THE PRINCIPLES OF VICTORY: ANOTHER DISPATCH FROM THE MMA PROFESSOR
Posted on | September 8, 2007 | 2 Comments
THE PRINCIPLES OF VICTORY
BY: CHARLIE WARD, CMIT – THE MMA PROFESSOR © 2007
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These lessons are being written with the intention of providing the reader with an overview of some of the key principles of winning in battle. There are, of course, many more lessons than those touched on in this article – but this should suffice as a glimpse into the warrior’s mind-set, and the principles of victory.
Lesson 1 – Think and Win
In combat, it is not always the biggest and strongest fighter that claims victory. You must think your way to victory. Out-think your opponents. Successful fighting requires strategy, and sound strategy requires thought. The ultimate weapon of any true warrior is the mind.
This is the trained warrior’s edge over most people. Most people simply brawl, or react with a set of preconditioned responses. Many lack the ability to adapt or innovate. This is mainly due to the fact that they’ve only been trained in pre-programmed fashion. They have never actually been taught how to think strategically or independently.
The trick, of course, is to be able to think clearly and creatively while under the intense stress of combat. This can be a difficult task. Not only will you be working at full-burn physically, but you will also be in emotional turmoil. Feelings of anger, fear, pain, regret, and overall stress will be pushed to redline, and it can be extremely difficult for anyone to think clearly under those circumstances. That is why a fighter who has been trained to think and fight effectively under real-world conditions will win against an opponent, or opponents, regardless of their size, strength, and so-forth.
There is a quote by Paul Fix that says, “The only reason some people become lost in thought is because it’s unfamiliar territory.” Don’t let this happen to you. You must be familiar with this territory. You must study and practice strategic and creative combative thought until you are intimate with these concepts. They must be second nature to you! Make no mistake, using your mind as a weapon – and understanding the principles of psychological warfare – will make the difference between victory and defeat, or between life and death. Now I really want you to understand this next sentence: How you train will effect how you think. I cannot stress this point enough! How you train and practice will directly effect how you think and act in combat. There is no room for discussion on this point, it’s a simple fact. If you train for real combat, under real-world conditions, then your chances of survival and victory are several times higher than a sport fighter’s – and they’re off the chart when compared to the average person – no matter how “tough” they might be.
In a world of would-be tough guys, brawlers, and posers – it will always come down to this: Trained vs. Untrained. Trained will win every time, if they’ve been trained correctly. If it comes down to Trained vs. Trained, then how you’ve been trained will make all the difference. I don’t care if one of the combatants is an umpteenth degree whatever, and the other guy is only a beginner – if the beginner has been trained for the real deal, and “Mr. High-Rank” hasn’t – then the one trained for real-world combat will be the last one standing. You must train for success in real combat, it doesn’t matter what rank you are. That’s ridiculous! Nobody cares what rank you might be when you’re fighting for survival. To seize victory you must relinquish any thought you might have regarding life and death. Rely on your true warrior training, think and adapt to the present situation, take humanity out of the equation, and then take your opponent apart!
Your analytical mind, when uncluttered and relaxed, is a very powerful force. However, to keep it uncluttered and relaxed, you must keep control of your emotions – which can be very difficult under extreme stress. This is why realistic training is of such importance! Remember that no matter how advanced you might get, real combat always comes down to the basics. Think, think, and think again of strengths and weaknesses – both yours and your opponents. Think, analyze, be creative, and don’t anticipate. This lesson can’t be learned or emphasized enough times!
Lesson 2 – Proper Attitude for Combat
Another huge factor in winning and surviving is your attitude, or having the proper mind-set. There is most definitely a proper attitude for combat. I have been asked, countless times since I began teaching, what is the secret to winning a fight? My answer has always been the same, although it’s not what people usually expect to hear. There is no great secret. Attitude can make all the difference between who wins and who loses, or who lives and who dies.
The attitude that I’m talking about has been known and practiced for thousands of years, it’s nothing new. The samurai of Feudal Japan certainly understood it, as have many other warriors, and warrior cultures, through time. To enter into battle and win, you must relinquish the concepts of victory and defeat, of living and dying. These thoughts must cease to be of any importance to you! If you start thinking and worrying about losing and dying, then you probably will. When I fought, I would enter into a fight already accepting the fact that I could die. All I wanted to do was to give back more punishment than what I took. And if my opponent wanted to kill me, then I was going to take him with me!
Suppose you knew that you were going to die. Would you just lie down and let it happen, or would you fight back with all your heart and soul? Decide that right now! If I knew ahead of time that I was going to die in battle, then I guarantee you that I would not go down easily. That’s a promise I made to myself years ago, and that’s the attitude necessary for victory in combat. And make no mistake, that attitude translates directly into your body language, your gaze, your game face, into every fiber of your being. Your opponent will certainly sense it, and if he is not willing to make that same level of commitment – then he has already lost.
Most fighters today have not even considered this. To the vast majority, they view fighting as a game, or just a sport. News Flash: These are not real warriors. They might be defined as fighters due to their occupation, but the term “fighter” is not synonymous with “warrior”. I don’t care how talented they might be, if they can’t make that contest a matter of life and death in their own minds, then they would ultimately lose is real combat.
Consider an attack dog. When that highly-trained animal perceives a threat and decides to fight, his attitude is one of complete single-mindedness. He is totally and completely focused on the defense against that threat, and/or the destruction of that threat – no matter what the cost. Complete single-mindedness of purpose. “Superior mental attitude, superior state of mind.”
Now if you’ve been in real combat, you know exactly what I’m talking about. But if you haven’t, don’t worry. That’s why you have an imagination. Make it real in your own mind. Visualize it, and then make it happen. This attitude can be learned, and it must be learned, if you are to survive. Like all forms of strategy, this attitude can be applied to other areas of your life as well. Apply this type of determination to the task at hand and see what happens. As with all things; move, think, and function with purpose. Those who understand this, and make it a part of their lives, will go far with whatever they pursue – whether it be against an opponent in combat, or the achievement of a goal. Treat the pursuit of excellence in all that you do like it’s a matter of life and death. You’d be surprised at what you can accomplish, how hard you can push yourself, and how intensely you can apply yourself, when your life is on the line – even if it’s only in your mind!
Lesson 3 – K.I.S.S. (Keep It Simple, Stupid)
Many people are familiar with the acronym of KISS – Keep It Simple, Stupid! Basically this means that plans and strategies should be kept as simple as possible. Keeping things simple greatly increases their chances of success. This KISS principle has been applied to many areas and procedures over the years, from business practices to educational methods, but it has its roots in military strategy. In combat, the more complex you try to make something, the more likely it is to fail – horribly. The best plans are simple plans. In no area does this hold more true than in one-on-one combat! An accomplished fighter with years of training can really do some amazing physical feats. Acrobatic techniques, incredibly complex weapons routines, breaking stacks of boards and bricks that are ridiculously thick, and so-on. Let me tell you something – none of those things are going to be used in a real fight, ever!
