SELECTED PREVIOUS EVENTS 2003

Results - January 13th, 2003

'URBAN GLADIATORS' - (Calgary, Alberta, Canada) January 11th, 2003
On Saturday January 11th, 2003, Mike Miles and Mike Miles Productions presented the first fight card of the year in Calgary called "Urban Gladiators". The small event was co-promoted by The Palace Night Club and was also sponsored by The Calgary SUN, CJAY 92, Arctic Spas, Budget Rental Centers - Home of Rent to Own, Mike Miles Muay Thai & Kickboxing, and United Graphics.

Turn out sat at over the 500 spectator mark. "I did very little advertising for this event through the media (a couple of small ads) and did not have a press conference for this event. It was treated like a small club smoker so I was happy with the turn out I received. Originally this event was set up for one of my marquee fighters who has a big fight coming up and I wanted to get him some work before the event in question. However, I could not find him an opponent so he did not even fight tonight", said Promoter Mike Miles. "The athletes who fought on this event showed great desire and sportsmanship. This is where the names of the future come from!"

The Main Event of the evening was for the vacant WKA Western Canadian Lightweight Muay Thai Title which was fought over 5 rounds of 2 minutes. The principals in the event featured hometown athlete Sushil Nand 133 lbs. (Mike Miles Muay Thai) against Kim Morris 128 lbs. (Karate-Do/Kickboxing - Medicine Hat). Morris had recently returned from retirement and had twice the experience of the Calgary athlete. The bout started off with both athletes looking to have the same skills in the long range striking department. Straight punches and kicks were traded quite evenly between the two athletes in the first two rounds. When falling into the clinch, Nand did not seem to be able to land his knees and more so, he was taken to the canvas quite often with Morris on top. Nand's coach Mike Miles, was furious by round three with his athlete. After a firm scolding, Nand started to turn things around and started landing his knees (in fact by this time, he seemed to be the only athlete attempting the knees). When the athletes were to hit the canvas, Nand was now landing on top. By round four Nand started pressing hard and though his success rate at scoring went up, Morris was by no means out of the fight landing some very solid blows of his own. In round five it was full steam ahead with Nand pressing Morris who was still gung ho to exchange. By the end of the fight both athletes had put in strong performances. Nand was to win the vacant title by unanimous decision in the very close fought bout.

The undercard featured the following fights: In a Middleweight Kickboxing Fight (fought over 3 rounds of 2 minutes) visiting athlete Richard Linklater 165 lbs. (Aurora Kickboxing - Prince Albert) was to face Calgary's Darren Snell 155 lbs. (Mike Miles Muay Thai). This was to be a great fight with both athletes showing great heart. Linklater comes to fight but possesses a somewhat unorthodox style. However this was not to affect Snell who took his time in the first round to figure out his opponent's style and skill level. By round two, Snell was to pick it up in intensity and Linklater was to stay in the game. By round three Snell was full bore ahead landing straight punches and hard low kicks. Linklater fought back but was not as successful scoring. Snell won the hard fought bout by unanimous decision.

The third last bout of the evening was to provide great entertainment to the audience while disappointingly also having the outcome overturned. In this Lightheavyweight Kickboxing Match (3 rounds of 2 minutes) Saskatchewan athlete Jon Leicht 163 (Iron-Fist Kickboxing - Saskatoon) squared off with David Herceg 167 (Victory Martial Arts - Calgary). In the opening round both athletes looked even in the fight department until midway through the round Leicht took a punch which dropped him to both knees. Herceg then took a heavy roundhouse kick and caught his foe in the face while he was still on the ground. Leicht got up and was to fight again when this same scenario was to happen again. Leicht fell to the canvas as the two athletes clinched and Herceg was to land a punch on his foes head while he was on the canvas. In round two Leicht was to come back and win the round. In the third round, Leicht was hit by another bomb and he went down on his knees, and again Herceg was to land a bomb to the head of his foe while he was down. Leicht got up and continued the bout and was to take another bomb and go down and not be able to continue. Herceg had won the bout by KO. However, after a protest was filed by the Leicht camp for the multiple strikes taken while down on the canvas, the Sports Jury was to overturn the decision and call the bout a No-Contest.

In a women's Bantamweight Kickboxing Fight (3 rounds of 2 minutes), visiting athlete Jessica Reid 133 lbs. (Aurora Kickboxing - Prince Albert) was to test her skills against Kirbi MacInnis 120 lbs. (Mike Miles Muay Thai - Calgary). As the bout started, Reid was to come running out fast to try and overwhelm MacInnis. But this strategy was not to work. MacInnis was to land some powerful kicks and straight punches which quickly got the attention of Reid. By round three MacInnis was landing the stronger scoring blows which at times seemed to have Reid in trouble. "MacInnis did not follow up. She landed some excellent punches and when she looked like she could have finished the fight she seemed to step back. She did not listen to me", said coach Mike Miles. MacInnis was to win the bout by unanimous decision. A crowd pleasing battle.

In a Mixed Martial Arts Bout, Justin Tavernini 135 lbs. (Progressive Fighting Academy - Lethbridge) was to battle Graham Weenk 145 lbs. (Bushido - Saskatoon). This was a fast bout. On the outside both athletes probed quick with some punches and kicks when Weenk rushed in to take Tavernini's legs. This was to be a mistake. He lunged low and Tavernini was to fall back while putting Weenk into a guillotine. Weenk was to try and work his way out of the hold but could not break free and eventually had to tap out. Though it was a short bout, this was a very exciting bout!

In the first Mixed Martial Arts bout of the evening, Grant Tenant 150 lbs. (Winnipeg) battled Alberta veteran Chris Ade 154 lbs. (Edmonton). Ade seemed not to be able to do what he wanted as Tenant looked sharp in his fight plan. Ade was to go low and try and take the legs of his foe who fell into position and got Ade in a triangle choke. Ade then picked up his foe to try and release the position but Tenant was to go a step further and position Ade's arm in an armbar. Ade was to get his arm free but was not able to get out of the leg choke he was in. As Ade would try and use his hands to break Tenant's legs free, Tenant would use his hands to swat his opponent's face. The referee had seen enough and the bout was to be stopped with Tenant as the victor. An exciting fight.

In this particular Kickboxing Fight (3 rounds of 2 minutes) there was to be a massive weight difference. Saskatchewan's Shane Doerkson 192 lbs. (Aurora Kickboxing - Prince Albert) was to battle Calgary's Sioudon Pathammavong 168 lbs. (Mike Miles Muay Thai). "Doerkson came in heavier and Pathammavong came in lighter than what I expected. This really concerned me but Pathammavong still wanted to fight so the referee was very aware of the situation and ready to stop it at anytime Pathammavong was in trouble", said Mike Miles. In round one, Pathammavong looked very tentative while Doerkson was to move forward working on landing big kicks and punches. In round two it was to be the same but with Pathammavong starting to answer with authority. By round three Pathammavong came back to land heavy punches and kicks taking the final round. The decision was split and went to Doerkson to the audience's approval.

In a Middleweight Kickboxing Match (3 rounds of 2 minutes) two Calgary natives were to duke it out. Scott Williams 157 (Victory Martial Arts) faced off with Omer King 150 (Mike Miles Muay Thai). The shorter King angled and used his brain to frustrate Williams. Low kicks went to punches and back. As soon as Williams looked ready to punch, he was hit low and vice versa as he was getting ready to kick he would get punched. By the third round, King was looking tired but he still had enough in the tank to win the round (despite taking a few kicks in the face).

The first women's bout of the evening was to be a Lightweight Kickboxing Fight (3 rounds of 2 minutes). Calgary's Meghan Aebig 123 lbs. (National Kickboxing & Muay Thai Northwest) squared off with Leslie Rudolph 133 lbs. (Aurora Kickboxing - Prince Albert). This was to be a very exciting bout. In the first round Aebig seemed to have what she needed to win the bout. But by round two, Rudolph was to incorporate a jumping right punch that seemed to be getting through and scoring on Aebig. Rudolph seemed to be pacing herself until thirty seconds before the round was to end. Her coach then told her this and she would come on gang busters. The third round was to go to Rudolph hands down. Rudolph was to win the fight by a split decision.

The first Muay Thai bout of the evening was to be fought in the Superwelterweight division (3 rounds of 2 minutes). Levi Kump 149 lbs. (Frank Lee's - Edmonton) battled the taller Clint McLaughlin 150 lbs. (Champion Kickboxing & Muay Thai - Saskatoon). McLaughlin carried his end of the fight with good punches while Kump would use his kicks and try and work the clinch. Kump looked in shape and paced himself well but seemed to be a little too relaxed, not pressing the action enough. This was to influence the scoring of the bout and McLaughlin was to win the fight by unanimous decision.

The opening bout of the evening was a Superlightheavyweight Kickboxing Fight (3 rounds of 2 minutes). Chanty Phon 170 lbs. (Karate-Do/Kickboxing - Medicine Hat) battled Harrison Christianson 180 lbs. (Aurora Kickboxing - Prince Albert). During this bout Phon seemed to be a little on edge and unable to settle down to deal with his taller foe. Though fighting well Phon was to take a lot of strong straight punches which proved to contribute to his undoing. In the second round a strong body shot was to finish the fight with Christianson winning by a TKO.

Mike Miles Productions and Mike Miles look forward to the next big event in Calgary, the C-MAX 8 man tournament. February 22nd will see the event taking place with $10,000.00 in prize money at stake. "I have had this event planned for a year. TSN has been all over us for this event. It will be Canadian history in the making with some great Superfights as well with many visiting international athletes (France, Mexico, USA). It will be one of the best shows we have done to date", said promoter Mike Miles. Stay tuned.