Of Soccer Kicks and Men

Yeah, so, Roger Huerta.  Soccer-kicked into oblivion at ONE FC this past weekend, as if he no longer needed that head or something.  Outrage!  Bemusement!  Aggregation!  I don't have much by way of opinion to add to the subject, except to point out that it was just as brutal when Renato "Babalu" Sobral did it to Brad Kohler in the WEF back in the day, and it was no less unkind whenever it happened in PRIDE.  But I will tell you the story about the only time I've ever seen a soccer kick go down in person - which, believe it or not, didn't occur in a UCL bout, but at a sanctioned show in New Jersey.

Extreme Challenge 78 was the event, which was an Ed Hsu-run show under Monte Cox's promotional banner.  The venue was the storied Convention Hall in Asbury Park, and though the main event had Tim Boetsch crushing sambo specialist Oleg Savitsky, the most memorable scrap was between local fighter Lewis Pascavage and Brazilian transplant Carlos Eduardo.  Eduardo was "fresh off the boat", you see, and his grasp of the Unified Rules circa 2007 was tenous at best, so when he and Pascavage clinched up against the cage and Eduardo managed to pull the American's legs out from under him, why not punt the dude square in the chops? 

Fifty-eight seconds was the official time of the disqualification, and I swear I thought referee Big Dan was going to summarily execute Eduardo for the transgression.  Nick Lembo issued a year-long suspension to Eduardo on the spot, despite Eduardo's coach saying something along the lines of "He's used to vale tudo rules in Brazil.  Cut him some slack, eh?"  As for Pascavage, he was down for a while (and rightfully so).  It's one thing to agree to a bout in Singapore where soccer kicks are legal; it's another thing entirely if you're fighting in New Jersey and you have no reason to expect you'd be eating foot.

So, to paraphrase "The West Wing": Soccer kicks.  Boy, I don't know.

Blast from the Past: Kaream Ellington Edition

Here's Kaream Ellington, who was featured in RAW COMBAT, taking on Japanese fighter Kenichi Yamamoto at an old MFC in Atlantic City.  (Credit goes to Sambo Steve for digging this up.) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HRR5FrcbzIk&feature=youtube_gdata_player

Observations from My Couch: Bellator 71/UFC on FX 4 Mash-Up

• Brett Rogers beat on Kevin Asplund so bad, you'd think they were married!
• Out of the light-heavyweight tournament quarterfinal winners Attila the Vegh, Tim Carpenter and Emanual Newton, Attila the Vegh seems like the only one worth a damn.
• That said, Travis Wiuff is going to kill them all, then feast upon the bones of Bellator's 205-pound champ - WHO HE ALREADY BEAT.
• Dan Miller getting a well-deserved win in typical Dan Miller fashion is one of those feel-good things that make your night.
• Matt Brown = killer.  Luis Ramos = murder victim.
• Nick Catone was winning until he slowed down in the final round and Chris Camozzi was able to open him up with that cut.  Oh well.  C'est la vie.
• I am shocked - SHOCKED - that Steven Siler was able to handle Joey Gambino like that.  There were flashes of Gambino's insane ability and talent, though.  Hopefully he'll get another chance in the Octagon to show his stuff.
• I'm just going to pretend that Rick Story and Brock Jardine never fought, that the fight never happened and that for those painful fifteen minutes I was doing something constructive with my time like knitting a sweater.
• Ramsey Nijem is still weird and off-putting.
• Hatsu Hioki laid a gigantic egg in the Octagon.
• First Jamie Varner, now Cub Swanson... was there some sort of magic spell or curse that was making these WEC vets suck, and now it's worn off?
• The improbably run of Brian Ebersole continues.  Hooray.
• You know, if Spencer Fisher learns some wrestling defense, he could really make a name for himself in this sport.
• At first I was like, "Yeah, do it, Clay Guida, do your thing!"  Then I was like, "Uh, WTF."  Then, when Gray Maynard went all Diaz Brother on him, I was like, "Oh.  Snap.  That's a guy I can get behind."

