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Rodrigo "Minotauro" Nogueira recently told Tatame magazine the following statement regarding Ricco Rodriguez as his next possible opponent on PRIDE's August card:

Tatame: Now with your opponent changing once again, it looks like you will may get a chance to avenge your submission wrestling loss to Ricco Rodriguez...Is this fight confirmed?

Minotauro: Ricco has given his okay. The only thing now is to reach an agreement with PRIDE on renewing my contract for one more year. We're having conversations to define my payment and if everything works out fine, then I will be fighting Ricco. It'll be a fight that I'm sure will end up on the ground, but if he hesitates I will surprise him during the standup as well. I'm training like crazy for my return to the circuit. When I lost to Ricco in submission wrestling (ADCC), I was coming straight from RINGS and I had a serious knee injury. I competed while injured and he took advantage of that opportunity and got a knee bar on my injured knee. Today I have more experience, more technique, and am injury-free.

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Tatame magazine caught up with former Brazilian jiu-jitsu and ADCC champion Saulo Ribeiro at the Brazilian jiu-jitsu world cup taking place right now in Brazil. Ribeiro mentioned to Tatame magazine that he has signed a contract with the UFC and is scheduled to debut for them in November. Below is a short interview conducted by Tatame:


TATAME: How do you feel being away from the mat?

Saulo: It sucks to be watching from the sidelines, especially since I've competed in all the world championships and am used to a strong pace. On the other hand, since I was always competing I couldn't really be there as a coach for my students. This has been a very good experience for me this year.

TATAME: Why did you decide not to compete this year?

Saulo: Last year I only faced competitors who had just been promoted to brown belt, but the guys who started out with me had unfortunately stopped already. It left me a little unstimulated. But I want to return, and I hope that people keep training hard and that the challengers are much better.

TATAME: During this time will you be doing MMA?

Saulo: Exactly. I'm going to compete in a Muay Thai fight next Wednesday (23rd) in an event called "Knock", in Rio de Janeiro. I had to extend my time doing seminars in the US from one week to five weeks, and it cut into my training. But I'm back now. I'll be fighting in an MMA tournament in September and I just came to terms on a contract to fight in the UFC in November.

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Our Gracie informant just got off the phone with his sources in Spain, and has relayed the following account of the events that unfolded yesterday between Gracie and his students and Damien Riccio:

Damien's version of events is completely false, much like his original account of his first fight with Robin. Riccio initiated the altercation raising his fists at Robin. The fight that ensued was a one-on-one fight between Robin and Riccio. The whole time Riccio was being punched by Robin, Riccio was screaming to one of his companions to get a gun. As the Gracie crew left the scene they heard a single gun shot, though no one was wounded.

No one else was harmed or even touched in the altercation and any other claims by Riccio are as usual completely false. There is a saying in Brasil that "lies have short legs", and Riccio should learn by his past mistakes that his lies will not go very far at all.

respectfully,

Postal Connection #546456

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Kevin Randleman

Kevin Randleman is currently in Tokyo for the ZERO-ONE event and did an interview for PRIDE while there. One of his more interesting comments involved praising pro-wrestler Nobuhiko Takada as the reason that Kiyoshi Tamura will beat Olympic Judo gold medalist Hidehiko Yoshida in the upcoming PRIDE GP. Was Randleman being honest or just showing courtesy to his PRIDE bosses? You be the judge:

Randleman: It doesn't matter. I mean, I've taken out guys bigger than me. Size isn't what matters; it's the fighter's heart. Tamura has a strong heart. His teacher was Takada, right? If he learned everything that Takada knows, he will beat Yoshida, without a doubt.


Some more interesting comments by Randleman included:

Randleman on Quinton 'Rampage' Jackson: Rampage is a great fighter, physically and mentally. His body shape is similar to Arona and I think it's going to be a tough fight. But, Rampage is going to win. He beat me, after all! If I were betting, I'd bet on Rampage.

Randleman on Chuck Liddell vs. Allistair Overeem: This is a really good match-up. I think it's going to be a good fight but the answer is simple. Chuck will win because he also beat me.

Randleman on Vanderlei Silva: Ah, I forgot one thing. It will be no surprise no matter who wins the tournament but there is one guy who cannot win this tournament. Silva! He doesn't have respect for any fighter. Silva, you aren't the champ anymore. Your time is over!

Kevin Randleman will not be in the PRIDE GP. The two Americans in the PRIDE GP are Quinton Jackson and Chuck Liddell, both of whom have TKO wins over Randleman.

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KOTC has three shows coming up in August:

August 2nd KOTC returns to New Mexico on the 2nd. The show will be held at Sky City Casino in San Fidel, and the card will be headlined by Diego Sanchez vs. John Cronk. The rest of the card will feature up-and-comers from the area as well as local products and established KOTC fighters Diego Sanchez, Keith Jardine and Lightweight Champion Thomas Schulte.

August 10th KOTC heads back to Soboba Casino in California.

August 16th KOTC heads to Las Vegas.

None of these cards are pay-per-view shows. The next pay-per-view show is in September.

For more information check out kingofthecage.com
Tickets are available through Sky City Casino at (505) 552-6017 or check out their website at skycitycasino.com


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According to the Wrestling Observer newsletter, Pride has fired Stephen Quadros as lead announcer of the PRIDE english-language broadcast team. He will be replaced by Jerry Millen, a sportscaster out of Detroit. Speculation is that part of this may be because Michael Braverman is no longer producing the shows.

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Shannon Briggs

Saturday, July 19th, 2003

Former heavyweight boxing champ Shannon Briggs will be fighting John Sargent in a boxing match in the AFC 4 event tonight in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.

The MMA portion of the card will have a special emphasis on two feature bouts at 155 lbs between four world class lightweights. They are:

Din Thomas vs. Steve Berger
Vitor 'Shaolin' Ribeiro vs. Ivan Menjivar

Also on the card is ATT's undefeated Dustin Denes as he continues his rise to the top, taking on Japan's rugged Akira Shoji.

The undercard features the return of Jeff 'The Snowman' Monson, more MMA, ladies MMA action and one more boxing bout.

Tickets available at Ticketmaster

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PRESS RELEASSE: Zuffa, LLC Announces a New Look and Format to its Ultimate Fighting Championship Pay-Per-View Programming

LAS VEGAS, NV, July 17, 2003….The Ultimate Fighting Championship pay-per-view sports programming, that began as an ‘over the top’, no holds barred spectacle ten years ago, is overhauling its production. The on-air presentation will better reflect the significant changes Zuffa, LLC has made to this evolving sport as well as a newly acquired legitimacy and respect in the sports world. “We listened to sports media experts, the analysts and handicappers who were telling us some of the over-the-top spectacle was preventing us from being taken seriously. Often the mainstream press didn’t understand who we were and the seriousness of the sport of Mixed Martial Arts,” said Dana White, the president of the U.S.’ premier Mixed Martial Arts sports association.

“The production values of the past got us attention and put us on the map with fight fans from all walks of life. But, the larger audiences of football, hockey and even boxing fans were a bit confused by it and told us they found it somewhat distracting. They weren’t used to the pyrotechnics and the elaborate entrances. They said it reminded them of pro wrestling, which is not at all what we’re about. MMA under the UFC brand is an intense, aggressive, real combat sport that is the most thrilling and entertaining sport you can watch. However, we realized the entertainment value comes from the raw power and real skill within the Octagon, not the theatrics outside it.”

The Ultimate Fighting Championship, nearing the three-year mark under new ownership, cited a tradition of high production values that will remain unchanged. Specific changes will also be implemented to enhance the on-air graphics presentation as well. (These will be updated variations of broadcast sports programming elements currently in use such as logo animations, elevators, wipes and dynamic roll-ins all of which are contemporary elements in use today by other sanctioned sports.)

“These changes will enhance the viewers’ overall experience and better satiate their growing appetite for extreme, edgy, high-risk sports by providing an undiluted presentation of the action as well as a better understanding of the fighters, complexities of the disciplines and the historical roots of this extraordinary combat sport,” said Steve Tornabene, vice president of production for UFC’s televised and home video/DVD products. “The new look will make the seriousness of the sport more evident by stripping away some of the spectacle of the past. HBO boxing is a gold standard of combat sports programming and has provided some of the inspiration for these changes,” he added.

The new look will debut live on pay-per-view at UFC 44: Undisputed live from Las Vegas at 10 p.m. EDT on Friday, September 26. That bout features an historical main event between two light heavy weight champions, Tito “The Huntington Beach Bad Boy” Ortiz and Randy “The Natural” Couture. The fight, billed as “Champion versus Champion,” will be a first in UFC history, pitting two concurrent titleholders to determine who will be the undisputed champion in that weight class.

The Ultimate Fighting Championship, headquartered in Las Vegas, Nev., is the world’s premier mixed martial arts sports association. Owned and operated by Zuffa, LLC, the UFC programs six live pay-per-view events yearly through cable and satellite providers. In addition to its U.S. distribution on iNDemand, DirecTV, Dish Network, TVN, EchoStar, Bell ExpressVu and Viewers Choice Canada, UFC events are distributed internationally through WOWOW, Inc. in Japan, Globosat in Brazil, Main Event Television in Australia and Sky Network Television in New Zealand. Zuffa, LLC licenses the distribution of UFC video games through Crave Entertainment and TDK Mediactive.

The UFC’s next live PPV event will be UFC 44: Undisputed at 10 p.m. EDT on Friday, September 26, from the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas, Nev. Locate the UFC on the internet at www.ufc.tv.


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By Tape Lord


Robin and Royce Gracie.

Hello my friends, my postal connections in both the Gracie camp and in France have confirmed to me the following:

Robin Gracie did indeed head off to France with fifteen of his students and Royce Gracie. Robin and his group found Damien Riccio at a bar where he bounces, located next to the academy. Riccio knew it was on and stood up to fight and both men began fighting immediately. One of Riccios friends went to run to their academy to get friends and some gunshots were also fired into the air, at which point the Gracies and their students then left.

The details are sketchy right now, but according to people in the Gracie camp, Robin was getting the best of Riccio up until the gunshots broke up the fight.

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Dana White

UFC president Dana White appeared today on MMAWeekly Radio Show and talked about a few current topics surrounding the UFC. One of the more interesting things White discussed was Chuck Liddell's participation in the upcoming PRIDE middleweight GP. According to White, he had wanted to match Liddell against PRIDE's 205-pound champion Vanderlei Silva for two years now. Why PRIDE would belittle and de-value their belt by putting their champion (Silva) against a fighter who's not even a UFC champion (Liddell) obviously never crossed White's mind.

