Issue 097
January 2013
The sport’s strangest stories from around the globe
DREAM AND GLORY TO STAGE NEW YEAR’S EVE EVENT
Japanese organization Dream and Holland-based kickboxing promotion Glory will co-promote a special New Year’s Eve event this year at Saitama Super Arena. Fighters Hiroyuki Takaya, Tatsuya Kawajiri and Satoru Kitaoka are set to compete. The event – this year set to include kickboxing and MMA bouts – is a tradition in the Japanese MMA calendar. The 2012 installment marks the first Dream event since the 2011 New Year’s Eve special, and the first since former Dream parent company FEG declared bankruptcy earlier this year.
JOSH BARNETT JAPAN RETURN DENIED BY MANAGER
Top-ranked heavyweight Josh Barnett had been rumored to return to Japanese promotion Pancrase in 2013 to defend his open-weight King of Pancrase title, until his manager dismissed reports. Barnett had apparently agreed to his first defense since 2003, the same year he won the strap. But Barnett’s manager, Leland LaBarre, said there had been no discussions. Adding: “If Zuffa wants Josh Barnett to fight in their UFC Octagon after Josh’s last Strikeforce fight, I think that is where he’ll be.”
60.5%
A recent ESPN poll of US sports fans found 60.5% of those surveyed aged 12–54 classified themselves as mixed martial arts fans.
MOSCOW, RUSSIA
RUSSIAN PRESIDENT PUTIN GETS EIGHTH-DAN RANK IN JUDO
Well-known judoka, and Russian president, Vladimir Putin was recently awarded the rank of eighth dan in judo by the International Judo Federation. A confirmed MMA fan, Putin is a black belt in the Japanese martial art, and is now one rank from having the option of wearing a red belt.
Putin was often spotted ringside at 34-4 (1 NC) Fedor Emelianenko’s Europe-based bouts, and even made a speech in the ring following ‘The Last Emperor’s final fight, against Pedro Rizzo in June.
Marius L Vizer, IJF president, said of the ranking: “President Putin represents a high expression of the judo values in the world.” Which all suggests in a real-life game of multi-nation presidential Mortal Kombat, Vladimir Putin would win.
MONT-DE-MARSAN, FRANCE
ANGLO-FRENCH RUGBY MATCH GOES MMA
A rugby union match between French side Mont-de-Marsan and English team Gloucester devolved (or evolved, perhaps…) into a mixed martial arts contest in October.
Following prior fisticuffs and another off-ball incident with Mont-de-Marsan player Sebastien Ormaechea, Gloucester’s Andy Hazell struck a prone Ormaechea with four right hands and a knee to the side of the head.
Most techniques used in mixed martial arts, both legal and illegal under the Unified Rules, are outlawed in rubgy, and, as such, Hazell was shown a red card and thus ejected from the game. He was later suspended for 14 weeks. Hazell later tweeted: “Never had a red in 12 years, extremely embarrassed by my actions.” Then added, he reacted “in a way I wish I could take back.”
12m
UFC 153, held in Rio De Janeiro, was watched in over 12 million Brazilian households.
