MONDAY, December 31st, 2001, AT 5:55 PM, PT

The Best Of The Best In The IKF For 2001!
The Announcement of the 2001 IKF Hall of Fame Inductees!

Well, here they are, the 2001 IKF Hall of Fame Inductees! It was a GREAT YEAR for all of us and with our 10 year anniversary year coming up, we look forward to an even bigger year for the IKF World Team! One thing you may notice is that it was EXTREMELY Hard for us to select just 1 winner in nearly all the categories. More will soon be added yet as we await the final selections from our IKF European Director, Alby Bimpson and IKF Team Europe. One thing we'd like your help on though is the final selection of the Pro and Amateur Fighters of the year. Here are the requirements for these awards.

• AMATEURS:
  • If from the USA, they must have participated in the 2001 IKF USA National Amateur Tournament.
  • They must be a ranked IKF Fighter.
  • They must have fought on at least "2" IKF Sanctioned events in 2001.
  • They do not have to hold an IKF Title but should at least be ranked in the top 3 of their rule style and weight class.
  • Be a Champion fighter in the ring and a lady or a gentlemen out of the ring.
  • Please pick one from each rule style (Male & Female) and your overall winner as IKF Amateur Fighter of the Year.
• PROS:
  • Must hold an IKF Title.
  • Must have fought on an IKF Sanctioned event at least 2 times in 2001.
  • Must have a winning record.
  • Must be ranked in the top 2 of their weight class and rule division. If not, explain your thoughts.
  • Please pick one from each rule style (Male & Female) and your overall winner as IKF Pro Fighter of the Year.

2001 IKF All Around Pro Fighter Of The Year
Cast your Vote by clicking HERE!

2001 IKF All Around Amateur Fighter Of The Year
Cast your Vote by clicking HERE!

Thank you for your votes. Keep in mind that if we receive enough votes for certain individuals they could still be added to the list below of the 2001 Inductees. So now, without further delay, here are the
2001 IKF Hall of Fame Inductees!

• 2001 IKF Pro Fighters Of The Year
  • Pro MuayThai Rules:
    • Giuseppe DeNatale (Right) of Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. On July 20th, 2001, in a Prestige Bout DeNatale defeated Jermaine Bennett. On September 27th, 2001 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA he defeated Kent Hensley of Atlanta, Georgia, USA by TKO in the second round.
    • Jason Johnson (Left) of Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA. On February 3rd, 2001, Johnson fought in a non Title Prestige Bout and defeated Jeff Ford of Kansas City, Missouri, USA by TKO. On September 27th, 2001 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA in another non Title Prestige Bout he defeated Raul Romero Gonzalez of Mexico City Mexico at 1:33 of round 1 with a head kick.
    • Matt Skelton, (Right) of Bedford, England. although he only fought once for the IKF in 2001, we need to remember that as a K-1 Super Heavyweight it's hard to get him booked for a fight. On November 18th, 2001 in North Hampton England Skelton retained his IKF MTR Super Heavyweight World Title by defeating Peter Varga of Budapest, Hungary by TKO at 53 seconds of round 3.
    • HONORABLE MENTION
      • Pedro Fernandez of Tijuana, Mexico. On March 31st, 2001 in Tijuana, Mexico Fernandez defeated Raul Romero Gonzalez for the vacant IKF Pro IR Super Heavyweight Mexico National Title.
  • Pro International Rules: TBA
  • Pro Full Contact Rules:
    • Vladimir Avtamonov, (Right) of Omsk, Siberia Russia. On February 3rd, 2001 in Omsk, Siberia Russia, Avtamonovof defeated Perry Ben of England for the vacant IKF FCR Super Welterweight World Title. On April 28th, 2001 in Coventry England he successfully defended his IKF FCR Super Welterweight World Title by defeating Eningoff Neilson of Newcastle, England.
    • Dave Marinoble (Left) of Roseville, CA, USA. On July 28th, 2001 in Kuala Limpur Malaysia, IKF US Middleweight and IKF North American Super Middleweight Champion Marinoble defeated then World Champion Champion Tommy Kimber of Salem, Massachusetts, USA by TKO in the 8th round for Kimber's IKF Pro World Middleweight Title.
    • Anthony Bartinelli (Right) of Phoenix, Arizona, USA. On April 17th, 2001 in Phoenix, Arizona, USA, former IKF U.S. Amateur Champion Bartinelli defeated then undefeated #1 ranked Mike Nagy of Lake In The Hills, Illinois, USA by KO to win the IKF FCR Light Middleweight World Title. He fought again on October 9th, 2001 in Phoenix, Arizona, USA in a non title bout and defeated Bradenton, Florida, USA's Larry Jarrett by unanimous decision..
      • Honorable Mention: Leo "The Artist" Verontchjk of Russia. IKF Pro FCR European Champion.
  • Pro San Shou Rules: Cung Le, (Right) San Jose, CA, USA. On December 15th, 2001 in San Jose California, USA, Cung Le become the first IKF San Shou World Champion when he won the Light Heavyweight Title by unanimous decision over Shoni Carter of Chicago, Illinois, USA.
  
  
• 2001 IKF EUROPEAN Pro Fighter Of The Year
  • Kevin Smiles, Newcastle, England
• 2001 IKF Amateur Fighters Of The Year
  • Amateur Men's International Rules: Narayan Stitt, (Left) of Seaside, California, USA. Having already won the 2000 IKF USA National Amateur IR Middleweight Title, Stitt was back to defend it in 2001 where in his first round he defeated Jason Lovelace by TKO after the first round when Lovelace couldn't answer the bell for round 2. Stitt advanced to the Final where he defeated Todd Whitmoyer by majority decision, 30-27, 30-27 and 28-28.
  • Jorge Hernandez, (Right) Aurora, Colorado, USA. At the 2001 IKF USA National Amateur Tournament Hernandez defeated David Foley of Ogden, Utah in round 1. In the final he defeated 2000 National Champion Adam Rogers of Seaside, California by unanimous decision, 29-27, 30-26 & 29-26 to win the IKF USA National Light Middleweight Title.
  • Danny Kelly of San (Left) Jose, California, USA. Kelly was picked this year more for what we've seen him do over the years and not so much for his 2001 IKF USA Nationals win over John Greaves who he defeated by TKO at 45 seconds into the 3rd round to claim the Light Heavyweight Title.
    
    
  • Amateur Men's Full Contact Rules:
    • Craig Richardson (No picture available) of Newcastle, England. On April 29th, 2001 in Newcastle, England, Richardson became the first IKF Amateur FCR World Champion when he defeated Bruno Susano of Portugal by unanimous decision.
    • Paul Middlehurst (No picture available) of Haydock, England. On July 15th, 2001 in Kirkby, Liverpool, England, Middlehurst defeated Taigo Mendes of Portugal to become the 2nd IKF Amateur World Champion. He won the IKF Junior Amateur World Lightweight Title.
    • Robert Elledge (Right) of Roseville, California, USA. At the 2001 IKF USA National Amateur Tournament, Elledge in round 1 defeated Al Ronnei of Mondovi, Wisconsin. Later the same day in round 2 he fought and defeated by TKO, then undefeated (And 2000 Champion) Matt Bentley of Omaha, Nebraska. In the final he took a unanimous decision win over Curt Mickle of Atlanta, Georgia, USA to win the title.
    • Kyle McElroy (No picture available) of Lake Zurich, Illinois, USA. At the 2001 IKF USA National Amateur Tournament, McElroy was out to defend his 2000 National Tournament title. In his opening round, McElroy, defeated Jeffery Williams of Berlin, Georgia by TKO at break of rounds 1 & 2 to advance to Round 2. In round 2 he defeated Tom Poey of Virginia Beach, Virginia by split decision 30-27, 30-27 & 28-29 to advance to the Final. In the finals he defeated Matt Mayer of Spooner, Wisconsin by split decision, 29-28, 28-27 & 27-26 to win the title for the 2nd year in a row.
    • Danny Griffin (No picture available) of Lake in the Hills, Illinois, USA. At the 2001 IKF USA National Amateur Tournament, Griffin defeated Chris Terry of Phoenix, Arizona by unanimous decision, 30-16, 30-26 & 30-26 to advance to round 2.In round 2, Griffin defeated Shannon Hudson of Lyman, South Carolina, 30-27, 29-28 & 30-27 to advance to the Final. In the final Griffin defeated Zachary Day of Augusta, Georgia by unanimous decision, 29-28, 30-27 & 29-27 to win the National Title.
    • Trent Tompkins (Right) of Waterloo, Iowa, USA. At the 2001 IKF USA National Amateur Tournament, Tompkins in round 1 defeated David Hampton of Calmet City, Illinois by TKO at 28 seconds into the 2nd round to advance to the Final where he met and defeated the 2000 National Champion John Lenamon of Abilene, Texas by unanimous decision, 29-28, 29-27 & 29-27 to win the National Title.
    • Anthony McGaughey (Left) of Norman, Oklahoma, USA. Like last year, how could we forget the perfection of McGaughey who continued his undefeated streak at this years Nationals when he defeated Jeff Bederd of St Louis, Missouri who had a 24-2 record, by unanimous decision, 30-27, 30-27 & 29-28. In the win, he defended his IKF US National Light Middleweight title and kept his perfect record in tact at 18-0 with 14 wins by TKO/KO.
  • Amateur Men's FCR Honorable Mention: Tim Ball of Pennsville, New Jersey, USA. When Ball finished fighting Mark Snow of Lake Zurich, Illinois, USA at this years IKF USA National Amateur Tournament, few waited for the MC to announce Tim's situation. Nearly everyone at Ringside at ring 2 stood to their feet and gave Tim a standing ovation for his efforts. When the applause quieted down, the MC explained how Tim had went through months of waiting for us at the IKF to make a decision whether or not to allow him to fight. We had several e-mails in support of him competing and finally, we made the decision to allow him to compete. The MC said to everyone there, "We decided, if Tim Ball wanted to walk the walk, we weren't going to stop him!" And the place erupted with yet another standing ovation. If you were there you would have felt a lot of emotion in the room. Tim represented every fighter at that moment. What was so special about Tim Ball? He was a fighter with a paralyzed right arm that simply hung to his side. He proved that if a 1 arm man could make the effort to "Walk The WALK" than NO ONE else could ever have a valid excuse. Tim may have lost his bout, but he won the hearts of EVERYONE there, and more important, he "Walked The Walk" in front of all his peers. Nothing is more valuable than that.
  • Amateur Men's MuayThai Rules:
    • Carter Williams, (Right) of Modesto, California, USA. After a poor showing on the K-1 USA undercard, Williams came to the IKF USA National Amateur Championships. In round 1 he defeated John Grantham of Athens, Georgia, USA by split decision 29-28, 29-28 & 28-29 to advance to the final. In the final, he faced 2000 Champion Kurt Hasley and defeated him by unanimous decision, 29-27, 29-27 & 28-27. In November of this year Williams went to Canada and defeated Andre Beaulieu of Red Deer, Alberta, Canada at the 1:42 mark of the second round. In the win Williams picked up an Amateur North American Super Heavyweight Title.
  • Amateur Men's San Shou Rules:
    • Lee King, (No picture available) Houston, Texas, USA. On July 21st, 2001 in San Jose California, USA, King defeated Allen Eggburt of Bellefontaine, Ohio, USA by TKO at 1:54 of round 3, 2001 to win the IKF Amateur US San Shou Light Heavyweight Title.
    • Kimo Rigmadon, (No picture available) Houston, Texas, USA. On July 21st, 2001 in San Jose California, USA, Rigmadon defeated Previous Champion Chris Overbey of Bellefontaine, Ohio, by unanimous decision to win the IKF Amateur US San Shou Middleweight Title.
  • Amateur Women's Full Contact Rules:
    • Rebecca Preacher (Right) of Simpsonville, South Carolina, USA. It was billed as "The Ultimate Amateur Women's Showdown!" Why "The Ultimate?" The bout was a defense of Jennifer Thysen's IKF Amateur FCR U.S. Welterweight Title. Thysen of DePree Wisconsin, USA won the title at the 1999 USA National Amateur Tournament however Preacher won the same title at the 2000 IKF USA National Amateur Tournament by split decision (29-28, 28-29, 30-27) in one of the closest bouts of the tournament over Thyssen. After the bout, there was controversy as to who really was the best Woman's FCR Welterweight in the Nation. So, on On June 23rd, 2001 in Carlton Minnesota USA the two met and Preacher defeated Thyssen by TKO round 4. As many of you know, to win an IKF U.S. title today, it can only be won at the National Tournament. This bout on a regular event was the last time a USA National Title was fought for outside the National Amateur Tournament. At the 2001 IKF USA Nationals though Thyssen showed up and defeated Terrie Hicks of Augusta, Georgia by unanimous decision, 30-27, 29-28 & 29-28 to reclaim the title back.
    • Tara Opielouski, (Right) Norman, Oklahoma, USA. At the 2001 IKF USA National Amateur Tournament, in round 1, Opielouski, (0-0) defeated Kathy Hagler of Roswell, Georgia by TKO at 1:08 of round 2 to advance to round 2. In round 2, Opielouski defeated Katie Ehrhardt (8-1) of Buffalo Grove, Illinois. At the final, Opielouski won the Woman's USA National FCR Super Lightweight Title by forfeit when opponent Jennifer Woodrome of Imperial, Missouri choose not to fight due to a neck/back pain she got from her previous bout.
  • Amateur Women's MuayThai Rules: Rebecca Natt, (No picture available) New York, New York, USA. At the 2001 IKF USA National Amateur Tournament, in round 1 Natt defeated Rachel Thomas of Milwaukee, Wisconsin by unanimous decision, 29-28, 29-27 & 29-28 to advance to the Final. In the final she defeated Jennifer Butler of Amboy, Illinois by unanimous decision, 30-26, 30-27 & 30-26 to win the. IKF USA National Lightweight Title.
  • Amateur Women's International Rules: TBA
  • Amateur Women's San Shou Rules: Jenna Castilo, (Right) San Jose, CA, USA. On July 21st, 2001, San Jose, California, USA, Castilo defeated Katie Meehan of Denver Colorado, USA by TKO at 1:56 of round 2 to win the vacant IKF Amateur Woman's Bantamweight Title. In her first defense on December 15th, 2001 in San Jose, California, USA she defeated Christine Yandolli by Unanimous Decision 4 rounds to 0 on all 3 judges cards. Castilo's only problem is finding good "Experienced San Shou" competition in the woman's ranks.
• 2001 IKF EUROPEAN Amateur Fighter Of The Year
  • Bruno Susano, Abrantes, Portugal

