SG Pro – Fight Community sits down with the Manager of Zeal FightGear, Gabriel Huang for a face to face interview. First off, a little on Zeal FightGear, established in 2005, Zeal FightGear is an up and coming martial arts equipment supplier and online martial arts store in the local scene for customers seeking quality and value for money in searching for affordable martial arts gear. Their parent company Zeal Sports was founded by sports and martial arts enthusiasts who were dissatisfied at the low quality yet high priced martial arts and sports equipment sold in Singapore and set out to produce their own quality yet affordable martial arts equipment.

SG Pro: Hi Gabriel, thanks for taking the time to do this interview with us.

Gabriel: No problem, its my pleasure to talk to you guys anytime!

SG Pro: So Gabriel, tell us how you came about to become the Manager of Zeal FightGear?

Gabriel: It all started back in 2005 when I was training and found it incredibly hard to find quality fightgear for reasonable prices. All the fightgear sold in the shops out there were basically cheap stuff that were marked up and sold at ridiculous prices. One day a friend was complaining about how a judo gi he bought from one of the big shops here tore just after 2 training sessions and so I suggested that we bring in our own equipment, and thats it all started. I happened to be the one who had some background in business studies and so naturally I took over the managerial position.That said, we still make major decisions as a team.

SG Pro: Gabriel, tell us about yourself. Obviously you would be training in some sort of martial arts to have such an interest in fight gears?

Gabriel: I was introduced to martial arts (taekwondo) in 2003 when I was about 16, at that time I was living with my grandfather who did TKD when he was younger. He was in his 60s then but was still very flexible and could still do full splits at his age! I later started training formally at a club my friend taught at. A year later I started training in Japanese Jujitsu at Gentlelife Sports Studio alongside TKD which I dropped out from, when a friend introduced me to Jun Fan Jeet Kune Do (Sifu Mark Stewart) which I still think is the most brilliant striking-based art i’ve been exposed to. In 2005, I founded the Republic Polytechnic Judo Interest Group and started training in Judo under Sensei Faizal and Sensei Koseki. The guys from Jujitsu had also been sparring after class under MMA rules for some time now due to the influence of the UFC and we realised the need for good MMA equipment. We later rented a room at Toa Payoh SAFRA to continue what we loved doing and had Setsuma come in to teach us BJJ. Later on when I graduated, I started focusing on JKD and competed in  amateur boxing and muaythai under Combat academy (Now known as Fightworks Asia). I have also trained in various other martial arts along the way such as BJJ (Setsuma Takeda), Savate (Peter Straub), Boxing (Sascha Soliano, David Alexis), Muay Thai (Kadir, Zamri Salleh, Aaron Fisher). Right now I am focusing my training on Freestyle wrestling (WFS) and JKD (FWA) and all these while having great training equipment and fightgear has played a big role.

SG Pro: Has it ever cross your mind that Zeal FightGear will last this long? Afterall, most budding entrepreneurs barely lasted a year?

Gabriel: We have never thought of doing this as a money reaping business and although we are now starting to get serious in producing solid fightgear for the athletes, I guess what’s keeping us going all these time is our zeal for combat sports and our interest in making the sport grow locally and in the SEA region.

SG Pro: What is your take on the rise of MMA in Singapore in recent years given that you and Zeal FightGear are considered to be the first local fightgear supplier?

Gabriel: Just about two years back, practically nobody ever heard of MMA except for the few who were into combat sports and those who had trained at FightG. With the birth of more MMA gyms and gyms going into MMA, such as Fightworks Asia, Evolve MMA and Kreation Jiu-jitsu and also Singaporeans being IT-Savvy, I believe that MMA and combat sports in general will continue to rise as more and more Singaporeans look for a practical Martial Art that encompasses all aspects of the fight game ( Striking, takedowns, groundfighting).

SG Pro: Zeal FightGear sponsored several MMA and BJJ tournaments and events in the past, how did this sponsoring deal started?

Gabriel: Well as always, we’re here to support growth of the sport here and we felt it was the natural thing to do and of course its also a good way of getting the word out there that there actually is Quality Equipment worth paying for available here in Singapore.

SG Pro: There are plenty of aspiring MMA fighters out there, what do they have to do if they want to be sponsored by Zeal and what kind of credentials should they have?

