Tag Archives: Denver

History in the making Team USA to compete for first time in 2017 WMMAA Pan-American Championships & World MMA Championships

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (April 25, 2017) – For Team USA to effectively prepare to compete in the 2017 WMMAA Pan-American Championships and World MMA Championships for the first time, WMMAA USA has announced its partnership with promoter RMN (Rocky Mountain Nationals Events) to host the USA National Open Tournament, June 17-18, in Denver, Colorado.
Earning a position on USA Team is an extremely demanding process. Many athletes dedicate their entire lives to the task, putting their minds and bodies through an extraordinary amount of training for an opportunity to compete and represent their country. The best moments in WMMAA Championships history, regardless of the team, are built on intense preparation and training schedules. Many athletes dedicate years of their lives for that one moment like no other, the moment of glory, the moment they raise their hand in triumph, representing their country.
RMN Events hosted its first MMA event six-years ago, partnering with Matt Lindland, Steve Fraser and Randy Couture.  “That will always be a special event to remember,” said Ed Gutierrez, CEO of RMN Events. “This time around it will be very meaningful for each of the fighters that win their weight class to represent the United States at the Pan-American Championships, being held in Monterrey, Mexico, on September 20, 2017.”
2017 will mark the first year a USA team will participate in the WMMAA Pan-American Championships and World MMA Championships.
It takes a truly spectacular person to even make it to the WMMAA World Championship, let alone win, and that’s why there is so much WMMAA USA pride. These men and women will represent their country in the world’s most intense MMA competitions, dedicating everything they’ve got to bringing home gold among, against athletes from more than 60 countries. And throughout the WMMAA’s history, there have been some awe-inspiring members, athletes who have not only displayed tremendous physical strength, but also an immense amount of perseverance and dedication.
To celebrate the tremendous step forward for all MMA athletes, as well as their accomplishments at the WMMAA Championships, Team USA has partnered with REDCorner Media and FITE TV to watch the building of Team USA, along with its glorious moments. From true team wins to individual successes, special moments remind us how important the WMMAA Championships can truly be, which will help get Americans pumped for what’s coming this July to Monterrey, Mexico, at the WMMAA Pan-American Division Championships.
Registration is free to all fighters who must be considered amateurs. They may register for the event at www.rmnevents.com/mma. All competitors need to register with the Colorado State Boxing Commission at: www.dora.colorado.gov/professions
For more information: press.panam@wmmaa.org

BOJAN VELICKOVIC FIGHTING FOR PERSONAL GLORY AND NATIONAL PRIDE

 

  

Personal Glory & National Pride:
Bojan Velickovic’s Journey

RFA 24 IN MINNESOTA

FRIDAY MARCH 6TH LIVE ON AXS TV

 

BY K. David Bena 
@kdavidbena


 

When Denver, a city known for cold biting weather, breaks a record for snowfall, maybe it’s best to stay indoors – and rising welterweight Bojan Velickovic can attest, “The gym (Elevation Fight Team) was closed. There was no training that afternoon. It’s crazy. Two feet of snow fell and one of the coaches couldn’t make it (to the gym), so the owner decided to close. The roads are awful. I almost got into two car accidents this morning!”

So being trapped indoors, Bojan “Veli” Velickovic (9-3) did some homework for his upcoming welterweight bout with Chris “The Hitman” Hugh (16-9). The two meet at RFA 24 on Friday, March 6th at the Mystic Lake Casino & Hotel in Prior Lake, Minnesota. The bout will be televised live and nationwide on AXS TV. “I’m home now trying to do things for the fight and to watch my opponent, my own fights, to do at least something since I can’t train,” Velickovic explained.

With “The Hitman” Hugh touting a 5-fight win streak, Velickovic knows how dangerous his opponent is, “The most important thing I have to do is to put my own pace and see how he’s going to react to my striking and wrestling.”

Velickovic realizes that winning a fight is not just about studying an opponent, but about studying one’s self, “Hugh has 25 fights, but only two fights on YouTube so I can’t study him that much, but I can also see my previous fights and see what I did bad – and not do those types of mistakes again.”

Training with the esteemed Elevation Fight Team, Velickovic loved the Denver-based fighters and gym, “I trained a lot with UFC fighters Brandon Thatch and Neil Magny for their UFC fights, so I think my striking game and wrestling became better and, as always, I like to fight with the aspects of MMA as a whole and I think that’s what I’ll try to do for this fight (with Hugh).”

