Home» Posts tagged "Precision MMA" (Page 2)

Precision MMA – Kids martial arts Poughkeepsie

Posted on November 27, 2013 by fighter in Poughkeepsie martial arts

Teaching kids martial arts in Poughkeepsie can be hard at times. The students don’t always have the physical abilities to pull off the moves, their attention is so often elsewhere and they’re especially sensitive. As a result, most of the black belt school owners I know do not teach their kid classes. Instead they delegate the responsibility to an aspiring fighter who is training for free or they hire someone with a greater degree of patience.

I’ve always preferred to get on the mat with my kids. I alternate between teaching triangle chokes and giving speeches about the virtues of doing your homework. The abilities of kids vary greatly, for every student who looks like they might be the next UFC champion there’s another who can’t stop crying after hitting his head on the mat.

I try to make a real investment in my kids, understanding that they’re the future of Precision Mixed martial arts. I hope that I won’t simply improve their kicks and punches, but help them grow up to become better men and women. My right hand man, Chris Stanley is my brother in the struggle. Someone who shares my passion for teaching kids and never lets the smile leave his face, regardless of how chaotic the kids might become. I must confess though, there are difficult days where we question how much of a difference our teaching is making.

Then there are days where I get little gifts like this and I’m reminded why we keep running our kids martial arts classes.

kids martial arts Poughkeepsie, NY

Check out Precision MMA’s kids martial arts classes in Poughkeepsie, NY for 30 Days FREE. Call 845-392-8495 or visit http://www.lagrangemartialarts.com

kids Karate Poughkeepsie

Florida residents looking for Tampa BJJ check out Tampa Gracie – the best kids martial arts Tampa has to offer

Poughkeepsie’s finest Pugilist – Karl Nemeth Poughkeepsie Muay Thai

Posted on November 9, 2013 by fighter in Hudson Valley MMA, Poughkeepsie martial arts

Nothing in life is certain – “expect the unexpected” is the motto of every sage martial artist. However, the closest thing to a guarantee in this crazy, unpredictable world of ours is that when Karl Nemeth fights, he is putting on a spectacular show and getting his hand raised.

Hudson Valley Muay Thai

Last night was a historic evening in Hudson Valley MMA history. For the first time ever, real mixed martial arts bouts were contested in Poughkeepsie, NY. The Mid-Hudson Civic Center played host to John Carlo’s “Fall Brawl”. Growing up in Poughkeepsie, the civic center was always where the action was at. Every time I walk through those doors I’m flooded with nostalgia. When I was in elementary school I remember losing my voice cheering on my favorite pro wrestlers as the leaped from turnbuckles and hit one another with folded steel chairs. As a middle schooler my first rock concert was at the civic center when Marilyn Manson got in trouble for starting a fire and indecently exposing himself on stage. Just a few months back I huddled in the Civic Center to watch my favorite comedian Louis CK put on a sidesplitting routine. Now the arena I’ve come to know and love would play host to the sport that is the focus of my life – it was a very exciting evening.

Unfortunately, New York MMA is “barely legal”. The Empire state has kept the sport in an odd limbo that neither sanctions nor outlaws amateur bouts. As a result, bouts are allowed to proceed with no real state oversight. This had upset the neighboring athletic commissions of Pennsylvania and New Jersey who have implemented mandatory suspensions for any combatant who dares to compete in their home town. This unfair persecution of New York fighters was why we decided to have Karl compete in a muay thai bout rather than MMA (that and for Karl’s last attempt at MMA his opponent dropped out the day of the fight).

Every coach dreams of having a student that will exceed their own abilities. Someone who will take their teachings and guidance and not just absorb them, but improve upon them. I have been fortunate to have that in Karl. A true martial artist who takes a cerebral approach to the science of fighting. Karl learns the conventions of an art and then figures out ways to defy them in spectacular fashion. A little over a year ago I brought Karl to work with my muay thai coach and living legend Kaensak Sor Ploenjit. Kaensak’s approach to muay thai embraces the old Bruce Lee addage of “Using no way as a way”. Feints, set ups, spins and jumps are common practice – creativity and unorthadox attacks are not just encouraged, they are the very foundation of attack in Kaensak’s system. He and Karl were a match made in Heaven.

