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Henrique Mello and the life of a champion
With two victories by knockout at Fury FC 7, Henrique Mello (Nova União) conquered the title of the tournament until 84Kg of the show at São Paulo. The consecration of the champion, who works pruning trees in the streets of Marechal Hermes, at Rio de Janeiro, and now is the name of one of the biggest events of Brazil. In conversation with TATAME, Henrique spoke about his hard routine, the beginning in the fights until to reach the glory. Confer below the exciting interview with the champion.
I knew that you works in COMLURB and go out of the work to train… How is this routine?
It is the biggest difficulty, because I go out of there 3h20 p.m. and the train starts at 3h p.m., I work at Marechal Hermes and to arrive here at 3h p.m. is very difficult, there is no conditions, I arrive here after the time, in the end… By the way, who does not understand protests because I am arriving late, but after they know and comprehend… It is very difficult for me to be here.
How is your work?
I am pruner of trees, I work with pruning of tree, my management is in Marechal Hermes, but I live at Realengo. I go on foot to Bangu to train… The tyre of the bike bored, so I go half an hour walking.
Bruno Bastos told that you used to quarrel in funk party, and arrived here with purple belt… How was it?
I used to live at the Chatuba of Mesquita, Nilópolis, and I used to like funk party. After that I come to live at Realengo, I started to intensify the trains, then I met Bruno Bastos and asked him an opportunity of train in his team… He gave me that opportunity, and in this way, I had two good things that happened in my life: enter to the team and accept Jesus, that was the main, then I released the funk party, and started to train.
And which were the biggest difficulties that you faced?
The first MMA that I fought was at Campo Grande, with a R$ 100 purse. I fought the Rio MMA Challenge, of Jorge Turco. I wanted to send an embrace to him, is very nice guy, but was R$ 100 the pruse, was more to put the athletes in the rhythm, in the line… Gosh, R$ 100 are not sufficient to you to put a tooth in the place if you lost. Bruno saw that I had conditions of face and I faced, I took a guy with some experience, I defeated him, and I was thrashing… I won by points, it was a big fight, I had three knock downs for my favour and there was not how the guy win, I was very well in the fight. After I fought at Florianópolis and it was very difficult, because the trip was very tiring, it was by bus, and I arrived there the guy told that the ship was “X”, after told that was “Y”, rendered difficult, but, thanks God, I won and all stayed calm.
How was your entrance in the trials of Fury?
It is funny, because it was in the week of my birthday, and Dedé had nobody to fight, everybody was with marked fight and I the unique who was worthless, but I was only threshing, was not training, my gas was zero, thus that in the trials I took some very hard guys, it was difficult to win, but I won calmly and it was a present for me… I already was thinking in stop to fight, dedicate myself more to my family, my daughters are growing…
How many daughters do you have?
I have three daughters, one has eight, another has six, and the other has months.
And how old are you?
I am 26, I started early, didn`t I? But I think that was a present of God because I lost a very dear person, that was my brother, so I was very lonely.
Did you already use to fight when your brother died?
No. Before I fight I lost a brother, who was just my arm, he used to be the guy who used to walk with me everywhere and that lost was like I lost all the organs of my body, I did not fill nothing inside me, so God comforted myself with a wonderful woman, who is my wife, I got married and just gave us a girl, a daughter, we did not expect, then we went ahead. Somebody helped here with a sofa, others there with a little furniture, a little, white and black television, we are until today, into the difficulties we go carrying… We never went hungry…
You passed for all that difficulties, went to the Fury, won even without training, went to the principal event… How was to win three fights?
I was talking here with the guys here, with Hacran, Loro and Danilo, that is very difficult to develop the ground here because there is only good guy, so there is not how the people think that your ground is good, even if you develop the ground here, it is very difficult to see your ground, so I entered there a little bit suspicious of my ground, I thought that I would not obtain to develop, I have not trained Jiu-Jitsu very well, the little that I trained is sufficient to submit? Yes, because I will enter there for this, but then I obtained to knock the guys out without hurt me and without hurt the guys. I obtained, thanks God, three knockouts and only who has faith believes.
And now this can have been a divisor of waters, who knows an opportunity of fight foreign… How are you facing all that? Do you think in leave your work and dedicate yourself only to the MMA?
This question that you did is very important, because there are people that will know this interview and will stay knowing the situation. I will deliver everything in the hand of God, I can not leave my work now because I do not know what will happen, I do not know what God wants to me. What appear I will pray to know if it is of God or not. If it is of God, I will leave, if it is not I will continue in both, fighting and working, like I always did, the work is my maintenance, it happened wonderful things with me in a few time in my work.
You look after your wife and more three daughters and still train, have to food yourself better and spend money with food and passage… How much is your monthly income?
I live in a house that is not mine, I am collected to go out almost all the time, directly and indirectly, I receive R$ 800. R$ 800 to look after a family is very difficult, mainly with three sons… I have not sponsor, because I did not collect that of nobody because when you collect sponsor, you have a bigger responsibility on the ring, have to show something for someone and I do not want to show nothing to anyone because I already showed, everybody saw, and I do not want to fill myself obligate to enter in a fight and win, I want to enter there to do what I like, to quarrel… Fighter is on this because the guy likes to quarrel, there are others who go because of the money, I am not so ambitious like that, but it is very difficult to me, with the salary of R$ 800, you to maintain a family, and is the unique income that I have, MMA is a whore that we do, but I like.
For you, today, MMA is an extra that you pretend to make your principal in the future?
Certainly, I want that MMA gives me a base that does that I only dedicate myself to that. Without forget, also, that this is my way that I will use the sport to show for the youth that is losing itself in drugs, a lot of accident, violence…
With two victories by knockout at Fury FC 7, Henrique Mello (Nova União) conquered the title of the tournament until 84Kg of the show at São Paulo. The consecration of the champion, who works pruning trees in the streets of Marechal Hermes, at Rio de Janeiro, and now is the name of one of the biggest events of Brazil. In conversation with TATAME, Henrique spoke about his hard routine, the beginning in the fights until to reach the glory. Confer below the exciting interview with the champion.
I knew that you works in COMLURB and go out of the work to train… How is this routine?
It is the biggest difficulty, because I go out of there 3h20 p.m. and the train starts at 3h p.m., I work at Marechal Hermes and to arrive here at 3h p.m. is very difficult, there is no conditions, I arrive here after the time, in the end… By the way, who does not understand protests because I am arriving late, but after they know and comprehend… It is very difficult for me to be here.
How is your work?
I am pruner of trees, I work with pruning of tree, my management is in Marechal Hermes, but I live at Realengo. I go on foot to Bangu to train… The tyre of the bike bored, so I go half an hour walking.
Bruno Bastos told that you used to quarrel in funk party, and arrived here with purple belt… How was it?
I used to live at the Chatuba of Mesquita, Nilópolis, and I used to like funk party. After that I come to live at Realengo, I started to intensify the trains, then I met Bruno Bastos and asked him an opportunity of train in his team… He gave me that opportunity, and in this way, I had two good things that happened in my life: enter to the team and accept Jesus, that was the main, then I released the funk party, and started to train.
And which were the biggest difficulties that you faced?
