End of the Line

Deja vu with Pats

2011-11-07T09:19:00.002-05:00

While watching the Patriots/Giants football game on Sunday, I got a sense of deja vu.It was just like the 2007 Super Bowl when Tom Brady led the Pats down the field late in the fourth quarter to give his team the lead. Bad thing was, both times he left Eli Manning too much time.All the defense had to do was come up with a stop. The only difference was this time the Giants only needed a field goal to tie the game, whereas in the Super Bowl they needed to get into the end zone, which they did when Palaxico Burress hauled in one of the most memorable (good or bad) touchdown receptions in Super Bowl history.The stage was set once again when Brady found Rob Gronkowski in the end zone to give New England a lead late on Sunday. But then, just like they did a few years ago, things started to fall into place for New York.A long pass down the middle of the field put them in New England territory and a penalty put them on the 1. It was only a matter of time before the Giants punched it in, which of course they did, with just seconds remaining.So, after that display against the Giants, are the Patriots any closer now to where they were last time they played the Giants -- the Super Bowl?Surprisingly, I have to say yes.There were some positives that came out of the game on Sunday which, despite the loss, was one of the most complete efforts by the Patriots all season even though that was hard to stomach right after the game.Lets start with the defense, which held the Giants, the No. 11 offense in the league, scoreless for a half. OK, they gave up 24 points in the second half, but it was a step forward for a defense that looked like it couldn't stop a Pop Warner team the week before against Pittsburgh.New England held New York, the sixth-best passing team in the NFL, to just 250 yards through the air. Devin McCourty looked MUCH better at corner and Kyle Arrington showed a lot of progress on the other side of the field. That 250 yards could have been less had it not been for a few great passes by Manning.There are still issues at the safety positions. Patrick Chung is a solid tackler, but not great in coverage, and there is no answer for the other safety position. That is the biggest concern right now.The defensive line looked good and for the first time was actually getting a push off the line and in the face of the opposing quarterback. That interception in the end zone by Arrington was about 80 percent because Andre Carter was in Manning's face forcing him to throw the ball off his back foot into a bad area.Carter looked great on Sunday. He is the only one consistently getting to the QB, however. He will need help in the pass rush if this team is to go deep in the playoffs and I'm not sure where it is going to come from.By the way, what ever happened to Jermaine Cunningham?The offense showed signs of greatness, but what is so frustrating this year is the inconsistency. I think they need to stick with the no-huddle like they did on their last full drive and let Brady do all the play calling. Time for some of the offensive coaches to put their egoes aside and let the guy on the field call the shots. That's when the Pats seem to work their best.Lastly, but not least, Chad Ochocinco finally looked good out there on the field. New England got him involved and it wasn't his fault he wasn't more productive,Even though he didn't have a single catch, Ochocinco ran some great routes. He was wide open on a post route in the end zone, but Brady underthrew the ball. He got good seperation on a play in the red zone, but once again Brady missed the target. And he ran a great quick slant and would have made the catch had it not been for a great defensive play.

"Filthy" good

2011-10-24T11:12:00.005-04:00

It seems to me the fighter on the rise on the local scene is Perry "Filthy" Filkins of Militech Fighting Systems in Hooksett.
Filkins recorded a win by TKO just 15 seconds in to his bout with Bob Burton at Combat Zone 39 on Friday night to improve to 5-1. It was his third win in a row since losing his only fight, a unanimous decision at the hands of Cornelius Murray back in January.
Filkins first caught my eye at Combat Zone 37 in April when he was coming off that loss to Murray. He was matched up against Will Santiago, who was destroying the compeition in a young Tyson-like fashion, knockouts just seconds in to his fights. I thought Filkins was going to be another vicitm on Santiago's way to the big time, but Filkins demolished Santiago in that fight.
He showed he could take a punch and methodically picked Santiago apart. Filkins landed good knees and punches while fighting smart. He refused to go toe-to-toe with Santiago, who kept trying to land bombs. He tired out Santiago, who hadn't gone more than 39 seconds into a match before that, and in the second round Filkins unloaded on Santiago with knees and punches.
The fight was stopped and Santiago had to be helped back to the locker room.
Filkins has recorded two more first-round knockouts since then, albeit the competition wasn't the best. He beat Chris Haggerty (0-4) in July and then newly-turned pro Burton (1-1) on Friday. His overall level of competition has been decent, however, as the combined record of his opponents is 15-12.
Filkins is a balanced fighter. He has good striking ability, can grapple and is strong for his size. He's not as big or powerful as some fighters in his class, but he can win a lot of ways and is smart in the cage.
I'm hoping that his next fight is a good one agaionst a tough opponent, because I think Filkins can go places, he just needs to resume to impress the powers that be.

O'Neil making a statement for locals

2011-06-01T09:09:00.003-04:00

Over the past few weeks, Chuck O'Neil has struck a huge blow for local mixed martial arts.
During that time, O'Neil has gone from alternate on season 13 of The Ultimate Fighter to a semifinalist. Tonight, he will take on Tony Ferguson for the right to fight in the live championship bout and a contract with the UFC.
Last week, O'Neil beat the tar out of Zach Davis to punch his ticket for the semis. He is a solid fighter with good striking skills and untested wrestling skills. At 8-3entering the TUF competition, O'Neil was ranked second in the Northeast behind Tom Moreau of Derry, who said he was passed over for the show.
MMA is much bigger out west, in places like Las Vegas and LA, but it is getting bigger here. Last year, Massachusetts sanctioned the sport and this year Maine followed suit. Now shows are popping up everywhere and even taking on some of the bigger venues in New England such as the Whittemore Center in Durham and the Tsongas Arena in Lowell, Mass.
Hopefully, O'Neil's run this season will open the eyes of the UFC and show them that there are quality fighters here in New England. Hopefully, it will get more deserving local fighters signed to contracts and maybe even bring more televised events our way.

MMA debuts in Maine

2011-05-02T11:08:00.002-04:00

It was an historic moment on Saturday when the first ever sanctioned mixed martial arts event in the state of Maine was held at the Stevens Avenue Armory in Portland.
According to reports, more than 2,000 people attended the event headlined with a win by Ryan Scheiding of Manchester, N.H., over Colby Brown. Scheiding, who fights for Team Burgess, won by submission in the first round.
The bigger story, however, is that now MMA is sanctioned in Maine. That makes two New England states that have sanctioned the popular sport over the past two years. Massachusetts gave MMA the nod just over a year ago.
This is significant because it means more opportunity for New Hampshire fighters, and they are already taking advantage. The second event in Maine, GFL 11, is scheduled for Friday in Portland and there are six fighters out of New Hapshire on the card. They are Trevor Stone, John English, John Healey, Jason Libby, Ken Kersch and Kevin Haley.
The next event in New Hampshire isn't until July 15 and there are only seven more events planned for this calendar year.

2011-05-01T11:11:00.002-04:00

By MARK QUIRK
New Hampshire Union Leader

SALEM -- New Englanders didn’t fare well in the premier fights at Combat Zone 37 on Friday as three of the four professional bouts on the card were won by fighters from other parts of the country.
Tom Moreau of Derry, and both Nate Kittredge and Nate Ainsworth of Vermont all lost their bouts. Moreau (7-3) was choked out at 2:35 of the first round by Dave Hulett (16-8) of Las Vegas in the main event, Kittredge (11-2) lost by technical knockout at 3:22 of the second round to Mike Massenzio (13-3) of Paramus, N.J., and Ainsworth (0-2) was knocked out 23 seconds into his match with Brian Kelleher (1-1) of Cortland, N.Y.
Moreau fell victim to bad luck in his fight at Rockingham Park. As the two were grappling in the first round, Hulett gained Moreau’s back and landed some illegal punches to the back of his head.
“I must have clipped the back of his head,“ Hulett said. “It certainly wasn’t intentional.“
Moreau, who said he suffered a concussion from the strikes, felt differently.
“I don’t like to win like that and I don’t like to lose like that,” Moreau said. “There’s no way it was an accident. It really frustrates me.”
The ref stopped the action so Moreau could compose himself and the doctors could have a look at him. After an examination, the doctors cleared Moreau and he continued to fight, but it was clear he was still feeling the effects of the blow.
The two locked up again, and at that point it didn’t take long for Hulett to slap on a triangle choke for the submission.
Moreau said he remembers the entire fight up to the point when Hulett landed the illegal blows. Things were blurry after that. He doesn’t remember being on the ground talking to the doctors and “was confused as to what happened.” He said things started to get better when he stood up and told the doctor he could go on, but he wasn’t fully recovered.
The only local pro fighter who won was Perry Filkins (3-1) of Hooksett, who knocked out Will Santiago (2-1) at 2:53 of the second round in his bout.
Santiago’s two wins as a pro both came by knockout less than a minute into the first round. It looked like he was heading for his third when Santiago came out throwing bombs in the first,. He wasn’t able to land anything significant, however, and all the swinging took its toll.
Santiago got exhausted in the second round. Filkins took advantage of that and landed a punch that stunned Santiago in the second round. He followed that with several punches and knees, which led to the knockout.
“I went back to my basics. I started using my leg kicks more and that stopped him from swinging those big right hands,” Filkins said. “Once I saw I could finish him, I just kept going.”
In the best fight of the night, Manchester Memorial graduate Erik Tseronis (1-1) endured a beating only to lose by unanimous decision to Mike Sullivan (3-1) of Nashua as part of the amateur card.
Sullivan won the fight, but Tseronis won over the crowd. A punch by Sullivan early in the first round busted open Tseronis’s nose, which gushed blood for the remainder of the fight. He absorbed more punches and kicks for the next two rounds and even almost got a choke on Sullivan in the third. But Sullivan was relentless on the attack and didn’t give Tseronis a chance to win over the judges.
Despite all the blood and swelling, Tseronis said his nose wasn’t broken, and the cheers from the crowd made it all worth it.
“I feel fine,” Tseronis said. “I just wish I had a win to go with it. I said to myself somebody’s going to have to put me out to stop me. That’s how we train.”
The results of the rest of the amateur fights were as follows: Maciek Lewandwski (1-0) beat Allan Jocelyn (0-1) by ref stoppage, Nick Alley (1-0) beat Roberto Santiago (0-1) by ref stoppage, Ralph Llorens (1-0) beat Xavier Vargas (2-2) by ref stoppage, Jake Deignan (2-2) beat John Santos (3-4) by knockout, Nick Berube (2-2) beat Mike Garcia (0-1) by ref stoppage, Heather Lambert (2-0) beat Melissa Demers (0-2) by ref stoppage, Mike Burke (2-0) beat Bernado Fanti (1-1) by unanimous decision and Dave Clemens (1-0) beat Isiah Ocasio (0-1) by decision.

Welcome back Kittredge

2011-04-27T12:52:00.002-04:00

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.

Ready to rock at The Rock

2011-04-26T09:55:00.002-04:00

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.

MacDonald gets the call

2011-03-18T19:32:00.000-04:00

Kevin MacDonald felt snubbed when he wasn't chosen to be a part of UFC 118 last summer in Boston -- and with good reason.
For more than a decade, MacDonald has been at the forefront of promoting mixed martial arts in the area.
Rare is the MMA event in New England that doesn't include him in one way or another.
Yet last August MacDonald was a spectator at Boston's TD Garden as people with whom he'd come of age training and officiating entered the cage for the first UFC event in Massachusetts.
MacDonald swallowed his pride and took great joy in seeing the sport he loves flourish in his hometown. He went on officiating matches in New England, and in January got the call he had long awaited.
On the phone was Nick Lembo, legal counsel for the New Jersey Athletic Control Board and a legend in MMA. He asked MacDonald if he'd be interested in being a part of UFC 128 at the Prudential Center in Newark, N.J., and MacDonald happily said yes.
"When I didn't get called for the Boston show, I think some people noticed," MacDonald said. "I moved on. Things happen, and things happen for a reason."
MacDonald, a fixture at MMA events here in New Hampshire, will officiate two bouts and do the ring inspections for three others at the pay-per-view event on Saturday. He will be the ref for fights featuring Ricardo Almeida against Mike Pyle and Dan Miller against Nick Catone.
Neither fight will be part of the pay-per-view portion of the event. The Almeida/Pyle bout will be broadcast on Facebook. MacDonald will, however, do the ring inspection for at least one pay-per-view fight.
"Which is the way I like it," he said. "I don't need to jump right into the deep end of the pool."
He began his career in the sport as a fighter, but when MacDonald got "too fat" he decided to take up officiating. Almost 15 years later, he has refereed nearly 1,300 bouts and trained many local officials. He often works Combat Zone and Global Fight League events.
The next time MacDonald will be in New Hampshire will be for Combat Zone 37 on April 29 at Rockingham Park. Dave George, owner of Combat Zone, almost always uses MacDonald when he's available.
"Kevin is the best ref there is around," George said. "He makes good calls for the safety of the fighters, and he's fair."
Back in 2006, MacDonald was the ref for one of Tom Moreau's first fights. Moreau, who lives in Derry, has since become one of the most well-rounded fighters in New England, compiling a record of 7-2. The owner of Team Valor, he will be the headliner at Combat Zone 37 when he takes on Chandler Holderness.
If MacDonald is in the cage, Moreau said, you know it's going to be a well-officiated fight.
"He's definitely the most well-rounded (ref)," Moreau said. "And he's very attentive to the fighter's safety. He'll get down there on his hands and knees."
Moreau said MacDonald knows how to walk the fine line between stopping a fight and letting one go on. That can be particularly hard in a contact sport such as MMA -- refs are usually criticized for stopping fights -- but Moreau feels MacDonald has very good judgment.
"He goes the extra mile," Moreau said.
With a sellout crowd of nearly 18,000 expected next month, UFC 128 will be the largest event MacDonald has worked, though he has officiated televised events before; last summer he was an official at the God of Martial Arts put on by Moosin at the DCU Center in Worcester, Mass. And, in addition to UFC 128, he has on his agenda the Bellator Fighting Championships at Mohegan Sun Arena in Connecticut on April 2 (to be aired on MTV 2).
MacDonald said he has prepared for the upcoming UFC show by refereeing some bouts in Atlantic City, N.J., and going through special training in North Carolina.
Now, after nearly a decade in the cage and more than 1,000 fights, he will have his chance to fulfill his dream on the biggest stage the sport has to offer.
"I'm over the top," MacDonald said. "It's something I've wanted for so long."

