JACK BRATCHER’S UFC 81 PLAY BY PLAY
Posted on | February 3, 2008 | 1 Comment
FIGHT 1
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Tyson Griffon vs. Gleison Tibau – both men come out swinging, a little feeling out but meeting in the center of the ring. Tyson has a feeling out jab working. that’s actually a great technique that so few use. clinched, knees by Griffin. clinched. elbow by Griffon, good kick to the body by Tyson. banging by Tyson. Tyson is bringing it. this sucker is gonna get another fight of the night. Tyson is gonna end up bein the richest man in MMA with all his bonuses if he keeps this up. i don’t think the guy can fight a boring fight…not possible. Tyson banging in the center of the ring and Gleison had enough of it and shoots for a takedown. clinched. great round and great effort from both fighters. Tyson is an exciting fighter. Gleison has a 27-3 record i believe.
rd 2 – Tyson with that feeling out jab again. clinched. exchanging punches in the center of the cage. Gleison gets a takedown on Tyson…looking for Tyson’s back….back to their feet. Tyson has thrown a number of front kicks. big right by Tyson. Tyson wants a KO. nice one by Gleison. leg kick by Tyson, another one. toe to toe exchanges punches and kicks by both over and over. Tyson still using that jab. Gleison gets another takedown but Tyson gets back up.
(Barry Bonds in the house)
rd 3 – Tyson has a win over Urijah Faber adn this fight reminds you why. he’s quick and very good stand up fighter as well as being able to get back to his feet easily. another takedown by Gleison. Tyson back to his feet again…he ate a few on the way up but nothing big. Tyson swinging for the fences. Gleison hits a body shot. Gleison takes him down but Tyson right back up. liver shot by Tyson. Tyson loks like he could take him out here if he keeps it up. nice body shots by Tyson really nice pinpoint accuracy. Rogan says liver shot ala Bas Rutten. foot stomps by Tyson. under a minute left. clinched in the corner. Gleison looking for a takedown. Tyson is brining a tremendous pace. goes to the judges and Tyson is jogging around the ring a couple of times. That dude is in phenomenal shape.
I give this fight EASILY to Tyson Griffin. all 3 judges score it 30-27 Tyson Griffin.
I CANNOT believe there were some booing fans…..I don’t know if they were booing because they gave it to Griffin or if they thought it was boring but that fight was by no means boring. Great fight.
They announced that Cheik Kongo will be facing Heath Herring at UFC 82. That should be a good fight and I think Kongo will rip Herring a new a-hole. Just my opinion.
FIGHT 2
Ricardo Almeida vs. Rob Yundt
Rob Yundt took this fight on 2 days notice when Alan Belcher got sick. Talk about knowing how to seize an opportunity.
Ricardo has a very quck style, very jumpy. He immediately gets a takedown on Rob. Ricardo got an arm in Guillotine on Yundt, Yundt stands up and does a complete flip to try and get Almeida off but only made it worse and has to tap…….the flip looked nice but did not help. Ricardo Almeida is one of only two people ever to submit Nate Marquardt.
How hard is it to do a flip while someone is hanging on your neck?? Geez….
FIGHT 2
Nate Marquardt vs. Jeremy Horn
It’s hard to believe these guys have never met. Two of the best submission artists in the game. Horn has over 100 professional fights with less than twenty losses. I’m REALLY looking forward to this fight. This is an awesome match up. Horn is one of the most respected fighters in all of mixed-martial arts. Horn has over 50 wins by submission. If you look at Horn’s physique it is very deceiving compared to most guys in the UFC. He’s not ripped. He has a smooth type build, tall and lanky, not an imposing figure. They clinch in the center. Marquardt takes Jeremy to his back. Marquardt landing some shots from the top. Back to their feet. Jeremy has taken some shots. Heemy went for a takedown but ends up on his back. Nate throws an elbow from the top. Back to their feet. Big knee by Marquardt. Elbow by Nate. I think Jeremy is hurt. He got hit hard. Damn….Jeremy almost had an oma-plata; a very high-skill ju-jitsu submission.
rd 2-Jeremy catches a kick and takes Nate to his back. Looks like Nate is cut over his eye. Back to their feet. Standing Guillotine by Nate Marquardt. It was fast and sick and almost ripped Jeremy’s head off. He had to tap or his neck would have snapped. Damn nasty.
