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This event was Sanctioned by the Internation Shooto Commission and aired on Sky-TV in Japan. October 22,
2003  CHICAGO, IL - The Chicago area's Mixed Martial Arts scene has suffered numerous setbacks in recent months. Overhyped productions, unpaid fighters, show cancellations, and poor turnouts have plagued the circuit of late. Adding insult to injury, the Illinois Department of Professional Regulation persists in adamantly denying written approval for sanctioned MMA events. But like a lighthouse, shining brightly through the thick fog, the Ironheart Crown is back again, promising fans yet another night of its trademarked high-quality, full-contact action. Since its inception in 1999, the Ironheart Crown has quickly grown to become the area's top venue for competition, and fans now rely on the IHC as a "sure thing" in the midst of the confusion. After several setbacks in the card's creation, the promoters have finally assembled a line up that is sure to shock. While the biggest names have fallen off of the card, Braulio Corral has selected the best local talent available to prepare a show that will have fans on the edge of their seats from the opening ceremony all the way through the final bell. Headlining the card will be a feature bout in the Shooto Featherweight (132 pound) class. Miguel Torres (31-0-0), training out of the Schererville Academy will take on Hackney-trained Mustafa Husseini (8-1-2) in a fast-moving, hard-hitting showcase of skill. After remaining undefeated on the Muay Thai circuit for several years, Torres turned to Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu seeking to increase his range of fighting skills. With fire in his heart, Torres skipped right over sport jiu-jitsu competition, and dove straight into the mixed martial arts, where he has consistantly had to compete above his weight. Despite his small stature, he has remained undefeated for over five years, amassing an impressive record of 31 wins without a single loss. As a testament of his skills, 14 of his victories have come by submission, with another nine wins have been by either knockout or TKO. Without a doubt, Miguel Torres is the most decorated featherweight fighter in the Chicago area. While it is hard to find a match for a fighter with such a consistantly flawless record, Mustafa Husseini is the ideal man for the challenge. Although he had a few dissapointing moments early in his career, the last two years have demonstrated an exponential growth in Husseini's abilities. Training with the best of the heavyweights at Hackney's Combat in Roselle, Illinois, Mustafa has developed fast hands with enough power to stagger and even drop his much larger team-mates. His grappling skills have also been honed dramatically. Add these aspects to a fighter who has always had a lion's heart and an endless tank of fuel, and you have a fighting machine reared to give Torres his toughest match to date. "I'm not concerned about his record," Mustafa states with confidence. "Overall, I've fought at a much higher level, in bigger shows, against tougher opponents. His record means nothing to me. I'm the better fighter, and that's all that matters." While his words may sound bold, Mustafa is coming off of two decisive victories at Extreme Challenge 51 and 54, putting his money where his mouth is at both showings. Torres, inactive for over a year due to a knee injury, seeks to maintain his record in his usual, decisive fashion. "He can say what he wants about me, my record, my opponents, and anything else. There are very few fighters who even compete 31 times, let alone WIN that many matches. I have never fought at my own weight. Sometimes I gave up twenty pounds or more, and still, in 31 fights, no one has beaten me. Not even in a decision." To help shake off the rust, Torres spent a month training in Brazil with the DelaRiva team in Rio de Janeiro where he earned his purple belt. "We don't care where he's trained," says team-mate Armond Pasquale, "We don't care what color his belt is, we don't care about his record or about anything else. Moose [Mustafa] is the real deal, and on fight-night Miguel's going to learn that the hard way." No matter what the outcome, this promises to be a fast-moving bout with a lot of leather thrown. Both fighters have stamina to throw it all down from start to finish. Both will stand and trade blows. And if and when the fight goes to the ground, both fighters have remarkable grappling skills with an entertaining mix of submission and ground-and-pound tactics in their arsenal. Lots