The number 1 prerequisite for this style is fearlessness – a trait often lacking in aspiring pugilists. Karl has this trait in spades. Last night Karl entered the ring to the roaring applause of his Precision MMA students. Everyone at the gym who stepped in the ring to spar with Karl leading up to this bout knew they were in for something special. I always hated the crowd, the noise, the anticipation of combat – Karl seems to thrive off it. An ear to ear grin graces his face from the opening bell as he stalks his opponent. Once the bout begins the noise of the crowd is deafened by the sudden thunderous smack of Karl’s leg kicks. His opponent is game though and marches forward with courageous determination determined to trade power with “Mr. Fantastic” (an old nickname given to Karl following his first muay thai bout) as the first round comes to a conclusion.
The second round picks up where the first left off. The opponent is employing the same strategy, but the kicks are too numerous and now coming from odd angles with unpredictable timing. Round kicks, teeps, axe and spin kicks quickly mark the legs, body and face of Karl’s battered opponent. He changes course and decides to clinch. Karl delivers thunderous knees and body punches before hurling his opponent to the ground with muay thai sweeps. Entering the final round Karl’s opponent now realizes he finds himself in a “pit or the pendulum” situation. He is overwhelmed and out gunned. Karl pulls out all the stops landing spinning back fists and even leaping off the cage to land an Anthony Pettis-esque superman punch that could have been part of a Parkour highlight video. Karl panders to the crowd egging on their cheers with his flamboyant techniques, they roar with approval as the final bell sounds.
Karl has his hand raised and further cemented his place as the top Poughkeepsie Muay Thai fighter in the Hudson Valley.

As a coach I couldn’t be more proud. Afterwards the New York state commissioners were dying to know if Karl would be willing to fight MMA. Although Karl is known as a stellar stand up fighter, most people don’t realize that he is equally skilled on the ground. It won’t be long until he adds Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt to his ever growing mantle of achievements.

Live in Poughkeepsie and want to train muay thai with Karl? Check out Precision MMA for 30 Days FREE call 845-392-8495 or visit http://www.poughkeepsiemuaythai.com

Not in Poughkeepsie? Florida residents to sure to check out Kids martial arts Tampa

Hello Japan!

Posted on August 5, 2013 by fighter in Hudson Valley MMA

Hudson Valley MMA

Kids today don’t know how good they’ve got it. Yes, the closer I get to 30 the more of a grumpy curmudgeon I become, but in this instance I am one hundred percent correct. Fight master, Ultimate fighter, UFC on Fox, UFC on Fuel, FS1, UFC Unleashed, World Series of Fighting, Bellator, Inside MMA and if you’re really desperate you can always tune to the Spanish station and watch gladitorius del UFC – there’s almost too much MMA these days. Watching elite fighters put their skills on display is an everyday occurrence. However, once upon a time UFC events were pay per view only and often months apart. If you wanted to satiate your MMA desire you had to befriend a Direct TV subscriber and wait for the US broadcast of Pride Fighting Championships. In high school I would have been best friends with Charles Manson if it meant I could watch Kazushi Sakuraba fight Renzo Gracie.

Hudson Valley MMA

Japanese MMA was special. Pride, Pancrase, K1 and Shooto all had a special flair. They were contested in pristine rings with over the top pageantry and showmanship. Mysterious international talent was coupled with wild rules, scoring and mixed weight super-fights. The silent crowd that appreciated submissions as much as striking was also a welcome alternative to the inebriated “just bleed” crowd that populated American MMA events.

Fighting in Japan was a dream of mine. During my MMA career I scratched off plenty of bucket list items. I fought for Zuffa, made it to the Ultimate Fighter and won a few oversized MMA belts – but I never made it to the Land of the Rising Sun.

