Legacy Magazine

www.legacyfights.tv JULY-AUGUST LEGACY MAGAZINE | 3

PublisherMick Maynard

business Managerandrea Maynard

editor in Chief Chris shepperd

design/layoutJustin trapp, fighter Portraits

audrey tompkins

writers

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LEGACYMMA Lifestyle

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It’s been a great year so far for Texas MMA as the rest of the world starts to realize what we have known for quite some time…………..we have a lot of talent in this state. As we publish our third issue for the year we have the opportunity to discuss three different events coming up in less than 4 weeks for Legacy Fighting as well as several of our fighters who were called up to the big show.

July 22nd – HDNet Fights presents Legacy FC 7 at the Houston Arena TheatreJuly 29th – Legacy Amateur Series at the Houston House of BluesAugust 12th – Legacy Amateur Series at the Dallas House of Blues

Beginning July 16th Legacy will be hosting its own radio show on 1560 The Game with Raheel and Rich from “The Mount”. 1560 The Game is the number one sports radio station in Houston and “The Mount” has most recently been syndicated nationally for Sporting News Radio. Tune in to 1560 AM at 6pm on Saturday for interviews and news on upcoming events as well as just getting a good laugh with Raheel and Rich.Saturday July 22nd Legacy will be shown to a national live audience for the first time on HDNet. We have been working for years to make this happen and we are excited for the opportunity to reach so many people nationwide on such a great channel. Be sure to watch us on HDNet starting at 9pm or come out to the show Saturday July 22nd, doors open at 6 fights start at 7 at the Houston Arena Theatre. Tickets available at www.LegacyFights.tvI also wanted to say congratulations to a few of our Legacy fighters who fought for StrikeForce last month. Welterweight champ Mike Bronzoulis, Brian Melancon and Todd Moore join a growing list of Texas fighters being called up by Zuffa (UFC, StrikeForce). We are proud of all of you. If you have any suggestions or questions we strive to be the best so we appreciate your feedback. Please email me at [email protected].

Mick MaynardPresidentLegacy Fighting Championships

2 | MAROON WEEKLY Freshman Guide 2011 www.maroonweekly.com


Angel huertA“the chosen one”

became

how

By Mike CaliMBas Photos by Justin trapp

8 | LEGACY MAGAZINE JULY-AUGUST www.legacyfights.tv

When it comes to highly-touted prospects from the Houston area, perhaps no other fighter has received as much hype in the last year as Angel “The Chosen One” Huerta. Since making his Legacy debut in November of 2010, the charismatic and soft-spoken bantamweight has used his high-flying assortment of devastating karate strikes to dismantle his opponents in the cage while winning over the hearts of Houston’s MMA fans outside of it.

Despite the fact that “The Chosen One” has had several exciting bouts with Akira Smith, Andy Sandoval, and Nate Garza in the Legacy Fighting Championship, few fans know what made Angel Huerta into the fighter and person he is today.

As a youngster, Angel Huerta wasn’t always the exciting martial artist people know him as. Growing up in a Mexican immigrant family like many other children in Southeast Houston, Angel was thrown not into martial arts, but into soccer at an early age.

“I was doing cone drills in the backyard since the age of five,” he says about a childhood spent in fútbol, driven by a father who spent his own youth playing professionally in his native Mexico.

Even though Angel grew up playing a different sport, he always yearned to learn martial arts. At a young age, he’d emulate the moves he saw in the movies like he was in the television himself. If practicing crane kicks and jumping off his bed pretending like Cobra Kai ran him off the road like Daniel-san meant karate was his destiny, Angel was always well on his way. It just took a while for him to get there.

In fact, his first attempt at martial arts wasn’t even successful.

According to Angel, his parents once tried to register him for karate lessons as a child but it wasn’t to be. His would-be instructor ran away with the down payment for his uniform, never actually opening a school and leaving a bad taste that did not paint a solid picture of the martial arts world.

It wasn’t until years later, at the age of fourteen, when a friend’s fancy kicks at a birthday party finally pushed Angel’s parents to send him and his brother into a karate school, or rather the Harbach Ripley Community Center in Southeast Houston. It was there that Angel first studied martial arts under a man by the name of Phillip Plumber in a place he then considered a shrine:

“The instructor would teach in this plain community center room,” remembered Angel. “You know, with the white walls and the tile floor… But you couldn’t tell me it wasn’t the greatest dojo. To me, it was like a Shaolin temple with fancy mat, swords on the wall, and the rest of what could have made it great. To me it was the best and I was thirsty for knowledge. That was it. I just wanted to learn. How to punch, how to kick, everything.”

Falling in love with karate, Angel Huerta didn’t settle for the one night a week that Mr. Plumber would teach at the Harbach Ripley. Finding out the instructor was teaching on different nights around the city, Huerta cut a deal and followed the instructor around from location to location to soak in as much knowledge as he could.

Why did Angel do all that?

“I wanted to be good,” he says. “Hard work, dedication, and determination are what it took to get there. I saw I could be pretty good at this if I put in time and put in work so I did.”

FIGHTER PROFILE


Looking back to find his perspective, Angel truly believes it was his upbringing that has allowed him to flourish as a martial artist – both in his own endeavors and also with his ability to teach others.

“I think I was fortunate enough to have both of my parents,” said Angel. “I had a loving nurturing type of environment. Both of my parents were always into what my brother and I wanted to do. They would always support us. They would always push education and excellence.

“My dad, he didn’t have much of an education leaving Mexico when he was seventeen so he would instill into us hard work, perseverance, dedication… ‘You can do whatever you want to do son,’ he’d always tell me. My mom, she was the same way. She’d always say, ‘mijo, you can do it. Just believe in yourself.’ I know I’m fortunate. I know a lot of people don’t necessarily get that at home. My parents gave me a really good upbringing and I need to set an example with everything they’ve instilled in me.”

With that in mind, “The Chosen One” now splits his time focusing on his own goals and those of the young children that look to him as their role model at Millennium Martial Arts, the karate school he opened several years ago in Southeast Houston.

Realizing the value of having a good influence in life, Angel leans heavily on his own life lessons to teach his “kids” more than just punches and kicks.”

“I talk to them a lot about the same things that I’ve learned in the past. I talk to them about the need to have confidence. We have a weekly word which is put up on regularly on our wall.

“This week, the word is humility, something that I think is very important in the bigger picture of life beyond what happens in the gym and at karate tournaments. Through stuff like the weekly word, I share my experiences and do my best to help my students relate. It’s encouraging when I see improvement. When you have the kid that looks down on the floor when he first comes in, too scared to look you in the eye, lacking confidence and seeing that after a couple of months or a year or even two, you can see that he now believes in himself, he’s kicking butt in sparring, giving others positive reinforcement, and when you talk to him, he now looks you dead in the eye.

“That’s the greatest reward. If you put your all into what you want, nine times out of ten you’re going to get the result that you want. A lot of people think they have self-belief or self-confidence but they don’t really have what it takes to truly believe that. In order to really believe that, you have to have preparation.

“You’re truly confident that you’re going to ace the test when you study. I’m confident that I’m going to win my fight because I know I did everything in my power to be my best that day.”

Go to www.hdnetfights.com for the latest breaking news, schedules and sign-up for weekly email updatesDon’t have HDNet? Call your cable or satellite provider and demand HDNet today. www.hd.net/subscribeGo to www.hdnetfights.com for the latest breaking news, schedules and sign-up for weekly email updatesDon’t have HDNet? Call your cable or satellite provider and demand HDNet today. www.hd.net/subscribe

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As a fan-favorite in his hometown of Houston, TX, Mike “The Greek” Bronzoulis has been able to accomplish great things in the world of MMA thus far in his career.

Specifically during his tenure steeping into battle for the Legacy Fighting Championship, Mike was able to reach championship status, beating Jonathan “Hulk” Harris by TKO to win the welter-weight title in November of 2010.

As the Legacy welterweight champion, he went on to defend his belt against a seasoned challenger in Joe “Jitsu” Christopher of Dallas before his most recent accomplishment in the sport, get-ting signed to a four-fight contract with the national promotion Strikeforce.

Looking back on his experience in the Legacy Fighting Champi-onship, “The Greek” has nothing but fond memories.

“My experience with Legacy was great,” Mike says about his last year fighting for the Legacy organization. “The show is consis-tently fantastic when it comes to the cards Mick and his team put together. They try their best to gather the best fighters around for those shows and the fans are always supportive. It’s never a dull night at Legacy, that’s for sure.”

Having accomplished what he set out to do in the promotion, the man known simply as Mike B. to fans in the Houston area will now be moving on for the moment, fighting exclusively for Strikeforce as another step in his career on the way to his ul-timate goal of becoming a champion in the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC).

With a crowded welterweight division and so many other young fighters in the Legacy Fighting Championship looking to follow in his footsteps, Mike B. offered some words of wisdom for his fel-low warriors to live by on their way to attaining their own goals:

“Never quit and never ever give up,” Mike said as the key ingre-dient to figuring out the MMA puzzle. “This is such a hard sport to make it in and only the people that never quit and never give up on their dreams end up succeeding in the end. Always re-member that sometimes in the fight game, things can get really bleak and the tunnel gets really dark. Keep pushing forward until you see the light. Eventually life shines.”

As for accomplishing his own goal of signing with the Strikeforce promotion, Bronzoulis cautiously offered up a moment to reflect, telling us how phenomenal signing that Strikeforce contract felt.

“It’s surreal because it’s like a dream come true,” he said. “To the fans that have followed my career through the Legacy Fight-ing Championship - I’m very grateful for all the love and support you’ve always given me. Thank you for always pushing me and basically just keeping it real with me during my entire time here. I hope you guys look forward to me fighting in Strikeforce be-cause I’m going to do my best not to disappoint you.”

FIGHTER PROFILE

legAcy chAmpion SignS with StrikeforceLegacy Welterweight Champion Mike “The Greek” Bronzoulis Signs four fight exclusive deal to fight with Strikeforce

By Mike CaliMBasPhoto by Justin trapp


eArnShAwIt’s evident that more and more females begin training every day all around the state. As that number grows, so too will the number of female fighters that actively participate in MMA competition and the Legacy Fighting Championship is glad to be a part of this growing movement to the women’s mixed martial arts scene here in Texas.

In order to push Women’s MMA forward at the grassroots level, Legacy Amateur Series has added championship status into the

mix for the hard-working female competitors that aspire for a title on their way to professional MMA competition.

On July 29th in Houston, the first Legacy Women’s Amateur Lightweight Title will be on the line as Kristy Kester (2-0)

of College Station, TX will battle Monica Earnshaw (1-0) of Southeast Houston for the right to be called the first

Legacy Women’s Champion.

Heading into this title bout, both Kristy and Monica are coming off impressive technical knockout

performances in their last fights, having beaten Jordan Gaza and Tina Gomez respectively. Yet despite those conclusive performances, neither fighter feels they’ve proven anything

thus far.

“I’m really hard on myself so I wasn’t greatly impressed with my fight against Jordan Gaza,” Kristy said. “I kind of messed up with the weight-cut and ending up eating too much and getting sick. I definitely didn’t have my mind right. Thankfully I came out

with the win. I’m looking forward to fighting again without messing up this time.”

Echoing her opponent’s sentiments, Monica also didn’t feel like she got too much out of her last outing other than a taste of what it’s like being in front of the crowd.

“It prepared me as far as getting used to being in front of a big

By Mike CaliMBasPhotos by Justin trapp


keStervS.

audience but I don’t think it really prepared me in the cage too much since I didn’t get too much time in there,” Monica said about her last bout this past May, which she quickly won with strikes on the ground after securing the immediate takedown.

With their last fights now firmly cemented in the past, Monica and Kristy are both eagerly anticipating this next fight on July 29th - and a shot at being labeled the #1 amateur lightweight female around.

“I’ve wanted to fight her since the beginning,” Monica said about Kester. “Kristy was someone I wanted to fight before I even knew who Tina (her last opponent) was. I’m definitely excited to fight her for the Legacy title. I definitely see that she’s a pretty accurate striker. I don’t know if Jordan Gaza really tested her that much during that fight like I’m going to so I can’t really judge her yet. I’m definitely stronger than her and I’m going to be faster than her.”

Kristy had some thoughts of her own on what her opponent might bring to the table.

“She’s definitely strong. She wanted to take it to the ground against Tina, the girl she assumed to be a boxer. I’m 100% positive she’s going to want to take it to the ground with me too. Her footwork wasn’t that of prepping for strikes. She came out ready for the takedown so I’m definitely aware of that and my game plan will take that into account for sure,” she said. “I think if anything, I feel I have the advantage of being able to dictate where the fight goes. I think I have her on standup just based on what I’ve seen with her wanting to take it to the ground right away. Either way, I think I’ll be able to keep the fight where I want it to be.”

With both of these fighters doing their homework and studying each other so diligently in preparation of their upcoming fight, this eagerly anticipated women’s title fight definitely has the potential for fireworks.

Make sure to purchase your tickets for the July 29th Legacy Amateur Series event at the Arena Theater to see which of these two will earn the first Women’s Legacy Amateur Lightweight Title.


July 22 is a monumental day in the history of Legacy Fighting Championship AND the Houston MMA scene. HD Net will roll in to town and broadcast the scheduled Legacy card LIVE to the entire nation. That’s only half the story. The other half is the fact that the card for the show is without a doubt one of the best cards in the History of Houston MMA. TheCageDoor.net’s AJ Hoffman breaks down the match-ups and gives us a taste of what we can expect from each fight.

Cody Phillips vs Shelby SheehanThe first fight of the night features Cody Phillips taking on Shelby Sheehan. Both fighters are making their pro debuts. Phillips will obviously look to keep the fight standing, while Sheehan would probably prefer to get this on the mat. One thing to keep an eye out for will be gas tank. Cardio has never been an issue for Phillips in the past, but both guys have had a bit of time away from the cage so it could be a factor for one or both.

Justin Reiswerg vs Marc RamirezNext up will be Justin Reiswerg taking on Mark Ramirez. The heavy handed Ramirez found his way to MMA via boxing, but quickly learned the ground game by training with the likes of Lee Higgins out at Urban Jungle. If the name Marc Ramirez sounds familiar, it’s because he was one half of Houston MMA fight of the year with Adam Schindler. Re-iswerg sports a 2-1 mark, but the lone blemish is to the aforementioned Schindler. Since that loss he has looked impressive in back to back wins, the most recent being an arm bar submission of Rey Trujillo (another heavy handed striker).

David McClung vs Tony OrozcoTwo gym founders will do battle as Brazos Valley MMA’s David McClung takes on Sil-verback Fight Club’s Tony Orozco. Orozco lost his first go in the cage against Shawn Machado, while McClung has gone 1-4 as a pro. Orozco looked strong before injuring his shoulder and being pounded out by Machado. McClung has not fought since December of 2010, when he lost to Danny Cervantes by TKO in 18 seconds. An interesting side note in the fight is that McClung faught Orozco’s son, Scotty Juarez, back in March of 2010 at Legacy FC 2. Juarez won via TKO in the first round.

Craig Gardner vs John MalbroughCraig Gardner will take on John Malbrough in a welterweight showdown. Malbrough just lost his first fight, and will have a shot against UFC vet Jake Rosholt before this match happens. Gardner had a great career as an amateur, going 5-1-1. His lone pro fight was an outstanding performance against Jeff Rexroad in July of last year. This should be one of the better matchups on the card.

