Issue 131

August 2015

The sport’s strangest stories from around the globe.

Birmingham, UK

Ref wins BJJ double gold

Europe’s leading MMA referee Marc Goddard showed the athletes he’s used to handling inside the Octagon exactly how it’s done at the recent Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu British Open. The former fighter captured gold in both the men’s 200lb and the absolute divisions.

A regular official with the UFC, Goddard was also rewarded with his brown belt by his coach Braulio Estima after stepping off the podium.

He said: “Having competitively returned to the mats in last years’s no-gi British Open, I was inspired to maintain that momentum into this year. I’m overwhelmed to have won double gold in both my weight and absolute classes, and then, to top it all off, to have been awarded my brown belt by my long time friend and instructor Braulio. 

“I’d just like to thank everyone who helped me get to this. Norbi, Stuart and all my team at GB Birmingham They say a lock is as strong as the door it’s fitted to, fortunately we have pretty big doors there.”

Goddard became the first British referee to be licensed in Nevada at the start of 2015, and was also shortlisted for ‘Referee of the Year’ at the Seventh Annual World MMA Awards in January.

Largo, Florida

MMA coach foils robbery

Another month and another former MMA fighter turns superhero for a feel-good community story, this time on the East Coast. On May 18th Eric Haritakis took the law into his own hands when he caught a suspected bank robber.

Haritakis had stopped at Grow Financial Credit Union to drop off money for his nutrition business when a bank clerk shouted the premises has been robbed. That’s when the ‘Ginja Ninja’ – his cage moniker – sprang into action. He chased down the robber, then took him back to the bank and hog-tied him with duct tape before cops arrived to take him into custody.

“I saw the right time and I realized that if he had a weapon that he would have drawn it already,” said Haritakis. “I just timed it right and took him down.”

MMA’s latest crime fighter had two pro fights in the Art of Fighting promotion in 2009, and enjoyed a stint coaching at David Vieira BJJ in Largo, Florida. A CrossFit and Olympic lifting coach too, he now focuses on his Zen Body Foods business, which delivers organic meals in his home state.

Cheltenham, UK

Sex attacker choked out by triangle

A would-be sex attacker in England found himself unconscious and eventually in jail after picking on the wrong woman. His ‘victim’ turned out to be a mixed martial artist who quickly put him to sleep with a submission.

The judge at Gloucester Crown Court praised her bravery and handed her a £500 ($770) reward as a token of the court’s appreciation for helping to bring 39-year-old Mark Willis to justice. She earned her ‘Performance of the Night’ bonus by first going for an armbar, then transitioning to a triangle choke.

The woman, whose identity was not revealed, recalled in court: “My legs were still free so I lifted my left one up onto his shoulder and around the back of his neck. I crossed my right leg over and squeezed as hard as I could.

“He seemed to struggle for air – which was the point! His head was locked down. He lifted his right hand and literally pounded as hard as he could on the side of my face. I closed my eyes and held it for as long as I could hoping he would pass out in a few seconds. Then I felt his body go limp. 

“I thought he had lost consciousness or run out of air. I flipped him off, rolled over and crawled through the bushes to the door of the house. I could hear footsteps as he ran away.”

Willis was later captured by police, arrested and identified by DNA on the woman’s shorts. Isn’t MMA brilliant?

158

South Korean promotion, Road FC will rely on veterans for its first trip to Tokyo, Japan, in July. Featured bouts Mu-Bae Choi (45 years old) vs. Yusuke Kawaguchi (34) and Dong-Sik Yoon (42) vs. Takase Daiju (37) boast athletes with more than one and a half centuries of life experience.

Nov 28th

The Octagon will visit South Korea for the first time with a UFC Fight Night card at Seoul’s Olympic Park Gymnastics Arena on November 28th. Expect local welterweight and top 10 contender Dong Hyun Kim to headline.