Northeast Fighter Update - 1.18.2011

Wondering what your favorite local fighter is up to?  Unable to glean any clues from stalking them on Facebook?  Tired of waiting outside their house with a pair of binoculars and a thermos full of sangria?  Well, fear not, because MMA Journalist has done the legwork for you, and compiled this handy-dandy list.

• Tom Gallicchio – Apparently his issues with M-1 Global have been sorted out, as the welterweight tournament champ is fighting for the organization on March 5 in Moscow.  Watch out for polar bears!
• Steve DeAngelis – Despite his new role of Chief Diaper Changer, DeAngelis still has MMA on his mind.  Which is good, because he’s fighting for the ROC belt on February 4.  Make him wash his hands before he gets into the cage!
• Jimbo Hoffman – After a long and impressive turn as an amateur, Hoffman is making the leap to the pro leagues on February 4 as well, taking on Yaser Shaukat at ROC 34.
• Uriah Hall – With a renewed focus on boxing, Hall returns to action to face ace striker Costa Philippou, also at ROC 34.  It is HIGHLY unlikely either of these guys are going to lay-and-pray in this bout.
• Jimmie Rivera – The KOTC champ gets to fly out to California to defend his title.  The date is February 3, and the opponent is WHO CARES?  Rivera won the belt!
• Victor O’Donnell – Hey, remember this guy?  He TKO’d Rafael Sapo for the ROC belt back in 2009 and lost a war trying to fight his way into the TUF house.  Anyway, he’s headlining Cage Fury Fighting Championships on February 5.
• Mike Geurin – If he didn’t dish it out so well, we’d all assume Geurin has “battered wife syndrome”, ‘cause homeboy takes hella damage whenever he fights yet keeps coming back.  Well, on March 5 he’s coming back, this time to face UFC vet Luigi Fioravanti at Raging Wolf in Upstate New York (you now, on the Seneca Indian Reservation).
• Plinio Cruz – Newark’s best Brazilian striker is heading to Moscow as well to fight on March 5.  Do you think they make him and Gallicchio share a room?
• Igor and Gregor Gracie – These guys, who may or may not know something about jiu-jitsu, are facing Carmine Zocchi-trained fighters John Salgado and Jason Lee respectively at the February 12 Strikeforce extravaganza in New Jersey.

UFC/Madison Square Garden Presser Postscript

• I spoke with Dana White afterwards and asked how long the lag time would be between New York State lifting the ban and the UFC coming to town.  He drew a comparison with Toronto (UFC 129 in April) and said they’d be putting on the show as fast as possible.
• On where that first UFC show would be, he was unequivocal: Madison Square Garden.
• Would it be a big pay-per-view affair or a little Fight Night offering?  Without question, a monster pay-per-view.
• An older female video reporter for the New York Post asked Dana White how the UFC planned on regulating mixed martial arts since they introduced kicking and punching to the sport.  I think even the New York Post’s regular beat reporter laughed at her.
• Frankie Edgar’s face still bears the marks from his war with Gray Maynard.
• Props to the Fight Nerd, who was smooth in squeezing a UFC 128 press credential out of White.  Dreams do come true.
• There was a lot of optimism in the room about an MMA bill passing this year, but there were also some members of Team Cautious present and few representatives of Team No Friggin’ Way.  Really, it all depends on who within the state government you ask.  At this stage, I prefer consulting gypsies and seers.  At least then I can blame myself for being wrong.

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Liveblog: UFC's MMA in New York Press Conference

MMA Journalist is here at Madison Square Garden's Club Bar and Grill for the UFC's "bring MMA to New York" press conference. Present are UFC brass Dana White and Lorenzo Fertita, UFC star Frankie Edgar, some MSG exec, Lady Liberty, Travis Bickle the Taxi Driver and a giant subway rat, all of whom are now focused on the singular goal of bringing MMA to New York (Underground Combat League say what?). In terms of press, the gang's all here - The Fight Nerd, Pete Lampasona, Mark LaMonica from Newsday, Mike Chiappetta, Mike Straka, Ariel Helwani, plus a room packed with mainstreamers in suits and ties. Dana's at the podium now, preaching to the choir about how awesome MMA is and the economic benefit it would provide the Empire State. Lorenzo does the same, and MSG's Scott O'Neill follows with his tale of seeing his first UFC - UFC 111 in New Jersey. It is, of course, a lovefest, but the underlying message is undeniable: this is the year for big push for sanctioning. Oorah.

