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Carlson Gracie Sr. (left) in Rio with best friend Paqueta.

Carlson Gracie Sr. was recently interviewed by Brazilian journalist Denis Martins. Here's what Carlson had to say:


Interviewer: You are constantly in Rio de Janeiro, but your residence is in Chicago. Why do you come so often to Rio de Janeiro?

Carlson: I miss Brazil a lot! I like to live in Chicago, but Brazil is my country. The other reason is due to my visa. I have a work visa and I came here to renew it, because I just have a three month visa. I expect to get my green-card in the next year, so until then I'll just come to Brazil to visit my academy and see parents and friends.

Interviewer: Besides the runner-up of TUF 1, Stephen 'Robocop' Bonnar, we don't have much information about your team in the USA. How's it going?

Carlson: We have a fighter named Tom Murphy who is in the same mold as Bonnar. He is in this second season of The Ultimate Fighter. Murphy is very strong and had good experience before TUF 2. We also have a phenom in our academy, Miguel Torres. I am just sorry that he weighs around 59 kg (130 pounds), and fights for him aren't easy to get. Our BJJ dojo has around 150-180 students, and we take part in all the competitions we can. I'm preparing a good team to show a strong Carlson Gracie Team.

Interviewer: I had forgotten about Torres. Last year you challenged all Brazilians in Torres's weight class, and Jose Aldo Jr.(Nova Uniao) took it. Why didn't this fight happen?

Carlson: Because they didn't have money to pay the salary.

Interviewer: But you wanted to discuss the weight on the same day of the fight. This doesn't exist in any event nowadays, so why did you act like that?

Carlson: Because I don't agree with their methods. Torres is so light, if he weighs in one day prior the event, on the day of the event his opponent will be at 65 kg (143 pounds) or more. I watched Aldo Jr. fighting. He's good, but he seemed to be a 66 kg (145 pounds) guy. The other point is, I also requested that the salary should just go to the winner of this match. No prize money for the loser.

Interviewer: Two of your American students, Bonnar and Torres, had know-how in stand-up fights. How do you polish their skills to Carlson Gracie's style?

Carlson: It was easy, because they were already tough. They're purple belts in BJJ, and they both stated that they grew like fighters after joining my team.

Interviewer: How important was the participation of Bonnar in TUF 1 for your team?

Carlson: Fantastic! UFC is a great event and after he came across as the runner-up, he got a contract in UFC and he already debuted successfully by beating Sam Hoger at Ultimate Fight Night 1. It has been good for us.

Interviewer: Bonnar fought Forrest Griffin in the finals. How did you see that fight?

Carlson: A hell of a match. In my opinion that fight was a draw, and not a victory for Griffin. If someone had to be the winner, it should've been Bonnar. You can see, the criteria was just the champion should have a UFC contract, but Bonnar was runner-up and got his contract too. They recognized Bonnar's potential.

Interviewer: Where did Bonnar commit a mistake in that fight?

Carlson: Griffin is tough and the fight was amazing. But Bonnar didn't train with me before this fight. Maybe if he did, he'd win that fight. Anyway, I'm satisfied. He would've shown more of his tools on the October 3rd Ultimate Fight Night 2 against James Irvin, but Bonnar is now out with a broken hand.

Interviewer: The first time I watched Bonnar was in Jungle Fight 1 against Lyoto. Lyoto controlled the pace and beat him by TKO. What did you think about that fight?

Carlson: I was not in Bonner's corner in that event. I had visa problems and I couldn't leave the USA, but Lyoto is very tough. He keeps himself fighting in K-1 under MMA rules, but if he appears in any event where there's a belt, he'll take it from the champion's hands easily.

Interviewer: The Carlson Gracie Team never more performed in Jungle Fight after that event. Why is that?

Carlson: My relationship with Wallid Ismail (Jungle Fight co-promoter) is very good. He asked me for fighters, but in my opinion he wanted to pay low money. I can't put fighters to compete in Jungle Fight for low prize money. We're still in negotiations, and I believe that some of my students will fight in Jungle Fight 5 in November.

Interviewer: Talking about the Carlson Gracie Team in Brazil, we see a big reformulation of the team, and nobody knows much about it. I see Ivan Jorge 'Batman'(ranked #10 at SHOOTO) as the biggest representative of your team in Brazil, but a lot of fans don't have any idea who he is.

Carlson: He's still a young fighter. He became a purple belt last November 20th, and he's 4-0. He'll develop 1,000% of his technique in the next year.

Interviewer: But I meant that Batman already has a lot of experience in MMA, luta-livre, and submission competitions. Is there any chance that Batman goes to Chicago to train with you?

Carlson: Well, the head trainer of Carlson Gracie Team in Brazil is Manimal. He's doing a very good job. I'll tell you one thing -- I'm going to move to Los Angeles and I'll start my job in a new academy where I'll bring my fighters from Chicago and from Brazil to make a unique team. All fighters there will sign a contract and they'll all have some structure to train.

Interviewer: One of your students, Carlos Eduardo, debuted in MMA in Poland earlier this month. How did things go?

Carlson: He lost his first fight, but he performed well. His opponent was saved by the bell after recieving a lot of punishment from Carlos. But in the second round Carlos shot an bad takedown and his opponent landed an uppercut which connected with Carlos' face, and he got KO'd. He made a mistake, but it was his fight, no problems, and he gained some experience.

Interviewer: Like I mentioned before, Batman is a luta-livre black-belt, and besides him others luta-livre guys have joined your team. Like the luta-livre golden-boy Leopoldo Serao and the Juiz de Fora-Fight 1 runner-up Pedro Santos. We know that the rivalry between jiu-jitsu and luta-livre is over, but what is your opinion about these things?

Carlson: I don't see any problem. They're good fighters and they'll sign contracts to be Carlson Gracie MMA representatives. They developed their game a lot, and I'm happy because they'll give their best to represent the Carlson Team.

Interviewer: Will they have to sign contracts? Why?

Carlson: Because I don't want be 'awarded' with the same ingratitude again. People know who I'm talking about. I don't have anything against BTT or ATT, but I just don't like Jose Mario Sperry, Bebeo Duarte, Murilo Bustamante, Vitor Belfort, Carlos Barreto, and Ricardo Liborio. They were ingrates to me. I can't teach fighters, and then after some time they abandon me. So I have to prevent this by signing contracts. These contracts will be very good for the fighters.

Interviewer: In your opinion, are the champions of the two major MMA associations - PRIDE and the UFC - deserving of their belts?

Carlson: I think so. To beat Andrei Arlovsky, Matt Hughes, Chuck Liddell, Rich Franklin, Emelianenko Fedor, and Mauricio 'Shogun' Rua, the fighters need to be very tough. They are complete fighters.

Interviewer: Did you give MMA classes to UFC lightheavyweight champion Chuck Liddell?

Carlson: Yes I did. Liddell is good, but he didn't know much how to defend himself if his opponent keeps him on the bottom. We see Liddell getting to the stand-up quickly when someone takes him down, but if the adversary keeps him there on the ground, he didn't know much. We had five training sessions and he got to develop my system's defense. So he smashed Tito Ortiz, avenged himself by KO against Randy Couture, and recently punished Jeremy Horn. Coincidentally, three fighters that have developed good ground games.

Interviewer: What's your opinion about this year's GP tournaments in PRIDE?

Carlson: We need to wait until the conclusion of the welterweight and the lightweights tournaments in Bushido. The middleweight tournament proved that Shogun is a phenom; I had told people that this guy would be a champion, and he did. I think that a fight between Vanderlei Silva against Shogun, even they being teammates, in the grand final would've answered who is the best. I don't know what happened to Silva against Ricardo Arona. He wasn't the same Silva that we know.

Interviewer: One of the most antivipated matcups took place on August 28th. It was Fedor vs. Mirko 'CroCop' Filipovic. What did you think about this fight?

Carlson: I think Fedor is unbeatable. He knows boxing, wrestling and submissions. He's heavy and fast! I don't think there's a fighter to beat him now.

Interviewer: Rodrigo 'Minotauro' Nogueira spoke in a TV show that he's going to fight Fedor for the fourth time on December 31st in Saitama. Do you think this time he has a better chance?

Carlson: I think Minotauro can beat Fedor with his technique if it was a 1-hour fight. But with a round of 10 minutes and two of 5 minutes, Minotauro will not be successful. I don't believe Fedor will submit Minotauro, but Fedor's game is good enough for these PRIDE rules.

Interviewer: Do you think that the champions from the UFC and PRIDE can face each other in the near future to unify the belts?

