A novice fight fan reflects on the unexpected challenges of MMA tournaments

By Angela Blue

The florescent lights showered the room as fans eagerly bought their tickets and found seats to coincide with the color of their wristbands. There were mixed feelings of excitement and nervousness as the first two opponents entered the room followed by their individual parade of supporters. From that moment on, all eyes were fixed on the cage in the center of the room.

Having never been to a cage fight, I wasn’t sure what to expect when I entered the Khedive Temple in Chesapeake on June 6. Surely from what I’d seen on T.V., there would be stare downs, trash talking, and some pretty menacing snarls given by both or either of the fighters before they began pulverizing one another.

However, this wasn’t the case. The fighters seemed to have a certain respect for one another in the cage. When the two grappled for minutes on the floor and finally the bell rang, one fighter would usually help the other back to his feet. Most even hugged after the fight was over, no matter how sweaty or bloody they were and no matter how hard they had just been trying to beat the other one.

As impressed as I was by the fighters bringing their manners with them in the cage, I wasn’t there to act as the Emily Post of cagefighting. I had come to see Brad Smith fight.

Having recently interviewed him, I learned all about how he and his wife Jennifer opened the Winehouse and what an exquisite menu they have, but I was ready to see his other side, his mixed-martial-arts side. He has been training steadily after rupturing some disks in his back, (not related to fighting) and this was going to be his first time fighting again since being couch ridden for months. Was he ready?

Unfortunately I didn’t get to find out.

Sure, I got to see some astonishing feats while I was there, like Chase Delong winning a fight in just 12 seconds by choking the other guy out. However, after intermission when Smith’s name was supposed to be announced to fight against David Fryrear, the names were skipped, and the next fight immediately began.  Fryrear had weighed in, but no one could find him when it came time for him to compete.

It was later discovered that Fryrear had been involved in a car accident after weighing in and leaving the venue. His cell phone was damaged in the accident, so he was unable to call anyone to notify them of his absence.

Elaine Varner, promoter of King of the Ring and Modern Gladiators Fighting Championships, said that this is one of the common things that happen in amateur fights. Professional fights are usually held at or near a large hotel so that fighters don’t have to travel far to get food or anything else they may need.  

Another problem with amateur fighting is the lack of availability of fights. Without the Modern Gladiator program, there wouldn’t be anywhere for MMA fighters to have competitions in Hampton Roads. “Considering a metro area that consists of greater than two million people, that is truly astounding,” Smith said.

Perhaps the lack of programs for MMA fighting is related to the image of the sport. A violent sport can carry the predetermined notion that it doesn’t take much skill to fight or that the fighters are angry looking to take their aggression out. At least these are some of the misconceptions that I had before I learned the truth about martial arts. It takes lots of practice and training both physically and mentally. Character development is one of the most important aspects of the sport. “The reality is that my teammates and opponents alike have 10 times the character than the average person I meet on the street,” Smith said. “Unlike most violent sports, (boxing or football) a fairly high level of intelligence is required to succeed.” Those who have earned a brown or black belt have dedicated years to achieve their accomplishments, and Smith is no different.

Bill Odom, Smith’s trainer at Norfolk Karate Academy said he has a lot of confidence in Smith’s technique. “He’s very fit, and he had a real chance. I had confidence that he could survive if not win.”

Smith said he was extremely disappointed that he didn’t get to fight that night. He was given the option to fight against someone else, but declined because there was a considerable difference in weight class between the two.  

“He was 280 pounds compared to my 199 pounds, and I hadn’t prepared for a 6’5” reach advantage.”

This brings up another misconception that I had about MMA fighters. I had assumed that the main goal of fighting, other than winning, was for the fighter to prove how strong and macho he was. While this may be true for some fighters, Smith doesn’t let pride get in the way of knowing if he should or shouldn’t agree to fight someone.

“I don’t do this because I’m trying to prove how tough I am,” he said.  In the fall he plans to instruct Gracie Jiu-Jitsu at Norfolk Karate Academy, and fighting is part of his preparation to begin teaching. “I am refining my skills as to better my ability to instruct,” Smith said. “Taking unnecessary risks does nothing to accomplish my goal.”

Having goals and always striving to do better are important factors in martial arts. The certificate received by black belt students says,” Beyond the mountain is another mountain.” Odom explained that just because someone has reached an objective, it doesn’t mean they’re done; they still have many mountains to climb. “It’s all about striving to achieve, not the achievement itself,” he said.

Even though Smith didn’t get to participate in this fight, he will reach another mountain. My guess is that he’ll climb right over it and continue on his journey.