Nonetheless, White went on to say he is supremely confident that Liddell would win the GP, but then later added that if Liddell loses that they would have to see how he fits into the UFC title picture. White also mentioned that PRIDE's new president Sakakibara started talking smack about the UFC first. Although this is inaccurate as Dana White, the rest of Zuffa, and much of the pro-UFC media have been taking pot-shots at PRIDE for almost three years now.

When asked if the rumors of Royce Gracie's return would take place in UFC 45, White responded with, 'Anything's possible'

When asked if the rumored matchup of Tank vs. Cabbage for UFC 45 was true, White responded with, 'Anything's possible'

White did say that Vladimir Matyushenko vs. Andrei Orlovski would now take place in UFC 44, and also that BIG announcements were on the way concerning the future of the UFC.

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ShootBox's revolutionary new ring

NAPMA, one of the world's largest professional martial arts associations, has teamed up with American MMA icon Frank Shamrock to launch a new event called ShootBox.

The premier ShootBox event will take place at the Orange County Convention Center (OCCC) on Saturday, August 23, 2003. Some thirteen mixed martial arts fights are scheduled to take place in what is being referred to as "the box." In addition, a variety of top caliber martial arts demonstrations and celebrity guests will also be featured at the event. The fights will take place inside of a new type of ring without walls or ropes. The sight of vision is open and gives unparalleled view to the audience as well as camera access for television and film.

According to Shamrock, "We selected the National Association of Professional Martial Artists (NAPMA) as our initial marketing partner. ShootBox will present its inaugural event on August 23rd in Orlando Florida. This partnership, in conjunction with the NAPMA World Conference, will assure a sell out crowd and launch ShootBox on its United States tour." NAPMA President Rob Colasanti adds, "It's truly an honor to be working with the legendary Frank Shamrock to launch ShootBox at the 2003 World Conference. All of our guests will receive a complimentary ticket to this historical event, which will take place directly next door to our convention site. Our guests can simply walk right over and it won't cost them a penny."

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Anderson Silva

Anderson Silva recently did an interview for Brazilian magazine Tatame. He discussed many things including his loss to Takase as well as his future. Below are the main quotes of the interview:

Tatame: You had just come off a major victory over Carlos Newton in PRIDE 25. What did you do wrong in your recent loss to Takase?

Anderson: I'm not the type of guy to make excuses. The truth is that it was Takase's night. Everything went right for him and he used his head in making a good strategy to beat me. I opened up a cut on his head early on but I wasn't able to capitalize off of it. When he got me in the triangle, I tried to resist as much as I could but he had it in real tight. Eventually I had to tap.

Tatame: It was only your second loss in your MMA career. How do you feel about it?

Anderson: For me, fighting comes natural. I'm still in one piece and without a scratch. I lost the fight, but that's all part of the game. The champions who don't think they can ever lose will end up as very frustrated people. I'm fine and I will learn from my mistakes.

Tatame: What will change now in your training or way of fighting?

Anderson: I can't let happen again what just happened against Takase, when he passed my guard and mounted me. I'll have to work harder in training to perfect my ground game. I do fine in my standup and my ground game was doing fine until losing to Takase. I want to fight with more intelligence and technique. Fighting is just not trading punches.

Tatame: How will you go about this?

Anderson: Most athletes who study their opponents usually win. Take Emelianenko Fedor for example, he studied Minotauro's game real well and now he has the belt. I want to start studying my opponents more now, so I can analyze their weak points and take advantage of them. I also want to perfect my ground game, and plan on participating in submission and jiu-jitsu competitions.

Tatame: What are the chances of seeing you participate in the next Brazilian jiu-jitsu mundials that's taking place in July, in Rio de Janeiro?

Anderson: Who knows? I'll see what Christiano(BJJ black belt who trains Chute Boxe in submissions) thinks of it. Either way, submission fighting is not my profession. I'd only be entering the submission and BJJ tournaments as a way to improve my ground game.

Tatame: When will you return to fighting?

Anderson: I might be competing in the next STORM Muay Thai event. As for PRIDE, I gather I won't be back until the end of the year because the August and November shows will be for the middleweight GP.

Tatame: You have expressed a desire to eventually compete most of the time in K-1. Do you still plan to do this one day?

Anderson: Yes of course. But I'd still have to gain a lot of weight and this just doesn't happen from one hour to the next, without compromizing some technique and stamina. You will still be seeing me for a long time to come in PRIDE.

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Robert "The Prince of Leglocks" Ferguson

Robert Feguson is not only known as "The Prince of Leglocks", but he is also a professional dietician and trainer of MMA champions. Below is one of his most famous recipes made recently famous by the Ferguson-trained rising star Jeremy Jackson. The dish consists of Tuna, Yams, and Mustard. It is especially designed to give you tremendous amount of energy for work-outs, while at the same time getting you leaner.

TUNA, YAMS, AND MUSTARD RECIPE

1. Open a can of albacore Tuna and put it in a bowl.
2. Cut up your yams and put them in the microwave for 4 minutes.
3. Take them out of the microwave and put them with the tuna.
4. Get some mustard or BBQ sauce and sear your tuna and yams.
5. Enjoy!

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Adam "BARNONE" Guerra (second from left)

PRESS RELEASE: Hammer House fighter Adam "Barnone" Guerra is now in hard training in preparation for his upcoming bout in the new Japanese promotion "X1". Adam is taking this fight very seriously and is working hard to improve his already formidable submission and striking skills to build on the takedowns he has honed in training with the Hammer House.

Adam will be training with Anthony Argryos of Team Renzo. Anthony is a 5-times NAGA champ and one of Americas best pure grapplers. Adam will also be
training with Julio Cesar Chavez boxing coach in Mexico.

Adam is looking to prove to the doubters that he is a world class MMA fighter and destroy the myth that Hammer House fighters are one dimensional
with a quick and decisive victory.

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HEAVYWEIGHT


1.) Fedor Emelianenko Russia
2.) Rodrigo 'Minotauro' Nogueira Brazil
3.) Josh Barnett USA
4.) Tim Sylvia USA
5.) Ricco Rodriguez USA
6.) Mirko 'CroCop' Filipovic Croatia
7.) Heath Herring USA
8.) Gan McGee USA
9.) Pedro Rizzo Brazil
10.) Bob Sapp USA


LIGHT HEAVYWEIGHT


1.) Randy Couture USA
2.) Vanderlei Silva Brazil
3.) Quinton 'Rampage' Jackson USA
4.) Chuck Liddell USA
5.) Vitor Belfort Brazil
6.) Tito Ortiz USA
7.) Ricardo Arona Brazil
8.) Kevin Randleman USA
9.) Dan Henderson USA
10.) Murilo 'Ninja' Rua Brazil



MIDDLEWEIGHT


1.) Murilo Bustamante Brazil
2.) Frank Juarez-Shamrock USA
3.) Anderson Silva Brazil
4.) Paulo Filho Brazil
5.) Matt Lindland USA
6.) Kazushi Sakuraba Japan
7.) Phil Baroni USA
8.) Ivan Salaverry USA
9.) David Loiseau Canada
10.) Amar Suloev Armenia


WELTERWEIGHT


1.) Matt Hughes USA
2.) Carlos Newton Canada
3.) Sean Sherk USA
4.) Hayato Sakurai Japan
5.) Frank Trigg USA
6.) Gil Castillo USA
7.) Nathan Marquardt USA
8.) Matt Hume USA
9.) Kiuma Kunioku Japan
10.) Pete Spratt USA


LIGHTWEIGHT


1.) Takanori Gomi Japan
2.) B.J. Penn USA
3.) Kaoru Uno Japan
4.) Din Thomas USA
5.) Jens Pulver USA
6.) D. Mishima Japan
7.) Vitor 'Shaolin' Ribeiro Brazil
8.) Duane 'Bang' Ludwig USA
9.) Javier Vazquez USA
10.) Genki Sudo Japan


FEATHERWEIGHT


1.) Alexandre 'Pequeno' Nogueira Brazil
2.) Joao Roque Brazil
3.) Stephen Palling USA
4.) Hiroyuki Abe Japan
5.) Norifumi 'Kid' Yamamoto Japan
6.) Hermes Franca Brazil
7.) Ivan Menjivar El Salvador
8.) Jeff Curran USA
9.) Naoya Uematsu Japan
10.) Katsuya Toita Japan

AFP fighter rankings can be viewed at AFP TOP 10

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HEAVYWEIGHT

1.) Emelianeko Fedor
2.) Minotauro Nogueira
3.) Mirko Cro Cop
4.) Josh Barnett
5.) Tim Sylvia
6.) Ricco Rodriguez
7.) Heath Herring
8.) Vladimir Matyushenko TIE- Pedro Rizzo
10.) Gan McGee TIE - Mark Coleman

LIGHT HEAVYWEIGHT

1.) Randy Couture
2.) Tito Ortiz
3.) Chuck Liddell
4.) Vanderlei Silva
5.) Vitor Belfort TIE - Quinton Jackson
7.) Ricardo Arona
8.) Dan Henderson
9.) Murilo Ninja Rua
10.) Jeremy Horn

MIDDLEWEIGHT

1.) Murilo Bustamante
2.) Matt Lindland
3.) Phil Baroni
4.) Sakuraba
5.) Pele Landi
6.) Anderson Silva
7.) David Loiseau
8.) Dave Menne
9.) Ivan Salaverry
10.) Paulo Filho

WELTERWEIGHT

1.) Matt Hughes
2.) Sean Sherk
3.) Carlos Newton TIE - Nathan Marquardt
5.) Gil Castillo
6.) Pete Spratt
7.) Jake Shields
8.) Hayato Sakurai
9.) Dennis Hallman
10.) Robbie Lawler

LIGHTWEIGHT

1.) Takanori Gomi
2.) BJ Penn
3.) Caol Uno
4.) Yves Edwards
5.) Din Thomas TIE Duane Bang Ludwig
7.) Genki Sudo
8.) Jens Pulver
9.) Jason Maxwell
10.) Matt Serra

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Frank Shamrock

Frank Shamrock was on MMAWeekly.com's radio show today and announced that he has a contract in hand for him to compete in PRIDE's inaugural Las Vegas card that is scheduled for early next year, in either January or February. Shamrock also mentioned that the opponent PRIDE has mentioned for him may be Japanese icon Kazushi Sakuraba. More info to come in the next few weeks.

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Evangelista Cyborg standing over a downed Osami Shibuya in Pancrase.

It's just been confirmed that Evangelista Cyborg will be the opponent for Mauricio "Shogun" Rua in Meca 9, set for August 1st in Teresopolis, Rio de Janeiro. Shogun's original opponent was Carlinhos Lima, but Lima had to withdraw due to injury.

Seven days before his fight against Shogun in Meca 9, Cyborg will be taking on 'Gladiador', a Muay Thai specialist out of Vitor Belfort's new team Brazil Fight Club. When asked if two tough fights in one week would take too much out of him, Cyborg had this to say, "I've done five fights in a month and three fights in one night. To fight two times in one week is like paradise for me, it's easy!" Cyborg confidantly added, "The fight with Gladiador won't interfere one bit with my fight against Shogun".

Meca 9 will be broadcast live on Brazilian pay-per-view, and then on Premiere Combate (NET/Sky) for all of Brazil and Portugal.

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Anotnio Inoki and Wallid Ismael on the latest cover of Tatame magazine.

Brazilian fighter Wallid Ismail is teaming up with Japanese legend Antonio Inoki to stage a unique MMA event in Brazil, scheduled for September. Jungle Fight will feature eight Brazilian fighters facing eight fighting stars from abroad, performing in front of only 200-300 special guests, including 100 guests from Brazil and 100 International guests. The most amazing part about the concept is that the show will take place in the heart of the Amazon forest, showcasing one of the most beautiful landscapes on earth, taking place in a beautiful hotel located in the middle of the Amazon wild. The project includes a floating ring on the Amazon river!

The show will be broadcast on free Japanese TV. According to Wallid, the objective of him and Antonio Inkoi is to help attract the world's attention to the deforestation in the Amazon, which grew a devastating 40% last year. One likely fight taking place on the card will feature the return of Josh Barnett, going up against BTT veteran Carlos Barreto. More info on this event will be coming in soon.

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Heat Fighting Championship will hold its inaugural event on July 31st of 2003 in the Brazilian northeastern city of Natal. The aim of the show is to promote the sport of MMA in the country and introduce the avid Brazilian fans to a truly professional show and sport, with flawless production and plenty of excitment. The event will be holding press conferences, rules meeting and weigh-ins at the beautiful five-star Piramide Palace Hotel, located literally in front of the beach.

On July 29th, a press conference will take place counting with the most important fighters of the show, and holding all fighting and local press as well, with all the press having access to a press-room with cable internet connection from where they will be able to send information on the spot about the press conference, as well as rules meeting and weigh-ins on the following day.

On July 31st, the night of action will be presented at the Machadinho Arena, holding up to 10.000 spectators, including a press-room at and a VIP section for the important guests of HEAT FC. Spectators on hand for the night of action will witness breath-taking fighter presentation and entrances, several big screens giving all the audience the best possible view of the action, and plenty of more surprises.

The second show is scheduled for December of 2003. It will be broadcast for most of the entire Northeastern Brazilian region by SBT, the countries second biggest OPEN NETWORK. This alone marks a major victory for MMA in Brazil, since it has been relegated only to cable broadcasts over the only to cable broadcasts over the years. SBT is the same network that once broadcast Vitor Belfort's 37.5 outing, reaching impressive rating levels. A DVD version of the show is also planned.

The card for HEAT FIGHTING CHAMPIONSHIP 1: GENESIS:

UNDERCARD:
Fabio Bolinho (Kimura/Nova Uniao) vs. Charles Andrade (Mario Sucata Team)
Lucas Lopes (Kimura/Nova Uniao) vs. Josao 'Zeca Doido' (Key Jiu Jitsu Team)
Angelo Araujo (Brazilian Top Team) vs. Edson Paredao (Campina Grande/PB)
Alexandre 'Baixinho' Barros (Ruas Vale Tudo Team) vs. Josenildo Tigre (Buda Team)
Haroldo 'Cabelinho' Bunn (Brazilian Top Team) vs. Gleidson Tibau (Kimura/Nova Uniao)
Silmar Rodrigo vs. TBA

MAIN EVENTS:
Ebenezer Fontes Braga (Budokan/Ruas Vale Tudo Team) vs. TBA
Carlos 'Carlao' Barreto (Brazilian Top Team) vs. Ben Rothwell (Kenosha Freestyle Academy)

* Card Subject to change, with one more fights likely to be announced. Fighting order not decided yet.

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By Tape Lord



With the UFC 44 line-up for September now complete and official, the UFC 45 line-up for November is now starting to take some shape. The big rumor is that Zuffa will bring Royce Gracie back for UFC 45 as part of its UFC 10th anniversary celebration. The guy they would want to match Royce up against is Matt Hughes. Below is a what is believed to be the card Zuffa has in mind for UFC 45, according to our informant at Zuffa called "Coffee Guy":

Royce Gracie vs. Matt Hughes
Tank Abbott vs. Wes "Cabbage" Correira
Pedro Rizzo vs. Ricco Rodriguez
Frank Mir vs. Andrei Orlovski
Vitor Belfort vs. Rich Franklin
Phil Baroni vs. Lee Murray or Joe Doerksen
Matt Lindland vs. Falaniko Vitale
Robbie Lawler vs. TBA
Duane Ludwig vs. Genki Sudo




The card above breaks down into the following:

Confirmed fighters to compete on the UFC 45 card:
Tank Abbott
Frank Mir
Andrei Orlovski
Pedro Rizzo

Most likely to be on the UFC 45 card:
Wes "Cabbage" Correira
Ricco Rodriguez
Vitor Belfort
Rich Franklin
Phil Baroni
Matt Hughes
Robbie Lawler
Matt Lindland
Falaniko Vitale
Lee Murray

A possibility to be on the UFC 45 card:
Royce Gracie
Duane Ludwig
Genki Sudo
Joe Doerksen

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Yesterday we reported that the Japanese media was saying that former UFC heavyweight champ Josh Barnett was most likely to be Rodrigo "Minotauro" Nogueira's opponent in next month's PRIDE GP event. Today we have found out that Minotauro's opponent may be none other then current former UFC heavyweight champ Ricco Rodriguez. This has been confirmed to us by people training with Ricco. Tatame magazine of Brazil also reported this rumor as well and had it confirmed by Minotauro instead.

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Mario Sperry will be out of training for 6 weeks after breaking his hand in training. The injury occurred in a sparring session when Sperry landed a right on former PRIDE heavyweight champ Rodrigo "Minotauro" Nogueira's hard head. It's the same hand Sperry broke in his victory over Andrei Kopylov in PRIDE 22. In the meantime, Sperry will be focusing his time on his work as BTT's manager and also on an MMA tourney he is helping to organize in the South of Brazil.

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The complete line-up for UFC 44 is now official:



UFC 44: Undisputed
September 26, 2003
Las Vegas, Nevada

Randy Couture vs. Tito Ortiz for the UFC light heavyweight title

Tim Sylvia vs. Gan McGee for the UFC heavyweight title

Wes "Cabbage" Correira vs. Andrei Orlovski

Caol Uno vs. Hermes Franca

Dennis Hallman vs. Jeremy Jackson

David Loiseau vs. Jorge Rivera

Rich Franklin vs. Edwin Dewees

Gerald Strebendt vs. Josh Thompson

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PRESS RELEASE - Reno, Nevada (July 15, 2003) - Silver Legacy is pleased to bring King of the Cage back to Reno on Saturday, August 16 in the City Center Pavilion. After an overwhelming audience response to the first two live events held in 2002, Silver Legacy will once again be the home of the mixed martial arts competition featuring professional fighters from around the world.

Created just over three years ago, King of the Cage is known internationally for presenting only the most exciting matches. King of the Cage fighters compete in a no-holds-barred sport utilizing many forms of combat including Jiu-Jitsu, Muay Thai, wrestling, street-fighting and kick-boxing. In the cage, all styles are welcome and encouraged but to consistently win, participants must be well versed in every aspect of fighting sports.

The August 16 fights in Reno will bring dozens of skilled fighters to the cage who will all be battling for the glory and honor of becoming the King of the Cage. Featured on this fight card are three Reno fighters returning from King of the Cage: Sudden Impact held at Silver Legacy in 2002: Rick Collup, Jimmy Walker and Rocky Batastini.

In a main event match Brazilian fighter Gustavo "Ximu" Machado (6-1-1) will take on Benji Radach (10-1-0). Machado, Brazil's latest phenomenon, will face tough competition in Radach who has been an unstoppable competitor. Sparks will fly as "Superman" Dennis Hallman (22-7-1) and Drew Fickett (12-1-0) meet in the cage. Hallman is known to be one of the sport's best fighters, proving himself time and again against the most elite fighters globally. James Fanshier (3-3-0) and Joey Villasenor (9-3-0) both return to Reno after fighting in the City Center Pavilion in previous King of the Cage events.

"King of the Cage is the fastest growing extreme sport out there," says event promoter and former fighter Tedd Williams. "Once people see a competition they become immediate fans."

Witness the awesome mixed martial arts event you have been hearing about -tickets are going fast for this thrilling night of hard-hitting and aggressive knockouts, submissions and straight-up mixed martial arts fighting prowess. Ticket prices to see King of the Cage are $150, $100, $75, $50 and $40, and are available at silverlegacy.com and tickets.com, through Silver Legacy reservations at 1-800-MUST-SEE or 325-7401 in Reno, and at the Resort Casino's Club Legacy booth on the main casino floor.

Stay and play with us at Silver Legacy Resort Casino! Voted Reno's "Best Must-See Attraction" for the second consecutive year in the 2002 Casino Player magazine reader's poll, Silver Legacy is a 1,720-room Victorian-themed hotel - the tallest in northern Nevada. The Resort Casino boasts every amenity for a perfect getaway destination: 85,000 square feet of thrilling gaming space, 90,000 square feet of state-of-the-art convention space, Catch a Rising Star Comedy Club, six fabulous restaurants and eateries, top name entertainment, elegant boutique shopping, an award-winning health spa, the world's largest composite dome and mining rig and Rum Bullions Island Bar - Reno's only rum bar. For reservations, call 1-800-MUST-SEE (1-800-687-8733) or 325-7401 in Reno, or visit the Resort Casino online at www.silverlegacy.com.

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Eugene Jackson

PRESS RELEASE: Battle Ground Brings MMA Back to Chicago! Battle Ground Entertainment is entering the ever growing number of promotions in mixed martial arts, and they're doing it in a big way. Their inaugural show, War Cry, will be held in the 5,500-seat Odeum Sports Arena in Chicago on Saturday, July 19th at 7 p.m. This will be the first mixed martial arts contest approved by the state of Illinois and the first MMA event in Chicago since 1996.

Sanctioned by the ISKA, War Cry will be full mixed martial arts rules in a boxing ring. The card currently stands at nine action-packed bouts featuring several UFC veterans from across the country, as well as many up and coming fighters. The current card (subject to change) is:

Eugene Jackson Team AKA vs. Tony Fryklund Team MFS for the 185-pound ISKA Title.
Chris Lytle Team IF vs. Laverne Clark Team MFS - 175 lbs.
Brad Gumm Colorado BJJ & MMA vs. Antoine Skinner - 155 lbs.
Jeff Gerlick vs. Vaughan Palelei - Heavyweight.
Rich Franklin Meat Truck Inc. vs. Roberto Ramirez - 205 lbs.
Mike Patte Meat Truck Inc. vs. Davion Peterson Team IF - 205 lbs.
Kyle Helsper Team IF vs. Kevin Knabjian Gilbert Grappling - 185 lbs.
Travis Wiuff vs. Terry Martin - Heavyweight.
Jon Fitch vs. TBA.

Tickets are currently available at www.TicketMaster.com, event name War Cry, and the Odeum Sports Arena. Company Information Battle Ground Entertainment was formed to bring the best in Mixed Martial Arts to the Midwest and other areas that were previously in the dark.

We strive to bring the highest level of professionalism and production to benefit MMA and the MMA community. Networking fighters with other aspects of marketing has enabled us to increase the size of MMA rather then simply appealing to the fans that are already out there. Another cornerstone philosophy of Battle Ground is to educate those who are ignorant of our exciting and growing sport in a manner that will legitimize the sport. By working with sanctioning bodies such as the International Sport Kickboxing Association or ISKA we are striving for success. Battle Ground Entertainment is always growing and thanks you the fans for support.

Discuss this at FIGHTSPORT.COM

By Todd Atkins



Todd: I heard Ray Cooper pulled out of your event on short notice, like possibly yesterday or the day before. I know Sakamoto (shooto head guy) is not happy, your thoughts?

T.J.: Ray has always been one of my favorite fighters. I am extremely dissapointed he won't be fighting. It is true that the folks in Japan are not happy about this. But it is not up to me to decide how "hurt" is "hurt". I am not the one stepping into the ring with a top 5 Shooto guy (Hironaka). I will respect Ray's decision and wish him the best in the future.

Todd: How do you feel about hosting the first ever Shooto Title fight outside of Japan?

T.J.: As a promoter this is my proudest moment! I have been a fan of Shooto for many years and will be for many more. I do not always like the politics that goes along with the organization, but no one can deny they produce top tier fighters. We have a shot of reaching an attendance of close to 9000! And with this stacked card they will be sure see a great night of entertainment. We have spent 10's of thousands on production and pre-packaged interviews and highlights. I am so amped for tomorrow, you would not believe it!

Todd: What fights are you looking forward to besides Egan's fight with Suda in the main event?

T.J.: Without a doubt the Kid Yamamoto vs. Jeff Curran fight! Anybody who thinks Kid will walk through Curran has another thing coming...I think Kid is a 3-2 favorite at best. The drama behind the fight is fantastic....Curran knocking out Baret Yoshida and then his cornerman Relson taunting Baret. Kid stepping into the ring to defend his friends honor. And of course the remote
possibility of Enson in one corner and Relson in the other.....HOLY SHIT!!!

Todd: How are some of the fighters looking now that the weigh ins have been completed?

T.J.: Ready to re-hydrate!

Todd: What is your personal feeling on the status of Superbrawl, what does the future hold?

T.J.: It's funny...As excited as I am about this event...I am equally concerned about the next few. It is really gonna be hard to follow this. I was at the Shamrock/Ortiz UFC and was completely blown away at the momentum that came from that event. But UFC proved that "you are only as good as your last event". So we will have to work real hard in the coming months to hold the many new fans that will come tomorrow night.

Todd: Your feelings on Falaniko Vitale getting a shot at Lindland in the UFC?

T.J.: I am very excited that everybody thinks he has no chance. Please don't tell anyone otherwise. I plan on making a bundle betting on the big underdog Vitale!

Todd: What did you think of Cabbage's win over Sean Alvarez?

T.J.: I guessed he was gonna have an easy night at the weigh-ins. Any fighter coming in at 229lbs to fight Cabbage is going to have a rough time...unless they are a world-class freestyle wrestler with sick-submissions.

Todd: Let's do a little pre fight promotion for the event. Where can the FIGHTSPORT.COM fans see it?

T.J.: Oh ya! Free webcast Friday night at 10:30pm PST. Make sure you have the free RealOne player installed. Go to www.superbrawltv.com and use the following login info: e-mail: tjay@superbrawltv.com, password: SB4free

T.J.: Big thank to Olympic Sportsbook (www.thegreek.com) for offering this free service. All odds are up for Super Brawl at www.thegreek.com

Todd: Can you think of any other way to shamelessly plug the event?

T.J.: NO.

Todd: Closing comments?

T.J.: I barely have time to return phonecalls today.....How the hell did you get me to take 20 minutes to answer these Troll-iview questions?

Chuck Liddell, who is is a 4th degree blackbelt in Hawaiian Kempo Karate, was just presented last night in Las Vegas with a purple belt in Brazilian jiu-jitsu by John Lewis. Liddell's trainer, John Hackelman, was also on hand in Las Vegas to congratulate Liddell on his belt promotion.

For UFC fans, this most likely news means that hope is fading of any match between Chuck and Tito Ortiz taking place. Tito has been known to avoid highly ranked BJJ fighters like the plague his entire career, so one more reason Tito will never step up to chuck in most people's opinion.

JOSE "PELE" LANDI-JONS: "The punch was so surprising that I didn't even see it. When I realized it I was already down. The fight was very easy up to that point, then suddenly I was caught by a lucky punch. Never in my whole life have I been hit like that. I've never been knocked out in my whole life. I thought that it would be a very easy fight and that I could completely control him. I felt I could have won the fight if I were able to control him on the ground, and even in the standup game. The standups by the ref were very fast however."

LEE MURRAY: " He was a tough guy. I knew Pele was a tough guy anyway. I knew I was expecting a long fight. I didn't think I was going to go in and just knock him out straight away. I knew I had to bide my time and wait for my opening. His clinch work was strong. He got me round the back of the neck, and it was tough, but I knew he was going to be tough, that's what he likes to do, he likes to clinch, he likes the knees, but I knew that once I landed my shot he was going down. His chin ain't gonna take the power. Its put me to the top. This is a big step for me. I know now that Pride and UFC have gotta open their eyes to me now, they gotta take me. There’s no ifs or buts now. Pele’s never been stopped. I knew that once I landed my shots on him he ain’t standing for my power, there ain’t no 185(lb) fighter in the world that can stand to my power. No-one stands to my power."

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Vitor Ribeiro (top) in action against Ryan Bow (bottom).

It's now official, Vitor "Shaolin" Ribeiro will be facing Ivan "The Pride of El Salvador" Menjivar in the AFC event this Saturday in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Menjivar now fights in the 145 pound division but will make a return to the 155 lbs weight class for this fight.

Ribeiro is the AFP ranked no. 7 lightweight(155) in the world. Menjivar is the AFP ranked no. 7 feathweight(145) in the world.

AFP fighter rankings can be viewed at AFP TOP 10

PRIDE GRANDPRIX 2003
August 10th, 2003
Saitama Super Arena, Tokyo, Japan


COMPLETE BRACKETS:
- Kazushi Sakuraba Japan vs. Vanderlei Silva Brazil
- Quinton Jackson USA vs. Ricardo Arona Brazil
- Hidehiko Yoshida Brazil vs. Kiyoshi Tamura Japan
- Alistair Overeem Holland vs. Chuck Liddell USA


Aside from these four matchups, DSE President Sakakibara said there will be 3 or 4 heavyweight matchups and one middleweight matchup. As of now, these are those rumored matchups:

Rodrigo "Minotauro" Nogueira vs. Josh Barnett
Mirko "CroCop" Filipovic vs. Igor Vovchanchyn
Heath Herring vs. Mark Coleman
Kazuyuki Fujita vs. Assuerio Silva
Ryan Gracie vs. Daiju Takase




Mr. Sakikabara also revealed the prize money as follows;

1st: 20,000,000 yen
2nd: 5,000,000 yen
3rd & 4th: 2,500,000 yen

Discuss this at FIGHTSPORT.COM

By Todd Atkins


Robert "The Prince of Leglocks" Ferguson

Todd: You recently have been making a name for yourself as a Trainer of Champions. What do you feel gives Team Freedom the edge? What kind of special training do you, and your team do?

Robert: Nutrition and exercise are emphasized in our camp. As the co-owner of Wellness Weight-Loss where I specialize in helping people lose weight permanently, I automatically offer guidance to members of Team Freedom. As a professional weight-loss coach, my knowledge of healthy eating and exercise empowers my role as a trainer and coach for mixed martial artists. As far as our cardiovascular conditioning goes - we take pride in being in shape-all the time. We run hills, box, kick, wrestle, weight train for both endurance and explosiveness, and we do cardio kickboxing. The emphasis in are conditioning is to be strong, agile, supple, quick and able to maintain muscle endurance and stamina throughout a match. I constantly challenge our fighters and nutrition is the foundation for our overall ability to perform.

Todd: Why do you think it took so long for the pros to seek you out for fighting advice?

Robert: I have been training with quite a few big names for a long time now. From Scott Adams to Rico Chipperrelli to spending quality time with the likes of Bas Rutten, Tito Ortiz and Chuck Liddell to name a few. You come and train in our school and you are likely to see some very popular and highly skilled fighters on the mat. Right now I am in negotiations to train a very popular and top rated boxer who I will name later. I am very fortunate to be working with so many awesome people and the future definitely looks bright.

Todd: You recently extended your special training offer to MFS fighter Jens Pulver. What holes to you see in his game? And what kind of technical expertise could you provide in fixing them?

Robert: I like Jens Pulver as a fighter. I liked him as a UFC champion. Jens is a class act. However, I always speak the truth and that means verbalizing what I feel is true in my opinion. There is no doubt that I can help Jens take his game to a higher level. I am sure he has some good training, however, if he is a true champion, which I feel he is ... maybe I will get the chance to work with him. The only hole in Jens game that I can see is his stand up, which I predicted when he fought Duane Bang Ludwig. If I coached Jens for that fight I would have had him use his wrestling skills-take Duane down and work from that point. The second hole in Jens game is that he doesn't’t seem to plan to win. Planning is a big part of this game. If he had planned a strategy against Duane he would have done much better. Take each fight one at a time-plan it out and then execute.

Todd: Jens Pulver is making his Japan Shooto debut in June, how do you think he will fare?

Robert: He will do well in Japan. He has good enough stand up that he will dominate. Many of the shooto fighters lack striking skills and Jens will dominate anyone that lacks striking.

Todd: What holes did you specifically see in Robbie Lawler's game that led you to believe that Pete Spratt would beat him?

Robert: I am sorry, but Robbie was brought along too fast. As a coach, I wouldn't’t have had Robbie fight Spratt. Anyone else but Spratt. As I predicted, Spratt was too much for Lawler. It did look like Robbie had a good plan by taking Spratt down, but I feel Robbie was overwhelmed by the confidence of Spratt. Robbie had too many doubts in his head and that is why he was doomed from the start. Robbie is great for the sport, but he isn’t that skilled with his striking. But, what I am saying may not make sense to many fight fans because they remember him destroying people with his hands. Nonetheless, if you know boxing-it is apparent that his stand up skills aren’t polished enough to fight someone like Spratt.

Todd: How would you personally approach a fight with someone like Pete Spratt?

Robert: Unless you are a skilled kickboxer, the best approach to defeating Spratt at this time in the game is to take him down, controlling him and wrestle your way to submitting him. Spratt is going to be a force from this day forth. It appears to me that he continues to improve each and every time. Carlos Newton fought Spratt wise; however, Spratt doesn't’t look like he is going to allow that approach to work again. Kudos for Spratt!

Todd: Along the lines of Lawler and Spratt, what is your take on the recent attempts of mma fighters to cross over into K-1 with mixed results?

Robert: I think it is exciting! I think it is great for the fans, and I feel that having more MMA fighters cross over will give them the added confidence to make MMA matches more exciting.

Todd: There is a big fight involving Vernon "Tiger" White and Jeremy Horn coming up. Who do you think will win this bout and why?

Robert: Wow! This is a tuff one to call. I am and have been a big fan of Jeremy Horn. I think Jeremy Horn is awesome. And, Vernon is the type of fighter who rises to the occasion. This is a tuff fight to call. I believe this will be the most difficult fight for Vernon to date and he has fought some very skilled fighters. I like to predict fights, but this one is too close to call. I will actually pay to watch this fight.

Todd: I want to ask you about your personal opinion on some of the top fighters out there today. Which ones do you think stand out? And which ones do you feel are a bit too over-hyped?

Robert: Royce Gracie still stands out. He is history and one tough dude. Royce is not done. The most skilled fighter under the UFC umbrella is without a doubt Bustamante. This guy is both old and new school rolled into one. At 185 pounds he is practically unbeatable at this moment in time. I also think Dennis Hallman is one of the most under-rated fighters. Hallman is very tough and it amazes me that he is not featured more often. When it comes to hype, there are quite a few of these fighters. No disrespect intended, but I have always felt Rico Rodriguez was more hype than show. Now that I think about it more, there aren’t many over-hyped fighters that come to mind. Everyone is getting so good these days. Everyone is a threat.

Todd: You also recently did some training with Duane Ludwig, what is your take on his abilities as a fighter? And what specifically did you work with him on?

Robert: Duane is awesome. Class act! Very nice, humble and highly skilled. It was an honor to work with Duane. We [Team Freedom] enjoyed his company and we look forward to his return. I knew he would win against Genki. Again, I predicted the win. I guess I am becoming the “Greek” of MMA. Our time with Duane was spent working on not being taken down, working off the cage and avoiding submissions. Duane is a prime example of a fighter who researched his opponent and created a plan. He stuck to the plan and he won.

Todd: Ceaser Gracie's camp seems to have a little bit of bad blood with you. Would you consider fighting another one of their fighters in your career? I did not see your fight with Gil Castillo, can you tell me a little bit about how it unfolded?

Robert: I don’t know what Ceaser Gracie’s camp has a problem with. But that’s there problem. I think his camp is awesome. They have some great fighters. All very nice and extremely skilled. As far as me fighting one of his students in the future-maybe, maybe not. I did want to fight Gil Castillo again, just so I could knock him out. But, Gil turned down the opportunity at Scott Adams WEC show a couple of months back. When I fought Gil, as you will see on the tape ... I had two days notice. I got a call to fight on Monday and after teaching privates in the morning, coaching one weight-loss client and doing laundry, me and my student (Brian Peterson) jump in my car and drove four hours and I fought him. [Laughter] I hadn’t wrestled for over a month. I hadn’t boxed in four months. All I was doing at the time was teaching cardio kickboxing. However, I won the match. I beat him on our feet-I won! After the fight-everyone said I won. Even the announcers on the tape say I was robbed. When Andy Anderson raised Gil’s hand he looked over at me and said, “You just got robbed.” Chuck Lidell was in my corner and he and Scott Adams were quick to tell me I was robbed. But, none of it mattered. I took that match because it was a great opportunity to see how I would perform against a trained fighter without training for the match. It was an experiment to me.

Todd: What did you think of Gil Castillo's fight with Matt Hughes? And what are your thoughts on his proposed upcoming match with Frank Trigg?

Robert: I was pulling for Gil. I believed Gil had a good chance if he would let his hands fly. Gil is tough, but he holds back. If I were coaching Gil, I would spend a significant amount of time working on his striking combinations and confidence. After the first minute of the match, it was obvious to me that Matt was too much for Gil. Matt Hughes is a great champion. He is going to be tough to beat, but if he fights Trigg ... he will be tested. Trigg is very tough and he has a great coach in his corner (Rico Chipperelli)

Todd: I feel that Ceaser is a bit bitter towards you and your recent success. Do you agree with me?

Robert: Again, I am not sure what is going on with Ceaser. It is obvious that he has a good program and some very talented fighters. I am happy for his success. All I know is that we are civil in public and I always say hello to him and many of his students.

Todd: Have you ever considered fighting professionally overseas in Japan? Who do you see as some of the best fighters out here?

Robert: Yes. Eric Paulson was going to see what he could do, but then again, my business keeps me busy and I love my profession. Some of the best fighters out there right now compete in Pride. Otherwise, Chuck Lidell is one of the best right now. Also, Tito Ortiz is very good. There are quite a few very talented fighters competing in events all over North America.

Todd: I want to ask you about your views on the major events in the sport right now. What do you think the state of the UFC is at this point? What are they doing wrong or right in your view?

Robert: Well, the biggest problem with the UFC and other venues is that the fighters have no identity. Some people describe those competing as mixed martial artists - no-hold-barred fighters - others say ultimate fighter - then you have cage fighters. As an industry, specifically the UFC-it would help to come up with a name just like in boxing you have boxers and in wrestling you have wrestlers. Once we have an identity, entertainment should be considered a priority. For instance, I fought the former UFC Middleweight Champion, Dave Menne and he outweighed me by 16 pounds and I won. You haven’t seen me in the UFC. It’s not that I don’t want to fight in their event, I would love to fight in the UFC, but it doesn't’t work that way. There is an agenda I don’t meet it. But, if entertainment is priority -- I am sure there are many fans-especially those on the Internet that would love to see me fighting in the octagon. But then again, I am not interested in fighting in smaller shows for $300 or $600 dollars just to get video of me beating someone up.

Todd: Likewise, what are your views on PRIDE, and would you consider fighting in it?

Robert: Pride is awesome! Stephen Quadros attempted to help me get into Pride, but I stopped the pursuit. I would fight in Pride just because it is like the super bowl of MMA, but my business is my first priority and unless someone from Pride comes to me-I am not interested in pursuing a fight with them.

Todd: Monte Cox recently stated that the ICC was interested in matching you and Jeremy Horn. What happened to keep the fight from being sealed?

Robert: Media stunt. There are some funny things that go on behind the scene. I walk around at 173 pounds and Monte wants me to fight Jeremy Horn. Are you kidding? This is funny! If Monte did say something like this ... I am disappointed. Obviously, the only guy they believe would beat me from their camp is Jeremy Horn. I feel honored that Monte would mention me in the same breath with Jeremy Horn. Again, Jeremy Horn is one of my favorite fighters to watch. [Laughter]

Todd: What events are looking to negotiate with right now?

Robert: I am talking to Darren Dodson of the UAGF, Scott Adams of the WEC and Guy Hinton from the mid-west. The problem I have and you can call these promoters is finding an opponent that will fight me. I am always in shape, and whoever I fight will have a fight. Many of these so-called champions and tough guys talk, talk and talk more than they are willing to compete. I am a threat for many fighters.


Todd: Tell me a little bit about your up and coming fighter Jeremy Jackson who recently beat Shonie Carter?

Robert: Jeremy Jackson is a stud. I met Jeremy a few years back after he left a note on the door of my school saying he wanted to be a world champion. Still 17 years of age, Jeremy had the desire, determination and appeared to be dedicated. He started off slow, but in little time he began learning quickly and his warrior approach to training caused him to become very skilled as both striker and grappler. Jeremy is a young man living his dream or what I refer to as vision. He doesn't’t ask questions, he just takes action. He has a heart of a champion, good looks, great physical presence and skills. Prior to his fight with Shonie, I made a prediction to many of the fans on the Internet that Jeremy would win. I knew he would win, because I knew Shonie’s plan. Shonie had no idea of what he was coming up against. Jeremy, like the true professional fighter that he is ... executed the plan and the outcome is what it is. However, Shonie is a class act and very talented.

Todd: Do you have any other prospects that you are training for fighting careers?

Robert: Yes! We have a crew of about eight guys in preparation to make their debut. I have one of the best 140 pound submission experts training with me. He [Brian Peterson] has been with me for seven years and he has won submission grappling events from the west to the east coast. He is working on his stand up right now and will soon move into the world of MMA. I have another 170 pounder name Cisco Lopez and he is going to be a force to be reckoned with. You will hear about him very soon. Then we have a cast of other fighters on Team Freedom as well as professionals from other teams training with us.

Todd: Let's talk about the business side of the sport. You are one of the more outspoken people in regards to the dirty side of the fight game. I have always found an interest in that myself. What are your views on what you have seen and learned in regards to fight promotion and deals? Not many fighters speak out on this subject, Bernard Hopkins is one that is well known for doing it in boxing.

Robert: Today there are fighters getting paid less than $500 to walk into the cage to test their skills. Actually, there are fighters getting paid $100. This is sad and the promoters are to blame. I was around the UFC from the beginning. I wrote about it, I was a judge and I coined the name Mixed Martial Arts. I recommended the term to Art Davie and actually established a column in Karate/Kungfu Illustrated magazine titled, “Mixed Martial Arts.” Anyway, the business side of the sport sucks, but it will improve as more money, managers, professional agents, lawyers and more promoters get involved. I could tell you some crazy things about what I have seen, unfortunately, that would take a lot of time.

