It’s moving day for Avalanche MMA.
The Riverdale mixed martial arts club has purchased Peak Fitness, a gym and training facility, and is beginning the move today. Avalanche owners expect the MMA club to be back up and running on Monday.
It’s a short move. The two operations are both located in the same Riverdale plaza. In fact, Avalanche, which had its original beginnings in Peak, selected its name to continue the mountain motif.
“It’s ended up being quite exciting - a little stressful at times,” said Cliff Schultz, who co-owns Avalanche with wife Erin. “We’ve been running Avalanche for a while and (former Peak owners) Lee and Lee (Randell) ... knew we were young and ambitious and eager to do things. They didn’t want somebody to come into the gym that would jeopardize what they’ve built.”
The MMA club will be relocated to the upstairs of Peak, but Peak will be able to continue to run “boot camps” in the area. Other operations of Peak, as a regular gym and training facility, will remain unchanged. Former Peak owner, Mrs. Randell, will continue to work as a personal trainer at the gym.
“We’re all good friends and she’s staying on board,” said Schultz. “We have a few other personal trainers and all the employees there and we all get along. So it’s a pretty smooth transition.
“What we’re trying to do is combine it all into one building,” he added. “That is what my dream was - and now it’s true.”
Since opening in October of 2010, Avalanche MMA has had fighters compete in installments of Warpath and Valley Fight MMA in Chilliwack, B.C., and at Tiger Balm International, one of the largest martial arts competitions in the world.
There’s a lot more to come.
Avalanche’s TJ Woodman and Miller Rogers will be back in the ring at Warpath VI on June 22. That’s small potatoes for Woodman and Rogers, who were also selected to fight in Tough Enough in Las Vegas on August 31.
Tough Enough could be a springboard to a UFC bout.
“There’s so much on the go right now,” said Schultz. “TJ and Miller are on the roster to go to Vegas and fight in Tough Enough ... That’s UFC owned and that’s where they are going to start pulling the ultimate fighters from for UFC. They are on the roster and I’m just hoping they get picked.”
There are also some Avalanche guys who will be fighting in Juneau, Alaska, on August 17.
X-treme Coutre coach Sean O’Halloran will also be conducting a seminar at Avalanche in mid-July.
Avalanche fighters are also hoping to get on the fight card for Quest for the Title 8 in Watson Lake on September 29. In addition to a world title kickboxing bout, there will be about 15 other bouts - including MMA - that will each feature a Yukoner versus a British Columbian.
“I have about nine or 10 fighters who want to fight in it,” said Schultz.
Contact Tom Patrick at
tomp@yukon-news.com