AGEMA & ULTIMATE FITNESS & MMA

John David Shackelford

2012-02-06T08:40:00.000-06:00

www.jayshackelfordmemorialfund.com

A memorial fund has been set up for the family of John-David Shackelford's brother. JD's little brother left behind a wife and small child and his friends are trying to help. If you feel so inclined, have seen JD fight or know David Ferguson through Memphis Judo & Jiu Jitsu, then please visit the link above and help where you can. Thank you for your continued support of MMA.

CrossFit Tupelo... "What is it?"

2012-02-02T09:40:00.001-06:00

Fact, “CrossFit” describes a way of thinking and a way of life. Simply put, the things you already know can change your life. The question is, how do you manage it and fit it into your lifestyle and schedule?

CrossFit could be defined in this way: High intensity, functional movement with constant variances to increase speed, power and balance.

I have been meaning to sit down and speak with John Prince, a certified CrossFit instructor, for a number of weeks now. I finally got the opportunity to talk to him about what CrossFit was and how it will benefit those participating.

Ultimate Fitness & MMA Tupelo recently began offering CrossFit and I had the opportunity to witness it first hand to a small degree after a Monday evening boxing class. It seemed simple enough. The following Monday, Jeff Chambers announced before boxing class that he wanted to introduce John Prince to the class. After the intro, John took us through about ten minutes of simple exercises. I quickly realized that simple doesn’t mean easy.

CrossFit Tupelo is for the person who is very serious about getting results, let there be no mistake about that. What I found was that it is challenging but simple. John explains how the exercises we all grew up doing can be done in a correct way to get maximum results in a very short period of time. He takes the time to not only explain the movements but also details the benefits. For someone like me, it is fantastic because just like every other UFM class, you do what you can do. No one is judging you if you cannot do 5000 burpees.

Johns stated “CrossFit is regular people doing extraordinary things.” I would have to agree, especially after seeing the world CrossFit Challenge on ESPN a few weekends ago. “It is not only high intensity with functional movement, but it is universally scalable so anyone can do it and get great results,” he added. “Speed, balance, and power are some of the results you will see quickly.

So no matter what your age or past difficulty in getting into shape, you would be well served to contact John or Jeff Chambers as soon as possible to see if they can get you into one of John’s classes. Be warned, availability really is limited so the sooner you get your slot reserved the better.

You can reach John Prince via email a crossfittupelo@gmail.com , and you can follow the program on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/groups/136285949741283/ or search “CrossFitting Tupelo" in the Facebook search window.

Ken Dulaney

UFM Tupelo

John Prince, Certified CrossFit Instructor

NEW SCHEDULE AT UFM

2012-01-24T14:39:00.002-06:00

Ultimate Fitness and MMA

734 Senter St. Tupelo, MS 38801

662-680-4848

2011 Class Schedules

Monday:

6:00am CrossFit

5:30-7:15pm Submission Wrestling/MMA

6:15-7:15pm Beginners Boxing

7:30-9:00pm Jiu Jitsu (Gi)

Tuesday:

10:00am boxing

4:30pm CrossFit

6:15-7:00pm Fitness Kickboxing

7:00-8:00pm Submission Wrestling

Wednesday:

6:00am CrossFit

Thursday:

4:30 Crossfit

5:30-6:15 Open mat

6:15-7:15 Beginners boxing

6:15-7:00pm Fitness Kickboxing

7:00-8:30pm Jiu Jitsu (Gi)

Friday:

6:00am Crossfit

10:00am Submission Wrestling

5:00-6:00pm Kids Class Submission Wrestling

Saturday:

9:00-10:30am Submission Wrestling

9:00am Muay Thai Kickboxing

10:00 Fitness Kickboxing

Sunday: Closed (except for private lessons)

EMPIRE FIGHTS IS BACK!

2011-12-29T14:05:00.001-06:00


EMPIRE FIGHTS - January 14, 2012 - Agricenter - Memphis, Tenn. *Tickets are $45 & $30. Doors Open @ 6 PM. Please visit www.empirefightsmma.com or call (901) 355-8091 for more information

EMPIRE Fights is back! Don't miss this one of a kind event in January. David Ferguson always does a fantastic job of matching up the fights. If you were at their last event at Harrah's then you know how explosive it gets. We expect to see this event SELL OUT fast, so if you want tickets, get them now.

PRO BOUTS:

Fight # 11: Main Event: Chris "Triple Threat" Bell (11-4, Dogpound MMA...Bellator Vet) vs. Jacob "Pyscho" Noe (6-1, Memphis BJJ....Strikeforce & Empire Vet)

Fight # 10: Co-Main Event: Jarred Ohstoff (1-3, West Plains FC) vs. Brian "The Law" Hall (2-0, Memphis BJJ....Strikeforce & Empire Vet)

Fight # 9: Abe Wilson (2-2, Team Pincer....Bellator & Empire Vet) vs. Joel Cooper (Pro Debut....Strikeforce & Empire Vet)

Fight # 8: Chris Hawk (5-9, Ronin MMA....Strikeforce Vet) vs. Derek Lehman (1-1, Memphis BJJ)

Fight # 7: Teddy Holder (2-1) vs. Jaden "The Junkyard Dog" Booth (1-1, Memphis BJJ/The Fight Clinic)

Fight # 6: Bobby Taylor (0-1, The Fight Shop) vs. David Lindsey (2-1, We$t$ide MMA)

EMPIRE FIGHTS HIGHLIGHTS VIDEO

Jennifer Baker vs Sarah Ayaz in Jackson, Tenn. this Saturday night!

2011-12-12T12:14:00.001-06:00

Ultimate Fitness and MMA is proud announce that Jennifer Baker will be fighting Sarah Ayaz at 135 lbs. in Jackson, Tennessee on December 17, 2011. Jennifer has been training hard over the past few months and we are sure she will represent herself and the gym well.

If you haven't already done so, follow her on Facebook (CLICK HERE) or email her at jbaker@alliancecollectionservice.com.

Come out and join us in support of Jennifer in what is sure to be one of, if not THE, fight of the night!

WHERE? Taboo Night Club, 45 Broadview Dr. #G, Jackson, TN (731-215-2131)

WHEN: 5:30 pm

HOW MUCH? $15 advanced purchase - $20 at the door, per ticket

WHO is she fighting? Sarah Ayaz - 135 lb weight class

Brian "Bad Intentions" White Wins Again!

2011-12-12T12:07:00.000-06:00

Congratulations to Brian White, Team AGEMA professional fighter and owner of Brian White's MMA in Pontotoc, for his win on Saturday night. Brian won in decisive fashion in the first round with referee David Ferguson stopping the fight.

Follow Brian on Facebook and congratulate him on a great performance! Brian White's MMA Facebook Page

Brian White - Fights in Batesville, Miss. - Saturday, December 10, 2011

2011-12-09T15:33:00.001-06:00

CHRISTMAS PARTY!!!

2011-12-01T09:41:00.001-06:00

The Ultimate Fitness & MMA and Team AGEMA Christmas party will be held at the gym on Friday, December 16th at 7:00 pm.

We look forward to seeing you all there for a great time and great food as we close out another successful year. If you need details on the event, just give us a call.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

NAGA Video 2

2011-11-23T13:52:00.000-06:00

NAGA Video 1

2011-11-23T13:16:00.000-06:00

UFM goes to NAGA

2011-11-22T15:50:00.000-06:00

We would like to congratulate all the participants at the 2011 NAGA tournament and express our pride in the UFM members who traveled to the event to represent our gym. UFM competitors did very well in the tournament and we appreciate all who attended.

Here are a few pictures from the event:

Annual Christmas Party - Dec 16th - 7:00 pm

2011-11-21T14:49:00.001-06:00

The Ultimate Fitness & MMA Christmas party has been scheduled for Friday, December 16th at 7:00 pm.

We hope to see you all there!

King Of The Mats Is Back - OCTOBER 15th

2011-09-29T18:54:00.001-05:00

Date: October 15, 2011

Time: 10:00 am - 1:00 pm

Weigh-ins start at 8:00 am

Cost: $30.00 (plus $10 if you compete in "Absolute")

Kids division: Age group 9 years old and under. (3 minute rounds)

Kids division: Age group 10-12 years old (3 minute rounds)

Teens division: 13 - 17 years old (4 minute rounds)

Teen weight classes:

190 and up

189.9 to 170

169.9 to 140

139.9 and under

Adult division: (Beginner, Under one year; Intermediate, One to three years; Advanced, Three plus years.) All three will have the same weight class.

Beginners, 4 minute rounds; Intermediate, 5 minute rounds; Advanced, 7 minute rounds

Adult division weight classes:

200 and up

199.9 to 175

174.99 to 155

154.99 and under

Ladies division: Open

Absolute division: Open to all weights and skill levels. (This has been reported to be the most fun and most popular of all classes.

CASH PRIZE TO THE WINNER OF THE ABSOLUTE DIVISION !!!

Email Chris Gates: fighterx@att.net for more information or contact the gym at the numbers above.

FIGHT CAMP !!

2011-08-22T17:23:00.001-05:00

MMA Fight Camp:

Wednesday - August 24th - 7:00 pm

Place: Ultimate Fitness & MMA - 734 Senter Street, Tupelo, MS

Call for more information: 662-213-6106 (Jeff) or see Chris at the gym.

Come out and train with some of the Midsouth's best fighters and trainers.

This will be a great time for those who are interested in getting into the fight game or for those who just want to work with some of the area's "Elite". Team AGEMA will be well represented so bring your fight gear and be on time for this very significant opportunity.

Ultimate Fitness and MMA Ultimate Volleyball & Cookout

2011-08-13T19:36:00.000-05:00

Ultimate VOLLEYBALL and cookout!!

Location: Ultimate Fitness and MMA

Time: ‎6:00PM Saturday, August 20th

Ultimate Fitness & MMA wants you to join us for an evening of extreme fun. Call for details today!

Krav Maga & Brazilian Jiu Jitsu at UFMJ

2011-08-04T16:31:00.000-05:00

Darryl Johnson with UFM's Jeff Chambers

Monday evening was a busy time at Ultimate Fitness & MMA in Tupelo. Darryl Johnson visited our gym to teach the Krav Maga class and Mark Romano taught the Brazilian Jiu Jitsu Class afterwards.

Dr. Mark Romano teaches Monday night's Brazilian Jiu Jitsu class

Darryl Johnson with Jeff Chambers after Krav Maga class

Brazilian Jiu Jitsu Class with Mark Romano

Jeff Chambers with Instructor Darryl Johnson of San Diego, CA.

Just waiting on class to start

TRAIN WITH BRIAN GERAGHTY !!!!!

2011-07-20T17:39:00.001-05:00

COME TRAIN WITH ULTIMATE FIGHTER PARTICIPANT "BRIAN GERAGHTY".
Once again, Ultimate Fitness & MMA brings you an extraordinary opportunity to train the the best of the best!

On Thursday, July 21, 2011 at 6:15 pm, BRIAN GERAGHTY will be at UFM Tupelo.

Don't miss this opportunity to train with one of the most aggressive fighters in the sport of MMA. At 155 pounds, Brian competed in Ultimate Fighter Season 5 and brings his skill and expertise to Tupelo in this once in a lifetime event.

Call Jeff Chambers at 662-213-6106 for more information.

Chris Tate and Ultimate Fitness & MMA: “Focus and Success”

2011-06-27T17:04:00.000-05:00

Chris Tate grew up in North Mississippi and attended school at Tupelo Christian Academy. Chris’ story is like that of many people today, one of challenges and struggles with a few success stories along the way. But as I spoke to Chris over the phone as a suggestion from UFM’s Jeff Chambers, I came to realize that like many of the people I have met through MMA, Chris is an extraordinary person.

Six months ago Chris was just living his life and cruising along at 252 pounds. I get the feeling that he felt that something was missing in his life, that he hadn’t really been challenged up to that point. I may be wrong but I got the feeling from our conversation that I was talking to a really humble person who said what he meant and meant what he said.

I have heard the story before. People tell of how things just plugged along in their lives and ended up out of control, at least to a degree. Many people tell that story and never have done, and never will do anything about it. There is a quote behind my desk on my white board that says “Most people aim at nothing in life and hit it with amazing accuracy.” I don’t know who wrote that but I believe it. Chris Tate isn’t one of those people.

