Quantcast

dMo's Blog - Entries by category (3,633 views)

King Of The Cage Stand Off Event Mt. Pleasant MI

7 months ago

KOTC - Stand Off

February, 22nd 2008

Mt. Pleasant, MI

dMo and Phatdan recently attended the "Stand off" event put on by King of the Cage at the Soaring Eagle Casino and Resort in Mt. Pleasant Michigan. The card consisted of 12 amateur and 3 pro fights. Two tournaments for the 185lband 155lb KOTC amateurtitles as well as a professional title fight for the 145lb KOTC world championship. Cameras were rolling for an eventual release on pay per view scheduled for March 21st.

The lights go up and the action begins for a packed crowd

Fight 1 Alternate bout,
Brian Karmolinski Vs. Joel Paquette
This was a fast one! Karmolinskishoots fora single single leg take downas soon as the bell rings takingPaquette down. Karmolinski attempts a knee bar but gives up his back for a rear naked choke. WINNER Paquette 1;00 round 1
-
-
-
-
-
-

-
-
Fight2 155 tournament
Johnny Joles vs. Mike "SIXGUN Sixel
Round 1
Sixel comes out swinging as soon as the bell rings, butseems to missmore than he connecting. While in the clinch both fighters stay busy with knees but Sixel is getting the better of the exchanges. A huge overhand right from Mikeappears to break Joles' nose. Sixel controls round one.
Round 2
This round starts slower than the last, Joles is attempting leg kicks this round to tryand get something going. Sixel avoids a leg kick and slams Joles against the cagethenlands some heavy knees. Sixel isthrowing better combinationsthis round but Joles is landing shots of his own. Round 2 is close but Sixelwas the busier fighterand edges out Joles.
Round 3
Sixel knows the fight could depend on this round, and comes outwith a fast pace. Joles is trying to land anythingbut leaving himself open for Sixel potshots. Joleslands a superman punch, but it has little steam on it. Sixel lands two hard straight right hands to Joles' Jaw and Joles is now pouring blood. Joles misses a spinning back fist as the round ends. This fight was all Sixel and the scorecards reflected this.
Winner: Sixel unanimous decision, advancing to the tournament final
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-

-
-
Fight 3 155lb tournament
Chris Henderson vs. Justin Jayne's
Round 1
Jayne's works the Jab often but Henderson walks throughit and secures a take down. They trade positions on the ground several times and finally Henderson gets Jaynes' back and attempts a rear naked choke. Jayne's escapes and now has Henderson in guard, he postures up and rains down fists and elbows. The round ends, Jayne's is bleeding and has a large goose egg above his right eye.
Round 2
Jayne's comes out with the jabagain,then he misses a head kick but immediately secures a takedown. Jayne'sworkes intoHendersons guard but Henderson quickly transitionsinto a tighttriangle from the bottom and Jaynes has no option but to tap out.
Winner: Henderson via Triangle choke and advances to the finals.
-
-
-

