★Starlite★ Boxing's Sweetscience©®™

Saturday, August 4, 2012

Evans comes out on top in thriller‏

The seventh day of competition at the London 2012 Olympic Games saw the second round of preliminaries in the Men's Flyweight (52kg) and Welterweight (69kg) categories. The packed ExCeL arena once again reserved a huge reception for all the boxers during the afternoon session.

Top seed Misha Aloian, the reigning World and European Champion, made his bow in the competition as he faced tough Algerian Samir Brahimi in the first Flyweight (52kg) contest. Looking to connect first with the body shots then with those hard one-two combinations, Aloian was keen to impose himself on his opponent from the off. Brahimi was proving a difficult rival to breakdown, constantly moving, very elusive, doing everything he could to unsettle the Russian, even a spot of showboating. Aloian's superior technique though ensured he went through to the quarter-finals after winning each round to progress with an impressive 14:9 victory.

It was an intriguing contest between Juliao Henriques Neto from Brazil and Jeyvier Cintron Ocasio as the young Puerto Rican southpaw's fearless approach disturbed his experienced opponent. In the first, Cintron Ocasio used his height and reach to keep the 30-year-old orthodox Brazilian at bay before upping his work rate in the second as he threw a good variation of hooks and uppercuts to increase his advantage by two points coming into the third. The final round was intense as Henriques Neto looked to claw back his deficit but the 17-year-old Cintron Ocasio's quality counter punches ensured he took the round and moved into the last eight with a quality 18:13 triumph. He will now battle it out with Aloian with a guaranteed medal position awaiting the winner.

"I am very happy with the victory, it was tough, but now I am fighting for a medal. I know it will be extremely difficult against the Russian but I am going to give it my all", stated the young Puerto Rican after his success.

Uzbekistan's Jasurbek Latipov's speed was the real difference against Hesham Abdelaalin the session's third bout, as he pummelled him with some lightening quick combinations to take the first round in style. The Egyptian came back in the second with some shots of his own but 20-year-old Latipov cranked up the pressure to completely dominate proceedings. Quick and nimble, the Uzbek southpaw was so accurate with his shots; it was a joy to watch. Abdelaal was positive but every time he opened up to throw a punch, he was getting caught by some exquisite counters. AIBA World Championships bronze medallist Latipov looked assured and composed throughout and eased convincingly into the quarter-finals with a 21:11 win.

In the final Flyweight (52kg) contest of the afternoon session, 2008 Olympic Games bronze medallist Vincenzo Picardi from Italy began brightly against the dangerous MongolTugstsogt Nyambayar, throwing a lot of punches to his rival's body in the opening exchanges to claim the round. However after getting caught by a thunderous right hook, the Italian quickly changed tactic to adopt a more restraint approach in the second. Nyambayar had clearly rattled his opponent and turned the fight on its head as he began to exert his authority and dominate to take that round. The crowd were really enjoying this one with both neck and neck going into the third. It was a battle of wits in the final round, with lots of punches being traded in the centre of the ring. The Mongol seemed to have the better stamina as he raised the tempo and the Italian struggled to get to grips with him. In the end Nyambayar took control to book a quarter-final showdown with Latipov after edging it 17:16.

Moldova's University World Champion Vasilii Belous faced the hardest challenge of his career to date when he faced the supreme Ukrainian Taras Shelestyuk in the first of the four Welterweight (69kg) bouts of the session. The tall southpaw tried to use his jab but AIBA World Champion Shelestyuk was just too good, gliding across the canvas and planting every shot right on its target. Belous competed throughout but the class of the Ukrainian shone through as he confirmed his status as one of the gold medal favourites with a comprehensive 15:7 victory.

Shelestyuk declared after the win, "There are never any easy battles. I had to work hard and do my job. It is not easy because there are a lot of champions in the draw".

The flamboyant Alexis Vastine and Tuvshinbat Byamba from Mongolia were involved in a riveting contest with the tall 25-year-old Frenchman looking to use his reach against his fearless and plucky opponent in the early stages. The points however were shared after a tactical first round. In the second, Vastine's aggression paid off as he landed several good hooks and as his confidence grew, the swagger and the showboating began. For once however, he kept on looking for that opening and as a result scored heavily to take a three point advantage into the final round. Byamba battled hard in the latter stages to make up his deficit but European Championships silver medallist Vastine held on to record a hard-fought 13:12 win.

"At the Olympics there is a lot of pressure. Usually my boxing is more relaxed. I experienced a huge atmosphere in Beijing but the one in London is so much more and you feel like you need to perform. I think today I managed to do that". On facing Shelestyuk, "He is beatable, his simple style is what makes him so strong but it is also his weakness so I could cause him a few problems".

