Mixed Martial Arts in China - Art of War 14
A World-Class Event for Fans of MMA Fights and Combat Sports
Sep 23, 2009
Fans of the combat sports are going to be busy over the weekend of September 26, 2009. The ninth edition of the legendary Abu Dhabi Combat Club submission grappling tournament takes place in Barcelona, Spain, and at The Venetian in Macau, the Chinese mixed martial arts promotion, Art of War, is holding their 14th MMA fight card. Named “Ground Zero”, this mixed martial arts event is Art of War’s largest card yet and promises a night of exciting MMA fights.
Art of War Mixed Martial Arts Events Gaining Momentum
The Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) is the largest and most influential company putting on mixed martial arts events, but there are many other high-quality mixed martial arts promotions. China’s Art of War is one of largest of these promotions and has grown from its humble beginnings on November 6, 2005 at the Beijing Sports University Gymnasium to become a major international mixed martial arts promotion with the power to attract some of the world’s top mma fighters.
Different Rules for MMA Fights in the Art of War
One of the most unique characteristics of the Art of War mixed martial arts promotion is their rules, which are closer to those of the now-defunct Pride Fighting Championship than the Unified Rules of Mixed Martial Arts used by the Ultimate Fighting Championship. A few differences in the Art of War rules:
- there are no draws
- soccer kicks and stomps are permitted
- elbows are permitted (but not spikes with the point of the elbow)
A Roster of Top Mixed Martial Arts Fighters from All Combat Sports
Art of War’s growing popularity has enabled it to attract a number of big-name mixed martial arts fighters from all parts of the combat sports spectrum. Some of the MMA fighters on the upcoming card are:
- Andy Wang (Taipei, China) - a veteran of The Ultimate Fighter TV show
- Atsuhiro Tsuboi (Japan) - former champion of Japan’s Shootboxing circuit
- Rodney Glunder (Netherlands) - former IBK World Champion and current Cage Fighters Championship World Champion
- Antonio Braga Neto (Brazil) - 2008 Mundials Super Heavyweight Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu World Champion and 2008 No-Gi World Champion
- Rolles Gracie (Brazil) - 2nd-degree black belt in Gracie Jiu-Jitsu and son of the late Brazilian jiu-jitsu pioneer, Rolls Gracie
- Peter Graham (Australia) - former K-1 fighter known for his devastating KO win over K-1 Grand Prix winner Badr Hari
One of the Most Ethnically Diverse Mixed Martial Arts Events in History
Art of War “Ground Zero” is a truly international mixed martial arts event, with fighters representing all parts of the world. Some of the other countries represented by this group of MMA fighters include:
- Norway (Simeon Thoresen)
- Korea (Lee Yong Jae)
- Canada (Vaughn Anderson)
- Thailand (Arthit Hanchana)
- USA (Jason Schmidt)
- Sweden (Claes Beverlov)
- Uzbekistan (Elyorbek Akbarov)
- Mongolia (Dorjderem Munkhbayasgalan)
- Sweden (Claes Beverlov)
For a complete list of the matches at this mixed martial arts event, see the Art of War website.
Upcoming Art of War Fighting Championship Shows
By consistently putting on quality mixed martial arts events, the Art of War Fighting Championship is building a growing following. This is the schedule for the remainder of 2009:
October 3 - Art of War 15
November - Art of War Try Outs
December 26 - Art of War 16
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