Cleaning off the hard drive, shuffling files I cam across this footage that was either buried or not linked up on the site. Four complete MMA matches from some of the biggest names we’ve covered. Most of this footage was actually shot before Onthemat was even a concept.
Cleaning off the hard drive, shuffling files I cam across this footage that was either buried or not linked up on the site. Four complete MMA matches from some of the biggest names we’ve covered. Most of this footage was actually shot before Onthemat was even a concept. The first three fights (BJ, Castillo, and Terrell were from the same event at the Stockton Showdown. The last video is of Cameron Earle fighting in the PSDA in Texas. BJ Penn MMA debut BJ Penn’s MMA debut at the age of 18 as a skinny blue belt. It was pretty well known from the start that BJ was destined for great things, his talents in jiu jitsu were obvious, but he was also on the local wrestling team, and prior to this math we got to witness his awesome boxing skills. Although the contestants wore gloves, only open handed slaps were allowed on the ground. BJ was the first competitor to take advantage of this,and you can just see him unload. BJ Penn is currently recognized as one of the best pound for pound fighters in the world right now, holding the UFC 170 title and running his promotion Rumble on the Rock. The entirety of BJ’s fight is on this this clip at about the 3:23 mark. The interview we did with him a few years ago, includes plenty of good footage and comments from him. Gil Castillo Early MMA Gil had a few MMA fights under his belt at this match and was either a blue or purple belt at the time. In contrast to most of the other fighters on this card, Gil looked supremely confident. The funny thing I remember about this match was that Gil was also the only fighter with entrance music which was supplied from the boom box one of his corner men was carrying! One thing I like about Gil, is that he fights simply because he loves it, not because he has to; he is a very successful business man off of the mat. Not sure what Gil’s next plans are. Dave Terrell’s MMA Debut Here is what I think is Dave Terrell’s very first MMA match (Pancrase style rules). He was a blue belt or brand new purple belt at the time. I don’t recall the name of Terrell’s opponent, but he had the distinction of being one of the only people I’ve ever seen with the gall to talk smack both before and AFTER the match (which is really surprising considering the way Terrell manhandled him). Oh well, I remember being in the locker room and Terrell (quite loudly) laughed him off. Terrell just won in Pancrase against Osami Shibuya and is set for a possible showdown against Yuki Kondo (who submitted teammate Steve Heath) or could quite possibly be set to dominate the 185 division in whatever organization lucky enough to sign him. Apologies for the horrible quality of this video, the original source material was damaged but we thought the match was interesting enough and historically significant enough to post. The voice yelling and taunting: Scotty, well before he ever learned to speak Portuguese formally. On a side note, the Stockton Showdown event itself was one of the most tense and wild events I had ever been to up until the incident at the final UA show. This was an "underground" event in the truest sense as authorities seemed to threaten to shut it down from the outset, the place was literally dripping with testosterone as every spectator seemed just as eager to get into the action, and this was fueled by the fact they had FREE BEER available as well as some of the ugliest Ringgirl/Strippers you’ve ever seen. Cameron Earle’s MMA Debut This was from the PSDA in Texas. At the time Cameron was a blue belt and was assisting Ralph Gracie with a seminar. He was asked if he wanted to participate in the PSDA and with Ralph’s okay he accepted, and found himself in a title fight in a weight class (light heavy) above his own. Funny bit in which he Cameron was looking to exit the ring, but the promoters asked him to do something, so Cameron does this little runway walk that made Ralph angry on the sideline and we’ve teased him about ever since. Since this match Cameron has made a name for himself on the Jiu Jitsu and Sub Grappling circuit, noted for his exceptionally high winning and more importantly submission percentage. He is looking to enter the MMA scene once again and should be fighting very shortly. This match was digitized on some older equipment (actually before OTM was even a concept) and the orginal tape has long since been lost. Enjoy.