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Sapp (top ) vs. Le Banner was one of K-1's main events on New Year's.

Below are the results for the Japanese ratings war on December 31st. It lists the top 5 most-watched shows on that night (Courtesy of Video Research Ltd. Co. Japan):


1. NHK 'Kohaku' show: 35.0%
2. K-1 'Dynamite!!': 20.1%
3. PRIDE 'Shockwave': 14.5%
4. Nippon TV show: 9.5%
5. TV-Asahi 'TV Tackle' show with Beat Takeshi: 7.8%


Some interesting notes are that K-1 and PRIDE took the number 2 and 3 spots respectively, and both increased their ratings from last year's showing.

The NHK show, which always wins the ratings war on December 31st, showed a decrease from last year's ratings by up to 5.0%. A sign that MMA has won out a solid portion of the viewership on New Year's day.

Another thing to note is that K-1 soundly beat PRIDE by double the viewership when it went head-to-head in the 9:00-11:40 P.M. time slot. PRIDE's rating dropped to 10.8 during the head-to-head battle, meaning that they lost half their viewership to the K-1 show.

The 9:00-11:40 P.M. time slot is the one that is most important to advertisers.

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Mark Hunt vs. Vanderlei Silva

Brazilian insider Ricardo Alonso reports that Chute Boxe manager Rudimar Fedrigo was upset with the judges decision of Vanderlei Silva's fight against Mark Hunt.

According to sources close to the Chute Boxe team, Rudimar thought the fight should have at least been declared a draw due to the large difference in weight between the two fighters. PRIDE usually has a policy of taking the weight difference into account when a close fight between two fighters of different weight classes goes to decision.

Furthermore, behind closed doors Rudimar is feeling that DSE/PRIDE may have handed out the decision loss in order to have more bargaining power when it is time to discuss a new contract, since the loss to Hunt was the last fight of Silva's current contract.

The enite Chute Boxe team's contract negotiations in Japan are handled by Koichi Kawasaki. It is said that Kawasaki will supposedly meet with K-1 management this month to discuss the possibility of bringing Silva to K-1.

More news regarding this developing story will be posted in about two weeks.

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By Tape Lord

Rodrigo "Minotauro" Nogueira

Hello my friends, my postal connections in the DSE/PRIDE organization are telling me that DSE/PRIDE is thinking seriously to make a Rodrigo 'Minotauro' Nogueira vs. Rulon Gardner matchup for the next PRIDE card.

The fight could possibly be on the same card as a proposed Fedor Emelianenko vs. Mirko 'Cro Cop' Filipovic title fight.

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Asahoryu

DSE/PRIDE announced at their December 31st show that they have signed current Sumo grand champion Asahoryu to a fight contract that will be effective as soon as he retires from Sumo.

According to the Japanese media, this was the big news that DSE/PRIDE stated it would announce at the show. Asahoryu is a Mongolian national who is also viewed as the 'bad boy' of Sumo.

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Royce Gracie (blue gloves) celebrates his New Year's victory over Akebono.

Everyone at Fightsport.com would like to wish our loyal fans a Happy New Year!

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Royce Gracie vs. Akebono

K-1: 'Premium 2004 Dynamite!!'
December 31st, 2004
Osaka Dome,
Osaka, Japan


MMA rules matchups:
Royce Gracie defeats Akebono by wrist lock at 2:13, RD 1.
Kazuyuki Fujita defeats Karam Ibrahim by KO at 1:07, RD 1.
Yoshihiro Nakao defeats Don Frye by unanimous decision.
Kaoru Uno defeats Chandet Sorpantrey by rear naked choke at 0:19, RD 2.
Yoshihiro Akiyama defeats Francois Botha by armbar at 1:54, RD 1.
Bobby Ologun defeats Cyril Abidi by unanimous decision.
Sylvester Terkay defeats Kristof Midoux by neck crank at 1:11, RD 1.

Mixed rules matchup (MMA and K-1-rules)
Bob Sapp drew with Jerome LeBanner.

K-1 rules matchups:
Masato defeats Norifumi 'Kid' Yamamoto by unanimous decision.
Ray Sefo defeats Gary Goodridge by KO at 0:33, RD 1.
Musashi defeats Sean O'Haire by TKO at 0:44, RD 2.

