January 31, 2009
The Ultimate Fighter season 6 winner Mac Danzig (19-5-1), formerly of Pittsburgh, will face Josh Neer (24-7-1) of Iowa, in a lightweight fight at UFC®: Fight Night 17 on Saturday, February 7, at the Sun Dome in Tampa, Florida. Danzig is coming off a unanimous decision loss to Clay Guida in September, while Neer is coming off a split decision loss to Nate Diaz in September. This fight is expected to air live on SpikeTV.
January 30, 2009
Lion-Do Fight Club in Blairsville will feature at least two teams in the annual Blairsville Brawl wrestling tournament this weekend at Blairsville Jr-Sr High School. Wrestling starts at 9:00 AM. Come on out and support the stars of tomorrow as Jesse Garshnick tries to lead his boys to the team title.
February 7, Lion-Do Middleweight Eli Garshnick (3-1) will travel to Winchester, Virginia, to fight Joe Harrison (2-0) for the vacant Virginia Fight League Middlweight Championship. Lion-Do will also be cornering George Hyek (1-2) who will be making his long awaited return to the cage after a long layoff. Heyk will fight at welterweight against Samuel Abbey (0-0) from Florida. Hyek trained with Lion-Do over the summer, before he transferred to Mercyhurst College in Erie. February 21, Jon Neese (3-1) will battle Nate Loughran (6-2-1) for the Cage of Chaos heavyweight championship. Neese is coming off of an impressive first round TKO of J.D. "Country Boy" King the former #1 contender. Middleweight Eli Garshnick (3-1) will fight on only two weeks rest against Zac Gobel (1-0). Garshnick is hoping to prove that he is worthy of a Cage of Chaos Middleweight title shot this summer. Danny McCombie (2-1) will make his Lion-Do debut against Dustin Moninger (1-1) at Middleweight.
Lion-Do will travel back to St. Clairsville, Ohio and the Cage of Chaos on April 11 as Welterweight Jesse Garshnick (3-1) is tentatively scheduled to face Kirk "The Real Deal" Main (3-1). Both fighters are coming off of defeats at the December Cage of Chaos "Dynasty" show. Welterweight Justin Head (3-2) and Heavyweight Marcus Corson (0-1) are slated to make their return to the cage as well. Middlweight Corby "The Reaper" Ringle will make his amateur fighting debut for Lion-Do. West Virginia welterweight Blaine Thomas (4-1) will be training with Lion-Do for his much anticipated Ohio debut. Thomas' only defeat was to Jesse Garshnick in an epic ground battle in Winchester, Virginia. Thomas is hopeful of a showdown with Rhett Northcraft (6-2) who handed Garshnick his only defeat.
January 29, 2009
Scranton-native Brian Stann is scheduled to face Canadian Krzysztof Soszynski at UFC® 97 on Saturday, April 18, at the Bell Centre in Montreal, Canada.
January 28, 2009
Tim Boetsch (8-2) of Team Triple Threat in Sunbury faces Jason Brilz (16-1-1) from Nebraska at UFC® 96 on Saturday, March 7, at the Nationwide Arena in Columbus, Ohio. This will be the fourth trip to the UFC for Boetsch, a Lock Haven University wrestler. The 27-year-old debuted in February 2008 with a first-round TKO win over David Heath, but was less fortunate in his April 2008 return to the Octagon, losing by TKO to Matt Hamill and "The Barbarian" bounced back in September 2008 with a quick win over Mike Patt. Boetsch is an IFL veteran. Brilz, a University of Nebraska wrestler, returns to the UFC for his second fight. The 33-year-old firefighter debuted with a second-round TKO win over Brad Morris in September 2008. Brilz is on a 5-year winning streak, with wins over UFC veterans Alex Schoenauer and Jason MacDonald.
January 27, 2009
The organizers of the 2009 ADCC USA Trials have announced the dates and locations of their most anticipated events. The EAST COAST Trials will take place on May 16 & 17 at the Robert J. Collins Arena at Brookdale Community College located at 765 Newman Springs Road in Lincroft, New Jersey. The WEST COAST Trials will take place on May 23 & 24 at the California State University at Dominguez Hills located at 1000 East Victoria Street in Carson, California. For all the latest information, go to www.adcombat.com or www.adccusa.com.
January 25, 2009
Lewis Rumsey of Vicious MMA in Williamsport defeated Chris Howard of Advanced Martial Arts in New Brunswick, New Jersey, by Unanimous Decision (29-28) after three rounds at Amateur MMA Proving Grounds last night at Essex County College in Newark, New Jersey, upping his record to 7-3. "The fight started and Rumsey threw a 1 2 and shot in taking Howard down pounding his body. Howard threw in a triangle. It was locked on pretty good, but Rumsey threw it over, and pounded Howard's body for the remainder of the round. Second round started with Howard throwing a couple punches, hitting Rumsey hard. Rumsey went in for the shot, driving Howard into the cage and taking him down. Rumsey landed in his guard and was trying to pass, while Howard tried to sweep at the same time and Rumsey's ankle twisted. The doctor almost stopped the fight until Rumsey assured he was alright. Howard threw a 1 2 and Rumsey went in for the shot, and the rest of the round Howard was trying to sweep Rumsey, who kept good base and pounded Howard the rest of the round. Third round started and Rumsey was still hurting. The fighters tied up and Rumsey took him down, getting mount. Howard turned to his stomach and Rumsey almost had a rear naked choke, but Howard turned to his side and Rumsey pounded his opponents side the rest of the round." Next up for the 19-year-old is Eric Purcell (4-1) of Tenth Round Boxing & MMA in Philadelphia, at Asylum Fight League on Saturday, February 21. Purcell is coming off a win over Mike Falcone at CageFighting at Rahway on September 20, 2008.
