Finney's HIT Squad

Last updated
The Hit Squad
Est.2007
Founded by Matt Hughes
Primary ownersJK Moore Enterprises, Jesse Finney
Primary trainersMoses Flores
George Stanich
Jeremy Johnson
Richard Graeff
John Sabo
Reagan Johnson
Luigi Fioravanti
Past titleholders Matt Hughes UFC Welterweight Champion (two times), UFC Hall of Fame
Training facilities Flag of the United States.svg Granite City, Illinois
Website http://www.thehitsquad.com/

The Hit Squad, formerly known as Finney's HIT Squad under Jesse Finney and originally as H.I.T. Squad, is a mixed martial arts gym based out of Granite City, Illinois. Founded in 2007 by UFC Hall of Fame inductee Matt Hughes, it was purchased in 2011 by MMA veteran Jesse Finney after he retired from professional competition. [1] Hughes departed from Miletich Fighting Systems in order to start the team, alongside then-current EliteXC Middleweight Champion Robbie Lawler, longtime boxing coach Matt Pena, and wrestling/conditioning teacher Marc Fiore.

Mixed martial arts full contact combat sport

Mixed martial arts (MMA) is a full-contact combat sport that allows striking and grappling, both standing and on the ground, using techniques from various combat sports and martial arts. The first documented use of the term mixed martial arts was in a review of UFC 1 by television critic Howard Rosenberg in 1993. The term gained popularity when newfullcontact.com, then one of the largest websites covering the sport, hosted and republished the article. The question of who actually coined the term is subject to debate.

Gym locality for both physical and intellectual education

A gymnasium, also known as a gym, is a covered location for gymnastics, athletics and gymnastic services. The word is derived from the ancient Greek gymnasium. They are commonly found in athletic and fitness centers, and as activity and learning spaces in educational institutions. "Gym" is also slang for "fitness center", which is often an area for indoor recreation.

Granite City, Illinois City in Illinois, United States

Granite City is a city in Madison County, Illinois, United States, within the Greater St. Louis metropolitan area. The population was 29,849 at the 2010 census, making it the second-largest city in the Metro East and Southern Illinois regions, behind Belleville. Officially founded in 1896, Granite City was named by the Niedringhaus brothers, William and Frederick, who established it as a steel making company town for the manufacture of kitchen utensils made to resemble granite.

Contents

History

It was named H.I.T. Squad since its inception, [2] before it was bought in 2011. H.I.T. Squad opened with an area of 13,500-square-foot gym in Granite City, Illinois, and initially included three other fighters: Robbie Lawler, Greco-Roman wrestling champion Jacob Hey, and The Ultimate Fighter 5 contestant Corey Hill. [3]

Greco-Roman wrestling

Greco-Roman (US) or Graeco-Roman (UK) wrestling is a style of wrestling that is practiced worldwide. It was contested at the first modern Olympic Games in 1896 and has been included in every edition of the summer Olympics held since 1908.This style of wrestling forbids holds below the waist; this is the major difference from freestyle wrestling, the other form of wrestling at the Olympics. This restriction results in an emphasis on throws because a wrestler cannot use trips to take an opponent to the ground, or avoid throws by hooking or grabbing the opponent's leg.

The Ultimate Fighter 5 was the fifth season of the Ultimate Fighting Championship produced reality television series The Ultimate Fighter. As with the show's usual format, sixteen prospective mixed martial arts fighters were secluded in a house near Las Vegas, Nevada and trained together while participating in a single-elimination tournament, with the winner being awarded a six-figure UFC contract. This season featured only one weight class, lightweights (146–155 lb) and the fighters were divided into two teams; one coached by former UFC Lightweight Champion Jens Pulver and the other by former UFC Welterweight Champion and former lightweight champion B.J. Penn. The season was well-known among fans for the large number of fighters kicked off of the show.

Corey Cornelius Hill was an American mixed martial artist. In high school in Florida he won state wrestling championships on multiple occasions and was a two-time national finalist college wrestler.

The training center, which was opened to the public in January 2008, was originally run by Hughes, Fiore, Lawler and Pena. [3] Their desire to start a world-class facility was the motivating factor, while Hughes also wanted to be closer to his family in Hillsboro, Illinois. However, rumors of a broken relationship with Pat Miletich being a contributing factor were false. [3]

Hillsboro, Illinois City in Illinois, United States

Hillsboro is a city in Montgomery County, Illinois, United States. The population was 6,207 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Montgomery County.

Pat Miletich American mixed martial arts fighter

Patrick Jay "Pat" Miletich is a retired American mixed martial artist and a current sports commentator. He is known for his fights in the Ultimate Fighting Championship, where he became the first UFC Welterweight Champion and UFC 16 Welterweight Tournament Winner. Miletich is also known as a highly successful trainer and coach, having founded Miletich Fighting Systems. This camp is considered one of the most successful in MMA history and has produced several world champions. On July 6, 2014, he was inducted into the UFC Hall of Fame. Since 2016 he's been hosting his own podcast labeled The Conspiracy Farm with Jeffrey Wilson.

Purchase

On March 23, 2012, [4] it was announced by H.I.T. Squad representatives that they were under new ownership. Jesse Finney, a recently retired fighter from St. Louis, became the new owner, and the team's name was changed to Finney's HIT Squad. [5] After the transaction was closed, Finney stated that the team would remain intact. After the operation, they began implementing the Shamrock Fighter Development System, where fighters start their development in a league and work their way up based on their skills and performance. [4]

Awards

St. Louis Independent city in the United States

St. Louis is an independent city and major inland port in the U.S. state of Missouri. It is situated along the western bank of the Mississippi River, which marks Missouri's border with Illinois. The Missouri River merges with the Mississippi River just north of the city. These two rivers combined form the fourth longest river system in the world. The city had an estimated 2017 population of 308,626 and is the cultural and economic center of the St. Louis metropolitan area, which is the largest metropolitan area in Missouri, the second-largest in Illinois, and the 22nd-largest in the United States.

See also

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References

  1. ↑ Hui, Ray (2011-03-25). "Jesse Finney Buys H.I.T. Squad, Retires from MMA Competition". MMAFighting.com. Retrieved 2012-10-13.
  2. ↑ Yu, Al (2007-08-30). "- CAMP REPORT: MATT HUGHES LEAVING MFS". MMAWeekly.com. Retrieved 2012-10-10.
  3. 1 2 3 Stupp, Dann (2007-08-30). "Matt Hughes to Start Fight Team; Robbie Lawler and Corey Hill on Board". MMAjunkie.com. Archived from the original on 2012-01-13. Retrieved 2012-10-10.
  4. 1 2 Staff (2011-03-23). "Jesse Finney Buys H.I.T. Squad, Matt Hughes and Coaches Remain". MMAWeekly.com. Retrieved 2012-10-11.
  5. ↑ Press Release (2011-03-23). "Jesse Finney assumes ownership of Matt Hughes' HIT Squad gym". MMAmania.com. Retrieved 2012-10-11.
  6. ↑ "Best MMA Gym - 2011 Finney's HIT Squad". The Riverfront Times. Retrieved 2012-10-12.
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