I’m not saying that learning all those things is meaningless, far from it. The more advanced someone gets in their training, and the easier they can perform some of those amazing feats, then the easier it will be to perform the basics when push comes to shove. That’s why learning, and keeping up with the basics is so vitally important. That’s what you will use when real combat ensues. Real fighting is not like a Hollywood movie, or even like an advanced martial arts demonstration. In real life nobody jumps up in the air and spins around while kicking multiple attackers and knocking them down. In combat, your stress level can be pushed to its maximum. Psychologically and physiologically speaking, you will simply be unable to form complex thoughts, much less carry them out. Likewise, your coordination and fine motor skills don’t function like they do when you’re at ease. You will experience shortness of breath, tunnel vision, fear, anxiety, anger, high blood pressure, and a host of other physical and mental conditions which only allow for the most basic and simple thoughts and actions to be carried out. That’s the truth, the bottom line, end of story!
Personally, I have fought in more than 100 professional fights, with no pads and no rules. That does not include any fights as an amateur, or any other engagements outside the cage or ring – whether it be self-defense situations, military conflict, or other hazards. In other words, I have the direct experience to back up what I’m saying – and I’m trying to get that message across to you. You have to know the basics to the point where they come effortlessly, without having to think about them. Actual combat happens at a frightening pace! Decisions have to be made, and lives can be lost, in fractions of a second! You don’t have time to ponder the problem, you simply react with your training. You must train to react correctly when it’s all on the line. The basics must be mastered to the point where they are instinctual responses. That kind of expertise only comes with time, and dedication to the dream! A great quote that drives this point home goes like this, “There is no greatness where there is not simplicity.” – Author Unknown.
The more advanced you become, the more complex maneuvers and techniques you will learn. That is good, and it should be that way. Learning those more complex techniques will allow you to master your own body and mind in ways like nothing else ever will. However, never deviate from the basics. Always keep those skills sharp. And remember, if the time ever comes when you should have to throw down and enter into real combat – KISS – Keep It Simple, Stupid!
Lesson 4 – The Best Defense
Contrary to popular belief, blocking is not the number one priority in having a good defense. Although it is extremely important to know how to block properly, movement and evasive skills take the number one priority slot in having a truly excellent defense.
Sun Tzu said it best in his book, “The Art of War”, written centuries ago: “To always have a perfect defense, don’t get hit.” While this advice may seem comically simple, it is also absolutely true.
You must move, evade, and avoid. If someone throws a strike or kick at you, get out of the way – if possible. To just stand there and absorb the punishing impact of the attack, even if your block is successful, is not the smartest thing to do. Here are a few excellent reasons why movement and evasion are more important than the block itself:
Fatigue – It takes twice as much energy to swing and miss, than to swing and hit. In other words, this will tire your opponent out faster. The more fatigued your opponent is, the easier it will be to defeat him.
Frustration – Not only will avoiding the strike tire your opponent out faster, it will also frustrate him. Frustration leads to anger, which makes for bad decision making. The frustrated man fights himself. His attacks become careless and predictable, making him easier to defeat.
Balance – If someone swings and misses, they will naturally follow through with their technique due to the momentum of the strike or kick itself. By moving out of the way, your opponent swings through and becomes unbalanced. Any person who loses their balance is momentarily weak. They can easily be taken down or thrown, and in their effort to regain their balance they are wide open to various counter-attacks – not to mention that their concentration is now focused on the act of regaining their balance, and not on you.
Accuracy – It’s harder to hit a moving target than a stationary one. Like the aforementioned reasons, this is just common sense. This idea of slipping and counter-attack is hardly a new one. Boxers do it all the time. Yet time and time again I see fighters who will stand still and execute a static block in an effort to stop their opponents.
The block itself should be thought of as secondary. The block should serve to further redirect your opponent’s momentum, and to further destroy his balance. A static block should only be thrown if you are unable to move or get out of the way, or if you mean to jam your opponent’s attack – and of course it should be simultaneously coupled with, or immediately be followed by, a hard counter-strike to get yourself out of that situation. Also, how you move – and where you move to, should be covered in detail by a qualified instructor. Simply jumping out of the way isn’t the answer either. Your movement should position yourself for an immediate and devastating counter-attack that will finish the fight as quickly as possible.
These are just a few basic lessons in strategic thinking that apply to the Principles of Victory. As I stated at the beginning of this article, they are by no means the only strategies available. The purpose of this article was to get the readers into warrior mind-set mode, so that thinking in these terms becomes a habit. Any student of good martial training will consistently evolve by moving, thinking, and perceiving differently than before. It is a profound, yet subtle transformation that naturally occurs over time. This is how it should be. Ideally we will never stop learning, growing, and becoming more than we once were.
With Respect,
Charlie Ward
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ABELL SCORES FIRST ROUND KNOCKOUT AT THE BLUE HORIZON
Posted on | September 8, 2007 | No Comments
ABELL ANIHILATES WARNER AT THE LEGENDARY BLUE HORIZON
Philadelphia (September 7th, 2007)—Joey Abell scored two knockdowns and stopped Levon Warner in vicious fashion at 2:52 of round one of a scheduled eight round main event that highlighted an eight-bout card at The Legendary Blue Horizon.
After a first minute that was nothing more then a feeling out process, Abell landed a hard combination in the corner that crumpled Warner to the canvas. Warner courageously got to his feet but an excited Abell was on top of Warner and finished things up with another four punch combination for which the force of the thudding punches could be heard throughout the arena.
“I knew I was going to catch him with the combinations” said Abell after his sixteenth win. “I knew after the first knockdown that if I was hit him it was going to be over.”
With chants of “Joey, Joey, Joey” from the enthusiastic crowd, Abell has become an adopted Philadelphian with this being his eighth appearance at The Legendary Blue Horizon. “It’s better then being at home. It feels like when you come home from collage and your family and friends greet you.”
The co-feature saw Alex Perez and Darian Ford battle to a no-contest in the third of round of the scheduled eight round Jr. Middleweight bout.
The fight was a rough one for both as Perez was cut under the left eye from a head butt and the fight was halted when Ford fell on his shoulder as he and Perez was tangled up and Ford was unable to continue.
The Legendary Blue Horizon honored IBF Cruiserweight champion Steve Cunningham for his recent title win and for being the latest fighter from Philadelphia to claim a world title. The end of the ceremony saw Cunningham joined in the ring by future hall of famer, Bernard Hopkins.
Video of the event will be up on www.legendarybluehorizon.com at the beginning of the week.
FULL RESULTS:
MAIN EVENT, 8 rounds Heavyweights …Joey Abell, 238 lbs, Minneapolis, MN (16-1, 16 KO) KO 1 at 2:52 over Levon Warner (6-5-1) 222 lbs, Philadelphia, PA
8 Rounds, Jr. Middleweights…Darian Ford, 147 lbs, New Orleans, LA (11-14) No-Decision 3 with Alex Perez, 150 ½ lbs (8-0), Newark, New Jersey
6 rounds Jr. Welterweights…Steve Upsher Chambers, 143 ½ lbs, Philadelphia, PA (15-1) UD over Jason Jordan 142 ½ lbs, Akron, Ohio (4-13)…scores 60-54, 60-54, 59-55
4 rounds Heavyweights…Ran Nakash, 210 lbs, Haifa, Israel (9-0) UD over Samuel Brown, 230 ½ lbs, Fort Campbell Kentucky (4-3)…scores 40-36, 40-36 and 39-37
6 rounds Middleweights… Gee Culmer, 163 ½ lbs, Philadelphia, PA (11-1) UD over James North, 162 ½ lbs, Weston WV (8-18-2)…scores 60-54, 60-54 and 60-54
4 round Featherweights…Jules Blackwell, 124 lbs, Phoenixville, PA (5-0) UD over Joseph Rosa, 125 ¼ lbs, Bronx, NY (1-1-1)…scores 40-36, 40-36, 40-36
4 Rounds Middleweights…Naji Murray, 161 lbs, Philadelphia, PA (2-0, 1 KO) KO 1 at 58 seconds over Jeremy Lester, 162 ½ lbs, Akron OH (1-2)
4 round Jr. Lightweights…Paul Fernandez, 128 lbs, Philadelphia, PA (2-0-1, 2 KO’s) TKO 3 at 1:52 over Jonathan Ocassio, 127 ½. Philadelphia, PA (0-1)
NOTES FROM THE ICEMAN JOHN SCULLY: REMEMBERING ARCHIE MOORE
Posted on | September 7, 2007 | 1 Comment
I became friends with the great ARCHIE MOORE back in 1983 through the mail and what resulted was him sending me many, many handwritten and typed letters over the next decade or so. I copied two of them for you here in case you are interested. Some very interesting stuff from the greatest (top 3 at least) 175 pounder of all time:
June 30, 1984
Hi, John. The days have a way of vanishing before our very eyes. Perhaps this is why one ages very quickly or at least notices the days scurrying by. The lyricists of my era on many occasions complimented father time in song. The people in love, even nowadays, succumb to these time lasting lyrics, such as…
Blue Skies.
“Blue skies smiling at me nothing but blue skies do I see. Blue birds some of them gone, nothing but blue skies all the day long. I never saw the sun shining so bright, never saw things going so right. Noticing the days scurrying by, but when your in love, my, how the time flies.”
Your wings
John, you are an eaglet which I describe you at this time of your career. You are in love with the same lady I loved and many others before me and those who will come after your gone. You will grow into the eagle, with eyes so sharp as to spot an opponents opening as quickly as the eagle can spot a field mouse from nearly a mile high to the field where he scurries to find shelter from his enemies. These are components as natural as eating, but can be highly developed as part of an armentarium that all champions need to become outstanding in a chosen endeavor.
Your armentarium
From afar I notice you like dancing and much movement. well, that is OK. You must also develop your jab so stiff that anytime you make contact, therein shall ensue tiny fractures and after a small continuation certain tell tale signs of a broken proboscis, necessitating the referee to halt your exhibit of fisticuffs. This should become an east coast trademark, as your acknowledge plaudits from boxing clientele. Hard left hooking should bring about unexpected break dancing from any of the opponents your hard whistling hooks land within regions on their nerve centers.
Your attitude
A perceptive attitude is needed to be enabled to comprehend the knowledge that you poses to readily acknowledge from whence it came and by whom. Be grateful, graceful and courteous at all times. You will avoid many unpleasant moments being a straight forward man, unafraid to face the known enemy. Treat your body as a great athlete should because you will have this one until death calls you home
Please convey wishes to Mr. Barile, your Mom and your dad, hoping to hear from you soon
Instructor Moore
Letter # 2 …
March 24, 1985
Dear Student John: The chasers in the punch bowl. Be sure your mind is made up to go all the way. Get the great teachers, use only the advice that fits into your system. Give your undivided attention to your instructor. Taste, but don’t get drunk (from temporary success). Don’t take success for granted. Be a good sportsman at all times, play the game fair and square at all times. Be a good sportsman at all times. Study your craft as you would a dictionary, know full meaning and implications. Condition mind and body for as long as you live, it will function above average.
Dear friend and ABC student, though we have not yet met face to face, I actually saw you before your in your photo with Tiger Ted Lowry, to whom I send warm regards today. I vividly recall boxing Ted in Baltimore at the Coliseum 1945. Being older and vastly experienced and closing in on the champion who was Gus Lesnevich, I gave Ted a long hour of scientific scenery.
The 28 and 0 madness.
The opponents to consider really experienced are the ones who somewhere along the way know what defeat is and that winning isn’t everything. These so called champions with the 28 and 0 records are soon due to face an angry youngster that couldn’t care less what his record is or his. He’s come to fight.
The skilled analyst
If you were studying medicine as effective as you try boxing there would be no doubt in my mind that you would eventually emerge a splendid physician. Now, since you have chosen boxing it is time to analyze your system thoroughly. At this point in time my specialty as a boxing analyst serves me very well. There are times that I visit a gym and in a few seconds have sorted out nearly all of the mistakes that are traditionally passed on to the youths who are putting their lives into inept trainers hands. If this man that plans to take a seven man team overseas (Note from Ice: back in 1986 there was talk of some of us New England boxers taking a trip to Europe to fight but it didn’t pan out at that time) is in need of a coach/trainer/teacher let him know of my availability and my phone number etc. Give Mr. Barile and your family the best regards and you keep well and teach the real John Scully how to put ten or more punches together… but know this, it can be done and has been done after you jab your opponents head into position.
Thanks so much for the photo. Keep writing, let me know what you’re doing.
Instructor Moore
“Ice”
www.IcemanJohnScully.com
Quote: The wait in the dressing room before a professional boxing match -that last hour- could be enough to strip a man that never boxed before of whatever pride, desire and heart he THOUGHT he had – Iceman John Scully, April 2002
GLEASON’S BOXING NEWSLETTER
Posted on | September 7, 2007 | No Comments
THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 20TH, 8 PM
AT: ST ANN’S WAREHOUSE
38 WATER STREET.
(Around the corner from Gleason’s Gym)
Playing into DUMBO’s rough manufacturing infrastructure and today’s world-class cultural reputation, DUMBO Fight Night combines the beauty of the arts in stark contrast to the force of hand-to-hand combat. Accompanying the action in the ring, attendees will partake in some friendly competition of their own, bid on silent auction items, and enjoy a special menu catered by Rice. All funds raised from DUMBO Fight Night will be dedicated to the maintenance of our beloved Belgian block streets.
This is a fund raiser for the DUMBO Improvement District. Admission to the event is $50.00 per person. The evenings festivities start at 6 p.m. and conclude with the Boxing Show. The bouts are sanctioned by USA Boxing Metro.
If you wish to participate on this “pre-matched” show call New York’s number one matchmaker, Angela Querol, at 718 797 2872.
