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Zuluzinho getting knocked down by Fedor (far right).

Fedor Emelianenko was recently interviewed by Brazilian journalist Denis Martins. Here's what Fedor had to say:


Interviewer: You had a busy beginning of 2006 by traveling to South Korea. What did you do there and what did you think about the country itself?

Fedor: I was invited by the Korean Sambo Federation on Festival of Combat Sambo, where my brother (Emelianenko Aleksander) and I gave some lessons on the seminar for Korean martial arts students.

Interviewer: You are a guy who never forgets your Sambo Martial Arts. You always compete in the events that you can. How is the importance of this kind of training in Sambo related to competing in MMA?

Fedor: Combat Sambo is my basic training for MMA fights, and of course, I use my new experience from each MMA fight for preparation in future fights.

Interviewer: Your last fight in the PRIDE ring was against ZULUZINHO at PRIDE Shockwave 2005(Dec 31th Saitama Super Arena). What did you expect from him? Was it easier than you thought it would be?

Fedor: No, I just thought that the fight against ZULUZINHO would be longer. However, what happened was supposed to happen.

Interviewer: You had already faced different Brazilians (Ricardo Arona, Renato 'Babalu' Sobral, & Rodrigo 'Minotauro' Nogueira[three times]) and all of those fights went to unanimous decision wins in your favor. Did you expect a tough performance from ZULUZINHO, too?

Fedor: No, I prepared myself to finish my fight against ZULUZINHO quickly, like I try to finish each of my fights.

Interviewer: You had problems with your right hand after this fight. What is the exact problem and what kind of surgery did you have done?

Fedor: I had a problem with a joint in my hand and also a fracture after my fight with Gary 'Big Daddy' Goodridge(at PRIDE-Total Elimination 2003 in August 10, 2003 - Saitama). After this fight, my joint got worse after each fight. I had hand surgery on January 26th and my doctor said the surgery produced good results.

Interviewer: Did you have surgery last year?

Fedor: No, this was my first surgery. I hope my hand recovers better so I can stay in 100% fighting condition. Anyways, I recover to 95%, it will be okay. My doctor said that the possibility of a perfect recovery was strong.

Interviewer: When you will be able to fight at PRIDE again?

Fedor: My doctor said it is possible after 8-10 months. Well, impossible to say exactly because it depends on the recovery process.

Interviewer: You are the man to be beaten in the PRIDE ring, as you have never lost a fight there. How do you keep staying motivated each time you fight?

Fedor: My motivation is very simple. I think about each of my fights as if it is my last fight. And I must show to everyone all that I know and all that I can do in an MMA fight.

Interviewer: PRIDE is creating an open-weight tournament. The first round starts on 5/5 at the Osaka Dome. What is your opinion about this? Will it be a tournament dominated by the heavyweights?

Fedor: I think it will be a very interesting tournament. For me personally, it does not mean a big difference to me in the weight difference between me and my opponents.

Interviewer: Who was the hardest opponent you faced in PRIDE? Nogueira? Cro Cop? Fujita?

Fedor: All of them have something special in their fight technique and each one of them are very serious fighters. They are not just simple opponents. However, I would like to emphasize my fights against Nogueira and Mirko. In these fights, I put into practice all of my fighting experience.

Interviewer: Casual fans do not get many chances to read information about you. I would like to ask you to tell me a little bit about your personal life. I know you are married and have a child. However, what do you like to do when you free time in your life?

Fedor: I try to spend a lot of my free time with my family, daughter, and wife. I like to draw if I have some time and inspiration. I like to listen to music and read books. Sometimes, in the winter, I like to swim in an ice hole.

Interviewer: Nowadays, we see a dominance of fighters from the (ex-USSR) Russian MMA scene. The UFC Heavyweight champion is Andrei Arlovsky from Belarus. You and your brother, plus Sergey Kharitonov are representing Russia in PRIDE. There are also some good Lithuanian fighters in K-1 HERO'S promotion and in SHOOTO. What do you think about the dominance of fighters from this area, and do you think will we see more fighters coming shortly?

Fedor: Fighters from ex-USSR countries are the top-ranked and strongest fighters now. They will take the highest positions in the MMA world. I hope to see in the near future a dominance of ex-USSR fighters. We still have a lot of growth and development in the MMA scene.

Interviewer: You are a Red Devil fighter. Who do you think from your team will emerge strongly in 2006?

Fedor: There are already some good Red Devil fighters, such as my brother Aleksander. Also, there is Roman Zentsov, Amar Suloev, and many young fighters who are not known to the general MMA public. I would like to emphasize names like Erik Oganov and Ramazan Akhaddulaev. I think we can see them on international MMA events (such as the PRIDE ring) in the near future.

Interviewer: Do you think there is any chance of facing Nogueira again? Why?

Fedor: If nobody else can fight me and only Nogueira stays as a real contender, why not? I am ready to face him.

Interviewer: What do you think of the idea of facing your former teammate, Kharitonov? No problems?

Fedor: No problems. I am ready to face Kharitonov. Of course, that is if he does not fear fighting me.

Interviewer: What kind of message would you like to send to the readers of this interview?

Fedor: Unfortunately, I cannot fight soon with my hand in a rehabilitation period after surgery. I will try to recover and start training ASAP. I hope my fans enjoy my return to fighting and my victories. Thanks a million, and a big gratitude to all of my fans for their support of me. See you soon in the ring!

HERO'S 2006
March 15th, 2006
Nippon Budokan
Tokyo, Japan


Yoshihiro Akiyama vs. Karam Ibrahim
Genki Sudo vs. Ole Laursen
Kaoru Uno vs. Rich Clementi
Melvin Manhoef vs. Shungo Oyama
Ivan Menjivar vs. Kazuyuki Miyata
Yoshihisa Yamamoto vs. Min Soo Kim
Kiuma Kunioku vs. Antonio McKee
Hideo Tokoro vs. TBA

Cesar Gracie (left) getting knocked out by Frank Shamrock.

The Strikeforce card, featuring Frank Shamrock vs. Cesar Gracie as the main event, announced a live attendance of 18,265 for their show last night at the HP Pavilion in San Jose, California.

The attendance mark is officially a new record for an MMA event in North America, and has crushed the previous record of approximately 14,200.

Strikeforce: 'Shamrock vs. Gracie'
March 10th, 2006
HP Pavilion
San Jose, CA


Frank Shamrock defeats Cesar Gracie by KO at 0:21, RD 1.
Cung Le defeats Mike Altman by KO at 3:51, RD 1.
Clayton Guida defeats Josh Thomson by unanimous decision.
Eugene Jackson defeats Jorge Ortiz by unanimous decision.
Mike Kyle drew with Krzysztof Soszynski.
Brian Ebersole defeats Matt Horwich by unanimous decision.
Daniel Puder defeats Jesse Fujarcyk by rear naked choke at 1:54, RD 1.
Gilbert Melendez defeats Harris Sarmiento by TKO at 0:44, RD 2.
Crafton Wallace defeats Ray Routh by KO at 0:35, RD 2.
Nathan Diaz defeats Anthony Juarez by TKO at 3:23, RD 1.
Scott Graham defeats Chris Yee by rear naked choke at 2:37, RD 2.

Mauricio "Shogun" Rua

Mauricio 'Shogun' Rua was recently interviewed by Brazilian magazine 'Tatame'. Here's what Shogun had to say (interview by Eduardo Ferreira, translation by Ricardo Alonso):


Tatame: What really happened to your arm? What did the doctor say?

Shogun: I came into the fight with tendinitis in both my elbows, and during the takedown when I hit the ground my elbow dislocated. I ended up with a dislocated and fractured elbow and some torn ligaments. I just did an MRI but the doctor is still examining the results. We'll soon see if I'm able to take off this sling next week and start doing some sort of physiotherapy to recover soon.

Tatame: You hadn't fought since the final of the Middleweight GP in August of 2005. During that period you did seminars, took some time off, and commemorated the title. Do you think this negatively affected your preparation? How much time did you spend training for Coleman?

Shogun: At no moment did those factors negatively affect my preparation. I rested a little bit after the GP and then I returned to help Vanderlei prepare for his December 31st PRIDE fight against Ricardo Arona. After that I spent two weeks in the Unites States doing seminars, and I trained hard for three weeks to face Coleman. I was in my best physical condition, and for the first time I did not need to cut weight for a fight. I always have to lose about 10 kg (22 pounds), but I didn't need to lose anything this time. I don't think my injury happened because of my preparation, it was just an accident. I was certain that I was going to do a great fight with him, but I was unfortunate.

Tatame: Do you think you could have done something to defend the takedown?

Shogun: For sure, but during that moment everything happened very fast. When he got one leg I even started to sprawl so that I could pull out, but he got my other leg, leaving me without my base, and I landed on a bad angle. I saw that there's a lot of people criticizing me, saying that I don't know how to defend the takedown, but I think it's just envy from the people who don't like Chute Boxe and our unity. By the way, I'd like to leave a message for all my fans, can I do that?

