One-on-One: Promoter Discusses Kyle Maynard’s MMA Debut

One-on-One: Promoter Discusses Kyle Maynard’s MMA Debut
By Ariel Helwani
March 31, 2009

David Oblas has promoted nearly 500 MMA fights spanning almost seven years. But it’s safe to say that no fight will garner the kind of interest and scrutiny than one particular bout on his upcoming “Auburn Fight Night” card on April 25.

On that night, the Auburn Covered Arena in Auburn, Ala., will host Kyle Maynard’s amateur MMA debut. Maynard, a congenital amputee with no elbows or knees, is known for defying the odds en route to a successful high school wrestling career where he amassed a record of 35-16. He will now look to do the same when he makes his amateur debut.

The 23-year-old actually tried to make his MMA debut two years ago in his hometown of Duluth, Ga., but the Georgia Athletic & Entertainment Commission denied Maynard a license to fight.

VERSUS.com’s Ariel Helwani spoke to Oblas about some of the issues involved in promoting a Maynard MMA fight, the negative feedback he has received and much more.

Below is a transcript of their conversation.

How long have you known Kyle Maynard?
Kyle and I have been friends for a number of years. We met years ago in Athens, Georgia, when he was a student there. He competed on an event I did there in an exhibition grappling contest, and he has continued to do that once more for me in Atlanta. That was in attempt to make him have an amateur mixed martial arts debut in Atlanta. Unfortunately, that got denied.

Ever since getting denied in Atlanta, we’ve been friends and we talked at least every week or two since then. This has always been one thing we’ve still talked about. It’s been a goal for both of us to get him a fight somewhere in America. We discussed that Alabama has no commission that regulates the sport of mixed martial arts. So, one of the first calls I made was to Tim Lueckenhoff, who is the president of the Association of Boxing Commissions, and I talked to him about the event and Kyle Maynard. He confirmed that essentially whatever we wanted to do in Alabama with no athletic commission, that’s our best opportunity for doing a Kyle Maynard fight.

Why did it take nearly two years for Maynard to think about trying his hand at MMA after he was denied a license by the Georgia Athletic & Entertainment Commission?
I guess it was because both of our schedules were so busy. You know, Kyle is so busy with the things that he does; he’s a motivational speaker; he trains once or twice a day; he just opened up his own cross-fit gym in Atlanta, and the kid is only 23 years old. So, he has done more than any 23-year-old out there, and probably stays busier than any 23-year-old out there. The guy is on the road three or four days a week doing motivational speaking across the country.

I think it was also a major disappointment when we got denied in Georgia for him to fight. It was almost something that we didn’t talk about for a little while. You know, we were both so disappointed (because) Kyle has never been told that he can’t attempt to do something. He has been told that, ‘You are going to fail at this,’ but it’s always been up to Kyle to work his butt off to try and do it. So, this was the first time in Kyle’s life that he has ever been told, ‘No, we are not even going to let you try to do this. You don’t even have permission to work your ass off to see if you can succeed in this.’

What were some of the reasons why the Georgia commission refused to license him?
I think Kyle said it best when he said that the Georgia Athletic & Entertainment Commission had nothing to gain and everything to lose by giving Kyle a license to fight. They didn’t feel like he could properly defend himself; they felt that it was a safety issue. And looking back on it, I don’t think Kyle or I are mad at the state of Georgia for denying him, they did exactly what they had to do (and) what they did was right. We might not agree with it, but what they did was right and the best thing. So, we are going to go to Alabama. Kyle is going to prove that he defend himself (and) fight a safe fight. And then the next goal is for Kyle to do this in his home state of Georgia.

So, this will not be one-and-done for Kyle in MMA?
I think that is more of a question you can ask Kyle; I don’t want to answer for him. But knowing Kyle, I think it won’t be a one-and-done. I think Kyle wants to have a couple of fights. Kyle knows he is not going to fight in the UFC. Kyle knows he is not going to be the 135-pound WEC champion. You know, that is not his goal. Down deep, I don’t even think Kyle cares if he wins or loses this fight. Kyle just wants somebody to punch him in the face. Kyle just wants to fight mixed martial arts for the first time. You know, this has been a goal of Kyle’s for at least four or five years that I am aware of. I don’t think many people out there have a goal for five years, get shot down as many times as he has been shot down, get humiliated on the Internet the way people are talking about him, and they still accomplish their goal. And on April 25th, he is going to accomplish that goal.

