2022 Competition Results

MMA:

John Castañeda went 1-1 in the UFC last year, including a tough fight which resulted in Castañeda taking home the victory via arm triangle choke in round three at UFC Fight Night.

Sean McPadden had two wins in 2022. Starting the year off with a win via rear naked choke, McPadden finished the year with a second win via Guillotine choke at LFA 142.

Reshal Malik went 1-1 last year with a unanimous decision victory at LFA 129.

Quang Le fought twice last year, winning both times. One win came via neckcrank

while the other was a unanimous decision victory at LFA 129.

LFA 142 was a big event for athletes out of The Academy. Noah Gasho, Mitchell Wilson, Shamar Williams, and Griffin Parriott, all took him wins.

Mike Richman had a big year in which he went 2-1. After beating David Rickels and Isaac Doolittle, Richman became the interim BKFC Light Heavyweight Champion.

 

TBA Classic 2022:

Twenty-five fighters from all of the The Academy locations competed. Andy Kieker, Juanita Shingles, and Clayton Murray, fought and won in their brackets making it all the way to the championship fights. Shingles and Kiecker both won in their championship fights.

BJJ Team Results:

Grappling Industries had a lot of athletes compete from The Academy. Vincent Alm, Hudson Rivera, Michael Sayers, Cyris Eagle Tail, Derek Broden, David Rasmussen, Michael Doubek, Greg Ahlberg, Trenton Weston,and Ryan Wright all competed and medaled. Shamar Williams and Mac Kukowski won gold in their respective divisions.

Fight 2 Win saw Will Kieth, Tyree Overton, Kelly Johnson, Anthony Rose, Ryan Wright, Travis Crawford, and Zac Lundberg all compete.

Recent Competition Results 2021

MMA Team Results:

UFC Training MN

  • Rose Namajunas defeated Zhang Weili to retain The UFC Straweight World Championship.
  • LFA 120 – Quang Le and Mitch Wilson won their fights. Sean Stebbins, Royce White, Lad Fisk and Dalton Albrent also fought and lost.
  • Jhellani Olton won his first 2 amatuer Fights
  • Shamar Williams won his first 2 amatuer fights.
  • Dylan Kiskila won his amatuer debut while breaking his leg – literally!
  • Juanita Shingles defeated Shaelyn O’Connor at Fury Fights
  • LFA 115 – Quang Le won his fight. Reshal Malik lost his fight.
  • Bailey Shoenfield defeated Kory Moegenburg at Bellator 265
  • John Castaneda defeated Eddie Wineland at UFC Fight Night by KO

Boxing/Muay Thai/Glory Team Results:

Boxing Training Minneapolis

Mike Richman

    • Troy Jones Jr – Lost by dec. vs Alim Nabiev at Glory 3: Collision in Arnhem, Netherlands
    • Jorge Munoz Pederson – Won the title at the TBA-SA Tournament of Champions. Levi Eckberg, Jordan Lai, & Malaquias Jarmon also competeted.
  •  Mike Richman defeated Dakota Cochrane  by KO
    at BKFC 21

BJJ Team Results:BJJ Classes Minneapolis

  • Kelly Johnson won Black Belt Master 5 IBJJF Master World Championships 2021. Travis Crawford and Zac Lundberg also competed.
  • Ignite & Zebra Present World Class Grappling Grand Prix –Hayden Buckner won, Kelly Johnson Lost, Zac Lundberg Won
  • Fight 2 Win – Hayden Buckner won, Kelly Johnson Won, Zac Lundberg Won,  Clay Uddley won, Jhellani Olton Won Ryan Wright lost, Kyle Chaney Lost.
  • Michael Sayers, Noah Gasho, Ayanna Moy, Cassie Fassula, Harley Westerlund, Garret Ellertson, Malaquias Jarmon, Greg Ahlberg, Tenzin Nyima, Derek Broden, & Jason Huynh Competed at the Grappling Industries Tournament in Jan 2022.

