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| Friday - December 1, 2006 |
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By Peter Parsons Halifax, NS – December 1 -- The Oasis Bar & Grill once again played host to the weigh-ins for the Extreme Cage Combat promotion, which is now venturing into its fourth show. ECC 4 "Fury" is a 10-fight card that will take place tomorrow night at the Halifax Forum. The main event of the first three ECC shows featured New Glasgow, Nova Scotia native Jason "The Athlete" MacDonald , who recently went on to fight in the UFC. Halifax's own Roger Hollett was the semi-main event to Jason MacDonald at ECC 1 and 3 and hopes to someday follow in MacDonald's footsteps to the UFC. Hollett (2-0) now moves up to main event status as he faces ECC 1 veteran Ray Penny in tomorrow night's feature bout. Georgetown, Ontario native Penny (1-0) won his pro debut at the inaugural ECC show by first-round KO in a heavyweight bout. Penny is coming down to light-heavy to face local standout Hollett.
In the semi-main event, Dartmouth, NS native TJ Grant (3-0) battles BTT Canada fighter Eric Beaulieu (6-8). All three of Grant's victories have come by way of armbar submission. Beaulieu is an experienced fighter who has fought for the big promotions in Quebec, including TKO and Apex. In another feature bout, Picot County, NS native Jason MacKay (3-0) squares off against Sudbury, Ontario's Dan Grandmaison (2-2). MacKay is coming off of a unanimous decision victory in the Apex promotion. MacKay's Apex fight was featured earlier this week on cable TV on The Score, which is one of Canada's main sports channels.
The weigh-ins, conducted by the Nova Scotia Boxing Authority, were followed by a rules meeting. Referee-in-chief Hubert Earle read over the rules to the fighters and media in attendance. Of note, elbow strikes to the head of a downed opponent will now be allowed. The first three ECC events have not allowed elbows to the head on the ground. The Nova Scotia Boxing Authority's rules now look very similar to that of the Unified Rules of MMA used by most prominent athletic commissions in North America. Weigh-in results:
Doors open tomorrow night at 7pm with fights starting at 8pm. |
| Saturday - December 2, 2006 |
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Captures Icon Sport Middleweight Title Report by Chris Onzuka - Photos by Aaron Meyer
FULL RESULTS: Icon Sport 48: Unstoppable Held December 1, 2006 At Blaisdell Arena - Honolulu, Hawaii
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| Sunday - December 3, 2006 |
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Gracie Victorious In Debut, Pele Stops Silva Report by Kelsey Mowatt - Photos by Mike Neva The PNE Agrodome in Vancouver, British Columbia, hosted BodogFight's pay per view event Saturday night, featuring the promotion's Team USA vs Team Russia match ups, 3 "Superfights", and 2 other additional bouts which featured local fighters. In the evening's main event, submission grappling phenom Roger Gracie defeated Ron Waterman, tapping out the UFC and Pride veteran with an armbar at 3:38 of round 1. Despite giving up an astonishing 55 pounds to the much larger, and physically imposing Waterman, the much smaller Gracie, who came in at 220 pounds at Friday's weigh in, looked calm and collected in his MMA debut. "People always ask me, "how come I look so relaxed?" said Gracie to reporters after his victory. "I guess it is just in my nature." Waterman almost immediately began looking for the takedown after the opening bell sounded, and despite Gracie's ability to fend off his initial attempts from the clinch, Waterman eventually swept Gracie to the mat. Attacking the Brazilian fighter from sidemount, Gracie quickly worked Waterman back into his defenses and began looking for submissions with a high guard. From there Gracie isolated Waterman's right arm and attempted his first submission of the evening, only to have his opponent escape the arm bar by slamming Gracie free. Waterman, at the insistence of corner man Matt Lindland, began to posture up more effectively from within Gracie's guard, and landed a couple of right hands to the head of the Brazilian. Gracie however, continued to remain calm and soon once again had Waterman's right arm trapped, swinging his hips around to offer yet another arm bar attempt. This time however, Waterman was unable to wrestle himself free, tapping to the submission at 3:38 of round 1. A jubilant Gracie contingent, that included among others; IFL Coach Renzo Gracie, poured into the ring, hoisting the victorious MMA rookie Roger on top of there shoulders.
But the news was not all good for the Brazilian fighters tonight, as the highly heralded and previously undefeated Antonio Silva fell to King of the Cage Superheavyweight Eric Pele, losing to the 300 pound plus giant by TKO. Silva, who weighed in Friday at 296 pounds, had Pele in considerable trouble early on, peppering his opponent with hard punching combinations that sent Pele reeling across the ring. With Silva in hot pursuit, the two wound up crashing to the ground nearly falling through the ring ropes. Silva appeared to be on the verge of victory, punishing Pele further from the top position on the ground. The fight however, had to be temporarily halted, as the fighters appeared to be on the verge of falling out of the ring. When the fight was resumed it was not in the centre of the ring with Silva in the same dominant top position, but rather, with both fighters standing. With Silva almost immediately landing an inadvertent low blow to Pele via an errant leg kick attempt, the fight was delayed even further. As the action finally resumed a thunderous right hand from Pele greeted the pursuing Silva, sending the Brazilian superheavyweight to the canvas. Pele continued to punish Silva from the top position, landing a couple of more punches to Silva as he struggled to defend himself. Referee Kevin Dorman halted the action at 2:40 of round one, giving Pele the upset TKO victory while Silva and his incensed corner vehemently protested the stoppage.
In what arguably featured the most notable match up of the night, Trevor Prangley battled his way to a unanimous decision victory over the experienced Russian middleweight Andrei Semenov. Prangley utilized his wrestling skills effectively throughout the bout, taking Semenov to the mat several times to avoid further damage, or stopping the Russian's takedown attempts transversely when he was bettering Semenov in the stand up exchanges. Despite an admirable and passionate performance by Semenov, there was little doubt that Prangley would be awarded the decision victory after the final bell sounded.
Eddie Alvarez electrified the Vancouver crowd with a stunning knock out of American Top Team fighter Aaron Riley. The MFC welterweight Champion rocked Riley early on with a devastating uppercut that marked the beginning of the end for his veteran opponent. A vicious onslaught of punches from Alvarez, only seconds later, gave the referee no choice but to halt the action at 1:05 of round 1, extending Alvarez's record to 9-0. Local Team Revolution fighters, Rob Velek and Todd Gouwenberg, were both victorious in front of their hometown fans, as Velek stopped Tim Smith in just 35 seconds by TKO, while Gouwenberg knocked out UFC veteran Ron Faircloth at 1:34 of round 1. No attendance figures were announced Saturday night, however, estimates of approximately 3,000 were given by some of the Bodog staff at the event. |
| Monday - December 4, 2006 |
 New episode of FCF Radio In our latest broadcast, we talk with Patrick Cote and Apex Canadian WW Champ, Rowan Cunningham. Click here to listen/download. |
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By Marcelo Alonso After Wanderlei Silva and Mauricio Shogun, Chute Boxe Team has launched another very tough fighter in 93kg division. After knocking out two opponents in less than five minutes, Thiago Silva was awarded the Fury FC title belt from the hands of his idol and teammate, Wanderlei Silva. "He is definitely the toughest 93kg fighter from Brazil in this weight division and he proved that tonight," said Wanderlei. After submitting Dutch fighter Dave Dalgliesh in the first round of the Grand Prixin September, Silva just needed little more than three minutes to knock out Cláudio Godoy (BTT) with a series of punches. Silva then went on to the final to defeat the tough Vitor Vianna (Brasa), who had eliminated Danilo Motoserra (GBCT) by unanimous decision. "His kick is very strong, just like Shogun's," said Chute Boxe leader, Rudimar Fedrigo. Silva's victory in the finals came in less than two minutes, after breaking Vianna's arm with a powerful kick. The event also had the victory of Délson Pé-de-Chumbo over Daniel Acácio. Acácio had already beaten Pé-de-Chumbo at Meca, the most traditional MMA event in the world. Another amazing bout was Cristiano Marcello, one of the BJJ responsible person at the Chute Boxe academy, vs. David Kaplan (Lloyd Irvin Team ), in which Marcello won by triangle choke. Names like Wanderlei Silva, Maurício Shogun and Fabrício Werdum were in São Paulo to check out the event and watch the bouts.
Thursday, November 30th, 2006 Tom Brasil, São Paulo - Mike Easton (Lloyd Irvin Team) def. Hudson Rocha ( BTT ) - KO in R2 - Luis Arthur Banha (Gracie SP) def. Joao Assis ( Werdum team) - TKO in R1 - Fabricio Monteiro (GBCT) def. Mauricio Amado (CB) - TKO in R1 - Rodrigo Ruiz def. Carlos Ramon (Tozzi) – Guillotine choke in R1 - Cristiano Marcello (CB) def. David Kaplan ( Lloyd Irvin Team ) - Triangle choke in R2 - Givanildo Santanna ( Lotus ) def. Michele Verginelli (Verginelli team) - Armbar in R1 - Delson Pé-de-Chumbo ( GBCT ) def. Daniel Acacio (CB) - Unanimous decision GP: -Vitor Vianna (Never Shake) def. Danilo Motosserra (GBCT) - Decision - Thiago Silva (Macaco) def. Claudio Godoy - KO in R1 - Thiago Silva (Macaco) def. Vitor Vianna (Never Shake) - Desistence in R1 |
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St. Pierre Makes Appearance at ECC 4 Report by Peter Parsons - Photo by Steve Sullivan Halifax, NS – Dec 2 – ECC 4 "Fury" was an action packed night of knockouts and submissions alike with only one hard fought decision. The Halifax faithful were also treated to a special guest appearance by none other then UFC Welterweight champion Georges St. Pierre. St. Pierre was in Nova Scotia teaching a two-day seminar in Truro, a town one hour north of Halifax. FCF caught up with St. Pierre in the night's intermission between the champ being mobbed by fans. "I didn't know that they had MMA in the Maritimes, but I'm very happy about that," said St. Pierre of the ECC, Atlantic Canada's only MMA promotion. When asked about the UFC coming to Montreal St. Pierre replied, "The UFC might come to Montreal in 2007 if I win my next fight, then hopefully my fight after that will be in Montreal." Always fan friendly, St. Pierre didn't disappoint the Halifax crowd as he continuously signed autographs and posed for pictures. In the night's main event Halifax's own Roger Hollett improved his record to 3-0 with a victory over Boreland Combat Team fighter Ray "The Hitman" Penny. Penny came out throwing leg kicks that Hollett answered with punches. After tasting Hollett's power, Penny worked hard for the early takedown that Hollett was successfully able to defend. The fighters worked hard from the clinch exchanging knees. Hollett disengaged and landed a hard left hook. Penny shot desperately for the takedown that Hollett stuffed and ended up on top in side control. Hollett quickly advanced to full mount. Penny gave up his back and Hollett secured the fight ending rear naked choke at 2:37 of the first round.
