Former Hardcore Championship Fighting (HCF) co-owner Dave Houshiar is back in business with a co-promotion between Alberta-based Legacy Fighting Championships and his own Raw Combat company, according to MMACanada.net.
This news was released by the Fight Network awhile back; however there was some confusion regarding the particulars, so we went straight to the source and interviewed Dave Houshiar regarding his thoughts on HCF and his new organization.
HCF had staked itself as one of Canada’s premier mixed martial arts promotions over the course of the past year with an impressive stable of fighters, including Aleksander Emelianenko, Mike Pyle, Jason Day, David Loiseau, Evangelista "Cyborg" Santos, Antonio Rogerio Nogueira, Joe Riggs, Gideon Ray, Hector Ramirez, Rob MacDonald and others.
Unfortunately, Keith Crawford announced earlier this month that the organization was folding, ending months of speculation regarding a new investor. In Crawford’s press release he did mention that he and Dave Houshiar would be continuing on in the business -- albeit not together.
Some of Dave’s thoughts on the collapse of HCF:
"To be honest, I don't really consider it a collapse. If I had to put a label on it, I think I'd refer to it as being more along the lines of an evolution. HCF provided an excellent start point for me ... I learned a lot about the sport and had an opportunity to develop many solid relationships with numerous key players. Overall, it was a great experience, but I do feel that I took the promotion as far as it could go. I'm now in the process of transitioning to the next level."
Dave was also cordial when asked about his status with Keith:
"Keith is a very interesting guy. As far as status is concerned, we've both decided that it's best to move forward in different directions at this point in time. I wish him all the best with his future endeavors."
After the dismantling of HCF, Dave has turned around quickly with an impressive card under the new banner. The card set for June is solid with quality UFC, WEC and Pride FC veterans such as David Loiseau, Hector Ramirez, Carlo Prater and Derrick Noble.
When asked about the direction he plans on taking with Raw Combat, Dave responded:
"…I can sum it up by saying that we intend to take the best elements of HCF and then crank the volume way up. I'm planning to go big with Raw Combat. We're going to build a brand that will come to be known for showcasing the most exciting aspects of Mixed Martial Arts action…Things are about to start moving very quickly with Raw Combat."
The June 20 card is an impressive start for the promotions inaugural event. With world class talent promising an exciting night of fights, the Canadian MMA future looks bright. Check out the official card after the jump.
Raw Combat: Resurrection
June 20, 2008
Max Bell Centre, Calgary, Alberta
Travis Galbraith vs Hector Ramirez
Dan Hornbuckle vs Nabil Khatib - Raw Combat WW Title Fight
Andrew Buckland vs David Loiseau
Garett Davis vs Carlo Prater
Jason Maxwell vs Derrick Noble
Bibiano Fernades vs Juan Barrantes
Kajan Johnson vs Ariel Sexton
Marcus Vinicios vs Brandon MacArthur
Myles Merola vs Kurt Southern
Len Tam vs Chris Desaultels - LFC LW Title Fight
Nathan Gunn vs Max Dalsin
Adam Farr vs Dami Egbeyemi
Mike Rowbotham vs Mike Zvonick
It is interesting to note that UFC President, Dana White has acknowledged some interest in bringing back one time UFC middleweight contender, David ‘The Crow’ Loiseau, if he could string together some victories. David has dropped four of his last six fights and is coming off a unanimous decision win over Todd Gouwenberg back in March.
To read the entire interview with Dave Houshiar click here.
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