GAMMA: From Strength to Strength

[kaneso14]

http://www.mmatycoon.com/images/company/logo/1245014124GAMMA.jpg

 

31st March 2001

 

Having played 3 years of my GAMMA game and really getting to appreciate the default data, I decided I wanted to do my own diary. While I was playing I had always thought about the backgrounds of my favourite fighters and how awesome it would be to write a diary about it all. That's what I love about the default data in Adam's games, it really gives you a chance to be creative when it comes to back stories, previous events, fight histories etc, unlike real world data.

 

N.B. I am using the default data and have only made one change, to add in an Irish fighter of my own creation. The background and back story to this diary are entirely of my own creation. My user character Conor Kane has full control over the day to day running of the company including match making, promotion, contract negotiations signing new talent.

 

Global Association of Mixed Martial Arts

 

Formed: April 1994

Based: Las Vegas, Nevada

Headquarters: Chicago, Illinois.

CEO: Lance Decker

General Manager and Head Match Maker: Conor Kane

 

Rules

• Matches held in a cage
  
• Rounds will be scored as a 10 point must
  
• Normal bouts are 3x5 minute rounds
  
• Title bouts are 5x5 minute rounds
  
• Strikes to a downed opponent are legal
  
• Downed fighters will not be given a ten count
  
• The referee can seperate inactive fighters
  
• Knee strikes to the head of a downed opponent are legal
  
• Elbow strikes to the head of an opponent, whether downed or not, are legal.
  
• Foot stomps to a downed opponent are legal.
  
• Soccer kicks to the head and body are illegal.
  

 

 

A Brief History of MMA in This World

Mixed martial arts had gone through quite a turbulent time in its quest to be seen as a legitimate sport, especially in the USA. In the 80’s people saw it as nothing more than a side show, that of “human **** fighting”. Backyard promotions, the lack of rules and the general barbaric nature of some fights led to a backlash from the media. A small hardcore fanbase and a thriving “bootleg video” market showed that there was potential for the sport. MMA took it’s first step towards legitimacy in 1992 when Alpha-1 Japanese Mixed Martial Arts began promoting shows in Japan. They signed many guys from the old “shoot fighting” promotions in Japan and Asia, along with some boxers, kick boxers, judoka and other martial artists from across the world. They established a codified set of rules which is largely still similar to the rules used by most promotions today. Gone were “extreme” moves such as soccer kicks to the head, headbutting, gouging and stomping. Their first show, Alpha 1, was held in Tokyo in June of 1992 and was a resounding success. They sold out a 5000 seater venue with twice as many being turned away at the door. The fighters had put on a great show and the fans were hungry for more. Video sales in Japan went through the roof and bootlegs were sold across the world.

 

In 1993 Lance Decker realised that he wanted do the same thing in America. He felt that it needed a promotion to establish the sport of MMA in America and give it much needed legitimacy and mainstream attention. In the summer of that year he began contacting the owners of many of the small MMA promotions in America. Using his own wealth, he began scouting for fighters and started preparations for the first ever MMA pay per view in America. A 4 show pay per view deal was landed with small cable company American Option. Lance used his contacts in the media to hype the upcoming event. At this point MMA still had its doubters, and the mainstream media was still very much against it but people were interested and many eagerly awaited GAMMA’s first ever event.

 

In February of 1994, GAMMA held its first show, GAMMA 1: The Beginning in front of 3000 fans in Las Vegas. The event drew 23,000 pay per view buys, far exceeding the expectations of Decker and his people. It was an unparalleled success and preparations were made for more shows. Lance and his team of planners drew up plans for title belts for each weight division, 5 at that time, and for a tournament to decide each winner. The next 5 events saw the holding of those tournaments and the establishing of the promotions first group of stars. Arguably, the biggest star of them all was “The man with no nickname” Sean Morrison. In May of 1995 he defeated 3 other fighters to win the GAMMA Lightweight Championship. Blessed with a tremendous set of skills and a ****y attitude the still remains champion to this day, with 14 title defences. He is arguably the company’s biggest draw and even if he is not a true fan favourite, his nasty attitude and ability to evoke emotion from the crowd keep people tuning in to see if someone will finally give him the beating they think he deserves.

 

Since its inception, GAMMA has hosted 68 events and has landed its own TV Show, GAMMA Fight Night, which is broadcast 4 times a year on Direct TV. The company now has a true international presence with a PPV deal in almost every part of the world. Total buy rates across the world now exceed 2 million on average. Average attendances at shows have gone from 3000 to 16,000 and the company is definitely still growing. In April of 2001, GAMMA is the dominant promotion across the world, with Alpha-1 very close behind. Newer promotions such as Signature Martial Arts in Germany, and Omega championships are starting to grow and expand and it is believed in time they will become true rivals to the big two promotions. Initially GAMMA shared an active working relationship with Alpha-1, with the two companies mutually signing fighters to associate contracts and engaging in a form on “talent trading” where each company would let its stars fight for the other. However this came to an abrupt end in 1997 when Alpha-1 pulled its top lightweight star, Go Yamamoto, out of a non title fight against Sean Morrison mere weeks before the fight was to take place at GAMMA 19. Since then, both promotions have become bitter rivals and both have gone out of their way to sign each others top stars.

 

 

Biography of Conor Kane

Born in Belfast, Northern Ireland, Conor Kane was appointed the General Manager and Head Matchmaker of The Global Association of Mixed Martial Arts in April of 1998. He had spent most of the 90’s working for fledgling and upstart MMA promotions in England, including a period where he helped establish British Cage Fighting as the dominant promotion in Europe. At this time GAMMA had firmly established itself as the leading MMA promotion in North America and was the biggest MMA promotion in the world alongside its rival, ALPHA-1, in Japan. After a shaky start in 1994 GAMMA were firmly on the rise and CEO Lance Decker wanted to bring in someone who could take them to the next level. It is widely viewed that Kane as an all round set of skills when it comes to the MMA Promotion business. He has solid negotiating skills, a good eye for talent, decent match making skills and good know how when it comes to promoting events. It is said that he is the "jack of all trades and master of none" in that he does not excel in any one area but he is definitely improving as time goes on, as one can only get better with experience.

 

Next post: An overview of each weight division, including champions, previous champions and who to watch in each division.

[kaneso14]

Heavyweight Division

 

Heavyweight Champion –'The Big Bad' Hassan Fezzik: 33-0, no3 pound for pound, No1 heavyweight (2 title defences)

Hailing from Turkey, the undefeated Fezzik is considered on of the greatest fighters in the history of the sport. A Sambo master, he has destroyed most of the world’s top heavyweight fighters on route to becoming World Heavyweight Champion in the two biggest promotions in the world. Fezzik possesses top quality striking, grappling and an impressive array of submission moves that he can use at virtually any time in a fight. The 35 year old remains perhaps one of the most shocking signings ever made by GAMMA. In August of 2000 he refused to sign a new contract with Alpha-1. While he has yet to reveal his true reasons for leaving, many cite the fact that he was being underused, only making 3 title defences in 3 years between the end of 1997 and late 2000. Fezzik has always regarded himself as a fighting champion who would defend against anyone and it is hard to understand how this worldwide star was not used in more events for Alpha-1 as he was most certainly guaranteed to draw money. Fezzik signed for GAMMA in September of 2000 and was granted an immediate title shot against champion Marty Sullivan, who was also undefeated. On the 14th November 2000, in a fantastic fight, Fezzik submitted Sullivan using an armbar with 1.34 left to go in the 5th round. Up until then the judges all had scored it a draw. He has made one successful defence since then, submitting Arman Sarkisian with a triangle choke in the 2nd round on the 24th March 2001. It is expected that there will be a rematch between him and Sullivan sometime in late 2001.

 

Previous Champions

Marty Sullivan: 30th August 1999 to 14th November 2000 (3 defences).

James Foster: 3rd April 1995 to 30th August 1999 (7 defences)

Mark Cohen: 21st October 1994 to 3rd April 1995 (0 defences)

 

 

Heavyweight Division: Top 5 Contenders

 

'Grand Urso' Murilo Satinho: 14-0, no11 pound for pound, no2 heavyweight

The 24 year old undefeated Brazilian made a name for himself in Fight League Brazil, defeating top stars such as Rodolfo Camara and Gladstone Lopes. He is a master of ground and pound with top level cardio and a great all round game. It is said he has no real weaknesses. After signing for GAMMA in 1999 he has defeated Lefter Otkay and Hiro Arai and is expected to get a title shot in the very near future.

 

Marty 'The Bone Collector' Sullivan: 17-1, no18 pound for pound, no 3 heavyweight

A former champion amateur boxer, Sullivan also holds a brown belt in BJJ, which he has practiced since the age of 5. He possesses fearsome striking skills, a great ground game and a wide array of submissions. He is purported to have the best chin in the game, having never been knocked down in his entire career. The 25 year old Irishman made a name for himself fighting for British Cage Fighting. In 1997 he was spotted by a GAMMA scout after a particularly dominant KO win over local favourite “Bulldog” Bob Dozier. He was offered a 4 fight contract and quickly established himself as a legitimate heavyweight contender, defeating stars such as Raul Hughes, Fatuma Roy and the memorable knocking out of Tim Boyer at GAMMA 33 in December 1999. In August 1999 he shocked the world when he knocked out long time heavyweight Champion James foster in the first round of their bout. He went on to submit him in their rematch and picked up wins in defences against Carter Porter and Terron Cabbal before losing the belt to Fezzik. He is expected to be granted a rematch with Fezzik sometimes this year.

