Press Release

Rescheduling the event became a must when many fighters were forced to withdraw due to injuries, resulting in 6 of the 8 fights on the main card being in jeopardy. “I’ve seen my share of injuries over the course of my career, but never so many on one card!” stated Instinct president Stephane Patry.

“We had reached a point where we could not offer the fans a product worthy of what was originally announced. Our main goal as a company is to ensure that our clientele gets their money’s worth when they come to an Instinct event and leave with every intention of attending our next card. The only way we could fulfill that commitment was to delay the event,” added Mr. Patry. The card is now scheduled for March 31st, much to the pleasure of most the fighters who, when informed of the change, quickly remarked that this would allow for a longer training camp and provide time to heal some nagging injuries. When questioned as to how this curve ball will impact the organization’s longer term plans, Mr. Patry was very clear: “This is no way changes our plans for this spring built around the return of our most popular fighter, Steve Bosse. Actually some great news will be announced regarding Instinct 4 featuring a card that will be very, very impressive.”

Fans who had already purchased tickets to Instinct 3 will see them honored on March 31st, however refunds are available at the original point of purchase. Tickets are available now on the Admission Network by phone at 1-855-790-1245 or on their website at www.admission.com. For more information on Instinct MMA, visit our website at www.instinctmma.tv, join our Facebook group or follow us on Twitter @InstinctMMA.

“We’re not just gonna do the physical aspect of it. We’re also gonna teach them things that will help them in their life.”

Many of you reading this may or may not be familiar with the name, Coach D Jo Jones, but I can just about guarantee that you’re already very familiar with her body of work in the world of Mixed Martial Arts.

Coach Jones is best known in many MMA circles for having been the “Secret Weapon” behind the training and conditioning work for many of the highly successful fighters that have all come out of Jackson-Winklejohn’s MMA gym in Albuquerque, New Mexico.

Specifically, Coach Jones has worked with many well-known fighters, such as UFC Light-Heavyweight Champion, Jonny “Bones” Jones, Clay “The Carpenter” Guida, Diego “The Dream” Sanchez, Melvin “The Young Assassin” Guillard, and many others—all of whom are best known for their endless supply of cardiovascular stamina and overall superior conditioning.

Now, with the help from her friends and “family,” Coach Jones is finally moving into the next successful chapter of her life, as she recently opened her very own facility—Momma D’s Dungeon.

It was my pleasure to speak with the Coach about this big change in her life, and I sincerely hope that you enjoy our interview. I know I did. Cheers.

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James Ryan: Hi Coach.

Coach D Jo Jones: Hey James! How are you?

JR: I’m doing great! How are you?

DJ: Doing great!

JR: That’s awesome! Glad I was able to catch you at a good time. Congratulations on opening your own place.

DJ: Thank you.

JR: I’ve got a million questions to ask about it, but first, why don’t you start off by maybe telling the readers a little bit about it—where is it? And what is it exactly that you’ll be specializing in?

DJ: Well actually, it’s right next door to Jackson-Winklejohn’s MMA here in New Mexico.

JR: Right next door?

DJ: Yes, it’s right next door to Jackson’s, and what we do is, we specialize in—our biggest thing is that we’re going to focus on kids with a new youth program. Because the thing is, we want to help—not just within the four walls of our building, but also we want to reach out to the community, because we want to help to keep a lot of these kids off of the streets. So I have a Youth Activity Director, Coach Nick Gonzalez, and he’s gonna be working with the kids. We’ve only been open for a week so far, and yesterday for example, the place was full all day.

JR: Wow, that’s awesome.

DJ: What we’re doing is, we’re working with the kids, but I still work with the fighters as well. They come over to me and I do my one-of-a-kind training and recovery treatments. Plus, we have a Chiropractor here, Dr. Robert Smith, who works here a couple days a week, and we have a Sports Massage Therapist, Amber Bryant, who will also be working with people. I’m also looking to reach out to other businesses such as, John Brooks the Supermarket, and Wal-Mart, to see if they would like to participate in what we’re doing.

Because what we’re gonna do is, we’re going to have donations that we can actually raffle off for the kids, so that when they do a grappling tournament, we’ll make them earn the money—I’m gonna start a completely different account, where the kids can actually—when they go to grappling tournaments, it’ll be paid for. The parents and the kids will have their expenses and rooms and everything paid for. But we’re gonna make the kids work for it and make them earn it.

JR: Wow, that sounds awesome. So these kids programs revolve around grappling? They’re not just kids coming to do conditioning training?

DJ: Right. There’s going to be a little bit of everything. There will be grappling, but also we have a guy who is a Muay Thai specialist. He’s actually from another country—Turkey I think—he can hardly speak English, but he likes what we’re doing and he’s actually going to be volunteering his time to help us. Plus, we’ll be doing kickboxing.

The kids also play “Dungeon Ball,” which is another fun way of getting exercise. We’re gonna have cook-outs—not this Sunday, but the following Sunday, we’re gonna have a cook-out and invite everybody from the neighbourhood. That way, they can see first-hand what we’re all about. I also give a 10-percent discount to military, civil servants, senior citizens and college students.

JR: Very nice. So I’m curious about the relationship with Jackson’s. I mean, I know that you’ve been a Coach and Trainer there for a long time, and so I’m sure that this is the next level for you in terms of your dream of getting out and branching off on your own—I just found it interesting however, that you’re literally right next door to them. What is your relationship with them now that you’re out on your own? Are they referring people to you, or is this completely independent?

DJ: Well actually, it’s independent, and what I did and what’s interesting is, the guys—Diego Sanchez was the one who first gave me the name “Momma D.” He’s the one who started calling me that, so that was already there. Then, I had been doing some stuff out of the basement of my apartment, which was like a downstairs, so then Clay Guida was coming in one day, and one of the other fighters who was leaving said, “Well, it’s time to go to the Dungeon,” so we started calling it “Momma D’s Dungeon.” So basically, I had already started doing that, and this was last year at around the end of October.

