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For all our fans who do not have PPV access to UFC 46 tonight, we will be posting the results as they happen on our forum. To view the results, click here

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UFC 46: Super Natural
January 31st, 2004
Mandalay Bay Events Center
Las Vegas, NV


Randy Couture vs. Vitor Belfort (UFC light heavyweight title)
Matt Hughes vs. B.J. Penn (UFC welterweight title)

Frank Mir vs. Wes Sims
Carlos Newton vs. Renato Verissimo
Lee Murray vs. Jorge Rivera
Matt Serra vs. Jeff Curran
Josh Thomson vs. Hermes Franca
Karo Parisian vs. Geirges St-Pierre

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Below is the payscale obtained from the Nevada State Athletic Commission, detailing the fight purses for each fighter participating in UFC 46:

Randy Couture: USD$120,000 to show, USD$80,000 to win
Vitor Belfort: USD$100,000 to show, USD$30,000 to win
Frank Mir: USD$60,000 to show, USD$30,000 to win
Matt Hughes: USD$55,000 to show, USD$55,000 win.
Carlos Newton: USD$30,000 to show
B.J. Penn: USD$25,000 to show, USD$25,000 to win
Matt Serra: USD$8,000 to show, USD$8,000 to win
Hermes Franca: USD$6,000 to show, USD$6,000 to win
Wes Sims: USD$5,000 to show, USD$5,000 to win
Renato Verissimo: USD$5,000 to show, USD$5,000 to win
Josh Thompson: USD$4,000 to show, USD$4,000 to win
Lee Murray: USD$3,000 to show, USD$3,000 to win
Jorge Rivera: $USD3,000 to show, USD$3,000 to win
Georges St-Pierre: USD$3,000 to show, USD$3,000 to win
Karo Parisyan: USD$3,000 to show, USD$3,000 to win
Jeff Curran: USD$2,500 to show, USD$2,000 to win



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Vitor Belfort

Pedro Rizzo and Renato 'Babalu' Sobral gave seperate comments to Brazilian magazine 'Tatame' that they are cheering for Vitor Belfort, and hope to see him win tomorrow night against Randy Couture.

Rizzo, who's lost twice to Couture, says, "Couture uses the octagon a lot, and Vitor will have to avoid that and try to bring him down. I always cheer for Brazilians, and I hope Belfort wins. He knows what he has to do to win."

Babalu says, "Belfort has to let his game loose. He needs to go forward, kick, and knee him a lot to the face."

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MAN-Magazine reports that Josh Barnett, Kazuyuki Fujita, Yuji Nagata, Tadao Yasuda, Kazunari Murakami, and the 'Golden Glory' team members whpo participated on the 2003 Inoki Bom-Ba-Ye card, have not receieved their money.

According to MAN-Magazine, the co-promoter of the event, a Japanese named Kawamata, and his business partner who is Croatian super agent Miro Mijatovic, supposedly took all the money and left Japan.

The Pancrase organization, who took care of the ring and technical details, also have not received their money according to MAN-Magazine.

The only ones who received their money were Micheal McDonald and Hiromi Amada. Both were represented by K-1, which demanded the money upfront, which was supposedly received on December 27th, 2003.

It seems that the sponsors of the event, Nippon TV, may be held responsible for the missing money, as fighters and managers are now trying to get their fighting purse from them.

To read the article in its entirety, click here

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Marcelo Garcia

Brazilian magazine 'Tatame' recently spoke with Brazilian submissions phenom Marcelo Garcia. Here's what Garcia had to say:


Tatame: Who was your toughest opponent?

Garcia: Gabriel Napao. He has such long legs, and it's hard to put him on the ground. There was a time that I tried to sweep him, but nothing happened! That's why I had to speed up the pace of the fight. The only problem was that I couldn't recover in time for the finals.

Tatame: Almost every fighter that has faced you has had some problems preventing you from getting their back. What do you owe this to?

Garcia: I am certain that this position is very simple, there's nothing different about the way I do it. But the thing is that I don't stop for one minute trying trying to get this position throughout the fight. Then it's just a matter of who tires first. If my opponent tires, then I get the submission.

Tatame: During ADCC 2003, you lost to Marcio Pe-de-Pano in the open weight division, but this time you defeated much heaviers opponents. What changes did you make to your game?

Garcia: None. My problem was not their weight, but their leg size. Pe-de-Pano's physical characteristics are similar to Napao's. They both have long legs, which made it very difficult for me. With opponents like them, I can't stop inside their positions. On top of this, they also use their weight and strength against me. Pe-de-Pano did this to me and beat me.

Tatame: What's easier for you: to face fighters in your weight class, or athletes that heavier than you?

Garcia: Fighting in a no gi tournament, I prefer facing guys who are heavier than me, because I can use my agility. But wearing the gi, I prefer the light ones, because the heaviers mostly hold the gi. That's what (Fernando) Terere did to me twice in his victories during the 2003 Mundial and the Summer Combat.

Tatame: Where do you feel more comfortable: fighting no-gi submission or jiu-jitsu?

Garcia: After two victories at ADCC 2003, and just recently in Campos, I'm feeling more comfortable fighting without the gi.

Tatame: What about that toe-hold at the end of the fight against Renato "Babalu" Sobral?

Garcia: It was sunk in very tight...But I remained calm because I knew I wouldn't tap out due to a toe hold. Soluco always gets me with that hold in training. The only difference was that Babalu was applying it with more pressure. The only moment I was worried was when I heard my leg crack...but then it stopped hurting and I saw that there was no problems with it. I've trained since then and there has been nothing wrong with my leg.

Tatame: Have you ever thought about fighting vale tudo?

Garcia: When I first started in jiu-jitsu, it was because I wanted to do vale tudo, and I knew that I needed to learn the ground game. As of late, I've only been training in submission wrestling and jiu-jitsu because I need to teach jiu-jitsu classes to support myself finacially. But if I receive a good offer, and if I am able to reduce my class schedule, then I would start training in other styles of vale tudo.

Tatame: What does your trainer, Fabio Gurgel, think about it?

Garcia: Fabio says I should wait, because there is still a lot I can win from fighting no-gi submission.

Tatame: Have you received any offers to debut in the ring?

Garcia: There hasn't been anything yet, but there's a lot of people who believe in me. In fact, not too long ago Eddie Bravo commented on the internet that I would be one of the few guys who could beat Matt Hughes (UFC Welterweight champ).

