Archive for January, 2008
In a sport where there is a new MMA event and referee popping up every day, most people would say that the UFC referees have been around the longest. Big John McCarthy was one of the oldest starting at UFC 2 and the next would be Mario Yamasaki starting at UFC 20. These two, along with Herd Dean and Steve Mazzagatti, share a love for the sport that runs deeper than a measly paycheck from an Athletic Commission. True, they are some of the longest running refs in MMA, but they also have something else in common. They all currently practice or have competed in some form of martial arts.
Big John McCarthy was training under Rorian Gracie at the time of UFC 1 and even tried to enter the tournament, but Rorian Gracie advised against it. John then went on to ref UFC 2 and is now a MMA icon. McCarthy is a black belt in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu and currently runs a school called Big John McCarthy’s Ultimate Training Academy.
Herb Dean was actually training with Zane Frazier when UFC 1 was being put together and has a professional MMA record of 2-3. Dean has practiced Judo, but one of the actual martial arts credits Dean has is his 2nd Dan Black Belt in American Jiu Jitsu. When asked why he referees he said, “I think of being a referee is similar to being a bass player in a band. The bass player provides a consistent rhythm and sets the groove so that the other instruments can shine.”
Steve Mazzagatti was practicing Muay Thai early on and opened the first school for it Las Vegas. Steve has also practiced Hung Gar and Wing Chun Gung Fu.
I got to speak with Mario Yamasaki about his passion for martial arts. He said he was going to train this year and get back in shape so he could compete in the coming year for the Pan-Ams. Mario Yamasaki is currently a 3rd degree black belt in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu and also has a black belt in Judo. Mario started competing in Judo when he was five years old until he was about twenty years old. He started competing in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu when he was about seventeen and had some success at it. He is a Sao Paulo Open Champion, a three time Capital Open Champion and an Eastern Open silver medalist. Mario also has many schools in the US, Holland, Sweden, Germany, Dominican Republic and Brazil. One of his students he mentioned was Murilo Santana, a recent CBJJE World Champion. His school is called, Yamasaki Academy.
These guys love the sport so much that they will find a way to stay as close as they can to as many fights as possible. Like all sports, people get older and become more of a spectator than a participant. Randy Couture has recently made it harder to use that as an excuse, but some people, including referees, have one of the better jobs. “We get the best seat in the house,” said Mario. “When you get old and can’t fight no more, you ref.”
UFC 80 will be held on January 19th LIVE at the Metro Radio Arena in England.
U.S. SHOW TIME INFO:UFC 80 will play LIVE at noon pacific, 3pm eastern on pay-per-view nationwide. UFC 80 will be re-played at 7pm pacific, 10pm eastern on pay-per-view nationwide.
BJ Penn Vs. Joe Stevenson
What a match this will be. BJ and Joe will be fighting for the lightweight title in this match after the CSAC held up a ruling that Sean Sherk tested positive for steroids. Everybody knows and hears the hype about Penn’s great flexibility and that he is a great grappler. He has never been submitted in his MMA career. Even so I think BJ will try to keep this standing up because he is so strong with his stand up. He really should be known as one of the best strikers in the lightweight and welterweight division in my book. Look at GSP’s face after BJ pounded on it for three rounds. BJ also has unique ways to defend the take down in his past fights. He is so flexible and has such good balance he usually stays up on one leg while giving his opponent fits. I think BJ staying in the lightweight division for now is good because it keeps him training harder and more to keep the weight in check. Stevenson is no joke on the ground. He can tap most lightweights with his speed, strength and most of all, technique. Joe also does not lose easily. Most of his recent losses have all been from decision and in a weight class he probably should not have been in. I would say look for Joe to try to keep it on the ground with BJ stuffing a lot of take downs. Who knows maybe Jo will last until the end, but keep in mind this is a five round championship fight so both of these guys better be conditioned. If BJ doesn’t catch Joe with a KO I think he will catch Joe in some sort of crazy hold while he pounds out a TKO maybe in the second.