Crappy ROC 41 Pics

ROC 41 Postscript

As usual, Ring of Combat gave us the goods, with the "goods" consisting of some entertaining, quality fights, some thrills, and a few surprising upsets.  Here's the skinny on the bouts:

• RABJJ rising star Frankie Perez completely handled Ben Syers.  And I mean completely.  I think Syers' best moment was his walkout to the cage.  After that, it was all about Perez tying him into knots on the ground and pounding him out.
• Anthony Facchini did pretty much the same thing to Kevin Molina.  I think Molina was supposed to be some sort of dangerous kickboxer, but Facchini gave him no opportunity to show it.  He just took him down and raped him.
• For as long as Andre Harrison vs. Bill Metts lasted it was fun, as both men threw punches at each other's faces with complete disregard for defense.  Eventually it was Harrison that scored the deciding blow, and he used the opening to snag the rear naked choke on the ground.
• Brit transplant Liam McGeary and Ironbound MMAer Walter Howard had an awesome stand-up scrap that was pretty much nonstop throughout Round 1.  But Howard has zero left in his gas tank for Round 2, so McGeary had the ideal window to put Howard away (which he did).  This one was a crowd-pleaser.
• Villi Bello almost - ALMOST - became the first fighter to ever win via inverted triangle in Ring of Combat, but somehow Chris Wade gutted it out for the minute it was on and escaped.  This one was contested pretty much in the clinch against the cage and on the ground, with Bello spending a little too much time on the bottom for the judges' tastes, hence the decision for Wade.  Good fight, though.
• Brian VanHoven had the ability to take Lester Caslow down and hold him there, but what he lacked was the wherewithall to know that Caslow had the ability to slip on a guillotine and tap him the fuck out.  Oops!  Good win for Caslow.
• And from out of nowhere comes a Russian badass.  That's the story of Tom English's fight against Soslan Abanokov.  Using solid jiu-jitsu, English had Abanokov in trouble early and often, but whenever a rear naked choke attempt seemed to spell his doom, the Russian would do something like escape, get behind English, suplex him, and scurry into a rear naked choke attempt himself (all in the span of a few seconds).  Abanokov took the majority decision in a close, close fight that was cool to behold.
• Ed Gordon did his thing against Carlos Brooks, more or less avoiding Brooks' dangerous striking by getting the lankier fighter down and grinding on him.  Brooks did get some licks in - at one point he landed a spinning kick right into Gordon's face - but the Serra/Longo fighter just shook it all off and kept scoring.  Gordon is now the ROC 205-pound champ.
• In his first fight back since almost making it into the TUF House, Jimmie Rivera did what he needed to do against Justin Hickey to earn the win.  But what he did, which was repeatedly take Hickey down and beat on him (which garnered him the clear-cut unanimous decision), wasn't what he was capable of.  More than a few times they stood and traded, and Rivera's punches were so much faster and more accurate that he dropped Hickey repeatedly.  And yet despite being the better striker, Rivera didn't go for the knockout for some reason.  Oh well.  Like I said, he still got the win, and now he's got a shiny, new ROC bantamweight belt.
• In a complete and total shocker, Guillermo Serment flew in from Chicago, stood with local rising star James Jenkins, landed a stunner of a cross that seemed to break Jenkins' nose (and possibly his orbital), and then jumped into a guillotine that forced Jenkins to tap - all in the span of just over a minute.  No one expected this.  After all, Jenkins has been virtually unstoppable since turning pro, and proven to be tough as nails and not someone to be trifled with when it comes to the stand-up game.  The Serra/Longo fighter was visibly distraught with the outcome, which is understandable, but he'll be back, as he's got too much talent and potential.  As for Serment, well, he's ROC's new featherweight champ.  Paging Jeff Lentz... Mr. Lentz, please report to the cage.
• Uriah Hall took care of business against Republic of Georgia fighter Nodar Kudukhashvili, but it wasn't easy.  Like the other Eastern Bloc dudes we've seen who've spent time in the Georgian special forces and who have names that are impossible to spell and pronounce, Kudukhashvili was made of iron, and he gave Hall hell on the ground whenever he secured top position.  Hall edged him out, though, picking and choosing his shots on the feet and getting takedown after takedown.  For his efforts, Hall is now the ROC middleweight champ, and the man to beat.

Why You Should Care About ROC 41 - Reason #3

Ever since Tom DeBlass made the leap to major league ball, the Northeast's light-heavyweight division has been without a king.  But lo, here comes top contenders Ed "Truck" Gordon and Carlos Brooks, who will battle for the crown in what should be a fight to behold.  If you're keeping track, Ed Gordon vs. Carlos Brooks is reason number three why you should care about ROC 41 tomorrow night.

• Gordon, who hails from the Serra/Longo Team and played football for Fordham University before switching to MMA, is undefeated in three amateur fights and four pro bouts.  His fighting style: something I like to call the "agitated bull".  In his last outing, he handily KO'd the veteran Ryan Contaldi, and prior to that he pretty much snorted, charged and gored everyone in his path.  He's been gradually coming down to the 205-pound weight class from heavyweight, so watch for him to be a ton of raw aggression and muscle.
• TSMMA's Brooks is lean and lanky, and when it comes to throwing strikes - be it punches or kicks - he's like a surgeon with his precision.  His last time at bat saw him snuff out Danny Babcock in a mere 51 seconds, and the lone loss on his record came via guillotine at the hands of Alexandre Moreno, who is a veritable submission machine.  Also, Brooks was in line to challenge DeBlass for the belt, but was sidelined when training partner Uriah Hall messed him up with a knee to the grill while sparring.  Like Gordon, Brooks has earned this shot at the belt.
• What's in store for fans watching?  My crystal ball (which, admittedly, sucks) says that Gordon might still be brimming with confidence for his stellar stand-up performance against Contaldi, and if so, will try to test Brooks on the feet.  That's Brooks' world, though, so if Gordon doesn't get put away, the Serra/Longo rep is going to take things to the ground and attempt to play Whack-a-Mole from on top.  My crystal ball also says Matt Serra is going to throw a plate of linguine marinara into the cage and someone in a fuzzy tiger is going to run screaming through the crowd, so again, take everything it says with a huge grain of salt.
• Where the hell did I get this thing?  I hope I saved the receipt...

Oy, Check Out This Site

Fight gear and stuff - www.njfightshop.com.

Why You Should Care About ROC 41 - Reason #2

Ring of Combat.  Where dreams are made and nightmares are born.  Where men go to fight and bleed for our viewing pleasure.  Where wretched hive, scum, villainy, blah, blah, blah.  Friday is ROC 41, and if you're looking for reasons why you should care, you've come to the right place.  Take reason number two, for instance: James Jenkins.  Here's the skinny on this featherweight, who'll be fighting for a championship belt.

• Jenkins is undefeated as a pro, and though he's a competent fighter when it comes to slapping on submissions, his success is based in large part with the fact that he's fantastic at standing and banging.  In his last trip into the cage, he waded into the deep water with the veteran Dwayne Shelton, and sealed the deal when he found openings and began wobbling Shelton with strikes. 
• Dude.  Hits.  Hard.
• Team Serra/Longo.  That's where he trains out of.  Which means not only is he really sharpening his skills, but he's on track to perform on a stage bigger than that of Ring of Combat.  If (and when) he wins the belt on Friday, you can bet making the leap to the majors is on the horizon.
• Jenkins' opponent is Guillermo Serment, who looks to be a scrapper out of the Midwest.  According to this article, Serment's nickname is "El Gallo Negro".  If my Spanish is correct, that translates into "the black bean".  Jenkins' ain't getting beat by no bean!

Why You Should Care About ROC 41 - Reason #1

Ring of Combat 41 is Friday night, and whether you're attending it live at the Tropicana in Atlantic City (like I am) or watching it on GoFightLive (which I will never do again), there are a number of good reasons to give an enormous shit about what's going down.  After all, ROC is one of the Northeast's most prominent stepping stones to the UFC, and it's chock full of dudes who are more than capable of tearing off your limbs and burying them in the sand beneath the Boardwalk.  Still on the fence about caring about ROC 41?  Well, then here's reason number one: Jimmie Rivera.

• Rivera, you might recall, appeared in the first episode of TUF 14, where fought eventual finalist Dennis Bermudez to earn a spot in the TUF House.  And sure, obviously Bermudez is the one who made it into the house, but for the entire first round of that fight, Rivera beat the dude up.  Like, shook-him-down-for-lunch-money beat up.  Rivera can box, wrestle, and he knows a thing or two about submissions - all of which he showed in that TUF 14 fight.  If Bermudez wasn't made out of iron, it would definitely have been Rivera taking on Diego Brandao for that giant TUF paperweight.
• Aside from losing to Bermudez, the only other time Rivera has lost was via split decision to Jay McLean in a bout he agreed to at the last minute.  On the flip side, Rivera went undefeated in seven amateur fights, and went on to win eight pro fights.
• Rivera is fighting some kid named Justin Hickey for the ROC bantamweight belt, and you know how I know Rivera is going to come away victorious?  Because before his TUF bid, he was a reigning King of the Cage champ, and wearing a KOTC crown is kind of a big deal.  Also, Hickey is supposedly a submissions guy, and Rivera's modus operandi is sprawl-and-brawl - the antidote to submission poison.
• Lastly, the biggest reason you should be paying attention to this weekend's ROC and Rivera is that soon Rivera will be back in the Octagon.  Watch him crush Hickey on Friday and come the next UFC on FX, you'll be able to tell all your friends you "saw that dude fight back in the day - he's a badass".  And you won't be lying.

Observations from My Couch: UFC on FX "Johnson vs. McCall"

• Matt Grice must be rich, because he sure as hell threw away what could've been a for-sure Fight of the Night bonus by laying on Leonard Garcia for three rounds.
• Having God as an official sponsor is really starting to seem like an unfair advantage for Dustin Pague.
• Do you think Justin Salas would've stayed in bed on Friday if he knew that getting up and going work that day meant being punched retarded?
• Congrats to Seth Baczynski, Lance Benoist, Mike Pierce and Carlos Eduardo Rocha.  You guys fought so crappy that it made me question why I ever ordered FuelTV.
• I don't know where that version of Eddie Wineland came from, but I wager there's an alternate universe somewhere that has its Eddie Wineland-UFC champ suddenly sucking.
• Mike Pyle HAD to get a knockout in that fight.  Otherwise, that mullet would've gone to complete waste.
• The best part of Erick Silva's victory was Wallid Ismael taking the microphone and unleashing just the tiniest bit of crazy onto it.  I want to see Silva fight some more simply because I want more of Ismael talking.
• Good win for Demetrious Johnson, but I don't see him defeating Joseph Benavidez.  Yes, speed kills, but even the quickest, deadliest wasp can fall prey to the most pedestrian of fly swatters.

Another Disinterested UFC Preview

Another installment of UFC on FX hits the boobtube on Friday night, and man is this card a throwaway.  I mean, sure, the rematch between Demetrious Johnson and Ian McCall should be exciting, but anytime the main course features fighters like Mike Pyle and Eddie Wineland, you just know that if it weren't free you'd be "dining and dashing" on this meal like crazy.  Seriously, who's driving the bus on this UFC/FOX marriage?  Are they drunk?  Do they care about the quality of the cards and if people want to tune in?  I'm just glad that in the upcoming weekends there's live MMA for me to go to - like ROC, CFFC, the UCC and the UCL.  If I had to rely solely on the UFC for my MMA jollies, I'd probably kill myself.  No, wait, you.  Anyway, preview time.

• Demetrious Johnson vs. Ian McCall - Like all important tournaments, the UFC's inaugural flyweight shindig got derailed something fierce, this one getting screwed up right out of the gate when these two micro-warriors had a thriller of a fight and then the commission flubbed tallying up the judges' scorecards.  So here we go again.  Will McCall start slow and end strong like before?  Will Johnson pick at him until there's nothing left but a 1920s-style moustache lying on the floor of the Octagon?  Will someone, anyone ever get a chance to face Joseph Benavidez, the other flyweight tournament finalist?  If you're like me, then you're probably counting on McCall to pick up where he left off.  But also, if you're like me, hey, what should I wear to UCL photog Anil Melwani's baby shower on Sunday?  Can I get away with my usual camo shorts and black t-shirt ensemble?
• Erick Silva vs. Charlie Brenneman - Silva has proven to be one dangerous, hard-hitting motherfucker, but conversely, Brenneman will wrestlefuck you to death and smother you with his white-person afro.  Doesn't Brenneman seem like he'd make a great addition to the Counting Crows the next time they go on tour?  I could totally see him bopping around on stage, hair askew and crooning vocals that make college freshman girls lose their panties.
• Mike Pyle vs. Josh Neer - I've always wondered if the sport would develop a kind of retirement program for its aged never-weres and almosts and could-have-beens, and here we are!  MMA's version of Social Security!  Only instead of a monthly check, these oldsters get to fight each other for their purse and a shot at a discretionary bonus that could very well go to one of the kids fighting on Facebook.
• Eddie Wineland vs. Scott Jorgensen - I think it's safe to say Jorgensen will never be the champ.  If he's lucky, though, Wineland might be fortunate enough to be asked to fetch Dominic Cruz/Urijah Faber/Renan Barao a copy of today's paper while they're headed into the crapper.
• Leonard Garcia vs. Matt Grice - I still believe the image of Garcia coughing up balloons full of cocaine is funny.
• Dustin Pague vs. Jared Papazian - Do you think that if God actually wanted to sponsor Pague the UFC would force Him to pony up the 100 grand sponsorship tax?

ROKO Postscript

With just four fights it was an abbreviated fight card, and the live bands made me extremely glad I had earplugs, but in the end Rock Out Knock Out was a fun time.  The Convention Hall in Asbury Park - heck, even Asbury Park itself - is a completely different place than it was when Ring of Combat used to hold shows there years ago, and getting to watch some local heroes throw down in exciting fashion made ROKO worth it.  Some thoughts on the fights:

• Ryan Vaccaro was a huge threat and nearly finished Brian Kelleher in the opening minutes of their bout when he took the Bombsquad rep's back and went for the choke.  But Kelleher is tough as nails and skilled as hell, and after he extricated himself from trouble, that's when the punishment began.  The end came quickly in Round 2, as Kelleher countered Vaccaro's level-change and shoot with a knee right to the dome.  Vaccaro was out of it, and after turtling and flopping around a bit, he convinced the ref to step in.  I've said it before and I'll say it again: Aljamain Sterling is far and away at the top of the "little guy" heap, but right below him are guys like Kelleher, who can beat the vast majority of the lighter-weight fighters out there.
• It was Kevin Roddy's thirtieth fight and he made it memorable, forcing Noe Quintanilla to play defense as K-Rod worked him over with a submission assault from his guard.  Eventually Roddy caught him - with a triangle choke at 1:53 of Round 1 - and seeing a nice guy like K-Rod get the win and then get showered with accolades by his countless friends and fans, well, it was a cool feel-good moment.
• Michael Robinson is practically made of stone, and his sweeps and sub attempts from his guard were frequent and real.  But damn did Ryan Peterson lay a beatdown on him.  From his relentless ground and pound to his damaging stand-up, Peterson was large and in charge, and though the Long Island-based fighter couldn't manage to put Robinson away, he definitely put his stamp on the kid.  There was no question Peterson had done enough to warrant the unanimous decision when time ran out.
• Phillip LeGrand wanted to stand and strike, and Desmond Green wanted to wrestle him to the canvas and bushwhack him, and because Green had superior wrestling, we got to see the latter happen.  Like Robinson, LeGrand was one resilient mofo.  And like with Robinson, it wasn't enough.  Green was the clear-cut winner when it went to the judges.

Observations from My Couch: TUF 15 Finale

• Erik Perez didn't defeat John Albert.  Referee Kim Winslow defeated John Albert, and should therefore get the win.
• For someone who looks so uncomfortable in striking exchanges, Joe Proctor sure does score some exciting TKOs.
• Watching Cristiano Marcello fight is like watching a car crash in slow-motion.  You know something ugly is about to happen and you have a pretty good idea of what it's going to be, but you're transfixed anyway.
• The Jury is still out on Myles Jury. 
• Daron Cruickshank and Chris Tickle are two guys who are fun to watch who will go nowhere in the UFC.
• Congrats to John Cofer for becoming a permanent part of the TUF highlight reel.
• He's not a top guy in the division, but Charles Oliveira's skill and ability are more than enough to separate the men from the boys - and more than enough to put a TUF winner away.
• I'm absolutely gutted that Al Iaquinta lost.  He'll be back, though, and kicking ass in the Octagon in no time.
• I don't know where this new and improved version of Martin Kampmann came from, but I like it.

Rock Concert + Fights = ROKO

It used to be that if you wanted to catch some live music mixed with fighting, you had to go to CBGBs on a Sunday afternoon and watch the skinheads kill each other.  But Saturday's Rock Out Knock Out (ROKO) promotion will make it easy for you, providing live music acts inter-cut with sanctioned MMA bouts, all in the relative safety of Asbury Park's Convention Hall.  This isn't the first time something like this has been done - one of Brian Cimins' Sportfighting events had a live band, one of Affliction's ill-fated shows had Megadeth perform, and I once saw Ice-T open up for John Lewis' WFA in Las Vegas.  However, this is the first time the entertainment will repeatedly go back and forth between the cage and the stage, and that sounds like a pretty interesting experience if you ask me.  As for who's on the short five-bout card, CFFC veterans Ryan Peterson and Anthony Craparo are on tap, although top billing most certainly belongs to Ryan Vaccaro and Brian Kelleher - two quality fighters and solid contenders who've more than made their mark on the Garden State circuit.  First fight is slated for 3:30pm, and the night will be capped off by some band named "Fuel" (who I'm unfamiliar with - do they do gangster rap?).  Follow me on Twitter for live results (www.twitter.com/jim_genia), and come to this blog for a post-fight wrap-up.  Or don't.  Either way, you know where I'm going to be on Saturday.