Tatame: For sure Shogun, go right ahead...

Shogun: I wanted thank all my family, the Chute Boxe family, and to all my fans for all the support that they always give me. It's them who make me strong enough to beat all the difficulties and conquer all of my objectives. It's them who pass on to me that positive energy to realize all of my dreams. That's what I wanted to say. I just wanted to thank all of them very much.

Tatame: After the fight, did you all run into Coleman at all?

Shogun: We ran into him and he tried to apologize, but we did not accept. Master Rudimar (Fedrigo) then took me to the hospital because I was in a lot of pain, and I didn't see what else happened after that. But it looks like more chaos almost happened outside the ring. The adrenaline in the ring is incredible, but he said a lot of foolish things after the fight and showed no class in the ring.

Tatame: Do you want a rematch against Coleman?

Shogun: For sure I want a rematch against Coleman. When I am recovered from my injury, I will train with that fight as my aim.

Mark Coleman

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


Interviewer: The fight ended by an accident. Did you know that when you were in the ring?

Coleman: It was the heat of the moment. Everyone was holding me, and it became like a war. I'm the Grand Prix Champion. I'm Mark Coleman!

Interviewer: How do you feel about beating the Middleweight Grand Prix Champion?

Coleman: It feels great to win. I took him down. I did it. It wasn't an accident. I'm proud of that. Everyone who says I'm the challenger is wrong. I want to say thank you to the few people that bet on me to win. It's too bad for those that bet on me to lose.

Interviewer: This fight was a challenge match for the Open Weight Grand Prix tournament. Do you think it's impossible for small fighters to take on big fighters?

Coleman: I'm the toughest fighter in the world. If I'm in shape, I will not lose. I will train hard and build my confidence. I'm a man that fights. You're not going to break me.

Interviewer: What happened with Chute Boxe after the fight?

Coleman: The fight proved it. Make no mistake. Today the little man beat the big man. I guess I was stronger. Those things happen. It happens in the excitement. I'm not worried about it. I have to keep going forward. I would like to train with Chute Boxe. I will start training again on Monday at the earliest. I want to train, not sit on the sofa and get fat. Shogun is a member of the Chute Boxe family, just like Phil (Baroni) sitting here next to me and my dad are family. I got in the ring as a professional fighter, not to get into a street fight. I hope I can get back on good terms with Chute Boxe after we get back to the hotel. This fight was over very quickly so it was fun for me. I did it. I've gotten older in years but I'm not old and I can still fight. Even if my hair gets thinner, I'm still improving myself as a fighter. I'm not like those guys that sit at their desks working and playing on the internet. I don't care about the people that hate me and I want to tell my fans that I love them.

According to the 'Strikeforce' promoter, Scott Coker, tonight's card featuring Frank Shamrock vs. Cesar Gracie has already sold over 12,500 seats, with more then 15,000 seats expected to be sold.

The card has already exceeded the attendance of the recent UFC card, and may even break the North American record of 14,200.

Rich Franklin

Before reading any further, please read our disclaimer first.


In yet another in the long line of Jake R exclusive reports for Fightsport.com, this cyber reporting stud has learned from a longterm and reliable source in Iowa that Rich Franklin's injuries are much worse than Zuffa claims. In fact, prior to being ordered to shut up by Dana White, TUF veteran Jorge Gurgel was openly bragging about how tough Franklin was to win his fight despite suffering two broken hands and a broken foot.

As my source explained, Zuffa has attempted to prevent the story from reaching internet media sites. As I was told, Franklin's injuries are far more severe than Zuffa has led the public to believe. As of right now, Franklin is looking at a minimum of a 10-month layoff prior to returning to training, a fact that does not make Zuffa happy! Unfortunately for Zuffa, it would appear that yet another weight class will remain in limbo with an injured champion for the immediate future.

As usual, stick to Fightsport.com and the Jake R. Report for all of the news that is fit to scoop.



****Exclusive Jake R. Report: Must credit Fightsport.com and the Jake R. Report when discussing this article****

*This Jake R. Report was broken on March 9th at 11:30 PM.

Pat Miletich

Below is a court declaration made by Pat Miletich regarding former-boxercize-instructor-turned-UFC-president Dana White and the upstart IFL promotion:


DECLARATION OF PATRICK MILETICH


I, Patrick Miletich, declare as follows:

1. I am currently the President of Miletich Fighting Systems Corp., a mixed martial arts ("MMA") training facility, which is based in Iowa. I have personal knowledge of and am competent to testify to the facts set forth in this declaration. I make this Declaration in support of the Defendants' opposition to Plaintiff Zuffa, LLC's ("Zuffa") Motion for Preliminary Injunction in Zuffa, LLC v. International Fight League, Inc., et al., which is pending in the Eight Judicial District Court, Clark County, Nevada, Case No. A516841.

2. Since 1996 I have trained fighters in the world of mixed martial arts. Prior to opening my training facility in Iowa, I participated in many MMA organizational bouts and competitions throughout the world. In fact, in 1996 I became the Welter Weight World Champion and was able to hold that title for about 3 1/2 years.

3. Because of my reputation as a world-class MMA champion and trainer, my training facility currently has an enrollment of about 1,200 members, and I personally train about 40 professional fighters, several of whom are Champions, who fight in MMA organizations around the world, including the Ultimate Fighting Championship ("UFC"), and smaller organizations like PRIDE, Superbrawl, Extreme Challenge and King of the Cage. In addition, I regularly have several professional fighters that participate in almost every UFC event put on by Zuffa in the United States.

4. In or around Junr or July 2005, I recieved a call from Kurt Otlo. Kurt introduced himself to me and proceeded to pitch his (and Gareb Shamus') idea for the International Fight League ("IFL"). I was extremely excited about the IFL and its unique business concept because it would (a) provide a significant avenue for my fighters to fight and earn a living (which isn't easy) and (b) help establish additional notoriety and exposure of the MMA industry in the United States.

5. After numerous discussions with Kurt, I agreed to caoch a team of fighters from my gym who would participate in the IFL. Indeed, I am in the midst of training a team for the IFL's first pre-season event. I also told Kurt that he should call Monte Cox, a manager of prominent fighters in the MMA industry who also might be interested in assisting the IFL get off the ground by supplying additional fighters to the IFL.

6. In or around mid-January 2006 I attended a UFC show at the Hard Rock Cafe and Casino in Las Vegas called "Ultimate Fight Night" which was aired on SPIKE television. At the show I was joking around with Joseph Silva, the "Matchmaker" for the UFC. At one point I jokingly put my foot against his stomach like I was throwing a side-kick in slow motion. Dana White, Zuffa's President, was standing next to Mr. Silva when I did this. Observing my antics, Mr. White turned to me and said in a joking manner "Oooh! An IFL side-kick", which I took to mean that he could care less that I was going to be involved in the IFL and that he didn't think it was a big deal. Apparently, I was wrong.

7. Before the fights started at the Hard Rock Cafe and Casino I asked to speak with Mr. White alone. I said to Mr. White, "you know this [IFL] is going tobe good for the sport", to which he shook his head, smiled and said "yes". I really felt that it was important that he and I saw eye-to-eye on this matter.

8. In or around late Januray 2006, I recieved a call from Mr. White. During the conversation, Mr. White stated that he respected me both as a trainer and fighter, but then proceeded to express in a rather irate manner his feelings about the IFL and abruptly stated that "he was going to fucking crush these [the IFL] guys". Mr. White further made it clear to me that he was livid about losing Keith Evans to the IFL.

9. During this conversation I expressed to Mr. White my opinion (based on numerous conversations with individuals in the MMA industry) that a lot of people involved in MMA industry didn't very much care for him or the way Zuffa conducted its business and treated the individuals who fought at UFC events. In response, Mr. White stated that it "wasn't his fucking job to be liked". Mr. White further told me that he had spoken with the Fertittas (who own Zuffa), and they had given their "permission" to go after the IFL.

10. Mr. White further threatened me during the conversation, and implicitly the livelihoods of the fighters I train, stating that "when the dust settles, anyone associated with the IFL would not be associated with the UFC". I took this for what it was -- a threat to me and to my fighters who count on me to represent them and obtain opportunities to for them to fight in the MMA industry. Because of the virtual monopoly that Zuffa has in the MMA industry, Mr. White clearly knew that cutting me and my fighters off from the UFC would have a devastating economic impact.

11. Mr. White further told me during this conversation that he had been on the phone all day calling everyone he dealt with in the MMA industry and told me that, after speaking with all of them, none would be doing business with the IFL. My understanding from his comment was that he had made the same threats to everyone else he knew in the MMA industry that he had just made to me during our conversation. I attempted to tell Mr. White to calm down and tried to be rational with him. I expressed to Mr. White my opinion that the IFL was going to help the MMA industry and ultimately would increase the UFC's presence throughout the world. I further attempted to dissuade Mr. White from doing anything irrational with respect to the IFL (i.e., the lawsuit) and told him that I felt going after the IFL for no reason would be very bad for the entire MMA industry. Clearly, Mr. White could care less what I thought.

