Welcome to Contest Central!

Several local MMA-related companies have have put together some sweet contests for both fighters and Minnesota MMA fans.

Details are below. Good luck!!!

Minnesota-based Knockout Merchandise, which is Minnesota MMA News' newest advertiser, has a nice little promotion going on. Check out their new website and merch at www.knockoutmerchandise.com.

The owneres of Knockout currently have a promotion going that they've dubbed "The $5 Shirt Promotion."

Knockout t-shirts currently are just $10. But starting May 14, Knockout is knocking $1 off of that price each week until shirts get down to just $5!! The shirts will be just $5 until they are completely sold out.

After they are sold out, Knockout plans to unveil a totally new line of merchandise, featuring several new colors and designs. They're also adding more gear for the ladies in their "Knockout Girl" line.

Check out their new advertisement to your right, and make sure to support one of our fine sponsors. They keep this website up and running.

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Mankato-based Gamebred Fightwear, another fine MNMMANEWS sponsor, is running a phenomenal little contest for fighters.

Gamebred announced late last week that they plan to give back to one lucky fighter who has supported them relentlessly over the past year.

One lucky fighter will win an two free tickets to UFC 148 on July 7 in Las Vegas. Included in the package are two tickets to the fights and two free airplane tickets to Vegas. And Gamebred isn't going cheap on this one -- they're buying the $400 UFC tickets. Now that's legit!

Gamebred said via Facebook last week that the company wouldn't be going strong if it was not for the

support of the fighters it sponsors. So they wanted to give back. They did not set an official timeframe for picking the winner, but they'll be watching!

Gamebred also has released lots of new merch and new colors recently, so head on over to their website at www.gamebred-fightwear.com and grab a shirt or a hat!

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Finally, SEG/Driller has a couple of contests coming up in conjunction with Minnesota MMA News.

First off, SEG/Driller is holding its next show on Friday, May 18 back at the Hyatt. The main event took a bit of a hit when Zach Juusola fractured his orbital, however, Nick Compton stepped up and accepted a challenge against rising prospect Billy "The Kidd" Christianson.

Christianson is fresh off a KO win over Ben Neumann, but Compton is no joke as he improves daily rolling with the best in the world over at the Minnesota Martial Arts Academy.

Starting on Thursday, Minnesota MMA News will be giving away a pair of tickets to the show, courtesy of SEG. Thanks to Jeremy Bjornberg and Drew Studer as usual for the support ... and you lucky fans get the opportunity to take in some of the state's best fights, free of charge!

So, we'll give away a free pair of tickets on Thursday. SEG isn't done giving stuff away just yet, though. I'll also have two more pairs of tickets to give away next week. How sweet is that? So, six lucky fans will be going to the Hyatt for free, thanks to SEG and Minnesota MMA News.

SEG has one other big contest in the works. They are hosting a new event on Sept. 8 at the Crown Plaza. But they need a name for the new show?

That's where you, the fans, come in. Got a suggestion? Email it to me at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it . You only get one shot, though, so pick your name wisely!

If you come up with the best name for the new event, SEG is giving you two free tickets to the May 18 show, two free tickets to the Sept. 8 show and a pair of free t-shirts.

So yeah, get to work. Remember, one entry per person!

Bjornberg also is springing into action for a big event on June 22 and June 23. Bjornberg had been planning to do back-to-back shows, but recent circumstances have now forced him to move one of the shows.

"I think most promoters would have just canceled, but I promised these fighters fights, so even if we lose money, we're not canceling shows. It's kind of our goal to never, ever cancel a show," Bjornberg said.

So, now Bjornberg is creating a bit of a "fight festival" atmosphere. He'll be promoting back-to-back shows on June 22-23 in one location ... back at the Minneapolis Hyatt.

"I think it could turn into a fun event; we're looking at doing some different things for this," Bjornberg said.

Bjornberg said to watch for details coming in the very near future. Also, watch for a little Mankato flavor on these cards.

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This seems like a great time to thank all of our fine sponsors here at Minnesota MMA News.

Without them, this website likely doesn't exist. We've never asked readers to pay for anything here. Ever. And we don't ever plan to do that. So the money, gear and other perks sponsors throw our way keeps us going.

So, instead of asking you to buy something from us, we ask that you simply support our sponsors. Check out their websites, grab a shirt, do whatever you can to keep this ball rolling.

First up, big thanks to Gamebred Fightwear. It's a southern Minnesota company, and Minnesota MMA News was "Born in the 507" so it makes sense to have them on board as a sponsor.

Please hit up www.gamebred-fightwear.com to check out their gear.

Second, a huge thanks to SEG. While most Minnesota promotions don't spend money with us, SEG has been on board from Day 1, and that's why you see their fight posters on the site for every show. They've been a huge supporter of everything we do here. If you haven't been to one of their shows yet, shame on you!

Third, a big thanks to Dave Owens and the crew at Get Sum. Great new clothing line that's burst onto the Minnesota scene. Dave's a wrestler through and through, and being an wrestling guy myself, I love it! Get Sum has been doing it big from Day 1, they've got great gear, and they're great people. So check them out at their website, www.getsumfightgear.com

Next, thanks to our newest sponsor, Knockout Merchandise. They just came on board today, and I'm excited to try to help them make it in this competitive market. They seem like a great crew. And it's good-looking gear at an incredible price!

Next, a big thanks to Eruption Energy. I approached several local and national energy drink companies when I first started the site. I wanted a straight trade-out (I'm totally addicted to energy drinks, FYI) ... didn't even ask for money. And yet most of the companies passed.

Not Eruption. They jumped on board right away. It's Minnesota-based, so we love that. And oh yeah, it's great stuff. I live on it most days! Hit their website at www.eruptionusa.com and give the stuff a try. Seriously, it's good and better for you than most energy drinks.

Finally, the last two -- CageBanner.com and the Mario Roberto Jiu-Jitsu Academy.

Fighters, managers and promoters, get to know Cage Banner. These guys do incredible work, and they do it quickly and at a reasonable rate. They're new to the scene, but expect big things from them in the coming year.

The Mario Roberto Jiu-Jitsu Academy in Rochester is amazing. And I truly believe Mario Roberto to be the best jiu-jitsu instructor on the planet. Just being around the guy for a short time, you feel better about your ground game. Come down to Rochester and give it a try. You won't be disappointed. If you need me to introduce you to Mario, I'd be happy to do it. I trust him with any fighter who comes my way.