2001 IKF Trainers Of The Year
This award is decided by many factors. Most importantly, it is not decided by just 1 single fighter that may have won a big title. This award is chosen by "Continued" efforts in the sport within IKF sanctioned events for the past year. But it is not just this 1 thing that makes one attain this award, but many things such as;

• How many fighters of yours participate on IKF Sanctioned Events.
• How many win.
• How many IKF Titles are won by them.
• What is your TEAMS attitude outside the ring.
• Your action as a cornerman or women.
• Their skill level.
• Their technique as a fighter.
• Their endurance.
• Their expressed improvement over time.
• That they participate on not just a couple, but several IKF Sanctioned events a year.

So with this being known, here, in no particular order are the 2001 IKF Trainers of the Year:

• Jesse Finney, St Louis, Missouri, USA. Team Finney Championship Kickboxing. Full Contact Rules, Amateurs only. Trainer of 3, 2001 IKF USA National Amateur Champions and a host of other winning Amateur Full Contact Rule Style Fighters.
• Clement & Rhonda Vierra, Phoenix, Arizona, USA. Hard Knocks Gym. Trainers of IKF Pro FCR Light Middleweight World Champion Anthony Bartinelli and trainers of 4, 2001 IKF USA National Amateur Champions. Full Contact and International Rule Styles.
• Rob & Jimmy Zbilski, Chicago, Illinois, USA. Team Z. Trainer of 3, 2001 IKF USA National Amateur Champions including 2001 Amateur FCR Fighters of the year, Kyle McElroy and Danny Griffin. Pro and Amateur Full Contact Rules only.
• Duke Roufus, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA. Team Roufus ? Duke Roufus Gym. Trainer of 5, 2001 IKF USA National Amateur Champions and many other Pro and Amateur Champions. Pro and Amateur MuayThai and International Rule Styles.
• Ray Thompson, Simpsonville, South Carolina, USA. Trainer of Rebecca Preacher and of the 4 fighters he took to the 2001 IKF USA National Amateur Tournament, 3 won their titles. Full Contact Rules only.

2001 IKF Promoter Of The Year
This Inductee is selected not just by number of events. They are selected by the style and manner of their promotions. This includes their event organization and presentation which includes, event start time, event activity schedule timing, event special effects, venue cleanliness, ringside set up, event programs and officials. Something to note here. Did the IKF Event Representative need to do a lot of work to help the event once there or just their suggested duty? Next they are judged on their hospitality they provided their guests, fighters, trainers and officials from travel in, accommodations as well as food and or daily per-diem expenses. Next they are selected by their willingness to follow the Rules and Regulations of the IKF from having qualified officials, good matchmaking of undercard bouts as well as Title bout requirements, Pro Purse distribution, IKF sanction logo appearance on all event ads, (Posters, programs, radio, TV, banners etc. etc.) following the sanctioning fee time guidelines. One of the most important selection is their event reports. Did they send the IKF Headquarters a pre-event as well as a post event press release so we can pre-post the event before it happens and after it happens on the NEWS Page for others to see. In addition, the results sheet should always include all the fighters info such as name, hometown, record, weight, height, age and contact number. These are available right here on the IKF Website for both Amateur Bouts and Pro Bouts. And finally, these promoters must do a minimum of 3 events a year (Or only 2 as long as they are directly associated with the organization of at least 2 others) 1 to qualify for this award.

After we look at all these things that to us, make a good event promoter, the one with the highest point total per average of event was selected as the 2001 IKF Promoter of the Year. And the winner is...

1. Mike & Elizabeth Carlson, (Right) Augusta, Georgia, USA HONORABLE MENTION
   • Alby Bimpson, Merseyside, England
   • Lane Collyer, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
   • Russ O'Connell, Waterloo, Iowa, USA
   • Duke Roufus & Scott Joffe, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA.
   • Andre Thomas, Wings Promotions and TNT Kickboxing, Kuala Limpur, Malaysia.
   • Jesse Finney, St Louis, Missouri, USA

• 2001 IKF Europe Promoters Of The Year
  • Professional: Morris Young
  • Amateur: Steve Donnelly & Mike Fowles

2001 IKF EUROPEAN Special Acknowledgements

• Michael Kossivakis, Greece: For Promoting IKF in Greece against all the odds
• Marcel David, France: For his help and co-operation.
• Istvan Rozman & Team, Hungary: For their contributions to shows in Europe.
• Nuno Ferreira, Portugal: Personality of the Year.
• Oleg Vadatursky & Team, Russia: For his friendship and sincerity
• ALL The IKF officials.
• Jacqui Thompson: Our IKF European Directors "GO TO" person who handles the IKF European Headquarters and organizes the efforts of all the IKF Europe Team above and is a diplomat who controls the brain.

IKF PRESTIGE AWARD
The IKF PRESTIGE AWARD is Awarded to the Individuals who have done the most for the IKF during the year. Who have contributed the most to the IKF such as bringing in new IKF Event Promoters, Registering new IKF Fighters, helping with new ideas for the IKF as well as helping make them a reality. Their work "Behind" the scenes to make the IKF grow stronger for everyone on the IKF World Team. This does not include PAID Positions of the IKF, Paid help or individuals efforts who knew their work would be financially rewarded. This award is about WHO has gone the extra mile for the TEAM at their own expense without expecting or awaiting any return on their investment, for THE TEAM! Some of them you may know their names while others, you may wonder who they are. Let it be known that their work and efforts for "THE TEAM", meaning ALL of you, are Greatly Noticed and Appreciated here at the IKF World Headquarters. Not that your efforts are not appreciated as well, truly, they are. It's just that these are the ones who have stood out in 2002 in going the extra mile. This is the ultimate TEAM AWARD! Now, In no particular order...This years 2001 IKF Prestige awards go to,

