By Jake Rossen (jrossen@sherdog.com)

Thursday, November 12 1:04 pm PT… If it worked for Kazushi Sakuraba, it can work for Matt Hughes: after depressing the hell out of mid-1990s MMA fans by putting a stake in Royce Gracie’s heart, the onetime steamroller of the welterweight division may fight Renzo Gracie next. (This according to Heavy.com, FightersOnly.com, and the vague, teasing Twitter comments of both Dana White and Lorenzo Fertitta.)

In making no sense at all, it actually makes perfect sense: both Gracie, 42, and Hughes — who cannot contend at the Alves/St. Pierre level — are unlikely to make a title run at this stage in their careers. This is a fight for a fight’s sake, and that’s something the UFC has been sorely lacking in recent years.

http://sherdogblog.craveonline.com/blog/2009-11-12#20896

In The Main Event of the evening, Takanori Gomi didn’t look too sharp but edged out KOTC…. champ Tony Hervey in judges score card.

Lion Takeshi showed that he maybe is the best in Japan at 145 lbs & under by dominating Alexandre France “Pequeno” Nogueira.

The biggest win of the evening came from none other than “Shooto’s Charisma” Rumina Sato. He caught Cory Grant with a solid right hook, followed it with knee shot to the face, ground and pound, to capture his first TKO win in over four years.

VALE TUDO JAPAN 09
Friday, October 30, 2009
At JCB Hall, Tokyo, Japan

Complete Results:

The Main Event – VTJ Rules 71 kg & Under Bout 5 min / 5R
Takanori Gomi (Japan / Kugayama Rascal) vs. Tony Hervey (USA / Mash Fight Team)

Winner: 5R Takanori Gomi by Decision (46-44, 47-45, 46-45)

7th Match – VTJ Rules 65 kg & Under Bout 5 min / 5R
Lion Takeshi (Japan / Shooting Gym Yokohama) vs. Alxandre Franca Nogueira (Brazil / Clud di Luta)

Winner:4R 2758″ Lion Takeshi by KO (referee stoppage – left straight followed by punches on the ground)

6th Match – VTJ Rules 63 kg & Under Bout 5 min / 5R
Rumina Sato (Japan / roots) vs. Cory Grant (USA / Team Quest)

Winner: 1R 3′20″ Rumina Sato by KO (referee stoppage – right hook, knee, followed by punches on the ground)

5th Match – VTJ Rules 67 kg & Under Bout 5 min / 3R
Tenkei Fujimiya (Japan / STG Yokohama) vs. Tito Jones (USA / MMA Inc.)

Winner:3R Tito Jones by Decision (29-30, 28-30, 29-30)

4th Match – Shooto World Welterweight Title Bout 5 min / 3R
Willamy Freire (Brazil / Nova Uniao) vs. Kenichirou Togashi (Japan / Paraestra Hiroshima)

Winner: 1R 2′05″ Willamy Freire by TKO (referee stoppage – injured nose and right eye lid from punches)

3rd Match – Shooto Bantamweight Bout 5 min / 3R
Mamoru (Japan / STG Yokohama) vs. Jesse Taitano (USA / GROUND FU SPIKE 22)

Winner:1R 4′41″ Mamoru by KO (referee stoppage – g n p)

2nd Match – Shooto Middleweight Bout 5 min / 2R
Youichirou Sato (Japan / Gracie Barra Tokyo) vs. Jung Min Kang (Korea)

Winner: 1R 2′48″ by KO (referee stoppage – left hook followed by punches on the ground)

1st Match – Shooto 62 kg & Under Bout 5 min / 2R
Kousuke “Jukucho” Eda (Japan / PUREBRED Kyoto) vs. Masato Sannai (Japan / GUSTMAN Shooto Dojo)

Winner:2R DRAW (18-19, 19-19, 19-19)

Report by Shu Hirata
http://www.adcombat.com/news/2009-10-31/vtj-10302009-gomi-edges-out-hervey-rumina-wins-ko-full-results

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/69697-the-top-10-brazilian-jiu-jitsu-bjj-fighters-in-mma-today

Mixed Martial Arts and the UFC… have come a long way since the days of no-holds-bar matches and the days where that skinny guy by the name of Royce Gracie was submitting every opponent he faced.

