A History of Violence: MMA From The Beginning

[Corki]

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November 1993

 

Pancrase News

- Pancrase signs various fighters: Oleg Taktarov, Rickson Gracie, Ryushi Yanagisawa, Manabu Yamada & Masakazu Kuramochi among the names

- Bas Rutten announces that he has signed with the UFC

- Announces inaugural King of Pancrase championship tournament to be spread across four events

 

UFC News

- UFC signs bulk of roster to draft line-up for debut show. Bas Rutten, Ken Shamrock, Royce Gracie & Art Jimmerson among the list

 

Pancrase 3 Line-Up (Round 1 King of Pancrase Tournament)

Manabu Yamada (6-4-2) vs Minoru Suzuki (2-0)

Masakatsu Funaki (1-1) vs Ryushi Yanagisawa (0-2)

Katsuomi Inagaki (1-1) vs Rickson Gracie (2-0)

Andre van den Oetelaar (0-0) vs Wallid Ismail (1-0)

Cees Bezems (0-0) vs Vernon White (0-2)

George Weingroff (0-1) vs Takaku Fuke (1-1)

Joop van de Ven (0-1) vs Satoshi Honma (3-3-2)

Kazuo Takahashi (1-1) vs Oleg Taktarov (3-0)

 

UFC 1: The Beginning Line-Up

Ken Shamrock (2-0) vs Zane Frasier (0-0)

Fabio Gurgel (1-0) vs Patrick Smith (0-0)

Royce Gracie (0-0) vs Art Jimmerson (0-0)

Gerard Gordeau (0-0) vs Teila Tuli (0-0)

Kevin Rosier (0-0) vs Trent Jenkins (0-0)

Eugenio Tadeu (1-1) vs Ron Van Clief (0-0)

James Mathews (0-0) vs Jason DeLucia (0-0)

[Corki]

UFC 1: The Beginning Recap

 

- James Mathews (1-0) def. Jason DeLucia (0-1) via Split Decision after 60:00; a rather slow match, Mathews spent the bulk of it clinching up with his opponent and using dirty boxing to secure the victory.

 

- Eugenio Tadeu (1-0) def. Ron Van Clief (0-1) via Submission (Arm-Bar) in 16:52; an excellent display of grappling skills, Tadeu sweeps Van Clief from guard after a takedown and finishes with the arm-bar from the mounted position.

 

- Trent Jenkins (1-0) def. Kevin Rosier (0-1) via Submission (Rear Naked Choke) in 20:27; after getting demolished on the feet by the significantly larger Rosier, Jenkins managed to score a takedown and secure his opponent's back to finish the match with a tight rear naked choke.

 

- Teila Tuli (1-0) def. Gerard Gordeau (0-1) via Technical Knockout in 3:15; the massive Tuli hoisted Gordeau over his shoulders and slammed him to the mat within seconds of the match starting, unleashing an onslaught of strikes to score the victory quickly.

 

- Royce Gracie (1-0) def. Art Jimmerson (0-1) via Submission (Knee-Bar) in 2:29; without even throwing a punch, Gracie drags the fight to the mat after getting hit with only one jab from his opponent. A quick knee-bar secures the victory.

 

- Fabio Gurgel (2-0) def. Patrick Smith (0-1) via Submission (Arm-Bar) in 2:18; both fighters fought hard to get the fight to the mat early and land on top, but it was Gurgel who would score the first takedown and Smith was in trouble from there on until the victory came by way of submission.

 

- Ken Shamrock (3-0) def. Zane Frasier (0-1) via Submission (Kimura) in 1:12; Shamrock scored an early knockdown and followed it up with some nasty ground and pound before snagging the submission from a vulnerable Frasier.

[Corki]

Pancrase 3 Recap

 

- Oleg Taktarov (4-0) def. Kazuo Takahashi (1-2) via Submission (Arm-Bar) in 2:58; Taktarov drags it to the mat quickly and goes to work instantly in order to pick up the fast arm-bar victory, sending him up to the next bracket in the King of Pancrase tournament.

 

- Joop van de Ven (1-1) def. Satoshi Honma (3-4-2) via Submission (Arm-Triangle) in 1:07; not much striking in this affair either, Honma falls victim to a quick arm triangle victory. van de Ven moves up to the next bracket.

 

- George Weingroff (1-1) def. Takaku Fuke (1-2) via Knockout (Punch) in 5:21; Weingroff dominates with his wrestling and knocks his opponent unconscious with some vicious ground and pound. Weingroff moves on to the quarter-finals.

 

- Vernon White (1-2) def. Cees Bezems (0-1) via Submission (Arm-Bar) in 1:05; Vernon White effortlessly dispatches of Bezems with a quick submission in order to move on to the quarter-finals.

 

- Wallid Ismail (2-0) def. Andre van den Oetelaar (0-1) via Submission (Arm-Bar) in 1:31; another talented grappler moves on to the quarter-finals after a lightning fast arm-bar.

 

- Katsuomi Inagaki (2-1) def. Rickson Gracie (2-1) via Unanimous Decision in 15:00; major upset as Inagaki outstrikes Gracie en route to a dominant but boring unanimous decision victory. Gracie made zero effort to the take the fight to the mat.

 

- Masakatsu Funaki (2-1) def. Ryushi Yanagisawa via Submission (Arm-Bar) in 7:34; Funaki is surprisingly dominated in the wrestling department but manages to sneak in an arm-bar from the bottom of guard. Funaki books himself a trip to the quarter-finals.

 

- Manabu Yamada (7-4-2) def. Minoru Suzuki (2-1) via Split Decision in 15:00; closest fight of the night as Yamada edges out Suzuki for a spot in the quarter-finals. Both men were able to impose their will through effective wrestling and striking but at the end of the night Yamada came out with more landed offense.

[LeBlancX]

Looks good so far, will keep an eye on this one!

[Corki]

December 1993

 

World News

- The Year-End Awards for 1993 are in, and they are:

 

Fight of the Year: Fabio Gurgel defeats Pat Smith @ UFC 1

Show of the Year: Pancrase 3

KO of the Year: Teila Tuli defeats Gerard Gordeau @ UFC 1

Submission of the Year: Royce Gracie defeats Art Jimmerson @ UFC 1 (Knee-Bar)

Main Event of the Year: Ken Shamrock defeats Zane Frazier @ UFC 1

Team of the Year: Lion's Den (Notable Fighters: Ken Shamrock, Vernon White [uFC], Maurice Smith [Pancrase])

Upset of the Year: Trent Jenkins defeats Kevin Rosier @ UFC 1

Worst Fight of the Year: Katsuomi Inagaki defeats Rickson Gracie @ Pancrase 3

 

Pancrase News

- Minoki Ichihara only new signee, expected to debut at Pancrase 4

- Tentative match-ups announced for Pancrase 4

 

Renzo Gracie (1-0) vs Noboru Asahi (9-1-2)

Maurice Smith (0-0) vs Masakazu Kuramochi (0-1)

Murilo Bustamante (1-0) vs Jose Landi-Jons (1-0)

 

UFC News

- UFC 2: No Way Out announced for April 1994 in Colorado

- No matches announced as of yet

- Contract negotiations in with several fighters, such as Johnny Rhodes, Orlando Wiet & Remco Pardoel, expected to make their debuts at the event

 

January 1994

 

Pancrase News

- Full Pancrase 4 card announced

 

Masakatsu Funaki (2-1) vs Katsuomi Inagaki (2-1)

Oleg Taktarov (4-0) vs Manabu Yamada (7-4-2)

George Weingroff (1-1) vs Joop van de Ven (1-1)

Wallid Ismail (2-0) vs Vernon White (1-2)

Marco Ruas (1-0-1) vs Satoshi Honma (3-4-2)

Renzo Gracie (1-0) vs Noboru Asahi (9-1-2)

Jose Landi-Jons (1-0) vs Murilo Bustamante (1-0)

Masakazu Kuramochi (0-1) vs Maurice Smith (0-0)

Rickson Gracie (2-1) vs James Mathews (1-0)

Minoki Ichihara (0-0) vs Nilson de Castro (1-0)

 

- Satoshi Honma (3-4-2) pulls out of fight with Ruas due to injury, fight is cancelled

 

UFC News

- UFC 2: No Way Out card announced

 

Royce Gracie (1-0) vs Teila Tuli (1-0)

Fabio Gurgel (2-0) vs Bas Rutten (2-0)

Patrick Smith (0-1) vs Ray Wizard (0-0)

Frank Hamaker (0-0 vs Thaddeus Luster (0-0)

Alberto Cerra Leon (0-0) vs Remco Pardoel (0-0)

Sean Daugherty (0-0) vs Scott Morris (0-0)

Robert Lucarelli (0-0) vs Orlando Wiet (0-0)

David Levicki (0-0) vs Johnny Rhodes (0-0)

Jason DeLucia (0-1) vs Scott Baker (0-0)

Eugenio Tadeu (2-1) vs Fred Ettish (0-0)

[Corki]

February 1994

 

World News

- James Mathews leaves Lion's Den due to dispute with fellow member Vernon White. Both are Pancrase employees, and Mathews says that he is "open to facing White" at a future event.

