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THURSDAY,
February 28th, 2013, AT 12:30 PM/ PST
Stephen "Wonderboy" Thompson
Makes Rogan's
"Top 8 UFC Debuts Of All-Time"
You only get one chance to make a first impression. Many fighters have taken advantage of the spotlight and Joe Rogan ranks the best of the best in Ultimate 8. Former IKF Kickboxing World Champion and multi time IKF Tournament Champion (Among MANY other Kickboxing Titles) Stephen "Wonderboy" Thompson made his UFC debut one to remember back on February 4th, 2012.
Thompson said hello to the UFC in the best way possible! A right (front leg) roundkick to the head of his opponent Daniel Stittgen at UFC 143. The kick (Right) knocked Stittgen (7-2 Pro, 2-0 Amateur MMA) out cold and paved the way for a hopeful bright future for Thompson in the UFC. According to Fightcove.com, Thompson's purse was $12,000 (Includes $6,000 win bonus) and he also received a $65,000 bonus for "Knockout of the Night". not a bad first day on the job at the UFC!
The win brought Thompson's Pro MMA record to a PERFECT 6-0 which when added to his kickboxing record of 57-0 brought him to a perfect 63-0. Thompson had his first loss in the Cage later in April of 2012 at UFC 145. Actually, it was his first loss in his entire fight career. A close decision to ISCF Pro Eastern Regional Champion Matt "The Immortal" Brown by Unanimous Decision.
Word has it that Thompson will face Amir Sadollah in a UFC Welterweight battle on Saturday, May 25. While a venue for the unnamed event has yet to be determined, the UFC traditionally holds Memorial Day weekend cards in Las Vegas.
Check out Rogan's take on Thompson and 7 others that made Rogan's "Top 8 UFC Debuts Of All-Time" list by clicking HERE!
TONIGHTS MMA ACTION...
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Bellator MMA Presents
Belator Light Heavyweight World Title Fight
AND
Lightweight Tournament Finals
Rio Rancho, New Mexico, USA
ABOUT BELLATOR MMA Bellator MMA is
the world's largest tournament based Mixed Martial Arts organization. Televised
to nearly 500 Million homes worldwide in over 107 countries, Bellator's majority
owner is entertainment giant Viacom. In the United States, Bellator can be seen
on Spike TV, the MMA television leader. With over 150 world-class athletes under
contract, Bellator is home to many of the sport's top mixed martial artists.
Bellator's founder & CEO, Bjorn Rebney, an experienced fighting sports and
entertainment executive with a deep commitment to the purity and integrity of
the sport of MMA and its athletes. Bellator's core philosophy is that title
shots should be earned, not given. This belief gave rise to Bellator's real
sport, tournament-based format, which gives Bellator's tournaments a true
playoff feel that keeps the sport true and distances itself from the subjective
side of fighting sports found in organizations that utilize a
matchmaking/casting formula.
MORE
ISCF MMA ACTION...
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EFC Africa Presents
"EFC AFRICA 18"
Johannesburg, South Africa
"10 Hours Ahead of Us On USA WEST COAST - PST!!"
THIS IS AN ALL
PRO EVENT
ABOUT EFC AFRICA: EFC AFRICA, the Extreme Fighting Championship, is the biggest Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) promotion on the African continent. Over 100 of the continent's toughest MMA athletes are exclusively contracted to EFC AFRICA, fighting out of countries such as South Africa, D.R.C., Angola, Nigeria, Egypt and more, to showcase their skills in front of thousands of fans in sold-out arenas. With 8 new events per year, each hosting at least 12 explosive bouts, EFC AFRICA is a sports entertainment phenomenon which has captured the attention of passionate and loyal fans throughout Africa and the world. Filmed by a 9 camera live broadcast crew, the EFC AFRICA events and broadcast production has been described by international media and networks as some of the world's best quality MMA content.
TUESDAY,
February 26th, 2013, AT 8:35 AM/ PST
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Results From Head to Head Promotions Presents
"UNDER PRESSURE"
February 23rd, 2013 - Bridgwater, England
IKF PRO FCR BRITISH
SUPER MIDDLEWEIGHT TITLE
(VACANT)
Chris
James
(Bridgwater, England, 14-8-3, 75.4kg, 6'1", 07-29-86, Arthur Meek
00447765042414)
Defeated
Gareth Richards
(Cardiff, Wales, 28-5-1, 75.2kg, 6'1", 08-02-83, Tony Ahern
00447896299702)
By KO At :47 Seconds of Round 3
It's amazing what a bit of self-belief will do for a person. 12 months ago Chris James was being declared a 'nearly man'. With an average record, albeit against top opposition, he was considered to be one of the better super middleweights in the UK, but also one who had probably reached his peak. All of a sudden from somewhere he found his mojo and has been storming through each opponent like wildfire ever since.
