Thursday, September 25, 2014

Wednesday, September 24, 2014

Pennsylvania Promoters in a Legal Kerfluffle

PENNSYLVANIA


It seems that no matter where you go, there are always promoters who don't get along. Such is the case in Pennsylvania, where one promoter has filed suit in federal court saying he's been unfairly shut out of the lucrative market there.

Here's the Pennsylvania Record with the deets:

The Best of Aggressive Combat Championships

NEW YORK


Aggressive Combat Championship 8 is set to go down this weekend at York College Arena in Jamaica, Queens, and as usual, some of the top MMA teams in New York will be clashing in the cage. From Tiger Schulmann MMA and Kai Next Level Martial Arts to Striking 101 and Bellmore Kickboxing, ACC 8 will have them all - and take my word for it, there's nothing more entertaining than sitting among hundreds of screaming spectators rooting for their boy (or girl).

In the spirit of hyping this event, here are three blasts from the past. Check them out and you'll have a good idea of what to expect on Saturday night.

Monday, September 22, 2014

Fall Brawl 5 Poster

NEW YORK



More Videos From NYFE 4

NEW YORK


New York Fight Exchange 4 saw some thrilling contests play out in the cage on Saturday - not the least of which where the prolonged battles fought between a bunch of guys who seemingly had no quit in them.

Sunday, September 21, 2014

Jungle Gym Shines at NYFE 4

NEW YORK


It was a good night to be a part of the Jungle Gym tribe at Saturday night's New York Fight Exchange 4 event.

Before packed house at the Amazura Nightclub in Jamaica, Queens, Jungle Gym reps Paul Grant and Daniel Rodriguez battled their hearts out against two ultra-tough fighters from the Long Island MMA team - and after three hard-fought rounds, Grant and Rodriguez came away with wins.

Friday, September 19, 2014

There's a Ridiculous Amount of Muay Thai in NYC On Tap

NEW YORK


I'm not sure when or how it happened, but at some point in recent history New York City became the nexus of all Muay Thai competition. Case in point: the ridiculous amount of Muay Thai action on tap this weekend and next. As per the poster above, there's a Friday Night Fights installment tonight at the Broad Street Ballroom, which is down in the labyrinthine neighborhood of Wall Street.

Bouts to Watch at Ring of Combat 49 Tonight

NEW JERSEY


Yes, there is a Ring of Combat in Atlantic City, NJ, tonight. No, I am not going (stupid parole officer won't give me permission to leave the state...). But that doesn't mean there aren't some very intriguing bouts that you and I should care about - there are. And here they are!

Thursday, September 18, 2014

The View From Upstate, Part 2 - Forrest Hobbick Has Seen Some Shit

NEW YORK



Forrest Hobbick, that man deserves a huge amount of praise for what we were able to accomplish. We really had a great infrastructure. Not only were we having independent regulation, but he made sure the majority of officials were never from that region so there were no hometown decisions. We really were able to put together the troops! There were inspectors in the locker rooms, full compliance, everybody wearing independent gear to show they were independent regulators… honestly, I’m very proud of what we do all over the world, but I’m extraordinarily proud of what we accomplished in short period of time in a state that was rogue. I would put our regulations of events right there with the most experienced commissions.” – Cory Schafer, President of the International Sport Karate Association
2012 was a pivotal year for MMA in New York, as it was the year the Attorney General finally acknowledged that the law banning pro iterations of the sport didn’t apply to amateur versions. What followed was an explosion of events – some well-run with all the safety precautions taken, some not so much. For Upstate New York, the common denominator for the former was invariably third-party sanctioning handled by the ISKA. And at such events, that meant Forrest Hobbick was present behind the scenes, dotting every “i” and crossing every “t”.

Wednesday, September 17, 2014

Check Out These Pics From the Last MMA Platinum Gloves

NEW YORK


Ace photog Joe LoBianco was on hand for the recent MMA Platinum Gloves, so thanks to him we can see some pretty thrilling glimpses of the action that went down. Click here to go to his site and see them in all their glory.

Are You Ready for Another Aggressive Combat Championship Installment?

