Wednesday, May 7, 2014
MFC 40 Primer: Tom Gallicchio - The Man, the Myth, the Legend, Part 3
AWESOME
Tom Gallicchio is fighting at MFC 40 on Friday, and sure, a belt is up for grabs, but at the end of the day it's just another fight - of which Tom has had many. In his tenure as a Northeast fighter, he managed to win a Ring of Combat title and a Battle Cage Xtreme title, and when M-1 Global came to town, he won their grueling tournament (and turned in some epic performances along the way).
"Mixed Martial Arts Violent, Shameful" - Yeah, So?
NEW YORK
Mixed martial arts was attacked in a brief editorial in the Albany Times-Union today. The assailant: the Reverend Joseph W. Shook, who called the sports "violent" and "shameful" (yikes!). He went on to say:
Steven Greenberg, a spokesman for what the article describes as the largest MMA promoter, UFC, said, “The general public is supportive of (legalizing the professional sport in New York state). This is a mainstream sport.”
I don’t know what metric Mr. Greenberg used to conclude the general public is supportive of mixed martial arts; but, if it is true the general public is willing to pay to see the violence of MMA and calls it sport and entertainment, our society is in deep trouble.
Lyman Good to Fight at Cage Fury Fighting Championships in June
NEW JERSEY
#CFFC 36 main event will be @LymanGood vs. @secormatthew at the Mennen Arena on June 21st! @AMAFightClub @RobHaydak
— Arias Garcia Jr. (@CFFCariasGarcia) May 7, 2014
Tuesday, May 6, 2014
The Struggle is Real: Kid Muay Thai Edition
AWESOME
The struggle is real for fighters, who day in and day out must battle the demons within that drive them to seek sustenance in conflict, and who must battle the demons without who want to kick their asses. This is true of UFC athletes, of local part-time competitors, and - in Thailand - it's true of the kids.
The poor kids. The poor, poor kids.
The poor kids. The poor, poor kids.
MFC 40 Primer: Tom Gallicchio - The Man, the Myth, the Legend, Part 2
AWESOME
Tom Gallicchio is fighting for a lightweight belt at MFC 40 on Friday. Since his MMA debut eight years ago, Tom has won 18 out of 26 fights, and of those 18 wins, 11 were via rear naked choke. In January he was awarded his black belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. Can you say, "About freakin' time"?
UFC Fight Night 40 Primer: Rafael Natal in Action
UFC
When last we saw Rafael "Sapo" Natal, he was on the losing end of a fistfight against Tim Kennedy at UFC: Fight for the Troops 3 in November. But he's back in the cage this Saturday for UFC Fight Night 40, and the former Ring of Combat champ with the jiu-jitsu black belt and heavy hands headlines the prelim portion of the card opposite Ed Herman.
In honor of Sapo's stature as an accomplished Northeast badass, here's some examples of his early work. Enjoy.
In honor of Sapo's stature as an accomplished Northeast badass, here's some examples of his early work. Enjoy.
Monday, May 5, 2014
Witness the Future of MMA
AWESOME
In the future, martial styles once labeled as esoteric will reemerge in the crucible of MMA combat anew. They will be an art transformed, adapted to the science of fighting in the cage as we know it, and its proponents - like the man in the following video - will seamlessly mesh traditions like kung fu and jiu-jitsu to reach new levels of effectiveness.
Also, the theme from the "Terminator" will constantly be playing in the background.
Also, the theme from the "Terminator" will constantly be playing in the background.
MFC 40 Primer: Tom Gallicchio - The Man, the Myth, the Legend, Part 1
AWESOME
Tom Gallicchio - a New Jersey-bred fighter who turned West Coaster to join Team Quest - will step into the cage on Friday at Maximum Fighting Championship 40 for a rematch with Kurt Southern, and it's likely Gallicchio isn't going to be taken lightly this time around. You see, when "Da Tank" and Southern first clashed back in January, many assumed that the lightweight belt that was at stake was going to go home with the Canadian fighter. But then Gallicchio choked Southern the fuck out, and, well, you know how that goes.