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UFC 46: Super Natural
January 31st, 2004
Mandalay Bay Events Center
Las Vegas, NV


Randy Couture vs. Vitor Belfort (UFC light heavyweight title)
Matt Hughes vs. B.J. Penn (UFC welterweight title)

Frank Mir vs. Wes Sims
Carlos Newton vs. Renato Verissimo
Lee Murray vs. Jorge Rivera
Matt Serra vs. Jeff Curran
Josh Thomson vs. Hermes Franca
Karo Parisian vs. Geirges St-Pierre

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PRIDE 27: 'Inferno'
February 1st, 2003
Osaka Castle Hall
Osaka, Japan


regular matchups:
Mirko 'Cro Cop' Filipovic vs. Ron Waterman
Kazuhiro Nakamura vs. Dos Caras Jr.
Murilo 'Ninja' Rua vs. Alexander Otsuka
Ricardo Arona vs. Dean Lister

PRIDE Heavyweight GP qualification matchups:
Heath Herring vs. Gan McGee
Igor Vovchanchin vs. Dan Bobish
Mark Kerr vs. Yoshihisa Yamamoto
Sergei Haritonov vs. L.A. Giant

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RINGS Holland: 'The Worlds Greatest'
April 4th, 2003
Sport Centre De Vechtsebanen
Utrecht, Netherlands


RINGS World heavyweight title:
Cheik Kango vs. Joop Kasteel

MMA:
Dave Vader vs. Rodney Faverus
Stefan Klever vs. Mario Borzic
Michael Knaap vs. Sander Thonhauser
Alex Holsvoogd vs. Hans Roovers
Kelly de Jong vs. Marc van Rooijen
Brian Maulany vs. Andre Fyeet
Stefan Lems vs. Dimitri Menger
Christos Petroutsos vs. Chico Martinez
Willem Brand vs. Paolo van Rooijen
Dennis van Schie vs. Stefan Boeren

Muay Thai:
Mutlu Karabulut vs. Ed Schapers
Menno Dijkstra vs. Peter Hoes
Clement van Engel vs. Gerry Schilder
Amir Zeyada vs. Rocky Grandjean
Ferry Suitela vs. Farid Riffi

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Bob Sapp

Bob Sapp will be visiting US troops stationed at Yokota Air Base, Japan, on February 7-8.

During a phone interview Tuesday from Tokyo, Sapp said he's looking forward to his first official visit to a U.S. military base in Japan.

"It's a way that I can support the troops overseas. Whether you’re for or against the war, I believe, is irrelevant." said Sapp.

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Jens Pulver

SHOOTO announced that former UFC lightweight champion Jens Pulver will make his SHOOTO debut on their March 22nd show in Tokyo.

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Todd Atkins reports from Japan that certain people in the SHOOTO heirarchy are not happy with derogatory comments towards other fight promotions that their American representative Randy Erickson has been making on some internet forums.

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UFC 46 won't be the only MMA show on January 31st in Nevada, as the IFC is also hosting a show that same night in Lake Tahoe.

IFC president Paul Smith says that the show is almost sold out, and that it will be taped for DVD distribution. For tickets, call Caesars in Lake Tahoe.

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RITC 58: 'Homer vs. Vince'
Thursday, Jan 29, 2004
Graham Central Station
Tucson, AZ


Homer Moore defeats Vince Lucero by unanimous decision.
R.J. Gamez defeats John Woods by KO at 0:12, RD 2.
'A-Dawg' Sullivan defeats Andy Montana by split decision.
Hans Marrero defeats Tommy Gouge by armbar at 1:31, RD 1.
Cory Timmerman defeats Lemuel Vincent by armbar at 1:27, RD 1.
Mike Ptak defeats Robert Rose by choke at 2:01, RD 3.
Jerome Oliveras defeats Mike McIntyre by keylock at 1:25, RD 1.
Daniel Betzold defeats Gabe Rivas by unanimous decision.
Carlos Ortega defeats Aaron Millican by armbar at 2:47, RD 1.

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Hidehiko Yoshida

Japanese newspaper Gendai Network is reporting that former Olympic judo gold medalist and PRIDE veteran Hidehiko Yoshida made 300 million yen (approximately USD$2.8 million) per PRIDE fight last year.

If true, a case can be made that Yoshida is the highest paid fighter in MMA. The salaries of Kazushi Sakuraba (with PRIDE), Rickson Gracie and Bob Sapp (both with K-1) are not fully known, but thought to also be similar to Yoshida's.

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Frank Shamrock

The Japanese media confirmed what Fightsport.com reported almost three months ago, that Frank Shamrock has signed a contract wth PRIDE.

PRIDE has not officially announced it yet, but it is believed that Shamrock will make his PRIDE debut in April.

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Mike Tyson

K-1 MMA president Sergio Batarelli told Brazilian magazine 'Tatame' that the news that former world boxing champion Mike Tyson may make a visit to Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, is true, but not definite.

"Tyson is realistically considering the possibility of coming to Rio de Janeiro for 'Carnaval', but, contrary to what has been reported, it is not definite", stated Batarelli.

Batarelli also confirmed that a fight between Mike Tyson and Bob Sapp will most likely take place in May.

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Micheal McDonald

K-1 announced that it will make its return to the United States on Friday, April 30th in Las Vegas, Nevada. The event will be staged inside The Bellagio Hotel and Casino.

Titled 'Battle At The Bellagio II', the event will air live on Pay-Per-View television. The lineup has yet to be announced, but will take shape over the next few weeks.

Tickets for 'Battle At The Bellagio II' are expected to go on sale February 15th, and will be available through both The Bellagio box office and the K-1 USA website store.

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Courtesy of RingTalk.com:

EX-TOP RANK P.R. CHICK EXPECTS TO TESTIFY!

I think that ex-Top Rank P.R. person Beth Rosenberg can tell the Dept. of Justice a lot of things "If they know what to ask her!"

When contacted on Monday, Beth who left Top Rank two years ago to become the darling of the Ultimate Fighting Championships (UFC) P.R. crew, she said that she hadn't been contacted yet, "But I certainly expect to."

When I asked if she could supply incriminating evidence against anybody at Top Rank she said. "I can't comment on that."

