UFC 74
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The Nevada State Athletic Commission (NSAC) today retained the $25,000 win bonus it initially withheld from Renato “Babalu” Sobral after his controversial submission win over David Heath at UFC 74: “Respect” on August 25.
Even though the decision hit the Brazilian hard in the checkbook, his decision to hold onto a choke well after Heath tapped and the referee attempted to peel him off did not warrant a suspension.
Babalu did take home $25,000 for his final appearance (for now) in the Octagon despite the fine.
The lack of suspension is good news for the mixed martial arts veteran, considering the UFC released him from his contract shortly after the incident.
Babalu is now a free agent and is allowed to fight in other organizations, which should not be too hard once the dust settles.
For more on this situation hit up our Babalu archive.
Written by admin on September 24th, 2007 with comments disabled.
Read more articles on UFC Lightweight Division and David Heath and UFC 74 and Renato "Babalu" Sobral and Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) and MMA.
The long-awaited fourth episode of Inside the Cage Radio is now available for your listening pleasure!
This week hosts Sam Caplan (FiveOuncesOfPain.com) and Matt Cava (UFCTakedown.com) welcomed both Dann Stupp of UFCjunkie.com and Luke Thomas of BloodyElbow.com into the cage as guests.
Dann joined the crew to help break down UFC 74. He was in Vegas for the event and brought his insider’s perspective to the show. The crew discussed whether Randy Couture is truly unbeatable; who and what is next for Randy; more fallout from the Renato “Babalu” Sobral fiasco; whether Josh Koscheck was ever truly ready for GSP; and much more.
In addition to reviewing UFC 74, the show also previewed UFC 75. Sam and Matt were once again joined by Luke Thomas, who brought his vast technical knowledge to the fold. The three broke down Dan Henderson vs. Quinton “Rampage” Jackson, Mirko Cro Cop vs. Cheick Kongo, Michael Bisping vs. Matt Hamill, and Houston Alexander vs. Alessio Sakara. Be sure to tune in as they talk about upset possibilities; whether Cro Cop and Bisping are overrated; whether Hamill belongs in the UFC; how Henderson should approach fighting a bigger opponent in Jackson; and lots more.
Give the show a listen… in the first few minutes you’ll hear Sam’s strategy for hitting on Rachelle Leah and a little later, Matt’s rant on the Sobral choke incident.
Inside the Cage Radio is growing strong! Over 5,000 hardcore MMA fans have already tuned in - this is only our 4th episode and we’re seeing our audience grow exponentially each week. Thanks so much for your support!
Written by admin on September 3rd, 2007 with comments disabled.
Read more articles on UFC 74 and UFC 75 and Dan Henderson and Gabriel Gonzaga and Randy Couture and UFC and Quinton Jackson and MMA.
From Sherdog.com:
“To My Family, Friends, Fans and Sponsors: Since UFC 74, I have wanted to speak publicly about my fight with David Heath. I waited to do so, however, out of respect for the Nevada State Athletic Commission, Zuffa, Inc. and Dana White. After all, it is their efforts that have legitimized Mixed Martial Arts in the sports world and I realize that my conduct has unintentionally hindered those efforts. For that, among other things, I am deeply sorry.
I have been fighting professionally since 1998. Prior to my fight with David Heath, my professional record was twenty-seven wins with seven losses. Fourteen of my victories came by way of submission. Not once was I ever accused of holding a choke or submission too long. If anything, there has always been and continues to be a great camaraderie between my opponents and I after the fight.
Being a professional mixed martial artist is more than a career to me. It is my livelihood and my way of life. Consequently, I am deeply sorry for any embarrassment that has been brought upon the sport, other mixed martial artists (especially David Heath, my Academy and most importantly, my family.
As if the embarrassment were not enough, my actions during the fight with David and my comments afterwards, have already resulted in severe financial loss to my family because as you know, in addition to my win bonus still being withheld, yesterday I was released from my contract with the UFC.
There has been much talk about things that may have been said to me by David Heath at the weigh-in. What David said to me at the weigh-in didn’t matter then and doesn’t matter now. What matters are my comments after the fight. And, regardless of what you may read by so called MMA experts on the internet, I never said that I purposefully choked-out David Heath. In short, my post-fight comments, while inappropriate, were not intended to be comments about the choke. Rather, they were intended to be comments about the aggressive performance that I put in.