It was evenly matched between Australia's Cameron Hammond and Custio Clayton of Canada in the penultimate bout of the afternoon session. Both orthodox fighters had impressed in the first round of preliminaries. Clayton was conceding height and reach so kept trying to move inside and land that big overhead but Hammond was resilient, repelling those attacks with his stiff jab. After both the first two rounds were shared on points, there was all to fight for in the third. Clayton began to show his power by throwing several punishing hooks and the Canadian will have been delighted with that final round performance which saw him prevail 14:11.

Bringing the session to a close was the much anticipated showdown between European Champion Fred Evans from Great Britain and Lithuanian hard man Egidijus Kavaliauskasin a bout that lived up to its billing. In a real thriller, Evans began well by landing a left jab then a good right with the young Brit seemingly imposing himself in the first but then he got caught a couple of times and Kavaliauskas took the round. In the second, Evans tightened up those defences and a good left followed by a good one-two saw him draw level on points by taking the round. That left continued to reach its target in the third with the Brit, clearly in the ascendancy, now showboating and boxing with his hands down and landing a good right hook in the process. It was a double celebration for the British southpaw in the end, avenging his defeat by Kavaliauskas at the World Championships last year and ensuring his place in the last eight where he will now face 24-year-old Custio Clayton.

The day's evening session will have another eight bouts with the remaining Flyweights (52kg) and Welterweights (69kg) seeking to book their places for the competition's quarter-finals.

♔EL Boxing Empress & MMA Princess♔, See you at the Fights and Thank You for your time.EL Boxing Empress Online @ Twitter http://www.twitter.com/Keishamorrisey ©®™ 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011 All photos other than specified by "EL Boxing Empress & MMA Princess" Keisha Morrisey, for ♔Empire Morrisey Photo-Studios♔, KCKMT for Bloodline Boxing Communications Entertainment and ★Starlite★ Boxing's Sweetscience Magnews-Online Publication all rights reserved.

Oubaali inspired against Warren‏

The evening session of the seventh day of competition at the London 2012 Olympic Games saw the final eight bouts of second round of preliminaries for the Men's Flyweight (52kg) and Welterweight (69kg) categories. The atmosphere was red-hot with eight adrenaline fuelled contests lighting up the ExCeL arena.

USA Team captain and third seed Raushee Warren, now a three-time Olympian, got the Flyweight (52kg) action underway as he faced Nordine Oubaali from France. It was fast and furious straight from the off between the two electric southpaws. Trading punches throughout, these two talented boxers were not giving each other an inch. Two superb left hooks by the experienced Warren saw him edge the first round. Oubaali came back strong and went on the attack in the second. Although the American's slick counter-punches were doing damage early on, the Frenchman's jabs began penetrating his rival's defences. His hook also connected several times and Oubaali clawed his way back to go into the final round with a slender point deficit. The French fighter was extremely positive and took the initiative from then on, putting Warren on the back foot all the way through an explosive final round. Oubaali was delighted as he triumphed 19:18 in a real classic.

"I knew Warren would be a hard fight, he is a three-time Olympian. He is a counter puncher so I had to go large with my shots in order for him to always be on the back foot. It was a great strategy by my coaches. We knew the first round would probably be lost, but that if I continually applied pressure I could unsettle him, and that is what happened", beamed Oubaali after the fight.

Promising Irishman Michael Conlan, a bronze medallist at the AIBA World Boxing Championships Baku 2011, showed just why he is rated so highly, putting in a real polished performance against Duke Micah from Ghana. The 20-year-old orthodox fighter from Ireland let his jabs do the talking before swiftly moving to work the body and throw several stinging uppercuts. Micah was brave but could not cope with his opponent's excellence. Conlan, seeded sixth, comfortably won each round on his way to a classy 19:8 victory to set up a quarter-final meeting with Oubaali.

Thai southpaw Chatchai Butdee began his contest with rising star Robeisy Ramirez Carrazana at breakneck speed, throwing lots of shots to try and dictate the tempo of the fight. This however was playing right into the hands of the expert counter-puncher from Cuba, who landed some great hooks in both the first and second rounds to score heavily. In the third, Ramirez Carrazana turned on the style and seemed to hit his target each time he let fly, with a couple of thunderous straight one-twos rocking the man from Thailand. It was a vintage performance by the Cuban who won 22:10 against a top opponent, sending out a real message of intent to the other pretenders in the draw.

The crowd went wild as the last two Flyweight (52kg) boxers made their big entrance. Representing Great Britain was Andrew Selby, one of the most technically gifted boxers across the ten weight categories, and in the opposite corner the savvy Kazak Ilyas Suleimonov. It was superb right from the start with some great movement and sensational footwork by both boxers making for a fight out of the very top drawer. Evenly matched in the first, Selby did enough to shade it by a point. In the second however, the Brit's unrelenting style was beginning to overawe Suleimonov. The third and final round was simply outstanding as both fighters displayed a tremendous attitude and the crowd was treated to a real boxing spectacle. Ultimately it was the supremely talented Selby who took the victory 19:15. Seeded second, the ambidextrous British boxer, who switches stance at will, now faces the impressive Ramirez Carrazana for a place in the semi-finals.