Gabriel: Well the most important thing that we look for is the individual’s zeal for the sport, the effort they put into training and their goals. Just shoot us an e-mail with their details, fight record, future goals and we’ll look into it.

SG Pro: Tell us about how you derive the name, Zeal.

Gabriel: Many people don’t know this, but Zeal was derived from the Greek God Zelus who was the personification of dedication and emulation. He was also one of the brothers of Nike and Kratos. In the English language, Zeal is used to express utmost dedication and devotion. It is also used to express passion, spirit and drive and that is what we feel about the sport and with that, the production of quality equipment and apparel.

SG Pro: What is next for Zeal FightGear? What should we be expecting from Zeal?

Gabriel: We will be sponsoring the Thailand Open BJJ tournament which is the biggest Grappling tournament in South East Asia. Also look out for more quality equipment and training gear coming your way soon!

SG Pro: Who’s your favourite fighter and why?

Gabriel: I am actually a great fan of a number of fighters like Lyoto Machida, Marcus Davis, Clay Guida and GSP, but if it has to be only one, that will be Norifumi ‘Kid’ Yamamoto. The amount of zeal he has for MMA is just so incredible that you can actually see that passion burning intensely in his eyes whenever he fights.

SG Pro: If Zeal FightGear can sponsor one UFC fighter, who would it be?

Gabriel: Lyoto Machida.

SG Pro: Do you think there’s room for another fightgear company in Singapore? How will the competition affect Zeal FightGear?

Gabriel: I do think that the market for fightgear here is actually quite small and it wouldnt make much business sense. But if they do start anyway, it wouldnt affect us much at all because as i’ve always said we are in this industry first and foremost to support the growth of the sport and everything else is secondary! So I’ll have to wish them good luck in staying alive!

SG Pro: And now it’s time for our favourite word association time! Now this is how it goes, i throw out a name and you will have to describe it in just seven words or less. So here we go, Singapore Wrestling Federation.

Gabriel: Hiring the Best specially to groom Singaporeans.

SG Pro: FightG.

Gabriel: Promoting MMA to the masses.

SG Pro: Fight Works Asia.

Gabriel: The biggest Martial Arts Facility in Singapore.

SG Pro: Evolve MMA.

Gabriel: Having the most champion instructors in Asia.

SG Pro: mma.sg

Gabriel: Underused MMA forum and dying community.

SG Pro: fightsg.com

Gabriel: Great community, Shortlived enthusiasm. Rest in Peace.

SG Pro: sg-pro.com

Gabriel: Great articles, the next big MMA community.

SG Pro: muaythai.sg

Gabriel: Best Muaythai resource in Singapore.

SG Pro: UFC

Gabriel: Here to stay for good.

SG Pro: Affliction

Gabriel: Great shows but over-shadowed by Dana White.

SG Pro: Strikeforce

Gabriel: Done if not for Gina Carano…

SG Pro: And last but not least, Zeal FightGear.

Gabriel: Quality Equipment at Best Value as always!

SG Pro: Gabriel, thanks for spending time to do this interview with us, we wish you nothing but the best in your career and hope to see more of Zeal FightGear!

Gabriel: Thanks alot for arranging this. We like what you’re doing and will help get your website out there to the masses. We hope to be able to work with you more in the future!

*SG Pro – Fight Community would like to thank Gabriel for finding time to do this interview with us. Do continuing visiting SG Pro – Fight Community for more MMA goodness!

SG Pro – Fight Community brings to you the first of a series of interviews with the who’s who of the Singapore and Malaysia Mixed Martial Arts scene! For our inaugural interview, We talks to the man behind Evolve MMA, Chatri Sityodtong. First of all a little information on Evolve MMA; Based in Singapore, Evolve MMA is the number one MMA gym in Asia with world-class instructors, state-of-the-art facilities, and one of the largest selections of courses and times. Evolve MMA is the first and only MMA gym in Asia with accreditation from two of the most elite academies globally in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu and Muay Thai. Evolve is also an official Renzo Gracie Affiliate Academy. Evolve is also the largest overseas branch of the legendary Sityodtong Gym, the most respected Muay Thai gym in Thailand.

