Last night's Asylum Fight League event, which was held outdoors, got off to a typically great start.  The fighters all came prepared and fought hard and we saw some great action in the cage, which was centered on home plate at Lakewood, New Jersey's BlueClaws stadium.  This was the Asylum's first show at BlueClaws and things were progressing well until the 6th fight.  It was at that point that the humidity started to accumulate on the cage floor surface, making it too slick for the fighters to continue.

The Asylum staff, led by promoter Carl Mascarenhas himself, made a heroic effort in trying to dry the surface and make it acceptable.  However, the slickness became too much to overcome and sadly the event had to be cancelled halfway through.  The decision to halt the fights was not easy, but it was correct.  The safety of the fighters is paramount in New Jersey, and if the surface is slippery it could result in injury.  Nick Lembo, counsel to the NJSACB,  consulted with ringside physicians and made the determination that the fights could not continue.

The fans were disappointed of course, as were the fighters and everyone else.  Despite this, however, everyone seemed to understand that fighter saftey must prevail and made an orderly exit.

We will have more on this story, including an interview with promoter Carl Mascarenhas, in the very near future.

Here are the results of the bouts that took place before the cancellation.

Pete "Drago" Sell made a triumphant return to MMA action by winning the Ring of Combat welterweight crown over a very game and tough Elijah Harshbarger.  Harshbarger started the fight strong and dominated the first round, closing Sell's left eye with repeated hammer fists on the ground.  Sell shook off the punishment however, and in the second round came back strong and submitted Harshbarger with an armbar.  It was an amazing fight that has the crowd on its feet throughout the entire contest.

We'll have lots more on Drago's return, as well as more coverage on the event in the coming days.  Here are the official results of Lou Neglia's Ring of Combat XXXVI.

You want to know where the best fighters in the world come from.  The answer is simple.  They have to start from the ground and work their way up.  Organizations like the UFC , Strikeforce, and Bellator have some of the top fighters in the world.  Those great fighters got their start in the amateur leagues.  One such league is New Jersey’s Asylum Fight League.  Owned and operated by Carl Mascarenhas, Asylum has quickly grown into one of the top amateur fight organizations in this area. 

Saturday night, Carl will bring his brand of amateur MMA to a new venue.  FirstEnergy Park in Lakewood, NJ will play host to a spectacular night of MMA action.  The Lakewood BlueClaws will have the night off and home plate will be replaced with a cage.   This will not be a batting cage either, folks.  This is an MMA cage set for combat.  If you are a baseball fan, you will still get to see some athletes swinging for the fences, but they will bring a whole new meaning to the term.

Are you working for the weekend?   If you are one of the talented amateur fighters who will be fighting this Saturday at the Asylum Fight League event at BlueClaws Stadium in Lakewood, New Jersey, you sure are.  These guys have been sweating in the gym for months in preparation to fight at the Asylum Fight League.  And on June 18th, you will get to see them all in action.

Blue Claws Stadium is the home of the Philadelphia Class A baseball farm team, the Lakewood BlueClaws.  The fights will be outdoors with the cage centered on home plate.  And of course, the fighters will be swinging for the fences when they throw down in some of the finest MMA action you will find on the East Coast.

Join me on Saturday at Asylum Fight League XXXV.  The show is guaranteed to be a home run!

For ticket info, please check out the Asylum Fight League website:  AsylumFightLeague.com.  If you can't make the show, it will be available on the Net at GoFightLive.tv.

See you at the show!

This Friday night, June 17^th, Lou Neglia and his Ring of Combat return to Atlantic City.  The Tropicana Hotel & Casino will once again play host to arguably the top MMA organization on the East Coast.  As always, Neglia and company have put together a top notch card with some very enticing match-ups.  You will see some new names and some familiar names on this card, but rest assured, they will all come to fight on Friday night.  The Ring of Combat has become a gateway to the UFC so you will never know which star of tomorrow that you can see today. 

Lou Neglia's Ring of Combat XXXIV show is coming up this Friday, June 17th, from the Tropicana Casino Hotel in Atlantic City, New Jersey.  Headlining the card is Pete "Drago" Sell, who is making his first appearance inside the cage since 2009.

Sell is always a crowd pleaser and his fight on Friday against Elijah Harshbarger should be one for the ages.  Harshbarger looked great last time out in a dominating win over very tough George Sullivan.  You definitely don't want to miss this fight!

The rest of the card is stacked as well.  Al Iaquinta, like Sell a Serra/Longo fighter who has been out of action since 2009, is making his return.  Al is a very promising up and comer, but a hand injury has prevented him from fighting.  This kid is one to keep your eye on, because he's very talented and can end a fight in lots of different ways.

After the jump you can check out the complete card.  If you can't make the show, you can watch it on GoFightLive.tv.  I will once again be doing the commentating, alongside some MMA stars such as Kurt Pellegrino.  So whether you are at the Trop or at home, you can enjoy the show!

John Cholish wins the Lightweight Championship and Drew Puzon is a man of very few words, but a lot of action.  It was another outstanding night of fights from the folks of Cage Fury Fighting Championships.  Their ninth installment brought plenty of action and excitement to a packed house at Resorts Hotel and Casino this weekend. 

As usual, the CFFC shows keep getting better and better with their tradition of putting together some great match-ups.  CFFC continues to build speed and momentum on their climb to the top of the list of NJ MMA organizations.  These guys and their stable of fighters put on a great show.  

Cage Fury Fighting Championships return, once again, this Friday night to Resorts Hotel and Casino in Atlantic City, NJ.  Summer is heating up and this fight card, put together by matchmaking guru, Arias Garcia, is red-hot!  The last two shows from CFFC have been off the hook with action and excitement and I expect things to be no different this time around.  CFFC's ninth installment has been appropriately named, “Beach Bash”.