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http://img191.imageshack.us/img191/4736/axbt.png On September 6th Yance Sackett will defend his title against Taj al Din. It’s their 5th fight and this time it seems to be even closer than ever before. Featured on the card we have Danny Power defending his title against the $4 Million Featherweight tournament champion Waru Kuzuri. This is our 1st Primetime show and we’re glad to present it to you. You’ll get the change to know the fighters more than simply 2 guys that enter a cage and face each other. The stories behind it, the struggles to become a champion. All of it here on Ascension Primetime. Sackett vs. al Din http://img10.imageshack.us/img10/3808/24d3.png Sackett had some ups and downs in Ascension and after a fight in CWFL, he came back much better and he won fights decisively. But he lost that fight. It was a tough time for him… Yance: Yeah, I had a few fights that weren't some of my proudest moments. Those were tough times for my camp. There was a lot of trouble in the Tycooniverse those days. I don’t know if it was in the water or the cage or what. Guys were getting KO'd all over the place. The final straw was after War Machine got KO'd by Budo. Barnabas came into camp and told everyone to get in the cage. He came in last, locked the door and threw the key back out. He cussed us up and down for about an hour until we were all fired up and ready beat him senseless. That's when he said "All right bitches, who wants a shot at the old man?" War Machine took a swing and Barnabas ducked under it, then cracked him with an uppercut that lifted him in the air and dropped him out cold against the cage. We all froze for a split second, looked at each other and then all hell broke loose. Luciano Halo tried to body kick him but he was already in the air about to land the superman punch that KO'd Bubba Clem. Mickey O'Neil caught him with a solid shot to the temple right as Jimmy Snuka Kicked him in the ribs but he was still able to round kick Arudo breaking his jaw. I guess my gameplan for the next ten fights wasn’t exactly rocket science. I was pissed that Barn had walked out and I went balls to the wall in most my fights throwing full power and aggression into each one. I didn’t care if I won or lost, I just wanted to pound on people. Most ended in quick KO's but unfortunately sometimes the guy lying on the ground was me. After the Soprano fight I realized I was getting up in age, as far as fighters go, and that I better get my shit together if I want to make one last run at number 1. I'm usually much more controlled in the cage than I was being. I look at fighting like a chess match and just going in to try and knock people out isn’t my game. Sure feels good though. I talked to Barnabas and we started forming a new camp. It was just me and Mickey up until that point but Barn brought Tyrel back and got us some decent trainers to help out. We took over the BHP Vegas gym and have slowly been putting the pieces back together. After a few fights I found myself in line for a title shot against Al Din. I had already beaten him twice but also had been KO'd by him back when the shit was hitting the fan. Al Din is one of the toughest fighters in Tycoon history. He has been ranked as high as number 4 and has been in the top 10 for at least a year it seems like. I wasn’t sure how that fight was going to go so I trained my ass off for it and it paid off with me getting the belt back. I'd be lying if I didn’t say all his shit talking really pumped me up too. After facing Tony Soprano, Sackett only lost once. Amazing performances followed and even his loss against Narushima was something controversial. It seems that the rematch is on Sackett’s eyes but first, he needs to face Taj al Din for the 5th time. Yance: I was lucky to get a win in that Mcthornbody fight. I came in flat and he was really handing it to me. It's a good thing I like to swing for the fences, just wish I could have done that against Ryo. Ryo is a beast who throws with power AND accuracy. I expect to see him near the top for a while. With that said, it was a very close fight and I would love a rematch if the opportunity presents itself someday. For now, I gotta deal with defending my belt against Taj, AGAIN. Al Din has been saying I'm scared of him for at least a year. Nothing new there. He already has 3 losses to me so how scared can I really be? After I took the belt from him the first time he wanted 2 out of 3. He won the second and I won the third but then he wanted 3 out of 5. I won the third and now he wants it to be out of 7. Well, here you go Taj, fight number 5. If you take a look at the guys I fought instead of Al Din, I think it’s pretty hard to make a case that I was ducking him. Oh, has anybody looked at the fighters he was beating in order to earn a rematch with me? Not exactly the top 10 guys I was facing. Who is scared of what? Good luck to ya Taj! http://img89.imageshack.us/img89/2976/qxl3.png Taj al Din is not the typical fighter. He has degrees in Herbology, Biology, Botany, Astronomy, History, Hydrology and Psychology. He’s an outspoken public advocate of marijuana and that’s not all of it. He also had an interesting childhood in Tasmania. Taj: I was born and raised in Taroona, on a farm-like residence next to the ocean. I was taught to be appreciative of everything you have in life, and to never take your health and good fortune for granted. I managed to provide a substantial income for myself since my early teens, utilizing my skills in hydroponics and herbology. The income provided a roof over the heads of my family, kept more than enough food on the table, and paid for my training at the gyms. Finding my path, my pursuit of happiness, was a journey down a road that lacked stability. The direction wasn't always clear and the future wasn't always promising, but eventually I found the light and ran with it. I put my heart into MMA and a lot of hard work, blood, sweat, and tears later, here I am today. Taj al Din is on a 4 fight win. It started with a strange cut stoppage in the trilogy against Kurokawa Kenji but then he got some solid performances against tougher competition. He faced guys he never fought before and now he’s back as #1 contender. Al Din is considered a legend and has accomplished everything in