Well, Well, Well...

Guess what's on Amazon… http://www.amazon.com/Raw-Combat-Underground-World-Martial/dp/0806535040/ref=sr_1_31?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1294856240&sr=1-31 .

A Few Words with "Wing Chun Man" Shawn Obasi

For the past few months Shawn Obasi – a veteran of the UCL and one heck of a polarizing figure in the New York fight scene – has been training hard for his pro MMA debut at an upcoming Brick City Fighting Championship.  But the “Wing Chun Man” still had enough time for challenge match against Internet personality Bloodstain Lane in Brooklyn last week, which Obasi won via third-round armbar.  Weighing 278 pounds when he first stepped onto the mat at Alliance BJJ, Obasi is now 210, and apparently very capable of grappling when not knocking opponents senseless.  MMA Journalist caught up with the controversial fighter to get the scoop on what he’s been up to.

• “I’ve just been training super-duper hard, getting ready for my pro debut.  I’m going to be fighting for the light-heavyweight belt at Brick City Fighting Championships against Carlos Cline. He’s a Gracie fighter so I’m really looking forward to that.”
• “I’ve been training at Alliance [BJJ].  I’ve been really working on my ground game.  And of course I’ve been training my Wing Chun, as well.  I haven’t really stepped into Muay Thai like I said I would.  I have my reasons for that.  Mostly because I feel I would be letting my fans down.  They see me as a big figure in the Wing Chun community, so for me to go around and train Muay Thai, it would almost be like I’m contradicting myself.  But it’s hard.  I’m starting to understand that in order to be well-versed in mixed martial arts, you have to learn different styles.”
• [On how the Bloodstain Lane challenge match came about:]  “He was on Facebook and I was on Facebook, and it’s kind of funny how that came about.  In my head I was saying, ‘Man, this guy talks so much shit about MMA fighters and how they lay-and-pray’, and he was talking about how he’d kick someone’s ass and do this and that.  And I was saying, ‘You know, I would like to fight this guy, but I don’t know how to go about it.’  Well, one day he left a post saying, ‘I’m going to be at Brooklyn Fight Factory sparring.  If any of you bozos want to come down and spar with me, come on out.’  I was like, oh wow.  This would be a great opportunity.  I left him a message asking what time, and all of sudden people on the thread started realizing who I was.  Then it became crazy.  It was on Twitter and all over the place, so we decided we were going to meet up and bang it out, and we did.”
• “It went okay.  I want people to understand it was just like a sparring match, not a full-contact thing.  I had spoken to Bloodstain Lane before, and he’d specifically asked me not to go hard, so I was going about 45 percent.  I won in the last round with an armbar, and I didn’t use any Wing Chun.  The reason why is, 1) I wasn’t really trying to hurt the guy, and 2) I wanted to test myself.  The way I was testing myself was by letting the guy put me into bad situations and letting the guy do what he wanted.  My teacher said something to me a while back and it stuck in my head.  He said, ‘Shawn, when you start to win fights by beating people effortlessly, that’s when you know you’ve reached a high-level of martial arts.’  When people see the video they can tell that I wasn’t aggressive.  I was pretty much relaxed.  And it makes me feel good that someone was going 100 percent and I was going 45 percent and I could still beat them.  But it wasn’t really I big deal.”
• [Will we see the same intensity when he faces Carlos Cline?]  “Absolutely not.  What you’re going to see is a culmination of that same theory of ‘effortlessness’, but you’ll also see emotional content.  You will know I’m fighting when you see the expressions on my face – I make crazy expressions on my face.  You can hear me raise my chi.  And that’s how you’ll know I’m fighting for real.  When I fight Carlos Cline I’m going to go at him with everything I got.  This is not a game, this is the professional level.  I’m getting paid for this.  I have expectations to live up to, and trust me when I tell you, when there’s a belt on the line, there’s no games.”
• “It’s a really great feeling that I’m going to fight for the belt.  And it’s crazy because once I do win, I will be Wing Chun’s first MMA champion.  It’s going to be really big.  I have a chance to make history.  Everything I’ve ever wanted, I have the opportunity to make it happen.”