of fireworks and non-stop action are assured. Leading up to the main event will be eleven equally exciting bouts. Of note, local hero and former top-10 ranked Shooter, Dan Gilbert will face Derrick Noble who has made strides through the ranks of America's middleweight Shooto rankings. In another excellent matchup, Stephan Bonnar, leading Carlson Gracie's pack of new upcoming Chicago fighters will face Brad Lynde, of Jim's Gym in Rockford Illinois. With the legendary Jim Theobald now retired, this bout will pit the area's two best cruiserweights in a battle to fill the vacant #1 spot in the IHC rankings. Also on the card, Christian Allen of Denver, Colorado will Journey to the midwest to take on a top Chicago lightweight in Tommy Lee, of Gilbert Grappling in Mokena, Illinois. Jason Veach of Duneland Valetudo seeks to be the first to beat Mikhail Raschkov of the Carlson Gracie Team. Jeff Curran's top student Bart Palaszewski will face Jason Bender, a new fighter out of Carlson's camp. Other fighters on the card will include Jamil Willis, Eddie Wineland, Nenad Dragojlovich, Jason Gilliam, Joe Billups, Bill Hill, Virgil Strzelecki, Tom Kirk, Jay Estrada, Antoine Skinner, Steve Dau, and Roberto Ramirez. Fans have come to expect nothing but the best from the Ironheart Crown, and promoter Braulio Corral is confident that this year's show will continue in that tradition. Fights will be held on Novmeber 22 at the Hammond Civic Center in Hammond, Indiana, Just 30 minutes outside of downtown Chicago. The doors open at 5:00 pm and the show will begin promptly at 7:30. Tickets are on sale now, and a limited number of ringside seats are still available. For more information, or to purchase tickets, visit the event's website at www.ironheartcrown.com. Credit card orders may be placed online. Information may also be obtained by calling 773-793-6555 in Chicago or 219-844-8504 in Northwest Indiana. September
12, 2003  HAMMOND, IN -- After a lot of cancellations, several disappinting setbacks, and repeated shuffling of the card, promoter Braulio Corral and U.S. SHOOTO Commissioner Rich Santoro have produced a solid line-up of quality Midwestern fighters! Headlining the card will be a bout that pits Chicago's most exciting up-and-coming fighter, Gideon Ray, against Honolulu's number one middleweight, Ronald Juhn. Juhn, ranked #8 in the world on the Shooto rankings, has accumulated multiple middleweight titles from organizations across the country, including the prestigious King of the Cage event, broadcast regularly on Pay-Per-View. While a relative beginner compared to Jhun, Ray has a few credentials of his own. A powerful and explosive striker with sound grappling skills, Gideon has remained undefeated after ten professional fights, earning him the #3 position on Shooto's U.S. rankings. A former national champion in Tae Kwon Do, ray is adept at striking. Add four years of private training with a professional boxer, and five years of grappling and MMA training under UFC veteran Keith Hackney, and you have a fighter bred for the ring. Ray trains on a daily basis with a heavy emphasis on cardiovascular fitness. He is aggressive, he is powerful, and his tank never runs out of gas. Those who have seen him in action know that he is more than up to the challenge, but others remain skeptic that this newcomer has the tools to compete at the world-class level against a fighter as powerful and experienced as Jhun. On November 22, Ray will finally get his opportunity to prove them wrong when he meets with Jhun head-to-head in Hammond, Indiana. It will be his biggest fight to date, and it just might be the fight that kickstarts his fighting career. The undercard is equally impressive, pitting chicago-area fighters against athletes from across the Midwest. Skill levels, experience, and fighting styles match up so well that this just might be the most exciting event featured in the area to date. For details of the undercard, along with other information and a link to purchase tickets, visit the main page of the IHC website.
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CHICAGO, IL - MMA fans in Northwest Indiana
were delighted when the city of Chicago cracked down on the mixed
martial arts three years ago. It was the impetus that caused
one of the midwest's greatest productions to seek refuge across
the border in Hammond, Indiana. Chicago fans, initially disgruntled,
have grown accustomed to making the 30 minute drive. Hammond's
gratitude and Chicago's loyalty are the result of a simple equation:
Top notch fighters + Quality production = satisfied fans.