The Definitive Al Iaquinta Profile

If you've been paying attention to the current season of the Ultimate Fighter, then you've gotten a taste of the knowledge that we here in the Northeast have been chewing on for years: Al Iaquinta will straight-up kill dudes in the cage if you let him.  Thus far on TUF 15, we've seen him surgically remove the consciousness of one cat, outlast an alleged badass, and chip away at a dude until there was nothing left but a soulless shell of a man when time expired.  And now, on Friday night's TUF Live Finale on the FX channel, we'll all get to see him beat a fellow finalist into an actual living death, complete with zombification.  But there's more insight to be had when it comes to Iaquinta, like that he eats spaghetti with chopsticks, and the nickname given to him by his family and friends is "Al Iaquinta".  (Note: I may have made those facts up.)  So!  Here's what I know about him.  After this, we'll all be in on the same page and can be considered equals.  Ha!  Not!

-Iaquinta trains under Matt Serra and Ray Longo on Long Island (and before that, wrestled in high school and trained MMA under Dave Martucci).  He has always been an extremely well-rounded fighter capable of overwhelming foes on the ground and wrecking 'em on the feet. 

-Taking full advantage of New Jersey's amateur MMA circuit, Iaquinta spent about two years amassing a spotless record with over a dozen fights.  The dude even did Muay Thai bouts, plus a sanda match (kickboxing with throws) at a small event in Gleason's Gym.  Add to that some grappling tournaments, and you got one bad mamma-jamma.

-What makes Iaquinta so dangerous, however, is that he's the king of having long, brutal battles and he never withers from punishment.  He had an absolute war with a tough Brazilian named Gabe Miglioli in ROC, and the fight went everywhere, with both men taking hits and keeping going.  But it was Iaquinta who eventually got the nod - mostly because he just would not stop beating Miglioli down.  (And in their subsequent rematch, Iaquinta got the TKO win in just 26 seconds.)  Bottom line: the man is like iron.

-The lone loss on Iaquinta's record came at ROC 38 last November, at the hands of UFC vet Pat Audinwood.  The story of the fight: both guys blasted and rocked each other on the feet, with Iaquinta reflexively taking Audinwood down and soon finding himself stuck in a tight armbar from the guard.  That's it.  Shit happens, and the Serra/Longo fighter got caught.

-Iaquinta was long considered one of the Northeast's best 155-pound fighters before he got the call for TUF - he was a ROC champ, after all.  Coincidentally, he was supposed to appear on an earlier season of the show, but got sidelined with a shoulder injury that was sustained when HE FOUGHT AN ACTUAL FUCKING RHINOCEROS.  Seriously, google it.  It was in Newsday.  Escaped from the Long Island Game Farm.

Kneel Before Your New Media Personality of the Year

Hey, guess what?  There's a newly-formed New Jersey State Martial Arts Hall of Fame, and yours truly has been named "Media Personality of the Year" for the inaugural class.  According to the event's website (http://njmmaawards.com/?page_id=2), the awards dinner will be held at the Crowne Plaza hotel complex in the Meadowlands on December 7.  I am both flattered and honored to have been considered, but now that I've won, I have this to say to my fellow journalists: KNEEL BEFORE ME.  KNEEL BEFORE YOUR NEW GOD.  Ahem.  The other categories and their winners include a lifetime achievement award for Lou Neglia, MMA Fighter of the Year for Frankie Edgar, MMA Trainer of the Year for Mike Constantino, MMA Referee of the Year for Dan Miragliotta - all told, there's actually twenty categories and winners. 

Here's a sweet quote from the organization's website: "This truly is a historical moment in our State's combat sports history as our intent is to have the New Jersey State Martial Arts Hall of Fame continue for many years and serve as a record for those outstanding individuals involved in martial arts in our State."

Huzzah.

Observations from My Couch: Bellator/UFC 146 Mash-Up

-I've given Cole Konrad a ton of crap for being boring, but he got the job done fast and easy.  Props to him.  Now if only Bellator had a worthy challenger...

-Rick Hawn was clearly the best fighter in the Season Six lightweight tournament.  How will he do against champ Mike Chandler?  Hard to say, but it should be fun to watch.

-Finally we got to see Glover Teixeira strut his stuff in the Octagon.  Finally.  Was it worth the wait?  I'll let you know after he repeats that feat against someone a level higher than Kyle Kingsbury on the food chain.

-I'm still not convinced Dan Hardy is capable of stopping takedowns and getting man-blanketed, but at least we got to see him score another knockout.

-I was shocked that Mayhem Miller went out like that against CB Dollaway.  Seems like Father Time has claimed another.

-I don't hate TUF, but the vehicle is played out like crazy, so seeing a TUF winner get handled in the Octagon always gives me a modicum of pleasure I normally don't get when a particular fighter loses.  That said, boy did Diego Brandao whiff on that softball!

-Stefan Struve did what he needed to do to get the "W".  However, slugging it out with Lavar Johnson would've been all kinds of awesome.

-Sad to see Shane del Rosario completely forget all that grappling he used when he defeated Johnson back in Strikeforce.  Sad to see.

-I'm asking this in all seriousness: is Roy Nelson homeless?

-Yeah, Cain Velasquez is a killer.  I thought I was watching a Friday the 13th movie in there.

-Frank Mir may have lost, but he still got an impressive collection of dismembered limbs hanging in his den.

-One of the best, most satisfying things about MMA is when you're proven wrong.  Jamie Varner proved me (and most of the world) wrong.  By coming back from obscurity, seizing his big chance in the Octagon and taking out Edson Barboza in impressive fashion, the dude is a stone-cold hero.  And with that win, Varner has fueled the hopes and dreams of countless minor league players dying for their own shot.

UFC 146 Preview - The Main Card

Once upon a time, UFC events had no weight classes, so everyone was either big or dead.  Then the little guys began to dilute the product, so all the heavyweight fighters worth their salt migrated to Japan to fight in freak show fights, or they gorged themselves unto death at the nearest Sizzler buffet.  Strikeforce promoter Scott Coker saw the lack of titans clashing in the cage and briefly remedied the situation with his organization's heavyweight grand prix.  But that was about ten years ago, so here we are with UFC 146, an all-heavyweight main card lineup that features just about everyone under contract with Zuffa who weighs in excess of 206 pounds.  Champ Junior dos Santos will be there, defending his belt against someone not Alistair Overeem, while a bunch of other dudes will be swinging for the fences for the first two minutes and then cuddling and breathing hard for the next thirteen.  Don't believe me?  Well, watch what happens when all these big guys battle it out in one night, one right after the other like some perverse science experiment.  Statistically, we should see 1.5 exciting fights, two "meh" fights, and two fights that will make us miss the days when John Hess came out eye-gouging and Scott Ferrozzo wore a cape.  Preview time.

-Junior dos Santos vs. Frank Mir - Up to and including the bout where he won the belt, dos Santos has been knocking fools into a realm of foolishness that far exceeds the normal levels of foolishness human beings can legitimately function at.  In some alternate universe where no one cares about performance-enhancing drugs, the Brazilian will be facing the behemoth Dutchman Overeem on Saturday night.  But alas, in this world, dos Santos gets to take on former champ and eternal stud Mir, who, in his last trip to the cage ripped Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira's arm off and threw it into the audience.  Can dos Santos KO Mir on the feet?  Fo sheezy.  However, if that scrap goes to the ground, someone is going to need surgery to get a limb reattached - and it won't be Mir.

-Cain Velasquez vs. Antonio Silva - Velasquez was recently champ but got murked with a quickness and now the UFC title belongs to someone else.  Silva mashed Fedor in the Strikeforce grand prix thingy, then met Daniel Cormier and got his dome dented in.  Where does that leave us?  With two giants who don't want to lose, who will never be king, and who can still retain some of their scariness if they perform.  If he's not dealing with any nagging injuries, I see Velasquez outworking Silva and pecking away until the Brazilian crumbles.  If there are injuries in the equation, hugfest.

