WCF 7 Review-by Greg Saks
World Championship Fighting returned to the Shriner’s Auditorium on Saturday, June 27th for the 7th installment of their popular promotion. A good crowd was buzzing around the parking lot before the doors were even open at 6:30, and the venue continued to fill up heading towards the scheduled 7:30 start. The fights officially got underway closer to 8:00 and over 3,200 not including fighters, teams, and event staff were in attendance.
The crowd was into it from start to finish with the biggest reaction coming for Calvin Kattar. Calvin’s walk-out music was completely drowned out by the crowd repeatedly chanting his name. A number of other fighters also received huge welcomes. The night progressed efficiently from one bout to the next and the 14 matches produced a little over 4 hours of action.
HDNet was there to cover the show for Inside MMA, and a lot of action will likely show up on Comcast Sports Net’s “WCF Rewind” show in the future. Actor and BJJ practitioner Kevin James was rumored to be in the crowd, as well as a number of the guys that have made it to the national stage out of the New England MMA scene.
All fights were professional bouts with two 5-minute rounds and a 2-minute overtime round should the fight initially be judged a draw after regulation time expired.
STEVE BECK vs NOAH WISEMAN (Pro 2×5 + 1×2 Overtime)
Blue: Beck – 153 lbs
Red: Wiseman – BJJ Revolution – 154 lbs
Ref: Fred
Round 1: Noah throws and lands a low kick and clinches up. Good punches to the body thrown by Noah. He looks like he’s trying to get a trip takedown but Beck defends and nothing is there. In tight, Noah throws a 2-punch body head combo and then does it again landing all of the shots cleanly. Beck’s midsection is already getting discolored. They separate and again Noah aims for the body and lands. Noah is able to get nearly all the way around to Beck’s back while standing, and then he pulls him down and lands almost in full mount. He works quickly to back control as Beck turns. Choke attempt comes immediately and Noah has his forearm almost under the chin. Beck hangs tough for about 15 seconds but the hooks are in, the arm is in, and he has to tap.
Official time was 1:50 of round 1, Noah Wiseman wins by rear naked choke submission.
RYAN WHITE vs NELSON GAIPO (Pro 2×5 + 1×2 Overtime)
Blue: White – SSSF – 164 lbs
Red: Gaipo – Rivera MMA / Dragon Lair – 163 lbs
Ref: Fred
Round 1: Low kick by White, who then shoots for a takedown. Gaipo defends and throws some nice knees in the clinch. Gaipo has him in a thai plum and is throwing knees to the body. White again going for a takedown, pushes forward but Gaipo sprawls out and now is able to throw down strikes to White who is on his knees underneath. Gaipo warned for striking the back of the head but nothing serious and no break in the action. Gaipo is a little more careful with his placement to avoid the back of the head, but throwing even more power and White is in trouble. Gaipo’s control is nice and White can’t find a way out of the punches coming down from behind him. Ref steps in to save him.
Official time was 1:07 of round 1, Nelson Gaipo wins by TKO from strikes on the mat.
ZACH BURHANS vs JEFF SILVA (Pro 2×5 + 1×2 Overtime)
Blue: Burhans – Bombsquad – 135 lbs
Red: Silva – Premier Fight Team – 135 lbs
Ref: Kevin
Round 1: Zach a solid low kick. He throws another that partially gets Silva in the groin. Silva winces but signals he is good to keep going. They circle and feel each other out. Silva throws a jab, and as they get in closer he tries to pull Zach down into guard. Zach shakes it off and is standing over Silva who is on his back. Silva jumps up. Nice kick from Silva to Zach’s body. Down to the mat and Silva immediately looking to lock up Zach’s leg for a submission. Zach easily slips out and up to his feet, again with Silva in butt scoot on the mat. Zach dives in with a strike and lands in side mount. Silva eats some light strikes to the head but pulls Zach back into his full guard. Zach again stands up and throws a big shot as he re-enters Silva’s guard. Zach does the same again and Silva is having trouble avoiding these big bombs that Zach dives downward with. Same sequence again: Zach gets side control, Silva gets him back to guard, Zach stands, and dives in with a big punch that connects. My score: 10-9 Burhans.
Round 2: Exchange on the feet, Zach maybe lands a little cleaner but Silva also connects. Silva gets hit with a big blow, stumbles down but is right back up and ok. Zach throws another punch and wrestles Silva down and lands in his half guard. Silva again very smoothly pulls him into full guard. Silva using a high guard and trying to throw his left leg up over Zach’s shoulder and grab it, but it keeps slipping down. Now he gets it and is trying to use rubber guard but it’s not tight enough to control Zach. Against the ropes and Zach is onto Silva’s side as he turns, landing a couple nice strikes. Back to Silva’s guard. Zach stands up and out, Silva sits up and reaches for a double leg takedown but only gets his arms wrapped around Zach’s ankles as he jumps out. Both standing, Zach gets another takedown, and then we see the story of this fight again: Zach is able to rise out of the guard to his feet, and then come down with a big punch that Silva just isn’t able to avoid. My score: 10-9 Burhans.
After 2 rounds, official result is Zach Burhans wins by unanimous decision 20-18, 20-18, 20-18. Jeff Silva was game but just couldn’t get the fight where he wanted against a sharp opponent in Burhans.
MARCOS ESCALANTE vs JOHN WALSH (Pro 2×5 + 1×2 Overtime)
Blue: Escalante – BMAC – No weight announced
Red: Walsh – 173 lbs
Ref: Kevin
Round 1: They tap gloves. Walsh lands a big knee as Escalante shoots in. Walsh is on top of Escalante who ended up on the mat, they scramble and are back standing. Big exchange of strikes and Walsh is cut on the forehead. Looks like there are two separate cuts an inch apart, and maybe it was an accidental head clash that opened him up in such a weird way. Escalante gets him down to the mat and briefly is in good position on the side but Walsh gets guard. Ref pauses and has the doctor take a look at Walsh’s bizarre looking double-cut. All set and they re-start on the mat. From the bottom Walsh whips out a fast triangle attempt. It’s on there and Escalante tries to pull up and out, bringing Walsh with him. He’s got it on tight and they are moving on the mat together as Escalante tries to pull out. It looks bad from ringside but Escalante just keeps fighting. Wow… he finally pops his head out. Walsh doesn’t waste any time looking for something else and his legs are still up threatening over Escalante’s arm and shoulder. Escalante wisely stands up and out when he has an opening. Walsh lands a nice left to the head, but Escalante answers with a fast takedown into side control, and then pulls back and throws a huge knee to Walsh’s side. Escalante pressing his forearm onto Walsh’s neck and trying to get full mount as the exciting first round ends. My score: 10-9 Walsh. Close, but Walsh’s triangle attempt was serious and I am assuming the cut was an accidental head butt.
Round 2: Escalante low kick. And another, this time to the inside. Escalante gets a takedown and is on the side. Walsh again looking for a triangle but nothing there. Escalante again side control, tries to throw another knee to the body and now is able to get full mount. Walsh trying to buck him off… twice to no avail and Escalante uses the motion to slip around and take the back. Rear naked choke is in immediately and deep… Walsh taps.
