The Juggernaut's Controversy: April 11th

  It is easy for us to be byast for our own fighter. We at Team Hybrid naturally feel that Antwain "The Juggernaut" Britt, won his alternate fight at Yamma Pitfighting against Brian Vetell. Though the Yamma judges saw the fight otherwise, Sherdog.com had their own, credible, opinion. Here is the Sherdog live recap of the 1 Round fight:

  "Vetell clinches and pushes Britt back into the incline and onto his back. Vetell punching from the top from half guard. Vetell posts on Britt's face and elbows with the same arm. Britt has no answers as he is pinned against the incline eating elbows. The referee stands them up after a lull in the action. Britt takes advantage of getting back to his feet slinging a flurry of punches catching Vetell and forcing him to look for the clinch. Vetell gets the clinch but as he tries to pull guard he allows Britt to get the mount. Now in control, Britt unloads a barrage of strikes from the top that leaves Vetell in complete defensive mode. Britt lands punch after punch until the final bell tolls (alternate and tournament bouts are scheduled for one round), saving Vetell. Sherdog.com scores the round for Britt 10-9. The judges see it unanimously for Bryan Vetell, 10-9."
-Sherdog.com
'

Nuff Said. Great job "Juggernaut"!

March 29th: Slidell LA

Event: Heavy Hitters

Stacy Grant closed out a perfect month for Team Hybrid by defeating Ivanna Coleman in Slidell Louisiana.

With only 12 days notice, Mrs. Stacy was asked to fill in as the opponent for hometown favorite Ivanna Coleman out Clementi's Gladiator Academy.

Gladly accepting the challenge, Mrs. Grant and Coaches Buck grant and T.C Bobbitt were flown into Louisiana by the promoter/ UFC veteran Rich "No Love" Clementi. This was a historical moment for "No Love Entertainment" and Louisiana, for this match up would be the first sanctioned female mma fight ever to occur in LA!

Stacy's opponent Ivanna Coleman, a former pro football player and bodybuilder was making her MMA debut in front of her home crowd that Saturday night. Training under the tutelage of Rich Clementi, Stacy was very prepared to have the fight of her life that night. She was not to be proven wrong.

Ivanna was the first to be called out to the cage, and the home team advantage became obvious, as the entire crowd cheered their hometown girl. It was also obvious that Stacy was the "visitor" as they booed her entrance to the ring.

Stacy smiled before entering the arena, encouraging there boos. Being an athlete who thrives as an underdog, she was prepared to show Louisiana what "The Jersey Wall" was all about!

What occurred over the next three rounds of combat was nothing short of amazing!

After respectfully touching gloves, both athletes went at it! Stacy’s thunderous kicks and overhand right quickly met a stiff jab and right hand from Ivanna! Though Ivanna was strong and powerful, Stacy's superior striking reigned supreme in the kickboxing range. Stacy delivered several crushing kicks and punches to the body, which nearly stopped Ivanna in every round of the fight.

What started as a kickboxing match, quickly turned into a true mma fight, as both ladies jockeying for position in the clinch. Each fighter showed tremendous in-fighting skill, as they fought for takedowns, defended takedowns, and attacked with knees and punches. Ivanna took Stacy down early in the fight, only to have Stacy fight back to her feet off of the cage, and pin Ivanna against it in return. At the end of round 2, Stacy was able to land a takedown of her own, only to land in Ivanna's guard and into triangle trouble. Stacy escaped with picture perfect technique however, pinning Ivanna into the cage to end round 2.

Round 3 started with Ivanna attacking aggressively. It was obvious that her corner had told her she was loosing the fight, and that she had to knock Stacy out to win. Stacy fought of the flurry, securing the clinch, and continued to attack Ivanna's dwindling body with knees and punches. The tide of the fight changed often in the final minutes of this exciting battle. Toward the end, Stacy slammed in another powerful round kick to the body, folding Ivanna into the cage.

The final bell had rung, and the crowd was on its feet with cheers of applause for BOTH fighters! Though Stacy was the visitor, she had earned the respect of Slidell that night. Stacy was awarded the winner by unanimous decision!

