I Bet You Didn't Know Referee Keith Peterson Used to Fight, Did You?

AWESOME

You've seen him referee UFC bouts, and you probably noted him for his tattoos and thought that he'd either played in a hardcore band at CBGB's or killed people in the mosh pit. But what you likely didn't know about Keith Peterson is that he used to fight.

TUF Nations Finale Primer: Michael Bisping as Lovable as Ever

UFC

The TUF Nations Finale is on Wednesday, and in case you were wondering, yes, in the lead-up to the card, main eventer Michael Bisping has remained as lovable as ever. In fact, at today's media day event for the show, the mouthy Brit got in the face of opponent Tim Kennedy and... I don't know, probably said a lot of things that were incoherent because of his accent. But the message was clear!

Cage Fury Fighting Championship 34 Primer: Sean Santella

NEW JERSEY

Of all the fighters in the Northeast, none can boast the same upward trajectory of Sean Santella, Cage Fury Fighting Championship's flyweight king. Blending laser-precise jiu-jitsu with some of the best scrambles in the business, "Shorty Rock" has been in a steady climb for years, and on Saturday - at CFFC 34 in Morristown, N.J. - he'll step into the cage once more, defending his belt and most likely proving yet again that he's the boss at 125 pounds.

Flashback: Underground Combat League - 1.29.13

NEW YORK

For almost 10 years, the only option New York City MMA fans had for catching live fights locally was a little semi-secret organization called the Underground Combat League. Yes, some of the fighters sucked, there were zero safety precautions taken, and the venues were straight out of the movie Fight Club, but there's an undeniable charm to see clandestine fistfights, and in that regard, the UCL was - and still is - king.

There's an MMA Show in Brooklyn on Saturday - You Going?

NEW YORK

There's an MMA/Muay Thai show in Brooklyn on Saturday called Take It To The Top 3, and sadly, because it's the same night as the Cage Fury Fighting Championship event in Morristown, N.J., I'm going to miss it. But I found this video preview for their second event (which I missed because for some reason these shows are closely-guarded secrets or something), and after watching the vid, I feel like I know what's in store for those who show up.

When Keeping It Real Goes Wrong

AWESOME

Back in the day the Gracies used to go from martial arts school to martial arts school, challenging folks to prove that their particular style of jiu-jitsu was better suited for a fight than whatever kind of karate of Tae Kwon Do was being taught there. But thanks to the UFC and the popularity of MMA, that's kind of a dangerous thing to do nowadays, as more people are training for "real" than ever before.

But hey, if you really want to strut into a school and throw down, don't let that fact stop you.

It didn't stop this guy.

Poster for Aggressive Combat Championship 6

NEW YORK

Should This Fight Have Been Stopped?

AWFUL

At last night's RFA 14 event in Wyoming - an event that was broadcast live on AXS-TV - Matt Manzanares took on Junior Maranhao in the main event. A flyweight belt was on the line, so the bout was scheduled for five rounds, yet in between Rounds 4 and 5, Maranhao blacked out and fell off his stool. Was the bout stopped by either the commission or the cornermen? Nope. It was not. Maranhao was propped back up and sent out for the fifth round, and he went on to lose the decision.

Take a look at the gif after the jump.

Big Nog Needs to Big Retire

UFC

Yesterday's UFC Fight Night: Abu Dhabi had plenty of excitement for the discerning fight fan, but it also had a pretty sad ending. Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira - the beloved Brazilian legend who's pretty much fought everywhere against everyone - got utterly smashed by Roy Nelson.

Flashback: Aggressive Combat Championship - 5.11.13

NEW YORK

Relive the glory that is the Aggressive Combat Championship's May, 2012 show, which took place at St. Raymond's High School in the Bronx.

Are You Watching Bellator Tonight? Or This?

AWESOME

(If you choose this over Bellator, you're a clown.)

UFC Fight Night Abu Dhabi: Results and Play-by-Play

UFC

Back in the day I used to go to local shows and do a mean play-by-play from cageside. I don't do it that much anymore - advances in technology make it more worthwhile to do video and tweets - but that doesn't mean I forgot how. Here, then, are some live results and bout descriptions from UFC Fight Night 39: "Nogueira vs. Nelson", which is taking place in Abu Dhabi this sunny Friday afternoon and is airing on UFC Fight Pass.

Poster for the Next NYFE Show

NEW YORK

Throwback Thursday: Fedor Visits Tiger Schulmann's Manhattan School

NEW YORK

Fedor Emelianenko was (and probably still is) special. Whenever he came to New York City it was an event, and his days would be filled with photo ops, each one packed with fans clamoring to see him. Considering that his presence would garner more attention than visiting UFC stars, it was truly a remarkable thing.

In August, 2009, "The Last Emperor" dropped by the Tiger Schulmann's school in Manhattan. Yes, he was mobbed by fans. Yes, everyone wanted to take a pic with him and get his autograph. And yes, Fedor was cool as hell.

UFC on FOX 11 Primer: Edson Barboza in Action

UFC 

UFC on FOX 11 is just nine days away, and in addition to the marquee bouts of Travis Browne versus Fabricio Werdum and Miesha Tate against Liz Carmouche, there are a bunch of compelling match-ups dotting the card - not the least of which is Donald Cerrone taking on Edson Barboza.

It wasn't that long ago that Barboza was an unstoppable striker wrecking people in Ring of Combat. In his first ROC fight, the Brazilian practically put Team Serra/Longo Nabih Barakat in a coma; after the jump is Barboza's second appearance in ROC, where he fought some overmatched dude for the belt.

Should Gina Carano Fight Ronda Rousey?

UFC

When it comes to UFC female bantamweight champ Ronda Rousey, there's been a lot of chatter lately over who her next opponent should be. Does Cris Cyborg, the Invicta FC champ with a checkered history of performance-enhancing drug use, deserve it? Should Cat Zingano, who's coming off a bad knee injury, be next? Opinions vary, but one name being tossed about almost certainly shouldn't be getting a crack at Rousey's belt, and yet despite that, it's starting to seem like she almost certainly will.

I'm talking about Gina Carano of course, who may have helped make women's MMA what it is today, but who also hasn't fought since she was crushed by Cyborg in 2009.

Throwback Thursday: Ryan LaFlare's First Fight

NEW YORK

Long Island native Ryan LaFlare will step into the Octagon tomorrow at UFC Fight Night: Abu Dhabi, and though most locals recognize him as the dude who dominated Ring of Combat for years, a select few know him from before that.

Yeah, I'm talking about his first fight, which took place in the Underground Combat League back in October of 2007.

Behold, the Worst Bout-Ending Scream Ever

NEW JERSEY

In a perfect world, a fighter gets KO'd or taps out and the referee steps in and there's no muss or fuss. But fighting is an imperfect endeavor, and occasionally something really awful happens. Such was the case with the International Fight League's April 4, 2008 show at the IZOD Center in East Rutherford, N.J.

If you'll recall, the IFL was originally about hokey team names, but towards the end of the promotion's existence, they just said screw it all and let the fighters rep their actual, real-life teams. Therefore, when Emyr Bussade and Jesse Lennox squared off, it wasn't so much the Denver Woodchucks versus the Austin Amoebas as it was a guy from American Top Team taking on a dude from Pat Miletich's camp. Which is fine, and how it should be.

Also how it should be: when a fighter is in danger of getting injured by a submission, he taps out. But Lennox had been pretty adept at avoiding the trouble his opponent put him in, so maybe he grew complacent or over-confident when they end was near. Whatever the reason, Lennox didn't submit to Bussade's bout-ending leglock so much as he let out a blood-curdling scream.

And trust me, I was sitting ringside just a few feet away. That scream curdled my blood.

So here it is, the worst bout-ending scream ever emitted from a fighter's mouth.

UFC Fight Night Abu Dhabi Primer: Tatsuya Kawajiri in Action

UFC

UFC Fight Night Abu Dhabi is this Friday (the prelims start a little before noon here on the East Coast), and though the main event features two aged veterans in Minotauro Nogueira and Roy Nelson, there's another pair of fighters with a ton of miles on them in the co-main event. That's right, I'm talking about Clay Guida and Tatsuya Kawajiri, whose combined records have them in the ring/cage 86 times.

Official New York City MMA Fighter Rankings - April '04 Edition

NEW YORK

The current form of the amateur MMA scene in New York City (i.e., a scene with tons of shows) is still pretty young, but that doesn't mean a certain number of fighters haven't emerged as apex predators. A number of them have. Which means... it's rankings time!

A few notes about the following list of top NYC MMA fighters: