron Stark (Portland, Ore.) (2-0, 3-2) vs. Mike Ciesnolevicz (Williamstown, Pa.) (1-2, 9-2) 265 lb. Devin Cole (Medford, Ore.) (2-2, 6-3) vs. Ben Rothwell (Kenosha, Wis.) (3-0, 18-5) Intraleague Superfights 155 lb. Erik Owings (New York, N.Y.) (1-1, 1-1) vs. Ed West (Tucson, Ariz.) (0-1. 8-2) 205 lb. Brent Beauparlant (Montreal, Que.) (1-1, 4-2) vs. Alex Schoenauer (Las Vegas, Nev.) (2-2, 10-6) 205 lb. Jamal Patterson (Hoboken, N.J.) (2-0, 2-0) vs. Reese Andy (Billings, Mont.) (1-1, 3-1) 265 lb. Mike Whitehead (Central Pt., Ore.) (1-0, 16-5) vs. Krzysztof Soszynski (Winnipeg, Man.) (2-1, 11-5) Superfight Carlos Newton (Newmarket, Ont.) (0-0, 13-10) vs. Renzo Gracie (Holmdel, N.J.) (1-0, 11-6-1) |
|
From the event's promoter: Fury FC announces some single matches for November 30th: Daniel Acacio, Delson "Pe de Chumbo", Cristiano Marcello and others added to the card! The night of November 30th is rapidly approaching and Fury FC 2 - Final Combat is finally taking shape, with more bouts being announced officially by GSE, the company that produces Fury FC, adding all the elements that are needed for an exciting fighting card. With the finals of the 93 kg Grand Prix set to take place and gather a lot of attention at Tom Brasil, in Sao Paulo, where the show will take place, a lot of curiosity was surrounding the announcement of the single matches that would fill the card, and now some of them are revealed showing the potential for a truly action-packed night of fights. Coming from the famous Chute Boxe academy in Brazil, and a veteran of Pride Bushido, Daniel Acacio is coming to Fury FC willing to claim his place among the top fighters at his weight class in the world. With a solid MMA career that includes a win over Pride Bushido Welterweight GP champion Kazuo Misaki, Acacio will have his hands full rematching IFL veteran Delson "Pe de Chumbo" Heleno, from Gracie Barra Combat Team, as Delson is eager to avange his loss of years ago, and show the amount of improvement he has put on his game every since their first bout. Also a Pride Bushido veteran, and also coming from the Chute Boxe academy, Jiu Jitsu black belt Cristiano Marcello will be making his Fury FC debut facing Lloyd Irving Team's representative David Kaplan, who also trains Muay Thai at Vos Gym in Holland and comes to fight with hopes of extending his undefeated record into the big scene. Kaplan won't be the only American on the card though, as Reality Fighting champion Mike Easton brings an undefeated record to Fury FC as well, facing experienced Brazilian Top Team representative Hudson Rocha, in what has the tools to be an evenly matched bout. In the middle of all those interesting debuts, BJJ stand out Givanildo Santana will be returning to the show, after a win over French Boris Jonstomp at FFC 1. Santana is a former Jiu Jitsu world champion, brings his MMA experience from fighting in Korea and the USA, in a battle against Italian kickboxer Michele Verginelli. Two more bouts are to be added at anytime, as Fury FC 2 - Final Combat takes place next November 30th in Sao Paulo, Brazil! Fury FC 2 - Final Combat: Thursday, November 30th, Tom Brasil, Sao Paulo. Single Matches: Daniel Acacio (Chute Boxe) x Delson "Pe de Chumbo" Heleno (Gracie Barra Combat Team) Givanildo Santana (Lotus) x Michele Verginelli (Italy) Cristiano Marcello (Chute Boxe) x David Kaplan (Lloyd Irvin Team) Hudson Rocha (Brazilian Top Team) x Mike Easton (Lloyd Irvin Team) 93 kg GP - Alternate Match: Luis Arthur "Banha" (Gracie SP) x Joao Assis (Werdum Team) 93 kg GP - Semi-Finals: Vitor Vianna (Brasa) x Danilo "Motoserra" (Gracie Barra Combat Team) Thiago Silva (Chute Boxe) x Cláudio Godoy (Brazilian Top Team) *Winners of the 93 kg GP fight again on the same night to decide the title. Other single matches to be announced soon. Card subject to change. |
| Tuesday - November 21, 2006 |
|
