Archive for the 'Interviews' Category

The classy veteran discusses UFC & Pride, jiu-jitsu & catch-as-catch-can wrestling, and MMA & cockfighting (!)

Click here for part one of our interview, where Salaverry describes his roots in MMA, the glory days of Pacific Northwest MMA, and what is still to come.

Pictured: Salaverry instructs a wrestling class at his academy

In addition to losing some of the region’s top names, some believe that the death of the PRIDE organization may have had a particularly negative effect on the Pacific Northwest. A PRIDE amatuer circuit was being established in Washington, with the aid of AMC co-founder Matt Hume, when PRIDE was bought out by the UFC.

“It’s very tragic,” Salaverry laments when asked about PRIDE’s demise. “It has affected the Northwest for sure; there’s plenty of fighters that would have benefited tremendously from having PRIDE continue.”

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The classy veteran recalls the Pacific Northwest’s MMA glory days, and what is still to come

Pictured: Ivan Salaverry, left, guides his students in a boxing class

Ivan Salaverry, Seattle’s own classy veteran of UFC, Shooto, and K-1 competition, is holding court at his South Lake Union academy.

The ex US Marine sounds every bit the part as he barks out instruction, yet he’s still never far from a joke or a smile either. No surprise there; this is the man whose image is mainly etched in MMA fans’ minds for his cart wheeling and blowing kisses to the crowd after recording big wins in UFC, Shooto, and K-1. These were also familiar scenes from the “glory days” of Pacific Northwest MMA from the late 90’s to early 2000’s, when Salaverry and many other fighters based out of the region were at or near the top of the MMA world.

With his competition days over, Salaverry is now preparing his own students for MMA and grappling. His grappling students are in fact days away from submission wrestling competition at Liberty Events’ Revolution tournament in Bonney Lake, WA; where they will compete as a part of a unified team which will include students of Salavarry’s former instructor Marcelo Alonso. While better known for his days at AMC Pankration, Salaverry smiles when he recalls his earlier training:

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Pictured: Attendees of Royler Gracie’s Fife, WA seminar last Saturday

There have been many legendary champions in the world of jiu-jitsu, but it may be difficult to find anyone who can match the achievements of Royler Gracie.

He’s well known as a veteran of Mixed Martial Arts competition, where he & his brothers Royce & Rickson helped make the Gracie name known worldwide; the sport where Royler’s father Helio helped establish his family’s dominance a generation ago. But it’s in pure grappling competition where Royler has really shined: a four time world champion at black belt in the Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (BJJ) World Championships, and a three time winner of the Abu Dhabi Submission Wrestling World Championships. Last Saturday, the legend enjoyed a huge turnout at a BJJ seminar in Fife, Washington; where he was hosted by Carlson Gracie black belt Marcelo Alonso.

It was a rare treat for all involved, perhaps including the legend himself; as in his thick Brazilian accent, Royler encourages the seminar’s attendees to ask questions near the seminar’s conclusion: “Guys, I learn a lot from my brothers and I learn a lot from my father. But I learn most from my students. When they ask me something, I have to know. If they ask and I don’t know, I know I have to learn. And I learn new jiu-jitsu every day!”

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Exclusive interview with a true gentleman.

One of the top ten fighters in the world talks in depth about his career and what the future holds.

Hawaii has been an MMA hotbed for years, before the name “MMA” even existed, and it’s not hard to imagine why. The Aloha State has its share of tough guys from the wrong side of the tracks, and it boasts a predominantly Asian/Pacific Islander population with a rich heritage in the martial arts. In fact, it’s probably the only state in the union where your local newspaper features high school judo results.

But the genesis of Hawaii’s first MMA fight team is a less likely story, and a story that continues to this day, as Team Jesus Is Lord continues their unique fighting fellowship under it current leaders, David Padilla and Bob Ostovich.

To understand it, you have to go back almost twelve years ago, long before MMA was profitable or popular, when a band of friends from an Oahu church began entering Hawaii’s seminal promotions. Ostovich, who returns to competition at NAGA Hawaii today, remembers those days well.

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Exclusive interview with the biggest star in the history of the sport.

We talk with the sport’s brightest star about sex, talking trash, and even her period. Oh yeah, and fighting.

Post Affliction Interview with Josh Barnett and DREAM Preview

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When historians look back at the history of MMA (and they will), Forrest Griffin will stand out as one of the most important fighters in the sport’s brief history. When the UFC needed a great fight, when The Ultimate Fighter concept was still hanging by a thread with SPIKE TV executives, Griffin delivered. His legendary slugfest with Stephan Bonnar at the first Ultimate Fighter Finale helped introduce a legion of new fans to the sport.

And it wasn’t just Griffin’s crowd pleasing style that made him a big star. He and the UFC have also carefully manufactured an everyman persona. The television Forrest is always cracking jokes and is the model of the self deprecating good guy. Sometimes that shell cracked a little, like when Forrest was such a jerk about traveling to Northern Ireland that he actually had to apologize for his attitude, and people saw the real Forrest Griffin. Despite being a product of the reality television show, Griffin hates it. Too much like work. “It was annoying. I didn’t really like cameras or having to be certain places,” Griffin said. “It felt like you always had to be somewhere doing something stupid you didn’t want to be doing.” That’s the real Forrest-the guy who is notoriously difficult with reporters and single-mindedly ambitious. But that’s just real life. The TV character Forrest Griffin is who’s important here and he’s finally getting a title shot.

“It’s the biggest fight of my life,” Griffin said. “I realize that. And I’ve done everything right for it. So I’ve got no doubts and no worries. Quinton makes fun of me because I don’t hit that hard, but he doesn’t realize I was a black belt in Tae Kwon Do and if you hit too hard you get penalized for it. So, I’m working on the hitting harder thing.”
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