-
-
Fight 4 155lb tournament
Tyrone Holmes vs Rodney Sleepers
Round 1
Holmes immediately lands a heavy right hand and slams Sleepers to the mat, but sleepers gets back to his feet fast. Holmes slams him again, this time harder and takes side control. Holmes retains side control but can't do much with it, Sleepers ground defense is working well. They stay on the ground until the round ends. Round 1 goes to Holmes.
Round 2
Sleeperscomes outattempting more kicks.He thenslams Holmesto the canvasandeventually takeshis back.Sleepers sinks in a deep rear naked choke andHolmes is forced to tap.
Winner: Sleepers via Rear naked choke 1:01 round 2
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
Fight 5 185lb tournament
Jordan Sullivan vs. Ben Lagman
This fight was all Lagman, Lagman lands a heavy right hand and takes Sullivan down, Lagman looks for an armbar but Sullivan escapes then gets back to his feet. Lagman lands a beautiful combo of rights and lefts thengets the take down and mounts.Sullivan makes a huge mistake and gives up his back. Lagman sinksin therear naked choke for the tap-out.
Winner: Lagman, rear naked choke, advancing to the finals
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
Fight 6 185 lb tournament
Tim Farr vs Jorge Sarat
Round 1
Another really fast out come as Sarat lands a huge rightjust as the round starts.This puts Farr down on the canvas. Sarat takes his back and chokes him out.
Winner Sarat via rear naked chokein 44 seconds of the first round.
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
Fight 7 Adam Cunningham vs Steve Becker
Round 1
Cunningham lands some heavy shots until Becker slams him into the cage. Cunningham takes Becker down andmoves toside control. Cunningham looks to take Beckers back and gets one hook in.Switching back to side control he looks for a kimura, but settles for a hammer lock, Becker taps.
Winner: Cunninham via Hammerlock 1:47 of the first round.
-
-
-
-
-
-
Fight 8
John LLoyd vs Shane Sutherland
Round 1
Sutherland starts out landing a heavy body kick, and attempts a guillatine but LLoyd escapes it. Now both fighters are exchanging against the cage, until Sutherland takes LLoyd to the ground. Sutherland looks for an arm triangle butcant get it. LLoyd, now in side control throws heavy knees to the body as the round ends. Sutherland wins a close round.
Round 2
They meet in the middle andstart exchange heavy hands, LLoyd gets the take down then ground and pounds Sutherland until he taps.
Winner: LLoyd via ground and pound tap-out, :26 of round 2.
-
-
-
-
-
Fight 9
Brandon Bandlow vs Corey Grant
Round 1
Both fighters immediately clinch. Grant shoots a single leg but Bandlow sprawls well. Grant gets the takedownthen takesBandlows back, he sinks in both hooks looking for a rear naked choke, but decides to rain down punches instead and the ref stops the fight.
Winner: Grant via tko due to ground and pound.
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-

Josh with KOTC owner Terry Trebilcock

-
-
-
-
Fight 10 Nick Turco vs. Josh Barnes for the Amateur Heavyweight Title.
Round 1
Both fighters come out with something to prove. They have a great exchange in the middle of the cage. Barnes is swinging hard and often but rarely finding the target. Turco lands a hard right and slams Barnes against the cage. Neither fighter wants to go to the ground, as they battle against the cage. Barnes lands some heavy knees and a couple of really good punches. Both fighters are battleing it out toe to toeas the round ends.
Round 2
The round starts with another great exchange but Barnesis starting to getthe better of it. Barnes is throwing more combos in this round and really utilizing his reach. Turco is swinging wide and Barnes makes him pay with great counters. Barnes is controlling the pace of the fight, and now seems to land at will. The fight is virtually even as round 2 ends.
Round 3
Barnes comes out Jabbing and throws a nice leg kick. Turco tries for a singleleg takedown but Barnes sprawls, gets to his feet and lands aquick left hook whileNick is still on his way up. Turco finds his footing and answers with a left hook of his own. Barnes continues putting 2 and 3 punch combos together. Turco lands a stiff jab but his thumb goes in Barnes eye, Barnes asks for time but Cecil Pepoles says keep fighting. Turco capitilizes on Barnes inability to see with a nice flurry. Soon Barnes is back on track and begins topump the jab yet again untill the final bell rings.
Winner: Barnes unanimous decision and the new KOTCworld heavy weight amatuer champion.
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-

Herrick lands a stiff jab

Herrick posturing up to slam Harper

-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
Fight 11 Chad Herrick vs Bryan Harper
Round 1
Haper comes out focusing on leg kicks, while Herrick wants to bang. They clinch on the cage and Haper back trips Herrickto the ground. Harper has Herrick in side control and lands some knees to the body, now he looks for the back. Herrick escapes. Herrick almost gets caught in a triangle buthe picks Harper up and slams him to the mat twice, much harder the second time. Herrickpummels Harper on the ground as the ref watches closely, Harper escapes just as the ref moves in to stop it. The fight continues and Harper looks for another guillotine as the round ends. Jason Ireland comes out of theVIPcrowd to give Harper some advice.
Round 2
Harper gets another takedown but can't keep Herrick down. Herrick lands a textbook right cross that opens Harper up. Herrick smells the blood and is relentless. Harper steps back and lands a great head kick as the round ends.
Round 3
Harper comes out throwing more leg kicks following witha superman punch that is off target. Herrick shoots looking for a leg but instead he finds a crushing knee to his face that knocks him clean out.
Winner Harper byKOdue to knee strike round 3.
-
-
-
-
-
-

-
-
-
Fight 12
Jerome Bealvs Brad Burrick
Round 1
Both fighters come out with leg kicks before tying up. Beal is gettingthe upper hand in the clinchuntill Burrick lands a couple elbows. They separate and BurrickKO's Beal with a huge right cross.
Winner Burrick round 1KO at 1:43
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-

-
-
-
-
-
Fight 13 155 Tournament Final
Chris Henderson vs Mike Sixel
Round 1
Both fighters open up slowly,showing patience until Sixel lands a hard right hand.He thenshoots for a double leg takedown and takes side control.Mike throws elbows to the ribs untill Chris gets Sixel in his guard. Sixel postures up and lands some heavy punches. Henderson lands some nice shots from the bottom but cant get a lot of steam on them. The ref stands the fighters up as the ten second warning sounds.
Round 2
Henderson charges in but Sixel lands a well timed right hand and thenties Henderson up. Sixel gets the seperation he wants andstarts to outbox Henderson.Sixel shoots for a single leg but Henderson defends, gains control and eventually gets themount.He then lands some huge shots forthe ground and pound victory. In a show of great sportsmanship the two share a moment of respect, smiling and giving each props in the middle of the ring.
Winner: Henderson via Ground and Pound 2:43 of round 2 and winner of the 155lb tournament
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-

-
-
Fight 14185 tournament final
Jorge Sarat vs Ben Lagman
Round 1
Laguillotinegman throws a body kick but it is caught and Sarat takes him down. Sarat lets Lagman up and now both exchang in the middle of the cage. The round is fairly slow with both fighters throwing one punch at a time and then backing off. Sarat gets the better of Lagman in this round.
Round 2
Sarat starts with two punches and a body kick landing all three. Lagman slips to the mat and Sarat pounces on him. Sarat has him in side control but again lets him up. Round 2 is another slow paced round. Lagman seems to have got the better of Sarat with leg and body kicks.
Round 3
Lagman pumps his jab and lands a body kick that sends Sarat to the mat. Sarat gets up before Lagman can gain control. Lagman lands a beautiful spinning heel kick that sends Sarat back. Sarat answers by slamming Lagman into the cage. Both fighters appear to know how close the fight is as they both swing wild trying to end it. Sarat lands a couple amazing spinning heal kicks that might justgive him the edge. Round 3 is another close one.
Sarat by split decision, winning the 185 lb tourney.
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-