 

Carter 'The Kiwi' Potter: 22-5, no22 pound for pound, no 5 heavyweight

Also a former champion amateur boxer, like Sullivan he also holds a red belt in BJJ. Possesses good hands, great cardio and an underrated ground game. The New Zealander has never been finished, all of his 3 losses came by way of UD. Since coming to GAMMA he holds impressive victories over Gary Sampson, Ari Peltonen and Percy Catcher. His only loss in the promotion has come against Marty Sullivan, a UD loss in a fight that has been ranked among the “worst ever” in the history of the promotion.

 

'The Demolition Expert' Raul Hughes: 19-4, no7 heavyweight.

The American former pro boxer (career 11-5-2) is probably the best pure puncher in all of MMA. He relies on his fists and his style has been described as one dimensional, but he has proven to be a very hard opponent to beat. He has never been knocked out. Of his 3 losses, 2 were by submission and 1 was by way of UD. At 36, he is approaching the twilight of his career, he is still a formidable opponent but it remains to be seen if he can defeat one of the top guys and get a shot at the title.

 

Christopher 'The Knife' Sharp: 40-13, no 9 heavyweight.

One of the breakout stars in the early days of American MMA, the former collegiate All American wrestler was predicted to dominate the heavyweight scene in America. He picked up some impressive victories but went into a slump during his early days with GAMMA which actually saw him released. After an impressive time spent fighting in Japan and Brazil he was resigned by GAMMA in 1998 and has won 7 of his last 8 fights. A fantastic wrestler with great ground and pound, he has two major weaknesses: a glass jaw and terrible submission defense. He has however worked on this aspects of his game and even at the age of 36 he is still up there in the heavyweight division and could find himself with a title shot if he picks up some more wins.

[kaneso14]

Light Heavyweight Division

 

Light Heavyweight Champion: Vacant

Arguably GAMMA’s weakest division, especially with the defection of a number of fighters to Alpha 1 and Sigma, this division has not a successful title defence since Linfield Ballard retained against Spencer Rubenstein in February of 1998. He failed to make weight for 2 defences against John Rivero and was stripped of the title by Kane in August of 1999. After that the belt was “hot potatoed” around 3 different fighters before the dominant Zvonimir Asanovic deafeated Marlon John at GAMMA 65 in January of this year. Inexplicably, Asanovic refused to re sign with GAMMA after contract talks broke down after only 2 rounds of negotiations. Asanovic chose to sign for Alpha 1 and was stripped of the belt by Kane. A title fight for the Championship will take place at GAMMA 71 between Carlos Dos Santos and Valentin Taneyev.

 

 

Previous Champions

Zvonimir Asanovic: 21st January 2001 to 1st March 2001. (Vacated)

Marlon John: 5th September 2000 to 21st January 2001 (0 defences)

Sho Kitabatake: 15th April 2000 to 5th September 2000 (0 defences)

John Rivero: 28th November 1999 to 15th April 2000 (0 defences)

Linfield Ballard (2): 22nd February 1998 to 28th November 1999 (0 defences)

Spencer Rubenstein: 5th January 1996 to 22nd February 1998 (1 defence)

Linfield Ballard: 15th September 1994 to 5th January 1996 (2 defences)

 

 

Light Heavyweight Division: Top 5 Contenders

 

Carlos Dos Santos: 18-3, no12 pound for pound, no 3 light heavyweight.

A master of the Brazilian sport of Vale Tudo, Dos Santos is one of the most versatile fighters in the world. He is comfortable on his feet and on the ground. Undefeated since 1996, he picked up a win over Matti Kuri in his first fight for GAMMA in March of this year, winning by UD in an exciting fight. This, coupled with his tremendous record fighting for FLB is the reason he was granted one of the Number 1 Contender spots in the upcoming fight at GAMMA 71 for the Light Heavyweight Championship.

 

Valentin Taneyev: 10-0, no 7 light heavyweight.

This Russian fighter is considered an elite prospect in the world of MMA. Undefeated in his first 10 fights as a professional mixed martial artist, he has never been knocked down and has finished all of his fights. He is one of the first of a new generation of mixed martial artists who have cross trained in many different areas, so much so that he does not have a dominant background in any one fighting style. He is said to have no real weaknesses and has picked up some impressive wins while fighting for SIGMA. Signed in December of last year, his first fight for GAMMA will be at GAMMA 71 for the Light Heavyweight Championship against Carlos Dos Santos. The decision to put him in the fight shocked many as he is still a relatively unknown quantity, but GM Conor Kane feels confident about his choice, especially as the LH division is devoid of true stars at this moment in time. A successful win against Dos Santos should give him international recognition.

 

'The Punisher' Marlon John: 17-2, no8 light heavyweight.

A former light heavyweight champion, the 26 year old American knocked out Sho Kitabatake at GAMMA 59 for the belt only to lose it to Asanovic at GAMMA 65, losing after being overwhelmed by strikes. A former amateur wrestler at the University of Oklahoma, he was undefeated as a heavyweight, was a 2 time NCAA National Champion, 4 time All American and 4 time Academic All American. After turning turn a lucrative offer from the Supreme Wrestling Federation, and an offer to join the USA team and compete at the 2000 Olympics, John decided to pursue a career in mixed martial arts. He cross trained in order to improve his striking and ground game and won his first 12 fights in a row. It is said that he can take down anybody in the world. He is looking to rebound after losing his title and is expected to be next in line for a title shot after GAMMA 71.

 

Sho Kitabatake: 19-1, no9 light heavyweight.

Probably the most famous MMA fighter to come out of Japan. A superstar judoka, Sho represented Japan in the 1992 Olympics and numerous World Judo Championships. After signing with Alpha-1 in 1994 he was fed a number of hand picked opponents that he easily defeated. Although his striking skills leave a lot to be desired he is blessed with world class grappling skills and a deadly array of submissions. Sho has only won one of his fights by TKO, the rest have all been by submission and decision. He moved to GAMMA in 1999 and proceeded to submit John Rivera for the Light Heavyweight Championship before going on to lose it to Marlon John at GAMMA 59 by UD. Is said to be in line for another shot at the title at some point this year.

 

Matti 'The Hammer' Kurri: 11-2-1, no 10 light heavyweight.

A powerful fighter from Finland, Kurri is a takedown/ground and pound specialist. He is said to have the best striking ability on the ground along with a decent variety of submissions. Kurri has never been stopped, both of his losses have come by UD. At 25 he is still developing as a fighter and looks to have a bright future in the division. It is rumoured that he wants to move up to heavyweight at some point in the future. Holds impressive victories over Rafael Van Der Moot and Brayden Behrami, if he continues to rack up the wins he will definitely be in the title scene in 2002.

[kaneso14]

Middleweight Division

 

Middleweight Champion: Vacant

The Middleweight Championship was vacated in March after champion Buddy Garner refused to re-sign with the company. While no official details were released, it is rumoured that Garner had unreasonable contractual demands, ended contract talks after only two rounds of negotiations and signed for Alpha-1 that same day. Prior to that Garner had one successful defence. The GAMMA Middleweight Champion will be determined at GAMMA 72 when Stuart Strange fights Matthew Dean.

 

 

Previous Champions

Buddy Garner: 26th September 2000 to March 1st 2001. (1 defence, vacated)

Stuart Strange: 7th May 2000 to 26th September 2000. (0 defences)

Matthew Dean (2): 18th December 1999 to 7th May 2000 (0 defences)

Joaquim Fantes: 2nd August 1999 to 18th December 1999 (0 defences)

Neil Napier: 26th September 1998 to 18th April 1999 (1 defence, vacated)

Matthrew Dean: 4th August 1996 to 26th September 1999 (3 defences)

Maarten DeVries: 15th June 1995 to 4th August 1996 (1 defence)

 

 

Middleweight Divison: Top 5 Contenders

 

‘The Anarchist’ Matthew Dean: 37-7, no17 pound for pound, no4 middleweight.

One of GAMMA’s earliest stars, Dean is regarded as one of the toughest pound for pound fighters in the entire world. Blessed with world class wrestling skills, he is near impossible to take down or to control on the ground. In recent years he has improved his BJJ and striking to the point where he is considered a great all round fighter. A 2 time middleweight champion, he took part in amazing title bouts against the likes of Dexter Darling and two gruelling battles against Joaquim Fontes. Is looking for his 3rd reign in June when he fights Stuart Strange at GAMMA 72.

 

‘Superstar’ Stuart Strange: 26-3, no20 pound for pound, no5 middleweight.

A greco roman wrestler, Strange is a master of innovative takedowns, slams and controlling his opponent on the ground. Has only average striking skills and is prone to resorting to the use of ‘lay and prey’ when he can’t outsmart his opponent in the standing game or get in decent strikes while on the ground. A very tough fighter, Strange has only been stopped once, submitting to a triangle choke from Buddy Garner at GAMMA 60. Recently regained his momentum with a big win over the up and coming Heath Kaladaris at GAMMA 65 and is looking to regain the Middleweight Championship at GAMMA 72 against Matthew Dean who he previously submitted at GAMMA 54 for the title.

 

Jonathan ‘The Locust’ Huang: 10-2, no6 middleweight.