Jesus Rivera vs Rey TrujilloJesus Rivera and Rey Trujillo will stage a rematch of one of the best fights Houston MMA has ever seen, a 5 round war in March of 2010 that Trujillo won. Rivera holds career wins over Lee King and Jace Pitre and his ground game has vastly improved since their last fight. Trujillo will look to get his career back on the right track, having lost 4 of 5 after a 7-0 start as a pro. Expect both guys to come in looking for a war. This has stand up battle

and fight of the night written all over it.

Lee Higgins vs Scotty JuarezLee Higgins takes on Scotty Juarez in his first matchup since a February loss to Ryan Couture on the Strikeforce Challengers card in Austin. Juarez’s only fight so far was a win over David McClung. This should be a big step up for him, as Higgins is still considered one of the most promising fighters on the Houston scene.

Frank Gomez vs Daniel Pineda (Featherweight Title fight)Frank Gomez and Daniel Pineda will go at it in a match that could be a good gauge of exactly how close Pineda is to a shot at the big time. Gomez is a top prospect from Jack-son MMA in Albuquerque who has four fights worth of WEC experience. Gomez recently defeated top ranked Houston fighter Tim Snyder last month in New Mexico. After some self-admitted mistakes in picking fights by Pineda, he has finally hit his stride and is proving to be one of the best in Texas. He has won 5 of his last 6, and three straight, all in the first round. These two great wrestlers should make for a great chess match.

Chad Robichaux vs Jonathan MacklesChad “Robo” Robichaux will take on Jonathan Mackles in one of the featured fights of the night. Robo is coming off his first career loss,a 3rd round TKO defeat at the hands of Bellator 135 champion Zach Makovsky.Mackles, fighting out of Slidell, LA, has an 8-1 pro record. His only loss came against hard hitting Bryan Goldsby. Mackles has one fight in the Bellator promotion, a split decision win over Brock Kerry.

Antonio Flores vs Pete SprattAntonio “King Kong” Flores will take on UFC veteran Pete Spratt, and hopes to improve his 4-2 record. Flores currently holds the IXFA 170lb title. Flores is a heavy handing fight-er who’s known for a relentless attack. Only one of his fights has ever gone the distance. Look for him to try and finish Spratt with some serious ground and pound. After starting his career at 8-1, Spratt’s record is now at 22-19. He has experience against some of the best in the world, including Josh Koscheck, Robbie Lawler, Chris Lytle, Car-los Newton and UFC champion Georges St. Pierre. Most think Bronzoulis is on the brink of being a breakout star on the national level. A win over such an accomplished veteran could push him through.

Carlo Prater vs Cameron Dollar (Super Fight)Finally, the main event will pit Carlo Prater against TUF Season 9 finalist Cameron Dollar. Prater had hit a rough patch, losing 4 of 5 fights. He has righted the ship in his last two, however, with two first round, first minute submissions. One of those came in Brazil, and one came against Bryan Travers on a Strikeforce Challengers card. Dollar is riding a 5 fight win streak after losing the TUF finale to Jason Dent back in June of 2009. Of note, all five of Dollars wins have come in the first round and all have been via submission. With both guys having great ground games, this could end up being a very technical BJJ/MMA match.

Fight NightPREVIEW

By aJ HoffMan (THeCageDoor.neT)


two more legacy fighters from houston Sign with Strikeforce

briAn melAncon

todd moore

Aside from Legacy FC welterweight champion Mike Bronzoulis, two more Legacy Fighting Championship veterans have also made the jump from Legacy FC to sign with the Zuffa-owned Strikeforce promotion. Joining “The Greek” are fellow welterweights and Houston natives Brian Melancon and Todd Moore.Brian Melancon of Paradigm Training Center joins Strikeforce after two consecutive wins in the Legacy Fighting Championship organization over some of the toughest competition Texas has to offer in Derrick Krantz and Todd Moore. Known for his having incredible power as a well-rounded welterweight, Melancon has always been exciting to watch as he is the type of combatant that always goes for the finish inside the cage.Todd Moore of Gracie Barra Magnolia is a longtime veteran of the sport, fighting for such organizations as the WEC (now part of the UFC), DREAM, and the Legacy Fighting Championship. With a passion for representing his home state of Texas, Todd is always found carrying the Texas flag as his calling card every time he readies to step into the cage. Prior to making his way into Strikeforce, “The Maniac” has taken on some of the best in the world including Shinya Aoki, Shane Roller, and Legacy’s own Brian Melancon.We here at the Legacy Fighting Championship would like to extend our sincere congratulations and well wishes to both Brian and Todd as they seek to make their way towards the top of the heap in Strikeforce as they continue with their dream of becoming the best fighters in the world.

By Mike CaliMBas

www.LegacyFights.tv Jan-Mar LEGACY - MMA Lifestyle | 37


When he was hired on to manage the MMA portion of HDNet’s portfolio back in 2007, HDNet Fights CEO Andrew Simon had one overarching goal – to increase the visibility of mixed martial arts events around the world. Since then, the network truly has become “Your Home for MMA,” as their slogan implies.

With a programming lineup on Friday nights that has become requisite viewing for MMA fans around the world, HDNet has brought viewers original programming such as Inside MMA, Fighting Words with Mike Straka, and the Voice vs. (featuring Mike Schiavello) to go along with their HDNet Fights lineup, which spans mixed martial arts events across the globe.

“At the end of the day, there are great fighters from all over the world and HDNet will be there to broadcast their fights,” Simon said.

HDNet will be making their Houston MMA debut on July 22nd when they cover Legacy Fighting Championship. We caught up with the HDNet CEO to get his insight on what the network has accomplished in MMA thus far, what he defines as their goals for the future, and what the future may be for the Legacy Fighting Championship on the world’s leading high-definition network.

Andrew, when you were hired on as HDNet Fights CEO, what were your goals as far as where you wanted to take MMA broadcasting on the network?

I wanted MMA to become an integral part of HDNet’s weekly programming schedule. When I was a kid, I watched Tuesday Night Fights/Friday Night Fights (Boxing) and Monday Night Raw/Tuesday Night Titans (WWE). Both Mark (Cuban) and I thought it was important to have that weekly consistency where people could tune in on a given night and find MMA. It was one of my goals to find enough compelling content to make that happen.

To date, HDNet Fights has covered everything from

premier global shows to regional news and events. Why such an ambitious commitment to MMA?

First and foremost, we love the sport. Many people don’t realize, HDNet has been broadcasting MMA since the 1st WEC in January of 2004 – over a year before “The Ultimate Fighter” and the classic Griiffin v Bonnar fight that drew many fans to the sport. Mark has been committed to the sport since the early days and HDNet will continue to find the best MMA action from around the globe.

Since its inception, HDNET has grown to become THE premier high-definition channel in the world - with an original programming lineup that features news, music, leisure, and other sports, in addition to MMA. Where does HDNet Fights fit in with the network’s overall branding strategy?

HDNet Fights has become appointment viewing on Friday Night. People tune in every Friday knowing that they will get Inside MMA and one of the top MMA events in the world on “Your Home for MMA”

Many would consider the body of work thus far at HDNet Fights to be pivotal in the overall growth of MMA. What do you feel have been the network’s biggest accomplishments thus far?

I think as a TV network we follow the MMA business closer than anyone else out there. We do this 24/7. I take personal pride that HDNet is a leader in making international MMA deals happen. It started with Yarennoka! which introduced most North American fans to FEDOR and the spectacle that is Japanese MMA. International deals are notoriously difficult to execute, but I hope our reputation helped forge great international deals with K1, K1 MAX, DREAM, Sengoku Raiden Championship, It’s Showtime, United Glory and Superior Challenge.

It was recently announced that HDNet would be bringing Legacy Fighting Championship on board with an initial

commitment to the July 22nd show in Houston. What positives did the network see in the promotion that allowed for this deal to be consummated?

It all starts with a great promoter who does what they say they are going to do. Mick was aggressive for years letting us know what he was doing. It gave us time to send out the Inside MMA cameras to get a feel for what the production looked like and whether Legacy Fighting Championship was ready to be seen by a national audience. I hear from countless promotions every week about how great they are – Legacy Fighting Championship has an opportunity July 22 to show all those other promotions why they have been chosen for this opportunity,

What would the network, and yourself personally, like to see on the upcoming Legacy FC show that would cause HDNet Fights to label June 22nd a success?

The biggest test is whether MMA fans care about a new promotion on a national level. It is up to HDNet and Legacy to make that happen. There are some great fighters/stories on this card – so I think people will support this event.

Besides this much-anticipated broadcast debut for Legacy Fighting Championship, what else can we look forward to in the near-term future from HDNet Fights?HDNet has a run of 12 weeks in a row of new MMA/Kickboxing events that I am excited about. You will also see Inside MMA on the road doing LIVE broadcasts from major events. Our acclaimed interview show of The Voice Vs will have some guests that will get fans excited throughout the summer

Would you care to offer any parting words for our readers and the HDNet Fight fans in Texas and beyond?

Support Legacy Fighting Championship on July 22 and let me know what you think of the broadcast. You can reach me @andrewhdnet on Twitter.

FIVE MINUTE Q&A

hdnet ceo tAlkS mmA

By Mike CaliMBas

Andrew Simon knows what it takes to keep the viewers coming back. He has been creating the winning formula with HDNet since 2007


As the main event of the Legacy Fighting Championship’s July 22nd debut on HDNet, Carlo Prater versus Cameron Dollar will feature two world-class level athletes with impressive resumes battling it out for the right to see who gets to propel their career forward.

As the Texas representative in this fight, most astute MMA fans in the Lonestar State know of Prater’s exploits throughout the years, from his early days fighting in Houston’s “No-Holds-Barred” scene to his more recent victories fighting in Strikeforce and promotions around the globe. Indeed for Carlo, this return to fight at the Legacy main event will very much be a welcomed homecoming to Houston.

But how much do you know much about his opponent, Cameron Dollar?

Fighting since 2007, Cameron “Money Man” Dollar is best-known around MMA circles for his stint on season 9 of the Ultimate Fighter reality show that pit the best up-and-comers in the United States versus their counterparts from the United Kingdom. Winning his first two fights on the show, Dollar did well before ultimately losing to eventually finalist Andre Winner in the semi-finals. Since the show and leaving the UFC, Dollar has been on a tear, winning his past five fights including two against fellow UFC veterans Alvin Robinson and Kit Cope on the way to his Legacy showdown versus Carlo Prater.

With such impressive victories behind him, one would think Dollar has spent his entire life training and fighting MMA but that is far from the truth. In fact, he didn’t even

know much about the UFC or how big ‘fighting’ had become as a sport until about five years ago.

Living in Colorado at the time (where he still lives and trains), Dollar recalled a story on how he got into the sport…

“One reason I got into fighting MMA was because of some dude that I knew from high school hitting on my girlfriend,” he said matter-of-factly. “I was eighteen and right out of high school when I heard this guy’s name on the radio... ‘Come check out local bad boy <name redacted> fight at Friday Night Fights!’ they said on the commercial. So I did exactly that. I went out there to fight this dude but I ended up not being able to fight him because he was two weight classes heavier than I was. I was so angry I told them to put me up against anybody anyways. It turns out that I did pretty well. I didn’t even know you trained for this stuff. I just did it out of pure anger and hatred from just getting out of high school, working a nine-to-five, living on my own, and barely being able to make ends meet. I just had so much built up anger that I wanted to fight all the time and take it out on somebody so I kept doing wanting to fight.”

It was after that experience that Cameron Dollar embarked on his quest to fight for a living, forgoing college to make a go at MMA and eventually landing on the Ultimate Fighter reality show.

“It was an awesome experience,” he says about his stint on TUF. “It showed me how serious you need to be if you want to be a champion and not just some weekend

warrior or somebody that wants to fight once a month or whatever. It showed me that you need to approach this like a champion and eat like a champion and take care of yourself like a champion. You know what I mean? You definitely have to be focused on strictly fighting if this is what you want your career path to be. You can really accomplish your dreams if you set yourself to it. You may not know exactly what all the steps are but if you live every day like you’re going to get it, it’ll come to you.”

With his own dreams in mind, Dollar has been training like a madman in the high-altitude of Colorado Springs with the likes of Olympic-level wrestlers such as Ramico Blackmon at Altitude MMA. According to him, it’s that training high up in the thin that will prove to be the difference in the Legacy FC main event.

“I think he’s a very tough opponent, maybe one of my toughest so far,” Cameron says about his Legacy opponent Carlo Prater. “He has my respect and I’m training hard. He’s about the same build as me with long arms and legs and he’s explosive. He’s the real deal, not some trendy wannabe fighter. He ended his last two fights in the first round with an anaconda choke and a rear-naked choke so I’m looking at him like he’s going to be ready to go and I’ll ready for hm. I think this fight is going to come down to who has better cardio, who wants it more, and who has more heart.”

Who’s going to win this main event? Will it be the Houstonian Carlo Prater or Colorado’s Cameron Dollar? Buy your ticket today and find out on July 22nd at the Houston Arena Theater!

FIGHTER PROFILE

cAmeron dollAr reAdy for mAin eventBy Mike CaliMBas


Just as Texas hits triple digits and your shirt gets drenched because you rolled down the window at the drive-thru, it’s time to spend a couple hours in the heavenly air conditioning of the movies. That’s what summer movies are about, cooling off, having fun, and beholding the spectacle of blockbusters. Lucky for us, this summer promises a new high-octane popcorn flick every week.

July 1: Transformers: Dark of the Moon. I’d be lying if I said I was interested in a Transformers movie, but they have their charms. You know exactly what you’re getting with a Michael Bay explosion extravaganza, and this one takes the usual formula and fits it into a fun space race plot based on a silly Apollo-era conspiracy about a secret moon-based Transformer. Those going to ogle Megan Fox will be disappointed to find the opinionated starlet has been recast, but newcomer Rosie Huntington-Whiteley looks like she studied at the Fox School of Acting for Maxim, so prepare to meet your next cover girl.

July 8: Zookeeper and Horrible Bosses. No action this week—smart not to compete with Transformers—but instead we get two comedies, both questionable. Zookeeper is a Dr. Doolittle story with Kevin James that looks exactly as good as his other films (Paul Blart: Mall Cop, Grown Ups), only it stars the terrific Rosario Dawson, so who knows? Horrible Bosses has the opposite problem. This story of three guys trying to kill their bosses has all the right credentials (Jason Bateman, Jason Sudeikis, Charlie Day, Colin Farrell with a hairpiece), but looks like much less than the sum of its parts.

July 15: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2. The teen wizard adventure finally comes to an end, bringing its armies of characters together with a bang at the Battle of Hogwarts. Fans of the book know what to expect—colorful spells, character deaths, and the final showdown between Harry and Voldemort—and the trailer looks to deliver the epic spectacle we’ve all been waiting for.

July 22: Captain America: The First Avenger. Chris Evans gives us our final superhero film of summer as the scrawny ‘40s kid injected with some serum to become the inflatable Captain America making the world safe from Nazis. The period design looks fun, the plot looks suitably pulpy, and Evans has the physique and sense of humor to pull it off. That said, the last good Marvel superhero film was Iron Man in 2008, the last origin story anyone cared about was Batman

Begins in 2005, and the last good film by Joe Johnston (The Wolf-Man, Jurassic park III, Jumanji) was never.

July 29: Cowboys & Aliens. Daniel Craig plays an amnesiac in a western town with Sheriff Harrison Ford and saloon girl Olivia Wilde, and then aliens attack. Written by the team who rebooted Star Trek and directed by the guy who brought us Iron Man, Cowboys & Aliens has so much potential it can’t help but disappoint. But expect a fun little action film with creative genre touches, and it may well be the film of summer.