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PRIDE: 'Shockwave'
December 31st, 2004
Satama Super Arena
Saitama, Japan


Fedor Emelianenko defeats Rodrigo 'Minotauro' Nogueira by unanimous decision.
Mark Hunt defeats Vanderlei Silva by split decision.
Takanori Gomi defeats Jens Pulver by KO at 6:21, RD 1.
Dan Henderson defeats Yuki Kondo by unanimous decision.
Mirko 'Cro Cop' Filipovic defeats Kevin Randleman by guillotine choke at 0:41, RD 1.
Rulon Gardner defeats Hidehiko Yoshida by unanimous decision.
Makoto Takimoto defeats Henry 'Sentoryu' Miller by unanimous decision.
Ryo Chonan defeats Anderson Silva by heel hook at 3:08, RD 3.
Ryan Gracie defeats Yoji Anjoh by armbar at 8:33, RD 1.
Choi Mu Bae defeats 'Giant' Silva by choke at 5:47, RD 1.
Ikuhisa Minowa defeats Stefan Leko by heel hook at 0:27, RD 1.

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Bob Sapp

Commentary by Eddie Goldstein


And now for this week's report on the comedy that is the American 'MMA Media'.

Supposed MMA journalist Jeremy Wall recently interviewed Bob Sapp... well, more like attempted ambush interview, in which Wall attempted to insult Sapp into an angry response with almost every question he asked. Here was an internet writer, not a respected mainstream media figure but an internet writer, trying to insult an international mass media phenomenon and certified celebrity in Sapp. And for what? To try and get an angry reaction out of a real celebrity? To make himself, and others, believe he is a real media journalist?

The truth of the matter is that Jeremy Wall doesn't even deserve to even have a chance to talk to Sapp, let alone interview him. Sapp is a man who is in such high demand that respected and established mainstream media have a hard time getting a hold of him for an interview... Yet here was Sapp going out of his way to help out the American MMA scene by giving a free interview to an internet site (where his interview would be read by hardly anyone) and its supposed journalist in Jeremy Wall. So what does this supposed journalist do? Insult him with the obvious intent of trying to get a negative reaction out of Sapp of course.

But Sapp proved more media savvy then this supposed internet journalist and his amateur hour tricks. For every insult-laden question he fielded, Sapp remained his usual charismatic self, replying with the solid facts of Sapp's immense success, to which the bumbling Wall had no answer of course.

Wall even went on to make a foolish mistake in saying that a minor K-1 show had been held at the approximately 1,000 capacity Korakuen Hall, when in fact the event he was referring to was held in the 25,000 capacity Yoyogi Hall. It wouldn't have been such a big mistake if it weren't for the fact that Wall was trying to unsuccessfully show that K-1 was now holding shows at smaller venues due to a popularity decline, implying that Sapp was inadvertantly the cause because of K-1's efforts to find the next freak show fighter.

Not only was Wall way off the mark, (as K-1 is still more popular then ever), but he also showed that he either failed to understand the psyche of the Japanese fight fan, or he just did not do his homework on the Japanese scene and its fans before conducting this interview (as evidenced by his glaring mistakes). It was only fitting that Sapp's reply to such a foolish question was the icing on the cake of Wall's humiliation, when Sapp stated that noone has ever, and may be won't ever be able to again, do what he has done in the short two years of his fame in Japan.

Sapp pointed to the record number of commercials, fights, and money that he was made. He then pointed out that his fight last year against Akebono broke worldwide ratings records for an event, let alone a prize fight. Wall had no answer of course, and if ever an interviewer (I'll call him that because I just can not call him a journalist) was left twiddling his thumbs with a dumbstruck face, this was it.

In a moment of humor, Sapp even stated that he believes to be the only fighter in the history of fighting that was had a dildo named after him, as has happened in Japan. My guess is that Wall was feeling like somewhat of a dildo himself by the end of this failed ambush interview.

As Wall grew more meek and quiet with his few remaining questions, Sapp continued to make more of a fool of him with all the solid facts and figures of his success and drawing power in Japan.

If this interview served any informational purpose, it was to show that when it comes to understanding the media, that the fighters who now compete regularly in Japan are on a whole other level then the fighters and supposed MMA media themselves in the states. This is due to the the fact that MMA is mainstream in Japan, as well as one the biggest sporting events going right now over there. This in turn has trained the fighters competing over there to deal with the real and established media (and not just internet fan sites), which in turn enables a man like Bob Sapp to outwit and humiliate a supposed wannabe journalist like Jeremy Wall.