January 24, 2009
Pittsburgh-native James Brasco of Team Popovitch in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida, took silver in the inaugural Pro-Jitsu No-Gi Submission Grappling Tournament held yesterday in Dover, Delaware. The professional competition was filled with locals to world grappling champions. In the opening round, Brasco faced ShoXC veteran and New Jersey-based "Ring the Bell" super lightheavyweight grappling tournament champion Brett Linebarger of Daddis Fight Camp in Philadelphia, earning the win 1-0. He then faced Extreme Cage Fighting veteran Joey Kirwan of Clinch Academy in Maryland, earning the win 3-1, with the point scored against him on a take down out of bounds. In the semi-finals, Brasco faced black belt Valter Roberto of Macaco Gold Team in Brazil, who had submitted his first two opponents, earning the win 2-0. In the finals, Brasco faced undefeated mixed martial artist and accomplished world submission grappling champion black belt Rick Macauley of NJMA-Team Balance in New Jersey, falling 3-2. This was the first time these two grapplers met on the mat in years of competing on the same tournament circuit, and Brasco was excited to compete against Macauley.
Heading into his professional MMA debut fight, Tuan Pham, head instructor of Fight Firm Elite MMA and Fitness in Philadelphia, felt, "I'm suppose to be the sacrificial lamb," fighting professional MMA and Muay Thai veteran Nat McIntyre of Minnesota Martial Arts Academy, home to current UFC heavyweight champion Brock Lesnar and former lightweight champion Sean Sherk. With that said, the fight was over by TKO referee stoppage from punches in just 40 seconds. The relatively-unknown Pham had overwhelmed the experienced McIntyre, putting an end to his five-year winning streak at Extreme Challenge MMA: The War At The Shore last night at the Tropicana Casino & Resort in Atlantic City. With a professional MMA record of 7-1 and a mixed Muay Thai record of 21-4, Pham thought of McIntyre "he's real good I guess." Nevertheless, the undefeated amateur champion was still confident and thought "this will be a real test for where I actually stand."
Other wins for Pennsylvania-based fighters last night at Extreme Challenge include Zach Makovsky of Philadelphia Fight Factory via rear naked choke at 1:05 of round two over Justin Robbins, Hollidaysburg-native Charlie Brenneman of AMA Fight Club via TKO referee stoppage due to strikes at 4:22 of round two over Edward O'Daniel and Philadelphia transplant Tara LaRosa via TKO due to doctor stoppage from laceration at 4:23 of round three over Alexis Davis.
January 23, 2009
Phil Davis of LionHeart MMA in State College stopped Josh Green of Elite Martial Arts in Visalia, California, in just 1:49 with strikes in his west coast debut fight at Palace Fighting Championships, continuing his undefeated streak.
January 22, 2009
World Cagefighting Alliance has announced the final card for their inaugural event on Friday, February 6, at the Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City, New Jersey. “Pure Combat” will include a 175-pound co-main event featuring Paul Bradley (9-0) of LionHeart MMA in State College facing Nathan Coy (5-1) of Team Quest in Gresham, Oregon. The undefeated Bradley has not competed since November when the accomplished collegiate wrestler stopped Dante Rivera at ROC 22. Coy is coming off his first professional loss at Pro Battle MMA in October when he was submitted by Brian Foster.
January 21, 2009
Tara LaRosa (15-1) is back in action this weekend after a 1-year, 1-month and 29-day layoff from MMA competition. The former bodogFIGHT women's champion is returning to the cage in her home-state of New Jersey facing rising star Alexis Davis (6-1) of Ontario, Canada. Currently fighting out of Philadelphia Fight Factory, LaRosa is excited to be headlining Extreme Challenge MMA: The War At The Shore this Friday, January 23, at the Tropicana Casino & Resort in Atlantic City. The previously scheduled main event between Eddie Alvarez and Naoyuki Kotani is off, as Alvarez strained some ligaments in a recent fight and a late replacement could not be secured.
Bellator Fighting Championships, a first of its kind Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) promotion, officially announced Monday the exclusive signing of elite grappler, Wilson Reis, who will enter the inaugural season as a member of the Featherweight (145 lb.) division of Bellator's tournament style events, premiering on ESPN Deportes April 4. A native of Sao Paulo, Brazil, the Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (BJJ) phenom moved to Philadelphia in 2007 to further his career in MMA. Upon arriving in the United States, Reis kept his nose to the grindstone, earning his black belt from BJJ instructor Roberto Godoi. After just over a year in the U.S., Reis has built an unblemished 6-0 MMA record while not only training himself, but also instructing other fighters. Reis' stellar achievements include becoming the EliteXC Bantamweight Champion and the World Champion Black Belt from Brazil. "Wilson has unlimited potential at 145," said Bjorn Rebney, CEO of Bellator Fighting Championships. "He has a terrific grappling pedigree, an unbelievable work ethic and he's getting better every time he fights. He's exactly the kind of fighter we're looking to showcase at Bellator Fighting Championships."
