Saturday, July 17, 2010
Liveblog: Take On Muay Thai Part 3
Tourny bout #3 is Sheldon Gaines of MTA facing Strout Fight Team's Turan Hasanov. Yikes. Gaines comes out moving at about three speeds faster than Hasanov, and wastes no time blooding him and laying into his ribs with knees. Showing a lot of heart, Hasanov comes out in Round 2 and keeps working, eventually catching Gaines in a corner and showering him with fists. Gaines survives, though, and it's a scrap in the final frame that has both men hurting the other. In the end, the majority decision goes to Hasanov. Last of the quarterfinal tournament bouts and it's Bellmore Kickboxing's Terrence Hill against Gabriel Varga of Varga Muay Thai. If there's one thing a Bellmore Kickboxing rep knows, it's how to throw a punch, and Hill comes out a starts lighting up Varga like a Christmas tree. But Varga sports a height advantage, which he uses to repeatedly clinch and throw Hill to the canvas. Round 2 sees Varga land more kicks and open a cut over Hill's eye with another trip to the floor. The final round is brutal - neither man is keen on slowing down and they simply tear into each other. When time runs out, Hill is awarded the unanimous decision, which doesn't sit well with the crowd despite Hill being a local guy. Oh well. Never leave it in the hands of the judges. Anyhow, Varga talks a stroll around the ring and gets an ovation, so that's got to count for something. Next up is a non-tournament bout between Aby Rulloda of World Team USA and Sitan's Peelo Deonarain. Deonarain starts off chasing Rulloda and walking into punches, and that behind continues into Round 2, with Rulloda feeding her the same right cross over and over again. To her credit, Deonarain never goes down, but she never stops that cross from tagging her, and when the final bell sounds Rulloda is given the unanimous decision.
Liveblog: Take On Muay Thai Part 2
UFC pioneer Guy Mezger is here, relaxing in a VIP couch. Meanwhile, the venue has filled up nicely. The first bout of evening is upon us, and it's a female pairing between Sitan's Jessica Ng and Chok Sabai's Sylvie von Duuglas-Ittu. Round 1 sees Duuglas-Ittu walking forward and throwing leather at her opponent's head and Ng kicking her body like it was a banana bag. They continue battering each other in the second round, and Duuglas-Ittu times a couple right crosses that catch Ng off balance and put her on her butt. The pace barely slows in Round 3, and though Ng gets some good licks in, it isn't enough to sway the judges. Duuglas-Ittu takes the unanimous decision. Next is the first bout of the tournament, and it's Marc Deluca of Pittsburgh Muay Thai against Omar Ahmed of Sitan. From the outset it's clear these guys ascribe to the "stand and bang" school of combat, as they take positions about an inch out of each other's range and pick at any openings with an assortment of attacks. Ahmed lands more and lands harder in the first, and keeps the pressure up in the second. Sensing he's behind on the scorecards, Deluca attempts to turn Round 3 into a boxing match - but Ahmed gets the better of him there, and when time runs out the Sitan fighter is awarded the unanimous decision. Tournament bout number two and it's Vishnu Gulati of World Team USA vs. Kevin Molina of Molina MMA. Almost zero combos are thrown in the first round, but as the individual kicks go, Gulati seems to land the more effective ones. I guess in between rounds these guys ingest some TNT in their corners, as they beging exploding in Round 2, going from stationary to a blur and back to stationary. It's hard to gauge who takes Rounds 2 and 3, as both throw wildly and miss wildly, but the judges come to their inevitable conclusion, giving the unanimous decision to Gulati.
Liveblog: Take On Muay Thai Part 1
MMA Journalist is here in Flushing Chinatown for Take-On Productions' eight-man Muay Thai tournament, which, as the winner must win three times tonight, will certainly crown the baddest stand-up fighter in town. Some of the best kickboxing camps are being represented here, including Sitan Gym, 5 Points Academy, Bellmore Kickboxing and MAS Thai Boxing. Even Team Renzo has someone competing - although it's likely going to get awkward when homeboy goes for his first takedown.
