TUF 205 lb Champion Ryan Bader is taking advantage of the break after his Finale win and not needing to cut weight anymore to enjoy a little holiday food, including some cookies and fudge. He is waiting to hear from the UFC for his next match.
Jay over at GymTops.com has a good piece detailing the MMA gifts you wish you had gotten today instead of the socks, sweater, or tin of popcorn that you got instead. Those cutouts are sweet, but I'm not so sure about the Octa-bed.
The Las Vegas Review Journal details holidays past and present with UFC 92 participants Forrest Griffin and Wanderlei Silva.
Thursday, December 25, 2008
Wednesday, December 24, 2008
UFC 92 Hype
The Canadian Press profiles Brad Blackburn in the lead up to his showdown with Ryo Chonan.
The Las Vegas Sun profiles the Mir vs Nog Showdown and writer Andy Samuelson breaks down the card.
Las Vegas Weekly has three quick questions for Frank Mir.
Rashad Evans has an interview with BuddyTV.
The Las Vegas Sun profiles the Mir vs Nog Showdown and writer Andy Samuelson breaks down the card.
Las Vegas Weekly has three quick questions for Frank Mir.
Rashad Evans has an interview with BuddyTV.
Tuesday, December 23, 2008
Cage Fighter To Possibly Re-Enter The Octagon
Conspicuous in their display during last night's Countdown to UFC 92 was the Cage Fighter clothing brand. Cage Fighter is the best known of the brands from MMA clothier MMA Authentics. In a well publicized falling out with MMA Authentics, Cage Fighter and its' sister brands were banned from the Octagon and any UFC related events. The dispute centered on MMA Authentics MMA Elite brand beating out the UFC for shelf space at Wal Mart. The prominent display of the brand during Countdown is the latest sign of a lessening in tensions between the UFC and the clothing brand.
Despite being banned from the Octagon, the lines of communication between the fight promotion and the clothing company have remained open. Negotiations heated up between the two in consultations in and around the TUF 8 Finale card and have been heavy since. A deal between the two seems imminent, with negotiations already being in place for several athletes to possibly wear Cage Fighter into the Ring for UFC 92, including Rampage Jackson. MMAPayout.com has also learned Cage Fighter/ MMA Authentics is trying to lock up exclusive lifestyle apparel rights for UFC. The TapouT brand would still be a cornerstone of the UFC's apparel strategy, with the co-existence of TapouT and Cage Fighter merely being a case of semantics. The terms of the possible deal are unknown, but a similar deal between the UFC and TapouT for exclusive promotional rights is rumored to involve the UFC taking profit participation points from TapouT.
Despite being banned from the Octagon, the lines of communication between the fight promotion and the clothing company have remained open. Negotiations heated up between the two in consultations in and around the TUF 8 Finale card and have been heavy since. A deal between the two seems imminent, with negotiations already being in place for several athletes to possibly wear Cage Fighter into the Ring for UFC 92, including Rampage Jackson. MMAPayout.com has also learned Cage Fighter/ MMA Authentics is trying to lock up exclusive lifestyle apparel rights for UFC. The TapouT brand would still be a cornerstone of the UFC's apparel strategy, with the co-existence of TapouT and Cage Fighter merely being a case of semantics. The terms of the possible deal are unknown, but a similar deal between the UFC and TapouT for exclusive promotional rights is rumored to involve the UFC taking profit participation points from TapouT.
Monday, December 22, 2008
Hardonk Not Fazed by Replacement Wessel
The Globe and Mail of Canada has an interesting piece on Antoni Hardonk as he gets ready for his bout at this week-end's UFC 92 card. His opponent is a late substitution but Hardonk is bothered much by the prospect of not having much knowledge of his opponent:
Wessel for his part is looking forward to the showdown and seems content to stand and bang judging from his interview with Fighters Only:
Wessel would be best served by taking the Kickboxer Hardonk to the ground and work his game from there, because a s much as he likes to bang, I'm thinking he would get banged in a stand-up scenario with Hardonk.
The 32-year-old Dutchman looks to make it three wins in a row Saturday night at UFC 92 in Las Vegas, where he meets UFC newcomer Mike (The Juggernaut) Wessel on the undercard of the light-heavyweight title fight between champion Forrest Griffin and Rashad Evans.
Hardonk (7-4 including 3-2 in the UFC) arrived Friday in Las Vegas after some visa delays and learning that his original opponent Mark Burch had been replaced by Wessel.
“Apparently he played football,” Hardonk said. “He's a very physical guy but he just started training mixed martial arts a couple of years ago and because of his physicality, he's very successful. . . . He has a good record and now he's fighting in the UFC.”
Wessel, 31, is a six-foot 260-pounder who played defensive tackle for the San Diego Riptide of the Arena Football League. He has also served as assistant strength and conditioning coach for the Arkansas Razorbacks. Wessel trains in Little Rock along with Roli Delgado, who was on Season 8 of The Ultimate Fighter.
Wessel for his part is looking forward to the showdown and seems content to stand and bang judging from his interview with Fighters Only:
He is a very good kickboxer and has a ton of heart. He has gotten in some bad spots and fought his way out. That’s what has been most impressive to me, his heart. I think he is great at what he does and I am great at what I do. It will come down to who wants it most and makes the least amount of mistakes.
I like to stand and bang and so does he. I can go to ground and be just as comfortable so really it is all up in air. Either way its gonna be a war of two big guys - and everyone loves to watch that!
Wessel would be best served by taking the Kickboxer Hardonk to the ground and work his game from there, because a s much as he likes to bang, I'm thinking he would get banged in a stand-up scenario with Hardonk.
Norwegian Hammer Thrower At UFC 92?
Neilk Davidson of The Canadian Press has a quickie profile on Dan Evensen, who will be making his UFC debut this week-end in a showdown with kick boxer Pat Barry on the undercard of The Ultimate 2008 UFC 92 card. These two come off as no namers but Davidson adds a little bit of context to the proceedings in his piece:
Evensen may have a tall order in Barry. Barry is the smaller guy but is a well versed striker with more than 50 pro and amateur Muay Thai fights under his belt. I'm not liking Evensen's chances of winning this fight, but if he shows even the slight resemblance of having a pulse he could end up as filler on the UFC's Euro Cards for years to come, as actually winning or being any good isn't much of a prerequisite for the European fighters on those cards.
Norway's Dan (The Viking) Evensen's career has taken more than a few twists and turns. What's next for the 6-foot-3 250-pounder may depend on what happens Saturday night against Pat Barry on the undercard of UFC 92 (pay-per-view) in Las Vegas.
Mixed martial arts brought Evensen to the U.S. five years ago. A track-and-field enthusiast, he had represented Norway as a hammer thrower and then traveled the world as a marine engineer.
"I've always been a spontaneous guy," the 34-year-old said. "I got a restless when I was done with sport ... I missed sport and got back in. It happened to be fighting."
Losing weight was the original goal. The big man was getting even bigger. He had done kickboxing in the past and figured fighting might be a good fit.
Evensen may have a tall order in Barry. Barry is the smaller guy but is a well versed striker with more than 50 pro and amateur Muay Thai fights under his belt. I'm not liking Evensen's chances of winning this fight, but if he shows even the slight resemblance of having a pulse he could end up as filler on the UFC's Euro Cards for years to come, as actually winning or being any good isn't much of a prerequisite for the European fighters on those cards.
Sunday, December 21, 2008
MMAPlayground: UFC 92
Nog -275
Okami -315
Dollaway -265
putting down 19k on with a payoff of 28k
laying off that bet by putting 19k on Massenzio at +250, paying off 47.5k....
There aren't a lot of mispriced guys on this card, like say Miller was on the Fight for the troops card or maybe a Maia against Quarry, where those guys were solid locks that should have been -200 instead of the low-100's, those are the types of guys that add tons of value to a parlay, with little risk ...... the two lower odd fioghts on this card are the Rampage and Forrest fights, and those fights are too 50-50 for me to be comfortable with......
Nog and Okami are locks in my book, with Massenzio being a good enough dog at those odds to possibly pull off an upset....Both Dollaway and Massenzio are wrestlers, with Dollaway holding a victory over Massenzio at the national junior college finals, but I think that Massenzio has maybe a little better sub game than CB,.... Massenzio looks to have no stand-up game, I think that CB should be a solid fave but not that high so laying some money here..another possible play would be the Chonan vs Blackburn Fight, Blackburn has been known to surprise with his hands on occasion based on his performance in the IFL, and Chonan has been Ko'ed by Baroni, so he is susceptible to getting caught
Massenzio Primer:
Okami -315
Dollaway -265
putting down 19k on with a payoff of 28k
laying off that bet by putting 19k on Massenzio at +250, paying off 47.5k....
There aren't a lot of mispriced guys on this card, like say Miller was on the Fight for the troops card or maybe a Maia against Quarry, where those guys were solid locks that should have been -200 instead of the low-100's, those are the types of guys that add tons of value to a parlay, with little risk ...... the two lower odd fioghts on this card are the Rampage and Forrest fights, and those fights are too 50-50 for me to be comfortable with......
Nog and Okami are locks in my book, with Massenzio being a good enough dog at those odds to possibly pull off an upset....Both Dollaway and Massenzio are wrestlers, with Dollaway holding a victory over Massenzio at the national junior college finals, but I think that Massenzio has maybe a little better sub game than CB,.... Massenzio looks to have no stand-up game, I think that CB should be a solid fave but not that high so laying some money here..another possible play would be the Chonan vs Blackburn Fight, Blackburn has been known to surprise with his hands on occasion based on his performance in the IFL, and Chonan has been Ko'ed by Baroni, so he is susceptible to getting caught
Massenzio Primer:
Daley Eyeing UFC Slot
Despite still being tied up in the imbroglio that is the ProElite mess, Welterweight striker Paul Daley is casting an eye towards the UFC in 2009. "I'm 25 and my plan is to finally make the move. I think I'm ready for it and I know it is ready for me," Daley told This Is Nottingham. Those plans to make a UFC move may be impeded by the imminent resurrection of ProElite. The company is said to be in the final stages of a sale that would return the company to Showtime and possibly CBS
Daley recently got a won over highly regarded Welter weight John Alessio at Mark Pavelich's Maximum Fighting Championship. Daley missed weight for the fight, forfeiting part of his purse, something he attributed to a mix up on when fight day was. "It was a stupid mistake," Daly said. "I thought the fight would be on Saturday night, like they usually are. But this one was scheduled for the Friday. I walk around about 10lb over, so I had no chance." Daley's immediate plans include heading to LA for more training on his ground work as well as helping fellow countryman Dan Hardy prepare for his next UFC bout.
Daley recently got a won over highly regarded Welter weight John Alessio at Mark Pavelich's Maximum Fighting Championship. Daley missed weight for the fight, forfeiting part of his purse, something he attributed to a mix up on when fight day was. "It was a stupid mistake," Daly said. "I thought the fight would be on Saturday night, like they usually are. But this one was scheduled for the Friday. I walk around about 10lb over, so I had no chance." Daley's immediate plans include heading to LA for more training on his ground work as well as helping fellow countryman Dan Hardy prepare for his next UFC bout.
Askren To Debut Soon
Highly decorated amateur and NCAA wrestler Ben Askren looks to make his debut soon, with his first fight coming in Columbia, Missouri where he wrestled collegiality at the University of Missouri. Sharon Robb of the Sun Sentinel reports that Askren will follow up that with a contest in February in Miami. The South Miami location is apropos as Askren is training with the Coconut Creek headquartered American Top Team. Askren is one of the more hihgly decorated wrestlers to enter the MMA game recently, as he is a two time NCAA champ, 2 time college wrestler of the year, as well as a 2008 Olympic team member. Askren seems to be taking a measured approach to learning MMA, realizing he isn't going to take over right away:
"I'm not good yet but I'm going to be," Askren said. "It's not like I am going to fight Georges St. Pierre tomorrow. I am going to start out at the bottom. I am going to start out with fights that aren't that difficult. I don't have to stay on my feet. I can take somebody down. It is going to be a learning process. I'm not going to be a great striker in two months, maybe two years.
"It's going to take time, I understand that. I know I am a beginner and I might lose here and there but so what. In a couple months I am not going to be submitted and you're not going to beat me in my wrestling. Somebody who wants to beat me better knock me out. As long as at the end of the day I am the best, that's all that matters. I am too strong a competitor to go down easy and I definitely can be the best."
Nover Looks For Future With UFC
Dubbed a lightweight Anderson Silva and compared to GSP by UFC President Dana White, TUF fighter Phillipe Nover was upset in the final of the TUF Finale by Efrain Escudero. Despite the loss, Nover looks to soon sign a 2 fight deal with the UFC and returen to the Ocatogon by March, according to Newsday. Also during the time off, Filipino-American Nover will travel to the The Philippines in January to visit family as well as the large contingent of fans that he gained during his tenure on the show. Nover seems to be taking the loss well, using it as a learning experience:
"I think now after taking that loss, I'm a better fighter. I think I'm gonna come back stronger and come out more strategically," Nover said. "It just improved me as a fighter. My game plan will be a lot different now. I'm going to analyze opponents and improve my wrestling ability."
Nover has already spent time critiquing his loss to Escudero.
"I thought I overcommitted on my strikes. Unfortunately, I think I was too eager. The more he took me down, the more I wanted to hit him," Nover said. "I can't change what I did. He had a really good strategy."
Saturday, December 13, 2008
Wednesday, December 3, 2008
Thursday, November 6, 2008
So The Yahoo Lawyers Call Steve Cofield
Couture isn't doing business with alcoholics
from MMA Experts Blog - MMA - Yahoo! Sports by Steve Cofield
Randy Couture is facing the daunting task of giving up nearly 60 pounds to Brock Lesnar on fight night at UFC 91. But after dealing for more than a year with the politics of mixed martial arts it sounds like he'll take his chances in the cage against the behemoth.
Just when Couture thought he was finished in the courtroom having buried the hatchet with Dana White and the UFC, now he may have another battle on hands with his apparel provider Affliction. The relationship soured three weeks ago when Todd Beard, one of Affliction's founders, went on Scott Ferrall's Sirius Satellite Radio show and shredded Couture (AUDIO HERE):
"Randy if you're listening right now, I hope Lesnar (expletive) kills you."
Those are strange words coming from the guy whose company manufactures and markets Couture's Xtreme Couture clothing line. Beard, who sounded a bit tipsy during the interview, then went crazy suggesting that the fight was a set-up by UFC management in order to have Couture lose to Lesnar and hand over the promotion's heavyweight title to the future star.
Couture hasn't spoken much on the subject until yesterday when he came out firing at Beard:
"I'm not terribly surprised by anything he does at this point. He's been a bit of a loose cannon our entire relationship. Now he's pushed it over the line where it's not re-salvageable."
Popout
Couture went on to comment about Beard's drinking problem.
"I don't intend to do anymore business with Todd or Affliction in any way. Guys with drinking problems, is what it boils down to. I've seen it at several different professional meetings where he's ordering shots and out of control. And it's not something I want be associated with."