12. Following my conversation with Mr. White, Ken Shamrock, another world-renowned MMA fighter, called me and told me that Mr. White had just "raised hell" with him about his being associated with the IFL. As I understand it, Mr. White had made similar threats to Mr. Shamrock whom I believe at the time had an agreement with the IFL to coach one of its teams. I further understand that Mr. White made the same or similar threats to Randy Couture, perhaps one of the most legendary MMA fighters in the world and a former UFC World Champion. I further understand that Mr. White called a current UFC World Champion, Matt Hughes, to inquire of him whether he had any involvement in the IFL.

13. Knowing Mr. White the way I do, I can honestly say that Zuffa's intent is bringing this litigation has nothing to do with protecting any confidential information. Rather, I believe this litigation is about one thing and one thing only -- stamping out legitimate and, indeed, healthy, competition.


I declare under penalties of perjury that the foregoing is true and correct.

EXECUTED on this 15th day of February, 2006

Patrick Miletich

Former-boxercize-instructor-turned-UFC-president and multiple times "Turkey of the Year" winner Dana White.

In a recent interview, Frank Shamrock had the following to say about former-boxercize-instructor-turned-UFC-president Dana White:


"Dana White is an egomaniac Uncle Fester-looking knucklehead" -Frank Shamrock

Alistair Overeem (left) in action against Sergei Kharitonov.

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


Interviewer: Honestly, I was amazed at your KO victory over Heavyweight fighter Sergei Kharitonov at PRIDE 31.

Overeem: It was a good result for me and it was a satisfying result. After I lost to Shogun, I trained very hard for six months. I was never injured during that time and I was able to compete this time in top condition. My opponent was a top Heavyweight fighter but I think the results of all my training showed. Actually, I surprised myself because I was able to do so much. (laughing) It was a satisfying win for me, though.

Interviewer: In terms of techniques, what do you think was the reason for you victory?

Overeem: I worked on my ground-and-pound in particular this time, and boxing. I trained to be able to fight well on the ground or standing up but I was confident that my opponent wouldn't take me down.

Interviewer: Your takedown in the beginning looked like Fedor's. Did you learn that when you were training with Fedor in Holland?

Overeem: I learned many techniques when I was training with Fedor but I didn't learn that takedown from him.

Interviewer: You were able to completely control Kharitonov from the side position. Was that something that you worked on in training?

Overeem: Yes. I did a lot of ground control training.

Interviewer: There are already people saying that you may be better suited for the Heavyweight class, rather than the Middleweight class.

Overeem: That opinion may be correct. Well, I will continue to fight at Heavyweight and see how it goes.

Interviewer: You originally fought at around 100kg, didn't you?

Overeem: I fought at around 98~99kg in the beginning.

Interviewer: In your Middleweight fights, you often seem to lose stamina in that last half. Was that due to cutting weight?

Overeem: Probably. For the Shogun fight though, I caught a cold 10 days before the fight and I didn't feel well.

Interviewer: You've mentioned the Shogun fight several times. Did that loss mean more to you than other losses?

Overeem: I learn many things from my losses. I can find my strong points and my weak points by analyzing the fights that I lose. I can grow from that, so my losses motivate me. I always try hard to make myself grow from my losses, not just from my fight with Shogun.

Interviewer: Kharitonov was considered on the top four Heavyweight fighters. Now that you've beaten him, has the dream of winning the Open Weight Grand Prix become closer to reality?

Overeem: Of course, I think this victory will give me a chance at competing in the Open Weight Grand Prix. I'm going to being training as soon as I return to Holland. I think that all of the fighters in the Grand Prix will be tough fighters, so this will be a new chance for me and I want to be completely prepared.

Interviewer: Fedor, Nogueira, Mirko and Josh are the top Heavyweight fighters. Of these four fighters, is there anyone that you would like to fight?

Overeem: If I were to say whom I would like to fight, it would be Mark Hunt, not one of those four. Hunt is a really strong fighter and he's tough. He keeps on fighting not matter how much damage he takes. I'd like to see what I could do to him. And he was also a top K-1 fighter. However, all the other fighters besides him are strong and I'd like to fight all of them.

Interviewer: I thought that you might want to fight Mirko, in terms of a style match-up.

Overeem: That's okay. I wouldn't mind fighting him.

Interviewer: Where you do think you would have an advantage if you fought Mirko?

Overeem: My ground game. I will be better if the fight goes to the ground. Of course, I think Mirko's striking is good when he's standing, particularly his left kick. I don't think I have to worry about it too much, though.

Interviewer: You seem confident that you can win the Open Weight Grand Prix.

Overeem: Of course. Naturally, you have to be confident if you are going to compete.

Interviewer: Until now, most fighters from Holland have been incredibly strong in their striking but incredibly weak once the fight goes to the ground. What caused you to begin paying attention to the ground game?

Overeem: I've been learning sambo since I was 16. I've been wrestling for a long time. I continued training after I became a professional fighter, too. So, even now I don't think I'm perfect and I will continue to grow.

Interviewer: Did you begin kickboxing before that?

Overeem: I began kickboxing when I was 13. I took about a year off and then I began again from 15. That was because I could use the striking anywhere, anytime on the street. (laughing)

Interviewer: Are there any other Dutch fighters like yourself that you putting as much work into their grappling game?

Overeem: I don't think I'm the best grappler but I think I'm the best grappler among the Dutch fighters in PRIDE.

Interviewer: What do you find interesting about grappling?

Overeem: I think the defensive techniques are the most interesting. Protecting yourself. In PRIDE in particular, you can't win if you can't grapple. First, you have to protect yourself. If you can do that, then you can learn the guillotine choke and submissions, and then you can develop your ground-and-pound. That's why I think that the techniques for protecting yourself are the most important.

Interviewer: You won all your matches by submission in the ADCC preliminaries in Holland. If you have the chance, would you like to enter the ADCC World Championships and compete in a grappling-only event?

Overeem: No, I'm concentrating on fighting in PRIDE right now so I'm not even thinking about that. If I get the time, I would like to train and compete in the (ADCC) World Championships but right now, I don't have time.

Interviewer: There are several elements necessary to win a fight, such as technique, physical conditioning and heart. What do you think is the most important element for a Middleweight fighter to beat a Heavyweight fighter?

Overeem: First, tactics. Then, you have to have power, even if your body is small and light. Heavyweight fighters have big bodies and power but not much speed. Middleweight fighters have to stay fast and gain enough power to handle the Heavyweight fighters or I don't think they can win.

Interviewer: Do you think up your tactics yourself?

Overeem: I think about them, along with my grappling coach and my striking coach. We create a plan before training and then we train according to that plan.

Interviewer: So, you create a new strategy for each opponent, rather than doing the same training all the time, and you change your training each time for the new strategy, right?

Overeem: That's exactly right. You have to fight smart.

Interviewer: You mentioned street fighting earlier. Street fighting is the ultimate open weight class. Who is the biggest guy you have had a street fight with before?

Overeem: Rather than just opponents with big bodies, I was fighting adults when I was still small, around 14 years old, and I won most of them. (laughing)

Strikeforce: 'Shamrock vs. Gracie'
March 10th, 2006
HP Pavilion
San Jose, CA


Frank Shamrock vs. Cesar Gracie
Cung Le vs. Mike Altman
Josh Thomson vs. Clayton Guida
Eugene Jackson vs. Jorge Ortiz
Mike Kyle vs. Krzysztof Soszynski
Brian Ebersole vs. Matt Horwich
Daniel Puder vs. Jesse Fujarcyk
Harris Sarmiento vs. Gilbert Melendez
Crafton Wallace vs. Ray Routh
Jose Palacios vs. Sean Bassett
Anthony Juarez vs. Nathan Diaz
Scott Graham vs. Chris Yee

Before reading any further, please read our disclaimer first.


In yet another exclusive report for Fightsport.com, this cyber reporter has learned from a long time reliable source and contributor to the FS 24/7 blog with extensive knowledge of the inner workings of both the UFC and IFL that a major bidding war for fighters between the two organizations has already begun.

As my source explained, Dana White is extremely angry and has taken the defection of Keith Evans personally. As a result, Dana White has decided that if the legal attack does not work, he will outbid the IFL for talent, believing they do not have the financial capital that Zuffa has to fall back.

As my source went on to mention, Zuffa has approached a number of fighters, ranging from journeymen-level to high level fighters, who are known to be negotiating with the IFL. Zuffa is now offering far more money than their typical low pay. In fact, not only are some fighters being offered multi-fight deals with better money than usual, but they're being offered guaranteed contracts as well.

Finally, the one restriction on these offers is that the fighters must avoid any sort of association with the IFL. As my source in the IFL believes, this is being done in an effort to rob the IFL of a talent base and stop the show from gaining traction before it can become a major threat to the UFC, not to mention how upset Dana White is at Keith Evans.

As usual, stick to the Jake R. Report for hard-hitting exclusives that are days, weeks, and even months ahead of the other MMA news sites.



*Jake R internet exclusive. Must credit Fightsport.com and the Jake R. Report when discussing this report.*

*This exclusive Jake R. Report was filed on 03/08/06 at 6:00 PM.

Dan Henderson

Below are the officially announced matchups for the PRIDE Bushido 10 card on April 3rd. More matchups are expected to be announced in the following two weeks:


Matchups (official):
Dan Henderson vs. Kazuo Misaki
Phil Baroni vs. Yuki Kondo
Takanori Gomi vs. Marcus Aurelio
Joachim Hansen vs. Luis Azeredo
Jens Pulver vs. Masakazu Imanari

Rich Franklin

Rich Franklin underwent successful surgery this week on his left hand, which he broke during his recent victory over David Loiseau.

The surgery entailed inserting a metal plate and seven screws into Franklin's hand. He is expected to be out for up tp 6-8 months.

Fedor Emelianenko

Fedor Emelianenko was recently interviewed by a Russian website. Here's what Fedor had to say:


Interviewer: Fedor, we didn't see much of you last year. You finished 2005 with a win over the Brazilian fighter, Zuluzinho. The fight lasted 26 seconds. This was perhaps your most dominating performance ever. How did you manage to win so quickly against a fighter so much bigger than you in size and weight?

Fedor: Yes, it was a really fast fight. I got in a good punch on him and then I was able to keep position for the rest of the fight. It's what I train for.

Interviewer: Alexander's fight with Pawel Nastula was longer. Were you worried for your brother? Did you think it was a special fight?

Fedor: Alexander had a very prestigious opponent; gold medalist in Judo, two-time world champion in Judo. During the fight there were a few moments where I had to worry for him. Such a fight was necessary to show Alexander how hard he was breathing, how his conditioning was, but he won. It is important that he can fight hard for the whole fight. In a fight with someone like Nogueira, it's necessary to tinker around with strategies.

Interviewer: What fights do we know Alexander will take part in?

Fedor: He will take part in the Grand Prix. The opponent isn't known yet, but the strong candidates are Sergei Kharitonov or Rodrigo Nogueira.

Interviewer: Considering these fights, can you make any predictions?

Fedor: I'm quite sure of my brother's strength, and I hope for a victory for him.

Interviewer: How will Alexander prepare for the fight? Usually, you train together. What happens now that you are unable to help him train the same way?

Fedor: It's necessary to help, so I will. By the way, we're going to Holland already on February 11th. I'll watch how Alex trains, and give him advice on technique... After Holland, we plan to train in Kislovodsk again... I'll still be kicking and training my legs. Hands, certainly, I won't punch a bag, but I can still do shadowboxing.

Interviewer: Right after your fight on New Year's, you went to France. You met Jean-Claude Van Damme?

Fedor: The basic purpose of the trip was a seminar with French fans. Van Damme entered into negotiations with my manager.

Interviewer: They offered you a movie role? Will you agree to it? Is it already known what movie, and who you will play?

Fedor: Jean-Claude has suggested that I be in "Bloodsport 2" and that I play myself; the world champion fighter, I guess. I don't know the script yet, it was a preliminary meeting. In April, Jean-Claude is going to come to Russia; to Moscow and St. Petersburg. Press conferences are planned, and he also wants to train with me. As for my agreement to participate in the project, I'd like to do it and it would be interesting too.

Interviewer: Fedor, could you tell us more about the Paris seminar? What interests French fight fans?

Fedor: It was a four-hour seminar; practical stuff in a 130-person class. It was not only professional fighters, but also people who didn't really know anything about sports. The different kinds of strikes, different elements of fighting... the participants were interested in everything: Striking with hands and legs, tactics, ground control...

Interviewer: Literally, once you left France, you went on a visit to South Korea. What was the basic purpose of this trip?

Fedor: I was invited by the president of the world Sambo Federation, Mr. Moon, to do a seminar on sambo. That is, with the purpose of popularizating sambo. I did a sambo demonstration with Alexander and my coach Vladimir Voronym, then a seminar.

Interviewer: What are your strongest memories of the trip?

Fedor: It was amazing how popular fights are in Korea. I found out some of my fights, along with others, are broadcast almost every day. And talking to Mr. Moon, the head of the Sambo Federation, I am the most popular fighter here. I was so well known just to go out on the street was impossible. People were simply going crazy for us. The most memorable part? Being presented with a new car. We went up a TV tower, where we had a huge panoramic view of all of Seoul. Visiting an orphanage. Visiting a temple where we were the guests of a tea ceremony. But the most pleasant was how the Koreans receive visitors. I have brought such a big quantity of gifts that at the airport, my luggage was overweight by more than 100 kg (220 pounds). The most popular gift was a kind of ginseng root in different varieties. The kind on a straw mat was especially pleasant, the ginseng has been very interestingly presented and scented on the grasses.

Interviewer: After returning from Korea, you had the operation on your hand. How did it go? What did the doctors say? How soon can you fight again?

Fedor: My operation was on January 26th. The doctors broke the bone, then set it correctly, and it's all held together with a small metal plate. You can see it all in the x-rays. The doctors are satisfied by the result. I will do another operation to remove the plates. Right now, my hand is definitely not capable of doing much. For 2-3 weeks, even running is impossible for me, let alone lifting weights...

Interviewer: Someone helps you to get dressed and eat?

Fedor: No, I do it myself. Though it is very unusual to do everything with my left hand. It's inconvenient. I tried to write with my left hand, but at the moment it's impossible to do, too awkward. Eating is difficult, but I have almost learned to use chopsticks with the left hand perfectly. It's much easier than with a fork and spoon... But I hope that after the 2-3 weeks when they remove the plaster, I will be able to slowly start using the right again.

Interviewer: What do you plan to do during the rehabilitation period?

Fedor: As I said before, in February I shall go with my brother to Holland, then a couple of days layover in St. Petersburg for the doctors will look at the hand. After that, I'll fly to Japan, since I was invited to the PRIDE event. I will go to the PRIDE events as a spectator. At the beginning of April, I meet with Van Damme. I've been asked to do seminars in Korea again. In June-July, I plan to do seminars in America.

Paulo Filho

Brazilian magazine 'Tatame' reports that Paulo Filho will participate in the PRIDE 183-pound GP, which will take place later this year.

Antonio Silva (center)

The Cagewarriors promotion announced the matchup of Antonio Silva vs. Tadas Rimkevi for their card on March 25th. The matchup will be a super heavyweight title fight.

Royce Gracie

Royce Gracie was recently interviewed by FightDVD. Here's what Royce had to say:


Interviewer: Being the son of the great Helio Gracie did you start learning Jiu-Jitsu from an early age?

Royce: Yes. As soon as we started to walk we started to learn. I have 3 boys and a girl. The youngest boy is three years old and he has already done three demonstrations.

Interviewer: Were you very competitive with your brothers growing up?

Royce: Yeah, right now I am still very competitive. I like a challenge, tell me what I can't do?

Interviewer: At what age did you start competing and how successful were you?

Royce: I started competing in tournaments back in Brazil when I was seven years old and was most successful with the grappling tournaments, now I best with the no hold bars tournament. The best thing I have learnt from my father is not to be lazy, so I have a lot of discipline, I know what has to be done and I just get up and do it.

Interviewer: How did the other children at school react to you being from the famous Gracie Family?

Royce: I've never had trouble. I've never had a fight on the streets. I've not got a short fuse and I've never punch someone in the face outside the ring. I've never hurt anyone, I probably wouldn't be a fighter but the world is not perfect!

Interviewer: Did you always want to be involved in martial arts or did you have other career aspirations?

Royce: As a kid you always want to do something else and be a snowboarder, a policeman, a fireman. Getting involved and growing up watching people to martial arts, especially Jiu-Jitsu, you get involved and it becomes natural, by sixteen years old I was teaching class and teaching other kids. Being around it was so natural for us, to my brothers, my cousins and myself.

Interviewer: In the early 1980s you moved to California - what prompted that move?

Royce: I actually moved to California to help my brother baby-sit his kids. I was about 17-18 and we would teach classes out of the garage. I then started to help him out teaching classes and we got busier and busier, so we then opened up the main school.

Interviewer: Was it hard adapting when you couldn't speak any English?

Royce: I'm very open to travel. I didn't know where to go and how to speak the language or have any friends. But I can travel anywhere. I can travel anywhere and I don't mind, as I love the open road.

Interviewer: You achieved black belt status in Jiu-Jitsu when you were 18, was this a proud moment for you and your family?

Royce: It was actually about the time I came to American. I had been competing for black belt, and right before I came over my brother signed me up for a black belt tournament and I took it. I don't look at it as much of a promotion or a big deal. A belt only covers two inches of your behind, the rest, you've got to back it up on your own and you've got to know what you are doing. A lot of people are very concerned about moving me up and getting promoted. I understand this for kids, as it is encouragement for them. You can't only do a martial art because they want to build, you've got to know what you are doing.

Interviewer: What led to the '$100,000 Gracie Challenge' and did anyone ever collect the $100,000?

Royce: It wasn't really a $100,000 challenge. My brother had a big problem with one of the big American kick boxers. Somebody was going to do the commentary for the chapter and they called my brother, and asked if he wanted to face him. He said that he would face any one in MMA. My brother had already faced him before and beat him before. He told them to ask him if they knew who he was facing as he should know who he is facing. Billy the Judd pretending he didn't know 'I don't know who the Gracie's are' so they made a bet to put a $100,000 down each and fight for something. Billy the Judd backed down on that he didn't want to put his money down so instead put his belt against the $100,000 and said if my brother won he would become the World Champion in Kick Boxing. My brother doesn't know kickboxing, he would give his belt to my brother and if my brother would have to lose he would have to give him a $100,000.

Interviewer: In 1993 the first UFC event took place, why were you chosen to represent the Gracie Family?

Royce: Maybe because I was the best looking one!! Because I was on the split of the weight division, I wasn't too big and I was too light. I had brothers that could have done the same thing. I had brothers who were built smaller than me, some were bigger than me, but I was 178 pounds and having someone this weight beating someone who was 240 pound, that was much more impressive than someone of 200 pounds beating someone of 240 pounds. The smaller brother could have probably done the same thing but it would have taken him a little longer. At the end of the day I was at the top of the weight divisions to represent us.

Interviewer: After beating Art Jimmerson you faced Ken Shamrock in the semi-finals - seen as the underdog by many, did you go into that fight expecting victory?

Royce: I always expect victory, if I didn't expect the victory I wouldn't get in the fight. If I knew I was going to lose I wouldn't fight. I think that was probably Ken Shamrocks worse fighting loss over there. When I beat him he was a very tough opponent but I beat him in 56 seconds.

Interviewer: You faced and beat Savate World Champion Gerard Gordeau in the final, how did it feel to become the first ever Ultimate Fighting Champion?

Royce: I trained for that, I'm not trying to be arrogant but I trained for that day so it wasn't like "oh my god I won, I'm so surprised that I won" I wasn't. That is what I have trained for. Sometimes I see guys celebrate like they didn't expect to win, if you don't expect to win, what are you doing here. We are professional fighters, this is what you should be training for. I look at victory as another day.

Interviewer: You went on to win UFC 2 and looked en route to another final at UFC 3, maybe against old perennial foe Ken Shamrock, but neither of you made it to the final though neither of you lost in the Octagon - what happened on that night?

Royce: I had dehydration after one of my matches and I went into my next fight but I couldn't see a thing, I was practically passed out. So I think that's why I couldn't continue. Ken Shamrock actually never won a UFC tournament. He only won single matches.

Interviewer: You won your 3rd UFC crown at UFC 4 and then drew with Ken Shamrock at UFC 5. After this you took a long break from competitive MMA - why was this?

Royce: Because I was under contract with the UFC and after the UFC 5 they started to change the rules. Once they changed the rules, I said, 'I'm not interested in fighting with you anymore.' They shortened time limits and putting the gloves on us. I mean, it broke my heart for a while, what they were doing with the sport that my family created, so I stepped out and waited for the other contract to expire. Plus when I got an offer from Japan, I was like, 'OK, let's try this again.'

Interviewer: In 1999 Kazushi Sakuraba defeated your brother Royler at PRIDE 8. However, much controversy surrounded the end of this match and many believe the fight should never have been stopped, as it was just mere seconds from the final bell when the fight was stopped and awarded to Sakuraba. What are your memories of this fight?

Royce: Three seconds before they ended the fight, they stopped the match. If the fight ended with no one getting up, it would be a draw. They assumed my brother was in danger. He was never in danger. They are biased sometimes in Japan. He just wanted to fight.

Interviewer: In 2000 you entered the PRIDE Grand Prix and insisted on altering the rules such that there would be no time limits and no referee stoppage - were you fearful of another premature stoppage in any of your fights and in particular against Kazushi Sakuraba?

Royce: Well prefer it without the referees, without any rules, let the fighters decide who's the best fighter. Instead, they leave a fight up to a judge. A judge or referee can win or lose the game in any sport.

Interviewer: You met Sakuraba in the semi finals in a fight that lasted 90 minutes. The end of the fight came when your brother threw in the towel and the win was awarded to Sakuraba. Were you disappointed not to win this fight?

Royce: The round before the break, he kicked my shin. It was a partial penalty. When I fell in the corner and I told my brother and my father, 'I'm doing my job, I want you guys to do your job. Tell me what to do now. I can get up, but I cannot walk. What should I do?' If you are injured you are injured and that's when they through the towel in.

Interviewer: Kazushi Sakuraba went on to beat Renzo and Ryan Gracie and would call himself the Gracie Hunter. How did your family react to this?

Royce: Well, it was actually a compliment because he learned from us. Like every fighter out there, in one-way or the other, they learned from us. Before we came around and made history and created the NHB shows, there was no Sakuraba. He had to learn how to fight, learn from books and DVD's and learn from students of ours. So directly he learnt from us. We had a big influence. Any fighter that says we didn't have an influence on training or fighting styles is a liar. We weren't selfish. We shared our techniques with the world. That's why I travelled all over the world teaching. If I wanted to keep the techniques to myself, I wouldn't teach anybody. I would just keep winning and not show anybody the techniques that I use. Tomorrow, they're going to be younger, stronger, better. If they win, hey, to me, it's a compliment.

Interviewer: In November 2003, at UFC's 10th Anniversary show (UFC 45), along with Ken Shamrock you were the first inductees to the UFC Hall of Fame - how did that feel and how did you feel being inducted with Ken?

Royce: I told them, 'Please don't think I'm going to retire, because I'm not.' It felt like when you get to the Hall of Fame that you're all washed up and retired. I told them, 'Nah-uh. I'm still going to fight guys.'


Interviewer: After a second break you returned to PRIDE in December 2003 where you went to a time limit draw against judo Olympic silver medallist Hidehiko Yoshida. Being dominant for much of the match do you ever regret not having this match judged under standard PRIDE rules where you would probably have been awarded the victory?

Royce: Well, the rules are that if I would to like to, I could take the judges out, and leave the fighters to decide the fight. If there were no judge decision, it would have been a draw because no one quit. If you ever watch the fight, he never hit me, and I sent him to the hospital. So you fight for 20 minutes and don't take one punch and you send your opponent to the hospital, he could barely get up at the end of the fight. That tells you about the fight, it wasn't exactly a fight, it was a beating.

Interviewer: In December 2004 you faced the 220 KG Sumo champion Akebono - how did you prepare to face such a large opponent and were you surprised at how quickly you won?

Royce: I wasn't surprised at all and I actually told my brothers and my coaches that I was going to beat him in less than 5 minutes. They were yelling at me for that. 'Don't be cocky! Don't be so over-confident!' I said, 'Guys, I have his address. I just have to go make a delivery.' I told them after the fight, 'I told you I could beat him in less than 5.'

Interviewer: How did you prepare for the fight?

Royce: Training with 2-3 guys together on top of me.

Interviewer: Your last fight was a time limit draw in PRIDE against Hideo Tokoro and your next fight is against UFC Welterweight Champion Matt Hughes - how will you prepare for this fight and will you be wearing your characteristic Jiu-Jitsu gi?

Royce: In the UFC you're not allowed to use the gi. Preparing for the fight the schedules pretty much the same. The training's going to be a little bit different, so just different opponent, different strategy. There's a lot of new strategy for the next one. It's definitely going to be a challenge because he's been dominating that weight division for a while. I like a challenge. I really look forward to a challenge.

Interviewer: Are you going to beat him in under 5 minutes?

Royce: I cannot tell you that yet. You got to get closer. I will tell you that in a couple of weeks.

Interviewer: Is there anybody in MMA today that you would like to face and why?

Royce: Been there, done that! It's a question of who the promoters think will be a good challenge.

Interviewer: How do you see MMA has changed since the first days of UFC?

Royce: In the beginning it was style against the style. Today, it is fighter against fighter, man against man. Today, everyone is so cross-trained.

Interviewer: What is you opinion of the following fighters... Ken Shamrock...

Royce: Sore loser Hah-hah!

Interviewer: Kazushi Sakuraba...

Royce: Very smart fighter.

Interviewer: Chuck Liddell...

Royce: Very tough opponent.

Interviewer: Matt Hughes...

Royce: Tough opponent.

Interviewer: Randy Couture...

Royce: Great fighter.

Interviewer: Mauricio 'Shogun' Rua...

Royce: Very good, one of the number ones out there. Up-and-coming, tough opponent.

Interviewer: Emelianenko Fedor...

Royce: The champion.

Interviewer: Tito Ortiz...

Royce: Very tough, good guy.

Interviewer: What do you consider your greatest fight in your professional MMA career?

Royce: I would say against Akebono.

Interviewer: Is there anything left in MMA that you still want to achieve?

Royce: Been there, done that! I've done it all. I just want to make my business successful... I'm working on it, I've got a mate running a company over here in England, I'm pushing it hard over here in England.