JR: Right.

DJ: And then one day, I was actually working with one of the fighters and he asked, “Did you know that the building right next door to Jackson’s is for rent?” And I hadn’t even thought about that. That wasn’t even a thought in my mind, because I had never—honestly, I used to have a personal training business and a fitness business in New Jersey and New York for about 10 years, but when I moved out here in 2001—the only reason why I stopped doing that was because I moved. And at the time, it was very successful.

I then came out here, but I never wanted to have my own building. That was never a dream of mine, because I just felt that it would be too confining for me. I like to move around.

But you see, the thing is, as soon as he said that, for some reason, it just felt right. I came down, took the number off of the door, and immediately called. It turned out that the owner lived in Texas and the building was her father’s. He passed away and before I leased it, a woodworker used this space—it’s like an unfinished warehouse. But I’ve turned it into an actual Wellness Centre with a reception area, an office and the whole thing. She ended up coming here to meet with me, we negotiated the whole deal, and I got the key on January the 5th. Then, on my birthday, January 26th, we opened the doors.

JR: Wow. That’s a pretty fast turnaround.

DJ: It was, and three weeks after—we worked almost around the clock—between me and the fighters. Because everyone that I work with, like I said, I’m doing the same thing that I did over there at Jackson’s, it’s just that now I’m able to grow and do other things because I’m not limited with what I can do in there, because now I can use my creativity and my 27 years of experience.

And the Youth Program Director—Coach Nick is just awesome with the kids, and he had stopped working over there too. He’s the one who told me about the facility, so this is an opportunity for him to get back with all of the parents and the kids who he was already working with, and they’re just coming here now.

So basically, I’m just doing everything that still supports whatever they’re doing over there. I’m just doing it over here now, and pretty much doing it now under my own rules. So as a matter of fact, they have no problem with me working with the fighters—they have no issue with that at all. It’s just that now, I’m doing it next door. So what I do is, they come over and they work with me or the other coach, and they do conditioning, stretching, and recover treatments. Also, the Chiropractor is subleasing from me. The fighters are next door and they love the fact that now that they can just come next door and work with him instead of going to his office downtown.

JR: Right.

DJ: Because he has an office downtown, and a lot of the guys from out of town don’t have transportation. So now they can walk right next door. So basically, it’s just like a support system for what they’re doing over there, and we’re just doing the same thing, just right next door.

JR: Right, wow, and obviously that’s very convenient for a lot of the fighters.

DJ: Yea!

JR: Have you personally talked to Greg Jackson? How does he feel about this?

DJ: They have no problem with it at all—him or Wink—they have no issue with what I’m doing whatsoever. In fact, they wished me all the luck in the world.

JR: That’s awesome. So they don’t see your business as something that’s competing, as much as it’s just something that’s complimenting what they’re currently doing.

DJ: You got it, because the thing is, what I was doing with them was “unduplicatable.”

In other words, what I’m doing now is the same thing that I was doing for them. So it’s not like they could even—it wouldn’t even be something that they can create, or else it would be an issue with something that they would be doing over there because then I’d be competing with them. All the things that I do are my own original design.

So the thing is—it’s just something I’m doing now under my own roof. And I’ve signed a five-year lease and I’ve taken over the bigger part of the building—the total square footage of the building is 5,600 sq-ft. I have 2,910 sq-ft right now because I didn’t want to take on more than I could handle right off the bat, but the landlord put it in my lease that when we outgrow this part, we can then take over the entire building. So we’ll have that whole 5,600 sq-ft—one half will just be all mats, and on the other side will be equipment.

JR: That’s awesome.

DJ: And for the kids, I have fighters like Diego Sanchez in here every single day. Diego is in here every day, sometimes two or four times a day, to work with me because he’s getting ready for a fight on the 15th. He already had the UFC in here filming me working with him last week and we’re supposed to be on Fuel TV on Sunday.

So the fighters—I’ve talked with them, and they said that they would come in, two or three guys at a time, to visit and talk to the kids about real life stuff—the fact that they’re where they are now, but also the struggles and the things that they had to deal with as kids.

And like I said, we’re opening it up to work with the general population. I will still continue to work with the fighters, but basically this is the Dungeon family, so anyone who is going to be in here, is going to be considered a part of the family. If someone joins but they don’t come back for a while, I’m going to do follow-up calls every month. Let’s say for example that something happened—we’ll ask what we can do to help them—things like that.

So that’s what we’re doing here. We want to make a difference.

JR: Sounds great, Coach. It also sounds like you’ve taken on an awful lot for yourself though. What sort of toll is this transition taking on you? Are you getting any sleep? [Laughs]

DJ: Oh no! No, I don’t. [Laughs] Actually, the three days before we opened, I literally got three hours of sleep in the three days.

JR: Holy smokes.

DJ: But the thing is—when I ran my other businesses—like I said, I actually had 40 clients by myself. I rode 300 miles a day all over New York, New Jersey and the Tri-State area, training people in their homes and in their offices. In one year, I would put 50,000 miles on my car and another 40,000 miles on my motorcycle.

JR: Wow. That’s a busy schedule.

DJ: So what I’m doing now is—I still ride because I wear test for Helmet House, the motorcycle gear company. And so what I’ll do now is that since I have the coach on some weekends, like if he’s here doing his thing, I can have some time now to go riding on Sundays and do a thousand miles because that’s what I like to do. Take one day—blow out a thousand miles, and then come back and kick some ass on Monday.

JR: [Laughs] That’s awesome. So at least you’re able to take some time off for yourself?

DJ: Oh yea, most definitely.

JR: Well that’s good. So Coach, how would you summarize your main goal?

DJ: Our main goal is to really make a difference in the community. It’s not about the money, because I mean, we’re gonna have our bills paid—that’s gonna happen, but it’s about really making a difference—when I hear the laughter and see these kids out here—they are literally having such a good time in here, and the parents are smiling. I literally got chills the other day when I came out of my office.

