Tag Archives: University of MMA

martial arts, mixed martial arts

FIGHT NIGHT 11 QUICK RESULTS AND ‘DEAN’S LIST’ AWARDS

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Los Angeles, CA – With the legendary cut manJacob “Stitch” Duran wrapping the fighters’ hands at the University of MMA’s Fight Night 11, fists flew as hard and heavy as could be thrown. Both University of MMA title challengers upset the defending champions in knockout fashion. Kurt ‘The Hurt’ Eberhard (Saekson’s Muay Thai) shocked Albert Veloz (Cage Combat Academy) just 45 seconds into the first round to win the University of MMA featherweight championship. Similarly, Pious ‘Voodoo’ Enilolobo Jr. (BJMUTA/Flying Kick) put away Antonio Lopez (Saekson’s Muay Thai) with a big right hand to realize his dream of becoming the University of MMA lightweight champion.
All 34 fighters on the 17-match show put their hearts on the line and thrilled the crowd with exhaustive performances. In the end, the Dean’s List performance awards for Fight Night 11 are:
Fight of the Night: Damon Jacobs (Bas Rutten’s Elite MMA) vs. Remington Thorne (Saekson’s Muay Thai)
Knockout of the Night: Garik Mitchell (Team Lagarto)

Submission of the Night: Christopher Llanes (Team Quest)

