Recently in PA MMA Category

Here's an email from Larry Novak, owner of Tattoo Fightwear, a New Cumberland-based mma clothing company:

Tattoo Fightwear is sponsoring James "Shrapnel" Chappell, here are a few of his stats:
-Green Belt USMC Martial Arts
-High School Wrestling
-Blue Belt BJJ
-1yr. Boxing/Muy Thai
-Competed in NAGA, UGC and took a gold medal at the PA.State BJJ Tournament
-Ammy record: 3-0
-Light weight title holder for the Central PA. Warrior Challenge.

To see one of Chappell's fights, click here.

Ted's Take: Jimmy's won all of his fights by armbar - which, don't get me wrong, is a great thing - but I can't wait to see it when he lets his hands go.

Found out about this through the Migliarese brothers, who run Balance Studios in Philadelphia. It's a new MMA promotion operating out of Philly that has its first event tentatively scheduled for February 27, location and fights to be announced at a later date.

MATRIX PROMOTIONS MISSION STATEMENT

Our mission is to promote the most electrifying showcase of mixed martial arts. Our promotion will be born in Philadelphia and eventually reach the world. Our elite MMA fighters from around the globe will entertain local professionals and fight aficionados.

Click here for the web site, if you want to fight for the promotion, or just receive updates.

Go to the next page to read about who is involved in Matrix Fights.

Daniel Tavares

York's Academy of Combative Arts, a full-service MMA school featuring BJJ black belt Daniel Beleza and Muay Thai instructor Kham Ngondara, is holding a seminar tomorrow (Sat.) at 10 a.m. at their location, 53 E. North St., in the same building as the Greyhound bus station. Cost of the seminar, which should last between 1 1/2 to 2 hours, is $60.

The seminar features Daniel Tavares, a BJJ black belt and NAGA champion. Tavares is a close friend and training partner of Beleza. "He's an incredible BJJ practitioner and instructor," said ACA co-owner Joe Duffey.

In addition, because Tavares, who is 5'10" and about 165, is a bit bigger than Beleza, he brings a different perspective to the table, especially for anyone who has trained with Beleza, Duffey said.

I tell ya, man, it's great to see martial artists in York County and the surrounding area getting together, training and learning from each other. My co-worker Tom Joyce, whose taken a great deal of martial arts over the years, always recalls the squabbling he used to witness and hear about between schools and martial arts masters. It makes you wonder why petty differences couldn't be put aside for the greater good.

George "Phoenix" McGinnis of York Mixed Martial Arts Academy in Red Lion has been at the vanguard of the MMA cross-pollination in York County and beyond, and a recent facebook post by him illustrates this:

"Had a good work out last night. Hit up Blackman's MMA (in Harrisburg) for some mat time with their fighters and then bounced on over to Jay's (Haas' academy in Lewisberry) to work in with their wrestling team. The beauty behind association and comraderie is that everyone generally wins. Hell, just last night I noticed 2 - 3 wrestling techniques at Jay's that I am going to start drilling as early as today to incorporate into my own game..."

As a source of inspiration, I also asked George about how he got his nickname:

"It was decided upon by a couple of friends a good ways back due to my uncanny ability to bounce back from any bad situation. Example: I would be in a match where I was down numerous points and unlikely to recover, and then out of no where I would spark enough energy or motion to escape / reverse the position and or submit my opponent from an unlikely angle."

"An example of how it applies to me off the mat is again my ability to bounce back from a bad situation, or what I often refer to as 'rock bottom'. I have hit rock bottom a handful of times in my life. I have made mistakes that have cost me dearly. I have said and done things that I was certain I would never be able to redeem, but like the Phoenix, its old physical form perishes in the ashes of its self-made pyre and a new emerges stronger and healthier then ever. To me, the Phoenix represents redemption, a fresh start and perhaps a new lease on life..."

Here's a message from Chad Dubin of LionHeart Management, about top prospect Paul Bradley, who at one time trained in State College:
We had a fight scheduled for Paul Bradley on December 18th that was cancelled so we are trying to find another fight in December or January for Paul.

Here are Paul's quick facts:
· Currently fighting at 170 or 185
· Pro record is 12-1
· TUF Season 7 Veteran
· NCAA Collegiate All American

You can also visit www.lionheartfighters.com for more info.

If there is any interest please contact me:

Chad Dubin

chad@lionheartfighters.com
(814) 280-1982

Central Pennsylvania Warrior Challenge 3 Winners

Official Page for Central PA Warrior Challenge | MySpace Video
It was only last month that we saw the third (or fourth, if you count Poconos) event put on by Mark Jovich, under his Warrior Challenge banner. And while Mark may be done for this year, he's already planning for Pennsylvania Warrior Challenge IV in Lancaster in February.

Bloodyelbow has a post today about Randy Gordon, a former New York State Athletic Commissioner writing an op-ed piece in one of the NY papers, in support of the sport he once banned, (based on the "new" rules). But in his opinion piece, he has this interesting nugget from UFC 101, held in Philadelphia:

"I got an upclose and personal view of just how popular the sport has become when I went to UFC 101 at Philadelphia's Wachovia Center in August. The event brought in a $3.55 million gate, more than any boxing or combat event ever held in Pennsylvania. The sellout crowd of 15,007 poured into the city early and stayed late, making purchases at arena concessions, staying in hotels, dining at restaurants and taking taxis around the city." (emphasis mine).

Not too shabby, I say. The PA state Athletic Commission recieves no money from the state budget, but does get 5 percent of all gate receipts, so that's anice chunk of change that will go a long way in sustaining the agency that regulates the sport in PA.

Just found the poster for this event, being held outside of Pittsburgh, in Greensburg. Click here for more info.

Elijah Garshnick vs Jeremy Bennett
Joe Demore vs Kevin Horowitz
John Opfar vs Chris Sydnor
Caleb Ball vs Jason Trzewieczynski
Gannon Krebs vs Coy Maloy
Shaun Kelly vs Cody Kremer
Bernie Lynch vs Michael Gehman
Jeremiah Bozich vs Zach Search
Christopher Octave vs David Versuk
James Moore vs Jordan Popinski
Jeremy Kosicek vs Matt Breiner
Bob Tipinski vs Drew Shields
Bane Compton vs Coy Maloy

Check out the Web site for info. like the entire fight card, tickets and how to view if you live out-of-state.

Date: Relson Gracie Seminar (Tues Nov 24, 2009)
Times: (All evening classes will be canceled)
6pm-7:30pm Gi Class ($40)
7:30pm - 9:00pm No Gi ($40) Both classes ($75)

Please Call Balance Studios at 215 636 9661 to reserve your spot.

Relson's Seminars generally sell out within the first day, so Call ASAP if you want a space.

If you are a Memeber of Balance Studios, see Josh in the office to reserve your space.

from the premier mma social networking site mmamelee:
Come down to American Fighter MMA & Fitness Center located in SWEAT Fitness at 700 Passyunk Ave Queen VIllage PA 19147 on Saturday November 21st 2009 to try out for a new edgy MMA Reality Show scheduled to start taping the second week in January 2010!!! This is strictly for amateurs only!! Try outs are from 10am to 5pm. Call us at (267) 687 - 1599 for more details.

A message from Larry Novak, owner of New Cumberland-based mma clothing co. Tattoo Fightwear:
They're here! Tattoo Fightwear has just released 8 new products to it's product line. Two new styles of shorts, two new t shirts, two new hoodies, two new styles of hand wraps and 2 new styles of mouth guards. BUT THAT'S NOT IT!, receive a 10% discount on all Tattoo Fightwear hoodies along with free shipping. Along with every purchase you will also receive a free Tattoo Fightwear bummper sticker. To take advantage of this tremendous offer go to www.tattoofightwear.net. Thank you for your support and Happy Holidays.
Sincerely,
Larry
Tattoo Fightwear

Tom and I talk Strikeforce, UFC 105, PA Fighting Championship, Asylum Fight League, Cage Fight 2 ... and Marlon Brando.

