Female MMA Coming to Penticton on Aug. 15
If you feel that Mixed Martial Arts (MMA or sometimes referred to as Ultimate Fighting) is barbaric or “human cockfighting” then we have bad news for you, it’s in British Columbia and it’s staying. Not only that but there is also going to be some “human chick fighting” that will probably offend you even more. The IFC recently announced a women’s fight for their upcoming event in Penticton on August 15 and it has a little international flavor.
Venezuelan native Julianna Pena will be meeting Julia Budd of Port Moody, BC in a three round affair (rounds are 5 minutes in length in MMA) on the undercard of the IFC World Heavyweight Championship event taking place on August 15 at the South Okanagan Event Center in Penticton, BC.
The IFC has long been a proponent of women’s fighting. It’s first female cage matches and the first ever in MMA history were held in 1996. Explains IFC Founder and CEO, Howard Petschler, “Women have a long history and tradition in the martial arts. They train just as hard and are just as competitive as the guys. Why shouldn’t they fight in the cage? A couple of our most exciting fights have been the women.” In the IFC the women have always fought under the same rules as the men. Petschler adds ,“ The woman certainly have the aerobic capacity to go the distance. Some organizations have chosen to shorten the rounds for women. I don’t understand that. Before we instituted the round system to benefit TV, fighters fought until a fighter was KOed or submitted. There were no judges. Our longest fight on record was a 55 minutes and was a back and forth affair between two very tough women. The fans loved every minute of it. You can’t convince the IFC that women need shorter rounds.”
The night’s feature fight is the IFC World Heavyweight Championship battle between undefeated “Pitbull” Tracy Willis and veteran IFC, UFC, Pride and Dream warrior Travis “Diesel” Wuiff. Several local area fighters will be appearing on the undercard. The event will also feature a four man single elimination tournament in the 170 pound weight class.
Former and current IFC Champions include Chuck Liddell, Eugene Jackson, Rich Franklin, Tim Silva, Jens Pulver, Dan Severn, Igor Vovchanchin, Vladimir Matyshenko, Matt Lindland, Paul Buentello, Jeremy Horn and many other top fighters in MMA. IFC fighters come from many backgrounds; they are respected as some of the best athletes in the world. Most use a combination of boxing, wrestling, open hand combat and martial arts fighting techniques in the cage. Fights can be won by knockout, submission or by the scorecard. There are three five-minute rounds in a non-championship bout and five five-minute rounds in a championship bout. Known for their extreme, no holds barred fighting in the steel cage IFC fighters will do about anything necessary to win.
Tickets start at $30 Canadian and are on sale at ValleyFirstTIX.com or by calling 877-763-2849 in Canada
For more information contact press@ifccagedcombat.tv.
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