Sunday, August 30, 2009
Liveblog: Carmine Zocchi's New School
Local jiu-jitsu black belt Carmine Zocchi opened a new school today in Ridgewood, Queens, and MMA Journalist was on hand to snap a couple pics and listen to some tales from Carmine's early days training under Marcelo Mello. Apparently back then it was commonplace for Mello to field challenges from streetfighting or karate yahoos who were unaware that grappling was an essential part of fighting, so Carmine was his inadvertant enforcer, injecting jiu-jitsu into fistfights while honing his craft. It is of course a kinder, gentler jiu-jitsu now, with Carmine playing the role of teacher and his new digs here in Ridgewood serving as the BAMA FightNight and ROC vet's homebase. Incidently, there appears to be a boxing/kickboxing gym downstairs, so his facilty has it all.
Saturday, August 29, 2009
With UFC 102 Win, Minotauro Hopes To Finally Move Out Of Labyrinth
To most, tonight's UFC 102 match-up between Randy "The Natural" Couture and Antonio Rodrigo "Minotauro" Nogueira may at best be fan candy and at worst be past-its-prime matchmaking, but to the Brazilian with the head of a bull and the body of a man, the bout means a lot more. Consigned to living in a labyrinth in his South American homeland, Minotauro hopes a victory over Couture will provide him with enough money to finally move into better living quarters, like perhaps an apartment over a grocery store or into someone's unused garage. "I really don't eat virgins anymore," said Minotauro. "Plus, living in a labyrinth... that's very difficult. You cannot get comfortable. Where is the bathroom? Where is the kitchen? I wake up in the middle of the night to use the toilet or get a snack from the refrigerator and I end up lost for hours." According to oddsmakers, Minotauro may have his work cut out for him when he tangles with the Natural. But tall odds or not, for the sake of new digs, the Brazilian is going to do his best.
Thursday, August 27, 2009
Liveblog: Fedor at TSMMA Manhattan
MMA Journalist is here at the Tiger Schulmann's MMA school in Manhattan, waiting patiently for some Russian dude named Fedor who is scheduled to visit the facility. For those who don't know, TSMMA is an organization encompassing 48 schools in New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, Pennsylvania and Florida, and their fight team is a key player in the Northeast MMA circuit. Their star player is Lyman Good, who won Bellator FC's welterweight tournament on ESPN Deportes; Good is actually here now teaching a grappling class (there are three classes being taught simultaneously - this place is huge). Anyway, Fedor is due to arrive in a few minutes. I asked if Fedor's visit is an indication that we'll see some TSMMA fighters in Strikeforce soon, maybe at an East Coast Strikeforce installment, but the folks here are feigning ignorance. Hmmmm...
Fedor To Appear At Manhattan TSMMA School Today
Yeah, so MMA Journalist missed the Fedor press conference yesterday at the Fighthouse where it was announced the Russian deity would be facing Brett Rogers at some upcoming Strikeforce show. However, Fedor is still in town, and will apparently be making an appearance at the Manhattan Tiger Schulmann's Mixed Martial Arts school tonight at 6:15. The school is at 39 West 19th Street, and as this won't create any conflicts with my day job, I will definitely be there to snap some pics this time. Woot!
Wednesday, August 26, 2009
Predictions for UFC 102: "Senior Citizen Throwdown"
UFC 102 is this Saturday, and the event is headlined by a match-up between 46-year-old wonder Randy Couture and 33-year-old Brazilian senior citizen Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira. Why is this bout happening? Hell, if the IFL could bring back every "name" fighter from yester-year and squeeze some viewers out of them, why can't the UFC? Anyway, predictions:
- Brandon Vera against Krzysztof Soszynski? Please, God, let the man with the pronounceable name win. Please.
- Whether he's juiced up to the gills or not, Chris Leben should have no trouble knocking Jake "I Shoot In For Takedowns Without Protecting My Head" Rosholt unconscious.
- In the battle between Nate Marquardt and Demian Maia, hopefully the jiu-jitsu master Maia wins. Why? Because we've already seen Anderson Silva destroy Marquardt. If Silva's going to destroy everyone in the UFC, the roster is deep enough for him to go through the list once before wrecking those who want seconds.
- Keith Jardine is still around? Boy, that guy gets like zero push from his employers. I thought he'd left to join the French Foreign Legion or something.
- Couture is one battered individual, while Nogueira is crumbling before our very eyes. Expect "The Natural" to clobber "Minotauro", then leave the Octagon abruptly to make the early bird special at the Excalibur buffet.
Tuesday, August 25, 2009
WEC 43 Postponed After Realization That No One In Ohio Cares About WEC 43
WEC 43: "Cerrone vs. Henderson", which was slated for September 2nd in Youngstown, Ohio, has been rescheduled for October 10th at a new, soon-to-be finalized location. The move comes with the sudden realization by Zuffa that no one in Ohio actually cares about headliners Donald Cerrone and Benson Henderson, nor any of the other little guys populating the card, as evidenced by dismal ticket sales and zero media interest. "Yeah, they don't appreciate us there so screw 'em," said a source within the WEC organization. "We're going to go where we always sell out - like the Munchkin Land Amphitheater or the Leprechaun Stadium in Ireland."
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)