UFC 81: Breaking Point.

Tim Sylvia dominated (

the stand up against Nogueira for two rounds.
but less than two minutes into the third. Mi­
notauro got the takedown and finished Sylvia
moments later via guillotine choke.

FIGHTMAGAZINE.COM I APRIL 2008 17

WHO'S THE MAN GOING, GOING, GONE!
Former UFC middleweight UFC 83 in Montreal was the quickest sellout
champion Evan Tanner has the in UFC history. Nearly 14,000 tickets were
distinction of having fought 4 sold in pre-sale and remaining tickets were
divisional title contenders (in­ accounted for minutes after being made
cluding one former champ) at 4 available to the general public.
different weight classes. Tanner
battled Paul "The Head Hunter"
Buentello (super heavyweight),
Heath "The Texas Crazy Horse"
Herring (at heavyweight),
"The Huntington Beach Bad
Boy" Tito Ortiz (at light heavy­
weight) and "The New York Bad
Ass" Phil Baroni (at middle­
weight) beating all but Ortiz (and
splitting a pair of bouts with
Herring).
! Q~I~K;HjT~.l

WHIPS ., FIGHTERS LIKE £ARS BIKES TOO

-

"The bike was a gift from Randy Aleman,

one of my wrestling coaches as a kid, and
a long time supporter and friend."
"My dog Hank is a bull terrier. He was kind of a rescue dog I got
when I was in college. I've been calling him 'the bully' since I got
him, because he doesn't get along with other dogs except our other
girl bull terrier that he's helped raise since she was a puppy."
! QUICK HITS
BACK PAIN IN MMA
Its Causes and the Cure
BY DR. JOHN H. PARK, D.C., C.S.C.S.
ack pain affects nearly 80 percent of the pop­
B ulation and can severely interfere with your
ability to train and compete if you are an MMA
athlete. Contrary to what most people believe,
the most common cause of back pain is not poor lift­
ing mechanics, but it is more often the result of poor
postures and muscular imbalances. This applies to
the average sedentary working person, but for those
of you who train in MMA, there is more to back pain
than meets the eye. The MMA athlete puts a higher
demand on the lower back than many other sports,
which can lead to bouts of acute and chronic lower
back pain resulting from herniated discs.
THE SOURCE OF THE PROBLEM
When you have back pain that radiates
past your knees and there is numbness or
tingling in your legs, you probably have a
herniated disc along with a pinched nerve_
in your lower back. The discs are cartilage.
or "shock absorbers" found between the
vertebrae. which allow for flexibility in the
spine. I like to use the analogy of a jelly
doughnut when explaining what can hap­
pen to discs. The disc is composed of a car­
tilaginous outer layer (annulus fibrosis) and
a soft center (nucleus pulposis). A disc does
not "slip" as most people believe. but it can
do one or a combination of three things: it
can degenerate. bUlge. or herniate.
Disc degeneration is a process that oc­
curs as a normal part of aging. but it can
also be accelerated from excessive stress
on the body. The disc essentially wears
away and dries out, becoming less flex­
ible and less soft over time (the "dough"
becomes dry and the "jelly" loses its fluid
content). Abnormal pressure in the lower
back from repetitive movements can cause
a disc to bulge. A bulge occurs when the
soft center of the disc (the "jelly") pushes
out on the outer cartilage layer (the "dough"
is pushed outward) which can potentially
pinch a nerve. If a disc herniates, the soft
center of the disc actually leaks outward
and compresses or irritates the sensitive
nerves in the lower back. This is a common
cause for the radiating pain down the back
of the thigh and leg, which is referred to as
sciatica. X-rays can rule out a fracture or
dislocation, but they do not show the in­
tegrity of the discs. An MRI will accurately
diagnose whether you have a degenerated,
bulging, or herniated disc.
Many disc injuries are predisposed by
muscle imbalances. Mixed martial arts and
grappling athletes often have flexion domi­
 QUICK HITS
I

nance in the lower back and pelvis. In neu­

tral spinal postures, the lower back should
curve inwards, but many of the movements
in jiu jitsu and submission grappling occur
with the back in the opposite direction with
the lower back flexed forward and the hips
flexed. Additionally, most training drills in­
volve repetitive flexion at the waist and ab­
dominal strengthening movements, causing
tightness of the hip flexors and weakness of
the hip extensors. Overtime, the lower back
es become under utilized while the #.
hip flexors become shortened. Addressing
these muscle imbalances often makes back
pain disappear or at least helps them to be­
come more manageable.

REPRIEVE FROM THE PAIN

The good news is that most cases of her­
niated or bulging discs are self-limiting
and usually get better if you give it enough
'ime. Unfortunately, the pain is often too
lluch for athletes to cope with and less
conservative options don't always provide
- e immediate relief patients are seeking.
-reatment typically involves an initial pe­
-od of rest with anti-inflammatory and pain
-edications. Physical therapy modalities
-eluding electrical stimulation, ultrasound
and mechanical traction can also help with
pain relief and speed up recovery. Once the
initial painful symptoms have resolved, you
should start a physical therapy program
that includes stretching the tight muscles
(usually hip flexors and hamstrings) and a
good spinal stabilization program. The goal
of any rehab program is to prevent future
recurrence and allow you to safely return to
training and competition.
When conservative measures fail, a short
term course of corticosteroids taken orally
or epidural steroid injections applied direct-
Iy into the spine can decrease the inflam­
mation and lessen the symptoms. When
all else fails, surgery may be necessary to
remove part of the disc or fuse the verte­
brae so there is no pressure on the nerves.
Any back pain that is accompanied by loss
of bowel or bladder control, weakness or
inability to control your legs may indicate
damage to the spinal cord and requires im­
mediate medical attention. Though there
are many treatment options available, one
thing remains clear: it is imperative that you
undergo aggressive rehab following a disc
injury to stay active in mixed martial arts.
For more information on disc injuries and
how to rehab back pain, you can contact Dr.
Park at the address to the right.
Dr. Park is a chiropractor specialiZing
in sports medicine and orthopedics.
He is also a BJJ blue belt under Mike
Moses/Lloyd Irvin (www.evolveacad­
emy.com) and continues to train and
compete in BJJ.
Dr. John H. Park, D.C., C.S.C.S.
Progressive Spinal & Sports Rehab
10076 Darnestown Road
Suite 200
Rockville, MD 20850
www.ProSpineRehab.com
www.yourMMAdoctor.com
Phone: (301) 294-5101

FIGHTMAGAZINE.COM I APRIL 2008 29


Larkin will be the first to admit he is still learning the nuances of
mixed martial arts as a sport, picking up pointers from the fight­
oriented shows on the History Channel and National Geographic.
However, what he lacks in MMA knowledge he more than makes up
for with his twenty years of experience orchestrating boxing events
for media-giant Showtime.
'" wanted to darken it down," said Larkin of the league's circus­
like mascots and bright ring colors. "When I arrived, there were
bright Olympic-like, amateur-like colors. [The new logo and new
ring] are representative of the direction we're going. We're no longer
the happy fight club."
And while a league's choice of color palette might seem trivial, the
darker colors helped the league look more like an MIVIA organiza­
tion and less like "professional wrestling with four-ounce gloves"
at their 2007 season-ending event in December. The new IFL ring
is gray canvas encircled by black ropes, giving it the feel of a four­
sided Octagon, if there ever was such a thing.
The league has also decided to dispose of the mascots and city­
based teams they represent. Gone are the Quad-City Silverbacks,
New York Pitbulls, Los Angeles Anacondas, and Nevada Lions. They
have been replaced by different camps, which, unlike the old teams,
fans will already know: Team Quest, Xtreme Couture, Miletich Fight­
ing Systems, aDd the Lion's Den.
Instead of focusing on playoffs and winning team championships,
fighters will now compete for championship belts in their weight
classes, including the newly added featherweight division.
Bas Rutten, the IFL:s new Vice President of Fighter Operations,
will be approving all of the matches. In prior seasons, the Dutch
MMA legend has served as coach and broadcaster. By bringing him
into the management fold, the IFL has bought itself access to one of
the sport's most extensive Rolodexes. Rutten is in a unique position
of being loved by the fans, as well as being respected and revered
by fighters.
"Bas can open doors that most don't know exist. I don't expect
him to come in and wear a suit and tie," says Larkin of the new VP.
Rutten still prefers training in a gym to bantering in a boardroom,
which should help the IFL in its quest to find more up-and-coming
fight talent to showcase in its live television events.
And a significant portion of IFL:s 2008 programming will be live.
The league has announced a partnership with Mark Cuban's MMA
venture, HDNet Fights, in which the first three IFL events of 2008 will
be aired live on HDNet.
"HDNet Fights is excited about the partnership with the IFL, and
it is a big part of our commitment to provide twenty-four live fights
to fans in 2008," says HDNet Fights CEO Andrew Simon. The IFL/
 OUiCK HITS I

HONet partnership began when HONet The IFL's Talent Pool for 2008 Runs Deep
fighter Jason "Mayhem" Miller defeated Below we take a look at some of the top standouts
the IFL's Tim Kennedy. According to Simon,
"This showed both HONet Fights and the
IFL that great things can happen when we
work together."
In addition to the live programming of­
fered on HONet, taped programming will be
aired on Fox Sports Network featuring some
of the IFL's top fights, including those that
did not go to air during live broadcasts.
The league is also reportedly negotiating
with MyNetwork to bring MMA program­
ming back to broadcast television. In No­
vember of 2007, the two made TV and MMA
history when the IFL Grand Prix Semi-Finals
became the first MMA event to be aired live
on broadcast television.
A network spokesperson at MyNetwork
described the IFL programming as being "on
hiatus", meaning it mayor may not reappear
on the network. However, Otto is convinced
a deal will get done. "[The network] is ex­
cited about having us. Our ratings went up
twenty percent," says Otto, who knows his
sport delivers a demographic to networks
and advertisers that is otherwise elusive ­
males 18-36 years old.
The IFL shows will originate from three
main venues: The Orleans Arena in Las Ve­
gas, NV, the IZOO Center in East Rutherford,
NJ, and the Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncas­
ville, CT. Each card will feature at least eight
fights, five of which will be broadcast, in­
cluding at least two championship fights.
No longer focused on seasons but in­
stead putting on the best fights for fans,
the IFL is making a big leap forward. If they
can ink another deal with MyNetwork, es­
pecially a deal that brings live MMA back
to broadcast television, they could pose a
significant threat to the UFC's dominance
inMMA.

For 2008, the IFL has a new slogan that

captures the essence of the league: New
Blood, New Battles. For CEO Jay Larkin,
the new blood has little to do with car­
nage in the ring. It instead is meant to
represent the league's pool of fight tal­
ent, who are slowly stepping out of the
shadows of their legendary coaches.

FIGHTMAGAZINE.~Q~ I APRI~ Z006 ~7

! GEORGES S1 PIERRE
"l was by myself,"
St. Pierre says. "It made me feel good.
It made me feel very good, actually. It
looked dumb, but it made me feel very
good."
St. Pierre, 15-2 including 9-2 in the UFC,
is seen as personifying the new breed of
MMA fighter because he's good at ev­
erything. UFC president Dana White has
called him "the most talented fighter on the
planet."
"They're all going to look like Georges
in the future," says Firas Zahabi, one of St.
Pierre's Muay Thai trainers. "But he's 10
years ahead of the game."
Last April, however, Serra ripped away his
championship belt, denting the Canadian's
growing reputation. St. Pierre has had two
impressive wins since then, but he's had to
retool along the way. The brick was just a
first step. "You would never carry a brick all
day and then go to the gym at nine o'clock
at night and expect to have a good train­
ing session," explains sports psychologist
Brian Cain. "You'd be physically exhausted.
Well, psychologically, we do the same thing
all the time. We carry what I'd call a men­
tal brick when we don't let go of a loss, we
don't let go of a problem, we don't let go
of something someone said about us that
we've got no control over.
"And if you hold on to that stuff, it wears
on your mind, it wears on your heart and
it's going to hold you back and tear you
down, and make you exhausted just as it
would if you were actually carrying a physi­
cal brick."
The Quebec waters hide their share of
MMA secrets. Thanks to fellow fighter Da­
vid "The Crow" Loiseau, there's another
brick at the bottom, this one with the names
of Rich Franklin, Mike Swick, and Joey Vil­
lasenor inscribed on it. Loiseau lost to all
three in a row.
St. Pierre knows he can't change the
past. But he can control the future. And
as he trains for his UFC 83 rematch with
Serra, on April 19th at Montreal's Bell Cen­
tre, he knows the worst is behind him. "It
has worked," he says of the brick gambit.
"And now I'm going to prove it to everybody
when I fight him next time. Even though I
have nothing to prove, I'm going to do it for
myself."
St. Pierre respects Serra as a fighter but,
as he goes into their rematch, he'~clearly
a man on a mission. "Next time people will
know. And if Serra wants to fight me again,
again and again, I will fight him again, again
and again, and the result will be the same
thing every single time that I fight him."
In a private moment, speaking on the
phone to a friend, S1. Pierre is far more
blunt. "I'm going to mess him up."
:.'//U/~~7·-~xm
Georges S1. Pierre grew up in the Mon­
treal suburb of St-Isidore, located on the
southern shore of the Saint Lawrence
River, opposite the Island of Montreal. It's
a French-speaking town of some 3,000 to
4,000, about 20 minutes from downtown
Montreal.
His father works in the floor recovery
business while his mother nurses the el­
derly. "We didn't have a lot of money but I
always ate my three meals a day," recalls St.
Pierre, who has two younger sisters (now 24
and 22). "I grew up with the mentality that
I had to work to get what I want. I'm glad
in a certain way. My parents helped me fi­
nancially but they never gave me something
for free ... lt's probably the best gift they ever
gave me."
S1. Pierre had problems with bullying at
school, but he was good at sports. Track
and field, ice hockey, basketball: he excelled
at them all. He started karate at seven, with
his father teaching. At nine, he started go­
ing to a karate school in a nearby village.
S1. Pierre's father had once been a bit of
an athlete himself. But his own father died
young, so S1. Pierre Sr. had to drop sports
in order to pick up a paycheck.
While the Canadiens are a way of life in
Montreal, St. Pierre followed the Edmonton
Oilers. Messier, Gretzky, Tikkanen, and Kurri
were his heroes. His dad, a Quebec Nor­
diques fan, used to wake him up when the
Oilers were winning the Stanley Cup, so he
could catch a glimpse of the celebrations.
But money was tight and hockey was
expensive. "I really liked hockey but I had
to make a choice, and I preferred martial
arts."
St. Pierre gave up karate in 1995, when
he was 14, after his teacher died of cancer.
But soon after, he and a friend rented a tape
of UFC 1, and he was hooked by Royce Gra­
cie. "When I saw Gracie beat everybody,
right away I fell in love with the sport. He
really inspired me. So it became the turning
point of my life. I knew right away that this
is what I wanted to do. I started doing Japa­
nese Jiu-Jitsu and kickboxing and getting
more involved in different martial arts, and I
.
wanted to do that for a living.
"I remember right away I got inspired. I
knew right away it was going to be a very
popular sport some day."
He threw himself into MMA, taking ad­
vantage of his natural skills at sports and
his ability to learn qUickly. "I'm somebody
who picks up things very well. It's like a gift
for me. You can show me something and I'm
going to execute it perfectly ... So I knew
right away when I wanted to be involved
with MMA, that I could do welL"
From the age of 17 to 20, St. Pierre worked
 Z ::JS while going to school and train­
,\\I1A. At CEGEP (pronounced say­
.= <orm of junior college peculiar to
_7:_ he studied natural sciences. His
-:; :JS included working in a govern­
_ reation center for delinquent kids;
:3- recovery store, and as a bouncer
__ ::. called Fuzzy Brossard, in suburban
--=<ll.
:: ,me loves hip-hop and reggae. But
":;c ed working Thursday nights at the
"en they were the music featured .
• -'= ',ere a lot of gangs, so there were
: a bunch of fights going on, and it
.: - ghtmare," he says. "But I never re­
.=: :0 fight much, I was lucky. Most of
-e I took care of the problem by talk­
_.: 'ome of the guys that I was working
--ey were big guys and they always
- ::; -ake care of the problem with their
- ;-::-. So because of that, I sometimes
_-cJlems.
":;~ember the day that I quit the club.
:e ling everybody, 'Hey, if you keep
.;: -<e that, one day somebody's go­
;;e shot.' Two weeks after, there was
.:: out at the club and somebody got
--ey tried to shoot the head doorman
-=, missed and they shot someone in
-"up in the leg."
- - :; ::looter was caught on a bridge, try­
:; ;et to Montreal. "He's in jail now."
,,- a crazy time for S1. Pierre. Money
- ;nt, his schedule was jam-packed,
:: hours sleep a night was par for the

- --. ny Antenucci, a friend of his, gave

~= 0 a month to help him train-no
;: attached. S1. Pierre has never for­
.- :-'1at, and his thank you gift to Ante-
II be a center seat in the front row
=: E3.
:: erre makes a good living as a fighter
:: :ays, but he still takes pride in his di­
.: n natural sciences. He later started
-;-3e in kinesiology, but dropped it once
;-:ing career took off. The UFC interim
z- eight champion also has a techni­
::; oma in floor recovery. "Finishing a
:eramics, hardwood. I know how to
-.::: S1. Pierre says proudly.
2sn't until early 2004, when he en­
! GEORGES Sf. PIERRE
tered the UFC that he could focus on fight­
ing alone. St. Pierre was just 22 and 5-0
when the UFC came calling, drawn by his
first-round submission of UFC veteran Pete
Spratt at a TKO event in Montreal. Three
fights later, he was matched against Matt
Hughes for the vacant l70-pound title. He
lost that bout, but went on to beat Hughes
and win the title at UFC 65, in November
2006. Today he is one of the UFC's bright­
est-and most popular-stars.
"What's not to like about Georges St.
Pierre?" asks UFC president Dana White.
"He's the epitome of everything you'd like in
a sports figure or a tough guy. He's humble,
he trains hard, he's a good-looking kid, he
says all the right things. The potential for
Georges St. Pierre, it's unstoppable. This
kid, I think the sky's the limit."
////;'////.47P///////L~Y//#h;'l/,-:E;'~/ ,;,;' :'/:.~/#/.{!/4-~Y//.£'~~'
St. Pierre lives in a Montreal suburb, hav­
ing used his UFC earnings to buy a three­
story house about 15 minutes from down­
town Montreal. "It's amazing," he enthuses.
"I won't stay there all my life because it's
too big for me, but it's a good investment."
Although the house is just about his only
splurge, he has other pleasures, too.
"Everybody has a passion. Some people
love cars, some people love rings like crazy,
diamonds. Some people like music; they're
going to travel around the world to go see
a concert. Me, I would say my passion, the
way I like to spend money is I like to go to a
nice restaurant."
In Las Vegas, he favors Panevino Ris­
torante. Back home, he loves 40 Westt.
"That's my little extravagance. It doesn't
cost me a lot of money compared to some­
body who likes to buy cars or something
like that. Me, going to a very good restau­
rant, that's what I like to do."
St. Pierre's tastes aren't limited to haute
cuisine. "I love McDonald's," he confessed
to the UFC Fight Club before UFC 81. "I'm a
big fan of it. Two cheeseburgers with french
fries."
His favorite dish, however, comes from
home. "Tourtiere," he says, referring to a
French-Canadian meat pie. "My mother
46 FIGHTMAGAZINE.COM I APRIL 2008
makes the best tourtiere in the world."
His love of food hasn't taken a toll on his
waistline. St. Pierre fights at 170 and walks
around at 186 or 187. He says eating is not
a problem. "I'm very lucky. I can eat pretty
much whatever I want. I try to eat as well as
I can, but I can eat cake and stuff like that
and I don't get big. Very fast metabolism."
When he's away from the cage, St. Pierre
also likes to relax at a cinema. He goes
to the movies once or twice a week, and
counts The Matrix as his favorite. "I've seen
everything," he says. "I like action, but I also
like movies that make you think. There is
/h//;.'
action, there is science fiction, and there is
a lot of philosophy behind the 'Matrix.' I'm a
big fan of philosophy as well."
He drives a leased SUV, a no-nonsense
set of wheels perfect for getting about town
and surviving the Quebec winters. The
vintage Chevy Nova he won from the UFC
while on The Ultimate Fighter stays in his
garage. In a perfect world, he'd be driving a
Cadillac Escalade. "Pretty soon, maybe."
As St. Pierre spends a fair chunk oftime in
his car driving from one gym to another, the
road is where he listens to most of his mu­
sic. He's a big Ludacris fan, and these days
he's also big on Rohff, a French rapper.
St. Pierre knows what he likes in cloth­
ing, too. Asked about his wardrobe, he's
savvy enough to single out Affliction, one of
his sponsors. When it came time to design
his own line, however, he asked Affliction
to forgo the skulls and crucifixes. "It's not
my style, and they respected that." Dolce &
Gabbana and Armani can also be found in
his closet.
Travel is another St. Pierre favorite. He
usually escapes for a week after his fights­
although he was back in the gym two days
after the Serra loss. The south of France is
his current destination of choice.
And these days, he has a traveling com­
panion: his girlfriend, a native of Haiti who
now lives in Quebec. "It's pretty fresh. She's
a very.nice person, very smart ... she under­
stands me. When I met her, she didn't know
what I did for a living. She had no clue. Even
today, she doesn't understand what I do for
a living, and I prefer it that way."
St. Pierre sports two tattoos. A fleur-de­
lis, symbolizing Quebec, adorns his right
calf, while a Japanese Jiu-Jitsu symbol is
traced on his chest. Loosely translated, the
Jiu-Jitsu symbol represents the blending of
hard and soft, flexibility, and self-defense.
St. Pierre sees it more simply as "sweet
and rough," which sums him up perfectly,
outside and inside the cage.
::,/////../.~~·~:-z/. '::-: ~', ;~-;t;:'-;'-'/#"'4«-9Q/'«-;;X-/"/////////////.1I'///
St. Pierre is an impressive physical
specimen, with a muscular inverted torso
screwed into a narrow 32- or 33-inch waist.
Menacing inside the cage, he moves like a
dancer outside it.
It's a body that is trained by the best.
On the second floor of a small, nonde­
script Montreal strip mall, St. Pierre is put
through his paces by strength and condi­
tioning coach Jon Chairnberg. Lying on his
back on a bench towards the end of the.
workout, St. Pierre thrusts up a pair of mas­
sive 120-pound dumbbells as Chaimberg
watches.
"Ayearago, he struggled with 55 pounds,"
says Chaimberg. "He wasn't training prop­
erly even though he was training hard."
The dumbbells returned to their place,
and St. Pierre moves to the other end of the
gym for another test of strength.
"He forgets sometimes I'm a human be­
ing," says St. Pierre, drenched in sweat.
 "You guys are watching a light workout
today, trust me," Chaimberg counters.
If so, it's a light workout of Frankenstein
proportions. Chaining a gO-pound weight
to yourself and then doing chin-ups is sim­
ply not normal, especially if you follow up
with squat jumps onto a stool, medicine ball
throwing, kettle bell swinging, ball slam­
ming, rope-pulling, and hefting gO pounds
with one hand from the waist to high above
the head.
Friend and fellow fighter David "The
Crow" Loiseau watches approvingly. "He's
not even out of breath, he's a machine,"
says Loiseau, in his best carnival barker
voice. "He eats lightning, he shits thunder."
A picture of Matt Serra is pinned on the
gym wall, a reminder of why St. Pierre is
putting himself through such torture.
///#H//////~'l/'/.I;'~'7.' x'-','/~;-~r/##$/////////h///h'///4/#///N;$Y///
Since the Serra loss, St. Pierre has re­
made his entourage. The way he sees it,
now everyone in his training and manage­
ment setup has his back. "Some people let
me down," he says. "You know when you're
winning, it's going well, everybody likes
you. But as soon as you lose, people let you
down and I found out who was real and who
was not. Now I stick with the real people."
Shari Spencer manages his affairs. Based
48 FIGHTMAGAZINE.COM I APRIL 2008
in Las Vegas, Spencer looks after the busi­
ness side of GSP calmly and efficiently,
leaving St. Pierre to focus on training and
fighting. Her husband, Steven Friend, is a
holistic therapist who has worked on St.
Pierre with great success. In the fight game,
Friend is known as the "Witch Doctor."
The St. Pierre fight team includes MMA
coach Greg Jackson, Muay Thai trainers
Firas Zahabi and Phil Nurse (based in New
York), Jiu-Jitsu specialists Fabio Holanda
and Bruno Hernandez, boxing coaches
Howard and Otis Grant, wrestling coach
Victor Zilberman, strength and condition­
ing coach JOIl Chaimberg, and sports psy­
chologist Peter Bender.
Brian Cain, St. Pierre's former sports psy­
chologist (and the man behind the brick),
calls Zahabi "the mortar that holds the
whole wall together."
"He's got as many good people around
him as any other fighter in the world," says
Cain. "The question for Georges...as it is
with any elite-level athlete is when you
have success and win all the time, will you
prepare and do all the things you do when
you're hungry and you're coming off a loss?
If he does, he may not lose another fight his
entire career."
Asked to rate his own improvement, St.
Pierre responds: "I've always been very
well-rounded. I would say that right now I'm
a way better overall version of what I was
before. I'm better standing up, better on the
ground, better in pretty much everything."
///////Q//IC;"·· ~.~ '.'/~.~///////////////////h;;::';,///ij;~~'-¥U/////////4'
Greg Jackson is a key member of the St.
Pierre coaching team. An encyclopedia of
MMA, Jackson lures St. Pierre regularly to
Albuquerque for training. Jackson fighters
such as Nate Marquardt, Keith Jardine, and
Rashad Evans go to Montreal to help St.
Pierre prepare, and he returns the favor by
traveling long distances to work with them.
For UFC 81, St. Pierre was in Las Vegas
to support Marquardt for his middleweight
fight with veteran Jeremy Horn. Two nights
before the fig ht, St. Pierre dons red shorts,
a tight black top and a knee support for
a Marquardt workout, but stays clear of
Marquardt because he's got a bit of a sore
throat and doesn't want to infect his friend.
Instead, as Marquardt lightly throws
punches or rolls with Jackson, St. Pierre
watches and offers suggestions. Double up
your jab, he advises. St. Pierre notes that, in
guard, Horn likes to pull his opponent's torso
tight. He also sees that, when Horn is hurt
in a stand-up exchange, he tends to back
away with his hands hugging his face. "Thai
clinch," he suggests as a remedy, grabbing
Jackson by the neck and motioning to knee
 him. "One hundred percent, that's a great
idea," Jackson says approvingly.
The light workout over, St. Pierre offers
more counsel to Marquardt: It's all about
confidence and focus. He tells Marquardt
that, when he saw him in Denver, he had
never seen him so sharp. "Fifteen minutes
of your life," he says. "For 15 minutes Satur­
day night, it's nothing else. Fifteen minutes,
it's you and him. You did all your homework.
You can't be any better prepared than you
are."
Marquardt's time over, St. Pierre rolls with
Jackson, who shows him a quicker, more
powerful entry into an arm bar. "Nice," St.
Pierre says admiringly. "Nice."
Says Jackson: "You haven't seen the best
Georges St. Pierre. He's still learning. He's
still getting better. He's still improving.
He's like 'ooh, a new move' and he's got to
do it a hundred thousand times, over and
over."
hX",;" .' :}X..y/.~7///4;;'1:%',.>X-:;'
Sitting at dinner, over a plate of ribs in
a Montreal restaurant, St. Pierre is inter­
rupted by a passing waiter who recognizes
him. "Georges, you guarantee victory? No
seriously. It's not a joke." St. Pierre politely
guarantees him that the best-prepared
Georges St. Pierre will enter the cage on
Ap',i1 (8tn.
St. Pierre faces such questions every day,
not to mention the calls on his cell phone
from local reporters. When he politely asks
these reporters to go through his manager,
some of them respond by saying that St.
Pierre has forgotten his roots. Privately, St.
Pierre notes that almost all of these same
reporters ignored him when he needed the
50 FIGHTMAGAZINE.COM I APRIL 2008
publicity, desperate for sponsors in his early
fighting career.
Serra knows that he will be the villain
at UFC 83. But he is also well aware of the
pressure St. Pierre faces, given that he's
fighting at home. "He says he works really
well under pressure, but you've seen him do
really well and you've seen him maybe not
do so well," Serra says slyly.
St. Pierre added a sports psychologist to
his retinue after the Serra loss: first Brian
Cain, an American who had worked with
Keith Jardine after his knockout by Houston
Alexander, and then Canadian Peter Bend­
er. "I thought a sports psychologist was for
crazy and weak people. Never thought I
was going to need one," St. Pierre explains.
"And I realize it helped me a 10t..You need a
good one at this level."
Bender prefers to stay in the back­
ground, deflecting attention to St. Pierre
and his other coaches. He minimizes his
contributions, but acknowledges that even
the smallest advantage at this elite level can
make a difference.
"It's the kind of sport that weighs heavily
on you mentally because, at the end of the
day, they call your name and it's one-on­
one in the ring, with a lot of people watch­
ing," Bender says. "There are stresses and
anxieties. and if we can alleviate some of
them, maybe that helps."
";:'/,;'i;;X///I'//H///////////,o////ij;:'-;Y////////.'////////////////#////XoY/
St. Pierre's life was falling apart prior to
the first Serra fight. His father had fallen se­
riously ill, as did a cousin. And there were
other family problems. His training suffered.
He was not at 100 percent emotionally or
physically. In truth, he was reeling well
before the Serra punch to the side of the
head that was the beginning of the end of
his title.
"He told me that after the fight," says
fellow UFC fighter Patrick Cote, who un­
derstands why his friend kept it to himself.
"That's OK, because it's private stuff, it's
family stuff. Nobody needs to know any­
thing about that."
Those close to St. Pierre will tell you that,
as his training goes, so goes St. Pierre. And
that goes a long way toward explaining the
Serra debacle.
"People have criticized me for being
weak mentally," St. Pierre says. "But I would
not say that I'm weak mentally...1 have a
lack of experience. I'm 26 years old, I've got
like 15, 16 fights. Yet I'm fighting guys who
are 33, 34, 35 years old, who have got like
more than 30 fights most of the time. So, of
course, I have a lack of experience. Those
guys have more experience, and sometimes
my head can go wrong.
"But that's why I have a sports psycholo­
gist. The confidence of a fighter comes from
his training. It's the same thing at school. If
you go to an exam at school and you haven't
studied, you're not going to be confident;
you know you're not going to do well. You
won't be prepared. Same thing for a fight."
David Loiseau believes that St. Pierre is
ready these days. "Just look at his eyes," he
SCIyS.
Or ask Josh Koscheck or Matt Hughes.
St. Pierre did his homework for both, beat­
ing them definitively since losing his title.
The Serra loss has paid diVidends. "It
taught me a big life lesson. I'm doing things
differently, and it's going to payoff. You're
going to see next time."
School's back in session on April 19th.•
 Pound for Pound
RANK FIGHTER

1. Anderson Silva
Georges St. Pierre
Fedor Emelianenko
BJ Penn
Quinton Jackson
Dan Henderson
Urijah Faber
lakanori Gomi
Randy Couture
Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira

Others receiving votes: Paulo Filho, Kid Yamamoto,Miguel Torres

Heavyweight (over 205)

RANK FIGHTER
--.
1. Fedor Emelianenko
Randy Couture

Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira

lim Sylvia
Josh Barnett

6. Fabricio Werdum
Cheick Kongo
-7.
-
8. Andre Arlovski
Frank Mir
9.
...
10. Gabriel Gonzaga BRA

Others receiving votes: Mirko Filipovic, Antonio Silva, Ben Rothwell

light Heavyweight (205)

RANK FIGHTER 'COUNTRY

1. Quinton Jackson
-­
-
2. Forrest Griffin

3. lyoto Machida
4. Chuck Liddell

~
- Keith Jardine
- - -= -­
BRA
- -­
._ - ----­

6. Mauricio Rua I BRA

- - ----­
-7.
8.
9.
Rashad Evans
Wanderlei Silva
lito Ortiz
-
-

-
"

i'"1TSA
- USA
BRA
I--­

_ _ L...:.:....
-
10. lhiago Silva
---.
-~

. BRA
-
Others receiving votes:
Arona
Middleweight (185)
RANK FIGHTER

1. Anderson Silva
Dan Henderson
Paulo Filho
Matt Lindland
Rich Franklin
Nate Marquardt
Vushin Okami
Robbie Lawler
Jason Miller

10. Frank Trigg

Others receiving votes: Denis Kang, Frank Shamrock, Patrick Cote

Welterweight (110)
RANK FIGHTER COUNTRY

1. Georges St. Pierre

2. Jon Fitch
3. Matt Serra
4. Josh Koscheck
5. Matt Hughes
6. Karo Parisyan
7. Carlos Condit
8. Jake Shields
9. Diego Sanchez
10. Marcus Davis USA

Others receiving votes: Thiago Alves, Nick Thompson, Shinya Aoki

Lightweight (155)
RANK FIGHTER

1. BJ Penn
2. Takanori Gomi JPN
3. Gesias Calvancanti

4. Mitsuhiro Ishida
5. Gilbert Melendez
6. Sean Sherk
7. Tatsuya Kawajiri
8. Roger Huerta
9. Joe Stevenson
10. Frank Edgar

I II .
JUDO
Founded by Kano Jigaro in the 1900s as a
safer alternative to Jiu-Jitsu training, Judo
has become a worldwide sporting event,
with competitions taking place in virtually
every country on the globe. Introduced to
the Olympic Games in 1964, Judo is a sport
like many others. Akin to Greco-Roman,
freestyle, and Western Wrestling, it is the
Asian contribution to grappling sports. Its
initial foray into the Octagon was far from
stellar. World-class Judokas like Chris­
tophe Lenninger were defeated by more
well-rounded fighters who did not wear
gis. No gi means no place to grip, therefore
no throws, and no victories for Judo in the
Octagon.
Though Judo seemed a poor fit for the
MMA competitor, its popularity as an en­
try-level traditional art has spawned a new
group of fighters whose roots are firmly em­
bedded in Judo, particularly welterweight
phenom Karo Parisyan.
The Armenian-born athlete began his
combat sports career at nine. As a Judo
player, he won six Junior National Belts,
and participated in the 2004 Olympic trials.
His Judo coaches are living legends in their
own right - Gokor Chivichya and "Judo"
Gene LeBell, one of the baddest (and nicest)
guys to grace the mat. Though not alone in
his Judo roots - PRIDE's Yoshida, Takimoto,
and Morris, and the UFC's Sokoudjou are
all proficient in Judo - Parisyan has added
to the MMA lexicon by incorporating Judo
throws into his own personal system. His
success has brought new attention to the
art and its potential use in MMA. Gi or no
gi, Karo makes it work; just ask his oppo­
nents, who now know that the clinch is no
longer a place to rest.
SANSHOU
A fully sanctioned and recognized system in
en'lna, San ShOD is cDnsidered the combllt
side of the more commonly known Wu Shu.
San Shou combines the striking of Chinese
Boxing and Kung Fu with the throwing of
Tai Chi and other Chinese systems; basi­
cally, a Muay Thai match with scissor kick
throws and suplexes! Watching a San Shou
match is like watching a real life Kung Fu
movie, full of spectacular kicks and strikes,
punctuated by sky-high throws and acro­
batic techniques. Based on a self-defense
type method of throwing, where one does
not follow his opponent to the ground, but
lets the impact do all the damage, it lacks
the ground-based submission grappling of
MMA.
When discussing San Shou, the name
always mentioned is Cung Le. Cung Le is
one of the most dynamic combat athletes to
ever step into the ring. A former high school
wrestler, Cung practiced and mastered
a plethora of martial arts: Tae Kwon Do,
Vietnamese Kung Fu, Muay Thai, Wu Shu,
and most recently BJJ. He began his pro­
fessional fighting career in the 1990s, be­
coming the ISKA/Strike Force Kickboxing
Champ. He also competed in K-1 in 2003,
amassing a record of 17-0 with 12 KOs, and
has blown away everyone he has faced on
the American San Shou circuit.
His dominance in the strike/throw sport
garnered him national attention, but many
fighters and fans said he could not make
the transition to MMA. In 2006, he took
on the challenge, and won convincingly.
Though still working to better his submis­
sion and counter-submission ground skills,
Cung has proven to be a great combat
athlete, regardless of the venue. His MMA
record stands at 5-0, with all wins coming
from knockouts. He has not yet performed
his legendary flying scissor kick takedown
in the cage, but he brings a distinct San
Shou flavor to his fighting.
FEATURE I
SAMBO
Hidden behind the shadow of the Iron Cur­
tain, Combat Sambo was initially developed
for Soviet troops. Sambo, which means self­
defense without weapons, was deemed
a formal sport by the USSR in 1938. At its
base is a mix of local grappling systems
from the toughest cultures in what was
then the SO\liet bloc J\l\)'an@~@ JUGO, !\rm@"
nian Kotch, Georgian Chidaoba, Moldovan
Trinta, Uzbek Kuresh, Mongolian Khapsa­
gay and Azerbaijani Gulesh.
Sambo has evolved into varying forms..
These varieties include Sport Sambo, which
is very similar to Judo (they even wea r a gi
top) but without chokes and leg locks, Self­
Defense Sambo, which uses small joint locks
and is similar to Aikido and Aikijitsu, Com­
bat Sambo, which incorporates all strikes,
throws and even some weapons, Special
Sambo, which is used by police and mili­
tary special operations forces (Spetznaz),
and most recently added, Freestyle Sambo,
which is essentially MMA as we know it.
Unique to Sambo is the ranking system
used in the Russian Federation. Unlike in
the US, the system is purely performance
based. If you win a local title, you get
ranked at a certain level. Win a national title
and you earn a higher rank. Currently, the
most notable Sambo practitioner in MMA is
the undefeated Fedor Emelianenko, a man
considered by many to be the best pound­
for-pound fighter in MMA.
Fedor began his martial arts training in
both Judo and Sambo. His level of expertise
is partially attributed to his training while
serving his country as a military fireman.
However, he competed often in the Com­
bat Sambo tournaments in Russia, earn­
ing the rank of Master of Sports in Self­
Defense (Sambo) in 1997, the equivalent
of a national title. He began competing in
the more MMA-based Freestyle Sambo in
2000, and competed in and won the PRIDE
2003 tournament, a title he has successfully
defended for four years. In addition to fight­
ing in PRIDE, Fedor continues to compete
in Combat Sambo tournaments, and in 2005
won its highest-level tournament, cement­
ing him in history as one of the most effec­
tive fighters to ever compete.
FIGHTMAGAZINE.COM I APRIL 2008 55
I• FEATURE
JEETKUNEDO
In 1973, a lithe charismatic man named
Bruce Lee exploded onto the silver screen.
The premier of Enter the Dragon exposed
the west to martial arts in a most dramatic
way. Punches, kicks, elbows, knees, and
throws were used to take on all comers, as
Lee's ripped physique glistened. In particu­
lar, the opening fight scene illustrated how
far ahead of everyone else the Little Dragon
was in the martial arts community. Fiqgered
gloves, spandex shorts, and all ranges of
fighting were used against a larger (albeit
pudgy) opponent. The fight scene was fu­
rious, and ended not in a knockout, but
with an arm bar submission. This vision of
a no-technique-barred fighting system was
what Bruce Lee's off-screen training was all
about. He called it Jeet Kune Do - the way
of the intercepting fist.
JKD was never intended to be a set
group of techniques or system, but an ap­
proach that liberated the practitioner from
set methods so that he could develop a
personalized method of self-defense and
fighting. At its core was a highly developed
training method that included physical con­
ditioning, strength training, technical train­
ing in all ranges of fighting, and all range
full contact sparring. That type of program
is standard today, but was revolutionary for
that time. Much of the training equipment
we use today, such as kicking shields, was
developed by Lee and his crew. Lee com­
bined techniques and training methods
from many traditional martial arts, blend­
ing them together to form his own system
that included punches, kicks, trapping, and
grappling. Sound familiar? It should, since it
was essentially the world's first mixed mar­
tial art.
So where are all the JKD guys in MMA?
Unfortunately, JKD became mired in politics
and the "my kung fu is too deadly" mindset.
Nevertheless, there have been a few, most
notably Erik Paulson.
Erik Paulson is the product of a lifetime
of martial arts training. Tae Kwon Do, Ka­
rate, and Judo were where he started, and
he ending up training in JKD in 1981. In
1988, he made his way to California. Be­
tween bartending gigs, he trained with ev­
eryone who was anyone: Benny "The Jet"
Urquidez, Rorion Gracie, Dan Inosanto, and
Larry Hartsell. In 1989, he met Sensei Yori
Nakamura and began training in earnest in
Shootwrestling, Japan's MMA. In 1992, Erik
became the first westerner to win a title in
Shooto. He remained the undefeated light
heavyweight champion until he retired in
2000.
Now, Erik trains other world-class fight­
ers, such as Josh Barnett and Sean Sherk.
Recently, at 40 plus years of age, Erik is
back in the ring, fighting MMA. His experi­
ence in JKD allows him to morph his fight­
ing system to meet the needs of his oppo­
nent, the environment and his own physical
limitations. That is the essence of JKD, and
Erik embodies that approach to training,
fighting, and winning.
EVER EVOLVING
It will be interesting to see where these arts·
will take MMA. Will even more exotic sys­
tems come into favor and affect what we
see in the ring? Only time will tell. Though
it is sure that the individual practitioner will
outweigh anyone set of techniques and no
set of techniques will work for every fighter,
both method and practitioner continue to
evolve. We may see the development of a
true mixed martial system that knows no
boundaries, except the rules of the ring and
the limits of the human weapon itself. !
! MAC DANZIG
HUMBLE BEGINNINGS
Born January 2, 1980 in Cleveland, Ohio,
Mac grew up exploring the natural out­
doors of the tiny town of Blawnox, Penn­
sylvania, just seven miles outside Pitts­
burgh. "I was physically active since day
one, with an incredible imagination,"
says the 27-year-old, looking back.
An only child raised by single mother,
Mac recalls, "It was just the two of us for
so many years, poor as hell and strug­
gling most of the time." The hardships
included a brief period of homelessness
where the two lived with friends, in a ho­
tel or in their car.
"Growing up poor...poor by American
standards anyway, taught me to appreci­
ate everything I earn and to appreciate
freedom. When you're poor, you don't
have the same freedoms as other people."
Despite their financial struggles, Mac
says his mother Gail, "Always did her
best for me... she's been the closest thing
to unconditional love I've ever known,
and she's always encouraged me to follow
my dreams."
The two moved to Virginia, where
Mac was one of the few white students
in the entire school. Mac says the many
distractions he encountered made him a
tougher person. He and his mother moved
back to Pennsylvania after a few years,
where Mac spent the remainder of his
teenage years immersed in the skate­
boarding life, a self-professed complete
rebel, hanging out with his older friends
as much as possible.
It's hard to imagine Mac Danzig with
long hair, learning ollies and kickflips
at the local skate park, but that's how he
spent most of his teenaged years. "I was
doing my own thing and all my friends
were older and already out of high school.
I would spend all day skateboarding and
filming skateboarding. At night, I was
watching skate videos. That was it. I lived
and breathed it and pretty much blew ev­
erything else off."
Skateboarding was Mac's passion so
much that he quit school in his junior
year, and after earning his high school
equivalency diploma, hopped a Grey­
hound bus headed for California to be­
come a professional skateboarder, or to
film other skateboarders.
He quickly learned the skateboarding
community in California wasn't quite
as welcoming as his own back home. No
one opened their doors or homes to him,
and Mac soon found himself sleeping on
a bench at the local Greyhound bus sta­
tion before finally deciding to cash in his
round-trip ticket and return home.
THE ROGUE FINDS FOCUS
After being back in Pennsylvania for a
few years, Mac decided in 2002 to travel
coast-to-coast once again, this time for
the love of the sport he had followed since
he was 14 years old. "I always loved the
fighting sports and I was always interest­
ed whenever boxing was on TV or when
there was a fight at my school or in the
neighborhood ...it always intrigued me,"
says Mac.
"I saw the first two UFC events and I
was hooked. I kept following the sport
as it evolved and even though I was do­
ing other things all those years, I knew
I would eventually start training...it had
to happen."
Because he never participated in
sports teams in high school, Mac's MMA
skills were built from the ground up. Mac
trained with Rico Chiapparelli and Frank
Trigg at R1 Training Center, trained in
bOXing at Wild Card Boxing Club, and
currently trains at Legends Gym in
Hollywood.
When asked what single event has
most molded him as a person, Mac says,
"I've had so many profound experiences
in my life that have shaped me, it's hard
to single out anyone, but I've learned
throughout the years to do everything by
myself. I've never been handed anything,
and I think that has carried over into
fighting really well. I think that makes
the difference when you're in the middle
of a losing battle. How bad do you want
it...you know?"
"I've been there many times with
things a lot tougher than an MMA fight
and I've pulled through. Fighting is easy
compared to some of what's out there in
the world. I personally have no idea how
anyone who has had everything handed
to them all their lives can be a good fight­
er at the top level of the sport."
Mac says it's hard to find everyday
heroes, but one who has inspired him is
professional boxer Bernard Hopkins, who
after being sentenced to prison for 18
years, turned his life around to become
a champion boxer and self-made million­
aire. "Anyone who does things their own
way, from the bottom up, despite what the
masses think of them, is in a way, a hero
of mine."
During the rUF 6 show, Mac became
a vegan hero of sorts. However, he really

doesn't go out of his way to push the sub­
ject. "What it means, basically, is that I
don't purchase, use or consume anything
in which animals are directly used," ex­
plains Mac. "Almost none of my friends
are vegan and it has never been an issue. I
don't tell them what to eat or try to convert
them. That's not my job."
"Whenever somebody asks me, I give
them the info they need, otherwise, it's a
personal thing...I'm living proof that you
don't need to eat animals to be a success­
ful athlete. I recover from workouts faster
and I went on a 12-fight winning streak
when I went vegan, so that should speak
for itself."
The winning streak came as Mac fought
for smaller shows including the Interna­
tional Fighting Championships and King
of the Cage, where he successfully defend­
ed the Lightweight Championship title
five times. He also fought once in PRIDE,
losing to Hayato Sakurai, before appear­
ing as a contestant on TUF6.
PREPARED FOR THE FUTURE
In his personal life, Mac is happier than
ever with his longtime girlfriend Ange­
line, a licensed massage therapist who is
studying to become a nurse. Mac says the
two locked eyes while she was working as
a bartender and he as a bouncer five years
ago, and the rest, as they say, is history.
Mac reveals that an engagement and mar­
riage are on the horizon.
When not training for a fight, Mac en­
joys any movies by directors David Lynch,
Vincent Gallo, and Quentin Tarantino. He's
also a big fan of music by his namesake's
bands Danzig, Misfits, and Samhain, and
admits his secret indulgence is "corny
power metal bands" like Manowar. "I love
me some Manowar!"
Mac is also an accomplished amateur
photographer who sells breathtaking na­
ture, landscape and architecture portraits
through his website at www.macdanzig­
photography.com. The first one to admit
being a lover of the outdoors and solitude,
Mac says, "I am a loner at heart. Put me
in the middle of the forest with the air,
the animals, the water, insects, trees...I
love being by myself, without having to
worry about entertaining anyone else.
There is a real meditative benefit to being
in solitude."
LEFT: Mac makes weight for the TUF 6 finale
TOP: With girlfriend and companion Angeline
ABOVE: Finding balance in nature through photography
With little time for solitude, Mac pre­
pares himself for a natural move back
down to an already stacked lightweight
division. "I've always been a lightweight,"
Mac says. "There are so many amazing
fighters in the UFC's lightweight division,
I'd just like to compete against great fight­
ers who want to have exciting matches."
Appreciative of the long road traveled
and storms weathered to get where he is
today, Mac says, "Being in the UFC means
everything to me. I was never sure if it was
actually going to happen all these years,
but good things come to those who wait.
It's a great time in the sport right now and
I'm just happy to be a part of it."
Reality show misconceptions about
him thrown aside, the trek in getting to
know the real Mac Danzig has indeed
been a scenic trip. Love him or hate him,
Mac Danzig's skills and dedication have
landed him smack dab in the middle of
the most explosive and exciting division
in UFC history. If you're along for the
UFC ride with Mac Danzig, you'd better
strap on your safety belt and pray there's
a grab bar on the passenger side, be­
cause this road warrior is ready to driv!
! NAMES IN THE GAME

Eddie "The Twister" Bravo is a Jean Jacques Machado black belt. He won the

MMA 101

The Pyramid Triangle

Abu Dhabi North American Trials lightweight division in 2002, earning the Most
Technical Fighter of the Night award. He went on to the 2003 Abu Dhabi Cham­
pionships in San Paulo, Brazil, where he secured a submission win over legend­
ary Royler Gracie. His school, 10th planet Jiu Jitsu, is now operating out of Leg­
BY EDDIE BRAVO ends MMA in Hollywood and provides some of the most sought after training
in the country. We caught up with Eddie at Legends to get the low down on his
version of the Triangle Choke.

~
i " I
i~

.
(
;'" 4'1
,.,,­
~;.
'I,
k! >
I
'-'f i

Int-.
To set up the Pyramid/Triangle, have
O1 your opponent think that you are set­
ting up and attempt to sweep him to your
right while inside your guard.

02 AS your opponent bases his left hand

and foot out to prevent your sweep,
release your left leg and bring it up and
around ..

While maintaining your opponent's

03 wrist and forearm outside, shoot your
right knee up and in front of his shoulder as
your leg comes high up on his back.

66 FIGHTMAGAZINE.COM I APRIL 2008

 >

Continue to trap your opponent's

KeePing a tight overhook on your
04 inside arm with your left overhook.

Now bring your left leg up on his back

05 opponent's inside arm, also be sure

to maintain a tight pyramid on his neck
while maintaining wrist control of his out­
and shoulders. Now start to bring your
sidearm. Your left heel should be touch­
right leg out ...
ing your right knee forming a "Pyramid/

Triangle".

>

Still maintaining a tight Pyramid/Tri­

Without releasing your opponent's
O6
angle, bring your right leg completely
out and over your opponent's outside
07 arm, begin to lock the Pyramid/
Triangle.
shoulder. 00 not forget to maintain wrist
and forearm control of his outside arm.

