Wednesday, April 27, 2011

Welcome back Kittredge

Tom Moreau isn't the only fighter making his long-awaited return to the octagon on Friday night at Combat Zone 37. Nate Kittredge will also be fighting for the first time in more than a year when he takes on Mike Mennsezo in the 185-pound weight class.
Kittredge's last fight was a win over Matt Masterson in March of 2010. That was the fifth win in a row for Kittredge, who is 10-1 and whose only loss was due to illegal elbow strikes. That was against Ron Wuest back in February of 2008.
The fight between Kittredge and Mennsezo will be just before the main event between David Huelett and Tom Moreau of Derry, who hasn't fought in about seven months. They are two of 15 bouts scheduled for the action scheduled to start at 8 p.m. at Rockingham Park.
Despite the long layoff, Kittredge is still the top ranked fighter locally at 185 pounds. His last three wins have all been by decision.
An up-and-coming fighter to watch for on Friday night is Will Santiago of Lawrence, who will take on Perry Filkins of Hooksett at 185 pounds. Santiago is 2-0 since joining the pro ranks, both knockouts that took less than a minute.

Tuesday, April 26, 2011

Ready to rock at The Rock


I had a chat with Tom Moreau on Monday and one thing is for certain, this guy can't wait to fight again.
It's been nearly seven months since his last bout and on Friday he will make his long-awaited return to the cage when he fights David Hulett in the main event of Combat Zone 37 at Rockingham Park.
Moreau's last fight was a win over Dennis Olson by TKO (punches) on Sept. 17 during GFL 9 at the Whittemore Center. He has had three fights fall through since then and now the 170-pounder is itching for his next opportunity.
I got the sense from Moreau that he is frustrated. He feels local fighters are dodging him and organizers are having trouble finding people who want to get into the cage with him. That may be for good reason since Moreau was ranked No. 1 locally in the 170-pound weight class in the most recent Northeast MMA poll.
His original opponent for Friday, Chandler Holderness, is a scratch because of a knee injury. Moreau didn't seem to believe that when I spoke with him.
He said he has been having problems like that with local fighters for a while now. Several of his fights have had last-minute changes, which he feels is because people don't want to fight him.
He also seemed upset about the way he was treated during the application process for the UFC reality show The Ultimate Fighter. Moreau said he was in contact with a UFC representative, and they told him they were impressed with his resume and highlights, but he was listed as an alternate.
The reason he feels he wasn't selected wasn't because of his skill, which he feels he has more of than anybody on the show, but because of his personality. He feels the UFC wants charasmatic fighters, people who will walk around the house naked and act like idiots. It makes for better television.
Anybody who knows Moreau knows that's not him. He is a very down-to-earth and reserved guy. He is responsible and mature, which doesn't neccesarily make for good entertainment. So, instead, people like Ramses Nijem and Chuck O'Neil, who Moreau is ranked ahead of in the region, were chosen ahead of him.
It might not be on TV or a production of the UFC, but on Friday night Moreau will be fighting once again, this time with a chip on his shoulder to prove just how good of a fighter he is.