International Fight League - Camps

Camps

The IFL consisted of nine camps, all owned by the league, and each coached by a veteran MMA fighter. Originally the IFL had teams that were associated with cities but that proved to be a lark as many of the teams did not train in their respective cities nor did all the fighters live in those cities as well. Thus in 2008 the IFL changed the format to revolve around existing camps and their established fighters. The camps for this season were as follows:

1 Antonio Inoki was originally going to be the Tokyo Sabres' coach and mentor but has since been dropped by the IFL. Japanese bodybuilder Ken Yasuda is now the head coach.

• Future teams announced at the IFL event at the MARK of the Quad Cities will be coached by Don Frye (Scorpions) and Marco Ruas (Piranhas) and based in Arizona and Southern California respectively.

• On 11/2/06 the IFL announced two new teams to join the IFL ranks. Recently retired and former UFC superstar Ken Shamrock will coach the Northern California Lions. British MMA legend Ian Freeman was announced as the coach to the British based British Bulldogs.

• 11/06 the IFL announced the 12th and final team of the 2007 season, the Chicago-based Red Bears who will be coached by Russian MMA fighter Igot Zinoviev. The team, though based in Chicago, will be composed mostly of Russian fighters (somewhat similar to the Renzo Gracie-led NY Pitbulls who are composed mostly of Brazilian fighters)

• 11/06 The Southern California Piranhas apparently changed their name to the Orange County Condors as well as the Northern California Lions are now being relocated to Nevada.

² The Bulldogs will participate in a few matches in 2007 but won't start officially for the IFL until the 2008 season. The San Diego, France, South Korea and Brazil teams have yet to have a team logo and name.

• 12/06 The IFL confirmed that four new teams will partake in extra league events during the 2007 season (similar to the British Bulldogs status). One team will be led by BJJ specialist Mario Sperry and be based out of Brazil, a San Diego based team will be led by PRIDE superstar Dan Henderson, K-1 superstar Jerome Le Banner will be leading a French based team and Olympic Judoka Doo B. Park will take the helm of a Korean based team as well. None of the teams have names as of yet.

³ At the 3/17 show in LA, Bas Rutten stepped down from being the coach of the LA Anacondas to become the "face/spokesperson" of the IFL as well as the co-host of the "IFL Battleground" show on MYnetwork TV. Rutten was replaced by assistant coach Shawn Tompkins.

4 On 9/13/07 it was announced by the IFL that Shawn Tompkins was let go from the IFL and removed from his duties as coach for the Los Angeles Anacondas. Reasoning was that Tompkins has "spread himself to thin" between his duties of coaching the Anacondas and becoming a new trainer at the Randy Couture owned gym in Las Vegas. A replacement has yet to be named.

5 On 9/20/07 IFL commissioner Kurt Otto announced in an interview that the IFL will stay at 12 teams in the 2008 season with one or more franchises moving from their current location and at least one of them closing down. To replace the closing team will be a team coached by Mario Sperry based in either Florida or Las Vegas.

6 On 9/25/07 IFL commissioner Kurt Otto reiterated that in the 2008 season there will only be 12 teams in the IFL with TWO new teams emerging. One of them coached by the already mentioned Marrio Sperry and the other by Cage Rage veteran Ian Freeman.

7 On 10/10/07 Frank Shamrock revealed that he and his team, the San Jose Razorclaws, were let go from the IFL. Shamrock thought that Razorclaw Brian Foster might still be offered a stay in the IFL but will join a different team due to his successful 2007 season and his entrance into the 2007 GP.