• Mike Carlson, (Pictured Above) Augusta, Georgia, USA. For his countless hours spent assisting in both IKF Event organization as well as many of the legal issues related to the IKF and kickboxing in the USA. Also for his never ending desire to bring out perfection in other IKF Event Promoters to help them succeed as he has done with his own events.
• Alex MacDonald, (No Picture Available) IKF Japan. For his continuous "Neutral" commentary in the sport of kickboxing from IKF issues and events to his dynamic reports on the K-1 events. Many of you have seen changes that Mr. MacDonald has been a part of, but you never knew it. Keep up the Great work Alex.
• Johnny Davis, (Click name for picture) San Jose, California, USA. For his non stop work to try and bring the IKF to the next needed level for all of us on the IKF World Team. The attaining of major worldwide sponsorship and the reality of the long awaited IKF TV Deal. It will happen, it's just a matter of time. And not to mention the fact that Mr. Davis just finished the official IKF Training Manual which is due out in January of 2002.
• Fred Fitzgerald, (Click name for picture) Neptune New Jersey, USA. Always there when we need him to be the chief head of officials for IKF MuayThai. His donated time and efforts from helping with the IKF USA National Amateur Tournament (All 3 years) to being the 3rd man in the ring at IKF MuayThai World Title bouts, he is Truly PRICELESS! If your a promoter doing MuayThai bouts, you need to have Mr. Fitzgerald as your head of officials and chief MuayThai Referee.
• Toni Foster, (Right) Auburn, California, USA. For her work and time for IKF Graphics, event pictures and IKF artwork for all IKF Literature. She has spent countless hours creating designs, logos, brochures and programs for IKF Events around the world. If your a promoter and you want a HIGH QUALITY Program, you need to have Toni and her staff at Foster Graphics help you.
• Doug Dickey, (No Picture Available) IKF Mexico. Always the IKF face very few see, but every IKF event that has made it's way into Mexico has had Doug Dickey helping somewhere along the way. From organizing title bouts to offering transportation, Mr. Dickey has been "Making It Happen" with very little fanfare.
• Sean Wohl, (No Picture Available) Daytona Beach, Florida, USA. Mr. Wohl has been with the IKF longer than any of this years inductees. From being an IKF Event Promoter, official, to an IKF Event Representative Mr. Wohl has saved many promoters from disaster because of their disorganization and he's received very little if not nothing in return. He is truly a cornerpost in the IKF World Team.

(IKF, European Director Alby Bimpson and
of course, IKF President Steve Fossum are not eligible for this award. )

Congratulations To Our
2001 IKF Hall of Fame Inductees!

More News Of 12-31-01

More News On The Record...

Here's the latest news on the hit record for IKFKickboxing.com As of end of day yesterday, December 30th, 2001, the IKF website had a total of 660,235 Hits. We have 1 more day left in December so we'll see what the final count is tomorrow. So far we have an average of 22,007 hits per day, a slight drop from yesterday of the 22,131 hits per day average.

As we were yesterday, we were glad to see the average time on the site for December rose up even more to an average of 39.08 minutes as compared to an average of 36.40 minutes yesterday. Since May, when we first started tracking our hits on IKFKickboxing.com up to yesterday, December 30th, we have received a total of 4,294,632 Hits.

SUNDAY, December 30th, 2001, AT 7:00 PM, PT

Keeping Watch Of The New Record...

If anyone wanted to know, we thought we'd keep you posted on the new hit record for IKFKickboxing.com As of end of day yesterday, December 29th, 2001, the IKF website had a total of 641,820 Hits with 2 counting days left in December... With an average of 22,131 hits per day, it's not likely we'll reach the next mark of 700,000 hits, but we're looking forward to seeing how close we come to it.

Something we were very glad to see though was that the average time on the site for December came back up again to an average of 36.40 minutes which was up from 34.90 minutes and the 35.10 mark from a few days ago.

Since May, when we first started tracking our hits on IKFKickboxing.com up to yesterday, December 29th, we have received a total of 4,276,217 Hits. As we come closer and closer to that 700,000 Hit mark, we'll keep you posted.

More News Of 12-30-01

More Of The Best Of The Best In The IKF!
Look For The 2001 IKF Hall of Fame Inductees To Be Announced HERE Tomorrow...Monday, December 31st!

More News Of 12-30-01

Mexico's
Enrique Flores...
Shameful Acts
Of A Jealous Man!

Click Here to read this Story...

FRIDAY, December 28th, 2001, AT 8:30 PM, PT

The Best Of The Best In The IKF!
The Announcement of the 2000 and 2001 IKF Hall of Fame Inductees!

Well, we don't have all the IKF Hall of Fame winners yet for 2001 but we thought we'd give you what we have so far for the 2000 IKF Season. Sorry they were announced late but still, here's the 2000 IKF Hall of Fame Inductees!

• 2000 IKF All Around Pro Fighter Of The Year:
  • Dmitry Shakuta, (Right) Minsk Belarus. In January of 2000, Shakuta defeated Fernando Calleros of Albq. New Mexico, USA by decision to win the vacant IKF Pro Welterweight MuayThai Rules Intercontinental Title in Minsk Belarus. On February 26th, 2000 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA he lost a Very Close majority decision to IKF MTR World Champion Kongnapa. On June 29th, 2000 he defeated Pramuenrit Sithsaeng-a-run of Thailand in Novosibirsk, Russia to win the IKF Pro Jr. Middleweight MuayThai World Title which was questionably vacated by Kongnapa's trainers who announced his retirement after his last bout. The very next month, Shakuta won another World Title when he defeat the 5 Time WAKO Pro World Champion Keinth Nathan (Pele).
  
  
• 2000 IKF All Around Amateur Fighter Of The Year:
  • Trisha Hill (Below Left) Lawerenceville, Georgia, USA. On March 10th, 2000 in Dalton Georgia, USA, Hill defeated Tracy Kuschel of Omaha, Nebraska, USA by TKO to win Kuschel's IKF United States Bantomweight International Rules Title. On July 29th, 2000 in Merraitt, Georgia, USA, Hill defeated Jacqueline Chavez of Los Lunas, New Mexico to win the vacant IKF Women's Amateur IR U.S. Featherweight Title. At the 2000 IKF USA National Amateur Tournament Hill won the FCR Woman's Lightweight National Tournament Title in impressive fashion with a spinning crescent kick KO at 1:09 of the 3rd round in what was "The Women's Bout of the Tournament over Katie Ehrhardt of Lake Zurich, Illinois, USA. Finally on December 2nd, 2000 in Monterey, California, USA Hill defeated Angela Rivera, Las Vegas Nevada, USA to win the vacant IKF Woman's MuayThai Rules U. S. Featherweight Title. It was Hill's 4th IKF U.S. Amateur Title win of the year which should clearly explain why we choose her IKF Amateur Fighter of the Year!
  
  
• 2000 IKF Pro Fighters Of The Year:
  • 2 For MuayThai Rules: Dmitry Shakuta, Minsk Belarus.
  • And (MTR): Kongnapa, (Right) St. Paul, Minnesota, USA. After he retained his IKF World Title by defeating Dimitri Shakuta of Minsk Belarus by majority decision on February 26th, in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA, his manager announced his retirement. However, the announcement was questioned by Kongnapa who came back later in the year on November 10th, in Atlanta, Georgia, USA to defeat Pedro Villalobos of Atlanta, Georgia, USA by KO to win the vacant IKF Pro MuayThai Middleweight World Title.
    
    
  • International Rules: Fernando Calleros, (Left) Albq. New Mexico. After being the only American fighter to go the distance against a fighter on the Minsk Belarus Team in Belarus in January, Calleros ended up losing the MuayThai bout to Dmitry Shakuta. But he came back to defeat Miguel Reyes of Tijauana, Mexico to win the vacant IKF Super Welterweight IR World Title on June 26th, 2000 in Sacramento, California, USA.
    
    
    
    
  • Full Contact Rules: Garnet John (No Picture Available) of England who on April 21st, 2000 defeated Jose Perez, Portugal to win the vacant IKF Pro FCR Lightweight World Title in Brighton, England.
  
  
• 2000 IKF Amateur Fighters Of The Year:
  • Men International Rules: Kurt Hasley, (Right) of Chattanooga, Tennessee, USA won his opening round bout at the 2000 IKF USA National Amateur Tournament over R. J. (Robert) Bruland, of Omaha, Nebraska, USA by TKO at 1:13 of round 2. In the finals he defeated Edward Harrington, of Drexel Hill, Pennsylvania, USA by TKO at 1:25 of round 1 to win the 2000 IKF USA National Amateur Super Heavyweight Title. On December 3rd, 2000 in Calgary, Alberta, Canada he defeated the 2000 WKA Canadian National Champion Keith Crawford of Calgary Alberta Canada by KO to win the IKF Amateur IR Super Heavyweight North American Title.
    
    
  • Men Full Contact Rules: Anthony McGaughey, (At Left in 2001 Photo) of Norman, Oklahoma, USA won his first round bout at the 2000 IKF USA National Amateur Tournament over Frank Glover of Lake Zurich, Illinois by TKO at 1:59 of round 3. He went on to defeat Marc Mayfield of St Louis Missouri, USA by by TKO at 1:22 of the 3rd round to win the IKF USA National Amateur Tournament FCR Light Middleweight Title and stayed undefeated at 17-0 with 14 wins by KO or TKO.
    
    
  • Men MuayThai Rules: Derek Yuen, (Right in a picture from 2001) Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA. On February 26th, 2000 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA Yuen won the IKF Amateur Light Heavyweight Wisconsin State MuayThai Title over Brian Rood of Hudson, Wisconsin, USA. He later went on to win the IKF USA National MTR Light Heavyweight Title over Kevin Brown of Omaha, Nebraska, USA by TKO at 1:32 of round 2.
    
    
  • Women "ALL" Rules: Trisha Hill, Lawerenceville, Georgia, USA.
  
  
• 2000 IKF Trainers Of The Year:
  • Gary Brown, (Right) Lawerenceville, Georgia, USA. The Trainer who made 4 Time IKF National Amateur Champion Trisha Hill (Above) what she was in 2000!
    
    
  • Evgeny Kotelnikov, (Below Right) Minsk, Belarus. Trainer of IKF MTR World Champion Dimitri Shakuta (Above).
  
  
• 2000 IKF Promoters Of The Year:
  • Evgeny Kotelnikov, Minsk, Belarus (Below Right)
  • Alby Bimpson, Merseyside, England (Below Left)
  • Duke Roufus, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA (Right)

IKF PRESTIGE AWARD
Awarded to 2 People For the Year 2000

The IKF PRESTIGE AWARD is Awarded to the Individual who did the most for the IKF during the year. This one is judged by who has contributed the most to the IKF such as bringing new promoters, fighters etc. and helped the growth of the IKF the most.

Alby Bimpson, Merseyside, England (Left)
and Evgeny Kotelnikov, Minsk, Belarus(Right)

Congratulations To Our
2000 IKF Hall of Fame Inductees!

More News Of 12-28-01

Over 600,000 For IKFKickboxing.com
And Still Counting!

