UFC MMA archive

Saturday night’s Breakthrough MMA card at the Ocean Center had a little bit of everything. The hyped main event fighter delivered, a couple local guys shined and a reality TV star scored a big knockout.

“Man, it was an amazing show,” Breakthrough MMA promoter Jason Arnett said. “And the turnout was amazing.”

Arnett estimated that around 1,000 people were on hand for the show. Those in attendance saw former Atlantic High wrestler Jay Pressley — who said he was coming off a near half-year layoff due to a broken orbital bone — deliver one of the night’s more impressive performances with a unanimous decision flyweight title win over Dillon Gower.

Despite his wrestling background, Pressley, who trains at The Armory, overwhelmed Gower at times with his striking. Pressley credited Pete White with helping him hone his boxing.

“I really believe in my stand-up against anyone,” Pressley said.

Gower proved tough as well, nearly catching Pressley with several submissions.

“He is definitely a purple belt,” Pressley said. “I respect his ground game to the fullest. He had a good armbar on me, and he had a couple chokes. I knew every time he had the chokes, I just had to work the two-on-ones, get up, and my game plan was to defend the takedowns and keep it standing.”

In the featherweight title fight, Fight Sports Daytona’s Anderson Hutchinson ran his record to 9-0, and helped his gym post a perfect showing on the night — Chris Jacobs, Ivan Robles and Aaron Delgado all won — with a unanimous decision win over William Sizemore. “I’m not really too happy (with the way I fought),” Hutchinson said. “But I won so I’m happy with that.”

Brad Taylor, who appears on the History channel’s “Ax Men,” took the middleweight title with a third-round knockout of Alex Nicholson. Just seconds into the round, Taylor loaded up on an overhand right that dropped Nicholson.

“I knew I had power in my hands, and I wanted to use it,” Taylor said. “I knew I had the first and second round in the bag, so I just wanted to come out and throw hands in the third round and it turned out real well. I think I closed my eyes (on the overhand right). I gave it 100 percent.

“You come three hours, pick up a belt ... that ain’t a bad night. I’m telling ya.”

Titusville native Mo “The Beast” De’Reese capped off the night by moving up to heavyweight — he holds three amateur title belts at light heavyweight — to score a unanimous decision win over Dominick Tomanelli for that division’s heavyweight title.

“He was tough,” De’Reese said of Tomanelli. “He was definitely worthy of a championship. He just did not get one today.”

De’Reese improved to 11-0 as an amateur and said he hopes to make the move to the professional level.

The first nine fights of the event ended via submission. None of them made it out of the second round. In total, 12 of the 16 fights ended via stoppage.



Locals shine at Breakthrough MMA event | News-JournalOnline-com

‘Night of Champions,’ an MMA fundraiser held by the Cerritos College wrestling team, will take place Saturday, September 7 at the Falcon Gymnasium and will possibly include special guests such as Rampage Jackson and Tito Ortiz.

There will be fifteen fights, three of them being championship fights, and general admission tickets are $25 while ringside tickets are $50 and can be bought at kofightnights-com and from the wrestling team. A percentage of the proceeds will go toward the wrestling team.

“I think it’s a good way for us to contribute to our school,” said sophomore wrestler Gabe Ballesteros.

The event will feature amateur fighters–among them being former Cerritos College wrestlers Tyler Smith and Josh Jones and possible appearances from the likes of the aforementioned MMA superstars.

One of the competitors will be former Cerritos wrestler Mario Delgado who was a state champion for the Cerritos team.

“We have a few former wrestlers actually fighting on the card,” said freshman wrestler David Acuna. “One of the main guys is Mario Delgado who currently holds two titles.”

The event will have octagon cages down on the main floor and chairs surrounding it for the ringside seating and one side of the stands open for general admission, while the fighters will warm up backstage before the fights.

“I think it’s a good opportunity,” said head coach Don Garriott. “It’s the first time we’re doing it. With these types of events, you get a steady venue (and) you kind of get a steady crowd.”

Garriott said that the promoter should be able to get (Rampage) Jackson to the event and that he was unsure about the status of (Tito) Ortiz as he might be out of state.

“We’re just working out those details right now,” added Garriott.

Other fighters that might make an appearance include Emmanuel Newton, a former Cerritos wrestler who is the number one contender in Bellator and has an interim title fight in November, and Cody Bollinger who will appear on the show ‘The Ultimate Fighter.’

“We have an opportunity to make a lot of money for the wrestling team and maybe the whole athletic program,” said Garriott.

Added freshman Antonio Gonzalez, “It’s going to be a (really) good event and we hope to see everybody there supporting us.”
- See more at: MMA event to be held to fundraise for wrestling team | Talon Marks

Multi-titled long distance runner and renowned fitness expert Leszl Lumidas Gitaruelas is set to do battle in another sport.

The 39-year-old Cebuana is gearing up for her debut fight in Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) this Saturday when she faces English fighter Ellen Harper in the undercard of the “Ultimate Beatdown” MMA event in Johur Bahru, Malaysia.

Gitaruelas was once a consistent podium finisher in some of Cebu’s biggest running events in 2008 and 2009.

