5 Oz. of Pain featured MMA welterweight prospect LeVon Maynard has agreed to face Doug Gordon this Friday (May 9) during Ring of Combat XIX in Atlantic City, N.J. at the Tropicana Hotel and Casino.

5 Oz. is also pleased to announce that it has renewed its sponsorship of Maynard.

Maynard, who was 8-1 as an amateur, improved his pro record to 2-0 this past February when he submitted Jay R. Palmer with an armbar at 2:35 of round 1 during Combat Sports Challenge 23.

FiveOuncesOfPain.com was first introduced to Maynard while covering the IFL Draft tryouts in New York this past October. Maynard put on an outstanding display of grappling and striking skills en route to earning a berth on the league’s final list of draft-eligible fighters.

This website has shown a commitment towards providing exposure for young and up and coming MMA prospects since its inception. The decision to sponsor Maynard is an extension of that commitment. As a part of the agreement, Maynard will wear a 5 Oz. t-shirt during his cage-walk entrance.

Ring of Combat XIX is scheduled to be headlined by a USKBA middleweight title match between Nick Catone of Ricardo Almeida’s Jit-Jitsu Academy and Brett Linebarger of Daddis Fight Camps.

For more information on LeVon Maynard, you can click here to read about him in our MMA prospects section. You can also read our full bio on LeVon by clicking here.

Here’s the fight video from this past weekend of Five Ounces Of Pain sponsored fighter LeVon Maynard making quick work of his opponent, Jay R. Palmer, of SuperBrawl fame. And does he look good in that tee shirt or what? Damn! Congrats, LeVon!

Below is a review of Combat Sports Challenge 23 by 5 Oz. reader Jason Guard (aka “JayDog).

CSC 23 featured 5 Oz. sponsored fighter LeVon Maynard, who was victorious in the night’s co-main event when he submitted veteran Jay R. Palmer in the first round.

Video of LeVon’s fight is available by clicking here and additional photos can be found by clicking here.

By Jason Guard
Special to FiveOuncesOfPain.com

LeVon Maynard came into his second professional fight against a much more experienced fighter in Jay R. Palmer, with nearly 40 fights to his name. The Combat Sports Challenge hosted both fighters in a co-main event that ironically showed Maynard displaying veteran form while Palmer fought with nearly the same zeal that typified his acclaimed slugfests. Also on hand was Jens “’Lil Evil” Pulver, promoting a partnership with a Richmond based martial arts training center, Combat Sports.

The event was the first night of fights to be shown at Toad’s Place, a brand new music venue in Downtown Richmond, Va. Combat Sports Challenge intends to promote regular MMA and Muay Thai fight cards at Toads Place. The near capacity crowd of 1000-plus was clearly encouraging.

The promotion will have some help in Jens Pulver, who intends to relocate to Richmond in June, after fighting Urijah Faber for the WEC featherweight title. The WEC fighter and former UFC lightweight champ says that he’ll be conducting classes and the gym will be renamed the “Pulver Combat Sports Center.”

Team Combat, responsible for the training of nearly half of the fighters on the card, also announced that they hoped to gain the attention of the UFC by continuing to put on shows under the Combat Sports Challenge moniker with increasingly higher profile fighters. This night’s card featured mostly Virginia based competitors against fighters from New York, New Jersey and Pennsylvania.

Between the eight amateur fights, and five professional bouts, the Virginians managed to turn away the visitors’ “northern aggression” with a total of nine victories. The next CSC is planned for Toad’s Place on March 15th and Jeff Curran will be a special guest (but I couldn’t find the line up anywhere online).

Maynard also had some high caliber help. Erik Paulson could be seen in Maynard’s corner during the fight. Paulson’s submission specialty (8 subs in 11 wins since 1993) would come in handy on this evening against a wild-fighting Palmer who has lost nine fights due to submission, clearly preferring the “stand and bang” style of his Tae Kwon do background.

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We’ve received word from our correspondent on the scene, reader JayDog, that 5 Oz. of Pain sponsored fighter LeVon Maynard was victorious on Saturday night at Combat Sports Challenge 23, defeating Jay R. Palmer via first round submission.