According to Chris, about six months ago he heard a commercial advertising Ultimate Fitness & MMA. He decided that he had nothing else like that in his life, thought it sounded interesting, and decided to give it a try. He gave UFM a call and went to the gym the following Tuesday. “I felt like it was a blessing from God,” said Chris. “It was a humbling and a really good experience.”

Having grown up and gone to school with local MMA power house Cody Floyd, Chris fit right in. Now he weighs 204 pounds and is training in MMA every week. Rumor has it that he has talent and by his own words, he loves the sport. “MMA is a wonderful sport and has done wonderful things for me in a very short time. It helped me to build my confidence up and makes me feel much better about myself. It has made me a better person physically, mentally, and spiritually. It keeps you from the things that pull you down because you are surrounded by good people who want to see you succeed. People who have low self esteem can really use MMA to build themselves back up in a positive and quick way,” he testifies.

Tate currently takes the Jiu Jitsu and MMA classes at UFM and says that training with people like Chris Gates, Cody Floyd, Johnathan Burdine, and others, really makes a difference in his life. I say the proof is in the pudding. 48 pounds in six months… are you kidding? That is real dedication and a real success story.

Chris encourages everyone, including you, to get involved with UFM. They have a class that will fit you just right and the first week is free so what do you have to lose? Weight? Stress? Low self esteem? Go for it. You won’t regret your decision if you do. Chris Tate proved it… again.

Boxing Class is a BIG HIT!

2011-06-07T17:10:00.001-05:00

Most people in North Mississippi don't know that their is a great opportunity to get into shape and learn a skill that is appreciated by millions the world over right here in Tupelo. Tuesday mornings at Ultimate Fitness and MMA is filled with exciting classes on boxing. Mark Romano, Jeff Chambers, and many guest trainers like Larry Green, Chris Gates, Johnathan Burdine, and others work the class hard but make it fun and interesting.

If you want to get into shape and have real fun doing it, this may be the class for you and remember, your first week at UFM is free so check out all the other great classes we offer!

May 16 Training with Denilson Pimenta

2011-05-18T16:51:00.000-05:00

Ultimate Fitness & MMA Tupelo VIDEO

2011-05-05T12:43:00.000-05:00

World Champion Denilson Pimenta at UFM May 16th !!!

2011-05-03T16:24:00.001-05:00

Don't miss your opportunity to train with Denilson Pimenta at Ultimate Fitness and MMA in Tupelo on May 16th, 2011 at 6:30 pm! This is a once in a LIFETIME opportunity!

Call Jeff today to reserve your spot. 662-680-4848 or email jeff_acs@yahoo.com

Get in shape for summer fast!

2011-04-20T16:36:00.002-05:00

Every year we are all faced with the prospect of getting into shape before we put on that bathing suit. This year, why not get ahead of the game and have fun doing it? Ultimate Fitness and MMA provides you with a fun atmosphere, professional trainers, and great facilities to make getting into shape fun and simple. Come try it and ask about our FREE OFFER. You have absolutely nothing to lose! You will not find a gym that makes you feel more welcome or more at home. Everyone makes you feel like a part of the team. Ultimate Fitness & MMA offers a multitude of classes for all ages and interests. So don't put it off another minute. Call Jeff or Mark today!

Ultimate Fitness & MMA - Something for everyone

2011-02-03T08:47:00.002-06:00

www.ufmtupelo.com

2011-01-28T14:06:00.004-06:00

We have established this blog to keep a sort of history of what is going on with the gym and the AGEMA pro MMA team but realized that sometimes you might not remember the http://tupelomma.blogspot.com address. Kinda long right? Well now you can get to the site and watch it grow by simply going to www.ufmtupelo.com.

Be sure to bookmark it on all your devices and visit often. The cool thing about the format is that on every single post, you can comment! So make your suggestions, ask questions, and voice your support for the team right here!

Thanks for being a part of our gym!

Exciting times at Ultimate Fitness and MMA, Tupelo, Miss

2011-01-28T12:21:00.004-06:00

At the beginning of this month we began classes at our new gym on Senter Street in Tupelo. The response to the new and expanded facilities has been outstanding!

We are seeing many new members and want to welcome every one of them. We will strive to help you reach your goals and have fun. UFM Tupelo offers a multitude of classes so it is easy to find the one that fits you. Just give us a call or come in today and we will work out a schedule that fits your busy lifestyle.

Remember, your first class is absolutely FREE! Talk to Jeff Chambers to hear about other special offers that may be available to you. Just call or email him at jeff_acs@yahoo.com.

TBJJ is now "Ultimate Fitness and MMA"

2011-01-07T08:47:00.002-06:00

Tupelo Brazilian Jiu Jitsu and Amory MMA announce that they have merged to form "ULTIMATE FITNESS & MMA"

The new gym is located at 734 Senter Street in Tupelo, MS. This is a very big improvement with a fantastic facility available to all members. Come out soon and get signed up.

Mark Romano, Chris Gates, and Jeff Chambers are working hard to insure that you have the best possible opportunities for improvement and personal fitness. New class schedules and rates are coming soon.

GOLDMAN BUTLER - Heavyweight

2010-11-01T14:27:00.010-05:00

Goldman "The Beast" Butler is a heavyweight pro MMA fighter with Ultimate Fitness & MMA and Team AGEMA. Goldman has provided numerous exciting fights for us all with a knockout power and ground skills that impress the most seasoned MMA fan.

Stay tuned to keep up-to-date on Goldman's next big fight!

ICC Championship "Redemption" Fight results

2010-10-24T12:56:00.002-05:00

In no particular order.

Thomas Vasquez def. Tyler Curtis for 135 lb TITLE
Jesse James Wallace def. Russell Smith for 155 lb TITLE

Julio McKinney def. Anthony Jaco
Phillip Soriano def. Steven Flores
Jake Reeves def. Jason Mitchell
BB Bush def. Shannon Smith
Mike Pannel def. Joe Richardson
Tam Ha def. Kevin Glona
Zack Wallace def. Eric Beddingfield
Scotty Patten def. Eric Hernandez

One more day till Infinite Combat Championships "REDEMPTION"!

2010-10-22T15:45:00.002-05:00

Don't miss the Infinite Combat Championship's "Redemption" Fights tomorrow, October 23, 2010, at 6:00 pm. Fights start at 7:00.

You can still get tickets. Just call the number on the flyer.

Come out and see what MMA is all about and cheer for your favorite local and professional fighters.

See you there!

MMA Class will keep you motivated

2010-10-22T15:26:00.003-05:00

Today's MMA class was phenomenal. Matt Bullwinkle teaches the class and does a great job. If you haven't had the opportunity to participate in this class at 10:00 am on Fridays, do yourself a favor and make the time to do so.

Today we had Matt, Mark, Cody, Jeff, and yes, Terry Robinson was there. We were fired up to see him back on the mats so thanks Terry for coming out. It was great to train with you.

Also on the mats were Thomas, myself, and the guys from Red Bay, David, Gary, and Blake, who we were also glad to have back. If these guys keep working with Team AGEMA under Chris, Mark and the other trainers, there is no telling how far they can go. They obviously have talent and I can't think of a better place for them to hone their skills and move to the next level than TBJJ. Thanks to Thomas for taking time to help me out on the arm bars.

The great thing about classes that Matt teaches is that he is very precise with his instruction and goes over it until you get it. When you are practicing what he has taught you he will take the time to watch you and make adjustments so that you get it right, keeping to Mark's belief that "perfect practice makes perfect." He keeps with the strict professionalism that is constantly exhibited by the guys at TBJJ, from Mark and Chris on down. That is why I think the group and the team is the total package. It's one of the many reasons I keep going back.

Great job guys!

Tuesday Boxing Class

2010-10-19T14:18:00.004-05:00

Today's class was a very good one. If you haven't gotten over to TBJJ for the Tuesday morning boxing class at 10:00, what are you waiting for? Mark Romano is a fantastic instructor and always makes the class challenging and fun. And if you are looking for a good cardio workout, well look no more.

It was great training with Jake Farris, Josh, and Doc as usual. And we had the good fortune to have David, Blake and Gary from Red Bay, Alabama join us. Even though I kept screwing up their names they took it easy on me and we had a great class. I hope they become regulars. Very talented and strong guys. My head is still bruised. LOL

Thanks to Mark Romano for doing such a great job and being so patient. He makes learning this stuff much easier.

Infinite Combat Championship "Redemption" FIGHT CARD !!!!!

2010-10-19T08:37:00.004-05:00

Here is a list of fights scheduled for this Saturday night. It's going to be a barn burner!

PRO FIGHTER BOUTS:

Anthony Johnson vs. Dave Lindsy - 145 lbs.

Brian "Bad Intentions" White vs. Jeremy Simpson - 170 lbs.

AMATEUR FIGHTER BOUTS:

Thomas "The Die Hard Kid" Vasquez vs. Tyler Curtis - 135 lbs - Title Belt Fight

Jesse James Wallace vs. Russell Smith - 155 lbs. - Title Belt Fight

Anthony Jaco vs. Julio McKinney - 145 lbs.

Phillip Soriano vs. Steven Flores - 134 lbs.

BB Bush vs. Shannon Smith - 135 lbs.

Joe Richardson vs. Mike Pannel - 179 lbs.

Kevin Glona vs. Tom Ha - 145 lbs.

Eric Potts vs. Randle Reed - 155 lbs.

Jake Reeves vs. Jason Mitchell - 185 lbs.

Eric Beddingfield vs. Zack Wallace - 160 lbs.

Eric Hernandez vs. Scotty Patten - 215 lbs.

Doors open at 6:00 pm. The Summit Center in Tupelo, MS. ** 662-842-9661 for tickets.

Jay C. Johnson Photography photos

2010-10-14T11:49:00.007-05:00

These are a few photo's taken by Jay C. Johnson Photography at the Empire Fights Night of Reckoning on October 9, 2010. Jay does a great job so take a minute and check out his site.

These are a few photo's taken by Jay C. Johnson Photography at the Empire Fights Night of Reckoning on October 9, 2010. Jay does a great job so take a minute and check out his site.

JayCJohnsonPhotography.com

www.flickr.com/photos/blindside_half/

Your comments are critical

2010-10-14T08:39:00.002-05:00

We value your opinion more than you know. That is why we have made it easy for you to comment on any photo or story on this page. When you read a story, you will see a "comment" button at the bottom of it. Click on that comment button and leave your comment to any post. You may be prompted to sign in or sign up. It is easy so what are you waiting for? Your opinion really does matter here. This is your site. Thanks for supporting TBJJ and Team AGEMA. Let us know what you think.

Team AGEMA at Empire Fights "Play-by-play"

2010-10-12T08:59:00.006-05:00

TUNICA, Miss. — Having attended a number of quality productions to date, I feel like I am reasonably qualified to judge a production’s entertainment value as a fan. I am never surprised when I go to an MMA event and at least one of the fights on a card is less than exciting. That goes with the territory and I have come to expect it.

On Saturday evening, Oct. 9, 2010, I attended the “Empire Fights: A Night of Reckoning IV” at Harrah’s Casino in Tunica, Miss., as a guest of Tyler Sory, of Empire Fights. I expected the usual high intensity excitement, but I have to report that never before have I attended an event that literally left my hands shaking as my body attempted to deal with the adrenaline.

I am not exaggerating when I say every fight left me on the edge of my seat. Tyler had warned me that David Ferguson of Memphis Judo and Jiu Jitsu had done a phenomenal job of signing fighters for this card but I had grossly underestimated the accuracy of Tyler’s statement.

Eleven fights took place in front of over a thousand fans (I would estimate it to be closer to 1500) and I didn’t hear one complaint all night. Everyone with whom I spoke, and I spoke with many people, were of the same opinion as I and left exhausted from excitement.

READ THE REST OF THIS STORY.........................

Empire Fights "Night of Reckoning" Results

2010-10-11T10:13:00.002-05:00

The only word I can find to describe the fights at Harrah's on Saturday night is "DANG!" This was a fantastic event. David Ferguson and Tyler Sory put on a first class event that had most of us shaking from the adrenaline rush long after the Empire Fights "Night of Reckoning" was over. TBJJ's Chris Gates and Mark Romano were a big part of the hubbub as they led Issac Ware and Cody Floyd to extremely impressive victories in what is sure to be one of the best events of 2010.

