Rickson Gracie Seminar in Schaumburg

Here’s your chance to train under BJJ legend Rickson Gracie.

Gracie will be teaching seminars in Schaumburg this Saturday and Sunday at TriBalance Academy, hosted by Luiz Claudio and Thiago Viega of LCCT Combat Team.

Registration details on the poster below.

Praetorian Fighting Championships, UFC’s Ric Lamas Meet and Greet

by Matt Lo Cascio

Praetorian Fighting Championships is the newest promotion to enter the Chicago MMA scene, and they will hold a press conference at Tilted Kilt in Roselle on Saturday at 5pm.

UFC featherweight contender and Team Top Notch fighter Ric Lamas will be on hand to sign autographs and Praetorian Fighting Championships fighters will be there for a meet and greet with both fans and media.

You don’t see many press conferences for amateur MMA promotions, but Praetorian is taking the time to introduce itself and some of their fighters to the public.

“This is just step one in showcasing some of the best the Midwest has to offer,” Praetorian president Alex Martinez told Chicago’s MMA. “It’s our way of saying this is who we are, these are the guys who will be testing their mettle in the cage for you the fan and there is a lot more to come.”

The first Praetorian event is May 25 at the Finish Strong Sportsplex in West Chicago. Team Curran’s Vince Romandine, Counterstrike MMA’s Andrew Potapenko and Patriot Boxing’s John Marino are on the card, and Praetorian will crown its first champions on that night with four title fights.

Martinez said that Praetorian will use a tournament format for their events, similar in style to Bellator MMA. The first event will feature a a series of opening tournament battles to go with the title fights.

“We are taking a page from Bellator with all our bouts slated as tournament bouts with the winner advancing. No question, in the end the tournament winner would have earned a title shot. The difference between Praetorian and the rest of the promotions is we are NOT in the fighter management business nor are we affiliated with any fight team or gym. We are open to everyone and focused on promoting our brand and most importantly the fighter. Amateur fighters are the backbone of this sport, so why not give them our very best as a promotion?”

Lamas and Ray Flores will serve as the commentators for the video broadcast, with Flores also serving as cage announcer.

Here are the four title fights that will go down on May 25:

Check out the first card and buy tickets at PraetorianMMA.com. You can also buy tickets at the press conference on Saturday.

Lerdsila “Mr. Lightning” Chumpairtour Seminar

Midwest Training Center in Schaumburg will host two masters of Muay Thai for a seminar on April 20.

Lerdsila “Mr. Lightning” Chumpairtour, the 2011 IKKC Muaythai Lightweight World Champion and 2004 Rajadamnern Stadium Super Bantamweight Champion, will join his coach Ajarn Sommai Ekyotin for a three-hour seminar at MTC.

Ajarn Sommai was the Lumpinee Stadium Champ in 1959, and is a legend in the sport.

To register or for more information, call 847.310.1200.

Hidden Talent MMA Rocks Lake County with 10 Finishes in 11 Fights

by Matt Lo Cascio

Hidden Talent MMA rocked the Lake County Fairgrounds Saturday night with three title fights, an array of spectacular finishes and a raucous crowd for “Who’s Next! Round 3″.

The main event featured a rematch between Jason Belyew and Tim Phinney for the Hidden Talent MMA light heavyweight title. IMMA’s Belyew scored a TKO win over Phinney last April in Rockford, and this time a belt was on the line.

Phinney came out aggressively, looking to push the pace and take the fight to Belyew. He briefly had Belyew up against the cage after an opening exchange, but Belyew was able to get Phinney to the ground, take his back and choke him out at 1:38 of the first round.

“First and foremost I want to thank my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ for changing my life. None of this would be possible if it wasn’t for Him,” Belyew said. He also told cage announcer Ray Flores that he does plan on defending the belt at the next Hidden Talent MMA event.

Jarreau Mobley needed just ten seconds — and one big punch — to knockout Counterstrike MMA’s Andrew Potapenko and capture the Hidden Talent MMA welterweight title.

