Royce Gracie wants one more crack at Matt Hughes
With the MMA community’s focus planted squarely on Brazil for the UFC’s historic return this weekend to the sport’s birthplace, one of the men who helped bring Mixed Martial Arts to mainstream attention is speaking out in hopes of possibly reeling in the one that got away at some point in the near future. Royce Gracie, who opened the world’s eyes by winning three of the UFC’s first... [Read More...]
“The 5 OZ Submission: Ultimate Gracie” Winner
Though May 1 will go down in history for reasons entirely unrelated to Mixed Martial Arts based on the long due removal of Osama Bin Laden from this planet, yesterday also marked the anniversary of one of the most important events since the sport was conceived – Royce Gracie’s epic 90 minute encounter with Kazushi Sakuraba on a PRIDE card in 2000. In conjunction with the date’s significance,... [Read More...]
The 5 OZ Submission: Ultimate Gracie
While the MMA world may have its collective sights set squarely on Toronto for the fervor surrounding UFC 129, the day after Georges St. Pierre’s title defense against Jake Shields actually marks an important anniversary for many fans of the sport. Eleven years ago, on May 1, 2000, legendary submission specialist Royce Gracie went to war against Japanese icon Kazushi Sakuraba in PRIDE for ninety... [Read More...]
Dana White shrugs off talk of Royce Gracie on August card
If UFC Hall of Fame member Royce Gracie is negotiating a return to the UFC in late summer when the organization heads to Brazil for UFC Rio it’s apparently news to Dana White. In fact, the thought of the Gracie in the cage after a four-year break from competition isn’t one the UFC President is even interested in seeing come to fruition under his company’s banner. White clarified the UFC’s position... [Read More...]
Grappling with Issues – 12/24/10
Did Anthony Pettis‘ performance against Ben Henderson change your mind in regards to potentially beating Frank Edgar or Gray Maynard? Will Donald Cerrone, Kamal Shalorus, or Shane Roller find the most success now that the trio of WEC 155ers has joined the UFC’s ranks?What was your favorite moment in WEC history? If Royce Gracie fights for the UFC again when the company ventures to Brazil... [Read More...]
Royce Gracie looking to fight in 2011 at UFC event in Brazil
As reported, Dana White took the podium at a press conference in Rio de Janeiro this past week to discuss the UFC heading back to Brazil after a thirteen-year absence from the South American hub. However, while the UFC President was flanked by a number of fighters calling the Octagon home, one man stood out from the rest both in terms of the current status of his career and historical impact on the... [Read More...]
Royce Gracie to appear in UFC’s new video game
Mixed martial arts legend and UFC 1 winner Royce Gracie will be appearing as a character in the UFC’s upcoming video game release with THQ entitled “UFC 2009: Undisputed.” UFC President Dana White revealed the news during a special Q&A session this past Tuesday at the Sports USA Bar in Fort Bragg, North Carolina. White made the revelation in response to a question from a fan who... [Read More...]
Who put the hallucinogens in the DREAM kool-aid?
The power of nostalgia is an amazing thing. So powerful that it can make an average product appear to be much more than it really is so long that it offers a few elements that take you back to a time of greatness. In the past 12 hours I’ve received a lot of e-mails, IMs, and phone calls that pretty much go like this: “Did you watch DREAM!? Man, how great was that?” Great!? Wow, since... [Read More...]
Aoki still in DREAM lightweight grand prix
There has been much speculation in regards to whether or not Shinya Aoki will be able to continue in the DREAM lightweight grand prix due to injuries sustained during his two bouts with Gesias Calvancante. Today, according to Sherdog, DREAM announced that Aoki will continue on in the tournament but that his second round bout against Katsuhiko Nagata will not take place at DREAM 3 with the other lightweight... [Read More...]
DREAM loses network TV deal
That’s the word according to Jordan Breen over at Sherdog. TBS is now scheduled to air the forthcoming April 29 Dream card on a week’s tape delay in heavily edited one-hour installments. The broadcasts will air both in afternoon and after-midnight timeslots. However, future Dream events will air live on SkyPerfecTV pay-per-view. The announcement is in no way a death knell for the revamped... [Read More...]