A Thai jujitsu expert who dominated the international jujitsu scene from when he was a teenager until the age of 23 when he decided to move into MMA. Already an international star, he was fed a few easy opponents in his first fights in Thailand before signing an exclusive deal to fight in GAMMA in 1998. Huang is regarded to have the best BJJ skills in the entire world of MMA. His major flaw is a lack of striking skills but he has slowly improved on them throughout the last few years. After an exciting start to his career in GAMMA, his momentum stalled after losing two fights in a row in 1999. Since then however he has won 5 in a row and is in the hunt for a shot at the title. It is rumoured he will face the winner of Strange – Dean later on in the year.

 

Kadonomoro Deguchi: 7-0, no9 middleweight.

A champion amateur Wrestler from Japan, Deguchi turned down a chance to represent his country at the 1996 Olympics in order to prepare for a career in MMA. He spent a number of years cross training in BJJ and striking and made his debut in 1998 in Japan, before being signed by GAMMA in early 1999. An outstanding grappler, Deguchi likes to dominate his opponents on top, looking for a submission or just utilising lay and prey in order to rack up the points. Has only average striking skills but so far in his fledgling career he hasn’t really needed them. He has won all 5 of his fights so far in GAMMA, including an impressive submission victory over the highly rated Patrick Thomas at GAMMA 64. If he continues to rack up the wins he will surely get a title shot some time next year.

 

‘The Amazing’ JJ Reid: 29-8, no10 middleweight.

One of the best submission artists at 185lbs, Reid is a black belt in BJJ. Quite one dimensional, he has poor striking skills and has quite a weak chin. Reid has a history of ‘blowing it’ in big fights. He was once ranked in the top 5 pound for pound fighters in the world before suffering a catastrophic loss of momentum when he lost 3 fights in a row to top class fighters in 1998-1999. Since then he has gone undefeated and has won his last 4 fights in a row, including impressive victories over Mario DeSouza and Ashley Ballard. Will be looking for a few big wins if he wants to be anywhere near a title shot.

[kaneso14]

Welterweight Division

 

Welterweight Champion: - Manuel ‘The Prodigy’ Silva: 18-0, no1 pound for pound, no1 welterweight (1 defence)

The current top pound for pound fighter in the world, the undefeated 28 year old will surely dominate the welterweight division for years to come. Blessed with ungodly physical skills, Silva was a black belt in Muay Thai and a champion in BJJ before the age of 21.He posseses remarkable striking skills, including a repertoire of creative punches and kicks which have seen him win 14 of his 18 fights by KO/TKO. Those opponents who shy away from facing him standing have paid dearly as he also has world class grappling skills including an array of deadly creative submissions. The Prodigy is arguably the best all round fighter in the world and it can be said he has no weaknesses in his game. After destroying local opposition in Brazil he destroyed the top fighters in FLB on his way to winning the welterweight title. He was signed by GAMMA in the summer of 1999 and has won each of his 5 fights. After impressive victories over Rufus Stephens and Bobby Brubaker he was given a title shot against Julio Regueiro and at GAMMA 57 he proceeded to knock him out in the first round with a devastating knee to the head which left Reguiero severely concussed and unable to compete for 6 months. He then proceeded to defend his Welterweight Championship against Jack Humphreys at GAMMA 63. At the time Humphreys was ranked in the top 10 pound for pound fighters in the world and Silva impressed everyone with a first round knockout. Silva will be defending the GAMMA Welterweight Championship against Fukusaburu Hiarno at GAMMA 69 this month.

 

Previous Champions

Ikku Funaki: 25th February 2000 to 26th February 2000 (Vacated)

Julio Reguiero (2): 29th January 1999 to 25th February 2000 (2 defences)

Nathan Chambers (2): 24th March 1998 to 29th January 1999 (1 defence)

Julio Reguiero: 4th February 1996 to 24th March 1998 (2 defences)

Nathan Chambers: 15th July 1995 to 4th February 1996 (0 defences)

Yevgeni Sipatov: 14th November 1994 to 15th July 1995 (0 defences)

 

 

Welterweight Division: Top 5 Contenders

 

‘The Super Animal’ Noach Van Der Capellen: 27-4, no14 pound for pound, no 4 welterweight

One of MMA’s most exciting strikers, The Super Animal loves to use a variety of Muay Thai punches and kicks, to knock out his opponents. He also has an underrated ground game which has been effective when an opponent takes him down. He has picked up 20 of his 27 victories by way of KO/TKO. Noach worked his way to becoming SIGMA Welterweight Champion before signing for GAMMA in 2000. He won his first fight by UD and will be looking to impress in his next fight which will hopefully earn him a shot at the title

 

Fukusaburu Hirano: 16-1-1, no19 pound for pound, no 5 welterweight

Considered one of the most versatile fighters in the world, Hirano has cross trained in many areas including BJJ, Muay Thai, Karate and Judo. Has a great all round game with perhaps his only weakness being his grappling skills but at the moment he is actively training in wrestling in order to combat this. A natural lightweight, he prefers to bulk up to welterweight and often is often considerably smaller than his opponents. He has won 3 of his 4 GAMMA fights so far, including an impressive knock out of Josh Aldariso at GAMMA 54. Has been granted a title shot against Manuel Silva at GAMMA 69 this month. The definite underdog coming into this fight, Hirano will be looking for a shock victory over the No1 pound for pound fighter in the world.

 

David ‘Spider Web’ Webb: 19-4, no6 welterweight

A catch wrestler from England, Webb possesses elite level grappling skills. He is noted for his ability to pass guard, even against the best BJJ experts. Webb possesses remarkable strength for a welterweight, has a solid chin and is incredibly difficult to take down. These abilities more than compensate for his mediocre striking skills. Still relatively unknown outside of the UK, Webb has only just joined GAMMA for BCF in England. He will be looking to rack up some impressive wins, starting with the young fighter Jayden Karp at GAMMA 69 this month, and hopefully work towards a shot at the Welterweight Championship in the coming years.

 

Vikram ‘Punishment’ Sithalayan: 20-3, no10 welterweight

The intimidating Pakistani is a master of the Persian wrestling style of Pehlwani and is considered one of the best welterweights in the world. Sithalayan has top notch grappling skills and is a submission expert, with an emphasis on applying deadly leg locks, seemingly from nowhere. His only real weakness are his below average striking skills but he more than makes up for it with his grapping ability. Having spent the majority of his career fighting in the UK, Sithalayan is a recent signing for GAMMA and as of yet has no fights announced but it is expected he will be added to a future card in the upcoming weeks.

 

‘The Peruvian Scythe’ Domingo De Vivanco: 11-1, no11 welterweight

An explosive kick boxer from Peru, De Vivanco is perhaps one of the most aggressive fighters in the world of MMA. He loves to go after his opponent from the outset using a variety of punches, kicks, knees and elbows in order to overwhelm them and pick up the KO/TKO victory. His ultra aggressiveness and tendency to forget to guard himself correctly is seen as something that can be exploited, as proved by Darin Blood who caught DeVivanco with a punch and knocked him out cold in their fight at GAMMA 53. Has an underrated ground game and is more than capable of holding his own against top level grapplers. A future champion in the making if he can learn to channel his aggression and cut down on the mistakes he makes in the cage. The grapplers who dominate the welterweight title scene will certainly face a tough test if they face the Peruvian Scythe. After a devastating knock out of Tyler Lass at GAMMA 64, De Vivanco is looking to continue his win streak and pick up more momentum.

[kaneso14]

Lightweight Division

 

Lightweight Champion - ‘The Man With No Nickname’ Sean Morrison: 36-3, no6 pound for pound, no1 lightweight (14 defences)

The most dominant fighter in the history of American MMA, Sean Morrison has built a fearsome reputation on the back of his top notch wrestling skills. Primarily an aggressive ground and pound fighter, Morrison has won 24 of his 36 fights by KO/TKO and 18 of those victories came in the 1st round. His critics have always regarded him as one dimensional, but his style has proven time and time again to be effective as he has 14 successful title defences and has not lost a bout since April of 1992. Blessed with remarkable resilience and one of the best ‘hearts’ in the MMA scene, Morrison has never been finished. 2 of his 3 losses were by way of SD with one by way of UD. He is known to resort to using ‘lay and pray’ in later rounds, using his wrestling ability to smother his opponents and rack up points. Sean Morrison has always been one of the more interesting personalities in MMA. A true villain, he is infamous for taunting his opponents during the build up to events, calling out up and coming stars, refusing to touch gloves before a fight and even using his internet blog to ‘talk trash’ about past and future opponents. Morrison has said himself that he thrives on the reactions he gets from crowds. He is known for getting deafening amounts of heat at events, with the majority of the crowd hoping to see him get beaten. However, he will always have a small pocket of fans who cheer for him. Morrison has defended his title against the best of the best in the lightweight divison, including wins over Brandon Sugar (twice), Bud Brocket, Beau Groshin and Fiyero Lermontov. His most notable fights were against the Indonesian megastar Sukarno. In their first bout at GAMMA 38 in May 1999 Morrison won an extremely close contest by split decision. The rematch would not take place until almost 18 months later. At GAMMA 61 in October 2000 Morrison proved beyond a shadow of a doubt he was a better fighter when he submitted Sukarno in 54 seconds of the 1st round. In March of 2001 Morrison shocked the MMA world when he refused to re-sigh with GAMMA. While no reason has been given officially from either side, it is rumoured that GAMMA were unwilling to pay Morrison what he thought he deserved (a rumoured $1 million per fight basic pay including bonuses that could have seen him earn in the region of $1.5 million per fight). It is unknown if he will sign with another promotion but Conor Kane has been on record as saying he will allow Morrison a final title defence. If he wins he will be immediately stripped of the title. His final fight for the promotion will take place at GAMMA 73 in July this year.

