Tom's first pro MMA match!

[Ari Bolden]

For all of you that don't know, Tom is fighting is first pro MMA match today. Wish him luck!

[Ryan]

Hey Tom.....decided not to say anything until Ari did. Good luck with your fight tonight. I hope you come back with a wealth of knowledge to share. BTW..... in Ohio you must have 5 fights before your allowed to actively seek your pro status. What is it in AZ? How many amatuer fights do you have?

[Tom Gavrilos]

Thanks! This was a Pro Fight.
No amount of fights needed I have 0 amature fights jumped right into the deep water!
This was a 3 5 minute round event with full UFC rules Pro MMA fight.

My first time ever even in a cage it was nuts!!
Ill post details once I get the video up

[Ryan]

Wow. Can't wait to hear all about it.

[Marcus_CC13]

Cant wait to hear about it......

If it was in AZ i wish I woulda known I woulda came by

[Ryan]

It was in Indiana..... I believe.

[Tom Gavrilos]

Yes it was in Indiana.
Having so many issues trying to turn this .DAT file into a video file. I finally found a program that does it but it only is converting the first 20% :mad:

[Lost Cause]

Man Tom Look At You Go President BJJG Myspace Celebrity And Pro Fighter. The World Is Your Oyster :p

[Tom Gavrilos]

Here are a few pics for now. Sorry vid is taking so long::mad:


http://i71.photobucket.com/albums/i130/brazilianjiujitsugear/FightNight.jpg


http://i71.photobucket.com/albums/i130/brazilianjiujitsugear/FightNight4.jpg
http://i71.photobucket.com/albums/i130/brazilianjiujitsugear/FightNight2.jpg

[Tom Gavrilos]

http://i71.photobucket.com/albums/i130/brazilianjiujitsugear/009.jpg

[Ryan]

Nice pics..... who were those peeps with ya?

Never seen a guy wear a polo shirt to the cage before :)

[Tom Gavrilos]

haha just some old friends who live in IN

[Dondo]

FRANCHISE!!!! (one of Tom's many nicknames)

Although we've already touched base since your fight, let me congratulate you once again on your victory, you truly deserved it. And in case you forgot, here's a copy of that email i had sent you the week prior to your fight, the 20th to be exact...

"You damn well better! Hahaha. Be safe bro, I’m not concerned in the least, I know you’ll do great…

OUT OF CONTROL BY REAR NAKED CHOKE IN THE FIRST!!!!"

...(it's the best a copy and paste job can look, sorry). And even more than congratulations on the fight, congrats on building your own mini empire with the clothing line plus a group of friends that can come together and talk mma and bjj at leisure. Keep on doing what you love man, i'm proud of how you stuck to it and just went for it. i know there will be many more victories to come, if you so choose. and remember, you always have a workout dummy if you need one, haha! Can't wait to see the fight video, take care bro!

[Tom Gavrilos]

Thanks Dondo! Yeah you did call it I guess ;)
Congrats on your brand new baby girl:) !!!

[Tom Gavrilos]

Ok since this video thing is taking forever I will break the fight down for anyone who cares to hear the details:

Let Me Set The Scene Right Before the fight starts:
Sheer Madness around me. Fort Wayne, IN at its worst. Cage is outdoors and there is EASILY 1000 people walking around getting hammered going in and out of the strip club. Fights have already broken out in the seats and in thw crowd.

The Guy Im fighting is a Bald dude who has been talking smack to everyone about how I need to stick to making clothing. He keeps walking around yelling "wheres Tom!" "Wheres Tom!" like some retard. His family also has the front row seats on MY CORNER of the cage and are egging him on.

I tell Wes lets get this over with I wanna fight EARLY and he bumps me up to the 3rd fight of the night.

Being its him home town they Call out "Tom Gavrilos from Arizona" First and I head into the ring. I find myself pacing back and forth and I can hear his family in the background booing and yelling at me. Believe it or not someone yelled something about stabbing me!!!

He enters the ring and he is mouthing off at me from across it. I'm just stone faced thinking we are about to fight you moron whats the point of that!?
Anyway we get together to touch gloves and I bang his hands HARD to let him know I'm serious about this. Then I walk away Ref calls me back over says make it a clean fight blah blah blah

Fight starts off and I know he is expecting a shot (especially since I'm wearing my rash guard) so I come out with a stiff jab that turns him a bit. I shoot a double and lift him all the way over my shoulder. I literally stop and think to my self I really hope I don't separate my shoulder againand I drop him down easier than i would have liked. Still the floor was pretty hard so he felt it plenty.

