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Oh boy:

The promotion has contacted athletic commission officials in the state about holding a card on Jan. 11 in Northern Virginia, said Mary Broz-Vaughan, spokeswoman for Virginia’s Department of Professional and Occupational Regulation, which includes the state’s boxing and wrestling program.

The event, which would likely be a UFC Fight Night installment, has not been finalized. Discussions are ongoing.

"We would be thrilled to host the UFC," Broz-Vaughan said.

Broz-Vaughan said she did not know which venue was being discussed for the event, but said the northern part of the state is under consideration. Northern Virginia is considered part of the Washington D.C. metro area.

Recent UFC signee Mike "The Joker" Guymon has been offered a welterweight bout against Canadian Rory MacDonald on the Jan. 11 card in Fairfax, Va., according to MixedMartialArts.com. Both fighters would be making their promotional debuts.

I'm sure they would be thrilled, but in my view anyone who is concerned about the ability of the commission to properly regulate MMA in the state should be apprehensive.

Keep in mind the UFC has formally announced nothing. I attempted to reach the UFC's Vice President of Regulatory Affairs Marc Ratner via email to get a comment on the Easton vs. Beebe and Jose Villarisco situations, but at the time of this writing I have not received a response. If he does issue a comment, I'll be sure to let everyone know.

The upside here actually is Ratner and the potential hands-on oversight he brings. He'll likely work with the commission to make sure procedurally all of the t's are crossed and the i's are dotted. On top of that, it's not out of the realm of possibility the UFC will lean on the commission to bring in and license more experienced judges, referees and other commission officials from outside of the state. That's good for the fighters, the sport, the fans and the commission. If that were to occur, we could all breathe a little more easily.

And just in case anyone forgot why this situation is important, see here, here, here, here and here.

Virginia's athletic commission gets one right:

Easton’s win over Beebe has been changed to a "no decision" by the state’s overseeing agency, the Virginia Professional Boxing and Wrestling Program. The bout will be recorded as a "no decision" until the commission completes an investigation that may lead to the outcome being changed to a no contest, said David Holland, the program’s executive director.

"I know the decision will not be reversed; the best we can hope for is a no contest, in order to be fair to both individuals," Holland said. "This didn’t start with anyone writing a letter or complaint to the department regarding the outcome of that fight. This was started by myself at 7 a.m. on Monday morning. The first thing I did that morning when I walked into that office is ask to take the steps to do the fair thing."

Backlash has been palpable after commission-appointed judges Brian Costello and Brian Cunningham turned in score cards giving Easton the fight, one by a 48-46 score and one by a 49-46 score. Beebe clearly controlled the fight in the last three rounds by hitting takedowns and holding back mount, with Easton offering very little offense.

Easton’s trainer, Lloyd Irvin, had not returned a Sherdog.com request for comment as of late Thursday afternoon.

Holland said his office is awaiting a videotape of the fight that an advisory board wants to review before a final decision is made on the bout. Holland said he and two supervisors from the state’s Department of Professional and Occupational Regulation will make the final decision; unlike Nevada and California, Virignia does not have a five-member athletic commission who makes such decisions.

Saturday night’s loss cost Beebe a $6,000 win bonus, according to his manager Monte Cox.

And, of course, the commission has suffered serious damage to their reputation, although it is good to see the wheels are in motion to rectify matters:

Holland said he is arranging to have veteran MMA official "Big" John McCarthy come to Virginia to meet with his judges and review the sport’s scoring criteria.

"There will be other additional training to find out why certain things happened and how we would expect a change in those procedures," he said.

Holland, who met with judges after Saturday night’s card, declined to specify how Costello and Cunningham explained their decisions. Judges are barred by commission policy from discussing their reasoning publicly, he said. Their scorecards were turned over to Beebe’s corner for examination.

I hope Costello and Cunningham eventually have the opportunity to share their reasoning on why they completely botched the job.

Until then, we must remind ourselves this is not about hurting Mike Easton or helping Chase Beebe. This about properly legislating, regulating and administering MMA. The fighters who compete professionally deserve nothing less than our strictest standards and truthful feedback. This is the beginning of the process for both Easton and Beebe.

The UWC put out a statement prior to the commission's decision to change the result of the contest, but I'm posting the press release in full after the jump.

UPDATE: Sports Illustrated's Josh Gross says Holland "misspoke" and that while there is an internal investigation underway, there is no regulation that allows for a temporary change in the status of a fight. Stay tuned.

UWC 7: Redemption coverage

Continue reading this post »

Let's talk about back control, what it means, why it's important and why it won the fight for Beebe.

It's not just that Beebe took Easton down. It's also not just that Beebe took Easton's back. One of the most crucial components to taking the back and using it effectively is maintaining control. I cannot stress this enough. Maintaining control is the crux of the issue here. While some suggest the crucial consideration of back control is landing strikes or submission attempts, the reality is that working to stay on an opponent's back is what makes everything else possible. It's a skill set unto itself and doesn't come automatically in the gym. Such a talent, like anything else in jiu-jitsu or MMA, has to be developed over time.

Finishing opportunities against high-level opposition are predicated on the ability to maintain control until openings present themselves or are created. When we further consider that Easton is a Lloyd Irvin jiu-jitsu black belt who has medaled at the Pan-Ams and Mundials, one quickly realizes the notion that Beebe was "doing nothing" from Easton's back is demonstrably false and candidly, an absurd argument. While Easton was working to both defend himself and find an escape (a situation Beebe forced him into), Beebe was constantly pressuring Easton into defensive maneuvering by not relinquishing a hugely advantageous position that essentially renders your opponent's offense nonexistent. That Beebe never finished is true, but neither essential nor important in this case. The punches, hand fighting and choke attempts from Beebe were all the icing on the maintained back control cake that he needed.

Let's look at two different fights that help illustrate my argument and point to a historical precedent of officiating and scoring.

First, Diego Sanchez vs. John Alessio at UFC 60. The first two rounds are not relevant to the present discussion, but the third round most certainly is. Early in the round, Sanchez takes Alessio's back and proceeds to hold it for the entire round. Here's how Sherdog.com described the action:

Sanchez, perhaps feeling urgency after possibly losing the first two rounds, is starting to throw his hands more. After catching a fying knee try from his opponent, Diego finds himself on Alessio's back after a brief scramble. Holding on to the standing Canadian's back for most of the round, this extremely boring fight comes to an end. Diego was able to land some punches from Alessio's back, but was never able to lock in a submission.

Sherdog score: 10-9 Sanchez

You'll notice the score: a round for Sanchez.

But why? He landed virtually no strikes, never threatened with a submission and hadn't hurt Alessio earlier in the round. Why was he awarded the points by the judges? Answer: overwhelming position control. Sanchez's taking of the back and maintaining it forced Alessio into a position where his only option was to defend. His offense was completely muted and while Sanchez didn't land what is conventionally considered to be scoring offense in strikes or submission attempts, the taking and holding of the back is, itself, offensive attacking. Fortunately, referee Steve Mazzaggatti recognized this and despite what some suggest was Sanchez's lack of action, the holding of Alessio's back was the action and that's more than enough to take the round.

It is instructive in this instance that the referee never separated the two. Unlike the clinch or various permutations of the guard where referees of all varieties often separate fighters, back mount is a highly unequal position. In fact, it is such a lopsided position that, by its very nature, is offensive both in the act of taking and maintaining. Not only does the fighter with his back taken have virtually no offensive opportunities, but the defensive liabilities are exacerbated to almost the highest degree possible in MMA. Having your back taken is akin to being in quick sand. Struggling by force or not knowing the proper defensive escapes will fast track you to the end of the line. With your back taken it is your responsibility to find a way out and until such time, you are not only not offering any offensive response, you are being offensively controlled by (in this case) someone else.

Let's also take a look at the first round of Randy Couture vs. Tim Sylvia from UFC 68. Admittedly, the punch heard 'round the world from Couture played a major part in the scoring of the round, but there's more to the story than meets the eye. Here's how Sherdog.com called the action:

Round 1
Couture drops Sylvia with a right hand in the opening seconds. Couture takes Sylvia's back. Sylvia is hurt. Couture has both hooks in but the champion controls Randy's wrists. Couture hits the side of Sylvia's head and goes under the arm with an uppercut. Sylvia stays calm and defends well. Couture sinks the choke under Sylvia's chin but the champion continues to defend.

Sherdog.com scores the first round 10-9 for Couture.

Once again, with Couture on Sylvia's back for more than half of the round, why didn't referee "Big" John McCarthy stand them up? Couture never really came close to choking or punching Sylvia out, so why was it allowed to continue? I ask that question because in both rounds two and four of that fight McCarthy stood Couture and Sylvia up after Couture was unable to land anything significant on top, submit or effectively pass.

Think about that for a moment. On Sylvia's back Couture never landed significant punches nor came close to choking Sylvia out. In Sylvia's guard and even half guard, Couture was twice stood up for not making effective headway. Why such radically different responses from the referee? Because back mount - unlike guard, on top or in the clinch - at all times it's properly maintained means the situation is very precarious for the opponent with his back taken.

Couture's first round with Sylvia also forces us to revisit the idea that Beebe never finished. Unlike Sanchez who could neither punch nor threaten with the submission, Couture was at least hand fighting and working for something. However, neither Couture nor Sanchez were ever able to really come close to finishing from that position. But is that what really matters? Not if you take maintaining control as seriously as you should. Let's look at the numbers.

So, how dominant was Beebe's control of Easton's back? Pretty dominant: in rounds 1, 3, 4 and 5 Beebe maintained control for at least 2:30 in each of those rounds. In rounds 3, 4 and 5 the Chicago native did so for more than 3 minutes. While Easton was the far better striker of the two, the notion that Easton's effective striking was more dominant than Beebe's effective grappling is false. Easton did land effectively (and if you haven't seen his head movement it's a thing of beauty), particularly in the second round. Round two is incontestably Easton's. However, Easton never rocked Beebe, never knocked him down and never clearly had him hurt to where he avoided the fight or defensively retreated. By contrast, Beebe's control of Easton's back for those prolonged periods of time had Easton in the MMA grappling equivalent of backpedaling.

MMA fans and judges think of offense as individual units of action: a punch, a kick, a submission attempt or takedown. Of course, those are all efforts that score points and should. In fact, we should not overlook Easton's fantastic stand-up in this bout where he landed beautiful shots to the body and thudding leg kicks. But MMA offense is more than the sum of its parts. Beebe isn't awarded points solely for taking Easton down and subsequently putting his hooks in on Easton's back (to say nothing of the hand fighting, punching and choke attempts). He should be awarded points for maintaining such a highly advantageous position for what can only be considered dominating amounts of time. To Easton's credit, he never allowed Beebe an opportunity to finish, but he also took far too long to shake him from his hugely superior, stifling perch. The story would be different, perhaps, had Easton rocked Beebe on the feet even with all the amount of time Beebe spent on Easton's back. But while Easton's stand-up was very crisp and impressive, it never reached a level where Beebe was sufficiently hurt or even slowed. By contrast and in my judgement, for the entire duration of Beebe's stay on Easton's back, Easton was trying to not let the flood gates spill open while he searched for dry land. That is where this fight was won and lost.

UWC 7 was overall a fantastic event and I am proud to have been a part of it. If you have not seen Easton vs. Beebe yet or Runez vs. Dodson, I cannot encourage you enough to go do so. I cannot possibly tell you how much fun I had calling the action cageside. For me personally, it was a career highlight and the best MMA event I've ever been a part of. It's not even close.

I have to confess this situation has placed me in a strange position. I spoke to Mike Easton last night to tell him that I hope he understood why I have to speak out against the judges' decision even though I consider him a friend. Easton, who might genuinely be the classiest and friendliest person I have ever met through MMA, never once said he had an issue with my disagreement even if he sees the decision differently. All he said he wants to do is compete. He had nothing but kind words for the UWC or for Chase Beebe and was just looking forward to fighting again. I am humbled by Easton's professionalism as it stands in stark contrast to the arrogance and incompetence of Virginia's athletic commission.

Our responsibility is to the fighters first. For their safety, for their careers and for their efforts, we have a responsibility to talk to them candidly, oversee their efforts with proper medical supervision and either reward their victories or acknowledge their defeats. When the state regulatory agency in charge of handling these latter responsibilities cannot faithfully meet those requirements, we have an obligation to speak out.

The UWC did it's part by making the fight. The fighters did their part by training and laying it on the line. The fans did their part by showing up and supporting the UWC and it's fighters. It's time the state of Virginia do it's part by acknowledging just how badly their judges botched the scoring.

To the Virginia Professional Boxing and Wrestling Program: you have committed a grievous error and you must take action to rectify the situation. This must be done for the benefit of the UWC, for it's fans, for the integrity of the sport itself, and most importantly, for Mike Easton and Chase Beebe. You owe those men who make this universe operate nothing less.

We expect action and we expect it now.

Photos courtesy Sherdog.com.

The Robbery of Chase Beebe and Incompetency of Virginia's Athletic Commission: Part 1

The Robbery of Chase Beebe and Incompetency of Virginia's Athletic Commission: Part 2

UWC 7: Redemption coverage

I'm going to circle back to the fight itself in a subsequent post, but I've been receiving disconcerting emails from some who either saw the fight at home or were in attendance. These folks have essentially suggested that the judging in this fight was so incompetent that it simply couldn't be the case that the Virginia commission judges were that inept; the fix had to be in.

On some level, I suppose I understand this sentiment. When the judging is this outrageous, it's difficult to not try to read between what lines we perceive exist and cough up a narrative to explain the idiocy. Alas, while corruption would be an easy charge to levy, it's harder still to prove. And corruption isn't the commission's problem. A complete and fundamental inability to perform the task asked of them is the deeper and more sinister issue.

Let's look at three situations that help to underscore how systemic sloppy procedure and incompetency actually are within this commission.

First, you'll notice the picture at the top of the post. This was taken during the first bout of the evening, which featured Freddy Assuncao making his professional debut against Felipe Arantes, also making his professional debut. So what's the problem? Well, unless we are in Japan where there is no athletic commission, the wearing of pants below the knee is illegal under the Unified Rules of Mixed Martial Arts. In fact, Virginia's own specific take on the Unified Rules also don't allow for it:

"Each contestant shall wear two pair of shorts with the top pair being either mixed martial art shorts, biking shorts, or kick boxing shorts. The second pair shall be worn underneath. Gi’s or shirts and shoes are prohibited during competition."

As it's been explained to me, this was borrowed from New Jersey's early laws, which clearly and unequivocally prohibited the use of any pants or shorts that extended below the knee. As for why two pairs of shorts are needed, this was initially intended to mean competitors had to wear some form of underwear, but it's not enforced (at least not consistently). So what do you suppose the Virginia commission did about this clear infraction of the rules? Nothing. Despite a protest from the Assuncao corner, they let it go. After all, people came to see fights and it's far easier to be lazy and skirt around the rules than it is to make a fuss by regulating MMA properly.

And speaking of the Assuncao corner, there's another story to be told. I was in attendance when this occurred and heard everything that was said.

At the weigh-ins prior to the fights, Freddy Assuncao's brother, Raphael, was trying to obtain a corner man's license. This is ordinarily a simple procedure except that the commissioner, David Holland, required Assuncao to pay the money at the weigh-ins or he'd be denied a license. Raphael asked Holland if he could take the money out of the purse, but Holland refused. Not only did he refuse, he first asked Raphael if he'd ever competed within the U.S., an insulting and ignorant question is there ever was one. Raphael explained that promoters have done this before (and his English is very good), but Holland refused and told him it was against federal law for him to do that. 

I contacted Nick Lembo of the New Jersey State Athletic Control Board to evaluate those claims and here's how he responded:

In NJ, we ask the promoter if they are paying for licenses or if each individual is responsible.

If the promoter says he will pay, the promoter is presented with a licenses bill which must be paid at the weigh in.

Typically, the promoter recoups the fees paid when settling up with the fighter after the fight.

Its my experience that fees are taken out of purses all the time.

Not only licensing fees, but sanctioning fees and advances etc.

I am not aware of any federal law prohibition.

Do you know why Lembo isn't aware of any federal law prohibition? Because MMA is not federally regulated. Either Holland was lying directly to Assuncao face's or he's so confused that he's in the most desperate need of legal counsel I have ever seen. Regardless, Holland forced the Assuncao team to use their per diem money to pay for the license. In short, Holland literally took their lunch money.

As for the weigh-ins themselves, the commission angrily bossed fighters around and talked to them as if they were impudent children who were bothering them with petty requests for toys or food. This would be more acceptable if the weights of the fighters hadn't been such a problem. While some made weight and others were wildly off the mark, fighters who had weighed themselves upstairs were consistently coming in .2 or .3 pounds over. Most were able to correct the issue, some more easily than others, but it turns out the scales being used by the commission were being placed on thick but soft hotel flooring carpet. One can take the same scale and place it around the room and get different results, to say nothing of adjusting it on different, soft surfaces. That's why the weights have to be handled delicately. Unlike the state of New Jersey that uses scales certified and administered by the New Jersey Division of Consumer Affairs State Office of Weighs and Measures, the commission snidely replied to all requests to have the scales checked as an affront to their authority. Interestingly, we don't actually know what vetting process went into the scales used by the commission as they refused any and all requests for information about the validity of the calibration. The choice the fighters faced was trust them or don't fight. And don't ask questions along the way. If this commission would like to respond, I'd be happy to report it here.

I can only report on these matters because they were within my purview, but given how unable the commission is in meeting simple, routine demands is it really that outlandish to suggest they'd botch the more weighty task of training and assigning competent judges?

UPDATE: I've been told all of the fighters and their teams were notified ahead of time they wouldn't be able to pay licensing fees with purse money. I have now seen the documentation myself. Raphael Assuncao and his team had the responsibility to know the law. However, the fact still stands that there is no federal statute regarding such a thing. The Professional Boxing Safety Act of 1996 does not apply to MMA.

The Robbery of Chase Beebe and Incompetency of Virginia's Athletic Commission: Part 1

UWC 7: Redemption coverage

"That was a crime. That was a crime."

-- Referee "Big" John McCarthy to me, in reference to the decision by the judges of the Virginia state athletic commission to award a split decision victory to Mike Easton over Chase Beebe.

In one of the most egregious examples of moronic and breathtakingly inept judging that I have ever personally witnessed in professional MMA, Mike "The Hulk" Easton was awarded a split decision victory over Chase "The Rage" Beebe this past Saturday as part of the main event of UWC 7: Redemption. To anyone with even a cursory understanding of how MMA fights are judged and evaluated, Beebe clearly won the contest and did so handily. The suggestion that the fight was close is not even remotely justifiable. Easton certainly did not absorb a strong amount of physical damage, but was positionally controlled over prolonged periods of time in four separate rounds by Beebe. The Chicago native did more than enough to win. He had it 49-46 on my score cards.

The reality is this: I have a tremendous amount of respect for Mike Easton and Team Lloyd Irvin (TLI). In fact, I consider him a friend. Easton was one of the first teachers I ever had when I first began training at the TLI facilities in Camp Springs, MD. I have deep respect for him as a person and hold profound admiration for his coach and trainer, Lloyd Irvin. Easton is an excellent fighter with certifiable upside and put on a solid performance against Beebe this past Saturday evening. But as spirited as it was, Easton did not win that fight. I awarded round two to Easton for out striking Beebe and for cage generalship. However, in the other rounds, Beebe used effective wrestling to plant Easton on the mat and superior grappling to both take and hold Easton's back. For the vast majority of the first, third, fourth and fifth rounds, Beebe was able to control Easton's back for several minutes while threatening with chokes and scoring points with less than damaging but conspicuous punches to Easton's ears and face. In short: he completely controlled Easton, threatened him with striking and effective grappling and did so for sustained amounts of time.

Noticeably, in every instance where Beebe was able to take Easton's back, referee "Big" John McCarthy never stood the pair up. Just as he did in the Couture vs. Sylvia fight, McCarthy recognized back control is a highly advantageous, damaging position that by its very nature implies the fighter who is being controlled is in serious trouble. Back control, by definition, is an offensive position. With your back taken, you are arguably in the most defensive position in all of MMA or grappling. You cannot strike effectively and virtually all grappling opportunities from that position are nothing but defensive maneuvering. To a white belt student with six months of grappling, this is common knowledge.

So, who is to blame here? Without equivocation, the judges of the Virginia athletic commission. Mike Easton is not to blame and did nothing wrong. Neither is the UWC who does not have the legal authority to assign judges for professional MMA contests. Instead we are talking about athletic commission judges so inept they do not have the capability to properly evaluate even amateur contests, much less the biggest and most significant MMA fight ever held in the Washington, D.C. area. That they don't even recognize what constitutes effective grappling is abominable; that they were allowed to wield this lack of knowledge during the most significant bout of the evening is downright negligent on the part of those who assigned them their duties.

But something else is rotten in Denmark: the Virginia commission itself. Let me be absolutely clear about this so everyone can get a good look: this is one of the most heavy-handed, incompetent and undeserving athletic commissions I have ever had the displeasure of watching operate. To watch them work is to suffer. As I will detail over the coming week, they are a group that is in no position to be sanctioning and regulating professional MMA. Their judges are utterly clueless, their existing judging criteria is an abortion of proper standards and the officials in place are ineffectual bullies who are thoroughly unfamiliar with law and historical precedent. In their present state, they are a threat to the growth of MMA.

Lastly, I want to say I do not write this as a representative of the UWC. They did not ask me to author any protest. I am writing this in outrage as a fan of MMA and a DC resident. Athletic commissions, particularly those that are grossly negligent and maladroit, do not get to tell us what to do. The performance they turned in Saturday evening evidences their inability to discharge the duties assigned to them by the state and if they had the slightest sense of shame, they'd internally investigate the judges who scored the fight for Easton. I also contend they should put a temporary moratorium on sanctioning and regulating professional MMA until more competent officials can be cobbled together and the existing rules on judging can be modified (for the record, Beebe still wins even under their outrageously illogical system; I'll explain in a later post).

I neither manage Chase Beebe nor run the UWC. But in my opinion, Beebe's team should ask the commission for a review of the judging to get the decision overturned. I also believe the UWC should book an immediate rematch and hold the fight in either Maryland or Washington, D.C. as Virginia has proven itself incapable of the task of proper regulation. And if I had my way, I would not hold subsequent UWC events in Virginia until the commission makes serious and meaningful operational changes to their staff and laws.

For years I have been championing state governments overturning bans on or electing to regulate MMA. The "Lift the Ban Watch" series has been a testament to that development. But perhaps the joke is on us. While it sounds pleasant to have no states banning MMA or refusing to regulate it, we go from the frying pan into the fire when we realize their inept regulation is downright harmful to the sport and its participants. Willing though they may be, the apparatus of regulation across America is woefully amateurish and causing serious problems for the fighters, promoters and fans of MMA.

We must put a stop to this.

Photo courtesy D.C. Sports Box.

UWC 7: Redemption coverage

As always, BloodyElbow.com will be here to bring you live results and commentary for the event, beginning with my arrival at the venue.

The undercard can be viewed live on Sherdog, the main card is available via online ppv at the UWC web site. Personally I think that's a real dumb business decision. A promotion like this should either cut the deal with HDNet or air it for free on Sherdog.

Well hello, I'm reporting from cage side at UWC: Redemption in the George Mason Patriot Center in Fairfax, Virginia.

I missed all but the final moments of the third round of the first fight, but I can report that Freddy Assuncao won a decision over Felipe Ariantes in a Featherweight tilt that seemed very close from what I saw of it. Ariantes won me over by fighting in a svelte pair of black grappling pants ala Shinya Aoki. That's what I'm talking about. 

The second fight is about to begin...

Jesse Riggleman vs Josh Ferguson: Flyweights
Round 1 A ton of back and forth action to kick this one off. Riggleman is dominating position and twice traps Ferguson on his back against the cage. Riggleman lands an omaplata and reverses position! very nice. Suddenly the lights go out in the arena. BOO!!!!!