Report by Dustin Lee DePue - Photos by Riley Kerestas Hammond, IN -- A pillar of Midwest MMA, the Ironheart Crown held its eleventh show Saturday night at the Hammond Civic Center. An estimated one-thousand fight fans gathered for the thirteen-fight, Shooto-sanctioned card. As always, the IHC brought in a combination of local and out of state talent to insure a solid night of competitive action. Indeed, it was exactly that, with several close decisions and eight of thirteen fights ending by way of submission. In the main event, Jani Lax edged out John Mahlow in a close match at 154 pounds. Although both fighters were willing to throw leather from all positions, Lax was able to score more consistently in the stand-up exchanges and cause more damage on the ground. He displayed excellent takedown defense as he was able to stifle many attempts by Mahlow throughout the fight. By the third round, Lax had taken over and was on his way to certain victory when Mahlow scored points in the final seconds with an ankle lock attempt that was thwarted by the final bell. While it saved him the round, in the end, Mahler's submission attempt wasn't enough as Jani Lax ring won by split decision. Undefeated lightweight Micah Miller was able to increase his record to 11-0. Miller's original opponent, Joao Herdy, pulled out due to an illness. Josh Lee stepped into the empty slot and came right at Miller, taking him down in the opening moments of the fight. Miller, for his part, appeared unfazed. Fighting out of the Hardcore Gym, which also produced TUF season one winner Forrest Griffin, Miller immediately went to work on Lee's arm, transitioning from an armbar to a triangle choke and finishing Lee just inside a minute and a half. A fight with original opponent Joao Herdy was announced after Miller's win.
Kyle Watson's superior strength helped him smother opponent Dan Spychalski's ground game in their bout at 154 pounds. Spychalski used effective knees from the clinch early but a slip put him on the mat where Watson was eventually able to take his back. Surviving the first round, Spychalski found himself in the same position early in round two as Watson took his back again. This time, however, Watson was able to sink in the rear-naked choke forcing Spychalski to tap.
In the sole Heavyweight fight of the evening, Don Richard battled with Allan Weickert, throwing several submissions at him for a round and a half before finally catching him midway through the second. After big right hand dropped Weickert, Richard followed him to the ground where he secured side control and finished Weickert with a Kimura.
Luke Tesch looked impressive in his debut against Wyatt Hickey. Tesch's strength advantage was clear early on as he mauled Hickey, working him over with knees from the clinch before taking him down. Hickey was game but ultimately, Tesch's aggressive yet technical attack was too much. Hickey's reversal from the bottom gave Tesch a chance to slap on a fight-ending guillotine choke. Full Results: Class A 3x5-minute rounds Jani Lax def. Jon Mahlow by majority decision (29-27, 29-27, 28-29) Micah Miller def. Josh Lee by triangle choke 1:29 R1 Tristan Yunker def. Tom Niinmaki by rear-naked choke 1:34 R1 Kyle Watson def. Dan Spychalski by rear-naked choke 3:33 R2 Class B 2x5-minute rounds Luke Tesch def. Wyatt Hickey by guillotine choke 3:54 R1 Don Richard def. Allan Weickert by Kimura 1:56 R2 Dave Kleczkowski def. Thomas Russell by rear-naked choke 3:37 R1 Aaron Kreke def. Scott McGhee TKO (ref stoppage - strikes) 3:40 R1 Bill Boland def. Rafael Rebello by majority decision (19-19, 19-18, 19-18) Pedro Vianna def. Brad Fonck by triangle choke 2:13 R1 Kris Kanaley drew Johnny Bedford (19-19, 19-19) Jared McMahan drew Mike Bogner (19-19, 19-19) Dan Hornbuckle def. Wane Bogard by side choke 0:36 R1 |
| Wednesday - November 22, 2006 |
|
New episode of FCF Radio In our latest broadcast, we talk with Tim Sylvia and Chael Sonnen. Click here to listen/download. |
| Friday - November 24, 2006 |
From the event's promoter: Jungle Fight Championship 7 "Invades Europe" Amazon, Brazil -- The best Latin American MMA event, Jungle Fight Championship (JFC) will invade Europe on December 17, 2006 Jungle Fight Championship (JFC) in partnership with Makoto Martial Arts will produce the next edition of Jungle Fight Championship in Ljubljana, the capital of Slovenia. This world-class event will be held at the Dvorana Tivoli Arena, one of the best venues in Slovenia with a capacity to entertain 6,000 spectators. "This is the first event we are holding outside of Brazil and we have been working hard to offer the best venue to our fighters and to the public, says Wallid Ismail, Producer/Promoter of Jungle Fights Championships. "Our standards are high and we are very excited to finally bring our show to Slovenia and in fact to the world". The event will be simultaneously broadcast to Brazil, Japan, Canada and Europe on Pay-Per-View and available to everyone around the world through the Internet. During the recent PrideFC event