Strikeforce Signs Former U.S. Judo Olympian Rhadi Ferguson for January Challengers Card
by Luke Thomas on Dec 20, 2010 11:55 AM EST
in Strikeforce News
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From a press release:
Four-time U.S. National Judo Champ and 2004 U.S. Judo Olympian Dr. Rhadi Ferguson will put his perfect MMA record on the line against up-and-coming undefeated light heavyweight Ion Cherdivara on the STRIKEFORCE Challengers Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) fight card presented by Rockstar Energy Drink on Friday, Jan. 7, 2011, at Nashville Municipal Auditorium in Nashville, Tenn., live on SHOWTIME® at 11 p.m. ET/PT (delayed on the West Coast).
The only athlete to compete in the Olympic Games, the Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (BJJ) World Championships and the Abu Dhabi Submission Wrestling World Championships, Ferguson is 2-0 with two TKOs as a light heavyweight (205) in MMA.
A BJJ silver medalist, the 35-year-old Ferguson has successfully transitioned to MMA after a brilliant career in Judo and BJJ. A member of America Top Team (ATT) in Coconut Creek, Fla., the longtime martial arts competitor is also a well-respected trainer having worked with Bobby Lashley, Thiago Alves and Brandon Vera, among others.
"I don't think MMA is ever a natural transition," Ferguson said. "I did Judo, I did BJJ, I'm a strength and conditioning coach and a judo coach for some top MMA fighters. After training these guys for a while the sport caught me a little bit. I'm 35, but I feel like I still have some stuff in the tank.
"I'm satisfied with my athletic career but I wouldn't mind putting the STRIKEFORCE Light Heavyweight title belt on my mantel."
Ferguson is a black belt in BJJ under ATT's Ricardo Liborio. He's also still close with Washington, DC's Team Lloyd Irvin. He was also my very first interview in MMA.
Can he transition to MMA? Your guess is as good as mine. He's a judo player first, but he incorporates a ton leg attacks. He's also incredibly strong and has explosive power. As a strength and conditioning coach (whose methods I've witnessed firsthand) he should be able to go the full distance in a MMA fight without much issue. Only time will tell of course.
I've included another highlight reel after the jump. It includes my favorite throw of his. It's against Jun Ishii from ADCC 2005. Note the elevation.
And yes, this is Kimbo Slice's cousin.
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Good news.
Rhadi Ferguson was great at helping Alves prepare for his fight against Karo Parisyan a few years back. I’ve been hoping a major company would pick him up for a while now.
"Caol Uno was like Mutoh. He developed into a star overseas and then returned to his home country a much bigger deal. Dokonjonosuke Mishima is like Kobashi because they both do moonsaults. Don Frye is like Stan Hansen because they are both fat dumb rednecks with mustaches." - Jonathan Snowden
Finally
The ACTUAL toughest guy at the Ferguson family barbecue gets a shot at the big time.
I look forward to it.
First time I read that I got “the actual toughest guy at the Ferguson family barbecue gets shot.”…. That’s a rough family barbecue.
It is interesting that someone in the Ferguson family has real martial art talent though.
Kimbo has real athletic talent
if he’d started younger and had good coaching he might have done interesting things.
Follow me on Twitter @KidNate
Kimbo had athletic talent(not much martial art talent ever shown through)but he’s more a story of “what could of been” as opposed to Rhadi’s story of actually proving his talent in athletic competition. Yes if Kimbo had only took the path of professional martial artist instead of the path of porn company body guard and back yard tough guy the world may of been different.
that first throw (anybody know the name of it? judonerd?) blew my mind
we mutha fuckin thug life riders westsiiiide till we die
by cosmic fist technique on Dec 20, 2010 12:18 PM EST via mobile reply actions
Sukui Nage
At it’s heart, it is a sukui. Scoop throw. He caught the single, set his hip into it, and lifted by that. The finish wasn’t at all standard, but the essence of the throw is the same. It’s basically like a high crotch lift in wrestling. Thoroughly illegal in current competition Judo(damnit), but a beautiful throw nonetheless.
by Hedonismbot on Dec 20, 2010 12:29 PM EST up reply actions
Isn’t that the morote gari? With the sukui you’re usually behind/onthe side of your opponent and reach over their stomach to lock the throw. I also think the morote might have been added to the newly approved technique list.