SG Pro: Chatri, first of all i would like to thank you for finding time out of your busy schedule to do this interview with SG Pro – Fight Community.

Chatri:  It is my pleasure, guys.

SG Pro: First of all, Chatri, tell us how did the idea of Evolve MMA come about? Did you just suddenly wake up one day and decide, “Hey! I am going to start an MMA gym!”?

Chatri: Martial arts has been my greatest passion in life for as long as I can remember.  I love training, fighting, and teaching. 12 years ago, I wrote my dreams in life on a piece of paper.  One of those dreams was to start a Muay Thai gym one day since I am from Thailand from the Sityodtong Gym.  As you may or may not know, Sityodtong Gym has produced the most World Champions in the history of Muay Thai.  So, as a fighter and instructor from Sityodtong Gym, I have always wanted to spread the beautiful art of Muay Thai.  As fortune would have it, I started training Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu for fun (I am terrible at it, by the way.  But I hold a Blue Belt under Renzo Gracie) to complement my Muay Thai background.  I even competed in a couple BJJ tournaments for fun while also fighting in Muay Thai and MMA.  My passion for martial arts is what inspired me to start Evolve Mixed Martial Arts.  I truly believe in the power of martial arts to change people’s lives in a positive and meaningful way.

SG Pro: No other MMA gyms in Singapore had had the same amount of publicity that Evolve did. Look at the amount of media publicity that Evolve received; Evolve was mentioned on ESPN Sports, Channel NewsAsia, 938live Radio and Class95 Radio. Evolve was also mentioned in the Straits Times, TODAY, My Paper and many other magazines. Do you own a genie or something and she does everything for you?

Chatri: It is better to be lucky than smart as the saying goes!  I can assure you that I am not smart…

SG Pro: It’s no secret that all the media coverage of Evolve MMA has lead to a surge in the interest in Muay Thai, Brazilian Jiu Jitsu and MMA in Singapore. There are already a couple of MMA gyms in Singapore before the emergence of Evolve MMA, however the level of interest back then wasn’t that huge. So what are your views on the current state of MMA in Singapore?

Chatri: MMA will continue to grow as a sport in Singapore and the rest of the world.  First, it is absolutely fun.  Second, it is a fantastic workout and you can burn over 500 calories an hour doing it.  Third, it is perfect for self-defense.  Clearly, the UFC has had a lot to do with the success of MMA around the world.  The events are always electrifying.  From what I have seen so far, Singapore has a lot of potential talent for MMA!

SG Pro: Evolve MMA is the only MMA gym in Singapore to have the largest pool of world class instructors from the legendary Sityodtong Gym and the Renzo Gracie Academy. How difficult is it for you personally when people question the authenticity of the level of training at Evolve?

Chatri: Hmmm, the good news is that no one has ever questioned the authenticity of the Evolve Instructor Team or the level of training at Evolve.  I’m not sure why anyone would. You can see the bios of the Evolve Instructor Team at www.evolve-mma.com. Evolve has the largest instructor team in Asia with the most experience at over 300 years of elite world-class experience in Muay Thai, Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, MMA, and more.  Actually, Evolve is the only MMA gym in the world with multiple World Champions in Muay Thai and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu.  At Evolve Brazil, we have professional fighters who compete in the UFC too.  For example, one of our students in Brazil, Rafael dos Anjos, just lost a very close fight to Tyson Griffin at the UFC.  As for our students in Singapore, Evolve is only 6 months old.  With time, I believe that Evolve Singapore will produce some outstanding students in the future. Every member of the Evolve Instructor Team has learned, trained, and taught at some of the top academies in the world. The talent in Singapore is unbelievable.  I would not be surprised to see a Singaporean on the world stage one day.  Nevertheless, Evolve provides excellent instruction for everyone – from a total beginner to a World Champion.  In fact, some big superstars in Muay Thai, BJJ, and MMA from around the world are planning to come train at Evolve to upgrade their skills in the near future.

Chatri (3rd from left) with the Sityodtong family at Evolve MMA.

SG Pro: What can we expect from Evolve MMA down the road? You have already brought in World Champions and legends like Samart Payakaroon, Rafael “Gordinho” Correa, Mauricio “Tinguinha” Mariano and the list just goes on and on.

