Issue 105

September 2013

Things we hear, things we see, things we know.

Crowd helped Wanderlei Silva win Pride 2003 Grand Prix, despite broken hand

UFC middleweight favorite Wanderlei Silva won the Pride 205lb grand prix in 2003 despite a broken hand, all because of the support of the Japanese crowd. Silva made the revelation recently to Fighters Only’s Japanese affiliate magazine Gong Kakutogi. Silva had broken his hand beating Hidehiko Yoshida in a 15-minute semi-final decision, but still had to fight ‘Rampage’ Jackson later that night to win the tournament. He forgot all about it when he made his entrance, however. “I was given a great big cheer from the Japanese fans,” said Silva. “I felt something like they were giving me respect for beating Yoshida. By the time I was announced in the ring I was thinking of myself as the winner already. It was a spiritual energy.” Silva went on to TKO Jackson in the first round.

Rousey family dentist is father of reality TV celebrity Spencer Pratt

Female UFC bantamweight champion Ronda Rousey’s family dentist is Dr William Pratt, father of controversial reality show villain Spencer Pratt. Rousey’s mother, Ann Maria DeMars, revealed the link on her blog recently, noting: “When I asked our dentist, Dr Pratt, how his children were doing he gave me a strange look and said, ‘You don’t watch TV, do you?’” Brazilian jiu-jitsu practitioner Spencer Pratt shot to fame in 2006 as the partner of Heidi Montag, a cast member of the hugely popular MTV reality series The Hills. It’s a small world.

ONE FC’s Mitch Chilson was a model

Featherweight striker Mitch Chilson used to be a model, it has become known. A star for Asian promotion ONE FC, the 35-year-old Singapore-based American even appeared in adverts for Singapore Airlines. Chilson, 4-1 (1 NC), is part of a shallow pool of MMA fighters who have tried their hand at mainstream modeling – such as UFC light heavyweight challenger Alexander Gustafsson who has worked with a Swedish clothes retailer.

MMA promoters feared kidnapped 

Two men have gone missing in Mexico just days after holding a mixed martial arts event. American national Craig Silva was helping Canadian Diego Hernandez with some debt associated with an MMA event that was successfully staged in Puerto Vallarta on May 5th 2013. They were last seen on May 8th, and Silva’s vehicle, a black 2003 Chevy Trailblazer, was recovered two hours north of Puerto Vallarta just over a week later. Silva’s bank account was used in the 48 hours following their disappearance, but not by he or Hernandez it has been confirmed. The families of both men are seeking any information relating to the pair’s disappearance.