Thank you to everyone who nominated, voted, participated, and everything else that has to do with these awards this year.
For the second year in a row and hopefully for many years to come, TXMMA.com is hosting these awards for the sole reason of getting outstanding individuals and performances within Texas Mixed Martial Arts the recognition they deserve. We try to include the community as much as possible with the People’s Choice Awards voting and have provided a clear-cut and transparent election process that we’ve taken the time to outline here for anyone who wants to view how these awards are decided.
It should be noted that while these Official 2012 TXMMA Award Winners should be viewed with the greatest esteem, this is also not an end-all, be-all in terms of who had an outstanding year in 2012. Many categories were close and in truth, ALL the finalists deserve to be recognized for their outstanding achievements. There may even be some in the community that we missed. If so, leave a comment and let the community know. After all, this is about you guys and not us.
Thank you for supporting TXMMA.com and the Texas Missed Martial Arts Scene for yet another year and we look forward to another great year in 2013! Congratulations to everyone!
2011 TXMMA Awards – MMA Edition Official Winners
Fight of the Year – Ricardo Talavera vs. Jeff Rexroad (Legacy Fighting Championship 6)
Fighter of the Year – Daniel Pineda (4OZ Fight Club)
Pro Knockout of the Year – Pete Spratt vs. Antonio Flores ( Legacy FC 8 )
Pro Submission of the Year – Jarret Jones vs.Edwynn “Ox” Jones, Twister)
Upset of the Year – Evan Cutts vs. Reagan Penn (Pro Elite)
Amateur Fight of the Year – Colin Wright vs. Tony Orozco (Cage Combat 5)
Amateur Fighter of the Year – Stephen Banaszak (Chop Shop MMA)
Amateur Knockout of the Year – Lior Shporen vs. Terrell Henson (Legacy Amateur Series 5)
Amateur Submission of the Year – Joe Trevino vs. Jacob Silva II (Cage Combat 5)
Female Fight of the Year – Monica Earnshaw vs. Kristy Kester (Legacy Amateur Series 4) Female Fighter of the Year – Jade De Haas (Chop Shop MMA)
Breakthrough Fighter of the Year – Johnny Bedford (Fitness Fight Factory)
Rookie of the Year – James Vick (Phalanx MMA)
Comeback Fighter of the Year – Jorge “Macaco” Patino (Gold Team)
Ironman of the Year – Randy Villarreal (Genesis / Phalanx MMA)
Controversy of the Year – Douglas Frey vs. Stephen Peterson (XKO 10)
Trainer of the Year – 4OZ Fight Club
Manager of the Year – Matt Rossini (Imperial Fight Management)
Referee of the Year – Don Turnage
Ring Girl of the Year – Angelica Hernandez
Lifestyle Brand of the Year – DOM Fight Gear
Promotion of the Year – Legacy Fighting Championship
Pro Event of the Year – Legacy Fighting Championship 7
Amateur Event of the Year – Cage Combat 5
MMA Venue of the Year – Arena Theater (Houston, TX)
Moment of the Year – Johnny Bedford on Season 14 of The Ultimate Fighter
2011 Community Service Award – Barry Laminack
2012 TXMMA Awards – Official Award Winners
2012 TXMMA Pro Fight of the Year – Official Award Winner
The purpose of this award is to recognize the most exceptional fight of 2012 at the professional level – taking into consideration fan reaction, competitive nature, and bout significance.
► 1st runner-up – Steven Peterson vs. Matt Hobar 2 (Legacy 16)
► 2nd runner-up –Chris Pecero vs. Douglas Frey (XKO 16)
► 3rd runner-up – Cody Williams vs. Steven Peterson (Legacy 14)
► 4th runner-up – Mitchell Hale vs. Anselmo Luna (America’s Most Wanted)
► 5th runner-up – Matt Schnell vs. Ryan Hollis (Legacy 14)
Honorable Mentions:
Sean Spencer vs. Evan Cutts (Legacy 13), Clayton Robinson vs. Donnie Bell (Legacy 13), Flavio Alvaro vs. Rey Trujillo (UWF 4), JP Cole vs. Kashif Solarin (Premier Fight Series)
2012 TXMMA Pro Fighter of the Year – Official Award Winner
The purpose of this award is to recognize the professional fighter who had the most successful year on the Texas MMA Scene in 2012. Candidate must have competed in at least two professional bouts in 2012 to qualify.
