I was at Fight Central on Sunday Night, like I usually am when I watch a UFC on Versus, and we had just settled down in our front row seats and were about to enjoy the main events when commentator Mike Goldberg announced some tragic news : Noted MMA trainer and Canadian, Shawn Tompkins had passed. Details were sketchy at the time, but I flipped onto MMAJunkie which confirmed the news.
In the days since, we have learned that Tompkins' family had a history of heart problems and the likely cause of death was a heart attack in his sleep. I have never met Tompkins, but the interviews and overture that come from everybody who knew him, from "Showdown" Joe Ferraro of Rogers SportsNet to John Morgan of MMAJunkie, show the positivity, bluntness and general appreciation he brought to the sport. Most importantly, you got the idea that he carried himself with a incredible degree of professionalism and integrity, and he taught that to his pupils, most notably Mark Hominick and Chris Horodecki. I've had the opportunity to meet these 2 gentlemen and from the brief interaction I had with them, I got that same sense of professionalism and class that Tompkins evoked.
A loser of 4 professional fights, Tompkins got into coaching with the now-defunct IFL (International Fight League) parlaying that one-time deal into a full-time gig in some of the most recognized and established brands, Xtreme Couture and The TapOut Training facility. To myself, it is a genuine nod to the fact that while this sport his still young, Canadians have certainly left their mark on it. And Shawn Tompkins was one of them.
So farewell, Mr. Tompkins. We've not only lost a great coach, but a great ambassador to the sport of MMA, a great Canadian, and to a lot of people, a great friend.
-In other news, numerous outlets are reporting that the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) has secured a multi-year deal with FOX. The Fight Network is reporting that the promotion's flagship show "The Ultimate Fighter" will move from Spike to Fox cable outlet "FX" in 2012. This comes on the heels of FX jilting Bellator Fighting Championships last winter. Makes you wonder how long this deal was in the works for. Although according to Zuffa President Dana White "The deal isn't even close to being done. When its done, you guys will know its done". Hmmmm....
-MMAJunkie was the first to report that Bellator season 4 welterweight finalist and former US Judoka, Rick Hawn is out of the upcoming season 5 tourney with a knee injury. He was scheduled to face Ben Saunders in the opening round at September's Bellator 49. In the meantime, Bellator presents itself with a very awful predicament : Do they grant Saunders a bye into the semi-finals, or find another suitable opponent? Nate Marquardt could have done himself a world of favors had he just signed on the dotted line. This is also presumably, why the UFC doesn't hold tournaments. Staying on the Bellator wagon, they signed a couple prospects in the last few days, including noted BJJ specialist Giva "The Arm Collector" Santana.
-ESPN.com/Sherdog is reporting UFC 139 will feature a tilt between noted welterweights Rick "The Horror" Story and Martin "The Hitman" Kampmann set for November. Both are coming off huge losses (Kampmann has lost 2 in a row in fights he, in this MMArmaggedist's opinion, clearly won. Story pummeled Thiago Alves before dropping a fight to Charlie Brennerman). This has "Fight of the Night" prospects written all over it, to be honest.
-ESPN.uk reported that recent UFC castoff John Howard posted on his Facebook page in response to keeping Dan Hardy following his 4th consecutive defeat Sunday to Chris Lytle "OK I am not hating but the UFC keeps Hardy but let's me go. WTF is that?". Howard was recently released following losses to Jake Ellenberger, Thiago Alves and Matt Brown. I'll tell you what it is, John : You lost 3 in a row, but you're American. The sport thrives there. Hardy lost 4 in a row, is from England where MMA is still, don't get it twisted, second place when it comes to Boxing. They're trying to establish a foothold there. Hardy proves a popular draw even though people (myself included) can't stand his brash attitude or alternative style. Simple as that.
Got a comment? want to get back to me? leave a comment at the bottom of the page or email me at mmarmaggeddon@gmail.com . You can also follow me on Twitter, at twitter.com/mmarmaggedon.
Until next time, fight fans!
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