TXMMA – Texas Mixed Martial Arts

Thomas Moreno hopes to become Houston’s version of Roy Nelson

2017-09-15T15:28:01Z

By TXMMA Staff // Calvin Bach

Greetings TXMMA community. It is the areas okayest writer/fighter checking in after a long absence with an interview on the eve of the initial Dynasty Fighting Card. The team of Mike Bronzoulis and CDM have teamed up to make a solid card with some established well known names competing in a hybrid MMA/Kickboxing/Muay Thai card, to take place at the Greenspoint Mall on Friday, September 15. One of the fighters on the card is the polarizing and always entertaining Thomas Moreno, who requested and was granted an interview. Thomas, who holds a 0-1 MMA record and is a veteran of Legacy Fighting Championship, steps into the ring tomorrow night with fellow Houstonian, professional physique competitor and BJJ black belt Ugo Arimo.

TXMMA: Thank you for taking the time out for an interview Thomas. For everyone who doesn’t know you, tell us about yourself:

Moreno: I am “The” Thomas Moreno. Born and raised in Houston, Texas baby. A lot of people know me from my backyard fighting days. I was an undefeated backyard fighter before transitioning that success into being the manager of the one and only Clarence “The Prodigy” Brown. I then got into combative sports myself.

TXMMA: How many sanctioned fights have you had and what is your backyard record?

Moreno: I have had 53 backyard fights in total and was fortunate enough to have a 53-0 record. I have had two sanctioned fights so far. A MMA match for Legacy and a boxing match for Famoso Productions.

TXMMA: Who are you fighting tomorrow and what do you know about him?

Moreno: His real name is Ugochuckwu Arimoneyeotu but he goes mainly by the name Ugo Arimo. I know he is a former navy veteran, a BJJ black belt World Champion and a NSL Pro World Champion. He’s a tremendous overall athlete. I have seen his workout and competition videos and the dude is a beast.

TXMMA: The local MMA community is largely of the opinion that this is a gross mismatch that heavily favors your opponent. What are your thoughts on that, and was there ever a thought of not accepting this fight?

Moreno: It’s definitely a mismatch but I knew when I got into combative sports how the business works. There are tradeoffs. For example, he is a tough opponent but I can gain more respect, win or lose, from this fight, and my fan base and hater base grow. Plus, there is the financial side of things. More money is more motivation.

TXMMA: What has training for this fight consisted of and who is in your corner.

Moreno: I accepted this fight on late notice. My training has consisted of good ol’ rough and tough ground and pound training plus a lot of wrestling sessions to prepare for this fight. John Alejos will be my corner man for this fight. He is a big guy like me who used to wrestle and play football with me in high school. We train together a lot and I feel like he’s the perfect corner man for this fight.

TXMMA: Are you ready for a long fight if it goes to that? You have received grief for not having the ripped look of your opponent, but guys like Roy Nelson and Derrick Lewis with builds similar to yours have shown that abs don’t win fights. You are ready to go?

Moreno: I am ready for anything thrown my way. If I win, I am ready for the next challenge. If I lose, I am ready to rebound. If the fight is a draw, I am ready for a rematch. Regardless, I am ready!

TXMMA: Where can you win this fight?

Moreno: Submission. If his neck becomes available, submission will be the way to go.

TXMMA: You’re an outspoken fan of the true NFL team in Texas, the Dallas Cowboys. What happens first, Thomas Moreno in the UFC or the Houston Texans in the Super Bowl?

Moreno: Thomas Moreno would definitely have a role in the UFC before the Texans reach a Super Bowl. 100%.

TXMMA: Lets wrap up with any shout outs you would like and a final prediction for your fight.

Moreno: Of course I would like to give a shout out to my daughter Penelope Ann Moreno and my girlfriend Klarissa Lopez who gives me extra motivation and strength in life to keep moving forward. Shout out to my family, friends, and even haters. Without the haters, this whole thrill ride towards accomplishing future goals wouldn’t be as fun. Prediction for this fight? I will give you one. No matter what happens tomorrow night, I will walk out injury free and my combat sports career shall continue.

TXMMA: Thank you Thomas, and good luck tomorrow night.

2016 TXMMA Awards – BJJ Edition Voting Ballot

2017-01-20T16:03:04Z

Welcome to the voting portion of the TXMMA Awards – BJJ Edition 2016

2016 has been another great year for BJJ competition in the state of Texas. This competition season has been full of exciting moments with top competitors from great teams performing at a very high level. From city to city and throughout the world, Texans are rising to the top at tournaments. Texas athletes have been involved in some amazing matches and great submissions this year. And as always, and a new crop of stars continues to emerge at every level. The goal of these awards, especially with the people’s choice portion, is to give the community a space to highlight the performers that stood out this year.

Winning People’s Choice is indicative of massive community support. It’s a great honor, just like winning the Official Stats-Based Awards which is entirely decided based on 2016 competition stats.

Please join us is showing your support for who you think should win this year.

Before you go through the ballot below to vote via our Facebook Group Page, take quick note of these directions:

You have to be logged in to Facebook to vote. This helps keep things accountable / 1 account = 1 vote.
Join the TXMMA Group Pageso you can access the poll. Hit join, Wait patiently to be approved.
Go through the links below and vote.
note:If your phone doesn’t show the poll, do it from a computer. Comments for anyone other than write-ins not on the ballot do not count. If voting OTHER (write-in), you MUST click the “other” button or your vote will not count.
Voting will end on Sunday, January 29th.

