Absolute MMA

Mixed Martial Arts Training Culminates in Showdown Fights: Breakout Show

2012-02-27T06:35:00.016-07:00

Showdown Fights: Breakout was a great show this last Saturday. Exciting fights and an electric atmosphere made for a great night.

Steve Sharp, exciting and fierce as always, finished Mario Espinoza in three minutes of the very first round. These boys talked about having a stand up, knockdown, knuckle and skull fight in their pre-fight interviews. They did not disappoint. Both fighters came out swinging with Steve getting the better of every exchange. Steve threw some monster leg kicks which had Mario limping and looking for a takedown as a way out. Not one to miss an opportunity, Steve cinched down a guillotine choke that ended the fight. Steve showed again why he is an exciting fighter out of the Absolute MMA camp with a quick and decisive finish.

Josh Burkman and Koffi Adzitso had a regular barn burner that went all three rounds. Both fighters laded hard punches with Burkman getting the better of the the takedowns. Neither gave an inch and gave everything they had to get the "W". Josh got the unanimous decision but both walked away with respect for each other and adoration from the crowd.

Showdown Fights: Breakout got notice from mmaweekly.com. They posted fight results and a mention of Burkman's win. Great show and great fights. We look forward to more of the same in the future.

High School Wrestler Uses Mixed Martial Arts to Achieve Goals

2012-02-16T14:41:00.007-07:00

Many of you know Joel. He has been with us for several months now but took some time off to achieve his goals in wrestling with great results. When Joel was training with us he was a regular. He always worked hard and never put in less than 100% effort, training Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, Muay Thai and Mixed Martial Arts. We asked Joel to write about his wrestling experience and here is his response in his own words.

"At the age of 15 I started wrestling at Murray high school. I wasn’t very good, and didn’t know much and had a losing record. Inspired by our team captain Jordan Schroeder who had placed 2nd in state his senior year, he had pushed me to get better for my second year. My junior year I did much better but I ended up in 6th place at region, and did not qualify for the state tournament.

That summer I prepared myself for my senior year. My first step was to enter the doors of Absolute MMA. I trained almost every day throughout the summer, and I learned a lot and felt ready. Every day after preseason practices for my high school team I went straight to the gym to practice more wrestling. My first match of the season I hurt my elbow but came out with the win. The rest of the season I just mobbed through kids. Almost going undefeated at one tournament and placing 2nd in another. After my Christmas break I came back to wrestling and fell into a slump. I was able to pull out of it and get back in my groove. It was senior night at Murray high. I was told it was going to be a tough match to win, and I was looking forward to the challenge. My opponent was Hayden Rentfro from West Lake High. The kid I wrestled beat me 16 to 12. By 4 points, I told myself I would get the job done in the finals at region.

I pushed myself in the wrestling room and pushed myself in the weight room. Regions finally came, we entered West Lake High School and I was ready to wrestle. The first round I had a bye, the second round I pinned my opponent in 50 seconds. Watching the Westlake kid win his matches just got me pumped up and ready to go for my next match. Third round came and I beat my opponent with a major decision 11 to 3. After day 1 ended I was excited for the finals.

Day 2 was a long day, just sitting there and waiting to get on the mat. Throughout the day I warmed up and kept myself ready and focused on what to do. As the lights went dim and the spot light came on I was ready to go. After the 138 pound match was over I checked in at the table and stepped out on the mat. I was ready to wrestle the kid who thought he could beat me once again. I was focused and went 6 full minutes, I defeated him 15 to 9. I am so happy winning my first region championship title in my senior year, and winning the region tournament as a team. My lesson I learned was to believe in myself no matter what, listen and train hard, and when focused anything is possible."

Name: Joel Haro
Weight class: 145
Age:17
Record: 29-11
Memorable matches:
Finals match at Clash of the Titans Tournament-2nd place
Region Finals Match 1st place, 2012

We are very proud of Joel and his accomplishments and his desire to improve. He truly is an Absolute MMA Team Member. Congratulations on the Regional Championship!

Showdown Fights: Breakout! Utah MMA Fighters to Showcase Their Skills

2012-02-06T07:39:00.003-07:00

Showdown Fights: Breakout is on February 24! Absolute MMA will have two fighters in this show, Koffi Adzitso and Steve Sharp.

Koffi has been training regularly and is looking good. His punches are blindingly fast and his conditioning is top notch. Koffi always puts on crowd pleasing fights so don't miss your chance to watch and be a part of the excitement. You can get tickets in Koffi's section at Absolute MMA.

Steve is working hard and refining his timing as he had knee surgery not too long ago. He is always a dangerous fighter and brings knockout power to his fights. Another great fighter that knows how to put on a great show. Don't blink when Steve fights because it can be over that quick. Get your tickets and cheer for our team!

Jiu Jitsu Seminar With a Grand Master

2012-01-19T09:29:00.005-07:00

Grand Master Flavio Behring will be here in a week! He will be putting on a Jiu Jitsu seminar at Absolute Mixed Martial Arts in West Jordan, UT. The seminar will be on Saturday, January 28, from 10 am until 3 pm.

Grand Master Flavio has a very experienced teaching style. You don't have to have experience to learn some amazing things about Jiu Jitsu and yourself. If you do have experience you will gain the insight of a 64 year practitioner of the art. All levels are welcome. The stories he tells are of the days when Jiu Jitsu was forming and growing in Brazil. You get to speak with a man who was there from the very early days.

Don't miss this opportunity to learn and train with a true master. Contact Absolute MMA at 801.255.1166 for prices and availability.

Schedule Update for Kick Boxing, Muay Thai and Kettlebells.

2012-01-18T09:45:00.008-07:00

We have made a few changes to the schedule about a month ago and want to make sure to get the word out again. The classes that have been affected are the Mixed Martial Arts classes on Tuesday and Thursday, Kick Boxing on Wednesday and Kettlebells on Saturday.

The 7:30 pm classes on Tuesday and Thursday have been changed from Mixed Martial Arts classes to Kick Boxing. These classes are usually taught by our Head Coach, Rob Handley. Rob Has studied Kick Boxing or Muay Thai for a very long time. He continues to train with top level Thai trainers like Sakasem, Ganyao Fairtex and Sangtiennoi. He has a wealth of experience and has a unique way of teaching which makes it easy to learn and then implement. All levels of experience are welcome.

Kick Boxing on Wednesday at 6:00 pm has been canceled. We will continue to have Takedown class at 6:00 pm which includes techniques from Judo and Wrestling. This class is also taught by Coach Rob. For those of you who don't know, Rob is the 2003 Bronze medal winner in the National Judo Championships and the Gold medal winner in 2005. Rob's approach to instruction allows the very advanced and the very beginner to grasp the technique easily and be able to use it in practice effectively within a short period of time.

Our Kettlebell class that was at 9:00 am has been moved to 10:00 am. Participation is growing and our students are seeing results from the hard work. This class uses the Sport Kettlebell format to improve overall strength, strength endurance, grip strength, cardiovascular endurance and joint range of motion. The class is technique based rather than strength based. This is a great way to learn a new skill set with resistance training and improve your overall fitness. Rob also teaches this class using the Fedorenko method. Rob is a Sport Coach and Master Fitness Trainer in the American Kettlebell Club organization.

Absolute Mixed Martial Arts; Grillguards Custom Mouthpiece Giveaway.

2012-01-09T07:26:00.009-07:00

Absolute Mixed Martial Arts had a giveaway contest in December of last year for a Grillguards Custom Mouthpiece. The student with the most classes attended during the month would be the recipient of one custom mouthpiece valued at $120.00. We had great participation and the competition was fierce. The contest was close for the first two weeks and then one started to pull away from the pack. Rebecca Rodriguez put together a string of days with two and three classes a day. Kick Boxing, Kettlebells and Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, sometimes all in one day are what contributed to her winning the prize and finishing with 26 classes for the month. This was a good 10 more classes than the closest runner up. Congratulations, Rebecca!

Grillguards Custom Mouthpieces are used by the majority of our students and 100% of our staff at Absolute MMA. We have found them to be the best quality equipment we can find in mouth protection. The mouthpieces are custom fit so we never have an issue with our protection being loose or not fitting correctly. Of all the people using these mouthguards; amateur and professional fighters, coaches and serious or occasioanal students, we have not had one come to us and say it was faulty or didn't live up to what Grillguards stated. Thanks to Grillguards Custom Mouthpieces for the great product and for supporting Absolute Mixed Martial Arts.

Grand Master Flavio Behring Seminar in January!

2012-01-03T08:05:00.018-07:00

Grand Master (GM) Flavio Behring will be holding a Brazilian Jiu Jitsu Seminar at Absolute MMA on January 28, 2012. We are looking forward to the return of GM Flavio to our school.

As many of you know, GM Flavio is one of an elite handful of people who hold the rank of red belt in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu (BJJ). The International Brazilian Jiu Jitsu Federation requires a minimum of 48 years of study before even being considered for the rank of 9th degree or red belt in BJJ. That's 48 years as a black belt. It takes approximately 10 years to achieve a black belt in most Jiu Jitsu schools. GM Flavio has over 64 years of teaching and training BJJ! That kind of expertise is not often seen in any field of study. We are fortunate to have such an experienced teacher share his knowledge with us.

Learning from a master, literally, is a fantastic experience. Techniques are broken down into digestible components and then chained together to provide a sequence which can be easily remembered. Learning from GM Flavio is fun, challenging and an experience that should be had. We always look forward to being a part of history with this living legend.

Contact Absolute MMA to be included in this event. You can call us at 801.255.1166 or visit our facility at 1338 West 7800 South in West Jordan, Utah. Information about the gym is on our website at absolutemma.com or friend us on Facebook for updates on classes and events.

https://www.facebook.com/pages/ABSOLUTE-MMA/194641106317

Absolute MMA Fighter, Koffi Adzitso, to Tryout for The Ultimate Fighter!

2011-12-02T22:27:00.002-07:00

Absolute MMA teammate, Koffi Adztso, is trying out for The Ultimate Fighter show this Sunday! Koffi has been training consistently and intensely for quite some time. It looks like this may be his opportunity to show the world his skills and take his game to the next level. Koffi, nicknamed "The Lion King", has an impressive record of 17-8-0. Koffi is an exciting fighter, well respected for his lightning fast hands and knockout power. Nine of his 17 wins have come by knockout or TKO.

