If you were to have ever seen Mark Selbee, you would wonder what could take the life of such a strong man. At 6'4", 220 pounds Mark Selbee was in great physical shape and the thought of him losing his life was the last thing you would think. It makes us all realize there are some things more powerful than us all.

As many reading this might remember, Mark was a former IKF Pro World Champion and held several IKF titles during his kickboxing career before he retired from the sport in 2006. However, his IKF titles were not his most impressive by far... Mark was a Champion Father and Husband who with his wife Amy Selbee had 3 children, Easton, Ellie Brooke and Hudson.

Sadly, Mark lost his life in a drowning accident this past Saturday at Hillsdale Lake in Miami County Kansas (USA) while on a boating outing with two of his three children.

"His kids lived for him and he lived for his kids, said the long-time friend, Jarrod Townsend. Mark's passion was people. The most important people in his life were his family and his friends.

A Washburn University graduate who was born and raised in Topeka, Mark moved with his wife and their three children from Atlanta to Leawood about five months ago to be close to family and friends.

Between 2002 and 2006 with the guidance of Trainer Gary Brown, Mark won four IKF Titles:

• IKF Amateur FCR East Coast (US) Heavyweight Title on April 12th, 2002.
• IKF Pro FCR USA Heavyweight Title on February 1, 2003.
• IKF Pro FCR North American Heavyweight Title on October 25th, 2003.
  • Defended It on April 23rd, 2004.
• IKF Pro FCR Super Heavyweight World Title on September 11th, 2004.

On April 30, 2005, Mark made his K-1 debut against Tsuyoshi Nakasako at the K-1 World Grand Prix 2005 in Las Vegas. He won the fight, a tournament Quarter Final bout, via decision after three rounds. However, he was injured during the fight and was forced to withdraw from the tournament and replaced by Scott Lighty.

Mark retired from fighting in October of 2006 but continued on as a Kickboxing Trainer in Atlanta, Georgia before moving to Kansas.

After Mark retired from kickboxing competition, he became a kickboxing trainer in Atlanta. Townsend said he spoke to Mark only hours before the accident Saturday. Townsend said Mark had just rented a slip the day before and was excited to drop his boat in the water and take the kids out.

Exactly how or why Mark came to be in the water is still unknown. The cause of death won't be known until an autopsy. (To be performed this week) Townsend said it would have been incredibly unlike Mark to leave the his children on the boat alone. Mark was extremely responsible and his kids were his life, Townsend said, He was so protective of his children he would not have gone in the water for a swim.

There is little visibility beneath the surface of the murky lake. Sonar was used in the rescue effort, which ended when Mark's body was recovered early Sunday evening.

A fund-raising campaign for the family has already been established on the site giveforward.com - (Click HERE)

A Celebration of Mark's Life
Is scheduled for 11:AM to noon Friday at
United Methodist Church of the Resurrection
13720 Roe Avenue
Leawood, Kansas, USA

www.GiveForward.com
(Click HERE)

Wikipedia.org - Mark Selbee

MARK SELBEE'S
IKF WORLD TITLE BOUT

TO SEE MARK'S IKF PAGE
CLICK HERE

The Selbee's
Mark and Amy
And their children
Easton, Ellie Brooke and Hudson.

ADDITIONAL NEWS ARTICLES

Former kickboxing champion drowns at Hillsdale Lake
www.republic-online.com

Shannon "TNT" Hudson



John Dixon

IKF & ISCF Promoter Lane Collyer and his associate Ron Gaiteri had one less task to take care of when the doors opened at their "Battle At The Brewery" event last night at the Atlanta Brewing Company in Atlanta, Georgia, USA. They didn't have to sell any more tickets. Their event was sold out nearly 3 days in advance and the packed crowd was treated to some fantastic IKF Kickboxing and ISCF Mixed Martial Arts Action!

The first IKF Title bout was awarded in the ring, but not in the usual way. Well known IKF Amateur Fighter Shannon "TNT" Hudson (Left) of Greer, South Carolina, USA (5-3/2, 165) was scheduled to meet "HOT" Rod Llaneza of Atlanta, Georgia, USA for the vacant IKF Amateur East Coast Super Middleweight Regional Title.

However, on fight day, Llaneza telephoned Promoter Lane Collyer and simply told him, "I just don't feel like fighting." There was no illness, no medical condition, nothing... His actions left Hudson in the ring without an opponent and being awarded the title without a fight...

Adrian Turpin (206, 6', 4-5/0) was looking to regain another IKF title after losing his IKF South East Title back on February 24, 2001 in Augusta Georgia, USA to Sylvester James of Eastman, Georgia by unanimous decision. Turpin had won the title by forfeit on October 14, 2000 in Augusta, Georgia when his opponent, Mike Ramsey of High Point, North Carolina, failed to show up for the scheduled bout.

On the line this time for Turpin was the shot at the vacant IKF Amateur East Coast Heavyweight FCR Title against Mark Selbee (Right with his team, 215, 6'5", 10-0/3) now from Georgia, formerly of Kansas. Selbee had recently moved to Georgia and had not fought for about 10 months. Although Turpin showed his usual toughness as a fighter Selbee's height and reach advantage proved too much for the Champion Turpin.

Selbee won every round of the bout except for round 2 on judge Ray Thompson's card. In the end he became the new champion with a unanimous decision victory, 40-36, 40-36 and 40-37. At his height, Turpin would be a much stronger fighter in the Cruiserweight division (186.1 lbs. - 195 lbs.).

We hope to see these two amateurs like all the others at the upcoming South East Regional Tournament and eventually the IKF National Championships in August.

The nights main event was in the ISCF Mixed Martial Arts Division. Facing off for the recently vacant ISCF Pro Super Heavyweight U.S. Title was Jonathan "Lock N Load" Wiezorek (305 lbs) of Valdosta, Georgia USA against "BIG" John Dixon (Left, 250 lbs) of Gautiar, Mississippi, USA. When the bell rang, Wiezorek charged across the ring like a bull after Dixon and a quick reaction by Dixon forced Wiezorek to miss him. A few more aggressive charges later and these two were on the ground where most of the action took place throughout round one. After 1, Wiezorek led on all the scorecards, 4-1, 3-2 and 3-2.

In round 2, Dixon seemed to gain some momentum when he locked Wiezorek in a strong heel hook. However Wiezorek got out of it and went back into a controlling position. As the round grew longer, Wiezorek started to land more and more strikes. At 2:36 of the second round, Dixon had had enough as he tapped out giving Wiezorek (At right with trainer James Corbett) the ISCF Pro Super Heavyweight U.S. Title.

However the victory didn't come cheap. Wiezorek will remember that strong heel hook Dixon had him in for some time. The move injured Wiezorek's knee pretty severely forcing Wiezorek to seek some medical attention after the bout. An early assessment seems that something tore inside his knee but an official medical exam with confirmed results will probably not take place until today or Monday.

Mark Selbee & TEAM


Jonathan "Lock N Load" Wiezorek

Here's how all the nights action went...

1. IKF AMATEUR INTERNATIONAL RULES
   Chip Pittard, Atlanta, Georgia, USA, 2-0/1, 144, 5'6", 19
   defeated Ian Tosayanon, Atlanta, Georgia, USA, 1-1/0, 137, 5'6", 21, by TKO at :36 seconds of the 3rd round. Pittard was ahead on all 3 judges cards 20-16 after the first 2 rounds.
   
   
2. IKF AMATEUR FCR
   Jason Kuhn, Atlanta, Georgia, USA, 4-2/0, 150, 5'6", 25
   defeated George Munn, 6-1, 155, 6', 27 by majority decision, 29-27, 30-26 and 28-28. Munn lost a point for not getting his kicks in round 3.
   
   
3. IKF AMATEUR MUAY THAI
   Nihad Husic, Atlanta, Georgia, USA, 2-1-1/0, 150, 5'8:, 20,
   defeated Frank Maryska, Atlanta Georgia, 0-1/0, 157, 5'9", 19 by unanimous decision, 29-28, 30-27 and 30-27.
   
   
4. ISCF MMA
   Mitsuaki Uchida, Norcross, Georgia, USA, 1-0/0, 184, 5'8", 24,
   defeated Shawn Gay, Valdosta, Georgia, USA, 7-5/4, 170, 6'1", 22 by tappout at 4:40 of round 2.
   
   
5. IKF AMATEUR MUAY THAI
   Marshall Berger, Atlanta, Georgia, USA, 3-0/2, 203, 6'3", 22,
   defeated Yahosuah Yahudah, Georgia, 0-1/0, 212, 5'9", 20 by unanimous decision 30-27, 30-27 and 30-27.
   
   
6. IKF AMATEUR FCR
   Shannon Hudson, Greer, South Carolina, USA, 6-3/3, 165
   defeated Rod Llaneza, Atlanta, Georgia, USA by forfeit to win the vacant IKF Amateur East Coast Super Middleweight Regional Title after Llaneza choose not to show up for the bout the day of the fight.
   
   
7. IKF AMATEUR FCR EAST COAST HEAVYWEIGHT FCR TITLE
   Mark Selbee, Atlanta, Georgia, USA, 10-0/3, 215, 6'5", 33,
   defeated Adrian Turpin, Anderson, Georgia, USA, 4-5/0, 206, 6', 34 by unanimous decision 40-36, 40-36 and 40-37.
   
   
8. PRO ISCF MMA
   Rory Singer, Athens, Georgia, USA, 198, 6'2, 25
   defeated Kelly Williams, Atlanta, Georgia, USA, 200, 5'10", 30 by submission due to strikes at 2:54 of round 1. Singer's comment after the bout... "Bronk Rules!"... A predictor of Georgia fights in the past...
   
   
9. IKF PRO MUAY THAI
   Jeff Perry, Atlanta, Georgia, USA, P: 1-0/1, AM: 9-1/4, 158, 6'1, 25 made his pro debut against an unlikely opponent, mixed martial arts fighter Shawn Porter, Greer, South Carolina, USA, MMA: 18-3, KB: 0-1. 155, 5'3", 24. Porter had never done any kickboxing before but wanted to give it a try. In the bout, Perry showed the MMA fighter Porter that in muaythai, your not allowed to go to the ground so you must stand and take the punishment. He managed to do that until the 1:29 mark of round 1. After being knocked down, he refused to stand up as referee Dennis Palmer counted him out.... Perry, winner by TKO.
   
   
10. PRO ISCF MMA
    Forest Griffin, Athens, Georgia, USA, 216 served Kent Hensley, Atlanta, Georgia, USA, 207 his first defeat in MMA in 10 bouts after winning by a triangle choke at 2:26 of round 1. Hensley was working in the right direction to get out of the choke but being in the corner of the ring, the ropes made it impossible for him to move enough to get free.
    
    
11. ISCF PRO SUPER HEAVYWEIGHT U.S. TITLE
    Jonathan Wiezorek, Valdosta, Georgia USA, 304, 6'2, 23 defeated John Dixon, Gautiar, Mississippi, USA, KB: 17-1/17, BX: 6-6/6, 245, 6', 35 by submission by strikes at 2:36 of the second round.
    
    

For more info on the Battle At The Brewery event, please contact Mr. Ron Gaiteri at (770) 518-1887 or by e-mail at Rgaiteri2@aol.com or Mr. Lane Collyer by e-mail at Lanecoll@aol.com.

Atlanta, Georgia, USA: IKF Promoter Brett Moses (Below Left) was once known in Atlanta as one of the GIANTS in the promotion game. However a few years back, he decided to take some time off from promoting due to a busy work schedule and other life commitments. However, tonight, the "Sleeping Giant AWOKE" at the DeKalb-Atlanta Center in Atlanta, Georgia, USA!

