IFL ALL ACCESS: The 2007 IFL Finals

I had the honor to attend last Thursday's IFL 2007 Team Champion Finals in Hollywood, FL. I must say, the IFL has officially earned themselves a new fan.

I was once a bit dubious and not willing to accept the whole "team MMA" concept, but after attending what was a solid event with great fights, my thoughts have definitely changed.

The IFL 2007 Team Champion Finals included skilled fighters, including: Ben Rothwell, UFC veteran Ricco Rodriguez, Rolles Gracie and many more. The fights of the night would definitely goes to either Ryan McGivern's knockout by a ferocious uppercut over Fabio Leopoldo or Andre Gusmao's vicious knee, which sent Mike Ciesnolevicz seeing stars on the canvas.

This doesn't dismiss the other remarkable fights that were included on the card that night. The night kicked off with a beautiful arm-triangle followed by rear naked chokes, and spectacular arm bars.

Another fight worth mentioning is UFC veteran Ricco Rodriguez's fight, where he faced off against Ben Rothwell, one of IFL's toughest heavyweights. Ricco eventually lost by a unanimous decision, but refused to go out with a lackluster performance. Instead, Ricco looked fairly crisp on the feet and had numerous good takedown attempts, despite taking the fight on extremely short notice.

As far as my experience goes, it was probably the most hectic, but at the same time most electrifying. I've never felt more important with a little media tag around my neck.

Sitting ten feet shy of the ring; I met fighters, trainers, MMA legends and others. Bas Rutten, Pat Miletich, Renzo Gracie, Robbie Lawler, Matt Lindland, the IFL ring girls and Juanito were just a few names I was able to meet and have a quick chat with. Bas Rutten was absolutely incredible and was so laid back and easy to talk to. Being that Bas is one of my all time heroes, I was ecstatic over his cordiality and willingness to speak to me. Miletich and Renzo were others who especially stood out in my mind when it came to amiability.


An interesting appearance at the IFL Finals was TNA and pro-wrestling superstar Kurt Angle. I asked Bas about Kurt’s reason for attendance, and he told me that Angle is in the talks with joining the IFL and has been interested for a while now. This is pretty exciting, with pro-wrestling superstar Brock Lesnar’s recent transition to MMA, it looks like the idea is appealing to more and more pro-wrestlers.

The eight hour drive and three hours of sleep was definitely worth the experience. Being so up close to such great fights and meeting so many of my heroes, the experience is undeniably one to cherish.

I’d like to thank all the IFL guys, Bas Rutten, Pat Miletich, Renzo Gracie and many others for taking the time to talk to me and snap a few photos. I truly look forward to see more IFL events in the future.

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An Irish Whip Exclusive: The Bas Rutten Interview

Last week, I sat down with the one and only King of Pancrase, "El Guapo," Bas Rutten. He had some fascinating things to say about the current state of MMA, his family, projects he's working on, and of course, The Irish Whip. Follow the link below to see our exclusive interview.

Ben Zeidler: Would you say that watching Enter The Dragon was your biggest inspiration in getting involved with Mixed Martial Arts, or was there something earlier than that?
Bas Rutten: Yes, Enter the Dragon was the first time I got introduced to martial arts.

BZ: How has your experience been during your time as a coach in the IFL? How do you think the "team MMA" concept will play a role in MMA in the future?
BR:The coaching experience was great! I love it when I teach and the guys do what I say and win their fight, its very cool to do, you create this special relationship with them and its great when it pays off. The team format is great! These guys always have training partners and everybody is like a big family, we go to the movies together, dinner, breakfast and lunch, we even went on a fishing trip in Mexico, really cool. I wished that the team concept was there when I was fighting, all the guys have their own strengths and they pass it on to eachother so they get really strong, everybody tells the other fighters their secret techniques because they want to win as a team. Normally they wouldn't do that. Also, they are certain to fight at least 5 fights a year, winning or losing, so for the fighters its great. They also have a monthly pay check, so they don't have to do a job on the side plus if they get injured, that pay check keeps coming....

BZ: We at The Irish Whip loved The Eliminator, do you plan on making more movies in the future?
BR: I am working on getting my own movie done, its a real good story and I have already three or maybe even four A class actors who want to be in it. Let's hope it works out, its really cool, you watch!

BZ: What are your opinions on the recent upsets in the past UFC events?
BR: Upsets happen, I always say, this is MMA, anything can happen. Upsets are good also, makes both fighters, the winner AND loser, better.

BZ: Being one the best and most colorful commentators of MMA, is there a chance that you could replace Mike Goldberg?
BR: I like Mike Goldberg, I am happy with the IFL right now but the phone doesn't stop ringing. I have so many offers its crazy! It's really cool, it means that I am doing something good right? The IFL is great for me, so when it's good, I am happy!

