Triumph is set to hold their debut event this Saturday, March 27 at the Hampshire Dome in Milford, MA. They have put together a strong card featuring a main event between two of the best 170 pounders in New England, Dennis Olson and Nuri Shakir. They also feature other top local fighters like Woody Weatherby, Nate LaMotte and Aniss Alhajjajy.
For all the talk on here from people saying Dennis is going to stomp Nuri and that Dennis should be fighting someone “better” than Nuri, we’ve heard very little from Nuri’s camp…which is surprising to me. He is normally the king of the trash talking, but something has kept him quiet on this one. Either way, this fight means a ton for both guys. Nuri has very good hands, and very good Judo, but he hasn’t been very active lately. Dennis has been tearing everyone up, and has really established himself as one of the top 2-3 guys in New England. This is the fight that Dennis can prove, without a doubt that he’s #1. He’s been getting better and better every fight, and his wrestling and BJJ, combined with his strength and athleticism have been overwhelming guys. This should be a very fun fight that either proves that Dennis is the best in the area, or that Nuri still has what it takes to beat the best in New England.
Woody Weatherby is coming off a tough loss to Dan Keefe, and looks to get back on track against Johnny Buck. Buck is a very good wrestler, and an explosive athlete, so he’ll likely be able to get Woody down. From there, Woody will have to use his slick BJJ to get the win. Woody is one of the most well rounded guys in the area at 185, and if anyone can submit Buck from the bottom, it’s Woody.
Here is the full card:
Professional
170lbs Dennis Olson 10-3 (Gracie Barra NH) vs. Nuri Shakir 13-16 (Team Elite)
185lbs Woody Weatherby 7-3 (Renzo NH) vs. Johnny Buck 5-5 (Team Husky)
170lbs Nate LaMotte 10-5 (Burgess) vs. Davin Wesinger 4-3 (Shotokan)
155lbs Aniss Alhajjajy 4-0 (BTT Boston) vs. Keith Richardson 2-1
135lbs Christian Rivera 4-4 (Dragon Warrior) vs. Barrington Douse 4-7 (American Fighting Arts)
155lbs Nick Newell 2-0 (Fighting Arts Academy) vs. Steve Butler 1-3 (Gracie Barra NH)
145lbs Mark Giove 2-1 (SSSF) vs. Joe Faucher 1-1 (Gracie Barra NH)
Amateur
195lbs Keegan Hornstra 0-1 (Mainiac) vs. Jed Donovalis 1-0 (Fightzone)
155lbs Jose Estrain 1-0 (Dorchester) vs. Will Chan 0-0 (Dragon Warrior)
135lbs Matt Marshall 0-0 (Mainiac) vs. Anthony Carmenatti 2-2
Expect 1-2 additions to the card before the weekend. Changes to the card will be updated immediately. Tickets are available online at www.triumphfighter.com or at the Hampshire Dome before and during the event.
Doors open at 6pm and fights will begin at 7pm. Live music will be played before and in-between the fights. Stop by at 6pm for drinks and listen to 7th Child while you wait.
Please direct questions to John Fain at 603-204-3169 or john@triumphfighter.com
Very solid card, Dennis vs Nuri is an awesome fight, i wish Nuri got on here and talked some shit, i love it when he does. Its the only time i understand what he’s saying..He couldnt have lost his touch. say it aint so Nuri.
Woody’s fight is interesting, dont know much about his guy but Woody looks like a different fighter lately. He hasnt stopped training since his loss and looks great. good luck man.
Ive done some research on this one as well and it does look interesting. Im thinking Nuri isnt talking a bunch of smack because he realizes Olsen, as overrated as he may be, is a tough match up. He is focused on handed out the ass whoopin Olsen has coming to him from an abled opponent. Olsen couldnt finish off a injured Manley, fighting with a herniated disk I heard, so a solid competitor should set him in place. And as far as I read him being number one in New England? Maybe he should fight a Justin Torrey or someone of real stature.
Woody has looked real good as of late and seems to be in great physical form, seems like he has made solid strides as Bonnell said since his loss. There is some serious competition out there in North Carolina, alot of guys that should come up here and fight. Its about time that local talent is pushed to competition, it seems as though John Faine has the right direction with his promotion…best of luck!
