Aleksander Emelianenko was not cleared by the California State Athletic Commission (CSAC) earlier today on the eve of his scheduled fight with Paul Buentello because he did not meet the mandatory medical licensing requirements.
Affliction MMA, which will stage its first-ever event dubbed “Banned” tomorrow at the Honda Center in Anaheim, Calif., was left with the difficult task of finding a suitable opponent to replace the Russian on super short notice.
And MMAmania.com has learned that early UFC veteran and mixed martial arts journeyman Gary ‘Big Daddy’ Goodridge has answered the call.
Goodridge — who was also an arm wrestling world champion in a prior life — has dropped his last two bouts. In fact, he has lost three of his last five contests. However, he does have experience and some skills to make this fight interesting.
Let’s just hope the 42-year-old has been training and isn’t just being peeled off his couch.
UPDATE: The fight is now OFFICIAL … Affliction confirmed the news in a recent press release.
48 Comments »
Never heard of him. Is he anybody to fear?
23 Wins (13 (T)KO’s, 9 Submissions, 1 decisions), 16 Losses
Date Result Opponent Event Method Round Time
03/30/2008 Loss Choi Mu Bae The Khan 2008 Series 1, Korea KO (Punch) 2 2:40
03/12/2007 Win Jan Nortje K-1 Hero’s 8, Japan TKO 1 3:00
11/11/2006 Win Tadas Rinkevicius K-1 Hero’s Lithuania TKO 1 4:31
03/15/2006 Loss Heath Herring K-1 Hero’s 4, Japan TKO (Punches) 2 1:55
03/26/2005 Win Alan Karaev K-1 Hero’s 1, Japan Submission (Guillotine Choke) 1 2:58
05/22/2004 Win Sylvester Terkay K-1 MMA - ROMANEX, Japan TKO (Punches) 1 1:22
05/22/2004 Win Don Frye PRIDE Shockwave 2003, Japan KO (Kick) 1 0:39
11/09/2003 Win Dan Bobish PRIDE Final Conflict 2003, Japan TKO (Strikes) 1 0:18
08/10/2003 Loss Fedor Emelianenko PRIDE Total Elimination 2003, Japan TKO (Strikes) 1 1:09
08/28/2002 Win Lloyd van Dams PRIDE Shockwave, Japan TKO (Strikes) 1 3:39
06/23/2002 Win Achmed Labasanov PRIDE 21, Japan Decision (Split) 3 5:00
06/23/2002 Draw Ebenezer Fontes Braga Inoki Bom-Ba-Ye 2001-K-1 vs. Inoki, Japan Decision draw 5 3:00
09/24/2001 Win Yoshiaki Yatsu PRIDE 16, Japan TKO (Corner Stoppage) 1 3:03
08/19/2001 Win Jan Nortje K-1 Andy Memorial Japan GP Final, Japan Submission (Arm Crush) 1 1:11
07/29/2001 Loss Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira PRIDE 15, Japan Submission (Triangle Choke) 1 2:37
05/27/2001 Win Valentijn Overeem PRIDE 14, Japan Submission (Strikes) 1 2:39
03/18/2001 Win Bob Schrijber 2H2H, Rotterdam, Netherlands Submission (Knee Bar) 1 2:32
10/31/2000 Win Yoshiaki Yatsu PRIDE 11, Japan TKO (Strikes) 1 8:58
08/27/2000 Loss Gilbert Yvel PRIDE 10, Japan KO (High kick) 1 0:28
06/04/2000 Loss Ricco Rodriguez PRIDE 9, Japan Decision 2 10:00
05/01/2000 Loss Igor Vovchanchyn PRIDE Grand Prix 2000 Finals, Japan TKO (Strikes) 1 10:14
01/30/2000 Win Osamu Tachihikari PRIDE Grand Prix 2000 Opening Round, Japan Submission (Forearm Choke) 1 0:51
11/21/1999 Loss Tom Erikson PRIDE 8, Japan Decision 2 10:00
07/04/1999 Loss Nagoya Ogawa PRIDE 6, Japan Submission (Armlock) 2 0:36
03/05/1999 Win Andre Roberts UFC 19, USA Submission (Punches) 1 0:43
10/11/1999 Loss Igor Vovchanchyn PRIDE 4, Japan TKO (Strikes) 1 5:58
07/06/1999 Win Amir Rahnavardi PRIDE 3, Japan KO 1 7:22
