Empire State Warriors Challenge: "Bike 'n' Brawl"

This past weekend saw one of the aforementioned New York State underground shows come to fruition with the Empire State Warriors Challenge, a long-running promotion near Albany that uses amateur MMA rules akin to New Jersey's. Aptly dubbed "Bike 'n' Brawl" (the event took place at a biker rally), the card featured over a dozen bouts that paired fighters with backgrounds in traditional Japanese jujitsu and the like with fighters from actual MMA-focused gyms. "Basically, if you trained, you won," says Hudson Valley Jiu-Jitsu honcho Brian McLaughlin, whose student, John Incledon, won via kimura on Saturday night. McLaughlin is quick to point out that the event was big on fighter safety, was well-run and organized, and the rules meeting even included instructions on where to meet if the bikers rioted. In terms of helping the sport grow in New York, MMA Journalist definitely puts the Empire State Warriors Challenge amongst the good guys.