Friday, October 21, 2011
Thursday, October 20, 2011
Another RAW COMBAT Review
Anil Melwani, the "official" photographer of the NYC underground fight scene, read an advance copy of RAW COMBAT, and posted a review of it on his site (go here -http://www.mma.us/2011/10/20/raw-combat-a-book-about-real-underground-mma/). Definitely check it out, as Anil's got all the pics you could ever want of that whole illicit world, but here's what he had to say:
"Decades from now, long after MMA has been sanctioned and 'legalized' in New York State, the tales and history of the mysterious and hidden world of Underground MMA would have long been forgotten … but for this fucking book right here. Having personally attended and photographed just about every NYUCL show since the beginning of the promotion (I was originally tipped off to its existance by Genia himself), I can say without hesitation that Jim Genia has masterfully illustrated the smokey and hard hitting nuances surrounding the gritty unforgiving world of Underground Mixed Martial Arts in New York City.
Genia takes you through the emotional and brain bruising journeys of some of the East Coast’s most and least promising MMA athletes, including Frankie Edgar, current LW Champion of the UFC who had his first fight in Peter Storm’s Underground Show. Quick witted and deadly accutate this quintessential story of northeast MMA is a must-read for any fan of MMA and/or Human Cockfighting."
"Decades from now, long after MMA has been sanctioned and 'legalized' in New York State, the tales and history of the mysterious and hidden world of Underground MMA would have long been forgotten … but for this fucking book right here. Having personally attended and photographed just about every NYUCL show since the beginning of the promotion (I was originally tipped off to its existance by Genia himself), I can say without hesitation that Jim Genia has masterfully illustrated the smokey and hard hitting nuances surrounding the gritty unforgiving world of Underground Mixed Martial Arts in New York City.
Genia takes you through the emotional and brain bruising journeys of some of the East Coast’s most and least promising MMA athletes, including Frankie Edgar, current LW Champion of the UFC who had his first fight in Peter Storm’s Underground Show. Quick witted and deadly accutate this quintessential story of northeast MMA is a must-read for any fan of MMA and/or Human Cockfighting."
Weekend Schedule
There's a lot of MMA on tap this weekend if you live in the Northeast and aren't afraid to trek to Philly and Atlantic City. Case in point: me. I am totally cool with taking the train wherever the rails lead to, if, at the end of the line, there's MMA there. For instance...
-Locked in the Cage on Friday night in the City of Brotherly Love, which, with the likes of Nick Cottone and Lamont Lister on the roster and Paul Miles spinning the matchmaking turntables, is worth checking out.
-The MMA & Sports Expo at the Resorts Casino in Atlantic City on Friday and Saturday. It's an expo so there's vendors and tons of stuff to do and check out - can you dig it?
-The Cage Fury Fighting Championship on Saturday night at the Resorts Casino. Eddie Fyvie and Sean Santella are featured in the marquee bouts, so that's going to be a big plate of awesome.
-The Take On Muay Thai Show at Bally's in Atlantic City, also on Saturday night. Normally a top-notch New York-based promotion, Take On takes the show on the road for a kickboxing extravaganza.
So yeah, good weekend ahead. Stock up on Clif Bars and make a trip of it.
-Locked in the Cage on Friday night in the City of Brotherly Love, which, with the likes of Nick Cottone and Lamont Lister on the roster and Paul Miles spinning the matchmaking turntables, is worth checking out.
-The MMA & Sports Expo at the Resorts Casino in Atlantic City on Friday and Saturday. It's an expo so there's vendors and tons of stuff to do and check out - can you dig it?
-The Cage Fury Fighting Championship on Saturday night at the Resorts Casino. Eddie Fyvie and Sean Santella are featured in the marquee bouts, so that's going to be a big plate of awesome.
-The Take On Muay Thai Show at Bally's in Atlantic City, also on Saturday night. Normally a top-notch New York-based promotion, Take On takes the show on the road for a kickboxing extravaganza.
So yeah, good weekend ahead. Stock up on Clif Bars and make a trip of it.
Wednesday, October 19, 2011
Seems David Mamet is All For Legalizing MMA in New York - I Think
Today's New York Post has an op-ed by David Mamet in which he decries the criminalization of MMA in New York and calls for its sanctioning. I think. Like all Mamet works (his plays - I did not see "Redbelt"), there's big, fancy words and stuff that make my say "whuh?". Anyway, check it out here.
Wednesday, October 12, 2011
The Fight Nerd Reviews RAW COMBAT
Matt Kaplowitz, a.k.a. "The Fight Nerd", read an advance copy of RAW COMBAT and just posted a glowing review on his site. Go here to check it out. Some choice tidbits:
- "The author writes in a bare-knuckled, no-holds-barred style that perfectly matches the raw world of underground MMA. Jim makes the experience as intimate as spending time with the actual fighters in person, inside and outside the cage or ring (and sometimes gym mats)."
- "Imagine reading Hunter S. Thompson writing about MMA, subtract the insane amount of drugs he did but leave in the clever wordplay, and there is the experience you will be reading for the next 200 pages."
- "I have read plenty of books on MMA; biographies, travel stories, encyclopedias and instructional books to name a few varieties. None of them compare to Jim Genia's 'Raw Combat: The Underground World of Mixed Martial Arts'."
Monday, October 10, 2011
The Garv Reviews RAW COMBAT
Check it out here - http://thegarv.com/Book-Review-Raw-Combat-The-Underground-World-of-Mixed-Martial-Arts.html. Some choice tidbits:
- "Jim does a fantastic job of showcasing the true warrior spirit that these underground fighters embody."
- "I've been invited to several UCL events, but for various reasons have never yet attended one. But that's okay, because this book makes the reader feel like he's right there in the arena with the fighters."
- "It is very well-written and conveys the power and attraction of combat sports in its purest and rawest form."
- "Jim reeks of machismo and is the yardstick by which men are measured."
- Okay, I added that one myself.
Sunday, October 9, 2011
From the Department of Future CFFC Fights
So MMA Journalist knows a guy who knows a guy, and he says that Chip Pollard will be defending his title against UFC veteran Greg Soto at the December 10 Cage Fury Fighting Championship. He also says Chris Liguori will be fighting Don Carlo-Clauss. I think Pollard vs. Soto is a good fight and Soto will win, but I wish Liguori would aim a little higher than Carlo-Clauss, who hasn't tasted victory since May, 2010. Oh well. At least we get to see "The Story" in action.
Thursday, October 6, 2011
Frankie Edgar Recalls His UCL Fight
On Monday's MMA Hour, Ariel Helwani spent about forty-five minutes rapping with UFC champ Frankie Edgar, and Edgar spoke a good deal about his MMA debut - which took place in the Underground Combat League back in 2005. Check it out here (it's episode 102) - http://www.mmafighting.com/mma-hour/ - it's a pretty sweet walk down memory lane.
Wednesday, October 5, 2011
More UCL Love in the Wall Street Journalist
The Wall Street Journal just can't quit reporting on the underground scene. Consider this gem from yesterday, which starts off talking about the New York State Athletic Commission asking the State Attorney General's office to investigate an unsanctioned show in Upstate New York, but somehow brings the UCL into the lurid tale. Link here - http://mobile2.wsj.com/device/article.php?CALL_URL=http://online.wsj.com/article/AP685e3d16c68e4ff0b7ecc3be14e28f28.html.
Sunday, October 2, 2011
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