Team Vaghi

jgregory17

This past weekend's Strikeforce event could be just the start of the California-based Strikeforce promotion's expansion across America.

Prior to the June 6 "Strikeforce: Lawler vs. Shields" event at the Scottrade Center in St. Louis, the organization had never ventured any further east than Colorado.

However, as MMAjunkie.com's Dann Stupp details in this week's "MMA Insider" column for the Dayton Daily News, the success of the St. Louis show could mean further shows for the Gateway City and other locales near and on the East Coast.

The Strikeforce card, headlined by Jake Shields vs. Robbie Lawler (from Granie City, Ill., located just 10 miles from St. Louis), also featured former University of Missouri wrestlers Mike Whitehead (on the Showtime-televised main card) and Tyron Woodley (on the preliminary card).

Additionally, headliningg the preliminary portion of the card was Jesse Finney, whose St. Louis gym single-handedly drew thousands of the reported 8,867 spectators to the Scottrade Center to watch his submission win over Josh Bumgarner.

"I think you need that, especially when you’re a new brand and you’re trying to turn eyeballs onto your product,” Strikeforce executive Mike Afromowitz told the Dayton Daily News of the Missouri fighters on the card. “I think you need that type of leverage."

Although Strikeforce has traditionally held the majority of its shows in San Jose, Calif., Afromowitz said states such as Ohio (home to recent UFC signee and UFC veteran Jorge Gurgel) and other eastern locations are certainly possibilities for upcoming Strikeforce events. But St. Louis is almost assured another event.

With hundreds of fans turning out for the event's weigh-ins and a nearly full house before the preliminary card ended, Strikeforce executives were impressed.

"We definitely set the foundation for a new city in St. Louis," Afromowitz told MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com). "I think it was a really supportive city.

"I think we found a second (home) city."
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"This is your life and it's ending one minute at a time."

jgregory17 · Posted: Tue Jun 09, 2009 6:30 pm Post subject:

Well, looks like we need to be ready to do it again..... Laughing

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"This is your life and it's ending one minute at a time."

Lance A · Posted: Tue Jun 09, 2009 6:55 pm Post subject:

I hope to make it down for the next one...keep me posted if anything concrete comes up with them coming back to town.
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"The best time to pass the guard is when it's still open".....Frank Mir

big kyle · Posted: Tue Jun 09, 2009 9:11 pm Post subject:

Next time they come, we need to a block of tickets so the team can all sit together. I think there were guys siting in 6 different sections.

travis · Posted: Wed Jun 10, 2009 8:14 am Post subject:

Could one of our guys PLEASE fight finney?
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I will save Tracy the trouble.......
"Lori, Scion, dogs, gay......"

El Cabron · Posted: Wed Jun 10, 2009 12:16 pm Post subject:

he's not gonna fight anyone worth fighting ever. i'de cut off an a leg and meet him at a catch weight. Shocked

BUt he's not man enuf to do it.
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Cabron doesn't sleep.....he waits!!

STEVE-O · Posted: Wed Jun 10, 2009 12:28 pm Post subject:

Very true, a friend of mine fought on the same card as him at what was Rum Jungle downtown. From how he explained it to me, the opponent was some poor kid with zero fights under his belt who was too terrified to walk out of his corner.
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" I love white girls in the summer!" -Terrance Gant

El Cabron · Posted: Wed Jun 10, 2009 12:40 pm Post subject:

He's not gonna fight you unless you are blind, crippled, or underaged. Yes i said it. What can he do about it?

Tracy "Unsilent Majority" Taylor Esq. -314.401.1337 Shocked

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Cabron doesn't sleep....he waits... for Jesse to call

STEVE-O · Posted: Wed Jun 10, 2009 2:13 pm Post subject:

But still having a major promotion come to our town is a nice change of pace, too bad we can't get a UFC.
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" I love white girls in the summer!" -Terrance Gant

bill hotter · White Belt Joined: 28 Jun 2006 Posts: 17

What did you guys think of the show? I think Jake and Nick showed some real jiu jitsu skill.

2 Chokes!!!

They are both so different. They are a real yin / yang. Their styles cancel each other out in practice, but make them each a world class fighter.

They both have their own schools now so I don't see them so much. I still train at Cesar's main academy. Nick was training in his gi in a regular class a week before his fight.

Jake never wears a gi.

I hope to see you guys next week.

El Cabron · Posted: Fri Jun 12, 2009 12:37 pm Post subject:

From what I understand most higher level guys dont remove the gi until the last minute. I think they both did a great job. Over all I still think this was the best maine card SF has put together thus far.

I do sometimes wonder how Jake makes any loot in Berkley, unless they are paying him in seeds and stems.
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Cabron doesn't sleep.....he waits!!

bill hotter · White Belt Joined: 28 Jun 2006 Posts: 17

[quote="El Cabron"]From what I understand most higher level guys dont remove the gi until the last minute. I think they both did a great job. Over all I still think this was the best maine card SF has put together thus far.

[b]I do sometimes wonder how Jake makes any loot in Berkley, unless they are paying him in seeds and stems.[/b][/quote]

lol...Jake's place is a little hole in the wall. I think most of his students are Cal Berkeley college students. I like it there, but I mainly stay in Pleasant Hill which is about 20-25 minutes away from Berkeley. Nick has a new place in Lodi which is about 1 hr. 15 minutes away.

Jake hasn't put on a gi in a long time. Nick wears the gi and trains with it all the time. They are two very different fighters.

See you guys in a few days.

MattyMars · Posted: Sun Jun 14, 2009 9:23 am Post subject:

They would have had a full house for the entire preliminary if the metal detectors at the front doors hadn't been jacked up. There was at least a thousand people, maybe more, standing out there wondering what the hell was up.
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Don't make me cut you

El Cabron · Posted: Mon Jun 15, 2009 11:29 am Post subject:

"Jake hasn't put on a gi in a long time. Nick wears the gi and trains with it all the time. They are two very different fighters."

Bill I meant in general not these 2 guys superficially. Both great fighters as well as bjj practitioners though. Enjoy watching them both as well as all of Caesars guys. Terrell and El Nino included.
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Cabron doesn't sleep.....he waits!!

bill hotter · White Belt Joined: 28 Jun 2006 Posts: 17

Yes. I see. You are right. Most guys keep the gi on, as they should, until they get the basics down. Lately, the trend is gi less. We have a gi less class followed by a gi class. Any new white belt that skips the gi class gets crap for it.

Back in the day I had board shorts and a rash guard under my gi. The class was mixed. So I could instantly go gi less when necessary. Our new black belt, Caio Terra, is more traditional. The gi is emphasized.