In SHOWTIME’s
much acclaimed “Super Six” super
middleweight tournament, Andre Dirrell
(19-1, 13 KOs) won by DQ over previously
unbeaten HyeFighter Arthur Abraham (31-1, 25
KOs) on Saturday night at
the Joe Louis Arena in Detroit, Michigan.
Dirrell dominated an inactive Abraham in
rounds one and two. Abraham came on in round
three, but Dirrell dropped an off-balance
Abraham in round four. Dirrell again
outworked Abraham in rounds five through
seven. Abraham was cut over the right eye in
round seven. An increasingly desperate
Abraham tried to land a KO punch and floored
Dirrell in the tenth, inexplicably waved off
by referee Laurence Cole. After Dirrell
slipped in the eleventh, he was punched by
Abraham. Abraham was disqualified by Cole at
1:13. At the time of the DQ, Dirrell was
ahead 97-92, 98-91, 97-92. Abraham later
insisted that Dirrell wasn’t down when he
threw the final punch. A shaken Dirrell will
be taken to the hospital for tests.
What
a night it was for me! I had been
anticipating the arrival of Gegard Mousasi,
current Strikeforce Light Heavyweight
Champion, for weeks. I finally got the
opportunity to watch him train at the
Glendale Fighting Club, and it was very
exciting!!!
I arrived at GFC around 7:00pm on Thursday
night, looking forward to watch Gegard train
with a handful of Hyefighters. I walked into
the gym to find Gegard putting on new
training equipment called MASS. Basically,
this device, similar to resistance bands,
was developed for general strength training,
but mainly to increase stamina since it
involves training movements and not just
individual muscle groups. The gear is
supposed to amplify the difficulty level in
an athlete’s daily workout. However, it
seemed as though it made no difference to
Gegard. What heavy hands this man has. WOW!
Every strike, every blow, had a huge impact
on not just the punching bags, but his
training partners too. It was a
thrill to watch such great talent right
before my eyes. Some people have learned
talent. Others have talent that is simply
innate. Well, Mousasi, started with raw,
natural talent and has combined it with a
tremendous amount of skill and gets better
with everyday he trains. He picks up
instruction quickly and incorporates it into
his daily routine. In the past year, he has
excelled significantly, and also gained a
variety of styles while training with GSP.
Gegard Mousasi, a worldwide known mixed
martial artist and kick boxer whose talent
supersedes any other in his division, with a
record of 29-2-1. I can’t wait to see him in
action against Muhammed Lawal, on April
17th. It was very easy to see why
Gegard is one of the best in his weight
class. Besides being a phenomenal fighter,
he is liked by those who spend as little as
five minutes with him. His athletic skills
and personable qualities make him an all
around great guy. It was definitely my
pleasure watching him train.
Losing
to Shad Smith a little over a month ago did
not sit well with Jared. as a matter
of fact, it made him mad. He took his
anger and was able to focus it in improving
himself and waiting for his chance to redeem
himself. The opportunity presented
itself on the night of March 25th, and Jared
took every step necessary to ensure his
victory. He stepped into the cage with
confidence, but at the same time respectful
of his opponent and his capabilities.
The fight showcased Jared's skills, desire
and heart. He walked into the ring like a
true Armenian Warrior draped in the Armenian
Tricolors and when the bell rang, he went to
work and did not stop until his opponent was
unable to continue in the 3rd round.
Congratulation Jared, on a great win!!
We have a
limited number of Gegard Mousasi life size
cut outs signed by Gegard (as seen below) in
BOTH ENGLISH and Armenian available for sale
at $300 each. The proceeds raised from
the sale of these items will go towards
supporting our HyeFighters. If you are
interested in purchasing one, please email
us at
info@hyefighters.com
Trainer
Ulli Wegner says his protégé Arthur Abraham
has done everything possible to be
victorious in Saturday’s showdown with Andre
Direll in his Super Six World Boxing Classic
Tournament at Detroit’s Joe Louis Arena.
“Dirrell is really a very strong boxer,”
said Wegner. “I think his surprise attacks
are very dangerous, so against him Arthur
must consistently implement the strategy
that we’ve developed in recent weeks. Then
he will win.” Wegner also stated that the
postponement and venue change from the
original March 6 date worked in Abraham’s
favor. “When we trained in Palm Springs,
[Arthur] had trouble finding his form,” he
revealed. “This had to do with the fact that
he simply had no chance to rest. He had an
incredible amount of visits from friends
living there. They were all very friendly
and pleasant visitors, but such things don’t
easily fit into preparation for a fight.