Later that night, both ladies were called back into the ring one more time. They were both called back to receive the most prestigious award of the event, the Oscar Jackson, Fighter of the Night award. Out of 6 amateur fights and 4 professional fights, Stacy and Ivanna put on the most impressive, most exciting show of the night. It was truly an honor to watch these ladies fight. Congratulations to both of them.

Special thanks goes to Rich Clementi for putting on such a classy event. We were treated like royalty from the minute we arrived, till the moment we left. More importantly, we were treated fairly and matched equally. It is very common in events like these to be flown in as a “lead up” or easy fight for their hometown hero. This was not the case. Ivanna and Stacy were matched up very evenly, and I commend Rich for his honesty. He’s a class act thru and thru. Team Hybrid appreciates it.

Last but not least I want to congratulate Stacy on her stunning success. We are very proud of her for many reasons. She is the toughest, hardest worker that we know. As a mom of two kids, and a “Team Mom” to the rest of us, she is a source of inspiration to us all. She motivates us everyday to be a better martial artist and a better person. We are very proud of you and we love you dearly.

Team Hybrid went 4-0 in the Month of March! Joey, Jody, Tripp and Stacy did us proud. Phil, Shawn, Josh and Antwain are up next for April. Stay Tuned!

Cage Fest: March 22nd, Hampton Convocation Center

In front of 4000 screaming fans, Tripp Seed became the Lightweight Cagefest Champion.

Originally scheduled as a standard title bout, Tripp was given an opportunity to fight for the title after former champ Arthur Rofi relinquished it.

Thought this was his second shot at the Title, a new and improved Tripp Seed was about to enter the cage that night. A fighter was reborn in the Cage that night, and he was reborn a Champion.

The deed was done in a mere 26 seconds into round 1 as a ferocious, determined, and, dare I say it, slightly pissed off Tripp Seed dismantled his Maryland based opponent Dan Milstreed.

Known to be a counter fighter, Tripp's change of strategy was very clear in his second Cagefest appearance: Be first, be last, and don't let up till the fight is over! A quick barrage of punches leads to a brutal ground-and-pound against the cage resulting in a ref stoppage.

Team Hybrid Welcomes Tripp Seed to our Wall of Champions! Congratulations Tripp!

March 15th, Sterling VA, Dulles Sports Plex
Congratulations to Team Hybrid's very own Joey Ponce and Jody Morgan in their victories at Valhalla.

Joey defeated Nick Gentile of Steve Blackman's Camp via arm bar 1.55 into round 1. After landing a perfectly timed jump knee to counter Gentile's double leg takedown, Ponce immediately established his signature "Rubber Guard". After a few short elbows from the bottom, Joey was able to force Gentile to extend his arms, resulting in the arm lock submission. Joey is now 2-0 as an MMA fighter, with both of his wins coming by arm lock.
Jody Morgan defeated Stan M. from Kore Kombat in 11 seconds into round 2 via TKO by strikes! Stan's double leg takedown was intercepted by a beautifully timed uppercut, dropping his opponent to a knee immediately. Another short uppercut followed from Morgan and Stan attempted to plow Morgan in to the cage. Using a powerful Muay Thai Clinch, Jody was able to avoid another takedown and deliver two jaw shattering knees to Stan's head, dropping him immediately! Jody pounced on him right away with ground and pound, leading to a referee stoppage.

Morgan and Ponce showed amazing poise and composure for being so new to the sport of MMA.
Congrats again gentleman! Go Team Hybrid!