Blue Chip Honors: Matheus Santos (MMAFC/Knockout Boxing Club)
The Dean’s List is sponsored by OTM Fight Shops and WSS, which have contributed $100 gift cards to the winners. In addition to the traditional Fight of the Night, Knockout of the Night, and Submission of the Night awards, Blue Chip honors is a special category to fighters who showed great showmanship, charisma and audience awareness.
Coming into Fight Night 11, everyone knew to keep an eye on Remington Thorne. His debut match, against the very veteran Michael’Blackjack’ Jackson (Systems Training Center), at Fight Night 10, was a fight of the night performance. Far fewer fans had any previous impression of Thorne’s opponent, the debutingDamon Jacobs (Bas Rutten’s Elite MMA Gym), but he wasted no time in filling in the blanks. Jacobs landed powerful combinations on Thorne early, leaving people to wonder how he was still standing. Thorne stayed in the fight, however, nearly finishing Jacobs with a rapid-fire flurry that was derailed by an unintentional illegal knee to the head. Despite the foul, both fighters continued another two rounds of explosive striking action which ignited fans’ rabid cheers. The crowd reaction made Jacobs-Thorne an easy choice for Fight of the Night.
With four KO of the Night candidates on the show, Garik Mitchell’s second-round head kick finish stood out from the pack. As if that wasn’t impressive enough, Mitchell’s match was his amateur MMA debut, which dictated both he and his opponent wear shin guards. To generate that power with guards speaks volumes to the strength and speed the young man brings to the cage.
Submission of the Night is often known to go for flashy or last second submissions butChristopher Llanes (Team Quest) showed impeccable technique and fight intelligence in securing the tapout. Llanes initiated a scramble with a great Greco Roman throw and immediately transitioned to an armbar. He quickly recognized he didn’t have it quite enough so he was able to adjust and get the tap against a very game opponent in Tim Barnard (Valhalla ETC).
One award unique to the University of MMA is their Blue Chip honors, which rewards not only a great athletic performance but also an entertaining and engaging stage presence. Not only did Matheus Santos’s (MMAFC) knockout a tough and unique opponent in Victor Pages (Systems Training Center), but he also displayed a captivating confidence in his post-fight interview, addressing his fans in both Portuguese and English. Santos’ overall showing, in the cage and on the mic, was the closest example of presenting the total package, thus earning him Blue Chip honors for Fight Night 11.
Looking forward, both Jackson and Flavian Pilgrim (CMMA) put on dominant performances that earned them championship fights at the next University of MMA event, Fight Night 12, tentatively scheduled for November 22nd. Pilgrim will take on new champion Enilolobo, Jr. for the University of MMA lightweight title, and Jackson will face recently-crowned Eberhard for the University of MMA featherweight belt.
Quick results for University of MMA: Fight Night 11:
1) 149 lbs. (3 x 2 min., shins) – RYAN AGUILAR (CMMA) def. OREN SHABO (Hayastan MMA Academy) via TKO, R1, 0:17
2) 130 lbs. (3 x 2 min., shins) – ERIC ARIAS (Yuma United MMA) def. STUART KOSH (Independent) via unanimous decision
3) 145 lbs. (3 x 2 min., shins) – MASON IACOBELLIS (Team Quest) def. ARDANY OLIVA (Systems Training Center) via TKO, R1, 0:51
4) 125 lbs. (3 x 2 min., shins) – ERICK PIERRE (Bas Rutten’s Elite Training Center) def. TIZOC FROESE (MMAFC) via unanimous decision
5) 150 lbs. (3 x 2 min., shins) – MICHAEL ‘BLACKJACK’ JACKSON (Systems Training Center) def. ANGEL PERLA (Team Quest) via unanimous decision
6) 137 lbs. (3 x 2 min., shins) – RICHIE MEISTER (BJMUTA/Eric Nolan’s Xtreme Training Center) def. SERGIO GONZALEZ (Yuma United MMA) via submission (triangle choke), R3, 1:12
7) 195 lbs. (3 x 2 min., shins) – CHRISTOPHER LLANES (Team Quest) def. TIM BARNARD (Valhalla Elite Training Center) via submission (armbar), R1, 1:16
8) 175 lbs. (3 x 2 min., shins) – CRISTIAN NAJERA (Guerilla Nation MMA) def. CHRIS ‘BABY BEAR’ RODRIGUEZ (Gracie Jiu Jitsu/Team Victory Muay Thai) via TKO, R1, 1:56
9) 145 lbs. (3 x 2 min., shins) – GARIK MITCHELL (Team Lagarto) def. STEVEN (KYLER) SCOTT (Team Quest) via KO, R2, 0:48
10) 230 lbs. (3 x 2 min., shins) – ANDRII VASYLENKO (BJMUTA) def. JULIUS WHITE (Independent) via submission, R1, 0:51
11) 157 lbs. (3 x 2 min., shins) – DAMON JACOBS (Bas Rutten’s Elite MMA Gym) def. REMINGTON THORNE (Saekson’s Muay Thai) via unanimous decision
12) 125 lbs. (3 x 2 min., shins) – MATHEUS SANTOS (MMAFC) def. VICTOR PAGES (Systems Training Center) via KO, R2, 1:58
13) 145 lbs. (3 x 2 min., shins) – BENITO MENDEZ (King Combat Sports) def. DAVID SECAIDA (Independent) via unanimous decision
14) 160 lbs. (3 x 2 min., shins) – FLAVIAN PILGRIM (CMMA) def. TROY HARDGROW (Independent) via split TKO, R2, 1:24
15) 205 lbs. (3 x 2 min., shins) – TRAVIS WILLIAMS (Elite Training Center) def. DAVID BOYKO (Bas Rutten’s Elite MMA) unanimous decision
UNIVERSITY OF MMA FEATHERWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP
16) 145 lbs. (3 x 3 min., no shins) – KURT ‘THE HURT’ EBERHARD (Saekson’s Muay Thai) def. ALBERT VELOZ (Cage Combat Academy) via KO, R1, 0:45
UNIVERSITY OF MMA LIGHTWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP TOURNAMENT
17) 155 lbs. (3 x 3 min., no shins) – PIOUS ‘VOODOO’ ENILOLOBO JR. (BJMUTA/Flying Kick) def. ANTONIO LOPEZ (Saekson’s Muay Thai) via KO, R2, 0:34
mixed martial arts, Uncategorized

THREE TITLE MATCHES FOR FIGHT NIGHT 10 AT CLUB NOKIA AT L.A. LIVE, MAY 31

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Los Angeles, CA – The University of MMA marks its latest milestone on Sunday, May 31, with the tenth installment of its ‘Fight Night’ series. Taking place at Club Nokia at L.A. LIVE (aka “the U of MMA campus”), University of MMA: Fight Night 10 is packed with 15 fights, including three title matches to crown new University of MMA champions. Tickets are now on sale atwww.UofMMA.com and www.axs.com.

