If you are a school and bringing a team, please e-mail Kristina Walker at contact@grappleamerica.com and we can work out a discount.

Registration fees are currently $80 to compete in one division and $100 for two divisions or more. Entries must be received 3 days prior to event. This event is RANKED.
We are also looking for referees and workers. So if you are interested, please email us.
Check out www.grappleamerica.com for more details.
 
 

In Part 2 of TXMMA’s Bellator 27 coverage, Scott Reis breaks down the action on the televised card. Part 1 covers the local bouts.

Once the cameras started rolling on Bellator 27, there was no shortage of action. The bantamweight tournament finished out its first round and a Bellator championship belt traded hands for the first time. Bellator CEO Bjorn Rebney revealed the matchups for the next round in the bantamweight tournament: Jose Vega versus Ed West and Zach Makovsky versus Ulysses Gomez. Read on for fight by fight analysis and commentary.

– “Useless” Ulysses Gomez defeats Travis “The Hurricane” Reddinger

Ulysses Gomez (brother of US National Soccer team forward  Herculez Gomez) and Travis Reddinger were the first match for Bellator 27 as part of the bantamweight tournament, though I’m told the fight was shown after the main event on TV. The word to describe this fight is “awkward”. Gomez was met with some early scares in the guard of Reddinger so he then stood over Reddinger kicking at his legs while Reddinger kicked at Gomez of his back. This created a strange dynamic in which Gomez would take Reddinger down, often enduring some punishment for his trouble, then would stand over Reddinger kicking his legs instead of engaging. This went on until late in the third round, where the continued takedown attempts seemed to wear on Gomez and he did not stand following a takedown. Reddinger locked up a triangle choke from an omoplata attempt and transitioned between several different submissions before Gomez finally escaped and stood just before the final bell. Gomez walked away with a split decision.

I spoke to Reddinger after the bout, who told me that the fight was supposed to be later that night and when he was called to fight he hadn’t even finished wrapping his hands, much less warmed up. I asked Gomez in the press conference about his “takedown then stand” strategy, and if it was used to avoid Reddinger’s jiu jitsu. Gomez stated, “It’s a little hard to say, Travis is a tough guy to train for, really tall and lanky. When I took him down, I was more worried about that triangle.” Gomez also remarked that he was hesitant engaging Reddinger with his short arms against Reddinger’s long legs.

- Bryan “Hit Game” Goldsby defeats Ed “Wild” West

Bellator CEO Bjorn Rebney called this fight the “fight of the night if it weren’t for Warren and Soto”. Not much was known about West coming into this fight, but he lived up to his nickname and delivered a wild fight, attacking with for multiple rolling kneebars from a standing position and lots of fancy kicks. The first round was slow, but eventually as the fighters were able to grow more comfortable in the cage they opened up with more of their arsenal, West with more unorthodox attacks and Goldsby with a more positionally sound ground attack. Both fighters also appeared to be having some amount of fun in the cage; they joked with each other and even hugged it out at the beginning of round three. West ended up walking away at with the unanimous decision victory.

In the post fight presser, Goldsby remarked that he hopes West wins the entire tournament, because he wants to take that belt from him. Bjorn Rebney said they would definitely have Goldsby back. West called Goldsby “definitely one of the tougher dudes in the tournament”, but he was just focused on his next matchup. He definitely has his hands full with Jose Vega.

- Zach “Fun Size” Makovsky defeats Nick “Garfield” Mamalis

Makovsky is a dominant, positionally oriented wrestler, coming highly recommended by Bellator Lightweight Champion Eddie Alvarez. Nick Mamalis from all accounts is a beast of a fighter, but just couldn’t seem to find his groove against Majovsky. Makovsky put Mamalis on his back over and over and used a workmanlike pace to look for submissions over all three rounds. Not a whole lot of ground and pound, just positions and submission attempts. Majovsky took the unanimous decision. Neither of them were particularly talkative at the press conference. Mamalis was unsatisfied with his performance and Makovsky was thankful to be there and to Nick for making it a great fight.