Hollett has won 3 in a row in front of his home town and now looks to take his game west for a fight in the MFC. "I'm going out to Edmonton February 3 to take on Mike Mauer," says Hollett of his next endeavor. Mauer, a professional football player with the Edmonton Eskimos of the Canadian Football League, sports an MMA record of 1-0. "I'm really excited for this opportunity. There's going to be a lot of media at this event and it will be great exposure for me." In the night's semi-main event, Dartmouth, Nova Scotia's TJ Grant faced off against veteran Montreal fighter Eric Beaulieu of BTT Canada in a battle of welterweights. Coming into the fight Grant was 3-0 with three submission victories by way of armbar. Grant showed he can also strike dropping Beaulieu with a big right hand. Grant pounced on Beaulieu with a flurry of punches getting the TKO victory at just 33 seconds of round one. Next up for Grant is a fight in KOTC/Freedom Fight in January in Hull Quebec. In another feature bout of the evening, Pictou County, Nova Scotia native Jason Mackay took on fellow Apex and ECC veteran Dan Grandmaison of Sudbury, Ontario. MacKay scored a big slam takedown that landed him in side mount where he quickly advanced to full mount. Grandmaison looked to roll MacKay and MacKay transitioned to the armbar forcing the tap out at 3:12 of the first round. MacKay improves his record to 4-0 while Grandmaison drops to 2-3. Team Nestor fighter Marc-Andre Joly stepped up on just 3 days notice to fight Team Boreland fighter Shawn Krysa who was originally scheduled to face BTT Canada fighter Fabio Hollanda. Joly attempted a spinning backfist and Krysa quickly closed the distance and got Joly's back and proceeded to drag Joly to the mat. From all fours, Joly was able to roll out of the rear mount position and ended up in Krysa's guard where Krysa got the quick armbar at 1:37 of the first round. Georges St. Pierre left his VIP table for the fifth fight of the evening to corner BTT Canada fighter Nelson Requelme as he took on Alex Sung of Gagetown, New Brunswick. Requelme produced the highlight of the night at ECC 3 scoring a huge spinning backfist knockout. Requelme was unable to duplicate his fireworks at ECC 4 although he tried at the beginning of round three throwing a glancing spinning backfist, however Sung quickly took the fight back to the ground. Sung, a captain in the Canadian Armed Forces, showed very impressive takedowns and was able to ground and pound his way to a hard fought unanimous decision victory. The Extreme Cage Combat promotion continues to produce successful events in front of large maritime crowds. At press time, arena officials were unable to give exact numbers, but estimated 3,500 spectators were in attendance for ECC 4. The ECC looks to continue its successful run with their next show tentatively set for April of '07. For more extensive coverage on ECC 4, be sure to check out the next issue of Full Contact Fighter. Extreme Cage Combat 4 "Fury" Results
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From the event's promoter: New York, NY ... Kickboxing standouts Gina Carano (2-0) and Elaina Maxwell (1-0) will make history when the two square off with each other in the first-ever Strikeforce women's mixed martial arts bout that will take place on the promotion's "Triple Threat" world championship fight card being presented by BodogFIGHT at San Jose, California's HP Pavilion on Friday. The meeting between the 24-year-old Carano of Las Vegas, Nevada and the 27-year-old Maxwell, who hails from San Jose, will serve as a rematch to their kickboxing bout that took place on the K-1 "Mayhem At Mirage" card at Las Vegas' Mirage Hotel and Casino on August 14th of last year. Carano controlled much of the action during the first matchup before earning a victory by way of unanimous judges' decision. Carano has since been in effective in pioneering a place for women in the sport of mixed martial arts. Six months ago, she made another mark by facing Leiticia Pestova in the first-ever women's mixed martial arts contest in the state of Nevada. In the early seconds of the fight that was staged at the Orleans Casino in Las Vegas, Pestova shot in and took Carano down. Carano quickly gained top position and mounted Pestova before unleashing a barrage that prompted the referee to stop the fight at the 39 second mark and award Carano the victory by way of technical knockout. A long-time student of Muay Thai trainer, Master Toddy, Carano holds an outstanding 12-2-1 record in the sport of kickboxing. Of late, she has also been working with Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu coach, Scott Berrie. Carano's athletic talent runs deep in her blood. Her father, Glenn, is a former backup quarterback for the Dallas Cowboys. A second round pick in the 1977 NFL draft, he played 36 games for the Cowboys over the course of his professional career that spanned seven seasons. Maxwell is a protégé of world San Shou kickboxing champion, Cung Le, who will also see action on the Strikeforce card. Like her mentor, she has added Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu to her weekly training menu in order to make herself a mixed martial artist, capable of handling her opponents on the mat as well as on her feet. In 2005, Maxwell, a world San Shou champion and two-time national champion, was named "Competitor Of The Year" by Inside Kung-Fu, the number two selling martial arts magazine in North America. Maxwell's record in the sport of kickboxing stands at a near-perfect 17-1. Tickets for Strikeforce "Triple Threat" are on sale at Ticketmaster (408-998-TIXS) and Ticketmaster online (www.ticketmaster.com) as well as at the HP Pavilion box office (408-287-7070). Tickets are priced at $200.00, $150.00, $100.00, $75.00, $50.00, and $40.00, and $30.00. The December 8th card will feature Strikeforce's first-ever 205 pound light heavyweight championship bout. Bobby Southworth, a veteran of the first season of The Ultimate Fighter, will face off with hard-hitting road warrior and K-1 and Pride Fighting Championship veteran, Vernon "Tiger" White, for the vacant crown. Making his third-career mixed martial arts start, undefeated world San Shou kickboxing champion, Cung Le, will face his toughest test to date in Jason "Live Wire" Von Flue, a contestant on season two of The Ultimate Fighter. Off the heels of his victory on October 7th, lightweight sensation, Josh "The Punk" Thomson, will be challenged by another dangerous adversary in 23-year-old rising star, Nam Phan. World Muay Thai champion and UFC and K-1 Max veteran, Duane "Bang" Ludwig, will move up to the 170 pound weight class to meet hard-nosed battler, Tony "The Freak" Fryklund. Old rivals Eugene "The Wolf" Jackson and Ronald "The Machine Gun" Jhun will collide for the second time in their careers. Jhun is looking for payback eight years after Jackson submitted him with a forearm choke during a contest in Hawaii. Former WWE star, Daniel Puder, will face fellow unbeaten heavyweight contender, Mike Cook. Heavyweight contender, Paul "The Headhunter" Buentello, who stopped UFC legend David "Tank" Abbott on Strikeforce's October 7th card, will return to action. Professional football player and undefeated mixed martial arts super heavyweight contender, Rex Richards, will make his Strikeforce debut on the card. The 6 foot 5 inch, 300 pound Richards, a lineman for the San Jose Sabrecats, will battle another giant in 6 foot 8 inch, 290 pound Kyle Leviton. |
| Thursday - December 7, 2006 |
 Give Us Your Thoughts... As 2006 comes to a close, there are a bunch of big events happening in the MMA world and we like to hear your thoughts on a couple of them. The IFL closes out the year with the World Team Championships at the Mohegan Sun in Connecticut, we'd like to know which team you think will win and why. We'd also like your picks for who will win in the UFC's final show of the year, UFC 66: Liddell Vs. Ortiz. 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 |
 Team Revolution Continues to Roll at BodogFight Further evidence to the fact that Team Revolution is quickly becoming one of Canada's more notable fight teams, was provided last weekend at BodogFight held in Vancouver, British Columbia. In front of the Lower Mainland "hometown" fans, Revolution fighters Todd Gouwenberg and Rob Velek were both victorious, in the only two bouts of the "Team USA vs Team Russia" card that featured Canadian fighters. Rob Velek made his MMA debut in the cards opening fight of the night, taking on Edmonton fighter Tim Smith. As hundreds of fans continued to file into the PNE Agrdome, Velek thrilled the local audience that were already in their seats, taking Smith promptly to the mat with authority. From there the Revolution lightweight quickly brought the fight to a halt, pounding Smith with strikes for the stoppage at 35 seconds of round 1. The loss for Smith drops his record to 1-3. BodogFight's final bout of the night featured highly regarded Canadian lightheavyweight Todd Gouwenberg taking on UFC veteran Ron Faircloth. Gouwenberg had started his MMA career showing a ton of promise, going undefeated in his first 3 fights of his career, a streak that included a TKO stoppage of Icho Larenas at TKO 16 in 2004. On November 26th, 2004, in a TKO 18 Heavyweight title bout against Jacob Concliffe however, Gouwenberg fell short, losing to the Team Tompkins fighter by rear naked choke. A follow up KO loss to Lavar Johnson at last summer's Freedom Fight event left Gouwenberg's record at 3-2, and some questioning whether or not the former Team Gibson fighter would re-assert his presence in the Canadian upper rankings. But Gouwenberg proved many of his detractors wrong at TKO 27 in September. Returning from a one year lay off from MMA, Gouwenberg dropped down to the lightheavyweight division to take on one of TKO's most highly touted prospects, the 5-0 Martin Desilet. Demonstrating the skills and conditioning that have become synonymous with many of Team Revolution's fighters, Gouwenberg worked to a unanimous decision victory over his up and coming opponent. Saturday night Gouwenberg only further entrenched his presence in Canada's LHW circles, picking apart Faircloth with a very precise and lethal striking game, knocking out the Freestyle Fighting Academy fighter at 1:34 of round 1. The Revolution Fight Team has assembled a rather notable roster of fighters in a relatively short time since the team started up a couple of years ago. Kalib Starnes, Tim Thurston, Tyler Jackson, Kultar Gill, Blake Fredrickson, Bill Mahood, Todd Gouwenberg among others, are just some of the more well known members of the Lower Mainland team. Revolution also forged a partnership a few months ago with one of Vancouver's more famous Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu instructors, 7th degree black belt Professor Marcus Soares. One of his top students and MMA fighter, brown belt Adam Ryan, also has begun coaching at Revolution as well. Recently the organization opened a second gym in Chilliwack, while the original facility in Port Kells continues to operate. "J-Rod" To Meet "Suave" at Rumble in the Cage "Season's Beatings" Jared "J-Rod" Kilkenny will fight former UFC Heavyweight Champion Ricco "Suave" Rodriguez at Rumble in the Cage's New Years Eve "Season Beatings" event. Kilkenny has quickly become on of Canada's more noted heavyweight prospects, going 7-1 so far to begin his MMA career. Rodriguez has won 4 fights in a row, extending his record to 25-6, a streak that includes a win over Ron Waterman at the WFA 4 card in July. Although no opponents have reportedly been signed yet for them, CMAC standouts JustinTavernini, Jordan Mein, and Jesse Bongfeldt, are all scheduled to compete on the card. The "Season's Beatings" event will also be shown live across Canada at Cineplex Entertainment Theatres, due to the events partnership with Hardcore Fighting Championships. The event is scheduled to be show at 9:00 pm EST, and will also be re-broadcast on the HFC program that airs every Wednesday on "The Score", a Canadian sports network. |
From the event's promoter: INTERNATIONAL FIGHT LEAGUE (IFL) RECEIVES APPROVAL FROM NEVADA STATE ATHLETIC COMMISSION TO HOLD COMPETITIONS IN THE STATE NEW YORK, December 6, 2006 - The International Fight League (OTC.BB: IFLI), the world's first team-based professional mixed martial arts league, today announced that it has received permission from the Nevada State Athletic Commission to conduct MMA events in the state, beginning in 2007. IFL Commissioner and co-founder Kurt Otto and President and co-founder Gareb Shamus met with the commission on Tuesday in Las Vegas, Nevada. "We are very grateful that this process is completed, and that the commission has given us permission to move forward and schedule events," Otto and Shamus said in a joint statement. "It is another important step forward for the IFL as we grow and develop our business model, and its great news for both the fans of the sport and our business partners, since Nevada is the epicenter of all fight sports and the commission is made up of some of the most respected people not only in the fight world, but in all of professional sports." The approval by the Nevada commission is the latest in a series of solid business developments for the IFL. Other recent announcements in the last week have included:
The IFL has announced 10 of the 11 sites thus far, and will announce the final site (to be held in mid-June of 2007) in the next week to 10 days. |
| Friday - December 8, 2006 |
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In what can only be described as an amazing turn of events, promoter Ed Hsu has put together a huge last-minute match-up for Saturday's Combat in the Cage card: Greg Soto vs. Jay Coleman. For those who don't know, Jersey Shore BJJ's Soto is considered a top up-and-comer, and Rhino Fight Team's Coleman is coming off a lightning-fast knockout win over Dominic Dellagatta at the last Ring of Combat. Also, Bryan Vetell vs. Brian Olsen is off, but Team Tiger Schulmann's Nissim Levy will be taking on Pitts Penn striker Garrett Carmody. For fans looking to see some fighters get punched in the face, the Soto/Coleman bout and the Levy/Carmody bout will most certainly do the job. |
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New episode of FCF Radio In our latest broadcast, we talk with Joe Riggs. Click here to listen/download. |
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Cage Rage 19: Fearless Weigh-in By David West Ready to make their first appearance at the Earl's Court, having spent the last two years at Wembley, the weigh-in for Cage Rage 19: Fearless, was plain sailing. The promoters and most of the fighters are now seasoned professionals at these events and it was only Luiz Azeredo who brought any tension to the press conference, The Brazilian merrily tried to provoke his opponent Paul "Semtex" Daley when they faced off in front of the cameras. Daley was initially unmoved, but when Azeredo continued haranguing him in Portuguese Daley looked about to lose his cool before he was led away by his team. Sparks should fly tomorrow night when these two collide. Azeredo is coming off two losses at PRIDE: Bushido, but his brawling style may unsettle the technically polished Daley if he manages to get under his skin in the fight as he did at the weigh-in.
