Download - Fighters Magazine - May 2012

8 PAGE GUIDE

EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEWSPRIDE FC

UFC IN THE UK

OVER 50 OF THE WORLDS BIGGEST MMA STARS SMASH IN TO THE NEC, BIRMINGHAM ON MAY 12 AND 13

INCLUDING BJ PENN, RANDY COUTURE, MICHAEL BISPING

+ MANY MORE

HENDO, COLEMAN, TRIGG & SOKOUDJOU

LOOK BACK WITH PRIDE

A COMPREHENSIVE LOOK AT THE UFC IN THE UK

WWW.

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AG.CO

.UK

SPECIAL SOUVENIR COLLECTORS EDITION

MAY ISSUE - £3.95

PLUS AN EXCLUSIVE TRAINING MASK FEATURE WITH SEAN SHERK

GET YOUR SURIVIVAL GUIDE FOR THE MMA SHOW LIVE

ALSO IN THIS ISSUE: ULTIMATE FIGHTER RETRO BJJ IN MMA WRESTLING IN MMA MARK MUNOZ BEN HENDERSON DAN HENDERSON JAKE SHIELDS MMA JUDGING CRITERIA

CONTENTS

EDITORIAL8 RANDY COUTURE

12 MICHAEL BISPING

16 BJ PENN

20 DAN HENDERSON

24 TRAINING MASK

28 JAKE SHIELDS

32 LOOKING BACK WITH PRIDE

35 THE MMA SHOW LIVE SURVIVAL GUIDE

44 TUF RETROSPECTIVE

50 MMA JUDGING DEBATE

52 QUICKFIRE Q&A

54 LEX MCMAHON

56 MARK MUNOZ

60 UFC IN THE UK

66 HAYWIRE

70 KENNY JOHNSON

72 KO BULLYING

76 THE RAID

80 BEN HENDERSON

So here it is, the issue you’ve all been waiting for, the souvenir collectors edition of Fighters Magazine celebrating Europe’s biggest ever MMA fan expo, The MMA Show Live!

Normally, you’d be reading the words of Fighters Magazine owner, Paul Clifton, but I’ve tied him up in my basement and hijacked his magazine for a month. I

“Misery” kind of way. Don’t worry though, I won’t be doing any hobbling…… yet.

It’s been a manic few months leading up to this show. Every ambition we had for the show has become a reality and every vision we have the future is now just

made this show happen, and I will always be eternally grateful.

We have some fantastic interviews in this issue

Henderson and BJ Penn. Hendo gives us a candid look at his 205 title shot against Jonny “Bones” Jones and BJ talks retirement and relaxation.

We also take a look at the evolution of Wrestling and BJJ in MMA as well as looking back at both PRIDE and The Ultimate Fighter, two areas of MMA that I

I’ve enjoyed every second of creating this issue and I’d like to thank Dan Burgess, Bryan Levick and Matt Freeman for stepping up and helping me. I hope you enjoy it as much as we enjoyed putting it together!

To hear the ramblings of a mad man, make sure you

See you all on May 12 and 13 in Birmingham at The MMA Show Live!

Liam

FIGHTERSMAG.CO.UK

8 RANDY COUTURE

PUBLISHERPaul S. Clifton

[email protected]

GUEST EDITOR IN CHIEF Liam Fisher

SENIOR DESIGNERKevin Thompson

GUEST GRAPHIC DESIGNERDan Burgess

GUEST FEATURES WRITERMatt Freeman

WEBMASTERNick Harley

ADVERTISING/SALES EXECUTIVEJan Harley 0121-351-6930

PHOTOGRAPHYCarrie Austin 07716266854

IRISH MMA SUB EDITORThomas McCullough

UK THAI SUB EDITORDan Green

UK MMA SUB EDITORRob Nutley

UK BJJ SUB EDITORCarl Fisher

UK KICKBOXING SUB EDITORCris Janson-Piers

UK BOXING SUB EDITORSLuke Calvert, Mark Wilson Smith

THAI / KICKBOXINGTony Myers, Shaun Boland, Paul Hennessy,

Bob Spour, Neil Holden, Dean Sugden, Carl Emery

CONTRIBUTORSSteve Dileo, Bryan Levick, Fergus Dullaghan, Ben Cartlidge, Liam Fisher, Teddy Galbally,

Craig Bush, Rocki Sondhi, Tommy Thompson

HOW TO GET WORK PUBLISHED

or give the editorial team a call on 0121 351 6930

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RANDY COUTURECaptain America is ready for England

There really is no introduction necessary when it comes to Randy “The Natural” Couture. His many ac-colades are well known in the world of mixed martial arts and when his name is mentioned people’s heads turn and they think of the many great moments “Cap-tain America” has provided fans throughout his re-markable 14 year career. He has left an indelible mark on the sport and despite no longer being an active

When something has been part of your life for so long and has given you so many fantastic memories you never truly can get it out of your system. Couture

Machida at UFC 129 in April of 2011. He has caught the acting bug starring in such movies as The Expenda-bles and its sequel. He is still coaching a large stable of

and he will once again handle broadcasting duties for the UFC on Fox 3 in May.

