FIGHT OF THE YEAR!
For those of you that were fortunate enough to be in Florence Alabama for Flatline's Ultimate fighting Throwdown VII witnessed perhaps the best fight of the year. It was the second fight of the afternoon between between Jamie Hughes and Ian Funk. This was Funk's fighting debut and only the second fight for Jamie Hughes but both looked like UFC veterans as they forgot they were amateurs. Closely matched, both fighters really surprised me and kept me wondering what would happen next. Hughes landed several hard punches that would have turned the lights out on most fighters but Funk managed to hang on and pull out a win by submission in the second round. This fight contained the one thing that most fights I have seen here lately lack , the will to win by both Jamie and Ian. Both of these guys put everything they had into this fight and it could have ended with either hand raised. I will not miss these two guys in their future fights if I can help it. Steve Hester with blackeyemma said that "this was the best fight that I have ever seen in person". I have also been to a bunch of fights and I agree that this was the best fight that I have ever seen in person. I hope Jamie and Ian will keep us at blackeyemma posted on your next fights and wish you the best of luck. Flatline was impressive. AG
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Lethal Strikes from Lem Jefferson Don't miss the chance to witness the 17-1 Lem Jefferson go to war this Friday night November 28 at 7pm against Joe Goss. This twenty seven year old junk yard dog stands six feet tall and weighs in at just under 310 pounds. The hometown favorite is a father of three and a 2000 graduate of Decatur High School. Lem is a boxer, brawler and street fighter trained by Reggie Jackson and Mario Davis. In my opinion Lem's strongest weapon is his heavy hands. Lem hits so hard and his record proves that with six knockouts. Lem is very competitive and has excelled in many arenas. This big boy was an all area football star in the tenth, eleventh and twelfth grade at Decatur High. The number 99 Jefferson also played in the North and South All star game held in Montgomery Alabama. Lem would have played defensive tackle for Tennessee Tech but had to take on the role of a young father as his first daughter was born. Lem recently worked as a bouncer at Decatur's Club LA and also had the role as personal security for the owner. Can you imagine raring back to hit the bouncer and realizing there was a 310 pound stick of dynamite on the other end of your fist? Not to good! Lems favorite fighters are Quinton "Rampage" Jackson and Kevin Ferguson better known as "Kimbo Slice". I asked Lem who would he like to fight in the future and he said "Kimbo or Mike Tyson". Lem really likes Kimbo as they got started the same way, on the street. Although Lem is a real bad boy, his favorite past time is reading books to his girls. He also enjoys socializing and finding the good in people. Lem's better half Lea had very nice things to say about him. She said that "Lem is very dedicated to the sport and he has the heart for it as well as the conditioning". Lem said that he hopes the future brings some bigger fights and better competition.
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Sylacauga Fight Night
SYLACAUGA FIGHT NIGHT was really worth the trip. They only had 6 fights, but they were 6 really good fights. Childersburg Mixed Martial Arts Academy was the host team for this event. I think the fighters I saw from Childersburg MMA are gonna be ones to watch. Of course, all the fighters were big crowd favorites, but not only were they the hometown guys, they really are a talented bunch.
In the lightweight division was Jamie Robertson vs Ollie Christmas. These two guys really went the distance and gave it all they had. It took three rounds of quick take downs, hard punches, and a few close submission tries before Jamie finally won by unanimous decision. Jamie came very close to clenching several great submission holds on Christmas, but Christmas always seemed to maneuver out of them.
Light heavy weight was another great show. Adam Grantham from CMMA was escorted to the ring by his entourage and also the local police department to keep the crowds back (a little humor on the part of Grantham). He’s also a local, and clearly a crowd favorite, he fought Graham Tolbert from Panama City MMA. Although the fight got off to a good start it didn’t last long. Tolbert was able to get an arm bar, and once he applied the pressure, Grantham had no choice but to tap out at
On to the Welter weight, John Millerleile from PCMMA was matched up against Heath Reep. Heath has only been training 3 or 4 months, but I would say he really has promise. He never gave up even though he got a black eye pretty early in the fight. (You can see his black eye by going to the “show us your black eye” link on the left side of the home page. I took the photo right after his fight. It should be a good one in a couple of days.) Millerleile pulled this one off by going 3 rounds and winning by split decision.