THE 11TH ANNUAL ART UNDER THE BRIDGE FESTIVAL
The 11th Annual Art Under the Bridge Festival takes place September 28-30, 2007, in DUMBO, Brooklyn, New York. DUMBO Arts Center, the Festival’s producer, is anticipating over 150,000 visitors again this year. Sixty new art works will be scattered throughout the neighborhood, while 158 private studios will open to the public and exhibitions will run in sixteen different venues.
The event is the single largest urban forum for experimental art in the United States that transforms the distinctive waterfront neighborhood into a multi-sensory public art arena.
Gleason’s Gym will become one of the private studios and will be open to the public Saturday, September 29th and Sunday, September 30th, 1:00-6:00pm.
If you wish to exhibit your art, photographs, sculptures, painting – any type of art – contact Bruce Silverglade at 718 797 2872. There is no charge to show your work and no commission when you sell your work. The only requirement is that the work has something to do with Boxing.
THIS YEARS FANTASY CAMP JUST CONCLUDED!
The camp went from August 31st to September 3rd.
Thirty-six participants from around the World and around the United States joined twenty-one Gleason’s trainers and staff to have the “Best” camp to date. Fifteen of the participants were female and one was a minor at age 15. Five of the participants were attorneys. There were fourteen bouts on the Sunday Evening Card. All were great but “Pinky” stole the show.
Later, at our after party, 5 names were put on the birthday cake.
Keep next year’s Labor Day Weekend open as that will again be “Fantasy Camp” time.
OUR OCTOBER AMATUER BOXING SHOW will be Saturday, October 13th.
If you wish to participate in this “pre-matched” show call New York’s number one matchmaker, Angela Querol, at 718 797 2872.
NEWS FROM JILL DIAMOND:
FIREWORKS FIZZLE OUT EARLY: SEPT. 15th BOXING SHOW CANCELLED DUE TO MARQUEZ INJURY
Posted on | September 7, 2007 | No Comments
MARQUEZ INJURED, BOUT WITH JUAREZ OFF
SEPTEMBER 15 PAY-PER-VIEW SHOW CANCELLED
LOS ANGELES, September 7 – Due to an injury suffered in training camp by WBC Super Featherweight World Champion Juan Manuel Marquez, the September 15 “Fireworks” Pay-Per-View show promoted by Golden Boy Promotions and scheduled for the MGM Grand in Las Vegas has been cancelled.
Marquez, who was scheduled to fight Rocky Juarez in the evening’s main event, suffered a cut on his right hand which developed into an infection resulting in severe swelling that forced him to withdraw from the bout.
“The safety of our fighters comes first and it’s too bad that Juan Manuel got hurt after training so hard for this fight,” said Oscar de la Hoya, President of Golden Boy Promotions. “We are having him to Los Angeles this weekend for further evaluation and treatment by a specialist.”
Subsequently the entire show, which was also scheduled to feature Kassim Ouma against Sergio Mora, the IBF world featherweight title bout between Robert Guerrero and Martin Honorio, and Francisco Bojado against Steve Forbes, had to be cancelled.
De La Hoya continued, “We are committed to bringing excellent shows to our fans and with the unfortunate injury to Marquez at this late stage, our only option was to cancel the show.”
Anyone who has purchased tickets for this event will be fully refunded through their point of purchase.
WORLD CLASS MMA TRAINING FACILITY COMING TO AUSTIN, TEXAS
Posted on | September 7, 2007 | No Comments
PRESS RELEASE:
Austin to get World Class Training Facility
Darrell Gholar, a three time Greco Roman Wrestling National Champ and former World Champion MMA title holder, returned to the United States today after spending nearly seven years training Brazilian fighters on Brazil’s “Top Team.”
Gholar is a graduate of the now NCAA Champion University of Minnesota Gophers and former teammate of Team Quest’s Dan “Hollywood” Henderson while both were with the California Jets.
Asked about his return to the US, Mr. Gholar replied that he would be opening a World Class Mixed Martial Arts Training Center in Austin, TX with fellow Gopher alum Joe Reasbeck. “Joe, Dan, myself, 2000 Olympian Heath Sims, Olympic Silver medalist Matt Lindland, and Ryan Parsons we all trained together for the 1996 Olympics. So we have a lot of history together. We’re going to put Austin, Texas on the map for MMA in a big way. I’ll be bringing in guys from Brazil and of course Team Quest already has two of the premier mixed martial arts training facilities in the world.
The first Team Quest Training Center was founded in Oregon by Matt Lindland, Dan Henderson and UFC Heavyweight Champion Randy Couture. A second training center was opened last year in Southern California.
Team Quest’s Dan Henderson, the Pride World Champion in two weight classes, will be fighting for a unified World Title against Quinton “Rampage” Jackson, the light heavyweight UFC World Champion. The fight will take place on Sept. 8th in London, England.
“Even though Dan’s a friend, I had to prepare fighters to face him. It was part of my job in Brazil. In fact, the last time Dan lost, I think was to one of my fighters, so I have pretty good understanding of his strengths and weaknesses. I also know how incredibly tough he is—he’s going to be a tough nut to crack for Jackson. Rampage is a good athlete–strong as an ox and can really throw some heavy lumber, but so can Henderson. And even though Dan is giving up some weight, I’ve got to give him the edge. Rampage was a good high school wrestler, but I think people in MMA often underestimate how difficult it is make an Olympic wrestling team. Dan did it twice. It should be a good fight, but I expect Dan to come out on top.”
The site for the Austin Training Center should be determined in next few weeks. “That’s part of the reason I came back when I did. I was going to be training Vitor Belfort for his next fight, but we’re narrowing down our site choices and working with vendors, so I needed to get stateside. We’re also working out the final structure with Team Quest. We’re going to be able to do some incredible things because of the depth of talent in our facilities, plus I’ve maintained my relationship with Top Team in Brazil. I’m just excited to get back home to the US and get things kicked off in Austin.”
When asked why Texas for the training center and more specifically why Austin, Gholar responded, “Texas has in recent years become a rapid growth area for wrestling. We view wrestling as the most essential skill to being successful in MMA. I think because football is such a huge thing in Texas, people are really becoming aware of how compatible football and wrestling are—most often the best football players are wrestlers. This is helping to fuel the growth in wrestling and provides a good future pool of talent. There’s also very well established boxing, kick boxing and traditional martial arts in Texas. When you stand back and factor in Austin’s explosive growth, youthful population and proximity to the other major metros of Texas, it just made a lot of sense.”
When pressed for possible locations, Gholar added, “There are ongoing discussions, but one of the places we like is the proposed X-Park. It’s really a question of timing and how quickly they can pull things together—but we’re looking at sites all over the metro area. We’ll make a decision very soon.”