Observations from My Couch: Strikeforce Challengers 13 "Ultimate Amanda Nunes Done Killed Someone"

• As judo guys go, Rhadi Ferguson didn’t show a lot of throwing.  But hey, his leglocks were great, so that’s something.
• A fourteen-second knockout?  Dear God, please say we’ve found someone who can stand with Cris Cyborg!  Please!
• Daniel Cormier once again demonstrated that he’s a promising up-and-comer.  However, that man should be kept far away from Strikeforce’s heavyweight tournament.  And I mean that in a “Good grief, this fight is boring” kind of way.
• Ovince St. Preux is becoming very competent at battering and punishing opponents but not quite finishing them.
• Thank you, Tyron Woodley and Tarec Saffiedine, for turning what should have been a stellar main event into a suckfest.  If I had wanted to watch men hugging against the cage for 15 minutes, I would’ve… gone to the park… and watched men hugging… against the cage for 15 minutes.  Or something snarky and witty.  I don’t know.

Strikeforce Challengers 13: What to Watch For

Tonight’s edition of Strikeforce Challengers features some unusually worthwhile match-ups – unusual because these Challengers events are often half the calories of a regular Strikeforce yet half the flavor.  But that’s not the case with this one, though.  In the main event, two welterweights who’ve made the most of their tenure on Showtime will meet in a clash between beastly wrestler and thrilling striker, while on the undercard another storied judo guy steps into the cage and a pair of ladies clash to determine who may be worthy enough to be sacrificed to the organization’s 145-pound goddess of war sometime in the future.  So if you tune into Showtime tonight (which is free thanks to a weekend-long preview), this is what to watch for:

• Daniel Cormier, Devin Cole and the reason why these two heavyweights aren’t in Strikeforce’s big heavyweight tournament – Cormier is still pretty green and Cole’s best days were in the IFL.  Plus, they haven’t quite embraced the art of “stand and bang”.  However, with the myth of Bobby Lashley dispelled, someone’s going to need to take his place as “big badass wrestler”.  Can Cormier do it?
• Rhadi Ferguson, who might contain within his repertoire the next highlight-reel judo throw – Or he might not.  Years ago the MMA world was keen on this guy committing to cagefighting.  But that was then, and as Father Time is not kind to fighters, one has to wonder if Ferguson can still put opponents on their asses.  The UFC has Dong Hyun Kim and Bellator has Rick Hawn.  Will Ferguson be Strikeforce’s resident judoka? 
• Julie Budd, Amanda Nunes and the question of “Who will Cyborg kill in 2011?” – Really, these ladies are both kind of short on the experience necessary to give the champ any kind of trouble.  Unfortunately, who else is going to step into the cage with her?  Nick Diaz?  Robbie Lawler?
• Ovince Saint Preux, Abongo Humphrey and the inevitable Brandon Vera fight – Let’s face it, with Vera recently cut by the UFC, chances are either Saint Preux or Humphrey (or both) will be facing him in Strikeforce soon.  So which one will it be?  The athletic dude who moves around a lot or the dude that stands and takes a lot of punishment?
• Tarec Saffiedine, Tyron Woodley and the next big Strikeforce welterweight – Thus far we’ve Saffiedine kick ass and Woodley kick ass, so this match-up promises to be a big dose of awesome.  Also, depending on who wins and how, Strikeforce could have its next big 170-pound star (as opposed to just “rising star”, which these guys already are).  Who will it be?

UFC to Counter Strikeforce Tournament with "Best of TUF" Tournament

In response to the upcoming Strikeforce heavyweight tournament announced earlier this week, the UFC has begun formulating plans for a “rebuttal” of epic proportions – this one involving an eight-man tournament of their own consisting of some of the best, most-compelling fighters to ever grace the TUF House.  The “Best of TUF” event is scheduled for February 12, the same night of Strikeforce’s Fedor Emelianenko/Antonio Silva and Andrei Arlovski/Sergei Kharitonov match-ups, and the UFC’s star-studded ION-broadcast roster includes:

• Jason Thacker – The dark horse of TUF’s first season, few believed in Thacker’s ability, but for about a minute and 34 seconds at the TUF 1 Finale, he gave Chris Leben all he could handle.  Then Leben knocked him out.
• Danny Abbadi – The karate man extraordinaire of TUF 3, Abbadi made waves in the show when he refused to change his underwear for days on end.
• Marlon Sims – Although he may have been a substandard fighter in the cage, TUF 5’s Sims was a beast on patio concrete.  Watch out, porchfighters!
• Jon Koppenhaver, aka “War Machine” – This TUF 6er doesn’t crap in toilet bowls.  Not even while in jail.  Enough said.
• Junie Browning – If TUF 8 had a “bad boy”, then it was Browning.  Coincidently, if MMA had a painful, infected cyst that needed to be lanced and then treated with antibiotics, it was Browning.
• Kimbo Slice – Come on, even a TUF 10 vet’s gotta eat.

NYC Kickboxing Promotion to Give MMA a Try... In Vermont

On February 25, Friday Night Fights, one of New York City's preeminent kickboxing promotions, will be trying its hand at mixed martial arts.  But unlike previous shows, which have taken place in such subway-accessible venues as Pace University and the basement of the Church of St. Paul the Apostle, this one is going to require some travel.  Playing host to FNF's first installment of cagefighting is the Burlington Memorial Auditorium in Burlington, Vermont - yes, Vermont, the state where New Yorkers go to ski and get blocks of cheddar cheese.  However, Vermont is also the state New Yorkers have been trekking to for some non-New Jersey-flavored MMA, and more than a few underground veterans have been driving up there to throw down.  Is this some sort of promoting test run in preparation for when New York finally sanctions the sport?  Probably, but that's not necessarily a bad thing.  When the ban is lifted here, FNF is going to be one of a handful of established New York-based organizations with all the pieces in place for cranking out decent MMA shows.  There's nothing wrong with FNF being ready.

Outrage Over Impending Strikeforce Heavyweight Tournament Grows

Outrage over the recently announced Strikeforce heavyweight tournament continues to grow, with angry fans turning online forums into crucibles of cold discontent and burning, seething hate.  At the center of the maelstrom is the fact that the combatants - which include legendary warrior Fedor Emelianenko, Strikeforce champ Alistair Overeem, and former UFC champs Josh Barnett and Andrei Arlovski - will not be completing all bouts of the eight-man event in one night, will not be fighting to the death, and will not be facing Brock Lesnar at any point.  Also at issue is the fact that the UFC logo will not appear anywhere on the cage or in any of the broadcast's graphics.  Said UFCfanboy4life, "This whole tournament is clearly a gimmick meant to diminish the accomplishments of Dana White, who singlehandedly made mixed martial arts into what it is today."  Added ZuffaShill128, "UFC Fight Night 23 will feature Melvin Guillard in the marquee bout and boasts the likes of Matt Wiman, Joey Beltran and Tim Hague on the main card.  Even a blind man can see that the UFC puts out a better product than Strikeforce."  The opening matches of the tournament are slated for February 12 at the IZOD Center in New Jersey, and will see Fedor take on Antonio Silva and Arlovski face Sergei Kharitonov.  It is unclear at this time if fan sentiment will force Strikeforce to cancel the event.

