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PRESS RELEASE:

Torrance, CA - Get ready! The Ultimate Submission Showdown will take place October 11, 2003 in Torrance, California sponsored by VARIG Airlines. The organizers have been in contact with some of the top names in the grappling world. 'Some of the potential competitors are intimidated by - no weight classes/no time limit rules, which was what made the UFC real,' said Rorion Gracie, the visionary who revolutionized the martial arts when he created the UFC ten years ago. 'The Sport has gone through so many changes that the original concept of comparing styles is obsolete. Everyone is pretty much doing the same thing, with a new champion at each new event,' added Rorion.

Competitors from all over the world can apply on line. It will be interesting to see who will have the guts to participate. It's time to PUT UP OR SHUT UP!

For more information, go to IGJJF.com

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Kazuyoshi Ishii

Zach Arnold of Puroresupower reported the following:

"Former K-1 boss Kazuyoshi Ishii got into some hot water in court on Friday when prosecutors and the Judge in the case chastized Ishii for being associated with Mike Tyson and appearing with Tyson in Las Vegas on 8/15. K-1 matchmaker Sadaharu Tanigawa claimed that Ishii showing up with Tyson in Las Vegas had nothing to do with business, but the court was not buying it.

Ishii was said to have gotten furious when he was chastized about showing up in Vegas. No surprise, K-1 matchmaker Sadaharu Tanigawa announced that starting in September, he would bring former K-1 boss Kazuyoshi Ishii back to the company as an advisor.

The surprise of the day in court Friday regarding the case dealt with comments the judge made to Nobuaki Kakuda. The judge mocked Kakuda's use of yellow and red cards in fights for warning by saying that he would have to issue a red card to Kakuda if Kakuda and K-1 management wasn't telling the truth in regards to what role Ishii has with the company right now.

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Todd Atkins is reporting out of Japan that Heath Sims will be the replacement for Evangelista 'Cyborg' Santos on the Pancrase tenth anniversary show tomorrow in Tokyo, Japan.

Below is the complete card:

Pancrase 2003 Hybrid Tour
August 31, 2003
-10th Anniversary -
Ryogoku Kokugikan
Tokyo, Japan

Open: 3:00PM
Start: 4:00PM

Card Subject To Change

Pancrase rules:
Josh Barnett vs. Yuki Kondo
Elvis Sinosic vs. Sanae Kikuta
Nilson de Castro vs. Akihiro Gono
Heath Sims vs. Yuki Sasaki
Crosley Gracie vs. Kiuma Kunioku
Ricardo Almeida vs. Kazuo Misaki
Osami Shibuya vs. Tohru Yano

Catch wrestling rules:
Minoru Suzuki vs. Takashi Iizuka

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Mark Schultz (top)

Jungle Fight co-promoter Antonio Inoki officially confirmed to the Japanese media that American wrestling icon and former Olympic gold medalist Mark Schultz, who is now 42 years old, will be competing on the Jungle Fight card. Schultz hasn't competed since his first and only MMA fight, a TKO win over Gary Goodridge in UFC 9 back in May of 1996.

Jungle Fight is an MMA event that will take place on a riverboat in the Amazon jungle of Brazil. It is being promoted by Wallid Ismael and Antonio Inoki. The complete card should be announced by next week.

The line-up so far:

Ricco Chiaparelli vs. Luis 'Pantera'
Ricardo Moraes vs. Jan Nortje
Carlos Barreto vs. TBA (possibly Josh Barnett)
Ivan Ludwig vs. Edward Marchal
Ronaldo 'Jacare' vs. TBA
Fabricio Werdun vs. TBA
Ebenezer Braga vs. TBA
Marcelo 'Tigre' vs. TBA

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By Tape Lord



Hello my friends, as I posted one and a half years ago on the Fightsport.com forum, my postal connections in Japan inform me that DSE still plans to bring in some WWE wrestlers to compete on future PRIDE cards in America.

To understand how close to reality this is, one need look no further then the upcoming pro-wrestling event called ZERO-ONE, which is being co-promoted by none other then DSE and the financial backers on Antonio Inoki's UFO event. ZERO-ONE will take place on October 25th from the Yokohama Arena and is DSE's venture into the strictly pro-wrestling scene.

DSE's ZERO-ONE representative Nakamura has told the Japanese media that they are very interested in booking WWE wrestlers for the event. According to the Japanese media and insiders, DSE is currently in negotiations with Hulk Hogan, and will offer him a substantial cash offer to appear on the ZERO-ONE show.

Now what this means is not that Hulk Hogan will one day fight MMA, but that DSE already has a good line of communication with current and former WWE wrestlers. They also want to waste no time in capturing the pro-wrestling audience when they come to America and are already targeting certain pro-wrestlers they think can make the transition into MMA. Bill Goldberg was originally on their list, but with his new WWE contract it will be difficult to sign him.

More news to come on this subject in the next few weeks.

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Adam 'Barnone' Guerra (second from left)

Multi-talented media personality Luke Beston recently did this interview with Adam 'Barnone' Guerra:

LBG: Hi Adam, It's been over a year since I last interviewed you, what have you been up to since then?

BARNONE: Well a lots gone on in my life Luke I almost retired and went through a fighters depression of being bored. I was fortunate enough to meet some special people at a certain time, Charles & Shalin Grijalva, Anthony Hamlett, Anthony Argyros, and Rich & Julie Guerin they were all there for me at the right time of my life. I am glad to have them as special friends in my life. Now I feel I can go far and do well. Oh and my child hood friend Kris Abbott he has always been there for me since day 1. It's very important to have special people in your life. I am very thankful to just be around awesome folks.

LBG: At that time you were already on a S&C program to cut weight, but I understand you turned it up a notch can you tell us about your workouts and the results?

BARNONE: My workouts have been hell. When I want to quite my trainers keep pushing my big ass ha-ha. I have gone from 295 lbs all the way down to 259lbs. I eat well and sleep well now to so it's been great. If I keep up this hard work anything can be possible for me now. With the weight loss comes the fine chicks again ha-ha Nah but really it just feels good to be in shape.

LBG: What about the technical side of things, who are your coaches and training partners there?

BARNONE: My coaches consist of my dad he is my wrestling and Muay Thai coach. Dad wrestled for Grand Valley St University in the early 70's and has been teaching me to strike since I was a kid. Bobby "ElJefe" Flores is my boxing coach. Bobby has helped my game out a lot .I have two of the best coaches in all of Tx period. And of course I get my other wrestling training from my team-mates @ the Hammer House. Also I spent 22 days in Seattle and got to learn some great tricks from Anthony Hamlett he is a fricken wizard.

LBG: Right now you're focused on your fight in the new X1 promotion. Who is behind X1 and who is fighting on the first card?

BARNONE: Masa Saito is the power behind X1 he has worked hard on this event to make it huge. I am very thankful to him for this chance of a life time. Jeff Ford a K1 standout will be on the card along with Dan Bobish, Bobby Southworth and Bryan Pardoe along with some Japanese fighters.

LBG: Tell us about your opponent, and your thoughts going into the fight?

BARNONE: The guy I'm fighting is a wrestler I have nothing but respect for him but I'm going to win and not to stall! I want to win this fight bad and have trained my tail off for it. After the fight we can have a drink

LBG: What are your plans after X1?

BARNONE: Well I don't want to look past X1 just yet. If I do well I'd love to work with them in the future a lot more. They have given me a chance of a life time and I plan on taking full advantage if it. Maybe one day the UFC will give me a look. One thing I can promise is that I will bring nothing but action to the ring or cage. I want to be known as a peoples fighter. I fight for the fans and try to make things simple on promoters.

LBG: If you could give one piece of advice to people reading this who would like to become an international professional mixed martial arts fighter like yourself, what would it be?

BARNONE: Well first of all never give up. There are a lot of shows opening doors. Never give up on your dreams. If they can come true for a guy like me then they can for you as well. Never let negativity keep you down always stay positive and keep faith. Always be ready to take the challenge. To me this was god send and I plan on making things come true.

LBG: Anything else you'd like to add?