Here are the un-official results:

AMMY CARD:
1. Jimmy White v Issac Ware: Ware wins split decision
2. Austin Garner v Jeremia Trundle: Trundle wins via rear naked choke
3. Dave Martin v Mike Houston: Houston wins with leg triangle submission
4. Brian Horton v Mike Hall: Hall wins via submission

PRO CARD:
5. Taylor Callens v Jonathan Burdine: Callens wins, KO via spinning back elbow
6. Shawn Johnson v Dan Schroeppel: Johnson wins decision
7. Dustin Rhodes v Abe Wilson: Wilson wins via KO in first round
8. Harry Johnson v Cody Floyd: Floyd wins in 2nd round TKO
9. Tel Faulkner v Jacob Noe: Noe wins via arm triangle in 1st round
10. Andy Uhrich v Charlie Rader: CO MAIN EVENT -Rader wins via KO in 2nd round
11. Zach Underwood v Austin Lyons: MAIN EVENT - Lyons wins split decision in fight of the night 47-46, 48-46, 47-46.

Infinite Combat Championships "REDEMPTION" Oct 23, 2010

2010-10-06T12:52:00.004-05:00

Infinite Combat Championships returns to Tupelo on October 23rd, 2010 at the Summit Center (Old Ramada Inn). ICC's "Redemption" MMA fights will be the best event in Northeast Mississippi ever.

Doors open at 6:00 pm.

TICKETS ARE $25 & $45 - Call 662 842 9661 to purchase. (They will go fast so reserve them now please)

Freakshow Of The Week

2010-09-20T14:33:00.006-05:00

Jack Bratcher at Prommanow.com posts an article on the website and facebook talking about the recent bout between Butterbean and Mariusz Pudzianowski. I thought you might enjoy it, watch the video, and then leave your comment. Enjoy.

JACK BRATCHER

It’s questionable whether or not Butterbean can even get up off the ground once he’s on his back at all, much less with a 250+ lb. man on top of him.

Eric “Butterbean” Esch (15-8) and five time World’s Strongest Man Mariusz Pudzianowski (3-1) clashed this weekend at KSW 14 in Poland. Butterbean had called Pudzianowski out saying he hit like a girl after watching his fight against Tim Sylvia at Moosin.

Pudzianowski took the challenge, ended up putting Butterbean on his back early in the fight and pounded on his bald head until the ref pulled him off. Pudzianowski acted like he did not want to stop the beating and the ref had to use force to get him to stop.

Pudzianowski seems a bit leaner than his previous fights and maybe a little more agile. He says he’s taking the sport seriously, but if he wants the fans to take him seriously he’s going to have to avoid these freak show fights.

VIEW VIDEO AND ARTICLE HERE

Tim Galluzzi of "The Fight Clinic" Takes Lightweight Title

2010-09-19T16:25:00.007-05:00

Tim Galluzzi, 22 years old, of "The Fight Clinic" in Olive Branch, Miss., faced Paul McAdams in the lightweight title fight last night in Jackson, Miss., and took the title belt back home with him. Both men weighed in at 145 pounds.

Galluzzi and McAdams met in the center of the octagon trading initial kicks before they locked arms and began trading inside punches and knees. Soon thereafter Galluzzi took the match to the ground where he dominated McAdams. McAdams showed real talent and landed elbows from time to time. He also would not make it an easy win for Galluzzi; however, Galluzzi masterfully worked his game plan, passing guard and methodically working his way into a full mount.

Once in the mount position Galluzzi's precision strikes took their toll as he wore McAdams down in order to gain his back. With 31 seconds remaining in the first round Galluzzi secured a rear naked choke which forced the tap from McAdams and gave the Psychout Lightweight title to Galluzzi.

Tim Galluzzi attends the University of Memphis and trains at The Fight Clinic and Memphis Judo and Jiu Jitsu. He has traveled to Corinth and Tupelo, Miss. over the past weeks as well to train with Team Paragon and Tupelo Brazilian Jiu Jitsu as he prepared for this fight.

Tim is also sponsored by Alliance Collection Service, Inc. of Tupelo, a company that supports TBJJ, AMMA, Paragon, The Fight Clinic and other North Mississippi MMA fighters.

Follow THIS LINK to watch the fight as it is posted on Tim Galluzzi's Facebook page.

Great times on a Friday morning

2010-09-17T15:49:00.007-05:00

Today I had the opportunity to be on the mats with Doc, JBurd, Cody, Jeff, Issac, Matt, Jesus, Scott and Thomas. I have to say after a year or so into this, I remain as impressed as a person can be.

Where else can you get together with people that are obviously much more talented than you, work out, get into shape, laugh, and not get completely dismantled? Every gym I have ever been in has those people in it that just make you feel like you don't belong because to them, it is a competition to be better than you. Knowing that, I never kept a membership to a gym very long.

Tupelo Brazilian Jiu Jitsu and the guys in the professional MMA team, Team AGEMA, are truly different. They actually work with "you" to make "you" better. Who flippin does that in today's world? If you ever get the chance to be around these people you would be a complete goofball not to take advantage of it. Yes, it really is that cool. And you won't get hurt because they let you go at "your" speed.

I have attached a few pictures I took today as Cody Floyd and Johnathan Burdine prepare for their upcoming professional fights at Harrah's Casino in Tunica, Miss., on October 9th on the Empire Fights "Night of Reckoning" card. Granted the sparring between the two was very light but I thought these pictures were pretty cool so I thought I would share them. Thanks to every single guy there today for allowing me to be a part of your world. I continue to be in awe.

Infinite Combat Championships return to Tupelo!

2010-09-13T13:35:00.005-05:00

The Infinite Combat Championships (ICC) will be returning to Tupelo on October 23rd, 2010. Many of your favorite fighters will be on this card. Mark your calendar now to attend the most anticipated MMA event in Northeast Mississippi.

More information coming soon here, on Facebook, and in the Tupelo Brazilian Jiu Jitsu Newsletter.

Empire Fights October 9th - Cody Floyd & Johnathan Burdine

2010-09-13T13:24:00.005-05:00

www.EmpireFightsOnline.com - Check out the HL video & fight card here. Doors open at six pm. Fights begin at seven pm. Harrah's Casino Tunica, Saturday October 9th, 2010. Great venue and great card.

Tickets start at $20. Don't wait, they are going fast!

Cody Floyd of Team AGEMA and TBJJ will be fighting on this card as will Johnathan Burdine of Team Paragon in Corinth!

Fitness Kickboxing with "Mighty Joe" Milligan

2010-09-13T09:50:00.006-05:00

If you have had the opportunity to train with "Mighty Joe" Milligan or if you have had the good fortune to see him fight in the octagon, you understand why the kickboxing class that he teaches at Tupelo Brazilian Jiu Jitsu is so popular. Joe, with a 4-0 record in MMA fights, is dedicated to the sport of MMA and shares his passion for the sport in his class and has been doing so for ten months now. Just ask any of the attendees and they will tell you how much fun they have.

Personally, I was skeptical of how much fun a class like this could be so I zipped over to TBJJ last Tuesday night to see for myself. It was refreshing to see the ladies laughing it up, cracking jokes, and training together as Joe laid out that nights routine.

"I try to mix it up and we rarely do the same routine twice in a row," says Joe. "Some nights we will do a lot of cardio, some nights we hit the bags, and some nights we focus on mitt work. I don't want the ladies to get bored so we keep it light and have a great time." Joe helps his students to build strength, endurance, speed and power all at the same time. Where else are you going to get the opportunity to train with a REAL MMA FIGHTER?

I can say first hand that they work hard and have fun at the same time. It was a great class and Joe Milligan is perfect to teach it. I can see why Chris Gates wants him to cover the class and I would encourage anyone, male or female, to come to the gym on Fenco Drive in Tupelo, TUESDAY NIGHT from 6:15 pm to 7:00 pm and really enjoy getting into shape.

Your first class is absolutely FREE! After you decide to be a regular, it is only $10 per class and there are special rates available if you want to set up a monthly plan where you can save even more money. CALL Chris Gates or Mark Romano at 662-488-5158 or 662-488-5234 or email Mark at chiroromano@juno.com for more details.

True Believers MMA Video Blog with Chris Gates

2010-09-07T09:22:00.007-05:00

TRUE BELIEVERS VIDEO CLICK HERE!

Chris Gates and Cody Floyd hit the road and ended up at Team Paragon MMA in Corinth, Miss. where they sparred with Johnathan "The King's Kid" Burdine, Perry Williams, Nick Wood, Brian Burse, and others.

The guys had a great time and got in a good workout. Stay tuned for the next trip they take. Who knows where they will end up!

Dana White Interview via Prommanow.com 8-28-10

2010-08-30T08:40:00.004-05:00

Prommanow provides video interview with Dana White after the fights on August 28, 2010. Interesting interview that I thought you might enjoy. Thanks to UFC, Prommanow, and Youtube.

CLICK HERE FOR VIDEO
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bm-H8lcbqcw&feature=player_embedded

A Few Pictures From TBJJ Summer Spectacular Submission Tournament Aug 28

2010-08-29T15:49:00.015-05:00

The Summer Spectacular Submission Tournament in Tupelo was a big success. Lots of gyms traveled to Tupelo to represent and compete. Each did very well. We got to see a lot of great talent and had a lot of fun.

Chris Gates and Mark Romano did a fantastic job putting the event together. They had help from David Ferguson, Grady Hurley, Jeff Chambers, John Crump, Dana Gates, Nicole Cox, Nicole White, and Cody Floyd just to name a few.

The event went very smoothly. One of the best I have seen. No hitches and no problems. I personally was excited to see so many pro's at this event. Brian White was there and competed very well. I am always amazed how calm this guy is. Brian is a great guy and when he is on the mats he is an animal. He never panics and always entertains.

After my interview with John David Shackelford, I have been wanting to meet Tim Galluzi and this event gave me that chance. I had heard Tim was a great guy and very talented and he proved it. I can't wait to do a full interview with him and David Ferguson in the future.

The finale of the day was the WTVA interview with Cody Floyd who signed to fight on the Empire Fight Card at Harrah's Casino in October. Chris and David were on camera as well. I can say that Cody is getting more comfortable in front of the camera and did a great job with the interview. I can't wait to see him and J Burd fight at Harrah's.

Thanks to all the gyms that I got to see compete at the event. TBJJ, Paragon, Memphis Judo and Jiu Jitsu, Free Form Jiu Jitsu, Nomad MMA and all the guys at Amory MMA. Great day and a great time for all.

Ken

TRUE BELIEVERS MMA Video Blog!

2010-08-23T15:32:00.007-05:00

We have been waiting on it for a while now. To be honest, Chris and Cody had the video done a while back but the editing proved to be challenging for me. But as promised, here is the first edition of the "True Believers MMA" video blog from pro MMA fighter and head trainer at TBJJ, Chris Gates. Chris brings along Cody Floyd, Strikeforce veteran, to share some of their travels to different gyms around the Southeast.

This is a fun series and we are sure you will enjoy it. Chris and Cody lighten things up and show that MMA isn't just all blood and guts. It is about real people of all ages working hard to better themselves and making great friends along the way.

Please click the link below and enjoy. We are working on the second edition right now so stay tuned.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WwbFJ7li3fg

SUMMER SPECTACULAR SUBMISSION TOURNAMENT

2010-08-09T10:40:00.004-05:00

SUMMER SPECTACULAR SUBMISSION TOURNAMENT

Midsouth's Best Grappling Tournament

Saturday August 28th, 2010
Salvation Army Gym
527 Carnation St.
Tupelo, MS 38802
(air conditioned building + concessions)

Multiple Divisions

Children Ladies Teen to Advanced
No Points Submission Only

Entry $50.00
(Covers multiple divisions)

More Information Contact Mark Romano 662-488-5234 chiroromano@juno.com

TUPELO BRAZILIAN JIU-JITSU GYM SCHEDULE

2010-05-28T08:57:00.006-05:00

MONDAY: Brazilian Jji-Jitsu (GI) 7:30pm to 9:30pm
Striking class 6:30 - 7:30 pm

TUESDAY: Boxing 10:00 am to 11:00 am
Fitness Kickboxing 6:15pm to 7:00 pm
No-Gi Grappling 7:00 pm to 8:30 pm

WEDNESDAY: MMA (Mixed Martial Arts) 7:30 to 9:30 pm

THURSDAY: Fitness Kickboxing 6:15 pm to 7:00 pm
Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu 7:00 pm to 8:30 pm

FRIDAY: Gi BJJ 10:00 am to 11:00 am
Children's Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu 5:00 pm to 6:00 pm

SATURDAY: No Gi Grappling 9:00 am to 11:00 am

PRIVATE TRAINING AVAILABLE: $50.00 Per session (10 sessions for $400.00)

126 Fenco Drive, Tupelo, MS 38801

Credit where credit is due

2010-05-20T13:32:00.003-05:00

There are a couple of people we need to recognize for their hard work during the fights in Lula. I didn't include them in the previous post because honestly, I wasn't sure of Ryan's last name. Thanks to Larry Eurek, with whom I had lunch today, I now know it is McMichael.