Local ref at UFC 128

2011-03-07T10:20:00.002-05:00

There will be a familiar face at UFC 128 in Newark, N.J., on March 19.
Kevin MacDonald, a.k.a. Kevin the Ref, of Watertown, Mass., has been selected to ref two bouts and will handle the cage entrance inspections for three other fights at the Prudential Center.
MacDonald has been involved with mixed martial arts since 1996 both as a fighter and ref. He has officiated more than 1,000 bouts, many here in New Hampshire, over the past 12 years. He is a regular with local production companies such as Combat Zone and Global Fight League.
UFC 128 will take place on March 19 and is headlined by UFC light heavyweight champion Mauricio “Shogun” Rua taking on Jone Jones.

NH fighters in action tonight

2011-02-25T11:51:00.002-05:00

Anybody in the Providence, R.I., area looking for something to do tonight might want to check out "Rhode Rage" at the Twin River Event Center.
As usual, the card features some great talent from the Granite State, including Tom Moreau of Derry, who will make his first trip to the cage since knocking out Dennis Olson at GFL 9 in September.
Moreau (6-2) is one of the most complete fighters in the area and will take on Keith Jeffrey (5-2-1) in the welterweight class.
Another local fighter making his return for the first time since September tonight is Woody Weatherby (8-4) of Nashua. Weatherby's last fight was a loss to Luigi Fioravanti at the M-1 Selection show on Sept. 18. He will take on Todd Chattelle (6-6) in the middleweight class.
The main event has Mike Campbell (8-3) taking on Mike Medrano (8-7) in the lightweight class.
Granite Staters looking to get their fix of mixed martial arts action might want to consider making the trip, because they'll have to wait a while to go to an event in their own back yard. The next MMA event scheduled in New Hampshire isn't until April 29 when Combat Zone will have an event at Rockingham Park.
There haven't been a ton of bookings this year in the state. The next event on the state's boxing and wrestling commission calendar after the CZ production is a GFL show set for July 15.

GFL stepping to the plate

2011-02-15T10:21:00.002-05:00

The Global Fight League is emerging as the top promotions company in the area not only because of its show planned for the Tsongas Center, but the organization has also announced it will put on a show at the Portland Expo Center in Portland, Maine.
The GFL is being very ambitious with its venues and I like it. Last fall, the league hosted an event at the Whittemore Center on the campus of the University of New Hampshire and in April it will host one at the Tsongas Center on the campus of UMass-Lowell. Both of those venues seat more than 7,000 people.
Now the GFL is booking a large venue in Maine. The main event at the Expo, which can accomodate more than 6,000 people, will be Pedro Gonzalez against Portland's Paul Gorman.

Go big or go home

2011-02-08T09:57:00.002-05:00

Global Fight League is pushing the limitis once again. On April 15, the local MMA promotions company will host an event at the 7,800-seat Tsongas Center on the campus of UMass-Lowell.
Last fall, GFL made history by promoting a show at the Whittemore Center on the campus of the University of New Hampshire, the biggest venue to ever host an MMA in the state. The April show is a little more ambitious for the GFL, which is teaming up with Triumph Promotions. The Tsongas holds about 400 more people than the 7,381 seat Whitt.
The show at the Whitt attracted about 4,000 people. It's good GFL is keeping this show on a college campus because that is a big audience for MMA. And it's also a good location in northern Massachusetts, where the sport is exploding right now.
The main event comes in the 155-pound weight class where John Benoit (11-2) takes on Matt Bessette (6-2). Benoit is ranked fifth locally in the weight class and Bessette is ninth.
Another big fight features Matt Lee (12-9-1) against Chip Pollard (6-2) at 170 pounds. Lee is No. 6 and Pollard is fifth in that weight class.
The only other fight set for now is John Ortolanis against Joe Manzello. Dennis Olson. a Triumph regular, will likely get a fight and I would love to see a showdown between Tom Moreau and Nate LaMotte. Both have big followings in southern New Hampshire/northern Massachusetts and it would be the perfect venue for such a big fight.

CZ 36

2011-01-29T11:29:00.002-05:00

Congratualtions to Nate LaMotte, who made a triumphant return to the cage last night with a win in the first round over veteran Nuri Shakir during Combat Zone 36.
LaMotte had been sidelined for almost a year with injuries, but didn't take long to get back into the flow. He slapped a rear naked choke on Shakir and got the Nashua resident to submit just before time expired in the first round.
The other big winner of the night was Calvin Kattar, who continues to improve his repuatation as one of the best fighters in the area by beating Luis Rodriguez in a unanimous decision.
It will be interesting to see where both winners go from here. I would love to see a fight between LaMotte and Tom Moreau, and hopefully Kattar, who got his 11th win, will get a shot from one of the bigger promotion companies.

Finally!

2011-01-12T12:48:00.002-05:00

After more than three months without any action, mixed martial arts finally returns to the Granite State later this month when Combat Zone 36 takes place at Rockingham Park on Jan. 28.
It's been a long wait. The last event in New Hampshire was CZ 35, which was also held at the Rock way back on Oct. 22. This is certainly a setback to any signs of growth the sport may have had after a strong fall, and it is disappointing to see such a lull.
That being said, there is a pretty-good card slated for Jan. 28.
The featured match comes in the 155-pound weight class, where Calvin Kattar (10-2) takes on Luis Rodrigues (4-0).
The co-main event has Manchester's Nate LaMotte (11-5) taking on journeyman Nuri Shakir (15-16) in the 170-pound weight class. It is also the end to a long layoff for LaMotte, who hasn't had a fight since March 27, 2009, when he beat Davin Wesinger.
There are 16 fights scheduled, 10 amateur and six pro.

Combat Zone 35 results

2010-10-26T12:09:00.003-04:00

Submitted by Lynne Snierson
John Benoit needed every bit of his considerable strength and skill to best a talented and tough Don Carlo Clauss in an extraordinary and bloody mixed martial arts battle in the sold out Sports Club at Rockingham Park on Friday night.
Benoit, the Methuen, Mass., native fighting in front of an energized crowd clearly in his corner, battled back late in the intensely fierce third round of the Combat Zone MMA main event to trap Carlo Clauss with a guillotine choke hold and force the former star wrestler at the University of Virginia to tap out at 3:02.
“This is really disappointing," said Clauss, who dropped to 7-4-0 and fights for Team Bomb Squad in New York. “I made just one mistake at the end and that was it. You can fight a great fight for over 14 minutes and then in one second you lose it all. One second and one mistake is all it takes in this game. But that’s the nature of the beast.”
Benoit, who improved to 10-2-0 and fights for Renzo Gracie NH, was losing points in the first two rounds when the superior wrestler pinned him on the mat, which was covered with blood pouring from Clauss’ broken nose.
“I knew I broke his nose in the first round and after he took me down, I tried to get up. But there were times when I couldn’t get up,” said Benoit. “I knew I was down on points in the third round and my coaches knew it too, so they told me to just let my hands go. But I said to myself I’m going to take him down and beat him at his own game.”
That is precisely what Benoit was finally able to accomplish in the marquis event at 165 pounds that lived up to all of the pre-fight billing.
“I was trying to mix up my strikes and my take downs,” said Clauss, “I knew that time was running out on that last round and I went for it. I didn’t set it up right and I paid for it. I never had a bloody nose before and after he broke it in the first round, it affected my breathing. I was getting tired because of that and rushed that last takedown. That one mistake cost me the fight. It’s going to be an awfully long ride home.”
Benoit, a Global Fight League title holder who has made his living in his last few fights with his guillotine choke hold, was able to celebrate this important victory with his hometown fans.
“You can’t beat fighting in front of that many people screaming your name” he said.
In the eagerly anticipated co-main event in which another local favorite, Will “The Brown Bomber” Santiago was making his pro debut after an undefeated amateur career, the Lawrence, Mass., native needed a scant 31 seconds of the first round before the referee ended his brutal punishment of Glenn Reaves.
Reaves (0-3-0) took the fight at the 11th hour after the original opponent for Santiago (1-0-0) tipped the scales 13 pounds too heavy for the match at 185 pounds when he showed up for the weigh-in on the eve of the fight.
While Santiago and his powerful strikes made it look easy against his clearly overmatched and out of shape opponent, he was gracious in victory.
“I train hard for every fight and go in there and try to do my best every time,” said the America Top Team standard bearer. “I was disappointed when my original match didn’t hold together, but in this game somebody is always going out at the last minute with an injury or something. It’s just a part of the game.”
Santiago’s fight was captured on videotape by a private company in hopes that he can catch the eye of the powers running the Ultimate Fighting Championship at the sport’s top echelon.
“I’m just going to continue on my path and hope to make it all the way to the UFC,” said the 27-year-old Santiago.
On the undercard, Team Fury’s Nick Santos, who entered the cage without a win under his belt, and Derek Lamb, who was making his pro debut, started off the professional action but the referee stopped the fight in 1:24 of the second round between the 135 pounders. Lamb (1-0-0), also fighting for Team Bomb Squad, used a relentless ground and pound attack to score the TKO over the Derry native, who dropped to 0-4-0.
Next up Adam Toussaint from Team Havoc in North Berwick, Maine, improved to 2-1-0 when he submitted Nate Ainsworth, who was also fighting for the first time as a professional. Ainsworth, carrying the banner of Team Kaze in Lisbon, submitted in 3:55 of round one when Toussaint (2-1-0) executed an arm bar in the battle at 150 pounders.
In the first of the amateur fights of the night, Colten Blanchet (2-0-0) of Byfield, Mass., made light work of John Santos (2-4-0) of Derry, and Team Fury to remain undefeated by submitting him with an arm bar in just 1:39 on the first round. The only women’s fight of the night was up next and Heather Lambert of Team Kaze in Lisbon (1-0-0) won her debut in the cage when she sent Shannon Harney (2-2-0) of Lynn, Mass., down to her second straight defeat with a guillotine choke hold in :69 of round one.
In the third match, Peter San Antonio (3-1-0) of North Andover, Mass., and Warriors Pride survived a flurry of strikes to his kidneys from Wayne Alquist (1-2-0) of Meredith in round one to come back and submit his opponent in 1:37 of the same round with a guillotine choke hold. Then in a spirited battle waged on the ground and on their feet, 20-year-old Devin Lenfest (2-0-0) out of Londonderry and Team Valor and 30-year-old Ivan Sanchez (0-2-0) from Lawrence, Mass., and American Top Team got the packed house on its feet and screaming before a bloodied Lenfest submitted his tough opponent in :53 of round three with a rear naked choke hold. Lenfest earned the respect of the judges as well as the crowd and walked away with the trophy awarded to the best amateur fighter on the card.
Next up, Taylor Trahan, who is only 19 years old but was in his 10th career fight, evened the record of James Grant at 2-2-0 when he forced the 28-year-old Londonderry native to tap out in 2:27 of round two. Trahan, from Lunenburg, Vt., executed an arm bar to improve to 6-4-0 under the banner of the Atlas Grappling Academy. Warriors Pride then saw its other fighter on the card, Anthony Loycano (2-0-0) of North Andover, Mass., remain undefeated when he spoiled the first fight for John Healey (0-1-0) of Wakefield, Mass., by getting him to tap out after a rear naked choke hold in 2:03 of round two.
The best and most evenly matched of the amateur fights was the last as Kenny Murphy (1-0-0), who was stepping into the cage for the first time, won a razor thin 29-28 split decision over Chris Caterino (1-1-0) of Nahsua and the Bucket Brigade. Murphy, who is trained by the Militech Fighting System in Hooksett, showed a lot of heart along with solid boxing skills to overcome trouble in the early going. The loss was tough for Caterino, who had the better ground and pound game throughout.
Combat Zone 36 returns to Rockingham Park on January 28, 2011 with another competitive full card of thrilling mixed martial arts action.
RESULTS:
AMATEURS:
Colten Blanchet (2-0-0) of Byfield, MA def. John Santos (2-4-0) of Derry, NH by arm bar
submission in 1:39, Round 1. 135 lbs.
Heather Lambert (1-0-0) of Lisbon, NH def. Shannon Harney (2-2-0) of Lynn MA by guillotine choke in :69 Round 1. 120 lbs.
Peter San Antonio (3-1-0) of North Andover, MA def. Wayne Alquist (1-2-0) of Meredith, NH by guillotine choke in 1:37 Round 1. 170 lbs.
Devin Lenfest (2-0-0) of Londonderry, NH def. Ivan Sanchez (0-2-0) of Lawrence, MA by rear naked choke in :53 Round 3. 145 lbs.
Taylor Trahan (6-4-0) of Lunenburg, VT def. James Grant (2-2-0) of Londonderry, NH by arm bar in 2:27 Round 2. 155 pounds.
Anthony Loycano (2-0-0) of North Andover, MA def. John Healey (0-1-0) of Wakefield, MA by rear naked choke hold in 2:03 Round 2. 155 pounds.
Kenny Murphy (1-0-0) of Hooksett, NH def. Chris Caterino (1-1-0) of Nashua, NH by split decision. 135 pounds.
PROS:
Derek Lamb (1-0-0) of Ithaca, NY def. Nick Santos (0-4-0) of Derry, NH by TKO in 1:24 Round 2. 135 pounds.
Adam Toussaint (2-1-0) of No. Berwick, ME def. Nate Ainsworth (0-1-0) by arm bar in 3:55 Round 1. 150 pounds.
Will Santiago (1-0-0) of Lawrence, MA def. Glenn Reaves (0-4-0) of Weymouth, MA by TKO in :31 Round 1. 185 lbs.
John Benoit (10-2-0) of Methuen, MA def. Don Carlo Clauss (7-4-0) of Ithaca, NY by guillotine choke in 3:02 Round 3.