Chael Sonnen Admits to Being Member of Al Qaeda; UFC Suspends Him

Erstwhile middleweight contender Chael Sonnen, who came close to taking champ Anderson Silva's belt then found his career stymied by steroid allegations, has now found himself in a new predicament - this one centering around his recent admission to being an active member of the global terrorist organization Al Qaeda. According to a statement issued by the Portland field office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Sonnen recently confessed to extremist ties when answering charges of sedition and treason. The allegations levied against the top 185-pound fighter included:

• Being a co-founder of WikiLeaks
• Plotting to blow up the American Embassy in Narnia
• Unsupervised Twitter posts
• Lack of puberty
• Squandering his immense fan base and momentum

Upon news of Sonnen's Al Qaeda admission, the UFC promptly suspended the middleweight fighter, striking him from a scheduled UFC 128 bout. Said Dana White, "Look, busted for steroids - no problem. Driving while intoxicated - no problem. High-speed police chase - no problem. But being a terrorist? Sorry, we have to draw the line somewhere."

Some Personal Stats

• As of today, I have attended 172 MMA shows.  That means that I have sat ringside (or cageside) for roughly 1,600 MMA bouts.
• I have sat ringside for eight kickboxing shows.
• I have been splattered with fighters’ blood six times.  I have been splattered with the sweat of combatants countless times.
• I have attended 19 UFCs.  I bought tickets only for my first two – UFC 17 and UFC 33.  I was credentialed for the rest.
• I have attended 35 “underground shows”.  Of that number, 22 were UCLs.  The only UCL I have missed was the sixth installment, which featured the debut of some kid named Frankie Edgar.  I was in Thailand at the time getting married.
• The farthest distance I’ve traveled for an MMA event is London, England.  The shortest distance is three blocks from my house.
• UFC 17 was the first MMA event I saw live.
• Dan Miragliotta was the referee at the second MMA show I ever saw live.  It was an unsanctioned event in Richmond, Virginia.
• I was there when New Jersey held its first fully-sanctioned amateur event.  Greg Soto fought and won.  Soto competed at the UFC in Las Vegas this past weekend.
• It is 2011.  I have been covering the sport of MMA for ten years.

Observations from My Couch: UFC 125 "Ultimate Frankie the Unkillable"

• Please, Dana, give Phil Baroni an office job too.  The man was every bit the warrior Chuck was, and he’s about one strong wind away from Parkinson’s disease.
• Josh Grispi should be thanking Dustin Poirier profusely for saving his life, because if Grispi had faced Jose Aldo instead he’d be dead now.
• Marcus Davis: proof that having great boxing skills means nothing when you lean into a fist.
• Has no one read the Bible?  Obviously, the secret to defeating Clay Guida is to cut his hair.
• Which do you think bothered Nate Diaz more?  That fact that he lost or the fact that he lost to someone named “Dong”?
• Brandon Vera, Strikeforce awaits!
• It was cool to see Brian Stann notch an impressive win, but his bayoneting of Chris Leben’s cornermen after the bout was a bit excessive.
• Gray Maynard proved that, for all his speed and movement, Frankie Edgar is still hittable.  Frankie Edgar proved that, no matter what kind of damage you deliver, he will still punch you, slam you and outwork you.

The Definitive "Best of Northeast MMA in 2010" List

As 2010 draws to a close, it’s time to reflect upon the year that was.  And while everyone and their mother is going to be compiling “best of” lists involving some UFC heavyweight champ’s rise and fall or a dominant Strikeforce fighter, few – if any – will turn their lenses toward regional, grassroots mixed martial arts.  Well, screw ‘em.  Here’s MMA Journalist’s definitive “Best of Northeast MMA in 2010” list, in no particular order.

• Tom Gallicchio vs. Aaron Meisner, M-1 Global “Selection”, August 7th – In the semifinals of the M-1 Global welterweight tournament in Atlantic City, veteran scrapper Tom Gallicchio had the toughest fight of anyone in the division when he took on Muay Thai ace Aaron Meisner (who looked the sharpest and deadliest of his career).  For two rounds “Da Tank” ate an assortment of knees and fists, but he refused to fall, and in the final round he snagged a takedown, took Meisner’s back, and choked him out.  Gallicchio had one more bout to go to win the tournament.  Compared to this semifinal contest, though, it was a cakewalk.
• Chris Weidman vs. Uriah Hall, ROC 31, September 24th – In just a few fights, TSMMA’s Uriah Hall had established himself as a monster striker, so when Team Serra/Longo rep Chris Weidman challenged him for his ROC middleweight belt, few expected the stud wrestler to throw leather.  But he did, and after clipping Hall on the chin and sending him to the canvas, Weidman earned himself the TKO win and the title.
• Munah Holland vs. Kim Couture, ROC 32, October 23rd – Although it was her MMA debut, TSMMA’s Munah Holland was no stranger to the art of putting knuckles to people’s faces – and it showed when she took on the infamous Kim Couture.  For three rounds Holland blasted her foe, and when time ran out there was no questioning who had earned the unanimous decision victory and who had gotten beaten up.
• Joe Aviles vs. George Sheppard, ROC 33, December 3rd – Supposedly, Joe Aviles is really good at judo and jiu-jitsu.  But we haven’t seen that yet, as he’s been utterly crushing opponents on the feet before it can even get to the ground.  At ROC 31 Aviles shocked the crowd with a flying knee-KO of Mike Medrano.  However, it was his too-fast-to-see knockout of George Sheppard at ROC 33 that deserves top honors.  They swung and connected with right hands simultaneously, but it was Sheppard who wound up unconscious, and it took numerous views of the instant replay to figure out what had happened.
• Jimmie Rivera vs. Abel Cullum, KOTC: “No Mercy”, September 17th – TSMMA star player Jimmie Rivera made the trek on up to the Foxwoods Casino in Connecticut to square off against King of the Cage 135-pound champ Abel Cullum, and goddamn if Rivera didn’t go the distance with the DREAM veteran and take his belt.  In the end it was a split decision victory, and after teammate Lyman Good’s Bellator strap, Rivera became the second TSMMA rep to snag a national MMA title.
• Nick Pace vs. Steve DeAngelis, ROC 30, June 11th – As the old adage goes, “To get into the UFC you have to beat someone tough.”  In taking on longtime badass Steve DeAngelis, and submitting him with a slick D’Arce, TSMMAer Nick Pace did just that.  He’s since fought in the WEC and the UFC, but the thrilling first-round win over DeAngelis was without a doubt the stepping stone to get there.
• John Cholish vs. Hitalo Machado, UCC 2, May 14th – Watching an up-and-comer ascend to greatness is always fun to see, and Team Renzo exponent John Cholish’s climb is no exception.  At the second Urban Conflict Championship in Jersey City, Cholish found himself evenly matched with Hitalo Machado in the jiu-jitsu department, so he switched things up and Muay Thai’d the hell out of Machado’s legs.  The TKO win came halfway into the fourth round when Machado could no longer stand.
• Gregor Gracie vs. Mariusz Linke, Brick City FC, October 2nd – With the last name “Gracie”, the bar is set pretty high for Gregor.  That’s why, when he fell to a Doug Gordon kick back at ROC 18 in 2008, it was somewhat of a stunner.  It took two and a half years for Gracie to get back on the MMA horse, but with the Brick City Fighting Championship in Newark as the backdrop, he lived up to his family name by utilizing smooth strikes and seamless jiu-jitsu to dominate and submit Mariusz Linke.  Gregor was back.
• Chris Wing vs. Geidrius Karavackas, ROC 30, June 11th – Though making his pro debut at ROC 30, Chris Wing already had a decent amount of hype behind him.  And with good reason, as he sported a substantial (and successful) amateur record, plus there was talk that he could punch out a bison.  But not everyone can transition to the pro leagues smoothly.  When facing the tough Geidrius Karavackas, would Wing crumble?  Um, nope.  Wing needed a little over six minutes of combat to KO his foe, and with another knockout win since, the world now knows what to expect when the welterweight steps into the cage: pure, unbridled fury.
• Ryan LaFlare vs. Justin Haskins, ROC 28, February 19th – Bellmore Kickboxing MVP Ryan LaFlare was undefeated when he took on WEC vet Justin Haskins for the ROC belt, and it didn’t take long to see why.  Combining aggressive grappling with aggressive striking, LaFlare is a handful – or a fistful, which was the case when Haskins took one too many on the noggin and started dozing.  The welterweight division is pretty deep in the Northeast, but with this win, LaFlare proved he’s among the best.