I am sending out this email to let you all know that this Saturday, November 14th the school will be closed due to the NAGA Grappling Tournament. Many of us are going to be competing in the tournament, so if you are interested in participating or just want to come and support your team you can go to nagafighter.com for details or just give me a call. Thanks and I will see you all on Monday.

Thanks,
Adam Rocco
Roccomma.com
215-778-2517

Jim Hettes is a 22-year-old who looks like he's 16, a professional who starts his day with a bowl of Fruity Pebbles. A 140-pound man who doesn't even bother to tell anyone what he really does for a living.

He has learned a lot these last few years. One thing he has picked up is, it's not worth trying to get anyone to look past what seems obvious.

"I tell them I'm self-employed," Hettes said. "I don't tell them I'm an MMA fighter.

"Usually, when you tell them you're an MMA fighter, they look at you a little different. Some people understand it. Some people think you're just a thug or something. Half the people think I'm B.S.-ing them anyway."

Actually, far from it.

Here's a highlight video of Philly's Eddie Alvarez, the reigning Bellator lightweight champ, made by Jerod Phillips, owner of Tap or Sleep, a Hanover-based mma clothing company.

Recently posted on Mark Jovich's Central Pennsylvania Warrior Challenge myspace page. Click here to see more pics and a video.

Just found out about this recently. never been, but I guess it's been going on for a few years now. Looking at the Web site, Imight have to go this time.

What's there? What's not there - MMA fighters like Sean Sherk, Shonie Carter, Cung Le nad Kim Couture, MMA hotties, a jiujitsu tournament, plus tons of demos, exhibits and seminars.

Check out the Web site here.

TATTOO FIGHTWEAR SPONSORED FIGHTERS ENTRANCES AT CPWC3

I had some results from Jerod Phillips of Tap or Sleep fightwear on the weekend, but you can get the full results of Friday's PA Fighting Championship by clicking here.

Also, on Saturday, Asylum Fight League had their 21st event at The Arena on Philly. Click here to get full results.

Students, family and friends:

This has been in the works for some time, but due to our schedule and several others events, this particular event was put on hold. I would now like to bring it back to light and out in the open for those both previously involved and potentially involved with the project in the near future.

What's going on? Well, it has always been a goal of mine to set some sort of record. Why not do it within the realm of what I truly love? Martial Arts. Due to confidential reasons, I cannot (at this time) go into dramatic detail about the event, but what I can tell you is as follows...

Where: Location: West Manchester Mall (pending) - adjacent to Elicker's Kenpo Karate
When: A Saturday to be later determined (12:00pm - 2:00pm) 1/2 hour Uke registration, 1 hour record attempt, 1/2 hour awards and appreciation
Who: Coach George McGinnis, Team YMMAA and dozens of other schools and participants
What: Coach George McGinnis to set the first Judo based world record in the history of 'Guinness Books'
How: One Tori (person performing throwing techniques), countless Uke's (person receiving the technique), 1 hour time limit, mats, sponsors, media, crowd, friends and family and good old fashioned camaraderie as it was meant to be.

This event is going to be awesome. Its purpose is to obviously not only bring some advertising to our academy, but much more importantly, it is an opportunity to give back to the community and our instructors. Martial Arts has saved my life and I wish to share its beauty and culture. Judo is highly effective and functional yet so many people dismiss it from their training and arsenal. This will also give us (schools and club owners) a chance to work together and expose our students to an atmosphere that isn't primarily based on competition.

WHO'S IN???!!!

I will need to know the following...

(A) Would you like to attend and or participate in the event?
(B) Would you like to be listed as an Uke (oh yes, you will be thrown), or as a helper (event support / assistant)? If you are a YMMAA member, don't even think about option 2 of (B), ha ha...
(C) School owners - Can you attend the event and bring students to participate?
(D) This is a great sponsorship opportunity as well. If you are a business owner or know someone who is, this is a cheap and easy way to get involved with the MMA community while supporting an event that will not only make the books but will have a decent amount of media.

(E) There will be prizes at the event. One -->lucky<-- participant will receive a high end Gi (company pending) during a raffle towards the end of the event. Each Uke participant will receive a (ticket) upon completing their registration form. A number will be called, if its yours, you win!

More details to come soon. Please contact me with feed back, questions, concerns, interests, suggestions, etc. Thanks for your time...

Sincerely: Coach George McGinnis
York Mixed Martial Arts Academy
Contact # (717) 650 - 0500
www.YMMAA.com

George McGinnis, owner and head trainer at York Mixed Martial Arts Academy, sent me this email on his impressions of Friday's event in Harrisburg:

"I would like to congratulate Coach Blackman and all those involved in a successful evening. There is no doubt that his personal involvement in the entertainment business is what assisted him in running an impressive show. Steve Blackman took the appropriate amount of time to converse with the trainers and was extremely composed during the event which was a refreshing change of pace. I was impressed with the easy to find location, the venue itself, as well as the talent pool in both the amateur and pro divisions. I do believe that we will be looking to work with Mr. Blackman in the future"...

from mmafocus' twitter account, re: MMA event in Erie:
Beatdown on the Bay MMA event moved to Nov. 28 (Erie Times-News) http://bit.ly/23lZP #mma #sport

The event is being promoted by Extreme Fight Club Promotions.

PA Combat Sports Center is currently working on a 14,000 sq. ft. training academy in Greensburg. Here are some photos from their facebook page.

Just talked with Jerod Phillips of mma fightwear company Tap or Sleep. He was at PA Fighting Championship last night in Harrisburg and passed along a few of the results:

Jay Haas of Hanover Academy of Mixed Martial Arts (and his own school in Lewisberry) got a TKO win against Michael Bunyamanhop. Jay had Bunyamanhop mounted and was raining down punches, Jerod said.

Another Hanover fighter, Kevin Flinchbaugh, also scored a first-round TKO, this one on the feet, at about :38, against Joshua Geiringer.

Hanover's third fighter, Brad Herrick, lost by KO to Justin Lucas.

Jeff Smith, who used to train at Hanover, but now calls Blackman MMA home, won by guillotine against Ric Humphries in the first round.

And in the main event, Dustin Pague of Blackman MMA lost to Anthony Leone by a north-south choke in the second round.

Jerod said the place, the Zembo Temple, was packed, sold out and there was not a bad seat in the house. "It was a pretty well run thing," he said of promoter Steve Blackman and his crew. "It was a decent night of fights."

Many thanks to Jerod for these results. Complete results should be ready by early next week.

No, unfortunately, it's not a highlight package. I've been hunting around for results for Friday's PA Fighting Championship, put on by Blackman MMA, but haven't found any yet. Stay tuned.

Just in time for the cold and holiday season Tattoo Fightwear is offering free shipping on ALL of its items. This includes all of the zip and pullover hoodies. To take advantage of this offer go to http://www.facebook.com/l/8ec4c;www.tattoofightwear.net and check it out. The offer will go until 12/31/09.And as always thank you for your support!.

Sincerely,

Larry
Tattoo Fightwear

Central Pennsylvania Warrior Challenge IV takes place on Feb. 19 at the same place at CPWC III, the Lancaster Marriottt. The next day, Feb. 20, Mark Jovich will be holding the Pennsylvania Submission Grappling Championship and Karate Tournament.