Aug 5: Rise of the Planet of the Apes. All the real summer flicks debut in June and July, so August kicks off with James Franco’s Apes-saga prequel. On the bright side, it looks hilarious, and the ape effects by Weta (Lord of the Rings) might be worth the ticket alone.

Aug 12: Final Destination 5. Surprise! 2009’s The Final Destination was not, in fact, the final destination for this deadly Rube Goldberg franchise. The saving grace is that the series knows how ridiculous it is, making these flicks fun, inventive little time-wasters perfect for horror fans.

Aug 17: Conan the Barbarian. I’d be skeptical of this ‘80s He-Man-story, 300-style reboot, but the trailer looks exactly as preposterous as it should, winking without batting an eye. Jason Momoa gives such a rich, muscular performance in HBO’s Game of Thrones that the only person I’d rather see in the title role is Conan O’Brien.

Aug 26: Colombiana. At last, a female action star, Zoe Saldana as an assassin tracking down the people who killed her parents. Saldana is so much better than the franchise constraints she’s been stuck with (especially the Avatar CGI that covered up an expressive performance), and unlike The Mechanic, Colombiana has that gritty pulp vibe without all the brooding angst.

Sept. 9: Warrior. I know it’s not a summer film, but a week later comes a genuine MMA movie starring Tom Hardy (Inception, the upcoming The Dark Knight Rises) as a boxer training for an MMA tournament where he ends up facing his brother. It’s not a sports movie without some weepy inspiration, but at least Warrior will feature creative martial arts sequences by athletic performers up on the big screen.

By BranDon nowalk


When it comes to big fights in the Legacy Fighting Championship, one can say with absolute certainty that no fighter has won as many of them in the past year as IV Ounce Fighter Daniel “The Pit” Pineda.

Starting in July 2010, Pineda embarked on a quest to glory when he took on then-featherweight champion Rey Trujillo. Facing “Tru the Champ” at a time when Rey was known around the city for brutalizing his opponents, Pineda went into the bout undaunted and won in thrilling fashion, submitting Trujillo via rear-naked-choke to take home the victory and his first Legacy title.

Not stopping there, Daniel Pineda next took on Levi Forrest, then the Legacy welterweight champion. With Pineda stepping up in weight from 145 and Forrest dropping down from 170, the two would meet in the middle for a lightweight super fight in January 2011. With the odds against him once more, “The Pit” once again showed notice as he defeated his larger opponent with a heel hook in round one of yet another dominating performance.

Seeking the trifecta against title holders, Daniel’s next fight would be his toughest yet against undefeated lightweight champion Ray Blodget, a well-rounded specimen known for being a tough and gritty fighter. Quitting his day job as a construction manager prior to the fight, Pineda focused all his energy into winning the bout and his second Legacy title. What resulted from that commitment was his most devastating performance yet when he finished his opponent by TKO in yet another first round victory.

Beating three champions in three consecutive fights, Pineda now stands alone as the most dominant fighter in the Legacy Fighting Championship.

Continuing on, Daniel will now take on his biggest challenge yet on July 22nd as he matches up against 10-3 veteran Frank Gomez LIVE on HDNet. Coming off a two fight winning streak of his own and submitting Houston fighter Tim Snyder in the process, the Greg Jackson-trained assassin possesses many of the same skills as Houston’s Daniel Pineda - dominant wrestling, a willingness to trade punches, and most of all an iron chin coupled with an indomitable spirit. It is be safe to say that Frank Gomez may be Daniel’s biggest test yet.

We recently spoke to Daniel Pineda to get his thoughts on the upcoming fight.

Q: Daniel, you’ve now beaten three Legacy FC champions in row on your way to June 22nd. How are you feeling heading up to your fight with Frank Gomez?

A: I’m feeling good. I think this is going to be one of the toughest fights yet because he (Frank Gomez) has been up there where I want to be at. I think it’ll be a good fight but I’m confident with this fight. I think he’s good at the same things that I am good at so it should be interesting.

Q: How have you improved as a fighter in the last year after facing Trujillo, Forrest, and Blodget?

A: Honestly, I’m not afraid to throw down anymore. I’m not afraid to get punched and I’m feeling comfortable everywhere, whether it’s standing or on the ground. I’ve got Renan (Chavez) as my jiu-jitsu trainer now from here on out. I’m feeling comfortable. I’m feeling really good for this fight.

FIGHTER PROFILE

dAniel “the pit” pinedA prepAreS for next fightPineda talks about upcoming fight with Frank Gomez live on HDNet on July 22nd.



I’m not afraid to throw down anymore. I’m not afraid to get punched and I am feeling comfortable anywhere.

Q: Which of your last three wins are you most proud of?

A: Man, I’m proud of all three of them to be honest. I guess beating Blodget was the one that means the most because that was my second belt. That was when everybody was talking about me becoming one of the most recognized or dominant fighters in Texas if I won so that’s one that I really wanted.

Q: As far as Frank Gomez, you say you guys have similar strengths. How do you plan on fighting a fighter like him?

A: His strong point is wrestling. That’s my strong point also. We’re both good on the ground but honestly, I’m going to go in there and try to knock his ass out, you know. I’m going to try and do the same thing I did to Blodget and try to get him out of there in the first round.

Q: If you succeed, do you have any plans as far as who you want to take on next?

A: Honestly, I don’t know. I’ve got to get rid of Frank Gomez first.

Q: What’s your typical schedule on a day to day basis getting ready for this fight?

A: Well, I wake up at 8AM and I have to be there to train jiu-jitsu at 9AM. Then at 10AM to 11:30AM, I’ve got Muay Thai. I come home and rest afterwards but I start getting ready again at 4PM and from 5PM to about 8PM, I’m training Muay Thai and sparring. It doesn’t stop.

Q: What part of training do you love and hate the most?

A: I hate the gi. <laughs> I really hate it but I know I need to do it. I want to get belted before this fight. That’s my goal, to be a purple belt before this fight. As far as what I love, well I love sparring. I just loving mixing it up so that’s my favorite part of training.

Q: How does your wife feel about you being a fighter and having such a busy schedule?

A: Oh man, she hates it! She definitely hates it but she knows it’s what I have to do to pay the bills, especially since I quit my job to train for the last fight. I don’t work now, all I do is train. This is my job.

Q: What message do you have for our fans prior to your fight at Legacy on HDNet?

A: Everybody just make sure you get there. It’ll be an amazing fight! Hopefully I get rid of Gomez in the first round but if not, it’s going to be a war. I’m preparing for five 5-minute rounds so make sure you show up and thanks for supporting me.

www.LegacyFights.tv Jan-Mar LEGACY - MMA Lifestyle | 35

for places in the country--don’t seem to capture any real essence of the places they’re named after. No cows mooing in “Amarillo”, no rusting factories rotting away in “Detroit”, no wind or verticality in “Shy Town” (a lesser-known nickname for Chicago).

Only “California and the Slipping of the Sun”, in its wistful atmosphere of lethargic organs and Albarn’s droning voice drowning in a synthesized smog suggests the Golden State sun setting.

The road Gorillaz traveled on this album is certainly inward, not outward. The landscapes and cities of America are in the backseat of this road trip album. It seems another affect of being on the road takes the wheel in this conceptual voyage.