Ryan McMichael was one of the first people I ran in to prior to the fights on May 15th at the Isle of Capri. I was immediately impressed with the job he had done with the audio. It is easy to see that Ryan is an experienced audio pro. He did a grand job with the music, mic's, and all the other production audio.

So "thanks" to Ryan for a job well done. We all really enjoyed the professional results he produced.

Second, we want to again say "great job" to Ben Boren with the Isle of Capri. We ask you all to, if you attended or even heard a report, to take the time to go to http://www.islecorp.com/contact.aspx and leave a comment. This will help Ben to justify bringing MMA back to the Isle in the future and is a great way for you to help your Tupelo Pro MMA team "AGEMA" and TBJJ.

Please don't delay. Do it now. It only takes a minute. Just click on the link.

Thank you in advance!

Isle of Capri fight results from May 15, 2010

2010-05-18T16:10:00.014-05:00

The Isle of Capri is becoming one of the premier venues for MMA fights. On May 15th, 2010 they teamed up with Mark Romano and Noel McMichaels to bring some of the south's finest talent together for a show that won't soon be forgotten. As usual, they did a fantastic job and Mississippi was well represented.

I was particularly impressed with the way the setup has evolved. Everything seemed to run very smoothly. Noel, Mark, Chris, and of course, Ben Boren of the Isle of Capri, had everything down to a science and it showed. I spoke with Ben before the fights began and he told me of how much work went into such an event and how last minute changes could throw everything off kilter. Well, you couldn't tell if they had any issues at all because the entire event seemed to run like a very well oiled machine. I shouldn't be surprised considering the dedication to perfection the four of them consistently show.

The fight card consisted of ten events, three of which were title fights for ICC belts. Attendance was strong and was made up of people from all walks of life, some with whom had the opportunity to speak. One gentleman had won tickets from a radio station and was attending his first live fight, a couple of newlyweds were excited to attend their first live fight as well, and two fellows were from way out west. You would have thought they were attending a nationally televised network event from their excitement level. From one hand shake to the next, the theme was the same. The basic response I got from over a hundred or so people I met was that they were first, excited to be there; second, impressed with the show; and finally, got their money's worth for every minute in attendance.

I couldn't agree more. This was one of the best MMA events I have ever attended. Every fight was exciting and the night was topped off with John David Shackelford's theatrical entrance and dominance in the cage. It was a great ending to a great night.

Mike Cain and Chris Gates were outstanding referees for the night.
Dana Gates, Grady Hurley and Joe Milligan were the judges and did a superb job.

Here are the fight results:

Canyon Boykin defeated Tony Ulman
Julio McKinney defeated Stephen Flores
Jesse James defeated Kevin Kirkland
Eric Potts defeated Randy Oller
Dustin Phumphrey defeated Kevin Glona
Thomas Vasquez defeated Landon Rhodes in the ICC Bantam weight title fight
David Lindsey defeated Issac Ware for the ICC Light weight title
Joel Cooper defeated Tyler Smith for the ICC title belt
Perry Williams defeated Jerrod Osthoff
John David Shackelford defeated Mike Foster

All wins were impressive. Eric Potts of Amory MMA, Perry Williams of Paragon in Corinth, and John David Shackelford of The Fight Clinic in Olive Branch all won outstanding matches. Issac Ware of TBJJ fought hard and showed he had a huge heart in his match. Some of the people around me said his was one of the best scraps they have ever seen live or on television.

Each fight had more than we expected. I for one expected at least a couple of slow fights but it never happened. Every fighter on the card came to do battle and left it all in the cage. Thanks go out to every one of the above named fighters for doing such a phenomenal job and entertaining us all with heart and professionalism.

Thanks to Larry Eurek for video recording the event. To any of the fighters, Larry can get you a digital copy of your fight by round so you can post it onto your facebook page for only $15. Email Larry at leurek@gmail.com and order yours today. That is a cheap price to pay to advertise yourself and Larry is the only guy I know that can pull off getting you the video in a version you can use like this.

Thanks also to The Isle of Capri Casino and Ben Boren for having us all there and doing a great job of setting up the venue and marketing the event. We can help by contacting the Isle of Capri and telling them how much we enjoyed the event.

Here are some pictures from the fights taken by Misty Romano:

Joe Morrow, Powerlifter

2010-04-20T14:13:00.001-05:00

Yesterday, Joe Morrrow (148) won the best lifter title at the APA Raw Powerlifting, Bench Press and Deadlift National Championships in Hattiesburg, Mississippi. Weighing in at 143 pounds, Morrow posted a 1,482 pound total which ranks him over 100 pounds ahead of the second ranked lifter on the Powerlifting Watch Lifter Rankings. The total also was a new WPA World Record and APA American Record.

Each of Morrow's lifts either set or tied the WPA World Record and APA American Record. His squat was 534 pounds, his press 347 and his deadlift 600 pounds. Morrow went eight for eight, passing on his final bench press attempt.

Morrow also earned the meet's best deadlifter award.

Oh yeah, he won!

2010-04-19T15:03:00.001-05:00

ProMMAnow.com's Play-by-play - Cody Floyd in Strikeforce on CBS

2010-04-19T09:53:00.003-05:00

Thomas Campbell vs. Cody Floyd

Round 1 – Floyd with the jab, Campbell with the leg kick. Floyd lands a knee and Campbell goes for the slam, but end up in a guillotine attempt. Clinch against the cage with Campbell still looking for the single leg take down. Campbell finally gets it. Floyd is scrambling to get to his feet, and throwing elbows with Campbell on his back. Big elbow from Floyd with Campbell still working to take the fight to the ground. Campbell is relentless with the single leg attempt. Campbell still working for the single but Floyd is defending nicely. Floyd lands a knee to the body of Campbell, but Campbell is still holding the leg. Campbell is bleeding from the strikes of Floyd. Campbell is eating shots holding onto the ankle of Floyd then gets reversed. Floyd now standing in the guard of Campbell landing repeated shots from the top. Floyd transitions to mount and scoots Campbell to the cage and is dropping big punches and elbows to the face of Campbell. Campbell is holding on but is getting beat badly with 10 seconds to go. Floyd transitions for the arm bar and he has it, but time has ran out. ProMMANow.com scores Round 1, 10-9 for Cody Floyd.

Round 2 – Floyd with a big left hand, then scores with a right hand. Floyd flies in with the knee and gets taken down. Floyd works back to his feet but is taken back down. Floyd scrambles out and time is called due to an illegal elbow. Campbell has recovered and the fight is back on. Floyd lands a solid 3 punch combo and is getting the better of the stand up. Campbell goes straight for the takedown. Floyd scrambles and stuffs it. Floyd waits for Campbell to stand and lands another big shot. Campbell is turtled up, but has a leg. Floyd transitions and is now on top. Floyd is in the half guard but is looking to pass. Floyd stands and rips his leg out, then throws more punches. Campbell grabs and ankle and holds on. Floyd transitions to Campbell’s back and Campbell rolls but is eating big shots again. Floyd from side mount to north-south, and is controlling Campbell. Floyd back to his feet, and Campbell grabs the ankle again and gets hit with knees to the body. Huge knee shots from Floyd, then he backs up and lets him stand. Big knee from Floyd, then a head kick just misses at the bell. ProMMANow.com scores Round 2, 10-9 for Cody Floyd.

Round 3 – Nice stiff jab from Floyd, Campbell counters with a right hand. Campbell stumbles to the mat, and Floyd flies in and controls the head then steps back. The ref stands Campbell up and Floyd attacks with a big knee and Campbell is down and the fight is over.

Cody Floyd def. Thomas Campbell via KO (knee) Round 3

Belt Test April 2010

2010-04-09T16:16:00.001-05:00

Congratulations to all the guys who took the belt test last week. Doc and Mark got their brown belts. Jeff "Chambo Slice" Chambers go his blue belt. Way to go guys.

Cody Floyd - CBS April 17, 2010

2010-04-01T17:53:00.000-05:00

Get your tickets NOW!

Amory MMA Wins Big At Mid-South Competition

2010-03-29T13:38:00.006-05:00

Nine members of Amory MMA went to Starkville, Mississippi to compete in grappling at the Mid-South Martial Arts Championship. AMMA brought home eight 1st & 2nd place trophies. Here is a list of the winners:

Scotty Patten, Beginner, Heavyweight, 1st Place
Cal Weaver, Beginner, Middleweight, 1st Place
Blake Parker, Beginner, Lightweight, 1st Place
Rachel Allred, Beginner, Ladies Division, 2nd Place
Dillon Parker, Beginner, Middleweight, 2nd Place
Ricky Harlow, Beginner, Lightweight, 2nd Place
Eric Potts, Intermediate, Lightweight, 2nd Place
Jeff Chambers, Intermediate, Middleweight, 2nd Place

AGEMA T-Shirts are in!

2010-03-24T16:45:00.002-05:00

The new shipment of AGEMA T-shirts has arrived! Don't miss your chance to sport the T of your favorite Pro MMA team. Just $20 + S&H or pick them up at the gym on Fenco Drive in Tupelo.

Contact Mark Romano at 662-488-5234 or order via email at chiroromano@juno.com.

They will go fast so don't hesitate. GET YOURS NOW!

TICKETS ARE HERE! Strikeforce April 17th

2010-03-22T09:15:00.003-05:00

Chris Gates has just announced that the tickets for the Strikeforce event in Nashville Tennessee on April 17th, 2010 are AVAILABLE! All you have to do is call or email Chris to get your tickets. (gates_c-d@hotmail.com or 662-488-5234)

Ticket prices:
$27.50
$47.50
$67.50

We want to sell at least 1000 tickets so that Strikeforce will come back again to the Southeastern market. Get your tickets now!

Trauma at the Summit - Report

2010-03-15T16:48:00.011-05:00

Trauma at the Summit, the Infinite Combat Championship event on March 13th has come and gone but the memory of a great show will live on in the minds of all who attended for some time. As usual, Doc, Chris and Noel put on a great show that went off without a hitch.

I spoke to a lot of fans Saturday night (having become a little more comfortable in the fight night setting) and did not hear a single complaint. Everyone had a fantastic time by all accounts. The fights were fast paced and explosive, the Summit was set up perfectly, the music and sound was second to none and the atmosphere was electric from start to finish.

Let me give some credit where credit is due, in addition to Doc, Chris and Noel:

The Mississippi State Athletic Commissioner was in attendance. I got to shake his hand and I have to say that he is a super nice guy.

Shane Hooper was the MC for the night and did a phenomenal job as usual. Shane has the voice and professionalism necessary to make any show look great and he didn't let us down. There is a lot of information to keep up with during these events and I was impressed to say the least. No joke, this guy could MC for the UFC today, easy.

Larry Eurek was the videographer for the night. I have heard that the quality is tremendous and cannot wait to see the finished product. Anyone who can sit on that ladder and get shaken around like he did when the fighters hit the cage has my respect right out of the gate. If you see Larry, thank him for videotaping the show and if you can, get him to do your videos for you.

The first fight was between Julio McKinney and Alex Villapondo and it got the night started off right. These two game opponents came to fight. They exploded out of their corners at the bell (I am not sure the crowd was ready for that), and put out an effort worthy of any main event. Julio secured a solid submission to win the fight.