Carlson: It'd be very good. I'd like to see Liddell vs. Shogun, but I don't know if they'd fight in an octagon or a ring. I just think Fedor would kill all of his opponents in ring or an octagon.

Interviewer: And the Gracies? We didn't see many Gracies competing in MMA often. Just Crosley, Rodrigo, Ryan, Renzo and Royler. why is this?

Carlson: I don't want to talk about Ryan, but I just want to talk about the others. I think they lost their fights because they don't have a master to correct their mistakes during the trainings. If they just have students to train, they won't improve to face the big MMA stars. I think that a great champion learns all the time. I think they stopped learning.

Interviewer: Do you think that the next generation headed by Roger, Gregor, Neiman, Kayron, Ralek, Rhalan, Khron, Robson, Rener and Ryron will fight MMA well?

Carlson: They're still very young and I don't know if all of them have the will for fighting MMA just yet. They're representing the family very well in jiu-jitsu and submission.

Interviewer: We're conducting this interview here at your best friend's home, Osvaldo Paqueta. What's the importance of Paqueta to the Brazilian fighters?

Carlson: He's a man who supports all the fighters from all academies with the tapes of the foreign opponents, so the Brazilians can study the opponents' game. I knew him since we were kids and I adore him. He's been my best friend all my life, and he used to be an excellent vale tudo fighter too.

Interviewer: What can the fans expect from the Carlson Gracie Team in the near future?

Carlson: They can expect a strong team in the near future. The doors of my academies in Chicago and Rio de Janeiro are open for fighters who have the desire of represent the team.

Interviewer: Any final message?

Carlson: I want to talk to all the great events around the world to give more places for the lighter weight fighters. I don't mean the fighters who are 70-73 kg (154-161 pounds). I meant around 55 kg (121 pounds) and up. We saw fighters from lighter categories jeopardizing themselves in higher weight classes because they don't have many opportunities in their original weight class. KOTC, ROTR, K-1 HERO's, UFC, and PRIDE may give opportunities to the lighter weight fighters. The lighter weight fighters often times provides better shows than the heavier ones.

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TKO 22: 'Lionheart'
September 30th, 2005
Pierre-Charbonneau Center
Montreal, Canada


Steve Vigneault defeats Jason St. Louis by TKO, RD 2.
Mark Hominick defeats Ryan Diaz by TKO, RD 3.
Marvin Eastman defeats Yan Pellerin by choke, RD 2.
Thierry Quennville defeats Max Marin by TKO, RD 2.
Samuel Guillet defeats Tyler Jackson by unanimous decision.
Chris Horodecki defeats Stephane Laliberte by TKO, RD 2.
Dave Parizeau defeats Mike Turner by TKO, RD 1.
Martin Desilets defeats Lance Evans by KO, RD 1.



Any fighters still owed money by TKO president Stephane Patry, can contact him at:

Stephane Patry, President/CEO
TKO Communications Inc.
Tel: (450) 676-3666

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RITC 75
September 30th, 2005
Glendale Arena
Glendale, AZ


Gilbert Aldana defeats Chad Armstrong by TKO at 1:00, RD 1.
Melville Calabaca defeats Brian Bourgeois by unanimous decision.
Shane Johnson defeats Jon Tsosie by kneebar at 0:31, RD 1.
Kyle Brees defeats Norman Pierce by choke at 0:58, RD 1.
Rich Beecroft defeats Mike Ashford by DQ at 2:52, RD 1.
Gabe Casillas defeats Anthony Triliegi by KO at 1:19, RD 1.
Adam Roland defeats R.J. Gamez by TKO at 2:07, RD 1.
Seth Baczynski defeats Robert King by TKO at 0:35, RD 1.
Eddie Castro defeats Craig Davis by choke at 0:55, RD 1.
Dominik Cruz defeats Nick Hedrick by unanimous decision.
Alex Femino defeats Colten Smith by unanimous decision.
Hayley Salazar defeats Nicole Escobido by TKO at 3:00, RD 1.
Chris Mitchell defeats Benny Thompson defeats by TKO at 2:19, RD 1.

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KOTC: 'Firestorm'
September 24th, 2005
Calgary, Canada


Joe Doerksen defeats Brendan Seguin by TKO at 1:49, RD 3.
Jason Weiss defeats Carvin Mustafa by TKO at 4:19, RD 2.
Blake Fredrickson defeats Chris Ade by TKO at 3:28, RD 2.
Pat Healy defeats Kurt McKinnon by guillotine choke at 2:01, RD 1.
Travis Galbraith defeats Todd Seyler by rear naked choke at 1:46, RD 1.
John Louro defeats Dan Ratiu by armbar at 3:29, RD 2.
James Lee defeats Ryan Harvey by TKO at 0:29, RD 1.
Billy Ayash defeats Greg Rogalsky by TKO at 2:39, RD 1.
Tarrouf Salloum defeats Geno Roderick by choke.
Jason Reinhardt defeats Joe Santiago by rear naked choke.

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KOTC: 'Flash Point'
September 23rd, 2005
San Jacinto, CA


Wes Combs defeats Brent Stevens by guillotine choke at 1:18, RD 1.
Richard Solis drew with Victor Valenzuela.
Dave Hisquierdo defeats Brian Harper by TKO at 4:01, RD 1.
Gabe Ruediger defeats Bobir Hasanov by armbar at 0:23, RD 1.
Jimmy Smith defeats Vince Gooseman by armbar at 2:50, RD 1.
Jeff Clark defeats David Avilla by TKO at 1:53, RD 1.
Robert Emerson defeats Julian Samaniego TKO at 2:15, RD 1.
Brian Warren defeats Paul Karsky by TKO at 2:32, RD 1.
Kyle York defeats Robert Zunner submission at 0:56, RD 1.
Omar Luv defeats Fredrick Gerlach by guillotine choke at 1:26, RD 1.
Frank Guerrero defeats Joe Bartholic by TKO at 2:43, RD 1.
Danny Suarez defeats Sost Infante by armbar at 1:46, RD 1.
Kevin Swanson defeats Mike Corey by TKO at 2:52, RD 2.
Ernie Gonzalez defeats Lonnie Wright by armbar at 1:27, RD 2.
Kelly Cramwell defeats George Adkins by unanimous decision.
Daniel Williams defeats Mark Lehner submission at 1:05, RD 1.
Mike Morales defeats Jeremy Wiley by armbar at 1:05, RD 1.
Jimmy Ramirez defeats Johnny Vazquez by DQ at 0:59, RD 1.
Eddie Sanchez defeats Adrian Perez by TKO at 0:11, RD 1.
Dave Kelly drew with Gene Gilsdorf.

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Fedor Emelianenko

The Bushido Europe promotion are claiming that the matchup of Fedor Emelianenko vs. Bob Schreiber will take place on their October 9th card in Rotterdam, Holland.

Fedor's hand is still injured, however, and many sources in the media are doubting that this matchup will actually take place.

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Paulo Filho

Brazilian magazine 'Tatame' reports that Paulo Filho has signed a new contract with DSE/PRIDE, and expects to fight again by the end of the year.

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Royce Gracie

The manager of Royce Gracie confirmed what Fightsport.com first reported on September 28th, that Royce is indeed in negotiations with the UFC to return to the octagon.

Royce's manager, Mike Kogan, confirmed the news when specifically asked about the Fightsport.com scoop.

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Renato "Babalu" Sobral

Renato 'Babalu' Sobral was recently interviewed by Brazilian journalist Denis Martins. Here's what Babalu had to say:


Interviewer: Technically, this is going to be your second fight against Chael Sonnen. Tell the fans about this.

Babalu: Our first fight was organized by a moron promoter, in a show called HitMan FC 2003, and the rules weren't clear for either of us. If you go to any fight-finder, you won't see the result of this fight, because in reality it didn't happen. There is no known result after two rounds of fighting, as there wasn't any understanding among the organizers. But this fucking bastard Sonnen promotes himself as someone who beat me already - crazy!

Interviewer: Is Sonnen a perfect opponent for your return to the UFC, since you have this personal beef with him?

Babalu: This fight is good for me because if any fan or insider has a doubt about us (Sonnen and me), I'll clarify this doubt by mauling him. I'm returning from an injury, I'm fully recovered, and I did a good job with my team. I have to thank my doctors Ricardo Krausser and Marcus Vinicius Sauberman; and my coaches Allejo Morales and Roberto 'Gordo' Correa, who supported me as I got myself into great shape for this fight; plus my physiotherapist, Jaqueline Figueredo. I did everything to come back 100%.