>

0nce the Pyramid/Triangle is secure,

0 '800 not release your left overhook.
Now cinch the Pyramid/Triangle in
tight by placing the back of your left knee
over your right ankle. Note: It is VERY im­
portant to lock it on the ankle and not on
the instep. Keep your right foot flexed with
the toes pointing up to ensure ultimate
tightness.
09 release both of your opponent's
arms and clasp your hands in a Gable grip
around his head. Pull his head down as
you simultaneously squeeze your knees
together, cutting off the blood flow to his
head and forcing the tap out!
 ; tfn'.th~ exploding world of MMA, irS some­
• ti-r;;es hard fartans to notice some ofthe
amazing fighters on the verge of making it to
the next level. We've enli~ted the experts at
• MMAWeekly.com to take you de'ep inside
the sport, and present you with SOIll"e of the
newest names to watch

BY AL YU
II MMAWEEKLY.COM

Name: Glover Teixeira

Professional Record: 5-2
Home Gym: The Pit
Key Wins: Matt Horwich, Rameau
Thierry Sokoudjou, and Jorge
Oliveira

With all the different fight promotions

fighting for talent in MMA, it's surpris­
ing that none of the major promotions
have picked up talented fighter Glover
Teixeira. A native Brazilian now living in
California and training out of The Pit with
former UFC Light Heavyweight Champion
Chuck Liddell, Teixeira has made a name for
himself in California by stringing together
some impressive victories.
Teixeira is a Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt,
and is improving his striking ever since he
started to train at The Pit with John Hackle­
man and Chuck Liddell. Although he start­
ed his career with mixed results, he owns a
win over IFL Middleweight Champion Matt
Horwich in Sportfight. where he was also
the promotion's light heavyweight cham­ first beating Antonio Rogerio Nogueira at Boxe fighter. He finished the fight with
pion. Teixeira then went on to compete in PRIDE 33, and then finishing Ricardo Arona strikes on the ground only seconds into the
World Extreme Cagefighting before it was at the final PRIDE event. This only gives first round.
acquired by Zuffa. There, he scored the more credit to Teixeira's skills. He has the talent and the experience to
biggest win of his career, but at the time, After being inactive for a year, Teixeira compete in bigger organizations and it's
neither he nor MMA fans knew. returned to MMA competition in January at only a matter of time before Teixeira is giv­
Teixeira went on to stop Rameau Thierry the Palace Fighting Championships to face en a shot by one of the major promotions.
Sokoudjou with strikes at WEC 24. Since fellow Brazilian transplant Jorge Oliveira. Wherever he ends up, it's a given that Teix­
then, Sokoudjou has knocked out two of He wasted no time in the fight. catching Ol­ eira will bring action along with him every
the best light heavyweights in the world, iveira with a punch that dropped the Chute time he steps in to fight.

68 FIGHTMAGAZINE.COM I APRIL 2008

 NAMES IN THE GAME
I

Name: Masakatsu Ueda

Professional Record: 7-0-1
Home Gym: Paraestra Tokyo
Key Wins: So Tazawa and
Atsushi Yamamoto

A decorated amateur wrestler, Masakatsu Ueda has risen to become one of

the better mixed martial arts prospects in the Shooto organization in Japan.
Along with his solid wrestling base, he has become quite strong in the submission
department, being able to end a fight in an instant with his slick ground game.
He started wrestling at a young age, winning several amateur wrestling competi­
tions in Japan and even boasting a win over respected K-l Hero's 2005 154-pound
Champion Norifumi "Kid" Yamamoto in an amateur wrestling competition. Once ac­
complishing all his goals in amateur wrestling, the next logical step for Ueda was to
try his hand in MMA.
Like many young fighters in the Shooto organization, he began by competing in
sanctioned amateur Shooto events. Ueda quickly became the All-Japan amateur
Shooto champion. He also began competing in submission grappling tournaments,
and became the National Combat Wrestling Champion and the All-Japan Shooto
Grappling Champion.
Ueda then moved to professional Shooto, fighting in the Shooto Featherweight
2006 Rookie tournament. He ran through the tournament, becoming the Shooto
Featherweight 2006 Rookie Champion by submitting his opponent in the first round.

FIGHTMAGAZINE.COM I APRIL 2008 69

! NAMES IN THE GAME

That victory earned Ueda his Class A license

in professional Shooto, and with it came a
huge step up in competition. He was more
than ready to compete with the best.
In his Class A debut. Ueda fought fel­
low grappler So Tazawa and dominated the
fight with his superior grappling technique,
almost finishing the fight on several occa­
sions with an array of submissions. He fi­
nally ended the fight in the last round with
a Brabo choke.
He then met fellow Shooto Featherweight
Rookie Champion Takeya Mizugaki in July,
with neither fighter giving up inch and the
fight ending in a draw. Ueda continued his
streak of fighting accomplished grapplers
by out-hustling ADCC veteran Tetsu Su­
zuki to win a decision and further climb the
ranks of the featherweight division.
Ueda scored the biggest win of his career
by narrowly defeating Atsushi Yamamoto at
Shooto Back to Our Roots 7 by decision.
That win earned him a shot at the vacant
Shooto Featherweight Championship.
Perhaps after accomplishing his goals in
Japan, Ueda will make his way to the United
States and compete with best fighters in his
division.

With the WEC gaining national attention from MMA fans, the featherweight
and bantamweight divisions are in the spotlight. It is only natural that the demand
for up and coming fighters like Chris Manuel has skyrocketed. Now that smaller fighters
can make a decent living in MMA, Manuel has emerged as one of the prospects that
will look to make a name for himself in World Extreme Cagefighting.
Training out of one of the world's most highly renowned fight teams, American Top
Team, has given Manuel a place where he can build into a complete fighter and one
day become a champion. He is skilled in all aspects of MMA and possesses formidable
striking and a brown belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu from American Top Team, where he has
trained since beginning his MMA career.
Manuel has gone undefeated in his career thus far, stopping every single one of his
opponents by either submission or strikes. He now has the opportunity of a lifetime;

Chris being signed by the WEC gives him a chance to shine in their exciting bantamweight
division.

Manuel
He won't have an easy task ahead of him. Also making his WEC debut will be Shooto
standout and feared striker Kenji Osawa. Their bout has fireworks written all over it.
If Manuel is able to come out on top, he will no doubt put himself into instant title
Name: Chris Manuel
contention.
Professional Record: 5-0-1
In a gym filled with talented fighters, Manuel is one of American Top Team's brightest
Home Gym: American Top Team
prospects. Not only is he a fighter by trade, he is also one of the gym's instructors. He
Key Wins: Rex Payne, Khomkrit Niimi
has a bright future ahead of him in MMA. !

70 FIGHTMAGAZINE.COM I APRIL 2008

 ! NAMES IN THE GAME

• -'
.;..<1

"tHf1l0RNS· /.
-~OF'A DILEM'MA\ c-
\ ,I

:- . *A: s aT~lixed martial artist, I constant­ which town he was trying to capture. If emya choice: be hit with the initial attack

~" , ly"try to find underlying principals one town presented a defense, Sherman or the corresponding strike to his defense,

from world events that can directly would simply take the other, forcing the In every attack, you must be prepared to

~ relate to strategies in MMA com­ Confederate Army to be constantly on the fully execute the move and already have

bat. One of the best examples can be f?und defense. He called it "keeping your enemy a response if your opponent anticipates it.

in examining General William Sher­ on the horns of a dilemma," Just as Sherman threatened more than one

man from the American Civil War. The Though 60,000 men marching through town at a time, it is important to mount ev­

battle tactics-that he used can also help the sweltering GA heat in 1864 might ery attack with an alternative in mind, If

us win our ,individual fights or grappling seem a far cry from two modern day ath- ' I threw Q. low right kick and my opponent

matches. At first glance, a strategy used letes facing each other in the cage; Sher­ doesn't check-the kick, I simply kick him

to lead thousands of men into battle over man's strategy can be- utilized quite suc­ , in th~:reg,1 However, if Ithrow the right

a hundred years ago may not seem to have cessfully by today's mixed martial arts. kick anim.yopponent blocks it, I can step

immediate relevance, but in fact, the prin­ By approaching each fa,eet of a fight with , through, plant my right-leg, and hit him.

'ciples'involved are timele·ss. tWD offensive strategies in mind, an ath- ' with,-a>left kick instead, ,By threatening

, r '
I, Sherman's strategy, which' focused on lete can unsettle and confuse his oppo-' with my right leg, I am able to draw the
,unbalancing his 'enemy, played out beau­ nent, 'just like Sherman did to the Confed­ focus of my opponent's defense in that
"

tifully in his infamous March to the Sea. eracy, and thereby assure himself a means direction and then capi,talize on what he
Quite simply, he would put himself in a of victory, leaves ~ndefended by kicking him with
position to threaten more than one town at . 'In striking, keeping your enemy OD the my othelleg.
a time. As a result, the South never knew horns of a dilemma means giving y~~i: en­ The same strategy can apply during' a
 ! NAMES IN THE GAME

takedown. IfI have a Greco over-under tie~up, I am initially positioned

,
to execute a lateral trip. I would execute this move by clasping my
hands tightly together across my opponent's back and stepping my
right foot over my opponent's left leg so that my hips are directly per­
pendicular to his. I would then drop my hips and straighten my right
)8£ P»)))>>6' .,9)y Pt'c?)f ,1)78)6'.,91 1t',I)7d'/'c? &8 d'J' } c?/,}W /Z2f' kC'd'd }fi>I<? kif
chest, so that I trip him directly over the straightened leg.
My opponent can easily defend a lateral takedown by stepping his
left leg back from my right leg, negating the perpendicular position­
ing that sets up my throw. However, this defense puts me in a perfect
position to execute an inside leg trip, as his hips will be square to
mine and his weight will rest primarily on his right leg when he steps.
IU_!
With my hands still clasped around his back, I can hook the inside of
his right leg with my left and force him straight backward over the
inside hook.
The reverse of this situation also holds true. If my opponent chooses
to defend the inside leg trip, his weight and body positioning places
him in an ideal situation for a lateral trip. Thus, I have forced my oppo­
nent a situation of equally threatening possibilities. In defending one
takedown, he is primed for another. I have placed him on the horns
of a dilemma.
Sherman's strategy can also be illustrated on the ground through a
kimura/sweep attack from guard. When I am in my guard and wish to
attack using the kimura on my opponent, I begin by grabbing his left
wrist with my right hand. Sitting up on my right elbow, I lace my left
arm over his left arm and place both of my hands on his left wrist. I By positioning for a lateral takedown, your
slide my hips toward his left hand and, while pushing down on his left opponent's natural defense makes him
vulnerable to an inside leg trip.
wrist, swing my head 90% away from his body. I adjust one more time,
so that I am lying on my left ribs and holding the elbow into my chest.
My hips at this point should be perpendicular to his, and my right
knee should be tightly clamped across his shoulder and back, acting Here Greg Jackson demonstrates the Kimura arm lock
as a counter pressure and preventing him from rolling out of the posi­ from the guard. With Sherman's tactical principles,
threatening with this attack can be used as a set up to
tion. Using both hands, I push the wrist toward his head. This should execute a sweep.
put enough pressure to dislocate the elbow and finish the move.
However, as I am sitting up and weaving my arm over his elbow, my
opponent may recognize the kimura and initiate his defense by clasp­
ing his hands together around my back and forcing me back down. In
doing so, he is placing himself on the horns of a dilemma: because he
has locked his hands, he is unable to prevent a sweep by basing out
with his arms. To execute the sweep, I let go of his left wrist with my
right hand and come up on my right palm. I plant my left leg on the
ground, bridge my hips into the air, and turn him over my right leg
into the mount.
As these examples show, Sherman's strategy can be applied to a
variety of situations. By threatening multiple targets, I keep my op­
ponent physically and psychologically imbalanced; I keep him on the
horns of a dilemma. To be a successful mixed martial artist one must
not only master single movements and techniques, but also be able to
apply them tactically and in combination in different scenarios. It is
important for an athlete to remember that combat strategy can be an
art form, and that to succeed one should heed the lessons taught by
geniuses of battle, such as General William Tecumseh Sherman. !
! MMA LIFE

