Called Out MMA- Postponed

My article for the Press Enterprise Newspaper -
www.PE.com

Saturday's MMA card at Ontario postponed

Thursday, November 12, 2009
By BREANNA ARMSTRONG
Special to The Press-Enterprise
UPDATED

This is an updated version to reflect the correct title for Called Out MMA CEO Steve Miller and to include Miller's statement.

The "Called Out MMA" card scheduled for Saturday at Ontario's Citizens Business Bank Arena has been postponed. No makeup date has been set.

Fighters on the card, including two locals, learned of the postponement Tuesday night via text message from Mike Rush, a matchmaker for Called Out MMA.

George Bastmajyan, an official with Called Out MMA, said that the show was postponed because of lack of funding.

Riverside's Georgi Karakhayan (12-1-1) and San Jacinto's Greg Guzman (7-3) were among those on the 11-fight card headlined by Hector "Sick Dog" Ramirez, the coach from season 10 of Spike TV's "True Ultimate Fighter."

"I look at this in a different way," Karakhanyan said. "I'm very frustrated, but I will take it out on my opponent when I actually do fight. I'm going to keep training and eating healthy because all things happen for a reason."

Sue Oxarart, the director of marketing for the Ontario arena, said she didn't have a chance to talk to Called Out MMA CEO Steve Miller and that potential reschedule dates have not been discussed.

"We all put so much time in training and sacrifice so many things to get ready for a fight and prepare ourselves mentally and physically," said Karakhanyan, who trains out of Millennia MMA in Rancho Cucamonga and United States Karate Organization in Riverside. "I have been training hard every day on top of that dieting to go down to my weight class since August.

"There are so many expenses for gas, for food, for supplements and as a fighter, I spend that money thinking that at the end I will get it all back after I get paid for the fight. One of my friends, Chad George, was on the same card with me and went all the way to Japan to train for the Nov. 14 fight. He spent all of his money to go train and prepare for a war."

The Citizens Business Bank Arena Web site refers questions to CalledOutMMA.com. That site only says that the show has been postponed and they are currently working on a new date and will post any new information as soon as it becomes available.

Later Wednesday night, Steve Miller, the CEO of Called Out MMA, issued the following e-mailed statement to PE.com: "I appreciate your interest in helping to possibly bring clarity to the chain of recent events concerning Called Out MMA II. In consideration of certain deadlines involving the California Athletic Commission, our matchmaker, and designated capital, we did not meet a couple of deadlines and had to choose the least painful of two decisions. Postpone the event, giving ourselves a little bit more time to pull off a successful show of this magnitude ... or try to continue without the proper funding and risk leaving a whole lot of people unpaid. The decision was painful and difficult to make, however, it was the necessary one. We are very much aware of the inconvenience and even hardship a postponed show creates for different people, it touches my own staff as well. We have committed to making it up to those particular people.

"We are meeting with the arena tomorrow to try and work out a new date so we can put the show back together and give our great fans the kind of excellent fights and production they have already come to expect.

"In a long-term consideration, our company's vision, staff, and overall condition is very healthy. We will be back on track in a very short time.

"The feedback and criticism from most everyone has been fair. Disappointed in the postponed show but understanding of the huge costs involved in putting on a show of this magnitude, with little room for mistakes. To put on a successful big show like we are committed to, there are many components that have to come together synergistically; ticket sales, sponsors, a fight card that stays in tact, and sufficient up-front working capital. When one of these components fails you can possibly recover and continue the show. If two or more fail, however, it becomes extremely difficult to proceed without irreparable damage. In these cases it is less damaging to take a very short time-out, regroup, and come back stronger than ever. That is precisely what we will do.

"Again, thank you for your interest and coverage."