The UFC returned to Louisiana on Saturday September 17 at the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center in New Orleans. Jake Ellenberger and Jake Shields headlined the event, while two fighters from the Chicagoland area (Mike Lullo and Mike Stumpf) were on the preliminary card. The main card was shown live on SpikeTV featuring four fights including the returning from injury fighters Alan Belcher and Court McGee.

Alan Belcher doesn’t show any ring rust against Jason MacDonald
Alan Belcher was coming off of what many thought could have been a career ending injury. Sidelined for sixteen months and two eye surgeries later, Belcher made his return to the octagon against Jason MacDonald. MacDonald quickly tied Belcher up and looked for a takedown. But Belcher stayed strong and didn’t give one up. MacDonald looked to power his way into a takedown, only Belcher wound up on top. MacDonald tried to goat Belcher into a couple of submissions, but Belcher landed a big right hand that hurt his foe. Several shots later it was nearly halted, but MacDonald was able to regain for a moment. Belcher continued his assault and just before the four minute mark earned the victory.

Erik Koch wins his fourth straight with victory over Jonathan Brookins
Erik Koch stated he felt a fourth victory could put him in title contention and he did just that with his win over Jonathan Brookins. Brookins for all fifteen minutes looked to try to control Koch against the cage and work for a takedown. But they came few and far between and even when they did, Koch would stand back up. Koch whenever he got the chance pounded on Brookins with a variety of strikes depending on the range. When they were separated Koch used his jabs, hooks and high kicks to throw Brookins off his game. When they were clinched or on the ground he used short peppering shots to frustrate him. In the end they all added up as Koch earned a unanimous decision.

Court McGee shows massive cardio against Dongi Yang
The two middleweights McGee and Yang went to battle from the opening bell and did not stop until the final bell. McGee in the first and second rounds was able to dictate the pace and landed kicks and jabs. Yang would counter a good amount of McGee’s strikes keeping the rounds fairly close to call. The third round the action lit up as Yang landed a big right hand that sent McGee stumbling. A flying knee followed by Yang but he was unable to finish McGee. McGee escaped the trouble and landed multiple punches to the nose and mouth of Yang, bloodying him up bad. As time was running out McGee took the fight the ground and got the mount. He worked a couple of punches then tried to end the fight with a top mounted guillotine. Time ran out and in the end McGee earned the victory.

Jake Ellenberger upsets Jake Shields
The main event didn’t last long. It took less than a minute for Ellenberger to earn the TKO victory over Shields. Shields started the fight trying to use a pawing jab to set up a takedown while Ellenberger wanted to throw leather. After the two clinched, Ellenberger threw a knee to Shields’ belly that bent him over enough for Ellenberger to land a knee flush to the head of Shields. It sent the former number one contender to the canvas where Ellenberger unloaded a flurry of shots to the side of his head, forcing the ref to stop the fight.

Quick Results
Jake Ellenberger def. Jake Shields via TKO (strikes) – Round 1, 0:53
Court McGee def. Dongi Yang via unanimous decision (30-27, 29-28, 30-28)
Erik Koch def. Jonathan Brookins via unanimous decision (30-27, 29-28, 30-27)
Alan Belcher def. Jason MacDonald via verbal submission (punches) – Round 1, 3:48
Vagner Rocha def. Cody McKenzie via submission (rear-naked choke) – Round 2, 3:49
Evan Dunham def. Shamar Bailey via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
Lance Benoist def. Matt Riddle via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
Ken Stone def. Donny Walker via technical submission (rear-naked choke) – Round 1, 2:40
Seth Baczynski def. Clay Harvison via submission (rear-naked choke) – Round 2, 1:12
T.J. Waldburger def. Mike Stumpf via submission (triangle choke) – Round 1, 3:52
Robert Peralta def. Mike Lullo via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 29-28)
Justin Edwards def. Jorge Lopez via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)

Do you remember Mike Lullo’s gogoplata submission from Chicago Cagefighting Championship 1.  What about Giovanni Moljo’s inverted triangle submission from their third show?  Mio Fight Gear can’t decide which one is better and has chosen to let the fans pick.  Head over to the Chicago Cagefighting Championship facebook page and cast your vote by liking your submission of choice.  The winner will be decided by whom has the most “likes” and Mio Fight Gear will donate $100 to the fighter’s charity of choice.  For your convenience we have embedded both submissions below.

Giovanni Moljo’s Inverted Triangle

Mike Lullo’s Gogoplata

Canadian fans will get to see some of the best talent in Chicago on May 21 when Chicago Cagefighting Championship 3 airs on The Fight Network.  Officials from CCC revealed the news of the broadcast on their official Facebook fan page.

CCC 3 took place on Saturday March 5 from the Odeum Sports Complex in Villa Park, Illinois.  Former UFC lightweight champion Jens Pulver headlined the card, while former WEC bantamweight champion Chase Beebe was the co-main event.

Several fighters whom have fought under the Chicago Cagefighting banner have caught the eye of national promotions and either will be fighting soon or recently fought for them.  The list includes:

Jens Pulver – Fighting for Titan Fighting Championship on May 27 (airs on HDNet)

Chase Beebe – Just earned his spot in the Bellator bantamweight tournament

Dennis Dombrow – Fought for Strikeforce

Mike Lullo – Signed to the UFC

Carson Beebe – Rumored participant on the next season of “The Ultimate Fighter”

Felice Herrig – Fought for Bellator

Read our full recap and results or browse our photogallery of the event.

Not sure how this slipped through the cracks, but in conjunction with US Combat Sports, MMA Recap is proud to announce the winners of the “Best of 2010″.  The categories included Fighter of the Year, Fight of the Year, Rookie of the Year, KO of the Year, Submission of the Year, Comeback of the Year, Fight Card of the Year and Coach of the Year.  Read on to see who won.
Fighter of the Year
Mike Lullo

Fight of the Year
Matt FIordirosa vs Bobby Reardanz

Rookie of the Year
Carson Beebe

KO of the Year
Mike Pitz against Ryan Scheeper

Comback of the Year
Vince Ramos vs Chris Lane

Submission of the Year
Mike Lullo

Fight Card of the Year
Chicago Cagefighting Championship 1

Coach of the Year
Jeff Curran

Voting is now underway in conjunction with US Combat Sports at http://uscombatsports.com/best-of-il for the best fight that took place in Illinois in 2010.  Five fights easily stood out us and are up for your votes.

Mike Lullo versus Jeremy Castro is up because of the fantastic gogoplata finish that Lullo was able to secure.  The submission victory had the crowd erupt in cheers at the inaugural Chicago Cagefighting Championship event.

Clay French and Billy Stamp put on one of the best three-round fights the state had seen all year.  The two were the co-main event for Ruckus Invades Navy Pier and easily earned the “Fight of the Night” award.

Carson Beebe destroyed Danny Black at Chicago Cagefighting Championship 1.  Beebe used his wrestling and his strength to put Black in bad positions and unloaded multiple strikes nearly fracturing Black’s orbital bone and forcing a stoppage.

Matt Fiordirosa returned to action at XFO Outdoor War against Bobby Reardanz.  The fight was easily the fight of the night and earned a feature piece here at MMA Recap.

A sleeper of a fight that fans probably didn’t pay too much attention to saw former “Ultimate Fighter” Jeremy May take on Midwest Training Center’s Chris Albandia.  May upset Albandia with a first round triangle choke at Ruckus 2 in March.

To vote, just visit http://uscombatsports.com/best-of-il where you can vote on any number of categories for 2010.

MMA Recap in conjunction with US Combat Sports has put together a best of 2010 in Illinois.  Voting is now open at http://uscombatsports.com/best-of-il and our first category we will be breaking down is “Fighter of the Year”.  Up for nomination are Mike Lullo, Chase Beebe, Dustin Neace, Carson Beebe and Clay French.

Mike Lullo got to fight four times in 2010, having won his first three fights before getting a call up to the UFC to fill in for an injured Darren Elkins.  Lullo’s three victories all came by submission including a fantastic gogoplata over Jeremy Castro at Chicago Cagefighting Championship 1.

Chase Beebe went 4-1 in 2010 with his lone loss happening overseas at Dream.  Beebe’s four victories were all first round stoppages and his last two opponents, Jared McMahan and Josh Kasee, barely landed any strikes of their own.  Beebe was scheduled to fight Dustin Neace for the Illinois State Championship at Ruckus 5 before the event was cancelled.

Dustin Neace was extremely active in 2010.  His 5-1 record is reflective of his move to the HIT Squad.  In 2009, Neace went just 1-5 and decided he needed to find a new place to train.  Neace’s lone loss came at the hands of Joao Herdy, a fight which many thought Neace won.  Neace’s five victories all came by stoppage.

Carson Beebe made his pro debut in 2010 and has earned an impressive 6-0 record for 2010.  Beebe is the younger brother of Chase and is looking to follow in his footsteps.  Beebe put together an impressive fight streak when he fought three times in four weeks.  All three of those fights Beebe was able to finish his opponent in less than two minutes.

Clay French is a former King of the Cage champion and put on one of the best fights of 2010.  French only fought two times in 2010, but was able to secure victories in both fights.  His first fight in 2010 was against Sean Wilson where he locked in a rear naked choke at the 3:39 mark.  His fight with Billy Stamp at Ruckus 3 was one of the best fights of 2010, both on a local and national level.

Voting for the Best of 2010 can be done at http://uscombatsports.com/best-of-il

Chicago based Mike Lullo has gotten the call that he has dreamed of.  He has officially signed with the UFC and his first fight will be at UFC 123 replacing Darren Elkins.  MMA Recap has learned from sources close to the fight about the change.

Lullo lost his first professional fight, but has since strung together an impressive eight-fight win streak.  The Midwest Training Center trained fighter recently competed at Chicago Cagefighting Championships defeating Tyler Combs in the night’s co-main event.

Lullo has dedicated his life to the sport training as many times as three times a day.  Lullo has a very tricky guard and is a great addition to the UFC.

The second installment of Chicago Cagefighting Championship took place on Saturday October 16 at The Odeum in Villa Park, Illinois.  The night saw four amateur bouts and seven professional bouts.  Read on for the full results and recap.

The first amateur bout kicked off the night of action with heavy handed heavyweights.  James Gleissner had the superior wrestling, while Ricky Johnson was the stronger and more dangerous striker.  The opening round Johnson tagged Gleissner and dropped him, but to Gleissner’s credit he had a powerful shot as he stood back up.  After he got on his feet, Gleissner shot in and secured the takedown.  From there he worked from full mount to Johnson’s back and secured a rear naked choke.  The choke looked deep, but Johnson pushed threw and was able to get out of the submission attempt.  With seconds left Johnson rocked Gleissner and opened him up.  The second round started and neither fighter wanted to do much.  Gleissner secured a takedown, but Johnson powered his way out of it and into full mount.  Johnson rained down heavy lefts and rights until the ref stopped the fight.

PJ Casillias from Top Notch took on Colton Martin in a welterweight matchup.  Casillias came out with a flying knee and worked several knees from a Muay Thai Clinch.  Martin would work free and land some good hooks, but Casillias kept going back to the clinch to work knees to Martin’s body.  At the end of the round Martin took Casillias down and secured mount, but Casillias bucked and reversed the position.  Martin caught Casillias with a two big right hooks that woke Casillias up and he unloaded several shots.  Martin, pushed up against the cage, took several shots before attempting a takedown.  Casillias sprawled and landed in side control.  From there he trapped an arm, and unloaded peppering shots till Martin turned and gave Casillias the opening he needed to throw heavy rights.  The ref had no choice but to halt the action.

Nate Patrick was a far superior wrestler to Kris Blainey and that’s what made all the difference in the fight.  Patrick took the fight to the ground and the first round was mostly Patrick holding Blainey down.  The second round Patrick again scored a takedown, but this time worked several punches to the side of Blainey’s head until the fight was ended.

Nic Thompson and Matt Hong ended the amateur fights with a crowd pleasing heavyweight fight.  Both Thompson and Hong were finding their range and at times rocked the other where a good follow up would have ended it.  But they both had granite chins and were able to withstand the damage.  As Hong had Thompson in trouble, Thompson landed a punch flush on Hong’s head that crumbled his knees.  Thompson moved in, secured mount and and threw big punches until the ref stopped it.

The professional bouts were kicked off with a lightweight fight featuring Adam Ward and Bryan Fielder.  The three round battle saw action every where.  In the first both fighters exchanged big punches.  Ward rocked Fielder and Fielder shot for a takedown.  Ward defended it well and got Fielder’s back.  The round ended with Ward working for a rear naked choke which was how he spent most of the round.  The second round the fighters again exchanged punches before Fielder attempted another takedown.  Ward again worked a rear naked choke, but couldn’t secure it.  Fielder stood up and both fighters threw kicks that just missed.  Fielder again shot for a takedown, but Ward defended and ended up on top of Fielder.  Ward worked elbows before going to the rear naked and he nearly finished it, but let go in exchange for throwing some punches to bloody up Fielder.  The third round Fielder changed game plans and clinched Ward against the cage.  But Ward was able to open a cut above Fielder’s eye and then took Fielder down.  Little action and the ref separated the fighters.  Fielder took Ward down, but Ward threw his legs up and Fielder was in trouble as he was within a triangle choke.  Ward couldn’t secure the choke all the way so opted for throwing elbows and punches from the bottom.  The ref halted action to check on Fielder’s eye, and then restarted in the same position.  Ward continued his elbows and punches from the bottom to secure the third round and the judges’ decision.