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UFC 46: Super Natural
January 31st, 2004
Mandalay Bay Events Center
Las Vegas, NV


Randy Couture vs. Vitor Belfort (UFC light heavyweight title)
Matt Hughes vs. B.J. Penn (UFC welterweight title)

Frank Mir vs. Wes Sims
Carlos Newton vs. Renato Verissimo
Lee Murray vs. Jorge Rivera
Matt Serra vs. Jeff Curran
Josh Thomson vs. Hermes Franca
Karo Parisian vs. Geirges St-Pierre

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PRIDE 27: 'Inferno'
February 1st, 2003
Osaka Castle Hall
Osaka, Japan


regular matchups:
Mirko 'Cro Cop' Filipovic vs. Ron Waterman
Kazuhiro Nakamura vs. Dos Caras Jr.
Murilo 'Ninja' Rua vs. Alexander Otsuka
Ricardo Arona vs. Dean Lister

PRIDE Heavyweight GP qualification matchups:
Heath Herring vs. Gan McGee
Igor Vovchanchin vs. Dan Bobish
Mark Kerr vs. Yoshihisa Yamamoto
Sergei Haritonov vs. L.A. Giant

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Mario Sperry

Mario Sperry recently talked to Brazilian magazine 'Tatame' regarding his upcoming fight against Mike Bencic in PRIDE Bushido 2, and promises to put on a show.

Sperry is searching for redemption since losing to Yuki Kondo by TKO, and says, "I'm betting my money on this fight. I'm disappointed in my past performance, and I want to show my skill as a fighter."

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Mark Kerr arrives in Japan.

SportsNavi reports that most of the foreign fighters have arrived for PRIDE 27, scheduled for February 1st. Reports have come out that Mark Kerr is back in shape, and not looking fat like he did at ADCC Brazil.

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Jorge Patino "Macaco" (left)

It's been three weeks since Jorge Patino 'Macaco' started training with the Chute Boxe team, and he told the following to Brazilian magazine 'Tatame', "I considered myself a great fighter when I first arrived at Chute Boxe, but now I see that I have a lot to learn".

When asked if his joining Chute Boxe meant that his 'Macaco Gold Team' would be no more, Macaco said that this would not be the case, and added, "I needed a strong team in which I could get strong sparring sessions. I will represent Chute Boxe with all my heart in vale tudo, and I will represent the Macaco Gold Team in jiu-jitsu and submission wrestling".

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UFC 47: 'It's On!'
April 2nd, 2004
Mandalay Bay
Las Vegas, NV

Tito Ortiz vs. Chuck Liddell
Tim Sylvia vs. Andrei Arlovski
'Tank' Abbott vs. Ken Shamrock
Wes 'Cabbage' Correira vs. Mike Kyle
Robbie Lawler vs. Nick Diaz
Jonathan Wiezorek vs. Wade Shipp
Chris Lytle vs. Tiki Ghosn
Duane Ludwig vs. TBA
Genki Sudo vs. TBA

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"Butterbean" (left)

Heavyweight boxer Eric 'Butterbean' Esch was recently featured in an article by Jim Moore for the 'Seattle Post-Intelligencer'. When asked about possibly facing Mike Tyson or Bob Sapp in K-1, here's what the 365-pound 'Butterbean' had to say:

'Butterbean' on Mike Tyson: "He's too small."

'Butterbean' on Bob Sapp: "He wouldn't last a round."

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Rodrigo "Minotauro" Nogueira

Rodrigo 'Minotauro' Nogueira recently spoke with Brazilian magazine 'Tatame', and told them that he harbors dreams of maybe representing Brazil at the 2004 Athens Olympic games in boxing.

Invited by the former Boxing trainer Luis Doria (who also trained lightweight world champion Acelino 'Popo' Freitas), Minotauro practiced this last week in Sao Paulo with the Brazilian national boxing team. His performance was so good, that Minotauro was then invoted to try-out for the team.

Minotauro says, "For now, I am just training with the Brazilian national boxing team...but if everything were to work out, then of course I would love to represent Brazil in the Olympics."

Minotauro is currently on his is way to Cuba, where the Brazilian Boxing team will participate in some Olympic trials.

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Randy Couture

Andre Courtemanche recently interviewed undisputed UFC light heavyweight champion Randy Couture regarding his upcoming title defense against Vitor Belfort in UFC 46, scheduled for January 31st. Here are some of Couture's comments:


Couture on how long he'll continue to fight past the age of 40: "Everything is great. A lot of people want to know how long I can continue on in the sport. I'm still progressing and I enjoy it immensely. I'll stick around for as long as I feel good and continue to grow as a fighter."

Couture on the differences between his first fight against Belfort, and his upcoming second fight against him: "I think he's a little more mature now and he gets better prepared. He was only 20 when I fought him the first time. I think he was caught up in a lot of the hype that surrounded him. He's a little more settled now and married and his personal life is in some order. I think he'll be better prepared and he's added in some new things to his game. He's always been a great athlete and dangerous and you have to be ready to go when you face him."

Couture on cutting down to light heavyweight (205 pounds): "Is it hard to make this weight? Not at all. My weight has been great. I'm already around 210, which is five pounds over the weight class. This weight is a real natural place for me to compete. I think this is where I belong. Technique-wise and physically I'm competing better than I ever have. The biggest thing is mobility and agility. Not carrying the extra pounds has made a big difference for me. The guys at 205 are strong, but when you don't have to push around that weight it makes a big difference. I feel more explosive."

Couture on what his ultimate goal as a light heavyweight is: "It's my goal to unite this weight class between Pride and UFC and fight Vanderlei Silva. I'm not sure it'll ever happen with the two federations being what they are, but from a competitive standpoint, it would be unique to the sport."

Couture on the specifics of a possible unification bout against Vanderlei Silva: "I would pretty much do whatever needed to be done to fight Vanderlei. I'm more interested in unifying than I am in the details of making it happen. Vanderlei is the guy to fight right now and I'd do anything to make it happen. The rules, venue, the ring vs. the cage; none of it really matters to me. I'd be willing to make concessions to make that fight happen. The old UFC days you could kick a guy who is down and head butt and knee, so I don't care if it's under the Pride rules. Vanderlei is a great competitor. I'd fight anybody really. I'm not particular."

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Wes Sims

Josh Hachat of the Eagle-Gazette recently did a profile with UFC fighter Wes Sims here are some of Sims's comments:


Sims on his rise as UFC 'heel', after stomping on Frank Mir's face: "A lot of craziness has happened. When it first happened, a lot of the hardcore fans hated me. Now after some interviews and things, there's sort of a cult following for me. It's been pretty crazy. I'm (being portrayed) as more of the bad guy out here. But you gotta have good guys and you gotta have bad guys. I'm getting a big following and as long as I'm getting paid, I can handle it."

Sims on why he stomped on Frank Mir: "He had me in a lot of dominating positions and nothing was working for him, so he gouged my eyes. The referee didn't see it, but I flipped out. I'm all healed up now (the article stated that Sims had to have two eye surgeries following the match), but he left his mark last time. Now, I leave mine."

Sims on his training after having recovered from a broken arm: "The conditioning and training is so hard and it takes a while to get used to, but I've been training hard and you're not going to question my shape. I'm not going to get tired. It's going to be pretty exciting. I'll be stronger and better than I've ever been."

Sims on training with Hammer House: "You have to train with the best to be the best. I don't care what Frank has done. I get nervous before the fight, but I know I put the time in and I'm ready. My only priority has been this fight."

Sims's final words on his rematch with Frank Mir: "This is my chance for redemption. It's a big fight and I've got nothing to lose. I'm on the way up and he's on his way down."

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Carlos Newton

Andre Courtemanche recently interviewed Carlos Newton regarding his upcoming fight against Renato Verissimo 'Charuto' in UFC 46, scheduled for January 31st. Here are some of Newton's comments:

Newton on 'Charuto's comments that he plans to dominate the fight: "He wants to try! I hope he thinks that. I hope that's what he strongly believes. I'll pop up in front of his face and unload some dynamite."

Newton on whether he has bulked up in recent months: "I'm not bulking up, that's an optical illusion. It's just the proportions of my body that are changing. My calves are thicker; I'm leaner in some places and bigger in others."

Newton on his newly improved physical training with strength coach Roberta Schneider: "It's a matter of closing the strength gap against some of these really strong guys. Then it comes down to who's a better fighter. I've been with Roberta for a year now. She placed second in the world in Miss Fitness Competition and she's one of Canada's number-one female athletes. She's totally just rebuilt me, physically. I'm really starting to see the advantages. My fights from now on will be evident of that. I'm going to call all my fights before I met her as the 'pre-Roberta' era."

Newton on not having won two consecutive fights since December of 2000: "No, doesn't concern me at all. I keep it in perspective. My last two losses were against Anderson Sylva and (current UFC Welterweight Champion) Matt Hughes. Nobody could give them a run for their money like I did. That's why I'll beat Charuto. I've got a lot more experience, maturity and toughness."

Newton on having mutual friends with 'Charuto': "The funny thing is we have mutual friends. They are Brazilian and before they came to Canada, they grew up with Charuto. I told them I'm fighting Charuto next and one of them said ‘No, that's my best friend, you can't fight him! It's kind of funny like that. It's such a small world. It's kind of neat. It's going to be an even smaller octagon!"

Newton on going after the welterweight title: "After Charuto, a title shot would be nice to go after, if they're willing, I'm game. As far as that goes, who knows? We'll see what happens with B.J. Penn against Matt Hughes. I think B.J. has a strong chance of pulling off a win, and then things change drastically. At the same time, if Matt wins, I'd love to fight him again. And if he won't step up, there are other guys who should be gunning for me. I'm ready to take on the top fighters right now; I am a top dog, so I give an invite to whoever wants to step up."

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Renato Verissimo "Charuto"

Brazilian magazine 'Tatame' recently interviewed Renato Verissimo 'Charuto' regarding his upcoming fight against Carlos Newton in UFC 46, scheduled for January 31st. Here's what Charuto had to say (interview by Andre Araujo:)


Tatame: How are you preparing to face Carlos Newton?

Charuto: I've been training a lot on the ground, Muay Thai, and physical conditioning. I went to Hawaii and trained with B.J. Penn. I also had a chance to train wrestling with several members of Team Quest and it was great. Hawaii kicks ass and its the best place here in US. The weather seems like Rio de Janeiro...

Tatame: Newton has good experience in MMA, including victories over Jose 'Pele' Landi-Jons and Renzo Gracie. What's your strategy to fight him?

Charuto: He was knocked out by Anderson Silva, and Renzo was defeated only because he got tired. Newton is young, experienced and he believes in his game. In my opinion he has more fight experience, but I have better training experience. Newton has fought the best, but I feel the level of ground training I've had Brazil is better then the training he's had in the US. It's not going to be easy, but I'm prepared for this challenge. I want to be victorious, and that's all that's going through my head right now.

Tatame: How did it happened... your debut in the UFC?

Charuto: I have been fighting at Rumble on the Rock (held by BJ's brother, J.D. Penn, my manager). I fought twice, and I had a chance to face Gil Castillo. I fought him in front of Dana White. I won, and I learned a lot with this fight. Then he invited me to the UFC. I am happy with the opportunity, and I will do my best. I have already been to the UFC but as a cornerman. Now I will be there as a participant. I'm very excited!

Tatame: Andre Pederneiras is travelling there to be in your corner. How does it feel?

Charuto: It's going to be very important. He knows how I am. Dede has been training me since I was 19 (white belt), and now he is my friend and my mentor. It's a honor to represent him, and show him what I have learned. I also feel stronger just to know that he is coming.

Tatame: What is your pick for the Vítor vs. Couture fight?

Charuto: I am sure that Vítor will win. He is more mature and technical. I have no doubt that he will beat Randy. My prediction is that Vitor will apply a combination of strikes and get the TKO.

Tatame: Talk a little bit about your career in Hawaii. Why did you leave Brazil to live there?

Charuto: I came to Las Vegas in 1997 to train at John Lewis's academy. It was there that I met J.D. (B.J.'s brother). After ADCC 98, he invited me to spend 20 days at his house to train his brother (Reagan Penn) and teach. It was love at first sight. Hawaii is a real paradise. I just came back to Las Vegas five days later to visit. I love Hawaii and I don't have plans to leave it. I surf a little bit and the weather is amazing.

Tatame: Why is your nickname "Charuto" (Cuban cigar)?

Charuto: It came from Water polo. I was 16 years old, 1.73 m (5'8) and 60 kg (132 pounds), and I used to live on the beach. So my water polo coach gave me that nickname, saying, "black, thin, and tall, you look like a cigar." That was in 1987.

