Did anyone manage to catch the fights this past weekend at Qwest arena. I missed them. I know David Thomas lost to Yobo, any info would be appreciated please post a comment. I appreciate it.
I am sure anyone who is reading my blog has heard of FullcontactIdaho.com, but if you havent, they are going to have a full idaho fighters database, up and coming events, as well as a forum.
BY BRIAN MURPHY – bmurphy@idahostatesman.com
Edition Date: 05/31/08
When Tom Supnet organized the Primal Tribe Fighting Club in Boise in 1999, he took great pains to keep the Mixed Martial Arts training separate from his jujitsu instruction.
“Jujitsu was for the mainstream – doctors and lawyers,” Supnet said. “And we kept Primal Tribe Fighting Club on the side.”
No longer must he keep the entities separate. Mixed Martial Arts – fights that involve wrestling, boxing, kicks and martial arts – is not in the background anymore.
Supnet said parents are signing up their 8-year-old children for classes. Scott Jorgensen, who owns Combat Fitness in Garden City, said his club has a children’s program where youngster are exposed to technique, positioning and philosophy, but not striking.
“Parents are well aware we’re into Mixed Martial Arts,” Supnet said. “It’s a fine line letting kids be involved in Mixed Martial Arts, but we’re seeing a whole new breed of fighters. It involves parents now instead of just fighters off the street.”
It’s simply the latest step in the explosive evolution of Mixed Martial Arts, which has been attracting big crowds, mainstream media attention and big television audiences for several years.
Saturday night marks another huge milestone for the sport when network television giant CBS launches its prime-time, two hour fight series – “EliteXC Saturday Night Fights.”
Kimbo Slice, a YouTube legend, headlines the five-fight, cage-brawling card. Gina Carano, a female American Gladiator, is also on the card. Scott Smith, who knocked out an opponent with one blow as he was falling to the mat in pain in the reality show “The Ultimate Fighter,” takes on Robbie Lawler for a middleweight title.
If you’ve never heard of any of these fighters, well, you’re not alone. But plenty of people have – and you can see their exploits on the Web any time.
Fans aren’t waiting for the media or advertisers to anoint the next superstar, the next Kobe Bryant or Tiger Woods. They find them on their own.
This is truly a new world.
YouTube legends on the cover of ESPN The Magazine. Female Muay Thai specialists. Reality TV stars. All fighting – and we mean fighting, there is no duck-and-move in MMA – in prime time on CBS.
“You put something this exciting on CBS with the people they have – CBS should have never hesitated to do this,” said Jorgensen, a three-time Pac-10 wrestling champion at Boise State and now an accomplished MMA fighter.
Broadcaster Gus Johnson, who could make a game of jacks sound like overtime of Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Finals, will do the play-by-play. Ken Shamrock, an MMA star, will handle color commentary.
This isn’t Versus, Spike TV, Showtime, HDNet or pay-per-view, all of which have shown Mixed Martial Arts programs.
This is CBS. Home of 60 Minutes, the Masters, the Final Four and, now, the EliteXC.
EliteXC is one of dozens of national fighting organizations that have sprung up in recent years. The Ultimate Fighting Championship and its brand name, UFC, continues to rule the sport.
Here in the Treasure Valley, clubs and promoters are popping up all over the place. The Knitting Factory (formerly known as the Big Easy) will host fights Saturday night, while Qwest Arena, the Idaho Center and even the Egyptian Theatre have staged their own MMA events.
“A lot of people didn’t want to sponsor us in the beginning,” said local promoter Kasey Thompson, who has an agreement with Qwest Arena for monthly cards. “Now it’s pretty much mainstream from Budweiser to all the mortgage companies to Gold’s Gym.”
CBS is just the latest to jump aboard. Thanks to the network, MMA will be exposed to its biggest audience ever.
For better or worse.
Either way, keeping it in the back of the club is no longer an option.
http://media.idahostatesman.com/smedia/2008/05/31/00/950-0531_Sports_mma.standalone.prod_affiliate.36.JPG