After the bout, Selby told the media, "I had sparred with him before so I was prepared. The game plan was to catch him as he charged in. I think what made the difference was that I was just a little bit faster than him. I will need to improve but it is a good start".

Krishan Vikas versus Errol Spence in the first Welterweight (69kg) contest of the evening went to appeal and the American was awarded the victory on review.

25-year-old Adam Nolan from Ireland started well against the tough RussianAndrey Zamkovoy, using good head movement to dodge his opponent's swinging hooks before unleashing some solid one-two combinations. The Russian southpaw however caught his rival twice in quick succession to edge the first round in the closing stages. Nolan continued to be bright and positive with the right hook landing on his intended target but the compact Zamkovoy's economical style was paying dividends as time and time again he breached the defences of the Irishman with some good combinations. The inexperience of Nolan told in the latter stages as the Russian now began to dominate and unload at will, the Irishman taking a standing eight count in the third. Zamkovoy is now looking like a dark horse in this draw after that resounding 18:9 victory, which sees him battle Vikas in the next stage of this enthralling competition.

South Africa's Siphiwe Lusizi versus Gabriel Maestre Perez of Venezuela was a very interesting fight with both seemingly only concerned with going forward throughout the three rounds. It made for a spectacular show with each boxer taking turns throwing punches. Lusizi, a southpaw, edged the first round with his effective jabs, but in the second Maestre Perez was inspired, connecting with a high volume of his shots as his South African opponent seemed to forget about the defensive side of the noble art. The Venezuelan applied the pressure in the third to close out the contest and win 18:13.

Welterweight (69kg) second seed from Kazakhstan Serik Sapiyev faced Japanese southpawYasuhiro Suzuki in the last bout of the day. The experienced AIBA World Championships silver medallist Sapiyev showed his class and made his experience count with some clever movement and some expert selection of punches to dominate the first two rounds with real panache. The 24-year-old from Japan was devoid of ideas against the superiority of Sapiyev and the Kazak confirmed his status as one of the favourites with this resounding 25:11 victory. He now will battle Maestre Perez with a semi-final position at stake.

Tomorrow sees the Light Flyweights (46-49kg), Light Welterweights (64kg) and Light Heavyweights (81kg) take to the ring, with 24 bouts over two sessions.

Errol Spence Advances to Quarterfinal Action Following a United States Protest While Rau’shee Warren’s Olympic Journey Ends‏

The 2012 U.S. Olympic Boxing Team appeared to face an end to their medal run on the men’s side with apparent losses by flyweight Rau’shee Warren (Cincinnati, Ohio) and welterweight Errol Spence (Desoto, Texas) on Friday. Yet following a protest by the United States, Spence’s decision was overturned and he will advance to the quarterfinal round. Warren, who made history before throwing a punch in London by becoming the first three-time U.S. Olympic boxer, lost a one-point decision to France’s Nordine Oubaali in his London opener.

The 25-year-old Warren lost his opening first bout at both the 2004 and 2008 Olympic Games and he stepped into the ring looking for his first-ever Olympic win in London, but it wasn’t meant to be for the decorated amateur boxer. Warren took the early lead in the bout, boxing his way to a 9-6 lead after the first round. Yet Oubaali began to come back in the second, pulling the bout to within one after the second round. Warren, who lost both contacts during the bout, tried to hold on to his tenuous lead in the third, but he wasn’t able to do so and Oubaali won a 19-18 final decision. The loss ends an outstanding amateur career for Warren, who owns every piece of Olympic-style boxing hardware other than an Olympic medal. He came back for a third run at Olympic glory in the hopes of accomplishing his dream of placing an Olympic gold medal around his mother’s neck but it wasn’t meant to be for the Cincinnati native.

“I came out in the first round really strong, throwing combinations. In the second and third rounds, I was kind of sitting on my shots, waiting for one shot so I could catch him coming in and try to drop the big left hand and hurt him and work off that but that didn’t work,” Warren said. “After the first round, I was kind of flicking the jab and delivering one shot instead of three or four shots and I guess that’s what cost me the fight, he was more aggressive. I was just trying to land my shots and deliver them with power.”

Spence wasted no time getting started in his bout with India’s Krishan Vikas, staying busy and aggressive through all nine minutes of boxing. Yet Vikas took a 4-2 advantage after the first round. Spence continued to press the action in the second round, peppering Vikas with combinations despite the Indian’s constant movement. Although Spence was the much more active boxer in the second round, Vikas held on to a one-point lead after the second. The American boxer picked up his output even further in the third round while Vikas held throughout the last three minutes. Spence’s efforts weren’t enough for the five judges and Vikas was initially named the winner on an 13-11 decision.