Second was Eric Potts and B.J. England. Some say this was the fight of the night and set the tone for the rest of the evening. I would tend to agree that it certainly set the tone and got the crowd into the game immediately. The bout went the full three rounds with B.J. only seconds from submitting Eric at the end of the first and second rounds. Both fighters utilized blazing strikes to inflict notable damage on the other and the crowd loved it. In the third round, cardio showed again that it is king when Eric outlasted B.J. and turned up the heat when England showed signs of fatigue. At the bell, it was Eric Potts who secured the win and advanced his record to 2-0. Video of this fight can be seen on the Tupelo Brazilian Jiu Jitsu Facebook page.

The third fight of the evening featured Tony McKinney and Garrett Duncan. This bout was filled with heart-stopping takedowns which had the crowd screaming and on their feet. But shortly into the fight Garrett Duncan showcased his dominance by ending the meeting with a flurry of strikes that won him match.

Fight four placed Randy Oller toe-to-toe with fellow lightweight Adam Denton. Again, the crowd got their money's worth when Denton locked in a TKO due to multiple strikes. The scrap left the crowd breathless so Shane Hooper mercifully gave us all a break to go get a drink and take our blood pressure medicine before the second half of the show began.

I have to admit some bias as I share some points on the fifth fight. Issac "Ironman Ware", a very colorful and destructive fighter from Tupelo Brazilian Jiu Jitsu had taken the fight with Javaris Cole at the last minute. I have come to love watching Issac fight as many have but tonight I saw an opponent in Cole that made me a little nervous. Cole was obviously well conditioned and ready to do battle and I wasn't sure if Issac had his cardio up to par yet because he had been nursing an injury; however, if you go to the facebook page and scroll down to this fight which Tony Palmer so graciously and professionally taped, you will see why my trepidation was without merit. The two went to WAR. There is no other way to put it. Issac, in his normal fashion, dominated the fight and scored another win. This fight was shorter, but I think it rivals fight #2 for fight of the night. Just my opinion. It is indeed a tough call.

Fight number six was a total disappointment for Jesse Kilgore. I have watched Jesse train and I know he was ready for this fight, wanted this fight, and couldn't wait to test himself as a monster in the cage. I say monster because when I was a little kid and I was afraid of the monster under the bed, I know it couldn't be more scary than Jesse Kilgore is now. You just have to trust me unless you know him. Jesse is a great guy but there isn't enough money in the world to get me into the ring with him. His brother, Jeremy Kilgore, may have been more nervous than Jesse but was excited to see his brother perform. When Jesse and Brandon Williford made there way to the ring, we all held our breath for what was sure to be a complete and utter blood and guts battle rivaled only by the likes of William Wallace and the Scotts in ancient times. We were all crushed when Brandon received a thumb to the eye and could not continue. The fight was ruled "no contest" and we all sighed a long sigh as the two warriors walked from the cage. I sat next to the exit of the ring and dared not say a word to Jesse in fear that he would rip my head off on his way to the locker room. My heart sank for him as I watched him walk away in frustration.

We all hope to see Jesse back really soon and I am sure it will be worth the wait.

The seventh fight featured Habib Barmada of Florida, (a brown belt) and Jerrod Osthoff of Missouri. These guys traveled a long way for this show and obviously came to lay it all on the line. And they did. It was a great jiu jitsu battle that went from the floor to stand up and to the floor again. Great strikes, great floor work and great stamina were in both fighter's arsenal. Habib Barmada won the fight when he submitted Osthoff late in the bout. He thanked God for giving him strength and the win in the post fight interview. Both fighters showed a level of class seldom seen in today's society and I for one appreciated their skill, courage, and sportsmanship as they left the ring.

Finally, the MAIN EVENT was upon us and Brian "Bad Intentions" White (www.badintentionsmma.com) faced a local opponent, Mike Massey. Massey boasted a 40-1 record and took the fight at the last minute when Brian's scheduled opponent backed out due to illness. Massey entered the ring first to the sounds of Queen's "We are the champions" and stood stretching as White's music began to rumble in the speakers.

The crowd began to itch with anticipation as the professional White broke the shadows and emerged with his hands in the air, encouraging the crowd with every step toward the ring. Brian has the ability to befriend anyone he meets and took every person in the room's attention as he stalked into the ring. The crowd erupted when White turned to face them and began to jump and scream. They were here to see the man dominate and he did not let them down.

The bell rang and Massey took a couple of steps forward but White must have wanted to save Massey the trouble of walking across the ring because he pounced in and cleared the gap in a millisecond, jabs already landing. Massey immediately dove for what he could grab and secured a headlock on Brian White as if he were in a WWF showdown with Jerry Lawler or Hulk Hogan. The relaxed demeanor of White was obvious as he methodically manuvered into position, lifted Massey off the mat and slammed him into the canvas face first. He rolled over and secured and armbar and I for one thought it was over. But, the showman, White took his time and offered Massey and opportunity to adjust but the adjustment never came. White ended the fight when Massey tapped out and just like that, it was over. Another win for "Bad Intentions" and another great production by TBJJ and the Infinite Combat Championship leadership.

I thoroughly enjoyed this event. I only hope that the ICC can produce another in Tupelo very soon. Thankfully people of all ages can attend the ICC events in Tupelo. Maybe you can be there too. You won't be disappointed.

ICC's "Trauma At The Summit" Results

2010-03-15T10:10:00.005-05:00

March 13th, 2010 "Trauma" Summit Ctr" Results:
Julio McKinney defeats Alex Villapondo (Submission)
Eric Potts defeated B.J. England (Decision)
Garrett Duncan defeated Tony McKinney (TKO Strikes)
Adam Deaton defeated Randy Oller (TKO Strikes)
Issac Ware defeated Javaris Cole (Standing Guillotine)
Jesse Kilgore / Brandon Williford (No contest)
** (Eye poke made Williford unable to continue)
Habib Barmada def Jerrod Osthoff (Submission)
Brian White def Mike Massey (Submission - 31 seconds into round 1)
**********************************************************************

Mississippi MMA Specialty Tags

2010-03-11T16:32:00.002-06:00

The Mississippi State Athletic Commission has begun distribution of the new MMA tags. Click the link below to get yours today!

http://www.msboxing.org/

Cody Floyd vs. Thomas Campbell added to “Strikeforce: Nashville” preliminary card promma Mar 08, 2010 on CBS

2010-03-08T15:11:00.008-06:00

Cody Floyd will take on Thomas Campbell at "Strikeforce: Nashville" on April 17, 2010. It will be the pro debut for both fighters.

NASHVILLE – Two of the country’s top amateurs will make their pro debut when Strikeforce makes its first visit to Nashville, Tenn., next month.

ProMMAnow.com has learned that Cody Floyd (5-0 am, 0-0 pro), who fights for AGEMA Fight Team out of Tupelo BJJ, will take on SSF Academy’s Thomas Campbell (17-2-1 am, 0-0) in a featherweight showdown at “Strikeforce: Nashville” on April 17. The fight has been confirmed by both camps.

Floyd’s coach, Chris Gates had this to say about his fighter,

“Cody always shows up and puts on a show. He always steps up no matter what the competition. Cody is multi-dimensional and Thomas is very good at what he does so no matter what it is going to be an epic scrap. I think Cody is great at putting everything together, from stand up and striking, to grappling and jiu jitsu, and making it work for him. It always makes each of his fights more exciting. It will be a fantastic show. Also, Cody is just a great kid to work with. He works with the little kids for us during promotions, the older people, any other person who needs help. He just loves the sport and the people associated with it.”

It will not be an easy fight for Floyd, as Campbell will have a pretty big experience advantage with 20 fights under his belt. Campbell was chosen as Pro MMA Now’s Amateur Fighter of 2009 due to an incredible 10-1 run last year.

“Strikeforce: Nashville” will be headlined with a middleweight title fight between current title-holder Jake Shields and UFC/Pride veteran Dan Henderson, King Mo will take on Gegard Mousasi, and Shinya Aoki will face Gilbert Melendez.

In addition to the heavily stacked main card, the preliminary card is going to certainly excite MMA fans from the Southeast. Many well-known names that local fans have been watching for years will take the step up to the big show on April 17. Stay tuned to ProMMAnow.com as we will be announcing more of these preliminary bouts in the coming days.

Related posts:

1. Kevin Randleman vs. Mike Whitehead added to Strikeforce card on June 6
2. Nick Diaz vs. Scott Smith added to June 6 Strikeforce fight card in St. Louis
3. ProMMA.info Amateur Fighter of 2009: Thomas Campbell
4. Pictures: Gameness Fighting Championship VI – preliminary card

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About the Author
Jack Bratcher is a father, and a former collegiate English Honor Society member who fell in love with, and began practicing martial arts at a very young age. Currently, Jack is the co-Owner and Editor of PrO MMA Now (www.prommanow.com). He is also the Nashville MMA Examiner, and a member of the MMA Fight Council Writer's Guild. When not writing, editing, or traveling to cover MMA shows, you will most likely find Jack emailing managers and promoters or interviewing fighters. For entertainment he likes watching good movies, internet video, or playing PS3. Jack can be reached at info@promma.info.

Brian "Bad Intentions" White Fights March 13th At The Summit

2010-03-08T08:27:00.003-06:00

Brian "Bad Intentions" White. Yep, we have been waiting on his next fight for some time now and he is finally back in the ring and ready to reap havoc on someone.

Brian White is one of those guys on whom you can always rely to put on a great show filled with athleticism, charisthma, and action. He is an explosive fighter whose technical expertise leaves the crowd with their mouths hanging open. This guy puts on a show no matter where he goes.

Part of he draw to Brian is his attitude. For those at the TBJJ gym that know him he is a great guy to be around. He is always joking, smiling and making workouts fun for those around him. But when it comes time to get in the ring, it is clear why the nickname "Bad Intentions" stuck to him. The guy is relentless.

I have had the good fortune of working with Brian over the past year. He has helped me in so many ways that I could not list them all. The same is true with all the TBJJ and AGEMA fighters. They will all help you anytime they can if you will let them.

I hope you all come out to see Brian fight on the 13th. Jesse Kilgore will be fighting as well and trust me, you don't want to miss his fight. It has the potential to be one of the best of the night because Jesse doesn't fool around.

Cody Floyd - CBS - Strikeforce! April 17, 2010

2010-03-05T14:56:00.007-06:00

Strikeforce has offered Cody Floyd a pro fight on CBS April 17th in Nashville Tennessee according to Chris Gates of TBJJ. This is a fantastic opportunity for Cody so lets all get behind him in a major way! More details soon!

TBJJ Kickboxing Class Is For Everyone! (CLICK "Play" to watch video)

2010-03-05T14:38:00.005-06:00

On Thursday nights at 7:00 pm, you can join TBJJ professional instructors and people from all walks of life to enjoy a great workout that is fun and good for you. Chris Gates and Mark Romano have developed a class that works for everyone no matter what the age. In this video, Mighty Joe Milligan teaches the class and as you can see, it is quiet the workout.

Harrah's Welcomes Back Terry Robinson

2010-02-24T12:06:00.006-06:00

Well, we have a number of posts on this blog about Terry Robinson. As a matter of fact you can scroll down this page to the "older posts" and chances are each month represented will contain something about Terry.

It is time to get behind him again! Terry will be fighting this Saturday night, February 27th in the Empire Fights production at Harrah's Casino in Tunica. The event begins at 8:00 PM at Harrah's Event Center and will without doubt be worth the short trip over to the mighty Mississippi River. His opponent is Zack Underwood who holds a 5-2 record.

VIEW THE FIGHT CARD HERE: http://www.empirefightsonline.com/frame%20pages/FightCard.htm

GET YOUR TICKETS HERE: http://www.ticketmaster.com/Night-Of-Reckoning-II-tickets/artist/1393038

Send Terry your support through FACEBOOK: Click HERE

Terry's last fight was challenging. We have seen him grow in maturity and skill over the past year as he has faced many opponents but during his last fight (also at Harrah's) his opponent was very strong, very skilled and put up a fantastic fight. The two men battled as if they were in ancient times and it was hard to tell who would come out on top up until Terry finally overcame his opponent to take home an exciting win. Everyone could tell that Terry wasn't only in excellent physical condition but also that his heart was in winning that fight.

This fight will prove to be much the same. Terry is in phenomenal shape and has been working for weeks on end to reach his peak condition. I for one cannot wait to see him put on a great show. No matter what happens, it will definitely be a brawl!