 

 

Previous Champions

N/A: Morrison has held the belt since its inception on May 15th 1995.

 

 

Lightweight Division: Top 5 Contenders

 

‘The Ice Cold Swede’ Lukas Mellberg: 19-3, no24 pound for pound, no3 Lightweight

A deadly submission artist and a great grapper, Mellberg is at his best when he gets his opponent on the ground. However he has a one glaring weaknesses and that is his poor striking skills. Mellberg built up a great record fighting in various smaller promotions in Sweden and Germany before signing for SIGMA where he won all 5 of his fights including impressive wins against Lucas Mueller and the top ranked Harold Hubner. Mellberg signed for GAMMA in March 2001 and is awaiting the announcement of his first fight for the promotion which will most likely be a number 1 contenders bout.

 

Fiyero Lermontov: 18-1, no25 pound for pound, no3 lightweight

Considered to be the toughest man in MMA, the former member of the Russian Army Special Forces unit is an excellent boxer, wrestler and has excellent Sambo skills. An example of his toughness occurred at GAMMA 46 against Beau Gorshin. With 20 seconds left to go in the 2nd round, Gorshin caught Lermontov in a triangle choke. Rather than tap out, he held on until the end of the round, and was nearly choked out. After being cleared by a doctor to continue the fight Lermantov submitted Gorshin with an armbar. Undefeaeted in 15 fights, he got a shot at Morrison’s Lightweight Championship at GAMMA 50 but was defeated by TKO in the 2nd round when he fell prey to the devastating ground and pound of the American. Lermantov has since rebounded and gone on to win his last 3 fights. Although nothing has been announced yet, it is rumoured that he will be Morrison’s final opponent in a fight for the Lightweight Championship at GAMMA 73 in July.

 

Jake ‘The Natural Talent’ Keane: 26-5, no4 lightweight

One of the best all round lightweights in the world, the Englishman Keane does not excel in any one area of MMA which is believed to be the reason he has not got the same amount of recognition as some other fighters. Keane has no real weaknesses to speak of and has never been finished in a fight. He spent the majority of his career fighting in the UK and Europe. In July of 1999 Keane was signed by GAMMA and has won all 4 of his fights so far including impressive victories over Georges Nouri and Motoki Hojo. He is rumoured to be in line for a title shot later on in the year, especially if Morrison wins his last fight and the Lightweight title is vacated.

 

‘Fury Awoken’ Sukarno: 29-2, no5 lightweight

A legendary figure in Asia, Sukarno, along with Hassan Fezzik, was the face of Alpha-1 in its early days and had his first fight for the company at the age of 19. One of the most vicious strikers in MMA, Sukarno is known for his highly aggressive fighting style where he attempts to overwhelm his opponent with a variety of strikes from the offset. He also has a good ground game and a number of submissions that he can utilise should be ever be taken down. Sukarno also has a great chin and has never been knocked out or even knocked down by way of a strike. In 1996 Sukarno announced his intention to move on from Alpha-1 as he felt he had beaten all they had to offer. He had 2 fights for KDM before signing a lucrative contract with GAMMA. After defeating HM Menzel in a number 1 contenders fight, Sukarno lost to Sean Morrison by UD in a very close fight at GAMMA 38. After picking up two wins, Sukarno was granted a rematch with Morrison where he was swiftly submitted by the American. While it is unlikely that he will ever get to fight Morrison again, if he wins his next few fights it is said that Sakurno will get another shot at the Lightweight Championship.

 

Bud ‘The Rocket’ Brockett: 14-1, no6 lightweight

A hugely successful collegiate wrestler, Brockett was a 3 time All American at the University of Iowa. It has been said that he can take down any fighter. He loves to use ground and pound once he takes his opponent down and is very skilled at passing guard and defending against submissions. Brockett fought at a number of local shows during college and joined GAMMA after he graduated in 1997. He has won 8 of his 9 fights with the promotion, his only defeat coming against Lightweight Champion Sean Morrison by TKO at GAMMA 32 in November 1998. Since then he has been on a 5 fight winning streak including an impressive UD win over Brandon Sugar at GAMMA 63. It is rumoured that the two will have a rematch in the summer, with the winner in prime position to go on to contend for the GAMMA Lightweight Championship.

[kaneso14]

Featherweight Division

 

Featherweight Champion – ‘Little Dragon’ Li-Kong Ho: 26-0, no5 pound for pound, no1 featherweight (5 defences)

One of the most popular Asian fighters and easily the best featherweight in the world, The Little Dragon is regarded as the greatest submissions expert in all of MMA. A natural fan favourite, he possesses a huge range of submissions which he can seemingly use at any point in a fight on almost any body part of his opponent. A world class grappler, he could probably take down fighters 50lb heavier than him using pure technique. Ho has an almost superhuman ability to pass guard and control his opponent. Ho credits his flexibility to years of practicing yoga and the systematic series of stretches he performs every day during training. His ground game overshadows his underrated striking ability. Whilst he will most likely never knock out a standing opponent, he has enough skill to fight off the pure strikers in the division. Ho spent the first part of his career fighting at local shows in his native Indonesia before signing for KDM FC where he became Featherweight Champion. In 1998 he signed a contract with GAMMA and was immediately given a title shot against Masahiro Maeno who he submitted in the 2nd round at GAMMA 33 to win the GAMMA Featherweight Championship. He has since gone on to defend it 5 times including two memorable fights against rival Kenji Akita, who he submitted both times. Ho has won 21 of his 26 fights by submission, including his 6 fights for GAMMA. His most memorable submission was arguably against Phillip Ziskie at GAMMA 52. In the 2nd round Ziskie knocked Ho down with a haymaker and had gone down to finish him off. An extremely dazed Ho, seemingly from nowhere, locked in a gogoplata and Ziskie was forced to tap. It has been said that Ho is virtually unbeatable and at this point in time there doesn’t appear to be anyone that can step up and take the title from him. He will defend the Featherweight Championship against Schuler Eigenberg at GAMMA 70 in May of this year.

 

 

Previous Champions

N/A: Ho has held the belt since its inception on December 26th 1998.

 

 

Featherweight Division: Top 5 Contenders

 

Phillip ‘Kid’ Ziskie: 21-2-1, no21 pound for pound, no2 featherweight.

At one time regarded as the best featherweight in North America, Ziskie is a great all round competitor who possesses solid striking skills and excellent wrestling. His devastating left hand is something that all of his opponents should be wary of. After a short stint taking part in pro kickboxing (where he went 10-0) Ziskie began his MMA career fighting in local shows in his native California. He won his first 12 fights and signed with Xtreme Cage Combat where he went 5-1-1, his only defeat coming by way of a controversial split decision against Wallace Everett in June 1999. Ziskie signed with GAMMA in September 1999, won his first two fights and was given a title shot against the undefeated Li-Kong Ho. In their fight which took place at GAMMA 52 in March 2000, Ziskie had knocked down Ho with a devastating left handed haymaker and had gone to the ground to finish him off only to get caught with a gogoplata from Ho, who looked to be almost out of it. Ziskie was caught and had no choice but to tap. Since then Ziskie has won two fights in a row and looks to be next in line for a shot at the GAMMA Featherweight Championship.

 

‘Scorching’ Schuler Eigenberg: 13-2, no3 featherweight

Hailing from Israel, Eigenberg grew up in Canada and is now a full citizen. He is quite a one dimensional fighter, heavily relying on his world class boxing skills, excellent movement and elusiveness. While he lacks quality grappling skills and has almost no submission defence, he should be a feared opponent in the standing game. After spending the first part of his career fighting at shows in Toronto, Eigenberg moved on to XCC where he won all 4 of his fights and then was signed by GAMMA in July 2000. He won his first fight for the company, knocking out the highly rated Chan Wah Wah and was granted a shot at Ho’s Featherweight Championship, which will take place at GAMMA 70 in May this year.

 

‘Samurai Spirit’ Tomohiro Takeuchi: 20-5, no4 featherweight

A pure wrestler, Takeuchi is notorious for being a ‘lay and pray’ fighter where he looks to take down and smother his opponent with his world class wrestling skills. It is no coincidence that most of his fights have come by way of UD and also that they are not the most entertaining fights to watch. However, it can be said that this technique has worked for the 30 year old Japanese star. Takeuchi moved to GAMMA in December 1998 after an impressive stint fighting for KDM FC. He lost his first two fights to Phillip Ziskie, both by way of UD but since has gone on a 4 fight winning streak, including an impressive TKO victory over Masahiro Maeno at GAMMA 67. Fans and critics alike are calling for him to have a 3rd and final bout with Ziskie to decide the no1 contender for the Featherweight Title after Ho vs Eigenberg at GAMMA 70. At this point it is unsure whether Kane will follow through with these plans.

 

Kenji ‘Star’ Akita: 15-3, no6 featherweight

Flamboyant, outspoken and a natural villain, Akita is the Asian version of Sean Morrison. A champion amateur wrestler in his native Japan, he also mixes in decent striking skills, a fantastic chin, excellent resilience, dedication and preparation and is considered one of the best all round fighters in the division. All three of his losses have been submissions at the hands of the champion Li-Kong Ho, with one taking place during their stint at KDM FC, and two being title fights for GAMMA. Aside from his inability to defeat his long time rival, it is said that he could beat anyone else in the division. Is looking to rebound after his most recent loss but if he racks up a few wins he may be granted another shot at the Featherweight Championship.