BZ: Being a long time commentator for PRIDE FC and familiar with the "PRIDE scene," do you think the merging of UFC and PRIDE is a good or bad thing for mixed martial arts as a whole?
BR: For the fans, it's great! The UFC can give them great fights. But I believe competition is great also, they need more organizations otherwise if you are locked up and if you lose a few fights, your career is over. There are too many good fighters, so in order for them to compete on a regular base, they HAVE to win, that's a lot of pressure. So again, competition is great!

BZ: Who do you feel is the toughest opponent and what do you consider the biggest/best win of your career?
BR: My toughest opponent was Funaki, I knocked him down 4 times and he kept coming, the whole place was chanting: Funaki, Funaki! Than my final knee to his head kept him down, I was exhausted! For me that was also my biggest win because he beat me before and this was a re-match. Of course, my fight for the UFC Heavyweight title was also important for me, it was controversial, but I knew I won, John Mc Carthy said that he didn't stand us up because I was working from the back. Also when Kevin Randleman said in an interview that after I kicked him in the liver he couldn't do anything anymore, it made me feel good. Kevin is a great guy.

BZ: It's been reported that you've been contacted by WWE for potential work there. What are the factors that weighed into your decision not to pursue that option?
BR: The WWE offered me very good money but I had to do 220 shows a year!? My wife had just given birth to our second daughter, I wanted to see her grow up, so I said no. With that schedule I could have never done that, 220 shows a year and that's WITHOUT the traveling.

BZ: Please tell us about the training center that you are opening up with Randy Couture in Hollywood.
BR: Legends is a treally cool training center, I am on the road so much so I cannot be there to teach classes as much as I would like to be. The week of July 9-13 I am in Los Angeles so I can teach then. It's really a really good place, great teachers besides Randy and myself, there is Chris Reilly, who is also one of the owners, he's a great striking coach! Also Jeremy Williams (the coach from the "Contender") is a great instructor, Jason Miller, Karo Parisian, they all teach there and it provides an electric atmosphere with intense training capabilities with instructors who really know the fight game.

BZ: Your bar fight videos have taken on something of a cult following due to your use of original catchphrases. Are you pleased with the type of exposure they have received?
BR: I love the bar fighting DVD, when I saw the clip with the sounds on youtube, I was crying from laughing. I know its very good though, I have bodyguards, police officers, bouncers etc all emailing me how much it helps them. It's straight to the point, no BS. Funny story, I was sitting in the lounge at United airlines and this group of guys were looking at me, suddenly they got up and came to me, so I got up because I thought something was going down, they said that everything was OK and that they were Air Marshals and than they pulled out the Bas Rutten street fighting DVD, they asked me to sign them. How cool was that?! I sent them free Big DVD's of Combat, I mean, these guys protect all of us!

BZ: How did you find out about The Irish Whip and do you plan to continue following it as a reliable source for mixed martial arts news?
BR:The Irish Whip? I was surfing the internet and came to it, a really good site about MMA, I love it, very new news, and that's what the fans want right? Of course I book marked it and I will be back for sure!

BZ: We know you've been doing a ton of work with MMAtoday.com. What's been the most fun part of working with them and are there any big projects coming up on the site that you can tell us about?
BR: MMA Today a great online channel with many video clips all about fighting inside AND outside the ring or cage. You watch what happens in about three weeks, than the site is going to be what we really want it to be like and you will freak out! We have great ideas and now it's coming, sorry, its a surprise! I am going with some other fighters on Tuesday at the movie premiere party in Hollywood for the feature film, "Captivity". You will get to see really good footage from that as we will be shooting on the red carpet and inside the premiere party.

BZ: Can you give us any predictions for tomorrow's UFC 73 event?
BR: I am sorry for the UFC event, I don't like to do predictions because I know a lot of these guys. I can tell you that its going to be a great show though!!

BZ: Thanks so much for talking with us today. We really appreciate you taking the time.
BR: Thanks guys, Godspeed and party on!!

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"Smack his face into the ambiance!"

On June 23, 2007 MMA fans around the world will witness Kimbo Slice make his MMA debut at CFFC 5 against former world champion boxer Ray Mercer. Kimbo Slice, a Miami, FL-based underground fighter, has made himself an Internet celebrity by appearing in numerous bare-knuckle matchups featured all over the Internet such as YouTube.com. “Merciless” Ray Mercer is a boxer and former WBO Heavyweight Champion and Gold Olympic Medalist.