Good thing Big John McCarthy is reffing, he stops the action until the floodlights can be restarted and restarts the action. Bad break for Ferguson as Riggleman quickly reverses position and begins battering him from the guard. BloodyElbow scores the round 10-9 Riggleman.

Round 2 They exchange strikes to start the round before Riggleman forces the action into the cage and works for a takedown. Riggleman baits Ferguson into trading punches and after a hard exchange (about four feet from me!) gets the double and takes Ferguson down. Ferguson fights back to his feet, but is still pinned with his back to the cage. Riggleman gets a HIGH crotch lift off a single and slams Ferguson down. Quickly gets side mount. Ferguson threatens ans armbar from his back. Riggleman answers with two hard slams and then escapes. Now in Ferguson's guard. Riggleman landing shots from top position as time runs out on the round. BloodyElbow scores the round 10-9 Riggleman.

Round 3 Furious exchange of strikes. Ferguson shoots, Riggleman uses a whizzer to escape. Trading, Ferguson shoots again, gets himself taken down. Riggleman in 1/2 guard. Working for a keylock from top position. Loses it. Riggleman working for a D'arce choke. The yokels in the crowd are calling for a standup. Ferguson escapes. Back to their feet. Cracking each other with punches. Ferguson shoots again, gets stuffed again. Ferguson's face is bloodied up as they clinch in the center of the cage. Riggleman pins him against the cage again. Big John breaks them up. Riggleman scoring. Ferguson fires back. Brutal exchanges. It's over. BloodyElbow scores it 10-9 Riggleman for a final score of 30-27 Riggleman. We'll see what the Virginia judges say. Split decision but the judges go for Jesse Riggleman.

Chick Fight! The crowd is pumped as the ladies enter the cage. Boos for the Japanese national. Cheers for the local girl.

Sumie Sakai vs Iman "Mannie" Achhall Round 1 Mannie has her game face on. They lock up. Sakai gets the takedown, into Mannie's guard. Mannie quickly threatening an armbar. Sakai seems safe but is getting pulled in. She slams her way out and fires from the top position. Mannie goes for another arm. Ref Mario Yamasaki stops it for a knee to the head by Sakai. Damn Gan McGee. Those should be legal. They clinch after the restart. Sakai's judo background is showing as she turns and works for trips while Mannie is digging for double unders. Sakai throws her again. In Mannie's 1/2 guard. Mannie reverses and gets on top, now in Sakai's full guard. Nice posture control from bottom by Sakai. Mannie landing punches from the top. Crowd chanting Mannie! Mannie! Sakai stands up. They clinch against the fence. Mannie throwing knees to the thighs. Bloody Elbow scores the round 10-9 for Sumie Sakai.

Round 2 They clinch again. Mannie drives Sakai into the fence and scores a trip takedown. In Sakai's full guard. Back to their feet. Yamasaki restarts the action and they immediately clinch again. More knees to Sakai's thighs. Mannie gets another takedown, passes to 1/2 guard. Scoring with strikes. Crowd is in a frenzy. Iman "Mannie" Acchal wins by TKO at 2:30 of the second round.

Igor Almeida vs Kris McCray Round 1 Big John McCarthy in the cage. Middleweight bout. Big pop for the local McCray who's looking to build on his 3-0 record but he's facing another undefeated fighter in the 5-0 Almeida. McCray with the takedown. Igor gets back to his feet. Kris scoring with punches and kneess. Backs him up and batters him standing until Big John McCarthy stops the fight. Kris McCray by TKO in 0:49.

Jacob McClintock vs Beau Baker Round 1 McClintock comes in 5lbs over. Disappointing from anyone, especially an Arizona Combat Sports fighter. WEC lightweight champ Jamie Varner is in his corner. McClintock tags Baker repeatedly before Baker clinches him up against the cage. Baker throwing knees to the thighs. McClintock lands a knees to the face and a REALLY hard left hand to the face. Damn that hurt from six feet away! (I love this!) Back to the center. Baker forces "Tick Tock" up against the cage, eats a barrage of punches but gets the takedown into Tick Tock's 1/2 guard. McClintock gets a full guard, back to his feet, tagging Baker but gets taken down again. Tick Tock works for a guillotine. Baker escapes, in Tick Tock's full guard. McClintock kicks him off. Jacob is the far more explosive fighter. He drops Baker with punches and follows him down. Ref Mario Yamasaki stops the fight. Jacob McClintock by TKO in 3:30.

Ryan Sturdy vs Timothy Woods Round 1 Sturdy coming in over-weight. Woods drops him with a hard left, but he's back to his feet. Sturdy bulls in lands a hard shot of his own with a left that stuns Woods. Sturdy forces him back but Woods gets double unders. Exchange against the fence, advantage Woods. Another hard shot! Nice leg kick from Woods. Sturdy locks up, Woods gets double unders again. Back to distance. Nice shot from Sturdy. Woods working for a Thai Plum. Sturdy gets a hip toss to a head lock. Woods escapes. The ref stops it to look at a cut on Sturdy. They restart the fight. Woods with a jab and a hard leg kick. Woods lunges in. Nothing. Sturdy looks like a wounded animal from up close, he charges in and eats a hard right for his troubles. Bloody Elbow scores it 10-9 Woods.

Round 2 Woods tags a charging Sturdy and drops him. But the Rhino gets back up. Woods stalking. Seeing their eyes up close I can see Woods is very calm and Sturdy is almost panicked. Hard jab from Woods. Leg kick. Another. He corners his prey, firing uppercuts. Sturdy escapes. The ref calls time out to look as a cut UNDER Sturdy's eyes. Bad call. Crowd boos. Sturdy bullrushes and eats four hard punches. Again an advancing Sturdy is battered. Now I can see the new cut is in the corner of Sturdy's eye, not such a bad stop at all. Winging right misses from Woods. He elbows a charging Sturdy. Another really brutal outside leg kick to Sturdy's lead leg. Another. Sturdy can barely stand. Another. Another. The crowd is screaming for the kills. Flying knee! Another leg kick. Sturdy is wounded and limping. He bullrushes again, gets tossed aside. Another leg kick. The round ends. Bloody Elbow scores it 10-8 for Timothy Woods.