MMA Insider, it looks like you need to go back and hit the books because your analysis is flawed. Olson has a “whoppin” coming to him from an “abled” (sic) opponent? I fail to see anywhere in Dennis’ career where he has dodged the tough fights. Weatherby, Eric Henry, Littlefield, Schieding, an undefeated John Manley, TUF veteran Mike Dolce–please point out the guy in that group that isn’t a gamer, or–as you describe it–”a solid competitor/someone of real stature” Gimme a break.
The Olson/Shakir fight is fantastic. I expect fireworks. Nuri is good-to-go in my book–anyone who cut their teeth with Mike Brown (Team Elite!) is OK in my book. I predict a fast-paced fight with some type of finish by Dennis, which would speak volumes about where he is headed with a win over a proven veteran like Nuri.
Good luck to Mark Giove–go get ‘em buddy.
I’ll be making every effort to make the trip down from Maine for this fantastic card, despite the awesome UFC card I could be sitting at home watching–that’s how good of a job I think John Fain did with his matchmaking.
Not much of a preview here. Im sure there is a few things to say about Nate Lamotte and Davin Wesinger. The Douse vs Rivera fight is a good match too, both guys have been active lately…
Olson is a beast, i think he walks through Shakir. the winner of this fight should fight the winner of Lamotte/Wesinger.
Let’s go “Rude Boy” Douse out AFT (American Fight Team)
Let’s go “Rude Boy” Douse out of AFT (American Fight Team)
Dennis is not overrated. He is the fighter to beat at 170. He has beat very good fighters and is the guy to beat his work ethic is awesome. He will fight anyone. Also best of luck Nate L.
Barrington Douse rules.
Results!!!!
The show isnt until tonight Reep
Thanks Rainman….I’m a shitbag sometimes!!
This should be a good card. I’m routing for LaMotte, Douse, and Newell! Best of luck to all fighters and teams! So I’ll be waiting for results LATER, as I watch the UFC!
As far as my hitting the books, please remember that I am not from this area, and some of my input is based on what others tell me, so I need to comment to get feedback from others as well. Its not intended as a slam on any fighter at all, its a method of getting info and opinions. In California, where Im from, theres a whole different network, and as I get used to East Coast ways, I need to adjust my opinions as well!! So in reference to Dennis, who I do agree is the man to beat, theres no disrespect at all intended. My opinion, as yours, is your entitlement,my opinion.Dennis could have fought some others that I have been told he hasnt, so I based my comment on that aspect,take a step back Matt,breathe!
Nuri is a great fight for Dennis, as my research seems to show me. And this promotion of Triumph seems to be very well stacked and legit. I am hoping that its better than the last show I saw this week…which leads me to believe that if that was the “best promotion” around, then NE MMA is in big trouble. So accept my apologies if I led to any offense, its not intentional. Ill get used to how you guys do things out here very soon. Thanks again for the retort though, I like to see people get fired up and discuss openly on boards like this. This is one site I really enjoy visiting since I have been out here. Good to see some passion!!
MMA Insider, There is no “Best show around”. Every show claims to be the best show to get viewers, but all the shows bring something great to the table. If you want to see great fights with little production, WCF. Great Matchmaking, not top level guys and mediocre production, Combat Zone. Great production, decent fights, GFL. Great matchmaking, lower level fighters AFO, Big crowds, no production , poor matchmaking CFX.
Rainman…I would have loved to do more of a preview, but I got the card late in the week and was super busy at work. I’m looking for more writers…you want to give it a shot? I’m always looking for guys not affiliated with specific schools or promotions.
Woody won by RNC in the first, almost put him out with a nice head kick. Dennis Olsen put Nuri to sleep with a D’arce choke pretty early in the first round also. Lamotte won by RNC also i think in the first. Congrats and great work guys
I rest my case about Olson. Kid is absolutely awesome.
Nice, I called the LaMotte fight to a T!!! Yeah Team Burgess!!
Barrington Douse won by RNC in rd. 1. Nick Newell also won.
Woody looked really good.
And Olson is incredible.
How did Giove’s fight go?
Giove took an accidental stomp to the face and throat during a transition by Faucher. it was a weird situation but Giove was a gamer and continued although he was visibly hurt. the fight ended with Faucher winning via Guilotine. Giove announced his retirement and let the crowd know he chose to continue simply for the love of the sport and didn’t want to disappoint. Other than that it was a great fight that was back and forth. the stomp was completely unintentional.
Thanks, Dan. Wish I could have been there to see it. No bigger fan of the sport than Mark Giove. We love you, G!
Congrats to Anthony Carmenatti! Cant wait to rematch with him in our Pro Debut on April 24th in Plymouth, MA at The Plymouth Memorial Auditorium on AFO’s Night Of Champions! For Tickets..go to AFOMMA.COM
I did retire afterwards, I can no longer prepare for fights like I need to and be the father and husband I need to be. Obviously my wife and kids are the most important to me and I need to put them in the forefront right now. I was chasing a rematch with Dan before I went out but after another loss that rematch has lost a bit of its meaning to me. As for this fight, it was an awesome back and forth fight. Crazy transitions, double foot lock attacks, I had rear mount for a minute, he had an inverted triangle for a minute, a couple big kicks from me, a couple big punches from him. Great action, I think. As for the stomp…..it is crazy how people can see things in this sport and have COMPLETLY different opinions on what actually happened. Joe seems like a good dude and I’m sure he was not trying to injure me in that way, and for all I know it was an accident. All I do know is that the stomp I took on the chin, which slid and hit my throat, was the hardest strike I recieved in any fight…including the strait right that you rocked me with Dan. If that was unintentional, I guess I’m just confused as to why it impacted so hard. That all being said, I did decide to continue and lost fair and square in the second round so it is what it is. A lot of credit to Joe, a real strong wrestler and a ton of heart. I wish you luck in the future.
That was a dirty cheap shot. The kid should have been DQ’d. To say it was an accident is bulls$$t. It was a cheap way to win a fight. It smells like a rat to me that the kid was a fighter for the promoter and didn’t get DQ’d. Giove sorry you had to go out with that B.S. we will miss you.
Ok, so this is where I put my tail between my legs right guys? Olsen was very impressive, alot bigger than I have seen him before in footage videos, maybe real life adds 10 lbs, not the camera!! Either way, yes he seemed very intense and focused, almost to psyche out Shakur from the moment he walked in and glared him down. All the hype on Shakir was evidently a post up, as he seemed out of it from the get go, how would you say? Out of his element?
Now for the rundown in my OPINION(of corse):
Good venue, stable crowd, couple of the usual vendors. Nate and Tom seem to be some real stand up guys and have a great thing going, and there was definitely crowd interaction and the ability to get gear they support and the fighters promote. Isnt that how the sport revolves and works? Got to meet John Fain personally, and as it was brief due to his responsibilities, he was an intruiging guy, well spoken, and pleasant, and has a sense of building from the ground up, a solid organization founded on crowd commitment and class act fights.
Fight card was solid, not over endulged or hyped, I noticed a few last minute changes, as with all promotions, but the fights were evenly skilled to a degree, and the show moved on fluently. Nine fights I think it was, went off in about a 2 hour or so window. My opinion, thats perfect. Its amazing how many people love to go to fights, but are actually excited when they get to leave at a decent time to be home…haha! Myself included.
Over all it was good crowd, a little excitable when Woody and Dennis won, but hey, you give it up for the home town boys correct? And it is fighting after all. I noticed a young woman cage side apparently upset due to the celebrations of Woodys fans. Very well dressed and in my opinion a little too close to the cage, as a fan, you got to be ready for that stuff darling, things get intense at times. Security did handle the situation rather quickly though, and apart from some beer stains, she seemed in good spirits! Umbrellas should be available that close to the cage!! Try Cali, where they throw beer bottlesat the cage at times, not cool.
So in a synopsis, very impressed with Mr John Fains promotion, classy, simple and to the point, very well run and organized. I will make the trip up there to NH, again. It seems like such a different atmosphere than what I have encountered so far in Mass. There seems to be a different air about fighting up there, and the laid back atmosphere tends to lend a much better sense to an event, Mass can take a few pointers from whats going on up there in my OPINION.Thanks guys, I learned alot from your comments here in regards to Dennis, and the whole scene up in that neck of the woods…..literally!
Great card had to stick around for the whole show haha so amped i didn’t mind the drive bak to chelsea in the dark…. waitin for triumph 2 already… btw noooo organization ever gets this right… anthony carmenatty is the spelling lolz… good looks theo… gettin ready for a war the 24th
Sammy P, you have to try harder than that. That is not even a good attempt at running me through the mud.
Instead you should focus on how Triumph doesn’t have fancy videos or one of the dozen growing pains we experienced yesterday.
Are you implying Kevin or the commission are in my pocket?
My pockets are not deep enough, haha.
I spent a lot of time talking to Mark and Bill after the fight about what happened. Bill made a formal complaint to the commission and once I get a copy of the video, it will be posted and I will assist SSSF with an appeal if they wish.
Thanks to everyone who made this show possible. Combat Zone and GFL were very supportive of this show and it is greatly appreciated.
Thanks to Dave Ginsberg, Kevin McDonald and Dan Bonnell for helping the show run professionally.
Thanks to John Hagopian and the New Hampshire Boxing and Wrestling Commission for Everything. I cannot express how nice it is to have cell phone access to a commission that wants to help you in any way possible.
Above all, thanks to the fighters, teams and managers for taking a chance with a new promotion. I had a great time meeting and working with all of you.
Hey Guys, I have not seen a review yet so here are the results:
Anthony Carmenatti def Matt Marshall via TKO RSC 2:14 R1
Will Chan def. Jose Estrain via TKO RSC 2:56 R1
Keegan Hornstra def. Mike Sullivan via KO :28 R1
Joe Faucher def. Mark Giove via Guillotine :50 R2
Nick Newell def. Steve Butler via RNC 1:59 R1
Barrington Douse def Christian Rivera via RNC 2:07 R1
Nate LaMotte def Davin Wessinger via RNC 2:03 R1
Woody Weatherby def. Johnny Buck via RNC 2:20 R1
Dennis Olsen def. Nuri Shakir via chokeout w/anaconda 1:55 R1
I’ve gotta say, great start for Triumph. Like John said, no frills, no gimmicks, just great venue and game fighters. Keep an eye on this show as it moves foreward. I think there are big things ahead for Triumph.
To be clear here, I, in no way am trying to imply that anyone had any sinister motives or anyone was in anyone’s back pocket. I think Bill made a complain because we feel it was a foul that was just missed, thats it. I also do not think Joe was trying to ruin my life by stomping on my face, I just think in the heat of battle, he lost track of what was legal and did it. It happens all the time and I, again, do not want to take ANYTHING away from Joe’s performance except I really wish I had not got stomped on my throat. I think everyone missed out on what was shaping up to be a phenomenal fight. All I have to say is what an exciting fight to end a carreer on, just wish I could have gutted it out a bit longer than I did.
great night of fights thanks to john and everyone else. I think it was a very well put togather first show and i was honored to be a part of it congrats and good luck to all the fighters
Mark, great post. You have such great character.
Great show, no frills, just fights, congrats to all that fought their hearts out! and Big Congrats to my boy Nate! Much respect to Giove on your decision, def a hard decision to make.
I just wanted to take a moment to thank John Fain, the entire Triumph MMA family, and the NH State Athletic Commission for a truly great initial performance. BG and I are lucky enough to have represented “Notorious” Nick Newell and “The Dynasty” Woody Weatherby who fought on “Supremacy” last Saturday night.
My experience in working with John to bring Nick, Woody, and Justin Torrey to the Triumph stage was nothing short of exemplary! It’s very difficult to find a fighter who’ll step into the cage against a supposed handicapped fighter like Nick Newell. John went through many possibilities and finally asked Steve Butler of Gracie Barra-NH and he was man enough to answer the call. I’ve known Steve since his days at Dragon Warrior in Woburn, MA and the kid is flat out tough, and one of the best competitors we have at 155lbs. Seeing his game take a huge step forward with the team at Gracie Barra-NH made us proud to fight him; win, lose, or draw. This time Nick came out on top, but we wouldn’t have had the opportunity if Steve wasn’t the gamer he is. Also, thanks to Steve for treating Nick like the respected opponent he is – the attempted slam proved right away that Steve meant business – and that is what we ask for each and every time out.
Working with John and Triumph in finding a replacement for Woody and ultimately 3 replacements for Justin was stressing, but proved just how hard he and his team will work to put together awesome fights.
I hope NH and all of Northeast MMA fans will get to see more of Nick Newell and Woody Weatherby, as well as the many great athletes we represent, on future Triumph cards…the next I believe is June 5th, 2010 back at The Hampshire Dome. John’s provided me a quick look into the future of Triumph MMA, trust me, you’re going to want to have tickets for June and July. Thanks again, it was a great treat!
Very professional, well run show.
is there going to be a review for this card and also congrats to woody for making tuf and a great fight
Great job to all the fighters…Great Job John can’t wait to see the next show..
Please email me,John.