At this point I realize I have left my neck exposed and he puts me in a guillotine choke. He quickly gets me in Full Guard before I can step into half or side and starts squeezing like hell to finish. lucky for me he is just barely over my chin. I keep having to give the ref the thumbs up to let him know I'm OK and I LITERALLY sit still knowing if I squirm or try to advance now his arm would most likely slip under my chin. I have my mouth piece half out my mouth and I'm breathing REALLY calm....

Crowd yells loud in the background. Stop spooning etc etc but I don't budge an inch and he is still pulling with all his might

Ref stands us up and I'm READY TO GO! I forget the jab and just come in throwing Lefts & Rights with REALLY bad intention. I connect at least twice solid and as I close the gap this guy give me some cool Judo hip toss and before I know it I see the cage go upside down and right side up again.

Next thing I feel is a fist to my face.

I quickly grab his right arm at the wrist and notice that his hips are far off mine. As you plants his right foot far forward I escape out from under him and end up on top almost in full mount. He is trying to get me into full guard but I am in the middle of passing right over the top.

2 rib shots later he squirms a bit and I achieve full mount. At this point he is overhooking both my arms at just above the elbow and I am trying hard to get them free. I hit him with about 3 shoulder strikes and get my arms free. He and I both know hes pretty screwed now! WITH BOTH ARMS I START NAILING HIM IN THE FACE AND HE SHELLS UP AND GIVE ME HIS BACK. I sink both hooks in and roll onto my back with his back to my belly. I finish with the RNC and he is out of it on me so I with my arm and leg his body off me and do a BIG ARMS UP VICTORY right at his family.

It was crazy seemed like FOREVER but I believe it was 3 mins or less.

I should have warmed up more b4 because I felt more ready to go at the end of the fight then at the start.
Cant wait to get the video up for your guys!!

Thanks for reading this long ass post by the way :D

[Ari Bolden]

Damn bro..that's wicked....

You should have leaned in and told his family " Your boy just got beat up by a my space celebrity!"

wankers....

[Ryan]

Wow. That guy sounded very ignorant about you Tom...... its not like you make Ralph Lauren.... Its Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu gear for crying out loud... Did he think you would be a slouch?

So, it sounds like your a decent striker too! Are you going to incorporate some Muay Thai into your training?

[Dannicus]

Congrats on your fight Tom. I'm looking forward to seeing the video when you have it ready. I'm curious as to what your thoughts are after your first match. Anything surprise you? The speed of the fight, the energy, etc? What did you take away from the fight that you might not have realized before?

[Dondo]

Thanks for the description Tommy Boy, sounds like America's Heartland was in top form for the fights! I'm glad you didn't go Babalu on that guy though (even though he probably deserved it), just kept it to a simple tap! So now the big question...WHEN IS FIGHT #2!!! and by the way, didn't you initially tell me that Wes fought on the same card...did he wind up fighting after all?

[Ryan]

Thanks for the description Tommy Boy, sounds like America's Heartland was in top form for the fights! I'm glad you didn't go Babalu on that guy though (even though he probably deserved it), just kept it to a simple tap! So now the big question...WHEN IS FIGHT #2!!! and by the way, didn't you initially tell me that Wes fought on the same card...did he wind up fighting after all?

I think he should fight Evan Tanner. Then Anderson Silva. :D

[Tom Gavrilos]

Wow. That guy sounded very ignorant about you Tom...... its not like you make Ralph Lauren.... Its Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu gear for crying out loud... Did he think you would be a slouch?

So, it sounds like your a decent striker too! Are you going to incorporate some Muay Thai into your training?
I don't know what he thought. I by no means claim to be some "great fighter" but I did train full time with someone who I consider to be a great teacher and fighter in Santino DeFranco. I feel my strong suit is BJJ but I started this company because I LOVE BJJ and think it changed everyones view on 1 on 1 combat in general not because I thought i would be soem ADCC champ!
What I did do that whole time was train MMA. I told Santino I wanted to learn more BJJ so I can be ready to fight and I rmember once he told me. "If you are scared to stand with teh person you shouldnt be fighting him. I thought "That makes no sense BJJ is so good because you DONT have to stand you just take the guy to the ground and debilitate him"
After this fight I MUCH better understand. MMA and street fighting are very very different.

My time training was split between:
BJJ
Wrestling
Kickboxing (with 6 point strikes & thai clinch)
Conditioning

I have bounced at bars for several years and am not afraid to get into an altercation. What I know has served me very well at the bars. That was 1 test.

****
BUT THIS IS NOT SOME ANGRY DRUNK THIS WAS THE TEST I REALLY WANTED TO TAKE.
When Wes asked me to fight for his team I felt like I picked enough up and I was ready test myself. I was happy to see I passed my "true" test in a "real" fight not at the bar but in a cage with no one but myself to depend on!

Congrats on your fight Tom. I'm looking forward to seeing the video when you have it ready. I'm curious as to what your thoughts are after your first match. Anything surprise you? The speed of the fight, the energy, etc? What did you take away from the fight that you might not have realized before?

really had to think about this one.
YES alot surprised me to be perfectly honest.

1. Lack of energy. After the takedown lying in that guillotine I felt weak. Not physically but emotionally. Almost too calm and Im still not sure what to make of that. I was VERY surprised to find myself not winded and I truly think not really warming up before the fight had alot to do with this.
One positive thing that came with this was truly lack of fear as well. I never felt like this guy could really "hurt" me.

2. Going toe to toe. Even sparring I am not a big fan of standing "toe to toe" I always thought I would be more of a counter puncher but in this fight I became a brawler. I didn't keep to form and I left myself open so that I can inflict the maximum amount of punishment on him. Lucky for me he folded under fire.

3. The hip toss. I swear I did not see it coming and I give him props. It threw me for a loop one minute Im kicking his ass the next BAM hes on top and I NEVER saw it coming. I still dont know how I let him get it or how he earned it even after looking at it on video. It was not a traditional take down at all.

4. Training....felt like it went OUT the window even though it did not!!! This was the biggest surprise. Like I mentioned about the brawling I felt like when the fight started that it was alot more like a fight and alot less like "training" When I look at the footage I say wow what's with my form I know better than that? Before I completed the choke for instance even though I had the hooks in my hips were way to far off his and I feel like he should have been able to shake me off his back. Also Im not even sure I kept my hooks in when I rolled him over!

5. Time...I felt like the fight lasted forever but at the same time went too\ fast all at once. I didn't have time to think as much as I would like about what I was doing but when I was caught in a situation it seemed like it went on forever.

I think in a lot of ways I felt like many probably would their first time in the cage but I couldn't say. I think I may start a thread "Your first MMA experience" Im curious how others felt.

Thanks for the description Tommy Boy, sounds like America's Heartland was in top form for the fights! I'm glad you didn't go Babalu on that guy though (even though he probably deserved it), just kept it to a simple tap! So now the big question...WHEN IS FIGHT #2!!! and by the way, didn't you initially tell me that Wes fought on the same card...did he wind up fighting after all?

I can't answer about fight number 2 because I just dont know. I got a scratch over my left eye and my gums slashed up against my mouthpiece. My neck & chin was cranked HARD during that guillotine attemp. Aside from that I was good so I thought "I can do this again!"
Wes decided not to fight and keep healing some injuries.


I think he should fight Evan Tanner. Then Anderson Silva.

I think I might be drinking out of a straw for a while if I did that at this point.
;)

[Nefarious_Angel]

Thats too awesome Tom!!

Geeze, get the vid up already!!! :P

[Tom Gavrilos]

Im trying I PROMISE !

[Tom Gavrilos]

Sorry no vid yet but they sent me some Hi Res pics si I thought I would share them with ya:

These are in time order from Start - Finish/

http://i71.photobucket.com/albums/i130/brazilianjiujitsugear/_MG_7066.jpg
http://i71.photobucket.com/albums/i130/brazilianjiujitsugear/_MG_7076.jpg
http://i71.photobucket.com/albums/i130/brazilianjiujitsugear/_MG_7091-2.jpg

[Tom Gavrilos]

http://i71.photobucket.com/albums/i130/brazilianjiujitsugear/RightStraight.jpg

http://i71.photobucket.com/albums/i130/brazilianjiujitsugear/3on1.jpg

http://i71.photobucket.com/albums/i130/brazilianjiujitsugear/escape.jpg

[Tom Gavrilos]

http://i71.photobucket.com/albums/i130/brazilianjiujitsugear/FullMount.jpg

http://i71.photobucket.com/albums/i130/brazilianjiujitsugear/FullMount2.jpg

http://i71.photobucket.com/albums/i130/brazilianjiujitsugear/FullMountStrikes.jpg

[Tom Gavrilos]

http://i71.photobucket.com/albums/i130/brazilianjiujitsugear/CoverUp.jpg

http://i71.photobucket.com/albums/i130/brazilianjiujitsugear/giveupback.jpg

http://i71.photobucket.com/albums/i130/brazilianjiujitsugear/HooksIn.jpg

[Tom Gavrilos]

http://i71.photobucket.com/albums/i130/brazilianjiujitsugear/RNC.jpg

http://i71.photobucket.com/albums/i130/brazilianjiujitsugear/RNC2.jpg

http://i71.photobucket.com/albums/i130/brazilianjiujitsugear/WIN.jpg

[Tom Gavrilos]

:)
http://i71.photobucket.com/albums/i130/brazilianjiujitsugear/mysherdog.jpg

[Tom Gavrilos]

FINALLY!!!

Pre Fight
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z6jRaKTWiJo

Fight
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UaK4_9NLnR0

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iEr2BnYi7ko

Post Fight
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s181lg4mALg

[bahlooly]

Well done man. Awsome fight.

[Marcus_CC13]

Cool stuff

the videos kinda make me laugh to hear what people say "great ass shot there"

[Ryan]

I liked the fight. You showed good judgement while in the guillotine.... it may not have been popular with the fans but it kept you from getting choked out.

I liked it when you wailed on him. GNP forever! Post fight was hilarious.:D

[Tom Gavrilos]

I liked the fight. You showed good judgement while in the guillotine.... it may not have been popular with the fans but it kept you from getting choked out.

I liked it when you wailed on him. GNP forever! Post fight was hilarious.:D


Thx Ryan!
Its never popular to stall and I didnt want to but even a traditional escape with have let him slip his forearm deeper so I just waited it out and let him where out a bit.

[Dannicus]

Great job Tom. As an encore, you shoulda gone and punched his cheering section in their dumb faces though....Just a thought. It would have been a more decisive victory

[Nefarious_Angel]

Ha, thats what I was thinking while I was watching it. Buncha loud mouths, didnt help um much though!!

Nice job Tom!!

[VerticalX]

Great fight Tom, you take a hit like a champ.

[Tom Gavrilos]

thanks guys!

[chimpster7]

Congrats Tom!

[misshightimes2006]

I'm so proud of you!! ;)

[Hadaka Jime]

Tom, great fight! I was thinking you were going to knock him out when you were mounted, but he rolled... and i loved the commentary right when you were getting the choke:)

I personally thought your hooks were great, but your hips were a little high, but it didn't matter after you got the hooks and rolled.

I love how you said (talking about how long the fight was) it felt like it lasted forever, but as soon as the fight ended it seemed like it was over so fast... after my first few fights i had that same exact feeling, but with experience you start to think more and get technique a little better and not really get the feeling of the fight going on forever

great defence in the guillotine defense, but there is a nice space maker kind of pressure point on the top of you opponents thigh and around the groin area, if you push your thumb down hard on that area around the hip it makes space to slide your head out underneath and mount etc...

big congrats on the win, and it's probably the best feeling in the world, going into a fight against some one cocky and then choking them out... and you did it with my favorite method RNC FTW!!! great job Tom

[Tom Gavrilos]

Tom, great fight! I was thinking you were going to knock him out when you were mounted, but he rolled... and i loved the commentary right when you were getting the choke:)

I personally thought your hooks were great, but your hips were a little high, but it didn't matter after you got the hooks and rolled.

I love how you said (talking about how long the fight was) it felt like it lasted forever, but as soon as the fight ended it seemed like it was over so fast... after my first few fights i had that same exact feeling, but with experience you start to think more and get technique a little better and not really get the feeling of the fight going on forever

great defence in the guillotine defense, but there is a nice space maker kind of pressure point on the top of you opponents thigh and around the groin area, if you push your thumb down hard on that area around the hip it makes space to slide your head out underneath and mount etc...

big congrats on the win, and it's probably the best feeling in the world, going into a fight against some one cocky and then choking them out... and you did it with my favorite method RNC FTW!!! great job Tom


Thx Bro!! that means alot. And I know a few ways out of a guillotine but I figured since he was above the chin and I was in a tight full guard that Id let him wear himself out a bet. I couldnt believe how lng he tried!!
Have you had any Pro Fights ...?