-
-
-
-
Fight 15 MAIN EVENT KOTC 145 lb. WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP
Joe Voisin vs Matt Jaggers
Round 1
Voisin appears to be the stronger fighter and tries to utilize the skills that won him a state championship in wrestling. Jaggers stays calm and defends Voisins attempts to take him down with some uncannywrestling skills of his own. Jaggers seems to have the upper hand on their feet and on the mat. Jaggers is landing hard shots and Voisin keeps coming but looks confused on how to beat this guy. Round 1 goes to Jaggers.
Round 2
Voisin looks winded as the round starts. Again Jaggers is punishing Voisin on their feet and Voisin cant seem totake him down. If the fight continued this way Jaggers will cruise to an easy victory. Now Jaggers takes Voisin down and mounts. Jaggers rains down hammer fists, Voisin makes a mistake and gives up his back but but eventuallyescapes. Voisin, now back to his feet, takes Jaggers down but the round ends before he can do anything with it. Round 2 Jaggers
Round 3
Round 3 is more of the same, Voisins eye is swollen and he is bleeding from under his right eye. Jaggers has controlled almost every aspect of the fight and with Voisin exausted it looks to remain that way. Jaggers is justpunishing Voisin whotries for a take down but Jatake downggers enTKOds up on top anbattlingsingle legtake downd quicklymounts him Voisin again gives up his back as Jaggers pounds on him. Voisin can't take it anymore and he taps several times.The corner men fly into the ring to celebrate however Cecil Pepolessays he didnt see the tap, and tellsJaggers corner to get out of thecage, thefight is not over.
Round 4
Voisin gets aexhaustedtake down second chance but still can't muster any offense. Jaggers stays calm and continues to do what got him here. Voisin is just gassed and cant get anything going. Round 4 is all Jaggers, and he is pitching a shutout in the fight.
Round 5
Jaggers takes Voisin down and once again Voisin gives up his back, a habit he must break. Voisin eventually is able to shake him and stands once more. Heknows he needs a KO to win and starts swinging hard, but he is so tired they are easily seen by Jaggers whojust keepsthrowing his jab and keeping distance from Voisin. Finally Voisin takes Jaggers down but Jaggers defends well, Jaggers is holding Voisin to his chest and Voisin cant posture up. Jaggers flips Voisin and gains side control, then moves to half guard as the fight ends.
Winner Jaggers unanimous decision and the new KOTC world Bantam weight champ. While addressing the crowd Matt promised the first shot toLazar Stojadovic, who he fought to a no contest back in November.
We would like to thank Soaring Eagle and the KOTC for their hospitality and for putting on a great night of mixed martial arts action!
Written by Phatdan78
Editing and photography by dMo

Trials Of Affliction Event 2-9-2008

8 months ago

Trials Of Affliction Event2-9-2008

at the Andiamo, Warren Michigan

February 13th 2008

By: dMo & Shiftycapone

Phil Davey, Dustin Will:  by: David

Phil Davey with Dustin Will

We attended the "Trials of Affliction event Saturday nightput on by Midwest MMA Productions,home of theMichigan Unarmed Combat League. Midwest MMA Productions is owned by Richard Lictawa Sr and Jim Arnone, two area businessmen.

The event kicked off Friday night at Dooley's IrishTavern in Clinton township,where they conducted a meet and greet followed up with the weigh ins of some of the MUCLfighters. Dooley's did a great job with the beverages and the atmosphere, along with Phil "the voice" Davey doing what he does best, getting the crowd hyped with the microphone. Phil also runs Rough House Productions and has an event coming up February 28th called Battle On The Bay III being held at Gulinano's Lounge in Chesterfield Michigan.

Cage at the andiamo:  by: David

We arrived at the Andiamo Saturday night around 6pm. In time to snap some shots of the fighters and get an idea of what kind of mind set they were in. We were very impressed with the fighters participating on the Trials Of Affliction card. These weren't a bunch of street fighters just coming to the cage for bragging rights. These guys were warriors,wellversed in manymartial arts and discipline's. They appeared to be well trained and in solid shape. After the photo shoot, Rich, very busy making final preparations, informed us of our table number. Andiamos was comprised of beautiful tables, made up with full service dinner ware, perfectly folded cloth napkins and an atmosphere like no other no other showwe'd been to. Included in the reasonable ticket price was an open bar with top shelf liquor, four course meal with fillet mignon as the main course. Bellies full of great food and a couple cocktails it was then fight time.

The card was very complete with 9 fights ranging from a couple heavy weights to a light weight title fight.A 10th was scheduled with Rich's son competinghowever his opponent did not show. A case of nerves perhaps.

Will Garner guillotine on Dennis Gilbert:  by: David

Will Garner with a tight guillotine on Dennis Gilbert

the result:  by: David

The result of that guillotine.

The matches started out with a bang with Dante Pinterpe shooting for a double leg take down and quickly mounting Jason Stevens. After some ground and pound Jason gave up his back and Dante sunk in arear naked chokecausing Jason to tap out 33 seconds into the 1st round. Wow!!