Martin Rooney

The following instructional techniques are courtesy of Gracie Magazine:


Mental Toughness
Martin helps you train your mind

by Martin Rooney


A number of years ago, a sports psychologist I worked with asked me to define mental toughness for him. Strangely enough, the concept of mental toughness seems easy to think, but very difficult to define. I came up with a number of different thoughts on mental toughness for him, but none were a solid description. Over the last few months, I have been meeting with different high level athletes and trainers, trying to better understand the problem, but no one had one clear answer. During my time here as a trainer, I have seen many of us experiment with the concept of mental toughness on the athletes. Over this time, I have tried to develop tests and certain sessions around the concept of mental toughness to not only help the athlete to understand it, but for me to get a better picture as well. Through this, meeting with athletes and trainers on the subject as well as reading a number of books on the subject, I have come to some general conclusions about this type of training. Mental toughness is a personal, persevering decision. You can view this in an athlete's desire to continue exercise, even when passing through higher and higher levels of fatigue. When I began to experiment with athletes and myself with fatigue, I came to see some interesting results. I used to believe that everything about fatigue could be defined physiologically. I used to watch the kids on the track and almost invision the physiological mechanisms that were running out to stop the athlete from performing.

There are 4 physiological mechanisms of fatigue that I am concerned with. Depletion of the energy systems, inadequacy of the circulatory and respiratory systems, body temperature elevation, and dehydration can all lead to fatigue. As I read more about these mechanisms I saw that all of them had their shortcomings. How do I then explain the marathon runner that can run 4 minute mile pace with a heart rate of 200? How do I explain the man who, at risk of death, was able to tread water for 40 hours until he was rescued? How do you watch a fighter continue for over an hour and never give in? Surely their systems would of run out. Further still, how do I explain the fact that other racers in that marathon had the same potential physiologically, but couldn't keep up? Or what about the other two treaders that could not stay above water and were lost at sea? Why does the fighter who is still fresher than his opponent just give up? There is one explanation. Mental toughness stems from the interaction of the mind and the body.

Mental toughness can be seen as desire or willpower. I have watched athletes persevere through levels of pain that others are not willing to endure. These athletes all have a level of excellence set much higher than that of other athletes. I noticed from my conversations with elite athletes that they all had the wisdom of delayed gratification. They were all ready to pay the price hard now, for the prize that might even rest years from now. The interesting part was that the prize was very different for all the athletes. I think it is very important for the athlete to know themselves and to know what it is they are really after.

I asked a top level track and field athlete how he could be ranked top 10 in the world for the last 6 years, but could never crack the top five. His answer was interesting. He believed he had the talent and the skill to be number one in the world, but at that moment whenever it was time, mentally, there was something missing. He felt that during his upbringing in this country that his mom would console him too much. For instance, she would bake a cake when things didn't go well and show him everything would be alright. The top athlete in his event for the last 8 years, he contended, was from a brutally tough country in which you fought for everything you ever had. This was the mental edge he had all his life that made the difference.

I spoke with a nationally recognized speaker at length about the topic of mental training and he also had an interesting story to add. When he was a child he was being chased by a big dog in the neighborhood. When he got to his house, there were 8 steps that he had to clear to get inside safe. He said without even thinking he hit the bottom step perfectly, and made the jump. He thought about this even up to the present day 40 years later and didn't think he could have ever made that leap again. He believed that it is a sense of necessity that drives the athlete to super performance. Something inside the athlete, whether it is his need to win, his life is at stake, money, or the applause of the crowd, the necessity is there. This is what the athlete must decide for himself and believe in it. Without some need, the athlete eventually will not succeed at the highest level. Interesting studies have been performed on sedentary and professional athletes and their ability to withstand exertion. Sedentary people always gave up early, with no signs of really approaching any true fatigue. The professional athletes, on the other hand, were able to withstand huge amounts of work and continue to go on.

This tells me that mental toughness is learned and it can be trained just like any other skill. To get to a higher level you must continually push the envelope of your own limits. The best athletes have a great ability to do this. Jerry Rice, one of the best receivers in the NFL is a great example of this. In his training, Jerry runs up a mountain every morning before he starts his training for the day. Other athletes from the NFL would come and try to train with Jerry because he was the best in the league. Upon trying to run the mountain, none of the athletes could make it and they would invariably go home because they could not compete. What was a regular day for Jerry, other athletes were not prepared for. His level of toughness was so much higher, it can be said this was probably a big factor in his success as a pro athlete.

Now, you might be saying, "Where is he going with this stuff?" Hopefully, you have a much better idea of the mental aspects of training as well as learn to better understand something about yourself. Now you must see that beside the training you have been doing so far in your sessions, there has to be a portion that focuses on the mental development as an athlete. There is something to be said about a "brutally hard" session, but an athlete must be shown the value of what they are learning from it. An athlete working so hard he is puking is not good. An athlete being shown the value of learning how to go to the next level in the training, and that he may eventually become a better athlete from it may respond more positively.

Different bits of advice can be given to the kids in different ways. Test yourself in drills and examine the value of what you have accomplished. Do not become a self fulfilling prophecy with words like "I can't" during the last few minutes of the session. You can even begin the session with the message to yourself that you are going to be here for one hour. That hour is a gift. You can do the most with it, or squander it and the hour will still eventually be over. What happens during that hour is the accomplishment, or the let down. Get yourself to believe that a little on top of a little eventually becomes a lot.

Finally, I will leave you with a quote from a poster I hung in my room when I was in college. The poster is one of the great Russian Greco-Roman wrestler Alexander Karelin. He is throwing a huge 300-pound man in the air, and the quote below him reads, "I train harder everyday of my life than you will ever train one day in your life".

This is the epitome of mental toughness training.

The IFL officially announced the four coaches for their debut MMA teams. The IFL will hold its first event on April 29th at the Trump Taj Mahal in Atlantic City, New Jersey. Below is the list of coaches and their teams.


Coach and team:
Bas Rutten (West Coast-based Anacondas)
Renzo Gracie (New York Pitbulls)
Pat Miletich (Iowa Silverbacks)
Maurice Smith (Tigersharks)

Vanderlei Silva

Vanderlei Silva recently did a Q&A with Brazilian MMA fans on the Brazilian website portaldovt.com.br. Here's what Vanderlei had to say (translation by Ricardo Alonso):


Question: In a recent interview, Charles Bennett said he knocked you out in the backstage of PRIDE. What do you have to say about his claims? What really happened?

Vanderlei: What really happened was that Bennett was staring at Cristiano Marcelo in a disrespectful way. I said to Cristiano that he can't let this happen, and that he has to fight him. Then they both clinched, Bennett got Cristiano down, and Cristiano triangled him. He was nice to Bennett, though, because I was telling him to punch him before Bennett starts sleeping, but he didn't and just put him to sleep. We were all there in the dressing room, but it was a fair fight. There was no cowardly actions of everyone jumping him; the fight was allowed to go one-on-one. Afterwards master Rudimar woke him up and we asked him to leave.

Question: Do you want a rematch against Vitor Belfort? what do you think of fighting him in the PRIDE Open Weight GP?

Vanderlei: I would like very much to fight him. I'm waiting for him to gain the right to fight me.

Question: Is there any fighter you would like to fight more than anyone else?

Vanderlei: Chuck Liddell. He talks too much, and I know I can make a good fight with him.

Question: Which fight was the hardest of your career?

Vanderlei: Dan Henderson. I was actually supposed to fight Belfort on that card. Henderson replaced him in the last minute.

Question: What about Mark Hunt, are you ready to fight him again?

Vanderlei: That was a good fight. I had just fought Jackson in November. Then I trained to fight Sakuraba, traveled to fight Nakamura or Tamura, and two days before the event they offered me twice to fight Hunt, and I accepted it.

Question: How did you win the decision against Arona when the only thing you did was two sprawls and those pointless kicks? You got taken down several times, your guard got passed, and you bled. Do you really think you won? Don't you think your star status in Japan weighed heavily in that split decision?

Vanderlei: Everybody is entitled to their opinion. I respect yours, and when I watch the fight I see that I won. I think I was more aggressive, I defended the takedowns, and I landed good strikes. When he passed my guard, it was only because I was attacking because the round was coming to an end!

Question: I once read that the top fighters purse in PRIDE was around USD$300,000. Is this true?

Vanderlei: That was two years ago, now it's a lot more.

Question: What do you think about Rogerio Minotoro's performance? He has greatly improved his boxing. Would you like to fight him in the future?

Vanderlei: I would like to fight him, I think his style matches with mine. But I want to fight his brother; it'd the same kind of fight, except that it would be a bigger profile fight in Japan.

Question: Is it true that before you fought Vitor Belfort, you said he wouldn't last five minutes with you?

Vanderlei: Sometimes we make mistakes. I would've liked that. I wanted to be the winner... but today would be totally different!

Question: Does drug testing really exist in MMA, or is it just a myth?

Vanderlei: Drug tests are performed before the fight. Every fighter urinates in a small cup before and after the fight.

Question: Georges St-Pierre or B.J. Penn?