Couture is particularly peeved about the fact that he can't even wear his own clothing line into the cage next week. Affliction gear has been banned by the UFC since the clothing maker got into the fight promoting game. That ban was further solidified when Beard cursed out UFC owner Lorenzo Fertitta during phone negotiations to bring Affliction back into the fold.
becomes
Couture lays into Affliction
from MMA Experts Blog - MMA - Yahoo! Sports by Steve Cofield
Randy Couture is facing the daunting task of giving up nearly 60 pounds to Brock Lesnar on fight night at UFC 91. But after dealing for more than a year with the politics of mixed martial arts it sounds like he'll take his chances in the cage against the behemoth.
Just when Couture thought he was finished in the courtroom having buried the hatchet with Dana White and the UFC, now he may have another battle on hands with his apparel provider Affliction. The relationship soured three weeks ago when Todd Beard, one of Affliction's founders, went on Scott Ferrall's Sirius Satellite Radio show and shredded Couture (AUDIO HERE):
"Randy if you're listening right now, I hope Lesnar (expletive) kills you."
Those are strange words coming from the guy whose company manufactures and markets Couture's Xtreme Couture clothing line. Beard then went crazy suggesting that the fight was a set-up by UFC management in order to have Couture lose to Lesnar and hand over the promotion's heavyweight title to the future star.
Couture hasn't spoken much on the subject until yesterday when he came out firing at Beard:
"I'm not terribly surprised by anything he does at this point. He's been a bit of a loose cannon our entire relationship. Now he's pushed it over the line where it's not re-salvageable."
Popout
Couture is particularly peeved about the fact that he can't even wear his own clothing line into the cage next week. Affliction gear has been banned by the UFC since the clothing maker got into the fight promoting game. That ban was further solidified when Beard cursed out UFC owner Lorenzo Fertitta during phone negotiations to bring Affliction back into the fold.
Sunday, October 26, 2008
Sunday, October 19, 2008
Saturday, October 18, 2008
Patrick Cote Has The Right Attitude
"I can't do much worse than anyone who's gone before."
Patrick Cote, Speaking to the Winnipeg Sun about his chances against Anderson Silva. Cote reminds me of one of my favorite quotes from Dumb and Dumber:
Lloyd: What are the chances of a guy like you and a girl like me... ending up together?
Mary: Well, that's pretty difficult to say.
Lloyd: Hit me with it! I've come a long way to see you, Mary. The least you can do is level with me. What are my chances?
Mary: Not good.
Lloyd: You mean, not good like one out of a hundred?
Mary: I'd say more like one out of a million.
[pause]
Lloyd: So you're telling me there's a chance.
Friday, October 17, 2008
Big Nog on His Shot At UFC Gold
"I'm very motivated. I think I have a good chance to have this belt. ... I think Randy Couture has a better chance [against Brock Lesnar]. Lesnar is a new guy. I think Couture has much more skills. Lesnar is strong. You never know."
ANTONIO RODRIGO NOGUEIRA, Speaking with QuickDFW about his chances at Winning the UFC Final Four for the Heavyweight title
Iceman Denied At the Door
The Iceman -- Deniedeth!?!
If there's no room for Chuck Liddell inside a club, you make room -- because denying the guy and getting on the UFC fighter's bad side can't be a smart idea.
It looked like the Crown Bar doorman was about to get an ass whoopin' last night, but one of Chuck's buds held him back.
See Also
Iceman Feels Kimbo's Pain[/quote]FUTA1 (AKA Tito Ortiz)comments on the Underground - Sad!!!!! I could of got him in.
Saturday, October 11, 2008
“PEE WEE” STANDS TALL YET AGAIN
“PEE WEE” STANDS TALL YET AGAIN,
PUT AWAY SCHALL IN AN INDIANA MINUTE
IN MAIN EVENT ON SHOXC: ELITE CHALLENGER SERIES
_____________________________________________________________________________________
Friday, Oct. 10, at 11 p.m. ET/PT on SHOWTIME,
The Horseshoe Casino Outside Chicago
HAMMOND, Ind. (Oct. 11, 2008) – Promising, unbeaten heavyweight Dave “Pee Wee’’ Herman of Bloomington, Ind., improved to 12-0 with a 1:06, first-round TKO over Kerry “Meat Truck’’ Schall (21-11) of Cincinnati, Ohio, in the main event Friday on ShoXC: Elite Challenger Series.
Los Angeles-based ProElite, Inc.’s live fight division, EliteXC presented the crowd-pleasing event from the Horseshoe Casino outside Chicago. It aired on SHOWTIME at 11 p.m. ET/PT (delayed on the West Coast).
ShoXC, a presentation of Los Angeles-based ProElite, Inc.’s live fight division, EliteXC, showcases young, talented fighters in tough matchups. A springboard for the future stars and champions of EliteXC, ShoXC is patterned after the SHOWTIME boxing series ShoBox: The New Generation.
Schall got Herman’s attention with a huge overhand right hand approximately a half-minute in.
But the shot only seemed to invigorate and anger Herman, who retaliated with a vengeance. He connected with a series of knees that dropped Schall and then finished off the veteran, who complained afterward about a low blow, with three punches while he was down and defenseless.
“I may have got hit, but I didn’t feel it,’’ said Herman, who improved to 3-0 for EliteXC and 2-0 on SHOWTIME. “I don’t care who I fight next but I hope it is as soon as possible. Actually, I would like to fight on the EliteXC Nov. 8 card on SHOWTIME.’’
OTHER SHOWTIME TELEVISED FIGHTS
Mamed Khalidov (18-3-1), 200½ pounds, Olsztyn, Poland, KO 2 (strikes, 4:53) over Jason Guida (17-18), 204½, Schaumburg, Ill. Noteworthy: Khalidov, making his United States, EliteXC and SHOWTIME debut, upped his unbeaten streak to 13 (12-0-1) … The Case of the Missing Mouthpiece: The fight was stopped at about the one-minute mark of the second round for approximately 90 seconds while not one – but two – referees circled the cage searching for Guida’s mouthpiece.
Anthony “The Recipe’’ Lapsley (14-3), 170 ½, Fort Wayne, Ind., majority decision (30-27 twice and 29-29) over game, tough Mike Stumpf (10-2), 172 ½, Crystal Lake, Ill. Noteworthy: The fight was Lapsley’s 17th in his 28-month pro career … Stumpf, making his EliteXC and SHOWTIME debut, had a four-fight winning streak end. Quote-worthy: “Mike was definitely one of the toughest guys I’ve fought, but I was never hurt and if I lost a round, I couldn’t tell you which one,’’ Lapsley said. “I add an ingredient each time I fight. Tonight, it was heart. I got tired but there was no quit in me.’’
Alexander “Storm” Shlemenko (30-5), 184 ½, Omsk, Russia, TKO 2, over Robert “Bubba” McDaniel (12-5), 183 ½, Wichita Falls, Tex. McDaniel seemed to control a hard-fought, close first round, but was nailed with a flying knee to the chest in the closing second. He collapsed to the canvas, but could not make it to his feet during the break. The bell sounded for the second round, but McDaniel was still down and the fight was stopped. Noteworthy: The victory was Shlemenko’s seventh straight, all inside the distance and all in the first or second round. Quote-worthy: “The fight didn’t go exactly like I planned,’’ the winner said. “It was my first fight after a layoff and I was nervous. He was a good opponent.’’
Lyle “Fancy Pants’’ Beerbohm (8-0), 161 ½, Spokane, Wash., TKO 1 (cuts), over Brazilian Rafaello “Tractor” Oliveira (5-1), Nashville, Tenn. After an exciting five minutes of non-stop action, the fight was stopped due to a severe cut over Oliveira’s left eye. Quote-worthy: “I don’t care who wins the fight between Nick Diaz and Eddie Alvarez. I will beat up either of them,’’ said Beerbohm, who was making his sixth start in 2008 and ninth since his pro debut in August 2007. … Said Oliveira: “I got caught, it happens to the best. This is very disappointing. It was the opportunity of my lifetime.’’
NON-TELEVISED FIGHTS
Matt Jaggers (8-4), 141, Newcastle, Ind., won a unanimous decision (30-27 and 30-26) over Orville Smith (8-1), 139, Indianapolis; Jared “The Spider’’ McMahon (8-0-1), 140, Schererville, Ind., submitted (rear naked choke) Jacob Hey (4-10), 141, Granite City, Ill.; Jeff Cox (11-6), 160, Cleveland, Ohio, submitted (guillotine choke) Jay Ellis (9-25), Milwaukee, Wis., at 0:22 of the first round; Tiawon Howard (6-1), 175, Cleveland, submitted (rear naked choke) Johnny Hughes (14-7), 175, Newcastle, Ind.; Josh Barnes (1-0), 269 ½. Muncie, Ind., TKO 1 (strikes, 2:22) Jeremy “Tiny’’ Norton (9-4), 363, Indianapolis; Deray Davis (3-0), 170 ½, Hammond, Ind., submitted (armbar) John Kuhner (1-1), 169 ½, Columbus, Ohio, at 3:53 of second round.
Friday’s televised fight card will be replayed next Thursday, Oct. 16, at 10 p.m. ET/PT on SHOWTIME TOO. It will be available ON DEMAND beginning Monday, Oct. 13.
A world championship doubleheader will highlight the EliteXC telecast Saturday, Nov. 8, live on SHOWTIME (9 p.m. ET/PT, delayed on the west coast) from the Reno Events Center in Reno, Nev.
Two talented, crowd-pleasing fighters at the tops of their game will be featured in one of the world title fights when “Ruthless” Robbie Lawler (16-4-1, 1 NC) of Granite City, Ill., defends his EliteXC middleweight belt in a rematch against Joey “Smokin' Joe’’' Villasenor (26-6) of Albuquerque, N.M.
In a sensational matchup in a second world title fight, Nick Diaz (18-7) will throw down with Eddie Alvarez (15-1) for the vacant EliteXC lightweight crown.
PUT AWAY SCHALL IN AN INDIANA MINUTE
IN MAIN EVENT ON SHOXC: ELITE CHALLENGER SERIES
_____________________________________________________________________________________
Friday, Oct. 10, at 11 p.m. ET/PT on SHOWTIME,
The Horseshoe Casino Outside Chicago
HAMMOND, Ind. (Oct. 11, 2008) – Promising, unbeaten heavyweight Dave “Pee Wee’’ Herman of Bloomington, Ind., improved to 12-0 with a 1:06, first-round TKO over Kerry “Meat Truck’’ Schall (21-11) of Cincinnati, Ohio, in the main event Friday on ShoXC: Elite Challenger Series.
Los Angeles-based ProElite, Inc.’s live fight division, EliteXC presented the crowd-pleasing event from the Horseshoe Casino outside Chicago. It aired on SHOWTIME at 11 p.m. ET/PT (delayed on the West Coast).
ShoXC, a presentation of Los Angeles-based ProElite, Inc.’s live fight division, EliteXC, showcases young, talented fighters in tough matchups. A springboard for the future stars and champions of EliteXC, ShoXC is patterned after the SHOWTIME boxing series ShoBox: The New Generation.
Schall got Herman’s attention with a huge overhand right hand approximately a half-minute in.
But the shot only seemed to invigorate and anger Herman, who retaliated with a vengeance. He connected with a series of knees that dropped Schall and then finished off the veteran, who complained afterward about a low blow, with three punches while he was down and defenseless.
“I may have got hit, but I didn’t feel it,’’ said Herman, who improved to 3-0 for EliteXC and 2-0 on SHOWTIME. “I don’t care who I fight next but I hope it is as soon as possible. Actually, I would like to fight on the EliteXC Nov. 8 card on SHOWTIME.’’
OTHER SHOWTIME TELEVISED FIGHTS
Mamed Khalidov (18-3-1), 200½ pounds, Olsztyn, Poland, KO 2 (strikes, 4:53) over Jason Guida (17-18), 204½, Schaumburg, Ill. Noteworthy: Khalidov, making his United States, EliteXC and SHOWTIME debut, upped his unbeaten streak to 13 (12-0-1) … The Case of the Missing Mouthpiece: The fight was stopped at about the one-minute mark of the second round for approximately 90 seconds while not one – but two – referees circled the cage searching for Guida’s mouthpiece.
Anthony “The Recipe’’ Lapsley (14-3), 170 ½, Fort Wayne, Ind., majority decision (30-27 twice and 29-29) over game, tough Mike Stumpf (10-2), 172 ½, Crystal Lake, Ill. Noteworthy: The fight was Lapsley’s 17th in his 28-month pro career … Stumpf, making his EliteXC and SHOWTIME debut, had a four-fight winning streak end. Quote-worthy: “Mike was definitely one of the toughest guys I’ve fought, but I was never hurt and if I lost a round, I couldn’t tell you which one,’’ Lapsley said. “I add an ingredient each time I fight. Tonight, it was heart. I got tired but there was no quit in me.’’
Alexander “Storm” Shlemenko (30-5), 184 ½, Omsk, Russia, TKO 2, over Robert “Bubba” McDaniel (12-5), 183 ½, Wichita Falls, Tex. McDaniel seemed to control a hard-fought, close first round, but was nailed with a flying knee to the chest in the closing second. He collapsed to the canvas, but could not make it to his feet during the break. The bell sounded for the second round, but McDaniel was still down and the fight was stopped. Noteworthy: The victory was Shlemenko’s seventh straight, all inside the distance and all in the first or second round. Quote-worthy: “The fight didn’t go exactly like I planned,’’ the winner said. “It was my first fight after a layoff and I was nervous. He was a good opponent.’’
Lyle “Fancy Pants’’ Beerbohm (8-0), 161 ½, Spokane, Wash., TKO 1 (cuts), over Brazilian Rafaello “Tractor” Oliveira (5-1), Nashville, Tenn. After an exciting five minutes of non-stop action, the fight was stopped due to a severe cut over Oliveira’s left eye. Quote-worthy: “I don’t care who wins the fight between Nick Diaz and Eddie Alvarez. I will beat up either of them,’’ said Beerbohm, who was making his sixth start in 2008 and ninth since his pro debut in August 2007. … Said Oliveira: “I got caught, it happens to the best. This is very disappointing. It was the opportunity of my lifetime.’’
NON-TELEVISED FIGHTS
Matt Jaggers (8-4), 141, Newcastle, Ind., won a unanimous decision (30-27 and 30-26) over Orville Smith (8-1), 139, Indianapolis; Jared “The Spider’’ McMahon (8-0-1), 140, Schererville, Ind., submitted (rear naked choke) Jacob Hey (4-10), 141, Granite City, Ill.; Jeff Cox (11-6), 160, Cleveland, Ohio, submitted (guillotine choke) Jay Ellis (9-25), Milwaukee, Wis., at 0:22 of the first round; Tiawon Howard (6-1), 175, Cleveland, submitted (rear naked choke) Johnny Hughes (14-7), 175, Newcastle, Ind.; Josh Barnes (1-0), 269 ½. Muncie, Ind., TKO 1 (strikes, 2:22) Jeremy “Tiny’’ Norton (9-4), 363, Indianapolis; Deray Davis (3-0), 170 ½, Hammond, Ind., submitted (armbar) John Kuhner (1-1), 169 ½, Columbus, Ohio, at 3:53 of second round.