Interviewer: Did you worry yourself with this injury? Because you had returned to the UFC and had fought just once, in UFC 52, since your return.

Babalu: I was worried because it's my life. Thank God I had a strong mind to take this problem and put it behind me. I have friends and a team who supported me a lot throughout these tough moments, and I'll show that I am here to take the UFC's belt.

Interviewer: Did you watch the PRIDE Middleweight GP show? What are your thoughts on it? Did you see anything in particular?

Babalu: I think that the level was high and all the athletes who fought there deserved to be there. All the fights were good, and in my opinion Mauricio 'Shogun' Rua vs. Alistar Overeem was the best fight of the tournament.

Interviewer: What did you think about Vanderlei Silva vs. Ricardo Arona?

Babalu: Arona had a strategy and imposed it. It doesn't matter if he fought bad or good, he won. That is what matters.

Interviewer: Everybody wants to see you against Shogun, because you gave him his only defeat. How do you see that?

Babalu: I don't know. I want the UFC's belt, and if I capture it, I don't know if I'll be able to go to PRIDE to face Shogun. I don't have any idea of what these organizations have in mind. I think we're puppets of the major MMA events, because the promoters make whatever fights they want. It doesn't matter if the fighter is a champion or not, if it interests the promoters, they'll book it.

Interviewer: Shogun developed a lot since that fight against you in the IFC. So what do you think about him?

Babalu: I already answered a lot of times about a possible rematch between us. I am a totally different fighter now from that previous fight with Shogun as well.

Interviewer: What are your thoughts about the Chuck Liddell vs. Jeremy Horn fight?

Babalu: I don't like to talk about Horn because he's an idiot! He spoke bad things about me regarding our fight in the IFC: 'Global Domination' event. Those who watched the fight realized that I spanked him and I escaped from his submission. He also said that I would not submit Travis Wiuff in my fight, and I popped Wiuff's arm. I think he's a good fighter and he has a large resume. He can be champion of a major MMA event, but if it depends on fighting against me, he's fucked, because I'll destroy him if I get the opportunity.

Interviewer: Your fight against Wiuff was a good victory for you, because fans expected Wiuff to be successful in the UFC. How do you see that?

Babalu: I don't know. I have focus in my career now that I'm 30 years old, and all the time I'll try to make hell for my opponents, just like I did against Wiuff.

Interviewer: Your teammate, multiple times BJJ champion Marcio 'Pe de Pano' Cruz, is going to fight in the UFC. It's his first MMA match ever. What did you tell him about the octagon?

Babalu: I think Pe de Pano is a calm and focused guy when the issue is competitions. He competed and loved all the BJJ and submissions events he was in, and I don't think he'll have problems. Of course, there's the nervousness of debuting; but he has the technique and the talent to be victorious in this new way. He's opened his mind a lot since he started to train MMA, and he's learned a lot. I think he has a good chance of becoming a UFC champion.

Interviewer: Did you help Pe de Pano get booked in the UFC?

Babalu: My intention is to see all of my teammates in the UFC and PRIDE. I'm in the UFC, and if I can help my teammates to fight there, I'll do it. I think the Chute Boxe academy is a good example of helping teammates to get fights. I'm not close enough to the UFC to ask them for such things, but if I have a chance, I'll do it. Gracie Barra Combat Team is a great MMA team, and we'll prove that.

Interviewer: You didn't appear at the last UFC press conference after the event. Do you think you can become a star in the US with this attitude?

Babalu: I didn't show myself up at the press conference because they didn't call me for it! When I win the UFC belt I bet with you they'll won't forget to call for the conference! I think fans can like me or not. I fight to beat my opponents. The rest doesn't matter.

Interviewer: Last words?

Babalu: My next fight is a personal problem that I have with this guy (Sonnen). If he has a girlfriend, she'll won't recognize him after the fight. I'll beat him, but before it I want to hurt him badly.

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Mirko "Cro Cop" Filipovic a day after his fight against Fedor Emelianenko.

PRIDE 30
October 23rd, 2005
Japan

Below are some of the official and unoffically announced matchups that the Japanese media are saying will be on the PRIDE 30 card on October 23rd. The card is expected to have eight matchups:


Officialy announced matchups:
Mirko 'Cro Cop' Filipovic vs. Josh Barnett
Fabricio Werdum vs. Sergei Kharitonov
Quinton 'Rampage' Jackson vs. Hirotaka Yokoi
Makoto Takimoto vs. Yoon Dong-Sik

Unofficially announced matchups:
Vanderlei Silva vs. Ricardo Arona or Vitor Belfort
Kazushi Sakuraba vs. 'Tank' Abbott or Ken Shamrock
Mark Hunt vs. Alexander Emelianenko
Ryan Gracie vs. Kazuhiro Nakamura

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Mike Zambidis (left) knocking out Norifumi "Kid" Yamamoto.

K-1 World Max 2005: 'Team Competition of World Champions'
October 12th, 2005
Yoyohi No. 1 Gymnasium
Japan


MMA matchups:
Yoshihiro Akiyama vs. Michael Lerma
Hideo Tokoro vs. Gabriel Lemley

K-1 matchups:
Andy Sauer vs. Kozo Takeda
Mike Zambidis vs. Satoru Suzuki
Albert Kraus vs. Akira Oohigashi
John Wayne Parr vs. Kinami
Kaoklai Kaennorsing vs. Yoshihiro Sato
Remigijus Morkevicius vs. Kazuya Yasuhiro
Hayato vs. 'Black Mamba'
Ian Schaffa vs. Akeomi Nitta
Samir Berbachi vs. Shingo Garyu
Yuya Yamamoto vs. ASH-RA
Hakuto vs. Kazuki Hamasaki

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Anderson Silva

The Cage Rage promotion announced the matchup of Anderson Silva vs. Curtis Stout for their Cage Rage 14 card on December 3rd.

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Team Quest is offering a special training camp, taking place from November 11-13. For more info, contact seth@tqfc.com

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Marcio "Pe de Pano" Cruz

Marcio 'Pe de Pano' Cruz was recently interviewed by Brazilian journalist Denis Martins. Here's what Pe De Pano had to say:


Interviewer: UFC 55's bout against Keigo Kunihara is your third MMA debut attempt, but this time it's going to happen. Is it coming at the right now?

Pe de Pano: Yes, I guess. The last two times I didn't have any idea of what MMA training was. I think that the things changed when I started to train with the Gracie Barra Combat Team(GBCT). Renato 'Babalu' Sobral, who's a UFC veteran, is there with me and I could feel what MMA training is like.

Interviewer: So did you add other fighting styles, in addition to your BJJ and submission game?

Pe de Pano: Well, I didn't add -- I just focused my training for fighting in MMA. I never trained boxing before (only a little bit), but now I know how to change my style to fit in MMA. The GBCT's structure is bigger than people think, and it supports my fighting aspects.

Interviewer: GBCT is a new team. It's a team that some fans don't know much about. So how would you introduce GBCT to the fans?

Pe de Pano: We have a good structure and good fighters, such as Luis 'Beicao' Ramos, Gustavo 'Ximu' Machado, Babalu and others. We have excellent coaches. Of course people won't recognize our accomplishments immediately, but we have to climb the mountain to show our talents in the name of GBCT.

Interviewer: You should have fought MMA after ADCC 2001, and then last year against Dan Severn. Both fights didn't happen. Now, you're booked in the UFC. Before the booking, did you think more scheduling problems could occur?

Pe de Pano: I thought positively the entire time. But because it was the UFC and I was there in Babalu's corner (against Travis Wiuff) at UFC 52, I believed nothing wrong would happen.

Interviewer: You're an extraordinary BJJ and submission fighter, so what kind of struggles have you had making the conversion to MMA?

Pe de Pano: I just adopted my style to Babalu's training pace. The MMA training made me grow as a person and as a fighter. I'm going to debut in one of the best MMA events in the world, and the UFC promoters respected me like the BJJ and grappling champion that I am.

Interviewer: What do you mean by they (UFC promoters) respected you?

Pe de Pano: They paid me a good fight purse, and they recognized me as the champion of several BJJ and grappling events. I couldn't win the same fight purse in MMA like I had won in those events. I expect to give them a good return and make a successful career in the UFC.

Interviewer: Did you worry about being recognized in MMA due to your titles in BJJ and grappling?

Pe de Pano: I meant that I trained for this fight since July, and it takes some money. So I had to have a reasonable salary to pay for it and to motivate myself of giving my best in the octagon. I'm a professional fighter and the UFC motivates me a lot.