Tonight current ICO and WKA World Champion Gareth Richards must have thought he was marking time with this crack at the IKF British title. But Chris James had other ideas. It was clear that Richards felt he could go through the 'nearly man' in under 3 rounds and he came out to that effect. Unloading bombs and looking very dangerous. As usual the unassuming James sucked it up and showed no emotion. Mid-way through the round both men were visibly shaken as the combinations landed but it was Richards who looked unsteady.
The 2nd round offered more of the same and it was clear that one or other of these warriors was heading for an early bath. James nailed his man again towards the end of the second, then came out to finish in the third. Richards could not gather himself as he took unanswered shots followed by a count. He was up at 8 but this time James finished the job with a perfect barrage. This surely puts Chris James in amongst the elite of the division and a much anticipated rubber match with current IKF World Champion James Wallis must be on the agenda for 2013/14.
FIGHT RESULTS IN REVERSE ORDER
SATURDAY,
February 23rd, 2013, AT 5:50 PM/ PST
ISCF's Investigation Of
Alabama
Amateur Mixed Martial Arts
Is Just Scratching The Surface!
With all the chatter and findings about
issues with the Alabama Athletic Commission and
their handling of Amateur MMA,
we decided to create a separate page just
for Alabama Amateur Mixed Martial Arts.
To keep up with everything just
click
HERE
FRIDAY,
February 22nd, 2013, AT 6:30 PM/ PST
THIS WEEKENDS
ISCF & IKF
ACTION...
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Head to Head Promotions Presents
"UNDER PRESSURE"
Bridgwater, England
IKF PRO FULL CONTACT RULES KICKBOXING
BRITISH SUPER
MIDDLEWEIGHT TITLE
(VACANT)
Chris James
(All or Nothing – England)
VS
Gareth Richards
(Cardiff
Kickboxing- Wales)
Plus International MMA Tournament
England VS Norway
Plus Full Supporting Undercard
THURSDAY,
February 21st, 2013, AT 5:05 PM/ PST
Alabama Athletic Commission
Get To Know What's
Behind The Curtain
BEFORE
You Fight There.
Over the last few months we have had a lot of fighters, trainers and promoters contacting us and asking if we would apply to be an Amateur MMA sanctioning Body in Alabama. Before we move forward with doing so, we would like to help you know what all is taking place down in Alabama and from there, you may see why the ISCF has yet to even apply for such approval.
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To begin with, Alabama is a state that has very little knowledge of Mixed Martial Arts. We don't say this to insult them, we are simply speaking fact. We have been at the Association of Boxing Commissions meetings 3 of the past 4 years and even had conversations as well as listen to conversations made by Alabama Athletic Commission Commissioner Casey Sears. Sears was appointed to serve as a state commissioner by Lt. Governor Jim Folsom Jr. in 2009 and reappointed by Lt. Governor Kay Ivey in 2011 for a four year term and is currently serving as the Vice Chairman and Chairman of the Rules and Regulations committee. Sears means well, but like a lot of State Commission "Sitting Board Members," he's a little behind on the actual "Actions" of the sport of Mixed Martial Arts.
Lets bring you up to speed, and by the way, none of this information is private or classified in any way as it has all been talked about on Alabama Athletic Commission's Facebook Page (Yes, The Alabama Athletic Commission has a Facebook page but they do NOT have an actual website...) Moving on... It was reported in an October 3rd, 2012 article that Brandon Owens, who helped create the athletic commission in 2009, and works for Mowery Consulting in government relations, took over as Executive Director for the Alabama Athletic Commission ( ACC ) after former Director Keith Warren whose company, Warren and Company, had been the administrator and drew criticism from at least one commission member. In August Warren stated he was not interested in renewing his contract and the contract was to go up for public open bid... but was it.
According to that same October 3rd, 2012 article, Owens's Mowery Consulting was the only qualified bidder to administer the commission, however, this may not be the full truth. Owens's Mowery Consulting was scheduled to receive a one-year, $55,000 contract based on 200 hours per month. Mowery Consulting was also suppose to create a web site for AAC, yet there is still no website for the AAC. The company was also suppose to manage personnel and train officials for the events, and oversee tests for officials, some of which has been done, while failure has been reported in other areas.
Owens is best known as partner and co-promoter with SKYY Boxing gym owner and trainer, Jay Deas from Tuscaloosa, Alabama, who also is the head trainer for Olympic boxing great Deontay Wilder of Tuscaloosa. He was involved with the commission as early as 2009, helping to push for its creation, and has continued to work on government affairs in the interests of the commission. As a State Lobbyist, Owens was instrumental in getting the Boxing Bill passed several years back and also aided in getting the new MMA Amendment Bill passed.
Owens takes over as AAC executive director with a boxing and MMA background. In January of 2012, he signed on with the sanctioning body ISKA and was one of their Alabama Event Directors monitoring and overseeing the operations of ISKA Alabama MMA sanctioned events as an event supervisor and judge.
Keep in mind, most saw Owens as a welcome change to the Alabama Athletic Commission since many have been disappointed with the Commission, mostly Warren and how he had handled things.
So many in Alabama were hoping for more positive change...
However, it was just the opposite.
Since Owens took over, things
are a lot different all right. Although he's very pro-active about everything,
he is one that many have stated they do not trust. Owens was one of the
founders for the Boxing & MMA Bill in Alabama and he is also the first ever
Alabama Event Director for the first MMA sanctioning body that applied and was
approved by the State of Alabama, the ISKA. When a sanctioning body
wants to apply to be an approved sanctioning body in a state, they must fill out
what we will call the "Mystery Application" and submit it to
the
Alabama Athletic Commission with a fee of $1,000.00.
Yes... "$1,000.00"... A fee that
some have said ISKA didn't have to pay because of some ties the ISKA
had with Commissioner Sears and Owens. Some time ago, ISKA
President Cory Schafer hired Owens to be ISKA's first
event director and because of this, Owens now, shows "A LOT"
of favoritism towards ISKA. Adding to this, when Owens took the
lead at the Alabama Commission, his next move was to get one of his and
Commissioners friend's as his replacement for the position of ISKA State
director.
Something to point out here... Owens "Won" the contract for the Commissions Event Director spot and to dwell into that part of the story, from what we have been told, was in a nutshell "a bit short of ethical..."
This was supposed to be an open bid, but when people asked about how they could apply for the position their request were ignored and unanswered. This is no surprise here. When Alabama was first asking for sanctioning bodies to apply, we at the ISCF asked over and over again and NEVER received a reply, hence the previous noted "Mystery Application." Only recently were we able to at least get a quick reply when we went to their "Facebook" page... (That still cracks us up here, that a "STATE" Commission has a "Facebook" page but no official website...) Oh... other than this one, HERE. Well... moving on.
So how did Brandon Owens get the upper hand to his current appointment as the Executive Director for the Alabama Commission? Well, Owens is also a State Lobbyist that Strike Hard Promotions and their supporters and sponsors hired to help push the MMA Bill through Alabama State Legislature. Owens company, Owens Consulting, LLC, out of Tuscaloosa, Alabama is a Consulting company involved in Government, Business, and Athletics. You can fill in the rest.
This being said, you can guess what kind of "Perks" Strike Hard Promotions is getting in Alabama. It's well known among the circles of Alabama mixed martial arts that Owens lets Strike Hard Promotions pretty much get away with anything and basically do whatever they want to do. However no one speaks up in fear of Owens making their MMA life miserable, and trainers and fighters who don't want to be black listed from any promotion such as Strike Hard Promotions. There is a pretty strong rumor going around in Alabama that Strike Hard Promotions paid Owens enough money to basically look the other way on their events, however, since we can't confirm this or should we say, no one want's to put their name on the accusation, we can only say it's at best, a rumor for now. With this being said, it doesn't take a brain surgeon to determine in the State of Alabama, MMA is run on the "Good O'L Boys System"
Again, all of this is no surprise to us here at the ISCF because there is not a week that goes by that some from the deep South of Alabama calls us up or shoots us an e-mail that starts out with, "Can you believe the Alabama Commission did this... WHY Can't you guys get ISCF Approved here?" Well, I think your just starting to read why we have yet to even apply...
However, hope was in sight and ISKA's "monopoly" disappeared when by surprise the Alabama Athletic Commission approved another sanctioning body last year. Although very new to the sport, Paul Domenech's MMA Solutions Global was approved by the Alabama Commission. What Domenech was not aware of though was how much he wasn't welcome in the "ISKA Favored Alabama." Well, it took awhile, along with what appeared to be some creative regulations but Owens and the Alabama Commission finally found a way to "Create" a discipline for Domenech and suspend his company from sanctioning events. Oh, don't get us wrong, what the Alabama Athletic Commission did was not only unethical, but boarders illegal as well. When you as a government agency start "Making Up" new rules and regulations out of the blue, it's time for the public your serving to start asking questions.
This is where we will halt our thoughts on the Alabama Athletic Commission. After searching web high and low, we actually came across several previously published articles that seem to document the happenings in Alabama quite well. This being said, we posted them below in the order they happened and may post more as we hear more. A lot of people may ask, "Why write in support of Paul Domenech's MMA Solutions Global which is basically a competitor of the ISCF in some states? Well, sanctioning bodies may bicker back and forth, but when someone is done wrong, as Domenech's MMA Solutions Global has been with the Alabama Athletic Commission, it's time we all stand up and follow the well known quote by Burke, "All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing." It's time we do something...
It's clear everything Owens does has an agenda, which there is nothing wrong with that, unless the agenda isn't serving the people and athletes of the State of Alabama which he represents. Here is what we have learned about Owens.
MORE
ALABAMA MMA NEWS...
Alabama Athletic Commission
Suspends Fighters
Participating In Shows On Federal Sovereign Land
By: Rick Piel
http://uscombatsports.com
- February 15, 2013
Most recently the Alabama Athletic Commission has been all over Facebook notifying people that if they participate in what they call unsanctioned events fighters could be suspended. They have been threatened with their amateur status as an authorized fighter in Alabama and their license being in jeopardy of being suspended and even revoked while professional fighters will automatically be suspended as is the case of Big John Ivey and his opponent from last Saturday night: Lester Blackmore for fighting in an show on an Indian reservation (Sovereign Federal Land).