JR: Sounds like you’re onto something really great here. I really admire what you’re doing, especially for the kids, and I wish you all the best.

DJ: Thank you so much, James.

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This is my interview. If you don’t like it…I have others. Check them out at www.mrjamesryan.com

A trio of fights, including a matchup for the welterweight title, have been signed for the Maximum Fighting Championship’s next event – MFC 33: Collision Course – set for Friday, May 4 in Edmonton, Alberta.

Emanating from the Mayfield Conference Centre and airing live on HDNet Fights, MFC 33: Collision Course will be headlined by a showdown for the MFC welterweight crown as home-town favorite Ryan “The Kid” McGillivray takes on Nathan “Soulforce” Coy.

The matchup was set in stone at MFC 32 in January when both fighters won their respective top contenders bout. McGillivray (12-5-1) survived an early scare en route to posting a third-round submission in defeating Diego Bautista. Coy (10-4) utilized a well-rounded game plan to take a clear-cut unanimous decision from the previously undefeated hot prospect Dhiego Lima.

McGillivray is one of the MFC’s original standouts, having fought 13 times under the organization’s banner. He boasts 10 submission victories and has won three of his last four – all via tapout. Coy, an All-American wrestler at Oregon State University, now fights out of Coconut Creek, Florida, and holds notable career wins over Rick Story and Mike Pierce.

Coy and McGillivray will vie for the MFC welterweight title which has been previously held by Douglas Lima and Pat Healy.

Also set for MFC 33: Collision Course is a hotly anticipated light-heavyweight rematch between Aron “The Poster Boy” Lofton and Dwayne “D-Bomb” Lewis.

The pair originally collided at MFC 17 in July 2008 though Lofton needed just 17 seconds to score a one-punch knockout of Lewis, and in the process earn the MFC’s Knockout of the Year.

Lewis (12-8) rebounded from that dramatic loss by going on a tear and winning seven in a row and nine of his next 10 outings – seven of those nine victories coming inside the opening round. He vaulted to the top of the MFC’s 205-pound and earned a title shot against Ryan Jimmo at MFC 28, but lost by TKO via doctor’s stoppage in Round 3. After healing up a number of nagging injuries, Lewis returned to action at MFC 32 though it was a disappointing night for the “Lewis Army” as they saw the popular figure from Fort McMurray, Alberta, drop a second-round TKO verdict to Wilson Gouveia.

Lofton (8-5), who now fights out of Austin, Texas, is 3-3 under the MFC banner and boasts seven victories inside the first round.

A lightweight tilt has also been tabbed for MFC 33 that will pit Diego Bautista against “The Persian Warrior” Sabah Fadai.

Bautista (7-1) saw his undefeated streak snapped at MFC 32 with a third-round submission loss to Ryan McGillivray, but the Lakewood, California, product now returns to his more natural home at 155 pounds. Fadai (6-2) returns following a decision setback against Mukai Maromo at MFC 31 which was one of the MFC’s most entertaining fights during the 2011 schedule. The Vancouver, B.C., native had won four straight including back-to-back first-round stoppages before falling to Maromo.

Tickets for MFC 33: Collision Course are on sale now and available exclusively through the MFC Ticket Hotline at (780) 504-2024.

The event will broadcast starting at 8 p.m. ET on MTV2 and in commercial-free HD on EPIX. Doors open to The Colosseum at 6 p.m. ET, with the first fight entering the cage at 7 p.m. ET. The preliminary card will be streamed LIVE and FREE around the world on Spike.com starting at 7 p.m. CT.

After a split-decision victory over former UFC veteran and Season 4 Welterweight Tournament winner Jay Hieron, the undefeated Askren is well aware of what it takes to hold onto the welterweight strap. Already known as the best wrestler in Mixed Martial Arts, Askren, a former U.S. Olympian, has continued his stand up training with the legendary Duke Roufus and is well on his way to becoming one of the best welterweights in the sport.

“After my fight with Jay, I went back to work the following Monday to continue my training,” Askren said. “I made no secret I wasn’t happy with my performance in that fight, and now having spent over six months training at Roufusport, I’m really confident in my striking. Douglas is a great fighter, but I don’t think he’ll be able to handle what I bring to the table.”

Lima enters the fight looking to push his win streak into double digits as the Brazilian-born knockout artist is seeking to dethrone Askren as Bellator Welterweight Champion. The thought of becoming Champion has been the driving force for Lima since he signed with Bellator, and with the title just one win away, Lima has taken his focus and determination to the next level.

“There is no question Ben is a great fighter, and I’ve been focusing a lot of time on my wrestling,” Lima said. “This is the biggest fight of my career, and I’m preparing for it. It’s all I think about. Every day from the time I wake up, until the time my head hits the pillow, I’m thinking about April 6th and winning the title.”

Bellator 64 will also host the semifinals of the promotions Season 6 Featherweight Tournament. Marlon Sandro (@351marlon), Ronnie Mann (@RonnieMannMMA), Alexandre “Popo” Bezerra (@alexandre_popo) and Daniel Straus (@DanielStraus) headline one of the deepest tournaments in Bellator history and only add to a stacked night of fights.

In addition, the night will feature Ontario native and knockout artist Chris “The Polish Hammer” Horodecki (@chrishorodecki) taking on a soon to be named opponent. Still just 24, Horodecki (18-3-1) has the resume of a veteran mixed martial artist, including an impressive 12-fight win streak to begin his professional career.

“The support we have received in Canada has been nothing short of spectacular, so when we had the chance to bring Bellator to Windsor, it was an easy decision, “said Bellator Chairman & CEO Bjorn Rebney. “Ben Askren vs. Douglas Lima will showcase two of the best and brightest starts in the world at 170 lbs. The fans watching inside Caesars and the viewers catching the fights on MTV 2 and theScore are in for a great night.”

