Huntley Takes short notice bout in Colorado

March 25, 2013 by Leave a Comment

huerta huntleyJason Huntley did what very few 2-0 amatuer fighters would do given the chance he was given late friday night on march 15th. Ressurection Fighting alliance needed a substitute at 135 pounds to fight Carlos Huerta a 6-0 local prospect from a gym in the Denver area. When Jeremy Bjornberg, a local matchmaker, promoter, and well known manager of fighters asked Jason if it was something he was interested in… he was up for the task.

With less than a week to prepare and coming off a short break from training, Huntley got back in the gym as much as possible to ensure he was ready to take his record to 3-0 as an amatuer. At age 34 and knowing shots like this dont come around often, he was excited to travel to denver and give the young fighter a real fight.

The fight did not go the way of huntley, but was a true showing of heart and toughness. Round 1 saw many submission attempts by Huerta with solid defense by Huntley. Round 2 was a stand up affair that Huerta got the better of. Round 3 was comparable to the 1st. Huerta would win by Unanimous Decision (30-27 on all cards). But the experience was a victory in itself for Huntley, stimulating his love of the sport and the excitement of competing. now at 2-1 Jason will look to continue his journey at 125-135lbs.

Filed Under: Fighter Spotlight, Mixed Martial Arts, Student Spotlight

Video:Donald Williams breaks down his next fight w/ MN MMA NEWS

March 12, 2013 by Leave a Comment

Donald Williams Talks about his upcoming fight march 23rd in Burnsville,MN.

 

Filed Under: Fighter Spotlight, Mixed Martial Arts, Student Spotlight, videos

Mike Richman Moves on to tournament final over “popo”

March 11, 2013 by Leave a Comment

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Heated, is a good way to describe the official Bellator weigh in between Academy Product Mike Richman and Alexandre “popo” Bezzera. After both men weighed in “popo” got in Richmans face and made contact, Which prompted Richman to give him a solid shove. Immediately after the stage was swarmed by people from both camps and bellator officials holding them back from each other. The next night there wouldnt be anybody holding them back.

 

The first round saw a relentless takedown attack by Bezzera for the first minute, Richman was able to stuff the first couple attempts and even countered with a front choke off of Bezzera’s single leg takedown attempt. A front choke in which Mike is known for hitting alot in the practice room. After getting Richman to the ground “popo” got Mikes back and would stay there for the rest of the round attacking with choke attempts and punches from behind. (10-9 Bezzera)

Round 2, was all hands. Richmans world class striking would be the story of round 2. Bezzera showed his grit and concrete jaw by staying on the feet and trying to go punch for punch with the superior boxer, of course he attempted to shoot for a takedown ocassionally, but Richman wasnt allowing it. Bezerra’s head was knocked back countless times by stiff jabs and quick straight left hands by the deadly southpaw ( 10-9 Richman)

Round 3 left off where round 2 ended, on the feet for the first minute and a half. Finally Bezzera secured the takedown he had been searching for. Ground and pound at first from top position, then getting richmans back again he attempted more rear naked chokes. Richman would get back to guard then spring up to his feet and throw everything but the kitchen sink at Bezzera for the final minute of the 145 lb. tourney quarter final.

In easily the fight of the night and possibly fight of the tournement so far. Mike “the Marine” Richman takes the 29-28 split decision victory to move on the the Finals of the $100,000 tournement. His Opponent will be Magomedrasul “Frodo” Khasbulaev (20-5) a super tough Russian with a hard hitting free style approach.

Filed Under: Fight Results, Fighter Spotlight, Mixed Martial Arts Tagged With: , , ,

The Academy’s MMA updates: news & notes

March 2, 2013 by Leave a Comment

Here at the Academy Competing is our business… And business is good.

Mike-Richman-300x200

This coming Thursday (march 7th) Mike ” the marine” Richman is set to do battle with Alexandre “popo” Bezzerra in the semi final round of Bellator’s featherweight tournament. The winner will go on to the tournament final on either march 28th or april 4th. This is Richmans second tournament run under the bellator promotion. During his run he has gone 3-1 with all 3 wins by knockout.

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Jordan “pretty boy” Parsons was scheduled to fight March 2nd for CFA (cage fighting alliance) in Miami, Florida at 145 lbs in a rematch against Danny Chavez who Parsons beat to win CFA’s Featherweight title just last summer. Coming off his 1st career loss in his defense of the belt, “pretty boy” has been chomping at the bit to get his hands on anybody they will give him. Hungry for battle, to say the least. The fight has now been pushed to April 20th.

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On March 23rd Donald williams, Ben Locken, Jesse Midas, and Sean Richman will all fight for SEG/Driller promotions in Burnsville, MN. The show is nearly sold out, the only way to get tickets in the next few weeks is from the fighters themselves. One of the more anticipated fights of the night will be Sean Richman vs Nick Spina for the promotions 145lb Amatuer belt.