Couture may be closing in on 49-years-old, but he has the energy of a man half his age. His ambition and drive to succeed is just as strong as it has ever been. The demand on his time will always be great because of what he brings to the table. You know when you are getting Randy Couture involved with a project you are going to get the very best from a man who will always give his maximum effort. Most people are content with relaxing and spending time with their family when they retire, but Couture is not most people.

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in which I had the lead in, they will both be out this summer. I’m heading to LA for a meeting about a movie and I will be commentating for the UFC on Fox once again in New Jersey. We just had our third annual

with all the proceeds going to wounded soldier and their families. We have our third annual Ride Four Our Troops on May 19th. It’s always fun to give back and help those families who need help. Those guys have

building from the ground up.”

career is over and doesn’t plan on making any more comebacks like the one he made back in 2007 when he returned after a year on the shelf to defeat then

UFC Heavyweight Champion Tim Sylvia to become the division champion for the third time. The itch can be scratched with some long hours in the gym training

day,” admitted the UFC Hall of Famer. “I don’t really -

sion. In today’s society it’s very rare when an athlete gets to go out on his own terms. I felt like I had the privilege to do that and I didn’t have anyone telling me

second guessed myself. I’ve been getting more acting jobs and keeping real busy. I’m really excited about commentating and I’ve developed a passion for acting. Things are going really well for me.

against Connor Heun when Strikeforce went to Columbus. It was a big step-up for him and Connor is

-tively involved with helping Ryan prepare for his bouts.

a step back and stay out of his way. I wanted him to allow him to develop on his own terms; it’s already a burden carrying the same last name in both of those sports. The expectations because of the last name have put a target on his back right from the start. He came to me and asked for my help and I was certainly happy to get involved and help him formulate a gameplan. I think he responded very well and it was fun to see him have a great performance.”

The talk of mixed martial arts recently has been centered on Testosterone Replacement Therapy and whether or not it should be allowed in the sport. UFC heavyweight title contender Alistair Overeem recently tested way above the limit and has put his UFC 146 bout with champion Junior Dos Santos in jeopardy. With Couture being so entrenched in the sport his opinion is always taken seriously.

“I’m not really sure what’s going to happen with Overeem because at the end of the day he failed a drug test,” Couture offered. “I think the athletic com-mission has guidelines they set and he didn’t fall under

anti-aging stuff that’s out there now. TRT is generally something a guy does in their 40’s and 50’s when their

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RANDY COUTUREUFC HALL OF FAMER

TITLES:

LAST FIGHT:LYOTO MACHIDA (L)

RECORD:19-11-0

MMA SHOW LIVE SCHEDULE

SATURDAY MAY 1210:00: SIGNING SESSION AT THE XTREME COUTURE STAND

SUNDAY MAY 1314:30: WRESTLING IN MMA DISCUSSION ON THE MAIN STAGE16:00: WRESTLING SEMINAR AT THE WRESTLING ZONE

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MICHAEL BISPINGTalking to Michael ‘The Count’ Bisping about MMA and his role as one of the biggest UK stars, he is quick to play down the hype. Far from thinking of himself as

down-to-earth as they come. “When people come up

really know what to say. Being an inspiration to peo-

bloke,” Mike says thoughtfully. “I’m no better than

I’m just a working class lad who has worked hard and done well.” For Bisping, it is all about working hard and getting the wins. “I never think that I’m some kind of big star. I don’t even like to think that I have fans and I’m quick to correct people on that. I think of them as supporters. Supporters who are great, especially every

UFC.” However, as modest and humble as Mike is, any-

one who has been to a UK UFC event when he has fought knows just how loyal those British MMA fans are for the man who has done so much in the sport.

Englishman through and through.” Back in the UK to appear at the MMA Live show in Birmingham, Bisping said he’d have attended as a fan even if he wasn’t on the line up.

It is this kind of attitude that has endeared him to so

an unwavering sense of humour has seen Mike rise up the ranks. After winning The Ultimate Fighter series 3 as a light-heavyweight, Bisping has fought the majority of his career inside the Octagon. Dropping to mid-dleweight after a close split decision loss to Rashad Evans, The Count has taken on some of the best in the business racking up three Fight of the Night bonuses along the way. Technically vicious wins over the likes of Chris Leben, Denis Kang and Yoshihiro Akiyama have all earned Bisping a reputation for being a skilled

Rivera and Jason Miller set up some intensely thrilling wars inside the cage. Having spent much of his career training out of the Wolfslair, near Manchester, Bisping recently made the move out to California. “My girl-friend is from Australia and her family all moved back. She didn’t really like it and didn’t have any ties in the UK,” reveals Mike about the mother of his children. “So, we compromised and moved to the US. Obvi-ously, there is better training out there but it is also about living life. I was ready for the change. You’ve got to live your life.” Whilst it is a fantastic opportunity for his family, it is also a great decision for Mike’s career having recently trained with the likes of Jake Shields and Dean Lister.

“Southern California is a hub for MMA. It seems like there’s a gym on every street corner and there’re loads of talented guys out there to train with like Jake and Dean,” Mike says. “I’m mainly based out of Huntingdon Beach at the Ultimate Training Centre. I’ve been friends with Tiki [Ghosn] for a long time but I also try to mix it up and train with some other guys out there.” Training with Jake Shields ahead of

shows the obvious advantages Bisping is affording

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MICHAEL BISPINGUFC MIDDLEWEIGHT

LAST FIGHT: CHAEL SONNEN (L)

NEXT FIGHT :TIM BOETSCH - UFC 148

RECORD:22-4-0

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BJ PENN

BJ PENN is a 2 weight UFC champion holding titles at

lightweight and welterweight.