“In the tradition of Caesars entertainment, we are thrilled to bring another exciting fighting championship event to the Colosseum with Bellator 64,” Kevin Laforet, President and CEO of Caesars Windsor said. “We are proud to partner with Bellator Fighting Championships whose great reputation brings fans the best MMA fighters to the cage.”

Ticket purchases can be made through caesarswindsor.com or at the Box Office located in the main casino building on the second floor, open Wednesday to Sunday from noon to 8 pm. On concert days, the Box Office is open noon until midnight. Guests must be 19 years of age or older to attend concerts and to enter the casino and all other outlets. Prices listed do not include applicable taxes and fees.

For more information, visit Bellator.com, follow Bellator on Twitter @BellatorMMA, follow Bellator Chairman & CEO Bjorn Rebney @BjornRebney and check out Bellator on Facebook at www.facebook.com/Bellator.

Edmonton, Alberta (Canada):

Also announced was a change of opponent for rising star Sheldon Westcott. Originally scheduled to lock horns with Dave Cochran, he will now battle Jay Jensen (7-6) instead. In addition, AMMA 9 will be featured on iPPV through AggressionMMA.com for fight fans that can’t make it to the event.

“We’re disappointed that Tyson got injured and had to pull out of the fight…we wish him a speedy recovery and hope to have him on an AMMA card very soon,” stated Aggression MMA Co-Owner Moin Mirza. “But we know what Ricky can do, and we’re confident this is going to be a barnburner of a fight, regardless.”

AMMA9 is slated to hit the Shaw Conference Centre on Saturday, February 11th in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. In the two co-main events, top Canadian welterweight Ryan “The Real Deal” Ford will take on the challenge presented by Ricky Goodall. In the other feature bout, rising Canadian fight star Tim Chemelli will look to add UFC veteran Victor Valimaki to his list of victims. Also making his return to Aggression MMA will be another top young Canadian 170-pounder in Sheldon Westcott. In addition, AMMA 9 will feature well-known Canadian competitors Rio Wells, “Big Bad” Stephen Beaumont, Luke Harris, and Markhaile “Showtime” Wedderburn.

In short, this card is stacked! Here is the full fight card:

Co-Main Events
Ryan “The Real Deal” Ford vs. Ricky Goodall
Victor “The Matrix” Valimaki vs. Tim Chemelli

Main Card
Sheldon Westcott vs. Jay Jensen
Stephan Beaumont vs. Nick Heynan
Luke Harris vs. Elliot Duff
Greg Welsh vs. Matt Bagshaw
Chase Dagenhardt vs. Jarod McComb
Rio Wells vs. Markhaile Wedderburn

Undercard
Sy Jewett vs. Sarah Moraz
KB Bhullar vs. Simon Shirt
Paulo Azambuja vs. Adrian Cardinal

This event will take place at the Shaw Conference Center on Saturday, February 11th. Tickets are available over the phone at (780) 426-SOLD, or online at www.TNTTickets.ca. Canadian fight fans won’t want to miss this incredible event!

Ryan “The Real Deal” Ford (16-4) is one of the top MMA stars in Canada. Ford was upset by David Hulett in his last bout, but before that defeat, he had won four straight fights, as well as eight of his last nine, finishing all his victims on either punches or submissions. In 2011 alone, he conquered Johnny Davis, former UFC welterweight contender Karo Parisyan, and fellow top Canadian Nick Hinchliffe in succession. Now looking to rebound from the Hulett loss, “The Real Deal” is motivated with a burning desire to show the fight world he truly is the next elite Canadian fighter.

Edmonton, Alberta native and local favorite Victor “The Matrix” Valimaki (16-8), a former holder of the TFC Light Heavyweight Championship, will look to right the ship as he collides with another rising Canadian star in Tim Chemelli (8-1). A former UFC fighter, “The Matrix” is going through a rough streak in his career, but is determined to get back in the win column at the expense of his young foe. Valimaki holds victories over MMA legend Dan “The Beast” Severn, and UFC veterans Vernon “Tiger” White and Jason “Dooms” Day. Chemelli, a member of Team Sparta and a native of Alberta, has finished all eight of his opponents in his victories, but is coming off his first career loss. The defeat came at Aggression: “Unfinished Business” last year against Nick Penner. Now this finishing machine will look to come back strong and grab victory against a UFC vet in Valimaki.

Also competing on the card will be tough Canadians Stephan Beaumont, who is undefeated at 4-0, and strong Muay Thai fighter Markhaile “Showtime” Wedderburn will put their skill sets on display once again for the Aggression fans.

Stay tuned for more details on this exciting upcoming Aggression MMA fight event! For more information, please visit our website at http://www.aggressionmma.com/

About Aggression MMA
Formed in 2009, Aggression MMA is one of the top Canadian fight promotions in operation today. The organization regularly features some of the top fighters and UFC veterans in North America, and has provided a stage for young Canadian competitors to hone their craft and gain experience. Fighters who have been featured on Aggression MMA fight cards include Ryan “The Real Deal” Ford, Matt Horwich, Jason “The Punisher” Lambert, Jesse Taylor, Jason “Dooms” Day, “The Thrashing Machine” Tim Hague, Travis Wiuff, and others.

Here are the fighter salaries as reported by the NSAC:

Carlos Condit: $110,000 (includes $55,000 win bonus) def. Nick Diaz: $200,000

*Fabricio Werdum: $100,000 (no win bonus) def. *Roy Nelson: $20,000

Josh Koscheck: $146,000 (includes $73,000 win bonus) def. Mike Pierce: $20,000

Renan Barao: $22,000 (includes $11,000 win bonus) def. Scott Jorgensen: $20,500

Ed Herman: $62,000 (includes $31,000 win bonus) def. Clifford Starks: $8,000

*Dustin Poirier: $24,000 (includes $12,000 win bonus) def. Max Holloway: $6,000

Edwin Figueroa: $16,000 (includes $8,000 win bonus) def. Alex Caceres: $8,000

Matt Brown: $30,000 (includes $15,000 win bonus) def. Chris Cope: $8,000

Matt Riddle: $30,000 (includes $15,000 win bonus) def. Henry Martinez: $6,000

Rafael Natal: $20,000 (includes $10,000 win bonus) def. Michael Kuiper: $6,000

*Stephen Thompson: $12,000 (includes $6,000 win bonus) def. Dan Stittgen: $6,000

*BONUSES: An additional $65,000 to Thompson (KO), Poirier (SUB), Werdum/Nelson (FIGHT).