Koffi has been a member of Absolute MMA for a few years now, adding his experience and work ethic to the MMA team training and Jiu Jitsu classes. He always is respectful of his partners and works at a level that both can benefit from. Koffi has one of the best work ethics around. Not one to take days off or relax during training, he always puts forth his best effort and is an excellent example of "work first, talk later."

All of us at Absolute MMA wish Koffi success at The Ultimate Fighter tryouts. We would wish him luck but we know his skill set makes that unnecessary. We look forward to seeing Koffi get his shot at the big show. Knock 'em out, Koffi! Do what you do best.

Absolute MMA Doiminates MMA Fights with Jiu Jitsu!

2011-11-21T14:12:00.006-07:00

Absolute MMA victory! Showdown Fights: Evolution proved to be a showcase for Absolute MMA fighters. Two of three fighters came home with a victory and all put on a good show.

William DaBell was the second fight of the evening. This was his debut fight in mixed martial arts. William was a bit nervous in the locker room but warmed up well and had a look of determination in his eye as he walked out to meet his opponent. The fight started out with each fighter looking for openings with jabs and crosses. William's opponent took a shot and got a big double leg takedown but William popped right back to his feet, defended a guillotine choke and the fighters exchanges punches. The two circled a bit with jabs and body blows being exchanged. William was put up against the cage and after some good takedown defense, got lifted and driven to his back. The round ended with William covering against the last 10 seconds of punches form his opponent.

Round two opened with punches, William taking some to the head and a few uppercuts until he clinched and the two ended up on the ground with William in his opponent's guard. William stood to pass the guard and got tripped up as his opponent grabbed both ankles to take him down. The position reversed, William defended punches and then applied Behring Jiu Jitsu self defense to finish the fight! As his opponent drove forward, forearm in his throat, William passed the arm to one side and applied an arm triangle. His opponent, busy defending the choke, could do nothing as William moved his hips out to the side until he had enough leverage to reverse the position and secure his victory in the mount, forcing his opponent to tap. Round two win via arm triangle! Congratulations, William!

Eduardo Rivera was fight number three on this card. Edurado fought a much taller opponent. Eduardo came out swinging and landed some early shots, pushing his opponent up against the cage. The two separated and clashed a few more times, each time Eduardo would land a few head shots. His opponent turned the tide quickly, however. Keeping Eduardo at distance he started to fire off punches which Eduardo was unable to respond to. Adding leg kicks to the barrage seemed to disorient Eduardo and he clinched with a body lock and went to the back to avoid damage. His opponent locked in a Kimura and took Eduardo to the ground. As Eduardo avoided the shoulder lock he fell into a straight arm lock which his opponent finished belly down, preventing Eduardo form anything but a tap to end the fight.

Denver Merrifield-Nirva came into this fight with a 3-1 record. His last fight was a loss and he was looking to get back on the winning side of things. Denver's opponent had a 5-6 record and was looking to do the same. First round the two touched gloves and circled. Denver's opponent threw a few punches with bad intention but didn't land. The two clashed while standing a few times with both landing some hard crosses and hooks. Denver ended up eating a hook which knocked him off balance and forced him to put a hand on the ground to keep his feet. He was rushed but sprawled beautifully and forced the clinch as he put the other fighter into the fence. A few strikes and some knees later, Denver controlled his opponent's legs and took him down, right up against the fence. His opponent scrambles and Denver takes his back, pulling him backwards. There is another scramble and the two get back to their feet, throwing punches as they separate. Denver catches a hard left on his forearm as he blocks and circles away. The next time the two go for punches, Denver drops his level and executes a beautiful double leg takedown. Denver's opponent looks to roll and escape but ends up on knees and elbows eating punches under his arm to the face and to the side of the head. He takes a couple big shots as Denver passes his guard, rolls again and catches Denver in his half guard and eventually full guard. Denver wants none of it and stands up to throw punches with ill intent. Forced to defend against the barrage of strikes, the other fighter rolls again. This time Denver maintains top position as he continues to deliver devastating punches which force more movement from his adversary. Denver flows through side mount, knee on back, knee on stomach, half mount, back and mount again as his opponent desperately tries to get away from the constant hammering of elbow and fists. Denver sticks him in side mount, bouncing elbows off his head and sets up an arm bar. His opponent defends by grabbing two hands together and gets rewarded for his efforts with a crushing hammer fist to the face. Denver places the leg back over his opponents head and finished the arm bar with little trouble to secure a second round victory! Congratulations Denver!

We are proud of all our fighters! Congratulations on a great night!

Jiu Jitsu was the finishing factor in all Team Absolute fights that night but Muay Thai played an important role as did Wrestling.! Come train at Absolute MMA for all your MMA needs.

http://absolutemma.com/

Absolute MMA Fighters Scheduled to Fight on Showdown: Evolution Card

2011-11-11T17:56:00.004-07:00

Here are William, Denver and Eduardo on the Showdown Evolution fight card. These boys look good and are still training hard. They just got done with a killer MMA workout at Absolute MMA. We are looking forward to seeing them in action!

absolutemma.com
https://www.facebook.com/pages/ABSOLUTE-MMA/194641106317?ref=ts
http://www.showdownfights.com/tag/evolution/

Utah MMA Gym Sparks Weight Loss.

2011-11-01T09:44:00.007-06:00

Ruben Cervantes is one of our student successes. Ruben has been a student here since March of 2011. In that time, he has lost 20 pounds and drastically improved his fitness. Ruben came to us with the goal of losing 30 pounds, going from 185 to 155. As you can see he is well on his way. One of our regulars for the morning class, Ruben trains four days a week, both Muay Thai and Brazilian Jiu Jitsu. He trains hard, pushing himself when his body wants to give up and breaking the physical limits he used to have.

Ruben is one of many stories at Absolute MMA that have achieved their goal of weight loss. There are many more on our team that could tell a similar story. The positive attitude and teamwork that is present every day helps us all to better ourselves and each other.

We are proud of Ruben and all our teammates who have made progress with weight loss and improved fitness. We look forward to sharing more success stories with you. See you on the mat!

Showdown Fights: Evolution to Highlight Absolute MMA Fighters

2011-10-23T11:05:00.004-06:00

Showdown Fights: Evolution is coming up on November 18, 2011. Absolute MMA has three team members fighting in this event! Denver Merrifield-Nirva, Eduardo Rivera and William DaBell. Denver and Eduardo will be on the professional card and William will be making his amateur debut. The fights will be held at the UCCU Event Center, located at Utah Valley University in Orem, Utah. The doors open at 5:30 pm and the first fight is at 7:00pm.

We are all training hard to support our team in this show. Come train and show your support. You can also buy tickets from each of the fighters so get in touch with them to get your seat at a great event!

absolutemma.com
facebook.com/pages/ABSOLUTE-MMA/194641106317
showdownfights.com

Absolute MMA Fighter, Jeff Nielson, wins with dominance.

2011-10-03T15:08:00.005-06:00

Friday night was an exciting night for fight fans, especially teammates of Jeff Nielson from Absolute MMA. Jeff has been training regularly and with intensity for this fight and it showed on fight night. Jeff faced an opponent with a similar record and experience in Cy Nelson that night. Both Jeff and Cy made weight, looking to test each other on Friday night.

The fight started out with a few seconds of circling and a jab from both Cy and Jeff. Jeff clinched and pushed Cy against the fence and got the front takedown to mount right away. From there it was a dominant performance by The Absolute MMA fighter. Jeff controlled position, threw strikes and remained calm throughout the struggle. Cy tried to move and escape which only got him more strikes or more controlled for his efforts. Cy did end up bridging hard which gave Jeff back mount to be held until the end of the fight, striking at will and finishing with a rear naked choke in under three minutes of the first round!

Congratulations to Jeff Nielson on his win and on a dominant performance!

www.absolutemma.com
www.facebook.com/pages/ABSOLUTE-MMA/194641106317?ref=ts

Brazilian Jiu Jitsu Student Spotlight

2011-09-29T03:46:00.010-06:00

Our student spotlight this month is Hassan Campos. Hassan is seventeen and a student at Copper Hills High School. Hassan is quiet, respectful and serious about learning Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, which he has been doing since March of 2011. He comes to class ready to learn and has been doing so quietly and well. The first hurdle any person has to face when learning BJJ is how to survive. Hassan has met this challenge and is starting to overcome it. More and more people are mentioning how difficult it is to submit him and how increasingly difficult it is to maintain control and position on him. Hassan also comes regularly to the take down class on Wednesday evenings at 6:00 pm. There also he has steadily improved both his offense and defense in this very demanding and difficult discipline.

In a time when many try to draw attention by talking loud or often about themselves, Hassan stands out by being quiet, working hard and respectfully seeking out instruction. Hassan asks intelligent questions, puts time and effort into practicing the repetitions that improve his skill and doesn't complain. While this is refreshing in any individual, it is especially so in one his age.

At Absolute MMA, those of us who have more experience share what we have with those who are less experienced. That means helping new people understand movement and techniques, gym etiquette and giving them just the right amount of resistance when working as a non-cooperative partner. Hassan does this well and without ego. He is an excellent example of a martial artS student. We are proud to have Hassan as a part of our Absolute MMA team.

Hassan just competed in his first Jiu Jitsu tournament Saturday,The 2nd Annual Wasatch Brazilian Jiu Jitsu Youth Tournament. He took 2nd place! Congratulations, Hassan! Well done.

New Historic Gardner Trax station allows easy access to Kickboxing, Brazilian Jiu Jitsu and Mixed Martial Arts.

2011-08-11T07:29:00.007-06:00

Attention all Absolute MMA friends and family in Sandy, West Valley, Downtown Salt Lake and the University Campus. Trax has just opened a new station at Gardner village, just a half block away from our gym! A train will stop every 15 minutes on weekdays and is a five minute walk away from the benefits of training at Absolute. For those of us that want to save money on gas and not get caught in traffic, this is a great option.

Here is the overall Trax and FrontRunner map.

http://www.rideuta.com/content/happenings.aspx

Here is the link for the weekday southbound Redline route.

http://legacy.rideuta.com/ridingUTA/viewSchedule.aspx?abbreviation=703&dir=0&service=4&signup=113&pdaView=False

This is the link for the weekday northbound Redline route.

http://legacy.rideuta.com/ridingUTA/viewSchedule.aspx?abbreviation=703&dir=1&service=4&signup=113&pdaView=False

absolutemma.com

Absolute MMA Teammate Leaves for Middle East.

