Shannon “The Cannon” Ritch has been fighting in the Valley for 30 years. Martial arts paid the bills while attending the Al Collins Graphic Design School in Tempe in the early 1990s. “I went to Mexico every weekend and fought and made about $ 500,” says Ritch of those days. “They had a dog fight, a chicken fight, and then the people. That’s how I put myself into college. “The mixed martial arts fighter and Hollywood stuntman who now lives in Glendale has fought in more than 200 professional and underground matches for numerous MMA advertisers around the world, like Pride Fighting Championships and Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship. He currently holds the BKFC world heavyweight title. But three decades of kicks (and asses) have taken their toll on the 51-year-old. Retirement is on the horizon it is perhaps fitting that an upcoming battle he sees as one of his last has a healing component: a cannabis convention I support local community journalism Support the independent voice of Phoenix and help set the future of New Times free PUFF and RUMBLE will be held at the Celebrity Theater in Tempe on Saturday, October 23. The fighting part of the evening will be similar to other MMA events zen others Ritch will play matches in the main event against Aaron Brink, a former porn star and longtime rival. They fight for the world title of heavyweight legends from RUF Nation. Before the fight, however, ticket holders are invited to stroll through the Celebrity Theater parking lot, where about 80 vendors will be selling their wares. Planned providers include GreenPharms Dispensaries, Puck’s Cannabis Confections, and Mad Terp Labs. David DeCorpo, an organizer of the event through Trap Culture Promotions, says it will be like a “Weed First Friday”. “This is like the first cannabis and MMA event in the country – possibly around the world,” says DeCorpo. “We’re going to have pretty much a gigantic pregame party before the fight. The stalls that will be there will have dab stations so you can dab the people off. You will have flowers to smoke, food to try, we have it all. We bring out pharmacies, concentrate lines, edible companies, people who make and sell cannabis clothing, cannabis paintings, and jewelry. We want to bring the entire industry together. ”According to DeCorpo, there will also be food trucks and beer vendors for visitors to the cannabis expo who might want to get the nibbles or would rather enjoy a glass of soapy water. (Note: While cannabis use is okay at the expo, no one is allowed to attend the venue.) Jumbotrons will also be placed in the parking lot so that attendees can watch the fights from the pot expo. Joel Lopez, CEO of RUF Nation, says he got the idea for RUF, PUFF and RUMBLE after noticing many martial artists with whom he promotes CBD and THC products aimed at recreational sports as an additional source of income between theirs Aim to fight. He believes this event will set a trend for future MMA events around the world. “We started talking to a lot of fighters and lo and behold, a lot of fighters are cannabis enthusiasts, consumers, sellers, sellers – they are really strong in this world,” says Lopez. “We’re merging the cannabis world with the MMA fighting world, and I don’t think there has ever been an event like this.” The fight between Ritch and Brink is what it takes to be an explosive fight. The men will walk into the ring with a serious, 20-year-old grudge that dates back to when they both trained with MMA legend Tito Ortiz at his Southern California camp in the early 2000s, according to Ritch. “I was picked up by Pride [Fighting Championships], and I don’t know if [Brink] got jealous or whatever, but since then he’s twisted his mouth every time he saw me, ”says Ritch. “I was fighting at 170 at the time [pounds] and it was at 205 [pounds] So we weren’t in the same weight class. Over the years, Aaron started talking about how his catch wrestling was better than my jiu-jitsu and he wanted to fight. ”Brink says he can’t remember how the trouble started with Ritch, but he wants to settle the score as soon as they meet face to face. With both men now fighting in the heavyweight division, Brink expects Ritch to burn himself out in the first round due to his increased muscle mass combined with his age, he says. “We have been on a collision course for several years. I wanted to fight him over a few comments he made on Facebook. [Ritch] thinks he could subdue me with his jiu-jitsu and knock me out in a stand-up fight, ”says Brink. “As [Ritch] He’s gotten older, he’s gotten a lot bulkier, and that’s why I don’t think he’s going to be in shape. I think he’s going to accelerate very quickly and I don’t see any chance that he has a chance in this fight. ”The 46-year-old Brink has fought for numerous professional MMA advertising companies, including a brief stint with the UFC. Despite being only five years younger than Ritch, he believes his body is much younger because he took several years off between fights to combat methamphetamine addiction, a habit Brink developed during his pornography career in the mid-2000s he said. His struggles with meth were featured on A & E’s Intervention in 2009 and on Divorce Court TV show in 2011. “I took a break because I was struggling with drug addiction. But during that time I didn’t get any injuries like other fighters out there, ”says Brink. “I am biologically 46 years old, but my physical condition would not reflect that. I’m in amazing shape indeed. If I had to, I could do 5 rounds of five minutes now and I know Shannon wouldn’t be able to do one round. ”Ritch says he thinks his opponent is underestimating him and will see the mistake on fight day. In addition to training in his own gym, the Cannon Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu in Glendale, Ritch also works five days a week with martial arts masters Bob Karmel and Nick Chasteen at the Golden Era Muay Thai in Scottsdale. “I’m not going to accelerate … I can hold out hard for three laps, five laps, or whatever time it takes,” says Ritch. “Aaron is the bigger guy, but I think I’m in better shape, I’m the better athlete, I have better technique, and my submissions are better than most of the others. If I touch him, I’ll put him to sleep. “RUF 44: RUFF, PUFF and RUMBLE Saturday, October 23rd Cannabis Expo at 1pm First Bell at 5pm Celebrity Theater 440 N. 32nd St. Tickets from $ 55 For more information, visit: rufnation. com
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