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Leading a Local Fighting Surge

A teacher and trainer, as well as an accomplished fighter, Edmond Tarverdyan is at the epicenter of Glendale’s combat sports scene

By Grant Gordon - Glendale News Press

These are busy days for Edmond Tarverdyan.  His cell phone never stops ringing.  His Glendale Fighting Club has professional boxers on the rise and mixed-martial artists making their Ultimate Fighting Championship debuts.  Three hundred students train at his gym and business is booming.

But he has press conferences, his own training and his own fights. And, of course, a cell phone that never stops ringing.  He tries to take 30 minutes away on a hot Glendale morning, but the calls persist and his gym is alive with training and comings and goings.  “He’s really busy, to be honest, I think he’s one of the busiest guys in Glendale,” says George Bastrmajyan, a manager and trainer at the Fighting Club, who’s also a co-promoter with Tarverdyan for their Lights Out Promotions. “But he’s been doing this since he was 16 — I think it comes second nature for him.”

Tarverdyan, just 25, is a trainer and a teacher, a proprietor and a promoter, a businessman and a family man.  “He’s done a lot for a 25-year old,” Bastrmajyan says.  Tarverdyan, a Glendale High graduate, began training in martial arts at age 7 under the tutelage of Ken Arutyunyan in Glendale, learning karate, Wushu and kung fu.  At 16, he began training in muay thai — Thailand‘s national sport, which is a form of kickboxing that allows knee and elbow strikes.  “I just gave it a try and started liking it,” Tarverdyan says.  It was at 16 that Tarverdyan began teaching in Glendale.

Eventually, a professional fighting career — most successful in the muay thai world — was put on the back burner.  Tarverdyan gave up fighting for two-and-a-half years, he moved the Glendale Fighting Club to its current location on Brand Blvd., he immersed himself in training his students, he got married and he purchased a house.  “Tons of stuff,” was going on he recalls.  But for the last few weeks, Tarverdyan has been a fighter. He has returned.

With the World Boxing Council hosting the biggest muay thai event in United States history on Saturday, Tarverdyan was asked to continue his comeback tour on the pay-per-view event. Leading into it, he was 3-0 during the comeback, with two wins coming via knockout and his last, on April 20, via decision.

“I told him, ’You need to take care of yourself,’” says Silver M’bous, one of Tarverdyan‘s trainers and an instructor at the Fighting Club.  Taking care of himself meant taking care of what he missed most.

During weekends, as Tarverdyan cornered his students at competitions and events, he realized just how much he missed being inside the ropes competing.  “Every week we’re busy with the shows,” says Tarverdyan, a welterweight fighter. “Every week I had that rush that I should be competing.  “I missed it a lot.”  And M’bous wasn’t the only one urging him back.

“I told him to stop putting your fighting aside,” Bastrmajyan says.  The timing of it all seemed perfect, as well — in more ways than one.  Led by the UFC’s recent popularity, combat sports in general are garnering more attention than ever. Tarverdyan also happens to be in his fighting prime.  “He’s a little bit better, he has more experience,” says M’bous of whether the layoff has hindered Tarverdyan. “Twenty-five is the prime time [for a fighter].”  

Some sacrifices had to be made, though.  “A little bit,” says Tarverdyan of getting overwhelmed. “I have to take some time off teaching. It’s not just the physical, it’s the mental. It’s a lot of work mentally.”    It comes at a time in which the Glendale Fighting Club is more popular than ever. On Aug. 25, Fighting Club trainer Alberto Crane made his UFC debut on the pay-per-view UFC 74: Respect in Las Vegas.

Another gym trainer, Roman Mitichyan, is one of 16 selections for the UFC’s “The Ultimate Fighter” show on Spike TV, which begins airing on Sept. 19. And then there’s the aforementioned 300 or so students.  “The gym, right now, is really doing well,” Tarverdyan says. “In two years, I guarantee you we’re gonna have some crazy, badass fighters.”  Now, it’s teaching and training his students that Tarverdyan misses most.  “I actually get more nervous when they’re fighting,” he says.

But it seems the future is now for Tarverdyan the fighter and the sky is the limit. 

Over the years, he’s trained in tae kwon do, shoot boxing, boxing and all the aforementioned martial arts he began training in some 18 years ago. He’s fought and trained across the globe, building up a 41-4 record in stand-up fighting according to him, and an 18-2 muay thai record.  That’s after Saturday, when he defeated Ben Yelle for the WBC International welterweight title in what Bastrmajyan called a, “fight that’s going to determine a lot about the future.”  Tarverdyan says, at least once, he’d liked to fight under mixed-martial arts rules.

Before that, though, he’s been in contact with the high-profile Japanese kickboxing company, K-1, and hopes to fight on a January card. He’s also in position for a possible WBC muay thai world title fight.

“He’s one of the most gifted people I’ve ever seen in my life,” Bastrmajyan says. “He can do anything he wants.” 

All the while, his gym is making as much noise in the fight world as he is.  “Within the last six months, things went from pretty calm to pretty hectic,” Bastrmajyan says.  But for now, Tarverdyan the fighter is back at full force.  “He’s got the ability,” M’bous says. “He’s got all the ability.”

And he’s ready to show it.

	Edmon's WBC International Welterweight Championship Fight PICTURES!!  9/08/07

GFC's own Alberto Crane to fight in UFC 74!!
Alberto Crane is a Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Black Belt who’s has been training Jiu-Jitsu for 12 years and has trained at the world famous Gracie Barra academy in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Alberto is a former world Jiu-Jitsu champion as well as the former “King Of The Cage” lightweight champion.
Jiu-Jitsu: 2002 World Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Champion (Mundials), 3 time Brazilian National Jiu-Jitsu Champion, 99 Silver World Championship medalist (Mundials), 98 Bronze World Championship medalist (Mundials)
Submission Wrestling: Grapplers Quest Champion, Pan American Champion, 2 time Best of the West Champion, Abu Dhabi Veteran
MMA: 8-0 Record, King of the Cage lightweight world champion, Ring of Fire lightweight champion.

