BIG BOYS TO BATTLE ON THE MAIN CARD
Tristan King goes against Adam Santos at ‘Battlefield at the River Rock’

A rare heavyweight fight has been added to main card of Battlefield 2 taking place on Saturday, August 21st at the River Rock Casino in Richmond, B.C. Popular Brawler Tristan King (2-0), who fights out of Revolution fight Team in Langley B.C., takes on Adam Santos (1-0) of Marganti Jiu-Jitsu in Richmond, in what should be a clash of heavy hitters looking for a big knockout.
Santos, a Native of Brazil who now resides in Richmond BC, will be looking to make a statement coming off a no-contest for illegal knees in the first round of his fight last year. Santos had dominated the standup and ground portion of the fight, when he threw an inadvertent illegal knee to his opponent which ended the fight.

King is looking to return to the form he showed in his previous MMA outing last year. Back in 2009, King Stepped up to face Dave Logan and used a solid clinch and ground game to control the fight and eventually ending it via armbar late in the first round.

MMA at the River Rock is a tremendous line-up of main-card fights, featured matchups include:
Chris Day vs. Gary Mangat
Matt Dwyer vs. Jacen Brooks
Sean Zubor vs. Nick Austin
Clay Ayres vs. Nick Marinos
Justin Lansing vs. Stefan Malyk
Marco Caffiero vs. Sonny Sahota

Does any highly touted fighter ever live up to his hype? It’s a difficult question, but there are safer bets than others.

One of those safe bets is the MFC’s newest welterweight acquisition, Thiago “Jambo” Goncalves. Goncalves has got the credentials and martial arts pedigree to live up to his hype.

“I don’t know about all these people talking about me!” said Goncalves. “I don’t understand, really and it’s not something I think about. I just try to train hard and be the best I can.”

Goncalves, a native of Maceio, Brazil, not only sports a record of 12-2, but also holds a black belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu under UFC veteran and former world heavyweight champion, Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira. Goncalves has also spent significant time training muay thai with UFC middleweight champion Anderson Silva.

“It’s been an honour to train with Nogueira and Silva because those guys are my heroes. It’s an honour to be their teammate and to have that belt under Nogueira.”

However, despite his impressive record and excellent camp association, Goncalves still has his fair share of critics to silence, namely those that claim he’s yet to face top-notch talent on a consistent basis. That’s why he’s come to the MFC.

“I want to fight on the big show,” said Goncalves. “I hope that it helps me to get some sponsors, and maybe some people will see me fight and it will create more opportunities for me.”

But before he’ll have the opportunity to fight in the MFC, Goncalves must first prove his mettle in the MFC’s developmental league, HeatXC.

“I try and do my best to put on a good fight – I really hope the fans like it. I’ve come all this way from Brazil and I want to make sure I put on a good fight and live up to what some of these people are saying about me.”

If he’s successful, it will go a long way towards answering his critics. It also opens up the possibility of a very intriguing rematch between Goncalves and MFC veteran Nick Thompson – the man who defeated Goncalves in the Brazilian’s very first professional MMA bout.

Since then Fernandes has gone 8-2 and become the first DREAM World Featherweight Champion. His only two losses came early in his career, when he faced two fighters who were, at the time, the best featherweights in the world – Urijah Faber and Norifumi “Kid” Yamamoto.

Following the loss to Yamamoto, Fernandes started racking up wins just as he did when he was a five-time world jiu-jitsu champion. His MMA skills were quickly developing to match the level of his jiu-jitsu prowess.

Soon, Fernandes was back on the world stage, fighting the best of the best in DREAM’s 14-man featherweight grand prix tournament. Although he was often considered the underdog in each of his tournament matches, Fernandes defeated all four of his opponents.

In a single night, Bibiano defeated Joe Warren and Hiroyuki Takaya at DREAM.11 to win the DREAM Featherweight Grand Prix and become the first ever DREAM World Featherweight Champion.

Since then, Fernandes defeated top ranked challenger, Norway’s Joachim Hansen, in what was Fernandes’ first defense of his belt.

Bibiano Fernandes continues his work with the Revolution Fight Team in anticipation of the next challenger to his world title. Whatever the future holds, its promise is bright for the man from Manaus – Revolution’s own Bibiano Fernandes.

Johnson has had a tough climb to the upper echelon of Canadian MMA. In 2004, he found himself with a losing record, so he set about overhauling his training methods and fighting style. He now sports a 17-11-1 overall record and is one of the fastest rising lightweight fighters in North America.

