Respect in the Cage

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

Fontana fighter a showman

Wednesday, November 18, 2009
By BREANNA ARMSTRONG
Special to The Press-Enterprise
Fontana's Bobby Green is a fighter. It appears that's always been the case.

This former foster child who once participated in fight clubs when not wrestling while at Fontana Miller High School has now become a headliner.

A rising Mixed Martial Arts fighter, Green is in the main event on Friday's "Respect in the Cage II" MMA event at the Fox Theatre in Pomona.

Green (10-2), who fights out of Pinnacle Jiu Jitsu in Redlands, is scheduled to face Sevak Magakian (7-2) in a 155-pound bout that headlines the card.

Aaron Arana, of Redlands, and Green's teammate at Pinnacle, is also on the card. Arana (2-1) is scheduled to face Vincent Martinez (0-4) in a 135-pound bout.

"I'm excited for this fight, and to be the main event," Green said. "This is a big fight, and I want this fight to show the new me."

Green is most known for his fight against Dan Lauzon on January's Affliction card. Green lost but has remained a memorable contender in the sport with his confidence and showmanship.

"I don't care about getting the win; I just want to put on a show," Green said. "I want to be your favorite fighter, and if I'm not, I want to know why."

At Miller, where he graduated in 2004, Green was a wrestler good enough to advance to the CIF-Southern Section Masters Meet. But it seems Green was always a fighter.

"In high school, my friends and I would start these backyard fight clubs," he said. "I was doing what I do now for free and without gloves back then."

Green, now 23, said he was in foster homes as a youth until Shana Vasquez and her son Jesse, now 19, took him in.

"Then when I turned 15, I met these really great people, they have become my family ever since," Green said.

Green started training in MMA two years ago and has taken many of his 12 professional fights on short notice. He took his previous fight on 20-minutes' notice for the King of the Cage-Jolted event in October when he defeated Jeff Torch (1-4) by submission in the first round.

"The training alone has been preparation for Bobby," said Jake Benhey, owner and trainer of Pinnacle Jiu Jitsu. "He has already had 12 fights and (Friday) is his first fight that he has actually been training for. There are only a handful of people that have the athleticism that Bobby has, so over the next six months, be prepared to see a different Bobby Green."

When Green used to train, it would consist of a series of broken workouts just two weeks before a fight. Now he has increased his training to five days a week and makes training his job.

"We all now know that his career is going to take off," Shana Vasquez said. "He is everything to me. And even though he is gone training a lot, we know that it is going to be worth it in the end. Bobby will be a star."

Arana, 22, is a 2005 Redlands High grad and former varsity wrestler who is taking his fourth fight since his professional debut in February.

"I am feeling really good about this fight," he said. "I have been training really hard and I am ready."

Said Benhey: "Aaron is a very well-rounded fighter; he has great work ethic and is easy to coach. He is hard working and is a very pleasant kid to work with."

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."

Adrenaline Boxing Tournament (October 18)

USA Boxing Inc. held an open amateur boxing tournament at the Adrenaline Fitness Club in San Bernardino on Sunday, Oct. 18.

With over 500 in attendance, the Inland Empire’s boxing community came out to support and showcase new talent. The 20-bout tournament allowed ages 8-35 to participate in the event, and providing the necessary USA boxing passport, a corner and a trainer to qualify.

Training out of Riverside Lincoln Boxing Gym, 9-year-old Jose Torres, who attends Fremont Elementary School, has a 5-0 amateur record and took first place at the tournament. “Boxing is my favorite thing to do because it’s my favorite sport. I like winning,” said Torres after his victory.

“My husband is a professional boxer, so our son took an interest in boxing at a young age and has been excelling in it since,” said Alejandra Torres, Jose’s mother. “This is our first time at Adrenaline and it’s a very good family atmosphere.”

More Than Conquerors (MTC) teamed up with Adrenaline’s gym to provide a successful tournament that was officially sanctioned by USA Boxing Inc. MTC is a non-profit organization based out of San Bernardino that provides the funding for underprivileged kids to learn the sport of boxing. A percentage of proceeds from the event went to More Than Conquerors.

Chrystal Noriega, who trains out of MTC, also competed at Sunday’s event. Noriega has been training for 5 months and has fought in two amateur fights. “I felt like I tried really hard today and I had to give it the best I could,” said Noriega, an Arroyo Valley High School freshman.

“Our gym holds these tournaments bi-monthly, to expose new talent and give back to the community. The next USA Boxing tournament will be held on Nov. 1, and will be Adrenaline’s inaugural toy drive for the community,” said Jose Ponce, owner of the Adrenaline Fitness Club.

LUKE 10:27, Since 4th Grade

I have always been a very active member of my church. I was put in Vacation Bible school the first moment that I was old enough to register. My parents taught my Logos class and I did logos from elementary to jr. high. I went to all of the summer and winter camps and I considered myself a champ for Christ.

In 4th grade, the most exciting part of being in logos bible camp, was the fact that we got to paint a tile with our favorite Bible verese some where on it. I was really big into art, so this meant everything to me.

The lesson that week was on Luke 10:27. I painted a bright sunset on the tile and wrote Luke 10:27 in cursive on it. I was so excited to present it to my parents. "Then the man answered, 'Love the Lord your God, with all of your strength, with all of your heart, with all of your soul and all of your mind. And love thy neighbor as you would yourself.'"

I have since tried to live my life by that verse, treating others the way that I would want to be treated. And fully committing my love to God in every area of my life.

The little tile that I created still is displayed proudly in my parent's kitchen, it is a constant reminder to me and my family. And although it is washed out now and the colors are not as bright as it once was, it stands as bright as ever on some of my darkest days.

