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Helster_Poster

Helster- Ultimate Cage Fighters returns to action on Saturday, May 12, at the Starland Ballroom located at 570 Jernee Mill Road  in Sayreville, New Jersey.

This is the second outing for the Helster promotion, which is quickly gaining recognition as one of the East Coast's top amateur fight leagues.  In creating Helster MMA Fight League, promoter Carl Knapp felt he could take the local MMA scene to the next level.

"I've been involved in martial arts and mixed martial arts for awhile," Knapp explained,  "and my partner Karen has been involved in mixed martial arts and for a long time.  We went to some amateur shows and after watching some of these shows, we thought that this is something that we would be interested in doing, and something we could improve upon.   We kind of had a vision to do the amateur shows bigger and better.  That's not a knock on anybody out there.  We just thought we could do a good show, a good promotion that would give amateur fighters a chance to fight in a professional atmosphere, and really give them a shot to showcase their talents.  That's the way it got started."

Their first show, held last October, was a smashing success.  This one should be even better.

"I think the promotion is growing well," Carl said.  "This is our second show and it's significantly bigger than the first show was.  In terms of the quality of the fighters and the schools we've been drawing for this second event, we're really happy with the way that's come along.  We have another show scheduled for October, and the goal is that that show will be even bigger than this one. "

The card for the May 12 event is stacked with fighters from some of the best camps in the area.  And titles will be on the line.

"We've got a full card, sixteen fights," Carl said. "We have four title fights, and the guys fighting for the titles are all experienced and well rounded.  Some of these guys have six fights plus, so we're excited about that.  It's hard to find amateurs with that kind of record.  We have been actively seeking out the highest caliber fighters in the area. We've got some of the top schools competing;  schools from all over the area, New York, New Jersey, a couple of PA schools will be represented.  We have fighters from Renzo Gracie PA, Renzo Gracie Holmdel NJ, Renzo Gracie/Silver Fox,  Ocean County Jiu-Jitsu, AMA Fight Club, Nick Cattone's school, Fusion MMA.  We're really happy with the turnout on this one."

The participation of so many top schools is telling.  Helster – Ultimate Cage Fighters is all about creating a high level experience for the fighters, and the fans at their shows.

"What we're really trying to do is to make each show bigger and better," Carl explained. "We want these fighters to get a first class experience when they fight for us.  We don't spare any expense on these shows.  We spend a lot of money, but it's really all about promoting the fighters and giving them the chance to get out there and get in front of a big crowd with the lights and the cameras and the ring girls, and really have a first class experience.  For fighters looking to work their way up the ladder and turn pro, we think this is a great spot for them to start and get a feel for what it's like under the big lights."

Not only do the fighters have a great time at Helster MMA events, the fans do too.  And for this event, they are coming back in droves.

"We're gonna have  a packed house," Carl said.  "At this point it looks like we've got a thousand-plus coming.  There's going to be a lot of energy in the building, a lot of action.  And it's going to be a good time for everyone. "

For more information about Helster MMA Fight League, visit their website at helstermma.com or for tickets visit www.StarlandBallroom.com or call Karen 215-527-9712.

DS4

Not only am I serious, I am Dead Serious when I say that Dead Serious MMA delivers the goods every time out.  This is a fast rising promotion whose cards have been outstanding.  And it just keeps getting bigger and better each time out.

Dead Serious returns to the Rahway Rec Center in Rahway, New Jersey on May 26th, and the card is already stacked.  I always have a great time hosting this show, and I'm really looking forward to this event.  For the last show it was standing room only, so grab you tickets now.  Visit DeadSeriousMMA.com or click the poster above for ticket info.  See you in Rahway!

 

The Asylum Fight League is back!  Get ready to get crazy, as the Asylum returns to the beautiful Golden Nugget Casino Hotel in Atlantic City, New Jersey on June 16th.  The Asylum is a staple in New Jersey, and it is one of the top amateur fight promotions in the country.  On June 16th, you'll see some amazing action.  Tickets always sell out fast, so jump on them now.  Visit AsylumFightLeague.com for ticket info, or click the pic above.

As always, I will be in the cage hosting the show, so this is a can't miss event. See you at the Golden Nugget!

 

EFC_4
Get your tickets now for May 19th's big EFC event in Nutely, New Jersey.  EFC has been selling out their venues, and the fights have all been spectacular.  I am very much looking forward to hosting this show, which takes place at Nutley High School.  The Darwish brothers put on a great show, and the fighters all come to fight.  Tickets are going fast for this show, so click on the poster above, or check out EFCMMA.com for ticket info.  See you in Nutley!

