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
Monday, September 29, 2008
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.
WILSON REIS TAKES UNANIMOUS DECISION
WILSON REIS TAKES UNANIMOUS DECISION OVER ABEL CULLUM
TO CAPTURE FIRST-EVER ELITEXC BANTAMWEIGHT TITLE
IN MAIN EVENT ON SHOXC: ELITE CHALLENGER SERIES _____________________________________________________________________________________
Friday, Sept. 26, at 11 p.m. ET/PT on SHOWTIME,
Chumash Casino Resort, Santa Ynez, California
SANTA YNEZ, Calif. (Sept. 27, 2008) – In an excellent, competitive matchup between skilled, determined, well-conditioned fighters, unbeaten Brazilian Wilson Reis (6-0) of Philadelphia registered a close, unanimous five-round decision over Abel Cullum (11-2) of Tucumcari, N.M., to capture the first-ever EliteXC bantamweight title Friday in the main event on ShoXC: Elite Challenger Series.
Los Angeles-based ProElite, Inc.’s live fight division, EliteXC presented the crowd-pleasing event from the Chumash Casino Resort. It aired on SHOWTIME at 11 p.m. ET/PT (delayed on the West Coast).
In other SHOWTIME fights, Shane Del Rosario (5-0) of Irvine, Calif., scored a second-round TKO (strikes) over Carl Seumanutafa (4-1) of San Francisco, Calif.; in perhaps the fight of the night, David “Tarzan” Douglas (6-1) of Antioch, Calif., registered an upset third-round TKO (strikes) over Malaipet (3-3) of Rancho Cucamonga, Calif., Jaime Jara (20-5) of North Highlands, Calif., earned a hard-fought split decision over previously undefeated Giva Santana (12-1) of Laguna Niguel, Calif., and Eric “Bad” Apple (10-1) of Orange County, Calif., submitted (rear naked choke) Matt Makowski (3-1) of Philadelphia in the second round.
Non-televised bouts: Scott Lighty (4-0) of San Luis Obispo, Calif., registered a 4:15, first-round TKO (strikes) over Jamiah Williamson (3-1) of Los Angeles; Damian Douglas (3-1) of Antioch scored a 0:46, first-round submission over Joe Schilling (1-3) of Los Angeles; Steve Gable (3-0) of San Diego, Calif., won a split decision (29-28 twice and 28-29) over Josh McDonald (3-3) of San Francisco; Luke Riddering (2-0) of San Luis Obispo, Calif., stopped John Corstophine (1-2) of North Highlands, Calif., on strikes at 3:44 of the first; and Fernando Bettega (3-2) of Los Angeles submitted Mono Otero (3-3) of Albuquerque, N.M., with a rear naked choke a 2:27 of the opening round.
The main event fighters – both Abel and Wilson – displayed high-level grappling skills, but Reis (pronounced “H-ace’’) did enough to ground out a victory by the scores of 49-46 twice and 48-47.
“This was my dream, to win the 140-pound world title,’’ said southpaw Reis, a Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt stud who improved to 4-0 since coming to EliteXC in January 2008. “This is all very exciting.’’
Cullum, who had a 10-fight winning streak snapped, appeared physically smaller and was stepping up in weight. But he gave a fantastic account of himself, landed the vast majority of the telling punches and seemed to win over the crowd in attendance.
“No one wants to lose, but he was a strong guy and tough for me to keep off,’’ said Cullum, the King of the Cage 135-pound titleholder. “I wanted to be the aggressor, but I wound up on the ground too much. I thought the referee could have stood us up a couple of times, but it didn’t happen.’’
Del Rosario mostly dominated before the fight was stopped at 1:07 of the second.
“I didn’t feel that good before the fight but once I got into the cage I was fine,’’ said Del Rosario, who was making his third consecutive appearance on ShoXC. “I thought I had him once, and he came sort of close to getting me, but overall I am very happy.’’
For sheer excitement, Douglas-Malaipet was as good as it gets. A fight that featured numerous changes in momentum exceeded all expectations until it was stopped at 2:51 or the third.
“I stuck to my game plan, never quit and came out on top,’’ Douglas said. “I have never been in a fight this hard and I am exhausted and know I will be hurting tomorrow. But getting the victory makes it all worthwhile.’’
Malaipet, a Lumpinee champ in Thailand, lost his second consecutive start. The world-class kickboxer is an extremely dangerous striker, but he lacks a ground game and it cost him again.
“I thought I would do better on the ground, but overall I am happy,’’ said Malaipet, who was cut badly below his eye. “You haven’t seen the last of me and I thank all my fans for their support.’’
In an exceptional effort, Jara outpointed Santana by the scores of 29-28 twice and 28-29. The victory was the fourth in a row for Jara, who is 15-1 with one No Contest since June 2004.
“This was my hardest fight and he is definitely the toughest fighter I have faced,’’ Jara said. “I knew it was tight, but I felt I had done enough to win.
Santana is known as “The Arm Collector.” Ten of the unbeaten submission whiz’s 11 victories have come by armbar. But he did not come close to submitting Jara, who has not tapped out since November 2003.
“I am not going to complain about the decision but I felt I’d done enough to win and landed all the harder punches, especially in the third round.’’
Apple, who was making his ShoXC debut and first start since March 2007, forced the previously unbeaten Makowski to tape out at 2:04 of the second.
“I thought I was going to break his arm,’’ Apple said. “I came in thinking I was a little better than he was in all aspects of the game, and I was right. This was the perfect fight to knock the ring rust off.’’
