Forgotten Promotions-Extreme Fighting

[ferrisjso]

Extreme Fighting was the first promotion in the US that introudced weight classes. Operating between 1995 and 1997 for only 4 events both the UFC HW and LHW would fight the former EF champions in their first title defenses. While LHW champ Igor Zinoviev was KO'd within seconds by Frank Shamrock and never fought again HW champion Maurice Smith won the UFC belt over Mark Coleman.

2 of Frank Shamrocks other title opponents had prior fights in EF, John Lober who fought Zinoviev to a draw and Kevin Jackson who finished Lober. Another notable is Mario Sperry who after losing to Zinoviev for the inagural EF LHW title in 1995 never lost again until Pride 20 where he was stopped by Murilo Rua.

 

[PicoPulse]

Soon to be



The UFC

 

[Get To Da Choppa]

It evolved into the ultimate form of combat and athleticism, Extreme Arm Wrestling

 

[Fioretti]

Sperry was a good fighter. Always forget about him.

 

[Scouseknight]

I recall buying a VHS of World Combat Championship - Renzo Gracie was in it - first time I'd seen him fight - thought he was a bit of a dirty fighter in that. I believe that was the one and only event that promotion held but it was tournament format like early UFCs were.

 

[Exarch01]

It evolved into the ultimate form of combat and athleticism, Extreme Arm Wrestling

 

[Grappling Magic]

I recall buying a VHS of World Combat Championship - Renzo Gracie was in it - first time I'd seen him fight - thought he was a bit of a dirty fighter in that. I believe that was the one and only event that promotion held but it was tournament format like early UFCs were.

Yes, I remember this. I also remember Renzo stepping over the back of Ben Spijkers neck after choking him out because Spijkers almost beat him. Cecil Peoples (referee) was PISSED and started calling him a dirty fighter and that Renzo disgraced the Gracie Family by doing that.

 

[Scouseknight]

Yes, I remember this. I also remember Renzo stepping over the back of Ben Spijkers neck after choking him out because Spijkers almost beat him. Cecil Peoples (referee) was PISSED and started calling him a dirty fighter and that Renzo disgraced the Gracie Family by doing that.

Brings back memories for sure. I have the VHS still just don't have a means to play it. Didn't realise it was Peoples refereeing though! Thanks for the information there much appreciated!

 

[Pliny Pete]

Isnt Extreme Fighting the promotion that messed up the UFC's deal to eventually hold a show in NYC?
If I remember the story correctly, and I may be way off cause its been a long time, the original UFC promoters had a deal to hold shows in upstate New York as a test case and then slowly work their way down to the bright lights of New York City but Extreme Fighting came in outta nowhere and scheduled a show in Brooklyn and that caused the state commission to break the deal and outlaw MMA completely

 

[Joshuaace]

Sperry was a good fighter. Always forget about him.

Zinoviev escaping mount from Sperry multiple times prior to kicking his head off, kind of marked the 1st time I really remember anyone escaping full mount from a top end BJJ player.

 

[kingghidrah]

Yes, I remember this. I also remember Renzo stepping over the back of Ben Spijkers neck after choking him out because Spijkers almost beat him. Cecil Peoples (referee) was PISSED and started calling him a dirty fighter and that Renzo disgraced the Gracie Family by doing that.

The fight wasn't even close, don't lie and say Spijkers almost beat him. It was barely a fight, Spijkers gave up his back immediately.

They had some beef before the fight, so Renzo was a dick. No worse than Hendo's H-bomb on an unconscious Bispiing certainly in terms of damage.

 

[kingghidrah]

HW champion Maurice Smith won the UFC belt over Dan Severn.

Mark Coleman, not Severn

 

[Goatenstein]

Zinoviev escaping mount from Sperry multiple times prior to kicking his head off, kind of marked the 1st time I really remember anyone escaping full mount from a top end BJJ player.

It was unheard of at the time. Mount was almost automatically a fight ender.