The finish for morote gari would be to drive the guy straight onto his back. It’s a weird entry and a weird grip with both hands on the leg, but the scoop/finish is like sukui nage.
thanks guys
sounds like it’s a amalgamation of those two with it’s own twist.. thanks again
we mutha fuckin thug life riders westsiiiide till we die
by cosmic fist technique on Dec 20, 2010 4:13 PM EST via mobile up reply actions
Not the morote
Morote is a double-leg. The word itself means double-hand, more or less. Thus the standard morote-seoinage, which is the two-handed shoulder throw
Thoroughly illegal in current competition Judo]
Quite right.
"All the time he's boxing, he's thinking. All the time he was thinking, I was hitting him." - Jack Dempsey
by Drunken cutman on Dec 20, 2010 4:12 PM EST up reply actions
this should be the name for his variation on the above listed descriptions
we mutha fuckin thug life riders westsiiiide till we die
by cosmic fist technique on Dec 20, 2010 4:14 PM EST via mobile up reply actions
As I read the article...
I had a witty Kimbo quip all locked and loaded and then Luke had to go and hit us with the megaton at the very end of the piece.
Mind = Blown
I don't like the idea
that there is someone out there that could make me go from standing to completely inverted in less than a second. Scary to say the least…and very impressive
Yea
He seems to have an insane double leg TD. We’ll see how it pans out.
They made a video game about Yakuzas. It’s called Yakuza. And it’s about Yakuza
Another awesome HL of his (with better music, no less)
http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x32snu_rhadi-ferguson-actually-does-judo-t_sport
Ever tried. Ever failed. No matter. Try Again. Fail again. Fail better. -Samuel Beckett
Reasoning will never make a man correct an ill opinion, which by reasoning he never acquired. -Jonathan Swift
by Scott C. Broussard on Dec 20, 2010 1:29 PM EST reply actions
Rhadi is a badass.
I wish that they still allowed leg grabs in Judo, because my game would be awesome. But I guess that’s why they don’t want us to do them, because I would just scoop up smaller guys and dump them.
by SilverNBlackZach! on Dec 20, 2010 1:46 PM EST reply actions
Legit
He helped run Jeff Monson’s camp for Big Timmy circa 2006 at IHP in Miami Fla. Pretty sure he’s a part owner of IHP and has been around the game for along time. I look forward to seeing him throw dudes around.
by muppetsarntpuppets on Dec 20, 2010 2:01 PM EST reply actions
Hybrid?
If only Rhadi had the star power of Kimbo, a guy with a fan base that big and with actual skills would be crazy. Well actually that person is already known as GSP but having two in the MMA business would be insane
Can he transition to MMA?
Speaking as someone who has seen him train and fight…well…um…I hope the best for him.
Video blog updated every Sunday with exciting MMA fights from smaller shows:
Bro, check out this fight!
He looks like he has a very good shot at some MMA success
We have no idea what his stand – up is like, though.
"All the time he's boxing, he's thinking. All the time he was thinking, I was hitting him." - Jack Dempsey
By the looks of it he shouldn’t have a problem getting guys to the ground though.. impressive stuff in that clip, looking forward to seeing him throw some fools around in the cage.
by Horselover Fat on Dec 20, 2010 4:50 PM EST up reply actions
Definitely interested in seeing how he does
But he’s no Pawel Nastula, keep them hands up.
"Now you see that evil will always triumph, because good is dumb."
by menckenstein on Dec 20, 2010 4:16 PM EST via mobile reply actions
Calling it now
This will be the 1st time that someone gets tossed completely over the cage.
Walking the line between intelligence and ignorance since 1985
@deowade
Unintelligent Defense, K-1 Level Typing
Sick, sick, sick Challengers card
I can’t wait
THE SLAM AT 2:54
looks like it would send your nuts back into your body. that has to be a death throw who wants to move after that. the guy got up smacked him on the shoulder like now i’m a women thanks buddy.
One thing that I’m glad with Strikeforce is that they don’t seem to be signing UFC castoffs left and right and are getting guys like Rhadi Ferguson. Rick Hawn has managed to make the transition to MMA and is doing pretty well for himself, so I am curious to see if Rhadi can do the same.
Check out MMA For You at http://www.youtube.com/user/Gobusiness123 for MMA reviews, predictions, and analysis.
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