NYFE 3 Primer: A Bunch of Videos From the Last Show

NEW YORK

Tomorrow night will see the third installment of the New York Fight Exchange turn a nightclub in Jamaica, Queens into a charnel house where centuries from now archaeologists will be recovering an endless supply of bones. In short, it will both violent and fun.

To get you motivated for the event, here are a bunch of videos from the last NYFE in March.

Gladius Fights Poster

NEW YORK

A Trip Down Memory Lane with Royce Gracie and Kimo

AWESOME

UFC 3 was on September 9, 1994, and Royce Gracie - a scrawny Brazilian utilizing a "new" kind of martial art to destroy everyone - was pretty much a lock to breeze through the eight-main tournament he'd dominated twice before. The only thing standing in his way was a purported Tae Kwon Do stylist who for some reason lugged a big wooden cross to the cage. No problem, right?

Heh. Turns out that Tae Kwon Do dude was Kimo, who somehow knew a thing or two about grappling, and gave ol' Royce the fight of his life.

Training Jeet Kune Do in a Basement in Harlem

NEW YORK

It seriously could be the premise of a movie. Dawadah King David is a Harlem-based instructor of Jeet Kune Do - Bruce Lee's martial art - who teaches in the basement of the projects. He also fights in the Underground Combat League. If you wanted to add drama to this flick, throw in a storyline involving either revenge or redemption (or both) and viola! You've got something for Starz or Netflix.

Anyway, here's a video of Dawadah doing his thing.

Listen to Me Rap About New York MMA on the WRHU 88.7 Morning Show

NEW YORK

Yesterday the good folks at WRHU 88.7 FM had me on as a guest on their morning radio show. What did I talk about? Mixed martial arts in New York, of course.What else would I talk about?

The 21-minute clip is posted after the jump - give it listen.

Throwback Thursday: Aggressive Shootfighting Championship - 10.30.05

NEW YORK

Jerry Mendez may be a respectable referee holding sway over what transpires in the Aggressive Combat Championship cage nowadays, but back in 2005 he was the promoter of an unsanctioned shootfighting event at a gym in Astoria. And the event was... pretty damn fun.

NYFE 3 Primer: Bantamweight Contender Elijah Punzone

NEW YORK

Elijah Punzone battled hard with a tough Eric D'Arce at the last NYFE event to earn his shot at bantamweight glory, and at Saturday's NYFE 3, he gets to scrap with fellow top contender Mike Kuhn to determine once and for all the who the organization's best is at 135 pounds.

The MMA Journalist reached out to Punzone for a quick interview, so for some insight into the 21-year-old Lake Ronkonkoma resident, read on.

Check out the Latest Episode of the East Coast MMA Show

NEW YORK

Check out the latest episode of Tom Kilkenny's East Coast MMA Show, which was recorded last night and features Tom's Aggressive Combat Championship co-promoter Eugene Perez and fighter Tevin Dyce. They're still pretty peeved at me over that Deadspin article, but that doesn't mean it isn't a good listen.

NYFE 3 Primer: Submission Machine Ozzie Perez

NEW YORK

Oswald Perez is really, really good at tapping people out. Don't believe me? Then consider this: every time he steps into the cage, he emerges with the "W" by way of armlock. That's a pretty impressive feat, and you can credit the 21-year-old Jungle Gym instructor's success on a number of things - his top-notch training background, his work ethic, his talent. But regardless of the how and why, the fact of the matter is he's getting it done, and on Saturday, at New York Fight Exchange 3, Perez will have another opportunity to get it done.

The MMA Journalist caught up with the Bronx native for a quick interview. Read on for a little insight on the submission machine.

Get Punched in the Face at Ronin Athletics

NEW YORK

Christian Montes' Ronin Athletics has long been a part of New York City's MMA instruction tapestry. And now, thanks to a video done by Business Insider, you can get an up-close and personal look at what it's like to train there without actually getting punched in the face.

AKBF Fight League Poster

NEW YORK

NYFE 3 Primer: Champ Jerome Mickle Getting Ready

NEW YORK

Jerome Mickle is one of the best welterweight fighters in New York City right now, and he's defending his New York Fight Exchange belt at NYFE on Saturday.

To motivate you to come down and watch him go to work, here's a video of "The Bull" preparing for the fight.

The Senate Bill That Could Kill Amateur MMA in New York

NEW YORK

Last month the State Senate passed their version of the bill that would lift the ban on professional MMA in New York, and as usual, the Assembly's concurrent version is languishing in limbo. I've already taken a closer look at the Senate's bill - S6502, sponsored by Senator Joseph Griffo - and given the rumbles in Albany (or lack thereof), there isn't a lot of confidence that S6502 and its sister in the Assembly are going to make it to the governor's desk for a signature this year. But there is something else, another Senate bill authored by Senator Griffo, that is worth keeping an eye on.

NYFE 3 Primer: Anthony Pipola Up Close

NEW YORK

When Queens native Anthony Pipola sets foot into the New York Fight Exchange cage on Saturday night, it will probably be one of the easiest fights he's ever had. And no, that's not because of anything to do with his opponent or what happens during the bout. It's because to get to the venue, he won't have to drive hours upon hours - like he did when trekked upstate for a fight near Buffalo, or that other time when he fought in Philadelphia.

Talking New York MMA on BK Live

NEW YORK

Last week "Sambo" Steve Koepfer and I appeared on BK Live, a show produced by Brooklyn Independent Media and filmed at their brand-spankin' new studio in Downtown Brooklyn. What did we talk about? New York MMA of course.

Watch the video after the jump.

Watch Bellator Vet Phillipe Nover Do Something Gnarly

AWESOME

Phillipe Nover has long been a cornerstone of the Northeast MMA scene - he came up through the local ranks when the local ranks were barely even established, and he's fought in the UFC and Bellator and was a runner-up on a season of The Ultimate Fighter.

The dude is also a medical professional with years of experience, so this gnarly thing he's about to do in the video... DO NOT TRY IT AT HOME.

NYFE 3 Primer: Bantamweight Contender Mike Kuhn

NEW YORK

Twenty-six-year-old West Islip native Mike Kuhn will be stepping up to the plate big time on Saturday night, as he takes on fellow top bantamweight contender Elijah Punzone at New York Fight Exchange 3 for a shiny new championship belt. 

Who is Kuhn and what's he all about? To get some insight, The MMA Journalist reached out to him, and Kuhn was gracious enough to reply. Read and enjoy.

The Latest Clip From the Gerald Javier Documentary

NEW YORK

Here's the latest clip from the documentary on Aggressive Combat Championship king Gerald Javier, courtesy of 750 Sq. Feet. Caution: there's some gnarly stuff going on with the bottom of a foot, so the video might not be for the squeamish.

A Look at the NYFE 3 Card

NEW YORK

Here's a look at next weekend's NYFE 3 card, which is slated for the Amazura Nightclub in Jamaica, Queens. I will have some fighter interviews up during the week, so consider this just a preliminary glance at what to expect.

A Bunch of Vids to Get You Psyched for Today's UFC Double-Header

UFC

History will be made today with two (!) UFC's going down in different parts of the world. UFC Fight Night Berlin starts at noon on UFC Fight Pass, and at 6:30pm the TUF Brasil 3 Finale kicks off. That's a lot of mixed martial arts.

To get you motivated, here are a bunch of videos.