UFC Fight Night 36's Northeast MMA Connection

UFC


Not that you would need any convincing, but there's a very good reason to tune in to UFC Fight Night 36 tomorrow night on FOX Sports 1. Sure, Lyoto Machida and Gegard Mousasi are going to throw down, and presumably dance for five rounds or fuck each other up (I'm hoping for the latter). But tucked away earlier in the card, as one half of the first bout on the FOX Sports 1 broadcast, is Charles Oliveira. Yup, the same Charles Oliveira who beat Dom Stanco at ROC 24 to win the lightweight belt.

Small world, huh?

Anyway, here's a video of the UFC Fight Night 36 weigh-ins.

For Your Viewing Pleasure, A New York Fight Exchange 1 Highlight Video

NEW YORK


Some organizations get off to a rocky start, some make all the right moves coming out of the gate. New York Fight Exchange, which held their debut event at a nightclub in Jamaica, Queens, in October, did everything right. From solid production value to strong matchmaking to a thrilling main event, the NYFE had it all - which they'll hope to replicate when they return to the Amazura Concert Hall on March 15.

Here's a highlight vid from their last show.

Flashback: Eddie Fyvie vs. Jay Haas at CFFC 24

NEW JERSEY


Everyone gets old, even the 20-something lightweights who show all the promise in the world.

A few years ago, Upstate New York native Eddie Fyvie was a well-rounded, technical fighter who could submit guys just as easily as knock them out, and he was poised to do great things in the Northeast circuit. But injuries and such slowed him down, and adding Father Time to the equation - which makes even the best lose half a step - made chasing that elusive win that much harder.

Anyway, here's his CFFC 24 bout against Jay Haas, which took place on May 11, 2013. Believe me when I say the Fyvie of 2008 would've made for a very different outcome.

Ring of Combat: Crunching the Numbers

NEW JERSEY

Lou Neglia's Ring of Combat is one of the longest-running regional promotions in the industry, and the longevity of the New Jersey-based organization can be attributed to a number of factors, not the least of which is its consistency in putting on competitive fights. How competitive are these fights? So much so that winning a ROC championship belt often bodes extremely well for the future of any fighter.

Like any good nerd, I've compiled some hard data on this subject, but before that, here are some facts for you:

• The first ROC was on October 12, 2002, and took place at the Mohegan Sun Casino in Connecticut. 
• All subsequent ROCs have been held at various locations in New Jersey, and in Atlantic City exclusively since ROC 10 on April 14, 2006.
• There have been 66 ROC champs since the promotion's inception.
• Of those 66, 23 have gone on to fight in the UFC, 14 have gone on to become TUF competitors, and 21 have made appearances in the Bellator cage.

Below is a breakdown of all of ROC's champs. Listed are the specific ROC event where they won their belt, the date of that event, and if that champ went on to the UFC, TUF or Bellator. 

Watch Eddie Alvarez and Michael Chandler Kill Themselves

BELLATOR


The weather outside is frightful today, so here's a video of two men taking about 15 years off their lives.

This is What Happens When Snow Tiger Kung Fu Fights San Bao

NEW YORK

From the last Manup Standup - 1.26.14 in Jamaica, Queens.

A George Sullivan Video Tribute, Courtesy of CFFC

NEW JERSEY

What do you get when you're a Cage Fury Fighting Championship champ and the UFC gives you a call? If you're George Sullivan, you get this nice video tribute, which was aired during a break at last Saturday's CFFC in Atlantic City, N.J.


Sullivan has had some ups and downs lately - this profile in the Newark Star-Ledger didn't do him any favors, but he scored a win in his UFC debut - so some recognition by the local org he's called him for the last few years is pretty nice. And George deserves it, as he's a pretty nice guy himself.

VCS Champ Ashley Greenway Signs with Invicta FC

INVICTA FC

Victory Combat Sports 115-pound female champ Ashley Greenway has graduated to the big leagues, signing with top-flight all-women's organization Invicta FC. The North Carolina native will be competing in Invicta's 115-pound weight class, which was recently pillaged by the UFC for TUF 20.

When last we saw the amiable Greenway, she was armbarring Ashley Miller at a September VCS show at the Armory in Manhattan. Actually, scratch that. When we last saw Greenway, she was celebrating her win by getting another tattoo.


As you can tell by her collection of ink, Greenway wins a lot.

See UFC 169 The Way Nick Diaz Saw It

UFC

You know, because he was high.

Already the Negative Vibes are Flowing in New York

NEW YORK

It's barely even February and already the pessimism and negative vibes are flowing freely when it comes to MMA getting sanctioned in New York this year. According to Ken Lovett of the New York Daily News and his prognosticating crystal ball, a dark shadow hangs over the heads of those seeking to lift the ban.

“I don’t see it as very likely this year,” one Assembly official said.
...
Opponents of the sport are latching on to a recent comment by Dana White, president of the Ultimate Fighting Championship league, that opposition to contact sports like MMA highlights the “pussification of America.”

Sonia Ossorio, president of the city-chapter of the National Organization for Women, blasted the sport as “exploitive of its fighters and misogynistic towards women.”