Todd: What kind of mistakes do you see fighters making career wise? I am asking more in regards to the political side of a fight career, and not the fighting itself.

Robert: Fighting for little money. Not having a manager to mediate for them. Not getting paid what they are worth.

Todd: Since we are on this subject, what is your take on the situation with Tito Ortiz and the UFC in depth when it comes to money, fighting, and politics?

Robert: There is an argument on both sides. Tito does deserve a bigger pay day. Unfortunately for Tito, he should take the fight with Chuck and then move on. At this point, Tito will have to live the rest of his life questioning whether he made the right decision. I know Tito, I have trained with Tito and I am a fan of Tito. I found it somewhat sad that many of the fans didn't’t stand behind Tito and help him get paid what he is worth. Only time will tell.

Todd: What do you think the ideal career path would be for a fighter starting out?

Robert: Get with a credible team. Train hard and consider the first three fights as warm up. Win or lose ... it won’t matter, just get in the cage and learn. The experience of fighting in the cage is awesome and something everyone should experience at least once. After a few fights, take time and evaluate whether or not you want to continue and if so ... get a manager and pick your fights carefully. Don’t settle for any fight. Be smart and pad your record like so many others do.

Todd: Do you follow boxing at all? If so, who are some of your favorite boxers out there right now?

Robert: Yes! I love boxing. Roy Jones, Jr. is phenomenal. He is the life force of boxing. I am a big fan of Roy and I have studied him and his style since 1988. There is a lot to be said about Roy Jones, Jr.

Todd: I went to an IFC show a few years ago in Fresno. Although it was poorly handled behind the scenes, it seemed to be a real up and coming gig. Now it seems to barely create a blip on the mma radar. What do you think went wrong with this show?

Robert: Nothing went wrong except a little politics here and there. Paul Smith is a very smart and determined man and sooner than later the IFC will re-establish itself.

Todd: I recently saw UCC representative JT McCarthy badmouth and publicly challenge on an Internet forum. What do you think about the UCC as an organization? They have obviously have had a ton of public problems lately. Do you find it odd that an organization would allow such an individual to represent them in this manner? Also does it bother you when small fish in the industry challenge you in this manner?

Robert: [Laughter] I don’t know much about the UCC. I have no idea who this guy is. Obviously, he is wanting to establish his name by childish methods. I can’t comment on the UCC because I don’t know what their story is. However, I can be reached at (805) 236-4765.


Todd: Is there is anything else you would like to say?

Robert: I receive quite a few emails from fight fans and I would like to thank everyone who has supported me and member of Team Freedom. We have an open door policy and welcome anyone to our school. For those of you who do not know me, all I ask is that you not judge a book by its cover. There is a lot that goes on behind the scenes that many of you will never know about. But, if you ever see me at an event ... come hang out and I will tell you some funny, but true stories.

Kimo

It was confirmed by Japanese media that Kimo will be facing Bob Sapp on the K-1 qualifier show set to take place in Las Vegas later in the year. Bob Sapp, who weighs roughly 370 pounds (168 kg), would have about a 125 pound (57 kg) weight advantage on the 245 pound (111 kg) Kimo.

Minotauro

According to sources in PRIDE, the fight between former PRIDE Heavyweight Champion Rodrigo "Minotauro" Nogueira against Mirko "CroCop" Filipovic will most likely not happen on PRIDE's August 10th card. Minotauro himself wanted to take this fight badly and was just waiting on PRIDE to approve the matchup. However, it now looks as if CroCop will likley be facing Igor Vovchanchyn instead. As for Minotauro, according to inside sources, chances are now high that he will face none other than former UFC heavyweight champion Josh Barnett, although this nothing has been signed yet. Stay tuned for more info about this possible matchuip in the next few days.

By Todd Atkins



Todd: Ok, lets get right down to it. I recently interviewed Robert Ferguson. I mentioned to him in regards to your posting on mma.tv that he rejected a fight with Jeremy Horn. Here was his response word for word: "Media stunt. There are some funny things that go on behind the scene. I walk around at 173 pounds and Monte wants me to fight Jeremy Horn. Are you kidding? This is funny! If Monte did say something like this ... I am disappointed. Obviously, the only guy they believe would beat me from their camp is Jeremy Horn. I feel honored that Monte would mention me in the same
breath with Jeremy Horn. Again, Jeremy Horn is one of my favorite fighters to watch. [Laughter]" - Robert Ferguson

Would you like to give a response to this?

Monte: I offered the fight because I saw a thread that said Horn was ducking Ferg. We have been looking for an opponent for Horn to make his 185-pound debut against in the ICC event. I thought I'd offer...


Todd: Let's talk a little bit about Jens Pulver. Right now he is looking at making a debut in shooto, and possibly doing K-1 max from what I see in Japanese mags. Tell me what kind of plans you have coming up for him?

Monte: Jens will have a 3- or 4-fight deal in Shooto that will end with him fighting Gomi... at least, that's the plan. He's also fighting in Hook N Shoot later this month and will fight in that big England show in July. He's ready to get back to his old busy self.


Todd: Shooto Champion Takanori Gomi will be facing Vitor "Shaolin" Riberio in November for the WW Title. Who do you think will win the fight and why?

Monte: I have to go with Gomi... he will be on top most of the fight as he is the superior wrestler. Shaolin is awesome, but will probably have trouble catching Gomi and lose a decision.


Todd: In regard to Jens' fight with Duane Ludwig. Looking back on it what are your thoughts?

Monte: You know... I give credit to Ludwig. You can call it a lucky shot, or whatever, but he did was nobody else was able to do in the last three years. I'm hoping Jens respons like he did when he lost the time before that and goes on a 3-year win streak.

Todd: Murillo Bustamante has a lot in common with Jens. He also has now left the UFC and is looking to land more money elsewhere. What do you know about his situation, and what similarities do you see with it and Jens' situation with ZUFFA?

Monte: Really, no comparison. Jens was probably the lowest paid UFC champ ever. He won six fights in a row and wanted to make enough so he could buy a car, maybe a small house some day. We got zero negotiation. We got an offer, and no movement after that... it became very personal. Bustamante won 2 fights in a row... was being paid decent, and wanted the big bucks. He gambled and lost. I don't blame him... but there was a good offer made and he turned it down... then later came back. That's not the same as never getting a decent offer.

Todd: Do you know if ZUFFA is operating at a profit or not? What kind of financial situation do you think they are currently in?

Monte: There's no way Zuffa is making a profit. I doubt anybody thinks otherwise. It is a concern as a lot of us need the UFC to make a living.
Obviously Tito Ortiz is being talked about lately, what is your take on his situation? What do you think about the LHW Championship picture overall? I've said this before... I waited until Jens' contract ended to try to negotiate... I think that is how it should be done. However, I don't have even a small idea of all the things that went on behind the scenes... the promises, etc... It's a decision Tito and his manager have to make... I hope it works out for him.

Todd: How do you think the fight between Chuck Liddell and Randy Coutore will unfold?

Monte: I really, really like both guys... so I won't pick a winner. Coutore wins in the clinch, Chuck from outside... not sure about ground... or if it will go there. Great fight.

Todd: Tank's return to UFC ended up as a dud. Now he is fighting Kimo in his second outing. Tell me what you think of the whole Tank and UFC project?

Monte: I'd prefer not to watch it. Don't really care. This isn't the future of MMA... this is a stunt to get viewers... I hope it works for Zuffa... but I'm not interested in this at all.

Todd: Your HW Champion is fighting Gan McGhee next, tell me what you think of him and the match up?

Monte: I'd love to do the poster for this one! It's a freak show... they should have a circus atmosphere and midget ring girls. Buffer should wear a clown outfit... I think it will be a very exciting fight.

Todd: Let's talk about the last UFC and how your fighter's faired. What are your thoughts now that the event is over?

Monte: I manage Hughes and Franklin, so we went 2-0... pretty good. I was confident, but not overconfident in both matches. Rich did as I expected. Matt had some trouble, but that was expected, too. I hated to see Robbie lose... he's a real nice kid. He's managed by Pat Miletich, but I got him most of his early fights. He told me he was out for 6-9 months with the hip injury.

Todd: What do you think about the current direction of the UFC? Where do you see it in 3 years? What would you change about it if you were running things?

Monte: Obviously, Zuffa wants TV... it needs it to grow and prosper... I hope it works out for all our sakes. I wouldn't run the UFC if they paid me Joe Silva's huge salary... too many headaches.

Todd: I have mixed feelings about the UFC's courting of the NSAC. What benefits do you think it has provided, and what negatives have come with the pairing? Do you think being sanctioned by the NSAC is necessary for the success of American MMA?

Monte: The huge crowds being drawn in Vegas are keeping Zuffa going. If those crowds were half as much, the losses would be so much worse. The sport had to have Nevada to make it.

Todd: You recently hooked up with ZST, what kind of plans do you have with them?

Monte: I have 2 guys... Clementi and Curran going there for a tag-team match on June 1. It sounded like fun and both guys wanted to go to Japan... so we're doing it. I hope ZST becomes another show for me to send fighters to on a regular basis.

Todd: I know you and Jeremy Horn had to come to Japan in participation with Maeda's trial? What was that experience like?

Monte: Odd... translation was awful. Even court translator messed up often... and probably messed up more than we know.

Todd: What is your take on Maeda?

Monte: Oh, I like Maeda a lot... don't agree with some things he has done and he needs to control that temper, but he's been very good for the sport and is a national hero in Japan.

Todd: What are the differences for you as a manager dealing with Japanese shows, and American shows?

Monte: Deal making in Japan is tough... you wait a lot... things get changed a lot... at the last minute. You never seem to get a deal done.


Todd: PRIDE is the biggest show in MMA right now, why do you not have any active fighters in it?

Monte: I live in the Midwest... we don't have a lot of showboat guys... you, know, characters. Japan likes that. Horn, Hughes, Miletich, Menne... not the kind of guys who will wear a wedding dress like Rodman. Although Pat would be a handsome bride! Chewing and all.

Todd: What do you think of their plans to go into the American market? And how do you think it could possibly effect the American MMA scene?

Monte: Pride will have a hard time here... It will draw, it has good fighters and interesting matchups... but it won't be profitable. Not like it is in Japan. But, hopefully, I can get some guys in the show.


Todd: Recently I mentioned to you a fighter that I heard was pulling out of an upcoming show with very little time to find a replacement. My question to you is when is it ok in your view to do this, and when is it bad?

Monte: Well, it's never good to pull out... but it is worse to fight injured. This is a rough sport and people will get hurt in training... it is something you have to accept as a promoter. But... a fighter should contact the promoter ASAP... finding a replacement takes time.

Todd: The UCC is having some problems paying fighters that competed at their last show, several whom you manage. Would you care to comment on the current status of this situation?

Monte: Stephane and I are friends... we've discussed this situation many times. He ran into trouble, but plans to make 100% restitution... we are waiting for that to happen but are confident it will.


Todd: What is the worst experience you have had in the business side of the fight game?

Monte: You know, I've promoted over 150 shows, used more than 1000 fighters and managed 30 people. And in the 7 years I've been in the business, there are not too many things I would consider bad. Hoffman saying he would kill my wife and family is probably the worst... but little things, like guys you have helped out not paying you for services ... those are disappointing. I have never not paid a fighter... so when I get a fighter a fight and we have an agreement, it bothers me when they don't keep their end. Like it would them if they fought and I didn't pay them. Then again, there are only a couple of guys who have done it -- they know who they are.

Todd: What kind of career path would you recommend to a fighter that is just starting out?

Monte: Get some amateur fights, get in a gym with people who fight, and get somebody to help guide your career. You may think management is just about money... but it is more about decisions when you're starting out. I see a lot of good fighters who have bad records... they were put in too fast at too high a level. It's too bad.

Todd: If you had to give key advice to upcoming manager what would it be?

Monte: Don't BS promoters. They all talk... they know when you are lying. And lay things out on the table with your fighters... give them the up and down side and let them help make a decision.

Todd: What mistakes do you see managers making out there today?

Monte: Again, hurrying the guys into the pros and into top fights.

Todd: What are the positives and negatives of being a successful MMA manager? Why are there so few successful managers in MMA right now?

Monte: My problem is that I have a big group of talented guys... and there are only so many shows that pay decent. Believe me, I spend a lot of time at this... sometimes 20 hours a day... I go to bed at 4 a.m. and am up between 8 and 9... I'm on the phone alll the time... working contacts and trying to get people work. And, still trying to make sure I'm taking the right matches. Most people can't spend the time on it, and it takes time to be profitable... if you get into it to be rich... bad choice!

Todd: I know you have a good working relationship with Superbrawl promoter T Jay Thompson. I know Shooto is parting ways with him after this show on Friday. What kind of shows will you be working with him on in the future?

Monte: We do shows just so we can golf together... and we have a fondness for strip places (we are always on a ring girl search). We don't always make money, but we always have fun doing shows together.

Todd: Who is currently dominating the golf course, you or him?

Monte: You know... I think I usually shoot the better score... although it goes in streaks... but he's great at winning money. Of course, if he'd come to Iowa, and play MY courses, it might be worse for him.

Todd: Who are some of the fighters at MFS or Extreme that we do not know about, that will be coming around in the future?

Monte: I would have said Franklin, but I guess that secret is out. Spencer Fisher is 7-0 at 170 and is a blast to watch. I still think Clementi will make it big... hell, I got a guy named Horn who is training harder now than he ever has... he might have a future.

Todd: You were a pro boxer in your younger years. What kind of career did you have, and who was the most famous guy you fought?

Monte: I boxed for fun... I played basketball most of my life, walked on at a Div. 1 school and never got off the bench in 2 years. Tried boxing and liked it... went pro because the tappity-tap scoring didn't suit my slow style. I didn't fight anybody famous, but was offered a couple... I was asked to fight Foreman in a 4-rounder but he cancelled when his wife was overdue with one of their children.

Todd: As a former boxer and fan, who are some of your favorite boxers right now? What do you think of the state of the game at the moment?

Monte: It's sad... I still like boxing, but I can't get interested like I used to. MMA has just stole my heart and that's all I think about. Somebody says, "what do you think of Jones?" and I say, you know Jesse has all the skills... and they say, "No, Roy Jones"...

Todd: Any parting shots you want take?

Monte: Naw... it should be noted that I answered all these questions in like a half-hour... only 3 hours before I have to get up and fly to Hawaii... what a life!

July 13th
Osaka, Japan

150 pounds [-68Kg] 2 x 5 minutes rounds
Tomoyuki Fukami defeats Masashi Kameda by KO, 3:46 RD 2.

198 pounds [-90Kg] 2 x 5 minutes rounds
Hiroyuki Ito defeats Koji Okuyama by judges decision (3-0).

167 pounds [-76Kg] 3 x 5 minutes rounds
Seichi Ikemoto defeats Kyosuke Sasaki by judges decision (3-0).

171 pounds [-78Kg] 3 x 5 minutes rounds
Eiji Mitsuoka defeats TIBAU by TKO, 3:41, RD 2.

180 pounds [-82Kg] 3 x 5 minutes rounds
Ryo Chonan defeats Yuji Hisamatsu by decision (2-0).

Ladies: 121 pounds [-55Kg] 3 x 5 minutes rounds
Anna Michele Dantes defeats Yuka Tsuji by armbar, 3:55 RD 1.

Grappling match (20 minutes)
Hayato Sakurai & Masanori Suda drew with Kiuma Kunioku & Hideki Monma

152 pounds [-69Kg] 3 x 5 minutes rounds
Dokonjonosuke Mishima defeats Masakazu Imanari by TKO, 2:58 RD 2.

By Jake R



As sources inside the mma industry have confirmed, Clementi is being brought in to replace Gill against Shaolin in the upcoming AFC. This should be a very entertaining and quality matchup, as AFC continues to put together great cards and matchups.

By Tape Lord


Dana White

Hello my friends, my postal connections at the television networks tell me that both FOX and TNN(soon to be Spike TV) are interested in showing the UFC on their network.

My contact at Zuffa, who I will just refer to as Coffee Guy, has also confirmed this to me and says that the Fertittas are telling Dana White(LOL) not to f*** around this time to take any deal they can get.

PIC: Lee Murray taking out PELE Landi - 4 pics series, by Keith Mills

July 12th, 2003 - London, England


London, England - Extreme Force came to town with 8 fights intact and went off well for a first-time promotion. Local hero Lee Murray maanged to come back from a 1st round beating to KO Pele, Jean Silva defeated Robbie Oliver in the most exciting fight of the night, and Jason Black made quick work of Mike Jonson as the most notable bouts. Full details to follow.


COMPLETE RESULTS:
- Gaz Roriston def Mark Day 1:30 r2 by rear choke
- Neil McCleod def Ricky Salavan 1:15 r1 by armbar
- Tengiz Tedorodze def Remco Pardoel 2:34 r1 by submission to strikes
- Alex Evans def James Shiavo 4:50 r2
- Cyrille Diabete def James Zikic by unanimous decision (28-29, 28-29, 28-29)
- Jason Black def Mike Jonson 1:35 by guilotine choke (from north/south position)
- Jean Silva def Robbie Oliver 4:00 r1 by triangle choke
- Lee Murray def Josi 'Pele' Landi 0:32 r2 by KO

MMA Media members from around North America had been invited to join a telephone press conference for the ucoming UFC "Undisputed" card in Sept. UFC President Dana White, Tito Ortiz, Randy Couture, Danny Sheridan and Tito Ortiz's manager were on hand to field questions from the media and announce the that the main event on Sept 26 would indeed be the Tito Ortiz vs Randy Couture fight that had been speculated over the past week. Here is a rundown of the more interesting questions and answers that took place between Randy Couture, the media, Tito Ortiz and Ortiz's manager:

Randy Couture: I suppose I should thank Tito for creating this situation in the first place, and allowing me to come down from Heavyweight and compete against Chuck I think. “Undisputed” is a great name for the title of this fight coming up I look forward to the opportunity to compete against Tito. I don’t know about calling this championship I hold now, an interim title, cause I was willing to step up and fight the guy that Tito really didn’t want to fight, and did so handily. But Tito is a great fighter, well rounded a lot of great skills, and I think this once and for all settles the dispute, and unifies this weight class. I savor the opportunity to get in there.

Tito Ortiz: it is great to be here, you guys are probably going to see one of the greatest fights in UFC history. Not let alone Randy being the ex heavyweight champion, now he is going to be the ex interim champion. I have nothing but respect towards Randy but once again this belt is mine, and you guys know Tito Ortiz fills seats and gives always the best fights in UFC history and this is going to be one of them.USA Today sports columnist and analyst

Danny Sheridan: Right now I am opening Tito a slight 8 to 5 favorite over Randy, and it is safe to say Randy has done for his sport then George Foreman has done for his sport, Randy is an underdog, it is unbelievable he rarely loses, I am not sure he has lost as an underdog, as Dana said earlier he was a solid 3 to 1 underdog against Chuck Liddell and he looked like he should have been a 7 to 1 favorite so this looks like a pretty good fight, normally someone of Randy’s age would be much larger underdog but he has proven that he can more then hold his own and I don’t think that age is a factor so I am going to open him, Him being Tito an 8 to 5 favorite.

Jason Probst Maxfighting.com: Randy were you surprised that it was 8 to 5 [Odds] against you this time as it always seems to be?

Randy Couture: I am not necessarily surprised, Tito has a long standing run in the weight class. He is the younger athlete, and I don’t think that a lot of people give me the credit for being the late bloomer that I am. That suits me fine, I don’t mind being the underdog I seem to thrive in that situation and this will be no different.

Mike Sloan Sherdog.com: (Randy Couture) Say you win you mentioned in an interview before you fought Liddell that when you win the title you want to go up to heavyweight and win the title then. Is that still your number one plan or are you just focusing on Tito right now.

Randy Couture: It is an idea, and I am certainly not going to look past Tito. I am going to focus on Tito and take the opportunities as they come. I think that would be a neat idea but I don’t mind not playing around with those big buggers anymore either.

Unknown: Tito one thing I do want you to talk about is the fans, what would you like to say to them, the ones that stuck by you and the ones that haven’t.

Tito Ortiz: All my fans out there, I mean, there are people who are dogging on me, and just dogging on me, and there is fans out there that are going, “man stick with Tito Stick with Tito you just don’t understand”, and those are the true fans. Those are the fans that really realize, and the ones who aren’t, those are the fans who want to see me get beat and those are the Randy fans I guess. At the same time I got to say thanks to all the fans, if it wasn’t for those guys, those guys wouldn’t be getting the best of Tito Ortiz. Those are the people that are making me train, each and every day as hard as I do, put myself through the grueling workouts, and I gotta say thanks to them.

Unknown: And Randy real quick for you, Here you are Champion you hold the belt, but 85 percent of the questions are going towards Tito does that bother you.

