On the evening of September 15, 2012, the new Vancouver Convention Center played home to Battlefield Fight League 18. The fight card showcased some of BC’s best in amateur mixed martial artists.
The main event of the evening had Stu Deleurme put his welterweight title on the line against challenger David Kennedy of West Coast BJJ. In round one, Delurme began to execute his typical game-plan; utilizing his strong wrestling skills to take Kennedy to the ground and show dominance from the top position. It looked that Deleurme was on his way to winning the round until Kennedy sunk in a deep armbar from the bottom as Delurme attempted to improve his position. Kennedy is now the new Battlefield Amateur Welterweight Champion, and a new Brazillian Jiu-Jitsu Purple belt as awarded by his coach, Don Whitfield, in the cage, after the fight.
The co-main event featured a welterweight tilt between “Tricky” Nick Marinos and Kyle Warman. Warman was able to finish the fight definitively with a first round Americana (Shoulder Lock).
A pair of spectacular submissions highlighted the budding talent in BC’s MMA scene.
Rico Brinson of Team Mamba MMA secured a text book Anaconda choke that would have made Minotauro Nogueria proud. He tapped out his opponent Eli Wyse in the first round.
Leo Xavier of Universal MMA had the most spectacular technique of the night, as he turned an axe kick attempt into a flying triangle, finishing Andrew Valliquette in only 31 seconds.
Other notables:
Two strong candidates for the vacant BFL Bantamweight title have emerged. Both Kirk Tse of Universal MMA and Oliver Vajda of the Carlson Gracie Fight Team put on impressive wins and showed they are well deserving of a shot.
Achilles Estremadura, of Axe Caporeia, continues to leave no man standing in his way. He extends his string of spectacular KOs by relieving Brett Lucero of consciousness with a heavy overhand right 37 seconds into Round 3.
Believe the hype behind Kiarash Moghaddam. He showed a strong set of striking skills and great composure in stopping a strong opponent in Marquis Bryant by TKO at 1:09 of Round 2.
George Shomali of Titan MMA, viciously double legged, and ground and pounded his way to victory against Perry Hayer. This extends Shomali’s record to 2-0.
At Battlefield Fight League 18, both Kirk Tse and Oliver Vajda prevailed in their respective bouts. It now sounds like the men behind the scenes at BFL are working on putting a fight between the two together.
Kirk Tse (5-0) kicked off the main card against Riley Shanon. It didn’t take the Universal MMA prospect long to take out Shanon. Tse ended up finishing the fight with some devastating ground and pound at 2:56 of the very first round.
MMASucka.com caught up with Tse to hear his thoughts on taking on Vajda.
“I actually thought he would be a good match up for me in that division (135lbs). He looked like he out classed Pirotta (at BFL 18). He was very technical with his stand up. If I was going to fight for the belt, that would be the guy I wanted to fight. I know he holds belts in other organizations and he would be a good challenge for me.”
Kirk also spoke about his performance last night against Shanon.
“I was happy that i had my first TKO win. Thought I would showcase some stand up but he came at me very aggressively.”
Oliver Vajda (8-0) is perfect in his amateur MMA career, which includes capturing the West Coast Promotions championship, as well as the Quest for Glory championship. At BFL 18, Vajda took on a very game Joe Pirotta. Many fans in the crowd expected the undefeated fighter to make quick work of Pirotta, however he didn’t. The fight went to the judges scorecards and Vajda took it unanimously.
Vajda spoke with MMASucka.com about what fighting Tse would be like.
“He’s a tough opponent. It would definitely be a fight you wouldn’t want to miss. Kirk is a well rounded figher, but i feel like there are holes in his Jiu-Jitsu game that I can definitely exploit.”
Battlefield Fight League made mention that the fight is not guaranteed yet, but they said, “gotta see if we can make it happen.” Keep it locked to MMASucka.com to see if this fight actually gets booked.
BFL 20 is expected to take place on November 24th in Vancouver, Canada at an un-named location.
This is the trailer for Micah Brakefield’s Upper Echelon video entitled “Pro Debut” as he prepares to face Stephan Fritsche at Battlefield Fight League 19 November 9th in Penticton. Video shot and edited by Darcy McBride of Echelon Fighter Management. Follow at : @MicahBrakefield @EchelonFM @BattlefieldFL
Trailer for Ryan Chiappe’s Upper Echelon video entitled “A Golden Opportunity” as he prepares to face Matt Dwyer at Battlefield Fight League 19 November 9th in Penticton for the BFL World Welterweight Title. Video shot and edited by Darcy McBride of Echelon Fighter Management. Follow at : @MicahBrakefield @EchelonFM @BattlefieldFL
It’s funny, I’ve known about this fight for a while now, but last week in Victoria it became real. I was sitting out on a sun deck with my brother and a few friends, when somebody asked how preparation for the fight was coming. I answered with the usual, “it’s going good.” But all of the sudden my mouth was watering and I could hear Don Andrews announcing my name. My legs began to shake and then they were firing as if i was in the cage fighting. The whole fight played through my head from start to finish; i could hear the crowd and feel the cage floor on my feet.
It’s only 23 days till the fight now; training is going great, and I am finally starting to feel like a fighter. Training with Kalib [Starnes] is really taking me to the next level. Sure there have been days where i feel like I’m getting worse and that I am never going to figure it out, but those are the days you need in order to test yourself and see if you have what it takes. I believe in my abilities, I believe that I can get in the cage with someone who is better prepared than me and still win. In fact I proven that 6 times in my amateur career. But, getting into a cage unprepared is a very stressful situation. This fight I know that I have put in the work I need to. Every day I am training hard, eating right, and resting enough.