The Price of a Puppy

So currently I am in the market for a puppy. My roommates and I all decided that it was time to invest in a lifelong friend. So today was the first day of our search. We need the following in order for this to work with our living situation: Completely silent, Potty trained, neutered, straight, well-kept, likes to go shopping, doesn't mind hanging out in a purse for a few hours, likes minorities, knows when it's time for homework and time for play. And it must play hard to get. 

These simple tasks are more than easy to come by, I mean honestly, it's all I ask for. It's not that hard. I was sitting around my living room, deciding where I could obtain this perfect breed. It all came down to my favorite movie of 2009, or was it 2008? Any who, it all came down to my obsession with the puppy from Beverly Hills Chihuahua. 

So after being set on the breed, I went on a search. But every white chihuahua in the state of California ranged from $800-$1500!! A price that is uncalled for in any college student's bank. My man friend then suggested the penny saver. After all 5 of us roommates had a good laugh at him, I eventually decided to give it a try. After searching for a few minutes on the penny saver's website, I came across affordable puppies in this area. So tomorrow I am going to pick out my first real baby puppy!!! I can't wait!!!

Summer Time

This summer I realized that love is not what it seems. Love is not what I thought I wanted and it is definitely the cause to the ache that replaces all loneliness, and then some. 

 

I have never really been in love, I didn't even start dating until I was 18 and in college. I was the girl in high school who had to hold out for the "mature" men in college. When I got to college... all of the sudden the "mature" pool of males were just older version of the same boys that I went to high school with. Nonetheless, I gave in and gave it a try.  

 

So I started to go on group dates, pretty much maturing relationship wise at the level of a giddy fifteen-year-old girl. So everything was a HUGE deal to me. I mean holding hands for the first time ever with a guy at the age of a legal, was all I could think about for weeks. Of course, my closest friends around me were and have always been in long term relationships, so news like this was pretty lame. But that's what I loved about it and how much I would treasure the small things.

 

I went on to date a handful of bad guys, this is not me being a man-hater, literally, I knew that they were not good guys, but I wanted to see the good in them, because I believe that I can see the good in everyone. I learned quick.

 

When it came to the heart, I should have been careful and more picky about who I let in. Because one's first encounters with surrendering the heart to another's hands, shapes that person and molds that person's expectations of what a relationship is. Looking back about 2 years later, I wish that I would have been more picky. I could never see past looks, until this summer.

 

This summer I realized that I really didn't need a man to fulfill my heart. I didn't need his acceptance, I was fed up of always trying to look my best, wear my best, walk my best wherever I went. Just trying to keep up with the Orange County lifestyle that I have grown up around. This town will rock you if you even think about wearing a pair of Crocks if you are not a nurse!

 

But I mellowed out a lot, my sister got married, and I have never been so happy for my family. My parents are happy and I realized that instead of concentrating on getting that guy, that this is what life is all about. Taking in the life moments like I did this summer.

The Show Goes on for Javier "Showtime" Vazquez

Photo credit: Millenniamma.com

The Show Goes on for Javier “Showtime” Vazquez
By Breanna Armstrong

After defeating JC Pennington at ShoXC: “Elite Challenger Series” in October 2007, Javier “Showtime” Vazquez (13-2-0) announced his retirement claiming that he wanted to pursue his MMA career further as a coach.

Now, almost two years later, Vazquez is back and better than ever. “The more I coached, the more I ended up wanting to get back into it again.” said Vazquez.

On June 27, Vazquez clearly got right back into his fighting career, as he made his comeback at Ultimate Chaos, where he defeated Mark Kergosien with a guillotine choke just 19 seconds into the first round.

His nick name “Showtime” was given to him by his coach, UFC veteran, Romie Aram, because Aram said that every time Javier gets into the ring its “Showtime.” And this statement stands true as Vazquez has been noticed as one of the best technical MMA fighters in the world.

After wrestling at Mt. San Antonio College, Vazquez’s eye caught onto MMA and he started competing in tournaments, and started winning them, which resulted in his career. Betiss Mansouri, the owner of Millennia MMA gym, came along side of Vazquez and trained him to become the champion that he is today.

At the age of 33, Vazquez still stands as a tough competitor because “The older you get, you train smarter,” he says, “At 20, you can do whatever you want, but as you get older you have to taper your training. It has kept me wanting to keep training because I am not burned out. I’m happy, I’m in a better mood and I have the desire to train because I am not burning myself out.”

Vasquez has seen the rise of MMA and recalls a time when Millennia was one of the only gyms around the area. “The old gym started out as this large rectangular room and we put mats in it of course. After a while, practices started to get so big and we were running out of wall space so we thought of caging it off. It was really funny because we had an actual fencing company come out to cage it off. It wasn’t like the rubber cages today, it was an actual cage. And that was one of the best facilities around at the time. We called it the dungeon.”


Originally, Vazquez was one of the first owners of the Millennia gym, but he went on to start a gym of his own called “Showtime Jiu-Jitsu” as well as going back to his old college to teach Jui-Jitsu at Mt. SAC for five years.

Vazquez is now back at Millennia as a respected instructor. “As far as in the Inland Empire, I think that coaching wise, there is no one better than our gym, not even close. And even if someone has better athletes than us, if you give us those athletes we will turn them into super athletes.” said Vazquez.

“I want to compete at the elite level to just show how grateful I am for everyone who has watched my career and supported me from the beginning,” said Javier, “I just want to leave my mark on this sport. I think that I could get the opportunity to do that if I get in the WEC, that’s what I would like to do if the opportunity presents itself. Maybe I will.”

Just a month after this interview with Vazquez, right before his Ultimate Chaos victory, Javier “Showtime” Vazquez was signed to the WEC. It is looking like his mark is clearly being made on this sport and the show goes on.