- Joe Warren defeats Joe “The Hammer” Soto

One of the things Bellator does very well is get the highlights of their best fights out on the internet, so if you haven’t already seen this, stop and watch it. Now. Joe Soto delivered a 10-8 first round. Absolute dominance on the feet, the highlight video can’t begin to scratch the surface. Warren was never even close to being in the fight. Right when you thought Warren was recovering then Soto would tag him again. Soto was clowning Warren throughout the fight with low hands and gesticulation, but he didn’t have to pay for it until round 2. Warren revealed in the post-fight presser that his cornerman, the WEC Bantamweight #1 Contender Scott Jorgensen, told him to move his head, and that “the overhand right was there”. Jorgensen’s words were prophetic, and Warren floored Soto with the first punch he threw in the second – the overhand right. Soto appeared to recover and he stood only to be met with a Joe Warren knee that drove Soto’s tooth into his windpipe. Needless to say, Soto did not make the post fight presser.

Warren’s next matchup is rumored to be in Japan for DREAM against Michihiro Omigawa who has been on an absolute tear. When pressed on the issue, Warren remarked that he wasn’t even thinking of that fight yet, and Bellator CEO Bjorn Rebney noted that both Warren and Bellator Middleweight Champion Hector Lombard want to fight so often they have to do their best to let them fight as much as possible. Warren also noted that he has plans to take a 6 month break from MMA to train and compete in the 2012 Olympics for Wrestling, one of the only titles to escape his grasp. Warren’s thoughts on the belt? “It’s heavy, I like it.”

R. Scott Reis is an avid MMA fan and amateur MMA writer who has competed in jiu jitsu bouts all over Texas and recently made his amateur MMA debut. He writes and trains out of Austin, Texas. Follow him on Twitter @TXMMAScott.

In Part 1 of TXMMA’s Bellator 27 coverage, Scott Reis recaps the local portion of the card. Part 2 covers the televised half of the card.

Bellator 27′s main card will go down in MMA history for obvious reasons, but while the televised fights were definitely good competitive matches, it was the local fighters that really delivered with the action, fighting in front their screaming hometown fans.

Steven “Ocho” Peterson defeats Ernest De La Cruz

It was a good back and forth fight on the feet that started with a feeling out process, eventually devolving into a brawl. Neither fighter was overly technical, both mens’ chins were high in the air, and punches were whipped from all directions without much connecting. The fight was decided by the takedowns of Peterson who walked away with a unanimous decision, much to the dismay of the crowd and the hometown boy De La Cruz.

Jon “El Jaguar” Kirk defeats Shane Faulkner

Fualkner had the crowd as a San Antonio fighter, but Jon Kirk is no stranger to the Texas MMA scene. Kirk fought in typical Jon Kirk fashion, throwing caution to the winds and snapping out wild haymakers and high kicks. Faulkner was successful in the first two rounds with takedowns, positioning, and ground and pound but the veteran Kirk was never out of the fight, often reversing position and  giving as good as he got. In the third round though, Faulkner slowed a bit in his ground attack, and after a ref standup was caught with a high kick. Kirk pounced and ended a fight he was on the way to losing with some viscous ground and pound for the TKO. Faulkner was slow to get up and exit the ring, and I was informed by the medical staff he was treated for dehydration but was otherwise OK.

Andrew “The Powerhouse” Chappelle defeats Joe “Jitsu” Christopher

Andrew Chappelle is a scary looking dude. He backed it up too, coming out like a whirling dervish of leg kicks and hooks. Christopher should receive major credit for making it through the fight, but part of that may have been due to what appeared to be Chappelle punching himself out at the start. Chappelle would go on to land digging leg kicks for the rest of the fight, making both Christopher and the crowd wince in pain. Chappelle walked away with the unanimous decision, and Christopher walked (as well as he could) away with a proven heart and chin.