Friday, July 16, 2010
July 2010 Women's Independent World MMA Rankings
The June 2010 Women's Independent World MMA Rankings have been released. These rankings are independent of any single MMA media outlet or sanctioning body, and are published on multiple web sites, as well as http://www.independentworldmmarankings.com/.
The members of the voting panel for the Women's Independent World MMA Rankings are, in alphabetical order: Nicholas Bailey (MMA Ratings); Jim Genia (Full Contact Fighter and MMA Journalist Blog); Yael Grauer (MMA HQ); Jesse Holland (MMA Mania); Robert Joyner (Freelance); Zac Robinson (Sports by the Numbers MMA); Leland Roling (Bloody Elbow); Michael David Smith (AOL Fanhouse); Joshua Stein (MMA Opinion); and Ivan Trembow (Freelance).
The members of the voting panel for the Women's Independent World MMA Rankings are, in alphabetical order: Nicholas Bailey (MMA Ratings); Jim Genia (Full Contact Fighter and MMA Journalist Blog); Yael Grauer (MMA HQ); Jesse Holland (MMA Mania); Robert Joyner (Freelance); Zac Robinson (Sports by the Numbers MMA); Leland Roling (Bloody Elbow); Michael David Smith (AOL Fanhouse); Joshua Stein (MMA Opinion); and Ivan Trembow (Freelance).
July 2010 Women's Independent World MMA Rankings
Ballots collected on July 13, 2010
Featherweight Rankings (136 to 145 lbs.)
1. Cristiane "Cyborg" Santos (10-1)
2. Marloes Coenen (17-4)
3. Gina Carano (7-1)
4. Yuko "Hiroko" Yamanaka (9-1-1)
5. Cindy Dandois (4-0)
6. Shana Olsen (4-0)
7. Amanda Nunes (5-1)
8. Jamie Seaton (2-1)
9. Emily Thompson (3-2)
10. Hitomi Akano (15-7)
Bantamweight Rankings (126 to 135 lbs.)
1. Sarah Kaufman (11-0)
2. Roxanne Modafferi (15-5)
3. Tara LaRosa (18-2)
4. Hitomi Akano (15-7)
5. Shayna Baszler (12-6)
6. Takayo Hashi (12-2)
7. Miesha Tate (9-2)
8. Julie Kedzie (14-8)
9. Jennifer Tate (6-1)
10. Vanessa Porto (10-4)
Flyweight Rankings (116 to 125 lbs.)
1. Tara LaRosa (18-2)
2. Aisling Daly (9-0)
3. Zoila Frausto (7-1)
4. Rosi Sexton (10-2)
5. Rin Nakai (7-0)
6. Sally Krumdiack (8-3)
7. Lena Ovchynnikova (6-0)
8. Megumi Fujii (20-0)
9. Monica Lovato (5-1)
10. Jeri Sitzes (3-1)
Junior Flyweight Rankings (106 to 115 lbs.)
1. Megumi Fujii (20-0)
2. Yuka Tsuji (22-2)
3. Lisa Ward (13-5)
4. Mei "V Hajime" Yamaguchi (6-2)
5. Jessica Pene (7-0)
6. Jessica Aguilar (8-3)
7. Kyoko Takabayashi (11-4)
8. Angela Magana (8-4)
9. Saori Ishioka (8-4)
10. Emi Fujino (8-4)
The Women's Independent World MMA Rankings are tabulated and published
on a monthly basis, with fighters receiving ten points for a
first-place vote, nine points for a second-place vote, and so on.
The rankings are based purely on the votes of the members of the
voting panel, with nobody's vote counting more than anybody else's
vote, and no computerized voting.
The voters are instructed to vote primarily based on fighters' actual
accomplishments in the cage/ring (the quality of opposition that
they've actually beaten), not based on a broad, subjective perception
of which fighters would theoretically win hypothetical match-ups.
Inactivity: Fighters who have not fought in the past 12 months are not
eligible to be ranked, and will regain their eligibility the next time
they fight.
Disciplinary Suspensions: Fighters who are currently serving
disciplinary suspensions, or who have been denied a license for drug
test or disciplinary reasons, are not eligible to be ranked.
Changing Weight Classes: When a fighter announces that she is leaving
one weight class in order to fight in another weight class, the
fighter is not eligible to be ranked in the new weight class until her
first fight in the new weight class has taken place.
Catch Weight Fights: When fights are contested at weights that are in
between the limits of the various weight classes, they are considered
to be in the higher weight class. The weight limits for each weight
class are listed at the top of the rankings for each weight class.
on a monthly basis, with fighters receiving ten points for a
first-place vote, nine points for a second-place vote, and so on.
The rankings are based purely on the votes of the members of the
voting panel, with nobody's vote counting more than anybody else's
vote, and no computerized voting.
The voters are instructed to vote primarily based on fighters' actual
accomplishments in the cage/ring (the quality of opposition that
they've actually beaten), not based on a broad, subjective perception
of which fighters would theoretically win hypothetical match-ups.
Inactivity: Fighters who have not fought in the past 12 months are not
eligible to be ranked, and will regain their eligibility the next time
they fight.
Disciplinary Suspensions: Fighters who are currently serving
disciplinary suspensions, or who have been denied a license for drug
test or disciplinary reasons, are not eligible to be ranked.
Changing Weight Classes: When a fighter announces that she is leaving
one weight class in order to fight in another weight class, the
fighter is not eligible to be ranked in the new weight class until her
first fight in the new weight class has taken place.
Catch Weight Fights: When fights are contested at weights that are in
between the limits of the various weight classes, they are considered
to be in the higher weight class. The weight limits for each weight
class are listed at the top of the rankings for each weight class.
Special thanks to Eric Kamander, Joshua Stein and Yael Grauer for their invaluable help with this project, and special thanks to Garrett Bailey for designing our logo.
Thursday, July 15, 2010
Mitch the Intern Tackles the Headlines
(Editor's note: Mitch the Intern is an NYU undergrad who loves surfing the various MMA websites while sniffing glue. Please don't judge him.)
Woo! Somehow, the statistically improbable has happened. This week there are no UFCs on pay-per-view, SpikeTV or Versus, there's no Strikeforces on CBS or Showtime, and there's no Bellators on Nickelodeon or PBS or whatever channel it's usually on. In other words, no news! But fear not, for your dear friend Mitch has combed the Internet for some worthy headlines to bite, chew on, swallow and vomit up.
Woo! Somehow, the statistically improbable has happened. This week there are no UFCs on pay-per-view, SpikeTV or Versus, there's no Strikeforces on CBS or Showtime, and there's no Bellators on Nickelodeon or PBS or whatever channel it's usually on. In other words, no news! But fear not, for your dear friend Mitch has combed the Internet for some worthy headlines to bite, chew on, swallow and vomit up.
- "UFC Champs Georges St. Pierre and Frankie Edgar Fail to Win ESP Awards" - Really? There's awards for that? And isn't it sort of good that St. Pierre and Edgar didn't win them? I mean, being two of the best fighters in the world is one thing, but being a badass telepath or clairvoyant on top of that would be way too much. They'd be, like, superheroes or something.
- "Tim Kennedy to Face Ronaldo 'Jacare' Souza for Strikeforce Middleweight Title" - Stop me if I'm wrong, but an eight-man tournament to crown a 185-pound champ should involve more than two people. Right? I think Scott Coker needs some serious math tutoring.
- "Upcoming Bellator and Strikeforce Tournaments to Feature Every Female That's Ever Fought MMA Anywhere" - Uh, yay? Maybe? I kid. I love female MMA bouts. But it's really unfair when they make all those women fight that Cyborg dude.
- "WEC Champ Jose Aldo to Defend Belt Against Manny Gamburyan" - "Do you know who I am, bro?" Oops, sorry. Wrong short, hairy Armenian.
- "Shinya Aoki Defeats Tatsuya Kawajiri at DREAM 15 with Vicious Submission" - You know, these Japanese fighters are really good at kicking each other's asses. Too bad their best guys get crushed when they compete against Americans here in the States.
- "M-1 Global Closes Offices in Wake of Fedor Loss" - Seriously, was Fedor's win bonus supposed to go towards rent? Are they living paycheck to paycheck or something? I can see it now: Vadim Finkelstein is going to make Fedor wait tables for extra dough.
