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Shine Fights’ Reveals Lightweight GP Tournament Matchups

Shine Fight Promotions has revealed the upcoming matchups for this Friday’s lightweight Grand Prix Tournament. The event will consist of an eight-man, one-night, tournament and will be featured on a pay-per-view (check your local service provider to see if they are carrying the event) live from the First Council Casino in Newkirk, OK.
Here are […]

Here are the matchups for the GP Tournament.

Here is the full Press Release
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NEWKIRK, OK (SEPTEMBER 8, 2010) – The first-round matchups for the Sept 10 Shine Fights Promotions Grand Prix Tournament from the First Council Casino in Newkirk, OK have been finalized, it was announced today by Shine Fights COO Jason Chambers.Chambers stated, “It is no secret that we have faced a barrage of challenges with this tournament; however the Shine team has persevered and done an amazing job of ensuring both the fighters and fans get to be part of an amazing show Sept 10th.” The tournament will follow the Nevada State Athletic Commission rules. Below is list of the tournament’s matchups, which will be broadcast on PPV:

Drew “Knight Rider” Fickettvs. Charles “Krazy Horse” Bennett

Drew Fickett: 37-13 with 3TKO/KOs, 26 submissions. This Tucson, Arizona native is only 30 years old but has competed in fifty professional fights. A submission specialist, he holds notable victories over UFC stalwarts Josh Koscheck, Kurt Pellegrino,Dennis Hallman, and Kenny Florian, as well as UFC veterans Josh Neer, Edwin DeWees,Keita Nakamura, Mark Weir, and Derrick Noble. In addition, he defeated fellow tourney entrant Carlo Prater via submission in their first bout back in 2004.

Charles Bennett: 23-17-2 with14 TKO/KOs, 6 submissions. One of the most controversial fighters in MMA history, the 30-year-old Ocala, Florida native is known for his antics in and out of the cage. He’s been known to insult opponents, disrespect referees, and has even brawled with other fighters backstage. Once quoted atsaying that ground fighting “is like making love…it’s not real fighting,”Krazy Horse has attempted to clean up his act in recent years. Regardless,fight fans know that they will be entertained when “Krazy Horse” is on thecard. Bennett holds notable wins over former EliteXC Lightweight Champion KJNoons, UFC veteran Gerald Strebendt, and WEC Bantamweight contender Yoshiro Maeda, and has faced some of the world’s best lightweights in Takanori Gomi,Tatsuya Kawajiri, Jeff Curran, and Urijah Faber.

Rich “Cleat” Crunkilton vs.Carlo Prater

Rich Crunkilton: 16-3 with7 TKO/KOs, 6 submissions. The 30-year-old Ft. Lauderdale, Florida native is known for his devastating throws and slams, high kicks, and wild punches. A product of the famed American Kickboxing Academy,“Cleat” has faced top 155ers during the course of his career, including BaoQuach, Hermes Franca, former WEC Lightweight Champion “Razor” Rob McCullough,and “The Fugitive” Dave Hansen.

Carlo Prater: 24-7-1 with 2TKO/KOs, 12 submissions. Hailing from Sao Paolo, Brazil,Prater began competing in professional mixed martial arts in 2002. The ground fighter challenged then-WEC Welterweight Champion Carlos Condit for the title at WEC 32 in 2008, putting up a valiant effort before succumbing to his bigger opponent. Now based in Texas,Prater has set his eyes on the Shine title. He possesses notable victories over UFC lightweight Spencer “The King” Fisher, Condit (in their first bout),Strikeforce fighter Pat Healy, and UFC veteran Keith Wisniewski

James Warfield vs. “Alley Cat” KyleBaker

James Warfield: 21-6 with 15TKO/Kos, 6 submissions. A veteran of many MMA organizations, Warfield is known for his reputation as a finisher, having never won by anything other than a stoppage. The Sun Prairie, Wisconsin native trained in Jeet Kune Do and karate as a child, but has blossomed into a full-fledgedmixed martial artist. He’s faced quality competition throughout his six-year fight career, including UFC veteran Rory Markham, former TUF contestant Seth Baczynski, and former top ten-ranked lightweight Yves Edwards.

