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THURSDAY, April 28th, 2005, AT 1:10 AM, PT
This Weekends ISCF Action!
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Kelly &
Crushhorn
Meet For
IKF Gold At
Wiskey Tango's Throwdown
IKF/ISCF Missouri, USA: This Thursday night, April 28th, Squared Circle Productions will Presents Wiskey Tango's Throwdown at Whiskey Tango's, Grain Valley, Missouri, USA. The featured IKF Kickboxing bout will be the quest for the vacant IKF Kickboxing Pro FCR Super Lightweight Midwest Title between Mike Kelly and Dillon Crushhorn.
Crushhorn who is 9-3 as a Pro is from from the Ft. Leonardwood Missouri area. Mike Kelly was 12-2 with 2 wins by KO/TKO as an amateur and has built a perfect record of 6-0 as a Pro. Kelly is currently ranked number 3 in the IKF Pro FCR Super Lightweight division.
The event will also feature ISCF MMA and Pro Boxing (See article below posted on April 13th - Whiskey Tango's Throwdown I) Part of the Pro Boxing will include Alvin "The Quickster" Brown (23-8 with 11 KO/TKOs) of Grandview, Missouri, USA taking on Angelo Torres (12-12-2 with 3 KO/TKOs) of Lakewood, Washington in a highly anticipated rematch this time for the NABA Featherweight Crown.
All action will begin at 7:PM with doors opening at 6:PM. The future of the Midwest Fight Scene is now and Squared Circle Promotions is once again leading the way with the trendsetting fusion of Professional Boxing, Kickboxing, and MMA onto the same card. For more info please contact Mr. Craig Cummings at (816) 668-4752 or at craigcummingsboxing@yahoo.com
MORE ISCF ACTION!
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Atlanta's
Friday Night Fights
Atlanta's Friday Night Fights returns this Friday, April 29 when ISCF MMA fights, promoted by Undisputed Productions, comes to Earthlink Live. Tickets are on sale at all Ticketmaster locations, the Earthlink Live box office and the Undisputed Productions website. Currently, all $15 and $25 tickets are sold out for the fights. The remaining tickets are $50 seats, $100 seats and ringside tables that seat 10. The night will feature 8 MMA fights.
For those interested the event weigh-ins will take place at 6:PM on Thursday, April 28 at the ESPN Zone in the heart of Buckhead. Atlanta sports station 680 The Fan will be broadcasting live from the ESPN Zone for the weigh-ins from 7:PM until 10:PM. Here is the nights line up below as of press time today.
TUESDAY, April 26th, 2005, AT 11:00 PM, PT
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FULL THROTTLE
RESULTS
Atlanta Georgia -
Brett Moses' Fight Party Productions
The inaugural FULL THROTTLE Fight Party ISCF Mixed Martial Arts event played to a paid Thursday night audience of over 2,500 at the 70,000 square foot Wild Bill's facility. The layout provided a good view from almost anywhere in the house and the three giant screens only added to the effect. "That was the most phenomenal crowd I ever fought in front of in my life," said UFC-bound fighter, Charles McCarthy. "Can't wait for the June 3rd, Friday night show", said promoter Brett Moses. Another fighter on his way to the big dance, Ultimate Fighter Light Heavyweight champ, Forrest Griffin, guest refereed a couple of bouts and was presented a plaque by the Fight Party Promoter, Moses. Here are the nights results below.
For more info contact the Fight Party Hotline at (404) 315-7235 or go to www.TheFightParty.com
WEDNESDAY, April 20th, 2005, AT 9:05 PM, PT
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Results From
Shamrock
Promotions
Chaos In The Country
ISCF &
IKF -
Missouri, USA: This past
Saturday night Shamrock Promotions
did something they have never done since they started promoting, an outdoor
event! That's correct, an open air Fight Show. In Villa Ridge, Missouri, Shamrock Promotions teamed up with KMA
Bar and Grill to host a sell out crowd of over 1,000 fight fans, under the
stars. The fights were held under a 120 X 60 foot tent. The crowd was anxious to
see the talked about event, since the event was advertised on 105.7 The Point.