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Jorge Rivera

Christopher J. Marshall wrote the following piece on Jorge Rivera, which appeared in the Metro West Daily News:


MILFORD -- It is a simple formula that works to near perfection for mixed martial artist Jorge Rivera: Win.

He did it in his Ultimate Fighting Championship debut in September when Rivera, listed as the underdog, defeated Canadian champion David Loiseau of Montreal.

Saturday night, Rivera, 31, hopes for a similar result.

Live on pay-per-view from the Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas, Rivera will take on London's "Lightning" Lee Murray in one of UFC 46's main card fights.

As was the case in his UFC debut, Saturday's match pits two similar-style fighters in a contest fans are labeling as 'an absolute war' and the 'fight of the night'.

Rivera and Murray are renowned knockout artists with tendencies to fight on their feet rather than take the match to the ground. The majority of victories for both fighters have come by knockout, with both also winning a couple fights by submission.

A knockout was nearly the case in Rivera's debut, as he dropped Loiseau with a right cross with five seconds left in the fight. As Rivera unloaded a series of rights on the downed Loiseau, the Canadian champ was saved by the bell sending the match to the judge's scorecards.

The fight, which Rivera won by unanimous decision, put the Milford resident on the mixed martial arts' global map.

Several fight publications now list Rivera in the world's top 10 of middleweight fighters, with one, MMA Weekly, ranking him seventh.

His goal he said is to be at the top, and not just in the top 10.

"If I take care of this, I want a title shot," he said speaking of the UFC's vacant middleweight championship.

Believing "there's nothing" should he return home with a loss, Rivera, with scars from his first UFC fight running along his head, said, "This is the only show I want to fight for."

His sponsors, which include Cafe Sorrento in Milford, Online Communications, Steve Mograss of the Body Shop gym and friend Scott Corrieri, among others, are the ones allowing him to stay in top fighting form come this weekend, he said.

The strategy Saturday will be to watch out for Murray's power, he said, while keeping focused and taking the fight to him. Admitting this is his biggest challenge yet, Rivera said, "He's got good power in both hands."

Murray, 26, who has not fought since July, is coming off a knockout victory over Brazil's Jose 'Pele' Landi-Jons.

At 6 ft., 185 pounds, Murray, with a professional record of 7-1-1, brings a similar frame and fighting style against Rivera, who is listed at 6 ft. 1 in., 185 pounds, with a 6-1 professional record.

"It's an excellent fight for Jorge because they're both notable bangers," said local mixed martial arts promoter Tom Hafers. "They both like to strike."

As for his take on Murray, who will be in his first UFC competition, Hafers said, "The bottom line is he's a tough guy. You don't get to this level without being a tough fighter."

Given Rivera's track record, Hafers points out the Framingham native must "just do what he's doing" to return home with a victory.

"This is Jorge's fight. He's got the heart to win it," Hafers said.

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Lee Murray (right)

Setanta Sport have confimed that they will be showing UFC 46 on UK pay-per-view.

This event will be of particular interest to UK fans because english fighter Lee Murray (the guy who knocked down Tito Ortiz in an altercation at the UFC London afterparty) will be making his UFC debut.

Lee will be taking out his entourage, 'The Woolwich Massive', who have bought over USD$15,000 worth of ringside tickets to support their hero.



Full card listed below:

UFC 46: Super Natural
January 31st, 2004
Mandalay Bay Events Center
Las Vegas, NV


Randy Couture vs. Vitor Belfort (UFC light heavyweight title)
Matt Hughes vs. B.J. Penn (UFC welterweight title)

Frank Mir vs. Wes Sims
Carlos Newton vs. Renato Verissimo
Lee Murray vs. Jorge Rivera
Matt Serra vs. Jeff Curran
Josh Thomson vs. Hermes Franca
Karo Parisian vs. Geirges St-Pierre

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RITC 58: 'Homer vs. Vince'
Thursday, Jan 29, 2004
Graham Central Station
Tucson, AZ

Fight Time: 7:30 PM


Card Subject To Change:

Homer Moore vs. Vince Lucero
Bryan Pardoe vs. Mike Rainieri
'A-Dawg' Sullivan vs. Andy Montana
Hans Marrero vs. Tommy Gouge
Cory Timmerman vs. Lemuel Vincent
R.J. Gamez vs. John Woods
Mark Pullius vs. TBA
Robert Rose vs. Mike Ptak
Mike McIntyre vs. Jerome Oliveras
Gabe Rivas vs. Daniel Betzold
Carlos Ortega vs. Aaron Millican

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Bob Sapp

Bob Sapp is featured in this month's 'Muscle & Fitness' magazine, in a five-page profile detailing his rise to fame in K-1 and Japan.

An interview with Sapp follows the feature story. For the first time, Sapp's workout routine and eating habits are discussed in great detail.

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Royce Gracie

The following interview with Royce Gracie was just posted on the PRIDE website:


PRIDE: Taking a look back on the year of 2003, please give us your thoughts (on your fights, the state of MMA, etc).

Royce Gracie: Well my fight was at the end of 2003, and I was very pleased with it, and appreciate DSE/Pride setting it up. It helped me settle some unfinished business. As for the state of MMA, it was a good year for MMA. A lot of good fights and great shows were put on for the fans.

PRIDE: On October 5, 2003 you were the head coach of the Gracie team in the inaugural PRIDE FC BUSHIDO show. Please give us your impression about that particular show and about the PRIDE BUSHIDO shows in general.

Royce Gracie: I think the concept of the show is great. I was very pleased with the show and was honored to be a part of it.

PRIDE: The match against Hidehiko Yoshida on December 31, 2003 was your first MMA match since May of 2000. Had you been wanting to fight? Had you received offers?

Royce Gracie: I have wanted to fight, and have had a lot of offers. I get offers all the time, but I have already fought my battles so nowadays I am more selective and when the right offers comes up, I am always ready to fight.

PRIDE: In 2003 PRIDE FC had its Middle Weight Grand Prix Tournament. Were you interested in participating in the tournament as a fighter? What were your thoughts on the tournament?

Royce Gracie: I think the tournament was great, some very close and great matches and a good line up. As for me, I have done tournament style fights in my career. To this day I am the only fighter to have fought 4 fights in one night, and back in those days, we had no rules, no gloves and no time limits as well as no weight classes. I started my fighting career in a tournament style competition.

