MMA World Championships

[Scottie]

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ALPHA-1 and GAMMA to launch cross-promotional "World Championships"
Monday, August 02, 1999
by Tom Bradburn (tbradburn@blurcat.com)

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A showdown between James Foster and Hassan Fezzik could finally be a possibility following shocking news that the Global Association of Mixed Martial Arts and ALPHA-1 will co-promote a heavyweight World Championship commencing next year. In a historic announcement in Las Vegas, executives from the rival companies came together in a stunning announcement that will see top talent from the American and Japanese promotion alike clash over the next two years.

Typically outspoken, GAMMA President Matt Tripp opened proceedings by saying that this was likely the biggest news in MMA history and created a unique opportunity for martial arts fans all over the world to see the finest fighters do battle. "You always hear rumblings that fans aren't going to see the best fighters go against each other, so this might be a chance to rectify that," Tripp told reporters. "Man, we've got some of the best fighters and they've got some of the best fighters. MMA is truly global and we want the world to be focussed on this sport. GAMMA has some of the best damn fighters in the world, and we know how ALPHA-1 have some of the best fighters in the world and I'm sure there's guys out there no one has heard of who have game. We want to give fans the chance to see the best heavyweights around the world collide no matter what record or experience."

In contrast to the loud Tripp, ALPHA-1 President Meiji Nishimura was more reserved but promoted what a world championship would mean for fighters. "These men will be able [to] test themselves against the very best fighters in the world, and this can only be good for them and the fans," Nishimura said. "It will also give a chance for some less known fighters to gain international recognition and to give Japanese fans a wider knowledge of fighters who are fighting in the United States."

Tripp was keeping mom over the format of the championships, but noted that any fighters would be decided by national federations. "This is a global event, man. GAMMA and ALPHA-1 will promote it, but we won't be the ones deciding who fights. That's the national federations' job," he said. "We wouldn't be entering into this arrangement if we didn't think that there was huge rewards for both of us for going through with it."

The most curious news to come out of the afternoon was the announcement of little known Japanese businessman Akinari Maekawa as the President of the MMA World Championships '00-01 organising committee. With Tripp and Nishimura still running the GAMMA and ALPHA-1 empires respectively, Maekawa was appointed as a sort of intermediary between the two promotions. "He is a very sound businessman and a very appropriate person for the job," ALPHA-1 owner Ietsuna Hisamatsu said of Maekawa. "We considered him the best choice to operate the joint venture in both Japan and the United States. He has extensive experience in both regions."

Maekawa noted that fighters would not just be limited to GAMMA and ALPHA-1 employees. "It is my understanding that whilst they will all be made available for the Championships, we will seek some of the best fighters not currently contracted to either organisation. This will give it a true international feel," Maekawa said.

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Left to Right: Mark Wallace (GAMMA Owner), Matt Tripp (GAMMA President), Akinari Maekawa (MMA Championships President), Meiji Nishimura (ALPHA-1 President), Ietsuna Hisamatsu (ALPHA-1 Owner).

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Fezzik "very interested" in representing Turkey
Friday, August 13, 1999
by Alex Emerson (editor@blurcat.com)

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33-year old Hassan Fezzik (25-0, 16-0 ALPHA-1) is the biggest name to express his interest in representing his country at the MMA World Championships this year after telling Blurcat he would be "honoured" to test himself against the best the world has to offer. The Turkish heavyweight, who last weekend made his fifth defence of the ALPHA-1 Heavyweight Title with a first round knockout of American Jeff Carlton (31-7, 11-2 ALPHA-1), said he would seriously consider joining the growing list of fighters who have contacted their national federations.

"I'm not exactly sure of the format, but I would be very interested in competing," Fezzik told Blurcat on our last radio show. "I have said from the start I am only interested in fighting the best, and this gives me ample opportunity to do so."

Fluent in three languages, Fezzik...


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Sarkisian, Tamura confirmed for Championships appearance
Thursday, September 16, 1999
by Alex Emerson (editor@blurcat.com)

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Armenia's Armen Sarkisian (13-0) and Japan's Ikuhisa Tamura (20-8) have been confirmed as representatives for their respective countries at next year's MMA World Championships joining the likes of Renato, Carter Potter and Fatuma Roy to have been nominated by national power brokers. Sarkisian and Tamura, both contracted to the European SIGMA promotion, will be allowed to compete at the World Championships in return for compensation to the SIGMA for their absence. After news emerged earlier this month that 32 fighters will compete in the Championships beginning next February, Armenia have been granted automatic acceptance as one of the eighteen European nations who will be competing. Japan, meanwhile, will also be granted automatic acceptance due to their status as a host nation...


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Foster still unsure of Championships appearance
Friday, October 15, 1999
by Gavin Banks (gbanks@blurcat.com)

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February's MMA World Championships are still without an American representative, and remain so for the time being with news that James Foster (31-4-1, 14-2 GAMMA) is still undecided whether he will compete. In an interview with Blurcat radio, Foster said he was focussing on his Oct. 29 Heavyweight Title rematch with Tim Boyer (19-2-2, 11-1 GAMMA) and would make any decision on the event after that date.

"[GAMMA fighters] aren't being pushed into anything we don't want to do, so I'm still weighing up my options," Foster said when asked whether he'd compete. "It is obviously a massive opportunity for all MMA fighters, but I've got to focus on my title fight in a couple of weeks. I don't think Boyer has decided whether he'll compete for Canada either, so I think it is a case of how we pull up after our fight on October 29."

Foster's reluctance comes as a bitter body blow after the good news that the likes of Henrik Berg (19-14), Maarten de Vries (13-4) and Stafford Alois (25-8) have been nominated by Norway, the Netherlands and England respectively...


I tried to be as simple as I could for those unfamiliar with the CornellVerse - and even those who are familiar won't know some of these names. My database is extensively modified so some fighters will be at different weight classes than what they originally were at.

[Scottie]

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www.mmaworldchamps.com > Press Releases > 22 December, 1999

MMA World Championships field announced
The field of 32 fighters for next year's MMA World Championships has been released today on www.mmaworldchamps.com following last week's announcement of the structure of the championships. The 32 competitors will be split into eight groups of four, with the top two qualifiers from each group advancing to a straight knock out stage. In 2000, eight cards will be broadcast right throughout the world live on pay-per-view with the top sixteen meeting to start off 2001. Each fighter will fight at a minimum three fights and for the duration of their contracts will be precluded from fighting elsewhere. If for any reason a fighter is unavailable to compete, they will be replaced by a nominated fighter from their country or, if that is not possible, an alternate from their confederation. The draw will be streamed live next Friday on www.mmaworldchamps.com where we will be joined by MMA legends Dan Halvorsen, Go Yamamoto and Garth Ward!

AFRICA

<table border="1" bordercolor="#c0c0c0" cellpadding="4"><tbody><tr><td>http://i389.photobucket.com/albums/oo332/cricketwebtennis/WMMA/World%20Champs/MpeleloMubeto.jpg</td><td align="center">"Colonel" Mpelelo Mubeto
London Combat League - Cape Town, South Africa - 24 years - 6 ft 6 in - 265 lbs - Kick Boxing - MMA Record: 5-1

The 6'6" South African is a good striker with an absurd reach that has earned him a 5-1 record in small African and British shows. "Colonel" Mubeto, as he prefers to be known, is a kick boxer by trade but has taken up jiu jitsu in the past couple of years. He's not quite yet developed the game to really match it against some of the fine submission artists here, but he holds the advantage of largely being unknown after not competing for any major promotion worldwide. His only career loss came in the United Kingdom by unanimous decision where reports suggest he struggled against a strong English grappler.

Achievements:
n/a

Notable wins:
n/a

Notable losses:
n/a
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ASIA

<table border="1" bordercolor="#c0c0c0" cellpadding="4"><tbody><tr><td>http://i389.photobucket.com/albums/oo332/cricketwebtennis/WMMA/World%20Champs/AdrianSwall.jpg</td><td align="center">Adrian "The Missing Link" Swall
Sydney Combat League - Marble Bar, Australia - 29 years - 6 ft 1 in - 221 lbs - Boxing/Wrestling - MMA Record: 3-0

One of the smaller fighters in the Championships, Aussie grappler Adrian Swall needs a good draw if he is to make it through the group stage. A late-comer to MMA, the inexperienced Swall must find a way to keep fights standing as he has key deficiencies on the ground. Swall makes up for his lack of size with insane strength from his background in Australian strongman competitions, and possesses heavy hands and a strong chin.

Achievements:
Australia's Strongest Man - 1994

Notable wins:
n/a

Notable losses:
n/a
</td></tr><tr><td style="">http://i389.photobucket.com/albums/oo332/cricketwebtennis/WMMA/World%20Champs/ImranAli.jpg</td><td style="" align="center">Imran Ali
Kadeno de Mano Fighting Circuit - Jakarta, Indonesia - 26 years - 5 ft 9 in - 265 lbs - Tapak Suci - MMA Record: 15-2

The shortest fighter in the field and perhaps the fattest looking, the Tapak Suci practitioner is a very experienced Indonesian giant with an immensely dangerous style. While he has not yet put himself to the test outside of the archipelago, those who have watched him fight say he is a dangerous opponent. With the odd exhibition fight for the Kadeno de Mano Fighting Circuit under his belt, Ali has finished all fifteen of his fights but has obvious issues with his chin after two knockout defeats. His lack of conditioning could play a part in longer fights, particularly if his early flurries don't come off. Despite his size, Ali is surprisingly limber and capable of explosiveness to catch opponents off guard.

Achievements:
n/a

Notable wins:
n/a

Notable losses:
n/a</td></tr><tr><td valign="center">http://i389.photobucket.com/albums/oo332/cricketwebtennis/WMMA/World%20Champs/IkuhisaTamura.jpg</td><td align="center" valign="center">Ikuhisa Tamura
Signature Martial Arts - Hiroshima, Japan - 31 years - 6 ft 8 in - 265 lbs - Kame-Sennin Ryu - MMA Record: 20-8

Tamura was one of the most surprising choices to represent his country, but it is a reflection on the current dearth of Japanese heavyweights. The most surprising part is that Tamura doesn't fight for ALPHA-1 any more after moving to SIGMA last year after building a 4-2 record in his home country. Tamura has transitioned from an average grappler to a dangerous boxer due to his work with Top Team Japan. No longer affiliated with Top Team, Tamura looms as a bit of an unknown here after spending time away from the public eye and competitive fights.

Achievements:
Ranked #3 at Super Heavyweight

Notable wins:
- vs. Manol Sirakov - Win via decision (unanimous) - ALPHA-1 - February 22, 1997

Notable losses:
- vs. Gunnar Nilsson - Loss via decision (unanimous) - ALPHA-1 - August 14, 1998
- vs. Gary Sampson - Loss via TKO - ALPHA-1 - January 2, 1999
</td></tr><tr><td style="">http://i389.photobucket.com/albums/oo332/cricketwebtennis/WMMA/World%20Champs/Shin-WookMoon.jpg</td><td style="" align="center">"Bulletproof" Moon Shin-Wook
KoreaMMA - Seoul, South Korea - 24 years - 6 ft 3 in - 255 lbs - GongKwon Yusul - MMA Record: 2-0-1

A black belt in the rapidly growing Korean martial art of GongKwon Yusul, Moon is a fighter whom the majority of the fighters in the field would have little idea about. Moon is very green with just three fights under his belt, but is of a good size and manages to cover a lot of his weaknesses very well. If he can get himself the right opponent, Moon will likely develop a big fanbase due to his high tempo style but might struggle to adapt to the wide variety of styles that will present themselves. Whispers from South Korea suggest his chin is suspect, but it has yet to be tested in competition.

Achievements:
Black belt in GongKwon Yusul

Notable wins:
n/a

Notable losses:
n/a</td></tr><tr><td valign="center">http://i389.photobucket.com/albums/oo332/cricketwebtennis/WMMA/World%20Champs/KhruDuangjan.jpg</td><td align="center" valign="center"> <table border="1" bordercolor="#c0c0c0" cellpadding="4"><tbody><tr></tr><tr><td style="" align="center">"The Bringer of Pain" Khru Duangjan
ALPHA-1: Japanese Full Contact Combat - Bangkok, Thailand - 33 years - 6 ft 2 in - 237 lbs - Thai Boxing - MMA Record: 14-2

Undoubtedly one of the most aggressive fighters in the field, Duangjan makes up for his short stature with an unrelentingly physical style. The Thai fighter seeks to overwhelm opponents with an initial assault and possesses what has been called the best chin in the world - famously shown as he survived strikes from Chuck Dooley that would have knocked a lesser man out. Whilst he can defend against submissions well, some of the bigger fighters might be tempted to lay and pray against him as he is largely toothless off his back. Just don't tell him that while he's standing.