2011-07-18T09:29:00.003-06:00

"See you guys on the flip side."
Ivan didn't say goodbye, he said he'll see us again. As you can see, Ivan is in the military. He stopped by the gym the other morning to let us know he was leaving for the Middle East. He was all smiles and handshakes, cracking jokes and talking about how he will be looking for a place to continue his training wherever he is stationed.

Ivan has been a source of inspiration to more people than he realizes. He doesn't do Facebook or check out videos on Youtube. He is not at all interested in how cool he is or how many videos he can post of himself. And yet I have had many people come to me and say how he has inspired them to work harder and eat better. I have had people come to Absolute MMA and say, "I saw that guy Ivan on Facebook and thought that was really cool. How can I do what he does?" People who are doing mediocre workouts start pushing themselves harder. When I ask them what happened they have said, "I felt guilty after seeing how hard Ivan works."

Whenever Ivan hears that people are inspired by his work, he says, "Positive choices bring positive changes!" He remains modest and maintains everything he is doing can be done by anyone. Anyone willing to make positive changes that is. He doesn't feel sorry himself or where he is in life. He accepts the responsibility for how he got here and for how he's going to get better.

We will look for Ivan's return and all the stories he'll be sure to bring back. I'm sure we'll hear from him while he's over there and we'll pass the word along.

Good luck, Ivan! "See you on the flip side!"

Grand Master Flavio Behring Seminar in August!

2011-06-27T09:55:00.010-06:00

Grand Master Flavio Behring is coming to Utah! Absolute MMA will be hosting a seminar by Grand Master (GM) Flavio on August 6th. This will be a gathering of all Flavio Behring Jiu Jitsu schools in the United States bringing students and instructors from Arizona, California, Montana and Utah.

There will, of course, be instruction from GM Flavio, one of the leading experts on the planet in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu. GM Flavio always provides details and specifics about all of the techniques he shares as anyone can attest to that has participated in one of his seminars. GM Flavio is an open and giving teacher and will share his wealth of knowledge with a first week beginner the same as he would a twenty year veteran practitioner of the art.

Promotions are always a part of the excitement at GM Flavio's seminars. We all get to share in the pride and accomplishment of our teammates. It's a great feeling to be a part of each other's success, knowing that we all rely on each other to improve. Their improvement is a direct result of working with each and every one of us. It is also prestigious to be promoted by one of the few Red Belt Grand Masters in the world. Bragging rights and authenticity insured.

Absolute MMA invites all who want to gain skill and be a part of a great experience to sign up for this fantastic event. Call (801) 255-1166 for details or stop by the gym at 7800 South 1338 West in West Jordan, Utah. Don't miss meeting and working with a Jiu Jitsu Legend.

Utah MMA, Absolute MMA Fighter Steven Sharp Wins Tournament!

2011-06-09T16:22:00.002-06:00

‎Steven Sharp, a mixed martial arts fighter out of Absolute MMA, made the WCFC show an event to remember. Steve took home the belt in spectacular fashion. Out of 16 fighters in this MMA tournament, only he finished every fight, never leaving it to the judges. Steve truly had a stellar performance. So much so that he never even got hit while standing with his opponents. Each round was 5 minutes and Steve fought for a total of less than seven!

The first fight was punctuated by a crushing left hook leaving an opening for Steve to take the back and finish with a rear naked choke. The second fight had some drama as Steve defended a takedown and the fence gave way enough for his foot to pass through the cage and lock the fighter's ankle. The fighters separated and the ring repaired, Steve seemed a man possessed as he controlled his opponent with a Muay Thai clinch and landed a knee to the chest and then one to the chin, dropping the opponent to the floor where he was finished by a huge right to the jaw.

The third fight was one with a lot of intensity against James Birdsley. The two came out with murderous intent, looking to claim not only the belt for the evening but the bragging rights to a much disputed claim about whose skills were superior. Steve crushed Birdsley, landing punches and kicks and defending takedowns. The fight ended by tapout as Steve stood over James landing huge punches to the ribs, shoulders and kidneys. James left holding a separated shoulder and Steve the bragging rights.

The last fight of the evening was greatly anticipated. Lucas Montoya looked great in all his fights, controlling his opponents with good Jiu Jitsu and ground and pound. He was in great shape and looked to have potential to be the champion as he submitted or TKO'd his opponents. Classic grappler versus striker match up. To Lucas' credit, he did manage to get Steve to the ground and land a few strikes early in the round. When the fight was stood up for lack of positional improvement and damage, the tempo changed. Steve landed some hard shots to Lucas via leg kicks and crisp punches. Lucas closed the distance and took Steve down only to fall victim to a guillotine variation from Steve's guard that had Lucas tapping almost as soon as it was on. Steve was victorious and crowned Champion! Congratulations, Absolute MMA and Steven Sharp!

Excellent weight loss at MMA gym in Utah!

2011-06-02T09:21:00.012-06:00

Pedro, "Hey Ivan! How are you today?"
Ivan, "I'm doing so damn good it would kill a mortal man!"

Hey gang! Remember Ivan? He was our student spotlight a little while ago. This is an update on his progress. As of June 1, 2011 Ivan has lost 30 pounds in his three months with us! He has also been directed by his physician to cut his high blood pressure medication in HALF! Ivan continues to be positive in every interaction he has with the staff and every other member here. Ivan is famous for his quotes as you can tell from the above statement. What a remarkable story. Ivan is one of many of our students who have been able to achieve and far exceed their goals as a result of their dedication, hard work, consistency and the training they receive at Absolute MMA. We are proud to have Ivan with us as one of many who have used us as a means to make positive change in their life. I know of many more Absolute Team Members who can give similar accounts of their achievements. We are proud of you all.

2011-05-26T09:45:00.004-06:00

Many of our children are not as active as we were at their age. Video games, Netflix, iPods seem to be where a good portion of their time is spent. At Absolute MMA, we include vigorous activity as a part of our Brazilian Jiu Jitsu and Muay Thai/kickboxing programs. Anti-bully, verbal conflict resolution, self-defense, self-control and respect are some of the concepts and principles we teach our students. Come try a week of kids classes to see if you want to be a part of our team.

http://www.absolutemma.com

So you think girls can't fight?

2011-05-19T07:59:00.003-06:00

Here's Rebecca and Rickey working on their Jiu Jitsu. Absolute MMA teaches Jiu Jitsu to men, women and children. Young and old, no experience needed. You don't have to want to be a fighter to learn everything the fighters do. Statistics show that women and girls who play sports have higher self-esteem, which leads to more confidence, fewer teen pregnancies, and a host of other positive side effects. Choosing Jiu Jitsu as your sport also increases your ability to defend yourself should the need arise. What are you waiting for?

Heel hook to knee bar.

2011-05-06T06:58:00.004-06:00

Here's a video of Chris Kennedy applying a pretty slick heel hook to knee bar submission. Nice work, Chris.

Far East Fit Tournament Results!

2011-05-05T20:30:00.003-06:00

Far East Fit Tournament Results

Adult Divisions!
Light Weight Adv
Denver Merrifield-Nirva 1st
Lance Gorman 2nd
Welter Weight Beg
Dan DeCort 1st
Colton Kynaston 2nd
Aaron Upwall 3rd
Welter Weight Inter
Gavin Allyn 1st
Welter Weight Adv
Chris Kennedy 1st
Steven Sharp 2nd
Middle Weight Inter
Pedro Escalante 1st
Michael Sjodin 2nd
Thanks to everyone who made it out!

Youth
Gannon 1st Place
Tommy 2nd Place
Under 18 Beginning Bantam Weight
Jake White 1st Place
Dakota Zucker 2nd Place
Under 18 Welterweight
Aaron Thomson 1st Place
Austen Symes 2nd Place
Under 18 Intermediate Light Heavyweight
Samuel West Thomson

Tournament Footage of Pedro Escalante.

2011-05-04T13:29:00.003-06:00

This is a clip of Pedro Escalante competing at a tournament we participated in on April 30th. We had a great time, won more than we lost and met some great people. The competitors from the other schools showed great sportsmanship and technique.

New Kettlebell class!!!

2011-04-27T22:56:00.003-06:00

We are proud to announce that we will be teaching kettlebell class at 9:00 am Saturday mornings, starting May 7th. These classes will be directed towards educating team members on proper technique and form for kettlebell sport lifting. This is a great opportunity to improve your overall fitness, stamina and strength endurance. We will teach basic movements, safety and proper form for all lifts included in the World Kettlebell Club ranking system. Come join us for an opportunity for a great workout and a great learning experience.

http://absolutemma.com/

Open Guard.

2011-04-12T09:14:00.003-06:00

William and Feki working open guard. These two work hard as we all know at Absolute MMA. William is progressing his open guard technique and Feki is improving his survival skills. It's never easy but the results are worth the effort.

Student Spotlight - Ivan

2011-03-25T08:26:00.004-06:00

I would like you all to meet Ivan, a newer student at Absolute MMA. Ivan is 50 years old and has been with us for 6 weeks now. He has made some significant life changes in the last little bit and decided to add physical fitness to the list of positives in his life.

Ivan came to us drinking two liters of Dr. Pepper a day! He has since completely removed carbonated drinks from his diet and has started to clean up his diet. Ivan was not in good physical condition when he began his training with us. He could not finish the rounds of Jiu Jitsu without stopping for breaks or sitting out a round. Just yesterday he worked through all four, 5 minute rounds with 15 push ups and 15 sit ups during the break! He has also lost 13 pounds in the 6 weeks since becoming a member!

Ivan always has a positive attitude and an incredible work ethic. He trains four days a week, no matter what. We all know how hard it is to keep working when the soreness and pain of training tells us to quit. We are proud to have Ivan with us at Absolute MMA. He inspires us and motivates the students and staff to give everything we have to improving ourselves and each other.

Starting out right!

2011-03-11T09:32:00.002-07:00

This is Deen. Deen is two and has been watching his brother Armano do Muay Thai and Jiu Jitsu in the kids class. Samir, the boys father, is waiting for Deen to be old enough to join the kids class but it looks like Deen doesn't want to wait. Our Head Coach and Owner at Absolute MMA, Rob Handley, takes a few minutes to work with an enthusiastic and hard working student. Looks like we've got a new champion in the making!

Saturday morning Jiu Jitsu class 3/5/2011.

2011-03-06T07:38:00.003-07:00

Some good work by Nic Johnson and Justin Mitterling. If you are looking for great Jiu Jitsu and/or Muay Thai training, stop by our website, http://www.absolutemma.com or give us a call at 801.255.1166. You can also like our Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/pages/ABSOLUTE-MMA/194641106317?ref=ts.