Interviewer: I interviewed Jeff Monson and he told me that he wants to face you in MMA. You two had a personal problem due to a rules misunderstanding in a grappling event. What do you think of his challenge?

Pe de Pano: I don't think anything of it. He's a limited MMA fighter. I don't consider a fight against him just to beat him. I don't believe there's an event that would book it outside of AFC, but they don't have the money to pay my fight salary. He like to talk, I let him talk. I don't care. I do not want a war with anybody.

Interviewer: You're a ground fighter, so your opponent (Kunihara) at UFC 55 expects that you will try to fight on the ground. How will you frustrate his expectations?

Pe de Pano: I'm an MMA fighter now. Whoever thinks that I'm going to sit down on the mat or shoot all the time to bring the fight to the ground is wrong. I'm training with some of the best MMA fighters in the World and I'll follow their steps. In MMA I'm ready to impose an MMA style, and not a submission or BJJ style.

Interviewer: Did you watch any of Kunihara's fight?

Pe de Pano: I watched just one of his fights, but I didn't see much of him. My MMA coach, Roberto 'Gordo' Correa, told me he's a Judo fighter. Man, I'm ready to face him! He stated he'll keep the pace on the feet, and I believe that a fight defines itself in the octagon. If he stated he'll fight on the feet, the responsibility of keeping the pace on the feet is all him. I prefer to wait. I'm debuting and I want to fight very well. This is my statement before the fight.

Interviewer: Kunihara told us he watched your fights in BJJ and grappling. So do you think he knows how to block your submissions?

Pe de Pano: I think I'll give him the benefit of doubt, because BJJ and grappling isn't MMA. He isn't 100% sure I'll fight like a submission fighter, because I train muay thai, boxing, wrestling and submissions. So while he expects a clinch, I can punch; while he expects a takedown, I can kick, or vice versa.

Interviewer: In the voting of the official UFC website, the fans have voted that they think you will win. How does that make you feel?

Pe de Pano: I'm happy. I know that grappling and MMA are two very different worlds, and when they announced my name in next UFC, a lot of fans didn't know who I am. I want to give my best and not disappoint those who believe in me.

Interviewer: You're so calm during this interview. I'm used to interviewing you and you having strong statements. What happened?

Pe de Pano: In BJJ and grappling I became a great champion and I showed to the world during a period that I was the man. So I could speak. This fight in the UFC is my first MMA fight; if I make some brash statements people will call me crazy. If one day I become a UFC champion, I'll speak, but I can't speak if things still haven't happened yet.

Interviewer: What's your weight now? I realized you are less heavy.

Pe de Pano: It'll be a surprise. When the UFC contacted me, I was 120 kg (264 pounds), and I'm 107 kg (235 pounds) right now. At 120 kg I felt a little slow. I'm in good shape, strong, and as well trained as I have ever been.

Interviewer: Would you like to add anything else?

Pe de Pano: I'd like to thank my manager, Carlo Malta, who believed in me a lot. Because I wasn't training much, and I didn't have a good result at ADCC 2005. I want to thank the UFC for the opportunity. If you've followed the sport of MMA since it's grown, you never see any more fighters with 0-0 records debuting in the UFC. Thanks to my coaches Washington (Boxing), Gordo(MMA); and Allejo Morales(Wrestling), who ordered me to keep a high pace in training - his trainings are tough - and it helped me a lot to be in perfect shape now. Thanks to my teammates of GBCT, mainly Babalu, who supported me much in this new road. I'm very motivated due to these people. And my sponsors Jim Liu from BJJ Tapes, and Vulkan Kimonos.

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Lee Murray

A training partner of Lee Murray made the following announcement on a UK internet forum:


"Hi Again to all,

To let you guys know, Lee's condition has improved. He seems to be responding to stimulus and trying to talk, but he is still too weak. They have removed the respirator and he is now breathing for himself.

Thanks for your continued well wishes."

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Leigh Remedios

Leigh Remedios was recently interviewed by Fightsport.com. Here's what Remedios had to say:


FS: First off, what is your complete background in the martial arts and fighting?

Remedios: I started off with Tae Kwon Do, but due to its limitations, I started to cross train. I studied catch wrestling and Thai boxing and now focus on my boxing, which I feel is my weak area.

FS: What weight do you prefer fighting at more, 155 or 145?

Remedios: Definitely 145. Even then I'm blown up. I was 140 pounds when I started fighting and had to try to bulk up to be competitive.

FS: What are your plans for the foreseeable future?

Remedios: I have a fight in 2 weeks in the UK against Sami Berik on FX3. My training partner, Ian Butlin (who will beat up Crazy Horse next year), was scheduled to fight but got injured, so I stepped in. After that, I'm lined up to fight in SHOOTO Ireland against Jin Kazeta on October 29th. I want to do some other combat sports for a bit of experience too, more Judo and wrestling competitions, etc.

FS: Have you ever thought about competing in SHOOTO's 145-pound class in Japan?

Remedios: Yeah, I'd love to fight in SHOOTO, and also Pancrase - I was once asked by Phyllis Lee but it was when they only had the 170-pound division. I'd like to fight in Japan at some point, because my girlfriend is learning the language and fancies a holiday there, hahaha.

FS: What is your MMA record?

Remedios: My MMA record is 24-6-3.

FS: Have you competed in professional Muay Thai?

Remedios: I haven't competed in Thai boxing.

FS: Since you've trained a lot in Muay Thai, have you ever thought of competing in K-1 MAX?

Remedios: LOL, no, I'd be bashed. If I fight world class guys, it has to be at 145 pounds.

FS: Have you ever thought of trying to get into PRIDE Bushido?

Remedios: Not really, for the same reason. You have guys (like Gomi, Sakurai, Kawajiri, etc.) cutting from over 80 kg (176 pounds). I'm walking at about 69 kg (152 pounds).

FS: What did you think about the recent PRIDE Bushido lightweight tourney?

Remedios: I thought the whole show was brilliant. I thought Jens's fight was possibly stopped prematurely, but fighting a guy as big as Mach was always going to be hard. I also think Yves won the fight with Hansen, but it was close. The judging seems to have different criteria to the US.

FS: Have you seen The Ultimate Fighter reality show? And if so, what do you think about it?

Remedios: Only the first series. It was entertaining but I was shocked at how unprofessional some of the fighters were. I also didn't like the way that the promotion sometimes showed a lack of respect for the fighters, such as misleading them over certain issues.

FS: Would you ever consider applying for TUF if the show continues to air and opens up a lightweight category?

Remedios: I don't think I'd be eligible, as I have fought in the UFC. I'd do a 145 one though - all I do is train anyway.

FS: What do you think about Jean Silva going the distance with Gomi?

Remedios: As much as Jean and I have had our differences in the cage, he is a very tough fighter and I'm happy that he did so well - I thought he would be stopped quickly. At one time we used to be friends.

FS: Did you used to train with Lee Murray?

Remedios: Only a couple of times. He's freaky strong for a guy that walks at around 183, and he hits really hard.

FS: What do you think about internet fighter Quincy Rice's comment regarding Lee Murray being in critical condition from multiple knife wounds. Rice said, "HAHA karma's a bitch..."

Remedios: I didn't see them but anyone who says that needs to check their facts. I have fallen out with a couple of his friends in the past but Lee is a really nice guy - pays for everything when you hang out with him and always friendly etc. I honestly believe that the fights he gets in, have been provoked. I also think its a very tactless and badly timed comment, possibly out of jealousy.

FS: Who do you currently train with?

Remedios: I train with the Northern Cartel fight team at Quannum gym (Quannumfitness.co.uk). Their striking is probably the best in MMA - I got KO'd by Jean Silva in our first fight, but he went to train at Chute Boxe and I went to Quannum, and I outstruck him in the rematch.

FS: Who would you rank as the top 5 fighters in both the 155 and 145 divisions?

Remedios: At 155, well the Bushido tournament told some stories. If B.J. (Penn) ever competes again at 155, then it's him at number one. But otherwise, in no particular order... Yves, Hansen, Gomi, Franca and Shaolin, and possibly Jens, Thompson and Genki. At 145, Jens at number one, Ivan Menjivar, Pequeno, Joao Roque, and Abe. But the fights are quicker and any of the guys could beat each other.

FS: Anything final thoughts?

Remedios: Not really. Just keep up the good work with free speech.