 

Rafael ‘Slick’ Tavares: 17-3, no10 featherweight

The Brazilian Tavares combines top class BJJ skills with quality striking and movement in the standing game and is a true well rounded competitor. He is known for his devastating inside leg kicks which he uses to wear down his opponents and make them more susceptible to take downs later on in a fight. One of the smallest fighters that GAMMA have, Tavares would probably be better off fighting at Bantamweight, but since they do not have a Bantamweight Divison at this point in time he is forced to fight guys that have a weight advantage. This does not seem to have affected him so far, as he has won all 4 of his fights for GAMMA and if he wins a few more he will get a much deserved shot at the Featherweight Title.

[kaneso14]

GAMMA 69: Silva vs Hirano

 

Saturday 21st April 2001

 

Stapes Center, Los Angles, California

 

Main Card

GAMMA Welterweight Championship

Manuel Silva (18-0) © vs Fukusaburu Hirano (16-1-1)

 

Heavyweight Bout: Christopher Sharp (40-13) vs Terron Cabal (14-2)

Middleweight Bout: Adam White (13-2) vs Thais Antonio Taffarel (23-3)

Lightweight Bout: Brandon Sugar (29-7) vs Motoki Hojo (21-6)

Featherweight Bout: Rafael Tavares (17-3) vs Jason Dalglish (20-7)

L. Heavyweight Bout: Anthony Le Toussier (16-3) vs Lawrence Herringbone (17-3)

 

Preliminary Card

Welterweight Bout: David Webb (19-4) vs Jayden Karp (6-2)

Heavyweight Bout: Souleymane Ya Konan (8-2) vs Sylvester Collins (7-2)

Middleweight Bout: Fjodor Kanchelskis (14-3) vs Vagner (14-9)

Lightweight Bout: Caca de Andrade (21-6) vs Guilherme de Barros (6-2)

Featherweight Bout: Reza Afshar (9-1) vs Freddy Lomax (5-3)

Light Heavyweight Bout: Naozane Yamaguchiya (8-2) vs Sharaku Kon (6-2)

 

 

 

GAMMA 70: Hughes vs Foster

 

Saturday 12th May 2001

 

American Airlines Arena, Miami, Florida

 

Main Card

Heavyweight Bout: Raul Hughes (19-4) vs James Foster (36-7-1)

 

GAMMA Featherweight Championship

Li-Kong Ho © (26-0) vs Shuler Eigenberg (13-2)

 

Lightweight Bout: Bud Brockett (14-1) vs H.M. Menzell (17-5)

Middleweight Bout: Kadonomoro Deguchi (7-0) vs Heath Kaladaris (6-2)

Light Heavyweight Bout: Nickolai Mickiewicz (23-5) vs Toby Sorkin (10-1)

Welterweight Bout: Tyler Lass (9-3) vs Rufus Stephens (20-4)

 

Preliminary Card

Heavyweight Bout: Fritz Phipps (8-2) vs Kurt McDonald (6-1)

Featherweight Bout: Ivano Ancic (6-1) vs Yoshiro Makamori (15-2)

Lightweight Bout: Goncalves Cassaro (7-1) vs Rogelio Quesada (7-1)

Welterweight Bout: Domingo de Vivanco (11-1) vs Iain Fussell (9-2)

Middleweight Bout: Dwayne Alleyne (7-2) vs Todd D’Abruzzo (11-3)

Welterweight Bout: Evan Gardner (8-1) vs Tristao Bosi (5-2)

 

 

 

GAMMA 71: Dos Santos vs Taneyev

 

Saturday 2nd June 2001

 

Meadowlands Arena, East Rutherford, New Jersey

 

Main Card

GAMMA Light Heavyweight Championship (Vacant)

Carlos Dos Santos (18-3) vs Valentin Taneyev (10-0)

 

Featherweight Bout to Determine the No1 Contender

Phillip Ziskie (21-2-1) vs Kenji Akita (15-3)

 

Middleweight Bout: Patrick Thomas (20-6) vs Thomas Smith (16-4)

Welterweight Bout: Alan Kendall (15-7) vs Bobby Brubaker (14-7)

Lightweight Bout: Sukarno (29-2) vs Henry Baldwin (10-5)

 

Preliminary Card

Welterweight Bout: Gideon Navarro (5-1) vs Rich Robinson (8-1)

Heavyweight Bout: Mugur Boc (10-1) vs Lefter Oktay (15-4)

Light Heavyweight Bout: Markku Mikkola (6-0) vs Crow Leddy (4-5)

Featherweight Bout: David James Diggle (6-1) vs Lito Alcala (7-1)

Middleweight Bout: Stephan De Winter (7-1) vs Tetsuji Myojin (8-1)

Lightweight Bout: Jake Kane (26-5) vs Josuke Hino (7-1)

[kaneso14]

Blurcat.com presents GAMMA Weekly (1st April – 7th April 2001)

 

Top 10 Pound for Pound Fighters as of 1st April 2001

1- Li Kong Ho: 26-0 (FW, GAMMA)

2- Sean Morrison: 36-3 (LW, GAMMA)

3- Manuel Silva: 18-0 (WW, GAMMA)

4- Hassan Fezzik: 33-0 (HW, GAMMA)

5- Zvonimir Asanovic: 33-2 (LHW, SIGMA)

6- Tadamasa Yamada: 26-1 (LHW, ALPHA-1)

7- Neil Napier: 19-0 (MW, OMEGA)

8- Ikku Funaki: 21-4 (WW, ALPHA-1)

9- Buddy Garner: 20-1 (MW, GAMMA)

10- Murilo Satinho: 14-0 (HW, GAMMA)

 

Harrison Signs Extension

Light heavyweight fighter William Harrison (7-3) has signed a new deal that will keep him at the company for at least three more fights. The 27 year old former Navy Seal is said to be delighted at the extension and is determined to get back to winning ways after going on a two fight losing streak.

 

Morrison’s Future Uncertain

The future of lightweight megastar Sean Morrison (36-3) is still uncertain at this point in time. While it is clear that he has no intentions of re-signing with GAMMA, there has been no world of him being contacted by other promotions. The 36 year old’s massive contract demands would be off putting to all but the richest companies, which at this moment in time only leave Alpha-1 as a viable candidate for his signature. Even with their history of poaching GAMMA’s top talent, it is unclear whether they are prepared to break the bank in order to sign the biggest Western MMA star of the 90’s. Morrison is set to have his last fight at GAMMA 73. An opponent has yet to be announced.

 

Number One Contender Fight Announced

A fight to determine the number one contender for the GAMMA Featherweight Champion has been announced. Philip Ziskie (21-2-1) will face Kenji Akita (15-3) at GAMMA 71: Dos Santos vs Taneyev on Saturday 2nd June 2001. Both these fighters, who are ranked number the two and number six featherweights in the world respectively, have never fought each other. The winner will face the winner of the Li-Kong-Ho vs Shuler Eigenberg fight which is set to take place at GAMMA 70: Hughes vs Foster on Saturday 12th May 2001.

 

 

 

Blurcat.com presents GAMMA Weekly (8th April – 14th April 2001)

 

New Signing

GAMMA are pleased to announce the signing of light heavyweight fighter Christian Mountfield (17-6). The thirty year old had previously fought for the company but was released in 1999. After three impressive victories while fighting for Alpha-1 he was contacted by GAMMA in March of this year and has agreed a deal which guarantees him three fights. It is unknown when the first will be but it could be as little as 8 weeks from now.

 

Re-signings

GAMMA are pleased to announce that they have agreed contract extensions with the following fighters. Fiyero Lermantov (18-1), Yagi Jokichi (9-2), Fumiaki Hayashi (20-7), Armen Sarkisian (27-4), Atep of Indonesia (14-2) and Taki Inouye (10-1) have all agreed to three fight extensions.

 

Li-Kong Ho Gives Major Interview

GAMMA megastar, and reigning Featherweight Champion Li-Kong Ho (26-0) has given an exclusive interview to Sports Illustrated Magazine. The diminutive Indonesian is not known for talking to the media and leads an intensely private life outside of MMA. In this interview he talks about leaving his family behind in Indonesia, adapting to life in America, the pressure to succeed and whether he would consider himself the best in the world. The full interview will be published in next month’s issue of Sports Illustrated and it can be expected that we here at Blurcar.com will be publishing a transcript of it when we get the opportunity.

 

 

Blurcat.com presents GAMMA Weekly (15th April – 21st April 2001)

 

GAMMA Sign New Middleweight

GAMMA have announced the signing of middleweight fighter Charles Stiles (18-3). The 30 year old holds a black belt in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu and had previously fought in Fight League Brazil as well as a number of local promotions throughout Brazil. Whilst still relatively unknown here in the States, he is regarded as a top quality fighter and if he wins his first few fights it is expected that he could become a contender for the Middleweight Championship. He has signed a three fight deal for the company and still has 30 days on his FLB contract before he can officially join the GAMMA roster.

 

GAMMA 69: Silva vs Hirano Preview

GAMMA’s 69th ever PPV is set to take place on Saturday 21st April 2001 and we will be publishing an in depth preview of the event this week. Watch this space!

[kaneso14]

GAMMA 69: Silva vs Hirano – PREVIEW

 

Hello fans and welcome to Blurcat’s preview of GAMMA 69: Silva vs Hirano. The event, which is taking place at the Staples Centre in Los Angeles, looks great on paper and GAMMA are looking to continue the great critical and commercial success of their previous events.

