Tag: MMA Fighter

MMA fighter Radek Roušal was recently barred from competing in Czech organization Oktagon MMA due to his visible neo-Nazi tattoos.

Roušal was scheduled to make his MMA debut against Nikolas Krivák in a last-minute booking, but the bout was called off when officials noticed a depiction of Adolf Hitler tattooed on Roušal’s right hand. Additionally, Roušal had a tattoo of an SS (Schutzstaffel) officer, which was a corps of political soldiers of the Nazi party.

Oktagon MMA promoter Ondřej Novotný addressed his reaction when he observed Roušal’s controversial body art.

“This doesn’t exist for you come up to us and look like this,” Novotný told idnes.cz. “We have it in the contract, we could give him a fine. Even on the chest, he has (apparently the cap of an SS officer, the skull could also refer to the Death Skull Unit of the SS organization responsible for managing the extermination camps). Whatsoever!… We didn’t study what it looked like, nor did the photographers and cameramen notice. No one had talked about it before… We didn’t know about it, certainly not.”

Roušal & His Team Share Their Side Of The Story

Roušal did not deny the presence of neo-Nazi tattoos on his person, but he chalked it up to bad decisions made during a naive, desperate, and vulnerable stage of his life.

“I grew up in a problematic community of people that gave rise to this tattoo,” he explained. “At that time, I did not know what to do with life, I was young and this tattoo was stupid. Later, I started doing martial arts, which led me to a completely different life and view of the world. I have more tattoos that I regret, I’ll gradually re-tattoo them all.”

Novotný rejected this explanation when it was told to him directly from Roušal.

“He explained it to me,” adds Novotný. “I told him he was crazy. I’m not a tattoo expert, but how long can it take to re-tattoo this? Two days? It’s nice that he basically distanced himself from it, I trust him and I’m able to understand everything, but this is not and it can be done faster.”

Roušal’s gym Muay Thai Brno also issued a statement on the matter, which addressed the matter of having the tattoos removed.

“Radek and I have been dealing with the situation and the tattoo removal, which, according to his words, originated years ago in youthful indiscretion, has been ordered for a long time with a deadline for January. However, the offer for the match came at the last minute, before its removal.

“Our gym is unequivocally against manifestations of any racial or other discrimination and intolerance. We meet people of all nationalities and skin colors, we cooperate with various non-profit organizations, including those dedicated to working with minorities. At the same time, we also lend a helping hand to those who can learn from their mistakes and mistakes.”

Roušal remains 0-0 as an MMA fighter and is 0-1 as a kickboxer. His tale shares similarities with the story of UFC flyweight Andrea Lee’s ex-coach and estranged husband, Donny Aaron, who also has neo-Nazi tattoos.

At the time, Lee defended Aaron’s character in the middle of the controversy; yet, Aaron stated that he would not get the tattoos removed. Lee and Aaron are no longer together after Aaron was charged with domestic battery abuse against Lee.

What are your thoughts on this story?

After taking down over 300 pounds, DJ Varela now eyes his next venture of becoming a professional MMA fighter.

During an episode of the Truly webseries Brand New Me, Varela documents his journey from once being over 500 pounds to now being fit to begin MMA training after a drastic weight loss.

Varela was not always overweight. In high school, he was very active in sports and lived a healthy lifestyle. However, when he began working as a nightclub promoter at 24, he began to live more excessively, including constant snacking and heavy drinking. Before he knew it, he tipped the scales at over 500 pounds.

He then decided to join a gym and work with a personal trainer. In what serves as a source of inspiration for those beginning their New Year’s resolutions, Varela lost over 300 pounds over the course of 18 months (via MensHealth.com).

“My workout routine has evolved throughout the years,” Varela said. “In the beginning, it was mainly based off of strength training, now it’s moreso based on technique and being more functional… Being an MMA fighter has been a dream of mine since my weight loss journey.”

As any fighter will tell you, a key ingredient to being a successful mixed martial artist is confidence. Once lacking in that area, Varela’s hard work and commitment have now instilled the self-belief he always envisioned for himself and that he hopes will translate inside the cage.

“When I look in the mirror now, I see the person I always visualized,” he said. “I’m looking forward to the future as far as making sure my body, my mind and spirit can be where they need to be to compete as a mixed martial artist. I’m going to continue to evolve and become more and strengthen up my body. The first way out is in, so look inward to the answer that you need, once you find that answer, go from there.”

You can watch Varela tell his journey in his own words as well as catch a glimpse into his early MMA training in the video below.

Professional MMA fighter Akmal Khozhiev has pleaded not guilty by reasons of mental illness/defect to the murder of a doctor after a dispute about COVID-19 vaccines.

The 3-1 MMA fighter was arrested on Sunday, Nov. 7, by the Guam Police Department. According to a report from The Guam Daily Post, Khozhiev was charged with aggravated murder as a first-degree felony and aggravated assault as a second-degree felony.

Dr. Miran Ribati, 42, was a local radiologist for Guam Memorial Hospital. According to a witness, Khozhiev and Ribati knew each other because they both exercised at the same gym. The witness also informed police that the two may have returned home for dinner after spending time at the beach. Court documents revealed the pair of men began arguing over COVID-19 vaccinations.

When the argument heated up, Khozhiev is alleged to have put Ribati in a rear-naked choke before a bystander broke it up. After getting involved, the witness was struck in the head twice. At which point, Khozhiev went into the house and retrieved a sharp animal bone that was left over from an evening meal.

While Ribati tried to run away, Khozhiev caught up to him and repeatedly stabbed him in the neck with the animal bone.

Police responded to the scene, where Ribati was lying in a pool of his own blood. After witnessing the gruesome discovery, Khozhiev immediately confessed to the murder.

“Sir, it’s me, it’s me, I killed him,” Khozhiev allegedly told police before being arrested.

Akmal Khozhiev Appears In Court

During Khozhiev’s most recent court appearance this month, Superior Court of Guam Magistrate Judge Jonathan Quan ordered that he must undergo a forensic evaluation to determine if he is fit to stand trial.

Khozhiev is currently being held in prison on a $1 million cash bail. The welterweight last competed in 2020 after earning a ground-and-pound victory against Jose Ramirez.

Below, you can find the news coverage of this story provided by KUAM News, with friends of Khozhiev sharing their thoughts on him and the days leading up to the tragic incident.

The remains of David Koenig, an amateur MMA fighter in Missouri, have been found after a lengthy missing person’s search.

Branson, MO Police say a man who was looking for deer antlers in a wooded area of Branson came upon human remains last Wednesday. A forensics team was later able to confirm that the remains belonged to Koenig, and the search also found most of his personal items.

It had been previously rumored that Koenig had been murdered, but police later confirmed that this wasn’t the case.

“The examination of the remains conducted by a forensic pathologist determined that there was no trauma and that the death did not appear to be the result of foul play,” Branson PD said in a statement. (h/t Springfield News-Leader)

“Our department and the amazing group of volunteers never stopped in our efforts to find Mr. Koenig. While this is not the ending we hoped for, we offer our sincere condolences to the family and friends of Mr. Koenig.”

A Search For David Koenig Began In March 2020

Koenig’s mother Tracy alleges that her son stayed at the town’s Peach Tree Inn shortly before his disappearance. It’s unclear where he went after leaving the hotel.

Koenig had last competed in MMA in 2017 and hasn’t fought since. He earned back-to-back wins on the regional scene in promotions such as ShoFight and RFA 46.

An exact cause of death hasn’t been determined at this time.

MMA fighter and full-time firefighter Jessie Henry passed away last weekend due to injuries sustained from a tragic, on-duty accident.

Henry worked as a firefighter for South Bossier Fire District 2 Station No. 4. On the night of Saturday, December 18, Henry was working on a fire truck tire. Then, without warning, the tire exploded.

