Crappy UCL Pics

UCL Postscript - "Night of a Thousand Headbutts"

HDNet's Inside MMA came out to yesterday's installment of the Underground Combat League, and if they were hoping to capture some of the grittiest, nastiest, gnarliest fighting ever, they had to have been happy.  There were TKOs and submissions, trash talk and bad blood, and in the main event - which took place under vale tudo rules (i.e., almost anything goes) - there were enough concussive headbutts to make former Senator John McCain's "human cockfighting" derogatory phrase seem like the understatement of the millennium.  Highlights of the event included:

• The blazing battle between UCL vet Jerome Mickle and newcomer Jarro Israel.  Though they seemed evenly matched at first, Mickle's fists began poking holes through Israel's defenses, until finally he dropped the rookie with a right and TKO'd him on the ground with another right.
• The no-nonsense Daniel Ramos, who handled his business with Jeet Kune Do stylist Justin Smith with a slam and choke at 21 seconds.
• The technical war between Nico Augusto and Matt Ward.  Displaying a shitload of ability and heart, Ward escaped some seriously inescapable finishing holds.  Eventually, though, Augusto caught him, with the end coming via rear naked choke in the second round.
• Donning his traditional gi and black belt for the marquee bout, promoter Peter Storm stepped into the ring to face veteran fighter Jonathan Rodriguez in a match-up that was colored with a ton of bad blood.  Things got ugly and they got ugly quick, and they got even uglier when Storm started headbutting - a turn of events that prompted both men to exchange the taboo technique like Wall Street brokers trading stocks on the New York Stock Exchange floor.  At the end of the first round Storm almost caught Rodriguez with a heelhook, but Round 2 saw things come to a violent conclusion, with Rodriguez stunning him with a headbutt and pounding him out for the TKO on the ground. Ten years of covering the UCL, and this one was clearly the nastiest bout of all time (accidental leg breaks aside).

Crappy Elite Cage Challenge Pics

Elite Cage Challenge Postscript

While y'all were taking in UFC 154 and the return of some bald Canuck named Georges St. Pierre, I was a dutiful soldier en route to an event called Elite Cage Challenge in Yonkers (Yonkers is 'hood just north of New York City limits).  My expectations: amateur MMA, which in New Jersey means fighting with gloves and shinpads, and prohibitions against kicks to the head and ground and pound.  Well, imagine my (pleasant) surprise when - within a cage set up in the middle of a gymnasium in a YMCA - fighters fought like pros.  The lone discernible nod to their amateur status was the three-minute time limit on the rounds.  Other than that, THEY WERE BANGING, BRO.  Yeah, the inaugural Elite Cage Challenge rocked.  And although the next one should be taking place under soon-to-be adopted New Jersey-esque amateur rules, hey, Elite Cage Challenge, at least we had last night.  Highlights of the event included:

• Greg Styles of Westchester Martial Arts, who stole the show with a dominant 46-second TKO over Josh Santiago with three soul-crushing suplexes, one right after the other.  It was simply amazing, and Styles' post-fight victory celebration included shouting "Who's the baddest?" and his corner responding with "Sho' nuff!"  That right there redefines the phrase "full of win".
• The gutsy performance by MAK Fitness femme Carolina Lopez.  Lopez got put on her butt in the opening exchange with Jess O'Brien, but she rallied back to whither O'Brien with punches at 2:40 of the first round.
• The human steamroller known as Dioego Machado of Jiu-Jitsu Concepts.  It took a mere 33 seconds for him to get opponent Melton Savory down and put him away with punches from the mount.  Good stuff.  Very good stuff.
• The war between Dungeon Fight Club rep Cody Hogan and Juliano Zanetti of MAK Fitness.  They battled into the third round, and after landing everything from knees to punches to a spinning backfist, Hogan was able to TKO Zanetti on the ground at 2:00 of Round 3.