January 20, 2009
Vicious MMA will host two No-Gi seminars with Royce Gracie brown belt Jeff Reese on Sunday, February 8, from 4:00 PM to 6:00 PM and 6:30 PM to 8:30 PM at their Williamsport academy. Call 570.916.6812 for more information.
A new semester of classes begin this week at Penn State University in State College, including Warrior Yoga on Tuesday, January 20, at 8:30 PM in Room 50/51 White Building and Quantum Jujitsu on Wednesday, January 21, at 8:30 PM in IM Building Wrestling Room. For more information, contact Sensei Dave Light.
January 19, 2009
3 Elements Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and Mercyhurst College Mixed Martial Arts & Fitness present Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Black Belt Kyle Saunders Sweeps Seminar on Saturday, January 31, at 1:00 PM. Saunders is a fist degree black belt under Roy Harris. The cost of the seminar is just $50.00 per participant. For more information, contact John J Bruno at 814.824.2413. Mercyhurst College is located at 501 East 38th Street in Erie.
January 18, 2009
Pine Flats middleweight Danny McCombie (2-1) has decided to join Lion-Do Fight Club in Blairsville. McCombie was a former standout football player at Purchase Line High School and was well known for his conditioning and toughness. He has chosen a career path as an MMA fighter. Prior to joining Lion-Do, McCombie was training at Cold Steel in Johnstown with former six-time NCAA wrestling champion Carlton Haselrig. McCombie is an Indiana County native and will now join a strong team loaded with other Indiana County athletes. “McCombie is a tremendous stand-up fighter and his conditioning is second to none,” said Bob Lichtenfels, owner of Lion-Do Fight Club. “McCombie will fit right in here and he is already familiar with most of the guys. We look forward to trying to help him take his game to the next level.” McCombie suffered his first career loss at the Cage of Chaos “Dynasty” show in St. Clairsville, Ohio, back in December to Ryan Kindervater for the Cage of Chaos middleweight Championship. McCombie will make his Lion-Do debut in Winchester, Virginia, at the next MMA in the Valley. McCombie will battle an opponent (TBD) for the Cruiserweight Belt. McCombie will make his return to the Cage of Chaos on February 21 when he battles Dustin Moninger (1-1) of Silent Dragon Jiu-Jitsu.
January 17, 2009
Eric Utsch of Team Fairtex defeated Judah Ciervo of Philadelphia Fight Factory by Unanimous Decision last night at Friday Night Fights NYC.
January 15, 2009
Gracie Combatives for Military and Law Enforcement returns to Beaver on June 22 to 26, which includes a 5-Day Full Instructor Certification course and a 2-Day Instructor Re-certification course. During the 5-day GCMLE course the objective is two-fold. First, to teach the participants the most important Gracie Combatives techniques aimed at preparing them for the worst case scenarios they are likely to encounter while on duty, and second, to teach the participants the intricacies of the unique Gracie teaching method, called Dynamic Reflex Development™, so they can return to their units/departments and effectively pass on the skills they acquire to their colleagues. You must be of active military or law enforcement status to participate. For more information on the 5 Day Full Instructor Certification Course, click here and for more information on the 2 Day Instructor Re-certification course, click here.
January 11, 2009
Casey Adams (1-1-0) of Grindhouse MMA in Feasterville will face Matt Harker (0-1-0) of Wings Martial Arts in Trevose in the Battle of Bucks County at Counterstrike FC at the Rahway Recreation Center in Rahway New Jersey on Saturday, January 31.
January 10, 2009
BJJ United announces the addition of Kru Rigel Balsamico to their staff. Balsamico comes to the Jenkintown academy with 16 years of training and competition, earning multiple accolades during his journey. The 23-5 (11 KO's) professional was certified by the I.A.M.T.F. in 1999. The founder of Cool Hearts Muay Thai Club will teach the Monday night Muay Thai class at 7:00 PM. Be sure to come ready to work hard in his class. BJJ United is located at 428 Old York Road.
January 9, 2009
Lion-Do Fight Club in Blairsville has an upcoming active month. First on Saturday, January 17, at the Chevy Center in Youngstown, Ohio, for the King of the Cage “Impulse.” A couple of young Lion-Do members will be making their amateur debuts including heavyweight Mike Fair (0-0) vs. Frank Armstrong (1-1) of Damage Inc. in Johnstown, and at 145 pounds, Jordan Albright (0-0) will make his first appearance in the cage against Kyle Dolan (1-0). Then on February 7, in Winchester, Virginia, to fight on a Valley Fight League card. Eli Garshnick (3-1) will battle Joseph Harrison (3-0) for the Middleweight Championship, while Nick Kerr (3-0) will battle Jon Patti (2-1) from the Coalition Fight Club in West Virginia, for the 145-pound belt. And on February 21, in St. Clairsville, Ohio, for another Cage of Chaos card. Jon Neese (3-1) will battle Nate Loughran (7-2-1) for the Heavyweight title. Eli Garshnick (3-1) will take on Zac Gobel (1-0) at Middleweight. Justin Head (3-2) will look to get back on the winning track as he battles Bob Tipinski (1-1) from Team RFC. In March, Jesse Garshnick (3-1) will make his return to the cage after suffering his first defeat against Rhett Northcraft (6-2). Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu instructor Corby Ringle will also make his debut in the cage at Middleweight. Tickets for these events are available from Lion Do by calling 724.840.0012.