She transferred to Malaysia to seek greener pastures but came home in 2011 for a vacation and won in the Y101 Armscor Run. That top place finish in the 10.1-kilometer race with military obstacle course was the last win for Gitaruelas in Cebu.

“I never intended to stop running,” Gitaruelas said. “It’s just that I can’t focus on my training in Cebu.”

While in Malaysia, she decided to try another sport. She said she felt motivated to try MMA after gaining support from her friends and family.

“I hesitated at first because my family was not that supportive,” Gitaruelas said. “But now, they understand my interest in joining the sport and they now support me. They keep motivating me to push hard and fight hard because a lot of people said I have the potential of becoming a good fighter.”

Gitaruelas is now training hard for her fight in Malaysia. She spent a month here in Cebu training under the renowned YawYan ArDigma of Master Benigno “Ekin” Caniga Jr. She started training last March and was halted for a month after she suffered an injury. She resumed training in Johur Bahru by practicing Muay Thai for a few weeks.

“I’ve trained for a short time and I know that it’s not good. But I’ll do my best to win this fight.”

Although she is facing an experienced opponent, the Cebuana said she isn’t nervous. In fact, she feels excited to step inside the ring for the first time.

Read more: From running to MMA fighting | Inquirer News
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The great ones often tend toward nearsightedness, locking into the same tunnel vision that lifted them to such heights.

Anderson Silva, by many accounts the greatest of all time, has an eye on the big picture.

During an interview last week with SiriusXM "Fight Club," the 38-year-old Brazilian said he felt his "legacy is complete."

"In UFC, I break all the old records," Silva said. "I stay the belt for seven years."

He certainly has a point. Silva holds the longest middleweight title reign in UFC history, with 16 consecutive wins and 10 title defenses. It was an unmatched run that finally ended at UFC 162 in July when Chris Weidman became the first mixed martial artist to knock out Silva.

A rematch has been set for Dec. 28 at UFC 168. Despite his first loss in the UFC, Silva remains a slight favorite heading into the second bout at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas.

But what if he loses to Weidman again? What, then, to make of Silva's legacy?

In the eyes of some, that legacy was sullied last month. Silva has long been known for his showmanship in the ring. While other fighters put their hands up, Silva keeps his at his sides, opting instead to bob and weave, taunting opponents with impromptu hand-jive routines before landing devastating, pinpoint strikes.

In most fights, he's simply on another level, which allows him to get away with the "clowning" that can play mind games with more straight-laced competitors. It's a brilliant strategy, really, one that has worked for Silva just about every time.

Thing is, when it finally didn't work, it looked bad. After Weidman blasted Silva unconscious in July, the praise for the new champion paled next to the chorus that Silva had acted disrespectfully in the ring, finally getting what he deserved.

"When he's clowning like that, there's thousands of people wanting to punch him themselves," Weidman told MMAjunkie-com last week. "So for me to knock him out when he was clowning, I think it made a lot of people happy.

"People say that he's going to get pissed off, and it's going to be this whole new Anderson Silva," added Weidman, a former star wrestler who opened eyes with his standup against the Brazilian. "It's going to be easier."

Silva, meanwhile, did hint at a different approach to the rematch.

"The new Anderson is coming," he told SiriusXM.

But that Anderson, revamped or not, has clearly lost a bit of his mystique. All it took was a well-placed left hook from Weidman. Should the new champion land another, it could be two straight losses for Silva, along with even more questions about style overtaking substance with age.

Of course, Silva's track record cannot be discounted. He remains the favorite for the December rematch. Even another loss to Weidman wouldn't be enough to knock him out of conversations about the greatest of all time.

Yet you can't help but wonder if Silva is looking a bit too far ahead. He's already overlooked Weidman once and paid for it. "I have one more fight for Chris Weidman," Silva said. "It's part of my contract."

The remaining fights on Silva's 10-fight deal have been rumored to include "superfights" against Jon Jones and Georges St. Pierre. Those bouts are still possible, according to Silva, who dreams of facing Roy Jones Jr. in a boxing match and has no plans of hanging up the gloves anytime soon.

"My inspiration is Randy Couture, Dan Henderson ... these guys ... (in their) 40s," he said.

That's nice and all, the thought of the most entertaining MMA fighter of all time sticking around. But come December, if Silva doesn't lock into the singular focus that got him to where he is, he'll miss what's right in front of him. Again.


MMA: A new challenge for Silva's legacy Page 1 of 2 | UTSanDiego-com

Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) officials today (Aug. 29) confirmed that the promotion's first-ever mixed martial arts (MMA) show in Singapore would be taking place at Marina Bay Sands on January 4, 2014. There is no word yet on whether it will be getting underway on Saturday night (U.S. time) or Sunday morning (local time).

UFC has been in Singapore this week, where former light heavyweight champion Forrest Griffin did a demonstration for the media at a hotel, while Managing Director of Asian Operations, Mark Fischer, spoke to media.