 

[Espresso]

Brings back memories for sure. I have the VHS still just don't have a means to play it. Didn't realise it was Peoples refereeing though! Thanks for the information there much appreciated!

Casual confirmed

 

[Bullitt68]

Extreme Fighting is also the organization where Matt Hume transitioned from Pancrase to NHB and beat Erik Paulson and Pat Miletich. (And if you want to talk about forgotten promotions, Pancrase is right up there with the UFC and PRIDE for me as one of the GOAT and a lot of my favorite fights of all-time happened in the Pancrase ring between 1993 and 1996.) Though Hume fought once more a few years later, his fight with Miletich - who going into the fight was 15-0 and would suffer the first loss of his career to Hume, about whom he could never be complimentary enough - essentially capped off the fighting career for the man who would go on to be the excellent trainer of, most notably, Josh Barnett and Demetrious Johnson.

HW champion Maurice Smith won the UFC belt over Dan Severn.

You mean Mark Coleman. Coleman took the title from Severn then Mo took the title from Coleman.

Another notable is Mario Sperry who after losing to Zinoviev for the inagural EF LHW title in 1995 never lost again until Pride 20 where he was stopped by Murilo Rua.

To be fair, Sperry only fought a handful of times between those years. It's not like he fought 25 times and was just smashing fools left and right.

Isnt Extreme Fighting the promotion that messed up the UFC's deal to eventually hold a show in NYC?
If I remember the story correctly, and I may be way off cause its been a long time, the original UFC promoters had a deal to hold shows in upstate New York as a test case and then slowly work their way down to the bright lights of New York City but Extreme Fighting came in outta nowhere and scheduled a show in Brooklyn and that caused the state commission to break the deal and outlaw MMA completely

Yes and no. They certainly didn't help things, but New York politicians were doing their best - and the media was making things even worse - to keep the UFC out of NYC before Extreme Fighting came into the picture.

 

[Pitier of Fools]

Yes, I remember this. I also remember Renzo stepping over the back of Ben Spijkers neck after choking him out because Spijkers almost beat him. Cecil Peoples (referee) was PISSED and started calling him a dirty fighter and that Renzo disgraced the Gracie Family by doing that.

Wow, I didn't know Renzo did that. What a low class move.

Probably the only thing I've ever agreed with Cecil Peoples on.

 

[dildos]

rio heroes.

 

[Bullitt68]

Wow, I didn't know Renzo did that. What a low class move.

Back then, the Gracies were like a gang. And none of them even seemed remotely familiar with the concept of good sportsmanship. Tons of diva behavior demanding special rules that suited them while at the same time breaking rules that they didn't like.

In short, there's a reason that there's always been a lot of Gracie hate: They unfortunately earned a lot of it.

 

[ferrisjso]

Mark Coleman, not Severn

My bad.

 

[ferrisjso]

Extreme Fighting is also the organization where Matt Hume transitioned from Pancrase to NHB and beat Erik Paulson and Pat Miletich. (And if you want to talk about forgotten promotions, Pancrase is right up there with the UFC and PRIDE for me as one of the GOAT and a lot of my favorite fights of all-time happened in the Pancrase ring between 1993 and 1996.) Though Hume fought once more a few years later, his fight with Miletich - who going into the fight was 15-0 and would suffer the first loss of his career to Hume, about whom he could never be complimentary enough - essentially capped off the fighting career for the man who would go on to be the excellent trainer of, most notably, Josh Barnett and Demetrious Johnson.



You mean Mark Coleman. Coleman took the title from Severn then Mo took the title from Coleman.



To be fair, Sperry only fought a handful of times between those years. It's not like he fought 25 times and was just smashing fools left and right.



Yes and no. They certainly didn't help things, but New York politicians were doing their best - and the media was making things even worse - to keep the UFC out of NYC before Extreme Fighting came into the picture.

Yeah people tell history like it was a UFC v Pride showdown but that was only the case in the very end in the early 2000s Rings and Pancrase were big. Pride only clearly surpassed Pancrase when they absorbed majority of RINGS roster.