MMA: UFC Fantasy League

Chad, a member on the Dog Brothers forum, formed a UFC Fantasy League called ALL DOGS GO TO HEAVEN. My first time 'betting' on this type of thing. I chalk it up to beginner's luck more than anything.

Also some of the fighters I didn't know, I just copied my friend Ausgepicht's picks. Of the 4 fights which I did know the fighters, I was wrong on Coleman vs Bonnar. I'm a Coleman fan from back in da day, and after the Shogun fight, felt Coleman should retire. Thought he would gas and that would allow Bonnar to win by sub. Coleman showed a lot of heart in his fight against Shogun and in UFC 100, he showed me he can still fight as witness his unanimous decision over Bonnar.



Click for bigger picture.


Lucky me over these picks, going to go buy the lottery tonight LOL.

MMA: UFC 100 - a few animated gif's

My thanks to the original gif makers and to my friend Ausgepicht for posting the gif's to his forum Spladdle. I uploaded to my pichosts to help save on bandwidth. Enjoy!

---

GEORGES ST. PIERRE VS THIAGO ALVES



GSP won by unanimous decision. Despite a groin pull, GSP throughout 5 rounds continually took Alves down and controlled him on the ground. GSP's takedowns scared off Alves' kicks.

---

BROCK LESNAR VS FRANK MIR

Frank Mir's best chance in round 2 against Brock Lesnar was this exchange.



This was Round 2 of Brock Lesnar vs. Frank Mir. Round 1 was almost the whole round of Brock ground and pound similar to the round 2 G&P.

---

DAN HENDERSON VS MICHAEL BISPING

Henderson and Bisping fought because they were the coaches of The Ultimate Fighter season 9.

Bisping, known as a stand-up fighter only, tries to take world-class wrestler Henderson down.



The KO that put Bisping to sleep.



Here's a bigger pic of the flying elbow/forearm after the KO.



Bisping was told by his corner to stop circling to Henderson's power which was his right. One of Boxing's maxims says the same thing. He paid by not listening to the advice.

The preview of this blog entry shows the large pic correctly, but after posting, it seems to be cut off. Right-click save as and then view it offline.




Enjoy!

