MMA Red Carpet Super Event Announced For April 19th at the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles
Posted on | March 25, 2008 | No Comments
(PressMediaWire) March 23, 2008 – It was announced today that the Shrine Auditorium will be host to a weekend red carpet MMA super event on April 19th, 2008. The Shrine will host multiple high profile MMA events starting in the morning and stretching late into the evening.
The day will begin at 11am with The North American Mixed Martial Arts Expo Spring Retail Show and Gracie Barra Jiu-Jitsu Exposition. The North American Mixed Martial Arts Expo, better known as NAMMAE in the industry, will be bringing out over 50 of the top Clothing, Gear, and Service Providers in the industry. In the middle of the Spring Retail Show, Gracie Barra will have 1200 square feet of mat space provided by Zebra mats to hold a Jiu-Jitsu exposition educating the public on the sport, the techniques, and the philosophies behind modern Brazillian Jiu-Jitsu.
In the evening, starting at 7pm, King of the Cage, one of the largest and most established Mixed Martial Arts fight leagues on the planet, will be hosting a Mixed Martial Arts competition. The competition will feature 16 bouts including the return of the legendary Gary “Big Daddy” Goodridge.
As the NAMMAE Spring Retail Show and Gracie Barra Exposition winds down in the Exposition Hall, the party winds up. John Huntington will be bringing his famed “One Night Stand” after party production to the Exposition Hall starting at 9pm. John produces some of the wildest parties on the planet including Club Rubber, Pimp ‘n Ho, Summer of Love, and One Night Stand. John’s parties have been ranked in the top 5 in the world with only Carnival in Brazil and Mardi Gras being ranked ahead of them. The exposition hall has two levels, and the top level will be reserved for fighters and VIP’s only this night.
If all of the events reach capacity crowds, it is possible the Shrine could see more than 10,000 people on the 19th. Steve Fulgham of NAMMAE commented, “The NAMMAE Spring Retail Show should draw in a good crowd, especially with the heavy marketing we are doing on the USC Campus which is just blocks away. Gracie Barra will be performing a high-profile exposition and Daniel Sullivan of the Orange County chapter of the famed Miletich camp will be performing a demonstration for law enforcement officials. Badged officers will be allowed free entrance into the exposition.”
Don Wetherell, promoter of the fight commented, “There is a lot of buzz out there over this event in the MMA community. It is the first time King of the Cage is producing a fight in the heart of Los Angeles. Typically LA, Orange County, San Diego, and Riverside based fans would drive great distances to Indian Casinos. This is the first time this loyal fan base will be able to travel into one of the most well known venues in greater Los Angeles to see a King Of The Cage event. And the Shrine is built perfectly for a fight. The nature of the seating is such that every seat has an excellent view and all 7,000 people feel like they are close to the action.”
John Huntington commented, “There is nothing else to say other than One Night Stand is going to blow the roof off of the Shrine Expo Hall on April 19th. It will be one of the wildest parties in MMA history, bar none. The USC campus has about 25,000 or more students attending parties just blocks away on what they call “the Row” every Saturday. On April 19th we think the Row will be moved over to the shrine for a single night. It is going to be one wild party!”