Tag: Florida

It Gets Worse: Dustin ‘White Pride’ Holyko Was Competing Without a License at WSOF 11


(See, this is what happens when you book a fighter without even googling his name first. / Photo via FightParrot)

Earlier this week, we passed along the news that World Series of Fighting had cut ties with Dustin Holyko — a prelim fighter who it had booked as a regional draw* for WSOF 11 — after his “SS”/”White Pride” tattoos and lengthy criminal past were brought to the promotion’s attention. Immediately afterwards, WSOF matchmaker Ali Abdelaziz admitted that the promotion doesn’t do background checks on its fighters, which, no shit dude. But allow me to re-post an excerpt from the WSOF’s official statement about the situation:

“Honestly, we were not aware of Dustin Holyko’s criminal record or any potentially offensive tattoos prior to him competing at WSOF 11. He was licensed by the Florida commission prior to the fight, and it was his third professional fight under their jurisdiction”

Here’s the thing, though — there is no record of Holyko actually being licensed to fight in Florida. Via Sherdog:


(See, this is what happens when you book a fighter without even googling his name first. / Photo via FightParrot)

Earlier this week, we passed along the news that World Series of Fighting had cut ties with Dustin Holyko — a prelim fighter who it had booked as a regional draw* for WSOF 11 — after his “SS”/”White Pride” tattoos and lengthy criminal past were brought to the promotion’s attention. Immediately afterwards, WSOF matchmaker Ali Abdelaziz admitted that the promotion doesn’t do background checks on its fighters, which, no shit dude. But allow me to re-post an excerpt from the WSOF’s official statement about the situation:

“Honestly, we were not aware of Dustin Holyko’s criminal record or any potentially offensive tattoos prior to him competing at WSOF 11. He was licensed by the Florida commission prior to the fight, and it was his third professional fight under their jurisdiction”

Here’s the thing, though — there is no record of Holyko actually being licensed to fight in Florida. Via Sherdog:

In a report by The Daytona Beach News-Journal, records show that Holyko held licenses to compete in the state of Florida in 2011 and 2013, but there is no record of the fighter submitting an application for a 2014 license. In addition, no background checks were conducted prior to the commission granting either license.

The report goes on to add that the Florida State Boxing Commission blames the mishap on an “administrative oversight.” Typically, licenses to fight can be submitted to the sanctioning body as late as the weigh-ins, which usually take place the day before the event…

Tajiana Ancora-Brown, the director of communications for the Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation explained in the article that she believes this “was an isolated event” and as a result a “serious” internal investigation is underway that will take “several days” to complete.

What a fiasco. Did anybody know who this guy was when he stepped into the cage on Saturday? (And is anybody buying the “isolated event” line? The Florida athletic commission isn’t exactly famous for having its shit together.) Then again, if the World Series of Fighting changes its moronic “no background check” policy in the wake of this scandal, it’ll all be worth it.

* Oh yeah, Holyko brought a bunch of his local Florida homeboys to watch him fight, who were apparently shouting racial slurs the whole time.

And finally, here’s Brent Brookhouse dropping a truth bomb about the “White Pride” tattoos that Holyko collected in prison, despite having “not a racist bone” in his body:

Holyko may not be actively a member of the neo-Nazi, white supremacist, white nationalist, etc. movements. But he sports tattoos that are directly, indisputably tied to those ideals and thus needs to own the consequences. If you’re “not any kind of Nazi,” it’s a good idea to not get Nazi insignia etched into your skin. And, if you realize that these aren’t the ideals that you want your name associated with, take the steps of getting cover-up work done.

Seriously, dude. Do it. At least for the sake of your tree-cutting business.

Florida Blocks MMA Bout Between Fighters With Down Syndrome and Cerebral Palsy


(Photo via Facebook.com/Garret.Holeve)

Back in March, we passed along the inspirational/controversial story of Garrett Holeve, a young man with Down syndrome who trains and competes in mixed martial arts. Last month, Holeve was booked to fight David Steffan, a former Special Olympian in golf who suffers from mild cerebral palsy, and who has also worked hard to transition into combat sports. The “full speed” MMA fight was supposed to go down at a King of the Casino event at the Seminole Casino in Immokalee, Florida, on Saturday. Unfortunately, it was stopped at virtually the last minute. As WINK News reports (via BloodyElbow):

It was a fight that was supposed to be a first of its kind. One both Garrett Holeve, 23, and David Steffan, 28, had been dreaming of, but five minutes before the first punch, the state presented the promoter with a cease and desist letter.