Workin' hard at Absoute MMA Muay Thai.

2011-03-04T13:18:00.002-07:00

http://www.absolutemma.com

Absolute MMA rated on top ten list.

2011-02-28T09:56:00.004-07:00

Check out our current ratings on http://www.the-top-tens.com/lists/best-martial-arts-studios-utah.asp. We love the positive feedback we're getting from our students! Thank you for rating us so high. We'll keep the high standards and progressive teaching methods coming your way. GO TEAM ABSOLUTE!

http://www.absolutemma.com

FIGHT KING "CONFRONTATION"

2011-02-11T10:08:00.003-07:00

David Komaroff and Koffi Adzitso will be fighting Saturday, February 12 at The Complex in downtown Salt Lake city. Tickets are available at the door. Come support Aboslute MMA's fighters! Both fights should be great entertainment.

absolutemma.com

Absolute MMA interviews.

2011-02-04T11:24:00.004-07:00

Check out this interview that Rob Handley did a little while ago. Camrann Pacheco and Pedro Sierra were the demonstrators for it and did a great job. The videos are about thirty seconds each and took a total of three hours to film and interview. Enjoy!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ih7m3KgCN3Q&feature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9kgNH3EU2p4&feature=related.

Master Flavio interview on Fox 13 News

2011-01-30T10:09:00.005-07:00

http://www.fox13now.com/videobeta/?watchId=22045c43-1440-4cd5-aaf9-b491e5c4fbe9

We were privileged to have Master Flavio with us this weekend for a Jiu Jitsu seminar. Here is a clip of the spot he had on Fox 13 News, Saturday morning. Thank you to all who came out and supported us. Sixty seven participants came to the seminar at Absolute MMA! It was fantastic to have all of us in one room.

Denver Merrifield-Nirva ready to fight!

2011-01-27T14:53:00.004-07:00

Denver Merrifield-Nirva looking ripped for the weigh in today! Denver is fighting in the Showdown New Blood show tomorrow night. Get some, Denver. We know you will perform well.

Absolutemma.com

Showdown.com

Workouts at Absolute MMA

2011-01-26T22:14:00.002-07:00

Friday night class!!

2011-01-22T10:38:00.003-07:00

This is a shot of our 6:00 pm class...on Friday night! Twenty five people in the gym for Muay Thai. The workout was fantastic, this was only the warm up. It's great to see the participation and how much fun everyone was having. Keep up the good work!

absolutemma.com

Master Flavio Seminar.

2011-01-19T09:47:00.004-07:00

Absolute MMA is proud to announce an opportunity of a lifetime. Train with Grand Master Flavio Behring! Grand Master Flavio will be teaching a seminar at Absolute MMA on January 29th from 10:00 am until 2:00 pm. Grand Master Flavio is known worldwide for his teaching methodology and his incredibly deep knowledge of Jiu-jitsu. He is the only living 9th degree Red Belt still actively travelling and teaching. Don't miss this experience. Register at Absolute MMA to secure your spot. Call 801.255.1166 with any questions you may have.

absolutemma.com

Showdown fights!!

2011-01-18T14:57:00.001-07:00

Just another reminder of our fight team's activities this month. Showdown, New Blood is hosting fights on January 28th. Absolute MMA fighters Denver Merrifield-Nirva and Steve Sharp will be facing tough opponents on this card. Both should be great fights. Come support our team to victory!

Showdown.com

Absolutemma.com

Denver Merrifield-Nirva Fights in Showdown!

2011-01-12T09:47:00.004-07:00

Denver Merrifield-Nirva is fighting in the Showdown New Blood fights on Janurary 28th! Denver is fighting Czar Sklavos in a 135 pound bout at the UCCUA center, at the campus of the Utah Valley University in Orem. This will be a three round, mixed martial arts match. Denver submitted his last opponent via rear naked choke in under three minutes of the first round. He is a representative of Absolute MMA and trains under Rob Handley. Denver has been training hard and we look forward to great things from him. Good luck, Denver!

absolutemma.com

showdownfights.com

FIGHT KING PRESENTS

2011-01-10T09:17:00.002-07:00

Fight King is featuring Absolute MMA's own Koffi Adzitso in a 170 pound title bout in February. Koffi and Brandon Melendez will fight on February 12th at The Complex in downtown Salt Lake City. Koffi has been a terror in this division and we expect him to dominate as he has for the last while. Good luck, Koffi! We look forward to you bringing home the belt.

Jiu-jitsu class 12/21/10

2010-12-22T12:06:00.002-07:00

Glad to see the participation last night. If you are a blue belt or higher, expect to do the self defense shark tank drill when Grand Master Flavio gets here in January. Practice now and practice smart. If you aren't a blue belt yet, practice now so you will be prepared. You never know who he is going to ask for a demonstration...

up next 10-16-10

2010-09-30T09:49:00.001-06:00

Absolute Fighter Denver Merrifield-Nirva wins at Showdown

2010-09-25T07:51:00.003-06:00

Pedro Sierra, Rob Handley, Denver Merrifield-NIrva, Camrann Pacheco

Congratulations DENVER!!!!! Denver Merrifield-Nirva def. Keaton Atkinson by tapout to Rear Naked Choke (RNC) @ 2:30 of Round 1

Great fight for Utah MMA fans

2010-09-17T11:16:00.000-06:00

Kettlebell Seminar was a huge success

2010-08-26T12:04:00.007-06:00

Catherine Imes and Rob Handley

We had some excellent Kettlebell training with Catherine Imes, Master of Sport. She visited to give some instruction on kettlebells and fitness.

Day one - Kettlebell Fitness Trainer Certification

Catherine started on Friday, teaching the Kettlebell Fitness Protocol. I attended this course to obtain my certification but little did I know the extent and level of knowledge I would receive! We got a basic overview of the basic techniques included of which we were already to have a good understanding. Even in this basic instruction there were great pieces of information which will help me and those I train to be more efficient. Hand positioning, swing technique, the importance of building basic technique to develop more complex movements and breathing were a few of the items covered. We then moved on to the Fitness Protocol. Catherine explained the methodology and reasoning behind it as well as several types of example workouts. We recieved our Certifications and a great deal more then expected.

Day two and three - kettlebell enthusiast and fighter training

Fighters and kettlebell enthusiasts were present for these classes. We had a large variance in the level of experience in this group. Participants had from competition experience and a few years of training to never having touched a kettlebell before. Catherine taught at a level all could benefit and learn from. She went over basic techniques and made us practice each one with instruction for each which corrected flaws in our practice. She stressed the basics and proper technique which is exactly how we train for Jiu-jitsu and Muay Thai. We did a mini workout to help identify rough spots and correct them. Catherine then held a question and answer session at the end of each day which allowed us to clear up any misunderstanding or difficulties.

Catherine is obviously a very knowledgeable coach and trainer. She was also very approachable and didn't hold information back. We are very fortunate to have her train us and will work hard to reap the benefits of this education.

-Pedro Sierra

Absolute MMA top Utah team again

2010-08-24T11:30:00.006-06:00

On July 31st Team Absolute competed in the Utah Grappling Games. This tournament was by far one of our best showings ever. Everyone had a great time, and there were no lasting injuries from the tournament. Congratulations to everyone that participated, but extra kudos to Bentley Garner who placed 1^st in the invitation-only “Grappler Fight Show” division, and to Riley Peterson who was the Absolute Champion, taking 1^st place out of the entire Men’s Gi Division. Listed below are Team totals and individual placing:

Overall Top Teams- 1st place w/36 points
Top Adult Teams- 1st place w/31 points
Top Gi Teams- 1st place w/19 points
Top No-Gi Teams-1st place w/17 points

Champion Grappler Fight Show
Bentley Garner- 1st place w/4 points

Absolute/Division Champion-Men's Gi
Riley Peterson- 1st place w/4 points

Gi Divisions

Advanced Men's Gi

Feather/Light/welter: 0-169.9 lbs
Cameron Dansie-2nd place w/2 points

Middle/Cruiser: 170-199.9lbs
Michael "Stumper" Brown- 3rd place w/2 points

Men's Blue Belt

Fly/Feather: 0-149.9 lbs
Riley Peterson- 1st place w/2 points
Denver Merrifield-Nirva- 3rd place w/1 point

Light/Welter: 150-169.9
Chris Kennedy- 1sr place w/2 points

Men's White Belt

Light: 150-159.9 lbs
Nic Johnson- 2nd place w/1 point

Heavy/Open: 200+ lbs
Jared Fackrell- 3rd place w/1 point

Women Gi

Middle weight: 140-159.9 lbs
Chelsea Kilpack- 2nd place w/1 point

Beginner Junior Gi

Teen Divison: 2
Chase Lazar- 2nd place w/1 point
Teen Division: 3
Aaron Thomson- 1st place w/ 2 points

No Gi Divisions

Advanced Men's No Gi

Fly/Feather: 0-149.9lbs
Cameron Dansie- 2nd place w/2 points

Men Intermediate No Gi

Fly/Feather: 0-149.9 lbs
Denver Merrifield-Nirva- 1st place w/2 points

Middle/Cruiser: 170-199.9 lbs
Jeff Nelson- 1st place w/ 2 points

Men Beginner No Gi

Light: 150-159.9 lbs
Nic Johnson- 1st place w/2 points

Middle/Cruiser: 170-189.9 lbs
Jeff Nelson- 1st place w/2 points

Beginner Junior No Gi
Teen: Division 2
Aaron Thomson- 1st place w/2 points

Great Work!! Click here for more results

meet MMA Business Staff member Ron Benefield

2010-08-20T20:43:00.003-06:00

Ron Benfield Joins MMA Business Staff

Richard Hendricks, publisher of MMA Business magazine, recently announced the addition of Ron Benfield as Advertising Sales Manager. Ron replaces former Sales Manager Todd Brehe, who stepped down for personal reasons. MMA Business is the premier business-to-business magazine serving the vibrant Mixed Marital Arts industry.

"We are sorry to see Todd go, he did a great job moving the magazine forward during our first year," Hendricks said. "But we are extremely excited to bring someone of Ron's experience and passion on board. He is a Mixed Martial Arts enthusiast as well as a marketing professional who understands the business-side of the sport."