Heavy weight division kept the excitement going with Paul Kellogg from CMMA and Terrence Farley. Farley is another fighter we will see in the future. He hasn’t been training very long but he will be seen again soon. Kellogg came out strong and drew first blood in the first round. After several more solid punches he finished up with a TKO 24 seconds into the 2nd round.
The 5th fight on the card was between Joey Elmore from PC MMA and Jonathan Ledbetter of CMMA. These are two talented fighters that will be contenders if they continue down the path they are headed. They both have the heart and technical skills to move them to numerous wins. Both fighters came out of the corner like a bullet ready to tear into the other. I would have called them close to even at the end of the first round. Unfortunately for Ledbetter, he was caught in a Guillotine choke 58 seconds into the 2nd round and tapped out.
Last but not least, the final fight of the evening was between Chase Horton CMMA and Graham Tolbert PCMMA. Graham had fought earlier in the night, but due to unforeseen circumstances the opponent Horton was to fight pulled out and Tolbert stepped up to give the crowd their monies worth. He stepped up a class to fight Horton. Although Tolbert was doing a good deed by steppin’ up to fight, Horton finished him off after
All in all I would say it was a really good night for
Article courtesy of blackeye's Tracey Duncan traceduncan@aol.com
That's exactly what it was, Florence, Alabama is on the map as far as MMA. I don't know if MMA in Alabama is this packed with talent or I just am getting the good events to go to. But this event was fantastic and highly recommended. There was a large crowd and the fights were very competitive with crew from numerous local gyms. Including; Flatline, FCA, Quad City MMA, Team Dojo, Sturgis, No Joke, Team Fury, Fear None, and Buruell Martial Arts. They have hands down the sexiest women for sure including the singer Erin Trapolino to the very hot Flatline chicks who will make your eyes bulge. This was a very professionally run promotion. Hats off to Dustin "Deuce" Rhodes who has proven he is not just a man who thrives for excellence in the ring, but also in his matchmaking and promotion. He also asked us to give a special thanks to TNT Fireworks who is a big sponsor of Dustin. Weigh ins were sponsored and run by Sideline bar who graciously provided their facility. Welcome back to Skip Hall who refereed the fight returned from back surgery just 4 weeks ago. For those of you who don't know Skip retired from MMA with a 50-10 record at the age of 64, and fought around the world in . First Fight: Both Doashad and Russ came out swinging, but being very methodical with Carter throwing leg kicks and Noah with jabs. Carter took control of the first round with a takedown. Rashad started the 2nd round with the superman punch and Noah retaliated with his knees, but Carter was to strong and floored Noah with a punch and finished with the GNP in the first 48 seconds of the 2nd round.
Second Fight: Funk started with leg kicks and was taken down by Noah, but reversed it to the mount, but Noah scraped to his feet where Funk and Noah exchanged knees, punches, and kicks through 2nd of 1st round. The 2nd round started with much of the same with Noah taking control with brutal knees and punches. Both combatants blooded. Funk took Hughes to the ground and applied a omoplata to end the fight. 2 minutes 15 seconds in round 2. Best fight I have ever seen in person.
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Clairday's Thanksgiving, a Super Heavyweight Slam!
