Titan Fighting Championship (Titan FC) is an American
mixed martial arts
Mixed martial arts (MMA), sometimes referred to as cage fighting, no holds barred (NHB), and ultimate fighting, and originally referred to as Vale Tudo is a full-contact combat sport based on strike (attack), striking, grappling and ground f ...
promotion based out of
Pompano Beach, Florida
Pompano Beach ( ) is a city in Broward County, Florida, United States. It is located along the coast of the Atlantic Ocean, just north of Fort Lauderdale. The nearby Hillsboro Inlet forms part of the Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway. As of the 2 ...
. Their shows were originally run in and near Kansas City and have since expanded to include venues all over North America and eventually, international locations. Since July 2015, Titan FC events are broadcast on the
UFC online streaming service
UFC Fight Pass, which also showcases a library of the organization's previous events.
History
Founding
Titan Fighting Championships was founded in 2005 by veteran fight promoter and, at the time,
Bellator Fighting Championships' director of operations, Joe Kelly. The organization was originally based in
Kansas City
The Kansas City metropolitan area is a bi-state metropolitan area anchored by Kansas City, Missouri. Its 14 counties straddle the border between the U.S. states of Missouri (9 counties) and Kansas (5 counties). With and a population of more ...
and was headquartered in the city's historic
Memorial Hall, where the organization held the majority of their early events. Memorial Hall was exclusively leased to Kelly's sports and entertainment promotion company Titan Entertainment, from which the MMA organization took its name.
Broadcast deal with HDNet
On December 13, 2010, Titan Fighting Championships announced that they had struck a deal with the
cable and
satellite
A satellite or artificial satellite is an object intentionally placed into orbit in outer space. Except for passive satellites, most satellites have an electricity generation system for equipment on board, such as solar panels or radioiso ...
television network
HDNet
AXS TV is an American cable television channel. Majority-owned by Anthem Sports & Entertainment, it is devoted primarily to music-related programming (such as concert films, documentaries, and reality series involving musicians) and combat s ...
(later relaunched as AXS TV) to broadcast their next event, ''Titan FC 16'', live on the network.
The event would take place on January 28, 2011, and was headlined by a super heavyweight bout between former two-time
UFC Heavyweight champion Tim Sylvia
Timothy Deane Sylvia (born March 5, 1976) is an American retired mixed martial arts (MMA) fighter, professional wrestler, and a former two-time UFC Heavyweight Champion. He has competed as a Super Heavyweight and Heavyweight. While he is best kn ...
and former
The Ultimate Fighter: Heavyweights cast member Abe Wagner.
Prior to the airing of the promotion's second show on the network, ''Titan FC 17: Lashley vs. Ott'', CEO Joe Kelly announced that the organization had signed a three-year extension with HDNet to broadcast their live events under the network's ''HDNet Fights'' label. Kelly subsequently resigned from his position at
Bellator FC in order to focus full-time on running Titan FC.
Titan FC would initially air a total of nine live events on the HDNet/AXS TV networks, including a "Fight for the Troops" event taking place on June 15, 2012, at the
Marshall Army Airfield at
Fort Riley, Kansas
Fort Riley is a United States Army installation located in North Central Kansas, on the Kansas River, also known as the Kaw, between Junction City and Manhattan. The Fort Riley Military Reservation covers 101,733 acres (41,170 ha) in G ...
, and conclude with ''Titan FC 24: Johnson vs. Jones'' which aired on August 24, 2012.
Merger with RFA
On October 11, 2012, officials for the Nebraska-based MMA promotion
Resurrection Fighting Alliance (RFA) announced that they had acquired Titan Fighting Championships, along with certain fighter contracts, as well as the organization's television deal with, now, AXS TV.
The goal was to combine the talent of both organizations under one umbrella, the RFA. Titan FC owner and president Joe Kelly would be brought in as the Vice President of the newly merged company, with seasoned MMA manager, and
Black House gym owner,
Ed Soares acting as the President.
