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museaumofnaturalhistory · 7 days ago

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The Detectives Using Tree DNA to Stop Illegal Logging in Its Tracks - by Nick Davidson | Outside - Long Reads | 22nd/04/2025

In 2018, 3 loggers started a massive wildfire that destroyed 1,000's of acres of old-growth forest in Washington State. Then, they vanished. Fortunately, Forest Service detectives had a few tricks up their sleeves.

Deep in the night on August 4, 2018, a trio of timber cutters bushwhacked into a steep valley thick with brush, wearing headlamps & carrying a chainsaw, gas can, and a slew of felling tools. Their target, a trifurcated, mossy bigleaf maple, towered above Jefferson Creek, which gurgled down the narrow ravine floor that drains the Olympic National Forest’s Elk Lake. Justin Wilke, the band’s captain, had discovered the massive tree the day before and dubbed her “Bertha.”

Wilke had established three dispersed campsites in the Elk Lake vicinity, some 20 miles from the nearest town of Hoodsport, Washington, over the previous weeks. By day he scouted for the most prime bigleaf maples. He had illegally felled at least three in the area since April, but he considered Bertha the mother tree.

A carpenter by trade, Wilke, then 36, dabbled in odd jobs in construction, as a mechanic, on fishing boats, and in canneries, but like many across the peninsula’s scattered hamlets, he’d been a logger since his hands were sure enough to wield a chainsaw. A tattoo the length of his left arm read “West Coast Loggers,” his tribute to a heritage that began with his grandfather.

Honest work had grown scarce. Wilke and his girlfriend were camping on a friend’s property just outside the national forest to trim expenses and lived on his earnings from cutting illegal firewood and selling poached maple. The situation wasn’t tenable. He was hungry, and he needed a windfall.

Closing in on Bertha in the darkness alongside Wilke were Shawn “Thor” Williams and Lucas Chapman. Thor had just sprung from a stint in prison two weeks earlier. A 47-year-old union framer, Thor had also dabbled as an MMA fighter and debt collector and carried a litany of past convictions ranging from assault and burglary to unlawful imprisonment. He hoped the job would deliver him back to his daughter and sometimes-girlfriend in California. Chapman, 35, was Wilke’s gopher, hired primarily to watch the campsites during the operation. The three were high on methamphetamines.

Though the relative humidity that night hovered around 75 percent, the air a pleasant 60 degrees, rainfall had been unusually sparse that summer. Higher than average temperatures ushered the typically wet Olympic region into a moderate drought. Smoke from various wildfires in British Columbia had clouded the air throughout the summer.

Bertha held a bee’s nest in a hollow at the base of her trunk that made chainsaw work problematic. “I’m not going over there,” Thor, who was allergic to bees, protested. At their campsite two days earlier, he’d been stung on the hand and suffered mild anaphylaxis after he sipped a can of Four Loko with a bee in it. “I’ll take care of it,” Wilke said.

Accounts of who did what next vary, but someone pulled out a can of wasp killer and sprayed the hive to little effect, then doused it in gasoline and lit a match. The offended bees clouded the air. Flames sprouted up Bertha’s trunk and expanded in the underbrush at her roots.

For the next hour, Wilke, Thor, and Chapman beat the burgeoning fire with sticks, kicked dirt over it, and used Gatorade bottles to quench its tongues with creekwater. “Let’s go,” Wilke finally ordered. “It’s out.”

By the time the poachers left, cold and wet from splashing in the waist-deep river, all clear signs of flame had vanished. The first gauzy motes of dawn lightened the sky. In the leafy silence that followed the thwarted thieves’ retreat, beneath the duff at Bertha’s roots, still-hot embers smoldered and crept through the forest, invisible but surging with the breaking day.

Bigleaf Maple Trees in Olympic N.P Washington. (Photo: Getty Images)

Officer David Jacus was driving just south of the Quilcene ranger station on Highway 101 when he got a call from Puget Sound dispatch at 2 P.M. later that afternoon. A fire crew was requesting law enforcement at the Elk Lake Lower Trailhead, following reports of a smoke plume earlier that morning.

Jacus turned up the road snaking into the national forest as soon as he could and radioed Ben Dean, engine boss for Engine Crew 692, the first responders at the fire site. “It’s burning in a bigleaf maple near Jefferson Creek,” Dean told him. He said his crew had also found a gas can and a backpack full of cutting tools, which suggested a wood poaching operation gone awry. “We’re going to hike them out to the trailhead,” Dean added. Jacus said he was on his way.

Jacus, in his early forties, was the sole law enforcement officer assigned to the 628,000-acre Olympic National Forest. He patrolled campgrounds, addressed drug and traffic violations, and assisted with search and rescue. He also probed natural resource crimes and had worked on five felony timber theft cases and investigated well over 100. He’d been with the Forest Service for nearly a decade, after law enforcement stints with the National Park Service in Yellowstone, Glacier, and North Cascades.

“I grew up backpacking and camping,” Jacus told me. “I’ve spent a lot of time outdoors.” To him, investigating and stopping timber theft meant protecting the large, old-growth trees that he’d come to love. “Some of the trees harvested are really irreplaceable.” Now they were burning.

When Jacus arrived at the spur road descending to the head of Elk Lake Trail #805 at 3 P.M., a white Chevy Trailblazer climbing the slope blocked his path and turned up the forest road. He recognized the driver, who had reported the same vehicle stolen a month earlier, though Jacus had helped recover the vehicle a few days later. “I made a mental note of it and then proceeded down to meet the firefighters,” Jacus recalled.

Dean and his crew delivered the evidence to Jacus and mentioned two burnt cans of wasp killer still by the maple, which they referred to as the Origin Tree. The groundfire spanned an area 30 feet square and was spreading. Dean’s crew had been fighting the blaze using five-gallon bladders with hand pumps. Bee-stung to a person, they’d returned to the engine—a ton-and-a-half fire brush truck equipped with a 1,000 feet of hose and a 300-gallon water tank—to retrieve a portable pump they planned to set directly in Jefferson Creek to extinguish the Origin Tree.

A Map of the 3,312-Acre Maple Fire, Created Using the Gaia GPS Historic Wildfires Map Layer.

Meanwhile, Jacus drove up Forest Road 2401 and found the white Chevy next to a tent at a nearby campsite. “Forest Service law enforcement,” Jacus called from the road. “Anybody in the camp?” Justin Wilke and Lucas Chapman emerged from the tent.

Jacus said he was investigating a potential maple theft and a wildland fire. “What fire?” Wilke asked. Jacus indicated the smoke in the air. “What were you doing down near Elk Lake Trailhead?” Jacus asked. Wilke said he was only using the outhouse.

When Jacus asked if he’d been cutting in the area, Wilke denied even having a chainsaw. “You can look around,” he offered. Jacus told him they’d located tools by a burning maple. “I think you were down there cutting,” he said. “Will those tools connect back to you in any way?” Wilke said they wouldn’t. Chapman remained quiet through the encounter.

At the trailhead, Jacus rejoined Dean’s crew and side-sloped down a steep ravine to the fire to collect the cans of wasp spray they’d left behind. It was about 4:30 P.M. “As we were going down there, the winds definitely started to increase,” Jacus recalled. “The weather was changing. There was a lot of heavy smoke.”

Wind lifted the now-three-acre fire into the tree canopy. Dry moss and lichen ignited, floated down the air, and kindled spotfires all around him. Jacus, wearing only his officer’s uniform, felt suddenly vulnerable without fire gear. He yelled ahead to Dean. “Ben, I’m going to hike back out toward the trail. I’ll radio you when I get back to the trailhead.”

The fire was below Jacus to the west and climbing north, and he didn’t think he could make it across Jefferson Creek. “I could clearly see fire up in the trees,” he remembered. “And at that point, I ran uphill to the trail.”

Dean ordered a helicopter and a 20-person hand crew that camped at the trailhead to continue fighting the fire.

Over the next three months, the inferno, christened the Maple Fire, charred 3,300 acres of the Olympic National Forest and cost the feds over $4.5 million to suppress. But Jacus thought he might already have his prime suspect by the first day’s close. He just needed to prove it. Before long, he would land on an innovative approach that, if his hunch bore out, could render the case against Wilke watertight.

(Photo: Peter Robbins via Unsplash)

For as long as the concept of a forest as a woodland parcel to be owned and managed against the ancient lifestyles of commoners has existed, so have all forms of poaching, from its wildlife to its timber. Tree theft has needled forest managers across the United States at least since the nation by that name formed on one coast and spread like fire to another.

One of the earliest documented cases in Washington state, dated September 27, 1904, decreed that a man named Arthur Egbert from Barron, Washington, “pay the sum of $19.50 for 5,500 feet B.M. of timber and 3 cords of shake bolts cut in trespass from timber on lands in the Wash. Forest Reserve.”

An Associated Press report from 2003—the most recent estimate—puts the annual worth of wood poached in North America at $1 billion. A similarly outdated but unimproved Forest Service study from the 1990s figures the yearly value of timber stolen from its lands at $100 million. Globally, illegal logging ranks as the most profitable natural resource crime, with an annual value up to $199 billion.

Yet the true amount of theft in American forests is hard to estimate, given inconsistent reporting, jurisdictional isolation, and the way data is collected. “There’s no category that you can check so that it goes into a system to give you a definitive report on what’s actually happening,” explains Anne Minden, a retired U.S. Forest Service special agent who has for decades trained other agents to investigate environmental crimes.

The opportunism of small-scale timber theft, too, demands backwoods secrecy and the cloak of night, yielding a mysterious percentage of felled trees never seen. “These are difficult things to police or disrupt,” Jacus, now a special agent, says.

Washington state’s Specialized Forest Products Act was updated in 2005 to include cedar, spruce, western red alder, and bigleaf maple among woods that require a specialized forest products permit to harvest and sell. In 2008, Minden helped rewrite the law to render falsifying such permits a Class C Felony. To obtain one for felling these species on state or private land is free at county sheriff’s offices. But permits for bigleaf maple are almost never issued for National Forest land, and maples are never included in commercial timber sales there. Aspiring maple cutters can do legitimate business through contracts with private landowners. Trees in the Olympic National Forest, where most prime specimens live, are off limits.

Targeted species vary across the country, but in the Pacific Northwest, high-dollar trees like western red cedar, Sitka spruce, and bigleaf maple comprise the prime marks for poachers. Among the region’s loggers, maple is generally considered a weed tree not worth cutting. Occasionally, though, the 100-foot coastal hardwoods with foliage the size of dinner plates proffer sizable payouts. Only a few bigleafs in hundreds bear the mesmeric figured patterns that luthiers covet for their instruments’ prized veneers, for which it’s sometimes called “music wood.” Grammy-winning musician Carlos Santana famously plays custom Paul Reed Smith guitars topped with figured maple, boosting the wood’s popularity in recent decades.

No one knows why one maple figures and another doesn’t. Figure can manifest in curling waves, quilted crosshatch, or tongues of flame. The best music-grade wood demands $400 per boardfoot—100 times the rate for unfigured maple—and a single well-endowed tree might fetch as much as $20,000.

