MMA Gospel Young Gun: Torres Submission Ace Jake Nauracy

 Posted by at 7:01 PM  Bellator, MMA Gospel Young Guns, MMA News  No Responses »
Mar 022012
 

Jake Nauracy built an impressive 10-0 amateur record that made other major Chicagoland MMA camps wary of putting their fighters in the cage with him. (Photo courtesy of Cut Throat MMA)

The search for aspiring young professional fighters with the skill and grit to be the next big thing continues as MMA Gospel scours the country in search of the next MMA Gospel Young Gun. The “Young Gun” is a fighter yet unnoticed by the MMA world at large who has the training, skill, and athleticism to be the next big name in the sport. This time, MMA Gospel’s search led to a young amateur fighter in northern Indiana. Torres Martial Arts fighter Jake Nauracy (0-0) has yet to make his jump into the professional ranks, but he has already made a splash on the Chicago MMA scene. The Cut Throat MMA Bantamweight Champion is 10-0 as an amateur and has submitted all but one of his opponents, defeating nine within the first three minutes of the very first round. That lone foe who escaped submission, he knocked out in just 11 seconds. Nauracy’s reputation and skill caught the eyes of the crew over at Bellator Fighting Championships, allowing Jake to skip the little leagues and make his debut as a pro with one of the three major players in North American MMA. MMA Gospel CEO and staff writer Dan Griffin caught up with Jake on Tuesday and here is what the tough young submission artist had to say.

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Cut Throat MMA: A New Regional Player in the Chicagoland Area?

 Posted by at 5:35 PM  MMA News  1 Response »
Nov 242010
 

Cut Throat MMA has a few kinks to work out when it comes to dealing with the various quirks of the athletic commissions, however they still managed to put on a November 6 card that rivals any other regional MMA promotion. (Photo courtesy of Mallory Mejia)

Cut Throat MMA was featured as the very first installment of MMA Gospel’s Amateur Spotlight Series in July. The long running Chicago amateur MMA promotion received high scores from MMA Gospel and was lauded as an organization that many professional shows could learn from. On November 6, 2010, Cut Throat MMA made the transition from local amateur promotion to regional pro/am competitor. MMA Gospel was on hand at the Hammond Civic Center in Hammond, Indiana to witness the promotion grow in the sport just as many of its fighters have in the past. As with all major transitions, there were some growing pains for Cut Throat that put the solid two-show-a-month promotion to the test and it will be for the fans to judge whether or not they passed. The card featured the same even matchmaking and focus on the fighters that Cut Throat has brought amateurs in the past and if they continue along those lines, Cut Throat should be a solid alternative to the XFO for regional professional fighters within the next few years. Continue reading »

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MMA Gospel to Cover Cut Throat: Supremacy Event in Hammond Indiana

 Posted by at 10:09 PM  Amateur Spotlight, MMA News  No Responses »
Nov 052010
 

(Photo courtesy of Cut Throat MMA)

Naperville, Illinois-based amateur promotion Cut Throat MMA is taking a big step forward Saturday, November 6 as it grows with its fighters from a local amateur organization into a small regional pro/am mixed martial arts promotion.  As has been a trend with Cut Throat, the majority of the fighters on the card have fought for the promotion before and are matched against fighters who have very similar records and skill levels. The only difference between the quality fan- and fighter-friendly events Cut Throat has held before and the fights on tomorrow’s Cut Throat: Supremacy at the Hammond Civic Center in Hammond, Indiana is that this time the wins and losses are for real. Four fighters will be making their professional debut and another five are stepping into the cage as professionals for only the second time. When it comes to finding out who the newest up-and-comers are, it doesn’t get much fresher than these warriors.  The card is equally balanced with six professional bouts and six amateur contests and, with an amateur title on the line, shows a dedication to showcasing all the fighters, not just the pros, that is refreshing to see in a promotion. Continue reading »

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Amateur Spotlight Chicago: Cut Throat MMA

 Posted by at 4:05 PM  Amateur Spotlight, MMA News  6 Responses »
Jul 272010
 

Jeremy Hefner uses a front headlock to control Tim Savenok in an exciting three-round fight at Cut Throat MMA (Photo: Mallory Mejia)

On Friday, July 23 2010, staff photographer Mallory Mejia and I attended a local show put on by the Naperville, IL-based amateur promotion Cut Throat MMA for the first edition of MMA Gospel’s new “Amateur Spotlight” series.  Owned and produced by Mike Davis, the Cut Throat MMA production provides a professional atmosphere and efficiently run show that is well worth the time and money for both the fan and the fighter.  The initial response to Cut Throat with local training camps was a mixed bag with a handful complaining of mismatches and last minute fight switching and even accusations of billing pros as amateurs, but neither I nor the close to 1,000 spectators in attendance witnessed any evidence of this at the Holiday Inn Select in Naperville that Friday night.  In fact, the matches were remarkably well-balanced, especially for an amateur event where limited video and the great variances in the effectiveness of the innumerable camps’ training programs make it difficult for promoters to truly gauge where a fighter’s talent level really is.  Throughout the entire 12-fight card there were only two bouts where the promoter could come under scrutiny for questionable  fight booking.  It is important to note, however, that the fighters who were on the receiving end of those mismatches admitted that they not only were fully informed of their opponents’ skill levels and training, but had also been provided with video of prior fights.  Upon viewing the fights, it became evident that the responsibility of the mismatchings fell upon the shoulders of the fighter’s manager/coaches, not the promotion itself.  But we’ll discuss that later; for now, let’s take a look now at what MOMMIE has to say. Continue reading »

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