Once we shifted the training camp to
Kienbaum, his concentration on the fight
went up. At first, I had expressed my
displeasure about the date change, but to be
honest, March 27 in hindsight was a real
stroke of luck for us. In the seclusion of
Kienbaum, Arthur was able to focus and
increase his form.”
This weekend,
SHOWTIME will be available in a record 54.4
million households for an ALL ACCESS Free
Preview Weekend on SHOWTIME, SHOWTIME HD™
and SHOWTIME On Demand. From Thursday, March
25 through Sunday, March 28, viewers across
the country will have the opportunity to
sample the premium network’s award-winning
programming via linear service, On Demand
and in HD, including the Super Six World
Boxing Classic. On Saturday, March 27,
the Group Stage 2 showdown between
tournament point leader HyeFighter “King”
Arthur Abraham and Andre “The Matrix”
Dirrell airs live at 10:30 pm ET/PT (delayed
on the west coast).
For
those that don’t know, being the person in
charge of ensuring arenas are packed with
paying fight fans is no easy task. The man I
had an exclusive interview with, George
Bastmajyan, is not only a promoter for
Called Out MMA (one of the more popular,
according to recent polls, top notch
organizations that has promoted former UFC
fighters, such as Vladamir Matyushenko,
Alberto Crane, Roman Mitichyan, and Jason
Lambert), but also a very talented
matchmaker, former professional Muay Thai
fighter, and manager to a handful of
fighters, including UFC lightweight Roman
"The Emperor" Mitichyan. Aside from those
titles, he is also a well-known cut man to
worldwide recognized fighters, including
Olympian Demetrius Andrede, as well as a
popular coach at the Glendale Fighting Club.
But, wait, there is more....he also owns
Lights Out Promotions, a company
promoting many Armenian mixed martial arts
fighters and professional boxers. All this
in just a matter of 10 years, pretty
impressive I'd say!
Q:
After discussing the wide variety of titles
you hold, how does your level of success and
notoriety make you feel? Do you get more
pleasure from working with other fighters,
as opposed to when you were a fighter and
training with some of the best in Thailand?
A:
As a fighter, I started training pretty
late, at the age of 20. However, I set a
goal for myself to win a Muay Thai
championship in California, and did that in
3 years. I went around to Thailand and saw
the business end of it. I met some important
people down there, WBA super featherweight
champion of the world, at the time, In fact,
I helped him sign with an American promoter,
came over to the United States, won, and
defended his title. In fact, he was the only
fighter from Thailand to come to America,
defend his title and be successful. I want
to see people succeed in their own career.
So I take any steps necessary to help them
become champions or whatever their goals may
be. I go to the extent of getting in the
cage and helping my fighters prepare for
their fights, holding mitts, grappling,
whatever it takes.
Q: You
have such a jam packed schedule, yet it
hasn’t stopped you from adding more to your
plate. I understand you are a manager to
longtime professional veterans, as well as
up-and-coming fighters. Who are some of
these fighters whose careers you look after?
A: I have
managed the career of former WBA lightweight
champion, Yodsanan Sor Nanthachai, for three
of his world championship fights: one was in
Japan and the second in the United States.
For two and a half years now, I have managed
UFC lightweight, Roman “The Emperor”
Mitichyan’s career, who is fighting on April
29th. Artyom Hovhannisyan, Gabriel
Tolmajyan, and Arthur Bernetsyan's careers
are also managed by me. I look out for their
fights. I make sure I pick the right
opponent and venue for them. I also promoted
and helped Karen Darabedyan get his first
fights going, when he fought for Called Out,
before he went into contract with WEC.
Q: How did
you get started with Called Out MMA and what
made you decide to begin Lights Out
Promotions?
A:
Well, I’ve always been in touch with most
local organizations that involved in MMA and
boxing, including CXF (with Mike Rush as
co-owner and promoter), Respect in the Cage,
and other organizations that simply want to
put on fights and fighters until they are
recognized and called on by WEC, UFC or
Strikeforce. Pretty much if anybody is in
need of a fighter, I’m one of the people
they go to. I’ve got a database of over
700-800 fighters and I am currently
preparing the fight card for Called Out 3,
which should take place sometime at the end
of May.