BARNONE: Id like to thank my team-mates and friends Kris Abbott, Charles & Shalin Grijapva, Anthony Hamlett, Debi Purcell, Anthony Argyros, Mark Comelan, Wes Sims, Branden Lee Hinkle, Rich & Julie Guerin, Victory J, My Dad, Bobby "ElJefe" Flores, Ben & Cindy Rosales, Pedro Guerra my granpa, Andress Saldivar one love baby ,Joe Longoria, Heavy Hitters, Tx Boys, and last but not least Doctor David Harris without all of you in my life it would be no fun! Also to you Luke and all my DAWGS on the UG!

LBG: Thanks for your time Adam, and the best of luck in Japan from myself and the rest of your fans!

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Mike Tyson

Zach Arnold of Puroresupower has some interesting news on the recent Tyson vs. Sapp pay-per-view developments:

"Smart marks in the Japanese press are claiming that Showtime and not ESPN will end up with the PPV rights for Tyson/Sapp. The name Tadashi Tanaka (you know him as Dave Meltzer's helper) is the one to pay attention here. As it stands, the networks are trying to get a finalized PPV schedule.

Supposedly, ESPN would get footage of K-1's 10/11 Osaka Dome & 12/7 Tokyo Dome shows (Fuji TV broadcasts). The Tyson/Sapp match is expected to happen at Inoki's 12/31 Osaka Dome Bom-Ba-Ye show, which means that the Japanese would be able to get around Mike Tyson's contract with Showtime. Basically put, by K-1 selling the rights to Inoki for the Tyson/Sapp match, Showtime will end up airing the fight either on their network or on PPV because they have the rights to Tyson.

When you think it, it's a clever way for K-1 to cover their bases in the American PPV market - they'll end up with exposure on three PPVs by the end of 2003. Also, the Japanese press hasn't come out and said it but they clearly are suspicious about the facts in the NY Times article and believe that many of the figures stated were simply not true. In the end, ESPN is the big loser here and Showtime will end up being the big winner. Also, if the Tyson/Sapp fight happens on Showtime PPV, it clearly would give Inoki an 'in' to have his 12/31 show aired on the same telecast." -Zach Arnold

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Peter Aerts

The Japanese MMA magazines are reporting this week that it appears 3-time K-1 champion Peter Aerts will be leaving K-1, and switching over to PRIDE on a permanent basis.

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Evangelista "Cyborg" Santos (top)

Brazilian magazine Tatame reports that Evangelista 'Cyborg' Santos is now out of the August 31st Pancrase tenth anniversary show. Cyborg had some difficulties obtaining a visa for Japan. He was finally able to obtain the visa this week, but then Pancrase canceled his flight to Japan, opting instead to take him off the card.

Wallid Ismael, who is co-managing Cyborg, told Tatame magazine that he still hasn't heard anything from Pancrase about the cancellation of Cyborg from the crad, but that he isn't too concerned about it. When asked if he thought Pancrase's decision had anything to do with Cyborg's decision to originally pull out of the card a few weeks back, before re-instating himself back onto the card, Wallid said angrily, "In reality I don't give a damn. I didn't want him to fight anyway (because of Cyborg's injury)...he was only going so that he could avoid having problems, and to attend to some New Japan dealings (Inoki's pro-wrestling organization)."

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Pancrase president Ozaki told the Japanese press on Wednesday that he would like to see national MMA commission formed in Japan between all the major promotions, which includes PRIDE, Pancrase, UFC, KOTC, New Japan, DEEP, Shooto, and ZST. According to Ozaki, the main purpose would be to adjust dates of events so the groups wouldn't compete against each other head-to-head, safety controls, and rule establishment. However, insiders feel that Ozaki just wants to make a power play, that in reality is not going to happen.

Ozaki also announced that Pancrase has scheduled the Tokyo Dome for a big show in 2004.

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Combate Extremo
September 27, 2003
Bull Arena
Monterrey, Mexico


Edwin Aguilar vs. Kyle Bradley
Jake Hattan vs. Carlos Ortega
Ivan Garcia vs. Pat Cross
Brian Ebersole vs. Chris Fontaine
Travis Wiuff vs. Allan Sullivan


Additional Fighters Confirmed:

Justin Eilers
Travis Fulton
Jonathan Ivey
Vince Lucero
Bill Mahood (Pending)
Brett Shaffer
Sam Adkins
Mark Tullius
Christian Wellisch
Tom Sauer
Joe Nameth
Terry Pettek

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Rickson Gracie

Brazilian magazine Tatame recently spoke to Royler Gracie, and Royler confirmed what Fightsport.com first reported a few days back: that a team of Gracies vs. a team of Japanese fighters is in the works for the PRIDE Bushido inaugural card on October 5th.

Royler also said that Rickson Gracie himself may be on the Gracie team for the PRIDE Bushido card. Royler also confirmed another piece of news that Fightsport.com reported a few weeks ago...that Rumina Sato will most likely be on the card for the Japanese team, and that he may be matched up against Royler himself.

Here is the Gracie team according to Royler:

Royler Gracie
Renzo Gracie
Ryan Gracie
Daniel Gracie
Rodrigo Gracie
Rickson Gracie

Here is the Japanese team according to Royler:

Hayato Sakurai
Akira Shoji
Kazuhiro Nakamura
Daiju Takase
Dokonjonusuke Mishima
Rumina Sato

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Nobuaki Kakuda

The Japanese fight magazines have been reporting this week that K-1 matchmaker and referee Nobuaki Kakuda may be the biggest high profile name thinking about jumping ship from K-1 to PRIDE. However, most insiders feel that this won't be happening because of Mike Tyson's arrival to K-1. The money offered to referee a Tyson fight may be too much now for Kakuda to leave.

Discuss this at Fightsport.com

Minoru Suzuki (left)

Pancrase fighter Minoru Suzuki announced to the Japanese media that he will fight his last fight for the Pancrase organization on the August 31st tenth anniversary show. Suzuki will be heading over to the New Japan pro-wrestling organization on a permanent basis.

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Pedro Rizzo (right) knocking out Josh Barnett.

According to Brazilian magazine Tatame, UFC heavyweight contender Pedro Rizzo may leave the UFC to go fight in PRIDE and K-1. Rizzo was seen during the PRIDE GP event, accompanying his good friend and 3-time K-1 champion Peter Aerts, who was announcing his entrance into MMA during the intermission. Rizzo then met briefly with one of PRIDE matchmakers Ken Imay. Rizzo says, "It was an informal conversation in which I told him I would be fighting the last fight of my UFC contract in Novemeber, and that I would be open to proposals. He said we can talk after my last UFC fight in November."

Rizzo hasn't ruled put re-signing with the UFC, but he also feels it may be time for a change and that PRIDE can breathe new life into his career. "In PRIDE I will have many great matchups and my career will be better utilized. The UFC and their rules is more geared towards wrestlers", says Rizzo. However, Rizzo states that nothing will be decided until after his last fight of his contract in UFC 44 on Novemeber 21st.

"The important thing is to win that last fight. The UFC has always treated me well and I have a good relationship with them, but there are moments in the life of a fighter in which he has to reach for new challenges. I asked Dana White for a tough opponent. There are rumors that my opponent might be Ricco Rodriguez...I don't know...but I want to hit someone hard and put on a show.

This next fight will be the fight where I re-direct my career. Today I am an MMA fighter, but after my contract I may also fight for K-1" says Rizzo.