BJJ Edition Official Ballot 2016

ASSOCIATION OF THE YEAR

Gracie Barra Texas
Soul Fighters Texas
Lead BJJ Association
Brazilian Top Team Texas
Checkmat Texas
Elite MMA
Ribeiro Jiu-Jitsu Association TX
Alliance
GF Team
Other (Comment Write-In Votes)

2016 TXMMA Awards BJJ Edition Official Voting – Association of the Year

ACADEMY OF THE YEAR

Soul Fighters Dallas / Siam Star MMA
Gracie Barra Westchase
Bruno Bastos BJJ Midland
Alvarez BJJ
Pablo Silva Jiu-Jitsu Academy
Team Tooke HQ
Gracie Barra Texas
Travis Lutter Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu
Mohler MMA – Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu & Boxing
Other (Comment Write-In Votes)

2016 TXMMA Awards BJJ Edition Official Voting – Academy of the Year

BLACK BELT OF THE YEAR (ADULT)

Diego Gamonal Nogueira (Brazilian Top Team)
Samuel Snow (Alliance)
Manuel Ribamar (RPBJJ)
Inacio Neto (GB Westchase)
Thiago Macedo (RPBJJ)
Michael Alexander (Lutter)
Lucas Pinheiro (AMBJJ)
Pedro Araujo (Gracie Barra Heights)
Jose Llanas (Team Tooke)
Other (Comment Write-In Votes)

2016 TXMMA Awards BJJ Edition Official Voting – Black Belt of the Year (Adult)

BLACK BELT OF THE YEAR (MASTERS)

Daniel Alvarez Jr. (Alvarez BJJ)
Alex Martins (AMBJJ)
Raul Jimenez (Alliance Team Gacho)
Bruno Bastos (LEAD BJJ)
Pablo Silva (PSBJJ)
Eddie Ricardo (Cobra BJJ)
Robert Yamashita (Elite MMA)
Leonardo Machado (BTT)
Marcus Antelante (Soul Fighters)
Other (Comment Write-In Votes)

2016 TXMMA Awards BJJ Edition Official Voting – Black Belt of the Year (Masters)

BROWN BELT OF THE YEAR (ADULT)

Hunter Newton (Gracie Barra Westchase)
Lucas Valente (Gracie Barra Texas)
Roniel Oliveira Costa (LEAD BJJ)
Isai Cabrera (Gracie Barra Texas)
Alex Lane (PSBJJ)
Matthew Fox (Team Lloyd Irvin)
Sebastian Black (Checkmat)
Matthew McCormick (LEAD BJJ)
Ighor Luis (Brazilian Top Team)
Other (Comment Write-In Votes)

2016 TXMMA Awards BJJ Edition Official Voting – Brown Belt of the Year (Adult)

BROWN BELT OF THE YEAR (MASTERS)

Jordan Shepler (Alvarez BJJ)
Jesse Palmer (Soul Fighters)
Ryne Sandhagen (Alvarez BJJ)
Jordan Burton (PSBJJ)
Jeffery Hammond (Caique JJ)
Reed Shelger (GFT / Paradigm)
Loronz Marion (Soul Fighters)
Emre Demirors (Brazil 021)
Jonathan Akard (Peak Performance)
Other (Comment Write-In Votes)

2016 TXMMA Awards BJJ Edition Official Voting – Brown Belt of the Year (Masters)

PURPLE BELT OF THE YEAR (ADULT)

Matheus Gabriel (Checkmat)
Diego Almeida Ferreira (LEAD BJJ)
Damion Oranday (Oranday BJJ)
Bobby Alexander (Lutter BJJ)
Dinko Bektic (BJJ Revolution Team)
Jarrod Trotter (Soul Fighters Dallas)
Michael Salazar (AMBJJ)
Brandon Gutierrez (Rabadi BJJ)
Michael Esquivel II (Presa BJJ)
Other (Comment Write-In Votes)

2016 TXMMA Awards BJJ Edition Official Voting – Purple Belt of the Year (Adult)

PURPLE BELT OF THE YEAR (MASTER)

Christopher L West (Alvarez BJJ)
Dulces N Flaco Flores (AMBJJ)
Joseph Castillo (LEAD BJJ)
Wade Hutson (Soul Fighters)
Andrew McNally (PSBJJ)
DeNiro Kelly (GB Westchase)
Chris Farias (Team Tooke)
Danny Kou (Brazil 021)
Jacob Herrick (Checkmat)
Other (Comment Write-In Votes)

2016 TXMMA Awards BJJ Edition Official Voting – Purple Belt of the Year (Masters)

BLUE BELT OF THE YEAR (ADULT)

Jorge Valladares (Team Mohler)
Austin Oranday (Oranday Bros)
Jesus Gutierrez (GB Brownsville)
Jules Johnson (PSBJJ)
Kade Lawson (Alliance)
Axel Melartin (PSBJJ)
Matthew Meyer (Soul Fighters TX)
Andre Currier (Alliance)
Thomas Standridge (Checkmat)
Other (Comment Write-In Votes)