Fortune smiled on me though after sparring at the AMA Fight Club on day when my friend Andy Main shared some exciting news. “I’m fighting in Japan” Andy said with his trademark calm demeanor. Without hesitation I told him, “If you fight, I’m there”. Finally, the opportunity to experience Japanese MMA first hand had arrived and in Pancrase no less. Anyone with an appreciation for MMA history knows the esteem place Pancrase holds in the mixed martial arts world – an event that pre-dates the UFC and launched the careers of pioneers like Bas Rutten, the Shamrock brothers, Yuki Kondo and Matt Hume.

Hudson Valley MMA

Andy Main was slated to take on Hiroki “AB” Aoki as part of Team Nam Phan vs Team Pancrase. Originally a number of fighters were slated to represent Nam Phan, but through a process of attrition Andy became the sole representative for Nam. Andy and Nam knew each other as teammates on season 12 of The Ultimate Fighter. Andy has been the best kept secret in northeast MMA for the past few years. A slick fighter giving top UFC fighters fits in training who ran into a bad streak of illness and injuries. Andy would prep for a fight when shingles, mono, flu or vitamin deficiencies would strike – if there was an illness Andy had it. I used to joke that I knew cancer patients healthier than him. Lately though, it seemed like he had turned a corner. He climbed back into the cage for CFFC and put on a clinic en route to a first round submission victory. His striking had caught up to his jiu-jitsu and he was looking dangerous in all areas.

His opponent was tricky. Aside from having to travel behind enemy lines, the fight was also going to be contested at 155, one weight class above Andy’s normal fighting weight. For the first time he wasn’t going to have the height advantage either as his opponent was long and lean. Experience also played into AB’s favor with him having more than twice as many fights as Andy. If any of this bothered Andy you’d never know it. He put his nose to the grind stone and whenever the topic of Pancrase came up he spoke with an assertive confidence that let me know he expected to walk away with his hand raised.

Andy Main

The only stumbling block seemed to be the fact that the fight would be contested inside a boxing ring as opposed to a cage. Most of our training at AMA Fight Club prepares us for walls and cages rather than ropes. Fortunately, my Hudson Valley MMA gym Precision Mixed Martial Arts has a full sized boxing ring. Andy made weekly trips up to Poughkeepsie, NY to familiarize himself with the ring and pick up some coaching tips from me at the same time. As a student Andy is ideal. He’s receptive to feedback and constructive criticism and makes better mid-round adjustments than almost any fighter I’ve worked with. While coaching him at times I almost felt like I was playing a video game and he was my character.

Finally, camp came to a close and it was time to fly out. I extended my stay longer so I would get some extra training (put the $1,800 plane ticket to good use). After Andy arrived we met in Shinigawa decided it would be good to get a sweat going after being cooped up in a plane for 14 hours. On way to the local Gold’s Gym we got our first taste of Japanese culture shock. Andy is something of a boy scout. He’s a vegetarian; he grew up doing mission work for his local church and runs a business with his little brother. You’re more likely to find him at a dog park than a bar. However, he is covered in tattoos. His most prominent ones are portraits of his mother and father and an inscription reminding him that he is his brother’s keeper. Not exactly skulls and cross bones. However, once the woman behind the counter saw the slightest bit of ink peeking out from the sleeve of his sweat shirt she treated him like he was in the Hell’s Angels. She insisted we leave immediately. After a series of begging and pleading (90% of which was likely lost in translation) we were allowed to stay. Apparently, every Gold’s Gym in Tokyo comes equipped with a fully stocked MMA gym. We got a good workout in and I could feel that in spite of the arduous journey Andy retained his strength.

