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| Who’s Giboo? Iowa fighter/science teacher chronicles first UFC experience (Part V) Posted: 19 Jul 2008 12:35 AM CDT
It is Friday at my first UFC and it is weigh-in day. Like a moron, I forgot to shut off my phone and it was ringing at 6:30 a.m. Las Vegas time. If you have ever had to cut weight then you know that this is the one day that you want to sleep in. It isn’t because of how you feel … it is because the temptations are there when you are awake. I tried to go back to sleep but it didn’t work. So I got up and had a tiny protein drink just to get that acid feeling out. At 8:45 a.m. I went down and picked up my fight shorts from the front desk that were dropped off by my marketing manager. Then it was off to meet with Burt for the pre weigh-ins at 9 a.m. I tipped the scale at 177 pounds this morning, which wasn’t too bad. Kevin [Burns] was actually the exact same weight and Burt started giving us crap about working out together. This is the time that they also check your shorts and sponsors to make sure that they are okay. Then it was back to Kevin’s room to hang out before it was time to cut weight. The reason that we went there was the fact that he doesn’t have any food in his room and I do. Plus, it is easier to suffer together rather than alone. At 12:30 p.m. we made our way down to the spa to start cutting our weight. The spa was full of fighters cutting weight for the fights tomorrow night. Everyone has their own ways of cutting weight — some use a sauna, others use steam rooms and some just run. I prefer to run and walk to cut my weight. After a decent amount of time, Kevin made weight because he sweats more than I do. I guessed that I was 173 when I checked and I was exactly right. My cornerman looked at me and said, “how did you know that?” I told him that I just could tell by how my body felt. So it was back to work. And at 2:30 p.m. I checked again and I was 171 on the dot. I went in took a shower and than went back to the room just long enough to change my clothes. Then it was off to the weigh ins When you get to the weigh-ins there is a lot to do. You have to do your paper work for the Nevada State Athletic Commission (NSAC), then it is doctor checks, getting your gloves for the fight, getting credentials for the fights, and getting your tickets. Yes, this is all done when you are dehydrated and not thinking clear at all. It is something that you get used to though because it is usually the same at all bigger shows. The first time you have to do it is awful though. When everyone gets that done all the fighters go to the back and line-up for the weigh-ins. Then it is showtime: You stand there and wait for Mike Goldberg to call your name. It was pretty cool to hear him say my name after watching him call the UFC’s for years. You get to walk out in front of all the fans onto the UFC stage. Burt tells you to strip down and it is on the scale. I tipped the scales at 170 exactly. There is a ton of media snapping pictures of you … it was awesome. This is were I got to meet [UFC President] Dana White for the first time. What you see on TV — that is the real Dana. It is not a show — the guy is exactly the same even after the weigh-ins at a fighter meeting. So once you leave the stage you go behind the curtain and start rehydrating. Once the weigh-ins are over there is a fighter-only meeting. This is where Dana and Joe Silva tell you exactly what they expect from you as a fighter. When that was over we went back to the room for a little bit to do some more rehydrating and eating. It was pretty cool .. just Kevin and a bunch of our friends hanging out while we rehydrated. Then it was off to the buffet to eat a real meal for the first time in a while. It was nice to eat whatever I wanted without having to worry about anything. After eating I went to check my weight and I was back up to 183.5. That is really good for me — I usually don’t get back up that high until the next day. Of course Kevin is even higher than me … man that guy can hold some water. Then I got a call from my marketing manager, so I got to meet him for the first time. He is extremely cool. It was nice to finally get to put a face to the voice that I always talk to on the phone. He was basically here to pick up my shorts to add some sponsors before the fights tomorrow. Tomorrow is the show and I am excited about. This is my chance to prove to the world how good I am. Hopefully things go well and I can get my first UFC win!!! James Giboo (11-2) is a professional mixed martial artist and Iowa science teacher who will make his Octagon debut against Brad Blackburn at UFC Fight Night 14 on July 19. He has competed extensively (and successfully) in the Midwest circuit, which has earned him a rare opportunity to now put his skills to the test against the top fighters in the world under the UFC banner. James will frequently detail his journey to the big time right here at MMAmania.com this week, providing our readers and his fans with a behind-the-scenes account of what it's like to fight for the biggest mixed martial arts promotion on the planet for the first time. To check out more from James here at MMAmania.com click here. |
| Anderson Silva vs. Fedor Emelianenko … who ya’ got? Posted: 19 Jul 2008 12:17 AM CDT Props: Boston Herald Quoteworthy:
Dana White has put his faith in UFC Middleweight Champion Anderson Silva to anchor UFC Fight Night 14 tomorrow night on Spike TV. Meanwhile, Affliction MMA has Fedor Emelianenko headlining its first-ever pay-per-view (PPV) event just up the dial. Will the fighters step up to the challenge or will one (or both) disappoint their respective employers? We’ll finally find out in less than 24 hours. It’s almost time to let it all play out LIVE … and it can’t come soon enough. |
| MMA Quick Quote: Affliction out in three? Posted: 18 Jul 2008 11:08 PM CDT
– Affliction Vice President Tom Atencio tells the Chicago Sun-Times that his upstart promotion could call it quit after three shows if the profits aren’t living up to expectations. It took the UFC — the top organization in the business — several years to begin making money. In addition, other promotions such as Elite XC and the IFL, which have been around much longer than Affliction, have yet to turn profits. There is literally a lot riding on the “Banned” debut tomorrow and the next to shows if Atencio sticks to his guns. |