My partner,
Edmond Tarverdyan, president and owner of
Glendale Fighting Club, and I, first started
as fighters, then decided that we might as
well promote our own shows. The first show
we did was at the Hollywood Park Casino in
May 2004. It was a co-promotion with Dennis
Warner and InSyn Productions which was
headlined by Edmond fight. We had a sell-out
card, so in December we decided to do
another one. Even though it was held three
days before Christmas, we put five Armenian
fighters on the card, (Edmond Tarverdyan,
Shawn Yacoubian, Artak Karapetyan, Ando
Janoyan, Tina Zakarian), and we sold the
place out. Our Armenian Hyefighters are one
of our main support groups. They all have
Lights Out Promotions logos on their shorts.
There is another company, MMA Pro Sports,
that I am involved with right now doing
really big things. I help them market their
product. For example, they are the glove
sponsors for Called Out MMA. I am also
helping to bring up King of the West, which
is an Armenian owned (Roman Kalanteryan, of
Main Event Gym, in Glendale) promotional
company, as a coordinator and matchmaker for
their events. Their next event will be held
on May 6th at the Circus in Hollywood and on
our card will be three of our Armenian MMA
fighters, Sevak Magakian, Haiko Zacoubian (a
young, new Hyefighter), and Vacho Avagian.
By the way, laugh out loud, I am also in
charge of hiring the ring girls. Oh, also,
we are having an event on April 23rd, when
we will have seven Armenian fighters matched
up in the cage, and part of the proceeds
will be donated to help Armenia.
Q:
What exactly do you look for in fighters and
their opponents? Do you choose strictly by
weight class, age, height, and fight record,
or do you incorporate fighting styles,
personality, and what people want to see?
A: In order
to put on a show, you need to know how to
set the tone. Every single event that I’ve
promoted, was the matchmaker or event
coordinator for, I knew that my first fight
had to be two guys that stood up and beat
the living daylights out of each other. You
want to get the crowd up. When we have set
the right tone at the start of the event, it
has always finished a success. My job is to
make sure that the audience comes back and
watches our show again. Since I deal with
the commission directly, I have to ensure
things run smoothly.
Q: Finally
to my favorite part: You are a cut man. What
exactly do you do to a fighter inside the
cage?
A: Laughing,
I put Vaseline on a fighter’s face and let
them go to the fight. In between rounds, if
a fighter has a small cut, the doctor
doesn’t say much. The fighter comes, sits
down, and I get in there. I take my
medications, my Vaseline, and get to work. I
have to stop the blood and make sure the cut
doesn’t get any bigger so the doctor doesn’t
come in and say, “I have to stop the fight.”
If I don’t stop the cut, it goes to the
cards, and the fighter loses by T.K.O. Knock
on wood, fortunately, I have been able to
stop every cut so far.
Fighters spend
weeks, if not months, training with their
camp. To many people's surprise, matchmakers
and promoters also spend weeks, if not
months, setting up the logistics for the
events to actually happen. There is so much
more that goes into a fight than what the
fans see when they are in attendance at an
event. George Bastmajyan is one of those
guys that runs around behind the scenes and
makes sure all the details that define a
shows success are addressed. Next time
you are watching a well matched fight, you
can thank George for having such a great eye
in finding talent and always matching up
fighters, pound for pound, to go up against
each other in the cage or the ring.
HyeFighter Art sian stopped Hensley
Stratchan in the fifth round of a scheduled
six-round bout.
Hovanessian dropped Stratchan with a counter
right hand to the head in the first round.
Stratchan recovered and tried to fight back,
but had no answer in fighting the more
polished Hovanessian.
As the bout progressed, Hovanessian landed
the harder punches, slowly breaking
Stratchan down. Stratchan's punch output
dropped with each passing round as
Hovanessian's increased.
Things went further south for Stratchan as a
cut opened over the right eye from a
Hovanessian punch in the fourth round.
Stratchan only threw one punch at a time and
those were few and far between.
In the fifth round, Hovanessian went on the
attack, landing more hard shots to the head
and body. After Hovanessian landed a
combination, Stratchan motioned to referee
Jack Reiss that he was not able to continue,
prompting Reiss to stop the fight at 1:45.
Hovanessian, from Glendale, CA by way of
Yerevan, Armenia, improves to 11-0-1, 6 KOs.
Stratchan, Nassau, Bahamas, drops to 5-7-1,
3 KOs.
Popular,
hard-hitting HyeFighter Vic “The Raging
Bull” Darchinyan (34-2-1, 27 KOs)
successfully defended his WBC/WBA super
flyweight crowns with a hard fought twelve
round unanimous decision over Rodrigo “Gato”
Guerrero (13-2-1, 9 KOs) on Saturday night
in the main event on a special edition of
ShoBox: The New Generation at The Show at
Agua Caliente Casino Resort Spa in Aqua
Caliente, California. Guerrero was
competitive early, but after that it was a
brutal display by Darchinyan, who battered
Guerrero at will. Scores were 118-110,
117-111, 120-108.
Kevin
Mulhall is the referee for the main card
opener. Thirty seconds pass without the
fighters touching. Both feinting.
Palaszewski lands a kick to the leg.
HyeFighter Darabedyan backs him into the
cage and lights him up with lefts and rights
before dumping him to the canvas.
Palaszewski moves to his closed guard.
Palaszewski climbs up with legs. Darabedyan
postures out and punches. Palaszewski
circles away from the cage. Darabedyan in
his opponent’s half guard. 2:40 to go.
Darabedyan delivers some short hammerfists
and bigger punches before Palaszewski gets
his closed guard back. Darabedyan breaks
Palaszewski’s guard open and lands more
punches. Palaszewski not close to a
submission, only getting hit, and getting
hit hard when he opens his guard. A minute
to go. Palaszewski opens his guard and tries
to hook an arm. Then Palaszewski sinks a
straight armbar, and Darabedyan tries to
fight it off, but Palaszewski taps him for
the win. Official time is 4:40.
Popular,
hard-hitting Vic “The Raging Bull’’ Darchinyan
(33-2-1, 27 KOs) will defend his World Boxing
Council/World Boxing Association (WBC/WBA) super
flyweight crowns against streaking Rodrigo “Gato’’
Guerrero (13-1-1, 9 KOs) in the main event on a
special edition of ShoBox: The New Generation on
SHOWTIME® this Saturday, March 6 (9 p.m. ET/PT,
delayed on the West Coast) at The Show at Agua
Caliente Casino Resort Spa.
An Australian-based
Armenian, the exciting Darchinyan will be making
his fifth consecutive appearance on SHOWTIME and
11th overall. He has scored knockouts in 14 of
his last 15 victories. The
switching-hitting Guerrero, of Ciudad Neza,
Mexico, has won 11 in a row. This will be his
first start on SHOWTIME and in the United
States.
Vic Darchinyan:
“SHOWTIME is like my
home and I look forward to defending my title
again on SHOWTIME and fighting in front of my
fans at Agua Caliente.
“This is a good
fight for me and a fight where I will showcase
all my skills – not just a punch. I feel really
good and had a great training camp. I plan to do
everything — box, think and stay calm.
“Guerrero is a good
kid and he’s fought a couple good fighters and
done very well. There’s no way I’m going to
underestimate him.
“I think he has a
future in boxing, but it won’t begin until after
I beat him on Saturday.
“I don’t want to
talk about any possible fights for me in the
future. My main focus is on Guerrero and
defeating a determined, young opponent. I am
here and ready to do my job.
“If the knockout
comes, it comes. But it is going to come. He
will feel my power.’’
Special thanks to
Nazo Boxing for the pictures above
It's official:
Strikeforce will make its return to CBS on
April 17 with three title fights, but no
Fedor Emelianenko.
Strikeforce and
CBS today confirmed earlier reports of a
Nashville card with Dan Henderson vs. Jake
Shields as the main event, preceded by
HyeFighter Gegard Mousasi and reigning
LHW Champion vs. Muhammed Lawal and Shinya
Aoki vs. Gilbert Melendez. Shields, Mousasi
and Melendez hold Strikeforce's title belts
for the middleweight, light heavyweight and
lightweight divisions.
Except for Lawal,
all the fighters in those championship bouts
are in the top 10 for their weight classes
in the USA TODAY/SB Nation consensus
rankings. Henderson and Aoki occupy the No.
2 slots for middleweights and lightweights.
Lawal is No. 21 among light heavyweights.
The card,
scheduled to air live on CBS, will not
feature top-ranked heavyweight Fedor
Emelianenko, whose management has said he
will not be fighting until May, despite
Strikeforce's wish to have him on the
broadcast. Sherdog.com previously reported
that Emelianenko's main promoter, M-1
Global, wants to renegotiate its contract
with Strikeforce.
HyeFighter
Georgi Karakhanyan has signed an exclusive
contract with BELLATOR FIGHTING
CHAMPIONSHIPS: Season 2 which kicks off
April 8th, 2010.
Bellator Fighting Championships will
broadcast its second and third seasons on
FOX Sports Net, NBC, Telemundo
and The Score Net TV in Canada
through a unique and landscape-altering
alliance. Bellator’s first-of-its-kind,
tournament-based mixed martial arts (MMA)
promotion will be available nationwide for
24 weeks in 2010 to 112 million homes
through NBC, 82 million homes through
FOX Sports Net (FSN) and its regional sports
network affiliates, 62 million homes
through Telemundo, as well as to 40
million homes in Canada through The
Score Net TV.