► 1st runner-up – Andrew Craig (2-0 in UFC, wins over K. Noke and R. Natal)
► 2nd runner-up – Colton Smith (1-1 official, 4-1 total in 2012, TUF 16 winner)
► 3rd runner-up – Ryan Benoit (3-0, wins over J. Sandoval, R. Villarreal, C. Williams)
► 4th runner-up – Will Campuzano (2-0, title win over J. Flick at LFC 16, win over J, Sampo)
► 5th runner-up – James Vick (3-1 on TUF, made it to semi-finals of Ultimate Fighter Season 15)
Honorable Mentions:
Chris Pecero (5-1, Title win over Douglas Frey at XKO 16), Sean Spencer (2-0, wins over E. Cutts, J. Daily), Chas Skelly (3-0, wins over R. Trujillo, L. Vega, and J. Myers), Derrick Lewis (2-0-1, Title win over J. Rosholt at LFC 14, NC vs. J. Constant at F2W)
2012 TXMMA Pro Knockout of the Year – Official Award Winner
The purpose of this award is to recognize the most spectacular knockout of 2012 at the professional level. Bout finish must have been ruled a knockout (not TKO) by the state of Texas in order to qualify.
► 1st runner-up – Frank Trevino over Corey Bellino by punches (STFC 21)
► 2nd runner-up – Thomas Almeida over Cody Williams by elbow (Legacy 15)
► 3rd runner-up – Geraldo Abadie over Jeff Lawson by punch/knee (IMKF 3)
► 4th runner-up – Derrick Lewis over Jared Rosholt by punch (Legacy 13)
► 5th runner-up – Jorge ‘Macaco’ Patino over Clay Hantz (Legacy 11)
Honorable Mentions:
David Armas over Kirk Hubble by knee (UWF 4), Pete Spratt over Daniel Acacio, spinning backfist (Amazon Forest Combat 2), Domingo Pilarte over Daniel Delgado by punch (Legacy 15), Ray Rodriguez over Joseph Salas by slam (Legacy 13)
2012 TXMMA Pro Submission of the Year – Official Award Winner
The purpose of this award is to recognize the most outstanding submission of 2012 at the professional level. Bout finish must have been ruled a submission by the state of Texas in order to qualify.
► 1st runner-up – Matt Thompson over Jake Rosholt by kneebar (XKO 15)
► 2nd runner-up – Carlos Ferreira over Hector Munoz by armbar (UWF 2)
► 3rd runner-up – Alan Nascimento over Terry Acker by kneebar (Legacy 12)
► 4th runner-up – Chad Robichaux over Joseph Sandoval by north/south choke (Legacy 11)
► 5th runner-up – Donnie Bell over Brad Mitchell by rear-naked choke (XKO 16)
Honorable Mentions:
Hayward Charles over Roy Spoon by kneebar (XKO 15), Klayton Mai over Alex Russ by guillotine choke (Legacy 16), Steven Peterson over Cody Williams by omoplata (Legacy 14), Jimmy Flick Wins over Randy Villarreal by Von Flue choke (STFC 19)
2012 TXMMA Amateur Fight of the Year – Official Winner
The purpose of this award is to recognize the most exceptional fight of 2012 at the amateur level – taking into consideration fan reaction, competitive nature, and bout significance.
► 1st runner-up – Ricardo Palacios vs. Adrian Vallejo (Texas Rage in the Cage 14)
► 2nd runner-up – Leville Simpson vs. Adrian Barrera (Cage Wars 1)
► 3rd runner-up – Ricky Turcios vs. Ryan Hollis (Legacy Amateur 7)
► 4th runner-up – Alexander Chhang vs. Hector Cortina (Cage Combat 9)
► 5th runner-up – Parker Reid vs. Boone Blair (PCG 11)
Honorable Mentions:
, Geoffrey Neal vs. Guilherme Moreira (Cage Combat 8), Roberto Sanchez vs. Ramiro Cortina (Legacy Amateur 7), Paul Earls vs. Kevin Leib (SCC 1), Adrian Vallejo vs. Cody Medrano (Alamo Showdown 4)
2012 TXMMA Amateur Fighter of the Year – Official Award Winner
The purpose of this award is to recognize the amateur fighter who had the most successful year on the Texas MMA Scene in 2012.