If there is one thing the MMA community has learned from those days, it is that Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (BJJ) is an extremely effective martial art with regards to one on one fighting.

However in today’s modern MMA world, with rules favoring strikers (with the awkward stand ups by the ref during a fight) and wrestlers (with the misconception that the person on top is winning the fight) proving BJJ’s worth in the octagon or ring is getting much harder.

However, with that being said, there are still some MMA fighters who possess a BJJ background and remain at the top of the MMA game, while simultaneously proving the effectiveness of BJJ. With that being said, here is my list of the Top-10 BJJ fighters in MMA today.

10) RICARDO ARONA (13-5-0 )

This man is No. 10 on the list but has the potential to be No. 1. Not only is he a black belt in BJJ, but he is also a two-time Abu Dhabi Combat Club (ADCC) submission wrestling winner in the absolute division.

Every grappler knows that winning the ADCC absolute division the highest grappling honor there is, and doing it twice is almost unthinkable. Although he only has two submission victories in his MMA career (a kneebar and a rear naked choke), he is regarded as a top level MMA fighter as he has beaten some of the best in today’s MMA world (Sakuraba, Horn, Ninja, Wandy etc…). Rumor has it he will be making his return in the UFC as a LHW; I, personally, am looking forward to that.

9) THALES LEITES (13-1-0)

This young MMA fighter may not be well known by the average “Kimbo” MMA fan, but hardcore fans and BJJ enthusiasts definitely know who he is. With 13 wins and only one loss, Thales Leites is doing very well for himself. Although his only loss came on his UFC debut to Kappman, since then, he has racked up four consecutive wins in the UFC (most recently his win over Nate Marquardt, who is a top contender). He’s a calm, cool, collected MMA fighter, and his next opponent needs to watch out for his submissions…especially his arm triangle.

RICARDO ALMEIDA (9-3-0)

One of the guys on this list that has competed in MMA and the UFC long before the Ultimate Fighter TV show and the blow up of the UFC’s popularity. He is a black belt in BJJ under Master Renzo Gracie, and he has competed in various Gi BJJ tournaments and the ADCC’s absolute division.

He left the MMA game in 2004 on a high note after his win in PRIDE over Ryo Chonan to focus on other things and his jiu-jitsu schools. However, due to MMA’s rising popularity, Almeida decided that he couldn’t just sit on the sidelines, and in February 2008, he made his comeback in the UFC and submitted Rob Yundt with a vicious guillotine choke.

Although he lost a tough split decision to Cotein his last fight, I’m sure he will bounce back and show the MMA world how amazing his BJJ really is.

7) GABRIEL GONZAGA (9-3-0)

When people think of Gonzaga, they are always taken back to his spectacular head kick knock-out win over Mirko “Cro Cop” Filipovic. However, many fail to realize that Gonzaga’s BJJ is world class. Gonzaga is a former ADCC competitor and he has also competed in many Gi BJJ competitions with many of today’s top grapplers.

Although his BJJ is very well rounded, his top game is regarded as one of the most feared. The only worse than having a wrestler on top of you is having a heavy BJJ guy control top position on you…ask Gonzaga’s victims.

Although he lost to Couture and Werdum back to back not too long ago, his recent steamrolling submission victory (in top position) over Just McCully definitely puts him back on track in MMA.

6) SHINYA AOKI (18-3-0)

In my opinion, Shinya Aoki is the best Asian submission grappler today. He has competed in various Gi BJJ tournaments and has also competed in the ADCC tournament in his weight class and the absolute weight division (despite the fact that everyone he grapples with in that division is bigger than he is).

However, what makes him remarkable is his ability to pull off his high-caliber submissions in MMA. He has 10 submission victories which have come by arm bar, gogoplata, neck crank, triangle etc…(his standing arm lock victory over Keith Wisniewski will make you cringe).

In addition, his leg locks are devastating in their own right (even though he hasn’t hit one in an MMA match yet). At just 25 years old, we will definitely be seeing him more in the near future.

