3) How is the world of MMA fixed into the San Francisco Contado?

In Imperial San Francisco, Gray Brechin describes the contado as the countryside, territory and surrounding cities of a dominant city. The contado filters resources back to its host city. Let us examine how San Francisco and the SF county's largest city, San Jose, have contained and exchanged information and wealth with the MMA phenomenon in America. To understand this, let's understand some of the history of MMA.

In the 1960s, Rorion Gracie moved to the Los Angeles area of California and began establishing Brazilian Jiu Jitsu in Southern California. In 1993, Rorion opened the floodgates to free exchange between martial arts in the US and the World with the creation of the Ultimate Fighting Championship. In the following years, this highly technical fighting sport would grow at an outstanding rate and facilitate the creation of gyms at the major crossroads in America where these techniques could be taught.

The largest city in the Bay Area, San Jose, became a player in the MMA world. It is currently a host to important gyms such as Frank Shamrock's Shamrock Martial Arts Academy and the venerable American Kickboxing Academy, which Sherdog.com rates as the fifth most dominant MMA gym in it's all-time ranking. Several of the aforementioned Gracie family also moved to the Bay area, setting up gyms. Cesar, Ralph and Carley Gracie have had noticeable effects on the Jiu Jitsu and MMA world while based out of the Bay Area.

However, it is another Gracie whose gym has made the largest impact on the MMA world out of San Francisco. Cesar Gracie's gym based out of Pleasant Hill in the East Bay hosts world renowned fighters Gilbert Melendez (14-2), Jake shields (21-4, the Elite XC welterweight champion, former Shooto champion), Nick Diaz (18-7), and Nate Diaz (10-2). From this point in the SF bay area, Cesar Gracie makes an impact upon grappling in MMA with his significant San Francisco area fighters.

San Jose also became a host to major MMA events when in 2007, Elite XC's event, Shamrock vs. Le was hosted there. The event showcased Frank Shamrock and Cung Le, two of San Jose's own, in a bout of extreme fisticuffs. But more importantly, San Jose has become host to it's own MMA promotion known as Strikeforce. Strikeforce's first event was held in March 2006. Since then they have had 14 more events with another planned for later this month. Strikeforce draws the world MMA community into the Bay's contado - their heavyweight champion is a Dutchman, Alistair Overeem. Strikeforce also contributes to the San Francisco area's fame, having drawn the largest paying entry crowd into it's first event, Strikeforce: Shamrock vs. Gracie. The main fight for this event was a bout between the aforementioned Frank Shamrock and Cesar Gracie. The paying audience for this fight was 17,465. That number edges just above UFC68s paid attendance of 17,358, an event which took place in Columbus, Ohio.

Apart from the gyms and fighters who bring students, money, and fans into the San Francisco region, Fairtex LLC is an important combat-sport gear provider based out of San Francisco. Originally an enormously important company in its homeland, Thailand, Fairtex grew into an important producer of high-quality pads, gloves and other gear for Muay Thai practicioners and MMA fighters. It's Thai founder, Phillip Wong relocated his Fairtex gym to San Francisco in 1996 to spread the influence of Muay Thai Kickboxing to America. Today, many MMA fighters and some promotions are sponsored by the Fairtex brand. An enormous number of American MMA fighters cite Muay Thai as one of their primary styles partially thanks to the improvements made to the sport by Mr. Wong's efforts when he introduced improved Muay Thai safety gear to the American market.

Drawing large crowds and famous fighters into its midst and sending famous fighters to spread their styles into the MMA world, the San Francisco area contributes to and receives interest and capital from the MMA phenomenon. It lays claim to multiple top-ten ranked MMA fighters, to one of the most dominant MMA gyms, and one of the most important companies in MMA.


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jake_Shields

Jake Shields is the Elite XC welterweight champion and on the verge of transitioning to another MMA organization. Fighting out of Cesar Gracie's academy, he is a significant force in the welterweight division in MMA today. MMAfighting.com ranks him as the 7th strongest fighter in the world in the welterweight division.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gilbert_Melendez

Gilbert Melendez and his stablemate, Jake Shields are the most significant MMA fighter who fights out of San Francisco. He is internationally known and the subject of challenges issued by acclaimed Japanese fighter Shinya Aoki.

http://www.akakickbox.com/

American Kickboxing Academy is the most significant MMA gym within San Francisco's contado. Sherdog.com currently rates it as the 5th most dominant MMA gym in its all time rankings of fighter stables.

http://www.strikeforceusa.net/index2.html

Strikeforce is a significant MMA promotion that is growing strong out of San Jose. It keeps the money within the contado by favoring local fighters and bringing national and international fighters into the SF contado.

http://www.graciefighter.com/

Cesar Gracie's gym in Pleasant Hill, in the East Bay, has very influential grapplers in the sport of MMA today. Perhaps beginning to outshine American Kickboxing Academy's glory, this gym is making a significant impact on the MMA world out of San Francisco.

http://www.fairtex.com/history.php

Here is Fairtex LLC's own page on its history and how it moved from being an important company in Thailand's Muay Thai scene to an international promoter of improved standards in combat-sport safety gear based out of San Francisco.