Fedor To Appear At Manhattan TSMMA School Today

Yeah, so MMA Journalist missed the Fedor press conference yesterday at the Fighthouse where it was announced the Russian deity would be facing Brett Rogers at some upcoming Strikeforce show. However, Fedor is still in town, and will apparently be making an appearance at the Manhattan Tiger Schulmann's Mixed Martial Arts school tonight at 6:15. The school is at 39 West 19th Street, and as this won't create any conflicts with my day job, I will definitely be there to snap some pics this time. Woot!

Tiger Schulmann Fighter Declared Ruler of Staten Island

Team Tiger Schulmann bantamweight Nick Pace, whose flying knee KO of Collin Tebo at last weekend's Bellator FC made the rounds on YouTube and countless other Internet highlight reels, has been declared the ruler of Staten Island according to a statement issued by the City of New York. Normally governed by a Borough President who in turn answers to the mayor, Staten Island is the least populated of New York City's Five Boroughs but third largest in square miles. Pace's new role as "Divine and Exhalted Bad Mofo" essentially crowns him as a kind of king with the citizens of Staten Island his serfs and fiefs. "Divine and Exhaled Bad Mofo Nicholas Pace has parlayed a successful kickboxing and amateur MMA record into a very promising pro career," said Mayor Michael Bloomberg in the statement. "He's just the kind of leader Staten Island needs." Currently, Pace is an instructor at TSMMA's Bay Ridge location. It's unclear at this time if his role as Staten Island's ruler will affect his teaching schedule.

A Piece of MMA History: Laura D'Auguste

If the sport was in its infancy in 2002, then the concept of women competing in MMA was barely clearing the birth canal. But Laura D'Auguste was ahead of her time, and in events like New Jersey's Ring of Combat and Reality Fighting and Japan's Smackgirl, she was racking up wins against top lady warriors such as Amanda Buckner, Roxanne Modefferi and Megumi Yabushita, putting the world on notice that a bout featuring two females waging war was every bit as exciting as seeing a clash between two men. What made D'Auguste special? The truth is, D'Auguste could really grapple - so much so that she'd compete in men's divisions at NAGA tournaments. Her skills on the mat (honed to a razor's edge at Tiger Schulmann fight team sessions) translated into an undefeated MMA record and a berth at the prestigious 2007 Abu Dhabi Combat Club Submission Wrestling World Championships, and by July of that year she was widely seen as the best 135-pound female fighter on the planet. Sadly, it's been a two years since D'Auguste last saw action. A split from Team Tiger Schulmann prompted her to join Romulo Bittencourt's Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu academy in Newark, while an injury had her bow out of a potential BodogFIGHT match-up against Tara LaRosa. Add to that a new marriage, and the full-time cardiovascular nurse no longer seemed to hold MMA competition as a priority. Which is a shame, because thanks to her, the East Coast was at one time the center of the female mixed martial arts universe.

Bouts to Watch at Ring of Combat 21

Lou Neglia's Ring of Combat 21 is almost upon us. The event, slated for September 12th in Atlantic City with a live broadcast on HDNet Fights, will feature welterweight and light-heavyweight championship contests, but there are definitely a few other bouts on the card worth a closer look. Who is destined to shake up the Northeast rankings? Who will emerge as the East Coast's next big star? What match-up is going to rock your world? Man, how should I know. Just keep an eye on these fighters and fights:

• At light-heavyweight, IFL vet Brendan Barrett will be taking on striker Constantinos Phillippou. Barrett's got an impressive resume and a wealth of skills in all areas, but Phillippou is part of Team Serra/Longo's next generation of badasses - and he came really close to earning a decision against 205-pound top dog Ricardo Romero in his MMA debut. Expect these two to trade some serious leather.
• At welterweight, BCX champ Greg Soto returns to action (he's been sidelined with a shoulder injury for a while) to face Doug Gordon. Soto is a wrestling machine, a capable jiu-jitsu guy, and a handful for anyone, whereas Gordon is strong as hell, not shy about dispensing a beating, and by far Soto's toughest test to date. This one is going to be all about who can stay on top and impose their game plan.
• At middleweight, Team Serra/Longo vet James Gabert returns to battle Team Tiger Schulmann brawler Nissim Levy. Both men are skilled on the ground, but if they were presented with a buffet that included big plates of armbars, leglocks and chokes, they'd choose healthy portions of "punches to the face" and go back for seconds and thirds.
• At welterweight, New Jersey MMA pioneer Jose Rodriguez will square off against ROC Tournament of Champions winner Marc Stevens. Rodriguez has heavy hands, Stevens has great wrestling, and by the end someone is going to wind up bleeding or unconscious. Maybe both.

Why Lyman Good Will Kick Paul Daley's Ass

Lyman Good is an undefeated IFL vet from the Northeast. Paul Daley is the best welterweight the UK has to offer. And when the two meet on September 20th at EliteXC's Albuquerque, New Mexico event, Good is going to kick Daley's ass big time. With concise striking, top-level grappling and unparalleled conditioning, Good has all the tools he needs to dispose of the Brit, and the Cage Rage star - known for his heavy hands but tepid ground game - will be going home with another loss on his 26-bout fight record for sure. Very few train as hard as Good, even fewer have his training resources (including an insanely deep pool of sparring partners), and the Team Tiger Schulmann representative has faced some of the best the Garden State has to offer. Want to bet on a sure thing? Put your money on Good for the unanimous decision win.