Last weekend, Warrior Promotions out of Atmore, Alabama held their latest mixed martial arts show, WAR IV on Federal Tribal Sovereign land down in Atmore, Alabama. This event was announced as being sanctioned by The Poarch Band of Creek Indians Athletic Commission and the event was actually held at the PCI Wellness Center on the reservation.
Monday morning both professional fighters that were the main event were suspended by the Alabama Athletic Commission along with several other amateur fighters. According to MixedMartialArts.com, Lester Blackmore and Big John Ivey are currently serving a suspension by an ABC-recognized athletic commission (ABC, Alabama). It does not reflect how long the suspension is for other than the fighter has been suspended. It also does not reflect if it is medical or punitive. The A.A.C. stated on Facebook that all these fighters would receive a 60 medical suspension instead of punitive.
We reached out to them to ask for a copy of the suspensions list as it is public record as is in most states and were told to check MMA.TV. We did so and found that although a select few fighters from this event were suspended as the State had said they would, but not all the fighters were suspended.
At the Commission meeting held February 13, 2013,
representatives from the state stated the reasons for the suspensions where for
safety reason and that the State Commission could not guarantee that the
fighters were properly vetted by 
medical
staff before and after the fight. Jim Jernigan, President for Warrior
Promotions offered up blood work, any and all paper work that is required at
other state sanctioned events to the commission on top of videos from each fight
showing the fighters is in healthy conditions and evidence that the show was run
like all other events sanctioned by other sanctioning bodies as well as the
State Commission itself. Jernigan also offered up copies of the doctor
in attendance information along with his credentials and background showing he
had everything required by other sanctioned events under the Commission to be
the physician on hand for this event. At the end of the Commission meeting,
Warrior was denied the right to submit their evidence and supporting
documentation to show their show was run professional and safe.
In a conversation afterward, Jernigan stated he plans to fight this and the main reason is that if affects too many fighters and is flat out wrong to suspend fighters participating on tribal land especially when he and his company are complying with all legal requirements regarding the paper work, safety and execution of a MMA Event under the Commissions guidelines for other shows in Alabama.
Jernigan also stated he reached out to King Of The Cage Promoters who are also battling this same issue in the State of Wisconsin regulatory commission. Cage and the Lac du Flambeau Band of Lake Superior Chippewa Indians have been in heated discussion themselves over 60 day suspensions within their state's Wisconsin's Commission.
In an excerpt from Secretary Ross' (Wisconsin)
letter to Lake of the Torches Casino Controller Karen Maki
below:
"Please be assured that the Department of Regulation and Licensing
(DRL) does not plan to automatically place participants in your event on a
mandatory 60-day rest period. Safety of fighters is paramount in our regulation
of this sport in Wisconsin. We appreciate your offer to allow us to view the
sections of your contract with King of the Cage regarding insurance and
pre/post fight medical screenings. We would like to view these sections of the
contract. DRL also appreciates the information in your letter on the posting of
event results. I would appreciate the chance for DRL and the Lac du Flambeau
Band of Lake Superior Chippewa to continue our dialogue on the oversight of MMA."
Jernigan has also been in discussion with many individuals and even plans to talk today to a prominent Montgomery attorney to file papers preventing the fighters from being suspended and possible paper work to stop the State from interfering with his production on federal land.
People are taking away from this recent drama across the USA that all fighters that participated in the fight on Federal Sovereign land will be suspended as this is what was posted by the Alabama Athletic Commission on Facebook this past week and also in its private groups. These comments were specifically directed towards fighters as the commission openly stated it could not control what a promoter did on Tribal land nor what the tribe itself did but they could go after the fighters.
Lobbyist for the tribe stated he would be happy to take back to the Tribe any offer of compromise the Commission offered to help prevent the commission from suspending fighters for this past show and also future shows. One representative stated it was not their job as the State to offer a compromise it was the Tribe to come to them and make an offer. They, the A.A.C. only had control over the safety of the fighters and not the promoter nor the show itself.
It should be noted that the Warrior – WAR IV show's cage side was physician/surgeon: Dr. Travis Paul, a well known general surgeon based out of Atmore, Alabama that also practices in Bay Minette and the surrounding areas. Other medical staff on-hand were Atmore Ambulance Service. One of the things we saw for the first time ever was that Dr. Paul entered the cage after every bout and addressed both fighters, not only the one that lost but also the winners. This has never been done at other shows in Alabama. The show was officiated by MMA Hall Of Fame recipient: Mr. John Dixson and refereed Mr. Justin Myers a referee with over 30 fights to his credit in the State of Florida. Dixson is also a licensed referees in The State of Mississippi and is up for another Mississippi MMA Award this year. He alongside Florida licensed referee, Justin Myers took care of the fighters in the bouts. From beginning to end this show was no different than any other show currently held in Alabama under the Alabama Commission. All safety measures and concerns addressed way in advance and all fighters and their teams were taken care of as well as the safety of the spectators. From the front of the house to the back this fight was top notch all the way. We, the media were granted full access to everything so not to misconstrue misdoing of any staff. They had nothing to hide from anyone or any member of the media. They were an open book from beginning to end.
In a comment made by Mr. Jim Jernigan, President of Warrior Promotions this past week on Facebook he comments on the recent Ivey / Blackmore suspensions: "For the state to issue Mr Ivey a suspension or any other fighter of our last event a suspension would be just as insulting to my company and our MMA Community as it was for our War III event. My company has offered to share all documents and videos with the state. We have no intentions on paying them a fee to review the documentation or videos. Nor should the fighters be required to do so. If this is about safety, we should know soon.... Furthermore, I did not make Mr. Ivey aware that the state was threatening a suspension and he shouldn't be punished for laws he was unaware of. Even God refuses to punish those that are ignorant of his word. It's been hard to swallow the fact that our state has done a poor job of clarifying their intent to my company and the fighters have been ignorant to their intent also. The suspension forced on fighters that were required to provide the same documentation for us as they are required to provide for any other promoter in this state would be considered another attempt to attack fighters in an ungodly manor and an attempt to forcefully ruin Warrior Promotions LLC."
It is currently unknown if the measures taken by the A.A.C. are legal as many other fighters have been discussing hiring an attorneys and challenging the A.A.C. on their suspension. Several individuals have suggested prominent attorneys from both the State of Alabama and the State of Florida to take the case.
What was once a local State issue is now turning into a major
Federal issue as promoters from all over the USA may be banding together to help
each other as the State tried to impose more sanctions on fighters and directly
affecting the livelihood of the promoters and their rights to make a living.
Safety is not the issue when promoters have offered up documentation proving
their shows follow the same administrative guidelines as other shows. This is a
very complicated issue and will take some time to resolve. This is not the last
time we will hear about this subject and we are positive they will be more to
report as in the coming weeks.
Stay tuned for more as it happens.
MORE
ALABAMA MMA NEWS...
Alabama Athletic Commission
Suspends MMA Solutions
License Pending Hearing
By: Rick
Piel http://uscombatsports.com
- February 15, 2013
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At the Feb.,13, Alabama Athletic Commission meeting it was brought up by the Executive Director, that MMA Solutions, one of the authorized sanctioning organizations for the Commission participated in an unsanctioned event inside state lines which directly violates the rules and guidelines of the commission rules.
Paul Domenech, President of MMA Solutions Global, was specifically named as being in a roll of authority at the recent Warrior Promotions – War IV event held on Sovereign Tribal land in Atmore, Alabama. Testimony was read from a document provided to the executive director stating MMA Solutions', Paul Domenech and his staff were the inspectors signing off on the hand wraps and were also in a position of authority at the show. The Commissions stance on this matter is that no sanctioning organization or any of its employees at any time can consult or work for any shows that are unlicensed or unsanctioned anywhere including outside the borders of Alabama. This was a new rule that was recently passed by the Alabama State Athletic Commission.
It should be noted that, Warrior Promotions President, Jim Jernigan, spoke up and instructed the Commission that Domenech was only there as the person that rented them the cage and had helped set it up and break it back it down. He was also contracted as a consultant regarding the proper procedures to ensure safety of the fighters was adhered to at all times. He was not there as the matchmaker or to sanction the event in any way. No other supporting documentation was provided other than a letter / email stating Domenech violated the States guidelines. No photo, video nor any person coming forward on the record in person to show that Domenech violated any rules and guidelines.
The commission voted unanimously to suspend the license of Domenech until he personally comes before the Commission to discuss the allegations against him. Domenech was not in attendance at the meeting due to a training injury and could not make the 3-4 hour drive from Florida to Montgomery, Ala. Domenech was scheduled to attend the meeting to discuss some other business he wanted to present on behalf of his company to help support and offer up additional training to help provide the state with more qualified trained officials. Domenech plans to appeal this decision at the next commission meeting scheduled for April 10 but in the mean time he is consulting a Montgomery attorney in order to protect his rights and the rights of his company. It should also be noted that this was his first offense and instead of sanctioning him with a fine or tabling the issue until he could come in person to discuss this matter they, the A.A.C opted to suspend his license which directly interferes with his rights of due process and his rights to sanction any upcoming events and also directly affects his ability to make a living elsewhere as this could have long lasting repercussions outside the State of Alabama borders.
Domenech plans to fight this suspension at the earliest opportunity
and also plans to personally attend the next commission meeting.
Stay tuned
for part two of this discussion.
MORE
ALABAMA MMA NEWS...
Alabama Athletic Commission
Host February Meeting To
Concerned Citizens
From
www.alabamamma.net
- February 17, 2013
State of Alabama Athletic Commission held their latest public meeting and in house were allot of concerned business owners and citizens. In attendance were all five Commissioners, Commission Attorney, Executive Director and his secretary along with three MMA promoters from Warrior Promotions, Strikehard Productions and PBA / AAMMA and several gym owners along with a Federal lobbyist representing the Poarch Band of Creek Indians and several other gym owners and some private citizens.
