Finding a Fight?

[Tez3]

Oh, hubbie loves to fight! We just want to make sure when he does it will be worth the while.

I would and do really appreaciate your help and advice Tez! We're not sure if he's really wanting a long career in fighting as much as maybe training fighters in the long run. He does love to compete. I think this would be perfect for him.

Yet, if the MMA arena takes too long, he may get a shot at pro in San Shou this October. We do have a goal oriented time table for doing this. When he goes to compete in San Shou in October, he'll be ready to fight cage, if we can find a paying fight.

The San Shou fight is so promoters can see new fighters and get them a paying gig, and it doesn't pay. Honestly, that's about all we're willing to do for free. If there is a way you "try out" for a competition in MMA, that would be fine too. I'm not saying that his first fight should be big bucks, but he wants it on pro level. And he is willing to work his way up in the MMA circuit from the bottom. But, he wants IN the MMA circuit when he fights the first time.

As for a trainer or manager. We honestly wouldn't know where to start to look for someone in that category. And we cannot afford them right now, hence the need to be paid for the fight. If he wins, we can invest the winning money to pay for personal trainers, diatitions, coaches, etc. See, what I mean?
He was wanting to use this one trainer that trains guys specifically for MMA doing weights and workouts. But, he's $100.00 an hour!
Plus, hubbie has a minor in sports physiology, a major in business management, played college football, football for the marine corps, was in force recon in the marine corps as a MCMAP instructor for years, he's pretty well versed when it comes to conditioning, training, weight lifting and such.

As for the style of fighting he's going to be using. There is no coach we could pay to help him in the ring that's on the circuit now. But, we do need big guys for him to spar.

Oh, as for him being willing to cut weight. No. He'll compete in Heavyweight class, and will NOT cut weight for a smaller weight class fight. This is EXTREMELY unhealthy for a fighter to drastically cut weight just before a fight, and puts that fighter at a severe disadvantage. (dehydration, etc.)
Unless, he's got a healthy amount of time to cut weight for the fight. (a couple of months, depending on how much he needs to lose).

We don't have coaches that you pay, all the fighters I know are with a club and the club instructor/coach does the fighter finding stuff. I'm sure your husband is very good at the physical part of training but your answer to the weight question means you don't know about the weight. I don't mean he should cut weight (unless he's at the lower end of heavyweight in which case I would recommend he does lose some weight, the HW div doesn't have a top limit and he could be fighting someone enormous). fighters have a 'fighting weight' and a weigh in weight, suppose the division asked for a 64kg fighter, well you'd have him cut his weight to meet that then after weigh in he'd resume his fighting weight of however much he can put on that's he's comfortable with. If it's a day before weigh in this doesn't take anything out of him, a day of weigh in makes it harder.
Andrew is right even if you get a fight that pays you will prob only get enough to cover expenses, you may be lucky and be offered a ticket deal but chances are you will be out of pocket for a long time.
any chance you can join an MMA club where they can take you through all this?

 

[Tez3]

Try "Smiler" for advice! his email is on his site. he was in the States early this year for a fight, I believe he may do his seminars over there too, at any rate he's not called Smiler for nothing, a really nice guy, one of the good ones. he's also dropped weight and looks very good on it. Check the styles he's trained in!

http://www.teamgaryturner.com/index.php?page=profile

 

[Si-Je]

Well, again, to join a fight club costs 100-250 a month and we just don't have that kind of money.
I've checked around many MMA gyms here and their expensive. Plus, they require him to fight in their fashion. And they make alot of money off the fighters they send to the ring.

We watched the Kimbo fight and cringed. It straight out angered me what they did to Kimbo. I want hubbie to be able to fight HIS way. The styles that he has been trained in for many years, and what has worked for him so well for so long.

Hense, we'd rather go in on his own. For personal, financial, and practical
reasons. We'd love to go to a MMA gym and train, spar whatever, but their just too costly. It seems we're going to have to do it the hard way.

 

[Tez3]

Well, again, to join a fight club costs 100-250 a month and we just don't have that kind of money.
I've checked around many MMA gyms here and their expensive. Plus, they require him to fight in their fashion. And they make alot of money off the fighters they send to the ring.

We watched the Kimbo fight and cringed. It straight out angered me what they did to Kimbo. I want hubbie to be able to fight HIS way. The styles that he has been trained in for many years, and what has worked for him so well for so long.

Hense, we'd rather go in on his own. For personal, financial, and practical
reasons. We'd love to go to a MMA gym and train, spar whatever, but their just too costly. It seems we're going to have to do it the hard way.