2012 Award Winner – Chris Gutierrez (5-0 with 2 titles confirmed)
► 1st runner-up – Ricardo Palacios (3-0 in 3 titles before going pro)
► 2nd runner-up – Geoffrey Neal (4-0 with 2 titles before going pro)
► 3rd runner-up – Jacob Silva (4-1 with 3 titles)
► 4th runner-up – Trevin Giles (4-0 with one title
► 5th runner-up – Ryan Hollis (3-1 with one title before going pro)
Honorable Mentions:
Jeremy Hardy (3-0 with one title), Parker Reid (3-1 with one title)
2012 TXMMA Amateur Knockout of the Year – Official Award Winner
The purpose of this award is to recognize the most spectacular knockout of 2012 at the amateur level. Bout finish must have been ruled a knockout (not TKO) by the state of Texas in order to qualify.
► 1st runner-up – Cameron Graves over Jose Ceja by head kick (Cage Combat 10)
► 2nd runner-up – Ray Rodriguez over Josh Rios by flying knee (PCG 4)
► 3rd runner-up – Carlos “CJ” Vergara over E. Garcia by punch (Alamo Showdown 3)
► 4th runner-up – Tommy Guerrero over Eric Hallier by knee (PCG 6)
► 5th runner-up – Geoffrey Neal over BC Compton by punch (Cage Combat 7)
Honorable Mentions:
Joel Scott over David Salazar by punch (Texas Rage in the Cage 15), Aaron Croon over John Rodriguez by punch (Cage Combat 7), Chris Lopez over Michael Eaglin by punch (Cage Combat 12)
2012 TXMMA Amateur Submission of the Year – Official Award Winner
The purpose of this award is to recognize the most outstanding submission of 2012 at the amateur level. Bout finish must have been ruled a submission by the state of Texas in order to qualify.
► 1st runner-up – Ryan Hollis over James DeHerrera by armbar (Cage Combat 9)
► 2nd runner-up – Robert Yamashita over Kaileb Cummins by triangle/armbar (Legacy Amateur 7) –
► 3rd runner-up – Julian Vega over Delis Borges by armbar (Legacy Amateur 7)
► 4th runner-up – Jared Perez over Lester Clark by arm triangle (PCG 7)
Honorable Mention:
William Cody Medrano over Parker Reid by armbar (Alamo Showdown 3), Sijin Kurian over John Ballah by guillotine choke (Legacy Amateur 10), Will Hastings over Jonathan Stern by rear-naked choke (Xtreme fight Club 2), Kolby Adams over Chad Box by guillotine choke (Cage Wars 1), Charlie Ontiveros over Levi West by guillotine choke (Legacy Amateur 8)
2012 TXMMA Female Fight of the Year – Official Award Winner
The purpose of this award is to recognize the most exceptional fight of 2012 within the female divisions –taking into consideration fan reaction, competitive nature, and bout significance.
2012 Award Winner – Paige Vanzant vs. Amber Stautzenberger (PFS 2)
► 1st runner-up – Stephanie Alba vs. Paulina Granados (Cage Combat 12)
► 2nd runner-up – Paige Vanzant vs. Jordan Gaza (UWF 4)
► 3rd runner-up –Christi Morgan vs. Ashley Cannon (Alamo Showdown 4)
► 4th runner-up – Sabrina Garcia vs. Katherine Roy (PCG 9)
► 5th runner-up – Bee Nguyen vs. Ashley Meza (LAM 10)
Honorable Mentions:
Sabrina Garcia vs. Christi Morgan (PCG 4), Deborah Garcia vs. Jazmine Quezada (Alamo Showdown 5), Stephanie Alba vs. Ashley Meza – (Legacy Amateur 8), Katherine Roy vs. Jessica Prado (PCG 8)
2012 TXMMA Female Fighter of the Year – Official Award Winner
The purpose of this award is to recognize the female fighter who had the most successful year on the Texas MMA Scene in 2012.
► 1st runner-up – Sabrina Garcia (3-0 in 2012)
► 2nd runner-up – Paige Vanzant (2-0 in 2012)
► 3rd runner-up – Christy Morgan (2-1 in 2012)
► 4th runner-up – Stephanie Alba (2-1 in 2012)
► 5th runner-up – Nicole Varone (2-1 in 2012)
Honorable Mentions:
Anita Rodriguez (1-1 in 2012), Katherine Roy (1-1 in 2012), Audrey Alvarez (1-0 in 2012)
2012 TXMMA Breakthrough Fighter of the Year – Official Award Winner
The purpose of this award is to recognize the professional fighter who made the most significant strides at furthering their professional career in 2012.