Sponsorship
opportunities are available for your
company, if you would like to reach OVER 250
MILLION VIEWERS, and help our HyeFighters,
sponsoring Georgi would be ideal. If
interested, please contact us at
info@hyefighters.com
SHOWTIME’s
Super Six super middleweight tournament
clash between King Arthur Abraham (31-0, 25
KOs) and Andre Dirrell (18-1, 13 KOs) has
landed in Detroit. The bout, originally
slated for March 6 in Rancho Mirage,
California, will instead take place March 27
at the Joe Louis Arena. Dirrell will
definitely have the home advantage as he
hails from nearby Flint, Michigan. The
Armenia-born German Abraham, would have been
the likely fan favorite in Southern
California with the support of the large
Armenian population there.
WBO #6
middleweight HyeFighter Gennady Martirosyan
(20-2, 9 KOs) retained his WBO
Europe title for the first time after a
hard-fought stoppage of comebacking French
veteran Aziz Daari (24-13-4, 20 KOs) on
Saturday night at the Atmosphere Night Club
in Saint Petersburg, Russia. Martirosyan
didn’t show his usual aggressiveness but
preferred to fight in Abraham-like style by
boxing in spurts and covering in a
shell-like defense for the rest of the time.
Bigger and stronger Daari gave Martirosyan
some scary moments in the midst of the fight
when it seemed Gennady was gassing out
quickly. He, however, found some intrinsic
resources and increased his tempo after the
seventh round. Round eight was all
Martirosyan; in the ninth stanza Daari
charged forward and had some mild success
which proved to be his last stand in the
bout. In round ten, Martirosyan marched
forward and finally landed a huge left
uppercut, which forced the Frenchman down
after a few more blows on accumulation of
punches. Heavily bleeding, Daari wobblingly
stood up and survived the round only to
retire on his stool during the break.
A
fighter’s essence can often be summarized in
one word. For Karen Darabedyan, “chill”
seems most fitting.
No mental switch needs flipping when this
maven of mellow steps into the cage. The
Californian’s flat-line demeanor stands out
because he wears it equally both inside and
outside of competition. Unlike many of his
peers, the 155-pound WEC fighter can
steamroll an opponent with the same
nonchalance that he displays while grocery
shopping or talking on the phone with a
reporter.
“I’m never fired up,” conceded Darabedyan,
who will fight veteran Bart Palaszewski on
March 6 in Columbus, Ohio. “I never say,
‘Time to smash,’ ‘Time to destroy.’ I’m calm
in the cage and I’m never wild. Whenever you
get mad you get tired pretty fast, your body
tenses up. So I try to keep really calm.”
For the uninitiated, Darabedyan is a
dangerous, Karo Parisyan-style grappler who
curiously prefers to settle matters with his
fists, as he did during his WEC debut when
he exhibited some seriously polished boxing
skills while outclassing “Razor” Rob
McCullough. Making the split decision
victory all the more impressive, Darabedyan
was a replacement fighter who had only one
month to prepare for the former WEC
lightweight champion.
As he braces for yet another seasoned
veteran – Palaszewski has 32 wins and 45
fights – the soft-spoken Darabedyan is
promising fans a much improved version of
himself. By the time he arrives in Columbus,
he will have endured nine weeks of grueling
two-a-day practice sessions, including
regular sparring sessions at renowned boxing
trainer Freddie Roach’s Wild Card Gym.
“I spar with pro boxers a couple days a
week,” said Darabedyan, who owns the
distinction of holding black belts in three
martial arts: judo, tae kwon do and karate.
“I mostly go over there to get the rush of
being in a different place and not knowing
the people so it feels like a fight.”
Darabedyan has a 9-1 record (three
knockouts, one submission), but doesn’t feel
the gap in experience will be a factor
against Palaszewski, who is coming off a big
win over rising lightweight prospect Anthony
Pettis. Palaszewski is a talented striker, a
brown belt in Brazilian jiu-jitsu and owns a
sturdy chin.
“He’s a tough guy and he’s got 15 knockouts
and 9 submissions, so he’s pretty
well-rounded,” Darabedyan said flatly. “But
I truly believe I have the edge anywhere the
fight goes. I have the better wrestling
game, ground game and my striking is
better.”
