Thursday, May 1, 2008

Random NSAC Drug Testing Snags Four

The Nevada State Athletic Commission's new policy of random drug testing throughout the year has netted its first violators. In a report issued by Executive Director Keith Kizer, four people tested positive for drugs of abuse: Milwaukee janitor Clarence Daniels, San Diego claims adjuster Alice Sienna Chamberlain and Wilkes-Barre high school student Lance Dingler each tested positive for marijuana, while Orlando crossing guard Candice McMullin tested positive for cocaine. All four were approached by NSAC representatives in the early morning and forced to provide urine samples. "Anyone who fails to meet Nevada's stringent standards will have their license to compete here revoked - no question," said Kizer, who went on to note that thus far no actual fighters tested randomly have failed their drug tests.

Dante Rivera is Better Than That


Dante Rivera took Brandon Sene to a decision on last night's episode of TUF, and while the East Coast fighter came away with the unanimous decision, it wasn't the most awe-inspiring performance ever. Well folks, having seen 11 of his 15 pre-TUF fights, I can honestly say that Rivera is better than that. Much better, actually. A jiu-jitsu brown belt under Ricardo Almeida, Rivera's bread and butter is his grappling game, and around these parts he's been putting away some seriously tough cats for years. From Jose Rodriguez to Erik Charles to Alexis Aquino to Nissim Levy, Rivera has shown he can ground-and-pound, nail submissions and trade strikes with almost anyone - and he can do it before a cheering crowd of thousands. Rivera is one badass dude. Give him a chance and he'll show you.

To Do: Check Out a New Breed Fighters Show

Even with the massive MMA Journalist staff working full-time to bring you the latest news, the sad truth is that a calendar jam-packed with fight shows means some things will inevitably fall through the cracks. Case in point: the New Breed Fighters amateur events held at the House of Blues in Atlantic City's Showboat Casino - events that MMA Journalist has not yet had a chance to check out. The NBF league has been going strong since December of 2006, has provided scores of rookies their first taste of cage combat, and has produced tough pro fighters like Mark Berraciol, Mike Medrano and Lester Caslow. Want a well-run amateur show to pop your fighting cherry? Want an early glimpse at tomorrow's MMA stars? Then by all accounts, the almost-monthly NBF's are definitely worth the trip.