We’ll have pictures and more content about LeVon’s big win, but in the meantime, here is Jay’s very detailed description of last night’s fight:

“LeVon Maynard comes out to Eminem’s “Til I Collapse,” exemplifying his own attitude of perseverance.

“Palmer, true to form, charges Maynard at the sound of the bell swinging wildly. Maynard backs up toward his corner, moving his head, avoiding mostly glancing blows. Maynard throws a few of his own and the fighters clinch. Quickly, Maynard presses forward using his superior strength and trips Palmer to the mat, landing on top in full mount.

“In total control, Maynard sits up in a high mount, trying to free his hands of Palmer’s desperate grip. Punches start reigning down from Maynard until Palmer rolls over, giving up his back. Palmer, now turtled on the canvas has Maynard wrapped tightly around his back, hooks in and landing shots to the sides of Palmer’s head.

“Maynard works a hand around the neck of Palmer while slowly flattening out the veteran fighter. As Palmer struggles valiantly, both fighters roll, with Maynard maintaining back control and continuing to work for the rear naked choke. Maynard looks calm throughout, while Palmer struggles to free himself of the rear mount.

“Just as Palmer begins to twist away, Maynard throws a leg over his face and jerks Palmer right arm into near hyper-extension and the fight ends with an armbar submission.”

LeVon is now 2-0 as a professional (and 8-1 as an amateur) and has solidified his status as one of the top welterweight prospects in all of MMA. On behalf of the entire staff at 5 Oz., I would just like to congratulate LeVon and his team on the victory.

Update: We’ve received a text message from LeVon and the official time of his match was 2:30. The armbar he used was a rolling armbar.

Click here for more information on LeVon Maynard.

Welterweight prospect and FiveOuncesOfPain.com sponsored fighter LeVon Maynard is scheduled to return to the ring tonight in a 170 pound matchup against Jay R. Palmer.

The bout will be the co-main event of Combat Sports Challenge 23 at Toad’s Place in Richmond, Virginia. Doors for the 14-bout Pro/Am card open at 6:30 p.m. ET with the first bout scheduled for 7:30 p.m. ET.

On behalf of the entire 5 Oz. staff, I’d like to wish LeVon the best of luck in his fight tonight. He has a big future ahead of him in MMA and tonight’s fight will put him one step closer to reaching his dreams.

For more information about the show, please go to the Combat Sports Challenge web site.

The entire card is as follows:

Amateur Bouts…

• Antwone Collier (Ruff Houser MMA) vs. Todd Gimian (Team Combat)
• Ruben Lopez (The Wat) vs. John Bradley (Hybrid Academy)
• Julian Handschuh (Black and Blue) vs. John Hope (Team Combat)
• Erin Grayson (The Wat) vs. Vanessa Christiansen (Linxx Academy)
• Clint McElhiney (Maryland BJJ) vs. Jack Greene (Team Combat)
• Andrew Wilson (The Wat) vs. Mark Wayne (Linxx Academy)
• Dan Root (Maryland BJJ) vs. Keith Berish (Black and Blue)
• Stanley Pradel (The Wat) vs. Brandon Mickens (Team Combat)
• Monroe Hall (Maryland BJJ) vs. Zach Davis (Evolve Academy)
• Joe Stripling (Team Balance) vs. Joel Wyatt (Hybrid Academy)

Professional Bouts…

• Nick Vaughan (The Wat) vs. Francois Ambang (Team Combat)
• Anthony Biondo (Tom MMA) vs. Anthony Morrison (Team Combat)
• Nelson Sobral (Canadian MMA) vs. Dwayne Shelton (Team Combat)
• LeVon Maynard (Global MA) vs. Jay R. Palmer (Ruff Houser MMA)

Click here for more information on LeVon Maynard.

When: Feb 23, ‘08
Where: Richmond, VA @ Toad’s Place
Fights start: 7:30pm EST

There will be a slew of Amateur bouts followed by the below Pro matches:

Co-Main Events
• LeVon Maynard vs. Jay R. Palmer
• Nelson Sobral vs. Dwayne Shelton

Rest of Pro Card

• Joe Stripling vs. Joel Wyatt
• Barry Parker vs. Francois Ambang
• Anthony Biondo vs. Anthony Morrison

Fight card subject to change; bouts will be added as we confirm them.