Achievements:
WBC Heavyweight Interim World Muay Thai Champion

Notable wins:
- vs. Chuck Dooley - Win via decision (unanimous) - ALPHA-1 - October 31, 1998
- vs. Gunnar Nilsson - Win via KO (punches) - ALPHA-1 - August 14, 1999

Notable losses:
- vs. Bryan van den Hauwe - Loss via decision (unanimous) - Independent show - November 7, 1997
</td> </tr> </tbody></table></td></tr></tbody></table><table border="1" bordercolor="#c0c0c0" cellpadding="4"><tbody><tr></tr></tbody></table>
BRITISH ISLES

<table border="1" bordercolor="#c0c0c0" cellpadding="4"><tbody><tr><td>http://i389.photobucket.com/albums/oo332/cricketwebtennis/WMMA/World%20Champs/StaffordAlois.jpg</td><td align="center">"The Brixton Butcher" Stafford Alois
British Cage Fighting - Brixton, England - 35 years - 6 ft 4 in - 260 lbs - Kick Boxing - MMA Record: 26-8

Beating out other talented veterans for the English spot, Alois is the reigning BCF Heavyweight Champion. The 35-year old will be a real test for any one game to stand and trade with him, but his real weakness has always been his ground game and a lacking sprawl. With some high quality wrestlers in the draw, the powerful kick boxer might find himself in some trouble to advance past the group stages. He will be hoping to show the world he has improved since his disastrous spells in ALPHA-1 and GAMMA in previous years.

Achievements:
2 x British Cage Fighting Heavyweight Champion
1992 MMA Observer Rookie of the Year

Notable wins:
- vs. Graham Goodbody - Win via KO (head kick) - BCF - December 20, 1998
- vs. Vic Timms - Win via TKO (punches and knees) - BCF - September 25, 1999

Notable losses:
- vs. Hassan Fezzik - Loss via KO (punch) - ALPHA-1 - December 17, 1994
- vs. Norbert Vinkus - Loss via TKO (punches) - GAMMA - August 22, 1997
</td></tr><tr><td style="">http://i389.photobucket.com/albums/oo332/cricketwebtennis/WMMA/World%20Champs/GrahamGoodbody.jpg</td><td style="" align="center">Graham "The Man Mountain" Goodbody
Signature Martial Arts - Cardiff, Wales - 38 years - 6 ft 4 in - 265 lbs - Welsh Kung Fu - MMA Record: 19-9

As the grand old man of Welsh MMA, "The Man Mountain"'s surname might seem a bit oxymoronic these days, but time has taken its toll on the Kung Fu fighter. In recent years injuries have reduced his mobility considerably, but he remains a consistent striker with a passable game on the ground when on top. He has a tendency to get caught flat-footed too often and can be taken down by a strong enough opponent, and from there it is pretty much goodnight nurse as years of neglect of any form of submission defence leaves him very vulnerable to top quality jiu jitsu practitioners. He insists on punishing fans by walking out to his fights to Carl Douglas' "Kung Fu Fighting".

Achievements:
First BCF Heavyweight Champion
1995 MMA Observer Rise of the Year

Notable wins:
- vs. George Laurent - Win via decision (split) - BCF - December 30, 1995

Notable losses:
- vs. Stafford Alois - Loss via KO (head kick) - BCF - December 20, 1998
- vs. Grant Shodwart - Loss via KO (punch) - BCF - July 24, 1999
</td></tr><tr><td style="">http://i389.photobucket.com/albums/oo332/cricketwebtennis/WMMA/World%20Champs/CurtKitson.jpg</td><td style="" align="center"><table border="1" bordercolor="#c0c0c0" cellpadding="4"><tbody><tr></tr><tr><td style="" align="center">"The Bad Element" Curt Kitson
British Cage Fighting - Cardiff, Wales - 38 years - 6 ft 4 in - 222 lbs - Mixed Martial Arts - MMA Record: 19-3

Scotland's Curt Kitson is an extremely dedicated mixed martial artist who has cross-trained across various disciplines from a young age. A real wildcard in this arena due to his ability to adapt - something that will be very important with the broad range of opponents he's likely to face. With an extensive background in judo, sambo and boxing, Kitson is an extremely dangerous opponent who has continued to add strings to his bow with jiu jitsu training over the past two years. He's a warrior by nature, and with no real weakness he will be a rigourous test for almost every fighter he comes across.

Achievements:
n/a

Notable wins:
- vs. Claude Lerond - Win via submission (armbar) - Independent show - October 15, 1996

Notable losses:
- vs. Jeff Carlton - Loss via TKO (punches) - ALPHA-1 - August 8, 1998
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EUROPE

<table border="1" bordercolor="#c0c0c0" cellpadding="4"><tbody><tr><td>http://i389.photobucket.com/albums/oo332/cricketwebtennis/WMMA/World%20Champs/StjepanAndric.jpg</td><td align="center">Stjepan "The Mammoth" Andric
Signature Martial Arts - Zadar, Croatia - 32 years - 6 ft 4 in - 265 lbs - Wrestling - MMA Record: 12-3

One of the biggest men in the field, Stjepan Andric will make the cut from a comfortable 280 lbs to the 265 lbs limit. It might be difficult for the Croat who relies heavily on his size and strength to dominate opponents with his wrestling, but he should enjoy a significant size advantage over some of the lighter fighters. At 32 years of age, Andric will be hoping to use this chance to earn a chance in the big leagues and will have his fingers crossed for a generous group.

Achievements:
n/a

Notable wins:
- vs. Bence Bodor - Win by submission (strikes) - Zagreb Ultimate Fighting - August 11, 1995
- vs. Stanislaw Lipnicki - Win by decision (unanimous) - SIGMA - October 9, 1999

Notable losses:
- vs. Mugur Boc - Loss via submission (armbar) - WFC Poland - June 19, 1998
</td></tr><tr><td style="">http://i389.photobucket.com/albums/oo332/cricketwebtennis/WMMA/World%20Champs/MugurBoc.jpg</td><td style="" align="center">"The Crusher" Mugur Boc
Signature Martial Arts - Tighina, Moldova - 30 years - 6 ft 5 in - 262 lbs - Moldovan Wrestling - MMA Record: 6-0

30-year old Mugur Boc looms as one of the unknown quantities in the field and a real threat to anyone who underestimates him. With only six professional fights under his belt, Boc might be considered inexperienced were it not for his status as a Moldovan wrestling champion. Boc is one of the top wrestlers in the field but his striking is underrated and should not be ignored by opponents. They would be forgiven, though, for focussing on countering his submission game which has earned him five first round victories.

Achievements:
n/a

Notable wins:
- vs. Stjepan Andric - Win via submission (armbar) - WFC Poland - June 19, 1998

Notable losses:
n/a</td></tr><tr><td valign="center">http://i389.photobucket.com/albums/oo332/cricketwebtennis/WMMA/World%20Champs/GrzegorzBoniek.jpg</td><td align="center" valign="center">"Polish Power" Grzegorz Boniek
ALPHA-1: Japanese Full Contact Combat - Warsaw, Poland - 33 years - 6 ft 4 in - 242 lbs - Polish Sambo - MMA Record: 33-4

"Polish Power" is one of the most experienced fighters in the Championship with 37 professional fights under his belt. With most of his fights coming in Europe, Boniek has amassed a 9-0 record inside ALPHA-1 and one would expect is in line for a shot at Fezzik down the line. He'll hope to enhance his credentials here with grappling ability that is perhaps only matched by the likes of Foster and Fezzik.

Achievements:
Last ECF (European Cage Fighting) Heavyweight Champion

Notable wins:
- vs. Manol Sirakov - Win via submission (rear naked choke) - ECF - November 31, 1996
- vs. Harry Milne - Win via decision (unanimous) - ALPHA-1 - October 31, 1997
- vs. Ichisake Miyagi - Win via decision (unanimous) - ALPHA-1 - June 13, 1998
- vs. Carter Potter - Win via decision (unanimous) - ALPHA-1 - December 26, 1999

Notable losses:
n/a</td></tr><tr><td valign="center">http://i389.photobucket.com/albums/oo332/cricketwebtennis/WMMA/World%20Champs/MaartendeVries.jpg</td><td align="center" valign="center">"The Executioner" Maarten de Vries
Global Association of Mixed Martial Arts - Amsterdam, The Netherlands - 31 years - 5 ft 11 in - 215 lbs - de Vries Kung-Fu - MMA Record: 13-4

An extremely popular heavyweight, de Vries is one of the shorter fighters in the draw and the lightest. The Dutchman is arguably the fittest fighter in the heavyweight division and has an unrelenting standup game which sees him try to overwhelm opponents. He's always been questionable on his back, and against some of the larger fighters in the field he could be overpowered. His best chance is to keep opponents out of range with the most fearsome kicks in the Championships.

Achievements:
SIGMA Heavyweight Champion

Notable wins:
- vs. Claude Lerond - Win by TKO (punches) - SIGMA - December 12, 1997
- vs. Tim Boyer - Win by KO (punch) - GAMMA - June 27, 1998

Notable losses:
- vs. James Foster - Loss by TKO (elbows) - GAMMA - February 20, 1998
</td></tr><tr><td valign="center">http://i389.photobucket.com/albums/oo332/cricketwebtennis/WMMA/World%20Champs/HassanFezzik.jpg</td><td align="center" valign="center">"The Big Bad" Hassan Fezzik
ALPHA-1: Japanese Full Contact Combat - Istanbul, Turkey - 33 years - 6 ft 4 in - 250 lbs - Sambo - MMA Record: 25-0

The greatest fighter in the history of mixed martial arts, "Big Bad" Hassan Fezzik is the bookies' favourite to win gold at the World Championships. Without a loss in 25 professional fights, Fezzik is a two-time ALPHA-1 Heavyweight Champion and has rarely been troubled against anything Japan has been able to throw at him. A world-class submission artist, dangerous striker and quality wrestler, Fezzik might be perfect and a potential showdown with James Foster could be the biggest fight in the history of mixed martial arts.

Achievements:
1993-95 European Combat Sambo Championships - Gold Medal
Moscow MMA Openweight Champion
2 x ALPHA-1 Heavyweight Champion

Notable wins:
- vs. Manol Sirakov - Win via decision (unanimous) - ALPHA-1 - September 24, 1994
- vs. Stafford Alois - Win via KO (punch) - ALPHA-1 - December 17, 1994
- vs. Mark Cohen - Win via TKO (punches) - ALPHA-1 - March 18, 1995
- vs. Gunnar Nilsson - Win via decision (unanimous) - ALPHA-1 - December 7, 1996
- vs. Gunnar Nilsson - Win via submission (armbar) - ALPHA-1 - March 8, 1997
- vs. Rick Stanley - Win via submission (rear naked choke) - ALPHA-1 - January 17, 1998
- vs. Gunnar Nilsson - Win via TKO (punches) - ALPHA-1 - November 21, 1998
- vs. Carter Potter - Win via submission (kneebar) - ALPHA-1 - June 12, 1999
- vs. Jeff Carlton - Win via KO (punch) - ALPHA-1 - August 7, 1999

Notable losses:
n/a</td></tr><tr><td valign="center">http://i389.photobucket.com/albums/oo332/cricketwebtennis/WMMA/World%20Champs/AleksanderIvanov.jpg</td><td align="center" valign="center">"The Great Bear" Aleksander Ivanov
Signature Martial Arts - Moscow, Russia - 22 years - 6 ft 2 in - 262 lbs - Sambo - MMA Record: 3-0

At 22 years of age, Aleksander Ivanov has been hyped as the next big thing in MMA. With superb wrestling credentials and a potent boxing pedigree, it is hardly surprising Russian fans are excited about Ivanov's future. There is a question mark over his physique which is not quite as well defined as many others in his weight class, but he seems to do alright even as fights go past the ten minute mark. He's still very young and raw, but if he can overcome his nerves at being in the company of the likes of Foster, Fezzik and Boniek - MMA legends - he might be a very difficult nut to crack.

Achievements:
n/a

Notable wins:
- vs. Phil Verdigree - Win by TKO (punches) - SIGMA - October 9, 1999

Notable losses:
n/a</td></tr><tr><td valign="center">http://i389.photobucket.com/albums/oo332/cricketwebtennis/WMMA/World%20Champs/AlekosKarabatsos.jpg</td><td align="center" valign="center">Alekos "Killer" Karabatsos
Fighting Alliance: Germany - Athens, Greece - 29 years - 5 ft 11 in - 218 lbs - Greek Wrestling - MMA Record: 12-4

A natural light heavyweight, Karabatsos was happy to step up to around 220 lbs to represent Greece on such a big stage. He has a good chin and a solid ground game, but ordinarily looks soft around the middle even at 205 lbs. That isn't likely to improve as he fights at a heavier weight, but he's a dangerous striker and has a flexible game plan to allow him to make a seamless step up in weight classes.