Speaking of the Internet, the reception online to this Kyle’s amateur MMA debut has been lukewarm, at best. The main point of contention is, how is Kyle going to a) defend himself from punches or kicks b) win a fight if he doesn’t have the luxury of using full-length arms or legs? How does he plan to get around those obstacles?
Well, for defending himself, Kyle’s arms are long enough that they cover to the top of his head. So, Kyle can defend a strike to the head just as easy as me or you can defend a strike to the head. The difference is he is even more affective, because if you think about it, when you put your arm to cover your head, it’s usually your wrist and your forearm covering your face up, which is the thinnest piece of your arm. When he does it, all he has is his arm essentially to his elbow, which is the thickest part of your arm; it’s completely all muscle in his case. So he is holding up the thickest part of his arm to defend himself and cover his face. So, he has no problem defending against ground-and-pound. At the same time, he is going to be so strong at 135 pounds, that he is going to dominate his opponent. When he gets on top of his opponent and ground and pounds him, he hits so hard that I wouldn’t be surprised if he cracks a rib or two. I mean, the amount of force and strength that Kyle Maynard hits with is unbelievable.

As for kicking and knees, the fight will always be a downed fight, because whenever you have three points on the ground, you are a downed opponent. And he is going to choose to fight with three points on the ground. So, you cannot kick him in the face, but you still can kick him and knee him to the body. But he is so quick when he gets on the ground and comes after you that he is going to get his opponent down to the ground. That’s not going to be an issue at all.

I have been promoting fights for seven years now, and I think I do a pretty good job in Atlanta doing about seven or eight shows a year. I have promoted about 45 events matched over 500 fights, and I feel more confident putting Kyle in the cage than I putting your up-and-coming 0-0 amateur right now. We are getting so many fighters that are training in “Bob’s garage” or dad’s basement that don’t know what they are doing. You know, they watch “The Ultimate Fighter” and they think they are now a fighter. I mean, Kyle wrestled in high school; Kyle wrestled in college; Kyle has been doing jiu-jitsu and grappling tournaments for five or six years. April 25th has been something he has been planning on and training for five years.

Are you concerned about some of the negative backlash you will receive from the MMA community and national media as the promoter of this fight?
I have definitely read reports saying that, ‘The promoter of this event is a scumbag. He is putting Kyle in the ring to get mauled and doesn’t care what happens to Kyle.’ That can’t be further from the truth. People need to understand that me and Kyle have been friends for three or four years now. I have met his parents and he’s met my parents. Kyle has good people around him, (and) if anyone felt bad for Kyle’s safety, this wouldn’t be happening. I mean, I would have stepped down as the promoter. His trainers would have encouraged him not to fight and would have stopped training him. And most of all, his parents are good people. His parents are not some scumbags from off the trailer park in Atlanta; they are a good family. This is something he wants to do, and he told me that he is going to fight whether I am a part of it or not, but he wanted me to be the promoter because he felt safer that I am a part of it and I will be watching out for his best interest.

How much, if anything, will he be making for this fight?
Right now, he doesn’t stand to make anything because he is an amateur. I think Kyle likes it that way because he is not doing this for the money.

Will there be any special rules implemented for him?
All the amateur MMA fights on this card will be held under the same rules, and that is when you are standing you can punch to the head and you can kick to the head. When you are grounded you can kick to the body, you can knee to the body, and you can punch to the face. Kyle will just choose to fight this fight as a downed opponent.

Will Kyle be wearing MMA gloves?
Yes. He is still trying to figure out exactly how he can do that right now.

Do you foresee that being a problem?
No, it won’t be a problem. He has got numerous ways to do it. That’s something his trainers have been trying to figure out.

Will his fight be the main event?
I haven’t decided, but I think it’s going to be the last fight of the night.

Who will he be fighting?
We already have an opponent, but as weird as it sounds, we decided not to release his name until the weigh-ins because it seems as if there is so much pressure being put on who is the guy that is going to fight Kyle. Who is the (expletive) that is going to hit Kyle in the face? We’ve decided to keep that under wraps, but we do have an opponent that is an amateur 135er that is going to fight. And we have two backups in case that opponent gets injured or cold feet.

I have never heard of tactic like that before. I guess that means that you are fully aware at how, for lack of a better word, strange some people think this is.
Yeah, neither me or Kyle are idiots. We know people don’t agree with this and we know it’s different circumstance. But we just hope people understand that this is just someone living out their dream. So, whether you agree with us or not, it’s going to happen on Saturday, April 25th in Auburn, Alabama. I just hope everyone gives Kyle the support that he deserves and looks at this as an inspiration story because that is all this is. Kyle Maynard fighting is not going to set the sport of MMA back at all.

Stay tuned for Ariel Helwani’s one-on-one interview with Kyle Maynard in the coming days.