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Below is part one of a 2-part series by Michael Fry, co-author of the book entitled 'The Grapplers Guide to Sports Nutrition':


When the whistle blows and the match begins it's too late to wonder if you're cardiovascular training is going to carry you through to the end. Wrestling is a high intensity sport. Thus, conditioning for wrestling calls for high intensity training. In addition wrestling not only requires high intensity power output but an ability to sustain this output for up 6 minutes. Cardiovascular conditioning is one of the most important aspects of a wrestler's training but many times we see wrestlers during the season running for miles only to find themselves tired after the first minute of a match. Many wrestlers ask why this is; the answer is simple, they are training the wrong energy system.

In part 1 of this series on cardiovascular training we will look at the body from the heart, muscles, and lungs. Let's take a look at how exercise affects the body.

When we exercise, our muscles use ATP (adenosine triphosphate) for energy. ATP is the only form of energy the muscles can use. Since this is true, if there was no ATP already synthesized and stored in the tissue cells, you could not perform immediate strenuous work, such as picking up a heavy object, or walking up a flight of stairs.

The following events occur in the cell to produce ATP energy: First, there are about 4 seconds worth of ATP already stored in the cells. After this period of sustained muscle contractions ATP in the working muscle is exhausted and the cells resort to the use of Creatine Phosphate and ADP to create more ATP which can provide energy for about another 25-30 seconds. Therefore, the cell has a total combined storage of energy available to last up to about 30-35 seconds during sustained muscle contraction before the cell must resort to the conversion and use of stored muscle glycogen. When energy is needed for longer than 30-35 seconds, stored muscle glycogen is broken down to produce ATP. The end product of this process is then converted into Pyruvate which can also be used for ATP production in the presence of oxygen.

So what does that mean to our bodies? Well since the heart and lungs are somewhat slow in delivering oxygen during the onset of aerobic activity, the pyruvate is used for energy until the heart and lungs catch up and can keep up with the oxygen demand. The rate of breathing is extremely labored at the onset of aerobic exercise because the heart is not yet beating fast enough to provide an adequate volume of oxygenated blood to the working muscles, and the lungs are trying to compensate until the heart does catch up. Once the heart catches up and can provide sufficient oxygenated blood, the respiration decreases, when this happens its called getting your second wind. With that in mind, as your heart becomes stronger, more oxygen will be transferred through the blood system into the muscles. This will help prevent early fatigue. As your mind adapts to an increased workload, you will be able to ignore the discomforts that precede fatigue.

The Energy Delivery Systems

During the course of a wrestling match both the aerobic and anaerobic energy systems are called upon to supply the energy demand. When an athlete trains by running 2 miles a day, they are training their aerobic energy system (also referred to as VO2 Max). This system is considered to be the basis for all athletic conditioning. For wrestlers a good solid aerobic training program during the off-season will prepare them for the more intense demands of the season. It's good to remember that recovery from anaerobic exercise occurs through the aerobic system, so that throughout a match, at those times when the intensity may be decreased, the aerobic system will provide the energy to renew the aerobic system.

In part 2 of our series on cardiovascular training we will focus on what exercises provide the best results for wrestlers and how to prepare your training for the upcoming season.



Michael Fry is the owner of Grapplers Gym and www.grapplersgym.com. He is also the Co-Author of the hottest book for grapplers titled The Grapplers Guide to Sports Nutrition. Mike can be reached by email at mike@grapplersgym.com

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Fabricio Werdum

DSE/PRIDE confirmed what Fightsport.com first reported on September 9th, that the matchup of Fabricio Werdum vs. Sergei Kharitonov will take place on the PRIDE 30 card on October 23rd.

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Rodrigo "Minotauro" Nogueira

Rodrigo 'Minotauro' Nogueira appeared on a Brazilian TV show, and announced that he will supposedly be fighting Fedor Emelianenko on the PRIDE card on December 31st.

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The Japanese media reports that DSE/PRIDE is planning to stage a 185-pound GP for Japanese fighters, in order to determine who's the number one Japanese fighter in that weight class.

Yuki Kondo is being mentioned as one of the fighters who may possibly headline this GP.

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Nathan Quarry

Nathan Quarry was recently interviewed by Lockflow.com. Here's what Quarry had to say:


Interviewer: Your website www.nathanquarry.net says that you started your MMA training at age 24 after watching your first UFC. You are now fighting in the UFC, does it seem surreal or is it just another day at the office?

Quarry: This is just amazing. I never even considered fighting when I first started training. It goes to show you, you might as well dream big because you never know what can happen.

Interviewer: What is on the horizon for you?

Quarry: Well, there are rumors of a big fight on Nov 19th...

Interviewer: What is your favorite training drill?

Quarry: I could hit mits all day.

Interviewer: Who are your main training partners?

Quarry: At Quest we have some great people to work with. Robert Follis is the driving force behind it all, a man couldn't ask for a better coach or friend. On top of that we've got Linland, Chale, Schultz, Herman, Dolche, Wilson and just a ton of guys willing to give there all on any given day.

Interviewer: Would you rather win by KO or submission?

Quarry: KO's are just so cool.

Interviewer: Besides fighting, what does Nathan Quarry do?

Quarry: I'm a cross between an outdoorsy guy and a huge nerd. I can go hiking for days or spend hours watching Star Wars movies.

Interviewer: We also have a few female members that think you're "Hot.!!!" Are you married?

Quarry: I don't know about the hot part, I can be as big a wanker as anybody. But, no, I'm not married.

Interviewer: Here are some questions from our members... What did you think about the ref stoppage against Sell?

Quarry: I think that's just the way things go. Refs make those decisions, not fighters, for a reason. Fighters fight. You could rip off the average fighter's arm and beat him with it and when the ref jumps in he'll say, "hey, I had him right where I wanted him! He was getting tired and I was gonna make a comeback!"

Interviewer: What impact has Randy training in Vegas had on Team Quest and your training, specifically?

Quarry: More than any technique, he has shown what is possible to achieve as an athlete.

Interviewer: Would you like to fight Joe Riggs? If yes, how would you see that fight going?

Quarry: Man, I'm not calling out anybody. Too many tough guys to piss off.

Interviewer: What is your opinion of this season's Ultimate Fighter (Reality Show) so far?

Quarry: Not as good as the first season, of course. But things are looking up, and I think some of the guys will be standing out here shortly.

Interviewer: What has the sport of MMA taught you the most about yourself, or life in general?

Quarry: Fighting has taught me so much about life in general. Not many people can say when situations are tough they will fight to the very end. Fighting is a metaphor for every difficult situation a person could ever encounter.

Interviewer: When does the rock get a title shot!?

Quarry: Title shot? Who knows....?

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By Coffee Guy

Royce Gracie

Before reading any further, please read our disclaimer first.

The following exclusive report was sent to us by our Zuffa informant called 'Coffee Guy':


"Royce Gracie has been in negotiations to return to the UFC. As it stands now, IF he does indeed sign it will be a 3-fight deal, with the first fight to come early in 2006. His first opponent would be Georges St-Pierre.

But it seems Zuffa believes there is less than a 50% chance that he'll take the deal. He would have to turn down the USD 2 million plus payday he's being offered by K-1 for their December 31st card, and that seems like it might be too much for Royce to turn down."

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Internet fighter Quincy Rice, also referred to by many fans as Quincy "Spice", as in Spice Girls.

Quincy Rice, who has been labeled by many in the MMA community as an 'internet fighter' and the 'Grappling Circuit Jobber', made the following statement when commenting on the UG forum about Lee Murray being in critical condition after sustaining multiple knife stab wounds:


"HAHA karma's a bitch..." -Quincy Rice

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Lee Murray

The UK media is reporting that English MMA fighter Lee Murray was stabbed multiple times in a knife attack incident in London.

Murray underwent two operations for a puntured lung and a severed artery. He is currently in a drug induced coma, remaining in stable but critical condition. The next 48 hours are crucial, but Murray is expected to pull through.

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Kazushi Sakuraba

Kazushi Sakuraba returned to Japan and spoke to the Japanese media, after having spent time training at the Chute Boxe academy in Curitiba, Brazil.

Sakuraba said that he gained new techniques during training, and that he trained three times a day in timed blocks on Muay Thai, Boxing, Jiu-Jitsu, weight training, and swimming.

Sakuraba added that if he had the chance to go back to train in Brazil again, he would do so. He issued a "no comment" to reporters regarding rumors of him participating on the PRIDE 30 card on October 23rd.

