Impact Fighting Championships

Impact Fighting Championships (Impact FC) was an Australian mixed martial arts (MMA) promotion. The promotion held two of three planned events in July 2010[1] featuring veteran fighters of Ultimate Fighting Championship and Pride Fighting Championships. Impact FC was financed by Australian concert promoter Andrew McManus[2] and created, organized, and produced by Brazilian promoter Tom Huggins,[3] who helped promote Elite Xtreme Combat, Extreme Cagefighting, Bitetti Combat, and many other MMA events.[4]

Impact Fighting Championships
Company typePrivate
IndustryMMA Promotion
FoundedJuly 2010
FounderAndrew McManus, Thomas Huggins
DefunctJuly 2012
Headquarters,
Key people
Thomas Huggins - Creator and event organizer

The promoters planned to put on three events in a single month in order gauge the interest of Australian fans to mixed martial arts.[1] The first event, held on 10 July 2010 was expected to have a crowd over 1000 in the arena and be broadcast to a world-wide audience of 2.5 million.[3] Following the second event controversy arose over payments to the fighters participating in the event.[5] The fighters had left the arena following the show and traveled home without being paid for the event, going against many boxing and MMA commissions rules, though Thomas Huggins did directly contact the commission to notify them of Andrew McManus' failure to pay fighters as the licensed promoter, before any fighters left however the Commission said it had no power to force McManus to pay. Some fighters did receive partial payments in later weeks, but many were reporting they had gone unpaid. Huggins who had created the event had intended it to be a larger series of fights functioning as a collective of promoters licensing and sharing the Brand in many territories and had recruited local promoters around the world to work under this banner, however after McManus' failure to pay fighters Huggins and the other promoters felt the brand was effectively ruined and had to abandon it.[2][6]

List of events edit

Impact FC 1 edit

Impact FC 1: The Uprising - Brisbane
Information
PromotionImpact Fighting Championships
DateJuly 10, 2010
VenueBrisbane Entertainment Centre
City  Brisbane, Australia
Event chronology
Impact FC 1: The Uprising - Brisbane Impact FC 2: The Uprising - Sydney

Impact FC 1: The Uprising - Brisbane was held on 10 July 2010 at the Brisbane Entertainment Centre in Brisbane, Australia.[7]

Background edit

Big John McCarthy, former head referee for the UFC, was the referee for the Uprising series.

Dylan Andrews was rumored to fight Steven Kennedy, but it was never officially scheduled.[8]

Luis Dutra Jr. was forced off the card because he separated his biceps. Ben Mortimer was Luis Dutra's replacement.

A hand injury to Felise Leniu and illness of Brad Morris left Bira Lima and Jeff Monson without opponents and they fought each other.[9]

Results edit

Main card
Weight class Method Round Time Notes
Heavyweight   Josh Barnett def.   Geronimo dos Santos TKO (punches) 1 2:35
Heavyweight   Jeff Monson def.   Bira Lima Decision (unanimous) 3 5:00
Heavyweight   Rameau Thierry Sokoudjou def.   Joaquim Ferreira TKO (punches) 1 1:20
Welterweight   Brian Ebersole def.   Carlos Newton Decision (unanimous) 3 5:00
Lightweight   Thiago Meller def.   Jai Bradney Submission (guillotine choke) 1 1:32
Heavyweight   Fabio Fernandes def.   Api Hemara Submission (rear-naked choke) 1 3:58
Catchweight (160 lb)   Tom Waters def.   Jacob Mahony TKO (punches) 2 1:38
Welterweight   Karo Parisyan def.   Ben Mortimer Submission (rear-naked choke) 2 4:18

Impact FC 2 edit

Impact FC 2: The Uprising - Sydney
Information
PromotionImpact Fighting Championships
DateJuly 18, 2010
VenueSydney Entertainment Centre
City  Sydney, Australia
Event chronology
Impact FC 1: The Uprising - Brisbane Impact FC 2: The Uprising - Sydney

Impact FC 2 - The Uprising: Sydney was held on 18 July 2010 at the Sydney Entertainment Centre in Sydney, Australia.[10]

Background edit

Big John McCarthy was the referee for the series.

Geronimo dos Santos vs. Josh Barnett and Brian Ebersole vs. Carlos Newton from Impact FC 1 - The Uprising: Brisbane were replayed during the broadcast of this card.

Bob Sapp was pulled from this event due to a dispute with Impact FC.[11]

Fight Card edit

Main card
Weight class Method Round Time Notes
Heavyweight   Pedro Rizzo def.   Ken Shamrock TKO (leg kicks and punches) 1 3:33
Welterweight   Paul Daley def.   Daniel Acacio Submission (elbow) 3 1:15
Super Heavyweight   Soa Palelei def.   Brad Morris Submission (americana) 1 4:20
Middleweight   Paulo Filho def.   Denis Kang Draw (split) 3 5:00 [a]
Middleweight   Murilo Rua def.   Jeremy May Submission (guillotine choke) 1 4:12
Middleweight   Murilo Bustamante def.   Jesse Taylor TKO (retirement) 2 2:10
Heavyweight   Jim York def.   Peter Graham Submission (rear-naked choke) 1 3:44
Light Heavyweight   Glover Teixeira def.   Marko Peselj TKO (punches) 1 3:01
Lightweight   Richie Vaculik def.   Glenn Taylor-Smith Submission (rear-naked choke) 2 4:16
Welterweight   Manuel Rodriguez def.   Shane Nix Submission (north-south choke) 1 4:22
  1. ^ Fight scored 29–28, 27–30 and 29–29

References edit

  1. ^ a b Alonso, Marcelo (13 May 2010). "Interview with Tom Huggins: A brain storm about MMA in Brazil and US". Portaldovt.com.br. Archived from the original on 28 November 2010. Retrieved 5 July 2011.
  2. ^ a b "Exclusive: Impact FC Hasn't Paid Its Fighters; Promoters Blame Each Other". CagePotato. Retrieved 5 July 2011.
  3. ^ a b Nancarrow, Dan (9 July 2010). "The rise of rage in a cage". Brisbane Times. Retrieved 5 July 2011.
  4. ^ Alonso, Marcelo (21 August 2009). "Arona, Filho, Rizzo Return to Brazilian Roots for Bitetti Combat". Sherdog.com. Retrieved 5 July 2011.
  5. ^ Holland, Jesse (29 July 2010). "Impact FC: Salaries not coming from a land down under". MMAMania.com. Retrieved 5 July 2011.
  6. ^ Non, Sergio (29 July 2010). "Impact FC fighters still waiting for payment". USA Today. Retrieved 5 July 2011.
  7. ^ "Impact FC 1 - The Uprising: Brisbane". Sherdog.com. Retrieved 21 June 2010.
  8. ^ Sherdog.com. "Rumored Fights". tapology.com. Retrieved 26 July 2013.
  9. ^ Sherdog.com. "Fraternizing, Giant Puddle Dominate Impact FC Presser". Sherdog.com. Retrieved 10 August 2010.
  10. ^ "Impact FC 2 - The Uprising: Sydney". Sherdog.com. Retrieved 21 June 2010.
  11. ^ "Impact Promoter: Sapp Never Signed Contract, Replaced by Morris". Sherdog.com. Retrieved 15 July 2010.

External links edit