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How will BJ Penn remembered when his career is said and done? Will he be remembered as the lightweight wrecking machine who tore through Jens Pulver, Joe Stevenson, Sean Sherk and Diego Sanchez? Or will he be remembered for his uninspired performances as a welterweight where he couldn’t duplicate the career

pin Matt Hughes in 2004?

There will never be any argument that Penn is one of the most gifted athletes to ever compete in mixed martial arts. He is without a doubt a natural and he certainly has lived up to his nickname of the Prodigy. He is one of only three men to have won champion-ships in two different weight classes joining UFC Hall of Famer Randy “The Natural” Couture and future Hall of Famer Dan Henderson. The company Penn keeps is incredible and very well deserved, but he fans may think back and remember what could’ve been rather than focus on his many accomplishments.One of Penn’s greatest achievements was when he

division of the World Jiu-Jitsu Championships in 2000. What’s crazy about this is that Penn was awarded his BJJ black belt just a few weeks before the Mundials in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. At the tender age of 22 Penn had become a force in BJJ and was now prepared to begin training in all facets of mixed martial arts. At the time the UFC had a 155lb. division and Penn was the per-fect addition to a group that included Caol Uno, Jens Pulver and Din Thomas.

Baby J would make his UFC debut against Joey Gilbert in May of 2001. He would knock Gilbert out with just

Thomas and Uno respectively, the win over Uno took just 11 seconds. The UFC awarded Penn a shot at Pul-ver and the lightweight championship in just his fourth

mous decision. Pulver would leave the UFC vacating the title and after defeating Paul Creighton and Matt Serra, Penn would get another crack at the lightweight title against Uno at UFC 41.

and Uno would battle to a draw. We wouldn’t see Penn back in the UFC for nearly a year. The UFC abol-ished the lightweight division and Penn would go on to face future Pride Lightweight Champion Takanori Gomi in Hawaii before returning to face Hughes for

the welterweight title at UFC 46 in January of 2004. In what many considered to be a huge upset at the time Penn stunned Hughes with a rear naked choke

UFC and was stripped of his title after signing on to

three times for K-1 and once more for Rumble on the Rock. He fought at middleweight against Rodrigo Gracie earning a decision victory, lightweight in a win

over Duane Ludwig; he would lose to Lyoto Machida who weighed 225lbs while Penn was just 191lbs. He would also defeat Renzo Gracie via decision. Once again the UFC came calling this time with a number one contenders bout against Georges St. Pierre, Penn

to lose steam and dropped a very controversial split decision. As luck would have it, GSP got hurt and Penn would rematch Hughes who had reclaimed the welter-weight title by defeating St. Pierre.

In what would become the story of Penn’s career as a welterweight he started off quickly against Hughes and had the champion in serious trouble during the second round. Penn came out tired and was domi-nated on the feet by Hughes who eventually won via referee stoppage 3:53 into the third round. It was later reported that Penn had suffered a rib injury during the second round, but regardless the extra weight seemed to slow Penn down once again and in what may have been the best move of his career he took on the role of coach on The Ultimate Fighter season 5 opposite

Penn toyed with Pulver before eventually choking him out in the second round and beginning an outstanding run as a lightweight.

To read the rest of this article why not

order a back issue, visit www.fightersmag.co.uk/backissue

BJ PENNUFC WELTERWEIGHT

LAST FIGHT: NICK DIAZ (L)

TITLES:UFC LIGHTWEIGHT &

WELTERWEIGHT TITLES

RECORD:16-8-2


SATURDAY MAY 1210:00: SIGNING SESSION AT THE AUTOGRAPH ZONE

SUNDAY MAY 1310:30: BJJ SEMINAR AT THE GRAPPLING ZONE16:00: TUF RETROSPECTIVE ON THE MAIN STAGE

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DAN HENDERSONUFC 17 Middleweight Tournament Champion, check.

Rings of Kings 1999 Tournament Champion, check.

Pride Welterweight Champion, check.

Pride Middleweight Champion, check.

Strikeforce Light Heavyweight Champion, check.

These are just Dan Henderson’s professional accom-plishments, we would be here for days talking about his amateur background and how successful he was during that time of his career. There aren’t many mixed martial artists who can boast a similar list of accom-plishments or who have beaten the caliber of oppo-nents that Henderson has.

and done with we can now move on from the soap opera that was to Jones’ next opponent. UFC Presi-dent Dana White announced during the UFC 145 post

next man to challenge Jones for the UFC Light Heavy-

Henderson will be close to or will have just turned 42-years-old and from the looks of things he seems to

a tough one to call,” Henderson said. “It depends on who comes in and sticks to their game plan and implements it better. I think Rashad has a good chance to win and not many people think that he does, but

who’s going to win, it’s a tough one to call because I feel Evans will put Jones on his back and we haven’t seen him in that position yet. We’ll see how he reacts to that.”