Headliners Rob "The Bear" Broughton and Eric "Butterbean" Esch have a combined weight in excess of 670 pounds and Broughton admitted that he was feeling the pressure to perform being top of the bill. "I'm very nervous," he said, "I've seen a few tapes of him fighting. He's a big knockout merchant, I've got to keep away from his hands and hopefully I'll get a chance to take him down to the ground." At 6' 3" Broughton is much taller than Esch, but doesn't think the reach advantage will help him on the night. "You've got to remember he's a pro boxer, so he knows how to get in range."
Xavier "Professor X" Foupa-Pokam's catchphrase is "punishment time" and his opponent Alex Reid took this idea to an illogical conclusion, appearing in a bondage get-up and whipping Foupa-Pokam, the ring girls and anyone else within arms length. Reid is coming off three losses in a row and needs to win tomorrow to get his career back on track, while Frenchman Foupa-Pokam won his last two by armbar, most recently against Masataka Chinushi at Real Rhythm in Japan.
Vitor "Shaolin" Ribeiro will make his second defense of his World Lightweight title against Daisuke Nakamura, in a pairing of submission masters. Whilst the fight is unlikely to be the sort of brawl beloved by casual observers, it promises to be a grappling showcase that should dazzle the discerning MMA fan. There are plenty of big men on the bill, including Wesley "Cabbage" Correira who will face Tengiz Tedoradze in a great match-up of slugger versus wrestler. Tedoradze has never had a polished stand-up game and his vulnerability on his feet was exploited by Edson Drago who KO'd the Georgian-born battler in five seconds at Cage Rage 16 in April. Since then Tedoradze has gone 2-1-1 and will need to protect his chin against the heavy-punching Correira. However, Tedoradze has powerful takedowns, including a potent supplex, and is the best ground and pound practitioner in Britain, so if it goes to the floor he'll be in his element. Full Fight Card Eric "Butterbean" Esch (396 lbs) vs. Rob "The Bear" Broughton (280 lbs) Zelg Galesic (184.5 lbs) vs. Mark "The Wizard" Weir (180.5 lbs) Wesley "Cabbage" Correira (264 lbs) vs. Tengiz Tedoradze (231 lbs) Elvis Sinosic (204.5 lbs) vs. Mark Epstein (204.5 lbs) Daisuke Nakamura (156 lbs) vs. Vitor "Shaolin" Ribeiro (159.5 lbs) Luiz Azeredo (160 lbs) vs. Paul "Semtex" Daley (160 lbs) Danilo Cherman (160 lbs) vs. Jean Silva (156 lbs) Alan Murdock (209 lbs) vs. Dave Legeno (231 lbs) Xavier Foupa-Pokam (184 lbs) vs. Alex Reid (185 lbs) Jess Liaudin (168 lbs) vs. Ross Mason (169 lbs) Alan McCauley (178 lbs) vs. Matt Ewin (184.5 lbs) Francesco Ligato (167 lbs) vs. Suley Mahmoud (170 lbs) |
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By Jim Genia When: December 9th. Where: Asbury Park Convention Center in Asbury Park, New Jersey. What: Combat in the Cage IV, "Evolutions." Promoter Ed Hsu is at it again, this time with a double-whammy of amateur MMA (starting at 1pm) and a pro MMA card in the evening. Featuring some tough, tough hombres going to war in a cage, it's an event that promises action. Here's a look at some of the fighters: Brian Olsen – Strikezone It was a horrific illegal kick to the face when he was on all fours that put Olsen on the 'injured' list, and there were doubts he'd ever return from that WEC debacle. But the heavy-handed wrestler returns to stake his claim for the Combat in the Cage heavyweight crown. Is he fully recovered? He'll have to be, for his opponent is the Greco-Roman behemoth Bryan Vetell. Bryan Vetell – Team Renzo He's massive and he'll throw your butt to the canvas and kimura the heck out you – that's Vetell, who's coming into CITC 4 off a KO loss to Ben Rothwell in the IFL. Two things are definite in this heavyweight title fight: Olsen will be looking to take Vetell's head off, and Vetell will be looking to put Olsen on his back. It's just a question of who can do it first. Travis Roesler – Babylon Studios Moving down to light-heavyweight for the first time, Roesler has proven to be one badass dude. Utilizing a solid clinch game and some deadly knees, he's the master of 'devastating body blows'. Will he be able to dethrone CITC champ John Doyle with them? Greg Soto – Jersey Shore BJJ From his amateur bouts to his transition to pro, Soto has shown a ton of potential (not to mention dominant wrestling, jiu-jitsu and ferocity). For those out there looking to jump on a 'promising up-and-comer' bandwagon, all aboard the Soto train! Jose Sulsona – Ultimate Dragon MMA Sulsona had a rough time of it in his MMA debut, which was a beating at the hands of the dangerous Tom Gallicchio. But this Latino fan favorite has got skills in the form of some strong jiu-jitsu and kickboxing. Will Golden Gloves boxing finalist Nissim Levy give him the chance to show those skills? Mike Murray – Team Tiger Schulmann It's been two and a half years since TSK's Murray stepped into the ring, but he returns at CITC4, hopefully to prove once again he's a force to be reckoned with amongst the featherweights. A competent grappler who always throwing punches, he was a scrapper then. One motorcycle accident and knee injury later, and the question is: is he the same scrapper now? The full pro card as of 12/6: Khristian Geraci (Pittsburgh Fight Club) vs. Mike Murray (TSK) Steve McCabe (Fight Factory) vs.Diego Jimenez (Adrenaline Gear/Julio Rodriguez) Mike Schenk (Team Quiet Storm) vs. Anthony Montanaro (Pitts Penn) John Carson (Hitman Fight Team) vs. Radgi Benson-Barrett (TSK) Tim Troxell (Evolutionary MA) vs. Steve DeAngelis (Rhino Fight Team) Jon Murphy (Anthracite Combat Club vs. Carlos Cline (Renzo Gracie) Jose Sulsona (Ultimate Dragon MMA) vs. Nisim Levy (TSK) Tom Pursell (Team Pro Pain) vs. Garrett Carmody (Pitts Penn) Zachary McKlowski (Fight Factory) vs. Tinh Tupy (Jersey Shore BJJ) J.A. Dudley (Team Endgame) vs. Allen Royster (Pitts Penn) Christopher Reedy vs. Greg Soto (Jersey Shore BJJ) Combat in the Cage Light-Heavyweight Title Fight Travis Roesler (Babylon Studios) vs. John Doyle (Team MFS/Daddis) Combat in the Cage Heavyweight Title Fight Brian Olsen (Strikezone) vs. Bryan Vetell (Renzo Gracie) |
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by Jim Genia On paper, it seemed that Todd Going was going to be the Combat in the Cage Light-Heavyweight Champ for sure. After all, the Ricardo Almeida-trained badass had been paying his dues for quite some time battling his way up the ranks. But things played out a bit differently once John Doyle entered into the equation. Surviving every rough position and submission attempt, the man with the strength of a bull and the heart of a lion turned the tables in the second round, and with a torrent of fists and a tight guillotine, did what few had thought he could: Doyle had defeated Going in his first pro MMA fight. Suddenly, he was the champion. Who is Doyle and where did he get the tools to put Going away? Soften spoken and friendly, he's not someone you'd expect to crack the North East's top light-heavyweight ranks. But he has, and you can credit his toughness to his years playing football and wrestling in high school. Says the Pennsylvania resident, who went on to take second place at his first NAGA grappling tournament: "I started out learning submissions with Steve Blackman from the WWE. He was the only guy in Harrisburg." As a last-minute replacement at Combat in the Cage III, Doyle really had no school or team to call his own, and after his win he had some heated words for Team Renzo – the result of wanting to train with the venerable MMA clan but lacking the means to do so. Rebuffed when he called and explained his situation to them, he insists there's no bad blood now. "I have a lot of respect for Renzo," says Doyle. "I really wanted to train there. But I just couldn't afford it." With the championship belt around his waist, he's found a home with Brad Daddis' team in Philadelphia. It's a wise move for Doyle, who must now constantly sharpen his skills to fend off the challengers. First up on the list of people hungry for the title? Travis Roesler, who's ended all of his fights with his punishing knees. It's a tough match-up for Doyle, yet you won't hear him complaining. "I've always had a 'fight anybody' attitude. If you want to be the best, you've got to fight the best." Does Doyle feel any pressure now that he's the CITC king of the light-heavyweights? "I don't really feel a lot of pressure for fights," he says. "I treat everyone like they're the champ and it's a championship fight." On December 9th, at Combat in the Cage IV, we'll see if Doyle can defend his crown. |
| Saturday - December 9, 2006 |
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Give Us Your Thoughts... As 2006 comes to a close, there are a bunch of big events happening in the MMA world and we like to hear your thoughts on a couple of them. The IFL closes out the year with the World Team Championships at the Mohegan Sun in Connecticut, we'd like to know which team you think will win and why. We'd also like your picks for who will win in the UFC's final show of the year, UFC 66: Liddell Vs. Ortiz. The results of the survey and some of the commentary we receive may appear in the upcoming issue of FCF. Click here to take the survey |
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AKA Adds Three Belts to Trophy Case as Buentello, Southworth, and Jackson Pick up Wins Report by Keith Mills - Photos by Daisy Rosas San Jose, CA -- Putting Strikeforce in context of the current MMA scene in general is increasingly difficult as evidenced by their fourth show "triple threat," named for the three championship belts on the line this night. The inaugural Strikeforce Middleweight Championship title bout featured UFC vets Vernon "Tiger" White and Bobby Southworth, while the welterweight title fight was a rematch between UFC vets Ronald Jhun and Eugene Jackson. The heavyweight championship match was questionable in the sense of being a title fight considering UFC vet Paul Buentello didn't have a confirmed opponent until Ruben Villareal stepped up with only a couple days' notice, but the heavyweight title does add legitimacy to the promotion. With Gilbert Melendez holding the lightweight belt, that leaves only a middleweight title not claimed in the standard weight classes. The reason it is so difficult to put Strikeforce in context is they keep expanding. The first three Strikeforce cards looked like they were vaulting into the top UFC feeder position with more than an average number of UFC vets, mostly from AKA, but this card raised the bar with a total of nine UFC vets, branching out to include UFC vets Ronald Jhun from Hawaii and Tony Frykland of Miletich Fighting Systems in Iowa. At times the card looked like they were going after King of the Cage's dropped ball from that promotion's heyday with former KOTC Champion Buentello facing longtime KOTC stalwart Villareal as well as former KOTC vets Jhun, Duane Ludwig, Vernon White and Nam Phan. At still other times, this show in particular looked like a U.S. version of Pride with non-MMA stars such as WWE star Daniel Puder, traditional martial arts star and now movie star Cung Le, and San Jose Sabrecats lineman Rex Richards crossing over to MMA. Throw in a significant women's fight such as Bodog has picked up where MFC left off and in advance this show looked like it might suffer from going in too many directions at one time. At around four hours, the show was a bit of a marathon even for the fans, but Strikeforce is definitely rising through the ranks and is worthy of national distribution.
On paper, the middleweight title fight with Jhun and Jackson and the light-heavyweight title match between White and Southworth both looked great while Buentello/Villareal didn't seem like it deserved to be a title bout. It turned out the opposite. In their rematch of SuperBrawl 8 Jackson and Jhun threw simultaneous lefts which resulted in Jhun being knocked down and Jackson pouncing to finish the fight via strikes before reminding fans why he won "submission of the night" back at UFC 35, sinking in a rear choke at 2:01 into the first round - forty-six seconds longer than their first fight lasted. White/Southworth deservedly had the worst fan reaction of any fight this night as both seemed tentative and lackluster, with Southworth edging out a decision victory not likely to be seen on highlight reels. Villareal may not have the technique of others on this card and his performance against Bas Rutten in WFA, as another late replacement, wasn't impressive, but this guy showed he has guts and a chin that can take serious punishment as he weathered the Buentello storm well into the second round and made Paul earn the belt. Strikeforce can't be blamed for the way these matches played out as they looked good on paper, but these title fights aren't likely what the fans will remember about this show.