 

A new University of MMA’s lightweight champion will be decided between Julio ‘The Gr818er’ Lopez (Kings Combat Sports) and Antonio Lopez (Gooch Training Academy/Saekson Muay Thai). Julio advanced from the opening round of the University of MMA lightweight championship tournament, still undefeated. Antonio was originally scheduled to be in the tournament as well, before injury sidelined him from action. But both men ride four-fight win streaks going into this title match, meaning pride and glory are on the line.

 

With Elite Training Center’s featherweight star Tommy Aaron vacating his University of MMA title to turn pro, the crown at 145 lbs. once again finds itself without a king. That won’t be for long, however, as U of MMA perennial favorite Ryan ‘The Lion’ Lilley (Bas Rutten’s Elite Training Center) and the fast-rising Albert Veloz (Cage Combat Academy) vie to become the third-ever University of MMA featherweight champion.

“The University of MMA has definitely grown as a live event series with the expansion of our fan base and the shows getting bigger and better every time.  The same can be said for amateur fighters who have grown and matured within our promotion. Guys like Ryan ‘The Lion’ Lilley who will be fighting for us for the eighth time, and Albert Veloz, who is improving right under our eyes. We’re proud to see the development of fighters like Ryan and Albert, who will go on to be great pros,” commented U of MMA founder Turi Altavilla.

Two more U of MMA favorites will also square off to become the first-ever University of MMA bantamweight champion, as Vince ‘The Anomaly’ Cachero and Demar ‘King’ George revisit each other in a rematch from 2013. The two met originally at Fight Night 3, when both were very young in their MMA careers. More seasoned in experience and sharper in skill, they are very much different fighters.

 

“The six individuals vying for University of MMA titles on this show are people of heart, technical skill, character and integrity. We’ve seen their championship efforts on previous shows and they deserve the recognition these matches offer,” said U of MMA matchmaker Jay Tan.

 

Other confirmed matches for University of MMA: Fight Night 10 include:

 

University of MMA Lightweight Championship Tournament Finals:

155 lbs. – Julio Lopez (Kings Combat Sports) vs.Antonio Lopez (Gooch Training Academy/Saekson Muay Thai)

 

University of MMA Bantamweight Championship:

135 lbs. – Vince ‘The Anomaly’ Cachero (Systems Training Center) vs. Demar ‘King’ George (Dream Killer Fight Team)

 

University of MMA Featherweight Championship:

145 lbs. – Ryan ‘The Lion’ Lilley (Bas Rutten’s Elite MMA Gym) vs. Albert Veloz (Cage Combat Academy)

 

155 lbs. – Remington Thorne (Saekson Muay Thai) vs.Carnation ‘The Flash’ Contreras (Krav Maga Unyted)

 

120 lbs. (catchweight) – Jasmine ‘Tapout Queen’ Pouncy (Nubians MMA) vs. Akari Wang (Systems Training Center)

 

205 lbs. – Travis Williams (Elite Training Center) vs.Jonathan ‘Jonny McGregor’ Sweitzer (Valhalla ETC)

 

155 lbs. – Troy Hargrow (Nubians MMA) vs. Zach Kraschinsky (Bas Rutten’s Elite Training Center)

 

125 lbs. – Karlee Pagilinan (Team Quest) vs. Gilbert Nakatani (Sityodtong LA)

 

125 lbs. – Matheus Leaondro Santos (MMAFC) vs.Angel Diaz (Systems Training Center)

 

170 lbs. – Aaron Landry (Ring of Fire Martial Arts Academy) vs. Lance ‘The Black Ranger’ Bush (Team Lagarto)

 

145 lbs. – Victor Rivera (Nubians MMA) vs. Juan Vasquez (Team Victory Muay Thai/Dream Killer Fight Team)