"I see Zack being really aggressive and the fight will likely begin with a very fast pace and put us in stand up for a while. It will probably go to the ground at some point where I hope to finish it with a submission or a referee stoppage. I have a lot of respect for Zack. He is a good fighter and has been through some great matches," says Terry.

We also look forward to seeing Thomas Vasquez of Southaven Mississippi in his fight at Harrah's against Brian Hall of Memphis. Thomas attended the King of the Mats competition in Tupelo a few weeks ago and did a great job. This should be an entertaining fight to say the least.

Empire Fights
empirefightsonline.com
Empire Fights brings Professional MMA Cage Fights to Memphis Tennessee.

The Fight Clinic

2010-02-18T10:37:00.004-06:00

I recently had the pleasure of speaking to John David Shackleford who you may know from "The Ultimate Fighter" or maybe you saw one of his explosive performances in person. John David runs "The Fight Clinic" in Olive Branch, Mississippi.

When you speak to John David, you know you are speaking to a good person and a consummate professional and you can tell he is passionate about MMA.

So we thought we would put a link to his site on our blog and encourage you to visit him there, sign up for his newsletter, and if you can... go see him fight.

www.thefightclinic.com

We hope to see John David in the octagon very soon.

Pro Fights in Tupelo March 13th

2010-02-10T10:21:00.003-06:00

Start planning now for the upcoming fights at the Summit in Tupelo on March 13th, 2010. As in the past, this promises to be a fantastic show that the whole family can enjoy.

So far, Jesse Kilgore and Brian White are on the card to fight. Those two fights will be explosive and worth the ticket price alone. We will update you on additional fights as they are scheduled.

It isn't often that we get such a high-end event in Tupelo, especially at the professional level so DON'T MISS IT!

Terry Robinson fights at Harrah's Tunica on the 27th

2010-02-09T13:26:00.003-06:00

Time to get behind Terry Robinson of AGEMA and Tupelo Brazilian Jiu Jitsu. Terry fights on the 27th of February for Empire Fights. The event will be at Harrah's Tunica. This is a big fight for Terry, and will be a great overall production. Make plans to be there. The after-party is sponsored by Tapout.

New MMA news site

2010-02-09T13:15:00.003-06:00

Check out this MMA news site. You can post a comment on the site if you like. It is managed by Michael D. Chastain of Cleveland TN.

www.mmanewsfree.com

Congratulations to Johnathan Burdine!

2010-02-09T13:07:00.004-06:00

A big congrats goes out to future XFC Hall of Famer "J Burd" Johnathan Burdine for his impressive win Saturday night. With a 2nd round TKO, J Burd continues to show his dedication to God, his fans, is camp and to the sport. He worked hard in the weeks leading up to the fight and it is reported that he completely dominated a game opponent. We will try to get a quote or two from him soon and maybe even a play by play.

Until then, congratulations again J Burd. Great job!

Jonathan Burdine explodes onto the XFC

2010-02-06T16:30:00.005-06:00

Straight from J Burd:

Saturday the 23rd of January, Premier Martial Arts of Knoxsville TN hosted the
XFC open tryouts. Their Goal was to give out "ONE" contract to the best
fighter that showed up. They scored on all aspects of the game.
Cardio, wrestling, mit work, jiu jitsu and kickboxing. Due to my good
friends at TBJJ, Memphis BJJ, The Fight Clinic, and my brothers Team
Paragon, I was more than prepared. At the end of the tryout they
selected a wrestler from Ohio State but they couldn't pass up "The
King's Kid". They selected me also to fight on a future card, possibly
July 9th in the Tampa Florida show. I'm a witness that God is a good God and
if you just trust and believe, you can achieve.

"The King's Kid"

KING OF THE MATS

2010-01-05T12:44:00.004-06:00

We are pleased to announce that the "King of the Mats" competition will be held January 23, 2010 at 126 Fenco Drive, Tupelo, Mississippi.

Mississippi's largest grappling tournament!

Divisions ranging from children to advanced: Gi and No Gi

Weigh-in starts at 8:00 AM
Tournament starts at 10:00 AM

FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT:

Chris Gates: gates_c-d@hotmail.com
Mark Romano: 662-488-4234 or chiroromano@juno.com

For a pdf copy of the sign up sheet, tournament flier, and rules, email Ken at ken0021@yahoo.com and request the document you want. He will email them to you.

Looking forward to an explosive 2010

2010-01-04T11:52:00.002-06:00

Well, we made it through the holidays and are into a new decade as the year 2010 gets underway. No doubt this will be an explosive year for Tupelo Brazilian Jiu Jitsu (TBJJ), Amory MMA and Paragon MMA in Corinth.

We already have two fighters getting ready to put on big shows in February. Terry Robinson (TBJJ), and Jonathan Burdine (Paragon), both have fights scheduled. Both are training hard and getting fired up to put on a great show for the fans.

There will be a lot going on in the coming months and we look forward to keeping you up to date as you check back with our blog.

Our hope for this year is that you will tell you friends about the blog, newsletter and the facebook page and that we can get more people on the path to a better life through good habits and training. Remember to comment often and send an email to Ken if you want us to cover any particular topic or fighter. He will be glad to help any way he can. Send emails to ken0021@yahoo.com.

Thanks and have a great 2010!

Joe Milligan goes 4-0

2009-12-07T23:26:00.002-06:00

Here are the Youtube links to Joe's fight. If you have any trouble viewing them, please comment on here or email me at ken0021@yahoo.com. Thanks, KEN

Links to Joe's 4th fight:
Round 1 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XrrMX5WO3iE
Round 2 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-Prmp8oAIS8
Round 3 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6zAudpJiE5k

1-1 on the weekend

2009-11-30T11:47:00.004-06:00

Well, I waited all day yesterday and part of today to write this because I had mixed feelings about the fight I attended on Saturday night but I will attempt to give you an update to what happened.

Let's first say a big congratulations to Mighty Joe Milligan for his win at Samstown in Tunica. I understand it was a great fight and Joe was impressive from start to finish. Joe's record now stands at 4-0 and the future looks bright for this fighter who is willing to step into the ring with just about anyone. Props to Chris Gates and Dr. Mark Romano and everyone else that helped Joe prepare. Maybe I can get some pics to attach to this post pretty quick.

Ms. Toni and I took two teenagers to the fights at the International Agricenter in Memphis to watch Goldman Butler fight. Goldman was up against John Dixon of Biloxi and did not disappoint us with his performance. Brown was 7-1 coming into the fight and, in my opinion, was well on his way to 7-2 as Goldman controlled the first round and most of the second. But, Goldman got caught with a good right cross and went down after the referee had separated the two in the second round. I didn't understand why he separated them as they were both fighting on the cage, throwing knees consistently and pummeling hard. When Goldman went down, he immediately rolled and grabbed Brown's leg to bring him to the mat and was obviously well positioned to defend but then the ref jumped in and stopped the fight. I was surprised to say the least and the crowd reacted with boo's all over the place. In my opinion, the ref goofed up the whole fight. That is just my opinion but it is what it is as was the results. Either way, Goldman did us all proud. He was obviously in great shape and put on a fantastic show. This was easily the best fight of the night.

There were 5 fights on this night:

Justin Rice won over Bobby Hill in the first round.
Ryan Caprari won with an arm bar over Randy Fields.
Chris Myers won with a triangle over a very game Jeremy Wallace (Great fight.
Chris Hawk (crowd favorite) won with an arm bar over Sean Frens but it was a brawl.
And finally, in the most exciting fight of the night, John Brown overcame Goldman Butler in a TKO, referee stoppage.

Goldman is still the "man"! John "Do do" Brown said during his post fight interview, "I found out tonight that I am not the strongest guy in this weight class." We know Goldman will be back soon. I for one cannot wait to see him fight again.

AGEMA - What does it mean?

2009-11-25T14:17:00.006-06:00

According to Wikipedia "AGEMA" is defined:

"In ancient Macedonia, the Agema, meaning literally "the guards", were the elite guards. In Macedon, especially under Philip V of Macedon and Perseus of Macedon, the Agema formed an elite body within the corps of 'Peltasts'. This corps is not to be confused with the light infantry. The Macedonian Peltast corps was the equivalent of the Hypaspists in Alexander the Greats army."

The "Agema" were historically utilized as the elite guard for Kings of their time in many areas. Their duties included escorting Kings into battle and were considered the best of the best and respected worldwide as dangerous adversaries in any situation.

Joe is at it again!

2009-11-25T13:47:00.002-06:00

"Mighty Joe" Milligan looks to continue his winning ways. Joe will be fighting a dangerous opponent as he tries to push his record to 4-0.

Bang! Fighting Championship always puts on an exciting show, and with Joe on the card it is an event not to be missed.

tickets available through Ticketmaster or Sam's Town

Did you hear?

2009-11-25T11:13:00.001-06:00

DID YOU HEAR? Matt Wyatt at Miss 98 (97.5 fm) mentioned MMA last night on the Sports Drive. Said they would talk MMA if we call in or text them. PLEASE call tonight and tomorrow night to talk about Goldman and Joe's fights as well as AGEMA being the only pro game in town. To call the station between 4:00 and 6:00 p...m (showtime) call 662-844-9800. Text them at 662-871-5005.

Goldman fights this Saturday night

2009-11-24T16:40:00.003-06:00

I just found out that Goldman Butler will definitely fight this Saturday night barring any major issues. He text that the fight is on! So lets all get to his fight or get over to Tunica to watch Joe Milligan and Jesse Kilgore. Contact Doc or the fighters if you have any questions on tickets or locations. Go get'em guys!

Nutrition "Wake Up Call"

2009-11-18T19:52:00.004-06:00

The following is a paper that was written by my son, Austin Dulaney, of Cheyenne, Wyoming. Austin is a an amatuer cyclist,(soon to be pro), racing in mountain, road bike, and cyclocross events. I asked him to allow me to publish this after I read it as it was an assignment he had for college.

Doc and Chris are always reminding us of diet. I thought this fit well. It certainly opened my eyes.

ASSIGNMENT:

For this assignment I chose to go to Burger King. The nutritional information that was given to me was astounding! The fat, sodium, and caloric values of most of the items on the menu were staggering. Even what I consider to be a small meal, like the one I ordered, was almost half the daily-recommended allowance of the normal 2,000-calorie diet.
The more popular sandwiches such as the flagship “Whopper” have 670 calories. Keep in mind that this is without cheese, and with only a single hamburger patty. Other items like the “Angry Chicken Tendercrisp” sandwich boast 1030 calories, 2670 mg of sodium, and an artery hardening 105mg of cholesterol. Even healthier items such as the “Tendergrill Chicken Salad” have as much as 1450mg of sodium. So, upon evaluation, one could easily see why quick serve restaurants must me chosen in moderation, and not for every meal.
The meal that I ordered was the traditional American lunch. A cheeseburger, fries, and a Coke. As I ate, I looked closer at the numbers, and began to lose my appetite. My BK double cheeseburger (ordered as normally served) contained 29g of fat, 14g of saturated fat, 1020mg of sodium, and 510 calories. The medium sized salted french fries contained 23g of fat, 2.5g of saturated fat, 820mg of sodium, and 220 calories. Amazingly, my Coke was the least unhealthy item that I ordered, with 0g of fat, 0g of saturated fat, only 10mg of sodium, and 290 calories. All this means that in that small meal, I took in about 1020 calories, 1950mg of sodium, and 52g of fat. I was previously aware that Burger King was not the healthiest choice for lunch, but I thought the convenience outweighed the consequences. It is now more than apparent, that I was wrong.
In this assignment the question is posed, “Will this change what you order the next time you visit the restaurant?” The answer is a simple no. This is because I don’t think I will be visiting “The King” anytime in the future, due to this newfound information. Veaganism has never looked so good.

Training Tips with Chris Gates #5

2009-11-13T09:33:00.003-06:00

Here we go! Chris Gates utilizes the assistance of Jeremy Kilgore to help us to strengthen our shoulders. If you work at a desk all day, this will really help you. Trust me, I have tried it.

Thanks to Chris and Jeremy for the tip this week! Keep it up guys.

"Never stop!" Chris Gates

Back

2009-11-12T16:34:00.007-06:00

I must apologize that I haven't made any entries to our blog over the past couple of weeks. I have been busy but that is no excuse. I will have new information for you soon and make entries accordingly.