It also shows just how far behind the MMA scene is in America right now when the MMA media are a bunch of kids on the internet who couldn't get a job in the real media.

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Musashi

K-1 announced the matchup of Musashi vs. Sean O'Haire for their card on December 31st.

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Vanderlei Silva and Mark Hunt.

DSE/PRIDE officially announced the matchup of Vanderlei Silva vs. Mark Hunt for their December 31st card.

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By Josh Grossman

Vanderlei Silva

There were some rumblings amongst insiders that DSE/PRIDE was thinking of taking Vanderlei Silva off of their card on December 31st, but I am now hearing that this is not the case.

Expect them to officially announce the matchup of Vanderlei Silva vs. Mark Hunt by tomorrow.

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Branko Cikatic

Former K-1 champion Branko Cikatic has won a court case in Croatia regarding some death threats he supposedly made.

Mirko 'Cro Cop' Filipovic was one of the people who testified against him. Cikatic even spent a few months in jail, but has since been released.

Cikatic currently runs his own security agency in Croatia, as well as his own fighting school called 'Tiger Cikatic'.

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Vanderlei Silva

The Japanese media interviewed Vanderlei Silva upon his arrival in Japan for his upcoming fight. Here's what Silva had to say:


Japanese media: What are your thoughts on the cancellation of the Sakuraba fight.

Vanderlei: To be honest, I'm disappointed. However, there will be another chance. I wanted to fight Sakuraba, but there's not much that can be done. I'll fight him next time.

Japanese media: Your opponent... Would you accept a fight against a heavyweight?

Vanderlei: That's to be decided by the promoters and my manager.

Japanese media: You probably dropped weight for your fight against Sakuraba, and you would still fight a heavyweight?

Vanderlei: I'm a professional fighter. I fight whoever is chosen to fight me.

Japanese media: Has your motivation dropped since Sakuraba is not able to fight?

Vanderlei: That's not a concern at all. It's an event to close the year, and I'm honored just to be able to fight in it. "Otokomatsuri" will be the best event on December 31st.

Japanese media: Would you like to fight Sakuraba in next years Middleweight GP?

Vanderlei: I haven't heard anything with regards to next year, so I can't really comment.

Japanese media: Do you feel like you need to fight extra hard on Sakuraba's behalf?

Vanderlei: Of course I feel that way. He is very strong, and a fighter I respect. What happened this time is something that can not be helped as professional fighters. I hope to have a great fight with him next time. As for Sakuraba, I hope he comes to the event and supports me.

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Fedor Emelianenko

Below is an interview that Fedor Emelianenko recently did with a Russian website. Here's what Fedor had to say:


Interviewer: One of your fans is asking if you intend to fight in K-1?

Fedor: For now I fight in PRIDE, but maybe sometime in the future fighting for K-1 may be a possibility.

Interviewer: We know K-1 organizes fights involving both kickboxing and MMA. Which K-1 version would you like to fight in?

Fedor: I think K-1 Romanex, which basically has the same rules as PRIDE does. But I wouldn't mind fighting pure stand up too.

Interviewer: Do you continue to interact with your ex-manager Mr. Pogodin? Have there been any more problems for you after you stopped working with him?

Fedor: I don't have any contact with Mr. Pogodin lately. There were some financial problems we still had to fix. And of course, he continues to try making it hard for me.

Interviewer: Has he been trying to interfere with your sports career?

Fedor: His influence has been most notable in my Combat Sambo career. I wouldn't want to say that he is entirely responsible, however it is strange that even though it was officially declared I was going to be named Master (of Combat Sambo) International Class, I never received the title. And I have not been able to receive this title since Mr. Pogodin became Vice President of the Sambo Federation.

Interviewer: One of your fans wants to know if your website at www.fedor.bel.ru and your forums are your official information source... Do you know they exist? Do you personally browse through and read the site?

Fedor: Of course I know about the site. I regularly read the news updates and some of the messages in the forums section. I am very grateful to all the fans who visit the site.

Interviewer: Are you glad that you will be fighting Nogueira in this coming New Year's PRIDE? How do you rate your preparation level for that fight?