held in Las Vegas, Wallid Ismail, Marcus Vinicius and Peter Nikolic (SLO) solidified the details of an old dream, which was to host a Jungle Fight Championship event in Europe. This is now a reality and the European MMA scene will never be the same! "We promise to deliver some very exciting fights along with our usual high quality production values which are synonymous with the Jungle Fight Championship brand", concludes Wallid. In the main event of the evening the Brazilian Ronaldo "Jacare" Souza Dos Santos will fight for the Medium Weight Championship Belt. Other fighters on this card include: 185lbs Ronaldo Jacare, Brazil - Jiu-Jitsu ASLE/Behring 205lbs Danilo Rodaki, Brazil - Jiu-Jitsu ASLE/Behring 205lbs Steven Cantewell, USA- Jiu-Jitsu Carson Gracie Las Vegas 170lbs Richard Montgomery Jiu-Jitsu Team Assou (just back from the duty in Iraq) 165lbs Dalibor Anastasov, Slovenia MMA Anastasov Team 205lbs Igor Pokrajac,Croatia MMA/Cro Cop Squad 205lbs Antony Rea, France 210lbs Rodrigo Riscado, Brazil *Card subject to change. Jungle Fight Championship's Wallid Ismail is confirming the list of additional fighters and opponents and will provide these details only when the fights are confirmed to avoid any speculation. What is guaranteed is that it will be an exceptional line-up. In addition, Makoto Martial Arts will deliver the best champions of Slovenia, Thailand, Serbia and Bosnia in four fights of the highest caliber. All fighters involved in this world-class event have an excellent curriculum with several international titles. This mixed card event will also have 3 fights of kickboxing and one of boxing. It will be the biggest Jungle Fight Championship of all time! About Jungle Fight Championship Founded by former pro-fighter, Wallid Ismail, Jungle Fight Championship strives to promote an international MMA event that continues the sport's evolution and brings the attention of the world to the preservation of the Amazon Rainforest. In fact, each Jungle Fight Championship event has an Amazon Rainforest exhibition to teach people what they can do to help. |
|
New episode of FCF Radio In our latest broadcast, we talk with Luigi Fioravanti and Shawn Tompkins. Click here to listen/download. |
|
King of the Cage Canada Returns to Edmonton this Sunday The Northlands Agricom in Edmonton, Alberta, will host KOTC Canada's "Amplified" event this Sunday night, November 26th. The promotion once again returns to the Province's capital city, which should be growing quite accustomed to holding MMA events by now, having hosted the Maximum Fighting Championships "Unplugged 2" event just two weeks ago. The KOTC card features several notable up and coming Canadian fighters, as well as an interesting lightheavyweight match up, that might have some serious implications regarding a future title shot against KOTC Canada's current LHW Champion, Travis "The Gladiator" Galbraith. The undercard features an interesting heavyweight match up as Canadian Martial Arts Centre fighter Jared Kilkenny will take on Tim Hague. Kilkenny is beginning to make a name for himself within Canadian heavyweight circles, having strung together seven victories in a row to begin his MMA career. Perhaps more impressively, Kilkenny has defeated all of his opponents via strikes, winning three of his bouts by KO, two by TKO, and another two via submission due to strikes. Most recently, Kilkenny stopped Geese Jones in five seconds at Ultimate Cage Wars 6 on October 28th. The Edmonton native Hague, also comes into this fight undefeated, however, only has two bouts under his belt. At KOTC "Icebreaker" on November 3rd in Prince George, British Columbia, the 260-pound heavyweight defeated Jesse Jones by submission. In his MMA debut at KOTC "Detonator" in September, Hague also won via submission, defeating Eric Macdonald. The welterweight match up between Jacob Macdonald and Elmer Waterhen could turn out to be one of the more entertaining bouts of the evening, as both fighters have begun to establish reputations as aggressive fighters. Recently Canadian MMA fans were treated to a fantastic slugfest between Macdonald and Jason Mackay that was broadcast nationally on "The Score" television network's "Hardcore Championship Fighting" program. In what was an extremely competitive fight, Macdonald lost by unanimous decision to Mackay in his most recent appearance, dropping his combined pro-am record to 2-6. Waterhen has also forged a reputation as a strong