[Robert Sothmann]

This is a great thread.
My first fight was taken on very short notice (4 days) due to the original fighter pulling out, apparently nobody else was willing take the fight.
I only knew my opponents name and that he was a former national Sanda champion. They 'neglected' to mention the IKF ranking and his left-handed nature. Lol.
I lost (odd sequence of events) but was none the worse for wear. Even a few weeks would have helped immeasureably in prep.
Yes,I am a NEWB to the fight game. I wish KK had been my coach, but in this land of little to no MMA infrastructure we are the pioneers, and often our lessons are learned the hard way.

[Centaur]

They 'neglected' to mention the IKF ranking

Funny, that happened to me in my last fight too.

[King Kabuki]

Funny, that happened to me in my last fight too.

DETAILS. Fellow Fighters are learning from this stuff.

Yes,I am a NEWB to the fight game. I wish KK had been my coach, but in this land of little to no MMA infrastructure we are the pioneers, and often our lessons are learned the hard way.

I can't say how good of a Coach I'd be, because it's a whole different set of pressures. I'm just reciting what I see and hear from my own Coach. And luckily a person close to me (my boss at my day job) is an Attorney who reads any tentative contracts before I sign them.

It's all about surrounding yourself with people who earn their trust, not people who simply promise it.

[papa6955]

Great thread! Even though I'm not too sure if i'm going to be pursuing an fight career, it was still a great read!

[Alvin Roden]

I dont know how much detail I can go into here but my last fight I actually fought the promoters fighter. I was told he was reletavity new to MMA, with only a year exp. I was also told he had "weak" hands and a "ok" ground game. I never saw any footage of him( training or otherwise) and was bascially left in the dark. Well to make a long story short, the man hit like a frieght train and had a great ground game. After the fight He, Himself told me he had four years Boxing exp. In the army with a dozen or so fights. Of course I was pissed but I would probably still would have fought him anyway. I just wanted to fight.

[Centaur]

Originally Posted by King Kabuki

DETAILS. Fellow Fighters are learning from this stuff.

Well, I was told for my second fight I'd be fighting another guy who was 2-2. I though "Eh, 3 more fights, not too bad, will be good experience at least." And my last fight had fallen through so I was anxious to get back at 'er.

What they said was he fought Muay Thai 4 times. They didn't mention his Kick Boxing Record (International Rules - same as Modified Muay Thai minus the clinch). Turns out he was the IKF Super Middle Weight North American Champ. Kind of a fucked up thing to hear as he's walking to the ring, not to mention the 6-2 record instead. Apparently they didn't feel the need to mention his "other" fights.

They actually called a week before (right when the hard training is coming to a taper and you just DYING to fight) and said I'd have to "pad my record with a some more fights" or else I'd have to wear full protective gear, which I refuse. I think it was because the commission wouldn't have allowed a guy with one fight take on another with 8 is more like it, though that is just speculation on my part.


One of my training partners had the same thing ALMOST happen, too. Was matched against a guy with "no fights". "No fights" actually meant 12 fights. When his trainer was asked about it he clarified "Well, this will be his first fight from my gym, I don't know what he was doing before he got here." Right. Why would ever ask one of your fighters if he had any ring experience?

Two different promotions and gyms, btw.


Lesson learned: Never, ever sign a contract without researching first.
Normally my trainer would have, but he was very, very busy with personal things, and was actually closing the gym and selling off the assets. I was very thankful he took the time he did to help me train.

[King Kabuki]

I think it was because the commission wouldn't have allowed a guy with one fight take on another with 8 is more like it, though that is just speculation on my part.

That sounds about right. Most Commissions are strict about over-matching, especially if they're respectable Commissions, well...as respectable as they get.

Vegas will go as far as to send people to watch you in the Gym. If you look like you'll get killed, they won't sanction. So this request is on-par with fooling a Commission.

Now that's, of course, for guys who don't have a ton of cash behind them. Because money can buy sanctioning of a bullshit fight.

[Jared Biddy]

This is a great thread....very informative and helpful, as an amatuer fighter just starting my MMA career I'll make sure to keep checking back. Thanks for everyones input.

[drake13]

good read!!! Thanks!

[Robert Sothmann]

Haha...mine was the 2002 Middle Weight King of SanDa for all of China, 2003 Open Weight King of SanDa, and the only Chinese to beat a Thai in a Muay Thai match IN THAILAND! How you ask? By twitching, total, carry-him-out-on-a-stretcher KO.
Did he KO me? no...but I got kicked nicely, my corner threw the towel in fear for my safety (which is fine, given that we earlier saw one of our friends almost 'executed' in taking a fight on 12 hours notice), so he wailed on me some more. Till I got up, clinched and pushed him back to the ropes. Then the ref saw the towel and stopped the fight. I was pissed! Shaking out cobwebs, but pissed.

Anyway, moral is DON'T take the last minute fight without knowing a bit about the guy at least.