Hudson Valley MMA

The following afternoon was open workouts and media day. We met Nam Phan and headed over to a different Gold’s Gym to get some training in. We reviewed some last minute technical strategies and got after it hard. Andy was feeling stronger today and it showed. Once Andy was finished training I got some good flow rolling in with Nam and was impressed. He even showed me a few tips for landing his signature liver shot. It’s too bad we didn’t have more time to train together. The Japanese media was interesting. They were always looking at things from a pro-wrestling angle, trying to stir the pot and get Andy to say something controversial that would fire up the opposition. We were able to find out that everyone had painted Andy as a pure jiu-jitsu fighter. We were excited since striking was a big part of our game plan, we figured the element of surprise would be on our side.

Weight cutting wasn’t going to be an issue. Andy was walking at 155 despite eating regularly. We knew we would be giving up size, but stereotypically the Japanese aren’t big weight cutters so we weren’t too concerned.

Hudson Valley MMA

The weigh-ins were supposed to be a non-issue, but became more dramatic during the rules meeting. Going into this fight we were under the impression that it would basically be contested under unified rules sans elbows. We quickly found out that we were mistaken. Each time we spoke to someone the rules changed. By the time we were done asking soccer kicks, stomps and knees to a grounded fighter were all legal – it was like old school Pride rules. Fighting for sport is something of a chaotic endeavor. The one thing I try to do as a coach and athlete to mitigate the chaos is to be aware of all the variables and prepare my athletes accordingly. These last minute revelations did not sit well with me. I started going over new strategies and frantically trying to make sense of the new potential dangers we faced in the fight. Andy shared none of my concerns. He looked at me and said “Whatever, it’s a fight”. I wasn’t sure if his resolve was the result of confidence or insanity, but it let me know he was dialed in and nothing was going to change that.

The weigh-ins also saw drama when fellow US fighter Amber Brown struggled to cut the final pounds in order to make her 105 lbs. weight class. Seeing how lean and dry she appeared I wasn’t certain she could do it. Simply walking up a small hill on way to the scale was a tall order for Amber, but there was a lot of resolve in her small frame and she made the weight.

Hudson Valley MMA

Following some epic meals, sight-seeing and wandering it was game day. Unlike cards in the US which might have 10 or so bouts, Pancrase had stacked 18 fights on the card with Andy being the main event, which meant a whole lot of waiting. As the bout neared closer I noticed a few things that were different in Japan. No one watched me while I wrapped Andy’s hands, a process that is traditionally very closely scrutinized by US athletic commissions. Also, none of the fighters were drug tested. In the US something as pedestrian as a sleeping pill can result in a failed drug test and hefty fines. There was no pre-fight physical or doctor exam. Finally, no Vaseline was applied prior to fights and there were seemingly no cut men in the corners. Many of these rituals are never noted by the casual observer, but for me the absence of these pre-fight traditions made me feel like I was in the Wild West.

After a quick warmup it we stepped into the on-deck circle. Nam and I peeked our heads around the curtain to watch Amber’s fight. We got to know Amber a little in the days prior and were really rooting for her. Things weren’t looking good, she was eating hard leg kicks and had a cut bleeding right over her eye. She rallied in the second round, but was clearly not going to be winning a decision. Time was ticking away with Amber on her back when she threw up a perfect armbar from guard. She put everything into it and scored the submission. Amber’s victory gave us some positive energy to fuel off and I suddenly felt more at ease as the pre-fight promos played for Andy’s fight. There was a long pro-wrestling-esque montage that set the stage for Andy vs AB. Finally Andy’s entrance music played and it was go time. Andy (and his brother Mikey, a fighter himself) walk out to “Some Nights” by Fun. The song is a light hearted sing along track. It helps break some of the tension and anxiety surrounding the imminent battle. AB destroyed this calm ambiance by walking out to the most abrasive screaming death metal I’ve ever heard in my life. The juxtaposition was borderline comical.

Immediately prior to the walkout a new wrinkle immerged when officials told Nam and I that the fight would feature “open scoring”. Meaning that judges would indicate who was winning at the conclusion of each round. I decided not to tell Andy about this new discovery since I didn’t want to break his concentration just prior to fighting.

