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MMA Authentics (MMAA), in association with the Arnold Sports Festival, Ricart Ford Inc., and the Ray Mendoza Leadership Fund, recently announced the 2nd Annual Ray Mendoza Leadership Fund, Night To Remember, to be held in conjunction with the Arnold Sports Festival and prior to UFC 96 in Columbus, Ohio, at the LC Pavilion on March 6, 2009.
Marine Major Ray Mendoza, a former Ohio State Buckeye wrestler and teammate of UFC Hall of Famer Mark Coleman and former UFC heavyweight champion Kevin Randleman, was killed in action in Operation Iraqi Freedom on Nov. 14, 2005.
Coleman, who visited United States troops serving in the Middle East in the fall of 2008, returned to the venue that made him a MMA icon, the Octagon, for the first time since 1999 at UFC 93 in Dublin, Ireland earlier this year.
“I am honored to work with my sponsor, MMA Authentics, the great people at the Arnold Sports Festival and Rhett Ricart to salute my teammate and friend Ray Mendoza. Ray truly deserves to have his memory and life remembered because he was special human being in addition to being my best friend,” says Coleman.
Randleman, who is one of the most gifted athletes in MMA and who dominated opponents as a collegiate wrestler at Ohio State where he won two NCAA Championship titles, considers his work with the Ray Mendoza Leadership Fund a fundamental duty to his friend, former teammate and roommate.
“Ray Mendoza is a true American hero and warrior. His selflessness and devotion to our freedoms provides me with daily motivation to honor all those who serve our country,” says Randleman.
Mendoza, who received a Purple Heart and Combat V awards posthumously for his actions in Iraq, was a 1993 Big Ten wrestling runner up and NCAA Qualifier at Ohio State in 1992 and 1993. He was also teammate to MMA Authentics Senior VP of Operations Michael DiSabato, and Director of Athlete Services and 3-time NCAA All American wrestler Adam DiSabato.
“We are honored to work with the Ray Mendoza Leadership Fund to honor our dear friend and true hero, Ray Mendoza. We love Ray and his family, which includes his widow, Karen, daughter, Kiana, and son, Alek. Ray served our country to protect our freedoms and liberty. We plan to do our part to insure his memory is properly honored and his story is told. The Ray Mendoza Leadership Fund, Night To Remember, is one of the ways we hope to tell Ray’s story, raise money for those who have given the ultimate sacrifice and celebrate our friend with the greatest athletes in the world,” says Michael DiSabato.
To this end, MMA Authentics has lead the way in bringing many of the top mixed martial arts athletes to Columbus for the event at the LC Pavilion on March 6 and the Arnold Sports Festival weekend. Former Operation Iraqi Freedom Silver Star award recipient, former WEC light heavyweight champion, and current UFC light heavyweight contender Brian “All American” Stann will be a special and honored guest for the evening. Joining Stann, Coleman, and Randleman for the Night to Remember are UFC lightweight champion B.J. Penn, former WEC featherweight champion Urijah Faber, British mixed martial arts superstar Michael Bisping, and other MMA stars including Phil Baroni, Clay Guida, Houston Alexander, Troy Mandaloniz, Heath Herring, and Mo Lawal. Also expected to contribute to the nights festivities are UFC 96 competitors including UFC mega star Quinton Jackson, lightweight contender Gray Maynard, and former Ultimate Fighter competition winner Kendall Grove.
UFC color commentator and North, Olmstead, Ohio native Mike Goldberg, and ESPN First Take’s and Sandusky, Ohio native Jay Crawford will be co-masters of ceremonies for the evening.
2008 Beijing Olympic Gold Medalist and USA Wrestling prodigy Henry Cejudo and others from the international and collegiate wrestling community will be in attendance. Also expected to attend are several former Buckeye gridiron greats including 3-time First Team Associated Press All American and Butkus Award winning linebacker James Laurinaitis and future first round NFL draft pick Chris “Beanie” Wells. Other former Buckeye and NFL athletes such as Heisman winner Troy Smith, Mike Nugent, Kirk Barton, Anthony Schlegel, John Hicks and Mike Doss are also expected attend the event.
Three local bands including Zero Times Tardy, Deep Six & The Jack will perform until 2 a.m. Also expect a special performance by local magician and escape expert Michael Griffin.
Following Mendoza’s death, MMA Authentics became deeply involved in the creation and development of the Ray Mendoza Leadership Fund which provides assistances to Ohio families widowed in the War on Terror and also acts as a funding source to the Ray Mendoza Leadership Institute at The John Glenn School of Public Affairs at The Ohio State University. In February 2008, Michael and Adam DiSabato, with support from several mixed martial artists including Coleman and Randleman, and former four-term US Senator and American icon John Glenn, participated in the introduction of the Mendoza Leadership Institute at the John Glenn School for Public Affairs at The Ohio State University. The Mendoza Leadership Institute will provide leadership programming for graduate and undergraduates students at The Ohio State University in Ray Mendoza’s name.
All the proceeds from the Ray Mendoza Leadership Fund, Night To Remember, will be directed to the Ray Mendoza Leadership Fund and The Ray Mendoza Leadership Institute at the Glenn School.
Doors open and silent auction begins at 7:30pm. Tickets are $25 at the door and are also available at www.ticketmaster.com.For more information on the Ray Mendoza Leadership Fund and the Ray Mendoza Leadership Institute at The Glenn, visit www.raymendozaleadershipfund.com or www.mmaauthentics.com
Marine Major Ray Mendoza, a former Ohio State Buckeye wrestler and teammate of UFC Hall of Famer Mark Coleman and former UFC heavyweight champion Kevin Randleman, was killed in action in Operation Iraqi Freedom on Nov. 14, 2005.
Coleman, who visited United States troops serving in the Middle East in the fall of 2008, returned to the venue that made him a MMA icon, the Octagon, for the first time since 1999 at UFC 93 in Dublin, Ireland earlier this year.
“I am honored to work with my sponsor, MMA Authentics, the great people at the Arnold Sports Festival and Rhett Ricart to salute my teammate and friend Ray Mendoza. Ray truly deserves to have his memory and life remembered because he was special human being in addition to being my best friend,” says Coleman.
Randleman, who is one of the most gifted athletes in MMA and who dominated opponents as a collegiate wrestler at Ohio State where he won two NCAA Championship titles, considers his work with the Ray Mendoza Leadership Fund a fundamental duty to his friend, former teammate and roommate.
“Ray Mendoza is a true American hero and warrior. His selflessness and devotion to our freedoms provides me with daily motivation to honor all those who serve our country,” says Randleman.
Mendoza, who received a Purple Heart and Combat V awards posthumously for his actions in Iraq, was a 1993 Big Ten wrestling runner up and NCAA Qualifier at Ohio State in 1992 and 1993. He was also teammate to MMA Authentics Senior VP of Operations Michael DiSabato, and Director of Athlete Services and 3-time NCAA All American wrestler Adam DiSabato.
“We are honored to work with the Ray Mendoza Leadership Fund to honor our dear friend and true hero, Ray Mendoza. We love Ray and his family, which includes his widow, Karen, daughter, Kiana, and son, Alek. Ray served our country to protect our freedoms and liberty. We plan to do our part to insure his memory is properly honored and his story is told. The Ray Mendoza Leadership Fund, Night To Remember, is one of the ways we hope to tell Ray’s story, raise money for those who have given the ultimate sacrifice and celebrate our friend with the greatest athletes in the world,” says Michael DiSabato.
To this end, MMA Authentics has lead the way in bringing many of the top mixed martial arts athletes to Columbus for the event at the LC Pavilion on March 6 and the Arnold Sports Festival weekend. Former Operation Iraqi Freedom Silver Star award recipient, former WEC light heavyweight champion, and current UFC light heavyweight contender Brian “All American” Stann will be a special and honored guest for the evening. Joining Stann, Coleman, and Randleman for the Night to Remember are UFC lightweight champion B.J. Penn, former WEC featherweight champion Urijah Faber, British mixed martial arts superstar Michael Bisping, and other MMA stars including Phil Baroni, Clay Guida, Houston Alexander, Troy Mandaloniz, Heath Herring, and Mo Lawal. Also expected to contribute to the nights festivities are UFC 96 competitors including UFC mega star Quinton Jackson, lightweight contender Gray Maynard, and former Ultimate Fighter competition winner Kendall Grove.
UFC color commentator and North, Olmstead, Ohio native Mike Goldberg, and ESPN First Take’s and Sandusky, Ohio native Jay Crawford will be co-masters of ceremonies for the evening.
2008 Beijing Olympic Gold Medalist and USA Wrestling prodigy Henry Cejudo and others from the international and collegiate wrestling community will be in attendance. Also expected to attend are several former Buckeye gridiron greats including 3-time First Team Associated Press All American and Butkus Award winning linebacker James Laurinaitis and future first round NFL draft pick Chris “Beanie” Wells. Other former Buckeye and NFL athletes such as Heisman winner Troy Smith, Mike Nugent, Kirk Barton, Anthony Schlegel, John Hicks and Mike Doss are also expected attend the event.
Three local bands including Zero Times Tardy, Deep Six & The Jack will perform until 2 a.m. Also expect a special performance by local magician and escape expert Michael Griffin.
Following Mendoza’s death, MMA Authentics became deeply involved in the creation and development of the Ray Mendoza Leadership Fund which provides assistances to Ohio families widowed in the War on Terror and also acts as a funding source to the Ray Mendoza Leadership Institute at The John Glenn School of Public Affairs at The Ohio State University. In February 2008, Michael and Adam DiSabato, with support from several mixed martial artists including Coleman and Randleman, and former four-term US Senator and American icon John Glenn, participated in the introduction of the Mendoza Leadership Institute at the John Glenn School for Public Affairs at The Ohio State University. The Mendoza Leadership Institute will provide leadership programming for graduate and undergraduates students at The Ohio State University in Ray Mendoza’s name.
All the proceeds from the Ray Mendoza Leadership Fund, Night To Remember, will be directed to the Ray Mendoza Leadership Fund and The Ray Mendoza Leadership Institute at the Glenn School.
Doors open and silent auction begins at 7:30pm. Tickets are $25 at the door and are also available at www.ticketmaster.com.For more information on the Ray Mendoza Leadership Fund and the Ray Mendoza Leadership Institute at The Glenn, visit www.raymendozaleadershipfund.com or www.mmaauthentics.com