Tickets to CPWC IV are available by clicking the CPWC Web site here and then selection "ticket information" on the menu on the left, through any fighters and schools participating in this event, or call 717-250-8841.

Anyone that attends Friday night's MMA event competes free at Saturday's events.
For more information, contact Mark at: jovichm@msn.com or call (717) 250-8841

He may be the owner of mma clothing company Tap or Sleep, but he can put together a mean highlight video. His name is Jerod Phillips.

Bout Sheet
(subject to change)
John Michael Holland vs. Mike Serrano
Dave Rose vs. Jim Dewar
Ben Tichy vs. Mike Marlow
Robert Bilardo vs. TBD TBD
Jeremy Reed vs. Andrew Arroyo
Jamal McKellar vs. Christian DeHaas
Nah-Shon Burrell vs. Jason Harmon
Carlos Brooks vs. Mike Johnson
Travis Lerchen vs. James Garzillo
Larry Byrnes vs. Claudio Ledesma
Mervin Rodriguez vs. Steve McCabe

To see the fights for free via streaming, tune in this Saturday to Go Fight Live at 8 p.m.

Dustin Pague

Just heard from Larry Novak, owner of New Cumberland-based Tattoo Fightwear. He told me he's sponsoring Dustin Pague at Friday's PA Fighting Championship. Pague, a 155-pound fighter at 5-2, takes on Andrew Montanez, who is 7-11.

Tattoo Fightwear at MACE (Martial Arts with a Combat Emphasis) in Red Lion.

On October 23, 2009 5 Tattoo Fightwear sponsored stepped into the cage in front of a packed house at the Central Pennsylvania Warrior Challenge 3 and came out victorious.

To start the night off John Andel won the title in his weight class by dominating his opponent on the ground for three rounds to win by decision. In the next fight Jeff Runk won a spirited contest showing great sportsmanship and getting a unanimous decision on the judges cards.

Duane Bastress stepped into the cage next looking like a beast and basically had his way with his opponent and winning by ref stoppage in the second round. Knockout of the night came via Tattoo Fightwear sponsored fighter Chad Hoar. After dominating the first two rounds on his feet and the ground Chad saw an opening in the third and hammered his opponent with a devastating right hand to knockout his competition.

Dustin Pague throws a strike at a heavy bag at Blackman MMA. Pague headlines Friday's PA Fighting Championship. Photo taken by the Patriot-News.

The Harrisburg Patriot-News had a great story on MMA in its Sunday paper, and specifically Blackman MMA and Friday's PA Fighting Championship, put on by Steve Blackman. here are some of the photos from the story:

Micah Morris, left, talks with Terrill Leech.

Click here to order tickets for the event.

I am sending out this email to let everyone know that we are changing the schedule to accommodate more time for the Submission Grappling classes. The Submission Grappling classes during the day will start at 12:20 and will end when we are done. I am not putting a time restraint on our class anymore.

For those of you that come in for the Boxing or MMA class during the day, it will begin when we are done Submission Grappling. Assume it will begin around 2:00. If we aren't finished by then, just hit the bag, stretch and warm up.

The Submission Grappling classes in the evening will be extended by a half hour. Monday and Wednesday the class will be from 6:00 to 7:30, and from 7:00 to 8:30 on Tuesday. The classes that follow will stay the same. They will just be starting a half hour later than usual.

We are also going to be stricter with the class as well. You must come on time or you will have to do a separate warm up in the cage before you can join the class. In class I will go over the new format in greater detail. I am changing the format in the hopes of getting our grappling to all new heights. I hope to see you all in class soon.

Thanks,
Adam Rocco
Roccomma.com
215-778-2517

I went over to the Academy of Combative Arts in York today for their open house, and had a great time. The academy, located in the Greyhound Bus Station, is home to many MMA fighters, as well as others who are interested in getting (or keeping) in shape or learning self-defense.

Unfortunately, I was late in getting there, so I missed the exhibition that owners Joe Duffey and Frank Nguyen had planned. But I have to say, everyone was accomodating in doing it again, just so I could get a little footage, which will be edited and put up here sometime soon.

In addition to Joe and Frank, head BJJ instructor Daniel Beleza was there, as well as Muay Thai instructor Kham and a guy he's been training with for a couple years now, Kaensak Sor. Pleonjit. Kaensak, who now trains in New Jersey, was champion at both Lumpinee and Ratchadamnoen stadiums, which I'm told are the two biggest and most prestigious stadiums in Thailand. He was in York for a seminar at ACA in August and hopes to do it again soon.

Respect Is Earned has had two successful events in Pennsylvania, Brotherly Love Brawl and Philly Biker Brawl, both in the village of Oaks, near Philadelphia. The organization's Web site recently added several of the fights from the Philly Biker Brawl. See them here. No word yet on when the next RIE event will take place.

Tom and I talk Central Pennsylvanai Warrior Challenge, Strikeforce: Fedor vs. Rogers, and UFC 105.

Osipczak, left, and Riddle.

Here's some of the discussion about the fight on facebook:

Blaze Hart: I excited for this fight, but it will obviously be on the prelims, Nick is 4-0 and Riddle is 3-0 in the UFC. I think this should go on the TUF 10 finale, get tv time. or the next fight night. Either way, who takes it? I pick Riddle.

Frank Danko: There is no way he is going to get on the PPV cards right away.
He needs another 3 fights!

Mark Jovich on
Long time Boxing Promoter Marshall Kauffman of Reading Pennsylvania will be hosting the first true large scale Hybrid Boxing/MMA Event Dec 4th at the Reading Sovereign Center http://www.sovereigncenter.com/ . The Sovereign Center is one of the biggest venues in Central Pennsylvania.

The card will feature 8 Professional Boxing and 8 MMA bouts.

Marshall has a great love for the Combative Sports and wants to bring the very best events to Reading, Pennsylvania.

He is a gracious man that donates to numerous children and youth organizations in support of the less fortunate.

He uses no gimmicks or slick advertising,just solid events with solid people around him. He is man of character and has a passion for the sport.

Marshal is no fly by night promoter,he has beening promoting events for over 15 years.

I will take charge of the MMA portion of the events while Marshall handles the boxing.

We are committed to bring the best of both sports to the competitors and fans.

If your are interested in participating your assisting in these events please contact myself.

I have attached the flyers for our first event together.

Mark P. Jovich
Central Pennsylvania Warrior Challenge
www.warriorchallenge.info
Promoter
717-250-8841

ACA's Daniel Beleza, second-degree black belt in BJJ.

Just a reminder that York's Academy of Combative Arts, 53 E. North St., York -- in the same building as the Greyhound bus station -- is having an Open House Party Sunday Nov 1st from noon to 4.

I'm kind of guessing, but I feel pretty certain that co-owners Joe Duffey and Frank Nguyen will be there, along with Beleza. I know they have a couple of striking coaches, so you might see those guys as well. Maybe even some of the academy's fight team, or other members. Also, there will probably be some light refreshments, although Frank said don't expect any sushi (he also runs Keo Asian Grill and Sushi Restaurant downtown).

Nick Gentile vs Daniel Milstreed
Jeff Smith vs Ric Humphries
Terrill Leech vs Devin Derrico
Boris Rakita vs Brian Keller
Dennis Bermudez vs Chris Conner
Dustin Pague vs Mike Nesto
Jay Haas vs Michael Bunyamanhop
Collin Sharpe vs Justin Lucas
Darrell Horcher vs Matt Nice
Joseph Duffey vs matt pender
Micah Morris vs John Calloway
Kevin Flinchbaugh vs Joshua Gieringer
Michael Hefflefinger vs TBD
Lionel Borreli vs Nick Strebig

Looks like it's shaping up to be a great card. Click here to order tickets.

