MMA Blaster Turns 3!

Thanks everyone for reading! Three years down and plenty more to go. Please bookmark the site, follow and comment.

I want to especially thank fighters Shah Bobonis, Chuck Grigsby, Muhsin Cobbrey, TJ O'Brien, Gerald Harris, Douglas Lima, Larry Landry and Jason Nicholson for interviews and feature stories. If you are a pro fighter looking for some publicity, feel free to email me at mmablaster@gmail.com or hit me up on facebook/mmablaster.

MMA Blaster's top 20 cities for November 2009 through November 2010:

1. London, UK
2. New York, USA
3. Chicago, USA
4. Los Angeles, USA
5. Sydney, AUS
6. Melbourne, AUS
7. San Francisco, USA
8. Houston, USA
9. Toronto, CAN
10. Hamburg, GER
11. Dublin, IRE
12. Manila, PHIL
13. San Diego, USA
14. Las Vegas, USA
15. Los Angeles, USA
16. Calgary, CAN
17. Manchester, UK
18. Honolulu, USA
19. Vancouver, USA
20. Des Moines, USA

2008 Exclusives

Here are some exclusive intervies from 2008.

Chuck Grigsby
http://mmablaster.blogspot.com/2007/12/dreams-goals-dedication-chuck-reverend.html

Muhsin Corbbrey
http://mmablaster.blogspot.com/2008/10/spectacular-muhsin-corbbrey.html

Jason Nicholson
http://mmablaster.blogspot.com/2008/10/never-stop-fighting-jason-nicholson.html

Shah Bobonis
http://mmablaster.blogspot.com/2008/10/hollywood-in-hood.html

Larry Landry
http://mmablaster.blogspot.com/2008/11/lethal-leprechaun-larry-landry.html

Gerald Harris
http://mmablaster.blogspot.com/2009/03/gerald-harris-exclusive-interview.html

http://mmablaster.blogspot.com/2008/07/gerald-harris-update.html

TJ O'Brien and Jesse Lund
http://mmablaster.blogspot.com/2008/01/team-revolutions-tj-obrien-and-jesse.html

Douglas Lima
http://mmablaster.blogspot.com/2008/05/aggressor-douglas-lima.html

ICF Power of Champions Main Card

Story by Joseph Egloff of MMA Blaster

ICF Power of Champions at Parris Island, South Carolina featured a monumental night of fights. They were the first legal mixed martial arts bouts in the state of South Carolina. While the state of South Carolina still bans mma, Parris Island is a federally owned Marine base.

The bouts were fought in a hexagon style cage with a gray floor and black fence. I was seated about five feet from the cage at a table with Marines press and representatives from sponsors Grand Champ MMA and Omega Fightwear.

MAIN CARD

Norman Jones def Justin Granet via TKO(ref stoppage), 3:22 R3 - This fight turned out to be an entertaining fight as Norman Jones(white trunks) and Justin Granet opted to mainly stand and trade. Jones, who is also a pro boxer, had good head movement and occasionally baited Granet in by dropping his hands. Granet was content to throw quite a few leg kicks with most landing with a good snap. The first round was Granet’s best as he came close to getting a rear naked choke and armbar.

The second round saw Jones throwing the better combinations on his feet, finding his rhythm and timing. At this point, Jones was shaking off Granet's leg kicks. Jones was able to land some knees and power punches taking the second round.

In the third, Jones was able to throw Granet to the ground on a couple occasions and effectively used his ground and pound. Jones threw more effective combinations, with blood and sweat popping off Granet after crisp punches. While continuing to pour it on and inflict damage throughout the round, the ref called a stop to the bout.

After the fight I was able to have a couple words with Norman. When asked about Granet’s kicks, he said, “I was like man, stop throwing them kicks, your leg is going to be sore tomorrow.” Norman then proceeded to demonstrate his head movement and a left right combination. Norman is a pretty funny guy.

At weigh-ins I had asked each fighter about pre-fight jitters as each was entering their first pro fight. Norman said, “you gotta have jitters or you aren’t prepared.” Justin, who was extremely calm, stated he just relaxes and takes it easy.

Josh Robertson def. Joe Trevino- 3:07 R1- TKO- These two competitors were the only ones with bad blood during the weigh-ins and press conference. Josh had apparently carried a grudge with Joe after one of Joe’s students pulled out of a fight with him. Joe said he would beat his ass. With all the ill will, I asked Josh if he intended to knock Trevino out. Josh said that he would submit Joe in the first round.

The fight started with Josh quickly getting a takedown and then securing full mount. It seemed that Josh was throwing punches to set up an armbar, or get Joe to roll into a rear naked choke attempt. Trevino didn’t give Josh that opportunity, instead trying only to block the punches. Despite not every punch landing, Trevino just wasn’t doing anything to improve his position. The ref called the stoppage.

The crowd was not at all happy about the stoppage, and it was the only time we heard boo’s all night. If you aren’t improving your position with taking punches for a minute and a half on the ground, usually the ref is calling the fight.