“I felt I needed to be aggressive because he was the favorite. He was the top seeded boxer, so I know that the judges see that,” said Spence. “He’s more known than me internationally so I felt that I needed to be aggressive and pick up the pace and throw more shots and I thought I landed more shots than he did. “It was kind of frustrating, but he was fighting to the computer system so I’m kind of used to that because I was the aggressor. I kind of switched the game plan up and I adjusted well.”

Yet following a United States protest of the bout result, the Competition Jury hearing the appeal ruled in Spence’s favor, noting two different rule violations that should have added four points to the American’s point total. For the full details, see the AIBA release below. Spence will return to the ring for quarterfinal action on Tuesday in a bout with Russia’s Andrey Zamkovoy of Russia.

Women’s boxing will open action on Sunday with lightweight Queen Underwood (Seattle, Wash.) taking the ring in afternoon action. FlyweightMarlen Esparza (Houston, Texas) and middleweight Claressa Shields (Flint, Mich.) will compete on Monday following a first round bye.

U.S Results

114 lbs: Nordine Oubaali, FRA, dec. Rau’shee Warren, Cincinnati, Ohio/USA, 19-18

152 lbs: Errol Spence, Desoto, Texas/USA, dec. Krishan Vikas, IND, 15-13 (following protest)

Rau’shee Warren Quotes

“I thought I had the decision, but overall you don’t know what they are counting and what they are scoring. It’s a bit disappointing, coming for my third time and losing in the first round. As you can see, I feel that this isn’t my lane anymore, going to the Olympics and trying to bring a gold medal on the United States.”

“He got the decision, I thank everybody back home for supporting me. This isn’t the end of Rau’shee Warren. My journey is going to continue, I’m going to stay hungry no matter what I’m doing.”

“Stuff happens in the ring as far as you don’t know what the judges are scoring. It might look to the person on the outside of the ring, it might look like a person is winning the fight. But to the judges who have been doing it for years, they like to score a lot of things – jabs, hooks, body shots. You never know what they are scoring. There wasn’t any pressure on me, I just went out there and did my thing. I came out there really explosive in the first round and took the first round 9-6 and then tried to sit down on my shots.”

“It’s always a good experience to do something that isn’t normally done like me being the first American boxer to go to the Olympics three times. It isn’t a setback for me. I still have a lot of head for me. I’m going to put this behind me, learn from it and take it to another level.”

“My headgear kept going down over my eyes and my contacts fell out in the first round and when they fall out, I have to wait for my opponent to get a little closer so I can throw my shots. It always happens, even in training. I get hit and my contacts come out and it will be really blurry.”

“In Beijing, I felt like I won that fight. I felt like I did enough to win. In this fight, I put a lot of that on my shoulders in not letting my combinations go and trying to deliver big shots. I was trying to set up off the jab but I was kind of rushing my shots. I feel like I didn’t let anybody down because I was chasing a dream that I’ve had since I went to my first Olympics in 2004. By coming here for the third time, it shows people that I didn’t give up on my dream. My mom and I will have to talk about getting something else, maybe a world title in the pros.”

“I didn’t give my whole life, I just gave my dream to the Olympics but I have a lot of life ahead of me. This is just another step to success. Working off this mistake and figure out what I’m going to do next. I’m getting ready for my next journey.”

Errol Spence Quotes (prior to the bout being overturned)

“I thought I threw more punches and landed more shots and was the more aggressive boxer. I thought I won, and the coaches and the crowd thought I won but the judges didn’t think so.”

“Yes, I thought they announced me the winner.”

“This was a once in a lifetime experience being at the Olympics and I will cherish this experience no matter what happens. The guy from India is a good fighter, I take nothing from him and wish him the best of luck.”

“Of course, it’s disappointing because we hate to lose and expect to come home with medals and we didn’t. We’re kind of sad right now, it’s kind of a sad day. I’m more sad than anything right now, I felt like I let down a lot of people. My family and people that are at home.”

“I gave my everything in the ring so I’m not going to hang my head low too long but there’s nothing I can do about that decision.”

“You just have to use angles, throw punches and adjust to what he’s doing. I thought I had a high guard too and I thought I was landing punches between his shots too. He’s a good fighter, I take nothing from him.”

“My style is just to be really aggressive and throw a lot of punches, I’ve always done that.”

“I thought I scored more than two punches in the first round but I’ve seen it before, there’s nothing you can do.”

Errol Spence Quotes (Following the decision

“I am obviously thrilled that my the competition jury overturned my decision and I can continue chasing the gold medal I came here to win. I am going to make the most of this second chance that I’ve been given. I can’t wait to get back in that ring on Tuesday.”

AIBA further strengthens its commitment for transparency‏

Following the review of Bout #105 and Bout #108, AIBA Technical Delegates, Competition Jury Chairman, Draw Commission Chairman and R&Js Evaluators have unanimously taken the following decisions.