Round 3 Woods stalks. Another bullrush ends badly as Sturdy stumbles down Woods batters his prone opponent with punches. Timothy Woods by Knock Out.  Impressive performance by the Lloyd Irvin student.

Kyle Baker vs Tommy Truex Round 1 It's Bloody Elbow's favorite 6-4 fighter, Kyle Baker up against a Greg Jackson product in Truex. Baker isn't that great, but he has an interesting fighting style that both Luke and I enjoy a great deal. Big John McCarthy in the cage. Truex hits very hard and catches Baker coming in. But Baker forces the clinch and is working a low single leg. Now Baker is landing those body shots from the clinch he's known for. Baker gets the plum but Truex hists harder. Baker stumbles from a punch but keeps coming. Baker sporting a big mouse under his left eye. They lock up, Baker landing thudding body shots. Truex answers. The sound of these shots is brutal from this close. Baker with Thai Plum just cannot be separated, He's starting to drain Truex with his gritty clinch fighting style. Uppercuts and knees from both men. Baker getting the edge know. Truex works for a takedown gets stuffed. Baker lands a hard shot. They are at a distance and Truex scores again. Assymetrical warfare, Baker's dominant in the clinch, Truex at range. Bakers forces it to the cage. He stuns him! He goes for the kill with a brutal series of knees. GREAT FIGHT Kyle Baker by TKO.

I don't expect Baker to ever become more than a formidable regional ciruit fighter, but I love his fighting style. It's truly something that should be studied by more MMA fighters. It's nothing conceptually revolutionary, but the effectiveness of working the body from the clinch is unquestionable. Too many MMA fighters only head hunt. Even the best dirty boxers like Randy Couture usually focus on battering the head rather than working the body in a sustained fashion. Baker reminds me of Rocky Balboa working on a side of beef.

Pat Runez vs John Dodson Round 1 Here comes the flyweight title fight and I am pumped. Dodson's record is very deceptive because he's been fighting as a bantam or featherweight most of his career and in my opinion he beat Mike Easton a couple of UWC's ago. Runez is coming out of Arizona Combat Sports. Dodson is a Team Greg Jackson member. This guy is ENTERTAINING. Jamie Varner is cornering Runez. "Vaseline" Phil Nurse in Dodson's corner. Runez takes center cage. Dodson circling. Runez orthodox, Dodson southpaw. Dodson's footwork is incredible. They exchange shots. Great leg trip takedown from Dodson. Runez back to his feet. Runez TAGS Dodson. The Magician stumbles but gets too his feet. and forces the clinch. Back to center cage. Kick lands to the body for Runez. Dodson is evasive. Dodson with a body punch. Hard left from Dodson. Runez unphased. They clinch up. Runez has Dodson's leg in the air and eats a punch. Bloody Elbow calls it 10-9 for Runez 10-10(based on the knockdown. The replay makes it less impressive -- more stumble than knock down).

Round 2 Again Runez takes center ring, stalking the elusive Magician. Dodson scores with a jumping knee then slips a winging right. Combination from Dodson. Bodykick from Runez. Dodson drops him! Then goes for a choke, Runez escapes. Runez on his back. Dodson firing away. Crowd applauds as they get back to their feet. Runez is tired and hurt. Now Dodson is stalking him. Dodson working the head and body with lefts from the clinch. Runez looks very tired. Dodson is loading his left hand. High kick from Dodson. Hard left to the face of Runez. Dodson clinches, working a high single, gets the slam but Runez is back to his feet. Runez face looks worse for wear. Dodson stuns him and goes in for the kill. Gets him down but Runez fights back to his feet. Body kick from Dodson. It's all Dodson at this point but Runez survives the round. Bloody Elbow scores the round 10-8 Dodson.

Round 3 Dodson looks fresh. Runez looks battered. Dodson takes center ring. Leg kick from Dodson. Another. A third. Runez winging shots, missing. Dodson circles away. Seeing some sweat on Dodson for the first time. Leg kick Dodson. Combination. Runez loading up his right but can't catch Dodson. Dodson with a punch/kick combo but Runez corners him and lands a nice combination to the head. Dodson gets away. Runez back to his stalking role. They clinch. Knees traded for punches. They break. Runez cornering Dodson, Dodson slips away. They trade, Dodson works a single, Runez keeps it standing. Great fight! Dodson has him pinned to the cage, Runez with a tight whizzer. Back to center cage. Runez chasing the elusive Dodson. The action moves from one side of the cage to the other. The crowd booing as the ten second warning is sounded. Nice exchange to end the round. The judge in front of me says "They're making me work for my money." Bloody Elbow scores it 10-10.

Round 4 Runez looks a bit more drained as we enter the championship rounds but both men know they're in a fight with a worthy opponent. Dodson takes cage center. They circle. Dodson with a combo. High kick from Dodson. Runez chasing. Dodson firing back. Dodson with a double leg, gets the takedown but Runez is back to his feet. Runez working for a front choke, Dodson escapes. Dodson lands a combo. Runez is stalking again. Runez forces a clinch. The crowd boose Dodson for running. Runez scores against the fence. Lands a low blow, keeps punching. Yamasaki takes too long to step in. Runez thinks he won when the ref steps in. The crowd is booing. I don't know why. Dodson takes his time. Back to his feet. They restart with a hand tap. Dodson looks a bit drained as would anyone. Dodson with a leg kick. Runez gets the plum, but Dodson is firing back and working for the takedown. Runez escapes but Dodson clinches again and gets a HUGE SLAM. But Runez is instantly back to his feet. Runez chasing, clinches, hurts Dodson with a knee to the face from the plum. Dodson working a high single, Runez landing elbows. Bloody Elbow scores it 10-9 Runez. My guess is that Runez is ahead on most of the judges scorecard.