Even with the new healthy lifestyle, I woke up today with a cold, and for some reason that made me even more confident. It seems that when I get sick 3 weeks before a fight it gets me in the zone. It will make me pay even more attention to what i put in my body and make sure that i get enough rest.
That’s it for now. I will have a new blog on fight week, it will be my final installment of my “Road to the Pros” and it will hopefully include a blurb about Marcus “Lelo” Aurelio’s win in his Bellator debut on November 2nd, how my weight cut is going, and my final thoughts going into my first professional fight of my career.
I started writing this series on may 23rd 2011. In the last 18 months, I have spent countless hours learning what it takes to become a professional fighter. I started off a wrestler, with zero knowledge of jiu-jitsu or striking, but I believed I I had what it took mentally to get into a cage, in front of a roaring crowd and do what it takes to win.
In Battlefield, amateur fighters enjoy some luxuries no other amateur fighter in the world get to enjoy. On many occasions, people would stop me on the street and ask if I fought on TV. They would tell me how they believed I had what it took to make it in MMA. Battlefield Fight League does a great job of getting the fans of our sport to know who we are as fighters, and as people. With this pseudo-fame in the small world of local MMA, it brought real pressure. Each fight more people knew who I was and expected bigger and better things from me with each outing.
For some people I’m sure this sort of thing would have gone to their head, but for me it did the opposite. It made me work harder because I didn’t want to fall from the pedestal I had build up inside my head. Tearing my MCL in training gave me an unexpected break and made me really look at what I was doing. I knew it was. My whole life was geared towards this.
I come from a very athletic family. Like many kids, my older brother picked on me. Unfortunately, my older brother was a national champion wrestler. Having him torment me as a child turned out to give me what my friend Clay would call a “psychological edge” on anyone who I enter the cage against. I know I can take a beating, and mentally I can not and will not be broken. If I am in the cage, no matter who against or how the fight is going, I will always be looking for a way to win. That’s the beauty of mixed martial arts, there are a million ways to finish a fight.
My next fight is sure to be my hardest. My opponent, Stephan Fritsche is 5-2-1 as a pro and I’m sure my amateur experience won’t scare him one bit. He has won fights by knockout and submission, and has had a long time to prepare for me. Now we just wait and see. As Tom Petty says: “waiting is the hardest part”. I feel like a kid in line at Disney Land for the first time going on the ride Space Mountain. The anticipation is building and I’m getting antsy. Soon enough my time will come and they will lock the cage door and the ride will start. Who knows which way it will turn first.
I’m nervous, and not many things make me nervous. This is why I do this sport. Anything can happen.
This Saturday night Battlefield Fight League will invade downtown Vancouver for a night of fantastic amateur MMA.
BFL 20 goes down live from the heart of the city at the beautiful Vogue Theatre.
This has got to be the most stacked fight card in Battlefield history. There are three title fights on the line at BFL 20.
The main event will be for the welterweight championship, as current champ David Kennedy takes on former champ Leo Xavier.
In the co-main event Rico Brinson will fight for the second time inside the BFL cage against Levon Kinley for the vacant lightweight title.
The final title up for grabs is the vacant featherweight strap, as Tak Sasaki takes on Andre Da Silva.
If you can’t make it to the event in downtown Vancouver, then Battlefield Fight League has got you covered. Head over to battlefieldfl.com/live to watch it from the comfort of your own home for only $7.00 CAD
Check out the full fight card below.
Fight Card:
David Kennedy (5-0 BFL) vs. Leo Xavier (7-1 3-1 BFL) For Kennedy’s title
Rico Brinson (4-0 1-0 BFL) vs. Levon Kinley (2-0 BFL) For BFL amateur Lightweight title
Andre Silva (2-2 BFL) vs. Tak Sassaki (6-4 2-2 BFL) For BFL amateur Featherweight title
Jer Kornelsen (3-3 BFL) vs. Jared Revel (2-0 0-0 BFL) 190 catchweight
Kirk Tse (5-0 BFL) vs. Jamie Siraj (5-2 0-0 BFL) Bantamweight
Curtis Harriot (2-1 BFL) vs. TBA 180 catchweight
James Foster (1-1 BFL) vs. Kaiden Lorimer (0-0) 180 catchweight
Manvir Birk (2-0 0-0 BFL) vs. Morgan Littlechild (5-4 1-2 BFL) 140 catchweight
Terrance Chan (1-0 BFL) vs. Ryan Comber (0-1 BFL) flyweight
Elijah Goulding (0-0 BFL) vs. Joshua Lam (0-0 BFL) 130 catchweight
Mike De Chavez (0-1 BFL) vs. Matt Shannon (0-2 BFL) bantamweight
In follow up to my 24 Hours Vancouver piece this week, it appears the B.C. Athletic Commission is starting to take shape and will be open for business as of May 30, 2013. Mark Pavelich broke the news last week on MMASucka Radio that he is planning on coming to British Columbia twice this year.
There is some movement on my end. Nothing is confirmed yet but I have two prospects to make a deal. I’m just kind of calculating it very carefully. To be honest with you, I want to do fewer shows in Alberta. I love Alberta and this is where I live, but even for the remainder of the year I only want to do three shows here [Alberta] and two shows in BC. Next year I want to do three in Alberta, two in BC, and I want to do two in Ontario, which will get me back to seven shows a year and that is where I need to be.
Image may be NSFW. Clik here to view.There seems to be some growing optimism in B.C. regarding their newly formed commission. For months it was difficult to get any information on the process. Anytime MMASucka.com tried to reach out to the current Minister of Community, Sport and Cultural Development, Bill Bennett, in regards to an update on the newly formed Provincial Athletic Commission or Commissioner, we have been greeted with no response or the run-around treatment. That led to many, including myself, wondering if the entire idea had been put on the back burner.
Mark Pavelich had no problems letting people in B.C. know that the Commission takes shape at the end of this month. What it will be exactly and who will be in charge is another story.
It [Provincial Athletic Commission] is going to come in sooner than later and that is why I’m talking about it. Basically, we have been informed that we can apply for a license come May 30th, 31st or June 1st, somewhere around that time, so that is what we are going to do. We are going to move forward. I really think it is so imperative that we do that so that people can assess the level of MMA they are watching.
I have been told that the actual date for the new Provincial Commissioner to start his job of regulating is May 30th. Although the other details are foggy for the moment, Battlefield Fight League President Jay Golshani was able to inform Sucka about some of the other tidbits surrounding this new Commission.
Image may be NSFW. Clik here to view.If any promoter plans on doing a show after June 1st, they have to apply through this new Commissioner. I have been told it will take forty-five-days for an application to be reviewed and for them to do their due diligence like check criminal records and stuff. So if any promoter is saying they are coming to Vancouver with a pro show in June or July that is a lie. I don’t see anybody doing any professional shows in Vancouver or other parts of B.C. until late August, early September. I also know that promoters will have to drop down a $25,000 bond just to put on a show. They don’t want to make it as expensive as Ontario with all their outrageous fees, because a lot of promoters over there went out of business, that said, it will still be expensive, so anyone coming over here will have to be prepared to put up the money.
Battlefield Fight League in Vancouver has done a great job of promoting and showcasing B.C. talent throughout the Province, and although they have put on some solid professional shows in Penticton and Nanaimo, their overall goal has always been to operate pro shows in Vancouver and possibly in the suburb of Langley. However, Golshani doesn’t necessarily want to be the first promoter outside of the UFC to bring professional MMA to the Lower Mainland.
I don’t need to be the first. Look at what went on in Ontario. Everyone wanted to be first, everyone wanted to put on a show over there and establish themselves, and many haven’t returned or they went out of business. MFC was first and they couldn’t sell tickets. They did it at Casino Rama and lost money, so Pavelich said he would never go back. I have no need to be the first, I just want to go about it the right way. We have some of B.C.’s top talent and we have been involved in this community for the last few years. People know us, and when we finally do a professional show in Vancouver, we will put some money into our marketing and showcase some of our top local guys.
Another promoter in British Columbia is Darren Owen of Aggression Fighting Championships. AFC have been doing pro shows in Victoria, B.C. for years and Owen says he knows who the new Commissioner is, but according to him has been told not to reveal the mystery man’s identity. Rumor has it that the newly appointed Commissioner will be in Victoria and in attendance at AFC 18: Mayhem on May 19, 2013. For obvious reasons Darren Owen could not confirm this.
Although MMA Sucka is not big on reporting rumours, there is also another one floating around that this new Commissioner will have no experience in the fight game, and will be over seeing professional combat sports in the Province through advisors from the boxing and MMA community. If that is the case, it appears that goes against what was originally planned and communicated by former Minister of Community, Sport and Cultural Development Ida Chong and what she told MMASucka.com almost a year ago.
We will be looking for someone who obviously has a certain skill set and knowledge of combat sports, said Chong. The person does not have to be affiliated with the current Liberal party. This is not a party related matter. What we are looking for is someone who can enforce legislation on behalf the Province.
If I had to guess the Commissioner is someone from municipal or provincial Government, but at least the puzzle pieces are starting to come together and a bigger picture is starting to take form.
This is great news for the UFC, who don’t have Vancouver on their schedule for 2013, but there is no doubt they will be looking to come back to Vancouver in 2014 and there are rumors that Victoria has been considered for a UFC on FOX Sports event.
More information is coming but it appears promoters who have first hand information on who this Commissioner is have been given the gag order not to spill the beans. Some are saying there will be an announcement this week, but with the Province in the midst of an election this week, it maybe quietly announced amongst all the noise.
MMA Sucka will update this story as more information is released. We will also be in attendance at AFC 18 in Victoria on May 19th, and will hopefully shed more light on the situation and provide a name and face for the new BC Commissioner.
B.C. will finally get the provincial commission they have been waiting for, and although this is great news for promoters, let the war of words begin as a new opportunity lay on the horizon, starting with MFC President Mark Pavelich.
Image may be NSFW. Clik here to view.I’m trying not to be derogatory, but my under card is 99.9% better than any other show in Canada’s main card. You go check other people’s cards in Canada and it looks like guys who flunked out of the MFC are now part of their show. It’s guys who flunked out or didn’t win titles here, and all of that stuff. That’s fine and all, but I’m building something here that is going to be long lasting. That’s why I went out and signed top guys like Mike Hackert, and Graham Spencer. There was a purpose behind that. I’m trying to build something and get into British Columbia and have those type of guys with such character on my roster to fight in B.C.
Let the fun begin.
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UPDATE - MMASucka.com found the following information online. The new Commissioner Act will only cover MMA and boxing with professional kickboxing and Muay Thai to added at a later date. Although there still is no name or face attached to this newly appointed Commissioner the following does answer some questions.
