BLURCAT.COM PRESENTS: The Growth of Mixed Martial Arts

[SeanMcFly]

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2001 Poised to be the Biggest Year in the History of MMA

 

Kevin Robinson; January 7th, 2001

 

Although the millennium year has come and gone, and many of the early incarnations of what we view as a mixed martial artist have passed on the torch, 2001 will indeed be an even better year for the young sport.

 

With fighters learning more and more as the years go by, the best fighters on the planet are constantly adapting and expanding their respective arsenals. Eight major mixed martial arts promotions provide almost every continent with their own taste of the world's fastest growing sport.

 

This year has quickly begun to take shape in the way that it has for two reasons; companies are expanding, and shows are being booked. Almost every major company (barring the WEFF due to a very limited pool of female competitors to choose from) going on a major signing spree of nearly twenty-five fighters each. Many of the fighters are currently involved in bidding wars between some of the biggest companies. As the sport grows there is a growing demand for more fights on every card, and cards to be held more frequently. As such, companies have already started to line up cards to start the year off with a bang.

 

Matt Tripp, co-owner and CEO of GAMMA was the first to pull the trigger. The first show of the year will be GAMMA 40: Herringbone vs John, and will be headlined by a Light-Heavyweight title clash between GAMMA's #1 & #3 Light-Heavyweights. #1 Lawrence Herringbone © will defend his belt against dangerous wrestler #3 Marlon John. Tripp, while announcing that the card is not complete yet, it is booked for January 31st at the Cox Pavillion in Las Vegas. Other fighters rumored to be on the card are Super-Heavyweight, #4 Frank Paul & Lightweight #4 Bruce Steven. It's very possible that with victories here, these two could find themselves in title contention very soon.

 

Meiji Nishimura of ALPHA-1 also announced their first major card of the year, ALPHA-1: Sukarno vs Ramos, where Interim Lightweight Champion, #2 Sukarno goes head to head with Brazilian knockout artist, #4 Davi Carlos Ramos. This card will be held on February 6th, in Tokyo nonetheless. This announcement has sparked some controversy as many of Sukarno's biggest fans are awaiting the highly anticipated Yamamoto unification bout, but with #1 Go Yamamoto still injured and holding on to the official Lightweight Championship, we are still uncertain as to when it will be held (or if it ever will be). Also announced was a Super-Heavyweight title eliminator between #2 Ali Shivari & #3 Taroemon Abukara, for an opportunity to face off with reigning champion, #1 Palmer Lette ©.

 

BCF's #8 Eddie Whelan & #9 Mark Bicknell will face off in the main event of BCF's February 6th card, but no other matches have been announced just yet.

[SeanMcFly]

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Major Promotions Begin to Roll Out Full Cards

 

Victor Love; January 19th, 2001

 

The companies are starting to announce official cards for their first events of 2001. We here at Blurcat have compiled all of the information from every announcement and have posted the official cards for your viewing & predicting. Our CrackDown hosts will bring you more information about the major match-ups and the implications that these matches carry, but for now, we're keeping it simple.

 

GAMMA 40: Herringbone vs John; January 31st, 2001

 

GAMMA Light-Heavyweight Championship

Lawrence Herringbone (16-1) © vs Marlon John (13-1)

 

Frank Paul (9-0) vs Kel Ryan (5-0)

Truck Gleeson (25-6-0; 1 NC) vs Bruce Steven (19-8)

Gladstone Lopes (15-1-1) vs Tony McCall (33-12)

Jethro Munter (14-8) vs John Rivero (12-5)

 

Kurt McDonald (8-0) vs Tank Manu'a (18-7)

Phil Ball (12-7) vs Callum Henson (22-8)

Nigel Malley (23-15) vs Woody Fierstein (11-5)

Delroy Rhodes (11-0) vs Lloyd McAllister (16-4)

Den Bickersteth (2-0) vs Peter Windsor (1-1)

Dana Delaney (11-3) vs Cooper Richardson (13-5)

 

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BCF: Bicknell vs Whelan; February 6th, 2001

 

Mark Bicknell (10-3) vs Eddie Whelan (14-4)

Ginger Beaumont (7-0) vs Rhys Buck (6-0)

Jerome Atkins (1-0) vs Bret Clement (6-3)

Gerrard Kneeling (6-0) vs Dom Yorke (5-2)

Dennis Gallagher (12-7) vs Augustus Shorrock (7-1)

 

Folee Caffatere (5-4) vs Conor Houghton (7-7)

Ignatius Hepfinger (9-8) vs Jochen Bellof (8-2)

Linton Renn (8-2) vs Terry Bull (5-0)

Basil McCrystle (7-6) vs Kevin Portman (12-8)

Pierce Jeeler (5-5) vs Paul Goodfellow (1-0)

Nigel Collett (4-2) vs Rupert Lennox (7-0)

 

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ALPHA-1: Sukarno vs Ramos; February 6th, 2001

 

ALPHA-1 Interim Lightweight Championship

Sukarno (28-0) © vs Davi Carlos Ramos (36-8)

 

Taroemon Abukara (7-0) vs Ali Shivari (9-0)

Hiro Arai (18-4) vs Khru Duangjan (17-2)

Haranobu Oshiro (19-6) vs Kojuro Kudo (13-3-0; 1 NC)

Efren Luat (7-0) vs Yang Fa Kun (6-1)

 

Ren Akai (7-0) vs Shinji Oiwa (9-7)

Kiyotaka Aihara (18-12) vs Keita Oshima (22-8)

Bakin Sakamoto (23-11) vs Muhammad Hamzah (17-13)

Matsudaira Satoh (8-2) vs Kazuo Aizawa (5-2)

Zenko Hatakeyama (13-8) vs Humberto Falcao (13-10)

Adrian Swall (7-1) vs Sharaku Kon (6-0)

 

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KDM FC 16: Sastrowardoya vs Jakkuprasat; February 13th, 2001

 

KDM FC Bantamweight Championship

Sophan Sastrowardoya (7-0) © vs Pipob Jakkuprasat (11-1)

 

Tossapol Puangchan (3-0) vs Lito Alcala (4-1)

Akemi Satou (5-1) vs Umeka Fujiwara (6-1)

Jinzaburo Iseki (11-8) vs Cong Dun (13-5)

Yoshihide Hori (4-2) vs Hokusai Araki (3-2)

 

Maya Asgar (5-0) vs Tito del Sol (5-1)

Kawin Kayem (6-0) vs Ang Dong (5-0)

Toson Ono (17-11) vs Masato Wai (5-0)

Ahmed Mohamed Farag (5-1) vs Sammi Chan (4-2)

Emi Nagano (6-0) vs Seka Mutsu (4-1)

 

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SIGMA: Toadspew vs Crumb; February 21st, 2001

 

SIGMA Welterweight Championship

Kenneth Toadspew (13-2) © vs Templeton Crumb (21-3)

 

Aleksander Ivanov (9-1) vs Souleymane Ya Konan (11-2)

Hans Christian Bloch (6-0) vs Marco Bernacci (6-2)

Luka Hajek (6-0) vs Thorbjorn Rekdal (9-1)

Benni Peyroux (4-1) vs Bjarne Bjerre (5-3)

 

Emil Karlsson (5-0) vs Alekos Karabatsos (13-6)

Michael Klaughnschue (7-2) vs Daniil Skala (21-7)

Vittorio Pescatelli (5-0) vs Libor Pudil (5-0)

Gerrit Dudok (7-0) vs Ruben Ericsson (11-5-1)

Stian Agdestein (5-0) vs Ern Fathoui (6-0)

Stephan de Winter (7-0) vs Artak Gevor (7-1)

 

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XCC: Claremont vs Bassett; February 27th, 2001

 

XCC Bantamweight Championship

Brian Claremont (9-1) © vs Willy Bassett (18-2)

 

Nicky Shapiro (17-13) vs Henry Baldwin (8-5)

Lamont Banner (5-0) vs Blas Suarez (6-0)

Chris Byng (4-0) vs Jez Worplesdon (6-0)

Rory McEnterry (5-0) vs David James Diggle (8-0)

 

Jamie Hewitt (10-4) vs Ian Linderman (7-4)

Riveron Potter-Pirbright (6-0) vs Ollie Rockmetteller (7-0)

Roy Arnett (5-1) vs Sebastian Fernandez (7-1)

Jimmy Schott (5-2) vs Richie Stiller (4-3) ***

Mitchell Bryan (7-1) vs Bonzo Anstruther (5-0)

Stefan Champion (6-1) vs Webster Fittleworth (7-1)

 

*** - Dule Bayliffe (4-3) injured, replaced by Richie Stiller (4-3)

[cjizzle38]

Looks good man. I plan on doing something similar, like a year in review type thing covering all promotions. Can't wait to see how yours turns out.

[SeanMcFly]

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Trouble In England?

 

Jim Archibald; January 21st, 2001

 

For weeks now, we at Blurcat have been talking about how great of a year it will be for mixed martial arts in 2001. Unfortunately, things don't always go perfectly and BCF's David Webb is a prime example of that.