Marc in the middle, flanked by some of his fighters.

Marc Slomske, owner and head trainer at Slomske's Fight Team in Middletown, Pa., posted this on his myspace on Monday:

"Slomske's Fight Team (Next Legend Fightwear) I fought Saturday at the first C.P.W.C. and won grand champion and $500!!"

Note: Slomske's referring to the karate tournament which followed Friday night's MMA event. Marc also runs Next Legend Fightwear. Hit him up here.

Thanks to mmamelee for the video.

Eric Tschanz, a student of George McGinnis' at YMMAA, hosts an MMA radio show at
York's Only True Alternative, WVYC.

Here's his description of the show:
The only Mixed Martial Arts talk show in all of South Central Pennsylvania on 99.7FM WVYC.

We cover all MMA from the UFC to Central Pennsylvania Warrior Challenge as well as local Martial Arts events.

Tune in Wednesdays from 11am-1pm.

Brett "Night Crawler" Myers, Central Pennsylvania Warrior Challenge's 170-pound champion, right after his submission victory over Justin Krebs on Friday night. Catch Brett and head instructor George McGinnis at York Mixed Martial Arts Academy in Red Lion.

I wanted to get down some of my impression of the Central Pennsylvania Warrior Challenge III, held last Friday in Lancaster, so here goes ...

I've known promoter Mark Jovich for about 2 1/2 years, pretty much ever since I started this blog. The man is top-notch - a Marine for more than a quarter-century, former military instructor at Dallastown High School, father, husband and of course, martial arts master at Central Pennsylvania Martial Arts Academy in New Cumberland.

Mark's no fly-by-nighter, no "one-and-done" promoter; he's here to stay and to build on what he has constructed so far: quality events, the most bang for the buck, while gving young fighters the chance to realize their dreams.

Josh Aarons, right, fires a shot at Joe Duffey, left. Joe, making his amateur debut, lost by unanimous decision but showed he has a tough chin and kept fighting against the more experienced Aarons.

Duffey, co-owner of York's Academy of Combative Arts, sent me this email:
"First, obviously Friday night didn't go as planned for
us. But fortunately, Josh Kessler got the W with an Americana to give
us something to celebrate. We did have a good showing the next day
though at the CPWC Grappling Tourney. I got a little bit of redemption
by winning all my matches via triangle submission to take place. Also,
we had several guys place 1st, 2nd, and 3rd in the tourney. Finally,
we are having our Open House Party Sunday Nov 1st from noon to 4."

A note from Pa. native Charlie "The Spaniard" Brenneman on his new blog:
"just getting my blog going. i'll be posting at least twice a week, so be sure to stop by and check it out. i'll be posting anything from my daily training, to training footage, to my thoughts of the day. stay tuned and spread the word!!!"

after my latest fight (left to right)...darcy regala, frankie edgar, spaniard, chris liguori, Ben Brenneman (jack of all trades)

from the VFL's Web site:
Due to the opponent of Hocky Hock, the main event scheduled, backed out Monday due to "medical reasons". The show has been post-poned for a later date.

Don't worry Chambersburg, Greencastle Fight fans, you will still be able to see your favorite Boxing Fighter Hocky "Big Hurt" Hock and the many exciting Mixed Martial Arts Extreme Fighting Matches in Greencastle.

Check back for the new date to be posted soon.

Mixed Martial Arts Videos on Purefight

Mixed Martial Arts Videos on Purefight

from an exclusive interview with mmamelee.com, one of the best mma social networking sites:

It's been 4 months since Jim Hettes turned Pro and to say this guy takes his career serious would be an understatement. In that short time "Kid Havoc" assembled a 2-0 record and plans on capturing another victory Saturday night in what will be a historical event in Maryland, then he's scheduled to perform again in front of his hometown crowd November 27th. If you average that out, he's fighting every 6 weeks, still somehow he found time to win 2 Gold Medals in Judo at the Keystone State Games and donate his bones to Donald "Cowboy" Cerrone in preparation for his title fight. We sat down with Hettes to discuss his brutal schedule and find out what's in store for Saturday night.

MMA MELEE - Man you've been going hard the last couple months, what motivated you to start competing in MMA and how do you keep up with this pace?

JIM HETTES - I have always been into Martial Arts ever since I was a kid, from watching way to many kung fu flicks, to trying to throw a hoduken in my backyard. I wrestled as a kid, switched over to boxing at age 14, then two years later I started doing jiu jitsu, so it only seemed natural for me to follow the path into Mixed Martial Arts as I got older. As far as the pace, I just enjoy seeing my game get better and better and I love displaying the results. (***Hadouken-Japanese neologism literally "wave motion fist" a punch delivered with a blast of spiritual energy)

An entry at mmamelee.com from MMAtrix: JHET WON 135­ into the FI­RST ROUND by­ ARMBAR!!!!!­!!!!!

Jim Hettes is turning into one of Pennsylvania's best home-grown fighters. Hailing from the Scranton area and training at Gracie NEPA, I'm predicting great things for the guy some call J-Het and others know as Kid Havoc. Hettes fought on Saturday in Maryland's first MMA event, Shogun Fights, put on by John Rallo of Baltimore's Ground Control.

What can I say, I am BEYOND PUMPED for this event. Tom Joyce, my esteemed colleague, and I are heading out to CPWC III tomorrow afternoon and plan to do two segments: an interview compilation and also a highlights package.

Mixedmartialarts.com has the event listed with 17 fights, but absent is Lewis "The Beast" Rumsey, who was set to make his pro debut, although at as of last night, didn't have an opponent.

Still, we're in for a helluva night.Two big experienced heavyweights, Randy Smith and Braden Bice, have already fought once, with Bice KO'ing Smith in their first meeting.

York pros Biff Walizer and Jay Haas are both fighting on the card and Justin "Skiz" Scott, a guy I've compare to a buzzsaw when I saw him throwing high kicks, makes his pro debut. Watch this guy, trust me.

Eric Steppe, another exciting fighter who's won two fights in the first two CPWCs, is on the card. Don't blink, it could be over that quick.

York Academy of Mixed Martial Arts' Brett Myers is fighting Justin Krebs for the 170-pound title.

Joe Duffey, co-owner of the Acdemy of Combative Arts in York, makes his amateur debut. Go get 'em, Joe.

James "Shrapnel" Chappell fights as well. Jimmy has wicked fast subs, as does Mike Oberdick.

Let's not forget Duane Bastress, a 3-0 amateur with a distinguished collegiate wrestling pedigree, who is fighting at 185. York fighter John Andel is also 3-0, definitely adding to the event's name, "Night of the Unbeatens."

Heavyweight champ Jon Tuxford is set to fight. I wonder if he'll let Mike Stoltzfus pound on his midsection the way he did Adam Hostetter at CPWC II. Hostetter's hard shots seemed to have no effect on Tuxford.

ACA's Josh Kessler, who is built like a tank, is fighting Robert Haley

If you can't make the Central Pennsylvania Warrior Challenge III: "Night of the Unbeatens" tomorrow (Fri., 10/23) in Lancaster, tune in to mmamelee.com and watch it on the live stream. According to Mike Malast, mmamelee.com moderator, the live stream "will be plastered in a few spots. I will even make the banner active with the room also. It should be very easy to see."

Good seats are still available for the Central Pennsylvania Warrior Challenge III - "Night of the Unbeatens."
BUY YOUR E-TICKETS & SAVE 15% Enter Discount Code: MMAFAN

Don't forget, the next day - Saturday - is the submission grappling and karate tournament, to be held at 8am (competition starts at 10) at the Lancaster Marriott at Penn Station.