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RITC 53: The Beat Goes On
Saturday, Sept 13, 2003
Celebrity Theatre
Phoenix, AZ

Doors Open: 5:30 PM
Fight Time: 7:30 PM

PRESS RELEASE:

Card subject to change:

Joseph Riggs vs. Andy Montana (RITC Heavyweight title)
Homer Moore vs. Chris Peak
Jake Hattan vs. Robert Maldonado (RITC Lightweight title)
Cory Timmerman vs. Melville Calabaca

Roger Mejia vs. Brett Shafer
Lyle Steffens vs. John Lansing
RJ Gamez vs. Joe Frainee
Michelle 'GrappleGirl' Farrow vs. Dallas Campbell (RITC Woman's title)
Rich Moss vs. TBA

Justin Nauling vs. Mike Lightfoot
Victor Estrada vs. Matt Ver Halen
Carlos Ortega vs. Rylan Sandoval
Victor Cruz vs. Gabe Rivas

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The Gracie Open
Sunday, Sep 21st, 2003
Diablo Valley College
321 Golf Club Rd
Pleasant Hill, California

Start:10:00 AM Start

Cesar Gracie will be hosting 'The Gracie Open' on September 21st, 2003. The Gracie Open is northern California's largest grappling event, and is a gi and gi-less event that features some of the sports best representatives.

Past events have included David Terrell, Dean Lister, Macaco, Cleber Luciano and other top competitors. This year will have supermatches with Joe D'arce, Cassio Werneck, David Terrell and others. Representatives from Renzo Gracie, Frank Shamrock's AKA, Ralph Gracie, Carley Gracie, The Lion's Den, Cesar Gracie and others will be there to compete.

Registration and other info can be found at Graciefighter.com or you can call (925) 827-5455.

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Tony Kornheiser (left) and Michael Wilbon (right) lambasted the Tyson vs. Sapp matchup on their highly rated ESPN talk show.

Zach Arnold of Puroresupower had some interesting points on ESPN and the talk show hosts who work for them not being on the same page regarding Tyson vs. Sapp:

"Meltzer gets it right regarding the trashing that ESPN on-air personalities have done with the Tyson/Sapp situation in K-1. Two more things that should be pointed out:

1) ESPN is in the PPV business. The producers assigned to obtain programming for ESPN's expansion into PPV have to be furious again with the lack of class that on-air personalities have displayed over Tyson/Sapp. There are millions of dollars on the line for Disney/ABC for Tyson/Sapp on PPV. There are some careers at stake behinds the scenes as well. It used to be that ESPN on-air personalities would listen to the people writing the checks, but you can forget that now.

2) ESPN Magazine in September had a chance to do Tyson/Sapp on the cover of their magazine. It would have sold tens of thousands of more magazines with Tyson on the cover than with other athletes right now. Sure, you could have an NFL guy on the cover since football is returning, but nobody sells magazines or tickets like Mike Tyson - no matter how washed up he is. Here we have ESPN Magazine's crew at the K-1 show in Vegas on 8/15, they shoot footage of everyone, and they end up doing a minor piece on Cung Le. Seriously, for ESPN employees to sit here and attempt a "my hands are clean of Tyson" approach is ridiculous and ignorant." -Zach Arnold

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Japanese MMA magazine Kakutogi Tsushin put Mike Tyson and Bob Sapp on the cover of their latest issue, adding further speculation that a Tyson vs. Sapp matchup will definitely take place soon.

Japanese media are saying that the matchup may be taking place at the next edition of Inoki Bombaye on December 31st, in what would be a collaboration between K-1, Antonio Inoki, and Fuji TV. The exact rules of the fight have not been determined yet, but Tyson is wanting to do the fight under boxing rules, whereas Sapp wants to do the fight under MMA rules. Insiders feel Sapp would do the fight under boxing rules however, but that he is demanding MMA rules to up his price for a boxing match with Tyson.

Brazilian promoter and IVC president Sergio Batarelli, who is now K-1's MMA director of personnel, will be the man in charge of Tyson´s preparation for MMA. Batarelli told the media that jiu-jitsu black belts of Joe Moreira and Marco Jara will train Tyson on the ground game. "Tyson will have the best MMA trainer together with the best strategist. If he really wants, soon he will be at the top of the game." states Batarelli.

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Machado brothers with Chuck Norris.

The Machado brothers long awaited movie entitled 'Brazilian Brawlers' was released directly to video and now available at Blockbuster videos. Jean Jacques Machado stated: "This is a big step in spreading BJJ to the masses. I have other projects in the works as well!"

Besides featuring all of the Machados, the movie also has Ricki Rocket (Poison) and Dan Inosanto.

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Sport Fight: Second Coming
August 23, 2003
Gresham, Oregon

COMPLETE RESULTS:


Jason Bellows drew with Jake Jones
Dave Banuett defeats J.P. Peterson by KO at 0:35, RD, 1.
Wesley Welch defeats Johnny Salisbury by unanimous decision.
J.T. Horner defeats David Kohn by rear naked choke at 2:30, RD 3.
Nick Stacks defeats Shawn Freeze by TKO at 3:54, RD 1.
Jared Freeman defeats Kyle Kenny by judges decision.
Ryan Monda defeats Tom Smith by TKO at 40 seconds, RD 3.
Trevor Burnett defeats Mike Jonet by rear naked choke at 1:30, RD 1.
Shane Davis defeats Ed Herman by armbar at 2:18, RD 1.
Larry Vandvort defeats J.R. Plieinis by KO, RD 1.

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Cyborg (left) vs. Shogun at Meca 9.

According to Brazilian magazine Tatame, the Meca World Vale Tudo 9 event was a major pay-per-view success in the country of Portugal, doing a staggering 318,000 pay-per-view buys!

Meca was also shown on cable TV in Brazil, Meca was also broadcast in France, Japan, and soon the USA. Meca co-promoter Rudimar Fedrigo says, "I don't yet have the audience numbers for the other countries, but I know many people in Japan who saw it and loved it. Our objective is to take Meca to the rest of the world".

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Andreas Richter

For those of you who don't know him yet, Andreas Richter is one of the most interesting people in the world of NHB/MMA. Here is a rare interview he just did with Mick Hammond:

Existentialism and MMA: Who is Andreas Richter?
By Mick Hammond
August 21, 2003

As a fan of Mixed Martial Arts, I have spent a considerable amount of time over the past several years visiting the various MMA forums. To those of you that do take the time to visit the "free Speech monster", you may have been intrigued by the philosophical insights of a member by the name Andreas. So who is this MMA athlete that has a budding film career, a passion for 19th century philosophy, and a major problem with Jermaine Andre? He could just be the busiest man in MMA. Read on as I sat down with FIGHTSPORT's very own- Andreas Richter.

Mick: Andreas- Thanks for taking the time to speak with MMAWeekly. Can you share with fans how it is you first get involved with the sport of Mixed Martial Arts?

Andreas: I started boxing before I was a teenager, and remained largely ignorant of its limitations (especially the potential of groundfighting) until I was seventeen or eighteen. Throughout that time I was involved in what most people would call 'hundreds of streetfights' (probably about seventy or eighty, ::laughs::), and found boxing to be a largely effective method of opponent-destruction.

My attitude changed after viewing the rare six-hour uncut version of David Lynch's 'Dune', which features groundfighting more prominently than its inferior studio-release counterpart. This started me thinking in the right direction; combined with my continuing study as a student of philosophy, I started to wonder if taking a more intellectually oriented approach to fighting would yield even better results. Things fell into place for me properly while I was bored and trying to read Edmund Husserl's 'Ideen I' during a performance of 'Cats', perhaps the worst piece of musical theatre ever written (at least until the release of Baz Luhrman's 'Moulin Rouge'). I realized that a philosophical method of fighting would allow me to battle opponents both physically and mentally, and most likely lead more easily to victory.

Around this sort of time, early NHB events such as the UFC were beginning to take off. I decided to view one of the events on VHS cassette format to see if the hyperbolic box-cover claims were true; obviously, they were false, but I was intrigued and began attending sparring sessions at a local karate school which was attempting to integrate groundwork into its existing curriculum of reverse-punches and amusing animal stances. My boxing and growing ability to exploit an opponent's mental weaknesses through philosophy enabled me to easily handle everyone there in combat; the karate:realism ratio eventually dropped, and the facility started to become known as the lazily-titled 'Andreas Dojo'. Almost ten years have passed, each bringing many new learning experiences. The transition to fighting in German (and later other European) NHB shows was an easy one, since this continent isn't dominated by a single promotion with links to organized crime. Needless to say that after seven pro fights, I am still undefeated.