Crappy Muay Thai at the Mecca II Pics

Muay Thai at the Mecca II Postscript

TakeOn returned to Madison Square Garden on Saturday night, and with the kickboxing promotion came a 13-bout event, 2,862 screaming fans,and all sorts of Muay Thai goodness.  With the Northeast's recent weather troubles forcing the postponement of CFFC and ROC's shows in New Jersey, a healthy dose of combat sports was just what the doctor ordered - and just what Muay Thai at the Mecca II provided.  Highlights of the night included:

• The war of attrition between Westchester MMA's Sean Fagan and Mushin MMA's Joey Hernandez. Hernandez was rock solid early on, but Fagan wore him down, and when the fifth round rolled around he ended Hernandez's campaign for the 145-pound title with a dominant TKO.
• Team Renzo's Elijah Clarke, who employed a monstrous reach and a world of confidence to cruise to a unanimous decision over Team Kamikaze's Angel Flores.
• The unwavering onslaught of Team Renzo's Steve Hernandez.  Challenging champ Ariel Abreu of Camp Undefeated for the belt, Hernandez resisted being drawn into a brawl - which is Abreu's bread and butter.  Instead, he remained calm and crisp, and took the clear-cut decision when time expired.
• Sitan stud Jay Matias, who ran right through Janjira Muay Thai's Cody Moberly like Moberly wasn't even there, and ended it all with a KO via flying knee.
• If a slobberknocker can be considered technical, then that's what Italy's Angelo Campoli and Sitan's Eddie Martinez had.  For five rounds the two went back and forth, and though Martinez racked up the points to garner the unanimous decision, Campoli sure as hell didn't make it easy for him.
• Tarek Rached's quick and sudden finish over UFC vet Ryan Madigan.  The Sitan rep seemed unfazed by Madigan's star status, and wasted no time nailing him with a kick that took out Madigan's knee right at the bell at the end of the first.  Good stuff.

Crappy MUSU Pics

MUSU Postscript

There was another installment of Manup Standup on Saturday, and the event - which blends raw and unsanctioned combat with some heavy kung fu/Wu-Tang Clan flavor - had no shortage of up-close and personal violence.  New York's recent weather woes seemed to have thinned out the audience, but everyone who stepped up to fight was game, so it was definitely worthwhile.  Highlights of the event included:

• Jerry from Utah, who repped some form of kung fu but ultimately was all about wrestling and slams.  He took out Paul the ninja (seriously, a ninja) in his first fight, then went on to take the decision over Wendell the Humble Buddha later.
• The scrap between Yahuda and the White Taoist.  Sporting full robes while he fought, Yahuda seemed to meet every fistic challenge the White Taoist put before him with skill and determination, and after a significant amount of groundfighting, the White Taoist fell in the second round.
• MUSU champ DJ (real name: Darrell Johnson), who faced Mike from Harlem in a rematch and beat him more convincingly this time around thanks to a tap out via guillotine.  Thus far, every time I've seen DJ fight he's won, so I asked him afterwards when he plans on trying out MMA competition.  His answer: the next UCL.  Oh hells yeah.

From the Department of "Dang!"

This just in from the Department of "Dang!": The fourth annual MMA World Expo that was slated to take place at the Javits Center the first weekend of December has been rescheduled for February 16 and 17.  Blame the hurricane, blame the Fates, blame whoever you want - the sad truth is that this move postpones the amateur MMA tournaments that were supposed to go down.  And that bums me out.

Badass Kevin Roddy Article is Badass

Here's a fantastic piece on veteran Northeast fighter Kevin Roddy, who was supposed to fight at CFFC on November 3 but ended up grappling with some trollop named Sandy.

Boy, That Was Some Hurricane...

Yeah, so, hurricane, clobbered New York and especially New Jersey.  My Internet was down for a week, while many other lost their homes and worldly possessions and whatnot.  Not that my situation even compares, but it definitely sucked all around (and still does for most).  Anyway, here's some ripple-effect from the storm:

• The Cage Fury Fighting Championships event that was supposed to take place at the Borgata in Atlantic City on Saturday, November 3, was moved to November 24.  In theory.  We'll see how much Atlantic City recovers between now and then.
• The Ring of Combat scheduled for November 16 in Atlantic City has been moved to January.  The amateur MMA show Lou Neglia was going to do in Rahway on November 17 has been rescheduled for December 8.
• UFC middleweight contender Chris Weidman lost his home on Long Island.
• The Aggressive Combat Championships show that was slated for November 3 on Long Island was postponed to December 1.
• Veteran kickboxer Chris Romulo's Muay Thai gym in the Rockaways did not fare well in the storm.  It needs to be rebuilt.