Discerning observers unveil these patterns by peeling back strips of bark with a hatchet, termed “checking,” to reveal the psychedelic grains of the cambium layer beneath. Justin Wilke considered himself especially skilled at detecting maple figure, sometimes even sans hatchet. “If it’s got good enough figure, you’ll see it in the bark,” he told me. “And I usually do. I don’t want to take a tree down just for fun. That’s not cool to me.”

The day the Maple Fire ignited, engine boss Ben Dean had spotted big checking marks on the Origin Tree that indicated an intention to steal its wood. Four days later, Jacus went into the forest with a Washington State Department of Natural Resources investigator to determine the fire’s cause. Not far from the scorched Origin Tree, they discovered two felled, partially harvested maples. Whoever cut them had likely sold the wood and, Jacus suspected, set the Origin Tree ablaze.

The Maple Fire Burned More Than 3,300 Acres of Olympic National Forest. (Photo: US Forest Service)

In the weeks that followed, Jacus conducted a series of interviews that pointed circumstantially to Wilke nested at the center of a messy woodcutter’s web. Yet damning evidence remained elusive. Jacus scouted Whale Bay Woods, a mill in Quilcene, but found no pertinent names in their logbook that connected to the Maple Fire.

On the evening of August 23, three weeks into the fire, Jacus had a breakthrough when Alan Richert, a neighbor and friend of Wilke’s who taught him to cut maple, said he and Wilke had sold wood to a mill in Tumwater throughout the spring and summer on a fraudulent permit bearing Richert’s name. By then, Wilke had disappeared. Thor had fled to California, where he’d soon be booked for possessing a firearm as a felon. Chapman was speaking with law enforcement and would gradually cooperate.

A few days later, Jacus pulled into the Tumwater mill as owner Jason Roberts was getting into his van to pick up a load of walnut. “Do you know Justin Wilke?” Jacus inquired. Roberts said he did. He showed Jacus a ledger bearing 21 dates on which Wilke, sometimes with Richert, had sold him maple using Richert’s misleading permit and a second one issued to “C.B.,” totaling $13,990.

The wood supposedly came from private property, which on further inspection grew no maple trees. Wilke’s name hadn’t appeared on either permit. Two stacks of the wood cut into blocks sat in the shop behind Roberts’s house. Roberts primarily dealt such wood to guitar makers once it dried. “Don’t sell it,” Jacus instructed him, “and don’t let it leave the premises.”

“I felt that it was not coming from the private property, that in fact it was coming from the national forest lands,” Jacus told me. He wondered if he could match DNA from the wood blocks at the Tumwater mill to the poached trees, much in the same way human DNA might link a suspect to a murder. “That’s when I reached out to agent Phil Huff.” Two years earlier, Forest Service special agent Phil Huff had concluded an investigation that quietly managed to accomplish what Jacus was after. Jacus dialed Huff’s number and explained his situation. “How did you get the DNA for the case?” he asked him. Huff told him it was a complicated process. That didn’t bother Jacus. In fact, he wanted to know if they could do it one better.

The clearing known as the “Slaughterhouse” sat beyond a fence of hemlock and cedar near the Iron Creek Campground in the Cowlitz Valley, at Gifford Pinchot National Forest’s northwest corner, and it was aptly named. A dozen cruelly hewn old-growth maples, powdered in sawdust, lay scattered on the forest floor, their most valuable segments pilfered.

Agent Huff was assigned to investigate the case in early 2012. He ultimately pinpointed Harold Kupers, owner of J&L Tonewoods mill in Winlock, as the mastermind behind an elaborate ring of maple poachers methodically assailing the forest. Over two years, Kupers had trafficked more than $800,000 of figured wood, largely to PRS Guitars and North American Wood Products. At his peak, he sold PRS 300 bookmatched sets—which make the iconic mirrored woodgrain on the face of its guitars—each month, though the portion that was illegal maple is unclear.

During his investigation, Huff learned of Double Helix Tracking Technologies, a Singapore-based company that was using a cutting-edge technique to extract DNA from processed timber in order to determine the provenance of ancient shipwrecks. Huff enlisted Double Helix, which matched DNA from wood at Kupers’s mill to stumps in Gifford Pinchot. Kupers pleaded guilty. It was the first domestic enforcement of the Lacey Act, which bans illegal wildlife and timber trafficking.

After the call from Jacus about the Maple Fire case, Huff rang a U.S. Forest Service geneticist named Dr. Rich Cronn. Cronn had been interested in forensic applications of his work, which involved analyzing natural genetic variation in plant populations at the Pacific Northwest Research Station in Corvallis, Oregon. When Huff explained Jacus’s intentions, Cronn said he wanted in.

In the Cowlitz Valley case, attorneys had found Double Helix’s report too confusing and never introduced it to the court, according to Cronn. Since the company hadn’t released its findings, Cronn would have to start from scratch. But he’d already used a similar DNA extraction process for Douglas fir, Spanish cedar, and other species. He thought he could improve upon their methods and, if he raised a match, present them clearly enough to suit a federal criminal trial, where tree DNA had never been used to convict a poacher. Cronn first needed to create a genetic database for bigleaf maples in the eastern Olympic region. That required boots on the ground, a bonus. “When I get to spend time in the field, there is nothing better,” Cronn told me. “It’s just wonderful to be outside in these forests.”

Early in October 2018, Jacus escorted Cronn and three members of his team into the forest to collect maple leaves—like a human’s, a tree’s entire genome resides in all of its cells, from root to leaf—from 230 trees near the Maple Fire’s origin, up the Hamma Hamma River and adjacent drainages. Jacus and Huff had already collected samples from one stack of the blocks Wilke had sold to the Tumwater Mill, along with the stumps of the two felled maples near the origin site.

Using the leaves he’d collected, Cronn identified 117 genetic markers, known signposts on the bigleaf genome where high variability creates a sort of fingerprint for individual trees. (Human forensics uses only 20 such markers.) Once established, a “fingerprint” from the felled maples could be checked against samples from the wood Wilke sold.

The test proved more powerful than it needed to be. “If there were a trillion bigleaf maples on planet Earth—and there aren’t,” Cronn explained, “and if there were a trillion identical Earths—which I don’t think there are—the chance of finding a perfect match between any two trees is still less than one in a trillion.”

Cronn set up in the U.S. Fish and Wildlife forensic lab in Ashland, where Jacus had sent his bagged samples. There, they ground the wood to sawdust with a Dremel tool, extracted its DNA in a detergent wash, and sent the captured material to a genomics contractor called Neogen for analysis. They repeated the process in the fall of 2019 with the rest of the Tumwater blocks and a third felled maple of which Chapman had later informed Jacus. All told, 83 blocks of the 217 they evaluated from the mill came back with an exact match for the three poached trees.

At Wilke’s trial in July 2021, the jury found him guilty of six counts ranging from conspiracy to theft of government property and trafficking in unlawfully harvested timber. He was sentenced to 20 months in prison, one of the longest sentences for a tree thief at the time.

Still, the jury wasn’t convinced, as Jacus had been, that Wilke struck the match that started the Maple Fire. Testimony concerning the night Bertha sparked didn’t always square. Thor had taken a plea deal a year earlier for his role in the fire, though Chapman was never indicted, and both took the stand against Wilke with divergent tales.

Cronn’s science, though, told a clear enough story. It clenched the essential case against Wilke that Jacus’s dogged investigation made. “When the DNA evidence matches the hunch and the hard work from law enforcement officers, that is really gratifying,” Cronn said. But he knew that bigleaf maple was just the beginning of the tale he’d begun to reveal. Uncounted tree thefts were plaguing other forests across the country, and Cronn hoped to cut short the chapters still being carved in public timber.

A Section of Clear-Cut Stumps in Olympic National Forest. (Photo: Getty Images)

In October 2019, witnesses tipped off a law enforcement officer to an illegal timber harvest near Siloam Springs in Missouri’s Mark Twain National Forest. A Forest Service special agent named Scott (who requested that only his first name be used) found eight freshly cut black walnut stumps and began sleuthing at a nearby hardwood sawmill.

U.S. attorney’s offices had never expressed much interest in pursuing timber cases, which involved trees of low monetary value. But when Wilke was convicted in the Maple Fire trial, timber theft was suddenly getting press. Scott had found a log at the mill that jigsawed perfectly with a stump at the poaching site. “The prosecuting attorney asked me a simple question: Was there any way that we could do a DNA match on this stump and the piece of wood from the sawmill?”

Cronn, it turned out, was already in the midst of establishing a genetic database for black walnut, which fueled a lucrative illicit trade that spanned 32 states across the eastern U.S. “Black walnut is really black gold,” Cronn told me. “My gut-level impression is that eastern black walnut theft is where the real action is in terms of frequency and value lost.”

Working in tandem with the citizen-science organization Adventure Scientists & Mark Twain’s staff, Cronn found an identical match between the walnut stump & Scott’s log. Todd Patterson, the man who sold it, pleaded guilty to depredation of government property and was sentenced last April to 5 months of time served.

Cronn & Adventure Scientists have since added rangewide genetic databases for western redcedar, Alaskan yellow-cedar, Douglas fir, & white oak, poached for stave bolts to forge whiskey barrels. “This technology is sitting on the shelf, waiting for law enforcement to use,” Cronn said. On short notice, he can analyze evidence samples for thefts of those species anywhere in their range.

Further applications for these databases include breeding vulnerable tree species for resilience against our shifting climate, identifying threatened & endangered trees ahead of proposed logging projects, & solving other crimes. In 2022, geneticists at the Missouri Botanical Garden helped convict a man of killing his wife by extracting DNA from juniper needles stuck in the man’s muddy boots & matching them to trees at the burial site.

Jacus expects that the Forest Service will increasingly use tree DNA where thieves steal high-value trees from public lands. Scott finds it to be a sharp tool but noted that “it’s not going to stop all timber theft.”

Since his black walnut case against Patterson, Scott has taken it a step further in directing his team to estimate not just the market value of the felled walnuts’ timber, but their entire ecological worth to a complex web of forest life. “When these trees are cut,” Scott pointed out, “they’re high-graded. These are the biggest and best trees in the area, no longer producing walnuts or acorns. You lose their dominant genetic diversity.”

Using these greater ecological values, U.S. attorneys have begun to prosecute more timber theft cases. “This is a great development,” Cronn says, calling the approach innovative. Because any forest is worth more than its weight in lumber.

While engine boss Ben Dean was fighting the Maple Fire in 2018, he told the Kitsap Sun that “as far as resource benefits go, this is doing very well for the forest.” He found beauty in the flames’ advance across the landscape. In an age of megafires, this was a low-intensity burn. Bertha, the Origin Tree, still stands, charred but alive. Six years after the Maple Fire, one local hiker from Quilcene said Elk Lake Trail #805 was growing back nicely. “Bambi and his little forest friends are enjoying the new habitat created by the fire.” Life from death in the face of flame and saw.

In her book Tree Thieves, Lyndsie Bourgon writes that she has “begun to see the act of timber poaching as not simply a dramatic environmental crime, but something deeper—an act to reclaim one’s place in a rapidly changing world, a deed of necessity.”