 

 

The main event is between the Brazilian Manuel Silva (18-0) and the Fukusaburu Hirano (16-1-1) who is from Tokyo, Japan and is for the GAMMA Welterweight Championship. The undefeated Silva is a clear favourite in this fight and he will be looking to dominate Hirano with his world class striking and grappling skills. Hirano also has a great all round game and will be looking to neutralise the Brazilian’s effectiveness. Look for Silva to go for the immediate take down as he will want to finish this one early.

 

The co-main event is between Christopher Sharp (40-13) and Terron Cabal (14-2). The American wrestler will be looking to continue his win streak with a decisive victory over the vicious Turkish boxer. Cabal is on a two fight losing streak and a victory over Sharp will do wonders for his momentum. Expect Sharp to try and take this one to the ground early on as there is no way he can take on Cabal in the striking game. At the same time, look out for Cabal trying to end this one with his two biggest weapons: his hands.

 

Adam White (13-2) is looking to continue his win streak, which currently stands at 6 fights, with a victory over fellow middleweight, the Brazilian Thais Antonio Taffarel (23-3). White will be looking to counter the world class Muay Thai striking ability of the Brazilian and will be hoping to get him on the ground as early as possible. A victory here for either man could see them pushed ever closer towards that elusive title shot.

 

In the lightweight division Brandon Sugar will be looking to get back to winning ways following a loss to Bud Brockett at GAMMA 63 in December. His Japanese opponent Motoki Hojo is also coming off a defeat. Sugar will be looking get his opponent on the ground and submit him while Hojo, a pure striker, will look to finish the American with one of his trademark punching flurries.

 

In what is surely to be an exciting Featherweight bout, the Brazilian Rafel Tavares takes on the Japanese Wing Chun master Motoki Hoki. Expect a fast paced fight full of lots of stand up action. Tavares will try to wear out Hoki with those devastating inside leg kicks and then try and get him to the ground but at the same time he should be wary of Hoki’s unorthodox but innovative striking ability.

 

In the Light Heavyweight divison kickboxer Anthony Le Toussier will square off against Sambo master Lawrence Herringbone. The Canadian is coming off a victory whereas the American will be looking to get some momentum back after losing his last fight. With such a big contrast in fighting styles, it is hard to predict this one. Le Toussier will look to go for a knockout from the offset using his world class kickboxing skills while Herringbone will try to get his opponent on the ground and bring into play his great ground and pound skills.

 

The preliminary card sees some up and coming stars in action including The British welterweight David Webb who is making his GAMMA debut against the heavily touted Jayden Karp, and is one of the most promising fighters ever to emerge from England. Caca de Andrade will be looking to add to his impressive record against Guillherme de Baros in the lightweight divison and Russian middleweight Fjodor Kanchelskis will be looking to break his losing streak againt the Brazilian Vagner who is also on a losing streak of his own.

 

 

 

Quick Picks

 

Main Card

GAMMA Welterweight Championship

Manuel Silva (18-0) © vs Fukusaburu Hirano (16-1-1)

Heavyweight Bout: Christopher Sharp (40-13) vs Terron Cabal (14-2)

Middleweight Bout: Adam White (13-2) vs Thais Antonio Taffarel (23-3)

Lightweight Bout: Brandon Sugar (29-7) vs Motoki Hojo (21-6)

Featherweight Bout: Rafael Tavares (17-3) vs Jason Dalglish (20-7)

L. Heavyweight Bout: Anthony Le Toussier (16-3) vs Lawrence Herringbone (17-3)

 

Preliminary Card

Welterweight Bout: David Webb (19-4) vs Jayden Karp (6-2)

Heavyweight Bout: Souleymane Ya Konan (8-2) vs Sylvester Collins (7-2)

Middleweight Bout: Fjodor Kanchelskis (14-3) vs Vagner (14-9)

Lightweight Bout: Caca de Andrade (21-6) vs Guilherme de Barros (6-2)

Featherweight Bout: Reza Afshar (9-1) vs Freddy Lomax (5-3)

Light Heavyweight Bout: Naozane Yamaguchiya (8-2) vs Sharaku Kon (6-2)

[RockRobster]

Good read, except for one part that threw me off. You wrote that Marty Sullivan is a red belt in BJJ, which is damn near impossible unless he's well into his later years. It takes a VERY long time to pick up the red belt I'm BJJ. But, if that's my only complaint, then I girders I can suspend my disbelief for the diary. I mean, it's a game, right?

[kaneso14]

Thanks for pointing that out, what belt should I change it to? Let's say he was been practicing BJJ for around 20 years and performs at a top level. Brown? Black? I don't want anything to be too unrealistic.

[kaneso14]

GAMMA 69: Silva vs Hirano

 

Saturday 21st April 2001

 

Stapes Centre, Los Angles, California

 

Attendance: 15,972

 

Critical rating: Fantastic

 

Commercial rating: Good

 

 

Preliminary Card

 

Light Heavyweight bout: Naozane ‘Big Baby’ Yamguchiya defeated Sharaku Kon by split decision. (Poor)

 

Featherweight bout: Freddy ‘The Axe’ Lomax defeated Reza Afshar by submission (guillotine choke) in 3.27 of the 3rd round. (Decent)

 

Lightweight bout: Caca ‘Ninja’ De Andrade defeated Guilherme ‘Zoom’ de Barros by unanimous decision. (Decent)

 

Middleweight bout: ‘The Russian Nightmare’ Fjodor Kanchelskis defeated Vagner by submission (armbar) in 2.22 of the 1st round. (Great)

 

Heavyweight bout: ‘The Big Show’ Sylvester Collins defeated ‘The African Dream’ Souleymane Ya Konan by TKO (strikes) in 4.08 of the 3rd round. (Decent)

 

Welterweight bout: David ‘Spider Man’ Webb defeated Jayden Karp by submission (arm triangle) in 3.31 of the 1st round. (Good)

 

 

Main Card

 

Light Heavyweight bout: Anthony ‘Live Wire’ Le Toussier defeated Lawrence ‘The Law’ Herringbone by knock out (kick) in 0.39 of the 1st round. (Good)

 

Featherweight bout: Rafael ‘Slick’ Tavares’ defeated ‘The Miniature Killer’ Jason Dalglish by unanimous decision. (Decent)

 

Lightweight bout: Brandon ‘Sugar Rush’ Sugar defeated ‘The Wing Chun Superstar’ Motoki Hojo by submission (guillotine choke) in 3.23 of the 1st round. (Great)

 

Middleweight bout: Adam ‘Hollywood’ White defeated Thasis Antonio Taffarell by TKO (strikes) in 4.43 of the 1st round. (Decent)

 

Heavyweight bout: ‘The Baddest Man in MMA’ Terron Cabal defeated Christopher ‘The Knife’ Sharp by TKO (strikes) in 0.25 of the 2nd round. (Fantastic)

 

Welterweight bout for the GAMMA Welterweight Championship: Fukusaburu Hirano defeated Manuel ‘The Prodigy’ Silva by TKO (strikes) in 1.01 of the 5th round to become the new GAMMA Welterweight Champion. (Great)

 

 

An in depth review of the night will be posted ASAP!

[kaneso14]

GAMMA 69: A review by Kaneso14 of Blurcat.com

 

GAMMA were in California for the first time in over a year and gave the fans a treat with a tremendous night of fighting! Over 15,000 packed into the Staples Centre and they witnessed twelve fights in total, including six bouts that featured on the main pay per view. Overall, I would say it was yet another strong card put out there by GAMMA and it most certainly lived up to the huge hype given to it and the expectations of the fans. We got to see a great mixture of veterans, crowd favourites, young stars and up and coming fighters who are looking to become the future of this great Franchise.

 

The preliminary card featured a mixture of young fighters and older guys who are less well known in the world of MMA. It was not a bad undercard by any means though it is probably the weakest GAMMA has featured this year. There were no surprises in the majority of the fights as the pre fight favourites all picked up a victory, with the exception of Reza Afshar (9-2) who was submitted by young Freddy Lomax (6-3). It was rumoured that Lomax was to be cut if he picked up his fourth loss in a row but he has made his case for at least one more fight in the company in order to prove himself. David Webb (20-4) picked up another victory and I feel he has done more than enough to be given a chance to showcase his talents on the main card at a future event.

 

The main card of the night featured 6 fights and featured each weight division in the company. The first fight was in the light heavyweight divison and saw Anthony Le Toussier (17-3) pick up knockout of the night honours with a devastating kick to the head of Lawrence Herringbone (17-4) after just twenty-four seconds. The kickboxer landed it from nowhere and Herringbone went down like a ton of bricks. Le Toussier knew what he had done and didn’t even follow his opponent to the ground, instead choosing to begin his celebrations! This victory was the Canadian’s second in a row.

 

In the featherweight divison Rafael Tavares (18-3) picked up a unanimous decision victory over Englishman Jason Dalglish (20-8). It was a decent fight, with small bursts of action here and there. Tavares unsuccessfully tried to wear his opponent out with inside leg kicks from the offset but this proved ineffective. The Brazillian did however manage to land a couple of good combos on his opponent and took him down three times. Dalglish, for his part, never really looked dangerous and spent half the fight on his back trying to pass guard. A deserved victory for Tavares, his fourth in a row, and he is certainly looking like someone who deserves a title shot if he keeps this up.