 

The former BCF Welterweight Champion, Webb (17-5), holds notable victories over Vikram Sithalayan & Robert Darrell. The Brit held the belt for just over a year before losing it to Will Kane, and dropping two in a row for the first time in his career in a rematch with Vikram Sithalayan. A talented grappler and wrestler, Webb performed extremely well under pressure and for awhile, it looked like he would be making his way over to GAMMA for a taste of international fame. Unfortunately, as of today, David Webb will be unable to compete for eighteen months as he has just been jailed for an assault charge.

 

British Cage Fighting CEO Charlie Knight had nothing to say to the media, although the company has released an official response to the matter notifying the public that Webb has been released until further notice, and that they do not condone any criminal activity in any way, shape, or form.

 

We here at Blurcat will try and keep you updated as the situation moves forward.

[SeanMcFly]

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Bayliffe Injured; Stiller In at XCC: Claremont vs Bassett

 

Michael Hughes; January 26th, 2001

 

More bad news this week as Dule Bayliffe (4-3), who was set to make his debut at XCC: Claremont vs Bassett has been forced out of the match due to a knee injury he picked up during a training session.

 

Bayliffe was set to debut against Jimmy Schott (5-2), but that match will have to be put on hold. Instead, Schott will face off with another dangerous Featherweight making his debut..

 

Richie Stiller (4-3), took a phone call and within two hours was on his way out to California to train for at least a couple weeks in the heat in order to adequately prepare for this big opportunity.

 

When we caught up with Richie in Los Angeles earlier this afternoon, he told us that: "I've been training for a long time and I've grinded through the Canadian local scene. I'm glad I'm finally getting the attention I feel I deserve and I'm not going to let this shot get away from me. I feel I'm tougher in every area than Schott, and at the end of the day I think my work will speak for itself. Best wishes to Dule Bayliffe but also a huge thank you, to both you and Josh Bristow for giving me this shot"

 

 

 

GAMMA Announces Another Card

 

Michael Hughes; January 26th, 2001

 

It seems that one just isn't enough for Matt Tripp, as he has just held another press conference to announce another major event for his promotion. #1 Bobby Brubaker ©, the undisputed king of the Welterweight Division, will take on the Brazilian sensation, #4 Gabriel Gallego.

 

GAMMA 41: Brubaker vs Gallego

 

GAMMA Welterweight Championship

Bobby Brubaker (14-3) © vs Gabriel Gallego (19-4)

 

Raul Hughes (16-3) vs Duke Aiona (15-4)

Bill Cumming (29-14) vs Spencer Rubenstein (16-5)

Buddy Garner (14-2) vs Thomas Smith (15-3)

Kendall Tracey (10-2) vs Christian Mountfield (13-6)

 

Fatuma Roy (22-9) vs Lachlan Bowen (11-7)

George Pickering (8-0) vs Joe Snettisham (8-0)

Bud Brockett (9-2) vs Aaron McBroom (11-4)

David Allen (16-4) vs Joe Hinchcliffe (24-13)

Junmal Skinner (9-4) vs Tyler Lass (8-1)

Edward Zahn (11-7) vs Ken Peters (10-2)

[SeanMcFly]

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CRACKDOWN: GAMMA 40

 

Steven Monk & Christopher Wyatt; January 30th, 2001

 

This is a big weekend for GAMMA and as such, it's our job to look over the event and let you know everything you might not have thought of.

 

The show is headlined by a Light-Heavyweight Championship clash between Champion, Lawrence Herringbone & challenger, Marlon John. Marlon John is an extremely dangerous wrestler with some scary stand-up as well. John has also managed to avenge his lone defeat to Anthony LeToussier. Herringbone has not necessarily proven himself to be as scary as Marlon John, but he has proven himself as a tough competitor nonetheless, grinding out victories over some of the toughest the Light-Heavyweight division has to offer en route to his title victory.

 

Frank Paul & Kel Ryan will compete over a spot in the title picture at Super Heavyweight. A division headed by the inaugural Clash of the Titans reality show, Davey Rushton, the Super-Heavyweights are massive men with the power to put each other out with just one punch. What's so important about this match though? Well, maybe next time you see the winner of this one, it just might be for that belt.

 

Bruce Steven & Truck Gleeson have far too much in common. Having both lost to Sean Morrison and having rebounded with an easy victory over Ian Linderman (in the same order, might I add), Gleeson & Steven are in an interesting position. They're undoubtedly top five contenders in the promotion, but because of their losses to Sean Morrison, any run at the title would instantly be countered by a rematch with the man that many feel is still the best in the division. While the winner of this match may not see a title fight immediately as a result, they will establish themselves as one of the top fighters in the division and will certainly reap some form of reward from that alone.

 

Jethro Munter will make his debut against John Rivero, who is on a four-fight losing streak and could very well be cut if he can't put a win together tonight. To top it off, Rivero wasn't even able to make weight for the event and has been forced to forfeit some of his purse as a result. He wasn't the only one to get dinged for missing weight, and at seven pounds overweight he wasn't even the worst, as Phil Ball came in nine pounds overweight for his Welterweight debut against Callum Henson. If Ball can't show that he deserves to be here tomorrow night, either by losing or giving a lackluster performance, it's very possible that he will indeed be one-and-done in GAMMA.

 

Tony McCall is also in a dangerous position, having dropped three in a row prior to his match with Gladstone Lopes, and many feel that if he loses this evening he will also be given his walking papers.

 

The questions for tonight are simple. Can Herringbone stifle Marlon John, and effectively negate his explosiveness, or will the challenger be simply too much to handle for the Sambo practitioner and will we have a new Light-Heavyweight Champion.

 

Will former title threats Tony McCall & John Rivero live to see another day with GAMMA, or will they make way for the next generation and find themselves fighting on the local circuit.

 

How many good first impressions will we get? With many debuting fighters, like Jethro Munter, Phil Ball, Nigel Malley, Den Bickersteth, Delroy Rhodes, & Cooper Richardson, how many will make a lasting impression in their debut. Phil Ball has already blown half of his opportunity by missing weight, but if he can at least put up a decent performance he might be able to buy himself another fight if Matt Tripp is impressed.

[SeanMcFly]

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RUNDOWN: GAMMA 40

 

Matt Edwards & Daniel Tuxford; January 31st, 2001

 

It's the first major MMA show of the year and GAMMA has set the bar high for it's competitors with this card. The main event featured Marlon John challenging Lawrence Herringbone for the Light-Heavyweight Championship, and a Super-Heavyweight title eliminator between Frank Paul & Kel Ryan.

 

Marlon John Embraces the Grind

 

The big fight of the night was the title contest between Marlon John & Lawrence Herringbone. Everyone was excited to see if Herringbone was more than the fighter they saw in his title fight with Spencer Rubenstein, and everyone else was waiting for John to send him packing early with a big right hand. Unfortunately, the outcome of the match was not a jaw-dropping knockout or an impressive performance from the Champion; instead, it was an impressive display of excellent wrestling and control from an exciting competitor. Marlon John outfought the Champion for the vast majority of the fight, using his wrestling to dictate where the fight took place. Unfortunately for Herringbone, he was unable to use the defensive grappling we have come to expect from him, as John was happy to keep the fight on the feet and swing. In the end, it was called 49-46 (x2) & 48-47, but there was no doubt in anyone's mind that Marlon John had indeed done enough to win the Light-Heavyweight Championship.

 

Paul Stakes His Claim for GAMMA Gold

 

Frank Paul is on the front porch and knocking on the door, waiting for Davey Rushton to answer. In an exciting fight that did enough to take home a Fight of the Night bonus, Frank Paul spent the first round controlling Kel Ryan and muscling him up against the cage. After a clear 10-9 round, he decided to turn on the heat. Frank Paul looked to cruise towards another 10-9 round with his smothering control & dirty boxing but Kel Ryan was not going to have any of it. After negating Paul's movement on the cage, Ryan forced the referee to separate the two fighters and it was at that moment that Kel Ryan landed a massive right hand that wobbles Frank Paul. Paul was sent to the mat after another big right hand and Kel Ryan looked to finish the fight. But after getting tied up on the mat, Ryan hopped out of side control and got back on his feet, cruising his way to a 10-9 round. With the fight looking even by the third round, it was anyone's game. Frank Paul wasn't playing around anymore, he moved in for the clinch and dragged Kel Ryan down to the mat. With plenty of time to work, Paul mounts his opponent and rains down with strikes. Ryan, finding it hard to breathe, rolls over and gives up his back, to which Paul responded with a quick rear naked choke to pick up the victory. A great performance from Frank Paul.

 

Steven & Henson Pick Up Bonuses

 

Two five-thousand dollar bonuses up for grabs, everyone was fighting with a clear motive. Two men completely out-classed their opponents en route to winning their respective Knockout & Submission of the Night bonuses. Phil Ball had a lot to prove after coming in at nine pounds overweight in his GAMMA debut, and with a possible contract on the line, he was just not able to get himself going in his match with Callum Henson. Henson put Ball down with a nice right hand in the first round, and from that point on Ball just didn't look like he wanted to be there much longer. Henson puts him down once more in the second with a quick head kick and finishes him to pick up his first Knockout of the Night award. Bruce Steven completely shut-down Truck Gleeson's game plan within the first ten seconds of their main card bout, as he quickly took his opponent to the mat and went to work. Within two minutes, Gleeson was mounted and failing to defend an arm-bar, to which he would later tap out. Bruce Steven's masterful performance doubled his paycheck for the evening, as did Henson's.

