Email us to win free tickets!
We now have a new email address designed for fight fans to win free event tickets! Email us now at freetickets@blackeyemma.com to win a pair of tickets to Southeastern MMA's Cullman City Cage Wars January 16th 2009. We will draw for a pair of tickets at the weigh in on January 14th 2009. The tickets are compliments of Southeastern MMA. Please include your information so that you may be contacted.
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Anderson out and Sullivan Steps in 
Counting down just over week to Southeastern MMA's Cullman City Cage War we received bad news that the much anticipated fight between Ray Echols and Levar Anderson would not be taking place. But don't get to upset about it because that could be good news to anyone wanting to see a rematch! A rematch between Ray Echols and Wesley Sullivan! This will be a rematch in which Sullivan was the victor last spring. Both of these fifty caliber fighters are exciting to watch and want to win this one bad. Sullivan is coming off of a submission loss from last November and Echols will be trying to defeat the last opponent to beat him. We could not reach Anderson to find out why he withdrew from this fight but was told by an outside source that it was for personal reasons. 
 
     Ray Echols           Wesley Sullivan
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blackeyemma is ready for 2009
As we wrap up 2008 and gear up for 2009 boy are excited about a new year. We would like to thank everyone who has visited this site, joined the forum, contributed pictures or articles, and supported us in any way. We just cannot thank you enough. We have met so many people and made many friends, even a few enemies since our beginning in September 2008. I think this year will be big for MMA in the South. Although the latter part of 08 seemed slow 2009 will be starting with a bang. Check out the events page for upcoming fights!

Here is some breaking news that we will be bringing you more information on next week!
The XFC is coming to Knoxville, Tennessee on February 20, 2009!
Flatline MMA brings the Ultimate Fighting Throwdown back to Florence, AL February 7, 2009!
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Cullman City Cage Wars IV
"Fight Card Overload"
Article by blackeyemma staff


As December draws to an end and a new year approaches us we have much to be thankful for and now look forward to! Southeastern MMA released the fight card for Cullman City Cage Wars IV around the first of December and we thought that it couldn't get any better. Boy were we wrong, as they have now added another dynamite fight! This is the best fight card that I have ever seen! I would recommend buying your tickets in advance because the last show in August actually sold out. I don't think that the Cullman Civic Center would hold the fans of the fights listed below alone. Southeastern should have held this fight at the Birmingham Jefferson Civic Center.  I am so anxious about this fight that I may need a cage until then, and how can I get a VIP table because I want to close!  
Ray Echols -vs- Levar Anderson
Both of these fighters have excellent KO power and like to stand so I predict that one of these power houses will get knocked out!
 We have witnessed Ray KO and submit fighters everywhere that he has fought. The former Golden Glove Champion KO artist now has a great ground game as we have seen him submit several of his last opponents. 
I have only seen Levar Anderson fight one time and that was last August. This guy is an athlete from the word go. When he entered the ring he jumped up and down a few times and could have cleared a stop sign. He kept the fight standing and delivered a punch that knocked out his opponent and kept him asleep for a few minutes. This brought controversy from Tennessee's team KO but from where I was sitting it looked like it hurt, but was clean.
Stephen Wilhite -vs- Matt Vaughn
This fight will be a rematch that Wilhite was victorious in over a year ago. Both of these guys have skills to end a fight either standing or on the ground. In Wilhite's last main event fight against Cory Lay he ended the fight mounted and delivering punches that resembled a jack hammer on an old sidewalk. This first round victory was over before the first minute could tick away. In the other corner Matt Vaughn may have lost the first fight, but is not the same fighter that he was a year ago. Vaughn can be found adding wins to his record at most of Clairday's fights. Vaughn usually whips up his opponents and ends his fights early in the first round. However, he did test himself in the fight last month against Brandon Lovett and was found the victor of the match by a jury of two to one. He looked very impressive in that fight and I think that this rematch could go either way.   
Kent Waters -vs- Fred Weaver
Probably two of the  most well liked guys in MMA. With Waters entering the ring for only the second time and with a perfect record I might add, this will be his toughest opponent to date. Kent has been training with Triad for many years and is a high level BJJ fighter. In his last fight he took Tony Crook to the ground and finished him with a first round arm bar. This arm bar also won most photogenic of the night as it was perfect. Now on to Fred Weaver. This guy is a monster in the ring and has tons of experience. Fred will has won so many fights by KO and referee stoppage. I think that this fight will probably be won by either Kent on the ground or Fred standing up. 
Sasuke Zapata -vs- John O'Brien
I can't believe this fight is actually taking place? This fight has been in the making for several months since blackeyemma did an article on Zapata stating that we did not know who could beat him as he was at the top of the charts. We recieved many emails saying that a fighter named John O'Brien was the man, and could beat Zapata! There was a lot of controversy on the forum regarding this topic. 
Sasuke Zapata is one of the most recognized names in MMA in this region. He has a record that is near unblemished at 16 wins and 1 loss. This guy could fight for days straight and is considered by many as the cardio machine. Zapata can end a fight in any position as he never frustrates but patiently waits for the kill. Zapata has so much experience and this will likely be his last amateur bout as he will go pro. I have said many times in other fights that experience is a huge and in most cases the deciding factor as nothing can prepare you for the cage like the cage itself! 
John O'Brien will enter this fight with a perfect record as well with 0 wins and 0 losses. Although this will be his debut fight, he is no newcomer to the sport. O'Brien is another top level BJJ student at Triad with an exceptional ground game. Many of his colleagues say that he is a force to reckon with and not only has the skills to tap you but also has KO power. I can only hope that he is as good as they have built him up to be.
For more info go to www.southeasternmma.com
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BEHIND THE SCENES / FIGHT PROMOTER: Today: David Oblas