Mick: Who would think that 'Dune' could have such a profound impact? Now what about today? Who are your currently training and working with?

Andreas: I am currently training with my confirmed co-stars, BIG DADDY DIESEL and Blackie Lawless, both of whom are developing into a serious MMA/NHB threat. Shaq is HUGE and packs a tremendous amount of power, but has also worked diligently on his submission skills, especially from the guard. When he locks on a hold, it's best to tap out as fast as possible. I am also pleased to report that his many reported injuries and alleged intense weight gain haven't deterred him at all; the man is DRIVEN to be an awesome fighter. Blackie has only joined us for recent training sessions, but as any WASP fan knows, he brings a lifetime of brawling experience to the table due to his status as 'the baddest man in rock-and-roll'. What else would you expect from the man who filled the shoes of the legendary Johnny Thunders before the age of 20, who was knife-fighting by the time he was THIRTEEN years old, and who got himself expelled from military school for excessive brutality? Even without fellow German NHB fighters for training partners, things are going great. I feel that my own game is improving immensely despite having to teach techniques as we go.

Mick: Well as a HUGE fan of WASP, I am glad to hear that Blackie is hitting the mats. You happen to know if Johnny Rod is still playing bass? In any event, you have a number of exciting projects that you are working on and I wanted to have you share some of that news with fans. First off, how are the bright lights of Hollywood treating you?

Andreas: I've taken to wearing my sunglasses at night now, much like in the eponymous Corey Hart musical composition (very popular in Germany), LOL! In all seriousness, though, things here are absolutely wonderful but incredibly taxing - now I understand why drug abuse is so widespread!

For those fans who may not know why I have relocated from my native Germany to this particular part of the country, let me explain. About a year ago, I began work on a motion picture screenplay, utilizing my ability to write complex material over uninterrupted and lengthy periods of time without dying from monitor radiation emissions or suffering 'raster-blindness', both of which I picked up as a student and lecturer at the Universities of Hamburg/Paris Sorbonne/Göttingen. I wanted to represent the sport of MMA/NHB (I prefer the latter) to the movie-going public in a way that didn't make patronizing wirework or anti-grappling concessions to cynical Hollywood executives and their vision of what 'realistic martial arts combat' should look like. At the same time, I realized that I wouldn't be able to fill 120 pages with descriptions and dialogue about two sweaty men in tight shorts rolling around on poorly-maintained canvas (Dana...). So, I knew that I was in for some MAJOR work on character and story development. Needless to say, it was an arduous process; one which forced me to utilize all of my philosophical insight and neuro-linguistic abilities to keep pressing forwards. However, the work was made worthwhile when the script generated intense interest (and $$$ something of a bidding war, LOL) between two major studios. Having been optioned and summarily greenlit, 'PROJECT ANDREAS' (not the actual title) is now underway.

Mick: That really is some amazing news and I can imagine all the work involved. What is the latest with the project? Can you share with fans where things currently are with your film?

Andreas: As I posted before at FIGHTSPORT.COM, Shaquille 'Shaq Daddy Diesel' O'Neill has been onboard and intimately involved with the movie since the very beginning. And, as reported earlier, part of my terms for the sale of the script included my appearance in one of the two main roles, directly opposite 'the big man', making me the first MMA/NHB fighter to land a leading role in a major motion picture. On top of that, I can now report that glam-rock badboy BLACKIE LAWLESS has now agreed to appear as well! Yes, the 'ruler of the Rainbow' will now be starring in a long-awaited role as the ultimate MMA/NHB villain; for those unfamiliar with Blackie and his large body of work, I suggest WASP's 1984 self-titled debut, the tapes of the PMRC senate hearings on 'explicit' lyrics, as well as the fact that he was originally slated to play the 'T-1000' robot in the movie 'Terminator 2', but had to drop out after he was deemed too tall compared to Mr. Schwarzenegger (who, I can say from experience, is VERY SHORT). Anyway, the important thing is that now Blackie, Shaq and I will burst onto the screen in a triumvirate of explosive martial arts force!

For those wondering about my earlier announcement that Jack Nicholson (yes, THAT Jack Nicholson) would also be joining us, I am forced to report (with mild dissatisfaction) that we are doing our best to resolve an unforeseen scheduling/contractual conflict. Jack himself is working hard to try and 'get on board', though, as he is particularly eager to redeem himself physically after his poor showing at the beginning of the movie 'Chinatown'.

Mick: Look at all the names you are dropping. Any particular stories of interest you can share of a MMA athlete rubbing elbows with some Hollywood's elite? And we can share are talks of Asia Argento for a more private forum.

Andreas: ::laughs:: Too many to tell, although a significant number of them could be considered defamatory! ;) A large majority also concern Shaq, Burt Reynolds and I getting drunk and doing bad karaoke - one particular performance of the C.W. McCall classic 'Convoy' enraged several members of the audience and led to a showdown outside the bar! Needless to say that it didn't hurt to have 'the big man' with us that night, LOL! Afterwards I threw up in Paul Walker's bathroom and Burt started walking up to people at random so that he could take close-up pictures of the whites of their eyes. I curse the day that we were introduced!

I've also been unfortunate enough to witness Tony award winner and notorious pansexual star of 'X2', Alan Cumming, expose himself to a mixed-gender crowd at more than one social function. Oh, and then there's the time former 'Beverly Hills 90210' star Ian Ziering and I decided to remake the Keenen Ivory Wayan's classic 'A Low Down Dirty Shame' with a camcorder and several martinis too many in the backyard of a residence I was told belongs to Ben Affleck. LOL, what can I say? Ian has recently been through a divorce and enjoys acting somewhat erratically!

Mick: Where do I get a copy of that video? I always knew Ian was a wild man. Now for fans that may not know, you have been back and forth with Jermaine Andre in what seems an endless debate. You recently offered a challenge to Andre. Any response?

Andreas: I believe Jermaine Andre to be an incredibly pompous, self-centered and egomaniacal individual, as well as the owner of the world's worst non-animated 'hairstyle'-style arrangement of keratin-based scalp protrusions. Anyone visiting his website, www.jermaineandre.com, will easily be able to see for themselves how he engages in ridiculous self-aggrandization, self-application of inappropriate adjectives, as well as the giving of fraudulent and/or inaccurate 'advice'. Mr. Andre (the self-styled guru) has apparently been able to execute a most heinous 'con'-style confidence scam upon his 'students' and (luckily no more than) two or three of his site's visitors; having conferred 'guru' status upon himself, he now dispenses 'philosophy tips' and 'insights', both on the front page and in a separate, SPECIAL forum on his site.

My problem with this is simple, and I am sure your readers will have no trouble understanding my position (unlike Mr. Andre): Jermaine has no idea what 'philosophy' (as in 'philosophical inquiry') is. More precisely, he seems to believe that to be a 'philosopher' one must simply assume an air of annoying superiority and then make random attempts at vague (and entirely meaningless) turns-of-phrase. As anyone who has studied philosophy knows, attempting to 'bum rush' your way into one of those 'quotations' anthologies (the same sort which many fools routinely pay to have their 'wisdom' included in) sold for $4.99 (in hardback, no less) by some second-rate publishing house is NOT the job undertaken by students of philosophy.

To offer an analogy, consider this: if you found yourself walking by a school advertising itself as a 'Vale Tudo/MMA/NHB'-style modern martial arts instructional facility, and then discovered that the instructor was (somewhat pompously) teaching all of his students 'deadly fighting techniques' such as 'putting a framed picture of David Hasselhoff inside a faux leather handbag', wouldn't you want to warn them that they were being deceived?