Kyle Baker: 9-4 with 7 TKO/KOs, 1 submission. One of the most well-rounded fighters in Virginia, “Alley Cat” trains withthe famed MMA Institute in Harrisonburg.Dubbed “the hardest hitting man in Virginia,”Baker is the WKA Muay Thai Champion, as well as a former ISKA Kickboxing Champion. In addition, Baker was a high school state champion wrestler, and currently holds a purple belt in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu. The 29 year-old Baker stands 5’11”, and usually competes in the welterweight division. He holds a victory over two-time UFC veteran Chad Reiner, and has defeated fellow GrandPrix participant Drew Fickett.

Shannon Gugerty vs. Dennis Bermudez

Shannon Gugerty: 12-5 with 3 TKO/Kos, 9 submissions. Gugerty is a brown belt in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu under famed grappler Dean Lister.He began his professional MMA career successfully with a submission victory over current WEC mainstay Cub Swanson. After amassing a 10-2 record, he was invited to compete for the Ultimate Fighting Championships, where he has foughtfive times. During his time with the UFC, Gugerty was able to rack up wins over Dale Hartt and Matt Grice. The 28 year-old San Diego native trains at Victory MMA with fellow notables Jeremy Stephens, Court McGee, Toby Imada, Peter Sobotta, Joe Brammer, and Tomas Drwal.

Dennis Bermudez: 8-0 with 3TKO/KOs, 1 submission. This rising young lightweight has carved out an unblemished 8-0 record as a professional MMA fighter. A former Division 1 All American wrestler, Bermudez has the type of ground game that makes fight aficionados stand up and take notice. Included in that group is former longtime WEC Featherweight Champion Urijah Faber, who recently brought in the talented wrestler to his camp in order to help him prepare for future fights.

The GrandPrix Tournament will be beamed on PPV on cable and satellite in the United States and Canada. The event will be in High Definition and it will be available in both English and Spanish (where available).The Grand Prix Tournament will be distributed ive on Pay Per View beginning at 9 p.m. EST/6 p.m. PST by Multi Vision Media,Inc.The suggested retail prices $29.95.

Ticket Information: Tickets for the Mixed Martial Arts Tournament at the First Council Casino on Friday, September 10 at 8:00 p.m.Tickets which are on sale now are priced at$250, $175, $95, $65, and $35. Tickets will be available through Ticketstorm.com and the First Council Casino box office by calling 866-966-1777.

To learn more aboutShine Fight Promotions, visit www.shinefights.com or follow the organization on Twitter Twitter.com/ShineFightsMMA, Myspace(www.myspace.com/ShineFights), YouTube(www.youtube.com/ShineFights) or become a fan on Facebook.

Marcus Aurelio Out Of Shine Fights’ Eight-Man Tournament

UFC veteran Marcus Aurelio (20-8) has been replaced by another UFC vet, Shannon Gugerty (12-5), in this Friday’s Shine Fights’ lightweight Grand Prix tournament.
Aurelio had been hoping to fight through an elbow injury, even receiving a cortisone shot, but was still unable to train. There is also some controversy surrounding an upcoming lightweight fight […]

UFC veteran Marcus Aurelio (20-8) has been replaced by another UFC vet, Shannon Gugerty (12-5), in this Friday’s Shine Fights’ lightweight Grand Prix tournament.

Aurelio had been hoping to fight through an elbow injury, even receiving a cortisone shot, but was still unable to train. There is also some controversy surrounding an upcoming lightweight fight against Shinya Aoki on the DREAM.16 card. With the injury, Aurelio may be unlikely for that event.

Aurelio spoke to MMAjunkie.com about the injury and the DREAM bout.

“I can’t do anything with my right arm,” Aurelio said. “I have no strength at all to push. I don’t like to go to fight like that….”

“I’m going to do my best to fight (in) DREAM,” Aurelio said. “Every day, my manager, he talks to them. I have two or three weeks for the (DREAM) fight. I think I’ll be OK. I’m going to have a chance to have another shot in my elbow, and I’m just keeping my conditioning now. There’s not much (else) I can do.”

