Muay Thai Challenge: War 23 Poster

NEW YORK

Happy Memorial Day - Here Are Some Fights From Reality Fighting 2

NEW JERSEY

Reality Fighting 2, Wildwood, N.J., circa November 2, 2002. Note the octagonal ring, the youthful vitality, and the general innocence of us all.

Happy Memorial Day.

Observations From My Couch: UFC 173

UFC

• Tough loss for Al Iaquinta, but it's hard to see what he did wrong. Dude was killing it, and then out of nowhere, got caught.
• Tony Ferguson vs. Katsunori Kikuno was fun to watch for 30 seconds, and then we were reminded why karate doesn't work.
• Michael Chiesa is the toughest homeless man-looking fighter in the world.

Cage Fury Fighting Championship 36 Card Looking Awesome

NEW JERSEY

Cage Fury Fighting Championship will be returning to the Mennen Sports Arena in Morristown, N.J. on June 21, and while we already knew former Bellator champ Lyman Good was headlining, how the rest of the card looked was a bit of a mystery. Well, the mystery is solved now, and the fights that are lined up are pretty awesome.

Check out the card after the jump, and note these top names that stand out: Sean Santella, Andy Main, Kenny Foster, Brad Desir and Claudio Ledesma. Those guys alone are worth the price of admission.

NYFE Promoters Talk About Their Upcoming Show

NEW YORK

The next big amateur MMA show in New York City is the New York Fight Exchange's June 7 event at the Amazura Nightclub in Jamaica, Queens. The card looks fantastic, and thus far NYFE has been churning out some strong, entertaining shows.

Here's a video preview featuring promoters Tom Sconzo and Mike Washington talking about what's in store. Check it out.

Dude Thinks Doctors Aren't Needed at Fight Shows

NOT AWESOME

My Deadspin article on amateur MMA in New York generated a good bit of discussion, but one opinion is a curious one. A commenter thinks that having a doctor ringside is overkill, and that a paramedic there is just as good.

His quote:

Another Old Manup Standup Fight

NEW YORK

The expansion of the New York amateur scene has had an inverse effect on the "underground" fights on the Big Apple, so we're seeing less and less Underground Combat League and Manup Standup installments than years past. Which is... sad. A UCL or MUSU is like the Forbidden Fruit of Eden - good to take a bite of every once in a while, just don't let God catch you.

Anyway, here's an old MUSU fight from 2010. Relish it.

Adventures in Brooklyn Teenage Fight Club

NEW YORK

Here's a story that's remarkable because it's about unsanctioned fighting in New York City and it's not being reported firsthand by me. DNAInfo has discovered a teenage "fight club" in Brooklyn - which is pretty much what it sounds like.

Check out the Second Gerald Javier Documentary Clip

NEW YORK

The documentary on Aggressive Combat Championship king Gerald Javier continues to roll on with this second teaser clip, courtesy of 750 Sq Feet. Watch. Gain insight. Enjoy.

Reality Fighting 52 Poster

CONNECTICUT

Throwback Thursday: One of the Greatest Comebacks Ever

NEW JERSEY

It was one of the greatest comebacks I have ever seen in an MMA bout. Deividas Taurosevicius - Ring of Combat champ, IFL and WEC veteran, and all-around Terminator - took on future World Series of Fighting champ Marlon Moraes at ROC 38 on November 18, 2011, and the Brazilian was utterly kicking his ass. I mean, "DT" was getting smoked hard on the feet, and when it went to the ground, Moraes was wrecking him. It was almost a complete blowout.

But DT has always been made of stone, and somehow he escaped, reversed, and... well, watch.

A Letter from the MMA Platinum Gloves Promoter

NEW YORK

Here's a letter from Nic Canobbio, the promoter behind the Long Island-based organization MMA Platinum Gloves (posted with his permission):

Statement from Upstate New York Promotion Gladius Fights

NEW YORK

Gladius Fights in Ryan Ciotoli's amateur MMA promotion in Upstate New York. Here's his response the Deadspin article, which he posted on Facebook:

Statement from New York Fight Exchange

NEW YORK

The following was posted to Facebook by Mike Washington, one of the promoters of the New York City-based New York Fight Exchange:

For all those wondering what the New York Fight Exchange fighters have to go through and all the things we do alongside the World Kickboxing Association to ensure fighter safety before, during and after our events.

Steve Koepfer on Amateur MMA in New York

NEW YORK

A lot of research went into this Deadspin article I wrote, but the constraints of word counts meant much had to be cut. Here then is what "Sambo" Steve Koepfer had to say.

• You've had fighters compete in various New York-based promotions and under various sanctioning organizations. Do they all show the same level of sanctioning scrutiny (i.e., pre-fight medical screening, matchmaking, officiating, and postfight care)? How are they different?

Cage Fury Fighting Championship 36 Poster

NEW JERSEY

Deadspin Article on the New York Amateur MMA Scene

NEW YORK

I wrote THIS article for Deadspin on the New York amateur MMA scene, calling to task those who've let fighters who were medically disqualified in other states (for HIV, Hepatitis, etc.) compete here. Check it out.

Some things to note, though:

• I didn't come up with the "disaster" part of the title, that was added by Deadspin (which is fine - it's their site). I think there's a big, gaping hole in the medical screening of fighters, but I love going to New York shows and believe most of the promoters are doing a great job with regards to fighter safety.
• There definitely needs to be some oversight of what's going on at all the shows, and that's an issue the legislature has to address. No promoters or sanctioning bodies have been breaking the law. But the law itself is certainly broken.
• I don't know the identities of the fighters with HIV, Hepatitis or whatever, nor do I know what shows they fought on. I only know they exist.

That's all. Please let me know what you think in the comments.

UFC 173 Primer: Al Iaquinta in Action

UFC

UFC 173 is this weekend, and there's a lot to love about the main card - champ Renan Barao will get another chance to kill a man, Daniel Cormier will get to prove that Dan Henderson is old, and Robbie Lawler will get to show Jake Ellenberger what it means to stand and bang. But kicking off the prelim card on FOX Sports 1 is a bout between Al Iaquinta and Mitch Clarke, and guess what? AL IAQUINTA, YO.

Poster for Next Golden MMA Championships Show

NEW YORK

Some Manup Standup Action

NEW YORK

Thanks to all the big amateur MMA shows that seem to happen every month in New York City, the proud institution of the underground show is dying out. Which isn't necessarily a bad thing, but it's most certainly a sad thing.

There are rumbles that the next Manup Standup event will be happening in August. However, if I'm interpreting the signs correctly, MUSU has put together a single boxing vs. Tae Kwon Do fight for 10pm tonight on a rooftop in the projects in Harlem.