By TXMMA Staff
Community-oriented MMA events come to Greenspoint area; CDM Promotions’ Elite Amateur Combat 9 first event ever held at Greenspoint Mall
HOUSTON, TX – CDM Promotions has brought the sport of mixed martial arts to areas nobody has even thought of bringing a show before. They were the first promoters to bring a show to Lake Jackson, and now they have also become the first to hold an MMA event in the Greenspoint area of Houston.
With nine MMA events under their belt, Houston MMA fight fans may recognize CDM for their events – Elite Amateur Combat. However, the organization is first and foremost a non-profit with the goal to get kids off the streets by immersing them in boxing and MMA training. With that in mind, they’ve had a history with the Greenspoint area for a long time.
TXMMA spoke to CDM promoter Reynaldo Rueda regarding the decision to bring EAC 9 to the Greenspoint Mall:
“The Greenspoint area is where we started and have helped so many kids get a start in combative sports instead of being out on the streets wasting their lives. Greenspoint really needs something positive and safe that all people old or young can come out and enjoy. By bringing the event to Greenspoint Mall I think this will actually help us reach out to an even bigger audience and help open up more doors for our Youth Center to grow and expand to get more of these trouble makers and at risk kids on a positive path. Whether it be through combative sports or one of the other programs we offer, we want to immerse ourselves and give back to the community in the area.”
“The turnout (at EAC 9) was great but not what we really expected. I say that because we had a lot of families and kids there that night. What really surprised us was when a got a call from my wife telling me to look outside after the show. We had a long line of cars with parents waiting to pick up their kids. That’s was truly a great feeling for us all. So yes you can say that Fred, Mo and I were really pleased with the event. It’s exactly what we wanted and I’m happy it turned out that way.”
“During the planning and lead up to the show there were some hesitance from people in the area concerned that MMA would be more about the violence that the sportive aspects. But MMA is not like that. It’s a sport of respect between combatants and one that is crowd friendly to boot. It was pretty good to see nothing but positive feedback afterwards from those who attended. From fans to the police officers working the event, it seems like everyone thought the event was pretty cool. We even raised over $1,600 that night for two charities, the RJ vs JRA / KIDS GET ARTHRITIS TOO and the Arthritis Foundation. It was great.”
“We will definitely continue to do shows here as long as they allow us, we are currently in the process of trying to move into a 14,000 square facility there inside Greenspoint Mall also to show folks that we’re committed to the area. We want to partner with people in the community and local businesses and continue on with our mission to support at-risk youth. Our next show EAC 10 will probably be late June or early July pending TDLR approval but we’re definitely excited to come back.”
Elite Amateur Combat 9 – Quick Results from March 21, 2015
- David Kelly (Fight Lab) def. Joshua Palacios by unanimous decision (155 TITLE)
- Jasmine Crawford (CDM) def. Elizabeth Palacios by unanimous decision (135 TITLE)
- Royola Smith (Brotherhood MMA) def. Kesler Jones by TKO, RD2
- Eric Garcia (AKA) def. Eric Martinez by unanimous decision
- Kyle Wempi (TPC) def. Kane Lewis by submission (RNC), RD3
- Kenndall Lewis (Windy Fight) over Eddric Clark by unanimous decision
- Tim Messer (BVMMA) def. Raymond Zurita by submission (kimura), RD2
- Justin Escobar (BVMMA) def. Lorenzo Martinez by KO, RD1
Elite Amateur Combat 9 – Event Fight Videos
Elite Amateur Combat 9 – Highlight Photos
Below are some highlight photos from Elite Amateur Combat 9, put on by CDM Promotions.