 Mixed Fighting Championships Are A Go By Loretta Hunt First-time MMA promoters Euphoria Entertainment cleared yet another hurdle, when all its able competitors made their allotted weight requirements for tonight's Mixed Fighting Championship, kicking off at 7PM from Trump Taj Mahal's 5,000-seat Arena. Under the watchful eye of the New Jersey Athletic Control Board, nine* American fighters eyed their Russian Red Devil team counterparts, some for the very first time. The mood played surprisingly light and laid back on the eve of some inevitable out and out brawls, and laughter could be heard from both sides as the fighters awkwardly overcame language barriers to complete their staredowns in front of a modest crowd of MMA media. (*Originally scheduled for ten match-ups, Renzo Gracie representative Joe D'Arce has bowed out of his bout with welterweight Denis Komkin due to a head injury sustained Thursday night in training that required seven stitches.) Paying close attention to New Jersey's Unified Rules Of Combat (the same guidelines followed by the UFC), American coaches and teammates were quick to question how the use of a ring would affect the refereeing of the event, especially with regards to restarts along/outside of the ropes. Matchmaker Miguel Iturate clarified that grapplers gravitating outside of the ropes will be most likely turned around without disturbing positions and has suggested that no grounded fight be restarted in the middle of the ring (a la PRIDE). It will be under the referee's discretion to restart a fight standing due to inactivity. The New Jersey Athletic Board will also honor the recently implemented UFC rule regarding restarts after stoppages for medical inspections (i.e. Fights stopped to check for a cut will be restarted in the same position). Translators worked furiously to convey these points to the Russian team.
In the main event, UFC 40 competitor and Minnesota native Travis Wiuff has answered the call to meet M-1 heavyweight champion Roman Zentsov, after original opponent ATT's Jeff Monson also had to drop from the card due to a last-minute training injury. Wiuff is on an eleven fight winning streak, most recently taking out fellow UFC vet and Brazilian standout Carlos Barreto at the HEAT Fighting Championships 2. Wiuff, who is fighting on two days notice, weighed in a full 20 pounds heavier than opponent Zentsov, coming in at 240 pounds. Zentsov seems not much like his menacing picture on the promotional poster for the event. He is soft-spoken, thoughtful, and physically reminiscent of a younger Igor Vovchanchyn.
Probably the most notable Red Devil member of the group is Andrei Semenov, who many American fans recall from his UFC 35 and 37 appearances some two years ago. In that time, Semenov has aged a bit in the face, but his resolute personality appears to have stayed intact. "The White Shark" breezed through today at 185 pounds, while American Kickboxing Academy challenger Trevor Prangley rang in at 185 on the dot as well. Hoping for the upset tomorrow night, Prangley anticipates a solid win over the seasoned Russian could be his ticket to the Octagon. Arman Gambaryan has taken on the role of the most outgoing of the Russian contingent. A cousin to UFC and international competitor Amar Suloev, the 23-year-old Gambaryan is comfortable in the spotlight and had his team all smiles with his rambunctious posing and antics. The light-heavyweight came in at 201 pounds, while sober Team Quest opponent Chael Sonnen weighed in quietly at 204 pounds. Welterweights Musail Allaudinov and Derrick Noble came in at 169 and 168 pounds, respectively. A HOOKnSHOOT veteran, Noble is enjoying a recent victory over ATT standout Thiago Alves from AFC 6. When asked what he thought of opponent Justin Eilers after glancing at him for the first time today, peppy Mikhail Bogdanov told FCF translator Maxim Petrov he was honored to be fighting such a game-looking opponent. Indeed, the 227-pound Eilers looked fit and ready to go, the most recent product of the now-legendary Miletich Martial Arts gym in Iowa. 30-year-old Bogdanov weighed in close to Eilers at 234 pounds. Consummate professional Rich Clementi weighed in on the mark today at 155 pounds. His lanky adversary, Sergey Goliaev, was a bit lighter at 153 pounds, and was unforgivingly ribbed by his teammates for wearing red heart boxers up to the scales. Reserved light-heavyweight Alexei Veselovzorov, nicknamed "the Destroyer," tipped the scales at 202 pounds this afternoon. Equally laidback AKA fighter Brian Ebersole weighed in a slightly lighter 200 pounds, but you know what they say about the quiet ones. The new babyface of the group (Semenov has graduated amply from this label), 23-year-old Sergei Bal seemed elated to be at the weigh-ins today, coming in at 164 pounds. We'll see if his mood keeps up tomorrow night when he goes toe-to-toe with WFA and AFC vet Chatt Lavender. Lavender came in today at 169 pounds. With three heavyweight offerings among a decently stacked card, the Mixed Fighting Championships' inaugural run seems a promising prospect to fill a developing yet unfortunately lacking east coast MMA scene. Tickets for Mixed Fighting Championship: Russia vs. USA are still available at ticketmaster.com or by calling (609) 449-1000 or (800) 825-8888. Full Card for Mixed Fighting Championship: Russia vs. USA 155 LBS: Sergei Bal (Red Devil Team, St Petersburg, Russia) vs. Chatt Lavender (Blaylock Systems, Chatanooga, TN.) 205 LBS: Alexei Veselovzorov (Red Devil Team, St Petersburg, Russia) vs. Brian Ebersole (Team AKA, San Jose, CA) 155 LBS: Sergey Goliaev (Red Devil Team, St Petersburg, Russia) vs. Rich "No Love" Clementi (Team Extreme, Atlantic City, NJ) Heavyweights: Sergey Kaznovski (Red Devil Team, St Petersburg, Russia) vs. Ron Faircloth (Strasser's Freestyle Academy, Kenosha, WI) 170 LBS: Musail Allaudinov (Red Devil Team, St Petersburg, Russia) vs. Derrick Noble (Silverbacks, Canton, IL) Heavyweights: Mikhail Bogdanov (Red Devil Team, St Petersburg, Russia) vs. Justin Eilers (Team EXTREME, Moline, IL) 205 LBS: Arman Gambaryan (Red Devil Team, St Petersburg, Russia) vs. Chael Sonnen (Team Quest, Portland, OR) 185 LBS: Andrei Semenov (Red Devil Team, St Petersburg, Russia) vs. Trevor Prangley (Team AKA, Boise, ID) MAIN EVENT: Heavyweights: Roman Zentsov (M.F.C. World Champion, Red Devil Team, St Petersburg, Russia) vs. Travis Wiuff (Team Extreme, Owatonna, Minnesota) Click here for weigh-in photos |
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