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Renzo Gracie

Fightsport.com reported last week that Renzo Gracie's opponent for the October 5th PRIDE Bushido show will either be Kazuhiro Hamanaka or Hayato Sakurai.

Yesterday, Graciefighter.com confirmed that Hayato Sakurai is the frontrunner right now by reporting the following:

"Saturday, September 13, Renzo vs. Sakurai Our sources tell us that this is the most likely match-up for the upcoming Pride Bushido show. The fight appears to be contingent on Sakurai winning and being able to compete after his next fight in Deep."

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Hiroki Kotani vs. Rich Clementi

World famous MMA photographer Susumu Nagao now has pictures up of the ZST 4 event that just took place on September 7th. To check out the pictures on Susumu's site, click here

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Takanori Gomi (top)

Rumble On The Rock 4
Friday, October 10, 2003
Blaisdale Arena
Oahu, Hawaii

B.J. Penn's Hawaiian MMA promotion known as 'Rumble On The Rock (ROTR) has announced that a contract has been signed by Takanori Gomi for him to face B.J. Penn for the ROTR light weight championship in ROTC 4.

Here is the complete card:

B.J. Penn vs. Takanori Gomi
Ron Juhn vs. Jake Sheilds
Paul Buentello vs. Kuai Kupihea
Gill Castillo vs. Renato 'Charuto' Verisimo
Stephen Palling vs. TBA
Leandro Nyza vs. 'Soneca'
David Pa'alui vs. Joe Riggs
Yobie Song vs. Antonio Banuelos
Ross Ebanez vs. Gabe Casillas
Santino Defranco vs. TBA

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The Japanese media reports that prosecutors in the K-1 corporate tax evasion case have recommended to the judge a 2-year jail sentence for the two minor players, accountant Terakubo and manager Sato). Individual fines of 24 million yen (USD$205,000) to Terakubo, and 17 million yen (USD$145,000) to Sato have also been recommended. A judgment will be determined in court on November 5th.

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Ryan Bow

Interview by Todd Atkins

Todd Atkins: Why have you not been fighting lately?

Ryan Bow: Well, I just haven't had any offers to fight. After winning my kickboxing fight against Hayato in IKUSA I have just been waiting.

Todd Atkins: Talk about your fight with Shaolin, what was it like?

Ryan Bow: Shaolin is a great grappler. It was similar to my fight with Jauo Roque. He was able to keep me on the ground and get the decision. I was down for a while about losing, but once I saw the fight I could tell where I had improved in some areas. My wrestling has gotten better and thanks to Miyamoto-san from K-1 my striking improved a lot too. I lost because I couldn't get off the bottom. So now I am doing a little jiu jitsu with a gi now.

Todd Atkins: Out of the four fights you have lost. All went to decision. Which fighter do you think was the best? Shaolin, Roque, Gomi, or Mishima?

Ryan Bow: As a fighter Gomi. As a grappler, Shaolin. They are two very different things.

Todd Atkins: So what kind of fights are you looking for now?

Ryan Bow: I really want to get into Pride Bushido. Other than that, maybe do kickboxing again. I am pretty open, I will fight any rules. Fighting in America is another place I'd like to fight since I've never fought as a pro on the mainland.

Todd Atkins: I know you have been contemplating about ending your fight career. Tell the fans more about why you are considering it.

Ryan Bow: There is just no money in the sport at my weight class. When I first saw MMA on T.V. I knew it was what I wanted to do. I devoted my life to training and sacrificed a lot of things by moving abroad. I don't regret any of those decisions. Actually, I am happy for the life I am able to live. But financially speaking, I am not sure it can provide me with the quality of life I want to live. I have been playing with the idea of putting time into training fighters. With the hopes of one day owning my own gym. But it is just thinking at this point. I am still young so as long as I have offers I plan to continue to fight. I catch some flack saying things like this in Japan because here fighting is supposed to be done for the love of the sport and not for monetary reasons. But when it's all said and done, we do not have anything to fall back on. Fighters need to think about being able to live a quality life after its all said and done. We don't have even have a pension plan.

Todd Atkins: You said that in the Japan fighters are expected to fight for the love of the sport. What do you think about Sakurai and Mishima going for bigger money and bucking that trend?

Ryan Bow: I am happy that more and more fighters are beginning to realize what we do as a true profession. Enson was the first to do this and he succeeded. Now Maha and Mishima. It's only a matter of time before all fighters are able to compete anywhere and everywhere. Actually many organizations are becoming more acceptable of this. It only poses a problem in the lighter weight classes were the market is monopolized by one or two organizations. Hopefully, Pride`s Bushido show will help put an end to this old way of thinking.

Todd Atkins: Lets talk about shooto for a bit. The big show in August was a letdown. I personally feel the rules need to be changed. What do you think?

Ryan Bow: I agree, recently Shooto does not seem to be filling seats like they used to. Pride has become the symbol for MMA in Japan. Your average person has at least seen it once or twice. I think it would be in Shooto's best interest to change the rules and judging criteria to meet Pride's. It can only help in the long run. But I also know Shooto has their own views on how they would like MMA to grow and become a true sport. Both organizations are correct, there goals are just different. I think Shooto would like to see MMA become a true sport. Pride, I think would like to see MMA become a major entertainment event.

Todd Atkins: I am hearing that you have an interest in possibly fighting Tetsuya Kawajiri. Care to comment on that?

Ryan Bow: I will fight anybody. I was in Thailand when Kawajiri fought Yves Edwards. When I came back a friend told me Kawajiri mentioned to the press that me wanted to fight me. He is a good fighter and fun to watch. If Shooto`s willing, I'd like to fight him in the December Shooto show. I still have a lot to prove.

Todd Atkins: What kind of skills do you see in Kawajiri?

Ryan Bow: I think his best attributes are his size, and strength. He is an aggressive fighter, willing to take chances, but hesitant and fights a safe fight when fighting top opponents. His ground and pound has won him many fights. But I think it is a bit overrated

Todd Atkins: What did you think of Takanori Gomi finally losing a fight to Joachim Hansen? Gomi said he feels that he won.

Ryan Bow: I think the judges made the right decision. In my opinion, Gomi is the better fighter 9 times out of 10. Hansen was just better on that day. Getting Gomi's back got him the decision. That mistake cost Gomi his title. It happens to the best of us.

Todd Atkins: As you know. Gomi probably will fight BJ Penn in Hawaii down the road. How do you think that fight will play out?

Todd Atkins: I think its a dangerous fight for Gomi to take. Penn is a great fighter and fighting Gomi in his own event is a big advantage. Gomi has more to lose than he has to gain.

Todd Atkins: What did you think of Kid Yamamoto's fight on Friday night? Do you think Noguiera will fight him? And how do you think the fight could end up going?

Ryan Bow: KID is the best pound for pound fighter there is right now. He destroyed that guy last Friday. If Noguiera fights him the way he fought Paling in the August show, he might get hurt. I think KID will be the one to take Noguiera`s belt.

Todd Atkins: You trained with him a lot. What is it that makes him do so well?

Ryan Bow: Dedication, his experience wrestling, and natural ability. With that and his family behind him. He might be unbeatable.

Todd Atkins: Let's talk a little bit about Japan and your experiences with fighting here. A lot of people want to know exactly how you got started. Without giving the long winded version of things. How did you end up in Japan?

Ryan Bow: I hopped on a plane and just came over alone. Looking back on this there may have been easier ways. To anyone honestly thinking about making the move, I'd advise them to do it the easy way. Sign with a English school like Nova or Geos, organizations that hire abroad. Come and start off teaching for a year and train on the side. The company will give you an apartment and a good salary. After a year or so, once you have a visa you will have more time to focus on fighting. Learn Japanese, it will take you a lot further in the long run if you plan to stay for a while

Todd Atkins: You have been around Japan and trained at many of the top gyms. What have been your impressions of some of those places. And some of the fighters that you have trained with? Fighters that were great on the ground, or standing up?

Ryan Bow: Japan is one of the best places to train because in most good gyms the fighters are cross trained. As a whole, mixed martial artist in Japan striking seems to be lacking. But as far as the ground goes, The Japanese are able to flow from submission to submission, wrestle, and do jiu jitsu, making it all flow together. As for fighters there are too many to name. There are many fighters, without a big name that are just as good if not better than the ones people talk about or see in bigger events. As for kickboxing skills, Japan has some really good gyms as well. It's a shame that more fighters don't take advantage of this.

Todd Atkins: Let's take a guy like Daiju Takase for example. You have trained with him a bit. And no one thought he could beat Anderson Silva. You were pretty impressed with him during training correct?

Ryan Bow: Takase is the man on the ground plain and simple. He has been around for a long time and he's finally got his chance. Many say he's the best grappler in Japan. Every time I train with him I learn something new. He can throw submission combinations like a boxer would throwing punching combinations.

Todd Atkins: He is rumored to be fighting Ryan Gracie in PRIDE Bushido. How do you think he will do in that fight?

