On Saturday July 24, the Houston MMA community once again came together to help out one of our own.  Big Boy Sports and B3 Sports teamed up to help raise money for local fighter John Malbrough’s mother, who is in need of heart surgery.  The weather was perfect and the turnout was amazing.  In just 4 short hours, the event raised $1000 to put towards Mrs. Malbrough’s surgery.  Fighters from all over the city made the trip out to show their support, some coming from as far as College Station.  Gym represent included 4oz fight club, Gracie Barra North Houston, McCall’s, Kingwood MMA, United Kombat Academy and Windy Sport and Fitness.  Even Legacy’s own Mick Maynard made the trip out to show his support.

“Having all the guys in the community there to back me was awesome.  I definitely felt the love.  It’s great to know that people who don’t even know me can come out and help make a difference,” John said of the support he and his family received.

He added, ” I learned something from this this whole situation with my mom, that there are truly great people in this world.”

As for an update on his mom, “We almost have the money to get her surgery done.  She is still pretty much the same right now.  She’s really not supposed to do too much, but she walked to the end of the driveway the other day and was completely out of breath.  My hope is that after this surgery, everything will be back to normal with her.”

Finally, John had a few words to say to the Houston MMA community.

“I want to thank everyone from the bottom of my heart for all the help and for coming together for me.  It will never be forgotten. I want to thank you guys at TheCageDoor.net, Adam Villareal on In The Cage, Big Rob (my manager with Big Boy Sports), Ragan McDaniel of B3 Sports, all of the guys from all the gyms that came out to help and show support and the good folks at Tailgaters.  I love all of you guys!”

Enjoy the pics!

Bob and Jeremey where at it again last Saturday July 10th; only this time, it was the grand opening of their new gym at a new location (10541 W FM 1960 suite 130, Houston, 77070).

Plenty of family fun was available as there was music, food, a bouncey for the kids and open sparring sessions all day long.

Enjoy the pics!

Saturday at Summer Creek High School the Houston Grand Prix Jiu Jitsu tournament served as a hub for some of Houston best grapplers to come together and showcase their skills. Grapplers of all shapes, sizes and skill levels participated, with the number of competitors estimated to be in the 400’s. Elbert Hebron always manages to draw a great crowd with his shows and this was no exception.

I’m not sure if it was due to the large number of participants, but the day’s events did seem to run a bit slow at times, and for those who came early the wait was long. I would also be remiss if I did not mention the delayed arrival of the paramedics for an injured competitor.  The wait time was much longer than necessary and had the injury been severe it could have been a scary scene.

Save for these few hiccups, Elbert and his crew usually run a tight ship and I am assuming the late location change (beyond his control) had something to do with these few issues. I look forward to the next Houston Grand Prix event in October and I am sure it will be run back to Elbert’s usual standards.

We hope you enjoy the pics, and remember, you can download and use as many as you want, but please don’t remove or crop out our logo.

Taken at the Houston Grand Prix Jiu Jitsu Championships on July 9th. Click on a thumbnail to view the full size image. Enjoy the Gallery

HOUSTON (July 13, 2010) – After weeks of speculation, Strikeforce formally announced that they are indeed coming to Houston.  They will be having a World Championship Doubleheader at the Toyota Center on Saturday, Aug. 21, that will also be aired live on SHOWTIME® (10 p.m. ET/PT, delayed on the west coast).

King Mo

STRIKEFORCE World Light Heavyweight (205 pounds) Champion “King Mo” Lawal (7-0) will make the first defense of his belt against devastating striker Rafael “Feijao’’ Cavalcante (9-2) in the main event. The semi-main will match Ronaldo “Jacare” Souza (12-2-1) and Tim Kennedy (12-2) in a clash for the vacant STRIKEFORCE Middleweight (185 pounds) crown.

“Feijao likes to bang so this is going to be an exciting fight.  I’m going to show you all some new things I’ve been working on.” Lawal said of his opponent and strategy.

When asked if he was going to change up his normal routine for his first challenge defense, King Mo responded “The approach doesn’t change.  Going into every fight, I feel like both a champion and a challenger because I challenge myself in training, but I’m always champion in my mind.   So nothing is going to change for this fight.”

Kennedy said he’s a proud Texan having recently moved to Austin, and he’s glad to be fighting here in the lone star state.

“I’m proud to say that I’m a Texan now.  I live in Austin.  I hope that all of Texas will come out to support me as I fight to win the belt.”

Tim Kennedy

When asked how his military experience has prepared him mentally and physically for MMA fights, the former Army special forces sniper said, “This is just fighting.  (In the cage), there’s a guy in a black shirt wearing latex gloves who’s going to protect me.  It’s much different than battling a guy who’s hiding behind a rock with a cell phone, waiting to blow me up.  So, this is fun.  I love fighting.  It’s a huge sport and I’m a huge fan of it.  It’s totally different.”

Undefeated heavyweight and form WWE star Bobby Lashley (5-0), will return to the cage against an opponent to be announced.  However, Jeremy Botter of Heavy.com reported on his Twitter that Lashley could be facing either Lavar Johnson or Chad Griggs.

Lashley spoke of his progression after moving from WWE to MMA.

“I think I’ve progressed well.  The Bobby Lashley who fought my first fight is completely different from Bobby Lashley now.   I’m anxious to get back out there.   I had a little setback and when I finally got cleared. I called (STRIKEFORCE CEO Scott) Coker and begged him to be on this card.”

Bobby Lashley

At one point, King Mo put on his press credentials and asked Lashley if he would take a fight with form WWE Alum Batista.

Lashley replied, “lets make it happen. But then I have bigger fish to fry.”

Also on the televised portion of the card is former world champion and Clements High School graduate (class of 2001) KJ Noons (11-2).  Noons will be facing Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu blackbelt Jorge Gurgel (13-6) in a lightweight (155 pounds) match up.

Noons reminisced about his high school days here in Houston.

KJ Noons

“I’m very excited to come back to Texas.  I finished high school here.  My mom and my dad are here.  The fans are awesome here.  I did open-hand Pancrase down the street from here eight years ago before MMA was even big, so I know how it was back then so I’m super excited to be back here.”

He added that he didn’t want to take full credit for getting Strikeforce to come to Houston, but he defiantly planted the bug in Strikeforce CEO Scott Cokers ear.

Game plan wise, it seems to be business as usual for the exciting Noons.

“I think I’m going to keep the fight standing and keep it exciting.  Whether you want to call it a war or whatever, it’s going to be like all my other fights.  I’m going to pick him apart and take him out.”

The undercard is stacked with local Houston fighters.  Matchups singed thus far (but still pending TDLR approval) are:

Chad “Robo” Robichaux (8-0) vs Humberto Deleon (5-3)

Kierre Gooch (2-5) vs Adam Schindler (7-1)

Artenas Young (2-1) vs Chad Cook (8-8)

and famed BJJ instructor Draculino vs Houston MMA legend Rocky Long.  There is also a rumored (but as of now unconfirmed) fight between Rey Trujillo and Jose Santibanez.  This could be a very interesting fight if it happensbecause Trujillo is set to square of against Santibanez’s brother Daniel Pindeda at Legacy FC on July 31.

A special pre-sale ticket purchase opportunity for the event is available for “STRIKEFORCE Insider” e-newsletter subscribers (http://STRIKEFORCE.com/insider.html) until 10 p.m. CT this Thursday, July 15.  STRIKEFORCE Insiders receive a special e-newsletter with the pre-sale code.

Tickets go on sale to the general public this Friday, July 16, at 10 a.m. CT at www.ToyotaCenterTix.com, by phone at 1-866-4-HOU-TIX, at select Houston area Randalls locations, and at www.strikeforce.com. Tickets will be available at 9 a.m. on Monday, July 19, at Toyota Center Box Office.

VIDEO INTERVIEWS

PICTURES

(Click to enlarge)

TWEETS

Here is some of the stuff we tweeted from the press conference, that we didn’t mention in the write up.  You can follow us at http://twitter.com/TheCageDoor:

• Strikeforce says the are partnering with EA sports to produce a new MMA vid game.
• KJ Noons says he’s working on his “spandex guard”
• King Mo says he’d “wear out” Rampage Jackson
• Tickets for the card start at $35
• Tim Kennedy’s suits are money
• Noons, “if you don’t respect the sport, it won’t respect you”
• Noons says he will fight Diaz again…and take his belt.

If you didn’t hear about the Mike Swick seminar, don’t worry, you’re not alone.  It was kind of under the radar and a last minute addition to our Calendar as well.  That being said, when you’re name is Mike Swick, even little publicity can’t stop you from drawing a crowd of almost 30 for your seminar.

The seminar lasted for 3+ hours and was packed full of tips for MMA fighters (both established and aspiring).  If you haven’t had the pleasure to meet Mike Swick, then you’re missing out on meeting one of the nicest people in MMA.  He’s a down to earth, humble guy who really seems to appreciate the fans and the people he comes in contact with.