“He cried. It genuinely upset him,” says Mitch Holeve, Garrett’s father. “He’s worked eight weeks in a training camp, training four and a half hours a day for eight weeks getting mentally and physically prepared to do this.”

Garrett has Downs syndrome and his opponent David has cerebral palsy. The fight was supposed to happen because the match was being held on tribal land, but a letter from the DBPR says the scheduled bout between the two amateur fighters is unsanctioned and against Florida Law.


(Photo via Facebook.com/Garret.Holeve)

Back in March, we passed along the inspirational/controversial story of Garrett Holeve, a young man with Down syndrome who trains and competes in mixed martial arts. Last month, Holeve was booked to fight David Steffan, a former Special Olympian in golf who suffers from mild cerebral palsy, and who has also worked hard to transition into combat sports. The “full speed” MMA fight was supposed to go down at a King of the Casino event at the Seminole Casino in Immokalee, Florida, on Saturday. Unfortunately, it was stopped at virtually the last minute. As WINK News reports (via BloodyElbow):

It was a fight that was supposed to be a first of its kind. One both Garrett Holeve, 23, and David Steffan, 28, had been dreaming of, but five minutes before the first punch, the state presented the promoter with a cease and desist letter.

“He cried. It genuinely upset him,” says Mitch Holeve, Garrett’s father. “He’s worked eight weeks in a training camp, training four and a half hours a day for eight weeks getting mentally and physically prepared to do this.”

Garrett has Downs syndrome and his opponent David has cerebral palsy. The fight was supposed to happen because the match was being held on tribal land, but a letter from the DBPR says the scheduled bout between the two amateur fighters is unsanctioned and against Florida Law.

“He’s upset because he knows he’s being told he can’t fight because he has Down syndrome and that hurts his feelings and that angers him” says Holeve…

Holeve says his son got medical clearance and show have been able to fight. “I think their decision was pretty arbitrary, discriminatory,” says Holeve.

“We have two guys with disabilities and we don’t want them to fight here. This is his life and they’re stopping him. As his dad I am just going to make sure he can do it safely and his rights are infringed upon and I’m not stopping anywhere until that happens.”

Holeve is talking to the Boxing Commission and he says he has also reached out to the National Down Syndrome Society.

The Florida State Boxing Commission had already tried to discourage Mitch Holeve from booking his son to fight in Florida, which is why the fight was arranged on tribal lands, where state regulations theoretically wouldn’t apply. The fact that the Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation went out of its way to block the fight suggests how unpopular Garrett’s MMA career might be among regulators in the state.

Clearly, the state of Florida is spooked by the possible fallout related to a cage-fight between two young men with disabilities, and aware of how exploitative it might look to outside observers. But for Garrett and David, it’s not exploitative — it’s a chance to compete, and to prove themselves in a sport that’s known for inclusion. Shouldn’t they be allowed to do that? As David Steffan put it during a follow-up report on WINK, “I believe that anybody, no matter whether they’re disabled or not, should have a chance to go after their dreams.”

What do you think?

Fallon Fox Cleared of Wrongdoing in Florida Licensing Fiasco, Now Free to Beat Up Any Woman Who Dares Face Her

A lot has been said regarding the role of transgender athletes in MMA since this whole Fallon Fox controversy was first made public. While some have opted to defend Fallon’s right to fight, citing whatever limited studies on the subject that currently exist, others have chosen to publicly chastise Fox for having an “unfair advantage” or challenge her…him…I’m confused to a fight in the squared circle. In the case of the CagePotato audience, Fox’s unique predicament was met with the usual barrage of seething, ignorant hate and middle school-level sex jokes about ham wallets and hot dog vendors — bump it, you guys.

In either case, Florida’s Department of Business and Professional Regulation ruled earlier today that there was insufficient evidence to declare that Fox had committed any fraudulent activities prior to her last bout in Florida. A quick recap of what went down: While applying for a fight license in Florida, Fox claimed that she had already received a license in California, when in reality she had only applied for a license and received a receipt she mistook for a license in return.

Clearly excited, Fox spoke with Outsports about the decision:

A lot has been said regarding the role of transgender athletes in MMA since this whole Fallon Fox controversy was first made public. While some have opted to defend Fallon’s right to fight, citing whatever limited studies on the subject that currently exist, others have chosen to publicly chastise Fox for having an “unfair advantage” or challenge her…him…I’m confused to a fight in the squared circle. In the case of the CagePotato audience, Fox’s unique predicament was met with the usual barrage of seething, ignorant hate and middle school-level sex jokes about ham wallets and hot dog vendors — bump it, you guys.