Friday’s televised fight card will be replayed next Thursday, Oct. 16, at 10 p.m. ET/PT on SHOWTIME TOO. It will be available ON DEMAND beginning Monday, Oct. 13.
A world championship doubleheader will highlight the EliteXC telecast Saturday, Nov. 8, live on SHOWTIME (9 p.m. ET/PT, delayed on the west coast) from the Reno Events Center in Reno, Nev.
Two talented, crowd-pleasing fighters at the tops of their game will be featured in one of the world title fights when “Ruthless” Robbie Lawler (16-4-1, 1 NC) of Granite City, Ill., defends his EliteXC middleweight belt in a rematch against Joey “Smokin' Joe’’' Villasenor (26-6) of Albuquerque, N.M.
In a sensational matchup in a second world title fight, Nick Diaz (18-7) will throw down with Eddie Alvarez (15-1) for the vacant EliteXC lightweight crown.
Friday, October 10, 2008
Thursday, October 9, 2008
Friday ShoXC
DAVE “PEE WEE’’ HERMAN VS. KELLY SCHALL
HIGHLIGHTS ELITEXC’S THIRD CARD IN 15 DAYS
THIS FRIDAY AT THE HORSESHOE CASINO
OUTSIDE CHICAGO LIVE ON SHOWTIME
___________________________________________________________________________________
Heavyweight Showdown Highlights a Stellar Event;
Tickets For the Scheduled 11-Bout Show on Sale
LOS ANGELES (Oct. 7, 2008) – Nicknames such as “Pee Wee” and “Meat Truck” may not exactly strike fear into an opponent, but, make no mistake, undefeated Dave “Pee Wee” Herman (11-0), of Bloomington, Ind., and Kerry “Meat Truck” Schall (21-10), of Cincinnati, Ohio, can fight.
The heavyweights -- Herman, a talented, up-and-comer and hometown favorite, and the more-experienced Schall -- will collide in the main event on ShoXC: Elite Challenger Series this Friday, Oct. 10, live on SHOWTIME (11 p.m. ET/PT, delayed on the west coast) at Horseshoe Casino outside Chicago.
ShoXC, a presentation of Los Angeles-based ProElite, Inc.’s live fight division, EliteXC, showcases young, talented fighters in tough matchups. A springboard for the future stars and champions of EliteXC, ShoXC is patterned after the SHOWTIME boxing series ShoBox: The New Generation.
Tickets, starting at $40, are on sale. Doors open at 7 p.m. The first live fight is at 8 p.m.
Speaking of nicknames, fighters known as “Fancy Pants, “Cannibal,’’ “Storm,” “The Recipe’’ and “Bubba” will appear in the other SHOWTIME fights: streaking Mamed “Cannibal” Khalidov (17-3-1) of Olsztyn, Poland, meets Jason Guida (17-17) of Schaumburg, Ill., at 205 pounds; Anthony “The Recipe’’ Lapsley (13-3) of Fort Wayne, Ind., faces Mike Stumpf (10-1) of Crystal Lake, Fla., at 170 pounds; rugged Alexander “Storm” Shlemenko (29-5) of Omsk, Russia, throws down with Robert “Bubba” McDaniel (12-4) of Wichita Falls, Tex., at 185 pounds; and Lyle “Fancy Pants’’ Beerbohm (7-0) of Spokane, Wash., takes on Brazil’s Rafaello “Trator” Olivera (2-0) in a battle of unbeaten 160-pounders.
Ten of the 12 fighters appearing in non-televised bouts hail from Indiana: Anthony Marti (5-1) takes on Jared “The Spider’’ McMahon (8-0-1) at 140 pounds; Torrance Taylor (7-4) collides with Jeff Cox (9-6) of Cleveland, Ohio, at 150 pounds; Orville Smith (8-0) meets Matt Jaggers (7-4) at 140 pounds; Tiawon Howard (8-1) battles Hector Urbina (12-4) at 170 pounds; John Kuhner (1-0) of Columbus, Ohio, takes on Deray Davis (2-2) at 170 pounds; and Josh Barnes (9-1) faces Jeremy Norton (0-2) at 265.
The scheduled 11 fights on EliteXC’s third fight card in 15 days – the others came Oct. 4 on the CBS Television Network and Sept. 26 on SHOWTIME -- are scheduled for three, 5-minute rounds.
Outside the cage, Herman is perhaps the most colorful, comical, laid-back, unconventional fighter in mixed martial arts history. He trains out of his house, doesn’t belong to a team and pays hardly any attention to MMA fights he’s not a participant in. But you can’t argue with the results. He’s perfect so far.
Herman doesn’t appear to take anything seriously, least of all himself. Hence, the six-foot-five, 24-year-old’s nickname: “Pee Wee.” Actually, he’s contemplated changing his nickname to “BlueBerry Muffin.” See, he loves his mother’s homemade pastries. But he’s no cupcake, at least in the cage.
Since turning pro in December 2006, the athletic, former Indiana-Bloomington standout wrestler with impressive striking skills and amazing knees has won eight fights via knockout and three by submission. He has never fought to a decision and only one fight has gone past the first round.
Herman is making his third start for EliteXC and second on SHOWTIME. He scored a third-round TKO (knees and punches) over Mario Rinaldi on Feb. 16, 2008, and a crowd-pleasing 2:19, opening-round TKO (strikes) over veteran Ron “H20” Waterman on June 14, 2008, on SHOWTIME.
Schall, an experienced fighter who was part of the original cast on the second season of “The Ultimate Fighter,’’ has faced some impressive competition in a 10-year career, including a fight with Fedor Emelianenko. Schall owns notable victories over Wade Hamilton and Brian Ebersole.
Not known as a heavy striker, Schall, 2-2 in his last four fights, can be expected to try and take this to the ground.
Khalidov, who is making his United States, EliteXC and SHOWTIME debut, will enter the cage with a 12-fight unbeaten streak (11-0-1). A small light heavyweight at only 195 pounds, the Chechen Top Team member Khalidov has competed exclusively in Poland and Lithuania.
A draw against Daniel Tabera in his last start on Sept. 13, 2008, ended a run of 11 consecutive victories for Khalidov, whose style reminds some of a young Mauricio “Shogun’’ Rua.
The younger brother of top lightweight Clay Guida, Jason Guida has fought some good ones since going pro in July 2003. A winner of two of his last three, Jason also will be making his EliteXC debut.
Lapsley has registered submissions in nine of his 12 victories, including a 1:34, first-round submission over Aaron Wetherspoon in his last start on Aug. 14, 2008.
An exceptional athlete, Lapsley has kept busy since turning pro. His first appearance for EliteXC will mark the 17th time he has gone to the post since June 2006.
Stumpf, who has triumphed inside the distance in six of his 10 victories, will bring a four-fight winning streak into his EliteXC and SHOWTIME debut. Perhaps his most noteworthy victory came when he scored a second-round TKO (strikes) over Dom O’Grady on June 14, 2008.
The 21-year-old Stumpf has a strong wrestling base thanks in large part to his father, who was a Division I standout in folk-style and Greco-Roman wrestling and was considered to be Olympic-caliber.
Shiemenko possesses good Muay Thai and is a tough striker with knockout capability. No stranger to winning streaks, he began his career 15-0 and enters this one having won six in a row, all inside the distance. Five of the six ended in the first round and the other was over in the second.
A well-conditioned, 24-year-old knockout artist, Shiemenko has been fighting his entire life. His biggest victory, though, came when he decided at an early age to focus on athletics and managed to stick with it.
In the Siberian city of Omsk where Shiemenko grew up, statistics indicate that 50 percent of the city's youth are either in prison, addicted to drugs, or dead by the age of 21.
McDaniel is a serious-minded, tough Texan who has won his last two starts, including a startling 0:41, first-round submission (rear naked choke) over Icon Sport middleweight champion Kala “Kolohe” Hose in a non-title fight on June 14, 2008, in Hawaii.
A submission whiz, nine of McDaniel’s 11 victories have come inside the distance. None of his fights have lasted more than two rounds.
Beerbohm is making his sixth start in 2008 and ninth since his pro debut on Aug. 30, 2007. In his last outing, he went the distance for the first time, scoring a unanimous decision over Ed Nuno on April 18, 2008.
Olivera is a Brazilian making his debut on EliteXC and SHOWTIME.
SHOWTIME announcer Mauro Ranallo will call the play-by-play for ShoXC with Stephen Quadros, The Fight Professor, serving as color analyst. The producer of ShoXC: Elite Challenger Series is Richard Gaughan with Rick Phillips directing. The executive producer of SHOWTIME Sports is David Dinkins, Jr.
HIGHLIGHTS ELITEXC’S THIRD CARD IN 15 DAYS
THIS FRIDAY AT THE HORSESHOE CASINO
OUTSIDE CHICAGO LIVE ON SHOWTIME
___________________________________________________________________________________
Heavyweight Showdown Highlights a Stellar Event;
Tickets For the Scheduled 11-Bout Show on Sale
LOS ANGELES (Oct. 7, 2008) – Nicknames such as “Pee Wee” and “Meat Truck” may not exactly strike fear into an opponent, but, make no mistake, undefeated Dave “Pee Wee” Herman (11-0), of Bloomington, Ind., and Kerry “Meat Truck” Schall (21-10), of Cincinnati, Ohio, can fight.
The heavyweights -- Herman, a talented, up-and-comer and hometown favorite, and the more-experienced Schall -- will collide in the main event on ShoXC: Elite Challenger Series this Friday, Oct. 10, live on SHOWTIME (11 p.m. ET/PT, delayed on the west coast) at Horseshoe Casino outside Chicago.
ShoXC, a presentation of Los Angeles-based ProElite, Inc.’s live fight division, EliteXC, showcases young, talented fighters in tough matchups. A springboard for the future stars and champions of EliteXC, ShoXC is patterned after the SHOWTIME boxing series ShoBox: The New Generation.
Tickets, starting at $40, are on sale. Doors open at 7 p.m. The first live fight is at 8 p.m.
Speaking of nicknames, fighters known as “Fancy Pants, “Cannibal,’’ “Storm,” “The Recipe’’ and “Bubba” will appear in the other SHOWTIME fights: streaking Mamed “Cannibal” Khalidov (17-3-1) of Olsztyn, Poland, meets Jason Guida (17-17) of Schaumburg, Ill., at 205 pounds; Anthony “The Recipe’’ Lapsley (13-3) of Fort Wayne, Ind., faces Mike Stumpf (10-1) of Crystal Lake, Fla., at 170 pounds; rugged Alexander “Storm” Shlemenko (29-5) of Omsk, Russia, throws down with Robert “Bubba” McDaniel (12-4) of Wichita Falls, Tex., at 185 pounds; and Lyle “Fancy Pants’’ Beerbohm (7-0) of Spokane, Wash., takes on Brazil’s Rafaello “Trator” Olivera (2-0) in a battle of unbeaten 160-pounders.
Ten of the 12 fighters appearing in non-televised bouts hail from Indiana: Anthony Marti (5-1) takes on Jared “The Spider’’ McMahon (8-0-1) at 140 pounds; Torrance Taylor (7-4) collides with Jeff Cox (9-6) of Cleveland, Ohio, at 150 pounds; Orville Smith (8-0) meets Matt Jaggers (7-4) at 140 pounds; Tiawon Howard (8-1) battles Hector Urbina (12-4) at 170 pounds; John Kuhner (1-0) of Columbus, Ohio, takes on Deray Davis (2-2) at 170 pounds; and Josh Barnes (9-1) faces Jeremy Norton (0-2) at 265.
The scheduled 11 fights on EliteXC’s third fight card in 15 days – the others came Oct. 4 on the CBS Television Network and Sept. 26 on SHOWTIME -- are scheduled for three, 5-minute rounds.
Outside the cage, Herman is perhaps the most colorful, comical, laid-back, unconventional fighter in mixed martial arts history. He trains out of his house, doesn’t belong to a team and pays hardly any attention to MMA fights he’s not a participant in. But you can’t argue with the results. He’s perfect so far.
Herman doesn’t appear to take anything seriously, least of all himself. Hence, the six-foot-five, 24-year-old’s nickname: “Pee Wee.” Actually, he’s contemplated changing his nickname to “BlueBerry Muffin.” See, he loves his mother’s homemade pastries. But he’s no cupcake, at least in the cage.
Since turning pro in December 2006, the athletic, former Indiana-Bloomington standout wrestler with impressive striking skills and amazing knees has won eight fights via knockout and three by submission. He has never fought to a decision and only one fight has gone past the first round.
Herman is making his third start for EliteXC and second on SHOWTIME. He scored a third-round TKO (knees and punches) over Mario Rinaldi on Feb. 16, 2008, and a crowd-pleasing 2:19, opening-round TKO (strikes) over veteran Ron “H20” Waterman on June 14, 2008, on SHOWTIME.
Schall, an experienced fighter who was part of the original cast on the second season of “The Ultimate Fighter,’’ has faced some impressive competition in a 10-year career, including a fight with Fedor Emelianenko. Schall owns notable victories over Wade Hamilton and Brian Ebersole.
Not known as a heavy striker, Schall, 2-2 in his last four fights, can be expected to try and take this to the ground.
Khalidov, who is making his United States, EliteXC and SHOWTIME debut, will enter the cage with a 12-fight unbeaten streak (11-0-1). A small light heavyweight at only 195 pounds, the Chechen Top Team member Khalidov has competed exclusively in Poland and Lithuania.
A draw against Daniel Tabera in his last start on Sept. 13, 2008, ended a run of 11 consecutive victories for Khalidov, whose style reminds some of a young Mauricio “Shogun’’ Rua.
The younger brother of top lightweight Clay Guida, Jason Guida has fought some good ones since going pro in July 2003. A winner of two of his last three, Jason also will be making his EliteXC debut.
Lapsley has registered submissions in nine of his 12 victories, including a 1:34, first-round submission over Aaron Wetherspoon in his last start on Aug. 14, 2008.
An exceptional athlete, Lapsley has kept busy since turning pro. His first appearance for EliteXC will mark the 17th time he has gone to the post since June 2006.
Stumpf, who has triumphed inside the distance in six of his 10 victories, will bring a four-fight winning streak into his EliteXC and SHOWTIME debut. Perhaps his most noteworthy victory came when he scored a second-round TKO (strikes) over Dom O’Grady on June 14, 2008.
The 21-year-old Stumpf has a strong wrestling base thanks in large part to his father, who was a Division I standout in folk-style and Greco-Roman wrestling and was considered to be Olympic-caliber.
Shiemenko possesses good Muay Thai and is a tough striker with knockout capability. No stranger to winning streaks, he began his career 15-0 and enters this one having won six in a row, all inside the distance. Five of the six ended in the first round and the other was over in the second.