Moreau gives his students a fighting chance

2010-10-21T10:54:00.000-04:00

By MARK QUIRK
New Hampshire Union Leader

LONDONDERRY -- Over the past four years, Tom Moreau has made an impact not only on the faces of the nine fighters he has battled during his professional mixed martial arts career, but on the lives of numerous people in the area as well.
And while his opponents in the cage, seven of whom he has beaten, may not particularly appreciate what Moreau did for them, there are lots of people he has trained who do.
“I was in a lot of trouble,” said 26-year-old Eddie Brito, one of Moreau’s students at the Moreau Training Center. “I think it would have been tough (without Moreau). He just changed me, talked to me, calmed me down.”
With a record of 7-2, Moreau is one of the most popular local MMA fighters. About four years ago he decided to share his love for the sport with others by opening a training center. Now in its third and largest site, Moreau’s Training Center is located in the YMCA of Greater Londonderry.
Brito grew up in Dorchester, Mass., and said he used to run with gangs when he was in high school. He got into a lot of fights and drank and smoked a lot. Then a friend of his suggested Brito should stop by Moreau’s gym, and it was a life-changing experience for the young father of one.
“It’s calmed me down a lot,” Brito said. “I wish my parents put me in the sport when I was young.”
Now Brito is a lot more focused and productive. He has a full-time job and helps train the younger kids at the center in ju-jitsu.
Brito has lost 50 pounds and said he hasn’t had a drink or smoked at all since he started his training. But the training isn’t just for physical well being, Moreau said it also helps people with other parts of their everyday life.
“Within three months I’ve seen students go from Cs and Ds to Cs and Bs,” Moreau said. “The focus is improving.”
Moreau didn’t have a tough life growing up in Derry, but it wasn’t an easy one either. His mother left when he was 8 and he was raised by his father after that. Having such a strong role model in his life has resonated within Moreau, who is now the father figure to many at his gym.
“I wanted to be him,” said Lenfest, who has been following Moreau ever since he started fighting. “(His training) gave me a lot of confidence. It let me see who I want to be.”
That is why Moreau opened the gym.
It didn’t have anything to do with money. In fact, Moreau sold off most of his other business, Moreau’s Tree Cutting, so he could devote more time to his center. He sold almost all of his equipment and went from having five full-time employees working for him to just two part timers now.
“I knew getting into it, if anything it was going to cost me money,” Moreau said. “This is what I want to do full time.”
It did cost him at first, Moreau said, and now he’s just about breaking even. He trains about 50 people ranging in age from 4 to 49, including his own 8-year-old son Tommy who is part of a youth program called the Little Spartans. Classes at the gym include judo, ju-jitsu, strength conditioning, boxing and MMA. Moreau also has a nine-man fighting team called Team Valor that takes part in local MMA events.
One of his fighters, Devin Lenfest, will be on the card Friday night at Combat Zone 35 being held at Rockingham Park. Moreau, who is likely be No. 1 in the region at 170 pounds when the next local rankings come out, was supposed to be part of the co-main event there, but had to be scratched on Monday when he was diagnosed with an infection.
Although the infection is temporarily keeping Moreau from ruining the physical appearance of his opponent, it won’t stop him from helping others at his training center.
“If I can be that person I’ll be that person,” Moreau said. “If I can help one person out of 20, at least I helped someone.”

Who will be the face of MMA in New Hampshire?

2010-10-13T11:57:00.004-04:00

With mixed martial arts gaining popularity here, the Granite State needs a face in the sport so it can gain some national recognition.

Maine has Mike Brown and Massachusetts has Kenny Florian, both established fighters who have made it to the big time in either the UFC or WEC.

Now New Hampshire needs an identity, and right now it's hard to tell who that will be. If I had to pick a fighter who is at the top of his game right now and seems to be the emerging "best of the best" in the state, that would be Tom Moreau.

The Derry native is coming off the biggest win of his career, a second-round TKO of Dennis Olson, and has now won five of his last six fights since losing to Dan Keefe, another local rising star, in 2008 for a 7-2 record.

Unlike other fighters, Moreau is staying busy and will be back in the cage Oct. 22 at Combat Zone 35 against Derrick Kennington (6-2) of South Carolina.

Another fighter who was on a hot streak until recently was Matt Smith, who lost to Pedro Gonzalez at GFL 9 on Sept. 17. Before that, Smith, one of the best high school wrestlers in New England history, had won seven in a row and he could be a fighter to watch out for at 7-2.

Speaking of Olson, he looked to be the next big thing for a while. He won eight of nine fights between 2008-2010, but has now lost three in a row and has a record of 11-6.

Woody Weatherby is in the same category as Olson. His stock was on the rise too after he started 6-1 and almost made it into the house for The Ultimate Fighter season 11, but has now lost three of his last five fights and has a record of 8-4.

Two fighters with great potential who have been out of action for a while are Keefe, who is 7-1 according to his website, and Nate LaMotte, who is 11-5. Keefe hasn't fought since March 26 and LaMotte has been out of the cage since March 27.

Both have had fights scratched since then. LaMotte was supposed to fight at Bellator XVII in Boston last spring, but got hurt just days before the match and had to scratch. He was also supposed to fight at King of the Cage at Foxwoods in September, but his opponent was a scratch. He has won three of his last four matches.

Keefe was supposed to fight at God of Martial Arts in Worcester on May 21, but his fight was scratched.

GFL sets another date with the Whitt

2010-10-04T09:29:00.002-04:00

Following up on the success of their show last month, the Global Fight League has booked the Whittemore Center once again for a show on Sept. 22, 2011.
Nearly 4,000 fight fans showed up for the promotion company's GFL 9 on Sept. 17 of this year and according to the New Hampshire Boxing and Wrestling Commission website, they plan to do it again next year on Sept. 22.
Things are slowing down on the local scene for the winter months, however, with just one more mixed martial arts event scheduled in the state this year. That's Combat Zone 35, which will take place at Rockingham Park on Oct. 22.
Tom Moreau (7-2) of Derry, who scored a huge win by TKO over Denis Olson at GFL 9, will headline the card at CZ 35. He will take on Derrick Kennington (6-2) of South Carolina.

Matt Smith vs. Pedro Gonzalez 135 title

2010-09-18T00:01:00.002-04:00

Rd. 1
Smith on top for a majority of the match, but Gonzalez slips out and slaps on a guilotine. Gonzalez wins by submission 3:12 into first.

Dennis Olson vs. Tom Moreau

2010-09-17T23:39:00.002-04:00

Rd. 1
Lots of posturing. Both take turns on top while on the mat, but it's Olson who spends the majority of time riding Moreau.
Rd. 2
Moreau gets on top of Olson and won't give up. He keeps pounding away and there's nothing Olson can do. Moreau wins by TKO at 4:39 of second.

Brandon Cyr vs. Nick Rivera

2010-09-17T23:37:00.003-04:00

Rivera, a student at UNH, comes out quick and has the advantage in the first round. Then it's all Cyr as he takes the top and lands lots of punches. Cyr wins by TKO at 2:45 of the third.

Cody Lightfoot vs. Kym Sturdivant

2010-09-17T22:51:00.002-04:00

Lightfoot spends most of the bout riding Sturdivant, but can't get the submission. Lightfoot wins by unanimous decision.

John Benoit vs. Josh Hersey 155 title fight

2010-09-17T22:30:00.002-04:00

The two exchange a couple blows on their feet. Once its gets to the mat it's all Benoit, who wins by submission 4:50 into the first round.

Chris Fisette vs. Ben Hudson

2010-09-17T22:05:00.002-04:00

This one comes down to the judges. It's amazing that Fisette even makes it that long as he takes blow after blow to the head, but doesn't go down.
Hudson wins by unanimous decision.

Justin Homsey vs. Jeremy Ross

2010-09-17T21:29:00.002-04:00

First pro fight of the night.
Homsey, a huge crowd favorite, slips out from the bottom of a grapple and slaps on a quick ankle lock to get the tap out 1:28 into the first round.

Gordon Smith vs. Colton Blanchette

2010-09-17T19:59:00.002-04:00

52-year-old Smith lasts all three rounds, but 18-year-old Blanchette wins by split decision.

GFL 9

2010-09-17T19:46:00.002-04:00

Already about 2,000 people here and the fighting hasn't even started yet.
Highlights of the first Pedro Gonzalez/Matt Smith fight are airing on the big screens, as well as previews for the major fights on tonight's card.

GFL 9

2010-09-17T19:06:00.002-04:00

Sitting ringside at GFL 9 in the Whittemore Center.
First impressions are that the setup is great. Really professional.
The ring is in the center of where the ice rinl would typically be. There are maybe a couple hundred seats on the floor, then the rest of the usual seating.
Visibility should not be a factor for anybody. There are five big screens hanging from the rafters, a huge one at one end of the rink and four above the octagon.
There is also professional lighting over the ring, a runway to the cage for the fighters and a great soundsystem.

GFL looking to make history Friday

2010-09-16T10:03:00.003-04:00

Friday night is a big one on the local mixed martial arts scene.
At Foxwoods Casino in Connecticut, the Kings of the Cage makes its East Coast debut with a full slate on fights including Manchester's Nate Lamotte. The main event of that card will feature Jimmy Rivera against former WBO boxing champion Ray Mercer.
That event will be televised on HDNet starting at 10 p.m.
Even closer to home, in Durham, MMA history could be made in the Granite State when Global Fight League hosts GFL 9 at the Whittemore Center on the campus of the University of New Hampshire. I will be giving live updates from the event here at "End of the Line."
With a capacity for nearly 6,000 people, the Whitt is the largest venue in the state to ever host an MMA event.
GFL is taking a chance with this, but has played its hand quite brilliantly by targeting college students, which make up a huge fan base for the sport. The GFL has also recently hosted a couple other events down the road at the Dover Ice Arena, planting the seed for local interest.
It will be interesting to see how many people turn out on Friday. The GFL has certainly put together a good card to attract fans.
The event's headliner is a bantam weight championship between Pedro Gonzalez (6-3) and Matt Smith (7-2).
The fight that catches my eye, however, is for the middle weight championship, where Tom Moreau (6-2) of Derry will take on Dennis Olson (11-5) of Amherst. Moreau and Olson are two of the best fighters in New Hampshire, but have struggled lately. They each have a ton of talent and one will get back on the right track Friday.
And one of my favorite fighters, Cody Lightfoot (4-1), will compete in the heavyweight class when he takes on Kym Sturdivant (4-2).
The rest of the card is as follows: Brandon Cyr (2-0) vs. Nick Rivera (2-0); 155lb GFL Lightweight Championship - Josh Hersey (4-1) vs. John Benoit (8-2); Chris Fisette (3-3) vs. Ben Hudson (2-1); Jeremy Ross (3-2) vs. Justin Homsey (7-1); TBA vs. Josh Bourque (3-2); Trevor Stone (3-3) vs. Yann Oliveira (1-0); Devin Powell (1-1) vs. Ryan Thomas Clark (0-0); Brandon Fleming (2-0) vs. Austin Perault (0-0); Keegan Hornstra (1-4) vs. Billy Bonnell (0-0); Aaron Smith (3-0) vs. Christian Fenderson (1-0); Bobby Flynn (2-1) vs. Adam Gaudreault (0-1); Colton Blanchette (0-0) vs. Gordan Smith (0-0).
The event starts at 7:30 p.m. Tickets can be purchased through Ticketmaster.

UFC 118 follow up

2010-08-30T10:15:00.002-04:00

If former boxing champ James Toney wanted to find out how tough mixed martial arts is, he certainly found out when Randy Couture slapped an arm triangle on him during the first round of their bout at UFC 118 in Boston on Saturday.
Toney tapped out and Couture, a legend in the sport, won, just one of the highlights from the UFC's first trip to Boston.
This is proof of a couple things in the world of MMA. One is that not just anyone - no matter the background or how tough he thinks he is - can just walk into the cage and win a fight. Dana White, the president of the UFC, has said numerous famous athletes have approached him about fighting. Toney was at the top of that list, so White finally decided to give him a fight and it didn't go so well for the former pugilist.
There is a lot more to the sport than what appears on the surface. There is strategy, defense, a lot of thinking and endurance. Fighters always have to be aware of where they are, their body position, what their opponent is trying to do and any possible submission moves. It's not just going toe-to-toe and slugging away.
The second thing Saturday night proved is that MMA is popular in New England, and hopefully this will open the door for more local fighters. For years, the MMA scene has been growing here, but it hasn't received the national recognition because Massachusetts, the state with the best venues in the area, did not sanction the sport until last winter.
Now that is has been sanctioned in the Bay State and the UFC has expanded its kingdom to the TD Bank Garden, more fighters from the area should get a chance to fight on the preliminary card and possibly earn a contract with the UFC, or other companies in ths sport.

2010-08-25T10:38:00.003-04:00

The wait is over.

This weekend, the Ultimate Fighting Championship will come to Massachusetts with UFC 118 at the TD Bank Garden on Saturday.

It is the first time the UFC has come to the Bay State since mixed martial arts was sanctioned last winter. As usual, the card is an impressive one and features some local fighters.

There are co-main events. One is for the lightweight championship when Frank Edgar (12-1) takes on BJ Penn (15-6-1). The other features MMA legend Randy Couture (18-10) against former boxer James Toney (0-0), whom UFC President Dana White said has been practically begging him for a fight.

On the local scene, former Boston College soccer standout and Massachusettts native Kenny Florian (13-4) will battle Gray Maynard (9-0) in the lightweight division during the main card. The preliminary card features some local fighters such as Joe Lauzon (18-4) of Massachusetts, who will take on Gabe Ruediger (17-5) of Liverpool, England, in the lightweight division.

Some Grit at the Whitt

2010-08-24T10:58:00.003-04:00

Mixed martial arts continues to grow in New Hampshire, and next month Global Fight League will host an event at what is believed to be the biggest venue ever in the state when GFL 9 comes to the Whittemore Center on the campus of the University of New Hampshire.
The arena, which holds nearly 6,000 people for an event like this, will play host to an extraordinary card featurning several of the best local fighters.
The most intriguing match on paper is at 170 pounds, where Dennis Olson (11-5) of Amherst takes on Tom Moreau (5-1-1) of Derry. The most recent Northeast MMA rankings have Olson at No. 1 in the weight class and Moreau at No. 3.
Other matches on the card so far include: Justin Homsey (4-1) against Josh Laberge (7-4) at 145 pounds, Matt Smith (7-2) against Pedro Gonzalez (6-3) at 135 pounds, John Benoit (9-2) against Josh Hersey (4-1) at 155 pounds and Cody Lightfoot (4-1) against Shawn Gallano (4-1) at heavyweight.
The Northeast MMA rankings for this fighters are as follows: Homsey 5, Laberge 2; Smith 8, Gonzalez 9; Benoit 8, Hersey unranked; Lightfoot unranked, Gallano 5.

Local talent taking the stage at "Massacre in the Meadow"

2010-06-03T09:45:00.002-04:00

Calvin "The Boston Finisher" Kattar, the reigning NCAB champion in mixed martial arts and one of the top ranked professional fighters in the Northeast, will return to the cage for the co-main event when Combat Zone MMA 33 moves to the Meadowbrook US Cellular Pavilion as part of the Laconia Bike Week events. The "Massacre in the Meadow" will be held June 19.
Kattar (9-2-0), who hails from Methuen, Mass., and is one of the most popular fighters in the region, takes on Chris Connor (5-2-0) from Winchester, Va., in the highly anticipated bout in the 155-pound class. Connor's record is deceiving because while he has had just seven professional matches, he won 10 of 13 amateur fights before turning pro.
Local fight fans are well acquainted with the charismatic Kattar, who is enormously tough, talented, and strong in the cage. But they might think they're seeing double when Connor is introduced by the ringmaster. That's because Chris Connor is the twin brother of Robert Connor, who lost for the first time in his pro career when defeated by Derry's Tom Moreau by unanimous decision in the main event of Combat Zone 32 at Rockingham Park this past March.
In the co-main event also for 155 pounders, up-and-coming fighter Luiz Rodriguez (2-0-0) of Somerville, Mass., will face an opponent to be named as the complete card of 15 fights takes shape in the final weeks.
In addition to Kattar, there will be plenty of star power in the cage. UFC veteran Josh "Heavy" Hendricks (15-6-0) from Ohio will match up against Carlos Lovato (2-0-0) of Haverhill, Mass., in a test of the heavyweights. Lovato, who trains at the Guy Chase Academy of MMA in Greenland, is another with more experience than his record shows. He is undefeated in Muay Thai and as both an amateur and pro boxer, so he is highly skilled in the various mixed martial arts necessary to score submissions.
Another fight that is sure to garner a great deal of interest is the one in the 185-pound class between Will "The Brown Bomber" Santiago of Lawrence, Mass., and Lowell Zangri of Manchester. Both of the young fighters are undefeated at 2-0-0 and match up well in their abilities.
Other combatants who figure to draw attention include RJ LeTendre (1-0-0), who is a police officer in his hometown of Rollinsford, Jared Dumais (2-1-0) of Derry, and Taylor Trahan (4-3-0) of Lunenburg, Vt., who has redeemed himself from a slow start in the cage by winning his last four fights decisively.
Tickets are available through www.czmma.com or through www.meadowbrook.net and range from $120 to $25, plus a service charge. For more information about the event or any of the fighters, visit www.czmma.com.

Combat Zone 33 part of Bike Week

2010-05-13T10:11:00.002-04:00

Calvin Kattar, the reigning NABC champion in mixed martial arts, will be one of the featured fighters on the card when Combat Zone 33 moves to the Meadowbrook US Cellular Pavilion as part of the Laconia Bike Week events in June.
Other renowned fighters for Combat Zone 33 on Saturday, June 19, include UFC veteran Josh Hendricks, professional boxer Carlos Lovato, Jay Donacorsi, Adam McQuaid and John Levasseur of Manchester, and Jared Dumais from Derry. There will be up to 15 pro and amateur fights for Combat Zone 33.
Tickets are on sale and may be purchased online through the website www.czmma.com. MMA fans are urged to purchase tickets early as Combat Zone events have sold out in the past.

Notheast MMA prelimianry rankings

2010-05-06T09:28:00.000-04:00

Under 135
T1-Paul Gorman
T1-Anthony Leone
3. Dan Ferrer
5. Tateki Matsuda
5. Jason Bennett
6. Matt Martin
7. Tom Giove
8. Matt Smith
9. Pedro Gonzales
10. Barrington Douse

145
1. Jason McLean
2. Ken Stone
T3. Saul Almeida
T3. Kenny Foster
T5. Josh LaBerge
T5. Justin Homsey
7. Rodrigo Almeida
8. Dan Bonnell
9. Mike Gresh
10. Chris Grandmaison

155
1. Rene Nazare
T2. Marc Stevens
T2. Mike Campbell
4. Don-Carlo-Clauss
5. Hitalo Machado
6. Glenn Brown
7. Calvin Kattar
8. John Benoit
9. Tony Leate
T10. Aniss Alhajjajy
T10. Damien Trites

170
1. Dennis Olson
2. Justin Torrey
3. Rick Hawn
4. Tom Moreau
5. Chandler Holderness
6. John Manley
7. Nate LaMotte
8. Tim Pinney
9. Ralph Johnson
T10. Ryan Schieding
T10. Chuck O’Neill

185
1. Nate Kittredge
2. Dan Keefe
3. Greg Rebello
4. Woody Weatherby
5. John Clarke
6. Fred Belleton
7. Scott Nichols
8. Dan Pasquarella
9. Elias Rivera
10. Jesse Peterson

205
1. Travis Bartlett
2. Alexandre Moreno
3. Pat Schultz
4. Josh Watson
5. Ryan Contaldi

HWT
1. Christian Morecraft
2. Josh Diekmann
3. Lee Beane
4. Paul Barry
5. Shawn Galano

Lamotte to fight in Boston Thursday

2010-05-05T11:01:00.000-04:00

Well known around the world for hosting the Boston Ballet’s production of “The Nutcracker,” the Citi Performing Arts Center Wang Theatre has been part of the fine arts scene in the Hub since 1925.
On Thursday, the historical theatre will host a completely different type of arts -- mixed martial arts -- when Bellator Fighting Championships and Manchester’s Nate Lamotte come to town for Bellator XVII.
It will be the first nationally-televised mixed martial arts event in the Bay State since the Massachusetts State Athletic Commission sanctioned the sport in March. Four fights from the event will be aired live on Comcast SportsNet.
“We’re thrilled to be the first major group bringing MMA to Boston,” said Bjorn Rebney, chief executive officer of Bellator. “I’m thrilled. I think it will be a magical event.”
The Wang Theatre was chosen because of an alliance Bellator has with Madison Square Garden Entertainment, which handles the booking for the venue. The alliance is for four events, two at the Wang and two at the Chicago Theatre. The second show at the Wang will take place in late summer.
Rebney said he was amazed at the beauty of the Wang and feels it will be a great venue for MMA. Bellator has used what Rebney described as “cool, electrifying, unique settings” for its events including an outdoor show last Thursday from the Kansas City Power and Light District.
Lamotte, a Manchester Memorial High School graduate whose MMA resume features a four-second knockout win, will take on Chuck O’Neil of Bridgewater, Mass., in one of the fights that won’t be shown live.
A Bellator spokesman said the doors open at 7 p.m. and the live broadcast begins at 8 p.m. Lamotte should fight at about 7:20 p.m. Bellator also has a contract with NBC, which airs a highlight show late night on Saturdays.
“It’s going to be awesome,” Lamotte said. “It’s about time Massachusetts fully realized (the sport’s potential) and is bringing in the bigger shows.”
Rebney said there is a recruiting process that takes place for the local fighters. A Bellator representative searches for “great names” and “ticket sellers who can perform at a high level,” and Lamotte fit that description.
Lamotte, 26, is 11-5 and has won three of his last four matches including a first-round submission of Davin Wesinger on March 27.
He has been working out about six hours a day, seven days a week to get ready for the fight.
“I’ve been working hard,” Lamotte said. “It’s been good though.”
One thing Lamotte has been working on is making his game more rounded. He has a background in wrestling and karate. Now he is also being trained by a Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu coach, a staple for most MMA fighters.
“I feel more complete,” Lamotte said.
The capacity of the Wang is 3,600 people, which Lamotte said would be the second largest crowd he has fought in front of. In 2006 he fought in front of about 8,000 people at the IZOD Center in New Jersey.
The amount of people doesn’t matter to Lamotte, however. He said once he gets into the cage he is able to block everything else out.
“To tell you the truth, once you get into the ring you don’t see anything else,” Lamotte said. “You train that long to focus on one person.”
And that one person just happens to be somebody Lamotte knows pretty well. He said O’Neil has come up to the MMA school Lamotte owns in Manchester and the two have sparred for his students. Lamotte said the MMA community in New England is small, and every fighter knows each other.
Still, Lamotte is positive the bond the two have won’t hinder his ability to land a blow to O’Neil’s chin if need be.
“It’s a job and he’s in the way of another paycheck,” Lamotte said.
It could be more than just another paycheck for Lamotte. The fight in Boston is more of an audition. Rebney said local fighters who perform well could get “high on the list” for a Bellator contract. He said if Lamotte fights well, he will likely be invited back for the second show in the late summer, and if he does well there it could mean a spot on the Bellator roster.
“It’s a vital part of taking people out of the local market and bringing them to the national one,” Rebney said.
Two of the four fights that will be shown live are the semifinals of an eight-man tournament in the lightweight division. The other two televised matches feature Bellator fighters. They will be book ended by the four local fights, two before and two after.
The televised fight card includes Eddie Alvarez vs. Josh Neer, Roger Huerta vs. Pat Curran, Carey Vanier vs. Toby Imada and Cole Konrad vs. Pat Bennett.
The local fight card includes Lamotte vs. O’Neil, Dan Bonnell vs. Josh Laberge, Greg Rebello vs. John Clarke and Nate Kittredge vs. Justin Torrey.

Brown back in action Saturday

2010-04-23T11:02:00.004-04:00

Maine's Mike Brown will return to the octagon on Saturday night when he fights Manny Gamburyan on the under card of the Aldo vs. Faber pay-per-view event in Sacramento, Calif.
Brown, a former wrestling standout at Bonny Eagle High School, is 23-5. His last fight was a win by submission over Anthony Morrison on Jan. 10. Gamburyan is 12-5.
The main event features featherweight champion Jose Aldo in his first defense against former world champion “The California Kid” Urijah Faber.
There is also a second title fight on the card. Lightweight champion Ben Henderson takes on Donald “Cowboy” Cerrone in a rematch of their 2009 Fight of the Year. The event starts at 10 p.m.

MMA growing in Massachusetts

2010-04-14T11:41:00.003-04:00

Ever since the Massachusetts State Athletic Commission sanctioned mixed martial arts on March 1, the sport has just exploded in the Bay State.
The month of May is a big one for MMA in Massachusetts. Bellator Fighting Championship will host a televised event at the Citi Performing Arts Center Wang Theatre Boston on May 6, featuring former Manchester (NH) Memorial High School wrestling standout Nate LaMotte. The event will be televised on FSN.
The first "major" event will be held on May 21 at the DCU Center in Worcester. The main event of the show, God of Martial Arts, being promoted by Moosin, features former UFC champion Tim Sylvia against World's Strongest Man winner Mariusz Pudzianowski. In a charity bout, former Boston Bruins enforcer Lyndon Byers will fight toughman legend Eric "Butterbean" Esch, and also fighting that night will be former Salem (NH) High School wrestling standout Dan Keefe.
The door has been opened and MMA is taking a good foothold in the state. There are even rumors about a UFC event being planned for the TD Bank Garden in August.

Keefe part of Bay State MMA history

2010-04-09T10:38:00.004-04:00

Dan Keefe is quickly becoming a part of mixed martial arts history in Massachusetts.
Not only did the Salem, N.H., native fight in the first officially sanctioned MMA event in the Bay State last month, but he has also signed on for the first "major" sanctioned MMA event in the state being held on May 21 at the DCU Center in Worcester.
Keefe's win in the Xtreme Championship Fight League event held at the Lowell Auditorium in March - the first since the Massachusetts Athletic Commission sanctioned the sport - earned him a spot on the card of Moosin's God of Martial Arts in Worcester, a pay-per-view event where he will face veteran cagefighter Robert "Bubba" McDaniel.
It will be the first televised event for Keefe.
The former football and wrestling star at Salem High School said this could be a big break for him, but he approaches every fight the same way whether it's on TV or not.
"It's good to be fighting on something that's going to be on TV," Keefe said. "But for me, it's just another fight."
Exposure on a pay-per-view event could help Keefe land some sponsorship. Right now he is sponsored by HeadBlade, Prime Athletics and the Route 28 Roadhouse.
Keefe is 7-1 overall and 3-1 in sanctioned fights. He has won four bouts in a row since his only loss to former Plymouth, N.H., wrestling standout Dan Pasquarella in 2007. Included in his win streak are victories over Thomas Moreau of Derry, N.H., and Woody Weatherby of Nashua, N.H. According to the most recent rankings by Northeast MMA, Moreau was sixth in the 170-pound weight class and Weatherby, who lost in the preliminary round of The Ultimate Fighter 11, was fourth at 185.
"I still feel I've got a lot to learn," Keefe said. "I've still got a long way to go."
McDaniel is 14-5. Eleven of his 14 wins have been by submission.
Keefe said he McDaniel likes to take the fight to the ground, which is also where Keefe excels. He said his strength as a fighter is to ground-and-pound, so he wouldn't mind grappling on the mat a bit.
It will be the biggest payday of his career to this point for Keefe. He said he will receive $2,000 just for fighting and another $2,000 if he wins.
That money could go a long way in helping Keefe fulfill his dream of taking some time off from work as a prison guard and training full-time for a big fight. Right now he said he is limited to the amount of training he can do because of his job, which he needs to make it financially.
He's hoping some sponsors will be impressed with what he can do either during the broadcast, or from the stands, at the DCU Center and sign him.
"Assuming I win, I think it will help significantly," Keefe said. "(McDaniel) is a pretty recognized name."
The main event on the card features former Ultimate Fighting Championship champion Tim Sylvia against five-time World's Strongest Man winner Marius Pudzianowski. Also fighting will be former Boston Bruins enforcer and local radio personality Lyndon Byers, who will take on former toughman legend Eric "Butterbean" Esch in a fight to raise money for a local charity.

Byers dropping the gloves for charity

2010-04-07T11:01:00.004-04:00

Former Boston Bruins enforcer and current radio personality Lyndon Byers will be throwing fists once more, this time for a good cause during the God of Martial Arts mixed martial arts event at the DCU Center on May 21.
Byers will take on former toughman legend Eric "Butterbean" Esch in a charity super-heavyweight bout to raise money for a slain Boston police officer, according to Byers.
Byers is best known for his fighting abilities on the ice with the Bruins in the 80s. He is now on a local radio morning show and has also made appearances in television shows with friend Denis Leary.
The fight is just one of many on the card at the DCU Center, which will be the first "major" MMA event in the Bay State since the sport was sanctioned earlier this year.
The main event features former Ultimate Fighting Championship champion Tim Sylvia against five-time World's Strongest Man winner Mariusz Pudzianowski of Poland. Also featured on the card is former Salem High School wrestling and football standout Dan Keefe, one of the local scene's rising stars who is 6-1 and currently holds an Xtreme Cage Fighting League title.
The fight between Byers and Esch won't be aired during the pay-per-view event being made available.

Bay State holds its own at UFC Fight Night

2010-04-01T16:44:00.004-04:00

Two wins by Massachusetts fighters highlighted an exciting card Wednesday during UFC Fight Night on Spike TV.
Milford's Jorge Rivera unleashed some bombs on Nate Quarry and won by referee stoppage in the second round. And, in one of the least exciting bouts, Kenny Florian of Brookline was masterful in the way he picked apart Takanori Gomi and won by submission in the main event.
In the Rivera fight, the Bay Stater was aggressive from the open and went toe-to-toe in Quarry. He landed some huge shots in the first round, but Quarry managed to hang on and survived to the second round.
It was in the second round when Rivera popped Quarry with a punch that put him to the mat. Rivera pounced on his opponent and pounded away until the ref stopped the match.
Florian wasn't as aggressive against Gomi. He was very methodical with his right jabs, which he landed at will. All the while, Florian had his left caulked, but never unleashed it.
Florian did his homework. He had an answer for everything Gomi threw at him and wore the Japanese fighter down with jabs.
It was in the third round that Florian went for the jugular. He timed a take down perfectly and skillfully tied Gomi up in a choke hold for the win.
The punch of the night came from Roy "Big Country" Nelson, who at 6-feet tall and 263 pounds is an inspiration to those of us touting around sizable beer bellies.
Nelson looked like David against Goliath next to the 6-11 Stefan Struve. But Nelson didn't need a sling to bring this giant down, all he needed was one huge right that floored Struve in the first round.
Nelson drilled Struve in the chin and the giant's knees just buckled as he collapsed to the mat. Lights out, Nelson wins.
In the best fight of the night, Ross Pearson threw everything he had at Dennis Siver, but Siver just wouldn't go down. He showed huge heart and that he has a chin like oak.
Despite being torn apart by punches from Pearson, Siver hung in for all three rounds before eventually losing the decision.
To his credit, Pearson fought a great fight and landed the shots he needed to. He was also good on defense and never let Siver gain any kind of momentum.

UFC tonight on Spike

2010-03-31T09:22:00.002-04:00

The UFC returns to Charlotte tonight for an event that will air live on Spike TV at 8 p.m. The card at the Bojangles Coliseum, the site of two of the first five UFC events, includes the lightweight showdown between two-time title challenger Kenny Florian and Japanese superstar and former PRIDE champion Takanori Gomi. This bout will headline the latest edition of Spike TV's hit UFC Fight Night series.

LaMotte to fight on television

2010-03-30T11:11:00.003-04:00

With his win by submission on the first round over Davin Wesinger in Milford on Saturday night, former Manchester Memorial High School wrestling standout Nate LaMotte has earned a fight that will be aired on television.
LaMotte is now 11-5 and will fight in Bellator XVII pn May 6 at the Citi Performing Arts Center Wang Theatre in Boston. The fight will be shown on Fox Sportsnet, but it is unclear if it will be a live broadcast. LaMotte said the fight might also be aired on ESPN Deportes.
LaMotte said his opponent has not yet been determined.

Getting to know Dennis Olson

2010-03-23T10:59:00.007-04:00

This weekend, Dennis Olson will fight Nuri Shakir in the main event during Triumph Promotions' debut show at the Hampshire Dome in Milford. Olson is described by his peers as a "beast" who is ripped up and ruthless in the cage. The Amherst native is 9-2, loves pizza and would be spending a lot of time in the garden if he weren't fighting.
Just check out this video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kUXlIeSbVq4 and you'll see why people call him a beast.
Q: You were a good wrestler at Souhegan. How has that sport helped you with your career in MMA?
A: I would have to say that wrestling in high school and after high school was one of the biggest keys in my success in MMA. Even though I did not wrestle all the way through college, I have been active in wrestling for almost 15 years now. I feel that wrestling builds extreme conditioning and mental toughness needed to be a successful fighter.
Q: What attracted you to MMA?
A: My initial attraction to MMA began about 15 or 16 years ago, back in the days of Tank Abbot, Ken Shamrock and other pioneers of the sport. My father and I were renting UFC tapes from the video store for as long as I can remember the sport being around. I went and watched my first live show in 2005 and actually ended up filling in for one of the fighters. I have been hooked ever since.
Q: Over the past decade or so, Norwich University has produced some pretty good fighters. There are Mike Brown, Cody Lightfoot and you (even though you were only there for a short time). Is there something special about the school that helps mold great fighters?
A: I would have to say no… However their wrestling program is of the highest caliber and they are very serious about training and competing.
Q: Six of your nine wins have come by submission. Is that your style?
A: I definitely love to submit people, but I wouldn’t say that I have any specific way of finishing fights. Stylistically I would say that I am more of a grinder, I go where the fight takes me and finish it when I see an opportunity.
Q: What would you say are your best strengths as a fighter?
A: I would have to say that my conditioning and mental toughness are my most prized abilities in the ring. Also the fact that I absolutely hate losing helps me a lot as well, haha.
Q: Who has been your toughest opponent?
A: Hands down my toughest opponent has to be John Manley. In our fight he showed tremendous heart and perseverance. I threw everything I had at him and he would not quit. I was very impressed with how tough he turned out to be.
Q: What is your favorite movie of all time?
A: Haha, I would have to say that there is a tie between the Rocky movies and The Hangover. As random and cliché as that may seem.
Q: What is your favorite food?
A: Firecracker pizza from Kinsley House of Pizza. Delicious!
Q: What is your favorite song of all time?
A: I love all kinds of different music. I don’t think that I could give an answer to that question, I listen to everything from Kenney Chesney to Cam’ron and back.
Q: What is something most people don't know about you that may come as a surprise?
A: Even though I love this sport and all that it has done for me, if I could do anything else I would be running my own landscape design business. I love being outdoors and working with my hands.

Sneak Peak at St. Pierre-Hardy

2010-03-23T09:12:00.001-04:00

UFC Primetime will air Wednesday at 10 P.M. on Spike TV. The shoe is a look into the lives of perhaps the world’s best pound for pound fighter, St-Pierre, and Hardy, the man looking to unseat him at the top of the welterweight ladder. As the two prepare for their meeting in late March, Spike TV will present three special weekly installments that will take viewers across the pond to Nottingham, England as Hardy trains with the rest of his Rough House team, and back to North America to Montreal to see how St-Pierre, one of the most beloved athletes in Canada, is preparing for his title defense. UFC Primetime delivers an extraordinary amount of access to two of mixed martial arts’ best, as they head into what could be the signature fight of 2010 at UFC 111.

Jones win highlights an otherwise forgettable night

2010-03-22T09:30:00.002-04:00

Don't get me wrong, it was great to see UFC for free on Versus last night, but overall I'd have to say the show was pretty lame.
The most memorable things about the event were two monstrous blows - one by Jon Jones to knock out Brandon Vera, and the other by John Howard that knocked Daniel Roberts into a different century.
None of the fights were that exciting, and the only one of television that went more than one round (Kongo vs. Buentello) was spent mostly on the mat and one-sided.
I must say I was impressed with Kongo, however, as he never even let the veteran Buentello have a chance in the fight. Kongo had a plan and stuck with it.
He continuously backed Buentello into the cage and took him down, thereby taking away Bunetello's ability to strike. It was genius because not only was Kong safe from Buentello's blows on the mat, but Buentello also used a lot of energy trying to defend himself from submissions and to get up.
Once Buentello got tired he got sloppy. Kongo noticed the openings and started punishing Bunetello with knees. It was a great strategy, but not one UFC fans like to see.
Kongo proved to me that he is a very cerebral fighter and a tremendous physical specimen who is a definite threat in the heavyweight class.
As for the main event, Brandon Vera vs. Jon Jones, I don't feel it lived up to the hype.
One thing is for sure -- Jones is the real deal. He absolutely slaughtered Vera and has an unorthodox style that can pose problems for anybody looking to go up against him.
That elbow he nailed Vera with was SICK, and must have sent shivers down the spines of any potential UFC opponents.
I love the attitude from Jones, I love how he called referee Herb Dean "sir" in a respectful manner during the fight and I'd love to see him get a title shot.
As for the Howard/Daniels fight, which seemed to be an afterthought to fill time for the broadcast, that was just scary.
The way Daniels's eyes rolled back into his head after Howard hit him with that first left made me nervous. It was good to see him sitting up by the time they announced Howard as the winner, but MAN, what a blow.

UFC on TV Sunday night

2010-03-20T09:54:00.001-04:00

Two of the most dynamic light heavyweights in the game clash on Sunday, when Muay Thai ace Brandon “The Truth” Vera takes on dangerous 22-year-old phenom Jon “Bones” at the 1STBANK Center (formerly Odeum Colorado) in Broomfield, Colo.
The fight will air live on VERSUS at 9 p.m. marking the debut of the Ultimate Fighting Championship® (UFC®) on VERSUS and the first time that a live UFC event will air on a national sports cable network.