  Pick Your fight Promotions: Team hybrid Was Well Worth the Wait

  Febuary 23rd, 2008: With an hour delay and an intoxicated, restless crowd, the best fights of the night were definitely worth the wait. Two first time Team Hybrid Fighters began their careers with action packed Muay Thai matches against very respectable seasoned fighters from Team Aguirre.
  After a long night of waiting and even another delay due to stupidness erupting from the crowd (followed by a security guard exit and an even more amazing display of booty shak'n from the ring girls), it was time. Shawn Steen was up first.
Shawn showed excellent composure and control from the first bell in his fight against Jose Aguirre. Well-executed combinations of hands and knees coupled with resilience and superior conditioning gave Shawn the edge against his more seasoned opponent. Though round 1 was close, it was apparent in rounds 2 and 3 that Aguirre was starting to fade as Steen was gaining momentum. At the end of round 2 and the remaining of round 3, Shawn delivered several knees to the head that may have stopped a less seasoned fighter. If not for the resilience and ring experience of Jose Aguirre, the fight could have ended at the closing of round 2.
   Despite an apparently dominating fight by the rookie Shawn Steen, all 3 judges turned in 3 different scores resulting in a draw.
  Chomping at the bit and pacing non-stop like a tiger in a tiny cage, Matt Schwaner was up next. Matt entered the ring very determined and ready to give it his all. Knowing ahead of time that his opponent, Chris Martinez (3-1 record) was very experienced, Matt had already earned much respect from the team for taking the fight. Three, very exciting, rounds went by as neither fighters gave an inch of ground in the ring. Matt lost by decision but gained the respect of a very formidable opponent in Chris Martinez.
  Although it was not the most organized event we have ever seen, Pick You Fight Promotions is doing better and better with each show. The fights are getting better and the quality of the show is definitely improving. Big thanks to Big Al Mills for putting on a great show.
  Special thanks (Khup Kun Mak Krup) to Team Aguirre for bringing true Muay Thai spirit to the ring that night. We are honored to share a ring with you, and we look forward to doing it again in the near future.
Last but not least, thank you to Team Hybrid for showing your support to the guys this weekend. You rock
Please post this on the siter when you get a chance bro. Thanks.

Team Hybrid Goes 3-0 at "Smash" and "Cagefest"
It was a good weekend of fighting for Team Hybrid.

Coach Grant traveled to Fairfax VA. with pro fighters Antwain "The Juggernaut" Britt and Phillip "The Wicked" Wyman to fight in the event called "Smash" on the campus of George Mason University. The event occurred on Friday night November 30th and featured all Pro MMA fighters.
The very next morning, Coach Grant and the Team traveled back to Norfolk for Cage Fest to support Joey Ponce's MMA debut!

November 30th- "Smash", Fairfax VA:
Wyman, coming of a tough loss in September, came prepared for battle, against 2-2 Antonio Grant who failed to make weight by 8 pounds at weigh ins. Grant was allowed to fight after cutting 5 pounds, thus fighting at a catch weight of 173, still 3 pounds over the welterweight class of 170 lbs.

Phillip "The Wicked" Wyman was still able to defeat his larger opponent via majority decision in a hard fought yet awkward battle. Wyman was docked a point for two low kicks that were improperly called kicks to the groin. On both occasions, Grant took the entire allocated time of 5 minutes to recover from the so-called fowl, despite the fact that he appeared uninjured during his recovery periods.
After a tedious 15 minute first round (10 minutes of which dedicated to Grants stalling tactics), Grant fought passively through the rest of the fight, choosing to engage only the occasional flurry. Though he landed several stiff jabs and straight right hands with his definite reach advantage, he fought backwards most of the entire fight seeming unwilling to engage, forcing Wyman to chase him the entire time. Wyman eventually adapted to the range, utilizing devastating low kicks to soften his legs. This tactic allowed Wyman to score a takedown late in te third round to seal the deal.

Antwain "The Juggernaut" Britt went into his fourth professional fight against 11-1 heavyweight Isaih "The Striking Viking" Larson. Britt's lightning quick jab forced Larson to immediately close the distance and clinch the "The Juggernaut". Antwain fought off the takedown several times using superb wrestling skill. While damaging him with short uppercuts in the clinch, Antwain was able to force Larson out into boxing range where Antwain eventually found his mark, dropping "The Striking Viking" to the canvas. Though Larson moved well off of his back for a heavyweight, he was unable to keep up with Antwains tops control. After passing his guard several times and mounting him, Antwain was able to find the mark several times with superior Ground & Pound, forcing a ref stoppage at a little over 4 minutes into round 1.
Antwain immediately called out the winner of the main event between Travis Fulton and Travis Wuiff, both heavyweight who have fought in the IFL and the UFC. After a heated stare down at the weigh ins between Wuiff (who won the main event, beating Fulton for the 3rd time in his career) the stage is apparently set for these two athletes to go at it in the near future.

