By: Paul Forlai

Image Courtesy of: mmamania.com

Memorial Day Weekend kicks off tomorrow night, Saturday May 25^th, 2013 at UFC 160 in Las Vegas, Nevada with a lightweight showdown between Khabib “The Eagle” Nurmagomedov (19-0, 3-0 UFC) and Abel “Killa” Trujillo (10-4, 1-0 UFC). The fight will air live on the prelims starting at 8pm ET on FX.

Despite coming in 2.5lbs overweight, Nurmagomedov wants nothing more than to march over Trujillo on his way to a perfect 20-0 record, although, he will lose twenty percent of his fight purse. Nurmagomedov’s emotions seemed to get the best of him at the weigh-ins, shoving Trujillo across the stage, maybe some signs of frustration due to missing weight or just a little gamesmanship. Whatever the case may be, Nurmagomedov must keep his head on straight when he steps inside the Octagon tomorrow night.

Nurmagomedov enters this fight with an unprecedented fourteen stoppages in nineteen career fights, two of those coming in his past three victories under the UFC, finishing Kamal Shalorous via rear-naked choke and most recently, a TKO victory over Thiago Tavares.

Trujillo is on a five fight win streak, finishing Marcus LeVesseur at UFC on Fox 5 in December 2012. Trujillo would love to be the guy that delivers Nurmagomedov his first loss while moving up the ranks in the lightweight division. However, that will be much easier said than done.

Nurmagomedov is so crafty in his approach, stalking opponents while, overwhelming them with a plethora of strikes or taking the fight to the canvas and subjecting them to brutal ground and pound or submissions. Trujillo will have a tough time avoiding the striking game of Nurmagomedov and certainly will not be able to defend the takedowns of the Combat Sambo World Champion like he did against Levesseur.

If Nurmagomedov is able to not only win but win in dynamic fashion once again, it will move him up the ladder in the lightweight division on his quest to getting a title shot. Finishing Trujillo would certainly elevate him to face a top 5 ranked lightweight in his next fight, as well as getting back on the Dana White’s good side.

By: Paul Forlai

Tomorrow night, Saturday May 18^th, the UFC will be in Brazil at the Arena Jaragua hosting its eighth UFC on FX event with the prelims starting at 4:30pm ET on Facebook, more prelims airing at 6pm ET on Fuel TV, followed by the main card at 9pm ET on FX.

The card will be headlined with a middleweight showdown between the veteran, Vitor Belfort, and Luke Rockhold, a fight that is sure to have some fireworks. Also on the card, there will be a flyweight showdown between Azamat “Tough Guy” Gashimov (10-2; 0-1 UFC) and John “Hands of Stone” Lineker (20-6; 1-1 UFC) that can be seen on Facebook.

Gashimov is coming off a submission loss to the wily veteran, Ivan Menjivar, in his first appearance inside the Octagon at UFC 154 back in November 2012. The fight was stopped at 2:28 of the first round not allowing Gashimov to display the skills that he has shown in the fights leading up this point. Gashimov plans on changing that tomorrow when he faces off with Lineker.

This will be Lineker’s third time in the Octagon having lost his first fight, while winning his last fight against Yasuhiro Urushitani at UFC on Fuel TV 6. Lineker is looking to build on that win much to the dismay of Gashimov.

Gashimov is a well-rounded fighter having submitted four of his opponents as well as KO/TKO’ing two others. Gashimov will need to move in and out, getting his strikes off first, to avoid Lineker’s knockout power. Knowing that Lineker has been susceptible to submissions in the past, it might very well be in Gashimov’s best interest to get this fight to the ground.

A win over Lineker, a very formidable opponent, will prove that Gashimov belongs in the UFC and that the “Tough Guy” nickname is more than just a nickname.

By: Paul Forlai

My deepest apologies for the delay, but I was having some technical difficulties. Anyway enough of that, let’s get to it.

