Issue 005
July 2005
HOW I SAW IT. CELEBRITY PHOTOGRAPHER, MMA FIGHTER AND ENTHUSIAST PAUL THATCHER GIVES US HIS TAKE ON ADCC 2005
For me, this was an opportunity that couldn’t be passed up. Getting to watch the giants of a sport I have been training and competing in for over seven years — I was like a kid in a candy store, and I’m 39! I had been working on getting my photo pass for over a month, which was proving to be difficult at best. I still didn’t know for sure if I would get in; arriving at Long Beach airport I headed straight to the hotel? where all the fighters were staying ? to meet Miguel. He would issue me with the photo pass I needed. With a little more waiting and crowd-watching I was able to secure two VIP passes! I was in. The next day started early: the best of the best in the sport from across the globe were about to test their skills. Fighters (and their entourages) from Brazil, the States, England, Australia and Japan filled the venue to capacity.
For a fan like me walking around and seeing all these people was pretty amazing. The Godfather of Brazilian Jiu-jitsu Rickson Gracie had time for everyone who approached him — shaking hands, taking pictures and telling stories. The stars of the sport were everywhere to be seen. Tito Ortiz brought his young champion to the first day of the event. Chuck Liddell was seen watching quietly in the bleachers. The voice of the Octogon, Bruce Buffer, was the announcer. ‘Judo’ Gene Lebelle held court and joked with everyone, and was accompanied by his pupil Gokar Chivichyan. Bas Rutten, as always, was smiling and cracking jokes.
The First day
The lightweights and the girls started the day. This was the first time women had competed in the tournament. However, there was a problem making a choice of what to match to watch — there were three mats going simultaneously, making it difficult to choose which great match to watch. Kyra Gracie and Leka Vieira won their sides of the ladies under 60kg and would fight in the finals.
In the ladies over 60kg tournament Juliana Borges would face the ‘hottie from down under’ Stacy Cartwright (Stacy and Kyra also took 1st and 2nd in the ‘Hottest Girls in Jiu-jitsu’ division — if there was such a division and I were the judge… but then that’s another story).
Under 65kg
Leo Vierra won all his matches on the first day: one on points and two by submission. He did this with three recently fractured bones in his foot. Rani Yahera, on the other side of this weight division, won all his matches and faced Leo in the finals.
Under 76kg
Marcelo Garcia, who just keeps up a relentless attack on his opponents, beat Chris Brennan (with a quick armbar), Shinga Aoki and Leo Santos. Pablo Popovich beat Renzo Gracie, Juan Jucão and Jake Shields. Pablo and Marcello faced each other in the finals.
Under 88kg
Ronaldo Jacaré was cutting it close as he arrived at Long Beach at 9am, got to the venue at 10am and promptly submitted his three adversaries. Demian Maia, on the other side of this bracket, battled his way to the final via David Avellan and Saulo Ribeiro — the match with Saulo going into three over-time periods.
Under 99kg
Alexandre Cacareco won his side of this bracket and along the way beat his nemesis Jon Olav Einemo, who had beaten him in the finals in their last appearance at ADCC. Unfortunately, this would mean facing Roger Gracie, who had disposed of all his antagonists by submitting them all.
Over 99kg
Jeff Monson got to the finals by beating Fabrizio Werdum, who was winning the match until the last seconds when Monson scored a takedown to win and advanced to the finals. Gabriel Napão submitted Marcio ‘Pe De Pano’ Cruz (who was probably the favourite to win) to meet Jeff Monson in the finals.
Finals
The finals began and the gravity of the moment was displayed by a silent and expectant crowd, breaking only to cheer as the modern day gladiators walked on to the mat. It really just added to the tension and excitement as you watched the titans of this sport battle for the prize. All you heard were the oohs and aahhs as the crowd showed their appreciation and obvious knowledge of the sport, except for Quinton ‘Rampage’ Jackson who was in attendance and was shouting comic jibes across the mat until someone from American Top Team shouted: “Shut up Quinton or I’ll call Wanderlei.” Quinton was given a beating by Wanderlei Silva at their last match in Pride. This was clearly enough to discourage any more heckling from Quinton, as he sat and watched the remainder of the match very quietly.
Ladies under 60kg
There was a great display of technique by Leka Vieira and Kyra Gracie, but it was Kyra’s constant attacks that gave her the win. In the last minutes of the match Leka was stood with Kyra on her back with her hooks in, attacking her neck.
Ladies over 60kg
Juliana Borges got the win over our ‘thunder from down under’ Stacy Cartwright.
