Mixed Martial Arts in DC News Blog

Colton Smith wins the Barbarian Fight Club Middleweight Title

Update:
Results of Colton Smith’s first pro bout in M-1 Global!
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The current Barbarian Fight Club Middleweight Champion earned his title the old fashioned way through hard work and perseverance at Vanguard Gym in Manassas, Va. Colton Smith is 5-1 as an amateur MMA fighter with all five of his wins ending in the first round. The only blemish on his record was a split decision loss in his title defense at Operation Octagon. Smith makes his drive evident in training and in the ring using the motivation he receives from his family and the military to push through the fight.

“I’m a Staff Sergeant in the Army,” said Smith, who is currently stationed at the Pentagon. He found time while serving on deployment all over the world to teach grappling to his fellow soldiers after starting wrestling at an early age in Iowa and training at the Relson Gracie Academy in El Paso, TX. “I started wrestling when I was 4 years old,” he said.

He credits his military training for much of his success in mixed martial arts. “It’s helped me a lot with my intestinal fortitude to drive on…to persevere through everything…” he said. His role in the military also gives him the drive in the ring to fight hard through his matches. “I try to stay honest as much as possible for my soldiers. That’s my biggest drive in the military…setting an example for my soldiers who are underneath me.”

Smith also talked about the importance of his family. He credits his wife (Megan) for supporting his efforts when he is focused on training. “She really supports me…the rest of my family as well…my mother, my father, and my siblings, they all come to my fights,” he said. “When I get a little bloody they don’t like it but that’s what I do…”

His plans now at age twenty three are to go pro in MMA, a plan that Doug Esposito (his coach) also expressed for later this year. “I believe I am ready,” said Smith.

Smith also pointed out his one year old son and his brother (Braden Reinhardt) as very important motivators in his life. He said of his son that “If he wants to wrestle or do any kind of combat sports I’m totally behind him.” Reinhardt also fought on the Barbarian Fight Club card defeating his opponent by TKO in the first round. “He fought on the card at 170…he destroyed his opponent…he’s a big motivator for me,” said Smith.

Smith also wanted to thank his current sponsors, RangerUp.com, Bulldog Demolition, and Woodbridge Chiropractic.

Related Article:
Results of Colton Smith’s first pro bout in M-1 Global! (March 2011)
Video of Colton Smith’s final amateur fight — Win by first round TKO
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FREDERICKSBURG, VA – The Barbarian Fight Club 2011 event was held at the Fredericksburg Fairgrounds on January 15, 2011. The last fight and co-main event of the evening pitted Keyon “Hands of Stone” Wilkins (5-2) of Team No Limit MMA in South Hill, VA against Daniel “Yeager-Bomb” Yeagley (6-8) of Emit MMA in Fredericksburg, VA. On the line for the bout was the BFC Featherweight Championship Title.

Yeagley pulled guard in the 1st round and attempted submissions on Wilkins from the bottom position. Wilkins defended and throughout the rounds began to wear down Yeagley with strikes, takedowns, and ground and pound. Wilkins avoided continued submission attempts and was never swept by his opponent. He continued to attack by striking his opponent on his feet and on the ground. The fight was controlled by Wilkins for most of the bout. In the last minute of the fifth and final round, Yeagley threatened an arm-in guillotine choke on Wilkins, but Wilkins defended to hold off the submission until the horn was rung. The bout ended with Wilkins the victor and the Featherweight Champion.

Title Bout Quick Results:

Bantamweight Title (Co-Main Event of Evening Show)
Nate “The Outlaw” Miller (Viet Le’s World Karate-Alexandria, VA) wins by 1st round TKO over Joe “The Menace” Stringfield (Combat Sports Management)

Middleweight Title (Main Event of Matinee Show)
Colton Smith (Vanguard Gym-Manassas, VA) wins by 1st round rear naked choke over Gary “The Goat” Wilkins (Team No Limit MMA)

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Colton Smith wins the BFC 185 Lb Championship Title

FREDERICKSBURG, VA – Doug Esposito’s Vanguard Gym participated in the Barbarian Fight Club 2011 MMA Event at the Fredericksburg Fairgrounds on January 15, 2011. The event featured two shows including the matinee and main card in the evening. MMA fighters from all over the US faced off in a packed house. Vanguard Gym was represented by Colton Smith (5-1) and Bradon Reinhardt (2-0).

Colton Smith headlined the featured fight in the matinee show with the BFC 185 lb Championship Title on the line against Gary “The Goat” Wilkins of Team No Limit MMA (South Hill, VA). Wilkins took the fight on short notice after Smith’s original opponent backed out of the fight.

Bradon Reinhardt at Barbarian Fight Club

The promoter was on stage during the weigh-ins asking if anyone would fight Smith and Wilkins responded that he would take the fight. This was Wilkins’ first fight in MMA. Smith later said, “I looked him in the eye and he was serious about it. He definitely didn’t back down. I’ll give him that much.”

On fight night, tensions reached a peak as the fighters stood infront of each other while the referee explained the rules in the hexagon. “He kind of dug his forehead into mine,” said Smith. “It got me pumped up.” At the start of the match, Smith shot in quickly for the takedown and put Wilkins on the ground. Smith used strikes after gaining the mount to make his opponent turn and put on a rear naked choke for the win and title. The fight ended at approximately 2 minutes in the first round.

Vanguard Gym Fighter Bradon Reinhardt faced off against Jose De La Rosa of Team Hammer (Pennsylvania) later in the evening. Reinhardt clinched his opponent after some brief strikes were thrown and took him down. He moved to the mount and reigned down strikes until the bout was stopped at approximately 2 minutes into the first round.

When asked about his MMA team’s performance, BJJ Black Belt Doug Esposito stated, “I’m really proud of Colton and Bradon.” The next steps for the team included plans to go to the next level. “Colton’s entry to the pro ranks later this year is going to shake things up in his weight class, and Bradon has some amateur belts on his to do list this year before he follows on the pro ranks,” said Esposito.

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Pablo Popovitch, a brazilian jiu jitsu World Champion, needs your help.

Please help him and his family. http://teampopovitchlive.com/?p=163
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WASHINGTON, D.C. – The first ever muay thai fight team try-outs at BETA Academy of Martial Arts was held on January 12, 2011 by head instructor Nakapan Phungephorn (POON-Porn). The event drew over 30 participants including aspiring fighters, instructors, and current muay thai team competitors on a cold wintery evening. The event lasted approximately two hours and was held at the lone representative school of the Thai Boxing Association of the United States in D.C.

The muay thai candidates were hand selected by Khun Kru Nakapan Phungephorn based on time in the muay thai program, required skill level, and a desire to compete and fight through adversity. The event pitted the thai boxing candidates against the coaches who were instructed to push them to extreme limits through multiple rounds of physical challenges. At stake was the opportunity to train with the fight team and represent the academy in muay thai.

Fight Team Try Out Poster Boy - Loses Tooth but doesn't quit!

The sparring went off to a fast start and blood was shed on the mat. Another fighter’s tooth went flying, only to continue in the melee after refusing to be pulled from the round. Candidate fighters had to recompose themselves and understand that they were not in “Kansas” anymore. This is a weed out process that had been carefully thought out. “They’re going to have to push through pain and exhaustion,” said Instructor Rudy Telles. “…a person won’t ever understand the depth of the process unless they get in there and do it themselves.”

“To be honest, I thought at least a few of the new guys would give up,” said Carrie Moskal, who currently trains with the muay thai team. Moskal also stated that “…everyone gave 100% and showed a lot of heart…”

Kru Nakapan, the WKA Amateur Muay Thai World Champion (2001 Welterweight), also participated in the event by pushing the candidates during sparring rounds. At the end of the event, he addressed the participants stating that “This is the first fight team training we’ve had so you should really be proud of yourselves.” He also said that even in defeat when you have done everything you can for your preparation, you have to “keep that confident mentality.”

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Master Lloyd Irvin

WASHINGTON, DC – The MMA Millionnaire Blueprint event held on January 6-9, 2011 attracted approximately 300 attendees from all over the world.  MMA fighters, competitors, and school owners went to the event to learn Master Lloyd Irvin’s marketing and operational strategies for running a successful business.  Here are some of the pictures from the historic event!

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Fairfax Jiu Jitsu MMA Class

HERNDON, Va. – Fairfax Jiu Jitsu has an MMA class that is held throughout the week for both fighters who are serious about competition and students who just want to stay in shape. Bill Easlick is the head MMA instructor of the general classes and the MMA fight team. Watch Matt Nielsen, Bryan Lane, and the rest of the team as they conduct controlled sparring and grappling rounds.

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Master Lloyd Irvin

WASHINGTON, DC – Master Lloyd Irvin presented the 2010 Marketer of the Year Award at his MMA Millionnaire Blueprint event at the L’Enfant Plaza Hotel on January 8, 2011. Candidates from the local area were Julius Park of Crazy88 BJJ and Nakapan Phungephorn of BETA Academy. Representing New York was Justin “Chim Chim” Garcia of Jungle Gym and Marcos Avellan of the Freestyle Fighting Academy in Florida. The winner was selected by secret ballots casted by approximately 300 conference attendees from all over the world.

Justin Garcia-2010 Marketer of the Year

Master Lloyd began by discussing the hard work that the candidates have done throughout the year and the seriousness of the award taken by the Titanium and Platinum Mastermind groups. He also mentioned that there’s “been a lot of trash talking” among the friendly business associates. The stakes were high and there was no second place. Top honors received full bragging rights and the title of Marketer of the Year.