This Thanksgiving weekend will be a busy time for everyone trying to visit with family and getting prepared for your favorite team whether it be Auburn or Alabama. But for local MMA fans it will be a exciting weekend for fighting as the highly anticipated matchup between Decatur Alabama's Lem Jefferson and Arab Alabama's Joe Goss. Both fighters are very exciting to watch and pack a punch that would derail a locomotive pulling a hundred cars. I have seen Lem fight several times and think that he will be hard to beat but Joe Goss may give him a run for the money. I have only seen Joe fight one time and that was a tournament in Cullman last June in which he advanced into the latter rounds. Robert and Melissa Clairday bring their Extreme Cage Fighting and Bad Boy Boxing to Decatur's American Legion this Friday night November 28 at 7pm. This monumental night records the first MMA event to come into Decatur as it was previously banned in the city. There will be many more fights that night as we did not have the fight card at time of publishing. AG
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Omega Attire joins team blackeye
We are so excited to announce that blackeyemma has teamed up with Omega Attire. Omega Attire is a new clothing line based out of Gainesville Georgia. They specialize in many different types of clothing such as extreme sports apparel, cutting edge casual wear, even musician and band stage concert wear. Omega sponsors everything from bands to athletes. Omega Attire even has a custom design team that will create something just for you. With the ability to embroider and print on any style of clothing they also have the best price around. And oh my gosh! You have got to see the Omega Girls! I had the opportunity to speak with the Director of Operations for Omega Attire, Mr. David Guinn, and he is one of the nicest guys that I have talked to yet. It's no wonder that his company has done so well. Omega Attire has a new store that will open in the latter part of November so when in the Gainesville area stop by and visit them. www.omegaattire.com
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WE NEED YOU, YES YOU!
Can you write an article ? Do you enjoy going to MMA fights for free? We need you to contribute to this website so bad that it isn't funny. You can read our articles and tell that we are not professional sports writers so we will understand if you are not! We get free tickets to all fights that we cover so please email us for information. As of today Steve Hester and myself are the only contributors to this site. Remember that this site will never grow without the support of people like you! Thanks.
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Age not an issue, what about size?
I can't wait to watch this fight but I don't think I will like the outcome. Everyone is talking about the main event between Couture and Lesnar. I don't think age will be a factor in this fight but size will. Couture will weigh in and fight at about 225, Lesnar will weigh in at 266 and enter the ring at about 290. Even though Couture has proven that he can man handle the big guys there are few that move like Lesnar. The clinch has been the ace in the hole for Couture in the past but Lesnar will be hard to handle. Couture has not fought since August of 2007 and in my opinion Lesnar hasn't fought anybody good to date. Couture will bring experience where Lesnar wil brings youth and size. I hate to think this but I believe Lesnar will win this fight. Imagine a showboat wrestler beating perhaps the most loved fighter in history. We know that Couture can go the distance and Lesnar hasn't been past three. Liddell has proven twice that Randy has semi weak chin and Lesnar was submitted by Frank Mir. This could be the deciding factor, if Lesnar comes in swinging what Joe Rogan calls "canned hams" then I think Couture could be knocked out. There is little margin in the fight lines as Couture has kept them up all night and proven them wrong so many times. Don't count him out!
blackeyemma UFC picks
Randy Couture -vs- Brock Lesnar
Damn I hate to but, Adam bets Lesnar, Steve Hester bets Lesnar
Kenny Florian -vs- Joe Stevenson
Adam bets Florian, Steve Hester bets Florian
Gabriel Gonzaga -vs- Josh Hendricks
Adam bets Gonzaga, Steve Hester bets Gonzaga
Nate Quarry -vs- Demian Maia
Adam bets Maia, Steve Hester bets Maia
Dustin Hazelet -vs-Tamdan McCrory
Adam Bets Hazelet, Steve Hester Bets Hazelet
Jorge Gurgel -vs- Aaron Riley
Adam bets Riley, Steve Hester bets Gurgel
Jeremy Stevens -vs- Rafael dos Anjos
Adam bets Stevens, Steve Hester bets dos Anjos
Alvin Robinson -vs- Mark Bocek
Adam bets Robinson, Steve Hester bets Robinson
Matt Brown -vs- Ryan Thomas
Adam bets Thomas, Steve Hester bets Brown
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The danger zone is an arms length away with Stephen Wilhite!