Resurgence and new ownership
Seven months after the RFA buyout, the Titan FC promotion was resurrected when founder Joe Kelly bought back the organization in 2013 and produced two more shows on his own: ''Titan FC 25: Lashley vs. Asplund'' in June, and ''Titan FC 26: Hallman vs. Hornbuckle'' in August, both of which were aired live on AXS TV.
In December 2013, Jeff Aronson, the former chairman and co-founder of the fighter management company ''Alchemist Management'', purchased a majority stake in Titan FC from the promotion's founder and president Joe Kelly. Jeff Aronson would serve as company's new CEO with, longtime friend and business partner, Lex McMahon serving as Titan FC's COO. Kelly would remain as the organization's president and minority owner.
Unlike other organizations in the past who tried to go head to head with the
UFC and failed, CEO Jeff Aronson hoped to form a professional relationship with the
UFC and has attempted to position Titan FC as an unofficial feeder league for the organization. The newly overhauled Titan FC has now focused itself on finding unsigned prospects, and giving top level veterans who have hit a rough patch, a platform on which to get themselves noticed, or get their career back on track.
Along with the new ownership came new rules for the organization's fighter contracts and bonus structure, and an increased focus on fan involvement. As an incentive to get fighters to perform their best, and thus garner the attention of the larger organizations, Titan FC awards "finishing bonuses" to all fighters who finish their fights by either knockout or submission. Also, to entice up and coming prospects and veteran fighters to sign with the organization, Titan FC now offers a no-questions-asked "''Zuffa out"'' clause in all their contracts, in case the opportunity arises for the fighter to leave the organization and sign with the
UFC.
The organization hopes that these incentives will encourage the fighters to put on a better show for the fans, and intends to increase the fan experience by offering VIP packages and holding giveaways, contests, and autograph sessions at all of their live events.
To reflect their new position in the MMA community, and philosophy towards fights and fighter contracts, Titan FC has since adopted the motto "'Fans, Fighters First.'".
Broadcast deal with CBS Sports
On January 14, 2014, Titan FC officials announced that the first show under their new ownership, ''Titan FC 27: Ricci vs. Gurgel'', would now be broadcast live on
CBS Sports
CBS Sports is the sports division of the American television network CBS. Its headquarters are in the CBS Building on W 52nd Street (Manhattan), 52nd Street in Midtown Manhattan, New York City, with programs produced out of Studio 43 at the CBS ...
and that the organization had signed an eight-event deal with the television network.
As part of the deal, Titan FC prelim bouts would also be streamed live on the network's website, CBSSports.com. Titan FC officials also announced that CBS Sports had hired top MMA trainer, and TriStar Gym owner,
Firas Zahabi
Firas Zahabi (born February 5, 1980) is a Canadian martial artist who is the owner and head coach at Tristar Gym. Zahabi is known for his work with mixed martial artist Georges St-Pierre.
Early life
Zahabi was born on February 5, 1980, in Qu ...
and UFC hall of famer
Stephan Bonnar
Stephan Patrick Bonnar (April 4, 1977 – December 22, 2022) was an American mixed martial arts, mixed martial artist. Bonnar competed as a Light Heavyweight (MMA), Light Heavyweight in the Ultimate Fighting Championship, UFC for most of his car ...
to provide the commentary for all Titan FC events.
''Titan FC 27: Ricci vs. Gurgel'' debuted on the CBS Sports Network on February 28, 2014.
''Titan FC 30: Brilz vs. Magalhães'' would take place on September 26, 2014, and stands out as being the first time in Titan FC's history that the organization would crown a divisional champion, as two former
UFC veterans faced off for the inaugural Titan FC
Light Heavyweight
Light heavyweight, also referred to as junior cruiserweight or light cruiserweight, is a weight class in combat sports.
Boxing Professional
In professional boxing, the division is above and up to , falling between super middleweight and cruis ...
title. Four time
World Jiu-Jitsu Championship gold medalist and former
The Ultimate Fighter
''The Ultimate Fighter'' is an American reality television series and mixed martial arts (MMA) competition produced by the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) and Pilgrim Media Group currently airing on ESPN+. It previously aired for fourteen ...
contestant
Vinny Magalhães would submit wrestling standout
Jason Brilz with a guillotine choke in the fourth round to claim this inaugural title.