Thankfully, Roy Nelson was the co-winner of the ‘Fight of the Night’ bonus, or else his reported salary for co-headlining a major UFC PPV event would only have earned him a shockingly low $20,000 for his efforts. Nelson has competed in the UFC a total of six times and has a record of 3-3. He is also the Heavyweight Tournament Winner from The Ultimate Fighter television series and is considered one of the more popular and recognizable fighters on the roster. This was not the first time that Nelson had co-headlined a main event with the UFC, nor is it the first time that he is reported to have made less money than many of the fighters currently competing on the undercard.

Carlos Condit’s total earnings were barely over half of that of his competitor, Nick Diaz, and that included his win bonus. Condit is the new (Interim) Welterweight Champion and must now be considered as a top earner amongst his peers.

The grand total for fighter salaries (before deductions, and not including sponsorship money, which has absolutely nothing to do with how much the fighters earn from the UFC as a salary) is now at a total of $1,140,500.

Now double it.

Why?

Because according to UFC President, Dana White, the fighters make significantly more than what is being reported by the NSAC—so let’s give the UFC the full benefit of the doubt and double the fighter salaries—just for arguments sake.

That’s a new total of $2,281,000.

Coincidentally, the event itself brought in a 2.3 million dollars (almost the exact same) just from the gate revenue (10,040 fans in attendance) at the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas, Nevada.

And no, I don’t personally think that the fighter salaries are actually doubled from that of what the UFC reports to the NSAC.

PAY-PER-VIEWS

Figuring out the estimated revenues from the pay-per-views is somewhat difficult, as the numbers have yet to be released, so by using the Law of Averages, we can determine an estimated value:

UFC 142 Buy-Rate: 225,000
UFC 141 Buy-Rate: 800,000
UFC 140 Buy-Rate: 485,000
UFC 139 Buy-Rate: 290,000
UFC 138 Buy-Rate: Televised
UFC 137 Buy-Rate: 280,000
UFC 136 Buy-Rate: 225,000
UFC 135 Buy-Rate: 520,000
UFC 134 Buy-Rate: 335,000

Eliminate UFC 141 (Highest) and UFC 136 (Tied for Lowest) and the average PPV Buy-Rate for UFC 143 would likely be in the neighbourhood of 355,800.

It wouldn’t actually surprise me to learn that this number is probably very close to the actual number. Even though Diaz and Condit lack the same mainstream popularity draw as fighters such as Brock Lesnar or GSP, I do know that this was a fight that many true fans of the sport were actually very excited about watching.

Now for the other difficult part—trying to determine how much revenue is exactly generated from 355,800 pay-per-view buys. It’s difficult because the amount that a fan pays out from their home or on their computer, is significantly less than what local bars or restaurants would pay out for a licensing fee.

So again, for arguments sake and to ensure that the numbers are not inflated for the purposes of this analysis, let’s calculate each of the PPV’s at the minimum cost of $50 per purchase.

That’s a grand total of 17.79 million dollars—none of which goes to any of the fighters, and realistically, is probably a LOT higher than that—doubled or even tripled in value.

The bottom line here is that the balance in revenues is way off and nowhere near the 50-percent revenue split that was suggested by Zuffa owner, Lorenzo Fertitta, in his recent ESPN interview. But so long as the fighters are making more than what they would from pumping gas for a living, or coaching at the local gym, or even teaching a pack of sixth graders—they’re not about to complain that the UFC, as a company, is earning billions of dollars each and every year off of the sweat and sacrifice that these athletes put in, just so that they can entertain the fans and put their long-term health at serious risk in the process.

The fans keep spending their money each month, the UFC keeps taking it, and the fighters have no choice but to just keep on accepting it. It’s a pretty vicious circle, so unless the fans are willing to step up and boycott upcoming UFC events in support of the fighters that they claim to love so much—nothing is ever going to change.

And it probably won’t. Not if it means that the fans (or MMA Media) will have to go without their favourite distraction for a while.

These are my opinions. If you don’t like them…I have others. Check them out at www.mrjamesryan.com

“Loyalty and devotion lead to bravery. Bravery leads to the spirit of self-sacrifice. The spirit of self-sacrifice creates trust in the power of love.”—Morihei Ueshiba

Recently, I had the pleasure of watching a video on ESPN’s ‘Outside the Lines’ special, which specifically highlighted the life and challenges of an aspiring MMA fighter from Utah by the name of Rad Martinez.

What specifically caught my attention and what made Rad’s story so unique and inspiring wasn’t just that he was working hard to pursue his athletic dream (which is difficult enough), but that he was also balancing those efforts with a very demanding home life.

You see—for the past five years, Rad has become the main caregiver for his father, who unfortunately suffered a severe brain injury over 20 years ago as a result of a terrible car accident.

Rad and his family must now face many hardships and obstacles as a result of this incredibly demanding situation, but they have continued to stick together and persevere despite many overwhelming responsibilities. It’s hard not to appreciate the toll that a commitment like this can take on any individual, and it certainly reinforces the power and importance of family, love and loyalty.

After watching the video, I took it upon myself to reach out to Rad for a quick interview. I hope you enjoy it.

James Ryan: Hi Rad, how are you?
Rad Martinez: I’m good, James. How are you?

JR: I’m doing great! I’m really glad that we could finally connect. By the way, I just finished watching your ESPN ‘Outside the Lines’ video again because I wanted to get a fresh perspective before speaking with you today. Truly amazing stuff!
RM: Thanks.

JR: Anyway, I know that you’re a very busy guy, so I don’t want to take up too much of your time. As you know, like many people, that video was the reason that I had first heard about your story, and so, I can only guess that it has brought you a lot of attention as a result. How has your life changed, if at all, since the release of that video?
RM: Well yea, you’re right. It has brought me a lot of attention. I guess the biggest thing was that shortly after the video came out, I signed with Bellator to fight in one of the bigger fighting organizations. And while my brother, Levi, who’s also my manager, had been talking to all of the fight organizations trying to get my name out there—trying to get me signed on with one of them, and was talking to Bellator—I think the ‘Outside the Lines’ special kinda pushed them in the direction towards me, so that was a big change.
Another thing is that I’ve had a few sponsors…well…a really big sponsor, Gaspari Nutrition—they saw the video and were inspired by it, and they got in touch, so now I’ve got one of the biggest nutrition companies in the world—they’re my big sponsor now.
And then, just so many people through Facebook and Twitter have gotten a hold of me—I mean—I think my Facebook page went from 300 friends to about 2000 friends in about a week. So, it’s given me a tonne of exposure and people have contacted me and have said just nothing but nice things, so it’s been kinda crazy.

JR: That’s awesome. Do you find it overwhelming at any time?
RM: Ummm…not terribly overwhelming. I’m kinda stuck here at the house for 20 hours of the day, so I’m kinda shielded away from it because I’m not out in the public as much. I don’t even know if, you know—only like two or three people have even noticed me when I’ve been out in public, so maybe that’s—maybe that wouldn’t have even been that big of a deal, but yes, I feel like if I were out more and seen more, it might have become overwhelming. But since my life here at the house kinda shields me away from it, it hasn’t been too crazy for me.

JR: Well, that’s good then. I had previously read that Bellator had signed you, which is amazing. What weight class are you going to be fighting in?
RM: My first fight was at 155, but I believe they want me to move to 145. Hopefully, I’ll be competing in the 145-pound tournament—I think they have another one starting in August. They have one in March and then starting again in August, so I believe they want me at 145.

JR: Okay good, and so you’ve already had a fight with them? I saw on your Facebook that you had won your recent fight. I wasn’t sure if that was a Bellator contest or not, but was it?
RM: This latest fight that I had won was done locally here in Utah, but the one before that was with Bellator.

JR: Oh, okay.
RM: After their December show, Bellator told me that they were taking three months off, and if I were to wait until March, then that would have been six months before I fought again. So they said, “That’s a little too long, so we’ll let you fight locally in Utah.” So that’s why I was able to fight here.

JR: Yea, they seem to be pretty flexible over at Bellator. I’ve spoken with their champion, Hector Lombard before, and I know that he competes outside of Bellator on occasion, and there seems to be some flexibility there that you wouldn’t find in the UFC for example, so I guess that’s good that they’re willing to accommodate you that way.
I was also curious, in terms of accommodation—just how is it that you’ll be able to—I mean, as the main caregiver of your father, it seems like time is obviously difficult to come by at times, even just for training. So I guess it raised a question mark in my mind, which was that as you’re competing with Bellator and you’re having to travel for any of these events—has Bellator stepped up with any kind of a deal or help that they’re willing to offer you so that you can go out to these events?
Or what arrangements have you made to ensure that you’re father is well taken care of?
RM: Yea, it’s a difficult situation trying to get enough time to train for the fights, but when—and we haven’t had anyone step up to give us more help—it’s a little hard what with my dad’s situation. My grandfather’s still here and helps as much as he can, but you know, it’s hard to have somebody come into my grandfather’s house and somebody who he doesn’t know. So we can’t just bring somebody in. But what happens when I have to travel is that my brother, who’s my manager—he steps up and takes a couple of days off of work and he spends all of his time here to make sure that our dad is taken care of completely while I’m gone. So he really takes that load on while I’m away and that makes me feel much better to have somebody—my dad’s other son, step in my place and help to take care of him. I couldn’t do this fighting without his help.

JR: Right. And that makes sense. I guess that I just hadn’t really even considered your brother as an option because like you said, he is your manager, and I guess I just assumed that he would have been someone that you would have liked to have in your corner. So then—who do you have in your corner? Where are you training right now? Who are your coaches?
RM: Well, I’m training out of Orem, Utah, with my gym, which is called The Pit Elevated, and our head coach is Jason Mertlich, and if my brother can’t be with me, Jason travels with me everywhere that we go, and he’s one of the best coaches in the world. So I feel very confident having him in my corner if my brother can’t be there—and it’s not that my brother can’t be there—I mean, I’m very comfortable having him in there with me, but at the same time, I would be very nervous if he wasn’t here at home with our dad, so it’s tough for him that he can’t be there to watch the fights, but he knows what is most important to me, so he’s doing what I can’t be doing.

JR: I see your point. And so what is the long-term plan with your father by the way? Is it to hopefully make it as a professional fighter and to eventually bring in some outside help? Does he require any physiotherapy outside of what you’re already providing him with?
RM: Well, we’ve been doing it this way for 20 years—we’re in our 21st year now, and we haven’t had anyone come in so far to do anything. The physiotherapy that I give him—that’s primarily what he gets, and so right now, the goal is to try to be able to balance the two—trying to still be competitive in fighting and taking care of my father—give him the best care that he needs.
If my father requires more time, then what that’ll mean is that fighting will have to come to an end for me, because although I take it very seriously—you know, I wanna be the best that I can be—the most important thing to me is my dad and giving him what he needs. So right now, I’m just gonna try to balance the two out and try to stay competitive in fighting, but also, to give my dad the care that he deserves.