Round 5 Runez has the eyes of a killer. Dodson looks worried. Back to pattern, Runez stalking, Dodson evading. Dodson may be punched out. He's not throwing much and when he does his punches are nothing. They clinch. Runez is asking for a breakup. Yamasaki gives it to him. Runez lands a right. Dodson reverses tags Runez. Back to center cage. Leg kicks from Dodson. He should've done that earlier. Dodson's corner shouts "You're losing." Runez shoots. Gets Dodson's back. They're twisting around. Runez climbs his back, working for the choke. Dodson escapes. Dodson firing knees to the gut. Uppercuts. He needs a KO. Runez back to stalking. One minute left. Dodson shoots for a double, almost elevates Runez, but the ACS man is too good a wrestler, stuffs it. Back to center cage. 10 seconds. They trading in a fury as the round ends. Bloody Elbow scores it 10-9 Runez. Somehow my dumb ass scores it a tie but expects Runez to get the judges decision. The judge in front of me scored it 3 rounds to 2 for Runez. The Judges score it a split decision for Runez. A great title fight.

After the fight Runez tells me he doesn't remember what dropped him in the second, but he knew he had Dodson early in the third. "He's faster than me, stronger than me, more technical than me in the standup, but I knew I had the edge in conditioning and by the third round so did he."

Mike Easton vs Chase Beebe Round 1 Big John McCarthy in the ring. I'm pumped! Easton with nice head movement, tagging Beebe. Beebe's face is already red and Easton is working the body too. Easton looking fierce with the new mohawk. Leg kick from Easton. Another from the other leg lands. Beebe gets his back! Climbing Easton's back. Easton with wrist control. Loses it. Beebe has the wrestling match he wanted. He's on top, Easton is turtled up. Beebe gets his hooks in. Beebe with double unders and wrist control but he's high on Easton's back. Trying to get the wrist under Easton's chin. Throwing some punches, has control of Easton's right hand. Some moron calls for a standup. Jesus. Beebe with over-unders. Easton defending the choke. Easton stands up, but can't shake Beebe off his back. I'd rather have a heroin habit than Chase Beebe on my back. Easton with an elbow and he reverses! In Beebe's guard, firing down. Lands a nice shot, body to the knee. 10 seconds left.  Damn hard to score. Looks like we're in for another great fight. BloodyElbow scores it 10-9 Beebe.

Round 2 They're trading early. Beebe doing a little better in the stand up this round. Hard leg kick from Easton. Body shots. Beebe keeping his hands up. High kick from Beebe. Nice right hook from Easton. Beebe firing straights, none connect. Nice head movement from Easton. Stuffs a Beebe shot, lands a head kick. Beebe with one of his own. Beebe firing combination, none with power. Leg kicks from Easton. Another exchange into the clinch, Easton fends him off and scores in close. Now he's stalking Beebe. Easton bobs his way inside then tags Chase with a left. A knee. Nice hook to Beebe's body. Hard leg kick. Beebe coming forward, lands a leg kick. Hard shot from Easton. Beebe's eyes are watering. Easton corners him, lands an uppercut. Beebe's  mouthpiece dangles for a second. Beebe firing at close range. Easton covering up. BloodyElbow scores it 10-9 Easton.

Round 3 Easton lighting the ex-champ up early with body and head shots. But Beebe is gritty and gets his back again. Beebe gets him down, on his back. Has both hooks in. One underhook with wrist control. Easton keeping his right hand up high to protect his throat. Beebe firing shots. Nothing serious. He's hunting for that throat. Firing shots but Easton is covering up. He tries to flatten him out, but Easton rolls half-way -- the cage saves Beebe from being reversed. Beebe working for the choke but he's over the chin, not under it. Easton gets the arm off . The legs are crossed, he can't turn into him. Beebe working the choke again. Beebe on top again with double unders. Damn dramatic! 35 seconds left. They pound the 10 second warning. Easton survives again. BloodyElbow scores it 10-9 Beebe as we enter the championship rounds.

Round 4 Easton stalking on the feet, tagging Beebe to the body repeatedly. Easton is TAGGING Beebe to the head. Beebe has a CHIN. Its a wrestling match again, brilliant exchange, looks like Easton will escape for a second, then Beebe's on his back again. Damn this is a classic striker-vs-grappler matchup. This is why we love MMA. Asymmetrical warfare at its best. Beebe once again working for the choke. Idiots shouting for standup. Beebe pecking away with shots, all the time looking for the choke. Easton stands up. Beebe slams him down again. Easton stands again. Beebe still has back. Easton gets wrist control and gets free! Crowd chanting EASTON EASTON as Big John stops the action to fix Easton's glove. Chant is resumed with the action. Beebe's eyes are focused and intent. Leg kick from Easton scores, Beebe acknowledges it with a smile. Another leg kick leads to a shot. Easton stuffs it. Easton fires off a combo. BloodyElbow scores it 10-9 for Beebe. Easton is in a hole going into the final round, will need the knock out to take the title.

Round 5 Easton smiles to his fans. They're trading, advantage Easton. Spinning kick from Beebe! Easton scores with punches. Beebe shoots. Gets on Easton's back again. The local favorite gets slammed. He has no answer for Beebe's wrestling. Beebe is working for the choke as Easton fights for his dreams. Beebe has him flattened out. Easton rolls. Beebe on his back but in total control, working for the choke. Two minutes to go. Easton's fans are frustrated but clinging to hope. Easton rises, Beebe high on his back. 90 second left, and he drops again. Beebe looks to be taking the UWC belt home to Iowa. One minute left. Crowd chanting for their hero as he struggles to his feet, Beebe still on his back. Easton reverses! Gets the Thai Plum, scoring, but Beebe gets him down again. Easton back up! Easton eating shots from a very very tough Chase Beebe. Easton scoring, but its too little too late. BloodyElbow scores it 10-9 for Beebe and the fight 49-46 for Chase Beebe, let's see what the judges say.

Easton is dancing as if he won the fight. Good performance! Split decision for Mike Easton. Another bullshit call from the hometown judges in Easton's favor. I love Mike Easton but he lost that fight IMO.

Someone call 9-11 there's been a robbery. The crowd is booooing!!!!! Other are chanting Easton! Easton!

Post-fight Chase Beebe cornerman Clay Guida is baffled at how his man controls four out of five rounds and loses a decision but says that Beebe will be happy to come back to the UWC and earn a rematch with the champ. Guida denies that Beebe fought cautiously because of his upcoming fight in Japan for DREAM. "He did enough to win, there was nothing else he needed to do."