A well-conditioned, 24-year-old knockout artist, Shiemenko has been fighting his entire life. His biggest victory, though, came when he decided at an early age to focus on athletics and managed to stick with it.
In the Siberian city of Omsk where Shiemenko grew up, statistics indicate that 50 percent of the city's youth are either in prison, addicted to drugs, or dead by the age of 21.
McDaniel is a serious-minded, tough Texan who has won his last two starts, including a startling 0:41, first-round submission (rear naked choke) over Icon Sport middleweight champion Kala “Kolohe” Hose in a non-title fight on June 14, 2008, in Hawaii.
A submission whiz, nine of McDaniel’s 11 victories have come inside the distance. None of his fights have lasted more than two rounds.
Beerbohm is making his sixth start in 2008 and ninth since his pro debut on Aug. 30, 2007. In his last outing, he went the distance for the first time, scoring a unanimous decision over Ed Nuno on April 18, 2008.
Olivera is a Brazilian making his debut on EliteXC and SHOWTIME.
SHOWTIME announcer Mauro Ranallo will call the play-by-play for ShoXC with Stephen Quadros, The Fight Professor, serving as color analyst. The producer of ShoXC: Elite Challenger Series is Richard Gaughan with Rick Phillips directing. The executive producer of SHOWTIME Sports is David Dinkins, Jr.
Wednesday, October 8, 2008
A Vegas Vendetta Plays out In Albany
Madison Square Garden stands as a mecca for the UFC, a crowning jewel of a venue to cap their efforts to have the sport accepted at the highest of levels. The UFC has sought legalize MMA in New York and put on a card on the hallowed venue for the past several years. The Garden is just beyond reach, though, as the UFC has been unsuccessful in getting the state legislature in New York to pass regulation overseeing MMA. The battle over mixed martial arts in NY has little to do with the sport, though. MMA itself is caught in the crossfire of a much larger battle that has little to do with armbars or triangle chokes.
MMA in New York: Where did It all Go Wrong
MMA Legislation efforts have been underway for several years now, but the best hope for passage seemed to come this past June. Leading into the June committee vote on MMA legislation, things were thought to be looking good. A bill had passed the Assembly unanimously last year before stalling, the bill would now head to the Tourism committee and presumably to the larger Assembly for a full vote. Things looked to be a formality. Dana White was said to be confident that the bill would pass a committee vote and there were some who believed that the big surprise being mentioned at the time by White was NY passing MMA regulation into law. Once the committee went into session, all hell seemed to break loose.Sam Caplan gave some insight to the seeming unusual happenings that took place around the time of the first committee vote on MMA legislation:
FiveOuncesOfPain.com was informed by an anonymous source earlier this afternoon that the committee for Tourism, Arts, and Sports Development of New York held a vote on Wednesday to decide whether the state should regulate Mixed Martial Arts. According to the source, the bill was voted down in overwhelming fashion. An anonymous member of a major state athletic commission confirmed the information that was provided to Five Ounces Of Pain by our initial source.
........ However, the proposal was unexpectedly voted down for reasons that are not yet clear. In a strange turn of events, it is believed that the chair of the committee, Assemblyman Steve Englebright, who introduced the proposal, ended up voting against it.
The committee decided to take a week delay and but the delay ended up being for naught. MMAWeekly reported on the ultimate tabling of the legislation for the 2008 session:
MMAWeekly.com on Wednesday learned that Bill 1-11458-A, that would effectively legalize the sport of mixed martial arts in the state of New York, will not go to a vote within the Tourism, Arts, and Sports Development committee until January of 2009.
Elizabeth Nostrand, Legislative Director for Steve Englebrecht, the bill's sponsor, said that following a botched vote on the house floor last Tuesday, in which several committee members attempted to change their votes after placing them, Englebrecht decided to delay the next vote on the bill.
"It was put on the committee's agenda, but the chair decided it would be best for purposes of clarification to give all sides an opportunity to weigh in so the best interests of the participants and the state of New York could be served," � Nostrand said.
Unite Here's Moves Go From The Shadows To The Light
WCBS shed some light on the reason passing MMA legislation has been so difficult in New York:
The sole correspondence received by the Senate Committee on Tourism, Recreation and Sports Development, which has jurisdiction over pending legislation, came from UNITE HERE, the hotel and restaurant workers' union.
Pointing to continued opposition from the American Medical Association because of "great potential injury," the union said police also are concerned about teenagers mimicking moves and staging fights.
"The potential social cost of holding MMA fighting exhibitions should be fully explored before the Legislature acts to allow such events in New York," the union wrote.
The hotel workers' union, which claims 90,000 New York members and spent $100,000 on Albany lobbyists last year while making more than $130,000 in New York political donations, mostly to the Democratic and Working Families parties, has also been trying to represent workers at Station Casinos in Las Vegas, off-strip casinos that say they can't afford union pay. Behind the UFC is Zuffa LLC, which donated $25,000 to New York's Democratic Committee last year. Brothers Lorenzo and Frank Fertitta III are behind both the station casinos and the UFC effort.
Union spokesman Eric Sharfstein declined to comment about dealings with Station Casinos and the union's opposition to mixed martial arts in New York.
The Las Vegas local of UNITE HERE, the Culinary Union Local 226, is the largest local of UNITE HERE, and the most politically potent. Locally and nationally they are a force to be reckoned with. Unite Here has chosen to use their political muscle to oppose the passage of MMA legislation in New York, the reasons for this opposition we will elaborate on later in this piece. Unite Here's efforts working against MMA legislation go back at least a couple of years. Unite Here's close ties and influence with some members of the Tourism committee, as well the full legislature at large, were key in stopping MMA legislation in its tracks. As a source intimately familiar with Unite Here's moves against MMA legislation in New York states: "(Unite Here) is probably the only thing standing in between MMA being sanctioned in NY."
Unite Here's has done several things to block MMA legislation in the state, but the letter opposing MMA has been the only concrete item that would indicate an active effort to derail legalization of the sport. Other clandestine efforts have been under way for quite some time, though.
In order to lobby on a particular subject, this must be disclosed in reports filed with the state government. Reading the 2007 filing for Unite Here one of the items the registered to lobby on is a bit unlike the others:
Subject(s) Lobbied : HEALTHY NY, BUDGET, ALBANY CONVENTION CENTER, GENERAL CASINO GAMING ISSUES, IDA REFORM, LABOR PEACE, LABOR ISSUES, MIXED MARTIAL ARTS
With them able to lobby, they have been active in doing so. UFC VP Marc Ratner has said : "The Tourism Committee .... our bill did not come out of there. One of the legislators needs to be properly educated, because he said something about no referees. Some people think it is still no holds barred or no rules."� While the sentiment of educating the committee is admirable, they may be doing a game of catch up in that respect. Sources close to Unite Here indicate that their own education/miseducation efforts had been underway for some time when Ratner made those statements.
Unite Here has been doing their share of "counter-programming" the UFC's message of responsible oversight of the sport. Unite Here authored and distributed a DVD on the violence of MMA that was given to all Democratic members of the NY legislature. The DVD prominently displayed the more violent aspects of the sport, with Chuck's head-kick of Babalu being prominent in the footage. Unite Here also collected more of the gorier footage of UFC bouts to include in their "educational" DVD for legislators.
In addition to lobbying legislators, the Culinary Union engaged in a campaign to enlist sister unions in their opposition to MMA in NY State. Main targets for this campaign were teachers, nurses, and police unions. The main avenue for drumming up of support from other unions was done word of mouth. Once their support was gained, they were provided with a white paper authored by Unite Here staffers. The white paper tied together the AMA's anti-MMA position along with it's report on children's violence into a document that stood against MMA legalization. The white paper would then serve as "evidence" and used as talking points when these sister unions made their case for opposition to legal MMA fights.
While targeting the Legislature as a whole, Unite Here has been particularly adept at donating to those on the Tourism committee who hold the key to MMA legislation making it out of committee to be voted on by the larger assembly. Unite Here's 527 fund, used for political contributions, has a history of contributions to those on the Tourism committee. Campaignmoney.com shows the following contributions to some of the Democrats (or their surrogate groups) on the Tourism committee:
Brodsky: $500 in 2003, $1000 in 2004, $3400 in 2006
Del Monte $1500 in 2004, $10,000 in 2006
Fields $1000 in 2004
Gunther, $1000 in 2003
Gianaris $3500 in 2003
Hoyt $500 in 2004, $1500 in 2006
McEneny $500 in 2004, $3000 in 2006
Reilly $1500 in 2004, $4000 in 2006
O'Donnell $1000 in 2006
Of particular note are the donations to Assemblyman Bob Reilly. Reilly has shown strong opposition to the MMA as evidenced by Thomas Hausers' piece from ESPN.com. Reilly almost single-handedly brought down the June committee vote. Having been issued supporting materials from Unite Here and also being the recipient of a sizable donation from Unite Here's 527in 2006 (amounts for 2008 haven't been divulged yet), one has to ask....how much of his opposition to MMA is genuine and how much is politics? Those campaign donations have to call into question his motives.
The Roots of the Unite Here vs Fertitta Feud
The Fertitta vs Unite Here fued is a story as old as labor vs management. Las Vegas is one of the last true union towns in the country, and Unite Here is a player in the city and state (and across the US) due to this. Its the sole powerhouse in the state politically. The union was key in helping to make Nevada a competitive state for Obama in his Democratic primary by virtue of giving him their endorsement. For all the power that Unite Here has accumulated in Vegas, it still has a weakness in that it has lacked a density in the "locals" casino market in LV. Most of UH's deals involve the casinos that cater to the out of towners.
Therein lies the rub. The Fertitta's Station Casinos is THE locals player in the Vegas market and up until this point has resisted efforts to unionize their workforce. Station Casinos is the only great non-union company left in town, that is the reason this fight is taking place.
The Unite Here efforts opposing MMA legislation are but a small campaign in a long running war between the two parties. While MMA has cleaned up it's act, the war between the Fertitta's and Unite Here is still very much a no holds barred affair. Station Casinos has long been staunchly anti-union but their relations with the Unite Here took decided turn for the worse with the purchase of a union casino back in 2000
The company is the largest non-union casino employer in town. When it took over a union hotel in 2000, Station fired about 1,000 workers and required them to reapply for their jobs. According to union officials, only 150 were rehired.
"This was something new for Las Vegas," said Courtney Alexander, research director for Hotel Employees and Restaurant Employees Local 226, which represents about 50,000 workers in Las Vegas.
"Casinos are bought and sold all the time, and we had no history of mass terminations when a new owner came in. ... I think it marked a turning point in how Station was viewed as an employer in this town."
Station's Nielson said the firings have done little to affect the company's standing with its customers, or employees.
"We've said all along we are not anti-union, we are just pro-employee," he said. "If our employees believe they want to have someone involved to speak to management for them, they can. We've been here for 27 years, they've never felt the need to do that."
Since that time, Unite Here and Station have battled, both in Vegas and across the country in areas where Station manages local casino operations for others. Whether on their on or in concert with others, Unite here has made made efforts to hamstring Station at every turn Unite Here paired with the Sierra Club to amend the blueprints for Station's Red Rock Casino.
Unite Here also became an activist in rallying the shareholders of Station Casinos stock. Unite Here bought a minimal amount of stock on Station Casinos ( a little over 250 shares) in order to be able to affect the corporate governance process of Station. They made moves to amend the compensation and voting rights areas of the company . There were several instances, including these two in 2003 an 2005:
In 2003, UNITE HERE led shareholder opposition to Station Casinos' stock compensation program, citing the excessive use of stock options. In 2004, the company told investors that "we have listened to shareholders and are relying more now on restricted share awards as well as cash compensation."
(2005) The proposals by UNITE HERE--adopt simple majority voting by shareholders instead of requiring a supermajority, require annual election of directors, and let shareholders vote on the company's "poison pill" anti-takeover device--"are consistent with the proxy voting guidelines of major institutional shareholders and corporate governance organizations like the Council of Institutional Investors," said Bohner.
Station was able to shed itself of such corporate governance concerns by taking the company private in early 2007.
Conclusion
In the battles between the Unite Here group and the Fertitta's, it is hard to find anyone to root for on either side. The real peple to feel sorry for in this whole sorry episode are the MMA fans in New York state, who being to made for a labor amangement squabble that has no import on their love of the sport.
Tuesday, October 7, 2008
Pee Wee, Fancy Pants, Canibal Headline Next ShoXC
DAVE “PEE WEE’’ HERMAN VS. KERRY SCHALL
HIGHLIGHTS ELITEXC’S THIRD CARD IN 15 DAYS
THIS FRIDAY AT HARRAH’S HORSESHOE CASINO
IN HAMMOND, INDIANA, LIVE ON SHOWTIME
___________________________________________________________________________________
Heavyweight Showdown Highlights a Stellar Event;
Tickets For the Scheduled 11-Bout Show on Sale
LOS ANGELES (Oct. 7, 2008) – Nicknames such as “Pee Wee” and “Meat Truck” may not exactly strike fear into an opponent, but, make no mistake, undefeated Dave “Pee Wee” Herman (11-0), of Bloomington, Ind., and Kerry “Meat Truck” Schall (21-10), of Cincinnati, Ohio, can fight.
The heavyweights -- Herman, a talented, up-and-comer and hometown favorite, and the more-experienced Schall -- will collide in the main event on ShoXC: Elite Challenger Series this Friday, Oct. 10, live on SHOWTIME (11 p.m. ET/PT, delayed on the west coast) at The Venue inside Harrah’s Horseshoe Casino at Hammond, Ind.
ShoXC, a presentation of Los Angeles-based ProElite, Inc.’s live fight division, EliteXC, showcases young, talented fighters in tough matchups. A springboard for the future stars and champions of EliteXC, ShoXC is patterned after the SHOWTIME boxing series ShoBox: The New Generation.
Tickets, starting at $40, are on sale. Doors open at 7 p.m. The first live fight is at 8 p.m.
Speaking of nicknames, fighters known as “Fancy Pants, “Cannibal,’’ “Storm,” “The Recipe’’ and “Bubba” will appear in the other SHOWTIME fights: streaking Mamed “Cannibal” Khalidov (17-3-1) of Olsztyn, Poland, meets Jason Guida (17-17) of Schaumburg, Ill., at 205 pounds; Anthony “The Recipe’’ Lapsley (13-3) of Fort Wayne, Ind., faces Mike Stumpf (10-1) of Crystal Lake, Fla., at 170 pounds; rugged Alexander “Storm” Shlemenko (29-5) of Omsk, Russia, throws down with Robert “Bubba” McDaniel (12-4) of Wichita Falls, Tex., at 185 pounds; and Lyle “Fancy Pants’’ Beerbohm (7-0) of Spokane, Wash., takes on Brazil’s Rafaello “Trator” Olivera (2-0) in a battle of unbeaten 160-pounders.