January 8, 2009
Boxers Tod Davies and Miguel Zamora of Rocco MMA in Philadelphia will each fight in Celebrity Boxing Federation Face to Face: Bonaduce vs. Canseco on Saturday, January 24, at the Ice Works Skating Complex located at 3100 West Duttons Road in Aston.
Female Fighters Against Domestic Violence 2009 calendars are still available and at a reduced price of just $15 (includes shipping). Help support a good cause and order one today. You can use PayPal through ffadv.org or email ffadv@comcast.net for more information.
January 7, 2009
Tristate MMA-BJJ will host a BJJ/MMA seminar with Rodrigo Gracie on Friday, February 6, from 7:00 PM to 10:00 PM at their Milford academy. The cost is just $75 per person. Private lessons are also available. Tristate MMA-BJJ is located at 201 West Hartford Street. Call James at 570.242.4650 or Harry at 570.241.4409 for more information or to reserve your spot.
January 6, 2009
It's Allentown vs Philadelphia in New York City on Friday, January 16, when Friday Night Fights NYC opens their 2009 season with professional Muay Thai, featuring Eric Utsch of Team Fairtex and Judah Ciervo of Philadelphia Fight Factory. Ciervo has been seeking a fight with the accomplished Utsch for years, stated the promoter, and now he'll get that opportunity. Friday Night Fights NYC will take place at Hall @ St. Paul located at 60th Street and 9th Avenue.
Four fighters from Jvolutionary Ground Control in Bloomsburg are scheduled to compete at Battle FC in Fredericksburg, Virginia, on Saturday, January 24. Jason Wharton fights Larry Hughes for the lightweight title, Bryan Davenport fights Dan Root at middleweight and Paul Woodard fights Michael Oldsen at heavyweight, while Matt Beitz has no opponent at the moment at featherweight or lightweight.
January 5, 2009
Balance Studios in Philadelphia offers free Jiu-Jitsu Matrix Seminars this weekend. Lead Instructor Phil Migliarese would like to invite everyone, from all schools, to Balance Studios this weekend to celebrate his 20 years of Gracie Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. Migliarese will be teaching all of the seminars by belt rank/experience level. Absolute Beginners will meet Friday, January 9, from 5:30 PM to 6:00 PM, White and Blue Belts will meet Friday, January 9, from 6:00 PM to 8:00 PM and Purple to Black Belts will meet Saturday, January 10, from 12:00 PM to 2:00 PM. And on Saturday, January 24, from 12:00 PM to 4:00 PM, Balance Studios will host a seminar with Kenny Florian and Keith Florian. Only 40 spots are available. Balance Studios is located at 109-115 South 24th street. Call 215.636.9661 for more information.
January 4, 2009
Kims Martial Arts - Brentwood will host a seminar on Saturday, February 7 from 10:00 AM to 4:00 PM, where Eugene Kim, Ricky Brown and Dave Loshelder will share their ideas and strategies on Judo at the "Get-A-Grip" Judo Seminar. The seminar will offer seven powerful gripping strategies that will create a tactical advantage for you and make you a better fighter, five tactical advantages that will give you the competitive edge, three aspects of transitional judo technique to make your judo smoother and seamless, two missing links every judo player must add to be totally successful, the one secret about successfully throwing someone that no one talks about, and more. The seminar will be held at Kims Martial Arts is located at 3606 Brownsville Road in Pittsburgh.
January 3, 2009
Extreme Challenge MMA presents The War At The Shore on Friday, January 23, at the Tropicana Casino & Resort in Atlantic City, New Jersey, featuring Pennsylvania-based fighters Eddie Alvarez taking on Naoyuki Kotani, Wilson Reiss taking on Josh Ferguson, Charlie Brenneman takin on Edward O’Daniel, Zach Makovsky taking on John Hosman, Greg Killian taking on Sherif Ghaley and Tara LaRosa taking on a yet to be determined opponent.
January 2, 2009
Asylum Fight League presents Battle @ Ft Dix in New Jersey, on Saturday, February 21, featuring Eric Purcell (4-1-0) of Tenth Round Boxing & Mixed Martial Arts in Philadelphia taking on Alan Wright (6-1-0) of Troy Maxwell MMA in New Jersey, for his AFL heavyweight championship. Both fighters are coming off Unanimous Decision wins. Purcell over Mike Falcone at CageFighting at Rahway on September 20, 2008, and Wright over Lewis Rumsey at Asylum Fight League 10, where he earned the title belt on December 13, 2008.
January 1, 2009
2008 was a great year for Fadi Khouri, having taken bronze at the Mundials as well as taking gold at the IBJJF US Open Championships and IBJJF National Championships to his new endeavor in the Rupture Clothing line. During the holidays, Khouri returned to Pennsylvania to catch up on training at the RDBJJ Academy and during his training was promoted by Rosendo Diaz to brown belt. We wish to congratulate Khouri on all his amazing accomplishments in 2008 and look forward to much more from this talented practitioner.