I did not intentionally choke out David Heath. The first that I realized that David had tapped was when people told me that he did after the fight. When I finally had the chance to view the tape, I see that he did. When David tapped, I did not feel it. I wish I did for I would have let it go. Instead, I continued to hold it. Not because I was upset or wanted him to lose consciousness. I held it because I didn’t know he tapped and I was intent on winning the fight. Holding on to a choke a little long is not an uncommon mistake made in training, and never in my career have I witnessed or heard of an injury resulting from it.
When I had the choke, I was not looking the referee in the eyes as one commentator erroneously observed. Nor did I hear the referee issue any verbal command to release the hold. Instead, my head was down to strengthen the move and my eyes closed with focus. As a result, I did not feel the referee tap me the first time either. It was not until he put his hands on my right shoulder that I felt him trying to separate us. When I felt this, I immediately released the choke.
After this morning’s hearing I traveled to the UFC’s office to meet with Dana White. Contrary to recent reports in the media, this meeting was not to discuss my being released from the UFC. In fact, this meeting was arranged prior to my even being released from the contract. The purpose of the meeting was for me to personally apologize to Dana while at the same time thank him for all the opportunities that the UFC has given to my family and I. Unfortunately, I was unable to meet with Dana due to a calendaring error Nevertheless, thanks Dana and my apologies.
I am a professional fighter. This is what I do for a living. I do not hold a day job and then train at night to fight. I know nothing else but how to fight. This is how I support my family.
On behalf of my family and friends, I appreciate the support that you have given me over the years, not to mention in the recent week, and I am hopeful that I will have the opportunity to fight again in the State of Nevada. Thank you.
RENATO “BABALU” SOBRAL
For more background on this situation check out this UFCmania.com archive.
Written by admin on September 2nd, 2007 with comments disabled.
Read more articles on UFC Light Heavyweight Division and David Heath and UFC 74 and Renato "Babalu" Sobral and Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) and MMA.
Renato “Babalu” Sobral today appeared before the The Nevada State Athletic Commission (NSAC) and issued a public apology to David Heath and the sport of mixed martial arts (MMA) for his actions at UFC 74 on August 25, according to FightNetwork.com.
Here’s a snip from the Brazilian:
“I would like to say I’m sorry to David Heath and for anything I’ve done to the sport I love.”
Sobral, of course, is in hot water for refusing to release a chokehold during his bout with Heath, which resulted in the light heavyweight falling unconscious. For more background on this situation click here.
During the hearing today the NSAC ruled unanimously to withhold his $25,000 win bonus (Sobral did pocket an additional $25,000). In addition, Sobral will have to appear before the NSAC at a future disciplinary hearing and could be fined more and even suspended for his actions.
However, the NSAC Executive Director, Keith Kizer, sounds as if a suspension will more than likely not happen.
Here’s a snip:
“I’ve looked at the tape a lot. While I do believe there was some intent here, I don’t think this rises to the level of some other things we’ve seen [i.e. the infamous Mike Tyson ear-biting attack on Evander Holyfield in 1997].”
The interesting defense laid forth in this case is that Sobral did not intentionally maintain the choke despite attempts from the referee, Steve Mazzagatti, to peel him off. Sobral is now saying he “did not feel Heath submit or Mazzagatti tapping him on the shoulder.” That’s a far cry from his post-fight remarks that he did it to teach Heath a “lesson” and “some respect.”
Regardless, Babalu has since been cut from his UFC contract, fined $25,000 and now faces even more possible sanctions.
Does the punishment fit the crime?
For more on the hearing check out MMAWeekly.com.
Written by admin on August 31st, 2007 with comments disabled.
Read more articles on UFC Light Heavyweight Division and David Heath and UFC 74 and Renato "Babalu" Sobral and Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) and MMA.
The UFC released veteran light heavyweight Renato “Babalu” Sobral from his contract after a questionable decision to choke David Heath unconscious despite a tapout and attempts by the referee to have him release the submission hold.
UFC President Dana White revealed the news in a conference call today to promote UFC 75: “Champion vs. Champion” that our friends at BloodyElbow.com were able to listen in on.
Here’s a paraphrased snip from White:
“It’s the fight game and anything could happen, but that had Babalu had an arm, knee, or ankle he’d never fight in the sport again. Even though he was a fan favorite, fans turned on him and he made a big mistake.”
The beef began when Sobral and Heath exchanged unpleasantries during the UFC 74: “Respect” weigh-in for the 205-pound tilt.
During the fight, Babalu sunk-in a fight-ending anaconda choke on a bloodied and beaten Heath in the second round. Heath tapped, but Sobral didn’t relent despite verbal and physical commands from the referee in charge of the action, Steve Mazzagatti.
Heath eventually went to sleep.
It’s important to note that Heath suffered no ill effects from the choke. Regardless, the Nevada State Athletic Commission (NSAC) withheld half ($25,000) of his purse ($50,000) following the bout to review the tape and determine whether or not disciplinary action is required.
No decision from the NSAC has been made at this time.
In post-fight remarks, Babalu was quoted as saying the Heath “deserved it” and needed to be “taught a lesson.” Since that time he has tried to distance himself from those comments.
Babalu made his Octagon debut as a heavyweight against Maurice Smith (unanimous decision win) back in 2000.
Written by admin on August 30th, 2007 with comments disabled.
Read more articles on UFC Light Heavyweight Division and David Heath and UFC 74 and Renato "Babalu" Sobral and Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) and MMA.
The Nevada State Athletic Commission (NSAC) tested 10 fighters on the UFC 74: “Respect” fight card for illegal anabolic substances such as steroids, as well as stimulants, and all of them passed, according to FightNetwork.com.
UFC Heavyweight Champion Randy Couture, Gabriel Gonzaga, Georges St. Pierre, Josh Koscheck, Roger Huerta, Alberto Crane, Kendall Grove, Patrick Cote, Frank Mir and Antoni Hardonk were all clean for the August 25 pay-per-view (PPV) event from the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas, Nevada.
The NSAC is still waiting to hear word on results for “drugs of abuse,” according to the report.
This is good news for the UFC — as well as the sport of mixed martial arts — which took a beating after UFC Lightweight Champion Sean Sherk and his opponent at UFC 73: “Stacked,” Hermes Franca, both tested positive for steroids following their championship bout.
Franca owned up to the charge, while Sherk is still awaiting to appeal the finding before the California State Athletic Commission (CSAC) sometime in October.
For complete UFC 74 results and coverage click here.
Written by admin on August 29th, 2007 with comments disabled.
Read more articles on Patrick Cote and Kendall Grove and Alberto Crane and Georges St. Pierre and Antoni Hardonk and UFC 74 and Josh Koscheck and Roger Huerta and Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) and Randy Couture and Gabriel Gonzaga and Frank Mir and MMA.
The Nevada State Athletic Commission (NSAC) today issued the medical suspensions from UFC 74: “Respect” this weekend. And the list of injured fighters is rather significant.
Randy Couture and Joe Stevenson, however, didn’t make the list. That’s odd because “The Natural” fractured his left forearm and “Daddy” sustained a broken nose.
Regardless, here’s the skinny:
Gabriel Gonzaga — “Napao” must have his broken nose cleared by an Ear, Nose and Throat (ENT) physician or he can’t compete until February 22, 2008. The minimum suspension will last until October 25, 2007, and there’s no contact until October 10, 2007.
Alberto Crane — He must have his right medial orbital blowout fracture (Ouch!) cleared by an ophthalmologist or there is no contest until February 22, 2008. The minimum suspension will last until October 25, 2007, and there’s no contact until October 10, 2007.
Kendall Grove — “Da Spyda” is suspended until October 10, 2007, and there’s no contact for the Hawaiian until September 25, 2007.
David Heath — He is suspended until October 10, 2007, and there’s no contact until September 25, 2007.
Antoni Hardonk — Must have an MRI of his right shoulder or he can’t compete until February 22, 2008. The minimum suspension will last until October 10, 2007, and there’s no contact until September 25, 2007.
Just a quick reminder: Fighters often return to action much quicker once doctors give them the green light. The lengthy suspensions are just a precaution in most cases.
For complete UFC 74 results and coverage click here.
Written by admin on August 27th, 2007 with comments disabled.
Read more articles on David Heath and Alberto Crane and Antoni Hardonk and Joe Stevenson and Kendall Grove and UFC 74 and Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) and Randy Couture and UFC Medical Suspensions and Gabriel Gonzaga and MMA.
“I am pretty much going to guarantee you right here that the UFC will get him. Lesnar should have started with us, but we’ll be happy to have him. We are all booked up through 2007, but we would like to have him start after the new year.”