Ryan Bow: He was supposed to fight Ryan earlier this year. If he gets Ryan to the ground, my money is on Takase. Ryan is a great fighter but has a tendency to let his emotions get the best of him in the ring. It will be interesting to see which Ryan shows up to fight.

Todd Atkins: What are some of your most memorable experiences training and fighting in Japan?

Ryan Bow: Training, I remember the first time I took part in the STG Yokohama training camp. All the fighters slept in the gym on the mats. We trained 2 or 3 times a day. Lots of running body conditioning and sparring. It was run by Sakamoto the Shooto producer. I was still an amateur then but it was a great opportunity to live, eat, and train with many great fighters.

Todd Atkins: What are some of the differences between training in American gym, and a Japanese gym?

Ryan Bow: I am not the best person to ask about this seeing that I have only trained MMA with Frank Shamrock. I would say that the mentality is different. There are no attitudes in the gym. Everybody is there to improve. Pros tap to amateurs on some occasions. As long as your improving it's no big deal. But then again, it's different from gym to gym. Years ago there were a lot of differences between training in America and Japan. As the sport has grown I think the differences are becoming less and less.

Todd Atkins: Since you have not ruled out fighting again just yet. Where are some of the places you are interested in fighting?

Ryan Bow: I am interested in fighting anywhere and everywhere. I still have not fought on the mainland in America so that is high on my list. Many people say I can't pass a medical test, but it's a big misunderstanding. I have been fighting for years and playing contact sports my whole life. Obviously, I can't fight in Nevada and New Jersey. But I would love the chance to fight in the UFC or the KOTC when they are not being
held in Nevada or New Jersey.

Todd Atkins: Some people may say that an American promoter should not take a chance on you. Because you have lost to Roque and Shaolin back to back. Why should an American promoter take a chance on you?

Ryan Bow: Because I am still a proven fighter, and still highly ranked in Japan. Everybody loses from time to time. I am coming off a win versus a kick boxer named HAYATO, who has competed in K-1 in a kickboxing match. I am constantly improving and I feel that I have a lot to offer the American fans. Speed, quickness, and willingness to fight and take chances. Riding out the fight to a decision does not sell tickets. Going for the win does. Sometimes you lose sometimes you win. But the fans want to be entertained. I think I can do that well.

Todd Atkins: Anything else you want to say?

Ryan Bow: I want to thank everyone that has supported me over the years. Fighters have up and down periods in their careers. We win some and lose some. Thanks to those who understand that and still support the sport. To all the haters, stop hating on fighters cause they lost a fight. They are living their dream. Go live yours instead of hiding behind a computer.

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Tito Ortiz

Fightsport.com presents its newest feature...the 'They Said It' (or TSI) column. The TSI column will feature a ridiculous quote from someone in MMA. The kind of quote that leads you to ask "did that fool really say that?".

This week's quote comes from none other then reluctant champion turned "businessman" Tito Ortiz. The quote was taken from an interview by Insidefighting.com:

'It sells from Australia to Thailand to Asia to Tanzania. It is really amazing because you think 'man, they barely even have TVs there...how do they have computers to get this stuff shipped out to them?' It's really amazing where people buy clothing from, but they just want to support Punishment Athletics.' -Tito Ortiz

editors note: Yes Tito...Asia, Australia, Thailand, and Tanzania have more then just a few TVs. In fact, they have more television sets then America and Canada combined a few times over ;)

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Todd Atkins reports the following from Japan:

"A while back, Pride showed some photos on the big screen at Yokohama arena of their fighters when they were very young. This happened right before the PRIDE: 'Reborn' show. The photos have finally surfaced on the net."


Vanderlei Silva


Mirko "Cro Cop" Filipovic


Kazushi Sakuraba

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By Tape Lord


David Tua

Hello my friends, there was a rumor reported yesterday on some internet forums that K-1 is interested in signing heavyweight boxing contender David Tua (who is a distant cousin of 2001 K-1 champ Mark Hunt). My postal connections in Japan tell me that this in fact true, K-1 is in negotiations with Tua and his management as we speak.

Not only that, but there is also another player involved that noone has talked about yet, and that player is none other then the UFC. My Zuffa informant called Coffee Guy actually told me about this a few months ago but had sworn me to secrecy until now, because the heat would have been on him too much if it had come out before. But now it is fine to let everyone know that Dana White has had talks with Tua's management and wants to bring him to the UFC in the worst way.

Tua himself does want to do both K-1 and MMA eventually and has actually trained a lot in Muay Thai in the past. He is also a huge fan of MMA.

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

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The description below is taken from the website of the movie that former UFC and Pancrase champion Bas Rutten will star in. The movie is called 'Varley's Game'. It looks like it will be a straight-to-video movie, but we wish him the best of luck anyway:

"Former LAPD cop, Dakota Varley (played by UFC champoion Bas Rutten), enters a power boat race seeking the prize of $250,000, but immediately discovers, first hand, that this race's risk matches the prize: one racer is killed, 3 others seriously injured in multiple action-packed crashes and explosions. Varley prevails. Varley tries to leave the lake and collect his prize money but is drugged and kidnapped by Dawson (portrayed by Michael Rooker) and thrown into a different world: a world where survivl means everything and no-one follows the rules.

Varley awakens on an island, strapped to pole, like a pig being carried to a barbeque. Surrounded by heavily-armed men, he soon learns that he and six other victims have been assembled to be contestants in the ultimate survival game: they will be hunted nightly by hunters with rifles until there is one remaining survivor, who will win a $10,000,000 cash prize!

As the story unfolds, we meet the other contestants Jesse is an undercover DEA agent in Venezuela, Santha is military instructor for a group of revolutionaries in Sierra Leone, and that Darius is a socio-pathic murderer, court-martialed and supposedly imprisoned by the U.S. Army for slaughtering 40 innocents in Kosovo. We also learn, in bits and pieces, that each contestant has been brought to the game by a "Player." Wealthy men and women who have each selected of one of the Contestants. Among these men are Carlos Alvarez, Venezuelan Drug Lord; U.S. Army General Ellison; and Ochiro Sumanni, a Japanese Gang Boss.

All the while, we follow the Contestants as they struggle to survive the attacks not by of the hunters, but also each other.

Enjoy the thrill ride as we follow Varley throught this intense action adventure: Varley's game. Are you ready to play?"

For more info click here

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Alexa.com just updated their internet ratings once again. Below are the Alexa.com rankings for the top 10 MMA websites as of September 12th, 2003.

Fightsport.com and MMAWeekly.com have been the two fastest-growing MMA websites the last few months and are now catching up to the number three spot. Sherdog.com and Sherdog.net had occupied the top two spots for many months, but MMA.tv has moved into the number one spot this month and has knocked Sherdog.com and Sherdog.net down to number two and three respectively for the first time in a long while.

Official sites of the UFC and PRIDE have remained steady for the last few months. Subfighter.com has come out of nowhere in the last month to take the seventh spot. Adcombat.com has remained at number 9, despite its ratings having improved a great deal. Defend.net barely fell out of the top 10 for the first time in a long time, while MaxFighting.com survived by a thread to hang on to the number 10 spot.



MMA RANKINGS:

1.) MMA.tv - Traffic Rank for mma.tv: 7,735

2.) Sherdog.com - Traffic Rank for sherdog.com: 9,187

3.) Sherdog.net - Traffic Rank for sherdog.net: 14,166

4.) MMAWeekly.com - Traffic Rank for mmaweekly.com: 20,208

5.) Fightsport.com - Traffic Rank for fightsport.com: 21,854

6.) UFC.tv - Traffic Rank for ufc.tv: 25,714

7.) Subfighter.com - Traffic Rank for subfighter.com: 30,622

8.) Pridefc.com - Traffic Rank for pridefc.com: 35,948

9.) Adcombat.com - Traffic Rank for adcombat.com: 47,114

10.) Maxfighting.com - Traffic Rank for maxfighting.com: 69,224












Alexa.com tracks the internet ratings with the use of the Alexa toolbar, which is used by no less then 10 million people. Almost all of the Alexa toolbar users also use Amazon.com and Google, making the Alexa.com rankings very important with advertisers. Alexa.com is arguably the most respected internet ratings system in the business.

How to read the Alexa.com rankings: The traffic rank indicates the website's ranking amongst english-language websites. As the number goes lower, it indicates that the website is ranked higher.

For example:

a website with a traffic rank of '1', means that it is the number one visited english-language website on the internet, according to Alexa.com's 10 million users.

a website with a traffic rank of '10,221', means that it is the 10,221st most visited english-language website on the internet, according to Alexa.com's 10 million users.

a website with a traffic rank or '90,594', means that it is the 90,594th most visited english-language website on the internet, according to Alexa.com's 10 million users.

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Babalu after winning the IFC tourney.

Below is an interview that Renato 'Babalu' Sobral did for Brazilian magazine Tatame after winning the IFC light heavyweight tournament. Interview by Andre Araujo:

Tatame: Some websites are comparing you to the Hollywood hero 'Rocky' Balboa, because of your black eye and because of the determination and grit that you showed...

Babalu: Everybody had a contribution in giving me a black eye. In my first fight, Trevor landed a good shot on my eye. After that, Shogun managed to open up the cut on my eyelid. My eye got swollen, and during the interval, Beito Leitao closed up my cut with superglue. I think the sweling got so big because the blood didn't have anywhere to leak out of. It looked like I had a baseball growing on my face. It's still swollen because of the air pressure on the plane ride and it still looks horrible. I was very tough and I believed in myself very much. It really was like a "Rocky" story. Now we are back on top. Me and my team, Ruas Vale Tudo.

Tatame: What was the story behind using superglue to close the cut?

Babalu: The superglue is one of the tools you need to use sometimes. I had too much riding on the event to let a cut take me out of the tournament. I was thinking about the time spent training, my coaches, my family, and of course the money. At that moment, to stop the bleeding I would have used spit, bubble gum, anything... (laughs)

Tatame: Give me an analysis of all your fights. Which fight was the hardest?

Babalu: The first fight is always the most difficult one because of the adrenaline rush. Honestly speaking, all my fights were very difficult. In the first one, Trevor Prangley was stronger then me. I had never seen any of his fights. I finally got a tape of him a day before the show, but I decided not to watch it. I decided to learn what his style was during the fight, and when I entered the ring I thought, "I will give a beating". I was very confident, and I went after him in the standup and on the ground. He managed to land a strike on my face...he entered the ring more fresh and that fight took a lot out of me.

Tatame: What about Shogun? Talk a little bit about your fight with him.

Babalu: Shogun has a great ground game, it's very open and he is always spinning and moving the entire time. When an opponent is a good striker, you usually take him to the ground. But Shogun is different, he knows the ground game. I prevailed, but our ground game is about equal. In all honesty, I recieved a great tip from Marinho. He told me to attack his half guard and then try to sweep him. That's just what I did, and I ended up finishing him with a guillotine choke. I believe that my heart was bigger then his. The night was mine.

Tatame: What about your last fight against Jeremy Horn?

Babalu: Jeremy had two hard fights in which he submitted one opponent and knocked out the other. He was much fresher then me going into our fight. His ground game is very offensive, but I came out striking anyway...I was able to stagger him with some strikes and ended up on top of him. It was like the first fight. There was movement the entire fight. Kicks to the face, triangle chokes...he tried to take advantage of the cut on my eye, but I defended it well and did not let it deter me. I was able to defend my right side well.

Tatame: Horn's manager said the referee ended the second round a few seconds too early and you were in a tight spot with the triangle choke Horn was applying. What do you have to say about that?

Babalu: I was defending the triangle attempt. In fact he was the one who had a hard time with me. This thing about the referee ending the round before the right time, I guess it was not intentional. In boxing, somebody warns the referee before the fight ends. I didn't even know about this complaint.

Tatame: Is it true that your grandmother is taking care of you?

Babalu: Yes. I have been living with her since May. She gives me support and tends to my injuries. She was shocked when she saw me. She said, "Oh my dear God! What happened to you my boy?" (laughs). She was very worried.

Tatame: You dedicated your victory to your brother who passed away two months ago...

Babalu: His name is Luis Fernando and he was 30 years old. He died in July from a pulmonary infection. I dedicated my other victory in Natal, but I felt it wasn't enough. I remember that on his deathbed, one day before he slipped into a coma, that he asked me to win an international fight for him, and that's what happened. After he died, that promise became my objective in life. That is what made me win.

Tatame: There are rumors that you might face Ninja (Shogun's brother) in Meca...

Babalu: Right now I will take two weeks off to recover. But I'll still be training hard. Regarding the news about Meca, nothing has gotten past the rumor stage. It isn't taking place as far as I know. Rudimar (Meca promoter) never even contacted me.

Tatame: Tell me about your evolution as a fighter. You started out as a Muay Thai fighter and then became a wrestler?

Babalu: It was a natural process. In fact, I didn't jump from Muay Thai to wrestling...I was a luta-livre fighter before I became a wrestler. The MMA came to me in Rio when I used to train with Box Thai team.

Tatame: Do you still have plans to represent Brazil in Olympic wrestling?

Babalu: I had to choose between the IFC and the Pan-American games in Santo Domingo. I won the trials to go to the Pan-American, but I decided not to go. Starting January, the Olympic trials will start, and I will temporarily stop with MMA around mid-December. That will be my last chance to go to an Olympiad.

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A view of the Jungle Fight ring that will be floating on the Amazon river.

Jungle Fight
September 13th, 2003
Manaus, Brazil

Complete card (subject to change):

Ricco Chiaparelli vs. Luis 'Pantera'
Ricardo Moraes vs. 'Paredao'
Evangelista 'Cyborg' Santos vs. Lucas Lopes
Ronaldo 'Jacare' vs. Jorge 'Macaco' Patino
Kazunari Murakami vs. Lee 'Young Gun'
Mark Schultz vs. Leopoldo Montenegro
Ebenezer Braga vs. Rodrigo Riscado
Marcelo 'Tigre' vs. Everton 'Gigante'
Shinsuke Nakamura vs. Shane
Dario Amorim vs. Justin McCulley
Lioto Matida vs. Stephan Bonnar
Fabricio Werdun vs. Gabriel Napao

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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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Tito Ortiz

PRESS RELEASE:

Zuffa has announced that Tito Ortiz will appear on NBC's 'Last Call with Carson Daly' on September 16. The show tapes that Tuesday at 7:00pm at 30 Rockefeller Center. Tickets are free but on a first come first serve basis. To reserve your tickets simply visit Last Call's link on 1iota.com and register for the correct date.

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Shannon Briggs

Former heavyweight boxing linear champion Shannon Briggs announced that he has signed on with K-1 and he wants to fight Mike Tyson and Bob Sapp. Briggs will be on the Carson Daly show tonight at 1:30 A.M. on NBC and will dicsuss his signing in more detail.

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ICC
October 24th, 2003
Blaisdell Center
Honolulu, Hawaii

The ICC, the MMA organization that is now partners with Don King, has announced that their next show will take place in Hawaii.

PRESS RELEASE:

International Cage Combat is proud to announce the first in our Championship series. October 24th at the Blaisdell Center in Honolulu Hawaii. We will be starting with the first leg of an 8-man tournament to determine our Welter Weight Champion. This card will also feature a Heavy Weight Main event.

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K-1 Osaka 2003: Final Elimination
October 11, 2003
Osaka Dome
Osaka, Japan

K-1 'Final Elimination' will be televised on U.S. pay-per-viewon October 11th. The star-studded line-up includes:

Bob Sapp
Ernesto Hoost
Jerome LeBanner
Peter Aerts
Ray Sefo
Remy Bonjasky
Carter Williams
Francisco Filho

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Nathan Marquardt (right)

Pancrase 2003 Hybrid Tour
Saturday, October 4th, 2003
Grand Cube Osaka
Osaka, Japan

Doors Open: 5:30 PM
Fights Start: 6:30 PM

Below are the matchups that have been announced so far for the October 4th Pancrase show in Osaka, Japan. The complete card should be released in about then two weeks:

Nathan Marquardt vs. Hidehiko Hasegawa
Takafumi Ito vs. Daisuke Hanazawa
Yoshiro Maeda vs. Satoshi Watanabe
Daichi Fujiwara vs. Yoshinobu

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Below are the Alexa.com rankings for the top 10 MMA websites as of September 11th, 2003.

Fightsport.com and MMAWeekly.com have been the two fastest-growing MMA websites the last few months and are now catching up to the number three spot. Sherdog.com and Sherdog.net had occupied the top two spots for many months, but MMA.tv has moved into the number one spot this month and has knocked Sherdog.com and Sherdog.net down to number two and three respectively for the first time in a long while.

Official sites of the UFC and PRIDE have remained steady for the last few months. Subfighter.com has come out of nowhere in the last month to take the seventh spot. Adcombat.com has remained at number 9, despite its ratings having improved a great deal. Defend.net barely fell out of the top 10 for the first time in a long time, while MaxFighting.com survived by a thread to hang on to the number 10 spot.



MMA RANKINGS:

1.) MMA.tv - Traffic Rank for mma.tv: 8,106

2.) Sherdog.com - Traffic Rank for sherdog.com: 9,076

3.) Sherdog.net - Traffic Rank for sherdog.net: 13,907

4.) MMAWeekly.com - Traffic Rank for mmaweekly.com: 21,346

5.) Fightsport.com - Traffic Rank for fightsport.com: 23,269

6.) UFC.tv - Traffic Rank for ufc.tv: 25,350

7.) Subfighter.com - Traffic Rank for subfighter.com: 31,529

8.) Pridefc.com - Traffic Rank for pridefc.com: 35,475

9.) Adcombat.com - Traffic Rank for adcombat.com: 47,867

10.) Maxfighting.com - Traffic Rank for maxfighting.com: 69,384











Alexa.com tracks the internet ratings with the use of the Alexa toolbar, which is used by no less then 10 million people. Almost all of the Alexa toolbar users also use Amazon.com and Google, making the Alexa.com rankings very important with advertisers. Alexa.com is arguably the most respected internet ratings system in the business.