And thats for your business and support by the way!!:)

[Tom Gavrilos]

I'm so proud of you!! ;)

bout time punk ass!!
when are we going to hang out again:confused:

[Hadaka Jime]

Thx Bro!! that means alot.
Have you had any Pro Fights ...?
And thats for your business and support by the way!!:)no "pro MMA fights", but I have been in a small jiu jitsu (3 round) tournament in Ohio, and I'm 7-0 in MMA in cage, and 3-0 MMA in ring. I've trained a little over 2 years at a Gracie academy in Ohio and currently am a purple belt, pretty close to a brown belt in gracie jiu jitsu, training with Relson Gracie:D I love the academy and has been really helpful because I'm undefeated in my 13 fights and hope to keep it that way

But as far as going pro, I don't think I'm ever going too, honestly jiu jitsu for me is a passion, and i want to learn the art as well as i can and eventually become an instructor when I'm passed my physical prime.

Great job so far for you, from all the fights I've seen the pros are very rough... and I'd love to see you go undefeated for a while:cool: then take out Anderson Silva:p

[Tom Gavrilos]

Very impressive bro.
I hope you get that Brown and Im sure you are good enough to go pro!

But yes Pro fighters can have a nasty temperment and I think it quicly becomes apparent that there is not the comrodery of a BJJ match but more the idea of one trying to inflict DAMAGE to another.

Great to have you on board!

[Hadaka Jime]

First I'd like to say thanks for a great forum!!.. and BJJ has some very nice people and there is a lot of respect from fighter to fighter, and stepping into MMA you start to see that hate and blood lust, going in wanting to brutally hurt your opponent, like when i go in i want to win, and i stop when the opponent taps, i don't go 100% and break there arm before they have a chance to tap or after they tap...

and pros, I've been offered a few times to go up to that level, but I'm enjoying where i am at now, but today i have a guy who fights pro around my area, and he challenged me to a fight, and i finished him in 2 minutes 17 seconds because he shot and i got the guillotine in so deep and locked him in my full guard and it was just over, so if i can spar with a few pro's and see if my skills/techniques can contain there tenacity then i might step to pro... but who knows, because the guillotine is such a basic move, I'd like to see how some of my more advanced BJJ techniques can hold up,so with how easily i handled this guy today, i may try pro sooner than i expect

[Tom Gavrilos]

:) Sounds to me like you would do just fine!

[Hadaka Jime]

yeah, it's starting to look like a better idea day by day:cool:

today i was rollin with a few friends, and my first person i sparred with was an 8 year wrestler, and we started standing and i got into a clinch and got hip tossed BAD... outta no where it was just boom, I'm on my back and he had side control

from there i am pretty flexible and i pulled my legs up and pushed his head away initially trying for a scissor leg choke, but he ducked his chin and slipped his head out of my legs and i locked his back arm and got a Crucifix!! the first time I've pulled it ever and he was completely trapped and i put in the neck crank and he had no choice but to tap(i was so happy i got the crux:D ) and it wasn't just like the armbar crucifix... it was a full crucifix like ari shows here:http://submissions101.com/chokes11.htm

2nd round i went up against a judo guy who's been involved in judo for about 3 years, and as judokans do he came out looking for a throw, but I was familiar with the throws, and he ended up shooting in at my legs and got one leg and kicked my other foot out, but he fell right into a DEEP guillotine and i had my hands locked and he was in full guard and he didn't tap for about 5 seconds into a hard choke and when i let go he was limp for about 10 seconds but woke up tapping LOL

3rd round i fought a strong football running back, with a 2 year wrestling back round, not great in jiu jitsu... just very explosive and crazy strong. he came out and i clinched immediately, but he pushed me into the ropes trying to take me down, but we scrambled and i got scarf hold, he was to strong to hold down and the hold was week so he got out and was in my guard, tried to stack me and i went for a triangle, but when he pulled up i sweeped his leg and on his fall i grabbed him for a heel hook and he gave up quick

well none of these guys are pro, but they are making me better and I'm making them better, and getting the crucifix makes me want to step to pro and train with these guys often to help me step in to a pro circuit, so if things keep going good hopefully some of you might see me on sherdog with Tom, and J/W what weight do you fight Tom/Ari

[Tom Gavrilos]

I should fight at 170lbs I took that fight at 185lbs

Looks like it may air on HD Net :)

You should try it I think you sound ready...

[misshightimes2006]

bout time punk ass!!
when are we going to hang out again:confused:

Come visit...! :)

Or I'll come visit you..!

Orrrrrr Vegas for another go-around! HA I promise I won't kill you! :p

[Tom Gavrilos]

you are welcome to visit any time you like you know that! :)