At long last, the bell sounded and round 1 began. Andy began executing the game plan to a “t”. He marched out, controlled the center and began lacing AB with lightning quick jabs and crosses. Each punch was snapping AB’s head back. Andy was being mindful of his defense keeping his head moving the whole time, being aggressive by not wreck less. AB decided to abandon the striking exchange and moved into the clinch. I could tell he was strong here, but Andy was controlling well with his wizzer. AB made a quick move to Andy’s back and secured hooks for a brief moment, but Andy countered with a Sakuraba like Kimura and turned into the guard. Now ontop Andy worked some ground and pound and looked to pass after thwarting a few upkicks. Taking side control Andy landed some knees to the body before the round closed.

Hudson Valley MMA

The fight was going perfect, Andy had rocked AB who was now cut and clearly won the round. I told Andy to use and underhook rather than a wizzer to stop AB from coming behind him and to mix some uppercuts into his combinations since AB was looking down to avoid the 1-2’s.

Round 2 began and Andy once again dominated the boxing. He mixed in the uppercuts perfectly and followed them up with huge knees. AB clinched in desperation and Andy pummeled to an underhook and hit a flawless Uchi Mata sending his opponent head over heels crashing to the mat. I thought Andy might just finish the fight here, but AB showed this would be no easy victory by attacking off his back. AB locked in a triangle that had me heart skip a beat, Andy defended well by posturing but found himself in a kimura quickly thereafter. I was confident that the submission wouldn’t be finished, but worried that if the round ended this way they would award it to AB. Andy solved the riddle though and escaped to side control and then immediately mounted. With 15 seconds we told him to pull the trigger and he finished the round raining down strong punches. We were now up 2 rounds to 0.

Hudson Valley MMA

Going into the 3^rd I just wanted Andy to stay out of the clinch. We knew he could knock AB out if he made it a striking battle. I could tell Andy was fatigued, but far from gassed. The third round began much like the prior two with Andy landing clean strikes almost at will. Right as a knockout seemed imminent the ref called a halt to the action to check AB’s cut. Initially I thought this would benefit us since Andy could catch his breath, but the break was so long that it really allowed AB to recover and get back in the fight. AB pushed forward and secured a body lock. He hit a bear hug and landed on top of Andy. As Andy went to shrimp AB took his back and locked in a tight body triangle. Andy defended well, but wasn’t able to move his hips out to escape. Time was on our side though, if we could simply survive the next 2 minutes we would take home a victory. At one point AB had him completely flattened out and things looked bad, but Andy showed his heart and gutted out an escape. To his credit AB landed some shots before Andy secured closed guard, but once he did he immediately threw up a tight armbar, AB defended well and the round came to a close. The open scoring allowed us to breathe a sigh of relief during the announcement – Andy earned the decision.

Hudson Valley MMA

Nam and I went crazy and ran to congratulate Andy, who was on the verge of throwing up. Fortunately, he was able to hold it together, but he told us he had pulled something in his rib which is why the final round was so dramatic. After a few pictures and autographs we headed back to the locker room victorious.

Following the fight Andy posted this:

“Now the thank you’s! HUGE thank you to my coach and training partner Brian McLaughlin for making the trip to Japan with me and preparing me for this fight. Big thanks to Nam Phan for setting it up. Thanks to everyone at Pancrase for giving me the opportunity. Thank you Coach Mike Constantino and all my teammates at AMA Fight Club, I will be back asap to help you all get ready for your next bouts. Also the guys at Precision MMA and my Instructor Yanni Hronakis for helping me prepare. Thank you to my students and family at Pure MMA you guys don’t realize what you all mean to me. Thank you Alex Kennedy and Melvis Figueroa for helping cover classes while I was away. Thank you my Mom and Pop for the ongoing support. Thank you to my amazing supportive girlfriend Maggie Krol. And thank you to my brother Mikey who keeps me honest and keeps me pushing forward whether he knows it or not. I fight for you all and it makes victory that much sweeter”

Hudson Valley MMA

Interested in becoming the next Hudson Valley MMA champion? Check out Precision MMA FREE for 30 days call 845-392-8495 or visit http://www.poughkeepsiemixedmartialarts.com

USA Boxing for Precision MMA Fighters

Posted on June 20, 2013 by fighter in boxing, Hudson Valley MMA

Hudson Valley Boxing

Two of the toughest scrappers in the Henry Hudson Valley will be stepping into the squared circle on Saturday. Precision MMA’s own Paul Maley and Dan Power will lace up the gloves at USA Boxing’s show in Amsterdam, NY.