FIGHT 3
David Heath vs. Tim Boetsch
Good right hand by Tim. Nice kicks by Tim. Tim looking good with nice front kicks and punches to the face. Leg kick by Tim. Tim Boetsh is a Jeet Kun Do practicioner. Another front kick by Boetsch. Big knees by Tim. Tim Boetsch just put a stop to David Heath with one of the most impressive finishes I have ever seen. Boetsch grabbed Heath in a muay-thai clinch and delivered some big knees over and over to Heath’s head then threw him to the ground like a sack of potatoes and rained down punches to the face until the ref had to stop it. Great finish!!
FIGHT 4
Brock Lesner vs. Frank Mir
Lesner immediately gets a takedown. Lesner hits Mir in the back of the head and gets one point taken away.
They start back in the middle……serious serious ground and pound from Brock…..Mir looks stunned. Mir is looking for submissions…grabs Brocks leg and gets and ankle lock. Lesnar taps. Wow what a great fight. Fast but great. Mir pulled it off man. Brazilian Ju-Jitsu still beats the biggest strongest man because you are putting your strength against a joint.
FIGHT 5
Tim Sylvia vs. Minotauro Nogueira
They are trading punches. Both are landing but Tim is defintely a better striker. Sylvia knocks Nogueira to the ground. Tim jumps on him but he needs to be careful. Tims tands up and Nogueira is up too. Tim gets him down. Tim with elbows. Tim gets out and stands up. Nog up. Trading punches again. Tim looking good. Nog has got his composure back. Round over.
rd 2- Fighters trade punches and Tim stuffs Nog’s takedown attempts. Tim got that round by a little.
rd 3.-Big right by Tim. Nog pulls guard…flips Tim over and gets Tim in a Guillotine.
Minotauro Nogeira is the new interim UFC Heavyweight Champion.
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Tags: Barry Bonds > bein > body > body shots > bratcher > cage > center > fences > fight > fight 1 > foot > Gonna > good kick > griffon > head > house > jab > Kongo > leg kick > MMA > nbsp > nice body > play by play > play fight > punches > richest man > RIGHT > ring > round > shot > stomps > submission > takedown > technique > Tyson > Urijah > Urijah Faber > Working
HOLLI HEARNE’S UFC 81 POST FIGHT REPORT
Posted on | February 3, 2008 | 1 Comment
UFC 81: Breaking Point results
By Holli Yargo Hearne
The UFC 81 card had some interesting match-ups. Nearly all the underdogs took wins, leaving the expected winners wondering what the heck happened.
Described by Joe Rogan as having a “badonkadonk,” Tyson Griffin, the only person to ever defeat WEC featherweight champion Urijah Faber, nearly handed Gleison Tibau his ass on a platter in UFC 81. Griffin’s stand-up was superior to his opponent’s and his take-down and submission defenses left the Brazilian with no tools to work with. To Tibau’s credit, he went the distance with the compact powerhouse, but when the third round ended, and after Griffin ran a few laps around the cage, it was the young Californian’s hand that was raised. Winner: underdog
New-comer Rob Yundt was in over his head against Renzo Gracie’s protégé Ricardo Almeida. Despite his confidence, Yundt found himself locked into a guillotine. The Alaskan tried to escape by slamming his opponent but the New York native took it on the shoulder, rolling Yundt on top of him while clamping the choke even tighter. Only 1:08 of the first round, the fight was stopped and Almeida was declared the winner. Winner: Almeida as expected.
Nate Marquardt pulled out something of an upset when he squared off with veteran submission artist Jeremy Horn. The two were neck and neck until, in the second round, Horn shot in for a takedown, inadvertently giving the younger fighter his neck for a guillotine choke for the W. Winner: underdog
In what was clearly the fight of the night, WWE superstar Brock Lesnar made his UFC debut against former heavyweight champion, Frank Mir. Mir made his mark on the octagon when he snapped big Tim Sylvia’s arm, leaving the nearly 7-footer with some extra hardware. Shortly afterwards, Mir was involved in a devastating motorcycle accident which nearly cost him his life. His heart for the sport was questionable upon his return to the cage but UFC 81 proved that Mir, now a WEC color commentator, is still in championship contention.