Achievements:
n/a

Notable wins:
n/a

Notable losses:
n/a</td></tr><tr><td valign="center">http://i389.photobucket.com/albums/oo332/cricketwebtennis/WMMA/World%20Champs/ClaudeLerond.jpg</td><td align="center" valign="center">"The Bastard" Claude Lerond
Fighting Alliance: France - Paris, France - 39 years - 6 ft 2 in - 236 lbs - Boxing/Wrestling - MMA Record: 19-12

Another veteran of MMA, Claude Lerond does not have a record that necessarily reflects his ability. Famous for hibernating for long periods after fighting a string of fights in succession, Lerond is a dangerous ground and pound fighter with distinct weaknesses. His takedowns do not have the explosiveness they once did when he earned a short deal with GAMMA back in 1996, but he has a strong chin and great resilience which may allow him to snatch a win.

Achievements:
1 x SIGMA Heavyweight Champion

Notable wins:
n/a

Notable losses:
- vs. Curt Kitson - Loss via submission (armbar) - Independent show - October 15, 1996</td></tr><tr><td valign="center">http://i389.photobucket.com/albums/oo332/cricketwebtennis/WMMA/World%20Champs/NoahMusch.jpg</td><td align="center" valign="center">Noah "The Colonel" Musch
Fighting Alliance: Germany - Stuttgart, Germany - 41 years - 6 ft 1 in - 232 lbs - Karate - MMA Record: 28-17

A karate black belt, Musch was one of the earliest converts to MMA and enjoyed early success. Since then, though, he's been overtaken by a generation of fighters with all-round games specialised for MMA. Musch hasn't added strings to his bow, but surprisingly earned the German spot with a couple of victories in national qualifying. He prefers to stand and trade, and if he cops a bad draw against any wrestler he'll likely be carved up in quick time. This is a field he looks out of place in.

Achievements:
n/a

Notable wins:
n/a

Notable losses:
n/a</td></tr><tr><td valign="center">http://i389.photobucket.com/albums/oo332/cricketwebtennis/WMMA/World%20Champs/GunnarNilsson.jpg</td><td align="center" valign="center">"The Swedish Superman" Gunnar Nilsson
ALPHA-1: Japanese Full Contact Combat - Gothenburg, Sweden - 38 years - 6 ft 5 in - 265 lbs - Pit Fighting - MMA Record: 42-9

One of the early MMA stars, Nilsson has finally settled in Japan after fighting extensively through Europe and Australasia. For over fifty fights he's adopted the same style of trying to grind out his opponents with wrestling and dangerous ground strikes. Now 38, Nilsson has lost his youthful energy and his once infallible chin is starting to show signs of deteriorating - two KO losses in his past five fights testament to this. Nevertheless, he's one of the most respected names in MMA and the simple fact of fighting "The Swedish Superman" remains a mental block too great for many fighters to overcome.

Achievements:
n/a

Notable wins:
- vs. Jimmy Stonor - Win via submission (neck crank) - Independent Australian Show - March 20, 1994
- vs. Bence Bodor - Win via submission (guillotine choke) - ALPHA-1 - January 18, 1997
- vs. Ikuhisa Tamura - Win via decision (unanimous) - ALPHA-1 - August 14, 1998
- vs. Gary Sampson - Win via decision (unanimous) - ALPHA-1 - January 2, 1999

Notable losses:
- vs. Hassan Fezzik - Loss via decision (unanimous) - ALPHA-1 - December 7, 1996
- vs. Hassan Fezzik - Loss via submission (armbar) - ALPHA-1 - March 8, 1997
- vs. Hassan Fezzik - Loss via TKO (punches) - ALPHA-1 - November 21, 1998
- vs. Khru Duangjan - Loss via KO (punches) - ALPHA-1 - August 14, 1999
</td></tr><tr><td style="">http://i389.photobucket.com/albums/oo332/cricketwebtennis/WMMA/World%20Champs/AriPeltonen.jpg</td><td style="" align="center">Ari "The Finn-isher" Peltonen
Signature Martial Arts - Helsinki, Finland - 33 years - 6 ft 2 in - 242 lbs - Sambo - MMA Record: 22-7

After years of plying his trade on smaller shows right throughout the world, SIGMA became the first of the big three promotions to give him a chance with a four-fight deal. He's started strongly with two victories and was a monty for Finland's entry. He's a solid all rounder with good grappling and striking credentials and can hang with the best, but there's little chance of him seriously challenging. Could be a dark horse for an appearance in the later rounds.

Achievements:
n/a

Notable wins:
n/a

Notable losses:
n/a</td></tr><tr><td style="">http://i389.photobucket.com/albums/oo332/cricketwebtennis/WMMA/World%20Champs/ArmenSarkisian.jpg</td><td style="" align="center">Armen "A-Game" Sarkisian
Signature Martial Arts - Artashat, Armenia - 32 years - 6 ft 6 in - 265 lbs - Kokh - MMA Record: 13-0

Armenia's Sarkisian remains an unknown quantity to the American and Japanese audiences, but European audiences will be very familiar with him due to his stint with SIGMA. A high quality practitioner of the Armenian Kokh style of wrestling, Sarkisian poses a very real threat to every fighter in the draw. His wrestling ability is top class, and he has dangerous hands and an underrated submission game. He might find it difficult at a lower weight class, but he does not need to cut a huge amount of weight and will remain a real fright for opponents who have yet to witness his fierce power.

Achievements:
1994-1996, 1998 Armenian Kokh National Champion

Notable wins:
n/a

Notable losses:
n/a</td></tr><tr><td style="">http://i389.photobucket.com/albums/oo332/cricketwebtennis/WMMA/World%20Champs/ManolSirakov.jpg</td><td style="" align="center">Manol "The Smasher" Sirakov
Signature Martial Arts - Sofia, Bulgaria - 46 years - 6 ft 3 in - 265 lbs - Kokh - MMA Record: 64-33

Some have expressed their surprise at the big Bulgarian Manol Sirakov being allowed entry into the draw, but at 46 years of age his pedigree as a martial artist is undoubted. One of the first stars of MMA, Sirakov relied upon huge hands and power that saw him win third in the 1985 World's Strongest Man competition. As the first ALPHA-1 Heavyweight Champion, Sirakov now relies on name value to headline small independent shows. Provided he remains fit, he'll bring up his 100th fight in the group stage but he's unlikely to go further. The cynic in me suggests that his inclusion is purely to show just how far MMA has come since Sirakov's debut and since he last fought a top quality opponent.

Achievements:
n/a

Notable wins:
n/a

Notable losses:
- vs. Hassan Fezzik - Loss via decision (unanimous) - ALPHA-1 - September 24, 1994
- vs. Grzegorz Boniek - Loss via submission (rear naked choke) - ECF - November 31, 1996
- vs. Ikuhisa Tamura via decision (unanimous) - ALPHA-1 - February 22, 1997
</td></tr></tbody></table>

NORTH AMERICA

<table border="1" bordercolor="#c0c0c0" cellpadding="4"><tbody><tr><td>http://i389.photobucket.com/albums/oo332/cricketwebtennis/WMMA/World%20Champs/TimBoyer.jpg</td><td align="center">"The Tower of Power" Tim Boyer
Global Association of Mixed Martial Arts - Toronto, Ontario, Canada - 33 years - 6 ft 7 in - 265 lbs - Pit Fighting - MMA Record: 19-3-2

The "Tower of Power" picked up the biggest win of his MMA career in 1999 as he knocked out James Foster with a head kick heard around the world to claim the GAMMA Heavyweight title. Foster claimed it nine months late in October in a dominant decision, but Boyer remains a threat to any one on his day. Possibly the best pure striker in the Championships, Boyer is notoriously hard to takedown. If he can avoid injuries and being exploited by some of the dangerous submission artists over the next two years, he could be a dark horse to take out the gold medal.

Achievements:
1 x GAMMA Heavyweight Champion

Notable wins:
- vs. Palmer Lette - Win via TKO (punches) - GAMMA - July 26, 1997
- vs. Chuck Dooley - Win via KO (head kick) - GAMMA - August 29, 1998
- vs. James Foster - Win via KO (head kick) - GAMMA - January 16, 1999

Notable losses:
- vs. Maarten de Vries - Loss by KO (punch) - GAMMA - June 27, 1998
- vs. James Foster - Loss via decision (unanimous) - GAMMA - October 29, 1999
</td></tr><tr><td style="">http://i389.photobucket.com/albums/oo332/cricketwebtennis/WMMA/World%20Champs/JamesFoster.jpg</td><td style="" align="center">"The King of Ground and Pound" James Foster
Global Association of Mixed Martial Arts - Aurora, Illinois, United States - 32 years - 6 ft 2 in - 230 lbs - Boxing/Wrestling - MMA Record: 32-4-1

The poster boy of American MMA, James Foster is a former Olympian and arguably the greatest American mixed martial artist in history. While he is criticised by many as being too one-dimensional, Foster has remained extremely popular and a marketing dream for GAMMA executives. After a stunning loss to Tim Boyer last year, many questioned Foster's chin before he bounced back with wins over Norbert Vinkus and Boyer to regain the GAMMA Heavyweight crown. The best chance of beating Foster is by either cracking his submission defence of trying to pick him apart on his feet. None of those options are easy against a fighter of his callibre.

Achievements:
Member of the 1992 US Olympic Wrestling team
3 x GAMMA Heavyweight Champion

Notable wins:
- vs. George Laurent - Win via submission (rear naked choke) - GAMMA - September 23, 1994
- vs. Rick Stanley - Win via TKO (punches) - GAMMA - January 27, 1996
- vs. Bill Cumming - Win via TKO (punches) - GAMMA - November 15, 1996
- vs. Jeff Carlton - Win by decision (unanimous) - GAMMA - August 8, 1997
- vs. Maarten de Vries - Win by TKO (elbows) - GAMMA - February 20, 1998
- vs. Norbert Vinkus - Win via TKO (punches) - GAMMA - June 26, 1999
- vs. Tim Boyer - Win via decision (unanimous) - GAMMA - October 29, 1999

Notable losses:
- vs. Jeff Carlton - Loss via TKO (punches) - GAMMA - December 20, 1996
- vs. Tim Boyer - Loss via KO (head kick) - GAMMA - January 16, 1999
</td></tr><tr><td style="">http://i389.photobucket.com/albums/oo332/cricketwebtennis/WMMA/World%20Champs/OscarGmez.jpg</td><td style="" align="center">"Hands of Stone" Oscar Gómez
The Border Alliance - Mexico City, Mexico - 30 years - 5 ft 10 in - 244 lbs - Boxing - MMA Record: 10-5

Very one-dimensional is perhaps the best way to describe Gómez's style as he almost exclusively relies on his punching power - hence his nickname. While he has tried in recent times to add more strings to his bow, he still remains at real risk of being dominated on the ground by even the most ordinary of wrestlers. There's no doubt that he has very dangerous knockout power in both hands, but he just doesn't seem to have the versatility to match more well-rounded fighters who can take advantage of his glaring weaknesses. Still, he has the typical Mexican flair and will no doubt have the ability to cause an upset if he can keep fights standing.

Achievements:
1997 Mexico City Golden Gloves Champion

Notable wins:
n/a

Notable losses:
n/a</td></tr><tr><td style="">http://i389.photobucket.com/albums/oo332/cricketwebtennis/WMMA/World%20Champs/DeMarquesKinfield.jpg</td><td style="" align="center">DeMarques "Next of" Kinfield
Unattached - Kingston, Jamaica - 24 years - 6 ft 9 in - 265 lbs - Boxing - MMA Record: 0-0

Kinfield no doubt benefits from places being allocated to the Americas region, because with no professional martial arts fights under his belt he looks completely out of place. A Kingston boxing champion, Kinfield is an out-and-out slugger but lacks any technique and ground game. There's good money on anyone who expects a victory, but he looks like another one-dimensional striker who thinks the transition to MMA will be easy.

Achievements:
1998 Kingston Golden Gloves Champion

Notable wins:
n/a

Notable losses:
n/a</td></tr><tr><td style="">http://i389.photobucket.com/albums/oo332/cricketwebtennis/WMMA/World%20Champs/ReynierRamrez.jpg</td><td style="" align="center">"Rampaging" Reynier Ramírez
SUCCESS (Japan) - Havana, Cuba - 25 years - 6 ft 3 in - 240 lbs - Judo - MMA Record: 1-1

An extremely proficient judoka and Olympic competitor at the Atlanta Olympic Games, Ramírez is one of the rising stars in a region where MMA talent has largely gone undiscovered. Whilst his stand up skills are adequate, it is on the ground where he will trouble most opponents due to some very fine submission skills. Although slightly undersized, Ramírez believes he is more healthy at heavyweight and a more dangerous opponent. His record of 1-1 isn't all that imposing, but he has a lot of improvement to come and his achievements in judo should not be underestimated.