NEW YORK


Saturday's NYFE event may be the next big MMA show on tap for New York City, but exactly one week after that is latest installment of Aggressive Combat Championship. Slated for the York College Arena in Jamaica, Queens, ACC 8 promises to provide all the beatdowns and battles we've come to expect from the promotion, plus the following:

Tuesday, September 16, 2014

Four Very Good Reasons to Care About NYFE 4 This Saturday

NEW YORK


The New York Fight Exchange returns to the Amazura Nightclub in Jamaica, Queens, on Saturday night, and as usual it promises to be the nexus of where fighters repping top local MMA gyms and thrilling action meet. But maybe that enticement is a little too abstract for you and you need something more concrete - yes? Well, here are four very good reasons why you should care about this weekend's NYFE event:

Sunday, September 14, 2014

Don't Mess With This Vegan From NYC

NEW YORK


New York City-based fighter Omowale Adewale is an ardent vegan who eschews meat and eats things like tofurkey pizza and pumpkin seed stirfry. He also kicks ass in the cage, as evidenced by his recent trip up to Albany to fight for the Cage Wars promotion. Watch the video below to see him in action.

Friday, September 12, 2014

Listen to Me on the Badlands Combat Sport Radio Show

AWESOME


Yours truly appeared on the Badlands Combat Sports Radio Show this week to talk about all things mixed martial arts. Give it a listen below.

Thursday, September 11, 2014

More on That MMA Show at MSG

NEW YORK


From VictoryCombatSports' Facebook:
Details are finally confirmed so we can announce this: Victorycombatsports and the WKA will be making history once again and throwing the first ever MMA event at Madison Square Garden on Friday, Nov 21! Will be a mixed MMA and Muay Thai card, with all matches held in a ring (similar to the old-school Pride days). Sorry for the long break (waiting for this was the reason why)- we promise we'll make it worth the wait!

Wednesday, September 10, 2014

Rumor: There Will Be MMA at Madison Square Garden in November

NEW YORK


This is just a rumor at this stage, but the talk around the office water cooler is that there will be amateur MMA at Madison Square Garden on November 21. It will be a mixed card with Muay Thai bouts featured as well, but heck, MMA at the Garden? That's all kinds of awesome.

More to come as this story develops.

Tuesday, September 9, 2014

Monday, September 8, 2014

A Champ Was Crowned at MMA Platinum Gloves This Weekend

NEW YORK



No, I did not venture out to Long Island for this, but one noted New York City fighter named Rich Pabon did. As usual, Pabon put forth an exciting battle. Ultimately, though, the victory - and the promotion's bantamweight belt - went to opponent Danny Ochart.

Watch the video of the fight and be entertained.

Yet Another Video From the Last Manup Standup

NEW YORK


The apparent theme of the August 30 Manup Standup installment - which played out at a kung fu school in Queens - was karate vs. kung fu. And you know what? Tae Kwon Do is pretty much Korean karate, so the following video adheres to that theme.

In terms of background, the competitor known as "DJ" is the organization's former champ, and in his last outing he got KO'd via spinning backfist. This fight is his comeback.

Why Zack Lynch Is One of the Best Photographers Around

AWESOME


I have had the privilege of working alongside Zack Lynch for years, so I've known for a long time how awesome he is with a camera. But in case you don't know, just check out of the above photo and see for yourself. He's lives in Upstate New York, and travels around the Northeast snapping pics. Check out his site here.

Friday, September 5, 2014

Thursday, September 4, 2014

Wednesday, September 3, 2014

Another MUSU Fight From the Weekend

NEW YORK


You know the kung fu is strong when the fighters wear those uniforms and incorporate poses into their fights like they're essential ingredients to success. Anyway, here's another fight from the latest installment of Manup Standup from Saturday. Giddyup.

Tuesday, September 2, 2014

AKBF With a Blast From the Past

NEW YORK


Yeah, that poster says 1996. Back then, MMA was still legal in New York, and the UFC was planning to hold their second show in the state.

There Was An Underground Fight Show in New York City on Saturday

NEW YORK


From the Department of Keeping the Underground Scene in NYC Alive: Manup Standup, which went down at a tiny kung fu school in Jamaica, Queens on Saturday and featured competitors from as close as Brooklyn and as far away as the Netherlands. Yes, people actually traveled across an ocean to compete at MUSU - crazy, huh?

Monday, September 1, 2014

Happy Labor Day! Here's a Video of Aikido in Action!

AWESOME

Happy Labor Day! To celebrate, here's a video of what happens when an Aikido black belt takes on a submission grappler. Enjoy!