On a night that was filled with thunderstorms, Sean “Shorty Rock” Santella (13-3-1) shined bright.

Santella faced Dave Morgan (5-3) on May 11th, 2013 defending his Cage Fury Fight Championships (CFFC) Flyweight Title at CFFC 24 at the Borgata Hotel and Casino in Atlantic City, NJ.

Santella went in as the favorite and did not disappoint making quick work of Morgan. Santella came out connecting on a couple of jabs influencing Morgan to abandon the stand-up exchange. As expected, Morgan went in for the takedown, which Santella conceded to. Without hesitation, Santella began working the rubber guard on Morgan’s right side before throwing up a triangle.

The fight would not go on much longer even with Morgan attempting to do everything in his power to defend the submission. Picking Santella up over his head with the triangle still intact, Morgan proceeded to slam Santella to the canvas, but to Santella’s credit, he adjusted the triangle in midair as he braced for the fall. When they hit the ground, Morgan had one of two choices, tap or go to sleep and Morgan refused to tap. Santella hooked Morgan’s right leg making the choke much tighter, while cutting off all the circulation to Morgan’s brain, in essence putting Morgan to “sleep” at 2:28 of the very first round.

Santella jumped up in complete jubilation and continued to put on another performance, ending the night in style, as he played to the roar of his fans with a little dig at Morgan pretending to fall asleep, topping it off with some break dancing in the center of the cage.

Santella is now 5-0 since dropping down to flyweight and no one has an answer for him. Beating Morgan, the Strikeforce veteran, not only earned him Submission of the Night but has to solidify his status as one of the elite flyweights in MMA. The UFC needs to add Santella to their roster; he has all the attributes of a UFC star – he doesn’t sugar coat anything, he is flashy, wears some wild pink shorts, all tatted up, brings it every fight, and most importantly, he WINS – in the making.

Articles to follow

By: Paul Forlai

Corey “Freakin” Bleaken (1-1) battled Paul Felder (5-0) for three hard fought rounds at CFFC 24 this past Saturday, May 11^th, 2013.

Bleaken came out strong, looking to impose his will in the striking game, shattering Felder’s nose early in the first round, according to Felder’s post fight interview.

Felder hit Bleaken with what appeared to be a right hand to the temple dazing Bleaken momentarily. Felder jumped on Bleaken’s back attempting to secure a rear naked choke on a shaken up Bleaken. Bleaken was able to get his wits about him making it through the first.

In the second round, Bleaken came out looking for the takedown. He was able to take Felder to the canvas multiple times, forcing scramble situations that led to ground and pound. Bleaken edged out the second round, making it one round a piece heading into the third.

The third round was another back and forth affair, neither fighter knowing who was ahead on the judges’ scorecards, leaving everything on the line. Both fighters came out swinging away, but in the end it was Felder who came away with a unanimous decision victory.

Bleaken took the loss as well as anyone can for someone who had put so much time and effort into a grueling training camp. Bleaken came out into the stands thanking friends, family, and other supporters. Cheering on AMA teammates, Sean “$horty Rock” Santella and Joe Pinto, demonstrated Bleaken’s true class and character not only as a competitor but as an individual. Bleaken is a great representative for the AMA family.

Even though Bleaken suffered his first loss as a pro, he is still early on in his career, and there is no doubt that he will be back in the near future. Even the greatest of fighters have taken a loss here and there, but it is what they do after their loss that determines the great ones. From having the privilege of watching Bleaken train and the praise that he gets from other fighters at AMA, Bleaken has all the capabilities of having an illustrious career putting himself in that category.

By: Paul Forlai

Tomorrow night, Saturday, May 11^th, Sean “$horty Rock” Santella (12-3-1) will look to make his fourth straight flyweight title defense against Dave Morgan (5-2) in the co-main event of the evening at Cage Fury Fighting Championships 24. The fight will take place at the Borgata Hotel and Casino in Atlantic City, NJ.