The Athletic Commissioner Act will come into force effective May 30th. On that date the BC Athletic Commissioner will commence operations. Links to the Athletic Commissioner Act, the Athletic Commissioner Regulation and the Minister’s Regulation are set out below.
Additional links include an Information Sheet on transition from local athletic commissions to provincial regulation and a FAQ document.
Overview
The Athletic Commissioner Act (Bill 50) was passed by the B.C. Legislature on May 30, 2012. The Act provides for a BC Athletic Commissioner to regulate and supervise professional contests that feature:
Boxing;
Mixed martial arts;
The purpose of this initiative is to ensure the safety of participants in boxing and mixed martial arts, and to implement consistent rules, policies and procedures across the province.
This Act does not apply to amateur contests or events.
The key duties of the Commissioner would be to:
Establish a consistent standard of qualifications and safety protocols for all participants and officials through a uniform licensing and permitting framework; and
Ensure compliance with the Act and its regulations.
There are currently at least nine local athletic commissions throughout the province. When the Provincial Athletic Commission is established, the local commissions will no longer operate, as the provincial government will assume responsibility for professional combat sport events across B.C.
If local governments do not want such contests to take place in their communities, they would be able to prohibit these events by passing a bylaw.
VANCOUVER- UFC 160 wasn’t the only place to watch entertaining fights this past evening of Saturday, May 25, 2013. Battlefield Fight League was back in the scenic Vancouver Convention Centre with their 23rd show. This time, the main event crowned a brand new welterweight champion in spectacular fashion, through a scheduled 5 round bout between Kelowna’s Kyle Warman and Maple Ridge’s Bryce Gougeon.
In the first round, Gougeon shot for the early take down and was able to secure physically imposing Warman to the canvas. Then the majority of the round was spent with Warman attempting to regain guard from Gougeon’s side mount.
The next round looked like it was going to be more of the same as Gougeon secured another take down at the top of the round. This time though, Warman powered through the side mount and was able to sweep to standing in Geougeon’s full guard. As Warman started to pass, Gougeon decided to attempt a leg lock, but Warman was having nothing of it, punishing Gougeon with a storm of punches. Like a pitbull, Gougeon would not let go of the submission attempt until the end of the round, but paid for it with some noticeable damage to his face.
Round three brought both combatants to the centre of the ring, as they threw caution to the wind with a rock, em’, sock em’ robots style exchange of punches. No advantage was taken by either fighter in the exchange until Warman changed the pace with a devastating knee that powered straight through Gougeon’s midsection. The blow crumpled Gougeon and forced the referee to step in and stop the fight.
Warman extends his record to 7-0 with an huge exclamation point and a new belt around his waist.
The co-main event brought two game fighters together in a battle for the featherweight number one contender spot. Cleve Bentley of Toshido MMA took on former featherweight champion Andre Silva of Titan MMA. Bentley controled the first round with strong takedowns and ground positioning. The second round saw Silva land several kicks and punches, one of which had Bentley on wobbly legs, but the Toshida MMA product was able to survive until the end of the round.
An unfortunate turn of events came between rounds 2 and 3 as the doctor was called in to look at Bentley’s hand. He had broken a bone in his hand with a punch that landed on top of Silva’s head. The doctor deemed Bentley unable to continue, thus awarding Silva the win, and one step closer to his goal of another title.
Other notable fights:
West Vancouver Martial Arts’ Curtis Harriott defeated Brett Lucero in round one by submission. Lucero attempted to control Harriott on the ground when Harriott eased in with a slick rolling armbar that no one ever saw coming.
Universal MMA’s Kirk Tse got back into the winner’s circle with a masterful technical display of kicks, superman punches, take downs and strategy that would make Georges St. Pierre proud, as he defeated Bradley Nicholson by unanimous decision.
Also from Universal MMA, Nick Ghaeni put the featherweight division on notice as he rag dolled Will Shutter before pounding him into submission with strikes in round 1. The highly touted wrestler turned MMA fighter used sharp boxing to set up a belly to back suplex that rattled the Battlefield cage.
The evening began with an exciting BC amateur debut of Titan MMA’s Rafael Escobar against a very tough Martie Wyse. Escobar through multiple head kicks attempting to keep Wyse at bay for the first 2 rounds but Wyse was able to land strong knees to Escobar’s body. Escobar put his 10th Planet BJJ blue belt to good use as he took Wyse’s back from standing, took the fight to the ground with a leg sweep and secured a slick Rear Naked Choke to win the fight in the third round.
British Columbia has been treated to a slough of events announced by Don “The Voice” Andrews over the last few years. He has called the Battlefield Fight League cage his home for the past three years. On Wednesday, we learned that Andrews has officially signed an exclusive announcing deal with one of Canada’s largest fight promotions, Aggression Fighting Championship.
MMASucka.com spoke with “The Voice” to get his feedback on the move.
“Taking my brand across Canada is the biggest thing – taking the next big step. I want to be Canada’s Bruce Buffer/Jimmy Lennon Jr and show this country what I have to offer the MMA world. I feel like I’ve put in my time and it’s a labour of love for sure.”
British Columbia’s favourite announcer has previously worked with AFC back when the organization was in their infancy, in Victoria for both AFC 3 and 4. The promoter for AFC, Darren Owen spoke very highly of Andrews and was happy to see him come full circle to work with his promotion.