Andrew Craig defeats Rodrigo Pinheiro

Andrew Craig came into this fight a major underdog. By all accounts, Craig was a gifted jiu jitsu and muay thai practitioner training with Travis Tooke in Houston. It almost didn’t seem fair that his opponent was Rodrigo Pinheiro, a multiple Brazilian Jiu Jitsu World Champion who trains with Pete Spratt and Aaron Rosa in San Antonio. Pinheiro had also personally sold 100 tickets for the event, I was told by his cornermen, and the crowd was definitely pro-Pinheiro. Pinheiro and Craig started cautiously, exchanging on the feet. Both looked comfortable standing, and Pinheiro even smiled and egged Craig on when they exchanged. In the second round though, things started changing. Pinheiro appeared to be hurt in an exchange, and landed a takedown. He seemed to be actively looking for submissions, but referee Jon Schorle saw fit to stand them up. Craig was cut badly over his right brow, but it was Pinheiro who was now on the receiving end of the standing punishment. The fight quickly became a blood bath, with both fighters cutting each other, but it was Craig who left the victor in one of the biggest upsets of the night when the doctor stopped the bout midway through the third round due to Pinheiro’s cuts.

Richard “The Black Eagle” Odoms defeats Dale Mitchell

In a plodding heavyweight affair, local favorite Richard Odoms took a questionable split decision over Dale Mitchell. Odoms was dominated the first two rounds by Mitchell’s ground attack, but came back in the third with some absolutely thunderous knees in the clinch and heavy ground and pound. It looked like some serious hometown favoritism on display here as Mitchell clearly won the first two rounds, but neither fighter really did enough in this bout to cry “robbery”.

Gilbert “Bad Man” Jimenez defeats Aaron Barringer

What a way to end the night. Every punch and kick had knockout written all over it but both fighters lasted until the final bell. Jimenez looked to be the dominant fighter at first, landing seemingly at will with punches, kicks, and knees, but Barringer scored takedowns and some viscous ground and pound stayed in the fight. Jimenez and Barringer would constantly reverse each other on the ground, and trade ground and pound and submission attempts – this was the fight of the night for sure. At the final bell, I honestly had no clue who won. There were so many shots landed by both fighters, so many positional changes, I honestly couldn’t assess who won the fight. I felt that Jimenez had been in control for most of the fight, and the judges apparently felt the same awarding Jimenez a unanimous decision victory. Hope that Bellator finds a way to get this fight on TV.

R. Scott Reis is an avid MMA fan and amateur MMA writer who has competed in jiu jitsu bouts all over Texas and recently made his amateur MMA debut. He writes and trains out of Austin, Texas. Follow him on Twitter @TXMMAScott.

Next, I want to shine light on some of the influential figures currently shaping the Mixed Martial Arts landscape in Houston. By speaking in-depth with these trailblazers and sharing with you, the fans, what I hope to do is provide even more insight into Houston Mixed Martial Arts.

When I think of our fight scene, the first person to pops in my head is Mick Maynard, the head of USACA and its promotional arms, Lonestar Beatdown and Legacy Fighting Championships.

In the aftermath of Bellator 27, a nationally-televised event in San Antonio where USACA title holders went 3-0, I had an opportunity to speak to Mick regarding his beginnings in this sport, how he got started as a promoter & fan, and what the future holds for his promotions and MMA in Texas.

Thanks for taking the time to speak with me Mick. Let’s start at the very beginning for you. What got you into Mixed Martial Arts?