We got a chance to catch up with Alabamas Stephen Wilhite from team Danger Zone earlier this month. Wilhite is a five foot seven, one hundred fifty five pound show stopper with a dominating record of 13 and 2. Wilhite began his MMA career in August of 2007 after attending a local fight with a friend. He decided that he would train and enter the next fight and the rest is history. When we asked him what the future holds for him said that he would like to make a career out of fighting, " I know that one day I will be somewhere". And those of us at blackeyemma agree with him. In his last fight at Southeastern MMA's Cullman City Cage Wars we witnessed him record an eye blinking, first round victory over Cory Lay. The twenty four year young Wilhite is the father of two girls, one seven year old and a one year old. Wilhite graduated from West Point High School where he was and outstanding Warrior running back and linebacker. Wilhite was also an Alabama state champion weight lifter in the 160 pound division. Wilhite will be fighting Matt Vaughn in January 2009. This fight will be a rematch in which Wilhite was victorious in the first fight over a year ago. He said " I know that he has gotten better" I will be training hard for this fight. Wilhite explained that his intense training is why he competes so well as he trains for every opponents style and size. Stephen Wilhite said that he would like to thank his team mates Bobby Wilhite, Ray Mathain and Kent Waters. He said that without them believing in him that he may not be where he is today. He also thanked TRIAD MMA and most of all his GOD. Thanks a bunch Stephen for the information and we can't wait until you enter the ring again in January. AG
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Rush MMA's Tyra Parker, the Georgia Knockout!
Many of you are familiar with the five foot five, one hundred and fifteen pound knockout Tyra Parker from Forsyth Georgia. Tyra has been training for nine months with the famous Rush MMA in Macon Georgia. Rush MMA houses some of the best fighters such as Bubby Mitchell, Ben Pierce, David Matthews and the Ultimate Fighter reality star Cole Miller, enough said. Tyra has a strong amateur record of 3-0 and professional record of 0-2. Many of you may have seen Tyra on the HDNet televised StrikeForce Payback event October 3rd 2008 live from Denver Colorado. Tyra fought the famous "Karate Hottie" Michelle Waterson from Jackson's camp in Albuquerque New Mexico. She was defeated by Waterson but displayed heavy hands that might have ended the fight on a different note if she had kept the fight standing. When asked what her biggest win was she said "I wish that I would have won the Waterson Fight" and blackeyemma wishes the same for her. Tyra said that she got a little nervous due to the lights and cameras and " I have an issue with crowds". We are sure that time will fix that. Besides, she has now been where most fighters wish they could be, on live TV. With no fights set in stone as of now she will be competing in grappling tournaments and maybe some boxing to work on her stand up. Tyra has a rematch with Tammy Schneider in the future but a date has not been set. Tyra explained that with more training she would like to be considered one of the top five in her division and fight the top girls. Her favorite fighter is Gina Carano, and that is one thing both she and I have in common. Ms. Parker is sponsored by the clothing line FightChix. Tyra currently attends Macon State College and studies Biology. Tyra thanked her dad Ty Parker for his support. We wish the nineteen year old the best of luck in the future. This Georgia knockout is a blackeye favorite. AG
Photos property of Sherdog
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Juan Zapata is blackeyemmas featured fighter for November!
With two big wins Friday night at Butterbeans Halloween Bash we have chosen him as this month's featured fighter. As our rankings page pulls together he is definitely the number one ranked fighter in the lightweight 155 pound division. We will have more information on Juan in the coming days and look forward to talking with him.
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Why is the local MMA crowd attendance so low?
Over the past few months we have witnessed low attendance at many of the events that we have covered. We have wondered what has caused this and what can be done to improve attendance. The slow economy may have an effect on this as ticket prices may be steeply priced for all who attend these events. If you add up what it might cost a family of four ticket buyers and concessions this can be costly. Right now with college football on every fans mind, many hate to leave the recliner in fear that they may miss the highlight of the week. Could it be that there is a fight in this area almost every weekend within an hour driving time and fans are being burned out? Are fans looking for more talented fights and longer bouts? Do you feel like you are getting your what you pay for when you attend? Be honest and email us with your comments on our contact page. Take it easy! Adam
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AXC Nuclear was another fine promotion by Ray Echols and Luke Day. One thing that you can always count on when attending a Ray Echols promotion is action, and he delivered once again. Ash Rivers was the referee in this ring style format which I have come have to enjoy as you can see the action better than some cages. Special thanks to the US ARMY which donated t-shirts, water bottles, hats and mouth pieces that were thrown to the crowd by ring girl Sarah Williams. The fights began with Nick Collins quickly submitting Charles Hudson with a triangle choke and brutal elbows. The next fight was with Cody Tolbert being a bit over matched by Cory Lay who won by rear naked choke submission. I was very impressed by Andy Fike as he displayed superior grappling defeating Jay James by RNC. Results for the following matches included Andrew Hill over Scott Pounders, Russell Coleman defeated Wesley Dunlap in .17 seconds, and Cody Davis defeated Anthony Moore. Personal Favorite Brad Charland took on Jody Couch in which both came out swinging for the fences, Charland took Couch to the ground finishing the fight by RNC. Welcome back Brad Charland! Chad Milstead defeated Shannon Holland in the second round by RNC. The final and most anticipated fight of the afternoon was the Main Event between local legend "The Razor" Ray Echols and "the Beast" Tyler Murphy. This was an awesome, entertaining and stunning win by the Razor who continues his streak of submissions winning by RNC. Not to be outdone, Tyler Murphy turned in a very strong performance as he was aggressive and had two dominant take downs of the twenty pound lighter Echols. This fight alone was worth the price of admission. This fight had everything from boxing, brawling and a pretty good display of grappling. Thank you to Ray Echols and Tyler Murphy as this made my one hundred plus mile drive worth it. The word that I would use to describe this fight was, DAMN!!!! because after every punch and every scramble that was what would come to mind. Thanks again to American Extreme Combat for having blackeyemma cover this fight. Ray is a classy competitor and a class act. A special thanks to Ash Rivers for his flawless refereeing and to all competitors who displayed talent that was enjoyed by all. Between the fights we were thoroughly entertained by the very witty Adam Gibbs of blackeyemma who is definitely hands down, the best announcer in his own mind!!!!! Thanks again Ray. Steve Hester blackeyemma
Article by: Steve Hester blackeyemma sportswriter, email stevehester@blackeyemma.com
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Southeastern MMA and Cullman City Cage Wars IV return to the Cullman Civic Center January 16, 2009
I finally got to meet the guys from SOUTHEASTERN MMA Saturday night in Cullman. These are some of the nicest guys in the business and if you have never been to one of their fights you have missed out big time. I had the opportunity to buy a ticket to their sold out show last August. The fight was a great one and I can't wait to go back in January. Shane Allford and Charles Herron said that the upcoming fight on January 16, 2009 will be the best yet. I think that it will be hard to top the last one but show us what you have got. For more information visit www.southeasternmma.com. Adam ____________________________________________
Sasuke Zapata is the Cardio Machine!
Sasuke Zapata is a name that all Southern MMA fans are familiar with. He is as popular to Southern MMA as Chuck Liddell is to the UFC. Zapata has been training in MMA only since April of 2007. However, he is no newcomer to fighting as he holds a third degree black belt in Tae Kwon Do. Zapata sports a near perfect 14-1 record since making his MMA debut and that is not counting tough man or tournament events. The 6'0 170 pounder is trained by Mark Turquirtt with team JKD and explained that Mark had been a huge part of his success. Mark trains Sasuke and his brother Juan at no charge and has driven near 500 miles just to support them "he is a great role model". Team JKD stands for Jeep Kune Do and is the Bruce Lee fighting style. Sasuke trains with the best at team JKD including Jason Wadsworth, Josh Witte and his famous counterpart and brother Juan Zapata. When asked what his biggest win was he answered " they are all big wins, I take all serious" and his strategy is "go get in, and do it". The twenty one year old Zapata and his family moved to the United States a little over ten years ago from Castanos, Coahuila Mexico. Sasuke and his wife Celeste now reside in Pinson, Alabama. After talking with Sasuke for about thirty minutes he told me what I found to be the most interesting thing I had heard yet. I asked him, how he got into martial arts? He explained that he had always wanted to take karate but they never had the money. When he turned fourteen he got a job and saved up over one thousand dollars. He went to a local karate school and gave the money to the instructor telling him that he wanted to take karate lessons until the money ran out. Sasuke and his brother Juan would run over 2.5 miles one way to the karate school because their parents were working and did not have a ride. When asked what the future holds for him he stated that he would only like to fight the ones that are tough. He explained that it is discouraging to get up every morning at four a.m. to start training only to fight an opponent that falls short of expectation and gives up a one minute victory. He said " I want a challenge, a tough cookie. I work for real, not for nothing". Zapata is anticipating another victory in his upcoming fight when Butterbeans fight card returns to the Birmingham Race Course on Halloween night. As for heros Sasuke has none. He said why limit yourself to a hero, they are only human. Sasuke enjoys drawing and writing fiction stories during his spare time. I don't know where he finds the time as he works as a Tae Kwon Do instructor, painter and remodler. Sasuke thanks his fans and most of all GOD for allowing him to do what he likes. Sasuke is one the nicest guys in the business. AG
Ray Echols with AXC- "Sasuke is a cardio machine, the best cardio in the Southeast"
Shane with Southeastern MMA- " Sasuke is a good fighter, his cardio is off the charts. He has a heart that don't quit"
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Rush MMA's Justin Barnwell defeats Mikey Meintzer at Auburn Alabama's Main Event 3 August 23rd
Currently the tallest 145 pounder in the world at 6'3,Justin Barnwell from Macon Georgia is making a name for himself. The former 2007 Georgia State Champion Wrestler turned MMA fighter dislays an unblemished 4-0 record. With big wins Barnwell has finished two fights by armbar, one by TKO and a decisive win over the current StrikeHard belt holder Mikey Meintzer. Barnwell trains with team Rush MMA but spent the entire month of July training in Boca Raton Florida with his pro friends Cole and Micah Miller at American Top Team. He plans on spending more time there in December. AG
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Strike Hard IV was a fantastic feather in the cap of Alabama MMA and the town of Tuscaloosa. I would also like to give a special thanks to Ash Rivers for his spot on perfect timing and refereeing that kept all fighters safe. I very Much look forward to attending the next promotion and hope all will attend as Strike Hard really took care of the fans and a good time was had by all! Thanks, Steve Hester stevehester@blackeyemma.com 
"Strike Hard winner was the Tuscaloosa Fans"
Let me start by saying that I have been to many fights and very few have been as organized and enjoyable as this promotion was far better than some backwoods fights that I have been to. They represented Tuscaloosa with a presentation of MMA as it was meant to be viewed. The organizers Mike Taylor and David Elders were very gracious and put the fighters at the forefront of this promotion. I would also like to thank Mr. Eddie Fielder for his matchmaking expertise.
Fight Fourteen: This was the fight that I was personally looking forward to as the multiple organizational Middleweight Belt Holder, Dustin "Deuce" Rhodes was looking to add to his collection! He succeeded with brutal leg kicks and then slammed Tyler Murphy quickly the switched from submission to submission until the end of round one. Round two began with Murphy showing that he is a very game opponent as he weathered another storm of knees and kicks to be low blowed in the middle of the round and came out fired up but the favored Rhodes retaliated with viscous strikes to end the fight by tapout due to strikes.
Photos property of Strike Hard, Steve Hester is a contributor to blackeyemma
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PRICEVILLE MMA & AMATEUR FIGHTING CHAMPIONSHIP IV
Clairdays Extreme Cagefighting and Bad Boy Boxing put on a great show Saturday October 11th at the Priceville horse arena. The 311 lb Lem Jefferson won by referee stoppage in the very first round. Wesley Dunlap defeated his opponent when he was unable to continue in the second round. Christopher Vallese displayed a nice rear naked choke to defeat his opponent. The co main event between hard hitting Michael Treece and top rated Jeremy Knytych was the most exciting fight of the night. Both fighters displayed lots of talent but it was Treece that seemed to dominate the fight and win by referee stoppage at the end of the third round. The main event between Michael Paquette and Matt Vaughan was a brief one. Both fighters seemed calm and cool as the fight began but it was Vaughan that controlled and ended the fight shortly in the very first round by Knockout. Vaughan looked fine tuned and Paquette did not look like the same fighter that he has in past fights. Thanks to Mr. Jenson for the photos. www.jensonphotography.com
Photo are exclusive property of Jenson Photography
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"Knytych of the Round Cage"
"And the new, AXC Featherweight Champion, Jeremy Knytych"! Fight fans who attended the American Extreme Combat fight at the Cullman Ag center Saturday night witnessed the best fight's in the South Saturday night. A very well deserved Jeremy Knytych was crowned the new featherweight champion following a second round Knockout against the hard hitting ground expert Matt Snell from Florence, AL. The two mentally focused warriors entered the ring displaying experience and power at the highest level. Both action packed rounds kept fans standing and screaming. The fight came to an end when Knytych caught Snell with a punch and knocked him out. 9/30 Photo by ShaversStudio
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"The Duece is Loose"
Flatline MMA's Dustin "DUECE" Rhodes became the new AXC Middleweight Champion Saturday night with the big win over Trent Wilson by referee stoppage. The 6'3, 185 pounder entered the building with to his arena of fans cheering him on for what was a rather brief ring appearance. Rhodes took control of the fight, taking it to the ground delivering devastating blows ending the fight in the very first round. Rhodes thanked his team and fans for their support. There were a lot of females screaming for"Duece" as the ladies love him! Photo by ShaversStudio
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blackeyemma featured fighter
This month's blackeyemma featured fighter is Hybrid MMA's Jeremy Knytych. Jeremy is hard hitting freestyle fighter with a ground game to go with it. Kytych has skyrocketed onto the scene with 8-2 record and has only been training for around six months. The 2006 Arab High School graduate was an outstanding center fielder and left handed pitcher for the Arabian Knight baseball team. Jeremy went on to play baseball at Snead State before beginning his MMA career. The twenty year old said that his job as a floor installer and painter gives him the flexibility that he needs to train hard. Knytych trains four to five days per week with his Hybrid MMA team mates Adam Goss, Eric Knytych, Kevin Primeau and Aaron Parrish. Knytych credits his team for his success. He said that he learns something new in the gym everyday. Jeremy said that he didn't fight much growing up. "I admire the sport and what it takes to get there" His brother and best friend Eric Knytych got him into training and fighting. He has made several payments on 2002 Mustang GT with his tournament winnings. Jeremy's future plans are to keep training hard and build up his cardio like his favorite fighter Urijah Faber. Jeremy Knytych is one of the nicest guys you will ever meet. He thanks his mom Kristi Knytych for standing by his decisions over the last year, his brother for being his best friend and Hybrid MMA for being a great team. We know that he will represent American Extreme Combat well as their new Featherweight Champion. Good luck in the future Jeremy. 9/30
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Steve Hester joins team blackeyemma! We are proud to have Steve as a field affiliate. He knows about everything currently going on in the mma business. Steve will contribute articles and cover fights for blackeyemma. email stevehester@blackeyemma.com
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I would like to thank my blackeye crew for all of their help. This site would not be possible without them. When I am announcing they are taking photos and collecting fighter information. Thanks so much. Pictured L-R Nicole, My beautiful wife Amanda, Stacia and my sweet sister-inlaw Michelle. My brother Matt was a big help but would not get in the photo. Adam
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" DODGING BULLETS"
blackeye mma has been asking the you guys who the toughest fighters are? The name Wesley Sullivan comes up quite often. Sullivan, the five foot ten 185 pound powerhouse calls Manchester Tennessee home. The twenty year old Sullivan is trained by his uncle William Lowery at team KO, a team he started in 2007 that proudly displays the slogan "WE COME STRONG". Sullivan said that his KO team is like a big family. And we have seen the large numbered entourage that follows him to his fights. The Muay Thai wrecking machine has scored several high performance wins this summer over top rated fighters. Perhaps his most exciting win was the 12 second knockout in the first round at Cullman City Cage Wars II against Joeseph Thomas. He also recorded two decisions over the highly explosive warriors Ray Echols and Kevin Primeau. Sullivan's favorite fighter is Chute Box Academy's Wanderlei Silva who is currently Fight Sport Magazine's 5th ranked Light Heavyweight. Wesley was a standout athlete at Coffee County High School as a football free safety and state finalist wrestler. Prior to making a college career in both arenas he suffered a near fatal gun shot wound. Sullivan was shot in the chest at a Sonic in Manchester. He was treated at Vanderbilt Hospital in Nashville and made a miraculous recovery. Although his college sports career never began, he sure has made a name for himself in Southern MMA. We are very anxious to see Wesley Sullivan in his upcoming fights. 9/22
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