Dan has the “power” to beat anyone put in front of him (see what I did there…well I think I’m funny). He has a relentless straight ahead style that makes for a great fight every time.

Here’s an old bout of Mr. Power. He’s gotten much better since this bout, but it shows his gutty style of fighting

Paul made a big impression in the finals of the golden gloves recently, giving the champion all he could handle. Paul is a crafty boxer that is looking to put his skills on display. As always Coach Derrick Ohlhoff will be in the corner.

Saturday, June 22, 2013
Match Bouts
Mohawk Baseball at Shuttleworth Park
65 Crescent Ave.
Amsterdam, NY 12010
Weigh-in: 1:00 pm
Bout Time: 3:00 pm

Train Hudson Valley Boxing at Precision MMA for 30 Days FREE call 845-392-8495 or check out http://www.poughkeepsieboxing.com

Dutchess County MMA – Triangle Choke for MMA

Posted on May 28, 2013 by fighter in Dutchess County MMA

A blast from the past, here is one of my favorite triangle chokes for MMA competition. This setup works by tightly controlling the distance, allowing you to work into the submission without giving your opponent an opportunity to land a strike. I’m demonstrating this move on none other than UFC veteran Charlie “The Spaniard” Brenneman at the AMA Fight Club. AMA is where I test the MMA techniques I teach in Dutchess County.

This is a move my students use at my Dutchess County MMA gym Precision MMA in LaGrange, NY – for a 30 Day Free Trial call 845-392-8495 or visit http://www.bjjfighter.com

And STILL Flyweight Champion …

Posted on May 15, 2013 by fighter in Hudson Valley MMA, Uncategorized

CFFC 24 – the most fun you can have with your clothes on.

Poughkeepsie MMA

My Atlantic City adventure started with Corey Bleaken taking the cage against tough as nails Paul Felder. The fight was high on drama from the start, with Corey getting clipped with a hard cross and waking up to find himself in a fully sunk rear naked choke. In this instance quitting was the most readily available option, but even half unconscious and unable to breath Corey escaped, seemingly by the force of pure will. He not only survived, but was able to get on top and mount some offense, shattering Felder’s nose in the process. Down one round Corey fought with a heightened sense of urgency and took round two on the strength of his top control.

When the bell sounded for the start of round 3 the crowd was on its feet. Both fighters clearly exhausted, bloody and determined put on an incredible display of heart and courage. Corey found himself on the bottom, but flawlessly executed multiple Heisaman escapes (click here to learn) to reverse and get back to his feet. Ultimately the pressure from Felder was too much and he took home the victory. Classy in victory, Felder was very respectful towards everyone at AMA Fight Club and reminded the crowd of how tough Bleaken was for the entire 15 minutes.

On the one hand the loss is a set back – an unwanted bump in the road. However, for each young fighter coming up the ranks there are certain unanswered questions. Will he fold under pressure? Can he overcome adversity? Will his cardio hold up for 15 minutes? Can he recover from being dropped? Will he look for a way out when defeat is near? Corey has faced these crucibles and shown he possesses an iron will and indomitable fighting spirit. Progress is not always measured by tallies of wins and losses. Through the blood and sweat of this fight Corey may not have found victory, but in some ways he discovered something far more valuable. May God help the next poor soul who shares the cage with Mr. Bleaken.