What fans are likely to remember are the fights like Ludwig/Frykland, Maxwell/Carano, and even Thomson/Phan. Duane Ludwig looked fantastic back at welterweight as he started out counter-attacking Frykland's early advancements before opening up with combinations midway through the first. Frykland had his scoring moments, but Ludwig was on fire en route to a second-round TKO. Gina Carano vs. Elaina Maxwell was a back-and-forth war with a third round that could be one of the best seen in the women's 145 division so far, with Gina pouring it on in the third to win the unanimous decision and much deserved cheering. Underdogs Mike Cook and Nam Phan had good first rounds against Daniel Puder and Josh Thomson respectively, while football star Rex Richards was impressive and by no means only a name to sell tickets to crossover fans. Cung Le's early kick opening a cut on Jason Von Flue and ending the main event at only 0:43 more than made up for the White/Southworth bout. If the next card is anything like this one, don't be surprised to see the one after it in your living room. Look for a full report in a future issue of Full Contact Fighter. Full Results: Strikeforce 4 "Triple Threat" Held Dec. 8, 2006 HP Pavilion - San Jose, CA
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| Sunday - December 10, 2006 |
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By Gaby Genia Asbury Park, New Jersey, Dec. 9 -- There were thrills, and there were surprises, and at the end of it all, a champ proved his mettle. Combat in the Cage "Evolutions" was the pro show capping off a day-long MMA affair, and despite a slew of eleventh-hour drop-outs and last-minute replacements, promoter Ed Hsu pulled it off once again. Highlights of the night included:
Full Results
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Cage Rage 19: Fearless Results By David West Britain's Rob "The Bear" Broughton was never in any danger against Eric "Butterbean" Esch at the top of the bill for Cage Rage 19. Broughton scored all the takedowns off an ankle pick that Butterbean could not defend and when they were on their feet Broughton used his reach advantage to pump his jab in Butterbean's face without ever letting the heavy-hitting American get in range. In the second round Broughton scored another ankle pick takedown and after a failed key lock attempt pounded Butterbean until he tapped at the 3:43 mark. Broughton's popularity continues to grow with every appearance he makes in the cage.
In thirty MMA fights, Mark "The Wizard" Weir had only ever lost once to a fellow Briton, that being Trevor Cunningham way back in April 2000 when Weir was just starting out. In the six years since The Wizard has disposed of every domestic opponent and cemented his place at the top of the British middleweight rankings, but tonight his reign came to an abrupt end at the hands of Zelg Galesic. Born in Croatia, but training out of Trojan Free Fighters in Cheltenham, Galesic took Weir down after a spirited stand-up exchange, then sat up in Weir's half-guard and blasted him with ten straight punches that knocked Weir out cold. It took Galesic just twenty seconds to become the new British Middleweight champion in the biggest upset of the night. Elvis Sinosic felt the punching power of London's Mark Epstein, who cut Sinosic early, but the self-proclaimed King of Rock N Rumble managed to down Epstein with a trip and slip on the armbar that forced Epstein to tap out at the 2:47 mark. Vitor "Shaolin" Ribeiro completed his second World Lightweight Title defence against the very game Daisuke Nakamura. After Nakamura resisted a kimura, Ribeiro switched to a figure four arm bar from the bottom and badly hyper-extended Nakamura's elbow, which looked as though it was popped right out of joint. Referee Leon Roberts stopped the fight much to the surprise of Nakamura, who wanted to continue despite the damage to his elbow. Ribeiro's team-mate Danilo Cherman dominated the first two rounds of his match with Jean Silva, turning the MMA fight into a jujitsu showcase. However, in the third round Silva countered a shot from Cherman by slapping on an arm bar, cranking on the submission furiously as Cherman refused to tap. Eventually Cherman manoeuvred around the arm bar and continued fighting, taking the unanimous decision. It was only after the final bell that it became clear that his arm was broken, but he had ignored the injury and kept fighting. You can teach technique, but you can't teach tough, as Nakamura and Cherman demonstrated. Luiz Azeredo out-wrestled Paul Daley to take the unanimous decision. The Chute Boxe fighter consistently took Daley down throughout the match and while he rarely had Daley in any danger on the floor, he dominated positions and shut down Daley's stand-up arsenal. The contest between Alex Reid and Xavier Foupa-Pokam ended messily, with Reid being struck in the eyes in the first and second rounds. After the second incident, which was deemed to be accidental by the referee, Reid's trainer refused to let his man continue, so the fight went to the scorecards, which gave Foupa-Pokam the decision win. Jess Liaudin pulled off an upset against the highly ranked British welterweight Ross Mason. Liaudin dominated the stand-up, scored the takedowns, and then finished Mason with a heel hook 2:55 into round one in the most polished performance of his career.
Sadly, the heavyweight clash between Wesley "Cabbage" Correira and Tengiz Tedoradze was cancelled. Apparently Cabbage left his hotel to get a bottle of water around 6 AM and was attacked, being struck on the head from behind. Suffering from a concussion, Cabbage could not be medically cleared to fight. The Metropolitan Police are investigating the attack and more details will be posted as they become available. Cabbage appeared at the show to apologize for not being able to compete and hopefully will fight Tedoradze at a later date. Full Results: Suley Mahmoud def. Francesco Ligato by rear-naked choke 0:37 R1 Matt Ewin def. Alan McCauley by rear-naked choke 1:53 R1 Jess Liaudin def. Ross Mason by heel hook 2:55 R1 Xavier Foupa-Pokam def. Alex Reid by unanimous decision after 0:54 R2 Dave Legeno def. Alan Murdock by rear-naked choke 4:10 R1 Danilo Cherman def. Jean Silva by unanimous decision after 3 rounds Luiz Azeredo def. Paul Daley by unanimous decision after 3 rounds Vitor Ribeiro def. Daisuke Nakamura by referee stoppage (figure-four armbar) 3:55 R1 Elvis Sinosic def. Mark Epstein by armbar 2:47 R1 Zelg Galesic def. Mark Weir by KO 0:20 R1 Rob Broughton def. Eric "Butterbean" Esch by tap out to Strikes 3:43 R2 |
| Tuesday - December 12, 2006 |
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By Gaby Genia
On October 6th at the Cage Fury Fighting Championship, Atlantic City MMA powerhouse Anthony Morrison was handed a microphone after his loss and given the opportunity to address the audience. Things got ugly, however, and after being ushered out of the cage amidst a barrage of threats and insults, Morrison rushed backstage to attack another lightweight competitor. Commissioner Larry Hazzard suspended the brash (yet promising) fighter on the spot. But at today's hearings the remorseful Morrison's initial suspension of 12 months was reduced to just six. Morrison is eligible to fight again after April 6th. The NJSACB also reconsidered the fate of Team Tiger Schulmann badass Dominic Dellagatta, who, after a sudden knockout loss at the November 17th Ring of Combat show, became irate and confrontational with Commission staff. Dellagatta was initially given a suspension of six months, but that suspension was reduced to three months after his apologetic appearance at the hearing. The clock on the TSK fighter's reduced suspension begins to run once he's medically cleared to compete (he was, after all, knocked out cold). Another matter reviewed by the NJSACB: whether or not to overturn the result of the April 22nd Sportfighting 3 bout between Tracy Taylor and Doug Gordon. Though Gordon won via referee stoppage that night, Taylor's camp has since protested the referee's call. At the hearing today it was concluded that that win will still stand.
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"The Athlete" Continues to Prepare for UFC 66 Showdown with Leben FCF caught up with Jason "The Athlete" Macdonald last week as the Red Deer fighter continues to prepare for his upcoming, December 30th bout with Chris "The Cat Smasher" Leben. The fight will mark Macdonald's second appearance in the Octagon, after impressing the MMA world in his UFC debut, by submitting Leben's Team Quest teammate Ed Herman at Ultimate Fight Night 7. According to Macdonald training has been going well for the 31-year-old fighter, as he prepares a game plan for his upcoming south paw opponent, who is well known for his knock out power. "Since I never get too far out of shape then training camp is really more about preparing a game plan for the upcoming fighter." Macdonald tells FCF. "I have been spending a great deal of time on my boxing and more specifically boxing with left handed pro boxers. Just getting really comfortable with a south paw stance in front of me and the different angels the punches come from. I'm in great shape my weight is coming along good and I'm feeling confident." It's a busy time for Macdonald and his usual training camp, who are also preparing fellow Pro Camp teammate Victor Valimaki, for his UFC debut against David Heath at this Wednesday's Ultimate Fight Night. "I have been helping my teammate Victor Valimaki prepare for his UFC debut next week so things have been pretty intense in training for some time now." Macdonald says. "Mark Pavelich is keeping the training on track so that we both peak at different times. We traveled down to Lethbridge to train with Lee Mein, Jason Day and their team in their Cage last week, and will probably be heading back down for a couple of more days closer to the fight. While Vic and Mark are in San Diego I will be getting a lot of time in with Josh Russell from Gracie Barra Calgary who is my jiu jitsu coach. So things are coming together perfectly, I will be ready for another war on December 30th." Macdonald will head to UFC 66 with a record 17-7, and has won his last five fights in a row, a streak that includes wins over the aforementioned Ed Herman, and "The Ultimate Fighter" participant Gideon Ray. Macdonald's last loss came against TUF finalist Patrick Cote earlier this year in March, losing by rear naked choke in an epic 5 round bout. Leben's record currently stands at an impressive 16-2, who after losing to current UFC Middleweight Champion, Anderson Silva at Ultimate Fight Night 5 in June, rebounded in dramatic fashion at UFN 6 in August, by knocking out Jorge Santiago. King of the Cage Freedom Fight Announces Debut Card MMA promotions, King of the Cage Canada and Freedom Fight have announced the card for the two promotion's first joint effort. Set to take place in Hull, Quebec, on January 20th, at Baribeau Arena, the card will feature several notable match-ups, including a title defense by KOTC Canada LHW Champion Travis "The Gladiator" Galbraith. The Pride veteran, whose record stands at 12-4, will defend his title against Ontario's Craig "Farmer" Brown (3-0). One of Jeff Curran's top fighters, Matt Fiordirosa (10-1), will meet another Ontario resident in Mark Bocek. Although Bocek has a limited MMA experience (2-0), the Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu instructor recently defeated veteran fighter Kevin Manderson, and is a well decorated submission grappler. Some of the other match-ups on the card include, TJ Grant taking on Nick Portieous, Barry Macdonald fighting Tony Legnaro, and Markhaile Wedderburn set to meet Mickel Alexander. Maximum Fighting Championship's "Gridiron" to Feature Two Professional Football Players Edmonton, Alberta's MFC promotion has announced that its upcoming February 3rd card, to be held at the Shaw Conference Centre, will feature local Edmonton Eskimo football players Mike Mauer and Adam Braidwood. The fight will mark the second time that Mauer, who won the Canadian Football League's Most Outstanding Canadian player's award at the 2005 Grey Cup, will fight for the organization. In his MMA debut at MFC 9 in March, Mauer defeated Darren Apels by submission due to strikes, and then drew with Chris Harker in his second career fight at the Ultimate Martial Arts Championship in April. Mauer's teammate, defensive lineman Adam Braidwood, will be making his MMA debut at the event. Also featured on the card will be a match-up between two of Canada's more notable lightheavweights, as Jason "Dooms" Day (13-6), will take on Quebec's Martin Desilets (5-1). TKO 28 Card Taking Form The Bell Centre in Montreal, Quebec, will host the upcoming, February 9th, TKO 28 card, that will feature several high profile match-ups. Likely the most notable will be a rematch bout between UFC veteran Mark Hominick and Pride Bushido fighter Hatsu Hioki. Hominick lost his TKO Super Lightweight title to Hioki at TKO 25 in May, and since then has defeated Samuel Guillet, Jorge Gurgel and most recently, Doug Edwards by rear naked choke. Hioki has beaten Jeff Curran and Byung Jo Kim since his first encounter with Hominick, and will come to the event with a record of 11-1, while Hominick's stands at 13-5. Also on the card will be an intriguing UFC veteran match-up between Steven Vigneault (11-6) and Jonathan Goulet (16-7) for the TKO Welterweight Championship. Due to the fact that the organization's former champion, Georges St-Pierre, is now the reigning belt holder in the UFC's welterweight division, the TKO title is up for grabs. Other bouts also scheduled for TKO 28 include; Jason St-Louis meeting Steve Claveau, Tyler Jackson taking on Stephane Dube, and Dave Pariseau fighting Martin Grandmont. |
| Wednesday - December 13, 2006 |
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New episode of FCF Radio In our latest broadcast, we talk with David Loiseau and Lee Mein. Click here to listen/download. |
| Thursday - December 14, 2006 |
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Give Us Your Thoughts... As 2006 comes to a close, there are a bunch of big events happening in the MMA world and we like to hear your thoughts on a couple of them. The IFL closes out the year with the World Team Championships at the Mohegan Sun in Connecticut, we'd like to know which team you think will win and why. We'd also like your picks for who will win in the UFC's final show of the year, UFC 66: Liddell Vs. Ortiz. The results of the survey and some of the commentary we receive may appear in the upcoming issue of FCF. Click here to take the survey |
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IFL Press Release: Show finishes in the top-five for the week for the first time in 2006 NEW YORK, December 14, 2006 - Two of the International Fight League's (OTC.BB: IFLI) legendary coaches, Renzo Gracie, world Jiu-Jitsu champion and coach of the IFL's New York-based Pitbulls team, and Pat Miletich, coach of the IFL's Moline, Illinois-based Silverbacks team, were prominently featured in Scott Pelley's report on the growth of Mixed Martial Arts on "60 Minutes" on Sunday, December 10, on CBS. The show earned a top-five ratings finish for the week. The show also finished first in its time period in households, viewers and adults 25-54.