Fedor: How can I be happy or unhappy about the fight? I will fight Noguera, that's for sure. Of course I would prefer to spend New Years at home with my family, but I understand that PRIDE has organized a big show, and that is why I will deny myself a family celebration and will go fight in Japan. About my preparation level for the fight... I can only say that I trained a lot for this fight. How prepared I am only the actual fight will show.

Interviewer: Is it true that you met and extensively talked with Antonio Nogueira when you went to Atlantic City in the USA this year?

Fedor: Yes we met, but it didn't last longer than 10 minutes. Antonio told me his brother's impressions of a recent trip to Moscow, invited me to Brazil, and was curious about my training for our fight. We talked about all and nothing.

Interviewer: Your fans are curious about the rumors you trained with Le Banner? Is this true and who initiated this, did Le Banner ask about training with you or did you ask him?

Fedor: We met with Le Banner in St. Petersburg, where both of us were guests for the M-1 tournament, in which my brother Alexander participated. Le Banner told us he would like to train with us. We only did one training session together. I think he liked it because he asked if he could come to Starii Oskol (my home city) at a later point for more extensive training. We discussed doing this in December, but since Le Banner is getting married in December, we will probably do this January of 2005.

Interviewer: How did your trip to Kislovodsk go? Were you able to mix training with rest?

Fedor: I would say my trip to Kislovodsk was a success. I trained a lot, and came back home more tired than rested. Still we were able to do some leisurely activities on the trip, we rode horses, drank mineral water, had mineral baths.

Interviewer: We would really like to know about the Emalienko brothers training regimen, if it's not a secret. What special food supplements do you use in your diet: proteins, amino acids, vitamins? What advice would you give fighters who are just starting out?

Fedor: About training - basically we focus on conditioning - we fight (wrestle/grapple). We always do long distance runs. I don't do any weight lifting, very little at all if anything. With weights, mainly circuit training. That is when different equipment devices are positioned in a circuit and you use each one after the next going around in the circuit, working your conditioning. As far as my diet, it's simple... I eat everything. I do not eat any special supplements, just the common vitamin complex: Vitrum, Centrum. You can get those at any drugstore. My advice to fighters who are starting out, is not to try and rush things, the best method is training and more training.

Interviewer: You say you don't lift weights, how do you compensate to build up your strength?

Fedor: The alternative to lifting weights is fighting. Lifting weights does not give you conditioning which you need in a fight, it can even be detrimental to fighters. To become strong all you need is to fight against your opponent's body weight, plus his strength. There is no better way for a fighter.

Interviewer: Does your studying take out a lot of your time? Doesn't it interferre with your traning ?

Fedor: Studying does take a lot of my time, but when I need to train hard, and I have an exam sessions conflicting with my training, I talk to my dean and do my exams either earlier or later than the other students.

Interviewer: Please tell us about the upcoming tournament. When is it going to happen and how can we see it on TV?

Fedor: The tournament is in Japan, in Tokyo. I think this will be one of the most important and interesting tournaments for 2004. I will fight in the super fight of the night. In our fight with Antonio Nogueira, I will defend my World Champion title and at the same time fight for the Grand Prix belt. So we will fight for two belts in one fight. You will be able to see this fight a few days after on TNT, the channel which shows PRIDE tournaments.

Interviewer: Who would you like to fight next?

Fedor: I have not thought about this. Whoever PRIDE tells me to fight, I will fight.

Interviewer: May I ask how much you are getting paid for your fight against Nogueira?

Fedor: Unfortunately, according to my PRIDE contract we are not allowed to share information about how much money we make for specific fights. So I am sorry I can't tell you.

Interviewer: When was the last time you felt fear before a fight?

Fedor: You know, that was so long ago, I don't remember.

Interviewer: Who do you think is the toughest and weakest PRIDE fighter today?

Fedor: PRIDE does not have any weak fighters. All fighters undergo a tough selection process to be able to fight in Pride. The toughest fighter is probably Antonio Noguera who was able to get to the finals in the Grand Prix and be the number one contender for the World Championship title.

Interviewer: Are you sad that you will spend New Years away from home?

Fedor: I am a little bit sad. I would have liked to spend New Years at home with friends and family, but there is nothing to do. We will celebrate a little later.

Interviewer: Have you already done your gift shopping for your close ones?

Fedor: Not yet. I am planing to buy them presents from Japan. They will like that.

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Yuki Kondo

Yuki Kondo was recently interviewed for the PRIDE website. Here's what Kondo had to say:

PRIDE: This will be your second consecutive appearance in the New Year's Eve show.

Kondo: I'm proud of that as a martial artist. There are a lot of different entertainment shows on TV on New Year's Eve, but now martial arts has become the main thing. I think that's incredible, and as a professional and a human that does martial arts, it's an honor for me to be a part of that.

PRIDE: You chose to fight Dan Henderson over Murilo Ninja and Mauricio Shogun. Was it an easy choice?

Kondo: When I heard the three choices, I felt it would be Dan Henderson, but I watched all their videos anyway. I think Ninja and Shogun are both very powerful so I was a little confused, but I felt that Dan Henderson is the strongest. So I chose him.

PRIDE: What is your impression of him?

Kondo: All of his movements are quick. When he decides he wants to go somewhere, he gets there quickly. Does that make sense? (laughing) For example, his defense is quick when he's attacked, and his pace is fast when attacking too.

PRIDE: Which of Henderson's fights left you with the greatest impression?

Kondo: The (Vanderlei) Silva fight of course. Then his fight with Nogueira in PRIDE.

PRIDE: What do you want to be most careful of when you fight him?

Kondo: His straight right. His knees in the 4-points position are dangerous too, so I have to do my best not to let him get on top of me.

PRIDE: He gets a lot of his opponents by holding them with one arm when they are in the clinch, and throwing uppercuts with the other.

Kondo: I don't think he'll do it to me. (laughing)

PRIDE: You seem confident. Do you want to have a rematch with Silva after Henderson?

Kondo: I'm focusing on the Middleweight Grand Prix more than a rematch with Silva. I'd like to fight him there.

PRIDE: The theme for this event is "destiny". Do you have some destiny with Henderson?

Kondo: It seems like it. I don't know why though. (laughing) We're both guys and fighters from the same generation that have done what needed to be done. That's destiny. If there's a strong fighter in the same generation, I think it's natural to want to fight him. It's a waste not to. In that sense, I really want to be in the Middleweight Grand Prix. It's boring if we don't fight, right? I think I'm very blessed to have a chance to fight. If I had been born in a different generation, I wouldn't be able to have this exchange with them. That is destiny.

PRIDE: I see. So you put Henderson and Silva in the same category?

Kondo: I put everyone in the same category. Silva, Henderson, Jackson, Arona, Ninja, Shogun... I feel a destiny with all of them because we are alive at the same time. We have to fight each other.

PRIDE: When did you become aware of Henderson?

Kondo: When he won the first KOK (January, 2000).

PRIDE: That's a long time ago.

Kondo: I wondered why this guy won. He doesn't look that strong, does he? I thought this must be some kind of strength that I won't understand until I fight him once. Some guys, like Silva, you can tell they are strong just by looking at them. I think it's hard to tell that Henderson is strong just by looking at him. Despite that, a lot of martial artists regarded him highly. I think that I will really understand why, for the first time, after I have the chance to fight him.

PRIDE: The 1st KOK was an unlimited weight class tournament. There must have been some connection because he won that tournament and you also fight in the unlimited weight class.

Kondo: That's true. I have a lot of respect for Henderson's heart because weight doesn't matter to him. A lot of guys today will quickly make excuses about weight differences. Even if they aren't trying to make excuses, they say it anyway. I think that's sad for a martial artist to say that. If you are a martial artist, you don't say that even if you are thinking it. Henderson doesn't say things like that, and I respect him because he can beat fighters that are heavier than him.

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Takanori Gomi (top)

Japanese magazine Kakutogi Tsushin recently interviewed Takanori Gomi. Here's what Gomi had to say (translated by Akira S.):


KT: I think it is not an exaggeration to say your next matchup is for the title of the lightweight division.

Gomi: He (Jens Pulver) is the only guy who's beaten B.J. Penn. I watched that match on video and I thought B.J. wasn't in the fight for the last part of the match. Nothing stirred him into action.

KT: Jens Pulver knocked out both Naoya Uematsu in SHOOTO Japan and Stephen Palling in Hawaii. He has also fought in Shoot boxing's "S-Cup". He's got powerful striking skills, which is very rare in an MMA fighter. You are good at striking too, but do you think he can be a dangerous opponent for you?

