Tuesday, May 31, 2011
Monday, May 30, 2011
UCL Postscript
Yesterday's UCL installment was a closed show, which meant that no press or public was allowed, only the fighters and their entourages. Teams represented included Brooklyn Combat Club, Empire State MMA, Ultimate Karate, Pulse Fitness, Team Peter Storm, Garcia Gung Fu and Gracie Barra. There were a few real slobberknockers, and my book's editor (Richard Ember) seemed to both enjoy himself and avoid getting splattered with blood. So that's definitely a win.
Sunday, May 29, 2011
Hey, Guess What? There's an Underground Show Tonight
The location is a secret, and I am under strict orders not to give out the results (I guess the promoter is saving them for the pay-per-view at a later date?), but I shall be there. So, if you're wondering where all the pics are coming from that will soon be appearing on this blog, yeah, underground show. Suck it, New York State Assembly.
Monday, May 23, 2011
New York Update: There's Good News and There's Bad News
The New York State Senate is expected to vote on - and pass - their half of the MMA bill today. Sadly, the Assembly continues to refuse to address the issue, and the clock on this legislative session is ticking in regards to their half of the bill.
That's the bad news. The good news re: New York is that Friday Night Fights - Justin Blair's long-running Manhattan-based kickboxing show - will be hosting an event on June 10th and two UFC veterans will be making their kickboxing debut. The Octagon alumni are Phillipe Nover and Brodie Farber. No, they won't be fighting each other, but they will be stepping into the ring and resisting to urge to take people down. The website for Friday Night Fights is www.fridaynightfights.com (crazy, huh?), so go there for more info.
Friday, May 20, 2011
Liveblog: CFFC 8 Part 4
Daryl Harris of Elite Jiu-Jitsu and Nah-Shon Burrell of Fight Firm are set to clash. Burrell has the edge in striking and Harris has the edge in wrestling, but it's slight, and both are more than willing to throw crazy leather in a back-and-forth first round. Burrell, however, tends to only get sharper as fights go on, and it didn't take long for him to find his range and blast Harris with almost everything in his arsenal. The KO comes via knee, and Harris slumps to the ground at 1:32 of Round 2. A strong showing by Burrell - and Harris, too, who was making his pro debut. Now it's time for Jay Coleman of Team Almeida and Sam Jackson of Fight Firm. Coleman's got both DeBlass and UFC champ Frankie Edgar in his corner. Round 1 sees Coleman nail two strong takedown but get reversed, and the two throw hard on the feet. Lest we forget how powerful Coleman's punches are, he reminds us in Round 2, stunning Jackson with one square in the chops and dumping the jelly-legged fighter on the canvas. The follow-up storm of fists from the mount has the ref stopping it at 1:10 of the round. Last bout and it's Doug Gordon of Team Rush and Joey Rivera of Apex MMA for the 170-pound belt. The opening frame has Rivera dropping Gordon with a body-kick/hook combo, and Gordon reversing on the ground late and dispensing some knuckle love. Gordon in turn drops Rivera early in the second, but he lingers too long in danger, and Rivera slips on the triangle at 1:07. And that's all, folks.
Liveblog: CFFC 8 Part 3
Amiri Shabazz of Shadowfist White Tiger and Leonardo da Costa of Team Renzo. Hmmm, let me see... a striker versus a jiu-jitsu guy... how will this one go? Yeah, it's takedown to guard pass to mount to back-mount to rear naked choke, and Shabazz taps at 3:49 of the first round. Kevin Horowitz of Team Mongrel and Ozzy Dugulubgov of Bull Shark are up, with Dugulubgov making his pro debut after a brief but impressive amateur career. Horowitz, on the other hand, is a very capable veteran, so this should be a good test. At first, Horowitz meets the Russian's raw aggression head on with wrestling and strikes. But in no time Dugulubgov is overwhelming him with fists that are too fast and moves that are too explosive. Horowitz can take punishment - no doubt about it. Unfortunately, the ref has seen enough when Dugulubgov drops Horowitz with a knee, and the bout is called at :43 of Round 2.
