Rest In Peace Shane Ott (Update: See Above)

Shane Ott, a Combat in the Cage champ and IFL competitor, was in a motorcycle accident yesterday and died from his injuries. He was 36-years-old. Ott last fought in March at BCX 4, where he lost via TKO to Carlton Haselrig, but he was always considered one of the East Coast's most-dangerous heavyweights - and with unstoppable takedowns, fierce ground-and-pound, and a plethora of tattoos covering his body, he definitely looked the part. Ott was, however, extremely friendly and approachable, and when asked what it was like to fight in the IFL in only his second professional bout, he would not hesitate in describing how happy it made him to have made his young son so proud. Shane Ott, you will be missed. (Update: see "Shane Ott Still Hanging in There.)

The Only Game in Town?

Are you a pro fighter in the New York/New Jersey area looking to get a fight or two in before the new year? Well, unless you make it on to Ring of Combat's November 21st card at the Tropicana Casino & Resort in Atlantic City, you're out of luck. Battle Cage Xtreme, New Jersey's other regional show, doesn't return until maybe February of 2009, and promotions like Combat in the Cage and Reality Fighting - which were once staples of the Garden State circuit - are on permanent hiatus. Suddenly, ROC is the only game in town. Is this a sign of the economic downturn hitting East Coast MMA? Or is it just a confluence of scheduling snafus? Who knows. But one thing is sure: ROC's November line-up should be killer.

Why Do People Keep Fouling Glen Sandull?

At this past Friday's ROC 21 Glen Sandull took on Ricardo Romero for the light-heavyweight title, and in the heat of battle Romero soccer-kicked the wrestler-turned-fighter in the dome when Sandull was on all fours. The result was a win via disqualification for the AMA Fight Club/Team Renzo representative, a shiny new ROC championship belt, and an exit from the cage on a stretcher. But this was, unfortunately, not the first time Sandull's been fouled in an MMA bout - Carlos Cline repeatedly up-kicked Sandull in their October of 2004 Reality Fighting bout, and Sherman Pendergarst whacked him over the head with a two-by-four in their April of 2006 Sportfighting bout. What is it about Sandull that makes opponents want to disregard the Unified Rules of MMA when fighting him? "He's just so... foulable," says Braden Bice, who faced Sandull at Combat in the Cage in September of 2006, losing in the third round due to exaustion but running Sandull down with his car in the parking lot. "I mean, nothing against the guy, but when he's taking you down again and again, pounding on you like a red-headed stepchild, you just have to break the rules."