Fight Core

Recent Fighter Corps Graduate Konrad “Rebar” Jones had his debut fight in a Muay Thai bout on February 21st. He went up against one of the UCE’s best fighters known as Lil Rampage in the Main Event of the night. Konrad made his coaches (Brian Yamasaki and Brandon Kiser) proud as he went the distance in an all out war with his opponent Kofe.

Tune into Channel 30 to watch the fight on the Mike Stidhams Ultimate Combat Experience. Sunday March 1st on Channel 30 at 3pm.

Also look for Kensei “Alpha” Sato as he kicked off the night with a very competitive grappling match against one of Team Unbreakables Fighters.

See what Kru Yamasaki had to say about the event below…

“Konrad did such a great job on Saturday.  He really did.  And it meant a lot to me on a very personal level.  He’d been in the asterisks column for a while. 90% there but just wavering a little in the spiritual department.  I questioned his heart.  But on the last Saturday session before the fights, I told Jake to press him to the limit.  To break him if he could.  Jake took him to the very thresholds of his being.  Seriously.  He did.  And just as he was about to shatter, Jake… in absolute perfect form, backed off ever so slightly so that Konrad could have a chance to re-assert himself.  And he did, and soon after he was stronger than ever (spiritually, mentally, physically).

It was at that moment that Jake, and Konrad sealed their fates as Peers amongst the Fighter Corps.

Two days later, I received a call from Mike Stidham and Tony Saiki, informing me that Mario Ortiz did not want to fight Konrad.  And that if Konrad wanted a fight at all, it would be against Kofi Adzitso, a very formidable opponent with 5 fights to his name, 2 KO’s by way of Rampage Jackson Slam and perhaps the most explosive and dynamically strong fighter I’ve seen since Jake Paul.  In fact, I had broght Jake and Kofi together for some training sessions because I felt that Kofi was the only one with enough strength to force Jake into using his Technique.

I vascilated back and forth between canceling the fight and letting Konrad have the chance to fight.  Kiser, out of the goodness in his heart, played devils advocate and kept telling me “Yamasaki, I don’t know about this… I really don’t know.”  And part of me totally understood where Kiser was coming from.  In fact, I respect Kiser’s opinion and insight so much that even if I didn’t understand his logic at all, I’d take his word and that would be more than enough.  But in the end I told him “Konrad is Fighter Corps now.  You didn’t see him fight with Jake the other day and not back down.  I did.  The Fighter Corps  fight and we don’t count odds.  We look at how to win fights and not at all the ways they can be lost.  I believe in our training methods, I believe in the Corps.  It’s a very difficult first fight to be sure, but I beleive in our fighters and I believe in Konrad.”

In the end, it was a bigger risk than I am generally comfortable making, but after it was all said and done.  The dust had settled and any doubts were wiped clean with the blood and sweat shed that night.  That is why I am so proud of our Corps.  That is why that weekend of fights meant so much to me.”