Minnesota Martial Arts Academy
The Minnesota Martial Arts Academy is a martial arts training center in Brooklyn Center, Minnesota. It was founded in 1992 by Greg Nelson, a former NCAA Division 1 wrestler at the University of Minnesota. History The Academy provides training in combative martial arts that include Muay Thai, Wrestling, Boxing, Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, Judo, Filipino Martial Arts, Jeet Kune Do, Modern Army Combatives, and mixed martial arts. The Academy's MMA team, Team Academy, has a winning percentage of 80% Greg Nelson combined his background in NCAA Division 1 wrestling, from college, with the Thai-boxing training he began in 1983 to form the basis of his Mixed Martial arts system. Starting the gym in 1992 the focus was on combative martial arts & sport martial arts. As The Academy grew it attracted future UFC champions such as Dave Menne, Brock Lesnar, Sean Sherk and Rose Namajunas. Notable fighters * John Castañeda - UFC * Pat Barry - UFC, K-1, Glory * Mike Richman - Bellator ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
|
Cole Konrad
Minnesota Golden Gophers Cole Konrad (born April 2, 1984) is an American retired mixed martial arts fighter. Konrad won a gold medal at the 2005 Pan-American Championships. He won the NCAA wrestling championships in 2006 and 2007 at 285 pounds and finished third at the 2006 World University Championships at 120 kilograms. He was the first Bellator Heavyweight World Champion. Amateur wrestling career High school After transferring from New London High School in New London, Wisconsin to Freedom High School in Freedom, Wisconsin. Konrad compiled a 101–15 record and won the 2002 Wisconsin state championship. He was listed as a first team high school All-American at 275 pounds by both the Amateur Wrestling News and Wrestling USA Magazine. During his high school career, Konrad also excelled at freestyle and Greco-Roman wrestling. He won the 2002 Junior National Championships in both styles. Collegiate Konrad wrestled at the University of Minnesota where he won ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
|
Jeet Kune Do
Jeet Kune Do is a primarily wing chun kung fu inspired eclectic martial arts philosophy heavily influenced and adapted by the Taoist personal life philosophy and experiences of martial artist Bruce Lee. Overview and philosophy Jeet Kune Do was conceived by Bruce Lee, based on his experiences in unarmed fighting and self-defense. Originally, Lee studied Wing Chun as well as researched other forms of martial arts and would formalize a martial art named Jun Fan Gung Fu circa 1962. However, around 1964, following his encounter with Wong Jack-man, Lee came to realize the error of binding oneself to systematized martial arts.Dorgan, Michael''Bruce Lee's Toughest Fight'' 1980 July. Official Karate Following this, Lee began to passionately research in order to refine his way of practicing martial arts. In 1965, he outlined the basic concept of Jeet Kune Do. Not wanting to create another style that would share the limitations that all styles had, he instead described the process ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
|
Jacob Volkmann
Minnesota Golden Gophers Jacob Joseph Volkmann (born September 5, 1980) is an American mixed martial artist currently competing in the Welterweight division. A professional MMA competitor since 2007, Volkmann has formerly competed for the UFC, Bellator, and the World Series of Fighting. Background Volkmann was born in Fergus Falls, Minnesota and graduated from Henning High School. Volkmann wrestled for the Otter Tail Central Bulldogs and holds the schools all-time record for career wins and also won three state titles. Volkmann then attended University of Minnesota, where he was a Big Ten Conference wrestling champion and a three time NCAA All-American. In 2001 as a freshman he finished fourth, then in 2003 as junior finished third (defeating future UFC Light Heavyweight Champion Rashad Evans), and then once again as a senior in 2004 finished fourth. After graduating from Minnesota, Volkmann attended the Northwestern Health and Science University in Bloomington, Mi ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
|
Chris Tuchscherer