Larry Landry def. Shah Bobonis via sub(rear naked choke), 3:08 R1- TKO- “Hollywood” Shah Bobonis came out dancing to Akon’s, “We Taking Over” looking loose and ready to go in Black Brawl and Maul shorts. The “Lethal Leprechaun” Larry Landry came out to Eminem’s, “Lose Yourself,” and was by far the hometown favorite.

Both fighters were looking to stand and trade in the opening frame. Shah was able to land a perfectly placed spinning backfist, and then threw a high kick that struck Larry’s head. With Shah thinking Larry was dazed, he went to engage again. However, this time as Shah threw a straight right, Larry countered with a right hook.

The hook landed flush to the side of Shah’s temple and dazed him. Larry didn’t waste anytime punching and getting a slam takedown, following it up with more punches before sinking in the rear naked choke. At this point the hometown crowd was going absolutely crazy as Larry had secured the ICF Featherweight Belt in an awesome come from behind victory.

Following the fight, I asked Shah what happened after the high kick landed. He said, “man, I clipped him with the high kick, check out my leg.” Looking down I saw a small cut on Shah’s shin with dried blood. “I never hit anyone like that who didn’t go down.” When asked about the hook, Shah said, “I don’t remember anything after I was hit in the temple. “

A jubilant Larry Landry thanked his wife and kid, as well as Omega Fightwear. “My wife is my number one sponsor,” remarked Larry as he gave her praise for putting up with his lifestyle. I asked Larry about the head kick, and he said, “I wasn’t stunned, it hit me but didn’t stun me.” When asked what punch finished him off Shah, Larry remarked that he countered Shah’s punch with a hook. One thing is for sure, Larry's head is as hard as a rock.

Muhsin Corbbrey def. Jason Nicholson- :28 R1- KO(knee)- Both fighters circled briefly before Muhsin landed a thunderous kick to the thigh of Jason Nicholson that let out a big smack that could be heard throughout the venue. Jason came in to engage throwing his own kick before looking for a takedown. Muhsin used the opportunity to throw a nasty right knee to flush on Jason’s head. Jason went down to the ground and Muhsin followed, but it wasn’t necessary as the ref had already stepped in. Muhsin takes the 155 pound Lightweight Belt.


Muhsin wanted to thank his friend Joey in Iraq as he has been an inspiration in his life. When I asked about what knocked Jason out, Muhsin said, “right knee man, pop” as he mimicked the move he had just thrown to win the ICF Belt.

Jason Nicholson has to be given tremendous credit for taking the fight as many other fighters had turned down the opportunity. Jason engaged with the Elite XC veteran, not backing down, and gave it his all. Even though he lost, he showed some serious heart and courage.

*Once again, I would like to thank Rico(black suit above) and Rich(black t-shirt above) from the ICF for their hospitality and press pass. I would also like to thank all the guys at Grand Champ MMA and Omega Fightwear.
*Thanks also to Brent Bishop Photography, check out www.brentbishop.net
*I'll have three posts to this event, the Main Card, the Undercard, then a post about my adventure.
*We will see Muhsin fight again in the ICF sooner rather than later as Elite XC is closing its doors and filing for bankruptcy.

Spectacular - Muhsin Corbbrey

In depth exclusive by Joseph Egloff of MMA Blaster, text copyrighted

“Look for something spectacular” is the mantra for mixed martial arts veteran Muhsin Corbbrey going into his next fight against Jason Nicholson. Muhsin is more than excited about his 155 pound ICF title fight at Parris Island this Saturday, expecting a big finish.

Muhsin was born and raised in Tulsa, Oklahoma. During his young days he started learning Junior Olympic Boxing. His father urged Muhsin to also take Tae Kwon Do at the local rec center to start using kicks in his game. In regards to the early training, Muhsin said, “…one of the most important things I learned was head movement. Some guys think they can hit pads and be a great striker. If you don’t have head movement you are going to get hit a lot.”

From Tulsa, Muhsin moved around quite a bit going from Los Angeles, Alabama and Atlanta before settling down in Savannah. After high school, Muhsin realized that even though he was proficient standing, his ground game would still need work. He began grappling, learning judo and Brazilian jiu-jitsu. Muhsin is currently a black belt in judo and trains under Lloyd Irvin in jiu-jitsu. He is an excellent grappler winning grappling tournaments in NAGA and ISCF.

Never content to fight only in one discipline, Muhsin has fought in pro boxing, Muay Thai and mixed martial arts bouts for a total of 35 pro fights. Muhsin also won a Shidokan World Championship. Shidokan is a fighting style which utilizes two rounds of bare knuckle full contact Karate, two rounds of Muay Thai and one round of mma style grappling. It is a tournament style event, so you have to quickly turn around and fight again in the same day.

Muhsin’s mma debut came in a Reality Superfighting event in 2001. Mushin was slated to face a veteran opponent with only one loss on his resume. Muhsin was able to wear him down with his stand-up game utilizing his superior cardio and grinded out the victory. In regards to the fight, Muhsin said, “My athleticism was the reason I won that fight. Compared to now, all my techniques have gotten better.”