As anticipated, IKFKickboxing.com has past yet another milestone for number of hits in 1 month. The new record is yet another milestone for kickboxing exposure around the world. As of end of day yesterday, December 27th, 2001, the IKF website had a total of 607,892 Hits breaking the old record set in November of 566,087 hits by more than 40,000. This number will of course grow higher as there are still 4 traffic days yet to total to this number (Today, the 28th, 29th, 30 & 31st.)

As anticipated, the average number of daily hits dropped a few notches but not as much as expected from a couple of days ago (22,693). The daily average stayed strong at 22,514 while also as expected, the length of time for each visitor dropped slightly to 34.90 minutes from 35.10 a few days ago. Yesterdays hit count was 21,895.

Web Lingo... Since May 1st when we started tracking our web traffic up to yesterday, December 27th, IKFKickboxing.com has had 4,242,289 Hits from 148 different country domains, 353 Browser Trees, 348 Platform Trees and 500 computer setups combos.

More News Of 12-28-01

More Events Or More Money?

The year 2002 will mark the 10 year anniversary for the IKF which did it's first event on August 1st, 1992 in Roseville, California, USA. To celebrate our 10 year Anniversary we asked ourselves a simple question. "What would we like to see more of, Money or IKF Events?" Well, sure, we'd like to make millions of dollars just like everyone else, but our goal has always been focused on "Re-building" the sport of kickboxing and it's worked successfully so far so why change. We figure if our millions are meant to be, they'll come in time, but for now, we need to look at how we can help the sport grow, so we choose More IKF Events as our answer.

Our next question was "How can we see more World Title Defenses of our current IKF World Champions?" As many know, very few World Champions in any Kickboxing organization are ever challenged to defend their World Titles. In fact, we've noticed that very few Champions (Amateur & Pro) of any type (state, regional, national etc. etc.) are ever challenged. So we decided to make some changes in this area as well.

First, we lowered some of the amateur and pro sanctioning fees to make it easier for IKF promoters to pay for IKF Sanctioning on IKF Title bouts. Hopefully this will get more potential promoters interested in creating fight opportunities for the many kickboxers around the world.

Next, we added a reduced rate for promoters to pay when they're sanctioning an IKF Title "Defense" on their event. Hopefully this will spark more title defenses among the current IKF Title holders of both amateur and pro ranks and of all titles.

To see our new rates for sanctioning fees and Title Defense fees, go to our IKF SANCTIONING FEES Page HERE! We have a lot more in store for our IKF Promoters that will help them put a little more cash in their pockets for the 2002 season and beyond. However, these additional benefits will only be for active IKF promoters that are working with the IKF as of February 1st, 2002. So if you've been considering hosting an IKF Sanctioned event, you need to plan it now to take advantage of some of the things we have in store for everyone in 2002.

Happy New Year Everyone... And as you can see...
It looks like it's going to be a BANG of a Year for IKF Kickboxing!

WEDNESDAY, December 26th, 2001, AT 6:40 PM, PT

New Hit Record For IKFKickboxing.com!

With only 6 Sanctioned IKF Events in December, one would think there would be very little action on the IKF website. Not to mention the Christmas Holiday Season and all with students away from school and people off work and on the Ski slopes instead of behind a computer. However, despite the slow month for events, the IKF website is proud to announce a New Monthly HIT Record, and the month's not over yet!

As of yesterday, December 25th, Christmas day, the hit count on the IKF Website totalled 567,348 HITS! This beat the old monthly record set last month (November) of 566,087 HITS! But it's not over yet since there are still 6 days left in December. Will we reach 600,000?

The average hits per day was up as well with a current average of 22,693. This of course will drop over the next few days since these last few days in December are holidays that will not find too many people behind their computers. So far the best month with the highest Daily Hit Average was again, last month (November) averaging 18,869 Hits Per day. The best surprise for December though is the average time spent on the site per visitor. The current record was set back in July of 36.03 minutes. So far this month, that average is at 35.10 minutes, up over 16 minutes from last month.

As the year comes to an end, look for the postings of the IKF Yearly Hall of Fame Inductees for 2001 as well as the late postings of the 2000 winners.

TUESDAY, December 18th, 2001, AT 6:50 PM, PT
Pictures Added Friday, December 21st, 2001, AT 9:00 PM, PT

San Shou EXPLODES In San Jose, CA, USA!
Cung Le Becomes First IKF San Shou World Champion... While Jedeepitak, Ott, Madigan, Soto and Castillo All Win Their Title Bouts On "UNITED FOR THE CHILDREN" Event!

Last Saturday night, December 15th, UsH! Entertainment and G-Up Promotions hosted UNITED FOR THE CHILDREN. A Benefit Event for the The Twin Towers Orphan Fund and the Marine Toys for Tots Foundation at the San Jose Event Center in San Jose, California, USA.

A crowd of about 1,500 were treated to a great night of San Shou Style fighting which featured 12 San Shou fighters from East to West fighting for 6 IKF San Shou Titles. The Main event of the night featured the top ranked San Shou Fighter in the Nation, Cung Le (Left) San Jose, California, USA against top UFC competitor Shoni Carter (Right) of Chicago, Illinois, USA. This was a great bout that saw two warriors going at it toe to toe. Unlike some of Le's former opponents, Carter was much stronger and wasn't allowing Le any easy throws as we've seen in past bouts. Carter was strong in the clinch and had plenty of weapons from the outside as well. It was sure to be a true test of Le's fighting skills as well as Carters.

In the opening seconds of round 1, the two banged heads which resulted in a cut over Le's right eye. Immediately the cut started to bleed quite a bit which brought a worry to everyone at ringside, wondering if the ringside doctor was going to request the bout be stopped early due to an accidental injury. If so, the bout would have ended in a "No Contest", but this was not to be on this night. As the round ended, Le's corner did an excellent job of sealing the cut to insure the bout would continue. The first round saw Le ahead in total points on the 3 judges cards. Judge Jon Schorle scored it 18-10. Judge Susan Thomas Gitlin scored it 31-17 and judge Marcos Rosalas scored it 17-4.

NOTE: San Shou scoring is a lot like Amateur Boxing. Each strike that a judge sees as a scoring blow (Kick or Punch) the judge clicks a point on his/her judges clicker. Throw points are also added to the striking points. The throw points are awarded by the referee after each throw. Throw points are 1,2 or 3. All of these points make up the final round score. With this system, there will always be a vast difference in "Counted" points at the end of a round. In final scoring, only 1 point is awarded after each round which goes to the fighter with the highest point total. In round 1, Cung Le won on all 3 judges cards so he lead on all 3 judges cards 1 round to 0 after round 1.

In round 2, both fighters seemed to pull back a bit to re-think their strategy. In the end, Le was ahead on all 3 judges cards again. Judge Jon Schorle scored it 8-5. Judge Susan Thomas Gitlin scored it 23-14 and judge Marcos Rosalas scored it 9-4. As the bout continued, Le proved he was the one with the throwing skills. Carter on the other hand continued to keep his focus on scoring points in the stand-up fighting which was soon to be his downfall. Le scored on several of his throw attempts to win round 3 decisively. Judge Jon Schorle scored it 16-8. Judge Susan Thomas Gitlin scored it 34-17 and judge Marcos Rosalas scored it 18-7

In round 4 we saw a lot of the same. Carter continued his stand-up striking and tried to get at Le's cut over his right eye, landing a few good shots here and there. However, the points in the throw category continued to make all the difference as Le won round 4 with ease. Judge Jon Schorle scored it 14-7. Judge Susan Thomas Gitlin scored it 30-19 and judge Marcos Rosalas scored it 10-3.

In the final round the two continued the same pace. Carter still failed to score any throw points and managed little in the stand-up game as Le scored in both stand-up as well as throws. Although Carter was a strong opponent for Le, he was no match for Le's throwing skills. He was able to continue standing both times Le attempted his famous Scissor Sweep takedown but wasn't able to counter some of Le's other throws. At the end of the 5th, Le again won on all 3 judges cards. Judge Jon Schorle scored it 10-5. Judge Susan Thomas Gitlin scored it 27-14 and judge Marcos Rosalas scored it 19-5.

In the end, Le won on all 3 judges cards 5 rounds to 0 to be the first to capture an IKF San Shou World Title in the ring. Carter proved to be one of Le's toughest opponents. Although he didn't have the throwing skills to match Le, his heart and toughness kept him strong throughout all 5 rounds. Great fight by both!

After this match-up, the question was asked, "Who has the San Shou Skills to match-up against Cung Le?" With that in mind it was clear to understand why many were saying that the future of not only Cung Le as a San Shou Style Fighter, but the fighting style of San Shou itself will be tested in the future competition of this rules style whether it be called San Shou or "Punch, Kick Throw." It's clear that Le is one of the Greatest San Shou style fighters in the World. He's proved this time and time again, but the question is,

"Who's Next?"

The Semi Main Event lost some of it's hype when IKF MT & IR World Champion Danny Steele (Left) of Los Angeles, CA, USA didn't make the weight cut off of 147 lbs for the vacant IKF San Shou Welterweight World Title. Steele made 149.5 but was unable to drop any more as he was nursing a groin injury he had suffered about 4 weeks ago. Because of this, Matee Jedeepitak (Right) of Ratchaburi, Thailand via Indianapolis, Indiana, USA was awarded the World Title by forfeit. However, both fighters agreed to fight anyway to assure some excitement for the event.

In round 1, Steele was hit in the head with a knee strike by Jedeepitak which dropped him to the canvas. Referee Marcos Rosalas didn't see the knee and gave Steele an 8 count instead. (Knees were not legal in any of these bouts) As if that wasn't enough to slow Steele down, he also re-injured his groin at the end of the round when he threw a kick. However, as many know, Steele wasn't about to have the injury stop him. Steele tried his best to fight toe to toe with Jedeepitak but it was not meant to be. Unable to move at will Jedeepitak picked his shots against Steele and landed them wherever he wanted to. After 1 the scores were, Judge Jon Schorle scored it 28-27 for Steele. Judge Susan Thomas Gitlin scored it 47-11 for Jedeepitak and judge Dan Stell scored it 29-8 for Jedeepitak.

Round 2 started strong as Steele tried to put more pressure on Jedeepitak. However Jedeepitak exploded back with an attack of his own. Picking his shots from a simple jab to explosive leg kicks, these two wouldn't get into any kind of Throwing game, but the stand-up action was explosive when they mixed it up. As round 2 continued the two seemed to do more standing around than fighting. Playing a waiting game to see who would commit first. When they did Jedeepitak seemed to always come away with the best. As in the Draka style of fighting Steele fought in the mid 90's, the "Point System" once again hurt Steele as his activity wasn't anywhere near Jedeepitak who scored and scored often with his hands and feet. In round 2, judge Jon Schorle scored it 17-9 for Jedeepitak. Judge Susan Thomas Gitlin scored it 25-14 for Jedeepitak and judge Dan Stell scored it 18-8 for Jedeepitak.