“If the pussification of America means holding the tide against violence and misogyny, I’m all for it,” she said.

All I have to say about this is that it's way too soon to be handicapping any odds. Also, there's more than one way to skin a cat, and this particular feline might be losing a good portion of its fur in the coming months.

NEW YORK

AKBF Show in Yorktown Heights, N.Y. - 2.1.14

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(Ed. note: the following report is courtesy of veteran writer Mark Jacobs. Check out his blog here.)

While Jim Genia was down at UFC 169 on Saturday night sitting in a hot tub drinking pink ladies with Dana White, some of us were out in the trenches doing the real work.

The AKBF event in Yorktown Heights, NY featured a numbing 17 bouts of amateur MMA, Muay Thai, boxing, kickboxing and grappling.

Highlights included Anderson Silva, who showed no ill-effects of his broken leg in defeating Vinny Brightmaqn... wait, it was a different Anderson Silva?

     

I thought there was something suspicious when he looked much paler in person. He still impressed winning by quick first round guillotine choke (and he insists Anderson Silva is his real name).

     

American Top Team’s Dean Hancock unleashed a devastating body slam followed by some quick ground and pound mop up to finish Tim Knapp in round one.

     

And local beast Gregy Styles was his usually cocky and spectacular self, instantly taking opponent Santiago Milanese down with a bodylock and then dropping right hands on him till Milanese liquefied into the canvas. Styles must turn pro before any more amateurs are damaged beyond repair!

Full Results:

1. Grappling: Ethan Gomez draw Sam McCormick

2. Grappling: Robert Fischer W. armbar vs. George Petronella

3. MMA: Marcus Macrillo W. choke Rd. 1 vs. Mike Lopez

4. Muay Thai: Renzo Medoza W TKO Rd. 2 vs. Robert Shoomaker

5. MMA: Anderson Silva W. guillotine choke Rd. 1 vs. Vinny Brightmaqn

6. Grappling: Scott Hlubik draw Juan Santana

7. MMA: Eric Ott W ground and pound Rd. 1 vs. Joe Lowe

8. Kickboxing: Ben Tryree W decision vs. Therno Barry

9. MMA: Guy Croce W TKO Rd. 1 vs. Mike Douglass

10. Boxing: Christain Dellard W decision vs. Alex Delic

11. Muay Thai: Ray Angle W decision vs. Brian Cohen

12. MMA: Illya Kotau W TKO 3 vs. Melton Dane

13. MMA: John Marino W guillotine choke Rd. 1 vs. Alex Gonzalez

14. MMA: Dean Hancock W TKO Rd. 1 vs. Tim Knapp

15. Muay Thai: John Ladisa W decision vs. Turpel Khamayez

16. Muay Thai: Dante Goldsmith W decision vs. Gino Smith

17. MMA: Gregy Styles W ground and pound Rd. 1 vs. Santiago Milanese

No Mercy 2 - 1.18.14

NEW YORK

Kickboxing bout results:

• Deet Ramanathan def. Yusel Morejon via Unanimous Decision
• Justina Abruscato def. Emma Smith via TKO, R1
• Constantine Gemelas def. Andrew King via TKO, R3
• Meredith Connelly def. Aly Franco via Unanimous Decision
• Anthony Wolter def. Jackson Bynum via Unanimous Decision
• Ibraheem Abdeaal def. Pat Carroll via TKO, R1
• Stephanie Vargas def. Dawn Solomon via Unanimous Decision
• Rick Schaefer def. Ty Tucker via TKO, R2

Boxing bout result:

• Elvis Regis def. Ryan Peacock via TKO, R1

Grappling bout result:

• Danny Trujillo def. Rich Pabon via Decision

MMA bout results:

• Akram Gharib def. Matt Yablon via Submission (Armbar) in R2
• Vincent DeRiso def. Kevin Wall via Submission (Guillotine) in R1
• Jesse McBroom def. Marc Miglino via Unanimous Decision

Scenes From An In-House NJSACB Seminar on Judging, Reffing and Officiating

NEW JERSEY

Some Thursday Night Fights Pics

NEW YORK

Some Grapple at the Garden Pics

NEW YORK

Watch the last Golden MMA Championships Here, Now, Right This Instant

MMAMEDIAPRO on livestream.com. Broadcast Live Free

For More on Saturday Night's Golden MMA Championships...

...Go here.

Yeah, There Was a UCL a Couple Weekends Ago..

...But that's all I'm going to say about it.

Golden MMA Championships 3 - 11.23.13

• Richard Pabon def. Carlos Oquendo via Unanimous Decision
• Eric D'Arce def. Nathaniel Driskell via Technical Submission (Armbar) at 2:01, R1
• Mike Hauben def. Ken Sweeney via Submission (Ankle Lock) at 1:17, R1

Golden MMA Championships Light-Heavyweight Title

• Luis DeJesus def. Mohamed Said Sarfarez via Split Decision

Golden MMA Championships Welterweight Title

Bernardo Cano def. Ozzie Diaz via Submission (Guillotine) at :44, R2