With Jones coming out victorious via unanimous deci-sion Henderson will not face Jones within the next few months, possibly at UFC 149 in July which will be held at the Scotiabank Saddledome in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. Jones has defeated four former UFC champi-ons in a row and has done so with relative ease. Hen-

Jones will face, but at 5’11 he will be giving up almost a half foot in height and the reach advantage will once

for Henderson to get inside and land his trademark H-Bomb.

“I feel like I match better against Jones and to be

if I had faced Rashad,” Henderson admitted. “Evans would’ve looked to put me on my back and try to win

ferent game plan for both guys, but it didn’t matter to me who I fought. I think the fans are happy that I will be facing Jones instead of Evans.”

Before White announced that Frank Mir would be replacing Alistair Overeem against UFC Heavyweight Champion Junior Dos Santos at UFC 146 there was some speculation that Henderson could possibly

Henderson would have faced a heavyweight. Last July Henderson took on Fedor Emelianenko

Before that Henderson had faced Antonio Rodrigo

would’ve been very interesting.

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DAN HENDERSONUFC LIGHT

LAST FIGHT: SHOGUN RUA (W)

NEXT FIGHT :JON JONES

RECORD:29-8-0


SATURDAY MAY 1213:00: PRIDE RETROSPECTIVE ON THE MAIN STAGESUNDAY MAY 1310:00: SIGNING SESSION AT THE AUTOGRAPH ZONE12:30: WRESTLING SEMINAR AT THE WRESTLING ZONE

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Looking like a Special Forces soldier in the gym can sometimes draw a few puzzled glances from fellow training partners yet donning a gas mask has, for a long time, been one of Sean Sherk’s secret training tools. During his career the former UFC lightweight cham-pion truly took to the idea that strength and condi-tioning is king. Holding a seriously impressive MMA record of 36-4-1 that includes wins over the likes of Nick Diaz, Manvel Gamburyan and most recently Evan Dunham, ‘The Muscle Shark’ was never short on power or fuel in the tank when he stepped into the cage. Few MMA fans will forget the footage prepara- tions; a relentless and un- forgiving circuit

lung burning, body fatiguing exercises. However, Sherk recognised that at the elite level of the UFC, every advantage was necessary. Having superior conditioning was another tool, just like boxing or wrestling which the Minnesota native could use against his opponents.

Much like the evolution of Mixed Martial Arts, the sport has seen the huge advances and changes in the methods behind strength and conditioning regimes. Sean was one of those athletes who took his training to the next level. “I was always looking to push myself harder in training. I came up with the idea of using the

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used were really big and clunky. You couldn’t see the pads to hit them and you couldn’t run with it because

a lot now.” Instead of using an old military gas mask,

altitude training, the mask claims to limit the amount of oxygen available making it seem to the body that it is working in an environment way above sea level. At high elevation the air contains less oxygen meaning that the body compensates by increasing red blood cell production. This increase in red blood cells allows you to take up more oxygen from the air available meaning that when you go back to sea level where there is more oxygen in the air your body is much

in your muscles getting more oxygen, allowing you to train or compete harder and longer.

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Newsagents

“ My lungs felt strong and I

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SATURDAY MAY 1210:30: TRAINING MASK SEMINAR AT THE MIXED ZONE12:00: SIGNING SESSION AT THE AUTOGRAPH ZONE

SUNDAY MAY 1310:00: SIGNING SESSION AT THE TRAINING MASK STAND14:30: WRESTLING IN MMA DISCUSSION ON THE MAIN STAGE

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JAKE SHIELDS

IMAGE COPYRIGHT TO ZUFFA

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a title in Shooto, earning a number of wins in Japan as

ous battles with the likes of Paul Daley, Jason Miller and Dan Henderson, won him a serious reputation

nal member of the Scrap Pack, Jake Shields is a true Mixed Martial Artist; a killer in the cage and a total gentleman outside it.

pedigree as a top contender was set in concrete or, more appropriately, championship gold. His stunning

doubting the Californian’s heart, toughness and all round game. With the UFC’s management acquiring the Strikeforce promotion, Jake made the move over to the Octagon to begin his journey toward another title but this time back at welterweight. After a tough

tin Kampmann, Jake was offered a shot at Georges St. Pierre and the championship. “Fighting at middleweight I’d bulked up a bit so the drop back down to welter-weight was tough. I didn’t cut right for the Kampmann

than against GSP,” explains the 33-year old. Testing the champion, Shields pushed his Canadian opponent

grappling match. I know I had him hurt early on and I should have pushed a bit harder. Maybe next time,”

says Jake truefully. Though GSP hasn’t fought since, Jake has been very active dealing with the highs and lows of both competition and life.On August 29th 2011, Jack Shields, Jake’s father passed away. Three weeks later, Jake, not wanting to disappoint the fans or the UFC, stepped into the cage against the dangerous Jake

I’ve had to make. I didn’t really know what to do,” says Jake with brutal honesty. “I ended up going through

asked the UFC for a rematch but they’re not ready to give it to me yet.” It shows the heart of the man who, having just lost his father, manager and mentor would

Joe Silva want him to compete at middleweight. “I am

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JAKE SHIELDSUFC MIDDLEWEIGHT

GYM:CESAR GRACIE

LAST FIGHT :YOSHIHIRO AKIYAMA (W)