 

Pancrase News

- Robert Bjornethun signs for the company, expected to debut at next event

- Pancrase 5 card announced for March 1994, tentative match-ups include:

 

Ken Shamrock (3-0) vs Minoru Suzuki (2-1)

Kazuo Takahashi (1-2) vs Marco Ruas (1-0-1)

Ryushi Yanagisawa (0-3) vs Robert Bjornethun (0-0)

Andre van den Oetelaar (0-1) vs Cees Bezems (0-1)

 

- Pancrase 4 card results are in, see below

 

UFC News

- Ray Wizard injures himself in training but will not pull out from UFC 2

 

Pancrase 4 Recap

 

- Nilson de Castro (2-0) def. Minoki Ichihara (0-0) via Submission (Arm-Bar) in 3:50; Ichihara did a good job of keeping his distance and tentatively striking with de Castro but eventually the Brazilian was able to bring the fight to the mat where he quickly got the finish.

 

- Rickson Gracie (3-1) def. James Mathews (1-1) via Submission (Rear Naked Choke) in 1:37; this one was basically tailor made for Rickson, his opponent being a wrestler. Mathews tries to remain on his feet but Rickson quickly brings the fight to the mat and secures the choke within mere minutes.

 

- Maurice Smith (1-0) def. Masakazu Kuramochi (0-2) via Split Decision after 15:00; Smith had a large weight advantage in this fight but was not able to use it significantly as he was nearly out-struck by the much smaller Kuramochi. The difference maker in this one was Smith's use of the kick.

 

- Murilo Bustamante (2-0) def. Jose Landi-Jons (1-1) via Submission (Americana) in 6:00; Landi-Jons was out striking Bustamante and the latter was having none of it, as he quickly looked to bring the fight to the mat where he would secure an Americana for the finish.

 

- Noboru Asahi (10-1-2) def. Renzo Gracie (1-1) via Unanimous Decision after 15:00; in another big Gracie related upset, Asahi handles the Brazilian as Gracie never even looked to shoot. In a striking match, Asahi was out-struck from a distance but was successful in clinching and controlling the where the match took place.

 

- Wallid Ismail (3-0) def. Vernon White (1-3) via Submission (Kimura) in 9:55; Wallid Ismail books himself a spot in the tournament semi-finals in an evenly matched ground war with Vernon White. One small mistake led to White losing position and subsequently being submitted.

 

- Joop van de Ven (2-1) def. George Weingroff (1-2) via Submission (Rear Naked Choke) in 4:48; the Judoka, van de Ven, tried to pull guard and was promptly slammed by Weingroff, the better wrestler. However, after this, it was all Joop, as he quickly took his back and secured the choke for a spot in the semi-finals.

 

- Manabu Yamada (8-4-2) def. Oleg Taktarov (4-1) via Unanimous Decision after 15:00; both men were competitively chasing the takedown and both were able to complete. The real difference in the match came with Yamada's use of the jab and the amount of damage he was able to inflict from top position. A close fight but a decisive victory for the home fighter. Yamada moves on to the semi-finals.

 

- Katsuomi Inagaki (3-1) def. Masakatsu Funaki (2-2) via Unanimous Decision after 15:00; the two wrestlers spent the entire match on their feet, within striking distance as they tentatively tried to out-point their opposition. Funaki was unfortunately out-struck 379-to-118 by Inagaki and that was the telling statistic in the victory. Inagaki moves on to the semi-finals.

[Steerpike]

This is so neat! I really do enjoy Dawn of MMA/OSR diaries. However, I did like it better when the events were separate entities, so to speak. Hopefully you keep this going for a long time.

February 1994

World News

- James Mathews leaves Lion's Den due to dispute with fellow member Vernon White. Both are Pancrase employees,

Ha, that happened to me as well except Matthews fell out with Shamrock, not White.

[Corki]

March 1994

 

World News

 

Pancrase News

- Pancrase 5 results are in (and posted below) & tentative match-ups for Pancrase 6

- Cees Bezems, Kazuo Takahashi & Andre van den Oetelaar have both entered the negotiation period. Both have been reportedly offered extensions.

 

Pancrase 6 Card

Katsuomi Inagaki (3-1) vs Manabu Yamada (8-4-2)

Masakatsu Funaki (2-2) vs George Weingroff (1-2)

 

UFC News

- No major news from the American side of things

 

Pancrase 5 Recap

 

Andre van den Oetelaar (1-1) def. Cees Bezems (0-2) via Technical Knockout (Strikes) in 5:11; Oetelaar decimates Bezems with a big right hand, but it was the last of many big strikes that Oetelaar was landing at will. Bezems had very little for him on the feet and was quickly finished.

 

Ryushi Yanagisawa (1-3) def. Robert Bjornethun (0-1) via Submission (Kimura) in 11:46; a competitive match, Bjornethun out-jabbed the hometown favorite but was promptly taken down as soon as he started to generate some forward momentum. Yanagisawa quickly takes control on the mat and works very hard for a well deserved submission victory.

 

Marco Ruas (2-0-1) def. Kazuo Takahashi (1-3) via Unanimous Decision after 15:00; Ruas out-strikes Takahashi making effective use of his knees and jabs from a distance. An uneventful match but a decisive victory for Ruas.

 

Minoru Suzuki (3-1) def. Ken Shamrock (3-1) via Split Decision after 15:00; Shamrock was getting the better of the striking exchanges and out-working Suzuki. However, as soon as the match hit the mat, Suzuki's dominant top control would lead to a lot of punishment being delivered to the American. Suzuki's top control is enough to sway two of the judges in his direction, awarding him the victory and a serious stake at number one contender to the newly crowned King of Pancrase.

 

April 1994

 

World News

- Vernon White has now left Lion's Den, citing a disagreement with fellow member Ken Shamrock. White & Shamrock, as well as the recently departed James Mathews, are all members of the Pancrase roster so it's likely the three will face off with one another at some point in the near future.

 

Pancrase News

- Kazuo Takahashi signs a new four-fight deal with the company

- Cees Bezems signs a new three-fight deal with the company

- Andre van den Oetelaar signs a new three-fight deal with the company

- Pancrase 6 card officially announced

- Pancrase looking to book Pancrase 7 for last week of May; Maurice Smith, Nilson de Castro & Renzo Gracie expected to make their returns

- Pancrase 6 results can be found below

- Wallid Ismail & Manabu Yamada have been offered contract extensions

- Minoru Suzuki announced as main event for Pancrase 7 against Oleg Taktarov

 

Pancrase 6 Card

Katsuomi Inagaki (3-1) vs Manabu Yamada (8-4-2)

Wallid Ismail (3-0) vs Joop van de Ven (2-1)

Masakatsu Funaki (2-2) vs George Weingroff (1-2)

Rickson Gracie (3-1) vs Masakazu Kuramochi (0-2)

Vernon White (1-3) vs James Mathews (1-1)

Minoki Ichihara (0-1) vs Jose Landi-Jons (1-1)

 

UFC News

- Christophe Leninger & Marcus Bossett both sign one-off fights with the UFC, expected to debut at next event

- Jason DeLucia forced out of UFC 2 match-up with Scott Baker, expected to be rescheduled for UFC 3

- UFC 2 results can be found below

 

UFC 2: No Way Out Recap

 

Eugenio Tadeu (3-1) def. Fred Ettish (0-1) via Unanimous Decision after 60:00; a very active fight, both men trying for strikes & takedowns throughout the duration of the bout. Tadeu eventually picked up the pace and started to run away with the fight, but it wasn't a bad night for Ettish by any means.

 

Johnny Rhodes (1-0) def. David Levicki (0-1) via Submission (Triangle with Arm-Bar) in 5:20; Levicki was getting badly beaten on the feet and desperately shot for the takedown. Unfortunately, he fell right into a triangle choke which Rhodes would take a step further, finishing the fight with an arm-bar.

 

Robert Lucarelli (1-0) def. Orlando Wiet (0-1) via Technical Knockout (Strikes) in 5:43; Lucarelli comes back from the dead after being badly hurt by Wiet early on. Wiet was unable to secure ground control and Lucarelli would eventually roll him over and mount him, finishing the fight with a brutal ground-and-pound attack.

 

Scott Morris (1-0) def. Sean Daugherty (0-1) via Technical Knockout (Strikes) in 12:33; Morris took control of the fight from the start, stunning Daugherty on the feet and taking him down, pounding him out and continuing to do so until the referee stepped in.

 

Remco Pardoel (1-0) def. Alberto Cerra Leon (0-1) via Technical Knockout (Strikes) in 0:56; Pardoel immediately shoots in and Leon was in trouble from there on in, getting flattened out and pounded on in under a minute.

 

Frank Hamaker (1-0) def. Thaddeus Luster (0-1) via Submission (Arm-Bar) in 7:46; Hamaker is knocked down twice in the almost eight minutes it took for this fight to be called, and yet he was still the victor. Luster's lack of knowledge on the ground would lead to him being quickly finished as soon as they spent any time there. Hamaker with an impressive comeback win.