In either case, Florida’s Department of Business and Professional Regulation ruled earlier today that there was insufficient evidence to declare that Fox had committed any fraudulent activities prior to her last bout in Florida. A quick recap of what went down: While applying for a fight license in Florida, Fox claimed that she had already received a license in California, when in reality she had only applied for a license and received a receipt she mistook for a license in return.

Clearly excited, Fox spoke with Outsports about the decision:

It makes me feel vindicated. I feel very happy that they came to the right conclusion. I wasn’t too doubtful that they would. I was pretty sure they would look into it and realize I wasn’t trying to deceive them with what I thought was a license. 

Of course, Fox’s California licensing mistake wasn’t exactly the key issue at the forefront of her case, but I digress. Fox is now scheduled to face Allana Jones at CFA 11 on May 24th, so we’ll just have to wait and see what inevitable controversy evolves out of that fight and go from there.

–J. Jones

Should We Be Rooting for an MMA Fighter With Down Syndrome?

(Props: Danny Arruda via CP reader Sean McGehee)

Last night’s edition of ESPN’s Sportscenter featured a segment titled “Garrett’s Fight,” about a 23-year-old man with Down syndrome named Garrett Holeve who has transformed his life through MMA. After being introduced to the sport by his father, Holeve committed himself to training at American Top Team, which has become a supportive second-family to him. The segment follows “G-Money” as he prepares for his first amateur fight against “Monster” Mike Wilson, who makes good on his promise to show Holeve what a real punch feels like. Through three tough rounds, Garrett doesn’t quit, and comes out the other side an even stronger person.

For me, the most touching part of the segment is the end, which shows Garrett now working as an instructor at an ATT affiliate that his father purchased, teaching MMA to children and another man with Down syndrome. “Them look up to me as a hero, or as a super man,” Garrett says. “Because them need a super hero.” (Damn…is somebody chopping onions in here?)

But look, we’re not talking about a kid with Down syndrome getting passed a basketball to take a shot during a middle-school game. MMA is a sport where people can get badly injured, and Garrett’s story is inherently controversial. As Garrett’s father puts it, “I’ve had family members that just said to me that I’m crazy. They’ve lost respect for me as a parent from the fact that I’m allowing this to happen.” Meanwhile, Zach Arnold at Fight Opinion sees this as just the latest in a long line of questionable decisions by Florida’s athletic commission As Arnold writes:


(Props: Danny Arruda via CP reader Sean McGehee)

Last night’s edition of ESPN’s Sportscenter featured a segment titled “Garrett’s Fight,” about a 23-year-old man with Down syndrome named Garrett Holeve who has transformed his life through MMA. After being introduced to the sport by his father, Holeve committed himself to training at American Top Team, which has become a supportive second-family to him. The segment follows “G-Money” as he prepares for his first amateur fight against “Monster” Mike Wilson, who makes good on his promise to show Holeve what a real punch feels like. Through three tough rounds, Garrett doesn’t quit, and comes out the other side an even stronger person.

For me, the most touching part of the segment is the end, which shows Garrett now working as an instructor at an ATT affiliate that his father purchased, teaching MMA to children and another man with Down syndrome. “Them look up to me as a hero, or as a super man,” Garrett says. “Because them need a super hero.” (Damn…is somebody chopping onions in here?)

But look, we’re not talking about a kid with Down syndrome getting passed a basketball to take a shot during a middle-school game. MMA is a sport where people can get badly injured, and Garrett’s story is inherently controversial. As Garrett’s father puts it, “I’ve had family members that just said to me that I’m crazy. They’ve lost respect for me as a parent from the fact that I’m allowing this to happen.” Meanwhile, Zach Arnold at Fight Opinion sees this as just the latest in a long line of questionable decisions by Florida’s athletic commission As Arnold writes:

After the Sunday night feature, I made several phone calls to doctors, athletic inspectors, judges, and individuals with medical knowledge who are involved in regulating combat sports. The reaction from the people I contacted was unanimous and swift — they were absolutely terrified. Not one person supported the idea of allowing someone with Down’s Syndrome inside the ring for amateur or pro MMA. One respected athletic inspector said that allowing Garrett Holeve to fight in an MMA bout was exploitative, no matter if the audience cheered and gave Holeve a standing ovation after the fight. The concept of allowing someone with Down’s Syndrome (limited cognitive ability & brain issues) to take punches and get slammed drew a swiftly negative reaction amongst the people I interviewed…

Would ESPN have showed the ending to Garrett Holeve’s fight if he got knocked out? If Holeve had gotten injured during the fight they aired, would they have spiked the feature because it wasn’t a heartwarming ending?

