Friday, February 26, 2010

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Liveblog: NBF 28 Part 4

There's an NBF welterweight title up for grabs and Dennis Olson of Gracie Barra Boston and Mike Dolce of Grudge Fight Team are vying for it. Dolce's nickname is "Skullcracker", which he earned because he likes to bake crackers shaped like skulls. Of course, those baking skills don't help him against Olson, who takes him down, pounds on him, cuts him, and puts him through a plethora of choke attempts. However, Round 2 has Dolce sprawling and flexing his stand-up muscle - seemingly where he has the advantage until Olson drops him with a punch in the third round. Olson ends it with an arm-in guillotine at 3:17 of the round. Last bout: Garden State prodigal son Dante Rivera against some HIT Squad rep named Whisper Goodman. Rivera's got Ricardo Almeida, Chris Liguori and Frankie Edgar in his corner, as well as God and Jesus, so you just know he's favored. Round 1 has a fair bit of clinch-work, with Rivera getting a takedown about midway through and Goodman reversing and trying to drop leather. Goodman's balance is impeccable, and it manifests in every Rivera inside-trip that ends with a reversal and the HIT Squad fighter on top. That's the story of Round 2, although in Round 3 the TUF vet manages to lift him high and slam him hard. Time runs out in a very back-and-forth round, and the unanimous decision goes to Goodman. Good show, and goodnight.

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Liveblog: NBF 28 Part 3

Bo Harris of Martial Arts Unlimited and Zach Makovsky are set and ready to bang. Makovsky has only lost to Wilson Reis and some Japanese dude in DEEP, and he has long been considered one of the best 135 pounders in the Northeast, so unless Harris has superpowers, he should be in for a rough time. Yeah, this one doesn't take long, with Harris snatching a leg and getting a takedown, but falling right into an armbar then a triangle. Makovsky is victorious at 1:50 of Round 1. If Bellator ever gets around to doing a 135-pound tournament, it would be criminal if Makovsky weren't a part of it. Fight Factory puts another rep in the cage for the next bout, with 168 pounder Sam Oropeza taking on Wolfpack's 170 pound Dave Concepcion. Oropeza has about 50 percent of the audience cheering for him, and with his entrance music that Arcade Fire song that was on the "Where The Wilds Things Are" commercial, I don't think there's a dry eye in the joint. In fact, I think even ref Dan Miragliotta is teary. Wowsers. This one is quick. Some token punches and then a high-kick to the grill and Oropeza has knocked out Concepcion in nine seconds. The undefeated Fight Factory stud continues to impress.

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Liveblog: NBF 28 Part 2

First up is International Karate Academy's Geidrius Karavackas against Fight Factory's Kasheem Peterson in a welterweight fight. Like Deividas Taurosevicius and Mackens Semerzier, Karavackas upholds the grand tradition of having a dangerously unpronouncable name, and someone has to give the ring announcer the Heimlich Manuever when he attempts it. We'll see if he fights as well as them. And... he does, first feeding Peterson a healthy dose of right hand, landing a takedown, and alternating from mount to back-mount until Karavackas sinks the rear naked choke. The official time of the tap out is 2:57 of Round 1. Next up: Rich Lictawa of Motor City Boxing vs. Tim Carpenter of Team Balance at 205 pounds. Carpenter is undefeated, but he only fights about once every five years, so he remains a bit of an x-factor around these parts. Lictawa, meanwhile, is a Midwest import who likes to drink motor oil. Yikes. The first round sees Carpenter working for the favorable tie-up, Lictawa avoiding the ground, and the two peppering each other with strikes. Round 2 is more of the same. Carpenter is successful in getting Lictawa down in the third, and his ground and pound and positional dominance is enough for him to take the round - and the unanimous decision.

Liveblog: NBF 28 Part 1

MMA Journalist is cageside for New Breed Fighters 28 at the Resorts Casino Hotel in beautiful sunny Atlantic City. Long a staple in the New Jersey amateur scene, NBF has paired with Monte Cox's Adrenaline MMA tonight to venture into pro waters with a six-bout card headlined by hometown hero Dante Rivera, whom most may remember for his stint on "The Ultimate Fighter". Or you may remember Rivera because he stole your girlfriend from you in high school. Either way, he's the main event, and the undercard features such studs as DEEP veteran Zach Makovsky, TUF alumn Mike Dolce and undefeated Philly fighter Tim Carpenter. Rising star Jeff Lentz was slated to be on the card as well, but a miscommunication had him weighing 240 pounds when his bout was at 145. Oops.

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