Santella is coming off a unanimous decision victory over Anthony Figueroa, a fight that Santella was able to utilize his jab repeatedly, picking apart Figueroa in the stand- up battle. For someone who is better known for his jiu-jitsu, it was nice to see Santella mix it up on his feet showing that he is more than capable of winning a fight that does not go to the ground.

Morgan is coming off a submission loss to Matthew Lozano at Bellator Fighting Championships 77. Better known for his wrestling, having won the Division III National Championships twice, Morgan may want to think otherwise about taking this fight to the canvas. Although, Morgan has the wrestling “credentials” over Santella, it could be a very dangerous game plan in this fight.

Even though, Santella may not have all the accolades in wrestling that Morgan has, it does not matter, because as we all know, this is not a wrestling match. Santella has some of the best jiu-jitsu in the flyweight division and for that matter in all of MMA. Getting taken down could be more dangerous for Morgan; Santella does not mind fighting from his back, repeatedly stating he has the best guard in MMA.

Both of Morgan’s losses have come by submission, and Santella, having such crafty jiu-jitsu, could very well end Morgan’s night the exact same way.

If the fight stays standing, Santella will pick apart Morgan, forcing Morgan to take the fight to the ground. If the fight hits the canvas, Santella will grab hold of one of Morgan’s limbs and end the fight. Either way it is a lose-lose for Morgan and a win-win for Santella, as I see no other result besides Santella coming home with the CFFC Flyweight Title one more time.

A win for Santella would not only make it five in a row with four title defenses, but beating an ex-Bellator veteran would put a stamp on the fact that he is one of the best flyweights around.

By: Paul Forlai

Joe Pinto (4-0 amateur) will be making his professional debut at Cage Fury Fighting Championships 24. The event will be hosted in Atlantic City on Saturday, May 11^th, 2013 at the Borgata Hotel and Casino.

Pinto dominated at the amateur ranks posting a perfect 4-0 record. After submitting his first opponent, he went on to win his next fight by unanimous decision before facing Steven Sooy at Dead Serious IV for the Light-Heavyweight Title. Pinto ran through Sooy, coming away with a unanimous decision victory as all three judges scored the fight 30-27. Pinto went on to defend the title at Dead Serious V by TKO’ing Rafal Niewiarowski in the second round of their main event fight.

Originally slated to fight Danny “Relentless” Holmes tomorrow night, Pinto will now take on last minute replacement, Darren Costa (6-1).

A lot of fighters would have backed out of a fight after preparing for one opponent to then be told just days before, they would be facing someone else. It does not matter to Pinto; he is ready for war and will look to land his heavy hands on, the submission specialist, Costa’s chin. All he needs is one to land, and the fight will be over just as fast as it started.

Pinto’s strength and striking skills should be too much for Costa. The 20 year old, Costa, will have to wait his turn to win his first pro fight, because Pinto is on a mission to prove that at 40 years old, age is just a number.

By: Paul Forlai

Tomorrow night, Saturday, May 11th at Cage Fury Fighting Championships 24, Corey Bleaken (1-0) will battle Paul Felder (4-0) in a lightweight showdown. The event takes place at the Borgata Hotel and Casino in Atlantic City, NJ.

Corey Bleaken, the former NAIA Wrestling National Champion out of Cumberland University, has it in his blood to compete at the highest level.

“I knew I wanted to keep competing,” Bleaken said. “My training partner down at school got me into watching a lot of MMA. It just clicked – this is what I got to do next, this is what I wanted to do next.”

While it takes some fighters years of grooming before turning pro, Bleaken turned pro in less than a year of fighting. Breezing through the amateur ranks, Bleaken fought four times in 2012 on his way to claiming the Xtreme Caged Combat Lightweight Title in August 2012, before defeating Christian Leonard in his first pro fight in early December.