As the rounds progressed, it all looked the same. Although Jedeepitak was making a name off an injured Steele, the fact was, HE WAS MAKING A NAME! Everyone was impressed at his skill and technique. After round 3, judge Jon Schorle scored it 20-10 for Jedeepitak. Judge Susan Thomas Gitlin scored it 31-11 for Jedeepitak and judge Dan Stell scored it 22-9 for Jedeepitak. After round 4, judge Jon Schorle scored it 15-6 for Jedeepitak. Judge Susan Thomas Gitlin scored it 28-9 for Jedeepitak and judge Dan Stell scored it 14-6 for Jedeepitak.

when round 5 came around, Jedeepitak didn't want to leave any doubt in the judges minds or the fans. Steele was an injured animal with very little movement and Jedeepitak was out for his prey. He exploded with kick and punch combinations scoring at will and impressing everyone. After round 5, judge Jon Schorle scored it 25-5 for Jedeepitak. Judge Susan Thomas Gitlin scored it 37-7 for Jedeepitak and judge Dan Stell scored it 25-3 for Jedeepitak. When it was over, the IKF had no problem crowning Jedeepitak the IKF San Shou World Champion.

What we would like to see though is 2 things. 1, a rematch with a healthy Steele, but more important, for Jedeepitak to challenge IKF World Champion Khunpon (right) for his IKF MuayThai Rules Welterweight World Title. This would be a Great Match-up!

Before the two Pro World Title bouts was the challenge for the vacant IKF Pro San Shou Intercontinental Title between IKF Pro US San Shou Middleweight Champion Rudi Ott (Left) of San Jose California, USA against Peter Kaljevic (Right) who was born in Montenegro, Yugoslavia but currently resides in New York City, New York, USA.

This bout was a strong match for both fighters. However, Ott, as Le in his bout, proved to have all the throwing skill in this match-up. Kaljevic entered the match with plenty of experience having a record of 47 wins, 15 loses with 18 wins coming by KO or TKO. He also proved to have a heavy right hand as well, but in comparison, Ott proved he had a chin as solid as a rock. On several occasions, Ott dropped his left hand and Kaljevic saw the opening and went for it, landing several times. However Ott never staggered and answered back with a sort of "That was a good shot" smile but take this as he threw Kaljevic around the ring. After round 1, judge Jon Schorle scored it 20-6 for Ott. Judge Susan Thomas Gitlin scored it 45-11 for Ott and judge Marcos Rosalas scored it 29-7 for Ott.

This fight was clearly the "Rudi Ott Show" as he used nearly every throw in the book scoring often as if Kaljevic never knew a counter. At the end of round 2, the judges scored the round, judge Jon Schorle 29-12 for Ott. Judge Susan Thomas Gitlin scored it 41-21 for Ott and judge Marcos Rosalas scored it 18-6 for Ott. In round 3, judge Jon Schorle scored it 32-10 for Ott. Judge Susan Thomas Gitlin scored it 39-13 for Ott and judge Marcos Rosalas scored it 23-7 for Ott. In round 4, judge Jon Schorle scored it 20-11 for Ott. Judge Susan Thomas Gitlin scored it 31-16 for Ott and judge Marcos Rosalas scored it 20-12 for Ott. In the final round 5, judge Jon Schorle scored it 15-7 for Ott. Judge Susan Thomas Gitlin scored it 20-11 for Ott and judge Marcos Rosalas scored it 17-5 for Ott.

This was Rudi Ott's title to win and he did so with a strong effort. Although the scores didn't sound close, Kaljevic made a great fight out of it. In the win, Ott was awarded the vacant IKF Pro San Shou Intercontinental Title.

Before the Pro bouts were 3 IKF Amateur San Shou Title Bouts. Here's how they scored;

1. BOUT 1: IKF Amateur San Shou California Cruiserweight Title: Brian Madigan defeated Brian Kuhn by majority decision.
2. BOUT 2: IKF Amateur San Shou Light Middleweight U.S. Title: Although Santos Soto (Right, 11-2/8, 151, 5'9", 17) of San Jose, CA, USA came in under the title weight limit of 153 lbs, the fight continued and he went on to defeat Chris Overby (13-2/7, 157, 5'9) of Bellefontaine, Ohio, USA by TKO at 1:55 of round 3 to claim his second IKF Amateur San Shou U. S. Title.
3. BOUT 3: IKF Amateur San Shou U. S. Bantamweight Title Defense: Jenna Castillo (Below - Left, 7-0, 5'5, 123, 19) of San Jose, CA proved once again that she IS THE WOMAN OF SAN SHOU! Castillo successfully defended her title and continued her undefeated streak by defeating Christine Yandolli (9-3/0, 5'7, 20, 123) of Smithtown, Long Island, New York, USA by unanimous decision.
   • NOTE: To respond to some of the fans comments about the IKF not having a belt to present toCastillo after her win, the reason was because her camp forgot to bring the Title Belt she was defending to the ring. This was not the fault of the IKF.

Ush Entertainment has announced that they would like to promote 3 San Shou style events for the 2002 season. If all are as exciting as this one, we all look forward to seeing more.

For more info on this event, please contact Monica Ortiz at (415) 643-9109 or by e-mail at; monica@unitedforthechildren.com.

THURSDAY, December 13th, 2001, AT 11:00 PM, PT

FOR THE CHILDREN...

100 years from now,
it will not matter. . .
what kind of car I drove,
what kind of house I lived in,
how much I had in my bank account
or what my clothes looked like. . .

But the world may be a little better
because I was important in the life of a
Child...

This Saturday night, December 15th, Cung Le's UsH! Entertainment and G-Up will Present UNITED FOR THE CHILDREN. A Benefit Event for the The Twin Towers Orphan Fund and the Marine Toys for Tots Foundation at the San Jose Event Center in San Jose, California, USA.

There will be 3 Elements that will make this a very special night for everyone. Of course the IKF Title Fights are an element we like to talk about in this article and we will, but probably the most important part is who will benefit from this great event, The Children. The third element that makes this such a special night will be all the individuals involved.

The United For The Children (UFTC) event will combine some of the world's best martial artist with Hip Hop sounds and Hollywood style staging. Ush Entertainment has brought together not only some great kickboxing action ("The American Fight Sport") but also some of the areas best DJ's, hip hop dancers and R & B singers who have prepared quite a show. Unlike a lot of fund-raising Benefits, UFTC will be donating 100 percent of the event net proceeds to The Toys for Tots Foundation and The Twin Towers Orphan Fund. Everyone in the USA as well as around the world has been touched by our national crisis and are aware that holidays are the hardest time for children in need. Because of this, UFTC has organized this event as a way of providing needed funds for the Children at the Holidays.

The Main Event will feature San Shou Superstar Cung Le (Left) of San Jose, California, USA against Shoni Carter (Right) of Chicago, Illinois, USA. Le's, who's impressive career includes being a Light Heavyweight World Champion and Three Time Captain of the US National San Shou Team has been considered by many as one of the greatest fighters on the planet. On the other side of the ring will be UFC's #2 Ranked Middleweight and former Collegiate All-American Wrestler, Shonie "Showtime" Carter. The two will be fighting for the vacant IKF (International Kickboxing Federation) Light Heavyweight San Shou World Title.

Both Le and Carter are 29 years old. Le stands 5'10" to Carter's 5'9". Both plan to weigh in at about 177 lbs. Le's "Overall" fight record is 38 wins and 2 loses with 26 of his wins coming by KO or TKO. Carter's record is 40 wins with 7 loses and 16 wins coming by KO or TKO. Le's fierce style and athletic prowess is catapulting him and "The American Fight Sport" into the mainstream, prompting Black Belt magazine to proclaim him "San Shou Kung Fu's Top Fighter" in January 2001. Carter is a fighter with power, versatility, and style and is known for his over the top, in-your-face bouts with the toughest competitors in the UFC.

The other co-Main Event will be for the vacant IKF Pro San Shou Welterweight World title and will feature 2 Time IKF World Champion Danny Steele (Left) against #1 IKF Ranked Matee Jedeepitak (Right) of Indianapolis, Indiana, USA, via Ratchaburi, Thailand. Steele, who was Born in Saigon, Vietnam and raised in Hawaii currently lives in Los Angeles, California, USA and has a fight record of 37 wins with 9 loses and 2 draws with 28 of his wins coming by KO or TKO. He's obviously one of the best fighters on the planet with knockout power in both hands and leg kicks that could drop a tree. His skill has earned him a total of six world titles in five weight divisions and a nickname to go along with his proven toughness, Danny "Hard As" Steele!.

Steele's opponent on the other side of the ring will be top contender Matee Jedeepitak who sports an extensive record of 123 wins with 52 loses, with 38 of his wins coming by KO or TKO. He's ranked #1 in the world in the IKF MuayThai Welterweight division and a former Featherweight World Champion. He's been considered one of Thailand's best fighters. His nickname "Left Dragon Leg" was coined after the many knockouts he has delivered with that leg.

Steele is 32 years old, Jedeepitak is 29. Both stand 5'7" tall and plan to weigh-in at 147 lbs. these are two "POWERFUL" leg kickers and because of this, we may not see a lot of throwing in this bout.

Before the two Pro World Title bouts will be a Pro Intercontinental Title between IKF Pro US San Shou Middleweight Champion Rudi Ott (Left) of San Jose California, USA against Peter Kaljevic (Right) who was born in Montenegro, Yugoslavia but currently resides in New York City, New York, USA.

Ott's overall fight record is 25 wins, 3 loses with 7 wins coming by KO or TKO. Kaljevic has a record of 47 wins, 15 loses with 18 wins coming by KO or TKO. Ott is a Three time member of US the USA National San Shou Team and the Current Captain of the US National San Shou Team. He's a versatile and dangerous fighter who has solidified himself as one of the best in the USA. Saturday night he hopes to take another step towards proving he's one of the best in the world, but Kaljevic's extensive ring experience will be his strong point in his attempt to make the headlines in Ott's hometown.

The event will also feature 2 US National Team members and IKF U.S. San Shou Champions, Santos Soto (Left -IKF Amateur U.S. San Shou Super Welterweight Champion) and Jenna Castillo. (Right - IKF Amateur Woman's San Shou U. S. Bantamweight Champion.

Soto's was first booked to fight challenger Arturo Ortiz but Ortiz suffered a broken hand in training last week. A quick fix was made when Chris Overby of Bellefontaine, Ohio, USA (13-1/7, 5'9) accepted the bout just today. A special thanks goes out to Chris for saving this bout. The two will be fighting for the vacant IKF Amateur San Shou Light Middleweight U.S. Title.

At only 19, Jenna Castillo will be defending her IKF US Amateur Title is already making her mark as one of the best young female fighters in the United States. Her strength in the ring center around her fierce competitiveness and her unflinching focus on her opponent. Castillo, (6-0, 5'5, 19) is a 1999 Pan American Game Competitor and member of the US National San Shou Team. She will face challenger Christine Yandolli (Right, 9-2, 5'7", 20) of Smithtown, Long Island, New York, USA has won an Amateur World Title, the USKBA North American Title, Tri-State Title, New York State Title and a Long Island title.

The other element that will make this event such a great "SHOW" will be the stars who are involved. We won't give out the guest list but expect to see some very well known faces at ringside. The halftime show that is being produced by Hip Hop.com and the International Turntablist Federation promises to be just as star-studded as the nights fight action, featuring New York's Hip Hop dance legend Crazy Legs and the Rock Steady Crew and music's top DJs Apollo, Vin, and Ajaxx. In addition will be D'Wayne Wiggins, (Right) top neo-soul/R&B vocalist, composer, arranger and producer who will be headlining the halftime show.

Wiggins' career has taken him to the top of the music charts with platinum selling albums as a founding member of the legendary group Tony, Toni, Tone and recently with his solo debut "Eyes Never Lie," which included collaborations with Carlos Santana and Darius Rucker of Hootie and the Blowfish. Wiggins was responsible for originally signing multi-platinum artist Destiny's Child to Columbia records and has written and produced several songs for the group. An accomplished and sought after musician, songwriter, and producer, Wiggins has composed hits for Tony Toni Tone, Jody Watley, Tevin Campbell, Karyn White, Too Short, Lighter Shade of Brown, E-40, Richie Rich, and most recently Destiny's Child, India Arie, and Alicia Keys.

As a member of the Tonyies, Wiggins co-wrote movie tracks for "Boys in the Hood," "Beverly Hills Cop III," "The Mask," and "Panther." As a soloist, his soundtrack credits include songs for "Sugar Hill," "Men in Black," and the TV comedy hit "Living Single." He now adds Movie Producer to his list of titles, as Executive Producer for the feature film "Me & Mrs. Jones". The film is scheduled for release in 2002 and stars Brian White, Wandachristine, Victor Williams, and Kim Fields. Considered the creator of "neo-soul", Wiggins deftly combines classic soul vocals, a live band, and a distinct lack of studio-created sounds, making his on-stage performances very personal, unique experiences. His performance is going to be the highlight of United for the Children.

Tickets for United for the Children are available through Bass and Tickets.com. Donations and sponsorships are also available via www.unitedforthechildren.com/sponsors.html or email sponsors@unitedforthechildren.com. There will be a registered press-only press conference and weigh-in the day before United for the Children. Press registrations are complimentary for qualified media representatives and gives you access to all events and the show floor. Contact monica@unitedforthechildren.com for more information.

For MORE info about this Great event and all involved, Click HERE!

FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT MONICA ORTIZ
UsH! ENTERTAINMENT
MARKETING & PR (415) 643-9109 or by e-mail at; monica@unitedforthechildren.com. Marketing and Press; press@unitedforthechildren.com

www.unitedforthechildren.com

More News Of 12/13/01

Mullen Ready For KICKSHOOT 2001

IKF Promoter Jeff Mullen of Memphis, Tennessee, USA is closing out his 2001 Promotional Season with a BANG! Mullen is set to host his KICKSHOOT 2001 this Friday night, December 14th, at "Newby's" in Memphis, Tennessee, USA.

The nights action will begin at 9:00 PM and will include fight action in the styles of Modified MuayThai, International & Full Contact Rules Bouts. In addition, Mullen will also feature some Mixed Martial Arts bouts as well. For more info on this event, please contact Mr. Jeff Mullen at (901) 757-0985 or by e-mail by clicking HERE!

WEDNESDAY, December 12th, 2001, AT 10:20 PM, PT

WHO Are The Champions?

This last September, over 200 USA Amateur Kickboxers gathered together in Kansas City Kansas, USA for the Greatest weekend of Amateur Kickboxing ever in North America. It was the 2001 IKF/RINGSIDE USA National Amateur Kickboxing Championship Tournament.

In all, each and every fighter would "Walk The Walk" in hopes of winning one of 61 IKF USA National Amateur Championship Titles.

Last year, their were 41 IKF USA National Amateur Titles to win. Of the 41 2000 IKF USA National Champions, only 18 made it back to the 2001 USA National Finals Tournament. Of them, 15 made it back to the National Championship Bout. Of them, 11 would retain their 2000 Title or win at a different weight and/or rules style. Do you know who they are?

To see them all, check out our new IKF USA National Champions Page by Clicking HERE! To see who ALL the Champions have been for the last 3 years, click HERE!

More News Of 12/12/01

New "HIT" RECORD For www.IKFKickboxing.com!

We are proud to announce that the IKF web site (www.IKFKickboxing.com) just set it's own personal best record for number of hits IN 1 DAY. On Monday, December 10th, the total hit count for the day was 35,372 Hits! This mark broke the old record of 30,052 set back on Tuesday, May 8th, 2001.

Wait, there's more great news...We are even more excited to announce that "Yesterday", Tuesday, December 11th ALSO broke the old record with a total hit count for the day of 32,006. If this keeps, we may break last months (November, 2001) TOTAL hit record of 566,087 Hits in "1" Month. This has been the best monthly Hit Count since we started tracking our web site hits back in May of 2001. So far, for the first "11" Days of December, we already have 265,527 Hits!

For December, our average number of hits per "DAY" so far as of END of Yesterday, November 11th, is 24,138. For additional "DETAILED" Web Traffic info please see our IKFKickboxing.com Web Traffic info page by clicking HERE!

More News Of 12/12/01

TEAM Z
DRAWS
IN IRELAND!

Non IKF Event - November 2001, Dublin Ireland: Head Coaches, Rob (Pictured far Right) & Jim Zbilski (Pictured far Left) of Team Z Kickboxing, once again, brought a team of fighters representing the USA to Dublin, Ireland for an evening of International competition. Representing the team from the USA were none other than IKF US Champions Joe Taylor, Kyle McElroy, and Peyton Russell, IKF US finalist Renee Broadacz as well as Tim Mazurkiewicz, Rick Bloyer, Jim Klauba and John Ohnona. The team from Ireland consisted of fighters from Gallway, Dublin, Waterford and Belfast. The event was hosted by Joe Canning.

In attendance were several key members of the Irish government, including the Lord Mayor of Dublin, Michael Mulcahy, (At Right with Coach Rob).

Only 6 of the team of 8 competed in Team Competition (USA Vs Ireland). Of the 6 bouts, the outcome of the evening was a draw with 3 victories to Team USA and 3 to Team Ireland.

For the second year in a row, this friendly competition has grown to such a success that plans are already in the works for 2 more share events for 2002. Plans include Team Z's traveling to Gallway in May, 2002 and the Irish Team to come to Chicago in November.

TUESDAY, December 11th, 2001, AT 11:50 AM, PT

Finney's Sivumaki & Winfield
Get 5th Wins At
Sauget, IL, USA Event!

IKF Promoter Jesse Finney completed another successful IKF Amateur event last night in Sauget, IL, USA. The two main events had Cory Sivumaki and Mark Winfield showing fans why Finney's Championship Kickboxing is one of the top gyms in the country to train with. One of the two main events showcased Cory Sivumaki -vs- Ron Govoro (Columbia, MO). Sivumaki came out looking to end this fight early. Trying to use his reach to his advantage, Sivumaki kept Govoro off by using his front kick to keep his distance to utilize his punching power. After landing numerous punches Govoro couldn't answer to the standing 8 count with :35 seconds remaining in the 1st round.

The second main event showcased Mark Winfield -vs- Jake Gebes (Jefferson City, MO). Winfield came out landing many kicks trying to get Gebes to drops his hands in hope of landing the one big shot for the KO. In the 1st round Gebes received one 8 count and another in the 2nd. The third Winfield came out working the body, and cornering Gebes many times, and continuing to land body shots. The judges decision was 30-25, 30-25, 30-25 for Winfield.

For more event info, please contact Finney's Championship Kickboxing at 5029 Gravois St. Louis, MO, USA or Mr. Jesse Finney at (314) 351-5226 or by e-mail by clicking HERE!

MONDAY, December 10th, 2001, AT 9:50 AM, PT

Mark Hunt Crowned 2001 K-1 Grand Prix Champion
By Alex MacDonald - IKF Japan

When opportunity knocks, Mark Hunt knocks back, knocks down and knocks out. Hunt won the K-1 Oceania with three knock outs then got eliminated in the Melbourne GP by Ernesto Hoost. He didn't even qualify for the Fukuoka Repechage tournament, but when Filipovic withdrew he got a chance. There he lost to Ray Sefo who was unable to continue and opportunity knocked for the last time. He clobbered Adam Watt to qualify for the Grand Prix and hasn't looked back since. Grand Prix wins over Jerome LeBanner, Stefan Leko and Francisco Filho mean that Mark Hunt is not only a K-1 superstar but also the first new champion since 1997. He joins Branko Cikatic (1993), Peter Aerts (1994, 1995, 1998), Andy Hug (1996) and Ernesto Hoost (1997, 1999, 2000) to become the fifth kickboxer to win the K-1 Grand Prix Tournament. Here's the bout by bout recap;

Ernesto Hoost vs. Stefan Leko (The Finesse Fight)
Hoost and Leko are two of the best all round heavyweight kickboxers in the world. They put 'boxing' in the word 'kickboxing'. The contrast that made the fight dramatic was the fact that Hoost, in the twilight of his career, was trying to build on his already impressive legacy while Leko, in the dawn of his, was trying to overcome years of bad luck.

This classic young lion-old lion battle ended with the old lion making no errors defensively and shutting out the young lion. To make matters worse for Leko, he was hit while throwing a high kick and lost his footing. The referee originally called it a slip then changed his mind and called it a down. As quick a Leko was, he just couldn't solve the puzzle in time or make up for the spread in points. Hoost by decision.

Jerome LeBanner vs. Mark Hunt (The Impact Match)
Lots of fighters have knockouts on their records. These two however send doctors scrambling into the ring. Ask anyone from whom they would least like to receive a free punch and they'll invariably say LeBanner or Hunt.