The seminar itself covered many different aspects of MMA, from escaping mount, to a “secret” takedown that has proven very effective for Swick.  What made it even better was that Swick spent over an hour talking with the attendees in an open forum scenario, answering questions about diet, cutting weight, and other things important to an MMA fighter.

If you’re an MMA fighter (or want to be) and happen to have the chance to atten a the next Swick seminar here intown, do yourself a favor and go.  You’ll learn a lot; not just how to fight, but how to treat your future fans.

Enjoy the pics. We’ll be posting a video lesson from the seminar (escaping mount) in the next couple of days as well.

Mick Maynard loves to give Houston the most exciting fights he can line up. On Friday June 11 at the Bar Rio on Richmond,  during the second installment of Legacy Muay Thai, Mick might have outdone himself with an action packed card that had the entire crowd cheering from bell to bell.

Muay Thai may never catch up to the popularity level of MMA here in Houston, but when it comes to excitement and fast paced action, there is no doubt that the two sports are neck and neck. When you have no fear of being taken down (like you do in MMA) you can dig your heels in and swing away at your opponent. Muay Thai is generally a war of attrition with both fighters doing all they can to break the others will.

There seemed to be a buzz in the air for most of the night.  Many well known names to the Houston MMA scene were on hand to witness the next step in the evolution of  Houston Muay Thai.  Local fighters like Rey Trujillo and Daniel Pineda (who will be facing each other at Legacy FC on July 31 for the 145lb title), Ray Blodgett, Mike Bronzoulis and many more showed up in support of their camps and the fight scene as a whole.

There where also some national names in the house, including current UFC fighters like Melvin Guillard and Mike Swick (Swick was cornering Alex Black of Bushi Ban), former UFC vet Sam Hoger, former WEC fighters Carlo Prater and Todd Moore (Moore was cornering Gracie Barra fighters Brandon Boyd and Alex Morono), Shine fighter and LFC Bantamweight champion Chad Robo,  and current United States Muay Thai Federation (USMF) belt holder Daniel Kim (who along with Moore was cornering Boyd and Morono).

Perhaps the most exciting and important part of the evening was the fact that the head of the USMF and Fairtex president Anthony Lin was in the house scouting local fighters.  According to a press release sent out by Legacy FC back in May, the reason for his visit was to work in conjunction with Legacy FC to evaluate fighters who could, “contend for a spot to compete at War of the Heroes FC 7 & 8 in Santa Clara, CA and possibly earn a spot to represent USA at the 2010 IFMA World Championship in Thailand.”

A few of the highlights from the card:

Akira Smith and John Laset put on a stand up battle that had the crowd cheering. Laset came out strong using his power advantage to push the smaller Akira around for the first few minutes. Halfway through the first round Akira settled into his rhythm and put on the striking display that the crowd expected from him. With vicious kicks and spinning elbows Akira took the decision win.

Alex Black and Kirk May put on a slug fest that showed the heart of both fighters. In the first round May was the aggressor abusing the legs of Black who seemed to have a hard time settling in. When the second round rolled around Black was more than comfortable in the ring and by the middle of the third had May on the defensive trying to stay on his feet. May would take the decision win in a disputed decision that the crowd did not approve of.

The final fight of the night showcased Alex Morono and Cody Phillips and they put on a fight worthy of the main event status. Morono used his length advantage to keep Phillips on the outside throughout the first round. Phillips seemed to have a hard time judging the distance against the aggressive striking Morono. At one point in the first Cody went down hard on a sweep and dislocated his shoulder. None of us knew about the injury because Cody popped it back into place and kept fighting. Cody came out as the aggressor in the 2nd round and was able to get inside Alex and cause some damage. The third round Alex had noticeably slowed but still managed to keep Cody on the outside except for a few quick bursts by Phillips. The judges deemed this fight a draw which neither fighter was happy with. While this was a close fight it showcased the need for a scoring change.

Also important to note was John Kane (Kru Pong’s Muay Thai) picking up a victory of Fairtex fighter Rommel Custodio. This victory made it a clean sweep for Houston fighters against the Muay Thai savvy fighters from Mountain View, California.

While the fights were superb, the judging left a lot to be desired and showed that Texas still uses an antiquated scoring system that only works for boxing and not other combat sports such as MMA and Muay Thai.  Hopefully as the sport progresses we can see changes that will allow for half point scoring and training for the judges in all of the sports that they cover.