 

Rescued From Thin Ice

 

Going into GAMMA 40, two former title contenders in John Rivero & Tony McCall were looking at unemployment had they lost their matches this evening. Fortunately for the two veterans, they were able to save their respective sinking ships and get back into the win column. John Rivero was impressive in a quick first round arm-bar against the debuting Jethro Munter. Tony McCall took part in a very close contest against Gladstone Lopes, to which he narrowly escaped with two 29-28 scorecards in his favor, the other going to his opponent. McCall was visibly relieved after picking up the win, and during his post-fight interview with Garth Ward, he named Rav Kapur as someone he'd like to fight down the line.

 

Full Card Recap

 

Marlon John (14-1) © def. Lawrence Herringbone (16-2) via Unanimous Decision to win the GAMMA Light-Heavyweight Championship

 

Frank Paul (10-0) def. Kel Ryan (5-1) via Submission (Rear Naked Choke) in Round Three @ 2:35. This match won Fight of the Night.

 

Bruce Steven (20-8) def. Truck Gleeson (25-7-0, 1 NC) via Submission (Arm-Bar) in Round One @ 2:55. This match won Submission of the Night

 

Tony McCall (34-12) def. Gladstone Lopes (15-2-1) via Split Decision.

 

John Rivero (13-5) def. Jethro Munter (14-9) via Submission (Arm-Bar) in Round One @ 3:07

 

Kurt McDonald (9-0) def. Tank Manu'a (18-8) via Unanimous Decision. 29-28 (x3), considered an upset as many favored Tank Manu'a going into the match. McDonald's takedown defense was the difference maker as he was able to stuff eleven of Manu'a's twelve attempts.

 

Callum Henson (23-8) def. Phil Ball (12-8) via Knockout (Punch) in Round Two @ 1:38. This match won Knockout of the Night

 

Woody Fierstein (12-5) def. Nigel Malley (23-16) via Knockout (Punch) in Round Three @ 1:17. Fierstein dominated the fight using his superior wrestling and out-striking the one dimensional boxer.

 

Delroy Rhodes (12-0) def. Lloyd McAllister (16-5) via Unanimous Decision. Rhodes out-struck McAllister in significant strikes 63 to 18, and with no ground action at all, this was probably the least eventful fight of the night.

 

Den Bickersteth (3-0) def. Peter Windsor (1-2) via Split Decision. Very exciting fight, 30-27 & 29-28 for Bickersteth, with 29-28 for Windsor on the third card. Close, no ground action at all with the two men striking with each other for the full fifteen minutes. Regardless of Windsor's negative record, he will most likely be invited back to compete again.

 

Cooper Richardson (14-5) def. Dana Delaney (11-4) via Unanimous Decision. Truthfully this is the most shocking moment of the entire night for us, as we had thought that there was no way Richardson could even hold a torch to Dana Delaney. He proved us wrong with three 30-27 scorecards in a dominant performance. Richardson was 100% accurate with his takedowns, completing four of them.

 

GAMMA 40 Post-Fight Press Conference Notes

 

Michael Hughes; January 31st, 2001

 

There were some big announcements to be made after the big night of fights that everyone had just witnessed, so all of the reporters (myself included) scurried over to the ballroom where the stage was set up with the main card fighters and a select few of the undercard fighters were seated.

 

Matt Tripp stood in the center of the fighters at a podium where he directed the flow of the conference. Tripp dropped a few facts about the evening at the very beginning

 

- Total Gate was $477,015 with an attendance of 2,940

- The show made $952,000 off of Pay-Per-View

- Callum Henson, Bruce Steven, Frank Paul & Kel Ryan took home End of Show Bonuses; each man will take home an extra $5000

 

When asked about his victory, Marlon John said that he was "completely relieved that all of my hard work has paid off. It's not just time to stand at the top, it's the time to stand strong. I want to be the best fighter this company has ever seen and I feel like I can do that"

 

When asked about who he thought he'd be facing next, Marlon John stated that "If LeToussier can put some wins together I'd go for the trilogy, otherwise I think Mike Watson or Ricky Heath are next, but it's not up to me"

 

Matt Tripp also announced that contract extensions had been offered to: Dana Delaney, John Rivero, and Cooper Richardson.

 

Matt Tripp also announced that Tank Manu'a will not be offered a contract extension.

 

Matt Tripp also announced that Phil Ball will be released. When asked for a reason, he responded: "You don't show up half an hour late for your big contract signing with us, you show up on time. So why the f*ck would you waste your time and my time by showing up for that meeting if you knew well and good that you weren't going to follow through with your commitment to fight for us. The kid has a lot of growing up to do if he wants to make it in this business and at the point he's at, there's not much more room to grow. Either he gets it or he's gonna' piss a lot of people off and have to find a new career choice"

 

Phil Ball was also the only fighter to suffer an injury directly from the fights, as he blamed a minor hand injury suffered in the first round for "hindering his performance"

 

Lloyd McAllister was handed a one month medical suspension. Kel Ryan, Truck Gleeson and Jethro Munter were handed three month medical suspensions. Phil Ball & Nigel Malley were handed six month medical suspensions.

 

With his win, Marlon John jumps to #1 in the Light-Heavyweight Rankings, whereas Lawrence Herringbone drops to #3. Frank Paul jumped to #3 in the Super-Heavyweight rankings while Kel Ryan fell to #9.

 

Matt Tripp ended the conference by announcing Frank Paul as the next in line for a shot at the Super Heavyweight Championship. He also said that they have already spoken with Rav Kapur's management and that a Kapur-McCall fight will be scheduled for later this year.

[SeanMcFly]

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Gallego Injured; Kendall Steps In

 

Michael Hughes; February 6th, 2001

 

Gabriel Gallego will no longer be involved in the main event of GAMMA 41, as he has picked up a leg injury in training that will keep him out for at least three months. As a result, he has been removed from the main event and replaced last minute by knockout artist Alan Kendall.

 

Kendall is the #8 Welterweight in the company, and #21 in the world. With wins over Peter Bracewell & Yevgeni Sipatov but was submit in his last GAMMA appearance by Julio Regueiro. Kendall has picked up some victories outside of the company and was re-signed earlier in 2000.

 

Kendall has a strong chin and knockout power and many believe that that is an important factor when fighting Bobby Brubaker. Brubaker is an excellent striker and has had field days with ground fighters, so with a talented striker like Kendall, perhaps an upset is more likely than we'd like to think.

 

In announcing Gallego's removal from the main event, we were also made aware of a GAMMA Battle Lines card that will be main evented by Anthony LeToussier & Ricky Heath, but not enough matches have been made official so they will be officially announcing it at a later date.

 

 

 

ALPHA-1 Announces ALPHA-1: Katou vs Asanovic

 

Sean Smith; February 6th, 2001

 

ALPHA-1 is following GAMMA's lead and announcing it's second card for the year before they've even completed their first, and this one should be a barn-burner. The main event will be a Light-Heavyweight Title clash between #1 Jin Katou & #2 Zvonimir Asanovic, and the co-main event will be a lightweight battle between top contenders Fujimaro Hidaka & Heikichi Shimizu. The show is booked for the second week of March, in Osaka.

 

ALPHA-1: Katou vs Asanovic

 

ALPHA-1 Light-Heavyweight Championship

Jin Katou (20-1) © vs Zvonimir Asanovic (31-3)

 

Heikichi Shimizu (6-0) vs Fujimaro Hidaka (8-2)

Fukusaburu Hirano (14-1-1) vs Kafu Bunya (13-1)

Jakuchu Abe (6-0) vs Tadao Miyazaki (10-1)

Washi Shiganori (8-0) vs Naoki Itoh (25-16)

 

Marcelo Oberto (25-16) vs Genki Shinashi (9-3)

Helton Nascimento (19-9) vs Denbe Ekiguchi (9-5)

Erico Gil (20-12) vs Eijiro Yanagita (28-15-2)

Atsutane Akera (6-0) vs Keitaro Makino (7-4)

Chi Ji Guang (3-0) vs Stanley Rine (6-0)

Takakazu Mori (9-5) vs Jungo Futagawa (18-12)

[SeanMcFly]

http://i.imgur.com/Hy3IVyC.png

 

 

 

CRACKDOWN: ALPHA-1: SUKARNO VS RAMOS

 

Steven Monk & Christopher Wyatt; February 6th, 2001

 

It's a two-card weekend as both ALPHA-1 & BCF will be hosting events tonight. First we'll be covering ALPHA-1 and later today we will go over BCF, so let's get started.

 

Sukarno will face off with Davi Carlos Ramos in an attempt to defend his Interim Lightweight Championship for the second time. Ramos, the #4 Lightweight in the company and the #13 in the world, has a daunting task in front of him, as he is facing off with the #3 Lightweight in the world & the #2 Pound for Pound fighter as well. Sukarno has absolutely dominated the division since his debut, and is undefeated at 28-0. Ramos is no slouch in his own right, as he uses his intense stand-up game to pressure opponents into corners where he unleashes an onslaught of elbows and knees. Ramos has a ton of experience and that should be taken into account going into this fight. If Ramos wins, the highly anticipated Yamamoto vs Sukarno match will have to be put off, but it will show the world how talented this man really is.