I attempted to do this very thing, giving a lengthy (but very polite) list of reasons and 'example'-style fictional situations of some relevance to support my point. This angered Jermaine, who responded with a series of cowardly/barely intelligible personal attacks and characteristically vague lists of his own accomplishments. He also drafted one of his students (most likely by 'pressgang'-style physical coercion) to attempt to 'philosophically' refute my points, but I again provided a detailed analysis of why both were (sometimes laughably) unsound. Unable to cope with his obvious defeat and mental humiliation, Jermaine had his webmaster BAN me from his site and THREATEN me, claiming that they had discovered my 'real identity'. Naturally, I enlisted the help of some FIGHTSPORT.COM friends and once again obtained access to his forum, subjecting Jermaine to another devastating broadside of intellectual clarity. Another banning and the deletion of my post followed, accompanied by some lies from Mr. Andre about 'keeping the forum positive'. I have all of the posts from his forum saved, and will feature them on my official homepage when it arrives. Most amusing of all Jermaine's nonsensical rhetoric was his refusal to fight me, citing the fact that I am (allegedly) not, in his words, a 'WARRIOR OF COURAGE'.

Simply put, Jermaine Andre belongs on the seventh level of intellectual hell along with his fellow 'new age'-types, choking on their own cerebral flatulence. It may help interested parties to think of him as a less masculine version of Salon.com's own Camille Paglia; unfortunately, I cannot say conclusively whether Jermaine takes the similarity further and is also a lesbian.

Mick: I appreciate you offering the details of that situation. Now going back to your fighting career- what is the latest? Any fights upcoming in putting that undefeated record on the line?

Andreas: My fighting career is temporarily on hold until the completion of my current motion picture project(s?), although I could be persuaded to take any high-profile combat opportunities which might arise, presuming an agreement accommodating my unique situation was reached. Unfortunate though it may be, Hollywood is very taxing and leaves little room to maneuver/beat up other sweaty men in arenatized combat; just look at how long Frank Shamrock's Burger King commercial kept him away from quality opposition, LOL. The record of his most recent win may say 'armbar', but we call that 'star struck' here in Hollywood! Of course, I would make an exception for Mr. Andre, although I believe that I have already destroyed him mentally and he would post little threat.

Mick: Outside Jermaine Andre are there any others that you would like to match up with?

Andreas: I'm not sure, are there any other MMA figures falsely advertising themselves as 'philosophers'? ::laughs:; It was suggested that I fight MMA seudo-author 'Clyde Gentry III' (I presume I & II were crude prototypes of some sort), but this matchup may have been posed in jest. General consensus was that I would win easily by "KO from headkick" despite the significant weight disparity.

Mick: Well I would like to thank you Andreas for taking the time to speak with MMAWeekly, and I personally wish you the best on all future endeavors. I also look forward to seeing your upcoming film. Before I let you run is there anything you would like to say to your fans?

Andreas: Yes! Thanks to everyone for all of the support, especially from members of the FIGHTSPORT.COM forum, which is often unfairly maligned, frequently misunderstood, but always a source of fear and awe! Also, thanks to MMAWEEKLY for being the first news site to pay attention to my projects and/or existence, LOL! I urge all of you to stay tuned to both for more Andreas updates - and remember, TOGETHER WE CAN KEEP THIS SPORT INTELLECTUALLY HONEST!

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By Todd Atkins


Gary Goodridge

- I am hearing Gary Goodridge is now out of the Jungle Fight card, in which he was supposed to face Josh Barnett. Not sure if Pride said no since Gary is signed with them, or if Big Daddy just decided he didn't want to face a top fighter again so soon after the Fedor disaster. Jungle Fight co-promoter Wallid Ismael is working on a getting a new opponent. I will find out as soon as it is decided.

- Despite what Dana White says about Chuck Liddell getting paid so well by PRIDE, he actually made more in his UFC fight against Randy Couture then in his Pride GP fight with Alistair Overeem. Chuck made approximately $25K to show and $15K to win for his first round match. IF he wins the Pride GP, and anything is possible. He will obviously make more. But the reality is he is one of the lower paid fighters for the Pride GP first round. PRIDE was smart in doing this, they knew Chuck and Dana wanted in this tourny badly.

- Also, during the Tito renegotiation fiasco, Zuffa decided it was prudent to give their champ Matt Hughes a substantial raise, and new contract. I guess they felt Matt would do the same as Tito. At any rate it worked out well for Hughes. Too bad Zuffa can't get him a decent fight. They are currently offering the top contenders peanuts.

More to come from The Atkins Insider

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Pancrase's big tenth anniversary show is this coming Sunday. Below is the complete card:

Pancrase 2003 Hybrid Tour
August 31, 2003
-10th Anniversary -
Ryogoku Kokugikan
Tokyo, Japan

Open: 3:00PM
Start: 4:00PM

Card Subject To Change

Pancrase rules:
Josh Barnett vs. Yuki Kondo
Elvis Sinosic vs. Sanae Kikuta
Nilson de Castro vs. Akihiro Gono
Evangelista 'Cyborg' Santos vs. Yuki Sasaki
Crosley Gracie vs. Kiuma Kunioku
Ricardo Almeida vs. Kazuo Misaki
Osami Shibuya vs. Tohru Yano

Catch wrestling rules:
Minoru Suzuki vs. Takashi Iizuka

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Fred Ettish

This was posted by UFC 2 veteran and Karate hall of famer Fred Ettish on the underground forum:

"I am not saying that I agree with everything I have seen and heard re the ICC, Don King, and the way things have been presented on the UG by all parties lately, but I support the ICC and anyone who is willing to go out on a limb, take some chances on behalf of this sport. This is especially true if it yields better opportunities and purses for the fighters who, when you strip away everything else, are the ones who really matter in all of this.
I don't know Don King and obviously have never had any business dealings with him. For crying out loud I am so broke I can't even pay attention so why would I? I am also very skeptical to believe everything I read and hear, so feel it is inappropriate to make any judgements on him as an individual or a businessman. He has obviously made a lot of money and appears successful.

I don't know Dan Dease, either, but I do know Mike Reilly and Rick Graveson. My dealings with Mike and Rick were always positive and I have nothing but respect and admiration for them. I believe 100% that they have the best interest of MMA and the fighters at heart and would be effective watchdogs to safeguard any possible shenanigans by any of their partners.

I would think that if the ICC - Don King partnership were not imminent, if not already cemented, Mr. Dease would not be careless enough to announce it publicly. It would seem to me that to do so would spell disaster for his company and I can see no reason why he would say it is happening if it wasn't. That kind of publicity would definitely not be good and I think he is way smarter than that.

Emotions are running very high on this issue. Any time emotions get carried away, judgement usually goes out the window and people become extremist. I would hope that all would calm down, watch the situation unfold, do whatever they can to promote the sport and not tear it apart, and each of us do whatever we can towards that end. Of course express your opinions, but do it rationally, logically, and try to be respectful. People may just listen that way and not react in kind.

Respectfully:

Fred Ettish"

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By Tape Lord


Don King

Hello my friends, there has been much half truths going on the last week with the news of Mike Tyson's arrival to K-1. I will help to clear up most of them...

1.) K-1 is reporting that they have paid Mike Tyson around USD$25 million dollars for exclusive rights to license his fights on Japanese soil. K-1 US promoter Scott Coker is quoted in the New York Times article on Tyson/K-1, and the pricetage he gives for signing Tyson was only guaranteed around USD$4 million in addition to a USD$200,000 signing bonus. Who is telling the truth and who is lying?

My postal connections in Japan and Las Vegas tell me that the actual figure is closer to USD$5 million, but that that figure alone is just for the rights to license Tyson's fights in Japan. Tyson can make up to USD$25 million for the actual fights themselves, which counts outside of the licensing fee of USD$5 million. So K-1 Japan was not completely fibbing in this instance. Technically speaking, Tyson doesn't have to fight one fight in Japan and K-1 would still have to pay him the USD$5 million just to have the licensing rights to any fight he does in Japan. Tyson will make the real money from the fights he does there.

2.) The website known as Boxing Insider posted that they contacted Don King's office and that King's office was very hesitant to admit to being involved with the MMA promotion known as the ICC.

What I have found out through my postal connections in the boxing world is that while King's office did not want to admit to being involved with the ICC, they did not deny it either. The reason for this was explained to me like this:

Don King does not want to make big waves with his decision to enter the MMA world. Instead he prefers to slither on in quietly and almost unnoticed. He was not too satisfied with the ICC announcing to the MMA world of his involvement so outwardly. King did not want this to be known as he doesn't want certain people who are tied to MMA that also have athletic and boxing commission ties to conspire against him entering MMA. But make no mistake, Don King IS entering MMA.