Matt Arnst took home the lightweight title by attacking Adrian Ortega early in round one and getting him to the ground. He sunk in an airtight rear naked choke and Ortega had no choice but to tap. “I’m going to keep doing this until someone tells me I can’t anymore,” Arnst said.

Mundelein’s John Quinlan made his MMA debut behind huge support from his hometown fans. Quinlan started fast and got into an all-out brawl with Death Squad’s Matt Crowley. Late in round one Quinlan dropped Crowley with a right hand, took his back and pounded him out. Crowley got his money’s worth if not the win; Quinlan had a huge hematoma over right eye that was bleeding.

“It was a dream come true. I got hurt, I fought through it and got my hand raised,” Quinlan said.

Just one of the eleven fights went the distance, an exciting back-and-forth bout between Team Curran’s David Sorensen and Team Energy’s Michael Hayden.

Sorensen was able to consistently score from inside Hayden’s guard in round one, and landed a slick outside trip to take Hayden down at end of round. Hayden bloodied Sorensen’s nose, but Sorensen took the round.

During round two, Hayden got a point deducted when he connected with a knee to Sorensen’s head, which is not allowed in amateur MMA. Hayden also landed a spinning back kick that hit Sorensen’s head, and Sorensen gave him a thumbs up. The crowd roared in approval.

Sorensen came back and delivered two liver kicks, then landed two right hands that stunned Hayden. He took Hayden back to the ground and that’s where the round ended. With the point deduction it was a 10-8 round for Sorensen.

Hayden started the final round by landing a push kick and then a nice combo, but Sorensen was again able to get him to the ground, right in front of his corner and coach Doug Mango. Hayden tried for a shoulder lock but couldn’t get it. Sorensen never lost top position as the fight ended and he took the win via unanimous decision.

Tyler Dempsey of Team Energy handed Gracie Barra’s David Santiago his first career loss in an outstanding performance. Dempsey is a huge 170-pounder with great power and dynamic striking. He cut Santiago open with a kick to the face in the first round and also landed a number of significant, heavy shots. Santiago worked an effective jab, but Dempsey was too powerful for him in the round.

Dempsey landed a thudding right cross that dropped Santiago early in round two and immediately got to mount and pounded him out. Santiago got up and spit a stream of blood on the mat, his face wearing the effects of Dempsey’s work.

Prince Miles showed his strength and power during his battle with Joel Yepiz. He actually lifted Yepiz off the ground with a standing guillotine attempt in the first round. In the final frame, Miles delivered a hard right hand that dropped Yepiz, and followed that up with some hammerfists to finish him.

Click here for complete results from Hidden Talent’s MMA’s Who’s Next! Round 3.

Hidden Talent MMA: Who’s Next 3 Results

Results from Hidden Talent MMA’s Who’s Next Round 3 at Lake County Fairgrounds, Saturday, March 30, 2013

Hidden Talent MMA Light Heavyweight Title

Jason Belyew vs. Tim Phinney (205):
Belyew def. Phinney at 1:38, rd. 1 via side choke

Hidden Talent MMA Welterweight Title

Andrew Potapenko vs. Jareau Mobley (170): Mobley KOs Potapenko with one punch at just :10 of the first round.

Hidden Talent MMA Lightweight Title

Adrian Ortega vs. Matt Arnst (155): Matt Arnst def. Adrian Ortega via RNC, :44 of rd. 1, wins Hidden Talent lightweight title.

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Anthony Richmond vs. Jake Childers (145): Childers taps Richmond with a guillotine at :34 of rd. 2

Michael Hayden vs. David Sorensen (135): Sorensen def. Hayden, 30-26, 29-27, 29-27

Joel Yepiz vs. Prince Miles (185): Miles KO Yepiz, :30 round 3

Tyler Dempsey vs. David Santiago (170): Tyler Dempsey def. David Santiago, TKO-strikes, 1:20, rd. 2

John Quinlan vs. Matt Crowley (155): Quinlan def. Crowley, TKO strikes, rd. 1 2:45

Peter Hinsch vs. Victor Gonzalez (170): Gonzalez taps Hinsch with an armbar at 1:40 of round 2.