One of St. Louis's top Radio Stations. Once again Shamrock
Promotions mixed up the night with Boxing, Kickboxing, and Mixed
Martial Arts. Here are the nights results below.
For more information check out www.finneyskickboxing.com or call (314) 608-3104.
MORE NEWS OF 4-20-05
POSTED AT 3:20 PM, PT
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Full Throttle
Thursday Night Fights!
ISCF Atlanta, Georgia,
USA: Fresh off of the HUGE success of the Sold Out Compound Fracture event, Brett Moses'
(Right) Fight Party Productions, the
Undisputed King of REAL Mixed Martial Arts
Fight Promotion in Georgia, In conjunction with
WILD
BILLS (www.wildbillsatlanta.com) of Atlanta, Georgia, The
Largest Country Music Dance Club and Concert Hall in the Country, is proud
to present a new era in Georgia Extreme Fighting...
Full Throttle Thursday Night Fights!
Every Sixth Thursday Fight Party Productions, LLC, Georgia's Undisputed King Of No-Holds-Barred, Mixed Martial Arts Fighting, will bring the best up and coming fighters to test their skills in Real Fights held under the watchful eye of the World's Premier MMA Sanctioning body, the ISCF.
As of this press release there are 12 scheduled bouts for this
Thursdays April 21, 2005 event. 
WILD
BILLS is located at 2075 Market Street, Duluth, Georgia.
(678) 473-1000.
Off of I-85 and Pleasant Hill Road, adjacent to the
Gwinnett Place Mall.
Doors open 6:PM.
Fights begin at 7:PM.
Tickets go on sale Wednesday, April 6th and will be available through TICKETMASTER, Wild Bill's, and Velocity Martial Arts. $55.00 in advance for reserved floor seating and $30.00 in advance for general admission ($60.00 and $35.00 at the door).
Here is the nights fight card as of press time:
For more info contact the Fight Party Hotline at (404) 315-7235 and Wild Bill's Wild Line at 678-473-1000 or go to www.TheFightParty.com
FRIDAY, April 15th, 2005, AT 7:00 PM, PT
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Shamrock Promotions
Chaos In The Country
ISCF
/IKF Missouri, USA:
ISCF MMA & IKF
Promoter Jesse Finney and his Shamrock
Promotions are all set for another night of exciting kickboxing
action at the KMA Bar & Grill in Villa Ridge Missouri, USA tomorrow night,
April 16th. Tomorrow nights event is called "Chaos
In The Country" and will feature IKF
Amateur Kickboxing &
ISCF Mixed Martial Arts.
Team Finney will send 6 Fighters into battle. Jamie O'hare, Michelle Hurchla, Eric Hansen, Bobby "Tsunami" Cho, Tim "Irish Pride" Connors and "Mean" Mike Green. Cho who will be making his Finney's Kickboxing Debut looks good. "He's been working hard and has shown a tremendous amount of improvement." Says a Finney Representative. "Bobby looks to be a strong fighter for too." Connors is still on his undefeated streak and looks to be a winner yet again. In February he defeated Josh Sarder of Flora, Illinois by TKO at :33 in the first round. A week later he defeated Jason Barrows of Davenport, Iowa by KO at :50 in the 1st round. He's been looking better and better and all these fights are giving him some great ring experience.
Well known Finney fighter Mike Green has been in the gym a lot working on some new techniques. Mike is as tough as they come and will have a battle on his hands tomorrow night. As of press time the final fight card was not available but look for the nights results next week. For more information check out www.finneyskickboxing.com or call (314) 608-3104.
TUESDAY, April 12th, 2005, AT 2:10 PM, PT
Moses,
Brown, Crawford & Allen
Added To
The Prestigious List Of MMA Advisors On
The ISCF
Advisory Board
"When you seek
perfection you attain Excellence!"
This is what the
ISCF Organization is all about and they
seek that perfection by the knowledgable advice of those who truly KNOW
MMA!
Today the ISCF added 4
more "Perfectionist" to the ISCF Advisory Board.
One of them was removed earlier this year due to protests by some
unknowledgeable individuals who had their "Own" opinions as to
why they thought he should not be on the board. Opinions which clearly proved to
have the wrong intentions... as well as simply just being wrong.
See
post below by IKF & ISCF President Steve Fossum.
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Brett Moses has been a major part of the ISCF success from the beginning. He is an ISCF event official as well as an ISCF and IKF Kickboxing Fight Promoter. Still, Moses finds time to offer his own advice, as all others do who are on the board to help the ISCF grow as it continues to strengthen MMA around the world. To read more on Mr. Moses Click Here.
Along with Moses being added, 3 others were awarded positions on the board as well. They include the following individuals;
To see all the ISCF Advisory Board
members Click Here.
The members of the ISCF
Advisory Board are not paid members or employees of the ISCF or IKF.
The ISCF established the Advisory Board to
give recognition to those individuals who have helped and those who continue to
help grow the ISCF Organization as well as
progress the growth of MMA in their work. Board members do not make final
decisions in ISCF Title bouts, Sanctioning
or event Scheduling. Their efforts are to give advise when and where needed to
improve the work of the ISCF. They are
often used as ISCF event officials due to
their vast knowledge in the sport of MMA. Yes, unlike some Boxing Commissions
around the USA, our ISCF Board members "Really
DO Know the sport of MMA! Many Boxing commission board members are government
appointed officials that know little if anything about the sport of Boxing. The
ISCF Advisory Board is comprised of
individuals who have a vast amount of knowledge in the sport of Mixed Martial
Arts. This is "EXACTLY" why we seek them to advise the growth
and efforts of the ISCF, and more so, why
this board is called an "Advisory" board, and not a "Board
of Directors" as a few individuals kept demanding the board was earlier
this year.
ISCF &
IKF President Steve Fossum
Responds To The Moses & Georgia Issue
"One of our top Advisors Brett Moses came
under the heat of fire earlier this year by some individuals in the state of
Georgia who had NO IDEA what the
ISCF Advisory Board is for or 
what it's
all about." Said ISCF President
Steve Fossum. (Right) "After reviewing our procedures,
we are proud to add back to the ISCF Advisory Board Mr. Brett Moses.
Brett should have never been removed from the board or even placed under
review in the first place. Why we did so was a mistake on our part 'Thinking'
these other individuals had a valid issue, which they clearly did not!"
"All they wanted to do was try and invent a problem in the appointment of our Advisory Board Members when there was never any problem in the first place, only their false accusations. It was these false accusations though that have now forced a major change in the MMA and Kickboxing Laws in the State of Georgia."
"The ISCF is worldwide so the change of Laws will honestly effect us very little. Whether we do more or less IKF and or ISCF Sanctioned events in a particular state does not mean we turn away from the remainder of the world. However, in the long run, these individuals will be the ones who will suffer the consequences and be the burden of the blame by others in their State for what they have done. During the fight against the new Georgia Law these individuals told everyone they were helping MMA and Kickboxing when in the end, they will have shut down several Kickboxing and MMA Promoters so they don't have the competition of them."
"What many may not see is that the sport of Professional Boxing is EXEMPT from the new Georgia Law which makes Professional Boxing actually 'Easier' to promote than MMA or Kickboxing. Keep in mind that there are several Kickboxing promoters who will be shut down due to certain fee hikes and regulations by the Boxing Commission who are not associated with the ISCF or IKF. One in particular has kept Kickboxing alive and active in Atlanta promoting events on a weekly basis. He was told by these individuals to support the new Law/Bill. However, now that the new Law/Bill has past, he finds out he won't be able to promote because of regulations in it. To make matters worse and more insulting, he has already been approached by one of those new Law/Bill supporters asking him if they could 'TAKE' over the weekly show he has spent time and money to build. Talk about turning on your own.... "
"Whether MMA grows in Georgia because of the new law
change is yet to be seen. Hopefully it will, but with the new fees and
regulations as well as the $1,000.00 fee for sanctioning bodies just to do
business there (A fee Pro Boxing will not have to pay remember) Pro MMA and
Kickboxing may come to a halt in Georgia. However one thing is for sure... These
others who forced the law change are in for a darker future for MMA and
Kickboxing more than anyone associated with the ISCF or IKF on a worldwide
basis. This would be because if Georgia doesn't experience a rapid growth in MMA
from other organizations, guess who those fingers will be pointing at now...
Thanks
for taking the pressure off of us guys..."
WEDNESDAY, April 6th, 2005, AT 3:20 PM, PT
Roufus'
Heavyweight Gladiators Show To Feature ISCF MMA!
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Roufus
Ready For Andrijasevic
Rematch
Croatian Kickboxing Champion Comes to Milwaukee June
3rd
Wednesday, April 6, 2005, Milwaukee, WI USA:
In November of 1999, 4-Time World Heavyweight Kickboxing Champion Duke
Roufus (Right) travelled to the northern Italian resort town of
Trieste to face Sinisa "Thunderman" Andrijasevic, (Left)
a tough opponent who represented Croatia's best. From a country long known as a
superpower in Kickboxing and Mixed Martial Arts, Andrijasevic embodies
the same Croatian fighting spirit that is recognized worldwide and exemplified
by Pride superstar Mirko "CroCop" Filipovic, the
inaugural K-1 World Grand Prix Champion
Branko Cikatic and K-1
star Stephan Leko. As well as, Andrijasevic comes from a strong
athletic family, his brother Stipe is a well known professional soccer
player in Croatia. They would battle for Andrijasevic's WKA World
Heavyweight Title in a bout that had a well prepared Roufus controlling
the fight from the onset, but ultimately losing in the end.
In the 2nd round, a frustrated Andrijasevic employed an illegal judo style, hip throw and flung Roufus to the canvas where he landed with a solid thud on his back and injuring him. A confused referee was starting to give Roufus time to regain his senses and recover - and take away a point from Andrijasevic for the illegal move - when, after some commotion at ringside, the referee suddenly changed his call and started a 10 count on the fallen Roufus. Roufus gathered himself as much as possible and staggered to his feet by the count of 9, attempting to soldier on. Seeing that his stunned opponent was unable to get off any shots of his own, Andrijasevic pounced on Roufus like the wounded prey he was, forcing the referee to call a halt to what had been a promising outing for the American Kickboxing star.
Now, almost 6 years later, Roufus has the chance to come out of retirement and settle the score with his old adversary Andrijasevic, who is also a 4-Time World Champion. To make things even better, Roufus, 35, gets a chance to do it in his own hometown of Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA, when the premier match-up headlines the Heavyweight Gladiators "Return To Colosseum" IKF Pro Kickboxing and ISCF Mixed Martial Arts card at Friday, June 3, 2005 in Milwaukee's Ramada Airport Convention Center Grand Ballroom.
"In my mind, this is a vendetta I've wanted to settle ever since that fight. I don't mind losing. I've lost to some great fighters in my career, but I don't like losing that way," Roufus said. He continues, "I'm not going to let the referee or judges have any part of this one. I expect the same roughhouse tactics from Andrijasevic again. If he wants a street fight, he's got a street fight, Milwaukee style. The fans are going to see a Duke they've never seen before. He may have laughed first, I'm going to laugh last. We're going to war!"
Roufus has fought
eight times in Milwaukee as a professional - the first appearance in his
hometown was on July 20, 1989 which marked his second pro fight of his career.
On December 4, 1998
Roufus won the IKF Super Heavyweight Muay Thai Rules World
Title with his Unanimous Decision victory over New Zealand champion Hiriwa
Te Rangi.
Roufus successfully defended his IKF title in Milwaukee on March 19, 1999 when he dropped a first round KO bomb on Australia's Grant Barker (In Middle at Right with Trainer Robert Wilesmith at Left, Roufus Right). Then on October 23rd of the same year, Roufus put on a clinic against K-1 star Dewey Cooper winning their fight by a landslide Unanimous Decision victory. The last time Roufus fought in Milwaukee was on September 29, 2001 when he stopped Mexico's IKF Heavyweight Kickboxing Champion Pedro Fernandez by TKO at the end of the third round.
Roufus lamented, "It's been a great run of fights for me in my hometown of Milwaukee. All the fights I've had here are each special in their own way, especially winning the IKF World Championship and defending it successfully in my own town. But this fight is much more intense than any other fight I've had here. All the others were for sport and business like, but this one is personal."
Roufus' record
in Milwaukee is 8-0, with 4 knockouts.
"Return To Colosseum"
will feature a total of seven pro Kickboxing and MMA bouts, including
appearances by women's pro MMA star Greta "Mo' Betta"
Hicks (Right) of Milwaukee, Heavyweight Gladiators Horace "The
Real Deal" Craft, Cudahy, WI, "Bam Bam" Bryce
Franck, Rockford, IL, and "Big" Ben Rothwell,
Kenosha, WI, plus MMA Gladiators Jeb "The Butcher"
Bloomquist, "B.O.B." Bobby Garrits and Rob
Smith.
Fighting for her first time in front of the Gladiators Kickboxing faithful, the attractive and well conditioned Hicks could well be the bridge that connects MMA fans with Kickboxing fans. Hicks kept her comments short about her bout in her hometown, offering, "I can't wait. I have seen the shows live and am glad to be a part of them finally. I'm very excited!"
General Admission tickets for Heavyweight Gladiators "Return To Colosseum" are $25.00 in advance, $30.00 at the door. Ringside Reserved are $50.00 and VIP Table Seats are $80.00. Tickets may be reserved in advance by calling (414) 967-7767 or purchased at the Duke Roufus Kickboxing & Boxing Academy, 111 W. Virginia St., Milwaukee, (414) 319-1151. General Admission tickets may also be purchased in advance at the corporate offices of 102.1 FM, 2979 North Mayfair Road in Milwaukee, (414) 771-1021 beginning Monday, May 2nd.
Heavyweight Gladiators "Return To Colosseum" is presented by Kyle Monreal Painting and 102.1 FM. Additional sponsors include Combat Sports International, Connections Ticket Service, Cush, Cut Throat FightGear, Euro Cafe, InPro Corp, Joey Buona's Pizzaria & Grill, Kickboxing.TV, La Perla, Lowest Rate Mortgage, MilwaukeeNights.com, On The Border, ProKarateWeekly.com, Dr. Phil Repetti/Jordan Chiropractic, Attorney Martin Stein, Sunbusters, Rick Winter DDS/Hampton Dental and Windy Muaythai Equipment. Roundcard Girls courtesy of On The Border. The event is sanctioned by the ISCF and the IKF. For more information, please contact Scott Joffe at Ad Cetera Sports, (414) 967-7767 or visit www.heavyweightgladiators.com
TUESDAY, April 5th, 2005, AT 1:20 PM, PT
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Female Boxer Dies
After
Golden Gloves Boxing Match
Atlanta
Journal Constitution
Denver, Colorado,
USA: A female boxer died from a head injury sustained in Colorado
Golden Gloves competition, the Denver County coroner's office said Monday.
Becky Zerlentes, 34, of Fort Collins, died Sunday afternoon, Howard
Daniel said. The preliminary cause of death was blunt force trauma to the
head, but results from an autopsy conducted Monday were not immediately
available.
Zerlentes was hit by a punch from Heather Schmitz, and despite
wearing protective headgear fell unconscious during the third round of a bout
late Saturday, USA Boxing spokeswoman Julie Goldsticker said.
Physicians jumped into the ring, but Zerlentes never regained
consciousness and died several hours later.
Zerlentes had a 6-4 record. "The USA Boxing family's thoughts and prayers go out to Becky's family and husband; we are deeply saddened by this loss," said USA Boxing president Sandy Martinez-Pino.
USA Boxing is the sanctioning body for amateur boxing. The organization lifted its ban on women in 1993 and currently has 2,200 registered participants. Zerlentes is believed to be the first of her gender to receive a fatal injury in a sanctioned amateur match in the United States. Goldsticker said the last death at a USA Boxing event was in February 2001, when heavyweight Quinton Grier, 31, of Springfield, Illinois, died after a match.
We here at the ISCF would also like to send our thoughts and prayers to Becky's family and husband.
FRIDAY, April 1st, 2005, AT 7:00 PM, PT
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Full Throttle
Thursday Night Fights!