Gabriel Gonzaga Vs. Fabricio Werdum
I am hoping this will be a good fight. Gonzaga had a different style when he fought Werdum the first time. I think Gonzaga is a lot more aggressive then he used to be and knows how to stay on the offense as opposed to the way he used to fight. Gonzaga is for real now and should be respected for what he did in the fight with Randy Couture. I mean the guy broke Randy’s arm with a kick and he was doing ok until Randy head butted Gonzaga in the nose. Not that Randy did it on purpose, but I would like to have seen how the fight would have went if that didn’t happen. Having a broken nose can completely effect your breathing and take everything out of a fighter so I think it ended up being an advantage that should have not been there. Not that Randy probably wouldn’t have won a decision in the end, but you like to see fights on an even playing field so you really know who wins. Werdum has beat Gonzaga in their last match with a TKO, but I am sure he is aware of Gonzaga’s new style as has prepared for it. In Wedum’s last fight him and Andrei Arlovski had a lackluster decision fight with Andrei coming out on top. I really don’t think this fight will go to the judges. I think Gonzaga is still very underestimated at this point in his career. Look for a lot of cage clinching with Gonzaga opening Werdum up and Gonzaga ending it with a TKO in the second round.
Jess Liaudin Vs. Marcus Davis
Both of these guys are coming into this fight off of good winning streaks. Davis has fought some of the tougher opponents as of late and has some really good hands due to his pro boxing career. Davis has fought his last few fights in the UK & Ireland so he isn’t a stranger to the cage or overseas fighting. Liaudin has fought in the UK as well under the UFC banner so this fight should have no excuses. Davis is quick and dangerous and he showed a lot of heart reversing the fight against Paul Taylor where he was about to lose. I will have to go with Davis on skill and heart for this fight. I think Davis will probably continue to showcase some newly learned submission skills and get Jess in something to end this fight with a submission in the first.
Wilson Gouveia Vs. Jason Lambert
Lambert has fought some of the best and knocked them out. The only thing with him is he hasn’t fought since March of 2007. One year is a lot of ring rust in the MMA community, but I think he will be ok. Gouveia has had some mixed success fighting the tougher guys in MMA, but he is one of the few with a win over Jon Fitch. I think Lambert is to much of a beast and will probably knock Gouveia out with something in the third.
Jorge Rivera Vs. Kendall Grove
I was wondering where Jorge went since he hasn’t fought since UFC 67. I guess he is back in the mix and against a tough opponent. Grove and him are coming off of losses so both of these guys should show a good fight in this one. Grove relies on his striking so I think he will clinch alot and work his Muay Thai knees into it, but Rivera can stand as well so this might end up on the ground. If it does I think Grove will work those long legs and get a triangle or some kind of submission in the second or third.
Ken and Ryan Shamrock sign a mutli fight contract with EliteXC. I wonder if they will go after Frank now. There have been alot of rumors that Frank and Ken might fight. It would draw some big numbers just to see thebrothers battle it out. I think if Ken wants to pull a big crowd and get some big exposure for himself and his family it should happen.
EliteXC also signed the 43-year-old Shamrock’s 19-year-old son, Ryan, to a
multi-fight contract. Terms of the contracts were not disclosed, nor were any
details on who or when either Shamrock would be fighting. “We’re thrilled to
have signed Ken and Ryan Shamrock,” said EliteXC Live Events President Gary
Shaw, who made the announcement Monday. “Ken is one of the most recognizable and popular figures in MMA. He has fought the biggest and some of the most important fights in MMA history.”
Source:
http://www.presstelegram.com/moresports/ci_7972758
Here is Ricardo being interviewed by Kid Peligro. Arona is currently training at Quicksilver in Hawaii doing some surfing and fighting. He said he should be fighting in 2008 for sure, but he did not say under which organization.
Source:
http://www.youtube.com/profile?user=KidPeligroBJJNews
Bruce Bellocchi and Rick Bassman seemed to be the guys coordinating this event. In an article with Sherdog they both point the fingers at each other for the reason it was cancelled. Under the California State Athletic Commission rules each signed fighter was paid 20% of their purse.