Preston Winfrey out worked Jeff Kabacinski in an awesomeback and fourth ground battle ending the fight via tap out at the 2:40 of the 2nd.

Kris Lush put on a clinic with a brutal Ground and pound victory over Justin Osborne in 1:52 of the first round.

In another great match, Luis Luna won out over Ray Kozack with a verbal submission at 1:14 of the 2nd.

As seen in the pictures Will Garner sunk in a tight guillotine on Dennis Gilbert putting him to sleep. Dennis showed some real heart in not tapping out proving he's one tough SOB!

A great BJJ battle was nextwhen Yanni Cavis and Paris Boyd stepped into the cage. It was back and forthin the1st round with neither really gaining an advantage. At about the 1:50 mark of the 2ndCavisput a huge slam on Boyd then attempted an ankle lock. Quickly realizing that was going nowhere he transitioned into a dominate position and pulled a deep arm bar out of nowhere. Boyd taped out at 2:34of the 2nd.

Jason ready to tap:  by: David

Dan enjoying the fruits of his labor:  by: David

Jason ready to tap out and Dan enjoying the

fruits of his labor

Heavy weights Nick Turco and Jonathan Ireland Banged it out until Nick started getting the upper hand. He grabbed Jason into a Muai Thai clinch and brought up a knee and aright head kickthat spurned an audible ooh!! from the crowd. Incredibly Jason fought back but was forced to verbally submit when Nick poured it on again. Great fight!

This lead us to the main event for the MUCL light weight title between Dan Langbeen and Jason Peterson. Both fighters made their entrance to the ring in great shape and with a determined look on their faces. Dan and Jason basically slugged it out in a toe to toe battle that had thepacked crowd of the Andiamo to their feet at the end of the1st round. Dan having enough of the stand up tried taking Jason down but lost position ending up on the bottom, He pulled guard and started jockeying for position eventually grabbing a kimura and forced Jason to tap outat1:52 of the 2nd round winning the belt. Another action packedawesome fight and a great win for Dan Langbeen!

All and all it was an incredible night of action in a great atmosphere. The referee for the nights event was none other than Dom O'Grady who is coming off a huge win at KOTC and will be competing again at the XFO event in Crystal Lake Illinois on February 23rd. Again announcing the fights was Phil "the voice Davey who worked the crowd the entire night. Sitting at our table was none other than KOTC bad ass and former Pride alumni Jason Ireland. Also in attendance was Kirk Maltby of the Detroit Red Wing, WEC contender Brendan Sequin,kick boxer Sam "the cat Mishka and boxing great Thomas "Hit man"Hearns. You kidding me!! What a fabulous night of fights, great food and a pumped up crowd. What could be better!

Continue to check our blogs for the upcoming KOTC show in Mt Pleasant, the Battle on the Bay and many other events from Michigan and the Midwest.

Peace!

dMo and Shifty

Michigan & Midwest MMA events for February 2008

8 months ago

Michigan & Midwest MMA events for November 2008

Michigan

dMo & shiftycappone will be attending and reporting this event. Watch for the blog in The Mix later this month!

Trials Of Affliction 

Andiamo Warren
7096 East 14 Mile Road
Warren, MI 48092

Some of the items you can expect at our VIP MMA events:

  •  A First Class Promotion
  •  Valet parking, 4 course dinners, open premium  bar, silent sports memorabilia auction (portions of  proceeds always go to a selected charity)
  •  Awesome MMA fight card, Live Video (broadcast  simultaneously on projection screens), Live DJ,  every seat a great seat
  •  Pro fighter guest appearances, local sport  celebrities, entry ticket raffles

Order tickets on line at http://www.mucl-usa.com/index.php. Also, they still have openings for fighters. Use the fighter info page on their website to sign up. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

February 9, 2008 Dow Event Center Saginaw, MI

Info on tickets can be found at the CCF website.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 dMo will be attending and reporting on this event. Watch for his blog in the mix late Feb early March.

