Monty Burks lands a punch in the first round of his fight, photos by Mike Curran
An MMA legend came to Murfreesboro, while the future fighters of the sport began their journey with some competition in front of their friends and family.
The Mixed Martial Arts Association of MTSU held on Feb. 6 the Tennessee Ultimate Fighting event at the Murphy Center with 19 fights on the card, including three for the state title sanctioned by the International Sport Karate Association. The night also included an appearance by Ken Shamrock, who back in the mid-’90s helped put MMA into the minds of sports fans all over the world.
Shamrock, a UFC Hall-of-Famer, is well-known for his submission technique that has tapped out many of his opponents during his long career. On the afternoon of the event, Shamrock passed some of that knowledge to several students at the Guardian MMA gym. One of the lessons he gave was on trying to secure a heel hook on your opponent.
Ken Shamrock
“I really believe it is a great discipline, and it really builds character,” Shamrock said of the sport of MMA.
Shamrock had also dabbled in professional wrestling in both the WWF (now WWE) and TNA, but his home is in MMA.
“I think you have to have determination, persistence and you definitely have to be able to overcome adversity,” Shamrock added, when asked about how to become successful in the sport.
He also signed autographs and took pictures with the fans. At the beginning of the night, he led all of that night’s fighters into the cage and spoke to the crowd on the hard work that the fighters went through in preparation for their upcoming match.
The matches were three rounds with each round lasting three minutes. Only one match went the distance, the 155-pound title fight between Monty Burks, a MTSU graduate in Criminal Justice, and Clarksville’s Charles Castello. Burks came to the cage with it seemed the whole city of Murfreesboro behind him as he got the biggest crowd reaction. He also had a group of maybe 30 people accompanying him to the match.
The fight went back and forth with Burks controlling the first round by putting Castello on the ground and nailing him with several punches. In the second round, Castello almost made Burks tap-out due to a guillotine choke. Burks said after the fight that he tried to figure out a way to slam Castello and make him break the hold. Toward the end of the second round, Castello let go and Burks slammed him to the mat.
In the final round, Burks again slammed Castello down and landed a few punches. The match, however, went the distance and the three judges each voted in favor of Burks.
Both fighters showed a lot of respect in the locker room after the contest as they congratulated each other on their performance.
“I’m going to be friends with the fighter I just fought,” Burks said while trying to catch his breath. “He was a fierce competitor who made me step up my game.” He stayed undefeated with a 7-0 record.
With the Winter Olympics just wrapping up in Vancouver, Burks said he would like the idea of MMA becoming a part of the Olympics.
“It would be great for every country to put their best MMA fighters against each other,” Burks said.
In the final fight of the night, hometown favorite and undefeated Guardian MMA fighter Mike Hackney lost to Jesse Grun in the first round of the 185-pound title fight. However, after the presentation of the title belt to Grun, Hackney got down on one knee and proposed to his girlfriend. She said yes.
“I was definitely hoping to come out a winner both ways, but a loss is what makes you stronger and better. All I can do is go back to the drawing board and get better,” Hackney said after the fight.
One of the coaches in his corner that night, Nate Rice, is a childhood friend of Hackney. They grew up together in Florida where Rice would spend most of his time at Hackney’s house. Rice, however, moved to Missouri in the eighth grade and they did not see each other for 13 years.
Fast forward to 2007: Hackney was training and one of his coaches brought Rice in to spar with Mike. During that session, Hackney said he recognized Rice and finally had the courage to ask for his last name.
“He told me, and I just about fell out,” Hackney said.
Rice added it was “overwhelming” when he found out. According to both of them, the friendship soon picked back up, and that was Hackney’s second fight with Rice as coach.
The other title fight ended with Justin Pennington defeating David James in the first round to win the 125-pound state title. Several fighters that either went to MTSU or lived in town competed in non-title fights.
Only five of the 19 fights lasted more than one round. One of those fighters included Jimmie Hayes, a ‘Boro native and a member of Guardian MMA, but he had to probably work the hardest in defeating Desmond Peterson in the second round by an arm bar tap out. During the fight, Peterson was able to escape from a rear naked choke and an arm bar in the opening round. Hayes, however, was able to put the same moves on him in the second and finally was able to make him submit.
Jimmie Hayes couldn’t get Desmond Peterson to tap in the first round by choke hold, but Hayes did go on to win the fight.
“I had a couple of chokes sunk in pretty good,” Hayes said. “I don’t know what he was breathing, but he wouldn’t tap.”
While most fighters chose rap or rock music to come out to the cage, Hayes chose George Strait’s hit “Cowboys Like Us” for his entrance music. Hayes said while growing up in LaVergne he listened to a lot of country music.
MTSU student Billy Tackaberry had a fraternity do a step dance as he made his way to the cage. He defeated Daniel Lee in the first round by a tap out.
“It got the crowd pumped up, it got me pumped up and got me a quick victory,” Tackaberry said.
The past met the future as MMA looks to continue its growth around the world and right here in Tennessee.