Titan FC crowned their second divisional champion at ''Titan FC 32: Green vs. Siler'' on December 19, 2014. That night
Bellator MMA
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 Glob ...
tournament veteran
Desmond Green defeated former
UFC fighter and
The Ultimate Fighter
''The Ultimate Fighter'' is an American reality television series and mixed martial arts (MMA) competition produced by the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) and Pilgrim Media Group currently airing on ESPN+. It previously aired for fourteen ...
contestant
Steven Siler to claim the inaugural Titan FC
Featherweight
Featherweight is a weight class in the combat sports of boxing, kickboxing, mixed martial arts, and Greco-Roman wrestling.
Boxing
Professional boxing
History
A featherweight boxer weighs in at a limit of . In the early days of the division, this ...
championship.
Over the course of their yearlong partnership Titan FC would eventually air a total of seven live cards on the CBS Sports network, spanning seven cities in seven different states, and culminating in their largest event to date, ''Titan FC 33: Green vs Holobaugh''. ''Titan FC 33'' took place on March 20, 2015, in Mobile, Alabama at the Mobile AeroFest music and art festival, a two-day-long not-for-profit event designed to raise money to support injured U.S. military service members and veterans.
The card would feature a total of four separate title fights, three of which would crown the inaugural championships for Titan FC's
heavyweight
Heavyweight is a weight class in combat sports and professional wrestling.
Boxing Professional
Boxers who weigh over are considered heavyweights by 3 of the 4 major professional boxing organizations: the International Boxing Federation, the W ...
,
lightweight
Lightweight is a weight class in combat sports and rowing.
Boxing
Professional boxing
The lightweight division is over 130 pounds (59 kilograms) and up to 135 pounds (61.2 kilograms) weight class in the sport of boxing.
Notable lightweight b ...
and
bantamweight
Bantamweight is a weight class in combat sports. For boxing, the range is above and up to . In kickboxing, a bantamweight fighter generally weighs between . In MMA, bantamweight is .
The name for the class is derived from bantam chickens. Bra ...
divisions; and was headlined by the organization's first ever championship title defense as
Desmond Green sought to defend his newly acquired featherweight title.
Broadcast deal with UFC Fight Pass
On June 15, 2015
UFC officials announced that Titan FC has signed a contract with the organization to air all future live events exclusively on the UFC's subscription-based digital streaming service,
UFC Fight Pass.
The first event to be held on the service, ''Titan FC 34: Healy vs. Edwards'', aired on July 18, 2015, and featured a total of four title fights, including the crowning of Titan FC's inaugural
flyweight
Flyweight is a weight class in combat sports.
Boxing
Flyweight is a class in boxing which includes fighters weighing above 49 kg (108 lb) and up to 51 kg (112 lb).
Professional boxing
The flyweight division was the last of b ...
champion when
Tim Elliott defeated fellow UFC veteran
Iliarde Santos for the vacant belt. Additionally, it was announced by UFC officials that the entire Titan FC library of past events would be added to the "On Demand" section of the Fight Pass online service.
Rules
Titan Fighting Championships follows the Unified Rules of Mixed Martial Arts, which were first established in April 2000. The Unified Rules of Mixed Martial Arts have been adopted by every state athletic commission that holds mixed martial arts events throughout the United States.
Under the Unified Rules of Mixed Martial Arts there are no groin strikes, eye gouging, kicking or kneeing a grounded opponent, downward elbows, strikes to the back of the head, head butting, biting, or grabbing the fence. Upon a violation of the rules, referee can either warn the fighter, take a point away, or disqualify the fighter depending upon the regularity and severity of the foul.
Rounds
All non-world championship fights in Titan FC consist of three, five-minute rounds, with one-minute rest periods between rounds. All world championship fights consist of five, five-minute rounds, with one-minute rest periods between rounds.
Weight divisions
Titan FC currently uses eight weight classes for men:
Titan FC currently uses two weight classes for women:
Match outcome
Matches usually end via:
*
Submission
Deference (also called submission or passivity) is the condition of submitting to the espoused, legitimate influence of one's superior or superiors. Deference implies a yielding or submitting to the judgment of a recognized superior, out of re ...