 

Patrick Smith (1-1) def. Ray Wizard (0-1) via Knockout (Punch) in 0:52; Smith lands a picture perfect right hand after finding his range and ends Wizard's night fast.

 

Bas Rutten (3-0) def. Fabio Gurgel (2-1) via Unanimous Decision after 60:00; Rutten out-strikes Gurgel 70-to-8 and stayed active off of his back, and that was enough to give him the nod in the eyes of the judges. Uneventful fight, but a good performance from Rutten.

 

Royce Gracie (2-0) def. Teila Tuli (1-1) via Submission (Arm-Bar) in 4:42; Gracie was getting beaten up on his feet but was able to get the fight to the mat in a rather ugly manner. From there, it was all him, as Gracie would look to secure the submission quickly. An arm-bar from mount would force Tuli to tap out and award Gracie his second straight victory in the UFC.

 

Pancrase 6 Recap

 

Minoki Ichihara (1-1) def. Jose Landi-Jons (1-2) via Technical Knockout (Strikes) in 2:38; Ichihara quickly rocks Landi-Jons on the feet with a nice right hand, and puts him down with a second one to finish the fight without barely breaking a sweat.

 

Vernon White (2-3) def. James Mathews (1-2) via Unanimous Decision after 15:00; Mathews out-struck White but was thoroughly controlled in the clinch, and his striking attack was not nearly as varied as White's, who was incorporating knees and elbows from all angles.

 

Rickson Gracie (4-1) def. Masakazu Kuramochi (0-3) via Submission (Arm-Bar) in 5:16; another almost effortless victory for Rickson Gracie, albeit in a fight where he was a clear favorite. He sets himself up for a potential run at the King of Pancrase title once the tournament is concluded.

 

George Weingroff (2-2) def. Masakatsu Funaki (2-3) via Unanimous Decision after 15:00; Weingroff with another upset victory, as he badly out-struck Funaki in a fight that took place exclusively on the feet. By the end of the fight, Weingroff had landed 339 strikes to Funaki's 95, and although not any were enough to significantly hurt Funaki, volume was a telling factor in the decision to award Weingroff the victory.

 

Wallid Ismail (4-0) def. Joop van de Ven (2-2) via Submission (Arm-Bar) in 3:54; Ismail books himself a spot in the finals of the King of Pancrase tournament with a convincing victory (and quick, too) over Joop van de Ven. Ismail quickly brought the fight to the mat where he would submit the Dutchman within minutes of the opening bell.

 

Manabu Yamada (9-4-2) def. Katsuomi Inagaki (3-2) via Submission (Kimura) in 2:18; Yamada finds himself in the King of Pancrase finals against Wallid Ismail after a complete dismantling of Inagaki. He took his opponent down and submit him without throwing a punch.

[Corki]

May 1994

 

World News

 

Pancrase News

- Minoru Suzuki pulls out of Pancrase 7 citing injury, Ken Shamrock steps in to face off with Oleg Taktarov in the main event.

- Pancrase 7 card announced

- Pancrase 7 results are below

- Ken Shamrock, Oleg Taktarov, and Ryushi Yanagisawa are all offered contract extensions

 

Pancrase 7 Card

Ken Shamrock (3-1) vs Oleg Taktarov (4-1)

Murilo Bustamante (2-0) vs Noboru Asahi (10-1-2)

Takaku Fuke (1-2) vs Kazuo Takahashi (1-3)

Toon Stelling (0-0) vs Nilson de Castro (2-0)

Renzo Gracie (1-1) vs Thomas Puckett (0-0)

Matt Hume (0-0) vs Akihiro Gono (0-0)

Ryushi Yanagisawa (1-3) vs Andre van den Oetelaar (1-1)

 

UFC News

- UFC 3 card unveiled

 

UFC 3: The American Dream Card

Royce Gracie (2-0) vs Kimo Leopoldo (0-0)

Bas Rutten (3-0) vs Christophe Leninger (0-0)

Johnny Rhodes (1-0) vs Patrick Smith (1-1)

Emmanuel Yarborough (0-0) vs Keith Hackney (0-0)

Jason DeLucia (0-1) vs Scott Baker (0-0)

Kevin Rosier (0-1) vs Marcus Bossett (0-0)

Steve Jennum (0-0) vs Ron Van Clief (0-1)

Art Jimmerson (0-1) vs Fred Ettish (0-1)

Harold Howard (0-0) vs Roland Payne (0-0)

Felix Mitchell (0-0) vs Gerard Gordeau (0-1)

 

Pancrase 7 Recap

 

Ryushi Yanagisawa (2-3) def. Andre van den Oetelaar (1-2) via Submission (Kimura) in 2:32; Yanagisawa doesn't waste much time bringing this one to the mat. It's a quick fight, he submits van den Oetelaar without any real damage being inflicted upon either man.

 

Matt Hume (1-0) def. Akihiro Gono (0-1) via Knockout (Punch) in 3:27; Hume puts Gono down with a big overhand right within the first three punches he threw, and from that point onward it was about how long Gono could survive. Eventually he went down and the referee stepped in.

 

Renzo Gracie (2-1) def. Thomas Puckett (0-1) via Submission (Arm-Triangle) in 3:05; Renzo jabs his way into grappling range and quickly brings Puckett to the mat where the result became inevitable. Gracie picks up a submission victory and reasserts his position in the rankings.

 

Nilson de Castro (3-0) def. Toon Stelling (0-1) via Submission (Rear-Naked Choke) in 6:01; de Castro does not want to stand with Stelling and takes him down very early in the bout. Stelling is lost on the mat and it's only a matter of time before de Castro submits him.

 

Kazuo Takahashi (2-3) def. Takaku Fuke (1-3) via Technical Knockout (Strikes) in 4:09; Takahashi brings the fight to the ground at the first opportunity and pounds away on his fellow countryman in order to pick up the much needed victory.

 

Murilo Bustamante (3-0) def. Noboru Asahi (10-2-2) via Unanimous Decision in 15:00; the bout took place primarily on the mat, where both men would fight for submissions. Asahi & Bustamante both showed off some skill on the ground but in the end Bustamante did more to convince the judges.

 

Ken Shamrock (4-1) def. Oleg Taktarov (4-2) via Technical Knockout (Strikes) in 6:03; Shamrock imposes his will by taking the Russian down and pounding him out. Taktarov suffered extra because of Ken's dominant top control and would eventually need saving from the referee.

[Corki]

June 1994

 

World News

- Ken Shamrock is cautioned for being drunk and disorderly

- Trent Jenkins calls out Fabio Gurgel, with both men as members of the UFC roster that wish could very well be granted in the near future

 

Pancrase News

- Pancrase 8 card announced

 

Pancrase 8 Card

Wallid Ismail (4-0) vs Manabu Yamada (9-4-2) for the inaugural King of Pancrase Championship

Rickson Gracie (4-1) vs Katsuomi Inagaki (3-2)

Minoru Suzuki (3-1) vs Vernon White (2-3)

Marco Ruas (2-0-1) vs George Weingroff (2-2)

Joop van de Ven (2-2) vs Masakatsu Funaki (2-3)

Gregory Smit (0-0) vs Minoki Ichihara (1-1)

Masakazu Kuramochi (0-3) vs Robert Bjornethun (0-1)

 

UFC News

- No news from the UFC this month

[Corki]

Pancrase 8 Recap

 

Robert Bjornethun (1-1) def. Masakazu Kuramochi (0-4) via Unanimous Decision after 15:00; Bjornethun drags the fight to the mat and proceeds to stall for the bulk of the fifteen minutes, very unexciting start to the card.

 

Gregory Smit (1-0) def. Minoki Ichihara (1-2) via Submission (Rear Naked Choke) in 7:38; an impressive debut from Smit against a tough Ichihara, Smit neutralized the hometown hero's stand-up game with a quick takedown and worked his way to back control where he secured the finish.

 

Masakatsu Funaki (3-3) def. Joop van de Ven (2-3) via Submission (Arm-Triangle) in 8:57; Funaki gets back into the win column with an impressive and decisive victory over Joop van de Ven.

 

Marco Ruas (3-0-1) def. George Weingroff (2-3) via Submission (Arm-Bar) in 4:59; Ruas out-grapples the American after landing many stiff jabs to out-strike him. Ruas finishes the match with a slick arm-bar and Weingroff couldn't have tapped any faster.

 

Minoru Suzuki (4-1) def. Vernon White (2-4) via Submission (Arm-Bar) in 2:13; Suzuki completely blasts through Vernon White with a quick submission victory, thus ending White's hopes of a win streak.

 

Rickson Gracie (5-1) def. Katsuomi Inagaki (3-3) via Submission (Arm-Triangle) in 3:59; Gracie gets revenge for Inagaki's upset victory in 1993 with a quick submission victory to prove that it was indeed a fluke. Gracie completely dominates and stakes his claim for a shot at Pancrase gold.