 

195 lbs. (catchweight) – Christopher Llanes (Team Quest) vs. David Boyko (Bas Rutten’s Elite MMA Gym)

 

145 lbs. – Andrew Secaida (Dream Killer Fight Team)vs. Kurt Eberhard (Saekson Muay Thai)

 

135 lbs. – David Perez (Riverside Submission) vs. Julio Santa Cruz (Systems Training Center)

 

145 lbs. – Benito Mendez (Kings Combat Sports) vs.Sergio Gonzalez (Yuma United Fight Team)

 

The University of MMA: Fight Night 10 takes place at5:00pm on Sunday, May 31, 2015, at Club Nokia at L.A. LIVE, 800 West Olympic Boulevard. Doors open at 4:30pm. Fight card is subject to change. Tickets are now available and can be purchased through www.UofMMA.com andwww.AXS.com, charge by phone at 888-9AXS-TIX or 888-929-7849, and from 10:00 AM-5:00 PM, Mon-Fri at the STAPLES Center Box Office located at 1111 S. Figueroa St. Applicable fees may apply. The Club Nokia box office will open at 2:00pm the day of the event.
mixed martial arts, University of MMA

FIGHT NIGHT 9 QUICK RESULTS AND ‘DEAN’S LIST’AWARDS

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Los Angeles, CA – The old adage “bigger is better” proved to be true for the first University of MMA event of 2015, as Fight Night 9 set several new records, all stemming from the show’s 18-match fight card. The event took place on March 8 at Club Nokia at L.A. LIVE, producing several candidates for Fight of the Night, Blue Chip Honors, and Submission of the Night.

 

“It’s rare when you have quantity and quality in such perfect synergy, but the fighters and fans gave us exactly that. When it was done, I was still had energy to watch a few more matches,” said University of MMA matchmaker Jay Tan.

 

In the end, the Dean‘s List performance awards for Fight Night 9 are:

 

Fight of the Night (TIE): Jasmine Pouncy (Nubians MMA) vs. Daria Berenato (Systems Training Center) and Ryan Lilley (Bas Rutten’s Elite MMA Training Center) vs. Jonathan Quiroz (California MMA)

 

Knockout of the Night: Lance Lee (Kings MMA)

 

Submission of the Night: Thom Landeros (All In MMA)

 

Blue Chip Honors: Angel Diaz (Systems Training Center)

 

“We’re proud of all of the award winners.  Without a doubt these men and women earned their acknowledgements by making an impact on the audience, earning glory in the cage, and taking home $100 gift cards courtesy of our sponsors OTM Fight Shop and WSS,” said University of MMA founder Turi Altavilla.

 

In addition to the traditional Fight of the Night, Knockout of the Night, and Submission of the Night awards, Blue Chip honors recognizes fighters who show great showmanship, charisma and audience awareness.

 

Pouncy and Lilley both won their respective matches by unanimous decision, but the results betray how closely scored were the rounds in each fight. Pouncy and Berenato traded furious striking combos in a barnburner that exemplified why women’s MMA is so popular. And with twenty amateur MMA matches between them, Lilley and Quiroz displayed masterful fight maturity, strongly pointing towards destined pro debuts.

 

Lance Lee‘s knockout of A.J. Lavarias advances him to the finals of the University of MMA lightweight championship tournament, where he’ll faceJulio Lopez (Ruckus MMA) at Fight Night 10 in May. Thom Landeros‘guillotine choke victory was both swift and technically complete, while Blue Chip Honors winner Angel Diaz exhibited charisma and stage presence that boosted an adept first-round submission win.

 

Additionally, University of MMA featherweight and welterweight champions Tommy Aaron and Roman Todorovich (both of Elite Training Center), respectively, successfully defended their titles with undeniable first-round victories.

 

In his first title defense, Aaron faced Sergio ‘Surge the Kid‘ Perez (Hayastan MMA), who imposed his will early on the champion with a defiant takedown and constant body control for much of the first round. Once the fight got back to the feet, however, Aaron landed a textbook spinning back kick that stunned Perez enough for the champion to swarm in for the TKO finish.