MMA: The Ultimate 100 UFC Fights - part 2

75. UFC 1: Royce Gracie vs. Gerard Gordeau.
74. UFC 58: Rich Franklin vs. David Loiseau.
73. UFC 52: George St-Pierre vs. Jason Miller.
72. UFC 92: Frank Mir vs. Antonio Nogueria.
71. Ulimate 96: Don Frye vs. Tank Abbot.
70. UFC 17: Pete Williams vs. Mark Coleman.
69. UFC 34: B.J. Penn vs. Caol Uno.
68. UFC 84: Lyoto Machida vs. Tito Ortiz.
67. UFC 31: Shonie Carter vs. Matt Serra.
66. UFC 94: Georges St-Pierre vs. B.J. Penn.
65. UFN 10: Spencer Fisher vs. Sam Stout.
64. UFC 62: Chuck Liddell vs. Renato Sobral.
63. UFC 50: Matt Hughes vs. Georges St-Pierre.
62. UFC 72: Tyson Griffin vs. Clay Guida.
61. UFC 80: B.J. Penn vs. Joe Stevenson.
60. UFC 46: Georges St-Pierre vs. Karo Parisyan.
59. UFC 91: Brock Lesnar vs. Randy Couture.
58. UFC 38: Matt Hughes vs. Carlos Newton.
57. UFC 69: Roger Huerta vs. Leonard Garcia.
56. UFC 42: Rich Franklin vs. Evan Tanner.
55. UFC 92: Rashad Evans vs. Forrest Griffin.
54. UFN 14: Anderson Silva vs. Chris Leben.
53. UFC 64: Sean Sherk vs. Kenny Florian.
52. UFC 40: Chuck Liddell vs. Renato Sobral.
51: UFC 88: Rashad Evans vs. Chuck Liddell.
50. UFC 92: Quinton Jackson vs. Wanderlei Silva.
49. UFC 71: Houston Alexander vs. Keith Jardine.
48. UFC 35: Jens Pulver vs. B.J. Penn.
47. UFC 31: Chuck Liddell vs. Kevin Randleman.
46. UFC 71: Quinton Jackson vs. Chuck Liddell.
45. TUF 4 Finale: Scott Smith vs. Pete Sell.
44. UFC 83: Georges St-Pierre vs. Matt Serra.
43. UFC 45: Matt Hughes vs. Frank Trigg.
42. UFC 56: Georges St-Pierre vs. Sean Sherk.
41. UFC 81: Antonio Nogueria vs. Tim Sylvia.
40. UFC 15: Randy Couture vs. Vitor Belfort.
39. UFC 84: Wanderlei Silva vs. Keith Jardine.
38. UFC 31: Randy Couture vs. Pedro Rizzo.
37. UFC 3: Royce Gracie vs. Kimo Leopoldo.
36. UFC 52: Chuck Liddell vs. Randy Couture.
35. UFC 48: Frank Mir vs. Tim Sylvia.
34. UFC 84: B.J. Penn vs. Sean Sherk.
33. UFC 63: Matt Hughes vs. B.J. Penn.
32. UFC 74: Randy Couture vs. Gabriel Gonzaga.
31. UFC 75: Quinton Jackson vs. Dan Henderson.
30. UFC 46: BJ Penn vs. Matt Hughes.
29. UFC 98: Lyoto Machida vs. Rashad Evans.
28. UFC 66: Chuck Liddell vs. Tito Ortiz.
27. UFC 44: Randy Couture vs. Tito Ortiz.
26. UFC 87: Georges St-Pierre vs Jon Fitch.
25. UFC 57: Chuck Liddell vs. Randy Couture.
24. UFC 1: Royce Gracie vs. Ken Shamrock.
23. UFC 65: Georges St-Pierre vs. Matt Hughes.
22. The Ultimate Fighter 6 Finale: Roger Huerta vs. Clay Guida.
21. UFC 43: Randy Couture vs. Chuck Liddell.
20. UFC 79: Georges St-Pierre vs. Matt Hughes.
19. UFC 82 Anderson Silva vs. Dan Henderson.
18. UFC 47: Chuck Liddell vs. Tito Ortiz.
17. UFC 68: Randy Couture vs. Tim Sylvia.
16. UFC 58: Sam Stout vs. Spencer Fisher.
15. UFC 85: Thiago Alves vs. Matt Hughes.
14. UFC 34: Matt Hughes vs. Carlos Newton.
13. The Ultimate Fighter 9 Finale:Diego Sanchez vs. Clay Guida.
12. The Ultimate Fighter 2 Finale: Diego Sanchez vs. Nick Diaz.
11. UFC 86: Forrest Griffin vs. Quinton Jackson.

Part 3 coming soon with Fights 10 to the #1 UFC fight from UFC's 1-99.

IN MEMORY OF: Arturo Gatti (April 15, 1972 - July 11, 2009) (40 Wins - 9 Losses - 0 Draws - 31 KO's)

Cut and pasted from ESPN:

Updated: July 11, 2009, 8:59 PM ET
Foul play suspected in Gatti's death

Arturo Gatti Found Dead At Age 37

SAO PAULO -- Former boxing champion Arturo Gatti, one of the most exciting fighters of his generation, was found dead in a hotel room in the posh seaside resort of Porto de Galihnas early Saturday.

Police investigator Edilson Alves told The Associated Press that the body of the former junior welterweight champ was discovered in his hotel room at the tourist resort, where Gatti had arrived on Friday with his Brazilian wife Amanda and 1-year-old son.

Alves said police were investigating and it was unclear how the 37-year-old Canadian died. Foul play is suspected in the death, the CBC reported.

"It is still too early to say anything concrete, although it is all very strange," Alves said.

A spokeswoman for the state public safety department said Gatti's wife and son were unhurt. The women declined to give a name in keeping with department policy.

"There were no bullet or stab wounds on his body, but police did find blood stains on the floor," she said.

Brazilian boxer and four-time world champion Acelino "Popo" Freitas told the G1 Web site of Brazil's largest television network Globo that he was a close friend of Gatti and his wife, and that he "knew they were having some sort of problem and were about to separate, but I didn't know they were in Brazil."

Francisco Assis, a local police investigator, told G1 that Gatti could have died up to eight hours before his body was found early Saturday.

Gatti (40-9, 31 KOs), nicknamed "Thunder", was best known for his all-action style, which was epitomized in his classic trilogy with Micky Ward in 2002 and 2003.

It's why Gatti was a fixture at Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City, N.J., where he drew huge crowds and fought many times, including the final nine fights of his career.

"His entire boxing career he fought with us, we've known him since he was 17," Kathy Duva of promoter Main Events told The Associated Press. "It's just an unspeakable tragedy. I can't even find words. It's a horror."