 

Manabu Yamada (10-4-2) def. Wallid Ismail (4-1) via Unanimous Decision after 30:00 to win the King of Pancrase Championship; Yamada is impressive in victory as he completely nullified Wallid's striking game by keeping the jab in his face and using dirty boxing in the corner of the ring. Yamada would then control the fight on the mat, scoring the lone takedown of the match and landing 76 total strikes while on the mat. Yamada is the first ever King of Pancrase.

[Corki]

July 1994

 

World News

- Kimo Leopoldo leaves Mid-America Martial Arts after a dispute with fellow member Frank Hamaker

- Nilson de Castro injures himself in training

- Harold Howard leaves Team Voodoo after a dispute with teammate Ray Wizard

 

Pancrase News

- Minoki Ichihara, Rickson Gracie & George Weingroff were offered contract extensions

- Masakazu Kuramochi has been released

- Pancrase executives announced that Minoru Suzuki would be the first challenger to the King of Pancrase title, and that he would face off with Manabu Yamada at a future event

- Pancrase announced the dates for both Pancrase 9 & Pancrase 10 (August 22nd & September 1st)

- Teila Tuli, Zane Frasier, Thaddeus Luster & Remco Pardoel to jump on board for fights at either Pancrase 9 or Pancrase 10

- Pancrase 9 full card announced

 

Pancrase 9 Card

Renzo Gracie (2-1) vs Ryushi Yanagisawa (2-3)

Matt Hume (1-0) vs Murilo Bustamante (3-0)

Andre van den Oetelaar (1-2) vs Scott Sullivan (0-0)

Thomas Puckett (0-1) vs Kazuo Takahashi (2-3)

Remco Pardoel (1-0) vs Teila Tuli (1-1)

 

UFC News

- No UFC news this month as they prepare for UFC 3 to show in September

 

August 1994

 

World News

 

Pancrase News

- Pancrase announces that Pancrase 10's main event will be the rematch between Manabu Yamada & Minoru Suzuki for the King of Pancrase championship

- Full card for Pancrase 10 is announced

- Pancrase 9 results are below

- Murilo Bustamante and Renzo Gracie are offered new contracts

- Andre van den Oetelaar is released

- Pancrase 11 will be headlined by Rickson Gracie vs Marco Ruas in a match-up to decide the next challenger to the King of Pancrase championship

 

Pancrase 10 Card

Manabu Yamada © (10-4-2) vs Minoru Suzuki (4-1) for the King of Pancrase Championship

Ken Shamrock (4-1) vs Maurice Smith (1-0)

Vernon White (2-4) vs Masakatsu Funaki (3-3)

Jose Landi-Jons (1-2) vs Noboru Asahi (10-2-2)

George Weingroff (2-3) vs Katsuomi Inagaki (3-3)

Thaddeus Luster (0-1) vs James Mathews (1-2)

Toon Stelling (0-1) vs Zane Frasier (0-1)

Joop van de Ven (2-3) vs Akihiro Gono (0-1)

 

UFC News

- UFC signs rookie Guy Mezger to a non-exclusive contract

 

Pancrase 9 Recap

 

Teila Tuli (2-1) def. Remco Pardoel (1-1) via Unanimous Decision in 15:00; the telling statistic in this match was the takedown. Teila was the only fighter to land one in the fight and from the top position he was able to do more damage than Remco could on his feet.

 

Kazuo Takahashi (3-3) def. Thomas Puckett (0-2) via Submission (Strikes) in 2:35; Takahashi dominated this fight from the start, slamming Puckett down to the floor and landing on top in a very dangerous position. Takahashi pounded away until Puckett tapped out.

 

Scott Sullivan (1-0) def. Andre van den Oetelaar (1-3) via Technical Knockout (Strikes) in 3:38; Sullivan did a lot of damage from the top position after getting rocked on his feet, but once the fight hit the mat it stayed there until the referee had to pull Sullivan away.

 

Murilo Bustamante (4-0) def. Matt Hume (1-1) via Submission (Arm Triangle) in 1:33; Bustamante completely outclasses Hume, taking him down right after the starting bell and scoring the submission in under two minutes. Bustamante took this opportunity to call out Renzo Gracie for a match in the future.

 

Renzo Gracie (3-1) def. Ryushi Yanagisawa (2-4) via Submission (Leglock) in 1:36; another quick submission from the Gracie, putting an end to the winning streak that Yanagisawa was trying to build upon. Gracie does not address the Bustamante call out but we will most likely hear more about it in the coming days.

[Corki]

Pancrase 10 Recap

 

Akihiro Gono (1-1) def. Joop van de Ven (2-4) via Unanimous Decision after 15:00; Gono out-wrestled the Dutchman in a fairly one-sided affair, although he was unable to put his opponent away in the process.

 

Zane Frasier (1-1) def. Toon Stelling (0-2) via Technical Knockout (Strikes) in 12:05; a close fight until Frasier was able to bring it to the mat, Stelling fought well off of his back before getting pounded out for the technical knockout victory.

 

James Mathews (2-2) def. Thaddeus Luster (0-2) via Unanimous Decision after 15:00; a dominant victory for Mathews, it was also fairly boring. Mathews took him down early and beat on Luster for the bulk of the match, but never did any real significant damage.

 

George Weingroff (3-3) def. Katsuomi Inagaki (3-4) via Knockout (Punch) in 11:09; Weingroff out-struck his opponent for the entirety of the contest, landing big shots at will and finally put Inagaki out with a hard right straight.

 

Noboru Asahi (11-2-2) def. Jose Landi-Jons (1-3) via Submission (Arm-Bar) in 4:18; Landi-Jons is unable to use his stand-up game to win as he is immediately brought to the floor by Asahi. Asahi finishes him with a submission fairly early in the contest in what was another disappointing performance from Jose Landi-Jons.

 

Masakatsu Funaki (4-3) def. Vernon White (2-5) via Submission (Knee-Bar) in 3:41; Funaki continues on his winning ways, this time with a slick knee-bar that showed that the young wrestler is finally starting to feel comfortable in the ring.

 

Ken Shamrock (5-1) def. Maurice Smith (1-1) via Submission (Arm Triangle) in 1:35; it didn't take long for Shamrock to realize that he didn't want anything to do with Smith's stand-up game. Shamrock took him down as soon as he was hit by one big right hand, and from there on out it was all Shamrock, finishing the match with a tight arm triangle choke.

 

Manabu Yamada (11-4-2) def. Minoru Suzuki (4-2) via Unanimous Decision after 30:00 to defend his King of Pancrase Championship; Yamada dominates once more, taking his opponent down and landing a total 166 strikes on the ground en route to a convincing unanimous decision victory.

[Corki]

September 1994

 

World News

- Thaddeus Luster quits Rhino Fight Team after an argument with Maurice Smith

 

Pancrase News

- Minoru Suzuki re-signs with the promotion

- Joop van de Ven is released. He had a 2-3 record with Pancrase, with his last three losses being consecutive

- Pancrase 11 card announced

 

Pancrase 11 Card

Marco Ruas (3-0-1) vs Rickson Gracie (5-1)

Renzo Gracie (3-1) vs Murilo Bustamante (4-0)

Gregory Smit (1-0) vs Nilson de Castro (3-0)

Wallid Ismail (4-1) vs Teila Tuli (2-1)

Richard Saar (0-0) vs Kazuo Takahashi (3-3)

Robert Bjornethun (1-1) vs Takaku Fuke (1-3)

Minoki Ichihara (1-2) vs Cees Bezems (0-2)

Remco Pardoel (1-1) vs Matt Hume (1-1)

 

UFC News

- UFC 3: The American Dream results are below

- UFC 4: Revenge of the Warriors announced for December 1994

 

UFC 3: The American Dream Recap

 

Gerard Gordeau (1-1) def. Felix Mitchell (0-1) via Submission (Arm-Triangle) in 1:41; the tall Dutchman showed that he was making improvements on the mat, as the kickboxer submitted the wrestler, Mitchell. Gordeau didn't throw a single strike and was the one that initiated the takedown as well.

 

Harold Howard (1-0) def. Roland Payne (0-1) via Technical Knockout (Strikes) in 5:42; Harold Howard was looking to brawl until he managed to catch a sloppy kick from Payne and brought the fight to the mat. Howard pounds away until the referee steps in.

 

Art Jimmerson (1-1) def. Fred Ettish (0-2) via Knockout (Punch) in 0:23; it only took one punch, an uppercut to be specific, for Art Jimmerson to put Ettish away.

 

Ron Van Clief (1-1) def. Steve Jennum (0-1) via Submission (Strikes) in 6:15; Van Clief hurt Jennum with a big right hand and followed it up with some hard shots on the mat until Jennum was forced to tap.

 

Kevin Rosier (1-1) def. Marcus Bossett (0-1) via Technical Knockout (Strikes) in 1:44; Rosier lands a huge left hand that starts the onslaught of strikes that would lead to Bossett's loss in this match. Rosier follows the left up with some brutal ground and pound and referee John McCarthy is forced to step in.

 

Jason DeLucia (1-1) def. Scott Baker (0-1) via Knockout (Punch) in 3:19; Baker was looking very gun-shy, almost as if he was afraid to strike. DeLucia lands a powerful straight right that puts Baker down and McCarthy steps in right away, knowing the match is already over.