-Roy Nelson vs. Dave Herman - At some point between winning TUF and when dos Santos used him as a punching bag, success for Nelson was no longer measured in wins but in the amount of punishment he could endure.  Like, "Wow, that Nelson, he looked great in there getting beaten retarded."  Okay, that's fine, the world needs resilient gatekeepers, but that kind of career does not lend itself toward longevity.  Thankfully, Nelson isn't facing anyone who will rip off his head on Saturday night.  In fact, he's only facing Herman, who thus far has yet to perform up to expectations in two trips into the Octagon.  I can see Nelson getting the decision here, or even scoring a TKO.

-Shane del Rosario vs. Stipe Miocic - Del Rosario was the hottest heavyweight prospect coming out of Strikeforce Challengers, but a drunk driver and back injury put him on ice for a year, so now he gets a comeback fight against a tough boxer/wrestler hybrid in Miocic.  Based on how easily del Rosario handled Lavar Johnson last year, I'm picking him to handle Miocic as well.  Unfortunately, with back injuries, you never know.  There's a very real chance del Rosario will take two steps, tumble to the canvas wincing in pain, and demand to go on workman's compensation.

-Lavar Johnson vs. Stefan Struve - Johnson.  KO.  All fucking day.

Bloody Elbow is Killing It

And by "killing it", I mean posting two kick-ass articles that are worthy of your time.  Check 'em out here: http://www.bloodyelbow.com/2012/5/24/3041300/mma-fighter-in-prison-interview and http://www.bloodyelbow.com/2012/5/24/3039815/ufc-mma-legalization-new-york.

UFC 146 Preview - The Undercard

There's a UFC this weekend.  A big one, in fact.  Literally, by sheer poundage alone, it's freakin' massive.  You see, the main card features five heavyweight bouts, which is a matchmaking ploy we haven't seen since, well, since Strikeforce started their tournament thingy last year.  Anyway, big fighters, big fun, yips.  But now isn't the time for an examination of all that.  No, now is the time for a look at the undercard, which will air on Facebook and FX and feature normal-sized humans in the cage.  Now, given that my wife will be in Amsterdam and I'll be tasked with watching my daughter, that means I'll only get to pay half attention to the following bouts.  So here's a "half attention to" preview.

-Diego Brandao vs. Darren Elkins - Brandao hits hard, submits hard, won TUF and presumably bought his mom a house or dishwasher or new ironing board or something with his winnings.  Elkins is - HEY!  EMMY!  PUT DOWN THAT DAMN MEAT CLEAVER - IT IS NOT A TOY!

-Edson Barboza vs. Jamie Varner - Barboza entered the UFC an ace striker and has evolved further into some sort of homo superior with the ability to fight like Neo from the "Matrix".  Varner... Varner was a WEC champ ages ago, but has fallen so far off the cliff of dangerousness he'd be a greater threat to Barboza if he was simply his masseuse.  Seriously, does Joe Silva want Varner to die?

-"Mayhem" Miller vs. CB Dolloway - Mayhem shit the bed hard against Michael Bisping, so here's a softball in the form of TUF almost-was Dolloway, who couldn't fight his way out - NO, EMMY, YOU CANNOT TRY CIGARETTES.  YOU ARE ONLY FOUR-YEARS OLD FOR CHRIST'S SAKE.

-Dan Hardy vs. Duane Ludwig - Wow, these guys are still employed?  Actually, I can see how Ludwig still has a job, because he's been an improbable ass-kicker of late.  But Hardy sucks harder than a Dyson Vacuum. 

-Jacob Volkmann vs. Paul Sass - This fight isn't happening.  The Secret Service is going to gank Volkmann long before he makes it to the cage.  EM, GUESS WHAT HAPPENS WHEN YOU THREATEN THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES?  THAT'S RIGHT, YOU GET A TIMEOUT.

-Glover Teixeira vs. Kyle Kingsbury - Man, I've been wanting to see Teixeira fight in the Octagon for quite a few years.  Unfortunately, the feeling passed about two years ago, so him finally getting a visa and coming in to face Kingsbury thrills me about as much as the prospect of sitting through my daughter's chaotic Sunday morning T-ball lesson where the kids run wild and the adults look like fools.

-Mike Brown vs. Daniel Pineda - Former WEC champ Mike Brown, eh?  EM, NEVER MIND.  BRING ME THOSE CIGARETTES.