5) PAULO FILHO (16-0-0)

Paulo Filho is ranked as the No. 2 best middleweight in all of MMA, according to Sherdog (just under Anderson Silva). He is currently WEC’s middleweight champion and as you can see, he is riding a 16-fight win streak. And if you’re wondering if this guy got some easy wins in no-name organizations, think again, because his wins have come from PRIDE (seven of them), Pancrase, DEEP, and, of course, the WEC.

His BJJ is regarded as relentless and all of his submission victories have come by arm bar. Even though his opponents know an arm bar is coming they can’t seem do anything about it. I don’t see why the UFC keeps this guy in the WEC; he’s too damn good.

4) ANTONIO RODRIGO NOGUEIRA (31-4-1)

The former UFC Interim Heavyweight champion, former PRIDE heavy weight champion, and the runner-up in the PRIDE 2004 Grand Prix. His list of MMA accomplishments is right up there with the greats. His BJJ is legendary, as 19 of his wins have come by all kinds of different submissions (crucifix, arm bar, guillotine, anaconda, triangle….etc).

In addition to these accomplishments, the most regarded, best pound-for-pound fighter in the world, Anderson Silva was awarded his black belt from non other than Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira. With all of those accomplishments, I still believe that he is underrated and casual fans probably don’t realize how great he is.

It was unfortunate that his UFC interim title was taken away due to Couture’s return, but on a brighter note, more casual fans are going to get to know him better through The Ultimate Fighter reality show.

3) DEMIAN MAIA (8-0-0)

If this were a top 10 list for the best BJJ practitioners (not just in MMA), the people on that list would differ from the people on this one, but Demian Maia would still hold a high ranking on that list. His BJJ is one of the best in the world, and he is, in my opinion, the best BJJ practitioner with a Gi on this list.

However, what ranks him so high on this list is the fact that he has been able to adapt his high level sport BJJ into the MMA world, which is no easy task (ask Alberto Crane and Marcello Garcia).

When you’re dealing with punches, it’s a whole different game, but Demian has been able to adapt and keep his cool which in turn has made him successful in MMA while simultaneously proving the effectiveness of BJJ (he took a small beating from Ed Herman but still won by submission).

His latest win over Jason Macdonald was very impressive and his next fight will be against Nathan Quarry. If Demian makes quick work of Quarry, as he did with Macdonald, then Anderson Silva shouldn’t think about retiring just yet…

2) NATHAN DIAZ (10-2-0)

Nathan Diaz (or just Nate Diaz) is probably my wild card on this whole list, and I probably got some people scratching their heads as to why he holds such a high ranking…I’ll be happy to explain.

Of his 10 wins, seven have been by submission, in which the Cesar Gracie product was only a purple belt for the majority of them. Ever since he won The Ultimate Fighter reality show (which he advanced through by submitting all of his opponents), he has been on a rampage and holds submissions over three of his last four opponents in the UFC.

In his last fight with Josh Neer, in which he won by decision, he showed some excellent BJJ and showed the world a unique type of step-over guard pass/back-take technique. He adopts a BJJ approach to MMA and constantly brings fresh and unique techniques from the BJJ gym into the octagon.

What gives him the No. 2 spot on this list, though, is his heart and perseverance. No matter how badly he is getting beat, he never quits and always has faith in his skills.

On the reality show, he was getting beat up, bad, by Gray Maynard in the semis, and to be honest, I thought it was going to be over for him. However, Nate proved me wrong by sweeping Gray Maynard and then submitting him with a drop guillotine in the second round.

More recently against Kurt Pellegrino, (who is a black belt in BJJ, while Nate is only a Brown Belt) Nate was getting beat up pretty bad and the fight was almost stopped; however, literally, out of nowhere, Nate managed to pull off a triangle choke, which ultimately then won him the match.

At only 23 years of age, he seems to understand BJJ really well and is applying it to MMA without a problem and because of that expect to see more of him in the future.

1) B.J. PENN (13-4-1)

B.J. Penn may not take first place on everyone’s best pound-for-pound MMA fighter list, but I would find it hard to argue not giving him this specific honor. B.J. was the first non-Brazilian to ever win the gold medal in the Mundial World Championship in Rio de Janeiro Brazilsa black belt, which is a huge accomplishment in itself.