2016 TXMMA Awards BJJ Edition Official Voting – Blue Belt of the Year (Adult)

BLUE BELT OF THE YEAR (MASTERS)

Vince Campiti (Next Generation Frisco)
Brian Chou (BTT)
Edgardo Caminos (Alliance)
Daniel Shanks (BJJ Revolution)
Jules Johnson (PSBJJ)
Chukwunoso Nnamdi Ebede (Ground Dwellers)
Carlos Lazo (BJJ Revolution)
Marcos Ozuna (Paragon Austin)
Jeff Horn (AMBJJ)
Other (Comment Write-In Votes)

2016 TXMMA Awards BJJ Edition Official Voting – Blue Belt of the Year (Masters)

WHITE BELTS OF THE YEAR (ADULT + MASTERS)

Dustin Shelhamer (LEAD BJJ)
Travis Cole (10P Austin)
Thomas Standridge (Checkmat)
Jaime Sosa (AMBJJ)
Troy Mercer (Octagon MMA)
Cyril Jeffrey Smith Jr. (PSBJJ)
Ryan Saldana (RPBJJ)
Manuel Del Castillo (GFT)
Silvino Gomez IV (BJJ Revolution)
Other (Comment Write-In Votes)

2016 TXMMA Awards BJJ Edition Official Voting – White Belt of the Year (Adult)

BLACK BELT OF THE YEAR (FEMALE)

Fabiana Alves Borges (Gracie Barra San Antonio)
Nathiely Karoline (RPBJJ)
Monique Ricardo Carvalho (Cobra BJJ / Checkmat)
Sue Ausman (Lutter BJJ)
Tracy Dyan D’Arcy (Roberto Kaeli)
Kristine Felts (Peak Performance)
Taissa Drummond (Soul Fighters Dallas) * write-in to vote
Other (Comment Write-In Votes)

2016 TXMMA Awards BJJ Edition Official Voting – Black Belt of the Year (Female)

BROWN BELT OF THE YEAR (ADULTS + MASTERS)

Danielle Alvarez (Alvarez BJJ)
Karen Kovach Lingle (Genesis)
Brenda Castillo Rodriguez (Presa BJJ)
Veronica Manriquez (Soul Fighters Dallas)
Veronica Mota-Messina (BJJ Revolution)
Lana Hunter (Ohana)
Brandy New (Soul Fighters Dallas)
Other (Comment Write-In Votes)

2016 TXMMA Awards BJJ Edition Official Voting – Brown Belt of the Year (Female)

PURPLE BELT OF THE YEAR (FEMALE)

Laura Ann Heiman Martins (Intergracao)
Victoria Tome (LEAD BJJ)
Jessica Jasper (Cobra BJJ)
Chelsah’ Lyons (Alliance Marcelo Garcia)
Victoria Maciel Antelante (Soul Fighters BJJ)
Audrey Drew (Checkmat)
Natalia Biasca-Shepler (Alvarez BJJ)
Ketra Bartek (Gracie Humaita Austin)
Charity Combs (Solis Martial Arts Club)
Other (Comment Write-In Votes)

2016 TXMMA Awards BJJ Edition Official Voting – Purple Belt of the Year (Female)

PURPLE BELT OF THE YEAR (FEMALE MASTERS)

Laura Ann Heiman Martins (Intergracao)
Olympia Watts (Gracie Barra Texas)
Georgina Staley (PSBJJ)
Karen Kovach (Genesis)
Crystal Tolentino (Checkmat)
Tippamas Kromloy (Elite MMA)
Bambi Oranday (Oranday Bros)
Terri Reeve (Soul Fighters Texas)
Jeane Ruiz (GF Team)
Other (Comment Write-In Votes)

2016 TXMMA Awards BJJ Edition Official Voting – Purple Belt of the Year (Female)

BLUE BELT OF THE YEAR (FEMALE ADULT)

Maddy Fernandez (LEAD BJJ)
Mariana Azevedo (Gracie Barra Pearland)
Carrie Spellious Duckworth (Alliance)
Katie Egan (AMBJJ)
Alexa Yanes (GB San Antonio)
Verena Gasparin Arus BTT)
Monica Salazar (RPBJJ)
Luzimery Garcia (Paradigm / GFT)
Madison Davenport Brennan (Next Generation)
Other (Comment Write-In Votes)

2016 TXMMA Awards BJJ Edition Official Voting – Blue Belt of the Year (Female Adult)

BLUE BELT OF THE YEAR (FEMALE MASTERS)

Melissa Lozano (Team Tooke)
Karla Shellhammer (AMBJJ)
Shellye Culpepper (Texas Punishment Crew)
Misty Verschoor (Brazilian Top Team)
Sylvia Ahn (PSBJJ)
Lachasity Cloud (Team Lutter)
Casey Martinez (LEAD BJJ)
Evelyn Tadlock (Alliance Marcelo Garcia Dallas)
Emma Martinez (GFT)
Other (Comment Write-In Votes)

2016 TXMMA Awards BJJ Edition Official Voting – Blue Belt of the Year (Female Masters)

WHITE BELT OF THE YEAR (Adult + Masters)