He won two world titles in his 16-year pro career. In 1995, he won his first one, outpointing Tracy Harris Patterson to claim the IBF junior lightweight title.

In his first fight after the Ward trilogy -- which Gatti won 2-1 -- he captured a world title in his second division, outpointing Gianluca Branco for the vacant WBC junior welterweight title in January 2004.

Gatti made two defenses before losing the title to Floyd Mayweather Jr. via sixth-round TKO in June 2005. He returned to defeat Thomas Damgaard but lost his final two bouts, a ninth-round TKO in a challenge to then-welterweight champion Carlos Baldomir in July 2006 followed by a one-sided beating from former "Contender" star Alfonso Gomez in July 2007.

In the dressing room following the seventh-round knockout loss to Gomez, Gatti announced his retirement.

Referee Randy Neumann said it was tough for him to end that fight, simply because of Gatti's incredible ability to come back in fights.

"I couldn't stop that fight, simply because he was Arturo Gatti," Neumann said. "He was much more dignified to go out that way. He had to be counted out. When he fought, you never knew if he could come back. He looked beaten and still came back."

With that loss, Gatti acknowledged the end of all his travails and triumphs.

"I remember walking away from his last fight, and somebody walked up to him in the casino late at night and congratulated him," Duva said. "And he said, 'Why did he congratulate me?' And I said, 'He was excited to meet you.' And he kind of looked very surprised by that.

"He had no idea what an icon he was or how much he meant to people."

More than his titles, Gatti will be remembered for the slugfests. He was half of the Ring magazine fight of the year four times for two the Ward fights as well as his 1997 fifth-round knockout of Gabriel Ruelas to retain the junior lightweight title and a 1998 decision loss to Ivan Robinson.

Gatti had two memorable battles with Robinson as well as dramatic fights with Wilson Rodriguez, Angel Manfredy and Calvin Grove -- all before the trilogy with Ward that defined his career.

Gatti was a staple of HBO's boxing broadcasts, appearing on the network 21 times.

"HBO Sports is tremendously saddened by the passing of Arturo Gatti," HBO Sports president Ross Greenburg said. "He was one of the legendary warriors in boxing, and his three epic battles with Micky Ward will live on in the sport's rich history. All of us at HBO Sports will miss his warm and friendly presence, and our deepest sympathy goes out to his manager Pat Lynch, promoter Main Events, led by Kathy Duva, and the entire Arturo Gatti family. Boxing has lost a great and humble man."

Gatti had been working in real estate in Montreal following his retirement, but still attended fights, as he did in April for the Timothy Bradley-Kendall Holt junior welterweight unification bout at the Bell Centre in Montreal.

ESPN.com boxing writer Dan Rafael and The Associated Press contributed to this report.

---

Cut and pasted from Fight News:

Arturo Gatti found dead!

Legendary former world champion Arturo Gatti, 37, has reportedly been found dead inside a beachside flat he was renting at the Hotel Dorisol of Porto de Galinhas, Pernambuco, Brazil. He was found by his wife early Saturday with a head injury. Gatti had arrived with his wife and baby on Friday on their honeymoon. Local police consider his death suspicious.

---

Some links:

Official Site

Wiki entry

Boxing Record from BoxRec

My sincerest condolences to the Gatti family.

MOVIES: BESOURO -- upcoming Capoeira movie

My thanks to my friend P. for the heads-up on this!

From the IMDB:

The plot: Based on the life of a legendary capoeira fighter from Bahia, "Besouro" spins a fantastic tale of a young Brazilian man of African descent in search of his mission.

Release date: 30 October 2009 (Brazil)

Sounds like what ONG BAK did for the Thai arts, what MERANTAU looks to do for the Indonesian arts, BESOURO may be poised to do for Capoeira.

Trailer up on YouTube:

KICKBOXING: Official K1 YouTube channel

FEG's Sadaharu Tanikawa, K-1 Event Producer, announced today that an official K-1 Channel has been created on YouTube, the video sharing site with over 2 billion users.

*Now the world can enjoy K-1!

Built on the motto "From Japan to the World", the world's largest martial arts extravaganza "K-1" is now in its 16th year. Starting with a modest number of domestic fans back in 1993, K-1 events now boasts viewership in 135 countries. FEG, producers of the events, now wish to reach a broader audience and let them get know more about K-1 past and present. The first big step is opening the YouTube K-1 Channel (YouTube - Kanaal van K1). Not only will anyone be able to see K-1 events anywhere at any time, with the subtitle translation tools available, they'll be able to follow the commentary as well.