Ten of the 12 fighters appearing in non-televised bouts hail from Indiana: Anthony Marti (5-1) takes on Jared “The Spider’’ McMahon (8-0-1) at 140 pounds; Torrance Taylor (7-4) collides with Jeff Cox (9-6) of Cleveland, Ohio, at 150 pounds; Orville Smith (8-0) meets Matt Jaggers (7-4) at 140 pounds; Tiawon Howard (8-1) battles Hector Urbina (12-4) at 170 pounds; John Kuhner (1-0) of Columbus, Ohio, takes on Deray Davis (2-2) at 170 pounds; and Josh Barnes (9-1) faces Jeremy Norton (0-2) at 265.
The scheduled 11 fights on EliteXC’s third fight card in 15 days – the others came Oct. 4 on the CBS Television Network and Sept. 26 on SHOWTIME -- are scheduled for three, 5-minute rounds.
Outside the cage, Herman is perhaps the most colorful, comical, laid-back, unconventional fighter in mixed martial arts history. He trains out of his house, doesn’t belong to a team and pays hardly any attention to MMA fights he’s not a participant in. But you can’t argue with the results. He’s perfect so far.
Herman doesn’t appear to take anything seriously, least of all himself. Hence, the six-foot-five, 24-year-old’s nickname: “Pee Wee.” Actually, he’s contemplated changing his nickname to “BlueBerry Muffin.” See, he loves his mother’s homemade pastries. But he’s no cupcake, at least in the cage.
Since turning pro in December 2006, the athletic, former Indiana-Bloomington standout wrestler with impressive striking skills and amazing knees has won eight fights via knockout and three by submission. He has never fought to a decision and only one fight has gone past the first round.
Herman is making his third start for EliteXC and second on SHOWTIME. He scored a third-round TKO (knees and punches) over Mario Rinaldi on Feb. 16, 2008, and a crowd-pleasing 2:19, opening-round TKO (strikes) over veteran Ron “H20” Waterman on June 14, 2008, on SHOWTIME.
Schall, an experienced fighter who was part of the original cast on the second season of “The Ultimate Fighter,’’ has faced some impressive competition in a 10-year career, including a fight with Fedor Emelianenko. Schall owns notable victories over Wade Hamilton and Brian Ebersole.
Not known as a heavy striker, Schall, 2-2 in his last four fights, can be expected to try and take this to the ground.
Khalidov, who is making his United States, EliteXC and SHOWTIME debut, will enter the cage with a 12-fight unbeaten streak (11-0-1). A small light heavyweight at only 195 pounds, the Chechen Top Team member Khalidov has competed exclusively in Poland and Lithuania.
A draw against Daniel Tabera in his last start on Sept. 13, 2008, ended a run of 11 consecutive victories for Khalidov, whose style reminds some of a young Mauricio “Shogun’’ Rua.
The younger brother of top lightweight Clay Guida, Jason Guida has fought some good ones since going pro in July 2003. A winner of two of his last three, Jason also will be making his EliteXC debut.
Lapsley has registered submissions in nine of his 12 victories, including a 1:34, first-round submission over Aaron Wetherspoon in his last start on Aug. 14, 2008.
An exceptional athlete, Lapsley has kept busy since turning pro. His first appearance for EliteXC will mark the 17th time he has gone to the post since June 2006.
Stumpf, who has triumphed inside the distance in six of his 10 victories, will bring a four-fight winning streak into his EliteXC and SHOWTIME debut. Perhaps his most noteworthy victory came when he scored a second-round TKO (strikes) over Dom O’Grady on June 14, 2008.
The 21-year-old Stumpf has a strong wrestling base thanks in large part to his father, who was a Division I standout in folk-style and Greco-Roman wrestling and was considered to be Olympic-caliber.
Shiemenko possesses good Muay Thai and is a tough striker with knockout capability. No stranger to winning streaks, he began his career 15-0 and enters this one having won six in a row, all inside the distance. Five of the six ended in the first round and the other was over in the second.
A well-conditioned, 24-year-old knockout artist, Shiemenko has been fighting his entire life. His biggest victory, though, came when he decided at an early age to focus on athletics and managed to stick with it.
In the Siberian city of Omsk where Shiemenko grew up, statistics indicate that 50 percent of the city's youth are either in prison, addicted to drugs, or dead by the age of 21.
McDaniel is a serious-minded, tough Texan who has won his last two starts, including a startling 0:41, first-round submission (rear naked choke) over Icon Sport middleweight champion Kala “Kolohe” Hose in a non-title fight on June 14, 2008, in Hawaii.
A submission whiz, nine of McDaniel’s 11 victories have come inside the distance. None of his fights have lasted more than two rounds.
Beerbohm is making his sixth start in 2008 and ninth since his pro debut on Aug. 30, 2007. In his last outing, he went the distance for the first time, scoring a unanimous decision over Ed Nuno on April 18, 2008.
Olivera is a Brazilian making his debut on EliteXC and SHOWTIME.
SHOWTIME announcer Mauro Ranallo will call the play-by-play for ShoXC with Stephen Quadros, The Fight Professor, serving as color analyst. The producer of ShoXC: Elite Challenger Series is Richard Gaughan with Rick Phillips directing. The executive producer of SHOWTIME Sports is David Dinkins, Jr.
For more information on the entire card, go to http://www.elitexc.com. For information on SHOWTIME Sports, including exclusive behind-the-scenes video, photo galleries and complete fighter and telecast information, please visit http://www.SHO.com/Sports.
HIGHLIGHTS ELITEXC’S THIRD CARD IN 15 DAYS
THIS FRIDAY AT HARRAH’S HORSESHOE CASINO
IN HAMMOND, INDIANA, LIVE ON SHOWTIME
___________________________________________________________________________________
Heavyweight Showdown Highlights a Stellar Event;
Tickets For the Scheduled 11-Bout Show on Sale
LOS ANGELES (Oct. 7, 2008) – Nicknames such as “Pee Wee” and “Meat Truck” may not exactly strike fear into an opponent, but, make no mistake, undefeated Dave “Pee Wee” Herman (11-0), of Bloomington, Ind., and Kerry “Meat Truck” Schall (21-10), of Cincinnati, Ohio, can fight.
The heavyweights -- Herman, a talented, up-and-comer and hometown favorite, and the more-experienced Schall -- will collide in the main event on ShoXC: Elite Challenger Series this Friday, Oct. 10, live on SHOWTIME (11 p.m. ET/PT, delayed on the west coast) at The Venue inside Harrah’s Horseshoe Casino at Hammond, Ind.
ShoXC, a presentation of Los Angeles-based ProElite, Inc.’s live fight division, EliteXC, showcases young, talented fighters in tough matchups. A springboard for the future stars and champions of EliteXC, ShoXC is patterned after the SHOWTIME boxing series ShoBox: The New Generation.
Tickets, starting at $40, are on sale. Doors open at 7 p.m. The first live fight is at 8 p.m.
Speaking of nicknames, fighters known as “Fancy Pants, “Cannibal,’’ “Storm,” “The Recipe’’ and “Bubba” will appear in the other SHOWTIME fights: streaking Mamed “Cannibal” Khalidov (17-3-1) of Olsztyn, Poland, meets Jason Guida (17-17) of Schaumburg, Ill., at 205 pounds; Anthony “The Recipe’’ Lapsley (13-3) of Fort Wayne, Ind., faces Mike Stumpf (10-1) of Crystal Lake, Fla., at 170 pounds; rugged Alexander “Storm” Shlemenko (29-5) of Omsk, Russia, throws down with Robert “Bubba” McDaniel (12-4) of Wichita Falls, Tex., at 185 pounds; and Lyle “Fancy Pants’’ Beerbohm (7-0) of Spokane, Wash., takes on Brazil’s Rafaello “Trator” Olivera (2-0) in a battle of unbeaten 160-pounders.
Ten of the 12 fighters appearing in non-televised bouts hail from Indiana: Anthony Marti (5-1) takes on Jared “The Spider’’ McMahon (8-0-1) at 140 pounds; Torrance Taylor (7-4) collides with Jeff Cox (9-6) of Cleveland, Ohio, at 150 pounds; Orville Smith (8-0) meets Matt Jaggers (7-4) at 140 pounds; Tiawon Howard (8-1) battles Hector Urbina (12-4) at 170 pounds; John Kuhner (1-0) of Columbus, Ohio, takes on Deray Davis (2-2) at 170 pounds; and Josh Barnes (9-1) faces Jeremy Norton (0-2) at 265.
The scheduled 11 fights on EliteXC’s third fight card in 15 days – the others came Oct. 4 on the CBS Television Network and Sept. 26 on SHOWTIME -- are scheduled for three, 5-minute rounds.
Outside the cage, Herman is perhaps the most colorful, comical, laid-back, unconventional fighter in mixed martial arts history. He trains out of his house, doesn’t belong to a team and pays hardly any attention to MMA fights he’s not a participant in. But you can’t argue with the results. He’s perfect so far.
Herman doesn’t appear to take anything seriously, least of all himself. Hence, the six-foot-five, 24-year-old’s nickname: “Pee Wee.” Actually, he’s contemplated changing his nickname to “BlueBerry Muffin.” See, he loves his mother’s homemade pastries. But he’s no cupcake, at least in the cage.
Since turning pro in December 2006, the athletic, former Indiana-Bloomington standout wrestler with impressive striking skills and amazing knees has won eight fights via knockout and three by submission. He has never fought to a decision and only one fight has gone past the first round.
Herman is making his third start for EliteXC and second on SHOWTIME. He scored a third-round TKO (knees and punches) over Mario Rinaldi on Feb. 16, 2008, and a crowd-pleasing 2:19, opening-round TKO (strikes) over veteran Ron “H20” Waterman on June 14, 2008, on SHOWTIME.
Schall, an experienced fighter who was part of the original cast on the second season of “The Ultimate Fighter,’’ has faced some impressive competition in a 10-year career, including a fight with Fedor Emelianenko. Schall owns notable victories over Wade Hamilton and Brian Ebersole.
Not known as a heavy striker, Schall, 2-2 in his last four fights, can be expected to try and take this to the ground.
Khalidov, who is making his United States, EliteXC and SHOWTIME debut, will enter the cage with a 12-fight unbeaten streak (11-0-1). A small light heavyweight at only 195 pounds, the Chechen Top Team member Khalidov has competed exclusively in Poland and Lithuania.
A draw against Daniel Tabera in his last start on Sept. 13, 2008, ended a run of 11 consecutive victories for Khalidov, whose style reminds some of a young Mauricio “Shogun’’ Rua.
The younger brother of top lightweight Clay Guida, Jason Guida has fought some good ones since going pro in July 2003. A winner of two of his last three, Jason also will be making his EliteXC debut.
Lapsley has registered submissions in nine of his 12 victories, including a 1:34, first-round submission over Aaron Wetherspoon in his last start on Aug. 14, 2008.
An exceptional athlete, Lapsley has kept busy since turning pro. His first appearance for EliteXC will mark the 17th time he has gone to the post since June 2006.
Stumpf, who has triumphed inside the distance in six of his 10 victories, will bring a four-fight winning streak into his EliteXC and SHOWTIME debut. Perhaps his most noteworthy victory came when he scored a second-round TKO (strikes) over Dom O’Grady on June 14, 2008.
The 21-year-old Stumpf has a strong wrestling base thanks in large part to his father, who was a Division I standout in folk-style and Greco-Roman wrestling and was considered to be Olympic-caliber.
Shiemenko possesses good Muay Thai and is a tough striker with knockout capability. No stranger to winning streaks, he began his career 15-0 and enters this one having won six in a row, all inside the distance. Five of the six ended in the first round and the other was over in the second.
A well-conditioned, 24-year-old knockout artist, Shiemenko has been fighting his entire life. His biggest victory, though, came when he decided at an early age to focus on athletics and managed to stick with it.
In the Siberian city of Omsk where Shiemenko grew up, statistics indicate that 50 percent of the city's youth are either in prison, addicted to drugs, or dead by the age of 21.
McDaniel is a serious-minded, tough Texan who has won his last two starts, including a startling 0:41, first-round submission (rear naked choke) over Icon Sport middleweight champion Kala “Kolohe” Hose in a non-title fight on June 14, 2008, in Hawaii.
A submission whiz, nine of McDaniel’s 11 victories have come inside the distance. None of his fights have lasted more than two rounds.
Beerbohm is making his sixth start in 2008 and ninth since his pro debut on Aug. 30, 2007. In his last outing, he went the distance for the first time, scoring a unanimous decision over Ed Nuno on April 18, 2008.
Olivera is a Brazilian making his debut on EliteXC and SHOWTIME.
SHOWTIME announcer Mauro Ranallo will call the play-by-play for ShoXC with Stephen Quadros, The Fight Professor, serving as color analyst. The producer of ShoXC: Elite Challenger Series is Richard Gaughan with Rick Phillips directing. The executive producer of SHOWTIME Sports is David Dinkins, Jr.
For more information on the entire card, go to http://www.elitexc.com. For information on SHOWTIME Sports, including exclusive behind-the-scenes video, photo galleries and complete fighter and telecast information, please visit http://www.SHO.com/Sports.
Sunday, October 5, 2008
Kalib Starnes Update
A local BC paper gives the update on Kalib Starnes and what he has been up to since his loss to nate quarry. Some nice quotes in there.
He’d fought some of the most intense fights in the recent history of the sport, including one match where his forehead was split open to the bone, requiring more than 30 stitches.
None of that seemed to matter to foaming-at-the-mouth online critics who called Starnes a coward, the “running man” and worse.
“You’d think that I had knocked up Britney Spears, or strangled Paris Hilton’s pet Chihuahua,” Starnes said.
Saturday, October 4, 2008
Bang Ludwig, Trigg Take Home Wins
BROOMFIELD, CO— Knockout artist Duane “Bang” Ludwig (17-8) capped off an electrifying night of Strikeforce mixed martial arts (MMA) action, scoring a first round TKO on Sam “The Squeeze” Morgan (19-12), in their highly-anticipated rematch at Broomfield, Colorado’s Broomfield Event Center on Friday, October 3rd. Superstar Frank “Twinkle Toes” Trigg (18-6) controlled the action against Falaniko “Niko” Vitale (26-9) for three consecutive rounds to notch a unanimous judges’ decision victory.
Morgan, who stopped Ludwig in 52 seconds when they faced off three years ago, took Ludwig down early in the first. Ludwig stood up shortly thereafter, though, and began to find his mark with his left hook and right hand.
A hard left hand to the body from Ludwig staggered Morgan. Ludwig followed up with a hard right hand to the head that put Morgan on his knees. Still on his feet, Ludwig blasted the downed Morgan with a left hand to the midsection.
Ludwig dropped into Morgan’s guard and began tagging Morgan with a flurry of blows. Morgan turned on to his side in an effort to escape the barrage, but Ludwig continued the heavy offensive until Morgan verbally submitted at the 2:01 mark of the first round.
Trigg, a former NCAA wrestling stud and 2000 Olympic wrestling trials finalist, showed off his stand-up combat skills, repeatedly backing Vitale into the cage and setting up flurries of elbows and right hands with a straight left hand, followed by a hard knee to the head. Vitale attempted to counter each time, but Trigg either controlled Vitale’s arms against the fence or back pedaled out of harm’s way.