entertaining striker who has been known to utilize effective knees. In his last fight against tough Lethbridge welterweight, Jesse Bongfeldt, Waterhen lost via a side choke in round two at Rumble In the Cage 18. Within his combined pro-am record of 8-6-1, Waterhen holds notable victories over JP Pocock and Tim Thurston. Jason "Dooms" Day will meet Ricardeau Francois in a lightheavyweight bout that will likely see the victor take on the division's KOTC Canada Champion Travis Galbraith. Francois fought Galbraith for the title in June at the promotion's "Widowmaker" card, losing to the future Pride competitor by guillotine choke. The 6'6" tall Francois, who is known to have a penchant for striking, comes to the event with a 12-6 record, and is best known for defeating Wes Sims, and nearly defeating "The Ultimate Fighter" finalist Patrick Cote in 2005. Jason Day has won three fights in a row since losing to MFC LHW Champion Victor Valimaki by submission in September. This Saturday's fight against Francois will mark the second time Day has fought in just over two weeks, as the Lethbridge fighter defeated Shawn Marchand at MFC "Unplugged 2" on November 11th by TKO. Day has one win and one loss against IFL heavyweight Krzysztof Soszynski, and has also defeated tough Winnipeg veteran Chris Fontaine. The main event of the card is a non Canadian affair, as Ruben "Warpath" Villareal (10-10-3) takes on Wade Hamilton (13-8) in a heavyweight clash. Some of the cards other match ups include; the younger brother of UFC bound Victor Valimaki, Danny Valimaki, taking on Dan Miller, David Mah fighting Joe Patton, and Jimmy Boyd meeting the Chris Ade. The veteran Ade won his last fight at Vancouver's Elite Fighting 2 in September in spectacular fashion, stopping Leonard Carter with strikes in just 11 seconds. Shah Franco Fighter Bill Boland Makes MMA Debut a Successful One Team Shah Franco member Bill Boland made his professional MMA debut last weekend at Iron Heart Crown 11 "Apocalypse", winning a majority decision victory over Rafael Rebello. For the Sylvio Behring affiliated team that boasts several highly acclaimed jiu-jitsu specialists like Antonio Carvalho, Justin Bruckmann, and Richard Nancoo, Boland's career may indeed be well worth keeping an eye on. "Professors Shah Franco and Sylvio Behring, Justin Bruckmann, Antonio Carvalho, Richard Nancoo, and Marco Costa have all been major influences since I started training five years ago," says Boland in praising his teammates and instructors. "Having world class instruction and training partners gives me a psychological edge. The level on this team is so high that I'm not afraid to step in ring with anyone. That's not to say I think I can beat anybody you put in front of me, far from it, but I certainly won't be intimidated. Team Franco / Behring is more than just my team, they are family to me." Boland also has an amateur win under his belt, having defeated Jeff Sutherland by TKO at UCW 2 in June of 2005. The fulltime police officer is looking forward to more appearances in the "professional" MMA circuit, a commitment to his training that must be balanced carefully with his home life and his profession. "My family is the most important thing in my life. MMA is second to that, and policing is third. The reason for this is quite simple; without my family and jiu jitsu there is no way I would have become a police officer. I could live a very satisfying life without police work, but if I were to lose my family or jiu-jitsu I just wouldn't be able to function." |
| Monday - November 27, 2006 |
|
The dispute between Rogerio and Arona for the right to face Wanderlei Silva, took another spicy and controversial turn after the final of the PrideFC 83kg Grand Prix. After the event, Paulo Filho was asked if he was really planning to go up to the middleweight division and who he would like to fight. Filho said that he would just like to make one fight in the 93kg division. "My normal weight is 97kg; I just came down to 83kg because I have a lot of friends in that division. My main goal in 83kg is to face the champion, Dan Henderson, but I really would like to go up to the 93kg category to face Shogun in a special fight. I never forgot the day he said I was the next in line [the day he beat Ricardo Arona]. I will show him the real Jiu-Jitsu game that he will not be able to blink his eye," Filho challenged, starting a new chapter in the war between BTT and Chute Boxe.
