Wednesday, May 14, 2003
Mma From Coast-to-coast Tonight!
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MMA From Coast-To-Coast Tonight! FOX ‘s "The Pulse" Debuts UFC Segment At 9PM EST* Mixed martial arts gets a crack at some national exposure tonight, care of the FOX news show The Pulse. Tonight’s episode includes a 10-minute look at MMA, focusing primarily on America’s premiere promotion, the UFC. For those hoping for some indication of the tone the piece will take, producer Joel Parks offered this synopsis for tonight’s airing. "The Pulse segment looks at how the new owners of the Ultimate Fighting Championship are battling to get mixed martial arts events back on TV. Using fight tapes spanning the 10 year history of the sport, plus fresh interviews with fighters like Rorion Gracie, David "Tank" Abbott, Frank Mir, Phil Baroni and Ken Shamrock, Fox News examines the changes promoters hope will turn UFC bouts into the new "Friday night fights." Also included as part of the segment (and not mentioned above), will be an interview with a representative of the American Medical Association. In addition, FCF’s own Loretta Hunt was called upon for an interview, with excerpts appearing among the footage tonight. Did the roving reporter get any "vibes" on how the show will play out tonight? "I’m optimistic as always," commented Hunt on her experience. "The producer and his crew seemed generally interested in the subject and not content to brush the surface as other news sources have done in the past with MMA. We also lucked out in that the assistant producer was already fairly familiar and ultimately quite accepting of the sport. Will it be an infommercial for MMA? No. Could it be an evenhanded look at MMA viewed by millions across the nation? Quite possibly." *Please check your local listings for air time in your area.
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From Zuffa: UFC TO PREMIERE ‘ULTIMATE FIGHTER: TEAM MILETICH’ ON PAY-PER-VIEW, FRIDAY, MAY 16, SATURDAY, MAY 17 One-Hour Special Goes Behind The Scenes of Miletich Martial Arts; Encore Re-Plays Continue Through May  LAS VEGAS, May 13, 2003…What does it take to be a champion in the world’s toughest sport? The Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) will give everyone the answer when it premieres Ultimate Fighter: Team Miletich, a one-hour pay-per-view television special, starting at 10 p.m. EDT/7 p.m. PDT this Friday, May 16, on DirecTV, channel 196, and 10 p.m. EDT/7 p.m. PDT this Saturday, May 17, on iNDemand (channel iN1), Dish Network, TVN, Echostar, Bell ExpressVu and Viewers Choice Canada. The suggested retail price is $9.95. This original program will go behind the scenes at Miletich Martial Arts in Davenport, Iowa, the gym that has produced more UFC world champions than any other. It also will go inside the lives of UFC World Heavyweight Champion Tim Sylvia, Welterweight World Champion Matt Hughes and “Ruthless” Robbie Lawler, one of the UFC’s fastest rising stars, as they endure the grueling training necessary to become a champion under the guidance of legendary, former UFC champion Pat Miletich. This is a show that both fighters and fans alike will not want to miss. Encore re-plays of Ultimate Fighter: Team Miletich will start immediately after the premiere at 11 p.m. EDT/8 p.m. PDT on Echostar and 11:30 p.m. EDT/8:30 p.m. PDT on Viewers Choice Canada. Additional re-plays on Echostar will be at 6 p.m EDT/3 p.m. PDT, May 18; on its All Day Ticket service May 20; 8 p.m. EDT/5 p.m. PDT and 9 p.m. EDT/6 p.m. PDT, May 22, and it’s All Day Ticket on May 24, 25, 27 and 29. Viewers Choice Canada re-plays will be at 1 a.m. EDT/10 p.m., May 18/17 and its All Day Ticket on May 20, 25 and 29. TVN re-plays will be at 1:30 a.m. EDT/10:30 p.m. PDT, May 18/17 and 11 p.m. EDT/8 p.m. PDT, May 23. iNDemand re-plays will be at 1 a.m. EDT/10 p.m. PDT, May 18/17 on channel iN2; 9 p.m. EDT/6 p.m. PDT, May 19 on iN2; 7 p.m. EDT/4 p.m. PDT and Midnight EDT/9 p.m. PDT, May 21 on iN2 and 8 p.m. EDT/5 p.m. PDT on iN1. Bell ExpressVu will re-play the show at 11 p.m. EDT/8 p.m. PDT, May 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 26, 27, 28, 29 and 30. DirecTV re-plays will air on its All Day Ticket May 19, 24, 25 and 27-30. |
