08/11/08--- Another great night of fights, and another great night for Team Pound. We ended the night 2-1, Danny did not get to fight due to his opponent coming in 25 pound over weight. Dee Jay had an easy blowout over his opponent in just 50 seconds of the first round, we also had the pleasure of having Marc Fiore in our corner for Dee Jay’s fight. Luis Vega fought and incredible fight against Kyo, but was caught by an up kick that cut him bad enough to stop the fight. It was a good stop because Luis ended up having a broken eye socket. He under went surgery and is recovering well. Luis had won rounds 1 and 2 on the judges score card prior to the stop. Luis will be out of the fight game for 14 months. Go by to Luis' My Space and wish him well

Aniel was the fight of the night, Randy was tough, the first round went back and fourth, it was quite a clinic in both ground and standup from both fighters. The second round told the story, Aniel came out on top as the new STFL 135 champ via kimura early in the second round. Over all I am very pleased with all the performances from my fighters, we will be back in action in October where we will see the return on Big John Springer to the cage.

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I had a great time at the Katana Fights, the fights were great, Charlie did a great job, THANKS.

Get ready for STFL 3: Warzone coming at you live on August the 2nd to the McAllen Convention Center, stay tuned for more details to follow.

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South Texas Fight League

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www.katanacagefighting.com

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02/18/08--- Big night for Team Pound 3 out of 4 wins, I was very impressed with all my fighters, they fought hard and came out on top. Luis was the only loss, but that fight was a tough one and it could have gone either way, I thought the judges would give it to the local. Next time Luis will not let it go to the judges. John and Aniel won by knockouts and Dee Jay won via an armbar in the first round. The show was great, don't worry if you missed it we will be back in May or June. Stay tuned for more details. The guys will be off this week, so I will concentrate my time on the amateurs I have debuting on April 5th in Houston. Again great job by all of Team Pound and I mean all, we could not have done it without all the training partners we have, so take a bow you deserve it.

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02/06/08--- Big John Springer, Luis Vega, Aniel Cortes and Dee Jay Fuentes are looking real good, I have never seen them more focused and determined to make an impression on somebody. We are in final peek weak right now, at this time all the guys hate me, but I know the night of the 16th they will love me. Come out and support your local mma fighter it is going to be a great night of fights. Tickets are going fast so you better hurry! click South Texas Fight League for all the information.

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11/11/07---Big John Springer Wins!

Big John Springer fought a very heavy handed fighter out of San Antonio, it was a standing war, but john got the KO in 2:28 Seconds of the first round, all the training paid off. DJ Fuentes fight was declared a no contest, I only got sketchy detail about the fight, but I will see the video soon to evaluate his debut.

You can see John's fight on youtube, type in John Springer.

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11/01/07--- Big John will be fighting at the King of Kombat event in Austin, he is well prepared for this and he ready to get back in to the cage. I also have my new young gun DJ Fuentes making he debut on the same night but in Monterrey, Mexico. DJ has been training hard with John and ready for his debut, I cant be there but he will be in good hands, I expect wins from both fighters. I post results on Sunday.

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09/30/07--- ANOTHER BIG WIN FOR TEAM POUND! Luis Vega wins again in Helotes, TX at the sports plex, Luis fought a tough kid out of the fighters forge camp, it was a standing war in the first round, second round Luis worked our ground and pound game perfectly controlling the fence the whole time. Finally Luis finished his opponent in the third round via arm triangle, it was a great fight all around. Great Job Luis!

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07/14/07--- Big John suffered his first loss in Lufkin at the AFS fights, he has learned a lot and is starting to train again for his next fight. It was great to meet so many nice people in Lufkin, made me feel good, that dose not happen often.

Luis and Aniel will also be back in action in August, I will keep you posted.

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06/17/07--- BIG WINS FOR TEAM POUND Aniel won his fight in 2 minuets of the first round via kimura, he had an out standing performance. Luis won in the second round via knockout, he worked the game plan to the T. Mike was the only loss of the night due to a doctor stoppage for a cut. Mike was winning the fight but was hit with an elbow that caused a deep cut above his right eye and the doctor did not allow the fight to continue. Mike would have easily won his fight. Congratulations to all the guys, all the hard work and crazy training paid off.

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06/14/07--- The boys are on their way to Houston, weigh-ins will be tomorrow at 6:00pm at the Metro Fight Club, they are all very focused and ready to do some stomping. I will be meeting up with them on Saturday. Stop by our blog and wish them Luck. I will post results here on Sunday.