And now, on on August 25, 2007, Alberto will be fighting against Roger Huerta on the worlds biggest MMA stage, UFC 75.  All of us at the Glendale Fighting Club would like to wish him luck and let him know we support him and will be routing for his victory.

GFC - GLENDALE FIGHTING CLUB
Fighter Alberto Crane readies for an MMA return and a UFC debut

It’s a hot August morning that’s quickly transforming into an unbearable August afternoon.

But inside the Glendale Fighting Club, Alberto Crane is anything but distracted by the heat — in fact, he’s creating his own.

Endlessly he’s pushing, punching, stretching and running. His camo workout shorts and red short-sleeve shirt get darker and darker with sweat. When his floor exercises are finally through, he peels his shirt away, absolutely exhausted and absolutely content.

“I love training hard and the way I feel, it makes me happy,” he says. “I have to do this — no regrets.”

On this particular morning, there are no more than four people at a time in the small, corner gym — including Crane and gym proprietor and trainer Edmond Tarverdyan. But on Saturday night, Crane will step onto the biggest stage in the sport of mixed-martial arts when he fights lightweight contender Roger Huerta in the Ultimate Fighting Championship.

He will walk out in front of nearly 20,000 screaming fight fans at the Mandalay Bay Events Center, all of them gathered for UFC 74: Respect.

“I’ve been in some high-profile events before, so I think that helps me,” says Crane, a former King of the Cage title holder. “I feel good about it, God willing, I’ll stay calm. I’m just gonna go out there and do my best.”

The UFC is, without reservation, the biggest MMA organization in the world, though. And it’s taken the 31-year-old Crane a long time to get there.

Just out of high school, he began training in Brazilian Jiu-Jitzu.

“I fell in love with it,” says the BJJ Black Belt and 2002 World Champion.

His jiu-jitsu prowess transferred well into the mixed-martial arts world. In June of 2002, Crane debuted in his native New Mexico, winning via choke — winning by submission.

It was the first of seven submission wins, as Crane built an 8-0 record — with only one bout going to decision.

Talks with the UFC came and went and Crane hasn’t fought an MMA fight in over two years now.

“I wasn’t really committed to MMA,” he says. “I kept fighting, trying to find my desire.”

Grappling and jiu-jitsu competitions and teaching his art kept him busy.

Then, “I married an Armenian girl,” and Crane, now a proud father of a three-month-old son, made his way to Glendale five months ago.

Almost simultaneously, he began teaching and training at the Glendale Fighting Club.

“The whole gym loves him, we love having him here,” Tarverdyan says. “He’s one of the most disciplined and focused and respectful guys.”

Crane also received word from UFC Matchmaker Joe Silva.

“He sent me an e-mail out of the blue,” Crane recalls. “I was in the process of moving.”

Huerta, one of the UFC’s rising stars, seemed to always be in the cards, although Crane says contender Din Thomas was also a possibility. Dates for May and June were offered, but Crane needed his time.

“Mentally, I wasn’t there,” he admits.

And he knows his best is needed against Huerta, who’s fought 12 times since Crane’s last bout. A no-contest was the only blemish in that time, with four of his 11 wins coming in the UFC. Indeed, Huerta is the favorite, the proven commodity.

“There’s a lot of people who don’t know who I am because I’ve been off the radar,” says Crane, who left for Las Vegas on Tuesday. “But I’ve been here, I’ve been here for a long time.”

Huerta admits that he’s not all that familiar with his foe, but he knows enough.

“I do know that he’s a world-class jiu-jitsu specialist,” says Huerta, a striking and wrestling stylist who’s 19-1-1 with nine knockouts. “He’s had a layoff in MMA, not in jiu jitsu and the other stuff he’s been doing. He’s very healed up and ready to go.”

Ready for what remains to be seen, though?

Crane’s ground game is clearly his strength and, while Huerta is viewed as a stellar all-around fighter, he makes no bones about his intentions.

“I do want to keep it standing,” Huerta says. “I want to go for a knockout.”

Enter Tarverdyan, an accomplished professional muay-thai boxer. Alternating days training grappling and jiu jitsu in North Hollywood with Team Hayastan and in West Hollywood with Hollywood Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, Crane has called on Tarverdyan to round out his game.

“Alberto’s striking has really improved,” Tarverdyan says. “We’re working a lot on the defensive because Roger Huerta’s a constant striker.

“Alberto’s ready to do what he needs to do.”

Many would wager that if Crane is to win Saturday, he needs to take the fight to the octagon canvas in hopes of submitting Huerta. But, then again, all of his work with Tarverdyan hasn’t just been about defense.

“If he’s smart, he’ll try and keep it standing,” Crane warns. “MMA’s such a crazy game, that if he’s too worried about me taking him down, maybe he’ll leave something open.”

In the always unpredictable world of MMA, there are few certainties — Crane offers three.

The first, win or lose, he’ll be back in California on Sunday, as he can’t wait to see the BJJ World Championships in Long Beach.

Second, no matter what the always game Huerta throws him, Crane is ready to battle.

“He breaks people’s spirit,” Crane states. “I guarantee you this — he won’t break me.”

And lastly, Crane is back.

He’s back doing what he loves.

“No matter what happens, I’ll keep training — I’m really excited,” he realizes. “I’m really excited just to be able to do it — I thought I was done.”

Article & picture from the "Glendale News Press"

GFC - GLENDALE FIGHTING CLUB
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