Ascension, so how would this fight be different than any other he had? Taj: I want to be the champion. I am very ambitious. I strive to be the best... There are times in your life that you must fall before you rise. There will be intervals of your career when fighting is as mentally arduous as it is physically. The mentally strong prevail and the weak falter. If you do not have the fortitude and will to preserve focus, confidence, and motivation, your foundation will crumble. I have committed over a decade of my life to the art of combat and I have conquered all mental aspects of Mixed Martial Arts. You cannot pollute your mind with uncertainty or you will be indecisive and hesitate. I have exerted every ounce of energy into preparation for this moment. I am elated to be in this position, to contend for the title, but I expected to be here. The last time they fought, Sackett dominated the fight and with that al Din is 1-3 against Sackett. With 4 fights in their past, both fighters wonder what kind of surprises their foe can present… And also what kind of surprise they can show on fight night. Taj: In our last fight he landed two sadistic kicks to the nuts. If there's one thing I learned, it's that you don't want to get kicked in the nads by a Sackett - it can drain the essence of your life right out of you. It appears that he has my number but I'm going to bombard him with a bit of everything. I am aware that he will try to counter to take me down but I will be prepared for that. I know he's full of surprises. Never underestimate what a Sackett has in his bag of tricks. Taj said many times that Yance was ducking this fight while the champion said that the guys al Din faced were way weaker than those he faced since then. Taj: I am very competitive, defeat is unacceptable, and victory is expected of me. But life isn't about how many times you get knocked down - it's about how many times you get back up. The expectations for Convicted Fight Club fighters are elevated and the walls are decorated in title belts and championships. We know what it takes to be champion, and we have been very vocal about my disappointing performances against Yance. We learn from defeat, we move on, and I progress as a fighter and a human being. Yance is a tough fighter but I will validate my resilience. He says he fought better competition since our last bout, but when you are the champion that's what you should expect. You should expect to face tougher competition when the belt is on your waist. When you're no longer the champ, you just work on climbing back up the latter. You have to earn your way back to the top by defeating other contenders. I've been very fortunate to receive another opportunity against the current champion - I am thankful for it - but I feel that I have earned it. http://img845.imageshack.us/img845/3582/pswx.png So what can both fighters say about fighting? The aspects of training during weeks and leaving it all up for just one fight, one cage and how does that affect them? Sackett: Fighting is just something I grew up doing. There are a lot of extended family Sackett's and we get together often. When a bunch of Sackett's get together they always want to see who the toughest one is. Some families throw horseshoes at reunions, we like to throw punches and kicks. Sackett's don’t seem to be able to walk away from a fight. If a man wants to take his disagreement to the next level I am happy to throw the first punch to get that party started. If a man feels he can beat me I think he should know he's wrong. I don’t need to be angry to fight like some guys. I look at it more like a chess match. What are my strengths, my opponent’s weaknesses and how can I use that to my advantage. I'm used to fighting family and cousins and such so fighting is more about proving who the better man is that day. I should add, there is not much that feels as good as landing a solid punch to the jaw of my opponent and watching his eyes roll back in his head as he falls to the canvas. Taj: Fighting is many things and has many meanings. The answer to that question is complex but the reality of it can be simplified. Fighting is a job. Ascension is my employer. To fight, is to work. It's become a means of survival, a way of living. But is that why I fight? No, of course not. For me, it's competition. It provides a liberation of negative energy. By the time you step into the cage to fight, you have a lot of emotions bottled up inside of you. For me, the fight becomes a pacification of the mind and a release of testosterone. To compete against another Mixed Martial Artist directly is the ultimate challenge for our sport. You must be competitive to be successful. You must enjoy competition. The most successful people in the MMA industry, from fighters, managers, and org owners, are the most competitive. Despite my competitive nature, when I am in the cage or ring I maintain a state of tranquility. I won't fight with a mind clouded by emotions, or blinded with rage. And with the fight coming soon, what do they expect to come after many years of fighting? Sackett: I feel after this fight as after most fights these days against Karter's fighters we'll get together and smoke a ton of the killer weed they always have. I feel strong enough to fight for a while so win or lose, I'm not going anywhere just yet. All I have to say to my opponent is Good luck Taj. Taj: I intend on making the answer to that question, defending the title. I am focused on the present and I can't afford to make the same mistakes I have made in the past by overlooking Yance Sackett. He's an elite fighter and he deserves the utmost respect, he can't be underestimated. Regarding the remaining duration of my career, I am strong enough to continue fighting for many years but I don't intend to. I've succeeded in this sport and my management has done a sensational job of reassuring that I have been financially compensated, so inevitably in the future I will settle down and retire in my home of Tasmania. I could get used to watching the sun set, burning some the finest herb on the planet. Yance Sackett - win, lose, or draw - you have more than earned my respect. You may have won the battles, but I have every intention on winning the war. Good luck, and stay healthy.

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