Muhsin’s big break was when Pro Elite came calling in 2007. Muhsin started by fighting twice in the ShoXC banner defeating two very tough opponents in Bobby McMaster and Lee Gibson. During his fight with Lee Gibson, Muhsin utilized a stand-up approach throwing leg kicks, jabs and counter strikes to win a unanimous decision. Against McMaster, Muhsin hit him with a judo throw before securing a guillotine choke just before the first round ended.

Prior to his next bout, Muhsin traveled to Phuket, Thailand, to train at the world famous Tiger Muay Thai gym. “Thailand was phenomenal. Those fighters live to train. They wake up and train, eat, train during the day, eat and train at night. It is their life.” While engulfed in the Thai lifestyle, Muhsin was able to increase his Muay Thai skills help his overall mindset as a fighter.

Up next came a bout with Nick Diaz in Elite XC. Before that fight, Diaz came in at nearly 8 pounds overweight. Even with the weight disadvantage, Muhsin took the fight. “I had been training in Thailand for a month. I had too much riding on the fight.” Muhsin was able to win the first round and the second round was a toss up. In the third round, Muhsin became tired from a clinch strategy Diaz had utilized and eventually lost via TKO. “Diaz promised me a rematch and that’s a fight I definitely want in the future,” said Corbbrey.

Muhsin currently is owner operator of Champions Training Center in Savannah Georgia. His goal for Champions is to resemble a gym such as Xtreme Couture with pro boxers, mixed martial artists and elite grapplers training on-site. When asked how teaching others helps his own game, Muhsin said, “It makes you break down the moves better. Sometimes guys know how to do an arm-bar, but they don’t know the transitions. It helps me break down moves and improve my ability.”

When asked about goals for the sport, Muhsin stated, “I want to hold belts in a major mma promotion, major boxing promotion, and be a stadium champ in Muay Thai.” He would also like to go back to Thailand to further improve his Muay Thai game.

Getting a little off-topic, I asked Muhsin about his Muslim faith as he listed Faith, Family and Fighting as the three most important things on his myspace page. “I converted to Islam fourteen years ago. Without it, I wouldn’t have the discipline, focus and success I have today.“ When asked about the media coverage of the religion, Muhsin said, “[a]ll you see are the nutcases. You have to understand that these are people that wake up and see their family dead. They have been in a warring situation. Really, there are only small differences between Christianity, Judaism, and Islam. We have to learn to love each other.”

When asked about his biggest supporter, Muhsin credited his wife Angie. “She puts up with my life. I’m going out to camps to train for fights, I’m gone a lot. She is a big supporter.” He also gives a credit to his best friend and manager Najeeb Odom. Najeeb has helped Muhsin stay focused during training and helped him a great deal motivating him to be the best he can be.

In regards to who has helped him train for this fight, Muhsin's coaches are Din Thomas for mma, Lloyd Irvin for jiu-jitsu, John Blanken for boxing and Many Ntoh for Muay Thai. He also trains with 5-0 prospect Steven Bass and Norman Jones a top level pro boxer. Din Thomas doubles as both coach and training partner, as Muhsin stressed that Din has helped his mixed martial arts game as a whole.

In closing, Muhsin wanted to say this, “I want to show people my full ability. My full ability has not been shown. I’ll show you diverse techniques. Look out for me. I am going to do something spectacular.”

Muhsin would like to give a shout out to sponsors Attack Mode Fightwear, Tactical Nutrition, Johnson Construction, Advantage Air, Time Bomb Tattoo Studio and Tiger Muay Thai in Phuket, Thailand.

*Check out http://www.myspace.com/championtraining for Muhsin’s gym.



*All text copyrighted by MMA Blaster. All photo's used with the permission of Muhsin Corbbrey.

ICF Power of Champions - Parris Island

I just arrived back in Chicago after another 14 hour car ride. I'll have a full review of this monumental event posted tomorrow night. I'd like to thank the ICF staff and the Marines at Parris Island for putting on a superb show.

I'll be receiving more pictures and the official results shortly, then post a full review. Here are some pics.


Muhsin Corbbrey throws a knee for the 155 pound belt


Norman Jones takes a leg kick v. Josh Granett takes a punch in the face

Shah Bobonis v. Larry Landry

Ring Girl

Efrain Lopez gets the RNC

Muhsin gets the belt

Chris "Chaos" Scott wins

Almost getting the RNC

ICF Parris Island

I will be covering ICF: Power of Champions which will be happening on October 18th in Parris Island, South Carolina. The event will feature a 155 pound title fight between Muhsin Corbbrey v. Jason Nicholson. Muhsin Corbbrey recently fought Nick Diaz in Elite XC, and has two wins in Elite XC. There will also be a 145 pound title fight between Larry Landrey vs. Shah Bobonis.

All pro fighters made weight and are ready to rumble. I'm currently covering the event, more stories to follow.