Hey everyone,
So Tammy and Jay Keefer, some good friends of mine from the gym, met up with me and my house on Saturday, March 28 for the trek to Sterling, VA to see the Valhalla 10: Collision fights. We were pretty excited because two of our very own, Mark Ferrington and Adrian Yarboro from our gym, MMA Institute of Charlottesville, were fighting that night. I even brought a notebook to take notes! Tammy and Jay brought their camera equipment and we were all set.
The ride up was pretty fun, we talked about tv, movies, music, got some food and had Led Zeppelin in the background. Once we arrived at the Dulles Sportsplex, we were able to find the line and get our seats easily. Tammy got the hookup and was able to go ringside to take some excellent shots. I sat down near Jay in the general seating and then some gym buds found us. Lucas Wright, Jake McLean, Cedric Gregory, David Morris, Turk, Stephen Govan, Angie Hines, Kelley, Ray Cadell, Matt Yao, Ashley Saunders, and others were in attendence. It was great to have so many of us come up, especially because we are fostering a great group of friendships in and outside of the gym.
MMAI of Virginia had quite a few fights on that night. I'll post the results when I get my hands on that notebook again. Mark's fight was second of the night. He fought Jeff Rembold from PA Grappling in a 265 lb heavyweight bout. He put in some good crosses, jabs and takedowns, but ultimately was defeated by a guilloteine choke. His record goes to 0-1, and I know he's definitely going places. He'll come back stronger and better next time! He was at the gym last night training in BJJ and speed and agility class, so expect to see Mark's name very soon!
The next fight to discuss is Adrian Yarboro's fight against Mack Fitzpatrick of Evolution MMA. This was a 170 lb welterweight bout. After the initial glove touch, Adrian dominated the entire fight. A group of us were able to stand ringside and it was a great time had by all. Adrian was able to get a few take downs, and once he relaxed, he went to down against his opponent with some precisely directed elbows to the face. Adrian defeated Mack at 2:05 into the first round by KO. His MMA record goes to 3-0.
These fights were great. All the fighters showed a measurable amount of respect for one another. There was no drama and everyone was there for some good, clean fights and fun. Fights should not have to be hyped up for dramatic purposes, because that dampens the sport in the long run. If you ever have the opportunity to see some local fights, by all means, take advantage of them. They are usually not as showy as the UFC, WEC, or Strikeforce fights, but they are budget friendly and always a great time, especially if you know or train with people who are fighting. I'm pretty pumped to see what else is stewing at MMA Institute. Should be a great, solid year for our fighters.
Til next time,
Kimmy
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