I can see where you are coming from, I wish we made money from our fighter lol, we take nothing from them in fact we spend money on kit, training etc for them.
I can understand what you mean by fighting in his style but this is one of the reasons you need to look up all the possible fighters you can before you accept a fight with them. Most fighters fight in much the same way because the rules dictate that ( do check them very carefully before you accept a fight too, they may not be acceptable to you) and who you are fighting dictates that, it's obvious I know but if you are fighting someone who's stand up is weak and yours is strong you will be trying to stay up etc. One of our lads fought someone who was a Judo champion so Dave our fighter made sure the fight stayed up and he actually KOd him with a knee to the face. This is another reason to check out fighters is that you don't want to be fighting an Olympic Judo player or wrestler if your ground game isn't your best thing, if it is find a stand up guy who doesn't want to go to ground.
Over here we have the CW forum plus a couple of others where promoters post up their fight nights asking for fighters, is there anything similiar over there? it's usually a good place to find out who wants what.
This is a good source of information about getting ready for fights etc
http://www.fightersonlymagazine.co.uk/home/

 

[terryl965]

Si-Je I can relate to cost, if you are ever in Arlington come on by and train. I have no problem helping someone out with what I know if he has that right personality. Cardio is a big thing and that is a must. Check your PM I sent you a note.

 

[Si-Je]

I've heard that alot of fighters are leaving MMA to fight in boxing, san shao, K1 and other rings(shows?) because of money. It seems that their just not paying fighters what their worth these days.
Hubbie met a promoter in Arlington this weekend, a guy he knew from a while back, and he's suggesting that he fight san shao because the MMA cage matches don't pay as much anymore.
Yet, he's got a club with a full cage to practice in and he still does host shows.

As for Metzer who advised me to get him to fight in at least 10 unpaid fights ameture (I've heard similar advice from others too) I just find to be unacceptable. When a fighter goes into a ring their taking chances with their body and health. They deserve to be paid for having the guts to risk that. And to have the financial means to get medical treatment if needed. Just like anyother job. No benefits, don't clock in.

 

[Tez3]

I've heard that alot of fighters are leaving MMA to fight in boxing, san shao, K1 and other rings(shows?) because of money. It seems that their just not paying fighters what their worth these days.
Hubbie met a promoter in Arlington this weekend, a guy he knew from a while back, and he's suggesting that he fight san shao because the MMA cage matches don't pay as much anymore.
Yet, he's got a club with a full cage to practice in and he still does host shows.

As for Metzer who advised me to get him to fight in at least 10 unpaid fights ameture (I've heard similar advice from others too) I just find to be unacceptable. When a fighter goes into a ring their taking chances with their body and health. They deserve to be paid for having the guts to risk that. And to have the financial means to get medical treatment if needed. Just like anyother job. No benefits, don't clock in.

I think there is a lot of confusion over fighters in MMA and what they get paid. Everyone knows you don't go into MMA to make money, it simply isn't there. If you want to fight to make money I think you'd have to go to boxing even then I'm not sure you'd make much.
The majority of people fight because they enjoy the sport. There is also confusion I think over who is an amateur and who is a professional. There are very few professional fighters in MMA, there is however a lot of fighters who fight under professional rules but are amateur fighters.
Fighting under amateur rules is actually very safe as there are usually no head shots involved, some promotions do have head shots standing only. these competitions are on par with karate, TKD, Judo competitions ( though often these are more 'dangerous' than amateur MMA fights)therefore you won't get a purse for them. Some promotions like ours will try and pay expenses by offering a ticket deal for am and semi pros.
MMA is only a job for a very tiny minority, we have only two full time fighters in the UK, everyone else has a job, I don't think it's much different in the States. There is and never has been much money in MMA. I've known no one to make money out of fighting, even Michael Bisping has other work.
Fighting professional rules isn't as dangerous as fighting boxing, there has been few serious injuries and every single fighter should be insured before they fight, that's a must.
No one I know goes into MMA thinking it's a job or that it's going to pay, it's not and likely never will.

 

[Si-Je]

Actually, hubbie has and will keep his day job. I'm just stating that it is costly to train and prepare a fighter, and I believe that they should get compensation in due course.
The UFC makes wicked, mad money off these fighters, and it seems to me that they are taken advantage of.

Plus, for him to fight ameture would negate too much of his Wing Chun tools in the ring. Several are already not allowed in professional fighting, but for him to be denied head punches, elbow and knees would truely cause him to lose the fight or get hurt.

That's why we're not interested in taking the risks with ameture fighting. And he's hoping to train other fighters and get them fights in the future. That's the career track he's really looking for when it comes to professional fighting. He's already done 10 + ameture fights in San Shao and has experience with an elevated ring, we're pretty sure he'll do well in a cage or other venue.
And actually, it seems easier to get fights in San Shao lately than even the miniscule paying MMA fights. The extra money from fighting and the exposue could really help get a school or club up and running in the future. I've met quite a few people who do this and are pretty successful, and this is what we're really aiming at.
But, to attract students for cage or san shao fighting, he'll need to "bring it" so to speak in the ring a couple of times. It's only fair.

 

[Si-Je]

Almost fight time people!
One more month, and hubbies fighting a grappler. Younger and "more experienced fighter" in Novemeber.
Gonna beg and plead or whatever to get ahold of a camcorder for the fight. Will have video if I have to draw it in blood! lol!