“In my opinion Don is the best in Canada at what he does. The AFC is looking to solidify ourselves as the number one promotion in Canada and to do so we must improve where ever possible. I’ve worked with Don in the past and he’s a true professional. He’ll now have the opportunity to work all across Canada and show everyone else what we already know here in BC.”
Andrews will begin his time with AFC on July 5 in Edmonton, Alberta for AFC 19.
Andrews voice can also be heard in other sporting events in Vancouver such as the Vancouver Giants, Vancouver Canadians and BC Lions.
To hear some of Andrews’ works head over to his website HERE.
Battlefield Fight League will return to the River Rock Casino in Richmond, British Columbia for the first time since BFL 5 in January 2011.
The main event at BFL 25 is a match-up between Tristar based fighter Gary Mangat and undefeated prospect Josh Gow.
Mangat (4-0) made his way to Montreal after a very successful amateur career to create a strong base at Tristar and has since gone undefeated as a pro. He has fought three of his professional bouts with BFL and one lone match with India’s Super Fight League. Most recently “Saint Lion” defeated Jordan Mackin via TKO at BFL 24 in July.
Gow (2-0) has fought for two regional shows and has come away unscathed. In fact both of his victories have come by first round submission.
In the co-main event former BFL featherweight champion Jeremy Kennedy will square off against Jordan Mackin.
Kennedy (1-0) had a fantastic amateur career with BFL and upon turning pro has gone 1-0. At BFL 24 in July, “JBC” defeated Dan Lin via unanimous decision to kick off his professional career with a bang.
Mackin (0-2) turned pro in June and has fought twice since. He lost to Mangat at BFL 24 in June and to Jonny Gilbertson at a regional show in July due to strikes.
Also featured on the card is one of BC’s most recognizable fighters, Micah Brakefield. “Mitey” will take on Sik-Jitsu fighting systems’ Jake Asher.
Brakefield (2-1) held the BFL middleweight championship before turning pro and has since gone 2-1. He won his first two professional bouts against Stefan Fritsche and Darwin Douglas. However in his latest outing he came out on the wrong end of a knockout against Leo Xavier.
Asher (0-0) will be making his pro debut against Brakefield at BFL 25. The 27-year old had an undefeated amateur career at 3-0 according to Sherdog.
BFL 25 will go down on September 7, 2013 from the River Rock Casino in Richmond, BC. Also announced for the card are Oren Hanscomb vs. Andre Silva for the vacant amateur featherweight title and Joe Pirrotta vs. an unannounced fighter for the vacant amateur bantamweight title. Tickets for the event will go on sale Wednesday August 14, 2013 at www.bfltix.com.
Check out the full BFL 25 fight card below. (Subject to change)
Gary Mangat vs. Josh Gow
Jeremy Kennedy vs. Jordan Mackin
Micah Brakefield vs. Jake Asher
Mark Dobie vs. Jonathan Dubois
Oren Hanscomb vs. Andre Silva – For the vacant amateur 145lbs title
Curtis Harriot vs. TBA
Joe Pirrotta vs. TBA – For the vacant amateur 135lbs title
Jer Kornelsen vs. Kiarash Moghadam
Jamie Siraj vs. TBA
James Foster vs. Jared Mccunn
David Moon vs. TBA
MMASucka Radio is back for another week of awesomeness.
We bring you some sad news to kick off the show, but the remainder of the hour is jam packed with mixed martial arts goods.
It’s a double fight week, so it is tough to land fighters that are fighting, since they are travelling. But we were able to land a couple of great guests.
First up, we welcome back to the show Battlefield Fight League bantamweight fight Gary Mangat. We chat with “Saint Lion” about his fighting career, his upcoming match against Josh Gow, training at Tristar and more.
Finally we are joined for the very first time by Gracie Mag’s Erik Fontanez. Erik talks with us about both UFC Fight Night 27 and UFC 164, as well as a couple other MMA news topics.
Remember we will re-brand as “Sucka Radio” with Ian Bain of MMA Opinion joining the team on Monday September 9.
You can listen to Sucka Radio on Stitcher HERE, iTunes HERE and on MMASucka.com HERE.
Make sure you head over to Onnit and get yourself 10% off with the coupon code “MMASUCKA”.
One of Battlefield Fight League’s most recognizable names will make his return to the cage this Saturday night at BFL 25. Gary “Saint Lion” Mangat (4-0) will look to keep his undefeated record that way when he faces off against American and also undefeated Josh Gow (2-0).
Mangat made the move from Vancouver to Montreal to train with the likes of Georges St-Pierre, Rory MacDonald and coach Firas Zahabi. However, since his time there he has made a connection with another Tristar fighter and you may know the name.
Image may be NSFW. Clik here to view.One of the guys that has become my Montreal mentor is Ivan Menjivar. He is probably the guy with the perfect body type to be imitating the guy that I’m facing. Also Ivan is fighting on the Toronto UFC card (165) and he’s fighting a southpaw, which is what I am, so that way we’ve been working off of each other a lot. It’s one of the greatest honors to be training with a guy like that and to be surrounded by all of the other guys.
Many big names in the sport of MMA have made the change from one gym to another. When a fighter stays at the same place that they have trained at for their entire careers, they could very easily become stagnant and Mangat did not want that to happen. He was given some advice along the way which definitely rings true.
The greatest advice that I have been told is comfort zones kill dreams. I was getting to comfortable in Vancouver outside the gym and inside the gym at times. I was being surrounded by the city and all that stuff. Out here completely humbles you, because you are constantly in discomfort – especially when you come from out of town, everyone goes through the same phase where they know nothing. This is a French-speaking town and if you don’t speak French it causes an uncomfortable vibe right there. It’s not just the battles that take place in the gym, but a lot of battles that happen outside and how to handle life. It makes you grow mentally stronger and spiritually stronger.
The man known as “Saint Lion” finished off his amateur career under the BFL banner and has fought three of his four professional fights under those same lights. However one of those bouts was fought in his home country of India – Super Fight League gave him the opportunity to fight in a much different atmosphere than the Tristar fighter was used to.
Image may be NSFW. Clik here to view.That was definitely my moment to life thus far. It was completely different than any Battlefield experience I’ve had before, because that’s all I’ve had to live off of – was what I’ve seen with Battlefield. Everything from how many people show up to the weigh-ins to the crowds that show up. The weigh-ins for Super Fight League was in a four-story mall, every floor was packed and I’d say there was at least two thousand fans at the weigh-ins. You step on the scale and camera flashes blind you. It was a mixed crowd; it wasn’t all males, there were a lot of females and a lot of media. Then the fight day there was a lot of pressure. They love to run politics and I was facing a guy from China, so they ran it in the newspaper. The arena was made for nine thousand and they packed twelve thousand in there, so to hear the crowd go off on that first takedown I got was amazing. I try to re-watch it on TV, but it doesn’t justify it at all. The closest thing to explain it was when I watched Gladiator in the theater and Maximus walked out, the closest thing I could feel to that. It was unreal and it sent chills down my spine in the middle of the fight.
He has come a long way from that last fight and it’s almost full circle. Mangat fought his last fight as an amateur at the River Rock Casino in Richmond, BC and that is the same place he will be fighting to keep that professional record unblemished. So “Saint Lion” has home field advantage, however that does not stop the stress and nerves from occurring, in fact it might make it even worse.
I’ve had insomnia for almost three and a half weeks now. Every inch of nerves and stress is on that. I can be honest about that, but I’ve never trained this hard, I’ve never put in so many hours, I’ve never drilled so much, because that’s the only way I can combat these nerves and insomnia was to just kill myself in the gym.
Mangat’s opponent is on a two-fight winning streak, with both of those victories coming via first round submission. Being a regional fighter, with a fairly green record it can be tough for a fighter to study up. So instead of Mangat trying to dissect Gow, he has instead decided to dissect himself.
The biggest thing for me is I don’t really study my opponents much, I study myself and pick myself apart to find my weaknesses and that’s what has been working for me. Picking myself apart before the opponent picks me apart. I know a lot of the fighters at Tristar do the same, as much as they say they study tapes, you pick yourself apart more than anything.
Battlefield Fight League 25 goes down this Saturday from the River Rock Casino in Richmond, BC. There are still tickets available at www.bfltix.com.
Image may be NSFW. Clik here to view.Battlefield Fight League 25 goes down this Saturday night (September 7, 2013) at the River Rock Casino in Richmond, British Columbia. What makes this event so special is that it is the first professional MMA event outside of the UFC that has taken place in the Metro Vancouver area in years.
It has taken a while for not only the province but the country as a whole, to embrace mixed martial arts. It’s rather sad considering UFC President Dana White has long considered Canada to be the “Mecca of MMA.” Yet in most provinces, professional mixed martial arts is unfortunately still treated as an outlaw sport.
Last year, BC’s Provincial Government decided to push forward a bill that would regulate pro and amateur MMA and put in power an athletic commissioner that would oversee it all. This was a pleasant surprise but at the time many were skeptics and many were worried British Columbia would emulate Ontario where that province and athletic commissioner (Ken Hayashi) have done their best to destroy the growth of the sport.
To make a long story short, things have worked out well and have moved forward swimmingly so far. Finally the people in the Vancouver region are going to see professional MMA return to the surrounding area. It’s not enough for any City to just allow the UFC to make yearly visits. In order for MMA to grow you have to allow other organizations to set up shop and build their promotion as well as young fighters. Nobody has done that better in British Columbia than Battlefield Fight League.
For years BFL has been mostly running amateur shows in Vancouver with a few professional events on the Island and in BC’s interior wherever the local athletic commissions allowed it. However, maybe the years of showcasing some of BC’s young amateurs has been a blessing in disguise for BFL because for the last few years they have marketed and helped in building homegrown talent and now have a chance to showcase them as they enter the professional realm. For all the hard work BFL President Jay Golshani has put into the Vancouver market, the big payoff is this Saturday.
Guys like Gary Mangat, Jeremy Kennedy, Micah Brakefield, Leo Xavier the list goes on, have become big names in the amateur ranks and are now going to be looking to build upon their professional careers with the same organization. Not to mention they are fighting in front of their friends and family instead of having to go down south to find a pro fight. It’s truly a win/win for everyone.
Image may be NSFW. Clik here to view.The card is stacked full of some of BC’s top young talent who will also be representing Canada as they take on American opponents. The card has a Canada vs. USA vibe to it as some talented Washington State fighters are making the trek up north. A few guys you want to keep an eye on are Gary “Saint Lion” Mangat (4-0) who will be taking on Josh Gow (2-0) in the Main Event of the evening. Gary has been training at Tristar gym in Montreal, and Josh comes from Sik-Jitsu in Spokane Washington. Both men have had great amateur careers and both want to keep their undefeated professional records intact.