Chatri: Well, there are a lot of great things in store for Evolve.  I can’t talk about them right now.  Let’s just say that the best is yet to come.  We have some major – and I mean, major BJJ, Muay Thai, and MMA superstars – that have expressed a desire to come to Evolve to train.  You will have to wait and see!

SG Pro: Obviously, if you talk about Evolve, the name is synonymous with MMA in Singapore. So What are the plans you have for the Evolve brand name?

Chatri: Again, I can’t talk about things just yet.  I don’t mean to be rude, but it is just that Evolve has a lot of things in the pipeline.  Our staff is unbelievable.  They are as passionate about Evolve as I am.  Many of them work all day and night!

SG Pro: I am sure that we can expect alot of other surprises from Evolve. Now let’s talk abit about you, Chatri. We know that you are the man behind Evolve MMA, that you are the one keeping things running and that you fought in over 30 fights across different disciplines (Muay Thai, Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, and MMA). Tell us more bout yourself and what makes you tick.

Chatri: My greatest passion in life is the martial arts.  I truly believe in how it can change lives for the better.  In fact, this is how I came up with the name, “Evolve” in the first place.  The technical definition of the word evolve is “to undergo continuous change, development, and progress.”  Martial arts can help a person evolve into everything he/she wants to be.  For me, martial arts is about the continuous improvement of the self – physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually.  If you don’t evolve as a person, you wither away.

SG Pro: You’ve rubbed shoulders with some of the best in the business, names like Renzo Gracie, Rafael “Gordinho” Correa, Antonio Braga Neto Teixeira, Samart Payakaroon, the likes. Do you have anything to share with our readers about what you learnt from these World Champions and legends?

Chatri: Yes, I’ve been lucky to have all those guys as good friends and training partners.  Hmmm, what have I learned from them?  The biggest lesson that I have learned from all those legends and World Champions is that their standards of excellence are different from the average person.  They all have the craziest and most intense desire to win.  Their love for the game is unparalleled.  They train 6-8 hours a day, but think about martial arts the rest of the hours of the day.  I love martial arts, but they live it every minute of every day.  The other interesting thing about all these guys is their humility and kindness.  You would think that they would be arrogant or something.  But they are actually all very humble.  Yes, humble…

SG Pro: And now for a little words association, I’ll name someone from Evolve MMA and you will have to describe that person in just seven words or less. Here goes nothing, Kru Yodtong Senanan.

Chatri: THE Greatest Teacher of Muay Thai.

SG Pro: Nuengpichit Sityodtong.

Chatri: Charismatic, Funny, and TECHNICAL.

SG Pro: Yoddecha Sityodtong.

Chatri: Monster KO power.

SG Pro: Daorung Sityodtong.

Chatri: Wisdom, patience, and kindness.

SG Pro: Mitch Chilson.

Chatri: Cardio machine.

SG Pro: Leandro Thomas Issa da Silva.

Chatri:  Flying Triangle.

SG Pro: Renzo Gracie.

Chatri: Original, Fearless, Generous.

SG Pro: Rafael “Gordinho” Correa de Lima.

Chatri:  Friendly, intense, perfectionist.

SG Pro: Antonio Braga Neto Teixeira.

Chatri:  Future legend.

SG Pro: Setsuma Takeda.

Chatri:  Triangle choke.

SG Pro: And last but not least, Chatri Sityodtong.

Chatri:  Still evolving…

SG Pro: That was some pretty interesting words association there. Chatri, what advice would you give to all the aspiring MMA fighters out there in Singapore and Malaysia?

Chatri: Surround yourself with good people – good friends, good training partners, and good teachers.  Never be content.  Keep learning and growing as a martial artist and as a human being.  Keep EVOLVING for the rest of your life!

SG Pro: Any parting words for our readers?

Chatri: I will leave everyone with one of my favorite quotes by Confucius, “Our greatest glory is not in never falling, but in rising every time we fall.”  So dream big.  Love what you do.  Believe in yourself.  And may all of you be blessed with health, happiness, and success.

SG Pro: Thank you for your time, Chatri and we look forward to seeing the evolution of Mixed Martial Arts in Singapore!

*SG Pro – Fight Community would like to thank Chatri for finding time to do this interview with us. Do continuing visiting SG Pro – Fight Community for more MMA goodness!

A card stacked with two title matches, a battle between the two coaches from the recent season of The Ultimate Fighter and a debut of an international superstar among others make UFC 100 one of the most anticipated mixed martial arts events of the year! On July 11th, 2009 at the Mandalay Bay Event Center in Las Vegas, Nevada, the UFC will hold its 100th event since the company’s humble beginnings back in 1993 when the first UFC event was held. In the third and final part of the preview to one of the most anticipated MMA events of the year, we shall take a look at the rematch the world has been waiting for as UFC Heavyweight Champion Brock Lesnar faces UFC Interim Heavyweight Champion Frank Mir to determine the undisputed UFC Heavyweight Champion!

UFC Heavyweight Title: Brock Lesnar (c) vs. Frank Mir (ic)

Whether you love him or you hate him, Brock Lesnar is one of the most imposing figures in the world of mixed martial arts. While his is notoriously known for his stint in the WWE (where he captured the WWE Title three times, along with winning the 2002 King of the Ring Tournament and 2003 Royal Rumble) and New Japan Pro-Wrestling (where he captured the IWGP Heavyweight Title), many overlooked the fact that Lesnar is one of the most decorated amateur wrestlers ever, capturing among several accolades, the NCAA Division I Championship. Lesnar made his MMA debut back in June 2007 when he headlined FEG’s ill-fated Dynamite!! USA event at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, defeating Olympic Silver Medalist Min Soo Kim via TKO. Realizing that the major leagues await him, Lesnar turned to the UFC and at UFC 77, it was announced that Lesnar has signed a contract with the UFC. Lesnar debuted at UFC 81 back in February last year and has since, amassed a UFC record of 2-1 with wins over Heath Herring and Randy Couture, whom he captured the UFC Heavyweight Title from. Combining extraordinary power with unbelievable agility, Lesnar is a nightmare for any fighter that dares to step in the Octagon against him.

But one fighter doesn’t look at Lesnar as a nightmare and that is Frank Mir. Mir has years of experience competing in MMA in comparison to the two-year pro that is Brock Lesnar. A UFC fighter since 2001, Mir has picked up wins over some of the top names in the UFC, including Tim Sylvia, Tank Abbott and Antoni Hardonk. Mir knows what it’s like to taste UFC gold when he won the UFC Heavyweight Title from Sylvia back at UFC 48. The Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu practitioner however was met with a crushing motorcycle accident, leaving him with a broken femur and torn ligaments in his knees. It was certainly heart-wrenching for Mir as not only did he have to surrender the UFC Heavyweight Title, but he faced the prospect of his MMA career coming to an end. Mir was able to make a comeback after going through surgery to repair his injuries and since then, he was able to fight his way back to the top. His biggest victory came when he became the first man to stop Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira, eventually winning Nogueira’s UFC Interim Heavyweight Title in the process at UFC 92. This setup a fight to determine the undisputed UFC Heavyweight Champion between Mir and Lesnar at UFC 100!

Revenge, retribution and respect for one man, pride, honor and glory for the other!

When it was announced that Lesnar would face Mir in his very first UFC fight back at UFC 81, many immediately believed that Mir would end up winning the fight and exposing Lesnar’s inexperience. The result was definitely most expected as Lesnar wound up tapping out to a kneebar from Mir a minute and a half into the first round! Since then, Lesnar had been seething with revenge, but before that, had to prove himself worthy of hanging with the big dogs of the UFC’s heavyweight division. A lackluster, yet dominating victory over Heath Herring at UFC 87 thrusted him in the spotlight and eventually, a title shot against the returning Randy Couture, whom Lesnar was able to defeat at UFC 91 to become the UFC Heavyweight Champion. While it wasn’t an easy road for Mir to reach the top, he certainly has overcome various obstacles that were put in his path and has proven to be one of the top heavyweight fighters in the world. He is now one step closer to achieving greatness if he could beat Lesnar. For Lesnar, this is a highly important fight that will determine whether or not he is the real deal and if he wins, he would finally be able to silence the critics and prove to the world why he is the UFC’s top heavyweight.

And so the world awaits for a rematch that is so huge it deserves to be the main event of the UFC’s biggest event yet. There can only be one undisputed UFC Heavyweight Champion, but who would it be? Brock Lesnar? Frank Mir? This Sunday at UFC 100, the world will find out the answer as both fighters compete for supremacy in the UFC’s heavyweight division!

A card stacked with two title matches, a battle between the two coaches from the recent season of The Ultimate Fighter and a debut of an international superstar among others make UFC 100 one of the most anticipated mixed martial arts events of the year! On July 11th, 2009 at the Mandalay Bay Event Center in Las Vegas, Nevada, UFC will hold its 100th event since the company’s humble beginnings back in 1993 when the first UFC event was held. In the second of a three-part series, we will take a look at one of the most anticipated fights of the year as Georges St-Pierre defends his UFC Welterweight Title against the on-form Thiago Alves!

UFC Welterweight Title: Georges St-Pierre (c) vs. Thiago Alves

Yahoo! Sports ranked Georges St-Pierre as the number one ranked pound for pound fighter in the world and is tied with M-1 Global’s Fedor Emelianenko. Some may agree and some may disagree, but there is no doubt that St-Pierre deserves that spot alongside a fighter who is quite possibly the greatest heavyweight MMA fighter of all time. St-Pierre is known as one of the most complete fighters in the world, with a solid wrestling base, a strong background in Kyokushin karate, excellent skills in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu as well as great stand-ups in boxing and Muay Thai. Ever since he won his second UFC Welterweight Title from Matt Serra back in April 2008, St-Pierre has become stronger than ever. In August that same year, he battled Jon Fitch at UFC 87 in one of the year’s best bouts and this past January, he was able to defeat another strong challenger in the form of current UFC Lightweight Champion B.J. Penn at UFC 94, his second victory over the famed Hawaiian fighter. St-Pierre is one of the sport’s most well-respected athletes with a humble and gracious personality to back up his credentials as a mixed martial artist.

Thiago Alves is a fighter who is truly deserving of an eventual UFC Welterweight Title shot. A purple belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, Alves is known for his mastery in the art of eight limbs, that being of course Muay Thai and is quite possibly one of the best Muay Thai practitioners to ever step foot into the Octagon. The Brazilian born fighter who now makes Coconut Creek, Florida his home proved to be a dominating force when he entered the UFC in 2005. Thus far, Alves has only lost twice since entering the UFC and has picked up some huge wins along the way. This include a win over current DREAM fighter Kuniyoshi Hironaka, Chris Lytle and three major victories over Karo Parisyan, Matt Hughes and Josh Koscheck, three highly ranked opponents! Alves has won nine of his ten bouts while riding a seven-fight win streak and it seemed appropriate that he gets the next crack at St-Pierre’s UFC Welterweight Title.

Rush vs. Pitbull: GSP’s toughest challenge to date!

In the months leading up to this highly-anticipated battle, St-Pierre has said that Alves would be his toughest challenge to date. St-Pierre also acknowledges that there is a lot of pressure on him as one of the top pound for pound fighters in the world, but will use the pressure and nerves to his advantage as motivation to work extra hard in this fight. Alves is very strong in his stand-up and if his impressive TKO victory over Matt Hughes isn’t enough proof, only god knows what is. As such, Alves is looking to score an early knockout over St-Pierre in his fight and make history of his own. To be fair, it will also be a tough fight for Alves as St-Pierre is strong in every aspect of the game. It’s very hard to take GSP down and the champion knows how to escape from tough situations as evident when he became the first fighter to ever pass Jon Fitch’s guard in their 2008 title fight. Also, just because Alves is a purple belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu doesn’t mean that he is no better than St-Pierre, who is a black belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. History has taught us that a fighter can be skilled and can pull off a victory no matter what rank he or she is. Such was the case when Gesias Calvancante, a purple belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, submitted Rani Yahya, a black belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, back during the semi-finals of the 2006 HERO’S Middleweight Tournament, so St-Pierre must be very cautious even when he goes to the ground with Alves.

When you’re the champion, the pressure is on you to do your very best no matter the odds and competition only gets tougher everytime. St-Pierre defeated a tough opponent in Jon Fitch and an even tougher opponent in B.J. Penn in his last two fights, but he has yet to face a fighter as challenging as Thiago Alves, who is MMA Weekly’s 2008 Fighter of the Year. This will be a fight of epic proportions with the top welterweight title in the world on the line. Who will walk out of Las Vegas as the UFC Welterweight Champion? Will Georges “Rush” St-Pierre retain the title that made him one of the top fighters in the world or will Thiago “Pitbull” Alves shock the world and leave UFC 100 as the UFC Welterweight Champion? Whatever the case, we are looking at a potential Fight of the Year candidate right here.

A card stacked with two title matches, a battle between the two coaches from the recent season of The Ultimate Fighter and a debut of an international superstar among others make UFC 100 one of the most anticipated mixed martial arts events of the year! On July 11th, 2009 at the Mandalay Bay Event Center in Las Vegas, Nevada, the UFC will hold its 100th event since the company’s humble beginnings back in 1993 when the first UFC event was held. In this first of a three-part series, we will take a look at the top three fights that will headline this historic event and we will begin with the very first of those three fights, Dan Henderson vs. Michael Bisping!

Dan Henderson vs. Michael Bisping

One of the most decorated fighters in mixed martial arts, Dan Henderson has had a long and rich history throughout his MMA career. A former Olympian who represented the United States in Greco-Roman Wrestling during the Summer Olympics in 1992 and 1996, Henderson decided to compete in MMA as a fighter, winning the UFC 17 tournament and also winning the RINGS King of Kings Title, beating Gilbert Yvel, Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira and Renato Sobral. He then ventured into PRIDE FC, making a huge name for himself in the promotion’s middleweight division by facing the likes of Murilo Rua, Ricardo Arona, Akihiro Gono, Yuki Kondo, Ryo Chonan and Murilo Bustamante. Henderson was also the very first PRIDE Welterweight Champion and in one of his biggest victories yet, he defeated Wanderlei Silva to become the PRIDE Middleweight Champion in at PRIDE 33 in 2007 while still holding onto the Welterweight Title! Henderson returned to the UFC that same year after the purchase of PRIDE by Zuffa, but was met with though competition. He lost to UFC Light Heavyweight Champion Quinton Jackson in his first UFC fight since winning the UFC 17 tournament, losing the PRIDE Middlweight Title in the process, then lost to UFC Middleweight Champion Anderson Silva and also lost his PRIDE Welterweight Title to Silva. Wins over Rousimar Palhares and Rich Franklin has propelled Hendo to top contendership again and has recently dabbled as a coach for Team USA on the recent season of The Ultimate Fighter.

His opponent is the coach of Team UK and ironically, a former The Ultimate Fighter winner himself, Michael Bisping. The British fighter known as The Count is an expert in kickboxing, Muay Thai and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and like Henderson, is one of the top contenders in the UFC’s competitive middleweight and light heavyweight divisions. With a passion for fighting, Bisping started training in MMA in 2003 and became a two-time Cage Rage Light Heavyweight Champion and FX3 Light Heavyweight Champion. As one of Britain’s best MMA fighters, it seemed fitting that Bisping would eventually make his way to the UFC and after winning The Ultimate Fighter 3, Bisping finally earned a contract to compete for the top MMA organization in the world. Bisping proved that he is a solid fighter, defeating the likes of Eric Schafer, Matt Hamill and Chris Leben, but in his only loss in the UFC thus far, was stopped by the then-dominating Rashad Evans in a historic battle which saw the winners of two The Ultimate Fighter seasons collide. With his popularity rising, especially in the UK, Bisping is set to make a huge impact in the coming months.

The United States vs. the United Kingdom! Hendo vs. The Count!

This isn’t just a fight to determine a future contender to the UFC Light Heavyweight and Middleweight Titles. This is also a fight to defend the pride and honor of their country. After two of his fighters displayed dominating performances to win The Ultimate Fighter 9, Bisping’s confidence is at an all-time high, but never say never in the UFC. For instance, two of Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira’s fighters dominated The Ultimate Fighter 8, yet it was Minotauro who suffered a crushing loss at the hands of the opposing team’s coach, Frank Mir, during their fight at UFC 92, thus losing his UFC Interim Heavyweight Title in the process. Bisping will have to keep that in mind when he faces Henderson and while Henderson will be pushing into his 40s next year, he has not shown any signs of aging and is still as strong as ever. Much like previous seasons of the hit reality TV shows, tensed rivalries were formed between the two coaches. We have seen feuds between Ken Shamrock and Tito Ortiz, as well as the feud between Matt Hughes and Matt Serra. The feud between Henderson and Bisping was no different and there is no doubt that the two competitive fighters will be looking to tear each other’s heads off in their upcoming fight.

