CES MMA 34 Full FIght card 04/01/16 Foxwoods Casino

Friday 04.01.2016 at 09:00 PM ET
U.S. Broadcast: AXS.tv
Promotion: CES MMA
Ownership: Jimmy Burchfield
Venue: Foxwoods Resort Casino
Location: Mashantucket, Connecticut, United States
Enclosure: Cage
Number of MMA Bouts: 10
Event Pages: Sherdog | The UG | Tapology | WesternMassMMA
CES: Facebook | Twitter | Tapology | Official Site

Undercard
Pro 145lbs Mike Maldonado Vs George Nassar
Mike shows he’s well rounded here in his amateur debut as the first match of the evening back at PFC 18 in Nov ’15

Mike looking for the takedown against Steve Romano at PFC 18 back in Nov. ’15

Nassar has been in the cage since Fall 2011.  He’s seen his share of hard losses, but always gives the audience a memorable performance.

George in his amateur debut at AFO: Halloween Havoc 4 in Oct. ’10

The online polling has this as a near even split.  I however have to consider the fact that Nassar has the experience in this match and that will ultimately allow him to stay ahead of Mike.  With 6 amateur matches since 2011 and his pro debut last year he’s seen it all.  KO’s, Decisions, Losses, Wins, and lots of preparation not to mention a match at Pro class that allowed him to use new weapons.  I’ve got Nassar on this one.

Am. 265lbs Gavin Nickel Vs Dan Randall

Only thing I could find on Nickel was this backyard brawl from two years back.  He’s certanly got the aptitude for the game and he’s stepped up since then and taken an actual cage match at the Barbarian Fight Club: Summer Bash  in June of 2015.  There’s little other info as to what gave him the W in his match.

Here we see Dan hard at work in one of his most exciting matches to date which happened to be his last for 2015.  I had expected the FAA product to turn pro and start his freshman year in the growing regional Super Heavy weight class, but his coaches must need him to polish a few more guys off before they give the go ahead. Be ready for some amazing speed and agility coming from Dan.  Remember when Barney Rubble would call Fred Flintstone “Twinkle Toes”?  Well let’s just say that Dan possesses that quality.  He moves extremely well and I’m looking forward to seeing if his months long layoff has heightened that attribute or diminished it.  I say Randall gets a KO here and puts a period on his stint as an amateur.

Pro 135lbs Geoffrey Then Vs Merab Dvalishvili
Geoffrey Then moved to 2-0 in his last amateur match at 135lbs.  He showed some courage when facing the Underdog BJJ fighter and took the match three rounds to none in the eyes of the judges.

Then Vs Flores at PFC 18.  Then in Red with White trunks on right.

Contrasting that endurance is the speed and brutality found in the hands of Merab.  A quick Youtube search of this exotic sounding name quickly brings up fight footage.  This video of his first amateur match three years ago in New York gives you a great look into what could make this an upsetting experience for Then.  No one wants to get KO’d in the first round, but it could be over just that fast.  Dvalishvili has the power to end this if he wants in a big way.  He has gone the distance twice and Geoffrey will be able to draw some positives from that if this fight goes the distance.  Merab has yet to win a decision.  His three wins have been KO/TKO.  I put the edge on Merab.  Geoffrey won’t have an easy night of sleep tonight knowing that his opponent carries TNT in his gloves.

Pro 125lbs Carlos Candelario Vs Luay Ashkar

Here we have Carlos setting up the armbar and securing the win of the PFC 135lb am Title

Candelario is one of those special fighters we all look for every time we attend an event.  Humble yet skilled.  His record does little to show how the kind of human he is, but it does clearly tell you that he plays for keeps.  An unbroken win streak that may be the longest in WesternMass to date.  Seven straight since 2012 and by virtually all means.  He’s flying the Underdog BJJ banner these days which brings with it it’s own prestige and will ensure his corner is as skilled and versed as he is for the transition to the larger scale promotions.  If there is a weakness in this kids game he hasn’t yet realized it and no one he’s fought has exploited it.  I think the closest would have come in the title match shown above.  Carlos fell afoul of the explosive power in Reipold’s right hand and wound up on his back in the opening seconds of the first round, yet he prevailed and took the belt earning him the top spot.

Patrick Sullivan, CES-MMA matchmaker, may have found the man who can derail Carlos’s train to being one of the top 5 in New England and onto the top 10 in the Northeast.  Luay is also undefeated and currently sits at #1 in New York as a pro in his division.  The highlight reel is great.  I really wish I had the access to all the videos to put more of these together for all our local fighters.  As you can see Ashkar has some incredible hand speed not to mention a lethal combination he mixes with kicks and angles.  Carlos is going to need to bite down on that mouthguard and get his hands dirty in this match.  I am going to say that this will be fight of the night.  Either way no one is leaving the fights disappointed.  I’m going to make Carlos the underdog literally in this one.  He may not get the “W” this time around, but if he does we’ll be ready to celebrate.

Main Card (Televised)
Pro 265lbs Steve Skrzat Vs Kevin Haley

Pro 205lbs Anton Berzin Vs Matt Thompson

Pro 155lbs Leon Davis Vs LT Nelson

Pro 135lbs Johnny Campbell Vs Matt Lozano

Co-Main Event
Pro 145lbs Calvin Kattar Vs Kenny Foster

Main Event Title Fight
Pro 170lbs Chris Curtis Vs Nah-shon Burrell

Ten matches is the perfect number for a great night of action.  We are looking forward to many of our Western Mass fighters to represent the area, their schools, and their trainers very well.  I’m also excited to see that CES has opened it’s cage to some deserving amateur fighters.