Until then, please remember that GOLDMAN BUTLER will be fighting in Memphis on the 28th of November and JOE MILLIGAN will be fighting in Tunica at Samstown that same night. JESSE KILGORE will possibly be fighting but we cannot guarantee that just yet. Stay tuned to the blog and facebook for more details.

Remember, if you haven't signed up for the FREE newsletter, including Training Tips with Chris Gates, do so by emailing me at ken0021@yahoo.com with your email address. Just tell me to add you.

Thanks, KEN

Harrah's Casino 10-23-09 Fight Overview

2009-10-26T13:11:00.013-05:00

On Friday night, my wife Toni and I, were honored to attend the fights at Harrah's Casino in Tunica MS. with Jeff and Jennifer Chambers. I was excited, to say the least, to see Terry Robinson, Jeremy Kilgore, and Goldman Butler fight..... finally. I have such immense respect for these guys and had never been able to see them fight before. They didn't let me down as all three fights were exciting although the outcome was a little different than I had hoped for in two of the three fights.

The only disappointment of the night for me personally came when I found out I could not video the bouts as planned. The gentleman who put the fights together had a production crew there and told me himself that he didn't want anyone filming. The lighting was so dark and foggy that taking a still shot was a challenge since we couldn't use a flash but we did manage to get a few shots. I was told that the fight would be sent to each fighter on dvd so hopefully we can manage some clips at least for you before long.

In the first fight involving TBJJ fighters, Terry Robinson took on Brenden Domingo of Columbia MO. The first thing that came to mind when Brenden walked out was "this is a kid!" but he proved that he was far from it when he and Terry tied up. Terry was very quick on his feet and managed the fight very well. His striking was precise and strong and I think he surprised Domingo with his strength, take down skills and ground game. Brenden did scare us all a little when he had Terry in a very strong choke but somehow Terry managed to leverage his way out of the hold and gain control again to win the fight as he pounded Brenden until the referee stopped the fight. I asked Terry later how it went and he said "That guy was STRONG!" "He had me tight and I was a little worried but I was able to get just the right grip for a split second which allowed me to escape." I can say that Brenden did a fantastic job and was definitely a little stick of dynamite but Terry was able to overcome all obstacles and pull off an enormous win. Congratulations go out in a the biggest way to Terry. He obviously came to win and he did it with style, strength and class.

In the 5th fight of the card, Jeremy Kilgore took on Jesse Beal of Arkansas. Now we were sitting beside some of Jesse's friends and they stated that he was a beast to say the least and that almost all of his amateur fights came by way of knockout as did most of his pro fights. I was on the edge of my seat as one of my mentors walked through the cloud of smoke to face a formidable opponent. I was so proud to know Jeremy that if the fight had never started, I would have been satisfied just to see him walk out there. When Jeremy entered the ring he moved fluidly around the ring and I saw him reach out to Beal and tag gloves in a show of respect and class. When the bell rang, it was obvious that both fighters had a lot of respect for one another and traded shots for a bit. Unfortunately, Jeremy was caught with a good shot and staggered. As he recovered quickly in true Kilgore form, he arose to continue but his position offered an opportunity to Beal and Beal took it, knocking Jeremy out with the second right to the chin. Mrs. Toni and I gasped as Jeremy lay on the floor, not that he was down, but that our hearts broke for him because we know how hard he has worked. As Jeremy arose from the mat, once again, he illustrated why I think Tupelo BJJ is the best gym around. If it had been me, I might have thrown a tantrum or just walked out, but Jeremy, in true Kilgore form, mustered a smile and a congratulatory hug to Beal who was the better warrior on this night. We could tell his heart was heavy but he was a real man about it and made no excuses. I met his wife and saw his mother in the lobby later and they too showed level of class that you rarely see today, neither offering an excuse but only concern for Jeremy. Birds of a feather? I think so. Class and sportsmanship obviously run in this family.

The main event was fight number 9 of the night and featured Goldman Butler and Rocky Overstreet of Auburn, AL. The fight previous, the co-main event, featured Andy Uhrich of Team Vortex (whom I was cheering for) versus Brandon Barger of Columbia, MO. I have to say, it was a blooming brawl! The UFC has nothing on these two. Uhrich finally won the fight but both fighters were bloody worn out messes when the smoke cleared. I didn't think that fight could be topped... I was wrong.

Goldman Butler and I only recently got to know one another to a degree but at first meeting with Goldman, you cannot help but be impressed. Not only with his skill and professionalism but in his overall attitude and outlook on life. Goldman is a man of prinicpal as is Terry, Jeremy, and all the other fighters at TBJJ. But this is a giant of a man in my eyes. Not necessarily in sheer size, but if you are male you understand what I am saying when I say I think Goldman represents what a real man is and and should be.

The physical giant that Goldman met in the ring on this night was Rocky Overstreet. When the guy came into the ring I was amazed at how he towered above the top of the ring at 6.8 feet tall and looked to be as strong as an ox. He had obvious skill as the bell rang to begin the first round and his reach posed a real threat to Goldman. Goldman, true to his nature, never wavered and stayed patient. He stalked Overstreet, slipping and moving to avoid contact from the many jabs and right crosses offered by his opponent. I could see Chris Gates and Mark Romano in that ring in my mind's eye. Slip, move, slip, move. Goldman was doing what he had been trained to do and it was working. Finally he took an open opportunity and closed the gap, pinning Overstreet to the cage and finally taking him down to the dismay of Overstreet's corner. I was fortunate to see the look on Overstreet's face when the first barrage of punches from Goldman landed and opened his face and nose up. It was a look of surprise. I like to think (no disrespect to Mr. Overstreet) that he was thinking "What the heck have I gotten myself into, a meat grinder?" It sure looked that way to me. At the end of the first round there was no doubt that Goldman had won the round but both fighters were visibly tired.

The second round began as the first with the same results. Both men fought like men possessed, testing one another to the edge of oblivion. Well into the 2nd round I thought Goldman had this fight in the bag as he continuously banged out strike after strike and controlled the fight. He had Overstreet against the cage nearest me and I noticed a spark of life in the laboring Overstreet as he shrimped his back to the cage. In a move right out of the movies, he gained control of Goldman's back and in a blink of an eye, Goldman was sprawled with the giant of a man laying squarely on his back. Overstreet was able to muster some strikes that seemed to do no damage but as Goldman later stated, "I just couldn't get him off of me." So as simply as that, the referee stopped the fight and Goldman was faced with a defeat. As the two men helped one another up from the mat, you could see the respect in the eyes of both. Mr. Overstreet stated at the announcement of his victory his respect for Goldman and I know the feeling is mutual.

My heart remained heavy over the weekend, not due to the AGEMA losses but because I knew that faced with the same circumstances, I would pale in comparison to the three men I have come to appreciate so much. Terry, Jeremy and Goldman all possess a quality of manhood that most of us dream of. I received a note from Goldman later that night expressing his remorse in losing the fight, as if he had somehow let me down. So let me say for the record, I am immensely proud of Terry Robinson and I am equally proud of Jeremy and Goldman. Why? Because in a world where we are taught to win at all costs and to step on whoever gets in our way, these MEN put themselves in a position, as do all TBJJ team members and trainers, to not only teach us how to win, but also how to lose. We cannot always win in life even if we put our best efforts forward but we can set a standard so high that others cannot help but be mystified by our stature.

So, to me, TBJJ won a tremendous battle on Friday night. We may not have won every fight, but something in the souls of those watching was stirred. I can only speak for myself when I say I was inspired by the efforts of the team. Seeing Chris Gates, Mark Romano, Cody Floyd, Brian White, Noel McMichael, Jon Price, Jon Crump, and Jeff Chambers of Amory MMA handle themselves in this venue was awe inspiring. This is what team sports is about. These are the men who make MMA a sport for the masses. These MEN are who I want my son and grandsons to look upon as role models.So I want to say "Thank you" to the fighters and trainers and support staff of this event. You all did TBJJ proud and I am honored beyond words to be associated with you in whatever small way I can be. I am proud to call you all my friends and look forward to your next event with great expectations. Lord have mercy, I wouldn't want to be the next guys to meet Jeremy and Goldman in the octagon. LOL

Fox News Memphis interviews Goldman Butler

2009-10-23T14:53:00.004-05:00

Goldman did a great job in his interview with the morning show in Memphis on the Fox affiliate. Click the link to see the interview.

http://www.myfoxmemphis.com/dpp/good_morning/102109_MMA_Cage_Fight_Event_in_Tunica

Jack Bratcher and PROMMA publish the Isle of Capri Fights on October 17th

2009-10-13T13:48:00.004-05:00

Of course this is subject to change, but we want to say thank you to PROMMA and Jack Bratcher for publishing the upcoming fights this weekend in their newsletter and on their site. Jack has been very good to work with us when I have asked him to print something for us. Doc Romano released the schedule to Jack to be printed and updated it this past Monday. Here is a link to Jack's site at PROMMA.

http://promma.info/index.php/2009/10/12/icc-fight-card-set-for-oct-17-at-the-isle-of-capri-casino-in-lula-mississippi/

Please email Jack when you can and tell him thanks for publishing this for us. It goes out all over the world. Email Jack at jackiebratcher@mchsi.com. And check out one of the best sources for MMA news at www.promma.info.

Fight Schedule (subject to change)

Pro MMA

145 Chad Lawshe vs Jerrold Osthoff

4-man Tournament

Jesse Buress, Thomas Vasquez, Adam Smoothers, Tim Galluzzi

Amateur MMA

HW Jesse Kilgore vs Robert Hester
145 Jon Price vs Chris Ortiz
155 Tim Kelley vs Taylor Tallens
205 Nick Vellerial vs David Bailey
145 Joe Milligan vs James Leek
185 Nick Tucker vs Coleman Jones
150 Cody Floyd vs Marcus Hamond
175 Juice Madrid vs Anthony Freeman
135 Richie Fletcher vs Brian Hall

Tupelo Flea Market Shows Local Interest in MMA

2009-10-13T13:05:00.007-05:00

I will be the first to say that I was at the very least "skeptical" about whether or not to place a booth at the Tupelo Flea Market on October 9th and 10th; however, the event proved to be a very good learning experience where we met a ton of MMA fans. This was our first market appearance since I began with TBJJ but all in all it was a very good show. The traffic was very good and the interest shown in TBJJ and Amory MMA was astounding to me. I truly thought that people would trickle in from time to time but we had someone at the booth almost the entire time we were open.

I have to say that the difference was made entirely by the fighters. I have done a lot of trade shows and I generally know what to expect; but I didn't expect to have the entire complex come to a screeching halt when the fighters began sparring. That "POP" of the mitts and gloves drew people to the booth like moths to a flame. I heard other vendors complaining (jokingly) that when the pops started, everything else stopped. I have to admit it was true and it was a phenomenon that was unexpected by me. The guys put on a great show, we signed up 41 new people for the newsletter (almost double our goal), added a large number to our blog, had numerous people promise to come to a class at either TBJJ or Amory MMA, and I understand that last night, one of the people did indeed show up at class in Tupelo. It was also great to see so many little kids get on the mat and spar with the fighters. The guys did a great job of being patient and working with anyone who wanted to get on the mat with them. It ended up being fun for everyone. So the event was an overwhelming success.

We were there to promote both gyms along with the gym in Corinth, Paragon, and to promote the fights that are coming up on October 17th at the Isle of Capri Casino in Lula MS. Make your reservations now by calling the Isle at 1-800-the-Isle or visit www.isleofcapricasinos.com.

I will be posting some pics and videos of the event over the next couple of days. Keep a look out for them. Until then, let me say a special thanks to everyone that came out and helped. Thanks to: Jeff Chambers, Tony Palmer, Haley McLemore, who helped with the set up, Mark Romano, Chris Gates, Grady Hurley, Juice Madrid, Scotty, & Eric from Amory, Cody Floyd, Joe Milligan, Isaac Ware, Brian White, Jon Price, from TBJJ, and everyone else that participated.

A special thanks to Cody and Isaac who stayed all day Saturday and did a fantastic job with the kids. Big cudo's to Jeff Chambers and Alliance for making sure this happened.

Weekly Training with Chris Gates #3

2009-10-08T16:25:00.004-05:00

This week Chris utilized the expertise of Terry Robinson to demonstrate a very good warm up routine. As Chris and Terry illustrate in this video, it takes little time and is well worth the effort.