•
0 ~E G V ~ EL
I ;s s"t;ng ;n the last place yon'd expect to find a fighter to be
while at training camp, and he's talking about the last thing you'd think he'd want to talk about.
At a Japanese restaurant, Gurgel is pushing pieces of sushi around his plate while he ponders the tumultu­
ous topography of his career. The hills and hollows of the fighter's successes and disappointments are eerily
mirrored in the undulating topography of the surrounding countryside, just outside of Cincinnati.
Gurgel notes that. each time he approached a out for a burger because I couldn't sleep or
.peak in his career, circumstances conspired to eat, I just sat on my couch," he says. The Jiu­
throw him down into the depths. He realized Jitsu black belt couldn't afford to wallow for
his dream of moving to the United States, only long, however, not with a 13,OOO-square-foot
to struggle because "nobody gave a shit about training facility in nearby West Chester, Ohio,
Jiu-Jitsu." He made the cast of The Ultimate bearing his name.
Fighter Season Two, only to be forced to with­ Gurgel was once a teenage gym rat in
draw from the competition because of an in­ Fortaleza, Brazil, who dreamed of holding the
jury. He was tapped to fight on the UFC's first keys to a room where he could train seven
card in his adopted hometown of Cincinnati, days a week, year round. "I told my parents
only to lose an uncharacteristic decision. when I was 15 years old that I would have a
"Fucking sucks," Gurgel says about that de­ Jiu-Jitsu school one day, and they laughed,"
cision. "Worst day ever. I didn't think about this Gurgel says Now his own laughter fills a gym
anymore until you asked." It's clear that the the size of an airplane hangar.
loss, coupled with friend Rich ("Ace") Frank­ JG MMA Academy occupies a giant
lin's second loss at the hands (and knees) of warehouse in an industrial park north of the
Anderson Silva the same night. weighs heavily "Queen City." A retail counter and a recep­
on his mind. "I remember the whole US Bank tion area flank the entryway and an expansive
Arena being quiet," he says, "In the locker grappling mat. The gym is also equipped with
room, you knew there were thousands of peo­ a cage and two additional mats for Muay Thai
ple out there, but all you heard were the steps and women's and children's Jiu-Jitsu classes.
of people walking out." -A large steel frame standing between the
For three days afterward, Gurgel sat at rock cage and one of the smaller mats holds an as­
bottom, staring at a blank television screen sortment of Thai, double end, and uf).Qer cut
"My mom had to fly in [from Brazil] to take me bags. There is a small cluster of treadmills and
stationary bikes, two areas for strength train­
ing, and a boxing ring used by the Cincinnati
Jorge Gurgel's MMA High School Boxing Team. In addition to Muay
Academy is one 'of Thai and Jiu-Jitsu classes, JG MMA Academy
has strength and conditioning trainers and
the midwest's best wrestling coaches on site.
schools of Jiu-Jitsu. The gym is a madhouse at night. with up to
Realizing this three classes running while fighters work out
in the intervening space. When you're gearing
up for a bout. it can be difficult to focus while
dodging hyperactive kids and overeager stu­
dents, so Gurgel sets aside time for pro prac­
tice on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays. "I
told my business partner Ed (Wilson), the only
way we're going to be successful is if we win,
because our fighters are good," Gurgel says.
"At nighttime pros can mix with other guys.
but at 11 a.m it's only us."
And Gurgel's fighters are good. Besides
him, Franklin, and UFC up-and-comer Dustin
Hazelett, the gym boasts a bevy of battle-test­
ed brawlers like Jan Finney, a King of the Cage
and BodogFight veteran, and prospects John
Meyer, Waylon Lowe (a three-time NCAA Div.
II national champion wrestler), Billy "Mojo"
Horn, and Patti Lee, all of whom have enjoyed
success with regional promotions.
Considering that top prospectJosh Souder
is currently training on the west coast. and
Team JG fighter.;; Phnce !Y1c1'e\lri, Luke Zach­
rich, and Matt Brown are all somewhere else
doing something together that no one is al­
lowed to talk about, it's no wonder the gym is
starting to garner national attention.
Anywhere from half a dozen to two dozen
fighters take the mat during pro sessions at
JG MMA Academy. These workouts are much
less formal and structured than the crucibles
FIGHT! has chronicled at high-profile gyms­
trial-by-fire exercises that brutally test the
body and spirit, sending many men away in

dream just
took a bit of
! MMA LIFE

....,

tears. At JG MMA. rounds come and go as
a dozen fighters work quietly, break, switch
partners, and go back to work. The only noises
are the groans from the mats, the occasional
clatter from the cage floor, a mix of Nas, Jay-Z,
and 01' Dirty Bastard on the sound system ..
and Gurgel. Soaked in sweat from several
five-minute rounds of grappling, he inspects
the techniques of his friends and students,
shouting instructions in musical, Portuguese­
accented English.
Most of the fighters train once or twice
a day most days of the week, but they keep
dramatically different schedules, often going
to different gyms to focus on boxing, Muay
Thai, or strength training. Such a wide-Qpen
schedule might drive some to distraction,
but it suits Team Gurgel just fine. "No matter
when you come in, there's pretty much always
somebody decent to train with here," Dustin
Hazelett says.
Every Midwestern MMA gym resides in the
very long shadow cast by Pat Miletich's camp
in Iowa For years the region's top prospects
went to Miletich, or to high profile gyms like
Team Quest, Legends, American Top Team,
and now Xtreme Couture But Hazelett is hap­
py to be here, and plans to stick around for a
while. "Now we're starting to get more people
coming in and we're starting to raise more
fighters up from here, so we've got a much
bigger pool of good fighters," Hazelett says.
STUDENT TEACHING
urgel's mood lifts when he sees a
C pretty girl eating alone a few tablf~
across the room. He leans over::
Taylor Ruscin and says, "I'll give you $20 ifF_
sit down over there and say 'Can I be yo:..­

Team JG had a top-three finisher in 21 of 39

divisions at the Dec. 1,2007, Ohio NAGA tour­
nament, with a total of 25 of the gym's fighters
standing on the podium that day.

LEFT: Rich Franklin says his faith has helped him deal
with the highs and lows of being a top MMA star. After
being crushed twice by Anderson Silva, he is begin­
ning the long climb back to the top.

82 FIGHTMAGAZINE.COM IAPRIL 2008

I• MMA LIFE
tournaments, but rolls with the pro MMA
fighters. Not lean or particularly limber, I have
yet to break the beginner's habit of muscling
through poor techniques. He points out two,
three, four technical flaws while I am execut­
ing a simple guillotine or armbar and, just like
that, I stop struggling. Or at least I stop strug­
gling so hard.
When we start rolling, I realize that I am out
of my depth. This is a no-gi class for beginners,
but Gurgel's white belts are damn good com­
pared to my bear-on-a-unicycle routine. From
beginner to black belt, Gurgel's gym focuses
on competition. Team JG had a top-three fin­
isher in 21 of 39 divisions at the Dec. 1,2007,
Ohio NAGA tournament, with a total of 25 of
the gym's fighters standing on the podium that
day. The NAGA results were no fluke. Team
JG's 218 top-four finishes in submission grap­
pling tournaments earned it second place in
MMATV's 2007 team rankings.
My training partner goes for a takedown,
lifts me, and I pull guard mid-air. We hit the
ground and my rib starts screaming. I put
down my mouthpiece and pick up my pen,
resuming my role as observer for the rest of
the night.
The classes change over at 6 p.m., and
most of Doerner's students stick around for
Dustin Hazelett's gi class. Doerner moves over
to teach kids grappling across the room, and
Paul Bowers gathers students in the opposite
84 FIGHTMAGAZINE.COM I APRIL 2008
corner for beginner Muay Thai. Pliev teaches
two young wrestlers while Gurgel paces, la­
menting the lack of energy in the room. He
changes the CDs in the gym sound system
and cranks up the volume. As Motley Crue
kicks into Kickstart My Heart, Gurgel begins
dancing around and shouts, "Act like you want
to be here, people!"
Moments later, Hazelett turns the music
down. "Can't even hear myself think~ -the
fighter says. An elementary-school-aged yel­
low belt runs up and asks what he should do
since he doesn't have a mouthpiece tonight.
Hazelett smiles and says, "Just don't get hit in
the mouth."
It was the high point of his young career, and it set
him up for a hard fall. "It wasn't so much that I lost, but
the way that I lost. I didn't realize there were so many
people that were much better than me".
DOWN FROM THE MOUNTAINS
t he gym is mostly empty on Friday
mornings, when Dustin Hazelett does
his conditioning work. He is finishing
a workout while the sound system cranks out
G'n'f'n'R's Paradise City
Hazelett transitions from kettlebells to a
ground and pound drill, then to weighted
shadow boxing, a treadmill sprint, and then to
weighted Muay Thai shadow bOXing, before
starting the circuit again.
He is a long way from the scrawny teen
he had been in Louisa, Kentucky, who used
Jiu-Jitsu to deter bullies and soon fell in love
with the UFC. While still in high school, Ha­
zelett commuted 45 minutes to a Gurgel affili­
ate school in Huntington, West Virginia. After
his sophomore year at Marshall University, the
Appalachian boy came down from the moun­
tains to Cincinnati for three months of training
and never returned.
Hazelett burned through most of his early
competition like sunlight on early morning fog,
and earned a shot at the big show against
Tony DeSouza. It was the high point of his
young career, and it set him up for a hard fall.
"It wasn't so much that I lost, but the way that
I lost:' he says of the first round submission
at UFC Fight Night: Ortiz vs. Shamrock 3. "1
didn't realize there were so many people that
were much better than me. One of the reasons
that he submitted me was that he was a lot
stronger and better conditioned than me."
Hazelett recommitted himself to condition­
ing, improved his stand-up, fine tuned his sub­
! MMA LIFE
mission game, and has won three straightfights in the
Octagon. His career is on a steady upward trajecto­
ry, heading to UFC 82, in Columbus, Ohio, on March
1. So paradise doesn't seem so far away these days.
ONCE WERE KINGS OF THE HILL
ozens of fighters swarm the gym on Satur­
D day. The combatants complete multiple
rounds of stand-up sparring before strip­
ping down to roll. Although he has remained in the
background since Iarrived two days earlier, Franklin
now asserts himself, shouting to Gurgel to change
the music-an obscene hip hop track-in deference
to the families in attendance. The gym owner raises
a glove and nods, walking over to the CD player.
Even though Gurgel's name is on the building,
Franklin carries a lot of weight at the gym. When he's
preparing for a fight and wants to be shielded from
fans and hangers on, Gurgellocks the door. The flip
side of this deference is that the hopes of Team JG,
the academy's students, and Cincy fight fans rest
squarely on his shoulders.
Franklin carried those expectations successfully
to the summit in 2005, taking the UFC middleweight
championship belt from Evan Tanner. He defended
his position through two title fights before suffering
a demoralizing loss to Anderson Silva. "I was devas­
tated when I lost my title the first time. For a month, I
couldn't talk to anybody about it:' Franklin says. But
he worked his way back into contention, and was
awarded a second crack at Silva in his hometown. "I
wanted to win that fight more than any other in my
career, just to do something special here:' Franklin
says, but "it didn't work out that way, my Cinderella
story didn't happen."
Franklin's faith has helped him stay on an even
keel throughout his intoxicating highs and depress­
ing lows. "It's great to be number one, but when I'm
on my deathbed, it won't matter if Idefended my title
two times or ten times:' he says.
The fighters at JG MMA have spent enough time
going through life's hills and hollows to know that ev­
ery loss offers a lesson if you're willing to learn. They
know that, if you spend too much time worrying
about where you've been and where you're going,
you'll forget where you are. They know that, when
the cheering crowds and money and TV shows are
gone, they will still have the loyalty of their friends and
fans, and the pride in what they have accomplished.
Waving off past disappointments, Gurgel smiles,
and says, "If I do my best today, tomorrow's taken
care of."
86 FIGHTMAGAZINE.COM I APRIL 2008
By Neal Taflinger
F
IGHTERS ARE GIVEN TO FITS OF
HYPERBOLE.
"Guys say, 'I'm ready for war,'" says Matt Dun­
lap. "No the hell you're not. Uyou were, you'd be in Iraq
or Afghanistan."
Dunlap would know. He was stationed in Iraq last
year. Asergeant in the 101st Airborne, Dunlap spent
four years on active duty, including stints in Korea and
Iraq, He volunteered for patrol duty when he arrived in
Tikrit, and soon learned that, "you do gotta do what you
goUa do to relieve the stress" of combat. An MMA enthusiast, the soldier's solu­
tion was to do more fighting.
Dunlap and three of his army buddies built a platform; scavenged medical
mats, camoufJage netting, and lights; and started sparring three nights a week.
A warrant officer signed off on the extracurricular battles when he saw that the
soldiers were using mouthpieces and five-ounce gloves.
In 2006, Dunlap got word that Rich Franklin, Randy Couture, and Rachael Leah
would be visiting Tikrit, as part of a 12-day Ultimate Fighting Championship USO
tour. During their visit, Dunlap was inspired by Franklin's humility and genuine
curiosity about the soldiers' lives. Already thinking about pursuing a career in
MMA after his tour of duty was up, Dunlap wanted to know more about where
Franklin trained and with whom he worked out.
Dunlop's former roommate and sparring partner, Sgt. Sean Carpenter, recently
finished bis tour, and he's now paying Dunlop a visit at his home in West Chester,
Ohio, near Cincinnati. Carpenter says the UFC contingent, "could have easily
turned him the other way." Huffing and puffing from several rounds on the mat
with his vastly improved sparring partner, Carpenter says he knew Dunlap would
follow through on his plan. "He ain't no bullcrapper," Carpenter says.
After finishing his military commitment, Dunlap and his wife visited JG MMA
Academy, and liked what they saw and the people they met. The couple moved
from Fort Campbell, Kentucky, to western Ohio so he could pursue his dream,
"[My wife] told me I gave four years to my country, so I could do this," Dunlap
says,
"This" means training full time. Still an amateur, Dunlop devotes all his time
and energy to strength and conditioning, skills training, and sparring. His wife, a
pharmacist at Dayton Children's Hospital, is the breadwinner for now.
The move and training were easy for Dunlap compared to the prospect of
reintroducing himself to Franklin. The soldier wanted to let Franklin know that
he had played a role in his being there. But he didn't want to freak Franklin out.
"Hey, Rich, I'm your stalker," Dunlap says with a laugh.
As it turned out, Franklin handled their meeting with·~ace. "It's cool knowing
that, when you are on the other side of the world, you can~ake an impact on
someone else's life, and it comes full circle back at home," FrankJin says.