 

Todorovich faced a unique challenge in rematching former University of MMA welterweight champion Jarett Conner (independent), who returned to the U after a year-long hiatus. Himself the reigning welterweight king prior to Todorovich wresting the title from him in 2014, Conner demonstrated his trademark strength and unstoppable takedowns with the same adeptness for which he’s known. With his champion’s conviction, Todorovich secured an armbar early, which he kept through an elevated power bomb by Conner. Todorovich shifted position to full mount, leading to a ground-and-pound finish at 1:11. The match was stopped due to injury, when Conner based to his arms and knees, severely dislocating his elbow.

 

Quick results for University of MMA: Fight Night (March 8, 2015):

 

1)   155 lbs. (3 x 2 min., shins) – ERNESTO LEYVA (CSW) def. VICTOR RIVERA (Nubians MMA) via unanimous decision\

2) 125 lbs. (3 x 2 min., shins) – ANGEL ‘The Kraken’ DIAZ (Systems Training Center) def. SONNY ASHTON (Smash Squad) via submission (rear naked choke), R1, 1:46

3) 170 lbs. (3 x 2 min., shins) – AARON LANDRY (Ring of Fire Martial Arts Academy) def. DANNY LLAMAS (The Guild) via TKO, R1, 0:51

4) 155 lbs. (3 x 2 min., shins) – ANITA HOEHENLEITER (JFM Boxing/Systems Training Center) def. ASHLEE ‘Smiley’ GRANT (Bowman’s Dojo) via submission (standing guillotine), R1, 1:03

5) 170 lbs. (3 x 2 min., shins) – SERGEY MARTIROSYAN (Docando/Hayastan MMA) def. CRUZ MARTINEZ (10th Planet Van Nuys) via unanimous decision

6) 165 CW lbs. (3 x 2 min., shins) – YASKIN SOLANO (Paragon BJJ) def. ARSALAN HOMAYUN (10th Planet Burbank) via submission (armbar), R1,0:50

7) 205 lbs. (3 x 2 min., shins) – MICHAEL ‘Lazer’ REYES (10th Planet Van Nuys) def. TRAVIS WILLIAMS (Elite Training Center) via unanimous decision

8) 125 lbs. (3 x 2 min., shins) – KELLY VANHOY (Millennia MMA) def. STEFANI POGUE (Systems Training Center) via unanimous decision

9) 145 lbs. (3 x 3 min., no shins) – RYAN ‘The Lion’ LILLEY (Bas Rutten’s Elite MMA Gym) def. JONATHAN QUIROZ (California MMA) via unanimous decision

10) 135 lbs. (3 x 2 min., shins) – RICHIE MEISTER (BJMUTA) def. MILTON ‘The Diamond’ ARGUELLO (10th Planet Van Nuys) via majority decision

11) 125 lbs. (3 x 2 min., shins) – JASMINE ‘Tapout Queen’ POUNCY (Nubians MMA) def. DARIA ‘The Jersey Devil’ BERENATO (Systems Training Center) via unanimous decision

12) 125 lbs. (3 x 3 min., no shins) – THOMAS ‘The Beast’ LANDEROS (All In MMA) def. HUGO ‘Young Gun’ ARANDA (House of Champions) via submission (guillotine), R1, 1:40

13) 135 lbs. (3 x 2 min., shins) – VINCE CACHERO (Systems Training Center) def. MICHAEL ‘Slayer’ DERDERIAN (10th Planet HQ Fight Team) via unanimous decision

14) 170 lbs. (3 x 2 min., shins) – LANCE ‘The Black Ranger’ BUSH (Team Lagarto) def. SCORPIO SKY (The Guild) via split decision

UNIVERSITY OF MMA LIGHTWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP TOURNAMENT