Friday February 22, 2008
Soaring Eagle Casino
Mt. Pleasant, MI

Tickets on line here.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Indiana

 

Location

5825 Sohl Avenue Hammond, IN 46320

Event Info

Call 773-582-9106
Doors open at 6:00 pm
Introductions begin at 7:00 pm
First fight to begin 8:00 pm sharp!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

8 Seconds Saloon
Indianapolis, IN

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Ohio

Click on banner for info

Feb 02, 2008
McCook, IL 60525
Phone: 630-640-2686
Event Email: teamtoro@comcast.net
Event Contact: Ricardo Perez

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 
 

WHAT: Midwest Grappling Open
WHEN: Saturday February 16th, 2008
WHERE: Strong Style Gym
6900 Granger Rd
Independence, OH 44131
216-520-0271
OFFICIAL WEIGH-IN: Saturday @ 8am
OPTIONAL WEIGH-IN: Friday @ 6-8pm

 

Click on banner for info

 

Event Date:

01-Mar-08

Event Time:

8:00 AM

Location:

Columbus, OH,
43215, United States

Phone:

860-295-0403

Event Email:

president@nagafighter.com

Event Website:

http://www.nagafighter.com

Event Contact:

Kipp Kollar

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Super Brawl II


Feb 16, 2008
Category: Events
Romer's Catering Celina, Ohio
Doors 6PM Fight 7PM
Contact Matt
phantomsports@excite.com

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

NAAFS Presents
Caged Fury 4
Taped for TV Event!

When: Saturday, February 16th, 2008
Where: Gray's Armory
1234 Bolivar Rd - Cleveland, OH
Doors Open: 5 PM
First Bell: 6: 30 PM
Tickets: $25 to $80 by calling 330-280-8442 or www.NAAFS.tv

 

 

 

 

 

Illinois

February 9th, 2008
The Hive Inc. Presents
MMA EVOLUTION VII
Bloomington Interstate Center
Bloomington, Illinois, USA

For More Info Go To
www.HiveMMA.com

For More Info Contact Mr. William McDonald (309) 531-3980 or at billcmcdon@hotmail.com  

February 23rd, 2008
The Hive Inc. Presents
MMA EVOLUTION VII
Pekin
Dragons Dome
Pekin, Illinois, USA

For More Info Go To
www.HiveMMA.com

For More Info Contact Mr. William McDonald (309) 531-3980 or at  billcmcdon@hotmail.com

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

XFO-22, February 23, 2008

Location:
Holiday Inn in Crystal Lake, IL
Ticket prices:
VIP Table: $750
  (seats 10/$75 per seat)
Table: $500
 (seats 10/$50 per seat)
Ringside: $60 per seat
General Admission (standing)
$35 in advance / $40 day of show
*all credit cards accepted.

info coming soon here.  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 
Event Date: 16-Feb-08
Event Time: 8:00am
Location: Chicago, IL,
60638, United States
Phone: 773.529.6886
Event Fax:  
Event Email: ottobomb@gmail.com
Event Website: http://www.titancombat.com
Event Contact: Otto Torriero


More Information,
A Gi and no-Gi grappling tournament, the Titan Combat Open offers multiple weight classes, skill levels and awards to all divisional champions and championship belts for the absolute winner in both the Gi and no-Gi divisions. See our website for details.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Michigan MMA house bill 4869 & 4870

9 months ago

I recently came across the house bill that Michigan Gov. Granholm signed on December 20th, 2007 legalizing MMA as a “prize fight” and decided to post it in case anyone is interested. This bill will open the door to sanctioned professional  mma events to be held in Michigan.

It appears the bill was actually specifically written for the UFC (ironically named Ultimate Fighting Challenge) to hold an estimated three events a year in Michigan. Unfortunately the language in the bill refers to MMA as a “no holds barred” combat however the plan is to use the unified rules from the state of New Jersey unless rules are passed specific to Michigan. Administrative rules necessary to implement license fees would also be adopted from New Jersey. The boxing commission will be renamed the unarmed combat commission.