Much of the power of the Fryestache comes from its extensive
experience. Here we see the youthful Fryestache, already a for­
midable factor in Don's many wrestling victories at Arizona State.
Over the course of the last 12 years,
Fryestache has amassed an MMA record of 17-6-1. Deflecting
punches and absorbing leg kicks, Frye's mustache is as much
responsible for his outstanding career as his wrestling, boxing,
and judo skills. Imagine hitting Frye square in the face with an
overhand right. Then imagine the shockwaves running through
your hand courtesy of the tremendous force of Frye's reverberat­
ing lip mane.
Y£l,5}.»)}),r£l )d)[d}'dllla kl.?<?ws (i}} c<?<? well cae ifWe'S"6fITe- I:56wer
of Fryestache. For four and a half minutes at PRIDE 21 in 2002.
Fryestache and Takayama went toe-to-toe in what can only be de­
scribed as a hockey fight within a ring. Takayama and Fryestache
traded a multitude of punches at point-blank range as neither one
bothered to bob, weave, duck, or block. Eventually, the Japanese
punching bag collapsed on the canvas and the lore of Fryestache
continued to grow (much like Frye's first mustache at age six­
pure speculation of course).
"While I don't have the power to grow a 'stache like Frye," say
Frank Trigg, "it does give him a 'please don't touch me' kind of
 MMA LIFE

-.rage in the ring. Who wouldn't want

': Rogan adds, "1 don't have the confi­

~ce to rock that mustache. It says a lot
that a man in 2008 can rock a mustache
that Tom Selleck wore in the 80's. If he
wasn't so virile and masculine, you'd think
he was gay or from another country....but
the dude is from Arizona!"

LAY OFF THE 'STACHE, KEN

However, not everyone has a healthy re­
spect for Frye's 'stache like Trigg does.
The ongoing feud between Frye and arch
nemesis Ken Shamrock dates back to the
late 1990s. They even tried to settle their
dispute in the ring at PRIDE 19 in 2002.
Fryestache was victorious via split deci­
sion and the bad blood should have ended
with Shamrock's defeat, but ohhh noooo.
Back in June, Shamrock made some de­ of masculinity. make Ambrose Burnside cringe. So where
rogatory remarks about Fryestache on the Never one to back down from an incen­ does Shamrock get off talking trash about
1FL's "Dear Don" segment. Ken quipped diary comment, Fryestache lashed back Frye's 'stache?
that Frye stole his mustache from Queen with speculation that Mercury and Sham­ "1 don't know why Shamrock would
front man Freddy Mercury. It's one thing rock had a romantic relationship. Score trash the 'stache," says Trigg. "Maybe
to verbally assault the American flag man­ another victory for Fryestache with that Shamrock is game to take another beating
panties Frye wears, but I'll be damned if 1 witty comeback. Shamrock is now 0-2 ver­ from the Predator?"
will sit idly by and listen to Shamrock talk sus Frye. Also, keep in mind that Sham­ It may be more complex than that. Sham­
badly about Fryestache-the very essence rock has sported muttonchops that would rock may have a deeply rooted psycho­
! MMA LIFE
logical fixation on Frye's 'stache. Famous
Greek philosopher Antisthenes, a pupil of
Socrates and an accomplished wrestler,
once said, "As iron is eaten by rust, so are
the envious consumed by envy." My advice
to Shamrock: stop being consumed by the
envy of Fryestachel
HALL OF FAME MATERIAL
The UFC has inducted five fighters into its
Hall of Fame: Royce Gracie, Randy Cou­
ture, Ken Shamrock, Mark Coleman, and
Dan Severn. Are you telling me Fryes­
tache doesn't belong in this company? Just
look at his credentials. Frye won the UFC
8 tournament by beating Thomas Ramir­
ez, Sam Adkins, and Gary Goodridge. He
beat Amaury Bitetti at UFC 9, and won the
UFC 11.5 tournament (Ultimate Ultimate
96) by defeating Gary Goodridge, Mark
Hall, and Tank Abbott. Frye also beat
Mark Hall and Brian Johnson before los­
ing to Mark Coleman in the finals of the
UFC 10 tournament. Not bad for a man and
his mustache.
And another thing: It's not easy to pull
off wearing a mustache in this day and
age, let alone fight for a living with it.
Sure, it was sophisticated to sport a 'stache
in the 80s with poster boy Magnum P.I.
leading the way. But the mustache is a
dying art and it's innovators like
Frye who have made wearing a
mustache still acceptable in the
21st century.
Does Don Frye belong in the
UFC Hall of Fame? Arguably.
Does his mustache? Absolutely.
So do what's right Dana White and
induct Fryestache into UFC immor­
tality. Put his picture right next to
his friend Dan Severn's and
then bask in the great­
ness of their
mustaches.
! JASON CHAMBERS

ME
AGAINST
THE
WORLD
Jason Chambers on training around the globe,
saying no to Fedor, and standing naked on the
Great Wall of China
BY MIKE CHIAPPETTA II PHOTOS BY PAUL THATCHER

here's no road map to life. We all pick our own paths,

T sometimes twisting where we should turn, sometimes

resting when we should forge ahead, but always intent
on moving forward.
But what happens when you reach that fork in the road
- Golden Street and the Boulevard of Dreams -diverging in
opposite directions?
These days, many martial arts and MMA fans know Jason Cham­
bers from his role as cohost on The History Channel's popular Human
Weapon. The show explores martial arts disciplines from around the
globe, and takes the handsome 28-year-old from bustling cities to
remote outposts along the journey. Illustrating the lineage of many
styles used in modern MMA, the combination martial arts crash
course/travelogue has become a popular one in the fight world and
has brought Chambers his greatest level of fame to date. But the
decision to take the job wasn't an easy one to make.
At the time he was offered the pilot, Chambers was an up-and­
coming fighter (16-5-1 career record) who had just signed a three­
fight deal with the UFC, and was scheduled to fight Spencer Fisher
on the undercard of UFC 60: Hughes vs. Gracie.
Without question, they were both great opportunities, but the
more he thought about it, the more he knew which road he would
travel.
"My driving passion in life was never to be a fighter," he says. "I
like the competition aspect. It's just you in there, so you never have
to blame anyone but yourself if you lose, and you get to hog the
glory when you win. For some people, it's their driving passion and
their life goal. But if you don't want to do that, you don't have a place
fighting in the UFC, in my opinion."

92 FIGHTMAGAZINE.COM I APRIL 2008


And so it was that Chambers went from Octagon
fighting to fighting odyssey.
Perhaps none of it should come as a surprise.
Growing up, the kid was a social drifter without a
home, sometimes with the jocks, sometimes with the
theater geeks and sometimes with the stoners. He lived
in New York, Chicago and Los Angeles. He acted, was a
pro athlete and dabbled in the business world.
Whether such a past points to unfocused energy or
simple curiosity is up for debate, but it can't be denied
that walking in all those different worlds was the perfect
preparation for the transient lifestyle required for Hu­
man Weapon.
* * *
"There was about 800 people and police shooting tear
Long gone are the days of being discovered in a malt
shop. In today's YouTube world, Chambers got his big
break through the Internet. While surfing the popu­
lar Underground Forum message boards on MMA.tv,
Chambers saw a notice for a casting call regarding
Human Weapon and forwarded it on to his agent for
investigation.
After discovering it was a legitimate production,
Chambers was instructed to make an audition tape.
After procrastinating until the last minute, he and his
roommate, former UFC fighter Drew Fickett, balanced
a camcorder on top of a laundry basket and made their
audition tapes. A few weeks later, Chambers found him­
self in an audition along with other big-name fighters
like Chris Leben, Josh Koscheck, Cung Le and noted
Jiu-Jitsu trainer Eddie Bravo. The producer in charge
wanted the hopefuls to put boxing gloves on and spar, a
request that was roundly panned.
Chambers, having cornered fighters in the past, took
control of the situation, helping to make and referee the
matchups.
"They wanted to have Eddie Bravo and Seth Petruzelli
spar with boxing gloves on, and that wasn't really going
to go well," Chambers says. "I could just see things go­
ing horribly wrong."
Bill Duff, who would later be picked as the show's co­
host, was one of the men at the audition, and was cho­
sen to spar with then-UFC fighter Sam Hoger. As Duff
recalls, he and Hoger both agreed on light sparring, but
after a lackluster first round, Hoger felt they weren't im­
pressing the casting directors and asked to step it up.
Duff declined, not wanting to get hurt at a low-paying
audition. But as the round started, Hoger hit him with a
heavy body shot, and Duff moved in to retaliate before
Chambers intervened.
JASON CHAMBERS
"It was a crazy audition, and Jason helped take con­
trol of it," Duff recalls. "Sam is a good guy, but he got
carried away, and Jason was there to step in before
things escalated."
Chambers and Duff would soon find out that they
would play the same role for each other around the
world.
During the show's run, they have delved into 15 dis­
ciplines, traveled to 12 countries and not surprisingly,
had some interesting adventures along the way. Like the
time there was a riot outside their hotel in France.
In May 2007, the'crew was in Marseilles during the
election of new French President Nicolas Sarkozy, a re­
sult that brought about smatterings of violence in the
country.
gas, literally catty-corner to our hotel," Chambers says.
"But the French don't like to fight, it's just them yelling
back and forth, then one guy will hurl a bottle here and
there. It reminded me of the riot in West Side Story."
While in Russia to go in-depth on Sambo, Chambers
was taken by two things: the cost of living, and the
women.
"There cannot be more beautiful women anywhere.
Just amazingly gorgeous women," he says. "You don't
have to go anywhere. Wherever you are, you find hot
chicks. You go on the bus, there are super models ev­
erywhere. Christian Dior should just show up and start
taking pictures."
While there, the crew met up with FIGHT! MagaZine's
No. 1 ranked heavyweight Fedor Emelianenko, who is
also a four-time world Sambo Champion. Chambers and
Emelianenko got along well, and the Russian superstar
offered to show the American around, an offer that was
very politely declined.
"I was afraid of getting drunk and saying something
stupid and getting my ass kicked," he says with a laugh.
"Can you really out go with Fedor to a bar and enjoy it?
You know how when you go out with your buddies, you
tend to say stupid and goofy things? What if he takes it
wrong? It'd be a cool story to say I went out with Fedor,
but not when it ends with me saying something stupid,
and him bitch-slapping me and breaking my jaw."
The shooting schedule was as much a concern as
language-barrier misunderstandings in his decision to
decline hanging with Fedor. At times, the crew was tap­
ing three episodes in three weeks, and given the pro­
duction's demands, the hosts needed to have all their
wits about them.
Duff recalls such a moment in the Phi(ippines, when
one of the Jocals, clearly trying to impress the Ameri­
cans, told them he could wrestle down a water buffalo.
FIGHTMAGAZINE.COM I APRIL 2008 93
! JASON CHAMBERS
Intrigued, the crew followed the man to a
rice field, where he grabbed the animal by
its ears and neck. The water buffalo wanted
no part of the feat of strength, making a
horrific sound before thrashing itself free.
"I turned to run away and Jason was al­
ready 30 yards in front of me," Duff says
with a laugh. "It was kind of funny but se­
verely dangerous, and it reminded us how
careful we needed to be."
But that didn't mean Chambers was al­
ways on his best behavior. In France, Cham­
bers, a poker fanatic, pulled an all-nighter,
playing Internet poker after spending a
night out. He soon realized that was not a
great idea for keeping your reflexes sharp
during sparring.
But other times, it couldn't be helped.
While in Israel filming the Krav Maga epi­
sode, he spent several nights hanging out
with Israeli special forces troops in the Tel
Aviv club district, forcing him to survive the
shoots on almost no sleep.
"They were very insistent we go out," he
says, "They would come to the hotel and call
from the lobby. It was a great time, but the
camera crew learned quickly they couldn't
come with me. Some of the shots from that
episode where it looks like the camera guy
is doing something artsy because the cam­
era is shaky or unfocused, it's because they
came out with us."
In China, during a regular "guerilla
changing" moment that often took place
in remote locations, Chambers stripped to
a towel and grabbed his backpack while
changing at the Great Wall. When he looked
into his bag, he realized he hadn't packed
94 FIGHTMAGAZINE.COM I APRIL 2008
anything that day, and when he returned to
get the clothes he'd just taken off, an atten­
tive production assistant had already gath­
ered them up and left.
"I wasn't completely naked, I had my
backpack on," he says. "So for 15 minutes,
I was sitting in a corner naked on the Great
Wall of China. What a memory."
When it comes to food, however, Cham­
bers wasn't quite as adventurous.
"I was a regular at TGI Friday's in Rop­
pongi [a Tokyo tourist spot]," he says with a
laugh. "It's funny, you go overseas and have
these great experiences of going to exotic
places like Cambodia, and then when you
get there, you're like, 'OK, where's McDon­
ald's?' But when you're shooting so much,
if you get sick after eating something,
you can't film the show, so you tend to be
conservative."
All the precautions they took were no
joke, as overzealous training partners could
be an issue. Because of the dangerous na­
ture of the training, it was no coincidence
the production chose to have two hosts.
"Some of the guys in France and Russia
wanted to tune us up," Duff says. "But for
some reason, a lot of guys went really hard
at Jason. I don't know if it was because he
has the All-American pretty boy look or be­
cause of his MMA experience, but a lot of
guys we trained with knew who he was."
During the Savate training in France, Duff
says cine of their sparring partners acted as
if it was "a fight to the death," and delivered
a blow to Chambers' knee that caused ma­
jor swelling that temporarily put him on the
shelf. During Eskrima training, Chambers
broke fi ngers.
While sparring Tae Kwon Do in South Ko­
rea, Chambers tried a spinning kick. "Tried"
being the operative word, as he sprained
his right knee and tore his LCL. As fate had
it, it was the final episode of the season.
At press time, the History Channel hadn't
yet decided on a renewal of the series,
which because of its globe-trotting status is
the most expensive show the network pro­
duces. A similar Discovery Channel offer­
ing, Fight Quest, which ironically stars Jim­
my Smith, an MMA fighter who once beat
Chambers, further muddled the picture.
"I think it's cute," Chambers said of the
competition. "Jimmy's a good kid. Honestly,
I really haven't had a chance to see much
more than clips of the show. We're going
to attract the same audience. Our show has
more educational elements while theirs is
a little more immersed in action. But at the
end of the day, I'm a huge martial arts activ­
ist. so anything that helps the sport is fine
by me. I hope it does well."
In the meantime, Chambers is mending
his knee and spending time with his eight­
year-old son Benjamin. He also recently had
a guest-starring role on CSt: New York that
shadows his eventual goal of full-time act­
ing. Of a return to MMA, he says it's un­
likely barring a perfect situation.
"I don't have any regrets:' he says. "I
think everything I wanted to do, I've done,
and anything else, I can still do. I think there
are a lot of possibilities ahead of me, and
that's a great thing."
Like any good explorer of life, his future
is wide open. ,
 •"\It:. _·,.. ,·~.t _,."' .. ,. ._.;a.... ", ' .
---" .
TEN DAYS BEFORE UFC 81: GETTING THE CALL
.~ i' '~
QUICK PROFILE ·,r
I got the call from my manager, Monte Cox, who said David
Name: Tim Boetsch T
I
Heath's scheduled opponent got hurt training. He encouraged me
to take the fight because he felt it was a good opportunity. I told
Fights Out of: .