December 1st- "Cage Fest", Norfolk VA
A 3 hour drive back took Team Hybrid to The Scope in Norfolk VA for Joey Ponce's MMA debut!
After a year and a half layoff from competing in Muay Thai, Hybrid Instructor Joey Ponce stepped into the cage to face wrestler Kenny Hensley form Elite MMA. Known for his rapid-fire hands, quick footwork and unorthodox angles, Joey set the pace right away. After landing a solid combo of kicks and punches, Hensley soon realized he was outmatched on his feet. Catching Joeys inside left kick, he quickly took Joey to the ground, only to find out about Ponce's underrated grappling skills. Being a Rubber Guard wiz, Joey established "Mission Control" with his dynamic flexibility, spinning into an arm lock to capture the win in 52 seconds of round 1.
It was a busy week for the team that was well worth the work. Congrats again Team Hybrid!

The Juggernaut wins in Atlanta!
Team Hybrid's very own Antwain "The Juggernaut" Britt traveled to Atlanta this weekend for his 3rd professional MMA bout. His opponent was IFL fighter and Atlanta local favorite, Sam Holloway. Once again Antwain won in dominant fashion by knocking out Big Sam Holloway in front of his home crowd in 1 min 23 seconds, a personal KO record for "The Juggernaut"!

A week prior to this event, Antwain and Coach Grant travelled to Chicago for the IFL tryouts. Out of 250 athletes, only 50 were chosen for the IFL 2008 draft. Antwain Britt was 1 of only 4 heavyweights chosen during the tryouts.

It wll be only a matter of time before Antwain makes it to "The Big Show" which ever organization that may be. After making the draft and destroying an IFL athlete, the MMA world will have to take notice.

Congrats once again to Antwain on his victory and success. On to the next one!

Coach Grant Win's MMA Debut!
On Thursday, September 20th, Buck Grant ( owner and head coach of Hybrid Academy of Martial Arts ) won his MMA debut. The fight took place in Murray, KY, and not without added stress and irritation from the minute he got off the plane.

Buck was in attendance with two other team members from McCoy Martial Arts Institute (MMAI), headed by his jiu-jitsu coach, Rick McCoy. Dreading the 2.5 hour car ride to weigh-ins, hunger and thirst became a factor to set the stage for an evening of ridiculous behavior. On the way to weigh-ins, the promoter (leading the 3 cars from the airport) was pulled over for speeding. Since there were so many cars traveling together, this added an extra 45 minute delay to the drive. While in the car, the fighters were discussing their plans for cutting the last 2-3lbs of weight. In a matter-of-fact way, the promoter happened to mention that he forgot to tell the coaches that he was granting a 5lb allowance for weight. WHAT! Seems like that would have been rather important information to share.

Finally after a small bite to eat, and minor amount of fluids, they weigh-ins began. With 11 fights scheduled on the card, the fighters were called out according to the line up and it was apparent that American Top Team ( ATT ) had at least 5 or more fighters on the card. As the fighters began standing toe to toe, the Brazilian fighters, from American Top Team, continued to change their fighters according to the person they were matched up with. When the promoter and his staff began arguing the situation, they were threatened by ATT to do as they request or there would not be an event, because they would take their team and go home. Because of this unprofessional behavior, it ended up that one of the MMAI team members, Jeremy Whitmore, didn't get to fight after all. His original opponent, from ATT, was replaced with an experienced Jiu-Jitsu black belt. The coach from ATT felt that this was a better match up for his fighter. The fight did not happen and his original opponent ended up fighting an opponent that was a complete beginner with no experience. The bully-like behavior from ATT got them many wins the night of the fight, right up to the Middleweight Title Fight.

Coach Grant went into this fight understanding that he was facing a Brazilian fighter, who recently transferred to the US, training with ATT. It was reported to Buck that he was a blue belt in Jiu-Jitsu, with no MMA fight experience, but had been training and competing in Jiu-Jitsu for 10 years or so. The fight was scheduled as a 3 – 5min round fight. Since this was Buck's MMA debut, he and his coach felt it would be a good match up. However, at the weigh-ins, they learned there was much more to his resume of fighting. Turns out, Marcio Silva, was actually a black belt in Brazillian Jiu-Jitsu and had many years of vale tudo fight experience during his time in Brazil, AND…. it was going to be a 5 – 5 min round Title Fight. As you can imagine, this was the last straw and tempers began to boil! After nerves calmed, Buck and Coach McCoy discussed the situation and decided to "accept the challenge".

FIGHT NIGHT: All in all, the fights brought about a large audience and the fans were very involved and excited for the event. Although all ATT fighters dominated their hand- picked opponents, they had yet to meet their toughest match of the evening. The coaches were constantly checking on us, watching us wrap Buck's hands, peeking in on the warm ups and showing obvious signs of insecurity. Then it was time to walk to the cage….Both fighters were focused, pumped up, and ready to go. The bell rang, and it was on!

A little hesitation for the first few seconds, and Buck was on his back for the first 2 minutes of the fight. Defending punches, elbows, and submissions, Buck almost caught the black belt in an arm lock. If it wasn't for the fact that he was greasy and very slippery, it just might have happened. Once Buck got to his feet, the fight was on its way to being over for the Brazilian. Buck immediately got to the Muay Thai clinch and landed two hard knees to the head. The next knee was to the body and buckled his opponent, but out of desperation, the Brazilian hung on to it to attempt another takedown. With his flawless single leg defense, Buck's back was against the cage and he was landing enough punches to make his opponent think too much and make another mental mistake. The body lock loosened as he tried to move his head and again found himself receiving another 2 – 3 knees to the head and face. As the clinch broke, Buck landed a left "kangaroo" hook and Silva went down to the canvas hard. Trying to keep his eyes from spinning, he stayed on the ground with no attempt to get up. Buck called him to stand up, but he did not respond. The referee ordered him to stand or the fight would be called. As Silva stood up, wobbly legs and obvious disoriented eyes, the ref ordered them to fight. Silva could no longer stand and shook his head to the referee and said "NO….NO". 4:03 into round one, and it was over. Buck had respectfully won the Middleweight Title.

Both men brought a wealth of experience and knowledge in the cage that night, and it was obvious to all who watched. It seemed like we were watching a pro fight, not an MMA debut for either fighter. Professionalism and respect definitely erased the poor behavior from the evening before and the ATT coaches continued to congratulate Buck and Rick McCoy, which is known to be a sign of respect for your opponent.

Congrats to you Coach Grant, you are truly a positive representative of your sport and continue to inspire your team. We are all very proud of you!

Buckner vs Humphries. FIGHT OF THE YEAR!
When Scott Howard, Fight Works Head Coach and promoter of this weekends fight Valhalla II, approached me about this fight, his words were simple and to the point:
"I just think it would be a good scrap."
No better words could describe the war that occurred when Chris Buckner of Team Hybrid and Ric Humphries of Fight Works fought on September 1st at the Dulles Sports Plex in Sterling Virginia.
The fight was for the Valhalla 155 pound title, but that fact is secondary to the battle itself. Here we have two athletes, from two respected camps, whose coaches are friends and allies, agreeing to compete against one another for no other reason than this:
It would be a good scrap!
As it turned out, it was a great scrap. One of the best amateur MMA fights I have ever seen.
It is what you would expect from fighters who train hard and take pride and what they do. The problem is, fights like this don't occur regularly in Virginia. Not because of lack of talent, because VA is LOADED with talent. It's not because of lack of training facilities, because VA has some of the BEST MMA gyms on the East Coast.
The reason we have not seen the best fights in VA occur yet is because the best fighters CAN'T or WON"T fight each other.
Perhaps it's fear of tarnishing their schools (often fabricated) reputations, or a fear of REAL competition. Maybe it's the unwritten rule that schools under the same organizations can't fight each other. Whatever the reason may be, MMA in VA has not seen it's full expression, because the best have not truly fought the best....
That is, up until this past weekend.
Buckner and Humphries put everything on the line this weekend. These two athletes could have very well ducked each other indefinitely. With both camps being associated with the Grapplers Guild and both head coaches (Buck Grant and Scott Howard) being Global Combat Alliance board members, this fight could have easily not happened. Humphries could have fought someone less skilled, being one of the more seasoned fighters on a circuit full of inexperienced fighters. Buckner with only 3 fights to his name and merely 4 months of MMA training could have fought a lower level fighter and no one could really question him.
Instead both camps decided to make the fight of the year happen. What resulted was a two round back and forth melee of epic proportions! Humphries superb striking met Buckner's high level wrestling, issuing exchanges reminiscent of Kenny Florian vs. Sean Sherk. Though Buckner closed the distance and forced his top game and ground and pound the majority of the first round, Humphries, showed amazing wrestling defense, escaping back to his feet several times before the first round ended.
Round two came straight out a Rocky movie.
A few minutes into the second round, Buckner hit Humphries with a spinning back fist, after defending a belly-to-back throw, which sent Humphries reeling to the cage floor! Moments later, both athletes scrambled back to there feet. As they break from the clinch, Humphries delivers a knee strike that staggers Buckner. After a quick flurry, a staggering Ric Humphries attempts to throw Buckner, but is stopped by a game, but still weary, Team Hybrid fighter. As both battered warriors climb to their feet, Buckner slaps on a guillotine choke to finish the fight at 2:53 into the second round.