I boxed a little as a kid and got into kickboxing in my 20’s. I have been a fan of boxing and early K-1 for many years before I started following MMA, mainly because that is what I participated in. The UFC was hit and miss early on because it was banned from cable. I honestly thought the early UFC’s were boring compared to K-1. I used to have to buy bootleg copies of K-1 from Japan that had been recorded on TV. It still had all of the Japanese commercials and commentators but I would watch them over and over like my kids watch Dora. The more fighting in general evolved, so did my passion for MMA. I started training in all aspects which gave me a full appreciation of the sport. I still love k-1, rarely watch boxing, and I am basically obsessed with MMA! Ha. I think it is the greatest sport in the world and it has become a family affair. My ten-month-old has already been to three weigh-ins.

How did you decide to make the transition into promoting events? Was it the money or a passion you wanted to build on? What did you expect going into it (Lonestar Beatdown 1)?

I own a newspaper in College Station and I was just looking for a way to promote the paper. I was not interested whatsoever in making money. I initially contacted a local promoter about putting on an event out there. I emailed him and told him I didn’t want any money and I would provide free advertising, the venue, and pretty much everything he needed. I guess he thought I was full of it because I never heard back. It was then that I decided I might as well do it myself.

People often think promoting MMA and events is one big fight party with a “build it and they will come” mentality. Nothing could be further from the truth. It is actually very hard, stressful work and you can easily lose your ass in the process. When I initially met with Greg Alvarez at TDLR he told me a line Dickie Cole would tell all new promoters. “Do you want to make a small fortune promoting? Start off with a large fortune and soon enough it will be small,” or something to that effect. That stuck with me. The bottom line is this is definitely a passion for me first and foremost and if it wasn’t I wouldn’t do it.

What is your thought process when matchmaking for Legacy and Lonestar Beatdown? Are you finding that fans are starting to put in a lot more input nowadays and how does that affect your methodology?

I am a fan first and foremost so when I put together matchups I ask myself if it is a fight I would want to see. If I look up and down the card and see fights I would be ok not seeing, that would be a problem. I think about MMA pretty much around the clock and research, study, and constantly look at various fighters and potential matchups. I told you Mike, I am obsessed with this sport!

Now Mick, I remember trying to put together that first (tiny) square cage with the crew at  Hurricane Harry’s in College Station for the first Lonestar Beatdown. In that virgin effort, it took us about four hours and, for me personally, about two boxes of pizza. What are the main differences in producing these events now versus how it was done at the start? Is it much easier? What has changed from a production standpoint?  

The events are in nicer venues and the crowds are much bigger. Production is of a higher standard and the fights are better. So basically… everything is different. It is also much easier than it used to be just because I have done it so many times over. It is still very stressful because there are so many aspect out of your control at times and I want everything to be perfect.   

You recently forayed into Muay Thai in additional to promoting MMA events.  Tell us a little bit about why you decided to go this route as well.

It has been great doing Muay Thai events. Like I said earlier, Muay Thai is my first love so to speak so it has been awesome being able to help promote it as a sport here in Texas. I honestly believe it is essential to have local Muay Thai events if for no other other reason than for fighters to hone their skills in that aspect of MMA. I believe that is essential in order for Houston to reach its potential as a fight town. From a business standpoint it is not very lucrative yet, but I love it and it is awesome to see so many gyms participating in these events. The combination of great local gyms that can attract fighters from all over the country, in addition to consistent events to hone skills, and local fighters continuing to climb the national ladder can only be a good thing for Houston. 

What do you see as the future for USACA and your fight promotions? Any goals out there that you want to accomplish? 

The USACA will continue with its mission of promoting the sport and building awareness. We are very proud of the charitable work we have been a part of since the beginning and will continue to be active in the Houston community. I would love for it (USACA) to one day be the equivalent to USA boxing but that is definitely long-term. Another goal would be to eventually open a gym similar to the PABA in third ward. Reverend Martin has offered free or inexpensive lessons to at-risk youth in that area for years and I would love to do the same thing at some point. I really think it is something that could happen very soon but it all comes down to time and volunteers. As far as Legacy, my goal is to be the Strikeforce of the South in terms of national exposure with Houston as our home base.  

Anything else you’d like to add or talk about regarding Houston MMA and our scene?