By Darryl Maxie

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Sunday, December 14, 2008

He’s putting on a free show Friday at Wild Bill’s in Duluth: 13 fights, headlined by an active Marine named Darrell Parodi, who is about to deploy to Iraq for a one-year tour of duty. You can’t buy a ticket to this event. The entry fee is a toy for the Marines-sponsored Toys for Tots charity. While putting the finishing on those arrangements, David Oblas took time out to speak to the AJC’s Darryl Maxie.

Q. How does somebody do what it is you do?

A. I’m still trying to figure that out myself. It’s a whole lot of work, a lot of hours. Not only days, but nights, weekends, and it all goes on my cellphone, which rings non-stop. I’ve been doing this for seven years, working afternoons, nights, weekends, and my family hates it. My girlfriend hates it, and I don’t think I’ve had more than a three-day vacation in all that time. But I wouldn’t complain a bit.

Q. How did this take off for you?

A. I did my first fight on June 28, 2002, and I was as nervous as heck. I was waiting tables part time and I had no idea what I was doing. I had to beg people to fight for me. I had to beg people to buy tickets. I had to beg people to buy VIP. And after it was over, people were asking me, “When’s the next one?” I’d say, “I don’t know. I’m a waiter at a seafood restaurant.” But they kept asking when the next one was, and I had another one in October and then December. And I just kept going, six or seven shows a year since then.

Q. The perception of the fight business is that it’s corrupt, sleazy. What’s your response to that?

A. I definitely agree, 100 percent. But can anybody look me in the eye and tell me any other business that’s not corrupt? I’m a huge football fan, but can you tell me college football isn’t corrupt? A few years ago, Auburn —- my team —- was shut out of the national championship game even though they were undefeated. Every sport has a bit of corruptness in it. Anybody who knows me knows I have a good name. I’ve treated the sport of boxing and mixed martial arts with the highest amount of integrity and utmost respect, just like anybody running a small business.

Q. What’s your dream matchup?

A. I’ve always said Holyfield and Tyson. Those were the two guys I idolized coming up. I don’t care. They could fight me, my mother, my grandmother. I know De La Hoya is where the money’s at, and Ricky Hatton’s the hottest thing since sliced bread. I think I’m close to a Holyfield fight, whether it’s at the Georgia Dome or Wild Bill’s.