An-An Chang (PSBJJ)
Gabriela Lembcke (Snow BJJ)
Monica Salazar (RPBJJ)
Vanessa Lopez (TX3C)
Carla Sosa (Alliance)
Charlie Mcgill (Texas Punishment Crew)
Robin Seyler (TLI)
Rebecca King (Team Lloyd Irvin)
Ashley Autrey (Shebaro BJJ)
Other (Comment Write-In Votes)

2016 TXMMA Awards BJJ Edition Official Voting – White Belt of the Year (Female)

TEEN MALE COMPETITOR OF THE YEAR

Roberto Jimenez (Alliance Team Gacho)
William Tackett (Team Rabadi BJJ)
Darryl Lebus (Team Tooke)
Tyler Brennan (Next Generation)
Austin Oranday (Oranday Bros)
Grayson Henley (Insight BJJ)
Lee Crosley (Alvarez BJJ)
Nestor Eduardo Jimenez Segovia (LEAD BJJ)
Lucas Brennan (Next Generation)
Other (Comment Write-In Votes)

2016 TXMMA Awards BJJ Edition Official Voting – TEEN COMPETITOR OF THE YEAR (BOYS)

TEEN FEMALE COMPETITOR OF THE YEAR

Mikayla Castillo (Warlord MMA)
Jessie Crane (Alvarez JJ)
Madison Wolfe (Soul Fighters Dallas)
Alexandria Terrier (Oranday Bros)
Cora Sek (10P Ronin / Ground Dwellers)
Priscilla Eckhardt (PSBJJ)
Ariel Palmer (Team Rivas BJJ)
Doriane Alfon (LEAD BJJ)
Kayla DeLeon (BJJ Revolution)
Other (Comment Write-In Votes)

2016 TXMMA Awards BJJ Edition Official Voting – TEEN COMPETITOR OF THE YEAR (GIRLS)

KIDS MALE COMPETITOR OF THE YEAR

Joshua Hahm (Team Mohler)
Dillinger Kovach (Team X)
Cole Abate (RPBJJ)
Blaice Prescott (RPBJJ)
Sergio Guajardo (BJJ Revolution)
Bryer Gray (PSBJJ)
Chris Wilemon (Team Tooke)
Dylan Hamill (LEAD BJJ)
John Pineda (BJJ Revolution / Team Tooke)
Other (Comment Write-In Votes)

2016 TXMMA Awards BJJ Edition Official Voting – KIDS MALE COMPETITOR OF THE YEAR

KIDS FEMALE COMPETITOR OF THE YEAR

Ryleigh Pirraglia (Warlord MMA)
Noah Kovach (Genesis)
Aeri Osha (BJJ Revolution)
Mona Bailey (Ground Dwellers)
Mckinzey Torres (Gracie Barra)
Tiffany Butler (Team Rabadi)
Zoe Farry (Brazilian Top Team)
Carly Rodriguez (Presa BJJ)
Emily Jackson (Alvarez BJJ)
Other (Comment Write-In Votes)

2016 TXMMA Awards BJJ Edition Official Voting – KIDS FEMALE COMPETITOR OF THE YEAR

Additional awards to be presented along with our official stats-based winners for the above awards:

Match of the Year
Submission of the Year
Upset of the Year
Ironman of the Year
Inspirational Community Member of the Year
Lifetime Achievement Award / TXMMA Hall of Fame

XKO Amateur Series 3 – Quick Results and Highlights

2017-01-03T04:13:52Z

By TXMMA Staff // Sean Malone

Austin Lingo knocks out Francisco De Los Cabos for third straight finish

ARLINGTON, TX – Austin Lingo continued to show signs of fistic brilliance knocking out the highlight-reel creating Francisco De Los Cabos in over a minute into their scheduled three round main event bout at XKO Amateur Series 3. He now moves to 3-0 with three stoppages since debuting back in April 2016. With the manner of his wins all being brutal thus far, look for much more out of this bantamweight fighter as whe progresses deeper into his young career. He’s be fighting Kenneth Gross next on the undercard of the Legacy Fighting Alliance 1 card scheduled for Jan. 13, 2017.

Elsewhere at XKO Amateur Series 3, Zikica Krsmanovic submitted Ramiro Zermeno via third round arm triangle. Ryan Chester scored a unanimous decision over Maika Kneubuhl. Hollie Smith defeated Felisha Magallan via unanimous decision in a Muay Thai bout and Dylan Collins weathered an early storm to stop Devin Hilliard at 1:53 in the opening round.

XKO Amateur Series 3 – Complete Results

Austin Lingo def. Francisco De Los Cabos by KO, RD1
Zikica Krsmanovic def. Ramiro Zermeno by submission (arm triangle), RD3
Ryan Chester def. Maika Kneubuhl by unanimous decision (30-26, 30-27, and 30-27)
Hollie Smith def. Felisha Magallan by unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, and 29-28)
Dylan Collins def. Devin Hilliard by TKO, RD1

Cage Combat 27 – Results and Recap

2017-01-03T04:14:23Z

By TXMMA Staff // Tom Roush

Esquivel Takes Straw Weight Belt In Decisive Victory

The last time Itzel Esquivel and Karla Hernandez met in the octagon, Hernandez pulled out a victory by decision. Their rematch on Dec 17 was the headliner at the 27^th edition of Garcia Promotions’ Cage Combat series and it required no input from the judges; Esquivel landed a perfect head kick moments in to the first round.