“The inner rim of the tire popped off of the wheel itself and chrome wheel simulator — basically a chrome hub cap inside of that wheel — struck him, and he was blown approximately 20 feet,” said Gray Young, chief of training for South Bossier Fire District 2.

He was rushed to Ochsner LSU hospital, where he later passed away from his injuries. He was 28.

Prior to becoming a firefighter, Henry served in the U.S. Army for four years and was also an active member of the Army Reserves. He had been working as a firefighter since 2017.

“Jessie was a brilliant firefighter and recently started his dream of becoming a paramedic and was studying to continue his certification for fire,” said Young.

As an MMA fighter, Henry went 2-2. His career began last year, and his most recent bout was in May at American Kombat Alliance 15 against Craig Grove. His last victory came in April over Andy Carrington at American Kombat Alliance 14, where Henry earned the split-decision victory.

Henry is survived by his 9-year-old daughter, Karmen. His funeral will take place one week from today, December 29, at the Hirsch Coliseum at 10:00 AM.

An MMA fighter recently lost a fight in quite the sudden and unexpected manner— vomiting.

Week after week, one thing we continue to learn about this sport of ours is that anything can happen on any given night and anywhere around the world. Yet another example of this was provided at the Fighting Alliance Championship 11 event on December 10 in Independence, Missouri.

In the second bout of the night, flyweights Justin Little and Van San competed in an amateur MMA bout. Fans in attendance were still getting settled in for the evening when something quite unsettling took place.

Van San landed a push kick to the body, prompting Little to vomit. This brought an automatic end to the bout, awarding Van San the TKO victory. You can peep the finish yourself below.

“Push kick, the vomit, that is a medical TKO. Automatic stoppage under the Unified Rules of MMA. Vomit equals an immediate medical TKO,” the commentator stated.

With the win, Van San moves to 3-1 in his amateur record, while Justin Little falls to 0-3.

You can check out the full Fighting Alliance Championship 11 results right here.

MMA Fighter Brian Brooks rescued his wife and sister-and-law from one of last weekend’s lethal tornadoes that took 88 lives.

Many states and communities were hit hard by tornadoes last Friday and Saturday, including Brooks’ hometown of Mayfield, Kentucky. While Brooks was home with his daughter and granddaughter Friday night, he received a very concerning phone call.

“It’s my wife,” Brooks told Fox News. “She calls and tells me she loves me, that she’s trapped, and they’re smashed. And she hung up.”

Kentucky suffered the biggest impact of all the states affected by the tornadoes. There were at least 74 fatalities in Kentucky and at least 100 people missing. After receiving the phone call from his wife, Brooks took swift action to ensure that his wife and sister-and-law were not included in this tragic list.

“I jumped in the truck and flew to her,” Brooks said.

Brooks’ wife and sister-and-law were trapped inside the candle factory where Brooks’ wife was employed. The business was destroyed by the tornado, and eight of this weekend’s fatalities were people who were at this factory, which is owned by Mayfield Consumer Products.

If not for his colorful shoes, the MMA fighter may not have been able to find the two women.

“She knew it was me … she started hollering, ‘Brian,’” Brooks said in reference to his sister-and-law recognizing him by his eccentric footwear. “I was like, ‘Oh my God,’ and started trying to pull, but the roof, candle wax barrels, bathroom walls, rafters, everything was on top of them.”

After Brooks was able to pull them out, they were sent to the hospital and released Monday. Despite some bumps and bruises, both women are expected to make a full recovery.

“They didn’t think they were ever going to see us again,” the MMA fighter said. “I’m so grateful…I just want to say my prayers for everybody who wasn’t so lucky.”

Brian Brooks has an MMA record of 1-3. He made his debut in 2010 and most recently competed at Cage of Honor 78 in a TKO loss to Nathan Stearns in 2019.

You can view Brooks’ testimony about his timely rescue below.