Achievements:
Member of the 1996 Cuban Olympic Judo team

Notable wins:
n/a

Notable losses:
n/a</td></tr><tr><td style="">http://i389.photobucket.com/albums/oo332/cricketwebtennis/WMMA/World%20Champs/JohnRivero.jpg</td><td style="" align="center">John "The Ripper" Rivero
Global Association of Mixed Martial Arts - Rincón, Puerto Rico - 25 years - 6 ft 1 in - 241 lbs - Sambo - MMA Record: 14-2

A top contender in the GAMMA Light Heavyweight division, the man known as "The Ripper" was determined to play a part in this historic tournament as he rejected a title shot to try his luck in this big money game. The soft-spoken Rivero is a former gold medalist at the World Sambo Championships in the half-heavyweight division and is up there with one of the best grapplers at his weight. Whether he brings the same high standard grappling at the higher weight and can hold his own on his feet are the obstacles he must overcome to defy his size disadvantage.

Achievements:
1996 Half-Heavyweight World Sambo Championships - Gold Medal

Notable wins:
- vs. Mark Cohen - Win via submission (kimura) - GAMMA - June 21, 1998
- vs. Rick Stanley - Win via decision (unanimous) - GAMMA - October 18, 1998

Notable losses:
- vs. Anthony LeToussier - Loss via decision (split) - GAMMA - March 6, 1999
</td></tr></tbody></table>

OCEANIA

<table border="1" bordercolor="#c0c0c0" cellpadding="4"><tbody><tr><td>http://i389.photobucket.com/albums/oo332/cricketwebtennis/WMMA/World%20Champs/TankManua.jpg</td><td align="center">"Sweet Baby" Tank Manu'a
Signature Martial Arts - Pago Pago, American Samoa - 30 years - 6 ft 5 in - 265 lbs - Mongolian Wrestling - MMA Record: 17-5

Representing his birthplace American Samoa, "Sweet Baby" Tank Manu'a is unlikely to win himself many fans with his style over the Championships. Manu'a has perfected the lay and pray style as he uses his considerable bulk to smother opponents. While it will be a stretch for him to cut down to 265 lbs, he'll no doubt be fighting as one of the heaviest competitors and could be holding a huge weight advantage over the likes of de Vries and Duangjan on the day. He's an intelligent fighter, but won't have the cardio to match some of the more talented fighters.

Achievements:
n/a

Notable wins:
n/a

Notable losses:
n/a
</td></tr><tr><td style="">http://i389.photobucket.com/albums/oo332/cricketwebtennis/WMMA/World%20Champs/CarterPotter.jpg</td><td style="" align="center">Carter "The Kiwi" Potter
ALPHA-1: Japanese Full Contact Combat - Otago, New Zealand - 31 years - 6 ft 3 in - 245 lbs - Brazilian Jiu Jitsu - MMA Record: 15-4

Unquestionably New Zealand's best martial artist and perhaps the best in the Oceania region, "The Kiwi" has held his black belt in jiu jitsu for three years and has amassed a very respectable 8-2 record in ALPHA-1. After becoming yet another Fezzik victim in June of last year, Potter bounced back by easing to a submission victory over Hungarian veteran Bence Bodor. An ultacharismatic showman, Potter is extremely dangerous off of his back and has over the years developed an imposing right hand that, if it finds its slot, can produce devastating results.

Achievements:
SFS (Sydney Fighting Systems) Heavyweight Champion

Notable wins:
- vs. Bence Bodor - Win via submission (rear naked choke) - ALPHA-1 - July 31, 1999

Notable losses:
- vs. Hassan Fezzik - Loss via submission (kneebar) - ALPHA-1 - June 12, 1999
- vs. Grzegorz Boniek - Win via decision (unanimous) - ALPHA-1 - December 26, 1999
</td></tr><tr><td style="">http://i389.photobucket.com/albums/oo332/cricketwebtennis/WMMA/World%20Champs/FatumaRoy.jpg</td><td style="" align="center">"Chief" Fatuma Roy
Global Association of Mixed Martial Arts - San Francisco, California - 31 years - 5 ft 11 in - 236 lbs - Wrestling - MMA Record: 20-8

Fatuma Roy has just two fights under his belt in GAMMA, but is an MMA veteran and at 31 years of age is in the prime of his career. Born in San Fransisco to Samoan parents, Roy has a lengthy history in wrestling having competed at amateur level from high school to college. With a typically Samoan body shape, Roy trains relentlessly and has improved drastically over the years from a pure grappler to a dangerous fighter with a good ability to withstand strikes. He probably doesn't have the natural ability to overcome a bad draw, but he is a consistent performer and capable of taking good fighters deep.

Achievements:
n/a

Notable wins:
- vs. Don Norman - Win via submission (strikes) - GAMMA - April 3, 1999

Notable losses:
n/a
</td></tr></tbody></table>
SOUTH AMERICA

<table border="1" bordercolor="#c0c0c0" cellpadding="4"><tbody><tr><td>http://i389.photobucket.com/albums/oo332/cricketwebtennis/WMMA/World%20Champs/Renato.jpg</td><td align="center">Renato
Unemployed - Curitiba, Brazil - 25 years - 6 ft 2 in - 250 lbs - Brazilian Sambo - MMA Record: 3-0

Fighting out of Curitiba, Brazil, Brazil's Renato is one of the least experienced fighters in the field with just three professional fights on the Brazilian independent circuit. A sambo practitioner, Renato relies upon his good grappling credentials and big power in his right hand. At just 25, the Brazilian is not refined and is probably carrying a bit too much weight. This affects his speed and buoyancy, but he's the best of a surprisingly thin talent base of South American heavyweights.

Achievements:
n/a

Notable wins:
n/a

Notable losses:
n/a
</td></tr></tbody></table>

http://i389.photobucket.com/albums/oo332/cricketwebtennis/WMMA/World%20Champs/Promotional/Blurcat.jpg

Japanese legends angry at Championship snub
Monday, December 24, 1999
by Tom Bradburn (tbradburn@blurcat.com) (%28tbradburn@blurcat.com%29)

http://i389.photobucket.com/albums/oo332/cricketwebtennis/WMMA/World%20Champs/Promotional/KunimichiKikuchi.jpg

Yesterday's confirmation that Ikuhisa Tamura (20-8) will represent Japan has been met with shock and indignation by MMA legends Ichisake Miyagi (28-9) and Kunimichi Kikuchi (32-4) (pictured). Miyagi, 33, reportedly expressed his interest in representing one of the host nations but received a short letter last week from the Japanese selection committee that did little to explain his rejection. High profile sports agent Fuse Mitsuru told Blurcat that he was stunned by the choice by the Japanese committee. "It is an embarrassing decision by the committee to select Tamura," Mitsuru told Blurcat reporters earlier this morning. "He has chosen not to compete in his home land yet has still been selected ahead of one of the greatest martial artists in history. It is a bad decision, and I imagine it will not be received at all well by the Japanese martial arts community."

Tamura left ALPHA-1 on the back of a TKO loss to Gary Sampson last January, and has not fought since that date. Reportedly expressing a similar sentiment was Kikuchi who is one of the most well-known and loved fighters in Japan. Dragon's Lair team mate Eien Kawano told Blurcat that Kikuchi was left disappointed at his exclusion. "K[ikuchi] has done so much for Japanese martial arts, and they should have given back to him," Kawano said. "It is an insult to his legacy to not select him to represent the land of the rising sun."

Some have defended the decision, though, citing the fact that both Kikuchi and Miyagi now fight at light heavyweight. "It would be madness to underestimate Tamura as a fighter, and the other guys have not fought at heavyweight for over two years now," MMA pundit Jimmy Stonor told Blurcat on last night's radio show. "He's still a very, very good fighter with the size to match some of these fighters who are coming down from nearly 300 pounds."

Kawano rejected these claims, suggesting that the pair had proven themselves at that weight in the past. "Whether Japan selected K or Miyagi, they would have been represented very well," he said. "We must remember that both are former heavyweight champions and have a much better track record than Tamura."

RECENT IKUHISA TAMURA NEWS:
Who can win it? MMA World Championships Preview
Wednesday, December 22, 1999
Japanese selectors leaning towards Tamura for MMA Championships
Thursday, November 25, 1999
Japanese heavyweight aims at 2000 return
Monday, November 1, 1999
Tamura sounds out possible Championships selection
Tuesday, December 14, 1999

[Scottie]

http://i389.photobucket.com/albums/oo332/cricketwebtennis/WMMA/World%20Champs/Promotional/Blurcat.jpg
Blurcat live coverage: MMA World Championships
Friday, December 31, 1999
by Stuart Teacher (steacher@blurcat.com) (%28tbradburn@blurcat.com%29)

Welcome to Blurcat's live coverage of the official draw for the 2000-01 MMA World Championships from Japan and the United States. For those who cannot follow the live stream online, we've got it covered here on the final day of the millennium. It is a big day in the history of time, and an even bigger day for mixed martial arts itself as we draw closer to making the dreams of a world's worth of fighters become a reality. We're all ready to go here in Tokyo in the Kantō headquarters of Japan, and there's a gallery of press in attendance along with a number of diehard fans.

2324: It looks like a long night ahead of us (in the US at least) following a lavish opening with some supposedly popular J-pop singers signing us in. Its an awkward start as Matt Tripp and Meiji Nishimura alternate in their languages, but after nearly half an hour we're finally ready to go with the draw. MMA legends Dan Halvorsen and Go Yamamoto are helping with the draw, and we receive some clarification on the process. Eight seeds will be put in different groups with Japan sticking by their man with Ikuhisa Tamura in A1 while James Foster slots in at H1. The two could feasibly meet in the finally, but I'd imagine someone like Hassan Fezzik might have something to say about that.

2329: After the lengthy introductions, we rifle through the placement of seeds in their groups. I've got what I believe is the schedule for the finals system, so I'll try to comment on that as I go through. The first man out is Armenia's Armen Sarkisian who goes into B1. There is a big commotion next as the big name drops with Hassan Fezzik moving into C1 and as such moves on the opposite of the draw to Foster should those two win their groups. That gives him a potential quarter final clash with Tamura which could be one of the biggest fights in Japan in recent years. D1 is Khru Duangjan who could face Sarkisian in the quarters while Poland's Grzegorz Boniek is E1. James Foster's possible quarter final opponent is Gunnar Nilsson who slots in at F1 and unsurprisingly it is the very popular Maarten de Vries who rounds out the seeded fighters in Group G.

2242: It gets a little less straight forward from here. The other 24 fighters have been split up into groups of eight per their geographic location. Pot 2 consists of Asia and the Americas, Pot 3 of Oceania, South America and the British Isles (with Australia strangely in Pot 2) and Pot 4 of Europe. Very World Cup like with only the Europeans able to be drawn with someone from their region.

2250: We're starting with Pot 2. You've got to be unlucky to draw someone like Boyer or Rivero here going by some of the others in the group. The first man drawn is largely unknown to this audience and is the inexperienced DeMarques Kinfield of Jamaica who is drawn in place A4 along with Ikuhisa Tamura. No news there on who Tamura fights first, then. The biggest name in the pot is Tim Boyer, and he's drawn next into B4 to set up a potentially mouth-watering encounter with Armen Sarkisian in the group stages. A bit of commotion there as the Japanese fans have heard lots about both fighters. It is a lesser name for Fezzik's first opponent as Mexico's Oscar Gómez is drawn at C2 and will meet him at the first pay-per-view in Tokyo. Australia's Adrian Swall goes to D2 and faces Khru Duangjan first, while John Rivero goes into E2 against Grzegorz Boniek. That's a huge test first up for the Puerto Rican in his first heavyweight fight in years. Korea's Moon Shin-Wook is drawn at F3, while Indonesia's Imran Ali moves into Group G at G2. In a very interesting encounter, the 1-1 Olympian Reynier Ramírez is in Foster's Group H at H4.

2302: Pot 3 is next up and is a proverbial melting pot of countries. The men to look out for here are Tank Manu'a, Carter Potter and perhaps even big Stafford Alois. But the first man is a relative unknown in Colonel Mubeto of South Africa who goes to A3. It is shaping up as an easy ride for Tamura in front of his home crowd, fellas. It is a bigger name next as England's Stafford Alois moves to B3 and will face Tim Boyer first up. That makes this a massive group with Sarkisian at the top, and possibly the worst possible draw for big Alois whose never fought the big fighters. Samoa's Fatuma Roy joins Fezzik and Gómez in Group C at C3, while the last of the Japanese groups gets Graham Goodbody of Wales who sits pretty in Group D. Scotland's Curt Kitson is E4, but there's a bit of a buzz for the two ALPHA-1 fighters who will face off first as Gunnar Nilsson's opponent at F2 is Tank Manu'a. New Zealand's Carter Potter appears at G3 while South America's only representative Renato will fight Ramírez first at H3.