In the third round, Trigg scooped his opponent up and slammed him, but was unable to make any headway on the ground.
Michelle “The Karate Hottie” Waterson (5-2) made good on her promise of an explosive fight and also made it a short night for Tyra Parker (0-2). After scoring a straight right hand that stunned Parker, Waterson backed her opponent into the corner and began unloading knees to Parker’s face while the two were clinched.
Parker escaped, but made the mistake of turning her back, which allowed Waterson to latch on and sink in a choke. With the hold firmly intact, Waterson brought Parker to the ground and produced a submission at 1:20 of the opening round.
Two-time New York State Metropolitan Boxing Champion and Muay Thai Champion, Carlos Zevallos (1-0), survived an early storm at the hands of fellow light heavyweight (205 lb. limit) Andre “The Silencer” Walker (1-4) before turning the tides on Walker with a series of knee strikes in the clinch.
Zevallos took Walker to the ground and quickly transitioned from side control to mount where he rained down on Walker with punches until the referee called an end to the bout at the 4:48 mark of the opening round.
Billy Evangelista (8-0) was dropped twice in the first round by Luke “Lil’ Hulk” Caudillo (14-11) in lightweight (155 lb. limit) action, but made it to his feet after the second knockdown and launched a fearsome attack that, soon after, put Caudillo on his knees. An onslaught of punches from inside Caudillo’s guard forced “Lil’ Hulk” to turn over, allowing Evangelista to sink in a choke before the bell sounded.
Evangelista capitalized on the momentum he gained and controlled the pace of the fight in rounds two and three. Caudillo’s takedown defense was strong, but Evangelista managed to score a takedown in the third and final round and drop punches from both sides.
A slowdown in the action prompted the referee to stand the fighters up. Evangelista was awarded a unanimous judges’ decision following the close of the third round, raising his undefeated record to 8-0.
After keeping the fight standing for the majority of the first two rounds, Donnie Liles (12-5) decided to bring his welterweight (170 lb. limit) fight with Pete “The Secret Weapon” Spratt (18-15) to the mat, scoring two takedowns in the third. The second takedown produced dividends as Spratt gave up his back after being mounted. Liles sunk in a rear naked choke and, from his back, forced Spratt to tap at 1:59 of the round.
Tyler Toner (3-1), a 25-year-old upstart from nearby Aurora, dominated “Relentless” Ricky Johnson (0-2) with an all-out assault standing up and strong defense on the ground before finishing Johnson with a ground and pound offensive at the mark 3:44 of the second round.
Strikeforce “Payback” was televised live on HDNet.
Complete Strikeforce “Payback” Results:
Tyler Toner def. “Relentless” Ricky Johnson – TKO (Strikes) at 3:44, Round 2
Michelle “The Karate Hottie” Waterson def. Tyra Parker – Submission (Rear Naked Choke) at 1:20, Round 1
Carlos Zevallos def. Andre “The Silencer” Walker – TKO (Strikes) at 4:48, Round 1
Billy Evangelista def. Luke “Lil’ Hulk” Caudillo – Unanimous Decision, 3 Rounds (29-28, 29-28, 30-27)
Donnie Liles def. Pete “The Secret” Weapon” Spratt – Submission (Rear Naked Choke) at 1:59, Round 3
Frank “Twinkle Toes” Trigg def. Falaniko “Niko” Vitale – Unanimous Decision, 3 Rounds (29-28, 29-28, 30-27)
Duane “Bang” Ludwig def. Sam “The Squeeze” Morgan – TKO (Strikes) at 2:01, Round 1
Morgan, who stopped Ludwig in 52 seconds when they faced off three years ago, took Ludwig down early in the first. Ludwig stood up shortly thereafter, though, and began to find his mark with his left hook and right hand.
A hard left hand to the body from Ludwig staggered Morgan. Ludwig followed up with a hard right hand to the head that put Morgan on his knees. Still on his feet, Ludwig blasted the downed Morgan with a left hand to the midsection.
Ludwig dropped into Morgan’s guard and began tagging Morgan with a flurry of blows. Morgan turned on to his side in an effort to escape the barrage, but Ludwig continued the heavy offensive until Morgan verbally submitted at the 2:01 mark of the first round.
Trigg, a former NCAA wrestling stud and 2000 Olympic wrestling trials finalist, showed off his stand-up combat skills, repeatedly backing Vitale into the cage and setting up flurries of elbows and right hands with a straight left hand, followed by a hard knee to the head. Vitale attempted to counter each time, but Trigg either controlled Vitale’s arms against the fence or back pedaled out of harm’s way.
In the third round, Trigg scooped his opponent up and slammed him, but was unable to make any headway on the ground.
Michelle “The Karate Hottie” Waterson (5-2) made good on her promise of an explosive fight and also made it a short night for Tyra Parker (0-2). After scoring a straight right hand that stunned Parker, Waterson backed her opponent into the corner and began unloading knees to Parker’s face while the two were clinched.
Parker escaped, but made the mistake of turning her back, which allowed Waterson to latch on and sink in a choke. With the hold firmly intact, Waterson brought Parker to the ground and produced a submission at 1:20 of the opening round.
Two-time New York State Metropolitan Boxing Champion and Muay Thai Champion, Carlos Zevallos (1-0), survived an early storm at the hands of fellow light heavyweight (205 lb. limit) Andre “The Silencer” Walker (1-4) before turning the tides on Walker with a series of knee strikes in the clinch.
Zevallos took Walker to the ground and quickly transitioned from side control to mount where he rained down on Walker with punches until the referee called an end to the bout at the 4:48 mark of the opening round.
Billy Evangelista (8-0) was dropped twice in the first round by Luke “Lil’ Hulk” Caudillo (14-11) in lightweight (155 lb. limit) action, but made it to his feet after the second knockdown and launched a fearsome attack that, soon after, put Caudillo on his knees. An onslaught of punches from inside Caudillo’s guard forced “Lil’ Hulk” to turn over, allowing Evangelista to sink in a choke before the bell sounded.
Evangelista capitalized on the momentum he gained and controlled the pace of the fight in rounds two and three. Caudillo’s takedown defense was strong, but Evangelista managed to score a takedown in the third and final round and drop punches from both sides.
A slowdown in the action prompted the referee to stand the fighters up. Evangelista was awarded a unanimous judges’ decision following the close of the third round, raising his undefeated record to 8-0.
After keeping the fight standing for the majority of the first two rounds, Donnie Liles (12-5) decided to bring his welterweight (170 lb. limit) fight with Pete “The Secret Weapon” Spratt (18-15) to the mat, scoring two takedowns in the third. The second takedown produced dividends as Spratt gave up his back after being mounted. Liles sunk in a rear naked choke and, from his back, forced Spratt to tap at 1:59 of the round.
Tyler Toner (3-1), a 25-year-old upstart from nearby Aurora, dominated “Relentless” Ricky Johnson (0-2) with an all-out assault standing up and strong defense on the ground before finishing Johnson with a ground and pound offensive at the mark 3:44 of the second round.
Strikeforce “Payback” was televised live on HDNet.
Complete Strikeforce “Payback” Results:
Tyler Toner def. “Relentless” Ricky Johnson – TKO (Strikes) at 3:44, Round 2
Michelle “The Karate Hottie” Waterson def. Tyra Parker – Submission (Rear Naked Choke) at 1:20, Round 1
Carlos Zevallos def. Andre “The Silencer” Walker – TKO (Strikes) at 4:48, Round 1
Billy Evangelista def. Luke “Lil’ Hulk” Caudillo – Unanimous Decision, 3 Rounds (29-28, 29-28, 30-27)
Donnie Liles def. Pete “The Secret” Weapon” Spratt – Submission (Rear Naked Choke) at 1:59, Round 3
Frank “Twinkle Toes” Trigg def. Falaniko “Niko” Vitale – Unanimous Decision, 3 Rounds (29-28, 29-28, 30-27)
Duane “Bang” Ludwig def. Sam “The Squeeze” Morgan – TKO (Strikes) at 2:01, Round 1
Thursday, October 2, 2008
EliteXC Final Presser
KIMBO, KEN SHAMROCK, GINA CARANO, JAKE SHIELDS,
PLUS FIVE OTHER FIGHTERS ON CBS ELITEXC FIGHT CARD
FINAL PRESS CONFERENCE QUOTES
Wednesday, Oct. 1, 2008,
BankAtlantic Center, Sunrise, Florida
“CBS ELITEXC SATURDAY NIGHT FIGHTS’’
This Saturday, Oct. 4; Broadcast on the CBS Television Network at 9 p.m. ET/PT
Nine of the 10 fighters who will compete on CBS ELITEXC SATURDAY NIGHT FIGHTS this Saturday, Oct. 4, attended Wednesday’s final press conference at the BankAtlantic Center at Sunrise, Fla.
The third installment of CBS’s primetime mixed martial arts event will be broadcast live from 9-11 p.m. ET/PT on the CBS Television Network.
The televised lineup for CBS ELITEXC SATURDAY NIGHT FIGHTS: Kimbo Slice vs. Ken Shamrock (heavyweights); EliteXC 170-pound champion Jake Shields vs. Paul Daley; Andrei Arlovski vs. Roy “Big Country" Nelson (heavyweights); Gina Carano vs. Kelly Kobold (140 pounds); and Murilo "Ninja" Rua vs. Benji Radach (middleweights).
Tickets start at $30 and are available at all Ticketmaster outlets, by phone at (954) 523-3309 in Broward County, (305) 358-5885 in Dade County and (561) 966-3309 in Palm Beach County, online at www.ticketmaster.com and at the BankAtlantic Center box offices (954) 835-7825.
The BankAtlantic Center box offices’ normal business hours are 10 a.m.-6 p.m., Monday through Friday. The box office will be open the day of the event beginning at 10 a.m. The first live fight begins at 6 p.m. ET.
What the fighters had to say Wednesday:
KIMBO SLICE
“Ken’s fighting in Florida, which is no place for an old man. I’m mentally prepared and ready to do it and represent the crib. It’s going to be ‘305’ (his area code) all day.
“I work all the time on being an all-around fighter. I am very competitive by nature so I train very hard and have the best coaches (Bas Rutten and Randy Khatami).
“I am going to get criticized all the time, but I enjoy MMA and try to represent the sport the best way I can. I have kids. I want to be the best kind of example I can be.
“I do not feel like I am carrying (this promotion, the sport, etc). Gina, all these fighters, we are all in this together.
“I am going to win this fight in any fashion I can. I want to annihilate him and win by knockout, but if I win it on the ground, that is all good, too.
“I come from a bare-knuckle background, so fighting with gloves is like hitting with mittens.”
KEN SHAMROCK
“Kimbo has gained a lot of notoriety, but, in my opinion, he doesn’t deserve it. Snap, crackle pop. I am going to walk across the ring, hit him on his ugly beard and break his leg.
“I love to fight, that’s what I do. I want to thank CBS and EliteXC for putting me on this card. It is going to be a great one. I really appreciate all my fans’ support throughout all the ups and downs.
“What CBS is doing is really giving back to the fans. To just be able to turn on the TV and watch is a great thing.
“Most of the talking has all been said, so I will save the rest of my talking until Saturday.’’
JAKE SHIELDS
“It’s great to be back fighting on CBS and defending my title. I’m in great shape and ready to fight. I’m on a roll and want to keep it going.
“Having CBS involved has obviously been huge for this sport. Now, people of all ages are watching where, before, maybe only the hard-core fans paid attention.
“I know a lot of people watching now that never watched or maybe didn’t pay that much attention. Fans are getting an education and a good look at what MMA is all about, and I am proud to be part of it.’’
PAUL “SEMTEX’’ DALEY
“This is a huge opportunity for me and a huge fight for the fans in the UK. At the moment, I am very relaxed. I try not to focus too much on the magnitude of this fight, or the exposure I am going to get fighting on CBS. I don’t want to get nervous.
“For me, it was always about collecting belts and fighting the best and Jake is most certainly one of the best in the world. I want to make my country proud and want to thank ProElite, EliteXC and CBS for giving me the chance. I am very excited and looking forward to Saturday.’’
GINA CARANO
“It is an honor for me to be at the dais with all these great fighters. I am looking forward to an amazing match. I would like to thank CBS and EliteXC for continuing to give us the platform to show what we can do. Having two women’s fights on this card says a lot.
“Whether you’re in the arena or watching on television, it’s going to be a great night of fights.’’
KELLY KOBOLD
“Thanks to CBS and EliteXC, I do not have to explain to everyone what I do. The exposure women’s MMA is getting has been fantastic and has opened a lot of doors for us. We are legitimate fighters. I am absolutely thrilled to be part of this event. I would be very disappointed and surprised if this wasn’t the best fight of the night.’’
ANDREI ARVLOSKI
“Fighting on CBS is a very big opportunity for me and very exciting. I promise I will show a great fight.
“They are talking like the winner of my fight will face Fedor, but I have heard that kind of talk before. I have learned not to believe anything until it happens. So I will wait and see and continue to only focus on Saturday and on Roy.
“I am happy to be on a show with so many great fighters. Fans new to the sport or fans who know the sport very well are in for a great fight. I want to thank all the fans for their support.’’
MURILO “NINJA’ RUA
“I’ve trained very hard for this fight and will show the fans how much I have prepared. I have a good opponent. This could be the fight of the night.’’
BENJI RADACH
“This is an excellent matchup and style-wise should be a tough and exciting fight. Ninja is strong and big with heavy hands and comes to fight. But I feel I match up with him very well and will control the fight.
“Obviously, I am looking forward to fighting on CBS and getting the exposure that comes from fighting on CBS, and making my EliteXC debut.
“Being on CBS means even the casual fans, or sports fans unfamiliar with us, can watch. It is a tremendous deal for the fighters, fans, everybody.’’
CRIS CYBORG
“I am very happy to be fighting on this card and thank everyone involved for making it happen. I expect a hard fight. I want to win and then fight Gina. That would be a fight the fans would love to see.’’
Wednesday, October 1, 2008
“Karate Hottie” Ready To Explode At Strikeforce “Payback”
“Karate Hottie” Ready To Explode At Strikeforce “Payback”
SAN JOSE, Calif. —To the naked eye, Michelle Waterson looks more like she should be gracing the pages of Maxim rather than beating up on opponents in caged combat. Just like the old cliché “looks can be deceiving” goes though, it turns out that the petite, 22 year old, otherwise known as the “Karate Hottie,” packs as much firepower as she does gorgeous looks.
Waterson, a former bikini model and native of Aurora, Colorado, has been throwing kicks and punches since the age of 10 when she took her first Karate class and, on Friday, she will attempt to give her hometown fans a dose of brutal theatrics when she makes her seventh professional start in mixed martial arts (MMA) competition at Broomfield Event Center.
“It’s gonna be an explosive fight,” said Waterson, who will face Tyra Parker on the 10-bout Strikeforce “Payback” card. The matchup will mark Waterson’s debut with the growing Strikeforce organization. “I heard Tyra’s really aggressive and good on the ground so it should be very exciting for the fans.”