 

Recent Team Academy Fight News

MMA Results:

  • John Castaneda has gone 1 – 1 since April 2018 with Combate Americas, winning his last fight at Combate 35: Combate Estrellas 3 defeating his opponent by an Arm Triangle Choke.
  •  Kazim Kahn Turned pro back in April 2018 and has gone 1 – 2, with his one win coming by unanimous decision with HFC 37 in Hammond, IN
  • Kaitlin Young Is 3 – 0 in her return to MMA winning her first fight by unanimous decision at Rizin 12 and her most recent win coming at Invicta FC 35 by referee stoppage in the 3rd round
  • Anthony Kromvig is 1 – 1 since March 2018, losing a tough decision at A-Town Throwdown 13. But he bounced back for a win at 3 River Throwdown 15
  • Grant Bolduan Lost his first fight at LFA 61 by decision but bounced back in his second fight to win at LFA 68 by referee stoppage in the 2nd round
  • Josh Fleck is 4 – 0 in his amateur career with his most recent win coming at 3 River Throwdown 15 by unanimous decision
  • Ryan Ferguson Has won his last 2 fights; at No Mercy 9 by unanimous decision and at A-Town Throwdown 14 by neck crank

Muay Thai Results:

  • Troy Jones: Is 3 – 0 since signing on with Glory. His 3 wins coming by 2 unanimous decisions and a KO 1:00 min into the first round
  • Tom Jenkins Is 3 – 2 since turning pro and lost a tough first fight with Glory at Glory 58: Chicago Superfight series by KO in the 3rd round
  • TBA’s 2019: Josh Fleck, Josie Lidberg and Bryan Beck all fought hard but lost their first fights of the tournament. While Sean Nonhof won 4 fights in decisive fashion to win the title in the Novice Light Heavyweight division

Team Academy Fight and Competition Results

MMA Results:

  • Nov. 10th King of the Cage – Black Bear Casino. Michael Jokondo lost by decision to Chris Collins
  • Nov. 11th Copa Combate 100k tournament – Cancun, Mexico. John Castaneda won his first 2 fights before losing in the finals
  • Nov. 12th – 18th IMMAF World Championships Tournament – Bahrain. Sean Stebbins won 3 fights to take home the bronze medal for the US
  • Nov. 22nd Victory FC – Waterloo, Iowa. Kazim Khan defeated Caleb Gall by split decision
  • Dec. 15th Legacy Fighting Championships – Mystic Lake Casino. Mike Richman lost to Jeffery Peterson by unanimous decision
  • Dec. 16th Victory Fighting Championships – Omaha, NE. Dan Moret defeated Alonzo Martinez by submission in the first round with a rear naked choke. Kazim Khan won his fight also. Defeating Jesse Rutherford by unanimous decision

BJJ Results:

  • Nov. 4th Grappling Industries – Blaine, MN Juanita, Jerry, Aneisha, Dylan, Noah, Jim, Tim, BJ, and Matt all represented The Academy well!
  • Dec. 3rd MNBJJF Winter Open – Irondale High School, New Brighton, MN. Team Academy took home several medals with Josh, Lad, Juanita, Alex, Zac, Lorenzo, Ryan, Jim, Aneisha, and Matt all performing well!

Greg Nelson on Real Self Defense

Discover training techniques, what happens in real self defense, and the definition of self defense.

Team Academy Winter Fight & Competition Results

MMA Results

Legacy Fighting Championships (1/20/2017)

  • Mike “The Marine” Richman lost to L. Stojadinovic by unanimous decision
  • Linsey Williams suffered a loss in her pro debut to Gabby Romero by submission choke in the first round
  • Kazim Kahn lost to Sean Strube by submission

Mecca IX MMA at Canterbury Park (3/4/2017)

  • Willie Budhram defeated Alphonse Weah by unanimous decisions for his second victory as an amature for a record of 2-0

Combate 14: Cinco De Mayo (5/5/2017)

  • John “Sexy Mexi” Castaneda defeated Chris Beal by TKO at 0:42 of the second round

LFA 12 Mystic Lake Casino (5/19/2017)

  • Linsey “Wonder Woman” Williams defeated Carmela James by unanimous decision for a pro record of 1-1

UMMAF National Tournament (5/30/2017)

  • Sean Stubbins Defeated Lachlan Kritsonis by unanimous decision in his first fight and defeated Shamar Perez by armbar in the championship fight to become UMMAF National Champion! He will be representing the USA in Bahrain in Nov. 2017

Muay Thai Results

Mecca IX Kickboxing Live at Canterbury Park (3/4/2017)

  • Kaitlin “The Striking Viking” Young Defeated Claire Baxter to win the TBA-SA Women’s Pro Super Lightweight World Title
  • Jessie Poolaw won by  first round TKO
  • Sarah Bishop lost
  • Shelby Pickard lost
  • Nora Schull lost
  • Will Thornton won by unanimous decision
  • Kuchlong Kuchlong won by first round TKO
  • Dustin Rupe won by unanimous decision