2314: It is the final group to be drawn, and the European pot throws up some surprising names. Buc and Andric are the most imposing names with Ivanov at a stretch posing problems. There's some old timers, though, that should be easily taken by many in the draw already. Legend Manol Sirakov will be Tamura's first opponent at A2 to complete the easiest group around for the local fighter. He should go through undefeated and with some good form behind him. The Group of Death is Group B, but the whipping boy with the old Frenchman Claude Lerond at B2 who will pose no threat to any one he fights. Germany's Noah Musch is C4, and will be keen to silence his doubters who preferred a young man by the name of Roderick Dodd. He's not had an MMA fight, but is an extremely impressive grappler with a boxing background. Rounding out Group D at D3 is Ari Peltonen who has Goodbody first, while Mugur Boc completed Group E at E3. With Lerond going to Group C, E looks even tougher with Boniek, Rivero, Kitson and now Boc rounding out a huge quartet. The impressive Russian Aleksander Ivanov faces Moon of Korea first at F4 while Greece's Alekos Karabatsos slips into G4 against Potter first. Finally, we learn James Foster's first opponent in at H2 is Croatia's Stjepan Andric to complete a group he should not be troubled with.

2330: After some closing comments and unfunny jokes from Matt Tripp, and some more music from another band the draw is complete. Groups B and E look by far the toughest and Tamura's Group A the easiest. Hassan Fezzik has some tricky fights but none he should lose, while James Foster should go 3-0 through the group stages.

Group A
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/9/9e/Flag_of_Japan.svg/22px-Flag_of_Japan.svg.png Ikuhisa Tamura, http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/9/9a/Flag_of_Bulgaria.svg/22px-Flag_of_Bulgaria.svg.png Manol Sirakov, http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/a/af/Flag_of_South_Africa.svg/22px-Flag_of_South_Africa.svg.png Mpelelo Mubeto, http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/0/0a/Flag_of_Jamaica.svg/22px-Flag_of_Jamaica.svg.png DeMarques Kinfield.

Group B
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/2/2f/Flag_of_Armenia.svg/22px-Flag_of_Armenia.svg.png Armen Sarkisian, http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/c/c3/Flag_of_France.svg/22px-Flag_of_France.svg.png Claude Lerond, http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/b/be/Flag_of_England.svg/22px-Flag_of_England.svg.png Stafford Alois, http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/c/cf/Flag_of_Canada.svg/22px-Flag_of_Canada.svg.png Tim Boyer.

Group C
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/b/b4/Flag_of_Turkey.svg/22px-Flag_of_Turkey.svg.png Hassan Fezzik, http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/f/fc/Flag_of_Mexico.svg/22px-Flag_of_Mexico.svg.png Oscar Gómez, http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/3/31/Flag_of_Samoa.svg/22px-Flag_of_Samoa.svg.png Fatuma Roy, http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/b/ba/Flag_of_Germany.svg/22px-Flag_of_Germany.svg.png Noah Musch.

Group D
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/a/a9/Flag_of_Thailand.svg/22px-Flag_of_Thailand.svg.png Khru Duangjan, http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/b/b9/Flag_of_Australia.svg/22px-Flag_of_Australia.svg.png Adrian Swall, http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/b/bc/Flag_of_Finland.svg/22px-Flag_of_Finland.svg.png Ari Peltonen, http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/5/59/Flag_of_Wales_2.svg/22px-Flag_of_Wales_2.svg.png Graham Goodbody.

Group E
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/4/41/Flag_of_Poland.svg/22px-Flag_of_Poland.svg.png Grzegorz Boniek, http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/2/28/Flag_of_Puerto_Rico.svg/22px-Flag_of_Puerto_Rico.svg.png John Rivero, http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/2/27/Flag_of_Moldova.svg/22px-Flag_of_Moldova.svg.png Mugur Boc, http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/1/10/Flag_of_Scotland.svg/22px-Flag_of_Scotland.svg.png Curt Kitson.

Group F
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/4/4c/Flag_of_Sweden.svg/22px-Flag_of_Sweden.svg.png Gunnar Nilsson, http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/8/87/Flag_of_American_Samoa.svg/22px-Flag_of_American_Samoa.svg.png Tank Manu'a, http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/0/09/Flag_of_South_Korea.svg/22px-Flag_of_South_Korea.svg.png Moon Shin-Wook, http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/f/f3/Flag_of_Russia.svg/22px-Flag_of_Russia.svg.png Aleksander Ivanov.

Group G
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/2/20/Flag_of_the_Netherlands.svg/22px-Flag_of_the_Netherlands.svg.png Maarten de Vries, http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/9/9f/Flag_of_Indonesia.svg/22px-Flag_of_Indonesia.svg.png Imran Ali, http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/3/3e/Flag_of_New_Zealand.svg/22px-Flag_of_New_Zealand.svg.png Carter Potter, http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/3/3e/Flag_of_Greece.svg/22px-Flag_of_Greece.svg.png Alekos Karabatsos.

Group H
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/a/a4/Flag_of_the_United_States.svg/22px-Flag_of_the_United_States.svg.png James Foster, http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/1/1b/Flag_of_Croatia.svg/22px-Flag_of_Croatia.svg.png Stjepan Andric, http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/0/05/Flag_of_Brazil.svg/22px-Flag_of_Brazil.svg.png Renato, http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/b/bd/Flag_of_Cuba.svg/22px-Flag_of_Cuba.svg.png Reynier Ramírez.

[...]

Thanks to the renderers who made their work available in the public domain and stopped me from having to make any more of my own haha. If there's anyone who is against me using theirs/giving them a persona, I'm happy to change them with my own creation. :)

[LoNdOn]

Very nice presentation sir. Looking forward to seeing how Demarques Kinfield does. Athough I am not best pleased with his stats! :p

[dakydaky]

Amazing! I wonder how much work you put in this! ONE word for it - Amazing!

[d_w_w]

Great stuff so far.

[Scottie]

From Wikipedia:
Group stage

Tie-breaking criteria

Teams were ranked on the following criteria:
Greatest number of points in group matches
Head-to-head between fighters (in case of two-way ties)
Greatest number of victories
Greatest number of victories by any method other than decision
Lowest average fight time in won fights
Drawing of lots by the MMA World Championships Organising Committee Key to group tables
Pld - Number of fights; W-F - Fights won by any method other than decision; W-D - Fights won by judge's decision; D - Unanimous draws and majority draws; L-D - Fights lost by judge's decision; L-F - Fights lost by any method other than decision; Pts - Points.

Group A
http://i389.photobucket.com/albums/oo332/cricketwebtennis/WMMA/Groups/FezzikGomez/A-1.jpg

Group B
http://i389.photobucket.com/albums/oo332/cricketwebtennis/WMMA/Groups/FezzikGomez/B.jpg

Group C
http://i389.photobucket.com/albums/oo332/cricketwebtennis/WMMA/Groups/FezzikGomez/C.jpg

Group D
http://i389.photobucket.com/albums/oo332/cricketwebtennis/WMMA/Groups/FezzikGomez/D.jpg[/SIZE]

Group E
http://i389.photobucket.com/albums/oo332/cricketwebtennis/WMMA/Groups/Draw/E.jpg

Group F
http://i389.photobucket.com/albums/oo332/cricketwebtennis/WMMA/Groups/Draw/F.jpg

Group G
http://i389.photobucket.com/albums/oo332/cricketwebtennis/WMMA/Groups/Draw/G.jpg

Group H
http://i389.photobucket.com/albums/oo332/cricketwebtennis/WMMA/Groups/Draw/H.jpgKnockout stage
http://i389.photobucket.com/albums/oo332/cricketwebtennis/WMMA/Groups/Draw/Finals.jpg

[Scottie]

http://i389.photobucket.com/albums/oo332/cricketwebtennis/WMMA/World%20Champs/Promotional/Blurcat.jpg
Maekawa plays down allegations of fixed draw
Monday, January 03, 2000
by Stuart Teacher (steacher@blurcat.com)

http://i389.photobucket.com/albums/oo332/cricketwebtennis/WMMA/World%20Champs/Promotional/IkuhisaTamura.jpg

MMA World Championships President Akinari Maekawa has laughed off claims that last Friday's draw was rigged after three days of speculation in the mixed martial arts community. Most of the rumours concerned the composition of Group A as some pundits expressed anxiousness over what looked like a 'free ride' for Japanese representive Ikuhisa Tamura.

"These rumours are entirely unfounded and detrimental to the integrity of the World Championships," and indignant Maekawa told Blurcat over the phone. "The championships process is an entirely transparent one, and any allegations of the draw being rigged are unfounded." When asked whether he could understand the conjecture over Group A, Maekawa remained firmly behind his comments. "The draw was random. Tamura was perhaps handed a more favourable draw than some of the other groups, but to say it was rigged is not only insulting to us but also to the other three fighters in his group."

Maekawa's response comes following allegations of draw fixing by many big names in the martial arts community. Outspoken GAMMA Light Heavyweight Rick Stanley told our radio show on Saturday that he believed the Japanese fighter's success was important to the overall success of the competition in Japan. "There's no doubt that Japan needs Tamura to succeed," Stanley said. "I think they know they've made a bad choice, and I wouldn't be surprised at all if they've gone out of their way to make sure he makes it to the second round at least. [Mpelelo] Mubeto, [Manol] Sirakov and DeMarques Kinfield are three of the weakest fighters in the field so it strikes me as very, very shifty."

The integrity of the draw was defended, however, by MMA analyst Garth Ward. "Yeah it looks bad, but you are always going to get some fighters getting an easy ride in a random draw of that size," Ward, who will be a commentator for the English language broadcast, said. "You don't hear people complaining that [Hassan] Fezzik got an easy draw, and you don't hear guys complaining that Tim Boyer got a hard draw. You'll get conspiracy theorists for everything."

[...]http://i389.photobucket.com/albums/oo332/cricketwebtennis/WMMA/World%20Champs/Promotional/Blurcat.jpg
Gómez optimistic ahead of almost impossible task
Friday, January 07, 2000
by Gavin Emerson (gemerson@blurcat.com)

http://i389.photobucket.com/albums/oo332/cricketwebtennis/WMMA/World%20Champs/Promotional/OscarGomez.jpg

Mexican heavyweight Oscar Gómez goes head-to-head in the main event of a pay-per-view against Hassan Fezzik on Feb. 27, but remains confident he can pull off the biggest upset in MMA history when he meets the top fighter in the world. Speaking from his training camp in Mexico City, the 10-5 fighter says he is more motivated for this fight than he ever has been. "It has been a tough road for me, but this is an amazing opportunity for me and I'm not going to let it slip," Gomez said.

His opponent is undefeated in 26 professional fights, and is almost universally acclaimed as the best fighter of all time due to his dominance of a strong ALPHA-1 Heavyweight division. Gómez, however, won't let that deter him. "I respect Fezzik greatly, but I can't sit back and expect a loss. I'm confident in my abilities to stand and bang with any guy on the planet and he's no different," Gómez said. "It is going to be a tough fight, but I think I have the ability to bring a different type of fight to him and it will be up to him to adapt."

Training at the small Hernandez Gym, gym owner Félix Hernandez has worked with Gómez for seven years and is excited by the opportunity. "We've been training for two months now and were prepared for any fighter. Fezzik is a very tough opponent, but Oscar is in the best shape he's ever been in and is looking sharper than he ever has," Hernandez said[...]http://i389.photobucket.com/albums/oo332/cricketwebtennis/WMMA/World%20Champs/Promotional/Blurcat.jpg
Boyer: "Let's tear the building down"
Wednesday, January 26, 2000
by Gavin Emerson (gemerson@blurcat.com)

http://i389.photobucket.com/albums/oo332/cricketwebtennis/WMMA/World%20Champs/Promotional/TimBoyer.jpg

Former GAMMA Heavyweight Champion Tim Boyer has issued a bold challenge to opponent Stafford Alois, telling the English representative that he wants to stand and trade in their opening MMA World Championships bout in Tokyo on Feb. 27. Speaking to Blurcat reporters, the 19-3-2 Canadian expressed his desire to have the fight of the night as his campaign gets underway.

"All I know is that we both like to punch and kick guys in the head, so I don't see why we'd want to depart too radically from that plan," Boyer said. "I can't speak for him, but I'm [expletive] ready to get this thing underway and I want to give the crowd something to really get excited about."