It’s been awhile: The Artist returns

Whew, what a weekend.  How much snow did you all get?  In my neck of the woods it was negligible.  Another week without the need to run the snowblower is always a good week in the first month of the year.  Cold as ever though.

My hobbies include collecting vintage TMNT figures and photography.  Pro Fighter, Jeremy Reipold, makes custom resin casts.  In the foreground of this photo are his TMNT line of Badblox. www.bosstoycreations.storenvy.com

My little ones back in the days before I was ill.  Cute monsters.

Let’s get caught up.  Been a while since I stepped up and contributed some time to writing to you all.  Let’s see I fought back in July of 2015.  Leading up to that fight I was having some minor disturbances in my health that escalated into a full blown medical emergency in Sept following the match.  After my hospital stay, surgery, and bed rest I started back on my feet in mid November and got back on the mats as well.  I told myself I’d be competing in the January NAGA as a way to forge my mindset toward recovery and not to settle into a lengthy period of convalescing.  Everything took a back seat until I had reached my deadline and made the effort.  I’m happy to say I achieved an overwhelming amount of success and now that I have peace of mind in regards to my physical health once again I can focus on the other tasks that need my attention.  We’ve got Warrior Nation Fight videos to edit and release from last July, I have to wrap up my first season of the 2016 Fight series I’m producing at Frontier Community Access Television, edit and release my team’s October 2015/ January 2016 NAGA matches to be released on the NAGA channel, and focus on my no gi/gi bjj training with the help of my coach Dave Ginsberg so that I can make a run at the Eddie Bravo Invitational next year.  

From surgery to my first day at home in a photo collage.  The tube in the nose was the bane of my existance.

  So many things have been going on as I have mentioned.  In July my team decided they wanted to enter into the next NAGA which was coming to RI in Oct.  My surgery interrupted what had been a very solid camp for them and myself.  I have to thank the other senior members of the team for stepping up and keeping the place open and the training progressing.  It helped more than they can know with my recovery.  Jeremy Reipold, Scott Stacy, Gary Emond, and Shawn O’Dou In October I got out of bed and got back to coaching the guys at Ravenous MMA for the final weeks leading up to the event.  We had 5 entrants.  2 teens and 3 adult men.  We brought home 6 awards.  Including a sword.  One of my teens double medal’ed and one student felt the thrill of competition sports after almost 20 years of inactivity.  Our team was prepared and did very well in most matches.  Everyone advanced their experience levels and demonstrated a large knowledge base.

With the tournament behind them and the holidays ahead of us the remainder of the year for some at Ravenous was just to maintain enough activity and training to feel involved at the gym.  For my teens and myself were had our sights set on competing in January immediately following the Oct. tournament and began a second effort to advance what we could in both terms of skill and drive.  We have now had our day on the competition mats and did great things.

First match above Second Below

Erik Leet 12, Ravenous MMA 1st place Logan Coughlin 12, Lauzon MMA 2nd place Kids Intermediate Welterweight No-Gi Division

January 23rd.  3rd place amongst the Purple Belts at NAGA Boston Exactly 5 months and 12 days after having 2.5ft of large intestine removed. My third and most complicated bowel resection since 2009. My Crohn’s story is going to be amazing.  Hope others can find the strength to fight it as I have..

 Unfortunately my videos aren’t available to me.  Next competition for my team is coming up in Albany on March 5th so keep your eyes peeled for updates as we prepare.

Enough about me let’s talk about you for awhile.
I recently spoke to Randy Smith out in NY about his possible return to the cage.  Looks like he’s been given the all clear and is considering where to shop for a match.  Randy is 41 and has a record of 14-15-1.  You will remember him from his AFO days where he captured the crown and the belt as the Heavyweight to beat after demolishing Tyler King.

AFO HeavyWeight Champ Randy “The Wolf” Smith

 Randy Smith Vs Tyler King AFO Title Fight

Randy represents Cortland MMA these days and about 20 up and coming NY state fighters itching for the opportunity to fight at home for a change.  NY is still without Pro MMA fights, but it seems that the countdown to the end of prohibition is finally nearing the zero mark.  An enthusiastic Smith sees his team’s/fighter’s chances of making a big splash in the local scene as a forgone conclusion.  He sites the recent match-up between Western Mass female fighter, Sara Payant, out of Gabriel Gladiator BJJ and Cortland MMA’s Janice “Oscar” Meyer as proof that his fighters are capable and ready for war.  In the rematch between the two young ladies Janice was able to even the score after her CES MMA 28 match where she wound up the in the loss column after dominating Payant for three rounds only to submit to a hail mary sub attempt with literally seconds left in the match.  “Oscar” Meyer took advantage of a shift in the tide of the fight in the first round of the second contest.  An early lead on the score cards for Payant in the opening minutes of the first round was quickly and definitively canceled out for the remainder of the fight.  At one point Payant rallied with a series of successful take downs and a seemingly deep armbar attempt that had Meyer fans cringing and Payant’s fans on the edge of their seats.  In the video below you can hear the commentary of Pro fighter out of Fighting Arts Academy, Nick Newell, along with color commentator Jesse Faipler.  It was a great way to start off 2016 down at one of the area’s leading edge facilities.