The competitors battled it out in a line up that could have passed as a pro grappling division. Each participant gave a 15 minute presentation describing success stories and lessons learned as head instructors and business owners of their respective academies. The gauntlet was thrown down well before the event and continued at the start of the presentations with Nakapan Phungephorn first on deck. Friendly ribbing and trash talk accompanied the descriptions of value added marketing processes and solutions for increasing sales. Each candidate took turns describing humble beginnings starting their organizations. Julius Park described his start up when he saved up left over grant money originally intended for graduate school to buy mats and start his own business. Marcos Avellan held nothing back when he described how he battled back from depression and alcohol use to lead a current school system of over 1000 students.

Marcos Avellan (R) offers consultation

The presentations were completed and the ballots were casted in for tabulation. Each presenter was met in the grand hall during the break by martial arts school owners hungry for knowledge about how they got their schools established. Separate circles formed around candidates and each looked like a rock star surrounded by fans and groupies eager to hear more about their experiences. One candidate was even sought out for business advice while in the restroom.

Master Lloyd received the results and awarded the title based on a landslide victory to Justin “Chim Chim” Garcia. The outspoken martial arts coach from the Bronx won the crowd with his presentation skills starting with his philosophy about getting things done. During his presentation he described how he mailed a set of “brass balls” to an associated to help motivate him to take tough action. “One day I just felt compelled to mail it to him,” said Garcia.

Justin Garcia-2010 Marketer of the Year

The New Yorker continued his presentation by passing out marketing material used for student retention, development, and future sales. Maintaining integrity was also an important part of his work. “If you use devious tactics you will get devious students,” he said. During an interview he stated that since joining the mastermind group he has increased value by $30.00 per student. Garcia currently has two locations with a tiered program for developing instructors. He also has two different tracts for students who are serious about fighting or just want to get in shape.

After years of competing in brazilian jiu jitsu and submission wrestling tournaments, the Abu Dhabi competitor stated that “Marketing is not competition championships.” He noted that his delineation between mat skills and running an effective business was helped by his participation in Lloyd Irvin’s Mastermind Programs stating “master minding is what I needed to do. That was the missing link.”

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Master Lloyd Irvin

WASHINGTON, DC – Lloyd Irvin’s MMA Millionnaire Blueprint event was held on January 6-9 2011 at the L’Enfant Plaza Hotel in southwest DC. The event was billed as a superconference for martial arts academy owners focused on reaching or exceeding their goals of financial success. The four day seminar attracted approximately 300 fighters, competitors, and school owners from the US, Canada, and international countries such as Serbia, China, Australia, and the United Kingdom. The event also drew UFC, Olympic, Abu Dhabi, and BJJ World Championship title holders and competitors to the DC metro area.

Master Lloyd Irvin addresses the crowd

The conference goers were educated and trained for four days through presentations that included marketing strategies, operational tactics, and details of first hand experiences from Lloyd Irvin, Marcos Avellan, Vicki Irvin, and Bill Glazer (Lloyd Irvin’s Marketing Mentor). Mastermind consultation was given by panelists such as Julius Park, Nakapan Phungephorn, and Justin “Chim Chim” Garcia. Aspects of accounting and legal protection were also discussed as integral parts of MMA organizations.

Marcos Avellan (L) and Chad LeBrun

One of the highlights of the event included an interview with UFC Champion Dominick Cruz. Cruz started by discussing obstacles he encountered early in his career such as working out at a gym where he felt the coaches did not recognize his “heart and desire”. Some basic components of training were not readily available to him at that time, such as having a partner to hold mits for him. He stated that he coached himself through his first nine fights and often learned by sparring and shadow boxing without any technical instruction. Lloyd Irvin, Cruz’s jiu jitsu coach, stated that he “is hungry for knowledge” and that “he is probably one of the most humble guys out there.”

Master Lloyd Irvin: The Mastermind Concept

The general response to the event was overwhelming. When asked by the presenters, the crowd of participants repeatedly affirmed that they would have paid significantly more than the original fee to attend the event had they known the value they would have received. Results of the workshops started trickling in before the conclusion of the event. For example, it was announced over the microphone that MMA fighter and academy owner Muhsin Corbbrey directed his staff in Georgia to implement the tactics learned from the workshops and successfully signed several new students to his academy. The international respect was also evident at the conference. For example, Sean-Dean Carelse from the United Kingdom stated that “This is probably the best event I’ve ever been to…We got basically gold for nothing.”

An additional highlight was the presentation of the 2010 Marketer of the Year Award to Justin “Chim Chim” Garcia of Jungle Gym (New York). This honor was awarded based on votes from the attendees of the conference.

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Ashley 'Baby Tyger' Weakley-Female MMA Fighter

CHANTILLY, VA – Ashley Weakley is the first female pro MMA fighter out of Team Leo Dalla and LA Boxing in northern Virginia. Her goal is to reach the elite level of women’s MMA and fight in Strikeforce. Check out this short video as she works out in a training session with her coach David ‘Fluffy’ Reeves. This MMA workout includes shadow boxing, pad & bag work, ground and pound, and strength and conditioning.

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