As a community we are just scratching the surface. Obviously Saul Soliz, Eric Williams, Tim Mousel and others have helped pave the way as the original pioneers. The growth of the sport locally has been incredible. As long as we all work towards a common goal I can see Houston being similar to San Jose in terms of fight culture. That is the goal overall.

Thanks for your time Mick and we’ll see you at the fights!

For more on Legacy Fighting Championships and Lonestar Beatdown, please visit their website at www.legacyfightingchampionship.com. The next event will be September 18th at Houston’s Arena Theatre so make sure to buy your tickets soon!

Author’s Note – Thank you for continuing to delve into Houston MMA by reading my column.  I wanted to let you guys know of our next charity event open for participation.If you’d like to do your part in helping within your local community,  Barry Laminack  has entered Team Houston MMA in the 2010 Komen Houston Race for the Cure in order to raise money and awareness in the fight against breast cancer. As captain of the non-competitive walking team, I’d be honored if you joined us and contributed to our cause. Every dollar helps so thanks ahead of time for anyone with the heart to be a part of this.

Thanks everyone,
Mike Calimbas

We are doing it again!! AFC round robin tournaments are a blast!! You roll with everyone in your weight division, win, lose or draw!!!! There are NO points!!!!  Go for the SUBMISSION

• WHEN: Sat Sept 25th / weight ins @ 9am-10am / roll @ 10:30am sharp.
  
• WEIGHT DIV: 155 170 185 205 hvwt
  

• WHERE: AFC 804 N Gray st. Killeen TX 76543

• COST: $20 for AFC students and affiliates $25 for others
  

Come out and have a fun day of rolling!!!!!   We are normally done by 2-3pm. You will be rolling your butt off!!!!!!

Jarrod Clontz

254-813-6782

When I think back to the beginning, I can vividly recollect the thrill of watching my first local fights, circa 2001, at Saul Soliz’ Renegades shows here in Houston. Back then, up-and-coming fighters like KJ Noons, Rocky Long, Randy Hauer, and Lee King would light each other up pancrase-style – aiming for knockouts with open-handed pimp slaps while others, such as Buddy Clinton, Dave Phillips, Tim Credeur, and Phil Cardella would show off their vaunted ground games, however under-appreciated that aspect of the fight was at the time. Fans back then would be more likely to appreciate Jonathan Ivey, as he would excite the crowd with a frenetic pace, insane moves such as rolling heel hooks, and his own version of the Rock’s “people’s elbow” while announcer Reverend Bart screamed of impending death, destruction, and mayhem, much to the thrill of the local blood-thirsty crowds.

Fast forward almost ten years.

It has been many years since those fun nights. Some things remain the same. The crowds, albeit much larger at most events, still demand excitement for their viewing pleasure. You will often hear familiar snippets from the crowd, like the occasional call for hammerfists (pron: hay ·murr ·feast), elbows (pron: ail·bow), and the ever-popular KNEE! Despite those occasional sound bytes, your average MMA fan nowadays is much more knowledgeable than our days of lore, and would as likely to appreciate a solid ground transition or submission attempt as they would a knockout punch.

A myriad number of factors and pivotal events have brought many new fans to our sport both nationally and on the local level. Among them, the state athletic commission’s adoption of the standard MMA rules of combat, a rise in local media coverage via city-centric sites such as TheCageDoor.net, growth of homegrown MMA promotions such as Legacy Fighting Championships, and the continued evolution of local gyms and fighters themselves have led to one conclusion – There has never been a better time to be a Mixed Martial Arts fan in Houston.

For those of you still around from the old pre-MMA pankration days of the Houston fight scene (Here’s looking at you, Paul Erickson, the aforementioned fighters, and Saul Soliz), I salute you. This column will be for you veterans and new fans of Houston MMA alike as I look to bring additional coverage to our local scene.