The first MMA that I fought was at Campo Grande, with a R$ 100 purse. I fought the Rio MMA Challenge, of Jorge Turco. I wanted to send an embrace to him, is very nice guy, but was R$ 100 the pruse, was more to put the athletes in the rhythm, in the line… Gosh, R$ 100 are not sufficient to you to put a tooth in the place if you lost. Bruno saw that I had conditions of face and I faced, I took a guy with some experience, I defeated him, and I was thrashing… I won by points, it was a big fight, I had three knock downs for my favour and there was not how the guy win, I was very well in the fight. After I fought at Florianópolis and it was very difficult, because the trip was very tiring, it was by bus, and I arrived there the guy told that the ship was “X”, after told that was “Y”, rendered difficult, but, thanks God, I won and all stayed calm.
How was your entrance in the trials of Fury?
It is funny, because it was in the week of my birthday, and Dedé had nobody to fight, everybody was with marked fight and I the unique who was worthless, but I was only threshing, was not training, my gas was zero, thus that in the trials I took some very hard guys, it was difficult to win, but I won calmly and it was a present for me… I already was thinking in stop to fight, dedicate myself more to my family, my daughters are growing…
How many daughters do you have?
I have three daughters, one has eight, another has six, and the other has months.
And how old are you?
I am 26, I started early, didn`t I? But I think that was a present of God because I lost a very dear person, that was my brother, so I was very lonely.
Did you already use to fight when your brother died?
No. Before I fight I lost a brother, who was just my arm, he used to be the guy who used to walk with me everywhere and that lost was like I lost all the organs of my body, I did not fill nothing inside me, so God comforted myself with a wonderful woman, who is my wife, I got married and just gave us a girl, a daughter, we did not expect, then we went ahead. Somebody helped here with a sofa, others there with a little furniture, a little, white and black television, we are until today, into the difficulties we go carrying… We never went hungry…
You passed for all that difficulties, went to the Fury, won even without training, went to the principal event… How was to win three fights?
I was talking here with the guys here, with Hacran, Loro and Danilo, that is very difficult to develop the ground here because there is only good guy, so there is not how the people think that your ground is good, even if you develop the ground here, it is very difficult to see your ground, so I entered there a little bit suspicious of my ground, I thought that I would not obtain to develop, I have not trained Jiu-Jitsu very well, the little that I trained is sufficient to submit? Yes, because I will enter there for this, but then I obtained to knock the guys out without hurt me and without hurt the guys. I obtained, thanks God, three knockouts and only who has faith believes.
And now this can have been a divisor of waters, who knows an opportunity of fight foreign… How are you facing all that? Do you think in leave your work and dedicate yourself only to the MMA?
This question that you did is very important, because there are people that will know this interview and will stay knowing the situation. I will deliver everything in the hand of God, I can not leave my work now because I do not know what will happen, I do not know what God wants to me. What appear I will pray to know if it is of God or not. If it is of God, I will leave, if it is not I will continue in both, fighting and working, like I always did, the work is my maintenance, it happened wonderful things with me in a few time in my work.
You look after your wife and more three daughters and still train, have to food yourself better and spend money with food and passage… How much is your monthly income?
I live in a house that is not mine, I am collected to go out almost all the time, directly and indirectly, I receive R$ 800. R$ 800 to look after a family is very difficult, mainly with three sons… I have not sponsor, because I did not collect that of nobody because when you collect sponsor, you have a bigger responsibility on the ring, have to show something for someone and I do not want to show nothing to anyone because I already showed, everybody saw, and I do not want to fill myself obligate to enter in a fight and win, I want to enter there to do what I like, to quarrel… Fighter is on this because the guy likes to quarrel, there are others who go because of the money, I am not so ambitious like that, but it is very difficult to me, with the salary of R$ 800, you to maintain a family, and is the unique income that I have, MMA is a whore that we do, but I like.
For you, today, MMA is an extra that you pretend to make your principal in the future?
Certainly, I want that MMA gives me a base that does that I only dedicate myself to that. Without forget, also, that this is my way that I will use the sport to show for the youth that is losing itself in drugs, a lot of accident, violence…
Ronnys Torres
With eight straight victories in the last 11 months, Ronnys Torres keeps showing an excellent job in MMA, and will have the biggest chance of his career in 2009. The Nova União athlete has, now, to prepare himself to his debut at UFC, entering in the category dominated by BJ Penn. In an interview to TATAME, Ronnys spoke about the emotion in making his international debut at the biggest MMA event, analyzed the category in UFC and the dream to get a change for the Ultimate belt.
How do you feel signing with UFC?
I am very happy, still don’t believe that I’ve signed with the UFC… When I go to bed I keep imaging getting to the octagon, and I already chose the gospel music in English to play… I won’t go there and put gospel music in Portuguese, the guys won’t understand anything (laughs).
Are you already studying English?
I am trying, I will have to study. I saw how much this is important to the athlete, I went with Marlon to Japan now and I saw how it is important to speak English. I have to study and I think that it will help me very much to close fight. There is Dedé (André Pederneiras) helping me a lot, but I have to learn to develop with the guys there.
Which is the expectation for you in UFC?
The expectations are the best. My time has come, the moment of change my life and of my family, I will count very much with the power of all the team here. I always dreamed in fight outside the country, I never used to imagine to get where I am now. I am living the happiest moment of my career, I did not expect to sign with UFC. I came to fight Jiu-Jitsu, I only entered in MMA because I was getting without money and, today, I am the happiest guy in the world for signing with the best event of the world. I received messages of people that did not know me, telling that were my fans, and now it is the opportunity of my life. If I already used to train strongly, now it is to train the double, the triple… I am with good mind, it’s my moment, and I trust very much in my God. He gave me this opportunity and I’ll do my best.
For whom do you think that have to pass to get a chance against BJ Penn?
To be in the UFC already shows that everybody is tough. It is step by step that I will arrive to the top, I only ask that God illuminates me, that everything goes right. Everybody is hard and won’t have easy jobs, and I will try to conquer my space. It is a ladder that I will go up until arrive, if God wants, in the belt, that is my dream.
Who would you like to face in this category?
Fight with BJ is something everybody wants and it is one more dream… I already realized many of them and to sign with is more than a dream. The will of fight against BJ by the belt is my biggest dream, get there and do my best, but always with humbleness, step by step
With eight straight victories in the last 11 months, Ronnys Torres keeps showing an excellent job in MMA, and will have the biggest chance of his career in 2009. The Nova União athlete has, now, to prepare himself to his debut at UFC, entering in the category dominated by BJ Penn. In an interview to TATAME, Ronnys spoke about the emotion in making his international debut at the biggest MMA event, analyzed the category in UFC and the dream to get a change for the Ultimate belt.
How do you feel signing with UFC?
I am very happy, still don’t believe that I’ve signed with the UFC… When I go to bed I keep imaging getting to the octagon, and I already chose the gospel music in English to play… I won’t go there and put gospel music in Portuguese, the guys won’t understand anything (laughs).
Are you already studying English?
I am trying, I will have to study. I saw how much this is important to the athlete, I went with Marlon to Japan now and I saw how it is important to speak English. I have to study and I think that it will help me very much to close fight. There is Dedé (André Pederneiras) helping me a lot, but I have to learn to develop with the guys there.
Which is the expectation for you in UFC?
The expectations are the best. My time has come, the moment of change my life and of my family, I will count very much with the power of all the team here. I always dreamed in fight outside the country, I never used to imagine to get where I am now. I am living the happiest moment of my career, I did not expect to sign with UFC. I came to fight Jiu-Jitsu, I only entered in MMA because I was getting without money and, today, I am the happiest guy in the world for signing with the best event of the world. I received messages of people that did not know me, telling that were my fans, and now it is the opportunity of my life. If I already used to train strongly, now it is to train the double, the triple… I am with good mind, it’s my moment, and I trust very much in my God. He gave me this opportunity and I’ll do my best.
For whom do you think that have to pass to get a chance against BJ Penn?
To be in the UFC already shows that everybody is tough. It is step by step that I will arrive to the top, I only ask that God illuminates me, that everything goes right. Everybody is hard and won’t have easy jobs, and I will try to conquer my space. It is a ladder that I will go up until arrive, if God wants, in the belt, that is my dream.
Who would you like to face in this category?
Fight with BJ is something everybody wants and it is one more dream… I already realized many of them and to sign with is more than a dream. The will of fight against BJ by the belt is my biggest dream, get there and do my best, but always with humbleness, step by step
Caol Uno to stay with DREAM
Caol Uno does not plan on leaving DREAM for the UFC.
FEG event producer Sadaharu Tanikawa said Friday that although Uno won't participate at "Dynamite!! 2008" due to an injury, Uno will be back with DREAM next year.
"I heard about a rumor that he wanted to fight in the UFC," Tanikawa said. "He called me and said, 'I want to participate in the UFC, but I know DREAM is where I fight. I have no intention to leave DREAM.'"
The rumor of Uno leaving started from the current issue of Japanese magazine Gong Kakutougi in which Uno expressed his interest in returning to the UFC.
Uno (25-11-4) fought for the UFC from February 2001 to September 2003, amassing a record of 2-4-1. Uno has fared better fghting exclusively for FEG (K-1 and DREAM) the past four years, winning ten of fifteen. In his most recent fight in September, Uno lost to Shinya Aoki in the semifinals of the 2008 DREAM Lightweight Grand Prix.
Caol Uno does not plan on leaving DREAM for the UFC.
FEG event producer Sadaharu Tanikawa said Friday that although Uno won't participate at "Dynamite!! 2008" due to an injury, Uno will be back with DREAM next year.
"I heard about a rumor that he wanted to fight in the UFC," Tanikawa said. "He called me and said, 'I want to participate in the UFC, but I know DREAM is where I fight. I have no intention to leave DREAM.'"
The rumor of Uno leaving started from the current issue of Japanese magazine Gong Kakutougi in which Uno expressed his interest in returning to the UFC.
Uno (25-11-4) fought for the UFC from February 2001 to September 2003, amassing a record of 2-4-1. Uno has fared better fghting exclusively for FEG (K-1 and DREAM) the past four years, winning ten of fifteen. In his most recent fight in September, Uno lost to Shinya Aoki in the semifinals of the 2008 DREAM Lightweight Grand Prix.
Satoshi Ishii is off to UFC 92 in Las Vegas
2008 Olympic judo gold medallist Satoshi Ishii has left for UFC 92 "The Ultimate 2008" in Las Vegas, reports Nikkan Sports.
Ishii, who was personally invited by UFC president Dana White to attend the event, showed up at Narita airport decked out in UFC gear, wearing a UFC cap, jacket and t-shirt while carrying a UFC bag with UFC gloves inside.
"I'm very excited to see fighters such as Minotauro and Okami and experience the atmosphere of the event," Ishii said. "I won't sign a contract this time, but I will definitely prove how good I am with my training."
He stays in the US for only 4 days this time. He is going to visit a couple of gyms. On December 27, he's planning to visit Xtreme Coutur in Las Vegas and have training with Randy Couture.
Ishii has already ordered his Reggae musician friend, HIBIKILLA, to create his entrance song.
2008 Olympic judo gold medallist Satoshi Ishii has left for UFC 92 "The Ultimate 2008" in Las Vegas, reports Nikkan Sports.
Ishii, who was personally invited by UFC president Dana White to attend the event, showed up at Narita airport decked out in UFC gear, wearing a UFC cap, jacket and t-shirt while carrying a UFC bag with UFC gloves inside.
"I'm very excited to see fighters such as Minotauro and Okami and experience the atmosphere of the event," Ishii said. "I won't sign a contract this time, but I will definitely prove how good I am with my training."
He stays in the US for only 4 days this time. He is going to visit a couple of gyms. On December 27, he's planning to visit Xtreme Coutur in Las Vegas and have training with Randy Couture.
Ishii has already ordered his Reggae musician friend, HIBIKILLA, to create his entrance song.
Satoru Kitaoka: "It's so unlucky for him that I signed up with Sengoku."
Satoru Kitaoka had an open training in Tokyo on December 26. He faces Takanori Gomi for Sengoku lightweight belt in “Sengoku no Ran” on January 4.
After training, he answered questions from the press.
“I finished the intensive training last week, and started to adjust my weights this week. In addition to the same training I had for the light weight tournament, I had a special training for this fight. Takanori Gomi is a great striker with good sense of fighting.”
“I said he won't be accepted in the UFC when I had an interview with an MMA magazine. I have never said he is not good. What I meant was I was better than him. I'm satisfied with fighting him because his past accomplishments were impressive. He hasn't proved himself in Sengoku; in contrast, I got results, so I said I accepted his challenge."
"I'm very excited as well as nervous, but I have a confidence to win. I have to say that it so unlucky for him that I signed up with Sengoku.”
Satoru Kitaoka had an open training in Tokyo on December 26. He faces Takanori Gomi for Sengoku lightweight belt in “Sengoku no Ran” on January 4.
After training, he answered questions from the press.
“I finished the intensive training last week, and started to adjust my weights this week. In addition to the same training I had for the light weight tournament, I had a special training for this fight. Takanori Gomi is a great striker with good sense of fighting.”
“I said he won't be accepted in the UFC when I had an interview with an MMA magazine. I have never said he is not good. What I meant was I was better than him. I'm satisfied with fighting him because his past accomplishments were impressive. He hasn't proved himself in Sengoku; in contrast, I got results, so I said I accepted his challenge."
"I'm very excited as well as nervous, but I have a confidence to win. I have to say that it so unlucky for him that I signed up with Sengoku.”
‘Bazzie Awards’ Show on HDNet’s ‘Inside MMA’
videolink: http://www.sherdog.com/videos/recent/Bazzie-Awards-Show-on-HDNets-Inside-MMA-1863
The good, the bad, and the ugly are honored as the winners of the "Bazzie Awards" are revealed by Kenny Rice and Bas Rutten. Who is Fighter of the Year? How about Fight of the Year? Or Bloodiest Bout? Tune in to see for yourself on very special episode of HDNet's "Inside MMA."
videolink: http://www.sherdog.com/videos/recent/Bazzie-Awards-Show-on-HDNets-Inside-MMA-1863
The good, the bad, and the ugly are honored as the winners of the "Bazzie Awards" are revealed by Kenny Rice and Bas Rutten. Who is Fighter of the Year? How about Fight of the Year? Or Bloodiest Bout? Tune in to see for yourself on very special episode of HDNet's "Inside MMA."
HAVING GIVEN UP, MIR CREDITS FAMILY FOR RETURN
Interim UFC heavyweight champion Frank Mir would have thrown in the towel if his family had let him. Following his loss to Marcio Cruz at UFC 57, he wanted out of the fight game. The leg injury that had taken two years from his professional life had also taken his spirit.
“When I came back from what I came back from, I wish I could make the statement that the odds were against me and I never gave up,” Mir told reporters after his win over Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira at UFC 92. “I did. I think a lot of people don’t realize that your heroes when you look at them – maybe some people are better than me – but I’m not that guy.”
Mir’s family was there in the media room, cheering him on as they had in the two years of his re-emergence. He fought back tears thanking them.
“The only reason I am where I am now is cause of my wife, my family, my father and mother, my children,” he said. “That’s the only individuals that kept me going. If it wasn’t for them, you would never see me fight again, after my first fight back.”
Mir had a lot of fear and anxiety leading up to the Nogueira fight, not just because he was fighting one of the world’s best, but the training he had to endure to get there. In a reversal from standard operating procedure, Mir found guys who were better than him in their respective fields. Boxers from Olympic coach Kenny Adams' gym; jiu-jitsu aces Robert Drysdale and Demian Maia; men who would knock him out or submit him on a regular basis.
“I wouldn’t have done that two years ago," Mir said. “I had too much of an ego. Now, I realize that’s not the way to go.”
His conditioning, a question that followed him wherever he went, was finally where it needed to be. He didn’t have to worry about what would happen if a fighter lasted past the first round.
“Before, I’d walk into the Octagon terrified of getting tired,” he said. “I wasn’t thinking about the guy I’m fighting; I was thinking man, if this fight doesn’t end in two minutes, I’m in a lot of trouble. Tonight, it could go 10 rounds; it doesn’t matter. I could be here all night long, and I won’t lose in any position. That’s a whole different mentality.”
Mir says the stoppage came by complete surprise. Though he had knocked the Brazilian down three times in the first round, he always expected the fight go the distance.
“I always imagined – as gruesome as it sounds – I imagined that I would get him in a submission and I would break something, the fight would keep on going, and he would be less of a fighter than he was during the match-up,” he said. “I saw something in him that I never expected to see, that he was actually dazed.”
Mir smelled blood, and dove in to finish the fight, despite his previous game plan to avoid being drawn into a ground fight with Nogueira. When Mir was declared the winner, there was joy, followed by a proclamation to Brock Lesnar, who sat cageside.
“Be careful what you wish for,” Mir told him.
Then there were tears, the release of four years of hoping he would return to previous form. He had beaten his idol, and fought at 100 percent.
Mir now appears set to take on Lesnar sometime in the second quarter of 2009 in a rematch from their UFC 81 bout. Mir submitted the UFC heavyweight champion with 90 ticks on the clock. In the buildup to UFC 92, fans and pundits kept reminding him about the implications of a win against Nogueira, but that was the furthest thing from his mind.
“I didn’t make the mistake of looking past this fight,” he said. “I really haven’t put too much thought into it.”
Nonetheless, the victory over Nogueira will give him a huge boost in confidence when he faces current champ Lesnar.
“A win over Nogueira is huge,” he said. “People who have wins over Nogueira are pretty highly touted individuals, and now I’m a part of that name.”
Interim UFC heavyweight champion Frank Mir would have thrown in the towel if his family had let him. Following his loss to Marcio Cruz at UFC 57, he wanted out of the fight game. The leg injury that had taken two years from his professional life had also taken his spirit.
“When I came back from what I came back from, I wish I could make the statement that the odds were against me and I never gave up,” Mir told reporters after his win over Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira at UFC 92. “I did. I think a lot of people don’t realize that your heroes when you look at them – maybe some people are better than me – but I’m not that guy.”
Mir’s family was there in the media room, cheering him on as they had in the two years of his re-emergence. He fought back tears thanking them.
“The only reason I am where I am now is cause of my wife, my family, my father and mother, my children,” he said. “That’s the only individuals that kept me going. If it wasn’t for them, you would never see me fight again, after my first fight back.”
Mir had a lot of fear and anxiety leading up to the Nogueira fight, not just because he was fighting one of the world’s best, but the training he had to endure to get there. In a reversal from standard operating procedure, Mir found guys who were better than him in their respective fields. Boxers from Olympic coach Kenny Adams' gym; jiu-jitsu aces Robert Drysdale and Demian Maia; men who would knock him out or submit him on a regular basis.
“I wouldn’t have done that two years ago," Mir said. “I had too much of an ego. Now, I realize that’s not the way to go.”
His conditioning, a question that followed him wherever he went, was finally where it needed to be. He didn’t have to worry about what would happen if a fighter lasted past the first round.
“Before, I’d walk into the Octagon terrified of getting tired,” he said. “I wasn’t thinking about the guy I’m fighting; I was thinking man, if this fight doesn’t end in two minutes, I’m in a lot of trouble. Tonight, it could go 10 rounds; it doesn’t matter. I could be here all night long, and I won’t lose in any position. That’s a whole different mentality.”
Mir says the stoppage came by complete surprise. Though he had knocked the Brazilian down three times in the first round, he always expected the fight go the distance.
“I always imagined – as gruesome as it sounds – I imagined that I would get him in a submission and I would break something, the fight would keep on going, and he would be less of a fighter than he was during the match-up,” he said. “I saw something in him that I never expected to see, that he was actually dazed.”
Mir smelled blood, and dove in to finish the fight, despite his previous game plan to avoid being drawn into a ground fight with Nogueira. When Mir was declared the winner, there was joy, followed by a proclamation to Brock Lesnar, who sat cageside.
“Be careful what you wish for,” Mir told him.
Then there were tears, the release of four years of hoping he would return to previous form. He had beaten his idol, and fought at 100 percent.
Mir now appears set to take on Lesnar sometime in the second quarter of 2009 in a rematch from their UFC 81 bout. Mir submitted the UFC heavyweight champion with 90 ticks on the clock. In the buildup to UFC 92, fans and pundits kept reminding him about the implications of a win against Nogueira, but that was the furthest thing from his mind.
“I didn’t make the mistake of looking past this fight,” he said. “I really haven’t put too much thought into it.”
Nonetheless, the victory over Nogueira will give him a huge boost in confidence when he faces current champ Lesnar.
“A win over Nogueira is huge,” he said. “People who have wins over Nogueira are pretty highly touted individuals, and now I’m a part of that name.”
‘Rampage’ Eyes Griffin Rematch, Not Title Shot
Quinton "Rampage" Jackson wants to wear the UFC light heavyweight championship again, but what he desires most is another crack at the last man to defeat him.
Jackson (29-7) knocked out longtime rival Wanderlei Silva -- to whom he had lost twice previously -- with a short, wicked left hook at UFC 92 “The Ultimate 2008” on Saturday at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas. The 30-year-old leveled Silva during a first-round exchange, as he brought an emphatic end to their latest bout 3:21 after it began.
Afterward, attention turned to what was next for Jackson, who relinquished the UFC light heavyweight crown in a unanimous decision loss to Forrest Griffin five months ago. Griffin, meanwhile, was unseated by the undefeated Rashad Evans in his first title defense at UFC 92, leaving Jackson in a quandary.
“I would like to get my title back,” Jackson said. “Why are we doing this? Everybody wants to be the best. Everybody wants to be the champ. To be honest, I’d rather go and fight Forrest. That’s the fight that haunts me when I go to sleep and I have nightmares about. That’s the fight when I look at myself in the mirror. I want the belt. I want to be champion. I would like to get Forrest first, if I could. That’s up to the UFC.”
