MIXED MARTIAL ARTS Fight for Team USA starts here

June 13, 2007 was arguably the most important day for mixed martial arts in Illinois after the Illinois General Assembly passed legislation to legalize and regulate MMA events.

Now Chicago’s suburbs are on the front lines of the MMA movement as the sport continues it rise from obscurity in Illinois and reaches out to the world.

“Of course there is growth,” said Master Bob Schirmer, who runs Combat-Do in Cicero. “It is on TV all of the time and people are wanting to become MMA fighters. We have classes with 30 or 40 people in them every night.”

Ron Rose, president of American Talent Productions (ATP) and a Woodridge resident, took a chance in August. With aspirations of forming a national MMA team, ATP hosted a Team USA invitation-only tryout at the Hyatt Regency in Chicago.

There were 20 states represented with competitors vying for eight weight classes ranging from 135 to 265 pounds. And from Aug. 1-3, a group of amateurs came to challenge one another to form a team.

Rob Zbilski, who is trainer, recruiter and promoter for ATP, traveled to China to negotiate a dual match with a Chinese national team.

Zbilski's efforts apparently made an impression. Rose received a challenge via fax from Team China showing interest in a dual meet against a team representing the United States. Team USA officially accepted, and the UIC Pavilion will play host to Team USA vs. Team China on May 1.

"I feel really good about being a part of this," said Rose, who has a background in real estate development and rock concert promotion. "We want to develop the best amateurs and prepare them for the pros (such as Ultimate Fighting Championship) and continue to bring in new prospects."

In order for Team USA to be as well represented as possible, ATP is planning an open tryout where the current members are challenged by contenders to earn a spot. The tryout dates and location are to be determined. Although it is still not set in stone, tryouts could be at Z's Martial Arts Academy in Huntley, where Zbilski is the master instructor.

"They will go through the tryout and fight against our champions," said Zbilski, who judged a UFC event in 2000. "We want to make sure we have the best amateurs."

It sounds like Rose and Co. won’t have to go far to generate amateurs.
Muay Thai trainer Macario Ramos of Top Notch Fitness in Elmhurst is in favor of world competition after learning of the Team USA open tryout.

"Why not?" said the Glendale Heights resident. "We should put together the best of the best. I'm going to have some of our own guys look into it."

MMA trainer Bob Miller, owner of Fist Law Academy in Downers Grove, said international exposure is important.

"Any event that we can get in at, we will flock to," said the Downers Grove resident. “I think it would be great."

Rose said he already has potential dates set for duals with Serbia on Oct. 10 and Russia on Nov. 7 of this year. Ireland, Poland, England and Mexico all have shown interest for 2010.

With the international interest growing, ATP is optimistic that MMA can become an Olympic sport in the next decade. The Olympics already have sports that are incorporated into MMA (such as judo, taekwondo and boxing).

"MMA encompasses all the aspects of those sports," said Stephen Chaney, a Carol Stream resident who serves as vice president of marketing and sales for ATP. "However, it's tough right now because MMA is banned in Italy, France and Germany. The Olympics is the ultimate goal. I have a feeling it's going to take 10 years, but who knows what could happen."

Grand Master Bill Cho does not share the same vision. The part-time St. Charles resident’s vast resume ranges from current owner of Bill Cho’s United Tae Kwon Do Center in St. Charles and Sycamore to coach at the World Cup Games in 2001 and 2002 for the U.S. Olympic Committee.

During the high-profile international exposure, Cho also received an offer to take his experience to Las Vegas where he would bring in fighters for events at places like MGM Grand. He turned down the potentially lucrative job which would have transformed him into promoter.

Cho said his passion is training athletes, but not just how to fight. He stressed the importance of teaching taekwondo’s philosophies of respect, courtesy and integrity.

“As a coach of World Cup teams, I don’t see (MMA) as an Olympic sport,” said Cho, a 6th Degree Black Belt Grand Master through the World Taekwondo Federation. “It’s more about entertaining, more about the blood, making more money. I don’t really see it as an art.”

But that’s not stopping Rose. Operation Olympics continues with the dual against China in just a few months.

"The UIC experiment should provide credibility," said Rose, who said he holds all rights and trademarks for Team USA. "We just need our MMA program to keep developing.”

John Fosco, owner of the MMA equipment and apparel store MMA Stop in Lombard, believes international team competition could be difficult to sustain. The International Fight League (IFL) fell into debt in 2008 and Fosco said the IFL's effort to include team sport matches was a vital cause in the company going out of business.

The IFL’s failure did not stop Fosco’s burgeoning business. MMA Stop began as an online catalog in September of 2006 before opening the Lombard store in February of 2008.

Fosco attributes MMA’s growth to when ZUFFA bought UFC in 2002. The Oak Brook resident said UFC embraced ZUFFA's rules and regulation changes, which included the elimination of eye gouging.

Add in the role of cable television, pay-per-view, a strong 18- to 26-year-old demographic, sponsors and the Internet, Fosco anticipates a sleeping giant on its way to waking up the mainstream.

"MMA has become more acceptable," Fosco said. "Once we have a full generation of MMA, I think the level of competition will be insane."