At the age of 12, Velickovic started training in Judo for several years and transitioned into kickboxing at the age of 18, “I had like 7 amateur fights and 7 professional. I think my record was total 14-2 or 15-2 – and from kickboxing, I switched to MMA. I see myself now as a mixed martial artist. I like to be good in all aspects. I’m not skipping wrestling class to go to jiu-jitsu. I’m just trying to become better everyday in every aspect of MMA and that’s my goal.”

And Velickovic hasn’t looked back since, “I got to the United States through the reality show, “Road to the Ring of Fire”. Basically, one of the coaches (for the upcoming reality show) was a pro MMA fighter and told me ‘There’s a good reality show coming up. You have good striking, a Judo background, maybe it’s a good opportunity for you.’ So I registered for the reality show and they invited me. I won 4 fights in the show and won the show – and I won my next 3 fights as well.”

Applying for a professional visa, Velickovic has lived in the states since 2013, where he was recruited by American Top Team (ATT) in Coconut Creek, Florida, “ATT helped apply for my visa and I have a contract with them for 5 years.”

Asked if there was any tension, because of splitting his time between two perennial powerhouse gyms (Elevation Fight Team and ATT), Velickovic clarified, “No. I’m with American Top Team – a lot of guys at ATT train in different gyms for a couple of weeks before their fight then come back to ATT for a couple of weeks of sparring and additional training camps, but they always have ‘American Top Team’ on their banners.”

He also sheds light on the politics and influx on fighters that migrate to ATT, “There are a couple of guys that are there full-time, but fighters are always visiting Florida and ATT. A lot of them come back and forth from (places like) California, Texas and stay a couple of weeks, work on sparring, and then they go back home and compete for American Top Team and their hometown gyms.”

Quick to reassure there was no bad blood or misunderstandings with ATT, Velickovic states, “I told them that I was invited to Elevation Fight Team to help Brandon Thatch and Neil Magny get ready for their fights and then I decided to stay here for my whole camp for RFA 24. It’s a high altitude, good gym, good environment, and the guys from the gym accept me really good- and I feel I’m home and that’s the most important thing. But if I decide to move to Colorado, I will still wear ‘American Top Team’ on my shorts for the next couple of years, since I’m still under contract.”

Being a fighter often requires a nomadic existence, leaving behind family and friends to further your skills. Fighting out of Novi Sad, Serbia, Velickovic speaks of his hometown and country fondly regardless of the close proximity of warring countries, “Novi Sad is very beautiful place and when the Yugoslav Wars occurred, Novi Sad was far from the border where the war and fire-fight was and somehow managed to stay out of the conflict. Now Serbia has been peaceful in the last 15-20 years.”

He adds, “I left and came here to become better at MMA, because the training environment in the U.S. and the skills of the fighters are much more advanced than back home. I thought if I came here to train with the best, I can become with one of the best. That’s the main reason why I moved out to U.S.”

To read complete article click HERE

About RFA:
RFA is a professional mixed martial arts promotion that gives rising stars and top contenders the opportunity to prove their talent to fans and leaders in the industry. The RFA presents up to 10 fights annually around the United States including Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Denver and Milwaukee. RFA can be seen live in over 40 million homes nationally through its television deal with AXS TV. Based in Las Vegas, Nevada, RFA is one of the most active and respected MMA organizations in the fastest growing sport in the world. (The Octagon, Ultimate Fighting Championship®, UFC®, and the eight-sided competition mat and cage design are registered trademarks owned exclusively by Zuffa, LLC. All rights reserved).
About AXS TV Fights:
AXS TV Fights is renowned for its universally recognized Friday Night Mixed Martial Arts and Kickboxing events. As Your Home For MMA, AXS TV utilizes an expansive network of promotions from the United States, Canada, and Europe. And Asia to broadcast more LIVE fights than any other television network. “The Voice” Michael Schiavello and five-time MMA world-champion Pat Miletich provide viewers expert play-by-play, in-depth fighter coverage, and extensive analysis to each fight card. AXS TV broadcasts world-class LIVE fight events from RFA, Lion Fight, Legacy FC, and MFC every Friday night at 7 p.m. PT / 10 p.m. ET.