When the YouTube K-1 Channel opens on Thursday, July 9th, K-1 will be more accessible than ever. Content will include:

1. K-1 Archives = All the events from the very first one in 1993 to today in High Definition

2. Pre-fight Interviews = Pre-fight interviews capture the tension and excitement of the fighters before they step into the ring

3. Press Conference Footage = See the fighters face to face, sometimes for the first time, at the official press conferences

4. Post-fight Interviews = The elation of the winners, the disappointment of the winners, all captured in the post-fight interviews.

Bonus material:

1. Each video will come with comments and narration fully subtitled. YouTube's auto-translation tools will make the subtitles globally accessible.

2. K-1's official site will also carry the videos with extra content that will be constantly updated.

In Japan, K-1 is the first to enter into such a ground-breaking partnership with YouTube and the YouTube K-1 Channel, with archived K-1 events, interviews, press conferences, and also never-before-seen official content such as looks into the fighters lives, should give martial arts fans what they've always wanted - full access to the greatest martial arts show on Earth.

*K-1 events from the first in 1993 until today in Hi-Def!

*Captions convertable to any language!

*DREAM Channel opening soon for MMA fans!

K-1 Channel

My thanks to my friend P. for the heads-up. This is awesoome news! Some great stand-up action in K-1. Enjoy!

MMA: UFC 100 Fight Card

Click thumbnail for bigger picture.

UFC 100 takes place on Saturday, July 11, 2009 at the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas, Nev.

Main Event: Championship Bouts
HWY: Brock Lesnar (3-1) vs. Frank Mir (12-3)
170#: Georges St. Pierre (18-2) vs. Thiago Alves (22-4)

* Brock Lesnar is the current champ and Frank Mir is the Interim Champ. GSP is the current Welterweight champion.

Main Card
185#: Dan Henderson (24-7) vs. Michael Bisping (18-1)
170#: Jon Fitch (22-3) vs. Paulo Thiago (11-0)
185#: Yoshihiro Akiyama (12-1) vs. Alan Belcher (13-4)

Preliminary Bouts
205#: Stephan Bonnar (14-5) vs. Mark Coleman (15-9)
155#: Mac Danzig (19-6-1) vs. Jim Miller (13-2)
205#: Jon Jones (8-0) vs. Jake O’Brien (11-2)
170#: Dong Hyun Kim (11-0-1) vs. TJ Grant (14-2)
185#: C.B. Dollaway (9-2) vs. Tom Lawlor (5-1)
155#: Matt Grice (10-2) vs. Shannon Gugerty (11-3)


My picks:

Brock Lesnar - Thinking his training under Erik Paulson (or was it Greg Nelson?) will do him good. Don't think Mir will get an easy sub this time and Mir won't escape Brock's g&p.

GSP - Until he loses, think GSP is on the top of his game. Hard to beat now. Although apparently he has a swollen elbow or something which may or may not affect his performance.

Dan Henderson - I want and think Hendo wins, but part of me remembers how he eeked out a win against Rich 'Ace' Franklin and lost to who was it? Rousimar Palhares (sp?) ... his better fights may be behind him.

Jon Fitch - Don't really know Fitch or Paulo Thiago well, but looked up Fitch's record... think he wins by decision.

Stephan Bonnar - Think Bonnar will pull off a sub after Coleman gasses... I like Coleman from back in da day, but feel he should probably retire.

Tomorrow night will be a special night... the 100th UFC event... 16 years! I remember when I watched the first UFC, I couldn't sleep that night, I was so hyped up on the sheer adrenaline of watching martial artists test their disciplines against other disciplines.

Enjoy!

MMA: The Ultimate 100 UFC Fights - part 1

Cut and pasted from Spike.com's blog:

The Countdown Has Begun
Posted July 06, 2009

The UFC Ultimate 100 kicked off last night with the first 25 fights as voted on by you, the fans. Starting the countdown with Paul Kelly vs. Paul Taylor, I was a bit surprised that this one didn't end up higher on the list, but as we pushed forward and relived fights like Hughes-Gracie, Penn-Uno and Liddell-White, it started to put things in perspective. Since 1993, there have been a lot of epic battles and if this countdown -as we approach UFC 100- doesn't get you amped up, then you might want to check your pulse and coordination skills because you could be a zombie regenerated from a human corpse on a mission to take over the planet.