15) 155 lbs. (3 x 3 min., no shins) – JULIO ‘The Wolf’ LOPEZ (Ruckus MMA) def. PIOUS ‘Voodoo’ ENILOLOBO, JR. (BJMUTA/Flying Kick Martial Arts) via TKO, R2, 1:23

UNIVERSITY OF MMA WELTERWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP

16) 170 lbs. (3 x 3 min., no shins) – ROMAN ‘The Gladiator’ TODOROVICH (Elite Training Center) def. JARETT CONNER (Independent) via TKO/doctor’s stoppage, R1, 1:11

UNIVERSITY OF MMA LIGHT WEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP TOURNAMENT

17) 155 lbs. (3 x 2 min., shins) – LANCE LEE ‘Vanquish’ (Kings MMA) def. A.J. ‘The People’s Champ’ LAVARIAS (Systems Training Center) via KO, R2,1:30

UNIVERSITY OF MMA FEATHERWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP

18) 145 lbs. (3 x 3 min., no shins) – TOMMY ‘The Spaniard AARON (Elite Training Center) def. SERGIO ‘Surge the Kid’ PEREZ (Hayastan MMA) via TKO, R1, 2:09

University of MMA: Fight Night 10 takes place on Sunday, May 31, at Club Nokia at L.A. LIVE. Doors open at 4:30pm and first fight takes place at 5:00pm. Tickets are on sale now through www.UofMMA.com

 

*****                  *****                  *****                  *****                  *****

 

CONTACT: Either Turi Altavilla at turi@UofMMA.com and phone (310) 701-8339 or Jay Tan at jaytan@UofMMA.com and phone (213) 618-0332.

 

*****                  *****                  *****                  *****                  *****

 

About the University of MMA (www.UofMMA.com): The University of Mixed Martial Arts (aka “The U”) is a Los Angeles-based fight promotion specializing in exciting, high-octane, upscale amateur MMA events around the Southern California region. Its mandate is to provide a stage for young, aspiring fighters to hone their MMA skills and develop themselves as marketable personalities and respectable ambassadors of the sport. The U was founded in 2010 and has run sixteen shows in Southern California. Each event is sanctioned by the California Amateur MMA Organization (CAMO), which upholds the highest safety standards in the nation for amateur competition. The team behind the U collectively has over 20 years of experience in promoting professional MMA at the highest level of the sport, including international and domestic events broadcast on pay-per-view, cable, and network television. For tomorrow‘s MMA stars and champions …IT STARTS HERE!
About OTM Fight Shops (www.OTMfightshops.com):  On The Mat (OTM) is an American company and brand dedicated to the sport and lifestyle of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (BJJ), submission grappling (no-gi), and mixed martial arts (MMA). Founded in 1996 by owner Scotty Nelson in Mountain View, CA, OTM has become best known for its website, OnTheMat.com, which provides the largest online library of jiu-jitsu and grappling footage, including video magazines, instructional videos, and tournament compilations. Its online store and eight retail fight shops in California, Nevada, and New Mexico offer the widest selection of fight gear and apparel for fighters from every discipline. Additionally, OTM’s clothing line is among the most recognizable brands in BJJ and MMA, including a custom made jiu-jitsu gi called Lucky Gi. OTM has sponsored dozens of BJJ / MMA household names, such as B.J. Penn, Nick Diaz, Nate Diaz, Jeff Monson, Kenny Florian, and Diego Sanchez.

About WSS (www.shopWSS.com):WSS is a leading Southern California retailer founded in 1984. WSS (formerly Warehouse Shoe Sale) offers a wide variety of footwear, clothing, and accessories from all major brands. WSS carries over 3,000 of the latest styles from such brand names as Nike, Jordan, Vans, Converse, Sketchers, Reebock, Adidas, Puma, New Balance, DC Shoes, Timberland, K-Swiss, and many, many more. With over 25 years in business and 55 stores (Victorville, Bakersfield and Lancaster coming soon), WSS has an unrivaled reputation for having great values and great selection and for bringing customers the latest in the best styles. Participating in over 350 local events per year, WSS is also committed to giving back to the community.