Pelley trained with both Gracie and Miletich, and the "60 Minutes" cameras were on site when their teams met at The MARK in Moline, Illinois, on September 23, the same night Gracie took on Miletich in the main event Superfight. The piece also featured UFC champion Matt Hughes, his career and his relationship with Miletich. The IFL, the world's first team-based professional mixed martial arts league, will hold the finals of its "World Team Championship" tournament on Friday, December 29, at Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Connecticut. Miletich's Silverbacks will take on Olympic silver medalist Matt Lindland's Wolfpack, while Gracie will battle world champion and coach of the IFL's Toronto-based Dragons, Carlos Newton, in one of a series of additional Superfights. The first full 11-date, 12-team IFL season will begin at the ORACLE Arena in Oakland, California on Friday, January 19, 2007. The slate includes events in eight different states and kicks off with the Nevada-based Lions (coached by legend Ken Shamrock) facing the San Jose-based Razorclaws (coached by his brother, world champion Frank Shamrock) in Oakland. The Seattle-based Tigersharks (coached by world kickboxing champion Maurice Smith) take on the Southern California-based Condors (coached by world champion Marco Ruas) to round out the team matchups in the opener, with a to-be-announced Superfight included as well. |
| Friday - December 15, 2006 |
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By Steven Marrocco Amidst a whirlwind of consolidations, departures, and dissolutions, a premium cable network enters the fold of MMA promotions as Showtime Networks announced an inaugural MMA show at a press conference today in Los Angeles. EXC, or Elite Xtreme Combat, partners boxing promoter Gary Shaw and entertainment exec Douglas De Luca with Jay Dee Penn of Rumble World Entertainment as the producers of the February 10th show. For their initial foray into MMA, held in the unusual location of Mississippi, EXC beat the IFL to the punch as Renzo Gracie signed on to fight against Frank Shamrock in the evening's main event. Former UFC middleweight contender David Loiseau will also return to the cage against an unnamed opponent, while Strikeforce vet Gina Carano will fight in the sole female bout. In addition to the talent acquisitions, EXC has signed an interesting assortment of production help, signing on former WFA CEO Jeremy Lappen, who reportedly stepped in earlier in the week as the dust from the UFC's buyout of his organization settled. The motley duo of Mario "Dancing with the Stars" Lopez and Bill Goldberg will helm the commentary booth, while the season two "Apprentice" winner Kelly Perdew will head up the online wing of the promotion. Despite his great success flattening Ceasar Gracie in the first Strikeforce promotion, Frank Shamrock proclaimed his true ambition was for Renzo. "He's the Gracie I've always wanted to fight," Shamrock said after his introduction. "It's always been my goal. This is our moment. I've taken a lot of chances in my career. Some of them have been good, some of them have been bad, but what you will see on February 10th is Frank Shamrock baring his soul. It's a beautiful and incredibly violent thing."
Citing an unspecified "business relationship" with Strikeforce, Shamrock stated he will fulfill his fight obligations to the San Jose promotion in addition to his new role in the EXC. The exact timeline of his next Strikeforce appearance was not given, but it is presumed that it would be after his Showtime debut. Fellow IFL coach Gracie was similarly excited at the prospect of fighting a Shamrock. "I was afraid he would wait until I was too old to fight him," he said with a laugh. "I hope to see the guy that beat Tito Ortiz, showing an unbelievable display of power and technique." In his description of the fight during the press conference, the colorful Gary Shaw revealed a potentially staggering rule stipulation he was trying to implement, allowing fighters only 15 seconds to work on the ground before being stood up. When asked to clarify later, Shaw and his camp amended the earlier statement, saying they would most likely adopt the Nevada State Athletic Commission's set of rules, but wanted it in place nonetheless. Also of particular note was co-promoter Doug De Luca's stated intention of holding a World Cup of MMA with a possible Olympic bid in 5 years. "It's been an exclusive situation," De Luca said of the prevailing non-cooperation between different promotions. "We are an inclusive group, and our organization will be happy to work with other organizations and to let true champions fight other champions." Whether a World Cup of MMA is around the corner is unknown, but on February 10th, the sport will see another well financed organization take a crack at stealing market share from the dominant UFC. |
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New episode of FCF Radio In our latest broadcast, we talk with Forrest Griffin and Roger Hollet. Click here to listen/download. |
| Monday - December 18, 2006 |
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New episode of FCF Radio In our latest broadcast, we talk with Mark "The Machine" Hominick and Rory Markham. Click here to listen/download. |
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at Jungle Fight Europe By Marcelo Alonso The freezing night was not a problem for the nearly 5,000 fight fans that packed the Dvorana Tivoli Arena in Ljubljana (Slovênia) this Sunday to see the seventh edition of Jungle Fight -- the first held outside of the Amazon. The biggest star of the night was two-time World Jiu-Jitsu Absolute Champion Ronaldo Jacaré, who needed less than three minutes to tap out Haim Gozzali with a kata-gatame choke.
In the most anticipated fight of the night, Igor Pokrajac, pupil of Mirko "Cro Cop" Filipovic, fought a great fight against the 9kg heavier Assuério Silva. Filipovic drove two hours from Zagreb to see his student do battle. In the opening seconds of the first round, Pokrajac sent the crowd into a frenzy with a perfect straight-right punch that sent the former Chute Boxer to the canvas. After recovering, Silva clinched Pokrajac and took him to the ground in both the second and third rounds. On the ground, Silva began to gain the clear advantage, reaching Pokrajac's back a couple of times and giving him a hard time with his ground-and-pound game. After three rounds Silva was declared the winner by split decision.
While Filipovic's pupil did not win, his former sparring partner, Vitor Miranda, who is currently considered the top heavyweight striker from Brazil, made Cro Cop proud after hitting world kung fu champion Dany Marold with Filipovic's favorite technique, a kick to the head. To the obvious delight of the crowd, Cro Cop was invited by the event promoter Wallid Ismail to award the trophy to Ronaldo Jacare, the winner of the main event.
Full Results Jungle Fight 7 December 17, 2006 Dvorana Tivoli Arena - Slovênia MMA:
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| Wednesday - December 20, 2006 |
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Ryan "The Lion" Diaz to Face Manny Tapia for KOTC World Flyweight Title in March Both Ryan Diaz and King of the Cage World Flyweight Champion Manny Tapia confirmed to FCF this week that the two are slated to do battle early in 2007. It appears that after several previous attempts by KOTC to put together a fight between Tapia and KOTC Canada's Bantamweight Champion Diaz over the last year, it appears that the fight will now finally materialize in the spring. Although no final details have yet to be announced from the promotion as to when and where the bout will take place, both fighters have begun preparations for a March title fight. Tapia is considered by many to be one of KOTC's rising commodities, holding an undefeated record of 8-0-1. The Millenia Jiu-Jitsu fighter recently defended his 135 pound title for a second time at KOTC "Destroyer" on December 1st, by defeating Richard Montano by unanimous decision. "In my eyes Ryan is going to be the toughest test," Tapia tells FCF. "I just hear so many good things about him, even guys like Johnny Alessio was just telling me that I'm going to have to train hard for Ryan. I saw him fight Nam Phan and I know he had to go up in weight because he was supposed to fight Urijah (Faber) at 145. That tells you what kind of man he is, that's why they call him "The Lion", because he's not going to back down." Diaz is coming off a tough loss to Nam Phan (12-3), losing by a close decision to the Strikeforce veteran at KOTC "Rapid Fire" on August 4th. Diaz had been scheduled to fight 145 pound standout Urijah Faber, but wound up moving up to the lightweight division to face Phan when Faber was unable to fight. Diaz's only other losses in 11 fights since 2003 have come against UFC veteran Mark Hominick, losing to the former TKO 145 pound Champion at TKO 22 on September 30th of last year, and at TKO 13 on September 6th of 2003. In between those two bouts, Diaz won 6 fights in a row, including victories over Kola Koka and Ryan Ackerman. Diaz defeated Thierry Quenneville by triangle choke at KOTC Canada's "Conquest" event on December 3rd last year, to lay claim to the promotion's Canadian bantamweight belt. Diaz holds a record of 12-10, and has been in the ring with the likes of Hermes Franca, Mamoru Yamuguchi, and Eddie Yagin in addition to such notable opponents as Hominick and Phan. Despite the recent hype that has accompanied his upcoming opponent Tapia, Diaz is extremely confident in his chances to de-throne the world champion. "He's a tough fighter," says Diaz who also fought on the "Rapid Fire" card like Tapia earlier this month. "He doesn't have the experience that I have though, he's undefeated but he hasn't fought the guys I have, the level of fighters that I have. I believe I have the advantage standing and on the ground with him, but no matter what happens, everyone who has seen me fight before knows; it's going to be a really exciting fight." National Fighting Challenge Announces Two Fights for Upcoming January 26th Card National Fighting Challenge promoter, Rob Harris, informed FCF this week about two fights that have been finalized for the promotions upcoming card, to be held at the Squamish Nation's Recreation Centre, January 26th, in Vancouver, British Columbia. In the event's main event, Adam Laporte, who has a combined pro-am record of 6-1, will take on Len Tam for the organization's 145 pound title. Tam will come into the fight with an undefeated record of 2-0. The card's other "semi-main event" will feature 2 local favorites as Myles Merola will fight Cesar Narita. In Merola's last outing, the Surrey fighter dropped a close decision to Marcus Soares' fighter Garrett Davis. Merola has a combined record of 6-3. His opponent, Cesar Narita is a jiu-jitsu specialist, running his own BJJ School in the Lower Mainland region of British Columbia. Narita has a professional record of 5-1, and won his last fight in dramatic fashion at Elite Fighting 2 on September 29th. Narita needed only 39 seconds to submit Sean Fewer by armbar to earn the first round victory. The January 26th event will mark the 7th installment of the National Fighting Challenge MMA event. Canadian MMA Spring Schedule
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| Thursday - December 21, 2006 |
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The UFC's golden boys grace the pages of Maxim By Gaby Genia There's no doubt about it, boys and girls: MMA has hit the mainstream media, and hit it hard. If the much-touted 60 Minutes piece didn't convince you, January's issue of Maxim surely will. Usually known for its pictorials of nearly nude women, this issue features a seven-page spread of the UFC's golden boys modeling formalwear. Not wanting to stray too far from their pugilistic roots, the shoot depicts a dapperly dressed Georges St. Pierre on the receiving end of tuxedoed Chuck Liddell's famous right fist - the blood flying from GSP's mouth nicely accentuating the red velvet of his blazer. Another full page is devoted to Liddell adjusting the cufflinks below his bruised and bloody knuckles. Also appearing in the spread are the very menacing and yet dashingly debonair Jorge Gurgel, Chris Lytle and Josh Koscheck. The January 2007 issue of Maxim is now available on newsstands |
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New episode of FCF Radio In our latest broadcast, we talk with Ben Rothwell and Brock Larson. Click here to listen/download. |
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Report by Dustin Lee DePue - Photos by Riley Kerestes Tinley Park, IL -- Mixed Martial Arts in Chicagoland can add another notch to its belt as a new promotion has jumped into the fray. Cage Fighting Championships Underground held its debut event, "Explosion," on Saturday at the Holiday Inn Select Convention Center. The eleven fight card, cut down from fourteen for various last-minute reasons, turned out to be a real showcase for Gilbert Grappling as their fighters went 5-0 in front of nearly two thousand fans. The fight of the night was a great match of styles as Steve Kinnison's many armbar attempts finally paid off after a grueling three-round battle. His opponent, Miletich fighter Ryan Bixler, dominated the stand-up throughout the fight, landing several hard right straights that opened a cut above Kinnison's eye. Kinnison was content to let Bixler control the pace and was selective in his punches. This worked to Bixler's favor as he landed a lot of punches and scored points for aggression and control. Bixler also secured several takedowns and added plenty of punches from the top as he easily took the first round.