Stay Tuned for news, notes, and match ups for April!

Filed Under: Fight Results, Fighter Spotlight, Mixed Martial Arts Tagged With: , , , , , , ,

Jacob Volkmann signs up for World series of fighting

March 1, 2013 by Leave a Comment

644700_10151267339086241_1113255360_n  After a 6-4 run in the UFC, Academy Team member Jacob Volkmann was given his release after a recent loss to Bobby Greene (20-5) just two weeks prior.

Jacobs peers and teammates believe he should have been given one more chance to prove himself on the biggest stage due to his relentless grappling skills and mental toughness, but with a number of fighters being imported from the strikeforce promomtion ( also owned by Zuffa.inc) cuts were made and Volkmann was one of the unlucky ones.

Bellator fighting championships was a route that Jacob wanted to go, especially with a handful of other academy teammates being part of Bellators roster. It seemed like an easy transition,but after being in contact with officials for the the promotion he learned that there would not be any opening until at least summer. With a sour taste in his mouth from a recent loss and release Jake wanted something sooner if possible. In comes World series of fighting.

World series of Fighting is a promotion out of Las Vegas, Nevada on the NBC sports network. The Roster is loaded with top prospects and former UFC veterans/champions. Andrei Arlovski, Anthony Johnson, Miguel Torres, Tyrone Spong, David Branch, and Gerald Harris are just some of the names of an ever growing list that is handled by WSOF president Former Muay thai and K-1 great “sugar foot” Ray Sefo.

Be sure to look for match up announcements with Volkmanns name included on upcoming WSOF events. Being a UFC veteran, many hungry lightweight challengers will be looking to try their hand at “christmas”. One in particular is John Gunderson (34-12-2) who has called out Volkmann in a recent interview after stating he “just doesnt like him” and that he is “annoying” to him. The next WSOF event is scheduled for March 23rd. After that they plan on another event in either may or june.

Filed Under: Fighter Spotlight, Mixed Martial Arts, UFC Tagged With: , , , , ,

Fighters’ motivation

February 28, 2013 by Leave a Comment
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Catching up with Carl Deaton III

February 28, 2013 by Leave a Comment
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Team Academy rolls over the competition at K.O.T.C

February 19, 2013 by Leave a Comment

 

Jason Huntley slams his opponent early in 1st round

Jason Huntley slams his opponent early in 1st round

       This past saturday night in Morton,MN the Jackpot Junction casino saw many greats fights. Among those fights the four fighters from the Academy put on a great showing for a packed house. Ben Smith, Jason Huntley, and Carl Deaton finished their Opponents while Mikey Zimmer won a decision in the nights main event.

 

 

 

(Fight summaries by Jeremy Bjornberg/mnmmanews.com)

Jason Huntley vs Bounoun Tonsay 135 LBS

Both guys came out wild but it led to a few very exciting scrambles. Bonoun had a guillotine in for over a minute and it was very deep, but Huntley showed fantastic self control and stayed calm until he slipped out and took Tonsay’s back. The Academy product then picked him up violently and slammed him down so hard he immediately tapped. Huntley moves to 2-0 via verbal submission in Round 1. Very puzzling tap but Huntley definitely was in control. Huntley looks like the real deal and is looking to move to 125 pounds…very impressive.

Ben Smith vs Reilly Griffin 195 LBS

Ben Smith led off the action with a spinning back kick, which caused Griffin to attempt a takedown. Smith stuffed it and then picked him up and 360 slammed him on his head. He then landed a series of knees to the body and hammer fists. He pounded away until Griffin was completely out, giving Smith the KO win at 1:11 of round 1.

Carl Deaton vs Josh Wiseman 135 LBS

Early fight of the night as Deaton and Wiseman put on a show for the screaming fans. Both men landed bombs in Round 1, but Wiseman landed a stiff left that bloodied Deaton’s nose and probably gave Wiseman the standup edge. Toward the middle of the round, however, Deaton took down the highly decorated wrestler Wiseman with a double leg and then spent the rest of the round on his back. He tried finishing with ground-and-pound and a rear-naked choke attempt, but Wiseman was having none of it and the round came to an end.  Wiseman came out looking to finish in Round 2 and landed a stiff jab that seemed to bother Deaton, but he was then able to get Wiseman against the cage and take him down again, thoigh it didn’t last long as Wiseman popped up quickly. Deaton however was relentless and got in deep on a double leg and slammed Wiseman, and he eventually took his back. From there, he landed some nasty ground and pound before he finished at 3:21 of Round 2 via RNC over a very game Wiseman.

Starr Roberts vs Michael Zimmer 155 LBS

Zimmer came out landing powerful strikes until he was accidentally poked in the eye which led to a 3-4 minute break while he got his vision backed. He came out with urgency and took down Starr and started teeing off with elbows and punches. Roberts threw up a few arm bar attempts but was unable to close as Zimmer powered through them. The first round ended with Zimmer on top and Starr was tired from all the pressure and ground and pound and took a while to get up.

Starr came out in Round 2 and just missed a head kick and then forced a clinch, which the popular local hero Zimmer used to force a takedown and take top position and once again he started landing powerful shots. Starr as always refused to bend and showed his heart as he kept struggling and eventually forced a stand up. From there, Zimmer landed a nasty knee to the body, which dropped Roberts and once again put Zimmer in top control, but he was unable to finish.

Zimmer rushed across the cage and once again put him in the clinch, where he did very impressive work. Starr however took advantage of a totally gassed Zimmer to take his back and also mount him in the last few minutes of the fight. He almost got the finish.

But it wasn’t enough. Zimmer claimed a 29-28 unanimous decision. The crowd went absolutely nuts in appreciation of both mens’ brave performances.

 

 

Filed Under: Fight Results, Fighter Spotlight, Mixed Martial Arts

Team Academy sends four to fight for K.O.T.C

February 14, 2013 by Leave a Comment

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This saturday, February 16th, Four academy team members will go to battle in Morton,MN for King of the cage promotions in what sounds to be a sell out casino crowd.

Victorious in his Amateur debut january 26th, Jason Huntley will lock horns with Bounoun Tonsay at 135 pounds. Huntley was asked to be on this show just a day after his debut win. He gladly accepted for chance to stay busy and gain more experience. Not much is known about his opponent but it will be a crowd pleasing affair as lighter weight fights normally are.

Ben Smith, who also fought january 26th, will be in action against local journeyman Reilly griffin. this fight will be held at a catchweight of 195 pounds. Both fighters will weigh in the day of the fight, hours ahead of the fight. Smith who fights at 170 lbs took this fight on short notice to stay active and attempt to build up his resume.

In what many think will be a fight of the night contender, Carl Deaton will take on Wrestling stud Josh Wiseman. Deaton a good strong wrestler in his own right will drop back down to 135 pounds for this fight. Wiseman, a former state champion and cadet national champion, went 4-1 in his Amateur bouts fighting at both 145 and 135, and this being his pro debut. He is not taking an easy fight for a pro debut as Deaton (3-0) is a bigger wrestler with good striking.

In the nights Main Event Mikey Zimmer will face Journeyman Starr Roberts at 155 pounds. Zimmer is a Morten,MN local. Therefore the crowd will be anticipating this fight all night. Starr Roberts record leaves much to be desired, but he always comes to fight with his athleticism and fundamental striking. Roberts always fights tough competition. Zimmer is coming off the first loss of his career dropping him to 4-1 as a professional and will be looking to get back to his winning ways.

 

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Team Academy Profile: Ben Smith

February 8, 2013 by Leave a Comment
Ben smith Def. Rico washington by Unanimous dec. 1/26/13

Ben smith Def. Rico Washington by Unanimous dec. 1/26/13

Calm, cool, and collected but ever the competitior is Ben smith.

Moving from Las Vegas to Minnesota months ago with his Family, Smith has been a great addition to The Academy MMA team as both a practice partner for everybody big to small, but also an overall great pressence to have in the room everyday.

What is your martial arts background & how did you get started in MMA?

Ben:” I started training in MMA around 3 years ago in an effort to connect with my roots as a wrestler. I started wrestling when I was 5 years old, and after having been disconnected from the sport for almost 10 years, I felt there was a major piece of my foundation as a person that was missing, or at least lacking the appropriate nurture. MMA has filled those gaps for me.”

What motivates you day in day out?

Ben:” I’m motivated to wake up and face the grind every day by an uncompromising need to seek out personal actualization. The sense of merit and accomplishment, which my involvement in MMA supplies, allows for me to be a better, happier, and more adjusted man for my family.”

How did you end up at the academy?

Ben:” I spent the last couple years training at Xtreme Couture in Las Vegas. Although I was happy to move back to Minneapolis in order to be closer to family, I was nervous about finding a gym that would suit my needs as well Xtreme.  Everyone I asked told me that The Academy was where it’s at. They were completely right, and I’m incredibly honored to be a part of the gym.”

What are your goals as a competitor?

Ben: “My only concrete goal in MMA since I started was to get myself to the UFC. I figure that when that happens, I will reassess and come up with some new ones.”

What do you enjoy most about the sport/ training at the academy?

Ben:” I love competing in MMA because its a tangible attack against immobility, doubt, and fear. Every person, in one fashion or another, has to face those things in life. Competing in one on one combat just happens to be the medium that best suits me.”

“What I love most about The Academy is the motto it operates under (Opera non Verba…Deeds not Words). I wish all factions of the world would operate under this very simple, and very noble principle.”

 

Filed Under: Fighter Spotlight, Mixed Martial Arts Tagged With: , , , ,
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