Payant Vs Meyer 2

In a few days we’ll see Western Mass MMA Flyweight Nick Mancinone step in the cage with Jose Lugo at Cage Titans 27.  In this match up we have a couple of guys with a fighter mindset going for the next rung on the ladder at the same time and only one will ascend.  I spent some time with Nick near the end of his camp and can say that we can be confident that he’ll show up ready to be the stronger, faster, crisper man.  Fighting Arts Academy is really Western MA’s leading MMA training facility.  At only a fraction over 5′ tall Head Trainer and Owner, Jeremy Libiszewski, there isn’t a part of him that isn’t totally committed to preparing dangerous and entertaining fighters.  Over the years it has been my observation that Libiszewski takes the role of instructor with all the seriousness it requires without being a bully or a dick.  He tells his men like it is, but understands that the decisions to fight are theirs to make alone.  A skilled staff supports his efforts and it shows.  On my most recent visit to the nearly 7,000 sqft facility that features multiple caged areas, walls of thai pads, belly protectors, a bakers dozen of suspended heavy bags, and fresh tatami mats the facility had close to forty members on the mats working on pad drills for an hour.  At the end of the hour the group dispersed.  In that hour four sub groups worked across the expanse of skill levels.  two dozen basic level members worked closely in pairs while Libiszewski made the rounds to each pair giving encouragement, showing technique, or cracking a joke.  In the large Cage in the center of the room Nick worked with Fundamentals Instructor Paulo Gomes.  My former teammate Jake Smith who’s been working hard lately outside the gym.  Hardly looks like he has been anywhere but.  In a third caged area were another dozen and a half men and women working intermediate striking drills.  4 and 6 punch combinations.  Every 5 minute round saw a new combination.  It was a great atmosphere and one that provides results.  

Lot’s of people worked hard to bring another excellent UFC event to Boston in January.  We weren’t able to cover the event in person, but in a way we had the best seats in the house.  Seeing our local refs in the big show should have been a huge source of pride for all of New England’s fans, but sadly it turned into a painful blow to the local scene as one local ref showed how unskilled he was in epic fashion.  Below is the entire fight between Matt Mitrione and Travis Browne where Ref. Gary Forman failed to protect his fighters from preventable fouls.

//rutube.ru/play/embed/8231114

  Congratulations are in order for the other two local refs who showed that they were on top of their game while representing our region.

Ref Steve Rita stops the Saunders Vs Cote match.

Ref Kevin MacDonald with an admiring fan between matches at UFC Fight Night 81 On the card several of our New England based fighters got the call.  All coming out of the CESMMA cage in recent months. Congratulations to all four men.

Some upcoming events in Springfield and Chicopee are scheduled for February and March..  Check out the calendar here.

Thanks for taking few minutes and getting caught up.  Check back again as we get into another great year of amazing action packed matches.

CESMMA Fight Night Updates

First out to the cage is Josh Ricci from Team Andrello.  He’s coming into a mostly empty hall at 7:00pm, but I anticipate the room to fill in over the next few matches.  David Baxter makes his entrance along side his USMMA corner men.  This is is a flyweight match.  Both men look in shape, cut, and lean.  Baxter sports board shorts while Ricci is wearing vale tudo shorts.  Dan Miragliotta is the ref.
Round 1
     Baxter comes out fast and furious.  He’s jabbing and moving in and out.  Joshua weathers the frenzy and shoots in and completes the take down.  Baxter keeps his guard applied and settles in for a 3 min barrage consisting of elbows, hammerfists, and body shots.  Ricci is eventually able to pass the guard briefly in the last minute of the round.  Baxter recaptures the half guard and the seconds tick away.  The bell sounds and that is one round to Ricci.  10-8

Round 2
   Baxter comes moves cautiously to his left circling the center.  Josh moves in and starts peppering his opponent’s face with jabs.  Stiff jabs.  Baxter’s head snapping back several times.  THen it is right back to looking like round 1 with a Ricci double leg takedown and top position.  Ricci controls the round from the 4 min mark to the bell applying the elbows, hammerfists, and body shots in bunches.  Another Ricci 10-8 round.

Round 3
     Baxter comes out a bit more assertive and throws some leather to Ricci’s face.  Ricci answers with with body shots and in about 30 seconds into the round Ricci initiates another takedown.  THis time Baxter stuffs it and is rewarded with the top position.  David advances to mount and is working for the triangle from top when Ricci escapes out the backdoor and captures Baxter’s back.  Both hooks in and the elbow under the chin Ref Dan is hovering inches from the fighters as Baxter claws at the deep sub only to tap a moment later.

Ricci wins via RNC in Round 3 at the 3min mark.

Cage TItans 24 videos includes Title fight, 3 first round finishes

Battle of the Mannys (Torres Vs Bermudez)

Taylor Vs Carrier

Two undefeated beasts battle for the 145lb Amateur Title (Evans Vs McCrohan)

For the full fight review complete with photos and links to each fight’s footage: click here

*Editor’s note: I’d like to thank Mike and Shelly, the Cage Titans crew, and most importantly the fighters who gave me the support and time I needed while recovering from my latest surgery.  The videos are long overdue and I know it was tough for many of my friends to not have their fights available for sharing and for study, but I truly am grateful for the respect and restraint you all have shown by allowing me to recover in peace and without the stress that comes from nagging and unkind comments about how long it took.   

PRO FILES: MATT BESSETTE–An Interview By Matteo Urella

Below is a brief except from the interview Matteo did with Matt Bessette…

“That’s what I love about Martial Arts: there’s always something to learn. There’s always something to get better at.” — Matt Bessette

Matt “The Mangler” Bessette — a Featherweight Mixed Martial Artist out of Hartford, Connecticut — has overcome a remarkable amount of adversity during his brief thirty years. A well-documented childhood combined with a well-documented MMA career, Bessette has built his stellar professional reputation on a single mindset: be ready to fight back.

Despite a Bachelor of Arts in Criminal Justice from the University of Hartford, the former Lightweight-turned-Featherweight fighter continues to strive for goals outside of the academic and professional norm. A tremendous athlete and experienced martial artist, Bessette has accomplished nearly everything imaginable within the sport. His focus and determination are now honed in on his final goal: a contract with the Ultimate Fighting Championship.

Understanding his professional record expands his potential:

Six losses: no knockouts / one disqualification (illegal up-kick)
One loss to decorated UFC veteran Joe Proctor (11–3)
One loss to decorated Bellator Season Ten Featherweight Tournament winner Daniel Weichel (35–9)
One victory over decorated UFC veteran Diego Nunes (19–6)
Bessette has garnered an affinity for seeking opportunities whenever and wherever possible. On June 12th, 2015, Bessette made his Classic Entertainment & Sports debut and earned his most-recent victory — a second-round KO over Khama Worthy (7–4) on the CES MMA 29 card at the Twin River Casino in Lincoln, Rhode Island. Bessette has now fought for five organizations (Reality Fighting / Full Force Productions / Global Fight League / Bellator MMA / CES) in five different states: New Hampshire / Massachusetts / Connecticut / Rhode Island / Utah.

Scheduled to return for CES on August 14th, 2015 against Lenny Wheeler (8–3) — again at Twin River Casino — Bessette simply refuses to stop his journey until his destination — and destiny — has arrived.

To Read More Please Visit the link here https://medium.com/@MatteoUrella/pro-files-matt-bessette-afef5b4d6c38

Cage Titans 24 Title Fight Announcements

The Artist Teases you for Cage Titans upcoming event on 4-5-2014

Cage Titans April 5th Plymouth Ma

Pro 135lbs 

“Relentless” Robbie Leroux (5-2 Clinch MMA) vs. Johnny ‘Cupcakes’ Campbell (5-5-1 SSSF)

     Robbie is coming back to the cage after nearly a year and a half off.  With at least two bouts missed in 2013 that should have been barn burners and an opportunity to make his presence felt in the local rankings Robbie will come at Johnny looking for a big win.  Robbie isn’t known for taking easy fights and with his last fight against Ruben Rey in the Bellator cage as an indicator I would say that we are in for a good match even if it goes the distance.  Johnny comes into this fight with ten pro bouts under his belt and with the exception of a win over the proverbial local punching bag, Josh “Boppy” Beauparlant, his record is one chock full of the top 135-ers including Reality Fighting Champion Jeff Haddad.  Going win-less in 2012 “Cupcakes” fought back to regain his place in the tumultuous division during 2013.  Currently Johnny is under suspension in RI after his loss to Matt Doherty at CES MMA: Gold Rush, but I assume that it is not going to stop him from competing in this event since Mike Polvere is a top notch match maker and in close contact with the MSAC at all times.  Look for Johnny to come out looking for the big win.  Johnny will be the aggressor I feel and control the cage from the start.  Robbie will probably have some rust which may make him hang back a bit.  They both have nothing to lose as they aren’t going to give up a spot in the top 10.  We will have to hope they aren’t looking to spar through this one and come to the cage ready to leave it all there for the Cage Titans fans.

Pro 125lbs 

Chad “Machine gun” Kelly (2-0 FAA) vs. Remo Cardarelli (1-0 Rivera Athletics)

     Chad is making his way into the local pro scene after a decent run as an amateur fighter amassing 5 wins and 2 losses in 2 years.  In his newly begun pro career he’s submitted both opponents via the Triangle Choke.  He’s not really fought anyone super tough as a pro so it is his opportunity to keep building the much needed experience a fighter should have if fighting is in fact a career choice.  Remo Cardarelli of the Father/ Son duo “The Fighting Cardarelli’s” is also a newly appointed pro at 125lbs.  He’s been pretty handy in the cage using his Jiu-Jitsu to secure wins over Shane DeCristoforo.  Remo is an exciting fighter who makes every fight count.  I look forward to this one because of the freshness both fighters bring to the cage.  They don’t have a past history and aren’t out to prove anything more than that they belong in the cage.  Chad may shake things up and bring his lightening quick stand-up into the equation a-la FAA Muay Thai Kickboxing, but in my opinion if Remo can keep the pressure on him and keep Chad on the outside we may see this turn into a ground fight.  In that case you should brush up on your Jiu-Jitsu and get a large popcorn because it could take awhile for one of them to tire out and tap.  I think it will be a 3rd round submission and I have to give the advantage to Chad because he has faced more opponents and experience is a powerful thing in our sport.