His desire to face Griffin could leave Evans to defend the belt against Lyoto Machida, provided the unbeaten Brazilian clears his next hurdle at UFC 94 in January.
Jackson’s decisive victory over Silva helped soothe the sting from two brutal losses to the Brazilian legend inside the Pride Fighting Championships promotion. He has now defeated three of his generation’s most accomplished light heavyweights -- Silva, Dan Henderson and Chuck Liddell -- in his last four fights.
The win against Silva was sweetest, partly because he had been thrashed twice by him and partly because it came on the heels of his July arrest for allegedly evading police during a high-speed chase in California. Questions about Jackson’s mental well being swirled leading into UFC 92.
“I really hate losing, especially when you know you can beat that person,” Jackson said. “I was the most nervous that I’ve ever been in my life. This was a big mental fight for me. A lot of people think that my personal problems I’m going through right now would disturb me. I’m not that type of person. I put all this stuff behind me. I always have problems.”
Quinton "Rampage" Jackson wants to wear the UFC light heavyweight championship again, but what he desires most is another crack at the last man to defeat him.
Jackson (29-7) knocked out longtime rival Wanderlei Silva -- to whom he had lost twice previously -- with a short, wicked left hook at UFC 92 “The Ultimate 2008” on Saturday at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas. The 30-year-old leveled Silva during a first-round exchange, as he brought an emphatic end to their latest bout 3:21 after it began.
Afterward, attention turned to what was next for Jackson, who relinquished the UFC light heavyweight crown in a unanimous decision loss to Forrest Griffin five months ago. Griffin, meanwhile, was unseated by the undefeated Rashad Evans in his first title defense at UFC 92, leaving Jackson in a quandary.
“I would like to get my title back,” Jackson said. “Why are we doing this? Everybody wants to be the best. Everybody wants to be the champ. To be honest, I’d rather go and fight Forrest. That’s the fight that haunts me when I go to sleep and I have nightmares about. That’s the fight when I look at myself in the mirror. I want the belt. I want to be champion. I would like to get Forrest first, if I could. That’s up to the UFC.”
His desire to face Griffin could leave Evans to defend the belt against Lyoto Machida, provided the unbeaten Brazilian clears his next hurdle at UFC 94 in January.
Jackson’s decisive victory over Silva helped soothe the sting from two brutal losses to the Brazilian legend inside the Pride Fighting Championships promotion. He has now defeated three of his generation’s most accomplished light heavyweights -- Silva, Dan Henderson and Chuck Liddell -- in his last four fights.
The win against Silva was sweetest, partly because he had been thrashed twice by him and partly because it came on the heels of his July arrest for allegedly evading police during a high-speed chase in California. Questions about Jackson’s mental well being swirled leading into UFC 92.
“I really hate losing, especially when you know you can beat that person,” Jackson said. “I was the most nervous that I’ve ever been in my life. This was a big mental fight for me. A lot of people think that my personal problems I’m going through right now would disturb me. I’m not that type of person. I put all this stuff behind me. I always have problems.”
Unlikely Times, Unlikely Champions: An Early Look at Mir-Lesnar II
Way back when the UFC played “Daddy” Warbucks and bailed out Pride Fighting Championships owners from a red ink typhoon not unlike that which looms over the Big Three automakers, the idea of a superfight between heavyweight icons Randy Couture and Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira seemed inevitable.
Just two months ago, that idea inched closer to reality when an unofficial heavyweight title unification tournament opened with the incumbent champion, Couture, matched against a reformed professional wrestler. Meanwhile, the interim champion, Nogueira, drew a former titleholder who seemed to be borrowing from the Ricco Rodriguez playbook.
In other words, unless the ghost of Rod Serling decided to turn mixed martial arts into “The Twilight Zone,” we’d be getting a heavyweight superfight the likes of which we hadn’t seen in years.
Two months later, it turns out that former spandex superstar Brock Lesnar is South Dakota’s answer to Ivan Drago, and instead of being Rodriguez’s understudy, Frank Mir has pulled off a Mickey Rourke-level career resurrection. Meanwhile, Couture and Nogueira are left to pick up the pieces following altogether unexpected failures.
So while MMA’s being a cruel mistress to the old guard, she’s looking like lady luck to Lesnar and Mir, who will enter the New Year on a collision course as the UFC’s premier heavyweights. However, that’s not the only bit of theater that makes this unification match so interesting.
Mir, of course, handed Lesnar his sole professional loss. Their controversial UFC 81 bout began with Lesnar’s primal rage on full display and ended with his whimper as Mir coaxed a tapout from the grappling novice. The controversy came a minute into the fight when referee Steve Mazzagatti deducted a point from Lesnar for some questionable but hardly egregious blows to Mir’s melon.
The subsequent restart gave Mir the precious moments he needed to recalibrate his senses and eventually negotiate a fight-ending kneebar; it was hardly the kind of cut-and-dry conclusion the masses demand from a meeting of wits and fists.
Thankfully, the tune will be played one more time, though the circumstances will be nothing like the first go around. While Lesnar has progressed at an almost disturbing rate, Mir has rediscovered the magic from his early days in the UFC and finds himself on the verge of a second undisputed title run that seems even more unlikely than his first.
Only months of wondering who will take the rematch between two slightly miscast but nonetheless deserving champions remain. While the compulsion among many will be to hand Lesnar the title based on his rapid development and excess of physical talents, the fact remains that the Minnesota Martial Arts Academy juggernaut’s strongman physique does not a grappler make.
It goes without saying that Lesnar’s success thus far has been owed almost entirely to his ability to overwhelm opponents with strikes and keep the grappling to an absolute minimum. There’s nothing stopping Lesnar from thwarting Mir’s takedowns, but he’s facing an opponent who broke both the iron will and chin of the formerly indestructible Nogueira.
Granted, it would be shocking if Mir were to take out Lesnar on the feet, but he at least has the ability to keep his grip on consciousness long enough to either pull guard or draw Lesnar into a foolish takedown. From there, it would come down to a battle between Lesnar’s rabid ground-and-pound and Mir’s dogged pursuit of submissions.
Given Lesnar’s approach to Couture at UFC 91, however, one has to wonder if the days of his blindly barreling into opponents at mach five speed are gone and we’re instead witnessing the rise of a new fighter who better understands both his gifts and boundaries. By the same token, Mir seems to have found his own footing as a martial artist, all while keeping his conditioning up to snuff.
What should really be on the prognosticators’ minds is just how much they’re willing to buy into the notion that Lesnar has corralled his ego and come to grips with his own limitations as a rookie among veterans. Likewise, no one knows if Mir has the fortitude to survive another Lesnar onslaught while counting on him to make the same kind of grade-school grappling mistake he made the first time the two met.
With a resolution still months away, some might think the tide has turned in Lesnar’s favor, as he needs time to prepare for an opponent who would love nothing more than to show off his limb-snapping prowess one more time.
Regardless of how much time Lesnar has on his hands, two questions surround this bout.
First, are a few extra months working jiu-jitsu drills really enough to make up for a training deficit Lesnar measures in years? Second, can Mir ever find his way back to the top after a catastrophic injury and years’ worth of self-destruction?
The past has taught us no is the answer on both fronts. I’m guessing Lesnar and Mir would beg to differ.
Way back when the UFC played “Daddy” Warbucks and bailed out Pride Fighting Championships owners from a red ink typhoon not unlike that which looms over the Big Three automakers, the idea of a superfight between heavyweight icons Randy Couture and Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira seemed inevitable.
