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M-1 Challenge Delivers in Russia
ST. PETERSBURG, Russia -- Living up to a magical setting on a warm, clear summer's night in St. Petersburg, M-1 Challenge did not disappoint Friday. The couple of hundred invited guests present on the Flying Dutchman, comprising a who's who of St. Petersburg society, were treated to 12 fights that had a fair amount of intrigue and drama.
The preliminary fight was a back-and-forth affair between Andrey Lisistin and Artur Korchemnii. Lisistin got the better of the ground fighting most of the time. In the second round, Korchemnii put forth a good attempt at a guillotine while Lisistin was in his guard, but he couldn't hold it. Lisistin went on to win a unanimous decision.
With the St. Petersburg summer White Nights on full spectacular display, the first fight of the team competition began between Rostov-on-Don native Yuri Ivlev (Pictures) and Spaniard Carles Valeri Mazano. In person Ivlev comes across as quiet and shy. During the 2:29 it took Ivlev to school Mazano in both stand-up and ground fighting, it became clear he best communicates with his fists.
Ivlev threw a wide array of fancy mid and high kicks, bobbed and weaved like Muhammad Ali in his heyday and generally did everything he could to confuse the Spaniard. Eventually he hip tossed Mazano from the clinch and rolled into a textbook armbar that had the Spaniard tapping straight away.
Next was Islam Karimov (Pictures) squaring off against Juan Manuel Suarez. Suarez is a highly decorated Brazilian jiu-jitsu player, and it showed. For two rounds he did everything but finish Karimov, who with his grappling background is no slouch on the ground. Anytime the fight would end up on the feet, Suarez would clinch and pull guard, and the submission attempts would begin again. He almost stuck a number of kimuras, triangles and rear-naked chokes en route to a unanimous decision over Karimov in a bout that was a pleasure to watch.
Ansar Chalangov (Pictures) made very short work of his inexperienced Spanish opponent, Eulogio Fernandez. After a feeling-out process, Chalangov clinched with Fernandez, powered him onto the floor, then stood and grabbed a leg for a vicious-looking toehold that made the Spaniard cry out and tap after 1:18.
Rafael Rodriguez and Besike Gerinava (Pictures) put on a good back-and-forth fight that saw Gerinava slowly take the initiative by slamming Rodriguez and attempting to bully him on the ground. Rodriguez tried for a guillotine that looked deep at times with Gerinava in his guard, but to no avail. Scrambling to escape ground-and-pound from Gerinava, Rodriguez gave up his back and allowed Gerinava to sink the hooks for a rear-naked choke that forced the tap at 4:10 of the first round.
The last of the Legion Fight versus the Spanish matches was between heavyweights Ahmed Sultanov and Rogent Lloret (Pictures). It was a classic striker-versus-grappler match that Sultanov apparently fought with a temperature of 100, and it showed. Though he showed plenty of heart, he was unable to do anything with the constant takedowns and ground domination of the Spanish BJJ champion. To his credit, Sultanov managed to last the entirety of the match on his back and often fully mounted, thought Lloret won a unanimous decision.
Red Devil's Mikhail Malutin (Pictures) faced Finn Niko Puhakka (Pictures) in perhaps the fight of the night. If you read my blog from the last few days, you may remember that Puhakka was the colorfully tattooed individual who had a very solid reputation and looked it every inch.
He started the match in the same vein, sprawling on a Malutin takedown attempt and twisting to get the Russian's back first with hooks and then with a body triangle. Puhakka spent almost the entire round trying to sink in a rear-naked choke, coming close at times, but not being able to finish it.
In the second it was almost the mirror opposite. Malutin reversed a takedown and ended up in mount, then took Puhakka's back when the Finn turned to escape punishment. With Aleksander Emelianenko (Pictures) screaming instructions from the first row of spectators, Malutin battered Puhakka and eventually wore the Finn down enough to sink a rear-naked choke at 3:16 of the second round, giving Malutin his best career win.
Eric Oganov faced off with Janne Tulirinta (Pictures) from Finland. Following a first round spent going back and forth mostly on the ground, Oganov landed a punishing liver punch and followed it up with a couple of shots to the head early in the second, prompting the referee to halt the bout after 56 seconds. Bas Rutten (Pictures) would have been very proud.
Dmitri Samoilov took a decision over Niklas Winberg in what was a frustrating match with plenty of potential that wasn't realized. Neither fighter really took the initiative, though Samoilov won more of the exchanges on the feet and the ground and did enough to take the majority win.
As expected, the match between highly accomplished BJJ practitioners Mikhail Zayats (Pictures) and Lucio Linhares (Pictures) was a grappling showcase. Linhares is widely considered the best BJJ fighter in Finland, and he showed tonight that the reputation is well deserved.
Though he often gave up position to do so, Linhares put Zayats in several very compromising situations that threatened most of his limbs and neck. But he also had Zayats' back a number of times and only failed to capitalize because of the quality of the Russian's defense. In the end the decision went to Mikhail Zayats (Pictures), though this is a fight that could have deserved a third round.
The final fight of the team competition was between 20-year-old Kirill Sidelnikov, widely touted as Fedor Emelianenko (Pictures)'s protégé, and the 37-year-old Jarno Nurminen (Pictures), who, though much older, has a similar record to Sidelnikov.
Nurminen showed that taking charge and pushing your agenda can work wonders, even when the odds seem to be stacked against you. He looked to avoid standing with the Russian right from the beginning, instead preferring to shoot singles and doubles, which worked the majority of the time. On the ground Nurminen's weight proved difficult to handle for Sidelnikov, who often found himself mounted. Despite great defense from the bottom, Sidelnikov lost the decision.
The last bout of the night was the ill-fated superfight that took place between two fighters who had not been originally scheduled to compete. Aleksey Olennik made short work of his much less experienced opponent, Russian Alexander Timonov. In doing so he demonstrated an unusual choke from inside Timonov's full guard, choking him with a forearm but with a formation of his hands that resembled a rear-naked choke.
The atypical submission marked a fitting end to a good night of fights that everyone in attendance seemed to enjoy thoroughly.
ST. PETERSBURG, Russia -- Living up to a magical setting on a warm, clear summer's night in St. Petersburg, M-1 Challenge did not disappoint Friday. The couple of hundred invited guests present on the Flying Dutchman, comprising a who's who of St. Petersburg society, were treated to 12 fights that had a fair amount of intrigue and drama.
The preliminary fight was a back-and-forth affair between Andrey Lisistin and Artur Korchemnii. Lisistin got the better of the ground fighting most of the time. In the second round, Korchemnii put forth a good attempt at a guillotine while Lisistin was in his guard, but he couldn't hold it. Lisistin went on to win a unanimous decision.
With the St. Petersburg summer White Nights on full spectacular display, the first fight of the team competition began between Rostov-on-Don native Yuri Ivlev (Pictures) and Spaniard Carles Valeri Mazano. In person Ivlev comes across as quiet and shy. During the 2:29 it took Ivlev to school Mazano in both stand-up and ground fighting, it became clear he best communicates with his fists.
Ivlev threw a wide array of fancy mid and high kicks, bobbed and weaved like Muhammad Ali in his heyday and generally did everything he could to confuse the Spaniard. Eventually he hip tossed Mazano from the clinch and rolled into a textbook armbar that had the Spaniard tapping straight away.
Next was Islam Karimov (Pictures) squaring off against Juan Manuel Suarez. Suarez is a highly decorated Brazilian jiu-jitsu player, and it showed. For two rounds he did everything but finish Karimov, who with his grappling background is no slouch on the ground. Anytime the fight would end up on the feet, Suarez would clinch and pull guard, and the submission attempts would begin again. He almost stuck a number of kimuras, triangles and rear-naked chokes en route to a unanimous decision over Karimov in a bout that was a pleasure to watch.
Ansar Chalangov (Pictures) made very short work of his inexperienced Spanish opponent, Eulogio Fernandez. After a feeling-out process, Chalangov clinched with Fernandez, powered him onto the floor, then stood and grabbed a leg for a vicious-looking toehold that made the Spaniard cry out and tap after 1:18.
Rafael Rodriguez and Besike Gerinava (Pictures) put on a good back-and-forth fight that saw Gerinava slowly take the initiative by slamming Rodriguez and attempting to bully him on the ground. Rodriguez tried for a guillotine that looked deep at times with Gerinava in his guard, but to no avail. Scrambling to escape ground-and-pound from Gerinava, Rodriguez gave up his back and allowed Gerinava to sink the hooks for a rear-naked choke that forced the tap at 4:10 of the first round.
The last of the Legion Fight versus the Spanish matches was between heavyweights Ahmed Sultanov and Rogent Lloret (Pictures). It was a classic striker-versus-grappler match that Sultanov apparently fought with a temperature of 100, and it showed. Though he showed plenty of heart, he was unable to do anything with the constant takedowns and ground domination of the Spanish BJJ champion. To his credit, Sultanov managed to last the entirety of the match on his back and often fully mounted, thought Lloret won a unanimous decision.
Red Devil's Mikhail Malutin (Pictures) faced Finn Niko Puhakka (Pictures) in perhaps the fight of the night. If you read my blog from the last few days, you may remember that Puhakka was the colorfully tattooed individual who had a very solid reputation and looked it every inch.
He started the match in the same vein, sprawling on a Malutin takedown attempt and twisting to get the Russian's back first with hooks and then with a body triangle. Puhakka spent almost the entire round trying to sink in a rear-naked choke, coming close at times, but not being able to finish it.
In the second it was almost the mirror opposite. Malutin reversed a takedown and ended up in mount, then took Puhakka's back when the Finn turned to escape punishment. With Aleksander Emelianenko (Pictures) screaming instructions from the first row of spectators, Malutin battered Puhakka and eventually wore the Finn down enough to sink a rear-naked choke at 3:16 of the second round, giving Malutin his best career win.
Eric Oganov faced off with Janne Tulirinta (Pictures) from Finland. Following a first round spent going back and forth mostly on the ground, Oganov landed a punishing liver punch and followed it up with a couple of shots to the head early in the second, prompting the referee to halt the bout after 56 seconds. Bas Rutten (Pictures) would have been very proud.
Dmitri Samoilov took a decision over Niklas Winberg in what was a frustrating match with plenty of potential that wasn't realized. Neither fighter really took the initiative, though Samoilov won more of the exchanges on the feet and the ground and did enough to take the majority win.
As expected, the match between highly accomplished BJJ practitioners Mikhail Zayats (Pictures) and Lucio Linhares (Pictures) was a grappling showcase. Linhares is widely considered the best BJJ fighter in Finland, and he showed tonight that the reputation is well deserved.
Though he often gave up position to do so, Linhares put Zayats in several very compromising situations that threatened most of his limbs and neck. But he also had Zayats' back a number of times and only failed to capitalize because of the quality of the Russian's defense. In the end the decision went to Mikhail Zayats (Pictures), though this is a fight that could have deserved a third round.
The final fight of the team competition was between 20-year-old Kirill Sidelnikov, widely touted as Fedor Emelianenko (Pictures)'s protégé, and the 37-year-old Jarno Nurminen (Pictures), who, though much older, has a similar record to Sidelnikov.
Nurminen showed that taking charge and pushing your agenda can work wonders, even when the odds seem to be stacked against you. He looked to avoid standing with the Russian right from the beginning, instead preferring to shoot singles and doubles, which worked the majority of the time. On the ground Nurminen's weight proved difficult to handle for Sidelnikov, who often found himself mounted. Despite great defense from the bottom, Sidelnikov lost the decision.
The last bout of the night was the ill-fated superfight that took place between two fighters who had not been originally scheduled to compete. Aleksey Olennik made short work of his much less experienced opponent, Russian Alexander Timonov. In doing so he demonstrated an unusual choke from inside Timonov's full guard, choking him with a forearm but with a formation of his hands that resembled a rear-naked choke.
The atypical submission marked a fitting end to a good night of fights that everyone in attendance seemed to enjoy thoroughly.
Jake Shields targets Nick Thompson for EliteXC title fight
EliteXC's first-ever welterweight champion will be determined in July, when the organization returns to the CBS airwaves. Veterans Jake Shields (20-4-1) and Nick Thompson (36-9-1), each riding impressive win streaks, will square off for the belt.
Shields can't wait.
After all, he hand picked his opponent.
Shields discussed the events leading up to the bout on a recent edition of TAGG Radio (www.taggradio.com), the official radio partner of MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com).
"I'm really excited about this fight," Shields said. "I think we're both, me and Nick, right at the top of our group. We're both on a huge win streak. This is the fight I asked for."
The title fight takes place July 26 at the Stockton Arena in Stockton, Calif. Shields expected to fight on the nationally televised event, but he didn't initially expect Thompson to be his opponent.
Shields had long been planning to face UFC veteran Drew Fickett for the belt. Strangely, however, Fickett pulled out of a scheduled June date with Shields due to injury, only to compete in a smaller organization around the same time.
"It's kind of weird," Shields said. "I don't know what happened. I know I was supposed to fight him on the 14th (of June), and on the 7th he fought someone else. I think it was (a) really easy (fight) on the 7th. ... Obviously it was a stupid move. I don't know what he was thinking. That EliteXC would just be like, 'no big deal?' Obviously they weren't happy if they dropped his contract."
At that point, Shields identified Thompson as the fighter he'd like to see take Fickett's place.
"When I found out Fickett pulled out, the first thing, like any other, we're looking around, (and) they asked me if I had any other ideas," Shields said. "Nick Thompson came right to mind. It's funny; I'd just read an article a couple days before Drew pulled out, and [Thompson] called me out in the article, and I'm like, 'Perfect. Nick's on a big winning streak. He's asking to fight me. Let's bring in Nick.'"
Of course Shields didn't target Thompson as an easy victory. "The Goat" has won 12 straight fights, as well as 20 of his past 21, dating back to 2005. Shields said he wants to continue to test himself against the best in the sport.
"I think it's an all-around great fight," Thompson said. "I'm excited for it. I want to fight good guys. That's why I asked for him. I saw him as the toughest guy I could fight, other than a couple of the guys in the UFC – (Georges) St. Pierre and (Jon) Fitch and stuff. That's why I asked for him, so we'll see what happens."
Shields, a winner of nine bouts in a row, will be returning to action for the first time since November 2007. A shoulder injury sidelined the 29-year-old for the first part of the year, but Shields insists the injury will not play a factor in the fight.
"[My shoulder] took longer than I wanted for it to heal," Shields said. "I ended up being hurt for about three months with that thing. (I'm) finally back to 100 percent, and I'm training full-on and I'm ready to fight."
A nine-year veteran, Shields has compiled several notable wins in his career. The WEC's Carlos Condit, UFC contender Yushin Okami and Japanese legend Hayato "Mach" Sakurai have all fallen victim to Shields' self-described "American jiu-jitsu" style.
And while Shields has remained but a small blip on most people's radar of the very deep welterweight division, a win in July could help the Cesar Gracie Jiu-Jitsu fighter further establish himself in the public's eye. For Shields, the competition is worth more than the notoriety.
"I want to fight the best," Shields said. "That's why I'm out there fighting."
Shields also discussed his relationship with fellow Carlson Gracie fighter Nick Diaz and Strikeforce champion Gilbert Melendez, as well as why he'd be willing to take on heavyweight Kevin "Kimbo Slice" Ferguson if offered the fight. To hear the full interview, download Tuesday's edition of TAGG Radio, available for free in the TAGG Radio archives.
EliteXC's first-ever welterweight champion will be determined in July, when the organization returns to the CBS airwaves. Veterans Jake Shields (20-4-1) and Nick Thompson (36-9-1), each riding impressive win streaks, will square off for the belt.
Shields can't wait.
After all, he hand picked his opponent.
Shields discussed the events leading up to the bout on a recent edition of TAGG Radio (www.taggradio.com), the official radio partner of MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com).
"I'm really excited about this fight," Shields said. "I think we're both, me and Nick, right at the top of our group. We're both on a huge win streak. This is the fight I asked for."
The title fight takes place July 26 at the Stockton Arena in Stockton, Calif. Shields expected to fight on the nationally televised event, but he didn't initially expect Thompson to be his opponent.
Shields had long been planning to face UFC veteran Drew Fickett for the belt. Strangely, however, Fickett pulled out of a scheduled June date with Shields due to injury, only to compete in a smaller organization around the same time.
"It's kind of weird," Shields said. "I don't know what happened. I know I was supposed to fight him on the 14th (of June), and on the 7th he fought someone else. I think it was (a) really easy (fight) on the 7th. ... Obviously it was a stupid move. I don't know what he was thinking. That EliteXC would just be like, 'no big deal?' Obviously they weren't happy if they dropped his contract."
At that point, Shields identified Thompson as the fighter he'd like to see take Fickett's place.
"When I found out Fickett pulled out, the first thing, like any other, we're looking around, (and) they asked me if I had any other ideas," Shields said. "Nick Thompson came right to mind. It's funny; I'd just read an article a couple days before Drew pulled out, and [Thompson] called me out in the article, and I'm like, 'Perfect. Nick's on a big winning streak. He's asking to fight me. Let's bring in Nick.'"
Of course Shields didn't target Thompson as an easy victory. "The Goat" has won 12 straight fights, as well as 20 of his past 21, dating back to 2005. Shields said he wants to continue to test himself against the best in the sport.
"I think it's an all-around great fight," Thompson said. "I'm excited for it. I want to fight good guys. That's why I asked for him. I saw him as the toughest guy I could fight, other than a couple of the guys in the UFC – (Georges) St. Pierre and (Jon) Fitch and stuff. That's why I asked for him, so we'll see what happens."
Shields, a winner of nine bouts in a row, will be returning to action for the first time since November 2007. A shoulder injury sidelined the 29-year-old for the first part of the year, but Shields insists the injury will not play a factor in the fight.
"[My shoulder] took longer than I wanted for it to heal," Shields said. "I ended up being hurt for about three months with that thing. (I'm) finally back to 100 percent, and I'm training full-on and I'm ready to fight."
A nine-year veteran, Shields has compiled several notable wins in his career. The WEC's Carlos Condit, UFC contender Yushin Okami and Japanese legend Hayato "Mach" Sakurai have all fallen victim to Shields' self-described "American jiu-jitsu" style.
And while Shields has remained but a small blip on most people's radar of the very deep welterweight division, a win in July could help the Cesar Gracie Jiu-Jitsu fighter further establish himself in the public's eye. For Shields, the competition is worth more than the notoriety.
"I want to fight the best," Shields said. "That's why I'm out there fighting."
Shields also discussed his relationship with fellow Carlson Gracie fighter Nick Diaz and Strikeforce champion Gilbert Melendez, as well as why he'd be willing to take on heavyweight Kevin "Kimbo Slice" Ferguson if offered the fight. To hear the full interview, download Tuesday's edition of TAGG Radio, available for free in the TAGG Radio archives.
‘The Punk’ Reflects on Dominating Win
videolink: http://www.sherdog.com/videos/videos.asp?v_id=1664
Sherdog.com news editor Loretta Hunt spoke with Strikeforce lightweight champion Josh Thomson (Pictures) just minutes after his dominating triumph of Gilbert Melendez (Pictures) Friday in San Jose, Calif.
videolink: http://www.sherdog.com/videos/videos.asp?v_id=1664
Sherdog.com news editor Loretta Hunt spoke with Strikeforce lightweight champion Josh Thomson (Pictures) just minutes after his dominating triumph of Gilbert Melendez (Pictures) Friday in San Jose, Calif.
Tyson Griffin crib tour and nutrition prior to UFC 86 Marcus Aurelio fight (Video)
videolink: http://www.rawvegas.tv/watch.php?vID=dffb4a1012bd33b36425454cac9b98
videolink: http://www.rawvegas.tv/watch.php?vID=dffb4a1012bd33b36425454cac9b98
SCHILT VS. LE BANNER AT K-1 WORLD GP 2008
K-1 World GP 08 in Fukuoka Press Conference
FUKUOKA, June 28, 2008 -- After a five-year hiatus, the world's premier fightsport has returned to the Japanese southern island of Kyushu with the K-1 World Grand Prix 2008 in Fukuoka. Tomorrow's talent-rich fight card aims to make it worth the wait.
The event features the eight-man Japan GP 08 elimination tournament; a Superfight between veteran superstar Peter Aerts and Jan "The Giant" Nortje; and a couple of highly-anticipated title matches -- Badr Hari versus Glaube Feitosa for the K-1 Heavyweight Belt; and Semmy Schilt versus Jerome Le Banner for the Super Heavyweight Belt.
The 14 warriors will do battle on Sunday June 29 at the Marine Messe. Today, they appeared at the Sea Hawk Hotel to share their thoughts with the media.
The first of the title matches features Defending K-1 World GP and Super Heavyweight Champion Semmy Schilt. The 6'11"/211cm - 128kg/282lbs Dutch seidokaikan karate fighter will step in against one of K-1's most respected veterans, Jerome Le Banner of France.
Schilt, arguably the strongest fightsport champion in the world, was his usual relaxed self, and said the same thing he says at every pre-fight press conference: "I'm happy to be here as the K-1 Champion and I'm going to show you a great fight!"
LeBanner, a terrific slugger who has been punching and kicking the pads and doing distance cycling in preparation for this bout, was similarly brief with his comments: "It will be a good fight! Watch out!"
The K-1 Heavyweight title match presents a study in contrasts. Defending Champion Badr Hari of Morocco is an explosive fighter whose long reach, aggressive style and singular bravado have made him a fan favorite. His opponent tomorrow is one of the more technical K-1 fighters, soft-spoken kyokushin stylist Glaube Feitosa of Brazil.
Hari is coming off an impressive win over hard-hitting Ray Sefo in April. Today, he was insouciant if not cocky: "Ladies and gentlemen, the most important thing is that people like me and like my fighting style, I do it all for my fans. I went through a difficult period before this fight, but now I'm ok and my condition is ok. So, tomorrow I just want to get in the ring and knock someone out!"
Said Feitosa: "I want to represent kyokushin and put on a great fight to win the belt."
In the Superfight, it will be a couple of veterans -- Peter Aerts and Jan "The Giant" Nortje.
They used to call Aerts "The Lumberjack," but now he also carries the honorific "Mr. K-1." Incredibly, this 38-year-old Dutch kickboxer has competed in every K-1 WGP Final since the sport's inception in 1993, winning it all three times. Recent victories over Sefo and Remy Bonjasky prove that Aerts still has plenty of fight left in him.
Nortje, meanwhile, is a former South African Super Heavyweight kickboxing champion. At 6'11"/211cm - 148kg/311lbs, "The Giant" is always a threat.
Said Nortje: "I'm fighting a legend tomorrow, and I've been waiting 12 years for this. It's my lucky day and I'll come in with everything I've got!"
Looking dapper in a chocolate-brown suit, Aerts was characteristically playful with the media: "Well, I'm happy for Jan because it's going to be his lucky day! He's heavier than me, so I'll try to hit him hard."
The Japan GP is one of four major regional tournaments in this year's K-1 World Grand Prix Series. This is a classic K-1 eight-man elimination tournament -- four quarterfinal bouts advancing a quartet of winners to the semis, the winners there advancing to the final. Thus, the man who would be champion must win three bouts tomorrow.
In the first of the quarterfinals, it will be a couple of Japanese -- veteran seidokaikan fighter Musashi and 22 year old kickboxer Keijiro Maeda, who is undefeated in four K-1 bouts.
Said Musashi: "It's the Japan Grand Prix and I just want to do my best to win. I won't say anything big now, I'll make my statement in the ring tomorrow."
Said Maeda: "Musashi is strong, but he is not unbeatable. If I can win tomorrow I will mature as a fighter."
The second quarterfinal features two Japanese combatants with karate backgrounds -- Mitsugu Noda and Takumi Sato. Both men promised to do their very best to advance in the tournament.
First up in the second bracket are kyokushin fighter Ewerton Teixeira of Brazil and Tsutomu Takahagi of Japan.
Teixeira said he had "trained hard and will fight hard"; while Takahagi said he was "honored to be meeting a kyokushin fighter."
Despite some promising flashes earlier in his career, Japanese fighter Nakasako has hit hard times, notching only two victories in his last nine bouts. "I will do my best," said Nakasako regarding his quarterfinal dance tomorrow with Bernard Ackah, a Cote d'Ivoire-born Japanese resident and multidisciplinary fighter. Ackah, shut out in his last two bouts against tough opponents, promised, "Tomorrow will be something extraordinary, so watch!"
The man crowned Japan GP Champion tomorrow will advance to the K-1 World GP 2008 Final Elimination in Seoul on September 29.
In the Tournament Reserve Fight it will be Japanese fighters Taisei Ko and Keigo Takamori; while Takashi Tachikawa and Shinkyu Kawano, also of Japan, will meet in undercard bout.
All bouts will be fought under Official K-1 Rules, three rounds of three minutes each. The title matches, Superfight and tournament final will have two possible tiebreaker rounds, the other bouts, one.
K-1 World GP 08 in Fukuoka Press Conference
FUKUOKA, June 28, 2008 -- After a five-year hiatus, the world's premier fightsport has returned to the Japanese southern island of Kyushu with the K-1 World Grand Prix 2008 in Fukuoka. Tomorrow's talent-rich fight card aims to make it worth the wait.
The event features the eight-man Japan GP 08 elimination tournament; a Superfight between veteran superstar Peter Aerts and Jan "The Giant" Nortje; and a couple of highly-anticipated title matches -- Badr Hari versus Glaube Feitosa for the K-1 Heavyweight Belt; and Semmy Schilt versus Jerome Le Banner for the Super Heavyweight Belt.
The 14 warriors will do battle on Sunday June 29 at the Marine Messe. Today, they appeared at the Sea Hawk Hotel to share their thoughts with the media.
The first of the title matches features Defending K-1 World GP and Super Heavyweight Champion Semmy Schilt. The 6'11"/211cm - 128kg/282lbs Dutch seidokaikan karate fighter will step in against one of K-1's most respected veterans, Jerome Le Banner of France.
Schilt, arguably the strongest fightsport champion in the world, was his usual relaxed self, and said the same thing he says at every pre-fight press conference: "I'm happy to be here as the K-1 Champion and I'm going to show you a great fight!"
LeBanner, a terrific slugger who has been punching and kicking the pads and doing distance cycling in preparation for this bout, was similarly brief with his comments: "It will be a good fight! Watch out!"
The K-1 Heavyweight title match presents a study in contrasts. Defending Champion Badr Hari of Morocco is an explosive fighter whose long reach, aggressive style and singular bravado have made him a fan favorite. His opponent tomorrow is one of the more technical K-1 fighters, soft-spoken kyokushin stylist Glaube Feitosa of Brazil.
Hari is coming off an impressive win over hard-hitting Ray Sefo in April. Today, he was insouciant if not cocky: "Ladies and gentlemen, the most important thing is that people like me and like my fighting style, I do it all for my fans. I went through a difficult period before this fight, but now I'm ok and my condition is ok. So, tomorrow I just want to get in the ring and knock someone out!"
Said Feitosa: "I want to represent kyokushin and put on a great fight to win the belt."
In the Superfight, it will be a couple of veterans -- Peter Aerts and Jan "The Giant" Nortje.
They used to call Aerts "The Lumberjack," but now he also carries the honorific "Mr. K-1." Incredibly, this 38-year-old Dutch kickboxer has competed in every K-1 WGP Final since the sport's inception in 1993, winning it all three times. Recent victories over Sefo and Remy Bonjasky prove that Aerts still has plenty of fight left in him.
Nortje, meanwhile, is a former South African Super Heavyweight kickboxing champion. At 6'11"/211cm - 148kg/311lbs, "The Giant" is always a threat.
Said Nortje: "I'm fighting a legend tomorrow, and I've been waiting 12 years for this. It's my lucky day and I'll come in with everything I've got!"
Looking dapper in a chocolate-brown suit, Aerts was characteristically playful with the media: "Well, I'm happy for Jan because it's going to be his lucky day! He's heavier than me, so I'll try to hit him hard."
The Japan GP is one of four major regional tournaments in this year's K-1 World Grand Prix Series. This is a classic K-1 eight-man elimination tournament -- four quarterfinal bouts advancing a quartet of winners to the semis, the winners there advancing to the final. Thus, the man who would be champion must win three bouts tomorrow.
In the first of the quarterfinals, it will be a couple of Japanese -- veteran seidokaikan fighter Musashi and 22 year old kickboxer Keijiro Maeda, who is undefeated in four K-1 bouts.
Said Musashi: "It's the Japan Grand Prix and I just want to do my best to win. I won't say anything big now, I'll make my statement in the ring tomorrow."
Said Maeda: "Musashi is strong, but he is not unbeatable. If I can win tomorrow I will mature as a fighter."
The second quarterfinal features two Japanese combatants with karate backgrounds -- Mitsugu Noda and Takumi Sato. Both men promised to do their very best to advance in the tournament.
First up in the second bracket are kyokushin fighter Ewerton Teixeira of Brazil and Tsutomu Takahagi of Japan.
Teixeira said he had "trained hard and will fight hard"; while Takahagi said he was "honored to be meeting a kyokushin fighter."
Despite some promising flashes earlier in his career, Japanese fighter Nakasako has hit hard times, notching only two victories in his last nine bouts. "I will do my best," said Nakasako regarding his quarterfinal dance tomorrow with Bernard Ackah, a Cote d'Ivoire-born Japanese resident and multidisciplinary fighter. Ackah, shut out in his last two bouts against tough opponents, promised, "Tomorrow will be something extraordinary, so watch!"
The man crowned Japan GP Champion tomorrow will advance to the K-1 World GP 2008 Final Elimination in Seoul on September 29.
In the Tournament Reserve Fight it will be Japanese fighters Taisei Ko and Keigo Takamori; while Takashi Tachikawa and Shinkyu Kawano, also of Japan, will meet in undercard bout.
All bouts will be fought under Official K-1 Rules, three rounds of three minutes each. The title matches, Superfight and tournament final will have two possible tiebreaker rounds, the other bouts, one.
Rogério Minotouro: “I have to find someone to fight”
From less than a month of his debut at Affliction, Rogerio Minotouro has no opponent for his fight. Vernon White, who would face the Brazilian was caught by using diuretic and was banned from the event. "A friend called me from the academy and told me that he had seen that on the internet. It changed the opponent and it changes the whole plan, so I am worried. I am waiting a call to see what is going to happen. I have to find some one to fight", said Minotouro, who is at training for his fight. "It's a nice good event, the card is as best as possible. It is a chance to fight in a big event and have a good competition, as it is at Ultimate. It is important to have this competition in the sport, from event’s production, we just have good consequences with those things", said the black belt.
From less than a month of his debut at Affliction, Rogerio Minotouro has no opponent for his fight. Vernon White, who would face the Brazilian was caught by using diuretic and was banned from the event. "A friend called me from the academy and told me that he had seen that on the internet. It changed the opponent and it changes the whole plan, so I am worried. I am waiting a call to see what is going to happen. I have to find some one to fight", said Minotouro, who is at training for his fight. "It's a nice good event, the card is as best as possible. It is a chance to fight in a big event and have a good competition, as it is at Ultimate. It is important to have this competition in the sport, from event’s production, we just have good consequences with those things", said the black belt.
Jacaré talks about Dream GP
After perpetuate his name at Jiu-Jitsu, Ronaldo Jacaré is starting at MMA events and he is showing that he has come to stay. At Dream last edition, Jacaré defeated Jason Miller and go to the semifinal of the Dream middleweight GP. In an exclusive interview to TATAME, Jaca talk about his last victory, spoke about the performance of Brazilian fighters at his category and also gave his opinion. "I think it was a very good fight, but I still need to improve a lot. I faced a guy who has already defeated many champions and, if you see, he didn’t nothing, he just defend himself", examined the black belt that don’t consider Melvin Manhoef a too much dangerous opponent.
After perpetuate his name at Jiu-Jitsu, Ronaldo Jacaré is starting at MMA events and he is showing that he has come to stay. At Dream last edition, Jacaré defeated Jason Miller and go to the semifinal of the Dream middleweight GP. In an exclusive interview to TATAME, Jaca talk about his last victory, spoke about the performance of Brazilian fighters at his category and also gave his opinion. "I think it was a very good fight, but I still need to improve a lot. I faced a guy who has already defeated many champions and, if you see, he didn’t nothing, he just defend himself", examined the black belt that don’t consider Melvin Manhoef a too much dangerous opponent.
‘BLACK MAMBA' ADDED TO DREAM 5 ROSTER
Add Kultar "Black Mamba" Gill to the growing list of fighters competing at Dream 5 on Monday, July 21 at the Osaka Dome in Osaka, Japan. Gill's trainer, Bill Mahood, confirmed the striker's inclusion on the card. No opponent has been named.
The fight will be Gill's first since the 6-foot British Columbia prison guard dropped a unanimous decision to Tatsuya Kawajiri in the opening round of the Dream Lightweight Grand Prix back in March.
Last-minute bout announcements have become common practice for the Dream promotion. Gill's Revolution Fight Team teammate, Denis Kang, was given less than three weeks notice for each of his two fights inside the Japanese organization. Informed in May that he would be on the Dream 5 card, Kang remains in the dark regarding who he will face next month.
Add Kultar "Black Mamba" Gill to the growing list of fighters competing at Dream 5 on Monday, July 21 at the Osaka Dome in Osaka, Japan. Gill's trainer, Bill Mahood, confirmed the striker's inclusion on the card. No opponent has been named.
The fight will be Gill's first since the 6-foot British Columbia prison guard dropped a unanimous decision to Tatsuya Kawajiri in the opening round of the Dream Lightweight Grand Prix back in March.
Last-minute bout announcements have become common practice for the Dream promotion. Gill's Revolution Fight Team teammate, Denis Kang, was given less than three weeks notice for each of his two fights inside the Japanese organization. Informed in May that he would be on the Dream 5 card, Kang remains in the dark regarding who he will face next month.
Noons, McCully Featured on ‘Inside MMA’
videolink: http://www.sherdog.com/videos/videos.asp?v_id=1662
Bas Rutten (Pictures) and Kenny Rice were joined by EliteXC 160-pound champion Karl James Noons (Pictures), UFC heavyweight Justin McCully (Pictures) and Fightergirl.com's Debi Purcell (Pictures).
videolink: http://www.sherdog.com/videos/videos.asp?v_id=1662
Bas Rutten (Pictures) and Kenny Rice were joined by EliteXC 160-pound champion Karl James Noons (Pictures), UFC heavyweight Justin McCully (Pictures) and Fightergirl.com's Debi Purcell (Pictures).
http://events.edgeboss.net/wmedia-live/events/40920/250_events-wtn_080618.asx <~~ Shooto Brasil 7 live
SERRA TALKS HUGHES: "I'M NOT LOSING TO HIM"
Following a tough loss to Georges St. Pierre at UFC 83 in April, former welterweight champion Matt Serra has recovered from an elbow injury he suffered in the fight and is headed back into training to get ready for an inevitable showdown with rival Matt Hughes.
“I just got the clearance. I can start training again. I just started getting back to it today,” Serra said in a recent interview with MMAWeekly Radio. “I kind of screwed up my elbow in the GSP fight a little bit. He took me down and I cracked him with, I believe with either the first or second elbow I cracked him with, I did something to my ulna nerve. It gives you a numbness up into the hand and I severely bruised a nerve. It seems okay now.”
It was recently announced on his personal website that Hughes would be rehabbing a knee injury he suffered in his last fight with Thiago Alves. While no announcement has been made by the Ultimate Fighting Championship, Serra is hopeful the fight with Hughes will take place later in 2008.
“Hopefully by the end of the year,” commented Serra. “Hopefully by late fall. Like I said, I haven’t been able to do too much of anything since my fight so I’m getting back in shape now. I want two-and-a-half to three months to train for that guy. I’m not losing to him. I don’t give a rat’s ass, no way. Kill me first.”
Much of the attention following Hughes’ loss to Alves was the talk of a possible retirement, but he made it clear that he has at least one fight left in him and that’s against Serra. Hughes was adamant in his post-fight interview with Joe Rogan that everyone around his house is looking forward to that match-up.
“I heard that… ‘my wife wants that fight, my kids want that fight,’ dude, wow, relax over there at the Hughes’ household,” Serra joked. “My wife heard that. She watched the fight. She’s like, ‘What do you expect? That’s somebody who’s married to Matt Hughes.’ Don’t put my name in your mouth.
“You know what’s funny about that though? I mean first of all, why don’t you go put a steak on your eye before you start calling people out dude? Relax. You get your ass kicked and all of a sudden, well Matt Serra better come up with a game plan. Hey dude, go tend to your eye.”
Serra joked that he believed Hughes had the speech already written before his fight ever started.
“I think he had that speech set up for if he won and then he kind of just ran with it,” he said with a laugh.
While no one can deny that hype can help build a fight, there is definitely a genuine dislike between Serra and Hughes and when they finally do step into the Octagon, it’s likely to be the grudge match of the year.
“We don’t like each other. We don’t like each other at all,” Serra said. “I can’t wait for the camp for it. I can’t wait for that fight. That’s something I’m going to put my heart and soul into."
Following a tough loss to Georges St. Pierre at UFC 83 in April, former welterweight champion Matt Serra has recovered from an elbow injury he suffered in the fight and is headed back into training to get ready for an inevitable showdown with rival Matt Hughes.
“I just got the clearance. I can start training again. I just started getting back to it today,” Serra said in a recent interview with MMAWeekly Radio. “I kind of screwed up my elbow in the GSP fight a little bit. He took me down and I cracked him with, I believe with either the first or second elbow I cracked him with, I did something to my ulna nerve. It gives you a numbness up into the hand and I severely bruised a nerve. It seems okay now.”
It was recently announced on his personal website that Hughes would be rehabbing a knee injury he suffered in his last fight with Thiago Alves. While no announcement has been made by the Ultimate Fighting Championship, Serra is hopeful the fight with Hughes will take place later in 2008.
“Hopefully by the end of the year,” commented Serra. “Hopefully by late fall. Like I said, I haven’t been able to do too much of anything since my fight so I’m getting back in shape now. I want two-and-a-half to three months to train for that guy. I’m not losing to him. I don’t give a rat’s ass, no way. Kill me first.”
Much of the attention following Hughes’ loss to Alves was the talk of a possible retirement, but he made it clear that he has at least one fight left in him and that’s against Serra. Hughes was adamant in his post-fight interview with Joe Rogan that everyone around his house is looking forward to that match-up.
“I heard that… ‘my wife wants that fight, my kids want that fight,’ dude, wow, relax over there at the Hughes’ household,” Serra joked. “My wife heard that. She watched the fight. She’s like, ‘What do you expect? That’s somebody who’s married to Matt Hughes.’ Don’t put my name in your mouth.
“You know what’s funny about that though? I mean first of all, why don’t you go put a steak on your eye before you start calling people out dude? Relax. You get your ass kicked and all of a sudden, well Matt Serra better come up with a game plan. Hey dude, go tend to your eye.”
Serra joked that he believed Hughes had the speech already written before his fight ever started.
“I think he had that speech set up for if he won and then he kind of just ran with it,” he said with a laugh.
While no one can deny that hype can help build a fight, there is definitely a genuine dislike between Serra and Hughes and when they finally do step into the Octagon, it’s likely to be the grudge match of the year.
“We don’t like each other. We don’t like each other at all,” Serra said. “I can’t wait for the camp for it. I can’t wait for that fight. That’s something I’m going to put my heart and soul into."
ALMEIDA READY FOR COTE'S TEST AT UFC 86
A couple of years ago, when The Ultimate Fighter became a hit and many new fans became enamored with the sport of mixed martial arts, not many of the new fans could tell you who Ricardo Almeida was. At the time, fighters like Rich Franklin, David Loiseau and Evan Tanner were the top dogs at middleweight in the Ultimate Fighting Championship. Almeida was taking time off from competition in MMA.
Almeida debuted in the UFC in May of 2001 at UFC 31 where he took on Matt Lindland. That fight ended in a loss for Almeida, but he rebounded at UFC 33 where he defeated Eugene Jackson. He would lose his next fight to Andrei Semenov at UFC 35, which at the time ended his tenure with the UFC.
Almeida progressed after that by defeating tough fighters like Ikuhisa Minowa, Yuki Sasaki, Nate Marquardt, and Ryo Chonan. After his fight with Chonan, he left the sport for almost four years. In February, Almeida returned to the UFC to take on Rob Yundt, submitting him in less than 90 seconds. Now, “The Big Dog” will have his biggest opportunity yet, taking on Patrick Cote at UFC 86 in a bout that could have title implications.
“I'm very excited,” said Almeida in a recent interview with MMAWeekly Radio. “I've been training hard for a while now. Even before the fight in February, I've been training hard. It was a quick fight. I didn't get to showcase all my skills. I'm looking forward to stepping out there with Patrick Cote. I don't think the fight will be that short, so I'm looking forward to a tough fight.”
Almedia felt very excited when he stepped back into the Octagon in February to see how much the sport has erupted. “It felt good to step out there and see how much the sport has grown. For the weigh-in, there were a couple thousand people.”
Even though he stepped away from the sport as far as competition goes, he never really stopped training. “I think it was definitely a turning point,” he explained. “I also think it was a culmination of a bunch of things.
“Once again, Renzo never really allowed me to step away from MMA itself. He asked me to help him with fights. He asked me to help get his team ready in the IFL and I was always involved with training my students. I was always training.
“As I became more and more involved, and the sport grew further and further, all these things started popping in my head. I knew that MMA was going through a growth phase with the spectators, but also with the technical side as well. I could not miss the evolution of this sport.”
In perhaps his biggest test to date, a win over Cote could propel Almeida to stardom in the UFC. In a cleaned-out division, any fighter with a few quality wins could be on the fast track to a title shot. Although, title shots don’t faze Almeida one bit as he prepares for his opponents.
“My goal coming back to fighting is to fight for the title. Right now, that's far away for me. That's not even on my mind. People are saying that this fight is for a title shot. That's something I'm not even worried about right now. I really want to stay focused on Patrick. I'm not even thinking about what I'm going to eat after the fight.”
Cote is not to be taken lightly. He has proven that he has some lethal fists, knocking out Kendall Grove and Drew McFedries recently. Almeida is well aware of this and has nothing but the utmost respect for his opponent.
“From what I know of Patrick, he's a fighter, you know? He's not out there to be a rock star,” he commented. “He's not the kind of guy that will go out there bad-mouthing you and try to get in your face. He just wants to get out there and punch you as hard as possible. It's just two guys fighting their best and may the best man win.”
Studying your opponent can be an integral role in preparing for victory. That’s why Almeida is a strong advocate of watching tapes of his opponents. “The moment I sign on to fight an opponent, I try to get my hands on every piece of tape, every piece of data that I could possibly find on my opponent and just study how they like to fight. Every chance I get to win, I want to win.”
Jiu-jitsu is Almeida’s core strength and appears to be Cote’s major weakness. Cote has been submitted in two of his four losses. While Almeida looks to exploit this, he also realizes that Cote’s jiu-jitsu is probably better than most think. “I think Patrick has been catching a lot of heat from his fight with Lutter. I think his ground game is underrated. Everyone thinks that everyone I take down, in one minute, it's going to be over. It's just not like that. This is the UFC. At any point it could be over.”
With the past behind him, and the future potentially very bright for Ricardo Almeida, he plans on utilizing his entire repertoire against Patrick Cote. “I want to test my skills against real fighters and Patrick is one of them. I'm looking forward to it.”
A couple of years ago, when The Ultimate Fighter became a hit and many new fans became enamored with the sport of mixed martial arts, not many of the new fans could tell you who Ricardo Almeida was. At the time, fighters like Rich Franklin, David Loiseau and Evan Tanner were the top dogs at middleweight in the Ultimate Fighting Championship. Almeida was taking time off from competition in MMA.
Almeida debuted in the UFC in May of 2001 at UFC 31 where he took on Matt Lindland. That fight ended in a loss for Almeida, but he rebounded at UFC 33 where he defeated Eugene Jackson. He would lose his next fight to Andrei Semenov at UFC 35, which at the time ended his tenure with the UFC.
Almeida progressed after that by defeating tough fighters like Ikuhisa Minowa, Yuki Sasaki, Nate Marquardt, and Ryo Chonan. After his fight with Chonan, he left the sport for almost four years. In February, Almeida returned to the UFC to take on Rob Yundt, submitting him in less than 90 seconds. Now, “The Big Dog” will have his biggest opportunity yet, taking on Patrick Cote at UFC 86 in a bout that could have title implications.
“I'm very excited,” said Almeida in a recent interview with MMAWeekly Radio. “I've been training hard for a while now. Even before the fight in February, I've been training hard. It was a quick fight. I didn't get to showcase all my skills. I'm looking forward to stepping out there with Patrick Cote. I don't think the fight will be that short, so I'm looking forward to a tough fight.”
Almedia felt very excited when he stepped back into the Octagon in February to see how much the sport has erupted. “It felt good to step out there and see how much the sport has grown. For the weigh-in, there were a couple thousand people.”
Even though he stepped away from the sport as far as competition goes, he never really stopped training. “I think it was definitely a turning point,” he explained. “I also think it was a culmination of a bunch of things.
“Once again, Renzo never really allowed me to step away from MMA itself. He asked me to help him with fights. He asked me to help get his team ready in the IFL and I was always involved with training my students. I was always training.
“As I became more and more involved, and the sport grew further and further, all these things started popping in my head. I knew that MMA was going through a growth phase with the spectators, but also with the technical side as well. I could not miss the evolution of this sport.”
In perhaps his biggest test to date, a win over Cote could propel Almeida to stardom in the UFC. In a cleaned-out division, any fighter with a few quality wins could be on the fast track to a title shot. Although, title shots don’t faze Almeida one bit as he prepares for his opponents.
“My goal coming back to fighting is to fight for the title. Right now, that's far away for me. That's not even on my mind. People are saying that this fight is for a title shot. That's something I'm not even worried about right now. I really want to stay focused on Patrick. I'm not even thinking about what I'm going to eat after the fight.”
Cote is not to be taken lightly. He has proven that he has some lethal fists, knocking out Kendall Grove and Drew McFedries recently. Almeida is well aware of this and has nothing but the utmost respect for his opponent.
“From what I know of Patrick, he's a fighter, you know? He's not out there to be a rock star,” he commented. “He's not the kind of guy that will go out there bad-mouthing you and try to get in your face. He just wants to get out there and punch you as hard as possible. It's just two guys fighting their best and may the best man win.”
Studying your opponent can be an integral role in preparing for victory. That’s why Almeida is a strong advocate of watching tapes of his opponents. “The moment I sign on to fight an opponent, I try to get my hands on every piece of tape, every piece of data that I could possibly find on my opponent and just study how they like to fight. Every chance I get to win, I want to win.”
Jiu-jitsu is Almeida’s core strength and appears to be Cote’s major weakness. Cote has been submitted in two of his four losses. While Almeida looks to exploit this, he also realizes that Cote’s jiu-jitsu is probably better than most think. “I think Patrick has been catching a lot of heat from his fight with Lutter. I think his ground game is underrated. Everyone thinks that everyone I take down, in one minute, it's going to be over. It's just not like that. This is the UFC. At any point it could be over.”
With the past behind him, and the future potentially very bright for Ricardo Almeida, he plans on utilizing his entire repertoire against Patrick Cote. “I want to test my skills against real fighters and Patrick is one of them. I'm looking forward to it.”
MMA RULES 101 WITH HERB DEAN
Referee Herb Dean recently spoke with MMAWeekly.com explaining several rules that all mixed martial arts fans should know. The nine-year professional MMA referee broke down the rules for strikes to the back of the head, illegal elbows, allowing fighters five minutes to recover from illegal techniques, intelligently defending yourself, spiking and strikes to downed opponents.
Probably the most misunderstood rule in mixed martial arts is the illegal elbow strike. There is only one illegal elbow in MMA, and you can impact with the point of the elbow.
Dean explained, "The only illegal elbow is the one coming from noon to six, and what we mean by noon to six, because people start talking about the clock. 'Where's the clock? Is the clock as I see it, or if I'm on my back, or if I'm looking this way?' What we mean is from the actual sky to the floor.
"Say you're on your back, the clock isn't in front of your face. That would be coming from wall to wall if you were to do that same motion. We're actually talking about ceiling to floor is an illegal elbow. Any other elbow is fine."
Strikes to the back of the head are illegal, but what is considered the back of the head? With the illegal area recently being modified, there's a lot of confusion surrounding what constitutes a prohibited blow.
"Ears back is considered the back of the head," said Dean. "Like if you're wearing headphones and they're going up over the top of the head, so anything that's behind the ears would be the foul area... It can be on the side of the head, but if it's behind the ears it's considered the back of the head."
"That's something we've only been enforcing in MMA as the back of the head for about the last two years. That started when MMA became legalized in California," Dean explained. "Dr. Paul Wallace came to a referee seminar that we were doing and explained to us, diagrammed and explained to us what is supposed to be the back of the head. I talked to him in detail about it and then I talked to Armando Garcia, who is executive director, and he said, 'that's what we want to be enforced for the back of the head, from the ears back.’"
"When I went to Nevada, I told them about it so we would be all on the same page. They said that they were okay with that as the back of the head. That's what they want us to enforce, so that's what I enforce everywhere.
"That's not what I've always enforced in MMA," he added. "I've been refereeing for nine years. Most of the time I was enforcing the flat of the neck going up to the top. But when the sport became regulated, we need to enforce what the athletic commissions tell us to enforce."
Kicking or kneeing an opponent to the head while they're downed is forbidden under the unified rules adopted and used by most MMA promotions. Dean addressed what is considered a downed opponent.
"Anything but his feet supporting his weight, he's grounded," stated the veteran referee. "Anything but his feet. If he's got a hand down or a foot and one elbow, anything but his feet supporting his weight, he's a downed opponent and the head is off limits for knees and kicks."
Another rule often misinterpreted is the five-minute recovery time allotted to fighters that are victims of an illegal technique. The only time a combatant is guaranteed five minutes to gather himself is a groin strike.
"I'm not sure about the rule in every state, but in most states it is written in a way that the only one … that the five minutes is given is the groin strike," commented Dean. "That's the only one that's written that you actually have five minutes. Otherwise, it's at the discretion of the referee and the doctor.
"Something like a head strike, the referee and the doctor are going to watch it closely," he continued. "If you don't know if you can continue within a period of time, you're not going to be given five minutes. If you haven't figured it out after five minutes you probably need medical attention, so you're probably not going to be given five minutes to figure out if you want to fight or not."
Seemingly different with every referee, Dean was asked about intelligently defending yourself and what a referee is looking for in determining when a fight should or should not be stopped.
"I'm looking for some movement, any sort of movement to solve the situation, to protect themselves," he said. "Just laying down and covering up is not enough. The fighter needs to do some sort of movement to solve the situation that he's in. Sometimes fighters are covering up, but they're pushing away with their legs, or they're doing something with their feet trying to improve their position. So I'm looking for anything."
Rarely coming into play, Dean was questioned about spiking an opponent's head into the canvas, and what's the difference between a throw and spiking. He responded, "All throws need to have an arch on them. If you pick someone up and are in control of their body and drive their head into the mat that's illegal.
"You can throw somebody and if they end up landing on their head, that happens. It's a throw, but if you pick somebody up, line their head up and drive it into the mat, a power driver, that's what we're looking for."
When a fighter commits a foul, three things can happen: he can be warned; a point can be deducted, or he could be disqualified depending on the situation.
"Each infraction of the rules is an infraction of the rules," said Dean. "If I've given someone continual warnings, they know that they should be trying to keep it clean. But if you break the rules, you can get a point deducted." The fighter can also be disqualified.
Referee Herb Dean recently spoke with MMAWeekly.com explaining several rules that all mixed martial arts fans should know. The nine-year professional MMA referee broke down the rules for strikes to the back of the head, illegal elbows, allowing fighters five minutes to recover from illegal techniques, intelligently defending yourself, spiking and strikes to downed opponents.
Probably the most misunderstood rule in mixed martial arts is the illegal elbow strike. There is only one illegal elbow in MMA, and you can impact with the point of the elbow.
Dean explained, "The only illegal elbow is the one coming from noon to six, and what we mean by noon to six, because people start talking about the clock. 'Where's the clock? Is the clock as I see it, or if I'm on my back, or if I'm looking this way?' What we mean is from the actual sky to the floor.
"Say you're on your back, the clock isn't in front of your face. That would be coming from wall to wall if you were to do that same motion. We're actually talking about ceiling to floor is an illegal elbow. Any other elbow is fine."
Strikes to the back of the head are illegal, but what is considered the back of the head? With the illegal area recently being modified, there's a lot of confusion surrounding what constitutes a prohibited blow.
"Ears back is considered the back of the head," said Dean. "Like if you're wearing headphones and they're going up over the top of the head, so anything that's behind the ears would be the foul area... It can be on the side of the head, but if it's behind the ears it's considered the back of the head."
"That's something we've only been enforcing in MMA as the back of the head for about the last two years. That started when MMA became legalized in California," Dean explained. "Dr. Paul Wallace came to a referee seminar that we were doing and explained to us, diagrammed and explained to us what is supposed to be the back of the head. I talked to him in detail about it and then I talked to Armando Garcia, who is executive director, and he said, 'that's what we want to be enforced for the back of the head, from the ears back.’"
"When I went to Nevada, I told them about it so we would be all on the same page. They said that they were okay with that as the back of the head. That's what they want us to enforce, so that's what I enforce everywhere.
"That's not what I've always enforced in MMA," he added. "I've been refereeing for nine years. Most of the time I was enforcing the flat of the neck going up to the top. But when the sport became regulated, we need to enforce what the athletic commissions tell us to enforce."
Kicking or kneeing an opponent to the head while they're downed is forbidden under the unified rules adopted and used by most MMA promotions. Dean addressed what is considered a downed opponent.
"Anything but his feet supporting his weight, he's grounded," stated the veteran referee. "Anything but his feet. If he's got a hand down or a foot and one elbow, anything but his feet supporting his weight, he's a downed opponent and the head is off limits for knees and kicks."
Another rule often misinterpreted is the five-minute recovery time allotted to fighters that are victims of an illegal technique. The only time a combatant is guaranteed five minutes to gather himself is a groin strike.
"I'm not sure about the rule in every state, but in most states it is written in a way that the only one … that the five minutes is given is the groin strike," commented Dean. "That's the only one that's written that you actually have five minutes. Otherwise, it's at the discretion of the referee and the doctor.
"Something like a head strike, the referee and the doctor are going to watch it closely," he continued. "If you don't know if you can continue within a period of time, you're not going to be given five minutes. If you haven't figured it out after five minutes you probably need medical attention, so you're probably not going to be given five minutes to figure out if you want to fight or not."
Seemingly different with every referee, Dean was asked about intelligently defending yourself and what a referee is looking for in determining when a fight should or should not be stopped.
"I'm looking for some movement, any sort of movement to solve the situation, to protect themselves," he said. "Just laying down and covering up is not enough. The fighter needs to do some sort of movement to solve the situation that he's in. Sometimes fighters are covering up, but they're pushing away with their legs, or they're doing something with their feet trying to improve their position. So I'm looking for anything."
Rarely coming into play, Dean was questioned about spiking an opponent's head into the canvas, and what's the difference between a throw and spiking. He responded, "All throws need to have an arch on them. If you pick someone up and are in control of their body and drive their head into the mat that's illegal.
"You can throw somebody and if they end up landing on their head, that happens. It's a throw, but if you pick somebody up, line their head up and drive it into the mat, a power driver, that's what we're looking for."
When a fighter commits a foul, three things can happen: he can be warned; a point can be deducted, or he could be disqualified depending on the situation.
"Each infraction of the rules is an infraction of the rules," said Dean. "If I've given someone continual warnings, they know that they should be trying to keep it clean. But if you break the rules, you can get a point deducted." The fighter can also be disqualified.
Strikeforce 6/27 Aftermath
The attendance for the show has to be looked at as a success. I felt that anything over and above the 6500 range would be a good draw, and announced attendance for the show was 7,448. That is a strong number, indicating they are doing a good job of retaining fans even when the bigger names aren't on the card.
Building the company so that the brand is the draw is vitally important for Strikeforce. Frank Shamrock only has one fight left on his contract and Cung Le's status for fighting is uncertain due to his burgeoning movie career. Mike Afromowitz of Strikeforce said he expects Le to fight again in 08, but it would seem that Le is going to be on a reduced schedule from here on due to his other opportunities. The success of this show at the gate has to bode well for the promotion's ability to draw well in the absence of these two fighters.
Josh Thomson came away with the victory over Gilbert Melendez in the evening's main event. Thomson entered the contest the lesser star of the two fighters, so Strikeforce has to hope this win will give him a credibility boost. Gilbert Melendez came into the fight the bigger name, and the question now is where he goes from here. There is a possible immediate rematch with Thomson, but the better idea may be a slow build to a rematch 2 or 3 fights down the line, giving Melendez a chance to re-establish momentum with audience. Losing two in a row to Thomson would have to hurt Melendez's ability to draw. Delaying the rematch also gives Coker time to hype the fight. Pairing the two against differing fighters on the same card may be a way of building heat for a re-match by the end of the year or early next year.
Other efforts to build up younger fighters on the card were mixed. Much hype before the card centered on World Combat League veteran Raymond Daniels and his attempt to translate his excellent striking abilities to an MMA environment. Judging from the fight Daniels is lost in translation as he was barely able to establish any kind of offense in what was generally seen as a on-sided affair. While Cung Le has been successful in translating his talent from another discipline, Strikeforce's moves to use strikers Brian Schwartz and Daniels have been failures by any objective measure. One bright spot may be Billy Evangelista extending his unbeaten streak on the card.
The attendance for the show has to be looked at as a success. I felt that anything over and above the 6500 range would be a good draw, and announced attendance for the show was 7,448. That is a strong number, indicating they are doing a good job of retaining fans even when the bigger names aren't on the card.
Building the company so that the brand is the draw is vitally important for Strikeforce. Frank Shamrock only has one fight left on his contract and Cung Le's status for fighting is uncertain due to his burgeoning movie career. Mike Afromowitz of Strikeforce said he expects Le to fight again in 08, but it would seem that Le is going to be on a reduced schedule from here on due to his other opportunities. The success of this show at the gate has to bode well for the promotion's ability to draw well in the absence of these two fighters.
Josh Thomson came away with the victory over Gilbert Melendez in the evening's main event. Thomson entered the contest the lesser star of the two fighters, so Strikeforce has to hope this win will give him a credibility boost. Gilbert Melendez came into the fight the bigger name, and the question now is where he goes from here. There is a possible immediate rematch with Thomson, but the better idea may be a slow build to a rematch 2 or 3 fights down the line, giving Melendez a chance to re-establish momentum with audience. Losing two in a row to Thomson would have to hurt Melendez's ability to draw. Delaying the rematch also gives Coker time to hype the fight. Pairing the two against differing fighters on the same card may be a way of building heat for a re-match by the end of the year or early next year.
Other efforts to build up younger fighters on the card were mixed. Much hype before the card centered on World Combat League veteran Raymond Daniels and his attempt to translate his excellent striking abilities to an MMA environment. Judging from the fight Daniels is lost in translation as he was barely able to establish any kind of offense in what was generally seen as a on-sided affair. While Cung Le has been successful in translating his talent from another discipline, Strikeforce's moves to use strikers Brian Schwartz and Daniels have been failures by any objective measure. One bright spot may be Billy Evangelista extending his unbeaten streak on the card.
Kazuo Misaki to make Strikeforce debut in Septemeber
Kazuo Misaki (20-8-2), a former PRIDE and Pancrase fighter and highly ranked middleweight, is expected to make his Strikeforce debut at the organization's second Playboy Mansion show.
The event is likely to take place Sept. 19 in Beverly Hills, Calif.
MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com) learned of Misaki's debut on Friday during a "Strikeforce: Melendez vs. Thomson" event at the HP Pavilion in San Jose, Calif.
Misaki was in attendance at the event.
However, no opponent has been revealed for his debut, though potentials include Joe Riggs, Frank Shamrock and Strikeforce world middleweight champion Cung Le.
The 32-year-old Misaki signed with Strikeforce in March. The non-exclusive deal is good for two fights (with an option for a third).
Not including a no-content with Yoshihiro Akiyama this past December, Misaki has won three of his past four fights and five of his past seven. The only losses came to notables Paulo Filho and Frank Trigg.
Also expected to take part at the September Strikeforce event are newly crowned Strikeforce world lightweight champion Josh Thomson, Renato "Babalu" Sobral and, visa permitting, Evangelista "Cyborg" Santos.
Kazuo Misaki (20-8-2), a former PRIDE and Pancrase fighter and highly ranked middleweight, is expected to make his Strikeforce debut at the organization's second Playboy Mansion show.
The event is likely to take place Sept. 19 in Beverly Hills, Calif.
MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com) learned of Misaki's debut on Friday during a "Strikeforce: Melendez vs. Thomson" event at the HP Pavilion in San Jose, Calif.
Misaki was in attendance at the event.
However, no opponent has been revealed for his debut, though potentials include Joe Riggs, Frank Shamrock and Strikeforce world middleweight champion Cung Le.
The 32-year-old Misaki signed with Strikeforce in March. The non-exclusive deal is good for two fights (with an option for a third).
Not including a no-content with Yoshihiro Akiyama this past December, Misaki has won three of his past four fights and five of his past seven. The only losses came to notables Paulo Filho and Frank Trigg.
Also expected to take part at the September Strikeforce event are newly crowned Strikeforce world lightweight champion Josh Thomson, Renato "Babalu" Sobral and, visa permitting, Evangelista "Cyborg" Santos.
Bobby Southworth: a win over "Babalu" could cement legacy
SAN JOSE, Calif. -- Soon after defending his Strikeforce world light heavyweight title with Friday's unanimous-decision victory over Anthony Ruiz, Bobby Southworth (9-5) was already looking ahead to future challenges.
Southworth, who avenged a previous non-title-fight loss to Ruiz with the victory, said that he's entering the twilight of his career and wants to fight the division's best before calling it quits.
The 38-year-old considers Renato "Babalu" Sobral (29-7) one such fighter.
"As my career is maturing, I'm thinking more about the paydays," Southworth said. "That's one of the reasons I'd like a step up in competition. You fight the tougher fighters, you get the bigger paychecks, and that's what I want to do."
Southworth, perhaps best known from his stint on the first season of "The Ultimate Fighter," isn't totally convinced those big-money fights can be had with existing Strikeforce talent.
But there is one exception: Sobral.
The longtime MMA veteran and former UFC fighter was kicked out of the organization this past August after he initially refused to break a chokehold on fellow UFC light heavyweight David Heath. The referee tried to pry Sobral's arms off Heath, but after a tense 24 hours between the two fighters sparked by a confrontation at the previous day's official weigh-ins, Sobral said he wanted to teach his opponent a lesson.
That admission, coupled with the extra three to four seconds of choke time, cost Sobral half of his $50,000 fight purse and his UFC contract.
Sobral, though, hasn't exactly been hurting for work. Since then, he's signed non-exclusive deals with a variety of organizations, including Strikeforce. (Even UFC president Dana White has all but assured Sobral will return to the UFC at some point in the future.)
"I know that (Strikeforce) signed Babalu," Southworth said. "I hear he's making his debut at the Playboy Mansion show (in September). Babalu is kind of a legend in the game. He's been fighting since the bareknuckle days. ... Obviously they're grooming him for a title shot."
Southworth welcomes the challenge and knows a victory over the Brazilian legend could bring some legitimacy to his title.
That's what he's after, he said: a legacy. Not the fame.
"I'm not a big limelight kind of guy," he said. "Like I tell everyone, fame is kind of overrated. You walk down the street, and everyone knows your name, and your bank account reads zero. It doesn't feel as good as if no one knows your name and your bank account is fat."
As for Friday's performance, Southworth's victory was decisive (with judges' scores of 48-47, 49-46 and 50-45), but it wasn't exactly a crowd-pleaser. Many of the 7,448 in attendance at San Jose's HP Pavilion routinely booed the fight, which repeatedly stalled once the fighters hit the mat.
When MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com) asked Southworth about the crowd's less-than-pleased reaction, he downplayed the boo-birds.
"I thought the cheers kind of overshadowed the boos; maybe they were sitting closer to your section," joked Southworth, eliciting laughter in the post-event press conference. "I don't pay too much attention to the audience. Fighting is kind of my own personal journey. I hope the fans are pleased with the performances I put on, but this is something I do for me."
All things considered, he was pleased with the performance and the outcome.
"I had a really, incredibly tough training camp for this fight," he said. "I bruised three of my ribs and separated a rib like two and a half weeks ago. The next day I came down with strep (throat). I got over that and back in the gym and broke one of my toes.
"If it wasn't one thing, it was another."
After so many things had gone wrong, it was nice for the big day to go right.
SAN JOSE, Calif. -- Soon after defending his Strikeforce world light heavyweight title with Friday's unanimous-decision victory over Anthony Ruiz, Bobby Southworth (9-5) was already looking ahead to future challenges.
Southworth, who avenged a previous non-title-fight loss to Ruiz with the victory, said that he's entering the twilight of his career and wants to fight the division's best before calling it quits.
The 38-year-old considers Renato "Babalu" Sobral (29-7) one such fighter.
"As my career is maturing, I'm thinking more about the paydays," Southworth said. "That's one of the reasons I'd like a step up in competition. You fight the tougher fighters, you get the bigger paychecks, and that's what I want to do."
Southworth, perhaps best known from his stint on the first season of "The Ultimate Fighter," isn't totally convinced those big-money fights can be had with existing Strikeforce talent.
But there is one exception: Sobral.
The longtime MMA veteran and former UFC fighter was kicked out of the organization this past August after he initially refused to break a chokehold on fellow UFC light heavyweight David Heath. The referee tried to pry Sobral's arms off Heath, but after a tense 24 hours between the two fighters sparked by a confrontation at the previous day's official weigh-ins, Sobral said he wanted to teach his opponent a lesson.
That admission, coupled with the extra three to four seconds of choke time, cost Sobral half of his $50,000 fight purse and his UFC contract.
Sobral, though, hasn't exactly been hurting for work. Since then, he's signed non-exclusive deals with a variety of organizations, including Strikeforce. (Even UFC president Dana White has all but assured Sobral will return to the UFC at some point in the future.)
"I know that (Strikeforce) signed Babalu," Southworth said. "I hear he's making his debut at the Playboy Mansion show (in September). Babalu is kind of a legend in the game. He's been fighting since the bareknuckle days. ... Obviously they're grooming him for a title shot."
Southworth welcomes the challenge and knows a victory over the Brazilian legend could bring some legitimacy to his title.
That's what he's after, he said: a legacy. Not the fame.
"I'm not a big limelight kind of guy," he said. "Like I tell everyone, fame is kind of overrated. You walk down the street, and everyone knows your name, and your bank account reads zero. It doesn't feel as good as if no one knows your name and your bank account is fat."
As for Friday's performance, Southworth's victory was decisive (with judges' scores of 48-47, 49-46 and 50-45), but it wasn't exactly a crowd-pleaser. Many of the 7,448 in attendance at San Jose's HP Pavilion routinely booed the fight, which repeatedly stalled once the fighters hit the mat.
When MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com) asked Southworth about the crowd's less-than-pleased reaction, he downplayed the boo-birds.
"I thought the cheers kind of overshadowed the boos; maybe they were sitting closer to your section," joked Southworth, eliciting laughter in the post-event press conference. "I don't pay too much attention to the audience. Fighting is kind of my own personal journey. I hope the fans are pleased with the performances I put on, but this is something I do for me."
All things considered, he was pleased with the performance and the outcome.
"I had a really, incredibly tough training camp for this fight," he said. "I bruised three of my ribs and separated a rib like two and a half weeks ago. The next day I came down with strep (throat). I got over that and back in the gym and broke one of my toes.
"If it wasn't one thing, it was another."
After so many things had gone wrong, it was nice for the big day to go right.
Josh Thomson not counting out rematch with Gilbert Melendez
Scoring Strikeforce's second championship upset of the year, underdog Josh Thomson (15-2) dominated former world lightweight title-holder Gilbert Melendez (14-2) en route to a unanimous-decision victory at Friday's Strikeforce main event.
Still basking in the glory of his first major championship, Thomson didn't ruled out a rematch with his friend and former training partner.
After all, Thomson says he only wants to fight the best of the best in the 155-pound division, and he considers Melendez that caliber of fighter.
Another reason for the rematch? Thomson was disappointed by Friday's announced attendance of 7,448 at the HP Pavilion in San Jose, Calif. The number was solid -- perhaps even a surprise -- for the organization, but it fell short of the numbers that the organization's superstars, such as Strikeforce world middleweight champion Cung Le and Frank Shamrock, often generate. Their title fight in March drew 16,326 spectators at the same venue.
"Anytime he wants; I'll fight him the next fight," Thomson said. "I have so much respect for him (but) I wasn't happy with the turnout for the fans here [on Friday], so I think the next time we'll get a bigger crowd.
And though Strikeforce officials didn't have the same expectations for the Melendez-Thomson fight as they would a blockbuster such as Shamrock vs. Le, Thomson is determined for his next fight to be just as popular.
"I tried to get them in for this main event," he said. "Obviously, the crowd didn't turn out. Half of them were probably my family. But whatever. We'll hopefully get more next time."
Melendez is open to the idea, as well. When asked by MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com) if he wanted an immediate shot at reclaiming his title, he gave the idea the green light.
"We'll talk about it if he wants to do it," Melendez said. "But yeah, man, I want my belt back. I don't like losing."
Thomson, who was blunt and open about nagging shoulder injuries heading into their HDNet-broadcast fight, dazzled with a remarkable performance. Grinning for most of the fight, Thomson displayed a mouthpiece that (now appropriately) read "Champ." He truly seemed to enjoy the fight as he sidestepped most of Melendez's power shots. Using his jab and front kick to set up his assaults, Thomson simply had fun and showed no ill effects from the injury.
"Everyone looked at what I said as negative," he said. "I 'was sick and this and that and giving excuses.' All it was was that you guys (the media) called for the truth, and I gave you the truth. And you guys flipped the script and said, 'You're already looking at the negative. You're already looking for a way out when you lose.' Bull [expletive]. You guys call for the truth, and I give you the truth."
While Melendez is an option, Melendez didn't rule out outside possibilities for his next fight. In fact, he mentioned a few specific examples of fighters he'd like to see Strikeforce recruit.
"There are some guys I want brought in to fight me, some bigger names," he said. "Not that Gilbert isn't a big name. ... I just want to fight some guys outside of our organization. It could be from Ralph Gracie to (Takanori) Gomi to anybody else with the caliber of him. I want to fight the top guys. I don't want to fight anyone not in the top 10. I've recommitted myself to this sport and my life, and I want to fight the best."
Thomson, a former UFC fighter who left soon after the organization ditched its 155-pound class, admits his playboy lifestyle affected his past performances, so with help from his American Kickboxing Academy teammates, he found focus.
But even with that rededication, he believes that lightweight fights such as his are hard to market -- especially as main events.
"It's hard to sell lightweights," he said. "Everyone knows that. That's why the UFC dumped us a while ago."
However, he wasn't thinking too deep into the future on Friday night. When asked what's next, Thomson said a cold beer, a break, and some time to reflect was in order.
"I was a 3-to-1 underdog from what I understand. There was no pressure on me to win this fight. I came in, smiled, had a great time. "
Scoring Strikeforce's second championship upset of the year, underdog Josh Thomson (15-2) dominated former world lightweight title-holder Gilbert Melendez (14-2) en route to a unanimous-decision victory at Friday's Strikeforce main event.
Still basking in the glory of his first major championship, Thomson didn't ruled out a rematch with his friend and former training partner.
After all, Thomson says he only wants to fight the best of the best in the 155-pound division, and he considers Melendez that caliber of fighter.
Another reason for the rematch? Thomson was disappointed by Friday's announced attendance of 7,448 at the HP Pavilion in San Jose, Calif. The number was solid -- perhaps even a surprise -- for the organization, but it fell short of the numbers that the organization's superstars, such as Strikeforce world middleweight champion Cung Le and Frank Shamrock, often generate. Their title fight in March drew 16,326 spectators at the same venue.
"Anytime he wants; I'll fight him the next fight," Thomson said. "I have so much respect for him (but) I wasn't happy with the turnout for the fans here [on Friday], so I think the next time we'll get a bigger crowd.
And though Strikeforce officials didn't have the same expectations for the Melendez-Thomson fight as they would a blockbuster such as Shamrock vs. Le, Thomson is determined for his next fight to be just as popular.
"I tried to get them in for this main event," he said. "Obviously, the crowd didn't turn out. Half of them were probably my family. But whatever. We'll hopefully get more next time."
Melendez is open to the idea, as well. When asked by MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com) if he wanted an immediate shot at reclaiming his title, he gave the idea the green light.
"We'll talk about it if he wants to do it," Melendez said. "But yeah, man, I want my belt back. I don't like losing."
Thomson, who was blunt and open about nagging shoulder injuries heading into their HDNet-broadcast fight, dazzled with a remarkable performance. Grinning for most of the fight, Thomson displayed a mouthpiece that (now appropriately) read "Champ." He truly seemed to enjoy the fight as he sidestepped most of Melendez's power shots. Using his jab and front kick to set up his assaults, Thomson simply had fun and showed no ill effects from the injury.
"Everyone looked at what I said as negative," he said. "I 'was sick and this and that and giving excuses.' All it was was that you guys (the media) called for the truth, and I gave you the truth. And you guys flipped the script and said, 'You're already looking at the negative. You're already looking for a way out when you lose.' Bull [expletive]. You guys call for the truth, and I give you the truth."
While Melendez is an option, Melendez didn't rule out outside possibilities for his next fight. In fact, he mentioned a few specific examples of fighters he'd like to see Strikeforce recruit.
"There are some guys I want brought in to fight me, some bigger names," he said. "Not that Gilbert isn't a big name. ... I just want to fight some guys outside of our organization. It could be from Ralph Gracie to (Takanori) Gomi to anybody else with the caliber of him. I want to fight the top guys. I don't want to fight anyone not in the top 10. I've recommitted myself to this sport and my life, and I want to fight the best."
Thomson, a former UFC fighter who left soon after the organization ditched its 155-pound class, admits his playboy lifestyle affected his past performances, so with help from his American Kickboxing Academy teammates, he found focus.
But even with that rededication, he believes that lightweight fights such as his are hard to market -- especially as main events.
"It's hard to sell lightweights," he said. "Everyone knows that. That's why the UFC dumped us a while ago."
However, he wasn't thinking too deep into the future on Friday night. When asked what's next, Thomson said a cold beer, a break, and some time to reflect was in order.
"I was a 3-to-1 underdog from what I understand. There was no pressure on me to win this fight. I came in, smiled, had a great time. "
Melvin Manhoef Interview with DREAM
DREAM official website posted an interview with Melvin Manhoef on Jun 25. This interview was took place on Jun 16.
- Tell me what do you think now.
I feel excellent because I won and move on to the final round.
- You looked kinda nervous right after the fight ended.
The fight was actually over within 1 minute and half while I had prepared to fight for 15 minutes. I was at a loss right after the fight. To be honest, I didn't know what happened. I was proud of myself for beating Sakuraba. I respected him before and from now on. I was impressed to see what I did. I want to be a legend fighter like him someday.
- Do you think you get closer to be a legend?
It's long way to be. I shouldn't be too confident of myself.
- What did you think about Sakuraba?
He was a great fighter. I wonder if he was not in a good condition. I understand Japanese fans were disappointed to see his loss; even so I did what I had to do. I didn't miss a chance. My game plan was to kick and throw punches at the same time he lost his balance.
- The last pound was powerful.
I had never pounded like that hard before. He is a very cleaver fighter and flexible to adjust himself to my fighting style, and so I focused on finishing him quickly. I shouldn't give him any time if I wanted to win.
- You have 3 months before the final round. Tell me your training schedule.
I will start my training as soon as I went back to the Netherlands. I go to the American Top Team and train with JZ Calvan and Denis Kang for 2 months; subsequently, I condition with my trainer and spar with Badr Hari. I will come back to Japan in my perfect condition.
- Who do you want to fight in the final round?
Anybody.
- Gegard Mousasi said he wanted to fight you.
I heard that. As I said before, I fight him anytime. I have fought many fighters before including someone who is heavier than me; thus, I don't hesitate fighting anybody. I advise him to just wait until September since I don't go anywhere.
- Tell me your enthusiasm to the final round.
I'm sure I will be a champion. I changed my life to be a champion. I become a champion and revenge Akiyama.
DREAM official website posted an interview with Melvin Manhoef on Jun 25. This interview was took place on Jun 16.
- Tell me what do you think now.
I feel excellent because I won and move on to the final round.
- You looked kinda nervous right after the fight ended.
The fight was actually over within 1 minute and half while I had prepared to fight for 15 minutes. I was at a loss right after the fight. To be honest, I didn't know what happened. I was proud of myself for beating Sakuraba. I respected him before and from now on. I was impressed to see what I did. I want to be a legend fighter like him someday.
- Do you think you get closer to be a legend?
It's long way to be. I shouldn't be too confident of myself.
- What did you think about Sakuraba?
He was a great fighter. I wonder if he was not in a good condition. I understand Japanese fans were disappointed to see his loss; even so I did what I had to do. I didn't miss a chance. My game plan was to kick and throw punches at the same time he lost his balance.
- The last pound was powerful.
I had never pounded like that hard before. He is a very cleaver fighter and flexible to adjust himself to my fighting style, and so I focused on finishing him quickly. I shouldn't give him any time if I wanted to win.
- You have 3 months before the final round. Tell me your training schedule.
I will start my training as soon as I went back to the Netherlands. I go to the American Top Team and train with JZ Calvan and Denis Kang for 2 months; subsequently, I condition with my trainer and spar with Badr Hari. I will come back to Japan in my perfect condition.
- Who do you want to fight in the final round?
Anybody.
- Gegard Mousasi said he wanted to fight you.
I heard that. As I said before, I fight him anytime. I have fought many fighters before including someone who is heavier than me; thus, I don't hesitate fighting anybody. I advise him to just wait until September since I don't go anywhere.
- Tell me your enthusiasm to the final round.
I'm sure I will be a champion. I changed my life to be a champion. I become a champion and revenge Akiyama.
Lim Retains Middleweight Title at Spirit MC 17
SEOUL, South Korea -- It was a night of great fights, upsets and unwelcome theatrics Sunday at Spirit MC 17, as Jae Suk Lim (Pictures) successfully defended his middleweight belt and A Sol Kwon traded power shots and crotch kicks with Do Hyung Kim in a highly publicized grudge match.
Both Jae Suk Lim (Pictures) and Jung Hwan Cha made their entrances to live and prolonged musical accompaniment. Round one began with some very effective striking from Lim, who countered low kicks from Cha over the top and quickly landed a hook-cross combination.
Cha responded with urges for Lim to engage. Lim complied, only to see the action stopped a minute later when the referee issued Cha a black card for inactivity. Following the restart, Cha was looking for a takedown, but a nice foot sweep from Lim took the fight to the canvas, where Lim moved to mount.
After a sweep attempt from Cha failed, Lim took his back and secured a body triangle. A terminal game of rear-naked choke defense ensued, with "The Korean Icepick" securing the tap with just 36 seconds to go in the first round.
With the loss, Cha fell to 5-5-1, while Lim added a second win to his record following a disappointing Strikeforce effort against Drew Fickett (Pictures) in March.
Though the editors at the Korean version of Maxim found the animosity between A Sol Kwan and Do Hyung Kim worthy of modeling shots and a four-page interview, Spirit MC fans were rewarded with little from the fight, save entrances that would embarrass Akihiro Gono (Pictures), poor sportsmanship and low-kick histrionics.
Round one highlights included a takedown by Kim and some nice up-kicks from Kwan that helped him transition into a double-leg takedown. Kwan also executed two slams to free himself from an armbar attempt, and later he connected with some straight rights and uppercuts. Kim, for his part, landed two low blows, had a tantrum and used a shoulder throw on the referee.
The second round opened with a high kick from Kwan, followed by a big right hand that sent Kim to the canvas. Kwan elected not to take the fight to the ground, however, and scored another big right kick to the body following the stand-up. After a break for Kim's retaliatory low blow -- the third of the fight -- Kwan continued to get the better of the stand-up exchanges and brought home a unanimous decision.
The win would, seemingly, put A Sol Kwan in position to challenge Kwang Hee Lee (Pictures) for the welterweight title. But since Kwan has already suffered two knockout losses to the welterweight champion, and since Lee has stated publically that he is "tired of fighting A Sol Kwan," the matchup is unlikely.
In fact, it looks as if Spirit MC will have to look to other Pro Elite partner organizations to find a challenger for Lee. Kwan is out. Kim is out. And in the other welterweight matchup of relevance at Spirit MC 17, Kyeong Ho Kang (Pictures), who lost to Lee in his last outing via repeated soccer kicks to the head, scored a first-round TKO of Lee's other potential challenger, Nam Sum Kim, via a doctor's stoppage for a badly broken nose.
Though it ended in the first round, the bout was an impressive showing for both Kang and Kim. They exhibited a near indifference to facial damage as they endured slams and savage stand-up exchanges.
On the heavyweight front, it took Jae Young Kim only 33 seconds to dispatch of Deep veteran and Spirit MC heavyweight grand prix champion Ryuichi Murata (Pictures). Right off the bell, Kim sat Murata down with a tight right hook to the jaw. A flurry of hammer fists, soccer kicks and knees to the head followed, quickly ending the night for Murata and leaving the Spirit MC heavyweight division in chaos.
Denis Kang (Pictures) is the Spirit MC heavyweight champion on paper, though he has not defended his title since March 2007. Murata was guaranteed a title shot as champion of the heavyweight grand prix, but he was knocked out Sunday by Kim, who, despite a six-fight win streak, shows two losses to Kang on his record.
Who Spirit MC will tap to face Kang, and when Kang will eventually fight, is anybody's guess.
Other Results
Yoon Young Kim (Pictures) def. Landon Showalter (Pictures) via triangle choke 4:13 R2
Ho Jin Kim (Pictures) def. Dong Hyun (B) Kim via majority decision
Ok Myoung Kim def. Hyeung Seok Lee via guillotine choke 1:16 R1
SEOUL, South Korea -- It was a night of great fights, upsets and unwelcome theatrics Sunday at Spirit MC 17, as Jae Suk Lim (Pictures) successfully defended his middleweight belt and A Sol Kwon traded power shots and crotch kicks with Do Hyung Kim in a highly publicized grudge match.
Both Jae Suk Lim (Pictures) and Jung Hwan Cha made their entrances to live and prolonged musical accompaniment. Round one began with some very effective striking from Lim, who countered low kicks from Cha over the top and quickly landed a hook-cross combination.
Cha responded with urges for Lim to engage. Lim complied, only to see the action stopped a minute later when the referee issued Cha a black card for inactivity. Following the restart, Cha was looking for a takedown, but a nice foot sweep from Lim took the fight to the canvas, where Lim moved to mount.
After a sweep attempt from Cha failed, Lim took his back and secured a body triangle. A terminal game of rear-naked choke defense ensued, with "The Korean Icepick" securing the tap with just 36 seconds to go in the first round.
With the loss, Cha fell to 5-5-1, while Lim added a second win to his record following a disappointing Strikeforce effort against Drew Fickett (Pictures) in March.
Though the editors at the Korean version of Maxim found the animosity between A Sol Kwan and Do Hyung Kim worthy of modeling shots and a four-page interview, Spirit MC fans were rewarded with little from the fight, save entrances that would embarrass Akihiro Gono (Pictures), poor sportsmanship and low-kick histrionics.
Round one highlights included a takedown by Kim and some nice up-kicks from Kwan that helped him transition into a double-leg takedown. Kwan also executed two slams to free himself from an armbar attempt, and later he connected with some straight rights and uppercuts. Kim, for his part, landed two low blows, had a tantrum and used a shoulder throw on the referee.
The second round opened with a high kick from Kwan, followed by a big right hand that sent Kim to the canvas. Kwan elected not to take the fight to the ground, however, and scored another big right kick to the body following the stand-up. After a break for Kim's retaliatory low blow -- the third of the fight -- Kwan continued to get the better of the stand-up exchanges and brought home a unanimous decision.
The win would, seemingly, put A Sol Kwan in position to challenge Kwang Hee Lee (Pictures) for the welterweight title. But since Kwan has already suffered two knockout losses to the welterweight champion, and since Lee has stated publically that he is "tired of fighting A Sol Kwan," the matchup is unlikely.
In fact, it looks as if Spirit MC will have to look to other Pro Elite partner organizations to find a challenger for Lee. Kwan is out. Kim is out. And in the other welterweight matchup of relevance at Spirit MC 17, Kyeong Ho Kang (Pictures), who lost to Lee in his last outing via repeated soccer kicks to the head, scored a first-round TKO of Lee's other potential challenger, Nam Sum Kim, via a doctor's stoppage for a badly broken nose.
Though it ended in the first round, the bout was an impressive showing for both Kang and Kim. They exhibited a near indifference to facial damage as they endured slams and savage stand-up exchanges.
On the heavyweight front, it took Jae Young Kim only 33 seconds to dispatch of Deep veteran and Spirit MC heavyweight grand prix champion Ryuichi Murata (Pictures). Right off the bell, Kim sat Murata down with a tight right hook to the jaw. A flurry of hammer fists, soccer kicks and knees to the head followed, quickly ending the night for Murata and leaving the Spirit MC heavyweight division in chaos.
Denis Kang (Pictures) is the Spirit MC heavyweight champion on paper, though he has not defended his title since March 2007. Murata was guaranteed a title shot as champion of the heavyweight grand prix, but he was knocked out Sunday by Kim, who, despite a six-fight win streak, shows two losses to Kang on his record.
Who Spirit MC will tap to face Kang, and when Kang will eventually fight, is anybody's guess.
Other Results
Yoon Young Kim (Pictures) def. Landon Showalter (Pictures) via triangle choke 4:13 R2
Ho Jin Kim (Pictures) def. Dong Hyun (B) Kim via majority decision
Ok Myoung Kim def. Hyeung Seok Lee via guillotine choke 1:16 R1