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The above timer is a reminder on how much time is left before the Rio Grande Valley gets its first taste of first-class MMA. On November 26,2011 UWF will unleash an action packed card that is guaranteed to satisfy those in attendance and those watching via internet ppv.
The night started out with me rushing to Hobby Lobby to get a t shirt so I could screen print ‘Bang Biscuit’ in hopes of getting some new traffic. I’m also a whore for Bang Biscuit so I’ll take any opportunity to help spread the love for it. After I printed my shirt and my girlfriend got dolled up we headed out for the long drive.
Two minutes later we arrived to a 1/4 full parking lot and from there I already knew that no one was coming to see the show that night. Especially considering the love and I were on Mexican time and got there at 7:50pm with the show supposedly starting at 8:00pm. We style and profile to the front of the building and notice that there is no line for tickets(another bad sign) but there is one to enter even though the event was advertised as the doors opening at 7:00pm.
At this point I’m already regretting my decision to come to the event but I really want to get out of the house and drink some beers. I’ll be honest, I wasn’t excited for this card at all. I basically just saw this as a opportunity to expose my site in a public setting and drink some beers.
After about a five minutes waiting in line we enter to what appears to be a ghost town. Usually STFC has plenty of people packed in and there is also about a 15 minute wait for my brown water. After about 1 minute of waiting for my beer we head out to our awesome seats. Now when I got the tickets early in the day, the lady looked at me all sideways for wanting an aisle seat in the last row. I didn’t want to explain to her that I hate people sitting behind me cause I always get the luck of some know it all asshole who has a red belt in MMA keeps shouting “Knees! Knees!” when they aren’t even in a clinch.
These seats were ace! Right next to the entrance and a peak of all the behind the scenes stuff going on. This was my first time in about over 20 combat events I have been to that I sat right next to the entrance. Yeah, I nearly crapped myself. I’m not going to lie.
I’m looking around I see that this place is fuckin dead. I mean dead, like someone called in a bomb threat dead. And as I’m looking around this video for abused and neglect kids comes on with the Sarah McLachlan’s score accompanying it. The same song that plays when that abused dog commercial comes out. The video made me so fuckin pissed cause they showed actual photos of kids after they got beat up. I didn’t pay $40 for that kind of violence. It was disbursing and inappropriate even if their heart was in the right place.
Now at this point the last thing I want to indulge myself in is more violence but I rationed with myself and noticed I still had a full beer so I couldn’t leave. Good thing I didn’t because it was a good night of fights with all of them never going to the judges card.
About 45mins after the original start time the fights finally fuckin started.
The first fight was Agapito Perez vs Victor Martinez. If you would have saw the first round, which nobody did, you would’ve thought that Perez was a dead man walking coming into the second round because in the opening round he took some great shots from Martinez but Perez still kept coming forward like a stone jaw zombie. It didn’t help that Martinez seemed to punch himself out in the earlier round either. Perez got Martinez against the cage and started working elbows and knees and in the process landed vicious right elbow that rocked Martinez to the ground and that was the beginning of the end for the debuting Martinez.
The following match was to decided who was the baddest ‘Joe’ on the card. It was Joe Lopez, not of Mazz fame, taking on Joe Navarro. Both guys came out hesitant, so hesitant that I thought I was watching a dance recital and not a fight since they kept circling the cage. Right foot, left foot, right foot, left foot. I think thats the cha-cha-cha but I digress. After a lackluster first round Navarro finally connected with a shot and won with a TKO in the 2nd round.
Fighting in the clean up spot of the card was Eli Tamez taking on Ruben Martinez. I was going for Eli since my girlfriend liked his pink streaks. What can I say? I’m a sucker for my girl. After 10+ years you would be too! Tamez ended the fight in the 2nd round with a RNC, a submission he was fighting hard for at the end of the 1st.
During the intermission Rock N Roll James announced in a subtle manner, that if you wanted to meet UFC Stars Donald Cerrone and Leonard Garcia they would be available at a local restaurant after the fights. What the fuck man?!?! What kind of switch and bait is this? I was pumped that I was going to be the first one to see Cowboy and Garcia walking through the entrance and they took that away from me. I was pissed. This was one of the main reasons I wanted to go to the show- Donald Cerrone and Leonard Garcia are some of my favorite fighters and to see them would have been a small thrill that I would never tell my children about. I don’t want my kids growing up thinking that its okay for a grown ass man to see another grown man. It’s not a good example to set if you ask me. I’m half joking so don’t get your skin mark underwear get in a twist.