Palaszewski also has a fondness for standup
exchanges, but Darabedyan refuses to make
any presumptions about how the fight will
likely play out.
“I have a pretty strong ground game but I
feel like I need to keep it a secret for
now,” he said. “I would love to keep it
standing and if I need to take him down then
I will. But it’s a fight and things can
change at any second. One punch could change
the entire fight. But I want to keep it
standing. For this fight I’ve had a full
training camp … I believe I could stand with
a striker, I could grapple a grappler and
wrestle a wrestler.”
Fighting out of Glendale, Calif., Darabedyan
is a training partner of Manny Gamburyan and
protégé of WEC 11/18 Karen Darabedyan vs Rob
McCulloughhighly-regarded coaches Gokor
Chivichyan and Roman Kalantaryan (who were
instrumental in making Karo Parisyan a UFC
star). Though he won his last fight,
Darabedyan said he came away regretting how
he played it safe in the third round against
McCullough. It didn’t hit him until it was
time for the judges’ decisions to be
announced and one judge scored it 30-27 in
favor of McCullough.
“I was kind of shocked and thought, ‘Holy
crap, I’m about to lose here,’” Darabedyan
recalled. “There were a lot of leg kicks
that he landed that I probably should have
checked. But most of the kicks he landed
there was not too much power behind them … I
felt kind of tired toward the end of the
second round. I felt like I could have
exploded more and done more. I came into the
fights with two cuts on my eyes that I
suffered in training and I was afraid of
them re-opening. I got cut during the fight
and that messed me up mentally.
“The reason why I held back is because I
thought I had clearly won the first and the
second round. That’s why I held back in the
third round and played it safe. I thought I
had the fight already won. But then once I
started hearing the judges’ decision …”
To bolster his stamina, and to try and
produce a less suspenseful outcome against
Palaszewski, Darabedyan is working with a
new strength and conditioning coach.
“I’m going through hell,” he said. “I’m
coming in prepared. I’ve never trained this
hard for a fight. In this fight I really
want to push the pace, I don’t want it to go
to a decision. If it is a decision I want it
to be unanimous. It’s always good to have a
short night.”
“This time around I have enough time to get
my weight down. This will enable me to push
the pace more and not hesitate. I’ve never
done strength and conditioning but now I’ve
incorporated it into my workouts. I feel a
lot better. Now I don’t have to hold back
when I’m fighting, I don’t have to worry
about the third round. My gas tank will be
really good.”
That is as close as Darabedyan gets to
talking smack, and he doesn’t plan on
changing his chilled-out ways.
“I have a lot of expectations for myself but
I never let out stuff, I always stay pretty
humble,” he said. “I never say, ‘I’m going
to go and destroy somebody.’ I keep it nice
and quiet and let my talking happen in the
ring. Because no matter how hard you train
anything can happen in a fight so I never
try to talk big. But I’m coming into this
fight so confident and prepared.”
CHICAGO, Ill.
(February 23, 2010) - With its first Season
2 event now less than eight weeks away,
Bellator Fighting Championships today
revealed the Round 1 matchups for its
much-anticipated, nationally-televised
featherweight tournament.
The four fights will take place during
Bellator's first two Season 2 events on
April 8th at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel &
Casino in Hollywood, Fla., and on April 15th
at the historic Chicago Theatre. Bellator
will also conduct tournaments at 155, 170
and 185 lbs. during Season 2 with the
winners in each division being declared No.
1 contenders to the current roster of
Bellator champions. Fighter pairings for
those tournaments will be announced within
the coming weeks.
The
featherweight (145 lbs.) matchups are as
follows: April 8th * Joe
Warren (2-1) vs. Eric Marriott (17-2) * Georgi
Karakhanyan (12-1-1) vs. Bao Quach (17-9-1)
April 15th
* Wilson Reis (9-1) vs. Shad Lierley (5-2)
* Patricio Pitbull (12-0) vs. William Romero
(5-0)
Each of the
fights will be broadcast live in prime time
on FOX Sports Net. Highlights will be shown
the following Saturday night in special
action-packed shows on NBC and Telemundo.
Mixed Martial Arts:
A Misconceived Perception
of a Legitimate Discipline
by: Vania
Asmerian - 02/20/10
Mixed Martial
Arts fighters are commonly stereotyped as
being violent, and are often labeled "angry,
aggressive, and emotionally driven”. In
order to examine where these misconceptions
stem from, I have spent several
weeks getting to know them to better
understand what makes these combat sports
athletes who they are and what they do. My
time spent with them, has led me
to the conclusion that not only are fighters
falsely stereotyped, but also in fact, are
no different then you or me: good people
simply trying to achieve their goals. In
addition, what I found most often goes
unnoticed, is the heart it takes for these
fighters to pursue their dreams. It is not
only physically exhausting, but also
mentally draining.
