Highlights Reel

I have put together a highlights reel of what I shot with my video cam during the night, with shots from around the grounds, fighters warming up, card girls, and of course some action from some of the fights.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Over the course of the night, I shot 321 pics during the event and recorded fights for Moghaddam vs Downey (mt), McCurdy vs Bergen (kb), Ladki vs Aquino (kb), and Sharma vs Valiquett (mma).

Chase Ingalls

Other fights on the card worth noting was an appearance by Chase Ingalls against Robert Durkenson. Chase Ingalls is looking more and more like a fighter with a promising future after his unanimous win in the ring at Slugfest IV.

Chase Ingalls vs Robert Duerkenson

Sanjeev Sharma vs Andrew Valiquett

Sanjeev Sharma and Andrew Valiquett got together for a 3 round MMA battle. Round 1 went to the ground and Valiquett controlled from the top position. The fighters stayed on their feet during the next two rounds while they clinched, kneed, and boxed each other in a battle of attrition. The split decision went to Sharma.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Derek Mrak vs Nigel Yarjau

The MMA battle between 190 pounders Derek Mrak of Canada’s Best Karate and Nigel Yarjau of Pure Self Defence was in many ways the most impressive fight of the night. Yarjau is a fit and experienced fighter. Mrak didn’t look like your typical fighter, with longish hair and handlebar moustache, a guy you wouldn’t tussle with nevertheless. Mrak took a real beating from Yarjau, complete with lumps, blood, eye pokes, and the most brutal and hideous armbar I have ever seen. Mrak did everything he could to give payback, including dumping Yarjau out through the ropes and on to the judges table at one point. Fight fans watched in horror as Yarjau cranked Mrak’s arm from 3:00 to 9:00. Mrak didn’t tap. I kept snapping photos. People were screaming. The medic beside me said he thought he heard his shoulder pop. Most sane, and insane people would have tapped. Mrak is a stalky tough guy, and managed to slip out of it eventually and almost get full side control. His corner was calling for hammer fist but he didn’t have much of a left arm left. From a technical point of view, Mrak didn’t look, or move like a typical fighter, it didn’t appear he was able to listen to his corner as much as other fighters, and he missed opportunities that could have changed the tally. But such is ring fighting. At the end, Yarjau won unanimously, but the fans were on their feet cheering and applauding Derek Mrak for his exceptional grit and guts he showed against a superior opponent. Osu!

Moghaddam vs Downey

The co-main event of the evening was a rematch and at the same time an ‘ante upping’ between Kiarash ‘The Beast’ Moghaddam and Mike ‘knock ‘em Down’ Downey. These two cruiserweights battled it out in April for the Amateur Western Canadian Muay Thai title. It was a hard fought, intense battle that called for an additional round to determine the winner. The belt was given to Moghaddam. At Slugfest IV they got back together for the open IKF Canadian title in this division. The fight was again a closely called match, but Downey got the upper hand eventually with knockdowns, despite consistent and aggressive volleys from Moghaddam. Fight judging is not a perfect thing, and fighters know they must not leave it up to the judges. Fight fans can expect these two exciting fighters to step back in the ring when Downey has to defend his title.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Links:

Summer Slugfest IV Results

Youtube Videos

Flickr.com Photos

After a number of drills, Royce Gracie started asking for questions from the group about what we wanted help with. We needed escapes from side control, mount, from locks and other situations. Gracie demonstrated the moves with a student a couple times, and sent us on our way to practice some more. Then students with more than a years experience were then paired up to roll, and then stripes and belt promotions were handed out.

We ended our session with a few more group photos and autographs. I got Mr. Gracie signed my white belt.

Royce Gracie goes around the world now, giving seminars for Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. As a Gracie, he still works to promote the art that bears his family name, Gracie Jiu-Jitsu. The masters of the art are also there to ensure homogeneity in grading, and to bring the community together.

Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu is still young and that makes it a good time to practise it. Its a great benefit as a new student to benefit from a seminar conducted by a master of the art. When the master is in the room, you listen closely and try hard. You need not be very experienced in bjj to come to a seminar hosted by one of the masters. You can attend even without having achieved any particular level in the sport. Of course, it would be better to have had some class experience in bjj or something similar. Be prepared with Gi and grappling clothes, mouthguard, and kneepads, and a good attitude. After only having two months of classes prior to the seminar, I can say it has changed the way I think about how I work on the mat. I know after my first roll back at the dojo, I am being a bigger nuisance to my competitor than ever before.

Link to photo set on Flickr.com: http://www.flickr.com/photos/superwebdeveloper/sets/72157624676621669/

Summer Slugfest IV Victoria

August 21 – Velox Rugby Club

Results from : http://www.peterecskickboxing.com/events/

Royce is also an instructor with a great spirit and gives personal attention and instruction to all his students.

On the first day we worked on the principles of Gracie Jiu-Jitsu self defence. We started with escape from a front neck choke to throw. That was our warm up.

Then Gracie got us working over the next 3 hours building up a sequence of moves that would go from standing to ground submission of the opponent.
the moves started with a kick block and pass guard to bear hug or from the clinch, taking the opponent to the ground, or by leg hook; from then we went through the options of arm bars, choking the opponent out by wrapping his arm around his neck, and assuming that the opponent resist and blocks, we move to behind and eventually finish with an arm bar.

We worked on the pieces of the puzzle and then at the end, Gracie tells us to put it all together…. and it came together like a dance! We finally got to see what we were learning in the day.

Looking forward to day two. We will be putting on our Gis and doing more with the master. Definitely looking forward to day 2.

Link to full set of photos from this day: http://www.flickr.com/photos/superwebdeveloper/sets/72157624771738374/

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Starnes has been active this year, already having had 3 MMA fights – two in Victoria (wins), and one in Hawaii (loss). A sub grap contest is a good a place as any for him to start with getting back some local fan base. His exit from the UFC cage is pretty much historic now and little more need to be said. I bet he knows he paid a heavy price for his exit.

Win a pair of first row, cage side seats, for our upcoming event. There will be daily ticket giveaways! -  Follow Battlefield on Twitter @BattlefiledFL – http://twitter.com/battlefieldfl

Article on CBC.ca: http://www.cbc.ca/sports/story/2010/08/14/sp-mma-ontario.html?ref=rss

This shot looks like its from some recent training in Thailand, judging by the Thai sign in the background. Mike Downey is definitely a serious fighter to deal with. Downey and Moghaddam got in the ring earlier this year in Vancouver for the Western Canadian Amateur Muay Thai Title for their weight division. These two well matched fighters went the full distance only for the judges to say the result was too close to call. The fighters then had to put the gloves back on and go an extra round for the judges to render a decision.

Now these two fighters are raising the stakes even higher going for the open Canadian title. Downey will also be out to prove in front of his home town crowd that Western Canadian title should have also gone his way.

I asked Mike to let me know what his strategy is going into the ring at slugfest. Mike replied, “You are going to have to ask Kiarash how I beat him after the fight… if he can remember when he awakes! “

We are all looking forward to a great night of fights at Summer Slugfest in Victoria on August 21!

Click here to view the embedded video.

Battlefield at the River Rock

Battlefield Fight League will host the biggest MMA event ever held in Richmond B.C. on Saturday August 21st, 2010. Two of Canada’s most explosive and exciting fighters Gary Mangat and Chris Day will clash in the mainevent. Flashy and exciting Capoeira expert Marco “Pezao” Cafiero, top prospect Matt Dwyer, Excite Fights #1 ranked middleweight Levi Alford, fan favourite Sean Zubor and Universal MMA’s Ash Mashreghi are just some of the exciting fighters on this card.
Tickets will go on sale on Monday July 19th at 10 AM. Tickets for this event are $39, $49, $59, $79, $139 including tax, not including any additional ticketmaster fees. Please visit call 604-2804400 or visit www.ticketmaster.ca to purchase tickets.
Become a Battlefield Fight Club member to become eligible to receive 50% off tickets to this event.

MAIN EVENT:

140 pounds
Gary Mangat (Revolution fight team Langley) vs. Chris Day (Team havok Kelowna)

CO-MAIN EVENT:
Welterweight

Jacen Brooks (west coast bjj poco)  vs. Matt Dwyer (Team Havok kelown)

MAIN CARD:

Heavy WeightAdam Santos (Morganti Jiu-Jitsu Richmond) vs. Tristan King (Revolution fight team langley)
welterweight
Nick Austin (team Denarius North Vancouver) vs. Sean Zubor (Raptor MMA/Carlson Gracie team Canada Maple ridge)
Welterweight
Marco Caffiero(Axe Capoiera Victoria) vs. Sonny Sahota (Wuji Systems Vancouver)
190 pounds
Justin Lansing (Carlson Gracie team Canada)vs. Stefan Malyk (Urban MMA Surrey)
175 pounds
Nick Marinos (team denarius North Vancouver) vs. Clay Ayres (Wuji Systems Vancouver)
Welterweight

Ash Mashreghi (universal mma Vancouver) vs. TBA
Middleweight
Randy Tetslaf (Revolution fight team langley) vs. Levi Alford (sik-jitsu spokanne Washington)

UNDERCARD:
Lightweight
Alford Leslie (team Denarius North Vancouver) vs. Tony peak (independant)
lightweight
Garreth Halpin (Gibson MMA port moody) vs. Ryan Ince (west coast bjj poco)
Heavy weight
Neil Menard (team Denarius North Vancouver) vs. BEAUCHAMP (independant)
Bantam Weight Ladies
Olesha Karrington (team Gerry Gionco Burnaby) vs. Colleen Ayres (wuji Systems)
Lightweight
Kirk Tse (universal mma vancouver) vs. Dean Northup (urban mma surrey)

Chase Inglalls vs Karim Pahalloo at the Pinnacle Hotel

Last week the reports came out that the City Council of North Vancouver voted to disband the North Vancouver Athletic commission after a year-long trial. Reports have already been published in blogs elsewhere, that North Vancouver City has disbanded the City’s Athletic Commission. Seems that fans of MMA and Martial Arts everywhere still have a lot of work to do off the mat to gain acceptance by both the public and politicos. Counsellor Pam Bookham has expressed her horror after channel surfing and landing upon UFC, calling it ‘… repugnant… barbaric’. Its a pity she feels that way. Brookham has probably never met and talked to a fighter, or a sensei from any of the martial arts gyms in North Van, in whom parents entrust their children to act as good role models, or for that matter ever attended the Tiger Balm Internationals to see the great depth and diversity there is for martial arts in her community…. the one she was elected to represent.

It is likely that the City’s inability to host a pro fight event was little more than filibustering against something they didn’t ‘get’, and didn’t really want to have in their city in the first place.

The existence of the Athletic Commission was made to sanction professional fights in the City, be it for Boxing, Kickboxing, Muay Thai, or MMA. The year long existence of the commission was indeed stillborn, having never sanctioned a single pro fight during its short life. Apparently, the City was too preoccupied with the work of sorting out old rules and creating new ones. It is likely that the City’s inability to host a pro fight event was little more than filibustering against something they didn’t ‘get’, and didn’t really want to have in their city in the first place.

The fracas at the end of the night at the Pinnacle probably had very little to do with the decision to kill the commission. In fact such events, being total amateur cards, will be able to continue since there are no pro fights on the card. And as I suggested in my review of the Pinnacle night, with greater support for the work of referees and administration (with something like an athletic commission), such situations will be mitigated so much more easily in the future.

Actually, its pretty repugnant when a politician makes no effort to understand her community and her world beyond what she sees channel surfing. So it will likely only make it a little bit longer, a little bit more effort working together to teach the general public and government officials that we really want MMA and martial arts fighting in our city and province. Pam Brookham is also completely naive when she says that the fighting is ‘barbaric’. Barbaric is something ring and tournament fights can never be, because between fighters there is no real malice, unlike conflict elsewhere in greater society. No Pam, fighters love what they do. For heaven’s sake, most fighters stay in touch over Facebook, pretty much like anyone else, and martial arts programs makes people fit, strong, and responsible.

Links to articles:

CagePotato.com: City of North Vancouver Disbands Athletic Commission, Effectively Blocking MMA Sanctioning by the City.

North Shore News: City of North Vancouver KO’s athletic commission.