Wanting to ensure their fight didn’t go the distance, Dennis Dombrow and Ray Grindstaff came out swinging.  Grindstaff worked for a takedown and got it.  Grindstaff worked small shots from Dombrow’s guard, but Dombrow countered with a heel hook.  Grindstaff retaliated with heel kicks but Dombrow used the opportunity to escape the bad position and put Grindstaff on his back.  Dombrow worked diligently to get the position he wanted which was Grindstaff’s back.  From there Dombrow threw punches in bunches, but used a slick transition to secure a triangle choke.  With the choke secured, Dombrow torqued Grindstaff’s arm forcing the tapout.

LVRG owner German Reyes returned to action against Frank Pizzirulli.  The three round affair saw Reyes successfully take Pizzirulli down each round and transitioned to mount.  Reyes was unable to do too much damage as Pizzirulli was doing a fantastic job of controlling Reyes’s head and wrists.  In the third round Pizzirulli was able to reverse and land in Reyes’s guard.  Reyes worked hard for a sub and with fifteen seconds left he locked in a triangle choke.  The bell rang and Pizzirulli tapped out after, but the judges made their decision and it was Reyes all the way.

The last fight before an intermission saw Ryan Williams take on Ryan Bixler.  The three round fight was very competitive.  In the first round Williams controlled the action by forcing Bixler against the cage.  But Bixler would escape and land a punch only to receive a big leg kick by Williams.  A big welt appeared on Bixler’s leg as the round ended.  The second round Williams again pushed Bixler against the cage.  Williams worked for a single leg takedown, but was in danger as Bixler grabbed a hold of Williams’ neck.  Williams switched from a single to a double leg and got the big takedown and stayed there for the rest of the round.  The third round Bixler tried to find his range, but Williams stayed just out of it.  Williams worked for a takedown, secured it.  With ten seconds left, both fighters threw elbows without a care and the time ran out for Bixler as the judges’ cards all read for Williams.

After an intermission light heavyweights were in action.  Jason Guida and Nick Rossborough went all three rounds.  Rossborough who had the superior reach advantage used it through out the three round fight.  Guida had no answer for Rossborough’s straight left that kept the shorter Guida at bay.  Guida would try to use the clinch to his advantage, but Rossborough would keep Guida pushed up against the cage and worked several body shots to Guida’s body.  In the second round Guida attempted a single leg, but wasn’t able to get it.  As the third round was ending, Guida nearly had Rossborough’s back while standing, but couldn’t secure it.  In the end, Rossborough’s reach proved too much and the judges’ gave the fight to him.

In the night’s co-main event, Mike Lullo took on Tyler Combs in lightweight action.  The fight of the night by far as this saw the most action.  The first round Lullo and Combs started off trading shots.  Combs attempted a takedown, but Lullo pushed Combs against the cage and took him down.  Lullo worked multiple punches and elbows but Combs countered with a good rubber guard.  Lullo stood up and worked multiple kicks to Combs’s legs.  Combs tried to protest a low shot and Lullo rushed in and rocked Combs as the round ended.  The second round Lullo took the fight to the ground and quickly passed to side control.  From the dominant position he worked several knees to Combs’s shoulder and body.  Combs escaped and stood up and threw several haymakers but couldn’t find the target.  The third round Lullo landed a big knee that dropped Combs.  Lullo quickly tied up Combs and secured his back.  Lullo was working for a triangle choke and an armbar and after a couple of adjustments was able to force Combs to tap.

The main event saw Chase Beebe taking on Jared McMahan.  Beebe quickly found his range with his left jab and right hook.  Beebe stalked McMahan around the cage and McMahan had no answer.  McMahan threw a low kick that landed in Beebe’s groin and after the restart Beebe was a man on a mission.  Beebe caught McMahan with a right that dropped McMahan and quickly secured a fight ending guillotine choke that forced McMahan to tap.

Amateur Quick Results
Ricky Johnson defeated James Gleissner by TKO at 1:25 of round 2
PJ Casillias defeated Colton Martin by TKO at 1:23 of round 2
Nate Patrick defeated Kris Blainey by TKO at 1:24 of round 2
Nic Thompson defeated Matt Hong by TKO at 2:09 of round 1

Professional Quick Results
Adam Ward defeated Bryan Fielder by unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
Dennis Dombrow defeated Ray Grindstaff by triangle armbar at 4:46 of round 1
German Reyes defeated Frank Pizzirulli by unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
Ryan Williams defeated Ryan Bixler by unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
Nick Rossborough defeated Jason Guida by unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
Mike Lullo defeated Tyler Combs by armbar at 1:17 of round 3
Chase Beebe defeated Jared McMahan by guillotine choke at 1:20 of round 1

Mike Lullo - photo by Brent Todd at Lords of War 1

Mike Lullo won his last fight in an amazing fashion with a gogoplata submission. Now four months later he is set to co-main event the upcoming Chicago Cagefighting Championship 2 event against Tyler Combs. MMA Recap caught up with Lullo to discuss his last victory as well as his training for the battle with Combs.