His words:

"This marks a bold step for UFC's expansion in Asia and is the first of a series of events in Asia planned for 2014. After kicking off the year in Singapore, our fans can expect several other UFC events around the region on the docket next year, including two more fights at the Venetian's Cotai Arena in Macau. We know many fans in Singapore and Southeast Asia have been waiting to experience the excitement of a live UFC event, and this will certainly be a great springboard for our continued development in this part of the world."

ONE FC is headquartered in Singapore and this could be the beginning of a burgeoning rivalry between two of the biggest MMA promotions on the planet. ONE FC has put on four shows at the 12,000 capacity Singapore Indoor Stadium to date, with another booked for October 18.

UFC will be adapting a room in the basement of the nearby Marina Bay Sands to hold approximately 5,000 people. No details about the fight card have been revealed so far, but an announcement is expected in October.



UFC announces Singapore MMA debut at Marina Bay Sands on Jan. 4 - MMAmania-com

With the UFC’s global expansion still showing no signs of slowing down, it seems it’s time for the question to again be asked if MMA has any place under the Olympic banner.

In an interview with Reuters, UFC managing director of Asia Pacific, Mark Fischer, has revealed the UFC’s high hopes for MMA to one day join boxing at the summer Olympics.

"Mixed martial arts, under the global leadership of UFC and us really inspiring and pushing the envelope, I think has a great chance to become an Olympic sport because it is participated now by countries literally all over the world,” he said, whilst in Singapore to announce the first UFC show in the city-state would take place on January 4.

"Because of the interest, because of the investment now the startups, gyms, promotions etc that are going into mixed martial arts, then we are very confident that we are going to have the weight behind this movement to be in the Olympics." Aided by the hugely popular reality TV show series 'The Ultimate Fighter' the UFC say they have managed to grow to 30 events a year and reach 354 million homes in 145 countries

There’s major one pitfall to this, though: drug testing. Two years ago, the World Anti Doping Agency (WADA), and the United States Anti Doping Agency (USADA) criticised the UFC for administering their own testing of athletes and not involving either authority.

Fischer was adamant the UFC was clean and their methods above board.

"First of all, we follow WADA and on top of that we have actually in the last couple of years have instituted our own extra level of testing for PEDs (performance enhancing drugs)," Fischer said.

"So we are actually more strict now than WADA. It is a very important issue for us, we absolutely want our fighters to be clean and in the octagon competing on a very pure level.” Although boxing has survived in the Olympics with some rule changes aimed at making the sport exciting again – no headgear, allowing pros with up to 15 fights to compete and the abolition of the horrible computerized scoring scoring chief among them – MMA might struggle to replicate the fight game’s success. It’s certainly hard to contemplate a fighter absorbing leg strikes in several fights across a few weeks.

MMA does have one advantage over wrestling, which is currently campaigning alongside squash and soft/baseball to remain part of the Games in 2020, though; people want to watch it. "I've been battling this problem for years now," UFC President Dana White said when speaking to reporters following the UFC on Fuel 7 press conference. "Colleges are dropping it, high schools are dropping wrestling. The problem with wrestling is it's an awesome base for fighting, for mixed martial arts, and everything for what it does. I've never wrestled, but what I hear it does to guys who wrestle, it changes people's lives and it's just grueling hard work and dedication. All the things that go in with being a wrestler.

"The problem is nobody wants to watch it. Any sport especially these days, it's about selling tickets, and eyeballs, and viewers and all these other things."

The next available spot for MMA to join the Olympics will be for the 2024 games.


Could MMA ever be an Olympic sport? | MMA Kanvas

Back in June, Forbes’ list of the 100 highest-paid athletes in the world surprised many in the MMA community.

Despite the strides made by the UFC, with its TV deals and new global reach, not one mixed martial artist made the list.

That is a stark reminder of how far this sport still has to go to capture mainstream appeal as well as evidence to support the opinion of fighters who continue to complain of low pay in the industry.

Of course, some fighters are better off than others, having made fortunes not just from their performances in the cage but from endorsements, movie roles and a variety of other shrewd investments.

Here is a breakdown of the five richest fighters in all of MMA.


Pictures: The Top 5 Richest MMA Fighters | Bleacher Report

Perth MMA fighter Soa Palelei has triumphed over adversity and defied injury to stop opponent Nikita Krylov in the third round of their UFC 164 heavyweight clash at the weekend.

Palelei returned to the Octagon for his first bout since he lost to Eddie Ramirez at UFC 79, while Krylov, the youngest fighter on the UFC roster, made his debut.

Despite Krylov being marginally taller than Palelei, the Australian had a significant weight advantage over the Ukranian, and upon meeting in the centre of the Octagon, they immediately clinched up, with Krylov landing knees, breaking what Palelei would later admit were already-damaged ribs.

Palelei then asserted himself, lifting Krylov over his shoulder and slamming him to the mat, where he used his superior strength to land punches inside Krylov's guard.

Krylov constantly attempted submissions, however at the end of the first it was a clear win to Palelei - however the effort, combined with broken ribs, had left him exhausted.

The second round was dominated by Krylov, who landed a series of unanswered volley of punches on Palelei, who swung wildly in return.

However Krylov, like Palelei, was exhausted by the end of the round, and Soa's trainer urged him for one final push.

One punch was all that was needed.

With a huge right hand rocking Krylov, Palelei reversed his opponent's attempt at a takedown, then assumed full mount, using a combination of hammer fists and punches to earn the victory.

Speaking to media after the fight, Palelei said he had strained his ribs a week prior to the event, and the first knee he received cracked them.

"I didn't want to pull out because I put a lot of work into this but it did slow me down," he said.

"He hit me with a knee to the rid and it kind of cracked.

"It slowed me right down but I'm just happy to get the win."

However the win did not impress UFC President Dana White, who told media following the event the bout was "awful."

"You don't want to know what I thought of that fight," he told reporters.

"It was embarrassing... it looked like a tough man fight, and that's not what the UFC is about.

"It was entertaining and it finished with a knockout, but it was sloppy."

In the main event, Anthony Pettis showed his 2010 win over reigning UFC lightweight champion Benson Henderson was no fluke, submitting Henderson with an arm-bar in the first round to claim the lightweight belt.

Former UFC heavyweight champion Josh Barnett staked his claim for a title shot with a demolition of fellow former champion Frank Mir, while featherweight Chad Mendes will look for a rematch with division king Jose Aldo, becoming the only man to TKO Clay Guida inside the Octagon.

Read more: Perth MMA fighter victorious in UFC Octogon despite broken ribs

Former UFC lightweight champion Sean "The Muscle Shark" Sherk announced his retirement from mixed martial arts on Monday.

Sherk exits the sport holding a career record of 36-4-1, as well as a UFC mark of 8-4.

Sherk began his career in 1999, fighting largely in regional shows throughout the midwestern United States. His big break came four years later, when Sherk, then undefeated with a record of 19-0-1, lost a unanimous decision to UFC welterweight champion Matt Hughes.

Sherk would win 11 more fights before returning to the UFC in 2006. After splitting matches against Georges St-Pierre and Nick Diaz, Sherk dropped to 155 pounds and outpointed Kenny Florian to claim the newly reintroduced UFC lightweight championship. He defended the belt just once, thoroughly outwrestling Hermes Franca, before failing a post-fight drug test and being stripped of the title.

Sherk subsequently lost to B.J. Penn, and never again entered the title picture.

Nonetheless, Sherk retires at the age of 40 having only lost to men who have worn UFC gold around their waists.

He last competed September 2010 at UFC 119, where he won a split decision over Evan Dunham. The performance earned Sherk ‘Fight of the Night' honors for the third time in his career.



Former UFC lightweight champ Sean Sherk announces retirement from MMA - MMA Fighting

The highlights of Brandon Vera's career reside in the past.

A little more than a year ago, the Chula Vista fighter fought the fight of his life ... and lost.

Nearly two years ago, Vera lost a third consecutive fight and was cut by the UFC. He was reinstated after his opponent, Thiago Silva, failed a post-fight drug test.

Almost four years ago, Vera was handed a unanimous-decision defeat to five-time world champion Randy Couture, even though many agreed the judges had gotten it wrong.

And before that, during an undefeated run that made him the darling of the UFC, Vera was, verily, "The Truth" -- both in demeanor and in the cage. But that is the past.

In the present, Vera has won just one fight in the last four years. He lost his second straight fight Saturday, dropped by TKO against Ben Rothwell at UFC 164 in Milwaukee. Now, the UFC may drop Vera -- this time for good.

Vera started his professional career with an impressive eight-fight unbeaten streak. He has since gone 4-7 with a no-contest. His overall UFC mark is an uninspiring 8-7-1. The track record doesn't bode well for a 35-year-old facing a dearth of favorable matchups.

You can't fault Vera for his effort. Last August, he gave Mauricio Rua all he could handle before succumbing to the former champion's power in the fourth round of their light-heavyweight bout.

Following the loss, Vera trained religiously -- two, sometimes three times a day -- even without a fight lined up. He put on weight in the process and felt good keeping it on. That prompted a decision to return to the heavyweight division for the first time in five years Saturday. The hope was that Vera would be able to utilize his advantages in speed and quickness over the larger Rothwell, who had alternated wins and losses since his Octagon debut in 2009.

Instead, backed by his hometown crowd, Rothwell was the one looking spry and energetic in Milwaukee. Vera faded after a solid first round. Rothwell stalked Vera, absorbing his best shots. By the third round, visibly bored of chasing Vera, Rothwell seemed to mock his opponent by dancing around the cage. He then unleashed a series of hard punches, landed an upper cut and added a few knees to the face. In a few seconds, it was over.

Thus, Vera's attempt at a career revival backfired against an opponent he theoretically should have beaten. After a lackluster stint as a light heavyweight, Vera appeared overmatched in his return to the heavyweight class. He still has won just one fight in the last four years, and he looked no closer to changing that last weekend. A real future in the UFC seems even more unlikely, given Vera's lack of options at either weight.

Ironically, back when he was undefeated, Vera predicted that he would one day hold concurrent titles in the light-heavyweight and heavyweight divisions. But that is the past.