► 1st runner-up – James Vick (3-1 in 2012, all TUF 15 exhibitions – making it to the semi-finals)
► 2nd runner-up – Ryan Benoit (3-0, wins over J. Sandoval, R. Villarreal, C. Williams)
► 3rd runner-up – Carlos Diego Ferreira (3-0 in 2012, all submissions)
► 4th runner-up – Will Campuzano (2-0 with a title in flyweight division in 2012)
► 5th runner-up – Matthew Hunt (3-0 in 2012 after going 1-2 in 2011)
Honorable Mentions:
Chas Skelly (3-0 in 2012), Klayton Mai (3-0 in 2012, all submissions), Roger Narvaez (3-0 in 2012, all finishes), Clayton Robinson (3-0 in 2012)
2012 TXMMA Rookie of the Year – Official Award Winner
The purpose of this award is to recognize to recognize the most outstanding new performer on the Texas (Pro) MMA scene. Candidate must have made their professional debut during the 2012 calendar year to be considered.
► 1st runner-up – Paige Vanzant (2-0 in 2012)
► 2nd runner-up – Patrick Ybarra (3-0 in 2012)
► 3rd runner-up – Ryan Hollis (2-1 in 2012)
► 4th runner-up – Matthew Schnell (2-0 in 2012)
► 5th runner-up – Sammy Smith (2-0 in 2012)
Honorable Mentions:
Darrion Caldwell (2-0 in 2012), Tony Tipton (2-0 in 2012), Alfredo Leija (2-0 in 2012)
2012 TXMMA Comeback Fighter of the Year – Official Award Winner
The purpose of this award is to recognize the fighter who came back from inactivity or adversity to have a successful comeback year in 2012.
► 1st runner-up – Chas Skelly (3-0 in 2012 after being out all of 2011)
► 2nd runner-up – Derrick Krantz (3-1 in 2012 after 0-2 in 2011)
► 3rd runner-up – Matthew Hunt (3-0 in 2012 after going 1-2 in 2011)
► 4th runner-up – Lester Batres (3-0 in 2012 after going 0-1 in 2011)
2012 TXMMA Upset of the Year – Official Award Winner
The purpose of this award is to recognize the biggest surprise bout ending of the year in 2012. Winner must have been generally-recognized as an underdog going heading into the bout to qualify.
2012 Award Winner – Derrick Lewis over Jared Rosholt by KO (Legacy 13)
► 1st runner-up – Paige VanZant over Jordan Gaza (UWF 4)
► 2nd runner-up – Matt Thompson over Jake Rosholt (XKO 15)
► 3rd runner-up – Jeff Rexroad over Lucas Pimenta (Legacy 14)
► 4th runner-up – Nelson Salas over Angel Huerta (Legacy 11)
► 5th runner-up – David Armas over Kirk Hubble (UWF 4)
Honorable Mentions:
Jose Sanchez over Ciprian Hangan (XKO 14), Nick Gonzalez over Ray Blodget (Legacy 15), David Armas over Quaint Kempf (Legacy 13)
2012 TXMMA Ironman of the Year – Official Award Winner
The purpose of this award is to recognize the fighter who exemplified the attitude of “taking on all comers” in 2012. Win or lose, they were always in the cage.
► 1st runner-up – Rey Trujillo (7 fights)
► 2nd runner-up – Chris Pecero (5 fights)
► 3rd runner-up – Donnie Bell (5 fights)
► 4th runner-up – Edgar Juarez (7 fights)
► 5th runner-up – Cody Williams (5 fights)
Honorable Mentions:
Gilbert Jimenez (5 fights), David Armas (5 fights), Randy Villarreal (5 fights)
2012 TXMMA Controversy of the Year – Official Award Winner
The purpose of this award is to recognize the most disputed finish of 2012; as defined by those decisions or finishes that caused the most controversy post-fight based on general consensus.
Note: this award does not mean the final results of these fights were wrong per say, but rather denote the controversy resulting from said fights.