 

Two very large submission artists will face off with each other in the co-main event, as Ali Shivari (weighing in at 294 lbs) and Taremon Abukara (weighing in at 272 lbs) will go head-to-head. Shivari and Abukara both impressed in their initial appearances with ALPHA-1, picking up very quick submission victories and forcing champion Palmer Lette to take notice. While neither men will be catapulted directly into a title shot due to this match, it's very possible that the winner will find himself in the top five with a victory tonight.

 

Two more Heavyweights will meet in the center of the ring and strike with each other, as world ranked Hiro Arai & Khru Duangjan will face off in an attempt to move up the ladder and make a case for a title shot. Both men have copious experience in mixed martial arts and the two will most likely stand and strike with each other. However, if one man has trained his ground game enough, we could possibly see an attempt to take this match to the mat if the striking game becomes a little too lopsided.

 

Kojuro Kudo & Haranobu Oshiro have similar goals this evening. While Kudo is trying to break into the top five with a victory over a top five opponent, Oshiro is looking to cement his position as just that. If he can put in a good performance against a tough Kojuro Kudo, he will most likely be rewarded by a small bump in the rankings, but I don't think he'll be in any position to challenge for the belt just yet.

 

Efren Luat will be making his ALPHA-1 debut in the Super-Heavyweight division against Yang Fa Kun. Fa Kun had a rought start in the division but has found his groove after a dominant technical knockout victory over Marty Sinnar. He is the #5 fighter in the division and a win here could get him back on track towards a title shot, but if not, he may have just had a hand in creating a new contender in Efren Luat.

 

Many fighters will be making their company debuts this evening, as Muhammad Hamzah & Matsudaira Satoh will be rounding out the preliminaries. Satoh will face off with tough Welterweight Kazuo Aizawa. Muhammad Hamzah will have a significantly harder match, as he will be facing off with former title contender Bakin Sakamoto. Sakamoto is looking to get himself back on track towards the title that has been so elusive for him, whereas Hamzah is looking to make a statement in his company debut.

 

More fighters will also be making their debuts, Zenko Hatakeyama will face off with Humberto Falcao. Adrian Swall will also be facing off with Sharaku Kon. While Hatakeyama and Falcao promises to be an exciting stand-up fight, Swall versus Kon will most likely be a war of attrition on the mat.

[SeanMcFly]

http://i.imgur.com/Hy3IVyC.png

 

 

 

CRACKDOWN: BCF: BICKNELL VS WHELAN

 

Steven Monk & Christopher Wyatt; February 6th, 2001

 

Earlier this evening we covered ALPHA-1: Sukarno vs Ramos, but on the other side of the world, the Brits will go at it in a Heavyweight main event between two very dangerous fighters.

 

BCF's #8 & #9 Heavyweights in Eddie Whelan & Mark Bicknell will face off in a clash that will get the winner back on the right track towards title contention. Bicknell is a tough wrestler (a rare breed in the UK) who has always found himself on the brink of title contention only to lose when he was on the front porch. His last outing saw him halted by Percy Catcher, while Eddie Whelan has found himself in two different title matches only to find himself getting sent back down the ladder to try again. A win in this main event won't propel the winner directly into the title picture again, it will certainly put them in the prime position to capitalize upon in order to get back to that promised land. Or, conversely, a win here could get one of the two noticed by a much larger promotion like GAMMA or ALPHA-1, and they will be on to bigger and possibly, better things.

 

Ginger Beaumont and Rhys Buck will put their undefeated records on the line in the co-main event, as two tough Middleweights will go to war where only one will walk out with their zeros intact. It will definitely be a match where styles do indeed play a large role, as Beaumont will look to utilize his ground and pound before Buck can put the pressure on with his boxing.

 

Jerome Atkins will look to capitalize on his hype, and after his destructive knockout of Scott Gillespie, he will look to do the same with Bret Clement. Clement is no slouch in his own right, but the outlook is not favorable for the New Zealander. We see Atkins coming through with a quick knockout for this one.

 

Dennis Gallagher makes his long awaited promotional debut as he faces off with Augustus Shorrock. Gallagher's exciting brawling style has made waves in England over the past few weeks and when the company announced his signing and this match, the fans lined up for tickets almost immediately. If Gallagher can capitalize on the hype, he may find himself on the fast track to title contention.

 

The main card is rounded out by Dom Yorke and Gerrard Kneeling. Yorke was last seen in a losing effort to Dominick Oppenheimer. Kneeling is primarily a striker, but he does have some decent skill on the ground so he should be able to stuff Yorke's wrestling. Kneeling is undefeated in the organization and throughout his entire career, so a win here could move him towards the top of the card by the end of the year.

 

The prelims are stacked with independent talent as well, as Folee Caffatere looks to make a solid debut against Conor Houghton. Terry Bull looks to stop Linton Renn. Basil McCrystle & Kevin Portman will clash as they look to make a good first impression, and Paul Goodfellow will take on the recently re-signed Pierce Jeeler. Nigel Collett will open the show with Rupert Lennox in what looks to be an exciting stand-up fight.

[SeanMcFly]

http://i.imgur.com/Hy3IVyC.png

 

 

 

RUNDOWN: ALPHA-1: SUKARNO VS RAMOS

 

Matt Edwards & Daniel Tuxford; February 6th, 2001

 

ALPHA-1 put on their first show of the year tonight and we were here for all of it. The Interim Lightweight Championship was on the line as Sukarno looked to defend his throne against Davi Carlos Ramos. Ali Shivari & Taroemon Ubakara.

 

Sukarno Chops His Way to Victory

 

The main event saw Sukarno defend his Interim Lightweight Championship against a worthy challenger in Davi Carlos Ramos. Ramos was exciting throughout the first round as he stood up and swung with Sukarno as the two fought their ways to Fight of the Night honors. Ramos was unable to check Sukarno's lightning fast leg kicks and that was the most telling statistic of all. Sukarno landed fourteen significant leg kicks throughout the first round and as the round went on, and the kicks went unchecked, Ramos would find himself limping around the ring as the second round came about. By the halfway point of the second round, Ramos had no more energy and found himself chopped down by a hard leg kick from Sukarno, which would leave him open to a barrage of strikes until the referee separated the two men. With this victory, it's very possible we see the anticipated Yamamoto / Sukarno match we've all been waiting for.

 

Ali Shivari is Impressive in Victory

 

There wasn't much that went well for Taroemon Abukara tonight. Abukara was completely unable to get off any offense off, as Shivari took him down and smothered him from the start of the match. Shivari looked completely dominant as dragged Abukara around the ring until he was able to put him away with a tight arm-triangle choke. When we first talked about this match we felt that the winner would find themselves around the title picture but would not get the next shot, but with that performance, it's very possible that they decide to just give Ali Shivari the shot.

 

A Good Night of Fights All Around

 

Although many fights went the distance this evening, they were all very competitive bouts that kept everyone on the edge of their seats. Hiro Arai & Khru Duangjan got the crowd going from the start as the two engaged in a war on the feet as they traded shots over and over as the fight went on. Arai used his superior grappling to take Duangjan down and pound on him en route to a convincing unanimous decision. Haranobu Oshiro out-grappled Kojuro Kudo en route to a unanimous decision, but it was an exciting fight that showed off both men's talents on the ground.

 

First Impressions Are Important

 

While most of the fights were very competitive, there were some huge upsets from the start of the card to the finish. Humberto Falcao knocked out Zenko Hatakeyama in the first round and picked up Knockout of the Night honors. He used his crisp boxing to out-strike the experienced Hatakeyama and eventually put him away with a nice one-two combo. Muhammad Hamzah picked up Submission of the Night honors as he upset former title challenger Bakin Sakamoto with a rear naked choke in the first round. Hamzah impressed many with his superior grappling and has certainly made a splash with such a big victory in his debut. Finally, Efren Luat made short work of Yang Fa Kun as he submit him with a nasty Kimura within the confines of the first round.

 

Full Card Recap

 

Sukarno (29-0) © def. Davi Carlos Ramos (36-9) via Technical Knockout (Leg Kick & Strikes) in Round Two @ 3:44 to defend his ALPHA-1 Interim Lightweight Championship. This match won Fight of the Night

 

Ali Shivari (10-0) def. Taroemon Abukara (7-1) via Submission (Arm Triangle) in Round One @ 4:13

 

Hiro Arai (19-4) def. Khru Duangjan (17-3) via Unanimous Decision

 

Haranobu Oshiro (20-6) def. Kojuro Kudo (13-4-0, 1 NC) via Unanimous Decision

 

Efren Luat (8-0) def. Yang Fa Kun (6-2) via Submission (Kimura) in Round One @ 7:44

 

Ren Akai (8-0) def. Shinji Oiwa (9-8) via Technical Knockout (Strikes) in Round Two @ 1:40. Akai used his superior grappling to drag the fight to the mat and toss Oiwa around before pounding him out en route to an impressive victory.

