Five Reasons Why This Weekend's Ring of Combat is Important

NEW JERSEY

Ring of Combat 48 is set to go down this Friday in Atlantic City, N.J., and this particular installment of the seminal Northeast MMA show is one not to be missed. Sure, it will have all the usual trappings of violence and skill, and will feature some of the best and most promising fighters the region has to offer. But ROC 48 has something else going for it in the form of five fighters whose futures could very well involve the letters "U", "F" and "C" - and who doesn't like to have a leg up on the future?

Observations From My Couch: UFC Fight Night 40

UFC

• Albert Tumenov and Justin Salas' knockout victories were cool, but if it happens on the UFC Fight Pass portion of the card, does it even count as having happened?
• Please, no more Manny Gamburyan. Please.
• Johnny Eduardo had just one way to win his bout against Eddie Wineland, and like a fool, Wineland let him find it.

A Crazy Idea: What the UFC Needs to Do Get MMA Sanctioned in New York

UFC

If the 2014 tea leaves are being read correctly, once again the New York State Senate will approve their version of the MMA bill while the Assembly will do nothing and let theirs languish and die - a familiar turn of events that leaves us in the usual position of having tons of amateur shows to go to but nothing of the pro variety.

It doesn't take a keen political analyst to see that proponents of sanctioned MMA in New York have reached an impasse in the legislature, and that it's likely some radical course correction or change in tactic is required. But what should be done exactly? And what is the underlying problem preventing New York from joining every other state in sanctioning mixed martial arts?

Battles Galore at Aggressive Combat Championship 6

NEW YORK

While the UFC was rockin' Cincinnati, O.H., with UFC Fight Night 40, New York was getting its own personal dose of caged fighting in the form of Aggressive Combat Championship 6, and with battles galore stretched out over 13 fights in the gymnasium of York College in Queens, it wasn't a bad night at all.

Your Sunday Dose of Capoeira

AWESOME

Post by Micheal Jai White.

Aggressive Combat Championship 6: Christian Medina vs. Bryant Estrada

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Aggressive Combat Championship 6: Tino Nalpantidis vs. Kenny Rayside

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Aggressive Combat Championship 6: Brandon Medina vs. Alex Valasco

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Aggressive Combat Championship 6: Danny Rodriguez vs. Issias Guera

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Aggressive Combat Championship 6: Steve Inoshima vs. Eric Reed

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Aggressive Combat Championship 6: Paul Thimote vs. Bryan Johnson

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Yeah, That Happened

AWESOME

New Jersey's favorite son Tom Gallicchio got it down at MFC 40 in Edmonton, Canada last night. The finish: his signature move, the "choke you the fuck out".

Booyah.

Q & A with Aggressive Combat Championship Boss Eugene Perez

NEW YORK

Aggressive Combat Championship 6 is the next big MMA show on deck for New York City, with an installment all set for Saturday night at York College in Jamaica, Queens. Yes, there will be fighters, both of the amateur MMA and Muay Thai variety, and a number of local schools will be well-represented.

By way of a preview, The MMA Journalist caught up with Eugene Perez - one of the men behind Aggressive - for a quick Q & A session. Enjoy!

Long-Running New Jersey MMA School Shutters Its Doors

NEW JERSEY

Sad news coming out of New Jersey, as longtime MMA coach Phil Dunlap announced on Facebook that his school - the Asylum Fight Gym - would be closing. Citing personal health concerns as the main reason, the 51-year old Dunlap stated:

Due to recent circumstances I regret to announce I am forced to close the Asylum Fight Gym / I LoveKickboxing Ramsey as it exists today.. This is the most difficult decision I ever have had to make as I feel like I am letting my family down. Events have conspired to leave me little to no options and I wish things were different.

As a practitioner of the Burmese martial arts, Dunlap and his team have been a fixture in the Northeast MMA scene since its inception. Notable fighters who have flown the AFS banner include Mark Getto, who was a Combat in the Cage champ, and Ethan Gomes and Brad Batemen, who have been making a mark on the New York amateur circuit as of late.

Bjorn Rebney on the Battle for MMA in New York: "I've Stayed Out of It"

BELLATOR

The Latin Post doesn't paint an optimistic picture of how things are going this year with the battle to get the New York State legislature to lift the pro MMA ban, but they did a great job in reaching out to Bellator frontman Bjorn Rebney to get his insight.

Everyone is well aware of Zuffa's Sisyphean efforts for the cause. But what has Bellator and Rebney done?

Miesha Tate and Dennis Bermudez Promote UFC's Anti-HIV Campaign in New York

UFC

It's not every day you get to watch two top UFC fighters take an HIV test, but at today's press conference to kick off the New York leg of the UFC's "Protect Yourself" campaign - which aims to raise awareness of the deadly disease - that's exactly what happened.

Present at the Latino Commission on AIDS' office in Manhattan were female bantamweight contender Miesha Tate and TUF runner-up Dennis Bermudez, and in the spirit of "knowing your status", they each swabbed their mouths for an HIV test. (Pro fighters, especially those in the UFC, are regularly screened for blood-borne pathogens, so Tate's and Bermudez's HIV status really is no mystery. It was a good, symbolic gesture, though.)

UFC's HIV Awareness Press Conference: Dennis Bermudez Getting Tested

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UFC's HIV Awareness Press Conference: Miesha Tate Speaking

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Throwback Thursday: Kimbo Slice and a Riot at Cage Fury Fighting Championship 5

NEW JERSEY

With a whopping 7,300 in attendance, Cage Fury Fighting Championship 5 holds the distinction of being the biggest Northeast regional show ever - and that's due in no small part to the man pictured above, who was lured into the cage to take on former boxing champ Ray Mercer for his very first MMA bout.

The June 23, 2007 CFFC installment had it all. On the undercard, there was Lyman Good, Nick Serra, Jim Miller, Deivadas Taurosevicius, Kevin Roddy and Gregor Gracie, and in the main event... KIMBO SLICE.

Beat the Streets: Bringing Wrestling to Times Square and the Masses

NEW YORK

Every day, millions of tourists flock to Times Square like moths to a flickering neon flame, attracted to the never-ending activity, the ebbing and flowing tides of strangers, and the countless costumed cartoon characters flaunting copyright laws. But yesterday, those who visited the center of the New York City universe were treated to something spectacular. That's right, I'm talking about Beat the Streets, which for years has been assembling teams of top-level American freestyle wrestlers and pitting them against a field comprised of the international elite.