Last year, as the winner of the 2000 Oceania tournament, Hunt got his first trip to Japan. In his first match, he met K-1 superstar Jerome LeBanner and by his own account was star struck in more ways than one. This year the repeat Oceania champion surprised everyone by choosing to meet LeBanner again when others were available.

Jerome LeBanner was the favorite to win not only this match but the whole tournament. He even modeled for the official K-1 poster rather than reigning K-1 champion Ernesto Hoost. Jerome is 13-0 (1 no contest) in the last two years thanks to his punching power. It was therefore interesting to see him throw 14 kicks in the first round. His obvious game plan was to beat Hunt on points and it was working. Hunt however got through with one solid punch in the second round and followed up with a barrage until the French giant collapsed. Hunt by KO-2.

Alexei Ignashov vs. Nicholas Pettas (The Styles Clash )
Ignashov has faced some high quality competition in his short career. His claim to fame is beating Lloyd Van Dams twice, the first time by knockout. Knowing this put a tremendous amount of pressure on Pettas as it would anyone who depends primarily on low kicks. The pressure on Alexei himself was that, as a classic muay thai style fighter, he claims karateka are unpredictable. There was some evidence of Pettas doing the unexpected; he threw low kicks in pairs with Ignashov checking the first and taking the second. The fight was decided when the Red Scorpion using his hold-and-sting strategy broke Pettas' nose with a knee, thereby stopping the fight. Ignashov by TKO-2.

Peter Aerts vs. Francisco Filho (The Rebirth Bout)
Both Peter Aerts (three time K-1 Grand Prix champion) and Francisco Filho (Kyokushin Karate Champion) entered this tournament mid-slump. For Aerts, it goes back to the 1999 Grand Prix when a revamped LeBanner knocked the reigning champion out in one round. After that, losses to Cyril Abidi, Mirko Filipovic and Stefan Leko coupled with unimpressive wins over Nobu Hayashi, Noboru Uchida, and Maurice Smith, created the need for Aerts to prove he is still a top contender. For Filho, it was more a case of hot and cold. He was knocked cold by LeBanner, fought hot in the 2000 Block B tournament, then showed up cold in the 2000 Grand Prix. This year he was frigid in the Las Vegas GP and lukewarm in the Fukuoka Repechage tournament. He too had something to prove.

Filho threw 13 low kicks in the first round and 14 in the second, the kind that you can hear anywhere in Tokyo Dome. With 40 seconds remaining in the first round Aerts' left foot started to swell and by the end of the second, even he had to accept that heart alone wasn't enough to win. Unfortunately, Aerts will have to endure one more L on his record. Filho by TKO-2.

Hoost receives a doctor stop.
Suffering an injury nearly identical to fellow Dutchman Aerts, Hoost was forced to withdraw. With Aerts and LeBanner also out, this meant that not only a new champion would be crowned but that both finalists would be first timers. Stefan Leko was then set to test his speed against Mark Hunt.

Semi Finals
Mark Hunt vs. Stefan Leko
Hunt is not undefeated. He has lost fights before. The formula is simple; don't get greedy, hit and run, and win on points. Power punchers also have ways to win on points though. As Hunt demonstrated, scoring two knockdowns in a three round fight creates a point spread that is impossible to recover. The second was another case of being tagged while kicking and Leko was livid at the referee's call... with reason but without avail. Hunt by decision.

Francisco Filho vs. Alexei Ignashov
Ignashov undoubtedly felt very confident entering the ring for this fight. He'd beaten Lloyd Van Dams twice and just stopped Pettas. All he had to do was stick to the usual game plan. Filho, however, suffered the indignity of twice fighting poorly against Sergei Ivanovich, Ignashov's stablemate. This time he was better prepared. The Brazilian scored his low kicks, landed his overhand rights and held off the knees. By the third round, the Belarussian was warned for stalling and the final decision meant that he would never match Aerts' record of winning the Grand Prix at 23 years of age. Filho by decision.

Final
Mark Hunt vs. Francisco Filho
Each came with their own game plans. Filho would keep his hands up and throw low kicks in spite of the fact that they had lost some of their snap in the two previous fights. Hunt, it surprisingly turns out, had no intention of headhunting; he was going to work the body. In the first round, Filho threw 10 low kicks to Hunt's 6 body blows. In the second round, Filho picked the pace up to 15 low kicks and Hunt responded with 9 body blows. In the third, Filho was warned for inactivity and the low kicks dropped to 9 while the New Zealander's body strikes increased to 11. The judges then called the fight a draw and in the overtime round, Filho was warned again for inactivity as he only produced a paltry 4 low kicks. Hunt, on the other hand, attacked the body 15 times en route to a $400,000 payday. The judges reached an easy unanimous decision, Mark Hunt of New Zealand, 2001 K-1 Grand Prix Tournament Champion.

More News of 12-10-01

Finney's
Bring Excitement
To Sauget, IL, USA Tonight!

IKF Promoter Jesse Finney (Right) of St Louis Missouri and his associates are all set to bring some Exciting Kickboxing to Sauget, IL, USA this coming Monday night, December 10th.

Although there are no titles on this event, the event will feature, as usual, exciting amateur kickboxing action from fighters around the Midwest as only a Finney Production can Promote.

For more event info, please contact Mr. Jesse Finney at (314) 351-5226 or by e-mail by clicking HERE!

SATURDAY, December 9th, 2001, AT 8:30 PM, PT

The Power Of The "BIG" Right Hand!
Photos By Cal Cooper

Atlanta, Georgia, USA: It was a late night in Georgia when the main event took center stage. It was 1:AM Eastern Time. However it would be the final touch of a FULL HOUSE/SELLOUT event that had already seen 12 great bouts in Full Contact Rules, International Rules, MuayThai Rules and ISCF Mixed Martial Arts at the Atlanta Brewing Company in Atlanta Georgia. Nothing is better than a sellout other than great bouts, which is exactly what the full house crowd witnessed... This event had EXCITMENT!

Atlanta Georgia, USA Promoter Lane Collyer had stepped back from his familiar position of "Event Promoter" so he could fight on this event, putting this job title into the hands of his Sukotai Inc. partner, Ron Gaiteri (Right). The night was a MAJOR Success for all involved which included the events major sponsors Spondivits Food & Spirits of Atlanta, Georgia (who has the greatest seafood we've ever tasted!!!) and the Atlanta Brewing Company (Venue sponsor) located in Midtown Atlanta, Georgia. It was a first class event that featured great seafood and hamburgers catered by Spondivits and free Microbrewery Beer for all those of age from theAtlanta Brewing Company (except officials of course...) and of course, a lot of great fight action!! It was truly a night of Fights, Food and Spirits.

As we said, the main event had to wait until after midnight, but it was worth it all as Goutiar, Mississippi's #13 ranked (IKF Pro MuayThai Division) "BIG" John Dixon (245, 18-1/18) and #11 ranked (IKF Pro MuayThai Division)"Lightning" Lane Collyer (18-3/11, Atlanta Georgia) stepped into the ring to contend for the vacant IKF Pro MuayThai Rules Super Heavyweight United States Title. Although Collyer's had all of his ring success in the Heavyweight division, (Under 210 lbs) he wanted to move up in weight to the Super Heavyweight division, (Above 209.1 lbs.). At the weigh-ins, Collyer barely made the minimum weight for the Super Heavyweight Pro MuayThai Rules Division, weighing in at only 209.5 lbs. On the other side of the ring, Dixon was a true Super Heavyweight weighing in at an even 245 as planned. If Dixon's record wasn't intimidating enough, his size was. However, when the two stepped into the ring, it was clear to everyone that Collyer was a lean 210 lbs while Dixon looked a bit soft around the middle. To most, it would appear that the big man may get winded early, but who knows in the fight game. We all know Dixon didn't get here by being winded early and losing. With only 1 loss in his 17 kickboxing bouts of which all 17 were won by TKO/KO, Dixon was here because he's a winner, as was Collyer. Better yet, when the fighters are this big, anything can happen... Here's the round by round action of the main event....

ROUND 1: As the round started, the two showed respect with a tap of the gloves and went into action. From the outside, Collyer went to work on Dixon's legs seeming to hit his target at will with Dixon making little, if any attempt to block any of the kicks. In return, Dixon was 90% hands, mixing up jabs, hooks, uppercuts and a strong right hand which was just missing it's mark throughout the round. As the two worked into the clinch, Collyer scored well on repeated knees to Dixon's body and a few making it to Dixon's head. As round 1 ended, Collyer won on all 3 judges cards 10-9.

ROUND 2: With a slight rest and adjustment of his game plan, Dixon came out as strong as a bull, again throwing mostly hands. Although he appeared to have Collyer on the ropes, Collyer weathered the storm and took the game to the clinch again. Here again was Collyer's strong spot as he scored repeatedly on knees to Dixon's body. From ringside, it appeared Dixon, due to his size, wasn't feeling any sting from Collyer's kicks and punches as he continued to not check/block any of Collyer's kicks allowing Collyer to fire away. It was clear that if Collyer was going to win, he would win in from the clinch. If Dixon was going to win, it would be by landing one of his heavy punches which seemed to be getting closer and closer to finding there mark as he landed more often in round 2. At the end of 2 though, Collyer did enough to win the round again and lead on all 3 judges cards, 20-18.

ROUND 3: As the round begin, Collyer did a spinning side kick that Dixon caught under his elbow. As his leg came down Collyer limped gingerly but continued the fight. What he, and all at ringside didn't know was that he had just broken the top bone in his right foot, (Later confirmed by medical staff at ringside) however Collyer's heart kept him in the bout. Dixon seemed to sense something wasn't right as Collyer started dropping his hands more and his movement slowed in the ring. The experienced Dixon started to push the fight more at this point scoring on the inside with some knees of his own and several strong punches to Collyer's head. Collyer came back landing more knee strikes. This time some found Dixon's jaw that rocked him hard and later, another to his forehead. However the pain in Collyer's foot was becoming more and more noticeable as his ring movement slowed considerably and his hands begin to drop more while Dixon's hands found Collyer's head more and more. The bout had memories of the Rick Roufus Vs Stan Longinidis (1997) bout where Longinidis broke his foot in the middle of the fight which Roufus went on to win to claim the IKF IR Heavyweight World Title.

As the round came near the end, Dixon landed the shot he was looking for all night long. A "BIG" right hand that dropped Collyer to the mat. This bout should have been over at that moment but referee Richard Trammell made a costly error as he waived it off due to the bell sounding the end of the round. (In the IKF, the fighter can only be saved by the bell in the FINAL round) Tremmell made not only a costly error that should have been a Dixon win in round 3, but was soon to prove a safety error for Collyer. Although Collyer seemed to have a slight edge in round 3, Dixon's knockdown turned the judges minds who all gave Dixon the round 10-8.