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06/04/07--- The boys are still training hard, I have been pushing them to limits they did not know they had. I feel very good about the progress of all, look for it to be some great fights on Saturday the 16th.

Big John will be back in action (keep your fingers crossed) on June 30th for a new organization, I will post more details soon.

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05/18/07--- Luis, Mike and Aniel are getting ready for June 16th, here is the match up they currently have.

ERIC MONTBLEAU 155 SOLIS M/A
LUIS VEGAS 155 TEAM POUND

ANIEL CORTEZ 135 TEAM POUND
JAMES MOSS 135 METRO FIGHT CLUB

CHRIS REED 205 BUSHI BAN MMA
MIKE DELACRUZ 205 TEAM POUND

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04/29/07---Bad news Again, Big John's opponent has pulled out of the scheduled fight for for the San Antonio show, I guess they are just afraid of him, I am starting to get pissed off we put a lot of work into getting ready and for some one to pull out at the last minute is just bullshit, these guys that say they want to fight had better start putting up or shutting up. I hope everyone understand my frustration, but come on prepare and fight or shut the fuck up. I hope I will get John a fight soon, I will keep you posted.

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04/24/07--- Big John is looking very focused for his up coming fight, he is still upset that he was unable to get a match in Corpus, he has been working real hard and is well prepared for any opponent.

Look for more details coming soon on Aniel's comeback since he left for the Board Patrol, also I will have Mike and Luis in the next armature event in Houston. I will keep you posted.

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San Benito firefighter battles blazes, opponents in cage

In a cage, John Springer turns into a star before hundreds of howling fans.
"When I go into the cage, my goal is to knock out my opponent," he says softly.
In just two years, Springer has climbed the ranks to fight the pros who've turned cage fighting into one of the nation's fastest growing sports.
Today, Springer lives to fight in the sport once banned in Texas.
"Most people start at the amateur level - I started off as a pro," said Springer, a 29-year-old San Benito firefighter. "My skill level was at that level."
In his first professional fight in Houston on Jan. 20, he took the winner's trophy back home.
"It was an overwhelming feeling. All kinds of emotions - shock, then excitement, then it hits and you're screaming," he said.
In his second fight in San Antonio on Jan. 27, he came out the winner in a "brutal brawl."
"That was a run for my money," he said.
The crowd helps, he said.
"You hear the screams and it pushes you even further," he said. "You put on a show for the crowd."
Two years ago, Springer started training with Luis Benavides, the man who brought cage fighting to the Rio Grande Valley.
"I was trying to find something new, to get in shape, and this was fun - the exercise and conditioning," he said. "It's full-contact fighting. It has fewer rules to protect the fighter. Anything goes. You can kick, punch in the head."
In the gym behind Benavides' home, Springer grabs a thin 4-ounce fighting glove.
"This is just to protect your hand, to keep it from breaking," he said. "It's a tough sport, but it's not as unsafe as people think it is. A lot of people misunderstand it."
It was hard work that helped him climb into the pro ranks, he said.
"I train almost every single day, and when I tell people I've only trained this long, they're shocked," he said.
After he wakes up, Springer runs three miles before working in the gym for two hours. Later, he returns to the gym to work out from 6 to 10 p.m.
"A lot of people say I must have natural skill, but anyone can do this," he said. "The more work you put into it, the more you get back."
Like many fighters, Springer is working to climb in a cage at the Ultimate Fighting Championship.
"It's every fighter's dream," he said.
For now, Springer's working on climbing the pro ranks.
"It's changed my life in a lot of ways. The sacrifice I've made to get here has made me a stronger person, mentally," he said. "I learned if you put your heart and mind into it, you can do it. You can do anything. I never say I can't."

Submit Slice of Life suggestions to Managing Editor Lucio Castillo or City Editor Charlene Vandini at 430-6244 or charlenev@valleystar.com

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04/13/07---Bad news, Big John's opponent has pulled out of the scheduled fight for tonight, the IFC match makers tried hard to find him another opponent, but no luck. Big John worked hard for this fight and feels bad he could not show case his skills tonight. The IFC organization is treating Big John well, they have covered his hotel for the weekend and given VIP for the entire fight night, as well as paying him his show money. We will continue to train when he gets back on Monday to prepare for May 1 in San Antonio. Visit Big John's My Space and wish him luck.

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04/11/07---Look for the upcoming issue of the Valley Morning Star Big John will be featured in the Slice of Life article. If you would like tickets to Big John's fight in Corpus visit the IFC web site.

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04/04/07---Big John Springer will be back in San Antonio on May 1, I will keep you posted on further details. visit www.sanantoniomma.com for more details on the show.

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03/29/07---Big John Springer's opponent has changed for his upcoming fight, he will be fighting Robert Gutierrez a new comer from Cypress, I do not know much about him so we will have to train all aspects. If anyone knows anything about him please email Luis Benavides the information . Thanks

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03/22/07---See the above flyer for more details on Big John's upcoming fight, Big John Has been working hard and has been putting in a lot of long hour, frankly he is wearing me out.

My good friend Robert Villegas will be fighting on the same card, so it should be a great show.

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03/18/07---Big John Springer will be back in action April 13th, he will be fighting Julius Lee Karrow of Austin. The show will be in Corpus Christi at the American Bank Center and the organization will be the IFC. I will post more details as I receive them.

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03/03/07---Big John Springer's is losing his mind, all he wants to do is fight. He will be back in the cage on April 13th, I will keep you posted on further details.

Xavier the Animal is back from his short stay in Arizona, he was there to help get a new TV station up and running. he is back and ready to train, look for him back in the cage very soon.

Luis Vega a blue belt with Galvan's Martial Arts is ready to take the step into the MMA world, he had been working with us and has show quick improvement, look for his debut soon.

Raymond Canales is also working hard and will soon be ready to step back in the cage after a long dry spell. He is looking better and better every day.

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Big John Springer fought the best fight of the night, his opponent was very tough, but John got the decision after three rounds. John won the first round Belvis won the second, then John completely dominated the third to get the victory. Great fight John and Congratulations!

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02/23/07---Big John Springer's opponent has changed for his upcoming fight, he will be fighting a boxer out of the Jesse James Leija camp. I guess our strategy will have to change. I will keep you posted on further details. visit www.sanantoniomma.com for more details on the show.

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02/19/07---I have added a blog page, so stop by and say hello, not real sure how it works, but I think I got it going right.

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02/13/07---Big John Springer will be back in action in February ( see above flyer), he will be fighting a kickboxer out of Houston's Mexican Top Team, we will keep you posted with further details and results.

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01/21/07---I have finally learned my new web program and I will be keeping the web page up to date more often, it's been two years since I have updated, thanks for the patience. Be sure to check out all the new updates and pictures.

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01/21/07---Congratulations to Big John Springer on his big win, John's debut was text book. He fought a very tough opponent but got the tapout in the third round due to ground & pound. Great job.

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Area fighters gearing up for event at La Villa Real

SAN BENITO — By day, Xavier Mejia is a calm-mannered, soft-speaking, technical director for a local Christian television station.

But at night, when the 28-year-old Harlingen resident climbs into the boxing ring, he turns into a lean, mean, pounding machine that will do almost anything to beat his opponent.

Mejia and more than half a dozen other men are members of Team Pound, a San Benito-based mixed martial arts team, that practices Extreme Fighting.

There are few rules: no hair pulling, no biting, no scratching and no kicking in the groin area. After that, anything goes.

"It used to not be like that," said Luis Benavides, the captain and owner of Team Pound. "Before, it used to be much more brutal. You just needed to know how to protect yourself."

The team, along with more than a dozen other teams in Texas, will participate in the Art of War tournament Saturday at La Villa Real Special Events Center in McAllen.

The event is meant to showcase the athletes’ skills, dispel rumors about what Extreme Fighting really is and entertain.

A word to the wise: even though it is entertainment, the guys still get hurt and any blood you might see is real.

"I’ve broken my feet, my hands, my toes, my fingers, hyper-extended my elbow…," Benavides said as he listed more and more body parts he’s injured while participating in the fights. "You just learn how to protect yourself. You want to know that when you get into the ring you are the better fighter. The only way to do that is to go in, if you get hurt, well, that’s just part of the game."

When it started, it got a bad reputation for being a no-holds-bars blood sport that attracted men and woman who wanted to get their aggression out by any means necessary.

That often meant folks passing out on the mat in a choke hold or getting broken legs or arms.

The 33-year-old said he drives more than 45 minutes everyday for five hours of practice because he enjoys the contact sport and doesn’t think about it as a blood sport.

Extreme Fighting was born out of the Ultimate Fight Challenge, something critics call "human cockfighting," because it allows participants to just go at it for nine minutes. The UFC has been banned in more than a dozen states.