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AFC 14 Returns to
October 29th, 2005
The War Memorial Auditorium
Ft. Lauderdale, FL


Paul Rodriguez vs. J.Z. Cavalcante
Dustin 'Clean' Denes vs. TBA
Fabiano Capoani vs. TBA
Jorge Masvidal vs. TBA
Mike Bruno vs. TBA
Alex Schoenauer vs. TBA
Crafton Wallace vs. Diego Vitoski

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Once a Boxercise instructor, Dana White is now UFC president.

'The Wrestling Observer' reports that the ratings for the second season of The Ultimate Fighter' continue to slide, with this week's episode pulling a 1.4 rating.

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A fan's humorous parody of the UFC reality show and what appears to be its percieved strategy of appealing to the upper class homosexual demographic.

Due to the homoerotic theme of 'The Ultimate Fighter' reality show, we have contracted grappling enthusiast Andrew Bryant, who is also MMA's only known admitted homosexual insider, to write up our weekly review of the show:


"This week's episode was easily the best episode yet. It had everything, starting off with tension, followed by excitement and an orgasmic climax, and topped off with some heartbreak along the way.

We start off with everyone's opinions on last week's fight. The tightly wound Matt Hughes is pissed off about Rashad's showboating last week, even going so far as to say that he made the right picks to who was on his team.

Or it could be Hughes was pissed off, seeing as his guy LOST. Or was that all part of his master plan, to lose? Only time will tell.

Mike is also annoyed about Rashad's shenanigans in the ring, to the point of not talking to him anymore. This leads to even more tension between these two teams full of hot-blooded men.

While Team Hughes gets double the ass rapings at training, Team Franklin lounges around at the waterpark, frollicking around in the swimming pool and just having a good old time until the gym opens. I'd LOVE to see them on the waterslides.

Let's put it this way: Team Franklin is swimming in the pool while Team Hughes is swimming in their own sweat. It's definitely a WIN-WIN situation for the viewers!

The team challenge for this week is called "The Scarecrow". One of the heavyweights has to support one of the smaller welterweights, as the itty bitty welterwight circles the heavyweight, without touching the ground. Joe and Mike start out and manage to go for 204 rotations, taking an hour and 40 minutes to complete it!

Now I have to say, I was seriously impressed when they got to 50 circles. I was even making crude jokes to my partner about Mike's sexual stamina and strength when they hit 100. By 200 I was too speechless to even crack jokes, which tells you something.

Franklin forfeits right after Joe touches the ground, which saves his guys. Whereas Mike and Joe are pretty much knocked out right now. Jorge Gurgel, the hot-blooded Latin heartthrob, is VERY pissed because he was sure that he would've done more than 200 cycles...

Day 22 comes, and the fight for the week is Jorge vs. Jason. Jorge is very excited, and so am I!

Franklin and Jorge are shown training for the upcoming fights. Jorge even says, "Tell me I'm the best!"

When I heard Jorge say that, I thought it was soooo the equivalent to a man saying "What's my name, bitch!?"

It was definitely a hot moment. As a loyal viewer of the series, I can only hope Hughes just wants to see what Jorge can do, and is using Jason as the sacrifical lamb. I'd really hate to see Jorge go off the show at this point.

Day 23: Time for the fight...

Round 1: Both men come out strong and hard, trading take downs, but neither takes good advantage of it. It looks like Jorge almost gets a rear naked choke, but Jason manages to get out of it. Jason's eye starts to bleed, and at one point Jorge loses his mouth guard.

Round 2: Jason comes back strong with some good hits, but Jorge penetrates Jason's defense and almost gets a submission hold locked on once again.

Round 3: A lot of strikes landed by both men.

In what has to be considered a very controversial judges decision, Jason is declared the winner by unanimous decision. As for my opinion on the outcome... ~HATED IT!~

Well, crap, I guess Jason wasn't so sacrifical after all. I really didn't expect him to be that good, but Jorge was fighting with an injured knee, so I guess shit happens.

As for the rest of the show, it rocked! I'm really starting to like Mike, between the foot tickling last week and the "shenangians" and marathon stamina in this episode, he's really become my one of my favorites, especially with Jorge Gurgel now gone, sigh.

Next week's team challenge appears to be mud wrestling. I don't know about the rest of you, but I can't wait for next week's episode!

Ciao!"

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Tito Ortiz

The official website of Tito Ortiz is claiming that DSE/PRIDE has offered Ortiz a 6-fight contract.

Furthermore, according to Ortiz's website, Ortiz has not signed the contract yet.

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Portugal Vale Tudo 2
October 1st, 2005
Pavilhao do Complexo Municipal Desportivo
Almada, Portugal


Vitor Nobrega vs. Yuri Carlton
Wesley Silva vs. Ken Akkavong
Sergio Melo vs. Luis Filipe
Andre Mussi vs. Carlao
Jaguar vs. Luis 'Pantera'
Olavo Belo vs. Marcelo Bernardo
Jose Luis Zapater vs. Velame
Etrom vs. Miguel Machado

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Pancrase 2005 Spiral Tour
October 2nd, 2005
Yokohama Cultural Gymnasium
Kanagawa, Japan


Yuki Kondo vs. Hiromitsu Kanehara
Tsuyoshi Kohsaka vs. Mike Kyle
Yoshiki Takahashi vs. Kestutis Arbocius
Masayuki Kono vs. Aslan Dzeboev
Satoru Kitaoka vs. Carlos Condit　
Lee Segak vs. Sakuragi Yuji

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Evan Tanner

Below are the official and unofficial matchups that are scheduled for the UFC: 'Ultimate Fight Night 2' card on October 3rd:


Evan Tanner vs. David Loiseau
Chris Leben vs. Edwin Dewees
Josh Koscheck vs. Drew Fickett
Fabiano Scherner vs. Brandon Vera
James Irvin vs. TBA
Thiago Alves vs. Spencer Fisher
Brock Larson vs. Jon Fitch
Jay Hieron vs. Jonathan Goulet

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Below are the official and unofficial matchups that are scheduled for the UFC 55 card on October 7th:


Andrei Arlovsky vs. Paul Buentello
Forrest Griffin vs. Elvis Sinosic
Matt Hughes vs. Karo Parisyan
Renato 'Babalu' Sobral vs. Chael Sonnen
Evan Tanner vs. David Loiseau
Marcio 'Pe De Pano' Cruz vs. Keigo Kunihara
Pete Sell vs. Joe Riggs
Alessio Sakara vs. TBA

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Bushido Europe
October 9th, 2005
Ahoy Europe
Rotterdam, Holland


Below is the the line-up for the Bushido Europe card on October 9th. The card is being promoted in association with DSE/PRIDE:

MMA matchups:
Alexander Emilianenko vs. Rene Rooze
Mark Coleman vs. Gilbert Yvel
Kevin Randelman vs. Igor Vovchanchin
Valentijn Overeem vs. Anthony Hardonk
Gegard Mousasi vs. Stefan Klever
Ronny Rivano vs. Chico Martinez

Muay Thai matchups:
Rodney Faverus vs. Gokan Saki
Jerrel Venetiaan vs. Ashwin Balrak
Imro Main vs. Wiliam Diender
Tyrone Spong vs. Vincent Vielvoye


Possible fighters on the card:
Ernesto Hoost

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Mike Zambidis (left) knocking out Norifumi "Kid" Yamamoto.

K-1 World Max 2005: 'Team Competition of World Champions'
October 12th, 2005
Yoyohi No. 1 Gymnasium
Japan

Andy Sauer vs. Kozo Takeda
Mike Zambidis vs. Satoru Suzuki
Albert Kraus vs. Akira Oohigashi
Remigijus Morkevicius vs. Kazuya Yasuhiro
Hayato vs. 'Black Mamba'

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WEC 17: 'Halloween Fury 4'
October 14th, 2005
The Palace Casino,
Lemoore, CA


Single matchups:
Alex Stiebling vs. Vernon 'Tiger' White
Marvin Eastman vs. John Lober
Ricco Rodriguez vs. Jimmy Ambriz
Gil Castillo vs. Mike Pyle
Chris Lytle vs. Savant Young
Gabe Ruediger vs. Sam Wells
Lavar Johnson vs. Rafael Real
Poppies Martinez vs. Robert Breslin
Steve Ramerez vs. Josh Green

4-Man Tournament:
Justin Levens vs. Jorge Oliveira
Tim McKenzie vs. Scott Smith

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Rickson Gracie


Rickson Gracie announced a new promotion he's helping to promote called 'The Budo Challenge'

Four fighters from different martial arts disciplines will be chosen for each of the six weight classes. Each weight class will have a single elimination tournament to decide its champion.