ISCF Atlanta, Georgia,
USA: Fresh off of the HUGE success of the Sold Out Compound Fracture event, Brett Moses' (Right) Fight Party Productions, the
Undisputed King of REAL Mixed Martial Arts
Fight Promotion in Georgia, In conjunction with
WILD
BILLS (www.wildbillsatlanta.com) of Atlanta, Georgia, the
Largest Country Music Dance Club and Concert Hall in the Country, is proud to
present a new era in Georgia Extreme Fighting...
FULL
THROTTLE
THURSDAY NIGHT
FIGHTS!
14 Action-Packed fights every sixth Thursday, beginning April
21, 2005 The fights will take place LIVE at
WILD
BILLS! Fight Party MMA is always sanctioned under the
International Sport Combat Federation (ISCF)
and will showcase some of the
country's top up and coming fighters. "I am really looking forward to
working with the people at Wild Bill's," stated Fight Party Promoter, Brett Moses (Left).
"The place is enormous! The dance floor area alone is over 5,000 square
feet. Together we will offer more opportunity for fighters and alternative
entertainment for the fans."
is located at 2075 Market Street, Duluth, Georgia. (678)
473-1000.
Off of I-85 and Pleasant Hill Road, adjacent to the Gwinnett
Place Mall.
Doors open 6:PM.
Fights begin at 7:PM.
Tickets go on sale Wednesday, April 6th and will be available through TICKETMASTER,
Wild Bill's, and Velocity Martial Arts. $55.00 in advance for
reserved floor seating and $30.00 in advance for general admission ($60.00
and $35.00 at the door).
For more info contact the Fight Party Hotline at (404) 315-7235 or go to
www.thefightparty.com
WEDNESDAY, March 30th, 2005, AT 12:25 PM, PT
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ISCF Champ
Wiezorek
Back In Action
ISCF Georgia, USA:
ISCF US Super Heavyweight Champion
Jonathan Wiezorek (Right, 6-1, 6'2",
245) of Valdosta, Georgia, USA, will be fighting in the Absolute Fighting
Championships on April 30th in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida. Wiezorek
will be fighting
Jeff Monson (14 - 5) for the AFC
Heavyweight Title.
Monson's record is available by
Clicking Here. Submission grappling videos of
Monson can be found by
Clicking Here.
This should be a tough match for both fighters. Both are UFC and Euphoria MFC veterans. Conventional wisdom in the mixed martial arts community holds Monson as a favorite.
Unabashed, Wiezorek is training hard to improve his game and hopes to pull an upset in this match. His main trainers include undefeated ISCF fighter, Andy Foster and Ben Kiker of United Karate in Dalton, GA. Not one to be idle, Wiezorek will fly back to Chattanooga Tennessee early the following morning and pickup his Master's Degree in Sports Medicine at the UTC graduation. Wiezorek is currently completing some course work and his thesis level research project as well. For more information on Wiezorek go to the Valdosta Martial Arts Center site at www.valdostamac.com
TUESDAY, March 29th, 2005, AT 1:45 PM, PT
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Changes In
Georgia
Martial Arts
On The Horizon
For those interested, earlier today SB 224 past the Georgia House with some changes. If the final version is signed into law we will provide a full analysis of the highs, the lows and all the votes here on the ISCF News page. It's premature to say much more at this point other than this bill will bring some major changes to Martial Sports in the State of Georgia. To see these changes scroll down below to the headline, "Kill SB224". To view the bill itself Click Here.
MORE NEWS OF 3-29-05
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Results From
"WAR
IN THE CAGE III"
The Beaumont Club - Kansas City, Missouri, USA
ISCF
Representative Chuck Wolfe
This past Friday night, March
25th, ISCF Promoter Chad Osborne
and his Adrenaline Athletics presented
Adrenaline Extreme Combat
"WAR IN THE CAGE III". All the
nights fights were MMA which featured 9 real Amateur MMA bouts and 1 exhibition.
Here are the nights results below.
For more info please contact Mr. Chad Osborne at chad@adrenalineextremecombat.com or call (816) 914-6527 or go to www.adrenalineextremecombat.com
TUESDAY, March 22nd, 2005, AT 1:45 PM, PT
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Kill SB224
By Matthew Corsey
To Read This Bill
Click
Here
As many of you (In Georgia, USA) already know, the
sport of MMA faces a crisis in the state of Georgia. The issue at hand is
proposed legislation titled
SB224. This bill has already passed through the
GA Senate, largely due to the fact that many in the GA MMA community were
unaware of the bill prior to its Senate passage. The bill is now coming up for
discussion and a possible vote in the GA House of Representatives.
What many
of you may not know is that this bill has the potential to affect the sport of
MMA across the country.
When most people think of MMA in the US, they think of the UFC.
What many people do not know is that this high-profile promotion only represents
a fraction of one percent of the athletes who engage in and support the sport of
MMA.
The vast majority of MMA athletes and sportsmen fight in small,
grass-roots shows throughout the United States. These shows are the only venue
in which an amateur or little-known professional fighter will likely ever
compete. Often turning little or no profit, these shows are supported by
legions of loyal fans and promoted for only one reason—for the love of the
sport of MMA.
The state of Georgia has long been a national leader in the
promotion and development of the sport of MMA. Georgia hosted one of the
earliest UFCs, as well as other large promotions like the WEF, the RSF, Shidokan
and the WEFC. But have you ever heard of the Gauntlet Trials? The Cagefighter
Championships? The Fight Party? The Throwdown in V-Town? Winter Wars? Fall
Brawl? Compound Fracture? The Submission Fighting Open? All of these promotions
and more take place right here in the state of Georgia. Fighters from all over
the country travel to GA—often at their own expense—just for the
chance to participate in this great sport of MMA. Indeed, some have even gone
so far as to call GA an "MMA Mecca" for the sheer number of shows
promoted here very year.
SB224 spells the death of this vibrant MMA scene
in GA, and establishes a solid precedent for the death of the MMA community in
many other states should their legislators choose to follow in Georgia's
footsteps.
The main purpose of
SB224 is to hand full control of MMA in GA to
the GA Athletic Commission. While AC involvement may not sound like a negative
on the face of things, the fact is that the proposed bill will serve only to
line the pockets of the AC while crushing the vibrant MMA community here in
Georgia.
What a lot of fans do not realize is that many MMA shows make very
little money. In fact, many MMA promotions actually LOSE money when all of the
accounting is said and done. These promotions barely squeak by, financially
speaking, and the losses are absorbed by dedicated individuals who give up
personal assets to promote the sport.
Under SB224, every sanctioning body will have to pay a $1000 annual fee to the AC. This fee will naturally be passed onto the promoters. But the fees don't end there. Each promoter will have to pay a $500 annual fee just to promote! Each promoter will also have to pay the sanctioning bodies for the right to be sanctioned, for referees and judges, and for event representatives to watch over each promotion. Under SB224, the AC has the right to demand that AC representatives also be present at cost to the promoter. Sounds costly? Well now add in the "per-bout" fees that the AC can charge under the bill. Will the fees ever end? Not quite yet! Promoters are also required to pay the AC a fee of 5% of GROSS receipts from the promotion, up to a maximum of $40,000!
If any of you have worked with a small promotion or even owned
a small business, you know how hard it is to turn a profit. Overhead, labor
costs, taxes, insurance, cleanup, concessions, etc. leave little or nothing left
to profit. Often the margin is in the low single digits. If further reduced by
these proposed fees, the cost becomes outrageous.
SB224 will create a
climate where only the independently wealthy will be able to promote.
Proponents of SB224 have argued that AC involvement will prevent corruption in promoting MMA. Yet certain GA MMA promoters have e-mails from the boxing commission indicating that those who oppose this bill will have a very difficult time trying to promote once it passes. Furthermore, I have been told that one promoter close the AC has even bragged that his fees will be waived if the bill passes. And this is the way they stop corruption?
There has also been much ado about the proposed "10-year felon ban" clause in the bill. Proponents of the bill try to frame the issue so that they can smear anyone against the bill as being "pro-felon." This is a straw-man argument. In point of fact, no one who has promoted MMA in GA within the past year would be hindered by this clause. This clause is just one more tool that those in favor of SB224 can use to distract concerned citizens from the real issues.