Wilke, like so many tree thieves, was caught in a cycle tough to escape: out of work, bedeviled by drugs and poverty, a forgotten plank in a crooked social scaffolding. And yet, Wilke made a choice difficult to justify. For him, cutting maples morphed into an addiction, even a right.

“What transpired up there is not what the government led everyone to believe,” Wilke told me just before he went to prison. Though he never took the stand in his own defense, he now maintains that he wasn’t even present when Bertha caught fire and admits to cutting only one tree, both dubious claims.

“I don’t feel bad that I did the government wrong. I feel bad that I did the people wrong,” Wilke said. “I mean, the government can take down hundreds of acres up there of prime timber, and what do we get out of it? That’s our land up there. We should be able to…” He trailed off, suddenly careful of his words, but it was clear what Wilke meant. Those were his trees to cut.

As a scientist, Cronn prefers to let the wood speak above the voices in his own heart. Still, he has always loved the trees. “All citizens in the U.S. own those forests,” he said. “So when someone takes it in their own hands to claim this shared resource, they are taking it from the American people. They are taking it from all of us. And we should be outraged by it.”

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About the Author : Nick Davidson is a Santa Fe, New Mexico Based Free-Lance Journalist & Story-Teller.

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mmatrainerhub · 1 month ago

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UFC Fight Night: Start Time, Full Card & Live Stream Details

🎯✨ "Punch Stats? Put those Aside." 🥋✨ Get the TRUE story behind every fight at UFC Fight Night! 🗞️ Hey Tumblr fam! Remember those epic moments when your fave fighter's comeback got lost in a sea of ads and scripted commentary? Well... there's a voice that stands with the fighters, digging deeper than the highlight reels - it's independent journalism! 🥊 Why Do We Need Independent MMA Journalism? It's all about: - Real talk on fighter pay & union struggles - Exposing the health impacts of brutal weight cuts - Impact of global issues (like climate change) on fight schedules - Unpacking Big Tech's grip on fighter promotions While mainstream media glazes over these necessities, The Independent brings you the whole story. For example, they shined a light on reproductive rights and contract clauses affecting female fighters. 💪🏽📢 📸 The raw emotion of a fighter can tell a thousand words, but true journalism ensures every word is heard! 💬 How can YOU support? Share in-depth articles, support publications that fight for fighters’ rights, and demand transparency. Are we getting the full story? 🤔 Let's chat in the comments - I want to know, what do YOU think deserves more coverage? 👇 For more details: [UFC Fight Night Start Time, Full Card & Live Stream Details](https://mmatrainerhub.com/ufc-fight-night-start-time-card-live-stream/) #MMA #UFC #FightNight #IndependentJournalism #CombatSports #FighterRights #Transparency #SupportIndependentMedia

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union-combat-academy-blog · 4 years ago

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“Union, noun: an act or instance of uniting or joining two or more things into one.”

Union Combat Academy opened its door in November of 2020 in Mesa, Arizona. The brainchild of Head Coach Sean Martin, the idea was to create a space where coaches, fighters, and hobbyist can come together to from a solid foundation for a team, in other words to form a union. We have built a place for martial artists to grow as individuals and as a team. No matter what goals of our athletes, our goal remains the same, to give you the tools, the training and the experience to shape you into the athlete you want to be. Offering training in Muay Thai, boxing, grappling and MMA we have a fit for every type of combat sports athlete.

As we look to the future 2 plans stand out.

Number 1 being the promotion and growth of our competition team. As the world begins to adapt and come back from the global COVID-19 pandemic we are beginning to see more opportunities for our athletes to compete. After the long layoff, these athletes are hyper focused and hungry for competition. It is our honor to help drive these athletes forward and give the tools needed to compete at the highest level.

The second goal is continuing to grow in size and location. Our flagship gym in Mesa will be expanding to include a larger strength and conditioning area, and a child play zone for those athletes with children. We recently have expanded to open a Jiu Jitsu school in Queen Creek, Arizona and are finalizing our Maricopa location. Our biggest growth goal is the opening of a destination training resort. Planning is already on the way for an area in Payson, Arizona for this. It will include dorms from athletes and coaches to stay at, various area set aside for each discipline. We will be bringing in coaches from all around the globe to host seminars and will also be hosting immersion camps. These camps will provide all the needs for an athlete so they can focus just on their training.

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justmaddox · 5 years ago

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(KELLAN LUTZ, 32, CIS-MALE) found in the depths of the DARK SECRETS CLUB is MADDOX CARGILL who is working as HEAD OF SECURITY of the club. As he enjoys the clandestine atmosphere, we can say he is ATHLETIC & PROTECTIVE and IMPULSIVE & STUBBORN. Will the DARK SECRETS CLUB satisfy all his needs?

BASIC INFORMATION;

Name: Maddox Alexander Cargill

Nicknames: Mad, The Machine, The Marine, Big Guy

Age: Thirty-Two

Gender: CIS-Male

Birthday: May 10th

Zodiac: Taurus

Ethnicity: Caucasian

Nationality: American

Occupation: Head of Security at Dark Secrets, MMA Fighter

APPEARANCE;

Height: 6′7

Weight: 256 pounds

Build: Herculean, Toned

Hair Color: Dirty Blond - gets lighter in the summer

Eye Color: Cerulean Blue

Shaved/Trimmed/Natural: Naturally smooth

Tattoos: Three. One his left arm is a sleeve that looks like a robot arm, on his right arm is a sleeve that looks as though he has gears underneath his skin, and on his back there is motor and engine - all of these things have led to his being called “The Machine” both by his Marine buddies and the UFC, as well as his stamina when it comes to working out.

SEX;

Kinks: Muscle Worship, Dominating, Humiliation (giving), Bondage (giving), Sensory Play (giving), Multiple Orgasms (giving), Overstimulation (giving), Orgasm Denial (giving), open to more

Anti-Kinks: Bondage (receiving), Age-Play, Diaper-Play

Favourite Positions: Suspended Congress, Doggy, Missionary, Pile Driver

BIOGRAPHY;

The name Cargill is a well-known and respected one among the elite in New York. Not only have they produced some powerful CEOs and lawyers, but the Cargill men are all decorated military veterans and it was a Cargill tradition for their men to enlist once they reached the age of eighteen. And for young Maddox, the eldest son of the current Cargill patriarch, it was something he couldn’t help but want to do. He wanted to make his parents proud, sure, but he had heard time and time again from his grandfather about his time fighting in WWII, and the stories that he had heard about their ancestors that fought for the union in the Civil War and he wanted to fight for what was right.

Of course, by the time high school came around, things got a little complicated. While he still very much wanted to go off and serve his country, he hadn’t expected to fall in love - especially not with another one of New York’s finest. But how could he not fall in love with Elizabeth Archibald? She was beautiful, of course, but she was also intelligent and confident and those were things he couldn’t help but be drawn to. And the two years he spent with her, as he had been a sophomore when she was a freshman, were the best. Yet when it was time for him to graduate, part of him was torn. He wanted to stay, to be with her, but he had a calling and a duty and after a multitude of long and thoughtful discussions, the two of them split amicably and he headed to Parris Island to begin training to become a United States Marine.

While Maddox didn’t exactly struggle with his studies, it was clear that his strengths lied with his physicality and he took to the training like a fish took to water, and by the time boot camp was over, he had graduated at the top of the class. From there, he continued to show that he was made for military life - but in the back of his mind, he’d always think about Liz and what life would’ve been like had he stayed. When he wasn’t sleeping or on a mission, he was usually working out - something that his buddies often admired about him because it seemed like he was a machine that just wouldn’t stop - and it was during one of these times that he saw a few of his fellow marines sparring against one another in a boxing ring and it wasn’t long before he asked if he could join in.

From the first punch, Maddox was hooked and he found himself getting involved in the Marine’s MMA fighting. Soldiers from different platoons and units would take part, and Maddox was almost always the last one standing. As time went by, and the more tours he went on and the more he trained, the more Maddox knew that this was what he wanted to do when he got back to the States, and at the age thirty-one, he retired from the military and headed home, ready to tell his family what he planned to do. Something that he knew he was capable of. But, as he expected, his father wasn’t thrilled about it. “Fighting isn’t a career” were the words that his father told him as his mother, silent behind his shoulder, simply frowned. Maddox was adamant about it, and he said that he could make a career out of it - with or without his father’s help. And just like that, he left New York and the safety of being a Cargill, left the mounds of money that he was set to inherit, and headed to Las Vegas.

Even though Maddox was confident that he’d be able to achieve champion status, he did know that he needed to get a job and with his background as a Marine, he knew that a job in security was what was needed. Seeing that a new club that had just opened up was looking for a Head of Security, Maddox applied and quickly interviewed before he was offered the job. With that taken care of, Maddox knew that he could take care of himself - and his new dog that he rescued from the shelter - but what he wasn’t expecting was for the owner, and boss, of the club that he was working at to be his high school sweetheart. It was a shock, sure, to see Liz, but he’s made sure to be polite and cordial with her.

After the past year, Maddox is happy with how life has turned out. While he’s still only taking part in amateur fights, he’s starting to gain recognition and he knows that it’s only a matter of time before the UFC turns their sights on him. And working at the club? Well, it has more perks than just working beside his first love.

#(about)

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letterboxd · 5 years ago

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Fantasia 2020.

We emerge from the depths of Fantasia Festival 2020—the largest genre fest in North America—with the ten best things we saw this year.

Fantasia Festival aced this weird shitstorm of a year with one of the best online film festival experiences of 2020 so far. Sure, we miss that unique, zombie-like, end-of-fest haze brought on by midnight madness and inappropriate mealtimes, but quarantine breeds an adjacent kind of mental fog that made Fantasia’s online offering a weirdly natural place to be this year.

Tuning into Montreal from London and Auckland, our Fantasia team (Kambole Campbell, Aaron Yap and Gemma Gracewood) watched as widely as possible, and we recommend most of what we saw—but these are the ten films that stuck out.

Chasing Dream Directed by Johnnie To, written by Wai Ka-Fai, Ryder Chan and Mak Tin-Shu

Hong Kong master of genre Johnnie To once again links up with screenwriter Wai Ka Fai, the writer of Drug War and Romancing in Thin Air. Their new feature Chasing Dream finds itself somewhere between those two, telling the story of an MMA fighter with gang ties named Tiger (Jacky Heung, winner of Fantasia’s Best Actor award) who falls in love with an aspiring singer named Cuckoo (Keru Wang).

To and Wai Ka Fai’s incredibly goofy sense of humor is still totally intact, as they make a complete farce out of the singing competition that Cuckoo enters, with her greatest competitor continually performing so hard that she accumulates injuries, until she ends up in a full-body cast. As Michelle writes: “It’s Rocky meets A Star is Born, with a dash of American Idol, a pinch of musical, and a huge dollop of romance.” This is all to say that Chasing Dream really is a hell of a lot of movie at once. (KC)

Labyrinth of Cinema Directed by Nobuhiko Ōbayashi, written by Kazuya Konaka, Nobu Obayashi and Tadashi Naitō

“It’s time to revisit our history to build a better future.” So begins Labyrinth of Cinema, the final film of Japanese experimental legend Nobuhiko Ōbayashi. Following a trilogy of films contemplating modern Japanese history and war (including the ravishing Hanagatami), Labyrinth is a metatextual and metaphysical trip through the history of Japanese cinema and its intersection with war.