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Mike Tyson

The mainstream media continues to take the approach of treating Mike Tyson's contract to fight in K-1 as a circus act. The latest article comes from the New York Times. Here is the entire article (courtesy of the New York Times):

TYSON SUDDENLY LIKES QUEENSBURY RULES
By GEOFFREY GRAY

Mike Tyson's next opponent might not be a titleholder. He might not be a hand-picked challenger, either. He might not be a boxer.

Last Thursday night, Tyson checked into the Beverly Wilshire Hotel in Los Angeles to continue negotiations for a possible matchup with Bob Sapp, a 6-foot-5, 390-pound failed N.F.L. lineman, funeral-home worker and a star known as the Beast in the increasingly popular Japanese sport called K-1, a brutish, martial arts amalgam of karate, kung fu, kick boxing and tae kwan do.

"It might be nice,'' Tyson, the enigmatic, financially strapped former heavyweight champ, said in a telephone interview late last week. "But under Marquess of Queensberry rules. I don't really feel like getting kicked in the head, you know?''

Last Friday, Tyson pushed the reality of the bout closer, signing an exclusive management contract with K-1, a company based in Japan that uses the same name as the sport, thereby giving the promotional company the rights to handle a coming publicity tour for Tyson in Japan and other commercial endorsements in that country.

"I got nothing against Japan,'' Tyson said. "'Japan has always been respectful and courteous to me; and I've always been respectful and courteous to Japan.''

In the contract, Tyson was guaranteed nearly $4 million in addition to a $200,000 signing bonus, according to Scott Coker, president and chief executive of K-1 in the United States. He added that details regarding a Tyson-Sapp match, tentatively scheduled for late December, are still being discussed and that Tyson was soon expected to travel to Japan to begin his publicity campaign for the bout.

In Louisville, Ky., where promoters had also been negotiating with Tyson for a tentative fight date in December, reports of Tyson's dealings with K-1 were received with some confusion. "We're very deep into the deal,'' the promoter Chris Webb said.

Steven Espinoza, a lawyer for Tyson, said that a fight with Sapp was not a priority. "Mike's priority is in Louisville,'' he said.

If Tyson does choose to fight Sapp, he certainly would not be the only boxing champ to carry financial problems late in his career and enter the ring of the bizarre for quick paydays. In 1976, a cash-strapped Muhammad Ali traveled to Japan to wrestle 15 uneventful rounds with Rocky Inoki for an estimated $6 million. Joe Louis wrestled to pay back his debts to the Internal Revenue Service, the Italian heavyweight Primo Carnera became a wrestling champ and Two Ton Tony Galento challenged bears and octopuses.

Gauging Tyson's desires is not easy, however, and if he signs the contract and collects the signing bonus, it is not clear what might happen. "Mike's predictability has always been his unpredictability,'' Bert Sugar, the boxing historian, said. "Until he steps into the ring you don't know what the you've got, and once he steps into the ring, then you really don't know what the you've got?''

A Tyson-Sapp fight would be an odd contest, with comical overtones. And watching Tyson chasing or running from Sapp, whose most fearsome attack seems to be plunging down, professional-wrestling style, onto an opponent's head, could make for depressing programming for boxing fans. It might also make for a circus act many cable subscribers might not want to miss.

Shelly Finkel, a longtime Tyson adviser, said K-1 executives had been trying to get Tyson's attention for months, but the proposals were not of interest, partly because of financial guarantees. Since Tyson filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection early this month, however, Finkel has not spoken with Tyson and said that the roster of his financial advisers was always changing.

You can view the article by clicking here

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Masaaki Satake

Japanese journalist dragontail reports the following:

"Hello my fightsport friends. Masaaki Satake has approached K-1 and offered to fight Mike Tyson in Japan under K-1 rules. My friends of Mr. Ishii confirm this to be true and say Mr. Ishii is considering the idea. It is known that if Tyson fight a home fighter that the crowd sales will be very huge. It is said that Mushashi has been considered but now Satake has offered that he might be easier opponent for Tyson to put his toe in the K-1 water with.

Satake was great K1 fighter and very popular with the fans. His often losses in Pride might have lowered his selling value to some degree. Still, Japan is anxious to see Tyson fight a local known fighter." -dragontail

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Fightsport 24-7's U.K. correspondent William Caxton reports the following on the deal the UFC has made for showing UFC 44 in England and the rest of the United Kingdom:

"Odeon Cinemas has stepped in, and will show UFC 44 (September, 26) at cinemas around England, in what is, though delayed, a closed-circuit TV (re)broadcast, with a 12 GBP (approximately USD$19) per ticket price-tag. According to their unofficial spokesman, Odeon Cinemas saw a "window of opportunity" that could be utilised to "benefit both partners". This may be read as a cautious "Ker-CHING!"

Closed circuit was a staple of sport/entertainment in the United States pre the pay-per-view days. Not here. The only paid admission, live, closed-circuit event here that comes to mind was a Mike Tyson-Michael Spinks fight shown on a screen at Picadilly Circus in the '80s.

The Odeon spokesman further added "The logistics were great for us, we pay ZUFFA (The company that owns the UFC, Ed.)a set fee and then we can charge individuals to come and watch the event. In a PPV TV situation you might get 5 people watching the event in each household for a total cost of 25 GBP (approximately USD$40) per household. We will be charging about 12 GBP (approximately USD$19) per ticket so 5 people will now pay 60 GBP (approximately USD$60) We will also have our food stalls open and expect most of the consumers to spend money there. Potentially this is a more lucrative deal than the regular movies that we show." -William Caxton

For updates on the screening of UFC44 visit Odeon.co.uk

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Sanae Kikuta (top)

Pancrase champion Sanae Kikuta has told the Japanese media that he would like to fight in the UFC. It's being said that Pancrase officials have had some preliminary talks with the UFC in regards to letting Kikuta fight there on one of the upcoming UFC cards.

More news on this to come in the next two weeks.

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Mark Kerr (hands raised)

The HBO documentary 'The Smashing Machine' will be released on DVD on October 28, 2003. The Smashing Machine features MMA fighter Mark Kerr as he battles through drug addiction on his way through to the PRIDE 2000 Heavyweight Grand Prix, a tournament he is favored to win but ultimately fails trying. The documentary also features MMA fighters such as Mark Coleman, Renzo Gracie, and Bas Rutten in minor roles.

You can pre-order the DVD at Amazon.com

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By Tape Lord


Vanderlei Silva

Hello my friends, my postal connections in the DSE organization have given me the line-up (posted below) for the November PRIDE GP Finals card. These matchups are what DSE is now talking about in their boardroom:

GP Finals:
Vanderlei Silva vs. Hidehiko Yoshida
Quinton 'Rampage' Jackson vs. Chuck Liddell


Single Fights:
Fedor Emelianenko vs. Mirko 'Cro Cop' Filipovic (heavyweight title bout)
Rodrigo 'Minotauro' Nogueira vs. Josh Barnett
Heath Herring or Mark Coleman vs. Kazuyuki Fujita
Murilo Bustamante vs. Murilo 'Ninja' Rua
Kiyoshi Tamura vs. TBA (Renzo, Ryan or Rodrigo Gracie are all early possibilities at this point)


Assuerio Silva may also figure into the card as either an opponent for Heath Herring or Mark Coleman.

Daiju Takase and Ryan Gracie are already alternate fighters in the event that one of the GP fighters cannot continue in the tournament.

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Clyde Gentry III (right)

Disgruntled MMA journalist Clyde Gentry III has accused UFC president Dana White of blatantly lying about facts and figures he gave about the old UFC under the SEG regime. Dana White made those comments during his radio debate with the ICC's Dan Dease and Mike Reilly.