Gomi: I think he was born a fighter. He went through hard fighting in UFC many times, that's why he could build his style. I stuck to boxing too much the last time. I have no idea why I was like that.

KT: Are you talking about the match against Charles "Crazy Horse" Bennett last October?

Gomi: Yes. If I didn't stick to boxing that much I could have done better using my original style. I beat him by armlock, but to tell you the truth his blows really had their effect on me.

KT: Really?!

Gomi: I emphasized on boxing training mainly before that match, so I had 100% confidence when we exchanged blows. But you know you just can't produce results straight away, even if you work hard on something. I could beat some opponents with my style this year, but it's true that I experienced some uneasiness in some matches.

KT: You won in the first round of all your bouts, but were you still anxious?

Gomi: Because I didn't work on my basic training enough. I think I should go back to the basics. I don't want to imitate the fighting styles of any other fighters.

KT: After the match against Charles Bennett you mentioned that you wanted to lead PRIDE Bushido. I take it that the next match is quite important for you.

Gomi: I grew to be a fighter in Bushido, so I won't let any outside fighters beat me in PRIDE.

KT: I heard that a Grand Prix tournament for lightweights is being planned for next year.

Gomi: First off, I'd like to win this match against Pulver and end this year with a 5-fight winning streak. If I beat him I would gain more confidence. I want to be a top seeded fighter in the tournament(laughs)

KT: Are you paying any attention to K-1 Dynamite on New Years Eve?

Gomi: No. What's more important is that I am very proud of being on the same stage with fighters such as Sakuraba, Yoshida, Silva, Nogueira and Fedor. I'd like to keep going with confidence in myself. If I put my mind to the match, there is a chance I can be a leading role. This is a long awaited match. I have to win.

KT: How do you think the match is going to be?

Gomi: Simple trickery won't win this match. It's going to be tough, not a plain match. If the game is stuck, it means our abilities are close. I don't want to have any regrets, so I'm training hard. The PRIDE New Year title is called Sadame (Destiny), but I prefer it to be called Kejime (settle, conclusion, resolution).

KT: Kejime means to win for you?

Gomi: Yes, and also I would say it because I want give the best performance to the fans who see my fights for the fist time. I want to let everyone to feel, "I've never seen such a guy." Sometimes I feel like I don't want to go to the ground after brawling with my opponent, but I keep telling myself I have to win. If I can not make it, that means I already lost in my training.

KT: You put that much pressure on yourself?

Gomi: I think the crowd won't feel anything from me if I don't keep the pressure on me. Millions of people are going to watch the show, and I'd like to appeal to the fans for the support, and want them to say, "He's going to do it!"

KT: Do you have any images of how you will finish him?

Gomi: I think I'm going to finish him by choke or KO. I'd like to win and climb the corner of the ring.

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Tape Lord is away on official business and will not be doing the mailbag this week.

'Tape Lord's Monday Morning Mailbag' will be back next week.

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Mark Hunt

Fuji TV is saying in Japan that a matchup of Vanderlei Silva vs. Mark Hunt will now take place on the PRIDE card on December 31st.

DSE/PRIDE has not officially confirmed this matchup as of yet.

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Damien Riccio

French fighter Damien Riccio, who had a highly publicized altercation with Royce Gracie, had the following to say on the UG forum regarding Royce and the rest of the Gracie family:

Don't worry everybody will have the end soon.. And for those who lie, Rodrigo never ask for fightning for free.. I did it. But now Rodrigo is not the target he is just a big mouth. Royce will pay for sure and we really don't care about what will happen. I wasn't supposed to announce it but because of the sue has been failed and Royce never accepted to fight and close the story our family will close it.

I read a lot on "The Brazilian Way" by attacking me and my 14 years old bro at 9 against me and lost... You will see soon what is "The Sicilian Way"

Everthing is planned right now. -Damien Riccio



Riccio then followed up that statement a few moments later with the following reply to an MMA fan:

Prick, no I was waiting for 1 year and challenging him for free for the sue, and nobody cames. Gracie are forbidden in France, believe me, and since the beginning no Gracie had or will come anymore in France. And always the world "would"... Me, I did it twice on Robin, and Royce tried , shitted his pants, get back running and never came anymore in France...