Round one opened with Lesnar throwing heavy hands—mostly because light hands couldn’t possibly be part of his triple XL glove-size repertoire. Seconds into the first round, Mir was on his back taking hammer fist punches to the face that had to feel like real sledge hammers raining down. Mir turned his head to avoid the blows, but Lesnar, in true amateur fashion, continued the onslaught, even punching Mir in the back of the head. This error in judgment led referee Steve Mazzigatti to call a time out, taking a point away from the giant of a wrestler. As it turned out, the point was irrelevant to the outcome. Lesnar put Mir on his back again but Mir turned on the jiu jitsu, sinking an ankle lock only a minute and half into the first round. Winner: underdog
In the main event, Tim Sylvia used his height advantage to punish Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira for two rounds. In the third round, the Pride vet turned on the heat, pulling off a guillotine choke tight enough to elicit an immediate tap from big Timmy. There was no real underdog in this event.
Other televised fights showed Chris “Lights Out” Lytle stealing new-comer Kyle Brady’s dreams of a successful UFC debut when, true to his moniker, he KO’d Brady only 33 seconds into the first round. Brady was so rocked, he pulled guard on referee Yves Levigne before realizing the fight was over. No win for the underdog here.
David Heath must be embarrassed after commenting that his advantage over another UFC first-timer, Tim Boetsch, was that Boetsch was a wrestler pretending to be a striker while he really was a striker. Unfortunately for Heath, Boetsch took the win by TKO just seconds before the end of round one. Heath, the real striker, is most notable for the bloody pounding he took from Renato Sobral and the extended choke which ended their fight which he received after other disrespectful comments he made about Babalu prior to their match. Sobral’s contract with the UFC was yanked following that bout. Winner: underdog…after only 10 days notice.
Rob Emerson out-boxed Keita Nakamura in a three round decision bout. Nakamura succeeded in his take-down attempts but failed to keep Emerson on the ground. By the middle of the second round, Nakamura no longer appeared to have any heart left. The former TUF contender was handed the unanimous decision victory. Winner: underdog.
The only untelevised fight was between Marvin Eastman and Terry Martin. While Martin could easily pass for Mike Tyson’s little brother, intimidating Eastman took him to the distance, securing a unanimous decision win. Again, no real underdog for this one.
DEVICTORIA TO TAKE ON DERRICK MOON ON FEBRUARY 8TH AT THE LEGENDARY BLUE HORIZON
Posted on | February 2, 2008 | No Comments
PHILADELPHIA (February 1ST, 2008)—Jr. Welterweight Lenny DeVictoria will now take on Derrick Moon in the main event of an eight bout card at The Legendary Blue Horizon in Philadelphia on Friday night February 8th.
DeVictoria was originally supposed to fight Carlos Cisneros. When Cisneros fell out, Moon jumped at the opportunity to fight at The Legendary Blue Horizon.
Moon, 12-15-1 with two knockouts is a mirror image of DeVictoria in terms of his ring ledger. Like DeVictoria, Moon has fought fighters with gaudy records and the combined records of the fifteen men who beat were 156-15-5.
DeVictoria, 10-10 with three knockouts is coming off the his grueling knockout over Elad Shmouel (18-1) last December 7th at The Legendary Blue Horizon
That fight was termed as the “PHILLY FIGHT OF THE YEAR FOR 2007” & can be viewed at:
http://www.legendarybluehorizon.com/video/interview_Dec_2007_svd.htm
The co-feature will be an “Old-School” Philly Middleweight battle between Gee Cullmer and Joe Christy,
Cullmer, 12-1 with three knockouts is a Legendary Blue Horizon favorite and will battle Christy who despite his record of 8-12-3 (2) brings a loyal fan following who appreciate Christy’s face-forward brawling style.
In a six round Cruiserweight bout, Ran Nakash of Haifa, Israel will risk his undefeated record at 10-0 with six knockouts when he takes on the experienced Ray Ruiz of Passaic, New Jersey. Ruiz is 6-8-3 with four stoppages.