Standing out among the first 25 for me has to be Serra vs. GSP I. Like every red-blooded American, I love the underdog/upset combo and so close to July 4, this one might have had a little extra spicy mustard.

"When I had George in trouble, I stayed calm and I picked my shots and I chose where to hit him and it worked out great," Serra recalled. It sure did work out great, for Serra and for all of us who got to witness one of the greatest upsets in mixed martial arts history.

GSP's response, however, is almost as inspiring, "I just tried to survive and get out. I tried to still exchange with him even though I couldn't stand on my feet. I was very dizzy," he told the camera, looking back. "And I learned from my mistake," he said with a crooked grin across his face. It's this attitude and insight that makes him so great and in turn what made Serra's victory so great.

Of course, GSP eventually avenged his loss to Serra and has yet to drop another bout since, some of which will appear later in this countdown among other classics like Gracie vs. Gordeau Evans vs. Liddell, Mir vs. Nogueira and the monumental Lesnar vs. Couture -all to be seen in the very next installment Monday night at 9.

Recapping the first 25:

100. Kelly vs. Talyor
99. Newton vs. Miletich
98. Florian vs Lauzon
97. Evans vs. Salmon
96. Hughes vs. Gracie
95. Sherk vs. Tyson Griffin
94. Penn vs. Thomas
93. Alves vs. Lytle
92. Penn vs. Serra
91. Franklin vs. Shamrock
90. Penn vs. Uno II
89. Jardine vs. Forrest Griffin
88. Edgar vs. Tyson Griffin
87. Liddell vs. Horn
86. Tanner vs. Baroni
85. Parisyan vs. Nick Diaz
84. Rizzo vs. Barnett
83. Liddell vs. White
82. St-Pierre vs. Trigg
81. Koppenhaver vs. Rollins
80. Franklin vs. Tanner I
79. Serra vs. St-Pierre I
78. Jardine vs. Liddell
77. Silva vs. Irvin
76. Hughes vs. Sherk

MMA: Sports Illustrated's Top 10 UFC fights

Check this link for Sports Illustrated's Top 10 UFC fights... vidclips available:

Royce Gracie def. Dan Severn by triangle choke (UFC 4, Dec. 16, 1994)

Oleg Taktarov def. Tank Abbott by rear-naked choke (UFC 7, July 14, 1995)

Mark Coleman def. Don Frye by TKO (UFC 10, July 12, 1996)

Bas Rutten def. Tsuyoshi Kohsaka by TKO (UFC 18, Jan. 8, 1999)

Frank Shamrock def. Tito Ortiz by TKO (UFC 22, Sept. 24, 1999)

Randy Couture def. Pedro Rizzo by unanimous decision (UFC 31, May 4, 2001)

Robbie Lawler def. Aaron Riley by unanimous decision (UFC 37, May 10 2002)

Forrest Grffin def. Stephan Bonnar by unanimous decision (T.U.F. 1 Finale, April 9, 2005)

Matt Hughes def. Frank Trigg by rear-naked choke (UFC 52, April 16, 2005)

Roger Huerta def. Clay Guida by rear-naked choke (T.U.F. 6 Finale, Dec. 8, 2007)

Spike TV has the program running now of Ultimate 100 UFC Fights and it counts down the fights leading up to the historical night tomorrow for UFC 100.

What's your Top 10 UFC fights? So many fights to choose from, I don't know if I can rank them let alone narrow them down to 10 only.

Enjoy!

NEWS: I just missed posting on 123456789

Today is July 8, 2009 or in numerical format = 7/8/09 ... the time was 12:34:56.... so 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9 :-(

In Memory of: Alexis Arguello (April 19, 1952 - July 1, 2009) (82-8 with 65 KO's)

Cut and pasted from Fox Sports:



Alexis Arguello is shown here after winning the lightweight championship in 1981, his third title in three different weight classes. (Getty Images)

Hall of Fame boxer found dead; reports cite suicide
Associated Press


Updated: July 2, 2009, 8:34 AM EDT

MANAGUA, Nicaragua (AP) - Alexis Arguello, who fought in one of boxing's most classic brawls and reigned supreme at 130 pounds, was found dead at his home early Wednesday.

Coroners were conducting an autopsy to determine the cause of death. Sandanista Party's Radio Ya and other local media were reporting it appeared to be a suicide.
The La Prensa newspaper reported that Arguello — elected mayor of Nicaragua's capital last year — was found with a gunshot wound to the chest.


