Lest These Good Quotes Go to Waste...

Here are two quotes from New Jersey's Nick Lembo, quotes which didn't make the cut for an upcoming FCF article I just wrote but were too good to go to waste. The first is in response to why the Garden State hasn't had a big show recently. "The UFC has a difficult time finding an open date at the Prudential Center or Boardwalk Hall, which are really New Jersey's only two big venues. We do not have a lot of big-scale venues in New Jersey. Even Affliction had difficulty obtaining a desired open date at the Prudential Center. The WEC and Strikeforce have not come anywhere on the East Coast to date."

The next quote is in response to the question of if New York legalizing MMA is going to impact the number of New Jersey events. "I don't think it will hurt. More events and more venues will only make the sport grow. Boxing is legal in New York and that has no effect on the number of New Jersey boxing events."

New Jersey State Athletic Control Board to License Outlaw?

On March 28th Monte Cox's Extreme Challenge: "Mayhem at the Marina" comes to Trump Marina in Atlantic City, and while the event is headlined by top female fighter Tara LaRosa taking on up-and-comer Sally Krumdiak, one bout on the main card is raising eyebrows: Steve DeAngelis vs. Billy the Kidd. DeAngelis is one of the best 145-pounders the Garden State has to offer - capable of taking on nearly anyone and definitely destined for the WEC or Japan - but Billy the Kidd... Billy the Kidd is a well-known outlaw. Will the New Jersey State Athletic Control Board license a man wanted in Arizona, New Mexico and Texas for murder, cattle rustling, theft and cheating at poker? No one doubts DeAngelis' ability to handle whatever his opponent throws at him, but all it takes is one bullet from a .45 single-action six-shooter to end things unfairly. Also, should the commission allow this match-up, they'd essentially be condoning the fact that Billy the Kidd was a founding member of the vigilante group "The Regulators", and that during the course of his career he murdered lawmen and civilians alike. For the sake of fighter safety and especially common decency, let's hope the NJSACB does the right thing.