As a contestant on the 2007 Oxygen network series, “Fight Girls,” a reality program that gave female kickboxers the opportunity to train and battle one another while living at a Las Vegas, Nevada martial arts camp, Waterson introduced herself to a national audience.
“It was a great experience,” said Waterson of the time she spent filming the show. “ It helped me become a stronger person and helped me learn how to deal with problems on my own. It also showed me that fighting is not just physical, but also mental.”
Shortly before the TV stint, Waterson, who is half American and half Thai by descent, took a trip to Thailand where she fell in love with the country’s national sport – Muay Thai (Thai kickboxing).
It was the culmination of her past experiences in martial arts and her burning desire to excel at the sport of MMA that, a year and a half ago, led her to Albuquerque, New Mexico, where she has taken up residence to train under Greg Jackson, guru of one of the most finely tuned fight teams in the country.
“I needed to come here to take my career to the next level,” explained Waterson. “I’ve learned how to grapple on the ground and use my wrestling as a weapon. I’m a much more well-rounded fighter now.
Her work with Team Jackson produced dividends five weeks ago when she forced an opponent to submit from an armbar just 22 seconds into their bout. “Albuquerque has become a second home for me, and the Jackson team has become my family.”
Tickets for Strikeforce “Payback,” priced from $30, are on sale at Ticketmaster (303-830-TIXS) and Ticketmaster.com
In the main event of the 10-bout card, knockout artist and Denver native, Duane “Bang” Ludwig (16-8), will attempt to avenge a previous knockout at the hands of “The Ultimate Fighter” season three veteran, Sam “The Squeeze” Morgan (19-10). Superstar Frank “Twinkle Toes” Trigg (17-6) will take on Hawaiian submission expert, Falaniko “Niko” Vitale (26-8), in a featured middleweight (185 lb. limit) contest.
Broomfield Event Center doors will open for Strikeforce “Payback” at 5:30 PM MST and the preliminary card will begin at 6:30 PM MST. The main card will commence at 8 PM MST.
SAN JOSE, Calif. —To the naked eye, Michelle Waterson looks more like she should be gracing the pages of Maxim rather than beating up on opponents in caged combat. Just like the old cliché “looks can be deceiving” goes though, it turns out that the petite, 22 year old, otherwise known as the “Karate Hottie,” packs as much firepower as she does gorgeous looks.
Waterson, a former bikini model and native of Aurora, Colorado, has been throwing kicks and punches since the age of 10 when she took her first Karate class and, on Friday, she will attempt to give her hometown fans a dose of brutal theatrics when she makes her seventh professional start in mixed martial arts (MMA) competition at Broomfield Event Center.
“It’s gonna be an explosive fight,” said Waterson, who will face Tyra Parker on the 10-bout Strikeforce “Payback” card. The matchup will mark Waterson’s debut with the growing Strikeforce organization. “I heard Tyra’s really aggressive and good on the ground so it should be very exciting for the fans.”
As a contestant on the 2007 Oxygen network series, “Fight Girls,” a reality program that gave female kickboxers the opportunity to train and battle one another while living at a Las Vegas, Nevada martial arts camp, Waterson introduced herself to a national audience.
“It was a great experience,” said Waterson of the time she spent filming the show. “ It helped me become a stronger person and helped me learn how to deal with problems on my own. It also showed me that fighting is not just physical, but also mental.”
Shortly before the TV stint, Waterson, who is half American and half Thai by descent, took a trip to Thailand where she fell in love with the country’s national sport – Muay Thai (Thai kickboxing).
It was the culmination of her past experiences in martial arts and her burning desire to excel at the sport of MMA that, a year and a half ago, led her to Albuquerque, New Mexico, where she has taken up residence to train under Greg Jackson, guru of one of the most finely tuned fight teams in the country.
“I needed to come here to take my career to the next level,” explained Waterson. “I’ve learned how to grapple on the ground and use my wrestling as a weapon. I’m a much more well-rounded fighter now.
Her work with Team Jackson produced dividends five weeks ago when she forced an opponent to submit from an armbar just 22 seconds into their bout. “Albuquerque has become a second home for me, and the Jackson team has become my family.”
Tickets for Strikeforce “Payback,” priced from $30, are on sale at Ticketmaster (303-830-TIXS) and Ticketmaster.com
In the main event of the 10-bout card, knockout artist and Denver native, Duane “Bang” Ludwig (16-8), will attempt to avenge a previous knockout at the hands of “The Ultimate Fighter” season three veteran, Sam “The Squeeze” Morgan (19-10). Superstar Frank “Twinkle Toes” Trigg (17-6) will take on Hawaiian submission expert, Falaniko “Niko” Vitale (26-8), in a featured middleweight (185 lb. limit) contest.
Broomfield Event Center doors will open for Strikeforce “Payback” at 5:30 PM MST and the preliminary card will begin at 6:30 PM MST. The main card will commence at 8 PM MST.
Monday, September 29, 2008
Final EliteXC Presser Open To Public
FINAL PRESS CONFERENCE – OPEN TO THE PUBLIC –
THIS WEDNESDAY, 2 P.M., BANKATLANTIC CENTER
FOR SATURDAY’S PRIMETIME
CBS ELITEXC FIGHT CARD
WHO/WHAT: The CBS ELITEXC SATURDAY NIGHT FIGHTS fighters and those appearing
on the undercard will participate in the FINAL PRESS CONFERENCE
before the big event, Saturday, Oct. 4, at the BankAtlantic Center at Sunrise, Fla.
The third installment of CBS’s primetime MMA event will be broadcast live
on Saturday, Oct. 4 from 9-11 p.m. ET/PT on the CBS Television Network.
The televised lineup for CBS ELITEXC SATURDAY NIGHT FIGHTS: Kimbo
Slice vs. Ken Shamrock (heavyweights); EliteXC 170-pound champion Jake
Shields vs. Paul Daley; Andrei Arlovski vs. Roy “Big Country" Nelson
(heavyweights); Gina Carano vs. Kelly Kobold (140 pounds); and Murilo
"Ninja" Rua vs. Benji Radach (middleweights)
Tickets start at $30 and are available at all Ticketmaster outlets, by phone
at (954) 523-3309 in Broward County, (305) 358-5885 in Dade County and
(561) 966-3309 in Palm Beach County, online at www.ticketmaster.com
and at the BankAtlantic Center box offices (954) 835-7825.
The BankAtlantic Center box offices’ normal business hours are 10 a.m.-
6 p.m., Monday through Friday. The box office will be open the day of the
event beginning at 10 a.m. The first live fight begins at 6 p.m. ET.
WHERE: Chairman's Club at BankAtlantic Center
1 Panther Parkway; Sunrise, Fla. 33323
WHEN: Wednesday, Oct. 1, 2008; 2 p.m. E
THIS WEDNESDAY, 2 P.M., BANKATLANTIC CENTER
FOR SATURDAY’S PRIMETIME
CBS ELITEXC FIGHT CARD
WHO/WHAT: The CBS ELITEXC SATURDAY NIGHT FIGHTS fighters and those appearing
on the undercard will participate in the FINAL PRESS CONFERENCE
before the big event, Saturday, Oct. 4, at the BankAtlantic Center at Sunrise, Fla.
The third installment of CBS’s primetime MMA event will be broadcast live
on Saturday, Oct. 4 from 9-11 p.m. ET/PT on the CBS Television Network.
The televised lineup for CBS ELITEXC SATURDAY NIGHT FIGHTS: Kimbo
Slice vs. Ken Shamrock (heavyweights); EliteXC 170-pound champion Jake
Shields vs. Paul Daley; Andrei Arlovski vs. Roy “Big Country" Nelson
(heavyweights); Gina Carano vs. Kelly Kobold (140 pounds); and Murilo
"Ninja" Rua vs. Benji Radach (middleweights)
Tickets start at $30 and are available at all Ticketmaster outlets, by phone
at (954) 523-3309 in Broward County, (305) 358-5885 in Dade County and
(561) 966-3309 in Palm Beach County, online at www.ticketmaster.com
and at the BankAtlantic Center box offices (954) 835-7825.
The BankAtlantic Center box offices’ normal business hours are 10 a.m.-
6 p.m., Monday through Friday. The box office will be open the day of the
event beginning at 10 a.m. The first live fight begins at 6 p.m. ET.
WHERE: Chairman's Club at BankAtlantic Center
1 Panther Parkway; Sunrise, Fla. 33323
WHEN: Wednesday, Oct. 1, 2008; 2 p.m. E
Masvidal vs Schultz
This was a really good fight from the Sengoku card. I've followed Schultz since he was in the IFL. His chin is a little iffy, so his fights are always a matter of can he get the guy down before they hit that little button that puts him to sleep. Masvidal has been impressive from what I've seen of him. He got dropped by Rodrigo Damm, which was a shock to me.... all I had ever seen of Damm was him making short work of Black Mamba in Bodog. I figured Masivdal would be able to stay up right long enough to pop Ryan and that is what happened.
Shame they have to fight half a world away......
Wow.....
The Mrs. Happen on Fedor Video.. it is the stuff of legend.. wow, that thing has over 27k hits on youtube.... I have to take a little bit of credit. I was writing for Bloodyelbow at the time and ran across that thing when it had about 600 hits or so.... i thought this vid was the most adorable thing ever, a Juno with MMA knowledge.... so i put up a link to it for shits and giggles. It got some hits then...... then sherdog got ahold of it.... it blew up.... recently Ariel Helwani at MMARated.com got ahold of it and posts her stuff on a regular basis......
The hair just keeps getting worse, though, lol.....
Carano On Craig Ferguson
Gina Carano, will be a guest on "The Late, Late Show with Craig Ferguson" on CBS, Monday night (September 29th). The show airs at 12:35am PST.
Other scheduled guests are Melina Kanakaredes (of "CSI:NY") and Marg Helgenberger (from "CSI").
Gina will be promoting her upcoming EliteXC fight this Saturday, October 4th on CBS. Other fights on that card include Andrei Arlovski vs Roy Nelson and the much-anticipated Kimbo Slice vs Ken Shamrock.
Other scheduled guests are Melina Kanakaredes (of "CSI:NY") and Marg Helgenberger (from "CSI").
Gina will be promoting her upcoming EliteXC fight this Saturday, October 4th on CBS. Other fights on that card include Andrei Arlovski vs Roy Nelson and the much-anticipated Kimbo Slice vs Ken Shamrock.
Their Words, Not Mine
“We've created a fast-paced, edgy show,” he said, adding that he and White have a good insight into the young adult male demographic because “we are the two most immature 39-year-olds on the planet.”
--Lorenzo Fertitta, to Multi-Channel News
Sunday, September 28, 2008
Tales From The UnderGround: Renzo
From the folks at Almeida BJJ:
It was late this Friday afternoon when Ricardo Almeida picked up the phone and heard the familiar, unique, and upbeat of Renzo Gracie shout:
"Cachorrao, can you be at the Manhattan Academy by 6:00 PM?"
While 2 hours to get from Hamilton to Manhattan would normally be difficult, the thought about battling rush-hour traffic on the New Jersey Turnpike at 4:00 PM on a Friday afternoon wouldn't keep him from being there for his mentor and best friend.
"Mestre, I'll be there as fast as I can, but may I ask why I need to be there by 6?"
Firing back with his usual wit, Renzo Gracie shouted, "No, you may not! Just make your way there, I'll meet you in a little bit, my brother! You'll like the surprise!"
Looking at his always present and loyal student Tom DeBlass (who happened to have spent Friday afternoon at his house planning his training schedule with his teacher), Ricardo grinned: "Mestre Renzo is the only man alive that can get me out of my house on a Friday night, and on such short notice . . . are you coming?" Always eager to see what surprises Renzo might have up his sleeve, Tom laughed and replied, "I'm not missing out on that, I can't wait! This should be good!"
As Ricardo, his wife and Tom drove closer to Manhattan, a familiar sight greeted them: a long line of cars stretching from the Holland Tunnel, extending for miles. Worried that he would leave Renzo waiting for him at the Academy, Ricardo called to let him know he was running late. Instead, Renzo responded with, "don't worry my brother, traffic will be lighter after that bridge – I'm right behind you!" It turns out that Mestre Renzo was actually running late as well. Even with 15 years of life in the United States, Renzo still sets his watch to "brazilian time" – but somehow, he always makes it in the end!
Just as he predicted, traffic lightened up, and as he approached the Holland Tunnel's entrance, Prof. Almeida drove behind a very nice car, and after discussing some of the car's features with Coach Tom, he realized that it must be a real nice car – the driver was Renzo! But as he crossed into the Big Apple, only one thought remained in his mind: "What was Renzo's surprise?"
After finally arriving at the Academy, and greeting long time friends and Renzo Gracie's students, he made his way to his favorite corner on the mats, hoping to take advantage of the opportunity to get some great training in under Renzo's watchful eye. As the class ends, Renzo in that same great mood he's always in, steps on the mats and starts to speak. The packed house knows that something special is about to happen, and begin to gather on the mats.
Renzo gets everyone's attention: "Guys, I'd like to call over one of the greatest Black Belts I have ever had the pleasure of teaching and promoting. Cachorrao, get over here!" Renzo continues: " We have been through so much together; I have cornered every one of his fights and he amazed me each time, over and over. It was amazing to watch how his skills were constantly improving, and what a strong mind he has. His fights where always a huge test, and he made me so proud each time."
After telling some heart-warming stories of when Prof. Almeida first lived with Mestre Renzo and his family upon first arriving in the U.S. in 1997, Renzo continues: "A long time ago we were in Japan for a huge event (Pride FC) and one of the fighters got hurt. They needed a last minute replacement and Ricardo said he would like to give it a try. I asked him 'are you sure you want to do this?' Ricardo told me, 'if you tell me I'm ready, I'm all over it.'"
His voice swelling with pride, Renzo continued: "I knew he could do it, so he had my blessing. Guys, it was Ricardo's 1st professional fight and the opponent was a very tough Japanese fighter, who I had fought around that time and it went to a draw. His name is Akira Shoji." The students listen on intently -- after all, who wouldn't want to gather around Renzo Gracie and hear one of his tales? And as Renzo announced, "Ricardo went out there on a couple of days notice and beat the hell out of that guy!" applause and cheers washed over the Academy.
"Another great memory I have also happened in Japan in the Pancrase event. Ricardo fought a real tough guy for the championship, a guy named Nathan Marquardt. Ricardo submitted him with our signature submission, the guillotine with the arm in. I clearly remember looking at him from his corner and screaming 'Cachorrao, go for it! Just go!'. He looked at me with that look 'do you really think I should' and I screamed even louder 'just do it, go!' He went for it and the rest is history."
Lost in the good memories, Renzo finally gets to his surprise: "Well guys, I'm sure most of you have seen the Pancrase Belt, but the fighters don't get to keep the belt! It's worth a LOT of money because it's made of pure platinum and there's a huge diamond right in the center. In fact, so many security guards were around us while Ricardo had the championship belt, I was almost suffocating! After the fight, we were walking around taking pictures with fans and having a blast, but in my mind, I was already looking for an exit sign or something so we could take off with that belt!"