Technical difficulties

2010-03-18T11:14:00.002-04:00

Sorry to all my EOTL fans out there that I haven't been posting much lately. I've been battling food poisoning and that has taken a lot out of me.
I assure you, I will have a lot leading up to the Triumph Promotions debut event next weekend in Milford over the next week or so.
Sorry for the delay,
Mark

Ortolani on the rise

2010-03-14T10:57:00.003-04:00

He has been in the sport less than a year, but John Ortolani has already made a name for himself in mixed martial arts.
Ortolani won his first two fights before losing to the much-more experienced Mike Littlefield last November. Still, he is being hyped as one of the best fighters to come out of New England since Mike Brown.
His trainer, John Fain of Gracie Barra in Nashua, said he is confident Ortolani can give any 155-pounder in the country a good fight.
“He‘s the most gifted fighter I‘ve ever seen,” Fain said. “He’s ready now. He’s one of the best right now.”
The native of Billerica, Mass., juggles a busy schedule. Not only is Ortolani a pro in MMA, but he is also a professional lacrosse player with the Boston Blazers of the National Lacrosse League.
Ortolani got his first taste of MMA when he helped train his friend, Steve Butler, for a fight in January of 2009. Ortolani decided to train himself, and got his first pro fight four months later.
A four-sport standout in high school, Ortolani said there is one thing he loves about MMA that sets it apart.
“I like the one-on-one stuff,” Ortolani said. “If I lose, it’s all on me. But if I win it’s because of something I’ve done.”
Ortolani describes himself as an aggressive fighter, which becomes obvious with one look at his professional record. None of his fights have made it out of the first round and his longest fight was three minutes, the loss to Littlefield. He also has a no decision in his pro career. Ortolani’s next fight is on June 5 in Milford.
“I don’t like to sit back,” Ortolani said. “I like to push the pace.”
He said his style is to “ground and pound,” but he will go for a submission if the opportunity arises. His two wins were by referee stoppage from strikes, one 2:16 into the first round and the other 1:58 in.
Fain said Ortolani is a natural to the sport. His competitive fire fuels Ortolani and he has an uncanny acumen for any sports he tries out.
“(A strength is) His ability to learn,” Fain said. “Anything you teach him, he becomes an expert at it.”
It doesn’t hurt that he has a great training partner in Dennis Olson, another up-and-coming young fighter in New England. He said Olson, who is 9-2 as a pro, pushes him every day and has taught him a lot about avoiding submission moves, one of Olson’s fortes.
“It’s awesome,” Ortolani said of training with Olson. “I think he’s the best fighter in New England. I think he would beat anyone right now.”
It may seem tough to carry on a professional career in two sports, but Ortolani said he isn’t having a problem with it. He trains for MMA during the week and his work for lacrosse is limited to the weekends. He said the team typically practices the night before a game and plays on Saturdays.
He knows at some point he’s going to have to choose between lacrosse and MMA, but for now he’s just enjoying both, which is something he hopes will go on for a while.
“Right now they’re both just starting out,” Ortolani said. “I’m going to do both of them as long as possible.”

What's on tap

2010-03-11T13:11:00.002-05:00

Sorry it has been so long since my last post, but I've been busy with other writing duties since covering Combat Zone 32 last Friday.
Here's what you can expect at EOTL over the next few days.
Trimuph Promotions will be putting on an event in Milford on March 27 and the card is shaping up to be a really good one. Two of New Hampshire's top young fighters, Dennis Olson and Nate LaMotte, will be participating.
I will be doing a lot of stuff leading up to that event, including a Q & A with Olson. I will also be doing a profile on one of Olson's teammates at Gracie Barra NH, John Ortolani. People at Gracie Barra have high expectations for Ortolani, who is also a professional lacrosse player.

Moreau keeps on winning

2010-03-07T10:20:00.000-05:00

Maybe Thomas Moreau should try a career in baseball. After all, he’s pretty good at dealing with curveballs.
For the third fight in a row Moreau’s opponent was changed at the last minute, this time giving him less than two days to prepare for his bout. And for the third time in a row the Derry Native was victorious, scoring a unanimous decision over Robert Conner during the main event during Combat Zone 32 at Rockingham Park Friday night.
“I can’t make a career of backing out of fights,” Moreau said. “I had to take it on short notice.”
Moreau, 29, needed all of his skills to beat the 22-year-old from Virginia, who was a last-minute replacement for Marcos Maciel of Brazil. Moreau improved his record to 6-1 and got a rousing cheer from about 150 people in attendance to support him as he made a curtain call after the fight. Conner dropped to 7-2.
The fight didn’t go the way Moreau would have liked. Most of it was spent on the mat as Conner kept going for takedowns and tried to tie Moreau up.
He was successful for the most part, but Moreau still managed to get on top a few times and land some good blows.
The Pinkerton grad landed a huge blow that knocked Conner down at the beginning of the second round. Conner settled down, however, and managed to get Moreau down on the mat with him. He had Moreau in a tough situation as time expired in the period.
After apparently wining the first two rounds and having the upper hand in the third, Moreau made a dangerous move and went for a takedown with less than a minute left in the bout. The move backfired as Conner countered and got Moreau in a pretty-good choke hold against the cage.
Luckily, Conner wasn’t able to lock on until there was only 10 seconds remaining and Moreau held on.
“If he could have had maybe 20 or 30 seconds more he may have won,” Moreau said. “But if I had 20 or 30 seconds more I may have been able to knock him out too.”
Moreau was one of only four New Hampshire fighters to win during the 13-bout card and the only local pro that was victorious. In the amateur ranks, Wayne Ahlquist won by referee stoppage, Taylor Trahan won by submission and John Santos scored a technical knock out.
Santos, also from Derry, listened to some good advice from his corner and was able to shake off a couple of punches from yet another Derry resident, Jesse Menize, mount his opponent and pound away for the win 2:21 into the first round.
“I just listened to my coach,” said Santos, a 22-year old father of three who is now 2-3. “You listen to your coach and do anything he tells you.”
It was the sixth fight in less than a year for Trahan, an 18-year-old who trains out of Lisbon. He has now won three in a row and is 3-3.
“I do it for experience,” Trahan said. “They’re only amateur fights and they don’t count on my (professional) record. And it’s fun.”
In other amateur action, Logan Moore (0-2) of Kingston lost to George Lynch (2-0) by unanimous decision, Kris Kloetz of Gilford (0-1) lost to Peter Wellman (1-0) by ref stoppage, Ahlquist (1-1) of Meredith beat Keith Nelson (0-2) by ref stoppage, Lamont Milton (3-0) beat Adam Toussaint (3-3) by unanimous decision and Peter San Antonio (2-1) beat David Spero (1-2) of Atkinson in a split decision.
In the pro ranks, Mike Winters (1-0) beat Keaton Van Thof (0-2) of Salem by ref stoppage, Jesse McElligott (1-0) beat Jamie Fellows (1-3) of Meredith by ref stoppage with just four seconds left in the bout, Steve Butler (1-3) beat John Levasseur (1-2) of Hooksett by submission, Anthony Kaponis (2-0) beat Adam McQuaid (1-1) of Manchester by technical knock out and Chandler Holderness (8-2) beat Brent Kinberger (5-2) of Manchester by unanimous decision.

Combat Zone 32 - Amateurs

2010-03-06T10:24:00.001-05:00

SALEM -- It’s always a good idea to keep your head up and your ears open in mixed martial arts.
John Santos did just that, and in his time of need got the proper instructions from is trainer, which he followed to a tee.
Santos slipped out of a choke hold Jesse Menize had on him and pounded away on his opponent to pick up a technical knock out 2:21 into the first round of his fight during Combat Zone 32 at the Sports Club at Rockingham Park last night.
“I just listened to my coach,” said Santos, a 22-year old amateur from Derry. “You listen to your coach and do anything he tells you.”
The bout between Santos and Menize, who is also from Derry, was just one of seven amateur fights during the first half of the event. Six professional fights were scheduled to take place as well after an intermission.
Although only separated by a year and from the same town, Santos said he didn’t know the younger Menize before the fight. Santos dropped out of school when he was 16 years old to support his kids, of which he now has three.
Menize initiated the action and landed a few blows right after the opening bell. The two then went to the ground and grappled for a while before Santos mounted Menize and starting reining blows upon him.
“I just let it go,” Santos said.
Another amateur who has been busy is Taylor Trahan, who won his third match in a row last night by submission in the second round.
It was the sixth match in less than a year for Trahan, who trains out of Lisbon.
“I do it for experience,” Trahan said. “They’re only amateur fights and they don’t count on my (professional) record. And it’s fun.”
Trahan landed a couple of good blows and got Jason Earl on the mat. He then maneuvered himself in to position for the arm bar and Earl tapped out.
“I don’t like losing,” Trahan said about why he has won three bouts in a row. “So I try extra hard.”
Trahan is now 3-3 and Santos is 2-3. Menize dropped to 0-2 and Earl is 1-2.
The only other local fighter to win during the amateur portion of the event was Wayne Ahlquist of Meredith. He won by referee stoppage over Keith Nelson less than a minute into the first round.
Ahlquist came out swinging and nailed his opponent. Nelson then turned his back and ran half way around the ring, where he stopped and was popped by Ahlquist again.
That led to more running by Nelson and by that point the ref had seen enough as he stopped the fight. Ahlquist improved to 1-1 and Nelson is 0-2.
In other amateur fights, George Lynch (2-0) beat Logan Moore (0-2) of Kingston by unanimous decision, Peter Wellman (1-0) beat Kris Kloetz (0-1) of Gilford by referee stoppage, and Lamont Wilson (3-0) stunned the crowd with a unanimous decision win over Adam Toussaint (3-3), who seemed to dominate the fight and almost got Milton to submit.

Conner vs. Moreau

2010-03-05T23:22:00.002-05:00

Moreau carries the action and gets the best of the strikes in all three rounds. He makes one mistake at the very end and Conner gets a good hold on as time expires. Moreau wins by unanimous decision.

Holderness vs. Kinberger

2010-03-05T22:55:00.002-05:00

Tough match. Lots of grappling. No real big blows by either fighter. Holderness did spend the most time on top, however, and gets the unanimous decision.

Kaponis vs. McQuaid

2010-03-05T22:45:00.002-05:00

McQuaid lands some big blows early, but Kaponis takes them and survives. Kaponis lands a huge blow late and grounds and pounds. Kaponis by TKO.

Butler vs. Levasseur

2010-03-05T22:36:00.002-05:00

Both fighters full of energy. Butler carries Levasseur across the ring the slams him. Levasseur is gassed and choked out.

McElligott vs. Fellows

2010-03-05T22:16:00.002-05:00

Fellows showed a ton of courage. Even with his face covered in blood, Fellows could not be knocked out. McElligott got his licks in, however, and won by ref stoppage with just 34 seconds left in the bout.

Winters vs. Van Thof

2010-03-05T22:08:00.002-05:00

The home-town boy goes down quickly. Winters takes Van Thof down, mounts him and pounds away. Winters by ref stoppage.

San Antonio vs. Spero

2010-03-05T21:25:00.002-05:00

Brutal battle to the end. Back-and-forth with the decision going to San Antonio.

Milton vs. Toussaint

2010-03-05T21:11:00.002-05:00

Amazing Milton survives. Toussaint slams Milton hard -- and I mean hard -- twice, but Milton somehow manages to survive the round without tapping. WOW!!! Milton wins a unanimous decision.

Earl vs. Trahan

2010-03-05T20:56:00.002-05:00

Trahan aggresive in second round. Goes right at Earl and gets him on the ground. Trahan works the arm bar and Earl taps out.

Nelson vs. Ahlquist

2010-03-05T20:54:00.001-05:00

Only 47 seconds. Ahlquist lands a few blows and Nelson runs away. Ref calls it.

Santos vs. Menize

2010-03-05T20:42:00.002-05:00

Quick one. Menize lands a couple of blows and Santos takes him down. Menize has Santos locked up, but Santos slithers out and whales away on Menize. Santos by TKO.

Kloetz vs. Wellman

2010-03-05T20:35:00.001-05:00

Wellman takes Kloetz down early and pounds away. Ref stops the fight due to strikes.

Moore vs. Lynch

2010-03-05T19:25:00.003-05:00

Most of this one spent on the mat with Lynch on top. Lynch lands a few blows while Moore just covers up. Lynch by unanimous decision.

Combat Zone 33 set

2010-03-05T19:04:00.002-05:00

As if Bike Week wasn't rowdy enough, Combat Zone 33 will take place on June 19 on the shores of Lake Winnipesaukee at the Meadowbrook U.S. Cellular Pavillion.
Fight promoter Dave George said he has some fighters already committed, but the card has not been set yet.

