By Carlos Arias, The Orange County Register –
UFC Hall of Famer Tito Ortiz is teaming up with boxing and MMA promoter Roy Englebrecht to launch the Fight Club MMA “Rising Stars” series at The Hangar at the OC Fair and Event Center in Costa Mesa, Calif.
The first two dates are Oct. 6 and Dec. 7 at The Hangar, which is the home of Englebrecht’s popular Fight Club OC series which features hybrid boxing and MMA cards. The Fight Club MMA “Rising Stars” cards will feature California’s best young amateur MMA fighters and will serve as a developmental stage for future pros in an environment where they are evenly matched.
“I have always wanted to develop talent and make a positive influence, from the days of wanting to be a wrestling coach to coaching on The Ultimate Fighter,” Ortiz said. “I know what it takes to help scout these kids and take them to the next level, so along with my partner, Entertainment and Sports Attorney George Prajin, we have teamed up with Roy to build a developmental league to the pros. We want to give credibility to the amateur division and rank the fighters, kind of like the Golden Gloves has done for boxing.
“We are not looking to compete with the UFC. In fact, we couldn’t even if we tried, as the UFC is the major leagues. We want to be the equivalent of college football to the NFL. We are looking to scout out the fighters that we feel can make it and prepare them for that major step to the next level.”
Englebrecht helped Oscar De La Hoya get Golden Boy Promotions started and Golden Boy Promotions has gone on to become one of the biggest boxing promotions in the world.
“There is no one in Southern California mixed martial arts that I would rather partner with then Tito Ortiz,” Englebrecht said. “Fight Club OC is already a successful MMA promotion in Southern California, in one of the best small venues in the country, so with Tito’s expertise in MMA training, as well as his business acumen and marketing savvy, we will be able to take Fight Club OC, as well as other ‘Rising Stars’ shows around the county, to a new level of success.”
Ortiz and Englebrecht said the goal of the “Rising Stars” series is to make sure aspiring MMA fighters learn proper techniques and styles and that they get to compete on reputable shows so that they will always have a positive experience. Ortiz also announced an element of the series where the fighters in each corner, on each show, are invited to a private training session with Ortiz one week before each show. It is a unique opportunity for a young fighter to learn the game both in and out of the cage.
Tickets for the inaugural “Rising Stars” show on Oct. 6 are $40-$50 and are available at fightcluboc.com.
NOTES
UFC president Dana White confirmed on Fuel TV’s “UFC Tonight” on Tuesday that a superfight between UFC middleweight champion Anderson Silva and UFC welterweight champion Georges St. Pierre is on its way to being made. St. Pierre still has some business to take care of against Carlos Condit at UFC 154 on Nov. 17 in Montreal.
“I think we’re pretty close,” White said. “I mean, if Georges St. Pierre beats Condit, that could be the next fight.”
If the fight happens, White said it will be at a catchweight of 180 pounds and it will take place at the 80,000-seat Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, Texas.
“These guys want to fight each other now,” White said. “I think that if you’re a fighter and you’ve dominated as long as Anderson has, and been great as long as Georges has, you finally want to say, ‘I want to test this guy, I think I can beat this guy.’” …
K-1 will present 15 heavyweight, MAX, Superfight and undercard fights as part of K-1 Rising 2012 U.S. Grand Prix Championships on Saturday at 5 p.m. at L.A. Sports Arena. K-1 World Grand Prix finalist Dewey Cooper (49-13-2, 28 KOs), a 6-0, 215-pounder, battles undefeated Randy Blake (23-0), a 6-3, 215-pounder, in the main event Fullerton’s Jack May (4-0), a 6-8, 260-pounder, faces Jarrell Miller (19-0, 8 KOs), a 6-4, 250-pounder, in the semi-main event.