Though Chris Buckner won the title, the real winners are the MMA fans. We can all thank Scott Howard of Fight Works for not only putting on a good show, but also putting on the fight of the year. I have always had the utmost respect for him and his camp. With it being his event, he didn't have to put his fighter against a fighter of Buckner's caliber. That is why I respect him even more after this weekend.

Talking before the fight, Scott wished there was a way we could sit back and be a spectator for that fight. As fans of the sport, I had to agree with him. Luckily enough, we had the best seats in the house. After the fight, we met in the middle of the cage and shook hands. I thanked him for the opportunity, and told him it was an honor to fight such a worthy opponent and camp. The fighters did the same towards each other. Though only moments ago these two athletes were at war with each other, they showed mutual respect after.

The most glorious thing for any warrior to do is battle a worthy opponent. The Spartans would go as far as saying, it was honorable to die in battle against a foe finally worthy of defeat. In our sport, a choice few live by that warrior code. Buckner and Humphries are of that breed, and showed their merit in the cage September 1st.
"I think it would be a good Scrap!" I think Scott was right. The question is: Who will step up and give us our next good one?
To be continued... hopefully.
Congratulations to Chris Buckner, the new D.C Valhalla 155 lb. MMA Champion!

Team Hybrid Rocks!: A WKA North American Update 2007 By Stacy Dolby
This post is written specifically for Team Hybrid. Anyone else who chooses to continue to read to catch up on my fight from Saturday the 14th, you are warned, its long-winded.
First of all, let me just say that Hybrid Academy Fighters, Coaches, Students, and friends and family of Hybrid are truly the best ever. You guys make my job each day worth doing and doing with a smile.
The WKA North American Championships were truly a success for everyone entered in the tournament. We had 5 Muay Thai , 5 MMA , and 4 Submission Grapplers. Having faced some of the toughest competition this sport has to offer, it was definitely a good time. I would like to take this time to personally thank the coaches and fighters for putting in so much hard work getting us to this day, starting with "Team Moxie". You ladies ROCK!
Kimberly Smith - Kim is now our 2 time WKA North American Champion for Muay Thai. She put on a Muay Thai clinic on her opponent and did everything her coaches prepared her for. She listened to everything her corner said and never showed any sign of getting tired or backing down. Kim, you are an excellent fighter and I was very proud to be in your corner.
Patty Ramirez - You are a BEAST! I don't think I could fight back to back in the same day. You showed so much improvement and determination. You are such an athlete and I loved watching you smile through every round.
Elliott Anderson - Also our new WKA North American Champ for Muay Thai.
Definitely a long time coming and well deserved title. This man is not only an awesome fighter, he is an awesome team player. Always there for wrapping hands or warming up fighters and is definitely someone Team Hybrid can always count on. We love you Elliott, you Rock!
Chase Walden - Chase is a fighter that is maturing before our eyes with every fight. Although he didn't walk away with a title, he will be back better than ever. I feel sorry for the next guy.
Jody Morgan - Jody is the guy with the biggest heart on the team. He never wants to disappoint his coaches and wears the word "HAMA" like a badge of honor. From weigh–ins to fight time, he never quit. Jody showed huge improvement during his fight and I can't wait to see him fight again.
Chris Buckner – Our little Bulldog. You would never know you were a new fighter. Your performance was excellent in the ring and very composed. Thanks for being such a great training partner leading up to this event and for driving the depleted fighters to Richmond and helping Jody cut those extra 2 pounds.