Gholar’s MMA credentials are impressive. Just a partial list of the guys Mr. Gholar has trained reads like a Who’s Who of mixed martial arts. They include Ze Mario Sperry, Murilo Bustamante, Ricardo Arona, Vitor Belfort, Fernando Margarida, Minotauro Nogueira, Shaolin, Royler Gracie, Carlinhos Gracie, Arthur Mariano, David Maswary, and Bas Rutten.
This doesn’t even take into account the countless number of Olympic and world class caliber wrestlers Gholar has trained with over the years, which of course includes his friends at Team Quest. When asked if he ever competed against the legendary Randy Couture, Mr. Gholar responded, “Many times, many times.” Pushed to disclose the result of those battles, he politely tried to defer saying only, “Again we’re talking about a friend of mine, we’re all pretty tight in the wrestling community…it was a long time ago and Randy is a great champion and great ambassador for our sport.” After repeated attempts to drag it out of him, Gholar finally submitted, “Yeah, I beat him.”
Upcoming Rage in The Cage Events
Posted on | September 6, 2007 | 1 Comment
RAGE IN THE CAGE #100
The Centennial
Champion vs Champion
Fort McDowell Casino
Saturday September 15, 2007 – Fountain Hills, AZ
Doors Open: 6:00 PM Fight Time: 8:00 PM
Tickets on sale through TicketMaster ( 480)-784-4444 ) and at the Fort McDowell Casino Gift Shop. Call 1-800-THE FORT for details.
Ticket prices:$25 Standing Room,$30 General Admission seating, $50 Reserved, $100 Ringside, $150 VIP.
UFC Veterans Jeff Monson and Kendal Grove will on hand signing autographs!!!
Tune to: www.rageinthecage.com for fight information, view the RITC fights for FREE, and win cash prizes.
Next time you’re going to travel please support the official RITC travel agency www.ritctravel.com
RITC Mixed Martial Art Training Center
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RITC Training Schedule:
Location: RITC Training Center- 1848 E. University Dr, Tempe, AZ 85281 – (480) 232-2098 www.ritctrainingcenter.com
Monday-Thursday 5:00am-6:00am Strength conditioning / Saturday-8am-10am
6:15am-7:15am Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu
7:00am-8:00am Self Defense-Weapons
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Monday & Wednesday 1:00pm-2:00pm Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu
Tuesday & Thursday 1:00pm-2:00pm No Gi
Monday – Thursday 5:00pm-6:00pm Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu
5:00pm-6:00pm Mixed Martial arts
Monday & Wednesday 6:00pm-7:00pm No Gi
Tuesday & Thursday 6:00pm-7:00pm Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu
Monday & Wednesday 6:00pm-7:00pm Boxing
Tuesday & Thursday 6:00pm-7:00pm Muay Thai
Monday-Thursday 7:00pm-8:00pm Introduction Mixed Martial arts
Mon & Wednesday 8:00pm-9:00pm Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu
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Saturday 10:00am-11:00am Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu / 11:00am-12:00pm – No Gi
RITC Affiliates Schools:
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714 W. Dunlap, Phoenix (602) 319-0797
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510 V.IP Bl, Casa Grande (520) 450-1191
RITC Upcoming events:
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Oct 6th Desert Diamond Casino
If interested in competing in RITC events please contact: ritc@rageinthecage.com
DESERT QUEST CHAMPIONSHIP
Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu & Grappling Tournament
Saturday, September 8th 2007
59 E. Broadway Recreation Center, Mesa
Weight Ins 9:00am / Doors open at 12:00pm
For tournament information: Please contact Dusty and Michele Farrow at (602) 319-0797 or grapplegirl@rageinthecage.com / www.rageinthecage.com
ELITEXC CONFERENCE CALL QUOTES
Posted on | September 6, 2007 | No Comments
CONFERENCE CALL QUOTES
“NINJA’’ RUA & ROBBIE LAWLER,
GINA CARANO & JAKE SHIELDS,
PROMOTERS GARY SHAW & TJ THOMPSON,
SHOWTIME’S CHRIS DEBLASIO
Thursday, Sept. 6, 2007
In the biggest Mixed Martial Arts event in the history of Hawaii, talented EliteXC middleweight champion Murilo “Ninja” Rua, will defend against exciting ICON Sport titlist, “Ruthless” Robbie Lawler in the main event of “Uprising’’ on SHOWTIME (10 p.m. ET/PT, delayed on the west coast).
Well-regarded Nick Diaz will make his anxiously awaited EliteXC debut and first start in six months against Mike Aina, streaking top-10 welterweight Jake Shields faces Renato “Charuto” Verissimo, The Golden Girl of MMA, sexy Gina Carano, will face Tonya Evinger and two fighters tough as nails, Joey Villasenor and Riki Fukuda, collide in the other televised bouts.
With the exception of “Ninja”-Lawler, the televised bouts are slated for three, 5-minute rounds.
Shaw: I’d like to thank everyone for joining us for publicizing this great card Sept. 15 on SHOWTIME where Ninja Rua is defending his EliteXC belt against Robbie Lawler. This has been a great promotion and this is going to be a tremendous, tremendous show. We’re glad to have Gina and Jake back and Nick Diaz. I’m very, very excited.
Question: Gary, what other organizations are ProElite looking to acquire?
Shaw: ProElite has formed a partnership, which has been announced, with SpiritMC. I’m here in England now finalizing our Cage Rage deal.
Question: There’s been a lot of talk that ProElite is in talks to acquire ICON and King of the Cage and a couple of other organizations. Is there any truth to those rumors?
Shaw: Yes, there’s a letter of intent out on both properties.
Question: This is about the heavyweight division in EliteXC. You have Rico Rodriguez and a bunch of other guys. When can we expect to see more of these from the past?
Shaw: I think you’ll see more in November. Right now (we’re concentrating on the Hawaii show). We want to give Ninja a shot to defend the title he just won and keep his face out there. He’s an exciting fighter and who better than Robbie Lawler to put his belt up against?
Comment: Definitely. That’s a great compliment to your brand and a testament to sticking to your word about wanting to have one single unified champion instead of a bunch of club champions.
Shaw: I promise you my word is my bond and we’ll continue to do that.
Question: Will you continue with this trend and have the winner of the Lawler-Rua fight possibly go up against the Strike Force champion and Frank Shamrock?
Shaw: Sure. There’s nothing stopping us from fighting anyone. We’ll fight any fighter in the UFC. We’ll let our fighters go into the UFC to bring back their belt or we’ll do it on SHOWTIME on an EliteXC card or ICON or Cage Rage. Doesn’t make a difference. That’s what makes this exciting, so it becomes global and everybody has a chance. Look, Randy Couture right now is training Gina Carano. How good is that?
Question: ProElite seems to be adding a lot of different organizations to Mixed Martial Arts under one banner and that seems like that’s the exact opposite approach taken by the UFC, who tends to lock out other organizations. Can you explain EliteXC’s unique approach and what we can expect in the future?
Shaw: Thank you for your question. EliteXC is inclusive and not exclusive, as Nick Diaz, if he was on the call, would tell you. We believe by acquiring all these brands worldwide we become a global brand and we can help build Mixed Martial Arts and the dream can come true for the directors of this company that it becomes an Olympic sport — hopefully as early as 2012. I have always said that when someone holds up a belt and says I’m a world champion, that it truly should mean world champion and not a club champion from someone’s own organization. So we will continue to acquire brands. We’ll continue to let our fighters fight all over the world and we will continue to offer everyone from every organization, wherever they are, an opportunity to fight for our belts.
Question: You mentioned Nick Diaz and the Takanori Gomi fight. Is there any possibility we could see Gomi versus Diaz in a rematch for EliteXC?
Shaw: Sure. I have no problem with that. The question is will those organizations let Gomi come and fight on SHOWTIME and fight Nick. We would never hold Nick back. We gave him that opportunity. That’s what we’re all about, and I think that’s what the fans want to see.
Question: Have you or anyone with EliteXC had negotiations with Gomi?
Shaw: I have not nor has anyone else. We wanted to bring Nick back. As you know, he was on suspension. I wanted to be with Nick, take him through this fight and hopefully after this fight go right back and show it wasn’t a fluke and that Nick is the superior fighter.
Question: In acquiring these other promotions, does ProElite want to get a controlling interest in these other promotions, or is it more a case where you want to go in and get those promotions’ resources to expand their brands?
Shaw: First of all, we haven’t finished acquiring the brands other than Rumble and that’s a different deal than our SpiritMC deal. Each one of our deals stands on it’s own. We don’t hide anything. We’re a public company. So as soon as we’re done with the acquisitions, we’ll be doing a filing. So your question is premature at this point.
Question: Gary, you’re talking about letting your fighters fight in other organizations, but if you go out and purchase all these other organizations they’re really your organizations, right?
Shaw: Not really because what we want (is for) SpiritMC (to operate) as SpiritMC and keep the Korean flavor. (Like Cage Rage) is going to keep the flavor truly of an English brand. But it gives the English fighter an opportunity to possibly go to Hawaii and bring back an ICON belt or Rumble belt or in the United States a UFC belt or a Rage in a Cage belt or King of the Cage belt or whomever we’re dealing with. It’s giving the fighter the opportunity to be seen on a global stage. So if Rua wants to fight someone from Cage Rage or not, if they have the best fighter out there in the eyes of the public, well, he’s going to have to fight him to defend that title or get stripped.
DeBlasio: Gary, it sounds like what you’re saying is that it’s not about ProElite, it’s not about any one organization, it is about MMA as a sport, right?
Shaw: That’s absolutely correct. Remember, ProElite is out there and they’ve been fighting EliteXC, but it’s building MMA. We’re not just trying to build a brand. I’ve said this over and over again. The fighter and the organizations that we are putting together is king. They will be bigger than me and bigger than the brand, unlike the UFC or the WWE where no one will be bigger than Dana (White), no one will be bigger than Vince (McMahon). That’s not how we operate.
Question: Gary, how would you describe how things are going from the ProElite/EliteXC side of things and are you happy and are things on schedule as far as what you mapped out at the beginning and the progress you’ve made?
Shaw: Yes. It’s close to beyond our expectations. We knew we were real. We knew we had the funding. We knew we had to get fighters that could represent us and we’d be proud for them to represent us like Gina Carano, Jake Shields, “Ninja,’ even “Krazy Horse.’’ These are people that have gone out there and started to talk and believe in us and we believe in them. When I get off this call, Gina Carano will tell you I told her I was going to make her the face of women’s Mixed Martial Arts. She can tell you all the great things that have happened to her as a fighter. We’re not trying to bury her, we’re trying to keep building Gina and building Jake. And when fighters lose, we bring them back and we still talk about them. We want to build Mixed Martial Arts. That’s what this is all about. We’re very happy. We’re on track. We have a wonderful, wonderful partnership with SHOWTIME and Ken Hershman and I think we bring exciting fights. We brought three to premium television and we will continue to do that. And on ProElite.com we have streamed numerous fights both from England, Hawaii and within the United States. So on our ProElite.com site, we are doing things that have not been done before to help Mixed Martial Arts.
Question: EliteXC has been very supportive of Charles “Krazy Horse’’ Bennett over the past few months. What is your impression of his performance last month?
Shaw: I was very, very disappointed. I thought that he could maybe have been trained better or certainly have fought better, but many people don’t know he had a hand injury in the first round. We’re not making excuses. I saw it. It was all swollen. After the fight he was taken to the hospital. However, you know, we have been building him. We believe in him. We think he’s exciting and we will continue to bring him to the eyes of the public in the MMA, but he’s going to have to make the commitment in order for us to follow through on our commitment to the fighter.
Question: The fight between Nick Diaz and Mike Aina is going to be at 160 pounds. Will EliteXC have both a 160-pound division in addition to a 155-pound division?
Shaw: We are talking about that right now within the company and we may go from 155 to 160. I don’t know that we’ll keep both, but it’s a good question, and come back at me and maybe by Sept. 15th I’ll have a more definitive answer for you.
Question: What role will Andy Geer and David O’Donnell continue to have with Cage Rage?
Shaw: I just came out of a press conference here in England. They’re going to be active. They’re going to be running Cage Rage, the English brand and we’re going to step it up to the next level. Hopefully, we won’t do all the fights at Wembley, but we’ll be able to go to Manchester and other great towns that deserve to get great fights.
Question: Gary, are you prepared to say whether those two and their other partners still remain in a minority ownership sense?
Shaw: The acquisition is not completed so I want to repeat, we haven’t done all our FCC filings. We’re just finishing the acquisition, but I can tell you that Andy and Dave will both be an intricate part of the company.
Question: Gary, I know that you’ve been really working on developing Gina Carano as a fighter. What other female fighters are you looking to develop?
Shaw: I have my eyes on three females right now, none of which are signed, but I promise you by Sept. 15 I will make that announcement. But Gina took women’s MMA on her back with her first fight with Julie Kedzie on SHOWTIME, proved to everybody she’s a real fighter, proved that women can be exciting fighters and she’s now given the impetus to go out and sign more exciting women fighters like Gina that are coming into that cage to fight.
Question: Now that you have recently added the ShoXC portion to your brand, how often do you plan staging ShoXC cards?
Shaw: That’s a good question. I’m just getting in talks with Ken Hershman from SHOWTIME. I believe we have two more scheduled for this year, one in October and one in December. I think its Oct. 26 and Dec. 7. And hopefully we’re going to bring you eight-10 of those shows next year on SHOWTIME. Again, I have not sat down with Ken Hershman and put that in stone. But right now, that is the plan. And I hope you’re enjoying them. I hope you see the value in them.
Comment: Great shows.
Shaw: Look, we’re trying to bring new stars to the division, to the eyeballs. We’re trying to show how many great fighters are out there and then move them and get them the opportunity to go from ShoXC to big time EliteXC on SHOWTIME. Make sure Gina and Jake only say nice things about me. I’ll see you all in Hawaii next week. Thank you, very much.