Before the head kick, both ladies sparred aggressively and Hernandez covered and counterpunched well. Esquivel had both the height and reach advantage which she clearly planned to use. When Esquivel launched off her back leg, Hernandez did not cover and consequently took the undefended shot right below her left ear, which dropped her. The referee stepped in, handing Esquivel the victory.

Proceeding Esquivel’s win were three other title fights that ended with divisive victories.

The human wrecking ball known as Juan Adams made short work of James Hatcher to take the heavy weight belt. At 6’5’’, Adams is a very big heavy weight who moves well and continues to improve with each fight. After a short bout of trades with Hatcher, he executed a takedown, took Hatcher’s back and then started dropping the fist bombs.

The ref stopped the fight moments later, giving Adams the TKO victory.

Reshal Malik and Jose Solis tried several techniques on each other in the first round of their title fight including a big overhand by Solis, a great takedown by Malik, and a quick series of hammer fists by Solis.

In the second round, Malik turned on the wrestling and tangled Solis up in a series of holds. After a protracted grappling match, Malik secured a leg triangle up high, essentially making it a choke and Solis tapped, giving Malik the bantam weight belt.

In the featherweight division, Alonso Sanchez retained his belt with a decisive win over Yan Digilov. Both fighters landed some heavy hands until Sanchez was able to tie Digilov up and sink in the guillotine choke.

Other notable fights on the evening included a decisive win by newcomer Emilee Hoffman over the Cage Combat veteran Amber Schoech. Hoffman showed strong grappling skills and took Schoech to the mat and sunk in the rear naked choke, winning in the first round.

Bruce Whitehead executed a similar plan in his contest with Hunter-Scott Gregg. An early take down led to the rear naked moments later, ending the fight in the first round.

Freddy Leal Jr. won in the exact same manner over Alex Triana, sinking the rear naked in the first round after a short series of trades.

COMPLETE RESULTS:

Itzel Esquivel v Karla Hernandez: Esquivel by TKO
Juan Adams v James Hatcher: Adams by TKO
Alonso Sanchez v Yan Digilov: Sanchez by guillotine choke
Reshal Malik v Jose Solis: Malik by triangle choke
Yadier Del Valle v Alejandro Patino: Del Valle by rear naked choke
Skylar McMellian v Chantz Gibson: McMellian by decision
Jayden Rodriguez v Steven Vera: Rodriguez by decision
David Olvera v Chris Tovar: Olvera by decision
Emilee Hoffman v Amber Schoech: Hoffman by rear naked choke
Johnny Thomas v Juan Zamudio: Thomas by TKO
Derrick Fields v Norge Gonzales: Fields by rear naked choke
Bruce Whitehead v Hunter Scott Greg: Whitehead by rear naked choke
Freddy Leal Jr. v Alex Triana: Leal by rear naked choke
Hussein Nazal v Caleb Burris: Nazal by TKO
Hector Molina v Jeremy Little: Molina by rear naked choke

Austin-based Muay Thai fighters make waves at Ascension Tourney

2016-11-17T18:22:52Z

By TXMMA Guest Contributor // Jackson Lee Hawkins

After recent rebranding, Elton Wells’ Austin Muay Thai team charges on in pursuit of tournament wins

AUSTIN, TX – A tremendous shift occurred this other weekend. It was not tectonic in nature. The ground did not shake, but the rumblings were felt in the feet of the small, but growing, Muay Thai community of Texas and Oklahoma. Although the affected area of this figuratively seismic event cannot be outlined on a map, it inarguably centers around one man, Elton Wells.

At the Ascension Muay Thai Tournament in Oklahoma, Elton, and his Ambush Muay Thai team, fielded 6 fighters. When the final bell had wrung, the team had accrued six wins versus two losses (one due to a previously broken rib and the other in a higher weight class) along with four new belts to display on the collective mantel, staking their claim as a new significant player in the Muay Thai scene.

Elton, himself, sports the outer appearance of a star-wars loving, classical guitar playing, software-writing geek, which is suitable because he is all of those things. In fact, if you were to come back from the bar bathroom to find Elton had taken your seat, you would probably not hesitate to tell him to hit the bricks. Any follow-up, alcohol-induced effort to physically assert dominance over him would be a costly error. As we all have learned many times through martial arts, the quiet, seemingly harmless ones are often the baddest.

It would be easy to paint Elton as the layered, complicated genius we always want in our dynamic characters, but the beauty of Elton lies in his simplicity. He has a systematic approach, gleaned from his familiarity with computers no doubt, and a passion-driven follow-through which involves hellish conditioning and never-ending repetition. Any complaint from a pupil, such as “Coach, my legs are totally shot right now” is met with a smile and one word . . . “Good.”

Despite his constant availability to his team, he, until very recently, derived no income from his coaching endeavors. The phrase “for the love of the game” gets thrown around a lot, but this is an objectively fitting instance. It is exactly this level of dedication and cognition that inspires the same in Elton’s fighters. They strive to give him back just a sliver of what he gives to them.

Their team is organic, even deriving its name collectively. Apparently, a group of tigers, instead of being called a herd or gander or pod, is an ambush (How cool is that?).