It was around that time in 2004 that Johnson moved to Vancouver to train with Revolution Fight Team. The move coincided with a vastly improved fight record for the kid from Prince George, whose small town environment helped shape his desire for combat.

“The only thing to do in Prince George is drink and fight – I didn’t really like drinking,” says Kajan.

In 2002, he joined Bill Mahood’s PG Fight Club and took the first available fight. He knocked out his opponent in 24 seconds.

“I was hooked,” says Kajan.

Kajan was tough, had lots of heart, and brought the fights to his opponents, but his game had many holes, and he took on opponents well above his skill level.

Kajan laughs, “I pretty much ran at my opponent swinging my fists.”

As his trainer, Bill Mahood told maximumfighting.com, “Kajan is an extremely aggressive fighter – ultra-aggressive – but we needed to find the balance between aggression and not being reckless. We had to find the right time when being aggressive would benefit him the most. He learned the bumps and now he’s dialed in.”

With the move to Revolution, Kajan’s MMA skill set continued to improve.

“The level of my training and the level of my techniques just grew incredibly and I was able to win a lot of fights on skill and experience,” says Johnson.

With Tony Pep, Paul Lalonde, and Kultar Gill improving his striking and footwork, and five-time Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu champion and DREAM world champion Bibiano Fernandes improving his ground skills, Kajan’s game exploded.

“If you want to be great, you must surround yourself with great people,” explains Johnson.

Kajan, who has a three-fight deal with the MFC, believes that all parts of his MMA repertoire finally came together in his draw with Steve Claveau.

“Before, I just won using technique and experience, but this was the first fight where I really felt I also had the right energy and mental state to bring to the cage,” states Johnson. “Now I am well-rounded enough that I have confidence in myself that I will finish the fight.”

Kajan Johnson now finds himself with the ability to bring his lethal combination of skill, experience, and positive energy to the ring every time. The Revolution Fight Team member is confident in his ability to finish any fight regardless of where the match goes.

Kajan is eager to take the next step and jump up in competition. “The better the guy they put in front of me the happier I will be. I would love to fight Derrick Noble, Yves Edwards, or Antonio McKee. If I beat them, everyone will know my name.”

“Ragin’” Kajan Johnson has transformed his love of fighting into a solid career as a top Canadian mixed martial artist and he won’t stop until he is the best lightweight fighter in the world. With the solid support of one of North America’s top MMA training staff, Kajan and Revolution Fight Team have their sights set on the best in the world of combat sports.

If you’re looking for a good workout that combines a fast pace and effective self-defense, look no further than the art of Muay Thai. Muay Thai is a form of kickboxing originating in Asia and perfected in Thailand. It is a system of striking that teaches confidence, balance, and strength, while delivering a complete body workout.

Muay Thai is widely recognized as one of the most effective striking arts due to its efficient techniques and eight points of attack. Many traditional martial arts train only for striking with four points – both hands and both feet. Muay Thai adds elbow and knee strikes to the martial artist’s repertoire, allowing for a diversity of techniques for competition.

For the Muay Thai student, taking up the art means an opportunity to improve cardiovascular conditioning, and develop the ability to strike effectively in competition or self-defense. It’s also a great way to lose a few pounds and tone your muscles – Muay Thai practitioners tend to have great physiques!

Another distinguishing feature of Muay Thai is the “clinch.” Most martial arts train for punching and kicking range, while others train for takedowns and ground fighting. However, Muay Thai is one of only a few arts that work the clinch.

The clinch is the closest stand-up range. Competitors are too close together to deliver effective kicks, and punching techniques are also limited. But Muay Thai practitioners are prepared not only to use knees and elbows in this range, but to control their opponents neck by using the clinch technique. This involves grabbing hold of the back of an opponent’s neck with both hands, thus controlling much of their body movement and equilibrium.

The clinch is a very effective technique and advantageous range to fight in because few other martial artists are familiar with it. Working the clinch and related drills in training also provides a unique workout, one that builds upper body and core strength as well as cardio endurance.

Muay Thai students enjoy drills involving kicking and punching, as well as clinch grappling. Practitioners develop their technique on heavy bags as well as with partners.

One example of a typical Muay Thai drill calls for a student to practice a punching, kicking, kneeing, or elbowing technique (or combination of these) by striking focus mitts held by a training partner. The drills used to develop Muay Thai skills call for an increased level of cardiovascular stamina, as well as focus and concentration. These are helpful qualities for life outside the gym as well, whether at school, in business, or social situations.

Some of the most famous and successful fighters in the world have studied Muay Thai techniques and incorporate them in competition. These include Anderson Silva, Wanderlei Silva, Mauricio “Shogun” Rua, Ernesto Hoost, Badr Hari, and Revolution’s own Kultar “Black Mamba” Gill.