Just two months ago, that idea inched closer to reality when an unofficial heavyweight title unification tournament opened with the incumbent champion, Couture, matched against a reformed professional wrestler. Meanwhile, the interim champion, Nogueira, drew a former titleholder who seemed to be borrowing from the Ricco Rodriguez playbook.
In other words, unless the ghost of Rod Serling decided to turn mixed martial arts into “The Twilight Zone,” we’d be getting a heavyweight superfight the likes of which we hadn’t seen in years.
Two months later, it turns out that former spandex superstar Brock Lesnar is South Dakota’s answer to Ivan Drago, and instead of being Rodriguez’s understudy, Frank Mir has pulled off a Mickey Rourke-level career resurrection. Meanwhile, Couture and Nogueira are left to pick up the pieces following altogether unexpected failures.
So while MMA’s being a cruel mistress to the old guard, she’s looking like lady luck to Lesnar and Mir, who will enter the New Year on a collision course as the UFC’s premier heavyweights. However, that’s not the only bit of theater that makes this unification match so interesting.
Mir, of course, handed Lesnar his sole professional loss. Their controversial UFC 81 bout began with Lesnar’s primal rage on full display and ended with his whimper as Mir coaxed a tapout from the grappling novice. The controversy came a minute into the fight when referee Steve Mazzagatti deducted a point from Lesnar for some questionable but hardly egregious blows to Mir’s melon.
The subsequent restart gave Mir the precious moments he needed to recalibrate his senses and eventually negotiate a fight-ending kneebar; it was hardly the kind of cut-and-dry conclusion the masses demand from a meeting of wits and fists.
Thankfully, the tune will be played one more time, though the circumstances will be nothing like the first go around. While Lesnar has progressed at an almost disturbing rate, Mir has rediscovered the magic from his early days in the UFC and finds himself on the verge of a second undisputed title run that seems even more unlikely than his first.
Only months of wondering who will take the rematch between two slightly miscast but nonetheless deserving champions remain. While the compulsion among many will be to hand Lesnar the title based on his rapid development and excess of physical talents, the fact remains that the Minnesota Martial Arts Academy juggernaut’s strongman physique does not a grappler make.
It goes without saying that Lesnar’s success thus far has been owed almost entirely to his ability to overwhelm opponents with strikes and keep the grappling to an absolute minimum. There’s nothing stopping Lesnar from thwarting Mir’s takedowns, but he’s facing an opponent who broke both the iron will and chin of the formerly indestructible Nogueira.
Granted, it would be shocking if Mir were to take out Lesnar on the feet, but he at least has the ability to keep his grip on consciousness long enough to either pull guard or draw Lesnar into a foolish takedown. From there, it would come down to a battle between Lesnar’s rabid ground-and-pound and Mir’s dogged pursuit of submissions.
Given Lesnar’s approach to Couture at UFC 91, however, one has to wonder if the days of his blindly barreling into opponents at mach five speed are gone and we’re instead witnessing the rise of a new fighter who better understands both his gifts and boundaries. By the same token, Mir seems to have found his own footing as a martial artist, all while keeping his conditioning up to snuff.
What should really be on the prognosticators’ minds is just how much they’re willing to buy into the notion that Lesnar has corralled his ego and come to grips with his own limitations as a rookie among veterans. Likewise, no one knows if Mir has the fortitude to survive another Lesnar onslaught while counting on him to make the same kind of grade-school grappling mistake he made the first time the two met.
With a resolution still months away, some might think the tide has turned in Lesnar’s favor, as he needs time to prepare for an opponent who would love nothing more than to show off his limb-snapping prowess one more time.
Regardless of how much time Lesnar has on his hands, two questions surround this bout.
First, are a few extra months working jiu-jitsu drills really enough to make up for a training deficit Lesnar measures in years? Second, can Mir ever find his way back to the top after a catastrophic injury and years’ worth of self-destruction?
The past has taught us no is the answer on both fronts. I’m guessing Lesnar and Mir would beg to differ.
Minowaman vs Errol Zimmerman was added to "Dynamite!!"
On December 28, FEG announced an additional fight, Minowaman vs Errol Zimmerman, and the order of fights in “Dynamite” at Saitama Super Arena” on NYE.
FieLDS Dynamite!! 2008
Wednesday, December 31, 2008 15:00~
Saitama Super Arena in Saitama, Japan
1. Minowaman vs Errol Zimmerman (Dream) ~Opening Fight~
2. Ryuya Kusakabe vs Koya Urabe (K-1 Koshien/Semi Final)
3. Hiroya vs Shota Shimada (K-1 Koshien/Semi Final)
4. Yoshihiro Sato vs Artur Kyshenko (K-1)
5. Hideo Tokoro vs Daisuke Nakamura (Dream)
6. Yukio Sakaguchi vs Andy Ologun (Dream)
7. Winners of K-1 Koshien semi final
8. Bob Sap vs Kinnikumantaro (Dream)
9. Semmy Schilt vs Mighty Mo (Dream)
10. Hayato 'Mach' Sakurai vs Katsuyori Shibata (Dream)
11. Kozo Takeda vs Tatsuya Kawajiri (K-1)
12. Badr Hari vs Alistair Overeem (K-1)
13. Mirko Crocop vs Hong Man Choi (Dream)
14. Musashi vs Gegard Mousasi (K-1)
15. Jerome Le Banner vs Mark Hunt (Dream)
16. Shinya Aoki vs eddie Alvarez (Dream)
17. Joachim Hansen vs J.Z.Calvan (Dream)
18. Kazushi Sakuraba vs Kiyoshi Tamura (Dream)
On December 28, FEG announced an additional fight, Minowaman vs Errol Zimmerman, and the order of fights in “Dynamite” at Saitama Super Arena” on NYE.
FieLDS Dynamite!! 2008
Wednesday, December 31, 2008 15:00~
Saitama Super Arena in Saitama, Japan
1. Minowaman vs Errol Zimmerman (Dream) ~Opening Fight~
2. Ryuya Kusakabe vs Koya Urabe (K-1 Koshien/Semi Final)
3. Hiroya vs Shota Shimada (K-1 Koshien/Semi Final)
4. Yoshihiro Sato vs Artur Kyshenko (K-1)
5. Hideo Tokoro vs Daisuke Nakamura (Dream)
6. Yukio Sakaguchi vs Andy Ologun (Dream)
7. Winners of K-1 Koshien semi final
8. Bob Sap vs Kinnikumantaro (Dream)
9. Semmy Schilt vs Mighty Mo (Dream)
10. Hayato 'Mach' Sakurai vs Katsuyori Shibata (Dream)
11. Kozo Takeda vs Tatsuya Kawajiri (K-1)
12. Badr Hari vs Alistair Overeem (K-1)
13. Mirko Crocop vs Hong Man Choi (Dream)
14. Musashi vs Gegard Mousasi (K-1)
15. Jerome Le Banner vs Mark Hunt (Dream)
16. Shinya Aoki vs eddie Alvarez (Dream)
17. Joachim Hansen vs J.Z.Calvan (Dream)
18. Kazushi Sakuraba vs Kiyoshi Tamura (Dream)
The UFC is serious about getting Satoshi Ishii
Sportsnavi reported that Zuffa got the right to bargain exclusively with Satoshi Ishii on December 29. From now on, Ishii is not allowed to negotiate with other MMA events.
