2023 Valley Fight News Honors
The 2023 year in combat sports is a wrap. It has been a great year for MMA in the Valley and we have heard the requests for a Valley Fight News Award and Award show. We have had the idea on the back burner since our return, and it is definitely in the plans for next year. Although we won't be having an official award show just yet, we will still be honoring and highlighting some of the Central Valley's best in the industry around our area with the 2023 Valley Fight News Honors.
Congratulations first and foremost to all the fighters and competitors that stepped in that cage, ring, or on the mats this year. Win or lose, thank you for keeping this sport alive at whatever level you may be at in your MMA journey. We're proud of how you all represented your team, town, and most importantly yourselves. Huge shout out to the Central Valley fighters, grapplers, coaches, gyms, and promotions for doing what it takes day in and day out to keep the Central Valley known as something to take seriously when it comes to MMA!
MEDIA
Consistency is key when trying to create creative content for the MMA community to enjoy. Although our roots may run deep, Valley Fight News has only been back around for a year and a half. In that time, we have met and have been able to work with some new faces in the local media scene. The passion for the sport certainly shows for these folks, and we see nothing but big things for them in the future. In no certain order, Valley Fight News Honors:
Boxing Vitals owned and operated by Rick V out of Visalia, Ca. Rick, a boxing aficionado, has been covering the squared circle for years. He decided to start covering MMA more recently and has been the man to go to. When it comes to live updates and pictures on Instagram, Rick is not only at all your local fight events, but also covers taco truck throw downs and concerts. Look for Boxing Vitals at any event near you in 2024.
Michael Hernandez's MLH Media, who has grabbed the Valley MMA scene by the neck when it comes to getting the fighters heard. MLH has found his groove getting pre and post-fight interviews out like no one else for the Valley, and anywhere he pops up at. Hernandez has made a home for himself at 559 Fights but does travel to events outside the valley while furthering his education at Cal Poly. Congrats to MLH Media, who also made his commentating debut to end 2023.
Isaiah and his ITMultimedia has quietly become one of the top photographers in the Valley. Torres is also known for some of the best drone work in the Central Valley. You can catch him covering construction sites throughout the Valley when he's not cage side at all the 559 Fights. Congrats to Isaiah, looking forward to your work in 2024.
Fred Paredes who is a photographer and videographer for Valley Fight Series. Fred shoots and films all the pre-fight content himself leading up to the events; Fred also edits the promotions videos and helps catch all the action behind the camera during the Pay Per Views. When he is not busy with VFS, Fred is snapping shots at weddings, Quincenera's and much more. Congrats to Fred Paredes.
Special Outside The Valley shout out to Marissa Olivera's Fight Culture @the.fightculture on IG for all her work this year. From Podcasts to commentating on fight night, Marissa does it all covering events from LA to Stockton and much more. Congrats to Marissa Olivera, we look forward to your work in 2024.
Special Shout out to Media Veterans Shannon Newton, Marcial Marmolejo, James Gilliland, and Tom Owens. Gilliland and Owens for the interviews on their Podcasts this year and Shannon and Marcial for all the best fight night shots around. Always looking out for your next projects.
JIU JITSU/GRAPPLERS
Grappling and Jiu Jitsu has been its own animal in the Valley. The sport has even dived headfirst into the entertainment aspect of things, as well, when it comes to production. The Central Valley has been home to some of the best in Jiu Jitsu for years. This year, Valley Fight News Honors:
Visalia's Mariano "Yano the Beast" Aldama out of Vitruvian MMA and Early Bird Jiu Jitsu. Aldama, a blue belt in Jiu Jitsu, has made a name for himself on the mats winning multiple tournaments and grappling titles in 2023. Congrats on a great year and we look forward to following your career.
Elite Team's Janelly "Changa" Nicolas, a blue belt in Jiu Jitsu out of Hanford who has been very impressive in 2023. Niclolas earned a gold medal for the second year in a row in the Juvenile IBJJF No Gi tournament. She also earned a few grappling titles this year at Valley Fight Series. Congrats to Janelly Nicolas.
Fresno's Rolando Valdivia out of Halo BJJ and Elevate BJJ Academy. Valdivia is a brown belt in Jiu Jitsu who also helps coach. Valdivia brought home a gold medal in the JJWL to start 2023 off, he then helped his team win the first ever team Jiu Jitsu tournament in the Valley. Valdivia topped off the year by capturing the 559 Fights lightweight grappling title. Congratulations to Rolando Valdivia.
Farmersville's Juan "Pato" Jimenez out of Trifecta MMA has made it his mission to wrap up anyone even blinking towards his Valley Fight Series grappling titles in our area. "Pato" is a retired pro MMA fighter with a blue belt in Jiu jitsu. He only focuses on jiu jistu and grappling now and will definitely teach these young fighters the hard way when needed. Congrats to Juan "Pato" Jimenez.
Fresno's Brandon Cash "Money" had a great year on the mats. He dominated in the heavyweight division while earning his brown belt in Jiu Jitsu. Cash earned gold medals in 2023 at the World Master IBJJF Jiu Jitsu and PAN Jiu Jitsu No Gi IBJJF championships. He also captured the 559 Fights heavyweight grappling title. Congratulations to Brandon Cash.
SUBMISSIONS
The technique it takes to force someone to submit is a beautiful thing in MMA. We have seen some impressive finishes this year in the cage and on the mats. Valley Fight News honors some of the best submission finishes of 2023.
Dethrone MMA's Christian "Land Shark" Avalos out of Parlier, Ca showcased Smash Jitsu at A1 Combat 10 from the Tachi Palace Resort & Casino in Lemoore. Avalos went from full mount to the back of his opponent nearly locking in a rear naked choke, The "Land Shark'' would then transition to an armbar that forced the tap at 1:43 in round 1 moving his pro record to 2-1 early in 2023.
Tule River's Shane Christie out of Crisps Kickboxing Muay Thai & MMA picked up a nice submission win to start 2023. Christie took his opponent to the ground after dodging a punch, where he then took his back and locked a rear naked choke that forced the tap at 3:31 in Round 2 at A1 Combat 10 in Lemoore.
Vitruvian MMA's Mariano Aldama aka "Yano the Beast" locked in a slick triangle choke that forced the tap, making him the new 559 Fights Lightweight Grappling Champion at 559 Fights 94.
Tri City MMA's Jose Aguiniga out of Coalinga finished his fight at Valley Fight Series 12 with a nice submission. Aguiniga took his opponent down where he took his back and locked in a rear naked choke that forced the tap in Round 1, making him the promotion's new Amateur Flyweight Champion.
Castro MMA's Robert Lopez stopped his opponent to become the new 559 Fights & CAMO State Flyweight Champion, in the co main event at 559 Fights 100. Lopez was able to secure an armbar that ended the fight at 1:36 in Round 2 making him the new champion. Lopez was then offered a pro contract from A1 Combat.
KNOCKOUTS
When it comes to everyone's favorite way to see a fight end, the knockout is usually going to get the most votes. We saw a few knockouts in the Central Valley that deserve to be recognized. In no particular order Valley Fight News would like to Honor:
Saifulla Dashlakaev scored a highlight finish at 559 Fights 98. The bell sounded, Saifulla landed a kick to head, and the fight was over at just 0:03 seconds into the fight. Congrats to Saifulla Dashlakaev.
Fresno's AJ Perez, who made a successful pro MMA debut at A1 Combat 8, where he scored a vicious knockout using his ground and pound. That put his opponent out cold in Round 1. Congratulations to AJ Perez and we look forward to what's to come in your career.
Tri City MMA's Enoch McCottrell finished off his amateur career in impressive fashion at Valley Fight Series 11. McCottrell connected with a solid punch that dropped his opponent and ended the fight at just 0:15 seconds into Round 1. Congrats to Enoch McCottrell.
Tulare's Brock Dias returned to the Central Valley to finish off his year with a knockout of his own. Dias landed a slick combo that put his opponent out in Round 1 at A1 Combat 16. Congratulations to Brock Dias.
Roman Guillen scored a slam knock out at 559 Fights 102 to win the 559 Fights Welterweight title for the second time. Guillen working from the top position and found himself fighting off a triangle choke attempt. Guillen then slammed his opponent not once, but twice, leaving him unconscious in Round 1.