How to read the Alexa.com rankings: The traffic rank indicates the website's ranking amongst english-language websites. As the number goes lower, it indicates that the website is ranked higher.

For example:

a website with a traffic rank of '1', means that it is the number one visited english-language website on the internet, according to Alexa.com's 10 million users.

a website with a traffic rank of '10,221', means that it is the 10,221st most visited english-language website on the internet, according to Alexa.com's 10 million users.

a website with a traffic rank or '90,594', means that it is the 90,594th most visited english-language website on the internet, according to Alexa.com's 10 million users.

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Pat Smith

Pat Smith, the guy who is best remembered for his famous brutal beat-down of American ninja Scott Morris in UFC 2, has announced he is making his return to MMA after more then three years out of fighting.

Smith's victory over Morris may very well be one of the most influential fights in the history of MMA, as it is the fight that most fans remember first turning them on to MMA. Smith went on to have an up-and-down career after that and suffered from the same mental weakness that Tito Ortiz has, which is that he is good at dishing out the damage, but folds under the pressure when he is on the recieving end of a beating.

Has Smith overcome that mental barrier? Only time will tell. But one thing about Smith is different this time and that's that he has bulked up to 250 pounds (113 kg), while still retaining less then 10% bodyfat (according to Smith). Smith has said he wants to fight Bob Sapp, and that he has offers on the table from a few organizations including the IFC and UCC.

According to our inside sources, a fight against Bob Sapp in K-1 may not be out of the question. Smith has fought in K-1 before (a kickboxing loss to Andy Hug, and an MMA loss to Kimo).

We at Fightsport.com think a fight against Tank Abbott in the UFC would be perfect, considering the two have already had heat outside the octagon, and this matchup never got to take place inside of it. It would also be a great fight to watch for the old school fans, most of who showed their numbers with the impressive UFC 40 pay-per-view figures.

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A moments of silence for those who lost their lives in the tragedy of 9-11 two years ago today.

Tito Ortiz

Reluctant light heavyweight champion Tito Ortiz was recently interviewed by Insidefighting.com and told them that he invented the whole Team Punishment and Punishment Clothing concept.

Fightsport.com has recieved a message from a verified person associated with the early Team Punishment. Here's what he had to say:

"Tito is lying out his ass as usual. The whole 'Team Punishment' concept was invented by his former manager Sal Garcia. Sal threw out a few names to him and the 'Punishment' name was the one Tito liked the most.

As for the early clothing line, it was Dave Thomas (the guy that first got Tank Abbott into the UFC) that started making the Punishment clothing line because making shirts and stuff was one of his businesses already. The idea for all that came from Sal and everyone else involved, not just Tito.

Tito should be thanking Sal Garcia for masterminding his whole image and team name."

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Norihisa Yamamoto (bottom) against Bob Sapp.

Takada Dojo reported to the Japanese media that Norihisa Yamamoto won an in-house tournament to be the Takada Dojo representative in PRIDE Bushido. According to reports, Yamoto beat Daijiro Matsui and Yusuke Imamura to win the in-house tourney.

Yamamoto is 6'3 (1.90 m) and 220 pounds (100 kg). Most fans from way back will remember that Yamamoto was once marketed as the Great Japanese Hope in the old RINGS organization, but it soon became apparent after a few fights that his skills were more like that of a legendary jobber instead.

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Vitor Belfort

Brazilian magazine Tatame reports that Vitor Belfort will be interviewed on the popular TV show called 'Dois na Bola' on the Bandsports network in Brazil. Belfort will discuss the UFC title shot he will get against the winner of the Couture vs. Ortiz title fight. Outside of the Gracie name, Belfort is the most known MMA fighter in mainstream Brazil.

However, Belfort has made few public appearances in the media in the past year, due to his intense training schedule. Inside sources say that he is finally recovered from all his injuries and has been training like crazy this past year with his sole intention being to win the UFC light heavyweight belt.

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Mirko "Cro Cop" Filipovic

Dave Meltzer from The Wrestling Observer is reporting that his inside sources are telling him that Mirko 'Cro Cop' Filipovic vs. Ikuhisa Minowa is a strong possibility for the October 5th PRIDE Bushido card.

According to Meltzer, Cro Cop has asked DSE for one more grappler to fight in preparation for his big fight with Fedor Emelianenko. If the Cro Cop vs. Minowa matchup does take place, the size difference would be big, Cro Cop is 6'2 (1.88 m) and about 225 pounds (102 kg), whereas Minowa is only 5'9 (1.75 m) and 183 pounds (83 kg).

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By Eddie Goldstein


Royce Gracie

I came across a column on MMAWeekly explaining some reasons why Royce Gracie will 'not' be in the UFC. Well I thought I'd debunk thier reasons with my own reasons why Royce Gracie 'will' be in the UFC:

Reason No. 1: MMAWeekly thinks that the NSAC's strict no-gi policy will prevent ROyce from coming back to the octagon.

My Reason: If MMAWeekly had done their research, and had the good inside sources that Fightsport.com has, then they would have known that UFC 45 (the show that Dana White would like to have Royce on) will be taking place from the Mohegan Sun Casino (same place where UFC 35 took place), in Uncasville, Connecticut. That means the show is on an Indian Reservation and not subject to the NSAC rules. In other words, an exhibition match (only stated as such for technical purposes) could take place with a gi.


Reason No. 2: MMAWeekly brings up the NSAC rules again and thier no-kidney shots rule, which would disallow Royce's famous kidney shots with his heel from inside his guard.

My Reason: Again, if it's taking place on an Indian Reservation, then this is not a problem. Most people will find it surprising that Zuffa would finally have the balls to do something like this, without regard to upsetting the NSAC. However, I think that at this point it is more a situation of Zuffa having no choice in their constant search for survival, more then them having balls.


Reason No. 3: MMAWeekly feels that the rounds and judges decisions imposed by the athletic commissions will not sit well with Royce.

My Reason: On an Indian Reservation, this won't matter. But for pay-per-view time restrictions, this will matter a great deal. That is why this last point is the one that Zuffa and Royce Gracie are working on right now. According to my inside sources, Royce has no problem with the rounds. It's all about whether to have judges or not. Royce would prefer no judges, and that the fight is declared a draw if it goes the distance.


So you see my friends, if Royce Gracie comes back to the UFC (and it will happen), it won't be because of the NSAC like some other sites who don't do their research are proclaiming. Royce has pretty much agreed to most things that Zuffa will require, and Zuffa has agreed to most things that Royce has required (solong as they can make it possible without breaking any rules). UFC 45 in Mohegan ,Connecticut, is the date they're hoping to do this. Let's hope it happens for old times sake.




Eddie Goldstein is a legendary underground journalist of boxing, pro-wrestling, and now MMA. His contributions to MMA can be found here exclusively at Fightsport.com from now on.

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PRESS RELEASE:

LAS VEGAS, NEV., September 9, 2003...Last weekend, the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) debuted UFC: 21st Century Sports, a 28-minute infomercial on national and local cable channels that introduces more sports fans to the UFC and the sport of mixed martial arts while providing an action-packed overview of the UFC's evolution from a pay-per-view spectacle 10 years ago to today's professional combat sport.

The viewing schedule continues tomorrow (September 10) and Thursday on cable TV stations in eight U.S. cities and nationally on the Spike TV network.

Hosted by Showtime's fight analyst and commentator Al Bernstein, UFC: 21st Century Sports provides viewers an in-depth look at how the UFC was founded in 1993 and details its growth and transition from an international spectacle into a true professional combat sport under the new ownership of Zuffa, LLC, its Las Vegas-based parent company.

The UFC story is told through the eyes of principal owner Lorenzo Fertitta and President Dana White, celebrities like Joe Rogan, host of NBC's Fear Factor, fighters such as Chuck Liddell, Randy Couture and Tito Ortiz, as well as mixed martial arts and mainstream journalists, who have covered and reported the UFC's growth.


The viewing schedule includes:

Wednesday, September 10
KXLA-TV Los Angeles, Calif. 12:30 a.m.
KVWB-TV Las Vegas, Nev. 1:30 a.m.
KFBT-TV Las Vegas, Nev. 2:00 a.m.
COMB-TV Boston, Mass. 1:00 a.m.
KMWB-TV Minn.-St. Paul, Minn. 4:30 a.m.

Thursday, September 11
KZJL-TV Houston, Tex. 11:30 p.m.
WIWB-TV Green Bay, Wis. 1:00 a.m.
KOVR-TV Sacramento, Calif. 3:05 a.m.
WUPA-TV Atlanta, Ga. 3:30 p.m.
Spike TV National Network 4:00 a.m.
KRCA-TV Los Angeles, Calif. 4:30 a.m.

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SHOOTO
September 21st, 2003
Port Messe Nagoya
Aichi, Japan

Class-A Bouts:
Joao Roque vs. Hiroyuki Abe
Jeremy Bolt vs. Kentaro Imaizumi

Class-B Bouts:
Daisuke 'Amazon' Sugie vs. Tom Kirk
Naoki Matsushita vs. Koutetsu Boku
Hiroshi Umemura vs. Hiroyuki Tanaka
Yasuhiro Akagi vs. Shinichi Hanawa
Keisuke Kurata vs. HIRO
Akira Kibe vs. Manabu Kanou
Hirofumi Hara vs. Kotobukimaru

BJJ Match:
Leonardo Santos vs. Mitsuyoshi Hayakawa

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Lee Murray (right)

Fightsport.com reported this rumor back on July 17th, and now it appears that english fighter Lee Murray has definitely signed on with the UFC. Our Zuffa informant, Coffee Guy, tells us that Murray is signed to a 3-fight deal and will most likely debut in UFC 45.

Lee Murray became famous among the MMA world last year when he knocked out Tito Ortiz in an after-party brawl that took place after the UFC 38 event in London, England. You can visit the controversial Lee Murray fansite by clicking here

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Babalu after winning the IFC tourney.

Renato 'Babalu' Sobral recently spoke with Brazilian magazine Tatame and said the following, "We are back on top, me and my team". According to Babalu, he will take a two-week vacation before resuming training.

When asked about thr rumor that he may be fighting Murilo 'Ninja' Rua in the November Meca event, Babalu said, "Nothing has gotten past the rumor stage. It isn't taking place as far as I know. Rudimar (Meca promoter) never even contacted me."

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Korean businessmen bought the rights to stage a UFC event in South Korea, then turned on each other.

The Joong Ang Daily newspaper in South Korea printed the article posted below. It demonstrates the growing trend of criminal element that is continually trying to get involved in promoting MMA in Asia. A trend that has already taken place in other parts of the world where MMA has its strongholds:

Ultimate Fight Rights Lead to Violence
by Jeon Jin-bae

Two local businessmen were arrested yesterday over the alleged kidnapping and beating of another to gain exclusive rights to secure a U.S. no-holds-barred fighting event.

The plan to host a round of the popular but violent Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) began in June, according to Seoul district prosecutors, when a local businessman identified as Mr. Won suggested to a colleague, identified as Mr. Kim, that they should pursue the Korean rights.
The event is considered one of the cruelest spectacles in the world, where free-style fighters engage each other inside a cage-like ring with few rules. It is banned from national television in the United States, but popular with cable providers.

Prosecutors said Mr. Kim and Mr. Won traveled to the United States together and paid $300,000 for a provisional contract to establish UFC-sanctioned events in Korea. They said Mr. Won then started gathering other Korean investors for the plan.

However, prosecutors contend that Mr. Kim became upset with Mr. Won's attempt to bring in more investors, and asked a friend identified as Mr. Jeong to kidnap him. Mr. Kim and Mr. Jeong allegedly confined Mr. Won to a hotel room in southern Seoul where they repeatedly beat him with baseball bats and extorted 600 million won ($512,000) from him, according to prosecutors.

The Seoul District Prosecutors' Office arrested and charged both Mr. Kim and Mr. Jeong yesterday. Mr. Kim, however, accused Mr. Won of fraud, according to prosecutors, saying he tried to exclude him while attracting other investors. The prosecutors' office said broadcasts of fist-fighting events were a lucrative business in Korea, and that Mr. Kim and Mr. Won appeared to get into financial trouble in their attempt to monopolize the U.S. event's business rights here. Such events have created sensations in Korea since last December, when fights owned by U.S. and Japanese organizers were first broadcast on a cable network here.

To view the article, click here

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Tim Sylvia

Ron Merrill of Insidefighting.com recently interviewed Tim Sylvia. Here's what Sylvia had to say:

IF: You were just on the Tom Green Show. Tell me a little about that.

Sylvia: Ah, it was a pretty good time. We had fun. He's a little bit crazy and out there. He really didn't give me the chance to speak on what I wanted to and he was steering it in the wrong direction by calling it [mixed martial arts] human cock fighting and a fight to the death and all that shit. I was kind of upset with it but the UFC said I did good and that's his audience. So if all the MTV audience just tunes in to watch what Tom Green says, then they're gonna be hooked [on MMA] after they watch it once, so I guess it turned out all right.

IF: What do you think you might have said differently if you had a chance to do it again?

Sylvia: Well I really wanted to explain the fighting and the rules, but Tom is just so outspoken and loud. He's like, "fight to the death" and "human cockfighting, right?" I was like, "wow, no!" He just interrupted me when I tried to talk. I really didn't get a word in edgewise.

IF: Did you happen to catch the comments that were made on Pardon The Interruption, about our sport?

Sylvia: No. I don't even know what that is.

IF: PTI is an ESPN broadcast that basically takes the same position that MMA is human cockfighting. So had you been on a TV show before?

Sylvia: No, nothing like that. That was the first.

IF: Tell me about the time period since last you were in the Octagon. What's been going on for you? What sort of reaction have you gotten from the public?

Sylvia: I've been training right along and my popularity has definitely picked up. It seems like everywhere I go somebody recognizes me. I'll tell you, it's kind of good that as this sport starts to broaden, more and more people are watching it. I'll be in places like Wal-Mart and the grocery store, or at Disney World and they're like, "hey, I know you!" and I'm like "do ya?" and they're like, "yeah! You're Tim Sylvia!" and so on and so forth.

IF: Now Tim, is that with or without the belt over your shoulder?

Sylvia: [Laughs] That is definitely without!

IF: I had to give you a hard time in response to something I read in Fight Sport Magazine about the guys in Matt's [Hughes] locker room giving you a hard time before his fight [against Sean Sherk] about carrying your belt everywhere.

Sylvia: Oh yeah! Definitely. Yeah, we always shoot the shit. We always rip on each other.

IF: How would you describe your relationship with your other Miletich teammates?

Sylvia: Well, they're funny. We're really hard on each other. We rip on each other. But you don't want to be part of the outside circle and do it because if you do you'll have a pack of wild dogs on you. You know? It's kind of like a whole brotherhood. Brothers can pick on each brother, but if you mess with one and you're not part of that brotherhood, you're in trouble.

IF: How do you think your fight game has changed since Ricco Rodriguez?

Sylvia: It hasn't. I'm going to go in there and do the same thing. I'm going to go in there and try and knock him out and stop the takedown.

IF: Now, you're being matched with Gan McGee and a lot of people think that you guys have similar styles. What do you think about that?

Sylvia: Okay. Yeah, I think we do. I think my standup is a little bit better than his but he might have more of a solid wrestling background than I do. But my takedown defense is real good and I don't think he's gonna take me down.

IF: Have you had a chance to demonstrate your ground skills much in the smaller shows that you participated in?

Sylvia: Nope, not at all.

IF: Are you confident in your ground game?

Sylvia: Very.

IF: Going up against a tall guy - a big guy - who can mimic a Gan McGee within Team Miletich?

Sylvia: Ah, we got guys like Mark Hansen that I know are stronger than Gan McGee. Better athletes like guys like Justin Eilers, and we have better wrestlers. Guys like Steve Rusk that, you know, are just phenomenal. And the Jiu-Jitsu is always Jeremy Horn. He's a Jiu-Jitsu god. He’s got my ground game going real well.

IF: How do you prepare for the reach of Gan McGee?

Sylvia: Ah? I'm just willing to take punches to give punches really.

IF: Are you at all worried about taking shots after getting staggered a little bit by Cabbage [Wesley Correira]?

Sylvia: Cabbage hits real hard. You know, I don't see Gan hitting as hard as Cabbage does. I think I have a real good chin. Cabbage knocks everybody out when he gets a hold of them and...he just...he rocked me a little bit, but I recovered immediately. Then I got pissed off.

IF: Now I understand that you're training in Utah. Tell me about the decision to train in Salt Lake City.

Sylvia: What it was is that I was training with Mark Hansen and I actually injured him and he can't train anymore and Justin Eilers broke his hand. He fought Cabbage in the Super Brawl and broke his hand, so he wasn't really able to train with me and spar with me. And I ran out of heavyweights to train with. And Jeremy came up to Utah to get ready for the Denver show. And of course Rich Franklin was up here and they had a couple decent heavyweights, so we've been all training our asses off up here.

IF: So Utah is all about the altitude for you.

Sylvia: Yeah, and they got a couple heavyweights that are pretty solid.

IF: What does your training day look like right now as you approach this fight?

Sylvia: I'm doing sprints and then I grapple after I do sprints - 6 rounds. Six 5-minute rounds. Then I'll go home and eat, shake and whatever. Then I'll lift and take a nap. Then we'll come back in the evening and do anything from pad work with the Thai pads to grappling to takedowns and sparring, take Sundays off.