Recently, the team changed their gym of residence to Brazilian Fight Factory, owned by Rodrigo Cabral, who has welcomed them with open arms. They’ve seen a lot of improvement since this move as individuals and as a team because, as Elton puts it, “Sometimes a plant needs to be repotted to grow.”

It should be noted Elton is my coach as well. So take this as the biased ranting of a student for his coach, which it is, but perhaps also take it as an ethnographic perspective from a close participant-observer who has been able to fully appreciate the process and struggle of this man and his team.

Or one could even take it has a veiled warning, an Ambush is coming.

Brazilian Fight Factory – www.brazilianfightfactory.com
Ambush Muay Thai – www.ambushmuaythai.com

Story on never giving up and some advice for new competitors

2016-11-10T16:09:58Z

By TXMMA Staff // Christopher Story // Photo: Mike Calimbas Photography

After win at F2WPRO 17, Christopher Story reflects on his struggle and competition as a whole

FT. WORTH, TX – Recently at Fight to Win Pro 17 I was overwhelmed with support and good thoughts from hundreds of people.

READ THIS: Click Here to see the post just in case you haven’t read it yet

So, I got to thinking about tournament advice for new white belts who are starting jiu-jitsu and considering competing.

This is one of those situations where I wish I could have done it differently, but at least you can learn from my struggles….

I get asked these questions frequently. When should I compete? When do you think I will be ready?

Every Instructor is different. I feel that it is important to start working on competition early. White belts should start competing somewhere between the 3 to 6 month mark of training.

I watch people who say, “I think I will wait till I am a blue belt…”

Problem is, when they do wait until blue belt, they run into a Roberto Jimenez who has competed long before blue belt or they run into a blue belt who has already competed in about 5 to 10 tournaments.

The formula is simple for white and blue belts. It even applies to higher ranks. It is all about experience. So with that in mind, there is a saying, “failure is a prerequisite to success”. With that concept, it just means one thing, we need to fail faster!!!

Jiu-Jitsu as a whole is interesting… Everyday is just another day of little failures (aka lessons) and little successes that are compounded into one big success. Hell, black belts have tapped out more than any other rank on the mat.

So why is it that so many people take that principal and forget to apply it to tournaments?

Think about it like this… Let’s take Roberto Jimenez as our example… At most of the Fight to Win tournaments, I hear his name called out over and over as I see him running from division to division to fight…

So, who do you think is going to win the division most of the time???? You guessed it, Roberto!

Why? Due to simple laws of success… Roberto failed over and over and over and over! Not giving up, but learning from each mistake. He failed faster than anyone at the early ranks. Infact, I bet he has tons of stories on tapping out and losing matches, but since he never gave up and kept fighting after each failure, he is reaping the rewards of success.

To this day, he is still gaining more and more experience for when he earns brown and black. What he does now will dictate his performance later. If he stopped competing, some other young stud would eventually take his place. I don’t think he will be stopping till he wins multiple world titles and other things. We all see his experience level is increasing. Staying on this path only leads him to be an even bigger monster in the future who is destined for World Champion titles at the highest levels.

So when I get asked the questions, “when should I compete? when do you think I will be ready?”, here is my advice to white and blue belt competitors:

Compete earlier – Do not wait. The longer you wait, the bigger the gap will become between you and others. You will have a harder time competing.
Compete as much as you possibly can – When Fight to Win comes around, enter in multiple divisions. They have tons of divisions and it won’t break your bank to do it. Even smaller, in-house tournaments are important. You see a tournament, just register for it. Try to get your first 10 to 20 tournaments under your belt as fast as possible.
Local tournaments are crucial – Take advantage of local tournaments in your backyard. Once you hit black belt there are not a lot of higher rank fights in local tournaments. I have seen people wait for IBJJF just to spend $100 for one fight that they loose because they didn’t want to do the local tournaments. You can bet your bottom dollar their opponents winning the divisions are at every local tournament they can get their hands on!
Never Give up – Just because you loose a few tournaments doesn’t mean it isn’t for you or that you suck. It just means you still have work to do, and it will be that much sweeter when it clicks. Some people are able to just start winning early-on in their BJJ career.
Tournaments are about learning – It is important that we learn from our mistakes. To some people they may feel like tournaments are a pissing contest, but in all reality it is a chance for you to roll with people you may otherwise never get to roll with, learn about yourself – mind, body, and soul, learn about your jiu-jitsu, improve your technique, pick up new technique, and just all around is a great learning experience.
Everyone is going through the same process – Emotions, fear, self-doubt, and nervousness. These are things we all go through. Every competitor goes though it and you have to look inward and battle yourself just like the rest of us.
Look inward – The one thing I love is how competition makes us look inward at ourselves. We have to learn to remove the doubt and the fears. It is something that can be taken off the mat and used in our everyday life teaching us to solve problems head on, not being shy in front of others, and so much more.

I hope this article inspires and helps others out there who struggle too. I hope that this helps those who are thinking of competition but haven’t made that leap into the wonderful world of BJJ tournaments.

In conclusion, fail faster and never give up… keep going!! All the money in the world can’t buy the smile on your face and the feeling you get after accomplishing a long struggle. It is all worth it!!!