Image may be NSFW. Clik here to view.Jeremy “JBC” Kennedy (1-0) is another kid that is looking to build upon his young career. Kennedy is a two time amateur champion and many people, including myself, feel he is one of the biggest prospects to come out of BC since UFC welterweight Rory MacDonald. It’s a hefty tag to put on a young athlete but there is a lot of promise to the kid they call “Junior Bacon Cheeseburger.” Both Mangat and Kennedy are worth the price of admission alone and if they both win this Saturday night they could be on a collision course to meet later in the year for a BFL title. That is a fight many local fight fans have wanted to see for a long time.
Micah “Mitey” Brakefield (2-1) is stepping into the cage with another tough American fighter in Jake Asher (3-0). Brakefield is a former BFL Amateur Welterweight Champion and is looking to rebound after a tough KO loss at the hands of Leo Xavier. Asher comes into this fight undefeated and brings an impressive ground game. It will be interesting to see how Asher does against a tough wrestler in Brakefield.
The sport in Vancouver has grown so much since the days of rogue fight organizations putting on events in bars or under the jurisdiction of native reservations. The UFC has taken MMA to the mainstream but it’s local shows like Battlefield that have helped educate and showcase the sport at its grass roots.
Although Battlefield has the green light to put on professional events in the region, they are not forgetting about the amateurs. BFL 25 is a Pro-Am card with the undercard being chalk full of ammy fights including a featherweight title fight. All of that is followed by a Main Card of professional action.
It was a knockout that no one saw coming. Two of BFL’s young stars going head to head in a shootout to crown the champion of the pro middleweight division. The result shocked everyone in attendance…
In one corner, a former middleweight champion in our amateur division in Micah Brakefield. Brakefield, a powerful and skilled grappler hailing from Burnaby, BC had an undefeated record as a middleweight going into this fight. In the other corner, a two time amateur Welterweight champion making both his pro and middleweight debut in Leo Xavier. Xavier, a Brazilian Jiu Jitsu black belt hailing from Vancouver, BC was coming off his 2nd title win in the Welterweight division, in a previous superfight with David Kennedy. This would mark his 2nd consecutive superfight and title fight in a row as he stepped inside the cage against Brakefield to crown the middleweight champion.
Not just UFC fight week, but also Invicta, ONE FC, WSOF and BFL.
First up we are joined by Battlefield Fight League President Jay Golshani. We chat with Golshani about this weekend’s BFL 26 fight card, what the future holds for BFL, some behind the scenes stuff and more.
We finish off the show with the two men behind WSOF Canada, Darren Owen and Steve Fader. The two talk about their first Canadian card this weekend at the PNE Agrodome, what’s in store for 2014 for WSOF Canada and how excited they are about it.
If you are in the lower mainland area and are looking for BFL 26 tickets click HERE and if you are looking for WSOF 7 tickets click HERE.
As always you can you can listen to Sucka Radio on Stitcher HERE, iTunes HERE and on MMASucka.com HERE.
All that and more brought to you by our good friends at Onnit. Make sure you head over to Onnit and get yourself 10% off with the coupon code “MMASUCKA”.
Vancouver, British Columbia’s premiere mixed martial arts promotion, Battlefield Fight League has not one but two events planned for the month of March.
BFL President Jay Golshani released the following statement on Wednesday evening.
“We will now be holding two events in the month of March. We need to be able to bring our amateur fighters up the ranks and our new amateur champions in the same manner as we did with our former amateur champions in the past before pro MMA was legal in the lower mainland. This is a very crucial step and it is very similar to the UFC and their structure in bringing up guys and introducing them to their fan base through ‘The Ultimate Fighter’. We will now hold two stacked events in March. On Friday March 14th we will be at the River Rock Casino. This event will consist of mostly professional fights. On Saturday March 29th we will be at the Hard Rock Casino in Coquitlam. This event will be headlined by three amateur fights. We will release full fight cards for both events this Thursday on our website. Tickets will be on sale for both cards this coming Monday through www.bfltix.com.”
One name who will be fighting on the BFL 28 fight card on March 14 is amateur middleweight champion Jer Kornelsen. The rest of the fight card will be released on Thursday.
As previously mentioned BFL 29 will be stacked with three amateur bouts. Achilles Estremadura and Eli Wyse will do battle for the vacant lightweight strap. While Craig Mclean will look to defend his bantamweight gold against Oliver Vajda. Finally Curtis Harriot will take on Bryce Gougeon for the vacant welterweight title.
Jer “The Jerk” Kornelsen may be the Battlefield Fight League Amateur Middleweight Champion at this point in time, but he had a long road to get there.
The Impact MMA and Island Top Team fighter had the opportunity to fight for the title twice in 2011 and 2012, but came up short on both occasions. “The Jerk” went back to the drawing board, this time adding BJJ Black belt Professor Rob Biernacki from Island Top Team to his arsenal of coaches. Jerk, doubled up his training going back and forth from his original home at Impact MMA headed by Coach John Punt and his now second home, Island Top Team. Quitting went through Kornelsen’s mind a number of times, however the 34-year old pushed through it.
“More than a few times I thought about quitting. I work full time, personal train full time and train MMA up to 25-hours a week,” said Kornelsen. “When I lost and got knocked out by Ryan Allen at BFL 16 (even though it was an illegal blow), at that point I had just broken up with a girlfriend on top of some other life stresses, I did quit. My good friends Jason Culley and John Punt reminded me what was important and I was able to come back with a new attitude and focus. I walked threw two top opponents in Kiarash [Moghaddam] and [Jared] Revel and won’t stop there.”