Pro 185lbs 

Michael Rodriguez (Pro Debut – Team Trifecta) vs. Ralph Johnson (6-8 Independent)

     So here we have one of my favorite fighters, Ralph Johnson, out of Worcestor, MA and a debuting pro named Michael Rodriguez.  Mike recently won the 185lb Amateur Title back in October of 2013 for Cage Titans and did so in a decisive way winning a unanimous decision in the judges eyes even with losing a point for an poorly placed knee to his opponents head during round 2.  Mike will be up against a superior striker with years of experience in the sport.  Ralph is coming off a string of fights that seemed to be in rapid succession and with guys playing the ground game.  He has lost more than a few of those fights by submission, but he has shown he still has heavy hands as was the case in Reality Fighting’s November 2013 card where he picked apart Jason Ward before delivering the K.O. punch in the first minute of the first round.  My feeling is that Rodriguez will look to clinch up with Ralph and as a Trifecta fighter he has been given the training to make that happen, but Ralph is capable of keeping people on the end of those wonderfully lengthy arms and throwing what must feel like bricks into his victims.  One thing is for sure nothing will deter Johnson from a full on fight and with Michael having gone the distance to claim a title once already in his time in the cage he has the heart to push forward.  With knees and elbows to the head becoming a factor for the debuting pro we will see just how much he’s prepared for the next chapter as a pro.  I see the fight being a stand-up contest with each man possessing a skill set that will get the crowd on their feet as the action over flows right from the start.  I see Ralph with his hand raised with a 1st round K.O..

Pro 145lbs 

Peter Barrett (Pro Debut – Maxx Training) vs TBD

Guess my info was quite out of date as the Christian Rivera fight has been off for a month.  I will research the replacement and re tease the fight.  Glad that Peter took the time to read and respond else I wouldn’t have had the correct info and you all would have been expecting a different fight than the one I described.  Thanks, Peter.

Pro 170lbs 

Frank Falso (Pro Debut – Team United) vs. Keegan Hornstra (1-7 Port City)

     Frank is going pro after a terrible amateur career where he lost all 4 of his matches.  He’s going to enter the ranks of the paid fighters with not so much as one win to his credit.  None of his former opponents had much trouble dispatching of him even with the limitations of the amateur rules and now there are no limits as to the damage he can receive.  I hope he is getting paid well for the ass whoopings he’s bound to take.  Keegan has had his ups and downs both as an amateur and as a pro, but he takes the good with the bad and makes lemonade out of lemons.  He’s gotten in the cage with some notable locals over his combined 16 ammy/pro bouts so he should come into this match feeling the more confident and experienced fighter.  We know he is his own worst enemy at times, but he’s been pretty quiet in the last year on the social media front which says two things to me:

1) HE’S TO BUSY TRAINING TO WRITE ABOUT HIS DAILY STRUGGLES 2) HE’S WORKED PAST THE NEED TO HAVE OTHERS WEIGH IN ON HIS DAILY STRUGGLES

     I think Keegan is going to come out on top in this one if he stays calm and puts into practice what the years of training and time in the cage with folks like Dominic Warr, Sean Nichols, and Bruce Boyington have taught him.  For Frank’s sake I hope he took some time to consider what a pro has to do to be the best because taking fights for money opens you up in so many ways to criticism and the school of hard knocks at the hands of schools like CCFA, SSSF, Sityodtong, and many many others that love to feed fighters to their eager and relentless fighters.

Pro 195lbs Catchweight 

Steve Skrzat (6-6 NE Combat) vs. Pat Schultz (7-6-1 CCFA)

     Cage fight veteran Steve Skrzat is looking to put another “W” on his record here against Pat Schultz.  He’s coming off a loss due to disqulification at Gladius Fights 6, but prior to that he beat up Jerry friggin Spiegel for two rounds before the ref called the fight due to TKO stoppage.  He also took debuting pro Nino Mendes down via TKO at WCMMA USA vs The World – Portugal, China, and Russia so we know he can throw hands still.  He’s never been submitted and only been to decision once in 5 years so suffice it to say this could be an exciting fight for the fans who are all about big guys punching the shit out of eachother looking to flatten faces and leave opponents concussed on the mat.  Pat has a a long history taking fights.  He started back in 2000 as a pro and somehow became an amateur in 2002 and then returned to the pro ranks in 2004.  A one time TUF competitor in Season 7, Shultz got sent back to MA and is working to stay active here for the foreseeable future.  With the exception of a fight with Josh Diekman back in 2007 he really hasn’t been in any big fights locally and he’s never been invited to any of the local promotions sending up and comers to the next level shows.  Not to say this isn’t going to be a good fight and odds are that it will be an all out stand-up war with both men liking to swing big I think it will be Shultz’s 14 years in the cage and the amazing talent he trains with at CCFA that will compel him to leave the bloodied and battered body of Steve Skrzat on the mat of cage Saturday night. Conversely if Pat gasses and the younger fresher Skrzat can weather the storm we could see an upset of sorts.  Buy two beers before this one and a bucket of popcorn because you aren’t going to want to miss a second of the big guys throwing some tonnage around the pit at Plymouth Memorial Hall.

Amateur 145lbs Title Fight

Billy “The Kid” Keenan (Redline 4-2) and Dan Dubuque (3-1 DCNU)

     Billy Keenan is the Victory promotion’s 145lb amateur title holder since September of 2013 and won that fight via ref stoppage to strikes in the 2nd round.  A Redline fighter is never one to take lightly.  His teammates are some of the most hardened and methodical in New England.  This fight could be the fight of the night stealing the lime light from any other bout on this card.  Dan Dubuque was an ATT fighter when he got into the cage back in 2012 and fought his first fight in a Cage Titans cage at Plymouth Memorial Hall during the Prevail event.  Dubuque left American Top Team shortly after that fight and joined the Danilo Cherman Nova Uniao club out of CT where he’s been honing his skills as a well rounded fighter ever since.  One fight I remember particularly well was his bout with Florian fighter, Grant Mosley, at the November 2013 Reality Fighting event at Mohegan Sun.  Mosley is a hard core jiu-jitsu submission fighter who can put the squeeze on the best of them.  In that fight Mosley threatened Dan more than once with deep subs, but Dubuque kept the pressure on and smashed Grant at every opportunity.  The crowd was into the fight from bell to bell and in no small part was that due to the energy Dan brought to the cage that night.  Like I said this has Fight of The Night written all over it.  As an amateur 145lb fighter myself I am anxious to hear how this one goes down.

Undercard

 (This will be researched and updated because we always give jsut as much atttention to the Undercard fighters as we do the Main Card here at WesternMassMMA)

125lb AM – Ryan Kane (0-1, CCFA) vs Dan Krall (1-1, Battlecrew)
   
135lb AM – Fabio Lima (1-1, Boston Combat) vs Max Barrett (2-2 MAXX Training)

185lb AM – Joseph Cameron (0-0, Boston Combat) vs Mike Fisk (0-0, Team Anubis)

125lb AM – Buun Tengamnuay (0-0, Boston Combat) vs Dave Baxter (0-1, USMMA)

145lb AM – Jose Rustrian (2-2, Boston Combat) vs Jeff Perez (2-2, SBG East Coast)

145lb AM – Chris Suarez (1-4, Independent) vs Jimmy MacDonald (1-0, FightZone)

135lb AM – Ryan Pompeii (1-0, TriForce) vs Randy Costa (0-0, Lauzon MMA)

155lb AM – Evan Aubrey (1-1, Wai Kru) vs Jacob Weeks (1-0, SBG East Coast)

160lb AM – Barry Liseno (0-2, Independent) vs Jimmy Manning (2-2, CCFA)

Amateur 170lbs

TJ Holt (0-2, Independent) vs Derek Peterson (0-1, Gilette’s)

     Holt is returning to the cage after some time putting life back in order.  He’s been training regularly alongside Ralph Johnson and I am hopeful that this means he’s preparing himself for the kind of battle we all know he’s capable of enduring.  Holt fought back at PFC’s 12 and 14.  In PFC 12 he had two rounds of action where he capitalized with well executed takedowns and got in some strikes from the top.  He, like Johnson, lost the advantage when the opponent took to their Jiu-Jitsu tools.  In Holt’s first fight he was swept by Hunter and then mounted where he was trapped and ended up losing via TKO.  In his second match TJ got inside and clinched with the visibly larger Mike Mangan, but he couldn’t keep it standing.  Both men fell to the mat and Mike mounted and controlled TJ forcing a tap to strikes in the first round.  Derek fought for Cage Titans back in July of 2013 where he lost the decision after three rounds with Kevin Schneider.  Peterson spent most of the fight on the ground getting bullied by Kevin.  He tried for guillotines, but must not have the technique down.  He gave up top position in every scramble.  He even lost a point for grabbing the fence and you know our refs are pretty lenient here in MA where that is concerned so he must have been doing it a lot and during key exchanges.  I see TJ taking this fight in the 3rd if he can push Derek throughout the first two rounds.  Get him tired and then climb on top letting the hands go channeling two losses and turning it into fuel for the win.  TJ can’t let Derek drag him to the ground while they are fresh.  He’s prone to being mounted and controlled there.  He’s got to utilize his lean and lanky frame and put whatever skills he’s acquired since PFC into a lethal toolkit and stay focused.

So far this is how I see the next Cage Titans event.  I like the Main card for the most part.  There are some names here that will surely be talked about this year as they amass more bouts.  We may even be surprised by one or two matches that seem grossly mismatched, but I wouldn’t count on it.  The Undercard is a breeding ground in this event.  A good mix of new and returning amateurs eager for some time in the cage from all the local schools out East.  I am sure no one will be disappointed and that we will be praising Mike and Shelly for another awesome night of fights.  I will be updating the Undercard as I find more info on each fighter.  I’ll be in ME filming a robotics competition this coming weekend and won’t get to see any of the fights happening around MA, but I wish everyone a safe and memorable evening.  Remember to give it your all, the fans can tell when you do. ~Joe “The Wild Ginger” Leonard AKA The Artist

Boss’s Bellator 110 review…(with pictures by the Artist)

Bellator was back at beautiful Mohegan Sun Casino in Ct, and we had been patiently waiting for the stacked under, and main card. The ever popular, fan favorite Rampage Jackson was the headliner, fighting in the 205lb tourney, along with King Mo in the other 205lb matchup. However, The Artist and I were most excited to see our “local” guys in the spotlight! Connecticut’s favorite fighter, Matt “The Mangler” Bessette was fighting in the 145lb tourney, and the diamond fisted Rico D. from Sityodtong was battling last minute replacement, and an ex opponent of mine, Marvin “Bulldog” Maldonado. Josh Diekman and Saul Almieda were fighting as well, so we made sure to leave early as to not miss any of our fellow New Englanders fight.

We packed up The Artist’s van, and headed out to the casino. We made good time, and avoided any major traffic, to make it with some time to spare before the fights started. For us that meant we’d be able to enjoy the always awesome food spread Mohegan kindly puts out for the media covering the events. We ate some tasty chicken parm, and baked ziti along with some garlic bread, and finished it off with a cookie…(or two) and we were ready for the show to begin!!

Fight 1 – Marvin Maldonado vs Rico Disciullo -135lb
rd1- The fighters meet in the center and circle. Both guys throw a low kick at the same time, and Marvin falls to his back. He’s back to his feet, and Rico is pressing forward. Marvin counters with a few kicks of his own, but Rico is looking to land kicks and punches. Marvin looks a bit intimidated. Rico presses to the cage, and clinches up firing some nice knees to Marvin’s body and head. Marvin covers up, and puts a hand to the cage floor. Rico fires off a couple more knees, and the ref stops the action, as the knees were illegal being that Marvin was technically grounded. After some time with the doctors, Marvin can’t continue and the fight is declared a No-Contest. Although the place wasn’t yet packed, Rico had a lot of fans in attendance, who loudly showed their displeasure in the fight being over.

Fight 2 – Manny Lara vs Josh Diekman – Heavy weight
rd1- After a very brief exchange Lara drops to the floor and looks to be in severe discomfort. After watching the replay it looks as though his eye was grazed/scraped by an inadvertent finger as Josh was throwing. The fight is also declared a No-Contest, and the fans continue to boo loudly.

Fight 3 – Ryan Quinn vs Andrew Calandrelli -155lb
rd1- Both fighters come out and begin to trade punch combos. Ryan is moving forward, and landing more punches. Andrew seems to be having trouble getting started, and Ryan is continuing to score. Andrew is bleeding and being forced to fight off his heels, as he keeps backing up.Andrew trys to clinch, but Ryan breaks away and continues to own the cage.
rd2- Andrew comes out a bit more poised. He’s starting to settle in on his punches not constantly being forced backwards. He clinches against the cage, but Ryan breaks away and presses forward with his boxing. They begin trading punches, both landing some decent shots. Both men are bleeding, but Ryan is controlling more of the action, mixing kicks with his punches.
rd3- guys come out with a good intensity for a third round. Andrew is trying to land his big punches, but Ryan avoids any major strikes, and continues to dictate and push the fight.Quinn mixes in some nice kicks in his combo’s, and the final bell sounds. the fighters embrace with a great display of sportsmanship.
winner Ryan Quinn, rd3 unanimous decision

Fight 4 – Egidijus Valavicius vs Atanas Djambazov – 205lbs
rd1- Both fighters are huge jacked mean looking dudes..They both come out swinging hard, Valavicius lands a hard shot that stuns Atanas. He rushes in for the kill, landing a huge knee that KO’s Atanas. The ref rushes in to protect the unconscious fighter.
winner Egidjus valavicius rd1 48 sec KO knee!!

Fight 5 – Andrew Fisher vs Saul Almeida – 145lb
rd1- Saul looks to clinch up and go for the take down right away. He presses to the cage and finally gets a take down. Fisher works right up and continues to defend by pushing away at Saul’s head. Saul trys to transition to the back, but Fisher is blocking one hook by pushing against the cage. Saul kicks off the cage in a slick transition, and secures the back. He works for the rear naked choke, but fisher defends until the round ends.
rd2- This time fisher clinches to begin the round. Saul reverses and pushes Fisher back in top the cage. From here he again presses for the take down. Again he takes the back and starts to work for the submission. Fisher defends well, but can’t shake Saul off his back. Saul transitions to an arm triangle. Fisher defends and rolls to the top but Saul keeps trying until the round ends.
rd3- Fisher comes out throwing combos knowing he’s down on the cards. he starts to connect, and Saul wants to take it to the ground. Fisher gets a take down into full guard, but is looking to pass. Saul sweeps, and locks in a D’arce choke. It takes a bit to defend, but Fisher is tough, and he rolls to the top position.He starts to ground and pound, and Saul’s face is covered in blood. At one point Fisher has a crucifix position, and ends up in side control pounding away as the fight ends.
winner Saul Almieda, rd3 unanimous decision

Fight 6 – Scott Cleve vs Daniel Weichel – 145lb tourney
rd1- Fighters come out with some crisp mma stand up/boxing. They are making use of the whole cage while trading combos. Daniel starts mixing in some nice front and high kicks. He clips Cleve and drops him! Daniel jumps right on and secures a deep rear naked style choke, and finishes from more of a side position with no hooks.
winner Daniel Weichel rd1 submission, rear naked choke.

Fight 7 – Will Martinez vs Goiti Yamauchi – 145lb tourney
rd1- Goiti comes out throwing very hard straight punches. Will shoots in and clinches up. Goiti presses off, and they are trading punches and kicks. Goiti throws a knee, and just misses as Will gets a take down. Goiti quickly looks for submissions, and trys for a heel hook. Will defends well, and drops some nice punches from top. Goiti stays busy, keeping Will on the defense, and they stand back up and shortly after the round ends.
rd2- Will moves in with a combo of strikes into a clinch on the cage. He reaches down and picks the ankle for the take down into full guard. Will works the body, and stays postured up out of trouble. Goiti works his way back up, and they trade on the feet. both guys are connecting and the crowd loves it! Will lands a few big ones before the round ends.
rd3- They meet in the center of the cage and again trade some nice shots. Goiti is getting bested and wants to clinch up against the cage. He lands some well placed knees to Will’s legs and body. Goiti jumps guard, and Will stays strong on top to end the fight.
winner Will Martinez, rd 3 unanimous decision.

Main Card

Fight 8 – Dez Green vs Mike Richman – 145lb tourney

rd 1- The fighters circle, and Dez starts off with a few nice leg kicks. Mike presses in, and gets an accidental poke to his eye. he takes a couple minutes and they are back at it. Mike connects with a few leg kicks, and Dez seems to be hurt. He cant put much pressure on his lead leg, and almost rolls his ankle a couple times trying to move forward. Mike lands a couple more, but Dez is game and keeps fighting hard. Dez scores a take down, but can’t keep Mike down for long. Mike is stalking landing some nice punches as the round ends.

rd2- Dez is looking for a take down, and tries to take Mike’s back against the cage. He lands some nice knees to Mike’s legs, then secures another take down. Dez is in side control, landing some punches, and controlling the position well. Dez lands some nice knees to the body, and some shoulder strikes to Mike’s face before the round comes to a close.

rd3- Mike comes out pushing the pace, trying to land big punches. Dez is countering and moving very well, and the knee doesn’t seem to be a problem. They trade back and forth and Mike’s nose is bleeding. Mike continues to press, but Dez is countering nicely until the fight ends.

winner Dez Green rd3 unanimous decision.

Fight 9 – Diego Nunes vs Matt Bessette – 145lb tourney

rd1- Diego comes out throwing very hard, and just missing. Matt lands a few low kicks, and they both miss with high kicks.Diego clinches and presses to the cage. Matt hip tosses Diego to the ground and he quickly pops back up.Diego catches a Bessette kick, and trips him to the ground, ending up in half guard. After a short time they scramble to their feet and clinch against the cage, trading knees to the body. They split, and both kick at the same time falling to the cage floor, with Diego on top in full guard until the round ends.

rd2- Again Diego comes forward throwing heavy hands, and starts to score a bit. Diego continues to press forward, and Matt clips him and drops him. Matt trys to capitalize, but Diego is back up and continues to trade. Matt lands a couple nice kicks and the crowd is going WILD!! They clinch up on the cage again, as they split, Diego catches Matt’s kick, and trips to the ground into Matt’s guard. Matt is busy from his back, landing some nice double punches as the round closes out.

rd3- They come out trading kicks. Matt lands a nice kick to the body, setting it up with a nice combo of punches. Diego is throwing kicks as well, but the crowd cheers loud for the Mangler. Both fighters are throwing exciting strikes, and it’s a very close fight. Matt slips in a quick head kick just as the round ends, and the whole place is on their feet!

winner Matt Bessette, split decision. The crowd goes insane!!!!!! Mangler mania runs WILD!!!

Fight 10 – King Mo vs Mikhail Zayats – 205lb tourney

rd1- Mik comes out swinging, and Mo shoots in to clinch up and try for a take down. Mik defends the take down but receives a few knees to the body from Mo. They split up, and circle, throwing head fakes, shot fakes, and not much else…a couple small exchanges, but not much action. Mo’s mouth is bleeding as the round ends.
rd2- They come out and circle. Mik lands a nice low kick, and they continue to circle and fake, and just like the previous round, do little else. The crowd begins to boo loudly, craving a shred of the excitement they had seen earlier in the Nunes-Bessette fight. Mo keeps trying for a take down, and Mik defends. The boos continue until then round ends.
rd3- The crowd meets the fighters with loud boos to begin the round. Mik comes forward and lands another low kick. Mo shoots and Mik defends yet again. A few more minutes of boring circling, and Mo presses to the cage for a take down. He can’t finish the take down, but lands some knees to the legs. They split, and continue to circle with little to no action. the crowd boos very loud until the fight is over.
winner King Mo rd3 unanimous decision. A chorus of boos ignite the arena.

Fight 11 Main Event – Christian M’Pumbu vs Rampage Jackson 

 205lb tourney

rd1- Rampage rushes across the cage, but Christian moves away. Rampage wants to bang, and tries to invite Christian to trade. He wants none of it, and they clinch against the cage. The crowd is rowdy, and want blood!! Christian is controlling Rampage against the cage, but isn’t trying to strike, and the ref returns the fighters to center cage standing. They trade punches, and Rampage drops him! He follows up with a couple heavy punches, and M’Pumbu is OUT!!
winner Rampage Jackson, rd1 KO!

Bellator packed the Mohegan Sun arena, and the show, (although having a couple weird stops, and a terribly boring Co-Main event), was a huge success!! The crowd was a sell-out, and the quality of fights delivered big time!! We also got to attend the after fight press conference, which is always a cool time. It was great to hear from the fighters, win or lose, and see Rampage and King Mo sell their upcoming fight! Huge thanks to Bellator MMA for allowing us to help bring you all closer to the cage! We hope you enjoy the review, and also The Artist’s pictures. Please leave a comment and tell us what you think. Thanks for reading!

Jeff Nader to face Mike Mucitelli for Bellator

Just heard from an anonymous source…

Bellator comes back to Mohegan sun. Sept 7. and we got wind of an upcoming local fight.

On the card is New England’s own Jeff “Scary Nickname” Nader vs. “crazy” Mike Mucitelli

Can’t wait for this one and good luck to both fighters!

NEF Fight Video: Trevor Hebert vs. Mike Brown