The 57-year-old Arguello retired from boxing in 1995 with a record of 82-8 with 65 knockouts and was a champion in three weight divisions. He was perhaps best known for two thrilling battles with Aaron Pryor and fights with Ray Mancini, Bobby Chacon and Ruben Olivares.

"I'm kind of in a daze right now. I can't believe what I'm hearing," Pryor told The Associated Press. "Those were great fights we had. This was a great champion."

Nicknamed "The Explosive Thin Man," Arguello was inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame in 1992, where flags were flying at half-staff in his honor on Wednesday.

In 1999, a panel of experts assembled by The AP voted Arguello the best junior lightweight and sixth-best lightweight of the 20th century. He never lost at 130 pounds, and his popularity in his own country was so great that he carried the flag for Nicaragua at the Beijing Olympics.

"Not only was he one of the greatest fighters I've ever seen, he was the most intelligent fighter," Bob Arum, who promoted some of his biggest fights, told The Associated Press. "He was a ring tactician. Every move was thought out. And he was a wonderful, wonderful person."

Arguello turned pro in 1968 and promptly lost his first bout. He didn't lose much more, and six years later knocked out Olivares in the 13th round to win the world featherweight title.

Arguello went on to win the super featherweight and lightweight titles, his 5-foot-10 frame allowing him to move up in weight without losing his tremendous punching power. At the time, he was only the sixth boxer to win championships in three weight classes, and was considered for a while the best pound-for-pound fighter in the world.

Panama's Roberto Duran, another world champion at three weights, expressed disbelief.

"I can't believe it. He was my friend, my brother," Duran said. "His death is a great loss for world boxing and a much greater loss for Nicaragua."

The retired Oscar De La Hoya said: "I felt sad receiving the news and still find it hard to believe. Alexis was my idol. When I was young, I heard so much about him and his fights and loved his style in the ring. In my opinion he was one of the biggest and most influential fighters boxing has ever produced."

De La Hoya said Arguello attended his fight against Steve Forbes in May 2008, which was De La Hoya's last victory.

"We shared some great moments together before and after the fight," he said. "Arguello was definitely a legend in the boxing world because of all the joy he brought to his fans with his unforgettable career and amazing personality."

Arguello moved up in weight again in November 1982 to challenge Pryor for the 140-pound belt, a match billed as "Battle of the Champions." More than 23,000 fans packed the Orange Bowl in Miami, and the two waged an epic battle before Pryor knocked out Arguello in the 14th round.

"It was a brutal, brutal fight," Arum said. "That was something I will never, ever forget as long as I live. That was one of the most memorable fights I ever did."

The bout was named "Fight of the Year" and "Fight of the Decade" by Ring Magazine, but was shrouded by controversy. Pryor's trainer, Panama Lewis, gave him a water bottle after the 13th round that many believe contained an illegal substance - an accusation Pryor denied.

A rematch was ordered and they met again a year later at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas. This time, Pryor knocked out Arguello in the 10th round.

"We always talk to each other about that first fight," Pryor said. "I never went into the fight knowing I could beat Alexis, I just went into the fight to beat Alexis."

Arguello announced after the fight that he would retire from boxing, but as so often happens in the sport, Arguello couldn't stay away from the ring.

He returned to win two fights in 1985 and 1986, then didn't step in the ring until 1994, when he made a brief comeback. He retired for good the following year.

"Alexis Arguello was a first-class fighter and a first-class gentleman," said Hall of Fame executive director Edward Brophy. "The Hall of Fame joins the boxing community in mourning the loss of a great champion and friend."

Arguello fought against the Sandinista government in the 1980s after it seized his property and bank account, but later joined the party and ran for mayor of the capital last November. He defeated Eduardo Montealegre, though opponents alleged the vote was fraudulent.

Arguello had returned Sunday from Puerto Rico, where he honored the late baseball Hall of Famer Roberto Clemente. His death prompted Nicaragua President Daniel Ortega to announced he was canceling a trip to Panama for the inauguration of President-elect Ricardo Martinelli.

"We are upset," presidential spokeswoman Rosario Murillo said. "This is a heartbreaking announcement. He was the champion of the poor, an example of forgiveness and reconciliation."

---

---

Alexis Arguello's record on http://www.boxrec.com

---

Alexis Arguello highlights



Round 1 of one of the greatest boxing fights ever

---

Click the thumbnails for a bigger picture.