Here is Clyde Gentry's accusation that he posted on the Underground forum:

'Dana is lying about New Orleans. I went to pretty much every show from #18 through #34. Times were tough but the walk-up was always tremendous. The New Orleans market was never that bad, at least for the UFC.' -Clyde Gentry III

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UFC 44: Undisputed
Friday, September 26, 2003
Mandalay Bay Events Center
Las Vegas, NV

Card subject to change:

Randy Couture vs. Tito Ortiz (UFC light heavyweight title)

Tim Sylvia vs. Gan McGee (UFC heavyweight title)

Andrei Orlovski vs. Vladimir Matyushenko

Rich Franklin vs. Edwin Dewees

David Loiseau vs. Jorge Rivera

Dave Strasser vs. Karo Parisyan

Jeremy Jackson vs. Nick Diaz

Kaoru Uno vs. Hermes Franca

Josh Thomson vs. Gerald Strebendt

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KOTC
September 5th, 2003
Soboba Casino
Soboba, CA

Gates Open: 3:00 PM

The next pay-per-view card for KOTC is as follows:

Main Events:
Ronald Jhun vs. John Alesio (KOTC welterweight tile)
Dean Lister vs. James Lee (KOTC middleweight title)


FeatureFights:
Jeff Newton vs. Tim Konrad
Charlie Valencia vs. Greg Mayer
Tony Petarra vs. Wes Combs
Joe Crilley vs. Javier Casio

Undercard:
Thomas Denny vs. Jason Dolder
Joe Camacho vs. Juliano Prado
'Krazy Horse' vs. TBA
Thomas Kenny vs. Paul Cid
Richard Solis vs. Alex Rickards
Richard McCorkel vs. Jayson Dickinson
Michael Penalber vs. Buddy Clinton


For Reservations:

Soboba Casino: 1-909-654-2883

Ticketmaster: 1-213-480-3232

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Jose 'Pele' Landi-Jons is proving that he is as skilled a trainer as he is an MMA fighter, as two of his fighters won convincingly in the second Knockout Cup that took place in Curitiba, Brazil. The rules of the event were similar to RINGS rules.

Pele's 176-pound (80kg) fighter Sandro Reini steamrolled through the 8-man 176-pound tournament, winning the whole thing and beating all three of his opponents by KO.

Pele's other fighter, Luis Sharnesk, beat his opponent by KO in a superfight. also scored a KO in one of the superfights.

Full Results:

176-pound (80kg) tournament

Quarterfinals:
Caue Dudus defeats Everaldo Saddan by triangle choke in 1:24.
Rogelson Silveira defeats Alexandre Marciano by unanimous decision.
Sandro Rieni defeats Page by KO in 1:07.
Marcelo Paulista defeats Alexandre Oliveira guillotine choke in 6:45.

Semifinals
Caue Dudus defeats Rogelson Silveira by TKO in 1:34.
Sandro Reini defeats Marcelo Paulista by KO in 0:19.

Final
Sandro Reini defeats Caue Dudus by TKO in 1:25.


Superfights
Emerson Graxain defeats Guilherme by choke in 0:09.
Luis Sharnesk defeats Sebastian by KO in 4:42.
Giliard Parana defeats Hugo by submission in 0:19.
Claudinei Kozan defeats Gelson by armlock in 0:37.
Marcelo Santos defeats Fabio Goncalves by kimura in 3:11.

Submission matches:
Tadeu Semenik defeats Rodolfo by armlock in 2:11.
Ricardo defeats Wilton by decision.
Rafael defeats Jeferson by decision.
Julinho defeats Giliarde by decision.

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Kazushi Sakuraba

Kazushi Sakuraba held a press conference at the Takada Dojo to answer questions about his fight with Vanderlei Silva and his future plans.

Sakuraba said he doesn't remember anything from the Silva fight because of the KO, and that his memory of that day begins a few hours after the fight.

Sakuraba said he would fight again this year if PRIDE asked him to, but that Takada is against it.

He also confirmed that Mirko 'Cro cop Filipovic offered to help him with his standup game. Sakuraba refused to comment further, and joked that if he showed too much interest that "someone may make him do it".

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Oleg Taktarov

Former UFC champion Oleg Taktarov will be teaching MMA and Sambo classes again. If you're in the area, don't miss this great opportunity to learn from one of MMA's pioneers and an expert of leglocks.

From Oleg:

"Hi Everyone! I found a good place to train which has all the staff we need for cross training. I'll be teaching on Saturdays at noon and Mondays at 7:45 PM at the 'House of Champions'.

The address is:

17228 Saticoy St.
Van Nuys, Ca
91406

Tel# (818) 996-7180


You can exit from 405 on Sherman Way (west) or from 101 on Balboa (north). It's on a big plaza, cross streets are Louise and Saticoy. See You!

Oleg"

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Al Bernstein

Coffe Guy over at Zuffa has confirmed to Fightsport.com that ESPN boxing analyst Al Bernstein will be the host of the UFC infomercial that will be played on Comedy Central and Spike TV.

According to Coffee Guy, Dana White hopes that by having Bernstein announce the infomercial, that many boxing fans will cross over to MMA.

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Frank Shamrock

Our sources within the ICC and Frank Shamrock's camp tell us that the ICC wants to bring in Frank Shamrock to be their poster boy for the middleweight division. The ICC has been in preliminary negotiations with Frank Shamrock and say that Shamrock has been very receptive to their offer.

More news to come on this situation in the next week.

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Dana White

UFC president Dana White was supposed to make a big announcement again on MMA Weekly Radio, but it did not happen. Save yourself the trouble of listening as Dana White came on the show and mentioned that he could not make the announcement as the deal he was working on is not yet signed, although it is very close to being signed.

What Fightsport.com already found out from our Zuffa insider called Coffee Guy, is that Dana White wanted to announce that the UFC has signed Royce Gracie for UFC 45, just like we had announced last week. Talks between Dana and Royce had been on-going for a few months, and a verbal agreement was agreed to almost two weeks ago. No contract has been signed yet, although the final details are being hammered out and Royce should be signing sometime next week if all goes well.

What Dana White did end up announcing on yesterday's show was some trivial announcements to keep the listeners happy. They were:

1. UFC 44 will be shown in London, England. Dana hinted at the fact it may be shown in a movie theater. He also mentioned that they are working on having the UFC shown on British television again.

2.The UFC will have its very own 30-minute infomercial entitled 'From Spectacle To Sport', that will ironically air on 'Comedy Central', as well as Spike TV.

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Mike Tyson

Japanese newssite Sportsnavi reports that Nobuhiko Takada announced today to the Japanese media that PRIDE is interested in getting Mike Tyson to fight in their ring under MMA rules.

In order for PRIDE to do this in Japan, they would have to work out a deal with K-1, as K-1 has exclusive rights to Mike Tyson's fights in Japan. However, PRIDE would be able to sign Tyson to fight on their Vegas show without the approval of K-1, as Tyson's contract with K-1 is only valid for fights on Japanese soil.

Takada said PRIDE would like to match up Tyson against Fedor Emelianenko, Vanderlei Silva, and Kazushi Sakuraba. Takada also mentioned that if he wasn't retired, he would've liked to fight Tyson as well.

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Shiloh McIver when he was younger.

Respected MMA insider Shiloh McIver was called out by MMA promoter Jaime Levine. Levine wants to fight McIver in an MMA match.

In Levine's own words:

"shiloh, You dont have to raise any money for this fight. You said you would fight and beat my ass for free anytime.
So put up, agree to fight me in Vegas then.

Give Johnny Walls your real name,phone number and address and he will have the Promoter of the MMA event get intouch with you.

This offer is real and this is the only way to kick my ass infront of every one of the haters,shit talkers,keybourd fags,and your fans on the UG.

The Promoters have read all the crap you talk on here and think that you should be given a chance to back up your words.

I have agreed on the bout with the Promoter and will be there on Nov 14th to fight you, that is if you have the balls now, or did they shrink up yet?

If you dont agree on this you will not event be able to show your face anywhere in the world. This is the worlds most popular web sight and every knows what you look like and the crap you talk about me.

You will be known as the biggest coward for all the crap you talk and dont back up.

If you DONT take the fight,I will personally go to every gym that is within 100 miles from your house in California and put your picture up along with the word COWARD around you.

So whats it gona be boy?

Jamie Levine"

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Mirko 'Cro Cop' Filipovic

As Fightsport.com reported three weeks ago, Mirko 'Cro Cop' Filipovic vs. Fedor Emelianenko will be happening as a heavyweight title fight on PRIDE's November GP Finals show, according to our sources in Japan. PRIDE president Sakakibara wants to make this fight and both fighters have agreed to fight. This matchup will be officially announced in about three to four more weeks.

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Elvis Sinosic

Our sources in Brazil are telling us that the promoters of HEAT F.C. would like to bring in Australian fighter Elvis Sinosic to be in their second show as the co-main event. His opponent would possibly be Ebenezzer Fontes Braga.

Discuss this at Fightsport.com

Mike Tyson officially signs with K-1.

As Fightsport.com first broke the story last week, Mike Tyson has now officially signed with K-1. The signing took place on August 24th. There was much speculation as to whether Tyson was free to sign the deal as the Showtime network claims to have him signed for a boxing fight later in the year. But as it turns out, this was not a problem. Here are the logistics of Tyson's K-1 deal:

- K-1 has admitted that the pricetag to land Tyson's services is a whopping USD$25 million dollars. That is way more then the USD$15 million dollars that was first believed and reported to be the pricetag last week.

- K-1 has the exclusive rights to his management and promotion in the country of Japan only, meaning that he can only fight for K-1 in Japan. This includes bouts under boxing rules, K-1/kickboxing rules, or MMA rules.

- Outside of Japan, Tyson can fight for whoever he wants or under whatever rules he wants, meaning he will still be doing his Showtime boxing matches and can technically compete for any of the MMA organizations that are after his services in the USA.


As far as what K-1 is planning to do with Tyson, here are some ideas they have already announced to the Japanese media:

- K-1 has said the plan is to first have Mike Tyson vs. Bob Sapp, then Mike Tyson vs. Jerome Le Banner, then Mike Tyson vs. Ernesto Hoost.

-K-1 would like to have Tyson vs. Sapp happen by the end of the year, when the K-1 and MMA shows traditionally pull in the most money in Japan.

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The IFC will be getting some mainstream media exposure this week on the The Sharon Osborne Show, and on the Fox Sports Network's The Best Damn Sports Show Period.

IFC Commissioner Paul Smith, along with fighters Jeremy Horn and Renato 'Babalu' Sobral, will be appearing on the Sharon Osbourne Show on Wednesday. The show is hosted by Sharon, who is the wife of Ozzy Osbourne.

Then on Thursday, Paul Smith and a few fighters will be appearing on The Best Damn Sports Show Period.

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Naoyuki Kotani

The opening round of ZST's 16-man lightweight GP takes place on November 23rd, 2003. The semifinals and finals will take place on January 11th 2004. Our sources in Japan have given us the complete but tentative line-up that is being scheduled for the opening round:


ZST Lightweight GP (opening round):

Takumi Yano vs. Ryusuke Uemura

Goro Kobayashi vs. Takahiro Uchiyama

Takefumi Hanai vs. Hiroyuki Nozawa

Hiroki Kotani vs. Rich Clementi

Hideo Tokoro vs. Taiyo Nakahara

Remigijus Morkevicius vs. Atsuhiro Tsuboi

Naoyuki Kotani vs. Matt Serra

Masakazu Imanari vs. Yves Edwards

The prize money is as follows:

Champion - 5,000,000 yen (approximately USD$42,000)
2nd place - 1,500,000 yen (approximately USD$12,500)
3rd place - 700,000 yen (approximately USD$6,000)

Prize money for first submission or KO - 100,000 yen (approximately USD$850)
Prize money for second submission or KO - 200,000 yen (approximately USD$1,700)
Prize money for third submission or KO - 300,000 yen (approximately USD$2,550)
Prize money for fourth submission or KO - 400,000 yen (approximately USD$3,350)

You can check out ZST's english-language website by clicking here

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Royce Gracie (right)

Royce Gracie appeared on a radio show called Elliot In The Morning, which gets a half million listeners on one of the Washington DC market's largest radio stations DC101. Royce answered some uneducated questions and tried to plug the upcoming UFC 44 card, which leads to speculation that Royce himself will be returning to the UFC very soon. However, Elliott, the host of the show, was only interested in asking him about K-1 and Bob Sapp. Royce ended the show demonstrating techniques and choke holds on the staff. Overall, Royce did a very good job on the show. Producers of the show got an overwhelming response from listeners regarding Royce's appearance on the show.

To see a gallery of pictures from Royce's the radio station visit, click here

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Frank Shamrock's ShootBox
Saturday, August 8th, 2003
Orange County Convention Center
Orlando Florida


Jason Delucia defeats Matt Rodgers by rear naked choke, RD 1.
Mike Swick defeats Butch Bacon by KO, RD 1.
Jeff Ford defeats Jerome Smith by KO.
Alex Kababian defeats Chad Washburn by triangle choke, RD 1.
Stu Hesselmeyer defeats David Baggett by TKO, RD 2.
Dave Velazquez defeats Daniel Wade by heel hook, RD 1.
Crofton Wallace defeats Alex Keaton by TKO, RD 2.
Mike Lee defeats Scott Johnson by triangle choke, RD 1.
Erik Wray defeats James Meals by submission, RD 2.
Chris Kaouk defeats Eric O'Bryon by armbar, RD 1.

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BRAZIL SUPER FIGHT
September 19th, 2003
Ginasio Tezourinha
Porto Alegre, Brazil

Below is the card for the MMA event called Brazil Super Fight, which is being promoted by Mario Sperry:

*Card subject to change

MMA

Jorge 'Macaco' Patino vs. Ikuhisa Minowa

Marcelo Alfaia vs. Jose Ricardo 'Dragao'

Luke Piclum vs. Eduardo Simoes

Haroldo 'Cabelinho' Bunn vs. Leonardo Souza

Eric Tavares vs. Andre 'Mau' Lagendre

Helio Dipp vs. Luis Beicao

Roan Jucao Carneiro vs. Luis Azeredo

Luis Brito vs. Luis Azeredo

Gilson 'Capixu' Ferreira vs. Muriez Linke



MUAY THAI

Gerson Silva vs. Eduardo Verissimo

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Hayato Sakurai (right)

Below is a proposed card that DSE is planning to do for their first PRIDE Bushido show. According to Japanese magazine Kakutougi Tsushin, PRIDE would like to make a Team Japan vs. Team Gracie first card. As Fightsport.com first reported last week before anyone else, Carlos Newton, Hayato Sakurai, Ryan Gracie, Rodrigo Gracie, Kazuhiro Nakamura, Daiju Takase, and D. Mishima will all be on the inaugural card.

Proposed fighters on the card:

Team Japan:
Hayato Sakurai
Akira Shoji
Kazuhiro Nakamura
Daiju Takase
D. Mishima
Rumina Sato

Team Gracie:
Ryan Gracie
Renzo Gracie
Roger Gracie
Rodrigo Gracie
Ryron Gracie (son of Rorian).
Royler Gracie

Other fighters:
Carlos Newton
Anderson Silva
Alexander Fedor (Fedor Emelianenko's younger brother, and also a heavyweight)
Peter Aerts

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Mike Tyson

Mike Tyson and his fighting future have been in the news as of late as everyone seems to say they have him signed.

First, the matchmaker of K-1 reports that he has reached an agreement with Tyson's camp on a lawyer-level. They would like to have Tyson fight Bob Sapp by year's end.

Second, the ICC is reporting that they are negotiating with Tyson (who fired long-time advisor, Shelly Finkel) for a 3-fight deal. The ICC is now co-owned by infamous boxing promoter Don King.

Third, executives from the Showtime network are reporting that Tyson is set to fight on December 6th against an opponent TBA (Oleg Maskaev is the front-runner). They a;lso confirmed that Shelly Finkel was not involved in the discussions.

More news to come on these situations in the next week.

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