 

Lightweight superstar Brandon Sugar (30-7) got back to his winning ways after submitting Motoki Hoko (21-7) with a guillotine choke in the first round. Sugar showed exactly the type of fighter he is by taking down his opponent after only a few seconds and locking in the guillotine at the 3 minute mark. It was a perfect hold and Hoko, with nowhere to go or nothing he could do, had to tap out. This fight was Hoko’s second loss in a row.

 

Up and coming middleweight star Adam White (14-2) extended his win streak to seven fights and looked very impressive doing so with a TKO victory over Thasis Antonio Taffarell (23-4). This first four minutes weren’t the most exciting, with both men spending most of the time trying to feel out each other’s weaknesses. White had 3 takedowns stuffed by the Brazilian. However, on his fourth attempt at the four minute mark, he was successful. White immediately went into ground and pound mode and overwhelmed Taffarell with vicious punches and hammer fists and the referee had no choice but to stop the bout. With his seventh victory in a row White is going from strength to strength and will no doubt be taking on a top quality opponent in his next fight.

 

The co main event earned fight of the night honours and saw Terron Cabal (15-2) pick up a TKO victory over Christopher Sharp (40-14). The first round was an exciting back and fourth contest with Sharp not afraid to take on his opponent in the standing game. Both fighters took each other down once but no one managed to get the upper hand. It was definitely a hard round to call. The second round looked to be much of the same but suddenly, at around the 15 second mark, a left hook from the Frenchman knocked Sharp to the ground. Kabal immediately pounced and finished off his dazed opponent with a flurry of punches. With this win, Kabal has managed to break his losing streak and will be looking to re-establish himself as a dominant force in the divison.

 

In the headline bout Fukusaburu Hirano (17-1-1) shocked most fans when he defeated the heavily fancied and previously undefeated Manuel Silva (18-1) for the GAMMA Welterweight Championship. Although not demonstrating the killer instinct he was renowned for, Silva dominated his opponent during the first four rounds. He executed five successful take downs and knocked Hirano down in the third with a hard right. The Japanese fighter showed great resilience however and managed to hang in there, fighting off a number of submission attempts from the Brazilian. In the fifth round Hirano caught Silva unaware with a perfectly executed single leg take down. He then proceeded to overwhelm his opponent with a barrage of punches to head and at the one minute mark the fight was stopped by referee Jens Faber. Hirano captured the GAMMA Welterweight Championship and extended his win streak to three fights. Silva picked up the first loss of his career and will be looking to immediately bounce back but whether he will be granted an immediate rematch is unclear.

 

Overall this card lived up to expectations and we were treated to a great night of fights. Silva’s first defeat shocked everyone, especially because he looked so dominant and it will be interesting to see if he can bounce back because the Brazilian has the potential to be the face of GAMMA for years to come. I was very impressed by Adam White who is really starting to look like a legitimate contender at 185 and also by Englishman David Webb who really deserves a place on the main card of a future show. It was also great to see fan favourite Brandon Sugar get a win and I hope he can maintain some sort of consistency and get back into the title scene.

[RockRobster]

20 years is ample enough time to have a black belt. Brown works too.

[kaneso14]

Blurcat.com presents GAMMA Weekly (22nd April – 28th April 2001)

 

Sugar Injured

GAMMA lightweight star Brandon Sugar has purportedly picked up a back injury during his win against Motoki Hoko. He is said to have suffered a slipped disc and has already begun treatment. As a precaution GAMMA doctors are giving him a mandatory two month medical suspension but it is said that Sugar could be out for as long as six months. We at Blurcat would like to wish him a speedy recovery.

 

Vagner Cut From GAMMA Roster

GAMMA have announced that the contract of Brazilian middleweight fighter Vagner has been terminated with immediate effect. The Muay Thai specialist had lost his last four fights in a row. He was unavailable for comment.

 

Who is in Danger of Being Cut?

In the aftermath of GAMMA 69 GM Conor Kane has issued a warning to a number of fighters on losing streaks. That is, if they lose their next fight they will be cut from the GAMMA roster. These fighters are Jason Dalglish (20-8), Lawrence Herringbone (17-4), Sharaku Kon (6-3) and Guillherme De Baros (6-3). All four fighters are on three fight losing streaks.

 

 

Li-Kong Ho Interview

As promised, we are able to post up a transcript of Li-King Ho’s recent interview in Sports Illustrated.

 

In this months Sports Illustrated we have an exclusive interview with the man regarded as the best pound for pound mixed martial arts fighter in the world. Today, “The Little Dragon” Li-Kong Ho gives us his first ever interview. The GAMMA Featherweight Champion hails from Indonesia, was raised in a Buddhist family and speaks fluent English as his second language. He currently holds a 26-0 record in MMA and has defended his GAMMA title five times. He is well known for his grappling skills and his expert knowledge of submissions, having won twenty one of his fights by submission. The twenty six year old currently resides in Orange County, California with his wife and young son.

SI: Li-Long Ho, we here at SI are very grateful that you have granted us this opportunity for an exclusive interview. You are arguably one of the most popular fighters who are competing for GAMMA, the biggest Mixed Martial Arts organisations in the world, and we are delighted to be able to offer our readers an insight into the life of one of their sporting heroes.

 

LKH: You are very welcome. I am glad that I am able to give my first ever interview in such popular publication as yours. I feel it is time the fans got to know some things about me.

SI: You are a notoriously private individual. Save for a few words after each fight you are known for shying away from the media. Why is this?

 

LKH: I am naturally a very shy person when it comes to talking in public and dealing with the media. I grew up in a quiet village in the south of Indonesia. I was eighteen years old before I had even been in a big city and I am just not used to being around large groups of people. I love my fans however, and I do not wish to come across as arrogant or aloof, I am just a very shy man.

 

SI: As a child you studied martial arts in your home village. What did you learn while you were growing up and how did you develop as a fighter.

 

LKH: I started practising martial arts from a very early age. I started judo when I was around five years old and as I grew older I also began to study Brazilian Ju Jitsu. In school I was on the freestyle wrestling team. I grew up in small village but there were many learned teachers of these arts. When I was a teenager I began to travel to other small villages and towns to take part in Ju Jitsu and wrestling competitions. This is when I realised that I had a tremendous competitive spirit and that I wanted to become a professional. At this time I did not know what mixed martial arts was. I wanted to wrestle for the Indonesian national team.

 

SI: How did you find out about professional mixed martial arts?

 

LKH: When I was eighteen years old I travelled to Jakarta for a national wrestling tournament. I was defeated in the semi finals but apparently I had really impressed a local promoter. After my match he asked to talk to me. We went for dinner and that is when he explained to me the whole notion of MMA, about the local promotions in Jakarta and how there was money to be made. He asked me to come along to a tournament that was taking place that next week in the city. He also gave the name of a local gym that fighters were training at. He said I was a world class grappler but I needed to work on my striking.

 

SI: This is when you moved to the big city, the Indonesian capital Jakarta, how was that?

 

LKH: It was shocking at first, like I said, I was a village boy who had seldom been away from home. It took me a while to adjust but thankfully I found somewhere to live and got a part time job in a restaurant which earned me enough money to live on. The rest of my free time I devoted to improving as a fighter. I trained at the Cobra Fighting Gym every day, working on all aspects of my game, but especially my striking skills. Growing up I had not practised any striking sports and it was quite a learning curve, but I slowly started to improve. I spent the next two years working and training at the gym, working with lots of great fighters and teachers. I was offered many times to have my first fight but I knew I wanted to wait until I was sure I was ready.

 

SI: What was your first fight?

 

LKH: I had my first fight at the age of twenty, in Jakarta in March of 1995. It was at an MMA event promoted by the largest company in Indonesia at the time, Indo Cage Wars. I was extremely nervous as it was my debut and my opponent was a twenty fight veteran. It took place in a renovated church hall in front of around 500 people. I submitted my opponent in about two minutes with a rear naked choke. That’s when I knew I wanted to do this as a career and that I was good enough to do so.

 

SI: What happened after that? How long was it before you were recognised by KDM-FC , the now bankrupt promotion in Thailand?

 

LKH: Between March 1995 and September 1996 I had fifteen fights at local shows in Jakarta, one per month on average. That September, after one of my fights, I was approached by scouts who told me they were from a fighting promotion in Bangkok and they wanted to sign me. They told me this would mean more money and international exposure as they had a TV deal and broadcast their fights throughout eastern and southern Asia. They said I could prove myself against the best fighters in the world. I thought about it for a few days and then signed a five fight deal, I knew I wanted to move up in this game and show the world that I could be the best. By October of that year I was living in Bangkok and preparing for my first fight with KDM-FC.

 

SI: You had five fights with the company, including a memorable five round bout against Tomohiro Takeuchi who you submitted with a guillotine choke for the Featherweight Championship. How was your time there?

 

LKH: I loved every day I was with KDM-FC. They were trying to expand to compete with Alpha-1 but it was clear there were many internal problems. Money issues, talent being poached by Alpha-1 and GAMMA and even allegations of corruption., Bangkok is a very shady city. I was approached by GAMMA in 1998 and the board at KDM told me to go for it. They let me know that this promotion was on its last legs financially and they didn’t want to hold me back. My contract was due to expire anyway and I had my final fight, a rematch against Takeuchi, and then moved to America to fight for GAMMA.

 

SI: Still relatively unknown outside of Asia, many were shocked when you were immediately given a title shot for the vacant, newly created GAMMA Featherweight Championship. Did you feel any pressure?

 

LKH: Of course I did. I had just arrived in a new country with a vastly different lifestyle and customs than what I was used to. Thankfully I could speak English and actually had relatives living in Southern California who let me stay with them and helped me settle. I was told from the offset by Conor Kane that he thought I was the best pound for pound fighter in the world and wanted me in the Championship fight in the fledgling GAMMA featherweight division. There was a lot of pressure but I dealt with it. I just continued my training and prepared for the fight as normal.

 

SI: In that fight you defeated Maeno by unanimous decision, one of the very few times you have never finished a fight. Since then you have defended the belt five times and people are saying that you are unbeatable in this division. Do you consider yourself unbeatable?

 

LKH: No one is unbeatable, in my opinion. However, I think I have proved myself to be the best featherweight in the world. I am not arrogant, I just feel that I have so far proved myself. There may be someone out there, an up and coming fighter, who is better than me.

 

SI: Lastly, where do you see yourself in five years time? What are your future plans?

 

LKH:I am only 26. I want to continue to be a mixed martial artist while I am still at the top of my game. That could be for another five, ten or even fifteen years, I do not know. I am undefeated and I would love to finish my career that way. I want to earn enough money to provide a comfortable future for me and my family. My wife just gave birth to a son (SI: Congratulations), thank you, and I want to give him a good upbringing in this great country. After I retire I would like to open up my own gym. Martial arts are in my blood, they are such a big part of my life and I feel I will always be involved in some way.

 

SI: Thank you for time, we wish you the best of luck in the future.

 

LKH: Thank you.

 

Li-Kong Ho will be defending his GAMMA Featherweight Championship in Miami against Schuler Eigenberg at GAMMA 70: Ho vs Eigenberg on Saturday 12th May. The event is live on pay per view.

[kaneso14]

Blurcat.com presents GAMMA Weekly (29th April – 5th May 2001)

 

Top 10 Pound for Pound Fighters as of 1st May 2001

1. Li-Kong Ho: 26-0 (FW, GAMMA)

2. Hassan Fezzik: 33-0 (HW, GAMMA)

3. Zvonimir Asanovic: 33-2 (LHW, SIGMA)

4. Sean Morrison: 36-3 (LW, GAMMA)

5. Tadamasa Yamada: 26-1 (LHW, ALPHA-1)

6. Ikku Funaki: 21-4 (WW, ALPHA-1)

7. Buddy Garner: 20-1 (MW, ALPHA-1)

8. Murilo Satinho: 14-0 (HW, GAMMA)

9. Carlos Dos Santos: 18-3 (LHW, GAMMA)

10. Fukusaburu Hirano: 17-1-1 (WW, GAMMA)

 

 

Morrison’s Opponent For Last Fight Confirmed

Conor Kane has announced that Sean Morrison’s last opponent as a GAMMA fighter, and number one contender to the Lightweight Championship is ‘The Ice Cold Swede’ Lukas Mellberg (19-3). The Swedish Ju Jitsu expert was signed from SIGMA in March of this year and is a former SIGMA Lightweight Champion. The fight will take place at GAMMA 73 in July.

 

Re-signings

GAMMA are pleased to announce that they have agreed contract extensions with the following fighters. Adam White (14-2), Brandon Sugar (30-7), Julio Reguiero (24-5), Naozane Yamaguchiya (9-2), Sylvester Collins (8-2), Fjodor Kanchelskis (15-3) and. Anthony Le Toussier (17-3) all signed three fight extensions. Guilherme De Barros (6-3) and Freddy Lomax (6-3) both signed a two fight extension.

 

 

Blurcat.com presents GAMMA Weekly (6th May – 12th May 2001)

 

GAMMA Announce Lightweight Tournament

GAMMA General Manager Conor Kane has announced that should Sean Morrison retain the GAMMA Lightweight Championship in July, a new champion will be decided with a four man tournament that will take place in Japan later on in the year. Should Mellberg be victorious, the tournament will decide the number 1 contender to the championship. This will be the second time the company has visited Japan, the last time being in April of 1999. GAMMA have said that further information, including competitors and a date, will be released in the coming weeks.

 

GAMMA Ultimate Fight Night 5 Headliner Announced

GAMMA have announced the headlining fights for the fifth instalment of their flagship MMA television show, Ultimate Fight Night. The main event will see Junior Patinkin take on John Rivero in the light heavyweight division and the co main event will see heavyweight stars Murilo Satinho and Carter Potter face off against each other. The show will air on Direct TV in the USA and various other channels across the world on Saturday 14th July 2001.

[kaneso14]

Upcoming Cards

 

GAMMA 70: Hughes vs Foster

 

Saturday 12th May 2001

 

American Airlines Arena, Miami, Florida

 

Main Card

Heavyweight Bout: Raul Hughes (19-4) vs James Foster (36-7-1)

 

GAMMA Featherweight Championship

Li-Kong Ho © (26-0) vs Shuler Eigenberg (13-2)

 

Lightweight Bout: Bud Brockett (14-1) vs H.M. Menzell (17-5)

Middleweight Bout: Kadonomoro Deguchi (7-0) vs Heath Kaladaris (6-2)

Light Heavyweight Bout: Nickolai Mickiewicz (23-5) vs Toby Sorkin (10-1)

Welterweight Bout: Tyler Lass (9-3) vs Rufus Stephens (20-4)

 

Preliminary Card

Heavyweight Bout: Fritz Phipps (8-2) vs Kurt McDonald (6-1)

Featherweight Bout: Ivano Ancic (6-1) vs Yoshiro Makamori (15-2)

Lightweight Bout: Goncalves Cassaro (7-1) vs Rogelio Quesada (7-1)

Welterweight Bout: Domingo de Vivanco (11-1) vs Iain Fussell (9-2)

Middleweight Bout: Dwayne Alleyne (7-2) vs Todd D’Abruzzo (11-3)

Welterweight Bout: Evan Gardner (8-1) vs Tristao Bosi (5-2)

 

 

GAMMA 71: Dos Santos vs Taneyev

 

Saturday 2nd June 2001

 

Meadowlands Arena, East Rutherford, New Jersey

 

Main Card

 

GAMMA Light Heavyweight Championship (Vacant)

Carlos Dos Santos (18-3) vs Valentin Taneyev (10-0)

 

Featherweight Bout to Determine the No1 Contender

Phillip Ziskie (21-2-1) vs Kenji Akita (15-3)

 

Middleweight Bout: Patrick Thomas (20-6) vs Thomas Smith (16-4)

Welterweight Bout: Alan Kendall (15-7) vs Bobby Brubaker (14-7)

Lightweight Bout: Sukarno (29-2) vs Henry Baldwin (10-5)

 

Preliminary Card

Welterweight Bout: Gideon Navarro (5-1) vs Rich Robinson (8-1)

Heavyweight Bout: Mugur Boc (10-1) vs Lefter Oktay (15-4)

Light Heavyweight Bout: Markku Mikkola (6-0) vs Crow Leddy (4-5)

Featherweight Bout: David James Diggle (6-1) vs Lito Alcala (7-1)

Middleweight Bout: Stephan De Winter (7-1) vs Tetsuji Myojin (8-1)

Lightweight Bout: Jake Kane (26-5) vs Josuke Hino (7-1)

 

 

GAMMA 72: Dean vs Strange

 

Saturday 28th June 2001

 

Gund Arena, Cleveland, Ohio

 

Main Card

 

GAMMA Middleweight Championship (Vacant)

Matthew Dean (37-7) vs Stuart Strange (26-3)

 

Light Heavyweight Bout: Sho Kitabatake (19-1) vs Marlon John (17-2)

Welterweight Bout: Eiji Masuko (7-0) vs Jack Humphreys (26-8)

Heavyweight Bout: Aleksander Ivanov (11-1) vs Rav Kapur (10-1)

Lightweight Bout: Darren Southall (8-3) vs Luke Hilton (10-5)

Featherweight Bout: Foggy Lee (12-2) vs Sophan Sastrowardoya (8-2)

 

Preliminary Card

Middleweight Bout: Mily Golovanov (8-1) vs Saemon Endo (5-2)

Light Heavyweight Bout: William Harrison (7-3) vs Rafael van Der Moot (11-3)

Welterweight Bout: Duncan Thistlewood (10-2) vs Datuk Ong Ka Ting (8-4)

Heavyweight Bout: Roope Kuqi (5-0) vs Ari Peltonen (28-10)

Lightweight Bout: Jefferson Mndawe (4-2) vs Matheus Almeida (3-0)

Featherweight Bout: Jan Ilic (7-0) vs Ryan Landingham (4-4)

Welterweight Bout: Sonny Anderson (9-0) vs Mattheus Ulibarri (8-1)

Heavyweight Bout: Sly Twinge (8-2) vs Giovanni de Matos (7-1)

 

 

GAMMA Fight Night 5: Rivero vs Patinkin

 

Saturday 14th July 2001

 

Reunion Arena, Dallas, Texas

 

Main Card

Light Heavyweight Bout: John Rivero (18-4) vs Junior Patinkin (18-6)

Heavyweight Bout: Murilo Satinho (14-0) vs Carter Potter (21-5)

Welterweight Bout: Charles Stiles (18-3) vs Kiyotaka Aihira (17-13)

Lightweight Bout: George Astaire (14-6) vs Coltrane Aaronson (10-3)

 

Preliminary Card

Middleweight Bout: Isaiah Monroe (6-0) vs Braulio Moura (20-7-1)

Featherweight Bout: Nuno Valentino (7-1) vs Lucky Lyman (4-4)

Light Heavyweight Bout: Brayden Behrami (6-1) vs Jericho Stewart (6-1)