New York’s Underground Combat League – Part 2 of 2

New York’s Underground Combat League
PHOTOS AND STORY BY MATTHEW KAPLOWITZ

Certain names have been changed at the request of the parties involved to protect their identity. Part one of this story can be read at http://www.thefightnerd.com/underground-mma-ny-1/

The bell rang and both men came forward. A touch of the gloves and a semi-circle later, Xavier and Kevin began to engage in some fisticuffs. The experience factor showed as Xavier quickly began to resort to looking away from the incoming punches of Kevin and tried to close the distance by putting him the veteran in a headlock. Kevin escaped and unloaded some more shots while Xavier tried to catch his breath. Heaving in desperation, Xavier lunged at Kevin and tried another headlock, but with no gas left in the tank, Kevin went in for the kill, throwing him to the mats and pounding his head from the rear mount until the ref stepped in to end the massacre.

Xavier was laid out on the mat and he was eventually carried out of the ring with the help of his trainer. Kevin took a seat on the ring apron while his trainer gave his beefy shoulder a rub down. “I tweaked it when I was hitting him.” It’s rare to see a beating so bad that the other fighter has sympathy pains for his opponent.

Kevin had little rest though, as he was approached by Storm, offering him a grappling match against another competitor. At the UCL, matches are booked ahead of time but quite often, fighters will back out and the fighters who are there either lose their mat time or a replacement steps in. On this night, Kevin would do double duty as many other fighters had no-showed, possibly due to the location of the event.

Kevin had to fill in for a grappling match with another heavyweight who went by the name Shawn “Seal the Deal” Obasi. Shawn had been fighting in the underground since 2004 and was on a five-fight win streak and is looking to turn pro as soon as he can. Obasi is an oddity in MMA since he defines himself as “a pure Wing Chun fighter,” and has been training in Kung Fu for the past seven years, getting into BJJ a bit later on and becoming a more well-rounded fighter.

Originally Shawn was supposed to fight a variety of different opponents in a full contact MMA fight, but they all kept backing out or just did not show. “I don’t blame them. The bottom line is I came here to compete, I just wanted to be here and make the event enjoyable for the fans.”

Shawn first found out about the UCL when he was a bouncer in a club and actually lost his first two fights, prompting him to delve deeper into MMA and begin to really learn about the techniques in the sport. Since those humble beginnings, Shawn has gone on to become a Stock Broker on Wall Street for an investment firm and works part-time as a nurse, but would give it up in a heartbeat to fight professionally. “ I was always fighting. To be able to go into the ring, there is no greater high than that and I always want to keep feeling that.”

Video of Shawn and Kevin’s match with an interview after. Footage courtesy of youtube.com/sealthedealobasi

On this night, Shawn came to entertain and put on quite a show with Kevin. After clinching, the pair ended up on the mats with Shawn on his back. The Wing Chun fighter hit a textbook elevator sweep and ended up on top, finishing with a sickening Kimura hold. Unfortunately for Kevin, this time the pain was on the other shoulder.

After the bout, I asked Obasi whom he would like to fight when he turns pro. “Lyoto Machida, simply because his base is in karate and me as a Kung Fu man, Kung Fu has never gotten the respect and love it should have. So for me to be able to fight Machida is huge, regardless of if I win or lose.”

The rest of the night continued without a hitch with a few more knockouts and submissions. It may not have been the most technical night of fights or even the most exciting, but there was something compelling about this underground event. “The location, the rawness of the fights, it’s just fun,” Jim exclaimed. “There is nothing like an underground Vale Tudo match.”

I asked Peter about the most important issue in my mind- money. “There is no financial transaction made,” Peter informed me. “The money I make at the door pays for the gym and the staff. The fighters fight for experience and at the end of the day, that’s the best pay you can get.”

Peter is opening an academy in the Bronx soon for MMA and is just biding his time and developing fighters will waiting for MMA to become legal in NY, and plans to go big time once that happens. “The UCL will remain an active league and more importantly, we’re going to have guys who already have experience and are ready to go. We’re the only MMA league in NY, and when you have a need for something, you have to give it to the people or they will go somewhere else. The fighters don’t want to go to Jersey, but why go that far when you can have it right in your backyard?”

Storm was right, the potential for MMA in NY is limitless, we are just waiting for the papers to be signed. At the end of the day, a show like this promotes the sport in a good light despite what pundits might believe. The heart of these fighters and their passion is inspiring, and is the attitude all fighters should have. “MMA is growing and the bottom line is we need more fighters to come out,” Shawn told me. “Stop hiding and put your name on the line. If you’re willing to do that, this sport can become more than a sport. This is a gladiators sport and for me, its not about money, its about honor.”