Carano: Hi, everyone. My life has been a little chaotic in the last six months. I’ve been super busy filming different things and meeting different people, but I just want to say thank you to ProElite and SHOWTIME for putting me on this card. It’s an honor once again and I’m really planning on putting on a good fight and I’m looking forward to it..
Question: Gina, what do you know about your opponent? She is sure a tough talker.
Carano: Yeah. I don’t know if tough talking is a cover up for insecurities or if she’s scared or anything, but every fighter can be beat and so I’m planning on beating her.
Question: Robbie, what are your thoughts about fighting Ninja in the main event on Sept. 15? .
Lawler: I’m exciting about the fight. I’m in good shape, ready to put on a good show and knocking Ninja out.
Question: What do you think about Ninja, who is going to try and take you to the ground while you’re going to try to keep everything at standup?
Lawler: It’s definitely going to start on the feet and I think we’re going to exchange. He’s not scared to exchange, but he’ll be quick to take it to the ground if he thinks there’s an opportunity and I’ll be ready to defend him and keep it on our feet.
Question: Jake, what are your thoughts about fighting Charuto and do you think this could be your toughest fight?
Shields: I’m excited. Charuto is somebody I was supposed to fight twice before and it fell through. I’ve been watching him fight for years. He’s a great Jiu-Jitsu guy and I’ve been training my butt off. I’m ready to go out and fight. I’m hoping to do a little standup and bang with him. I’m going to try to knock him out.
Question: Is it a factor that you are fighting Charuto on his home turf?
Shields: Not really. I’ve fought in Japan a bunch. Hawaii is not that far. Obviously he’s going to be the favorite, but it’s not that big of a deal. I’m used to it.
Question: Can you talk about the Team Gracie versus Team Penn factor on this fight card?
Shields: I think it makes it exciting. You’ve got Nick from Cesar’s and you’ve got those two from Team Penn and they are the two best Jiu-Jitsu schools in the country, so it’s kind of a rivalry. We get along with those guys. It’s a friendly rivalry to go out and show them that we’re better.
Question: Will bragging rights be on the line for the camps or do you even think about that?
Shields: A little bit. You always want to make your camp proud. Nick and I want to go out and win and show that our team is the best out there.
Question: Jake, you are both good on the ground. How do you expect it to go if you end up on the ground?
Shields: I think I’ve gone against so many, you know, and it’s a competition. I’m fine on the ground. I think I hold an advantage on top, (to) open him up with elbows and ground it down. I hope to keep the fight on my feet, but there’s always a chance it will be on the ground. If he’s on top and I don’t want to be there, I’ll just try to get back on my feet.
Question: For all the fights, what do you love most about Mixed Martial Arts?
Lawler: I just like competing. If it wasn’t for Mixed Martial Arts, I don’t know what I’d be doing right now. I love competing and pushing myself to the limits, and going out there and performing.
Shields: For me, it’s kind of the same. It’s competing with wrestling and then I found MMA. It’s the best sport out there. I like competing, but what better than a full fight. Boxing is cool, kickboxing is cool and wrestling is cool, but MMA, it’s everything. There are no excuses and you can do whatever.
Carano: I just like the mentality of fighting and I like to be physical and it’s just — I think it’s one of the most honest sports out there. In basketball and other sports, you can fall down and over-exaggerate it, but in fighting it’s so honest.
Question: Jake, I wanted to know if you’re still training with the American Kickboxing Academy on occasion?
Shields: Every now and again I do some sparring. Every couple weeks, I’ll go down there to train.
Question: Jake, there are a lot of guys in your weight class. Is there any concern that you might have to face guys you train with in the future?
Shields: That’s a concern. (But I know) I’m not going to fight them in the near future, so I kind of keep training (with them) occasionally.
Question: Has the UFC given you any expectation they plan to institute a welterweight title?
Shields: They have actually. We talked about it; hopefully after this fight, I can fight for it.
Question: TJ, as the local promoter what are your thoughts on a card that’s being billed as the biggest MMA event in the history of Hawaii?
Thompson: I’ll tell you what. I think clearly this is the biggest MMA event in the history of Hawaii, but I also believe that it’s not the biggest MMA event that Hawaii is ever going to have. I really think that as the world sees this little island out here, (they/fans see) we’ve been so far ahead of the game (in MMA). We started promoting MMA events here in 1995 when ICON was the second longest Mixed Martial Arts show in America. We’re very excited to have this event. We’ll have a full house at the Blaisdell Arena. I’m very excited about the main event – with the ICON champ Robbie Lawler going up against the EliteXC champ. It’s a great opportunity. Gary Shaw had that vision of bringing all these groups together and having true world champions and I think that’s the direction that this sport needs to go to continue to grow. For Robbie Lawler, this is a great opportunity. (With the styles of both fighters), it would be hard not to see that (Lawler-Rua) is the fight of the night and you will have a (decisive) winner when it’s over.
Question: Gina, are you still training with Scott Barry at Randy Couture’s gym?
Carano: I’m still training with Scott; he came over before I went over there, along with my boxing coach and the two over there. So I’m definitely still training with Scott.
Question: What is your game plan for Tonya.
Carano: I guess my game plan is really to fight the fight. People come from wrestling and other places, but the beauty of MMA is that anything goes. And so I just need to remember that if I get stuck on the ground to get on my feet.
Question: Do you expect her take it to the ground or do you expect her to remain standing?
Carano: I expect her to remain standing for a little bit and she’ll probably want to take me down, but I don’t know. I really don’t want to expect anything, I want to stick to my game plan.
Question: Ninja, what are your thoughts about fighting Lawler?
Rua: I am very well prepared and very excited to be (fighting a fellow champion).
Question: Do you think this is going to be your most important fight?
Rua: For sure. I am at the best point of my career and (looking forward to fighting again in the) United States and (for) EliteXC. I believe (this fight will be) the best one of my career.
Question: Ninja, there was a rumor you were leaving the Academy of Chute Box. Is it true?
Rua: Just rumors. I am very happy with (their) support and right now I have no plans. I want to stay and fight.
Question: TJ, which rules will be used for this card? The ones similar to the ones ICON and Pride use or the unified rules used by EliteXC?
Thompson: (For this card), the unified rules will be used. (This show will take place in a cage). ICON uses a ring and will continue to use a ring in the future.
Question: Gina, do you feel pressure being called the face of women’s MMA and fighting again on Showtime?
Carano: Well, there’s been a little bit of pressure. But I started fighting when nobody was watching and I’ll continue fighting whether people are watching or not. I just love the positive energy. People want to (can) put me wherever they want to put me, that’s fine.
Question: Is the SHOWTIME fight card on Sept. 15 going to be available on the Fight Network in Canada.
DeBlasio: I cannot answer that for you. I can find out. I don’t know what the status of any agreement with Canada is, but I can find out.
Question: Gina, are you surprised at how much your life has changed since the big win over Julie Kedzie in the great, memorable fight earlier this year? How has your life changed and how have you handled it?