Several new rules changes took place including the raising of pay-out fees to referees from $150 to $250 per person / per event. This is also a direct cause and affect to promoters which now have to absorb this fee increase. It was also voted in that all MMA promotions are to have two referees from now one at all state sanctioned events. This too is another undue cost on promoters. They also elected to change the rule requiring two time keepers to one time keeper per show.
Another important rule change was the discussion over eliminating the shin guards for amateur athletes. Larry Downs Jr. from Pensacola Boxing Academy (PBA) and AAMMA, a sanction organization out of Florida was one of the first to raise his hands in support of keeping the pads in place. It should be noted that Downs and his company have never hosted an event in Alabama outside of the Tribal Land Shows. Strikehard Productions out of Tuscaloosa, Alabama was also a supporter of keeping the rule to make all amateur athletes wear shin pads. Since no other individual came forth to discuss this matter the Alabama Commission voted unanimously to keep the rule in place and take no further action. The Commission also instructed the Executive Director not to bring this before the Commission again.
It was also mentioned by the Executive Director that he has put the wheels in motion again to go after to add in the Boxing / MMA Law the addition of Professional Wrestling if they can get a new amendment passed this year in the legislature session. The Wresting Amendment Bill failed last year and was never voted on before the end of the Legislature session. Supporters of the bill like Commissioner Sears, hired a media lias to get him on radio and TV news trying to get support for this bill and ultimately it was never voted on by the powers that be. It is a well known fact that the Alabama Athletic Commission is self funded and based on the number of shows on the books right now (0) this will not fund the commission nor its Executive Director Office and once again the Commission is hurting financially. Alabama lost a ton of promoters last year including the one that started it all: AXC – American eXteme Combat due to the cost imposed on them by the States Commission and sanctioning organizations.
One of the last topics of discussion was between the Commission, the Porch Band of Creek Indian's Tribal Lobbyist and Warrior Promotions over the suspension of fighters in the Warrior Promotions War IV show last weekend. Commission was very clear they had no jurisdiction over tribal land or the promoter hosting shows on tribal land since they did not have a current Alabama Athletic Commission Promoters License, but they did feel it was within their rights to sanction fighters and suspend them for what they call safety issues. The State felt it's within their rights to suspend fighters even if they were not licensed under the States Athletic Commission or its sanctioning organizations and plans to turn them into mixedmartialarts.com the date they use for fighters.
Lobbyist for the Tribe gave the Tribe's position and stated he would take any suggestion and offer to the Tribe that the State of Alabama would like to compromise on, however one commissioner stated it was not within their rights to demand or ask anything of the Tribe. If they, the Tribe wanted to discuss things they must come before them at a public meeting.
Warrior
Promotions President, Jim Jernigan came before the commission and
offered up any documentation and video evidence the commission could have ever
asked for in support of helping the fighters. His position was and still is that
the Commission has over stepped their bounds going after amateur fighters and
suspending them for fighting on Tribal Land. At the end of the discussion
neither party could come to an arrangement not for lack of trying.
After this discussion the commission voted to adjourn until next meeting, leaving allot of questions still unanswered. The next Alabama Athletic Commission meeting date was set for April 10, 2013. It was announced that everyone is welcomed at the Commission Meeting and if anyone wanting to challenge a rule or discuss anything relating to the Commission must submit file a letter 10 days before the commission requesting to address the Commission and listing what they plan to discuss. There is no guarantee they will be allowed to talk but this is the requirement of the A.A.C. To this date we have yet to hear of anyone being denied to speak that followed these guidelines.
Stay tuned for our next segment on Alabama Athletic Commission when the Commission meets next month on April 10th. Commission was very open about inviting individuals to come to the commission meeting held in Montgomery, Alabama. One major complaint by citizens is that the Commission does not post their meeting agenda's as is the case in most Commission meeting and more people could have attended to discuss the Shin Pad Rule before the Commission voted to keep the current rule. Although the Commission did post the agenda this past week, they went off script and discusses issues i.e.: Shin Pad Rule and people never knew about it as many stated on FB that they would have come if the Commission would have made a public notice.
Until next time...
MORE
ALABAMA MMA NEWS...
Attorney General Of Alabama
Files Lawsuit To Shut
Down
Poarch Band Of Creek Indians Casino On Tribal Lands
From www.alabamamma.net - February 20, 2013
Attorney General of Alabama: Luther Strange's Office in Montgomery, Alabama filed papers in State Court in Elmore County this morning against the Poarch Band of Creek Indians. They currently operate casinos in Atmore, Montgomery and Wetumpka, Alabama. The AG's Office is sitting that the casinos are a nuisance to the surrounding areas and their electronic bingo machines are against Alabama State Law. Not long ago the Ag's Office filed charges in Federal Court and lost and now these new charges were filed in hopes to shut down all three casinos. This would directly affect all casinos in Alabama including Victory Land which has nothing to do with Tribal Lands.