----------------
Now playing: Nicole Atkins - Together We're Both Alone
via FoxyTunes
TO CAPTURE FIRST-EVER ELITEXC BANTAMWEIGHT TITLE
IN MAIN EVENT ON SHOXC: ELITE CHALLENGER SERIES _____________________________________________________________________________________
Friday, Sept. 26, at 11 p.m. ET/PT on SHOWTIME,
Chumash Casino Resort, Santa Ynez, California
SANTA YNEZ, Calif. (Sept. 27, 2008) – In an excellent, competitive matchup between skilled, determined, well-conditioned fighters, unbeaten Brazilian Wilson Reis (6-0) of Philadelphia registered a close, unanimous five-round decision over Abel Cullum (11-2) of Tucumcari, N.M., to capture the first-ever EliteXC bantamweight title Friday in the main event on ShoXC: Elite Challenger Series.
Los Angeles-based ProElite, Inc.’s live fight division, EliteXC presented the crowd-pleasing event from the Chumash Casino Resort. It aired on SHOWTIME at 11 p.m. ET/PT (delayed on the West Coast).
In other SHOWTIME fights, Shane Del Rosario (5-0) of Irvine, Calif., scored a second-round TKO (strikes) over Carl Seumanutafa (4-1) of San Francisco, Calif.; in perhaps the fight of the night, David “Tarzan” Douglas (6-1) of Antioch, Calif., registered an upset third-round TKO (strikes) over Malaipet (3-3) of Rancho Cucamonga, Calif., Jaime Jara (20-5) of North Highlands, Calif., earned a hard-fought split decision over previously undefeated Giva Santana (12-1) of Laguna Niguel, Calif., and Eric “Bad” Apple (10-1) of Orange County, Calif., submitted (rear naked choke) Matt Makowski (3-1) of Philadelphia in the second round.
Non-televised bouts: Scott Lighty (4-0) of San Luis Obispo, Calif., registered a 4:15, first-round TKO (strikes) over Jamiah Williamson (3-1) of Los Angeles; Damian Douglas (3-1) of Antioch scored a 0:46, first-round submission over Joe Schilling (1-3) of Los Angeles; Steve Gable (3-0) of San Diego, Calif., won a split decision (29-28 twice and 28-29) over Josh McDonald (3-3) of San Francisco; Luke Riddering (2-0) of San Luis Obispo, Calif., stopped John Corstophine (1-2) of North Highlands, Calif., on strikes at 3:44 of the first; and Fernando Bettega (3-2) of Los Angeles submitted Mono Otero (3-3) of Albuquerque, N.M., with a rear naked choke a 2:27 of the opening round.
The main event fighters – both Abel and Wilson – displayed high-level grappling skills, but Reis (pronounced “H-ace’’) did enough to ground out a victory by the scores of 49-46 twice and 48-47.
“This was my dream, to win the 140-pound world title,’’ said southpaw Reis, a Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt stud who improved to 4-0 since coming to EliteXC in January 2008. “This is all very exciting.’’
Cullum, who had a 10-fight winning streak snapped, appeared physically smaller and was stepping up in weight. But he gave a fantastic account of himself, landed the vast majority of the telling punches and seemed to win over the crowd in attendance.
“No one wants to lose, but he was a strong guy and tough for me to keep off,’’ said Cullum, the King of the Cage 135-pound titleholder. “I wanted to be the aggressor, but I wound up on the ground too much. I thought the referee could have stood us up a couple of times, but it didn’t happen.’’
Del Rosario mostly dominated before the fight was stopped at 1:07 of the second.
“I didn’t feel that good before the fight but once I got into the cage I was fine,’’ said Del Rosario, who was making his third consecutive appearance on ShoXC. “I thought I had him once, and he came sort of close to getting me, but overall I am very happy.’’
For sheer excitement, Douglas-Malaipet was as good as it gets. A fight that featured numerous changes in momentum exceeded all expectations until it was stopped at 2:51 or the third.
“I stuck to my game plan, never quit and came out on top,’’ Douglas said. “I have never been in a fight this hard and I am exhausted and know I will be hurting tomorrow. But getting the victory makes it all worthwhile.’’
Malaipet, a Lumpinee champ in Thailand, lost his second consecutive start. The world-class kickboxer is an extremely dangerous striker, but he lacks a ground game and it cost him again.
“I thought I would do better on the ground, but overall I am happy,’’ said Malaipet, who was cut badly below his eye. “You haven’t seen the last of me and I thank all my fans for their support.’’
In an exceptional effort, Jara outpointed Santana by the scores of 29-28 twice and 28-29. The victory was the fourth in a row for Jara, who is 15-1 with one No Contest since June 2004.
“This was my hardest fight and he is definitely the toughest fighter I have faced,’’ Jara said. “I knew it was tight, but I felt I had done enough to win.
Santana is known as “The Arm Collector.” Ten of the unbeaten submission whiz’s 11 victories have come by armbar. But he did not come close to submitting Jara, who has not tapped out since November 2003.
“I am not going to complain about the decision but I felt I’d done enough to win and landed all the harder punches, especially in the third round.’’
Apple, who was making his ShoXC debut and first start since March 2007, forced the previously unbeaten Makowski to tape out at 2:04 of the second.
“I thought I was going to break his arm,’’ Apple said. “I came in thinking I was a little better than he was in all aspects of the game, and I was right. This was the perfect fight to knock the ring rust off.’’
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