NOTES: My thanks to my friend P. who emailed me about this. My thanks to Ausgepicht and Leon for the links to the vidclips and pictures.

IN MEMORY OF: Michael Jackson

oh man, a cultural icon of the 1980's - the King of Pop.

RIP Michael Jackson

In Memory Of: Farrah Fawcett

RIP Farrah Fawcett

62 ... lost her bout with cancer :-(

http://www.cnn.com/2009/SHOWBIZ/TV/06/25/obit.fawcett/index.html

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Farrah_fawcett

Official Site

52 HAND BLOCKS: Justin Porter's NY Times article on 52

Cut and pasted from http://www.nytimes.com. My sincerest thanks to my friend P. for the heads up.



William Pearce, left, and Joseph Raven Ravera practice 52 Blocks fighting at Ultimate Karate in Harlem.

Please click for bigger image.

June 18, 2009
In Tight, a New (Old) Martial Art Gains Followers
By JUSTIN PORTER

IT has developed just below the surface of popular culture in the United States, in the streets, prisons and boxing rings. It’s gone by a few names: Stato, Jailhouse Rock, the 52 Hand Blocks, 52 Blocks and, for short, the 52.

For a long time it has been a kind of martial arts Loch Ness monster: an American fighting form with supposedly sinister origins that many have heard of but few have seen or experienced. No one, it seemed, had any concrete proof that it existed, or at least none they were willing to share.

Until recently.

Several instructors have begun teaching this quasi martial art. Videos are up on YouTube. And the name 52 Blocks seems to be gaining respect as the most accepted. To watch it demonstrated is to see quick strikes suited to a fight exploding in surroundings like a jail cell, staircase or hallway.

Lyte Burly, 34, teaches and trains in Tompkins Square Park in the East Village. He was one of the first to put videos on YouTube. “There was a lot of chatter, a lot of audio but no video,” he said of the discussion forums and Web sites that would offer hints of 52 Blocks, but little information about where to go to find out more.

Mr. Burly has a background in boxing and Chinese martial arts. Now, 52 Blocks has become his main focus.

“They say offense wins fights but defense wins championships,” Mr. Burly said. He said the 52 Blocks’ great strength was what he saw as its ability to let the user control the pace of a fight, while avoiding being hit. When Mr. Burly moves, his compact frame easily slips around and away from punches and attempts to grab him. He blocks punches with the tips of his elbows and drops to a crouch to attack his opponent’s legs.

At the start of a session, Mr. Burly and his student used an empty basketball court. But 52’s flavor seemed diluted in such a large area. Mr. Burly and his training partner eventually moved into the confines of a jungle gym.

Now in a five-foot-square space, hemmed in on all sides by metal bars — but visible — the fighting style’s strengths became clearer. In these confines, Mr. Burly’s size is a clear asset. He shoved his opponent into the bars, using these “walls” as weapons. In tight quarters where a punch might be too long, Mr. Burly used his elbows to strike and shove.

After the workout, Mr. Burly talked about his desire to eliminate the secretive attitude that has added to 52 Blocks’ obscurity — but also given it some buzz.

At a martial arts school called Ultimate Karate in East Harlem, Daniel Marks taught the 52 Blocks on a recent Sunday. The school itself is huge, and often seems more so because Mr. Marks’s classes are usually small. Blue mats cover the floors, and the students and Mr. Marks train in gym clothes and socks.

Mr. Marks — who is not affiliated with Mr. Burly — towers over many of his students and instructs with a gentle, patient manner. After a warm-up that includes jogging, calisthenics and some basic shadow boxing, he teaches specific concepts of the 52 Blocks. Here it looks a bit more like boxing, but with a twist.

It is a style built for the inside game, short hard punches best suited to fighting in tight spaces, like hallways and cells. The guard is tighter to allow for bare fists and is a constantly shifting mosaic of elbows, twists and turns.

When 52 Blocks practitioners hit, they can target anything from the legs to the shoulders. Footwork is taught in small, tight patterns. Rather than dancing on the balls of the feet the way boxers often do, a practitioner of the 52 Blocks has footwork that is closer to the ground, lower and tighter, both in the width of the stance and the distance traveled with each shuffle.

Mr. Marks demonstrated a technique to break the opponent down by first defending against an oncoming punch and then systematically striking at the body’s flex points, like the shoulders and hips. When Mr. Marks talks about hitting an opponent, he’s looking to hurt, but also to force a reaction. If he wants his opponent to turn, he strikes the shoulder, aiming to turn him. If he wants his opponent to lean forward, he strikes the hip. Each reaction is a setup for another. As he showed these different options on a student, he spoke to the rest of the class.