Your last fight against Jeremy Castro was absolutely amazing. One of the best finishes I have seen in a long time. Was that how you saw that fight playing out?

To be honest with you I knew that guy was going into to wrestle. That kept me a little more hesitant on my feet. I look back now and I should have been more aggressive on my feet and not worry so much about the takedown. He took my down but I have a lot of confidence off my back. I’ve done that gogoplata to pretty much everyone I have ever rolled with. I have a lot of real tricky stuff from that rubber guard and that’s like an everyday thing. I hit that like it is an armbar. A lot of guys with my style aren’t used to it and I can catch them with tricky things. The first time he took me down and when he was in my guard I had a real good idea that I would be able to tap him. Just from things like where he was putting his hands and how he was in my guard I knew that. He was real strong though. I think had I taken my time I would have caught him the first time, but my corner was kind of rushing it. That wasn’t my intention, I wanted to finish him on the feet.

You’ve obviously had 4 months of training since then for this next fight, how’s that been going for you?

I am in great shape. I have probably missed only three or four days since that fight. I feel fantastic. I have been learning a lot and working with Izzy a lot. I’ve been doing a lot of wrestling about three days a week. I am just trying to improve everything every day.

Were you training anything differently for Tyler Combs?

No my last three opponents were all lefty and all my training partners are lefties so that makes it nice. I have seen Tyler fight a bunch of times and I have a good idea of what his style and gameplan will be. I think it will be fun. I don’t see him trying to shoot on my and take me down. I think we are going to stand and it will be an exciting fight.

What are your thoughts on him as an opponent?

The guy is tough. I’ve fought on the same card as him a bunch of times. He’s a cool guy I know his manager. I know he is going to show up. My last three fights have been cancelled and I know he will come to fight. He’s more of a name fighter as people have heard of him. I am happy about that. I am trying to fight tough guys and I think it will be an awesome time.

You mentioned that your last three fights got cancelled and if I am not mistaken you were supposed to fight Matt Veach. What exactly happened that three fights got cancelled?

There was a lot of political stuff for why the fight didn’t happen. They said it was because of my coach or his coach, I am not sure. I then had fights offered for another promotion but it was like a day’s notice giving me a day to cut weight which was not good and then the day after I got a call about another fight we took where the fight got cancelled.
Any sponsors or people you want to thank?

LVRG, BETdog, Power Punch Gloves, Izzy style wrestling, and all my training partners.

As of yesterday afternoon, all tables have been sold for the upcoming Chicago Cagefighting Championship 2 event on Saturday October 16.  The event will be headlined by Chase Beebe taking on Jared McMahon.

There are two levels of bleacher seats still available.  Sections 101 and 113 are just $25 while sections 102-105 & 109-112 are $35.

The night of action is scheduled to see eight professional mixed martial arts fights.  The full lineup includes:

Chase Beebe vs James McMahan

Michael Lullo vs Tyler Combs

Jason Guida vs Nick Rossborough

Ryan Williams vs Ryan Bixler

Germen Reyes vs Frank Pizzirulli

Adam Ward vs Bryan Fielder

Dennis Dombrow vs Ray Grindstaff

Will Brooks vs Mark Neville

Chicago Cage Fighting Championship has just announced a new promo code when purchasing tickets.  Now through September 24, enter the promo code “DRINK” without the quotes and you will receive a free drink ticket with your purchase.

The promotion is being provided by Nova Lounge, which will also play host to the weigh-ins and official after party of the October 16 event in Villa Park.

The card currently looks like:

Chase Beebe vs Jared McMahon

Mike Lullo vs Tyler Combs

Jason Guida vs Nick Rossborough

Ryan Williams vs Ryan Bixler

Karina Hallinan vs Patti Lee-Combs

Dan Stittgen vs Tony Wisneiwski

Mike Santiago vs Bryan Fielder

Frank Pizziruilli vs German Reyes

Chicago Cage Fighting Championship released a statement stating that tickets for their upcoming October 16 show will go on sale on Wednesday September 8.  Tickets can be purchased at www.chicagocagefighting.com and from the 8^th through the 14^th general admission tickets will be 25% off.  Tickets start at just $25.

Section 101 & 113 tickets will be $25, Section 102-105 and 109-112 will be $35.  There are two levels of tables with silver tables costing $500 and gold tables $1000 each seating 10 people.

The card includes the following fights:

Chase Beebe vs Jared McMahan

Mike Lullo vs Tyler Combs

Jason Guida vs Nick Rossborough

Ryan Williams vs Rob Emerson

Mike Lullo - photo by Brent Todd at Lords of War 1

Lullo most recently competed at Chicago Cage Fighting Championship 1 where he defeated Jeremy Castro by gogoplata 3:25 in the first round.  The victory improved Lullo’s record to 7-1 and put him on a seven fight win streak.

Combs meanwhile last competed in March at Ruckus 2 where he defeated Jay Ellis by technical knockout in the first round.  While the win puts Combs at 2-1 since 2009, his loss came at the hands of WEC fighter Bart Palaszewski.

Chicago Cage Fighting Championship 2 takes place on Saturday October 16 at The Odeum in Villa Park, Illinois.  The card now includes:

Chase Beebe vs Jared McMahan (Main Event)

Mike Lullo vs Tyler Combs (Co-Main Event)

Jason Guida vs Nick Rossborough

Ryan Williams vs Rob Emerson

The Midwest Training Center is located in Schaumburg, Illinois and is home to one of the largest stable of fighters in the midwest.  Ranging from local fighters like Mike Lullo to veteran fighters as Jason Guida, the gym is arguably one of the top gyms in the Chicagoland area.  MMA Recap’s Brent Todd caught up with Alex Trujillo to discuss what goes on at his gym.

So when was MTC formed?
The school opened about six years ago.  I had come back from living in California and there wasn’t a gym that I wanted to be a part of and join.  So I decided to create Midwest Training Center.

What all is offered at MTC?
Jiu Jitsu, Muay Thai, Wrestling and now we are starting to do some boxing and adding some kids classes and cardio kickboxing.  We are moving facilities soon and will need to offer some more commercial type of classes.

Is there a timeframe for moving the gym and where are you going?
We are hoping to move by the end of the year and it is going to be a lateral move.  We are staying within Schaumburg.  We are expanding our size to give us about twice the size.

Currently within the same center there’s yoga and chiropractic care will that be moving as well?
The yoga will stay at the old location, but we will be having doctors and chiropractic care at the new facility.

What makes training at MTC different than training at the other gyms?
In my opinion we are very focused on mixed martial arts and the competition of mixed martial arts.  We have had a lot of success with that.  I can’t say what the difference is because I haven’t trained at the other gyms to know what they do versus what we do.  I just know what we focus on and what we do and try to stay sharp at that.

There’s a large stable of fighters who train at MTC, who are some of the current fighters we should be on the lookout for?
We have nearly twenty professional fighters and about fifteen amateur fighters.  Right now I would say the guys that we are the most excited about are Mike Lullo, Dan Stittgen, and Mike Pitz.  Those are three kids who are up and coming.  We also have a couple of guys who are about to make their pro debuts soon after successful amateur careers.  We also have some great veterans like Jason Guida and Ryan Williams.  There’s every level of talent there from the guys who are just getting interested and breaking the water to those who have been around for a while and can give their wisdom out.

What steps do fighters need to take to become successful in this sport?
In my opinion you have to completely immerse yourself in this sport and training.  It has to be your focus and dedication.  People will be as good as they want to be and how much they want it.  It comes down to desire.  Once you meet the physical aspect it all comes down to who wants it more and the mental aspect.

Any local events that we will be seeing some fighters from MTC in?
There’s a Chicago Cage Fighting Championship event in October.  In November there will be a charity event to sponsor “Kids fight for Cancer” which we are excited about.  Amateur wise there’s a Gilbert Grappling show and also Fightcard Entertainment.  We are trying to get some guys out of town, Jason is fighting out in Florida at the end of the month.

What are you goals for MTC in the next couple of years?
To continue the success that we are currently enjoying.  I’d like to expand on that.  I would like to see more and more of these kids get the opportunity to compete in the bigger show.  I’d also like to see better quality in some of these local shows to help promote the sport.

Any other thoughts you would like to share?
We want to thank all of our fans and all of our supporters.  I’d like to thank everybody that makes MTC a big family, the fighters and coaches.  I would also like to thank Dan Lardy of the XFO for giving our fighters a platform to fight on early on.

Chicago Cage Fighting Championship held their first event at The Odeum in Villa Park, Illinois.  The night was headlined by Mike Lullo taking on Jeremy Castro and saw a total of five professional fights and six amateur bouts.  Read on for the full results and recap.

The first amateur bout of the night got the crowd on their feet as Chris Miller made quick work of Dylan Thomas.  After a leg kick by Thomas, Miller clinched and had a failed takedown attempt with Thomas landing in his guard.  But Miller threw up his legs and was able to lock in a fight ending triangle choke just 36 seconds into the fight.