It’s that feeling of fogginess you get from passing through numerous places without ever stopping long enough to figure them clearly in your mind; the

fatigued sentiment of road weariness, of the mundane transactions of checking in and out of hotel rooms, of unpacking and repacking your bags, of watching the world pass by in an immaterial blur through the car window. And like the streaming blur out the window, nothing on this album really captures your attention. You almost wish they would have pulled over long enough to reflect for a

minute. But these songs just amble along listlessly from one place to another. Gorillaz have humored the idea of a physical release of The Fall in coming months. But why bother with the repackaging of a mediocre album when people can download it for free?

continued from pg 40


In one of the more anticipated appearances on the upcoming July 22nd card o HDNet, UFC Veteran Pete Spratt will make his Legacy FC debut against Antonio “King Kong” Flores, who will also make his long-awaited debut for the promotion. It took awhile to arrive at this matchup as “The Secret Weapon” was originally set to fight Mike “The Greek” Bronzoulis then Brian Melancon before both fighters were forced to move on as a condition of their newly-minted contracts with Strikeforce. While those two would certainly have made worthy opponents for Spratt, Legacy fans may get the most exciting pairing yet with the matching of “King Kong” with “The Secret Weapon.” For those of you that have never seen Antonio Flores fight, let’s fill you in on this man’s style and capabilities.First of all, it has been said that’s he’s a light-heavyweight fighter trapped in the welterweight class. By that, people mean that he’s far bigger than most in his division with power unmatched by most in the same category. Although he is a BJJ brown belt under the notorious “Crazy” Dave Phillips, Flores has always relied more on knocking his opponents out in all of his fights. In fact, four out of his five wins have come by KO/TKO and they’re usually of the devastating variety. Simply put, they do not call him “King Kong” for no reason and he won’t be seen jumping guard or beckoning his opponent to the ground anytime soon. The way he approaches fights is with the sole intention of knocking his opponents out. Take that statement to the bank.Now let’s talk briefly about Pete “The Secret Weapon” Spratt.As a pioneer of the Texas MMA scene, Pete has been fighting since 1999, eventually making his way from the regional circuit to the Ultimate Fighting Championship where he made his bones by chopping down “Ruthless” Robbie Lawler at a time when Lawler was considered one of the top prospects in all of MMA. Spratt would then go on to fight the best in the world in Chris Lytle, Josh Koscheck, Georges St. Pierre, and many more as part of his storied career. With over eight appearances fighting on HDNet alone, Pete Spratt should be well known to fans in attendance and those watching on Friday Night Fights come fight night.So what should fans expect in this matchup?That answer is simple. Fireworks. We may not have gotten them on the Fourth of July this year but rest assured that we’ll get them on July 22nd at the Houston Arena Theater. Reason why? It’s almost guaranteed that neither of these fighters will be looking to take the fight to the ground or slow the action down in any way. Pete Spratt has long been known primarily as a Muay Thai fighter while Antonio Flores is also a kickboxer who covets the knockout every time he takes the cage. Rest assured these two will go at it until one of them falls down. Moral of the Story - Don’t blink when these two hit the cage. You may just see your next welterweight championship contender when all is said and done.

FIGHT PREVIEW

SprAtt vS. floreSBy Mike CaliMBas


If you didn’t make out to the May 14 Legacy Amateur Series card, you missed one hell of a show. Most people in the building had the same (or similar) comment, “It’s like watching a pro show.”

The caliber of talent that makes up the current crop of amateur fighting in Houston is amazing, and Legacy was more than happy to showcase them to the city. The card was packed with 12 fights, and even though the scheduled main event featuring Levi West was cancelled, the new main event featuring Manny Lozoya (Bushi Ban) and David Armas (Silverback Fight Club) did not dissapoint. The fight ended after three rounds, a Texas Department of Licensing and Regulations (TDLR) official decsion, not that of the promotion. This early ending seemed to confuse many at cage side, including the fighters, but once it was worked out it was Lozoya besting Armas in the contest via unanimous decision. The win earned Lozoy the Legacy Amateur Series 135lb Bantamweight title.

Other action on the night included a whirlwind performance by another Bushi Ban fighter, Monica Earnshaw. Earnshaw was facing Tina Gomez out of Submission Boxing in the only female bout on the card. Earnshaw got mount early in the fight and would hold the postion and pummel Gomez for several minutes, forcing referee Kevin Hancock to step in and stop the fight.

Submission of the night honors went to Tucker Dierksheide (Death Row MMA).

Dierksheide was making his amateur debut against John Rodriguez. Dierksheide would eventually cath Rodriguez in a pretty nast darce choke and finish the fight in the 1st round.

Fight of the night went to Ricky Turcios (Gracie Barra The Woodlands) and Hugo De La Fuente (Bushi Ban). Turcious was making his MMA debut after having had several fights as an amateur Muay Thai fighter, including winning a couple of IKF national championships. The first round was back and forth and De La Fuente would drop Turcios with a stiff right cross, but as he went to take his back Turcious would recover and sneak out the back door. Round two was just as busy as round one, but we got to see Turcios work from his back this time. He showed a very active guard while on the mat. The majority of round three would be fought on the ground, where Turcios would eventually get mount and deliver a steady dose of ground and pound, eventually winning the fight via TKO (referee stoppage)

One storyline that came out of the evening of fights was the unforgettable face-off between Kevin Thomas (4oz Fight Club) and Levi West (Tooke MMA). It started off like a normal face-off but then Thomas appeared to touch West on the chin, causing west to grab Thomas’s wrist. Both guys then got nose to nose and had to be separated in the cage. This fight will be your main event for the July 28 Legacy Amateur series card at the House of blue and after weeks of trash talk from both fighters, it should be nothing short of outstanding!

FIGHT REVIEW

legAcy’S mAy 14 AmAteur cArd reviewLegacy fighters put on a spectacle for the May 14 card. Barry Laminack, from cagedoor.net breaks it down for us.

By Barry laMinaCk (CageDoor.neT)


FIGHTER PROFILE

robichAux mAkeS legAcy return By Mike CaliMBasPhotos by Justin trapp

As a decorated war veteran and leader of Gracie Barra’s North Houston academies, Chad Robichaux has been one of the most recognizable figures on the Houston MMA scene in recent years. Using his position as a fighter and instructor as a platform, Chad has taken it upon himself to educate people about the sport and contribute to veteran charities while making his own way up in the world of MMA.

The last time he fought for the Legacy Fighting Championship, “Robo” won the promotion’s inaugural bantamweight title in dominating fashion over Lewis McKenzie. That fight remains one of the most electric performances in the promotions’ history, evident by the large pop generated before, during, and after Robo’s win throughout the Arena Theater crowd

Since winning that title, Chad has spent much of his time training his own stable of up-and-coming fighters and building his academies but he’s never stopped improving his own all-around skills while testing himself against the best fighters in the world.


“I feel I am an entirely new fighter; stronger, faster, and more technically well-rounded,” Chad says about the improvements he’s made since his last appearance at Legacy FC. “I am so blessed to have a full staff in each discipline; guys like Todd Moore, Draculino, Ratinho, Matt Wald, Kru Ali, Jody Tranthom, and Kody Williams. They have me working so hard and I am learning and improving each day.”

On July 22nd, Robichaux will look to showcase his improvements on the main card of Legacy FC’s debut show for HDNet Fights when he takes on Louisiana native Jonathan Mackles, a fellow Bellator veteran with a 9-2 record.

According to Chad, he’s excited to make his return to the organization at a time when Legacy is growing and set to debut on national television. In fact, he thinks the timing of this event is perfect for him to showcase his own growth as a competitor against a tough opponent in “The Mack Attack.”

“Jonathan (Mackles) is a tough guy. He’s got good hands, solid submissions, and he comes to fight in tremendous condition. He has a big heart when he’s in the cage. I know he always brings it bell-to-bell but he is fighting me a bad time and I’m going to run through him. I know he’ll be ready but I’ll be even more ready. It will be an exciting bout for sure but don’t expect it to last long!”

This fight will be dedicated to our heroes and wounded warriors in the military who fought for our freedom. I will be working with Soldiers’ Angels and Tapout Magazine to support these guys.