Press release:

(Howell, NJ) We are very proud to announce the formation of the New Jersey State Martial Arts Hall of Fame.  New Jersey has had a boxing hall of fame since the 1960′s and, in a similar sense, we hope to recognize and honor those involved in combat martial arts such as MMA and Muay Thai. New Jersey is building a rich tradition in non-boxing martial arts and our goal is to recognize these individuals and entities.

We are extremely excited to announce the inaugural awards dinner celebration. This gala event will take place on December 7, 2012 at the beautiful Crowne Plaza Meadowlands hotel complex.

Tickets to the awards dinner can be purchased by calling 201-538-4843 or online at NJ MMA Awards Tickets. Discount hotel room rates can be obtained by calling 877-227-6963 and mentioning Dead Serious allotted rooms.

Currently, our voting committee is working on selecting the MMA fighter of the year, Thai fighter of the year, trainer of the year, knockout, school of the year, lifetime achievement award, legend award, and many others.

Our goal is to honor those involved with New Jersey martial arts and to celebrate with them, at an evening with family and friends. Our focus is on those directly involved in New Jersey martial arts.

Stay tuned as our next announcement will disclose the identities of our awards winners who will be presented with their award at our inaugural dinner. This truly is a historical moment in our State’s combat sports history as our intent is to have the New Jersey State Martial Arts Hall of Fame continue for many years and serve as a record for those outstanding individuals involved in martial arts in our State.

We hope you will join us on December 7, 2012. So save the date! Mark your calendars now and purchase your tickets early so you can be sure to be a part of New Jersey martial arts history.

 

Krush Promotions is a new promotion in New Jersey, and they are putting on a big amateur MMA show this June 1st at Jackson Liberty High School in Jackson.  I am honored to be the ring announcer for this event, and from the looks of things, this show is going to be amazing.  Promoter David Franciosi is looking to make a splash in the MMA world, and he's putting together more than just a fight card--this is going to be an event.

Stay tuned to this site for more details as we move close to the date.  Also, check out the Krush Promotion website for ticket information.  See you in Jackson!

Lou Neglia's Ring of Combat XL is in the books, and both the HW and LHW title pictures just got much clearer. At heavyweight, Marvin Eastman, an MMA veteran who has fought just many big names, looked great in his unanimous decision victory over Dmitry Zablotny.  Eastman showed great takedown defense, good wrestling, and excellent hands in the fight, and he was able to dictate where the match went.  Eastman will now likely fight for the HW strap vacated by Tom DeBlass.

In the Light Heavyweight division, Carlos Brooks put everyone on notice with a stunning 51 second KO over tough Danny Babcock.  The ROC LHW crown was also owned by DeBlass, who moved up to the UFC.  Brooks will be fighting for this title in the near future.

The rest of the card delivered the goods as well.  You can catch the replays on GoFightLive.  Here are the official results.

Another great Ring on Combat card has been put together by Lou Neglia, and it takes place tonight at the Tropicana Casino Hotel in Atlantic City, New Jersey.  The ROC is a staple of MMA, and it's one of the longest running promotions outside of the UFC.  Over 70 ROC fighters have gone on to the UFC, including the latest, Tom DeBlass, who made his UFC debut earlier this month.  To do so, Tom gave up the ROC LHW and HW titles, which are now up for grabs.

As a result, tonight's card has some title implications.  Marvin Eastman, a very well known name in MMA, and a man who has fought a veritable who's who in the sport, will take on Dmitry Zablotny in a HW title elimination fight.  In another title elimination bout, this one in the Light Heavy division, Carlos Brooks takes on Danny Babcock.  Both fights are evidence of great matchmaking, but it doesn't stop there.

There are many very interesting and exciting bouts on the card.  I'm getting ready to head down to AC right now in fact, to commentate the fights on the GoFightLive broadcast. If you can't make the show itself, watching on GFL is the next big thing, so definitely check that out.

Here are the official bouts and weights from last night's weigh ins.  See you at the Trop!

It's a busy week for Lou Neglia and his Ring of Combat.  They just held their ROC AM XIII show last Saturday, and tomorrow ROC XL takes place at the Tropicana down in Atlantic City.  For the Roman Numerically-impaired, XL is 40.  So this is a big deal, and the card is stacked as usual, with LHW and HW title implications.

I'll have more on the ROC XL tomorrow.  For now, check out these official results from last Saturday's card.  Crazy Eddie Lenoci, out of the Serra Longo camp on Long Island, looked great as he captured the ROC AM 175 pound crown. Overall, it was a great night of fights, and a great appetizer before tomorrow's feast.

Here are the official results:

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