Stop by Revolution today and check out a class. You’ll immediately enjoy the feeling of accomplishment, a clear and focused mind, and the rewarding promise of improved fitness in Revolution’s Muay Thai classes.

Brazilian jiu-jitsu (BJJ) has a long and interesting history, but more important is what it can do for you, the BJJ practitioner. Whether you’re a beginner or an expert, BJJ is hugely rewarding. Not only do you improve your fitness, develop confidence, and learn effective self-defense, but becoming a student of BJJ is a ton of fun.

Brazilian jiu-jitsu first rose to prominence in North America in the early ‘90s when black belt and BJJ legend Royce Gracie defeated several masters of other martial arts in the early days of the Ultimate Fighting Championship. Those tournaments proved BJJ’s efficiency and effectiveness in real combat, but learning jiu-jitsu is also a fun and safe way to build fitness and confidence.

In a typical BJJ class, students learn positions for ground fighting, as well as takedowns and submissions. Jiu-jitsu differentiates itself from other fighting systems by teaching you how to defend yourself on the ground, which is where the majority of fights end up.

In fact, one of the best attacking positions in BJJ involves the aggressor being on his or her back in a position known as “the guard.” A knowledgeable jiu-jitsu practitioner can lock in submission holds like the triangle choke and the armbar from the guard. This makes BJJ users diverse among martial artists, and means that a jiu-jitsu fighter is rarely in a position of disadvantage.

Because Brazilian jiu-jitsu is a “soft” martial art involving no punches, kicks, or strikes of any kind, sparring sessions can be unusually high-paced compared to other martial arts. Even beginning students can exert themselves fully in the sparring sessions that conclude most BJJ classes.

One of the features of BJJ training and competition is “tapping.” By tapping a hand on an opponent or the mat, or saying the word “tap,” a competitor signals discomfort, at which point his or her training partner/opponent releases all holds. This is a way of determining winners and losers in competition, but is also a safety feature, allowing practitioners the peace of mind in knowing that injury is unlikely.

At Revolution, an attitude of helpfulness and respect is foremost in the training environment. Students of all levels understand that to get the best out of their training experience, they need to have enthusiastic and positive partners to work with. For this reason, training jiu-jitsu builds a strong sense of camaraderie and trust with fellow students.

In addition to fitness, confidence, and self-defense, there is a psychological benefit to training BJJ. Brazilian jiu-jitsu practitioners learn composure under pressure. When attempting to apply or escape a submission hold, or even just to gain favorable position on the ground, a jiu-jitsu fighter will achieve the best results when mentally composed.

The ability to relax and think in a fast-paced situation translates to a great life skill outside of the gym – whether in a business environment or just driving through traffic, composure and relaxation are key to successfully moving through life.

Revolution offers Brazilian jiu-jitsu as a doorway to achieving your goals. Our accomplished staff, which includes five-time world champion, Bibiano Fernandes, will help you meet your fitness or weight-loss targets, build confidence, and gain skills to help you excel in all aspects of your life.

And for those interested in competition, Revolution offers world-class training and coaching for several types of tournament.

Dream featheweight champion, the black belt Bibiano Fernandes is waiting for the confirmation of his next bout on the Japanese event, but is already training hard. Living in Canada, Bibiano traveled to Hawaii to train with BJ Penn, former light champion of UFC, who will have a rematch for the belt against Frank Edgar. “BJ Penn is phenomenal, his ground game is unlike any other”, compliments Bibiano, who highlighted the differential of BJ’s Jiu-Jitsu, analyzed the rematch between the Americans on Ultimate, revealed he will become a father, commented his comeback on Japanese’s rings and a lot more.

How come you have been invited to train with BJ Penn?

I went to MMA Exposition in Toronto, Canada, and a guy came to talk to me, saying that BJ needed training, said it would be a good thing if I went there to help he on his trainings and I told him I would. I believe it was his brother or his manager that came to talk to me and I gave him my number and said that he could call me, in case he needed, and he did. “Bibiano, we wanted you to come here to help BJ on his training for this next fight he’ll have”. I accepted right on time. As long as I can help somebody, my energy… In fact, the guy doesn’t need me, he needs my energy and my willingness. Everybody has something special, anybody. I said I’d go there, for sure, and I’d help in anything I could and I will.

How is this Jiu-Jitsu training with him? Are you still in Hawaii training with him?