Legacy President Mick Maynard was kind enough to donate 10 seats to the event for wounded vets in recovery who will be brought to watch me fight on July 22nd by Soldiers’ Angels. For all our fans out there, make sure everyone goes by and says hello to these heroes and thanks them for their sacrifice. These guys are freaking warriors and heroes! You can never imagine how much a handshake and a thank you from a stranger can mean to these guys. See you on the 22nd!”

Robichaux returns to Legacy Fighting Championship to face off against Jonathan “The Mack Attack” Mackles on July 22nd. The fight will be shown live on HDNet.


prAter tAkeS hiS cAreer full circle

When it comes to all the fighters that have ever come out of the city of Houston, few can count themselves as seasoned and well-traveled as Carlo “Neo” Prater. Starting his career in the early days of Texas mixed martial arts, before the sport in its current form was even legal, Carlo fought during a time when fighting with gloves wasn’t even an option and the sport was called “no-hold-barred” as opposed to MMA.

Growing with the sport of MMA and becoming one of the very best fighters to come out of the state of Texas, Carlo has fought all over the world since those early days, appearance on cards everywhere from his native Brazil to Sweden.

Taking his fighting career full circle, Carlo will now make his return to Houston on July 22nd when he makes his debut for the Legacy Fighting Championship.“It’s a very satisfying feeling to fight in such a great place like Houston, Carlo told us from his current home in Brasilia, Brazil.

“Houston is where I started fighting MMA professionally, where I had the bulk of my formative training, and where I have lots of history. I have literally hundreds of friends and fans that will be counting on me to be my best on the 22nd. I am really excited about the opportunity.”

Looking forward to his upcoming fight, Carlo excited not just to be coming back to his home away from home, but also to finally fight for Legacy FC.

“I have been to a couple of Legacy shows, cornering training partners and the like, and I have always wanted to be a part of the Legacy promotion,” Carlo says. “It seems like the sky is the limit for Legacy, now that they have partnered up with HDnet.“

On July 22nd, Carlo will be fighting in the main event of the inaugural Legacy FC card to air live on HDNet’s Friday night fights when he takes on former Ultimate Fighter semi-finalist Cameron Dollar. As far as matchups go, Carlo will have his work cut out for him against his highly-touted opponent from Colorado. Cam-eron is entering this Legacy bout looking for his sixth win in a row after beating several UFC veterans. He’s also known for being somewhat of a beast on the ground and also for being a well-rounded fighter, something Carlo acknowl-edges yet isn’t worried about.

“Cameron seems like a very well-versed opponent. He’s very experienced. He’s fought in the big show and has good skill but he is no Knee-O… I’m not worried about anything he can do. I am worried about preparing myself. That’s all I focus on.”

Prater wants to make sure his fans know how he feels about them.

“I appreciate all the love, support and genuine interest that I get from folks down in H-Town. I love the H as my second home and I look forward to providing all of my peeps with an incredible display of ultra-violence. I love you all! Hit me up on Facebook on www.carloprater.com. You can also stop by Metro Fight Club as well. Tell Saul that Knee-O sent ya!”

FIGHTER PROFILE



“Amid the post-war boom of Hollywood’s Golden Age, Cole Phelps is an LAPD detective thrown headfirst into a city drowning in its own success. Corruption is rampant, the drug trade is exploding, and murder rates are at an all-time high. In his fight to climb the ranks and do what’s right, Phelps must unravel the truth behind a string of arson attacks, racketeering conspiracies and brutal murders, battling the L.A. underworld and even members of his own department to uncover a secret that could shake the city to its rotten core.”With the above synopsis of their latest release, Rockstar Games is at it again with the crime epic L.A. Noire. Blurring the lines between thrilling movie and interactive gaming experience, L.A. Noire offers a sprawling, adventurous world much along the same lines of the Grand Theft Auto series and other games like it. The differentiating factor with this release is in the technology. L.A. Noire uses a new MotionScan system that revolutionizes the amount of detail in the game. From facial expressions to all the other little things, the developers spared no expense in covering every nuance to create realism. As for the storyline, L.A. Noire is broken up into seventeen vignettes, each focusing on a single case file you have to pass before getting to the next. In between, the ability to work additional cases (arson, homicide, etc.) intertwined with the main storyline adds value to the game’s narrative arc.The action takes place in a detailed environment that allows players the pleasure to appreciate the game’s interpretation of 1947 Los Angeles. While there is some ability to free-roam around the city, this game is not as free flowing as other Rockstar titles like Grand Theft Auto or Red Dead Redemption.The main difference between that separates this title from GTA is that L.A. Noire is more of a thinking man’s game, focused on sleuthing and good old-fashioned police work as opposed to shooting up everything in sight. The game provides a methodical experience, where the impetus is on investigating crime scenes for evidence, building a case, and eventually catching the collar. Bottom line, the focus is very much on the main story and in this case, it works.L.A. Noire is centered on the career of LAPD Detective Cole Phelps. As the detective, gamers will spend the majority of their time in between cut-scenes driving from crime scene to crime scene, examining the evidence, and following the resulting leads to the next step of the game.It’s through this experience coupled with the game’s technology that the real guess work is done. You’ll have to play the part of an expert poker player in that you’ll be reading facial responses and other tells in order to help decide how to question your suspects. From there, you’ll have to mark their responses as truthful, doubtful, or flat-out lying. It’s through this thought process that you earn experience points and the game develops as your own personal experience with every single case.L.A. Noire is a game with plenty of depth, a rich and compelling story, and a unique gamer experience. It’s not just the latest rendition of the usual thing. Rockstar was bold in delivering a game that blends the positive aspects of your GTA-type of game with a more methodical thinking man’s experience. Overall, L.A. Noire provides an authentic rendition of 1940’s culture coupled with solving the crimes of the time, groundbreaking use of motion capture technology, a compelling style of game play, and a memorable story arch with great action sequences. I’d give this game a 9/10.

By Mike CaliMBas


MUSIC SPOTLIGHT

my morning JAcket: circuitAlBy CHris ZeBo

My Morning Jacket released their sixth full-length album, Circuital, on May 31 after writing and touring for three years since their last release, Evil Urges, in 2008. The quintet out of Louisville, Kentucky recorded the ten songs on the new album in a church gymnasium, and in the first week of sales, they reportedly sold 55,000 copies and debuted at number 5 on the Billboard 200. Not bad for a band that’s still relatively underappreciated and still--after 13 years of writing music--in the process of defining itself, with numerous personnel changes and even more changes to their sound.

Critics often cite Z, the band’s fourth record, released in 2005, as the group’s “breaking out” album. And from a certain perspective, that’s true. For the mainstream media, Z was the first of the band’s most accessible sounding releases, with songs that embraced the new indie pop revolution that was driving the struggling recording industry off the curb and onto the street again.

But if there were ever an album that best defined the core of this band’s musical legacy, it would have to be their release just before Z, 2003’s It Still Moves.

It Still Moves established a sound for My Morning Jacket that was both unique and yet strangely familiar at the same time. The band’s genius on that album was their ability to retrofit worn-out sounds from the past--and ones that


seemingly didn’t pair well together--in new ways that hadn’t been imagined before. In “I Will Sing You Songs,” for example, a seminal 9:19-long slow jam, the band weaved threads of Pink Floyd, Neil Young, Fleetwood Mac and the soulful crooning of Curtis Mayfield into the contemporary indie music fabric.

They resuscitated the trippy hippy music of the sixties--and even long dead genres, like easy music circa 1975--and refashioned it in ways that were not only new and refreshing but also palatable to new audiences (especially born into the ’90s).

Other songs from It Still Moves, like “Easy Morning Rebel,” took classic southern rock, like Creedence and the Allman Brothers, and breathed new life into what had become a genre listened to more for nostalgia and its status for being “classic.”

They pulled off quite a magical feat, something every great band in history has done--digging up the roots of the country’s music and re-planting them in modern day soil.