Carano: Well, my life — my real life hasn’t really changed, but the exposure has. It has been awesome. I have to just keep organized and keep myself together because if not I’m not going to fight well. So it’s nice. It’s beautiful. And I love all the fans and I love all the people that give me positive energy back. I’m trying to keep a level head about it.
Question: Gina, did you have any idea you’d be getting this kind of exposure going into the fight with Kedzie? Did you have any idea that so many doors would open up for you?
Carano: No, actually I didn’t, but I knew that there was something special about the performance and so I just take one day at a time. I didn’t know it was going be like this and I’m thankful to God for it.
Question: How has it been since you started training at Randy Couture’s gym?
Carano: Before, I didn’t have anybody to put it together for me. I would just do my boxing all different places. So when I went over to Randy’s, that all got put together for me. I haven’t had a chance to work with Randy that much because he’d been training for his fight But I did work with everybody there. Team Couture is amazing.
Question: Robbie, have you ever fought anybody with a similar style to Ninja?
Lawler: I fought a lot of different guys. I don’t know, I just look at Ninja as a pretty good fighter. He’s well rounded. Basically he’s ready to stand, ready to go to the ground, so I have to be ready for everything and I am.
Question: Robbie, what do you think Ninja’s greatest strength is?
Lawler: I think his greatest strength is he comes from a great team and when you come from a great team you instill hard work and you know what it takes to win.
Question: What weakness do you think you can try to expose?
Lawler: I just think if I catch him a few times with my hands I’m going to knock him out.
Question: Ninja, what do you think Robbie’s greatest strength is?
Rua: Robbie is a very aggressive fighter, well prepared. He’s ready to go.
Question: Ninja, do you think you can knock Robbie out?
Rua: I am going to win on standup or on the ground; no matter, I’m going to be victorious.
Question: What’s the biggest problem in the sport right now?
Lawler: I don’t know. The biggest thing, I think are fans are starting to support it, the media is starting to get behind us, but I think a lot of people aren’t well prepared when they come to fight and I think that will be bad in the end. You have to make sure that fighters that are fighting in the smaller shows are prepared and well trained so they can basically defend themselves.
Question: Chris, can you give us a quick rundown on the countdown show that’s running on Showtime?
DeBlasio: We have nine more showings including tonight on SHOWTIME and some of the other multiplexes. It’s a 30-minute documentary show. It profiles in-depth Robbie Lawler’s background, Ninja Rua’s background, the explosive main event that is to come that’s really a pick ‘em fight. The Countdown runs until fight night on Sept. 15. We thank you for watching and (for your) interest in alerting your readers and viewers that the show is on. (We appreciate your reviews). The more eyeballs we can get watching that show just builds the excitement. It’s really well done by an Emmy-award winning production house.
Question: Ninja, have you had the opportunity to watch Robbie’s most recent fight, his victory over Frank Trigg, and what are your thoughts on that fight?
Rua: I have a lot of respect for Robbie. I watched the fight and he’s a very aggressive guy and finished the fight very quick. But on Sept. 15, it will be a little different.
Question: Jake, you’ve had a war of words with Frank Trigg the past few months and reportedly was supposed to fight him in San Francisco. What’s the status of that potential matchup?
Lawler: Well, Trigg never signed the contracts so it’s off. I don’t think he wants to fight me. At this point it’s kind of like … whatever. Hopefully sometime down the road someone will set it up. He’s had several opportunities and he’s turned it down with different excuses. I’m up for fighting him.
Question: Robbie, you know there’s been a lot of talk about how you and Matt Hughes are leaving the Miletich camp to start a new training center. Has that affected your training for this fight?
Lawler: It hasn’t affected my training. I put all that aside for this. I knew I couldn’t concentrate on opening a new gym and doing all that stuff. I said I’m going to concentrate on my fighting and then open this fighting center and I’m in good shape.
Question: Can you tell us a little bit about what that involves as far as you and Matt starting a new gym? What’s your role going to be?
Lawler: Basically I’m part owner and a training partner for that and we’re going to start bringing in good fighters from around the area and hopefully build up a great team.
Question: Is this an amicable split from camp Miletich or is that an extension for you to expand on your abilities to go out and do that natural progression?
Lawler: Well, he’s a brother to me, he’s family and he always will be. I’ve been with him for eight years and I’m going to still keep in touch with him and we’re great friends and this isn’t going to stop this.
Question: Robbie, for the last three-four years, you’ve been fighting in ICON in a ring. Now you’re going over to EliteXC to be fighting in a cage. Have you been training in a cage more for this fight?
Lawler: Well, I’ve never really trained in a cage and I never really trained in a ring, so it doesn’t matter. I just know how to fight and know how to get the job done.
Question: Jake, Trigg said one of the main barriers between you two is that you’re 170 pounds, and that he now fights at 185 pounds. Would you be willing to go up to 185 pounds?
Shields: For the right offer I would be. The offer they were making me in the October show was good enough, but then he kind of backed out. I’m not sure his exact reasoning, but we had a verbal agreement. We were ready to sign the contract and all the sudden his promoter stopped returning the phone calls. I’m not sure exactly what happened there.
Question: Jake, what are your thoughts about what is good and bad in MMA?
Shields: I think the good is the public is finally getting behind it. They’re starting to love the sport and making it popular. The bad is all these shows working against each other, but EliteXC seems to be trying to put us out there working with each other. If everybody starts working together it will save the sport and get true world champions, like they say.
Question: Gina, what are your thoughts on that?
Carano: I would say the best thing is the sport is getting more popular and getting more fans and attracting new fighters from other places. The worst thing about it is probably is it still is so young. It’s got a long ways to go and it’s still making baby steps compared to the other sports.
Question: Jake, any chance that you might go over to WEC?
Shields: I haven’t given that serious consideration. If it was the right situation I would go over there, but I don’t have any serious plans of going over there.
Question: Ninja, can we have some closing comments?
Rua: I’m looking forward to putting on a great fight and a good show for the audience, for the American and Hawaiian fans. I’m in good shape and ready to go.
Question: Robbie, any closing comments?
Lawler: Just about the same. I’m in good shape, I’ve been training hard and I’m ready to take it to Ninja.
Question: Gina, can we have some closing comments from you, please?
Carano: Sure. I just want to thank everybody for accepting me and for the fans and the press. Thank you so much for covering and for watching because it really does a lot for the country. I’ve had so many people come up to me and are so inspired about what we’re doing. I plan on having a good fight.
Question: Jake, closing comments?
Shields: I’m excited to fight after all the hard training. I can’t wait to get it over with. Now I want to go out there and fight the best fight I can.
Question: TJ, any closing comments?
Thompson: From top to bottom you look at this card, if you don’t have SHOWTIME this is the time to order it. I’m excited to be part of an organization to have the first event on premium cable channel. I think that excitement from top to bottom on that card is going to be unsurpassed. The main event is a true candidate for fight of the year.
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