The following article was written by welterweight prospect LeVon Maynard, who will be sponsored by FiveOuncesOfPain.com for his fight this Saturday, February 23 in Richmond, Virginia against Jay R. Palmer at Combat Sports Challenge 23.

By LeVon Maynard

My name is LeVon Maynard. I train at Global Martial Arts Academy in Virginia Beach, VA with my instructor Mateo De Los Reyes. I have been competing in MMA since May ’05. I had an amateur record of 8-1 before going pro in September ’07. I won my first pro match at CSC 22 by TKO in the 2nd round to a very skilled opponent.

Before I was scheduled to fight at CSC 22 I had tried on several occasions to have my pro debut. On two occasions my opponents backed out at the last moment leaving me without a replacement. Then two other times the event was either postponed or canceled all together. I have to say my run as a pro fighter has been a tough one. If I was fortunate in all my matches I would already be 5-0 as a pro. I don’t know if other fighters have had as much problems as I have in ’07 but I have to say it has been really aggravating.

I just can’t describe how disappointing it is when you spend all the time to train and prepare for a fight only to have everything fall through. Not only does it affect me but also the friends and family that spend their time and money to come out to a show. I was supposed to have a fight in Jacksonville, FL early last year but the fighter didn’t show up. My family and friends surprised me and actually spent their money to fly all the way out there from New York and Virginia only to find out that the fight was canceled. I can’t describe how that made me feel. I can’t stand “no shows” that back out at the last minute.

If you’re not going to fight or if you’re scared or whatever the case is, don’t wait till the day of the fight or weigh ins to decide not to show up. Have the courtesy to call the promoter in advance and let him know the reason(s) for backing out. Even though I have only one pro fight I have been training like a pro for a long time. If you want to be a professional you have to act like a professional. I am just trying to move up the ladder and make a name for myself.

In between my fights I continue to compete in grappling tournaments and have recently tried out and made the 2008 IFL Draft in New York. They contacted me in December and wanted to set me up with a match with Rory Markham at the Dec 29th Grand Prix. At the time of the call he was 14-3 as a pro fighter with me holding a lowly 1-0 pro record. I’m not sure whether they figured they could toss me in there like a “tomato can” perhaps to add another win to his record, or they have recognized in me the spirit of a determined athlete, the strange thing was it was not important what they thought or how they thought the match would play out.

I am fully confident in my abilities and told them I would take the fight with no hesitation. This would be a big opportunity to show my talents in front of a big audience and show people that I can stand with the best of them. Things would not play out as I was hoping they would as the IFL rep contacted the Massachusetts State Athletic Commission and they made the determination that the fight would not take place because of the discrepancy between our records. As a result, after a few calls to some other draftees they determined that Brett Cooper would be a more suitable match up with Rory.

I have to say I was envious to hear that Brett pulled off the win against Rory and the amount of noise people made over the win. But he did a terrific job and I wish him all the best, I just wish that I had got the same opportunity. But you know what they say “Hakuna Matata.” It’s all good. I’ll keep training and fighting and I am confident that my chance will surely come.

I have a fight scheduled for the 23rd of February at CSC 23 in Richmond, Virginia against Jay R. Palmer. I am very excited about this show as it is suppose to be one of the nicest venues in Richmond and the production value for the show is supposed to be over the top. I want to go in there and put on a fantastic show and hopefully get people to see me as a top level martial artist. At the moment, I am not nervous about the fight but I am sure I will have a few nerves right before getting into the ring, up until the first punch is thrown. After that point, I’ll be in there just having fun, doing the stuff I love to do. Maybe the only thing I am worried about at the moment is whether my opponent will back out as I have experienced this in the past.

Right now, I am actually jamming the keys hard on the keyboard just thinking about it. Hmm…I think it actually makes me more angry than worried (lol). My instructor (Mateo De Los Reyes) is having Erik Paulson out for a seminar on the same weekend and if everything pans out Erik will be cornering me for the match as well. That would be an honor to have him working my corner.

I have to say I have had such an adventure the last few years in my hopes of becoming a successful mixed martial artist. I have had my ups and downs in this sport but I am confident good things are sure to come my way. I love competing and I can’t imagine stopping anytime soon. I guess awhile back I came across a saying and have lived by it ever since:

“Determination…a strong will, the will to look only towards victory despite tough situations. The spirit of a man, with such determination, will energize his worn out body and enable him to throw more punches. Victory comes only from having strong determination.”