Yes and I’ll be here for a while helping him, I believe I’ll stay two more weeks. In two weeks I’ll go home, to my family and to take care of my gym, but BJ Penn is a really great guy, he was the first non-Brazilian black belt who became champion of the world of Jiu-Jitsu, he’s tough. The guy has a strengthen and a gift that God give him… On that fight, he couldn’t use his Jiu-Jitsu, but the guy is good on the soft art, is a good Wrestler… Let’s see how this next one will be like, I’ll be here… I’m 100% BJ (laughs).

What is it about his Jiu-Jitsu that called your attention?

The guys is phenomenal, his ground game is unlike any other, is his own body, his own skills, the moves he does, even the space. The guy is an excellent fighter, he was born to be one.

Two world champions training together… Is everybody tapping out during the trainings?

We’re here, we’re world champions and we won those titles, thanks God. But what called my attention about BJ is that a lot of people think he’s arrogant, but the guy has a great heart, is humble and has a great spirit and vibe. I believe that for you to become a world champion, you have to be humble and disciplined and the guy is.  He speaks with everyone, take pictures, he’s all about being humble. I have never imagines this side of his character… He’s a good friend, a great person, took me to surf, but I told him I couldn’t.

And how was it when you went surfing?

Oh man, I can’t event stand on that board (laughs). I tried, but it’s not for me. He said I’d only left when I learned how to surf, and I say that I’d have to stay on that island forever then, because surfing is not my thing (laughs). I put the kimono, the gloves, train all day long, but I don’t surf.

To be in Hawaii forever is not a bad idea, since the place is a paradise…

It’s great. It’s good training here, it’s beautiful, the people are humble, the vibe is great for us to train, it doesn’t disturb you… You can train, rest for a while and then train again. (Renato) Charuto is helping a lot the trainings here, it’s very good.

About the bout between BJ Penn and Frankie Edgar, do you believe Frankie won and deserved to win the belt?

I watched the fight. The guy moved a lot, he got in and out all the time, moved a lot during the fight, brought BJ down a few times, but I don’t knoe. I believe that BJ won the three first rounds and even the fourth, and then he has been took down, but, in my opinion, he didn’t loose that fight. The guy scored more because he moved a lot, but BJ was the champion, and I believe that, to take the belt away from him, the guy would have to do much more. But BJ is ready, he knows he has conditions to bring this belt back, the guy has a good state of mind and a huge heart. He’ll get this belt, I believe in him.

Do you believe that the strategy for this rematch should be based on Jiu-Jitsu?

I believe he has to mix it all because the guy is a good escaper, moves a lot, so I believe he has to mix it all… But his Boxing and Jiu-Jitsu together and go for it.

Did you have the opportunity to do a standing training with BJ? How is his boxing like?

The guy is awesome. He was born for this, he’s got a heavy hand, he’s good. He’s great, was the champion and will be again. He has the heart of a champion. He’s got a good pulse, a good Wrestling, he’s a star. He’s unpredictable and what he does nobody else does.

There are rumors about you fighting in September. Is there something concrete? How is your preparation going?

There’s nothing agreed yet. I’m here helping some people, I came here to help BJ, I want to take care of my people back in Canada, so I don’t know. They told me I’d fight in September, but I don’t know against whom. I’ll be ready for anybody. The challenge keeps us evolving in life, but there’s nothing concrete yet. They told me it would be in September, so I’m waiting for them to tell me something. While there’s nothing set, I’m training, I’ll go to California for a while, I’ll take care of my life, surf a bit and this is a really tough thing for me to learn (laughs), I’ll take care of my wife, the things back home, my gym, and that’s the way it goes.

Do you intend to go to Brazil while there is nothing scheduled?

Brazil is my passion, I love my country, but my wife is pregnant now and there’s a “Little Bibiano” coming, so I have to go home and stick to my wife, right? I want to go to Brazil, but let’s see… Maybe after September I go to see my family and I’ll go to Rio to meet the guys that train there and you guys from TATAME…

So that means you are going to be a pap, right?

Yeah, right? I’ll have a little baby, and I have to give something to my child. I’ll leave without anything, so I can’t leave this little boy or girl, I’m not sure what it is right now (laughs).

Of how many months is your wife pregnant?

She just completed the third month now. Everything comes from God’s glory, right? God know what to do.

Will your child be born in Canada or will you bring your wife here to have a little Brazilian Bibiano?

No, we’ll stay in Canada because her whole family lives there, there’s her mother, her aunt, her brother ans they’ll help. I love Brazil, but all her family lives in Canada and I only have my sister in Brazil. It’s cool there we stay in Canada because we will have a lot of support from her family.

TATAME

July 2010 08:58

By Guilherme Cruz