NEW JERSEY
Our buddy Matt Kaplowitz (a.k.a., "The Fight Nerd") is showing his documentary "Girl Fight: A Muay Thai Story" at the Rahway International Film Festival on Sunday at 1pm.
Here's a synopsis of the flick from the film's website:
Because There's A Fistfight Going On Somewhere In New York Right Now, And You Should Know About It
Friday, August 28, 2015
Tuesday, August 25, 2015
Why Do Upstate New York Fighters Kick NYC Fighters' Asses So Much?
NEW YORK
On Saturday, Fighters Source launched their newest season with a mega-event in Alabama that pitted teams from different parts of the country against each other. On the menu was a team from Syracuse versus a team from New York City.
Team NYC got its ass kicked.
It almost feels like this shouldn't happen - the Big Apple is home to many high-level MMA schools, so many in fact that if you were to toss a four-ounce glove in any direction on a Manhattan street, it would hit someone who knows how to throw a punch and nail an armbar. But when it comes to the statistical history of "downstaters" going against "upstaters", it appears as if those who live south of the Tappan Zee Bridge are invariably coming up short.
Let's consider the facts:
On Saturday, Fighters Source launched their newest season with a mega-event in Alabama that pitted teams from different parts of the country against each other. On the menu was a team from Syracuse versus a team from New York City.
Team NYC got its ass kicked.
It almost feels like this shouldn't happen - the Big Apple is home to many high-level MMA schools, so many in fact that if you were to toss a four-ounce glove in any direction on a Manhattan street, it would hit someone who knows how to throw a punch and nail an armbar. But when it comes to the statistical history of "downstaters" going against "upstaters", it appears as if those who live south of the Tappan Zee Bridge are invariably coming up short.
Let's consider the facts:
Friday, August 21, 2015
Thursday, August 20, 2015
Philippe Nover's Blast From the Past
NEW YORK
From Philippe Nover's Facebook:
My first professional MMA fight happened on July 19th, 2003 for Reality Fighting 4 in Asbury Park NJ. I fought at 185 lb against UFC middleweight Ron Stallings. It's been long time!
Other names on the card: My boy @jayhieron & NFL insider / UFC on Fox host @JayGlazer.
Wednesday, August 12, 2015
Speaker Heastie Knows MMA Fight Will Continue - But When?
NEW YORK
Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie may have let the MMA bill die in the waning days of the 2015 legislative session, but the fight for sanctioned combative sports in New York will continue - a fact that he publicly acknowledged this week. While talking with the press during his tour of the upstate region, Speaker Heastie said, “I think it’s very close to having the support in the Assembly, but I think it will be a big topic once we get back to Albany."
Given how contentious the issue has been over the years, and how hot the discussion on it was this year, that is stating the obvious. However, what's not so obvious is the "when" of the whole equation. Since the MMA bill had finally received the necessary Democratic conference votes needed to pass, and those votes will likely be there when the 2016 session begins in January, there is nothing preventing the much-needed piece of legislation from seeing action right at the outset. All the heavy lifting is already done.
Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie may have let the MMA bill die in the waning days of the 2015 legislative session, but the fight for sanctioned combative sports in New York will continue - a fact that he publicly acknowledged this week. While talking with the press during his tour of the upstate region, Speaker Heastie said, “I think it’s very close to having the support in the Assembly, but I think it will be a big topic once we get back to Albany."
Given how contentious the issue has been over the years, and how hot the discussion on it was this year, that is stating the obvious. However, what's not so obvious is the "when" of the whole equation. Since the MMA bill had finally received the necessary Democratic conference votes needed to pass, and those votes will likely be there when the 2016 session begins in January, there is nothing preventing the much-needed piece of legislation from seeing action right at the outset. All the heavy lifting is already done.
Thursday, August 6, 2015
Once More Unto the Breach With Zuffa's New York Lawsuit
NEW YORK
Get ready for the next round in the saga of the UFC's lawsuit against the State of New York, because an appeal has officially been filed.
When last we left the UFC's lawsuit, it was dismissed by Federal District Court Judge Kimba Wood on the grounds that Zuffa lacked standing. It was Judge Wood's view that because there was never actually a UFC event that was shut down by New York's 1997 Combative Sports Law banning pro MMA events, the UFC was out of luck when it came to being able to take the State Attorney General to court over the matter.
But, as is often the case when a party has the deep pockets to match its desire, the fight isn't over. On Tuesday, attorneys representing Zuffa filed an appellate brief with the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit. It's important to note that the Court of Appeals doesn't hear issues of fact, only issues of law, which means that all the facts that came out in the trial phase via discovery will be the only facts of the case going forward. There will be no more evidence gathered, no more witnesses called and no more testimony. The Court of Appeals only cares if the law as interpreted by Judge Wood was interpreted correctly.