 

Emmanuel Yarborough (1-0) def. Keith Hackney (0-1) via Technical Knockout (Strikes) in 3:54; Yarborough used his sheer size to bully Hackney into a corner and take him down, where he pounded away until the referee stepped in. Once Yarborough was on top, Hackney never had a chance.

 

Patrick Smith (2-1) def. Johnny Rhodes (1-1) via Technical Knockout (Strikes) in 11:27; Patrick Smith landed a big right hook that dazed his opponent, leaving him vulnerable to the follow up right straight that would put him down. McCarthy steps in after the Smith swarm as Rhodes was completely defenseless.

 

Bas Rutten (4-0) def. Christophe Leninger (0-1) via Submission (Rear Naked Choke) in 2:30; Rutten completely dominates, dragging the Judoka to the mat and grabbing back control, flattening Leninger out and finishing him with the choke.

 

Royce Gracie (3-0) def. Kimo Leopoldo (0-1) via Submission (Arm-Bar) in 1:50; Gracie completely outclasses another opponent on the mat, submitting him without even breaking a sweat.

[Corki]

Pancrase 11 Recap

 

Matt Hume (2-1) def. Remco Pardoel (1-2) via Knockout (Punch) in 1:59; Pardoel got cracked early with a big right hook and never recovered, and that led to him getting knocked out within a minute of the first right hand.

 

Minoki Ichihara (2-2) def. Cees Bezems (0-3) via Knockout (Punch) in 6:12; Ichihara lands a huge right cross that floors Bezems, but in the lead-up, Bezems was actually out-striking him. An unfortunate end to a fight that was looking good for Bezems early on.

 

Takaku Fuke (2-3) def. Robert Bjornethun (1-2) via Unanimous Decision after 15:00; Fuke's victory comes by way of ground control, as he held Bjornethun down for the bulk of the contest, landing light punches every so often but nothing that ever put Bjornethun in any real danger.

 

Richard Saar (1-0) def. Kazuo Takahashi (3-4) via Submission (Knee-Bar) in 1:50; Saar wastes no time shooting for the takedown, and he lands in the perfect position to hit a knee-bar that puts an end to Kazuo Takahashi's winning streak.

 

Teila Tuli (3-1) def. Wallid Ismail (4-2) via Unanimous Decision after 15:00; Wallid was unable to take Tuli down to the mat due to his size and as a result he was out-struck for the entirety of the match. If Wallid intends on being a threat, he'll have to work on his stand-up game.

 

Nilson de Castro (4-0) def. Gregory Smit (1-1) via Submission (Knee-Bar) in 1:40; de Castro completely dominates Gregory Smit, a quick takedown and a few punches later, Smit gets caught in a kneebar and is forced to tap.

 

Renzo Gracie (4-1) def. Murilo Bustamante (4-1) via Unanimous Decision after 15:00; a very boring, but one-sided fight, as Bustamante offered virtually no offence. He allowed himself to get taken down and although he defended all eleven of Renzo's submission attempts, he never fired back with anything of his own.

 

Rickson Gracie (6-1) def. Marco Ruas (3-1-1) via Submission (Arm-Triangle) in 14:01; Gracie completely dominates this match with his ground control and manages to put the stamp on a dominant performance with the submission. Gracie will now be awarded the next shot at the King of Pancrase title.

[Corki]

October 1994

 

World News

 

Pancrase News

- Pancrase 12 announced, main event will be Manabu Yamada defending his belt against Rickson Gracie

- Masakatsu Funaki will also be on the card against Minoru Suzuki

 

UFC News

- Royce Gracie will main event UFC 4 against Dan Severn in the college wrestler's MMA debut

 

November 1994

 

World News

- Murilo Bustamante leaves Nova Uniao after his loss to Renzo Gracie

 

Pancrase News

- Minoru Suzuki is injured and out of his fight with Masakatsu Funaki, he will be replaced by Teila Tuli

- Ryushi Yanagisawa is injured, and the tentative match-up with Vernon White is scrapped. White will now face off with Kazuo Takahashi

- Full Pancrase 12 card announced

 

Pancrase 12 Card

Manabu Yamada (11-4-2) vs Rickson Gracie (6-1) for the King of Pancrase Championship

Masakatsu Funaki (4-3) vs Teila Tuli* (3-1)

George Weingroff (3-3) vs Oleg Taktarov (4-2)

Scott Sullivan (1-0) vs Maurice Smith (1-1)

Jose Landi-Jons (1-3) vs Thaddeus Luster (0-2)

Akihiro Gono (1-1) vs James Mathews (2-2)

Alex Cook (0-0) vs Jack McLaughlin (0-0)

Vernon White (2-5) vs Kazuo Takahashi* (3-4)

Rumina Sato (0-0) vs Minoki Ichihara (2-2)

Zane Frasier (1-1) vs Richard Saar (1-0)

 

UFC News

- UFC 4: Revenge of the Warriors card fully announced

- Harold Howard originally expected to face Gordeau, but an injury forces him from the card. He is replaced by Art Jimmerson

 

UFC 4: Revenge of the Warriors Card

Royce Gracie (3-0) vs Dan Severn (0-0)

Ken Shamrock (5-1) vs Emmanuel Yarborough (1-0)

Gerard Gordeau (1-1) vs Art Jimmerson* (1-1)

Andy Anderson (0-0) vs Eugenio Tadeu (3-1)

Fabio Gurgel (2-1) vs Frank Hamaker (1-0)

Ray Wizard (0-1) vs Robert Lucarelli (1-0)

Sean Daugherty (0-1) vs Ali Gipson (0-0)

Guy Mezger (0-0) vs Jason Fairn (0-0)

Eldo Dias Xavier (0-0) vs Trent Jenkins (1-0)

Melton Bowen (0-0) vs Joe Charles (0-0)

 

* denotes a late replacement

[Corki]

December 1994

 

World News

- Fighter awards are released, and are as follow:

 

Fighter of the Year: Noboru Asahi

Company of the Year: Pancrase

Fight of the Year: Eldo Dias Xavier vs Trent Jenkins

Knockout of the Year: George Weingroff knocks out Katsuomi Inagaki

Show of the Year: Pancrase 10

Submission of the Year: Bas Rutten's Rear Naked Choke of Christophe Leninger (UFC 3)

Main Event of the Year: Manabu Yamada defeats Katsuomi Inagaki (Pancrase 6)

Rookie of the Year: Minoru Suzuki

Team of the Year: Gracie Jiu-Jitsu Academy (Notable Members: Rickson Gracie, Royce Gracie, Marco Ruas)

Upset of the Year: Noboru Asahi over Renzo Gracie at Pancrase 4

Worst Fight of the Year: Manabu Yamada defeats Minoru Suzuki at Pancrase 10

 

Pancrase News

- No news from the Japanese promotion this month

 

UFC News

- UFC 4: Revenge of the Warriors results are below

- Joe Charles injured his hand fighting at UFC 4

- UFC 5: Return of the Beast, announced for April 1995

 

UFC 4: Revenge of the Warriors Recap

 

Joe Charles (1-0) def. Melton Bowen (0-1) via Submission (Kimura) in 16:03; Charles forces Bowen to gas out and constantly applied pressure from the top position until he was able to secure the fight ending submission.

 

Eldo Dias Xavier (1-0) def. Trent Jenkins (1-1) via Submission (Rear Naked Choke) in 8:43; Xavier was almost finished early after a hard combo from Jenkins but he showed how durable he was as he fought his way to victory by way of submission.

 

Guy Mezger (1-0) def. Jason Fairn (0-1) via Technical Knockout (Strikes) in 39:05; Mezger and Fairn fought very hard, with Fairn out-striking Mezger 226-to-168, but a big knee strike and a few well-placed elbows would drop Fairn and he would find himself on the wrong end of some hard ground and pound before John McCarthy made the call.

 

Ali Gipson (1-0) def. Sean Daugherty (0-2) via Submission (Arm Triangle) in 17:26; Daugherty had Gipson badly hurt but he wasn't able to put him away, and after gassing himself out, he found himself choked out by the significantly stronger Gipson.

 

Ray Wizard (1-1) def. Robert Lucarelli (1-1) via Knockout (Punch) in 1:44; Wizard lands a hard straight right that leaves Lucarelli wobbly, and the swarm that followed would lead to Wizard scoring his first victory under the UFC banner.

 

Fabio Gurgel (3-1) def. Frank Hamaker (1-1) via Submission (Rear Naked Choke) in 14:36; Hamaker's ground game was just not good enough to defend against Gurgel's attacks, and he would eventually succumb to a tight rear naked choke.

 

Andy Anderson (1-0) def. Eugenio Tadeu (3-2) via Unanimous Decision after 60:00; a fairly boring fight, Anderson took Tadeu to the ground and basically smothered him, posturing up to land small shots and then returning to controlling the much smaller Tadeu. Not a very impressive performance by any stretch, but a victory is a victory.

 

Gerard Gordeau (2-1) def. Art Jimmerson (1-2) via Submission (Kimura) in 2:50; Gordeau's ground game continues to improve as he submits a very game Art Jimmerson, although the latter did look quite lost on the ground as per usual.

 

Ken Shamrock (6-1) def. Emmanuel Yarborough (1-1) via Submission (Triangle with Arm-Bar) in 1:29; Yarborough's size could not help him tonight as his quick takedown was countered by the much more technical Shamrock. Shamrock was quick to call for a fight with Gracie for the first ever UFC Heavyweight Championship, but we will have to wait and see if that will materialize.

 

Royce Gracie (4-0) def. Dan Severn (0-1) via Submission (Triangle) in 42:48; in what was Gracie's hardest fight to date, Severn pushed him to the limit with smothering top control, landing 179 strikes and defending four of Gracie's submission attempts. Unfortunately, Severn would eventually get caught in a triangle choke, but he does indeed have a bright future in the UFC and could possibly hand Gracie a loss if given another opportunity.

[Corki]

January 1995

 

World News

- Ron Van Clief retires at the age of 51, with a record of 1-1, both fights taking place in the UFC. His lone victory, a submission victory due to strikes against Steve Jennum was his most recent outing.

- George Weingroff retires at the age of 42, with a record of 3-4. Weingroff fought exclusively for Pancrase in his career, scoring big wins over Masakatsu Funaki & Katsuomi Inagaki, but dropping important fights to Oleg Taktarov & Marco Ruas. Weingroff also holds the record for most knockout victories in MMA history, with two. Weingroff also has a 100% success rate on takedowns.

- Keith Hackney leaves Marinobles after a dispute with Ali Gipson

 

Pancrase News

- Pancrase 12 results can be found below

- Vernon White sustained a hand injury in his fight at Pancrase 12

 

UFC News

- UFC 5 card coming together, officials making every effort to book Shamrock vs Gracie for main event, no word on any official booking as of yet

 

Pancrase 12 Recap

 

Richard Saar (2-0) def. Zane Frasier (1-2) via Technical Knockout (Strikes) in 1:35; Saar completely out-wrestles Zane Frasier, pounding him out after a lightning fast takedown to start the fight.

 

Rumina Sato (1-0) def. Minoki Ichihara (2-3) via Submission (Arm-Triangle) in 1:40; Sato's quick takedown at the beginning of the fight leads to him showing off his slick ground game as he quickly taps out the veteran Minoki Ichihara in his Pancrase debut.

 

Vernon White (3-5) def. Kazuo Takahashi (3-5) via Submission (Rear Naked Choke) in 7:49; White completely dominates Takahashi in this fight, blasting him with hard punches on the feet as well as on the mat as he softened his opponent up to leave him vulnerable for the rear naked choke.

 

Alex Cook (1-0) def. Jack McLaughlin (0-1) via Submission (Kimura) in 2:55; relentless takedown attempts from Cook lead to him taking this fight to the mat and scoring the quick submission against a clueless looking Jack McLaughlin.

 

Akihiro Gono (2-1) def. James Mathews (2-3) via Submission (Arm-Bar) in 2:25; Mathews was very disappointing in this match, offering almost no offense at all as Gono flowed over him with submission attempts. The quick arm-bar shoots Gono up the ladder as he looks for a shot at the title.

 

Jose Landi-Jons (2-3) def. Thaddeus Luster (0-3) via Submission (Rear Naked Choke) in 1:49; Landi-Jons finally gets back into the win column, snapping a three fight losing streak by submitting Thaddeus Luster. Contrary to the expectations, Landi-Jons shoots for the takedown early and uses his ground and pound to open Luster up to the submission.

 

Maurice Smith (2-1) def. Scott Sullivan (1-1) via Unanimous Decision after 15:00; Smith's jab was his best weapon this evening as he peppered Sullivan with it for the entirety of the match. He landed it a total of 137 times over the course of fifteen minutes en route to a decision victory.

 

Oleg Taktarov (5-2) def. George Weingroff (3-4) via Submission (Arm-Triangle) in 7:23; Taktarov returns to the win column after showing off some of his striking before scoring the submission victory against a much slower Weingroff than usual. Weingroff announces his retirement post-match, saying that he can no longer keep up at age 42.

 

Teila Tuli (4-1) def. Masakatsu Funaki (4-4) via Unanimous Decision after 15:00; another disappointing performance from Funaki, whom many had hoped would challenge for the title after a victory against Tuli. His lack of will to use his wrestling leads to him losing another striking contest as he was unable to hit Tuli with any hard enough shots to knock him off balance.

 

Manabu Yamada (12-4-2) def. Rickson Gracie (6-2) via Unanimous Decision after 30:00 to defend his King of Pancrase Championship; Yamada keeps the fight on the feet for the entirety of the 30:00, out-striking Rickson 317-to-84 over the course of the fight. Gracie made zero attempts to take the fight to the mat, a surprise to many in the arena, considering he was the favorite going into the fight. Another impressive defense for Yamada, who continues to defy the odds against contender after contender.

[Corki]

February 1995

 

World News

 

Pancrase News

- Pancrase 13 card fully announced

- Ryushi Yanagisawa is injured in training and pulls out of his match with Leon van Dijk, Rumina Sato to fill in

- Pancrase 14 card fully announced

 

Pancrase 13 Card

Manabu Yamada (12-4-2) © vs Teila Tuli (4-1) for the King of Pancrase Championship

Noboru Asahi (11-2-2) vs Nilson de Castro (4-0)

Renzo Gracie (4-1) vs Matt Hume (2-1)

Masakatsu Funaki (4-4) vs Jack McLaughlin (0-1)

Gregory Smit (1-1) vs Minoru Suzuki (4-2)

Enson Inoue (0-0) vs Larry Papadopoulos (0-0)

Frank Shamrock (0-0) vs Thomas Puckett (0-2)

Hans Nijman (0-0) vs Tsuyoshi Kohsaka (0-0)

Takafumi Ito (0-0) vs Takaku Fuke (2-3)

Leon van Dijk (0-0) vs Rumina Sato* (1-0)

 

Pancrase 14 Card

Maurice Smith (2-1) vs Oleg Taktarov (5-2)

Rickson Gracie (6-2) vs Minoki Ichihara (2-3)

Marco Ruas (3-1-1) vs Wallid Ismail (4-2)

Richard Saar (2-0) vs Murilo Bustamante (4-1)

Akihiro Gono (2-1) vs Jose Landi-Jons (2-3)

James Mathews (2-3) vs Alex Cook (1-0)

Tony Halme (0-0) vs Katsuomi Inagaki (3-4)

Amaury Bitetti (0-0) vs Remco Pardoel (1-2)

Pedro Otavio (0-0) vs Robert Bjornethun (1-2)

Christopher de Weaver (0-0) vs Toon Stelling (0-2)

 

UFC News

- UFC 5: Return of the Beast card booked, with the first ever UFC Superfight Championship on the line

- David Levicki pulls out of his fight with Jon Hess due to injury, replaced by Asbel Cancio

 

UFC 5: Return of the Beast Card

Royce Gracie (4-0) vs Ken Shamrock (6-1) for the UFC Superfight Championship

Dan Severn (0-1) vs Andy Anderson (1-0)

Patrick Smith (2-1) vs Kevin Rosier (1-1)

Jason DeLucia (1-1) vs Scott Morris (1-0)

Keith Hackney (0-1) vs Joe Son (0-0)

Anthony Macias (0-0) vs Kimo Leopoldo (0-1)

Harold Howard (1-0) vs Christophe Leninger (0-1)

Jon Hess (0-0) vs Asbel Cancio* (0-0)

Scott Baker (0-1) vs Felix Mitchell (0-1)

Guy Mezger (1-0) vs John Dowdy (0-0)

[Corki]

Pancrase 13 Recap

 

Rumina Sato (2-0) def. Leon van Dijk (0-1) via Submission (Arm-Bar) in 2:13; Sato pulls off a short notice victory as he submits Leon van Dijk with a very tight arm-bar in just over two minutes.

 

Takafumi Ito (1-0) def. Takaku Fuke (2-4) via Technical Knockout (Strikes) in 11:27; Takafumi Ito had zero for Fuke on the feet but he was able to bring the fight to the mat and get the finish that he desperately needed

 

Tsuyoshi Kohsaka (1-0) def. Hans Nijman (0-0) via Unanimous Decision after 15:00; Kohsaka dominates the fight from the clinch, landing knees and tight strikes in order to score a convincing unanimous decision victory.

 

Frank Shamrock (1-0) def. Thomas Puckett (0-3) via Submission (Arm Triangle) in 3:14; Shamrock impresses in his Pancrase debut, with a quick submission victory over a tough Thomas Puckett.

 

Enson Inoue (1-0) def. Larry Papadopoulos (0-1) via Unanimous Decision after 15:00; a rather uneventful fight, Enson out-struck Papadopoulos en route to a close decision victory.

 

Minoru Suzuki (5-2) def. Gregory Smit (1-2) via Unanimous Decision after 15:00; Suzuki out-strikes Smit 82-to-10 in a convincing victory that took place exclusively on the feet. Suzuki is evolving his game looking for another shot at the King of Pancrase championship.

 

Masakatsu Funaki (5-4) def. Jack McLaughlin (0-2) via Submission (Arm-Bar) in 2:16; Funaki gets back to what he does best, submission wrestling, as he quickly dispatches of McLaughlin who still looks no more comfortable on the ground than the last time.

 

Renzo Gracie (5-1) def. Matt Hume (2-2) via Submission (Arm-Triangle) in 3:42; Hume's grappling just isn't at the Gracie level yet, as Renzo shows him a few tricks on the mat before hitting the arm triangle for the win.

 

Nilson de Castro (5-0) def. Noboru Asahi (11-3-2) via Unanimous Decision after 15:00; de Castro out-strikes Asahi 54-to-16 on the feet as this match never hit the floor. A convincing decision victory like this could earn de Castro a shot at the King of Pancrase championship.

 

Manabu Yamada (13-4-2) def. Teila Tuli (4-2) via Submission (Arm-Bar) in 5:36 to defend his King of Pancrase Championship; Yamada's first finish in four fights, and only his second finish under the Pancrase banner, he thoroughly dominates Tuli on the ground until the latter gasses out and gives up the easy arm-bar.

[Steerpike]

Man, with Rutten off the table in Pancrase, Yamada is really scoring a living here. Also, I love that Tuli now is a serious MMA competitor, that is always the interesting bit about these things - seeing who "survives" compared to real life. The eventual Renzo Gracie/Yamada superfight is going to be awesome!

[Corki]

Man, with Rutten off the table in Pancrase, Yamada is really scoring a living here. Also, I love that Tuli now is a serious MMA competitor, that is always the interesting bit about these things - seeing who "survives" compared to real life. The eventual Renzo Gracie/Yamada superfight is going to be awesome!

 

I'm running both promotions and I accidentally delegated negotiations from the UFC to Rutten who was then signed on an exclusive contract >.< doh, guess I'll have to wait to let him run rampant through Pancrase, see if he can win the UFC Heavyweight Championship before he leaves though.

[Corki]

March 1995

 

World News

- No major events this month

 

Pancrase News

- Following his performance at Pancrase 13, Thomas Puckett has been released by the promotion

- Gregory Smit has been offered a contract extension

- Christopher de Weaver was forced out of his fight with Toon Stelling at Pancrase 14. The match will not be replaced, and Stelling will instead take a match at the upcoming Pancrase 15 card

 

UFC News

- Kimo Leopoldo forced out of fight with Anthony Macias at UFC 5, will be replaced by fellow newcomer Larry Cureton.

 

April 1995

 

World News

- Christophe Leninger retires at the age of 38 with a pro record of 0-2. His claim to fame were two losses to Bas Rutten & Harold Howard in the UFC.

- Former Lions Den member Vernon White is finding trouble everywhere he goes apparently, this time leaving Rhino Fight Team due to a disagreement with Maurice Smith.

 

Pancrase News

- Pancrase 14 results are in and in the section below

- Remco Pardoel has been released following his performance at Pancrase 14

- Full Pancrase 15 card announced, to be headlined by Manabu Yamada against Masakatsu Funaki

 

Pancrase 15 Card

Manabu Yamada (13-4-2) © vs Masakatsu Funaki (5-4) for the King of Pancrase Championship

Minoru Suzuki (5-2) vs Teila Tuli (4-2)

Rumina Sato (2-0) vs Renzo Gracie (5-1)

Frank Shamrock (1-0) vs Takafumi Ito (1-0)

Jorge Patino (0-0) vs Matt Hume (2-2)

Enson Inoue (1-0) vs John Renfroe (0-0)

Osami Shibuya (0-0) vs Scott Sullivan (1-1)

Thaddeus Luster (0-3) vs Ryushi Yanagisawa (2-4)

Toon Stelling (0-2) vs Cees Bezems (0-3)

Leon van Dijk (0-1) vs Jack McLaughlin (0-2)

 

UFC News

- UFC 5: Return of the Beast results are in and in the section below

- Ken Shamrock is currently renegotiating with the UFC

- UFC trying to plan UFC 6 for July, tentative main event between Bas Rutten & Gerard Gordeau scrapped due to Gordeau injury

 

UFC 5: Return of the Beast Recap

 

Anthony Macias (1-0) def. Larry Cureton (0-1) via Submission (Arm-Bar) in 9:49; Macias was getting lit up on his feet and made the smart decision to bring the fight to the mat where he was able to score a quick submission victory.

 

Asbel Cancio (1-0) def. Jon Hess (0-1) via Submission (Triangle with Arm-Bar) in 15:14; the two big men went to battle in a sloppy ground fight where Jon Hess spent the majority on top pummeling on the significantly smaller Asbel Cancio. Cancio managed to get the comeback win about halfway through the fight when he snatched up a tight triangle and finished it off with the arm-bar.

 

Guy Mezger (2-0) def. John Dowdy (0-1) via Technical Knockout (Strikes) in 2:17; a thorough beating courtesy of Mezger, he takes Dowdy down and pounds on him until the referee steps in.

 

Scott Baker (1-1) def. Felix Mitchell (0-2) via Submission (Arm-Bar) in 3:30; Baker puts on a solid performance as he executes his game plan flawlessly against a very confused Felix Mitchell.

 

Harold Howard (2-0) def. Christophe Leninger (0-2) via Technical Knockout (Strikes) in 0:50; Howard drops Leninger with a humongous right hand and that was all she wrote for Leninger, who decided to retire after two straight losses in under three minutes total.

 

Keith Hackney (1-1) def. Joe Son (0-1) via Submission (Kimura) in 29:49; the last minute finish for Keith Hackney who was almost the first person to let it go to the judges this evening. Hackney manages to dig deep to score the fight ending submission with just over ten seconds to go in a fight he was arguably losing.

 

Jason DeLucia (2-1) def. Scott Morris (1-1) via Knockout (Punch) in 3:37; DeLucia is very fluid in his striking this evening, barely getting tagged by the brawling tactics of Scott Morris. DeLucia scores a big knockout and calls out Fabio Gurgel for a fight at the next event.

 

Patrick Smith (3-1) def. Kevin Rosier (1-2) via Submission (Arm-Triangle) in 20:44; Smith out-works the scrappy Kevin Rosier, who eventually gassed out and was left vulnerable to a tight arm-triangle choke.

 

Dan Severn (1-1) def. Andy Anderson (1-1) via Technical Knockout (Strikes) in 2:01; a powerful slam from Severn started this match and from that point on Anderson had nothing for him. Severn shows that he is a serious competitor and that he is coming for that belt.

 

Royce Gracie (5-0) def. Ken Shamrock (6-2) via Submission (Rear Naked Choke) in 2:11 to win the first ever UFC Superfight Championship; Gracie shocks the world as he quickly dispatches of arguably his toughest challenge to date, the world's most dangerous man, Ken Shamrock. Shamrock was in danger from the start as Gracie quickly got top control and went for the kill.

 

Pancrase 14 Recap

 

Pedro Otavio (1-0) def. Robert Bjornethun (1-3) via Submission (Arm-Triangle) in 9:43; Otavio out-grapples Bjornethun en route to a very smooth submission victory against a very game opponent.

 

Amaury Bitetti (1-0) def. Remco Pardoel (1-3) via Submission (Knee-Bar) in 7:59; Bitetti outclasses Pardoel on the mat where he effortlessly locks in a knee-bar after struggling on the feet in the beginning.

 

Katsuomi Inagaki (4-4) def. Tony Halme (0-1) via Unanimous Decision after 15:00; Inagaki out-strikes Halme 329-to-94 in a fight that took exclusively on the feet. He shows off another aspect of his game while Halme completely looked out of his comfort zone from the start.

 

James Mathews (3-3) def. Alex Cook (1-1) via Knockout (Punch) in 3:42; Mathews blasts Cook with a huge right cross that puts him down for the count. Not a very close fight, Mathews was in control from the start.

 

Jose Landi-Jons (3-3) def. Akihiro Gono (2-2) via Split Decision after 15:00; a slight upset as Landi-Jons out-jabs Gono in a very uneventful fight.

 

Murilo Bustamante (5-1) def. Richard Saar (2-1) via Submission (Kimura) in 3:13; Bustamante shows that his grappling is on another level compared to Saar's as he takes him down and submits him with ease.

 

Marco Ruas (4-1-1) def. Wallid Ismail (4-3) via Unanimous Decision after 15:00; Ismail's third loss in a row, this was a wrestler versus striker match-up as Ismail fought hard to bring the fight to the mat while Ruas tried very hard to keep things on the feet.

 

Rickson Gracie (7-2) def. Minoki Ichihara (2-4) via Submission (Arm-Bar) in 1:40; another effortless win for Gracie, he's really pushing hard to get back in the title picture.

 

Oleg Taktarov (6-2) def. Maurice Smith (2-2) via Submission (Arm-Triangle) in 8:07; Smith was in trouble from the start as he was unable to defend the takedown, and Taktarov's top control was too much for the kickboxer as he would succumb to the choke in just under ten minutes.

