Urijah Faber, Founder and Partner of MMADRAFT.COM today announced that he has partnered with the UFC GYM HENDERSON for the 5th Annual MMA Combine, and that the event will take place Saturday, April 9 in the Fight Capital of the World.
Legacy FC and Tuff-N-Uff to sign athletes at MMA Combine
Faber also announced that this year, matchmakers from five major MMA organizations are confirmed to attend, including Combate Americas, the first-ever professional U.S. Hispanic professional MMA league, Pankrase, one of the oldest combat sports organizations in the world, RFA, an developmental MMA organization that hosts events all across the country, TUFF-N-UFF, the world’s largest and most respected amateur MMA organization, and Victory Fighting Championship, the biggest and most active MMA promotion in the Midwest.
Additionally, Faber stated that Tuff-N-Uff and Victory FC have pledged to award contracts to athletes on April 9; Tuff-N-Uff will sign up to five Combine participants, while Victory FC will award at least one professional or amateur contract.
“It’s hard to believe that it has been four years since we held our first MMA Combine,” said Faber. “Every year we draw more interest from promotions looking to find the next Conor McGregor or Ronda Rousey. This year, I’m excited to say that matchmakers from five major MMA organizations will be at the MMA Combine. This will be our biggest and most visible opportunity to date for MMA fighters looking to assess their skills and athleticism not only get listed on the MMA radar, but also signed by an amateur or professional promotion.”
UFC Gym Henderson will host the 2016 Combine and has signed on as a title sponsor for the event. UFC GYM will present a free UFC GYM T-shirt to all participants as well as other prizes throughout the day.
“UFC GYM in Henderson is proud to be the host of the MMA DRAFT Combine this year! As an integral part of the growth of MMA around the Las Vegas Valley, it will be great to see the next rising stars showcase their skills,” said Charlie Haycox, owner of UFC GYM Henderson.
Campbell McLaren, founder of Combate Americas said, “I’ve been tracking Urijah’s MMA Combine events since I started Combate Americas in 2012. He is doing a wonderful service for the sport of MMA. I will be pleased to send my professional matchmaker and Vice President of Operations, Mike Afromowitz, to the Combine. Mike will make evaluations of the Combine athletes on my behalf and for consideration of our active 2016-2017 events schedule.”
“I’m sending our matchmaker to the MMA DRAFT Combine in April, because we are impressed with the event and how much it’s grown over the years,” said Ed Soares, President of RFA. “We look forward to seeing the turnout and to scouting athletes from all over the nation for our upcoming RFA shows.”
Bryan Lindsey, President & COO of Tuff-N-Uff said, “We are pleased Urijah and the MMA DRAFT team responded in such a positive way when we reached out to him looking to bring an MMA Draft Combine to Las Vegas. Tuff-N-Uff is in a massive growth phase and we are always looking to give opportunities to up-and-coming athletes and find the future stars of MMA.”
“With our recent deal to feature Victory FC events live on UFC FIGHT PASS, we are looking for more skilled athletes to compete on our cards, both amateurs and professionals,” said Ryan Stoddard, owner and CEO of Victory Fighting Championship. “I’m excited to see what the Combine is all about and look for the best unsigned mixed martial artists out there.”
Following are the details for the MMA COMBINE registration, dates and location:
2016 MMA DRAFT Combine:
WHEN: Saturday, April 9, 2016
WHERE: UFC GYM HENDERSON
2265 North Green Valley Parkway, Henderson, NV 89014
WHO: Amateur Martial Artists – 18yrs and older; Professional Martial Artists with five or or less sanctioned competitions
WHY: Up to five (5) athletes per weight class will be offered to compete in Tuff-N-Uff events in 2016; Victory FC will award at least one contract.
Matchmakers from Combate Americas and Pankrase are confirmed for the Combine to evaluate and potentially sign new athletes.
HOW: Register Online Now at MMADRAFT.COM
$25 application fee per participant
TITLE SPONSORS: UFC GYM Henderson, Pankrase, Tuff-N-Uff MMA
During the Combine, athletes participate in two categories composed of 10 drills to assess “Athleticism” and “Skills.” Speed, Agility, Strength, Power and Stamina will be measured to determine Athleticism. Grappling, Striking, and Wrestling levels and prowess will be evaluated and scored for Skills.
A panel of MMA experts will evaluate each athlete’s performance. Following is the judging panel:
BJJ/Grappling/Submission:
Boxing/Striking: Gil Martinez, World Class Boxing Trainer & MMA Coach
Wrestling: Bryan Lindsey, USA Wrestling National Champion
Overall Skills and Athleticism: Urijah Faber, UFC Fighter and Phil Davis, Bellator Fighter