Boyer, who was convincingly beaten in his last outing against James Foster in October, said he's had a few months to recover and is feeling better than he ever has. "This fight has energised me, man, in a way I didn't think was possible. I had a bad camp leading up to the Foster fight, and I was so angry and had to get back in the gym after that," Boyer said. "I mean, if I was given the chance to fight Alois today I'd [expletive] do it, man, no doubt. If I had the chance to talk to him, I'd say let's tear the [expletive] building down. Let's [expletive] tear Tokyo down to the ground. You know what you get when you fight me, so he can either step up or try worm his way out. I want the first, but I'll knock his [expletive] out either way."

[...]http://i389.photobucket.com/albums/oo332/cricketwebtennis/WMMA/World%20Champs/Promotional/Blurcat.jpg
Andreyev prodigy ready for the big stage
Friday, February 18, 2000
by Duke Cole (dcole@blurcat.com)

http://i389.photobucket.com/albums/oo332/cricketwebtennis/WMMA/World%20Champs/Promotional/AriPeltonen.jpg

The man that MMA legend Mantas Andreyev called Europe's most exciting fighter five years ago has not quite caught on fire as he'd have hoped, but Finland's Ari Peltonen is ready for his big break in mixed martial arts. Peltonen, whose MMA record stands at 22-7, has not yet fought for a big promotion but understands that his Feb. 27 clash with Wales' Graham Goodbody is the big chance for him to place his resumé in front of the eyes of the big two promotions.

"I worked my [expletive] off in smaller shows for years, and SIGMA finally gave me my chance," Peltonen said of his 2-0 start in the German promotion. "I'm grateful to them, but this is such a big opportunity for me to set myself up for so much more."

Peltonen will be giving up all of forty pounds by the time of the fight with Goodbody, a natural Super Heavyweight, likely to be fighting at anywhere between 270 and 290 lbs. The 38-year old holds a 19-9 MMA record and is one of the most experienced fighters in the field with a notable victory over one-time MMA legends George Laurent five years ago.

"He's a lot older than me, but I've had more fights so we're pretty even when it comes to experience," Peltonen said of his one-fight advantage over the Welshman. "His weight doesn't worry me because I've beaten fighters who are bigger than him in the past. I am confident enough in my abilities that I know I will be too quick for him and hit too hard."

"I have not seen him fight before my training camp, but after looking at videos of some of his fights I can see a real deterioration," Peltonen said. "It is hard for guys to keep up their physique when they get older and they aren't as sharp as they once were. I've fought men who are 130 kilograms of muscle and won. He is now 130 kilograms of fat."

[...]
The MMA World Championships, ALPHA-1 and GAMMA Present:

FEZZIK VS. GÓMEZ

LIVE from Tokyo, Japan on February 27, 2000

After months of waiting, the Heavyweight MMA World Championships finally get underway this Sunday in Tokyo, Japan with eight group stage bouts - all of which will be broadcast live on pay-per-view right around the world!

In the main event of the evening, it is a Group C bout between the greatest fighter to have lived Hassan Fezzik and Mexico's Oscar Gómez. While it looks to be a one-sided fight on paper, Gómez is a national boxing champion with five MMA KO victories behind him due to his abnormally sized hands. Gómez says that he has never trained for a fight as well as he has this one, but is it enough to beat Turkey's two-time ALPHA-1 Heavyweight Champion who has still not lost a fight in 26 outings?

The co-main event promises great things as two of the largest men in MMA do battle in Group B! Former GAMMA Heavyweight champion Tim Boyer holds victories over some of the finest heavyweights in the world, but now does battle with dangerous kickboxer Stafford Alois. With both warriors preferring to keep fights standing, a war looks inevitable and somebody will be knocked out!

Two of the Asian region's most imposing fighters do battle too as the insane Thailander Khru Duangjan faces Adrian Swall from the remote parts of Central Australia. Duangjan is an unorthadox striker with fearful strikes, while Swall is one of the most powerful men in the draw as he holds a number of Strongman accolades! That Group D clash will be matched by a bitter encounter between Finland's Ari Peltonen and Wales' Graham Goodbody. The confident Fin has repeatedly attacked Goodbody in the media, but the soft-spoken Welshman will hope his experienced will count for more as he seeks to teach Peltonen a lesson and get his Championships off to a strong start.

France's Claude Lerond is one of the most experienced fighters in Europe, but will have his hands full with Armenian Armen Sarkisian who has been ranked as high as #1 in the world Super Heavyweight rankings. He makes the step down to a lower weight and puts his undefeated record and his reputation on the line against the Parisian who will be hoping to finish the fight on the ground with his dangerous ground and pound.

Germany's Noah Musch is a grand old man of MMA, and springs back on the world stage against Samoa's Fatuma Roy. The GAMMA Heavyweight Roy comes from a proud Samoan heritage, and will be eager to represent them well in Group C as he builds to a showdown with Hassan Fezzik later in the year.

In the second bout of the evening, two exciting young prospects do battle in a fight certain to bring the Tokyo crowd to their feet. South African kick boxer Colonel Mubeto is one of the most impressive physical specimens and takes pride in his ability to knock people out with his devastating head kicks. He may have his work cut out for him against the 6 ft 9 in DeMarques Kinfield of Jamaica who is a golden gloves champion in his own right. Despite their relative lack of experience, the two are seemingly destined to produce an all-out war with their aggressive striking.

Opening the World Cup, though, is Japan's own Ikuhisa Tamura who returns to the Land of the Rising Sun to face MMA legend Manol Sirakov! The Bulgarian too is an ALPHA-1 alumni and a former Heavyweight Champion in his own right. Tamura, however, is a massive obstacle and boasts some of the most impressive stand up and a very dangerous grappling game!


Group C bout: http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/b/b4/Flag_of_Turkey.svg/22px-Flag_of_Turkey.svg.png Hassan Fezzik vs. http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/f/fc/Flag_of_Mexico.svg/22px-Flag_of_Mexico.svg.png Oscar Gómez
Group B bout: http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/b/be/Flag_of_England.svg/22px-Flag_of_England.svg.png Stafford Alois vs. http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/c/cf/Flag_of_Canada.svg/22px-Flag_of_Canada.svg.png Tim Boyer
Group D bout: http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/a/a9/Flag_of_Thailand.svg/22px-Flag_of_Thailand.svg.png Khru Duangjan vs. http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/b/b9/Flag_of_Australia.svg/22px-Flag_of_Australia.svg.png Adrian Swall
Group D bout: http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/b/bc/Flag_of_Finland.svg/22px-Flag_of_Finland.svg.png Ari Peltonen vs. http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/5/59/Flag_of_Wales_2.svg/22px-Flag_of_Wales_2.svg.png Graham Goodbody
Group B bout: http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/2/2f/Flag_of_Armenia.svg/22px-Flag_of_Armenia.svg.png Armen Sarkisian vs. http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/c/c3/Flag_of_France.svg/22px-Flag_of_France.svg.png Claude Lerond
Group C bout: http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/b/ba/Flag_of_Germany.svg/22px-Flag_of_Germany.svg.png Noah Musch vs. http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/3/31/Flag_of_Samoa.svg/22px-Flag_of_Samoa.svg.png Fatuma Roy
Group A bout: http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/a/af/Flag_of_South_Africa.svg/22px-Flag_of_South_Africa.svg.png Mpelelo Mubeto vs. http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/0/0a/Flag_of_Jamaica.svg/22px-Flag_of_Jamaica.svg.png DeMarques Kinfield
Group A bout: http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/9/9e/Flag_of_Japan.svg/22px-Flag_of_Japan.svg.png Ikuhisa Tamura vs. http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/9/9a/Flag_of_Bulgaria.svg/22px-Flag_of_Bulgaria.svg.png Manol Sirakov
Fezzik vs. Gómez
Alois vs. Boyer
Duangjan vs. Swall
Peltonen vs. Goodbody
Sarkisian vs. Lerond
Musch vs. Roy
Mubeto vs. Kinfield
Tamura vs. Sirakov...

[dakydaky]

Fezzik vs. Gómez
Alois vs. Boyer
Duangjan vs. Swall
Peltonen vs. Goodbody
Sarkisian vs. Lerond
Musch vs. Roy
Mubeto vs. Kinfield
Tamura vs. Sirakov

[LoNdOn]

Fezzik vs. Gómez
Alois vs. Boyer
Duangjan vs. Swall
Peltonen vs. Goodbody
Sarkisian vs. Lerond
Musch vs. Roy
Mubeto vs. Kinfield
Tamura vs. Sirakov

[BHK1978]

I love the idea and look of this diary! Keep up the good work Scottie!

Fezzik vs. Gómez
Alois vs. Boyer
Duangjan vs. Swall
Peltonen vs. Goodbody
Sarkisian vs. Lerond
Musch vs. Roy
Mubeto vs. Kinfield
Tamura vs. Sirakov

[d_w_w]

Fezzik vs. Gómez
Alois vs. Boyer
Duangjan vs. Swall
Peltonen vs. Goodbody
Sarkisian vs. Lerond
Musch vs. Roy
Mubeto vs. Kinfield
Tamura vs. Sirakov

[Abraham]

Nice dynasty.

[Jingo]

Just like everyone's already pointed out, this looks excellent and is a very good idea!

Fezzik vs. Gómez
Alois vs. Boyer
Duangjan vs. Swall
Peltonen vs. Goodbody
Sarkisian vs. Lerond
Musch vs. Roy
Mubeto vs. Kinfield
Tamura vs. Sirakov

[Abraham]

Fezzik vs. Gómez
Alois vs. Boyer
Duangjan vs. Swall
Peltonen vs. Goodbody
Sarkisian vs. Lerond
Musch vs. Roy
Mubeto vs. Kinfield
Tamura vs. Sirakov

haha, didn't mean to do all one side but that is truly what I believe.

[Lt. Lucrativo]

Great Stuff! Look forward to seeing how it all turns out, although the chances of anyone beating Fezzik unless his skills have started to seriously deteriorate are pretty slim.

Have the format and rules for the fights not been announced, or did I just miss it?

Fezzik vs. Gómez
Alois vs. Boyer
Duangjan vs. Swall
Peltonen vs. Goodbody
Sarkisian vs. Lerond
Musch vs. Roy
Mubeto vs. Kinfield
Tamura vs. Sirakov

[DieselWeasel]

Really enjoying this!

Fezzik vs. Gómez :p
Alois vs. Boyer
Duangjan vs. Swall
Peltonen vs. Goodbody
Sarkisian vs. Lerond
Musch vs. Roy
Mubeto vs. Kinfield
Tamura vs. Sirakov

[Scottie]

http://i389.photobucket.com/albums/oo332/cricketwebtennis/WMMA/World%20Champs/Promotional/LogoSmaller.jpg
Fezzik vs. Gómez
LIVE from the Tokyo Dome - February 27, 2000

http://i389.photobucket.com/albums/oo332/cricketwebtennis/WMMA/World%20Champs/Promotional/TVOpening.gif


We are live for our English broadcast of Fezzik vs. Gómez from the Tokyo Dome here in Japan. Hosting are the usual GAMMA commentary team of Tom Bellfort and Garth Ward, and one noticable addition to Japanese MMA is the Cage. In the interests of fairness, says Bellfort, both Japanese and American cards will follow the Unified Rules of Mixed Martial Arts with three five-minute rounds. I assume this is because many of the ALPHA-1 rules would not be sanctioned in the USA. Fighters who finish fights inside the fifteen minute time limit earn three points while their opponent earns nothing. If it goes to the decision, the victor earns two and the loser one. Garth Ward says this encourages exciting fights, and with eight main card bouts let us get underway immediately!

Group A Bout: http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/9/9e/Flag_of_Bulgaria.svg/22px-Flag_of_Bulgaria.svg.png Manol Sirakov (64-33) vs. http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/9/9e/Flag_of_Japan.svg/22px-Flag_of_Japan.svg.png Ikuhisa Tamura (20-8)
The Set-up: We're all set for the first fight in this two-year long extravaganza, and it is the local fighter opening the show. Tamura is an ALPHA-1 veteran, but has reinvigorated his career since leaving his home country to string together three wins including one in Signature Martial Arts. In contrast, Manol Sirakov is the grand old man of MMA and well-known in Japan considering his status as the first ever ALPHA-1 Heavyweight Champion. At 47, he still fights regularly but has not fought at the top level for a number of years now. He still holds some heavy hands, but in this day and age Tamura looks far more complete as a fighter. He's a fine wrestler and has big strikes so it will be interesting if he elects to send the fight to the mat or to keep it standing.

The Fight We get our answer to that question straight away as Tamura looks to neutralise Sirakov's stand up game with some in-tight grappling. Sirakov works hard to prevent being put into a position he doesn't want to be in, but Tamura is eventually able to pin him against the cage and deal some punishment with his fists. Tamura captures Sirakov behind the head in a clinch, but his attempted knees are all suffocated by the bulk of Sirakov. That's all that happens in a very tame opening round to the MMA World Championships. It's an awful opening round from both fighters as neither laid so much as a glove on each other. Tamura completely dominated it, though, and takes it 10-9 and the old warrior Sirakov looks done already.