PRIDE: It has been just a few weeks since your New Year's Eve match against Hidehiko Yoshida. Please give us your thoughts on the match. In addition, what did the match mean to you?

Royce Gracie: The first time Yoshida and I fought, the fight was unfairly stopped and it left a very sick feeling in me. I was disgusted with MMA in general. If such a thing can happen to me, it can happen to any fighter at any time. For the past year my management and Pride have been trying to set thing right, and Pride came through, they offered a rematch with Yoshida, and I accepted on the spot. The fight is now over and it meant a lot to me, I can now find peace within myself, it gave me a chance to redeem myself as well as MMA in general.

PRIDE: Is it true that Rickson Gracie trained you for your match against Hidehiko Yoshida? If you did train with Rickson, what kind of training was it? If any, what kind of advise did he give you?

Royce Gracie: Yes, I trained with Rickson for the fight, as I did with Royler and Rolker and had help from my cousin Rodrigo. Well Rickson helped me find myself, light up that fire, as well as help me along with Royler in strategy for the fight.

PRIDE: In training and at your last fight, we've seen you and your family displaying a carved wooden object. What does the object represent and what does it mean to you?

Royce Gracie: The wooden object was given to me by Rickson. He asked me to have it with me all the time during training and ring side for the fight. Rickson and his late son Rockson made this wooden object together, and Rickson wanted me to have it with me during training and the fight, kind of like having Rickson and the spirit of Rockson by my side. It meant the world to me, I could feel the support, and love of Rickson and Rockson as well the rest of my family by having this wooden object with me.

PRIDE: You took off the Gi for your match against Hidehiko Yoshida. Was this advice from Rickson? From one of your other brothers?

Royce Gracie: Rickson and Royler were the ones that advice me on the strategy to take the GI top off.

PRIDE: Was taking off the Gi always going to be you strategy? Were you concerned with Yoshida's skill using the Gi?

Royce Gracie: I like to fight with a GI, but I am a fighter and have been doing Jiu-Jitsu all my life, so I can fight with the GI, I can fight without the GI. I was not concerned with Yoshida's skills with the GI, last time when we fought Yoshida spend a lot of time stalling by holding on to my GI, this time I did not want to give him a chance to do that, so I took the GI top off, so that he can not stall and hold on to me.

PRIDE: The low blow/low kick at the beginning of the first round...there has since been criticism of it like "NOT FAIR" or "DIRTY." What are your thoughts on this and was it also one of your strategies?

Royce Gracie: I did not kick him in the groin. It was not my strategy and it was not my intention. I know from the video it looks like it, but it was not. It was a high thigh kick and did not touch him on the groin at all. I have been fighting for over 10 years and one thing that no one can accuse me of is being is a dirty fighter.

PRIDE: What did your brother, Rickson Gracie, and father, Helio Gracie, think about your last match with Yoshida?

Royce Gracie: They were both very happy with my performance, they congratulated me on the fight.

PRIDE: Yoshida has stated he wants to have a rematch with you in 2004. Assuming the offer came from PRIDE FC, would you take a third match with Yoshida?

Royce Gracie: Sure, if Pride and Yoshida and the fans want to see a third match, set it up.

PRIDE: After the match, you said, "You know who is the winner of the match." Even though you did not get IPPON, are you satisfied of the outcome of the match?

Royce Gracie: I am very satisfied. I came to the fight to win, and I did everything to get there. The fight was officially a draw, and I am not changing that at all, but watch the fight, and you tell me who is the winner.

PRIDE: Kiyoshi Tamura has recently announced that he wants to fight you. Do you know who he is? If you do, please tell us your impression of Kiyoshi Tamura as a fighter. If PRIDE FC was to offer you this fight, would you be interested in fighting Tamura?

Royce Gracie: I have seen some of this fights, he is a tough guy, as for me fighting him, tell him to take a number, there are a lot of people that want to fight me (laughing).

PRIDE: If you fight Kiyoshi Tamura would you be confident of winning?

Royce Gracie: I am always confident of winning, otherwise what is the point of fighting.

PRIDE: Also on the New Year's Eve show was the match up of Kazushi Sakuraba VS Antonio Rogerio Nogueira If you saw the match, please give us your thoughts. Would you ever be interested in a rematch against Sakuraba?

Royce Gracie: I saw the fight, it was a tough fight, both guys are tough, congratulations to Nogueira for the win, Sakuraba is a tough opponent and a very smart fighter, I have a lot of respect for him, beating him is a major accomplishment.

PRIDE: K-1 intends to have a mixed martial arts tournament involving Rickson Gracie. Would you also be interested in participating in a K-1 event?

Royce Gracie: Sure, I am a fighter. If the offer is good, I will fight in K-1 no problem.

PRIDE: There were big three big fighting events on New Year’s Eve in Japan (PRIDE FC, Inoki, and K-1). What do you think about the situation in Japan with these three organizations?

Royce Gracie: I think its good, its healthy; keep a health competition good for the fans too.

PRIDE: Please tell us about your fight plans for the future. PRIDE FC is organizing several events this year including the heavyweight Grand Prix. Of course depending on the opponent and money terms, would you be interested in competing?

Royce Gracie: I am a fighter, if the offer is right and the time is right, I will fight. I do a lot of things during the year, so its not easy for me to stop everything and start training for a fight, but if the offers are right, I will do that.

PRIDE: Do you consider PRIDE FC Middle Weight Championship one of your goals right now?

Royce Gracie: Not really, I do not have any goals right now, I just came off the fight, and going back to traveling, have a lot of people and places to visit.

PRIDE: Among the PRIDE FC events of 2003 (PRIDE 25-Body Blow, PRIDE 26-Bad to
the Bone, PRIDE Total Elimination, PRIDE BUSHIDO, PRIDE Final Conflict, and PRIDE SHOCKWAVE 2003), please tell us your choice for best bout and best fighter (MVP) of the year. Any fighters, including yourself and family members, are fine.

Royce Gracie: Best bout, there were a lot of tough fights this year, to be honest with you, after my last fight in Shockwave 2002, I was so disgusted with MMA that I did not spend much time watching it, but I did manage to see some shows and there were some tough fights out there. As for the fighters, they are all tough guys, if I had to pick some, well the GRACIEs, Renzo, Ryan, Daniel, Rodrigo (laughing) but outside the family, Silva, tough fighter had a good tough fights out there, and Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira tough fighter, had a very tough fight with Mirko "Cro Cop".