Hard hitting Middleweight, Naji Murray, 2-0 with one knockout takes on debuting Mario Mina of New York.
In a cruiserweight affair, Kamarah Pasley will look to get into the win column following his controversial decision loss on December 7th when he tussles with Ahmed Samir of Egypt.
In a Featherweight battle, Tavon Walker will make his pro debut in front of the hometown fans when he takes on Darrell Martin (1-1) of Baltimore
In two bouts where Philadelphia meets Brooklyn, Jules Edmonds of Philly battles Shavris Buie in a Jr. Welterweight bout and undefeated Gerald Smith (1-0) takes on Elias Castillo in a Jr. Lightweight bout.
Come celebrate a special night of boxing with former heavyweight contender and star of film & television, Randall “Tex” Cobb.
Ticket prices for this great night of boxing are $200 for Queen Seating, $125 for Presidential seats, $65 for VIP, $55 for Ringside, and $45 for General Admission and can be purchased by calling The Legendary Blue Horizon at 1-215-763-0500 or by logging on to comcasttix.com. Doors open at 6:30 PM / 1st bout begins at 7:30 PM
The Legendary Blue Horizon is located at 1314 North Broad Street in Philadelphia, PA
THERE WILL BE A PRESS CONFERENCE ON WEDNESDAY February 6TH AT THE LEGENDARY BLUE HORIZON AT 11 AM
For more information, log on to www.legendarybluehorizon.com
LEARN HOW TO SPONSOR WEC’S LEONARD GARCIA
Posted on | February 2, 2008 | No Comments
In just a few weeks Leonard Garcia will make the move from the UFC’s lightweight division (155 lb) to the WEC’s featherweight (145 lb) division.
Garcia is set to face Japanese slugger, Hiroyuki Takaya. Takaya is an aggressive fighter who loves to stand and trade punches. Nicknamed “Evil Fist” He has a 9-4 record with 6 of his wins coming by KO.
Garcia made his UFC debut against Roger Huerta at UFC 69 in what was one of the best fights of the year. The match was featured on the cover of Sports Illustrated. After losing the tough decision to Huerta, Garcia submitted Allan Berube and most recently lost by decision to Cole Miller.
According to Greg Jackson, Garcia’s trainer:
“Leonard (Garcia) is such a great fighter and a strong guy, but he walks around at like three pounds over weight,” said Jackson about his fighter’s move to featherweight. “He had to eat the morning of the weigh-ins the last time. We’ve got to bring him down a weight class where he’s going to be more effective.”
Garcia will join a very solid WEC featherweight division with fighters like Jens Pulver, Jeff Curran, Cub Swanson, and current title holder Urijah Faber.
“I am excited to drop to a more natural weight of 145 and debut in the WEC on live TV! I have always been one of the smaller guys at 155 and still did really well, so now I can be one of the bigger fighters for a change. At 145 people will see the real Leonard Garcia. I feel strong and I am ready. If people thought the Huerta fight was a barn burner, they haven’t seen anything yet. Takaya likes to punch and if you’ve seen the Huerta fight you know I love to throw down, but fighting someone my own size is going to be fun. If we hit the ground then I’ll let my Jiujitsu do the talking, but wherever it goes it’s going my way. This is my fight!”
The Garcia-Takaya match up will be a feature bout on the World Extreme Cage Fighting’s live broadcast on Wedensday, February 13th. The event will air on the Versus Network and begin at 9:00 pm eastern from the Santa Ana Star Center in Albuquerque, New Mexico.
DON’T MISS OUT!!!
There is still time to be included as one of Garcia’s promotional sponsors for this event. There are a few sponsor positions still available. Your company logo and/or website address can appear on Garcia’s fight shorts, Team Shirts, and Team Banner inside the cage.
MMA is the fastest growing sport in the world, don’t miss your opportunity to get involved. Please contact Garcia’s business manager Sven Bean at 303-246-5237 or via e-mail at beanz4@msn.com
Muriqi Stops Wilson At The Paradise Theater!