Image may be NSFW. Clik here to view.On December 7, 2013 Kornelsen was given the opportunity, after finishing Kiarash Moghaddam by first round TKO at BFL 25, to face Jared Revel in a rematch from BFL 20 fight where “The Jerk” lost by first round rear-naked choke. At BFL 26, it took Kornelsen just 7-seconds to finish Revel with a well timed uppercut and not only get the knockout, but also the BFL amateur middleweight strap around his waist.
“I watched how he absorbed my strikes the first fight and saw a lot of open opportunities up the middle,” Kornelsen stated. “I trained the front kick a lot, but the uppercut was something else. I dreamt the night before the exact thing. Front kick, uppercut, one punch knockout. The only difference from my dream and the real thing, was him smirking at me after the kick. Other than that it just happened — It was meant to be. There were three-years of my life behind that punch”
The knockout silenced the crowd, as it took Revel several minutes to regain consciousness. It was a scary moment for everyone in attendance and for Kornelsen himself. He sat in his corner, up against the cage and just watched as his opponent received medical support.
“No one wants to see a serious injury. I checked on him a few times after the fight as well.”
Kornelsen realized the belt he had been chasing for years was finally around his waist. No belt feels better than one that has been fought for on multiple occasions. It is safe to say that the determination of the new champ, Kornelsen, is a rare commodity.
The Reign Sports sponsored fighter is expected to step back in the BFL cage this July. It has yet to be announced who Kornelsen will be defending his middleweight title against, but he has a message for them.
“It doesn’t matter who’s in that cage, I am smashing them”
The Hard Rock Casino in Coquitlam, B.C. plays host to BFL 29 this evening.
Fans in attendance are in for a treat, as there are two titles up for grabs on the main card.
In the main event, Curtis Harriot and Bryce Gougeon will step inside the Battlefield cage in an amateur welterweight title fight. One of BFL’s brightest young stars, Achilles Estremadura, will square off against fellow undefeated fighter Alexi Argyriou in the co-main event for the promotions amateur lightweight title.
If you are in the lower mainland and are interested in checking out some live MMA action, there are tickets still available HERE.
Check out full results below, beginning at approximately 6:30pm PT/9:30pm ET.
MAIN CARD
Curtis Harriott def. Bryce Gougeon via Unanimous Decision (50-45, 50-45, 50-45)
Alexi Argyriou def. Achilles Estremadura via Unanimous Decision (48-47, 48-47, 48-47)
Robin Laybourn def. Peter Merkley via Submission (North South Choke) at 2:29 of Round 2
Kiarash Moghadam def. Herbert Moon via TKO (Punches) at 1:29 of Round 1
Tylor Nicholson def. Mike Dechavez via Unanimous Decision
PRELIMS
Cole Smith def. Reese Wood via Unanimous Decision
Elysse Stevenson def. Amanda Pack via Submission (Anaconda Choke) at 1:41 of Round 3
Daniel Richards def. Omar Stefanini via Submission (Rear Naked Choke) at 1:43 of Round 2
Ryan Leask def. Mitch Burk via Submission (Armbar) at 2:14 of Round 2
Ali Wasuk def. Taylor Christopher via Submission (Guillotine Choke) at 2:10 of Round 1
Ian Finlayson def. Chris Herron via Split Decision
After a very successful amateur career, Ash “Smash” Mashreghi decided to turn pro. Like many amateurs that turn pro, they hit some speed bumps, however “Smash” hit three. He fought his first three professional bouts for Aggression Fighting Championship and was unable to notch a victory.
At 0-3 many would call it a career, but Mashreghi decided to change up his fight camp and that helped him find his way inside the cage.
“It definitely put me in a dark place for awhile, after my first loss I really started coming down hard on myself and I didn’t believe in myself anymore,” said Mashreghi. “After finding myself 0- 3, I knew I had to change it up. I moved my camp to Vancouverand found a good group of guys where I just fit in perfectly. I told myself that I was better than all these guys and started pushing myself harder than before. I started to have fun and believe.”
That new gym was Iron City in Vancouver. The gym is under the tutelage of Kru Jason Fenton who comes from a Muay Thai background, but the gym itself has become a full fledge MMA facility.
“The biggest growth Ash has gone through since being a part of Iron City is he is just starting to have fun,” Fenton explained to MMASucka.com. “You can see it in his face when he enters the cage, he is always smiling and enjoying himself.”
Mashreghi fought most of his amateur bouts with Vancouver, B.C.’s Battlefield Fight League and returned to the organization for his fourth pro bout. In his first fight back with BFL, the welterweight finished B.C.’s stand-out talent Stuart Deleurme via first round TKO. He followed that win up with another first round TKO against Mark Dobie at BFL 27 in January.
“It all started with BFL and they have been treating me like gold since day one, so I was happy to go back.”
After two wins in a row with BFL, the organization gave him a main event battle against a veteran in the game, Marcus Vinicios. In the first round of that fight, Mashreghi was able to utilize his takedowns and dominate the Brazilian with some ground and pound. Midway through the second frame, the Iron City Muay Thai product was able to take the back of Vinicios and snatch up a very tight rear-naked choke.
“I hope to keep fighting non-stop every month. I love being in the cage and it doesn’t matter where, with who or anything — I believe in myself and everyone at 170-pounds is in trouble.”
Mashreghi has found a groove of sorts in the BFL cage and will definitely look to continue it rolling later in the year.