Scenes from the Abu Dhabi Jiu-Jitsu Pro Trials in NYC

Yes, I went to a Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu tournament in Queens yesterday.  Yes, I followed around HoneyBadger88.  Yes, it's for an article that will appear on VICE and you're going to have to wait to read about it.  But in the meantime, here are some pics.

What You Should Know About Jeff Blatnick

From the desk of NJSACB honcho Nick Lembo:

What You Should Know About Jeff Blatnick


On Wednesday, October 24, 2012, the MMA community lost one of the sport's founding fathers. He was 55. He is survived by his wife Lori, his daughter Niki, and his son Ian.

Jeff was a well regarded professional MMA judge and judge trainer with the New Jersey ACB as well as a licensed referee here.

He had judged UFC and other major events in Calgary, Kentucky, Louisiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Mohegan Sun, Nebraska, New Jersey, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Toronto and Virginia.

But there was so much more, whenever you say the words "mixed martial arts", think of Jeff Blatnick. He is the person who coined that term. He explained on a broadcast that the "athletes were mixing the martial arts.". He would urge people to stop calling the sport No Holds Barred, in order to help it grow and gain acceptance.

He served as a commentator for 29 UFC events (UFC 4- UFC 32). He was named Commissioner of the UFC at UFC 17.

Blatnick drafted the UFC's Mixed Martial Arts Council (MMAC) manual while serving as that body’s chair. He was a critical party involved with the drafting of the sport's unified rules.

He was a tireless advocate attempting to get MMA legalized in his home state of New York, quietly meeting with legislators and those with influence.

Born in Niskayuna, New York, Blatnick became a high school wrestling champion in 1975. He never wrestled prior to being convinced to start by his high school coach who needed a heavyweight in 1973.

He then earned a pair of NCAA Division II wrestling titles in 1978 and 1979 while attending Springfield College in Massachusetts. He was a three time All-American. At that time, Division II athletes could advance to Division I nationals, Blatnick placed third and sixth in two visits there.

Blatnick was the 1980 and 1981 AAU super heavyweight wrestling champion.

He was a three time national champion in Greco-Roman, won eight Greco-Roman All-American awards, two World Cup medals, and two Freestlye All-American honors.

Blatnick made the 1980 Olympic Wrestling team but didn't compete due to the United States’ boycott of those Games held in Moscow.


In 1982, Jeff was diagnosed with Hodgkin’s lymphoma. He said, "if you can win in adversity, you can win anywhere."

After fighting radiation treatments and having both his spleen and appendix removed, he battled through to make the 1984 Olympic wrestling team and win the gold medal. The first Gold medal for an American heavyweight in Greco-Roman history.

Video link:

http://m.youtube.com/watch?gl=US&hl=en&client=mv-google&v=tFyKv0QBkEI


Blatnick was chosen by his teammates as the representative to carry the American flag at the closing of the 1984 Olympic ceremonies.

Of that, Jeff stated, "If I didn't have cancer, nobody would know who I was, not a lot of wrestlers make the news."

Blatnick never set out to be an Olympian, it was simply about giving his best every time he stepped on the mat.

He stated "I learn to win by learning to lose, that means not afraid of losing."

Blatnick retired from wrestling in 1988 after a second bout with cancer.

He served on USA Wrestling's Board of Directors.

He continued on as a coach of the Burnt Hills High School wrestling team and the Journeyman wrestling club.

He worked as a wrestling analyst for NBC for the 1988, 1992, 1996 and 2000 Olympics. He also was a commentator for ESPN's coverage of the NCAA Division 1 wrestling tournament.

He was inducted into the National Wrestling Hall of Fame in 1999.

He was appointed by President Clinton to the President's Council on Fitness and Sport at a Rose Garden Ceremony.

He was also an honorary coach with the New York Special Olympics and very active with the American Cancer Society.