RECORD:27-6-1


SATURDAY MAY 1216:00: BJJ IN MMA DISCUSSION ON THE MAIN STAGE

SUNDAY MAY 1312:30: BJJ SEMINAR AT THE GRAPPLING ZONE14:00: SIGNING SESSION AT THE AUTOGRAPH ZONE

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LOOKING BACK WITH PRIDEJapan has had a long love affair with martial arts, proving itself to be the catalyst for many styles of

the seeds for the growth of Judo, the birth of Brazil-ian Jiu-Jitsu, the emergence of Sambo in Russia and many other forms of grappling and striking inside and outside of the sporting arena. Japan is also, like Brazil

places to encourage the development of Mixed Martial Art competition. Whilst MMA would emerge from

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Shooto in Japan would continue when both the UFC

‘90s. Rickson Gracie dominated in Japan whilst Royce was victorious in America.

The popularity of MMA in Japan grew exponen-tially and by 1997 a new promotion emerged,

world had seen. Once again Rickson Gracie featured in the headlining bout defeat-ing Nobuhiko Takada by armbar. The same card saw a number of UFC stand outs compete, includ-ing Dan Severn, Oleg Taktarov and Kimo Leopoldo. The suc-cess of these events saw the promotion regularly draw crowds in excess of 50,000 and

with its mix of high production values and top level

favourite. It also became the stomping ground for a number of MMA’s biggest stars. Wanderlei Silva, Fedor Emilianenko, Rampage Jackson and Dan Henderson all earned their reputations in the Pride ring. That pure white canvas was also home to one of the brightest

affectionately as ‘The Gracie Killer’. A catch wrestler taught by American Karl Gotch, Sakuraba’s career was

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Gracies. His career was an inspiration to a generation

in the ring, defeating Royce, Royler, Ryan and Renzo. Yet even Sakuraba had his nemesis in the form of another Brazilian called Wanderlei ‘The Axe Murderer’

his own, vicious advantage.

-ployed, Pride FC worked to a different system. Rounds

by each stanza but instead as a whole match. Most importantly the rules allowed knees and kicks to the head of a downed opponent, meaning that head stomps became a

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“ ...

“- DAN HENDERSON

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SATURDAY SCHEDULE

AUTOGRAPH ZONE

STAND SIGNINGS

10:00»» Frank Trigg

»»» Che Mills

» BJ Penn

14:00» Michael Bisping

»»»»»

12:00» Sean Sherk

»» Chris Leben

»» Andre Winner

»

16:00»»» Mark Munoz

» Ross Pearson

» Alexander

»

10:30CLEAR VISION: Brendan Schaub

11:00NUTS:

11:30ALCHEMIST:

12:00FIGHTERS MAG:

12:30JACO:

14:00DETHRONE: Ben Henderson

14:30NUTS:

16:00XTREME COUTURE:

PAGE38

SCHEDULE SUNDAY SCHEDULE

AUTOGRAPH ZONE

STAND SIGNINGS

10:00» Dan Henderson

» Alessio Sakara

» Phil DeFries

»

» Vaughan Lee

14:00»» Jake Shields

»»» Marloes Coenen

12:00»»» Chandella Powell

» John Maguire

»

16:00»» Jason Young

» Rob Sinclair

» Diego Sanchez

»

10:30TRAINING MASK: Sean Sherk

10:30ALCHEMIST:

11:00NUTS:

12:00FIGHTERS MAG:

12:30ALCHEMIST:

14:00AFFLICTION: Michael Bisping

14:30NUTS:

16:00BIO-ARMOUR:

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SATURDAY SCHEDULE

10:30TRAINING MASK

Sean Sherk

12:30STRENGTH & CONDITIONING

14:30BJJ

11:45KO BULLYING

Free Kids Session

13:45KO BULLYING

Free Kids Session

16:00BOXING

Chris Leben

MIXED ZONE

10:30WRESTLING

12:30WRESTLING

14:30BOLT WRESTLING

10:00BOXING

10:00BOXING

16:00WRESTLING

Frank Trigg

WRESTLING ZONE

10:30SUB WRESTLING

12:30BJJ

14:30JUDO

11:45KO BULLYING

Free Kids Session

13:45KO BULLYING

Free Kids Session

16:00BJJ

GRAPPLING ZONE

10:30BOXING

12:30BOXING

14:30BOXING

11:45KO BULLYING

Free Kids Session

13:45KO BULLYING

Free Kids Session

16:00MUAY THAI

STRIKING ZONE 110:30

KICKBOXINGAndre Winner

12:30KICKBOXING

14:30MUAY THAIRoss Pearson

11:45KO BULLYING

Free Kids Session

13:45KO BULLYING

Free Kids Session

16:00BOXINGChe Mills

STRIKING ZONE 2

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SCHEDULE SUNDAY SCHEDULE

10:30GAIDOJUSTSUDiego Sanchez

12:30WRESTLING

14:30BJJ

Alessio Sakara

MIXED ZONE

10:30WRESTLINGMark Munoz

12:30WRESTLING

Dan Henderson

14:30BOLT WRESTLING

11:45KO BULLYING

Free Kids Session

13:45KO BULLYING

Free Kids Session

16:00WRESTLING

10:30BJJ

BJ Penn

12:30BJJ

Jake Shields

14:30BJJ

GRAPPLING ZONE

10:30MUAY THAI

12:30KICKBOXING

14:30TAEKWONDOBen Henderson

11:45KO BULLYING

Free Kids Session

13:45KO BULLYING

Free Kids Session

16:00KARATE

10:30BOXING

12:30MUAY THAI

Michael Bisping

14:30MUAY THAIJason Young

11:45KO BULLYING

Free Kids Session

13:45KO BULLYING

Free Kids Session

16:00KICKBOXING

STRIKING ZONE 2

11:45KO BULLYING

Free Kids Session

13:45KO BULLYING

Free Kids Session

16:00BOXING

Brendan Schaub

11:45KO BULLYING

Free Kids Session

13:45KO BULLYING

Free Kids Session

16:00GYSPY JIU JITSU

John Maguire

WRESTLING ZONE

STRIKING ZONE 1

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WEEKEND SCHEDULE

MAIN STAGE SATURDAY

MAIN STAGE SUNDAY

10:00JACKSON’S MMA DISCUSSION WITH:

11:30MMA JUDGING DEBATE

WITH:

13:00PRIDE RETROSPECTIVE

WITH:

14:30MMA IN EUROPE DISCUSSION WITH:

16:00BJJ IN MMA DISCUSSION

WITH:

10:00UFC IN THE UK DISCUSSION WITH:

Ross Pearson & John Maguire

11:30TEAM ALCHEMIST DISCUSSION

WITH:

13:00FIGHTING HOME OR AWAY

WITH: Phil De Fries & Vaughan Lee

14:30WRESTLING IN MMA DISCUSSION

WITH:

16:00TUF RETROSPECTIVE

WITH: & Ross Pearson

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BEING AN ULTIMATE FIGHTERBonnar been told that their rock ‘em, sock ‘em, all out war on The Ultimate Fighter Finale I is the main rea-son that the sport of MMA and the UFC is where it

man they would probably say they hear it more than they can remember. The sport was around and had its hardcore fans before The Ultimate Fighter began airing

-day’s fans will credit the show with showing the world what the rest of us were missing.

The Ultimate Fighter has come a long way over the past seven years. This year also marks the debut of

No matter how high or low the ratings go the show still serves a purpose and has brought in some of the sport’s biggest and brightest names along with help-

arts top rivalries. Who can forget watching Tito Ortiz needle Ken Shamrock every opportunity he had on season three? Or watching and listening to Josh Ko-shcheck try to goad Georges St. Pierre into a pissing contest on season 12?

There show has also had its share of lowlights none

bigger than during season 8 when Junie Browning decided to turn into a drunken fool and create con-troversy throughout the entire season. We have also seen some of the most outrageous practical jokes that have caused some serious altercations including when Koshcheck and Bobby Southworth decided it would be funny to soak Chris Leben who was sleeping on the front lawn with a water hose, letting Leben loose and out for blood.

Season 1 was obviously a memorable one with UFC Hall of Famers Chuck Liddell and Randy Couture

-

Swick, Chris Leben, Diego Sanchez, Josh Koscheck, Kenny Florian, Nate Quarry and Chris Leben not only

the season memorable for what went on outside of

one to have won a championship as he defeated Quin-ton “Rampage” Jackson for the light heavyweight title at UFC 86 in 2008. Florian is a two time lightweight title challenger and also had an opportunity at winning the featherweight title as well. Each time he came up short. Quarry challenged Rich Franklin for the 185lb title and Sanchez lost to BJ Penn in his attempt at win-ing the 155lb title. All in all a very successful season

ROSSPEARSON MATT

MITRIONE

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win the light heavyweight contract and Sanchez beat-ing Florian for the middleweight crown. Bonnar was also awarded a contract based on his performance

and Liddell faced off at UFC 52 in April of 2005 for Couture’s light heavyweight championship.

Season 2 saw Joe Stevenson walk away with the wel-terweight crown and an undersized Rashad Evans cut Brad Imes down to size for the heavyweight contract.

cember of 2008 for the light heavyweight champion-ship and Stevenson would square off against BJ Penn at UFC 80 for the vacant lightweight title. Other notables from this season were Marcus Davis, Melvin Guillard and Keith Jardine. The coaches were UFC Welter-weight Champion Matt Hughes and UFC Middleweight Champion Rich Franklin. Not a very eventful season, but produced some one of the best light heavyweights in Evans.

Season 3 was more memorable for the bickering back and forth between heated rival Tito Ortiz and Ken Shamrock. Ortiz certainly knew how to push Shamrock’s buttons and it led to many memorable

ULTIMATE FIGHTER RETROSPECITVE DISCUSSION WITH BJ PENN, CHRIS LEBEN, ROSS PEARSON & MATT MITRIONE

NEC, BIRMINGHAM MAY 13TH ON THE MAIN STAGE

CHRISLEBENBJ

PENN

DIEGO BRANDAO WAS ON TEAM BISPING WHEN HE WON THE

FEATHERWEIGHT TOURNAMENT ON TUF 14.

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Newsagents

JUDGING IN MMAA major part of the process that has helped to make Mixed Martial Arts the legitimate sport it is today has been the introduction of rules and regulations. Included in

that has been the need for rounds, weight classes and judges who score the bouts. Whilst in the early days

mission, the UFC introduced judges to score matches during its eighth event as part of its ever evolving at-tempts to codify the sport.

and the often quoted criteria of ‘effective striking, grappling, aggression and Octagon control’. However, as simple as it sounds, decision wins inside the cage

even promoters. Using the 10 point must system the

winner of each round is given 10 points whilst his op-ponent is awarded 9 points or less. That means that

striking and grappling should win the round. But, the problem lies in how those simple criteria are under-stood by the judges (and the fans). At times a counter striker is seen as being more effective though he is not being the aggressor, or a BJJ specialist is seen to dominate with submissions though he has spent the

Sometimes those decisions create such controversy that instant rematches are awarded to solve the issue.

One such decision occurred recently when Benson Henderson challenged Frankie Edgar for the light-weight title. For Marc Goddard, one of the UK’s most respected referees, any problems in judging is down to interpretation. “There is a big difference between

ten-point must system is the most perfect scoring sys-tem there is,” insists Marc, adding, “Regardless of how

BISPING WILL DISCUSSHIS DECISION LOSS AGAINST SONNEN

- MAY 12TH AT THE NEC, BIRMINGHAM

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ways win the round and it is the judges who decide on who that is. The points are irrelevant. It comes down to criteria.” As Mr Goddard rightly points out, humans interpret the world in many different ways and that holds for those four simple statements regarding how

of debate. If everyone saw everything the same way the world would be a very boring place. It is the same with MMA judging criteria. It is open to interpretation but that is why there are three judges.”

“To have a balanced debate you must understand the

favour wrestling or striking because that is where their base is. It is only human. But, just as we now have

ing is undergoing a similar journey. Judging is evolving

the aspects of the sport, the scoring system and the criteria.” It all boils down to how those three Com-

mission appointed judges see and interpret the criteria. What is clear is that, like referees such as Goddard, Big John McCarthy, Herb Dean and Leon Roberts, judges must also be as highly experienced and well versed in all aspects of MMA.

sions should be continually training and educating its

sies of the judges decisions. “Continual assessment and education is essential for any industry. Constant training is a must, especially when it comes to understanding the criteria and its interpretation. But is this problem as big as some would make out? I don’t think it is as bad as it seems at times.” Even so, the debate around judges decisions continues, something Marc is happy to see so long as the arguments are informed and educated about the rules and regulations.

JUDGING IN MMA DISCUSSION WITH MARC GODDARD, GARETH A DAVIES, MICHAEL BISPING & BEN HENDERSON


HENDERSON WILL DISCUSSHIS VICTORY AGAINST

FRANKIE EDGAR- MAY 12TH AT THE NEC, BIRMINGHAM

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MARK MUNOZon Sonnen vs Silva II

Before an injury forced him out of his bout with Chael Sonnen in January on the UFC on Fox 2 card, UFC middleweight Mark Munoz was on one hell of

over Chris Leben, former UFC Middleweight Cham-pionship contender Demian Maia, C.B. Dolloway and Aaron Simpson. In fact since coming over to the UFC from the WEC Munoz has a record of 7-2 with his only losses coming to light heavyweight Matt Hammill and another former number one contender in Yushin Okami. Munoz has become the guy that no other mid-

The bout with Sonnen was to determine who would go on to face current UFC Middleweight Champion Anderson Silva, but as fate would have it Munoz was

is, Munoz chooses to look at the time off as a blessing and despite being 34 years old; he knows that the time off was something his body and his mind really needed. Munoz knows even the toughest warriors have to know when to say when.

“I feel great, I’m training and sparring, I feel really good,” said an excited Munoz. “For the past few years I’ve had problems with my elbow. I kept ignoring it until they found out I had some bone spurs after my

the pain was so great, my doctors told me I needed surgery.

It turns out that those bone spurs had made their way into my joints. They ended up pulling out 24 pieces of bone six of which were a centimeter and a half in diameter. I was so disappointed afterwards because I had been waiting to get a title shot for a long time, but everything happens for a reason and now I am coming back stronger than before.”

When Munoz does make his way back to the Octagon

already been selected. Chris Weidman is the man that many people feel Munoz will face when he comes back and that bout would certainly be an interesting one with certain title implications behind it. Weidman last fought Maia on the Fox 2 card as a replacement for Michael Bisping who stepped into the co-main event slot opposite Sonnen.

“I have been hearing those same rumors as well,” admitted Munoz. “I feel like I match him up against him really well. He has great stand-up and he is a solid wrestler who takes people down and uses top con-trol to force his will on them. He has good BJJ and is

-

There have been some interesting middleweight match-ups since Munoz got hurt and there is one very

the sport and watched the Sonnen-Bisping bout with keen interest and will be watching intently when Son-nen and Silva meet once again in Brazil at UFC 147.

round, Bisping won the second and the third could’ve gone either way. I thought that the judges gave the nod to Sonnen because he got the takedown, but either

everyone was surprised at how Bisping was able to control Sonnen in the clinch and how he pressed him against the cage. I never saw that coming and it shows how hard Bisping trained and how well he was

learned that if you don’t speak up you can get passed

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co.uk/subscribe

MARK MUNOZUFC MIDDLEWEIGHT

LAST FIGHT:CHRIS LEBEN (W)