► 1st runner-up – Chad Robichaux missing weight & pulling out of title fight vs. Campuzano (Legacy 12)
► 2nd runner-up – Lucas Pimenta over John Malbrough in 3 and not 5 rounds at tourney finals (UWF 4)
► 3rd runner-up – Matt Schnell over Ryan Hollis by Split Decision (Legacy 14)
► 4th runner-up – Jonathan Lopez over Billy Buch by DQ – bad ref call? (Fiesta Pro MMA Bash)
► 5th runner-up – Chris Tickle over Douglas Frey by TKO – early stoppage? (Legacy 13)
Honorable Mention:
Gregory Diaz over Leville Simpson by DQ – knee reinforced or not? (Cage Combat 9)
2012 TXMMA MMA Trainer(s) of the Year – Official Award Winner
The purpose of this award is to recognize the coach(es) who’ve contributed to most in 2012 by virtue of their fighters performances in MMA competition here in Texas. Consideration given to overall amount of fighters produced and success of fighters at both the amateur and professional levels.
2012 Award Winner – Team Mohler (Allen Mohler)
► 1st runner-up – 4OZ Fight Club (Bob Perez, Jeremy Mahon)
► 2nd runner-up – Team Takedown (Marc Laimon)
► 3rd runner-up – Gold Team (Jorge ‘Macaco’ Patino)
► 4th runner-up – Team Tooke / Jace Pitre MMA (Jace Pitre / Travis Tooke)
► 5th runner-up – Octagon MMA (Sayif Saud)
Honorable Mentions:
Silverback Fight Club (Tony Orozco), Phalanx MMA (Durwyn Lamb), Saekson Janjira Muay Thai (Saekson Janjira), American Revolution (Freddy Medellin)
2012 TXMMA Manager(s) of the Year – Official Award Winner
The purpose of this award is to recognize the most successful MMA manager / management group in the state of Texas in the 2012 calendar year.
Criteria for Selection: Quantifiable statistics regarding the amount of fighters managed along with individual and overall successes by those fighters.
2012 Award Winner – First Round Management Group
► 1st runner-up – Imperial Fight Management
► 2nd runner-up – Team Takedown
► 3rd runner-up – B3 Sports
► 4th runner-up – KO Dynasty
2012 TXMMA Referee of the Year – Official Award Winner
The purpose of this award is to recognize the referee of the year in 2012 as voted by the Texas MMA Community.
► 1st runner-up – Kerry Hatley
► 2nd runner-up – Don Turnage
► 3rd runner-up – Jason “Jay” Stafin
► 4th runner-up – Steve Armstrong
► 5th runner-up – Michelle Drake
Honorable Mentions:
Danny Dealejandro, Kevin Hancock, Joshua Ferraro, Patrick Patlan
2012 TXMMA Sponsor of the Year – Official Award Winner
The purpose of this award is to recognize the sponsor that best defined the spirit of the Texas MMA Scene in 2012. Company must be involved in the business by sponsoring athletes, promotions, and/or other driving entities in the sport in order to qualify. Preference given to those nominated during our selection process in the last two weeks of November.
2012 Award Winner – AmmoToGo.com
► 1st runner-up – Torque Sports and Performance
► 2nd runner-up – Rock’s Supplements
► 3rd runner-up – Armbar Submission Gear
► 4th runner-up – Furious Brand
► 5th runner-up – My Fight Shop
Honorable Mentions:
Revolutus Fight Wear, Cruz Combat, Bull Prints / Bullshirts, Wu MMA, Born2Bang Athletics
2012 TXMMA Promoter of the Year – Official Award Winner
The purpose of this award is to recognize the promoter that had the most successful year on the Texas MMA Scene – as defined by volume of events held, quality of events, profitability, fighter / vendor feedback, and overall fan support. Must have held at least 3 events within the state of Texas during the 2012 calendar year to qualify.
► 1st runner-up – Oscar Enriquez, Ultimate Warrior Fighting (Corpus Christi, TX)
► 2nd runner-up – Raul Ramos, STFC (Rio Grande Valley)
► 3rd runner-up – Fabian Butler, Twenty Four Seven Entertainment (Midland, TX)
► 4th runner-up – Eric Garcia and Jace Pitre, Cage Combat (Humble, TX)
► 5th runner-up – Bussey Family, XKO (Arlington, TX)
Honorable Mentions:
Steve Armstrong, Xtreme Fight Club (Mesquite, TX), Jake Latimer, Immortal Kombat Fighting (Houston, TX), Noe Beltran, Texas Rage in the Cage (Beaumont, TX), Jennifer Ray and Trevor Bird, Cowboys Extreme Cagefighting (San Antonio, TX)
2012 TXMMA Pro Event of the Year – Official Award Winner
The purpose of this award is to recognize the professional event that can be considered the best of 2012. Consideration given for quality of matchups, level of fighters on the card, overall excitement within the fights themselves, state/national significance, and post-fight positive feedback generated by the event within the community.