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From the event’s promoter: MAY MADNESS IN MIDTOWN THE PARTY RETURNS ON MAY 17th! Fight Party Productions, in conjunction with LA Boxing Atlanta, are proud to announce MAY MADNESS IN MIDTOWN. The event will be held at Midtown Atlanta’s EARTHLINK LIVE venue, on West Peachtree Street. The card will include MMA, FULL CONTACT and MUAY THAI. "With all of the events taking place at or around the 17th, this was one of the hardest cards I’ve ever had to fill," explained promoter Brett Moses. "LA Boxing’s Chris Stolzman and I spent hour upon hour before finally coming up with a card that would fit our standards." In keeping with the PARTY atmosphere, there will be music from Flavourset Promotions and more of the finest ring girls the Southeast has to offer.
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From Josh Hedges/Zuffa:  VITOR BELFORT TO BATTLE MARVIN EASTMAN ON UFC 43:MELTDOWN MEGA-STAR CARD LIVE ON PAY-PER-VIEW, FRIDAY, JUNE 6 Chuck Liddell To Meet Randy Couture For Interim Light Heavyweight Title; Ken Shamrock, Tank Abbott Return To Octagon At Thomas & Mack in Las Vegas Matt Lindland To Fight Niko Vitale; Pedro Rizzo To Meet Tra Telligman, Yves Edwards Vs. Eddie Ruiz in Ultimate Fighting Championship Action LAS VEGAS, May 13, 2003…Brazil’s top-ranked light heavyweight mixed martial arts fighter Vitor Belfort will battle Las Vegas’ Marvin Eastman in one of the featured fights on the mega-star, eight-fight card of UFC 43: Meltdown that will be LIVE on pay-per-view at 10 p.m. EDT/7 p.m. PDT, Friday, June 6, from the Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas. The Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) will present an all-star lineup of international fighters that will include number one light heavyweight contender Chuck "The Iceman" Liddell (11-1-0 in MMA) of San Luis Obispo, Calif., versus UFC former two-time heavyweight champion Randy Couture (7-4-0) of Portland, Ore., in the main event for the interim light heavyweight championship. UFC legend Ken Shamrock (8-5-2) of San Diego, Calif., will return to the Octagon to fight Sunderland, England brawler Ian Freeman (13-6-0) and power punching knockout specialist Tank Abbott (8-8-0) of Huntington Beach, Calif., will take on Hawaiian fighting legend Kimo (7-3-1) in heavyweight action. In other featured fights, middleweight top contender Matt Lindland will fight UFC newcomer Falaniko Vitale; highly rated Brazilian heavyweight Pedro Rizzo will tangle with Shamrock’s Lions Den teammate Tre Telligman, and lightning quick lightweight Yves Edwards will battle Eddie Ruiz. Tickets, $300, $200, $100, $60 and $30, are now on sale at the Thomas & Mack box office in Las Vegas, at all UNLV ticket outlets including the Galleria at Sunset, Meadows Mall, Boulevard Mall, all Station Casinos and Fiesta hotel/casinos and at www.unlvtickets.com. Tickets also may be ordered by telephone at 1-866-388-3267 toll free, or in Las Vegas at (702) 739-3267. Ticket purchases are subject to transaction fees. The Hard Rock Hotel & Casino is the host of the event and UFC fans can reserve rooms by calling 1-800-HRD-ROCK or by visiting the website at www.hardrockhotel.com. UFC 43: Meltdown will be available LIVE on pay-per-view