Now we've all read stories that claimed sellout shows, when in reality, there were plenty of empty seats... However, Moses and this writer don't need to make anything up... Those who were are witnessed the facts and the pictures at the right should speak for themselves... Georgia Fight Fans, along with many from South Carolina as well ROCKED THE HOUSE TONIGHT!

With 900 printed tickets gone before the opening bout, Moses and his promotional crew still had a line around the block, so they elected to sell standing room only tickets which according to our closest estimates, brought the crowd to around 1,200 to 1,300. This was a PACKED HOUSE! Moses picked up the promotional business right where he left off several years ago... ON TOP! With a 20' x 20' big screen to enlarge the fight action for those not so close there wasn't a bad seat in the house. In the end, several were turned away and all that was left now was the action, and was there ever plenty of that!

Moses' "February Fight Party" was mainly a card of mixed martial arts and because of this, many thought the crowd came just to see the ISCF MMA bouts... How wrong we were. The South East fight fans came out tonight to see BOTH ISCF MMA and IKF Kickboxing! The Main Event was one of only 2 IKF Kickboxing bouts on the night. It was the first title defense for IKF Pro USA National Heavyweight Champion Kevin Hudson of South Carolina against the challenger, Mark Selbee of Atlanta, Georgia. You would think this would be a total Selbee crowd in Atlanta but the Hudson loyals from South Carolina showed up in force! And we mean FORCE!

From what many had seen these two do in the past, the concensis was, "If it ended early, it would be because of Selbee's Power. If it went the distance, it would be Hudson's win." Selbee had never ventured past 5 rounds in a kickboxing fight so it was figured that the rounds past 5 would be his hardeast to win. On the other side of the ring, Hudson was known for being a slow starter, and was expected to get stronger after the first few rounds. However tonight, it was like the rolls were simply reversed.

Out of the opening bell, it was Hudson who seemed to get the edge while Selbee seemed stiff and nervous. The first 2-3 rounds were easily for Hudson and with this, many thought he would take the fight early and coast in the late rounds for the win. Two of the 3 judges gave Hudson the first 2 rounds and 2 of the 3 gave him the third. However in the fourth, it was Selbee who shook off the butterflys off in his first pro title shot and picked up the pace. Two of the three judges gave Selbee the 4th and 5th rounds and in round 5 Hudson, had less than 10 kicks for the first time in the bout. Only getting off 8 to make the minimum to Selbee's 15. By the sixth round, all 3 judges had scored it for Selbee which wasn't much of a change as Hudson kicked 9 times to Selbee's 19. In rounds 7 and 8, Selbee backed off his kicks and went to work with his hand combinations knocking Hudson down twice forcing referee Dan Stell to administer 2 standing 8 counts. From here on out, every round was Selbee's as for whatever strange reasons, the usually strong in the late rounds Hudson seemed to hit a wall and fuel was running out. However, Hudson's strong fan base didn't give up on their Champion, around round 8 or 9, the place sounded like a European soccer stadium as chants for "Kevin!, Kevin!" were equally met with chants for "Selbee!, Selbee!" In the final round, Hudson did enough to sway 1 of the 3 judges to give him the round while the others scored it 10-10 and 10-9 Selbee. What Hudson had in the end though was too little too late. Simply put, tonight was not his night...

Tonight was not a night for storms and without a cloud in the sky there was no Hurrican Hudson. This was all Sunshine tonight and it belonged to Selbee. In rounds 5 through 10, Selbee outkicked Hudson 87 to 48. Selbee had a point taken away in round 9 for kicking too low while Hudson lost a point in round 8 for not getting all his kicks in. Although many thought this was all Selbee on the cards, this one ended in a Split decision, Judge Ray Thompson scored it 97-89 Selbee. Judge Jim Reneau scored it 96-91 Selbee while judge Sean Wohl scored it 95-94, Hudson.

Tonight was Mark Selbee (33 years of age) night who took the title from the Champion Hudson (31 years of age) in a great performance. It's the first of hopefully many titles for the young Selbee (Pro: 6-0/5, Amateur: 11-0/4) while for Hudson, (21-4/10) it's only a temporary setback in an excellent career. No doubt he will be back, and this loss will only make him more hungry for his next win. Tonight though belongs to Selbee, who now has his sights on maybe his first title defense, possibly on Moses next event scheduled for May or June of this year. Against who? No plans yet but if anyone is talking rematch, Moses better get a bigger venue...

For more information, Mr. Moses can be reached at not_tank@hotmail.com or call the Fight Party Hotline at (404) 315-7235.

IKF & ISCF Promoter Bret Moses (R) is finally resting after a long night this past Friday. Moses card only featured one Pro Kickboxing bout but before it took place, the crowd was witness to both Pro and Amateur ISCF MMA: and Pro Boxing and by the time the Main Event came around it was after midnight.

The Main Event featured the IKF Pro North American Heavyweight Full Contact Title Defense of Mark Selbee (Below Left) of Atlanta, Georgia against #4 IKF Pro FCR ranked John James (Below Right) of Grand Rapids, Michigan. Selbee was awarded the title last year by forfeit when his opponent, Dan Lucas of New York got injured on the way to the Airport for their bout. The condition put on the Title though was that Selbee had to defend it within a year and tonight was the night.

As the two entered the ring there was one clear deference, their height. The night before at the weigh-ins James came in 5 lbs overweight and was given till the following morning to make weight, which he did, tipping the scales at 214 to Selbee's 215. Selbee had the height advantage standing 6'5" tall to James 5'11" height. However James came into the bout as the more experienced fighter with a record of 35 wins, 5 loses and 25 wins by KO/TKO. Selbee had much less experience with a record of 19 wins but no loses and 10 wins by KO/TKO. As everyone knows though, once the bell rings, their past means little, as was the game-plan of Selbee who was now under the direction of a new trainer. Not just any trainer though, he was disciplined by one of the greatest ever in the sport, Gary Brown, best known for training multi time World Champion Rick "The Jet" Roufus. This was a new game to Selbee under Brown, and it showed...

Round one is usually a proving period for two fighters prepared for a 10 round bout, however no one told these guys that. Selbee threw 16 kicks to James 14 and what impressed us most was James ability to throw his kicks up to Selbee's head, which seemed to surprise Selbee a bit too. However Selbee stayed to his game plan of "stick and move" throughout the round, scoring with his jabs and front leg. Round 2 seemed to slow down for both as Selbee dropped his kick count down to 11 as he focused more on his hands as did James. But James still stayed busy with his legs with 13 kicks.

In round 3, Selbee seemed to back way off his plan of kicking throwing only 8 while although less than the round before, James still threw more kicks than Selbee at 11. Round 4 was a change of pace for both. Selbee seemed to come alive with his hands and his kicks seemed to be stronger. Although he only threw 10, these kicks seemed to find their target more. James on the other hand went to work with his hands trying to close the gap with Selbee only throwing 8 kicks. In the middle of the round, James found himself under Selbee's left arm and here is where the questions come from. James felt Selbee tightened his arm around his neck and leaned forward on him causing him pain. So much that on the break, James fired a right hand hitting Selbee hard, probably the hardest shot he took in the bout. Referee Dan Stell warned James for hitting on a referee break but James answered back complaining about Selbee's move against the ropes. Although none of us could see such a foul or injury, it doesn't mean it didn't happen. Maybe so, but only James would know. He said it happened, so that is all we have to go on. (We are looking forward to see the video on this bout though to see if we can pick up what James complained about)

The pain started to bother James as the round ended and when he came out for round 5, he brought with him a totally changed game-plan and attitude. Instead of staying composed he now simply rushing at Selbee where he immediately got locked into a clinch. Some of his rushes now looked more like an attempt of an MMA fighter trying a takedown instead of in close fighting. In the middle of the round as referee Dan Stell went to break both fighters up in yet another bear-hug clinch, James threw and again hit Selbee on the break. This time Stell deducted a point from James for the foul.

As round 5 went on things just seemed to look worse. Possibly due to James injury but whatever had happened it had changed from a good fight to what looked more like a toughman contest with nothing to be proud of. James threw only 5 kicks in round 5, losing a point on the judges cards while Selbee threw 9. When the round was done, James told referee Dan Stell he was done due to the pain in his neck giving Selbee the win by TKO at the break of rounds 5 and 6.

We are not going to comment whether it was real or not because we are not James and you can't just see a neck pain. Regardless, in the end it wasn't pretty but Selbee took the win to confirm his title and now looks forward to a possible World Title shot against one of the top 3 contenders. Who will it be? Possibly Kevin Smiles of England who holds a record of 26-6/11 or even possibly Ronnie Copeland of High Point, North Carolina, USA who has a pro record of 22-4-1/18 and an amateur record of 10-3-1/2. Copeland has a bout against the number 1 IKF Ranked FCR Super Heavyweight, Raul Doucet of Canada this May in South Carolina for a defense of Doucet's IKF North American Super Heavyweight Title. Copeland has a chance to completely shake up the Pro FCR Heavyweight and Super Heavyweight rankings if he defeats Doucet. It would put Copeland in the drivers seat with a full tank of gas and a big engine because he would then be in line for possible "TWO" World title bouts. The Heavyweight against Selbee or at Super Heavyweight against who knows, actually several possible fighters. While the Heavyweight contenders would be easy to determine, a Copeland win would cause plenty of confusion for the Super Heavyweight contenders. Especially since Doucet has pretty much established himself as "THE" Super Heavyweight to beat. Come May 15th at Ray Thompson's IKF "Martial Arts May-Hem II" event in South Carolina, we may all see this more clearly...

Joe Corley

IKF Atlanta, Georgia, USA: We here at the IKF are proud to announce our re-affiliation with one of the greatest promoters in the World, Joe Corley (Left) of Atlanta, Georgia, USA.

It was back in 1994 when the IKF worked with Corley on one of his last Kickboxing shows that was held at Caesars Tahoe in Nevada. On that night, Rick Roufus won his first IKF World Title when he defeated Michael McDonald of Vancouver, BC, Canada, by "KO" at :43 seconds of round 1 on January 22nd, 1994. However, just before Roufus' bout, Juan Torres of South Lake Tahoe, California, USA, (38-3/26) became the very first IKF Mens Pro Champion and the very first IKF Mens World Champion when he defeated Jorge Angat of Angoura Hills, California, USA by TKO at :45 seconds of round 2. Now, one week from today, Corley will bring back his PKA Kickboxing promotional company and where else to feature it but on his World Famous

The Main Event?
How about two fighters that will bring somewhere in the neighborhood of 445 Pounds and 25 Knockouts to the ring! Both currently hold IKF Pro North American Titles but on Saturday night, September 11th the two will be going for the vacant IKF Pro Super Heavyweight World Title! The "War of Words" is already underway as Atlanta's Mark Selbee says "I see Victory." while Montreal, Canada's Raoul Doucet answers back, "Goodnight Dreamer!"

The North American civil war is brewing and September 11 marks the clash of the continent's two most powerful countries and the collision course of two #1 IKF Rated World Kickboxing contenders. It all happens in a Las Vegas style event in the plush Hyatt Regency Atlanta. "This will be a *PKA KICKBOXING WAR, 12 rounds of grueling action to fill the IKF's vacant World Super Heavyweight title," promises Canada's Raoul Doucet.
(*) PKA is a Promotional Company, not a sanctioning body

Doucet is the #1 IKF Rated Super Heavyweight in the world, a 6'3" rock-solid, Canadian policeman weighing 225 lbs. His manager, Vic Theriault, brother of former World Champion Canadian Jean Yves Theriault, the Iceman says, "Here are my thoughts about anybody who thinks Canadians are wimps: remember when Sherman ignited the original Battle of Atlanta? I would advise the Atlanta fans not to leave their seats when this fight starts. Raoul will take Selbee into deep waters, early, and drown him. He will not play any fancy tae kwon do or be polite in that ring; we are going to do everything to knock Selbee out cold. Come Saturday on 9/11 in Atlanta, there will be a new Canadian Sheriff in town; we have put a bounty on Selbee's head!"

Atlanta's Mark Selbee is the #1 IKF Rated World Heavyweight contender. He has agreed to fight Doucet, the #1 IKF Rated Super Heavyweight contender, a heavier, and many say, stronger opponent. "I've been a warrior all my life", Selbee said. "Sure, words can fire me up and hurt my feelings, but this is not a war of feelings we're undertaking. This is business--the business of punching, kicking, blocking, footwork, strategy and tactics. I won't be knocked down or out by a Canadian cliché. It's those round kicks and right crosses of Doucet's I'm training for! And, like I said before, I see victory!"

Atlanta's Mark Selbee
Will He Be Atlanta's
Biggest Kickboxing Star Ever?

IKF Atlanta, Georgia, USA: At 6'4" and 215 pounds, he is the current IKF Pro North American Heavyweight Champion. He is, Mark Selbee! Selbee's first IKF title was the IKF Amateur East Coast U.S. Heavyweight Title he won on April 12th, 2002 when he defeated Adrian Turpin of Anderson, Georgia, USA by unanimous decision 40-36, 40-36 and 40-37. Selbee's first Pro IKF title was the IKF Pro FCR USA Heavyweight Title which he won on February 1, 2003 in Atlanta, Georgia, USA when he defeated previous Champion Kevin Hudson of Greer, South Carolina, USA by Split decision, 97-89, 96-91 and 94-95.

Selbee went on to win his IKF North American Heavyweight title by forfeit on October 25th, 2003 in Dalton, Georgia, USA when his scheduled opponent Dan Lucas of Rochester, New York, USA (22-5-1) split open his forehead in a freak accident at his home the day before their scheduled bout. However Selbee went on to confirm his title in the ring on April 23rd, 2004 in Atlanta, Georgia, USA when he defeated John James of Grand Rapids, Michigan, USA (35-6/25) by TKO when James did not answer the bell after the 5th round due to a pain/injury in his neck suffered in round 4.

Selbee (20-0 with 18 KO's) will be the biggest Atlantan Corley has presented in his 37 years of the Battle of Atlanta. From US Super Lightweight Champ Richard Jackson to World Welterweight Champ Jeff Gripper to Light Heavyweight Champ Rick Roufus and Heavyweight Champ Jerry Rhome, Corley has presented Atlanta fans and the worldwide television audience a host of great kickboxers and great fights. Next Saturday the tradition of these great bouts returns to the squared circle as part of Joe Corley's 37th Battle of Atlanta in 35 years.

Selbee will meet Montreal's Raoul Doucet for a scheduled 12 rounds of PKA KICKBOXING to fill the vacant IKF World Super Heavyweight title. "In terms of tradition, I have some big shoes to fill", says the quiet spoken Selbee, as humble as he is tall, as dry as he is powerful. "Marital arts has been my passion for all my adult life, and to get a shot at the World Title, to do it in my adopted home town and at an event with the history and tradition of the Battle of Atlanta, it's a martial arts dream come true. The only thing standing in my way is a 225 pound, hard hitting, fire breathing Canadian policeman who wants to kick my head off. Other than that, it'll be another day at the office!"

The normal office day for Selbee begins around 7:30 AM, as he prepares for his day's presentations with Clear Channel Outdoor, where he has won the President's Club and Pinnacle Awards for outstanding performance. By then, he's already been at the Velocity Kickboxing Gym (Formerly LA Boxing of Atlanta) for 90 minutes, building power, stamina and mental toughness to face the onslaught from the North. "I am great at compartmentalizing my day", Selbee said, "and it's a long one. From the time I get started in the morning, my focus is on Doucet, as I lift, hit the bag and do my light sparring for the day. Then I put him out of my head from 7:30 AM to 5:00 PM, and do what I have been trained to do in the professional world. Then I re-focus on Doucet. It's two more hours of grueling training, including the heavier sparring. It's here where I see his power, I prepare for his pressure, and I plan the warat the end, I see victory. That's what warriors do. Just a normal day!"

Selbee's head hits the pillow at 11:30 PM, just 18 hours later. "Not your everyday fighter or everyday advertising exec", Corley says. "That's what makes him so interesting, so different and doubly deadly". Corley says Selbee brings back a favorite dimension to his (Corley's) work as a martial arts promoter. "Mark is quick witted and quick footed", Corley said, "and he has that natural charm that wins hearts and minds in the ring. I have had the pleasure of working with a lot of great fighters these past 36 Battles and through PKA on television, but for the past 10 years have focused just on the point fighting…..but this fight has my enthusiasm flowing the same way as the days of weekly ESPN, SHOWTIME and pay per view. This will be a great event for fight fans, and one I am having a lot of fun with."

For Selbee, this is a bold move going up to Super Heavyweight in pursuit of his first world title. He could have waited for the right opponent as a heavyweight (215 pounds tops). But the #1 Super Heavyweight, Doucet, presented himself, as did the opportunity, and Selbee jumped at it.

He has never been shy about going for the gold. He has won medals in tae kwon do at events as great as the US Open, has competed since he was 14 in his home town of Topeka, Kansas and racked up a string of victories across the Midwest. These were normal days. Corley summarized the new, normal goal. "Now, as a result of his hard work and the support of his growing base of Atlanta fans, normal might just include the new title: Super Heavyweight Champion Of The World!" The biggest Atlanta kickboxing champion in history.

Fighting Canadian Policeman
To Compete for
IKF World Kickboxing Title

IKF Ottawa, Ontario, Canada: If you happen to get caught speeding on the 417 highway going towards Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, and a tall, rugged, handsome, Ottawa Ontario Police officer is handing you a ticket, think twice about arguing. The officer may very well be Raoul Doucet, the #1 World Rated and current IKF Pro Super Heavyweight North American Kickboxing Champion. And as for your reasons to be polite to this rather large man, they exceed his mere size. Raoul (better "Officer" Doucet) is fighting for the Vacant IKF Pro Super Heavyweight World Title on September 11th in Atlanta Georgia. At 6'2" and 225+ lbs. Officer Doucet is a big force to be reckoned with. The event, Joe Corley's 37th Battle of Atlanta is sub-titled A FORCE OF ONE.

Doucet's will face undefeated heavyweight Mark Selbee in the 12 round title bout which will headline this 2004 Battle of Atlanta, the world's premiere Karate tournament.

As one would imagine, the rigors of training for a 12 round world kickboxing title bout are many, combined with a full time profession, a wife and two daughters. Nevertheless, the desire to compete and excel in the ring dates back to 1990 when Officer Doucet entered a Michigan "Tough Man" contest where he won all the way to the final match, only to get "robbed" in a "hometown decision". Driven, he entered the same Toughman Contest the next year, won all 3 bouts, captured the prize money and the title. All this time, he was perfecting his kicking skills with his tae kwon do coach and dreaming of one day following in the steps of the illustrious "Iceman"-- Jean -Yves Theriault. (Left)

Theriault, a soft spoken, gentle Maritimer like Officer Doucet, is one of the undisputed legends of the sport of kickboxing, having defended his title 23 times. The Iceman recommended that Raoul join forces with his brother Victor Theriault, a world class promoter and co-corner man of the Iceman for many of his previous bouts.

After Vic saw Raoul's kicking ability, he immediately started finding Kickboxing bouts in the states, and Doucet has amassed a record of 14 wins against two narrow losses and 1 draw. Seven of his opponents were stopped by KO or TKO.

Theriault has insured that the Fighting officer of the Law added serious boxing skills to his long, powerful kicks. Theriault paired Doucet with boxing coach Johnny Muccionne. Subsequently, Doucet went on to win the IKF North American Title on April 26th, 2003 in Glenville, West Virginia, USA where he defeated Mike Sheppard of Glenville, West Virginia, USA (11-3-1/9) by unanimous decision. The fight ended with a standing ovation from the sell out crowd and Raoul's name accelerated through the American karate network. That victory was followed by an appearance on a Sugar Ray Leonard Boxing show as part of a special Kickboxing bout at a charity event in Tustin, California (Los Angeles area) where Star Trek / Priceline Captain William Shatner and many sport celebs applauded his success via a round 3 KO win over Darren Walters of Lubbock, Texas, USA, (Pro: 2-3/0, AKB: 25-9/11)

Doucet's last bout was in South Carolina against the #1 contender for his IKF North American title, Ronnie Copeland of High Point, North Carolina, USA (Pro KB: 22-5-1/17, Amateur KB: 10-3-1/2, Pro Boxing: 8-3/7). This took place on May 15th, 2004 in Simpsonville, South Carolina and actually ended due to a nonintentional foul in round 9 of the scheduled 10. In round 9, Doucet's knee was coming up on his kick and Copeland ducked into it and Doucet's knee hit Copeland in the temple knocking him out. The bout decision went to the score cards where Doucet defeated Copeland by unanimous decision, 87-84, 88-84 & 86-85.

The fighting Cop, now complete with devastating power kicks and a new arsenal of boxing skills, makes for a formidable opponent for anyone. Raoul's "bite at the apple" is around the corner. Eerily, the date is September 11, or 911. "For sure I will be thinking about all the police and fireman that lost their lives on that date. I am inspired to bring the title belt back to Canada. Selbee better be ready for an onslaught from the North."

Battle of Atlanta producer Corley said, "Mark Selbee has expressed serious respect for the power of Officer Doucet, and says he will have to train for the toughest fight of his life. Selbee fully expects, however, to be Super Heavyweight Champion before the bell tolls 12 on September 11."

Conversely, Victor Theriault hopes to have the Fighting Cop defend the title he believes will be Doucet's on July 3rd next year at the World Police and Fireman Games, where 25,000 of his brothers and sisters converge on Quebec City. Remember, next time you get pulled over by an OPP Patrol Car on the way to Ottawa or Montreal, be polite!

For more information, contact Joe Corley at (404) 502-3777 or by e-mail at pkajoecor@aol.com or go to the website, www.battleofatlanta.com In Montreal contact Victor Theriault at (450) 632-7812 or e-mail at pvtinc@videotron.ca
All seats reserved. Tickets on sale at Joe Corley Karate Studios (770) 998-4610 and Velocity Kickboxing Gym (404) 943-0609 and on line at www.battleofatlanta.com
(*) PKA is a Promotional Company, not a sanctioning body

SATURDAY, September 11th, 2004, AT 11:35 PM, PT

Two Words...
"The HAMMER!"

IKF Atlanta, Georgia, USA: Surly there could be other words to describe Joe Corley's Main Event at his famous "Battle of Atlanta" but these two were "EARNED" so we had to use them. These two words were the response to all the critics out there that questioned the past performance and the potential of a fighter we have been watching move up the ladder for years now. He has grown in the IKF as an amateur and matured tonight as a Pro. But not just any Pro... Tonight you can call him a IKF World Champion! And his new name to all you fight fans out there is now,

"MR." Mark "THE HAMMER" Selbee!

Tonight Selbee faced off against what what was suppose to be a much larger and stronger opponent in the number one Super Heavyweight contender, and current IKF North American FCR Champion Raoul Doucet of Ontario Canada. However, the first surprise came at weigh-ins where Selbee, who has been a Heavyweight (195-215) fighter most of his career, tipped the scales at 224 to Doucet's 222. As we said, that was the "FIRST" Surprise... Here comes the next.

Many thought this bout could go into the later rounds. If so, many knew that Doucet gets stronger as the rounds get higher, a deadly zone for any fighter who has ever taken him into the late rounds. However, Doucet is known as a slow starter and Selbee knew this. He and many were well aware if the bout went into deep waters past 6-7 rounds, this has been where Doucet has proved to get strong... Very Strong! Surly from seeing Doucet fight Copeland earlier this year, Selbee knew if he was going to score the points he needed, he needed to do it in the early rounds. The rounds it usually takes Doucet to get warmed up. Selbee knew this and did his trainer, the legendary Gary Brown. Oh and we may want to add in there the never ending words that were spoken to him over and over and kept him up at nights... "JAB, JAB" ... Something Amy gets credit for...

Still, with all this, there were still the doubters. Many spoke of their doubt on the kickboxing message board. Well, stick with the story boys and girls, because it happens in a flash and before you know it, it's over... So here it goes.

Round 1, Selbee and Doucet touch gloves, and after a few brief moments, Selbee charges straight towards Doucet, a simple combination and then it came... Selbee landed a straight right hand to the side of Doucet's head and down he went inside the first 20 seconds of the bout. No problem for Doucet right? Heck, ask Mike Sheppard of Virginia. He dropped Selbee, but it just woke the Canadian up as he came back and opened up an explosive and damaging win over him.

Was this to be the same here? Did Selbee wake the "AXEMAN" up too early in the fight? Was Doucet so awake now that he was going to unload everything he had from anger? Selbee's reaction... "Bring It ON!" A quick set of combinations, including a Doucet punch that really rocked Selbee, but here came Selbee again with ANOTHER straight right landing in the same exact spot! Again, down goes Doucet. Referee Dan Stell started the count as Doucet rose up. WHAT were we seeing? A revised Selbee? A demolition man in what... The FIRST Round? Why actually... "YES we were." Doucet appeared to shake it off, but was still dazed from the first right hand. The two came together again, keep in mind, we haven't even seen 5 kicks total yet. Then, it came... "The HAMMER!" At 1:09 of the first round, the end came. With his last swing of the HAMMER, Selbee dropped Doucet for the third and final time. Doucet wasn't out, but it was his third knockdown and this bout was over!

The hometown Selbee couldn't hear anything as the Atlanta crowd went crazy! How many were there? Who knows, but the Hyatt Ballroom was packed and all got to witness first hand yet another IKF Pro World Champion from Atlanta Georgia to take honors with the last IKF World Champion from Atlanta, Rick "THE JET" Roufus after he put a beating on Stan Longinidis in 1999 in Massachusetts.

Selbee answered all his critics on this night, and he not only did it in the ring, but he left no doubt in anyone's mind, who won the bout. Oh and for all you critics out there that had doubts about the new IKF Super Heavyweight World Champion, we offer this little reminder reading for you...

"The credit belongs to those people who are actually in the arena...who know the great enthusiasms, the great devotions to a worthy cause; who at best, know the triumph of high achievement; and who, at worst, fail while daring greatly... so that their place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who know neither victory nor defeat." Theodore Roosevelt

The night time event featured all the martial arts Championship competition from "The Battle of Atlanta's" day tournament. Mixed in with these other featured championship events was one IKF Amateur FCR Kickboxing match. In it, Mike Littrel of Atlanta Georgia moved his undefeated record to 8-0 when he stopped first time fighter Anthony Naples of Rosewell Georgia by TKO at 46 seconds of round 2. In round 1, Littrel threw 17 kicks to Naples 7. Naples also took a standing 8 count in round one and one prior to the stop of the bout in round two.

We here at the IKF would like to congratulate veteran promoter Joe Corley for yet "ANOTHER" dynamic Battle of Atlanta event and we and many others want to Thank him greatly for bringing Kickboxing back to The Battle again. We hope to be a part of this great event for years to come. For more information, contact Joe Corley at (404) 502-3777 or by e-mail at pkajoecor@aol.com or go to the website, www.battleofatlanta.com

WEDNESDAY, September 15th, 2004, AT 4:30 PM, PT

PHOTOS FROM THE
SELBEE Vs DOUCET IKF WORLD TITLE BOUT

Re-Posted From Below:
Round 1, Selbee and Doucet touch gloves, and after a few brief moments, Selbee charges straight towards Doucet, a simple combination and then it came... Selbee landed a straight right hand to the side of Doucet's head and down he went inside the first 20 seconds of the bout. No problem for Doucet right? Heck, ask Mike Sheppard of Virginia. He dropped Selbee, but it just woke the Canadian up as he came back and opened up an explosive and damaging win over him. Was this to be the same here? Did Selbee wake the "AXEMAN" up too early in the fight? Was Doucet so awake now that he was going to unload everything he had from anger? Selbee's reaction... "Bring It ON!"

A quick set of combinations, including a Doucet punch that really rocked Selbee, but here came Selbee again with ANOTHER straight right landing in the same exact spot! Again, down goes Doucet. Referee Dan Stell started the count as Doucet rose up. WHAT were we seeing? A revised Selbee? A demolition man in what... The FIRST Round? Why actually... "YES we were." Doucet appeared to shake it off, but was still dazed from the first right hand. The two came together again, keep in mind, we haven't even seen 5 kicks total yet. Then, it came... "The HAMMER!" At 1:09 of the first round, the end came.

With his last swing of the HAMMER, Selbee dropped Doucet for the third and final time. Doucet wasn't out, but it was his third knockdown and this bout was over!

"The galleries are full of critics. They play no ball. They fight no fights. They make no mistakes because they attempt nothing. Down in the arena are the doers. They make mistakes because they try many things. The man who makes no mistakes lacks boldness and the spirit of adventure. He is the one who never tries anything. He is the break on the wheel of progress. And yet it cannot be truly said he makes no mistakes, because his biggest mistake is the very fact that he tries nothing, does nothing, except criticize those who do things."
David M. Shoup General, United States Marine Corps

"When you seek perfection you attain Excellence!"
This is what the IKF Organization is all about and they seek that perfection by the knowledgable advice of those who truly KNOW Kickboxing! Today the IKF added 1 more "Perfectionist" to the IKF Advisory Board.

Meet Fight Sports Training Legend Gary Brown.
Gary has been a part of Kickboxing long before there was an IKF. He began boxing in 1951 and started studying Marital Arts in 1957 in his hometown of Columbus, Ohio. It was there he earned his first Black Belt in Tae Kwon Do. Mr. Brown trained and studied during this tour in Vietnam in 1970 with the Korean Rock Unit. He returned to Columbus and began teaching children boxing and Marital Arts at the Ohio Youth Commission. He also taught for the Columbus Recreation and Parks Depart and was an executive member of the Ohio Amateur Athletic Union boxing commission.

Mr. Brown himself, was a professional boxer from 1974 to 1977. He has trained numerous Champions including Bill Douglas, the father of Buster Douglas, former holder of the World Heavyweight Boxing Title, 2 time Former IKF World Champion Rick "The Jet" Roufus, current IKF World Champion Mark Selbee, Brad Hefton, Jerry Rhome, Jeff Gripper, Steve Shepard, Yves Sanake and many more including his work in bringing up top women fighter Trisha Hill

Gary came to Georgia in 1979 where he opened his studio, Eagle Karate and Boxing. He has trained nine World Champions in full contact Karate and Boxing. After over forty-five years in Martial Arts, Mr. Brown holds several black belts and is declared a recognized Master in several of these styles and systems. He has and currently does training for various law enforcement agencies such as GBI, GSP and other city/county agencies using his patented Flood System.

• His various ranks and accomplishments include,
  • 8th Degree Black Belt, Eagle American Karate
  • 8th Degree Black Belt, Eagle Combat Jujitsu
  • 5th Degree Black Belt, Shin Nagare Karate
  • 5th Degree Black Belt, Shin Shink Jujitsu
  • 3rd Degree Black Belt, Tae Kwon Do
  • Received 9 golden glove titles as an amateur
  • Trained with Korean combat unit known as "Tiger Unit"
  • IKF Certified Referee

Congratulations Gary and thank you for being a valuable part of the IKF Organization.
Mr. Brown can be contacted at Sensei@EagleBoxing.com or you can view his website at www.eagleboxing.com
Gary is currently training fighters at www.velocitykickboxing.com
For more on Gary Click Here.
To see all the IKF Advisory Board members Click Here.

Las Vegas, Nevada, USA
Yesterday, April 28, was an exciting day for current Pro IKF FCR Champion Mark Selbee (Right). At the K-1 Press Conference for this weekends Las Vegas event it was announced that Michael McDonald was forced to withdraw due to injury from the opening 8 man bracket and in his place went Selbee. Selbee of Atlanta, Georgia, USA had been scheduled to fight IKF Amateur IR/MTR Champion Rick Cheek of California in a side bout. Now Selbee will be in the tournament's opening bout against Japan's Tsuyoshi Nakasako.

Nakasako is a tall young promising Japanese fighter who will need his height against the 6'4 Selbee. Still, this will be Selbee's first ever leg kick bout. As Mark told us, "I have nothing to lose and much to gain." And if his first leg kick bout turns into 3 wins, he could gain a lot of $$!

If Selbee makes it past Nakasako he will face the winner of brawler Gary Goodridge of Trinidad and Tobago and American Sean O'Haire, a former pro wrestler.

On the other side of the bracket will be former IKF National Amateur Champion and a former K-1 Champion Carter Williams of Modesto, California, USA. Williams will meet Yusuke Fujimoto of Japan. These two met three years ago with Williams winning.

Also on this side of the bracket will be Kyokushin fighter Glaube Feitosa of Brazil against Dewey Cooper of Las Vegas, Nevada, USA. The winner of the K-1 World 2005 USA Grand Prix tournament will advance to the WGP 05 Final Elimination Tournament, set for the Osaka Dome this September 23.

Also on the nights event but not in the 8 man tournament will be a match-up of former 2 time IKF Pro World Champion Rick "The Jet" Roufus, (www.roufuskickboxingcenter.com) of Tempe, Arizona, USA. Roufus will face Musashi of Japan.

When Three-time K-1 tournament champion, Michael McDonald withdrew from last months K-1 Battle at Bellagio IV in Las Vegas due to an arm injury that he sustained during a sparring session, his replacement in the live Pay Per View television event became undefeated IKF World Champion Mark Selbee of Atlanta, Georgia, USA.

With High Hopes and in his own words, "Nothing to lose", Selbee set out to be the next K-1 Champion. However, the last thing Mark expected was to be sidelined from the event due to a "Toe Injury."... Yes... A Toe.

As always, there are people who question why a fighter may pull out of a bout, as there were with Mark. Still, here's the scoop... Selbee added a nice sense of color to "The New Fighting Sport" by exploiting the kicking skills that he honed since earning black belts in both Tae Kwon Do and Hapkido.

Facing Japan's Tsuyoshi Nakasako, Selbee stayed busy by unloading a number of axe kicks and reverse roundhouse kicks. Although Nakasako was scoring kicks to Selbee's thigh, it was Selbee who was more effective in battle and who gained a unanimous judges decision at the end of three rounds.

However after winning his opening round bout Selbee was forced to bow out of the competition due to a toe injury. So... your thinking, "A toe injury? How bad can a toe be?"

Well, Mark sent us a photo of the toe and although we didn't come right out and ask him if we could show it, we just couldn't turn it down. Sorry Mark if the ladies get a little sqeemish, but we just couldn't pass this up... Besides, your already spoken for Superstar!

This photo is not for the "Weak Stomach and Sqeemish..."
So if you click the link, don't say we didn't warn you...


Click Here For "The Toe"!