Extreme Fighting has become a hybrid of the sport. There are referees, judges and time rounds. The fighters also have to be licensed by the Texas Combative Sports Commission and are not allowed to box. Players participate in three, three minute rounds. It’s rare that a player will last the whole three minutes without giving up, or tapping out.

"It’s not street fighting," Benavides said. "I guarantee if you put someone in here that’s a street fighter they will get their butt handed to them within the first round. This takes skill."

They are masters at kickboxing, jiu jitsu, hapkido and wrestling, Benavides said.

"The fighters know what they are doing," he said. "When they get into the ring, though, they are not martial artists, they are fighters."

As for Mejia, the 28-year-old mild mannered Christian television employee, well, he’d never been in a fight in his entire life until he came to practice one day.

"You know, I used to watch the UFC on TV and I thought that it was something that I wanted to do," he said. "This is a sport that seems to be brutal. But these guys are complete professionals to the max —they have to be or they can really hurt someone."

"We don’t want to hurt anyone," he said. "These are our friends and afterwards we might have dinner with them. But, when you go into the ring it’s either them or you and you want to be the last man standing — the winner."

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Extreme Measures - - Gamble pays off for Extreme Fighting trainer Benavides

By Wade Baker

The Monitor

SAN BENITO — Luis Benavides couldn’t afford the steep building rent in downtown San Benito. As a mixed martial arts trainer for Extreme Fighting, he faced closing or moving his business to another location.

Benavides gambled

With a wife and two children, the 38-year-old Benavides took out a second mortgage on his house to build a 1,325 square foot training facility behind his family home outside of San Benito.

Three years later, Benavides is considered by many of his colleagues and fighters the top martial arts trainer in Texas, and some say he’s one of the best in the nation.

“This is his dream,” said wife Becky Benavides. “If he can pay the bills, make us some money, then I’m fine with it. If we didn’t have the training facility behind our house, I wouldn’t even get to see him. That’s the only way I can see him.”

Benavides trains 12 fighters at his facility, which he dubbed Team Pound. Eight are professionals, including second-ranked Jose Luis Munoz and No. 3 Frank Alcala. Fighters are ranked in four weight divisions of Extreme Fighting in Texas.

Heading into today’s eight-bout Extreme Fighting card at the La Villa Real Events Center, Benavides won’t have to worry about driving Team Pound across the state of Texas for a three-day weekend. Today he can group the guys at his training facility in San Benito and make the short 45-minute trip to the La Villa Real.“This is an off weekend for me,” Benavides said with a laugh. “It gets real frustrating with my wife. She lets me hear it, but my two kids are involved with it, and they love it, too. Every minute of my spare time I spend training or at competitions. This isn’t even my full-time job, but I’d love to eventually do this full time one day.“That’s been a dream of mine for a long time now. Maybe in another year I can make that happen.”

From Monday through Friday, Benavides shows up for his full-time job at Lockheed Martin in Harlingen and works from 6:30 a.m. until 5:30 p.m. He rushes back to his house to teach a children’s martial arts class from 6 p.m. until 7:30 p.m. To conclude the day, Benavides trains Team Pound for five hours each week day, which normally ends at 12 a.m.

On the weekends Benavides isn’t on the road, he trains his fighters.

“I really don’t know how he does it,” Alcala said. “All I know is since I’ve been with Luis he’s made me 100 percent better. That’s the honest truth. He’s the best trainer I’ve ever been involved with. He wants to see me get better, but if he thinks I’m going over my head, beyond my abilities in a match, he’ll let me know.

“This is a dangerous sport, and if you are overmatched in there, you could get hurt or even killed.”

Benavides dabbled in extreme fighting during his younger days and still has the desire to step back into the ring. However, because of his success as a trainer he doesn’t think fighting is in his best interest at this point.

Instead, he passed along the fighting skills and knowledge to his 12-year-old son Louie and daughter Stephanie Rae.

Stephanie, 8, practices in her father’s class for children twice a week, while Louie practices at least five times each week for five hours each day as a member of Team Pound.

“That’s how they get to spend time with their dad,” Becky said.

One day, Luis wouldn’t mind joining Team Pound and his children in the ring. From time to time, he still has the itch, but he’s just wanting to concentrate on his training business full time right now.

“Back when I competed it was illegal in Texas,” Benavides said of Extreme Fighting. “It was underground at the time, but we did it. You better believe I’d like to give it one more try. I think about it every single day. It’s what I love, and who knows, maybe down the road I’ll bite the bullet and step in there one more time.”