-Nick Lembo

Rest in Peace Jeff Blatnick

The sport of MMA lost one of its pioneers today, and I lost a friend.  Jeff Blatnick passed away due to complications from heart surgery - a sudden turn of events that has left those who knew him shocked and saddened.  Here's the piece I wrote on him for CagePotato.  Rest in peace, Jeff.  You will be missed.

November Bouts That Will Bring the Awesome

Howdy folks.  Yes, it's been a while.  But if absence makes the heart grow fonder, you must fucking love me now.  Anyway, October hasn't had much to offer by way of local fights, but November... November is going to be a doozy.  ("Doozy"?  Who talks like that?)  So what bouts should you care about?  Glad you asked.  The following list contains the ones I predict will bring the awesome.

• Chris Liguori vs. Luiz Azeredo, CFFC 19, November 3 in Atlantic City - "The Story" gets a crack at a Cage Fury Fighting Championship belt, and the UFC vet with a million fights will be clashing with a PRIDE vet with a million fights to earn that strap.  Liguori pretty much brings it all, and in Azeredo he'll be facing a guy who literally puts the "Brazilian" in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu.
• Artur Rofi vs. Lester Caslow, CFFC 19, November 3 in Atlantic City - You know you're getting old when Caslow has evolved from young buck to grizzled veteran and newer, younger bucks are in line to beat him for a championship title.  But I am old, and a title is on the line here and the newer, younger buck in question is Rofi, who's been employing incredibly sharp and incredibly frenetic jiu-jitsu to put opponents away quick.  This bout has got "awesome" written all over it in big, bold letters.
• DJ vs. Mike from Harlem, MUSU, November 10 in New York City - Manup Standup's brand of kung fu-flavored underground fighting has really grown on me, and this installment will be headlined by a clash between reigning champ DJ and challenger Mike from Harlem.  DJ is tall, lanky and reps Baguezhang (which makes him kind of a "stick and mover"), while Mike is a bull and a Jeet Kune Do stylist whose last few wins have all come by submission.  DJ took the decision the first time they met when Mike gassed (to be fair, Mike had fought two or three times in the two hours leading up to the bout), so this match-up's got storyline.
• Jay Matias vs. Cody Moberly, Muay Thai at the Mecca, November 10 in New York City - Despite the fact that Matias beat my boy Doug Ahammer (a.k.a. "Lionheart" of the UCL), he's still a likable and ultra-talented Muay Thai fighter.  At Take-On's second show at Madison Square Garden, he'll be facing some kid from Kansas, so expect some Wizard of Oz and Toto jokes from me on Twitter that night.
• Ryan LaFlare vs. James Brasco, ROC 43, November 16 in Atlantic City - I don't know nor do I care who Brasco is, but LaFlare is an elite badass mofo and former ROC champ who's been sidelined with an injury for the past couple years and is finally making his return, and fuck yeah!  LaFlare's got killer jiu-jitsu, knockout boxing, and an unblemished record that goes all the way back to a UCL fight in Queens.  Did I already say "fuck yeah"?  'Cause I'd like to stress that.
• Greg Soto vs. Elijah Harshbarger, ROC 43, November 16 in Atlantic City - Soto is a UFC vet and former CFFC champ, and he's been a dominant force in the Northeast scene since back when Ed Hsu was promoting shows (which is practically ancient history).  Harshbarger is a tough cat who very nearly put away Pete Sell, so this one should be pretty rough and tumble - up to the point where Soto tears out Harshbarger's spine and yells "Fatality!"
• Deividas Taurosevicius vs. Frank Caraballo, ROC 43, November 16 in Atlantic City - If I remind you that DT has fought in everything from the IFL to the WEC and is a ROC champ, I'd just be rehashing the same old same old, so let me just reiterated that the dude is awesome.  Caraballo is supposedly some killer from Ohio, but DT... DT is a stud.
• Peter Storm vs. Jonathan Rodriguez, UCL, Sorry I can't tell you where or when - The man behind the UCL will be pitting his judo top game against the top-notch jiu-jitsu stylings of Rodriguez, and if their back and forth on Facebook is of any indication, there's some serious beef going into this bout (like, a full Texas Longhorn, all mooing and shit).  Hey, as long as the heat is confined to the ring and no one in the audience is hit by stray gunfire, it should be great.  But isn't that true of any MMA show?

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