By E. Spencer Kyte (espencerkyte@mmaratings.net) Darren Owen’s long-time dream became a reality this past August, as Armageddon Fighting Championships (AFC) held their first event in Victoria. After years of legal wrestling and venues pulling out at the 11th hour like they were Karo Parisyan, Owen and business partner Jason Heit were able to return professional…
By E. Spencer Kyte (espencerkyte@mmaratings.net) In a division loaded with talent, Scott “Young Guns” Jorgensen is a name to remember. The WEC bantamweight has made a nomadic journey to the Zuffa-owned company; growing up in Alaska, wrestling collegiately at Boise State and cutting his teeth as a professional back home in the Alaska Fighting Championships…
By E. Spencer Kyte (espencerkyte@mmaratings.net) If you’re talking Mixed Martial Arts news and information in Canada, one name comes to mind: “Showdown” Joe Ferraro. What? You thought I was going to say me? From hosting his own radio show and delivering analysis on Rogers Sportsnet, to the creation and immediate success of his show MMA…
By E. Spencer Kyte (espencerkyte@mmaratings.net) Injuries halted Matt Mitrione’s NFL career earlier than he would have liked, but that didn’t stop the competitive fires from burning inside him. An invitation to fight from a good friend led Mitrione to the gym and though the fight never materialized, an interest in MMA was born. Now, the…
By E. Spencer Kyte (espencerkyte@mmaratings.net) I know what you’re thinking: man, all this guy does is interview Canadian fighters. Well, not entirely, but we have this weird idea up here in the Great White North where we do our best to help our fellow Canadians succeed wherever we can. Crazy, right? Sam Stout is no…
By E. Spencer Kyte (espencerkyte@mmaratings.net) Chances are you recognize the guy on the left as Punkass from Tapout. The chucklehead in the middle is Ryan Loco, while Evan Shoman is the dude rocking the white. Last week, Shoman took time from his insanely busy schedule to talk all kinds of shit about Loco, his co-host…
By E. Spencer Kyte (espencerkyte@mmaratings.net) The guy with the big smile on his face between Renzo Gracie and Ricardo Almeida is Nick Lembo. Lembo is legal counsel for the New Jersey State Athletic Control Board (NJSACB), a position that has put him at cage-side for numerous events and landed him seats on various committees concerned…
By E. Spencer Kyte (espencerkyte@mmaratings.net) I was introduced to the incredible artwork of Evan Shoman through an interview in Fight! Magazine last December. The talented artist from San Diego and self-proclaimed “full-time Internet whore” puts pencil to paper to create ridiculously realistic sketches like the trio featured above.While embarking on my Shameless Self-Promotion Tour to…
By E. Spencer Kyte (espencerkyte@mmaratings.net) Being a good Canadian boy myself, it’s always an honour and a pleasure to sit down and talk Mixed Martial Arts with someone who understands that there should be a “U” in honour and knows what a toque is. Fighting out of Edmonton, Alberta, Tim Hague will be making his…
By E. Spencer Kyte (espencerkyte@mmaratings.net) It’s hard not to like Kenny Florian. Outside the cage, he’s an affable guy with a good sense of humor, willing to take time from his training to speak to just about anyone, and treat them like a long-time friend. Inside the cage, he has transformed into one of the…
By E. Spencer Kyte (espencerkyte@mmaratings.net) The day before she stepped into the ring to fight Shayna Baszler, I told you not to sleep on Sarah Kaufman, the hard-hitting Victoria, British Columbia native who was 9-0 at the time and coming off a solid win over Miesha Tate.A day later, I was posting congratulatory messages on…