YAMMA Pit Fighting
Encyclopedia
Yamma Pit Fighting was a mixed martial arts
promotion that was created by original UFC promoter Bob Meyrowitz. The promotion's first and only event, YAMMA 1, was held on April 11, 2008 in Atlantic City, New Jersey
at the Trump Taj Mahal.
It featured a unique fighting arena, as well as 2 "masters" fights: Patrick Smith
vs. Butterbean
and Oleg Taktarov
vs. Mark Kerr.
, Gary Goodridge
and Maurice Smith were forced to withdraw from the event. Goodridge was denied participation in the tournament by the NJSAC due to an unrelated fighting incident that rendered him unconscious in Korea. Smith had to withdraw due to an illness.
During YAMMA's PPV broadcast, they announced plans for a second event in June 2008, featuring an eight-man tournament of middleweights
, but nothing came to take place and to date; YAMMA or Meyrowitz have not announced any further plans for a second event.
Mixed martial arts
Mixed Martial Arts is a full contact combat sport that allows the use of both striking and grappling techniques, both standing and on the ground, including boxing, wrestling, Brazilian jiu-jitsu, muay Thai, kickboxing, karate, judo and other styles. The roots of modern mixed martial arts can be...
promotion that was created by original UFC promoter Bob Meyrowitz. The promotion's first and only event, YAMMA 1, was held on April 11, 2008 in Atlantic City, New Jersey
New Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...
at the Trump Taj Mahal.
It featured a unique fighting arena, as well as 2 "masters" fights: Patrick Smith
Patrick Smith (fighter)
Patrick Smith is a retired American kickboxer, boxer and mixed martial artist. He started his mixed martial arts career by participating in the first two Ultimate Fighting Championship events....
vs. Butterbean
Butterbean
Butterbean may refer to:* Another name for a lima bean* Another name for a runner bean, used primarily in the highlands of the Blue Ridge Mountains- People :* Bob Love , nickname of retired American professional basketball player...
and Oleg Taktarov
Oleg Taktarov
Oleg Nikolaevich Taktarov is a retired Russian mixed martial artist and actor. He is a practitioner of Sambo and Judo and has competed in the Ultimate Fighting Championship and Pride Fighting Championships. Taktarov was the UFC 6 tournament champion and holds notable wins over Marco Ruas and David...
vs. Mark Kerr.
YAMMA Pit
The YAMMA Pit arena was a large circular cage with a surrounding fence on the edges of a bowl-like floor with slanted edges. The stated purpose of the new structure was to prevent fighters from trapping their opponents into a corner: the rising edge of the YAMMA Pit was to prevent stalling and facilitate more action. This idea failed in practice, as the slanted edges would cause any fighter defending a takedown to lose their footing as soon as they were pushed towards it, which rendered any attempt to escape to their feet pointless as they'd just be taken down again. This led to a great deal of stalling with all but 1 of the tournament fights ending via decision (the other 3 finishes were non-tournament matches). Another factor which led to the slew of decisions was the fact that all of the tournament matches (except for the final) were scheduled for one 5-minute round. This was in order to assure no fighter would fight longer than 25 total minutes, something the New Jersey Athletic Commission stipulates (along with every other state that regulates MMA). YAMMA was largely a failure and was viewed by many in the MMA community as a terrible event that was put on by people who no longer had a grasp of the sport.Change of Card
Fighters Don FryeDon Frye
Donald Frye is a retired American mixed martial artist, actor, and professional wrestler. Frye rose to fame fighting in early Ultimate Fighting Championship events, winning the UFC 8 and Ultimate Ultimate 96 tournaments...
, Gary Goodridge
Gary Goodridge
Gary Goodridge , nicknamed "Big Daddy", is a Trinidadian and Tobagonian-Canadian former super heavyweight kickboxer and heavyweight mixed martial artist fighting out of Barrie, Ontario. Goodridge is known for his hard-hitting fighting style and showmanship...
and Maurice Smith were forced to withdraw from the event. Goodridge was denied participation in the tournament by the NJSAC due to an unrelated fighting incident that rendered him unconscious in Korea. Smith had to withdraw due to an illness.
During YAMMA's PPV broadcast, they announced plans for a second event in June 2008, featuring an eight-man tournament of middleweights
Middleweight (MMA)
The middleweight division in mixed martial arts can refer to a number of different weight classes:*UFC's & Strikeforce's middleweight division, which groups competitors within 171 to 185 lb...
, but nothing came to take place and to date; YAMMA or Meyrowitz have not announced any further plans for a second event.