2012 Award Winner – Legacy FC 14
► 1st runner-up – UWF 4 – Finale
► 2nd runner-up – Legacy FC 12
► 3rd runner-up – Legacy FC 16
► 4th runner-up – XKO 16
► 5th runner-up – STFC 19
Honorable Mentions:
UWF 2, Legacy FC 15, XKO 14, Legacy FC 13
2012 TXMMA Amateur Event of the Year – Official Award Winner
The purpose of this award is to recognize the amateur event that can be considered the best of 2012. Consideration given for quality of matchups, level of fighters on the card, overall excitement within the fights themselves, state/national significance, and post-fight positive feedback generated by the event within the community.
2012 Award Winner – Legacy Amateur Series 7
► 1st runner-up – Cage Combat 10
► 2nd runner-up – Premiere Combat Group: Cowboys Extreme Cagefighting 9
► 3rd runner-up – ABG Promotions – Rugged Saints
► 4th runner-up – Cage Combat 12
► 5th runner-up – Legacy Amateur Series 10
Honorable Mentions:
Alamo Showdown 3, Cage Combat 8, Cage Combat 9, Legacy Amateur Series 8
2012 TXMMA MMA Venue of the Year – Official Award Winner
The purpose of this award is to recognize the most MMA-friendly venue in Texas, as voted on by the fans.
2012 Award Winner – Allen Event Center
► 1st runner-up – Arena Theatre
► 2nd runner-up – Cowboys Dance Hall
► 3rd runner-up – Galveston Island Convention Center
► 4th runner-up – The Gym
► 5th runner-up – La Grave Field
Honorable Mention:
Texas Motor Speedway
2012 TXMMA Moment of the Year – Official Award Winner
The purpose of this award is to recognize the most memorable moment of the year in 2012, as defined by feedback from the community.
► 1st runner-up – Derrick Lewis’ title victory over Jared Rosholt in honor of his grandfather at LFC 13
► 2nd runner-up – Legacy FC comes to Dallas for the first time at the Europa Sports & Get Fit Expo
► 3rd runner-up – UWF brings MMA to the American Bank Center with Tournament of Warriors
► 4th runner-up – Ryan Hollis comes out dressed like Banana Man at Legacy 15
► 5th runner-up – The VKO – Levi West vomits and loses fight versus Kaileb Cummins at Legacy 15
Honorable Mentions:
Eric Thompson dragged to stool and loses amateur title fight versus Trevin Giles, Chris Quitiquit suffers a massive cut vs. Flavio Alvaro at UWF 3 , Fighter’s mom jumps over the cage and onto referee Joe Soliz at Cage Combat, Matt Hobar suffers elbow dislocation against Steven Peterson at LFC 13
2012 TXMMA Community Service Award – Official Award Winner
The purpose of this award is to recognize a deserving individual or group for their dedication to helping or bettering others in the community in 2012.
► 1st runner-up – CDM Promotions – Holiday Gift Drive, Thanksgiving Food Service, Ongoing efforts with At-Risk Youth
► 2nd runner-up – UFFL MMA – Fight for Cash Charity Even and the Salute To Arms Wounded Warrior Event
► 3rd runner-up – Superior Combative Championships – TADSAW Charity Drive
2012 Lifetime Achievement Award – Official Award Winner
The purpose of this award is to recognize a deserving individual for their long-term commitment to the Texas MMA Community. Recipient will be inducted into the TXMMA Hall of Fame.
► 1st runner-up – Guy Mezger – Veteran fighter / trainer. Former president of HDNet Fights
► 2nd runner-up – Rick Blalock – Longtime referee and instructor
► 3rd runner-up – Saul Soliz – long-time trainer / promoter
► 4th runner-up – Dickie Cole, Greg Alvarez TDLR Combative Sports Senior Administrators
► 5th runner-up – Tim Mousel – long-time trainer and originator of the Defend.Net forums