Fighters fail medicals en masse, GFC show cancelled one hour before showtime!

[smoogy]

Wow, what a fucking debacle. I feel really bad for MONSONBYCHOKE.

GFC EVENT CANCELLED ON-SITE

Mohegan Sun Pulls Plug On Debut Event One Hour Before Showtime

By Jack Encarnacao

UNCASVILLE, Conn.--- The Global Fighting Championships premiere event has been cancelled, one hour before the first touch of gloves was to have taken place in the ring. The event was scheduled to begin at 8 PM EST/5 PM PST at the Mohegan Sun Arena, within the popular east coast casino and hotel.

Joseph Smith, public relations manager for the Mohegan Sun, said the night was canceled due to "insufficient bouts." Pressed for details, Smith said that there simply weren't enough bouts for the commission to allow the event to take place. He could not comment on how many fights were canceled or how many fighters were disqualified from participating.

Smith said he got word the show was cancelled at about 7 p.m. EST, while crews were dismantling the ring by 7:35 p.m. Smith said tickets would be refundable at the point of purchase.

Smith said Michael Mazzulli, Director of the Mohegan Tribe Department of Athletic Regulation, refrained from comment.

The Fight Network has confirmed independently that at least one competitor, Mark Kerr (13-6), did not pass on-site medicals yesterday for his pending super heavyweight bout with Sean O’Haire (1-2), forcing GFC promoters to scramble for a replacement. Kerr, a former UFC heavyweight champion who turns 40 in December, rose to prominence in the late 1990s when he opened his career with 11 consecutive victories, many of them inside the UFC and PRIDE promotions. He has not won a fight in nearly seven years.

Eric "Butterbean" Esch, who was rostered to meet Ruben “Warpath” Villareal in another super heavyweight offering, was among the throngs hanging at ringside when the announcement was made. His manager, Rick Bassman, declined comment.

Former K-1 and PRIDE Fighting Championships star Bob Sapp, who was at the event to do color commentating for a delayed pay-per view taping, said many of the fighters could not pass their physicals last night and there wasn't enough time to get replacement fighters.

Sapp identified Edwin Dewees, scheduled to face Mavrick Harvey for the vacant GFC Middleweight Championship, as another applicant who could not secure medical clearance. Sapp said Dewees weighed in heavy, cut weight and then couldn't pass a physical taken soon after he cut the weight.

The former NFL footballer said Kerr was "not in traditional Mark Kerr fighting shape," and that these type of cancellations "happen all the time in fighting," but there wasn't enough time to come up with replacements. Sapp said only Esch and Villareal had their medicals ready as of yesterday.

“Too little too late,” said Sapp.

POSTED -- 08/17/07

http://thefightnetwork.com/news_detail.php?nid=4586

[BigBanda]

Holy shit, are u f'n kidding me!?? That is just completely sad.

Another article...

The Global Fighting Championships event scheduled for tonight at the Mohegan Sun in Uncasville, Connecticut has been cancelled. The show was to be the promotion’s debut.

Several fighters yesterday – including Jeff Monson, Mark Kerr, Edwin Dewees, and others – had trouble getting their final clearance from the Mohegan Sun Athletic Commission.

Earlier today, the event’s promoter Wayne Demilia told MMAWeekly that they still had “six or seven” fights for tonight’s planned event and that they working diligently on the situation.

Evidently it wasn’t enough as sources close to several of the fighters have confirmed that an hour or two before the scheduled start time the event has been cancelled due to an insufficient amount of bouts receiving clearance from the commission.

[MONSONBYCHOKE]

Originally Posted by smoogy

Wow, what a fucking debacle. I feel really bad for MONSONBYCHOKE.



http://thefightnetwork.com/news_detail.php?nid=4586

Thanks for thinking of me Smoogy,,,,,,but thing is I was runing late,,,the venue is only 60 minutes from where I am in Massachusetts I got a call about 20 min into the trip....No worries.....I am home!!! muahahaha...but i think I need to stop going to plan and see monson live, You know what happened when i went to the ADCC as well. I think i should get repp'd for trying ....lol...j/k

[Maniac]

Unreal....you're telling me BUTTERBEAN and Villareal were the only ones to pass their med's and also weigh-in? What is this world coming to when that happens??

[BigBanda]

Originally Posted by MONSONBYCHOKE

Thanks for thinking of me Smoogy,,,,,,but thing is I was runing late,,,the venue is only 60 minutes from where I am in Massachusetts I got a call about 20 min into the trip....No worries.....I am home!!! muahahaha...but i think I need to stop going to plan and see monson live, You know what happened when i went to the ADCC as well. I think i should get repp'd for trying ....lol...j/k

Well looks like ur boy Monson may of failed a drug test. Doesnt have specifics but he apparently could not get clearance.

[valheruking]

Haha yeah, damn MONSONBYCHOKE thats really unlucky that he wasnt there when you went to 2 events he was suposed to be at.

[Maniac]

Originally Posted by BigBanda

Well looks like ur boy Monson may of failed a drug test. Doesnt have specifics but he apparently could not get clearance.

any more on this?

[smoogy]

Originally Posted by MONSONBYCHOKE

Thanks for thinking of me Smoogy,,,,,,but thing is I was runing late,,,the venue is only 60 minutes from where I am in Massachusetts I got a call about 20 min into the trip....No worries.....I am home!!! muahahaha...but i think I need to stop going to plan and see monson live, You know what happened when i went to the ADCC as well. I think i should get repp'd for trying ....lol...j/k

Yeah I'm starting to think you are cursed or something, lolelz.

Sherdog says Dewees didn't make weight, while Kerr's physical was rejected due to an unhealthy blood pressure reading.

[BigBanda]

Originally Posted by Maniac #1

any more on this?

Just this...

The Global Fighting Championships event scheduled for tonight at the Mohegan Sun in Uncasville, Connecticut has been cancelled. The show was to be the promotion’s debut.

Several fighters yesterday – including Jeff Monson, Mark Kerr, Edwin Dewees, and others – had trouble getting their final clearance from the Mohegan Sun Athletic Commission.

Earlier today, the event’s promoter Wayne Demilia told MMAWeekly that they still had “six or seven” fights for tonight’s planned event and that they working diligently on the situation.

Evidently it wasn’t enough as sources close to several of the fighters have confirmed that an hour or two before the scheduled start time the event has been cancelled due to an insufficient amount of bouts receiving clearance from the commission.

[Diegonightmare]

Damn man. This is just horrendous. I'm at a rare loss for words.