Posted on | February 2, 2008 | No Comments
By Matt Yanofsky
In his first fight since losing a close decision to Antonio Tarver, Elvir Muriqi 35-4 (22 KO’s) earned an impressive fourth round TKO over Jameel Wilson 13-12-3 (8 KO’s) of Philadelphia. Muriqi began the contest where he left off against Tarver, using all out aggression leaving Wilson little room to breathe. Muriqi continued his onslaught in the second round as Wilson began moving backwards while landing a few shots on the anxious Muriqi. Muriqi went right back to work in the third where he badly hurt the tough Philadelphian.
In the fourth, Muriqi once again badly hurt Wilson who was on wobbly legs. Toward the end of the round, Muriqi opened up a bad cut and appeared en route to a stoppage, but Wilson’s trainer James Shendrick threw in the towel. Time of stoppage was 2:58. “Jameel is a slow starter and I was hoping he would pick things up. Unfortunately, things did not go our way and I had to stop the fight because of the cut”, said Shendrick who also trains Philadelphia spoiler Dhafir Smith.
Former world champion Lou “Honey Boy” Del Valle 36-5-1 (22 KO’s) had all he could handle and eked out a split decision against Newton Kidd 6-7-1 (4 KO’s). Kidd began the bout quickly; putting pressure on Del Valle over the first three rounds while the former WBA Light Heavyweight king did threw mostly one punch at a time. Del Valle had success in rounds 4,5, and 6 where he was able to effectively box Kidd and land a few effective shots. Kidd went right back to work over the final two rounds and appeared to out hustle Del Valle but fell just short on the judges’ scorecards. Scores were 78-74, 77-75 Del Valle and 78-74 Kidd. I scored the contest 77-75 for Kidd.
Alicia “Slick” Ashley 14-7-1 (1 KO) lived up to her name with an impressive unanimous decision victory over Brooke Dierdorff 4-2-1 (3 KO’s). Ashley, who may have the most deceiving record in pro boxing, showed great boxing ability and slickness while easily out landing the aggressive Dierdorff. Ashley showed excellent defensive movement, a good jab, straight left hand, and at times made Dierdorff look amateurish. Scores were 80-72, 78-74, and 79-73 for Ashley who wins the vacant NABF Super Bantamweight belt with the win.
Cruiserweight Jon Schneider 7-1 (5 KO’s) needed just 46 seconds to stop Jerry Spiegel 3-3 (2 KO’s). Schneider immediately came out firing and quickly dropped Spiegel. As Spiegel arose, Schneider went right back to work as Spiegel attempted to cover up while turning sideways. Schneider dropped Spiegel again seconds later forcing the stoppage.
In an all out war, “Crazy” Eddie Irizarry won a unanimous decision over Joe Arroyo. In a match up of young Bronx fighters, Irizarry immediately went to work in the first round and nearly dropped Arroyo with a left hook. Irizarry went back to work in the second forcing Arroyo to lead to dirty tactics. Arroyo was penalized 1 point for hitting on the break and 1 for a headbutt. While continuing to struggle with Irizarry’s non stop attack, Arroyo again lost a point for excessive holding in the fourth. Scores were 40-33 and 39-34 twice.
Carlos Zambrano 1-0 made his pro debut a successful one as he earned a unanimous decision over Jose Guzman 1-3-1. Zambrano’s free swinging aggressiveness earned him the nod over Guzman. Interestingly, both men were penalized a point in the fourth for hitting on the break. Scores were 38-36 and 39-35 twice for Zambrano.
Former 3 time New York Golden Glove Winner Ronica Jeffery 1-0 earned a unanimous decision over Karen Dulin 0-1. Jeffery dominated all four rounds while landing many good shots on the chin of the game Dulin. Scores were 40-36 3x
SUN ACQUIRES ASSETS OF INTERNATIONAL FIGHTING ORGANIZATION AND STEELE CAGE PROMOTIONS
Posted on | February 2, 2008 | No Comments
DALLAS, TX — (MARKET WIRE) – February 1st, 2008 – SUN Sports and Entertainment Inc., (Pink Sheets: SSPE) announced today that the Company has acquired International Fighting Organization (IFO) Assets including the Production and Broadcast Film Library of its events promoted by Steele Cage Promotions.