“Thank God we didn’t fight and have our checks bounce,” said Kerr, who was
slated to face Hawaiian heavyweight Kauai Kupihea (Pictures) and also expressed appreciation for the CSAC’s efforts to protect the fighters. “I feel for Joe Riggs (Pictures), who just had a baby and has a mortgage to pay. Now he only gets 20 percent of his purse.”
Source:
http://www.sherdog.com/news/news.asp?n_id=10787
The UFC filed a lawsuit against Randy Couture. This sounds like the start of a legal war that will go on for some time. Dana White has a few new words for the ex-champ.
“What’s really tough for me, to be honest, is we have been friends for a
very long time,” White said. “The hard part is that he is not living up to his
obligations. Captain America is not keeping his word.”
“I expect Randy to honor the obligations in his contract that he signed (a
year ago). I tried to resolve it by talking to this guy that I’ve had a
relationship with for eight years and was unsuccessful,” White said. “Now this
thing’s in the hands of the justice system.”
According to the lawsuit, Couture is also in breach of a stipulation that
prohibits him from engaging in “direct or indirect competition” with the UFC for
a period of 12 months following the termination of his contract.
Thus, Couture’s sponsorship and promotion of a team in the International Fight League would be in direct violation of the stipulation. Currently, the IFL’s Web site
lists Couture’s Xtreme Couture team taking on Mario Sperry’s World Class Fight
Center at the IFL’s Feb. 29 card at the Orleans Arena.
I am guessing the contract is officially terminated since the UFC is filing a lawsuit, but I am not sure. It looks like Randy has 12 months instead of the 9 that he thought he had to wait until competing. Randy is olny getting older so I hope this will not keep him from fighting one last time.
Source:
http://www.lvrj.com/sports/13794082.html
Shogun is now the new dean of a university in Brazil. Its not the kind your thinking of. Shogun Rua, Murilo “Ninja” Rua, and Andre “Dida” Amade created a new fight team called Universidade da Luta. Translated in english it means Fight University. The Rua brothers have been moving around alot latley after leaving Chute Boxe with some confusion to which team and camp they would land. At one time it seemed that Shogun would come to the us, but later reports stated that he was trying to convice his brother to stay in Brazil. Well I guess now it is official.
MMA Weekly also reported that:
In speaking with GracieMag.com, Shogun also gave some insight into the three
fighters’ respective returns to competition, “I’m already preparing for my
return. I’ll fight on April 19. Ninja and Dida go back in March.”The April 19
date would land Shogun on the Ultimate Fighting Championship’s Canadian debut in Montreal.
This is good news for all those canadians out there. A date seems to be set for the first UFC debut into canadian soil.
Source:
http://www.mmaweekly.com/absolutenm/templates/dailynews.asp?articleid=5441&zoneid=13
Bas along with other IFL coaches Ken Shamrock and Pat Miletich visited with Sailors on the USS Providence (SSN 719) a couple of days before the IFL Grand Prix.
The International Fight League met Sailors and NEX patrons Dec. 27, two days
before their championship fights at Mohegan Sun.The IFL visitors included
Sebastian “Bas” Rutten, Ken Shamrock, Pat Miletich, and Jay Hieron. The fighters
and coaches toured USS Providence (SSN 719), then went to the Navy Exchange to
meet and greet patrons, sign autographs, answer questions, and even demonstrate
mixed martial arts submission moves.Rutten is one of mixed martial arts’ most
beloved and respected figures, not only for his prolific fighting career, but
also for his work as a color commentator and martial arts guru. Rutten was a
three-time King of Pancrase winner, and later went on to become the UFC
heavyweight champion before retiring from the sport in 1999. He has written many
widely-read books on the fighting arts, such as Bas Rutten’s Big Book of Combat,
and his instructional tapes are a staple in almost every MMA gym in America.
I feel like an idiot, but I didn’t know Bas real name was Sebastian. Who would have thought? With all this charity work going on I feel like I need to get off my butt and do something.
Source:
http://www.zwire.com/site/news.cfm?newsid=19178795&BRD=1659&PAG=461&dept_id=8103&rfi=6
|