|
|
From the event's promoter: Place: Auburn Super-Mall, Vision Quest Sport and Fitness. Date: Dec 2nd 2006 Time: Doors open 7PM, Fights start 8PM General Admission tickets $25, VIP $30, Ringside $40-$50 Tickets available at: Vision Quest – Auburn Supermall 253-333-7771 AMC Kickboxing & Pankration – Kirkland 425-822-9656 www.pankration.com Don't miss the superfight!!!! Special 3 man tag challenge to end the night as over 1400 pounds collide, this may bring the ring down!! MMA, Kickboxing, Lightweight Grand Prix MMA semifinals, "The Superfight", and The tag team challenge match!!!! Ian Wallace vs Chris Zaragoza 160 MMA Andy Palmer vs Jovon Curtis 160 MMA Fred Ward vs Anthony Matney 160 MMA Abraham Velasco vs Brian Roberge 185 MMA Demetrious Johnson vs Michael Arias 130 MMA Paul Franz vs Aaron Park 185 MMA Roque Martinez vs Tua Aiono Hvy MMA Adrian Simmons vs Michael Briggs 145 (Kickboxing) Jett Dorage vs Jesse Davis 145 MMA Grand prix semi's Bobby Brokenshire vs Zach Mukai 145 MMA MMA Grand prix semi's Taurean Washington vs Caros Fodor 170 MMA Super fight title match Submission wrestling challenge tag team match: White Buffalo Hunters - Brent Knopp, Malembe Gonzales, & Kenan Erden vs White Buffalo Rockstars - John Hall, Kevin Moore, & Shawn Cahill |
|
From the event's promoter: INTERNATIONAL FIGHT LEAGUE (IFL) COMPLETES 12 TEAM FIELD FOR INAUGURAL 2007 SEASON BY ADDINING CHICAGO-BASED TEAM OF RUSSIAN FIGHTERS Red Bears will live and train together in a renovated Fire House NEW YORK, November 27, 2006 – The International Fight League (IFL) today announced that completion of its 12-team field for its 2007 season, adding a Chicago-based team of Russian fighters named the Red Bears. The inaugural IFL season will begin in the first quarter of 2007, with the 11 date full season schedule to be announced shortly. "We are very pleased that we have been able to add this group of up-and-coming athletes as the 12th team for our first full season," said IFL Co-founder and Commissioner Kurt Otto. "Chicago is a hotbed for the sport and this will create a great natural rivalry with our Quad Cities team, as well as giving the strong Russian following of the sport a team to follow and connect with." The Red Bears will be coached by MMA veteran Igor Zinoviev and will consist of a roster of athletes from Russia, who will live and train together in a renovated fire house in Chicago. The announcement of the Chicago-based team brings to 12 the final number for the IFL's first season. Teams based in Reno, Nevada; Tucson, Arizona; and Orange County, California, were announced earlier in the fall, and will join with the original eight IFL teams who have competed in the IFL "Legends" and "World Team Championship" tournaments which were held this spring and fall. The final IFL event for 2006 will take place at Mohegan Sun in Uncasville, Connecticut on Friday, December 29 between the Moline-based Silverbacks and the Portland-based Wolfpack. |
|
From the event's promoter: Roger Gracie makes mixed martial arts pro debut vs. Ron Waterman Roger Gracie of the famed Brazilian Jiu Jitsu Gracie family makes his mixed martial arts (MMA) debut against ex-WWE superstar Ron Waterman at BodogFight's spectacular pay-per-view event at Vancouver's PNE Agrodome on Saturday, December 2. This headline Superfight will stamp Vancouver as an elite MMA destination city alongside Tokyo and Las Vegas. "Bringing Roger Gracie and his family's tradition to Vancouver marks a new era in sports entertainment," says Bodog.com Entertainment Founder Calvin Ayre, whose company recently announced plans for international expansion into the European and Asian markets. "MMA is one of the world's fastest growing spectator sports and BodogFight is holding its promise to deliver fans incredible matchups." Roger Gracie is a highly decorated Brazilian Jiu Jitsu practitioner and son of Reyla Gracie, the daughter of Carlos Gracie and Mauricio Motta Gomes. Carlos Gracie was co-founder of the Brazilian Jiu Jitsu (BJJ) discipline and Mauricio Motta Gomes holds a seventh degree BJJ black belt and is one of the sport's foremost authorities. With such pedigree, it's easy to understand why this debut carries such significance in the MMA world. The Gracie fighting heritage, which spans five generations, has fallen from the top ranks of the fighting world because the spotlight has been seized by a succession of American wrestlers and hybridized MMA competitors. However, 24-year-old phenom Roger is the great hope for the Gracie family to reclaim prominence in the sport in the 21st century. Gracie isn't shy about his chances Saturday, proclaiming in a recently published Bodog Nation article that he will submit Waterman, a 13-year veteran in the sport. "I know my physical conditioning is better than his, so it'll be in the first or second round, maximum," Gracie predicted, sparking a war of words. To read the full article, visit the popular online magazine Bodog Nation (http://www.bodognation.com/bodog-news/bodogfight-the-war-of-words.html). BodogFight: Season I culminates Saturday with a spectacular fight card featuring the eight Team USA vs. Russia matches, three incredible Superfights headlined by Gracie's MMA debut and two undercard bouts guaranteed to provide heavy-handed stand-up action. For ticket and PPV ordering information go to http://www.bodogfight.com/ppv/. With the PPV date closing in, fight fans are already anticipating BodogFight: St. Petersburg, scheduled for filming through December in St. Petersburg, Russia, which will be topped off with BodogFight's second live pay-per-view event in March. Biographies of all fighters, exclusive footage, and unedited interviews from the St. Petersburg filming will soon be available at BodogFight's official website, www.bodogfight.com , with additions added to "The Latest" section as MMA news happens. Each second season episode will air simultaneously on the BodogFight.com broadband network and in over 43 million homes across the United States on DISH network and Men's Outdoor and Recreation. |
| Tuesday - November 28, 2006 |
|
By Marcelo Alonso After not fighting in the Pride Bushido final due to a knee injury (a torn meniscus), Paulo Filho received more bad news 24 hours before having his knee surgery. His father and number 1 fan, Paulo Fernandes had chest pains and had to go to the hospital. "He wasn't able to undergo surgery for his heart due to his kidney problems. So the doctors are taking care of his kidney first, to try to make the heart surgery after", said Filho.
With all of this on his mind, Filho underwent knee surgery on November 23rd. According to his doctor, Dr. Cláudio Vítor, the surgery was a great success and the Brazilian Top Team black belt should be fully recovered and back in training, in one month. The doctor, who has already performed surgeries on Rodrigo "Minotauro" Nogueira and Mario Sperry, supported Filho's decision to not fight the Bushido GP final. "He got a meniscus rupture during the fight. Due to this injury, Filho made the right decision in not fighting in the final of the tournament. Many soccer players stayed out of last world cup due to the same problem. In my opinion, the knee is more important in a fight than in a soccer game, because a fighter needs to have a [stable] base and [must also be able to] kick", said Dr. Claudio.
"My big problem now is my father. I know my knee will be recovered and soon I can fight for other belts, but my father is my main concern right now," Filho said after the surgery. The upset Filho's expression quickly changed when he was asked about Wanderlei Silva's statements. "He attacked my honor when he said I chickened out, now it's totally personal, I hope he agrees to fight me. I'll make him swallow his words", guaranteed Filho. |
|
New episode of FCF Radio In our latest broadcast, we talk with Marcus Davis, and ECC Promoter, Peter Martel. Click here to listen/download. |
|
"Dooms" Day Defeats Francois At KOTC "Amplified" In Key Canadian LHW Battle King of the Cage Canada held its latest event Sunday afternoon, November 26th, at Northlands Agricom, in a snowy and cold Edmonton, Alberta, continuing a trend it seems of hosting events in poor weather conditions. The organization's last event, November 3rd, in Prince George, British Columbia, "Icebreaker," also fell victim to Father Winter. "That weather was the worst," says KOTC Canada Promoter Ken Kupsch in regards to the Edmonton weather Sunday. "If it wasn't for KOTC in Canada, I'd move to Phoenix tomorrow! It did hurt our attendance but we still had about 1,500." Although "Amplified's" main event featured Wade Hamilton losing by KO to Ruben "Warpath" Villareal, the card's most compelling match up from a Canadian title shot perspective was likely the Jason Day, Ricardeau Francois lightheavyweight fight. As a result of Day returning to his winning ways with conviction, since losing to Victor Valimaki in a MFC LHW title bid in September, it has been widely suspected that Day would get a title shot in KOTC if he defeated Francois Sunday. For Francois, who lost to current KOTC LHW Champion Travis Galbraith in June, defeating Day would re-affirm his status as one of the division's top fighters, and possibly assure a future rematch with Galbraith down the road. Unfortunately for Francois, however, the Lethbridge fighter Day would be too much, submitting the Quebec fighter in the first round. "It was a very quick fight, I stuck to my game plan and closed the distance fast and was very aggressive," says Day in recalling the fight Sunday. "I landed some hard shots from mount and he tapped several times very clearly. I don't know why I stood up, very amateur mistake; I'm still shaking my head. As I stood up I saw a confused look on the refs face and I knew he didn't see it, Francois didn't fess up, I don't blame him, we restarted standing and I put him in a guillotine very fast, and didn't let go till the ref pried me off." The win elevates Day's combined pro-am record to 13-6, while Francois's drops to 12-7. It appears that Day's busy fight schedule will continue, as the fighter has several more opportunities already on the horizon. "I am fighting here in Lethbridge on the New Years show," Day tells FCF, "as long as Lee can get me an opponent, he has had a couple fall through. I have a fight in January as well but I am not sure if it is confirmed yet and then yes Mark Pavelich (MFC Promoter) has me fighting Martin Desilet on his card in February, which I am very much looking forward too. I would love to fight Galbraith, but I am not sure if it will happen. I know he is fighting Craig Brown in January and he mentioned something about Pride in the New Year so I guess we will see if I get the chance. He has gained a lot of respect in the last year and I would like the chance to prove that I can beat him." Day's Canadian Martial Arts Centre teammate, Justin "Houdini" Tavernini was also victorious Sunday, as the bantamweight fighter moved up a weight division to fight David Mah on short notice. Tavernini, apparently not bothered by his Mah's size, submitted his opponent with a triangle choke in round two. "I took the fight on Thursday, so three days notice." Tavernini tells FCF in recalling the fight. "I stepped on the scale fully dressed and weighed 145, I gave up the weight for the experience. I knew I would be technically way better than him. After I rocked him standing up he finally started to try and take me down, I stuffed him a few times in the first round. In the second round he got me down and right away I set up the triangle choke witch finished him." The news was not all good for the Lethbridge CMAC Team, as their heavyweight Jared Kilkenny's undefeated streak finally came to an end against Edmonton's Tim Hague. Despite having Hague in considerable trouble; and a reported delay in the action due to Hague missing his mouthpiece, Hague came back to defeat the heavily favored Kilkenny, winning the fight by TKO in the 2nd round. "The underdog, Tim Hague was amazing," says KOTC promoter Kupsch. "Wounded bad and covered in blood, he still beat J-Rod (Kilkenny)." Pride Signs Canadian Middleweight Joe Doerksen One of Canada's top ranked middleweight fighters, Joe "El Dirte" Doerksen confirmed to FCF this week that he has indeed signed with the Japanese MMA organization Pride. Doerksen, who has won 5 fights in a row since his last loss which occurred against Nathan Marquardt at UFC 58, could not offer a confirmed date for his Pride debut. The IFL and UFC veteran heads to Pride with an impressive 37-9 record. Vancouver Gets Ready for BodogFight This Saturday The city of Vancouver, British Columbia, is a wash in BodogFight advertising for this Saturday's, December 2nd, event to be held at the PNE Agrodome. Hopefully by then the cities weather will improve, as the region has been decimated with record rainfalls this month and a recent dump of snow, cold weather, which is far from typical for the usually mild climate. On the good side, it does appear that the fighters, MMA journalists, and MMA fans traveling to the city will be able to drink the tap water, as a boil water advisory was finally lifted Monday. The region's water reservoirs had been spoiled with mud and dirt due to the horrid weather. The event kicks off at 5pm Saturday, an early start, due to the fact that the card has 13 fights scheduled, including the Team USA, Red Devils finals match up, and 3 super fights. It was also announced this week that local fighter and Team Revolution lightheavyweight Todd Gouwenberg has been added to the card, as he will take on the veteran Ron Faircloth. |
Click here to order securely online with your credit card or print off the order form & mail it in with your payment |
Check out what's in the current issue of FCF ...| Wednesday - November 29, 2006 |
|
From the event's promoter: INTERNATIONAL FIGHT LEAGUE (IFL) BECOMES PUBLICLY TRADED COMPANY Completes Merger and Begins Trading Under New Stock Symbol: IFLI NEW YORK, November 29, 2006 - International Fight League, Inc. (OTC.BB: IFLI), the world's first team-based professional mixed martial arts league, today reached another milestone in its early history, becoming one of a handful of professional sports entities to be traded as a public company. Effective today, the IFL begins trading on the over the counter bulletin board under the symbol "IFLI." "This is a landmark day for all fight sports, ranging from Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) to professional boxing," said IFL CEO Gareb Shamus. "As a publicly traded sports entity, the IFL will be able to help the sport grow beyond its current boundaries and move into the mainstream with both fans and business partners. MMA has seen some significant growth in the last few years, from the emergence of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) on Spike TV to increasing ratings and attendance numbers, and we expect our model to add to that success in this new expanded international sports marketplace." "For a long time, champions of the sport like Ken Shamrock, Frank Shamrock, Renzo Gracie, Matt Lindland, Bas Rutten, Antonio Inoki and Pat Miletich have never been able to achieve the renown in the mainstream that they have long sought," said IFL Commissioner Kurt Otto. "By becoming a public company and having them part of the IFL, we feel that not only these legends, but the next wave of athletes, will get more of what they work for and deserve in terms of recognition. It's a great day for all fans, business partners and competitors in the sport of Mixed Martial Arts." The IFL, which began less than eight months ago with the IFL "Legends Championship" at the Trump Taj Mahal in Atlantic City, New Jersey has already experienced success on every level. Early developments have included:
Each of the nine regular season IFL events will consist of four teams -- each with an athlete in all five weight classes competing -- along with a special Superfight, for a minimum of 11 bouts per card. The team that wins the best three of five match setup will be declared the team winner for the match, similar to collegiate and high school wrestling meets. The IFL also differs from other MMA organizations in that the bouts are held in an oversized five rope boxing ring with three four minute rounds, each designed to create the most compelling in-arena experience for local fans. All events will be subject to the rules and approval of the applicable state athletic commission. The scoring system is similar to professional boxing as well. However, in the event of a draw, a fourth round will take place to decide a winner. The four IFL regular season teams with the best records will move on to the IFL semi-finals expected to be in early August, 2007, with the first IFL Team Champion expected to be crowned in mid-September, 2007. After receiving the requisite shareholder approval at Monday's special meeting of Paligent, Inc. (OTC.BB: PGNT) shareholders, the IFL completed its previously announced merger with Paligent, which was effective at 1:01 A.M. this morning. The merger became effective immediately after a 1-for-20 reverse stock split by Paligent. Immediately following the merger, Paligent changed its name to International Fight League, Inc. Shareholders of Paligent will continue to own their post-split shares, but will be entitled to receive new certificates representing the same number of IFL shares of common stock as the number of post-split Paligent shares they held, which will constitute approximately 5% of the outstanding stock of IFL. The holders of the pre-merger International Fight League, Inc. shares of common stock (including the converted Series A preferred stock) will be entitled to receive approximately 1.032373 shares of post-merger Paligent shares of common stock, which will constitute approximately 95% of the outstanding stock of IFL. Letters of transmittal will be sent to appropriate holders for them to receive their new shares. About the IFL International Fight LeagueTM (IFL) is the world's first professional mixed martial arts sports league. IFL has its headquarters in New York, NY and offices in Las Vegas, NV. For more information about IFL, please see: www.ifl.tv Forward-Looking Statements: This release contains forward-looking statements pursuant to the safe harbor provisions of the Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, which are subject to various risks and IFL's management's expectations, hopes, beliefs, intentions or strategies regarding the future financial condition, and results of operations. There can be no assurance that future developments actually affecting IFL will be those anticipated. Important factors that could cause actual results to differ (favorably or unfavorably) from the expectations stated in this release include the risks and uncertainties such as the conditions of the markets for live events, broadcast television, cable television, pay-per-view, Internet, entertainment, professional sports, and licensed merchandise; acceptance of the Company's brands, media and merchandise within those markets; uncertainties relating to litigation; risks associated with producing live events; uncertainties associated with international markets; risks relating to maintaining and renewing key agreements, including television distribution agreements; effects of competition, including locations of competitors and operating and market competition.. Should one or more of these risks or uncertainties materialize, or should any of the Company's assumptions prove incorrect, actual results may vary in material respects from those projected in these forward-looking statements. IFL undertakes no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as may be required under applicable securities laws. This press release may include the opinions of IFL and does not necessarily include the views of any other person or entity. The names of all International Fight League, Inc. televised and live programming, teams, images, and logos are trademarks, which are the exclusive property of International Fight League, Inc. All other trademarks and tradenames mentioned in this release are the property of their respective owners, and are not affiliated with IFL in any way. |
| © All materials contained in the Full Contact Fighter web site are protected by copyright and to be used only for personal and noncommercial uses. Public display or copying for sale or public distribution of any of these materials is strictly prohibited. |