: a fighter clearly taps the mat or his opponent, or verbally submits. Also a technical submission may be called when a fighter either loses consciousness or is on the verge of serious injury while in a hold.
*
Knockout
A knockout (abbreviated to KO or K.O.) is a fight-ending, winning criterion in several full-contact combat sports, such as boxing, kickboxing, muay thai, mixed martial arts, karate, some forms of taekwondo and other sports involving striking, a ...
: a fighter is put into a state of unconsciousness resulting from any legal strike.
*
Technical Knockout
A knockout (abbreviated to KO or K.O.) is a fight-ending, winning criterion in several full-contact combat sports, such as boxing, kickboxing, muay thai, mixed martial arts, karate, some forms of taekwondo and other sports involving striking, a ...
(TKO): If the referee decides a fighter cannot continue, the fight is ruled as a technical knockout. Technical knockouts can be classified into three categories:
**referee stoppage (the referee ends the fight because one fighter is unable to intelligently defend himself)
**doctor stoppage (a ring side doctor decides that it is unsafe for the fighter to continue the bout due to excessive bleeding or physical injuries)
**corner stoppage (a fighter's cornerman signals defeat for their own fighter)
*Judges' Decision: Depending on scoring, a match may end as:
**unanimous decision (all three judges score a win for fighter A)
**majority decision (two judges score a win for fighter A, one judge scores a draw)
**split decision (two judges score a win for fighter A, one judge scores a win for fighter B)
**unanimous draw (all three judges score a draw)
**majority draw (two judges score a draw, one judge scoring a win)
**split draw (one judge scores a win for fighter A, one judge scores a win for fighter B, and one judge scores a draw)
Note: In the event of a draw, it is not necessary that the fighters' total points be equal. However, in a unanimous or split draw, each fighter does score an equal number of win judgments from the three judges (0 or 1, respectively).
A fight can also end in a technical decision, technical submission, disqualification, forfeit, technical draw, or no contest. The latter two outcomes have no winners.
The ten-point must scoring system is in effect for all bouts in Titan. Three judges score each round with the winner of each round getting 10 points while the loser gets 9 points or less. The only way that an even round can occur is if the fighter that won the round has a point deducted for a foul. Rounds scored 10-8 and 10-7 are typically scored when a fighter wins a round in dominant fashion.
Fouls
The following is a list of fouls outlined by the states that regulate MMA, as established by the Nevada State Athletic Commission:
#
Butting with the head
#
Eye gouging of any kind
#Biting
#Hair pulling
#
Fish hooking
#
Groin attacks of any kind
#Putting a finger into any orifice or into any cut or laceration on an opponent (see
Fish-hooking
Fish-hooking is the act of inserting a finger or fingers of one or both hands into the mouth, nostrils or other orifices of a person, and pulling away from the centerline of the body; in most cases with the intention of pulling, tearing, or lac ...
)
#
Small joint manipulation
#Striking to the spine or the back of the head (see
Rabbit punch)
#Striking downward using the point of the elbow (see
Elbow (strike)
An elbow strike (commonly referred to as simply an elbow) is a strike with the point of the elbow, the part of the forearm nearest to the elbow, or the part of the upper arm nearest to the elbow. Elbows can be thrown sideways similarly to a hook ...
)
#
Throat
In vertebrate anatomy, the throat is the front part of the neck, internally positioned in front of the vertebrae. It contains the pharynx and larynx. An important section of it is the epiglottis, separating the esophagus from the trachea (windpi ...
strikes of any kind, including, without limitation, grabbing the
trachea
The trachea, also known as the windpipe, is a cartilaginous tube that connects the larynx to the bronchi of the lungs, allowing the passage of air, and so is present in almost all air-breathing animals with lungs. The trachea extends from th ...
#Clawing, pinching or twisting the flesh
#Grabbing the
clavicle
The clavicle, or collarbone, is a slender, S-shaped long bone approximately 6 inches (15 cm) long that serves as a strut between the shoulder blade and the sternum (breastbone). There are two clavicles, one on the left and one on the rig ...