Over the next few segments of this column, I am going to discuss the growth of Houston Mixed Martial Arts with some of the local figures influential in helping to raise Houston MMA to national recognition.

Thanks ahead of time for reading!

Mike Calimbas is a Houston-based freelance writer who has trained in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and martial arts for over a decade. Despite his time training, sadly, he still the cardio of Bob Sapp. Mike can be found ringside at most Houston events or online. Don’t hesitate to say hello when you see him.

Bellator 27 – San Antonio
Joe Soto (9-0) vs. Joe Warren (5-1) [five-round FW title]

Bantamweight Tournament:
Ulysses Gomez (6-1) vs. Travis Reddinger (14-2)

Bryan Goldsby (12-11) vs. Ed West (13-4)

Zach Makovsky (9-2) vs. Nick Mamalis (10-4)

Local Feature fights:
Andrew Craig vs. Rodrigo Pinheiro
Aaron Barringer vs. Gilbert Jimenez
Derek Lewis vs. Richard Odoms
Andrew Chappelle vs. Joe Christopher
Shane Faulkner vs. Brian Lightfoot

Local Feature Fights Officially Announced for Bellator 27 at Majestic Theatre in San Antonio on Sept. 2nd

CHICAGO, Ill. (August 30, 2010) – Bellator Fighting Championships today announced the official Local Feature Fights line-up for Bellator 27 taking place in San Antonio at the Majestic Theater on September 2nd.

Headlining the local main event are undefeated Texas natives Rodrigo Pinheiro (3-0) and Andrew Craig (1-0). Pinheiro currently owns and operates his own Jiu-Jitsui gym in San Antonio, and looks to continue his impressive rise in the sport when he faces off with the hard-hitting Craig.

Five additional Local Feature Fights join this already stacked card including:
San Antonio based Gilbert Jimenez (2-1) squaring off against Houston’s Aaron Barringer(4-2) in the nights local co-main event.

Additionally, 11-year SAPD officer Richard Odoms (1-0) battles Dallas native Dale Mitchell (0-2) in heavyweight action.

Dallas-based Joe Christopher (10-3) will be taking on Houston fighter Andrew Chappelle (9-6) in a Welterweight contest. Both fighters have previous Bellator experience, with Chappelle notching an impressive rear-naked choke at Bellator 20 and Christopher locking up a fight-ending guillotine choke at Bellator 19.

Pasadena, TX native Jon Kirk (15-8) faces San Antonio’s Shane Faulkner (3-2) in a middleweight fight.
Rounding out the local card will be two fighters making their professional MMA debuts in Steven Peterson and Ernest De La Cruz.

“San Antonio fans are in for a treat with our Local Feature Fight lineup.” said Bellator Chairman and CEO Bjorn Rebney. “The Majestic Theater has been a great venue for Bellator and with our stacked main card in addition to our Local Feature Fights – it should be a great night of fights.”

Bellator 27′s main card includes:

Bellator Featherweight Champion Joe “The Hammer” Soto (9-0) defends his title against Bellator Season 2 Featherweight Tournament Champ Joe Warren (5-1) in a Featherweight World Championship fight.

Two Bellator veterans square off when Nick “Garfield” Mamalis (10-4) and Zack “Fun Size” Makovsky (9-2) collide in an opening round Season 3 Bantamweight Tournament fight. .

In other bantamweight tournament action hard-hitting Bryan Goldsby (15-7) meets submission specialist Ed West (13-4) in a quarterfinal match-up.

Rounding out the main card will be another opening round Bantamweight Tournament fight between the always exciting Travis “The Hurricane” Reddinger (14-2) and submission ace Uylsses Gomez (6-1).

Tickets for the event – which will also be broadcast LIVE nationwide on FOX Sports Net along with action-packed highlight shows that will air on NBC Saturday nights – tickets are on sale now at ticketmaster.com

For more information, visit Bellator.com, follow Bellator on Twitter @BellatorMMA or on Facebook at www.facebook.com/Bellator