“I felt like the amateur scene was good. It gave me a lot of experience taking punches throwing punches,” Bleaken said. “Not being able to hit on the ground though may have been stalling me a little bit, because that’s going to be my best attribute in a fight. I figured it (the switch to pro) was time to do it.”

Facing Felder, who has TKO/KO’d all his opponents, Bleaken may take advantage of his dominant grappling skills and bring this fight to the canvas. However, Bleaken is not fazed by Felder’s knockout reputation.

Throughout Bleaken’s wrestling career, he has faced plenty of guys who had top notch credentials, but he never shied away and that is why he’s on the fast track to stardom.

“He (Felder) is just another opponent,” Bleaken said. “It’s the same mindset I had with wrestling. He is just another human being – bleeds, sweats just like I do – so he can lose too.”

Although a mild tempered, even keel guy outside of the cage, it is not hard for Bleaken to flip that switch and become an animal when it is fight time.

“This guy is out there to beat you, to hurt you, to destroy you,” Bleaken said. “You have to do it to him first.”

Bleaken plans on doing just that and destroying Felder. Even though this fight could end up being the classic wrestler vs. striker match-up, a very confident Bleaken has other plans, even predicting a TKO victory of his own. Bleaken has been able to prove doubters wrong in the past, so if he says he is going TKO Felder, do not put it past him.

Bleaken also has some extra motivation on his side to not only secure this win for himself but to get one back for fellow teammate, Ricky Nuno, who Felder TKO’d in his last fight.

“I want to get it back for the team. No one likes to see teammates lose” Bleaken said. “The fact that I get a chance at revenge to clear that, that’s definitely what I want to do.”

No matter where this fight takes place, on the feet or on the ground, Bleaken will have the edge in this one earning his second professional victory while handing Felder his first blemish.

For those fight fans that want to get to know Bleaken a little better, you can follow him on Twitter @FreakinBleaken.

Image courtesy of UFC

By: Paul Forlai

It is only a couple of hours away before Jim Miller (22-4) puts on another thriller when he takes on “Bam Bam” Pat Healy (29-16) at UFC 159 at the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey.

Miller, the Jersey native, is coming off one of his most exciting fights of his career defeating Joe Lauzon by unanimous decision back in December 2012. Miller came out on fire, hammering away at Lauzon, opening him up with some vicious elbows. Lauzon kept coming forward like a zombie, but Miller never stepped off the gas pedal, putting together the most complete performance of his UFC career.

Miller will look to keep the momentum going against Healy who is coming over from Strikeforce. Healy is bringing a six fight win streak with him into the Octagon, but in all honesty, he has not faced the same caliber of fighters that Miller has fought.

Miller has lost only twice since 2009, one came from the current lightweight champ, Benson Henderson, and the other coming from the crafty Nate Diaz. After losing to Nate Diaz, Miller came back better than ever. No one wants to lose, but that fight against Diaz really seemed to light a fire under Miller causing him to fight with a chip on his shoulder against Lauzon. It was a different Jim Miller than we have seen in previous fights. Miller has always looked to finish his opponents when he steps in the cage, but there was something different about his whole demeanor. He was a more focused, crisper, tenacious Miller than witnessed in the past.

If Miller goes into the Octagon with the same mindset, intensity and nonstop pace, Healy will not stand a chance. Miller should have the advantage in every aspect of this fight. On his feet, Miller will look to stay out of the taller fighter’s, Healy, range utilizing his jab and some leg kicks to keep Healy from pressuring forward. If Miller decides to come in close with Healy, expect a barrage of devastating elbows to be in full effect once again. However, if the fight goes to the ground, Miller’s jiu-jitsu could end the fight in quick fashion as seen in the Melvin Guillard fight and when he took out Charles Oliveira with a slick knee bar.

A win here tonight would be enormous for Miller. It would make it back to back wins against quality opponents putting him right back in the thick of things in a log jammed division. Miller will have one thing on his mind tonight and that’s to finish Healy cementing himself back in the mix for another title run.