Jerome Le Banner vs Tim Sylvia im UFC.
Nach MMAweekly.com zu folge werden sich JLB & Tim Sylvia im UFC gegeneinander antreten. Man was für ein Match-Up. Hier die Interviews wie das ganze zu stande gekommen ist.
1. Interview mit JLB
AK: Great! But who is he? A UFC fighter?
JLB: Yeah he's a UFC fighter. I'll give you a few hints: he's tall, a striker, and wears ridiculous sunglasses (laughs).
AK: (laughs) Sunglasses? That must be Tim Sylvia right?
JLB: Exactly!
AK: Why do you want to fight a MMA fighter? And why in the USA and not in Japan?
JLB: Actually I just want his sunglasses (laughs). No seriously, I love UFC, the USA and MMA. I've been paying more attention to MMA lately and I'd like to fight under these rules more often. I liked the ground training with Dean Lister and I'd really like to keep on improving. For my fight against Karaev at K1 New Year's Eve, it was the first time I trained seriously on the ground. And I must say I liked it. Against Karaev I didn't only try to survive on my back, waiting to go back on my feet. Ok my takedown attempt was pathetic... but it was the first one in my life!
AK: Why Tim Sylvia?
JLB: Sunglasses are my weakness. (laughs)
AK: Ok so you want to fight him to get his sunglasses?
JLB: Yeah if I win he should give them to me, it should be in the contract. Seriously now. Tim Sylvia is a great fighter in the USA, he's considered as the n°2 UFC heavyweight and fans often say that he's a good striker. I often read on forums "Sylvia is a deadly striker". I'd like to show american fans what a deadly striker really is (laughs). I don't have anything against Sylvia and he has all my respect. However I think I can beat him... even in MMA.
AK: So you want to fight for UFC? Does it mean you'd leave K-1?
JLB: No, not at all! I don't want to leave K-1. I always hear about organizations exchanging fighters and it doesn't happen too often. So here's the deal: 2 fights, Tim Sylvia fights me in Japan under K-1 rules and I give him a rematch in the octagon.
AK: That's a great idea. Do you think both companies and Sylvia will accept?
JLB: I challenged Sylvia, now it's up to him. Does he accept to fight me? K-1 rules should suit him as he's a deadly striker and I don't have any problems with fighting him under MMA rules. Furthermore it'd be great for UFC's exposition in Japan and vice-versa... Everybody can get something out of it.
AK : Thanks a lot Jerome, we hope that Tim Sylvia will accept the challenge !
JLB : You are welcome, I hope he will accept ! We keep in touch with my new official site www.jerome-le-banner.com. 2006, will be a very very busy year for me !
2. Interview mit Tim Sylvia
"First of all, I don't even know who Jerome Le...Lebanner, what ever his name is, Jabroni is. I have heard the name. I've talked to the guys at the gym. He is very high up there from what I understand. I'm not calling any K-1 fighters out...But if somebody is calling me out, they need to step into my rules and fight me in the UFC."
Sylvia continued "Therefore, he needs to go through all the legal actions and have his manager contact the UFC, have the UFC get him to fight me. I mean, he's calling me out. Why do I have to go on his turf and fight him? Second of all, why is he calling out the number two guy? Why isn't he calling out the number one guy? Everyone says Arlovski is better than me, and Arlovski is the champ. Why isn't he calling him out?"
Tim was asked if he accepts Lebanner's challenge as long as it takes place in the UFC. He answered, "Absolutely. Why wouldn't I? I mean, if the UFC finds it justified for him to fight me in the UFC, bring it on. I'll fight anybody. You guys should know that by now."
"I'm not calling him out to fight in K-1. If he wants to fight me so bad, he needs to step into my world, and that is in a cage, and that is in the UFC."
"I just kind of find it disrespectful to call me out and try to get me to fight K-1. You know? I'm not a K-1 fighter. I'm not claiming to be one."
3. Interview wieder mit JLB, akzeptiert die Herausforderung mit Tim Sylvia.
"Hi everyone. First of all I'd like to thank the fans, especially the American ones, who backed me up and thought I'd win against Tim even under MMA rules. I didn't think American fans would be that fair-play! In various forums (MMAWeekly, Sherdog, MMA.TV, Ironlife etc), most of the members think I'd win and that's touching. I'll reply point by point.
1. I don't think it's disrespectful to challenge someone from another organization. Challenges are what this sport is about, it brings excitement and allows the best to fight against each other. And if I remember well, Sylvia challenged Pride champion Fedor... Contradiction?
2. I thought a 2 fights deal, 1 fight in each organization would be good. But I have no problem with fighting him ONLY under mma rules in the UFC cage... Or anywhere else no matter the rules. So I officially state I want to fight Sylvia in the UFC cage. I'm at Dana White and Zuffa's disposal, and I'm waiting for them to reply to my manager's mail. I know they are serious people, I don't worry for that. Here's my manager's mail: alkermor@msn.com and my official website's address: www.jerome-le-banner.com
3. Why him and not Andrei Arlovski? For 2 reasons: first I'm sick and tired of reading he has great striking skills. I think I can prove he's far from being world class on his feet. Then I'm not challenging AA cause I'm not arrogant, I'm new in mma and Andrei Arlovski is on top. I don't think I will do good in a ground phase with him. It's too early, I must improve. I'm honest and I'm not overestimating myself. Everybody knows I'm not afraid of anyone but you must be realistic. Furthermore UFC would never accept a fight between Andrei Arlovski and someone from another org.
4. Sylvia says I'm a nobody and that I want recognition. He must be blind and deaf. Of course in the USA UFC is more well known than K-1 but in the entire world K-1 is far more popular. Sylvia is a no name outside of the USA, I'm not. I fought against the best and beat a lot of them, you can't say that for Tim.
5. Sylvia talks about respect and then he insults me? I also read articles where he insulted Tito Ortiz... Contradiction again? Before opening his big mouth he should compare his career with Tito's. Tito is a huge champion an deserves respect.
6. Regarding the insults again, I've met so many big mouths it doesn't bother me anymore. When I talk, I take upon myself and fight afterwards. He calls me "pussy", "bitch" he insults my name, he insults my country... What the fuck is wrong with him? We'll see if he'll talk that much when we'll be face to face...
So there, I hope mma fans understood it's just about the sport and that I won't lower myself and start insulting him. Now, I'd like him to tell me all that stuff face to face in the octagon at UFC 58. I want to challenge him in front of everybody... I know he must fight Andrei Arlovski so I'll wait for this fight to happen. I just hope Andrei Arlovski won't hurt him too much... Sylvia has no chance against him.
It's up to Tim now and the UFC now, I want to challenge him face to face in the cage as he requested. Dana, invite me and I'll be here for UFC 58.
For further info please visit my site www.jerome-le-banner.com , My space users can get in touch with me through my agent here: http://www.myspace.com/aka29
See you,
JLB
p.s : I still want his sunglasses
LeBanner's manager also replied with this message. "Hi, my name's Alan Kermorvan, I'm Jerome LeBanner's manager. We'd like to reply to Tim Sylvia. As a lot of fans know Jerome LeBanner challenged Sylvia in an interview to MMAWeekly. Sylvia immediately replied saying that he didn't know who Lebanner was and his challenge was disrespectful. He also asked why Jerome challenged him as they weren't in the same organization, and why Sylvia instead of Arlovski?
First of all I'd like to tell the fans I sent an email to Tim Sylvia 10 days before the challenge was officially issued to warn him and show him respect. After all this challenge is strictly about sport. Tim received that mail, I have the proof as we communicate on a site where you can see if the emails are read or not. However he didn't reply. Therefore Tim Sylvia knew LeBanner was about to challenge him. To act as he was surprised is pure bullshit, and I'm sure he lied when he said he didn't know who JLB is. After Jerome's challenge and Tim's reply he started to act in a rude and disrespectful way, as shown in the following messages all posted on the same site the 9 and 10 of February:
“ I cant believe that pussy has the balls to call me out. Fuck K1 he can come to my turf to call me out big mistake on his part first aa thank him. ”
“ You think that pussy can beat me? Bring your bitch ass boy on he wont last 1 minute with me in the cage. ”
Here's an entry of his blog from the same site:
“ Most of you know that some K1 fighter named Jerome Lebitch I mean Lebanner recently issued a challenge to me. First of all I cant believe that this nobody would call me out and second of all why is he calling me out to K1, if your going to open your big fat french mouth to call me out at least have the respect to call me out at ufc. Why not call out AA if you think your so good why the #2 guy. This guy just wants some publicity cause he's a nobody and he wants some recognition. Go cry about your shitty career somewhere else. Ill fight Lebitch no question that’s if of course he has the balls to come to the octagon. We all know the french are pussys. ”
I think Tim Sylvia isn't a gentleman. His insults and derogatory comments are hardly worthy of a man fighting for a big organization.
Falls der Kampf zu stande kommt, wäre das der Hammerkampf des Jahres 2006. Ich hoffe beide protagonisten werden sich schnell einig und werden bald die Verträge unterschreiben. Für JLB ist es noch ein stückchen Arbeit um sich im Grappling noch einbisschen zu verbessern. Im Stand-Up sollte er der klar besser Mann sein, aber man weiß nie was so im Octagon vor sich geht.
sucht sich die größte pflaume in der UFC aus 
Zitat von marq