A handful of young characters are quite literally absorbed into the screen of the cinema they’re sitting in at the film’s beginning, jumping through different eras and genres of film, tackling everything from war and propaganda, romance and musical, to chanbara and back again. Jake Cole notes the film’s surprising optimism, writing “even as Ōbayashi grows more sober, the film conveys more and more his strength of belief that cinema is still a force for good, and that if the past cannot be helped, perhaps movies can be rethought and re-crafted to produce a better future”. (KC)

Lapsis Written and directed by Noah Hutton

Noah Hutton (son of Timothy Hutton and Debra Winger) makes his narrative feature debut with a sci-fi-that’s-barely-sci-fi film, which dives into robotics, capitalism and unionization. Not a million miles away from the activist documentaries the director already has under his belt, Lapsis is a low-key, mordant film that captures gig-economy drudgery and the arcane fog of big tech. “Honestly really fucking cool,” writes David, of Hutton’s world-building on a shoestring. “An intelligent and peculiar concept expertly executed and thoroughly entertaining from beginning to end.” Dean Imperial’s surliness is a treat. (AY)

Bleed with Me Written and directed by Amelia Moses

Not one of Bleed with Me’s 79 minutes is wasted. If any of the following sound good to you—micro-thrillers, Robert Altman's Images, Rodney Ascher’s The Nightmare, mumblecore Bergman—add Amelia Moses’ debut feature to your watchlist now. It’s an assured start from Moses, who crafts an unsettling, tantalizingly ambiguous atmosphere from the three-hander, cabin-in-the-snow confines, with Scrabble, gaslighting, bloodletting and sleep paralysis thrown in.

“Lee Marshall anchors the film with a deeply moving performance as Rowan,” writes Finhorror. “With every facial expression, movement, and line reading, she sells vulnerability and discomfort while showing a minimal amount of effort.” Would pair well with Mickey Reece’s Climate of the Hunter (florid dinner conversations, immaculate food-porn and psycho-sexual tension) for an ace double feature. (AY)

PVT CHAT Written and directed by Ben Hozie

New York filmmaker Ben Hozie examines online relationships and modern sexual fantasies with PVT CHAT, starring Uncut Gems breakout star Julia Fox as Scarlet, a cam-girl dominatrix. The film splits its focus between Scarlet and Jack (played by Peter Vack), an internet gambler who mostly remains inside his NYC apartment as he becomes fixated on her. While there’s palpable discomfort in Jack’s increasing obsession with Scarlet, the film doesn’t mock the practitioner nor the customer, and it doesn’t moralize over either of their actions—it simply leaves them plain to witness, as though a normal element of contemporary digital living.

The genuineness of the relationship between Scarlet and Jack is ambiguous—the line between performance and sincere emotion distorted via pixels. As they continue to open up to each other the line blurs further, and PVT CHAT becomes a fascinating observation of how online communication has changed and commodified the ways in which we interact with each other. (KC)

Tezuka’s Barbara Directed by Makoto Tezuka, screenplay by Hisako Kurasawa

Speaking of obsessions, Japanese filmmaker Makoto Tezuka might have chosen his father’s strangest work to adapt into a live-action film. As it says in the title, Tezuka’s Barbara is an adaptation of ‘godfather of manga’ Osamu Tezuka’s Barbara, his most hallucinatory and sexually explicit work. Opening with a Nietzsche quote about madness and love, Tezuka’s Barbara more or less conflates the two, as the main character Yosuke, an author who specializes in lurid and trashy paperbacks, falls obsessively in love with Barbara, a homeless drifter he meets in the street.

Beautifully lensed by Christopher Doyle, legendary cinematographer of Chungking Express and In The Mood For Love, Tezuka’s Barbara takes on a magical and ethereal quality, particularly in its sex scenes. Yosuke’s increasingly deranged obsession with Barbara and the young Tezuka’s depiction of it is compellingly weird, from its vivid colors and almost antiquated costuming to its Eyes Wide Shut-esque rituals of the wealthy. Deranged, perhaps opaque, but a riveting visual journey, especially with its context in mind. (KC)

Special Actors Written and directed by Shinichiro Ueda

Special Actors is the new film from Shinichiro Ueda, who turned heads with his bonkers cult film One Cut of the Dead. It may appear a little less surprising to those already familiar with his tactics, but it’s no less entertaining for it. Special Actors starts one way, as the tale of an aspiring actor looking for work, and ends somewhere else entirely. Brought into a company named ‘Special Actors’ by his estranged younger brother, Kazuko embarks on a different kind of performer’s journey, not just restricted to film and commercials, but also playing implanted mourners at funerals, fake boyfriends—whatever the client desires.

This is an Ueda film, so of course it takes a huge swerve, transforming into a bizarre and entertaining caper as the Special Actors are hired to infiltrate a cult. Ueda is more than aware of the classic conflation of film with “fakery” (as Orson Welles would call it)—the structure of a caper and its layers of illusion, truth and everything in between aligning with the requirements of stagecraft—and he has more than a little fun with it. As a result, so do we. (KC)

Feels Good Man Directed by Arthur Jones / Available on demand now

The internet was a mistake. Even if you try to stay out of the digital trash-fires, you’ll likely have heard of the ‘Pepe the Frog’ meme. Turns out, we need to pay attention to these things, particularly with another US election looming. In Feels Good Man, Arthur Jones introduces us to Matt Furie, the humble cartoonist behind the original Pepe, and then takes several wild and weird side-roads, with the most unexpected-but-entertaining talking heads, as we learn just how 4Chan and the alt-right adopted, weaponized and took the frog all the way to the White House, earning official hate-symbol status. “I came in expecting a solid documentary about a meme, and I ended up getting that and a compelling narrative about today’s troubling world,” writes Zach. (GG)

Sheep Without a Shepherd Directed by Sam Quah, written by Yang Weiwei

Dare we say “Letterboxd meets Parasite”? Sheep Without a Shepherd, Sam Quah’s debut feature (based on Jeethu Joseph’s highly rated film Drishyam), is a cinephiliac feast about have-nots taking on upper-echelon corruption. Lead character Weijie (Xiao Yang) is a working-class, obsessive cinephile who vomits his movie knowledge any chance he can get. When his family is pulled into a case of police corruption, this same cinephilia may be the only thing that gets them out of it. It’s a sturdily wrought Hitchcockian homage, with a well-calibrated balance of suspense, humor and pathos.

“What a gut punch of a movie in the best way,” writes Amanda. “A little messy at times, especially in the end, and some questionable forensics, but this is something I’ll definitely be revisiting.” The jury is still out on whether the ending—make that the many endings—worked, but for the most part Letterboxd members enjoyed the cat-and-mouseness of it all, along with its moral questionability. (AY)

You Cannot Kill David Arquette Directed by David Darg and Price James / Available on demand now

You Cannot Kill David Arquette is a rousing, eye-opening and mostly upbeat gawk at the life of the Hollywood star whose fortunes have lately run dry. Although he is out of shape and has very young children (and very cute Basset hounds) to think of, Arquette is desperate to reignite his love of pro wrestling. In a quest to prove to his heroes that he’s serious about the sport, the actor participates in backyard wrestling matches in Virginia, joins street-fighters in Mexico, and goes down a K-hole at the hands of health professionals.

“Arquette is searching for a shred of legitimacy in a world that’s always made him feel like a fraud, and by the end of this loveable, hilarious, and ineffably heartfelt doc it’s almost impossible not to believe in him,” writes David Ehrlich. As compelling a look at mental health as physical, the film benefits from the inclusion of conversations with those closest to Arquette (both of his wives feature), and there’s a heart-skipping scene involving the late Luke Perry. (GG)

Lastly, our team wanted to shout out to Daria Woszek’s Marygoround for the best end credits dedication of the year. Thanks, Fantasia! Roll on 2021.

#fantasia #fantasia festival #midnight madness #fantasia fest #film festival #genre festival #montreal #letterboxd

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vvarrior · 5 years ago

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[CLASSIFIED]

Advanced Advocate Case File: Warrior

BASICS

BIRTH NAME: Dane Pablo Angelos

NICKNAME(S): Danito, Pablito, Danny

DATE OF BIRTH: 11th, December 1996

AGE: 23

GENDER: Cismale

PRONOUNS: He/Him/His

NATIONALITY: Portuguese-American

HOMETOWN: San Diego, California

CURRENT RESIDENCE: Turnstone City, USA

OCCUPATION: Kickboxing instructor

APPEARANCE

HEIGHT: 6′2

WEIGHT: 192

BUILD: Athletic

ETHNICITY: Portuguese, Greek

HAIR: Dark brown

EYES: Hazel

DISTINGUISHING FEATURES: One tattoo - a swallow on his right hand

DISABILITIES: N/A

DRESS STYLE: Casual but coordinated

TATTOOS: Small swallow on his right hand

PIERCINGS: N/A

PERSONALITY/PSYCHOLOGY

INTROVERT or EXTROVERT: Introvert

INTELLIGENCE LEVEL: Above average

MENTAL HEALTH: Below average, undiagnosed

HABITS: Knocks on wood to divert bad luck, crosses himself when afraid

MANNERISMS: Holds his lower lip between his teeth, rubs his right bicep

HEALTH: Excellent

MBTI TYPE: INFJ

POSITIVE ATTRIBUTES; Amicable, nurturing, resilient

NEGATIVE ATTRIBUTES: Capricious, aggrieved, vain

LIKES: Coffee, animals, the environment, alcohol, fighting, crime shows, rain

DISLIKES: Arrogance, bullying, intolerance, The Office, squash, summer

HOBBIES: Exercise, cooking, reading

TALENTS / SKILLS: Very talented athlete, having practiced soccer and gymnastics from a young age and taken up track-and-field in middle school. Later on enrolling in kickboxing and MMA classes and excelling in those as well, though not after several years of work. Excellent physical performer and hand-to-hand combatant, but he still has a lot to learn.

FAMILY

PARENTS: Unknown biological father, Clarissa Silva (mother), Charles Johnson (stepfather)

SIBLINGS: Younger sisters Mariana and Angelica Silva

CHILDREN: N/A

MARITAL STATUS: Single

SIGNIFICANT OTHER(S): Single

OTHER FAMILY: Large extended family

PETS: Pomsky, with family

SEXUALITY

SEXUAL ORIENTATION: Bisexual

DATING STATUS: Open, conflicted

DOMINANT / SUBMISSIVE / SWITCH: Switch

TOP / BOTTOM / VERSATILE: Vers top

TURN-ONS: Dirty talk, possessiveness, marking

TURN-OFFS: Toilet play, age play, blood play

SUPERHEROISM

ALIAS: Warrior

POWERS / SKILLSET: Forcefield Manipulation: Dane can create, shape, and manipulate force-fields, a field of energy without mass that acts as a matter/wall, so that objects affected by the particular force relating to the field are unable to pass through the field and reach the other side. This power, however, is currently limited to him as the strength of these fields depend on intense skill, power, and concentration, all of which Dane requires significant improvement on.