 

Kiyotaka Aihara (19-12) def. Keita Oshima (22-9) via Unanimous Decision. Decent fight, nothing special to it but there were bright spots. Aihara used his wrestling to bring the fight to the mat and smother his opponent.

 

Muhammad Hamzah (18-13) def. Bakin Sakamoto (23-12) via Submission (Rear Naked Choke) in Round One @ 7:01. Muhammad Hamzah won Submission of the Night in a big upset.

 

Matsudaira Satoh (9-2) def. Kazuo Aizawa (5-3) via Unanimous Decision. Satoh used his lay-and-pray techniques to suppress Aizawa's striking game and keep the fight on the mat. While not an impressive performance nor an exciting one, a win is indeed a win.

 

Humberto Falcao (14-10) def. Zenko Hatakeyama (13-9) via Knockout (Punch) in Round One @ 1:20. Humberto Falcao won Knockout of the Night in a big upset.

 

Sharaku Kon (7-0) def. Adrian Swall (7-2) via Technical Knockout (Strikes) in Round One @ 2:30. Swall had very little time to do anything, as Kon had him on the mat within mere moments and had already started to impose his will. Great performance and Kon has made himself look like a talented prospect in a tough division.

 

ALPHA-1: Sukarno vs Ramos Post-Fight Press Conference Notes

 

Sean Smith; February 6th, 2001

 

Some big announcements tonight after ALPHA-1's first show of the year. I've transcribed the press conference and have made a list of notable news.

 

Meiji Nishimura kicked off the conference for everyone:

 

- Total Gate was $811,412 with an attendance of 5,001

- The show made $2,368,000 off of Pay-Per-View

- Sukarno, Davi Carlos Ramos, Muhammad Hamzah & Humberto Falcao took home End of Show Bonuses; each man will take home an extra $5000

 

Keita Oshima announced that as a result of his loss this evening, he'll be leaving his camp, Way of the Crane's Beak. Citing a lack of anything new at the camp, he feels that he'll be much better off in a fresh environment.

 

When asked about who he wanted next, Hiro Arai stated that "Armen Sarkisian makes the most sense for me, I know I'm top five, but I need to prove it. That's the match I want next."

 

When asked about his match, Khru Duangjan stated that: "My striking let me down this evening and Arai was able to take me down whenever he wanted. I feel that if I could've capitalized on my striking, I would've walked away with the victory tonight"

 

Meiji Nishimura announced that Yang Fa Kun, Kazuo Aizawa, Davi Carlos Ramos, Kojuro Kudo, Kiyotaka Aihara & Haranobu Oshiro would all be offered contract extensions.

 

Meiji Nishimura also announced that Go Yamamoto was set to return in four months, and that the next match for Sukarno will indeed be a unification bout with Go Yamamoto.

 

Ali Shivari announced that he was ready to get back in there as soon as possible, and that whenever they had a fight for him, he would be there ready to go.

 

No injuries were suffered at the event and no fighters were issued medical suspensions.

 

Meiji Nishimura announced that the next major event after ALPHA-1: Katou vs Asanovic would be headlined by a Heavyweight Championship match between Terron Cabal & Kunimichi Kikuchi.

[SeanMcFly]

http://i.imgur.com/Hy3IVyC.png

 

 

 

RUNDOWN: BCF: BICKNELL VS WHELAN

 

Matt Edwards & Daniel Tuxford; February 6th, 2001

 

While the ALPHA-1 event was ongoing in Tokyo, London had their own little fire going on when nearly five hundred people swarmed the small venue to watch Mark Bicknell take on Eddie Whelan.

 

Bicknell & Whelan Go All Five

 

Mark Bicknell & Eddie Whelan have been talked about in England for quite some time now, they've been in the title picture, and have fallen out of it. These two men had so much to gain and so much to lose at the same time. One would move back into their comfortable position that they've grown so accustomed to, yet in defeat they would fall much further down the ladder and have to work so much harder just to make up the ground. In the end, Bicknell & Whelan traded punches and kicks, but it was Bicknell's wrestling abilities that would earn him a narrow victory in a very tight split decision.

 

Undercard Fighters Shine in Their Victories

 

Ginger Beaumont & Jerome Atkins were two of the most impressive fighters on the show tonight, and in a night filled with so many exciting fights, these two still managed to steal the show. Ginger Beaumont's ability to drag the fight to the mat and pound his way to victory was too much for Rhys Buck, who was mounted in the second round and stopped. Jerome Atkins, on the other hand, completely outclassed his opponent on the feet, and Bret Clement would go down not once, not twice, but three times before he would finally be sent to the mat for a fourth and final time to stop the match in the third. Dennis Gallagher rounded out the Middleweight action on the main card, and he was impressive in a Submission of the Night earning victory over Augustus Shorrock.

 

Preliminaries Were Just Too Exciting

 

We'll be honest, by the end of the prelims, we were so burnt out that it was difficult to get as hyped up for the main card (barring the main event of course). Four of the six preliminary contests didn't make it to the final bell, and the opening match between Nigel Collett & Rupert Lennox went the distance, but was so exciting it was awarded Fight of the Night honors. Folee Caffatere was also awarded Knockout of the Night honors for his fifty-seven second knockout of Conor Houghton. This was arguably the biggest upset of the night as many felt Caffatere was fed to Houghton in order to get him off of his losing streak.

 

Dom Yorke Has Revenge on his Mind

 

The other main card match was between Dom Yorke & Gerrard Kneeling. While many favored Kneeling in this match-up, Yorke was able to use his superior grappling en route to a rear-naked choke victory over a very game opponent. But the most exciting part of this match was not Yorke's performance itself, but the fire he showed in his post-fight interview in which he called out the last man to hand him a defeat: Dominick Oppenheimer. With the loss occurring three years ago, it's very possible that Yorke's next fight could indeed be with Dominick Oppenheimer.

 

Full Card Recap

 

Mark Bicknell (11-3) def. Eddie Whelan (14-5) via Split Decision

 

Ginger Beaumont (8-0) def. Rhys Buck (6-1) via Technical Knockout (Strikes) in Round Two @ 3:28

 

Jerome Atkins (2-0) def. Bret Clement (6-4) via Knockout (Punch) in Round Three @ 1:58

 

Dom Yorke (6-2) def. Gerrard Kneeling (6-1) via Submission (Rear Naked Choke) in Round One @ 1:53

 

Dennis Gallagher (13-7) def. Augustus Shorrock (7-2) via Submission (Arm Triangle) in Round One @ 3:42. Dennis Gallagher won Submission of the Night.

 

Folee Caffatere (6-4) def. Conor Houghton (7-8) via Knockout (Punch) in Round One @ 0:57. Folee Caffatere won Knockout of the Night.

 

Jochen Bellof (9-2) def. Ignatius Hepfinger (9-9) via Unanimous Decision. Bellof was controlling in his victory and many feel he is ready to step up to the plate on the main card.

 

Linton Renn (9-2) def. Terry Bull (5-1) via Knockout (Punch) in Round Two @ 2:29. Renn completely shut down Bull's wrestling game and kept the fight on the feet. Bull eventually tired by the end of the first round and became ripe for the picking. Renn puts him away with a big uppercut midway through the second.

 

Kevin Portman (13-8) def. Basil McCrystle (7-7) via Knockout (Punch) in Round Three @ 2:19. An exciting fight, McCrystle just got caught and probably would've had a shot at winning the fight had it gone to decision.

 

Paul Goodfellow (1-0) def. Pierce Jeeler (5-6) via Technical Knockout (Strikes) in Round One @ 3:30. Goodfellow was super impressive in his debut, and was extremely accurate with his head kicks. After a fourth kick to the head, Jeeler had nothing left in him and fell to the mat. Goodfellow followed it up with a barrage of strikes from the guard and Jeeler just couldn't recover.

 

Rupert Lennox (8-0) def. Nigel Collett (4-3) via Split Decision. This fight won Fight of the Night honors. Collett and Lennox fired off punches and kicks at each other for fifteen minutes and in the end, Lennox just edged him out.

 

BCF: Bicknell vs Whelan Post-Fight Press Conference Notes

 

James Archibald; February 6th, 2001

 

Charlie Knight took to the stage to announce some of the major news after BCF: Bicknell vs Whelan. All of the fighters were present, but in two waves. The preliminary fighters went for the first twenty minutes, and the main card fighters were given forty to answer questions.

 

Charlie Knight began the conference for everyone:

 

- Total Gate was $39,424 with an attendance of 448

- The show made $280,000 off of Pay-Per-View

- Nigel Collett, Rupert Lennox, Dennis Gallagher & Folee Caffatere took home End of Show Bonuses; each man will take home an extra $500

 

Rupert Lennox, Gerrard Kneeling, Jerome Atkins, Linton Renn, and Mark Bicknell have been offered contract extensions. Bret Clement & Conor Houghton will not be offered extensions.

 

When asked about his quick knockout victory this evening, Folee Caffatere said that: "I'm just doing what I do best"

 

Both Dom Yorke & Rupert Lennox have called out Dominick Oppenheimer for their next fights. Charlie Knight has not specified as to whether either of them will fight Oppenheimer, but that he will be speaking with Oppenheimer's management in order to pick the best fight.