Satoshi Ishii trained at Xtreme Couture in Las Vegas on December 28. He sparred with Randy Couture and showed off his enthusiasm for MMA. After sparring, Randy advised the UFC to get him. Zuffa visited Ishii in MGM Grand Hotel, Las Vegas right after the UFC 92, and the negotiations was concluded after 3 hours.
On December 26, Dana White recommended him to participate in TUF to be popular, and Ishii accepted immediately. His debut in TUF will be the fall season in 2009.
Sportsnavi reported that Zuffa got the right to bargain exclusively with Satoshi Ishii on December 29. From now on, Ishii is not allowed to negotiate with other MMA events.
Satoshi Ishii trained at Xtreme Couture in Las Vegas on December 28. He sparred with Randy Couture and showed off his enthusiasm for MMA. After sparring, Randy advised the UFC to get him. Zuffa visited Ishii in MGM Grand Hotel, Las Vegas right after the UFC 92, and the negotiations was concluded after 3 hours.
On December 26, Dana White recommended him to participate in TUF to be popular, and Ishii accepted immediately. His debut in TUF will be the fall season in 2009.
Evans Earns $130,000 at UFC 92
Rashad Evans will ring in the new year with gold and green.
The UFC’s new light heavyweight champion earned $130,000 for his third-round TKO of Forrest Griffin during the promotion’s year-end bonanza at UFC 92 “The Ultimate 2008” in Las Vegas.
Griffin, who waged an effective strategy of leg kicks and punches until he was taken down, took home $100,000. “The Ultimate Fighter” winners both pocketed an extra $60,000 in bonus pay for “fight of the night.”
Revenge was both sweet and lucrative for the recently troubled Quinton "Rampage" Jackson, who knocked out former Pride Fighting Championships rival Wanderlei Silva shortly into the first round of their third affair. Jackson’s stiff left hook came with a $325,000 price tag, not including the extra $60,000 that Zuffa brass handed out for “knockout of the night.”
Silva had little time to try and re-create his vicious knockouts of Jackson from 2003 and 2004 in Japan. The Brazilian earned $200,000 for his fourth stumble in five fights.
Frank Mir managed to pull off one of the bigger –- if not the biggest –- upsets of the year with his second-round TKO of the resilient Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira -- the Brazilian’s first stoppage ever. Mir’s performance, which has led him to his second UFC title since he began with the promotion in 2001, banked $90,000 and the opportunity to face UFC heavyweight champion Brock Lesnar in 2009.
UFC 92 Payouts
Rashad Evans -- $130,00 (including $65,000 bonus) def. Forrest Griffin -- $100,000
Frank Mir -- $90,000 (including $45,000 bonus) def. Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira –- $250,000
Quinton Jackson -- $325,000 (including $100,000 bonus) def. Wanderlei Silva –- $200,000
CB Dollaway -- $20,000 (including $10,000 bonus) def. Mike Massenzio -- $5,000
Cheick Kongo -- $90,000 (including $45,000 bonus) def. Mustapha al Turk -- $7,000
Yushin Okami -- $32,000 (including $16,000 bonus) def. Dean Lister -- $19,000
Antoni Hardonk -- $28,000 (including $14,000 bonus) def. Mike Wessel -- $4,000
Matt Hamill -- $20,000 (including $10,000 bonus) def. Reese Andy -- $15,000
Brad Blackburn -- $14,000 (including $7,000 bonus) def. Ryo Chonan -- $18,000
Patrick Barry -- $10,000 (including $5,000 bonus) def. Dan Evensen -- $4,000
Rashad Evans will ring in the new year with gold and green.
The UFC’s new light heavyweight champion earned $130,000 for his third-round TKO of Forrest Griffin during the promotion’s year-end bonanza at UFC 92 “The Ultimate 2008” in Las Vegas.
Griffin, who waged an effective strategy of leg kicks and punches until he was taken down, took home $100,000. “The Ultimate Fighter” winners both pocketed an extra $60,000 in bonus pay for “fight of the night.”
Revenge was both sweet and lucrative for the recently troubled Quinton "Rampage" Jackson, who knocked out former Pride Fighting Championships rival Wanderlei Silva shortly into the first round of their third affair. Jackson’s stiff left hook came with a $325,000 price tag, not including the extra $60,000 that Zuffa brass handed out for “knockout of the night.”
Silva had little time to try and re-create his vicious knockouts of Jackson from 2003 and 2004 in Japan. The Brazilian earned $200,000 for his fourth stumble in five fights.
Frank Mir managed to pull off one of the bigger –- if not the biggest –- upsets of the year with his second-round TKO of the resilient Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira -- the Brazilian’s first stoppage ever. Mir’s performance, which has led him to his second UFC title since he began with the promotion in 2001, banked $90,000 and the opportunity to face UFC heavyweight champion Brock Lesnar in 2009.
UFC 92 Payouts
Rashad Evans -- $130,00 (including $65,000 bonus) def. Forrest Griffin -- $100,000
Frank Mir -- $90,000 (including $45,000 bonus) def. Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira –- $250,000
Quinton Jackson -- $325,000 (including $100,000 bonus) def. Wanderlei Silva –- $200,000
CB Dollaway -- $20,000 (including $10,000 bonus) def. Mike Massenzio -- $5,000
Cheick Kongo -- $90,000 (including $45,000 bonus) def. Mustapha al Turk -- $7,000
Yushin Okami -- $32,000 (including $16,000 bonus) def. Dean Lister -- $19,000
Antoni Hardonk -- $28,000 (including $14,000 bonus) def. Mike Wessel -- $4,000
Matt Hamill -- $20,000 (including $10,000 bonus) def. Reese Andy -- $15,000
Brad Blackburn -- $14,000 (including $7,000 bonus) def. Ryo Chonan -- $18,000
Patrick Barry -- $10,000 (including $5,000 bonus) def. Dan Evensen -- $4,000
Mirko Cro Cop: Game plan for Choi is to not exchange
“It’s just another fight. I have to follow my game plan. I can’t exchange with a man that has such a big reach and weight advantage over me. I’ll be cautious. It’s a dangerous fight. Any one that size is dangerous.”
“It’s just another fight. I have to follow my game plan. I can’t exchange with a man that has such a big reach and weight advantage over me. I’ll be cautious. It’s a dangerous fight. Any one that size is dangerous.”
Antonio Rodrigo ‘Minatauro’ Nogueira apologizes to fans for UFC 92 loss to Frank Mir
“I apologize to all my fans for my fight on Saturday, and I’m very disappointed with what happened, but I promise that I’ll be back stronger and better in 2009. I’ve come back before, and I’m going to get the title back…. I’ve got a lot of respect for Frank Mir, he fought a great fight and was the better man that night. I was ready to fight, but he got to me before I was able to get to him.”
Former UFC interim heavyweight champion Antonio Rodrigo ‘Minatauro’ Nogueira issues his first formal statement after losing his title to Frank Mir at UFC 92: “The Ultimate 2008.” Nogueira was battered by Mir for the entire first round, which is common for the Brazilian — his durability is legendary. Uncommon, however, was the fact that he was finished via technical knockout in the second round. A feat that Fedor Emelianenko, Josh Barnett, Mirko Cro Cop and even “The Beast” Bob Sapp have been unable to accomplish. Perhaps most surprising is that Mir — a Brazilian jiu-jitsu blackbelt — schooled Nogueira in the stand up — an aspect that Nogueria appeared to have the advantage heading into the fight. Not the case. This marked the third fight for Nogueira inside the Octagon. In his first two matches he was dropped by Heath Herring and Tim Sylvia, respectively. He went on to win those fights in his usual fashion, but could not endure the onslaught from Mir. Has it all finally caught up to Nogueira or is this latest loss just an anomaly?