His knowledge of BJJ is up there with the masters, but what makes him a one-of-a-kind is his flexibility and control. If B.J. Penn mounts his opponent or gets control of their back, you can almost bet your house that Penn is getting the submission.

I heard one person say, “Penn’s BJJ isn’t that good because all he does is rear naked chokes.” When I heard this, I cringed and had to leave the room. Being good at BJJ doesn’t mean going for a million different leg locks and fancy submissions; BJJ is about advancing your position and maintaining control while simultaneously looking for submissions.

You don’t see Penn going for leg locks and stuff in his fights because Penn will take you down, pass your guard, and then submit you with a “simple” submission (or beat you down from mount), and there is nothing anyone can do about it (watch the Penn vs. Duane Ludwig fight).

As the current UFC lightweight champ and former UFC welterweight champ, B.J. Penn, without a doubt, takes the No. 1 spot here.

Ryan Bader is a former All American wrestler. He’s spent years training to put men down on their backs and keep them there. Eric “Red” Schafer is a Jiu Jitsu wizard, happier on the ground than anyplace else. He wants to be on the mat, looking for submissions and sweeps. Yet, when the two meet in the Octagon this Saturday at UFC 104, absolutely no one thinks it’s going to be a grappling contest.

I am ready to strike with him if need be,” Schafer said. “I am still not a great striker, but I feel more than comfortable trading with Bader.”

It’s become a pattern in UFC fights between high level wrestlers and top notch Jiu Jitsu players. Instead of doing what they do best, the wrestlers are afraid of all the bad things that can happen in, what Joe Rogan would call, Jiu Jitsu’s world. Bader feels safer pitting his developing striking game against Schafer’s rudimentary one. And that’s what has led Schafer to kickboxing legend Duke Roufus.

“I train at one of the best gyms in the country, Duke Roufus Academy. Duke is one of the best striking coaches in the country, plus he has hired some other great coaches like Scott Cushman, Aaron Bridges, Jason Kazmierczak, Omar Choudhury and Rob Smith,” Schafer said. “Great striking, BJJ, and wrestling. We have many WEC and UFC guys come in through the gym when they are getting ready for fights. The training here is top notch. We have 4 guys training for UFC 104 here, so I consider us right up there with (the top) gyms.”

Schafer has an elite training camp available at the Duke Roufus Academy. Prior to UFC 104, Ben Rothwell, Pat Barry, and Razak Al-Hussan were all there getting ready for their UFC 104 fights. But Schafer said he likes to “visit other gyms to expand my game. I believe you should be very open to training with other guys and gyms when possible.”

Schafer will need all the skills he can muster up to continue on with the UFC. This is his second run in the MMA major leagues. The first time he lost consecutive fights to Stephan Bonnar and Michael Bisping. According to Schafer, that was not the same fighter that has won two in a row in the Octagon and plans to take it to Bader.

” I fought those guys at a certain stage of my career, and I feel I have evolved since then,” Schafer said. He doesn’t feel compelled to prove anything to his conquerors. “They have probably gotten better too, but the fights would probably be much different now (win or lose). I actually want to revenge some of my grappling losses much more than my fight losses.”

After the fight this weekend, it’s likely Milwaukee-area MMA fans will be able to find Schafer helping teammates train for upcoming fights, along with at local BJJ tournaments, in which Schafer often times serves as referee. Schafer will also continue to evolve further – using a strong BJJ and ground game – while also picking up new skills from Roufus and the rest of his teammates.
Fans will also have an opportunity to train with Schafer, if only in the virtual world. He’s working with CONCEDE to bring some of his Jiu Jitsu techniques to the world wide web.

“CONCEDE has some cool ideas with their website. I have been asked to teach some ground technique for MMA,” Schafer said. “We have already filmed some great introductory techniques, but we hope that the users will provide feedback and questions, so I can expand on the current moves to help them. They just need to email me on the CONCEDE site and ask away. The “interactive” instructions will be very cool!”

You can find Schafer online at his blog and train with him at CONCEDE. Schafer takes on Ryan Bader Saturday night on Spike TV.
Posted On October 22nd, 2009 by Michael Hatamoto and Jonathan Snowden in Sports

heavy.com

by MMAjunkie.com Staff on Oct 21, 2009 at 8:00 am ET

Rolles Gracie (3-0 MMA, 0-0 UFC), part of MMA’s legendary Gracie clan, has signed a multi-fight deal with the UFC and is expected to meet fellow heavyweight Mostapha Al-Turk (6-5 MMA, 0-2 UFC) at UFC 109 in February.