Q. If somebody compared you to Don King, how would you respond?

A. People compare me to Don King all the time. It doesn’t stroke my ego. Don King has done more for boxing than just about anybody, but his name is tarnished because of some of the other things he’s done. … Don’t compare me to Don King. Compare me to Clark Howard. He’s run small businesses. He’s honest, knows how to treat people and, in most people’s eyes, he’s a good citizen.

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   blackeyemma's "Top Dawg Rankings"
Effective January 1st 2009 we will introduce our ranking system to the Southeastern MMA world. When this site was created in September 2008 we intended on ranking fighters in Alabama. We now have a large base of fighters in surrounding states. We will rank amateur men and women fighters in all weight classes. There are several criteria that will determine a fighters rank such as a fighters record, fight difficulty of opponent on record, fight card of promotions fought in, ect. This system will also rank fight promotions based on fight cards, caliber of fighters, crowd attendance, venues and reputation held among fighters. As you know the top promotions draw the top fighters and the top promotions recruit much of their fighters through fight videos. Therefore, we will require fighters to send us fight videos that will be accessible on our site to promoters, competition and fight fans. Our rankings will be unbiased and the criteria will apply to all. We encourage you to take part as this is the only ranking system of it's type in this region. This will take some time to compile and perfect but we have received much information to date. So send us your information!
Sponsored in part by OMEGA  ATTIRE
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-Attention Fans and Fighters-
Alabama, Tennessee, Florida, Georgia,
Mississippi, North Carolina and South Carolina
We want to know who puts on the best show that you attend. Who are the best promoters in your state based on organization, caliber of fighters, crowd attendance, the total production and did you get your money's worth? Please notify us and let us know. We need your responses to complete our new ranking system. 
   email  gibbsfight@charter.net
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Stitches Please!

This is a photo of Jason Sanderson's leg. This cut occurred in Flatline's title fight between Coleman Jones and Jason Sanderson. The fighters shin bones collided resulting in both getting stitches, this one was the worst. See UFT7 article below.
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"You can't make them all happy"
I receive a couple of hundred emails per week regarding information that ranges from bad blood, fight results, fighter info, picture request and list goes on and on. This site is dedicated to bringing you facts and information whether you favor them or not. We do not publish information unless we are certain that it is fact and not fiction. We attend fights and report the winners, losers and events that took place at the fight. So let me get to my point, please do not request us to remove any material unless it is inaccurate. We will correct any errors that are published once verified. Here are some examples:

•  If you tell us in an interview that you are going to tear somebody in half, and we print it. Don't ask us to remove it when you start catching the heat because this is not a bulletin board. You can't pick and choose what you want.
• If you lose your fight and don't want your friends to find out. I am sorry but that is news for us and our readers. If you need to be puffed up get a myspace page because you can choose the information and tell everyone how good you are.
• If we build up a fight for weeks and you don't show up. We will publish this, as our readers want to know who won and what happened!
• If you get called to the ring when it's your turn to fight and you are seen leaving with your backpack. We are probably going to report this in the article!

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America Annihilates Africa at Xtreme Fighting Championships (XFC)'s
"Clash of the Continents" 
Souch African heavyweight champion Rico “The White Lion” Hattingh entered the main event of XFC’s “Salute to Our Armed Forces 6: Clash of the Continents” at the St. Pete Times Forum in Tampa, Florida with an 11-1 record, ten gold medals from international wrestling competitions, a submission victory over UFC veteran Trevor Prangley, and universal recognition as the top heavyweight in all of Africa. 

A Loss in the MMA Community.

Monday, Dec 08, 2008

Joe Everett Ferguson III, 23, passed away in a car accident Sunday, Dec. 7, 2008.   He was a  local fighter from Jasper and fought in shows like SouthEastern MMA, Clairday's, Battle at Byram in Miss.,  Gadsden, Auburn,  and many other  events.   Joey was also a veteran, he was in the U.S. Army for three years, where he served time in Iraq.  He trained with people from all over North and Central Alabama.  His  most recent place to have trained was Frontline Fighting Systems in Jasper, AL.  His amateur record was 13-5, and he was looking forward to turning  Pro. in the very near future.   Having known Joey on a personal note, he lived with Luke and I for about a month.  He was an amazing person and  had a great heart.  He was constantly making us laugh and was always having a great time, no matter what he was doing.  As a writer I hate writing articles such as this, but I would like everyone to know what kind of person Joey was and what kind of impact he had on this sport and in many peoples lives. He will be terribly missed. 
Lindsey Day @ blackeyemma, lsquaredmarketing@yahoo.com

XFC 6 Tampa Florida
If you are attending the XFC show this Saturday in Tampa stop by and see our number one man Omega Dave and his Omega Girls. Dave will have his Omega Attire and blackeye gear on site. If you are not one of the lucky 15,000 fans in attendance you can catch this fight on Fox Sports channels and HDnet. I talked with Dave Wednesday and he and the crew were on their way to Tampa. He told me that he had a new t-shirt cannon and it's ready to go! This fight should be a good one as it features fighters from across the world. If you are unfamiliar with the XFC it is referred to by yahoo sports as "the best kept secret in the sport". The XFC holds the attendance record for Florida MMA with 11,000 plus. This tops attendance set by MMA powerhouse shows of  the UFC and WEC.

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Clairday’s Alabama Extreme Cage Fighting

At the Americans Legion Post in Decatur, AL.

          On November 28^th, 2008, Decatur, Alabama had its Mixed Martial Arts debut.  That’s right, this was the first amateur MMA event in Decatur and it was held by Robert Clairday.  The night started with the Juniors MMA division, Chase Hagood VS. Drew Hagood.  This bout went to the third round with armbar attempts, triangle attempts, and a little bit of pounding.  Drew Hagood pulls it off in the end and beats his big brother Chase with an armbar. 

            The second Junior MMA bout was Drew Hagood VS. Austin Dingler.  This went three rounds and ended in a tie.  The last Junior fight was a boxing match.  Christian Echols VS. Austin Dingler.  Christian dominated and ended the match in the first round by way of knockout.  Christian definitely shows the talent of his Father Ray Echols, who is an extraordinary boxer and fighter. 

            Now to the big boys.  Starting the night off with Matthew Colwell VS. Chad Wilhite.  Matthew is a 141lbs fighter from Southern Pride MMA while Chad is a 146lbs fighter from Cullman, AL.  The bout ended in the first round.  Chad locked in a rear naked choke and Matthew tapped out immediately, giving Chad Wilhite his first MMA victory. 

            The next bout was Wesley Dunlap VS. Jay James.  Wesley weighs 136lbs, stands 5’6” tall and trains at Clairdays.  Jay James tips the scale at 141lbs, stands 6’ tall and trains in Russelville, AL.  This match ended in the first round by T.K.O.  The Referee, Luke Day, stopped the fight as Wesley continued to rain down punches, declaring Wesley Dunlap the winner. 

            The third bout of the night was Justin Leston VS. Larry Austin.  Justin is from Trinity, AL, weighs 166lbs and stands 5’11” tall.  Larry trains with Southern Pride MMA, weighs 166lbs and stands a flat 6’ .  This bout  also ended in the first round but by way of submission.  Justin pulls Larry into a Guillotine, squeezes with everything he has and Larry taps out, giving Justin Leston the win.

            The next fight was no doubt declared Fight of the Night.  Matt Vaughan from Athens, AL VS. Brandon Lovett from Decatur, AL, in the Co-Main Event.   After three rounds of nonstop action, a busted nose and a blood covered cage floor, the match goes to decision.  One judge calls the fight in Brandons favor, but the other two judges call the fight in favor of Matt, and for the winner, by Split Decision…..Matt Vaughan.  Matt’s next fight will be against Stephen Wilhite at South Eastern MMA’s show, Jan. 16^th at the Cullman Civic Center. 