The event will take place in Los Angeles, California, from October 17th to the 21st. The following prize money will be awarded per weight division:

1st Place: USD$4,000;
2nd Place: USD$2,000;
3rd Place: USD$500 (two prizes)

Any interested fighters can contact the Budo Challenge Selection Committee in care of Kid Peligro at kidpeligro@gmail.com.

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Alexandre "Cacareco" Ferreira of the Brazilian Top Team.

Fight for Respect: 'Chute Boxe vs. Brazilian Top Team'
October 19th, 2005
Pavilhao Atlantico
Lisboa, Portugal


Brazilian magazine 'Tatame' reports that a Chute Boxe vs. Brazilian Top Team card will take place on October 19th in Portugal. The line-up will feature three representatives from each team facing off against each other:

Chute Boxe vs. BTT matchups (Chute Boxe fighters on left side):
Fabio Silva vs. Roan 'Jucao'
'Jamanta' vs. Alexandre 'Cacareco' Ferreira
Mauricio 'Veio' vs. Paulo Boiko

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Vanderlei Silva

PRIDE 30
October 23rd, 2005
Japan

Below are some of the matchups that the Japanese media are saying will be on the PRIDE 30 card on October 23rd. The card is expected to have eight matchups:


Vanderlei Silva vs. Ricardo Arona or Vitor Belfort
Mirko 'Cro Cop' Filipovic vs. Josh Barnett
Mark Hunt vs. Sergei Kharitonov
Kazushi Sakuraba vs. 'Tank' Abbott or Ken Shamrock
Quinton 'Rampage' Jackson vs. Hirotaka Yokoi
Ryan Gracie vs. Kazuhiro Nakamura
Makoto Takimoto vs. Yoon Dong-Sik

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Yoshiro Maeda

The DEEP promotion announced that the first round of its inaugural DEEP Featherweight Grand Prix will take place on October 28th.

The GP winner will be crowned as the inaugural 145-pound champion of the DEEP promotion. Below are some of the fighters that will participate in the GP:

Yoshiro Maeda
Fabio Mello
Kazunari Imanari
Mike Brown
Taisho
Atsuhiro Tsuboi
Muangfahlek Kiawichean
Takeshi Yamazaki

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Ernesto Hoost

Ernesto Hoost announced his retirement from K-1 tournaments, but that he will still compete in single matchups.

Hoost, who is a 4-time K-1 champion, made his announcement during the K-1 show on September 23rd, and stated that he retired from tournament competitions due to his age (40 years), a knagging left knee injury, and chronic back problems.

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HEAVYWEIGHT


1.) Fedor Emelianenko Russia
2.) Rodrigo 'Minotauro' Nogueira Brazil
3.) Mirko 'Cro Cop' Filipovic Croatia
4.) Sergei Kharitonov Russia
5.) Fabricio Werdum Brazil
6.) Andrei Arlovski Belarus
7.) Frank Mir USA
8.) Pedro Rizzo Brazil
9.) Tim Sylvia USA
10.) Alexander Emelianenko Russia


LIGHT HEAVYWEIGHT


1.) Mauricio 'Shogun' Rua Brazil
2.) Ricardo Arona Brazil
3.) Vanderlei Silva Brazil
4.) Quinton 'Rampage' Jackson USA
5.) Chuck Liddell USA
6.) Randy Couture USA
7.) Rogerio 'Minotoro' Nogueira Brazil
8.) Alistair Overeem Holland
9.) Renato 'Babalu' Sobral Brazil
10.) Vitor Belfort Brazil


MIDDLEWEIGHT


1.) Dan Henderson USA
2.) Murilo Bustamante Brazil
3.) Kazushi Sakuraba Japan
4.) Rich Franklin USA
5.) Paulo Filho Brazil
6.) Yuki Kondo Japan
7.) Anderson Silva Brazil
8.) Evan Tanner USA
9.) Matt Lindland USA
10.) Evangelista 'Cyborg' Santos Brazil


WELTERWEIGHT


1.) B.J. Penn USA
2.) Matt Hughes USA
3.) Georges St-Pierre Canada
4.) Frank Trigg USA
5.) Renato 'Charuto' Verissimo Brazil
6.) Antonio Schembri Brazil
7.) Daniel Acacio Brazil
8.) Sean Sherk USA
9.) Crosley Gracie Brazil
10.) Karo Parisyan USA


LIGHTWEIGHT


1.) Hayato Sakurai Japan
2.) Takanori Gomi Japan
3.) Vitor 'Shaolin' Ribeiro Brazil
4.) Joachim Hansen Norway
5.) Tatsuya Kawajiri Japan
6.) Yves Edwards USA
7.) Genki Sudo Japan
8.) Kaoru Uno Japan
9.) Koutetsu Boku Japan
10.) Luis Azeredo Brazil


FEATHERWEIGHT


1.) Jens Pulver USA
2.) Gilbert Melendez USA
3.) Norifumi 'Kid' Yamamoto Japan
4.) Hideo Tokoro Japan
5.) Alexandre 'Pequeno' Nogueira Brazil
6.) Joao Roque Brazil
7.) Ivan Menjivar El Salvador
8.) Rumina Sato Japan
9.) Hiroyuki Takaya Japan
10.) Jeff Curran USA


AFP fighter rankings can be viewed at AFP TOP 10

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Dean Lister

Dean Lister won his grappling super fight against Andreas Schmidt in the sixth edition of the 'Ultimate Grappling Challenge' on September 24th in Germany.

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Below is the line-up for the K-1 2005 GP finals on November 19th:


Jerome LeBanner vs. Peter Aerts
Remy Bonjasky vs. Choi Hong-Man
Ray Sefo vs. Semmy Schilt
Ruslan Karaev vs. Musashi

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DSE/PRIDE announced that the finals for the PRIDE 185-pound and 160-pound GP's will take place on December 31st.

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PRIDE Bushido: 'Lightweight & Welterweight Tournament GP 2005'
September 25th, 2005
Ariake Coliseum
Tokyo, Japan

Below are the results of the PRIDE 185-pound and 160-pound Grand Prix tournaments that just took place today. The final for both tournaments will take place in November:


185-pound GP quarterfinals:
Dan Henderson defeats Ryo Chonan by KO at 0:22, RD 1.
Murilo Bustamante defeats Masanori Suda by armbar at 3:20, RD 1.
Ikuhisa Minowa defeats Phil Baroni by unanimous decision.
Akihiro Gono defeats Daniel Acacio by unanimous decision.

semifinals:
Dan Henderson defeats Akihiro Gono by KO, RD 1.
Murilo Bustamante defeats Ikuhisa Minowa by TKO, RD 1.

Reserve matchup:
Paulo Filho defeats Ryuta Sakurai by armbar at 3:49, RD 1.



160-pound GP quarterfinals:
Takanori Gomi defeats Tatsuya Kawajiri by rear naked choke, RD 1.
Luis Azeredo defeats Naoyuki Kotani by KO at 0:11, RD 1.
Hayato Sakurai defeats Jens Pulver by TKO at 8:56, RD 1.
Joachim Hansen defeats Yves Edwards by split decision.

semifinals:
Takanori Gomi defeats Luis Azeredo by unanimous decision.
Hayato Sakurai defeats Joachim Hansen by unanimous decision.

Reserve matchup:
D. Mishima defeats Charles Bennett by leglock at 4:04, RD 1.

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Luis Azeredo (left)

Luis Azeredo recently spoke with the Brazilian media regarding the upcoming PRIDE Lightweight GP. Here are some of the things Azeredo had to say:


Azeredo on fighting two times in one night in order to reach the GP final: "For this first fight I'm going in without thinking too much exclusively about my upcoming opponent (Naoyuki Kotani). Actually, I'm giving my jiu-jitsu training some priority, intensifying this kind of work along with the muay thai training. To tell you the truth, everyone lined-up to fight in a PRIDE event is already a champion, therefore I must face every fight as a final fight of the tournament."

Azeredo when asked about his predictions for the PRIDE Lightweight GP: "I think Joachim Hansen might beat Yves Edwards. When it comes to the fight Tatsuya Kawajiri vs. Takanori Gomi, it becomes more personal. It is going to be a great fight, with fighters of two completely different styles. No matter who wins Japan will be well represented, but I really want to fight with Gomi again. I'm ready to face him again. He has no secrets to hide from me."

Azeredo on being the only Brazilian in the PRIDE Lightweight GP: "I hope to be supported with all the positive thoughts coming from Brazil. I'm getting into this competition with all the humbleness that exists. I will fight with a lion's heart and with a samurai spirit. I'll bring the title home."

