Elite Academy of Martial Arts Hoffman Estates Vs Il Bosco
Nothing is more critical in gainsay sports than fighter safety. Part of ensuring fighters are safety is making matches between fighters with similar skill sets.
Former boxer Pawel Wolak planned to debut equally a mixed martial artist on Oct. 11 on the American Predator Fighting Championship 17 event at the Sears Centre in Hoffman Estates, Ill.
Wolak, though, wasn't licensed by Illinois and is at present off the show. His director, Monte Cox, said that Wolak will probably fight on an upcoming card in Pennsylvania.
At issue is whether Wolak, who was 29-2-1 with 19 knockouts and was ranked as high as No. 3 in the world at super welterweight, is qualified to fight MMA at this stage as a professional in Illinois. He has had no amateur or pro MMA fights, but he's trained with UFC lightweight Eddie Alvarez and trained under the legendary Renzo Gracie.
Cox said that Nancy Illg, the director of the Illinois commission, told matchmaker Rich Seldal that Wolak needed more muzzle time and would have to fight as an amateur in MMA if he were to exist licensed in Illinois. Sue Hofer, the committee's public information officer, told Yahoo Sports there is a land regulation that requires prospective MMA fighters to have five apprentice bouts earlier being licensed every bit a pro.
The exception is if the fighter, according to Department 1370.460, paragraph 1000 subsection four of the commission's admistrative lawmaking, can "demonstrateexceptional fighting ability, as shown past the applicant'due south competition and training history, in combat sports, wrestling, grappling or martial arts, as determined by the Sectionalization."
Wolak would seem to hands meet that requirement. If he were to be licensed every bit an amateur, it could nowadays a dangerous situation in which he'd be facing someone who hadn't nigh had the kind of loftier-level experience he's had. The potential for injury would be great, exactly the thing that the Illinois commission is trying to prevent.
Alvarez, a former Bellator lightweight champion who made his UFC debut terminal month in Las Vegas, wrote a letter to Greg Sirb of the Pennsylvania Athletic Commission in support of Wolak's application there.
Alvarez wrote: " I spent a bang-up deal of time sparring at ane of Renzo Gracie's satellite academies in North Jersey. During my time sparring there, I not only was able to witness the grooming of Pawel Wolak merely was able to spar with him on several occasions. In addition to being a old world champion boxer, Mr. Wolak as well wrestled in high school. During our sparring, I institute him to exist an extremely skilled and surprisingly well-rounded mixed martial creative person."
Wolak is non a quondam earth championship boxer, equally Alvarez wrote, but was highly rated and competed confronting Delvin Rodriguez in a tour that was named the 2011 Fight of the Year past the Boxing Writers Association of America.
Gracie, one of the sport's most respected coaches and a quondam UFC fighter, besides wrote a alphabetic character to Pennsylvania on Wolak's behalf.
Wolak had previously been licensed equally a professional in MMA in New Jersey, which is one of the strictest commissions in the country.
Wolak was licensed in New Bailiwick of jersey prior to Larry Hazzard Sr. returning equally commissioner of the New Jersey Country Able-bodied Command Lath on Sept. 22. The highly regarded Hazzard, a 2010 inductee into the International Boxing Hall of Fame and a long-time jiu-jitsu practioner, said it is ridiculous for a state to require Wolak to fight every bit an apprentice with the kind of background he has.
Hazzard is very familiar with Wolak from his boxing days.
"Who are y'all going to match him up with?" Hazzard said. "Who are you going to match a seasoned professional person fighter, a boxer who has an extensive groundwork in MMA, who are you going to friction match him with? What immature kid in the amateurs would you match him upwardly with?
"I wasn't here in the role at the time he was licensed [as a pro MMA fighter by New Jersey] but I have certainly reviewed that situation with [commission counsel] Nick Lembo and I agree with everything he told me as it relates to Pawel having a professional license. I also take a martial arts background. I detect no reason why any other country would fifty-fifty question the fact that this man has been licensed as a professional. And now they want to make him an apprentice?"
Hofer said it was Wolak'due south responsibility to provide the commission the necessary data to help it make its decision.
She said th e commission would non take accepted letters from Alvarez and Gracie as prove of his qualifications to fight every bit a professional in MMA. Asked by Yahoo Sports if a video of i of his boxing matches as well as video of a sparring session would be sufficient, Hofer said it would depend.
"Just thirty seconds would not exist plenty," she said. Hofer also said Wolak never officially practical for a license. Cox said Wolak had done everything necessary to obtain a license except to provide the medicals.
Cox, who is a promoter and manager and a longtime pioneer in MMA, constitute the thought silly that Illinois suggested Wolak wasn't competent enough every bit a pro to receive a license.
He was originally going to be matched confronting Ron Imhoff, who had a 6-half-dozen record and was described by Cox as "a journeyman who is a little old." The next potential opponent was Trey Cole, who was 0-1 every bit a pro after 12 amateur bouts.
Hazzard was insulted that Illinois was ignoring New Jersey's decision to license Wolak equally a pro in MMA. He as well said that he has such high respect for Gracie that if Gracie told him a fighter was ready to compete, he would believe it. Wolak has been training with Gracie for two years to ready for his MMA debut.
"If Gracie is set to put him in, yous better believe he'due south prepare," Hazzard said. "I would rely upon and accept a fleck more confidence in Gracie's opinion than I would the other individuals who are opposing his licensure. That's all I'chiliad going to say about that, just I certainly stand behind the licensure of Pawel. He was a hell of a fighter, as well. I stand behind his licensure. Nick had a give-and-take with me the other day nearly him and I concur completely that it was right to requite him a license equally a professional person."
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Source: https://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/mma-cagewriter/ex-boxer-pawel-wolak-not-licensed-as-mma-fighter-by-illinois--off-upcoming-card-181728497.html
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