“Remembering the past gives power to the present”
We MMA fans of today stand on the forefront, witness to a pivotal stage in the sport’s evolution. With the sport not quite at the stage of being universally recognized (e.g. as yet unsanctioned by New York) but already being featured on network television and growing in influence with Madison Avenue’s blue-chip advertisers (Nike, Budweiser, etc.) we get the privilege and honor of watching MMA is it grows into the sport it will be. And mark my words, it will become so much more.
Like Shawn Parker’s character in the 2010 movie Social Network so eloquently said, ““You don’t even know what the thing is yet. How big it can get, how far it can go.” As with that social media boom in the last decade, the same can be said about the hard-hitting booming sport MMA is evolving into in the current age.
Yet while all of us dreamers look towards a great future, it is equally important to pay reverence to the past. Simply stated, you can’t get to the future without what happened in the past. Everything happens for a reason and all great journeys do in fact, begin with a single step.
Believe it or not, before Mixed Martial Arts became the thriving business it is here in 2011 Houston, fights still existed and this site was there to cover it.
TXMMA.com has a tag line that states, ” for over 10 years, supporting the Texas Mixed Martial Arts scene since before there was a scene.” This site sprang out of necessity and a vision to cover a burgeuoning sport once upon a time. It wasn’t about the popular in-thing to do (ala post “Ultimate Fighter” days) and it damned sure wasn’t about money (still isn’t for Paul, myself, and the others that contribute here). It was three things. Making fights. Providing a service to fans. And helping grow a sport we are passionate about and love.
It is with that in mind that I wanted to deliver this article. To honor the past and pay homage to all the gladiators who paved the walls and cages of this city with their proverbial blood to get the scene to where it is today. With profound respect, love, and admiration, I hope you readers enjoy the following photos as an ode to Houston MMA.
2001 – “When It All Began”
The year of TXMMA.com’s birth is also what a lot of people consider the year Houston MMA was born. Saul Soliz, who has been referred to as the “Godfather” of Houston’s fight scene put on the first two recorded events at the old Ariel Theatre (now known as Verizon Wireless Theater) in March and November of 2001. Some notable names to participate on those cards included another Houston luminary in Yves Edwards, Pete Spratt, Jose Santibanez, Nick Gonzalez, Phil Cardella, Chad Cook, Randall Ebarb, and many more.
2002 – “A Rising Tide”
The year of 2002 saw continued growth within the city’s MMA and BJJ community. As schools slowly started popping up, the city’s scene was documented here on TXMMA and also Tim Mousel’s Defend.net forums. For the unindoctrinated, that forum was the original meeting ground for many hardcore practitioners of the sport from all over the nation, and that was since way before 2002! Tim Mousel and his site pioneered the sport well before many of the national brands you hear about today.
Likewise, Tim Mousel’s Self-Defense Academy was one of the original breeding grounds for truly mixing martial arts here in Houston. Many names, with Eric Williams and Alvis Solis among them, actually got their Houston start in Tim’s submission wrestling classes around that time and training in that catch-style before a man by the name of Pedro Alberto and other Brazilians introduced Jiu-Jitsu to Houston.
Elsewhere in the city around this time, long-time martial artists like Tony Torres-Apponte, Zulfi Ahmed, Anderson Leal, Kru Pong, and many others were growing their academies alongside guys like Williams, Saul, and Alvis as well.
On the MMA side, this was around the time we started seeing guys like Nick Gonzalez, Chad Cook, Patrick Head, Rocky Long, Lee King, and others start taking fights in Houston.
Note: Regarding this entire article, IKNOW I’m missing some noteworthy names. I’m forgetful and not meaning to exclude anyone who was around back then. Unfortunately, I’m not as OLD as some of you (joke). I’m just piecing together what I can. Please send send me any names I may have missed. I’d love to add them in.
2003 – “Raising All Ships”
The year of 2003 saw more remarkable growth still for mixed martial arts as MMA events started popping up all over Texas. For Renegades and the scene here in Houston, it was much of the same as the Renegaded Extreme Fighting promotion produced more shows and brought in more fighters than ever.
The Ariel Theatre was replaced by the Verizon Wireless Theater at this point but still housed Houston’s most legendary battles of the day. Amongst them, fights between Anthony Njokuani versus Lee King, Rocky Long versus Aaron Castaneda, Andrew Chappelle versus Randy Hauer, and Jonathan Ivey versus Bruce McGraw all highlighting an incredible year of fights.
2004 – “Prepping for the Future”
With much of the focus being spent on getting state approval for the closed-fist rules being adopted elsewhere in the country, many of the city’s fighters continued to take on fights and improve their skill set in preparation. Young guys like Lance Remoth, Todd Moore, Joe Christopher, Shane Faulkner, and many others were all gearing up for modern-day MMA.
2005 – “The Year Everything Changed.”
The year everything changed as the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation (TDLR) enacted Chapter 61 of the Texas Administrative Code, effectively regulating MMA in the state of Texas. From credentialing and licensing requirements to a clarification of rules, there were many provisions in this legislation but the main adoption were the 4OZ gloves we see in the cage today. This was a monumental victory as many of the trailblazers in the state had been trying to get this done for quite some time, with Paul Erickson even preempting the state’s judgment by previously creating his Truth Fightwear brand of prototype MMA gloves in preparation for when this day would come. 2005 was the re-birth of fighting in the city as modern Houston MMA emerged.
As most old-schoolers would agree, that last picture is probably as good a place as any to take a break from this history lesson. We’ll continue again soon beginning with a spectacular last second knockout featuring two fighters still thought of as some of Houston’s hardest hitters along with more Houston MMA history including a sad tragedy, the birth of Mick Maynard’s Lonestar Beatdown, and much more.
Part 2 of the History of Houston MMA