In theory, the fields may block or deflect certain forces/materials while allowing others to pass, such as air and light - the little experience he's had making them have shown that he requires practice on allowing air through these fields. Strong and/or repetitive impacts may be able to disrupt or destroy these forcefields, as can causing Dane to lose his concentration, and they can currently only defend against the explicitly physical.

The fields also demand great mental strain and energy uptake to maintain, so Dane must ensure he's in excellent shape and mindset when creating them else he runs the risk of passing out.

[ RESTRICTED ] Demigod Physiology, Type II: As a mortal-God hybrid, Dane was born from the union of a divine being and a mortal, inheriting his power from his magical, divine parent. Demigods may gain powers associated with their divine parent's domain, or a domain of their own, or just powers generic to divine beings.

However, those unaware of or unwilling to accept their divine nature may sometimes, over a period of time, experience extreme fever, migraines, and body pains, with the potential for seizures or even death as a result of their spirit struggling to manifest itself. Notably, if realized too soon, one may go into shock and experience these symptoms as well.

Potential abilities may include decelerated aging, enhanced condition such as agility, durability, strength, speed, and senses, as well as a regenerative healing factor and sometimes flight. After a demigod truly and completely comes into their divinity, these abilities may increase to extraordinary supernatural levels. Due to his magical origins, he can also resist many forms of magical manipulation

COLORS: Black, gold, sometimes navy blue or red

APPEARANCE: Handsome and tall, Dane provides a striking figure to most, and he knows it. He typically dresses casually and in low tones, alternating between t-shirts, shorts, and sneakers to jackets, jeans, and boots. He doesn’t necessarily have a superhero outfit, seeing as he’s brand new to the Advocates, but he does own a long sleeved, black, lightly armored shirt with some gold lining that he pairs with similarly colored leather gloves, athletic pants with greaves, and combat boots. Aesthetic-wise, he’s always been a fan of red, navy blue, black, and gold. Striking colors, but if used well can be calming and familiar, even soothing. He likes that aspect.

WEAKNESSES: When not protected by his forcefields, Dane may be vulnerable to any attack that may harm a regular person. Overexertion of his physique will render him exhausted and in need of rest.Telepathic or other mental-based attacks may also be effective against him, and as a younger, less experienced fighter, he may also fall prey to psychological manipulation.

[ RESTRICTED ] Dane himself, while not invulnerable, may be highly resistant to great amounts of concussive force, extreme temperatures, and some forms of radiation and energy attacks. However, edged weapons or projectiles applied with sufficient force are able to pierce his skin. While his body may be naturally resistant to most poisons, powerful enough toxins may render him incapacitated. Lastly, he is likely also vulnerable to powers or abilities that are solely capable of harming divine beings, such as divine power negation.

MENTOR / PROTEGE: N/A

LENGTH OF ADVOCATE MEMBERSHIP: Less than one week

SUPERVILLAIN ARCHNEMESIS: N/A

SUPERHERO HISTORY: N/A

#advocatetask #( about || 'who's asking?' )

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hellorickturner-blog · 6 years ago

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Daniel Carpenter Taking Things to a New Level

Daniel Carpenter is far from your average senior. He doesn’t take life slow or easy, in fact when most people his age begin to become less active, Daniel Carpenter speeds his life up. So what makes this 64 year old, retired army captain, licensed private investigator, and former professor with a PH.D. in Drama do for fun? The answer may surprise you. Currently, Carpenter is learning MMA and pursuing a career in Rap! Rap Music to be precise and like everything Daniel had ever applied himself to he’s giving it 110%.

Carpenter was born on November 5th 1955 in the back of a farm truck on route 315 in Simsbury, Connecticut (a suburb of Hartford) on the way to the hospital, in a thunderstorm. Already an unusual start to this extraordinary man’s life, at the age of five, he was already showing incredible abilities. Carpenter wrote and performed a cello concerto featured in a local town’s christmas pageant. He was also known to be incredibly athletic, competing against boys much older then he in the annual township’s swim competition. “I was about five or six around that time and the high school swim coach noticed me swimming laps in the pool one summer, he said that I swam faster and better than most of his varsity swim team members. Even at that age, I found his remarks to be humorous because I has practically taught myself to swim” Carpenter remarked. Carpenter was known for his confident and competitive nature throughout his early school years and that reputation continued throughout his highschool career. Voted most likely to succeed in his senior yearbook, Carpenter was a force to be reckoned with. He was the varsity wrestling team captain, school newspaper editor, the star of the debate team and the class president. “I never wanted to have a reason to look back and regret not trying something” Carpenter reflected, “I wanted to make sure I had gave everything a shot.”

In December 1973, Carpenter enlisted in the army to fight in Vietnam. He had just turned 18 and answered to call for young men to join the fight. “I didn’t particularly agree with the war, but I felt a deep sense of patriotism and I could not ignore it.” Over the next three years, Carpenter excelled through the army ranks starting as a private and leaving Vietnam as Master Sergeant. Carpenter did not wish to elaborate much on his experiences in Vietnam, stating “I never speak about it with anyone except for the men who were there… they are the only ones who understand.”

After the Fall of Saigon, Carpenter was airlifted out of Vietnam with the remaining troops in the spring of 1975. He returned home to Hartford, Connecticut just before his 20th birthday. While home, Daniel met a woman by the name of Nancy Slater while eating breakfast at a local diner. They began dating. “I knew when I met her that she was something special and I had to marry her,” said Carpenter. Unfortunately after only a few months home Carpenter was called to duty. He left for West Berlin in February of 1976 and his plans to marry Nancy Slater were put on hold. Despite the distance between Carpenter and Slater he kept true to her and wrote her almost every day. “I was in love, and it hurt to be away from her but I knew the oath I took and that this sacrifice was for the good of my country.”

Over the next 3 years Carpenter was stationed in West Berlin at the doorstep of the Soviet Union during the height of the Cold War. He once again refused to give details about his time abroad, however his reason this time was different, claiming that details of his service during that time is still to this day classified. “I was stationed in West Berlin for almost 3 years, and it was not pretty, let’s just leave it at that,” said Carpenter with a careful chuckle.

Carpenter returned home in 1978 around Christmas. While in West Germany he had bought an engagement ring for his girlfriend Nancy Slater. Carpenter having risen to the rank of Captain decided to leave the army to get married. He proposed to Nancy on New Years Eve of that year and by May of 1979 they were married. “I was so happy, however my appetite for accomplishment was a problem, I couldn’t sit still.” Around this time Carpenter began working at a local factory which built plumbing parts. “Nancy could see that I was not happy working at a factory, however we had a baby on the way and we were saving for a house.” Over the next several years the Carpenters would have 4 children. Daniel would change jobs three times and eventually become a licenced private investigator. Opening an office in on 42nd Street in Manhattan in 1981. “I loved being a gumshoe… meeting all the interesting people and all the adventures and at that time the city was a much seedier and gritty place.”

When cases were slow Carpenter, an avid chess player would search the city for chess players to fulfill his need for competition. Carpenter became a known chess player in the army. He played all sorts of people and allegedly defeated a famous East German Chess Master while on a diplomatic assignment east of the wall. “I would tell Nancy I was working late and would scour the city for best chess opponents I could find. It sounds crazy but it kept me sharp. I loved playing the bums around the port authority. Those guys sometimes we’re better and smarter than some of the professional players. Some of those fellas were undercover savants.” “I sat on the sidewalk of 43rd and Broadway once for 3 hours playing this one guy by a dumpster, over and over again… and I could not beat him.” “I would sometimes have an epiphany during a match and run back to the office after the game to work on the case.”

In 1986 a client of Carpenter’s was unable to pay in full for his investigator services and offered him two tickets to see CATS. The wildly popular Broadway show had been out since 1981 and was still the highest grossing show in New York. Carpenter accepted the tickets and brought his wife to see the show. “I was immediately enthralled and had to have more, I started taking Nancy to all the Broadway shows… La Cage Aux Folles, 42nd Street, Drood, Sweet Charity… she loved them and so did I. So much so I stopped chasing down chess players and started studying theatre.”

Over the next few years Daniel Carpenter would earn a PH.D. in Drama and become a performing art professor at the local college in Nashua, New Hampshire. It would be here that Carpenter would stay as a professor for many years before retiring in 2014. “My four children have given me 11 grandchildren so I wanted to spend more time with them.”

If you think that in the last 5 Years of retirement that Daniel Carpenter has slowed down, you have another thing coming. Daniel Carpenter has already earned a blackbelt in Kempo, won the county chilli cookoff two years in a row, hosts the annual christmas tree lighting ceremony at his church, directs the community theatre troupe and has taken a stab at philanthropy. Daniel Carpenter started a non-profit foundation that funds theater programs in underprivileged school districts. He has even brought famous retired stage actors to guest teach theater. However Carpenter didn’t stop there, this upcoming year Daniel intends to begin competing as an amateur MMA Fighter in a local circuit. “People often remark about how young I look although I’m in my mid-60s and despite all I do. I tell them it’s a gift and a curse, sometimes I wish I could just sit still and enjoy retirement like most people my age, but I can’t. It drives my wife crazy.”

Now Daniel Carpenter is attempting to enter the rap game, but not for the fame but for his charity work. “I was driving down three-o-five right where I was born in Simsbury and heard this advertisement for a Rap battle in Hartford for a prize of twelve-thousand dollars… and I thought to myself about how that money could be used for good.” Unfortunately for Carpenter he was too late to register for last years tournament however he is hopeful he will win the 2020 competition. “My kids think I’m crazy and I don’t blame them, everyone has thought I was crazy at one point or another.” When asked about how his progress in rap Carpenter declined to elaborate stating “I can’t give you the secret to my sauce before the taste testing,” and carpenter knows a thing or two about taste testing, his busy wall of trophies and awards features his “Annual Chilli Cook-Off — 1st Place” awards for 2014 and 2015. “The way I see it is… this is a mix of everything I know. Music, Drama and Chess.” When asked why chess Carpenter remarked “Chess is pure strategy and rhythm, knowing your opponent and exposing their weaknesses… and knowing the right moment to strike… like martial arts too I suppose… it’s a discipline.”

Carpenter has sure been active in retirement and it seems anything that this 64 year old husband, father, teacher, soldier, detective, chess player and philanthropist puts his mind to he accomplishes. Carpenter shares that the secret to his life of success and accomplishments is having dreams. “Never forget how to have you imagination, never forget that your only limitations are what you let limit you, working hard at something you like… isn’t hard.” Carpenter hopes his wacky and eclectic life story will inspire others to take the first step. commercial interior design california

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djregular · 2 years ago

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The appeal of WWE to Endeavor is pretty clear. It has a similar money-making structure to UFC in that it combines TV deals, ticket sales, direct-to-viewer sales, sponsorships, Middle Eastern sovereign fund cash, and its own brand licensing all into one big international live events package. It's also appealing because it's physically impossible for WWE to lose money right now, so huge are its deals with parties like Comcast, Fox, and Saudi Arabia. Together, at least in the near future, UFC and WWE are simply too big to fail, and that makes this merger an easy pitch in the boardroom or shareholders' meeting.

The presence of both UFC President Dana White, who escaped any repercussions for hitting his wife on New Year's Eve, and Vince McMahon, who muscled his way back into power despite paying hush money to several women who accused him of sexual misconduct, puts slimy misogyny at the forefront of this new venture. The idea of having either for a boss is chilling.

#wrestling #wwe #mma #ufc #handshake meme: wrestlers + mma fighters = desperately in need of a union #related: fuck hulk hogan

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fedoremelianenkodevoted · 5 years ago

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Fedor Emelianenko – the greatest MMA fighter of all-timeBy

OPINION

Staff Report

3 days ago

The most competitive sport, which has some of the most dedicated athletes who train hard on a daily basis to master the craft – this is the definition of MMA nowadays. Although, according to some, the sport is dangerous, let’s be honest – watching fights excites people, it is in our DNA. Don’t believe us? Think of gladiator fights – you can’t deny that they were the most exciting shows in the Roman Republic, visited by the Roman emperors themselves. MMA channels the purest form of eagerness to defeat another person, and this is the reason why fighters devote their lives to the discipline.

Along with MMA’s rising popularity around the world, punters’ appetite for MMA sports betting also grows at a rapid pace. Following that, ensuring high MMA and Boxing Odds and a wide variety of markets are among the bookmakers’ primary goals. With MMA being an individual sport, the odds are based on fighters’ current form. Although the matches last less than half an hour, athletes dedicate months for preparation in order to grab the win and the huge prize fund that comes with it.

Many fighters today aim to reach the starry level of Fedor Emelianenko – the all-time greatest MMA fighter, according to many experts and fans. An enigmatic big man with the speed and punching power of a predatory Russian bear, Emelianenko has been widely recognised by media as Sports Illustrated defined him as one of the top MMA fighters of the 2000s. Furthermore, former combat sports fighters and legends such as Chuck Norris and Mike Tyson named him the greatest mixed martial artist of all time. The fact that he ranks in the Top 20 List of the World’s Richest MMA fighters with $18 Million net worth is yet another proof of Fedor’s high class in the discipline. Born in 1976 in the Soviet Union, the Russian heavyweight MMA fighter’s martial arts journey started with judo and sambo. Emelianenko began his mixed martial arts career as a member of the Russian Top Team (RTT), where he trained under the mentorship of Volk Han and Andrei Kopylov. His debut in MMA was in May 2000 with four straight victories. According to analysts and fans, Emelianenko, nicknamed The Last Emperor, is a major piece of MMA’s history as he is one of those men who paved the discipline’s way and helped to take the ragtag cage fighting to become an actual sport, admired by millions.

But what makes him so unique? Firstly, Emelianenko is the longest-reigning heavyweight lineal champion as after a debated loss in December 2000, he was unbeaten until June 2010, championing a total of 28 fights. Throughout his career, he has won consecutive MMA’s Pride Fighting Championships from 2003 to 2007, and defeated notable opponents including one Pride FC champion, two Olympic medalists, one former and two future K-1 champions, and four former UFC champions, namely Andrei Arlovski, Mark Coleman, Kevin Randleman and Tim Sylvia. In addition, Emelianenko won numerous MMA accolades, including the 2008 Submission/Beatdown of the Year, the 2009 Knockout of the Year, The Heavyweight of the Year for 2003, 2004, and 2005, the 2005 Fighter of the Year, and the 2000s Fight of the Decade. Besides MMA, Emelianenko became a heavyweight champion of the FIAS World Combat Sambo Championship and a bronze medalist at the Russian Judo Federation National Championship. Fedor is considered one of the most well-rounded MMA fighters as he has developed an unrivalled combination of skill set which include powerful striking, master counter punches, and quickness. Besides, his fighting style has outstanding features such as devastating ground and pound from open guard and smart footwork. His experience in other martial arts gives him further advantage in MMA as he uses throwing techniques from judo and sambo to bring his opponent to the ground. Largely crushing adversaries since 2000, Fedor is so confident in his skills that he even allows his rivals to choose their fighting style.

Undisputedly, Emelianenko has the ability to beat strong competitors in their strongest domain as he has some impressive victories over memorable combatants of the 2000s like Mirko “Cro Cop” Filipovic and Minotauro Nogueira. According to many industry observers, the fight between Emelianenko and the former kickboxer Cro Cop for the Pride Heavyweight Title, held in August of 2005 in Japan was „a clash of the titans”, and is still one of the greatest mixed martial arts bout, which can be used as a tutorial for young MMA fighters. From the second round onwards, Fedor dominated the match both on the feet and on the ground and proved that he has world-class striking, which secured him the win via unanimous decision.

Even though he has never fought in the globe’s premier MMA company UFC, the fact that some people point out when arguing that his “greatest MMA fighter of all-time” title is controversial, he did not lose a single fight for an entire decade, and this achievement can’t be ignored in any league. The truth is that although Emelianenko’s legacy is a much-discussed topic, he is a one-of-a-kind legend who was the first to excel in all areas of mixed martial arts.

In June 2012, Fedor Emelianenko announced his retirement, however, in July 2015, after a three-year break from MMA, he confirmed that he would be returning to active competition. Up to date, The Last Emperor is fighting for Bellator MMA, and his last fight, which he won via first-round knockout, was held in December 2019 against Quinton “Rampage” Jackson. Emelianenko’s next match is not determined yet, and at this moment, it is difficult to say who his next opponent will be. Currently, he is in what Bellator names a “retirement tour” and in an ideal scenario, he will fight once again in the US and then will have a final fight in his homeland Russia. Old-school fans believe that he still has the needed skills to give a spectacular show and are they are eagerly waiting for his future clashes.

#fedoremelianekodevoted fedoremelianenkothemost fedoremelianenkthegreatest fedoremelianenkotheone fedoremelianekomma thelastemperor fedoremel

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djregular · 3 years ago

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As Hardy implied, that really has been UFC’s “style” when dealing with a fighter that wants to get free from their contract, especially in years past. The UFC anti-trust lawsuit previously revealed former matchmaker Joe Silva’s harsh negotiation tactics used to keep leverage and extend contracts.

“I lowballed them on purpose the first offer knowing they would turn it down,” Silva’s emails showed about previous negotiations with Nate’s brother Nick Diaz. “How bout I come back with 29+29, 32+32, 35+35, 38+38. If they turn it down I put him in a prelim against a really tough guy for his last fight.”

Documents also showed Silva himself saying that turning down those intentional bad offers “allows us to extend his contract.”

MMA fighters will never unionize for a number of reasons, but they desperately need a union because of things like this.

#mma #labor #capitalism #unions

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truesportsfan · 5 years ago

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UFC fighters rage over low pay while investors reap big dividends

Former fighters at the Ultimate Fighting Championship are fuming over multimillion-dollar payments recently handed out to the league’s rich and famous investors.

A main target of their ire is UFC’s president, Dana White, a hulking, 50-year-old former boxer whose generous tipping habits have reportedly “changed people’s lives.”

As The Post reported earlier this month, roughly $300 million — the lion’s share of UFC’s $350 million cash reserve — is going to one-time dividend payments to the company’s star-studded list of investors, which includes actor and producer Mark Wahlberg, actress Charlize Theron and model Gisele Bündchen.

White, who has been running UFC since 2001, is on track to receive more than $3 million from the windfall, sources told The Post.

That’s sticking in the craw of former UFC fighters suing the company, who note White’s reputation for lavish spending. According to a 2012 report by the Las Vegas Review-Journal, White tipped dealers more than $100,000 during a two-month hot streak at Vegas’ Palms Casino Resort.

“I heard about Dana tipping a waitress $10,000 and that was my wage as a fighter,” said former UFC fighter Kyle Kingsbury. “I lived in my mom’s garage and I had two jobs when I was fighting in the UFC. I was a personal trainer and a bouncer [and] bartender in a strip club.”

Kingsbury is one of three former fighters currently seeking class-action status for a lawsuit that accuses the cage-fighting empire of engaging in anticompetitive practices to drive down their pay, including forcing fighters into long-term, exclusive contracts.

Ruling on the way

The question of whether fighters’ pay is being unfairly capped currently rests with Las Vegas federal judge Richard Boulware, who is expected to soon decide whether to grant them class certification. If the judge rules in their favor, some 1,200 current and former UFC fighters could join the suit, lawyers said. If the judge rules against the fighters, it will likely kill the suit.

UFC has argued in court papers that the ex-fighters’ anti-competitive claims are bogus — and that even if they were valid it would be an issue for the Federal Trade Commission, not a jury. UFC has also argued that there are five competing mixed martial arts leagues.

“UFC pays its fighters more than any other MMA promoter,” a UFC spokesperson told The Post. “We are proud of the company we’ve built and we are confident in our legal position.”

Fighters complain that UFC restricts their ability to make money in other ways, including by keeping the lion’s share of the pay-per-view revenues — unlike boxing, which often promises the vast majority of pay-TV revenues to the purse, or prize money given to the fighters.

By contrast, the fighters call the UFC’s payments “flat money,” because there’s no upside for them, even if their fights help make UFC rich.

After losing a bout to Conor “Irishman” McGregor in less than a minute in January, Donald “Cowboy” Cerrone revealed that he didn’t get a dime more than the $200,000 he was promised in his contract.

“Hahahahah 7-10 million,” Cerrone responded to a follower on Instagram. “I didn’t get PPV money. What the world thinks and what really happens is so different. I made flat money.”

The UFC spokesperson denied that Cerrone received only $200,000 to fight McGregor, who made at least $3 million from the fight, but declined to provide specifics.

UFC President Dana WhiteZuffa LLC via Getty Images

The UFC also put The Post in touch with Cerrone’s manager, Josh Jones, vice president of sports marketing and entertainment firm KHI Management, who said Cerrone “got compensated tremendously. Multiple times more than $200,000, a lot more than $200,000.”

The manager said the 6-foot fighter was “paid in many different ways,” including through UFC’s sponsor Reebok, but offered no details.

More rounds

But fighters say compensation from corporate sponsorships has been severely crimped since UFC cut a six-year sponsorship deal beginning in 2015 with Reebok for $70 million. The deal meant fighters could no longer advertise their own sponsors in the octagon — a practice that had previously been helping to pay the bills.

In exchange for wearing Reebok gear, fighters under the new deal are paid on a tiered system starting at $2,500, according to ESPN. Champions receive $40,000, the report said.

Fighters also claim they have been told to play along with the UFC’s rules or be blacklisted. Ex-UFC fighter Cung Le says he was paid $5,000 for every episode in which he was the coach in the TV show “The Ultimate Fighter: China.”