Benfield trains at Absolute MMA in West Jordan, Utah. Prior to joining MMA Business, he owned a motorcycle aftermarket clothing company, and also spent several years as Accessory Sales and Marketing Manger for American Suzuki Motor Corporation, in southern California.

"I am excited to work with so many great MMA businesses, gyms and athletes," Benfield said. "This is a great opportunity to be part of a publication that is so focused on helping grow the MMA community. I look forward to working with companies in this industry, and helping them promote their products and services to our highly-targeted audience of MMA gym owners and trainers."

You can reach Ron at:

Ron Benfield

Advertising Sales Manager

MMA Business Magazine

801-473-6300

mmabizrb@gmail.com

Absolute Fighter Koffi Adzitso

2010-08-20T12:04:00.000-06:00

We want to congratulate our teammate Koffi "The Lion King" Adzitso for his win on August 6th! Koffi fought in the "Fight Kings" promotion against Lee "The Cobra" Doss and won by submission (punches) twenty-nine seconds into the second round. Koffi is a great teammate that always shows his support to everyone at Absolute; whether he is coming to watch grappling tournaments, other fights, or birthday parties for the team. He is a great participant on and off of the mat and we're grateful he's found a home at Absolute MMA.

Congrats Koffi, we can't wait to see you fight again!

Absolute fighters at "So You Wanna Fight"

2010-08-17T17:36:00.003-06:00

On June 12^th the promotion “So You Wanna Fight” made it’s first stop in Ogden. The show is promoted as an amateur event, where anyone can fight for the opportunity to win one thousand dollars; all you need to sign up is blood work and some courage. We had quite a few guys go out for the event, and all of them did extremely well! Chris Kennedy, Javier Jones, Bentley Garner, Jake Kenison, and Erik Groberg all had their debut fights in the ring that night.

Javier fought at 133 lbs in the MMA segment. His first fight showcased that he has amazing takedown defense, and stellar boxing. His opponent was hard pressed to land any shots, and he walked away with a win by Decision. Javier showcased some amazing jiu-jitsu in his second fight, he defended a guillotine and got the takedown, where he quickly went from side-control to mount, and then took the back. Javier put the squeeze on his opponent and won by submission with an RNC. For the final fight, Javier won with another RNC, sweeping his entire division. He walked away virtually unscathed, spare a few nasty cuts from long fingernails. Congrats on the 1^st place win, Mr. Jones!

Chris Kennedy fought at 154 lbs and also fought in the MMA portion of the event. In Chris’ first fight he put on quite a show, and finished the fight with a triangle choke. The second fight for Chris was quite the battle, but he ultimately won with a split decision. For his final match, Chris fought a really nice guy named Dylan that drove all the way in from Fillmore, and won the fight with an RNC; he brought home the 1^st place medal and a thousand dollars! In a true show of sportsmanship, Chris gave ten percent of his prize money to his final competitor. Congrats, Chris!

Bentley Garner fought at 187 lbs in the MMA portion of the show. Ben’s first fight was mostly a show of his kickboxing skills, with only one takedown to the mount, he beat his opponent before the round ended due to ref stoppage. In his second fight, Ben had two takedowns and dominated in the mount with massive punches to his opponent’s face. The fight went to Ben in a unanimous decision. It was during Ben’s second fight that the “So You Wanna Fight” rules became the most perplexing; in order to promote lively fights the fighters are given thirty seconds to work on the ground, every time a duo hits the canvas a timer starts, and if the action isn’t being pushed, both fighters are stood back up to beat on each other. During Ben’s fight he was stood up three separate times while punching the guy in the face, this was quite unnerving to our coaches, as well as some of the participants. In his third fight, Ben stayed in the mount for about a minute and a half, and won his division by unanimous decision, taking home the prize money and a 1^st place medal. Congrats, Bentley!

Jacob Kenison fought at 182 lbs in the MMA portion and had a stellar performance in his first fight, he won by unanimous decision, and took home a 2^nd place medal. Congrats, Jake!

Erik Groberg was the only person from the gym that fought in the boxing portion of the show, and he won by ref stoppage in the second round, and brought home our fourth 1^st place medal for the night. Great job, Erik!

We want to congratulate all of the teammates that went out to compete; each one of you did a great job in your first fight! Many thanks to all of the teammates that came out to support the show, the events aren’t complete without your presence. Lastly, thank you to our stellar coaches that came out to corner everyone.

Valery Fedorenko and Catherine Imes in Utah

2010-08-14T10:39:00.003-06:00

Hey Gang, heads up Valery Fedorenko and Catherine Imes will be presenting a WKC Kettlebell course Aug 20-22, hosted by Rob Handley and Absolute MMA in West Jordan, Utah. A special class for fighters is being scheduled now. Stay tuned for more information.

Absolute fighters in exhibition kickboxing

2010-08-11T15:52:00.003-06:00

We've had some recent amateur fights for the team, starting with Braeden Kilpack in March, and recently Terrell Sanders and AmberLee Watkins. All three teammates did extremely well, and we want to congratulate them for all of their hard work. Each one excelled in the ring, and although the matches are "exhibition only," we all consider you guys to be winners.

Training with Sangtiennoi

2010-07-07T10:06:00.002-06:00

As most of you know Camrann and I went to LA to train with Muay Thai Legend Sangtiennoi Sor Rungroj in his first ever U.S. Seminar Appearance hosted by Boxing Works, Hermosa Beach, CA!

Sangtiennoi is the head trainer at the world famous Baan Muay Thai Gym in Bangkok, Thailand. He is a former Champion at both Rajadamnern and Lumpini Stadiums, the premier venues for Muay Thai. In addition to his own fighting prowess, he has taught and trained numerous champions in Muay Thai, K-1, Kickboxing and MMA!

We continue to grow and learn as students, teachers and martial artists. Thank you to Sangtiennoi, Bryan and everyone at Boxing Works. First class opportunity! We can't wait to do it again.

Absolute MMA fighter Eduardo Rivera at WCFC

2010-06-10T10:21:00.003-06:00

SALT LAKE CITY — When it comes to fighting, Eduardo Rivera doesn't need much motivation.

He's been fighting on the streets all his life. For the last couple of years, he's channeled his energy and talent into the sport of Mixed Martial Arts.

"When we have problems, we call Eduardo," said his older brother Carlos, who worked his corner in his rematch against Sean Whalen Saturday night in the World Championship Full Contact's Proving Ground at the Rail Event Center on Saturday. "He used to fight on the streets with his friends."

But the Peruvian native who now calls West Jordan home wasn't sure he wanted to fight Whalen again. Rivera knocked Whalen out in 36 seconds in their first fight last fall at the McKay Event Center. So when Whalen's coach called Rivera's coach, Rob Handley, he declined the offer.

"His coach said he wanted him to keep progressing, not to do the same thing," said Carlos Rivera. "Then he said, if he will come fight, he will double the pay and give him a house if he wins."

And while it took him about four minutes longer to beat Whalen the second time, Rivera knocked Whalen out at 4:26 of the first round to earn the win — and a house.

"I am so happy about the house," said Rivera as he grimaced in pain from what he believes are broken ribs. "My father is sick and I rent, so this is good for my family."

His brother said he loves the sport as much as he needs it.

"He fights because he loves to fight and he needs it," Carlos Rivera said.

And Rivera doesn't lack drive or talent, said his coach Rob Handley, who trains him and two other athletes who competed Saturday night to a standing-room only crowd.

TO read more about the fight click here

Muay Thai Tuff Girls

2010-06-09T11:37:00.004-06:00

Congratulations Alexis Asher on your win against Kailin Curran.

Please vote for Alexis click here

Absolute Fighters go 2-1 in WCFC

2010-06-08T19:34:00.004-06:00

Koffi Adzisto defeats Mike Arrant by decision after the fight is stopped in the 3rd round due to an inadvertent eye poke that required 10 stitches.

Eduardo Rivera defeats Sean Whalen via Knock Out 4:34 1st Round. Sean Whalen gives his fight purse to Eduardo along with a HOUSE!!!

Brian Thomas defeats Robert Densley via Unanimous Decision.

To read more about the fights click here

Rising Star 35 - Tuff Girls Fight Night

2010-05-27T09:50:00.003-06:00

Vote for Alexis Asher and Sierra Dickens click here

watch the fights live Friday night click here

weigh ins at Bellator 19 Dallas, TX

2010-05-19T18:27:00.001-06:00

Absolute fighter TY LEE

2010-05-18T17:47:00.003-06:00

Scott Barrett vs. Ty Lee added to Bellator 19 in season-three tourney qualifier

A pair of heavyweight prospects will compete at Bellator 19 in hopes of landing a spot in the promotion's season-three tournament bracket.

MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com) has learned that heavyweight prospects Scott Barrett (9-1 MMA, 0-0 BFC) and Ty Lee (7-0 MMA, 0-0 BFC) have agreed to meet at Bellator 19, and an official announcement from the organization is expected shortly.

Bellator 19 takes place May 20 in Grand Prairie, Texas, and features the promotion's welterweight tournament semifinals and a non-title "super fight" between Bellator featherweight champ Joe Soto and Diego Saraiva.

A Georgia native, Barrett has won nine of his 10 career outings and is currently on a three-fight win streak. The former wrestler is fortunate to still be fighting after undergoing surgery for a detached retina in 2008.

Barrett's lone loss came to top heavyweight prospect and recent UFC signee Chad Corvin in February 2009. Eight of Barrett's victories have come by stoppage, and seven of those have come in the opening frame. Barrett had been expected to face Jeff Monson at an XKL event in March, but "The Snowman" backed out of the fight at the last moment citing back injury.

Meanwhile, the 26-year-old Lee brings an undefeated record to the cage. A former champion high school wrestler and collegiate footballer, Lee made his professional debut in 2006 and has reeled off seven-straight victories – five by first-round stoppage – to open his career.

Lee fought most recently in a June 2009 submission win over veteran journeyman Ruben "Warpath" Villareal.

To read more about Bellator fights click here

Absolute Fighters at WCFC

2010-05-13T10:25:00.006-06:00

155 Light Weight
Robert "The Wrecker" Densley (Absolute MMA) vs Brian "The Cannibal" Thomas (The Academy)......Both of these sluggers have been away from the game for a little while and plan on making a huge "dent" in the lightweight division now that they are back. The Wrecker at one one time was Utah's undisputed lightweight champ and Brian is Undefeated in the cage.