The hostile reaction from the crowd seems to have elicited a response from Tamura who elects to stand and trade with the Bulgarian to start the second round. Sirakov keeps clear and gets the better of the early exchanges, but the break between rounds has done little to rejuvenate him and he fails to complete even the most simple two-punch combination. Tamura holds his ground as Sirakov keeps his range by circling, but it is the Japanese fighter who starts to score as Sirakov struggles to defend against the constant jabs thrown his way. Tamura sets up the big looping right hand with some quick left hands, but Sirakov just avoids the overhand at the last moment and scampers away from the local favourite. The Bulgarian veteran is struggling to even keep his hands up, and he looks to rest by grappling with Tamura. The Japanese fighter takes control of that easily and manages to lock a clinch in on Sirakov again! He can't do anything with it, though, as time runs out on the second round! It is all Tamura again as he's too quick by half for Sirakov and brings home to bacon in the stand-up 10-9 in my books.

Tamura immediately looks to grapple with the Bulgarian, but he manages to break free and throws out a couple of nothing punches to keep Tamura out of range. Unsurprisingly, it is the Bulgarian who is looking to push the pace here having definitely dropped the first two rounds, but his striking is loose and leaves him open to a clean punch right on the button from Tamura! The Japanese fighter doesn't capitalise, though, and much to the chagrin of the crowd scales back out of range. Sirakov, however, is having none of that and he follows the hometown hero and begins throwing absurd shots aimed at taking Tamura's head off of his shoulders - none of them are connecting though and his hands are by his side. Seemingly resigned to taking this fight by decision, Tamura succeeds in pushing a tired Sirakov up against the Cage and looks for a way to take him down. Sirakov, however, is fighting right to the death - but wait! Tamura lands a hook from in the clinch to the side of Sirakov's head -- and down he goes! Is there a twist in this tale? Sirakov looks groggy and Tamura follows him down, but he's just run out of time and the referee pulls him off! Tamura runs away with his arms in the air, and evidently thinks the referee stopped the fight due to a knock out. Sirakov gets to his feet looking groggy, but the referee is telling Tamura's corner that he did not stop the fight due to the punch. A dramatic start to the World Championships, and we are going to the judges for a decision.

The Outcome: There's no surprises here as the judge's take little time to return a result of 30-27 across all cards for the victor Ikuhisa Tamura. He looks disappointed with the outcome and so he should be following a pretty toothless performance against a fighter well past his prime. I suspect, though, his disappointment largely stems from the fact the referee did not stop the fight with just second left. Sirakov looked groggy, but certainly not out and Tamura ran out of time to clinch all three points with any meaningful ground and pound. He takes two points from his opening bout, while Sirakov manages to just hang on for a single point in what will be considered a win for him. From here, Tamura faces South Africa's Mpelelo Mubeto while Sirakov tests his mettle against the big man DeMarques Kinfield.

Group A Bout: http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/0/0a/Flag_of_Jamaica.svg/22px-Flag_of_Jamaica.svg.png DeMarques Kinfield (0-0) vs. http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/a/af/Flag_of_South_Africa.svg/22px-Flag_of_South_Africa.svg.png Mpelelo Mubeto (5-1)
The Set-up: I suspect you readers know about as much about these guys as I do having never seen either of them fight. Mubeto is allegedly a fine kick boxer with some BJJ experience behind him, but with Kinfield -- who knows? He's not had a professional MMA fight and is a boxer by trade. There's no telling what we'll get from either man here but it is fair to expect a sloppy affair between the two tallest fighters going around.

The Fight: These two are big. It is a cagey start from both fighters as they test the mettle of their opponent, but it is the boxer Kinfield who looks more comfortable early as he throws out a couple of left-handed jabs. Mubeto looks to take the fight to the ground, but Kinfield manages to keep his feet pretty well and throws some clubbing forearms to punish the South African as he breaks free. Mubeto looks decidedly quicker than Kinfield as he weaves out of the way of a straight right and counters with a jab to the cheek. He's finds his range and gets the better of the stand up exchanges as he takes advantage of some ugly, awkward looking haymakers from Kinfield. Mubeto finally gets a hold of Kinfield and pushes him up against the cage where he controls him. It stays that way for the next couple of minutes as he looks to punish Kinfield with body shots from the clinch. It is an ugly round, but Mubeto's striking was cleaner and more effective to earn the favour of the judges 10-9. Kinfield, however, is a throwback to the old days of MMA.

Despite getting the best of the stand-up in the first round, Mubeto doesn't want to deal with Kinfield's big right hand and immediately shoots for a takedown. It is ugly, but by gee it is effective as he gets a single leg and lands inside Kinfield's guard. From here, though, he can do next to nothing and it is not until the three-and-a-half minute mark he manages to get free of half-guard and into side control thanks to Kinfield's surprisingly ability to hold on for dear life. Mubeto tries for an armbar, but cannot complete it and that's all she wrote for this round. It wasn't pretty, but he's got himself another 10-9 round with control from the top and a few cheap elbow shots.

The third starts similarly to the second, but this time Kinfield manages to back away from the takedown attempt and engage Mubeto with punches. That doesn't last long, though, as an awkward spear tackle of sorts from Mubeto manages to put Kinfield on his back. The crowd are ****ting all over this, but Mubeto at least this time starts throwing shots from the top of Kinfield's guard but struggles to get past the arms protecting the Jamaican's head. Kinfield constantly searches for underhooks after advice from his corner, but Mubeto is too sweaty and too lanky for him to get a hold of. That lankiness works to his advantage as he slips his legs free and gains side control against a tiring Kinfield. He shoots a leg over and just like that is in mount! Kinfield is blocking his face with his hands as Mubeto postures up and rains down bombs, but his jiu jitsu experience is on show as he grabs the left arm and transitions into an armbar! Kinfield holds on for dear life, but Mubeto breaks the lock between Kinfield's hands free! No sooner does he crank the arm, Kinfield lets out a grunt of pain and taps to give Mubeto the full three points!

The Outcome: It wasn't an attractive battle between the two, but Mubeto found his mojo and dominated that third round to take a well deserved stoppage. He's an unlikely leader in Group A now as he stops Kinfield, but deficiencies were evident in both his stand-up and ground game. We've not seen his much talked about kicks, but perhaps that's a little treat Tamura can be introduced to when they meet in a few months time. Kinfield, meanwhile, will need to improve drastically if he's to compete with former ALPHA-1 champ Sirakov who, although unimpressive earlier, has the pedigree to take out the Jamaican easily.

Group C Bout: http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/b/ba/Flag_of_Germany.svg/22px-Flag_of_Germany.svg.png Noah Musch (28-17) vs. http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/3/31/Flag_of_Samoa.svg/22px-Flag_of_Samoa.svg.png Fatuma Roy (20-8)
The Set-up: Both of these men must have big just a touch intimidated after being drawn alongside "The Big Bad" Hassan Fezzik in Group C, but they get their chance to work their way into the MMA World Championships here in Tokyo. Musch is a grand old man of MMA with a record of 28-17, but does not have the hand speed or the ability to withstand punches that he once did. Nevertheless, the old saying is that the last thing to go in a fighter is his power and he will be relying on that to finish the Samoan representative. Roy has a very respectable MMA record and comes into this fight as a big favourite to get his championships off to a good start. He's a very versatile fighter with solid grappling and striking skills, but one would expect his best chance here would be to take out the German through ground and pound.

The Fight: Musch throws the first punch, but is swiftly met with a pair of strong right hooks that, while they only take gloves, send him scampering backwards. Roy, however, pursues the German and shoots for a double leg and dumps Musch hard on the canvas! He immediately looks to work pass Musch's guard and does it far too easily where he begins to unload with some brutal knees to the ribs of Roy. Roy manhandles Musch on the ground and rolls him to take his back! This is trouble for Musch, and Roy starts hammering away with hammerfists! The German is not defending himself, the referee only allows Roy two more punches as he rises to a knee before he dives in and stops the fight!

The Outcome: A total and unmitigated disaster for Musch as he's finished in just three minutes by the Samoan. Roy was utterly dominant and his ground and pound looked equally as ferocious leaving the referee no choice but to call a stop to this fight. Musch doesn't even bother protesting the result, and he has a lot to consider ahead of his showdown with Oscar Gómez in a couple of months. Roy, meanwhile, will be delighted with the ease of his victory but will be under no illusions as to his next fight - against Fezzik in what will most likely be a headliner.

Group B Bout: http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/c/c3/Flag_of_France.svg/22px-Flag_of_France.svg.png Claude Lerond (19-12) vs. http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/2/2f/Flag_of_Armenia.svg/22px-Flag_of_Armenia.svg.png Armen Sarkisian (13-0)
The Set-up: Lerond was a very controversial choice for the French representative as authorities overlooked #6 Light Heavyweight Terron Cabal in favour of the veteran. At 39 years of age, he's by no means too old to compete but in recent years has struggled to capture the explosive takedowns and brutal ground and pound he had early in his career. Now he's more of a decision fighter, and to a man like Sarkisian no more than a nuisance. "A-Game" has been an awesome force since debuting and training alongside the likes of Nilsson, Boc and Bohlin at Gothenburg has improved his game tremendously. If he wants to introduce himself in a big way to the Japanese fans, this is his opportunity. He weighed in at 265 lbs on the button, but there's little doubt he's around twenty pounds heavier coming into this. Lerond is essentially a Cruiserweight at around 220 lbs, but has bulked up all the way to 234 lbs at the weigh-in in an attempt to even compete with Sarkisian.

The Fight: Even at the new weight Sarkisian towers over Lerond in the staredown before the fight, but there's no dramas early as the pair touch gloves. It is a slow start as both look to find their feet inside the cage, but Sarkisian lands the first blow with a blunt right to the ribs. Lerond is happy to let Sarkisian circle in the opening exchanges, and the southpaw keeps his from advancing with a straight left that falls inches short. Lerond settles into a rhythm, but with explosiveness belying his size Sarkisian charges into a takedown and Lerond is down almost just from the force of the shoulder into the midsection. He only manages to catch Sarkisian in half guard, and even then only briefly as Sarkisian mounts him immediately. He starts dropping some measures and brutal elbows to Lerond that open up a deep cut above the left eye of a hapless Lerond. He's still intelligently defending himself, though, so Sarkisian looks to end it another way by shifting to an armbar! Lerond's weakness isn't his strength, though, as he hangs on admirably but in the process is rolled over by Sarkisian! He controls it expertly and starts exploding with massive shots to the side of Lerond's head! The referee gets half way through a warning for a punch to the back of the head, but there's blood everywhere and he stops this one before Lerond goes out!

The Outcome: Sarkisian introduces himself to the Japanese audience in very impressive style with a four-minute beatdown of the Frenchman. Looking at that replay, Lerond took about five or six blows too many and doesn't seem to know where he is as his cutman begins work on the gash above his eye. On our broadcast, Garth Ward notes that he looks like he's been through twelve rounds with a heavyweight boxing champion - but it is just four with Sarkisian that has done that to Lerond. Sarkisian's task gets harder next as he mights Stafford Alois at the next Japanese event, while Lerond will have to deal with another ferocious striker when he meets Tim Boyer.

Group D Bout: http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/5/59/Flag_of_Wales_2.svg/22px-Flag_of_Wales_2.svg.png Graham Goodbody (19-9) vs. http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/b/bc/Flag_of_Finland.svg/22px-Flag_of_Finland.svg.png Ari Peltonen (22-7)
The Set-up: Peltonen has talked a big game in the build up to this fight, and I'd suggest his giving up around forty or fifty pounds against the Welshman who is six years his elder. Both fighters have very impressive MMA records but have not yet competed on a stage anywhere near as big as this. Peltonen fights out of Mantas Andreyev and relies on his good wrestling to win fights. Goodbody's problems in recent years are well known - he struggles on his back, has a poor tank and has been subbed out too often in his past few fights. All of those attributes should play into Peltonen's hands, and it is little surprise he and the bookies alike are so confident he will take this one.

The Fight: Peltonen makes clear his intentions immediately as he searches for the takedown against the giant Goodbody. He's not able to take him down, though, as Goodbody sprawls well and then looks to answer with an overhand on the way up. Peltonen dodges it, but continues in his pursuit to take Goodbody down. He can't do it, though, as Goodbody continues to either stay out of range or use his bulk to keep his feet as Peltonen looks for a series of single and double leg takedowns. Time expires as Goodbody wheels out of the way of a combo from Peltonen, and it is a tough round to score because not a lot happened. Peltonen landed a few nice combos mid round, but Goodbody controlled the rest with his negative style so we'll call it a 10-10.

It is more of the same in the second round as Peltonen grows increasingly frustrated at his inability to take Goodbody down. He refuses to stand and trade, though, and ends the round with Goodbody backing him up against the cage. Under the ten-point must system it has to be 10-9 Goodbody, but he's ten minutes into the fight and has yet to show any aggression.

Peltonen finally uses a little bit of subtlety to disguise his intentions, but the one-two combination is clearly a prelude to a takedown attempt. His shot falls short, though, as Goodbody backs away before looking to nail him with a right on the way back up. Peltonen manages to defend himself well, but again shoots for a single leg. He hangs on for dear life, but Goodbody manages to bring him to his feet and grapple him up against the cage -- using his weight to press the Fin against the chain. Peltonen is controlled expertly by an obviously tiring Goodbody, and it is the Welshman -- not the referee -- who separates the two and looks to land punches. He throws some ragged shots, but effectively stuffs another takedown from an obviously frustrated Peltonen. It is a stalemate from there as both guys look done, and time closes on an uninspiring bout. That was all Goodbody, and the 10-9 gives him a 30-28 upset in my books.

The Outcome: Peltonen is clearly angry with his performance and kicks the cage in frustration, but there's little surprise at the result as all three judges award the fight to Graham Goodbody 29-28. Peltonen doesn't even bother shaking Goodbody's hand, and exits the cage in a hurry. He'll know that is a chance missed, but he only has himself to blame as he produced one of the most ordinary performances of his career that included no Plan B. It seemed everything hinged on him taking Goodbody down, and the veteran did enough to hang on and frustrate him to earn the two points. Both Goodbody and Peltonen will need to lift their games, though, when they face Adrian Swall and Khru Duangjan respectively in their next fights.

Group D Bout: http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/a/a9/Flag_of_Thailand.svg/22px-Flag_of_Thailand.svg.png Khru Duangjan (14-2) vs. http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/b/b9/Flag_of_Australia.svg/22px-Flag_of_Australia.svg.png Adrian Swall (3-0)
The Set-up: On paper this looks like a total mismatch. Duangjan is the #9 Heavyweight in the world and is perhaps one of the most dangerous strikers in the division today. His iron chin makes him perhaps the most feared fighter in the stand-up department, but his weakness remains his distinct lack of ground game. That is why I say he's the favourite "on paper". Adrian Swall's MMA career is very young, but he's an absolute beast with a Strongman background. He's very raw, but classifies himself as a wrestler so if he's able to take Duangjan down he could be a sneaky chance at taking a win. The bookies don't agree with me, but his great chin and strength in both wrestling and physique make him a good chance to snatch a win.

The Fight: Surprisingly it is Swall who takes the impetus early as he charges out of his corner and forces Duangjan back with some uncouth strikes. He looks to grapple, but is kept well clear by a speculative head kick from Duangjan that he just manages to sway out of the way of. Duangjan manages to nail him with a brutal straight right that snaps Swall's head back, but the Australian shoots for a takedown as he tries to shake off the blow. Duangjan sprawls it, but Swall's power is really impressive as he presses him against the cage. He controls him there for a minute with dominant wrestling, and then uses the cage as leverage to scoop him up and carry him a few feet before slamming him down! Duangjan pulls guard, and both men look happy to keep the fight where it is for the time being. Time is running out, and Swall manages to pass into side control but cannot do anything with it as the round ends. Swall immediately springs to his feet and is barely breathing as he walks to his corner. It is a great start for him, and his dominant grappling earns him a 10-9 advantage on my card.

Garth Ward apparently speaks Thai, and Duangjan's corner is imploring him to take the fight to Swall and overwhelm him with strikes. He needs to be more aggressive than the first round, that's for sure. Swall, however, again starts of proceedings with strikes as he shoots for a takedown but is met by a brutal jab to the cheek that sends him stumbling back into the cage! Duangjan charges after him and both men are trading with haymakers! This is unbelievable! Duangjan is absolutely dominating this exchange, but Swall is taking them all in his stride as he looks to grapple up with Duangjan. The Thai fighter is too quick, though, and he backs out of the way of a blind haymaker combination from Swall as the actions starts to settle down. Swall collects himself, but he's looking tentative to come in to wrestle Duangjan -- and for good reason as Duangjan nearly floors him with a straight right! Swall shakes it off well, but there's a cut just under his eye that was opened in the earlier exchanges and is bleeding prodigiously down his face. He's in survival mode, though, and the only way he knows how to survive is by chasing Duangjan with massive overhands! Duangjan skips clear, though, and tries to answer with a highlight reel headkick but Swall takes it on his forearm. Amazing round of action comes to an end as both men show just how good their respective chins are! It was Duangjan all the way, though -- 10-9 in my books.

Swall's looking ragged coming into the third, and Duangjan looks the most likely to finish the fight from here. He continues to land some sick punches to the Aussie's head, but Swall is not even wobbled. Even Duangjan has to be impressed with his resilience. Swall shoots for a takedown, but the explosiveness from the first round is no longer there and Duangjan is just too quick for him. He continues to score well, and when time runs out should have done enough to secure two points as I score the bout 29-28.

The Outcome: And the judges agree as all three give it to the Thai heavyweight by decision! It was an exciting contest between two very game fighters, but Duangjan clearly rattled Swall in that second round and made him a whole lot more hesitant to put everything into those takedowns come the third round. As we expected, Swall's wrestling was dominant but Duangjan looked so silky on his feet and that's where he's going to provide a whole lot of headaches for opponents in this competition. Next up for him is Ari Peltonen, while Swall will face the man the Fin could not take down in Graham Goodbody.

Group B Bout: http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/b/be/Flag_of_England.svg/22px-Flag_of_England.svg.png Stafford Alois (26-8) vs. http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/c/cf/Flag_of_Canada.svg/22px-Flag_of_Canada.svg.png Tim Boyer (19-3-2)
The Set-up: This is the fight I've been hanging out for and it has the potential to be a doozy. Boyer is a former GAMMA Heavyweight Champion whose fearsome striking and upset victory over James Foster less than a year ago have made him a fan favourite wherever GAMMA is broadcast. Meanwhile, Stafford Alois has so much more to play for. His MMA record looks great, but he's been a failure in both ALPHA-1 and GAMMA and must start to prove himself if he's to have any chance of returning to either promotion. He drew the Group of Death which is a disaster for him, so the key for him is to at the very least take Boyer to a decision here. I can't see it happening though. Alois is likewise known for a highlight reel of head kick KO's, and I think this fight will be finished by strikes and probably early on. The questions are can Alois reach Boyer by foot, or will he again crash and burn on the big stage?

The Fight: After a quiet crowd for most of the night, the package shown inside the Tokyo Dome seem to have given this fight some atmosphere -- particularly due to the size of these two fighters. They are heavyweights in every sense of the word. The pair touch gloves, and it is a game Alois who looks the sharpest early as he combines leg kicks with some accurate striking by hand to force Boyer into grappling with the Englishman. This isn't what anyone expected, but Alois manages to slip clear and throw out a straight right. Boyer leans out of the way, and answers with his own stinging kick to the inside of the right thigh that emits an audible "ooh" from the audience. Alois shakes it off and scales back, but Boyer follows up and manages to slip a punch through to the nose of Alois! He looks to press in the last minute, but Alois gets his first chance to test out that chin of Boyer with an overhand right of his own. The two start trading in the final moments of the round with both landing good shots, but neither man is going down yet as time expires on a great first round of action! It was close -- very close -- but I'd have to say that Alois' strikes did more damage and were more on target for him to edge it 10-9, but it could go either way.

There's a speculative starts from both fighters as they test their range by finding gloves. Alois lets rip with the first head kick of the match, but Boyer easily loops out of range. Alois tries to follow up with another one, but he's countered by a massive hook from Boyer that collects him in the jaw and he falls flat on his face! Holy ****, what a punch! Boyer goes to follow it up, but the referee leaps in the way because Alois is clearly out cold! What a finish from "The Tower of Power"!

The Outcome: After a great first round of action, Alois got too overexcited there and tries to finish Boyer with those big kicks to the head. Boyer has so much time to move thanks to his height, though, and that countering hooking had all the force of a 265 pound man behind it and that was all she wrote for Alois. He's still struggling to regain his bearings as his corner sit him down on a stool, but Boyer is understandably ecstatic with that victory which gives him a full three points heading into his showdown with Claude Lerond. Alois, meanwhile, could find his Championships over in a few months when he faces Armen Sarkisian - a man capable of taking full advantage of his weakness on the ground.

Group C Bout: http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/b/b4/Flag_of_Turkey.svg/22px-Flag_of_Turkey.svg.png Hassan Fezzik (25-0) vs. http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/f/fc/Flag_of_Mexico.svg/22px-Flag_of_Mexico.svg.png Oscar Gómez (10-5)
The Set-up: Gómez has talked a huge game in the lead up to the fight, but I'd wager that Fezzik has had around about 25 other fighters do the exact same thing. The task for Gómez is pretty simple -- he needs to knock Fezzik out. He knows it, I know it and I'm pretty sure Fezzik knows it, too. Fezzik has never lost in MMA and is coming off a first round KO of Jeff Carlton. Gómez, meanwhile, has been taking fights in The Border Alliance and crowds of a couple hundred people are nothing compared to this. He might take some confidence in the fact that Fezzik has so little experience in the cage, but he can only take a little solace from that because Fezzik can use this bout as a tune up. If Gómez wins this, it is the biggest upset in the history of all combat sports. But he can't and won't. First up though is the tale of the tape:

http://i389.photobucket.com/albums/oo332/cricketwebtennis/WMMA/World%20Champs/Promotional/Fezzikvs.jpg


The Fight: We are back inside the cage, and Fezzik is an absolute megastar in this country regardless of who he is representing and the crowd is ultra-buzzed for any fight including him. Gómez must be feeling a little bit overwhelmed, otherwise I have no idea what would possess him not to touch gloves with Fezzik. We're underway, and immediately Fezzik shoots for a takedown and charges Gómez into the mat. He postures up from inside Gómez's guard and starts hammering away with shot after shot and Gómez is rocked already! He's in survival mode, but somehow he manages to defend himself just enough for the referee to keep the fight on foot -- but only just! Fezzik's punches are coming with a little less power and urgency, now, and his pass into side control is effortless. Fezzik starts dropping elbows on the right cheek of Gómez and is making an absolute mess of his face before he slips into mount. We're three minutes into this fight, and Gómez's right eye is nearly closed over already! He does well, though, to deal with more elbows as he grabs onto the back of Fezzik's head to keep him from posturing up, but he tries to roll Fezzik -- and gives up his back! This is a disastrous situation for Gómez and there is an air of inevitability as Fezzik does what he's no doubt done a thousand times in training as he sets up an armbar from the back! He cranks it and that's all she wrote for Oscar Gómez!

The Outcome: Gómez promised a lot of things in the lead up to this fight, but delivered none of it as Fezzik produced an absolute clinic. We get an interview with him in Japanese (helpfully translated for the English-speaking viewers) in which he thanks the fans for showing up. He also says that Gómez showed a lot of guts out there, and the camera shows a bemused Gómez nodding his head and smiling as he puts an icepack over his busted eye. Fezzik shoots to second in Group C on time difference, but has the chance to move to #1 against Fatuma Roy. Noah Musch is next for Gómez and is his biggest chance of victory - not to mention if he wants to stay alive in these Championships.

Tom Bellfort and Garth Ward recap the night's fights, but send us away with the first card of the MMA World Championships finishing in explosive style!

Group Standings (http://www.greydogsoftware.com/forum/showpost.php?p=1103375&postcount=7)

Ikuhisa Tamura def. Manol Sirakov by Unanimous Decision (Poor)
Colonel Mubeto def. DeMarques Kinfield by Submission (Armbar) at 4:09 in Round 3 (Good)
Fatuma Roy def. Noah Musch by TKO (Punches) at 3:09 in Round 1 (Great)
Armen Sarkisian def. Claude Lerond by TKO (Punches) at 4:21 in Round 1 (Good)
Graham Goodbody def. Ari Peltonen by Unanimous Decision (Very Poor)
Khru Duangjan def. Adrian Swall by Unanimous Decision (Decent)
Tim Boyer def. Stafford Alois by KO (Punch) at 1:43 in Round 2 (Good)
Hassan Fezzik def. Oscar Gómez by Submission (Armbar) at 4:21 in Round 1 (Great)

dakydaky - 5/8
London - 7/8
BHK - 6/8
dww - 7/8
Jingo - 7/8
Abraham - 5/8
Lt. - 7/8
Diesel - 6/8

Not the most difficult card to predict, but Graham Goodbody the downfall for all four winners. Diesel would have joined but for Fezzik upsetting Gómez in the ME... :D