It appears as though the enthusiasm of fight promoting has returned for Tony Metcalfe. On January 23rd Battle of Rome VIII will not only have MMA superstar Kimbo Slice as a special guest, but the actual fight card looks to set the bar for an exciting year for MMA in Georgia.

GeorgiaFighters.com went head to head with Metcalfe to discuss this exciting event.

You’ve had some big stars appear at your Rome Fight Night’s. How big is it to have Kimbo appear at this event?

“As you mentioned, we’ve brought in the who’s who of MMA to our events, Shamrock, Franklin, GSP, Hughes, and Forrest. Kimbo is the right guy, at the right time. He’s at the peak of his popularity, and has a cult like following due to his you tube fame. The Rome fans love to see the stars, so thanks to Miller Lite, Sponsored Fan, Jefferson’s, 333, and The Rome Braves they will be getting what they want on the 23rd.”

What kind of buzz have you been getting once you announced Kimbo would be in attendance? How are tickets selling?

“It’s crazy, we put on Facebook and My Space that tickets would go on sale at Jefferson’s (my biz partner’s restaurant in Rome) at 11am on New Year’s Eve, and there was a line of people waiting to buy them, which has never happened. We had nearly 3000 fans at the Battle of Rome I, with Rich Franklin, and I truly believe we will make a run at that on January 23rd.”

Will anyone be able to meet Kimbo to get a photo and autograph with him?

“Absolutely, a VIP ticket will give you the chance to go back stage and meet him, and then he will be signing in a booth in the arena, where everyone will get the chance to meet and greet.”

How can people buy tickets for this event?

“Buy them right here at Georgiafighters.com or Jefferson’s and 333 on Broad Street in Rome, Toe to Toe in Hiram and Carrolton, and Fitness Depot in Douglasville. Of course they can also be bought at the Forum box office, and online at Forumevents.org”

Take away Kimbo and tell Atlanta fight fans a bit about the Rome fights. What makes it special?

“Wild Bill’s is the nicest venue in GA, hands down, but I believe Rome is the best place in GA to watch a fight. The cage is in the middle of the floor, 3600 seats, and not a bad view in any of them. We drop the house lights, light up the cage like the 4th of July, and it’s just a really nice atmosphere for live mma.”

Do you know any of the card yet?

“Of course, I do. It’s basically finished bro; we have about 13 solid fights, 7 pro 6 amateur. This will be the best card ever in Rome, I promise that. With the unfortunate and unwarranted cancelation of the Sin City symphony hall event, and the Cowboy’s event as well, we wanted to beef up the card, and try to bring the rabid ATL fan base 45 minutes out of town, for the first big pro/am show of 2010.”

Any clues?

“I would love to see Tex Johnson, Blake Bowman, Jon Queiroz, Sean Dyer, Jacob Hebeison, Byron Bloodworth, Cory Nestlehutt, and David Curby fight in Rome.”

At the recent Georgia Fighters Awards Banquet you mentioned that you’d be passing on the Rome Fight Night to another promoter. Is that still the case or will you be continuing to do the show?

“I was thinking of turning the Rome event over to Sin City, but it’s all up in the air right now, and it may be Sin City owner Soco’s fault. His passion and enthusiasm for his promotion reignited our love for promoting.”

Which fight on this card are you most looking forward to?

“I think the fight of the year is on this card. Wouldn’t Queiroz and Bloodworth be interesting, if we could make that fight happen? J ”

How has it been dealing with Kimbo and his “camp”? Have they made any really weird requests? Are they flying first class? How many people in his entourage are they bringing?

“My partner, Robi Ramey set everything up, but Kimbo’s manager Mike seems to be a straight up guy, and easy to deal with. Mike and Kimbo are flying 1st class, and he is bringing an additional 4 people, that’s how Kimbo roll’s”

It seems as if Rome has become your second home with you promoting fights and concerts there. What is it about Rome that’s gotten you hooked?

“Chad Hullander is the best thing about Rome; He’s the owner of Jefferson’s and now are partner on the concerts. He’s the main reason we enjoy success in all we do in Rome. Here’s the allure of Rome. In Atlanta on any given night, you have numerous things to spend your entertainment dollar on, but when we come to Rome, it’s an event. We’re the biggest recurring event in Rome, not just a choice like in the ATL. Simply put, if you give Rome a nice event close to home, they are more than happy to support it.”

Lastly, what are your thoughts on the current state of MMA promotion in Georgia?

“Times are tough, so promoting isn’t what it used to be. You have to kill yourself to bring in crowds that were guaranteed a few years back. You have to build a better mousetrap. Oblas and Wild Bill’s bringing in Wand, and having Junie on the card next month, those are the extra things you have to do to have continued success. Also, the Toys for Tots holiday show at Wild Bill’s is such a genius move on Dave and Amy’s part. Do something admiral, while attracting a new audience to an already proven product. I think Andy Straud has what it takes to be successful, and the Symphony Hall setback has only increased Sin City’s and Soco’s desire to be the best. I still see Soco as the guy that will force us all to raise the bar, and that’s exactly what we intend to do on January 23rd.”

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