- To expel Referee Ishanguly Meretnyyazov (Turkmenistan) from the London 2012 Olympic Games with immediate effect. Mr Meretnyyazov is on his way back home.

- To suspend Referee Frank Scharmach (Germany) from Refereeing for a period of five (5) days, up to and including 06 August.

Also, following a number of breaches of the AIBA Code of Conduct, the AIBA Olympic Compliance Committee proposed to the AIBA President to expel International Technical Official (ITO) Aghajan Abiyev (Azerbaijan) from the London 2012 Olympic Games with immediate effect. The decision was approved by the AIBA President and therefore Mr Abiyev has now left the AIBA Delegation's hotel.

Dr Ching-Kuo Wu, AIBA President declared: "I deeply regret that we had to take these decisions. However, our main concern has been and will always be the protection of the integrity and fair-play of our competitions. I will take all possible steps to reinforce this."

AIBA overturns the result of Bout #142

After reviewing the video of Bout #142 involving Welterweights (69kg) Krishan Vikas (India) and Errol Spence (USA), the Competition Jury found the following:

- There were a total of nine (9) holding fouls committed by the Indian boxer in the third round alone. However the Referee only gave one caution;

- In the second round, at the time 02:38, the boxer from India spitted out his gumshield intentionally. However the Referee didn't give any warning

Based on these findings, the Competition Jury Members unanimously decided the following:

- Decision #1: Based on the AIBA Technical & Competition Rules 12.1.9, the Referee should have given at least two (2) warnings to the Indian boxer;

- Decision #2: Although the boxer from India intentionally spitted out his gumshield, the Referee's view was blocked by the boxer from the USA and was not able to see the action;

- Final Decision: Based on Decision #1, at least four (4) points should have been awarded to the boxer from the USA. Therefore the final score should be 13:15 in favour of the USA. The protest is accepted and the winner of Bout #142 is Errol Spence (USA).

Thursday, August 2, 2012

Mike Tyson: Undisputed Truth, Boxing Champion's One-Man Show, Opens Aug. 2 on Broadway By Michael Gioia

Mike Tyson: Undisputed Truth, Boxing Champion's One-Man Show, Opens Aug. 2 on Broadway By Michael Gioia

Brooklyn-born champion heavyweight boxer Mike Tyson tells the Undisputed Truth in his one-man show, which officially opens on Broadway Aug. 2 at the Longacre Theatre.

Academy Award nominee Spike Lee ("Do the Right Thing," "Malcolm X") makes his Broadway directorial debut with Mike Tyson: Undisputed Truth, which began previews July 31 and continues in a limited engagement through Aug. 12.

The autobiographical work, presented by producer James L. Nederlander, is written by the boxer's wife, Kiki Tyson, and Randy Johnson. Mike Tyson: Undisputed Truth premiered at the MGM Grand's Hollywood Theater in Las Vegas under Johnson's direction last March.

"I will just be telling [my] story," Tyson told Playbill.com at a press event announcing the Broadway engagement. "People have said the story mesmerizes." When asked if any aspect of his life was off limits, the former boxing champ said, "If anything comes across kind of fake, [you'll] see it right away. To avoid that, [I'm] putting everything on the table. But it's not all good stuff! It's going to be a rollercoaster of emotions."

Director Lee added, "Human beings want to hear stories. Whether it's a play, a documentary…a song, a musical, a novel or a movie, we love great stories, and we love great storytellers. And, with Mike Tyson on the stage, you are going to hear a great American story… Mike's a great storyteller."
Mike Tyson: Undisputed Truth is executive-produced by Mike Tyson, Kiki Tyson and Adam Steck.

The evening promises "a rare, personal look inside the life and mind of one of the most feared men ever to wear the heavyweight crown... This riveting one-man show goes beyond the headlines, behind the scenes and between the lines to deliver a must-see theatrical knockout."

The creative team includes scenic designer Timothy R. Mackabee, lighting designer Natasha Katz, sound designer Raymond Schilke, projection designer Erik Pearson, assistant set designer Benson Knight, assistant sound designer Kristyn R. Smith, assistant projection designer Jackson Gallagher, production stage manager Gwendolyn M. Gilliam, technical supervisor Fred Gallo and dramaturg and voice coach de'Adre Aziza.

WELCOME TO THE CHRONICLES OF EFREM: GO Gabby! U.S Women Gymnastics Team WINS GOLD in L...

WELCOME TO THE CHRONICLES OF EFREM: GO Gabby! U.S Women Gymnastics Team WINS GOLD in L...: CLICK HERE TO FOLLOW ME ON TWITTER! U.S. Women's Gymnastics Wins Team Gold Medal At London Olympics Now introducing....