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Takanori Gomi

Takanori Gomi recently spoke with the Japanese media regarding the upcoming PRIDE Lightweight GP. Here are some of the things Gomi had to say:


Gomi on his recent karate training: "Takehiro Kato (former Kyokushin champion) taught me about fighting and about how to prepare your mind in day-to-day life. I started learning from him before my fight with Azeredo in May. Originally, we were sparring and doing MMA techniques, but then I began to train in karate once a week from May. I've been boxing too."

Gomi on his upcoming opponent, Tetsuya Kawajiri: "There's nothing to research about Kawajiri. It's going to be a head-on battle, and I won't lose in strength, or time in training, or in heart. I'm not thinking about the fight very hard. Whoever should win, will win. I don't believe in luck. It's a battle of real abilities, and whoever is the strongest, will win."

Gomi on the rest of the lightweight fighters in the GP: "I've fought Azeredo before, and I've watched a little of Kotani's fights on video. I haven't really done any research. There's no difference between foreigners and Japanese. I think my block may be the least explosive. I will fight as I always do, no matter who my opponent is. I don't choose my opponents, after all. I don't care. I don't have to fight all seven of them. I'm just thinking of my block on the 25th, because there'll only be one person from the other block left on New Year's Eve."

Gomi on fighting two times in one night in order to reach the GP final: "I think I should just concentrate on the fight with Kawajiri, and once I get past that, I can think about Kotani and Azeredo. Takehiro Kato has been giving me advice. It's the same as a karate tournament. He said there's no need to think about the second fight. If you think about it, nothing good will come of it."

Gomi on his chances and on being considered the PRIDE Bushido poster boy: "I'm not injured and I'm in great shape. I don't think it's about who's strong or weak. I think whoever can pull PRIDE Bushido along, whoever understands the times, will win. Just before I climb in the ring, I use the feeling that I have brought PRIDE bushido along, and turn it into a feeling of destroying my opponent."

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Tatsuya Kawajiri

Tatsuya Kawajiri was recently interviewed by the PRIDE website. Here's what Kawajiri had to say:


Interviewer: How do you feel?

Kawajiri: I'm in perfect condition. I'm not tired at all.

Interviewer: You were cut during the fight. Are you okay?

Kawajiri: I did get cut but it didn't affect the fight. It hurt a little but I was concentrating on grounding and pounding him.

Interviewer: Have you done any special training in preparation for the Gomi fight?

Kawajiri: I trained as usual. I didn't do anything special. I thought of a few things that I need to be careful of, and I was careful of them when I was sparring. It's the same as always. If you think about it too much, you'll be confused if your opponent does something unexpected. I've watched his fights, so I have arough image in my mind. Otherwise, I just need to be careful of his movement. There are a few things that I have to watch out for, but if I do, I will be okay.

Interviewer: Who wins in your image?

Kawajiri: I win in my image. I'm always going for a KO or submission, not just in this fight.

Interviewer: What do you have to be careful of?

Kawajiri: Gomi is strongest on his feet. I noticed a few things about his standing attacks when I was watching his videos. I kept Gomi's attack style in mind when I was training.

Interviewer: Are you excited?

Kawajiri: I want to fight soon. There are two fights that day. Thinking about that makes me tired.

Interviewer: Why is it so much fun for you?

Kawajiri: He's a tough opponent and he absolutely refuses to be broken, and part of me wants to break that kind of fighter. I want to have an extreme fight, to see whose spirit breaks first. I think I can have that kind of fight with Gomi.

Interviewer: Gomi said in his public training session that he wants to use karate kicks.

Kawajiri: It's MMA so of course there will be kicks (laughing). There's nothing special about that. Kicks are allowed and I've been fighting with kicks allowed the whole time, so I don't think anything of it. To me, kickers are easy to counter, so that may make it easier. It'll be fine if I keep that in mind when I'm training.

Interviewer: Are you confident that you can overthrow Gomi?

Kawajiri: I don't put "overthrow" and "Gomi" together. I just want to fight him because he's strong. He's a great fighter and that's why I want to fight him. That's all. I just want to see who's stronger. Of course, I believe that I'm going to win, and he probably thinks he's going to win. I hope the fans will enjoy seeing us test our wills against each other.

Interviewer: Other than Kotani, all of the competitors in this tournament have pro SHOOTO experience. Do you want to prove your strength as a world champion?

Kawajiri: Of course, I think it would be an honor if I can win as the SHOOTO champion, and it would be good for SHOOTO. People say that my fight with Gomi is a clash of the champions, but I don't care about that at all. I just want to find out who is stronger. I may not be able to give as much in the second fight, but I will give everything I have in this first fight. I want the fans to be glad they came to watch.

Interviewer: Have you thought about the second round?

Kawajiri: Hmm... I saw Azeredo's fight with Gomi. I haven't seen Kotani's fights so I have no idea. Azeredo and Buscape were evenly matched so I don't think he's a problem. If I can get past Gomi, I will just keep fighting with that momentum.

Interviewer: You might take a lot of damage in the first round, right?

Kawajiri: There's a good chance of that (laughing). I want to finish it as quickly as possible, but I don't think it will go that easily. All I can do is pray to the gods and fight the fight as it comes. Even if I'm damaged, my spirit won't break and I won't lose to anyone in a battle of wills. I'll get through both fights with will power.

Interviewer: Is there a god in this gym?

Kawajiri: The god of poverty (laughing). I think I can win this fight because of this gym, though. As you can see, it's a filthy gym. I want to prove that if you use your head and train hard at this gym, you can be a world-class fighter. That'll be a boost to fighters that live in the countryside. In that sense, I can't lose, either.

Interviewer: You don't want to lose to city fighters?

Kawajiri: Exactly. I don't want to lose to someone who was blessed in their environment. I've felt like that since I was an amateur and I still do. There are two fights in one day so if I don't lose, in terms of spirit rather than technique, I believe I can win. I want to focus on the mental side.

Interviewer: Will you rebuild this gym will the prize money?

Kawajiri: No comment (laughing).

Interviewer: Have you done any special training to prepare your mind?

Kawajiri: I thought of standing under a waterfall, but I didn't because I realized that I would catch a cold (laughing). I always put my mental state first when I'm training. It's about will power. There's nothing but will power and pride at this point. That's all I'll bring into the ring with me.

Interviewer: To win the tournament, you will have to fight Mach. Mach apparently said in Seattle that he'd fight you.

Kawajiri: I'm also a professional, so I knew that was possible from the moment it was decided that I'd be in the Grand Prix. You can say anything you want, but in the end there's nothing to do but fight. If you're going to fight, you fight with everything you have. That's all. I don't want to fight him but that doesn't mean I'm going to hold back. I'll fight as always. That's a way to repay him, and the fans will be happy, too.

Interviewer: What do you think, as the SHOOTO champion, of beating a former champion?

Kawajiri: I don't think anything of it. This is just about my own will power and pride.

Interviewer: The Final Round will be held on New Year's Eve. Does the New Year's Eve event mean anything special to you?

Kawajiri: There have been fighters in my weight class fighting in New Year's Eve since last year, so I don't want to miss my opportunity to join in. I think it's the biggest event, and since everyone will be watching, I definitely want to fight.

Interviewer: Does anyone recognize you in your hometown yet?

Kawajiri: There have been a lot of people recently, sometimes asking me if I'm Kawajiri (laughing).

Interviewer: Gomi is PRIDE Bushido's ace. Beating him will make you the ace. What do you think of that?

Kawajiri: I think Gomi helped to create all of this and I don't think the title of ace will be so easy to get. I'd like to be the ace of PRIDE Bushido and the martial arts world, and make everything exciting. That's one way I can repay SHOOTO. I want to beat Gomi and show everyone the lightweight division. Get everyone excited and then take that momentum into next year, as if I were going to attack the heavyweight division.

Interviewer: From Ibaragi to the world.

Kawajiri: Yes (laughing).

Interviewer: Are you going to bring the SHOOTO belt with you in your entrance?

Kawajiri: I have decided this time. I may not.

Interviewer: Because you are fighting for yourself this time?

Kawajiri: Yes, that and I always feel like I'm responsible for SHOOTO…

Interviewer: Gomi said that he didn't have anything to say to you. Do you have anything to say to him?

Kawajiri: Hmmm. Well, he's a great, strong fighter. I think I'm a great fighter too, so I think this will be an extreme fight. I want this fight to be one that makes everyone's hands sweat, from the moment we make our entrance until we leave the ring. I think he's an opponent that I can have that kind of fight with.

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