 

Rhys Buck, Gerrard Kneeling, Augustus Shorrock and Pierce Jeeler were handed three month medical suspensions. Bret Clement, Conor Houghton, Terry Bull and Basil McCrystle were handed six month medical suspensions.

 

The rankings were not updated directly following ALPHA-1's event so we will be reporting both companies' major changes now. Ali Shivari jumped to #2 in the Super-Heavyweight division, and the debuting Efren Luat entered the rankings at #3 and finally, Taroemon Abukara fell from #3 to #7. Haranobu Oshiro is sitting pretty at #4.

 

Mark Bicknell traded places with Eddie Whelan, jumping to #8 while Whelan fell to #9. Dennis Gallagher has entered the rankings at #9 in the Middleweight rankings, whereas Ginger Beaumont has jumped from #8 to #6. Rupert Lennox just makes his way into the top ten, coming in at #10 for the Lightweights.

 

BCF have also announced that their next event will be headlined by Mick Curran & George Laurent. A date has not been confirmed yet.

[iverbure]

nice dynasty looks good so far. are you controlling all the companies. are you self imposing any rules. maybe expand on how your going to run the dynasty.

[SeanMcFly]

nice dynasty looks good so far. are you controlling all the companies. are you self imposing any rules. maybe expand on how your going to run the dynasty.

 

I'm running all six companies myself. FLB isn't being mentioned much because my game crashes every time I try to add a seventh player, so unless I can get a seventh in there I won't be able to play as them.

 

My rule is that the "bookers" make a list of the twenty-five fighters on a scout list. Once someone is on the scout list, they must be hired before they can be removed. As soon as a fighter becomes available for hire they are eligible to be scouted, or if their contract comes up. Once a fighter is signed, if it is an exclusive contract and he is no longer available, the "booker" may choose to remove the fighter until they are eligible again.

 

For example, David Webb is a high-demand fighter because he is popular. When he had his issue with jail, he was fired by BCF. Logically, every major company would want to put a bid on him when he is returning, so he became eligible to be on the scout list. However, he will take up a spot on that scout list until he is either hired or exclusive to one company, and will take up space.

 

Contracts are simple, always fully delegate, and click okay with any of the terms. No human interaction with contracts as to avoid favoring any of the companies.

[SeanMcFly]

http://i.imgur.com/Hy3IVyC.png

 

 

 

Sakamoto Switches Things Up

 

Sean Smith; February 7th, 2001

 

Bakin Sakamoto has decided to make a move this week, and after his loss to Muhammad Hamzah, I don't think many can blame him. Sakamoto has not seen much success recently in the ALPHA-1 ring, and as a result, he has decided that the team he's been working with will no longer benefit him. He said he has no clue where he plans to head to next, but he just needed some time away from what he already knew.

 

Another switch for Sakamoto is in weight. He has talked with Meiji Nishimura and the booking team, and they have decided to move Sakamoto down to Lightweight where he feels he will be much more fit and in good condition. We hope to see him in action soon enough so we can see if he was right.

 

 

 

GAMMA Battle Lines 4 Announced

 

Victor Love; February 10th, 2001

 

Well, this show was hinted at a couple weeks back, and it's finally been officially announced. The show will take place in Indianapolis on Wednesday, March 11th, and will be headlined by a Light-Heavyweight bout.

 

GAMMA Battle Lines 4: LeToussier vs Ricky Heath

 

LHW: Anthony 'Live Wire' LeToussier (14-2) vs 'Hollywood' Ricky Heath (16-4)

LHW: 'The Iron Man' Junior Patinkin (16-2) vs 'The Calgary Assassin' Mike Watson (12-1)

MW: 'The Mack Attack' Petey Mack (11-4) vs 'The Amazing' JJ Reid (26-6)

LHW: 'The Modern Day Gladiator' Bryan Van Den Hauwe (19-4) vs Adrian 'The Power' Pascal (6-0)

MW: Tora 'Bull' Mizwar (22-7) vs 'The Human Takedown Machine' Drew Jenks (8-3)

 

HW: Chuck 'The Laughing Man' Dooley (7-0) vs 'The Street Fighter' Leon Banks (32-13)

SHW: Seb Morehead (8-0) vs Irwin 'MurderFist' Middleton (3-1)

LHW: Derek 'Smash Mouth' South (14-5) vs Brody 'Crush Em'' Howles (5-0)

HW: Frank Analysis (38-20) vs Frank 'The Baby Bull' Sheedy (21-11)

SHW: Angus Silversmith (3-0) vs 'The Silverback' Osser Mallaby (2-2)

MW: Alex 'Ace In The Hole' Cole (11-0) vs Gavin 'The Lawman' Marshall (5-0)

 

Rubenstein / Cumming Cancelled; Replacement TBA

 

Michael Hughes; February 12th, 2001

 

Bill Cumming was scheduled to face off with former GAMMA Light-Heavyweight Champion, Spencer Rubenstein. Unfortunately, Cumming has fallen out of the bout citing a major arm injury that could keep him out of action for up to two years.

 

As for the replacement, Tripp and his bookers are on the lookout for a fighter to come in on two weeks notice to face off with their former Light-Heavyweight Champion, and rumor has it that they are willing to pay big money to do so.

[SeanMcFly]

http://i.imgur.com/Hy3IVyC.png

 

 

 

CRACKDOWN: KDM FC: SASTROWARDOYA VS JAKKUPRASAT

 

Steven Monk & Christopher Wyatt; February 13th, 2001

 

Beijing will be holding it's first MMA event of the year when KDM FC will put on a Bantamweight title clash between it's champion, Sophan Sastrowardoya & one of the toughest strikers on the planet, Pipob Jakkuprasat.

 

Sastrowardoya is a submission machine, and there is no doubt about that. With an undefeated 7-0 record, Sastrowardoya was catapulted into the main event scene with KDM FC and eventually the title picture, and he would eventually become the first ever Bantamweight in the promotion's young history. Pipob Jakkuprasat's game plan is more clear than ever, he is going to do his best to keep the fight on the feet and that's all there is to it. Sophan Sastrowardoya is going to do his best to take things to the mat, and truthfully, whoever gets to impose their game plan first will most likely be the one to walk away with the belt.

 

Lito Alcala & Tossapol Puangchan will look to climb the Bantamweight ladder with a victory this evening. Lito Alcala will be a tough task for the Tae Kwon Do expert, as Puangchan has always had a suspect ground game that has yet to be tested. If Alcala can take things to the mat early enough, he might just be able to discourage Puangchan and keep him subdued long enough to get the victory. However, if Alcala cannot take the fight to the mat, then it may go well for Tossapol Puangchan.

 

Yoshihide Hori & Hokusai Araki will fight it out to makes a move up the Lightweight ladder. Both are reckless strikers who will look to make an impact in their first ever main card appearances.

 

Jinzaburo Iseki will make his promotional debut against former title challenger Cong Dun. It should make for an exciting stand-up contest as both are talented strikers with solid chins.

[SeanMcFly]

http://i.imgur.com/Hy3IVyC.png

 

 

 

RUNDOWN: KDM FC: SASTROWARDOYA VS JAKKUPRASAT

 

Matt Edwards & Daniel Tuxford; February 13th, 2001

 

KDM FC are kicking off the year with a Bantamweight title fight between Sophan Sastrowardoya & sensational striker, Pipob Jakkuprasat. We were watching the live streams this morning so we could bring you guys the play-by-play, but now we'll be giving an in-depth review of the show.

 

Sastrowardoya Out-Classes Challenger

 

It might be quite some time before KDM FC can find a challenger well-rounded enough to stop Sophan Sastrowardoya. The fact is, Sastrowardoya is so ahead of the vast majority of the fighters in KDM FC in all aspects. He shines on the mat and can hold his own long enough on the feet to take the fight to where he is comfortable. Jakkuprasat just didn't have the ability to stop the takedown, and in the end, Sastrowardoya made him look amateurish. The executives gave out two Submission of the Night bonuses given a lack of knockouts, and Sophan Sastrowardoya was impressive enough to steal one of them.

 

Tossapol Puangchan Shocks his Critics

 

When this match was first enough, almost every die-hard fan of mixed martial arts knew that this was going to be a styles-make-fights kind of match. The general consensus is that Puangchan would have to keep the fight on the feet in order to pick up the win. Many felt the opposite for Lito Alcala, the sentiment being that if the fight hit the ground, it would signal the end for Tossapol Puangchan; boy were we ever wrong. Yes, Lito Alcala did shoot for the takedown almost instantly. Yes, we all thought it would be a short match, but no, we did not expect Tossapol Puangchan to ensnare Lito Alcala in a fight-ending triangle choke within one minute. In a night full of submissions, Puangchan's upset was awarded the first of two Submission of the Night awards.

 

Satou & Fujiwara Bring the House Down

 

The lone main card female bout was between new signee Akemi Satou and KDM FC veteran Umeka Fujiwara. Fujiwara and Satou may have only fought for one full round, but it was one of the most action packed rounds in recent history, and most definitely the most active round of the year. Satou & Fujiwara swung hard, executed takedowns and went for submissions within the first round, and when Satou picked up the submission victory, the crowd's response was thunderous. Satou and Fujiwara were awarded Fight of the Night honors.