This is the present, and where Vera goes from here -- a seeming no-man's land -- is anybody's guess.


MMA: What next for Brandon Vera? | UTSanDiego-com

The big news coming out of Brazil this week was a lack of ticket sales for UFC Fight Night 28. In talking to some people, we came to two conclusions: The UFC may be over-saturating the market there, and Brazilian fans will come in droves only when high-quality cards are put on.

We have been waiting for the UFC to aggressively push into another market since the Brazilian market exploded. Perhaps we have found one.

Little-known Polish prospect Piotr Hallmann made his presence known at UFC Fight Night 28 with a massive upset of Francisco Trinaldo. Despite being hurt by body kicks in the first round, Hallmann stormed back in the second with the heart of a gladiator to tap out his foe with a nasty kimura.

What is great about the win for Hallmann is that he somewhat put Polish MMA on the map to a wider mainstream audience. To this point, many of the top European fighters not in a major organization come from Poland.

MMA is huge in Poland. If you don't believe me, just look at what KSW is doing with its live events. With top draws like Mariusz Pudzianowski, Jan Blachowicz and the mythical Mamed Khalidov, KSW is doing huge arenas in the country and making waves in the MMA community.

With that kind of popularity, the UFC needs to tap into that market. Not only does the country have the fanbase, but it also has the talent the UFC needs to give attention to. And Hallmann is just the tip of the iceberg.

There has long been speculation about why Mamed Khalidov will not come over to the UFC. Despite being the top-ranked middleweight not currently in the UFC, people have pointed to his Muslim background as well as his unwillingness to fight outside of Poland as to why he is not with the company. If the UFC were to make regular visits to the area, perhaps it could entice him enough to sign the dotted line.

Then take a look Jan Blachowicz. The light heavyweight has been putting away UFC veterans left and right lately with his well-rounded attack and high-level skills. He has been ready for the big show for a while but has not been given the opportunity.

Despite the signing of Daniel Omielanczuk, who makes his debut later this month at UFC 165, the UFC overlooked a more impressive Polish heavyweight it could have snagged. Damian Grabowski is a once-beaten, tough-as-nails fighter who has seen great success, as his only loss came to former Bellator kingpin Cole Konrad.

Another middleweight who has been handing UFC vets losses on the reg is Michal Materla, the current KSW champion. After knocking out Rodney Wallace, decisioning TUF 3 winner Kendall Grove and outclassing Matt Horwich, Materla is simply a star waiting to shine.

I could go on and on with names that Poland MMA provides, but that would take a long time. Just by looking at the few guys listed here, it's obvious Poland has a lot to offer the UFC in terms of talent, fans and economic benefit.

So while Piotr Hallmann was attempting to gain some recognition for his homeland, hardcore fans salivated at the possibility of big things in the northern European country. For now we wait, but what stands on the other side of the fence is only good things for the world's largest MMA promotion.

Polish MMA is on the rise, and it's time to strike while the iron is hot.


UFC Fight Night 28: Piotr Hallmann's Win Proves Polish MMA Is on the Rise | Bleacher Report

Antonio McKee was born a fighter.

From beating people up as a child to winning the first state wrestling championship for Long Beach Polytechnic High School, McKee said his fighting skills stemmed from a rough childhood.

“I grew up in Long Beach in the ’80s, with the gangs and drugs,” said McKee, now 44. “I was an inner-city kid, troubled, eating the free lunches at (Martin Luther King Jr. Park) and fighting for them at Poly’s summer youth program.”

He continued his wrestling career at Cerritos College where he studied business administration and won the state wrestling championships in 1989 and 1990.

“It was the closest I could get to a street fight,” McKee said. “Fighting was a place where I could vent my anger. I was a very angry kid coming up with no father or much home support. Things were just really complicated, so that was just an outlet for me — without feeling like I could get into trouble for it.”

On Saturday, McKee is returning to Cerritos College to host Night of Champions, a mixed martial arts competition to support the college’s wrestling program. The fundraising event will have 10 fights, three of which are title fights and will feature well-known Southern California MMA fighters, such as Long Beach native Daniel De LaCuerva and recent Cerritos College alum Zachary McAlister.

Now retired as a competitor, McKee hopes the event will not only expose people to MMA but provide more opportunities for youth to participate in wrestling, which turned his own life around for the better.

“A lot of people think it’s a barbaric sport, and I would actually agree to a certain extent,” McKee said. “It’s just that you have some kids that are so hyper that want to fight, and they’re good at it. If you take that away, then you’re going to put the fighting on the streets.”

Don Garriott, the college’s head wrestling coach, said Saturday’s event will be a much needed boost for the program, which he estimates has lost about $20,000 in the last three years due to budget cuts and an inability to raise funds because the gym was unavailable.

“Even more than the budget cuts, the biggest thing was that we didn’t even have a gym for the last three years because our gym was undergoing renovation,” Garriott said. “This is our first fundraising event in the last three years.”

Garriott expects 700 to 1,000 people Saturday night, including the majority of the Falcon wrestling team. McKee hopes the night will raise $25,000 to $30,000 through ticket and concession sales.

