XFC

Xtreme Fighting Championships (XFC) is a United States mixed martial arts (MMA) organization that produces stadium fight cards, runs MMA-themed gyms [cite web
year=2008
month=November 12
url=http://www.xfctraining.com/
title=XFC MMA Training Homepage
publisher=XFC ] , and sells MMA-related merchandise. Based out of Tampa, the organization was credited by the Tampa Tribune for setting the Florida statewide attendance record for an MMA event when they drew over 11,000 fans to the St. Pete Times Forum on November 11, 2007 [cite web
year=2007
month=November 12
url=http://www.mmaxfc.com/PressReleases/PR6.html
title=Record Crowd Flocks To MMA Event At Forum
publisher=Tampa Tribune
accessdate=2007-11-12 ] .

About XFC

Differentiating itself from rival MMA organizations like UFC and EliteXC, XFC has adopted a more grassroots, fan-friendly persona [cite web
year=2008
month=June 26
url=http://www.prweekus.com/Xtreme-Fighting-selects-FWV-to-broaden-brand/article/111764/
title=Xtreme Fighting selects FWV to broaden brand
publisher=PR Week
accessdate=2008-07-26 ] , combining cage fights with live music and bikini competitions, along with a strong pro-military brand identity. XFC currently promotes primarily in the American Southeast, particularly in its home market of Florida. XFC's fights and programing airs on the SunSports Network, which is owned by FOX Sports [cite web
year=2008
url=http://www.sunsportstv.com/about.jsp
title=SunSports & FSN
publisher=Sun Sports/FSN ] .

XFC also owns and operates MMA training facilities for professional fighters, amateur fighters, and children. For kid's MMA training, the children wear protective gear and "fight" in a controlled environment to limit injuries. [cite web
year=2008
month=August 6
url=http://www.tampabay.com/sports/boxing/article758767.ece
title=Mixed martial arts trains kids to defend themselves
publisher=St. Petersburg Times
accessdate=2008-08-06 ]

About XFC's "Salute to Our Armed Forces"

Xtreme Fighting Championships' signature fight cards are its "Salute to Our Armed Forces" promotions; as of July 2008, there have been four "Salute to Our Armed Forces" events. All veterans of the U.S. Armed Forces are provided free admission [cite web
year=2007
month=September 26
url=http://forums.militaryspot.com/eve/forums/a/tpc/f/4761074/m/1611074352
title=Xtreme Fighting Championships Event for the Military on Veterans Day
publisher=Military Spot
accessdate=2007-09-26 ] .

The organization's first "Salute to Our Armed Forces" event was staged at the St. Pete Times Forum in Tampa, Florida and drew a total of 11,000 MMA fans, tripling the former record for attendance at an MMA event in the state of Florida [cite web
year=2007
month=November 12
url=http://www.mmaxfc.com/PressReleases/PR6.html
title=Record Crowd Flocks To MMA Event At Forum
publisher=Tampa Tribune
accessdate=2007-11-12 ] . XFC's second "Salute to Our Armed Forces" promotion was also at the Forum, and among the celebrities in attendance was professional wrestling star Hulk Hogan, who watched his nephew David Bollea win his professional debut on the XFC undercard [cite web
year=2008
month=March 1
url=http://www2.tbo.com/content/2008/mar/01/sp-bolleas-quest-leads-him-to-mma/
title=Bollea's Quest Leads Him To MMA
publisher=Tampa Tribune
accessdate=2008-03-01 ] .

The "Salute to Our Armed Forces 3" event was staged at the Rupp Arena in Lexington, Kentucky and drew 6,000 fans on Saturday, June 7; a small riot broke out after the main event, when local favorite Benny Stanley was choked out by Scott Porter in 13 seconds, leading to one arrest. [cite web
year=2008
month=June 10
url=http://www.thetimestribune.com/sportseditorials/local_story_162053608.html?keyword=topstory
title=Rondo helps prevent theft — passes out 16 dimes
publisher=The Times Tribune
accessdate=2008-06-10 ] WNKY, Lexington's NBC News affiliate, reported that XFC set the Kentucky statewide record for MMA attendance with the promotion. [cite web
year=2008
month=June 13
url=http://www.wnky.net/younews/19890644.html
title=BATTLE IN THE BLUEGRASS
publisher=WNKY
accessdate=2008-06-13 ]

XFC's "Salute to Our Armed Forces 4" [cite web
year=2008
month=June 13
url=http://www.xfcevents.com/fightcards/tampa06_28_08.html
title=Salute to Our Armed Forces
publisher=XFC
accessdate=2008-05-10 ] returned to the St. Pete Times Forum in Tampa on June 28, 2008 and drew over 10,700 fans, the second largest crowd for an MMA promotion in Florida history. [cite web
year=2008
month=June 30
url=http://www.sherdog.com/news/pr.asp?n_id=13472
title=10,700 Mixed Martial Arts Fans Flock to the St. Pete Times Forum
publisher=Sherdog
accessdate=2008-09-30 ] -- trailing only XFC's first "Salute to Our Armed Forces" for the overall Florida attendance record. John "Mulatto Mauler" Mahlow defeated Eben "The Big O" Oroz by unanimous decision for the XFC lightweight title in the main event, and in the undercard, the much-heralded Matt Juncal -- a three-time high school state wrestling champion from nearby Brandon, Florida and a former college All American wrestler [cite web
year=2008
month=September 28
url=http://www.tampabay.com/sports/wrestling/article648554.ece
title=Wrestling success leads former Brandon star to mixed martial arts
publisher=St. Petersburg Times
accessdate=2008-09-28 ] -- made his MMA debut, defeating the also-debuting Jeff Mansir by submission in the first round.

The main event of XFC's "Salute to Our Armed Forces 5," which will be on September 13 2008 at the St. Pete Times Forum will feature the MMA comeback of Gan McGee [cite web
year=2008
month=July 30
url=http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2008/mma/07/30/mcgee.returns/index.html
title=McGee returns to the cage
publisher=Sports Illustrated
accessdate=2008-07-30 ] . McGee, who stands six-foot, 10-inches tall and is known as "The Giant," last fought on American soil during a UFC Pay-Per-View, when he battled heavyweight champion Tim Sylvia for UFC's world title. The fight ended up being highly controversial; Sylvia defeated McGee, but tested positive for steroids in a post-fight drug test. Sylvia was suspended by the Nevada Boxing Commission for six-months and was stripped of his title [cite web
url=http://www.medic8.com/medicines/Winstrol.html
title=Stanozolol
publisher=Medic8® Medicines ] , but McGee was never granted a rematch, nor was the loss expunged from his record. McGee will be facing Johanathan Ivey, a 250-pound brawler who stated that McGee "should've stayed retired. [cite web
year=2008
month=July 30
url=http://www.mma-extreme.com/?cat=529
title=Gan “The Giant” McGee Returns To MMA On September 13th
publisher=MMA Extreme
accessdate=2008-07-30 ] "

XFC in other media

In an article previewing Matt Juncal's pro debut, Tampa Tribune sportswriter Eddie Daniels reports that XFC is in talks with a movie production company to allow it to film "Versus" -- a movie about an ex-Marine who ends up fighting for the MMA light heavyweight title -- at one of XFC's upcoming events [cite web
year=2008
month=September 28
url=http://www2.tbo.com/content/2008/jun/28/sp-juncal-set-to-make-pro-debut/
title=Juncal Set To Make Pro Debut
publisher=Tampa Tribune
accessdate=2008-09-28 ] .

References

External links

*http://www.mmaxfc.com Official Website of Xtreme Fighting Championships (XFC)