Gracie and his management team announced the signing via Twitter on late Tuesday.

Although not officially announced by the organization, UFC 109 is expected to take place Feb. 6 in Las Vegas.

Gracie, the son of Rolls Gracie (who’s uncle was Helio Gracie), made his pro debut in 2007 with the International Fight League. The second-degree Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt defeated Sam Holloway via submission but wouldn’t fight again for nearly two years.

Gracie returned with the China-based Art of War promotion this year and moved his record to 3-0 with a pair of additional submission victories over Baga Agaev in May and Peter Graham in September.

He now meets Al Turk, who’s likely fighting for his life in the UFC. The former Cage Rage fighter lost to Cheick Kongo at UFC 92 in his octagon debut, and six months later, fought late replacement Mirko “Cro Cop” Filipovic at UFC 99. Aided by an illegal (but accidental) eye poke, Filipovic posted a first-round TKO victory.

Al Turk had won six of seven fights (all via first-round stoppage) prior to the back-to-back losses.

For complete coverage of UFC 109, stay tuned to the UFC Rumors section of MMAjunkie.com.

(Pictured: Rolles Gracie)

Enjoy:

2009 U.S. Open BJJ Results (Full Version)

By Steve Cofield

The matchmaking possibilities are limitless for a guy with the appeal of Wanderlei Silva. Silva is what’s great about the way mixed martial arts book its fights. It’s not about the records or an unbeaten streak, it’s about the action and appeal of the fights. Silva could go 6-6 over a 12-fight period and people will still pay, just like they did until Arturo Gatti’s career ran out of gas.

Silva, trying to reinvent himself as a middleweight, looks to be headed toward a fight with Japan mega-star Yoshihiro Akiyama in February. According to MMAFrenzy, Akiyama announced the fight during a press conference in Japan saying it would be at UFC 110 or 111. It sounds like a perfect fit for the UFC’s first event in Australia, as it wouldn’t be a bad 10-hour jaunt for Japanese fight fans.

The Silva-”Sexyama” fight may not capture the imagination of the casual American fan, but it’s a huge international fight with some good questions going in. Can Silva actually get down to 185 pounds and not be gassed two minutes into the fight? And can Akiyama, who looks to be carrying some excess beef at 185, take Silva’s punch? Akiyama may find out he needs to slim down and head to welterweight. He was nearly carried out of the cage after his win over Alan Belcher at UFC 100. Belcher is a really good striker but doesn’t bring the thunder like Silva does.

Akiyama, a Korean national, is a huge star in Japan. He’s married to Japanese model Shiho Yano. Silva has been out of action since his loss to Rich Franklin at UFC 99. Wandy went all Joan Rivers on the MMA world, going under the knife to get a prettier nose and shave down some scar tissue around his eyes.

http://sports.yahoo.com/mma/blog/cagewriter/post/UFC-s-most-sexy-Wanderlei-Silva-or-Akiyama-?urn=mma,195713

The creators of the US Open, Claudio Franca Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, are honored to announce the 3rd American Cup Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Tournament. This exciting tournament will be held at Los Gatos High School, 20 High School Court, Los Gatos, CA 95030 located just minutes from the San Jose Airport!

On Saturday, May 1, 2010 the first day of the tournament, is exclusively for kids year born 1995 – 2006.  The cost for kids early registration until Thursday April 16th is $45.00. From April 17-20, 2010, registration changes to $60.00.

On Sunday May 2, 2010 the second day of the tournament, will be for competitors in the Juvenile, Adult, Master, Senior I, Senior II and Female Age Divisions. The cost of early registration for Juveniles, Adults, Masters, Seniors and Females until Thursday April 16th is $65.00. From April 17 – 20, 2010, registration changes to $80.00.

Be sure to join our email list so that we can keep you up-to-date on the latest American Cup news.

If you have any questions regarding the American Cup, feel free to email us or call the academy at (831) 476-7650

“XIV US Open comes to a close