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."

The Truth About Underground Shows

MMA Journalist certainly enjoys quite a bit of latitude in reporting on the underground shows that take place in New York State, but as this site is truly about the news and reporting on all angles of it, now would be a good time to point out some negatives attached to competing. Yesterday, respected coach Ray Longo issued a statement saying that student Arjang Jameh was banned from his school - a direct result of Jameh's decision to compete in an unsanctioned MMA event. And earlier this year, Nick Lembo of the New Jersey State Athletic Control Board decreed that anyone who fights in an unregulated event cannot compete as an amateur in New Jersey. Harsh? Maybe, but both Longo and Lembo have valid reasons, not the least of which is fighter safety. Was there an EMT at the last UCL? Yes, however, I can't say if there was one at those underground events near Albany and on Long Island, and either way, were accurate records kept of who was injured and who would need a suspension (for a KO, as an example)? As the law currently stands, amateur MMA is legal but completely unregulated in New York, and fighters such as the Funaro brothers, Josh Candon, Mike Milian, and Kirland Campbell are gaining valuable experience for future MMA battles - like Frankie Edgar and Bryan Vetell did before them. But there are consequences, and people interested in competing in these events must ask themselves: is it worth it?

Archaic New Jersey Regulation Allowing for Instant Shakespearian Replays in MMA Bouts Utilized at New Breed Fighters

The super-welterweight title bout between Joel Roberts and Ryan Vaccaro ended in controversy at last week's New Breed Fighters November 26th amateur event at the House of Blues in Atlantic City, and for the first time ever an archaic New Jersey State regulation allowing for instant replays in an MMA bout was utilized. The rule, invoked by New Jersey Chief of Dramatics Nick Lembo, requires a re-enactment of the bout with the competitors assuming roles from the works of William Shakespeare - in this instance, with Roberts and Vaccaro playing Tybalt and Mercutio from "Romeo and Juliet", respectively. As Roberts screamed "Have at thee, coward!" and Vaccaro decried "A plague o' both your houses!" it was determined that Roberts' rendition was truer to what "The Bard" had intended. Roberts was subsequently awarded the win. Said Lembo of this groundbreaking occurrence, "All the world's a stage, and all the men and women are merely players."