PRIDE: Do you have any message or anything you would like to say to PRIDE FC fans?

Royce Gracie: I want to thank my fans from Japan. I have a lot of them and they have been very supportive. I have received a lot of e-mails from them after the first Yoshida fight, telling me how disgusted they were with the outcome, and I have received even more after the second fight congratulating me and telling me how much they support me, and have been cheering for me. I am not a Japanese fighter and to get that kind of support in Japan is very special and I am honored by that very much. So I love all of my Japanese fans and I will see them very soon.

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Vanderlei Silva

PRIDE Bushido 2
February 15th, 2003
Yokohama Arena
Yokohama, Japan

Below are some of the matchups that DSE/PRIDE has announced for their PRIDE Bushido 2 show, scheduled for February 15th:


Chute Boxe vs. Japan matchups:
Vanderlei Silva vs. Ikuhisa Minowa
Mauricio 'Shogun' Rua vs. Akihiro Gono
Jadyson Costa vs. Takanori Gomi

Regular matchups:
Mario Sperry vs. Mike Bencic
Rodrigo Gracie vs. Hayato Sakurai
Ricardo Almeida vs. Ryuki Ueyama
Daiju Takase vs. Chris Brennan
Yasuhito Namekawa vs. Egidijus Valavicius

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Remy Bonjasky

K-1: 'Burning 2004'
February 15th, 2004
Okinawa Convention Center
Okinawa, Japan


Remy Bonjasky vs. Tsuyoshi Nakasako
Musashi vs. Stefan Gamlin
Kimo Leopoldo vs. Hiromi Amada
Shingo Koyasu vs. Petr Vandrachek
Yusuke Fujimoto vs. 'Montanha' Silva
Nobu Hayashi vs. Fabiano
Hiraku Hori vs. 'Big' Mo

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Jeff Monson

Euphoria Entertainment presents: MMA 'RUSSIAN INVASION'
March 13th, 2004
Trump Taj Mahal
Atlantic City, NJ


Below is the complete card of the 'Russian Invasion' MMA show, which is being promoted by Euphoria Entertainment. The theme of the show is USA vs. Russia, with many up-and-coming American fighters facing off against fighters from the Russia's premier MMA team 'Red Devil'.

The fighters representing the USA will come from the following American MMA teams: American Top Team, Team AKA, Strasser's Freestyle Academy, Team Renzo Gracie, and Team Extreme.

Card Subject To Change:


Jeff Monson vs. Roman Zentsov
Moacyr 'Boca' De Oliveira vs. Andrei Semenov
Derrick Noble vs. Musail Alaudinov
Ben Rothwell vs. Ibragim Magomedov
Joe D'Arce vs. Denis Komkin
Trevor Prangley vs. Arman Gambaryan
Ron Faircloth vs. Sergei Kaznovski
Jason Maxwell vs. Serguei Goliaev
Justin Eilers vs. Mikhail Bogdanov
Tom Muller vs. Alexei Veselozorov


For more information call:
(609) 449-1000
(800) 825-8888

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Randy Couture

Undisouted UFC light heavyweight champion Randy Couture appeared on 'The Jimmy Kimmel Show' tonight to promote his upcoming title defense on the UFC 46: 'Super Natural' card, scheduled for January 31st.

Couture was his usual composed self, and looked like an on-screen natural answering all sorts of questions ranging from the rules of the UFC, to how he first got involved in MMA.

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Joe Rogan (left) with Donny Osmond.

The following is a transcript of a segment of 'The Howard Stern Show', in which comedian and UFC commentator Joe Rogan appeared (transcript by Scoop McTroll):



Stern: When you're in karate class and, you know, everyone’s holding back and pretending to fight, that ain't gonna do you any good.

Rogan: Yeah, the actual trauma of getting assaulted is really hard for a lot of people to deal with.

Stern: It happens real fast.

Rogan: "...oh my God, someone is trying to kill me. Someone is actually trying to hit me."

Stern: Yeah.

Rogan: Most people can't handle that.

Stern: Yeah, no kidding.

Rogan: Most people that have black belts in karate, if some dude just comes running up and smashes you in the face you might fall apart.

Stern: That's it!

Robin: Well you remember Jun Ri?

Stern: Yeah, Jun Ri is this dude in Washington. Robin and I used to watch this commercial. He had this karate school, Jun Ri. Every year, around like New Years or something, he would go out and intentionally get mugged to beat up the muggers. You know, like to prove, like, "hey, come to my karate schools."

Robin: That's right, "I'll be able to teach you self-defense."

Rogan: Really?

Stern: Yeah, but he was an old dude and one day he went out and I think a bunch of guys kicked his ass. [laughs] Now he's getting his ass kicked on a regular basis.

Rogan: Yeah, that doesn't sound like a smart thing to do in this day and age.

Stern: Yeah, well yeah. You know. It doesn't matter how good you are at that stuff. You can get your ass kicked.

Robin: Right.

Rogan: Right, you can always get your ass kicked. Absolutely. But mixed martial arts, the style that they use to fight in the Ultimate Fighting Championship, it's the most effective style of fighting. We've figured that out now. We know exactly what works now and that's what the UFC is... [Interrupted by Robin]

Robin: What is this "we?" You figured something out?

Stern: He's a scientist.

Rogan: The UFC is like the science of fighting. It's the best way to fight.

Stern: All right, so give me the bottom line. What is the best way to fight? What's the system that we should all use?

Rogan: Well, for striking, you want to use Thai boxing - which is, you know. It's Western style boxing, which you see in any boxing match, with leg kicks, knees and elbows.

Stern: All right, Thai boxing. There it is.

Rogan: That's for striking. And for the ground it's Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. Choke holds and armbars and stuff like that. And that's what basically all these fighters know. They all know a bunch of different styles together. They all know a bunch of different grappling styles and a bunch of different striking styles. The most effective stuff is all put together and that's what we call mixed martial arts now.

Stern: It seems to me that I'd have to quit my job and study several forms of karate.

Rogan: [laughs] For these guys that fight, it's a full-time job. They have to train in striking; they have to train in wrestling.

Stern: Do these guys make a lot of money, Joe?

Rogan: No, they don't make that much money. It's not that popular of a sport right now because right now it's only on pay-per-view. This is...[Robin interrupts]

Robin: Then why do they do it?