It's Zuffa's argument that it wasn't, and the Court of Appeals should either answer the Constitutionality questions about the Combative Sports Law itself, or kick it back down to the District Court and make them re-examine the case.
Here are the most salient points of the appellate brief:
Get ready for the next round in the saga of the UFC's lawsuit against the State of New York, because an appeal has officially been filed.
When last we left the UFC's lawsuit, it was dismissed by Federal District Court Judge Kimba Wood on the grounds that Zuffa lacked standing. It was Judge Wood's view that because there was never actually a UFC event that was shut down by New York's 1997 Combative Sports Law banning pro MMA events, the UFC was out of luck when it came to being able to take the State Attorney General to court over the matter.
But, as is often the case when a party has the deep pockets to match its desire, the fight isn't over. On Tuesday, attorneys representing Zuffa filed an appellate brief with the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit. It's important to note that the Court of Appeals doesn't hear issues of fact, only issues of law, which means that all the facts that came out in the trial phase via discovery will be the only facts of the case going forward. There will be no more evidence gathered, no more witnesses called and no more testimony. The Court of Appeals only cares if the law as interpreted by Judge Wood was interpreted correctly.
It's Zuffa's argument that it wasn't, and the Court of Appeals should either answer the Constitutionality questions about the Combative Sports Law itself, or kick it back down to the District Court and make them re-examine the case.
Here are the most salient points of the appellate brief:
Baffling New York Corruption Case Is Baffling
NEW YORK
Yesterday a politician in New York plead guilty to corruption charges. This is nothing shocking - it is New York, after all. But what's completely and utterly baffling about it is who the politician was, and what the charges were over.
Here name is Melinda Wormuth, and she was the Town Supervisor for Halfmoon, a town outside of Schenectady (which isn't far from Albany). The FBI got her to accept money in exchange for favors in a sting. The pretense of the sting? Mixed martial arts.
Yesterday a politician in New York plead guilty to corruption charges. This is nothing shocking - it is New York, after all. But what's completely and utterly baffling about it is who the politician was, and what the charges were over.
Here name is Melinda Wormuth, and she was the Town Supervisor for Halfmoon, a town outside of Schenectady (which isn't far from Albany). The FBI got her to accept money in exchange for favors in a sting. The pretense of the sting? Mixed martial arts.
Tuesday, August 4, 2015
Must-Read Article on the Cage Fury Fighting Championships
NEW JERSEY
The Press of Atlantic City has cast its gaze upon the Cage Fury Fighting Championships, and the resulting article paints a pretty in-depth picture on the origins of the New Jersey-based promotion and how far it's come today. The link is here. It's well worth the read.
The Press of Atlantic City has cast its gaze upon the Cage Fury Fighting Championships, and the resulting article paints a pretty in-depth picture on the origins of the New Jersey-based promotion and how far it's come today. The link is here. It's well worth the read.
Monday, August 3, 2015
New York Amateur MMA Fighter Beats Up Cop, Doesn't Like Jail
NEW YORK
Just because you're trained to beat up people doesn't mean you actually should. Such is the case with New York-based amateur MMA fighter James Hilton, who's now in jail for beating up a cop in Schenectady over the weekend.
Here's the Albany Times-Union with the details:
Just because you're trained to beat up people doesn't mean you actually should. Such is the case with New York-based amateur MMA fighter James Hilton, who's now in jail for beating up a cop in Schenectady over the weekend.
Here's the Albany Times-Union with the details:
Sunday, August 2, 2015
The Perils of Going to Jones Beach, MMA Edition
NEW YORK
Ask any New Yorker and they'll tell you: There are some really good beaches in the state, but of them all, Jones Beach is total butt.
Unlike Fire Island, which you must travel by ferry to get to (thereby making it more exclusive), and the Hamptons, which are so snooty even the sharks wear polo shirts, Jones Beach is the Mos Eisley Spaceport of beaches. It's where the dregs of society go to drink and throw up - and if you're a UFC fighter, it's where you're assailed by yahoos keen on testing your wrestling.
Ask any New Yorker and they'll tell you: There are some really good beaches in the state, but of them all, Jones Beach is total butt.
Unlike Fire Island, which you must travel by ferry to get to (thereby making it more exclusive), and the Hamptons, which are so snooty even the sharks wear polo shirts, Jones Beach is the Mos Eisley Spaceport of beaches. It's where the dregs of society go to drink and throw up - and if you're a UFC fighter, it's where you're assailed by yahoos keen on testing your wrestling.
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