WMO World Championships – Bankok, Thailand (3/18/2017)

  • Nick Robinson lost to Brazil
  • Troy “Trouble” Jones won 2 fights against Brazil and Greece to bring home the championship

Mahasarakham, Thailand (3/25/2017)

  • Kaitlin “The Striking Viking” Young lost on points to Faaseethong Sit Sawung

Sinbi Fight Night – Bangla Stadium, Phuket, Thailand (4/16/2017)

  • Kaitlin “The Striking Viking” Young defeated Dao-Udon Sor Suchart by points

BJJ Results

IBJJF Pan Ams (3/15/2017-3/19/2017)

  • Kelly Johnson brought home the silver medal in his Black Belt division
  • Dan Moret brought home 2 bronze medals in weight and open weight Purple Belt divisions

MWBJJF Submission Hunt (5/13/2017)

  • Team Academy took first place in the adult team!

Rank Testing: Getting Ready to Show Off Your Skills

The rank test is the means in which you advance at the Academy. It is a test of your knowledge, skill, and over-all conditioning. It is also the time to show off what all of your hard work and dedication has developed.BJJ Belt Testing

Your test is broken into two broad areas: the monthly Test and the Rank Test. The monthly Test is a chance for you to get to demonstrate the techniques, drills, and training methods you have worked on for the past several months and have an instructor one-on-one to show you how to do them better. During the monthly Test you will also be given pointers and tips on how you can better prepare for your rank test.

The monthly test is also the time your instructor will see if you are 100% ready to test for a new rank. Not everyone earns enough grade points to rank Test. If your instructor feels you should wait a month to cleanup or learn some of the required techniques or skills, then take advantage of that extra month to improve and work the new things you’ve just learned. If you earn the required grade points  you now will have several weeks to work your skills and condition yourself for the Rank Test. The Rank Test is the time to show off your new skills. It is also a test of your overall physical and mental conditioning.

The Rank Test is the time to demonstrate your ability to perform your techniques in a training format; primarily, the Thai Pads. You will be showing your ability to hit the pads AND hold the pads. It is a test of your ability to train the techniques required for your new rank. The Rank Test is also an intense test of your conditioning.  You will be stressed, get tired, and know that you definitely earned your next rank.

Getting Ready

1. Know your required techniques. If you don’t know them, ASK. Your instructors are here to teach you what you need and want to know.

2. Know the Thai pad drills, and how to hold the pads for the drills and techniques during the month you are testing for the next rank.

3. Be in condition. You have to train for your Rank Test (it will be tough).

4. Take advantage of open training times. Train on the bags or with a partner. Doing this will improve your skill dramatically.

5. Get private instruction from an instructor of your choice to work on exactly what you need to.

Coaches Corner: A Warriors Opinion

GregNelsonPhotoBlogPic

Life is a struggle for survival, for success and to be the best that you can be. Life is a battle, a personal ‘no holds barred’ ring fight; however, it doesn’t need to be this way. We don’t have to go through life kicking, screaming and pissed off at everything. In all of us there is a warrior. Notice I said warrior, not a fighter. 

 

A warrior is calculated, cunning and ready, a consistent, persistent, creative and hard working individual who does not give up when trouble arises. A warrior learns from everything he/she can – the good, the bad and the ugly. A warrior is guided by principles and driven by beliefs. The warrior dedicates to absolute competence. Are you warrior material? Of course we all are; however, it takes some longer than others to take the bull by the horns and start kicking some butt.

Motivation
What motivates you? When I teach and train, the primary motivating factor that drives me is the quest to find my limits, or those that I’m teaching – and then go past them. I don’t try to find how little I can do to get by, that gets you hurt. Instead, I become the “creative and hard working individual” and push myself, physically and mentally. In doing this, I continually learn where my current limits are and ways in which I can surpass them.

The only true way to find your limits and discover new things about yourself is to simply go for it. Experience is the ultimate teacher. Don’t put limitations on yourself based on opinions, doubt or fear. In my experience, I have found that nearly every limitation I have was created in my head. Through years of training in gymnastics, wrestling, martial arts, competitive ring fighting I have had to constantly look at my own personal limitations. And through doing this I have found that there is almost no realistic goal that is impossible to achieve, unless I have made it that way in my mind.

If I work hard, push through barriers,Motivation_AWarriorsOpinion become creative and daring, and push forward one step at a time I find that I am able to do whatever I set out to do. And for me the hard work, the creativity and daring, the planning and then seeing through the plan is my motivation. And once I have achieved a goal, another goal is put in its place, even as simple as improving on what I have just accomplished.

Now it is your turn to figure out what motivates you, and then activate it.

The little failures others call “defeat”

What is defeat? A definition I found most effective is when the word is broken down into its two root words: de, in Latin means “to go from,” and feat, an English word meaning “accomplishment.” In my athletic career and personal training regime, there were many “accomplishments” that I had to “go from” temporarily. I was derailed, not destroyed. I was bruised, not broken. I may have lost a battle, but I lived to fight another day.

One thing I hate about what outsiders see as defeat is the implication of loss; the defeated have been beaten down and overcome. We see this most blatantly in ring fighting where the crowd views a defeated fighter as “beaten”and “lost”. They criticize and say how the fighter should have done this or that; even say how they could have done better. When they themselves are ”those cold and timid souls who know neither victory nor defeat.” They understand nothing about the preparation: the physical, mental and emotional battle that happens; before, during and after the actual “experience.” The “experience” that is worth a 1,000 hours of training, that is real world and in real-time, has no substitute. In the warriors mind, the training has been a great learning experience.

Defeat_AWarriorsOpinion

To a warrior, defeat is a temporary condition that will motivate them to push a little harder, look a little deeper, plan and prepare a little smarter; in the end, will enable them to bash future obstacles out of the way. If you stop before all your little “defeats,” you will never overcome all of your internal limitations. You are all in your own battle, your own training “ring fight.” Some days there may be some accomplishments that you will have to go away from. This is where you regroup, kick yourself in the butt and go for it again. If you continue to train and push forward long enough, and refuse to give up, you will be able to overcome your self-imposed limitations,and reach your goals. Your personal victories may not put you in the lime light. If you continue to push yourself to the best of your ability, and overcome the obstacles in your way, you will be a winner.

The Bottom Line
If your ultimate goal is to be the best that you can be in your career, personal life and/or training, you have got to be: tougher, more motivated, and more focused than anybody and any obstacle that might be in your way. Your goals must be as high as the stars and you must be willing to get down and dirty doing the work that victory demands. You must knock out laziness, weakness, complacency and self-imposed limitations. A warrior starts every new day with vigor and optimism, and hits their training with joy and disciplined devotion. To succeed, you must accept the plain and simple truth – Life is a battle, a war, if you want to win you have to give it all you can.

Remember: Good, Better, Best – Never Let It Rest.

Team Academy Winter Fight/Competition Results

Another great season of competition brought with it both adversity and triumph. We’re so proud of all our Team Academy competitors that continue to push themselves and grow as martial artists in victory and in defeat! Here is a quick summary of this winter’s results:

Ben Smith RFA

Ben Smith taking the title!

MMA Results

RFA 24 (3/6/15)

  • Ben “Silver” Smith captured the RFA welterweight title with a TKO from punches
  • Dan Moret suffered a defeat by unanimous decision
  • Andre Tieva got caught on the receiving end of punches and lost his fight via TKO
  • CT Bailey took a loss in a unanimous decision

King of the Cage 17 (2/21/15)

  • Nick Compton defeated Brandon Jenkins via unanimous decision

A-Town Throwdown (2/13/15)

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Sean Richman, victorious at WWFC

  • Jon Ebert submitted his opponent with a triangle choke in the 1st round, winning his amateur debut!
  • Anthony Rose lost his bout, tapping to a guillotine choke in the 2nd round

Dakota FC 20 – Winter Brawl (1/24/15)

  • Clarence Jordan lost his fight by unanimous decision
  • Jason Huntley suffered a close, split decision loss

World War Fighting Championship 17 (1/17/15)

  • Sean Richman finished his opponent in the 1st round by TKO
  • Nick Compton put up the second “W” of the night for Team Academy, securing a rear naked choke to win his fight in the 1st round

Chaos At Cantebury VI (12/20/14)

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Nick Compton with the “W”

  • Nate Howe earned a victory from an arm bar submission in the 1st round
  • CT Bailey also edged out his opponent with a 1st round arm bar
  • Melvin Cruz secured the win by TKO/referee stoppage in the 4th round
  • Jason Huntley won out in a unanimous decision