GYMS
There are so many MMA gyms in the Central Valley, it just wouldn't be fair for us to name a so-called "Best Gym of the Year" just yet. We will put in the work to be able to award that to someone on our behalf in the future. Instead, we want to recognize a few gyms we think have had an impact in the Central Valley this year. In no particular order Valley Fight News would like to honor:
Ochoa Combat Academy. The Ochoa name has been a staple in the Valley MMA community for years. Coach Jacob Jeff has established a great team in Lemoore, that proudly carried on the Ochoa name in 2023.The Academy had a great year with all their amateur MMA fighters making noise in the valley this year. They even added a 559 Fights title to the gym's trophy case. Congrats to the team at Ochoa Combat Academy.
Crisp Kickboxing Muay Thai & MMA in Visalia, Ca led by Darren "DC" Crisp has established themselves as one of the top gyms in Visalia in 2023. This group of athletes came together and made it a home now with many new people looking to join. Look for Crisp Kickboxing Muay Thai & MMA to continue growing in 2024 with a new facility coming soon. Congrats to Crisp Kickboxing Muay Thai & MMA.
Madera Martial Arts in Madera, Ca led by Chris Arias. Chris and the team have made Madera a big part of the MMA community in the Central Valley. Thanks to these guys, Madera isn't just known as a small town you pass leaving Fresno. It's now known for having some of the best fighters around. The team had a great year in amateur MMA, Muay Thai and Jiu Jitsu, and look to do the same in 2024.
Dethrone MMA has continued to be a staple in the MMA community in Fresno and Clovis. If you ever wondered why you see these fighters and coaches at every event competing it is because this group does not turn fights down. Last minute, tougher opponent, you name it. Dethrone MMA will step in and handle business.
Special shout out to Vitruvian MMA in Visalia, Ca led by Marc De La Cruz. The team has a mix of martial artists on hand at all times with the likes of "Yano the Beast" Aldama, Isaac Lopez, and "Dangerous" Steve Ramirez. The Gym has become what is known as the "toughest open mat in the Valley" Congrats to the Vitruvian MMA.
FEMALES
2023 had a few females making noise in our area. Although the crop of ladies in the Valley isn’t huge right now, the quality of competition they bring is making it hard to even match up fights for some of our Valley women. This year Valley Fight News honors:
(5-2) Angelica Pimentel aka “Tatted Modaa" went 2-1 in 2023. After starting the year off rough, she was able to regain her amateur title back in a rematch. She went on to win another amateur title in impressive fashion that also won her a pro contract. Congratulations to Angelica Pimentel and we can't wait to see you in the pros in 2024.
Visalia's Jennah “The Gem" Creason has been a busy young lady in the combat sports world. Creason earned a gold medal at the 2023 Youth Brandenburg Cup in Germany with Team USA. She's staying on the mats in Jiu Jitsu and you can even catch her working for CAMO at most local events in our area. Creason has a bright future ahead, with the likes of Top Rank and many other big time promotions knocking at her door. Congrats to Jennah "The Gem" Creason.
Fresno's Emy Perez who holds a 2-2 record so far in her amatuer MMA career. Perez was able to bounce back to recapture her VFS title in 2023. The bout was a rematch from her last fight in 2022.
Visalia's "Mean" Jacky Green, who continued to make her mark in the amateur MMA scene. Green was able to pick up an impressive win in August and was scheduled to compete for an amateur title. Congrats to Jacky Green and we hope to see her continue her MMA journey in 2024.
Special shout out to Fresno's Destanie Yarbrough and Brittney "Black Irish" Spinks for their fight of the night performances at VFS 13.
AMATEUR MMA FIGHTERS
The Amateur MMA scene is huge in the Central Valley and continues to grow all around as well, with the amateur level of MMA made for fighters to make a name for themselves while getting the experience. Valley Fights News would like to honor some of the Amateur fighters that did just that and more in 2023:
7-0 Blake "The Snake" Decourcy may be from down the road in Fountain Valley, but his MMA home is right here in the Central Valley. All but one of Decourcy's fights have been for 559 Fights and he continued to dominate his division in 2023. Decourcy picked up three wins here in the valley, along with the 559 Fights and CAMO State Lightweight titles. Congratulations to Blake Decourcy, we look forward to a bright future in the pros.
Hanford's Gabriel Reyes out of Ochoa Combat Academy began his MMA career this year in May. Three months in, and Reyes is 3-0 having fought once every month since starting his career. Reyes would go on to win the 559 Fights title in his next fight and look to defend it, fighting a total of five times in 2023. Congratulations to Gabriel Reyes.
Madera's Kyle Mask out of Madera Martial Arts. Mask started his amateur MMA career this year and went 4-1. That's right, Kyle fought five times in 2023 and won the 559 Fights Light Heavyweight title as well. Congratulations to Kyle Mask, and we look forward to following your career.
Tri City MMA had a couple amateur fighters on our list with 4-0 Jose Aguiniga and 3-0 Francisco "The Young Phenom" Hurtado, both out of Coalinga. Aguiniga went 3-0 in 2023, winning back-to-back title fights at VFS and 559 Fights to end the year. Hurtado went 2-0 in 2023 finishing both fights by tko and is in line for a middleweight title opportunity in 2024. Congrats to both fighters on a big year.
Red Wave's Raul Valdovinos out of Fresno had a great year, picking up three wins and the 559 Fights Featherweight title in 2023. Valdovinos is currently 4-0 and looks to defend his title early in 2024. Congratulations to Raul Valdovinos
Special shout out to Fresno's Joshua "Comeupkid" Simpson out of Dethrone MMA for finishing the year off strong and earning his first amateur title. Simpson fought five times in 2023 and has a bright future ahead of him.
Special "Outside the Valley" Shoutout to Tracy's Robert Lopez out of Castro MMA. This young man went 5-0 in 2023, winning all of his fights by either submission or tko. We were lucky enough to see Lopez finish the year off in the 559, where he won the CAMO State and 559 Fights Flyweight titles.
EVENTS
2023 blessed the Valley fight fans with some great combat events. There is something for everyone when it comes to combat sports in our area. Valley Fight News honors the following events in no particular order:
A1 Combat 8 at the Tachi Palace Resort & Casino in Lemoore, Ca was a special one for the Central Valley. It marked the return of pro MMA to our beloved Tachi Palace, the home to MMA for so many years in the past. The promotion had a great card filled with some up-and-coming fighters, mixed in with a few local legends from the past. The Tachi Palace Hall of Fame Ceremony made things even more special, as some of the legends from Tachi Palace’s past were inducted into the inaugural class.
Top Rank on ESPN: Ramirez vs Commey, which took place from the Save Mart Center next to Fresno State University in Fresno, Ca on March 25th, 2023. The card was headlined by Avenal's own Jose Ramirez, who picked up a ko win versus Richard Commey. Seniesa Estrada won the WBA and WBC minimumweight world championship in front of 11,000-plus valley fans. Tulare's Richard Torrez Jr was scheduled to fight at this event, but an injury unfortunately changed those plans. We look forward to Top Rank returning to the Valley in 2024.
559 Fights celebrated a huge milestone reaching 100 events in 2023. 559 Fights 100 went down on Saturday, September 16th, 2023 from the Visalia Convention Center in Visalia, Ca. The event featured five title fights, where only one went the distance in an action-packed night of fights. Many former 559 fighters and teams were in the house to celebrate the promotion's accomplishment. Congrats to 559 Fights and 559 Fights 100.
Valley Fight Series made their debut at the beautiful Table Mountain Casino in Fresno, Ca with Valley Fight Series 13. The event took place Saturday, November 4th, 2023, in what was the promotion's first pro/am event. The card was loaded with some of the Valley's favorite fighters that put on a great show for a packed house. The promotion will make the venue its home in 2024 and we look forward to what they have in store this year.
Fight 2 Win brought their mats to the Visalia Convention Center for the first time in 2023. "The biggest party in grappling" Fight 2 Win happened on Friday, May 12th, 2023. This promotion holds high level Jiu Jitsu grappling matches, with the same production you would see at a pro MMA event. They did not disappoint in their visit to the Central Valley in 2023 and we hope to see them back in 2024.
