DOGGx0
02-27-2004, 05:03 PM
[Click Here] (http://www.canada.com/montreal/sports/story.asp?id=1668B519-0AF9-4AFC-9CAD-F5CD0AEEC815) for the direct link.
Montrealer meets an ultimate legend Loiseau meets veteran Horn in title bout to highlight mixed martial-arts card RANDY PHILLIPS The Gazette
Friday, February 27, 2004 ADVERTISEMENT World middleweight champion David Loiseau of Montreal will defend his title against ultimate-fighting legend Jeremy Horn of the U.S. in TKO 15: Unstoppable at Centre Pierre Charbonneau tomorrow night.
"This is the biggest fight in the history of our organization," said Stéphane Patry, president and CEO of TKO Communications, which will be staging a card of full-contact, mixed martial-arts (MMA) action before an expected sellout crowd of 4,000.
"Loiseau and Horn is a fight a lot of people have been waiting for," Patry said. "It promises to be one of the best we'll see anywhere."
Patry said TKO events are held four times a year in Montreal and four times in Las Vegas, the North American capital for a sport often called ultimate fighting, but officially referred to as MMA. The sport allows techniques from different martial arts, including boxing, wrestling and kickboxing, and has two fighting categories: stand-up fighting and ground fighting (grappling).
Fighters are allowed to use their fists, feet, arms (excluding the tip of the elbow) and legs (excluding the tip of the knee).
Ground fighting involves submission techniques, including chokes and immobilization. Championship bouts consist of three five-minute rounds.
"The sport has become huge," Patry said. "Our (TV) ratings on RDS show that 30 per cent more people watch this than boxing."
Loiseau, 24, is a 6-foot, 185-pound native of Haiti with an overall MMA record of 9-3-0. He's a boxing and wrestling specialist.
The 28-year-old Horn, from Cedar Rapids, Iowa, is 6-foot-1 and 199 pounds with a 66-12-6 career record. Normally a light-heavyweight, he has shed weight to get to the 185-pound limit to vie for the world middleweight crown.
"The fight is by far the biggest challenge of my young career," said Loiseau, nicknamed The Crow.
"But I have no doubts in my mind that I can beat Jeremy, even though he's had more than 75 fights and I only have had 12.
"I'm one of a kind. I'm different. I can do it."
Also on the main card is a Canadian super-lightweight championship between reigning TKO champion Mark (The Machine) Hominick of London, Ont., and Montrealer David Guigui, and a Canadian middleweight championship with Steve (Coeur de Lion) Vigneault of Îles de la Madeleine putting his title on the line against Winnipeg's Chris Fontaine.
Hominick, 21, whose forté is kickboxing, sports a TKO record of 4-0-0 and is 4-3-0 overall. He'll be making his fourth title defence.
"Hominick is a phenom," Patry said. "He has enormous potential.
"It's amazing he's had as many title defences as he has had at such a young age."
There are five other bouts on the card, which begins at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $35, $48, $75, $150 and $200. For more information, visit the TKO Web site at www.tkozone.tv.
rphillips@thegazette.canwest.com
© Copyright 2004 Montreal Gazette
While it's not 100% accurate it is far better than most. The guy's e-mail address is at the bottom if anyone cares to give him some kuddos. Canada MMA is really starting to get some good exposure for the Canada fight scene and for MMA in general. This is awesome news!
Montrealer meets an ultimate legend Loiseau meets veteran Horn in title bout to highlight mixed martial-arts card RANDY PHILLIPS The Gazette
Friday, February 27, 2004 ADVERTISEMENT World middleweight champion David Loiseau of Montreal will defend his title against ultimate-fighting legend Jeremy Horn of the U.S. in TKO 15: Unstoppable at Centre Pierre Charbonneau tomorrow night.
"This is the biggest fight in the history of our organization," said Stéphane Patry, president and CEO of TKO Communications, which will be staging a card of full-contact, mixed martial-arts (MMA) action before an expected sellout crowd of 4,000.
"Loiseau and Horn is a fight a lot of people have been waiting for," Patry said. "It promises to be one of the best we'll see anywhere."
Patry said TKO events are held four times a year in Montreal and four times in Las Vegas, the North American capital for a sport often called ultimate fighting, but officially referred to as MMA. The sport allows techniques from different martial arts, including boxing, wrestling and kickboxing, and has two fighting categories: stand-up fighting and ground fighting (grappling).
Fighters are allowed to use their fists, feet, arms (excluding the tip of the elbow) and legs (excluding the tip of the knee).
Ground fighting involves submission techniques, including chokes and immobilization. Championship bouts consist of three five-minute rounds.
"The sport has become huge," Patry said. "Our (TV) ratings on RDS show that 30 per cent more people watch this than boxing."
Loiseau, 24, is a 6-foot, 185-pound native of Haiti with an overall MMA record of 9-3-0. He's a boxing and wrestling specialist.
The 28-year-old Horn, from Cedar Rapids, Iowa, is 6-foot-1 and 199 pounds with a 66-12-6 career record. Normally a light-heavyweight, he has shed weight to get to the 185-pound limit to vie for the world middleweight crown.
"The fight is by far the biggest challenge of my young career," said Loiseau, nicknamed The Crow.
"But I have no doubts in my mind that I can beat Jeremy, even though he's had more than 75 fights and I only have had 12.
"I'm one of a kind. I'm different. I can do it."
Also on the main card is a Canadian super-lightweight championship between reigning TKO champion Mark (The Machine) Hominick of London, Ont., and Montrealer David Guigui, and a Canadian middleweight championship with Steve (Coeur de Lion) Vigneault of Îles de la Madeleine putting his title on the line against Winnipeg's Chris Fontaine.
Hominick, 21, whose forté is kickboxing, sports a TKO record of 4-0-0 and is 4-3-0 overall. He'll be making his fourth title defence.
"Hominick is a phenom," Patry said. "He has enormous potential.
"It's amazing he's had as many title defences as he has had at such a young age."
There are five other bouts on the card, which begins at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $35, $48, $75, $150 and $200. For more information, visit the TKO Web site at www.tkozone.tv.
rphillips@thegazette.canwest.com
© Copyright 2004 Montreal Gazette
While it's not 100% accurate it is far better than most. The guy's e-mail address is at the bottom if anyone cares to give him some kuddos. Canada MMA is really starting to get some good exposure for the Canada fight scene and for MMA in general. This is awesome news!