“Your training should take you to a natural pause in the action,” he said. This pause allows a person defending his life to make a choice — finish the fight or escape, an option he advocates. By this time, the student being demonstrated upon is prone on the ground, unhurt but pinned by one of Mr. Marks’s knees.

The goal is to get where you were going safely, Mr. Marks said.

“Or if you got to use the bathroom!” said Mike Baltazar, a new student. The rest of the class laughed as Mr. Marks rolled his eyes.

A man who goes by Kawaun Adon Akhenaten7 — and would not provide another name — taught Mr. Marks 52 Blocks and acts as a kind of guide. Mr. Akhenaten7 lives in Philadelphia and, like Mr. Marks, is large and soft-spoken. He said he learned the style on the streets of Brooklyn while running with a gang of armed robbers, and was impressed after seeing it used in a street fight.

“It looked like a ghetto ballet, kind of like it was choreographed,” he said. “Men threw punches at each other that looked dainty until they made contact. It was barbaric but it was finessed. They were out to hurt each other and make each other look bad.”

Because the 52 Blocks exists practically as an oral tradition, its history is a bit murky.

Mr. Marks believes the system evolved mostly through prizefighting in the southern and eastern United States in the late 1800s and early 1900s.

No black man was allowed to contend for the world heavyweight championship until Jack Johnson in 1908. His victory changed boxing and history. Mr. Johnson fought in an unorthodox manner: he played a defensive game, preferring to counterpunch and capitalize on his opponent’s mistakes, qualities also found in the 52 Blocks. Also, Mr. Marks said, fighters worked for tips, so they often developed flashy, crowd-pleasing moves.

At least one writer in the white press at the time labeled Mr. Johnson’s style “cowardly.” Mr. Marks believes that this was one of the first signs of a style that might have become the 52 Blocks. He doesn’t think Mr. Johnson’s style could have just come from thin air.

“Who taught him?” Mr. Marks asked with a smile.

Mr. Burly also talked about racial stereotypes during this era. He mentioned a commonly held belief that black boxers “couldn’t take punishment,” that they were physically weaker. He thinks that this belief, later disproved completely by Mr. Johnson, may have influenced some of the ways black fighters were taught to box — more evasively as counter-punchers.

FIGHTERS in the ring have often been spoken of in connection with the 52 Blocks. Rashad Evans is a former Ultimate Fighting Championship light-heavyweight titleholder. Speaking by phone from Greg Jackson’s Gym in Albuquerque, N.M., he said that while growing up, he had heard stories about the 52 Blocks from older men when discussing prison fights, and saw what he assumed were parts of it in street fights.

In 2005 he met Daniel Marks at a seminar in Baltimore and found value beneath the legends, stories and memories.

“What it comes down to is just really practical boxing,” he said. From the 52 Blocks, he said, he gained a better knowledge of the use of angles in a fight. He said that while he’s nowhere near a master at the skill, he has seen his game improve.

MOVIES: Donnie Yen's IP MAN vidclips

My thanks to MartialTalk member wingc for the following link to loads of Donnie Yen's IP MAN vidclips:


http://www.wing-chun.ws/


Enjoy!

Ip Man Chain punching animated gif's reupped to a backup pichost

I've been busy with family and work, but I've reupped the Ip Man chain punching animated gifs to a different pichost.

http://stickgrappler.blogspot.com/2009/05/movies-donnie-yens-ip-man-chain-punches.html

Will upload others to my backup pichost. Learned my lesson, spread the pix out on a few pichosts especially since I also post them to various forums LOL

Enjoy the gif's again!

LINKS: Dog Brothers Martial Arts forums

Woof:

Check out the Dog Brothers Martial Arts subforum on FMATalk.

Of course, there is the forum on the Dog Brothers official site too.

There is also a Members Only forum via the Dog Brothers Martial Arts Association. 1 year's membership is $75.

Enjoy!

LINKS: FMATalk forums

Check out FMATalk forums, dedicated to the discussion of the Filipino Culture and Martial Arts. The forums are well-organized into the various styles/systems of the FMA.

Although I've not surfed there regularly in the past due to time, I will be going there as time permits in the future. I don't know the exact history/background behind the forum, but I'm guessing it's a spinoff from Martial Talk forums?


Enjoy!