"Unlawful
gambling is a statewide problem, and I have worked with local authorities to
enforce Alabama law consistently and fairly throughout the state," Strange
said in a prepared statement.
Strange said he was left with "no choice but to file this
lawsuit" because of the inaction of the National Indian Gaming
Commission. Strange said he sent two letters to the commission, which
regulates gaming on Native American land, asking that they shut down Poarch Band
operations. "As I said have said many times, my office will use every
tool at its disposal to stop illegal gambling in Alabama wherever it is located.
This lawsuit against the Poarch Band is one of those tools," Strange
said. Representatives from the Poarch Band of Creek Indians replied late today
saying: Strange had no authority over Indian land. "While we
respect Mr. Strange's attempts to fulfill his duties as State Attorney General,
he is not a federal official and therefore, has no jurisdiction or enforcement
authority over tribal land or tribal gaming operations," a statement
issued by a Poarch spokeswoman read. "While Mr. Strange may target
Victory Land and any other gaming facility in the State, this lawsuit against
Poarch filed in Circuit Court is yet another example of Mr. Strange refusing to
recognize the sovereignty of the Poarch Band of Creek Indians"
The filing comes on the heels of the Alabama Athletic Commission recent suspension of fighters participating in mixed martial arts events on tribal lands. Rumors are already out that many fighters and their families will file suit against the commission for illegally suspending fighters and also one of their own sanctioning bodies over amateur shows. So, all the recent suspensions imposed on fighters and also the sanctioning organization may in fact be illegal and have the possibility of being over turned. Both the Promoter for the latest event along with the sanctioning body have reached out for legal counsel in Montgomery, Alabama and it is undetermined at this time if they will file suits against the State Commission.
According to legal councilors we spoke too, the Alabama Athletic Commission never had jurisdiction over the Federal tribal land and the recent fighter suspension will be over turned in time. At the February Commission meeting one commissioner said he did not know if they had jurisdiction or not, but they were going to suspend fighters anyway. The loss of the Federal Lawsuit by the State of Alabama's AG's office against the Poarch Band of Creek Indians should serve as evidence for anyone filing suits against the AAC that a state authority of any kind has no jurisdiction on anything or anyone participating in any event within the boundaries of Tribal Lands. This loss in Federal Courts should go a long ways in determining whether or not the State of Alabama Athletic Commission or any other State Commission has jurisdiction over Federal Tribal Land but for the mean time, it is business as usual. At the moment the state cannot interfere with anything on Tribal land until a judge makes a determination in the above case so these suspensions appear to be illegal and should be rescinded. In the meantime, this will not stop others from filing charges against the States Commission for over stepping their bounds and interfering with fighters ability to fight in other shows or the how this has affected or could affect the promoters right to make a living. This could also have longer lasting effects on the sanction body and its reputation. There is no telling where this will lead and what the State Commission could be facing in legal fees.
Please stay tuned for part two of this ever breaking news story on Alabama and it issues with gambling and also how this will affect mixed martial arts going forward.
THURSDAY,
February 14th, 2013, AT 5:45 PM/ PST
UFC
160 UPDATE
STEPHEN 'WONDERBOY'
THOMPSON
&
AMIR SADOLLAH
SET FOR WELTERWEIGHT CLASH
Sherdog.com
Welterweight standup specialist Stephen Thompson (Right) will return to the cage in May, when "Wonderboy" will square off with Amir Sadollah at UFC 160.
UFC officials announced the booking Wednesday, one day after revealing that heavyweight champ Cain Velasquez will defend his title against Antonio Silva in the UFC 160 main event. The May 25 show airs live on pay-per-view from MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas and will also see former champion Junior dos Santos lock horns with Alistair Overeem.
Thompson, 30, was dealt his first defeat as a mixed martial artist in his last outing, falling by unanimous decision to veteran Matt "The Immortal" Brown (ISCF Pro Welterweight Eastern Regional Champion) last April. The decorated kickboxer was slated to return to the Octagon in November before a knee injury forced him to withdraw from his UFC 154 booking against Besam Yousef. Thompson made his UFC debut roughly one year ago at UFC 143, knocking out an overmatched Daniel Stittgen with a first-round head kick.
The winner of "The Ultimate Fighter" Season 7, Sadollah, 32, has competed exclusively in the Octagon during his four-year career, posting six wins against four defeats. Sadollah fought twice last year, opening 2012 with a split decision victory over Jorge Lopez before falling on points to former title challenger Dan Hardy at September's UFC on Fuel TV 5.
TUESNDAY,
February 12th, 2013, AT 11:55 AM/ PST
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Results From BlacKOut Fighting Championships'
"BFC - 5"
February 8th, 2013 - Trenton, Missouri, USA
MORE NEWS FOR
2-12-2013...
POSTED AT 10:10 AM/ PST
Wrestling Dropped
From 2020 Games
Associated Press
LAUSANNE,
Switzerland: IOC leaders dropped wrestling from the Olympic program
on Tuesday, a surprise decision that removes one of the oldest Olympic sports
from the 2020 Games.
