In Case of Riot, Hide Behind Bryan Vetell

This coming Saturday is "The Return of Macaco", a pro MMA event at Newark's Essex County College that features Jorge "Macaco" Patino, an old-school vale tudo legend, returning to combat to square up against Brandon Olsen of Montana - the main event on a card rich with Brazilian talent. In the co-main event, the massive IFL veteran Bryan Vetell takes on Steven Banks of South Carolina, while on the under card Marcus Rodrigues of Sao Paulo, Brazil, faces local boy Anthony Montanaro, Valter Roberto de Menezes of Sao Paulo faces Philadelphia's Lamont Lister, Flavio Roberto Alvaro of Sao Paulo faces Illinios' William Hill, and locals Jay Silva and Plinio Cruz will go at it. That's a lot of Brazilians, and it could translate into a night jam-packed with action. It could also translate into a decent-sized riot. Back in 1997, Renzo Gracie took on Eugenio Tadeau at a Rio de Janeiro event called Pentagon Combat, an event that degenerated into a chair-throwing, fighter-stabbing melee involving everyone in the place. And while MMA Journalist doesn't really expect The Return of Macaco to get as out of control, one mantra will be repeated silently throughout the night: in case of riot, hide behind Bryan Vetell.

Underground Profile: Kaream Ellington

Sometimes promising athletes realize their full potential, sometimes they don't. At an Underground Combat League event in December of 2004, 200-pound Bronx native Kaream Ellington clashed with 335-pound wrestling monster Bryan Vetell. It was a true "David vs. Goliath" bout that saw "David" survive almost seven grueling minutes of ground and pound to turn the tables and get the tap out via strikes. The win made the crowd go absolutely berserk, and it seemed to set Ellington's career back on track - a year and a half later the Muay Thai-trained warrior was dodging Kenichi Yamamoto's leglocks at the Mixed Fighting Championship in Atlantic City, then it was off to Costa Rica for BodogFIGHT and off to Japan for a match against a Brazilian. But now it's been two years since Ellington last fought. Will we ever see the talented competitor - who won an IFC tournament in New Jersey back in 2000, fought at seminal Garden State show BAMA FightNight and won a four-man tournament at the first UCL - fight again? With Ellington's personal problems, that's hard to answer. He will, however, always be the man who gutted out a win against "Goliath" to show New York City fight fans what a mixed martial artist was capable of. Realized or unrealized potential notwithstanding, that's something.