Never stop!

New to MMA Update

2009-09-29T12:54:00.004-05:00

Today I went to the weekly boxing class at TBJJ. I am writing this immediately after class because I want to put down how I feel before I get rested and have a different point of view. When I get rested, I will appreciate today but I realize that if YOU were to join the class, having never trained before, you might very well feel like I feel right now and quit.

So let's address the elephant in the room shall we? Right now I am very tired, my back hurts, my left big toe is out of joint, my neck (having two buldging disks in it) is throbbing, and I now have a new pain in just above my left elbow in the muscle on the back of my arm. Mix in the frustration of my not being able to put a single combination together after 4+ months and you might be able to understand why I might have a bad attitude right now. And yes, I have thought of just dropping the class on more than one occasion, usually on Tuesdays around 12:00 pm. Nervous yet? Thinking of staying away from this class? Are you in a class and considering dropping out? Every felt this way at all? (You are not alone if you said "yes" and if you are smart, you will squash those thoughts right now.)

To top it off, I could see the frustration in Doc's eyes when I didn't get the punches correct, because he and Chris have only tried to teach me these for 4+ months now and I still haven't gotten it right. Talk about embarrassing and having feelings of inadequacy! (Oh, poor me... ever feel that way?)

WHY ON EARTH would I be telling you all this negative stuff if I want you to ever take part in this sport or join TBJJ. Here is why: it is part of it. It is part of the growth process. It hurts, heck yeah, but it never hurts past what you can bear. Doc and Chris make sure of that. And the thoughts of embarrassment and feeling like the trainers are frustrated with me?..... All in my head, I know that. When I reflect back on the day after I recover somewhat, I always come back to one thought: "I did it." I didn't quit today. I stayed in there even though I wanted to crawl back home and get into the fetal position and suck my thumb. 4 months ago I couldn't jump rope for 10 seconds straight. Now I can at least move around for 3 minutes and not pass out! That is a BIG DEAL to me.

Jeff Chambers stayed after class and taught Tony Palmer and myself how to do a few things and Clay Short was kind enough to talk to me on the side about what to do when I pass guard. These two guys are the reason I keep going back. Not just them, but you see... this is the class of guys and gals that are associated with this gym. Never, not once, have I needed instruction or advice or encouragement that there wasn't two or three guys right there just waiting to pick me back up. Doc and Chris are always at the front of the line. I have simply never seen such dedication to the success of "others" like I do here. It is a lifestyle to these people and ego takes a back seat to the success of the guy that needs help.

So after Tony Palmer kicked me in the temple (yeah Tony, it hurt), I was happy to sit right there and continue to learn. We laugh, we run, we joke around, we have fun. Is it work? Yes. Is it worth it? HECK YEAH! So let me say thanks to those people at TBJJ that have been so kind to take a minute or two with me each week. The list is getting long but I will continue to appreciate all of you. If it weren't for you, I would have left a long time ago because TBJJ would be just another gym. Fact is, TBJJ isn't just another gym. Its a family.

Training Tips with Chris Gates #2

2009-09-24T16:57:00.007-05:00

Here it is, week two's video with Chris Gates and this weeks professional fighter, Jeremy Kilgore. Now you all know you love them... Yep, we are talking about "Burpee's"! This is a VERY effective exercise and if done consistently, you will see big results fast.

Thanks to Chris and Jeremy for taking the time to do this for FREE. Just another way TBJJ proves they are YOUR MMA team. Oh yeah, special thanks to Jeremy for getting those out of the way for the rest of us in class today. You are a true "giver" Jeremy.

Watch the video here or click on the link to watch it on Youtube and forward it to your friends. Please help us out by asking them to send an email to sign up for the TBJJ newsletter. Then they will get the video directly into their email each week. Send their email address to ken0021@yahoo.com

ISLE OF CAPRI CASINO FIGHTS OCTOBER 17TH

2009-09-19T18:53:00.002-05:00

Email: chiroromano@juno.com

Originally our October fights were scheduled to take place at the Summit in Tupelo. We were fortunate to receive a call from the Isle of Capri Casino in Lula Mississippi inviting us to move the fights on the 17th to their location.

This presents a unique opportunity for TBJJ and our fighters in that the publicity will no doubt be expanded and the venue is a little larger to say the least. We are very excited about this date and hope that it leads to bigger and better things for our fighters.

We will be back in Tupelo in the near future and, as usual, it will be exciting for all who attend.

The TBJJ fighters that will be on the card the 17th are:

Darren Hitchcock
Goldman
Jesse Kilgore
Joe Milligan
Jon Price
Cody Floyd (All are subject to change)

From the Amory MMA Gym, Juice Madrid will be on the card as well, so North Mississippi will be we represented all the way around. We hope that you will consider coming to the fights and supporting your favorite fighter.

Remember, the young guys as well as the pros depend on your support. If you know of anyone who needs real positive publicity, tell them they might consider sponsoring a fighter. These guys are eager to show up and represent their sponsors well so the investment is a no brainer.

We are sorry to report that no one under the age of 21 will be able to attend the Lula event due to casino rules but don't worry, we will be back in Tupelo before you know it.

Joe Milligan WINS Sep 18th Fight in Memphis

2009-09-19T17:34:00.002-05:00

Chris Gates texted me a while ago and he is proud to announce that Joe Milligan of TBJJ won his fight on Friday night in a very decisive fashion. According to Chris, the referee stopped the fight in the first round!

We hope to have more details of the fight soon but for now, CONGRATS go out to Joe. I know Joe has worked extremely hard over the past weeks to achieve this goal and it has paid off for him. I am sure little Joe Joe III is very proud of his dad as well! Great job Joe!

After 4 days to think about the fight, Joe was kind enough to share some of his thoughts on the fight. "When the fight started I was real surprised. I had expected the guy to be a stand-up brawler but instead he took me down! I swept him and stayed on top. He went for a foot-lock and exposed his head so I went at it, then took mount. I pounded away, then heard the ref tell him to do something or he is going to stop the fight, so I really went off then! I liked not having to break a sweat, rather than going all 3 rounds and being exhausted!" Joe Milligan

Training Tips with Chris Gates

2009-09-18T14:54:00.004-05:00

Well, here we go! We began a new project this week, today to be specific.

Chris Gates will be providing very short, straight forward, simple training tips, which I will be sending out in an email. Now if you know someone who needs to get into shape, or if you have been trying to get them into MMA, this just might be their ticket. The project is designed to give them something different every Friday so they can do that for the upcoming week. It won't be complicated or long so hopefully they won't get frustrated or quit. Those of us that work out already can gain from this because I bet we can all use a refresher course on some of the fundamentals from time to time.

So cut and paste this link and email it to all your friends. Tell them to email me at ken0021@yahoo.com and I will put them on the email list so they can get the tip each week for FREE. Watch it here or on Youtube at the link below.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mNJIW378jik

Also, ask them to sign up for this blog. It is pretty easy to do and they will have free access to all the news in North Mississippi MMA that we can gather. Thanks for spreading the word. This is "Your Tupelo BJJ Team"

Life's Challenges from "Mark Romano"

2009-09-16T12:29:00.002-05:00

Hello everyone, I hope that this finds each of you doing well. I think
all of us continue to experience life's challenges. These challenges
would mostly consist of the things in life that we really do not want to
do or partake in. The requirement in these circumstances is discipline. I
define discipline as doing the things that you really do not want to do
but are necessary in accomplishing a goal or task. Discipline is a
conditioned response to life's challenges ( which takes discipline to
learn, lol). Discipline is truly a habbit of success people.
This brings us to the point of life's challenges. These challenges we
face serve a tremendous purpose in the building of human character,
strength, and confidence. They allow for growth and development of the
human spirit. In fact, without these challenges, a person will never know
who they truly are. Without life challenges, relationships would not grow
strong. A life without challenges is a life that never reach its full
potential. Wasted potential is one of the biggest tragedies of our
society.
Life challenges lead to defining moments in our lives. In these
moments we rise to a higher level of existence. We perform better and
think clearer than we ever thought we could. Doors open in every aspect
of life. Investing in the health and strength of our bodies truly helps
in the daily challenges of life, as well as, preparing us for those
defining moments. There is no failure when you are committed to
excellence. Your Health, Your Life, Your Choice my friends!!!
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New Cool Project from TBJJ

2009-09-15T15:34:00.002-05:00

Within the next two weeks, we hope to begin a weekly email to all the followers of this blog and all the recipients of the TBJJ newsletter which will be an instructional type piece. The idea is to give all of us a workout to do for that week. It will be something different, fun, and best of all, effective.

We are going to try and digitally video Chris Gates and he will be providing instruction and a few words of encouragement each week. This should be far reaching and may be very helpful to some folks that cannot make it to the gym in Tupelo.

So if you know someone that might want to receive the email with the video in it, then email me at ken021@yahoo.com and I will make sure they get it.

New to MMA Update: 5th Month

2009-09-15T14:50:00.011-05:00

Well, today marks the 5th month of my venture into the world of MMA. I have met a number of very colorful characters and made a host of new friends. Bear in mind, those people I consider friends may not even know me if I met them on the street but I consider them "my" friends anyway. My previous posts indicate why.

I took my first week off last week since I began this journey. Since my first class with Mark Romano I have rarely missed a day working out at least for a half hour or so and on most days do an hour to and hour and a half. I had to be in Jackson on business last week so I used that and the weather as an excuse to just "loaf". NOT A GOOD IDEA, as you probably know.

To be totally honest, I had become somewhat frustrated with myself and was beginning to feel a little sorry for myself. I noticed that I was using the scales as an indicator as to my success and each time I pass them, I weigh myself. When I started I was right at 200 lbs and two weeks ago had only lost 10 pounds. This was while eating broccoli and oatmeal and drinking water every day. No fattening foods are in my diet except sometimes on the weekend I might have fish or shrimp with my wife but my diet mainly consists of salads, oatmeal and broccoli along with garden vegetables for dinner. I just could not understand why I wasn't dropping weight and actually still don't really; however, I know I am getting in much better shape and have much less daily aches and pains than before.

Here is what happened to me: Of course, I was winded in class today but more importantly, I was very rudely awakened to the fact that my body had gotten used to the exercise and on this past Saturday, my lower back went out. My energy has plummeted and I cannot sleep. Serves me right. I knew better and did it anyway. So when Chris Gates says there is no magic pill he is right and your body will tell you when you start to goof off when you are as old as I am.

I am going to try and attach a couple of photo's for your entertainment since this post might bore some of you; but my point is this. Just don't stop. Don't do it. Hang in there and stay committed. The guys at TBJJ have told me this over and over and they are right. Don't let yourself get depressed over a stupid scale. It will pay off.

The photo's are compliments of Terry Robinson and then Jeremy Kilgore. Terry popped me on the left side of my nose and then Jeremy taught me to jab the correct way when sparring with a left handed fighter by tapping the right side. Somehow I feel that I won't be forgetting today's lessons very soon. LOL

Today's class was great, even if I was the worst one there because of my time off. Guess what, I didn't pass out and didn't feel like I had to quit, so that proves it. All the work so far has been well worth it and it is all thanks to TBJJ. Thanks guys. And Oh, bye the way, I have lost 13 pounds so far as of today.

Great Workout from Terry Robinson

2009-08-26T15:30:00.003-05:00

This is a great workout, found by Terry Robinson, and posted by Terry on his Youtube site. I heard about it on Tuesday and just watched it. It looks really tough but also looks very effective. Thanks to Terry for demonstrating, filming, posting and telling me about it. You can see it for yourself at the link below.

WATCH TERRY WORKOUT

Fight Results from August 22nd

2009-08-24T15:59:00.004-05:00

TupeloBJJ was well represented this weekend. Jeremy Kilgore fought a war with the much bigger opponent Rick McCrackin. Jeremy dominated the fight, landing huge strikes and showing great cage control standing up and on the ground. He won a unanimous decision.

Brian White showed tremendous skill. His striking was smooth and accurate. His ground game and transitions flowed beautifully. However, after adisplace of enormous skill, Brian got caught in a guillotine choke that
ended the fight.

Both fighters did fantastic and we at TupeloBJJ are very proud of you
both!!!

Be looking for more fights coming up on September 18 in Memphis and
October 17 at the Isle Capri in Lula Mississippi.
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