JR: Right. Now, I recall you saying something in the video about your grandmother and how eventually you started to notice the toll that taking care of your dad had been taking on her. Do you feel like that some days? Do you feel like some days you’re just too overwhelmed with everything that’s going on? Do you ever struggle?
RM: Some days, I get to the end of the day and I’m just beat—I’m tired, exhausted, and it can seem overwhelming, but I see that my grandma used to do it all, and she was 68-years old and 105 pounds. So, whenever I think that it’s hard on me, I can only imagine how much harder it must have been on her. So the days get hard—some days are harder than others, but I go to bed, I get a good night’s rest, and I recover a little bit quicker because I’m a younger person. I’m a strong guy, so I just get up the next day and we just go about our business, and just hope that the next day is going to be easier than the last one.

JR: Well, it’s easy to see why so many people find inspiration in what you’re doing. I sincerely hope that everything works out for you. By the way, both of our fathers were mechanics, which I found to be pretty interesting.
RM: Oh really?

JR: Yea. My apprenticeship as a child basically consisted of holding the flashlight in the driveway. [Laughs] Did you ever get more involved than that in terms of engine repair or anything like that with your dad?
RM: Well, when my dad was—and plus my dad was a racecar driver as well—so when he was working on his car, we were very young, so like 9 and 10-years old. So while he was working on the car, we were out running around playing in the dirt.

JR: Yea. [Laughs]
RM: I wish I would have been there more and watched and paid more attention, because right now, I don’t know what to do with a car, so… [Laughs]

JR: [Laughs] Well honestly, I’m the same way. Because like I say, my apprenticeship was basically holding the flashlight—my dad was always trying to get me in there to show me stuff, but I mean—same thing. I was your age—8, 9, 10-years old, and you know, at that age, I would have sooner been out playing in the dirt. [Laughs]
RM: Yea. [Laughs] Yea, I wish I would have paid more attention, but you know—kids are kids.

JR: This is true. The video has that cage…is that The Pit? Is that actually where you train—outdoors like that?
RM: No, ESPN brought in a cage. They wanted to make it a little more dramatic.

JR: [Laughs] Well, it definitely was.
RM: They got a hold of somebody, and had the cage built up, out in the middle of nowhere, and it was freezing that day.

JR: [Laughs]
RM: But you know, they wanted to play it up, and go with the drama and cinema of it all, so it was kinda fun. People were pulling up and saying, “What’s going on with this cage out here?” And we would tell them, so nah, it was just for effect.

JR: Well that’s pretty neat though. Obviously, it did look amazing with the country in the background. Utah is a very beautiful place. So that cage—they actually built it right there on the spot? It wasn’t air-lifted it in or anything?
RM: No, there’s a guy named Jeremy Horn who’s really big in the MMA world, and he sets up cages for fights all over the State here. They called him up and paid him the money, so Jeremy Horn sent a couple of his guys out and they built that cage.

JR: Wow, that’s pretty cool. So where you train…did I read somewhere that you’re training with UFC Lightweight Champion, Frankie Edgar?
RM: Well, no, he’s one of my best friends, and he’s the one who actually talked me into doing MMA. But we wrestled together back in Pennsylvania and we were on the same team. We wrestled with each other every day, so he trains out of New Jersey now and I train here. We’re trying to make it so that I can get out there to train with him for a little bit and bring him down here, but it hasn’t worked out yet. We talk to each other all the time, but we still haven’t been able to train with each other yet.

JR: Okay, well hopefully soon. Now in my opinion, I thought that the ‘Outside the Lines’ video that ESPN did on you was very well done—very professional. And I think that they not only put your situation into a positive light, but I think that the sport itself was made to look good as well. Now in contrast, when they did their recent special on the UFC—I’m just curious, did you get a chance to check that out at all?
RM: I think so.

JR: Well, the focus was on fighter pay in the UFC, and they had brought Ken Shamrock out, and they had interviewed several other fighters who had all requested to stay off the record, where they basically were saying that the UFC, as a company, is making billions of dollars off of the backs of the fighters that they’re not paying very much to.
I’m just wondering if you’ve had a chance to see that?
I know that Dana White was complaining that ESPN doesn’t like the sport of MMA and that they’re always out to make the sport look bad, but I didn’t see it that way. I watched both your video and the UFC video, and I thought that ESPN had a very valid point—you can’t have these billion dollar owners, and then have these fighters that are putting themselves at massive risk for a mere thousands by comparison. So I thought that they had a good point and I didn’t think that it was a negative for the sport as much as I thought it was just a negative for the UFC. Anyway, I was just curious if you had seen it and what your thoughts were on it?
RM: I saw a couple minutes of it. I didn’t get to see the whole thing, and it’s kinda hard to choose a side on that. I think ESPN has a very valid point in that at least the undercard fights—the fighters don’t make very much money. It’s only a couple thousand dollars.
But also I can see the UFC’s side. Look at all of these other sports—baseball for example. Recently, a player by the name of Prince Fielder just signed a contract with the Detroit Tigers for 214 million dollars, and I see that the UFC wants to try to keep it away from something like that, which I agree with. I don’t believe that any athlete deserves that much money to play a game. I would never want to see any athlete in MMA make money like that—money that I think could be doled out deservedly to other people.
I do think the lower echelon athletes do make significantly less and could make a little bit more, especially considering that the UFC is the biggest fight organization in the world, and they probably are making billions of dollars—at least millions, but billions too. So I think they could do a little bit better to compensate.

JR: Sure, I mean, many of these fighters are on the undercard, but at the same time, they’re not having to sacrifice any less of their lives to be there, and if you think about what a long hard road it is just to get a foot in the door with the UFC—I mean, these are people that have spent their athletic career just to be at the lower level, and if they’re only making $6,000 or $8,000 per fight, and they’re only fighting a couple times a year, then that makes it pretty tough to survive and stay competitive, right?
RM: Yea, very tough. Especially for some of those fighters, who that’s all that they do. And I think that it’s rare for any fighter—that fighting is all that they do. There are a lot of fighters who have other jobs just to support their families. If they’re only able to live and relying on a fight salary, then that wouldn’t be enough to live off of. So I agree.

JR: Well, once again Rad, I’d like to thank you for your time, and thank you very much for agreeing to speak with me. One last question for you though…who’s going to win the Super Bowl this Sunday?
RM: Ohhhhh…I’m rooting for the Giants, but it scares me a little bit, all the sports shows that I watch now are kinda counting out the Patriots, but you can never count out the Patriots. So even though I’m rooting for the Giants, I’m really afraid that the Patriots are gonna pull it off. [Laughs]

JR: [Laughs] Yea, same here. Awesome. Okay, well thanks again, and have yourself a great day!
RM: Okay, sounds good. Thanks, James.
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This is my interview. If you don’t like it…I have others. You can check them out at www.mrjamesryan.com

“See me as a meal ticket, but I’m no lunch line.”—Big Sean, Rapper

Earlier today it was announced that current UFC Featherweight Champion, Jose Aldo, finally decided to part ways (I prefer the word “dumped”) with his long-time MMA management team, Tough Media Inc., which as many MMA fans already know, consists of two main founders—Ed Soares and Jorge Guimaraes (aka “Joinha”).

No doubt, this has got to come as a tremendous blow to both Soares and Guimaraes, as this is now the second time in only seven months that they have lost one of their superstar “UFC Champion” clients…sorry…I meant, “family members.”

The most ironic part of the story?

The fact that Aldo decided to retain the management services of Brazilian coach and training legend, Andre Pederneiras (pictured above with former WEC fighter, Will Ribeiro), who coincidentally was the only one who actually stuck by Ribeiro’s side after his career-ending motorcycle accident, thus becoming like a father-figure to Will and his family when so many others walked away and disappeared from Will’s life forever.

“You can easily judge the character of a man by how he treats those who can do nothing for him.”

If you ask me, Aldo made the right move.

The plot thickens.

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These are my opinions. If you don’t like them…I have others. Feel free to check them out at www.mrjamesryan.com

However, GSP blew out his ACL and it was reported that he would require surgery and would be out for about 10 months.

While GSP is out, the UFC announced that an interim belt will be up for grabs at UFC 143 between Nick Diaz and Carlos Condit.

Wreck MMA is excited to announce several key fights for the upcoming event on April 20th at the Casino Lac Leamy in Gatineau, Quebec. In a battle of two elite strikers, Wreck MMA: Road to Glory will be headlined by two UFC veterans as Ottawa’s own Mark ‘Boots’ Holst will take on Gideon Ray. Also on the card, is local favourite Nabil ‘The Thrill’ Khatib taking on welterweight prospect Brandt Dewsberry, OAMA’s ‘Relentess’ Randy Turner taking on Top-10 Bantamweight Eric Perez and Robin Black returns to the cage against Chris Myra.

After over a year layoff, Holst has decided the time was right to return to the cage and was looking for a challenge in his first fight back. Ray brings over 30 professional fights of experience and has been in the cage with UFC veterans John Alessio, Luke Caudillo, David Loiseau and Brian Gassaway. Holst won his last fight at Wreck MMA against ‘Showtime’ Wedderburn in impressive fashion. The two UFC veterans are known for their exciting standup skills and it’s expected that one of these warriors will fall by KO.

After an impressive win against Chris St-Jean, Dewsberry returns to Gatineau to face his toughest test. A training partner of Wreck veteran and current Strikeforce star Jordan ‘Young Gun’ Mein, Dewsberry is looking to establish his spot among the elite in the Canadian welterweight division. Khatib is coming off a potentially controversial decision loss to Nathan Gunn and is looking to once again step into the cage for the Wreck Welterweight Title. Will the other young gun take away the veteran’s opportunity?

With five fights in 2011, Turner established himself as a rising star in the Bantamweight Division. With the goal of becoming one of Canada’s best, Turner was looking for a big challenge and found it in one of the sport’s most exciting stars; Winnipeg’s Eric Perez. Perez, who trains at the Winnipeg Academy of MMA has won six fights in a row and has had multiple Fight of the Night performances at the CFC. Both fighters are known to give 100% effort in each bout so this fight will be a high paced action driven tilt.

Score Fighting Series color commentator Robin Black returns to Wreck with redemption on his mind. Unhappy with his last performance and still lingering bad feelings about his MMA debut, Black returns to Gatineau to kill two birds with one stone. Black wants to prove to the fans that he is better than his performance in Gatineau and is looking for revenge against the man who gave him his first MMA loss; Chris Myra. Myra returns home to fight and wants to leave no doubt that he, not Black, is the better fighter.

The event also features some of the top talents in the Ottawa region as Stephane Bernadel, Pablo Santos, Randy Dube, Andrew Walters, Jeff Chan and other local talent will be competing at this event. Tickets are available from the fighters, via Ticketmaster.ca or by calling (613) 755-1111. Buy your tickets now as there are only 1500 seats available and this event will once again sell out!! Enter the discount code “HONOUR” at Ticketmaster and receive 10% off your ticket price! This special will only last 24 hours!

*** Photos courtesy of Top MMA News and TKO Photography ***

Brant Dewsberry (CMAC, Lethbridge) vs. Nabil ‘The Thrill’ Khatib (Team Bushido, Ottawa)
Eric ‘Odalay’ Perez (WAMMA, Winnipeg) vs. ‘Relentless’ Randy Turner (OAMA, Ottawa)
Robin Black (Sergio Cuhna MMA, Toronto) vs. Chris Myra (Team Dux, Pembroke)
Manny Alfaro (MTC, Windsor) vs. Pablos Santos (Gatineau)

TBA vs. Stephane Bernadel (OAMA, Ottawa)
TBA vs. James Haourt (Adrenaline MMA, London)
TBA vs. Andrew Walters (OAMA, Ottawa)
TBA vs. Randy Dube (OAMA, Ottawa)
TBA vs. Jeff Chan (OAMA, Ottawa)
TBA vs. Brandon Hachey (World Championship Martial Arts, Peterborough)

*** Subject to change ***