170 Welter Weight
Sean Whalen (The Academy) vs Eduardo Rivera (Absolute MMA)..... this fight is a rematch, similar to the Arrant/Koffi fight Sean was hit with a wild right hook that ended his night.... he wants nothing more than to beat Eduardo and has agreed to give Eduardo a HOUSE if he beats him again!! Sean is a multi millionaire and owner of "Empower Group"....he fights for the fun of it!!

130
Lindsey Barnes (Absolute MMA) vs Brittany Howard (Foleys MMA)......Brittny Howard had her first pro fight against Tandie Schaffer in Orem, she is a scrapper and one of Utah's top female fighters. Lindsey Barnes has been training with some of the best including Steven "Razor" Sharp. I am expecting one of the best "Girl Fights" ever!

170 Welter Weight
"Mad" Mike Arrant (Labato MMA, One Hit MMA) vs Koffi "Lil Rampage" Adzitso (Absolute MMA)..... this fight is a rematch, Mike KO'ed Koffi in 30 seconds with what Koffis camp called "a lucky shot"..Koffi asked for a rematch and Mike excepted. Dont blink or you may miss this fight!!

Recent Events

2010-05-13T10:13:00.003-06:00

We’ve been very busy at Absolute MMA, so the posts have been sparse, but we’re going to throw some recent event information at you.

During March we had two separate grappling tournaments that the team participated in. The first tournament was put on by NAGA (North American Grappling Association) in Colorado. For the tournament we had three competitors go out to fight: Denver Merrifield-Nirva, Jeff Nielsen, and Bentley Garner.

NAGA Colorado

Jeff brought his wonderful and supportive family along for the trip as he participated in his first grappling tournament. Fighting in multiple NO-GI divisions, he managed to bring home a Silver medal in the Novice Welter weight division, and his first Gold medal in the Absolute Novice division! We were all very proud to see Jeff succeed in this tournament; many first -timers would have buckled under the pressure from a nationally ranked tournament.

Denver Merrifield-Nirva decided to participate on a whim and drove out to take home two silver medals in the Men’s NO-GI Intermediate as well as Advanced Feather Weight divisions. Denver had zero prep time for the tournament, but still managed to perform optimally.

Bentley Garner participated in the NO-GI as well as GI divisions, and brought home

Three Gold medals. His divisions were: Men’s GI Blue Belt Light Heavy Weight, Gi Blue Belt Middle weight, and Men’s NO-GI Intermediate Middle Weight. Ben’s final match ended after a verbal submission from his opponent who was incapacitated due to a knee injury from a Judo Throw.

Congrats to all of the guys that participated, those wins mean a lot to the gym. Also, a big thanks to Rob for taking time out to support the fellas and endure such a long road trip to Colorado.

Utah Champion’s Challenge- March 27th, 2010

Below are the results from the Champion’s Challenge tournament that was held at UVU on March 27th.

AdvancedGi

Featherweight 3rd: Riley Petersen

Middleweight 3rd: William DaBell

White Belt

Middleweight 3rd: Eric Ciffone

Heavyweight 3rd: Dustin Bond

No-Gi

Intermediate-Men

Middleweight

3rd: Chris Kennedy

Beginner Men

2nd: Jeff Nielson

Congratulations to everyone that went out to participate! We had some first-time participants with Eric and Dustin, who both did extremely well. Eric was forced to fight several matches that lasted over ten minutes, and Dustin actually choked someone unconscious (his opponent recovered after a few moments, and was fine to continue competing.) Everyone’s hard work paid off, and we look forward as a team to the next event. Team Absolute had a strong presence on the mat as competitors and referees, as well as spectators. Keep up the good work!

Absolute fighters win at Showdown

2010-04-29T10:01:00.005-06:00

Absolute fighters Denver Merrifield-Nirva and Vadim "Dave" Komarov both won at Showdown

RAZOR WINS AT WCFC

2010-04-11T16:15:00.003-06:00

Steven "Razor" Sharp of Absolute MMA wins via Unanimous decision against David Castillo in a 3 round slugfest. People in the crowd were calling it not only the fight of the night but the best fight in Utah in a long time.

Student Spotlight....meet Nathan Malloy!!!

2010-03-25T20:20:00.003-06:00

Rob Handley, Nathan Malloy, Pedro Sierra

We’d like to introduce you to Nathan Malloy, who we all know as the pint size ninja that reads on the ring, and gets to live with our instructor (and his step-dad) Pedro Sierra. Nathan is eleven years old and has been practicing Brazilian Jiu Jitsu for almost six years; he is a first degree orange belt and has competed upwards of ten times. He has taken first place on numerous occasions, and while he admits that he gets nervous for competitions he states that, “Once you get in it, you can’t get out, so you work through it.” (Pretty wise advice for the adults that are nervous to compete!) Nate’s favorite submission is the rear naked choke and his favorite position is the rear mount, he concedes that he succumbs to the triangle choke more than he would like (he has a tendency to escape to the wrong side.)

Watching the UFC is something that Nate does when he “doesn’t have anything better to do.” Chuck Lidell is his favorite fighter, and in his opinion, he’s almost as good as his hero, Chuck Norris. He’d like to earn his black belt, and says that he asks Pedro questions at home, but Pedro cheats at home, “He tickles and punches.” Nate candidly tells me how much he enjoys learning from his instructors (Camrann Pacheco, Rob Handley, and Ricky Bax,) but says that all men vacillate between being strict and fun, “which isn’t bad, it’s just the truth.” He has attended seminars with Grand Master Flavio Behring, and enjoys them a lot. Don’t expect any family secrets from Nate, he informed me that he won’t show his friends Jiu Jitsu, because he wants to know how to beat others up, not the other way around.

Nathan is the funniest eleven-year old that I’ve ever had the privilege of speaking with, albeit, he’s one of the funniest people I’ve met, period. He seems wise beyond his years and possesses a vocabulary that should shame most adults. He would like to go to MIT and wants to become an inventor when he’s older. He tells me that he’ll do whatever it takes to become an inventor and get into his dream school, including continuing to play the violin. Team sports and the like aren’t among his favorite things to do, but he loves to read (Harry Potter, Percy Jackson, and Demonata,) plays video games, and listens to fantastic music (Zeppeling, Dragonforce, Tenacious D, and Black Sabbath.) All in all, he’s only eleven, but he reminds me of that hip/smart guy that you wanted to hang out with in high school.

Realistically he proclaims that he doesn’t know if he’ll compete in BJJ Competitions when he’s older, but he did share with me his personal motto for the sport, “First the head, then the heart; First ya think, then ya do. It’s like chess, you have to think about it before you move, “ I don’t know many people who can sum up the sport better.

Billing changes

2010-03-18T20:52:00.002-06:00

We are currently in the process of going through some billing changes at the gym. You may notice your payment coming out under a slightly different name. It will be on the same billing date and be for the same amount. If there are any questions regarding this manner please talk to Camrann at the front desk. Also, if you need to make any adjustments to your account this is a great time to handle that.
Thank you,
Camrann

Absolute Fighter Koffi Adzitso gets KOTC title shot

2010-03-06T17:57:00.002-07:00

Steve Sharp fights again April 3rd

2010-03-05T21:48:00.001-07:00

Trainers that Inspire

2010-02-12T09:54:00.003-07:00

Trainers that Inspire
by Terrell Sanders

Whenever I ask people what they think about Mixed Martial Arts (MMA), they usual respond with, “what’s that, oh yeah you mean UFC (The Ultimate Fighting Championship)”and then I spend about 15 minutes explaining what it really is. Its amazing how so many people are ignorant to the world of MMA. MMA consists of many Martial Arts forms of self-defense from all over the world. Examples of some disciplines are Muay Thai kick-boxing, Brazilian jiu jitsu, boxing, judo, karate, and wrestling. The most important aspect of becoming a mixed martial artist is having an experienced coach to train with. The problem with that is there are so many trainers out there that claim they teach real mixed martial arts but in my opinion, all they do is collect your money. I have two trainers that have had a major influence in my life when it comes to MMA. Those two trainers are Professor Rob Handley and Camrann Pacheco. Rob Handley is the owner and head coach at Absolute MMA. Rob has dedicated most of his life to martial arts and teaching. Camrann Pacheco is the assistant trainer and a professional mixed martial artist. I look up to Cam like he an older brother.

Professor Rob Handley is a 2nd degree Brazilian Jiu Jitsu (BJJ) black belt and has been training BJJ since 1993. He is also a Muay Thai trainer and has a black belt in Taekwondo and Judo. (AbsoluteMMA.com) My favorite quote of Rob’s is “There are two ways you can learn this, there is the easy way or you can learn it the hard way.” Unfortunately I always have to learn the hard way, which usually hurts the most.

Rob is probably one of the most genuine people I know. He’s a not afraid to say what’s on his mind. If he thinks someone is wasting his time, he’ll tell them, but at the same time be patient and willing to teach if they’re willing to learn. Rob doesn’t sugar coat anything. If he sees something that needs be improved, he will address it; such as form, technique or how much effort the fighter is putting into training. I remember a training session with my teammates. We were practicing Muay Thai clinching drills, which is a high- pitched condition and technique training drill. Halfway through the training session one of my teammates stopped training and sat out. Keep in mind the rest of us were just as tired but we just dug deep and found the will to continue. Ironically, that person sitting out had a fight coming up. So after the training session Rob came up and told him, without hesitation, that he should think about not fighting because he was always quitting and making excuses. I thought he was joking until I realized he was being serious. It was pretty funny for a split second till I realized the tone he had in his voice. All of us paused for about a minute and absorbed it in.

MMA training is one the hardest things I’ve ever done. The condition training fills your lungs with hot air and it mentally and physically breaks you down. In my opinion it has the hardest training regiments in the world of sports. Day after day my team mates and I put in hard day of conditioning work and sparring. What some people don’t see at our gym is that Rob actually puts himself through the same type of training. He even does harder work when it comes to Muay Thai pad work and kettlebell training. Time and time again I’ve walked into the gym in the morning and witnessed him training high paced kickboxing rounds till he turned purple. I remember every time he was done he would tell me that’s how I should train. He would tell me if I wasn’t worn out after every round that I wasn’t putting in enough effort and that I needed to work harder.

I can honestly say I’m more mentally and physically tough because of Rob. I would recommend him to anyone who was looking to learn how to fight. Rob is an excellent coach who won’t let a fighter get into a match that they couldn’t handle. He knows what he’s doing and that is why he has taught so many successful fighters out of his gym, such as Camrann Pacheco; a top ranked featherweight fighter in Utah, Steven ”Razor” Sharp; WFC World Champion, and UFC veteran Josh Burkman.