At stake is a shot at Anderson Silva’s UFC Middleweight Title in a future bout. Henderson has once challenged Silva for the title, but as mentioned before, lost to the dominating Brazilian and is looking to challenge him for the title again. Bisping has yet to challenge for a UFC Title and is hoping that the win would not only silence his critics, but also give him an opportunity to compete against one of the top pound for pound fighters in the world. Who will walk out of Las Vegas as the number one contender for the UFC Middleweight Title?

Featuring Joe Thambu Shihan, 7th Dan Yoshinkan Aikido Japan

Location: Budo Academy 340-B, King George’s Ave

Date: 18th to 19th July 2009

Time: Aiki Budo: 10.30 am – 1.00 pm (Both days)
Restraint and Removal: 3.30 pm – 6.00 pm (Both days)

Cost: Per Seminar : $230
Both Seminar : $390
Mode of Payment : Cash only

Contact: Victor Tan +65 – 9450 4276
Thomas Tan +65 – 9626 6036

The Aikido Shudokan Singapore is proud to invite everybody to Aiki
Budo and Restraint & Removal Seminar which will be held on the 18th &
19th July 2009.  The Seminars are open to all Martial Artists and
featuring the practical and effective application of Aiki principles.

This seminar will feature world renowned Joe Thambu Shihan (7th Dan,
Yoshinkan Aikido) from Aikido Shudokan Australia.

Thambu Shihan, is no doubt one of the most well respected Yoshinkan
Instructors worldwide.  He is also a Technical Director for all
Shudokan School Worldwide.

What is the Restraint & Removal Seminar
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Within this seminar, participants will learn how to :
1. Identify trouble makers within a crowd;
2. Remove trouble makers without causing hurt or injuries;
3. Professional crowd control;
4. One on one immobilized techniques;
5. Basic self defense.

Who should be attending the seminar?
————————————

The seminar is open to public with or without any martial arts
background.  The seminar will benefit those without any martial arts
background as participants will also learn self defense.  The seminar
will particularly benefit those in the security business for example,
armed forces personnel, security personnel, bodyguards or bouncers.
Martial artists are encourage to participate the seminar.

Most importantly, within the seminar, techniques taught will focus on takedowns, immobilizations (pins), control and evictions without causing hurt or injuries.  This is most important as injuries can sometimes lead to further problems and even law suits.

Our Instructor – Joe Thambu Shihan (Chief Instructor of Aikido Shudokan, Australia)

Joe Thambu Shihan, a Malaysian residing in Australia, is a 7th Dan
Yoshinkan Aikido (Japan) instructor. He is also the Chief Instructor
of Aikido Shudokan in Australia.

He has been training/teaching Yoshinkan Aikido for over 30 years.
Although a modest man, Thambu Shihan is reknown for his dynamic style
and power, both in execution and in instruction. He has devoted his
life to Aikido and declares happily, that his life is Aikido.

Thambu Shihan’s seminars are described as second to none, he
demonstrate the dynamicism, power and sheer brilliance of a
practitioner known the world over. Through his wealth of experience,
Thambu Shihan has made aikido accessible to the security industry,
where he has combined his martial training with years of security and
crowd control experience in a very unique manner. In addition, Thambu
Shihan?s ability to apply his aikido training in a variety of ways has
made him a much sought after public speaker at training seminars for
corporate and local government sectors.

In Australia, he is approached by many organizations which faced
problems with patrons with unruly behaviour.  This is so because
evictions of such persons with unjust force will land the business in
lawsuits. That is how “The Restraint & Removal” seminar was
introduced by Joe Thambu Shihan based on Aikido principles. These
same principles are taught to the Tokyo Metropolitan & Riot Police.

Sensei Joe Thambu’s other credential would include instructor to law
enforcement and armed forces group and Security Instructor (Victorian
registered Australia).

Therefore, we are organizing such events as we believe that the
Singaporean public could also benefit from the experiences gained by
Joe Thambu Shihan.