Legacy Muay Thai once again showcased a card full of great strikers and big hearted warriors who came to put on a show for the crowd. This event should help turn a few heads and further legitimize the Muay Thai scene here in Houston, statewide and even on the national level.

“It was a great night of Muay Thai”, Mick Maynard, President of Legacy FC said of the fights.  ”In my opinion, Houston is establishing itself as the number one fight town in Texas.”

Enjoy the pics!
(as always, you may post our pictures elsewhere, but you may NOT remove our logo. Thanks!)

]]> http://www.thecagedoor.net/media/pictures/legacy-muay-thai-2-recap-and-pictures/feed 19 http://www.thecagedoor.net/perspectives/houston-mma-giving-back http://www.thecagedoor.net/perspectives/houston-mma-giving-back#comments Thu, 03 Jun 2010 16:05:14 +0000 Barry L. http://www.thecagedoor.net/?p=8343 Normally, when we cover or sponsor an event such as the one we sponsored back on Saturday May 29, 2010, we would do a complete write up with all the details about the event.  In this case, the video speaks volumes about the kinds of people that joined together from all over the city to work toward a common goal; giving back.

In just under 3 hours, these 15 individuals managed to make and distribute over 200 lunches to the homeless population in Houston.  Rich and I could not be more proud to be associated with such an outstanding group of people.

A very special thank you to all of the businesses that helped us out. With out them, none of this would have been possible. If you have the chance, please visit them.  They are good people doing great things, and have been very supportive of the Houston community and the MMA scene.

Calliope’s Po Boy – 2130 Jefferson Street – (713) 222-8333 - Lisa and crew donated ALL of the bread, cheese and wraps. Not to mention her and her team stayed light Friday night cutting up the bread into indiviual portions so it would be ready for us on Saturday.  If you are near downtown, do yourself a favor and pay them a visit.  I recommend the grilled shrimp po-boy and shrimp chips myself!

Kroger - The good folks at Kroger donated bagels for us to include in the lunches as well as giving us the plastic bags to put the lunches in.  Thanks Kroger!

Logan Farms – 10560 Westheimer Road – (713) 781-4335 – They stepped up and donated 2 hams to use.  When the holiday’s rolls around and you need a Honey Glazed ham, head on over and pick one up from them, you’ll be glad you did.

The Mezzanine Lounge – 2200 Southwest Freeway #150 – (713) 528-6399 - You can’t make lunches if you don’t have a place to do it, and that is exactly what the great folks at The mezzanine Lounge provided us.  I sent a message to Tonya asking if it would be possible to use her place to meet and make lunches and within 5 minutes she had responded with a resounding yes.  Not only did she open up on a Saturday morning for us, but she provided so much of the little things that we didn’t have to make this all happen (like knives, gloves, cutting boards etc..).  If you are looking for a place to watch the UFC, Strikeforce or WEC pay per views, PLEASE head on over and grab a table.  Tonya and staff are great, and you’ll have a blast, I promise!

Noah’s Kitchen – Amber and Noah’s Kitchen provided something invaluable to us – INSPIRATION!  After spending a Sunday with them making and delivering lunches, we knew this was what we wanted to do with the MMA community.  Not only did we get the ideas and methods on how to pull this off from them, but Amber and Noah actually came out and helped us!  Do yourself (and the community) a favor and join Noah’s Kitchen on Facebook.  They meet every other Sunday to make lunches and pass them out, and they always need help.  You can find out when the next event is by following them HERE.

Also a very special thank you to Mike Calimbas of DNC Worldwide.  Mike was instrumental in putting this event together and making it happen.  He’s a good friend and even better person who continues to give back and help others. Thanks Mike!

Click on a thumbnail to view the full size image:

Rich and I want to say thank you to all of you that came out and supported us!  We hope you had as much fun as we did.

Thank you to all of our sponsors who donated prizes:

• Adam with “In the Cage” on ESPN 97.5
• Mick with Legacy
• Arturo with Nine Dragons Martial Arts
• Mike with DFC

A very special thank you to Tim Credeur for coming out and hanging with us as well!

Enjoy the pics!

Prize Winners:

Guest Host Spots on “In the Cage”
WE WILL BE ANNOUNCING THE WINNER TONIGHT LIVE ON AIR, SO TUNE IN FROM 7-9pm!

2 Tickets  to Legacy FC on July 31

Nine Dragons Martial Arts Gloves

DFC Shirts

Bad Boy gloves

TCD Shirt

More Pictures:

Enjoy the pictures from Lonestar Beatdown Austin on May 7, 2010.  If you are looking for results, check HERE.