Taking To The Cage In The Bullring
Remembering Adam Gates at Saturday’s Iowa Challenge #82 here in Oskaloosa.
Oskaloosa, Iowa – There was activity in the pavilion at the Southern Iowa Fairgrounds on Saturday night, but it wasn’t what most people would have expected.
The Iowa Challenge #82 was underway and fighters from around the area, as well as those from out of state, gathered to mix it up, but not before they payed tribute to one of their own.
Chad Bergmeier, promoter and owner of Iowa Challenge MMA, gave the award to the Ottumwa Boxing Club in memory of Golden Glove Champion, Adam Gates. Gates was also a national boxing champion, an Extreme Challenge Bantamweight Champion in mixed martial arts. Gates was undefeated in MMA, but suffered from some genetic depression and ultimately committed suicide earlier this year at the age of 21.
Bergmeier stumbled across “ultimate fighting” in the mid 1990’s. He then started to promote MMA in 1997. This all happened after training to box for years. In the past 15 years he has promoted over 500 events throughout the Midwest. “My promotions are the longest running events in the State of Iowa,” Bergmeier said.
If you would like to know more about the Iowa Challenge MMA, you can visit them on their website here – IowaChallengeMMA.com