The most notable fight before the main event was Saul Elizondo vs Andrew Navarro. I was looking forward to this match more than anything due to the promos they cut on each during their interviews and both guys seemed to have legit beef with each other and it showed in the end. Saul was just way too much for Navarro and took control of the fight from the get go. I really don’t recall Andrew Navarro getting any type of leverage in their 3 minutes and 19 seconds of fighting. As soon as Saul took the fight to the ground I instantly knew it was over. Saul hooked on to a triangle and didn’t let it go till the ref stopped it and when the ref stopped it Elizondo kick Navarro in the chest as he was pulling out of the triangle. In the post interview Saul did say he does that all the time and even in practice but I really don’t think too many people would put up with that if that is true props to his teammates for putting up with that.
The dime piece and I left before the main event cause she had some paper to chase the next day but I read that Danny Salinas finally got confirmed his victory by choking out Ivan Perez in the second round via guillotine. I’ve been following Salinas ever since my first STFC show and he always stuck out to me like a guy you will count out if you look at him but you only look like a fool when he defeats his opponent. Props to him for proving that he does have what it takes to be a champ and I hope he gets more opportunities cause you can only do so much in STFC.
Ruben Farias of Valleytudo.com recently sat down with UWF main man, Oscar Enriquez to catch up on what issues he has been experiencing in promoting his first show. And oh boy, has there been some issues he needed to get through.
Enriquez opens up about the barriers that top promotion UFC and Bellator have placed in front of him but like a true Mexican warrior, Enriquez takes the punches and keeps coming forward. A passionate Enriquez explains how he had to resolve the issues by sending Bellator a check to keep his main event intact and also how he had to “bow down” to the big wigs of the MMA world, UFC, by removing some content that UFC considered trademark infringement. Enriquez did admit that the thrill of being on the radar of UFC and Bellator was a cool deal, but only for a few minutes as he realized how serious it was.
Another issue he has experienced at the hands of Zuffa, is that Mike Swick and Jon Fitch will not be appearing on the show. Well, they can show up but they will not be advertise as Zuffa does not want the competition (UWF), to advertise UFC fighters. Taking the place of Mike Swick on the GFL Internet PPV commentary will be the founder of TXMMA.com, Paul Erickson.
The card has also seen a few bumps in the road. My first preview installment of UWF I, is now obsolete due to the change of the opponent of Diego Ferreria. The black belt will now be taking on Derek Campos. A revised preview will be up shortly.
When the house lights of the Pharr Events Center dim down and the spotlight shines in the middle of the cage, the first two fighters to kick-off UWF I will be a more seasoned Albuquerque resident, Clint Roberts, taking on the Brazilian Jiu Jitsu accomplished Carlos Ferreira.
Born in Brazil but fighting out of Mission,TX ,Arsenal BBJ instructor Carlos Diego Ferreira is the current STFC title holder for the welterweight division, winning the belt only after one professional fight. Some believed, myself included, that the world class BJJ Black belt received the title shot too soon but he proved at STFC 15 that he deserved to be in a title fight with a win via split decision over STFC veteran, Weslaco’s Joseph Daily.
Ferreira has yet to defend the belt since capturing the 12 lbs of gold in April but as one would figure, a black belt is always training and competing. This past October for the UFC expo in Houston he stocked up on more gold winning 4 more gold rocks in just two days. Following his gold acquisition at the UFC Expo, he then went on to win his division at the U.S Open and winning Silver in the absolute division. It should be no surprise that this weekend he’s on another gold rush assignment competing in the No-Gi World Championships. No results were available as of yet.
