Liveblog: ROC 34 Part 1

MMA Journalist is here at the lovely Tropicana Casino & Resort in Atlantic City for Ring of Combat 34, the Northeast's best and purest expression of state-sanctioned unarmed combat. There are 13 bouts on tap, four of which are championship bouts featuring the likes of Kurt Pellegrino-trained Steve DeAngelis, Bill Scott-trained Ryan Vaccaro, Andre Pederneiras-trained Gabriel Migliolo, and a chick fight between two ladies who I assume were trained by someone but I just don't know who. (Of course, it is possible they trained themselves - you know, by living in the woods and wrestling bears, or by watching a lot of episodes of The Ultimate Fighter. That is, however, not likely.) Anyhoo, it should be a good night of fights. Stay tuned.

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NYC MMA Legalization Roundtable Postscript

Assemblyman Dean Murray arrived with his chief of staff, and Murray was the voice of optimism.  "This is the year," he said.  "If we're going to do it, it's going to be this year."  He went on to talk about how attitudes toward the sport have shifted among other Assembly members (shifted positively), and he played down the impact of Governor Cuomo's budget proposal (and its lack of MMA legislation), stating that what the governor submitted was merely a proposal and a wealth of budget hearings and discussions awaited it.  Other points he brought up: how packaging is important in terms of the rally scheduled for February 8 (i.e., no riots, please), how effective (or ineffective) the revenue-generation argument truly is, and the underground show scourge that must be regulated into oblivion.  Was there Kool-Aid being dispensed?  I don't think so, but I'll drink anything when it comes to MMA, so maybe I'm not the best person to judge.  It was, however, a worthwhile roundtable.  Props to Sambo Steve for putting it together.

Liveblog: NYC MMA Legalization Roundtable

MMA Journalist is here at Sambo Steve's school in Midtown Manhattan for an MMA legalization roundtable. The discussion is (of course) centered around the issues pertinent to getting sanctioned in New York, and the participants include gym owners Sambo Steve, Steve Katz and Steve Kardian, journos Eddie Goldman, Justin Klein, Bruce Kivo and Pete Lampasona, insider Paula Romero, and a rep from State Senator Lee Zeldin's office. In light of recent legislative events, Lampasona is advocating the "V for Vendetta" mode of attack, but calmer folks are talking him back from the ledge and disassembling his pipe bombs. Other topics discussed include educating the public on the safety of the sport and its utility, and countering negative propaganda and rhetoric.

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More New York MMA Legislative Stuff

Although Governor Andrew Cuomo delivered a hearty knee to the midsection of the "sanction MMA in New York" movement yesterday with his 2011 budget proposal, there's still some hope.  Last week the State Senate introduced a bill to legalize pro MMA (which MMA Journalist broke down for you), and not long after, Assemblyman Clifford Crouch introduced a similar bill in the State Assembly.  Yesterday, Assemblyman Steve Englebright - who spearheaded the MMA bills that came close to passing the past two years - did the same.  So the scorecard is: no love from the governor (and a move to get rid of the position of Chairperson of the State Athletic Commission), one bill in the Senate, and two bills in the Assembly.  Keep in mind that both legislative houses have to give their thumbs up and then the governor has to sign the bill into law.  Also, keep in mind that last year the Senate passed their MMA bill while the Assembly relegated theirs to subcommittee purgatory, and the year before that the Assembly passed their bill while the Senate had an unrelated political meltdown and did nothing.  One last note is that both current Assembly bills have been referred to the Committee on Tourism, Arts and Sports Development, which is where Assemblyman Bob Reilly has been waging a pitched battle to keep "human cockfighting" out of his state - and in 2009 and 2010, Assemblyman Reilly got his ass kicked by a wide margin.  The bottom line is, just because the Governor Cuomo refused to "backdoor in" some MMA legislation, there's still hope.  Just like there's hope that the Beatles will go on tour with Menudo as their opening act.

New York State Budget Proposal 2011 = MMA Fail

If you were at the UFC's Madison Square Garden presser a few weeks ago, you heard loud and clear how Dana White and company were banking on New York State Governor Andrew Coumo including a bill to legalize MMA in his 2011-2012 budget proposal.  Well, that budget is out today (go here: http://publications.budget.state.ny.us/eBudget1112/fy1112littlebook/BriefingBook.pdf ), and the bad news is that there's no mention of our lovely sport anywhere in there.  What does this mean?  Basically, it means that if an MMA bill is getting passed this year, it's not sneaking in via the budget and it's getting passed the old fashioned way by going through the State Senate and Assembly - and getting voted on by a lot of people who think these kind of fights are to the death.  And that mode hasn't worked so well in the past few years.  However, on the plus side, it will be somewhat interesting to watch Lorenzo Fertita send his "boys" over to Governor Coumo's office to get back that $74,000 Zuffa donated to his election campaign.  Hijinks!  (On a side note, the budget proposal also calls for the elimination of the salary for the Chair of the State Athletic Commission.  Rut-roh.)

Questions to Be Answered This Weekend at ROC 34 and CFFC

Atlantic City: the place to be if you’re keen on gambling, shopping at outlet stores, eating so-so food and heckling streetwalking prostitutes.  And this weekend, it’s also the place to be for some hardcore MMA action.  On Friday, Ring of Combat 34 returns to the Tropicana, bringing with it all its usual fanfare and luster, and on Saturday, the Cage Fury Fighting Championship rises like a phoenix from the ashes to set fire to the Resorts Casino & Hotel and send patrons fleeing into the night.  That’s right, there’s an awful lot of fighting going on this weekend – and hopefully, there will be some questions answered.  Questions such as:

• Can Aung La N Sang find success in the Northeast circuit?  Sang teaches Muay Thai at the Crazy88 school in Maryland, but at ROC 33 he ran into one of the best strikers the Northeast has to offer in Costa Philippou and suffered an 11-second loss via TKO.  At ROC 34 he’s facing Mitch Whitesel, who’s far less dangerous but possesses the kind of experience that’s always a threat.  Will Sang get a chance to showcase his ability?
• Can Steve DeAngelis get back on the winning track?  In his last outing, he was caught by Nick Pace (and Pace is now fighting in the UFC), and the time before that he got the blanket treatment from a much-bigger Jacob Kirwan.  2010 was a bad year for the Pellegrino MMA rep, but at ROC 34 he’s taking on submission specialist Dustin Pague in what could be the perfect opportunity to snag a “W” against a dangerous foe.  Can DeAngelis do it?
• Will Mervin Rodriguez come out on top once more?  In the span of three and a half years Rodriguez has amassed a mottled record, but upon closer inspection it’s clear he’s lost to only the best and toughest guys – like Al Iaquinta, Liam Kerrigan, Jeff Lentz, Andy Main, George Sheppard and Kenny Foster.  However, at ROC 33 Rodriguez was a full-on Team Pellegrino fighter and he was large and in charge.  Has his new team put him on the path to badass-ness?  Will we see him victorious once more at ROC 34?
• Victor O’Donnell, what have you done for me lately?  When O’Donnell first stepped into the cage at ROC 25 he was an underdog against heavy-hitting Team Renzo rep Rafael Sapo.  But the Ohio native proved to have a granite chin and some dangerous fists of his own, and he came away with the win and Sapo’s ROC belt that night.  Since then, O’Donnell lost a decision to Costa Philippou, went out on his shield at the TUF 11 season opener, and returned to the minor leagues to rattle of a few victories.  But those fights were far away – what have you done for me lately, Victor O’Donnell?  At CFFC on Saturday night, the big puncher and game-as-hell fighter is headlining against wrestler/jiu-jitsu guy Andrew Riddles, and you can bet Riddles is going to try his best to avoid eating knuckles.  Will it be enough?  Or will O’Donnell find a way to remind us Northeasterners that he belongs in the big leagues?

Observations from My Couch: Strikeforce's "Ultimate Nick Diaz is Unstoppable"

• It’s refreshing to see a fighter with finely-honed jiu-jitsu skills (like Roger Gracie) meet with success, especially when it’s so painfully clear he’s got no striking or wrestling skills (like Roger Gracie).
• I have zero problems with Herschel Walker crushing cans.  No problem whatsoever.
• Was Jacare trying to emulate an alligator in his victory dance?  I thought for sure the dude was having a seizure.
• Robbie Lawler is and always will be a bad dude.  Also, bad at jiu-jitsu.
• For a while there I thought Cyborg was getting the better of the fight.  Then Nick Diaz appeared and told me to stop smoking that crack.
• I am baffled at how unstoppable Diaz is with his boxing, and based on the impressive string of wins he’s put together and his performances in the cage, it is clear that the only opponents that could defeat him would be the top-level wrestling dry humpers (Georges St. Pierre, Jon Fitch, et al.).

Strikeforce's "Diaz vs. Cyborg" Fun Facts

Yeah, so, Fedor’s fighting Bigfoot in New Jersey and there’s a heavyweight tournament and if you accidentally mixed together the urine of some the tournament competitors the laboratory where they do the post-fight drug screening would freakin’ explode, blah, blah, blah.  What many have forgotten in all the excitement is that there’s a pretty decent Strikeforce installment scheduled for this Saturday, featuring the likes of Nick Diaz, Robbie Lawler and old man Herschel Walker.  But MMA Journalist hasn’t forgotten, and as proof, here are some nice fun facts about the show!

• Roger Gracie is putting his undefeated record on the line when he faces Trevor Prangley, but did you know that his nickname among his clan members is “Lutador de Porco-espinho”?  It means “fighter of porcupine” in Portuguese, and it stems from an unfortunate incident at a family picnic when he was eight-years old.
• Trevor Prangley hates baked beans.
• Ex-football player Walker is so old, when he last stepped on the field players wore leather helmets.  That’s old!
• Lawler will be facing Ronaldo Souza with Souza’s middleweight belt up for grabs.  Curiously, Lawler has never had a belt – he prefers to use rope to hold his pants up.
• Souza’s nickname is “Jacare”, which means “spaghetti sauce” in Portuguese.  There is no explanation for that.
• Diaz was at first very apprehensive about agreeing to fight Cyborg, stating that he didn’t think he had “a chance in hell of winning” or coming out of the fight without serious injury.  Diaz finally said yes only after Scott Coker clarified that he would in fact be facing Evangelista “Cyborg” Santos and not Cristiane “Cyborg” Santos.

Breaking Down the New York State Senate's MMA Bill, 2011 Edition

At this point in the year, Battered Wife Syndrome kicks in and MMA Journalist finds itself gazing longingly at the legislative calendar, hoping beyond hope that this is the year New York finally repeals its ban on professional MMA and embraces the future.  And a quick peruse of the docket tells us that the State Senate has one such bill swirling around in the stew that is theoretically what they’ll be dining on in 2011.  Now, past experience tells us that the Senate could very well agree on sanctioning the sport (like they did last year) and then everything goes to hell with the Assembly, or the Assembly could give it the thumbs up (like they did two years ago) and then everything goes to hell with the Senate, so it doesn’t pay to get your hopes up.  But Dana White and company seemed awfully optimistic at that MSG presser a couple weeks ago – especially at the prospect that the governor would sneak it through the process as an attachment to his budget (which almost worked last year, but that was a different governor).  Really, who the heck knows.  I don’t.  I do know, however, how to read a bill, so here are some tidbits from what the State Senate is chewing on:

• “’Professional combative sports match or exhibition’ shall mean any match or exhibition that must be approved by the Commission where the professional combative sports participants receive consideration of any value or admission is charged.” – Crap, someone told them about the “amateur” loophole.
• “The Commission shall direct a representative to be present at each place where combative sports are to be held pursuant to the provisions of this section.” – Get your resumes ready, folks, ‘cause this is going to require a lot of NYSAC employees!
• “Nothing in this subdivision shall authorize the Commission to intervene or prohibit a professional combative sports match or exhibition solely on the basis of the difference between the respective participants’ martial arts disciplines.” – Tai Chi vs. Muay Thai?  Oh baby, it’s on.
• “No participant shall be allowed to participate in more than three matches or exhibitions or compete for more than sixty minutes within seventy-two consecutive hours.” – One night, eight-man tournament?  Bring it, homeboy.
• “The Commission is authorized and directed to require that all sites wherein professional combative sports are conducted shall comply with State and applicable local sanitary codes appropriate to school athletic facilities.” – So long, stanky gyms.
• “A tax is hereby imposed and shall be paid upon the gross receipts of every person holding any professional combative sports match or exhibition in this state.  Such tax shall be imposed on the gross receipts as follows: 8.5% of gross receipts from ticket sales, and 3% of gross receipts from broadcasting rights, except that in no event shall the tax imposed exceed $50,000 for any match or exhibition.” – And once again, the “little guy” promoter gets screwed.