“I apologize to all my fans for my fight on Saturday, and I’m very disappointed with what happened, but I promise that I’ll be back stronger and better in 2009. I’ve come back before, and I’m going to get the title back…. I’ve got a lot of respect for Frank Mir, he fought a great fight and was the better man that night. I was ready to fight, but he got to me before I was able to get to him.”
Former UFC interim heavyweight champion Antonio Rodrigo ‘Minatauro’ Nogueira issues his first formal statement after losing his title to Frank Mir at UFC 92: “The Ultimate 2008.” Nogueira was battered by Mir for the entire first round, which is common for the Brazilian — his durability is legendary. Uncommon, however, was the fact that he was finished via technical knockout in the second round. A feat that Fedor Emelianenko, Josh Barnett, Mirko Cro Cop and even “The Beast” Bob Sapp have been unable to accomplish. Perhaps most surprising is that Mir — a Brazilian jiu-jitsu blackbelt — schooled Nogueira in the stand up — an aspect that Nogueria appeared to have the advantage heading into the fight. Not the case. This marked the third fight for Nogueira inside the Octagon. In his first two matches he was dropped by Heath Herring and Tim Sylvia, respectively. He went on to win those fights in his usual fashion, but could not endure the onslaught from Mir. Has it all finally caught up to Nogueira or is this latest loss just an anomaly?
Dana White leaves door open for UFC return by Andrei Arlovski
The UFC has dominated the MMA world for the past decade. During that time period, only one person has gone to another organization that they really wanted to keep.
“In nine years, there’s only one fighter that I’ve lost that I didn’t want to lose,” said UFC President Dana White. “That was (Andrei) Arlovski, and it still bothers me.”
White tried very hard to keep Arlovski in the UFC.
“I jumped on a plane and flew to Chicago with Lorenzo (Fertitta) and kissed his butt to try to make him not leave,” said White.
Money was not the main issue with the former heavyweight champion. Arlovski wanted to expand into other entertainment areas.
“He wanted to box on HBO. He had a lot of different things that he wanted to do that I couldn’t let him do.”
After becoming a free agent, Arlovski signed with Affliction Entertainment. He defeated both Ben Rothwell and Roy Nelson since signing on. Now, Arlovski is set to face one of the top heavyweights in the world in Fedor Emelianenko in the coming weeks.
“That will be a very interesting fight,” said White.
While White admits to having tried to sign Emelianenko to a very large monetary deal in the past, White does not want to proclaim Arlovski’s opponent the top heavyweight in the world.
“I’ll never say that Fedor is the best until he jumps in there and fights the best on a consistent basis.”
The UFC has dominated the MMA world for the past decade. During that time period, only one person has gone to another organization that they really wanted to keep.
“In nine years, there’s only one fighter that I’ve lost that I didn’t want to lose,” said UFC President Dana White. “That was (Andrei) Arlovski, and it still bothers me.”
White tried very hard to keep Arlovski in the UFC.
“I jumped on a plane and flew to Chicago with Lorenzo (Fertitta) and kissed his butt to try to make him not leave,” said White.
Money was not the main issue with the former heavyweight champion. Arlovski wanted to expand into other entertainment areas.
“He wanted to box on HBO. He had a lot of different things that he wanted to do that I couldn’t let him do.”
After becoming a free agent, Arlovski signed with Affliction Entertainment. He defeated both Ben Rothwell and Roy Nelson since signing on. Now, Arlovski is set to face one of the top heavyweights in the world in Fedor Emelianenko in the coming weeks.
“That will be a very interesting fight,” said White.
While White admits to having tried to sign Emelianenko to a very large monetary deal in the past, White does not want to proclaim Arlovski’s opponent the top heavyweight in the world.
“I’ll never say that Fedor is the best until he jumps in there and fights the best on a consistent basis.”
Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira open to possible matchup with Randy Couture
Former UFC interim champion Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira confirmed that he would like to take on former UFC heavyweight champion Randy Couture.
“I would accept the fight with Randy Couture,” Nogueira said. “It would be a nice match.”
With both men recently losing their shares of the heavyweight championship, the fight would appear to be a natural fit for both fighters. Nogueira believes that the fight would be a big draw.
“He lost his last fight, but he is still a legend,” Nogueira said. “It would be a great promotion.”
Former UFC interim champion Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira confirmed that he would like to take on former UFC heavyweight champion Randy Couture.
“I would accept the fight with Randy Couture,” Nogueira said. “It would be a nice match.”
With both men recently losing their shares of the heavyweight championship, the fight would appear to be a natural fit for both fighters. Nogueira believes that the fight would be a big draw.
“He lost his last fight, but he is still a legend,” Nogueira said. “It would be a great promotion.”
Shogun and the training with Dos Santos
The last weeks were full of surprises. After Wanderlei Silva inviting Rodrigo Minotauro to train in his gym in Las Vegas at TATAME’s magazine, the ex-rivals finally trained together for his fights at UFC 92, and another ex-Chute Boxe fighter trained with a Nogueira pupil at his training center in Rio de Janeiro.
“Cigano (Junior dos Santos) is also sponsored by Bad Boy, so I went to Minotauro’s training center to train with him. Cigano is a great person, just like (Rafael) “Feijão” (Cavalcante), (Rogério) “Minotouro” (Nogueira)”, tells Maurício “Shogun” Rua, who congratulated Rodrigo for the great structure of his center. “It’s a great training center, well organized, I liked it very much”, praises the Universidade da Luta leader, who don’t discard a partnership with Wanderlei and Minotauro in the future.
“I think it’s the evolution of MMA. I never had problems with Brazilian Top Team fighters, I always had a good relationship with Rodrigo and Rogério even being at Chute Boxe, and if they come to Curitiba one day they’ll be at home. I’ll do my best to give them the same treatment they gave me at Rio”, said Shogun.
The last weeks were full of surprises. After Wanderlei Silva inviting Rodrigo Minotauro to train in his gym in Las Vegas at TATAME’s magazine, the ex-rivals finally trained together for his fights at UFC 92, and another ex-Chute Boxe fighter trained with a Nogueira pupil at his training center in Rio de Janeiro.
“Cigano (Junior dos Santos) is also sponsored by Bad Boy, so I went to Minotauro’s training center to train with him. Cigano is a great person, just like (Rafael) “Feijão” (Cavalcante), (Rogério) “Minotouro” (Nogueira)”, tells Maurício “Shogun” Rua, who congratulated Rodrigo for the great structure of his center. “It’s a great training center, well organized, I liked it very much”, praises the Universidade da Luta leader, who don’t discard a partnership with Wanderlei and Minotauro in the future.
“I think it’s the evolution of MMA. I never had problems with Brazilian Top Team fighters, I always had a good relationship with Rodrigo and Rogério even being at Chute Boxe, and if they come to Curitiba one day they’ll be at home. I’ll do my best to give them the same treatment they gave me at Rio”, said Shogun.