Ufc 35 Weigh-ins Go Off Without A Hitch
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UFC 35 Weigh-Ins Go Off Without A Hitch By Loretta Hunt  The UFC held their official weigh-ins last night at the Mystic Marriott Hotel in Groton, Connecticut. There was no autograph session or local radio station to cover the event or beautiful female celebrities conducting raffles. It was just the fighters and the scale, but that was enough for a few fans that still came out to observe the proceedings. Although this weigh-in was not as big a production as the last two events held in Las Vegas, the attendance list still read like a book of MMA’s who’s who. Mark Coleman was there, as well as John Lewis and Vitor Belfort to name a few. This was the first time the public and the press were able to see all of thw competitors in one room together as Zuffa chose to bypass their usual day-before press conference in favor of a "rolling press conference" that visited numerous East Coast states throughout the week.
The first to make their way up to the stage were BJ Penn and Jens Pulver. Penn weighed in at 153 pounds, Pulver at 152 pounds. Both men and their training camps made it a point to stay at opposite ends of the room and when they were finished, they both seemed to immediately slip out of the room or at least out of the spotlight. Both fighters were sober and determined. This was as tense and dramatic as the evening got as the rest of the weigh-ins seemed to run like a roll call. Ricco Rodriguez was up at the platform next with his opponent Jeff Monson not far behind him. Ricco weighed in at 239 and a quarter pounds and Monson was 229 pounds.
Newlywed Ricardo Almeida, sporting a new red hairdo, was next to step on the scale. He was 185 pounds and his opponent Andrei Semenov rested also at 185 pounds. Dave Menne made his weight at 183 and a half pounds. His adversary Murilo Bustamante weighed in at 182 and three-quarter pounds, getting a small reaction from a crowd that knew he was dropping almost twenty pounds from his last UFC appearance to fight one weight-class down at middleweight.
Kevin Randleman made his return to the scale coming in at 204 pounds and blew kisses to the audience as he stepped off. His opponent Renato "Babalu" Sobral made weight at 203 and a half pounds, looking well conditioned. Gil Castillo and Chris Brennan were next. Castillo was 170 pounds while Brennan came in at 169 pounds. Eugene Jackson and his adversary Keith Rockel were the final pair to weigh-in. Jackson was 185 pounds and newcomer Rockel made it at 184 pounds.
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A Few Words With The Wolf By Loretta Hunt  It’s 11 AM, Thursday morning at the Mystic Marriott Hotel in Connecticut. Eugene "the Wolf" Jackson has finished his morning workout, his mind probably drifting to his pending battle with Keith Rockel at the next night’s UFC 35. There is a lot riding on this fight for Eugene. Coming off of three recent losses in the Octagon including his most recent at the hands of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt Ricardo Almeida in UFC 33, the man known for his knockout punching needs this win. It’s make or break time for a man whose future in MMA fighting may be winding down. I was there to talk with Eugene about what may be one of his last MMA fights and where this six-time UFC veteran plans to go from there. Here’s what he said. FCF: How are you feeling? FCF: Are you ready to go? FCF: What are you expecting from your upcoming fight with Rockel? FCF: Is that an added pressure for you? FCF: Has your training varied at all for this fight? FCF: How do you like Connecticut? FCF: How has the change in climate affected you? FCF: The last time I heard, you work two full-time jobs, right? FCF: How do you fit your training in? FCF: Win or lose, what’s next for Eugene Jackson the fighter? FCF: Your last fight? Who would you want to fight? FCF: Any words for the fans? |
UFC 35 Tonight! UFC 35 – Throw Down Friday, January 11th Mohegan Sun Resort & Casino Uncasville, Connecticut Doors Open 7:30 pm (ET) Prelim Fights start 8:30 pm (ET) Pay Per View starts 10:00 pm (ET) Autograph signing session 7:00 pm EST outside the Mohegan Sun Arena’s main entrance. Fighters expected to be signing autographs include heavyweight champion Randy Couture, light heavyweight champion Tito Ortiz, Vitor Belfort, welterweight champion Matt Hughes, and Pat Miletich. UFC LIGHTWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP UFC MIDDLEWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP LIGHT HEAVYWEIGHT FIGHT LIGHT HEAVYWEIGHT FIGHT HEAVYWEIGHT FIGHT MIDDLEWEIGHT FIGHT WELTERWEIGHT FIGHT MIDDLEWEIGHT FIGHT *Fight Card is subject to change* |