Needless to say, laughs took over the large room.
As he paced the hallowed blue mats, Renzo wondered aloud, "Guys, how can they give you something you've worked so hard to get and take it away from you that same night? I knew Ricardo wasn't thrilled about that, even though he didn't mention anything. So after much dedication to this project, I was able to get my student a surprise."
With that, Renzo walked into the office at the rear of the mats, and returned with a large white box, announcing, "I am now proudly giving my student Ricardo Almeida in the name of all of us a perfect replica of his King of Pancrase Belt. Although the huge diamond is not real, this is the closest it gets to the real thing."
In fact, the belt was better than the real thing – to receive the belt directly from Mestre Renzo was a perfect way to receive the belt, and the look on Ricardo's face was priceless as his teacher put that belt around his waist. The attendees happily started applauding, cheering, hitting the mats with their hands, and an overwhelming noise washed over all in the room.
Always with some words of wisdom and encouragement, Renzo glanced at Ricardo as he was leaving the Academy, grabs his head and proudly tells him: "That's my boy... don't you think I didn't notice half of your mouthpiece hanging out of your pocket when you walked in. You always come prepared for any situation."
In fact, this was a lesson Ricardo Almeida had learned from Renzo – who knew how to fulfill an unspoken wish of one of his many students, even five years later! Thank you, Mestre Renzo. There's no way to repay all of your contributions to the sport and to people's lives. You are a true legend, a flawless mentor and a true gentleman.
It was late this Friday afternoon when Ricardo Almeida picked up the phone and heard the familiar, unique, and upbeat of Renzo Gracie shout:
"Cachorrao, can you be at the Manhattan Academy by 6:00 PM?"
While 2 hours to get from Hamilton to Manhattan would normally be difficult, the thought about battling rush-hour traffic on the New Jersey Turnpike at 4:00 PM on a Friday afternoon wouldn't keep him from being there for his mentor and best friend.
"Mestre, I'll be there as fast as I can, but may I ask why I need to be there by 6?"
Firing back with his usual wit, Renzo Gracie shouted, "No, you may not! Just make your way there, I'll meet you in a little bit, my brother! You'll like the surprise!"
Looking at his always present and loyal student Tom DeBlass (who happened to have spent Friday afternoon at his house planning his training schedule with his teacher), Ricardo grinned: "Mestre Renzo is the only man alive that can get me out of my house on a Friday night, and on such short notice . . . are you coming?" Always eager to see what surprises Renzo might have up his sleeve, Tom laughed and replied, "I'm not missing out on that, I can't wait! This should be good!"
As Ricardo, his wife and Tom drove closer to Manhattan, a familiar sight greeted them: a long line of cars stretching from the Holland Tunnel, extending for miles. Worried that he would leave Renzo waiting for him at the Academy, Ricardo called to let him know he was running late. Instead, Renzo responded with, "don't worry my brother, traffic will be lighter after that bridge – I'm right behind you!" It turns out that Mestre Renzo was actually running late as well. Even with 15 years of life in the United States, Renzo still sets his watch to "brazilian time" – but somehow, he always makes it in the end!
Just as he predicted, traffic lightened up, and as he approached the Holland Tunnel's entrance, Prof. Almeida drove behind a very nice car, and after discussing some of the car's features with Coach Tom, he realized that it must be a real nice car – the driver was Renzo! But as he crossed into the Big Apple, only one thought remained in his mind: "What was Renzo's surprise?"
After finally arriving at the Academy, and greeting long time friends and Renzo Gracie's students, he made his way to his favorite corner on the mats, hoping to take advantage of the opportunity to get some great training in under Renzo's watchful eye. As the class ends, Renzo in that same great mood he's always in, steps on the mats and starts to speak. The packed house knows that something special is about to happen, and begin to gather on the mats.
Renzo gets everyone's attention: "Guys, I'd like to call over one of the greatest Black Belts I have ever had the pleasure of teaching and promoting. Cachorrao, get over here!" Renzo continues: " We have been through so much together; I have cornered every one of his fights and he amazed me each time, over and over. It was amazing to watch how his skills were constantly improving, and what a strong mind he has. His fights where always a huge test, and he made me so proud each time."
After telling some heart-warming stories of when Prof. Almeida first lived with Mestre Renzo and his family upon first arriving in the U.S. in 1997, Renzo continues: "A long time ago we were in Japan for a huge event (Pride FC) and one of the fighters got hurt. They needed a last minute replacement and Ricardo said he would like to give it a try. I asked him 'are you sure you want to do this?' Ricardo told me, 'if you tell me I'm ready, I'm all over it.'"
His voice swelling with pride, Renzo continued: "I knew he could do it, so he had my blessing. Guys, it was Ricardo's 1st professional fight and the opponent was a very tough Japanese fighter, who I had fought around that time and it went to a draw. His name is Akira Shoji." The students listen on intently -- after all, who wouldn't want to gather around Renzo Gracie and hear one of his tales? And as Renzo announced, "Ricardo went out there on a couple of days notice and beat the hell out of that guy!" applause and cheers washed over the Academy.
"Another great memory I have also happened in Japan in the Pancrase event. Ricardo fought a real tough guy for the championship, a guy named Nathan Marquardt. Ricardo submitted him with our signature submission, the guillotine with the arm in. I clearly remember looking at him from his corner and screaming 'Cachorrao, go for it! Just go!'. He looked at me with that look 'do you really think I should' and I screamed even louder 'just do it, go!' He went for it and the rest is history."
Lost in the good memories, Renzo finally gets to his surprise: "Well guys, I'm sure most of you have seen the Pancrase Belt, but the fighters don't get to keep the belt! It's worth a LOT of money because it's made of pure platinum and there's a huge diamond right in the center. In fact, so many security guards were around us while Ricardo had the championship belt, I was almost suffocating! After the fight, we were walking around taking pictures with fans and having a blast, but in my mind, I was already looking for an exit sign or something so we could take off with that belt!"
Needless to say, laughs took over the large room.
As he paced the hallowed blue mats, Renzo wondered aloud, "Guys, how can they give you something you've worked so hard to get and take it away from you that same night? I knew Ricardo wasn't thrilled about that, even though he didn't mention anything. So after much dedication to this project, I was able to get my student a surprise."
With that, Renzo walked into the office at the rear of the mats, and returned with a large white box, announcing, "I am now proudly giving my student Ricardo Almeida in the name of all of us a perfect replica of his King of Pancrase Belt. Although the huge diamond is not real, this is the closest it gets to the real thing."
In fact, the belt was better than the real thing – to receive the belt directly from Mestre Renzo was a perfect way to receive the belt, and the look on Ricardo's face was priceless as his teacher put that belt around his waist. The attendees happily started applauding, cheering, hitting the mats with their hands, and an overwhelming noise washed over all in the room.
Always with some words of wisdom and encouragement, Renzo glanced at Ricardo as he was leaving the Academy, grabs his head and proudly tells him: "That's my boy... don't you think I didn't notice half of your mouthpiece hanging out of your pocket when you walked in. You always come prepared for any situation."
In fact, this was a lesson Ricardo Almeida had learned from Renzo – who knew how to fulfill an unspoken wish of one of his many students, even five years later! Thank you, Mestre Renzo. There's no way to repay all of your contributions to the sport and to people's lives. You are a true legend, a flawless mentor and a true gentleman.
Saturday, September 27, 2008
American Top Teamer Steps Up To Face “The Silencer”
SAN JOSE, Calif. —American Top Team member and two-time New York State Metropolitan Boxing Champion, Carlos Zevallos (0-0), will fill the recent void left by Pat Barry, and make his professional mixed martial arts (MMA) debut against Andre “The Silencer” Walker (2-3), in a light heavyweight (205 lb. limit) contest during Strikeforce “Payback” at Broomfield, Colorado’s Broomfield Event Center on Friday, October 3rd.
Like his opponent, Zevallos brings to the cage a rich history in the striking arts, winning back-to-back New York State Metropolitan Championships in 2005 and 2006. A student of Muay Thai since the age of 16, the Queens, New York native, now 29, captured the World Kickboxing Association (WKA) National Heavyweight Muay Thai Championship in 2004.
“I’ve been waiting for this moment for a long time,” said Zevallos of his upcoming MMA debut. “I’m gonna make it very far (in MMA) because I pay a lot of attention to detail. I really dissect the sport and study it to the fullest – every aspect of it. “Not only do I learn it very fast, but I get really good at it. It’s a constant never ending search for perfection that drives me to MMA.”
“My striking is a lot more advanced than the average MMA guy,” the fighter stressed. “ I take it for what it is and thank God that I have that edge over them but, at the same time, anyone can lose at any given moment so you always have to find whatever weaknesses you have and work on that.”
Zevallos’ experience in kickboxing and amateur boxing competition, which also includes three runs at the annual Golden Gloves Championships, has helped prepare him to fight in pressure situations like the one in Broomfield that pits him against a veteran of five MMA bouts.
“To this day, that holds a big part of my heart,” explained Zevallos of his efforts in the boxing ring. “I just remember things like fighting this guy in one of the tournaments and getting caught with a real nasty left hook. I felt my body starting to collapse while I was on the ropes. Right before I started going down, I remembered that my cousin and one of my best friends were in the audience and all I started feeling was their emotions in the back of my head and that woke me up. I came back and won the fight.”
Last year, Zevallos packed up his belongings and relocated to South Florida, the home of fearsome fight squad, American Top Team, to pursue a new challenge in the world’s fastest growing sport. He has since been taken under the wing of famed ATT head instructor and Carlson Gracie black belt, Ricardo Liborio.
“I had heard about (American Top Team) and seen them on TV a lot. I liked the fact that they were winning consistently and I wanted to train where the best people were training.”
Zevallos’ opponent, Walker, is a Denver native and former student of Sabaki Karate under martial arts legend, Clarence Thatch. In the late ‘90s, Walker utilized his striking skills to go on an unbeaten, 5-0 run in “Toughman” competition.
“The Sabaki helps my stand-up (skills) in MMA a lot,” explained Walker. “I’m able to swing my opponent and knock him off balance. It’s a matter of using his weight against him.”
Walker made his greatest impression in the fight world to date on August 11, 2001 when he stopped Carter Williams in the second round of their K-1 matchup at Las Vegas’ Bellagio Hotel and Casino. Williams went on to capture the K-1 North America tournament championship two years later.
Tickets for Strikeforce “Payback,” priced from $30, are on sale at Ticketmaster (303-830-TIXS) and Ticketmaster.com
In the main event, knockout artist and Denver native, Duane “Bang” Ludwig (16-8), will attempt to avenge a previous knockout at the hands of “The Ultimate Fighter” season three veteran, Sam “The Squeeze” Morgan (19-10).
Superstar Frank “Twinkle Toes” Trigg (17-6) will take on Hawaiian submission expert, Falaniko “Niko” Vitale (26-8), in a featured middleweight (185 lb. limit) contest.
Also back in action at Strikeforce “Payback” will be “The New York Badass” Phil Baroni (12-10) and “The Ultimate Fighter” season four veteran, “The Secret Weapon” Pete Spratt (18-14), who will battle Donnie Liles (11-5) in a welterweight (170 lb. limit) showdown.
Broomfield Event Center doors will open for Strikeforce “Payback” at 5:30 PM MST and the preliminary card will begin at 6:30 PM MST. The main card will commence at 8 PM MST.
Like his opponent, Zevallos brings to the cage a rich history in the striking arts, winning back-to-back New York State Metropolitan Championships in 2005 and 2006. A student of Muay Thai since the age of 16, the Queens, New York native, now 29, captured the World Kickboxing Association (WKA) National Heavyweight Muay Thai Championship in 2004.
“I’ve been waiting for this moment for a long time,” said Zevallos of his upcoming MMA debut. “I’m gonna make it very far (in MMA) because I pay a lot of attention to detail. I really dissect the sport and study it to the fullest – every aspect of it. “Not only do I learn it very fast, but I get really good at it. It’s a constant never ending search for perfection that drives me to MMA.”
“My striking is a lot more advanced than the average MMA guy,” the fighter stressed. “ I take it for what it is and thank God that I have that edge over them but, at the same time, anyone can lose at any given moment so you always have to find whatever weaknesses you have and work on that.”
Zevallos’ experience in kickboxing and amateur boxing competition, which also includes three runs at the annual Golden Gloves Championships, has helped prepare him to fight in pressure situations like the one in Broomfield that pits him against a veteran of five MMA bouts.
“To this day, that holds a big part of my heart,” explained Zevallos of his efforts in the boxing ring. “I just remember things like fighting this guy in one of the tournaments and getting caught with a real nasty left hook. I felt my body starting to collapse while I was on the ropes. Right before I started going down, I remembered that my cousin and one of my best friends were in the audience and all I started feeling was their emotions in the back of my head and that woke me up. I came back and won the fight.”
Last year, Zevallos packed up his belongings and relocated to South Florida, the home of fearsome fight squad, American Top Team, to pursue a new challenge in the world’s fastest growing sport. He has since been taken under the wing of famed ATT head instructor and Carlson Gracie black belt, Ricardo Liborio.
“I had heard about (American Top Team) and seen them on TV a lot. I liked the fact that they were winning consistently and I wanted to train where the best people were training.”
Zevallos’ opponent, Walker, is a Denver native and former student of Sabaki Karate under martial arts legend, Clarence Thatch. In the late ‘90s, Walker utilized his striking skills to go on an unbeaten, 5-0 run in “Toughman” competition.
“The Sabaki helps my stand-up (skills) in MMA a lot,” explained Walker. “I’m able to swing my opponent and knock him off balance. It’s a matter of using his weight against him.”
Walker made his greatest impression in the fight world to date on August 11, 2001 when he stopped Carter Williams in the second round of their K-1 matchup at Las Vegas’ Bellagio Hotel and Casino. Williams went on to capture the K-1 North America tournament championship two years later.
Tickets for Strikeforce “Payback,” priced from $30, are on sale at Ticketmaster (303-830-TIXS) and Ticketmaster.com
In the main event, knockout artist and Denver native, Duane “Bang” Ludwig (16-8), will attempt to avenge a previous knockout at the hands of “The Ultimate Fighter” season three veteran, Sam “The Squeeze” Morgan (19-10).
Superstar Frank “Twinkle Toes” Trigg (17-6) will take on Hawaiian submission expert, Falaniko “Niko” Vitale (26-8), in a featured middleweight (185 lb. limit) contest.
Also back in action at Strikeforce “Payback” will be “The New York Badass” Phil Baroni (12-10) and “The Ultimate Fighter” season four veteran, “The Secret Weapon” Pete Spratt (18-14), who will battle Donnie Liles (11-5) in a welterweight (170 lb. limit) showdown.
Broomfield Event Center doors will open for Strikeforce “Payback” at 5:30 PM MST and the preliminary card will begin at 6:30 PM MST. The main card will commence at 8 PM MST.
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