218 Divisions men,women & kids
$35 to compete
Compete for FREE with the purchase of admission ticket to Warrior Challenge III
Stay and compete at the same location! Discounted lodging available.
Mention:Central PA Warrior Challenge when making your reservations.

Lewis "The Beast" Rumsey, set to make his pro debut at Central Pennsylvania Warrior Challenge III this Friday, just put out a message on mmamelee:
"Dnt kno if i­ got an oppe­nent yet."
Say tuned.

MMA social netowkring site Mmamelee.com has a great interview with York County fighter Justin Scott:

Justin "Skiz" Scott, an amazing talent just 20 years of age is making his pro-debut this Friday night at the Central Pennsylvania Warrior Challenge III. Justin is a member of team M.A.C.E training out of Central Pennsylvania Mixed Martial Arts Academy who along with teammates Chad Strawbridge and Duane Bastress have been dominating MMA events in PA ever since it became legal. MMA MELEE sat down with Justin to congratulate him and discuss the path MMA has led him down.

MMA MELEE- Congratulation on your successful MMA career. When most 20 year olds are out partying and barely even pondering their future, you work a full-time job and now you're turning pro in the most vigorous sport on the planet, how do you manage to stay focused and keep moving forward?

JUSTIN- Staying focused isn't hard for me these days. My first MMA fight was when I was 18, right away I understood the dedication needed to excel in this sport so I started making sacrifices then. I do miss hanging out with my friends but I don't think I'm missing out on life, MMA has helped me grow up faster. I stay focused by accepting any challenges the world throws my way and then I set goals for myself. I enjoy what I do everyday and I have a good team behind me, I wouldn't have it any other way honestly.

Pro fight:
Adam Fearon beat Lewis Pascavage by triangle choke, 4:04 of round 2.

Amateur fights:
Allen Cozze beat Craig Alexander by unanimous decision.

Charlie Vinch beat Jamol Brown by KO, 1:46 of round 1.

Robert Mudrak beat Mark Martinez by arm triangle, 1:27 of round 2.

Jose Tilapia beat Brandon Rook by unanimous deicison.

Scott Traskey beat Harold Reddick by TKO, 1 minute into round 2.

Edwin Polcke beat Scott Gregg by split decision.

Randy Dunn beat Andrew Arroyo by split decision.

Daniel Matala beat Michael Colisto by armbar, 1:01 of round 1.

A note from Larry Novak, owner of New Cumberland-based mma clothing company Tattoo Fightwear:

Just wanted to let you know who Tattoo Fightwear is sponsoring for the CPWC 3. Here it is: Justin Scott, Lewis Rumsey, Duane Bastress, Chad Hoare, Jeff Runk, John Andell, Chad Strawbridge (Trainer) and Tom Anderton.

The brothers of Zeta Beta Tau at York College are selling tickets to the Central Pennsylvania Warrior Challenge MMA Event to be held on October 23rd, at the Lancaster Marriott at Penn Square.

Tickets are for General Admission priced at $35 and for each ticket $5 is donated to the Zeta Beta Tau fraternity at York College to fund our fraternity and to help our efforts to aid our community at the college.

Some local fighters fighting on the card are:

Duane Bastress - York College Asst. Wrestling Coach

Brett Myers - Red Lion resident

Justin Scott - Dallastown Highschool Graduate

Please contact us only if you wish to purchase the tickets.

A little training video/interview from the Pocono Record.

Got an email from Jerod Phillips, owner of Hanover-based MMA clothing company, Tap or Sleep, who told me about Pennsylvania welterweight Charlie "The Spaniard" Brenneman's fight last week at Valley Fight League in Altoona: "Charlie won by tko first round. Heavy elbows and then quick punches. So its onward and upward for the spaniard." That improves Charlie's record to 10-1. Charlie is a Tap or Sleep-sponsored fighter.

Found this video of Joe Fye, who trains at Gracie NEPA in Scranton with Jim Hettes, and goes by the name "Stranglehold" on mmamelee. Fight took place on June 12 at Cage Fight against Sean Haines. The fight is listed as a TKO, but I would call that a straight-up KO. Haines was flat on the canvas and the doctor had to run in and check him. That's a KO in my book. Nice hands, Mr. Fye.

James Garzillo 0-0 160 lbs. 0-1 Hector Pacheco
Tiger Schulmann's PRO NAC MMA

Brendan Barrett 3-4 215 lbs. 2-5 Randy Durrant
Brutal MMA PRO Abdali International

Adam Searon 0-0 185 lbs. 2-2 Louis Pascavag
LA Boxing/Rhino Fight Team PRO Team KOA / Cordo Urso Militech AC

Craig Alexander 5-2 155 lbs. 1-1 Randy Dunn
Tiger Schlumann's REMATCH! Hurricane MMA

Last week I posted details of George McGinnis' great run at the UGC recently in Mcungie, Pa. Now you can take a look. Here's George's comments from the Youtube entry: "This is a compiled video of 6 out of my 7 matches this weekend. Missed match number to because they added the match last minute. I decided to hit the tournament to tune up for several other events that I have lined up over the next couple of months. Finished the day with 2 No Gi Gold Medals and 2 Absolute Championship belts... "
Make sure to hit George up at York Mixed Martial Arts Academy.

Here's a message Bob, who runs Hanover Academy of Mixed Martial Arts, sent me today:
I'm down to two fighting on Saturday at Gladiator, Ryan Harder injured his neck and had to pull out of the event. Nate Kinard and Mike Fallia both at 155 will be fighting for us. After that I have Jay Haas fighting at the Warrior Challenge on the 23rd. The Grappling Challenge on the 24th, I'm not sure how many from Hanover will be competing but there's bound to be some black t-shirts there representing.

After that it looks like Nov 6 at Steve Blackman's event in Harrisburg. Matt Loban at 205, Brad Herrick at 170 and Kevin Flinchbaugh at 145 should represent us well at that event. Also in the works is Nov 27, Pa.Cage Fight 2 in Scranton, should be Jay Haas at that one if all goes well. I'll keep you posted as more develops, we are always fighting somewhere. If we not fighting that gives the dust time to settle in here, and I hate dust.

Here's George McGinnis's U.G.C. results from "Best of the Best" held this past weekend in Macungie, Pa:

Match 1: No Gi Intermediate / Advanced Mixed (win via. points) - Gold
Match 2: No Gi Intermediate / Advanced Mixed (win via. rear naked choke) - Gold
Match 3: No Gi Absolute 200lb. and under (win via. triangle to inverted arm bar)
Match 4: No Gi Absolute 200lb. and over (win via. points)
Match 5: No Gi Absolute 200lb. and over [finals] - (win via. triangle) - Championship Belt
Match 6: No Gi Absolute 200lb. and under [semi finals] - (win via. triangle)
Match 7: No Gi Absolute 200lb. and under [finals] - (win via. triangle / descending arm bar) - Championship Belt

"Yeah, its safe to say that the triangle is working for me. I think between my recent diet adjustments and conditioning programs, that my performance is steadily increasing. Its a small sacrifice to pay when considering the results. The U.G.C president (Robson Pereira) has approached me and offered me a super fight at one of the up coming events. I'd like to take a moment to thank all of our sponsors..."

- Sheetz, Miles Muffler, Flying Feet, Rickie Brothers Auto Sales, Imagineered Signs -

George is owner/head trainer at York Mixed Martial Arts Academy in Red Lion.

ALTOONA, PA - 10/11/2009 - This past Sunday night at the Jaffa Shrine in Altoona, PA, in front of a rowdy Penn State cheering section, heavyweight Aaron "King Kong" Anspach (1-0) dominated James Armstrong (4-3). In one of the most exciting fights of the evening, KONG stopped Armstrong by TKO in the 2nd Round. Anspach used a series of overpowering double legs, one of which broke the lights on the cage, to bring the crowd to its feet and show everyone the explosive athleticism that he brings to every fight.