One thing that separates MMA from other professional sports is that there’s very little barrier to entry. You don’t have to possess an elite-level of talent to try your hand at it; all you need to do is find a local promotion that needs warm bodies. And in the wake of that other controversy in Florida, it’s worth thinking about who should be “allowed” to participate. Everybody? Only the athletes we deem to be physically, mentally, and developmentally healthy? Should a person with limited cognitive ability — and slower reaction times, in Garrett’s case — be barred from competing in a combat sport like MMA? Or is inclusiveness one of the factors that makes this sport so unique, and so often inspirational?

Transgender MMA Fighter Fallon Fox Faces Licensing Controversy After Latest Win in Florida


(Huh. I was actually leaning towards Germany on this one. Photo via facebook.com/FallonFoxOfficial)

On Saturday, a female fighter named Fallon Fox scored a 39-second knockout against Ericka Newsome at CFA 10 in Coral Gables, Florida, extending her combined amateur/professional MMA record to 5-0, with all wins by first-round stoppage. This wouldn’t be particularly newsworthy, except for two reasons:

1) Fox just came out publicly as transsexual. She was born a male, and had gender re-assignment surgery in 2006, along with supplemental hormonal therapy. As Loretta Hunt reports, Fox is the first transgender person on record, male or female, to compete in MMA.

2) On her application for MMA licensure in Florida before the fight, Fox incorrectly claimed that she had been licensed by the California State Athletic Commission earlier this year. According to CSAC Executive Director Andy Foster, Fox’s application was still under review, and the CSAC had only mailed Fox a receipt for her initial $60 application. Fox claims that she didn’t intentionally misrepresent herself to the Florida commission, and believed she had been approved by California. At any rate, Fox didn’t disclose her transgender status on her Florida application because she wasn’t asked to, and none of this was revealed until after she KO’d Newsome with a knee to the face.


(Huh. I was actually leaning towards Germany on this one. Photo via facebook.com/FallonFoxOfficial)

On Saturday, a female fighter named Fallon Fox scored a 39-second knockout against Ericka Newsome at CFA 10 in Coral Gables, Florida, extending her combined amateur/professional MMA record to 5-0, with all wins by first-round stoppage. This wouldn’t be particularly newsworthy, except for two reasons:

1) Fox just came out publicly as transsexual. She was born a male, and had gender re-assignment surgery in 2006, along with supplemental hormonal therapy. As Loretta Hunt reports, Fox is the first transgender person on record, male or female, to compete in MMA.

2) On her application for MMA licensure in Florida before the fight, Fox incorrectly claimed that she had been licensed by the California State Athletic Commission earlier this year. According to CSAC Executive Director Andy Foster, Fox’s application was still under review, and the CSAC had only mailed Fox a receipt for her initial $60 application. Fox claims that she didn’t intentionally misrepresent herself to the Florida commission, and believed she had been approved by California. At any rate, Fox didn’t disclose her transgender status on her Florida application because she wasn’t asked to, and none of this was revealed until after she KO’d Newsome with a knee to the face.

“Our department is currently investigating allegations pertaining to the information provided on [Fox’s] application,” wrote Sandi Copes Poreda, Director of Communications for Florida’s Dept. of Business and Professional Regulation. “The Florida State Boxing Commission is in the process of updating the rules for professional MMA events and this topic [of transgender fighter applications] will be included in an upcoming workshop on changes to the administrative rules.”

While Fox could face some consequences for competing with an ill-gotten license, her current promotional home Championship Fighting Alliance is giving her its full support: “We stand 120,000 percent behind Fallon,” CFA CEO Jorge De La Nova said. “She’s a female. She’s a very sweet girl. There’s a lot of money on the line for her, and she’s performed very well. We’re going to give her a couple of weeks to see how this thing turns out.”

Fox had been scheduled to compete on April 20th in the quarterfinals of CFA’s ongoing eight-woman featherweight tournament, but that event has temporarily been put on hold.

As Fox said in a new interview with OutSports, “These past six years, people have seen me as a woman, not a transsexual. People in the gym, people I train with, it’s been great, it’s been awesome. I’m just a woman to them. I don’t want that to go away. It’s unfortunate that it has to…I’m technically, legally, physically and mentally female. Everything about me is female.”

Check out the preview for an upcoming documentary about Fox below, and let us know what you think: Does Fallon deserve equal treatment as a woman in the sport, even if she wasn’t born that way? Or does being transgender constitute an unfair competitive advantage?


(Props: YouTube.com/OutSports)