The grappling guru certainly seems to have the edge if the fight goes to the ground but Ferreira is going to have a hell of a time taking down the 6’2″ and 9 fight veteran, Clint Roberts. Not only does Roberts have the edge when it comes to size and more than likely reach distance as well, he is also coming out of an elite camp. Maybe you’ve heard of it, Jackson’s MMA. And his trainer is Greg Jackson, the trainer of two current UFC champions, George St. Pierre and Jon “Bones” Jones and also the trainer of the who’s who of the MMA world. The plethora of fighters that have come from Jackson’s MMA is not only impressive, its exhausting.
This is the Albuquerque’s resident’s greatest advantage. Training with the elite of MMA, day in and day out and being able to pick the brains of cage veterans that have and are on top of their game is something that Ferreira doesn’t have here in the valley. With all due respect to the MMA schools in the Rio Grande Valley, our area is still in its infancy when it comes to MMA training and experience when compared to Jackson’s MMA. It’s really unfair to compare the training camps to one another, especially one of such acclaim of Jackson’s MMA.
The true test here is who’s experience will be applied the best. Will Ferreira’s world class jiu jitsu experiences be the deciding factor or will Clint Robert’s fight experiences, size and wealth of knowledge he has obtained from Jackson’s MMA prevail? The answer to those questions will be answered on November 25 in Pharr, Texas.
Get your tickets here or Buy the Go Fight Live Internet PPV for only $9.99!
Here are some highlights and interviews from both fighters, enjoy and please ‘Like” us on Facebook to get the next preview installment of UWF 1.
Round 1 of Ferreira ‘s Title Victory:
BJJ Matches:
Clint Robert’s Interview:
Two days after everybody enjoys a feast of turkey, Pharr, TX will be hosting a feast of fights that, on paper, looks to be a one of the best shows the Rio Grande Valley has seen in years. The name on the marquee for 11-26-11 at the Pharr Events Center will be ‘Huerta vs War Machine’ under the banner of newly formed promotion, Ultimate Warrior Fighting, owned and operated under Oscar Enriques. Herb Abrams, Akira Maeda and Bill Watts are not involved in this endeavor.
While it maybe the inaugural event of UWF, Enriques is not new to promoting sports entertainment or entertainment in general. In an interview with TXMMA he said he previously promoted concerts and wrestling events.
Enriques’s approach to this show, shows that Enriques learned a thing or two from his past endeavors. His original gig as a successful General Contractor for the past 20 years probably also helped. It’s possible he even looked at the business model of local MMA promotion STFC and improve on what STFC is weak at or just overlooks. Instead of bringing special appearances to sell to fans as an attraction he’s one upping the competition. Not only is he providing the fans with a great main event that looks to be one hell of a fight and maybe fight of the year candidate, he’s also providing guest commentary by former PRIDEFC and UFC vertern ‘The New York Badass’ Phil Baroni and current UFC welterweight fighter Mike Swick for the Go Fight Live! PPV that can be purchased for only $9.99 if you can’t make it to the Pharr Events Center on the 26th of November. Baroni on commentary alone is worth your hard earned $9.99. If you can’t order the event just follow me on twitter cause I will be posting live updates from the event.
The inaugural event titled, ‘UWF 1′, looks to be a great chance for two local fighters, all world Black-belt and current STFC welterweight champ Carlos Diego Ferreira and current STFC lightweight champion Dee Jay Fuentes, to get national exposure and a rub from fighters who have been on the main stage. There is some pretty great talent down here but nobody would know it due to the lack of push or promotion the company they fight for gives them.
Stay tuned to Bang-Biscuit.com for a breakdown of every fight leading up to the big ‘UWF 1′ event in the upcoming weeks. In the meantime check out the press conference and interviews with the participants in the main event.
Subject To Change Card:
Main event
► Roger Huerta (21-5-1) vs. War Machine (11-4)
Co-Main Event
► Andrew Chappelle (10-6) vs. Dave Menne (44-16-2)
► DJ Fuentes (8-7) vs. Nick “The Ghost” Gonzalez (17-9)
► Carlos Diego Ferreira (2-0) vs. Sean Spencer (6-1)
► Cyrus Washington (0-2) vs. Marcelo Lumakang (5-6)
► Derek Campos (5-1) vs. Hermann Teerado (3-2)
► Juan Leija (0-0) vs. Robert Garcia (1-0)
Tickets start at $25. This show is one you don’t want to miss!