#
Kicking
A kick is a physical strike using the leg, in unison usually with an area of the knee or lower using the foot, heel, tibia (shin), ball of the foot, blade of the foot, toes or knee (the latter is also known as a knee strike). This type of atta ...
the head of a grounded opponent
#
Kneeing the head of a grounded opponent
#
Stomping a grounded opponent
#
Kicking to the kidney with the heel
#Spiking an opponent to the canvas on his head or neck (see
Piledriver)
#
Throwing an opponent out of the ring or fenced area
#Holding the shorts or gloves of an opponent
#Spitting at an opponent
#Engaging in unsportsmanlike conduct that causes an injury to an opponent
#Holding the ropes or the fence
#Attacking an opponent on or during the break
#Attacking an opponent who is under the care of the referee
#Attacking an opponent after the bell (horn) has sounded the end of a round
#Flagrantly disregarding the instructions of the referee
#Timidity, including, without limitation, avoiding contact with an opponent, intentionally or consistently dropping the mouthpiece or faking an injury
#Interference by the corner
#Throwing in the towel during competition
When a foul is charged, the referee in their discretion may deduct one or more points as a penalty. If a foul incapacitates a fighter, then the match may end in a disqualification if the foul was intentional, or a no contest if unintentional. If a foul causes a fighter to be unable to continue later in the bout, it ends with a technical decision win to the injured fighter if the injured fighter is ahead on points, otherwise it is a technical draw.
Events
Current champions
Title history
Heavyweight Championship
:''206 to 265 lbs (93 to 120 kg)''
Light Heavyweight Championship
:''186 to 205 lbs (84 to 93 kg)''
Middleweight Championship
:''171 to 185 lbs (77 to 84 kg)''
Welterweight Championship
:''156 to 170 lbs (70 to 77 kg)''
Lightweight Championship
:''146 to 155 lbs (66 to 70 kg)''
Featherweight Championship
:''136 to 145 lbs (61 to 66 kg)''
Bantamweight Championship
:''126 to 135 lbs (up to 61 kg)''
Flyweight Championship
:''116 to 125 lb (53 to 57 kg)''
Women's Bantamweight Championship
:''126 to 135 lbs (up to 61 kg)''
Women's Flyweight Championship
:''116 to 125 lb (53 to 57 kg)''
Women's Strawweight Championship
:''106 to 115 lb (48 to 52 kg)''
Combat Grappling Welterweight Championship
:''156 to 170 lbs (70 to 77 kg)''
Kickboxing Heavyweight Championship
:''206 to 265 lbs (93 to 120 kg)''
Notable fighters
:''Notable fighters who have competed in Titan FC.''
*
Bobby Lashley
Franklin Roberto Lashley (born July 16, 1976) is an American professional wrestler, mixed martial artist and bodybuilder. He is currently signed to WWE, where he performs on the Raw brand. He is an eight-time world champion, having been a two-t ...
*
Alan Belcher
*
Bobby Voelker
*
Michael Graves
Michael Graves (July 9, 1934 – March 12, 2015) was an American architect, designer, and educator, as well as principal of Michael Graves and Associates and Michael Graves Design Group. He was a member of The New York Five and the Memphis Gr ...
*
Zak Cummings
*
L.C. Davis
La Carvas Rashad Davis (born October 28, 1980) is an American mixed martial artist who most recently competed in the Bantamweight division of Bellator MMA. A professional competitor since 2006, Davis has also formerly competed for the Quad Cities ...
*
Jay Hieron
James Thomas Hieronymus (born July 29, 1976) is an American actor, stuntman and former mixed martial artist. Hieron was the final IFL Welterweight Champion, competing for the Los Angeles Anacondas, and has also competed in the UFC, WEC, Affl ...
*
James Krause
*
Rob Kimmons
*
Tim Elliott
*
Brett Johns
*
Anthony Johnson
*
David Branch
*
Belal Muhammad
References
External links
*
{{MMA organizations
Sports organizations established in 2005
Mixed martial arts organizations
2005 establishments in Kansas