MMA Fighting a Real Knockout in Myrtle Beach
By Terry Massey
The decision is in, and it is unanimous: mixed martial arts is a huge hit on the Grand Strand, and not just the haymakers that are thrown in the cage.
More than 3,400 fight fans packed the Myrtle Beach Convention Center on Saturday night to see the Bash at the Beach, MMA's first foray on the Strand.
MMA, which pits fighters from various fighting disciplines, such as kick boxing, wrestling, karate and jujitsu, is the fastest-growing sport in the world.
The sport only became legal in South Carolina in 2010 and promoters were lining up to be the first to cash in on MMA's booming popularity in Myrtle Beach. Judging from the sellout crowd and the warm welcome the event received, there appears to be a new sport in town, and it isn't going away soon.
”We are thrilled with the turnout and the reception we've received in Myrtle Beach,” said Joel White, director of sales and marketing for Carolina Fight Promotions, which put on the event. “We had about 3,500 and the local sponsors were so good to us. We'll definitely be back in the near future.”
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Fans paid $35 to $40 to cram into the packed stands and sponsors kicked in big bucks to get cageside seats. Fans got lots of banging for their bucks with 10 amateur and three professional bouts on the card, including several local fighters who got to scrap in front of a hometown crowd for the first time.
”I've never felt this before,” said longtime Myrtle Beach resident and MMA fighter Nissen Osterneck, who improved his record to 6-3 by forcing 185-pound pro foe Robert Thompson to tap out in the first round. “I've never experienced the kind of fan support I received tonight and I want to thank all the fans”
Fellow Myrtle Beach resident and pro Tomar Washington also won his match in the 205-pound division with a three-round TKO over Dean Hamilton and area pro Jon Owens won by first-round tap out. Local amateurs also tasted victory, including 115-pound female fighter Jordan McDonald of Myrtle Beach.
”It was just an awesome feeling to be able to fight in front of all my friends,” said McDonald, who scored a first-round TKO after unleashing a flurry of punches on her opponent. “I was so fired up for it because I've been training so hard for this fight, so it was great to come away with a victory.”
The fighters weren't the only winners on the night. The success of the event means more MMA events to come to the area. Carolina Fight Promotions has preliminarily booked dates to come back to the convention center in June and August, and Saturday's outcome all but assures they will be finalized.
That's also good news for Myrtle Beach hotels and restaurants, which will benefit from the events, and for local fight fans who want to get their MMA fix.
”I think it's great that we finally got something like this down here so us fans can get to see it live,” said J.T. Tucker, who drove with friends from Florence to check out the Bash at the Beach. “We've only got to watch it on pay-per-view, so this was cool. We're definitely coming back for the next one.”
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