Liveblog: CFFC 8 Part 2
First bout and it's Brian Kelleher of Bombsquad vs. Siyan Yousefi of MASE Academy. There's a joke there about pepper spray but I won't make it. In pretty straight-forward fashion, Kelleher takes Yousefi down, and catches Yousefi's neck during a scramble. The tap out via guillotine comes at 2:41 of Round 1. Next: Tom Mercellino of Team Stryker and Mtume Goodrum of Bullpen Vale Tudo. Despite scoring a takedown early on, Goodrum found himself reversed and taking punishment throughout the opening round. Round 2 is only a little better for him, as he trades top position for an ill-advised guillotine attempt, and Mercellino pounds on him. The grindfest continues in the third, and Mercellino cruises to a clear unanimous decision win.
Liveblog: CFFC 8
MMA Journalist is here at Resorts Casino for another installment of the Cage Fury Fighting Championship - where people get punched in the face and like it. There are seven bouts scheduled, and though veteran Doug Gordon is fighting for the title against Joey Rivera, a lot of eyes are on Jay Coleman, who is returning after a four-year layoff. Coleman made his MMA debut at the UCL in New York City (at the same underground event Frankie Edgar first fought in), and went on to bust heads in the New Jersey circuit. Personal problems derailed him, but he recently joined up with Ricardo Almeida's team and word is he's back on track. So yeah, woot.
Wednesday, May 18, 2011
Bouts to Watch Out for This Weekend
Despite there being no UFC or Strikeforce offerings this weekend to be consumed by the masses, there are still quite a few bouts the seasoned MMA connoisseur should watch out for. And as a seasoned purveyor of fight info that exists on the edges of relevancy, MMA Journalist has made this nice list to help you keep track. You can thank me later.
- Tom Gallicchio vs. Chris Curtis, Xtreme Caged Combat – On Friday, M-1 Global “Selections” tournament winner Gallicchio treks on over to Philly for XCC’s latest. His opponent is some experienced dude from Ohio, but like a true playa, Gallicchio’s been around the world and should have no trouble choking him out. So stop hatin’.
- Jay Coleman vs. Sam Jackson, CFFC 8 – Coleman was a very promising ass kicker a few years ago, but fell off the radar when personal problems arose. Now he’s back and taking on a veteran fighter in Sam Jackson at CFFC 8 on Friday night, so the question is: does Coleman still have it?
- Ozzy Dugulubgov vs. Kevin Horowitz, CFFC 8 – An intriguing match-up if there ever was one, Dugulubgov will be turning pro against a guy who can fight anywhere (although the one knock against Horowitz is his consistency). Dugulubgov looked very impressive in his brief amateur career, though, so the big question mark here is if he can be the next Al Iaquinta/Chris Wing/Liam Kerrigan/Nick Pace/etc.
- Patricio Freire vs. Daniel Straus, Bellator 45 – Tune into MTV2 for the Bellator season finale, and watch to see if lighter Freire brother can manage to do what his big brother could not (which is win). Straus is no Mike Chandler, so I think he can manage the “W” here.
- Christian M’Pumbu vs. Richard Hale, Bellator 45 – This bout could be awesome, or it could be a big pile of suck that clutters your television screen and keeps you from doing something worthwhile with your time (like finishing that novel or impregnating your wife). Both fighters are competent on the feet and on the ground, but they’re not amazing, so if they refuse to engage we’ll get a lot of dancing. Here’s hoping they engage.
Tuesday, May 17, 2011
You Know Amanda Nunes and Jamie Varner Mean Business...
…When they join AMA Fight Club in New Jersey. With about twenty UFC fighters sparring there nightly, Mike Constantino is running one of the toughest, top-level gyms out there, and as the old adage goes, "steel sharpens steel" - which means Nunes and Varner are going to get pretty damn sharp soon. Here's a quote from AMA FC's press release: "AMA is very proud to announce that we have added Strikeforce fighter and #4 ranked fighter Amanda Nunes to our team! Amanda has a pro MMA record of 6-1 including six straight victories all by knockout!" As for Varner: "AMA would also like to welcome former WEC champion Jamie Varner. Jamie will be training at AMA over the next several months. We are happy to have Jamie here at AMA and we look forward to working with him!"