Tonight's CZ 32 card

2010-03-05T18:14:00.002-05:00

Amateur
150 - Logan Moore vs. George Lynch
155 - Peter Wellman vs. Kris Kloets
145 - John Santos vs. Jesse Menize
170 - Wayne Ahlquist vs. Keith Nelson
145 - Jason Earl vs. Taylor Trahan
145 - Lamont Milton vs. Adam Toussaint
180 - David Spero vs. Peter San Antonio

Professional
170 - Keaton Van Thof vs. Mike Winters
205 - Jesse McElligott vs. Jamie Fellows
155 - John Levasseur vs. Steve Butler
170 - Adam McQuaid vs. Anthony Kaponis
170 - Chandler Holderness vs. Brent Kinberger
170 - Thomas Moreau vs. Robert Conner

Scratch
Eddie Brito vs. Tony Woodman

UFC/WEC slate

2010-03-05T11:39:00.001-05:00

Jens Pulver and Shogun Rua are featured in an all new episode of The Best of PRIDE®, tonight at 10pm ET/PT on SPIKE .
Brian Bowles and Dominick Cruz battle it out for the WEC® bantamweight championship, plus the return of Miguel Angel Torres as he takes on Joseph Benavidez. WEC® Bowles vs Cruz live this Saturday night on Versus.
Countdown to UFC® on Versus premieres immediately following WEC®.
UFC.com - Frank Mir - Seven Defining Moments

CZ 32 Update

2010-03-05T11:26:00.002-05:00

The main event for Combat Zone 32 has been changed for this evening.
Thomas Moreau of Derry will still be in the bout, but Marcos Maciel has been scratched. In stead, Moreau will be fighting Robert Conner of Martinsburg, WV. Conner is 7-1 and was called to replace Maciel after Conner's match was canceled because the person he was supposed to be fighting was called to the UFC, according to sources close to the event.

CZ32 live

2010-03-04T09:51:00.001-05:00

Check out End of the Line Friday night for live updates from Combat Zone 32. I will be blogging live from ringside and hopefully get some interviews posted as well.
Fights are scheduled to start at 8 p.m.

Moreau ready to chop down the competition

2010-03-04T09:50:00.000-05:00

Thomas Moreau shouldn’t have any problem making weight for his fight on Friday night during Combat Zone 32 at Rockingham Park in Salem.
Last weekend Moreau, who owns a tree-cutting business, was busy cleaning up the damage left behind by the wind storm and moving his training studio to Londonderry. That kept him out of the gym, but Moreau said the workout he got may have been more intense than what his regular training would have called for.
“Between the storm and everything else it was a pretty busy weekend,” Moreau said. “I stayed busy.”
Moreau, who is 29 years old, will fight Marcos Maciel of Brazil in the main event at Combat Zone 32. There are 14 bouts on the card for the event that starts at 8 p.m.
One twist to this Combat Zone will be the new unified rules for mixed martial arts the state adopted at the beginning of this year. The new rules allows knees and elbows to be used in situations they weren’t in the past.
“It makes it a little more realistic and it definitely makes it more exciting,” Moreau said.
And, it could work to his advantage. Moreau said Maciel is good on the mat, and these new rules could make it tougher for one fighter to take another down.
“His submissions are very good,” Moreau said. “He’s really slick when he locks you up.”
Things would go better for Moreau if both fighters stay on their feet. Moreau feels he is the better striker, and that’s something he wants to use to his advantage.
“As long as I dictate the fight and take it to him I’ll be OK,” Moreau said.
Moreau graduated from Pinkerton Academy in 2000 and almost immediately started his business, Moreau’s tree cutting. He fights for Team Valor and now lives in Raymond.
Moreau is just one of numerous fighters from the state on the card. Amateurs from New Hampshire fighting include Logan Moore of Kingston (0-1), Nate Ainsworth of Lisbon (2-1), Kris Kloets of Gilford (0-0), John Santos of Derry (1-3), Jesse Menize of Derry (0-1), Wayne Ahlquist of Meredith (0-1), Taylor Trahan of Lisbon (2-3) and David Spero of Atkinson (1-1). Local professionals include Eddie Brito of Derry (1-3), Keaton Van Thof (0-1), Jamie Fellows of Meredith (1-2), John Levasseur of Hooksett (1-0), Adam McQuaid of Manchester (1-0), Brent Kinberger of Manchester (5-1) and Moreau.

Countdown to CZ32

2010-02-28T11:07:00.004-05:00

Combat Zone 32 is this Friday and here on EOTL I will be building up to the big event.
This week look for a feature on Manchester fighter Adam McQuaid, who is undefeated in his cagefighting career, but only 1-0 as a pro.
I will also be highlighting the main event featuring Thomas Moreau of Derry against Marcos Maciel. Articles will also appear in the New Hampshire Union Leader during the week.
For tickets, call 978-360-3846 or visit czmma.com.

Mother Nature deals a blow

2010-02-26T18:18:00.001-05:00

The wind storm that ravaged the state this week has crippled my ability to update End of the Line. I have no power, which means no computer and no internet.
I do plan on catching up next week and previewing the Combat Zone 32 event taking place at Rockingham Park next Friday.

Getting to know Brent Kinberger

2010-02-24T09:07:00.006-05:00

During the day, Brent Kinberger is a mild-mannered electrical engineer at DEKA in Manchester. But at night he unleashes his wild side as a cagefighter, and on March 5 the 36-year-old from the Queen City will put his 5-1 record on the line against Chandler Holderness of Boulder, Colo., during Combat Zone 32 at Rockingham Park in Salem.
Holderness is 7-2.
Kinberger, who fights out of Miletich Fighting Systems of Hooksett, grew up in Louisville, Kent., and attended Waggener High School. He dabbled in wrestling and kickboxing during a stint in the U.S. Army and now lives in Manchester with his wife and two sons.
Q: You've got a good job as an electrical engineer with DEKA. Why risk getting hurt and missing work by cagefighting?
A: I don't see physical injury as a serious risk for the type of work I do in electronics.
Q: Does Dean Kamen know you fight? And if so, what does he think?
A: No. I don't have regular interaction with Dean Kamen. He's a pretty busy guy. I doubt very seriously he would be interested in MMA.
Q: What attracted you to MMA?
A: I wrestled and kickboxed. When MMA appeared on the scene, it seemed right up my alley. Basically, my brother dared me to do a fight after seeing local "toughman" contests. MMA appealed more to me because of the ground aspect.
Q: You're now 5-1 as a pro and getting some pretty good fights. As I mentioned before, you also have a good job at DEKA. Do you plan on making a career out of cagefighting?
A: No. It is mainly a hobby for me and I will only continue doing it as long as it's fun and I'm winning. If I got a shot in a big show, I would certainly do it, if not only for the money.
Q: Who has been the toughest opponent of your career?
A: Obviously Magno. My two amatuer losses came in similar fashion. I felt I was winning and got caught in a submission. Magno is also the only fight going past the first round. He was/is a top-class fighter, both his standup and ground was great...I didn't feel as though I was winning against him.
Q: If you could fight anybody in the cage, who would it be and why?
A: I really don't have any preferences about fights. I like fighting top guys.
Q: What's your favorite movie of all time?
A: I don't know, probably something like Reservoir dogs or Forrest Gump.
Q: Favorite food?
A: I like a good steak, but I can put away some chinese food too.
Q: Favorite song?
A: No way to ID that one....I play guitar and wouldn't be able to finger a single favorite song.

Schultz to make his return at CFX 8

2010-02-17T11:03:00.004-05:00

On Saturday, promoters for CFX 8 say they are expecting the largest crowd for an indoor MMA fight in the area.
Linda Shields, who does promotions for Cage Fighting X-Treme, said about 6,000 people are expected at the event, titled Rumble in the Jungle 3 and being held at the Jugleplex in Plymouth, Mass.
The fight card is an extensive one that features 24 bouts with the main events being the return of Plymouth native Pat Schultz to the cage after a two-year absence because of a broken hand, and fan favorite Josh Diekmann of Connecticut.
Schultz, who was on the Ultimate Fighter Season 7 in 2008, will take on Fernando Rivera in a 190-pound weight class fight.
Schultz lost his first fight in Ultimate Fighter to Cale Yarbrough. Schultz broke his hand during that fight and hasn't been in the cage since.
Diekman, who hails from New London, Conn., takes on Bobby Favors. Diekman is a heavyweight with a record of 12-3. Shields described him as a "freight train."
In 2006, Diekman fought in World Extreme Cagefighting 24: Full Force and lost to Justin Eilers.
Gates open at 6 p.m. on Saturday and the fighting starts at 6:30 p.m. Tickets can be bought at http://www.cagefx.com/.

UFC headed north

2010-02-17T10:08:00.004-05:00

Its not often that the Ultimate Fighting Championship makes its way to the Northeast. On May 8 it will do that for UFC 113, which will be held in Montreal, Canada, at the Bell Centre.
The main event features Lyoto Machida against Mauricio Rua. At UFC 104 last October, light heavyweight champion Machida and challenger Rua engaged in a five-round war that divided the mixed martial arts world when the unanimous decision verdict was rendered in Machida’s favor.
On Saturday, May 8, these two warriors will have a chance to do it again and erase any doubt as to who is the best 205-pound fighter in the world, and both are vowing to take matters out of the judges’ hands and into their own when The Ultimate Fighting Championship heads back to Montreal for UFC 113.
“The first fight between Machida and Shogun was very controversial, I think fans are very excited to see them fight again and find out who the best light heavyweight in the world is,” said UFC President Dana White.
Tickets for UFC 113 will go on sale Saturday at 10 a.m. and will be priced at $550, $400, $225, $150, $100 and $50. Tickets are available at the Bell Centre box office, by phone at (514) 790-2525 / 1-877-668-8269 or at www.geg.ca.
UFC Fight Club pre-sale starts Thursday at 10 a.m.
Ticket pre-sale will be available to UFC newsletter subscribers Friday at 10 a.m. To access this pre-sale, users must register for the UFC newsletter through ufc.com.

Equal opportunity

2010-02-12T11:18:00.003-05:00

During a recent interview, MMA legend Dan Severn came up with one of the best ideas that I have heard of for a solution to all these older fighters wanting to stay - or get into - the cage.
Why not create a masters division for fighters 35 or 40 and older?
Seems simple, right? There are plenty of fighters in that category who want to continue their careers, but can't because most states won't allow people older than 35 in the cage.
I know in the past I've been an opponent to older fighters hanging on to their glory days or stepping into the octagon to prove something. But that was mainly because they are going up against younger fighters in better health and more fit for the sport. Of course, there are exceptions like Randy Couture, but most fighters over 35 don't belong in the cage anymore.
For those who can still fight, why not create a masters division? It could create a new demographic for MMA and let the "older" fighters continue their careers.
In my opinion, some rule changes should apply as well, like shorter rounds and more restrictions on striking.

Don't walk through that door

2010-02-11T10:48:00.003-05:00

What is it with all of these older fighters wanting to get back into the cage and fight.
Over the past few months there has been a trend of fighters in their 40s either returning to the octagon or making their debut.
Former NFL star Herschel Walker, who is 47, made his debut last month and knocked out his opponent, who came into the fight with a record of 1-1. Action movie star Jean-Claude Van Damme, 49, recently held a press conference (in the Ukraine of all places) to announce he will enter the ring for a kickboxing match against a former gold medalist in Maccau.
And earlier this month, the main event at UFC 109 was 46-year-old Randy Couture against 45-year-old Mark Coleman. Couture won that match by submission.
Why do fighters feel the need they have to prove themselves in the ring? There is a reason most states have rules against anybody over the age of 35 fighting. It just isn't safe for most people.
Athletes in other sports aren't lining up to get back onto the court, field or pitch. They know their limits and pack it in while the going is good.
As former Boston Celtics coach Rick Pitino once said ...."Larry Bird is not walking through that door, fans. Kevin McHale is not walking through that door, and Robert Parish is not walking through that door. And if you expect them to walk through that door, they're going to be gray and old."
If fighters want to stay involved in the sport, maybe a better route for them would be to become a trainer, start a school or a gym where they can help develop young fighters rather than throw fists with them. That could be lucrative to both the fighter, and the sport.