Forum on Legalization of MMA in New York Scheduled for Wednesday

Wednesday will bring us yet another gathering of minds on the topic of sanctioned MMA in this wondrous home state of ours.  Titled "Issues Surrounding the Legalization of Mixed Martial Arts in New York", the forum promises speakers of both the lawyer- and boxing promoter variety, and according to the release, "Panelists will discuss the legal and regulatory issues relating to the legalization of mixed martial arts in New York, as well as its potential economic impact if it were legalized."  I don't know how much new ground there is to cover on the matter, but a fresh perspective is always worthwhile.  Expect MMA Journalist to attend and provide the livebloggery.

Observations from My Couch: UFC Fight for the Troops 2 "Ultimate Metamorphosis"

• So, uh, did no one tell Cole Miller he was allowed to fight back? 
• Joey Beltran is great at taking and absorbing damage.  Unfortunately, that’s all he’s great at.
• How is that from a TUF season that brought us Kimbo Slice and Roy Nelson, Matt Mitrione ends up being the sole shining star?
• Yves Edwards: real American hero.  (Even though he was born in the Bahamas.)
• When Franz Kafka wrote “Metamorphosis”, he probably never envisioned his man-to-bug story being applied to a trio of MMA fighters, but Jesus, when did Matt Wiman, Mark Hominick and Melvin Guillard transform into such alpha predators?  Wiman walked right through Miller, Hominick toyed with George Roop before putting him away, and Guillard ate Evan Dunham for lunch.  Not too long ago these guys were in the cage getting smoked by Sam Stout, Rani Yahya and Joe Stevenson.  Folks, that right there is a metamorphosis like no other.

A Collection of New Haiku - 1.21.11

So much news, so little time.  But fear not, as MMA Journalist has turned to ancient Japanese poetry to make it all easier for you to digest.

• Dana says no to / women in UFC. “They / belong in kitchen!”
• Hey, remember that / Brit fighter named Lee Murray?  / Yeah, he’s still in jail.
• GSP fired his / manager.  Why?  She couldn’t / handle his “riddum”.
• Boy, that Nick Diaz, / he sure does curse a lot.  Like, / a hell of a lot.
• Okay, show of hands. / Who here’s sad Cole Konrad ain’t / in Strikeforce tourney?
• AOL Fanhouse / sold?  It’s okay Ariel, you / can work for this blog.

Predictions for UFC "Fight for the Troops 2"

Saturday night will bring us the second installment of the UFC’s “Fight for the Troops” series, which is an event staged on a military base before a few thousand screaming and cheering troops, all for the benefit of the Intrepid Fallen Heroes Fund.  It promises to be an exciting night - and if the first Fight for the Troops show is any indication, it should be one heck of a dose of carnage.  At the infamous December, 2008, outing, Corey Hill snapped his leg completely and utterly in half, Razak Al-Hassan had his arm broken, Jonathan Goulet was decapitated, and headliner Yoshiyuki Yoshida suffered so much head trauma, for the following four months he thought he was Pikachu.  In short, it was “300”-level madness.  So what’s in store for viewers who tune into SpikeTV?  Predictions!

• Cody McKenzie vs. Yves Edwards – McKenzie will make history in this one, as he’ll become the first fighter to ever lose by appendicitis.
• Joey Beltran vs. Pat Barry – Another heretofore unseen outcome will be Barry’s loss by the medical condition known as “potato famine”.
• Mark Hominick vs. George Roop – Though a skilled competitor and a striking-threat to champ Jose Aldo, Hominick will blow his shot when he goes for double-flying-knees and breaks both shins.  And hands.  And nose.  And sprains his hair.
• Matt Mitrione vs. Tim Hague – Mitrione’s recurring fractured skull injury will rear its ugly head, although the only manifestation exhibited will be mental illness.  He will become the first (and hopefully only) fighter to lose by “TKO due to schizophrenia”.
• Evan Dunham vs. Melvin Guillard – Dunham will snag the “W” when Guillard suddenly has an allergic reaction to his own hair dye and suffers a seizure.
• Mike Brown vs. Rani Yahya – Yahya is going to explode.  Literally.  And for no medical reason whatsoever.

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.