BJJ MMA gym in birmingham alabama claims on their website

**Andrew WA** · Posted On: 7/11/2012 12:24am

http://birminghamalabamabjj.com/about/
If you read this page it says the instructor has a black belt in Judo, Sambo and BJJ and is the only person in the world to do it. Plus he is the first american to defeat a brazilian at grappling.

It sounds like they copy and pasted from lloyd Irvin's website.

About the Instructor Spartan Fitness was built on the blood, sweat and tears of its Head Instructor Chris Conolley. He's helped train some of the biggest names in the sport of No Holds Barred Fighting prepare for events like the UFC, World Extreme Challenge, Combat Sports Challenge, Extreme Challenge just to name a few. We take a World Class approach to training in all of our disciplines and are always trying to improve.

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He's a Multiple time National Judo Champion, Multiple time National Sombo Champion, World Renowned Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Coach and a 2005 Brazilian Jiu Jitsu World Champion. He was the first Non-Brazilian to defeat a Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Black Belt in Brazil which led him to having a full page article written about it in the World Famous Gracie Magazine.

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He's the only person in the World to hold black belts in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, Combat Sombo and Judo. He began boxing at the early age of eight and have done Thai Boxing for over 10 years.

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What the heck is going on here? Did someone make a fake website to make this instructor look like a fraud? Maybe a webmaster wrote this copy and paste stuff and the Chris Connelly guy does not realize this. Or maybe he actually is trying to make claims that are false to lure ignorant people into his gym with no knowledge of whats going on in the martial arts world? Which is it?

Whats going on here?

**Andrew WA** · Posted On: 7/11/2012 12:27am

http://www.lloydirvin.com/adult/bjj/

if you scroll down on this annoying website you will see Lloyd Irvin claiming the exact same things as this spartan fitness BJJ/MM website.

**Diesel_tke** · Posted On: 7/11/2012 10:33am

I'm not sure about those exact credentials. Here is his Fight record on Sherdog:

http://www.sherdog.com/fighter/Chris-Connelly-9336

I competed against some of the Spartan guys one time at a BJJ tournament and they were good. They had some really good guys there, and their school was huge!

Have you tried sending them an e-mail?

**Diesel_tke** · Posted On: 7/11/2012 10:37am

This looks like the real Spartain MMA site:

http://spartanfitnessmma.com/about/

The site you posted in the OP doesn't link back to this site. So, I think the alabamaBJJ site is actually BS.

**Andrew WA** · Posted On: 7/11/2012 12:11pm

Originally Posted by Diesel_tke

This looks like the real Spartain MMA site:

http://spartanfitnessmma.com/about/

The site you posted in the OP doesn't link back to this site. So, I think the alabamaBJJ site is actually BS.

That is what I was thinking. But then it is not confirmed if the site is BS or not, it looks almost exactly like the same webmaster made both websites the same way.

Possibly someone has beef with the SF instructor and made a fake website. But then again we dont know maybe he did make the website.

I trained at Spartan for 1 months and I do agree with you, the 2 purple belts are really good, and Chris is very good at kickboxing from what i saw. The training is very intense and will get you fit.

I dont know enough about the gym though cause I only trained 1 month and im also not originally from Alabama so I think someone else from Alabama nd knows the MMA scene should email him about it. I dont want to get involved, I just thought I would bring this up: either to protect an innocent MMA instructor, or to expose someone who is lying. Hopefully he isnt responsible.

**Andrew WA** · Posted On: 7/11/2012 12:14pm

Originally Posted by Diesel_tke

This looks like the real Spartain MMA site:

http://spartanfitnessmma.com/about/

The site you posted in the OP doesn't link back to this site. So, I think the alabamaBJJ site is actually BS.

Actually it does link back to the mains partanfitnessmma.com site if you click "contact." But then it doesnt link back to the birminghambjj website. So yeah...

Also there are links on the "scheduel" portion of the website saying "Click spartanmma.com for more info"

also I found this: http://alabamahealthandfitness.com/about/ after clicking on strength and conditioning. It says the same BS stuff too.

**drizzt777** · Posted On: 7/11/2012 12:18pm

I live 45 minutes from there. I go to Birmingham every couple of weeks to train when I do my work business that way. I can drop in and check them out.

On a side note Spartan Fitness is a great school. As for the claims I am seeing on there, I've never heard those before now.

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As a side note, here is a pretty good school in that area. One of his guys is a blue belt in my city and he's really very good.

http://alabamabjj.com/

**Andrew WA** · Posted On: 7/11/2012 12:41pm

Originally Posted by drizzt777

I live 45 minutes from there. I go to Birmingham every couple of weeks to train when I do my work business that way. I can drop in and check them out.

On a side note Spartan Fitness is a great school. As for the claims I am seeing on there, I've never heard those before now.

****

As a side note, here is a pretty good school in that area. One of his guys is a blue belt in my city and he's really very good.

http://alabamabjj.com/

Cool man. I am also getting one of my friends who spent 6 months training there, but had to go to Auburn, to ask one of the guys who still trains there.

Chris Connelly is listed only as a purple belt by Matt Thorton: http://www.straightblastgym.com/bjjranks.htm

Now if someone is trying to defraud Chris Connelly's integirty then he needs to be found out, and I could see a lawsuit being filed for slander and defamation.

Spartan Fitness has talented guys, and will work you hard. It is for the MMA enthusiast and crossfit type people.

Right now I dont have any money but I was fortunate to come across a Gracie Garage in birmingham and im rolling with other guys and trying to go through the gracie curriculum.

**yojimbo.** · Posted On: 7/12/2012 8:50pm

I used to train at Samuel's in Birmingham and I've known/competed against guys from Spartan. It is possible that someone is trying to discredit Chris but also some of the Spartan guys have pretty wacky senses of humor and one of them might have done this as a goof, not realizing the problems it can create. Or maybe someone is just being a dick.

Spartan is definitely legit though. They're tough SOBs and train hard.