Lou Neglia's Ring of Combat is one of the longest-running regional promotions in the industry, and the longevity of the New Jersey-based organization can be attributed to a number of factors, not the least of which is its consistency in putting on competitive fights. How competitive are these fights? So much so that winning a ROC championship belt often bodes extremely well for the future of any fighter.
Like any good nerd, I've compiled some hard data on this subject, but before that, here are some facts for you:
- The first ROC was on October 12, 2002, and took place at the Mohegan Sun Casino in Connecticut.
- All subsequent ROCs have been held at various locations in New Jersey, and in Atlantic City exclusively since ROC 10 on April 14, 2006.
- There have been 66 ROC champs since the promotion's inception.
- Of those 66, 23 have gone on to fight in the UFC, 14 have gone on to become TUF competitors, and 21 have made appearances in the Bellator cage.
Below is a breakdown of all of ROC's champs. Listed are the specific ROC event where they won their belt, the date of that event, and if that champ went on to the UFC, TUF or Bellator.