| UFC Fight Night ‘Silva vs Irvin’ Spike TV programming alert Posted: 18 Jul 2008 10:03 PM CDT
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| Paul Buentello vs Gary ‘Big Daddy’ Goodridge Affliction fight OFFICIAL (Update) Posted: 18 Jul 2008 08:35 PM CDT
Affliction MMA, which will stage its first-ever event dubbed “Banned” tomorrow at the Honda Center in Anaheim, Calif., was left with the difficult task of finding a suitable opponent to replace the Russian on super short notice. And MMAmania.com has learned that early UFC veteran and mixed martial arts journeyman Gary ‘Big Daddy’ Goodridge has answered the call. Goodridge — who was also an arm wrestling world champion in a prior life — has dropped his last two bouts. In fact, he has lost three of his last five contests. However, he does have experience and some skills to make this fight interesting. Let’s just hope the 42-year-old has been training and isn’t just being peeled off his couch. UPDATE: The fight is now OFFICIAL … Affliction confirmed the news in a recent press release. |
| UFC Fight Night weigh-in results for ‘Silva vs. Irvin’; Irvin fails to make weight on first attempt Posted: 18 Jul 2008 06:46 PM CDT
Fighters today tipped the scales for UFC Fight Night 14: "Silva vs. Irvin" in the ballrooms located on the second floor of the Fantasy at the Palms Casino Resort in Las Vegas, Nevada. James Irvin — who will take on UFC Middleweight Champion Anderson Silva in a non-title light heavyweight tilt — failed to make the 206-pound limit, coming in a pound and a half over (207.5). He was allowed an hour to drop the excess baggage and came in at 206 pounds. Here are the official results: 205 lbs.: Anderson Silva (206) vs. James Irvin (206) *Note: Fighters are allowed to weigh one pound more than the division limit in non-title fights. Remember that MMAmania.com will also provide LIVE round-by-round, blow-by-blow coverage of the main card action on fight night, which is slated to air at 9 p.m. ET on Spike TV from "The Pearl" at the Palms Casino Resort on Saturday, July 19. Of course, the latest quick updates of the prelim bouts will begin to flow earlier than that at around 8:00 p.m. ET. It's going to be an interesting night of mixed martial arts action … check us out for all the pre, during and post-fight "Silva vs. Irvin" coverage you can handle. |
| Aleksander Emelianenko vs Paul Buentello Affliction fight canceled Posted: 18 Jul 2008 06:29 PM CDT
MMAmania.com just confirmed the bad news with California State Athletic Commission Executive Director, Armando Garcia, directly. The state has very strict medical privacy laws; therefore, Mr. Garcia was unable to elaborate on the situation. He did mention that the CSAC would help find and license a new opponent for Buentello if the fighter and the promotion are interested; however, with the event slated to begin in about 24 hours the window of opportunity is real small. The heavyweight slugfest between Emelianenko and Buentello was supposed to be the featured bout on the Fox Sports Net telecast — there’s no word yet on how it will look with this latest news. Stay tuned. |
| Afflicton ‘Banned’ weigh-in results and pics Posted: 18 Jul 2008 04:23 PM CDT
The Affliction: "Banned" "mega" weigh-in from the Honda Center in Anaheim, Calif., is set to begin around 6 p.m. ET. MMAmania.com will provide up-to-the minute results of the scale-tipping action below. Aleksander Emelianenko and Paul Buentello did not weigh in because of an issue with Emelianenko’s medical clearance. The fight has been canceled. For more details click here. Here are the official results: *Note: Fighters are allowed to weigh one pound more than the division limit in non-title fights. Remember that MMAmania.com will provide LIVE round-by-round, blow-by-blow coverage of all the action on fight night, which is slated to air for FREE at 8 p.m. ET on Fox Sports Net (The Fight Network in Canada) and transition to pay-per-view (PPV) at 9 p.m. ET. It's going to be an interesting night of mixed martial arts action from the Honda Center on Saturday, July 19 … check us out for all the pre, during and post-fight "Banned" coverage you can handle. Check out the pics after the jump!
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| Anderson Silva video on James Irvin UFC Fight Night fight Posted: 18 Jul 2008 04:20 PM CDT James Irvin has essentially been in the spotlight in the run up to the main event at UFC Fight Night 14 on July 19. Now it’s time for the “Spider” to finally get in on the action: Better late than never. |
| Dana White: Rampage Jackson ‘went on some crazy fasting thing’ Posted: 18 Jul 2008 04:13 PM CDT
Among the odder moments of the nearly 12-minute appearance was White, the UFC president, noting Jackson was “born again” in 2003. Jackson’s actions (partying in Las Vegas included) over the past few days don’t seem fit in with the Christian tradition and certainly don’t provide any answers for his recent behavior. However, his bizarre diet during that time might provide some clues. “He went on some crazy fasting thing,” White said. “He didn’t drink anything but water and energy drinks for four or five days. He didn’t sleep a lot.” It’s obviously not a clinical diagnosis. But it's the closest thing to an explanation that's been offered by anybody close with the former UFC champion to date. We can only assume that White mentioned religion as a way of saying that Jackson's a good person — an opinion that is shared by most people in MMA. White said Jackson is still in a hospital undergoing a psychological examination. “He’s alright,” White said. “When the thing happened it made no sense to me at all.” Then: “I don’t know what he’s going through right now. He’s a friend of mine. He’s a good guy.” Jackson, a father of four, becoming a born-again Christian has been noted in numerous publications over the past year. His trainer, Juanito Ibarra, is also a born-again Christian. |
Aleksander Emelianenko failed to meet the medical licensing requirements and will be unable to compete against Paul Buentello tomorrow night at the Affliction: “Banned” event at the Honda Center in Anaheim, Calif.
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