Other than Rob, the other trainer I spend a majority of my time training with is Camrann Pacheco, or Cam, as he’s referred to at the gym.I met Cam when I walked in the doors of Absolute MMA for the first time. He was sitting behind a desk working on a computer. Cam stands 5ft 9” tall and walks around at 155 lbs. or more. He fights in the feather weight division of 145 lbs. which means he has to cut weight before every match. Cam is one of the toughest, most skilled people in MMA that I know personally. He is hard-working and He constantly puts 100% into everything. He constantly studies other professional fighters such as Anderson Silva the UFC Middleweight Champion, to improve on himself and it shows in his fights.

There have been countless times I’ve been frustrated with myself and wanted to quit. Cam has been a close friend to me and continued to push me to improve and not give up. He has been like a brother to me and doesn’t let me slack off on any training. He has motivated me to be a better fighter. Cam has neither an ego nor too much pride in giving me tips that he personally uses. My sparring has improved because of constant sessions with Cam.

In closing I have had years of experience with coaches in football. From that experience, I can honestly say that Rob and Cam are the best coaches I’ve ever worked with. Their skill, dedication & time have been spent on training me properly & improving my confidence as a fighter. If anyone were to ask me for a recommended trainer for Mixed Martial Arts, I would without any hesitation refer them to all my teammates at Absolute MMA, Rob Handley and Camrann Pacheco.

Absolute MMA's Student Highlight

2010-01-30T15:06:00.005-07:00

Every month we’re going to be introducing you to a different member of Team Absolute. For those that don’t train at the gym regularly, we want you to learn some familiar faces before coming in, and for the regulars on the mat; we hope this will help you to learn more about your teammates. This month we’re going to share a little about Terrell Sanders AKA “T-Bone.”

Terrell has been training for about one year, and found our gym through a friend at work. He was interested in learning to fight Mixed Martial Arts, and based upon his friend’s recommendation, he gave our gym a try. After one week, he was hooked and is now a permanent fixture on the team.

Since starting at Absolute MMA he has been participating in almost everything we have to offer: Behring Jiu Jitsu, Muay Thai, Kettlebells, and wrestling. Before training he had never participated in Martial Arts, but was doing bodybuilding and some light cardio, now he has serious aspirations to become a MMA fighter, and is constantly trying to learn new things from Rob and the other instructors at the gym. Terrell is constantly improving his skills by sparring, and just received his first two stripes on his white belt during Grand Master Flavio Behring’s visit. When I asked Terrell to describe the atmosphere at Absolute MMA the way he would to someone that has never trained at our facility he described it as a place that is a little bit of “heaven and hell.” He qualifies this statement by explaining that he has never felt so proud as he does when he accomplishes something new in the gym, whether it is a new submission, or improvement on his kicks, but each improvement is preceded by a lot of hard work and dedication. Regardless of how hard it may be to accomplish certain tasks, Terrell has an optimistic outlook and a positive attitude that is omnipresent during training.

Terrell has recently embarked on his educational career at the Salt Lake Community College and hopes to graduate and start his own fight brand and franchise one day. When Terrell isn’t at the gym he’s hanging out with his buddies or studying. We can always count on him for some good laughs after a hard day of training, and the Team wouldn’t be complete without this awesome athlete.

-this is a monthly addition written by Chelsea Kilpack. Thank you Chelsea!

Meet Chelsea Kilpack pt 2

2010-01-22T19:50:00.002-07:00

Part 2 of our introduction to Chelsea Kilpack, one of the fine ladies training in our gym. Chelsea trains in both Brazilian Jiu Jitsu and Muay Thai Kickboxing. Part 3 will showcase her indomitable attitude towards balancing her education, work, family and training. Maybe we'll see her devastating head kick that's the talk of many of her talents. The following videos were filmed recently and feature a rare look at Grand Master Flavio Behring sharing his knowledge at Absolute MMA.

Grand Master Flavio Behring seminar

2010-01-18T09:35:00.001-07:00

Grand Master Flavio Behring returns to Utah

2009-12-28T08:30:00.003-07:00

Hey Gang!

Grand Master Flavio Behring will be in Utah. As most of you know he spends a lot of time around the gym when he's here so you never know when he will be teaching. Try to arrange you schedules to be in the gym as much as possible in January. I look forward to seeing you all put your best foot forward in January.

-Rob

2009-12-14T08:51:00.001-07:00

We’re implementing a dress code of sorts at the gym, kids! Starting January 1^st it is required that you wear an Absolute t-shirt while participating in kickboxing or no-Gi! If you are not wearing a Team shirt, you won’t be able to participate.

Shirts are on sale right now, until December 31^st^.

^{Short sleeve t-shirts are $10.00 and long sleeve shirts are $15.00}^!!!

^{Don’t delay, and buy}^shirts^{now! Also, Rob has managed to get a screaming deal on Vulkan Gis.}^{Vulkan Gis are lightweight and dry quicker than most; they will be perfect for the summer! They are also pre-shrunk, so drying them won’t be a problem.}^{Order them at the front desk with Rob or Camrann by December 31}^{^st}^!

^{White Gi-$12}⁰

^Blue^/Black^Gi^s-$13⁰

UFC 107 at Lumpy's Downtown

2009-12-10T10:07:00.003-07:00

Meet Chelsea Kilpack...

2009-12-09T10:15:00.003-07:00

Hey Gang. I wanted to share something I recently came across killing some time learning more about the folks around the gym, to my surprise I came upon this wonderful account of someone in our gym and her first experience with our gym..... Meet Chelsea Kilpack!!!

First of all sorry for putting you on blast Chelsea, actually as I write this I'm envisioning her threatening me with a head kick, for the picture attached to this but wait til you see her most current photos :), as its been nearly a year training with us at Absolute MMA.

February of this year was a month that changed my life. I joined a mixed martial arts gym, Absolute MMA. My little brother (Braeden) had watched the fighting movie Never Back Down and started training Brazilian Jiu Jitsu out of a small gym, with a guy that turned out to be a total whacko. When my mom pulled him out of the gym (which was actually a loading dock in an industrial complex,) he began researching for a new place to study; thankfully, he found Absolute.... read more here

Absolute Fighter Denver Merrifield-Nirva

2009-12-03T16:03:00.001-07:00

Sorry for the delay folks, but here is the scoop on Denver’s fight!

Team Absolute’s, Denver Merrifield-Nirva had his first fight (and victory) at the Ultimate Combat Experience on November 7^th. Denver has overcome some minor hurdles on the path to the cage; shortly before a scheduled fight in June his arm was broken at a Muay Thai seminar, and the night before the UCE show, another fight was cancelled due to a lack of blood work completion from other fighters.

Taking the fight at the last minute proved to be a wise choice, and UCE was very lucky to have such a talented fighter step into their cage. Fighting at bantam weight (135lbs) he proved how strong his Muay Thai skills are and won the fight by TKO approximately two and one half minutes into the first round. His commitment to training and his unfailing determination were plain to see, on his feet and on the ground. Congrats to Denver and a big thanks to everyone on the Team that showed up to support him!

No-Gi Grappling/Submission Tournament

2009-12-01T09:53:00.000-07:00

Hey Gang! There is an upcoming tournament in Heber; this is fairly short notice, but here is all of the information that's available:

Aggressive by Nature presents it's very first No-Gi Grappling/Submission Tournament
When:December 10th 2009 @ 6pm
Where: Wasatch County Special Event Center
415 South Southfield Road
Heber City, Utah 84032
For directions go to mapquest.com

No points and No time limit; Submission Match!

NEW SCHEDULE

2009-11-25T15:25:00.002-07:00

Absolute Grapplers top male & female divisions

2009-11-24T15:43:00.004-07:00

Absolute Grapplers top male & female divisions, score 31 points with only 6 competitors!!! Congratulations Gang!

Chamion Submission Challenge XIII
Western Regional No-Time-Limit Grappling Championship: November 14, 2009

Team Results
Overall Top Team
1st: Fusion Academy (Eddie Edmunds) = 43 points
2nd: BYU Jiu-Jitsu (Michael Pease) = 39 points
3rd: Absolute MMA (Rob Handley) = 31points
3rd: West Side Academy (Mark Johnson) = 31 points

Adult Top Team
1st: BYU Jiu-Jitsu (Michael Pease) = 39 points
2nd: Absolute MMA (Rob Handley) = 29 points
3rd: Fusion Academy (Eddie Edmunds) = 27 points

Title Champions
Absolute
Absolute Gi
1st: Ben Garner (Absolute MMA)
2nd: Fritz Borchardt (Paul Tom Academy)
3rd: Chris Eberly (Unified Jiu-Jitsu)

Men Gi
Middle Weight: < 185 lbs
1st: Ben Garner (Absolute MMA)
2nd: Tim Tcha (Mori Academy)
3rd: Josh Bateman (Throwdown Elite)

Men No-Gi
Feather Weight: < 145 lbs
1st: Wesley Clinton (Throwdown Elite)
2nd: Denver Merrifield-Nirva (Absolute MMA)
3rd: Chris Eberly (Unified Jiu-Jitsu)

Women Gi
Middle Weight: 145+ lbs
1st: Vanessa Alexander (Absolute MMA)
2nd: Julie Chamberlain (Champion Jiu-Jitsu)
3rd: Jessey Hester (BYU Jiu-Jitsu)

Women No-Gi
Middle Weight: 145+ lbs
1st: Vanesssa Alexander (Absolute MMA)
2nd Julie Chamberlain (Champion Jiu-Jitsu)
3rd: Kiera Holder (BYU Jiu-Jitsu)

Junior Gi
Division 7-8
1st: Isaiah Gonzalez (Fusion Academy)
2nd: Braeden Killpack (Absolute MMA)
3rd: Aaron Baxter (Champion Jiu-Jitsu)

Under-Belt Divisions
Beginner Men Gi
Light Weight: < 160 lbs
1st: Andrew Torrez (Mori Academy)
2nd: Ethan Estrada (Throwdown Elite)
3rd: Bret Gold (Absolute MMA)

Middle Weight: < 185 lbs
1st: Justin Showell (BYU Jiu-Jitsu)
2nd: Nathan Epperson (Absolute MMA)
3rd: Justin Imbler (UVU Jiu-Jitsu)

2-3 Absolute Fighters win! Cam wins by RNC!