            The Main Event of the evening was the undefeated Lem Jefferson, weighing in at 300lbs from Decatur, AL VS. Christopher Moore, weighing 285lbs also from Decatur.   This bout, like most of Lem Jefferson’s ended in the first round.  Lem pounds Christopher until he taps out and gives Jefferson yet another win by T.K.O. due to punches.  Will someone step up and beat this hitting, pounding machine?  Maybe we will find out at Clairday’s next bout on Dec. 27h in Cullman, AL. 
Article by Lindsey Day blackeyemma

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"No show Joe"
Blackeyemma attended the much anticipated Clairday fight between Lemm Jefferson and Joe Goss Friday night in Decatur Alabama. This superheavyweight bout was one that we had been looking forward to since first announced back in September. With rumors circulating regarding a rib injury suffered by Joe Goss we wondered if this fight would take place. In a telephone conversation with the week prior to the fight Clairday said that the fight was on and had heard nothing of Goss pulling out. We attended the fight and Joe Goss did not fight nor even show up. Blackeye has neither spoken with anyone from the Goss camp but wondered what happened to Joe.
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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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  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 1:56 into the first round. 
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 2^nd round. 
The 5^th 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 2^nd 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 1:58 in the first round by locking in an arm bar and Tolbert tapped out..
All in all I would say it was a really good night for Childersburg MMA Academy, they carried the ring, and also carried the crowd.  These guys are always gonna give all they got and them some.  I look forward to the future fights they may have in Sylacauga, it will definitely worth going to see.
Article courtesy of blackeye's Tracey Duncan traceduncan@aol.com

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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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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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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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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 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.

• The first fight was in the 125 lb class as Sean Hall controlled beginning to end with brutal leg kicks followed up by a take down and ended with a rear naked choke of Ritchrord Crawford.
• Fight two: 190 lb Jeremy Neal with a stunning display of textbook Jiu Jitsu applied a triangle choke in less than minute over bewildered Josh Gilbert.
• Fight Three: Overwhelming crowd favorite Sean "the Hitman" Lann spent to much time picking out his nickname and lifting weights when he should have been working on his cardio. Leo Hillman came out on top of this third round war of attrition with superior boxing skills and determination.
• Fight Four: After being taken down Chad Brown administered a guillotine from his back to defeat Kyle Richardson.
• Fight Five: Kevin Smith overwhelmed Mr. Lessler with far superior striking in this lopsided match. Lessler showed heart for staying in there until the fight was stopped by a cut in the first round.
• Fight Six: Josh Taylor wins by rear naked choke at 2:24 of the first round. But don't be fooled as Randall Ward will be back and has skills.
• Fight Seven: Justin Barnwell showed fantastic grappling and striking winning by arm bar that I am still not sure that he was able to pull off from his back over Tim Baldwin.
• Fight Eight: His mom may call him Mike Morris but he attacks like a 400 lb grizzly bear mauling his victim Richard Wells with a slam that made my back hurt followed by a beat down. Good job Mike!  
• Fight Nine: After a brief but effective striking contest for part of the first round Ray Echols was pushed against the cage and administered a guillotine then locked his legs around Richard Barnes, he then drug Barnes to the ground where he refused to tap and asleep he went! Good job Ray, your Jiu Jitsu skills are looking much improved as he has won the last two fights by submission.
• Fight Ten: The Light Heavyweight title fight started with fireworks with Tony Crook looking like he might have edge on the ground, but the tide turned quickly in the second round when Fred Weaver wore him down with brutal unanswered strikes and won by TKO. With a well deserved win Fred Weaver is one to watch!
• Fight Eleven: In the  welterweight title fight Hammerick wins the belt in stunning fashion. He came from his corner like a bolt of lightning and finished Roy Lawrence with a guillotine in .26 seconds. Yes folks, .26 seconds!
• Fight Twelve: In the action packed first round Shepard takes control with strikes and a take down to be reversed by Futra and the see saw battle ensues. Second round starts with Futra taking Shepard to the ground and he gets reversed into rear naked choke, in which he reversed into full mount. The fight continued with reversal after reversal into the third round. Finally, Futra pulled a rear naked choke that could not be revered or wiggled out of and Shepard tapped at the close of the third round. Good job to Cleoney Futra, I was very impressed and look forward to seeing him defend his title soon!
• Fight Thirteen: Back and forth standing guillotines that was reminiscent of the WWE for the first half round with Paul Andres taking Justin Strickland to the ground and finishing him with strikes.
•  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.

 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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" 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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