03/15/1998 Loss Marco Ruas PRIDE 2, Japan Submission (Heel hook) 1 9:09
10/11/1997 Win Oleg Taktarov PRIDE 1, Japan KO 1 4:57
07/06/1997 Win Pedro Otavio IVF 1, Brazil Submission (Punches) 1 16:15
07/06/1997 Win Cal Worsham IVF 1, Brazil Submission (Key lock) 1 0:43
07/06/1997 Win Augusto Menezes Santos IVF 1, Brazil Submission (Crucifix) 1 0:32
03/03/1997 Loss Mario Netto UVF 6, Brazil Submission 1 6:02
12/07/1996 Loss Don Frye UU 96, USA Submission (Fatigue) 1 11:19
07/12/1996 Loss Mark Coleman UFC 10, USA Submission (Position) 1 7:00
07/12/1996 Win John Campatella UFC 10, USA KO (Punches) 1 1:28
05/17/1996 Loss Mark Schultz UFC 9, USA TKO (Cut) 1 12:00
02/16/1996 Loss Don Frye UFC 8, USA Submission (Position) 1 2:14
02/16/1996 Win Jerry Bohlander UFC 8, USA TKO (Strikes) 1 5:31
02/16/1996 Win Paul Herrera UFC 8, USA KO (Elbows) 1 0:13
[
thats bob sapps record
sorry i meant gary goodridges record mybad
Touche’
I didn’t know Goodridge was an arm wrestling champ!LOL!
Yeah, they mentioned that a lot way back in the day. As for this fight, I think Buentello is feeling ten times more confident tonight. haha
FOr sure!
This blows, I was dying to see Aleks rip him apart. I knew
some BS was going to happen like this, because Cali’s state athletic commision is GARBAGE, they are always giving fighters problems.
F CALI!!!
Gary is a pioneer of the sport, but he is as washed up as it gets! this fight blows…Buentello went from being destroyed to winning in 24 hours! WTF!
dude how old are u? 12? u can’t possibly claim to be a fight fan or even a ufc fan if u’ve never heard of gary goodridge. he’s not the greatest in the world but way back in the day when sen. mccain was hating on the sport, “big daddy” helped make the ufc
Have you ever seen those crazy UFC early knockouts? He’s the dude that had that one guy in the crucifix position with one arm between his legs and holding the other arm….he then landed like 8 crazy elbows to the dudes temple (while he was out on like the 2nd one). This is ol’skool UFC and it was an insane knockout.
Gary is done, he has been getting demolished lately.
Glad that Buentello is still getting a fight, he was going to be a hge underdog versus Aleks but he should easily be the favorite favorite versus Gary…
YAMMA !!
SUcks
YAMAMMAWAMMADINGDONG!!!
My favorite Gary Goodridge fight is, I think it was a K-1 fight…..Gary continually got his teeth KTFO. The ref was picking them up off the canvas as Gary was spitting them out. Good stuff
Anyone remember who was Gary’s opponent??
Was the Feitosa fight I think…
Yes it was
Missed that one too…but Glaube’s kicks are nasty. Rival Cro Cops’
LOL! I missed that one
well hes fought some tough guys,fedor, herring, vovchanchyn
lets just hope he doesnt think this is a arm wrestling competition
Wow! Fight of the year candidate!
Buentello via rigamortis!
lol
Im not gonna lie. For some reason Even though its says Gary Goodridge, I was thinking of Ron Van Cleif, the old black guy with the Apollo Creed shorts that Gracie choked out in UFC 4. Thus the rigamortis comment. IM SO STUPID!!!!!
i remember that! now your joke is actually funnier! ive just never heard that prediction before! lol 20 mins to go
Check yo facts Mania
Goodrige was approved to fight quickly because he was supposed to fight in SD but the show was cancelled.
Shure can tell who the newbies are
wow i remember wasnt he in the old ufc game for the gream cast? wasnt he one of the first ufc fighters?
Well gotta love how the write up is off in regards to his record.Take a look and youll see what i mean.
how is it off thats just his mma record no kickboxing
what about arm wrestling? is that in there?
Are you kidding me! You call yourself mma fan and you dont know Big Daddy Gary Goodridges ….Your nothing but want to be MMA fans,lol!
Gary is a good dude, I hope he pulls out the win. Though I was really looking forward to see aleks fight 8/
I love how people jump on here and trash others for not being “real” MMA fans cuz they haven’t heard of someone. How about giving a little background, some info and knowledge. Help them become better fans as they just might be “newbies”. (And it’s ok to be a new fan, EVERYONE on here was a new fan at one point.)Instead, some of you douches play like you have all this knowledge but apparently can’t be bothered to let others learn from it. Help your fellow MMA fans!
Damn Newb Supporters!
Chef: I always drop knowledge on anyone willing to learn. I only get confrontational when I get attacked!
U know how many people from this site, E-mail me to ask me questions, and I always answer them to the best of my ability.
Thatr is what this site is for….spreading the knowledge.
I really hope that you werent talking about me!
Not you, my faceless, anonymous internet MMA friend! lol There were just some guys on here whose most intelligent comment was “Never heard of this guy? You can’t be a real MMA fan!” They wouldn’t even say how THEY heard of him, whether they liked him, or anything. I think those guys suck @ss (like Charlie Sharlow and deuce 4, above). You made a comment on a different thread about not being able to wait til summer’s over so some of these morons can get back to school. How true. No, you as well as VM, Phil and a handful of others are quite frankly where I get a great deal of my facts and info. I have neither the time or the inclination to study this sport as anything other than the hobby/entertainment that it is for me. I don’t mind doing a little research, but I don’t have the MMA “memory” that some of you guys do. So, thanks to you guys for the facts and analysis, and sorry for letting these kids get under my skin. I’m feeling a little irritable today. lol
anytime Chef! trust me I understand!I honestly enjoy interact with you among many others oon this site!
Good stuff, keep the debates flowing my friend!
Gary Goodridge is famous for his elbow blows from crucifix position knockout over Paul Herrara at UFC 8 - I actually had a chance to talk to Gary about this a few months back. I was fifteen when that fight took place and I still talk about that knockout…
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-8640003782189963341
at the end of the fight Goodridge runs into the cage head first and I always wondered if he hurt himself - I asked him about it and he said he did hurt his neck pretty bad…check out the video.
Gary’s last fight was on the native reserves here in Ontario and he fought a three round decision loss to someone he thought he was going to dominate - he didn’t come in shape to fight at all…so it’ll be interesting to see how he does tonight…cheers all…
Gary said that Fedor was the strongest man that he has ever met…Thats a big compliment coming from the Diesel Gary GOodridge
Attaboy Seamus, drop the knowledge. Info and links are what I was talking about!
told you people that the fight wouldn’t happen. i knew it, i figured it would be a visa issue, not a doctors issue.
ye 5 years in jail i though the us immigration authorities would have a field day!
screw the California State Athletic Commission they ruined my hopes of seing aleks rip another man apart
i’m thinking the medical thing was just formality because they couldn’t bar him from entering the country because of his background. so they used the medical thing as an excuse.
Gary’s no slouch, he fought in PRIDE and got defeated by Fedor. Paul Buentello used to be in UFC and left after the loss to Arlovski. i expect this fight a stand up with a KO or referee stoppage.
Well, it’s definitely not Aleks. Considering also short notice Goodridge got, Paul Buentello is almost set for a win here. Hope he at least scores a flashy knockout.