The solution is not to amend
SB224, or to turn a blind eye to its passing.
The very sport of MMA may indeed rest on the passage or failure of this bill.
SB224 does not need to go any further than it
has already gone. The destruction of MMA in GA would be a crippling blow to the
sport as a whole.
I have been informed that the bill is currently under
review by GA congressman Earl Erhart. Rep. Erhart (eaeh@facilitygroup.com) sits on
several powerful committees and has the power to stop this bill in its tracks.
Today I urge you to e-mail congressman Erhart and let your voice be heard. Do
not stand by while our sport is destroyed by the powerful "old boys"
network of connected promoters, politicians, and commissioners. Please e-mail
Congressman Erhart (eaeh@facilitygroup.com)
right now.
If you are unsure of what to write, you may copy the following e-mail, or use it as a starting point.
____________________
Dear Representative Erhart,
Please vote AGAINST
SB224.
SB224 will cripple or destroy the sport of Mixed
Martial Arts (MMA) in Georgia, and also stands to hinder many other
combat sports affected by the broad language of this bill. The fee structures
proposed by
SB224 will eliminate many if not all of the
current martial sport promotions in the state of Georgia. Georgia has long been
a national leader in martial sport.
SB224 will serve to eliminate this position of
leadership, and relegate Georgians to the role of spectators in the sports they
love and support. In these days of tight budgets and excessive regulation, the
last thing Georgia taxpayers want or need is bigger and more invasive
government. Please do your part to keep this state a national leader in martial
sports.
Respectfully,
XXXXX X. XXXXX
____________________
The above can be e-mailed to: eaeh@facilitygroup.com
And for those who wish to go the extra mile and contact the
rest of the GA House of Representatives, you can find their e-mails by
CLICKING HERE!
Thanks for all that you do to
keep our sport alive!
"NOTE: The
opinions expressed above are strictly those of Matthew Corsey and do not
necessarily reflect those of IKF, ISCF or any of its advisory board members, all
of whom serve in a voluntary, non-binding and completely advisory capacity for
IKF and ISCF."
MORE ON SB224
SB224 Eliminates
College Wrestling in Georgia
By
James Corbett
It has come to my attention that SB224 will completely eliminate sanctioned college wrestling events in Georgia. SB224 does not list the National Collegiate Wrestling Association, (NCWA - www.ncwa.net), as a body legally empowered to sanction collegiate wrestling in Georgia.
The following post-secondary schools in Georgia compete in NCWA
events
(Source:
http://www.ncwa.net/Teams/NCWA%20College/teams?state=true#Georgia):
Georgia
NCWA Teams
School State Conference
Georgia College and State University
Georgia Southeast
Georgia Tech Georgia Southeast
Kennesaw State Georgia
Southeast
Mercer University Georgia Southeast
University of Georgia
Georgia Southeast
Again, these teams compete in NCWA events within the state of
Georgia which would be ILLEGAL according to
SB224.
Also, teams from outside of Georgia
compete here in NCWA events. They bring dollars which not only help fund our
collegiate wrestling teams, they also boost local economies as well.
SB224 needs to be stopped before it passes the
House. Not only will it make collegiate wrestling events illegal, but will also
cripple other combat sports including Mixed Martial Arts, Kickboxing, Karate
and Grappling/Jujitsu tournaments.
If you require any more information
about
SB224, please contact me as needed at (229)
460-0664.
Sincerely
James Corbett
MORE NEWS OF 3-22-05
See What Brain Pad has new For 2005!
WEDNESDAY, March 16th, 2005, AT 1:20 PM, PT
In What USA States are
Kickboxing and or MMA
Legal?
We here at the ISCF and IKF (International Kickboxing Federation) seem to be asked this question a lot. So, we thought we would create our own chart to keep track of the status of this on our site. To see the current list as of the posting of this news today, CLICK HERE.
Keep in mind though that this list will be updated as often as
we receive information from States across USA. If you have any info that can
assist or be added to this chart please e-mail it to either
info@iscfmma.com or
main@ikfkickboxing.com
Any
assistance in helping with the accuracy of this chart will be greatly
appreciated.
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