MMA

Guns vs Hoses: MMA Cops and Firemen

Posted By Sergeant Graham Dunne on the Dec 9 2009

Police and Firemen beating the crap out of each other. Sounds like a great night out to me!

We've seen former and current Police fighters in UFC, WEC, and Pride, but MMA hasn't been successful in breaking into the local Police fight scene - until now. Police boxing teams have been around Colorado for at least 30 years, and finally MMA has made its debut. While many fans have been asking for a Police MMA event in Colorado for years, Police boxing teams have been weary of expanding to MMA due to the more costly sanctioning fees associated with an MMA event, as compared to the relatively small fees associated with amateur boxing.  Much like the general public, some in the Police community don't understand our sport and are against Police officers fighting in MMA. Yet, there are a growing number of Police officers training in MMA, and our sport is quickly gaining ground.

On November 13, 2009, Red and Jerrys in Sheridan, Colorado hosted the first MMA Beatdown, Police vs. Fire. Sergeant Greg Miller, of the Sheridan, Colorado Police Department, promoted a first class show, and made a generous donation to charity with proceeds from the event. The show sold out with several thousand in attendance and was a huge success. All the fights were exciting; there were several submissions and referee stoppages due to strikes, and only two bouts went the distance. Yours truly lost a hard fought decision to John Helwick of Denver Fire due to John's excellent wrestling take-downs. I have to give the hose draggers their dues, they were the victors.

The popularity of MMA Beatdown, Police vs. Fire, is a testament to the growth of MMA across the country. I believe MMA can only be a positive influence in an officer or firefighter's life; the high level of fitness, the self-discipline to train and eat right, confidence building, and most importantly the ability to defend themselves and those we serve. In every economic and social group, and in every profession, the sport we love is growing like wildfire.

Train hard my friends.

About the author:
Sergeant Graham Dunne is a 15-year veteran of the Aurora, Colorado Police Department. A former U.S. Marine and Police Medal of Honor recipient, he is currently assigned as a full-time firearms instructor at the Aurora Police Academy. An accomplished fighter with dozens of fights, Graham founded the Aurora Police Boxing program for kids at A1 Boxing in Aurora, Colorado and at MMA Premier Fitness in Centennial, Colorado. Graham works off-duty as a trainer at MMA Premier Fitness, and can be reached through www.mmapf.com.

Photo by Jesse Rarick www.photoillusionsdenver.com