Going into the third, it didn't look like Kinnison was going to be able to secure the armbar. Bixler's defense was just too strong. Behind on the judges cards, Kinnison needed to catch Bixler in something he could finish. He found it after throwing a high kick that Bixler was able to catch and use to slam Kinnison. Unfortunately for Bixler, he landed right into a triangle choke that Kinnison used to finish the fight. A great fight top to bottom with both fighters showing their considerable skills. Hopefully both will be featured on future cards.
Though classified as a pro bout, Jay Estrada's fight with Josh Lee was run on three minute rounds. Had the rounds been five minutes, this likely would have been a first round stoppage as Estrada worked over the less experienced Lee. Estrada was able to put Lee on the mat with a pair of wicked hip tosses and calmly work toward finishing him. Lee scored several reversals but wasn't able to capitalize as Estrada was able to get back on top, where he created enough space to unload a truck-full of stiff ground and pound, landing several hard shots that forced the referee stoppage and earned Gilbert Grappling another "W". As much a victim of poor management as Estrada's superior wrestling, Lee might want to find a corner man who doesn't yell for him to use moves that are illegal in Illinois (elbows on the ground) and who doesn't forget to bring his fighter water for use between rounds. Brian McGuiness survived an early suplex by opponent Duke Oursler, escaping Oursler's rear-naked choke attempt by sneaking out the back door. Back on the feet, McGuiness was in his element as he landed a big right hand that put Oursler on the fritz. Held up by the fence, Oursler crumbled to the mat after a second punch. McGuiness wins by KO. Dan Hornbuckle manhandled Max Fowler for just thirty seconds before a giant knee to the jaw led to Fowler's verbal submission. After the submission, Fowler was holding what may have been a broken or otherwise injured jaw. Gilbert Grappling's Kevin Knabijan and Grant Sarver came out throwing bombs. Knabijan got the better of the exchange, prompting a takedown by Sarver. Knabijan came close with several submissions before Sarver attempted an armbar of his own. Knabijan escaped the attempt, broke Sarver's guard, got to side control and slipped into an armbar of his own for the win. Jacob Hey hurt Mike Higgins with a big slam and knocked him out seconds later with punches from the top. In amateur action, Gilbert Grappling's Ted Juricic nearly ripped off Jim McDonald's arm with a nasty Kimura midway through the first round. Overall, it was a solid debut for Caged Fighting Championships Underground. Explosion should provide a workable base from which they can improve upon. Surely, Chicago-area fans are looking forward to the second installment set for March 2007 with a headliner bout featuring 135-pound sensation Miguel Torres. Full Results Professional - 3x5 minute rounds Tommy Lee def. Norm Alexander by unanimous decision Dan Hornbuckle def. Max Fowler by verbal submission (injury to jaw) 0:30 R1 Steve Kinnison def. Ryan Bixler by triangle choke 1:49 R3 Kevin Knabijan def. Grant Sarver by armbar 0:48 R2 Brian McGuiness def. Duke Oursler by KO 2:58 R1 Jacob Hey def. Mike Higgins by KO 1:11 R1 Professional - 3x3 minute round Jay Estrada def. Josh Lee by TKO (ref stoppage due to strikes) 2:10 R2 Brandon Munson def Matt Garber by armbar 1:45 R1 Johnny Bedford def Dan Caesar by guillotine choke 0:20 R1 Amateur - 3x3 minute rounds Justin Carr def Colt Norton by submission due to strikes 0:20 R1 Ted Juricic def Jim McDonald by Kimura 1:34 R1 |
| Monday - December 25, 2006 |
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| Tuesday - December 26, 2006 |
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Georges St-Pierre Wins FCF's 2006 Canadian Fighter of the Year Award
Denis Kang excelled in Pride's 183 pound division this year, going 4-1 fighting for the organization in 2006, with wins over Mark Weir, Amar Suloev, Murilo Rua, Akihiro Gono. Kang's only loss, and for that matter, his first loss since 2003, came against Kazuo Misaki in the Pride Bushido "Survival" Tournament Finals. Kang also had a win competing in South Korea's Spirit MC Promotion, where the American Top Team fighter KO'ed Albert Basconcelles in the first round on April 22nd. Defeating two of the world's best welterweight fighters, on route to securing the UFC's Welterweight Championship was ultimately, what the Canadian voter's determined was the winning criteria for GSP. St-Pierre was victorious in both his fights this year, first defeating former UFC Welterweight Champion BJ Penn at UFC 58, on March 4th by split decision, and then by stopping long time UFC Champion Matt Hughes in dramatic fashion at UFC 65 on November 18th. Over 30 of the Nation's MMA fighters, trainers, promoters and media members cast their votes, to award GSP the Canadian Fighter of the Year honor, giving the Quebec fighter back to back wins in 2005 and 2006. Here are just a few of the comments, some of Canada's MMA community had in regards to their votes for the "Northern Touch" Fighter of the Year Award. "GSP, in a walk, he will be the UFC Champion for as long as he wants….and talk about a marketing dream." Hardcore Fighting Championship CEO, Keith Crawford "Denis Kang, mainly because he fought 6 times and St. Pierre fought 2 times, they both really deserve it. Team Toshido Head Instructor, David Lea "George St-Pierre, after such a dominating performance over the seemingly undefeatable Matt Hughes, GSP deserves top honors in this spot, but Denis Kang deserves honorable mentions for an amazing year." Combat Athletics, John Cooper "GSP, Rush killed it this year!" Team Tompkins' fighter, Chris Horodecki This year FCF expanded the awards to include categories for Canadian Comeback Fighter of the Year, and Canadian Break Out Fighter for 2006, an honor awarded to the fighter who achieved widespread international acclaim for the first time. The final candidates for the Nation's Comeback Fighter were Krzysztof Soszynski, Patrick Cote, Jeff Joslin and Victor Valimaki. Both Soszynski and Cote turned their careers around in 2006 after having a somewhat lack luster year in 2005, while both Joslin and Valimaki won Apex and Maximum Fighting Championship titles respectively, making it to the UFC in the process, after having relatively inactive 2005 seasons. In what ended up being an extremely close race, Patrick Cote narrowly edged out Krzystof Soszynski in voting to win the 2006 Canadian Comeback Fighter of the Year Award. After going winless in the UFC in 2005, Cote returned to the organization via the "The Ultimate Fighter" television show, progressing through to the show's finals on November 11th. Although Cote lost to Travis Lutter at the "TUF" finals, this year the Quebec fighter defeated Jorge Rivera and Edwin Dewees during the show's run, and secured King of the Cage Canada's Lightheavyweight Title and the MFC's Middleweight Title, with wins over Bill Mahood and Jason Macdonald respectively. The finalists for this year's Break Out Fighter of the Year included Mark Hominick, Jason Macdonald, Kalib Starnes and Chris Horodecki. All of the first three aforementioned fighters had successful UFC debuts in 2006, arguably gaining widespread international awareness for the first time in their careers. Although Horodecki also captured the attention of the MMA world in 2006, his international exposure was via the International Fight League, competing for Bas Rutten's Anacondas. In what was also another tight race in the voting, "The Athlete" Jason Macdonald won the Break Out Fighter Award by just a few votes over 19-year-old Team Tompkins' fighter Chris Horodecki. The subject of Macdonald immediately lit up MMA forums after his UFC debut on October 10th at Ultimate Fight Night 7, where the veteran fighter submitted the highly touted "Ultimate Fighter" middleweight finalist Ed Herman with a first round triangle choke. Macdonald went 4-1 in 2006, including a notable unanimous decision win over TUF Season 4 cast member Gideon Ray at Extreme Caged Combat 1 on April 29th. Macdonald will head to UFC 66 with his record of 17-7 this Saturday, to take on another of the UFC's rising stars, Chris Leben. Apex "Caged Inferno" Card Set for January 13th The Robert Guertin Arena in Gatineau, Quebec, will host the latest Apex Fighting Championship event, "Caged Inferno" on January 13th. The night's main event will feature the return of Sean "Pimp Daddy" Pierson (4-3) to the MMA ring for the first time since 2003, who will be taking on Fritz Paul (8-3) for the Apex Canadian Middleweight Title. In another Canadian title match, Thierry Quenneville (9-5) will meet the undefeated Shaun Krysa (4-0) for Apex's National Lightweight Championship. Krysa has gone 3-0 in 2006, winning all three of his bouts by submission, while Quenneville lost by TKO to Damacio Page in his only bout this year at TKO 25 on May 5th. Some of the other scheduled bouts for the "Caged Inferno" card include, an Apex Women's World Lightweight Title match between Rebecca Sweeney (2-0) and Jessica Augilar (2-1), Nabil Khatib (5-1)versus Darly Bonar (3-1) in middleweight action, and welterweight Jacob Macdonald (2-4) fighting Daniel Grandmaison (2-3). Canadian MMA Spring Schedule
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IFL Press Release: Lindland, Miletich's Squads Ring In New Year with a one-hour show NEW YORK, DECEMBER 26, 2006 – International Fight League, Inc. (OTC.BB: IFLI), the world's first team-based professional mixed martial arts league, will give its fans another way to ring in the New Year, with an evening of exciting MMA action on Fox Sports Net. The IFL "World Team Championship" final between the Wolfpack, based in Portland and coached by Matt Lindland, and the Silverbacks, who train in the Quad Cities and are coached by Pat Miletich, will air on Fox Sports Net on Dec. 31 in most markets. The Wolfpack-Silverbacks matchup will be a tape delay of the "World Team Championship" that will take place Friday, Dec. 29 at Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Conn. The coverage is the final part of FSN's 10 hours of IFL World Team Championship coverage this fall. Broadcast times in several regions include:
In addition, Canadian fans can catch Rogers Sportsnet's re-broadcasts of the two-hour "Best Damn Sports Show" special across all of its networks overnight on Saturday, Dec. 30/Early Sunday, Dec. 31 (East, Ontario, HD: 12:30 a.m. ET/ 1:30 a.m. AT; West: midnight MT/11 p.m. PT; Pacific: 1 a.m. MT/ midnight PT). The World Team Championship Final will air on Saturday, Jan. 6. |
| Wednesday - December 27, 2006 |
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By Jim Genia What: IFL World Team Championships. When: December 29th. Where: Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Connecticut. Capping off their inaugural year with an MMA blowout, the International Fight League returns to the East Coast with a Wolfpack and Silverback team showdown, as well as a few intra-league superfights that have "action" written all over them. Here's a look at some of the fighters: Renzo Gracie – The Pitbulls The consummate jiu-jitsu fighter, this Pitbull patriarch is suddenly more popular than ever thanks to a highly-favorable "60 Minutes" segment and a recent victory over MMA legend Pat Miletich. But Father Time is a tough adversary to beat, and at 40 years old, one has to wonder if the amiable Gracie – who's beaten the likes of Oleg Taktarov, Sanae Kikuta and Maurice Smith in his long career – has enough for his rematch with the always-dangerous Carlos Newton. Carlos Newton – The Dragons A crafty grappler and former UFC champ, Newton scored a split-decision win over Gracie three years ago at Pride's Bushido 1, but it's been a rough road since. One thing that cannot be denied, though, is that a focused Newton is very tough to beat. The question: will he be focused on December 29th? Jamal Patterson – The Pitbulls Following in the footsteps of Matt Serra and Ricardo Almeida, this Renzo Gracie student is a jiu-jitsu monster set to make waves in the MMA world. Scoring submission victories both times he's entered the IFL ring, Patterson is stepping up once again, this time to take on the more-experienced Reese Andy. Can he keep up his winning ways? Ben Rothwell – The Silverbacks If the IFL has made any stars, Rothwell is certainly one of them. A heavyweight slugger with KO power in his fists, this Miletich-trained fighter has spent years racking up a wealth of ring experience – and is the man to beat amongst the League's heavyweights. Bart Palaszewski – The Silverbacks Another emerging IFL star, this lightweight packs a punch, and that, coupled with his submission skills, makes him a formidable opponent for anyone. Look for "Bartimus" to keep his IFL record spotless when he squares off against Ryan Schultz on December 29th. The fight card as of 12/27: Intra-League Superfights Renzo Gracie (Pitbulls) vs. Carlos Newton (Dragons) Mike Whitehead (Scorpions) vs. Krzysztof Soszynski (Anacondas) Jamal Patterson (Pitbulls) vs. Reese Andy (Tiger Sharks) Brent Beauparlant (Dragons) vs. Andre Gusmao (Pitbulls) Erik Owings (Pitbulls) vs. Ed West (Sabres) World Team Championship Finals Wolfpack Silverbacks coach: Matt Lindland coach: Pat Miletich Ryan Schultz vs. Bart Palaszewski Chris Wilson vs. Rory Markham Matt Horwich vs. Ryan McGivern Aaron Stark vs. Mike Ciesnolevicz Devin Cole vs. Ben Rothwell |
| Thursday - December 28, 2006 |
 IFL World Team Championship Final: Weigh-Ins and Weighty Announcements By Gaby Genia (December 28th -- Groton Naval Submarine Base) The highly-anticipated International Fight League's (IFL) World Team Championship Final kicked off this afternoon with weigh-ins in the lobby of the Naval Exchange at the Groton Submarine Base. As a standing-room only crowd of excited sailors and fervent fight fans looked on, the IFL brass wowed the crowd with announcements of four new coaches and a future superfight. The first coach announced was none other than former Pride Grand Prix tournament winner Dan Henderson. Doo B. Park, a South Korean judoka and martial arts instructor to the US Army and NYPD, was introduced next, followed by three-time Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu world champion Mario Sperry. The final coach named was kickboxing legend Jerome LeBanner, of France. Joining the internationally-renowned new additions for a photo op on the stage were current coaches Maurice Smith, Carlos Newton, Renzo Gracie, Pat Miletich, Ian Freeman, and Matt Lindland. The IFL further energized the crowd with the announcement that veteran slugger Robbie Lawler would take on up-and-coming Brazilian banger Eduardo Pamplona in a superfight to be held on February 23rd in Atlanta, Georgia. Almost uneventful after the excitement that had preceded them, the weigh-ins themselves went off without a hitch, as each and every one of the fighters made weight with seeming ease. In the Wolfpack/Silverbacks showdown, heavyweights Devin Cole and Ben Rothwell weighed in at 237 and 264 pounds, respectively. Both light-heavyweights Aaron Stark and Mike Ciesnolevicz made the mark at 205, while lightweights Ryan Schultz and Bart Palaszewski came in at 154 and 155 pounds. Welterweights Chris Wilson and Rory Markham weighed in at 170 and 169, while in the middleweight division, an eager Matt Horwich (185) didn't bother waiting for Ryan McGivern (184) to step on the scale before he began guzzling Pedialyte.