Here is the full Shine Fights’ press release announcing Shannon Gugerty as Aurelio’s replacement.
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NEWKIRK, OK (September 8, 2010) – As anyone involved in the sport of mixed martial arts can tell you, injuries can happen at anytime. UFC/PRIDE veteran Marcus “Maximus” Aurelio is no exception to that concept. After sustaining an injury while training for this weekend’s Shine Fights Lightweight Grand Prix, the Brazilian Jiu Jitsu master has been forced to vacate his spot in the tourney. Taking his place will be fellow submission specialist Shannon Gugerty.

A UFC veteran in his own right, Gugerty is a brown belt in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu under famed grappler Dean Lister. He began his professional MMA career successfully with a submission victory over current WEC mainstay Cub Swanson. After amassing a 10-2 record, he was invited to compete for the Ultimate Fighting Championships, where he has fought five times. During his time with the UFC, Gugerty was able to rack up wins over Dale Hartt and Matt Grice. The 28 year-old San Diego native trains at Victory MMA with fellow notables Jeremy Stephens, Court McGee, Toby Imada, Peter Sobotta, Joe Brammer, and Tomas Drwal.

Jason Chamber, Shine Fight COO stated, “I am sad to see Marcus pull out of the tournament and wish him a fast recovery. Stepping up to a challenge of this magnitude on 3 days notice is a very daunting task- it is a testament to what a warrior Shannon Gugerty is. We are excited to see him compete!”

The Shine Fights Lightweight Grand Prix is a unique throwback to the original format of mixed martial arts. Fighters will need to be at their best in order to win the tourney and in the process gain the glory that comes along with victory. The Grand Prix will be contested under standard Nevada State Athletic Commission rules for MMA. Each of the eight 155 lb. fighters will be paired off in the tournament’s opening round, with the four winners moving on to round two.

The two winners of round two will move on to the tournament’s final round, and battle for the championship. The single-elimination format means that the tournament winner will need to win three bouts that evening. Rounds one and two of the tournament will be composed of two 5-minute rounds. They will also have a three-minute overtime if needed to decide a winner. Round three (the finals) will increase to three 5-minute rounds. There will be two alternate bouts held in case of an injury.

Some of the best 155 lb. fighters in the world will compete in the tournament, a colorful array of combatants that will lay it all on the line in order to capture the Shine Fights Lightweight Championship. This group of outstanding athletes includes Rich “Cleat” Crunkilton, “Alley Cat” Kyle Baker, James Warfield, Drew Fickett, Carlo Prater, and Charles “Krazy Horse” Bennett.

This Grand Prix Tournament will be beamed on PPV on cable and satellite in the United States and Canada. The event will be in High Definition and it will be available in both English and Spanish (where available). The Grand Prix Tournament will be distributed live on Pay Per View beginning at 9 p.m. EST/6 p.m. PST by Multi Vision Media, Inc. The suggested retail price is $29.95.

Shine Fights Oklahoma Event Will Happen Without A Commissions Presence

Shine Fight Promotions is set to host it’s third event this Saturday at the First Council Casino in Newkirk, Okla. after moving to the venue from Virginia after that states commission failed to approve the event.
The Virginia Professional Boxing and Wrestling Program’s decision not to issue Shine Fights a promoter’s license last Friday was based […]

The Virginia Professional Boxing and Wrestling Program’s decision not to issue Shine Fights a promoter’s license last Friday was based on the promotion’s inability to provide mandatory documents, including evidence of a surety bond to cover fighters’ purses, said Mary Broz-Vaughan, director of communications for the Dept. of Professional and Occupational Regulation.

The Oklahoma Professional Boxing Commission also expressed concerns over the event, but since they hold no jurisdiction on “Tribal Trust Lands” Shine Fights has been able to circumvent their authority.

There has been some concern that the Commission might attempt to intervene by issuing 60 day suspension to fighters participating in the event.

Not so say’s OPBC administrator Joe Miller who spoke to MMAWeekly.com.