Randy Couture: No that doesn’t bother me at all…

Tito Ortiz: Wait, wait, wait, wait, wait… last time I looked at my bedroom, I think there was a belt next to my bed. “Yup”, and it is still there too and does say light heavyweight Champion on it and the last time I remember, I got through beating up Ken Shamrock,

Randy Couture: It doesn’t change the fact that you weren’t willing to fight Chuck for whatever reason and I did.

Tito Ortiz: I have no problem with that at all, your beating is going to come soon enough but at the same time, last time I looked I am still the champ.

Tito's Manager: This is Glen Mckusker Tito Ortiz’s management I think Dana White can clear that up as far as who the Light heavyweight Champion…

Randy Couture: I don’t think Dana needs to clear it up we will clear it up this September.

Tito Ortiz: Exactly…

Tito's Manager: I think for the record I guess everyone knows who is the Light heavyweight champion, and who is Interim…

Randy Couture: Well we know you have your opinion. Again, I think we will settle it once and for all in the fight they are calling undisputed in September and the rest is semantics at this point.

Tito's Manager: I think that is the best way to play it off but as long as we know.

Josh Gross Maxfighting.com: My question is for Tito, the last three months, it seems like everything involving you had to do with your contract situation. Revolving around Chuck Liddell, revolving around your injuries revolving around your movie career. All of a sudden Randy fights Chuck, Randy wins now the contract talk has gone out the window, why the quick 180 degree turn on that?

Tito Ortiz: Like I said the movies over. We are done this week, I want to fight, I want to step into the octagon. I want to prove people, show people what I can really do, if there is Couture, and if there is Liddell it wouldn’t of mattered. The toughest fighter is Couture so the people are going to get a better fight then Chuck because if I would have fought Chuck it would have been the same thing that Couture would have done, and people don’t understand that. But I would rather have a better fight then just fighting Liddell, if the fight happens the fight happens, but right now Couture earned his right where he is right now. Like I said, I got nothing but respect for the guy (Couture), and l like him a whole bunch, and actually he is my wife’s favorite fighter but at the same time, I mean feel sorry for her because she will feel sad when I beat him down.

Randy Couture Chuckles

Josh Gross Maxfighting: Are you alright in the way everything pulled out in terms of your negotiations? Are you happy with the modified contract that you got, is that what enabled you to step in the ring, if they would have modified the contract and you would have been fighting Chuck now would you have signed on the dotted line?

Tito Ortiz: It would have done, done deal, delivered and either way man, like I said I had my entertainment stuff before and I am done with it. Now it is time to step back into the Octagon and do what I do best, and that is stomp peoples asses.

Josh Gross: You have alluded several times today that you feel that he [Tito Ortiz] avoided Chuck and I think that there is some consensus among the fans that he avoided Chuck. Is that going to play into this mentally at all do you think? You have something hanging over his head that you actually took out Chuck Liddell and he didn’t?

Randy Couture: I can’t speak for Tito and his reasons for not fighting Chuck. There is a lot of speculation there, I don’t know if that is a factor or not, that is for Tito to deal with, not for me to worry about.

Flattop Fightnews: Tito would you even consider moving up to the heavyweights at some time in the future?

Tito Ortiz: I don’t know. I am still growing, I am 28 years old I am still getting bigger and bigger. My walk around weight is around 218, that is about what Randy’s walk around weight is, he sees what he can do at heavyweight. I don’t know… those guys are really big guys about 6 foot 8, 265 pounds, I mean that puts a wear on you when it is in the third and forth round, as Randy has seen when he fought Ricco Rodriguez. It is just a factor of, I don’t know… it depends on what my body does, I think I am quicker, faster, stronger at 205 pounds. I mean I am a ferocity killing machine at 205 and people are gonna see me and what I can really, really do. I mean like I said, I am getting better and better I am learning each and every time as a champion. Not learning? You better get out of the sport. It seems like I am still learning, I am here to stay for a while and Randy Couture Sept 26th, he is going to have another loss on his record, He has to go to Pride with Chuck so you never know.

Sherdog.com: My question is for Randy, since beating Chuck, do you think age is still a factor and do you feel any more confident in your fight against Tito?

Randy Couture: I don’t think Age is a factor yet. I have no allusions, I am not getting any younger. Lets face it, at some point you are going to slow down, at some point your body is not going to heal and recover the way it used to. Some of that goes on now, at 40, but I feel just as fast and just as explosive as I have been in my athletic career. Going down to 205 has helped me out a big deal, so I am confident that I can compete with Tito and be successful, and that is what I am looking forward to doing.

Arnold “The Sushiboy” Lim MMA Ringreport: Hello, my question is for Tito, it seems like you weren’t really happy when the UFC made the Interim title, did you feel slighted or insulted when the UFC made the interim title? You seem a little upset about it.

Tito Ortiz: Actually I was. I felt really disrespected. It was a factor of all of a sudden put Tito out of the picture, all of a sudden to me it seems like I am now the Challenger. Of course I am the champion, but there is a little feeling of being the underdog and I love being the underdog. Of course on the lines I am not the underdog but I got something to prove. Taking out Randy Couture in a really great fashion is my job and we are going to see what happens come Sept 26th. I am really excited, I think this is going to be a great fight. I think that Randy Couture is going to bring the best out of Tito Ortiz and I’m going to make another notch in my belt.

Arnold “The Sushiboy” Lim MMA Ringreport: I have a few more things to ask of Randy, for Randy it seems like he is a little insulted to hear that Tito is the True Light heavyweight champ. Do you feel like you are the true light heavyweight champ, and Tito is in fact the interim champ because he wouldn’t fight Chuck Liddell?

Randy Couture: Well I think it was academic, Chuck took a back seat to Tito for a long time and for whatever reason that fight didn’t happen. I was willing to come down, step up and fight Chuck. I demonstrated great skills and earned his spot and earned his shot at the title, and he didn’t get that opportunity with Tito. So the situation was created that he was going to get that title and unfortunately I came out on top that night and now I am holding that belt. I feel like I have earned the right to call myself the Light heavyweight champion and I guess that is why we are having this fight to settle it once and for all.

Arnold “The Sushiboy” Lim MMA Ringreport: Do you think that Tito was scared of Chuck Liddell?

Randy Couture: I can’t say that I don’t know, Tito can answer that question.

X-1 is Japan's newest promotion which mixes real MMA fights and pre-determined pro-wrestling matches on the same card. Their inaugural event will be called World Japan "X-1", and takes place on September 6th from the Yokohama Bunka Gymnasium in Yokohama, Japan.

The card is as follows:

1. Devito Vazquez vs. X

2. Jeff Ford vs. Philip Perez

3. Daniel Peter vs. Jay Macon

4. Jimmy Westfall vs. Adam Vernon Guerra

5. Dave Garcia vs. John Finch

6. Katsuhiko Nakajima vs. Liquid Rob

7. The Headhunter vs. X

8. Kensuke Sasaki vs. Christian Wellisch

9. Bobby Southworth vs. Bryan Pardoe

10. Dan Bobish vs. Basil Casteau

Tito Ortiz appeared last week on MMAWeekly Radio Show and talked about the many topics surrounding his controversial decision to hold out on his contract and avoid Chuck Liddell. One of the more interesting things Ortiz discussed was his film career. According to Ortiz, many producers from Hollywood have been calling him and telling him that they were impressed with his work on the fourth Crow movie. How these producers got to see Ortiz's work is not yet understood as shooting just wrapped up last week at a remote location in Utah.

However, Tito said that people will get to see him act because he has no fighting scenes in the movie. He estimated that he has about 15 speaking lines in the movie, but he wasn't sure how many of them would end up on the cutting room floor. In another interesting comment, Tito Ortiz said that he wants no part of another fight with Guy Mezger or Frank Shamrock, and also thinks Vitor Belfort is crazy and tough. His comments go in line with a comment Ortiz made last week in another interview in which he said, "I just take fights that make me feel comfortable."

London, England -- On July 13th, the Wembley Conference Centre hosted the Extreme Force card. Unfortunately for the London fans, the event was marred by many cancellations including Jens Pulver, Renato 'Babalu' Sobral and Ian Freeman.

The main event was between Lee Murray of England and former Chute Boxe member Jose 'Pele' Landi and ended with a second round knockout. Pele was reportedly dominating the fight until Murray connected with a shot that dropped Pele and after pouncing onto him the referee was forced to stop the fight.

Fukuoka, Japan
July 13th

7th Match: K-1 Rule 5x3min
Francisco Filho drew with Mike Bernardo
(5R Decision 1-0)

6th Match:K-1 Rule 5x3min
Ernesto Hoost over Cyril Abidi
(2R Decision 3-0)

5th Match:K-1 Rule 5x3min
Semmy Schilt over Remy Bonjasky
(5R Decision 3-0)

4th Match:K-1 Rule 5x3min
Alexey Ignashov over Jan "The Giant" Nortje
(1R 2'49" KO)

3rd Match:K-1 Rule 5x3min
Michael Mcdonald over Gordan Jukic
(3R 3'00" KO)

2nd Match:K-1 Rule 5x3min
Aziz Khatou over Pele Reid
(2R 3'00" TKO)

1st Match:K-1 Rule 5x3min
Ray Sefo over Tatsufumi Tomihira
(5R 2'15" KO)

SHOOTO July 13th
Place: Tokyo Koruaken Hall

ass B 2 x 5 minutes rounds)
Featherweight [-60.0Kg]
Seiji Otsuka (PUREBRED Omiya) def. Luciano Azevedo (RFT) by Judges Decision

Featherweight [-60.0Kg]
Akitoshi Hokazono (Cobra Kai) def. Hiroki Kita (PARAESTRA Tokyo) by TKO, RD 1.

Lightweight [-65.0Kg] 2003 Rookie Tournament 2nd round
Hiroyuki Takaya (Tanaka Juku) def. Hatsu Hioki (ALIVE) by Judges Deicison

Featherweight [-60.0Kg]
Hiroshi Komatsu (Cobra Kai) def. Aritano Barbosa (RFT) by rear naked choke, RD 1.

Welterweight [-70.0Kg]
Mitsuhiro Ishida (TOPS) draw Naoki Matsushita (ALIVE)

(Class A 3 x 5 minutes rounds)
Lightweight [-65.0Kg]
Naoya Uematsu (K'z FACTORY) def. Jin Kazeta (Philoctetes Niigata) by arm bar, RD 1

Welterweight [-70.0Kg]
Marcio 'Cromado' (RFT) def. Takaharu Murahama (Wild Phoenix) by TKO, RD 1.

Middleweight [-76.0Kg]
Jutaro Nakao (STG Osaka) def. Sauli Heirimo (Team Scandinavian) by Triangle Choke, RD 2.

Now that