And when he asked for more, White told him he had to accept it or would “be sitting on the bench,” Le said.

At one point between shows, Le’s wife needed surgery and he asked to “spend a few days with her” before being shipped off to China for the next round of taping, he said.

The UFC denied his request, saying they had to start taping immediately, Le said.

“I had to leave right after her surgery though she spent a week in the hospital and there was no one to watch the kids,” Le said.

“I went to China as asked and the show didn’t even get shot for a week,” he added.

Ari Emanuel and Patrick Whitesell — the CEO and executive chairman, respectively, of Endeavor, the Hollywood entertainment conglomerate that owns half of UFC — are also getting more than $3 million each from the $300 million dividend.

Endeavor, which sources say is in need of cash following a flopped 2019 initial public offering, will be getting a UFC-fueled cash infusion of roughly $150 million. Endeavor officials have denied that the UFC dividend has anything to do with the failed IPO.

Meanwhile, the money that fighters receive to step into the ring is often eaten away by expenses, as ex-fighter Nate Quarry explained, using as an example his 2005 fight for the UFC middleweight championship at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas.

“I’m the main event,” Quarry said. “I’m doing all sorts of promotion.

“My show money was $10,000 with a $14,000 bonus for winning,” he said of the event, which had total gate revenue of $2 million, according to the Nevada State Athletic Commission.

Rich Franklin knocked him out in one round. After expenses, including a trainer, he was left with $5,000.

“I would have made more money had I stayed in construction,” Quarry said.

After the championship bout, Quarry was diagnosed with a degenerative disc disease from fighting. White urged him to get the surgery done in Vegas, where the doctors are top-notch. Quarry told White he had no money, and White said the UFC would pay.

“That was a life-changer. I will eternally be grateful to Dana White for that,” Quarry said. “But if I was paid more as a fighter, I wouldn’t have to ask for help.”

In addition to blasting White, Kingsbury said he’s also disappointed that none of UFC’s celebrity investors has spoken out for the fighters given that they, as actors, benefit from unionization.

“That’s the hypocrisy of the whole thing. They play blind, deaf and dumb,” he said, referring to the actors. “Their silence is deafening.”

source https://truesportsfan.com/sport-today/ufc-fighters-rage-over-low-pay-while-investors-reap-big-dividends/

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actutrends · 5 years ago

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With 2 years in the books, the PFL stays focused on innovation in MMA

The PFL is still the newest kid on the block when it comes to major MMA promotions. However, their determination to innovate has helped them stand out.

The year is 2016. To close out the calendar, the World Series of Fighting (WSOF) held its 34th event which took place on New Year’s Eve in New York City. Featured on the incredibly stacked lineup of fighters set to compete were five different champions. Well, technically four as one of those champions was the owner of two divisional titles.

Little did we know at the time, this event would mark the last time all of these fighters competed for the – seemingly – expanding promotion.

Of the names on the WSOF 34 bill included past and future UFC as well as Bellator contenders, Marlon Moraes, Justin Gaethje, David Branch, and Jon Fitch. If any of the four had their legitimacy questioned in the WSOF, it’s a safe take to say that they reaffirmed it in the time that has since followed this event. This also goes for the heavyweight champion that headlined WSOF 35, Blagoy Ivanov.

So what exactly happened to the promising home to many of today’s best? In 2017, it would fizzle out and become a thing of the past … to an extent.

A group of investors known as MMAX Investment Partners came along and acquired a controlling stake in the WSOF. In April of that year, an overhaul would be put in motion as the four-letter abbreviation we had grown accustomed to over the past six years was now transformed and evolved into the Professional Fighters League (PFL).

“The opportunity to build a brand and build a league in the fastest growing sport in the world,” PFL CEO Peter Murray responded to FanSided when asked what led him to MMA. “To do it from the ground up with a distinction and with an incredible ownership group and top management team. Really the opportunity to be a leader in the next evolution and the growth of the sport and to propel it forward was incredibly appealing as an entrepreneur.”

Like in the actual form of fighting itself, adaptations are required in the business world as well. Comparatively, the sport of Mixed Martial Arts is still by and far the baby of the group when it comes to major leagues and things alike.

From the National Football League (NFL) to Under Armour to currently the PFL, CEO Peter Murray has spent his career around sports and is always looking to pave a new avenue. Thus resulting in the endeavor it was to enter this still historically new world of MMA.

Upon the WSOF’s rebirth that became the PFL, it instantly became something new – but not just because it was literally a new brand. The way sanctioned violence was established in their league had been unlike anything ever seen before. In a way, they created the most sport-like feel MMA had ever had before.

To compare once again to the other major sports and leagues around the world, whether it be from Major League Baseball to the National Basketball Association, these team activities all have one thing in common. And that’s seasonal formats and certain variations of tournaments.

“What we launched and what we’re building is not a Me-Too Product,” Murray explained. “It’s differentiated from the other guys. In fact, it’s complimentary. It appeals to the avid MMA fan base who are looking for expanded live products to engage in and quality fights that are accessible. So we have the opportunity to engage that large and growing fan base around the world, those avid MMA fans. And we also have the opportunity as well as appeal to non-avid fans. Those stick and ball fans who are now coming over to the fight game and our platform at the PFL with our format with the regular season, playoff, and a championship. Beginning, middle, and end.

“Fighters earn their way. It’s all based on merit. And in the postseason fans are assured the best are competing against the best, fighting against the best and it culminates with the year-end championships, where each fighter earns a million bucks and the belt. All the storylines are there and for those non-avid fans to jump in, it’s easy to follow. They relate to a season format. And it really is built to create stars. And you look at someone like Kayla Harrison, two-time Olympic gold medalist in Judo, Kayla went pro with us. She’s undefeated in MMA and she’s now a star, not only for the PFL, but in the sport and recognized as such, and she’ll be competing for a title on New Year’s Eve.”

In the PFL, over the course of the year, each weight division will have its own tournament that results in the winner being awarded a million dollars and the title of champion. Whoever has the most points after each event advances onward. The point system works in the way that if a fighter earns a victory in a fight, they get three points. Bonus points are given in the case of finishes which go three points for a first-round finish, two points for a second-round finish, and a single point for a third-round finish.

The loser, of course, receives no points at all. But in the case of draws, each fighter gets a point.

In regards to the playoff portion, fighters will have to fight two times in one night to end up being crowned champions. The first fight, the quarterfinal, is only two rounds with the semifinal being three. The reason for this being that under the unified rules of MMA, professional fighters are not allowed to compete for more than 25 minutes in one night.

With the second season coming to a close at the end of this month, something as unique as a literal seasonal format in MMA has still taken getting used to for many. Regardless, Murray preaches that it’s the cornerstone of his promotion and believes it will only push competitors like the UFC and Bellator to step up their games.

“Hey, that’s what a challenger brand does. We’ll grow the sport, we’ll make the sport better. And we’ll push our competitors for sure,” Murray said.

“I think first and foremost, last year the biggest hurdle was simply validating the format. That’s what we accomplished in 2018 and that was our focus. And the endemic MMA community… like many fans in different sports, there’s a lot of pessimists. ‘This type of format won’t work, it doesn’t work, will not work in the fight game.’ We heard that. But we were really committed to launching this.

“We have a vision and committed to this product and the differentiation and we launched it and to some people’s surprise, but not to ours,” he continued, “The sentiment was extremely positive right upon launch, just after two events last year, that the PFL was great for the sport, great for fighters and great for fans. So we knew we had something once we got through the first two events.”

Aside from the actual concept that the PFL is with its unique format, it also tackles the problematic issue that has been fighter pay in the sport. With each winner of the season being awarded a million dollars, it definitely provides some extra incentive where it may not be so easily accessible elsewhere.

In the UFC in 2019, as of Nov. 6 according to The Sports Daily, only six fighters have accrued over a million dollars. This being by taking multiple fights for five of those six. The lone fighter that managed more than that was the current lightweight champion Khabib Nurmagomedov. Jon Jones and Israel Adesanya are the only two other champions of the group. For the latter in “The Last Stylebender,” he didn’t acquire his middleweight title until October.

Over the past two years that the PFL has been around, only seven UFC fighters have achieved over $2 million. Six fighters will receive a million dollars each at this year’s PFL playoff finale on Dec. 31 with the possibility of two of the fighters in Lance Palmer and Natan Schulte having the chance to win it back to back.

Having had experience in other sports like American football with the NFL, Murray has been around sports that have unions involved. Something that MMA lacks and arguably needs. Believing that it’s indeed a talking point, the PFL head doesn’t foresee it happening soon.

Looking at the specifics of compensation, and in regards to the UFC’s highest-paid athlete at the moment in Nurmagomedov, he happens to be managed by Dominance MMA management owner Ali Abdelaziz.

Recently, Abdelaziz was banned from PFL events following a battery case involving him and a fellow MMA manager Abe Kawa. Although non-related, this came days after Abdelaziz fell under critique for having a percentage of the PFL roster revealed as under his management. With numbers as high as 30 percent involved in the tournaments, it was argued as a conflict of interest by the community.

“Regarding Ali, if you look at the stats, how many fighters that he actually has under his company, Dominance, with UFC and Bellator and elsewhere, it is a significant number across the sport,” Murray expressed. “Ali is one of the leading and top managers in the sport overall. We have a number of fighters with Ali. But what I can tell you is, and we value our relationship, you will see us continue to work with Dominance. But we’re also going to expand the number of management companies that we are dealing with today. That’s a function of how we’re in the next phase of growth. And in a position because of what we’ve accomplished, and the interest now among the top stakeholders in the sport, managers and fighters, who are now seeing what makes the PFL so special, and now it is deemed as an absolute alternative option for any top-ranked athlete to either launch their career or continue their career when they’re on their way to the peak or at the top.

“So, as a result of what we’ve achieved in the last two seasons, we’re now in all the top conversations with athletes vying to get in. And so we’ll be dealing with an expanded group of managers that we haven’t done business with before.”

Similarly to the adaptation element of things, expansion is also expected the longer that a business sticks around. So in MMA business, for a promotion, one of those elements would be larger rosters.

Innovation has been key for the PFL since its inception and it doesn’t take this article for someone to see that. And perhaps an unrecognized forcing of the competition to better themselves has already been done and is being done.

In mid to late 2018 but more prominently in 2019, Bellator MMA and Japanese powerhouse RIZIN FF really started beginning their partnership to cross-promote with their fights and fighters. This all culminates in its biggest display yet at the end of the year.

While the PFL does, in fact, have plans in 2020 for events to be held outside their home of the US, they aren’t focused on anyone but themselves. So no cross-promotion… for now. But do they really need it at the moment? Murray believes this is only the beginning when it comes to how they can keep setting themselves apart from the rest.

“We’re the first to innovate the cage,” he stated, “The PFL, our cage is trademarked the ‘smart cage.’ We’re the only organization measuring strike speed and tracking fighter location during live fights and integrating the data, the analytics, into the actual live broadcast. It provides context of the competition. It provides an immersive experience and also provides additional data to activate the ideas in the gaming as well as betting space. New prop bets and things of that nature. So innovation is something we are. It’s part of who we are. It’s how we’ll grow the sport and grow the PFL.

