Friday, February 19, 2010
Liveblog: ROC 28 Part 2
It's Ryan Vaccaro of BJJ Shore Academy and Adam Ward of Gilbert Grappling's turn to rumble, and the opening round is all about Vaccaro getting top position, dodging Ward's triangles and kimura attempts, and dropping leather. For those who don't know, BJJ Shore Academy is Bill Scott's school, and in addition to possessing a Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt under Ricardo Almeida, Scott has a few hundred years of wrestling experience as well (Scott used to do freestyle and Greco-Roman with Jesus and the Apostles). Some of that has definitely rubbed off on Vaccaro, as he continues with the takedowns and ground-and-pound in Rounds 2 and 3. Ward, however, threatens with two Peruvian Necktie attempts, is active off his back, and starts sprawling effectively by the last round. It ain't enough. Vaccaro takes the unanimous decision when time runs out. Ready for some lightning-like striking? Fight Firm's Tuan Pham and TSMMA's Louis Gaudinot are up, and given their history of decapitating their foes, it's doubtful this one is going to be a lay-and-pray festival. Yeah, as predicted this is a stand-up scrap, with each wary of the other, each probing for openings, and Gaudinot finding one first. Pham eats a nasty series of punches and drops, and the TSMMA rep is victorious via KO at 1:09 of the first round.
Liveblog: ROC 28 Part 1
MMA Journalist is here cageside for Ring of Combat 28, the roughest, toughest MMA show in the Northeast. How rough and tough is it? Tonight, all the losers will be taken behind the Tropicana Casino & Resort and shot. That's pretty damn rough and tough. Anyhoo, first bout of the evening is Dave McMahon of Xtreme MMA vs. Robert Cunane of LA Boxing, and boxing is pretty much all they're doing, with Cunane definitely getting the better of his opponent for the majority of the first round. Unfortunately for him, all it takes is one mistake, and McMahon has dropped him and is raining down punches for the TKO. Bout #2 and it's Craig Thieme of Pellegrino MMA against Adam Fearon. Fearon trains with AMA Fight Club now, but he used to rep Pitts Penn and his first two pro fights were ages ago against Lyman Good and Eddie Alvarez - two guys who went on to become world-beaters. Round 1 begins and Fearon catches Thieme in a tight guillotine - so tight, in fact, that referee Donnie Carolei pulls them apart without Thieme even tapping. The ensuing shitstorm has the officials restarting the bout, and for the next round and a half Thieme out-hustles Fearon to earn the majority decision. Ryan Castillo of Serra/Longo and Mike Murray of TSMMA enter the cage. Like Fearon, Murray first fought back when MMA was brand-spanking-new; unlike Fearon, Murray's blend of grappling and constant punching was enough to take out his first two opponents (Glenn Ortiz and a Russian fighter). Round 1 of Castillo/Murray is a back-and-forth submission battle, with Murray coming close with armbars and triangles and Castillo coming equally as close with a kneebar. Other than another close kneebar by Castillo, Round 2 is all Murray, with his superior gas tank enabling him to dominate position, deliver punches and sink the armbar at 3:46 of the round.
Thursday, February 18, 2010
Wednesday, February 17, 2010
Predictions for UFC 110: "Insert Sarcastic Australian Stereotype Here"
G'day mate! Seems the UFC has ventured on down unda for their latest installment, and it looks to be a decent night of walloping for convicts and Americans alike. Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira and Cain Velasquez get to pretend that Brock Lesnar gives a crap about defending his belt, while the once-feared Wanderlei Silva and the once-relevant Michael Bisping get another shot at salvaging their waning career. So put another shrimp on the barbie, 'cause here are some predictions!
- Mirko CroCop gets another shot in the Octagon, and as it's not on US soil (and under the watchful eye of an athletic commission with a post-fight drug test requirement), he actually stands a chance at winning.
- I bet Ben Rothwell thinks back on those days when he dominated in the IFL and gets all wistful and teary.
- Keith Jardine's still alive? Ryan Bader via ground and pound.
- George Sotiropoulos may be a local, but Joe Stevenson will likely be the crowd favorite an account of him looking very much like a koala bear.
- Bisping is young and despised. Silva is old and beloved. Ultimately, that means that the person everyone doesn't want to win will win.
- Velasquez is young and moderately liked. Nogueira is Nogueira, and he is going to kill him.
Tuesday, February 16, 2010
ROC 28 to Feature a Clash of Titans
Usually, the first incarnation of a fight card is the best, containing therein match-ups of both the relevant and compelling variety. And usually, for whatever reason, some (or most) of those match-ups fail to materialize, leaving behind less-than-stellar pairings that pale in comparison. Friday’s ROC 28 just kicked that whole concept in the ass. Two of the toughest and most promising fighters in the Northeast – Team Tiger Schulmann’s Uriah Hall and Team Serra/Longo’s Costa Philippou – have been added to the roster, and because they’re elite strikers known for utterly outclassing opponents on the feet, their meeting could outshine everything else on the card. They are literally titans, clashing in what should be a battle of epic proportions. Thus far, no one has been able to withstand the heat Hall brings into the cage, and though Philippou has a loss on his record, it was from a close decision he suffered when top dog Ricardo Romero got sick of getting punched in the face and took him down. Folks, the chances of Hall trying to take Philippou down hover around “nil”. Conversely, the chances of there being fireworks when these two meet on Friday – the kind of fireworks that set off fire alarms and injure innocent bystanders – are high. Very, very high. ROC 28 was worth the price of admission because rising star Ryan LaFlare was taking on Justin Haskins, Louis Gaudinot was scrapping with Tuan Pham, Andy Main was throwing down with Lester Caslow, and Andre Gusmao and Brendan Barrett were returning to action. Now it’s a must-see.
Saturday, February 13, 2010
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)