When Bob Meyrowitz’s new YAMMA Pit Fighting promotion made the announcement earlier this week that they’d be promoting a single-night heavyweight tournament on April 11 in Atlantic City, it raised a lot of eyebrows.
While California approved the use of single-night four-man tournaments last year, most commission states frown upon the single-night tournament concept. New Jersey would be one of those states, having never sanctioned a single-night MMA tournament.
To be honest, a lot of people thought YAMMA was blowing smoke in stating that its tournament had been approved by the New Jersey State Athletic Control Board. But after speaking with the NJSACB, I learned that there was some method behind the madness. As it turns out, no fighter involved in the tournament will be in a position where they have to fight more than a combined total of 19 minutes.
In my latest CBSSports.com article, I take a look at Meyrowitz’s new venture and reveal some additional details publicly for the first time. Some of those details include the explanation as to how YAMMA’s tournament concept will work along with plans for the promotion’s “Masters Division”:
The plan for the promotion’s first tournament, which will consist of eight heavyweight fighters, is to hold four first-round fights that will consist of a single round of five minutes (per fight). After the first round is concluded, the winners will have to pass a medical exam to advance to the semifinals.
In order to provide sufficient rest, a “Master’s Fight” will take place in between the first round and the semifinals. Meyrowitz said he would elaborate on the Master’s concept as a later date, but CBSSports.com has learned that “Master’s Fights” will essentially be “Legends Fights” with veteran combatants familiar to older fans. One fighter under consideration is none other than Russian heavyweight Oleg Taktarov, the winner of UFC 6.
Taktarov was one of the UFC’s marquee names during Meyrowitz’s tenure. He recently returned to competitive mixed martial arts last year at the age of 40 after not fighting since 1998.
After the first Master’s Fight, the tournament semifinals will be held, once again one round lasting five minutes. There will be more physical exams and another Masters Fight before the final, which will be three three-minute rounds.
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