♔EL Boxing Empress & MMA Princess♔, See you at the Fights and Thank You for your time.EL Boxing Empress Online @ Twitter http://www.twitter.com/Keishamorrisey ©®™ 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011 All photos other than specified by "EL Boxing Empress & MMA Princess" Keisha Morrisey, for ♔Empire Morrisey Photo-Studios♔, KCKMT for Bloodline Boxing Communications Entertainment and ★Starlite★ Boxing's Sweetscience Magnews-Online Publication all rights reserved.

WELCOME TO THE CHRONICLES OF EFREM: GO Gabby! U.S Women Gymnastics Team WINS GOLD in L...

ONE FIGHTING CHAMPIONSHIP™ ADDS THREE MEMBERS OF THE LEGENDARY GRACIE FAMILY TO ONE FC: PRIDE OF A NATION‏

ONE FIGHTING CHAMPIONSHIP™ ADDS THREE MEMBERS OF THE LEGENDARY GRACIE FAMILY TO

ONE FC: PRIDE OF A NATION

ROLLES GRACIE VS TONY “THE GUN” BONELLO

IGOR GRACIE VS JUNG HWAN CHA

GREGOR GRACIE VS NICHOLAS “THE APPRENTICE” MANN

ONE Fighting Championship™ (ONE FC) has announced that the legendary Gracie family will be represented in a big way at ONE FC: Pride on a Nation on 31 August. Rolles Gracie, Igor Gracie and Gregor Gracie have all been added to the stacked fight card for ONE FC: Pride of a Nation. All three fighters bear a family name that needs no introduction to the world of Mixed Martial Arts (MMA). In Manila, the three members of the “royal family of MMA” will be fighting to honor the legacy of the Gracie family name.

Tickets for ONE FC: Pride of a Nation are on sale now through TicketNet at or at all TicketNet outlets located at the SM department store customer service area and at the SMART Araneta Coliseum ticket booth. For inquiries and reservations, please call +63 911 5555. Tickets are priced at Php 4,770 for VIP experience seating that includes exclusive Red Carpet entrance as well as access to the VIP lounge, followed by Php 2,120, Php 1,060, Php 690, Php 530 and Php 215 respectively. All applicable service charges apply.

Rolles Gracie was born into the royal family of BJJ and MMA, the legendary Gracie family, and is the grandson of Carlos Gracie Sr., the founder of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (BJJ). Rolles is physically the largest fighter in the history of the Gracie clan, standing at 193cm tall. On 31 August, Rolles will face his toughest test to date when he squares off against top Australian fighter, Tony “The Gun” Bonello. Bonello is considered one of the top submission specialists in the heavyweight division, with 15 of his 16 victories coming via submission. Bonello will look to notch another submission victory in Manila when he makes his ONE FC debut.

Igor Gracie is a Bellator Fighting Championship and Strikeforce veteran who holds an MMA record of five wins and two losses with four wins coming by way of submission. He is a 3rd degree Black Belt in BJJ and has a list of grappling credentials that is nothing short of extraordinary. Igor is a four-time Rio de Janeiro State Champion, Pan American Championship Silver Medalist and a two time Brazilian National Champion, just to name a few. He knows that a victory over the KO specialist Jung Hwan Cha at ONE FC: Pride of a Nation will get him one step closer to his ultimate goal of becoming a ONE FC champion.

Gregor Gracie is a talented grappler who is both the Pan-American and Brazilian National BJJ Champion. Gregor has chalked up a series of impressive MMA wins since his successful debut in 2007. With the exception of one win by decision, the BJJ black belt has ended all his other fights via submission. Gregor will have to add a few more dimensions to his game when he steps in the ONE FC cage against Nicholas “The Apprentice” Mann. Mann is no stranger to Filipino MMA fans, given that all of his MMA fights have been on Filipino soil. He will look to continue his four fight win streak when he steps up to fight Gregor Gracie on 31 August 2012.

Mixed Martial Arts and BJJ legend Renzo Gracie stated, “Rolles, Igor and Gregor Gracie have never trained so hard for a fight in their lives. All three of my students understand that ONE FC in Manila will be the largest MMA event in the history of the Philippines. They are embracing this experience whole-heartedly and are training exceptionally hard to achieve victory in front of 16,500 fans. The fans in Manila will get the chance to see the next generation of the Gracie family dominate the world of MMA once again.”

Team USA Goes 0-3 on Day Five of the 2012 Olympic Games‏

Team USA endured a difficult day on Wednesday at the Olympic Games as three American boxers lost their bouts to amateur boxing powerhouses. Bantamweight Joseph Diaz, Jr. (S. El Monte, Calif.) fell to Cuban World Champion Lazaro Alvarez Estrada with heavyweight Michael Hunter (Las Vegas, Nev.) and super heavyweight Dominic Breazeale (Alhambra, Calif.) both falling to Russian opponents.

