Last weekend marked the first ever show for Maximum Impact Fighting – MMA Showdown! It was also the first time the Adelaide MMA scene had a chance to see a show at Thebarton Theatre. Come to think of it, it’s the first time I’d been to Thebarton Theatre since I saw Faith No More perform there on their Angel Dust Tour in May 1993. That gig was a terrific night, I was there with my cousin Shane Jones and we had awesome seats (in fact we were sitting alongside Molly Meldrum) and it was almost one year to the day since I’d broken my neck in a BMX accident so that concert was like a special celebration. Anyhow, it had been just over 20 years since that concert and this time I was in the house not see Mike Patton sing up a storm but to see ISOHEALTH’s Dave Wang fight up a storm in his first MMA fight!
Dave was to face a very tough opponent in Jerrick Panes, Panes being an experienced Muay Thai practitioner and BJJ Blue Belt. Dave is only a White Belt in BJJ (he’s getting pretty close to Blue) but he is a very good White Belt with a Gold Medal win in the NoGI division at the 2012 BJJ Pan-Pacific Championships. Dave also has very good striking so I knew it was going to be a great bout. To say it was a great bout is actually a huge understatement!!! In fact, in his post event write up Adam Orlowski of InfiniteMMA.com stated the following:
 
“Dave Wang defeated Jerick Panes in the best amateur MMA fight I’ve seen in my life. Wang recovered from an elbow knockdown in the first to slowly out-do and out-grind his opponent in the second round, then unleash an all out barrage of strikes and punishment through the third & almost then finish the fight with a submission, Panes being saved by the bell. The huge final 10-8 round was always needed if not for a knockout & it was simply an unbelievable quality fight to see from two amateurs.”
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Orlowski later went on to say, “Dear god I hope someone uploads a video of the Wang/Panes fight. That was one of the most outstanding MMA fight’s I’ve seen live in years & it was between two amateurs incredibly. A few years ago I gave ISOHEALTH Gym owner/head trainer Matt Jones some constructive criticism about the standard of striking with his developing MMA amateurs. A long and excellent discussion ensued from that. If in Dave Wang & other competitors coming out of that gym at the moment, this is the improvement and standard his fighters now have after just a few years, the Australian MMA community is in for a rude shock in a few years time down the road, when they actually mature and develop further as fighters.”
 
The fight received the Fight of the Night Award making it three “Of The Night” awards for ISOHEALTH in as many shows (the first going to Mike Lim at Firestorm 5 for his San-Shou bout, the second being Ray Lawley’s “Submission of the Night Award” at MMA Down Under 2 for his MMA fight and then Dave Wang for this bout at Maximum Impact Fighting.
I want to make a point of giving serious props to Dave’s opponent Jerrick Paines. Jerrick is one very tough young man with a smooth standup game and a solid ground game, he no doubt has a bright future. Also a shout out to his coaches for producing such a game fighter and for being such great blokes.
– Put a link to footage of Dave’s fight, all 3 rounds
 
Last but by no means least thank you to Adam Cooper and his business partner for putting on such a terrific show and thank you to my students who always make me glad to be doing what I do and thus enabling me to help a fighter like Dave achieve his dreams. Thanks everyone, we look forward to seeing what is to come from Dave in the future!