KOTC Industrial Strength (11/22/14)

  • Clarence Jordan found himself on the winning side of a unanimous decision

A-Town Throwdown IV (11/15/14)

  • Hayden Buckner tapped out his opponent with a guillotine choke early in the 2nd round
  • Anthony Rose executed a beautiful knock out after just 14 seconds of the 2nd round

    20141115065937_09_MikeRichman

    A beautiful TKO by “The Marine”

Bellator 131 (11/15/14)

  • Mike Richman earned a swift TKO victory over Nam Phan, prompting a stoppage to the fight after just 46 seconds!

RFA 20 (11/7/14)

  • Ben Smith defeated his opponent via a unanimous decision after 3 rounds

BJJ Results

Submission Hunt (11/22/14)

Bergeron Subhunt

Team Academy grabbing gold at the SubHunt

  • The Academy competitors came out on top, winning several divisions and taking home the championship trophy for team points!

NAGA Chicago (11/1/14)

  • Another exciting and successful grappling tournament for Team Academy!

FIVE Grappling Tournament (10/18/14 – 10/19/14)

  • Brandon Bergeron took home gold in his gi division
  • Kelly Johnson was victorious, also taking the top spot in his division

    Troy Jones ESP

    Troy Jones celebrating the win with a proud team!

Muay Thai Results

ESP (2/21/15)

  • Troy “Trouble” Jones captured the ESP kickboxing title!

Team Academy Summer Fight/Competition Results

Dan Moret wins via Submission

Dan Moret wins via Submission

It was a jam packed summer for the competitors of Team Academy! The endless hours of training shone through, and in both victory and defeat, they displayed true respect and sportsmanship toward their fellow fighters. We’re incredibly proud of the members of Team Academy and can’t wait for more of the battles that this winter will bring! Here is a quick recap of the results:

MMA Results

  • RFA 19 (10/10)
    • Dan Moret won by rear-naked choke in the first round
    • Mike Zimmer lost his bout by unanimous decision
    • Nate Howe got caught in an arm triangle choke early in the second round
  • KOTC Magnum Force (9/28)
    • Andre “The Diva” Tieva won his fight by split decision
    • Clarence Jordan was victorious after a unanimous decision
  • Bellator 126 (9/26)
      • Mike “The Marine” Richman triumphed over Ed West, knocking his opponent out in the first round, a finish that has now been labeled as one of the best MMA knockouts of the year for 2014

    KO by "The Marine"

    KO by “The Marine”

  • Driller at 7 Clans (7/26)
    • Carl Deaton III won by TKO in the first round
    • Dustin Murphy secured a rear-naked choke in the first round, winning his fight
    • Michael Jokondo was defeated via rear-naked choke in the third round
  • Last Man Standing (7/12)
    • Jason Huntley won by TKO (knee injury) at the end of the second round
  • Shine V (6/30)
    • Jesse Midas lost his bout, suffering a TKO in the second round
  • A-Town Throwdown III (6/27)
    • Melvin Cruz edged out his opponent in a split decision victory
  • Mecca V (5/31)
    • Carl Deaton III won by guillotine choke in the first round
    • Sean Richman earned a submission victory due to strikes at the end of the first round
    • Linsey Williams won her fight by rear-naked choke early in the second round
    • Dustin Murphy was forced to tap out of a rear-naked choke in the first round

BJJ Results

  • IBJJF Pan No-Gi Championship (9/27)
    • Mike Wayman won the gold medal, becoming the IBJJF Pan No-Gi Champion
    • Greg McDermitt took gold in his weight class, following up with 3rd in the open weight division

Muay Thai Results

Troy Jones, the new Champ!

Troy Jones, the new Champ!

  • TBA SA (6/27 – 6/29)
    • Troy Jones became the Men’s Novice Light Cruiser Champion
    • Adam Hill, Art Harris, Hayden Buckner, Nora Schull, Sarah Bishop, and Tommy Matlon all fought hard and ended up with 2nd place in their categories. Andrew Yeh, Caleb Kolodge, Jeff Thao, Katie Vogel, Nate Kosberg, and Shane Chanslor also represented The Academy at the TBA
  • Live Kickboxing & Boxing (6/13)
    • Tom Jenkins was victorious in his fight
    • Tremayne Williams was defeated