Full Contact Talk: MMA discussion

Pictured above: Full Contact Talk Panelists - Episode 6 - (left to right) Steve Headden, Jason Hatcher, David Oblas, Chris Stolzman,Clay Harvison, Chris Dellerba and Kazeka Muniz. Photo by Joeff Davis.

Full Contact Talk Episode 6 - Segment 2

Welcome to the second half of Full Contact Talk Episode 6. You may downlaod the first half of the show here in case you missed it. In this segment, local fighters from the Knuckle-Up Fight Team, Undisputed Productions Fight Promoter David Oblas and special guest Kazeka Muniz discuss Knuckle-Up’s gym expansion to the west coast of the United States. Evan Tanner is remembered as well. Kazeka reveals a past connection to Tanner during his entrance into the UFC. The panel does a recap of UFC 88 as well.

Stay tuned for the next episode containing a conversation from UFC veteran Jeff Monson as he prepares to fight Mark Kerr at Don King’s debut Vengeance MMA fight card in Concord, North Carolina on September 27, 2008.

 Full Contact Talk 006 - Segment 2 [25:30m]:

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Welcome to episode 6, segment 1 of Full Contact Talk. In this episode, local fighters from the Knuckle-Up Fight Team, Undisputed Productions Fight Promoter David Oblas and special guest Kazeka Muniz (in town from Los Angeles, California) discuss upcoming Atlanta fight events including the Wild Bill’s fight night on Friday, September 19 featuring UFC fighter and T.U.F. alumnus, Jesse Forbes.

In this episode, Kazeka Muniz discusses his founding of Wolf’s Lair gym in Liverpool, England as well as his current training of UFC fighters Michael Bisping, Quinton “Rampage” Jackson and Cheick Kongo.  Kazeka Muniz and Steve Headden also talk about their previous services in the Navy Seals and Green Berets. Other topics include up-and-comers from the Atlanta fight scene destined for professional careers and shots at the UFC.

Stay tuned for additional segments from Episode 6 featuring more discussion with the local panel as well as a conversation from UFC veteran Jeff Monson as he prepares to fight Mark Kerr at Don King’s debut Vengeance MMA fight card in Concord, North Carolina on September 27, 2008.

(All photos by Joeff Davis)

[Show as slideshow]

 Full Contact Talk 006 - Segment 1 [33:16m]:

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It has been rumored for a while that veteran boxing promoter Don King was interested in entering the mixed-martial-arts business. Some would say such a move is necessary with talk of professional boxing’s decline in national popularity and shrinking pay-per-view sales. But of course the MMA-verus-boxing debate is a fiery topic and the verdict is still out with regard to boxing’s economic survival and fanbase statistics.

On Saturday, September 27 in Concord, North Carolina, Vengeance Fighting Championship makes its debut under the distant umbrella of Don King Productions via DonKingTv.com which is the internet branch of King’s promotions. At first glance the Vengeance FC card featuring two icons of MMA in that of Jeff Monson and Mark Kerr, seems like a potentially entertaining night of mixed-martial-arts. But Don King’s low profile and near vacant marketing for this event paints the picture that King’s debut MMA promotion is simply a testing of the waters.

Also consider that Don King’s entrance into MMA is a polarizing concept to many. Maybe King is aware of this situation thus explaining why King is also co-promoting a boxing card with Golden Boy Promotions featuring Ricardo Mayorga and Shane Mosley in Carson, California on HBO the same night. King has been criticized for many years within the boxing world. And such criticism is turned up in volume amongst a large majority of the MMA community. But no matter the potential criticism of Don King, thus far the debut Vengeance FC card is respectfully stacked.

Personally, I am very excited to see Jeff Monson and Mark Kerr clash as well as BJJ legend Carlson Gracie and John Savage. The following video is a Vengeance FC commercial currently running on television in the North Carolina market.

Fight Card as follows:

Jeff Monson vs. Mark Kerr

John Savage vs. Carlson Gracie

Denis Gomes vs. Carmelo Marrero

Cale Yarbrough vs. Andy Curtiss

Rodney Wallace vs. Quince St. Preux

Ryan Lamareaux vs. Mackens Semerzier

Jeremiah Brandon Brown vs. Matt Covan

Brian Keller vs. Steve Linton

Chris Herring vs. Joel Wyatt

Hallie Hair vs. Ryan Bedini

Rusty Haun vs. Tony Moenich

Nick Blake vs. Patrick Needham

Mike Turner vs. Nate Davis

Sylvain Bynum vs. Jeff Bricker

The official Vengeance FC website

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