Tuesday, July 13, 2010
Requiem for a News Outlet
Mixed martial arts is a harsh business, and if you don’t believe that, just ask any fighter trying to earn a paycheck before his body crumbles. But the harshness of the sport extends in other directions, too, like to promoters struggling to make a buck, to clothing lines unable to make sponsorship payments, and even to news outlets. Last summer Full Contact Fighter magazine – the longest-running MMA publication around – ceased operations and went web-only as a news source. Now, even that’s done, and its name joins the ignominious ranks of magazines, newspapers and websites that were but are no more. Hey, I smell a list dead news outlets coming on. Do you?
- Full Contact Fighter – FCF was one of the first publications on MMA, and for a while it was the only offering around. Practically every scribe in the industry penned articles for the magazine, including Eddie Goldman, Josh Gross and Aaron Crecy, and the company’s well-branded clothing line was a constant presence in the Octagon. Unfortunately, just as the Internet has struck a blow to all print media in the real world (do you know how many people have been laid off at the New York Times? A frickin’ lot!), so too has the web hurt MMA’s hardcopy media. After all, who wants to buy a monthly magazine when all the fight info they could possibly need has been available on a frequently-updated website since a few weeks ago? The answer is “not enough people to make it worth it”. The FCF gear and apparel outfit continues on, but as of right now, the organization that was often the only place to read detailed Shooto, Jungle Fights or Ring of Combat write-ups from ringside reporters in Japan, Brazil and New Jersey, is out of the news business.
- Ultimate Athlete – Once upon a time a company called Zuffa bought a floundering promotion called the Ultimate Fighting Championship. This sudden infusion of cash made everyone crazy. Hence, the birth of Ultimate Athlete magazine, which endeavored to provide glossy coverage to this “new” sport on the cusp of an explosion in popularity. Sadly, that explosion didn’t come until 2005, when “The Ultimate Fighter” hit the airwaves. By then, the well had run dry, and Ultimate Athlete was dead.
- Fight Sport – Like Ultimate Athlete, Black Belt Magazine breathed deep the scent of money and got excited, so they responded by tacking on a small section in their monthly magazine dealing solely with mixed martial arts. This eventually grew into its own magazine, first helmed by Stephen Quadros, then by Josh Gross. But alas, unlike traditional martial arts stylists – who fear keyboards and don’t mind their news coming once a month – the fans of MMA are too Internet savvy and impatient. Thus, Fight Sport suffered a deadly Dim Mak blow to the accounting ledger, and it died alone in the woods.
- FightWorld.com - Back in the day (i.e., when SEG owned the UFC and it was nigh-impossible to find out results from smaller shows), the website FightWorld.com was the shiznit. Also the shiznit: their video magazines, which were behind-the-scenes footage and interviews in an era long before anyone did those. Sadly, FightWorld.com stopped doing news over a year ago, and now it’s some sort of link dump. *Sigh*.
Monday, July 12, 2010
Dan Severn Seminar at Ultimate Karate
Dan "the Beast" Severn - one of MMA's first UFC competitors and a pioneer in the sport - will be conducting a seminar at the Ultimate Karate USA school in Spanish Harlem on July 19th. Why would a school named Ultimate Karate USA be interested in an MMA seminar? Well, for your information, the dojo has a cage, and they've had a ton of solid fighters compete in New York City's underground circuit over the past few years. So put that in your pipe and smoke it. The address is 1950 Third Avenue (at 107th Street), and the seminar is from 7pm to 9:30pm. Topics to be covered include "Taking Your Shirt Off and Wiping Your Underarms With It" and "Releasing the Beast".
Eight-Man Muay Thai Tournament in Flushing on Saturday
Eddie Cuello of Take-On Productions has put together another Muay Thai card in Flushing's Chinatown, this one featuring a one-night eight-man tournament stacked with representatives from such venerable kickboxing establishments as Sitan Gym, Bellmore Kickboxing and Borodins, among others. An eight-man tournament! Remember those? I think the last one that went down in New York City was one of the late Gene Fabrikant's Russian-nightclub specials in Brooklyn years ago. Anyway, the fists and shins will be flying this Saturday night, and expect MMA Journalist to provide the livebloggery.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)