Tokyo MMA - Deep M-1 Challenge-Weigh in and Press Conference 7/16/08

Deep M-1 Challenge Weigh-in and Press Conference

7/16/08 Deep Dojo. Okubo, Japan.

m-1 challenge

Media from around the globe gathered at the official Deep Dojo in a suburb of Tokyo to view and question all the fighters from four different countries competing in the upcoming M-1 Challenge. The filth edition of this MMA country versus country concept is set to explode at the Tokyo Dome's famous fight venue at Kourkuen Hall on July 17th.

Team USA will take on Team France in the first set of five bouts. In the second bracket, Team Japan will face Team Holland. All of the fighters made weight except for Team USA fighter Jake Ellenberger who weighed in at just over 76 kilos. Ellenberger cut the necessary weight in under an hour and there were no problems. Barry Guerin (Pictured Left) was well under weight for the 205 pound light heavyweight division. Guerin replaced fighter Bryan Harper who was unable to compete. Guerin is the only foreign fighter living in Tokyo and he teaches mixed martial arts at Multidou in Shinjuku. Guerin said, "The call came quick, but I am not going to pass up the dream to fight in Japan. Japan is the mecca of martial arts and they have the smartest and best fans."

Amoussou

One by one, each team manager and each fighter was given the time to express themselves and how it felt to be fighting in Japan. There was a little smack talk between Team France's Karl Amoussou (Pictured Right) and Mike Dolce. Amoussou, glaring with his special colored eye contact declared, "Him, I am going to beat him." Dolce, relaxing on the mat didn't take the gesture to seriously and laughed it off. Some other amusing moments came from the press conference when Team Holland's Jason Jones stated lackadaisically, "I just don't give a fuck. I'm a guy who just doesn't give a fuck." It seemed that the Japanese translators had problems conveying the meaning. Last to speak his mind about the upcoming event was Holland's heavyweight Jessie Gibbs. "I really don't know what to say, Jason stole my lines." The people who understood English started laughing. The action for this event starts tomorrow at 6:30 at Kourakuen Hall which is on the 5th level of the Tokyo Dome. The official match-ups are below.

TEAM USA versus TEAM FRANCE

70kg: David Gardner versus Samuel Judes