"I had a lot of fun and it was cool to hear all the guys cheering for me. I get a huge rush just taking someone up in the air and driving them into the cage. I got hit a couple of times and it shook me a little bit, but I have been hit harder than that in other events and I know it will take a lot to stop me."
-Aaron Anspach

In other action Sunday night, LionHeart Fighter Lou Armezzani had to injury default in the 1st round when he dislocated his shoulder and was forced to stop.

Respect Is Earned's Philly Biker Brawl happened last night in Oaks, Pa. A while back I reported that Sunbury, Pa.'s Tim Boetsch would be fighting another UFC alum, Alex Schonauer. Well, Boetsch's opponent was apparently chnaged to a guy named Lorenzo Hood. Then, for some reason, the fight was scrapped altogether. There were seven fights that night, with Leo Pecanha winning by RNC against Aaron Meisner in the main event. Here's some activity from RIE's facebook page:

RIE: "Once the video gets through post production editing, we'll have the entire event for sale to watch online r buy a DVD. Also, individual fights may be purchased for a pricereduced from that of the entire event."

RIE: "I'll keep everyone updates on our video status. Keep an eye out for RIE's coverage on HDNet's "Inside MMA" as well."

RIE: ""Bust a move" just started playing on the radio. Thought it was appropiate considering I'm still on the road w/Philly Biker Brawl main event winner, Leo Pecanha. He def busted a few moves in his 1st round win over Ultimate Fighter Aaron Meisner."

Lisa Gartner Stott: "They (her family) liked the fact that the fighters were approachable and talked with them!! Signed autographs and took pix. All the boys do martial arts and wrestling, so they were pretty much meeting some heroes!"

So I was on Tattoo Fightwear's MMAMelee page and found a bunch of photos of people you'll be seeing at the Central Pennsylvania Warrior Challenge III at the Lancaster Convention Center on Oct. 23. Have a look:

Duane Bastress, 3-0 amateur record.

Tattoo Fightwear's Larry Novak (left) and Justin Scott, 7-0 amateur record, making his pro debut at CPWC III.

Click here for tickets.

It's a social networking site geared toward MMA fans, fighhters, trainers, academy owners, and promoters. You can create your own page, upload a photo, put in some personal/contact info., join groups ... basically it's like a facebook for people into MMA. Click here to go to the site.

A show of camaraderie between Donald "Cowboy" Cerroen and Ben "Smooth" Henderson. Tomorrow, they fight for the interim WEC lightweight title. Two Pennsylvania fighters, Jim Hettes and Derek Leyrer, helped Cerrone prepare for the fight.

Here's an email from Larry Novak on the upcoming huge MMA event in Lancaster on Oct. 23:
On October 23, 2009 the Central Pennsylvania Warrior Challenge will be holding its biggest and best MMA event to date. The event, titled Central Pennsylvania Warrior Challenge 3 will be held in Lancaster, PA. with a total of 17 fights scheduled (6 pro, 11 armature). Along with the fights their will be 2 big screens so that all the action can be seen no matter where it is in the cage, an opening and closing band along with a submission grappling tournament to be held October 24 at the same venue. Tattoo Fightwear will be taking the opportunity to sponsor this event along with major sponsors Apple Ford, Bud Lite and Fox Sports.

Bob Bitner from Hanover Academy of MMA told me last week that three of his fighters will be on the Oct. 17 Gladiator Fight Club VI - Ultimate Victory, to be held at the SportsPlex in Winchester, Va.

The three fighters are: Ryan Harder, MIke Fallia and Nate Kinard

On Oct 23, at the Central Pennsylvania Warrior Challenge, in Lancaster, Jay Haas will fight pro at 145.

The next day, on Oct 24, at the Central Pennsylvania Submission Grappling Championships, in Lancaster Pa., Hanover will be well represented.

And on Nov 6, at the Zembo Temple, Blackman MMA will be sponsoring an event in Harrisburg Pa., featuring Hanover fighters Kevin Flinchbaugh, at 145; Brad Herrick, at 170; and Matt Loban, at 205.

With the great success of Grapplers Quest's 2009 Northeast Championships, held recently in Lancaster, I thought it might be a good time to remind everyone about the first-annual Central Pa. Submission Grapping Champiosnhips, held in conjunction with the Central Pennsylvania Warrior Challenge III.

Lancaster Marriot at Penn Square, 25 South Queen Street, Lancaster, Pennsylvania 17602 USA Phone: 1-717-239-1600

Compete Free at the submission grappling championships.

Anyone that attends Friday night's MMA event (Oct. 23) competes free at Saturday's submission grappling championships.

For more information contact us at:
jovichm@msn.com or call (717) 250-8841

Nice work by Mark Jovich and co. for the upcoming Central Pennsylvania Warrior Challenge III on Oct. 23 at the Lancaster Marriott. Click here for tickets.

Just a reminder about this event. I blogged about it recently, after having spoken with one of the promoters. The bottom line is this - a lot of guys on the Internet are complaining about the name and concept of the event, but when you get down to it, these are fights sanctioned by the state, so everything should be above-board and professional. A fight is a fight, as Royce Gracie said. Check back here next week for results.

I was on mmamelee, an MMA social networking site, and got onto Larry Novak's Tattoo Fightwear page. Larry recently made a post about the upcoming Central Pennsylvania Warrior Challenge III, of which he is a sponsor. Here's some interesting info:

WARRIOR CHALLENGE III
College Students Discounted
BUY YOUR E-TICKETS & SAVE 15%
Enter Discount Code: MMAFAN

Buy Tickets Now & SAVE!!
Click Here for
E-Tickets

CPWC III features:
16 Action-Packed Bouts of MMA
6 pro bouts
10 amateur bouts
2 Jumbo Screens
Techno light show
Live Band

For more on Tattoo Fightwear, click here.

I talked with Mark Jovich, owner and matchmaker of the Central Pennsylvania Warrior Challenge. With two successful events in York Township at Wisehaven Banquet Hall, Jovich moved his end of the year show to a bigger venue, the Lancaster Convention Center. Mark said at this point, things are going well for the Oct. 23 event, ticket sales are brisk, and the card is complete. We've got a lot of local, exciting fighters on the card, so it no doubt will be a great show. Looks like 19 fights, including the return of local pro Biff Walizer. Click here for the Web site and click here for the card.

After recently releasing a teaser video announcing that DREAM.12 will take place in a six-sided cage, the Japanese-based DREAM organization has now announced the first two matchups for the card.

Bellator Fighting Championships lightweight champion Eddie Alvarez (18-2) meets DEEP champ Katsunori Kikuno (12-1-1), while Cage Force lightweight title holder Kuniyoshi Hironaka (15-6) faces Korean Won Sik Park (7-1-1).

Korean Myeon Ho Bae (8-4) was also announced as a participant on the card.

DREAM.12 takes place Oct. 25 at Osaka Castle Hall in Osaka, Japan. The event airs in North America on HDNet.

The new DREAM cage.

Email from LionHeart management, about Bradley, who used to train and live in State College:
Paul Bradley (12-1) showcased his impressive stand up and well rounded fight game this past Friday night at the Strikeforce Challenger Fights in Tulsa, Oklahoma by dominating Levi Avera (12-5). Bradley, who improved his record to 12-1, won by a unanimous decision over Avera with all 3 judges scoring the fight 30-27.