................. -
Age:
...•..••••;..::......:l. ••.

27
Sunbury, PA.
. .
'1 ,
~

him I would definitely do it-I didn't even have to think twice about .,_...+_....
Height: 6'1"
it. I had ten days to prep for the fight. ........................

Weight:
205
r
FIRST THINGS FIRST: JI~~~~~~~rd: 7-1-0

Straight off the phone with Monte I called my dad and my Styles:
.................. .::1 W,."liog. F""lyl,. J,ot KU~~_j'

brother first and they were just pumped! They were confident in Personal: I Married, one son .,.' ~:. l
my abilities and maybe even a bit more nervous than I was. Every­ )1.- .,'7'-.-;;;-:--::..::::- I'LaaiE }rJ' .. ,...
,
•••• - ILoU
.:'
~

one's just so supportive and it's just great for me.

BACK TO BUSINESS: 30 MINUTES AFTER THE CALL
It was about half an hour from the time I got the call to when I
got to the gym. In that half hour, I'd say my mind was racing and I
was super-excited, calling everyone, getting training partners lined
up and what not. Then I was just in training mode and taking care
of business.
NINE DAYS BEFORE UFC 81: SIZING UP THE OPPONENT
I train with Marcus Davis in Maine from time to time, and he
watched all of David's fights and critiqued them. He gave me a call
and we talked about David's strengths and weaknesses. My best
friend, fighter Mike Ciesnelovicz, is a student of the sport. .. he just
loves to study technique so he was a huge help prepping me and
telling me what he saw taking place in the Octagon.

98 FIGHTMAGAZINE.COM I APRIL 2008

 ! MMA LIFE
EIGHT DAYS TO GO: CONTINUING TO AMP UP THE
TRAINING
Technically I knew I was pretty sound; it was just a matter of
getting my cardio up so I added an extra cardio workout in the
morning. I'd do a fifteen-minute bike where you sprinting for thirty
seconds and cruising for thirty seconds-I do that up and down
type of training because that's the kind of cardio you get in a fight.
SIX DAYS AND COUNTING: MODIFYING THE DIET
As far as the diet goes, I had to get my weight down a little bit,
so I cut carbs out in the evening and upped the protein a little bit­
trying to preserve the muscle-and then it was just portion control.
IN VEGAS: FOUR DAYS TO UFC 81
We arrived in Vegas on Tuesday. I usually back off training a few
days before the fight. There comes a point in your training when
you're close to the fight that you're not going to improve any more
'II
, I and you don't want to be worn out come fight night. I got to Vegas
! and just worked on hitting mitts, keeping everything sharp, and not
fatiguing my muscles.
THREE DAYS TO GO: CHANGING TO A MENTAL FOCUS
My focus definitely shifted from the physical and technical
preparation to more of a mental one once I got to Vegas...especial­
Iy with it being my first time in the UFC. I made sure I was keeping
myself calm and not getting caught up in all the hype and lights
and crowd ... all that stuff.
FIGHTDAYI
The first thing I do is make sure I get a good breakfast in me­
load up on the carbs. I always eat waffles-it's just my thing. It's
worked this far so I'm gonna stick with it! I make sure I'm well­
hydrated throughout the day, and eat a real light lunch since the
fights are at 6 p.m. in Vegas.
AFTER THE FIGHT: REFLECTING ON THE WIN
The fight actually didn't go the way I had envisioned it. I thought
I would be able to take him down easy and ground-and-pound him,
but as it turned out it just went to a striking game, which actually
worked out better. A lot of people were talking about the throw­
down I did on David Heath. I didn't realize how hard he hit the mat
in the fight until I saw it later on video. It was a pretty impressive
toss.
ANOTHER CALL... ANOTHER FIGHT!
Less than two weeks after his UFC debut, Tim Boetsch was
called once again to step in for another injured fighter. ..this time
with about six weeks notice. Tim was tapped to replace Stephan
Bonnar at Ultimate Fight Night 13 on April 2 versus Matt Hamill.
Again, without hesitation,Tim Boetsch will enter the Octagon as
the UFC's resident replacement killer. !
! FIGHT! GIRL [

Summer
Alexis
Age: 25
Height: 5'5"
Hometown: SF/Bay Area, CA
Favorite Fighter:
Randy "The Natural" Couture
Relationship Status: Taken
On The Web:
www.summeralexis.com

Hi Summer, so tell us, what's going on

with you lately?
I've just been working full time. and modeling.
I'm also finishing up my degree in Business
Administration and I'm debating on minoring
in Philosophy.

Beauty and business savvy sounds good

to us, butthat is some busy schedule!
What sort of stuff do you like to do when
you can find some free time?
Um., all kinds of stuff! I love to eat so I enjoy
going to different restaurants. I like watching
the Warriors play at Oracle Arena and playing
at Dave & Buster's (laughing). I like rock­
climbing ... ooooh and go-karting! But most of
all, I love just spending time with family and
friends.

Speaking of family, you have a very

exotic look, what is your heritage?

I'm Filipino-Portuguese-Chinese.

Wow, that's some mix! Have you trav­

eled to any of those places?
.'." :,c5 serf' n ~he Phi'ippines, but I've
:" , ::,,5~ :ca::- C'1::e love to travel though,
aile Of rn~ dreams to travel
:"6 ,·,'c',o. ~ext smp 'or me is Spain!

Why do you want to be a FIGHT! girl?

I've always admired MMA. Believe it or
not, when I was a little girl. I wanted to be
a ninja! But seriously, I believe I have all
the characteristics of a fighter. I'm driven,
competitive, and resilient!

Nationwide FIGHT! Girl Search:

FIGHT! Magazine is on the prowl. We're search­
ing for two beautiful young ladies to repre­
sent FIGHT! at various live events across the
country*. Each issue, FIGHT! will feature a new
nominee for our readers to fall in love with. At
the conclusion of the contest, you, the fans, will
vote on www.fightmagazine.com as to who will
become the FIGHT! Girls for 2008/2009. Don't
miss out on this chance of a lifetime! Please see
the website for further details. Good luck!

'Musr be 21 years of age by May 1, 2008,

All applications should be sent to FightGirl­
Search@FightMagazine.com and contain
ml11i-bio as well as two pictures. Winners u'ill
be paid per appearance and must commic co
at least 5 live appearances in the 12 month pe­
riod. Winners must also agree io be featttred
in the magazine during that 12 month period.

114 FIGHTMAGAtINE.COM IAPRllZOOB

! LAST CALL
GLAZER WEIGHS IN
The MMA Superfights We'd All Love to See
BY JAY GLAZER
e Super Bowl just passed, but we may
I be a mere seven months from the Su­
per Bowl of MMA: the long-awaited
Randy "The Natural" Couture versus
Fedor Emelianenko. The match-up the fight
universe has been salivating for still has to
battle some red tape and most likely way too
much legal mumbo jumbo.
But when it finally takes place, such a
Jay Glazer is a Senior
fight will undoubtedly be phenomenal for the
NFL Writer for FOXS­
ports.com on MSN and sport. However, this world isn't like boxing
also appears regularly as
where we have one monster fight a year. The
a sideline reporter during
telecasts of the NFL on Fedor-Couture fight is just one of many fan-
FOX. tasy match-ups we'd love to see.
In this issue, I'm putting on my match
making hat and doling out some ideas that
can cause shock waves and fireworks. To go one step further,
let's take some of these fights and put them on the under­
card of Fedor vs. Randy and we'll truly enjoy the Super Bowl,
World Series and Stanley Cup of fighting all wrapped into
one.
Oh, one more thing, I took a few liberties in putting to­
gether these matches I'd love to see. Some may not seem
feasible, but in my sordid, demented, and yet hopeful mind,
they make perfectly great sense. Hey, what can I say? I'm an
idea guy.
Urijah Faber versus Takanori Gomi - This would be a per­
fect match-up of two guys who never slow down and who
throw from any angle, any time. The match needs to take
place in Japan, and we'd have to agree on a weight that would
be fair to both. Faber versus Kid Yamamoto would be another
superstar battle 1would pay to see iri a heartbeat.
Brock Lesnar versus Aleksander Emelianenko - Talk
about two scary individuals. Emelianenko would hardly be
intimidated, and may be able to minimize damage on the
ground. This one would probably last fewer minutes than it
will take you to read this column. If the Russian can prevent
the takedowns, this one could look like a hockey fight broke
out in an Octagon.
Frank Trigg versus Jake Shields - Shields hates Trigg,
and Trigg is entertained that Shields hates Trigg. Tale of two
outstanding wrestlers, the bad blood leading up to the fight
would be classic. Trust me, when Trigg wants to get under
someone's skin, he's worse than a damn bed bug... and 1 say
that first hand with a whole lotta love.
George St. Pierre versus Dennis Kang - Despite Kang's re­
cent loss, he has the skills to take out anyone at any time...Or
120 FIGHTMAGAZINE.COM I APRIL 2008
does he? Aside from getting caught twice, St. Pierre seems
to be on a higher level than everyone else at his weight class.
Kang, however, has what it takes to catch just about anyone.
Bob Sapp versus Kimbo Slice - Winner moves on to a
non-freak fight and loser gets to fight on the beach in Hun­
tington. There wouldn't be a whole lot of technique here, but
there should be a whole lot of leather and probably gassed,
hurt fighters. What better combination can there be for an
entertaining loser-must-Ieave battle?
Robbie Lawler versus Cung Le - Tale of two completely
different striking styles but at least we know there will be
bombs a flyin' in this one. Le, if anything, is entertaining on
his feet. Lawler, if anything, is entertaining every time he
steps in the cage. Who needs ground fighting?
Wanderlei Silva versus Anderson Silva - Remember, this
is a fantasy match-up column so in my demented yet perfect
world, Silva, who looked much smaller and weaker than a
light heavyweight in his loss to Chuck Liddell would move
down to 185 and take a fight we all know would never hap­
pen. But if it ever did, imagine the Thai clinches and knees
that would be launched throughout this fight. When the
smoke cleared, someone's nose would be moved a few inches
to either side.
Kid Yamamoto versus Jens Pulver - At 145 pounds, the
pace ':Would be awesome and the entertainment value be­
fore, during, and after would be worth the price of several
admissions.
Chuck Liddell versus Mirko Cro Cop - Again, this is my
fantasy world so I get to make up the rules. Not only do we
put these guys in together, we get them in a ring rather than
a cage and turn the clock back two years. Oh baby!
Houston Alexander versus Rameau Thierry Sokoudjou ­
Don't blink.
Matt Hughes versus Jon Fitch - Fitch seems primed to
be the next great matchup for the title, so why not pit him
against a legend that still has some gas in his tank.
. BJ Penn versus "JZ" Calvancante - Passing of the torch, or
does Penn prove it's not a youngsters game in his world?
Antonio Silva versus Frank Mir - Mir just took out a big
man in Lesnar with very little submission fighting experi­
ence. The big Brazilian is comparable in size to the former
pro wrestler, actually heavier, and has shown solid submis­
sion fighting skills. Silva has shown a solid pace, aggressive
stand-up and is extremely strong. Mir, however, has shown
his ground game is as good as they come from a big man.
Actually, a Mir-Minotauro submission fight would be worth
the price of admission as well. !