For more information about Levon, click here. For more information about Combat Sports Challenge 23, click here.

LeVon Maynard, the first-ever fighter sponsored by FiveOuncesOfPain.com, e-mailed to let the crew at 5 Oz. know that his opponent for Combat Sports Challenge 23 on February 23 in Richmond, Virginia has been changed from Jason Powers to Jay R. Palmer.

According to LeVon, CSC promoters decided to make the change after Powers was non-respondent to correspondance.

The situation is nothing new for the welterweight prospect, as he has been limited to just one pro fight due to several opponents pulling out of previously scheduled bouts.

With the late change, Maynard is now slated to compete against a fighter with vast more pro experience than him. While Powers was scheduled to make his pro debut, Palmer is a veteran of 40 fights with a record of 19-20-1, according to FCFighter.com.

Despite the sub-.500 record, Palmer has competed against household names such as Kurt Pellegrino, Harris Sarmiento, Ivan Menjivar, Andy Wang, John Alessio, and Brian Gassaway. He holds wins over both Sarmeinto and Gassaway.

“I don’t know how I feel about this situation but I told the promoter I would take the fight,” Maynard said in an e-mail to 5 Oz. “I am never one to underestimate anyone but I hope Jay R. Palmer is going to bring ‘the funk’ into the ring because I have been training like I am about to fight a UFC champion. I want to put on a great show.”

Click here for LeVon Maynard’s sponsorship page on 5 Oz. of Pain. For more Levon Maynard-related content from 5 Oz. of Pain, click here.

FiveOuncesOfPain.com (www.FiveOuncesOfPain.com) is pleased to announce that it will be sponsoring standout welterweight prospect LeVon Maynard (www.LevonMaynard.com) for his upcoming fight at Combat Sports Challenge 3 on February 23.

CSC 23 (www.CombatSportsChallenge.com) is set to take place in Richmond, VA and Maynard is slated to fight Jason Powers (pro debut; 6-3 as an amateur).

(click thumbnails for larger image)

FiveOuncesOfPain.com was first introduced to Maynard (1-0 pro; 8-1 amateur) while covering the IFL Draft tryouts in New York this past October. Maynard put on an outstanding display of grappling and striking skills en route to earning a berth on the league’s final list of approved draft prospects.

FiveOuncesOfPain.com has shown a commitment towards providing exposure for young and up and coming MMA prospects since its inception. The decision to sponsor Maynard is an extension of that commitment. As a part of the agreement, Maynard will wear a 5 Oz. t-shirt to and from the cage and will also feature a 5 Oz. logo on his fight shorts.

Learn more about LeVon Maynard here.

I promise I will have my post-UFC 77 thoughts later today. I’m running behind because I attended to IFL draft tryouts in New York on Saturday. It was a full day of MMA for me between the IFL and UFC 77, but I had a blast.

I was xocering the draft cover for CBSSports.com and I will post my professional, third-person feature-style article for CBS later this week, In the meantime I wanted to post my free-form, first-person account here.

As a point of clarification, while the IFL is labeling their three-city tryouts as the “IFL Draft,” I would say that scouting combine would be a more apt description. My understanding is that fighters will be evaluated during the tryouts and then when the tryouts are over and the IFL has verified that these guys aren’t contracted to other promotions, the teams will then be able to choose who they want to join their team.

Overall, I had a lot of fun at this event. It was really great and it is definitely something that should be opened up to the public next year whether it be in a bigger venue or building a webcast around the event.

The tryout process was about as fair as it can be given the circumstances (i.e. a lot of fighters and little time). The fighters were broken down into groups of four and then went through the opening round that consisted of 1:30 of takedowns, a 1:30 of rolling/submission grappling with no closed guard, and 1:30 of standup sparring. Sometimes there were additional rounds if the coaches wanted to see some of the matchups changed. The fighters were told up front not to feel each other out and to get down to business. Most heeded the advice but some did not. Some of the fighters got quick hooks if they were warned to pick up the pace and then didn’t.

CLICK HERE to read the remainder of this article on Sam’s ProElite.com blog.