This underlying
commonality led me to question the Hyefighters’ convictions, which in turn,
drove my curiosity further. Why would
anyone subject themselves to this level of
affliction? What would drive a man to stand
face to face in a ring or a cage with another man and
choose to use brutal violence as a barometer
for victory? For Hyefighter WEC lightweight Manny
Gamburyan, it was an escape from his
troubles in school. In the safety of the
cage, he found refuge, a place to release
his frustrations. He gained focus and
learned to regain control of his entire
being. “I was always getting into trouble,
so finally my dad told me that I need to go
train and took me to Gokor Chivichyan
Hayastan Academy, in North Hollywood, and
that changed my life.” For another
Hyefighter, WEC lightweight Karen
Darabedyan, training began at a very early
time in his life, at the tender age of five,
in many different techniques, such as
karate, boxing, judo, stand-up and
grappling. He, along with his fellow
HyeFighters, such as Bellator featherweight
Georgi Karakhanyan and Strikeforce
light-heavyweight Champion Gegard Mousasi, are to
maintain a strict diet, train intensively,
and endure the strikes and blows that come
with the sport. It is a lifestyle. As the
mainstream market continues struggling to
accept and follow MMA, I feel it is my
responsibility to shine light on this art
form and help tear town the "bruitish"
stereotypes that surround the sport.
So, I dug deeper into the realms of the the
daily life of an Armenian fighter. It was
not all glitz and glamour. The twice-a-day
tedious training takes a major toll on an
individual's body, both physically and
mentally. The change in diet to cut weight,
sometimes up to 20 pounds, is overwhelming
at times, and quite difficult. The change in
lifestyle is in itself tiresome. Yet, the
rush of adrenaline and sweet taste of
victory are an unmatched reward to the
energy that goes into transforming into a
professional fighter. Having a dream that
comes to life is something that everyone
strives for in this world. The pursuit of
happiness has inspired many Armenian
fighters to plot their paths to greatness, or
downfall, depending on their level of
commitment. I now thoroughly understand. My
goal is to allow others to step into a
fighters shoes and try to appreciate their
chosen profession as an art form and not a form
of attack.
Editor's note:
Vania Asmerian will be contributing
regularly to HyeFighters.com
t
the Joe Louis Arena in Detroit, Michigan.
Dirrell dominated an inactive Abraham in
rounds one and two. Abraham came on in round
three, but Dirrell dropped an off-balance
Abraham in round four. Dirrell again
outworked Abraham in rounds five through
seven. Abraham was cut over the right eye in
round seven. An increasingly desperate
Abraham tried to land a KO punch and floored
Dirrell in the tenth, inexplicably waved off
by referee Laurence Cole. After Dirrell
slipped in the eleventh, he was punched by
Abraham. Abraham was disqualified by Cole at
1:13. At the time of the DQ, Dirrell was
ahead 97-92, 98-91, 97-92. Abraham later
insisted that Dirrell wasn’t down when he
threw the final punch. A shaken Dirrell will
be taken to the hospital for tests.
What
a night it was for me! I had been
anticipating the arrival of Gegard Mousasi,
current Strikeforce Light Heavyweight
Champion, for weeks. I finally got the
opportunity to watch him train at the
Glendale Fighting Club, and it was very
exciting!!! 
Losing
to Shad Smith a little over a month ago did
not sit well with Jared. as a matter
of fact, it made him mad. He took his
anger and was able to focus it in improving
himself and waiting for his chance to redeem
himself. The opportunity presented
itself on the night of March 25th, and Jared
took every step necessary to ensure his
victory. He stepped into the cage with
confidence, but at the same time respectful
of his opponent and his capabilities.
The fight showcased Jared's skills, desire
and heart. He walked into the ring like a
true Armenian Warrior draped in the Armenian
Tricolors and when the bell rang, he went to
work and did not stop until his opponent was
unable to continue in the 3rd round.
Congratulation Jared, on a great win!!
Trainer
Ulli Wegner says his protégé Arthur Abraham
has done everything possible to be
victorious in Saturday’s showdown with Andre
Direll in his Super Six World Boxing Classic
Tournament at Detroit’s Joe Louis Arena.