After It Still Moves, something happened on the band’s next two albums to slowly wash away that genius, as the band was sucked into the undertow of the contemporary sounds around them. The organic feeling of It Still Moves and the old-fashioned-but-forward-thinking musicianship of that album gets

lost often on V and 2008’s Evil Urges.

On Evil Urges, the first track (and title song) must have shocked fans out of their earbuds--especially fans used to the signature sound established on It Still Moves.

The most startling change was that singer Jim James traded in his trademark pitch-perfect voice (he sounds like a younger Young) for--of all people--a less sultry-sounding Prince in some songs. Something was terribly awry.

Aside from a few throwbacks to their older sound, like “Thank You Too!” and “Look at You,” Evil Urges made it apparent that My Morning Jacket had embraced a new direction, leaving many to speculate about what could possibly come next.

Circuital answered those questions last month. On this 10-song release, the band goes back to their roots and also delves into the pop indie soundscape--even bridging the divide between both impulses in some songs. In “Victory Dance,” for example, the track opens sounding like the eerie backdrop music for an outer space film from the sixties, with their Pink Floyd tendencies up front.

But as the song progresses, ‘80s pop makes its way into the track--a musical era currently being recycled

by indie bands from MGMT to Arcade Fire.

The next and title track, “Circuital,” opens with synthesizers that make you feel like you’re walking through a dim-lit Creatures of the Deep exhibit at the aquarium. As the jaunting mysteriousness evolves, you begin to hear a strong Radiohead influence--post Kid A Radiohead--that surprisingly departs into a straight-ahead, rambling southern rock song The juxtapositions sound strange, but they work!

“Outta My System” sounds like something straight off a Ramones album (if they were still writing music today) and “Wonderful (The Way I Feel)” is a gem of a folk number, with country-fried lap steel painting the song’s backdrop. The steel guitar plays prominently and up front in almost every track on this album, something that sets this release apart from others in the band’s catalogue.

From song to song, you get the standard My Morning Jacket experience: Each track challenges your reflexes and expectations. In this regard, Circuital is a new step in an old direction.

Whether you’re a fan of older MMJ or post-It-Still-Moves MMJ, there is something for you on this album--even something unexpected for both new and old fans.

30 | LEGACY - MMA Lifestyle Jan-Mar www.LegacyFights.tv

GhettoFishinAD.indd 1 1/17/2011 9:48:09 PM

to recruit (activate) powerful motor units. For this reason, you should avoid training to failure on a regular basis. The goal of training is not to completely exhaust the CNS. A fighter has more pertinent matters to tend to such as skill work and conditioning. Consider an automobile engine for a real world example. If you allow your car to overheat every time that you drive, you will eventually blow the engine. You cannot drive full speed all the time without wear and tear on the engine. This simple analogy also applies to the body. Train for strength improvements, not failure.

12. A Supplement, Not a Replacement

As mentioned before, but worth repeating, strength training is a small supplement to a much more diverse training program. Much of a fighter's time must be spent training for his specific event. Examples include sparring, hitting the bag, working one-on-one with your coach, partner drills, conditioning workouts, etc.

The strength workouts are just a small piece of the puzzle. Most fighters do not need more than 2 to 3 brief strength workouts per week. Once again, the focus is always quality over quantity.

13. Forget The Tool

Many trainers despise free weight training, yet preach the importance of bodyweight

exercise. Others consider bodyweight exercise limited and ineffective, thus limit their training arsenal to weighted resistance work. Do not fall into this narrow minded trap. Remain open to new ideas and new training modalities. Many fighters have excelled with nothing more than bodyweight exercise. Others have successfully implemented free weight training. What does this tell us?

The answer is simple. Both methods can prove beneficial if used properly. Consider the recent bout between Bernard Hopkins and Antonio Tarver. Bernard's performance clearly illustrated the potential of a properly designed strength program. Bernard Hopkins moved up 15 pounds to face Tarver at light heavyweight. Despite the added mass, Bernard was a stronger and more active fighter than he had been in recent bouts. His newfound physique did not impede his performance.

Archaic statements such as, "Weights will hinder endurance" or "Weights will hinder speed" were put to rest by Bernhard Hopkins. His dominant performance on national television has debunked all of the myths that strength training cannot be successfully implemented into a fighter's training program.

14. "Weights Are Bad"

I often heard trainers of the fight game suggest that weights are bad. But what

constitutes a weight? Does swinging a weighted sledgehammer for a conditioning drill count as weight training? Do inclined sit-ups with added weight count as weight training? How about pull-ups while wearing a weighted vest? Where do we draw the line?

The lesson to be learned is simple. Don't become hung up on the tool (free weights) or lack of a tool (bodyweight). Target specific objectives and choose the most appropriate and readily available methods. For example, one may use plyometric pushups to develop explosive strength in the upper body. Another athlete may use free weights via the dynamic effort (ie. lifting a nonmaximal load with the highest attainable speed). Each movement will enhance the explosive strength of the athlete. Don't waste time arguing over which method is right and which is wrong. Incorporate variety into your plan. Do not focus on one exercise or methodology. Incorporate variety into your strength program to elicit the greatest (long term) results.

15. Bodyweight Exercise Is Excellent

Let it be known that bodyweight exercise can be used to effectively develop EACH strength quality. Although much of this article has referenced free weights, many world champions became world champions without ever touching a free weight. Do not allow anyone to convince you that bodyweight exercise is ineffective.

Bodyweight exercise can be made as difficult and effective as any other method of training. A simple display of gymnastics is living proof of this statement. There are bodyweight movements ideal for conditioning, explosive strength, and max-strength. Once again, the modality that you choose is simply a means to an end. Potential Problems With Strength Training

Thus far, we've established that strength training can be useful. Unfortunately, this is not always the case. There are several potential problems associated with strength training.

Many athletes become obsessed with weight room numbers. They focus too much attention towards the weight room. Rather than improving as a fighter, their focus shifts towards improving as a weight lifter. They become more interested in lifting 10 more pounds, as opposed to throwing 10 more punches per round.

You will not learn how to fight in the weight room. You will not earn any points with the judges by boasting of an impressive bench press. No matter what you do in training, it must contribute to your improvement as an athlete. If your strength program does not offer specific results, it is not worth your time and energy. Remember, the goal of any combat sport is to defeat your opponent, not to lift the greatest load in the weight room.


Angelica hernandezAngelica hernandezring girl

Q - How did you get your start as a ring girl?A - Well I got the job through my job at Hooters. My manager knew what a big fan of MMA I am, suggested that I give ring carding a try to see the action up close! Turns out they were right and I LOVE IT!!

Q - What do you like to wear when you’re not working? A - I’m definitely a laid back jeans and t-shirt kind of girl. But in this 100 degree Houston weather I take full advantage of being able to wear shorts, tank tops and Bikinis when I get time to lounge by the pool.

Q - What are your workouts like? A - Well I work out consistently every week every day with Wednesday and Sunday being my off days. I have the blessing of having an amazing personal trainer I like to call my boyfriend that whips my butt into shape in the gym! My favorite body part to work out would be my legs and butt!

Q - Have you ever trained MMA?A - Actually I have! My sophmore year in high school i was introduced to Tony from Silverback mma and loved it right away! I trained there for about 6 months.

Q - What do you look for in a guy?A - I definitely go for the guys that are rough around the edges but deep down are a sweetheart and are always down to be silly like me. He definitely has to be able to make me laugh. Look wise I love a guy with big muscles, tattoos and can rock a feaux hawk. Most of all I just love a guy who loves me the way I am and will just be there for me no matter what.

Q - Men yelling things at you from the crowd-does that make you want to go out with a guy?A - In all honesty, sorry guys, thank you for the compliments they are greatly appreciated but no thank you lol. Guys screaming things at us from a crowd is nice because we feel the energy that we are bringing to the crowd but it will definitely not make us want to go out with you. I absolutely love the fans of legacy and love the energy you all bring to the fights so just keep on doing that and supporting us ring girls!!

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