The “rear naked choke,” “the ground and pound” and “the side mount” all sound like positions from a sex manual, but they are actual mixed martial arts maneuvers. As professional boxing continues its nosedive in popularity, “cage fighting” and other mixed martial arts events are taking center stage across the country. Northern Michigan is no exception as resorts, casinos and nightclubs in recent months have hosted sold-out events. This Friday, Streeters’ Ground Zero Nightclub plays host to “Caged Aggression 2: Fight Clubs Meet The Night Club.” Event promoters are expecting 16 fights on the bill for the evening. “Where I came from in Detroit, it wasn’t a good night at the bar unless a fight broke out. I love these things. I have been to a dozen of them around Northern Michigan,” said Troy Darius of Houghton Lake. “Fighting has been around since the start of mankind and everyone loves a good fight. I was at the first Caged Aggression at Streeters and it was one of the best I have ever seen. But don’t get me wrong, these are not a bunch of drunks fighting it out - these are athletes in unbelievable shape.”
NOT A BUNCH OF THUGS That is exactly the point Christos Filiafas of Great Lakes Mixed Martial Arts of Traverse City and promoter of the event wants to make. “These are not a bunch of thugs from the streets getting into a cage, battling it out. These are real athletes who train hard,” said Christos. “This is the fastest growing sport in America right now.” Christos opened his gym five months ago off South Airport road on Continental Drive. He has been involved with mixed martial arts for 22 years, but a serious car accident took him out of competition at the professional level (though he hopes to return to the ring later this year as an amateur) and he now spends his time training others and promoting events. “There is a real rush for competitors to be in a ring in front of 400 to 500 people cheering. I feel the exhilaration myself when a guy I have trained wins,” said Christos. “That is one of the appeals. The other is your ability to blend different fighting disciplines. I know for the cynic, they see this sport for just the brutality, but this is a sport that requires mastering techniques. I have 130 lb. fighters that I have trained that can easily take a 250 lb. person who is physically stronger, and defeat them, purely on technique.” Christos said that cage fighting and other mixed martial arts events emerged out of the early ‘90’s when various competitors from different mixed martial arts disciplines started competing in the Ultimate Fighting Championships to determine the superior discipline. “What people started finding out was that individually all disciplines can be countered, but when you start to mix techniques from various disciplines it becomes more challenging,” said Christos. “So this sport has grown and what is great is the individuality of it. Because what works for me might not work for you, so you have to master the techniques that work best for you. Essentially each person develops their own hybrid techniques.”
LOVE OF A FIGHT So what does Christos believes is the appeal from a spectator’s standpoint and the reason why venues all over are rushing to host these types of events? “The obvious is people are drawn in by fights. But boxing is losing its allure in this country. Sure, it is still there, but if you look at mixed martial arts events versus boxing events on pay-per-view, mixed martial arts is where it’s at. It is why all of these places in Northern Michigan are having these events. It is why after opening up my gym five months ago, I have 40 people here working out at this sport,” said Christos. “But I challenge people before they come out to watch this, to take time to learn about the sport, to learn some of the techniques, some of the skills involved. You will walk away with a great appreciation for what is happening in the ring.” The event at Streeters will feature 16 matches, though Christos points out that there is always the possibility of competitors pulling out. The matches are all at the amateur level. “Some of the competitors are training to reach the professional level and some are even ready to turn pro. Others are in this to get in shape and they love to compete and have no interest in turning pro. We don’t just let anyone into the ring. You have to have a full physical, be training somewhere. We have competitors coming in from all over the state. We also have doctors and paramedics at the event and there are rules.” What about female competitors? “I have some women training but we have yet to have any women enter the ring. Sure, at the professional level there are a lot of women, so hopefully someday we will see some women compete up here at the amateur level. Right now I don’t have enough training to match them up competitively,” said Christos. “There are a lot of female spectators who come out.” Christos is happy to see the sport that he has competed in enjoying mainstream popularity. “Look, this was the first sport of the original Olympics -- this foot to hand combat fighting has been around since the Greek and Roman times. It evolved into other sports (boxing and wrestling) and the Olympic committee is giving serious consideration to bringing it back,” said Christos. “Some of these pay-for-view fights are drawing more 18-35 year old viewers than major professional sports. If you are on the fence, just come out one time and you will see what all of the excitement is about.” “Caged Aggression 2: Fight Clubs Meet The Night Club” takes place this Friday, October 10 at Streeters’ Ground Zero Nightclub. Tickets are selling quickly for ringside seats and may be purchased by calling the box office at 231-932-1300. To learn more about the Great Lakes Mixed Martial Arts program in Traverse City check out myspace.com/swinginc or call the gym at 231-360-9508. Also: check out Bill Bustance’s piece “Uncaged” on the rise of mixed martial popularity here in Northern Michigan from the www.northernexpress.com archives dated 6/16/2008. Bustance has enjoyed a successful career as a boxer and teacher of the sport and offers his insights on mixed martial arts.
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