Fury Fighting Championship 13 – Results and Recap

2016-11-06T16:55:20Z

By TXMMA STaff // Tom Roush

Veteran Rey Trujillo stops top prospect Cameron Graves; Nikolay Veretennikov and Artenas Young put on FOTN effort

Thirteen was indeed a very unlucky number for several fighters who ventured in to the octagon at Garcia Promotions’ Fury Fighting Championship 13 contests in Humble on November 4, but it was the lucky charm for others. There were thirteen fights with thirteen winners and thirteen losers on the evening.

In the title bout, Rey Trujillo pulled a rabbit out of a hat to the dismay of Cameron Graves and took home the featherweight belt. In the first round, Graves secured a takedown and both fighters traded well, but in the second, Trujillo landed a series of combos to the head followed by a knee that left Graves on his knees and staring in to space. The ref stopped the fight and handed Trujillo the win by TKO.

Fight of the Night honors goes to Nikolay Veretennikov and Artenas Young who put on a fantastic show for three brutal rounds of 175 lbs. catch weight action. Artenas “The Machine Gun” Young is a skilled fighter on many levels but the aggressive and poised Slav delivered punch after heavy punch to the midsection of Young and after a time, it showed.

Veretennikov tends to take a fixed stance just out of range and then lunge forward with a right hand to the body, a move he executed on Young repeatedly. He is also skilled with the spinning back kick and can deliver a spinning fist with remarkable accuracy. In the end, Veretennikov clenched the victory with by decision.

In the light heavyweight division, the human tank known as Isaac Teran rolled over another contender. This time it was Larry Hopkins’ turn to fall. Teran dominated Hopkins on every level, and eventually secured top mount. After raining down several hand boulders on Hopkins, Teran just looked at the ref and shrugged, and the ref mercifully stopped the fight. Teran by TKO.

Big Juan Adams also showed well in the heavyweight division and secured a 2^nd round TKO over Jhun Boniaby. Adams is a cool, stalking fighter who does not rattle or waver, and was eventually able to take top mount on Boniaby and then just sit. A few punches later and the ref stopped the fight. Adams by TKO.

In the straw weight division, Sijin Kurian and Chase Eastham logged a long cobra fight with each securing take downs, chokes and weathering near disasters. Much of the fight was a protracted ground war, with Kurian taking the victory by decision.

The evening’s only split decision was the contest between Zack Hensen and Josh Altum. Altum secured a takedown in every round but Hansen is a skilled striker who fights with his hands very close to the body until time to launch. He defended well against Altum’s clean disciplined strikes and landed a few well-timed punches. Going in to the 3^rd round, Altum was clearly looking for the knock out which he did not secure and so the judges gave the contest to Hansen via split decision.

Fury Fighting Championship 13 – Quick Results for November 4, 2016

Cameron Graves vs Rey Trujillo – Trujillo by 2^nd round TKO
Javier Obregon vs Angel Huerta – Huerta by 2^nd round TKO
Nikolay Veretinnikov vs Artenas Young – Veretinnikov by decision
Larry Hopkins vs Isaac Teran – Teran by 1^st round TKO
Jon Kirk vs RJ Knepp – Kirk by 1^st round rear naked choke
Craig Grove vs Derrick Ageday – Ageday by TKO
Sijin Kurian vs Chase Eastham – Kurian by decision
Danny Bennett vs Juan Manuel Sanchez – Sanchez by 2^nd round TKO for the light heavy weight belt
Amateur Fights
Juan Adams vs Jhun Boniaby – Adams by 2^nd round TKO
Zach Henson vs Josh Altum – Hensen by split decision
Darius Gray vs Reshal Malik – Malik by submission
Tony Nguyen vs Tim Cormier – Cormier by decision
Christopher Miller vs Michael Rodriguez – Miller by decision

60 Highlight Photos of Fight to Win’s San Antonio BJJ Superfights

2016-11-02T16:37:02Z

By TXMMA Staff

Fight To Win Pro 15 delivers exciting fights and top of the line production for SA grappling fans

SAN ANTONIO, TX – With 16 shows already under their belt since debuting in January, Fight to Win Pro has already established itself as the most consistent and hard-working organization on the nationwide professional grappling scene. The show has gone coast to coast in showcasing the art and yet they hold a special affinity for Texas as one of their flagship territories to showcase the art of jiujitsu. Fight to Win Pro has already toured Houston, San Antonio and Dallas in 2016 and will open their 2017 season with trips to those cities as well.

Recently, Fight to Win Pro traveled to San Antonio for F2wPRO 15. Headlined by local stars including Rodrigo Pinheiro, Diego Gamonal Nogueira, and Gabriel Martins, just to name a few, the show delivered in bringing local grappling fans a top quality production worthy of national broadcast.