Vanderlei: B.J. Penn for sure...

Mauricio "Shogun" Rua

The Brazilian media reports that Mauricio 'Shogun' Rua will need surgery on the elbow that he injured during his fight against Mark Coleman, and he may be out of action for up to six months.

According to examination results, Shogun dislocated and fractured the elbow, and also ruptured all the ligaments in the elbow.

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

by Josh Grossman

Judge Valerie Adair of the Nevada District Court ruled against granting the preliminary injunction sought by Zuffa.

Judge Adair did extend the temporary restraining order against the International Fight League (IFL), but also barred Zuffa from using the extension of the temporary restraining order in further business dealings between now and the March 15th hearing. This was done so that Zuffa will not be able to use the injunction as a competitive weapon to harrass the IFL.

Former-boxercise-instructor-turned-UFC-president Dana White and UFC chief Operating Officer/general council Kirk Hendrick attended Thursday's hearing on the plaintiff's side, while IFL founders Gareb Shamus and Kurt Otto, as well as former Zuffa employees Keith Evans and Steven Tornabene, sat on the defendant's side of the aisle.

Adair opened the 40-minute hearing with general comments regarding where proceedings stood and set the table for the litigants' representatives to address her concerns.

Addressing Zuffa's contention that valuable trade secrets were purposely taken by former Zuffa and current IFL employees Keith Evans and Steven Tornabene, Adair declared: "Truthfully, it seems a little unlikely to me that this information is something that these gentlemen, Mr. Evans and Mr. Tornabene, would have just had as part of their job and working at home, nights, what have you."

As for the scope of what Zuffa claims are "trade secrets," Adair made it clear that she had no problem figuring out the target demographic for an Ultimate Fighting patron, one of the broad assertions outlined by the Las Vegas-based promoter in its complaint.

Adair told the court: "When this came in, my law clerk came to my office and she said 'OK, how old do you think the average [Ultimate Fighting patron] is?' I got every single one correct except for the age, which I guessed was a 24-year old male as opposed to a 26- [to] 30-year-old male. And so, you know, I don't know that a lot of this - let's face it, we're not talking about the secret ingredient to Pepsi."

Unless both parties can come to a satisfactory arrangement regarding said order prior to March 15th, both parties could be back in the Eighth Judicial District Court for a status check on the order.

Hello. My name is Raymond A. Mardo III. Most people simply call me, 'raymardo'.

Thank you for stopping here to see how I took down the UFC. This is not an attempt to brag. It is merely to show that the little guy need not be afraid of the big guy, even if it is the big guy's job to kick ass for a living! When you are right and prepared, you will win.

The UFC needed to prove three key points in their case against me. The one which proved to be their downfall was:


Registering the domain name with bad intentions.
This could not be proved by the UFC or it's high powered attorneys because it was not true. I never tried to sell the URL for profit. I also registered the domain name two full years before the new owners of the UFC, Zuffa LLC, even bought the fledging and financially challenged company. I had interest in the UFC before Zuffa.

What follows is a press release outlining most of the details of this case between the UFC and myself. I hope you enjoy the results of this case.


- FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE -

For Additional Information Contact:

Ray Mardo at

LGRE (973) 703 3568

No Kill Date

Screenwriting DJ Wins Ultimate Fighting Championship

Ray Mardo, a professional DJ and screenwriter is a former freestyle wrestling champion who has recently scored a major victory over the UFC, an international no holds barred fighting organization that has served as the launching pad for professional wrestlers Ken Shamrock, Dan "The Beast" Severn, and Tank Abbott into the WWE & WCW.

The UFC attempted to wrestle the domain name "ultimatefightingchampionship.com" away from Mardo but appears to have been choked out by Mardo, the savvy screenwriting DJ who is in negotiations with Hollywood makeup artist Louis Lazzara about the movie rights to this interesting tale of a former amateur wrestler who defeats an international no holds barred fighting organization.

"I registered ultimatefightingchampionship.com after interviewing Vince Mcmahon's daughter, Stephanie, and speaking with WWE champion and 1996 Olympic gold medallist, Kurt Angle," says Mardo. "Like myself, Kurt wrestled in amateur tournaments. I decided to put together tournaments for professional wrestlers and have all of the winners face each other in a tournament called the ultimate fighting championship. Ultimate fighting is a generic term that means; no holds barred. It's basically hardcore professional wrestling."

At this time Mardo also registered the domain names extremechampionshipwrestling.com and worldchampionshipwrestling.com, since both of the WWE's competitors, ECW & WCW, were on the verge of bankruptcy and were looking to sell their organizations. Ray saw it as a way of giving former wrestlers from these organizations the opportunity to compete in his ultimate fighting championship tournament.

"The UFC was struggling financially and was sold by Rob Meyrowitz to Zuffa, LLC. Rob had no interest in the domain name so I bought it well before Zuffa purchased the UFC and had it for nearly two years before they filed an internet domain name dispute against my company," adds Mardo. "Today's wrestling scene is radically different then it was years ago. The WWE employs the now defunct ECW's former owner, Paul Heyman and they bought WCW from Ted Turner. These two events changed my plans for the wrestling tournaments and I was considering transferring the name to Zuffa, but when they tried to intimidate me, I decided to apply a submission hold and make them tap out."

With his big victory over the UFC, Mardo is at work on the screenplay for the movie. "Hollywood sees this as the classic tale of the big guy with money and strength trying to bully the little guy around. It's an abuse of power. Sometimes the underdog can win if he is right and is prepared," Mardo stated with smile. "This is a story of motivation for the average Joe. I feel like Rocky Balboa. Yo Adrian, I did it!"

Mardo is also scheduled to set a DJ world record for Guiness, and has his second cd is coming out soon possibly through Dave Sanchez at Madonna's old boyfriend's label; Jellybean Records.


You can view the results of Zuffa, LLC vs. LGRE Ray Mardo by clicking
here


# # #

There it is. If this helps anyone then I'm glad.

Wishing you success,

Raymond A. Mardo III

Discuss this at Fightsport.com

Mark Hunt

Mark Hunt was recently interviewed after his recent victory by the PRIDE website. Here's what Hunt had to say:


Interviewer: Any damage?

Hunt: Some small injuries but nothing big.

Interviewer: Where?

Hunt: I got some injuries from training. I've got some small injuries in my ribs and arm.

Interviewer: What do you think about Nishijima's punches?

Hunt: His punches were strong. His heart was even stronger.

Interviewer: Why do you think his heart was strong?

Hunt: Because he fought straight up, without running away.

Interviewer: Was that knee drop your secret weapon?

Hunt: Not really.

Interviewer: Spur of the moment kind of thing?

Hunt: I just thought of it.

Interviewer: You tried to go for an armbar.

Hunt: I tried several times but I wasn't able to get it.

Interviewer: Did you learn joint locks when you were training in jiu-jitsu with Einemo?

Hunt: I learned the kimura lock.

Interviewer: Why did you start striking midway even though you've been learning joint locks?

Hunt: I was confident in my boxing so I thought I'd try to change it up.

Interviewer: Did it feel good to fight someone in his PRIDE debut?

Hunt: I just wanted to fight. I wasn't thinking of that.

Interviewer: How do Nishimura's strikes compare to those of Silva and Mirko?

Hunt: I think he's a good fighter compared to those two.

Interviewer: Any expectations for the Open Weight Grand Prix?

Hunt: I definitely want to fight in the Grand Prix. If I'm going to fight, I want to win.

Interviewer: Who do you want to fight?

Hunt: Everyone in the Grand Prix will be a strong fighter so anybody will be fine.

Interviewer: Nishijima hit you with several lefts. Did any hurt you?

Hunt: My hands hurt more than my head or my body.

Interviewer: Do your hands hurt from being hit?

Hunt: They hurt from me hitting him.

Interviewer: How does he compare to K-1 fighters?

Hunt: I think he's a good fighter compared to K-1 fighters.

Interviewer: Who would you compare him to specifically?

Hunt: There are many strikers in the world so I can't decide on one.

Interviewer: Nishijima's punches didn't hurt?

Hunt: No, they didn't hurt.

Interviewer: Will you continue to train with Einemo?

Hunt: Yes. I'd like to get some fighters to come to my country to train. I don't have a team so I think it would be good if I made my own team.

Rodrigo "Minotauro" Nogueira

Below is a list of fighters that the Japanese media is saying will most likely be participating on the PRIDE Open Weight GP card on May 5th:


Unofficially confirmed:
Rodrigo 'Minotauro' Nogueira
Mark Hunt
Vanderlei Silva
Mirko 'Cro Cop' Filipovic
Fabricio Werdum
Mark Coleman
Josh Barnett
Ricardo Arona
Alistair Overeem
Dan Henderson
James Thompson
Hidehiko Yoshida
Kazushi Sakuraba
Tsuyoshi Kohsaka
Ikuhisa Minowa

Will participate if recovered from injury:
Fedor Emelianenko

Possible but not confirmed:
Mauricio 'Shogun' Rua
Sergei Kharitonov
Alexander Emeliananenko
Roman Zentsov

Shimura Funaki reports the complete story of the recent arrests of top yakuza in relation to their extortion attempt on the 2003 Inoki 'Bom Ba Ye' show:


"On March 3rd, four top members of Japan's Yamaguchi-gumi crime syndicate were arrested in relations to events surrounding the Inoki Bom-Ba-Ye show that took place on December 31st, 2003, at the Kobe Wing stadium.