on iNDemand, DirecTV, Dish Network, Bell ExpressVu and Viewers Choice Canada. The suggested retail price is $29.95. A half-hour, free preview show that will feature a never before seen UFC fight, will be televised by all cable operators at 9:30 p.m. EDT/6:30 p.m. PDT. Belfort, "The Phenom," (10-3-0) from Rio de Janeiro, exploded on the UFC scene at UFC 12: Judgement Day in February 1997 where he won the heavyweight tournament stopping Telligman and Scott Ferrozzo with lightning fast punches. Everyone knew he was highly skilled in Brazilian jiu-jitsu but quickly became aware of his devastating punching ability. He next stopped Tank in 52 seconds and destroyed the highly respected Vanderlei Silva in only 44 seconds. Belfort’s last UFC match was an incredible war with Liddell last June in Las Vegas. He now returns after knee surgery to try and get into position to challenge for the light heavyweight crown. Eastman, "The Beastman," (5-2-0) from Las Vegas is a dangerous combination of kick boxer and wrestler who has enjoyed success as an MMA fighter and in the kick boxing arena. He not only possesses knockout power on his feet, but also can take a fight to the ground to punish his opponent. He knows a win over Belfort will catapult him up the light heavyweight ranks. Lindland (8-1-0) from Portland, Ore., is one of the UFC’s top middleweight contenders who won the silver medal in wrestling for the U.S. Olympic team in 2002 in Sydney, Australia. In addition to his superior wrestling skills, he has developed a punishing ground and pound attack that is difficult for opponents to escape. In his most recent fight, he defeated brawler Phil Baroni for the second time by unanimous decision on February 28 at UFC 41: Onslaught. Like their first match, it was a slugfest that had the sellout crowd on its feet for all three rounds. Vitale (13-2-0) of Honolulu, Hawaii, is a freestyle fighter who is proficient in Brazilian jiu jitsu and kickboxing. A former University of Hawaii and Arena Football League wide receiver, he is another football player who has embraced mixed martial arts. Although he is making his UFC debut, Vitale already has victories over UFC veterans Aaron Riley, Todd Medina and Tyrone Roberts. The Rizzo-Telligman heavyweight fight is a re-match from UFC 20:Battle For The Gold in May 1999 that was an absolute war. Rizzo won a close one, which means Telligman definitely has revenge in mind. Rizzo, "The Rock," (11-5-0) from Rio de Janeiro, is a professional kick boxer who also is one of the UFC’s most powerful strikers. He has been a force in the UFC since his debut in October 1998 at Ultimate Brazil when he knocked out Tank. Since then, he has defeated some of MMA’s biggest names including Mark Coleman, Tsuyoshi Kosaka and Dan Severn. Telligman (15-3-0) from Ft. Worth, Tex., is a Shamrock teammate from the Lion’s Den. He is a well-rounded submission fighter who is also known for his punching power. Most recently, Telligman also has enjoyed a successful career in professional boxing, but in his last MMA fight he defeated highly regarded knockout artist Igor Vovchancyn. Veteran Edwards (11-5-1) from Houston, Tex., will get a good test from the undefeated Ruiz (7-0-0) of Huntington Beach, Calif. Although his focus remains in Thai boxing and jiu-jitsu, Edwards hones his boxing skills with trainer Kenny Weldon, who helped build the impressive career of four-time heavyweight champ Evander Holyfield. Edwards has fought in a variety of MMA events around the world. On February 28 at UFC 41: Onslaught in Atlantic City, N.J., he defeated Rich Clementi by rear naked choke submission at 4:06 of the first round. Ruiz, a Tank Abbott prot posted by Full Contact Fighter @ 8:00 pm
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