 

Seka Mutsu Calls It Quits

 

After a disappointing performance against Emi Nagano in a lackluster Unanimous Decision loss, Seka Mutsu has decided that mixed martial arts may no longer be for her. With three losses in her last five fights, it's no wonder that she may have become a little frustrated with herself or any number of other factors. We wish her the best on her future endeavors.

 

Full Card Recap

 

Sophan Sastrowardoya (8-0) © def. Pipob Jakkuprasat (11-2) to defend his KDM FC Bantamweight Championship via Submission (Arm-Bar) in Round One @ 2:15. Sophan Sastrowardoya won Submission of the Night honors.

 

Tossapol Puangchan (4-0) def. Lito Alcala (4-2) via Submission (Triangle Choke) in Round One @ 1:00. Tossapol Puangchan won Submission of the Night.

 

Akemi Satou (6-1) def. Umeka Fujiwara (6-2) via Submission (Arm Triangle) in Round Two @ 2:36. This match won Fight of the Night honors.

 

Cong Dun (14-5) def. Jinzaburo Iseki (11-9) via Submission (Arm-Bar) in Round Two @ 1:44. Cong Dun is impressive in victory with a very smooth arm-bar. The only disappointing part of this fight is that it could've been finished in round one, but Dun showed a lack of killer instinct.

 

Yoshihide Hori (5-2) def. Hokusai Araki (3-3) via Unanimous Decision. Hori & Araki fight in a competitive stand-up fight until the third round. Hori turned up the heat in the third round and scored two knockdowns which decided the outcome. Hori outstruck his opponent quite convincingly as well, so he will continue to move up the ladder and face stiffer competition.

 

Tito del Sol (6-1) def. Maya Asgar (5-1) via Unanimous Decision. Asgar was visibly disappointed in his performance as he was outstruck 95-20 by the end of the third round. del Sol was impressive as he used his footwork to trick Asgar into over-committing.

 

Ang Dong (6-0) def. Kawin Kayem (6-1) via Submission (Kimura) in Round One @ 3:08. Kayem was impressive on the feet before the match was brought to the mat. From then on, it was all Ang Dong, as he advanced his position easily before locking in a Kimura.

 

Toson Ono (18-11) def. Masato Wai (5-1) via Submission (Arm-Bar) in Round Three @ 4:26. Shame that Wai's inexperience cost him the fight, as he was dominating up until he got caught on the mat. Kudos to Toson Ono, stayed in the fight and didn't give up.

 

Ahmed Mohamed Farag (6-1) def. Sammi Chan (4-3) via Unanimous Decision. Slow fight, Farag was impressive but showed no killer instinct. Too happy to coast and I'm disappointed Chan didn't fight much harder either.

 

Emi Nagano (7-0) def. Seka Mutsu (4-3) via Unanimous Decision. This fight was the worst of the night and the least impressive technique wise. Seka Mutsu retired after this one, as you already know.

 

KDM FC: Sastrowardoya vs Jakkuprasat Post-Fight Press Conference Notes

 

Sam Stavrakakis; February 13th, 2001

 

Small event, small press conference. Not much was disclosed but here's what I was able to interpret from what was going on and the live English translators.

 

Jiro Komatsu did the opening remarks:

 

- Total Gate was $38,016 with an attendance of 576

- Akemi Satou, Umeka Fujiwara, Sophan Sastrowardoya & Tossapol Puangchan took home End of Show Bonuses; each fighter will take home an extra $250

 

Yoshihide Hori, Tossapol Puangchan, Kawin Kayem, Ang Dong, Tito del Sol, Pipob Jakkuprasat, Hokusai Araki, and Ahmed Mohamed Farag were offered contract extensions. Seka Mutsu's contractual duties were relieved as she is retiring.

 

Tito del Sol was reportedly upset about not being able to finish the fight, as he injured his hand in the second round and couldn't strike at full power. He expects the injury to not last more than a month.

 

Umeka Fujiwara also announced that she'd be leaving Flying Daggers after her loss, as she is no longer happy with the training regimen they are following. She hopes to perform better in her next fight with a new camp.

 

Komatsu announced that the next fight would be headed by a Lightweight title showdown between Atep of Indonesia & Takahiro Nakamura. Ahmed Mohamed Farag was disappointed as he'd hoped to get his hands on Nakamura next.

 

Tito del Sol also had some more words for the press and other KDM FC fighters, calling out Sinthaweechai Miprathang by name, expressing his interest to fight him.

 

Maya Asgar was apparently extremely disappointed in his performance this evening, as he didn't feel he was totally there during the fight.

[SeanMcFly]

http://i.imgur.com/Hy3IVyC.png

 

 

 

CRACKDOWN: SIGMA: TOADSPEW VS CRUMB

 

Steven Monk & Christopher Wyatt; February 20th, 2001

 

Stockholm, Sweden will play host to SIGMA tomorrow night as Welterweight Champion, Kenneth Toadspew, will face off with Templeton Crumb to attempt to defend his title for the second time. The two headliners are both very exciting competitors who often walk away with end of show bonuses. The co-main event will be a massive fight between two huge Heavyweights in Aleksander Ivanov and Souleymane Ya Konan.

 

Kenneth Toadspew is a ground fighter and everyone knows it. Templeton Crumb knows it, and that's the only person that matters right now. But, if it was that simple, Toadspew would not have even come close to holding the title in the first place. The problem is that Toadspew has so many different ways of taking you to the mat that you don't know when it's going to happen; you just know it's going to. Templeton Crumb may be experiencing that kind of anxiety right now. An exciting striker with decent takedown defense, many are hoping that Crumb finds a way to stay on his feet and steal the title from the arrogant Toadspew, but this reporter doesn't think he stands much more of a chance than the last challenger.

 

Aleksander Ivanov missed his shot. Souleymane Ya Konan lost his streak. Things weren't looking good for these two Heavyweights as we pushed forward into 2001. Ivanov hasn't fought since his loss to Lefter Oktay in December, and Souleymane Ya Konan is on a two-fight skid for the first time in his career. Both extremely talented, this match is poised to be a battle between two very desperate men with very dangerous limbs.

 

Hans Christian Bloch & Luka Hajek will look to retain their undefeated records on the main card as they take on Marco Bernacci & Thorbjorn Rekdal, respectively. Bloch is a tough catch wrestler who will look to drag the fight to the mat and nullify Bernacci's kick boxing experience. Thorbjorn Rekdal is a tall task for any man to handle, and although Hajek is quite good on his feet, he may not stand as big a chance against Rekdal as many hope he does.

 

Benni Peyroux makes his debut on the main card against Bjarne Bjerre. Bjerre is most definitely the more talented wrestler of the two, but if Peyroux can keep the match on the feet, then he will have a much better chance of walking away with a victory in his debut.

[SeanMcFly]

http://i.imgur.com/Hy3IVyC.png

 

 

 

RUNDOWN: SIGMA: TOADSPEW VS CRUMB

 

Matt Edwards & Daniel Tuxford; February 21st, 2001

 

In what was a solid night of fights in Stockholm, Sweden, headlined by a SIGMA Welterweight Championship match between champion, Kenneth Toadspew & challenger, Templeton Crumb. We've got a rundown for you tonight and boy, if you didn't watch, you're going to be in for a few surprises.

 

Crumb Narrowly Edges Out Toadspew

 

In what is possibly the most shocking piece of judging of the year so far, many feel that Kenneth Toadspew was robbed of his Welterweight Championship tonight in Stockholm, ourselves included. Crumb was outstruck 146 - 317, and was taken down twice by the former champ. However, he apparently managed to score more of his points in rounds two and three, with the fourth round being the closest. The first and fifth rounds were all Toadspew and cannot be argued whatsoever, but all three rounds in the middle could have possibly gone to Crumb, we don't think they should've, but we see how they could have. One judge scored the bout 50-45 for Kenneth Toadspew, while two other scored it 48-47 for Templeton Crumb, making him the winner by Split Decision. We may see a rematch in the coming months.

 

Ivanov & Ya Konan Tear the Roof Off... For About Two Minutes

 

Aleksander Ivanov and Souleymane Ya Konan engaged in a very exciting round in which Ya Konan was able to connect with a big right hand and Ivanov was able to show off his beautiful ground work en route to a quick Fight of the Night worthy victory. While attempting to follow up his big right hand, Ivanov was able to out muscle his opponent and throw him over his hips, landing on top in perfect position to apply an arm-triangle choke. Ivanov walks away with an extra five hundred to spend, as does Ya Konan, but it is much more bittersweet for him.

 

Bloch & Dudok are Impressive in Victory

 

Hans Christian Bloch walked away from this event with his undefeated record intact. His masterful performance against Marco Bernacci was so quick that he looked like he was ready to go for another three rounds with a brand new opponent. It only took Bloch one minute and five seconds to pick up the victory via Arm-Bar submission and in the process, a Submission of the Night award. Dudok had a much more aesthetically pleasing finish, as he drove a head kick directly into Ruben Ericsson's face which floored him, following it up with a barrage of punches to earn himself Knockout of the Night honors.

