Royce Gracie vs Sakuraba at Dynamite USA

LOS ANGELES - MMA legends Royce Gracie and Kazushi Sakuraba, who fought an exhausting 90-minute battle seven years ago, will meet once again, this time as the co-main event at "Softbank presents Dynamite!! USA in association with ProElite" in the Los Angeles Coliseum on June 2 (live SHOWTIME(R) PPV, 10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT).

Gracie (roycegracie.proelite.com), considered the godfather of modern-day mixed martial arts, will face the imposing Sakuraba (sakuraba.proelite.com), nicknamed "The Gracie Hunter" for his well-documented victories over four members of the Gracie family, including the dramatic victory over Royce in 2000.

The rematch will be part of an extraordinary main fight card that includes 7-foot-2 South Korean Choi Hong Man, former WWE champ Brock Lesnar, NFL star Johnnie Morton, Ray Sefo (New Zealand), Antonio Silva (Brazil) and Gesias Calvancanti (Brazil). The complete fight card is as follows:

SHOWTIME(R) PPV (10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT)

Brock Lesnar(USA) VS Choi Hong Man (Korea)

Royce Gracie (Brazil) VS Kazushi Sakuraba (Japan)

Mighty Mo TBC (USA) VS Choi Mu Bae (Korea)

Melvin Manhoef (Netherlands) VS Yoon Dong Sik (Korea)

Live on SHOWTIME(R) (9 p.m. ET/ 6 p.m. PT)

Jake Shields (USA) VS Ido Pariente (Israel)

Gina Carano (USA) VS Jan Finney (USA)

Live Stadium Only (5 p.m. PT)

Javier Vazquez (USA) VS Katsuhiko Nagata (Japan)

Brad Pickett (UK) VS Hideo Tokoro (Japan)

The Gracie-Sakuraba story is rich in history, as the Gracie family, represented by Royce, Ryan, Renzo and Royler have come after Sakuraba four times and all four times have fallen short of victory. The longest of those matches took place on May 1, 2000, in the second round of the Pride Grand Prix Open Weight Tournament, when Royce faced Sakuraba for the first time.

The fight, a no-time-limit match, was scheduled for 15 minute rounds until a winner was declared. The match lasted for 90 minutes (6 rounds at 15 minutes each), and both fighters demonstrated remarkable heart and determination, especially because the winner was expected to face his next opponent on the same night. In the 4th round, Gracie injured his leg due to repeated kicks from Sakuraba and remained hobbled for another 45 minutes, until the beginning of the 7th round, when his corner threw in the towel, stopping the fight.

"I have been waiting for this fight for close to a decade, it's been something that I have struggled to live with for some time," said Gracie.

"We both have mutual respect for each other, but June 2 is circled on my calendar as the date I plan to avenge my family's legacy from Sakuraba."

The other co-main event on the Dynamite!! USA fight card will face 7-foot-2 South Korean giant Hong Man Choi, aka "Techno Goliath," against former NCAA and WWE wrestling champion Brock Lesnar. Johnnie Morton, a former USC Trojan wide receiver and NFL star, will return to the Coliseum for his MMA debut.

Dynamite!! USA will begin at 5:00 p.m., PT with doors opening at 3:30 PM, with a fight undercard that includes Hideo Tokoro, J.Z Calvin, Brad Picket as well as EliteXC fighters Jake Shields, Antonio Silva and Gina Carano. The SHOWTIME(R) PPV fight card will begin at 7 p.m. PT, 10 p.m. ET.

Dynamite!! USA marks the first FEG event on U.S. soil and the inaugural MMA contest in the LA Coliseum's 74-year history. FEG's Heroes MMA events in Japan and Korea have routinely sold out major arenas and stadiums, including the 74,000-seat Tokyo Dome. The inaugural Dynamite in August of 2002, held at Tokyo National Stadium, drew a record crowd of 92,000 fans.

The SHOWTIME(R) PPV fight card will feature up to six fights, with co-main events. Prior to the pay-per-view, SHOWTIME will televise the three undercard bouts, free to SHOWTIME subscribers from 9-10 p.m. ET/6-7 p.m. PT. For pay-per-view pricing and ordering information, viewers should contact their local cable or satellite provider.

About FEG

Formed in 2003, FEG, Inc assumed the role of K-1 Corporation in production and management of K-1 events that at the time were enjoying 13 years of success. In addition to K-1 Events, FEG, Inc's goal was to expand the company's presence into the world of Mixed Martial Arts as it saw the overwhelming demand from the viewers and fans. In 2005 FEG, Inc started the production of the Hero's events in Japan. Under the current corporate structure, FEG, Inc is responsible for the production and promotion, as well as all other aspects of business from fighter contracts to event marketing of both the K-1 and Hero's (Mixed Martial Arts) events all over the world.

About Showtime Networks Inc.

Showtime Networks Inc. (SNI), a wholly-owned subsidiary of CBS Corporation, owns and operates the premium television networks SHOWTIME(R), THE MOVIE CHANNEL(TM) and FLIX(R), as well as the multiplex channels SHOWTIME(R) TOO(TM), SHOWTIME(R) SHOWCASE, SHOWTIME EXTREME(R), SHOWTIME BEYOND(R), SHOWTIME NEXT(R), SHOWTIME WOMEN(R), SHOWTIME FAMILYZONE(R) and TMC XTRA. SNI also offers SHOWTIME HD(R), THE MOVIE CHANNEL HD(TM), SHOWTIME ON DEMAND(TM) and THE MOVIE CHANNEL ON DEMAND(TM). All SNI feeds provide enhanced sound using Dolby Digital 5.1. SNI is also an owner and manager of SUNDANCE CHANNEL, a venture of NBC Universal, Robert Redford and SNI. SNI also manages Smithsonian Networks, a joint venture between SNI and the Smithsonian Institution. SNI markets and distributes sports and entertainment events for exhibition to subscribers on a pay-per-view basis through SHOWTIME(R) PPV.

About ProElite

ProElite Inc. delivers the most exciting entertainment experience in the world of mixed martial arts (MMA) with live arena-based entertainment events, cable television programming on Showtime Networks and community-driven interactive broadband entertainment via the Internet. ProElite embraces MMA with the highest levels of honor, integrity, discipline and self-esteem, all the while remaining inclusive for fighters, fans and schools. ProElite's live fight division, EliteXC, delivers spectacular live MMA fight events that showcase the world's top fighters. ProElite's interactive business, ProElite.com, capitalizes on the growing popularity of the sport of mixed martial arts by building a community of mixed martial arts enthusiasts. In addition to streaming the most exciting live fights to the web, ProElite expands the fan base of the sport by providing a comprehensive set of online social networking tools for fans, fighters and organizations. ProElite.com -= Empowering the Fight Community (TM)

Source: www.earthtimes.org