PRO MMA DEBUTS
Professional MMA is back in the Central Valley, and we were able to witness some of our favorite amateurs make the jump and go pro in 2023. Going from the amateur level to the pros is a big step in a fighter’s career. We had quite the list of pro debuts this year, in no certain order Valley Fight News honors:
Fresno's AJ Perez out of Team Ko and The Concrete Jungle, who made an impressive pro debut in 2023. Perez, who was a two-division champ in amateurs stopped his opponent at A1 Combat 8 by knockout using his ground and pound in Round 1. Congrats to AJ Perez.
Trifecta MMA's Tyler "BloodThirsty" Miller made his pro debut at Valley Fight Series 13 at the Table Mountain Casino in Fresno. Miller went to war and evened the score with a familiar opponent he met in the amateurs. Miller moves on to 2024 at 1-0 with a very bright future ahead of him.
"El Diablo Moreno" Laz Maldonado out of Fresno made quick work of his opponent in his pro debut at A1 Combat 16. Maldonado used his wrestling to ground his opponent and land some heavy punches until the ref stopped the fight at 4:07 in round 1, moving him to 1-0 as a pro. Congrats to Laz Maldonado.
Coalinga's Enoch McCottrell out of Tri City MMA made his highly anticipated pro debut at A1 Combat 13 at the Tachi Palace Resort & Casino. McCottrell looked very impressive in the early going. An accidental foul would declare the fight a no contest, but nonetheless we see a bright future for McCottrell in 2024.
Farmersville's David Mariscal out of Trifecta MMA also made his pro debut at Valley Fight Series 13. Mariscal won a unanimous decision over a tough opponent moving him to 1-0 as a pro. Congrats to David Mariscal.
Special shout out to Shane Christie for an impressive pro debut at A1 Combat 10 in April. Christie stopped his opponent by submission to pick up the win.
FIGHTS
We have had the pleasure of seeing some great wars this year in combat sports. There are some fights that just stand out and have you on edge until it's suddenly over out of nowhere, leaving you thinking to yourself "Damn! That was a good fight!" The fight could have gone all 5 rounds, or 12 in boxing. If the fight is really good it seems to go by fast, leaving you wanting one more round, or an immediate rematch. For Fights of the Year, Valley Fight News honors:
Daniel Islas vs Zach Rodriguez 2 which took place from the Hanford Civic Auditorium at Valley Fight Series 12 in August. The two went back and forth in a heavyweight slugfest for the promotion's Amateur Heavyweight title. The fans were on their feet and loud as the fight went the distance. Rodriguez would get the nod, but both fighters won over the fans that night. Congrats to Daniel Islas and Zach Rodriguez.
Roman Guillen vs Michael Ramirez at 559 Fights 95 in March served as the co main event for the 559 Fights welterweight title. These young men left it all in the cage, with both sides of the crowd cheering on their guy to the end. The judges would have a tough night scoring this close one after three rounds of action, but Guillen would get the win and the title in a fight that everyone in the Valley was talking about afterwards for some time. Congrats to Roman Guillen and Michael Ramirez.
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Larry Gonzales took on Luis Schwenke at A1 Combat 13 in Lemoore, Ca. The fight took place in the heavyweight division, where both fighters had their moments. The crowd was amazed at not only how much these fighters could give, but how much they could take. With what looked like near finishes from both fighters throughout the fight, after three rounds the judges scored the fight for Gonzales, as the crowd let the fighters know they appreciated what they just saw. Congrats to Larry Gonzales and Luis Schwenke.
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"King" Art Arciniega and Sergio "The Outlaw" Quinones shared the cage in a special moment at A1 Combat 8 In February. The event itself marked the return of Pro MMA to the Tachi Palace Resort & Casino, and a few local MMA Legends on the card was sure to make for a great fight. Arciniega and Quinones reminded the Valley how it was done at the Tachi Palace. The fight went the distance and after a close fight, the judges scored it for "King” Art. Congratulations to Art Arciniega and Sergio Quinones.
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Fresno's Destanie Yarbrough took on Brittney Spinks in the co main event of Valley Fight series 13. These ladies stole the show in what was a back-and-forth fight with both fighters giving it their all. Both women looked impressive when they got their moments throughout the fight. In the end Yarbrough was able to pick up the win late in the fight in Round 3. The fight made waves in the MMA Media community, leading to more women fighters looking to get their chance to fight at VFS. Congrats to Destanie Yarbrough and Brittney Spinks.
PROMOTIONS
We have it all when it comes to combat sports in the Central Valley. Some of the top promotions around call this their home, while promoters from out of the area know to make our area a stop when scheduling that yearly tour in California. We are very thankful to have the promotions in our area and in no particular order, Valley Fight News honors:
559 Fights, the promotion is so consistent with quality events month after month, and now year after year. Congratulations to 559 Fights Owner Jeremy Luchau and his staff for a historic year, the promotion reached 100 events with no sign of slowing down in sight. We look forward to another big year in 2024.
Huge shout out goes to Top Rank Boxing for welcoming us back to the media world with open arms for the Top Rank on ESPN event at the Save Mart Center in Fresno. Top Rank is second to none when it comes to boxing and having them in our backyard is an honor. We look forward to many more.
Congratulations to Valley Fight Series on another big year. Moving around to new areas in the Central Valley has really helped this promotion grow. Now moving to the pro/am format, where their first pro show made waves across the MMA news world. Congrats to Jordan Urbano and the team at VFS.
We'd like to thank A1 Combat for becoming a new member of the Central Valley MMA community and for bringing Pro MMA back to our area. Tom Anderson and the team at A1 Combat brought MMA back to the historic Tachi Palace in Lemoore this year and continue to produce great shows up and down California.
Special Outside the Valley shout out and congrats to Ray Rodriguez of Beatdown Promotions in San Luis Obispo for taking that step and getting his promotion off the ground. We look forward to great things from that area in 2024.
PROFESSIONAL MMA FIGHTERS
With Pro MMA back in the Valley, we have had the chance to see some great pro fighters right here in our backyard. Some of our homegrown amateur fighters and MMA vets now have professional promotions closer to home, so we can continue to see them grow as they look to make it to the big show eventually. In no certain order, Valley Fight News honors the following pro fighters for 2023:
Parlier's Christian "Land Shark" Avalos out of Dethrone MMA returned to action in 2023. Avalos picked up two impressive submission wins under the A1 Combat banner and moves into 2024 with a 3-1 pro record. Congratulations to Christian Avalos.
Tule River Tribe's Shane Christie out of Crisp Kickboxing, Muay Thai & MMA went 2-0 in 2023. Christie earned a submission in his pro debut and followed up with a submission to finish the year at A1 Combat. Congratulations to Shane Christie.
Tulare's Brock Dias returned to the Central Valley after earning a win in Southern California early in 2023. Dias finished off the year with a devastating ko win that moved him to 2-0 on the year and 3-1 overall. Congratulations to Brock Dias.
Tulare's Richard Torrez Jr was scheduled to compete in Fresno in 2023, but an unfortunate injury would change those plans. Either way Torrez Jr had a phenomenal year picking up four wins, all by knockout or tko. Even though we didn't get to see him compete live here in our area this year, the Central Valley supported and rooted for our guy all year. With Tulare displayed proudly across his fight trunks, no one quite represented the Valley in boxing like Torrez Jr. Congratulations to Richard Torrez Jr.
Special shout out to the Valley's Cody "The Renegade" Gibson. Although he did not compete here this year, he did take us along on his ride in the Ultimate Fighter Season 31 with his weekly blogs on our site leading up to the finale. "The Renegade" made it to the finals, where he went to war and earned a UFC contract. Congrats to Cody Gibson, we look forward to watching you compete in the UFC in 2024.
Congrats to everyone mentioned in the 2023 Valley Fights News Honors. We look forward to a great year of combat sports in the Central Valley. We are excited to keep the ball rolling in 2024 with all your latest local MMA news and coverage. Valley Fight News will also be working hard to host an official Valley Fight News Honors Banquet or award show around this time next year. Thank you to everyone for the continued love and support, see you at the fights!
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