Under 65kg
The Leo and Rani match was another see-saw of takedown attempts and counters. Both fought for nearly an hour with three overtimes. Leo finally won on points in a superb contest by two great competitors. It was amazing to watch them performing with such acrobatic skill, both guys balancing and fighting off the takedown — an amazing dual between two top athletes.
Under 76kg
Marcello the Maestro took on Pablo Popovich, who was perhaps still wary from his loss to Marcello at their last match up in 2004. Marcello once again did what he does best and embarked upon an obstinate attack. Takedown attempts, sweeps and submission attempts had Pablo on the run until he succumbed to a wrist lock.
Under 88kg
Jacaré vs Maia was a battle for the takedown — Jacaré repeatedly going for the takedown and Demian defending. Jacaré eventually won on points. Maia was called by the referee for not being aggressive enough in this match.
Under 99kg
Roger Gracie was simply too much for Cacareco who could not continue into the first overtime and verbally submitted. These two had spent the regulation time fighting for the takedown.
Over 99kg
Jeff Monson got the better of Gabriel Napão 3-0.
Absolute Division
The Absolute pitted Ronaldo Jacaré against Roger Gracie. This was the third match up in their careers to date. Having won one apiece, this would be the match to settle the score.
Once again the battle was for the takedown, Jacaré getting a suplex on Roger, who turned like a cat in the air and landed on all fours. Roger would eventually get Jacaré’s back
and, with what seemed like little effort, sunk in the choke while Jacaré stood with Roger on his back. This was immediately followed by what must have been the whole Gracie family tree storming on to the mat to hoist Roger to their shoulders.
The Superfight
This pitted Dean Lister against Ricardo Arona’s replacement Jean Jacques Machado. The match was shrouded in silence. It was old jiu-jitsu versus new, with Jean Jacques once voted the most technical fighter at the ADCC against Dean Lister, who has been tearing up the Grappling and Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) scene of late (he lost to his one-time sparring partner Ricardo Arona in their fight at Pride). They stood working the clinch with Jean pulling guard and taking a -1 for pulling guard. Dean was happy to stay there while Jean tried to work a sweep, until the points part of the match came into effect when Dean stood momentarily before taking Jean Jacques down to score points. This would be the beginning of the end for Jeans Jacques as Dean would go on to win 8 to -1.
For me this was a chance not to be missed — the Olympics of grappling. I enjoyed every minute of it. The most notable match up came in the preliminary round of the Absolute division. The first match would see Marcello Garcia face Ricco Rodriguez. I spoke with the man who gave Marcello his black belt, Fabio Gurgel, who was cornering Marcello throughout the tournament. Fabio showed only a little concern that Marcello would face such a giant, saying that he thought Ricco was big and fast. I was not so sure… Marcello, the magician that he is, was going to have to pull a really big rabbit out of the hat for this one. How could he stop his colossal opponent? Marcello got a standing ovation as he walked onto the mat; Ricco got a cheer that sounded more like a jeer.
The ref called for them to fight and that’s when the fun started. Marcello — apparently not aware of the size difference, he had to be giving up close to a hundred pounds — went on the attack. Marcello’s first takedown attempt sent Ricco flying into the judges’ table. The famed Marcello arm drag to single leg was being deployed in rapid succession and it was all Ricco could do to stay upright. What Marcello lacked in physical size he more than made up for in dogged determination. He didn’t give Ricco time to come up with a counter. As soon as he escaped one takedown attempt he was faced with another. Eventually Marcello got to his back. The crowd roared as Marcello wrapped his arms around Ricco’s waist, jumped up placing his feet into the backs of Ricco’s knees, forcing him to collapse with Marcello holding on. This sent another roar throughout the auditorium. Ricco managed to stand up and walked to his corner with Marcello on his back, as if to see if his coach had any ideas.
Ricco escaped Marcello’s attack only to have to defend another. Marcello just kept pushing forward relentlessly, again getting Ricco’s back. Ricco’s frustration at this point got the better of him and with Marcello clinging to his back like a bad habit Ricco leapt backwards landing on top of Marcello. This brought a near mutiny in the crowd and everyone started to boo. The ref quickly stepped in and, after checking to see if Marcello was still in the game, made Ricco start again with Marcello on his back on the ground. From here Marcello just seemed to step up a notch and quickly caught Ricco in a foot lock to win the match.
Ricco’s size alone may not have seemed enough to bear such an epic battle, it is the fact that Ricco is a formidable opponent. He’s proven himself many times in Pride and at the UFC, bringing down giants like Randy Couture, Jeff Monson and Gary Goodridge. While this was not an MMA contest apart from the back dive, it was an amazing display of leverage over size and executed like no one else can do except Marcello.
This was, in my humble opinion, the most exciting fight in what has become an exciting competition — the ADCC.