Chris Tuchscherer (born September 8, 1975) is a retired American mixed martial artist who last competed as a Heavyweight for the Ultimate Fighting Championship. Background Born in Rugby, North Dakota, Tuchscherer competed in wrestling for Bowman County High School, continuing with the sport at North Dakota State before eventually transferring to NCAA Division II Minnesota State University, Moorhead. At MSUM Tuchscherer participated in Heavyweight NCAA Division II competitions and became a two-time All-American as well as an NCAA Division II Championship Runner-Up. Mixed martial arts career Early career After using up all of his college eligibility, Tuchscherer - who was already a fan of MMA - was urged by his friends to try competing himself. He tried out for and earned a spot on a local fight card where he won his first amateur match in less than a minute. Tuchscherer continued training at MSUM while helping to coach the university's wrestling team. He later began training at M ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
|
World Extreme Cagefighting
World Extreme Cagefighting (WEC) was an American mixed martial arts (MMA) promotion founded in 2001. It was purchased by Zuffa, LLC, the parent company of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), in 2006. In its final incarnation, it was made up of 3 weight classes: , and . To accommodate the smaller fighters, WEC's cage was in diameter— smaller than the standard UFC cage. The smaller cage is now used by UFC for selected events. History Scott Adams and Reed Harris started the organization in 2001. Between 2001 and 2006, most of their events were held at Tachi Palace Hotel & Casino in Lemoore, California, and aired on HDNet. In December 2006, Zuffa purchased WEC. With the purchase, WEC continued as a separate promotion with its own roster of fighters. Adams was retained after the purchase as the organization's matchmaker. Harris and Adams were named co-General Managers and were both active in the new WEC. In 2008, Sean Shelby was named the new match-maker for the promot ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
|
City Pages
''City Pages'' was an alternative newspaper serving the Minneapolis–St. Paul metropolitan area. It featured news, film, theatre and restaurant reviews and music criticism, available free every Wednesday. It ceased publication in 2020 due to a decline in ads and revenue related to the COVID-19 pandemic. History On August 1, 1979, publishers Tom Bartel and Kristin Henning debuted ''Sweet Potato'', a monthly newspaper focused on the Twin Cities music scene. The first issue featured pop band The Cars on the cover. In October 1980, ''Sweet Potato'' went biweekly. On December 3, 1981, the newspaper went weekly and was renamed ''City Pages''. ''City Pages'' competed for readership with the ''Twin Cities Reader'' until 1997, when Stern Publishing purchased ''City Pages'' in March and the ''Twin Cities Reader'' the following day, shuttering it immediately. Bartel and Henning left ''City Pages'' in the fall of 1997. Tom Bartel's brother Mark was named publisher after Bartel and He ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
|
Bellator Fighting Championships
Bellator MMA (formerly Bellator Fighting Championships) is an American mixed martial arts promotion founded in 2008 and based in Santa Monica, California, owned and operated as a subsidiary of television and media conglomerate Paramount Global. It is the second largest in the United States and one of the largest combat sport promotions in the world. The promotion takes its name from '' bellātor'', the Latin word for "warrior". Bellator's first event was held in 2009, and the promotion had since held over 200 "numbered" events as of December 2019. The promotion features talents such as Vadim Nemkov, Kyoji Horiguchi, Yoel Romero, Yaroslav Amosov, Patrício Pitbull, Cris Cyborg, A. J. McKee, Michael Page, Douglas Lima, Usman Nurmagomedov, Gegard Mousasi, and Sergio Pettis. Fighters such as Eddie Alvarez, Michael Chandler, Ben Askren, Anthony Johnson, Rory MacDonald, and Fedor Emelianenko have also fought under the Bellator umbrella. History Bellator was founded in 2008 ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
|
Mike Richman
Michael Richman (born June 23, 1985) is an American mixed martial artist currently competing in the Lightweight division of the Legacy Fighting Alliance. A professional competitor in mixed martial arts since 2008, Richman has competed for Bellator MMA, and is also 2-0 as a professional boxer. Background Born and raised in Rosemount, Minnesota, began competing in wrestling from a young age and was also a fan of boxing and mixed martial arts. Richman attended Rosemount High School where he competed in wrestling before joining the United States Marine Corps upon graduating. After serving three tours as an infantryman in Iraq and reaching the rank of Sergeant, Richman began training in mixed martial arts in 2008. Mixed martial arts career Early career Richman made his professional debut in 2008 and compiled an undefeated record of 8-0 before competing on The Ultimate Fighter: Team GSP vs. Team Koscheck. ''The Ultimate Fighter'' Richman was one of 32 contestants selected to compete ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
|
Glory (kickboxing)
Glory, formerly Glory World Series, is an international kickboxing promotion based in Singapore, which is owned by Pierre Andurand. It is one of the largest kickboxing promotion companies in the world, and features some of the highest-level fighters in the sport on its roster. The company also has international offices in Denver, United States, and Amsterdam, Netherlands. Glory produces events worldwide that showcase seven weight divisions (six men's divisions and one women's division). As of 2022, Glory has held over 80 events. The first event was held in 2012 in Stockholm, Sweden. Background When K-1 began suffering from extreme financial difficulties in 2011, Total Sports Asia, TSA CEO Marcus Luer, Pierre Andurand, and Scott Rudmann of Nectar Capital attempted to buy the brand. K-1 was instead sold to Mike Kim and EMCOM Entertainment Inc. In the aftermath, Pierre Andurand, TSA, and the other investors decided to start a brand new kickboxing promotion and acquired United Gl ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
|
Pat Barry (kickboxer)
Patrick Joseph Barry (born July 7, 1979) is a former American mixed martial artist and kickboxer who competed as a heavyweight in the Ultimate Fighting Championship. He is particularly known for his low kicks. Barry began practicing Sanda while a college student and won numerous titles at domestic and international level before joining K-1 in 2005 where he competed for two years, mostly as a participant on the promotion's North American events. In 2008, he embarked on a career in MMA, winning his first three fights by knockout before signing a contract with the Ultimate Fighting Championship and competing in the promotion for the next five years as a Heavyweight, compiling a 5–7 record with only one of the matches going the distance. Barry retired from MMA in late 2013 and returned to kickboxing the following year, joining Glory. He is also the fiancé and training partner of former UFC Women's Strawweight Champion, Rose Namajunas. Background Barry was born in Ne ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
|
Ultimate Fighting Championship
The Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) is an American mixed martial arts (MMA) promotion company based in Las Vegas, Nevada. It is owned and operated by Zuffa, a wholly owned subsidiary of Endeavor Group Holdings. It is the largest MMA promotion company in the world as of 2011. It produces events worldwide that showcase 12 weight divisions (eight men's and four women's) and abides by the Unified Rules of Mixed Martial Arts. , it had held over 600 events. Dana White has been its president since 2001. Under White's stewardship, it has grown into a global multi-billion-dollar enterprise. The UFC was founded by businessman Art Davie and Brazilian martial artist Rorion Gracie, and the first event was held in 1993 at the McNichols Sports Arena in Denver, Colorado. The purpose of the early Ultimate Fighting Championship competitions was to identify the most effective martial art in a contest with minimal rules and no weight classes between competitors of different fight ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
|
John Castañeda
John Anthony Castañeda (born December 18, 1991) is an American mixed martial artist who competes in the Bantamweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). A professional competitor since 2012, he formerly competed for Combate Global. Background Castañeda was born in Dallas, Texas. At four, he relocated to Minnesota, where he currently resides. During his freshman year of college, he wrested for the Minnesota State Mavericks. In 2013, Castañeda graduated from Minnesota State University, Mankato. He double-majored in criminal justice and Spanish with a minor in social work. Professional mixed martial arts career Early career Castañeda went 15–1 in amateur competition, and racked a professional record of 7–2 in the regional circuit of Minnesota before signing with Combate Americas. In Combate Americas, Castañeda amassed four straight victories which led to a shot at the inaugural Combate Americas Bantamweight Championship. Castañeda faced Gustavo Lopez at ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |