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.
Thursday, June 3, 2010
Thursday, May 13, 2010
Combat Zone 33 part of Bike Week
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.
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.
Thursday, May 6, 2010
Notheast MMA prelimianry rankings
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
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
Wednesday, May 5, 2010
Lamotte to fight in Boston Thursday
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.
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.
Friday, April 23, 2010
Brown back in action Saturday
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.
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.
Wednesday, April 14, 2010
MMA growing in Massachusetts
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.
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.
Friday, April 9, 2010
Keefe part of Bay State MMA history
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.
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.
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