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.

Summer Slugfest IV Victoria

August 21 – Velox Rugby Club
3957 Gordon Head Rd, V8N3X2
Victoria, BC, Canada.
Google Maps Link

Facebook Event Page

Please note, last year, the event was held at Western Speedway, this year, the Velox Rugby Club, near University of Victoria.

Tickets Available at:

Club Phoenix - 2122A Government Street (250) 920-0300
Sports Traders – 508 Discovery Street, (250) 383-6443
Canada’s Best Karate – 777 Goldstream Ave (250) 590-6019
Peterec’s Gym – 831 Fisgard St, (250) 389-6166

Fighters interested in participating on this card, please contact Stan Peterec at (250) 389-6166.

Wanna be a CARD GIRL? Slugfest is Hiring (Link).

Here is a video of highlights from last year:

Click here to view the embedded video.

I am adding this alternate poster to my fight blog from my former Sensei, Blake Lirette. He posted this message recently on his FaceBook page. This should be a great matchup.  I know Blake as a great martial arts instructor and a super hard and tough guy to spar with. He is an incredible fighter to watch. Osu!

Check it out fight fans: I’m fighting in a Muay Thai match this Saturday in the Abbotsford sports arena. I will be fighting a guy from Sanfrancisco who has some recent titles…so should be a good one; however I can’t promise that I won’t knock him into outter space! Tix are $50 for …reserve seating and I still have one VIP table next to the ring available -$750 for table of 10. Proceeds go to help Joshua Ismirioglu a young boy with Cancer. You can get the tickets at Tactix gym downtown 1449 Hornby st. Vancouver. 604-719-7745 -c u der!

Join Blake ‘The Blade’ Lirette’s Fan Page on Facebook http://www.facebook.com/blakethebladelirette.
OR text ‘Like Blake The Blade Lirette” 32665.

Battlefield at the River Rock

Click here to view the embedded video.

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 Weight
Adam 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 spokan 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)

Cam Delorme of RDC Jiu Jitsu Kelowna went against Cole Tilbury of Independent in Richmond for an MMA featherweight fight. Delorme won by rear naked choke and tapout at 1:22 of the 1^st round. Delorme dominated, had Tilbury early with a body slam. To his credit, Tilbury put up a good resistance but was in the weaker position. Delorme got the choke in tight after a couple tries and got the tap.

The second fight was a middleweight Muay Thai fight in the MMA cage, with Bronson Petterson of Comox Valley Boxing Club against Shawn Hunt of Team Havok in Kelowna. Petterson was hot from beginning to end and showed as a hard hitting, accurate fighter. Shawn Hunt did not recover from second knock down at the end of round 2 and was beaten by Petersen’s accurate, hard strikes. Talking with Bronson after the fight, he told me he was mostly a wrestler and took the fight only a couple of days prior to the fight.

Tricky Nick Marinos from Team Denarius of North Van won his fight against James Lepage of Tong Moo Doo in Richmond with an imperfect but harsh arm crank at about 1:30 of the 1st round. Marinos was first to shoot, kept control of Lepage despite slipping in and out of guard and half guard, kept passing and pushed back until the pass stuck.

Lindsay Ball of Peteric’s in Victoria ran the pace of the first round against Heidi Otterbein of Revolution in Port Moody in their featherweight Muay Thai fight, getting an initial knockdown by leg trap. Otterbein must have listened to something her coach said to her in the corner after round 1, because she came out aggressive and focused and was a far better opponent in round 2. Otterbein went on to get two leg trap knockdowns, laid in knees, and faced down Lindsay Ball through the round. Otterbein got two more knockdowns in round three and clinched the judges decision in her favor.

Jason Keller of Karma Fight Team in Surrey got the upper position after the standup clinch struggle in the first round of the welterweight MMA match against Chad Gerow. Gerow defended well from guard. Round 2 was looser and a stand up striking game until Keller could clinch and use knees, Keller again clinched and took Gerow down but Gerow defended even better against Keller than he did in the first round. Despite being on top, Keller looked gassed. The referee would eventually stand them up to keep the action going. The second round ended with Gerow in guard as it did in the first. In the third round, Chad Gerow dealt with Keller’s takedowns, slipping out of an arm triangle attempt, and managed to reverse his ground position and pounded him out with a mount triangle until referee stoppage. A considerable win since Jason Keller had dominated the first two rounds decisively.

For the main event of the evening, Cheryl Chan of Mendoza Martial Arts in Surrey looked like serious competition for Sarah Mcleod of Team Denarius. Chan displayed wicked spinning back kicks and hook kicks in standup game and used that to her advantage in the fight. Sarah Mcleod managed to reverse Chan’s takedown attempt to be on top at the end of the first. After more boxing and kicking in round 2, Chan delivered a side kick in that put Sarah down for a moment and forced another ground match. More standup action and kicks by Chan in the third was followed by ground fighting and defending from guard by Chan who took a beating and after several valiant attempts fought her way back up from the ground the hard way. The match was called by the referee when Cheryl Chan was able to reverse the struggle on the ground to her favor and then held Marshall in a fully extended arm bar from which she didnt want to tap. Frustrated with the loss, team Denarius did not stay in the cage for the final decision.

Update on Lance's Belly Scar

Cheryl Chan of Mendoza Martial Arts

Full photo set on Flickr.com: http://www.flickr.com/photos/superwebdeveloper/sets/72157624337464419/