So who is “The King of Brawlers” Kimbo Slice going to for MMA skills? Kimbo Slice has brushed up on some MMA basics at Miami’s Freestyle Fighting Academy (FFA), where I currently train, and has headed to California to train with a well-known MMA legend. Founder of “The Bas Rutten System,” three-time King of Pancrase, and former UFC HW Champ, Bas “El Guapo” Rutten. Not too bad if you ask me, he’s only one of the greatest MMA legends ever to hit scene. “El Guapo” is a certified Thai Boxing instructor, Pancrase instructor, 5^th degree black belt in Kyokushin Karate, and 2^nd degree black belt in Tae Kwon Do, so Slice made no mistake finding a good teacher.

“El Guapo” has nothing but good things to say about Kimbo’s determination and drive.

Here’s Bas’ post from a thread on Sherdog’s forums:

OK guys, I have to say something here.

I am training Kimbo right now (click for footage), and I have to say that he is one of the BEST fighters I have EVER trained. He really listens to you and does what you say, do you know how hard that it? If he's dead tired, and I tell him five more rounds, he looks at me, but doesn't say anything, he just does it.

I introduced him to the Bas Rutten MMA workout, he was SO tired, he told me that he has never been as tired. Today I was teaching him again, he asked me in the beginning "Are we going to do the Bas Rutten workout?" But he said it in a crazy way, so I asked him "Do you want to do it?". He said "Please, yes!" I asked him why, because all my PROFESSIONAL fighters don't want to do it.
He said "Bas, I want to conquer this thing, I want to do it!" Man, he gets, Lots, and losts of respect!

All the shit that people write about him, I am telling you, and I hope you know I don't lie, he's a trooper! I wish that all my fighters would be like him. Even my wife loves the guy. He is SO respectful and uses NO bad language in front of kids (my two little daughters love him, and they don't like anybody!), I am REALLY, blown away.

He really deserves this, I think this. Can a boxer be a MMA FIGHTER? We all know the answer, but can a street fighter be an MMA fighter? We all KNOW the answer to that!

I would wish that all my fighters were like him, like I said, I can put him through every workout I give him, he WILL do it, no questions asked.

I hope you guys meet Kimbo one day, you will be blown away. I just came back from an MMA event and I brought him there, just see how he is with the fans, it's crazy!

You also know that I would NEVER train an asshole, so trust me, but he's got me, Shawn Tompkins (who trained him longer than I have,) and Randy Kathami (boxing coach for my gym) respect. I REALLY love the guy.

El Guapo says:

Party on and Godspeed!!

Being a Miami native, a current student of the Freestyle Fighting Academy (FFA) and a worshipper of Bas, I wish Kimbo Slice the best of luck!

For more details about CFFC5 and upcoming events, check out our complete summer MMA guide.

Stay classy fans,
The Lianger

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UFC Champ Reveals All

This article is not for the queasy, read on if you so choose...

Major sporting events are at times be known to favor a result or fighter, in an effort to gain popularity, the “cheddah” as Jackson puts it, and/or to add more excitement, who knows. In a very in-depth interview posted on MMA Today, newly crowned UFC light-heavyweight champion Quinton Jackson offers fans a “backstage pass” into the life of MMA.

The interview is featured on MMA's newest online show, MMA Today, hosted by Bas Rutten. Rampage gives fans an "inside scoop" that is hurtful and disappointing, to say the least. The interview covers a wide array of topics from Jackson’s beginnings, bad experiences in his Pride FC career, to his fellow training partner and friend, Tito Ortiz.

In clip five of seventeen clips, Quinton Jackson explains how Pride offered him more money to lose a bout in Pride 15’s Raging Rumble on July 29, 2001. Quinton Jackson, at his Pride FC debut, was set to face off against heavily favored MMA legend and Japanese superstar Kazushi Sakuraba. Rampage was asked by a nameless insider of Pride to lose twenty-six pounds on the day of the fight to make weight. Jackson was also told that his earnings would be $10,000 if he defeated Sakuraba and $12,000 if he lost by submission or knockout. Rampage goes on to claim that he ignored this offer and fought his heart out, however ended up losing via rear naked choke at 5:41 into the first round. It was also stated that the crooks were fired shortly after the incident.

Although it hurts to hear about such things go on in the sport of mixed martial arts, it is almost understandable coming from Pride FC’s standpoint. Pride FC must not have wanted Sakuraba, their “pride” and joy, fall at the hands of newcomer, at the time, Quinton Jackson. Having Jackson pummel Sakuraba in front of his country probably wouldn’t have been the greatest sight for Pride fans. Regardless, any effort that may taint the purity of MMA is evil in my books. Now that Pride’s torch has been passed to the hands of Dana White and the UFC, fans can only hope UFC is not lying when the say: “As Real as It Gets.”

See the entire interview here: http://www.gofish.com/mma/interviews.gfp

You have been WARNED!

Stay classy fans,
The Lianger

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