Issue 018

October 2006

Kid: “I’m going to the Olympics”

K-1 HERO'S middleweight Champion Norifumi ‘Kid’ Yamamoto has announced that, as rumoured, he is to take a hiatus from MMA competition in order to pursue his dream of wrestling in the Olympics. 

At a press conference held at the Capital Hotel in Tokyo, Kid outlined his plan to get gold at the 2008 Beijing Olympics. “I am going to the Olympics, and I am getting the gold” he told reporters. 

Yamamoto comes from a wrestling family. His father is an Olympian, and competed the Munich Olympics in 1972, while his sister, four-time former world champion Seiko Yamamoto has recently announced her retirement from freestyle wrestling.

“I've always had a dream about going to the Olympics. And now, at 29, this is my last chance to make this challenge,” Yamamoto told reporters at the Tokyo hotel. “I know if I don't try it know, I will regret it the rest of my life.”

“Wrestling is not something so easy that I can expect to win while still doing mixed martial arts. Further, it would be rather rude to my opponents and the fans if I only practiced wrestling and still fought in the MMA ring.” 

Yamamoto was a junior high school national champion in Japan. Kid wrestled his high school years in the United States. Wrestling at Marcos de Niza High School in Tempe, Arizona, Yamamoto achieved great success, capturing 3 state championships in 4 years, along with a 3rd place finish as a freshman. He won the Japanese collegiate open and collegiate national championships crowns in 1999 before entering MMA in 2001. 

K-1 producer Sadaharu Tanigawa said that he hoped Yamamoto would participate at least on the New Year's Eve show K-1 Dynamite, but Yamamoto offered no definitive answer as to when he would step back into the ring.

Pro body builder to enter MMA?  

English body builder Ernie Taylor has retired from competition and claimed in an interview that he has his sights set on MMA. Taylor, a former martial artist, is retiring from body building due to a pectoral injury. 

“I’m going to use my muscles in another sport,” the 36-year-old said. “I’m taking up (mixed martial arts) fighting, and I’m aiming towards competing in the K-1 in the very near future.”

Taylor last competed in 2004, where he finished 10th at the Arnold Classic. He has long trained in Muay Thai and kickboxing, and is said to have begun work on his ground skills. 

Shamrock to retire after October fight

Ken Shamrock has announced he will retire after his fight with Tito Ortiz in October. 

The early first round stoppage against Ortiz had Shamrock begging for another shot at his longtime nemesis, but regardless of the result on October 10th, Shamrock has decided it’s time to hang up his gloves.

The 42-year-old has said that upon retirement he intends to promote MMA events, continue training fighters out of his famous Lion’s Den academy, get in some golf and spend time with his family.

Mega Megu wants Montoya and Tavares

Megumi Fujii has said on her official blog that she seeks rematches with past opponents Erica Montoya and Anna Michelli Tavares Dantas.

Fujii, known as Mega Megu, expressed discontent over the two decision wins over Montoya and Tavares and saw her two past opponents as being stronger now than before.

Fujii asked that her two strongest opponents to date could come to a mutual agreement concerning possible rematches, and said this time she hoped to win by KO. 

PRIDE hits the USA! 

PRIDE Fighting Championships has announced its first ever US show. The highly anticipated event will take place on 21^st October in Las Vegas.  

Dream Stage Entertainment, promoters of the PRIDE Fighting Championships, held a press conference at the FOX Sports Grill in Irvine, California. 

Appearing at the event were PRIDE stars such as heavyweight champion Fedor Emelianenko, Mauricio “Shogun” Rua, Josh Barnett and Mark Coleman. 

Bizarrely, another face from the world of fighting was present in the form of Mike Tyson. Though he has no affiliation with the PRIDE organisation and there are no plans for him to fight MMA, he was at the conference in a purely promotional capacity. 

Bouts announced for the event include a rematch from 2004 where Fedor Emelianenko will face Mark Coleman in the main event. Coleman heads into the October fight looking to build on a two-fight winning streak, which includes a shocking victory over Shogun. 

Emelianenko, considered the top athlete in the sport, will compete on American soil for the first time in his career.

Also on the card is Shogun versus the team mate of Mark Coleman, Kevin Randleman. Randleman has been out of action due to a shoulder injury but returns to the ring for the first time since October 2005. 

Those who have been announced as fighting but do not yet have opponents are Josh Barnett, Phil Baroni, Vitor Belfort, Mirko ‘Cro Cop’ Filipovic, Kazuyuki Fujita and Wanderlei Silva.  

Lindland confirms fight with Horn in IFL

Matt Lindland has revealed he is to take on top middleweight competitor Jeremy Horn. The fight will take place in the International Fight League. 

“The superfight signed is for me to face Jeremy Horn,” said Lindland. “Neither one of us has been out of the Top 5 since we’ve started competing, so with two of the best middleweights in the world going at it, it’s basically like a title fight.”

Lindland brings world class wrestling skills to the match up, whereas Horn is known for having an elite ground game. “He’s a sneaky son of a bitch on the ground I’ll tell you. He’s submitted Chael Sonnen twice, but I’m not as slow-witted as Chael is,” said Lindland, aiming a light-hearted dig at his teammate Sonnen.

“There are a lot of guys out there that I looked at like I’d eventually fight them, Jeremy is one of them. I looked at Joe Doerksen like that in the past, Anderson Silva, Rich Franklin, and even Carlos Newton. He’s got a team with the IFL now so maybe that one is closer to happening,” concluded Lindland.

Congratulations to Kaoru Uno

On August 15th, the wife of 31-year-old former Shooto world champion Kaoru Uno gave birth to twin boys. The delivery was complication-free, and both mother and children are now resting and recovering well. 

Uno released the following statement regarding the births via his official blog. 

“I became the father of twin boys on August 15th. Looking at their tiny bodies was incredible, it is a feeling which I'd never known until now.”

“With this new feeling directed towards fighting, I'll do my best. I ask for your support in the future. Kaoru Uno.”

DEEP vs. MARS

DEEP president Shigeru Saeki announced that DEEP would no longer be working with upstart promotion MARS. The decision to fracture ties with MARS stemmed out from an incident involving a contest between Brazilian fighter Carina Damm and DEEP affiliated athlete Miku Matsumoto, which took place on a MARS event on July 21^st. 

When Damm secured side control on Matsumoto and looked to secure an armbar, Matsumoto yelled that Damm was grabbing her glove, which is prohibited. The referee did not acknowledge the alleged infraction. Damm extended the armbar, prompting a referee stoppage despite Matsumoto's protests.

“The organization has a problem,” said Saeki. “We have no relationship from now on.”

Saeki interrupted MARS’ August 8th press conference and demanded a rematch on behalf of Matsumoto, a DEEP representative. Saeki spoke to MARS director Yuki Amano directly, stating, “I didn't come here to fight today. I came to talk ordinarily. You said that there was no room for discussion; but I heard there was a press conference today so I came.”

A rematch has been agreed and will take place in late August.