SUN CEO CJ Comu, stated, “We are delighted to be able to acquire the assets of the International Fighting Organization, the MMA Sanctioning Body in the State of Nevada. We are also delighted to be able to acquire all the Raw Footage and Finished Broadcast Production of the IFO events promoted by Steele Cage Promotions, which we plan on distributing globally. We feel that the Film Inventory will be a great compliment to the Art of War Film Inventory which will provide more available product to networks and distributors world-wide.” SUN is planning on producing a number of MMA Events in Nevada this year and looks forward to bringing its brand of exciting and high energy MMA to the thousands of fans growing across the country and producing live events in; Las Vegas, Lake Tahoe, Reno and Laughlin, NV.
Steve Oshins, Chief Executive Officer and Founder of the IFO stated, “I have met with the team at SUN and am delighted to be able to arrive at this decision and complete this transaction. I feel that the SUN organization and their experience best represents the interests of what our team have worked hard to establish in MMA. I am also delighted about my new role as a member of the Advisory Board of SUN Sports & Entertainment and having the opportunity to be involved in the growth of the sport.” SUN plans to continue to work with the executive team of the IFO as they evaluate upcoming dates and events in the State of Nevada and other markets across the USA.
This acquisition signals the continued growth of SUN as a leader in the world of MMA. Adding to their portfolio of MMA Properties include: “Art of War”, “Underground Cage Fighting”, “Team USA MMA”, “GI’s Vs. Pro’s” and now the “IFO and Steele Cage Promotions”. These properties make SUN one of the fastest growing MMA brands in the Industry.
SUN was recently showcased at the National Association of Television Program Executives Trade Show in Las Vegas (www.natpe.org) where the “Art of War” Film Library was presented to delegates from around the world through SUN Media Partner, American Television Distribution (www.americantvd.com/artofwar). The Company is negotiating with various international groups for the distribution of its library and is looking forward to signing and announcing of upcoming contracts.
ABOUT SUN:
SUN is a Professional Sports & Entertainment Production Company. SUN is a Certified and Licensed Combat Sports Promoter and produces World Class Mixed Martial Arts Events. The properties of SUN Sports & Entertainment (www.SUNorganization.com), Art of War LIVE (www.artofwarLIVE.com) International Fighters Association (www.IFApro.com), USA Men’s National Team (www.teamUSAmma.com) and UNDERGROUND Cage Fighting (www.undergroundcagefighting.com), are pending TM. Sports Radio Event Network, Inc., is a wholly owned company of SUN.
ABOUT IFO/STEELE CAGE PROMOTIONS:
International Fighting Organization is an MMA Sanctioning Body in the State of Nevada that has worked in conjunction with Steele Cage Promotions, its sister company, to produce four MMA Events in 2007 in Las Vegas at various Hotel/Casinos. The joint website of the two companies is www.steelecage.com.
Flyweights take center stage at PFC VII
Posted on | February 2, 2008 | No Comments
LEMOORE, Ca. — Luis Gonzalez made Palace Fighting Championship history in October.
The Hanford mixed martial artist was the first fighter to win at the flyweight division and has since sparked a nation wide search for some of the top 125-pound fighters.
“I’m really excited about the flyweight division. Obviously it’s no secret, I’m also a boxing promoter, and there’s a lot of exciting fights to be made in the 125 pound division,” PFC President Christian Printup said. “We are committed to giving guys in the U.S. the opportunity to fight at 125, as opposed to being forced to fight at a higher weight than they are best suited for. I’m really excited about the guys we’re signing. Expect fireworks.”
On Thursday, March 20th Printup has signed two flyweight fights for PFC 7 at the Tachi Palace Hotel and Casino in Lemoore.
Gonzalez (1-0) will be back in action taking on Georgia’s David Mitchell (1-0) and Las Vegas’ Ulysses Gomez (0-0) clashes with Cambria’s Greg McDowell (0-0).
It’s been a conscious effort by Printup and his staff to provide some of the best lower weight fights possible.
“I can’t say we focus so much on the lower weight classes, but I just see enormous potential for great fights at lower weight classes. The guys at 155 and below fight at such a tremendous pace,” Printup said. “At the end of the day I hope we accomplish two things with the PFC. First, deliver great fights to the fans that do the sport justice. Second, give guys in all weight classes the opportunity to compete in a well respected show with great production values and much deserved media attention, compensation and exposure.”