Mike Sheetenhelm – Thanks for letting me hold the towel for you at weigh – ins. I promise I didn't peek …… or did I :0) ..anyway, for our "recreational" fighter, you did great. Two MMA fights within about an hour from each other and couldn't even tell you were tired. Great Job
Tripp Seed – This guy has more sponsors than a NASCAR driver. He was so drunk on Pedialyte after weigh – ins, that he started running with Jody just for fun. It's a good thing you made it or we were gonna shave you down! Excellent fights each time, your composure under pressure is truly commendable. If the referee hadn't jumped in on the first one, I think you would be taking his arm home as a trophy.
Mike Smith – our resident Marine, never even broke a sweat the first fight, finishing his guy in 30 seconds. Second fight was all Mike, until the guy got nervous and made a huge mental error trying to duck away from the knees. On to the next one and soon to pro. Can't wait to see you knee someone in the head for real!
As for me, well in case you haven't heard, I made my MMA debut on Saturday. Completely thinking I was going to fight Muay Thai, no one else was in my weight class for the open division. The opportunity presented itself 11:00 the night before the fights and I took it. Was I nervous, HELL YES!, was I scared, HELL NO!
I truly feel that I would have never even considered taking the fight if it wasn't for the team I train with everyday. They make this sport look so much fun and I absolutely enjoy training with them. I have so much faith in you guys, you were so excited for me that there was no way I was going to turn down this opportunity.
First of all, I need to thank Joey Ponce for taking on so many classes teaching so that I could get in some extra training with the team. You are a great coach and I appreciate you pushing me at practice and warming me up before the fights. Thanks for all that you do for the school and team. Thanks to Antwain " The Juggernaut" Britt for letting me borrow the "Boom Stick", and helping me warm up my ground game incase I ended up on my back. Thank to Dawn Stoltz who got me head right days before the tournament, and continuing to aid in my healing of my battered face. You are a guardian angel. Thanks "Team Moxie", we are the baddest bitches around, and we know it! Thanks to TC for being a great corner and speaking to me like a 6 year old child so I wouldn't get confused with my directions on the ground.(sorry I spit on you) And most importantly, Buck. You never doubted me and showed me its OK to challenge myself. You are truly the best coach anyone could ask for and I am so glad you were there to share the moment with me. Because of you, I new it was going to be a good day.
All of you gave me such positive energy during the fight, I can't wait to do it again. Even though I lost, even though my nose is broke, my eye is about 6 different shades of purple, and my mom is going to bitch at me for about a year for this, you guys made me feel like a Champion of all Champions. I love you guys!
Stacy

Chase and Jody Victorious in Sterling VA!
June 16th 2007, Sterling VA
Kru Brooks Miller and Pro Fitness Gym hosted a Muay Thai Smoker event full of action packed fights. Two of Team Hybrid's very own fighters competed and excelled in the ring that weekend.
Jody Morgan, fighting at 175 lbs, used his patented machine gun style punching, combined with a dominating clinch game, to win via unanimous decision over the home favored Pro Fitness fighter. Jody's mix of power and precision earned him his first win as a Team Hybrid fighter.
Chase Walden overcame adversity in the first round, as his San Shou trained opponent came out aggressive in the first round with hard punches and devastating low kicks. Chase's superior conditioning allowed him to weather the storm early. After finding his grove in the second round, utilizing his reach with hard body kicks and straight punches, Chase began to change the tide. Punishing the body of his tiring opponent gave way to a stunning head kick in the 3rd round giving Chase his second knockout.
Both athletes, as well as the rest of Team Hybrid, will be competing in the WKA North American Tournament on July 14th. Happy Hunting Team Hybrid!