Rogan: ...the most exciting sport in the world without a doubt. It's crazy! You lock these guys in a cage and they're going at it in front of 16,000 people in Vegas. If you've never been there for that, there's nothing like it.

Stern: Did anybody ever die?

Rogan: What's that?

Stern: Does anybody ever die?

Rogan: No, no, no. No one's ever died. One guy died in Russia of a pre-existing medical condition in like 1995 or 1996. That's it... [Interrupted by Stern]

Stern: Do guys walk out brain dead?

Rogan: It's much safer than NASCAR. It's much safer than boxing. Way safer than high school football.

Stern: Really?

Rogan: Yeah, because you get hurt and they just stop the fight. You're not allowed to, like, take a vicious beating. You know, like if you take a beating in boxing, you get dropped - they pick you up, they dust your hands off and give you a standing 8-count. There’s no standing 8-count in the UFC.

Stern: Yeah, but Joe. Can't a guy get his neck broken and stuff?

Rogan: No, n-n-n-n-no. You tap out. Like, whenever anyone is in a bad situation, they just tap out. I mean, anything is possible if we have for years and years...I mean, it's not safe. It is a dangerous sport. If it keeps going on for years and years, maybe somebody is gonna get seriously injured. But as far as right now, no one has.

Stern: Now what do you do? Do you do the play-by-play?

Rogan: Yeah, I'm a color commentator.

Stern: Oh, okay. Joe Rogan, co-host of the Ultimate Fighting Championship…[Interrupted by Robin]

Robin: Just how much does a guy get paid though?

Rogan: You know what? I don't know the exact pay scale, I mean, it's hundreds of thousands of dollars for the best guys.

Robin: All right.

Rogan: They're not broke.

Stern: 10pm, live on pay-per-view Saturday. It's the, uhh. It's the Super Bowl... [Interrupted by Robin]

Robin: ...of Ultimate Fighting.

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The first broadcast of WEC 9: 'Cold Blooded' has been playing on HDNet since the show took place. The second broadcast of the event on HDNet is scheduled to air Friday, February 6th at 10 PM EST (7 PM PST).

Yves Edwards/Deshaun Johnson, Olaf Alfonzo/John Polakowski, and Alex Stiebling/Joe Riggs fights are currently confirmed to for the second broadcast. Both broadcasts are one hour long.

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UFC 46: Super Natural
January 31st, 2004
Mandalay Bay Events Center
Las Vegas, NV


Randy Couture vs. Vitor Belfort (UFC light heavyweight title)
Matt Hughes vs. B.J. Penn (UFC welterweight title)

Frank Mir vs. Wes Sims
Carlos Newton vs. Renato Verissimo
Lee Murray vs. Jorge Rivera
Matt Serra vs. Jeff Curran
Josh Thomson vs. Hermes Franca
Karo Parisian vs. Geirges St-Pierre

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Carlos Newton announced the re-launch of his offical website on February 2nd. To visit the site, go to Carlosnewton.com

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Ivan Menjivar (top)

Rising star Ivan Menjivar has left the management of TKO's Stephane Patry, and has chosen Aristeia Management as his new representation.

Aristeia Management is the result of a partnership between Canadians Scott Scrosati and Nathan Short, both of whom are long time MMA enthusiasts and crusaders for the legal sanctioning of MMA on Canada's east coast. To discuss issues relating to Ivan Menjivar, please contact info@aristeiafighters.com.



On a side note, any fighters still owed money by TKO president Stephane Patry, can contact him at:

Stephane Patry, President/CEO
TKO Communications Inc.
Tel: (450) 445-8886
TKOZone.tv

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Randy Couture

Before reading any further, please read our disclaimer first.


As the MMA world wonders how the unfortunate disappearance of Vitor Belfort's sister will affect him for his upcoming title fight against Randy Couture, the possibility of Randy Couture himself going through a different type of personal turmoil may actually be happening.

A fighter who fights for Team Quest, and who wishes to remain anonymous, has told me that Randy Couture and his wife have split up, and are most likely planning to get a divorce.

If true, then this is unfortunate. Being a huge Couture fan, I only hope it doesn't affect him for his fight against Belfort.

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By Todd Atkins

Tank Abbott

Before reading any further, please read our disclaimer first.


The UFC offices have been silent over the upcoming release of Scoop McTroll's 'The Bennett Files'. No one is saying a single thing, and people are basically holding their breath about it. No one dares to get on the wrong side of Lorenzo Fertitta, or even Dana White these days. ZUFFA realizes he isn't the only leak, so people around the offices don't even joke about 'The Bennett Files'.

Right now ZUFFA is very worried about Vitor Belfort's state of mind, and this show in general because PPV numbers have been sliding rapidly downward. Lorenzo Fertitta realizes that Ken Shamrock makes a HUGE difference and he is actively looking for other American pro wrestlers that want to fight NHB.

Tank Abbott wants big money again, but ZUFFA has stated that he will have to take a pay cut. Tank knows he also delivers PPV buys and puts fans in the seats. If Zuffa wants him they will have to 'pay him' once again.

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KOTC
Saturday, January 24th, 2004
Office Depot Center


Marvin Eastman defeats Vernon 'Tiger' White by unanimous decision.
Eric Pele defeats Travis Fulton by TKO at 1:35, RD 1.
Seth Petruzelli defeats Dan Severn by unanimous decision.
Jorge Santiago defeats John Cronk by armbar at 0:54, RD 2.
Manny Reyes Jr. defeats Eric O'Brien by unanimous decision.
Jake Short defeats Scott Bills by unanimous decision.
Todd Carney defeats Jorge Pereira by TKO at 1:31, RD 1.
Crafton Wallace defeats Mike Quinlan by guillotine choke at 3:13, RD 1.
Marcel Ferreira defeats Charles McCarthy by majority decision.
Rory Singer defeats Wilson Gouveia by TKO at 3:55, RD 2.
Brent Carraway defeats Roger Krahl by majority decision.
Stu Hesselmeyer defeats George Crawford by unanimous decision.
Danny Byrket defeats Joe Cervantes by majority decision.

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Yuki Kondo

Todd Atkins reports from Japan that Yuki Kondo has expressed that he wants to participate in the PRIDE Heavyweight Grand Prix, and that DSE/PRIDE has accepted him to participate. If Pancrase clears Kondo, then he will be in the Heavyweight GP, which kicks off in April.

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