In the intra-league superfights, Pitbull coach Renzo Gracie and Dragons coach Carlos Newton took the scales to a roar of applause. Both crowd favorites hit the mark at 184 pounds. Heavyweight Mike Whitehead (Scorpions) tipped the scales at a whopping 262, while his opponent, Krzysztof Soszynski, weighed in at a mere 235 pounds.
Light-heavyweights Jamal Patterson (Pitbulls) and Reese Andy (Tiger Sharks) weighed in at 204 and 205, respectively, as did Andre Gusmao (Pitbulls) and Brent Beauparlant (Dragons). Lightweight Erik Owings (Pitbulls) came in at 154, while his opponent, Ed West (Sabres), came in at a scant 151 pounds. The final weigh-in of the day was that of middleweight division alternates Jake Ellenberger and Ben Uker, who both came in at 183 on the dot. As everyone made weight, the room was full of excitement and anticipation of what tomorrow will bring. And for those unable to make the trip to the sold-out Mohegan Sun Arena event tomorrow night, it was announced that the show will air on FSN on New Year's Eve. The full fight card: Erik Owings (154.25 lbs) vs. Ed West (151 lbs) Brent Beauparlant (205 lbs) vs. Andre Gusmao (204.75 lbs) Jamal Patterson (204.25 lbs) vs. Reese Andy (205) Mike Whitehead (262.5 lbs) vs. Krzystof Soszynski (235.25 lbs) Ryan Schultz (154.75 lbs)vs. Bart Palaszewski (155 lbs) Chris Wilson (170 lbs) vs. Rory Markham (169.25 lbs) Matt Horwich (185.75 lbs) vs. Ryan McGivern (184.25 lbs) Aaron Stark (204.25 lbs) vs. Mike Ciesnolevicz (205 lbs) Devin Cole (237.5 lbs) vs. Ben Rothwell (264 lbs) Carlos Newton (184.75 lbs) vs. Renzo Gracie (184 lbs) Alternates Jake Ellenberger (183lbs) vs. Ben Uker (183lbs) |
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New episode of FCF Radio In our latest broadcast, we talk with Jeff Joslin and Thomas "The Wildman" Denny. Click here to listen/download. |
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From the event's promoter: Friday, February 9th, 7h30PM - Bell Centre, Montreal MAIN CARD (STARTING @ 7:30PM) Main Event - TKO Welterweight Championship JONATHAN GOULET (Victoriaville, Quebec, 16-7-0) vs. STEVE VIGNEAULT (Îles de la Madeleine, Quebec, 11-6-0) Co-Main Event - TKO Featherweight Championship MARK HOMINICK (London, Ontario, 12-5-0) vs. HATSU HIOKI (Nagoya, Japon, 11-1-1) Welterweight Division DAVID MEDD (Port Colbrone, Ontario, 2-1-0) vs. CHRIS CLEMENTS (London, Ontario, 3-1-0) Lightweight Division JASON ST-LOUIS (Vernon, Colombie-Britannique, 9-5-0) vs. STEVE CLAVEAU (Victoriaville, Quebec, 4-6-0) Lightweight Division DAVE PARISEAU (Victoriaville, Quebec, 5-2-1) vs. MARTIN GRANDMONT (Drummondville, Quebec, 3-3-0) Also on the main card : TBA vs. SAM STOUT, TBA vs. SAMUEL GUILLET et TBA vs. STÉPHANE DUBÉ PRELIMINARY BOUTS (STARTING @ 6h30PM) Lightweight Division DANIEL BOISSONEAULT (Victoriaville, Quebec, 1-0-0) vs. YVES LEMELIN (Drummondville, Quebec, 0-1-0) Welterweight Division JOSEPH PAQUET (Toronto, Ontario, 0-0-0) vs. JEAN-FRANÇOIS BEDARD (Drummondville, Quebec, 0-0-0) Heavyweight Division DAVID FRASER (Rivière-du-Loup, Quebec, 0-1-0) vs. BOB LANDRY (St-Jean, Quebec, 0-0-0) Light-Heavyweight Division SEBASTIEN GAUTHIER (Chicoutimi, Quebec, 1-0-0) vs. STEPHANE PINET (Quebec, Quebec, 0-1-0) Also on the preliminary card : TBA vs. PETER JACKSON |
| Friday - December 29, 2006 |
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By Steven Marrocco Undercard Bouts: Anthony Perosh vs. Christian Wellisch Perosh is coming off a loss against heavyweight contender Jeff Monson in his UFC debut in July, He is a BJJ black belt under Carlos Machado, and as such, favors the ground in MMA competition. Most of his wins have come by submission in the Spartan Reality Fight promotion in Australia, where he runs a school with veteran Elvis Sinosec. Wellisch is also coming off a loss in his UFC debut, where he fought well against Cheik Kongo before eating a huge knee that stopped the fight quickly. Based out of the American Kickboxing Academy, Wellisch has displayed a wider skill set in competition, stopping his opponents by submission as well as strikes. Both competitors will be hungry to get in the winning column in the UFC, so this will undoubtedly be a spirited fight. If Wellisch is able to connect as Monson did, it could be a short night for Perosh. However, Perosh will most likely get an early takedown, where he will gun for a submission victory. If Wellisch has not prepared himself adequately on the ground, or slacked in his cardio, he will be submitted. Wellisch's best hope is to exploit Perosh's weakness on his feet in the initial minutes of the bout or after a restart from the ground. Yushin Okami vs. Rory Singer Okami is a tough veteran of the international fight game, having fought for Pancrase, Pride, and K-1. He was the beneficiary of a win over Anderson Silva in Rumble on the Rock when an errant upkick from Silva knocked him out in the opening round. Since then, he has beaten his last two opponents in the UFC, recently dominating TUF 3 contestant Kalib Starnes in a 3rd round stoppage victory. Rory Singer has also had success in his initial UFC fights, stopping TUF 3 finalist Josh Haynes in October's UFC Fight Night and Brit Ross Pointon at the TUF 3 finale. With the exception of a single KO victory at King of the Cage, Singer is a submission artist through and through. This is Singer's toughest challenge yet, as Okami has proven skills on the ground and has shown himself to be aggressive when standing as well. Singer could capitalize on Okami's aggression by catching him in an early submission from the bottom, but will suffer a disadvantage if the bout stays on its feet. Most likely, we will see a chess match on the ground. Gabriel Gonzaga vs. Carmello Marrero After recovering from family crisis in late 2005 and a last minute withdrawal at UFC 63, Gonzaga rebounded with a TKO victory over Fabiano Scherner at UFC 60. Prior to joining the UFC, Gonzaga was a successful BJJ competitor as a black belt under Wander Braga. His only loss in MMA came at the hands of ground wiz Fabricio Werdum in an early Jungle Fight bout. Marrero is undefeated in his six professional fights, having recently defeated Cheick Kongo by split decision at UFC 64, where he was brought in on three weeks notice. Marrero is primarily a wrestler/ground and pound artist, and has a great ability to control his opponents on the ground. With ample time to prepare, we should see a more well rounded Marrero against the also relatively new Gonzaga. After his victory against Kongo, Marrero expressed his confidence in his stand up abilities and vowed to use them in his upcoming fight. Gonzaga's bread and butter is also on the ground, but has displayed decent standup abilities as well. Look for the two to trade in the opening rounds, with either one shooting as one comes out on the losing side of the exchanges. From there, we could see a protracted ground battle with a decision. Tony DeSouza vs. Thiago Alves DeSouza is a longtime veteran of the MMA world, having fought for the UFC in the early 2000's. After a victory in the first WFA, DeSouza took a three-year break from MMA, returning to competition in 2004. He is primarily a submission artist, training with BJ Penn. In his return to the UFC, he defeated Dustin Hazelett by kimura at Fight Night 7. Thiago Alves may be a younger version of Tony DeSouza, with the added capability of striking. Having racked up most of his UFC experience in the recent year, Alves is coming off an impressive decision victory over the always tough John Alessio on the same card as DeSouza. However, he has dropped two fights to two tough UFC welterweights, the first being Spencer Fisher, followed by Jon Fitch. DeSouza's comfort on the ground will most likely take the fight there, with Thiago trying to ward off his submission attempts. If Alves is able to use his advantage in speed to inflict damage early, he could take the victory. Maincard Bouts: Eric Schafer vs. Michael Bisping TUF 3 winner Bisping is making his long awaited UFC pay per view debut, having withdrawn from his last scheduled fight due to visa issues. An undefeated 11-0, Bisping tore through the competition in the reality show and dismantled Team Quest fighter Josh Haynes to take the show. Training out of the tough Wolfslair Gym in the UK, Bisping is an exciting striker with ground skills to match. Eric Schafer is a submission artist who handily dispatched season two TUF'er Rob Macdonald with a slick transition into an arm triangle choke that rendered him unconscious. It will be interesting to see how the layoff has affected Bisping, and should any ring rust appear, Schafer's best chance to capitalize is on the ground. An early takedown could put Bisping on the defensive early and take valuable gas out of the Brit's tank, taking the sting out of his crisp striking. However, should Bisping come ready, his striking will most likely overwhelm Schafer in the first. Jason MacDonald vs. Chris Leben Canadian vet MacDonald shocked many newcomers to the sport by easily submitting TUF season 3 favorite Ed Herman, tapping him out with a textbook triangle choke. The crafty fighter is on a five-fight win streak, having been a regular in the Extreme Cage Combat and Mixed Fighting Championships. Had he not been snatched up by the UFC, we may very well have seen him in Bodogfight, having fought on the majority of their cards. Chris Leben is a member of Team Quest and an TUF season 1 alum. After suffering his first loss in two years against current UFC middleweight champ Anderson Silva, Leben rebounded with a KO victory against Jorge Santiago at UFC Fight Night 6, dropping the Brazilian fighter with a looping hook. Noticeably quieter since his humbling, Leven has refocused himself to take revenge for his fellow Team Quest fighter's loss. It is well known that Leben loves to throw leather and will try to punch his way to a KO victory. MacDonald has shown tremendous technique and will most likely try to bait Leben into making an obvious mistake as he did with Herman. If Leben is able to stay patient and pressure MacDonald on the feet, he could wear down the Canadian later in the bout. Andre Arlovski vs. Marcio Cruz It's been a tough road for the former UFC heavyweight champ recently, losing two back- to-back fights against current champ Tim Sylvia. In their second bout, Arlovski injured his knee and rode out the remainder of the fight with lazy jabs that dragged the bout. Until recently, Arlovski was the poster child for a well-rounded heavyweight, having submitted Sylvia in their first meeting and knocked Paul Buentello senseless at UFC 55. With no foreseeable title shot, Arlovski finds himself in journeyman territory, knocking off contenders to the heavyweight throne until Sylvia is unseated. Marcio Cruz came from a highly regarded BJJ background, having won championships in both the Mundials and Abu Dabi. Cruz started strong in the UFC, upsetting former heavyweight champ Frank Mir by TKO stoppage, but recently lost a controversial decision to heavyweight contender Jeff Monson. Both fighters are looking to shake off their current demons, having recently given disappointing performances in their careers. However, the glaring difference in their respective abilities comes in striking. Arlovski's kickboxing skills far outweigh Cruz's, so much so that any time spent on the feet is dangerous for the ADCC champ. If Cruz is able to take the fight to the ground, the bout will be far more competitive. Even then, if Cruz looks to take advantage from the bottom position, as many BJJ converts do, he will find himself being punished by Arlovski. Look for Arlovski to end the fight on its feet relatively early on. Keith Jardine vs. Forrest Griffin Jardine fights out of Greg Jackson's Submission Fighting academy in Albuquerque, New Mexico. He was scheduled to fight Mike Nickels at UFC 64, but Nickels withdrew last minute due to a back injury. Fortunately, UFC brass decided