Zachary Stander vs. Patrick Fish (170): Stander wins via TKO- ref stoppage due to strikes, 1:20 rd. 1.

Franklin Springfield vs. Curtis Chaparata (155): Springfield taps Chaparata with a RNC at 1:11

XFO 47, Hidden Talent’s Who’s Next? This Weekend

The XFO heads back to the North side of the city for XFO 47 at the Copernicus Center Friday night, and Hidden Talent MMA presents Who’s Next 3 in Lake County.

XFO 47 features some of the top local pro fighters looking to take that next step:

- Midwest Training Center’s Andre Feliciano tries to remain unbeaten as a pro against Dexter Wright.
- Team Curran’s Cory Galloway goes for his third straight win against Chris Haney.
- Wrecking Ball’s Kent Rexford Jr. looks to give Devon Morris his first pro loss.
- Former Golden Gloves champ and Team Curran fighter Erick Correa takes on HFC and C3 vet Eddie Smith.

Here’s the full card:

Christopher Haney vs Cory Galloway
Dexter Wright vs Andre Feliciano
Eddie Smith vs Erick Correa
Oliver Vazquez vs Jake Constant
Evian Rodriguez vs Lawrence Dunning
Anthony Goodwin vs Pedro Velasco
Kent Rexford Jr. vs Devon Morris
Phil Williams vs Corey Simmons

On Saturday, Hidden Talent MMA presents Who’s Next 3 in Grayslake at the Lake County Fairgrounds.

- Illinois Martial Arts Academy’s Jason Belyew will rematch with Fight Card vet Tim Phinney in the main event. Belyew and Phinney fought at Rumble on the River last April, with Belyew scoring a TKO victory in the first round.
- Counterstrike MMA’s Andrew Potapenko will battle with Boneyard’s Jareau Mobley in a welterweight fight.
- Matt Arnst goes for 4-0 against Team No Comment’s Adrian Ortega.

Check out the full card and get tickets for both events by visiting LocalMMATickets.com.

APFC: MMA Unleashed 2 – Results/Photos

Results and photos from APFC: MMA Unleashed 2 on Saturday, March 9, 2013. All photos taken by Herb Staten and Scales Off Media. Click a pic below to start a fullscreen gallery.

The Starks/Cimmarusti title fight was under review, but the decision will stand as a win for Starks. The fight was scored 30-27 for Cimmarusti and 30-27, 29-28 for Starks.

TITLE FIGHTS

Christine Sarricola vs Breea Gilbert
Gilbert wins TKO in 3rd round with a flurry of punches
Khuseyn Kurbanov vs Jose Torres
Torres wins Rear Naked choke in 2nd round
Stephan Ivanoff vs Angelo Rivera
Rivera wins rear naked choke 1:57 in 2nd round
Nick Flemm vs Emilis Jaskevicius
Jackevicius wins in decision and retains the title
Kyle Starks vs Nick Cimmarusti
Cimmarusti put on a great exhibit of his Jiu Jitsu skills, Starks was able to defend and get the
decision.

PRELIMS

Sergio Lopez def. Max Perez via split decision
Ray Bunker def. Gerald Mills, tap at :40 of round 1
Josh Toton def. Andy Mateiko, TKO-strikes, 1:07 round 1
Manny Vasquez def. John King, TKO-strikes, 1:00 round 1
Carlos Hernandez Jr.def. Koy Decker, Tap-RNC, round 1
Aaron Robertson def. Gregory Page, TKO-strikes, 1:23 round 1
Armando Caldaron def. John Massey, TK), 2:18 round 1
John Huggins def. Dakota Stanton via split decision
Steve Matthews def. Dan Almario, TKO
John Marino def. Scott Brantner, TKO, 1:23 round 1
Don Simpson def. Antonio Cummings, TAP-RNC :35 round 1
Mike De LaVega def. Gabriel Nava, TKO 1:38 in round 1

Pat Barry Striking Seminar at MMA Stop Fitness

Pat “HD” Barry will teach a striking seminar at Clay Guida’s MMA Stop Fitness on Saturday, March 16 from 11am to 2pm.

Barry is coming off an impressive KO win against tough heavyweight Shane del Rosario at The Ultimate Fighter Finale in December. The Duke Roufus-trained kickboxer will also do a meet-and-greet session after the seminar.

Admission prices and registration details are on the poster below.

Chicago Cop Mike Russow Suffers Second Round KO

by Matt Lo Cascio

Chicago cop Mike Russow was back fighting in his hometown Saturday night, as the UFC on Fox 6 invaded the United Center. Russow walked in to “Simple Kind of Man”, and entered the cage behind a thunderous roar from his many fans.

Russow had opponent Shawn Jordan in trouble early in the first round. Russow moved Jordan up against the cage and then landed a series of rights that left Jordan a bit wobbly and bloodied. Russow took a break from the barrage and gathered some breath while holding Jordan up against the cage.
With 2:30 left in the round, Russow unleashed another barrage of punches that stunned Jordan led to a takedown.

Jordan escaped, but with blood trickling down his face. Russow attempted a single-leg takedown but couldn’t complete it. Jordan landed some short, solid elbows at the end of the round, but Russow clearly won it.

Jordan seemed to have a better feel for Russow in the beginning of round 2, but then an eye poke to Russow halted the action.

Jordan found his range and began landing hard shots to Russow’s face, then easily took him down. Russow gave up his back to Jordan, but Russow escaped with about three minutes left in the round. He got Jordan in a clinch and the United Center crowd called for knees. Russow obliged, landing two knees behind a loud roar.

But Jordan was able to turn the tables on Russow, get him to the ground and take his back. There would be no escape for Russow this time, as he was clearly hurt from the powerful lefts and rights that Jordan was landing. Herb Dean stepped in to end it at 3:48 of round 2.

“I thought I had it,” Russow said. “I’m disappointed but it’s MMA. You have to finish when you get your guy hurt.”

Jordan acknowledged that Russow had him in big trouble in the opening round.

“How badly was I hurt in the first round? What? There was two rounds in that fight? Well, I was shook up pretty bad,” Jordan confessed. “That first round wasn’t fun at all.”

Russow drops to 15-3 in his pro career, including a second straight defeat. He suffered a first-round TKO loss to Fabricio Werdum at UFC 147 last June.

UFC on Fox 6 Results

RESULTS FROM UFC ON FOX 6 – 1/26/13 – UNITED CENTER – CHICAGO, IL

Demetrious Johnson vs John Dodson – Demetrious Johnson def. John Dodson via UD

Quinton “Rampage” Jackson vs Glover Teixeira – Teixeira def. Jackson UD

Anthony Pettis vs Donald Cerrone – Pettis def. Cerrone, TKO- Strikes, 2:22 rd. 1

Erik Koch vs Ricardo Lamas – Lamas def. Koch via TKO – ref stoppage via strikes 2:22 rd.2

PRELIMS

TJ Grant vs. Matt Wiman – Grant def Wiman via TKO 4:51 rd. 1

Clay Guida vs Hatsu Hioki- Guida def. Hioki via SD

Mike Stumpf vs Pascal Krauss – Krauss def. Stumpf via UD

Ryan Bader vs Vladimir Matyushenko – Bader def. Matyushenko via guillotine, :50 of rd. 1

Mike Russow vs Shawn Jordan – Jordan def. Russow via TKO-strikes, 3:48 rd. 2

Rafael Natal vs Sean Spencer – Natal submits Spencer via arm triangle, 2:13 rd. 3

Simeon Thoresen vs David Mitchell – Mitchell def. Thoresen via UD, 30-27 on all three judges’ cards

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