Battle Rock 1: Top Notch Muay Thai in a Rock-Solid Part of the City
NEW YORK
Much has been said about the resilience of the Rockaways and Chris Romulo's Muay Thai gym, both of which took a serious lickin' from Hurricane Sandy and - like a battered and bruised kickboxer answering the bell for another round - have bounced back to scrap and scrap hard. But nothing beats seeing things with your own eyes, so on Friday I trekked out to that part of New York City that Mother Nature just couldn't beat, and within the confines of a packed gymnasium at Beach Channel High School, I witnessed firsthand what it means to truly endure and fight on.
Sunday, May 4, 2014
UFC Fight Night 40 Primer: Erick Silva Killing a Dude
UFC
When he's not get clobbered himself, Erick Silva is a pretty dangerous individual. Which is probably why he's headlining UFC Fight Night 40 on May 10 opposite Matt Brown, and definitely why the UFC made this video of one of his older fights available.
Watch if you enjoy reveling in sudden violence and the pain of others.
Watch if you enjoy reveling in sudden violence and the pain of others.
Watch Joel De Jesus Kick Ass at Battle Rock
NEW YORK
I'm still working on the write-up for last night's Battle Rock Muay Thai show in Rockaway Beach, but to tide you over (yes, oceanic pun intended), here's Chok Sabai rep Joel De Jesus making Ashenefre Edmund regret his choice to ever step into the ring.
Other than two inadvertent knees to the junk, De Jesus looked pretty smooth and technical. Edmund looked... battered.
Other than two inadvertent knees to the junk, De Jesus looked pretty smooth and technical. Edmund looked... battered.
Saturday, May 3, 2014
Observations From My Couch: Bellator 118
BELLATOR
- It's amazing that this far into his career Kevin Roddy has finally figured out how to mesh endless striking with endless cardio and rely very little on his jiu-jitsu.
- Lester Caslow and Darrion Caldwell both looked fantastic and deadly with their subs. Who do we have to talk to about getting them to fight each other?
- I remember when Ryan Contaldi was a considered a tough up-and-comer in the Northeast like it was yesterday. But it wasn't yesterday, it was 2010.
Friday, May 2, 2014
Bellator 118 Primer: Former Teen Sensation Lester Caslow
BELLATOR
There was a time when Lester Caslow would step into the cage and teenage girls would swoon. But time has passed and we're all older now, and I'm pretty sure the swooning is done by full-grown adult females. Anyway, like his pal Kevin Roddy, Caslow has been in the game for years - seven to be exact - and he's long been a staple of the Northeast circuit.
At tonight's Bellator 118, Caslow gets to bang it out with Jay Haas in a rematch (Caslow submitted him in their first clash), so here's some insight into what you can expect.
At tonight's Bellator 118, Caslow gets to bang it out with Jay Haas in a rematch (Caslow submitted him in their first clash), so here's some insight into what you can expect.
Bellator 118 Primer: The Great Kevin Roddy
BELLATOR
Bellator 118 is tonight at the Revel Casino in Atlantic City, N.J., and though I won't be going to the event, I certainly will be watching it. After all, the card is jam-packed with a ton of local fighters - not the least of which is Kevin Roddy.
"K-Rod" has a career that spans 30 fights over the course of the last nine years, and aside from the UFC, he's pretty much fought in every organization that's come to the Northeast, including Strikeforce and M-1 Global. He's also the coolest, nicest dude you could ever meet, and in terms of skills... well, watch the following videos.
"K-Rod" has a career that spans 30 fights over the course of the last nine years, and aside from the UFC, he's pretty much fought in every organization that's come to the Northeast, including Strikeforce and M-1 Global. He's also the coolest, nicest dude you could ever meet, and in terms of skills... well, watch the following videos.
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