Now the things have changed asshole Gracie sucker and don't worry you will know ... -Damien Riccio

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Evan Tanner (left)

Team Quest/Evan Tanner split: The Evan Tanner-Team Quest breakup was over money. Tanner feels he is a big enough name that he shouldn't pay training and management fees at the same rates of everyone else. He even brought a sportsbook sponsor to Team Quest and Tanner is not happy that Team Quest takes a percentage of that money.

Team Quest maintains that EVERYONE on the team helps with sponsors. Team Quest also thinks that they helped Tanner to get to where he is, and without them he would have had a difficult time getting back in the UFC. Kind of a touchy situation with both sides, uneasy and each of them thinking they are right.

Vitor vs. Tito: Remember back to UFC 33? The show that was cut short had boring fights etc.? That was a show that was supposed to feature Tito Ortiz Vs Vitor Belfort. Back then Both Tito and Vitor almost drove ZUFFA crazy because they were both trying to upstage one another. Tito wanted a limo ride to the hotel, Vitor wanted two limos. Vitor wanted 15 front row tickets, Tito wanted 25. It was something different every day. Not so much of that this time around. Vitor is coming off a loss, and Tito isn’t the star he once was. Thus they can’t get away with making the demands they used to make. One wonders if this match up is about 3 yrs late.

UFC welterweight division: Although 170-pound division is a strong weight for UFC they are having a tough time sorting out exactly how to take it from here. Matt Hughes doesn't really want to face Frank Trigg again, but will if he has to. Trigg has told UFC he will fight Hughes, Penn or anyone else, but he wants to fight actively. He doesn't want to go through long periods of inactivity anymore. He has told Dana White that he wants to fight in April or he is going to look for fights elsewhere.

B.J. Penn is on the outside looking in. Dana would love to have him but UFC knows he is just being cordial and his intentions are to emulate Royce and Rickson Gracie. Taking only big money fights with opponents he chooses.

UFC would love to match up Hughes vs Trigg but later in the year, provided they both keep winning. If Dana White/Lorenzo Fertita don’t want a Hughes vs Trigg fight in April, then they are going to have to bring in some fresh faces (Shaun Sherk, Jayson Miller).

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Akebono and Royce Gracie.

K-1: 'Premium 2004 Dynamite!!'
December 31st, 2004
Osaka Dome,
Osaka, Japan


MMA rules matchups:
Royce Gracie vs. Akebono
Kazuyuki Fujita vs. Karam Ibrahim
Heath Herring vs. Sam Greco
Don Frye vs. Yoshihiro Nakao
Francois Botha vs. Yoshihiro Akiyama
Kaoru Uno vs. Chandet Sorpantrey
Cyril Abidi vs. Bobby Ologun

Mixed rules matchup (MMA and K-1-rules)
Bob Sapp vs. Jerome LeBanner

K-1 rules matchups:
Masato vs. Norifumi 'Kid' Yamamoto
Ray Sefo vs. Gary Goodridge
Musashi vs. TBA

Other fighters to possibly be on the card:
Tom Erikson
Sean O'Haire
Tsuyoshi Kohsaka
Wakanohana

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PRIDE: 'Shockwave'
December 31st, 2004
Satama Super Arena
Saitama, Japan


Rodrigo 'Minotauro' Nogueira vs. Fedor Emelianenko
Rulon Gardner vs. Hidehiko Yoshida
Vanderlei Silva vs. TBA (possibly Igor Vovchanchyn)
Mirko 'Cro Cop' Filipovic vs. Kevin Randleman
Dan Henderson vs. Yuki Kondo
Ryan Gracie vs. Yoji Anjoh
Crosley Gracie vs. Ryo Chonan
Stefan Leko vs. Ikuhisa Minowa
Jens Pulver vs. Takanori Gomi
Henry 'Sentoryu' Miller vs. Makoto Takimoto
'Giant' Silva vs. Choi Mu Bae

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Kazushi Sakuraba (left) at today's press conference announcing his withdrawal from the PRIDE card.

DSE/PRIDE officially announced today that Kazushi Sakuraba is now off of their December 31st card due to a back injury he sustained in training.

Sakuraba was scheduled to face Vanderlei Silva. There was no mention of who will replace Sakuraba, but the rumor amongst the Japanese media was that Igor Vovchanchyn may possibly take Sakuraba's spot.

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