IFL Orange County team: R.I.P.

According to an official inside the team-based mixed martial arts league known as the International Fight League, we will not have an Orange County team this year.

Last year, our local team-- the Southern California Condors--was coached by Brazilian MMA legend Laguna Niguel-based Marco "King of the Streets" Ruas and competed against teams of fighters from all over the country. However, IFL spokesman Jerry Milani says Ruas wasn't able to get a team ready this year in time to compete, but would not go into details.

The IFL has done some restructuring and has completely scrapped the team names from last season, its first ever, in favor of teams named after their sponsors. So teams like the Raptors, and the Anacondas were eliminated and replaced with teams like Xtreme Couture (an Affliction clothing line named after former UFC Champion Randy Couture) and Ken Shamrock's Lion's Den submission academy.

The news of the Condors demise is another serious setback following last year's tragic suicide of 27-year-old Condors fighter and Orange County native Jeremy Williams.
But Milani said that if Ruas can put a team together sometime this year, the IFL would be more than happy to sponsor them in competition, but they will not be able to vie for this year's team championship.