Member News

April 6, 2007

2004 Olympian Rhadi Ferguson Corners for Jeff Monson in the Main Event of Pride 34 In Tokyo, Japan

On April 8, the largest Mixed Martial Arts organization, PRIDE Fighting Championships, will host its 34th event which will serve as the landmark for their 10-year anniversary.

Two-Time Submission Wrestling Champion and UFC Veteran Jeff Monson will fight against Kazuyuki Fujita in a fight which has been titled "The UFC versus PRIDE." This is the first time that a prominent fighter from the UFC and Pride have squared off against each other.

One of Jeff Monson's trainers and main training partner is USA Judo's own Rhadi Ferguson. Rhadi Ferguson is a Black Belt in Brazilian Jiujitsu, a 2004 Olympian, and a veteran of the Submission Wrestling World Championships.

"I truly believe that it is an excellent avenue for judo players to look into, only after they've exhausted their pursuit of the Olympics. There is no competition greater than the Olympics and although I love the world of Mixed Martial Arts, there is nothing that compares to that feeling of walking into the Olympic Stadium for Opening Ceremonies. That's a high that you just can't match," Ferguson said. "But you know, it's great to see fighters like Manny Gamburyan, Karo Parisyan, Yoshida, Takimoto and Pavel Nastula making a mark in the world of Mixed Martial Arts. I think that more and more fighters are recognizing that Judo and its takedown economy is great for Mixed Martial Arts. The wrestling takedowns take so much energy out of a fighter and you can accomplish the same result with a nifty foot sweep."

When asked if Ferguson had any plans of fighting he said: "I'm having a hard enough time fighting on finishing this Ph. D. I'm taking enough lumps there. I get joy out of watching Taraje Williams-Murray, Jeff Monson, and some of my other clients winning. That's good enough for me."

Jeff Monson's professional record is 22-6. His last fight was a loss against former UFC Heavyweight Champion Tim Sylvia. You can watch Jeff Monson and Rhadi Ferguson on Pay-per-view on April 8th 12am PST. Rhadi Ferguson is also weblogging his trip at his Web site www.thejudocrusader.com.