Here are the results from F2W Pro 15:

Black Belt Results

Vinicius Agudo Silva defeats Rodrigo Pinheiro – decision
Rossie Snow defeats Fabiana Jorge – decision
Diego Gamonal Nogueira defeats Tony Erard – decision
Carlos Ferreira Neves defeats Gleidson Cutis – decision FOTN
Thiago Macedo defeats Levi Mowles 0 Armbar
Daniel Lee Rodriguez defeats Gilbert Jimenez – Armbar
Gabriel Martins defeats Rivaldo Junior – bow and arrow choke

Brown Belt Results

Alex Lane defeats Robert Brice – flying triangle SOTN
Seth Daniels defeats Mike Delgado – decision
Matthew Fox defeats Brandon Walker – decision
Jordan Burton III defeats Tom Connor – Bow and Arrow
Jeffro Mullenax defeats Roberto Chapa – decision
Joseph Tonche defeats Emmanuel Martinez – decision
Robert Brice defeats Alex Henley – split decision
Ben Leny defeats Osni Filho – Armbar FOTN

Purple Belt Results

Christopher L West defeats Rafael Perez – choke
Linda Gutierrez defeats Rebecca Varady – armbar
Matt Jones defeats David Shelley – decision
Diego Almeida defeats Richard Chalk – triangle SOTN
Ryan Ben-David defeats Eddie Rodriguez – footlock
Damion Oranday defeats Chris Kuntshik – footlock
Santiago Garza defeats Alfred Varon – decision
Justin Garcia defeats Nathan Torres – decision FOTN

Teens and Kids

Leeroy Guiterrez defeats Wilson Sojo – Armbar
Austin Oranday defeats Marus llanas – Choke SOTN
Rene Gallegos defeats Grayson Henley – decision
Jose R. Gonzalez defeats Freddy Marquez – split decision FOTN
Cole Abate defeats Wilson Sojo – decision

Upcoming Schedule – Fight to Win Pro

F2WPRO 17 Dallas, Tx October 29th 2016
F2WPRO 18 Denver , Co November 18th 2016
F2WPRO 19 Tulsa, OK December 3rd 2016
F2WPRO 20 Atlanta, GA December 17th 2016
F2WPRO 21 Houston, Tx January 6th 2017
F2WPRO 22 Austin, Tx January 14th 2017
F2WPRO 23 Dallas, Tx January 21st 2017
F2WPRO 24 San Mateo, Ca January 27th 2017
F2WPRO 25 Los Angeles, Ca February 4th 2017
F2WPRO 26 Denver, Co February 10th 2017

Now check out sixty highlight photos from the event courtesy of Mike Calimbas Photography.

60 Highlight Photos from Fight to Win Pro 15 (San Antonio, TX)

Fort Worth’s Derek Perkins Promises Electricity at XKO 33

2016-11-02T15:28:29Z

By TXMMA Staff // Sean A. Malone

With a renewed sense of focus, Perkins reinvigorated to make his mark on North Texas fight scene

Despite a career that has been plagued by both injury and fight cancellations Fort Worth’s “Dangerous” Derek Perkins has continued to persevere in the face of frustration. A renewed focus and dedication to fighting has seen Perkins’ free time monopolized by training alongside the killers sharpening their skills at Fort Worth’s Phalanx MMA Academy.

After over a year layoff Perkins returned to the cage this past August at XKO 32 where he scored an impressive first round TKO victory over the hard-hitting Allen Nelson. The fight showed fans what a focused and motivated Perkins can accomplish as he utilized superior footwork and kicks to keep the always dangerous Nelson on the ropes throughout the fight.

“It felt great,” explained Perkins on his triumphant return to the cage. “I felt at home, right where I belonged. I’ll come back home this Saturday night, and everyone knows that in my house I control everything.”

As Perkins alluded to, his return to the cage is imminent as “Dangerous” enters the XKO cage this weekend at XKO 33. Facing Perkins will be Octagon MMA’s Carlton Little who is coming off a win over Andre Kavanaugh this past April.

“What do I know about [Little]?” Perkins asks rhetorically. “[I know] his name…and that he’s in trouble.”

Never short on confidence Perkins is dead set on regaining the momentum that seemed halted a few short years ago. To this point Perkins warns that fans coming out to XKO 33 be ready for one helluva show.

“A show, a finish, and electricity running though their body.”

Middleweight Title Fight Headlines Saturday night’s XKO 33

2016-10-31T16:15:50Z

By TXMMA Staff // Photo and words by Sean A. Malone

Kevin Holland and Alfredo Leija to face off in main event title bout

DALLAS, TX – An intriguing title fight headlines this weekend’s XKO 33 fight card as the precocious Kevin “The Trailblazer” Holland takes on the hard-hitting slugger Alfredo Leija for the vacant title. The 11-bout MMA card will take place at the Gas Monkey Live in Dallas.

Holland is making a return to the XKO cage coming off a 2nd round submission victory of Sam Liera at King of the Cage in California this past September. Leila is coming off blistering 1st round stoppage victory over Jason Perrotta at XKO 32.

Xtreme Knockout 33 – Fight Card forAll Companies November 5, 2016

Alfredo Leija vs. Kevin Holland (XKO Middleweight Championship Main Event)
Peter Stanonik vs. Joshua Hunter
Derek Perkins vs. Carlton Little
Jared Torres-Umo vs. Marquis Smith
Andrew Sosa vs. Moises Diaz (Muay Thai Fight)
Cameron Miller vs. Joel Gonzales
Ezekiel Tunei-Wiley vs. Mike Saunders
Joshua Nealy vs. Chris Salas
Jose Soto vs. Federico Olivera (Muay Thai fight)
Joshua Sutton vs. Ryan Josey
Kennedy Nzechukwu vs. Matthew Foster