Following Corey’s battle all eyes were on Sean Santella. “Shorty” was looking to extend his win streak to five straight. As fight time approaches Shorty slowly goes through a transformation. He begins as an affable teammate and slowly transcends into a laser focused assassin. Once he completes his warmup and reviews his game plan his smile is replaced with a scowl. “It’s MY TIME!” he repeats louder each time as the fight approaches. Positive affirmations mixed with relentless intensity foreshadow the night’s performance.

Mike Constantino turns to me and predicts a Shorty victory via rear naked choke. I shake my head and tell him “Triangle…round 1”. Mike likes my premonition.

The fight starts with a long feeling out process, Shorty in the unique position of being the taller man. As expected Morgan shoots in and Shorty immediately begins his submission assault. A failed guillotine attempt brings the fight to full guard. Shorty traps the arm and slaps on his patented “Giant Cirlce” triangle. Morgan fights valiantly and attempts to slam his way out (unless you’re Quinton Jackson you should always posture out of a triangle rather than slamming imo), but ultimately passes out after refusing to submit.

The only thing more impressive than Shorty’s Jiu-jitsu transitions was his post fight break dancing routine. For his efforts Shorty earned a nice “Submission of the Night Bonus” (Corey was awarded Fight of the Night). This was without question the best fight camp and performance of Shorty’s MMA career. Winning 9 out of his last 10 fights, Shorty has proven he is ready to step up to the big leagues. With victories over past and current Strikeforce and UFC veterans Shorty isn’t simply ready to compete in the best organization, he could challenge for the title.

The other star performance came from my training partner and friend Joe Pinto. Joe showed age is just a number as he went out and dominated his 20 year old adversary en route to a TKO victory. Joe used some patented AMA ground and pound tricks to eventually progress to back mount, flatten his opponent out and rain down blows until his hand was raised. I watched this fight from the stands and apologize for the hearing loss I inflicted on those around me.

Live in Poughkeepsie and want to be the next MMA Champion?

Check out Precision MMA in LaGrange, NY the Hudson Valley’s top Poughkeepsie MMA gym call 845-392-8495 or visit http://www.poughkeepsiemixedmartialarts.com

CFFC 24 – Hudson Valley MMA

Posted on May 6, 2013 by fighter in Hudson Valley MMA

On May 11th at the Borgata in Atlantic City it will once again be fight night! I’ll make the thrilling 4 hour car ride from the Hudson Vally over to cheer on a few of my students / training partners. He might be too short to ride Space Mountain, but Sean “Shorty Rock” Santella is without a doubt the top 125 pounder in the northeast. Shorty and I have been working hard to improve his submission game and this is a fight I’m very excited for. His opponent is an aggressive wrestler – the past few fights people have been running from Shorty and avoiding the ground at all costs. I can’t wait to see someone engage him so he can put all his skills on display. I always have a blast at CFFC and the local support is awesome, but I really hope this is Shorty’s last local fight. The kid has been on a tear and needs to be fighting in the UFC. Hopefully, a crowd pleasing submission will be his ticket in.

Also on the card is National Champion Wrestler and Justin Bieber lookalike Corey Bleaken. I really think that Corey is the best kept secret at AMA Fight Club. Starting as a pure wrestler he has transformed into a formidable MMA fighter. So far he’s undefeated and fresh off his successful pro debut. Between fights I spent time sharpening Corey’s ground and pound technique. I think he learned things a little too well, every time we spar I am steadily losing brain cells. If his opponent gets taken down he might just drop a few IQ points by rounds end.

I’ll get to play cornerman Saturday night. Ironically, I’ve been told people like me in the corner because I have a calm demeanor and help them stay composed. The reality is that I’m a nervous wreck and on the verge of losing my mind with each exchange. Hopefully when I inevitably lose my voice it will be in a winning effort.

For all you New Yorkers – check out my Hudson Valley MMA gym Precision MMA in LaGrange, NY and you could be the one fighting in front of sold out crowds call 845-392-8495 or visit http://www.poughkeepsiemixedmartialarts.com