 

Rekdal & Bjerre Keep Things Brief

 

Luka Hajek had a tough opponent in front of him tonight as he faced off with former title challenger Thorbjorn Rekdal. Rekdal lived up to his own hype as he completely blasted through Hajek's defenses and put him away with a big right hand before the end of the first round. Bjarne Bjerre welcomed Benni Peyroux to the SIGMA ring and finished him early with a tight Arm-Triangle Choke. Peyroux looked quite tough on his feet but he was eventually brought to the mat by the much more experienced Bjarne Bjerre.

 

Full Card Recap

 

Templeton Crumb (22-3) def. Kenneth Toadspew (13-3) via Split Decision to win the SIGMA Welterweight Championship.

 

Aleksander Ivanov (10-1) def. Souleymane Ya Konan (11-3) via Submission (Arm-Triangle Choke) in Round One @ 2:23. This match won Fight of the Night.

 

Hans Christian Bloch (7-0) def. Marco Bernacci (6-3) via Submission (Arm-Bar) in Round One @ 1:05. Bloch won Submission of the Night honors.

 

Thorbjorn Rekdal (10-1) def. Luka Hajek (6-1) via Knockout (Punch) in Round One @ 4:10.

 

Bjarne Bjerre (6-3) def. Benni Peyroux (4-2) via Submission (Arm-Triangle Choke) in Round One @ 3:31.

 

Alekos Karabatsos (14-6) def. Emil Karlsson (5-1) via Knockout (Punch) in Round One @ 4:06. Karabatsos ability to win this fight came from his smothering ground control as he kept Karlsson pinned to the mat for the majority of the match.

 

Daniil Skala (22-7) def. Michael Klaughnschue (7-3) via Unanimous Decision. While Klaughnschue did out-land Skala in terms of strikes, Skala's strikes had a much more significant impact on the outcome of the match. Skala scores the points as the rounds go on and Klaughnschue starts to run out of gas.

 

Vittorio Pescatelli (6-0) def. Libor Pudil (5-1) via Technical Knockout (Strikes) in Round One @ 2:25. Pescatelli out-strikes Pudil with his significantly faster hands. Pudil ducks low to avoid a left hook and runs into a right uppercut that sends him to the mat. Pescatelli followed it up with some nice ground and pound which led to the stoppage.

 

Gerrit Dudok (8-0) def. Ruben Ericsson (11-6-1) via Knockout (Punch) in Round One @ 1:27. Gerrit Dudok won Knockout of the Night honors.

 

Stian Agdestein (6-0) def. Ern Fathoui (6-1) via Unanimous Decision. Ern Fathoui was just unable to shake Agdestein as he chased him around the ring. Agdestein was just allowed to smother Fathoui against the corners and on the mat, which led to a convincing decision victory for Agdestein.

 

Stephan de Winter (8-0) def. Artak Gevor (7-2) via Unanimous Decision. de Winter pelted his opponent with strikes from every direction. Punches, kicks, knees and elbows were thrown in high volumes. de Winter wins a convincing unanimous decision as he continues to climb the ladder. Gevor was competitive but just not enough for the much stronger and more aggressive Stephan de Winter.

 

SIGMA: Toadspew vs Crumb Post-Fight Press Conference Notes

 

Chris Jones; February 21st, 2001

 

Was a very exciting environment after all of the great fights we saw, but not a very active press conference, very few shocking moments.

 

DL Freeman made the opening comments:

 

- Total Gate was $43,120 with an attendance of 490

- Aleksander Ivanov, Souleymane Ya Konan, Hans Christian Bloch & Gerrit Dudok each took home an extra $500 for their performances.

 

Alekos Karabatsos, Aleksander Ivanov, Kenneth Toadspew, Marco Bernacci, Templeton Crumb, Thorbjorn Rekdal, Artak Gevor, Luka Hajek, Stian Agdenstein & Gerrit Dudok were offered contract extensions.

 

Daniil Skala made it clear that he was making a quick recovery to jump back into the cage as soon as possible. He named Nicolai Mickiewicz as a potential opponent.

 

Freeman announced that the next event would be in Germany, headlined by a Middleweight title match between Fjodor Kanchelskis © & Fernando Amaro. Other notable fighters on the card will include: Alberto Basora, Dominykas Jankovic, and Iancu Trailescu.

 

Souleymane Ya Konan, Marco Bernacci, Benni Peyroux & Libor Pudil were handed three month suspensions. Luka Hajek, Emil Karlsson & Ruben Ericsson were handed six month medical suspensions.

 

Freeman announced that the Welterweight division will be examined in a special web article posted on the SIGMA website. However, for those that won't be able to access the website or read the article for whatever reason, that it will be delivered through a special Blurcat article available in all major languages. The purpose of the article will be to highlight the contenders in the Welterweight division and how Templeton Crumb's title win affects the division.

 

Gerrit Dudok edged his way into the top ten of the Featherweight division as he hopped from #12 to #10. Stephan de Winter debuts in the Middleweight #10 spot. Stian Agdestein makes it into the top ten, just taking the #10 spot on the Welterweight list. Kenneth Toadspew falls from #1 to #5, as Templeton Crumb © takes the #1 spot.

[SeanMcFly]

http://i.imgur.com/Hy3IVyC.png

 

 

 

BCF: Cupples Out, Wallace In

 

Chris Jones; February 24th, 2001

 

Belfast will play host to BCF: Kane vs Darrell in just under two months, and although the event is starting to shape up, things have already started to go wrong.

 

Martin Cupples was set to fight Mills Mullally, but due to an ankle injury sustained in training, he will be forced to pull out of the fight. Cupples, an undefeated 10-0 mixed martial artist, is known for putting people to sleep with his deadly right hand. The #5 Welterweight in BCF, Cupples could be looking at title contention within the year.

 

Mullally is no slouch himself, and at 18-5 as a professional, he is one of the best that the British Isles have to offer, and is also knocking on Will Kane's door as he is currently ranked #3 in BCF's Welterweight division.

 

Cupples will be replaced by arrogant kick boxer, Mikey Wallace. A standout kick boxer with a record of 8-1, his only loss coming from a defeat to Welterweight kingpin Will Kane. Wallace is known for putting people to sleep and should make this match with Mullally an exciting one.

 

KDM FC Card Change

 

Sean Smith; February 26th, 2001

 

More card changes as the month goes on, as KDM FC will have to alter their Atep vs Nakamura card. Bhumibol Ektawatkul has been forced out of his bout with Kazuya Chano due to a pelvic injury sustained in training. Bhumibol is not expected to be back until June at the earliest.

 

Ektawatkul has been replaced on short notice by Min-Soo Sik, the #9 Lightweight in the company with a reputation for putting people to sleep with big knees and kicks. It should be exciting to see him face off with a prospect like Kazuya Chano, who's wrestling should prove difficult to manage for a striker like Sik.

[SeanMcFly]

http://i.imgur.com/Hy3IVyC.png

 

 

 

CRACKDOWN: GAMMA 41: BRUBAKER VS KENDALL

 

Steven Monk & Christopher Wyatt; February 26th, 2001

 

Dallas, Texas has a massive card in front of it tonight, and although the anticipated clash between Bobby Brubaker & Gabriel Gallego will have to wait, we are still promised an exciting stand-up affair as Alan Kendall steps in to replace the challenger. Also on the card is a big Heavyweight clash as Raul Hughes faces off with Duke Aiona.

 

Bobby Brubaker is a tough fight for anyone in the division, and Alan Kendall, although ranked significantly lower than the champion is potentially the toughest for him. Kendall and Brubaker have both trained at Strike Force, and although Brubaker has expressed his desire to never face a team-mate, Alan Kendall was willing to make the decision for him. When Gabriel Gallego fell out of his title shot due to an injury, Alan Kendall stepped up on two weeks notice to make sure the card remained afloat.

 

Alan Kendall is an impressive athlete and a huge threat when on his feet, but even when you take Alan Kendall off of his feet, he is still a threat. Bobby Brubaker is, on the other hand, an established striker and prefers to keep things standing. Will that open the door for Kendall to expose Brubaker's suspect ground game, or will Brubaker simply out-class the challenger in the area which he has the most significant advantage.

 

Brubaker, in his last four outings has knocked high-level Welterweights unconscious within mere minutes, the most recent of which being Julio Regueiro who barely lasted a minute with the current champion. Regueiro has submit Alan Kendall in their previous encounter, which means that Brubaker should, in theory, know how to beat Alan Kendall. The question though, is whether or not he can put that theory into motion.

 

Raul Hughes & Duke Aiona share a common experience, they have botyh come up short in their previous runs for the title. Aiona lost to the reigning champion, James Foster, and while Hughes never managed to make it in to a championship match, he came up short in a supposed title eliminator against Tim Boyer. This promises to be a stand-up war as neither of the two men have much interest in taking things to the mat. Hughes has a significantly longer reach, while Aiona holds the weight advantage.

 

Buddy Garner is incredibly talented, but his mental game is his weakest point. Having not fought since September, 1999, Garner steps back into the cage against former team-mate, Thomas Smith. The Team Desire competitor comes into the match, having lost his own title opportunity against Matthew Dean nearly four years ago. Both men are looking to jump back into relevancy with a big win on the main card.