to up the stakes for the former bounty hunter, giving him TUF season 1 winner Forrest Griffin. After dropping a controversial decision loss to Stephan Bonnar (which most likely would have put him across from Griffin back in August), Jardine rebounded with a decision victory over Wilson Gouveia at the TUF 3 finale. As one of the UFC's breakout stars, Griffin is a brawler who's technique has grown by leaps and bounds since the conclusion of the reality show. His striking performance against Stephan Bonnar had the look of a professional boxer, using footwork extremely well and throwing crisp combinations of punches that outclassed his opponent. It could be argued that like Jardine, he has never lost in the UFC, having been at the losing end of a decision many disagreed with. With their respective histories, it seems UFC matchmaker Joe Silva saw an opportunity to line up a contender to the light-heavyweight crown in the relatively thin division. In the past year, both fighters have gained respect in the MMA community, and this bout should showcase their evolution as fighters. Griffith has shown the ability to take punishment and smile, and should be content to stand and slug with Jardine. If Jardine attacks Griffin's legs as he did with Bonnar, Griffin could be worn down as the fight progresses. Either way, this bout looks to be extremely competitive. Chuck Liddell vs. Tito Ortiz In case you've been sleeping under a rock, Liddell is the UFC Light-Heavyweight champion and the biggest name in the UFC. As a true company man, Liddell has beaten most of the names in the light-heavyweight world, and will no doubt take a place at the UFC Hall of Fame when his career comes to a close. Ortiz is the former UFC Light-Heavyweight champion, having held the belt for three years at the start of the millennium, where his ground and pound dominated the game. Having won a controversial decision against Forrest Griffin, and elbowed Ken Shamrock into oblivion twice, Ortiz finds himself in title contention again against his old training partner. Whether Ortiz has sharpened his boxing skills to the level of Liddell is the serious question. Liddell has accurately read the situation, stating that if Ortiz is to achieve the ultimate goal of taking him down, he will have to cross into striking range first. That puts Ortiz in the unenviable position of trading strikes with one of the most devastating strikers in the history of MMA. Should Ortiz manage to take Liddell down, the question becomes whether he can keep Liddell down for long enough to do what he does best. If Ortiz is able to make Liddell work hard on the ground for a couple rounds, the bout could be more competitive. However, if Liddell is able to do what he does best, stuffing takedowns and looking to fire his powerful right, the result could be the same as their first meeting. |
| Saturday - December 30, 2006 |
 Newton Robbed at IFL World Team Championship Finals By Jim Genia
Of course, all felonies committed by the judges notwithstanding, the night did have its highpoints, including:
Intra-League Superfights Renzo Gracie (Pitbulls-184lbs) vs. Carlos Newton (Dragons-185lbs) Gracie via split decision. Mike Whitehead (Scorpions-262lbs) vs. Krzysztof Soszynski (Anacondas-235lbs) Whitehead via unanimous decision. Jamal Patterson (Pitbulls-204lbs) vs. Reese Andy (Tiger Sharks-205lbs) Andy via ref stoppage due to unanswered strikes at 3:24 of Round Two. Brent Beauparlant (Dragons-205lbs) vs. Andre Gusmao (Pitbulls-205lbs) Gusmao via unanimous decision. Erik Owings (Pitbulls-154lbs) vs. Ed West (Sabres-151lbs) Owings via unanimous decision. World Team Championship Finals Wolfpack (coach: Matt Lindland) vs. Silverbacks (coach: Pat Miletich) Ryan Schultz (155lbs) vs. Bart Palaszewski (155lbs) Palaszewski via KO at 2:16 of Round Three. Chris Wilson (170lbs) vs. Rory Markham (169lbs) Wilson via ref stoppage due to unanswered strikes at 2:14 of Round One. Matt Horwich (186lbs) vs. Ryan McGivern (184lbs) McGivern via unanimous decision. Aaron Stark (204lbs) vs. Mike Ciesnolevicz (205lbs) Ciesnolevicz via guillotine at 1:03 of Round Three. Devin Cole (237lbs) vs. Ben Rothwell (264lbs) Rothwell via ref stoppage due to unanswered strikes at 3:16 of Round One. The Silverbacks won the IFL World Team Championship with a score of 4-1 – congrats on the championship rings, fellas! |
| Sunday - December 31, 2006 |
Your friends at FCF hope that you all have a very happy and safe New Year's Eve, and we wish you all of the best in the new year. |
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By Kelsey Mowatt The MGM Grand Garden Arena, in Las Vegas, Nevada, hosted the Ultimate Fighting Championship 66 tonight, and with a scheduled main event of Lightheavyweight Champion Chuck Liddell taking on former Champion Tito Ortiz, pre-fight speculation has abounded that the MMA promotion might set pay per view buy records this evening. The two were meeting for the second time in just less than 2 years, as Liddell knocked out the "Huntington Beach Bad Boy" at UFC 47, on April 2nd, 2004. Since then Ortiz has gone 5-0, while Liddell has also won 5 in a row, defending his belt 3 times. The opening round began similarly to their first encounter, with each fighter attempting to find their range striking until a takedown attempt from Ortiz was quickly stopped by Liddell. Ortiz began utilizing some left kicks to both Liddell's legs and midsection, and appeared to be gaining confidence until a looping right hand from "The Ice Man" cut Ortiz over his left eye. A follow up left hook from Liddell moments later dropped the former Champion, and a bloodied Ortiz barley survived a vicious barrage from Liddell to make it through the first round. Round two saw Ortiz resume throwing kicks, which seemed to give Liddell moment to pause. As Liddell sprawled once more to avoid another Ortiz takedown attempt, his back was momentarily taken by Ortiz who quickly swung around to his rear. From there Ortiz was unable to capitalize on the superior position and Liddell quickly resumed stalking his opponent for the remainder of the round. The fights third round saw Ortiz yet again attempt a takedown from the outside, which the current Champion once again adeptly countered. Liddell began to also counter Ortiz's leg kicks effectively, seemingly diminishing the confidence of Ortiz that he had appeared to have regained during round 2. As Liddell continued to stalk his opponent, he began to find his range, eventually catching Ortiz with a lethal combination that once again put the former Champ to the mat. Liddell, similarly to round one, again punished Ortiz with right hands from above, as Ortiz turned to his side, covering his head as the onslaught continued from Liddell for several seconds which seemed like hours. Finally, referee Ken Yamasaki jumped into the fray to stop the action, giving Liddell the TKO victory and his 4th title defense. A dejected Ortiz promised he would be back after giving the current Champion Liddell full credit for yet another impressive win. Liddell's record now sits at 20-3, while Ortiz's slips to 16-5. In what could be a main event fight on many UFC cards, rising star Forrest Griffin was scheduled to take on Greg Jackson fighter Keith Jardine. To a roaring welcome from the MGM crowd, Forrest Griffin entered the arena, to face what promised to be one of his toughest tests to date. The fight certainly lived up to its billing as a potential stand up war, with almost the entire first round seeing each fighter exchanging from their feet. Both Jardine and Griffin remained in the pocket, fiercely throwing punches and kicks until Jardine finally landed a telling right uppercut and follow up left hook to Griffin that sent the "Ultimate Fighter" star reeling. With the fight quickly spilling to the ground, Jardine's assault continued, pounding Griffin from above with several more crushing punches that gave referee John McCarthy no choice but to halt the action at 4:41 of round 1. In earning the biggest win of his career, Jardine's record's moves up to 12-3-1, while Griffin, who was visibly distraught after the bout, see's his record drop to 13-4. The pay per view portion of the card began with "Ultimate Fighter" season 3 lightheavyweight winner Michael Bisping taking on Eric Schafer. From the outset, Bisping tested Schafer's striking capabilities and chin, landing hard right hands and a stiff right head kick that appeared to take a considerable amount of steam out of his opponent. The resilient Schafer still managed to get the fight to the mat, where Bisping displayed a capable guard, working his way out again to his feet from several dominant positions from Schafer, including a side choke attempt and a momentary full mount. As the middle portion of the opening round eclipsed, with the bout once again spilling to the Octagon floor, Bisping peppered Schafer with punishing right hands from above. A bloodied Schafer was spared any further damage as the referee intervened at 2:03. The win brings Bisping's record to 12-0, while Schafer's falls to 8-3-2. The next fight featured the return of former UFC Heavyweight Champion Andrei Arlovski, who was meeting the highly accomplished jiu-jitsu specialist Marcio Cruz. The Brazilian "Pe De Pano" immediately shot in for the takedown, and despite a decent sprawl from Arlovski, Cruz still managed to grab hold of Arlovski and pull him into his guard. The former Champion quickly worked his way back to his feet as Cruz continued to desperately cling to one leg eventually getting the gifted striker back to the mat. After a stern warning to Arlovski from referee Herb Dean for kicking at Cruz's head as both fighters's looked for heel hooks and ankle locks, a brilliantly timed stiff right hand to Cruz stunned the Brazilian. From there, as Cruz continued to attempt to roll into a kneebar, Arlvoski landed several more crushing hard right hands, knocking out his opponent at 3:15 of round one. Arlvoski's triumphant return pushes his record to 10-5 while "Pe De Pano's" drops to 2-2. Next up Jason "The Athlete" Macdonald stepped into the Octagon to face Chris "The Crippler" Leben, who was looking to avenge fellow Team Quest's fighter Ed Herman's previous loss to the Canadian middleweight in October at Ultimate Fight Night 7. The opening round of the fight saw Leben getting the better of the stand up exchanges, but the tough Macdonald kept pressing forward, putting Leben against the fence several times. From there Leben displayed great takedown defense for the majority of the round, aptly countering any maneuver from his opposition. The second round saw much of the same, until finally Macdonald was able to get Leben to the mat, and began working to push through Leben's half guard. Quickly, the 31-year-old veteran Macdonald proved to the MMA world that he is in fact the real deal, securing a tight guillotine choke on Leben as the fighter attempted to reverse positions. Leben struggled for several seconds until finally attempting to tap in what appeared to be a half conscious state. The fight was stopped at 4:03 of round one, giving Macdonald the win that elevates his record to 18-7, while Leben's falls to 15-3. A welterweight bout between Tony De Souza and American Top Team fighter Thiago Alves would set the pay per view table for tonight's main event. After an opening round that saw Alves squash numerous De Souza takedowns and ruthlessly punish De Souza until the bell sounded, Alves knocked out his opponent with a brilliantly timed knee and follow up punch shortly into round 2 at 1:10. Alves' record is now 10-3, while De Souza's sits at 10-3. In other action during tonight's pay per view, Gabriel Gonzaga put on a grappling clinic, submitting Carmelo Marrero at 3:32 of the first round with an armbar. The victory is Gonzaga's third in a row in the UFC, raising his record to 7-1, while Marrero's drops to 6-1. |
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