Published by Stephen Rhodes

Las Vegas, NV – An already loaded UFC® FAN EXPO™ just got some added firepower. UFC President Dana White announced today that this year’s festivities will include four grappling superfights featuring the likes of MMA stars Caol Uno, Hermes Franca, Javier Vazquez, and Fredson Paixao, as well as a much-anticipated women’s contest.

On Friday, May 28 at 1PM PT, ADCC world champion Penny Thomas locks horns with MMA veteran Shayna Baszler in an intriguing women’s matchup. Plus, former UFC star Hermes Franca, a dangerous Brazilian Jiu Jitsu black belt who owns submission victories over the likes of Nate Diaz, Mike Brown, and Jamie Varner, takes on jiu jitsu phenom Bill “The Grill” Cooper.

Then, on Saturday, May 29 at 1PM PT, UFC star and MMA legend Caol Uno battles WEC contender and four-time Brazilian Jiu Jitsu world champion Fredson Paixao in an exciting grappling showdown. If that wasn’t enough, WEC star Javier Vazquez, a Gracie Jiu Jitsu black belt, takes on 23-time Grapplers Quest champ Jeff “Pipelayer” Glover in what is sure to be an explosive contest.

“For grappling fans, this is an awesome opportunity to see some of the world’s best ground fighters compete against one another,” said UFC President Dana White.

Tickets for the UFC® FAN EXPO™ are on sale now and can be bought exclusively at www.ufcfanexpo.com. This year’s event leads into UFC® 114: RAMPAGE vs. EVANS, featuring the long-awaited grudge match between former light heavyweight champions Rampage Jackson and Rashad Evans.

About The Competitors:

Recognized for his colorful hair, engaging personality, and ferocious fighting spirit, former UFC star Hermes Franca is also widely-respected in grappling circles. A highly-decorated Brazilian Jiu Jitsu black belt, Franca returns to grappling competitions at the UFC Fan Expo when he takes on Bill Cooper in an exciting matchup.

At just 23 years old, Bill “The Grill” Cooper is already a grappling sensation. Since earning his black belt from Ricardo Miller at the age of 20, Cooper has won 25 Grapplers Quest titles from around the country. Now teaching in Thousand Oaks, California, Cooper will face one of the toughest tests of his young career in Hermes Franca on May 28.

Penny Thomas is a South African Jiu-jitsu star fighting out of San Diego, Calif. Training under the tutelage of Saulo and Alexandre Ribeiro, Thomas is a two-time Abu Dhabi World Champion, as well as Brazilian Jiu Jitsu Black Belt and defending Grapplers Quest All-Star Pro Champion. Representing Gracie Humaitá, Thomas is eager to take on Baszler on May 28.

Shayna “The Queen of Spades” Baszler competes out of Sioux Falls, S.D. and owns an MMA record of 11-6. Baszler has scored notable victories over Roxanne Modafferi and Megumi Yabushita in her career and looks to make a big statement with a grappling win over Thomas later this month.  

One of the most respected fighters in the history of the sport, Japanese star Caol Uno began his career in 1996 and blazed a trail for lighter weight fighters. Having fought a Who’s Who of MMA, including BJ Penn, Jens Pulver, Rumina Sato, and Dennis Hallman, the 35-year-old has defeated over half of his opponents by submission. The dynamic Uno looks to test his grappling mettle when he battles Fredson Paxaio at the UFC Fan Expo.

Fredson Paixao’s accomplishments in the world of Brazilian Jiu Jitsu speak for themselves. A four-time world champion, the 30-year old from Parintins is considered one of the best grapplers of this era. Now competing in MMA for the WEC, Paixao – who is only the second person in the world to go from purple to black belt in just four years – will get back to his roots by grappling competitively during the UFC Fan Expo.

A Brazilian Jiu Jitsu black belt under the late Carlson Gracie, 34-year-old Javier Vazquez ranks among the most gifted grapplers in the world. With nine of his 14 professional MMA victories coming by way of submission, the WEC star vows to put on a show when he takes to the mat against Jeff Glover on May 29.

With 23 Grapplers Quest titles to his name, California’s Jeff Glover has taken the jiu-jitsu world by storm. Add in accolades as a 2008 IBJJF No-Gi World Championship-Silver Medalist, 2008 PacSun Hawaii Absolute/No-Gi/Gi Champion, 2007 IBJJF No-Gi World Championship Gold Medalist, and it’s clear why seeing Glover’s name on the marquee means some high-level jiu-jitsu. Among the best guard players to ever grace the mat, Glover plans to showcase his high-level grappling when he takes on Javier Vazquez later this month.

Please note that all rings of the UFC Fan Expo tournament will be stopped during these Superfights, and that while fans will get to see all the tournament and Superfight action, seating will be limited and handled on a first come, first served basis.

For more UFC Fan Expo information and to purchase tickets, visit UFCfanexpo.com. For companies interested in reserving space at this premier event, contact Ed Gallo, Event Director at 1-203-840-5546 or email egallo@ufcfanexpo.com.

Post a comment . May 18, 2010
Filed under: MMA Calendar, Octagon Buzz Exclusive, Bill Cooper, Caol Uno, Fredson Paixao, Hermes Franca, Javier Vazquez, Jeff Glover, Penny Thomas, Shayna Baszler, superfights, UFC 114, UFC Fan Expo

Published by Stephen Rhodes

Frank sent this in:

If you lose your next fight, will you retire?

The inquiry creates a slightly awkward air for both the interviewer and interviewee. But it is to be expected. When you’re a former UFC champion and have been on a significant slide in recent years – media interviews can easily start to feel like FBI interrogations.

Jens Pulver, however, does not take offense at the question, or the underlying insinuation. The fighter who for years has been, hands-down, perhaps the most compelling interview in MMA realizes that no credible reporter will interview him these days without somehow, someway, broaching the subject of whether his once-illustrious career is presently on life support.

No Speech, Just Action
So I ask him: If you fall to Javier Vazquez on Saturday night at WEC 47 in Columbus, Ohio, might you call it quits?

“I’ll never make that ‘I’m retired’ speech,” Pulver responded. “There’s no reason. I’ll just be done. I’ll stay away. I’ll go on and do other things, but at 34 years old I’m not going to stand up there and go, ‘That’s it for me. I’m retired’ – and then come back. I’m not going to be that guy.”

Clearly, no matter how gut wrenching and confounding the results have been inside the Octagon, Pulver clings to the conviction that he still has quite a bit of fight left in him. And the surest way to taper the retirement and irrelevance talk, as Randy Couture demonstrated time and time again, is to string together a few victories.

Training His Body, Taming His Demons
For Pulver (22-12-1), the obstacles have been more mental than physical. How do you regain the confidence necessary to be a good fighter when you haven’t been winning? His grand, frustrating experiment for rekindling that lost magic continued with his most recent training camp. He opened his own Gym, Driven.

He lives 20 minutes outside of Boise State University, where he once wrestled and graduated with a degree in Criminal Justice. He is being coached by former teammate Tony Frykland, a good friend and training partner from their days under Pat Miletich. Oh, and Pulver is again not ashamed to admit that he’s been seeing a psychologist to help his performance for this fight.

“My biggest battle now is the demons inside of me,” he said. “I just kind of lost my place. I don’t know what else to do. This is all I’ve ever known. It’s tough to lose four straight times and try to get back on the horse. I’m just trying to survive in a sport that I love and with a name that I created. It’s no easy task.

“So I definitely sat down and talked with somebody (a psychologist) about it. I started working on the depression, the anxiety and the panic attacks. The minute I had my moment of clarity, so to speak, the first thing I did was create this camp and this gym, Driven, and got around Tony Frykland and the people I grew up with.”

A New Game Plan
The Washington state native is familiar with Vazquez (13-4), so much so that he declined to reach out to former teammate L.C. Davis for advice regarding the Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt from California. Davis and Vazquez fought last year in the WEC, with Davis escaping with a split decision victory.

Yet Pulver has followed Vazquez’ career for years and didn’t reach out to Davis because “it isn’t a secret. I’ve seen the video, I know how Javier stands, I know how he fights. I know all the things about Javier. He just turned southpaw and he likes to throw big bombs for one reason: So you cover up so he can get in and get the takedown and go after the submissions.

You don’t grapple with the guy because he’s a great grappler. You try to out strike him standing up. I’m not too worried about it. I know how to stop takedowns. I know what I need to do.”

Above all else, Pulver wants to reverse a trend of jumping out of the gate too quickly and making what he calls “dumb” and costly mistakes. The numbers support his hypothesis. Of his past seven fights, only two have lasted longer than four minutes. Pulver was only victorious in one of those fights.

“Being an older fighter now, the days of trying to slug it out in the first 30 seconds, man, I have to try to stop doing that,” he said. “That’s why I’ve been getting caught by a lot of these guys in the first round because I’m doing dumb things off the bat. I’m a deep water guy and I need to get that thing into the second or third round. I need to take my time and pick this guy apart. That’s where I sit going into this fight. It’s time to sit back, have a game plan, have some patience, don’t get into slugfests and utilize what I have. That’s what Tony has instilled in me. It’s time to have a game plan, don’t just go out there and see what happens, and that’s what I did for a lot of years.”

Maturing Beyond Lil’ Evil
He is asked to compare today’s Jens to the Jens who was UFC lightweight champ back in 2001. How would a fight between those two versions of self have transpired?

“The younger Jens would have rolled over him and beat him senseless,” he asserted. “The younger Jens would have crushed him just with sheer will and attitude. That was always what really carried me — the ability to stuff anybody’s takedown, the ability to train like a madman. I rented a room; I didn’t have a home, a wife, a daughter and a son, and have to make sure that they were taken care of as well. So all I had to think about was how hard I could train and how fast I could beat somebody up, how hard I could punch ‘em.

“I got to find that guy. That’s the tough part. That was ‘Lil’ Evil.’”

Leading up to this fight, Pulver said fewer media than usual have called him for interviews, a sign that he is “kind of dying out so to speak,” he said. Again, he tries to finger the culprits that caused his demise.

“I’m fighting guys in the Top 5. I’m not going to get anything less than that because of my name. There are no easy fights for me. There are no tune-up fights for me.”

The Wins You Haven’t Seen
Another reason: “Along the way, I slipped and tripped and people have evolved and the sport got bigger and everybody got faster. The aggression wasn’t there, the ability to go inside the gym and learn wasn’t there, because I was busy trying to sharpen my fatherhood skills, trying to sharpen how to be a better man skills. People might see the L’s when I get into the cage but, man, the W’s I’m getting in life are so much more to me right now.”

It’s a safe bet that the vast majority of fans in Columbus will be pulling for Pulver to win on Saturday night. If he loses, it may well be the last time he ever fights for the WEC.

“I don’t mind the people that are screaming ‘Hey, you’re tarnishing your name, retire!’” Pulver said. “The only thing I can tell them is, ‘Hey the name might be tarnished, I may go on a hitless streak for 26 games but it’s one homerun and then the next homerun and all of the sudden you’re back in the game.’ I’m still a competitor, I’m still a fighter. I still enjoy it, I still love it.

“Inside of me I want to win this fight. I have to be competitive, I want to win. It’s just time for me, it’s time for my family. It’s time for me to go out there and represent my gym and people who have put up with me. I just want to be competitive – win, lose or draw. That’s all I ask. If I can go out there and be competitive, and make it a great fight … and I’m implementing my gameplan and not doing the dumb things …. I just want to show people that I’m competitive and I’m still someone who belongs in this game. That’s it. I walk into this thing with the simplest of desires.”

Post a comment . Mar 03, 2010
Filed under: Octagon Buzz Exclusive, Javier Vazquez, Jens Pulver, UFC, WEC 47

Published by Stephen Rhodes

Frank sent this in:

Despite his opponent’s recent stretch of bad luck, 11-year pro Javier Vazquez knows better than to underestimate a former UFC Champion. A Gracie Barra Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt, Vazquez sternly dismisses talk of there being an “Old Jens Pulver” and a contemporary Jens Pulver whose skills have slipped over time.

“I’m preparing to beat Jens Pulver,” Vazquez (13-4) said matter of factly. “I’m always going to think that he’s the same guy that beat BJ Penn. He’s going to be tough to take down, he possesses sharp standup, has good wrestling and good submission defense. I’m not thinking he’s going to have a bad day, or ‘he hasn’t looked so good, this is going to be an easy fight.’ I expect the worst. I expect a tough opponent that’s going to come in good shape and try to knock me out.”

The 32-year-old Vazquez and 35-year-old Pulver will essentially square off in a loser-leaves-town contest on March 6, meaning the defeated will likely have delivered his final performance inside of the cage. Vazquez has dropped two straight in the WEC, and even though both setbacks were razor-thin and by split decision, a loss in Columbus, Ohio, would put him at a crossroads, forced to deeply ponder whether he wants to continue fighting in lesser organizations.

Vazquez-Pulver is a matchup the former has fantasized about for nearly 10 years, almost as long as he has been fighting. The Californian wishes the opportunity had come in the early 2000s when both men were perceived to be at their apex. Now, however, their clash is cloaked in desperation.

“I’ll tell you what, man, I hope I’m not the guy that retires him,” Vazquez said, letting out a sigh. “But chances are I probably will be. I don’t want to be the one that closes the coffin, but I’m going to have to be. Better him than me at this point.”

Aside from that, Vazquez professes a strong admiration for Pulver, fully appreciating how his maniacal, go-for-broke style helped put MMA lighter weights on the map. If anyone knows how difficult that uncharted road was to travel, it’s Vazquez, who completely dropped off the sport’s radar in late 2003 and didn’t fight for the next 3 and ½ years due to the lingering effects of three – yes, THREE ACL surgeries. It didn’t help matters that he always had to fight at 155 pounds and grew tired of being the smaller guy because he had trouble finding an organization that hosted a 145-pound division in the United States.

“I think very highly of the guy,” Vazquez said of Pulver. “You’ll never hear me say a bad word about him. He’s a great guy that has done wonders for the sport. I’ve always wanted to fight Jens Pulver. For me it’s been an 8- to 10-year training camp to face Jens Pulver. I like the guy a lot and I think he’s an amazing person.”

Though Vazquez owns the prettier record (Pulver is 22-12-1), Pulver owns the superior legacy. By far. Pulver has been to the top, and is a case study in a man chasing past glory. Vazquez, on the other hand, is a case study in glory denied. He has always possessed the talent and drive to be a world champion, but bad luck has always reared its ugly head and foiled his plans.

Vazquez has his regrets. He started fighting in 1998, running his professional record to 7-1. The chance for his biggest break, he recalled, came in 2001 at a Grapplers Quest tournament. All of 155 pounds, he competed in the open weight division, finishing third place among a field that included much heavier competitors. After one of his matches, an impressed stranger approached him.

“You’ve got to fight on my show,” Vazquez said the stranger told him. “I’d love to have you. Here’s my name, here’s my number.”

Vazquez looked at the card and discovered the stranger’s name: Joe Silva. As in, the Joe Silva, UFC matchmaker.

Vazquez went home and explored his options. He was itching to sign with the UFC. Jens was the lightweight champion. There was just one problem: Vazquez was already under contract with King of the Cage. He tried to opt out but was unsuccessful.

Down the road, free from contractual obligations, Vazquez was poised to join the UFC. Again he was injured. He received yet another chance to fight in the UFC – this time against Matt Serra. Once again, Vazquez injured his knee and his shot at the big leagues went up in smoke.

So, in Pulver, Vazquez sees a legendary figure who has been where he longs to be. Had they fought years ago, Vazquez says fans overwhelmingly would have predicted a “Who’s Javier Vazquez? He’s going to get murdered by Jens Pulver” storyline. Today the matchup holds a lot of suspense, and Vazquez is confident he won’t have to think long and hard about Pulver’s strategy.

“I would be pretty surprised if he came out, tried to take me down and ground and pound me,” he said. “That’s generally not the way guys try to fight me. Guys always have the same strategy with me: Stand up and try to knock me out. I’ve heard that basically my whole career.

“Jens is a better boxer than me. He’s actually one of the tougher stylistic matchups for me because of his wrestling background. But I’ve been feeling so amazing and on point, I don’t see any way that he’s going to beat me, I really don’t. But he definitely is the toughest style matchup for me.”

No opposing fighter has been able to knock Vazquez out or finish him. All four of his losses have come by decision – three of them split decisions. He expects to be in hostile territory next week in Columbus.

“I’m sure nobody is going to be cheering for me. I don’t think anybody knows who I am,” he said. “Jens Pulver is a big name, man. It’s actually better when you get booed, man.”

When it’s all over, Vazquez envisions a dream 10 years in the making will finally be fulfilled.

“If I’m able to beat him relatively easily then that’s wonderful, but that’s not what I’m preparing for and there is nothing anyone can tell me to change my mind. If it is (Jens’ swan song) I’ll shake his hand. I looked up to him for a very long time and I will thank him for the opportunity to fight him,” said Vazquez, a married father to two daughters and a step daughter. “My main concern is to take care of my family and rejuvenate my career and if it’s at the expense of Jens Pulver, so be it. I have to win this fight. There’s no sugarcoating it. I definitely have to win.”

Image: Sherdog

1 Comment . Feb 28, 2010
Filed under: Octagon Buzz Exclusive, Javier Vazquez, Jens Pulver, WEC

Published by Stephen Rhodes

Yet another bout has been added to WEC: Torres vs. Bowles, scheduled to take place on August 9 from The Joint at the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas, NV as L.C. Davis will take on Javier Vazquez.

According to WEC general manager Reed Harris,

“Davis and Vazquez are two hungry featherweights that want to get in the title picture quickly. We are happy to add fighters of their caliber to our already stacked 145-pound division.”

Davis currently trains under Iowa-based Pat Miletich while Vazquez is training with WEC vets Charlie Valencia and Manny Tapia.  With the addition of this bout, WEC: Torres vs. Bowles will look like this:

• Miguel Angel Torres vs. Brian Bowles
• Joseph Benavidez vs. Dominick Cruz
• Ricardo Lamas vs. Danny Castillo
• Takeya Mizugaki vs. Jeff Curran
• Leonard Garcia vs. Jameel Massouh
• Fredson Paixao vs. Cole Province
• Marcus Hicks vs. Shane Roller
• Ed Ratcliff vs. Phil Cardella
• Rani Yahya vs. John Hosman
• Diego Nunes vs. Rafael Dias
• L.C. Davis vs. Javier Vazquez

Post a comment . Aug 01, 2009
Filed under: MMA Calendar, Octagon Buzz, Javier Vazquez, L.C. Davis, WEC: Torres vs. Bowles