“Dirrell is really a very strong boxer,”
said Wegner. “I think his surprise attacks
are very dangerous, so against him Arthur
must consistently implement the strategy
that we’ve developed in recent weeks. Then
he will win.” Wegner also stated that the
postponement and venue change from the
original March 6 date worked in Abraham’s
favor. “When we trained in Palm Springs,
[Arthur] had trouble finding his form,” he
revealed. “This had to do with the fact that
he simply had no chance to rest. He had an
incredible amount of visits from friends
living there. They were all very friendly
and pleasant visitors, but such things don’t
easily fit into preparation for a fight.
Once we shifted the training camp to
Kienbaum, his concentration on the fight
went up. At first, I had expressed my
displeasure about the date change, but to be
honest, March 27 in hindsight was a real
stroke of luck for us. In the seclusion of
Kienbaum, Arthur was able to focus and
increase his form.”
A:
As a fighter, I started training pretty
late, at the age of 20. However, I set a
goal for myself to win a Muay Thai
championship in California, and did that in
3 years. I went around to Thailand and saw
the business end of it. I met some important
people down there, WBA super featherweight
champion of the world, at the time, In fact,
I helped him sign with an American promoter,
came over to the United States, won, and
defended his title. In fact, he was the only
fighter from Thailand to come to America,
defend his title and be successful. I want
to see people succeed in their own career.
So I take any steps necessary to help them
become champions or whatever their goals may
be. I go to the extent of getting in the
cage and helping my fighters prepare for
their fights, holding mitts, grappling,
whatever it takes. 
A:
Well, I’ve always been in touch with most
local organizations that involved in MMA and
boxing, including CXF (with Mike Rush as
co-owner and promoter), Respect in the Cage,
and other organizations that simply want to
put on fights and fighters until they are
recognized and called on by WEC, UFC or
Strikeforce. Pretty much if anybody is in
need of a fighter, I’m one of the people
they go to. I’ve got a database of over
700-800 fighters and I am currently
preparing the fight card for Called Out 3,
which should take place sometime at the end
of May. 
Q:
What exactly do you look for in fighters and
their opponents? Do you choose strictly by
weight class, age, height, and fight record,
or do you incorporate fighting styles,
personality, and what people want to see?
Popular,
hard-hitting HyeFighter Vic “The Raging
Bull” Darchinyan (34-2-1, 27 KOs)
successfully defended his WBC/WBA super
flyweight crowns with a hard fought twelve
round unanimous decision over Rodrigo “Gato”
Guerrero (13-2-1, 9 KOs) on Saturday night
in the main event on a special edition of
ShoBox: The New Generation at The Show at
Agua Caliente Casino Resort Spa in Aqua
Caliente, California. Guerrero was
competitive early, but after that it was a
brutal display by Darchinyan, who battered
Guerrero at will. Scores were 118-110,
117-111, 120-108.
HyeFighter
Georgi Karakhanyan has signed an exclusive
contract with BELLATOR FIGHTING
CHAMPIONSHIPS: Season 2 which kicks off
April 8th, 2010.
SHOWTIME’s
Super Six super middleweight tournament
clash between King Arthur Abraham (31-0, 25
KOs) and Andre Dirrell (18-1, 13 KOs) has
landed in Detroit. The bout, originally
slated for March 6 in Rancho Mirage,
California, will instead take place March 27
at the Joe Louis Arena. Dirrell will
definitely have the home advantage as he
hails from nearby Flint, Michigan. The
Armenia-born German Abraham, would have been
the likely fan favorite in Southern
California with the support of the large
Armenian population there.
Europe title for the first time after a
hard-fought stoppage of comebacking French
veteran Aziz Daari (24-13-4, 20 KOs) on
Saturday night at the Atmosphere Night Club
in Saint Petersburg, Russia. Martirosyan
didn’t show his usual aggressiveness but
preferred to fight in Abraham-like style by
boxing in spurts and covering in a
shell-like defense for the rest of the time.
Bigger and stronger Daari gave Martirosyan
some scary moments in the midst of the fight
when it seemed Gennady was gassing out
quickly. He, however, found some intrinsic
resources and increased his tempo after the
seventh round. Round eight was all
Martirosyan; in the ninth stanza Daari
charged forward and had some mild success
which proved to be his last stand in the
bout. In round ten, Martirosyan marched
forward and finally landed a huge left
uppercut, which forced the Frenchman down
after a few more blows on accumulation of
punches. Heavily bleeding, Daari wobblingly
stood up and survived the round only to
retire on his stool during the break. 
A
fighter’s essence can often be summarized in
one word. For Karen Darabedyan, “chill”
seems most fitting.