Rules and regulations
As per the New Jersey state athletic commission rules:- Each bout could only be one five-minute round
- Final bout of tournament three five-minute rounds
Results
| Match | Winner | Loser | Method | Round | Bryan Vetell Bryan Vetell Bryan Vetell is an American professional mixed martial arts fighter. Most of his career was spent in the now defunct International Fight League.-Bio:... | Antwain Britt Antwain Britt Antwain Britt is an American light heavyweight mixed martial artist.-Mixed martial arts career:Antwain Britt was a wrestler and football player in high school. After completing education he became interested in MMA. He made his debut in the heavyweight division but after a few fights dropped to... |
Decision (Unanimous) | 1 | 5:00 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 | Alexey Oleinik Alexey Oleinik Alexey Oleinik is a Ukrainian-Russian mixed martial artist who is a M-1 Global veteran and has fought for Bellator Fighting Championships, Konfrontacja Sztuk Walki, BodogFight and YAMMA Pit Fighting.-Mixed martial arts career:... |
Sherman Pendergarst | Submission (Ezekiel choke) | 1 | 4:18 |
| 4 | Chris Tuchscherer Chris Tuchscherer Chris Tuchscherer is an American professional mixed martial arts fighter and former Collegiate wrestler. While wrestling for Minnesota State University, Moorhead he became a two-time NCAA Division II All-American, and as a mixed martial artist he has won several regional heavyweight championships... |
Tony Sylvester Tony Sylvester Anthony Sylvester is an American mixed martial artist. He's an Ohio-based fighter who's fought throughout the Midwest and Ohio... |
Decision (Unanimous) | 1 | 5:00 |
| 5 | Travis Wiuff Travis Wiuff Travis Wiuff is a mixed martial arts fighter born in Minnesota, United States. He competes in the Light Heavyweight and Heavyweight divisions... |
Marcelo Pereira | Decision (Unanimous) | 1 | 5:00 |
| 6 | Ricco Rodriguez Ricco Rodriguez Ricco Rodriguez is an American mixed martial artist and former Ultimate Fighting Championship heavyweight champion. He has also competed in Pride Fighting Championship, EliteXC, International Fight League, BAMMA, World Extreme Cagefighting and King of the Cage.-Early life:Rodriguez grew up in the... |
George Bush | Decision (Unanimous) | 1 | 5:00 |
| 7 | Oleg Taktarov Oleg Taktarov Oleg Nikolaevich Taktarov is a retired Russian mixed martial artist and actor. He is a practitioner of Sambo and Judo and has competed in the Ultimate Fighting Championship and Pride Fighting Championships. Taktarov was the UFC 6 tournament champion and holds notable wins over Marco Ruas and David... |
Mark Kerr | Submission (Kneebar) | 1 | 1:55 |
| 8 | Chris Tuchscherer Chris Tuchscherer Chris Tuchscherer is an American professional mixed martial arts fighter and former Collegiate wrestler. While wrestling for Minnesota State University, Moorhead he became a two-time NCAA Division II All-American, and as a mixed martial artist he has won several regional heavyweight championships... |
Alexey Oleinik Alexey Oleinik Alexey Oleinik is a Ukrainian-Russian mixed martial artist who is a M-1 Global veteran and has fought for Bellator Fighting Championships, Konfrontacja Sztuk Walki, BodogFight and YAMMA Pit Fighting.-Mixed martial arts career:... |
Decision (Unanimous) | 1 | 5:00 |
| 9 | Travis Wiuff Travis Wiuff Travis Wiuff is a mixed martial arts fighter born in Minnesota, United States. He competes in the Light Heavyweight and Heavyweight divisions... |
Ricco Rodriguez Ricco Rodriguez Ricco Rodriguez is an American mixed martial artist and former Ultimate Fighting Championship heavyweight champion. He has also competed in Pride Fighting Championship, EliteXC, International Fight League, BAMMA, World Extreme Cagefighting and King of the Cage.-Early life:Rodriguez grew up in the... |
Decision (Unanimous) | 1 | 5:00 |
| 10 | Patrick Smith Patrick Smith (fighter) Patrick Smith is a retired American kickboxer, boxer and mixed martial artist. He started his mixed martial arts career by participating in the first two Ultimate Fighting Championship events.... |
Eric Esch Eric Esch Eric Scott Esch is an American heavyweight boxer, kick-boxer, professional wrestler, and mixed martial artist commonly referred to as Butterbean.... |
Submission (Strikes) | 1 | 3:17 |
| 11 | Travis Wiuff Travis Wiuff Travis Wiuff is a mixed martial arts fighter born in Minnesota, United States. He competes in the Light Heavyweight and Heavyweight divisions... |
Chris Tuchscherer Chris Tuchscherer Chris Tuchscherer is an American professional mixed martial arts fighter and former Collegiate wrestler. While wrestling for Minnesota State University, Moorhead he became a two-time NCAA Division II All-American, and as a mixed martial artist he has won several regional heavyweight championships... |
Decision (Unanimous) | 3 | 5:00 |