Weigh-ins complete for Saturday’s Muay Thai show at the Sheraton
On Saturday evening, WCK Full Rules Muay Thai returns to San Diego after a long absence thanks to Long Beach, Calif. promoter Dennis Warner in association with Team Chaney Martial Arts of Murrieta, Calif. 12 Bouts are scheduled with several matches having a championship belt on the line.
After Friday evening’s weigh-ins, the twenty-four combatants on the WCK Full Rules “Ultimate Conquest” fight card of January 7, 2017 are raring to go. Without further ado here are the photos plus information we have in regards to Saturday’s contests at the Four Points By Sheraton Hotel on Aero Drive in San Diego:
IAMTF Welterweight Ranking Bout – three rounds
In Bout #2, they have 37-year-old James Gregory far right (2-13-2) facing a 27-year-old transplant from France, Ismail Zizi, who trains with the Parusa Muay Thai Team of Point Loma. Zizi’s record is 1-0. Both men would fit the bill of “Dos Equis XX’s the Most Interesting Man in the World”. Gregory is a lot more than a Muay Thai fighter, he also coaches, right along side the now famous Mike Lemaire at the Art of Eight Gym in San Diego. LeMaire is one of the featured fighters in the Glory 37 Super Fight Series to be contested January 20 in Los Angeles. In the photo above Lemaire is in the rear with his arms around his students (l to r) Brian Cunningham, Monica Teran, Melissa Nolan, Jason Breedlove. Nolan’s fiance, the unconventional Mr. Gregory, also writes life experience articles for his readers on a blog called “The Martial Heart.” From the time his clique left yesterday’s weigh-ins, they went to eat and according to Gregory, they went nonstop. That’s when his – let’s call them – tweets began popping up all over the internet.
Convoy Street, which is close to their gym, is known for it’s all you can eat restaurants featuring mostly Asian Buffets. Meanwhile, if you take a gander at his opponents lifestyle, you’ll soon learn Mr. Zizi is a bit of a thrill seeker. While Gregory goes off into the mountains with man’s best friend, Ismail and his buddies go to Las Vegas, Hot Air Ballooning or sailing out into the ocean.
So, who can we rely on to win tonight’s fight. Neither appears to be troubled by exacting training regimens, need for sleep, or the proper intake of food.
Bout #3, a WCK Muay Thai Welterweight Bout has (l to r) 31-year-old Antonio “Esqueleto” Arango (3-1) of Vargas Muay Thai in his U. S. Debut going up against the 27-year-old Jose “El Chile” Lopez (5-4, 5 KOs) of Predator Muay Thai, San Diego. Both weighed the same 147 lbs. On Sunday, Lopez turns 28. Therefore, proper etiquette requires that all those present should wish Mr. Lopez a Happy Birthday when the clock strikes 12 midnight.
Bout #4 is a three round IAMTF Welterweight Ranking Bout featuring 25-year-old Brian Cunningham (147 lbs., record 0-2) from the Art of 8 Training Center going up against Andrew “The Rhino” Gori from Lemoore, Calif. who will be making his debut. Gori trains at the Double Dose Muay Thai Kickboxing Gym of Fontana, Calif.
Bout #5 is the 5 round IAMTF Women’s California Featherweight Title match between Alyisha “Code Red” Madison (right) record 10-2, 27-years-old, 5’7” tall, 124.2 lbs., coached by Steven Frye of Frye Muay Thai at Victory MMA going up against Amanda De Rosa (left) record 7-5-1, 26 years-old, 5’7” tall, 125 lbs.) from the Bullet Hole Gym, Victorville, Calif. and coached by Craig Buchanon. Madison will be fighting for her fourth championship belt. She currently holds three titles – IAMT 135 lb. Belt, the IFS 135 lb. belt, and the Battle of Champions 140 lb. belt.
Bout #6 features a battle for the WBC USA Muay Thai Lightweight National Title belt between Joe “the Iran Assassin” Gogo (8-0, 3 KOs) from Yona, Guam and training with the Parusa Team at the Point Loma UFC going up against the 33-year-old Travis Clay (4-0, 3 KOs) from Chandler, Arizona and training at the Sitan Gym. Both weighed 135 lbs. Gogo is currently in possession of three Championship belts the IKKC Lightweight belt, the AMK ITBO Bantamweight belt.
Bout #8, the Main Event of the evening you have Francisco “El Travieso” Garcia (4 wins, 3 KOs) of the Valor Muay Thai Gym challenging Landon Simmons (9-2-1, 7 KOs) from Coopers Gym, Detroit, Michigan, the current WBC Muay Thai Super Welterweight National Champion for the last three years.
At Thursday’s weigh-ins, it was the current WBC Muay Thai Super Welterweight champion Landon Simmons displaying his championship belt. A title that he has held for a solid three years. (photo, right) Francisco Garcia tried his best to make the agreed upon weight of 154 pounds but fell short by three pounds. So Saturday’s Main Event will still go off as planned but Simmons will not lose his belt if he were to lose to Garcia.
You can come and take it if you can but I plan to put up one hell of a fight. Simply amazing, Landon Simmons has now held on to his WBC MuayThai Super Welterweight crown for three years.
Bout #9 is an IAMTF Super Welterweight ranking bout between 35-year-old Chad Berry from 8Tribe with it’s host gym being the Undisputed Fitness Gym in San Diego’s Downtown going up against Ivan Juarez (2-0) from the Parusa Muay Thai group inside the Point Loma UFC.
Bout #10 is a WCK MuayThai Super Middleweight bout between the 26-year-old Andrew Nguyen (photo, left) from Buhawe Muay Thai of Fresno, Calif. and the 25-year-old, 5’10” David Pacheco (right) from Moreno Valley (record 1-1, 1 KO) from the USKO Riverside Gym. Both gentlemen weighed in at 165 lbs.
In Bout #11 it will be Andrew Nguyen (l) battling David Pacheco (r).
Bout #11: In a IAMTF Women’s Flyweight bout they have 26-year-old Monica Teran (5’8″ tall, record 1-3, 115 lbs. ) from the Art of Eight Gym going up against Shanna Newton from The Boxing Club in La Jolla, Calif. (26 years-old, 5’2″ tall) who will be making her debut.