They used Ohio as an example of the impact of monies that will be brought to the state and local communities. Ohio’s commissioner reported $500,000 in tax revenue.  The two UFC events held there also brought an additional 6 million in revenue and 24 million of economic impact to the cities where events were held. This included amateur events in Ohio. Hb4689 does not cover amateur events in Michigan and are currently unregulated.

 

Here is a copy of the bill.

 

 

STATE OF MICHIGAN JENNIFER M. GRANHOLM GOVERNOR

DEPARTMENT OF LABOR & ECONOMIC GROWTH

KEITH W. COOLEY DIRECTOROFFICE OF POLICY & LEGISLATIVE AFFAIRS

611 W. OTTAWA

P.O. BOX 30004

LANSING, MICHIGAN 48909

www.michigan.gov/dleg (517) 241-4580

 

Bill Analysis of Enrolled House Bill 4869 and Enrolled House Bill 4870 Topic: Regulation of Professional Mixed Martial Arts under the Unarmed Combat Act

Sponsor: Representative Barbara FarrahCo-sponsors: Representatives E. Gaffney, V. Smith, D. Hildenbrand, F. Accavitti, J. Brandenburg, L.Wojno, M. Gillard, B. Johnson, T. Melton, M. Meadows, R. Hammel, J. Bauer, D.Agema, C. Ward, D. Acciavatti, J. Marleau, A. Meekhof.

Committee: House Regulatory ReformSenate Economic Development and Regulatory Reform

Date Introduced: May 30, 2007

Date Enrolled: December 14, 2007

Date of Analysis: November 19, 2007

Position: The Department of Labor and Economic Growth supports the bill. 

Problem/Background: Mixed martial arts, or MMA, is a relatively recent international sport. Itcombines several unarmed fighting styles in no-holds-barred combat that has a rapidly growing fan base.Several states are in the process of regulating the sport, both as an effort by the industry to providelegitimacy, and to promote better protection for fighters. The largest MMA organization, the UFC(Ultimate Fighting Challenge), has been invited to Michigan to promote several professional shows, butthe sport is currently prohibited under the Michigan Penal Code as a prize fight. Enthusiasts considerMMA to be an economic development opportunity for Michigan, but because promoters find themselvesin conflict with state authorities, the UFC has refrained from conducting the events. Therefore, theMichigan legislature has proposed these bills. 

Description of Bill: House Bill 4869 amends the Boxing Regulatory Act and renames it the UnarmedCombat Act to add mixed martial arts under the regulation of the department of labor and economicgrowth. While many provisions are similar to those of the boxing regulations, there are differences:

The bill amends the boxing commission by renaming it the unarmed combat commission, andadding members who represent the mixed martial arts. It specifies how the commission shoulddecide issues relating to all unarmed combat, or boxing and mixed martial arts separately.

All MMA fights would be conducted under the New Jersey rules with certain exemptions, unlessthe department passes rules of its own. New Jersey rules have been adopted in a number ofstates, and this would make Michigan consistent with those jurisdictions.Enrolled Bill AnalysesHB 4689 & HB 4870

Funding for the program would be provided through license fees and a capped 3% tax on alltelevised contracts, regardless of venue size, unlike boxing, which is limited to a venue size of5,000 or more.

Each promoter would pay an event fee to the department of $2,000. This represents an averagecost to the department to provide staffing for regulating the events, such as inspectors andcommission member presence. This is in addition to the amount the promoter pays to officialsfor each contest.House Bill 4870 exempts MMA from the provisions of the Penal Code, which prohibits prize fighting inMichigan, and recognizes the regulation of MMA under the unarmed combat act. 

Summary of Arguments

For:

Regulation of this dangerous sport is necessary to ensure the well-being of the fighters.

With department oversight, viewers and contestants can be assured that the fights areappropriately regulated.