MMA Fighters Travel to Dominican
November 5, 2009 • By Georgina Buckley,
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A JMU senior and a local community college student spent last weekend in the Dominican Republic. Though completely paid for, this trip was far from a typical vacation. The two were combatants in mixed martial arts fights.
The pair was Michael Shea Kelly, 22, of JMU and Zac Stikeleather, 19, of Blue Ridge Community College.
Mixed Martial Arts fighting, as seen on TV in organizations like the Ultimate Fighting Championship and Operation Octagon, uses a wide range of fighting techniques. This allows athletes with backgrounds in wrestling and a variety of martial arts to compete.
The fight was hosted by a Dominican group — CombatExtremo — who are partners with Gladiator Fight Club in Virgnia. The promotion groups are similar to UFC but on the amateur level.
These ties exist thanks to Rick McCoy, owner of McCoy Martial Arts Institute in Virginia, and the state’s first pro fighter, who has also fought in the Dominican Republic.
“I got a call about it two months ago from our manager, who manages the pros here,” Stikeleather said. “I was hesitant because it was the Dominican and I didn’t know anything about it, but everything was paid for, so I decided to go.”
Stikeleather was matched up against Caleb Ball from LA Boxing in Northern Virginia. Ball has fought on Operation Octagon before, and this was his last
amateur fight before turning pro. Ball went into the fight 9-4 while Stikeleather was 3-1. Stikeleather found it strange to fight Ball, as he had flown down with him to the Dominican Republic.
“I didn’t really talk to him before we fought,” Stikeleather said. “I wasn’t interested in making friends.”
The fight was a title fight with three rounds lasting five minutes each. It lasted all three rounds and came down to the judges’ decision, which ruled in Ball’s favor.
“He was a good wrestler,” Stikeleather said. “He outwrestled me. That’s pretty much what it came down to in the fight.”
There were marked differences in fighting in the Dominican Republic. At all official fights in America, the fighters are required to submit blood work, and their general health is checked before they fight. The fighters’ wraps are also always checked to make sure they aren’t cheating by wrapping in objects to further damage their opponent. These were overlooked at The Coliseum in the Dominican.
Kelly fought against a Dominican opponent — Oscar Sosa — in front of a panel of all Dominican judges. There was supposed to be an American judge from the TV show “American Gladiators,” but he backed out at the last moment.
“It was kind of controversial,” Stikeleather said of the fight. “The judges gave the fight to the other guy, but Shea obviously won.”
Kelly went into the fight 2-0 against Sosa 4-0, and fought at the 185-lb. weight class, two weight classes above his last fight.
Kelly also fought three rounds lasting for five minutes. He believes it was the judges’ decision, although he didn’t understand their judging, because it was all in Spanish.
“He was a good bit more explosive,” Kelly said. “He dropped like 10 hammer fists and straight punches at one point, so there was a good 15 seconds where he was in control. The whole fight I dictated where it went, whether it was standing up or on the ground, but I guess I didn’t have that explosiveness.”
Kelly and Stikeleather both train at the MMA Institute in Harrisonburg, which is run by several pro fighters.
“I think it’s the best gym in Virginia right now,” Stikeleather said. “We’re putting out a lot of great fighters.”
Kelly had to miss classes for his trip, and his professors’ reactions were mixed.
“I told [my professors] that I was going to the Dominican for a mixed martial art event, and a couple of them were like, ‘Whatever, that’s cool,’ ” Kelly said. “Then when I came back, I had two black eyes, and my face was all swollen, and then I had to explain a little more in detail. They were like, ‘Wow, I hope the other guy looks worse than you.’ ”
Kelly won’t continue his fighting career. He graduates in May and plans to become an officer in the Marine Corps. Stikeleather, however, wants to go pro someday.
“I love it,” Stikeleather said. “There’s no better feeling than being in the cage or ring.”
contact Georgina Buckley at buckleygeorgina@gmail.com
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