Saturday, May 14, 2011
Liveblog: Bellator 44 Part 4
It's time for Falaniko Vitale and Hector Lombard to do their thang. Rounds 1 and 2 are pure suckage, as the two throw intermittent strikes and dance what can only be described as a waltz. But Lombard redeems himself in Round 3, land a short right hook that has Vitale doing the funky chicken at 54 seconds in. Nice KO, crappy fight. Now Patricky Freire and Mike Chandler are up for the lightweight tournament finals. Round 1 is pretty back and forth, and Chandler shows no fear of trading with the Brazilian. Round 2 is more of the same, but Chandler edges ahead when he catches Freire's kick, takes him down and pounds on him. Unfortunately, the American knees him in the junk in the second, and when he kicks him there again in the third, it costs Chandler a point. In the end, though, it doesn't matter, as he gets Freire down, beats on him, and takes the unanimous decision. Last bout of the evening and it's heavyweights Randy Smith vs. Jamall Johnson. Smith sports a 40-pound weight advantage and a jab that never stops. Johnson possesses head movement and enough wrestling to get Smith down and enough jiu-jitsu to tap him with a rear naked choke at 4:16 of Round 2. And that's it.
Liveblog: Bellator 44 Part 3
The live MTV2 broadcast is underway, and the first bout is Alexander Shlemenko against Brett Cooper. This is a qualifier bout for the next middleweight tournament - which sucks for Shlemenko, considering he won the last one. Why should he have to qualify? Anyway, it's a well-known fact that the Russian gets paid by the spinning technique, and in Round 1 he racks up about 1,800 bucks wobbling the American. Cooper wobbles him back, though, and bloodies him, too. Round 2 has Cooper trying to add some wrestling into the equation, but Shlemenko is nonplussed. The final round is a complete slobberknocker, with both men eating so much leather they're guaranteed to be crapping whole cows tomorrow. The crowd loves it - as they should - and the judges award the unanimous decision to Shlemenko. Next up: local hero Sammy Oropeza against Giedrius Karavackas. Oropeza's striking - his kicking, especially - is top notch, and he flexes that muscle early on. The round ends with him on top, dropping bombs. Karavackas isn't a pushover, and he comes back hard in the second round, judo-ing Oropeza and dishing some of that fistic love back. Round 3 is all Karavackas, as he throws Oropeza down, pins with a kasagatame, punches him unabashedly, and taps him at 3:59 of the round with a bent armlock (the kind where you use only your legs). It is the most epic of comebacks, and the Sammy Oropeza Fan Club is crushed.
Liveblog: Bellator 44 Part 2
First up is Gemiyale Adkins and Jay Silva in a middleweight pairing. Adkins is short and built like a fire hydrant that shoots fists instead of water. Silva, meanwhile, begins every day with a flying knee to his bathroom mirror. Round 1 sees Adkins realize quickly that he's too short to go toe-to-toe with his opponent, so he spends half the frame playing the huggy game. Silva, of course, just blasts him on the feet and knees him relentlessy against the cage. Adkins spends all of the second and third round desperately clinging to Silva's leg while Silva punishes him nonstop, and when time runs out the judges award Silva the unanimous decision. Next is Anthony Leone and Jeff Lentz. Leone's fought everywhere, and Lentz was on TUF, so, um, yeah. The bout opens with Lentz inexplicably letting Leone kick him in the leg about two dozen times. He warms up as he goes, however, finding his range and firing back with just about everything he knows. Round 2 has Leone slowing and Lentz continuing to find his groove (and by groove, I mean pounding on Leone against the cage). The third round has Lentz high-kicking Leone and planting his big toe right in Leone's eye - which saps the shorter fighter completely and enables Lentz to batter him until the final bell. The TUF vet takes the unanimous decision.
Liveblog: Bellator 44 Part 1
MMA Journalist is here in the majestic Caesar's in Atlantic City for Bellator 44. Headlining the card is Hector "Angry Cuban" Lombard vs. Falaniko "Hawaiian Punch" Vitale, and the undercard will see the lightweight tournament finals between Patricky Freire and Mike Chandler. Know who's not on the card? Anthony Morrison, who failed to make the bantamweight limit for his bout. Now I'm going to throw some facts at you, and you make your own jokes: Morrison was supposed to make 135 and he was 146.5, and his nickname is "Cheesesteak". Ok, go.
Blogger Issues
This week Blogger, the platform that this beloved blog is hosted on, suffered some serious outage issues. With that in mind, if those problems return tonight, my liveblog for Bellator 44 in Atlantic City might be non-existent. We'll see, though. And if worse comes to worse, you can still follow me on Twitter ("jim_genia" is my account). I'm always posting live results and stuff there.
Friday, May 13, 2011
Rest In Peace Michael Tome
Last night MMA lost one of its biggest proponents. Michael Tome, a.k.a. "Snake", wore many hats in the sport - as a promoter, he ran sanctioned shows on his reservation in Upstate New York, as a sponsor he helped out many fighters, and as a coach and trainer he ran a gym that was open to anyone free of charge (he wanted to keep kids of the streets). To know him was to know a real character, and though he looked like a cross between the Kurgan from "Highlander" and Magua from "Last of the Mohicans", he was cool as hell and always willing to help. Rest in peace, Snake. You will be missed.
Wednesday, May 11, 2011
Bellator 44: It's All About the Local Guys
First, the good news: this weekend, Bellator touches down at Caeser’s Resort in Atlantic City. And now, the great news: the card features some pretty damn decent local talent. Yeah, middleweight champ Hector Lombard is taking on UFC vet Falaniko Vitale, and the lightweight tournament final between Patricky Freire and Michael Chandler promises blood splatters and death for everyone, but the meat and potatoes of the card is all about the Northeast fighters who’ve worked their way up to the Bellator stage. Let’s take a gander at them, shall we?
- Anthony Morrison – This Philadelphia native can box and he can wrestle, and last year he went from ROC champ to WEC competitor, so you can say Morrison has “been there and done that”. You can also say he’s going to kill bantamweight tournament washout Bryan Goldsby on Saturday night. All would be accurate.
- Sam Oropeza – Fight Factory exponent Oropeza has an interesting style. He’s got devastating kicks, and his wrestling (or anti-wrestling to be exact) means he’s usually going to stay on his feet long enough to land something. Oropeza should have his hands full with Giedrius Karavackas, though, who’s emerged as one of the tougher grapplers and beating-dispensers in the area.
- Jeff Lentz – Lentz may have fallen to some wannabe on TUF 12, but that doesn’t change the fact that he was a killer in the Northeast circuit. He’s taking on WEC, Strikeforce and Bellator vet Anthony Leone, who’s been on a bit of a downward slide of late, so watch for the Kurt Pellegrino-trained Lentz to smash and smash hard.
- Randy Smith – Smith is big. That is all.
- Jay Silva – His explosive striking got him into the UFC way too soon, and he got crushed by Bellator champ Lombard in six seconds last year, but Silva’s still very dangerous. At Bellator 44 he’s taking on Gemiyale Adkins – a short and stocky heavyweight who likes to bang – so my crystal ball is telling me “flying knee, flying knee, flying knee”.
Thursday, May 5, 2011
Kudos for the "New York Mixed Martial Arts" Documentary
Last night MMA Journalist went to a private screening of Kahleem Poole-Tejada and Sambo Steve's documentary "New York Mixed Martial Arts", which details the decline of the public's appetite for potato knishes. Psyche! The film is about New York MMA (duh) and the state's lack of sanctioning for our beloved sport, and it focuses on an amateur fighter named Brad Desir, a rally and a roundtable, and a ton of snippets from industry insiders. Hey, did you know Josh Barnett doesn't trust the government? Or that Gesias Cavalcante can speak pretty good English? I did not, but thanks to the documentary, now I do. Anyway, "New York Mixed Martial Arts" will be shown to the general public at the Bronx Week Film Festival on May 16 to 19, and it's worth checking out.
Lyman Good Injured, Out of Bellator 44
File this one under the heading "NOOOOOO!" Lyman Good, who was scheduled to fight Dan Hornbuckle at next weekend's Bellator 44 in Atlantic City, was injured in training and will be unable to fight. This turn of events sucks on many levels - and all those levels involved watching Good kick ass. Oh well, what can you do?
Wednesday, May 4, 2011
Tuesday, May 3, 2011
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)