Win or Lose, Chris Liguori Will Still Have Smoking Hot Girlfriends

Chris Liguori faces his toughest test yet on Friday night, as the lightweight ROC champ will take on Marcus Aurelio in the World Cagefighting Alliance's main event. Who's Marcus Aurelio? He's the guy who put Takanori Gomi away with a choke, a guy who's racked up wins over the likes of Masakazu Imanari and Rich Clementi and most recently has been fighting in the UFC. Clearly, based on record alone, Liguori will have his hands full. But also clear is that win or lose, Liguori will still have smoking hot girlfriends to go back to. Can the Team Ricardo Almeida warrior handle the American Top Team black belt's aggressive submission game? Will the longtime East Coast star be able to impose his will before Aurelio forces him to tap out? Does it matter? If Liguori has a gorgeous female waiting in the wings, like that stunner who cheered him on at the Mixed Fighting Championships or that beauty seen with him at Reality Fighting, then it seems to me there will be only one true winner on Friday. And he ain't Brazilian.

WCA: Stakes is High

The World Cagefighting Alliance has just raised the stakes for their February 6th Atlantic City show. In addition to a sweet card of top local talent, the fledgling promotion has snagged two recently-crowned ROC champs in the form of Chris Liguori and Paul Bradley and paired them up with UFC vets Marcus Aurelio and Roan Carneiro, respectively. In terms of competition, this is a huge step up for Liguori and Bradley, as ATT lightweight Aurelio has defeated the likes of Takanori Gomi (!), leglock master Masakazu Imanari and Rich Clementi, while BTT welterweight Carneiro has defeated Matt Horwich, Clementi, and Tony DeSouza. MMA Journalist would like to take this moment to say, "Yikes! These are fantastic match-ups!"

Prelimary ROC 23 Card Released

There's a preliminary ROC 23 card floating around, and though the February 20th event is a bit of a ways off, what I've seen thus far looks pretty good. Studs like Chris Liguori, Matt Makowski and Greg Soto are slated to compete, crowd-pleaser Chris Schlesinger is taking on an over-matched Ryan McCarthy (I believe this will be Schlesinger's first time at lightweight), and Jay Isip will return to square off against Team Serra/Longo fighter Nabih. However, the money shots are going to the heavyweight battle between BCX champ Joe Abouata and up-and-comer Bret Kohan and the striking cataclysm-waiting-to-happen between Aaron Meisner and Constantinos Phillippou. Meisner and Phillippou... wow. Both men are superior Muay Thai guys with ultra-dangerous clinches and an arsenal of weapons. A lot can happen between now and February 20th, but if just one match-up on the card stays together by the time ROC 23 rolls around, I pray it's that one. Meisner vs. Phillippou will be well worth the price of admission.

ROC 22 Fun Facts

Lou Neglia's Ring of Combat 22 is this Friday at the Tropicana Casino & Resort in Atlantic City, and the Garden State promotion will feature three championship contests atop a card full of tough East Coast fighters. But just who are the men competing at ROC 22? MMA Journalist has delved beyond the records and cold statistics and compiled the following list of fun fighter facts:

• Constantino Phillippou, from Team Serra/Longo, served 11 years in the French Foreign Legion. His nickname was "Constantino Phillippou".
• Rob Guarino, of the Rhino Fight Team, once shot a man in Reno - just to watch him die.
• Igor Gracie used to work for his uncle, Dr. Frankenstein Gracie, during summers. He eventually left that laboratory assistant position to pursue jiu-jitsu.
• Jim Boudourakis, of Redboy BJJ, had his last name legally shortened. It was originally "Boudourakis-Boudourakis-Rah-Rah-Rah, Boudourakis-Boudourakis-Rah-Rah-Rah". His parents met on the professional cheerleading circuit.
• Joe Abouata, of Alex Wilkie's Martial Arts Academy, defeated Carlton Haselrig at the last BCX. Haselrig's pelt now hangs above his mantelpiece.
• Team Tiger Schulmann's Nick Pace is actually comprised of the parts of various other lesser Team Tiger Schulmann fighters.
• Chris Liguori has a twin brother named Emmit Liguori, who favors spending time in libraries reading the classics and talking philosophy. Chris still beats him up regularly.

Preliminary ROC 22 Card Released

A preliminary card for Ring of Combat 22 on November 21st has been released, and while the event is five weeks away - which is plenty of time for fighters to drop out - the assembled roster as it stands now is certainly an impressive one. Perennial top New Jersey fighter Chris Liguori makes his return, as does TUF veteran Dante Rivera (against TUF washout Paul Bradley), EliteXC veteran John Doyle, and jiu-jitsu black belt Igor Gracie. Some other fighters to watch:

• Tim Troxell - one of the best 145 pounders in the Garden State, he'll be facing ROC "Beasts of the Northeast" tournament finalist Dave Sachs.
• Tom Gallicchio - a top-ranked welterweight, Gallicchio will be taking on a tough but overmatched Rich Ashkar.
• Jimmie Rivera and Nick Pace - the next generation of Team Tiger Schulmann's MMA warriors, both fighters are transitioning to pro from extensive amateur careers.
• Leandro Hernandez - a tough BAMA FightNight vet in need of a win, Hernandez will be taking on UCL vet Andrew Leone.
• Dom Stanco - a welterweight with heavy, heavy hands, Stanco should be fighting for a belt soon.
• Greg Soto - a welterweight CITC champ, Soto is another fighter on the fast track to big things.
• Joe Abouata - the first guy to beat Carlton Haselrig, Abouata is a BCX champ and a top heavyweight in New Jersey.

Evil Joe Silva Steals Match-Up Meant for Northeast Fans

Nefarious. Dastardly. Villainous. These are words often used to describe UFC matchmaker Joe Silva, whose latest act of treachery is the August 9th UFC 87 match-up between New York bad boy Jon Jones and New Jersey star Andre Gusmao. By rights, this pairing of explosive and ultra-exciting fighters belongs to fans in the Northeast - perhaps something savored as the main event on a ROC or BCX. Yet Silva wants otherwise. And now fans at the Target Center in Minneapolis, Minnesota, and on pay-per-view around the world, will get Jones vs. Gusmao instead. Sadly, this isn't the first time Silva has done this (the rematch between Pete "Drago" Sell and Chris Liguori was considered for UFC 45) and it likely won't be the last. Is no top-level fighter sacred? Will the Northeast ever get to keep one of its best athletes to itself? With Silva the Trickster, Silva the God of Mischief and Deceit, around to fulfill dreams and offer up lucrative contracts, probably not.

Miller Brothers to Stake Their Claim on the UFC's Lightweight and Middleweight Divisions

Trainer/manager Mike Constantino of the AMA Fight Club in New Jersey announced today that Jim and Dan Miller have been signed by the UFC. With flawless wrestling and top-notch submission skills, Jim has cut a swath through the Northeast's lightweights. He's won a slew of championship belts, and has wins over the likes of Chris Liguori and Bart Palaszewski. Older brother Dan - also a grappling stud - has done much of the same in the 185-pound weightclass, with his kneebar win over Miletich-trained Ryan McGivern garnering him the IFL title. How good are these guys? At the news that they were graduating to the UFC, the Northeast's lightweights and middleweights breathed a collective sigh of relief. Believe it, baby.