“Antonio is an alumni. To have someone like him who is now involved in MMA and has the ability to put on these events, it’s a perfect partnership,” Garriott said. “We have a big gym with a lot of seating, so it’s a great opportunity to make up for the funds we’ve lost over the last couple years.”

Garriott added that Cerritos College has strong MMA connections, with at least 10 to 15 alums who have continued on to fight professionally.

The fundraisers are part of a nonprofit organization McKee started in 2002 called Fight for Kids, which aims to help underprivileged kids raise funds to train and compete in fighting programs.

“I dedicated myself to wrestling, but unfortunately I didn’t have the funds or the means to travel” to compete nationally or internationally, McKee said. “So I said if I ever made a lot of money, the first thing I was going to do was start a nonprofit where kids who don’t have the money but have the skills, I would pay for them to go and travel, and let me tell you something, I have created some monsters.”

This is the first year for Night of Champions. McKee has organized other events at the college, such as the Warrior’s Challenge, which was held in the school’s gym for the first of its five years. The March wrestling tournament raises about $8,000 for Fight for Kids each year.

McKee said more than 200 youths have benefited from Fight for Kids. One of his recent success stories is a 10-year-old from Long Beach named Robert Paul Perez III, who has been training with McKee since the age of 4 and is a six-time national champion for judo in his age bracket, among other titles.

“You can go all out, and I like punching,” Perez said quietly, who trains with McKee at the Lakewood gym McKee owns, Bodyshop Fitness.

Robert Paul Perez Jr., his father and a former wrestler, said fighting is not so much about winning or even being fit, but learning confidence and discipline. He hopes that his son will get noticed and receive a scholarship for being both a scholar and an athlete.

The shy, skinny youth is transformed into an aggressive and agile fighter as soon as his shirt comes off, shifting his weight as he bounces and gets ready for the bout. McKee and Robert Paul Perez III wrestle on the mat for a bit, until Robert Paul Perez III twists McKee’s arm behind his back, forcing McKee to tap the mat.

“That’s an arm bar,” McKee said as he got up, shaking out his arms. “He would have broken my arm if I hadn’t tapped. So I tapped.” He laughs and pats Robert Paul Perez III’s back.

For Robert Paul Perez III, winning is not enough even though he has received state titles, national titles and even a world title, for Brazilian jiu-jitsu.

“Winning is like a thing of joy,” Robert Paul Perez III said. “When you win a world title, that’s good. But if you win an Olympic title, that’s great.


MMA event to raise money for Cerritos College wrestling

Benson Henderson should be breathing a sigh of relief as he learned there was no structural damage to his right elbow from the armbar put on by Anthony Pettis in Saturday night's UFC 164 main event.

Henderson was clearly in pain, unable to put his arm into his shirt sleeve after the match, where Pettis captured the UFC lightweight title, and made a remark about needing a more potent form of Ibuprofen at the press conference.

But after seeing Dr. Brian Shafer, an elbow specialist in Phoenix, who doubles as a team physician of the Los Angeles Dodgers, he was given news that his elbow was not seriously injured, and there was no structural damage..

"My elbow isn't going to be an issue," Henderson said in a statement. "Dr. Shafer said I can resume training immediately, but to take it slow and steady for a couple of weeks and do my rehab work. Of course, I am anxious to get going full speed again but I will be smart and patient about it as well."

Henderson (19-3) had been considered one of the best in the MMA world at getting out of submissions. During his career, he had only submitted once in MMA competition, back in 2007 when he was just getting started.

He was going for a record-setting fourth defense of the lightweight title on Saturday in Milwaukee, but was caught in the armbar. As he went to escape, Pettis changed the angle and put the elbow in danger and Henderson verbally submitted.

There is no estimated timetable for when Henderson can next fight.

"I want to thank my hardcore fans for their awesome support, not just in the past week, but throughout my career. I can be better. I will be better," Henderson said.


Benson Henderson receives good news in elbow examination - MMA Fighting

Erica Paes has the distinction of handing current Invicta featherweight champion Cris Cyborg her only career loss, a first-round kneebar submission in Cyborg's first career fight in Brazil in 2005.

On Oct. 24, Paes will attempt to hand crossover boxing star Holly Holm her first MMA defeat. Holm will face Paes at Legacy Fighting 24 on Oct. 11 in Dallas. AXS TV Fights tweeted the news on Friday.

Holm, a Jackson's fighter who has a 33-2-3 boxing record, began competing in MMA in 2011. Since then, she racked up a record of 4-0, with all her wins via stoppage. Her most recent victory was a head-kick knockout of Allanna Jones on July 19.

While Paes first fought in 2005 (her win over Cyborg was her career debut, like Holm, she only has four career fights, posing a 2-2 record. She returned from an eight-year break this year and is 1-1 since, with a unanimous decision loss to Bethe Correia on June 29.

Look over there: It’s Chris Weidman, the reigning middleweight champion of the premier circuit in the fastest growing sport in the world — mixed martial arts.

He’s hanging out at a neighborhood restaurant, sipping a beer while shaking hands and posing for pictures with fans. The 6-foot-2, 186-pounder works the room for an hour before reclaiming his seat.

The accessibility to the Ultimate Fighting Championship star is jarring. So is the location: Sioux Falls. What’s more, it’s not an isolated incident — more like a developing trend.

This is where Weidman comes to get medical care and to enhance his training. It’s also the city where his agent, Dave Martin, is based.

On a Wednesday night, the pair is with friends and business associates from places such as Sanford Health and Poet to watch a nationally televised MMA card in Brazil featuring Ryan Bader — another UFC fighter who frequents Sioux Falls. There’s an American Ethanol logo on his trunks.

There could not be a better time for the first meeting of the South Dakota Athletic Commission, a group created in March by legislative approval. A new law will regulate MMA in the state, taking South Dakota off the short list of states that doesn’t sanction this sport that combines striking and grappling disciplines.

Frankly, Weidman is envious — he has lobbied unsuccessfully to lift a ban on MMA in New York, his home state.
Out of the shadows

“Underground fighting is dangerous — that’s when people really get hurt,” said Weidman, a former All-American wrestler at NCAA Division I Hofstra University in Long Island, N.Y. “It needs to be sanctioned; it needs to be done the right way. And there’ll be an economic impact for South Dakota, too.”

While the future of MMA in this area doesn’t hinge solely on the commission, its choices will be vital to the next stage of evolution for the local scene. As much as the past was largely forgettable, a foundation for the future is in place.

There are a couple of established gyms with experienced fighters and successful trainers, corporate interests have developed and some major players are aware of what the city has to offer.



www-argusleader-com/article/20130909/NEWS/309090017/MMA-fights-bright-future-South-Dakota

Former UFC Welterweight Mathew Riddle took to Facebook today to announce he was hanging up the gloves. According to Riddle, he was injured while training for his fight with Luis Melo which is set to go down at the end of the month. When Bellator informed him that he wouldn’t be able to get him into a tournament until next year, he determined that he needed a job to make ends meet. 2013 has been a rough year for Riddle. Riddle was released from the UFC after having 2 fights inside of a year turned to a no contest for testing positive for marijuana. He walks away from the sport with a record of 7-3 (2nc).

Bellator hasn’t issued any comments on Riddle’s announcement.

Riddle posted on facebook

I’m retiring from MMA today cracked my rib and can’t fight sept 20, Bellator said they can’t find me a fight till the next tournament and I can’t afford not fighting that long and need a job. Sorry if I let anyone down, but it isn’t paying the bills.




Matt Riddle - "I'm retiring from MMA" | Fighters-com | RM Sports

The mixed martial arts (MMA) community typically goes out of its way to avoid having the sport associated with the flashy spectacle that is professional wrestling.

As the argument goes, the scripted and rehearsed outcomes put on by companies like the World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) cannot compare with the primal reality of near-bare knuckle brawling offered by the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) and such.

Even with WWE stars like Brock Lesnar and David Bautista straddling both sides, a haughty distance remains – and pro-wrestling legend Booker T potentially deepened the divide with recent comments on the cage-fighting scene.

On his first trip to Singapore last weekend to promote the WWE on Starhub SuperSports (TV Channel 202), the six-time world champion, whose real name is Booker Tio Huffman Jr., drew first blood by calling MMA “just a different form of entertainment”.

“It’s as real as it possibly can be,” Huffman, 48, told Yahoo Singapore. “But I wouldn’t want my kids to do it.”

The father of two-year-old twins and a son from a previous marriage went on, “I don’t think the lifespan (of MMA fighters) is very long, and you could get hurt really, really bad doing it.”

“Plus, when it’s over with, where do you go from there?” he asked. On the relationship between MMA and pro-wrestling, the WWE Hall-of-Famer commented: “MMA is not going to overtake wrestling. But it’s going to be around for many, many years to come.”

“It’s not ever going away, just due to the fact you’ve got a lot of young men with built-up testosterone, looking to let it out,” Huffman added. “If getting hit in the face or hitting someone in the face is the way they get to do it, that’s what they do.”

He then singled out Ronda Rousey, the UFC’s incumbent and first-ever women’s champion, describing her as someone who “couldn’t find her way in life and found it through going out and beating other girls up.”

The dread-locked, 1.9m-tall Texan native was straight-faced throughout, but broke out into mirth when asked what his career choice in WWE meant to him.

“Wrestling is Shakespeare. Phantom of the Opera. Romeo and Juliet. That’s what it is – men in tights,” he laughed.

Jail-time jolt

Huffman made his pro-wrestling debut in 1989, shortly after his release from jail for armed robbery of several Wendy’s restaurants in his hometown.

The 19-month stint behind bars was especially sobering for the young man, who grew determined to turn over a new leaf.

“I remember when I walked out of prison, the guard told me, ‘I’ll see you when you get back’,” revealed Huffman. “That motivated me like crazy to never, ever come back again.”