The IOC executive board decided to retain modern pentathlon -- the event considered most at risk -- and remove wrestling instead from its list of 25 "core sports." The IOC board acted after reviewing the 26 sports on the current Olympic program. Eliminating one sport allows the International Olympic Committee to add a new sport to the program later this year. Wrestling, which combines freestyle and Greco-Roman events, goes back to the inaugural modern Olympics in Athens in 1896.
"This is a process of renewing and renovating the program for the Olympics," IOC spokesman Mark Adams said. "In the view of the executive board, this was the best program for the Olympic Games in 2020. It's not a case of what's wrong with wrestling, it is what's right with the 25 core sports."
Adams said the decision was made by secret ballot over several rounds, with members voting each time on which sport should not be included in the core group. IOC President Jacques Rogge did not vote. Wrestling was voted out from a final group that also included modern pentathlon, taekwondo and field hockey, officials familiar with the vote told The Associated Press. They spoke on condition of anonymity because the voting details were not made public. The board voted after reviewing a report by the IOC program commission report that analyzed 39 criteria, including television ratings, ticket sales, anti-doping policy and global participation and popularity. With no official rankings or recommendations contained in the report, the final decision by the 15-member board was also subject to political, emotional and sentimental factors.
Atlanta Falcons wide receiver Roddy White tweeted his displeasure with the IOC's plans: "IOC come on seriously wrestling is a sport that almost every country does and you drop it I'm pissed #saveolympicwrestling".
The governing body of wrestling, known by its French initials FILA, called the IOC's move an "aberration" and said it was "greatly astonished" by the decision.
FILA says it will take "all necessary measures"
to convince IOC members to maintain wrestling's Olympic status when they meet in
Buenos Aires, Argentina, in September. Still, FILA President Raphael
Martinetti
faces criticism when his
ruling board meets this weekend in Thailand. Russian federation leader Mikhail
Mamiashvili said FILA is the problem, and Martinetti's tasks
include defending "wrestling's place before the IOC."
German official Jannis Zamanduridis said "a piece of the Olympic idea is dying with this decision." Wrestling featured 344 athletes competing in 11 medal events in freestyle and seven in Greco-Roman at last year's London Olympics. Women's wrestling was added to the Olympics at the 2004 Athens Games. Wrestling will now join seven other sports in applying for inclusion in 2020. The others are a combined bid from baseball and softball, plus karate, squash, roller sports, sport climbing, wakeboarding and wushu. They will be vying for a single opening in 2020.
The IOC executive board will meet in May in St. Petersburg, Russia, to decide which sport or sports to propose for 2020 inclusion. The final vote will be made at the IOC session, or general assembly, in September in Buenos Aires, Argentina. It is extremely unlikely that wrestling would be voted back in so soon after being removed by the executive board. "Today's decision is not final," Adams said. "The session is sovereign, and the session will make the final decision."
The last sports removed from the Olympics were baseball and softball, voted out by the IOC in 2005 and off the program since the 2008 Beijing Games. Golf and rugby will be joining the program at the 2016 Games in Rio de Janeiro. Previously considered under the closest scrutiny was modern pentathlon, which has been on the Olympic program since the 1912 Stockholm Games. It was created by French baron Pierre de Coubertin, the founder of the modern Olympic movement, and combines fencing, horse riding, swimming, running and shooting. Klaus Schormann, president of governing body UIPM, lobbied hard to protect his sport's Olympic status and it paid off in the end. "We have promised things, and we have delivered," he said after Tuesday's decision. "That gives me a great feeling. It also gives me new energy to develop our sport further and never give up."
Modern pentathlon also benefited from the work of Juan Antonio Samaranch Jr., the son of the former IOC president who is a UIPM vice president and a member of the IOC board. "We were considered weak in some of the scores in the program commission report but strong in others," Samaranch told the AP. "We played our cards to the best of our ability and stressed the positives. Tradition is one of our strongest assets, but we are also a multisport discipline that produces very complete people."
MONDAY,
February 11th, 2013, AT 2:00 PM/ PST
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Results From Rick Collup's
"Ultimate Reno Combat 39"
February 9th, 2013 - Reno, Nevada, USA
FRIDAY,
February 8th, 2013, AT 1:00 PM/ PST
THIS WEEKENDS
ISCF ACTION...
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BlacKOut Fighting Championships Present
"BFC - 5"
Trenton, Missouri, USA
MORE
ISCF ACTION THIS WEEKEND...
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Rick Collup Presents
"Ultimate Reno Combat 39"
Reno, Nevada, USA
TUESDAY,
February 5th, 2013, AT 8:40 AM/ PST
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Results From Valdosta Martial Arts Center's
"Winter Heat"
January 26th, 2013 - Valdosta, Georgia, USA
MORE
ISCF RESULTS...
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Results From Tiger Heart Promotions'
PANTHEON 1 "TEMPLE OF THE GODS"
January 26th, 2013 - Hastings, England
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