Official time was 1:24 of round 2, Marcos Escalante wins by rear naked choke submission. Great fight.
ANISS ALHAJJAJY vs AARON PETRUCELLI (Pro 2×5 + 1×2 Overtime)
Blue: Alhajjajy – BTT – 152 lbs
Red: Petrucelli – Mass BJJ – 154 lbs
Ref: Fred
Round 1: Aniss is pretty shredded for lightweight, but at 152 I wonder if he is the smaller fighter. Inside low kick by Aniss, and he moves inside first to a body lock, and then reaches down and gets hold of a single leg. Petrucelli responds by jumping for a flying triangle! He misses and gets taken down but I applaud the creativity. Aniss in Petrucelli’s guard. Petrucelli rolls out and back to his feet. Aniss fighting for a takedown, his corner screaming for him to abandon it and use his muay thai. Aniss finally listens and they exchange big shots and both land. Aniss again grabs a single leg but Petrucelli latches onto the head as they head to the mat. Back up, Aniss throws a vicious uppercut from the clinch that lands nicely. HUGE kick lands on Petrucelli’s left side of his body and the snap echoes throughout the whole room. Petrucelli nicely checks an incoming low kick. Aniss throws another monster uppercut but misses. Down to the mat Aniss looking for a choke but Petrucelli rolls out and is in Aniss’ full guard. Aniss stands up and drops back down with a nice punch. My score: 10-9 Aniss.
Round 2: Petrucelli kick to the midsection lands. Clinched up and Aniss gets the thai plum, they separate. Aniss darts in with a flying double knee attack like Jose Aldo and it connects! Petrucelli isn’t phased. They clinch and Petrucelli gets some good strikes in close. Aniss throws a left high kick, mostly blocked but it connects hard. Aniss has the more diverse striking attack but it looks like Petrucelli is actually more powerful in the clinch. Aniss pushes out and throws a left straight. Clinch again, Aniss has a cut somewhere around his right eye. Takedown for Aniss, and again Petrucelli looking for a guillotine on the way down. Into Petrucelli’s guard, then Aniss passes to the side. Scramble to the feet, Petrucelli frantic to get a takedown with time running out, he gets a hold of a single leg but Aniss sprawling out and the round ends. My score: 10-9 Aniss.
After 2 rounds, official result is Aniss Alhajjajy wins by majority decision: 19-19, 20-18, 20-18. Another really great fight.
MATT McKUSKER vs NICK EVANGELOUS (Pro 2×5 + 1×2 Overtime)
Blue: McKusker – Champions – 154 lbs
Red: Evangelous – Fenix Fight Club – 156 lbs
Ref: Fred
Round 1: Matt circles with his hands up, hands down, up, down. Nick launches a big right hand that lands and he continues forward into a takedown. Into Matt’s open guard. Nick trying to pass to the right side, Matt defending by looking for a kimura on Nick’s left arm. Nick gets his arm out and lands some ground and pound. More strikes come down and are getting through. Nick pushing forward into half guard while continuing to strike. Matt is getting hit hard and is turning to his side and the ref calls it.
Official time was 2:14 of round 1, Nick Evangelous wins by TKO/KO from strikes on the mat. I don’t know how it got officially called, but it looks like Matt might have actually been knocked out, and he needed a minute to get back to his feet. Very impressive performance for Evangelous.
DAN O’KEEFE vs SAUL ALMEIDA (Pro 2×5 + 1×2 Overtime)
Blue: O’Keefe – MMAT Center – 145 lbs
Red: Almeida – Rivera MMA / Dragon Lair – 146 lbs
Ref: Kevin
Round 1: Almeida attacks with punches and a kick, but O’Keefe turns the tables and takes him down and into side control. O’Keefe is trying to work around to Almeida’s back, but Almeida gets his arm around O’Keefe’s neck. Doesn’t look like anything close to a finish but he is able to use it to flip O’Keefe over and now he has him mounted. Almeida is way up high and they are both turned over somewhat to the side at an angle. Almeida maybe going for an inverted triangle choke. Nope… it’s definitely not a triangle but Almeida has O’Keefe’s neck locked up behind him. He is in deep trouble and taps. Incredible choke!!!
Official time was 1:16 of round 1, Saul Almeida wins by Peruvian neck tie submission. Excellent display of BJJ and an unreal finish. Thanks to Dave the judge next to me who knew what was going on at the end way more than I did.
<<<<<FEATURED BOUTS>>>>>
GUILLERMO ECHUACA vs TRAVIS BARTLETT (Pro 2×5 + 1×2 Overtime)
Blue: Echuaca – Zulu – 203 lbs
Red: Bartlett – Team Irish – 205 lbs
Ref: Kevin
Round 1: Bartlett lands a couple nice shots to the head. Echuaca is calm under fire. Big exchange by both guys, Bartlett lands a couple more shots. They exchange low kicks. Bartlett takes one to the groin and they break for 20 seconds. Thumbs up from Bartlett and they resume. Bartlett throws and lands a powerful left hook. Echuaca lands a low kick but his finger also catches Bartlett in the eye. In neutral corners and Bartlett is shaken up – he’s saying he can’t see anything and looks pretty frustrated. Some of the crowd boos, but Bartlett smartly takes his full 5 minutes to recover. Doc takes a look and clears them to restart. Bartlett lands a low kick, and then a nice left hook again. Another big left and yet another. Echuaca has no answer for these increasingly damaging left hooks from Bartlett. Bartlett realizes he can wash-rinse-repeat, and unleashes a HUGE knockdown with the left. Echuaca’s mouthguard flies 15 feet out of his mouth to the other side of the ring, landing 2 feet in front of me. Holy crap. Bartlett follows Echuaca down and lands a quick shot or two as the ref jumps in to end it.
Official time was 2:18 of round 1, Travis Bartlett wins by KO/TKO from a devastating left hook. Especially well done coming back from the accidental eye poke that really messed him up.
ELIAS RIVERA vs SCOTT REHM (Pro 2×5 + 1×2 Overtime)
Blue: Rivera – Dog Pound – 184 lbs
Red: Rehm – Pro-Elite / Florian MMA – 185 lbs
Ref: Fred
Round 1: Rivera front kick. Rehm lands a low kick but Rivera is ready and counters immediately with a nice punch. Rivera uses the front kick again to keep Rehm at bay. Rehm throws a monster right but misses. Rivera on the mat going for a heelhook and looks like he knows what he’s doing, but Rehm is able to escape out to his feet. Rivera up with him and latches on a guillotine pretty tightly. Standing, Rehm gets his feet set and beautifully slams Rivera down onto his back with a crash. The collision lets him break his neck free. Rivera again looks for a leg lock and uses it as a great transition to put Rehm on his back. Rivera to side control, Rehm turns out and is now face down turtling with Rivera in front of him. Rivera slides over Rehm’s head and behind him, directly into grabbing hold of the leg yet again. Amazing movement. This time he really has the leg locked up tightly and starts working on it. Rehm, on his back, has to tap out with his left arm. Rehm was tied up in the submission for a couple seconds after he started tapping, but the ref couldn’t see it at first. When he stood up he had a bad limp so hopefully that knee is ok.
Official time was 2:43 of round 1, Elias Rivera wins by heel hook submission. Rivera’s ground work looked to be very high level in this fight, and his perfectly-timed counter to Rehm’s low kick is a hint of what he might have standing up. Rehm is a tough dude but Rivera looked like a force at 185.
DAMIEN TRITES vs JOHN BENOIT (Pro 2×5 + 1×2 Overtime)
Blue: Trites – Wai Kru – 156 lbs
Red: Benoit – Renzo Gracie NH – 156 lbs
Ref: Fred
Both guys look to be in phenomenal shape and ready to go.
Round 1: Trites lands an outside low kick. Benoit returns with an inside low kick. Clinched up and heading towards the ropes, Benoit starts falling out of the ring. Restart standing. Trites catches a low kick and pushes Benoit to the mat, but doesn’t follow him down and wants to keep it on the feet. Benoit looked hesitant standing so this makes sense. Trites low kick, and then a nice right hand. Benoit lands one of his own. Trites lands again but this time Benoit returns with a huge right hand. It was a damaging blow and Trites defensively latches on for a takedown as blood starts to flow from his nose. Quickly back on the feet and Trites eats another punch and now a lot of blood is flowing. Benoit must have had a big confidence boost because now he looks totally different standing. Benoit lands a great low kick – right straight combo. Benoit another low kick keeps Trites off balance. Trites, unfazed, moves right into the mix and they fall backwards again partially through the ropes. Restart and Benoit throws the same low kick – punch combo again, landing it even harder. Benoit winning the standup battle looking very sharp. Benoit locks him up and takes him down to end the round. My score: 10-9 Benoit. Might be round of the night.
Round 2: They high five. Trites lands a nice outside low kick. Benoit confidently throws back and lands a low kick. Trites limps for a second after that one, suggesting the low kicks are adding up. Another Benoit low kick. No quit in Trites and he lands a solid 2-punch combination. Trites shoots for a takedown and they are falling out of the ring again as Benoit works for a potentially dangerous guillotine. Ref restart standing, Trites throws a low kick but Benoit counters and lands. Trites connects with left kick to the body. Trites looks for another takedown, and Benoit looks for another guillotine and has it pretty good. Trites pulls his head free, only to have to defend against a kimura while he’s in Benoit’s guard. Ref pulls them to the center of the ring. Benoit from his back works for the kimura again, but eats a strong shot to the body as Trites defends. Trites gets his arm free and goes for a triangle but can’t secure anything as he ends up on his back with Benoit above him. Benoit moves forward into guard. My score: 10-9 Benoit. Another awesome round.
After 2 rounds, official result is John Benoit wins by majority decision: 20-18, 19-19, 20-18. Fight of the night so far. Trites never showed an ounce of quit and moved forward the whole time, even though that huge shot might have busted his nose and changed the course of the fight. However in my opinion this was a definite 20-18 victory for Benoit despite the split call.
DON CARLO-CLAUSS vs TOM MOREAU (Pro 2×5 + 1×2 Overtime)
Blue: Carlo-Clauss – Bombsquad – 167 lbs
Red: Moreau – Valor – 167 lbs
Ref: Kevin
Round 1: Good standing exchange. Clinched up and Don has him locked up and looking for a takedown up against the corner. Don lands a knee to the thigh. They exchange small strikes dirty boxing. Sort of a stalemate. They break, Don lands a nice punch and Moreau returns fire a moment later. Tied up in the corner again. Moreau looking for a guillotine as Don works for a single leg. Don pulls Moreau’s lower body out away from the ropes to try and get him down, but Moreau has excellent balance. Moreau now has a guillotine on tightly as they fall back again out of the ropes. This might have saved Don depending on how tight the choke was. Huge exchange of strikes on the feet, with Don maybe getting hit with the worst of it. Don bleeding from a cut somewhere and is pulled down into Moreau’s guard who is throwing a triangle attempt up as the round ends. My score: 10-9 Moreau.
Round 2: Don lands an outside low kick, and then throws a right hook, low kick combo. Moreau nicely throws a kick to the midsection, and they clinch up. Don looking for a takedown but can’t get him down. Don’s corner yelling and protesting that Moreau is grabbing the ropes but I don’t see anything flagrant. Now Don gets him down and is into Moreau’s full butterfly. Don working to pass but Moreau pushes him off with his legs, practically sending Don flying back to his feet against his will. Don plows back in and now Moreau is raising his hips up and working something with a high guard. Moreau briefly closes the guard, and then he executes a perfect sweep and is on top in mount… but he doesn’t stop moving and is working around to Don’s back. High on his back looking to pull an arm out. Don’s weight is down on Moreau who is now on his back trying to extend the arm. Don has his arm in tight defensively as Moreau tries to extend at the elbow. Don gets out to standing and the fight ends with him leaning over Moreau on his back. My score: 10-9 Moreau.
After 2 rounds, official result is Tom Moreau wins by majority decision: 19-19, 20-18, 20-18. This was another great fight with Moreau transitioning and moving really well on the ground.
JERRY SPIEGEL vs GREG REBELLO (Pro 2×5 + 1×2 Overtime)
Blue: Spiegel – 190 lbs
Red: Rebello – Sityodtong – 191 lbs
Ref: Fred?
Round 1: Spiegel misses with a low kick. Rebello lands a left outside low kick. Good footwork from Rebello who lands another low kick. Spiegel misses with a front kick, but backs Rebello up, and then hits a low kick. Rebello lunges forward, connects a clean right hook and clinches up. Rebello pulls him down and ends up in Spiegel’s half guard. Spiegel is apparently enjoying himself and starts saying hello to someone at ringside, but eats a punch in the mouth as he’s talking! Spiegel focuses back on the fight and gets full guard. Rebello lands a little GnP but nothing big. Rebello passes to half guard. Spiegel gets his arm around Rebello’s head to either try and work for a guillotine, or just keep him locked up. Rebello is calm and the round ends. My score: 10-9 Rebello.
Round 2: They tap gloves. Spiegel lands a good punch, and they continue to exchange. Rebello sneaks a good one in that lands. Rebello moving forward for double leg and they go down. Spiegel doesn’t quite have him in guard with Rebello pressed against his knees. Rebello works his left arm around Spiegel’s right leg, underneath, and gets hold of the left ankle and pull that leg to the inside. Very slick move enables him to pass to side mount. Maybe there’s a name for that. Rebello gets a few strikes in until Spiegel powers back up to standing. Rebello immediately is on him and plants him back down and into full guard. Some good punches get through to Spiegel’s head. Rebello gets Spiegel’s wrist gripped tightly, and uses that control to help get him to half guard. Rebello is slowly imposing his will, controlling the fight, and dictating the pace. Spiegel tries to push up to his feet but Rebello has his right arm around the back of Spiegel’s left knee and pushes forward and forces him onto his back again. Rebello is in the zone and thinking two steps ahead on everything. Scramble up to the feet as the round ends. My score: 10-9 Rebello.
After 2 rounds, official result is Greg Rebello wins by unanimous decision: 20-18, 20-18, 20-18. There were no fireworks but Spiegel is very experienced and Rebello methodically controlled the fight and convincingly took the win.
RODRIGO ALMEIDA vs CALVIN KATTAR (Pro 2×5 + 1×2 Overtime)
Blue: Almeida – BMAC – 155 lbs
Red: Kattar – Premier Fight Team – 156 lbs
Ref: Kevin
Round 1: Feeling out to start. Almeida goes for a takedown, Kattar defends nicely. Almeida keeps pushing forward to try and wrestle him down but Kattar has a great sprawl and keeps defending. Almeida moves forward but Kattar takes advantage of the momentum, wrestles him down and lands in full mount. Amazing. Almeida nicely is able to get out of the mount and they are back up. Kattar again defending against a takedown. Almeida gets it but only momentarily as Kattar powers up and out, and is basically in control during this sequence even though he briefly hit the mat. Almeida bulls forward again and this time Kattar responds by wrapping his left arm around for a TIGHT guillotine. Down to the mat onto Kattar’s back and Almeida’s head looks like it is going to explode the choke is so deep. To top it off, Kattar has Almeida’s right arm completely tied up underneath. Almeida taps.
Official time was 2:16 of round 1, Calvin Kattar wins by guillotine choke submission. He looked fantastic.
DAN KEEFE vs WOODY WEATHERBY (Pro 2×5 + 1×2 Overtime)
Blue: Keefe – Brickhouse – 185 lbs
Red: Weatherby – Renzo Gracie NH – 184 lbs
Ref: Kevin
Both guys are built solid and look ready.
Round 1: Keefe nice punch followed by a low kick. Weatherby lands an outside low kick. Keefe lands a couple of clean strong blows and stuns Weatherby who is wobbled. Weatherby responds by trying to force it to the ground. Keefe defends and then gets a takedown of his own into side control. Keefe lands some strikes. They scramble and are back up and swinging big. Keefe is landing the cleaner shots. Weatherby gets in some good knees in close, and then displays excellent takedown defense. Keefe throws a knee to the body. They separate and Weatherby lands a solid strike as they pull back. Keefe is cut over his left eye and now Weatherby is winning the exchanges. Big left straight from Keefe lands flush. Left from Weatherby. My score: 10-9 Keefe. Fantastic round, and it’s anybody’s fight.
Round 2: Keefe looping wide left lands. Keefe shoots for a single leg, switches to a double, and gets him down in to half guard. Weatherby pulls him to full guard and then goes rubber. Holding Keefe’s head down he lands some good shots from the bottom with his free hand. Weatherby is slick and goes for an armbar underneath and as he tries to extend, Keefe gets out. Ref restarts them as they pour out of the ropes. Keefe shoots from the outside and gets a big takedown nearly all the way past Weatherby’s guard. Keefe lands some good ground and pound. Weatherby staying active looking for a triangle underneath and he is close. His left leg is over and around Keefe’s head but his right leg is slipping off the top of his foot as he tries to latch it on. Just as he ties it up Keefe is able to power out as the round ends. My score: 10-9 Weatherby.
Officials confer. Two of them have it as a draw and the fight is headed for a 2 minute overtime round. I don’t know whether the 3rd judge scored it for Weatherby or for Keefe.
Overtime: Keefe a swing and a miss. Keefe lands a low kick. Weatherby jab. Keefe low kick. Weatherby nice left hook. Now Keefe commits and shoots for a big takedown and they crash to the mat, Keefe landing in half guard. Big punch comes down from above and hits Weatherby. Full guard. Weatherby trying to land strikes from the bottom and a few get through nicely. 10 second warning and Weatherby grabs onto an arm and extends from underneath. 10 seconds shouldn’t be enough time but this seriously looks dangerous. Keefe steps over to the side to try and defend but his arm is still extended underneath Weatherby’s stomach as the round ends. My score: Draw. Keefe wins it on takedown and controlling most of the round. Weatherby wins it on not taking any big damage and positioning himself to win by submission with a serious armbar attempt.
After overtime, official result is Dan Keefe wins the judge’s decision. I don’t know if it’s unanimous or not. The overtime scoring is probably unanimous in favor of Keefe, and this is a fair call. I think it’s accepted to give it to the guy who gets the takedown and controls the positioning.
Not trying to take anything away from Keefe, but honestly I believe this bout is pretty much a draw. Both guys looked great and deserve a ton of credit. 1 takedown during a 2 minute overtime round is a tough way to lose after such an awesome war. Especially with Weatherby threatening for submissions constantly from underneath, this is one of those fights that illustrates how difficult it can be to score MMA. This would be a great rematch.
It was announced that WCF 8 is coming up in the fall. During the special appearances section where all the big local names come into the ring, they also made Dan Bonnell and Josh LaBerge pose for a photo. That would be a solid fight.
ttt
I agree with Rick that it sucks that a takedown in overtime can have such significance in a decision. Especially when the bottom man is working hard for submissions and the top man is just holding him down.
I think it was a great fight and should be a rematch.
To The top Varner? this isnt the underground you noob.
Stupid Fan Boy, Stay on your CFX threads, you aggravate me.
just want to clarify those are my comments about the tough way to have the weatherby/keefe fight end. i can always be wrong and they don’t represent rick and/or WCF’s opinions.
Great write-up, Greg. Not to nitpick, but I believe they were four minute rounds–not five, no?
Interesting how you scored the Keefe/Weatherby fight. I think Dan had an edge in both rounds myself, but if I had to call it a draw I would have scored the first for Woody–I think he left an impression with his flurry at the end of the round–and the second for Dan. Just goes to show that we all see something different depending on your vantage point. Fantastic fight guys. Both came in in-shape, well trained, and ready to go for broke. Thanks for giving us such a great fight and Congrats to The Ghost for a gigantic win over a highly skilled Weatherby!
Nice job, Rick and Joe.
were they 4 min rounds? i guess i never asked anybody… had just assumed
Minor, but I believe they were. Again, great review–excellent detail and quick turnaround!
thanks. it was worth it just to be able to sit right there behind the ring girls and… well nevermind.
We do people still attempt standing guillotines on Rehm?
Congrats to Woody and Benoit, you both looked great. John finally let his hands go, and had a lot to show for it. congrats.
Dan Keefe is a beast, and just turned some heads. good luck in the future.
I heard Kattar is going back to Combat Zone to fight Kinberger. TRUTH?
He puts bodies in seats for sure. Who ever gets a hold of him is lucky.
Great card, great crowd and great job Tom Moreau. You lickeed butt and followed the plan to perfection. I just wish you didn’t hurt your hand in the first round.. Also, great job to all the fighters, you all put on a hell of a show.
I meant to say kicked butt Tom, where the hell is the edit button…LOL
Why would Kattar take a step back?
It looks to me like he could be UFC bound based on his last few fights.
Or maybe he’s avoiding Benoit after his big win over triets?
Congratulations Marcos Escalante on your first fight and first win over a tough John Walsh. Great action by both guys in that fight!
Congratulations to Calvin Kattar, you are a class act and a great fighter. Rodrigo keep your head up, you got caught but you will learn from this and come back even stronger.
Congratulations also to Benoit and all of the other guys who won last night.
Jerry Spiegal is still my idol. Everyone who got in there is a warrior and should be proud. As usual, awesome job by Rick, Joe Cav, Ryan Parker, and crew. Great night of fights!
Just wanted to say congrats to John. He trained his ass off and it showed. I’m so proud of you and am glad you are back on the winning streak. I love you.
p.s. Get a cage!!! it’s not safe for the fighters.
I guess I’m the only one who was taken back on the decision with benoit/trites? Round 1 was all trites. Benoit gets 1 good shot in and bloodies him up a little and the round is his? – Benoit definitely won the second round. There should have been an overtime round for sure! Both these guys looked awesome. If not for the fans, the fight should have gone to overtime for these two guys, simply for the experience.
Matt, as a girlfriend of a fighter im not going to sit here and argue with you but since John does not log onto this, I will say this one thing and then drop it. If you read the review you would see that John landed way more than “1 good shot”. and I would be more than happy to have you over to our house to watch the video we have from 2nd row and then you can tell me he landed 1 good shot.
Again this is the first round review:
Trites lands an outside low kick. Benoit returns with an inside low kick. Clinched up and heading towards the ropes, Benoit starts falling out of the ring. Restart standing. Trites catches a low kick and pushes Benoit to the mat, but doesn’t follow him down and wants to keep it on the feet. Benoit looked hesitant standing so this makes sense. Trites low kick, and then a nice right hand. Benoit lands one of his own. Trites lands again but this time Benoit returns with a huge right hand. It was a damaging blow and Trites defensively latches on for a takedown as blood starts to flow from his nose. Quickly back on the feet and Trites eats another punch and now a lot of blood is flowing. Benoit must have had a big confidence boost because now he looks totally different standing. Benoit lands a great low kick – right straight combo. Benoit another low kick keeps Trites off balance. Trites, unfazed, moves right into the mix and they fall backwards again partially through the ropes. Restart and Benoit throws the same low kick – punch combo again, landing it even harder. Benoit winning the standup battle looking very sharp. Benoit locks him up and takes him down to end the round. My score: 10-9 Benoit. Might be round of the night
Congrats to all the other fighters as well. Congrats to Dragons Lair great night for you guys! Scotty and Woody keep your heads up!
Just a correction, I didnt get warned for shots to the back of the head. I threw what was supposed to be a knee to the shoulder/side of Ryan the ref said no knees on the ground?? I looked up and asked what he was talking about and he said to continue??? So I dont know what happened really. Thank you to Ryan for taking the fight , your a beast nothing but respect!! Loved fighting for WCF, free food, drinks, tshirts etc at weigh ins made me feel like a celebrity sick show as always.
nice job greg! keep them comming !
the hammer
bessette –
i obviously had it 20-18 but you can debate. one judge had it 19-19 and i guess that counts for something. like peterson said above, everyone sees something different. damien put up a great fight and showed a lot of heart, no doubt about that part.
kavery –
lol… butt licking game plans, load mouths, this place could double as a really extreme dating website
keith f-
are you keith florian? babson college representin’ baby
This is Damien and i would like to say first and formost my hat is off to john hes a tough guy it was a great fight! But i must have watched the fight 30 times and i cant help but be a little pissed with the decsion! He cracked me good in the first and broke my nose i was having trouble breathing but i threw him out of the ring once caught one of his kicks and put him on his back. And i took him down 1 time also…… he took me down 1 time and we both had our moments in the first but i feel i won the 1st round! Watching the second round really pissed me off i took john down 3 times and the only time they restarted us with me in his guard was the last time i took him down!!!! What i dont get credit for those takedowns? I feel like i fought hard and there def should have been an overtime round! as far as the cage thing i agree cuz if that fight was in a cage maybe i would have got credit! Oh well! thankyou john for taking the fight and i would be more than happy to fight you again in a cage! With elbows and knees to the face! John is a class act and a great fighter ! I will be back
I think WCF needs a cage.
I think over the last two fights that its quite evident that we move on from the ring. I do understand the argument against having a cage because of viewing purposes, but, every promotion in the world minus maybe 2 or three uses a cage now. If people had that much of a problem with it then the attendance would suffer.
With the types of cards that WCF has been putting on, i dont think they should be worried about people not coming to the show because they have to look through a cage.
I personally dont like the new ring, ive fought in it once and its too slippery and people (Benoit) have been falling through it more often than the old ring.
I would hate to be one of the fighters that falls out of the ring defending a takedown and hurting my back on the judges table. Id also hate to be the fighter initiating the TD and having the fight stopped prematurely due to injury.
I agree with the need for a cage.
During the Benoit/Trites fight I began yelling at the ref to bring the fighters back into the ring. I understand there was a kimora happening, but winning a fight on a table outside of the ring would only draw a lot of shit talking and controversy, and it would not be fair to either of the fighters to have to deal with the backlash from the two camps.
This was also the same ref who let a fighter be kicked in the face at Untamed (Mark Rodriguez) while on the mat, and encouraged the fight to continue. The same ref who was talking shit about the Untamed incident before the WCF fights. The ref should not be working fights until he has more experience in a gym setting, reffing should not be on the job training when fighters health, and records are on the line.
The guy is not a professional, anyone can watch the match and see Mark clearly be kicked while down, and then I listen to the ref stand around and dispute it while disrespecting the fighter and his trainers.
Like I said, the guy shouldn’t be reffing fights until he has a lot more experience in a GYM setting, and that also goes for experience at knowing that you should never talk about fights/fighters where there has been a controversial decision. In fact you made no decision in that fight, you did nothing, but now you stand around and talk trash. It takes maturity to admit that you are wrong, and in this game you are either a professional or pretending to be. Just hope more fighters don’t get hurt in the process of you learning how to referee.
If the Benoit/Trites fight was in a cage it may have ended differently than it did. It wasn’t the only fight that almost ended up out on the floor either.
Fighter safety needs to come first.
Great Job Woody and Benoit. You both fought tough and win or lose it was a step forward for both of you.
Anytime a fight goes to the scorecards it is tough win or lose. I thought benoits fight could went a 3rd round as it is tough to win from the bottom (unless you submit the guy) He was a lot more active in the submissions and damien was defending well.
I think Woodys fight was the same way. they gave him Rd 2 with the submission attempts, but not the overtime with a tight tight arm bar in.
WCF does need a cage. They say they are about the fighters but they have a ring for the fans so they can see better. MMA should be in a cage. I know for a fact (and this is not to take away from Glenn Brown, just to make a point) that when John fell out of the ring in that fight he hurt his back bad, in the corner he kept telling me his back was messed up and he was worried about it (he will never say anything as to take away from the fight or victory for Glenn). Does it make a difference maybe? Maybe not?
Also the 2 4 minute rounds is horrible. with a 2 minute overtime. The fight should be 3 5 minute rounds. I think some of those fights are different with another round and a little longer.
If it really is about the fighters then things should change
its pretty simple the ring has to go before one of these guys gets hurt, they have the courage enough to get in there and bang it out with each other the last thing they need is for some career ending injury because nobody caught them going thru the ropes and they end up on the floor
I was actually working our fighter just before things started and one of thuy guys working on the ring asked him if the ropes were ok, he leaned back and they were very loose, they guy had to re-tighten the ropes. I am glad he fixed this problem because someone could have been hurt.
not taking anything from trites he is a gamer and a tough kid. round 1 i slipped when he was throuwing strikes none landing. then he caught a kick i slipped and we stood up. is that a takedown. then the takedown he got that i’ll say i got taken down was when i tried to throw him and slipped. he landed on top. we went out and they stood us up. mine at the end of the round should have nullified it. like he said i busted his nose and won the striking. . everytime in round 2 he went for a take down i sat down for a gullitine usually through the ropes they stood us up all but once. is pulling gaurd a takedown. i;m not trying to take anything away from trites at all. we talked after the fight and he is a tough respectable guy. he is a guy who will probably beat the majority of 55ers in new england.
so bissette i don’t know how much beer you drank. it was pretty late into the night or maybe you were just talking to a pretty girl but thats my take on the fight. but i have an opinion just like you. trites great fight. there is not an once of quit in you.
and as for the new ring i hate it. i would much rather have a cage. i can’t stay in that thing for the life of me. maybe the night would have turned out different for me or trites he could have taken me down and imposed his will or i could have finished a sub.
There were some great fights on this card. I’m glad I wasn’t a judge for the Trites/ Benoit or the Keefe/ Weatherby fights. Here are my opinions anyways.
I thought that Damien won the first round by a small margin and I was expecting a third. It seemed like he was the aggressor and was getting the better of the exchanges for the first 3/4 of the round. That is until John’s right landed and the momentum shifted. I think the second round belonged to Benoit. He might have had a slight edge with the striking, but the kimura was legit and earned him the round.
As Far as Keefe/ Weatherby goes, I don’t know. I thought Dan won both rounds but man the first one was close. I had him winning the second by a good amount. That being said I would have given the overtime to Woody. The armbar looked very tight and it was the most decisive thing that happened in the round.
So like I said, glad I’m not a ref.
I agree, a cage is a must!
Great night of fights, I look forward to LaBerge vs. Bonnell at WCF 8 it’s gonna be a hell of a fight!!
As a fan, I would hate to watch the fights through a full cage. I miss enough action because of the oblovious camera man. Maybe work out some kind of re-enforced mesh or netting around the ropes. Safety is key, but if fans can’t see, they’ll stop coming and these awesome shows will come to an end.
You can say maybe that Trites fight would have had a different outcome with a cage if you want, but I thought Trites actually tried to push himself out of the ring to get the kimura stopped at one point so who really knows? I want to see Katter and Benoit go at it, but I doubt it will happen. I remember Benoit called him out last year from the ring during an interview and since then Katter has fought 2 guys not named Benoit. How does that happen? We should’ve got to see D-Lau and Campbell, we should demand a Katter/Benoit showdown next card.
And Woody is a great fighter, but he just didn’t fight great. I don’t know if it was that close. The armbar was nice but too late. He looked unfocused and Keefe looked impressive.
Definitely the best fight card in some time, keep it going, Rick.
This is a forum to speak your mind. I don’t care much about what you think Benoit, or what you think Trites, because i’ve been in fights too, where I think i’ve been doing the best of the two fighters and the judges don’t find it so…this was directed more towards the judges or people who were watching the fight.
Also, I didn’t drink at all, I was with my friend Mike, who is not pretty at all, and I have judged fights before, and Damien won the first round, in my opinion. Try not to get defensive. It’s not like I was taking a stab at your manhood, I said Damien won the first round and that you both fought well. In fact, if you look at older posts from massmma, i’ve had a few exchanges with damien about my coach, Marco Alvan, and my teammate, John Manley, so it’s not like i’m taking sides with a friend…I was talking about the fight, not you as a person….and yes, if Damien initiates a takedown, and you go for a guillotine as he is taking you down, he gets points for a takedown. Referee 101.
Like i said when my nose gets better we can do it again in a cage with elbows and knees to the face! Im sure the fans wanna see it again! i will be back stronger faster and harder than ever! John great fight and i hope to see you soon! I feel like the fight was close and there should have been a 3rd round! but you got the W i will be back
also john did a great job and busted my nose good! He threw me off my game! hes a great fighter
I agree. When he busted up your nose, you slowed down a bit. Both you guys looked real good, from a fighter’s perspective. I wanted to see a third round, from a competent human being’s perspective.
Oh, and to Miss. Benoit – popcorn sounds fun, i’ll call my girlfriend up and we all can watch every fight we have on dvd!!!
damien — you have a good point. most fights you have an opportunity for a 3rd round regardless of what the judges think. while i gave the nod to benoit after 2, that’s a big difference from having been stopped by tko/sub. who knows what another full round would have resulted in.
i think rick has background and good reasons for wcf’s round/time structure, but i’d rather have 3×5 min rounds guaranteed. give the fighters a chance to make it definitive and less chance of having to leave it to judges after an awesome war.
Greg..no, i’m much prettier
All the fights should be in a cage and 3 5 minute rounds, championship fights should be 5 5 minute rounds… I think all the other shows are doing it… and the GFL had brand new cage at their last show (there Dan you owe me)…
Oh well its over now! But i will be back! Thank you to everyone who supports me
Great fights, close as hell in the Benoit vs Trites fight…I gave it to Benoit, but I certainly wouldn’t have minded a third round as well. Way to keep going even with that broken nose Damien.
I agree with EVERYONE else, WCF needs a cage. I don’t care about the “pro’s” of a ring, the “con’s” far outweigh them! Fighter safety aside, the ring stops the whole fluidity of the fight….with restarts, and fighters escaping through the ropes etc. That is literally the one grip anyone has with the WCF…. The round/time issue, should be changed soley for the fact that this show can be a luanching pad to the bigger shows. They should use the unified rules, and times, seeing the commision should be around real soon.(I hope)
Was it me, or did this show sell less tickets than the previous WCF shows?? Looked a bit more empty than usual…..still bigger than any other I’ve been to though.
my bad keith footlong.
of all those 14 fights the one you made a comment about was rehm who has been cornered by florian… so… let’s get freaky.
I think the Cage is a must. Get on it Joe Cav.
Bonnell is fighting LaBerge? Thats just asking for a brawl.
I dont think either one of those two cares about there own face, Thats a fight i dont want to miss.
greg…I see your point. I would think that also. It’s just that every person who fights scott and tries a standing guillotine gets slammed hard.
i also would like to see a cage but more so id kike to see three fives. two fours is for a am fight. but at the same time joe does alot of things right. most of all taking care of fighters letting kevin run things hottest ring girls ever, great burittos. every fight on the card was great on paper and most turned out great. excellent main event. joe and his team are a great representation of what mass mma is all about. and nice fight greg although you should of listened to mark
I know I said it earlier but 3 5minute rounds are a must (along with the cage) The only reason it is 2 fours is so they can put 14 fights on and have 28 fighters sell tickets. I understand this as a business person but its not how the “big show” is run. I know Joe prides himself on his professionalism and wants to be the step under the big show. So this would be a step in the right direction
I would hate to watch the fights through a cage. they are all great fights/fighters but alot of the time the fight goes out of the ring the fighters are doing it for defensive purposes, there should be a gentelmans agreement to keep it in the ring and stop “accidently” sliding out of the cage 5 times a round.
It would be great if someone could put the Trites & Benoit fight up on youtube. hint hint hint
These guys are pros fighting at the highest level in local MMA. We do them a disservice by having them fight in a ring with modified rules and rounds. When they make it to the big shows they might be unprepared for knees and elbows—the cage—or a 3rd 5 minute round (not saying anything about 5 X 5 min rounds). I kinda like the ring both as a competitor and a fan…..but there aren’t many arguments for it at this point. I think WCF needs a cage and full unified rules, if for no other reason than to better prepare our local talent for the big shows.
and I’ve known both benoit and damien for a pretty long time. They are warriors and both fought with heart and always represent their schools and our sport very well. Very close fight that deserves a 3rd round, in many ways the scoring of the first two is irrelevant. A third round would likely have established a clear winner.
Tim, you are incorrect about why we have the current round structure. We’ve used the current round structure since we first started WCf because that’s the way everyone was doing it at the time. When the sport was regulated by the boxing commission, the rounds were 4 minutes long and there were no knees to the head, no elbows and the fights were in a ring.
When Joe decided to start WCF, he wanted to do things as by the book as possible because he knew the boxing commission was going to step back in eventually and he didn’t want to give them any reason hassle him. At the time WCF began, many promoters were still using rings, as well as the old round structure…and NH still currently uses our current rules. From what I hear, they are looking at allowing knees to the head and elbows in the very near future, but currently they are illegal in NH as far as I know.
Joe has stuck to his original plan of running things the way they were run when we were last regulated. Since that time, many local promoters have switched to cages, many have changed their round structure, and many have changed their rules…however, most of the readers of this site seem to forget how recently everyone was using rings, as well as no unified rules, and the 2×4 with the 2 minute OT round structure.
Back when Joe started WCF, the majority of the promoters were still using rings. If I remember correctly, the first time Untamed used the cage was on Sept 28, 2007…and it was only a couple events prior that they started using unified rules for title fights. Basically, my point is that at the time WCF started, most promoters were not using cages, 3×5 minute round structure or unified rules. WCF has stuck to their original plan, mostly because we’ve been hearing the boxing commission is stepping back in soon, and it made sense to keep things the way they were until we received word from them.
and as far as booking 14 fights to increase ticket sales…14 is the largest number of fights we’ve had, and that was because I didn’t lose any fights. I normally start with 15 or 16 and end up at 12-13…this time I started with 14 and ended with 14.
I’ve been to shows with 9-10, and it didn’t feel like enough, and I’ve been to shows with 17-18 and it felt like too many. As a fight fan, my ideal number is 12-14, and that’s where all of our events have been, except for the event that we lost a ton of fights the week of and only had 10.
Im happy with how i fought! Im a better fighter than i showed ………my nose being broke really affected me! it was real hard to breath! Like i said i would love to fight him again! The fans would love to see it! Next time you will see a stronger faster and better damien trites! Aslo in a cage with ufc rules! My hat is off to john he fought like a champion
hell yeah you should be happy damien — fight of the night!
Congrats to Nelson & Saul. Wish I could have been there. PS- I dislike rings and not being able to knee people in the face, but if you’ve ever fought for them then you know they are a great company and go out of their way for the fighters. I’m sure when the commish comes back and allow unified rules they will likely make some changes. Until then you can’t really complain about their current production value. If the fighters hated their rule structure that bad they would not fight there. Seeing how they still do….
Congratulations to all the fighters. I did not get to see many fights just little bits and pieces but knew everyone was fighting as hard as they could. I am very pleased to be Dan’s Jiu Jitsu Instructor and he used many of the things we have worked on during that fight. He works hard and is always open to learning. Congrats that was a huge win and Woody has some great skills also.
Damian I watched some of your fight it was an outstanding fight and I knew you were ready. This hard fought battle will only make you stronger. Hope to see you soon. Keep working hard.
Rings and 2×4 min rounds are so 2007!
Cage Fighting Xtreme
Brockton, at the Rox stadium…. August 1st
6000+ fans
20 + fights
guess what….. it will be the most entertaining mma show in New England
EVER…
what you gonna do about it?????
sit back and watch…..
the 2×4 format is terrible, its barely enough time to build momentum. Its not fair to the fighters. The rebello/speigal fight was boring but if that fight would of had 7 minutes left in it like normal mma fights their could be so many different outcomes. The overtime should also be a full round.
ugh
20+ fights??? Sothe show will be about 7-8 hrs long…..
I cannot believe what ignorant people come to this site. I fight for CFX and they are a really good organization who takes care of their fighters, but this is the WCF thread and people are here to talk about those fights. The poster thaiguy99 should be removed from posting any other comments. Save the Kudos for CFX for the appropriate time. I really think people have nothing better to do than start shit, it’s ridiculous.
Great fight Greg R, and Trites should of taken it. WAI KRU!!! WAI KRU!!!
CFX has a cage….
sorry, i will stop now…
Both recent events, WCF and CFX, were a blast. Look at it from a fan’s point of view of how great it is how big this sport is getting and that all these crowds keep showing up.
I can’t wait for each of their next cards. Fingers crossed that you get good weather for the outdoor event on August 1. Tell Tom Atencio to get his priorities straight and move Affliction 3 to a day earlier July 31st.
Greg, Its HELLYAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA
there were soooooooo many swamp donkeys at this event!
im not saying that the outcome of my fight would have been different. However if there was a third round it would have been a better fight because greg knew he won the first round so once he got the takedown he stalled the rest of the fight. and he was so slippery i couldent move him. I even tried giving up my back several times to increase my chances of getting back to my feet. he fought a real smart fight under those rules. it also dont hurt that he had great control on the ground and he is just a great fighter. but i think a cage and 3 fives that becomes a way better fight to watch and i could have used the the cage to prevent stalling.
when will people realize it has nothing to do with what ring or venue increases your chances of winning most, but how you go about winning the fights that you are given. If you want to make it to the top (the ufc) dont complain, dont continuosly bring up how it was a good fight but i could have done better if… just swallow your pride and fight again. the best fighters won at wcf, i missed the first 2 fights so i cant attest for those, but of the 12 i did see the best fighter won. hands down, the only argument could be for woody/keefe, keefe won that fight but i think its a coin flip when those two fight. but other than that bitch all you want about the outcomes but did some underdog come out and beat a heavy favorite because it was in a ring? didnt think so. if it was in a cage they would have just lost a different way. “win with your head up, lose with your head up, not between your ass”
wow
tkoshit do you fight ?????? or is this an opinion made with your head in between your ass???? Spiegel is a warrior and his opinion on the subject means a lot .. ………the first line of his thread clearly reads ” I’m not saying that the outcome of my fight would’ve been different ” – so why run your mouth – show some class and respect to those who put it all out there and fight for the love of fighting !!! Respect and honor to all those who enter the cage/ring to do battle – win or lose !