"I was pleased with the win Friday night and felt like I was able to dominate the fight no matter where it went. I am going to go back to the gym Monday and continue training full time to move closer to a Strikeforce title. Fighting in a great organization like Strikeforce was awesome and it feels great to be a part of such an impressive fight league. I am looking forward to fighting for them as soon as possible."

We would like to thank the sponsors listed in the column on the left that have generously helped Paul during his training camp.

And special thanks to Minnesota Mixed Martial Arts and Greg Nelson for helping Paul get ready for this fight.

Royler Gracie, 6th degree black belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, and one of the famous Gracie brothers, will be at Steve Maxwell's Maxercise in Philadelphia next month.

From Wikipedia: Royler Gracie has competed in the black-belt ranks for 20 years. He is the only person to win the ADCC Submission Wrestling World Championship three consecutive years, and has won the ADCC more times than anyone else. Royler is also a four-time World Jiu Jitsu Champion in the under 67 kg Black Belt Division.

Maxwell is a world-renowned trainer and according to his Web site's bio, "He was the first American to earn a black belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, certified by Relson Gracie."

Thanks to mmajunkie.com for the play-by-play:

LEVI AVERA VS. PAUL BRADLEY

Round 1 - Quick touch of gloves. Bradley scores a quick jab, then shucks off Avera's advance, tossing him to the side and falling into top position. Avera settles into half-guard underneath, and he looks to use his long legs to attack. Avera gains full guard as Bradley lands a few shots from top position. Avera ties up the arms, and Bradley tries to posture up. Bradley pulls his left leg through to half-mount. Avera tries to look to his right for a potential kimura, but instead settles for establishing full guard. Two minutes remain in the round. Bradley delivers a few shots to the ribs. Slow action, and the referee brings it back to the feet. Avera fakes a right kick and lands a left kick to the body. Avera grabs a single leg, but he has to let it go. Bradley works in a few quick hands, and Avera tries to answer. Bradley shoots in and powers him to the floor. Bradley drags his opponent to the cage as time expires, and he secures the opening round on the MMAjunkie.com card, 10-9.

A message from Robson Pereira, promoter of the Ultimate Grapplers Challenge, scheduled for Oct. 11 at the Macungie Community Center in Macungie, Pa.:
HEY GUYS IS THE LAST WEEK TO PRE-REGISTERED!!! AND SAVE SOME MONE$$$BUT YOU CAN STILL REGISTERED AT THE DOOR!!!!
THAT IS WHERE ALL THE BEST GRAPPLERS AROUND WILL BE!!!
Click here to go to the Web site.

From State College's LionHeart Management:
JC Cuffee improved his amateur record to 2-0 this past Saturday at the Barbarian Fighting Championships with a 1st Round Submission over previously unbeaten Jimmy Hall.

Paul Bradley (11-1) left, squares off against Levi Avera (12-5) for their welterweight fight tonight. Bradley, who used to train at LionHeart Fighters in State College (now known as Central PA Mixed Martial Arts), trained at Minnesota Mixed Martial Arts for this fight, which is his Strikeforce debut.

Location: Bixby, Okla.
Venue: SpiritBank Event Center
Broadcast: Showtime

MAIN CARD

Zak Cummings vs. Tim Kennedy
Kevin Jordan vs. Ray Sefo
Zach Light vs. Tyron Woodley
Travis Calonoc vs. Thomas Longacre
Daniel Cormier vs. Gary Frazier

PRELIMINARY CARD
Lacey Schuckman vs. Jeri Sitzes
Levi Avera vs. Paul Bradley
Brandon Gaines vs. Trey Houston
John Carson vs. Kenny Giddens
Nick Gibbons vs. Josh Pulsifer
Lemont Davis vs. Dillon Smith

Just talked with Greg Sirb, executive director of the Pa. State Athletic Commission. He confirmed that tonight's 9th Street Slaughter event at Club 1402 in Reading has been postponed. The event was being promoted by longtime boxing promoter Marshall Kauffman, with MMAinPA.com's Joe Cunliffe doing the matchmaking.

"Just didn't get enough bouts together," was what Sirb said when I asked why the event wasn't happening.

Although I don't believe there is a minimum number of bouts per event required in PA., I know each event in the state has to have at least two professional fights and the rest can be amateur. So far this year, I don't think there's been an event this year with less than maybe eight fights, although I think that was due to a couple of them being canceled at the last minute.

Sirb said that Kauffman had told him he wanted to hold the event in Reading the first weekend in December.

Kauffman was "disappointed" at the show's postponement. "He's never really canceled anything" in his long career as a promoter, Sirb said.

Previously, Kauffman and Cunliffe collaborated on the May 30 hybrid boxing/MMA event in Reading, Pain on Penn Street.

George McGinnis, head trainer at York Mixed Martial Arts Academy in Red Lion, sent me this pic of his brother, Brett Myers, facing camera, training with Jay Haas. In the photo, Brett has the Muay Thai clinch on Jay, meanwhile Jay is swimming his right hand inside to try to counter with a clinch of his own (I'm guessing).

Myers trains at YMMAA and Jay trains at Hanover Academy of MMA, but both schools often train together. Both Brett and Jay are on the card at Central Pennsylvania Warrior Challenge in Lancaster on Oct. 23. Jay has a pro fight against Sean Santella and Brett has a title fight - I believe it is the 170-pound championship - against Justin Krebs.

EVENT: 2009 Grapplers Quest
Northeast Submission Fighting Championships
Brazilian Jiu Jitsu & Submission Grappling
Featuring $10,000 in Prizes
When: Saturday, September 26th, 2009

Box Office, At-The-Door Registrations, and Weigh-Ins Open at 8:00 AM
Tournament Starts at: 10:00 AM

Event Location:
Lancaster Convention Center
3 East Vine Street
Lancaster, Pennsylvania 17603

- 222 Divisions for Men, Women, and Children of All Ages and Skill Levels
- $3,000 5-on-5 Best Team in Northeast Challenge
- 63 Northeast Championship Belts on the line!

from mmainpa.com:
King's Promotions presents 9th St. Slaughter this Friday, September 25, at Club 1402 in Reading. The anticipated 12 fight Pro/Am card will feature mixed martial artists from some of Pennsylvania's most active and recognized teams.

"We're excited to see MMA return to Reading and for the opportunity to bring back fighters from our successful Pain On Penn Street amateur event held in May," said Matchmaker Joseph Cunliffe, "including the professional debut of Tony Williams" fighting out of The Cage MMA Academy in Temple. Jim Bova, fighting out of Anthracite Combat Club in Schuylkill Haven, will headline the card.

Blackman MMA is doing a MMA Event in Harrisburg on November 6! we are currently putting together the fight card. If anyone is interested in fighting on the show they can email contact@blackmanmma.com. We are also participating in an event on November 21 near Pittsburgh www.wcc-mma.com - if someone is interested in that event please email the same address contact@blackmanmma.com. We need PROS and AMATEURS for both events.

This Saturday, September 26th the gym will be close due to a grappling competition in Lancaster. A lot of our guys are going to compete in Grapplers Quest. If you are interested in competing or just coming along to support our team please contact me and I will give you the details. Thanks and we will see you on Monday.

Thanks,
Adam Rocco
Roccomma.com
215-778-2517

Casey Bush - whose video is featured to the right in the video player---> won his amateur debut at Barbarian Fight Club - Dire Conflict over the weekend in Virginia. Bush's coach at Hanover Academy of MMA, Bob Bitner, had this to say about the victory:

"He went in for the take-down, his first take-down, he ended up getting popped. But he re-grouped and scored a take-down on his second attempt."

On the ground, Bush tried a few submissions, but his opponent, Joey Elmore, fought them off, Bitner said.