IF: How is preparing for this UFC fight as the champion different from preparing for it as a contender? How do you handle the media circus?

Sylvia: Well they're trying to take me away from my training a little bit. They wanted to have me do some traveling and stuff like that and then it's just like I just won't allow it. I just told them, I said, "hey, if you want me to win this fight then I need to stay and train. I can't be traveling on planes and eating shitty food and not having my focus on the fight." So luckily the UFC is working with me and they're letting me stay at home and do my training.

IF: If you could look into the future, what would you see as the play-by-play for this fight?

Sylvia: Me wearing him out in the first round and then knocking him out in the second round.

IF: Now you've been pretty busy in other organizations as well. Can you tell me a little about how you got involved in the ICC?

Sylvia: My friend Rick Graveson who helped them run the show, he's a Miletich fighter and he and I are good friends and he introduced me to a guy and they had me ref and had me judge for them. It's a good show and it's run well. I enjoy being around the other shows and hanging out with the other fighters and being with the fans. It's enjoyable on your downtime, you know? Fighting's my life. So to be around it is real enjoyable.

IF: Which fighters were your heroes as you were coming up?

Sylvia: Obviously Pat Miletich. I'm a big fan of Vanderlei Silva, Don Frye, and Mark Coleman. Guys like that.

IF: Would you ever consider fighting in Pride FC?

Sylvia: Yeah I would. I'm very, very happy with the UFC. I like the way they're treating me and I like fighting in the U.S. There's a chance you might see me in Pride sometime this year, fighting for the UFC and representing the UFC.

IF: Do you feel that Ricco calling out Nog [Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira] from Pride FC, after winning the UFC championship was an insult to UFC heavyweights? As if to suggest that he was looking past all of them?

Sylvia: No, I don't think so because I think everyone around the world was saying that Nogueira was the best, so he wanted to challenge the best. I believe that he won that fight when he just fought him [Nogueira]. I think that he got robbed.

IF: Is there a fighter like Nogueira out there for you that you see as the best that you'd like to take on some day?

Sylvia: Yeah, there's somebody out there. I'd like to fight Bob Sapp.

IF: I think you'd have to get in line behind Mike Tyson.

Sylvia: Yeah, well. We won't talk about that.

IF: You don't have any thoughts about Mike lining up across from you in an Octagon in the near future?

Sylvia: I would pick him up and spike him on his head and ground and pound the shit out of him. I wouldn't be no dummy. I'm not gonna stand there and go toe-to-toe with him.

IF: Do you have anything that you'd like to say to your fans before we go?

Sylvia: I hope you liked the first knockout because this one's going to be even better.

IF: Thank you so much for talking with us. And on behalf of InsideFighting.com, happy and safe training, best of luck at UFC 44 and we'll see you there!

Sylvia: Thank you.

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Randy Couture

Ron Merrill of Insidefighting.com recently interviewed Randy Couture. Here's what Couture had to say:

IF: What was it like to get the initial call from the UFC to come in and take care of business with Chuck Liddell?

Couture: I was scheduled to fight on April 25th against Andre Arlovski and as it turned out, that was the day my son was born so I probably would have missed the festivities of the birth had I fought on that card. Instead, I got pushed back to the June card and obviously stepping right into a title fight with Chuck in the light heavyweight division was good professionally for me as well. So I was pretty excited about it.

IF: What do you think of Chuck's chances in the Pride FC Middleweight Grand Prix?

Couture: I think his chances are real good. I think his biggest obstacle is going to be in this next round with him and Quinton Jackson getting paired up. You know, obviously I think they don't want two Americans in the final and this kind of guarantees that only one American will pass through and Quinton has been pretty hot, so it will be a good fight.

IF: Would you like to compete in the Pride FC yourself?

Couture: It doesn't really matter to me. I'm pretty happy where I'm at. I like fighting in the market in the U.S. and the UFC has taken care of me pretty well so I don't really see any need to go over to Japan and fight over there. There's some fighters over there that are fighting for Pride that I'd like to fight. But as long as things stay the way they are, I don't see that happening.

IF: In a best-case scenario, barring any injuries etc., how many more fights do you see yourself taking?

Couture: I don't really know. I haven't really looked past this next fight and I have one more fight after that on my contract before I really have to think about that and evaluate how many more fights I want to do. I've kind of just taken the position that I'm going to take it one fight at a time and continue to enjoy the fighting and the success that I'm having and I'm not really going to worry to much about how long it's going to go.

IF: If you had to plan a retirement match, who would you like to fight as your going-out match?

Couture: As my going out match? Hell, at my age, any one of these fights could be my going out match! [Laughs]

IF: I wanna be optimistic though. We need a lot more good years out of you!

Couture: [laughs] Yeah. It's going real well. I think I'm holding up pretty good.

IF: What do you plan on doing after fighting?

Couture: I'd like to certainly stay involved with mixed martial arts in some way shape or form, whether it be commentating or match making. I have a school and I'm managing fighters so I'll probably have more time to concentrate on those guys and that situation. But I certainly want to stay involved in this sport. It's been a good sport for me and I see a lot of potential for growth as it just becomes bigger and bigger in the U.S.

IF: Did you gain the same sense of satisfaction winning the interim title as you did winning the undisputed heavyweight titles?

Couture: Probably a little more because I was a little more of an underdog I think in that fight with Chuck. I don't think a lot of people...I almost likened it to the [Vitor] Belfort fight where nobody really expected me to go out and win the fight. And then on top of that to have my game plan come off so flawlessly was satisfying and I enjoyed it a lot. A lot of the title fights have been pretty special, you know? It's something I'll never forget.

IF: Do you gain extra satisfaction in knowing that you've defeated the opponents that many people have just fancifully paired Tito Ortiz against, such as Vitor Belfort, Kevin Randleman and Chuck Liddell? Does that add to your confidence going into this match?

Couture: Probably the biggest thing is the fact that he was unwilling to fight Chuck and I stepped up and fought Chuck and so certainly that gives me some confidence going into this fight. There're a lot of rumors surrounding that situation on why he didn't want to fight Chuck and only he really knows at heart why he wouldn't fight Chuck. But I certainly feel pretty comfortable in my ability to go out and get after Tito.

IF: Who's training you for this fight with Tito?

Couture: The same guys I always train with. The Team Quest fighters: Matt Lindland, Robert Follis, Nathan Quarry, Danny Henderson. I've got a pretty good group of guys. We push each other pretty hard. I'm spending some time this week with Maurice Smith who's been helping me out a lot this year with my stand-up game, which has been a big improvement in my fighting style. So I've kind of come up with a combination that seems to be working pretty well.

IF: Who within your camp can most closely mimic Tito's fighting style to help you prepare?

Couture: I think all the guys make an attempt at trying to mimic his style. I've got Matt and Chael Sonnen who are great wrestlers with great takedown skills and obviously that's...I think going to be one of Tito's main weapons. I think he's going to try and take me down and put me on the bottom. So they've been giving it their best shot to try and take me down and hold me down. But I don't know that anybody ever really captures the essence of what their opponent is going to do, but they give you a look and at least give you an idea of what his approach might be like.

IF: Knowing that Tito favors the mount position and that he's been so successful at attaining the mount in the past, how have you prepared to fight from your back?

Couture: Well, it's been an ongoing process for me since the Josh Barnett fight and getting stuck on the bottom and kind of losing that fight when I was pretty much in control. And it carried on with Ricco Rodriguez. Granted, both of those guys were quite a bit bigger so maybe it was a little more effective for them to hold me down. I don't think Tito is big enough to hold me down. But I've been working on tactics and techniques to use my legs more and create opportunities to get up off the bottom and basically go back and think of it a little more like wrestling and how I would respond if somebody was trying to pin me. There's not too much that I wouldn't do to get off my back in those situations, so I've kind of gone back to that mentality and that's working real well in training.

IF: Preparing for a match with a fighter like Tito usually comes with it's own built-in media circus. How does preparing for this match compare to other matches you've prepared for?

Couture: Well, I think they're billing this as possibly the biggest fight they've ever had. I've been involved in some pretty big fights and been the main card on a lot of fights. So in some ways it's similar and in other ways it feels like there's a lot more hype surrounding it because of everything that's gone on with the interim title and all that. I just kind of try to relax and watch it all go by and not get too caught up in it. It doesn't really affect me all that much.

IF: Has the extra attention that's been given to this fight affected your training?

Couture: I don't think so. I've been doing a lot of interviews and radio interviews anyway, so it hasn't really gotten in the way at all.

IF: Tito helped Ricco Rodriguez develop an effective game plan for his battle with you at UFC 39 and now you're stepping into the cage with Tito himself. Is that in the back of your mind?

Couture: Yeah, that I get a chance to pay him back a little bit, sure.

IF: What weaknesses do you see in Tito's style?

Couture: I think that his stand-up game has some holes in it and if anything, the biggest thing that he does is that he's overly aggressive. He's an aggressive fighter in that he makes a lot of mistakes. He leaves some openings.

IF: What strengths do you see in his style?

Couture: I think it's his ability to put guys on the ground, hold them down and control the tempo of the fight. In a lot of the cases that I've watched, he did that pretty well. So I don't see that that’s going to change.

IF: If you could look into the future, how do you see this fight going? Can you give me a play-by-play?

Couture: It's going to come down to who gets the takedown and establishes the dominant position and I think that I have the skills and the ability to do that. I think it's going to frustrate Tito. I don't think he's had to fight from his back in a single fight that he's been in. So I think that by the third or fourth round I should have put him on his back a couple of times and that should tell the tale.

IF: How do you see your victory taking place? Stoppage...

Couture: You never really know. I'm not big on predictions. I know that both of us are game fighters and we're going to get after it. It should be a pretty high-paced fight and, you know, let the chips fall where they may.

IF: Have you got anything that you'd like to say to your fans?

Couture: Well I appreciate their support and I hope that they continue to help us grow in this sport.

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"Whaledog" provides us with this month's shady promoter.

The 'Promoters-Still-Owing-Money List' (PSOM List for short) is Fightsport.com's contribution to the MMA world in trying to expose and stamp out real shady promoters who still have outstanding debts, or cheated fighters and other people in MMA out of money.

Jeff Thaler aka 'Whaledog' gives us this edition's PSOM (pronounced SOM) candidate: Chuck Williams aka 'heelhook74'.

Here's what Thaler had to say about Chuck Williams:

"I think it's time that the forum learns the truth about Chuck Williams aka heelhook74 and his business practices. Many of you are aware of the way he treated CharlesFFA/AFA at the grappling tournament Chuck promoted in June. Many of you are also aware of the crap pulled with the decision in Wander Braga's grappling match at the same tournament (changing the decision several times, telling both fighters they won, etc.).

But, what has never been publicly discussed is the fact that Chuck wrote bad checks to both Wander Braga and George Pereira, and that he still has not made good on them. Chuck continues to owe Wander and George the money they earned for their super fights and Wander the money he earned by giving a seminar the next day.

BTW, Chuck didn't just write bad checks, he wrote the checks on a closed account. When the checks bounced, he claimed that he accidentally had grabbed the wrong checkbook, and he would send new checks on a good account right away. Several weeks passed - no check.

Then, Chuck claimed that he was having a sale at his clothing company, Finisher Fightwear, to raise the money to pay the checks (which was funny, because he had never said he didn't have the money, only that he accidentally wrote the checks on the wrong account). Several weeks later, still no check.

Chuck finally got in touch with me (since I'm Wander's manager) after Wander turned his bad check over to the local District Attorney to collect. The District Attorney apparently made some kind of contact with Chuck, and suddenly Chuck became interested in contacting Wander about paying the money he owes.

But, of course, he didn't offer to actually send the money he owes. He asked that Wander drop the matter with the D.A. in exchange for being Wander's being paid over an 8-week period. The only problem was that if Wander gave up on having the District Attorney collect on the bad check, and then Chuck didn't actually pay, Wander would have to fly from L.A. to Texas to file a lawsuit against Chuck. As it stands now, the District Attorney (who has a lot more pull than Wander) is doing the work for Wander.

When I told Chuck that Wander wanted all the money in one payment, or some kind of insurance that Chuck would pay (since Chuck has continuously misled Wander for the last 3 months), that was the end of the conversation.

Chuck still has not made good on the bad checks he wrote 3 months ago.

If you don't know, now you know." -Jeff Thaler

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Canadian photographer fishyfish shares some of his pictures from last weekend's TKO 13 event in Montreal, Canada:











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By Todd Atkins

Jungle Fight promoters Wallid Ismael and Antonio Inoki.

There will be some worked fights on the Jungle Fight card, but several of them will be shoots. Believe it or not the guy making big money is Ricco Chiaparelli. Jungle Fight co-promoter Wallid Ismael has told insiders that Chiaparelli is for real and despite this being his first MMA competition, he can compete with anyone at any weight in no holds barred or sub grappling.

I am being told that Josh Barnett is out (as reported by Fightsport.com) because he wanted his fight to be a pro wrestling match, not a shoot. He didn't ask for an outright work but insisted on a pro wrestling style match with him winning. The event promoters were not interested in paying Josh the dollars he wanted for a pro wrestling match.

Also Mark Schultz is still not real healthy. His back and elbow still bother him a great deal. He will be competitive, and will still be very good because he is a natural athlete. But the fact is that this is a payday for him. Some personal issues have him needing the money.

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Josh Barnett

Puroresupower reports the following:

"This week Josh Barnett made the cover of Baseball Magazine Sha with his winning the King Of Pancrase. He made the inside cover of Weekly Gong (The cover on Gong was Takayama vs Chono). The lead story in Gong was about the Pancrase 10th anniversary, centered around Barnett`s domination of his opponent and execution of wrestling moves in the match (like the german suplex and gore). The key picture was his waving the New Japan flag at the end of the event. The victory for Barnett seems to have brought him a decent amount of respect in the press. He isn`t a superstar but he is well respected, I would say about Kurt Angle-type status (lots of respect but not a major draw) here."

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Phil Baroni (right)

Phil Baroni reports on his website that Zuffa wants to match him up with Evan Tanner, who has just moved down to the middleweight division. Baroni said he would love to take the fight, and expect it to happpen in UFC 45.

Coffee Guy, our informant inside the Zuffa offices, has informed us that this is indeed true. In fact, Tanner has already signed the contract.

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Pete Spratt left with no opponent at TKO 13.

The Canadian MMA insider known as JHR has relayed to us the following regarding the controversial cancellation of the Pete Spratt vs. Georges St-Pierre fight at TKO 13:

"I was talking to George on Friday afternoon and he was devastated, almost in tears. He hurt the knee on Monday and woke up on Tuesday hoping to go full out with his training. Unfortunately, the knee swelled...

He believed that he would be able to bring the swelling down by the weekend but by late Thursday night the knee was getting worse. This was a huge oppourtunity for George but he knew not going in %100 against Pete Spratt is a good way to get hurt. He's young (22) so I think there's no doubt he'll get the knee fixed up and step in the ring with Pete one day.

As for Steph finding someone to fight Pete, I would imagine it would be alot harder than it looks. Pete was HUGE, any smart fighter would NOT step up against Pete on a day's notice.

I'm going to give Stephane the benefit of the doubt. He knew going into this event that he was under a microscope to provide a great show and he was definately upset with the fight being cancelled.

As for the event itself, at 6+ hours long I think the fans were treated to a great night of MMA. The Vigneault/Pierson fight more than made up for the main event fight that didnt happen. Those guys pounded the ever loving shit out of each other.. :)

Just thought I'd give you guys the story I got from George himself. I honestly think there was no bad intentions here, Stephane knew the world would be watching him very closly at this show after what happened at UCC 12. I think it's safe to say he was probably crapping his pants when George broke the news to him.

Thankfully, the show was very good despite not having as much "name power" as UCC 12. 6 hours of fights seems like a long time but the fans were eating it up." -JHR

Mike Tyson

The Japanese media is reporting that Mike Tyson may appear at the September 21st K-1 Japan GP. Tyson would be in Stephan Gamlin's corner. Gamlin will be taking on Bob Sapp, and you can expect more worked drama between Tyson and Sapp to take place according to insiders.

The complete card is listed below:

K-1 JAPAN SERIES
K-1 SURVIVAL 2003 JAPAN GP FINAL
Sunday, September 21, 2003
Yokohama Arena
Yokohama, Japan

K-1 Japan Tournament:
'Montanha Silva' vs. Musashi
Tatsufumi Tomihira vs. Hiraku Hori
Yusuke Fujimoto vs. Nobu Hayashi
Tsuyoshi Nakasako vs. Hiromi Amada

Super Fights (K-1 rules):
Mike Bernardo vs. 'Butterbean'
Jerome Le Banner vs. Shaka Zulu

Super Fights (MMA rules):
Bob Sapp vs. Stefan Gamlin
Kimo Leopoldo vs. Rene Roose

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Matt Hughes

By Todd Atkins

With the recent result of the IFC tourney, the UFC is unsure how to use Jeremy Horn. They think he is not very marketable and they think that he doesn't put on very exciting fights. A fight against Phil Baroni might be ok, as Phil will bring the fight to Horn. But the thinking is Monte (Cox) won't sign that fight. If Baroni wins then what are they left with? Lindland/Baroni again? The 185 pound class needs some help. Henderson has some interest but it appears he will re-sign with PRIDE again. the UFC just can't compete with the dollars or other contract conditions.(Actually they can compete but they are too stubborn to do so at this time). Maybe when they get rid of Rizzo, Tank and a few other liabilities they can give Henderson some dollars.

Royce Gracie talks have been happening as reported by Fightsport.com. It has all been kept very, very quiet. But I have my doubts an agreement can be reached. The money he commands is huge, he wants special rules, handpicked opponents etc. Pat Miletich is the name being tossed around. Possibly a special rules exhibition match?

This still leaves Matt Hughes without an opponent. By contract he has to fight in November. Hughes doesn't care who he fights. There are some fighters that would jump at the chance (Shonie Carter, John Allessio, Ray Cooper, Gil Castillo). And others that would fight but want to get paid decent money, and be guaranteed another fight or two if they lose (Frank Trigg, Dennis Hallman) so it is hard to say what happens. There are also a couple others that have flat out said they won't fight Hughes at this time.

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Caleb Mitchell vs. Norifumi "Kid" Yamamoto.

World famous MMA photographer Susumu Nagao now has pictures up of the SHOOTO event that just took place on September 5th. To check out the pictures on Susumu's site, click here

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Josh Barnett

Jungle Fight
September 13th, 2003
Manaus, Brazil

Reports out of Brazil are that Josh Barnett is now out of the Jungle Fight card. Jan Nortje has also been replaced by another Brazilian giant called 'Paredao'.

Complete card (subject to change):

Ricco Chiaparelli vs. Luis 'Pantera'
Ricardo Moraes vs. 'Paredao'
Evangelista 'Cyborg' Santos vs. Lucas Lopes
Ronaldo 'Jacare' vs. Jorge 'Macaco' Patino
Kazunari Murakami vs. Lee 'Young Gun'
Mark Schultz vs. Leopoldo Montenegro
Ebenezer Braga vs. Rodrigo Riscado
Marcelo 'Tigre' vs. Everton 'Gigante'
Shinsuke Nakamura vs. Shane
Dario Amorim vs. Justin McCulley
Lioto Matida vs. Stephan Bonnar
Gabriel Napao vs. TBA

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ADCC champion Jean Jacques Machado is releasing a new book entitled 'Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Black Belt Techniques'. The book has over 100 techniques both with Gi and without Gi. Jean Jacques also shows his incredible array of black belt moves, with most of them transitioning into a submission or ending up in a superior position.

Kid Peligro lends his writing skills to the book. The expected release date is September 25th.

To pre-order your copy go to MMAMart.com

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Naoyuki Kotani

ZST 4: The Battle Field 4
September 7, 2003
Zepp Tokyo
Tokyo, Japan

Takumi Yano drew with Ryusuke Uemura
Goro Kobayashi drew with Takahiro Uchiyama
Hiroyuki Nozawa defeats Takefumi Hanai by KO at 2:38, RD 1.
Hiroki Kotani drew with Rich Clementi
Hideo Tokoro defeats Taiyo Nakahara by armlock at 4:45, RD 1.
Remigijus Morkevicius defeats Atsuhiro Tsuboi by KO at 0:41, 1 RD.
Naoyuki Kotani defeats Mindaugas Smirnovas by heelhook at 1:36, RD 1.

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On September 6th, DSE officially announced to the media that they have five Gracies vs. five Japanese fighters for their inaugural PRIDE Bushido show scheduled for October 5th at the Saitama Super Arena. Royce Gracie will be a head coach of this team. The names of Japanese fighters who are fighting against them have not been announced yet.

No surprises here as Fightsport.com already reported these five Gracies last week:

Officially announced Gracies on the card:
Renzo Gracie
Ryan Gracie
Rodrigo Gracie
Daniel Gracie
Ralph Gracie


Tape Lord is hearing from his postal connections in DSE that the following card is being formulated. Final decisions will be made to this card within the next two weeks:

Rogerio 'Minotoro' Nogueira vs. Alexander Emelianenko
Carlos Newton vs. Hayato Sakurai or Dokonjosuke Mishima
Anderson Silva vs. Daijiro Matsui

Renzo Gracie vs. Kazuhiro Hamanaka or Hayato Sakurai
Ryan Gracie vs. Daiju Takase or Kazuhiro Hamanaka
Rodrigo Gracie vs. Akira Shoji
Daniel Gracie vs. Hirotaka Yokoi or Daiju Takase
Ralph Gracie vs. D. Mishima

Matchup that is still in tough negotiations and does not look likely:
Royler Gracie vs. D. Mishima or Rumina Sato

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Jorge Patino "Macaco" (left)

Brazil Super Fight promoter Mario Sperry has taken Jorge Patino 'Macaco' off of the inaugural BSF card scheduled for September 19th. Macaco was scheduled to face Ikuhisa Minowa.

Macaco's decision to take a fight on the Jungle Fight card just one week before the Brazil Super Fight card was the deciding factor. Sperry explained to Brazilian magazine Tatame that he didn't want to risk Macaco getting an injury one week before he is scheduled to be in the main event of his event.

Brazilian fighter Silmar Rodrigo will be Macaco's replacement.

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IFC: Global Domination
September 6th, 2003
Pepsi Center
Denver, CO

Light Heavyweight Tournament:
Renato 'Babalu' Sobral defeats Trevor Prangley by unanimous decision.
Mauricio 'Shogun' Rua defeats Eric Wanderlei by TKO at 2:54, RD 2.
Jeremy Horn defeats Michail Avetisyan by armbar at 4:59, RD 1.
Forrest Griffin defeats Chael Sonnen by triangle choke at 2:25, RD 1.

Semifinals:
Renato 'Babalu' Sobral defeats Mauricio 'Shogun' Rua by choke at 3:07, RD 3.
Jeremy Horn defeats Forrest Griffin by TKO, RD 2.

Final:
Renato 'Babalu' Sobral defeats Jeremy Horn by unanimous decision.


Light Heavyweight Tournament Alternate Fights
Allan Sullivan defeats Eric Escobedo by TKO, RD 2.
Tom Sauer defeats Sean Gray by guillotine choke at 0:46, RD 1.

Alternate Fight Final
Tom Sauer defeats Allan Sullivan by triangle choke at 0:39, RD 2.


Single Fights:
Ron Waterman defeats Jerry Vrbanovic by ankle lock, RD 3.
Nathan Marquardt defeats Steve Gomm by TKO at 3:28, RD 1.
Brad Gumm vs. Doug Evans declared a no-contest
Chilo Gonzalez defeats Jody Poff by rear naked choke at 1:00, RD 1.


IFC Women's Middleweight Championship Fight
Amanda Buckner defeats Ginele Marquez by ankle lock, RD 3.

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TKO 13:Ultimate Rush
September 6th, 2003
Montreal, Canada

Antonio Carvalho defeats Phillipe Lagace by TKO in the second round
David Guigui defeats Steve Claveau by split decision
Kyle Sandford defeats Aaron Tregear with a side choke submission in the first round
Jeff Joslin defeats Alex Gasson via submission from strikes
Steve Duquette defeats Andy Social by TKO in the first round
Dany Laflamme defeats Sean 'Pain' Peters by decision
Cameron Brown defeats Pascal Gosselin by submission
Dave Goulet defeats Stephane Dube by TKO
Donald Ouimet defeats Blake Fredrickson by split decision
Patrick Cote defeats Yan Pellerin by unanimous decision
Denis Kang defeats Stephan Potvin by TKO
Mark Hominick defeats Ryan Diaz by TKO
Steve Vigneault defeats Sean Pierson by unanimous decision

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KOTC
September 5th, 2003
Soboba Casino
Soboba, CA

Main Events:
John Alesio defeats Ronald Jhun by unanimous decision. (KOTC welterweight tile)
Dean Lister defeats James Lee by armbar, RD 1. (KOTC middleweight title)

FeatureFights:
Jeff Newton defeats Dustin Arden by TKO, RD 1.
Charlie Valencia defeats Greg Mayer by heel hook, RD 2.
Wes Combs defeats Tony Petarra by KO, RD 1.
Joe Crilley defeats Javier Casio by TKO, RD 1.

Undercard:
Thomas Denny defeats Jason Dolder by TKO, RD 1.
Joe Camacho defeats Juliano Prado by KO, RD 1.
Charles Bennett defeats William Siryapai by judges decision.
Thomas Kenny defeats Paul Cid by TKO, RD 2.
Richard Solis defeats Alex Rickards by guillotine choke, RD 1.
Richard McCorkel defeats Jayson Dickinson by TKO, RD 1.
Buddy Clinton defeats Michael Penalbar by rear naked choke, RD 1.

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Pete Spratt after his fight was cancelled at the TKO press conference.

Controversial Canadian promoter Stephane Patry has done it again, this time canceling the Pete Spratt vs. Georges St-Pierre fight by refusing to get a replacement fighter for the injured St-Pierre. The matchup was removed from the TKO 13 card last night in Montreal.

Controversy surrounds the cancellation of this matchup as it is not certain of when St-Peirre injured himself, and why it was announced only one day before the show.

Most fans remember when Patry was invloved in a similar blunder last year when Jens Pulver got injured and pulled out of the UCC 11 (now known as TKO due to monetary problems) November card. At the time, there were reports that Pulver had already injured himself well in advance before that UCC 11 November card, but it was not reported to the paying customers until much later.

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