And the flyweight buzz has been building, especially after Printup introduced Gomez at PFC 6.
Gomez might be one of the more highly decorated athletes to ever enter the PFC ring. He is a 3-time Grapplers Quest champion and a World Pankration champion. He has trained under Marc Laimon at Kobra Kai since 2001.
“I’m a decent grappler with some decent boxing thanks to Brain Clements,” Gomez said. “I think its great that the PFC has a 125-pound division. It’s an excellent opportunity for us smaller guys to show off our skills. Once everyone sees what kind of fights we put on, they will be blown away.”
Gomez ground game will be challenged by the standup, brawling style of McDowell.
“Ulysses Gomez is a well decorated pankration and sport jiu-jitsu player and he’s making his pro debut as is Greg McDowell,” Printup said. “It’s a fight anything can happen, and McDowell is a scrappy heavy handed guy with bad intentions on his agenda. This is going to be a great fight.”
McDowell began boxing at 13 and has started training in MMA.
“I’m going to give the fans exactly what they want. If Gomez can take my standup butt whipping I offer him, that’s what to expect from the start,” McDowell said. “Knowing how good he is at only taking down his opponents, I’m ready for it. Expect a 125-pound war. I know I’m training for one.”
Gomez doesn’t know much about McDowell, but is expecting a good fight.
“I don’t know much about McDowell, just that he’s scrappy. Either way, I’m going to have to impose my will on him and not the other way around,” Gomez said. “Fans can expect me to put on a show, but at the same time the fans will learn and see a few new things.”
Fans learned something about Gonzalez in October — that he isn’t just a world-class jiu-jitsu player. He defeated Josh Beasnette by technical knockout in just 43 seconds of round one.
“Luis Gonzales was viewed as more of a sport jiu-jitsu guy, you know black belt, done great at the Mundials, but in his pro debut against Josh Beasnette he came out like a little buzz saw,” Printup said. “Bubby Mitchell, though, is a well versed freestyle fighter. He trains with Cole and Micah Miller and he is a very game guy. The winner of this fight is poised to compete for the PFC belt down the road.”
Gonzalez has continued to sharpen his standup skills and is excited about the growth of the flyweight division.
“My coaches tell me that I’m improving in my standup and progressing little by little,” Gonzalez said. “I’m really excited that there are two flyweight fights on this card. It’s nice the things that Christian is doing for this weight class.”
Mitchell might be the most well rounded of the four fighters. He started wrestling at just 5-years-old and has been training MMA for six years.
“I’m so stoked about the 125-pound division and also the PFC as well. You put those two together and dynamite. Finally, an opportunity on this side of the world for the lighter weights. People will see, it makes an exciting fight and hopefully we will be here to stay. I will forever be loyal to the PFC due to this,” Mitchell said.
“I’m very excited to come to California and fight for the PFC. It will give me a chance to see where I’m at in the 125-pound level in the U.S./World and fight for a great organization. I left the 125-pound division as an amateur ranked ISCF No. 2 in the U.S. and recently returned as a pro to solidify a win against a Miletich 125 pounder. The U.S. needs more events such as the PFC. I’ve heard nothing but positive things about the PFC.”
Gonzalez admits he still has some homework to do on Mitchell.
“I don’t know too much about him,” Gonzalez said. “I k now he is a great wrestler, but I still need to do some more homework on him. Right now I’ve just been training hard and preparing myself.”
Mitchell knows what to expect from Gonzalez, though.
“I know he is a black belt and I know he was a runner up at the Mundials. That’s about it. I watched his debut fight and give him props for entering the MMA game. I make up with my lack of a black belt with my experience in MMA in general and vise versa to him. Wrestling and conditioning will be key in this fight,” Mitchell said.
“Fans can generally expect pace pushing and non stop moving on my part. I don’t sit still long, in and out of the ring. I don’t think many 125 pounders do. I like to throw my hands on the feet or on the ground. I’m a wrestler by nature so I mix the two quite a bit.”
PFC 7’s two flyweight fights are just the tip of the iceberg of the flyweight division in the PFC.
“I foresee the PFC’s flyweight division eventually featuring the absolute best talent possible in the world from top to bottom and I’m confident we’re off to a great start,” Printup said.
Also fighting at PFC 7, Sacramento PFC World Light Heavyweight Champion Jeromy Freitag takes on Fresno’s Anthony Rubalcalva (4-1), Ultimate Fighting Championship veteran Justin Levens (9-8) of Newport Beach battles Merced’s Phil Collins (5-3) in a middleweight eliminator and Visalia lightweight Darren Crisp (4-2) takes on Danny Castillo (2-0).
Tickets go on sale Feb. 16th and can be purchased at tickets.com or charge by phone 1-800-225-2277.
For more breaking PFC news log on to www.palacefightingchampionship.com
Experience the NCAA WRESTLING Championships in Style
Posted on | February 2, 2008 | 1 Comment
VIP Packages On Sale Now!
VIP Packages for the NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships are now available. Featuring great food and prime seating in the Scottrade Club, VIP Packages are a great way to experience the championships in style. Certain packages also include access to lower bowl tickets! For more information on VIP packages, contact Karli at 314/206-7388.
Get Around St. Louis with a MetroPass
The St. Louis Metro is once again offering a special five-day MetroPass for wrestling fans. With the MetroPass, fans can make unlimited trips on the MetroLink rail line and MetroBuses from March 19-23 for just $14.20! The MetroPass will also include a special offer from the Gateway Arch Riverfront: purchase one Adult Tram ticket and receive a Child Tram ticket FREE! To pre-order your pass, contact Mia at 314/982-1495.
Back to the Arch in March!
College wrestling fans return to one of their favorite championship sites when St. Louis hosts the NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships in 2008 and 2009. All-session tickets to the 2008 championships are on sale now. For the first time ever, fans will know their seat location as soon as they purchase their tickets. To order tickets, call 866/646-8849 (toll free) or 314/241-1888 (in St. Louis); log on to www.ticketmaster.com; or click here for more details. Great mezzanine center seats are still available!
Sportsmanship Clinic for Boy and Girl Scouts
Boy Scout and Girl Scout Troops are invited to attend a special Sportsmanship Clinic and earn a merit badge before taking in the excitement at a session of the Wrestling Championships for only $5 per person. Interested Scout Troops can call Karli at 314/206-7388 or click here for an order form.
Sign Up Now for the Wrestling Youth Clinic!
Group ticket packages for the 2008 NCAA Wrestling Championships are now available. In addition to discounted single-session tickets for groups of 15 or more, group package buyers will also get priority access passes to the 2008 Wrestling Championships Youth Clinic!* Held on Tuesday, March 18, the clinic will provide kids ages 10-16 with instruction from college coaches. Each participant will also receive a commemorative wrestling T-shirt! For a group tickets order form, click here.. For more information, call Karli at 314/206-7388.
The St. Louis Sports Commission would like to thank the NWCA, Ozark AAU Wrestling and Vance Brown, Inc. for sponsoring this year’s youth clinic.
* Clinic attendance limited to 300. Passes awarded on a first-come, first-served basis.
Schedule of Events
The NCAA and St. Louis Local Organizing Committee have released a tentative schedule for the 2008 Wrestling Championships. A listing of all the events, which begin on Tuesday, March 18, can be found here. In addition to the action inside Scottrade Center, the schedule highlights include a Youth Wrestling Clinic, the NWCA Social, the NCAA Fan Festival at Union Station (with great food available at the Hard Rock Cafe), the US Olympic Team Preview and autograph session, the NWCA Coaches Clinic and more!
Hotel Information
Several St. Louis area hotels have “fan blocks” set aside for fans traveling to the 2008 NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships. Fans can reserve rooms at these hotels by clicking here to reserve a room online or by calling the St. Louis Convention & Visitors Commission at 888/882-5569. Please note that fan block rates may not be available through the hotels themselves. Hotels may also have rooms available beyond those available in the fan blocks, and fans should check www.explorestlouis.com once rooms at the special rate are sold out. St. Louis visitor information can be found at that address as well.
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