2009-11-23T15:10:00.005-07:00

Congratulations Fellas! It was a great night of fights, every fight on the card had dynamite written all over it! In the first undercard fight, Eduardo Rivera defeated Sean Whalen by knocking him out at 2:34 in the first round. Camrann Pacheco defeated Eddie Pelczynski with perfect execution of his game plan designed by coach Rob Handley, Cam landed a straight left that sent Eddie to the floor, followed up by some viscous ground and pound forcing Eddie to turn to his stomach while Pacheco cautiously followed up with dominant back mount and sinking in the RNC in just 1:34 seconds of the first round. Steven "Razor" Sharp lost a five-round, 25 minute unanimous decision to Champion Rad Martinez. American Whu-Hitu fighter, Josh "The People's Warrior" Burkman knocked out Brandon "The Murder" Melendez at 4:14 with a vicious right punch that sent Melendez to his back causing the ref to jump in and end the fight.

To read more about the fights click here

Absolute Fighters at Throwdown Showdown

2009-11-19T15:38:00.006-07:00

Hey gang. Absolute MMA fighters Camrann Pacheco, Eduardo Rivera and Steven Razor Sharp return to the cage on Nov 20th at Throwdown Showdown. Camrann Pacheco faces Eddie Pelczynski in an exciting featherweight bout. Steven Razor Sharp returns to face current lightweight champion Rad Martinez in a much anticipated rematch. Eduardo Rivera faces Sean Whalen at welterweight in a undercard bout. Come out and support these guys and Utah MMA.

Absolute Fighter Koffi Adzitso wins at XC 13

2009-11-16T12:16:00.005-07:00

New Welterweight Champion Koffi Adzitso defeated Tallon Torres in just 3:11 of the first round by Rear Naked Choke. Torres did not tap out and went unconscious and his recovery sent the hometown crowd into complete silence, as he came back to his senses, which brought the crowd to an applause.

To read more about the show click here

AKC CLASSIC 09

2009-11-11T23:01:00.006-07:00

Congrats to the Absolute Kettlebell team. Rebecca Rodriquez and Pedro Sierra coached by Rob Handley got a first hand look at competition and the joy and pain of being on the lifting platform. The AKC Classic was a huge success, with many lifters achieving Rank! The women athletes probably outnumbered the men 2-1. Congrats ladies for an awesome performance. American Kettlebell Club Classic 2009 results here

Register for Champion Challenge XIII

2009-10-22T15:20:00.004-06:00

Hey Gang,

Absolute MMA team members use the code "absolutemma" as you register online at www.utahchampion.com. Team rates are $40/adult and $30/junior and each additional division is only $20. Team registration is extended one week past early registration to Saturday, November 7, 2009. Team discounts are not available at the door. Make sure and get registered soon.

News from Finland....

2009-10-20T08:51:00.007-06:00

I wanted to share some news from our friend Jamba (Yambah) in Finland. Jamba fought in the Fight Festival 26 on October 17th in Helsinki, Finland against Declan Williams (England), winning by submission via arm lock in 2:15 of Round 1. Congratulations Jamba!!!

A native of Finland, Janne Elonen-Kulmala (Jamba) has competed previously at Fight Festival where he defeated the 5-3-0 Dutchman Jordy Peute last year by decision. He then followed up that performance by stopping the Swedish fighter Nicklas Bergman by TKO at a M-1 Challenge show last year. Rated as “one to watch” by insiders of the Finnish scene, Janne Elonen-Kulmala (Jamba) continues to keep his unbeaten record intact, defeating Declan Williams making his mark in the very competitive European Bantamweight division.

Watch the fight HERE

team updates...

2009-10-19T14:30:00.003-06:00

Hey Gang.

Absolute MMA Fighters Camrann Pacheco, Steve Sharp and Eduardo Rivera all will be fighting on November 20th in Orem, Utah at the UVU McKay Event Center. Tickets will be available at the gym and each fighter will have tickets to sell as a percentage of the ticket sales will go back to the fighter you purchase them from. Be sure to get them early, this event has a good chance of selling out.

-Rob

Sharp losses yet wins Las Vegas Fans

2009-10-12T17:45:00.009-06:00

In the main event, IFL veteran John Gunderson (22-6) became the first MMA Xplosion lightweight champion, following his submission victory over Steve Sharp.

But Sharp (24-11) was the aggressor for the majority of the fight, winning the opening round with his relentless striking.

“He was throwing so many elbows, and they were powerful,” Gunderson said.

Sharp continued to let the elbows fly in the second round, even after Gunderson had taken the fight to the ground.

But going into the third round, Gunderson had a renewed sense of urgency.

“I knew that if he landed a good elbow it would cut me and that would be the end for me,” Gunderson said. “So I felt like I just had to go out there and take it from him.”

Gunderson wrestled his way to a series of submission attempts in the third, before sinking in a kimura lock three minutes and 17 seconds into the round.

“Coming into this fight, I knew that if I lost it would be from the kimura,” Sharp said. “That kid has a strong, strong kimura and he’s good at it.”

To read more about the fights click here

To see a slide show of the fights click here

MMA Xplosion Weigh ins...

2009-10-09T23:58:00.004-06:00

Steve Sharp made 155 easy. He's looking good, feeling great and very excited for this fight.

MMA Xplosion Press Conference

2009-10-08T17:07:00.003-06:00

The main event will feature John “Quick Guns” Gunderson of Xtreme Couture taking on Steve “Razor” Sharp of Salt Lake City’s Absolute MMA.

Sharp said he and Gunderson tried out for Ken Shamrock’s IFL team, but he broke his hand and could not continue with the tryout. Because of that, this matchup with Gunderson is important for him, he said.

“John’s gone on with the IFL and has done really well for himself, “ Sharp said.

“For me to do really well against him and beat him would be an honor and it would show me that I could have been there and I could have done what he’s done in the last few years. And it would show me that even though I just turned 30, I am not too old to fight.”

Sharp, who has gone the distance in three championship fights prior to this one, feels he has the advantage because he will not have to cut much weight for the fight.

“I’m not going to have to cut a lot of water weight, which is where I feel you can really hurt yourself right before a fight. I’m feeling pretty good for this one,” Sharp said. “I think it gives me an advantage when we have to go five rounds. If it does go to the later rounds, I think I’ll have the advantage, even though I’m the smaller fighter. “

To read more about the press conference Click here

Sharp fights for MMA Xplosion Belt

2009-10-04T17:01:00.003-06:00

Hey Gang. Here's a look at the title belt up for grabs at the MMA Xplosion show next weekend Oct 10th in Las Vegas, Nevada at the M Resort and Casino. Good luck Steve!!!

Sakasem Seminar

2009-09-25T09:30:00.002-06:00

Thanks gang for coming to the seminar. Good training and good sparring with a lot of guys from others gyms. Thanks Sem for an awesome seminar.

Absolute fighter Steve Sharp gets another title fight!

2009-09-19T15:55:00.003-06:00

Hey Gang. Steven "Razor" Sharp is fighting in Las Vegas Oct 10th at the M resort against John Gunderson in a lightweight title bout. Details to follow. Check your schedules and get ready to make the trip to Vegas that weekend. Everyone wish Steve good luck and come down and help him get ready for the fight.

Visitors from Finland

2009-09-16T17:47:00.002-06:00

JP and Jamba trained with us a few years back and out of the blue and much to our surprise they showed up for the weekend to visit and train. They had been in Vegas for the summer training with Marc Laimon and Cobra Kai. I got the chance to meet up with them in Vegas for the Tuff Nuff MMA show at the Orleans Hotel & Casino. Jamba fights Oct 17th in Finland.

Muay Thai Seminar with Sakasem

2009-09-09T15:40:00.002-06:00

Muay Thai Seminar
with Sakasem

This Saturday Sept 12th
$50 if you're a paying member of Absolute MMA

Team Absolute 2-0 in Wendover

2009-09-01T11:27:00.007-06:00

Congrats Gang. Another great night of fights. Thanks again for everyone coming out to support these two fighters.

Edward Rivera def. Eduardo Hernandez via tapout to GnP strikes @ 1:10 of rnd 2

Dave Komarov def. Bobby Trivitt via armbar tapout @ 3:51 of rnd 1

Absolute Fighters at Extreme Combat

2009-08-24T15:27:00.007-06:00

Sorry for the delay folks. Absolute Fighters Riley Petersen and Kyle Cross both both fought Aug 15th in Cedar City, Utah. Camrann Pacheco was scheduled to fight but his fight was cancelled at the last minute. It was a great night of fights with lots of up coming talent.

Riley Petersen(145)lost to Joshua Torres TKO 1st round ref stoppage and Kyle Cross(185) won in his MMA debut over Rodrigo Contreras TKO 2nd round ref stoppage.

Congratulations fellas. Big thanks to everyone from the gym who showed up to support these guys.

Next Extreme Combat show is Sept 26th in Nephi, Utah

ABSOLUTE MMA SCHEDULE

2009-08-07T11:27:00.002-06:00

stay hydrated

2009-07-22T08:22:00.004-06:00

Hey Gang.
Remember to drink more water throughout the day on training days. Even better hydrate beginning the night before. Don't wait til the last minute, pound the water and wonder why you are getting sick during your workouts.
Get ahead of it. Drink more water.

-ROB

Far East Grappling Tournament

2009-07-19T20:38:00.004-06:00

Congratulations Gang!!

Team Absolute grapplers competed Saturday at the Far East Grappling tournament. The team consisted of Ben Garner (1st) Chris Kennedy (1st & 2nd) and Vanessa Alexander (1st). This is Ben Garner's sixth straight gold medal in local grappling tournaments, Chris Kennedy continues to rack up wins in both intermediate and advanced divisions and Vanessa Alexander continues to put the squeeze on the ladies divisions with 2 tournaments and 2 gold medals. Ben and Chris grappled for 1 & 2 after beating thier opponents. To read more about the tournament and see more photos check out Vanessa's blog here

Thanks Gang!!!

2009-06-23T15:55:00.004-06:00

ABSOLUTE-BEHRING TEAM

FLAVIO BEHRING JIU JITSU USA

Thanks again gang for all your support in making Grand Master Flavio's visit a great success. He truly enjoys sharing his life's work in Jiu-Jitsu with all of you. Thanks Professor Tom (CA) and Professor Paul (UT) for bringing your teams. Congratulations Chris Kennedy, Cameron Dansie and Riley Petersen on getting your Blue Belts. You guys earned them through... Hard work, Dedication and Time!!