“Oklahoma is not seeking an injunction to stop Shine Fights. We have absolutely no authority or jurisdiction on Tribal Trust Land. We are not taking any action at all in regard to Shine Fights.”

That still leaves cause for concern, especially for the fighters involved in the event, as there is no commission to oversee the event at all. Everything is now in the hands of the promoters to do the right thing in regards to paying fighters, making sure that adequate safety measures (such as having ringside medical personal and an ambulance on site) are in place, securing qualified referees and judges, and the like.

Shine Fights Grand Prix Won’t Be Sanctioned By Oklahoma Commission

Shine Fights recently announced that it was moving it’s lightweight Grand Prix from the Patriot Center in Fairfax, Virginia to the First Council Casino in Newkirk, Oklahoma. This was due to of safety concerns by the Virginia athletic commission over the “fan matchmaking” promo by Shine Fights.
Now MMARising.com has learned that the Oklahoma State […]

Now MMARising.com has learned that the Oklahoma State Athletic Commission will have “zero involvement” with the event also.

While the Oklahoma State Athletic Commission frequently works in partnership with native-owned casinos in Oklahoma and oversees mixed martial arts events that take place within, that will not be the case on Friday. Should the event still go ahead as planned, Shine Fights will not be operating under the guidance and rules of the OSAC. This was a conscious decision made by the promotion in order to utilise its proposed format for the one-night, eight-man lightweight tournament. The tournament winner will be required to fight and win three times in a single evening.

Such tournaments are rarely supported in North America and it was not a surprise when the Virginia and Oklahoma commissions opted not to sanction this event. Additionally, fighters who compete in unsanctioned events in Oklahoma have been subject to suspensions – typically 60 or 90 days – from the OSAC in the past. That policy may come into effect here.

Lets hope that this doesn’t turn out to be another failed event for Shine Fight Promotions like the May 15th card which fell apart after the main event was canceled.

Shine Fights COO Speaks Out On Change Of Location

Shine Fights had to change the location of their upcoming lightweight grand prix tournament from the Patriot Center on the George Mason University campus in Fairfax, Va to Oklahoma instead.
The events COO spoke out on the Underground Forums.
There really is a Santa Claus.
Unfortunately he does not live at the offices of the VSAC.
We will not […]

Shine Fights had to change the location of their upcoming lightweight grand prix tournament from the Patriot Center on the George Mason University campus in Fairfax, Va to Oklahoma instead.

The events COO spoke out on the Underground Forums.

There really is a Santa Claus.

Unfortunately he does not live at the offices of the VSAC.

We will not be holding our event as scheduled at The Patriot Center however we have managed to successfully move our entire event to Oklahoma.

I want to apologize to the local fighters and fans and express my gratitude for your support. It was a pleasure meeting you.

I also would like to personally thank Santino Defranco and the rest of our amazing team that has been working round the clock to ensure that the fans match-ups can be seen live on Sept 10th.

See you then.

The whole move stems from the failure of the Virginia commission to issue a license to Shine Fights for the tournament.

According to a source close to the promotion, the issue at the heart of the move was a marketing push by Shine that gave fans the opportunity to choose the matchups for the first-round bouts in the tournament. That apparently didn’t sit well with Virginia’s commission, which operates under the Virginia Department of Professional and Occupational Regulation. The commission wouldn’t issue Shine a license because of the fan matchmaking, the source said.

Quote provided by MMAFighting.com, check the link for the full article.

The lightweight grand-prix is set for Sept. 10 and will feature an eight man, one-night tournament. Fans were asked by the promotion to choose the matchups for the tournament in a marketing promotion by the company.

Marcus Aurelio (20-8) – Charles Bennett (22-17-2) – Rich Crunkilton (16-3) – Drew Fickett (37-13) – Hector Muñoz (9-3) – Carlo Prater (24-7-1) – Josh Shockley (9-0) – James Warfield (20-6)

Shine Fight Promotions Update.