– UFC President Dana White tells 15Rounds.com that four-time wrestling All-American and professional wrestling star-turned mixed martial artist, Brock Lesnar, will soon join the UFC heavyweight ranks. Lesnar and White met up this past weekend at UFC 74: “Respect.”
Written by admin on August 27th, 2007 with comments disabled.
Read more articles on Dana White and Brock Lesnar and UFC 74 and UFC Heavyweight Division and Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) and UFC Quick Quotes and MMA.
I first came across this story on UFCMania.com, which is that Mike Chiapetta from NBCSports.com is reporting that Joe Stevenson suffered a broken jaw during his decision victory over Kurt Pellegrino at UFC 74 this past Saturday. According to Chiapetta, Stevenson suffered the injury in the first round.
There’s been a lot of speculation that Stevenson earned himself a match with B.J. Penn at UFC 78 in Newark, NJ on November 17 with the win. However, the UFC has yet to announce any plans for such a match. If they are considering putting it together, there’s no word on how Stevenson’s broken jaw would affect the matchup.
If a match between Stevenson and Penn is booked, it could be for the UFC lightweight title. The UFC has no plans to strip Sean Sherk of the title until his appeal hearing takes place before the California State Athletic Commission in October but UFC president Dana White has said that he’ll be stripped of the title if the suspension is upheld.
If Stevenson is healthy, one workaround to the situation would be to book the match between the two and add the title stipulation to it later if Sherk’s suspension is upheld. For the record, CSAC has never overturned a suspension so Sherk’s odds of retaining the title past October are unlikely, unless he files for another continuance.
As of now, UFC 78 is without a main event match. It remains to be seen if Stevenson vs. Penn would be received as a main event by the New Jersey, New York, and Philadelphia audience. It’s been a long time since there’s been a UFC event in the Northeastern corridor and fans in the area might be expecting more than a potential main event between the two.
There really doesn’t seem to be a lot of obvious candidates to headline the card. Andrei Arlovski has just one fight left under his UFC contract and it is believed that the UFC is delaying the scheduling of the last match of his contract because other promotions will have strong interest in him.
Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira is not booked for a fight but outside of Arlovski, all the top heavyweights are booked for the near future.
There’s always the rematch between Tito Ortiz and Rashad Evans. It had been thought that the two would fight at UFC 77 on October 20 in Cincinnati but a bout agreement has yet to be signed. Ortiz is waiting until his back feels better before committing to a match but he has also made it known that he’d like the match to happen in Vegas.
As of now, the next UFC pay-per-view in Vegas is not scheduled until Dec. 29. Ortiz might be fighting a losing battle in trying to get booked for that show because it’s believed that Matt Serra vs. Matt Hughes will be one of the headline matches with the long-awaited match between Wanderlei Silva vs. Chuck Liddell possibly being the other, assuming Liddell defeats Keith Jardine at UFC 76 on September 22 in Anaheim, Calif. Having Liddell, Hughes, Silva, and Ortiz all on the same card might be a little too expensive plus it would take away from the strength of cards held right before or just after the December event.
Ortiz’s public comments about fighting in Vegas are very interesting. Under his current contract he gets a bonus for the amount of PPVs sold for any card he’s on. Is he trying to make a slick business move and trying to get on a card that could potentially set record PPV buys for a UFC show?
Written by admin on August 27th, 2007 with comments disabled.
Read more articles on Joe Stevenson and Kurt Pellegrino and UFC 74 and Rashad Evans and UFC and Tito Ortiz and MMA.
Props: NBCSports.com
Quoteworthy:
“… Stevenson took a step closer to becoming a No. 1 contender in the lightweight class with a unanimous decision victory over a game Kurt Pellegrino. After a back-and-forth two rounds, Stevenson took over midway through the final frame, battering Pellegrino with fists and elbows to earn the decision. Stevenson broke his jaw in the first round but gutted out the win.”
Update: Stevenson thought he broke his jaw, but it turns out it was badly bruised. He did, however, sustain a broken nose in the first round of the fight. He has been suspended for three months by the Nevada State Athletic Commission (NSAC), but can return sooner if he recieves medical clearanace. Thanks to “Mr. Sunshine” for the update.
Written by admin on August 27th, 2007 with comments disabled.
Read more articles on Joe Stevenson and Kurt Pellegrino and UFC Lightweight Division and UFC 74 and Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) and MMA.
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