"In the long run, Casey just proved to be a little too strong," Bitner said. "He ended up getting the mount and after that, it was just ground-n-pound, ref stoppage, TKO. For his first fight, he did real good. He learned a good lesson here on that first shot. He went in there with a little bit of that wrestler mindset and kind of got reminded real quick they're throwing punches here."

"Overall, I was pleased with the performance. He was thorough with what he did, he was careful woth what he did, once he re-grouped and got that second shot in."

If you want some cool fightwear and don't feel like hopping on the Internet, head over to MACE (Martial Arts with a Combat Emphasis) in Red Lion for the latest Tattoo Fightwear styles. Many of the county's top fighters train at MACE, including Justin Scott, Chad Strawbridge, Duane Bastress, John Andel and Adam Hostetter. The academy is located at 133 W. Broadway (Rt. 74), Red Lion

Here are the results for Barbarian Fight Club's Dire Conflict this past weekend in Va. We had a number of Pa boys on the card. Casey Bush, who fights out of Hanover Academy of MMA, won his amateur debut. In addition, Blackman MMA of Harrisburg had a great showing, with wins by Bill Bookwalter and Darrell Horcher. Nate Van Tassel was off the card, for unknown reasons. And George Glykas, of LVIRK (Team Hammer) in Catasauqua, Pa., also won.

MMA Bout, 185 lbs.
Bill Bookwalter vs Breon Rucker
TKO, Referee Stoppage (Strikes)
Round 1, 1:12

MMA Bout, 135 lbs.
Saige Thomas vs Billy Barrington
Submission, Guillotine Choke
Round 1, 0:38

MMA Bout, 170 lbs.
Winston Tesi vs George Glykas
Submission, Guillotine Choke
Round 1, 0:40

MMA Bout, 155 lbs.
Darrell Horcher vs Jeff Mount
TKO, Referee Stoppage (Strikes)
Round 3, 2:10

Got the results from Friday's Downtown Beatdown 2 - The Beatings Continue, put on Extreme Fight Club at the Avalon Hotel in Erie, from the Pa. State Athletic Commission:

- Matthew DiMarcantonio beat Donnie Lennox by Unanimous Decision.
- Joshua Aarons beat Jason Galvin by UD.
- Corey Frantz beat Dustin Hurtgam by Split Decision.
- Jessalee Kline beat Jessica Wolbert by KO-head strikes, 1:59 in round 1. Wolbert is suspended for 60 days.
- John Heynoski beat Christopher Jones by UD.
- Troy Musil beat Clifton McNair by UD.
- Brian McCullough beat Matthew Sinnott by UD.
- Sean Santella beat Ricky Garrett by Rear-Naked Choke, 1:23 of round 1.
- Theodore Dobson beat Ty Perry by UD.
- Tim Troxell beat Norman Alexander by Anaconda Choke, 4:03 of round 1.
- Daniel Reed beat Todd Humes by RNC, 1:10 of round 2.
- Gabriel McIver beat Michael Testa by Guillotine, 1:11 of round 3.
- Jeremiah Gurley beat George Hyek by Majority Decision.
- Ben Oesterling beat Daniel Mingoy by TKO-head strikes, ;26 of round 1. Mingoy suffered a broken nose and is suspended for 30 days.
- Eric Attard beat Corey Nichols by UD. "Good action bout," according to the athletic commission.

There were two MMA events that PA fights fans would probably be interested in - myself included - and I've been trying to get results, so far to no avail. One was Friday's Downtown Beatdown 2 in Erie at the Avalon Hotel; the other was Saturday night's Barbarian Fight Club in Virginia, which featured four PA fighters. The only thing I can say is stay tuned, as soon as I know, you'll know.

Jerod Phillips of Hanover-based MMA clothing company Tap or Sleep recently uploaded this video on his YouTube channel. Both Walizer and Haas will be on the upcoming Central Pennsylvania Warrior Challenge III card on Oct. 23 in Lancaster. For tickets, click here.

Tonight (Sat.), Damon's in Hanover will be showing UFC 103 (Rich Franklin vs. Vitor Belfort and Mirko Cro Cop vs. Junior dos Santos) and will feature appearances from Hanover-based MMA clothing company Tap or Sleep and members of Hanover Academy of MMA.

So stop by, order up some wings and beer, ogle the waitresses (you know you do) and stop by Jerod Phillips's TOS table and see what he's got, not to mention the raffles he'll be doing throughout the night. Oh, and yeah, there's fights on the tube, too. And, like I said, the boys from Hanover Academy should be there as well.

Here's the address:
375 Eisenhower Dr., Hanover, Pa. 717-632-5600.

Here it is. Mark Jovich is putting on Central Pennsylvania Warrior Challenge 3 at the Lancaster Convention Center on Oct. 23. Click here for tickets and click here to see the fight card.

A couple months ago, I blogged about a promotion that was planning an MMA event in Reading called "Crime and Punishment: Cops vs. Cons" and said I would reserve my judgment until after I spoke with its promoters, Ryan Kerwin and Raymond Gokool. Well, I spoke with Kerwin earlier tonight.

My first stop, however, was a call to Greg Sirb, executive director for the Pennsylvania State Athletic Commission on Wednesday.

I asked Sirb what he thought of the event, was it going to be real cops taking on real cons inside a cage?

"That's just blowing smoke up your ass," he said. Sirb said that "not even one" of the fighters on the card is a real cop or real con. "It's marketing. There's no cops, there's no convicts. I have the freakin' line-up. Do you think I would let that go on?"

My next call, today, was to Kerwin, who said that yes, the title of the event is a bit of marketing to set himself apart from the other MMA events popping up all over the state. But contrary to what Sirb said, the fighters - at least those on the main card - are all cops or cons. "This isn't a joke," he said.

Middleweight bouts
Cop - Lamont Lister
vs
Con - Matt Masterson

Cop - Taylor Sensabaugh
vs
Con - John Bryant

Welterweight bouts
Cop - Chris Kennedy
vs
Con - Marcus Ajian

Lightweight bouts
Cop - Brian Smiley
vs
Con - Shannon Green

Featherweight bouts
Cop - Johnny Torres
vs
Con - Gabriel Greenberg

Three fighters from Blackman MMA in Harrisburg are on the Dire Conflict card at Barbarian Fight Club in Ruther Glen, Va. on Saturday:

Middleweight Bill Bookwalter takes on Breon Rucker

Welterweight Nate Van Tassel takes on Eddie Abney.

Lightweight Darrell Horcher takes on Jeff Mount.

I've already mentioned Hanover Academy of MMA's Casey Bush making his amateur debut at the event. In addition, George Glykas, a welterwieght from LVIRK (Team Hammer) in Catasauqua, Pa. is fighting Brian Reidinger:

Highlights from Downtown Beatdown 1.

On Friday at the Avalon Hotel in Erie, Extreme Fight Club presents Downtown Beatdown 2 - The beatings Continue ...Here's the fight card:

Amateur:
Donnie Lennox vs. Matthew DiMarcantonio
Jaosn Galvin vs. Joshua Aarons
Corey Frantz vs. Dustin Hurtgen
Jessica Wolbert vs. Jessalee Kline
John Heynoski vs. Christopher Jones
Troy Musil vs. Clifton McNair
Matthew Sinnott vs. Brian McCullough
Dave Spinelli vs. Theodore Dobson
David Reed vs. Todd Humes
Gabriel McLver vs. Michael Testa
Ben Osterling vs. Daniel Mingoy
Eric Attard vs. Corey Nichols

Pro:
Ricky Garrett vs. Justin Thrift
Norman Alexander vs. Tim Troxell
George Hyek vs. Jeremiah Gurley