New rules for the new year

2010-02-11T10:15:00.010-05:00

As of Jan. 1 of this year, the Unified Rules of Mixed Martial Arts took effect in New Hampshire for professional fights, giving fighters more striking ability, according to Bobby Stephen, the chairman of the New Hampshire Boxing and Wrestling Commission.
The biggest change with the new rules is that elbows will be allowed in certain situations and to certain areas of the body. There will also be some changes to the way knees can be used.
Unified Rules are common in MMA for most of the country, but just adopted locally.
Ed Carr, of Miletich Fighting Systems in Hooksett, said the rules were used during some fights towards the end of last year and are now in effect here in New Hampshire. They will be on display for Combat Zone 32 in Salem on March 5.
In 2000, the Unified Rules of Mixed Martial Arts were codified by the New Jersey State Athletic Commission. The rules were originally drawn up by the California State Athletic Commission, which had worked extensively on regulation, but its sanctioning of MMA was not implemented due to state governmental issues surrounding the budgeting process. California officially sanctioned MMA on December 28, 2005, using the ruleset it helped devise five years previously.
Since then, to create uniformity in the United States, many state athletic commissions have assimilated these rules for mixed martial arts into their existing unarmed combat competition rules and statutes. For a promotion to hold mixed martial arts events in a state-sanctioned venue, the promotion must abide by the state athletic commission's body of rules. Promotions that hold events on Indian reservations are under the jurisdiction of the Indian tribe government, which may require sanctioning by their own commission.
Rounds
Every round is 5 minutes in duration with a one minute rest period in-between rounds. Non-title matches must not exceed three rounds. Title matches can be sanctioned for five rounds.
Attire
All competitors must fight in approved shorts, without shoes or any other sort of foot padding. Shirts, gis or long pants (including gi pants) are not allowed. Fighters must use approved light gloves (4-6 ounces) that allow fingers to grab.
Judging Criteria
The ten-point must system is in effect for all fights. Three judges score each round and the winner of each receives ten points, the loser nine points or less. If the round is even, both fighters receive ten points. In New Jersey, the fewest points a fighter can receive is 7, and in other states by custom no fighter receives less than 8.
Legal Techniques
The Unified Rules continue to allow all elbow strikes except those hitting downwards with the point of the elbow, or those to the back of the head.
Fouls
The following are fouls, as set out by the Nevada State Athletic Commission:
Putting a finger into any orifice or into any cut or laceration on an opponent.
Clawing, pinching or twisting the flesh.
Grabbing the clavicle.
Downward elbows to the head of an opponent.
Kicking the head of a grounded opponent.
Kneeing the head of a grounded opponent.
Stomping a grounded opponent.
Spiking an opponent to the canvas on his head or neck.
Holding the shorts or gloves of an opponent.
Spitting at an opponent.
Engaging in an unsportsmanlike conduct that causes an injury to an opponent.
Using abusive language in the ring or fenced area.
Attacking an opponent on or during the break.
Attacking an opponent who is under the care of the referee.
Attacking an opponent after the bell has sounded the end of the period of unarmed combat.
Flagrantly disregarding the instructions of the referee.
Timidity, including, without limitation, avoiding contact with an opponent, intentionally or consistently dropping the mouthpiece or faking an injury.
Interference by the corner.
Throwing in the towel during competition. (forfeit)
Dave George of Combat Zone MMA said the Unified Rules were used at one of his events in Salem in late November. He thinks the new rules are a good thing for fighters hoping to move on to the next level, because that's the way they fight in WEC or UFC.
"It will be more exciting for the fans, that's for sure," George said.

My two cents

2010-02-02T11:37:00.003-05:00

The fighting in the cage apparently wasn't the only action at the Strikeforce Miami event on Saturday night.
New York Jets coach Rex Ryan was in attendance and, after being booed while giving an interview on television, the out-spoken rookie coach who brought his team to the AFC Championship game was caught on film giving fans the middle finger.
I say so what. Who cares if Ryan, whom we all know tells it like it is, made a rude gesture to a bunch of crybaby Miami fans who are just jealous of what Ryan did in New York.
Get over it. I mean, players in the NBA are bringing guns into their locker rooms and threatening each other with them, the NFL is trying to claim the rights to a saying older than the league itself, and more and more baseball players' names keep coming up as steroid users.
All of that going on and Ryan has to apologize for giving some people at an MMA event the bird.
It would be a completely different story if Ryan flipped off some fans while he was on the sideline coaching a game, or did so during a press conference. But this is his private life and what he did isn't even that bad.
I think it's good for a coach to show a little emotion every once in a while. Ryan has nothing to apologize to the New York Jets program for. If anything, they should be thanking him for a great season.

Old men can fight too

2010-02-02T11:17:00.004-05:00

Maybe there is something to this whole Jean-Claude Van Damme thing.
On Saturday night, former NFL star Herschel Walker proved that older athletes can hold their own in the world of mixed martial arts.
Walker, who is 47 years old, made his pro debut during Strikeforce Miami and earned a third-round TKO of Greg Nagy.
This comes in the wake of JCVD announcing he plans on fighting professionally as a kickboxer at the age of 49, and as a preview to this Saturday's UFC 109, where the main event features 46-year-old Randy Couture against 45-year-old Mark Coleman.
"I feel good but I didn't do many things right and I still have a lot to learn," Walker said after his fight. "The experience itself was exciting and I thank my opponent for fighting me. It's tough to fight an old man. This is the hardest thing I've ever done."
One big difference between what Walker did and what Van Damme wants to do, however, is Walker's opponent was just 1-1 coming in to the fight. Van Damme, who has no professional fighting experience, wants to fight a former Olympic gold medalist.
Walker won the Heisman Trophy in 1982 while at the University of Georgia and went on to have a long career as a running back in the pro ranks. He played in the United States Football League from 1983-85, then in the NFL from 1986-1997.
He was a two-time Pro Bowl selection on the NFL and spent most of his career with the Dallas Cowboys and Minnesota Vikings.
Walker was traded from the Cowboys to the Vikings for a bunch of draft picks. The Cowboys used one of those picks to draft Emmit Smith, the all-time leading rusher in the NFL.

The "Muscles" wants to tussle

2010-01-29T12:12:00.014-05:00

We all no Jean-Claude Van Damme can kick some butt in the movies, but now he wants to prove it in the ring.
That's right, the aging action-movie star, now 49, recently announced during a press conference in the Ukraine that he wants to try his hand at professional kickboxing. He supposedly already has a bout set up for later this year in Macau against Somluck Kamsing, a Thai kickboxer who won a gold medal in boxing at the 1996 Olympics.
Kamsing, who is now 37, won the medal in the featherweight division.
"It's kind of dangerous, but life is short," Van Damme said.
Van Damme wanted to fight in Las Vegas, but many states in the U.S. have strict guidelines for fighters over 35. Randy Couture, 46, will take on 45-year-old Mark Coleman in the main event at UFC 109 next week, but both fighters received special permission and passed a regiment of tests to do so.
Plus, those two fighters have plenty of fighting experience. Van Damme has never fought professionally.
The Nevada Athletic Commission has no record of Van Damme ever applying for a license to fight.
Dave George, who runs Combat Zone MMA in Massachusetts, said he couldn't predict how Van Damme will do in a real fight, but did say that being in the ring, or cage, is much different than being in the movies.
"Hollywood is Hollywood," George said. "They can do anything."
The actor, who earned the name "The Muscles from Brussels" during the 1980s, is best known for his action movies such as "Kickboxer," "Time Cop," and "Bloodsport," a movie that is a blemish on the otherwise stellar acting career of Forest Whitaker.
On the screen, Van Damme has made Chong Li submit and knocked out Tong Po. But this is reality and Van Damme has no professional experience in the ring.
It cold be ugly if Van Damme goes through with this. Kamsing is a trained fighter and 12 years younger than Van Damme. It's hard enough to step into the ring against an amateur, but going up against a gold medalist in your first fight is just crazy.

Getting to know Cody Lightfoot

2010-01-27T15:46:00.022-05:00

What else do you need to know about Cody Lightfoot other than the facts that he is a grown man whose favorite movie features an imaginary penguin that swizzles martinis and he has a life-size cardboard cutout of a man wearing just his skivvies in his bedroom?
Actually, there is a lot more to the 26-year-old fighter from Eliot, Maine, whose truth is as brutal as his punches and is a breath of fresh air in a sport that features mostly athletes as stiff as Bill Belichick.
Lightfoot, who is 4-1 as a pro, is one of three brothers who grew up in Eliot, Maine. He graduated from Marshwood High School of South Berwick, Maine, in 2002 and got a bachelor's degree in business administration from Norwich University on 2008.
He won the state title in the 189-pound weight class while at Marshwood, and was a Division III all-New England selection in 2007 at Norwich.
He now lives in Somersworth with his girlfriend, who bought Lightfoot his cherished cutout of Brock Lesnar.

Q: You were a state champion at Marshwood High School. How does your background in wrestling help you in MMA?
A: Wresting has helped out a ton, It has really allows me to dictate where the fight goes. If I want to keep the fight standing I can, or if I want to take my opponent down, I will. Although, my coaches Adam Rivera and Troy Pickering get mad at this sometimes because I prefer to stand and trade punches rather than fight on the ground. They get upset because my ground game is much better than my stand up.

Q: Most MMA fighters are serious and never smile in their photos, but I love the fact that you have fun with yours. Where do the trademark ear-to-ear grin and two thumbs up come from?
A: Ha ha, well I think it comes from me being a complete goofball. I mean I am not the type of fighter who is fighting to get anger issues out or anything, I just truly love the competition. I am always smiling and being an idiot, and it would be tough for me to put on an angry face in pictures when it is not in my nature. Maybe I should start though because the last guy I fought was James Quelle and he said he wanted to fight me because I looked like a complete clown in my pictures. I did win though, so maybe the goofball approach works.

Q: What do your family and friends think about your involvement in MMA?
A: Well, first my mother's famous line about me fighting, "Cody, your an idiot." My mom hates the idea of me fighting and refuses to go to any of my fights, but loves watching the videos after, unless I am bleeding. Everyone else in my family loves the idea. I think watching me fight got my older brother Chad to start fighting. I think he figures if his chubby, immature little brother can fight professionally and do well, he could too. It turns out he was right. He is now 2-0. My other brother Clint is thinking about taking a fight as well. My girlfriend Katie Lincoln loves it too. She is a first grade teacher in Berwick, Maine, and she has never told me this but I think she likes it because it gives her kind of a bad girl image dating a fighter. I mean she is a parents' dream child; great job, sweet girl, does not drink alcohol, doesn't get into any trouble at all. I am just glad she loves it as much as I do, she has been a huge help when I am in training. My friends love going to my fights.

Q: I see your older brother is now getting involved in MMA. Did you guys fight a lot as kids, and if so who won?
A: Well, it was a vicious cycle when we were younger. Chad gets beat up at school and after school Chad beats up his brothers. I had my first glimpse of success against my brother in seventh grade when I started wrestling. He was picking on me at home when one of my friends was over and I double legged him to the ground. My tiny moment of triumph was short lived when he punched me in the face and I started balling my eyes out in front of my buddy. My friend called me a pansy for the rest of the year. So long answer short, yes he USED to win, the guy had six years on me!

Q: Who would win now in the cage, you or your brother?
A: I am going to have to say me. If you asked him he would say me only because I am fat and have 60 pounds on him. I believe I would win but I truly feel he is a much better fighter than me. He is awesome at Brazilian jujitsu and could tap me out from any angle if I didn't put all my weight on him.

Q: What attracted you to MMA?
A: Well, going way back me and my father would rent the first UFC's at the local video store and I have always wanted to do it since. What really got me to do it was after graduating college I couldn't really wrestle anymore unless it was in a small local tournament. So I signed up at a local gym and said 'I want to fight.' Four months later I had my first pro fight.

Q: You attended Norwich University, which has a history with the MMA. It has also produced Mike Brown from Portland, Maine, and Dennis Olson of Amherst. Is there something about Norwich that helps mold good fighters?
A: Truthfully, I feel it is just in a wrestler's nature, wherever they are located. If you are not going to wrestle in the Olympics, MMA is the next best choice. Also, Norwich is a military academy, which means pretty much no girls at all. So for entertainment, students were pretty limited to drinking and fighting.......Studying was out of the question.

Q: If you could fight anybody, living or dead, who would it be and why?
A: After having to sit through the worst show in the world with my girlfriend, If I could fight anyone it would have to be Jake from "The Bachelor." He is the lamest human being alive and so cheesy. If I could, I would fight him in Mad Max's Thunder Dome so it would have to be to the death. Single handily the lamest and cheesiest human being alive.

Q: What is your favorite food?
A: I am 265 pounds, what isn't my favorite food would be a better question, but the answer is sushi.

Q: What is your favorite song of all time?
As of right now it is "The Science of Selling Yourself Short" by Less Than Jake. If you don't know it, download it, it is awesome.

Q: What is your favorite movie of all time?
A: This is a tough one because I love movies, but I think I am going to have to say "Billy Madison." If you ever watch that movie with me you will want to punch me in the face, I quote the entire thing.

Q: What are your favorite television shows?
A: Hands down my favorite show is Lost. Is it weird to say Sawyer is a handsome devil?

Short month, busy schedule

2010-01-25T10:58:00.003-05:00

February may be the shortest month of the year, but it will be packed with a busy slate of fights on both the local and national scene.
On the national scene there will be UFC 109 and 110. UFC 109 will take place on Feb. 6 from Las Vegas, and UFC 110 is on Feb. 20 from Australia.
The feature matchup at UFC 109 has two legends of the sport going at it, Randy Couture and Mark Coleman.
The two were originally scheduled to fight way back at UFC 17 in 1998, but the bout was scratched due to an injury. The bout on Feb. 6 will be the first time two fighters already in the UFC Hall of Fame go against each other in the cage.
The main event for UFC 110 has veteran Minotauro Nogueria going up against young gun Cain Velasquez with the World Heavyweight Title on the line.
Nogueira is 32-5-1, while Velasquez comes in at 7-0.
There will also be plenty of action on the local scene.
On Feb. 6, the Xtreme Championship Fight League will have two title bouts in Marlboro, Mass. Chris Grandmaison will take on Saul Almeida for the featherweight championship, and Roger Brackett will face Alexandre Moreno for the light heavyweight title.
On Feb. 20, Cage Fighting Xtreme will be in Plymouth, Mass., and on Feb. 26, World Championship Fighting will be in Willmington, Mass.

Back in the "Zone"

2010-01-25T10:36:00.002-05:00

On March 5, mixed martial arts action will return to Rockingham Park in Salem with Combat Zone 32.
The event is scheduled for up to 13 bouts and will once again feature several local fighters including Manchester's own Adam McQuaid, who is 1-0 as a professional. The card hasn't been finalized yet, but other local fighters include Taylor Trahan of Lisbon, David Spero of Atkinson, and Kenny Rodrigues of Derry.
Tickets range in cost from $40-120. They can be purchased by calling 978-360-3846.