The Ultimate Fighter season 6 winner Mac Danzig (19-5-1), formerly of Pittsburgh, will face Josh Neer (24-7-1) of Iowa, in a lightweight fight at UFC®: Fight Night 17 on Saturday, February 7, at the Sun Dome in Tampa, Florida. Danzig is coming off a unanimous decision loss to Clay Guida in September, while Neer is coming off a split decision loss to Nate Diaz in September. This fight is expected to air live on SpikeTV.
January 30, 2009
Lion-Do Fight Club in Blairsville will feature at least two teams in the annual Blairsville Brawl wrestling tournament this weekend at Blairsville Jr-Sr High School. Wrestling starts at 9:00 AM. Come on out and support the stars of tomorrow as Jesse Garshnick tries to lead his boys to the team title.
February 7, Lion-Do Middleweight Eli Garshnick (3-1) will travel to Winchester, Virginia, to fight Joe Harrison (2-0) for the vacant Virginia Fight League Middlweight Championship. Lion-Do will also be cornering George Hyek (1-2) who will be making his long awaited return to the cage after a long layoff. Heyk will fight at welterweight against Samuel Abbey (0-0) from Florida. Hyek trained with Lion-Do over the summer, before he transferred to Mercyhurst College in Erie. February 21, Jon Neese (3-1) will battle Nate Loughran (6-2-1) for the Cage of Chaos heavyweight championship. Neese is coming off of an impressive first round TKO of J.D. "Country Boy" King the former #1 contender. Middleweight Eli Garshnick (3-1) will fight on only two weeks rest against Zac Gobel (1-0). Garshnick is hoping to prove that he is worthy of a Cage of Chaos Middleweight title shot this summer. Danny McCombie (2-1) will make his Lion-Do debut against Dustin Moninger (1-1) at Middleweight.
Lion-Do will travel back to St. Clairsville, Ohio and the Cage of Chaos on April 11 as Welterweight Jesse Garshnick (3-1) is tentatively scheduled to face Kirk "The Real Deal" Main (3-1). Both fighters are coming off of defeats at the December Cage of Chaos "Dynasty" show. Welterweight Justin Head (3-2) and Heavyweight Marcus Corson (0-1) are slated to make their return to the cage as well. Middlweight Corby "The Reaper" Ringle will make his amateur fighting debut for Lion-Do. West Virginia welterweight Blaine Thomas (4-1) will be training with Lion-Do for his much anticipated Ohio debut. Thomas' only defeat was to Jesse Garshnick in an epic ground battle in Winchester, Virginia. Thomas is hopeful of a showdown with Rhett Northcraft (6-2) who handed Garshnick his only defeat.
January 29, 2009
Scranton-native Brian Stann is scheduled to face Canadian Krzysztof Soszynski at UFC® 97 on Saturday, April 18, at the Bell Centre in Montreal, Canada.
January 28, 2009
Tim Boetsch (8-2) of Team Triple Threat in Sunbury faces Jason Brilz (16-1-1) from Nebraska at UFC® 96 on Saturday, March 7, at the Nationwide Arena in Columbus, Ohio. This will be the fourth trip to the UFC for Boetsch, a Lock Haven University wrestler. The 27-year-old debuted in February 2008 with a first-round TKO win over David Heath, but was less fortunate in his April 2008 return to the Octagon, losing by TKO to Matt Hamill and "The Barbarian" bounced back in September 2008 with a quick win over Mike Patt. Boetsch is an IFL veteran. Brilz, a University of Nebraska wrestler, returns to the UFC for his second fight. The 33-year-old firefighter debuted with a second-round TKO win over Brad Morris in September 2008. Brilz is on a 5-year winning streak, with wins over UFC veterans Alex Schoenauer and Jason MacDonald.
January 27, 2009
The organizers of the 2009 ADCC USA Trials have announced the dates and locations of their most anticipated events. The EAST COAST Trials will take place on May 16 & 17 at the Robert J. Collins Arena at Brookdale Community College located at 765 Newman Springs Road in Lincroft, New Jersey. The WEST COAST Trials will take place on May 23 & 24 at the California State University at Dominguez Hills located at 1000 East Victoria Street in Carson, California. For all the latest information, go to www.adcombat.com or www.adccusa.com.
January 25, 2009
Lewis Rumsey of Vicious MMA in Williamsport defeated Chris Howard of Advanced Martial Arts in New Brunswick, New Jersey, by Unanimous Decision (29-28) after three rounds at Amateur MMA Proving Grounds last night at Essex County College in Newark, New Jersey, upping his record to 7-3. "The fight started and Rumsey threw a 1 2 and shot in taking Howard down pounding his body. Howard threw in a triangle. It was locked on pretty good, but Rumsey threw it over, and pounded Howard's body for the remainder of the round. Second round started with Howard throwing a couple punches, hitting Rumsey hard. Rumsey went in for the shot, driving Howard into the cage and taking him down. Rumsey landed in his guard and was trying to pass, while Howard tried to sweep at the same time and Rumsey's ankle twisted. The doctor almost stopped the fight until Rumsey assured he was alright. Howard threw a 1 2 and Rumsey went in for the shot, and the rest of the round Howard was trying to sweep Rumsey, who kept good base and pounded Howard the rest of the round. Third round started and Rumsey was still hurting. The fighters tied up and Rumsey took him down, getting mount. Howard turned to his stomach and Rumsey almost had a rear naked choke, but Howard turned to his side and Rumsey pounded his opponents side the rest of the round." Next up for the 19-year-old is Eric Purcell (4-1) of Tenth Round Boxing & MMA in Philadelphia, at Asylum Fight League on Saturday, February 21. Purcell is coming off a win over Mike Falcone at CageFighting at Rahway on September 20, 2008.
January 24, 2009
Pittsburgh-native James Brasco of Team Popovitch in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida, took silver in the inaugural Pro-Jitsu No-Gi Submission Grappling Tournament held yesterday in Dover, Delaware. The professional competition was filled with locals to world grappling champions. In the opening round, Brasco faced ShoXC veteran and New Jersey-based "Ring the Bell" super lightheavyweight grappling tournament champion Brett Linebarger of Daddis Fight Camp in Philadelphia, earning the win 1-0. He then faced Extreme Cage Fighting veteran Joey Kirwan of Clinch Academy in Maryland, earning the win 3-1, with the point scored against him on a take down out of bounds. In the semi-finals, Brasco faced black belt Valter Roberto of Macaco Gold Team in Brazil, who had submitted his first two opponents, earning the win 2-0. In the finals, Brasco faced undefeated mixed martial artist and accomplished world submission grappling champion black belt Rick Macauley of NJMA-Team Balance in New Jersey, falling 3-2. This was the first time these two grapplers met on the mat in years of competing on the same tournament circuit, and Brasco was excited to compete against Macauley.
Heading into his professional MMA debut fight, Tuan Pham, head instructor of Fight Firm Elite MMA and Fitness in Philadelphia, felt, "I'm suppose to be the sacrificial lamb," fighting professional MMA and Muay Thai veteran Nat McIntyre of Minnesota Martial Arts Academy, home to current UFC heavyweight champion Brock Lesnar and former lightweight champion Sean Sherk. With that said, the fight was over by TKO referee stoppage from punches in just 40 seconds. The relatively-unknown Pham had overwhelmed the experienced McIntyre, putting an end to his five-year winning streak at Extreme Challenge MMA: The War At The Shore last night at the Tropicana Casino & Resort in Atlantic City. With a professional MMA record of 7-1 and a mixed Muay Thai record of 21-4, Pham thought of McIntyre "he's real good I guess." Nevertheless, the undefeated amateur champion was still confident and thought "this will be a real test for where I actually stand."
Other wins for Pennsylvania-based fighters last night at Extreme Challenge include Zach Makovsky of Philadelphia Fight Factory via rear naked choke at 1:05 of round two over Justin Robbins, Hollidaysburg-native Charlie Brenneman of AMA Fight Club via TKO referee stoppage due to strikes at 4:22 of round two over Edward O'Daniel and Philadelphia transplant Tara LaRosa via TKO due to doctor stoppage from laceration at 4:23 of round three over Alexis Davis.
January 23, 2009
Phil Davis of LionHeart MMA in State College stopped Josh Green of Elite Martial Arts in Visalia, California, in just 1:49 with strikes in his west coast debut fight at Palace Fighting Championships, continuing his undefeated streak.
January 22, 2009
World Cagefighting Alliance has announced the final card for their inaugural event on Friday, February 6, at the Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City, New Jersey. “Pure Combat” will include a 175-pound co-main event featuring Paul Bradley (9-0) of LionHeart MMA in State College facing Nathan Coy (5-1) of Team Quest in Gresham, Oregon. The undefeated Bradley has not competed since November when the accomplished collegiate wrestler stopped Dante Rivera at ROC 22. Coy is coming off his first professional loss at Pro Battle MMA in October when he was submitted by Brian Foster.
January 21, 2009
Tara LaRosa (15-1) is back in action this weekend after a 1-year, 1-month and 29-day layoff from MMA competition. The former bodogFIGHT women's champion is returning to the cage in her home-state of New Jersey facing rising star Alexis Davis (6-1) of Ontario, Canada. Currently fighting out of Philadelphia Fight Factory, LaRosa is excited to be headlining Extreme Challenge MMA: The War At The Shore this Friday, January 23, at the Tropicana Casino & Resort in Atlantic City. The previously scheduled main event between Eddie Alvarez and Naoyuki Kotani is off, as Alvarez strained some ligaments in a recent fight and a late replacement could not be secured.
Bellator Fighting Championships, a first of its kind Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) promotion, officially announced Monday the exclusive signing of elite grappler, Wilson Reis, who will enter the inaugural season as a member of the Featherweight (145 lb.) division of Bellator's tournament style events, premiering on ESPN Deportes April 4. A native of Sao Paulo, Brazil, the Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (BJJ) phenom moved to Philadelphia in 2007 to further his career in MMA. Upon arriving in the United States, Reis kept his nose to the grindstone, earning his black belt from BJJ instructor Roberto Godoi. After just over a year in the U.S., Reis has built an unblemished 6-0 MMA record while not only training himself, but also instructing other fighters. Reis' stellar achievements include becoming the EliteXC Bantamweight Champion and the World Champion Black Belt from Brazil. "Wilson has unlimited potential at 145," said Bjorn Rebney, CEO of Bellator Fighting Championships. "He has a terrific grappling pedigree, an unbelievable work ethic and he's getting better every time he fights. He's exactly the kind of fighter we're looking to showcase at Bellator Fighting Championships."
January 20, 2009
Vicious MMA will host two No-Gi seminars with Royce Gracie brown belt Jeff Reese on Sunday, February 8, from 4:00 PM to 6:00 PM and 6:30 PM to 8:30 PM at their Williamsport academy. Call 570.916.6812 for more information.
A new semester of classes begin this week at Penn State University in State College, including Warrior Yoga on Tuesday, January 20, at 8:30 PM in Room 50/51 White Building and Quantum Jujitsu on Wednesday, January 21, at 8:30 PM in IM Building Wrestling Room. For more information, contact Sensei Dave Light.
January 19, 2009
3 Elements Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and Mercyhurst College Mixed Martial Arts & Fitness present Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Black Belt Kyle Saunders Sweeps Seminar on Saturday, January 31, at 1:00 PM. Saunders is a fist degree black belt under Roy Harris. The cost of the seminar is just $50.00 per participant. For more information, contact John J Bruno at 814.824.2413. Mercyhurst College is located at 501 East 38th Street in Erie.
January 18, 2009
Pine Flats middleweight Danny McCombie (2-1) has decided to join Lion-Do Fight Club in Blairsville. McCombie was a former standout football player at Purchase Line High School and was well known for his conditioning and toughness. He has chosen a career path as an MMA fighter. Prior to joining Lion-Do, McCombie was training at Cold Steel in Johnstown with former six-time NCAA wrestling champion Carlton Haselrig. McCombie is an Indiana County native and will now join a strong team loaded with other Indiana County athletes. “McCombie is a tremendous stand-up fighter and his conditioning is second to none,” said Bob Lichtenfels, owner of Lion-Do Fight Club. “McCombie will fit right in here and he is already familiar with most of the guys. We look forward to trying to help him take his game to the next level.” McCombie suffered his first career loss at the Cage of Chaos “Dynasty” show in St. Clairsville, Ohio, back in December to Ryan Kindervater for the Cage of Chaos middleweight Championship. McCombie will make his Lion-Do debut in Winchester, Virginia, at the next MMA in the Valley. McCombie will battle an opponent (TBD) for the Cruiserweight Belt. McCombie will make his return to the Cage of Chaos on February 21 when he battles Dustin Moninger (1-1) of Silent Dragon Jiu-Jitsu.
January 17, 2009
Eric Utsch of Team Fairtex defeated Judah Ciervo of Philadelphia Fight Factory by Unanimous Decision last night at Friday Night Fights NYC.
January 15, 2009
Gracie Combatives for Military and Law Enforcement returns to Beaver on June 22 to 26, which includes a 5-Day Full Instructor Certification course and a 2-Day Instructor Re-certification course. During the 5-day GCMLE course the objective is two-fold. First, to teach the participants the most important Gracie Combatives techniques aimed at preparing them for the worst case scenarios they are likely to encounter while on duty, and second, to teach the participants the intricacies of the unique Gracie teaching method, called Dynamic Reflex Development™, so they can return to their units/departments and effectively pass on the skills they acquire to their colleagues. You must be of active military or law enforcement status to participate. For more information on the 5 Day Full Instructor Certification Course, click here and for more information on the 2 Day Instructor Re-certification course, click here.
January 11, 2009
Casey Adams (1-1-0) of Grindhouse MMA in Feasterville will face Matt Harker (0-1-0) of Wings Martial Arts in Trevose in the Battle of Bucks County at Counterstrike FC at the Rahway Recreation Center in Rahway New Jersey on Saturday, January 31.
January 10, 2009
BJJ United announces the addition of Kru Rigel Balsamico to their staff. Balsamico comes to the Jenkintown academy with 16 years of training and competition, earning multiple accolades during his journey. The 23-5 (11 KO's) professional was certified by the I.A.M.T.F. in 1999. The founder of Cool Hearts Muay Thai Club will teach the Monday night Muay Thai class at 7:00 PM. Be sure to come ready to work hard in his class. BJJ United is located at 428 Old York Road.
January 9, 2009
Lion-Do Fight Club in Blairsville has an upcoming active month. First on Saturday, January 17, at the Chevy Center in Youngstown, Ohio, for the King of the Cage “Impulse.” A couple of young Lion-Do members will be making their amateur debuts including heavyweight Mike Fair (0-0) vs. Frank Armstrong (1-1) of Damage Inc. in Johnstown, and at 145 pounds, Jordan Albright (0-0) will make his first appearance in the cage against Kyle Dolan (1-0). Then on February 7, in Winchester, Virginia, to fight on a Valley Fight League card. Eli Garshnick (3-1) will battle Joseph Harrison (3-0) for the Middleweight Championship, while Nick Kerr (3-0) will battle Jon Patti (2-1) from the Coalition Fight Club in West Virginia, for the 145-pound belt. And on February 21, in St. Clairsville, Ohio, for another Cage of Chaos card. Jon Neese (3-1) will battle Nate Loughran (7-2-1) for the Heavyweight title. Eli Garshnick (3-1) will take on Zac Gobel (1-0) at Middleweight. Justin Head (3-2) will look to get back on the winning track as he battles Bob Tipinski (1-1) from Team RFC. In March, Jesse Garshnick (3-1) will make his return to the cage after suffering his first defeat against Rhett Northcraft (6-2). Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu instructor Corby Ringle will also make his debut in the cage at Middleweight. Tickets for these events are available from Lion Do by calling 724.840.0012.
January 8, 2009
Boxers Tod Davies and Miguel Zamora of Rocco MMA in Philadelphia will each fight in Celebrity Boxing Federation Face to Face: Bonaduce vs. Canseco on Saturday, January 24, at the Ice Works Skating Complex located at 3100 West Duttons Road in Aston.
Female Fighters Against Domestic Violence 2009 calendars are still available and at a reduced price of just $15 (includes shipping). Help support a good cause and order one today. You can use PayPal through ffadv.org or email ffadv@comcast.net for more information.
January 7, 2009
Tristate MMA-BJJ will host a BJJ/MMA seminar with Rodrigo Gracie on Friday, February 6, from 7:00 PM to 10:00 PM at their Milford academy. The cost is just $75 per person. Private lessons are also available. Tristate MMA-BJJ is located at 201 West Hartford Street. Call James at 570.242.4650 or Harry at 570.241.4409 for more information or to reserve your spot.
January 6, 2009
It's Allentown vs Philadelphia in New York City on Friday, January 16, when Friday Night Fights NYC opens their 2009 season with professional Muay Thai, featuring Eric Utsch of Team Fairtex and Judah Ciervo of Philadelphia Fight Factory. Ciervo has been seeking a fight with the accomplished Utsch for years, stated the promoter, and now he'll get that opportunity. Friday Night Fights NYC will take place at Hall @ St. Paul located at 60th Street and 9th Avenue.
Four fighters from Jvolutionary Ground Control in Bloomsburg are scheduled to compete at Battle FC in Fredericksburg, Virginia, on Saturday, January 24. Jason Wharton fights Larry Hughes for the lightweight title, Bryan Davenport fights Dan Root at middleweight and Paul Woodard fights Michael Oldsen at heavyweight, while Matt Beitz has no opponent at the moment at featherweight or lightweight.
January 5, 2009
Balance Studios in Philadelphia offers free Jiu-Jitsu Matrix Seminars this weekend. Lead Instructor Phil Migliarese would like to invite everyone, from all schools, to Balance Studios this weekend to celebrate his 20 years of Gracie Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. Migliarese will be teaching all of the seminars by belt rank/experience level. Absolute Beginners will meet Friday, January 9, from 5:30 PM to 6:00 PM, White and Blue Belts will meet Friday, January 9, from 6:00 PM to 8:00 PM and Purple to Black Belts will meet Saturday, January 10, from 12:00 PM to 2:00 PM. And on Saturday, January 24, from 12:00 PM to 4:00 PM, Balance Studios will host a seminar with Kenny Florian and Keith Florian. Only 40 spots are available. Balance Studios is located at 109-115 South 24th street. Call 215.636.9661 for more information.
January 4, 2009
Kims Martial Arts - Brentwood will host a seminar on Saturday, February 7 from 10:00 AM to 4:00 PM, where Eugene Kim, Ricky Brown and Dave Loshelder will share their ideas and strategies on Judo at the "Get-A-Grip" Judo Seminar. The seminar will offer seven powerful gripping strategies that will create a tactical advantage for you and make you a better fighter, five tactical advantages that will give you the competitive edge, three aspects of transitional judo technique to make your judo smoother and seamless, two missing links every judo player must add to be totally successful, the one secret about successfully throwing someone that no one talks about, and more. The seminar will be held at Kims Martial Arts is located at 3606 Brownsville Road in Pittsburgh.
January 3, 2009
Extreme Challenge MMA presents The War At The Shore on Friday, January 23, at the Tropicana Casino & Resort in Atlantic City, New Jersey, featuring Pennsylvania-based fighters Eddie Alvarez taking on Naoyuki Kotani, Wilson Reiss taking on Josh Ferguson, Charlie Brenneman takin on Edward O’Daniel, Zach Makovsky taking on John Hosman, Greg Killian taking on Sherif Ghaley and Tara LaRosa taking on a yet to be determined opponent.
January 2, 2009
Asylum Fight League presents Battle @ Ft Dix in New Jersey, on Saturday, February 21, featuring Eric Purcell (4-1-0) of Tenth Round Boxing & Mixed Martial Arts in Philadelphia taking on Alan Wright (6-1-0) of Troy Maxwell MMA in New Jersey, for his AFL heavyweight championship. Both fighters are coming off Unanimous Decision wins. Purcell over Mike Falcone at CageFighting at Rahway on September 20, 2008, and Wright over Lewis Rumsey at Asylum Fight League 10, where he earned the title belt on December 13, 2008.
January 1, 2009
2008 was a great year for Fadi Khouri, having taken bronze at the Mundials as well as taking gold at the IBJJF US Open Championships and IBJJF National Championships to his new endeavor in the Rupture Clothing line. During the holidays, Khouri returned to Pennsylvania to catch up on training at the RDBJJ Academy and during his training was promoted by Rosendo Diaz to brown belt. We wish to congratulate Khouri on all his amazing accomplishments in 2008 and look forward to much more from this talented practitioner.