NEW YORK, NY (September 1, 2010) – Shine Fight Promotions (Shine Fights) COO Jason Chambers, a veteran of both the MMA game and Hollywood, is a rare combination in the sports world. A man that has experienced success in both the sports and acting worlds, Chambers sports an impressive 18-5-2 record in the cage, where he faced well-known MMA veterans such as ultra-tough Japanese fighter Michihiro Omigawa and current UFC star Thiago Alves. He has also appeared on several television programs during his career, hosting the very popular History Channel series “Human Weapon.” With his combination of good looks and athletic talent, Chambers has garnered a reputation as a unique personality with an interesting story.

Born in Chicago, IL, Jason “Hollywood” Chambers, as he is known in the MMA world, is a former professional fighter with a record of 18-5. Perhaps best-known as the host of the hit History Channel Series “Human Weapon,” Jason traveled the globe to explore the history and techniques of various martial arts as part of the show. A diverse artist in every sense of the word, Jason is a certified Jeet Kune Do Concepts Instructor, and a brown belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. Jason’s career, though, has often blurred the lines between cage and stage. Jason has been involved in the entertainment field since 2002, when he began to study the craft of acting in Chicago at “Act One” studios, as well as improvisation at the world famous “Second City.” Chambers solidified his decision to pursue the entertainment field in 2003 by moving to New York to further study his craft, while continuing his BJJ training at Renzo Gracie’s academy. He quickly landed appearances in established television series such as “Guiding Light,” “All My Children,” “Can You Tell?” and most frequently on “As the World Turns.” Jason has done numerous commercials and has also been a guest star on “Days of Our Lives,” “The Middleman,” and “CSI: NY.” In addition to acting, Jason can be seen on G4’s “Attack of the Show,” where he gives his insights on upcoming MMA fights in their “MMA Chokehold” segment, and in FIGHT! Magazine, where he is a regular contributor. Jason continues to train in BJJ and MMA in his free time. His unique combination of in-the-cage and on-the-air experience will bring great insight to Shine Fight fans worldwide.

Shine Fights Promotions recently announced it will make its return to the MMA ring on Friday, September 10th at the Patriot Center in Fairfax, Virginiawith a Grand Prix Lightweight Tournament. This event, regulated by the Virginia State Athletic Commission, will feature an eight-man, single-elimination tournament taking place in one night. This is the first such event to be held in the United States in over 15 years. The bouts will be broadcasted live on PPV by MultiVision Media, Inc., beginning at 9 p.m. EST/6 p.m. PST. The promo video for the Shine Fights Lightweight Grand Prix can be viewed here:http://www.shinefights.com/

Ticket Information: Tickets for the Mixed Martial Arts Tournament at the Patriot Center on Friday, September 10 at 8:00 p.m. are $350.00, $154, $94.00, $74.00, $64.00, $44.00 and $24.00 (plus applicable service charges) and go on sale August 14 at 10:00 a.m. Tickets will be available through all Ticketmaster outlets including the Patriot Center box office, online at www.ticketmaster.com or via Phonecharge at 703-573-SEAT, 202-397-SEAT or 410-547-SEAT. Accessible seating is available for patrons with disabilities by calling 703-993-3035. For more information please visitwww.patriotcenter.com. Follow us on Facebook (PatriotCenter) or on Twitter (@patriotcenter).

To learn more about Shine Fight Promotions, visit www.shinefights.com or follow the organization on Twitter @ShineFights, Myspace (www.myspace.com/ShineFights), YouTube (www.youtube.com/ShineFights) or become a fan on Facebook.

About Shine Fight Promotions

Shine Fight Promotions, LLC is a U.S.-based organization that seeks to deliver the art, discipline, respect, and passion that is mixed martial arts (MMA) to the global market. Shine is committed to the growth of MMA, and is focused on creating a positive experience for both fighters and fans. Organizing the fights that fighters and fans want to see by arranging the most competitive and interesting matches available is the foremost goal of the promotion. Shine Fight Promotion seeks to grow through innovation, high production values, dramatic and engaging fights, and the promotion of authentic MMA. Above all, Shine is committed to letting fighters, fans, and the sport “shine” through dynamic events. For additional information on Shine Fights, please visit http://www.shinefights.com/