Ring of Combat Bans UCL Competitors

MMA Journalist just received this release from promoter Lou Neglia, the man behind Ring of Combat:

To Whom It May Concern:

I have the best wishes in mind for the entire mixed martial arts community for the new year.

I have great hopes for the continued growth of the sport in my home state of New York and nationwide.

With that in mind, I must announce that I will no longer permit contestants to compete in my event (Ring of Combat) if they still choose to compete in unregulated, unsanctioned or illegal events. For example, if a contestant chooses to compete in a UCL event, they will no longer be welcome to compete on future events that I promote.

There is no valid reason for a contestant to compete in an unsafe and unregulated atmosphere. Those who choose to do so are not acting in the best interests of the future growth and acceptance of this sport.

This policy will go into effect as of the date of this writing.

Sincerely,

Louis Neglia

Promoter, Ring of Combat

Underground Combat League Postscript

Alejandro Richardson won by armbar, Kevin Wall won by rear naked choke, Arjang Jameh won by unanimous decision and Joe Funaro, brother of James, had an absolute war with Kirkland Campbell that ended in a draw. The night was short but sweet.

Underground Profile: Kaream Ellington

Sometimes promising athletes realize their full potential, sometimes they don't. At an Underground Combat League event in December of 2004, 200-pound Bronx native Kaream Ellington clashed with 335-pound wrestling monster Bryan Vetell. It was a true "David vs. Goliath" bout that saw "David" survive almost seven grueling minutes of ground and pound to turn the tables and get the tap out via strikes. The win made the crowd go absolutely berserk, and it seemed to set Ellington's career back on track - a year and a half later the Muay Thai-trained warrior was dodging Kenichi Yamamoto's leglocks at the Mixed Fighting Championship in Atlantic City, then it was off to Costa Rica for BodogFIGHT and off to Japan for a match against a Brazilian. But now it's been two years since Ellington last fought. Will we ever see the talented competitor - who won an IFC tournament in New Jersey back in 2000, fought at seminal Garden State show BAMA FightNight and won a four-man tournament at the first UCL - fight again? With Ellington's personal problems, that's hard to answer. He will, however, always be the man who gutted out a win against "Goliath" to show New York City fight fans what a mixed martial artist was capable of. Realized or unrealized potential notwithstanding, that's something.

Underground Profile: Chaz Dimitropoulos

If you saw Fox 5 News' story on "Illegal Fight Clubs" a few weeks back, then you saw 169-pound MTA employee Chaz Dimitropoulos throwing down and throwing down hard at a July Underground Combat League event. Sporting a 2-1 record, a background in traditional Japanese Jujitsu and a lot of heart, Dimitropoulos won fans over with a gutsy performance over John Padron - a performance that saw Padron blast him in the face with a punch that swelled shut his eye in Round One and Dimitropoulos come back to snag an armbar in Round Two. "Who really wants to travel all the way out to New Jersey to do mixed martial arts?" says the up-and-coming fighter. "I don't think it's fair that we have to. If you're from New York, you should be able to fight in New York." What does the future hold for the part-time athlete? "I would definitely like to get a lot more fights under my belt," he says. "I would like to be comfortable in the ring. I don't want to be nervous at all - I want it to feel like I'm just in a training session."

Underground Profile: James Funaro

When sanctioned amateur MMA leagues finally make it to New York, there's no question James Funaro should be a contender for some 175-pound championship belt. Hailing from Vamos BJJ and sporting an amateur record of 6-3, he's got solid wrestling, smooth jiu-jitsu, great conditioning and enough striking skill to knock opponents the hell out - and aside from a 19-second TKO loss to stud Josh Candon, Funaro has been kicking serious butt in the Underground Combat League. Case in point: last night's highlight-reel worthy high-kick KO, which came just two days after an armbar victory at a smoker on Long Island. Funaro clearly likes to fight, and he's getting pretty damn good at it.

Underground Combat League: "Capital Punishment"

Last night saw another installment of the Underground Combat League, this one at a new location and called "Capital Punishment". Vamos BJJ stud James Funaro went to war with ground-and-pound ace Kirkland Campbell, scoring a second-round knockout with a picture-perfect high kick to Campbell's head. Also victorious were Shawn Obasi, Peter Storm and Alejandro Richardson.

Underground Profile: Harley Flanagan

Don't let the road map of tattoos and the "crazed killer" appearance fool you - Underground Combat League veteran Harley Flanagan is really a nice guy. Albeit, a nice guy who likes to throwdown and punch people in the face. Well-known in hardcore punk rock circles as the front man for the band the "Cro-Mags", the 41-year-old took the MMA plunge last year, and though the Renzo Gracie-trained jiu-jitsu purple belt wound up battered and bruised, he was all smiles. Win or lose, Flanagan clearly loves the sport.