Kang vs. Mousasi set for DREAM 2 on April 29
Denis Kang is set to return to the ring at DREAM 2 during the first round of promotion’s middleweight Grand Prix on April 29, according to Mike Russell of The Fight Network. Russell is reporting that Kang’s opponent will be Armenian striking specialist Gegard Mousasi. Kang has not fought since suffering an upset loss to Yoshihiro Akiyama last October during a K-1 HERO’s card in South... [Read More...]
DREAM announces second round matchups for lightweight Grand Prix; JZ and Aoki to rematch
DREAM officially announced the second round matchups for their lightweight tournament at DREAM 3 as well as a rematch between Gesias “JZ” Calvancante and Shinya Aoki to take place at DREAM 2 just two weeks prior to DREAM 3. The first fight between the two was ruled a no contest after JZ allegedly landed illegal elbows to the back of Aoki’s head/neck area. Upon review of the replay... [Read More...]
Cro Cop vs Mizuno (fight video): DREAM 1
This clip is from last week’s DREAM event in Japan. Mirko Cro Cop aggressively beats down the lesser skilled Mizuno inside a minute of Rd 1. It’s a 3 minute vid, the action gets going at about the one minute mark. Full DREAM fight results here. Read More →
Fight Entertainment Group and HDNet nearing television deal
According to Sherdog.com, Fight Entertainment Group is close to inking a television deal with HDNet. The deal, which could come into effect as soon as next week, will be for six Dream events with their first event, which took place earlier today, being shown on a delayed broadcast. Sherdog was informed of the pending deal by FEGUSA director, Mike Kogan who stated that future broadcasts, beginning... [Read More...]
Saturday MMA Tripleheader (updated)
Saturday should be a busy day for me. I’ve got a fantasy baseball auction and then a ton of MMA to watch. Should be fun. Here’s the run down of the Tripleheader of MMA events planned for tomorrow. SATURDAY: DREAM 1 at 3 p.m. (local time in Japan) This weekend marks the debut of DREAM, a collaborative effort between K-1 HERO’s and former staff members of PRIDE. The debut event will... [Read More...]
“Cro Cop” to fight Tatsuya Mizuno at Dream 1
Mirko “Cro Cop” Filipovic finally has an official opponent for March 15th’s Dream 1. Pancrase veteran, Tatsuya Mizuno has been named as Cro Cop’s opponent on Dream’s official website. A number of opponents have been rumored as potential opponents for Filipovic including, “Mighty Mo” Siala Siliga, Dong Sik Yoon, and most recently Yoshihiro Nakao. Mizuno has... [Read More...]
Report: Mirko Cro Cop vs. Yoshihiro Nakao added to March 15 DREAM card
The website NOKAUT.com is reporting that Mirko Cro Cop revealed earlier today that he has been added to DREAM’s debut card on March 15 in a bout against Yoshihiro Nakao. “A little over an hour ago I was contacted by DREAM officials,” NOKAUT quoted Cro Cop as saying on the website MMA-ID.com. “They informed me that my opponent on March 15 will be Yoshihiro Nakao from Japan. It... [Read More...]
Matt Lindland could be headed to DREAM
According to Denis Kang in an article by The Fight Network, the word making the rounds is that former UFC middleweight Matt Lindland is on the verge of signing with Japanese-based promotion DREAM, a collaboration between FEG and former staff members of PRIDE: “I want to win the grand prix,” Kang said. “Now they’ve got Akiyama, [Melvin] Manhoef, [Zelg] Galesic, [Kazushi] Sakuraba, Dong Sik Yoon... [Read More...]
PRIDE 2.0
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Report: New promotion in Japan announced at press conference; Mirko Cro Cop officially done with the UFC
Dave Meltzer of the Wrestling Observer is reporting that a press conference was held Wednesday at the Hotel Metropolitan in Tokyo to formally announce the formation of a new promotion featuring the former staff of PRIDE working in conjunction with FEG/K-1. The name of the new promotion is expected to be “Dream,” although no mention of the promotion’s name is mentioned in Meltzer’s... [Read More...]