[Corki]

May 1995

 

World News

- Roland Payne leaves Tulsa Top Team after a dispute with Teila Tuli

- James Mathews leaves Shooting Gym Yokohama following a dispute with former Pancrase fighter, Joop van de Ven

 

Pancrase News

- Pancrase 16 card was announced today

- Pancrase 15 results are in and in the section below

- Cees Bezems and Thaddeus Luster both released following Pancrase 15

 

Pancrase 16 Card

Ken Shamrock (6-2) vs Marco Ruas (4-1-1)

Nilson de Castro (5-0) vs Tsuyoshi Kohsaka (1-0)

Katsuomi Inagaki (4-4) vs Murilo Bustamante (5-1)

Maurice Smith (2-2) vs Tony Halme (0-1)

Jose Landi-Jons (3-3) vs Kazuo Takahashi (3-5)

Minoki Ichihara (2-4) vs Wallid Ismail (4-3)

Allan Goes (0-0) vs Larry Papadopoulos (0-1)

Amaury Bitetti (1-0) vs Pedro Otavio (1-0)

Art Jimmerson (1-2) vs Frank Lobman (0-0)

Alberto Cerra Leon (0-1) vs Noboru Asahi (11-3-2)

 

UFC News

- UFC has inked a deal with Oleg Taktarov for him to appear at UFC 6 against an unnamed opponent

- Gerard Gordeau has been cleared to compete at UFC 6, his match with Bas Rutten is back on

- UFC 6 card fully announced, to be headlined by Royce Gracie against Harold Howard for the UFC Superfight Championship

- Thaddeus Luster, Alberto Cerra Leon, Felix Mitchell, Fred Ettish, John Dowdy, Orlando Wiet, Sean Daugherty all cut by the UFC

- Harold Howard pulls out of UFC 6 bout with Royce Gracie, replaced by Patrick Smith

- With Patrick Smith out of bout with Ernie Verdicia, he is replaced by Robert Lucarelli

 

UFC 6 Card

Royce Gracie (5-0) © vs Patrick Smith (3-1)* for the UFC Superfight Championship

Bas Rutten (4-0) vs Gerard Gordeau (2-1)

Jason DeLucia (2-1) vs Guy Mezger (2-0)

Ali Gipson (1-0) vs Dan Severn (1-1)

David 'Tank' Abbott (0-0) vs David Levicki (0-1)

Joel Sutton (0-0) vs Todd Medina (0-0)

Rudyard Moncayo (0-0) vs Roland Payne (0-1)

Oleg Taktarov (6-2) vs Dave Beneteau (0-0)

Cal Worsham (0-0) vs Paul Varelans (0-0)

Ernie Verdicia (0-0) vs Robert Lucarelli (1-1)*

 

Pancrase 15 Recap

 

Jack McLaughlin (1-2) def. Leon van Dijk (0-2) via Technical Knockout (Strikes) in 9:03; as soon as McLaughlin got the takedown it was pretty much over, he got full mount and started to throw heavy shots until the referee pulled him off

 

Toon Stelling (1-2) def. Cees Bezems (0-4) via Knockout (Kick) in 9:21; Stelling scores a much needed win with a stellar head kick that will most likely send Bezems to the back of the unemployment line after his fourth straight defeat

 

Ryushi Yanagisawa (3-4) def. Thaddeus Luster (0-4) via Submission (Arm-Bar) in 1:34; Yanagisawa shows off his submission game as he also potentially sends Luster to the back of the unemployment line with his fourth consecutive loss

 

Scott Sullivan (2-1) def. Osami Shibuya (0-1) via Unanimous Decision after 15:00; despite not landing the lone takedown of the match, Sullivan managed to flip things around in a scramble and pounded away for the remainder of the match until the judges declared him the victor

 

Enson Inoue (2-0) def. John Renfroe (0-1) via Submission (Arm-Triangle) in 3:08; Inoue effortlessly scores the submission after a nice takedown to start the match. Renfroe just had nothing for him

 

Matt Hume (3-2) def. Jorge Patino (0-1) via Knockout (Punch) in 6:55; Hume shows excellent composure withstanding an early flurry from Patino to put the debuting fighter out cold with a clean right hook

 

Frank Shamrock (2-0) def. Takafumi Ito (1-1) via Submission (Guillotine Choke) in 0:59; Ito immediately shoots in for a takedown but leaves his neck exposed, almost begging Shamrock to slap on the choke

 

Renzo Gracie (6-1) def. Rumina Sato (2-1) via Unanimous Decision after 15:00; Gracie out-points Sato on the feet with some clean striking to stake his claim for a title shot in his next appearance

 

Teila Tuli (5-2) def. Minoru Suzuki (5-3) via Split Decision after 15:00; a very poor call on the judges, Tuli was taken down twice and beaten on for the bulk of the match, but in the final moments he managed to get back to his feet and control the fight in the clinch which would just edge the bout in his favor. A rematch is definitely in the cards at some point in the near future

 

Manabu Yamada (14-4-2) def. Masakatsu Funaki (5-5) via Unanimous Decision after 30:00 to defend his King of Pancrase Championship; Yamada improves to 8-0 with Pancrase using dominant top control to keep a tough wrestler on his back for the entirety of the match. Funaki seemed lost at times despite his credentials, and that would lead to him absorbing a lot of punishment on the bottom

[Corki]

June 1995

 

World News

- Richard Saar leaves Grabaka after a falling out with Masakatsu Funaki

 

Pancrase News

- Pancrase 17 card announced

- Pancrase 16 card goes down, the results are below

- Noboru Asahi sustained a hand injury in his fight against Alberto Cerra Leon

 

UFC News

- No news this month

 

Pancrase 17 Card

 

Manabu Yamada (14-4-2) © vs Renzo Gracie (6-1) for the King of Pancrase Championship

Rickson Gracie (7-2) vs Matt Hume (3-2)

Minoru Suzuki (5-3) vs Masakatsu Funaki (5-5)

Frank Shamrock (2-0) vs Enson Inoue (2-0)

Vernon White (3-5) vs Scott Sullivan (2-1)

Akihiro Gono (2-2) vs Richard Saar (2-1)

Gregory Smit (1-2) vs James Mathews (3-3)

Zane Frasier (1-2) vs Hans Nijman (0-1)

Emmanuel Yarborough (1-1) vs Christopher De Weaver (0-0)

Robert Bjornethun (1-3) vs Jeff Massagli (0-0)

 

Pancrase 16 Recap

 

Noboru Asahi (12-3-2) def. Alberto Cerra Leon (0-2) via Submission (Arm-Triangle) in 5:23; Asahi out-classes Leon on the mat, who was uncomfortable from the start against the much more experienced and composed hometown hero

 

Frank Lobman (1-0) def. Art Jimmerson (1-3) via Knockout (Kick) in 8:33; Lobman lands two nasty head kicks this evening, the last of which was the knockout blow in this exciting stand-up contest

 

Amaury Bitetti (2-0) def. Pedro Otavio (1-1) via Submission (Kimura) in 5:32; an exciting grappling match, Otavio scores the takedown but Bitetti would come out on top in the end as he hits a beautiful sweep before finishing it off with the Kimura

 

Allan Goes (1-0) def. Larry Papadopoulos (0-2) via Submission (Arm-Bar) in 5:51; Goes makes it look easy as he quickly brings the Australian to the mat to finish him with a nasty looking arm-bar

 

Wallid Ismail (5-3) def. Minoki Ichihara (2-5) via Submission (Kimura) in 2:09; Ismail wins when it matters and Ichihara loses for the third time in a row, it's hard to see the latter sticking around after this performance

 

Jose Landi-Jons (4-3) def. Kazuo Takahashi (3-6) via Submission (Arm-Triangle) in 9:24; Takahashi is out-struck and out-grappled in this contest, and it's hard to see him sticking around after his third loss in a row as well, considering it's also his fifth loss in seven fights. Pélé, on the other hand, is undefeated in his last three and is making a title run look likely

 

Maurice Smith (3-2) def. Tony Halme (0-2) via Knockout (Punch) in 3:35; Smith out-strikes Halme in this short fight, varying his offense with kicks & punches before putting the lights out in just under four minutes

 

Murilo Bustamante (6-1) def. Katsuomi Inagaki (4-5) via Submission (Arm-Bar) in 12:15; Bustamante is also making a serious case for a title shot after another submission victory, his fourth with the company. One more win and Murilo could find himself in the main event

 

Nilson de Castro (6-0) def. Tsuyoshi Kohsaka (1-1) via Unanimous Decision after 15:00; despite everyone else's title hopes, de Castro may have the most claim to a title shot in the entire company. After a dominant, striking based victory over hometown hero Kohsaka, it's very likely that he is the next one to fight for the belt after Renzo Gracie

 

Marco Ruas (5-1-1) def. Ken Shamrock (6-3) via Unanimous Decision after 15:00; Ruas & Shamrock fight it out everywhere in this main event. Although Shamrock had top control for a short amount of time, Ruas' striking game was on point this evening as he picked the bigger Shamrock apart until the final bell. With a performance like that, it's arguable that he may get the nod over de Castro for a shot at the belt.