“I really started my career at the NFL and NFL films, working with Emmy Award-winning producers and creating stories about those athletes, teams, and the league and PFL is no different.

“In order for us to grow the sport and have the sport appeal to not only avid MMA fans and to open that up, to broader sports fans, but you’ve also got to tell the story of the athlete,” Murray detailed, “The emotional journey, storytelling about an athlete, who they are, where they come from, why they got into the sport, how they got into the sport, what they fight for. Then that physical journey, all the training, the preparation, and everything that goes into preparing for everything that goes into trying to get into a league such as ours at this level, everything that goes into telling stories around the preparation for the regular season, and getting through the regular season. And then for those who are fortunate enough to get into the playoffs, and then they have to get through fighting twice in one night and win to get into a championship and they fight for a million dollars. So we tell those stories. We tell the story of the athlete. That comes through in our broadcast. It comes through in our shoulder programming on ESPN and across digital and social channels. We have a whole division – PFL original productions dedicated to telling the story of our athletes.”

Being partnered with ESPN so early on into their existence is definitely big in regards to the continued potential upside. And the PFL is clearly putting in the effort to make an impact on the MMA landscape.

From the unique format to aiding the fighters financially while honing in on telling their stories, written into the MMA history books the PFL will have a pretty interesting story of its own.

“It’s life. I mean, you really have to create an emotional connection with fans. And you can’t be just transactional and stage and fight and operate as a puppeteer,” Murray conveyed. “You got to make people care and give them that access and opportunity.”

The post With 2 years in the books, the PFL stays focused on innovation in MMA appeared first on Actu Trends.

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amtushinfosolutionspage · 7 years ago

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Tactical Guide to Paul Felder vs. Al Iaquinta

UFC 223 is the best card the Ultimate Fighting Championship has put together in a long time. Part of that has to do with the fact that it isn’t completely reliant on the main event—which is probably a good idea as we are now on the fourth booking of Tony Ferguson vs. Khabib Nurmagomedov. One of the brilliant bouts on this card which is more than worth its portion of the asking price is the mouth-wateringly unpredictable matchup between next-great-lightweight, Paul Felder and the previous next-great-lightweight, Al Iaquinta.

Narratives make fights and sometimes they are hard to come by, but the contrasts between Iaquinta and Felder couldn’t be any more obvious and out front. Ragin’ Al routinely lives up to his moniker by proving hot-headed in the cage, on the mic, after the fights, and most importantly in his negotiations with the UFC. Iaquinta’s public spats with his employer have eaten up the majority of the last few years. He was recently named interim secretary and treasurer of yet another attempt to unionize MMA fighters though given his temperament it is a title which you would hope is ceremonial. In the meantime his trips to the cage have been infrequent and most recently—in the case of knocking out a thoroughly washed up Diego Sanchez—largely pointless. In fact one of the problems of Iaquinta’s lengthy absence is that the big names on his record (Ross Pearson, Joe Lauzon) are no longer big names starting to wind down, but are now well into the twilight of their careers.

A wicked knockout against Diego Sanchez, but not a fight that needed to happen nor one that anyone was clamoring for.

Paul Felder is the perfect company man: a less shopworn version of his friend and the UFC’s golden boy, Donald Cerrone. Dana White’s claim that the best fighters in the world fight three times a year in the UFC has always been a shaky one, yet Paul Felder has competed three times a year like clockwork since his arrival in 2015. When the troublesome Francisco Trinaldo was putting together the best streak in the lightweight division, while also being forty years old, speaking no English and having zero marketability whatsoever, it was Felder who was tasked with getting rid of him. Now Felder works as a commentator for the UFC in between his regular in-ring appearances and does a very solid job.

Felder’s recent run of wins highlight what he does best. Often billed as a striker, Felder’s feet can be sluggish but where he really excels is as a hitter. If he can get his man standing still (or lying prone) he can unleash some ferocious elbows and kicks. In fact his last three victories have come by way of his elbows. Against Stevie Ray, a grueling clinch fight allowed Felder to score a knee and finish with elbows on the mat. Against Charles Oliveira, Felder spent the entire first round fighting off a D’arce attempt and a standing rear naked choke. The moment he got free he dove right back into Oliveira’s guard to push the pace on him. In the second round, Felder reversed a clinch and put Oliveira on the fence. Both on the mat and on the feet, Felder’s head was constantly being posted underneath his opponent’s, giving him superior striking position by driving the opponent upright or back into the fence.

When he jostled for head position with Oliveira, Felder felt the chance to have a swing and pulled back to crack Oliveira with a sinister elbow which saw the Brazilian sag to the mat. More elbows from guard soon finished proceedings.

On the outside, Felder’s boxing is pretty bare bones—working high lows with one-twos and pounding in the odd low kick. Felder’s fight with Daron Cruickshank demonstrated that he likes working in tit-for-tat exchanges and can get caught clean in longer exchanges when he thinks that it is his turn to move. Cruickshank had great success sneaking out the side door after a one-two and side kicking Felder in the body or even face when Felder turned to follow. The classic Wonderboy side kick set up.

Cruickshank also demonstrated Felder’s defensive shortcomings in longer exchanges: drag Felder past the one-two and he’s open for plenty of strikes in mid range. Cruickshank snuck in backhands after missed blows and broke Felder’s rhythm.

If you exclude falling victim to an incredible wall walking D’arce choke from the bottom by Mitch Clarke, Al Iaquinta’s most troublesome fight in recent years was against Jorge Masvidal. It was a typical Masvidal fight in that Masvidal looked hard to hit, made Iaquinta miss a lot, and then failed to push his advantage, losing on the scorecards. The truth of Iaquinta’s striking is that he’s right hand happy and when Masvidal controlled distance and swayed away each time Iaquinta stepped in, the right hand just couldn’t find the mark and Iaquinta had little else to make Masvidal worry. Though his jab looked much sharper in the Lauzon fight, Iaquinta would still fixate on the right, throwing five or six strikes in combination and only landing the right hand. As Jim Miller found, Joe Lauzon will often get his head down and cover rather than leave striking range when under fire. This meant that Iaquinta could work in longer and longer flurries against him until the right hand finally snuck through and landed flush.

Hypothetical Gameplans

It would be good to see Paul Felder lean on his heavy kicks and knees more in this bout. Iaquinta is pretty hittable in exchanges, but his footwork is generally light and economical. Iaquinta’s stance is considerably more bladed than Felder’s and presents his lead leg as a lovely target. Jorge Masvidal had decent success pursuing it in their fight. Another Iaquinta habit is that his elbows tend to float away from his body. Masvidal slotted in both switch kicks and stepping kicks on the open side and later used the same kick to set up an effective flurry with his hands.

Felder’s first fight in the UFC was marked by brilliant use of a switch left knee to intercept the charges of Danny Castillo. With Iaquinta constantly looking to step in for the overhand, Felder might do well to hang back on the outside and allow Iaquinta to come to him, intercepting him with knees and kicks to the midsection when possible.

It would be good to see Felder try to cut the cage and put Iaquinta against the fence. Iaquinta is a good wrestler but he hasn’t looked anything close to unstoppable on his shots in MMA. He is more likely to do crafty things like pick up a single leg and drop it to throw his right hand, or attempt a kani-basami scissor leg takedown as he did against Jorge Masvidal and Kevin Lee.

For Al Iaquinta, using the space of the cage would seem to be a good idea. His arsenal is less varied on the feet but his movement is much more spry and savvy than Felder’s. Given Felder’s tendency to plod after his opponents, drawing Felder forward and around the cage could work a treat. It would be nice to see Iaquinta take advantage of Felder’s tit-for-tat rhythm by feinting or even throwing out a couple of half-assed punches, stepping out the side door or pulling back, and returning as Felder pursues. Cruickshank did it repeatedly with the dart and side kick, but the Petrosyan/Pep skip could work a treat for the more minimalist offense of Iaquinta.

The double jab and the feint to double jab could work wonderfully for Iaquinta here and generally Ray Longo calls for a lot of feints from his fighters. Alessandro Ricci fell into a predictable rhythm in his fight with Felder and ate a gorgeous counter elbow. But this elbow, and Felder’s favorite counter knees, both require Felder to get his man’s timing. He also drops his hands when he attempts his knees; a feint and a double jab into right hand could catch Felder on the end of Iaquinta’s right hand and on one leg—that could be disastrous.

Drawing Felder’s low kicks would be another way to get him out of position and plow in with that double jab to right hand. Tiffany van Soest is a great example of this in the kickboxing ring, she will bounce around outside of range, very deliberately step in to present her lead leg, and almost immediately retract it. If the opponent doesn’t kick, nothing is lost. If the opponent does kick she is ready to step back in as their leg swings by.

Iaquinta showed some awareness of this against Masvidal, letting Masvidal fall short on a couple of low kicks after feinting, but failed to capitalize on it with anything meaningful. And of course the old fashioned method of brute-forcing it will always be a reasonable response to a good low kick. Fedor Emelianenko and Igor Vovchanchyn scored a dozen knockdowns between them by stepping into the kick, pointing the knee out and allowing the foot to ride up the front of their quad. At the same time, they were throwing the right hand.

A tactic that might come in handy for Iaquinta is to lead with kicks and step in off them. Both Iaquinta and his teammate Chris Weidman have done this well before—they aren’t big kickers or known for their kicking games but they kick decently enough and can travel in quickly off them, not caring so much about religiously retreating to their guard. Alessandro Ricci had great success putting up kicks and then darting in to hit Felder with his hands after Felder had braced for the impact. Here Ricci both returns to stance and immediately bounds in, and hits that Machida special—using the kick itself to step in.

The reason this fight sticks out as such an enchanting prospect even amid the star-studded UFC 223 is that Al Iaquinta is an unknown. He got off to a promising start, beating Kevin Lee who is now a top ten lightweight, but after that it was as though the UFC wanted to push Iaquinta—giving him some old timers with name value to knock out—and he still bit the hand that fed him. So we don’t know what Iaquinta can do against top names, while Paul Felder seems to have found himself, competing against dangerous names in eight fights since the last time Iaquinta stepped in the cage with a real opponent. If Iaquinta can pull off the win he is right back in the top of the division. If Felder can stop Iaquinta, any leverage Ragin’ Al had during his continuous contract disagreements is suddenly undone.

Jack wrote the hit biography Notorious: The Life and Fights of Conor McGregor and podcasts at The Fight Primer.

Tactical Guide to Paul Felder vs. Al Iaquinta syndicated from https://australiahoverboards.wordpress.com

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flauntpage · 7 years ago

Text

Tactical Guide to Paul Felder vs. Al Iaquinta

A wicked knockout against Diego Sanchez, but not a fight that needed to happen nor one that anyone was clamoring for.

Hypothetical Gameplans

Jack wrote the hit biography Notorious: The Life and Fights of Conor McGregor and podcasts at The Fight Primer.

Tactical Guide to Paul Felder vs. Al Iaquinta published first on https://footballhighlightseurope.tumblr.com/

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