During the break, Collyer never informed his corner of his foot injury, vowing to continue on despite the fact he had no ring movement left and worse yet, that he was still in a sense, out on his feet from Dixon's big right hand at the end of the previous round.

ROUND 4: While Collyer questioned himself to enter round 4, Dixon appeared as if he had just started the round like he just walked into the ring. He wasn't breathing heavy and continued to look extremely composed as he did throughout the entire fight. He may not have a 6 pack stomach, but don't be fooled... Dixon was in "FIGHTING" shape. As round 4 started, Dixon did what any ring veteran would do. Like a hungry animal, he went after his wounded prey. Dixon moved in and landed the last needed "BIG" right hand on Collyer, dropping him to the canvas. This time, referee Trammell made no error in judgement, immediately stopping the bout at 17 seconds into round 4.

Dixon's belt was presented by special guest Frank Shamrock (Right). The win gave "BIG John" the IKF Pro Super Heavyweight MuayThai Title and brought some attention for him as being a potential contender for the K-1 North American Tournament. Question is, is there an opening for him? Well, there just so happens to be one we know of... From what we found out last Thursday, a day before this bout, Collyer had pulled out of the K-1 North America Qualifier event in Milwaukee Wisconsin in February of 2002. If there's still an opening where Collyer's name once was, we'd like to suggest Dixon be the one to fill it. Under the circumstances, it would only seem fair.

As far as Collyer, (Left) he already had plans to stay in the Heavyweight Division (Under 215 lbs.) which is where we feel he's the strongest. Once again, nearly every title in the heavyweight division is vacant and Collyer's proved he's a contender in any of the rules styles at that weight. We're sure to see Collyer back again in the heavyweight division after his foot heels and if Dixon can't get his shot in the K-1 North American Tournament, there's always the chance of him going to England to face Matt Skelton in March for Skelton's IKF MTR World Title. Here's a review of all the nights bouts.

BOUT 1: FCR: George Munn (156, 7-1/6) of Woodstock, Georgia defeated Monty Powell (150, 4-5/2) of Sampson, Alabama by a questionable referee stoppage at 1:51 in round 2 after Powell went down from a clubbing style punch. He rose up quickly to take his 8 count and after the 8 count, referee Gerald Bush stopped the bout. Although Powell kicked more in round 1, (19-13), Munn won a very close round 1 on all 3 judges cards in round 1, 10-9.

BOUT 2: IR: Robert Myers (153, 2-1/0) of Snellville, Georgia defeated Kenny Allen (154, 4-4/2) by unanimous decision, 29-28, 29-28 & 29-28.

BOUT 3: ISCF: Shawn Porter (150, 6-3) of Spartonburg, South Carolina defeated Shawn Gay (159, 6-3) of Valdosta, Georgia by unanimous decision, 12-3, 12-3 & 10-5.

BOUT 4: FCR: Brenda Harrison (110, 7-3) of Woodstock, Georgia defeated Teri Prunty (112, 2-2/1) by unanimous decision, 30-27, 30-27 & 30-27.

BOUT 5: FCR: Rod Llaneza (164, 7-2) of Snellville, Georgia defeated Toty Otarola (165, 1-4) of South Carolina by TKO at 1:45 of round 3.

BOUT 6: IR: Steve Hall (169, 3-1-1) of Snellville, Georgia forced an 8 count on John Greaves (173, 2-2, runner up at the 2001 USA Nationals in the IR Light Heavyweight) of Chattanuga, Tennessee in round 1 in route to a majority decision victory, 28-28, 30-26 & 29-28.

BOUT 7: FCR: Andrea Zalas (*138, 17, 4-1-1, 2001 FCR Junior - Light Welterweight USA National Champion) of Simpsonville South Carolina defeated Penny DeGraw (*126, 32, 1-2, runner up at the 2001 USA Nationals in the IR Lightweight Division) of Atlanta, Georgia by split decision, 30-27, 29-28 & 30-27. This was a very exciting bout in the kicking department with Degraw throwing over 50 in the 3 rounds and Zalas over 40.
(*) This bout was a special Exhibition bout. The IKF would not sanction this fight due to the weight spread difference. However, both fighters and their trainers still wanted to keep the match. The IKF decided, due to their age difference compared to the weight difference as well as fight experience, they would allow the fighters and trainers to make their own decision. Since both accepted this match as a real bout, the result was recorded on their records.

BOUT 8: FCR: Shannon Hudson (172, 5-2) of Lyman, South Carolina and Mike Wood (168, 1-3-1) put on what many thought was the most exciting fight of the night. In the end, Hudson got the win by split decision, 29-28, 28-29 & 29-28.

BOUT 9: MTR: Zack Day (162, 16-2, runner up at the 2001 USA Nationals in the FCR Super Middleweight) of Augusta Georgia had never fought anything but Full Contact above the waist rules before tonight. However a previously planned opponent for MuayThai veteran Phillip Botha (161, 7-3) of Atlanta, Georgia had dropped off the card. After a few quick calls, event matchmakers booked Day by surprise who was willing to give not just leg kicks, but MuayThai rules a shot. In the end, Day surprised everyone, including Botha with his strength of the new rule style as he took a unanimous decision victory 29-28, 30-27 & 29-28.

BOUT 10: IKF IR: Amateur USA South East Region Light Heavyweight Title Bout: Daniel Ancheta (175) of Athens, Georgia defeated Will Ivey (173) by majority decision, 38-38, 39-36 & 39-37.

BOUT 11: ISCF Pro USA East Coast Light Heavyweight Title Bout: Kent Hensley (Right - 196, MMA: 8-0) defeated Jared Pettitt (190, MMA: 3-1) of Huntsville, Alabama by TKO when Pettitt didn't answer the bell for round 2. Hensley dominated round 1 and showed so on the judges cards as well where all 3 judges had him ahead after the round, 5-0, 5-0 & 4-1. In the round, Pettitt found himself in trouble several times, twice scooting himself under the ring ropes to avoid submission. Hensley also dropped Pettitt with a devastating forearm strike which was heard across the room.

BOUT 12: ISCF East Coast Middleweight Title Bout: Jason Miller of Atlanta, Georgia, USA (185) defeated Todd Carney of Moundsville, West Virginia, USA (172) by submission at 2:53 of round 2.

BOUT 13: IKF Pro MTR Super Heavyweight United States Title: John Dixon (245, 18-1 with 18 KO's) of Goutiar, Mississippi defeated Lane Collyer (209.5, 18-3 with 11 KO's) of Atlanta Georgia by TKO at 17 seconds into the 4th round.

For additional event info contact Mr. Ron Gaiteri by e-mail at this link: Rgaiteri2@aol.com.

TUESDAY, December 4th, 2001, AT 4:30 PM, PT

Collyer Faces Dixon In
"BATTLE AT THE BREWERY"

Plus 3 Other Title Bouts: 1 IKF & 2 ISCF

IKF Promoter and East Coast FCR Heavyweight Champion Lane Collyer (Right) is quickly becoming a household name here on the IKF News pages. From putting together several dynamic promotions to winning the award for the largest IKF USA Nationals Regional Event this year, Collyer knows the promotional game.

However this Friday night at the Atlanta Brewing Company in Atlanta Georgia, Collyer will take a step back and let associate Ron Gaiteri take over the promotional duties of their "BATTLE AT THE BREWERY" as he steps into the ring again in hopes to win another IKF Title. Collyer (18-2/11, 6'2", 211) is currently ranked in all 3 rule styles of the IKF. He's #2 in the IKF Pro Full Contact Heavyweight Division, #3 in the IKF Pro International Rules Heavyweight Division and #11 in IKF Pro MuayThai Division. The heavyweight division in the IKF FCR & IR Divisions breaks at 215, however in Pro MTR, it's at 209, putting Collyer in with a little bigger competition and with all the big K-1 Names as well.

Win or lose, this bout will test Collyer's strength against the bigger competition for his quest for a K-1 berth. Collyer's coming off of an impressive win over Mark Miller back in September of this year. Collyer (Left throwing an AX kick on Miller) opened up a strong knee attack on Miller's body and head, followed up with some strong leg kicks and good hand combinations that included strong body shots and a spinning backhand the bout was stopped at the 2:35 mark of the first round giving Collyer the win by TKO. Collyer hopes to repeat this call again Friday night.

Friday night Collyer will face one of those "Bigger" opponents in "BIG" John Dixon (17-1/17) of Gautier, Mississippi, USA. A win for Dixon would bring him back into the picture as a potential K-1 North American contender. Dixon is currently ranked #13 in the IKF Pro MuayThai Division. We plan on seeing him weigh-in at around 245 on his 6'4" frame, but Dixon has weighed as much as 273. Dixon has a world title on his resume from an unknown kickboxing organization along with being the All-Army Tae Kwan Do Champion and 2 x National Judo Champion. He's also fought and won on a World Extreme Fighting event (WEF #7), an event the IKF's sister MMA (Mixed Martial Arts - NHB) organization ( ISCF) sanctions in the South East. He's been mostly active recently on the MMA fighting circuit where he' experienced mixed success. He was a competitor on Pride 1 losing to Kazumari Murakami 1:34 - 1st round via submission and has also lost to Dan Severn and Ukraine's Igor Vovchanchyn. Earlier this year in Russia Dixon defeated Russia's Igor Sharahov in a Free Style Rules bout in Moscow and beat Alexandar Mandek and and Igor Gueras by submission in Kiev, Ukrane. One thing we will say, we hope that the John Dixon that's scheduled to face Collyer Friday night is not the same John Dixon scheduled to box Thursday night against Tracy Telligman in Bay St. Louis, MS. If it is, and he gets stopped before the final bell, Collyer may be looking at a win by forfeit...

Regardless of what their future may bring, on Friday night the two will be fighting for the vacant IKF MTR Super Heavyweight United States Title. A win here would justify Collyer to get a direct entrance into the K-1 North American Tournament. However, due to a new system for the 2002 event, he may have to win 3 more bouts to get there instead. He's currently scheduled to fight in the new K-1 North America Qualifier event in Milwaukee Wisconsin in January, 2002.

Three other title bouts will be featured on the night which include "Ill" Will Ivey Vs "Dangerous" Daniel Ancheta for the vacant IKF Amateur International Rules South East Region Cruiserweight Title. There will be some ISCF titles on the line as well. They include Ke