RECORD:12-2-0

“training and sparring,

I feel really good“

PAGE57

event barely made a murmur outside of the hard-

London at the Albert Hall saw some of Britain’s best compete inside the fabled Octagon including a stun-ning ten second KO win for Mark Weir and a grinding-ly brutal TKO victory for Ian Freeman as he defeated American star Frank Mir. The show was headlined by none other than Matt Hughes as he defended his wel-terweight title against Carlos Newton yet the event

years before the promotion returned to these shores but in that time everything changed dramatically.

promotions in the UK MMA pantheon emerged; Cage Rage, based in London and Cage Warriors, based in Coventry and Nottingham. These two shows would go on to promote the sport, giving the chance for

Athletes such as Anderson Silva, Jorge Rivera, Jose Aldo, Michael Bisping, Dan Hardy and Brad Pickett all fought and earned their stripes in the UK. Whilst MMA became more popular in the UK, the UFC had

not forgotten their desire to expand outside of the USA. Dana White knew he wanted to hold shows in Britain and he knew there was a growing pool of talented competitors ready to make the step up. The Ultimate Fighter was the perfect platform for the promotion to showcase its events. The reality show had opened doors in America in 2005 and it was set to do the same in the UK. The Wolfslair’s Michael ‘The Count’ Bisping, a champion in three UK organisations, appeared on TUF 3, winning the series and establishing

When the UFC returned to Britain in 2007 the show

fans all eager to see Bisping. The media was in frenzy whilst The Ultimate Fighter show had seemingly pro-duced a whole new generation of British fans. Walking out to the deafening roar of the crowd, Bisping’s re-ception hailed a new era for the sport in this country. In a brutal encounter, Bisping defeated the Australian veteran Elvis Sinosic in the second round. The show was a massive success and it marked a sea change in the sport’s popularity. The UFC then travelled to Bel-fast for UFC 72 before returning to England to host

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UFC IN THE UK

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a massive event at the O2 Arena in London as Dan Henderson took on Quinton ‘Rampage’ Jackson in a

in Newcastle, London, Birmingham and Dublin. It was clear that the UK was the UFC’s launch pad into Eu-rope and a place it had made its home.

opportunity to take to the international stage and along with the likes of Bisping, Paul Taylor and Terry

grounds of the UK promotions, the grass root events were producing some impressively tal-

Kelly and Dan Hardy all earned contracts with the promo-tion, each bringing an army of fans with them. By 2009 Dana White announced The Ultimate Fighter: US vs. UK reality show and, following in the footsteps of Bisping, Ross Pearson emerged victori-ous. Under the tutelage of Michael Bisping, acting as the UK team’s head coach opposite Dan Henderson’s US team,

-

in the lightweight division whilst James Wilks won the welterweight category on the show. It was an all UK

in an American dominated sport. At UFC 105, Pearson, Wilks, Winner and Nick Ospizac all took to the main

though none were given an easy ride.

TUF had opened the path for even more British ath-letes to take the world’s biggest MMA stage. As the WEC was merged with the UFC, bantamweight Brad Pickett transferred over to the Octagon to capitalise on his successes whilst

JASONYOUNG

ROSSPEARSON

UFC IN THE UK DISCUSSION WITH JOHN MAGUIRE, BRAD PICKETT, ROSS PEARSON & JASON YOUNG


PAGE61




Newsagents

KO BULLYINGBullying affects thousands of people every year but now there’s a new kid on the block. Spiked’s Knockout Bullying campaign in association with Kidscape, a long standing charity helping abused children, is looking to get to the problem at its root. Using the sport of Mixed Martial Arts, Spiked’s managing director, Matt Walton, is hoping to give kids the tools and the con-

them to build their self-belief through a set of struc-ture goals and targets, all the while teaching them the concepts of respect and ability through the sport of MMA.

“My father began teaching me to box when I was 5-years old,” says Matt Wilton, head of the KO Bullying campaign. “I’ve been boxing and studying Muay Thai and BJJ for a long time now but at the time I

didn’t realise what my dad was do-ing for me. He was the head of sports science and taught me and all my mates at school. I

didn’t see it then but Irealised later on in life

that we were all very

Master Sken from 1991 and Roger Gracie from 2000,

comfortable with one’s self is a key to Matt’s philoso-phy on life, especially when it comes to children deal-

my students were kids whose parents wanted them to

because of bullying.” It struck a chord with Matt who began doing his research. “A lot of bullying isn’t physi-cal but emotional so I aligned myself with experts who knew about abused kids to try to answer the ques-

Working alongside Kidscape, Matt introduced the idea that sport, especially combat sport, is a great vehicle to inspire and teach self-belief, self-reliance and social unity. Whilst Kidscape works with children who have already been abused and exposed to serious physical and mental threats, KO Bullying aims to get to kids earlier and help them combat their problems before the abuse becomes too much.

However, Matt isn’t advocating the use of violence.

project that gives children the self-belief to overcome bullies. He wants to give vulnerable children the

techniques and knowledge to prevent the problem whilst teaching them a skill

set steeped in respect and tem-pered with a solid work ethic.

“MMA is such a fantastic sport because you have to learn re-spect for others and yourself.

“

“

IMAGE COPYRIGHT TO CHARLI EDWARDS

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Download - Fighters Magazine - May 2012

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