Pat Runez cornerman Jamie Varner tells me -- "From watching the film on Dodson, we knew we could beat him with sustained pressure. Dodson fighs for the moment, for the fans, not for the legacy. Pat Runez is fighting to make his mark and tonight he did."

UWC 7: Redemption coverage

The most significant combat sports event in Washington, DC since Mike Tyson fought at what was then the MCI Center is tonight. And the reality is this: I was a fan before being a MMA blogger, radio host or commentator. I love this sport. I love almost everything about this sport. If I am prone to effusive posturing for saying so, then fine, but being able to watch MMA develop before my eyes in my hometown is something close to soul soothing. MMA is largely my life and behind the scenes locally, I've made it a personal mission to see this sport succeed despite resistance from a very skeptical, homogeneous culture. DC is not historically a fight town. There is a small but proud inner city boxing tradition still around to those who seek it out, but this is something new; new and thoroughly exciting.

I'm not the only one who wants something more for this city. Josh Gross underscores how meaningful this is to current UWC Bantamweight champion Mike Easton:

After winning seven of his eight fights, Easton -- the current UWC bantamweight champion has a black belt in Brazilian jiu-jitsu under Lloyd Irvin -- is just beginning to realize the rewards of progress. A win on Saturday at the Patriot Center in Fairfax, Va., on the campus of George Mason University, against former WEC champion Chase Beebe could propel Easton into the top 10 of his division and the next phase of a career that may very well have begun the day he was born.

"I've been fighting since I was little," said the stout 135-pounder, who is a far cry from the frail 2-pound 3-ounce premature baby who managed to hang on at George Washington University Hospital. "My first opponent, I fought death."

Death has been a constant theme in Easton's life. He learned early what it's like to live while friends do not. He learned to cope with family being gunned down in cold blood. He learned, like many people in Murder Capital USA, that "growing up and surviving in D.C. is a testament" to resiliency.

Today, Easton fights so people might know that good things come out of southeastern D.C. He fights for his two young children. He believes in his team, his mentor Irvin -- one of the few well-known African-American trainers in MMA -- and himself.

And as the Washington Post profiles, Timothy Woods isn't the only one looking for more out of his city and himself:

When Timothy "Reshad" Woods strolls out to the main stage of Patriot Center on Saturday night for his 185-pound fight against Ryan "The Rhino" Sturdy (11-3-1) as part of Ultimate Warrior Challenge 7: Redemption -- a nine-card mixed martial arts event -- his return to fighting after a deflating loss last April will be just one of many rebounds in his life.

A 33-year-old resident of Sterling, Woods (4-2) has traveled a circuitous path that has taken him from a budding basketball career to a cell in an adult maximum security prison at the age of 16. It includes an escape from poverty, a name change, a departure from and return to religion, and most recently a shift in focus from himself to his infant son Julian, who was born three months premature and is currently fighting for his life in an incubator at Holy Cross Hospital in Silver Spring.

UWC 7 is not UFC 100, of course, but it's hard to understand what it means to the local MMA community. Even if Easton disappoints the hometown fans with a loss, the point for DC and the UWC is that the fight actually took place here. Tonight marks a clear evolution in the growth of the top regional MMA organization in this area. It's also a highmark for the sport in a city that could add use Mixed Martial Arts to add dimension to its often rigid character and maligned identity.

I'll see you at the fights.

Disclosure: I am the color commentator for the UWC.

UWC 7: Redemption coverage

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Steve Cofield talks to the former WEC champ:

"I’m not looking past this opponent by any means," said Beebe, whose slide has come against Miguel Torres, Joe Warren and Will Ribiero. "I gotta lot of respect for him. I’m prepared for a war. Both of us are in a position of trying to move up off of each other."

Cofield also has more on the controversial cancellation of the first scheduled Beebe vs Easton bout:

Today on "MMA Nation" we'll be joined by ex-Strikeforce middleweight champ Cung Le, who relinquished his title this week in order to pursue an acting career, as well as UWC promoter Marcello Foran. For those that listened last week, you'll recall I was on the air for 15 minutes due to the University of Maryland football game post-game show running long. So, let's try this again. We'll talk to Foran about the upcoming UWC 7: Redemption event October 3rd at the Patriot Center in Fairfax, VA. We'll also be giving away tickets and potentially VIP passes, so this is your opportunity to call in and win.

We'll also be talking about the week in MMA: Rampage's dispute with Dana White, The Ultimate Fighter 10, Strikeforce's signing of Herschel Walker and much more.

Also, I plan on burning DCist.com at the stake on air.

"MMA Nation" airs every Saturday 7:00pm EST to 9:00pm EST on 106.7 The Fan. TODAY THE SHOW WILL BEGIN AT APPROXIMATELY 8:00 pm EST and will run until 10pm EST to accommodate University of Maryland football. To listen live over the Internet, go to The Fan's website and click "Listen Live".

I'm also now on Twitter: @mmanation.

"MMA Nation" is also available by podcast on iTunes.

Number to call: 800-636-1067

Email here.

Talk to you then.

UWC 7: Redemption coverage

When I call Achhal one of the toughest people I've ever met in this video, I'm not kidding. After she fled Morocco to escaped an arranged marriage, she had to endure this in America:

She left her family, her religion and her country to pursue a life that better suited her "independence," Anas said.

"My family is my coaches and my trainers," said Iman, who spent most of the 10 years after she left her father's home working as a day laborer, braving frigid early mornings in front of local convenience stores waiting to hop onto the back of a contractor's truck.

She said she spent one winter homeless, finding shelter in a tent at Bull Run Regional Park in Manassas.

"So you're not allowed to live in a park, so I had to basically just pretend like I was camping," Achhal said. "The only bad thing in that picture is that it was snowing and really cold, so a lot of people were looking at me like, 'There is no way you like being in a tent,' but I had to make it look like it was awesome."

In her professional debut, she got her face and nose broken, but gutted through a three-round fight and eventually won a decision. She's got a long climb before she's ever a top-ranked female MMA fighter, but her perseverance in the face of tremendous adversity is something every combat sports fan should admire.

She takes on Sumie Sakai October 3rd at UWC 7: Redemption.

Disclosure: I am the color commentator for the UWC.

UWC 7: Redemption coverage