Liveblog: ROC 28 Part 1

MMA Journalist is here cageside for Ring of Combat 28, the roughest, toughest MMA show in the Northeast. How rough and tough is it? Tonight, all the losers will be taken behind the Tropicana Casino & Resort and shot. That's pretty damn rough and tough. Anyhoo, first bout of the evening is Dave McMahon of Xtreme MMA vs. Robert Cunane of LA Boxing, and boxing is pretty much all they're doing, with Cunane definitely getting the better of his opponent for the majority of the first round. Unfortunately for him, all it takes is one mistake, and McMahon has dropped him and is raining down punches for the TKO. Bout #2 and it's Craig Thieme of Pellegrino MMA against Adam Fearon. Fearon trains with AMA Fight Club now, but he used to rep Pitts Penn and his first two pro fights were ages ago against Lyman Good and Eddie Alvarez - two guys who went on to become world-beaters. Round 1 begins and Fearon catches Thieme in a tight guillotine - so tight, in fact, that referee Donnie Carolei pulls them apart without Thieme even tapping. The ensuing shitstorm has the officials restarting the bout, and for the next round and a half Thieme out-hustles Fearon to earn the majority decision. Ryan Castillo of Serra/Longo and Mike Murray of TSMMA enter the cage. Like Fearon, Murray first fought back when MMA was brand-spanking-new; unlike Fearon, Murray's blend of grappling and constant punching was enough to take out his first two opponents (Glenn Ortiz and a Russian fighter). Round 1 of Castillo/Murray is a back-and-forth submission battle, with Murray coming close with armbars and triangles and Castillo coming equally as close with a kneebar. Other than another close kneebar by Castillo, Round 2 is all Murray, with his superior gas tank enabling him to dominate position, deliver punches and sink the armbar at 3:46 of the round.