Diaz battled both his opponent and the Cuban mystique in his bout with Estrada, which was a rematch from the 2011 World Championships. The Cuban was extremely busy during the first round, showcasing the patented Cuban footwork but Diaz also enjoyed bright spots of his own, finding a home for his sharp left hand. Estrada held a 7-6 lead after one but Diaz came out firing in the second. The 19-year-old American looked to enforce his will in the second as the Cuban’s output began to lower and Diaz landed strong, accurate punches. Yet the judges had Estrada up by a 14-10 margin after the second. Diaz refused to be discouraged by the score and continued to be the aggressor in the third round, pushing Estrada around and landing a wide array of punches. Despite Diaz’s efforts, the Cuban was named the victor by a 21-15 final score to eliminate the American bantamweight from the tournament.

“I thought in the second round, I was landing clean shots. I thought it was going to be closer. At least me up by one, tied or me down by one but the judges didn’t see it that way so I just fought my heart out the last round and tried to pull it out but I didn’t get the W,” Diaz said. “He’s a really great counterpuncher. He’s very long so its hard to get in on him but once you get in, he puts his whole body weight on you so either you’ll be tired or you won’t be able to get shots off on him. He’s really smart, he’s a really great fighter and I hope he gets the gold medal.”

Hunter faced off in an ugly heavyweight match-up with Russia’s Artur Beterbiev later in the session. The American heavyweight, who finally made it to the Olympic Games, following an unsuccessful run in 2008, took the first lead in the bout, holding a 4-3 lead after one. Much of the second round consisted of the two boxers in a clinch, but they still managed to put four points a piece on the board and Hunter went into the final round up one. The holding continued into the second, but Hunter looked to land shots and extend his lead. Beterbiev was able to pull the bout to a 10-10 tie and won the contest on a tiebreaker decision.

I think it got away from me but he was a better man today and he deserved it.

“I think it was a close fight and he was able to put his game plan in more than I was and he was just the better man,” Hunter said. “My game plan was to make it simple and just box and use my legs, which I wasn’t able to do. Make it an easy fight, 1-2-3s and keep turning and stay away from his right hand. He was able to time my jab more than I expected early.”

Per AIBA Technical and Competition Rules, a tiebreaker is determined by the following. The lowest and highest judges total scores for each boxers are thrown out and the remaining three total punch counts are combined for each boxer. The boxer with highest total punch count is named the winner of the bout. AIBA does not realize tiebreaker totals.

Breazeale drew a tough bracket in his first Olympic Games, battling Russia’s Omarov Magomed. The Russian’s experience showed early as he landed some heavy shots on the game American and Magomed held a 5-0 lead after one. Breazeale was able to get some offense going in the second but couldn’t evade all of Magomed’s punches and faced a 13-4 deficit with one round remaining. He looked to mount a comeback in the third but fell short and Magomed won a 19-8 decision.

“I got behind pretty early. Trying to play the catch up game in amateur boxing is not going to work. I’m learning from this experience and being here at the Olympics,” Breazeale said. “The trainers did a great job, every time I came back to the corner, they said stick to the game plan. I wasn’t sticking to the game plan and in the middle of a bout, you can’t second guess yourself and I was doing a lot of that.”

Two U.S. boxers will look to stem the tide on Thursday as lightweight Jose Ramirez (Avenal, Calif.) faces Uzbekistan’s Fazliddin Gaibnazarov at 9 p.m. London time (4 p.m. ET) and middleweight Terrell Gausha (Cleveland, Ohio) faces India’s Vijender at 9:45 p.m. London time (4:45 p.m. ET).

U.S. Results

123 lbs: Lazaro Alvarez Estrada, CUB, dec. Joseph Diaz, Jr., S. El Monte, Calif./USA, 21-15

201 lbs: Artur Beterbiev, RUS, dec. Michael Hunter, Las Vegas, Nev./USA, 10-10 (Russian won tiebreaker)

201+ lbs: Omarov Magomed, RUS, dec. Dominic Breazeale/Alhambra, Calif./USA, 19-8

Joseph Diaz Quote

“I had a really tough fighter with Lazaro. He’s a really great fighter. Unfortunately I didn’t get the W but I gave everyone the show they wanted to see. I’m glad I gave everyone a really good show. Everyone was cheering and that’s what I came here to do. Unfortunately God’s plan wasn’t for me to get a gold medal but I’m keep praying and build myself back up.”

“I thought the scoring should have been closer but the judges didn’t see that unfortunately. Lazaro a really great fighter. I’m not going to give him a downgrade or anything, he’s a really great fighter. He’s a good boxer, a great puncher and it just wasn’t my day for the judges.”

“It’s always like that (difficult finding the Cuban mystique), but you just have to give it your all and know that you’re ready and they’re human just like you so go in there and give it your all and see what the judges see.”

“In the World Championships, I was trying to box him, I was trying to be a counter puncher like him but I can’t do that with him because he’s so long and so rangy but this fight, I was just trying to put constant pressure on him and try to get him tired. It worked, he was getting a little tired but unfortunately I didn’t get the W and hands down, Lazaro is a great fighter.”