The arrests made were in relation to events concerning Mirko 'Cro Cop' Filipovic's non-appearance on the event, and also attempts to stop Fedor Emelianenko from working the show. Yamaguchi-gumi is Japan's largest crime syndicate.

According to the Yomiuri Shimbun, the President of the promotional company, Seiya Kawamata, receieved death threats from three of the men arrested after he booked Fedor Emelianenko on to the 2003 card. This led to Kanagawa and Shizuoka Police arresting the top members of Yamaguchi-gumi who were involved in making the threats. According to the police investigation, four yakuza members in December of 2003 used the excuse that there was another contract in place for foreign fighters, then made threats and extorted the promoter of the Inoki Bom-ba-ye show not to use PRIDE heavyweight champion Fedor Emelianenko in their event. The yakuza also supposedly attempted to extort proceeds of the TV broadcast contract and other cash.

This event is surrounded by civil legal proceedings from non-payment of cash amounts to foreign fighters, and also actions against the TV broadcaster. The promoter stated that he was held against his will and threatened prior to a press conference in relation to the event. The promoter lodged a criminal complaint with Kanagawa police due to the actions to the Yakuza who threatened him over the appearance of Fedor in the event.

In relation to the Inoki Bom-ba-ye show, Mirko 'Cro Cop' Filipovic was announced as not fighting and the promoter announced the participation of Fedor instead. The police state that the yakuza used illegal pressure in relation to these events.

On Nippon TV, Seiya Kawamata gave an interview and stated that he was threatened by Yamaguchi-gumi. They demanded 200 million yen from him because of using Fedor on the Inoki Bom-ba-ye 2003 show. Kawamata also appeared in a short TV interview on TV-Asahi.

Kyodo has an article on the news wire about three of the men who were arrested. They are as follows: 40-year old Kazutaka Sakamoto (arrested in Shizuoka), his 45-year old elder brother (no name is given), and 35-year old Fumiaki Koyama (unemployed man). Koyama was arrested in the Nakahara district of Kawasaki city in Kanagawa."

Ray Sefo (left) vs. Francois Botha.

K-1 New Zealand GP
March 5th, 2006
The Trusts Stadium
Auckland, New Zealand


Single fights:
Ray Sefo defeats Francois Botha by unanimous decision.
Peter Aerts defeats Semmy Schilt by majority decision.
Jay Hepi defeats Ben Edwards by majority decision.
Matt Samoa defeats Sydney Asiata by TKO at 3:00, RD 3.


K-1 New Zealand GP quarterfinals:
Poul Slowinski defeats Rony Sefo by unanimous decision.
Peter Graham defeats Badr Hari by KO at 2:54, RD 3.
Jason Suttie defeats Pola Mataele by majority decision.
Hiraku Hori defeats Cyril Abidi by TKO at 3:00, RD 2.

Semifinals:
Poul Slowinski defeats Peter Graham by KO at 1:42, RD 2.
Jason Suttie defeats Hiraku Hori by KO at 1:34, RD 3.

Final:
Poul Slowinski defeats Jason Suttie by KO at 1:45, RD 2.

Under K-1's new rules, Semmy Schilt (right) will not be able to use his powerful knee strikes.

The K-1 promotion have changed their rules, which now prohibit the clinch and the use of knees from the clinch.

Interestingly, knees from the clinch are the biggest weapons of current K-1 champion Semmy Schilt.

This is not the first time K-1 has seemingly tried to curtail Schilt. A few years back Schilt qualified for the K-1 World Finals, but was mysteriously left out of the finals by K-1 management.

Royce Gracie

Commentary by 'The Predator'


Don't Do It, Royce!

Royce Gracie, let me begin by stating that I definitely applaud the courage it takes to step into the cage against modern day professional cagefighters. After my epic wars in Rage In The Cage, I still retain the physical and mental battle scars stemming from being a fellow gladiator, so I know all too well exactly what sacrifices you are making. Despite competing in the once great UFC, which today is basically a glorified combination of KOTC and Toughman, I still respect you.

However, I also have some advice for you: pull out of the fight while you still can. I am not telling you this because you lack the ability to handle Matt Hughes in a fair fight, since I believe you would have an excellent chance against the submission prone arrogant hillbilly. Rather, I am telling you this because you lack the ability to defeat Hughes in a fight that is completely stacked against you.

Unfortunately, virtually every imaginable variable is against you. First and foremost is the selective rule enforcement by the UFC referees. As the short but extremely corrupt history of the third generation Italian-American Vegas casino owning family also known as Zuffa has shown, depending upon the organization's favored fighter, fights have been stopped and a fighter pronounced "knocked out" from arm slaps, paper cuts, flash knockdowns, and flailing weak arm punching flurries that fail to cause any real damage.

In contrast, when a Zuffa favored fighter is on the receiving end of the abuse, they can be beaten nearly to death without referee intervention. Also, the sort of rules that UFC poster boys are allowed to break run the gambit, ranging anywhere from eye gouging to fence grabbing.

In addition, when a Zuffa favorite is on top, standing the fight up is not a priority for the referees, while fights are quickly stood up when the situation is reversed. Royce, three 5-minute rounds with standups would be tough enough for you to land a submission, but along with quick and selective standups to favor Hughes as soon as he gets into trouble, your chances are virtually non-existent. One need look no further than the Sherk vs. Hughes fight to see exactly how far UFC refs will go in the realm of selective standups to protect their 170-pound posterboy. Or the Newton vs. Hughes first fight to see how being choked unconscious and having to be told that you won the fight equates to winning via TKO.

The NSAC judges in the UFC are perhaps the only aspect of Zuffa run shows not indicative of corruption, but that is because of incompetence, a dubious excuse if there ever was one. The UFC judges have shown an amazing amount of ignorance when it comes to the ground game, almost always ruling that the fighter on top wins, regardless of what else occurs. For example, the judges ruled Hughes beat Charuto in the first round of their fight, despite Hughes barely escaping several submission holds, and at one point, the purple-faced Team Stallitech fighter raised his hand to tap.

Finally, the ultimate string pullers behind the scenes stacking the deck against you are the people in the Zuffa regime, chiefly led by Fertitta fall guy and former Boxercise instructor Dana 'Napoleon Without The Brains' White. While undoubtedly you were impressed by his fighter's build, command of the English language, star status among the fans, and the intense staredown he gave you during contract negotiations, don't confuse those qualities with also accompanying the honor of professional cagefighters like us.

'BLAF' may have given you his word that the fight will be fair, but Dana has been caught lying numerous times. Whether it was his denial of a Fightsport.com Blog report that he would abolish the UFC Lightweight division, his multiple promises to Matt Lindland of a title shot, his denials of ever being a cardio boxing instructor, the documented and contradictory lies over how much he claims to have made as a bellboy in Boston, his denials of throwing a temper tantrum after Liddell's loss in PRIDE, his claims that PRIDE did not attempt to send him fighters in exchange for Liddell, his documented lies about his boxing career, or his reasons for banning the loyal MMA Media from his events, one thing is clear: Dana 'BLAF' White is a liar, and liars can't be trusted.

Much like with Ken Shamrock and 'Tank' Abbott, Dana White is trying to use the reputation and publicity you created in the SEG days to create buyrates for his poorly run MMA event, making sure that the refs and judges give Hughes all the help he needs to pull it off. From one cagefighter to another, my advice is to not fall for the trap and pull out of the fight. If you'd still like to take on some top level opponents, I'm sure I could use my reputation and status in the Arizona cagefighting community to help get you on a Rage In The Cage card, where UFC champ Ricco 'Fats' Rodriguez just got destroyed. Unlike in the UFC, in Arizona MMA, politics aren't allowed to interfere with the sport, and real warriors like you would be welcome.

Royce, after reading this, I hope you do the right thing. Do you really want the last image in your illustrious UFC career to consist of being arm slapped for a quick ref stoppage loss?

UFC 58: 'USA vs. Canada'
March 4th, 2006
Mandalay Bay Events Center
Las Vegas, NV


Rich Franklin defeats David Loiseau by unanimous decision.
Mike Swick defeats Steve Vigneault by guillotine choke at 2:09, RD 1.
Georges St-Pierre defeats B.J. Penn by split decision.
Nathan Marquardt defeats Joe Doerksen by unanimous decision.
Mark Hominick defeats Yves Edwards by armbar at 1:52, RD 2.
Sam Stout defeats Spencer Fisher by split decision.
Jason Lambert defeats Rob MacDonald by keylock at 1:54, RD 1.
Tom Murphy defeats Icho Larenas by TKO at 1:59, RD 3.