Thursday, April 28, 2011

ROC 36 Brings the Whammy

Lest we forget how awesome Lou Neglia’s Ring of Combat can be, the promotion goes ahead and reminds us by putting together what looks to be an amazing and epic card for their June 17 show.  Granted, the event is almost two months away and the number of fights scheduled (19) exceeds the maximum allowed by federal law and zoning ordinance, but still, if we end up with even some of the following announced match-ups… wow.

  • Pete Sell vs. Kris McCray – It’s been a while since we’ve seen “Drago” in action, but if he’s still got that same willingness to throw down as before, then he and TUF runner-up McCray are sure to have a pretty decent scrap.
  • Al Iaquinta vs. Mikhail Malyutin – M-1 refugee Malyutin has been tearing it up here in the Northeast lately – if, by “tearing it up”, you mean counter-fighting like crazy and stealing decisions.  But if anyone can save us, it’s Iaquinta, who punches big, wrestles big, and likely won’t let Malyutin off the hook for his passive (but strangely effective) game.
  • Claudio Ledesma vs. Dustin Pague – Pague KO’d Steve DeAngelis to take the ROC 135-pound belt, while Ledesma has been kicking tail and taking names like… like… someone who kicks tail and takes names a lot.  I like this bout because it can end in a variety of ways, and all of them are ugly.
  • Mervin Rodriguez vs. Jason McLean – If you give him a chance to, McLean will wrestle you and grind you to death.  Lately, Rodriguez hasn’t been allowing anyone to do that to him, so what we’ll probably get in this pairing is two guys thumping each other in new and creative ways until time runs out.
  • Munah Holland vs. Ashley Nee – It’s good for a region to have at least one badass female fighter, and since Laura D’Auguste retired a few years ago to pursue her black belt in housewifery, Holland – who decisioned Kim Couture last year – is next in line.  Both she and Nee are coming off losses, but that should just make these ladies hungry.  Very, very hungry.