“I had a really great time at the Olympic Games, it was a great opportunity and a great experience. It was a blessing from God. I’m going to back home and start my pro career.”

“I felt like I was blocking a lot of shots but the judges probably saw it different. My head was moving but my guard was up at all times. But the judges probably saw that I was getting hit or maybe his punches were powerful or something. It’s all good though, I just have to back home and train like I’ve never trained before.”

“I’m going to stay and cheer on the rest of Team USA. We still have a lot of athletes competing so I’m going to cheer them on. They’re all great fighters so I still believe we’re going to have some medals.”

“We’re going to go out and have a good dinner. Finally I get to eat some French fries and cheesecake since I haven’t had that for a long time so it’s gonna be great.”

Michael Hunter quotes

“My legs got fatigued really fast. I don’t want to make excuses or anything but I got a cold a few days ago and I think that might have a little to do with it. Regardless of the fact, my legs started to fatigue a little bit and I wasn’t able to stay outside like I wanted to. My foot placement wasn’t there and I wasn’t able to turn like I was supposed to and I’ve been practicing on. That’s the name of the sport, to be able to execute in the fight.”

“It’s very disappointing, I made a promise to my father when I was little that I would win a gold medal. I happened to fail that mission and I just have to keep it moving.”

“It’s very upsetting, last time I got food poisoning, it was something I couldn’t control. I was this close, it’s hurting to me to know that I failed real early into the tournament.”

“When I first got hit, I knew my nose started bleeding. He hit me with a good shot but I’ve had a bloody nose before and I already had a stuffy nose so I wasn’t nothing more to bother me, now its blood instead of snot.”

“I don’t like to pay attention to a tiebreaker because if I feel like I got a tie, I lost. It’s like if you’re on time, you’re late. That’s what it came down to.”

“I thought it was very close. I thought I was maybe ahead a little earlier by more than one point in the first round but that’s just my opinion. I wasn’t surprised by the decision.”

“Usually the refs break you up a lot faster. It’s hard because you’re pulling on one side and he’s tugging on the other. You’re trying to get an angle so it was kind of a wrestling match just to get the angle off. That’s kind of what it was.”

“I thought he was about to take a point from me when he was checking my bloody nose. He warned me a few times so I was trying not to hold as much as I could and just do the best I could not to get a point taken.”

“Yeah, it was worth it (the journey to the Olympics). I got here. I’m thankful to step in the ring on this big stage. It wasn’t the performance I wanted but it was definitely well worth it. I’ve been getting seasoned over the last few years.”

Dominic Breazeale quotes

“I wouldn’t say jitters, it was just a matter of experience. I only have three and a half years under my belt and it definitely showed tonight.”

“We have great fighters in the United States so a fighter like that isn’t anything I’ve never seen before.”

“The jab is always effective, making contact is always effective. I would have loved to have been more effective where I was popping his head back but tonight I didn’t do so well.”

“I was trying to stay away from his lead hand. He has a big right hook and it landed a couple times tonight and its only because I was going to the left and not to my right.”

“He’s a big strong guy. He can punch, he can definitely punch. I’ve been hit harder and tonight he was the stronger guy in there.”

“Boxing is a one-man game, it’s you against the other man. Unfortunately we had two men go down as well as myself but we’re going to come back strong.”

“Playing the catch up game is tough in the amateurs, especially when you’re down five after the first round. I went back out there in round two and stuck to the game plan a little bit but deterred away from it and that’s what hurt me badly.”

“It’s night and day. In football, you have an off-season, in boxing you don’t. In football, you can play it, in boxing, you have to live it. So it’s a daily basis as far as nutrition and strength and conditioning. When you’re in the ring, there’s no blaming anyone else. You either win and get all the glory or lose and get all the blame.”

“I’m just looking forward to the next couple of years. In three and a half years I got to the Olympics for the United States, one of the best countries in the world and it’s been an honor to represent my country. I would have loved to have done more this afternoon but I’m going to stick with boxing and see what I can do in the next couple years. I’ve got a lot to learn but I’m going to stick with it and give it my all.”

“When I get in a groove and I’m throwing big strong punches, mean is not a problem for me. You can always be pretty, look at Muhammad Ali. I’m not saying I have any crushes but Muhammad Ali was a good-looking man and he did some great things in the heavyweight game.”

Share SBS w/Family or Friends

Saturday, August 4, 2012

Oubaali inspired against Warren‏

Errol Spence Advances to Quarterfinal Action Following a United States Protest While Rau’shee Warren’s Olympic Journey Ends‏

Thursday, August 2, 2012

ONE FIGHTING CHAMPIONSHIP™ ADDS THREE MEMBERS OF THE LEGENDARY GRACIE FAMILY TO ONE FC: PRIDE OF A NATION‏