Personal life experiences such as these were shared with some 30 children from the StarHub-Central Singapore Nurture Programme last Saturday morning at the Singapore Management University. The volunteer-driven programme is designed to help underprivileged kids improve their English, amongst other initiatives. Huffman also spoke to the raucous bunch of primary-school students on topics such as bullying and literacy.

“It’s cool getting a chance to go out and talk, instead of getting beat up,” he later joked to media.

But having grown up in trying times – he was the youngest of eight siblings, orphaned at 14 and a single father in his 20s – Huffman was dead serious when stressing the importance of reading and education.

“I look back now, I’m 48-years-old, and all the money I’ve made; places I’ve gone to; all the success and titles – none of that changes not getting a diploma,” said the WWE great known as “Booker T”.

“I just implore all kids to not wake up one day and have that feeling.”



MMA is not going to overtake pro-wrestling: WWE icon Booker T

An Oklahoma City police officer and well known MMA fighter continues to fight for his life.

Five-year police veteran and featherweight fighter with the UFC, Matt Grice, suffered critical injuries following a car crash in Shawnee on Sunday.

It’s still too early to know whether he’ll survive.

Daniel Rubenstein, Grice’s manager and friend, said, “It’s not the first time he’s been in an accident or had surgery, so hopefully he’ll pull through this. He’s a strong kid.”

Rubenstien says Grice attended OU as a wrestler but only after a separate car accident left Grice in need of surgery more than a decade ago.

“I was getting ready to go to OU when I got in a car accident. The first three years of college I had eight surgeries,” said Matt Grice in 2009.

Capt. Dexter Nelson, with the Oklahoma City Police Department, said, “Matt’s been well-loved by police officers. He is very, very well-liked.”

Grice has had to undergo brain surgery after investigators say a distracted driver slammed into his Jeep while Grice sat at a red light off duty in Shawnee.

Originally, reports by OHP claimed Grice was not wearing his seat belt.

After further investigation, it appears he had been buckled in.

On Grice’s Facebook page, some photos show an intimidating fighter, others a loving family man.

Friends say his wife and kids always took priority.

“We’d be at an event and he’d be on the first plane back to be with his wife and kids,” said Rubenstein. “They were the most important thing to him.”

Grice had been scheduled to fight again in October.

That obviously won’t happen. Doctors say it appears his medical progress has been minimal at this point.



OKC police officer and MMA fighter remains in critical condition following crash | KFOR-com

Brazilian Bruno Pucci is set to make his One FC debut on Friday, and he wants to shine brightest among the entire main card against Bashir Ahmad, who is also undefeated in MMA with two wins.

Still unknown in the MMA world, Pucci had to overcome a lot of health conditions to fight.

"For sure," Pucci told MMAFighting-com when asked if MMA saved his life. "I started training martial arts for medical reasons. I needed exercises because I had growth problems. I was always short and weak. Because of that, I had problems and eventually got overweight, and I needed hormonal replacement because I wasn’t growing properly. When I knew that I had to do sports for the rest of my life, I chose something that would keep me motivated all the time. I always enjoyed fights, so I ended up getting evolved with martial arts."

Watching fight movies was part of Pucci’s routine, and he accidentally met jiu-jitsu.

"One day I was walking with my father, to get some things the doctor recommended, and we saw a jiu-jitsu gym so we decided to get in to check it out," he said. "I always enjoyed martial arts, I believe it’s in my personality. Even before I didn’t know much about MMA, I always liked movies and games with fighting so it wasn’t hard to get into this world.

"Jiu-Jitsu and MMA helped me not only on my body development, but gave me confidence, calm and respect. Besides that, I ended up visiting a lot of countries and meeting different people, a great cultural experience that made more mature."

Pucci became a jiu-jitsu black belt under Sebastian Lalli at Checkmat in Brazil, and later moved to Singapore to train at Evolve MMA. Undefeated in MMA with two submission victories, the featherweight looks up to UFC 170-pound champion Georges St-Pierre as an inspiration.

"I really like GSP," he said. "He’s the most complete athlete and it’s the result of a lot of training. I follow this recipe, trying to become a complete athlete too. But my great inspiration is my father. I know how much he worked hard and did the impossible to make me follow my dreams."

Ahmad made his successful One FC debut with a win over previously undefeated Shannon Wiratchai, but Pucci promises to win in beautiful fashion.

"I’m really looking forward my next fight at One FC," he said. "I’m training hard every day, so I don’t expect anything less than the victory. He’s a striker and I’m a grappler, but he also has a good ground game and I’m good standing as well. I believe it’s going to be a great fight for the fans, I will burn that cage. I wouldn’t miss that fight if I were you."



Bruno Pucci believes mixed martial arts helped save his life - MMA Fighting

With the growth of women's MMA, more and more viable competitors are emerging thanks to promotions like Invicta FC, XFC and the UFC.

Obviously, the bantamweight division is the most popular, as it is the only weight class carried by the UFC. It has given us early stars such as Ronda Rousey, Miesha Tate and Cat Zingano.

With that, let's take a look at the pound-for-pound best women in MMA right now.


Pictures: The Pound-for-Pound Best Women in MMA Today | Bleacher Report