I couldn’t agree more that the WCF needs a cage. As far as the format for fights, I agree that 2 rounds is a bad format – one guy can destroy a guy for one round, and the other guy can barely win the other; and it goes to overtime. HOWEVER 3 x 5 minute rounds isnt a good format for local shows, alot of athletes in the UFC struggle to put together an interesting fight for 3 x 5 minute rounds – While there are some local fighters/athletes who can make it interesting, its just too much too expect an interesting fight where both fighters are looking to finish the fight for that long of a fight. 3 x 3 mintue rounds or 3 x 4 minute rounds is a much more reasonable and funner fight to watch for the local scene.
THIS… IS…. SPARTA!!!
*wipes off monitor
seriously, I train around with several different groups and trained in both rings and cages. I’ve also been to almost every show in N.E. I can see pro’s and cons for both but they certainly can change the outcome of a fight. A guy who sprawls his hips to the floor and gets pushed out of the ropes and then restarted will get pushed upright into a fence and get taken down. This can change the out come of a fight.
I also agree that no matter where you are fighting (ring, cage, street, lawn, et cetera) you should be prepared to win that fight regardless of the terrain and/or surroundings. Therefore the better fighter will adapt to his environment and overcome.
Then again, sometimes the “better fighter” is just one closed-eye hay-maker away from winning a fight.
One thing is certain, fighting is awesome. It’s the ultimate in skillful gambleing.
thanks travis. tko is a obvious puss i wouldent have responded to that. that comment was really about how some fights would just be a way different fight if they were longer and in a cage. and mine would have been a good example. its actually a strikers advantage in a ring bc its easier to sprawl and when you slide back your legs get caught under the ropes and it makes it harder to take you down where in a cage you just get backed up and then its a bit easier to drop them. but at the same time its easier to get back to your feet in the cage. there is pros and cons to both. i think the main reason the wcf uses the ring is visiability for the fans. And thats good enough for me. and yeah i wasent complaining at all. I just wish i was able to get on top or back to my feet. greg did a great job of keeping the fight where it gave him the best chance of winning. had i won the first round i would have tried to do the same thing to him.
and for any would bee fighters out there joe cav is a class act like many others in the new england fight game. You New Englanders dont know how good you have it being able to go on a short drive almost every week and watch a great show. ive fought all over the country and a couple other countries too and you hear a lot of promoter horor stories.Mass weeds them guys out rather quickly so fighters and fans benefit. now i feel like a politition. but its true
Id like to clarify somethine, my response happened to be posted after jerry’s comment, i was not targeting him with my comments. i was just trying to put an end to the well it would have been different if… conversation. because there is no sense in bringing it up because the fights are in a ring. i clearly didnt mean to offend jerry as he is a class act and fought a great fight. but i was trying to point out that i feel all the fights would have had the same outcome in sense of win or loss if they had been in a cage. so that being said, it was just unfortunate that my response came after his and cudos on the last comment, we are definetly lucky to have WCF.
oh and jarvis..my whole message is respect the fight win or lose, in other words dont say anything about the fight after if you win or you lose. ps i have trained for 6 years, and i am 3-1 in amature bouts but i work full time. not interested in pro fighting.
I would just like to thank fighter Lee Beane and small circle black belt Dave Blois who were willing to volunteer their time recently and assist me with a seminar I conducted for a good cause. With their help we ran a jiu-jitsu lesson for a great group of about 30 students from Haverhill High School called the VIP (Violence Intervention and Prevention) Team. The majority of these students are minorities and many are economically disadvantaged and could never afford to take martial arts classes. They give up their time all year working to create a more peaceful school and community. This is the second year I have worked with them as they were very enthusiastic about the seminar I conducted with them last year.
I enjoy working with these teens who are so positive and doing so much good in their community. They have always been very appreciative of whatever I have shown and taught them. I think Lee and Dave would agree that it is inspiring to work with teens like this. I will be doing a Peace in the Park event with them in August in Haverhill and if anyone would like the feeling of giving back to kids and making a difference then feel free to contact me and I can let you know the details if you’re interested in helping.
Also I would like to challenge schools out there to consider reaching out to the teens in your community and perhaps offer mentoring opportunities between fighters/instructors and teens who could use opportunities like this. Maybe schools could even offer free classes to a deserving teen or two. Thanks again Lee and Dave for showing up…several people told me they wanted to help out but you guys were the ones who actually followed through and showed up. The teens appreciated it and so did I.
cool tko sry for the puss comment. I took that the wrong way.
All these ppl talking $hit! Half of them dont fight! Im sick of it! i Fight even with a broken nose! Like i said before i will leave my heart in the ring i didnt win but i hope the fans enjoyed the show! Also John Benoit i respect you…. but dont say or take away anything i did in the fight you came really close to losing! As far as you slipping the ring wasent slippery i didnt slip once! So……….. dont make excuses ! And there will be a rematch! im gonna fight a coulple more times then we will do it again! I respect you but dont take things away from me! And jerry is a warrior he allways takes tough fights! all the respect in the world jerry!
Hey trites you fought hard obvs… cuz if you didnt it wouldnt have gone to a decision and I know how bad you been wanting this fight. For the fight to go the way it did does sux, but may’be just may’be if you talk to the right people the fight could happen… from what I know GFL just adopted elbows and knees to only featured fights and main events. I believe you both got the experience for this fight to be elbows and knees allowed… So I think Benoit vs Kattar… Trites I know Kru will pick a good fight for you… Then Benoit vs Trites II for X-mas that be a great fight.. Trites keep your head up bro… Stop wasting time posting here and concentrate on who’s next and get to that re-match… be there soon…
I meant Bennoit vs Kattar next… Also no disrespect to any1, but you cant go by what 1 person’s point of view is in a fight review.. The review is done as seen by the person who reviews it.. Gregg thought Bennoit won both and then there are others who feel like it was a split… Wouldnt it be better if the fans decided into overtime?
uhm, no. that why they have judges.
pictures from the sherdog guy who was taking shots at the event —-
http://www.sherdog.com/pictures/event/1/Pictures-WCF-7-18306
Bartlett, Benoit, Rebello make Sherdog.com’s “Photos of the Week”
http://www.sherdog.com/pictures/event/photos-of-the-week-18340
WCF 7 Photos
http://wcfphotos.com
I agree with my Buddy Avery this thread is for WCF fighters and fans, However after reading my other friends post Jerry Spiegal Who is nothing less than a “Class Act” and just been there myself a few times wishing it could have been different,.?? The last fight with Mulligan I took 6 punches to the back of the head the Ref took a point but never stood us up or gave time to recoup.? I finished the round and was accually winning the fight till I took a big fist which I remember but after hitting head on canvas I was totally out! First time for everything but Like many other can’t wait to do it again! Every one who gets in there learns something Win or Loose!!!!!
Mr. Rebello hasn’t fought ANYONE with a winning record… I think he needs to be tested… If he’s so good, why does he pick on guys with losing records?
Man i miss the fight scene back home.