Two local fighters Darcy Laminy out of MTC and Stefan Ivanov out of Hackney’s were up.  The lightweight bout started with Laminy catching Ivanov with a right hand that hurt him.  Ivanov tried to clinch, but Laminy dropped down and grabbed a double leg takedown.  After a big slam, Laminy worked to trap one of Ivanov’s arms under neath him.  But Ivanov worked through the bad position and eventually stood up.  Both fighters threw caution to the wind and stood in front of each other throwing big hooks.  Laminy shot for a takedown, but this time Ivanov was ready as he sprawled, then spun to get Laminy’s back.  From there he grabbed a rear naked choke forcing Laminy to tap.

Submission were on a hot streak as Dustin Pierson was able to defeat Chris Haney by rear naked choke in the second.  But the fight wasn’t going in Pierson’s way at all until then.  The first round Haney used superior wrestling to keep Pierson on his back.  Haney attempted multiple submissions, but Pierson continued to escape.  The second round Haney jumped on Pierson’s back and tried to secure a rear naked choke, but Pierson fell back slamming Haney into the matt.  Pierson quickly rolled to get Haney’s back and was able to get an arm deep under Haney’s chin and ended the fight.

Kamil Broda had the crowd behind him in his fight against Ray Grindstaff.  Both fighters clinched quickly and worked short knees and each attempted a takedown.  After a very quick takedown and pop right back up, the fighters separated and looked to exchange.  Broda landed a left hook that hurt Grindstaff.  Broda however rushed in too quickly and over estimated how hurt his opponent was as Grindstaff quickly grabbed Broda’s arm and forced a tapout due to arm bar.

A very interesting ending happened when Jeff Lavalle took on Shawn West in a featherweight contest.  The first round Lavalle used his strength to over power West landing multiple punches from within West’s guard.  The round saw Lavalle posture out of any submission West attempted and throw big left hands.  The second round Lavalle landed two leg kicks before taking the fight to the ground again.  West attempted a triangle choke but couldn’t get Lavalle’s head trapped as Lavalle popped out of it.  Lavalle stood up forcing West to stand as well.  Another overhand right by Lavalle and a takedown.  Lavalle with a single punch and West taps.

The last amateur fight of the night saw Dennis Dombrow take on James Smith.  And like the five previous fights, this one ended by submission.  Dombrow quickly took the fight to the ground and worked several shots.  Smith got hurt and gave up his back.  Dombrow quickly took the back and squeeze a rear naked choke until Smith tapped.

After an intermission we start the action on the professional side.  Carson Beebe made short work of Danny Black.  Beebe shot in for a takedown, picked Black up, carried him from one side of the cage to the other and slammed him down.  From there he moved from side control to mount and started raining down elbows.  Black defended well for a little while but Beebe was relentless with his punches and elbows.  Black was forced to give up his back and Beebe locked in a rear naked choke to end the fight.  Black’s face was clearly messed up as he needed help getting out of the cage.

The next pro fight saw Ryan Williams take on Jay Ellis.  In the first round Williams took the fight to the ground and worked several different strikes from within Ellis’s guard.  Ellis did a good job of controlling Williams’s wrist as not much damage was inflicted.  At the end of the round, Williams was able to Ellis’s back and was squeezing a rear naked choke as time ran out in the round.  The second round Ellis dropped Williams with a high kick, but Williams recovered quickly.  After both fighters stood back up, Ellis attempted a high kick again, this time slipping and Williams took advantage.  Williams started throwing powerful shots, but couldn’t finish the fight.  Like the first round, Williams was able to get the back of Ellis only this time he worked for an armbar as time ran out.  The third round Ellis came out with a high kick again, followed with a big left and spinning backlist.  Williams grabbed a single leg and brought the fight back down to the canvas.  Once there, Williams secured a kimura and force Ellis to tap.

Anthony Marti and Matt Horning were up next in a catchweight bout at 140lbs.  Marti let his hands fly at the beginning of the first round before rocking Horning.  Marti spent most of the rest of the round either on Horning’s back or working for mount.  From the dominant position, Marti attempted multiple submissions but couldn’t lock anything in.  With about thirty seconds left, both fighters stood up and Marti is gassed.  Horning starts dropping bombs but time runs out.  The second round Marti is still winded as Horning is just landing big punch after big punch.  Marti threw a big overhand right that missed and Horning landed a beautiful counter.  Marti shot for a takedown and Horning sprawled to defend.  Horning attempted to get Marti’s back but Marti defended and wound up in Horning’s guard.    Horning attempted to get up, but Marti transitioned to his back and locked in a rear naked choke.  Horning was tapping for several seconds before the ref stopped the fight.

The co-main event saw the return of Jared McMahan taking on Seth Marquez.  Both fighters were a little hesitant to commit to anything.  McMahan stalked down Marquez who circled away from McMahan for the first minute plus. Marquez attempted a superman punch, but McMahan defended it and rocked Marquez dropping him.  McMahan started to throw elbow after elbow and punch after punch until the ref was forced to stop the action.

The main event featured Mike Lullo taking on Jeremy Castro.  Both fighters exchange a series of leg kicks before Castro clinched and took Lullo down.  Lullo worked some sick rubber guard and Castro wasn’t able to do anything.  Lullo worked short elbows and punches from the rubber guard until he let it go.  Once out of the rubber guard, Castro stood up and let Lullo do the same.  Again Castro took the fight down, but this time Lullo worked an even better rubber guard and was able to get his leg under the throat of Castro.  Lullo kept pulling down on Castro’s head and force Castro to tap due to a gogoplata.
Quick Results

Amateur Bouts

Chris Miller defeated Dylan Thomas by triangle choke 0:36 of round 1

Stefan Ivanov defeated Darcy Laminy by rear naked choke 2:27 of round 1

Dustin Pierson defeated Chris Haney by rear naked choke 1:01 of round 2

Ray Grindstaff defeated Kamil Broda by arm bar 1:20 of round 1

Jeff Lavalle defeated Shawn West by submission (strikes) 1:12 of round 2

Dennis Dombrow defeated James Smith by rear naked choke 0:59 of round 1

Professional Bouts

Carson Beebe defeated Danny Black by rear naked choke 1:54 of round 1

Ryan Williams defeated Jay Ellis by kimura 1:03 of round 3

Anthony Marti defeated Matt Horning by rear naked choke 1:17 of round 2

Jared McMahan defeated Seth Marquez by technical knockout 2:00 of round 1

Mike Lullo defeated Jeremy Castro by gogoplata 3:25 of round 1

Chicago Cage Fighting Championship announced today that they have finalized the professional side of their June 26 event.  The night will feature five professional fights and is tentatively scheduled to include nine amateur bouts.  All five professional bouts have been confirmed and signed.

The last fight to be wrapped up sees the return of Jared McMahan who will be taking on Seth Marquez in a featherweight contest.

Also on the card are local favorites Tony Marti, Carson Beebe and Mike Lullo.

The event takes place at the Odeum Expo Center in Villa Park, Illinois on Saturday June 26.  Doors open at 6pm and the fights will kick off at 7pm.  Tickets are available online at chicagocagefighting.com and start at $45 for bleacher seats.

Chicago CageFighting Championship has announced Mike Lullo’s opponent for the June 26 show.  Stepping up to face the lightweight will be Jeremy Castro (6-6).

Castro is coming off a win against Ryne Vincent at “Mainstreet MMA: 8/22/09″.  Castro submitted Vincent with a guillotine choke just 1:51 into the second round.  The win snapped a three-fight losing streak.  Castro has finished five of his six opponents, four by way of (technical) knockout.

Lullo, who has been asking for a stand up fighter, now gets his wish.  After losing his professional debut, Lullo has put together a six-fight win streak with his most recent victory coming at “Lords of War 1″ where he defeated Tim Bazer in the third round.  Like his opponent, Lullo has stopped five of his six opponents, however four of those victories came via submission.

This looks to be a solid local main event for the new promotion.  Stay tuned to MMA Recap for other announced fights.

Upstart promotion Chicago CageFighting Championship has announced that their first show will be taking place on Saturday June 26 at the Odeum in Villa Park, Illinois.  Also announced was Mike Lullo will be headlining the event against an opponent to be determined.

Lullo trains out of the famous Midwest Training Center in Schaumburg, Illinois.  His original opponent for the event fell threw after he deemed Lullo “to tough of a fight”.  Lullo has won six straight after losing his professional debut with his last four coming by way of submission.

The show is expected to be a pro-am show with roughly five professional fights and five amateur bouts.

For more information on the event, visit chicagocagefighting.com

Ruckus Entertainment has confirmed the rest of the professional portion of their “Ruckus 2″ card.  The event takes place on Friday, March 12 at Venuti’s Banquet Hall in Addison, IL.

Ruckus Entertainment previously confirmed that Vince Ramos would be making his professional debut for the organization.  Ramos has an impressive 7-0 amateur record and is one of the top amateur fighters in the Chicago land area.  Welcoming him to the professional ranks is Danny Black (1-0) who fights out of Disorderly Conduct in Nebraska.  Black made his debut at “Adrenaline 4″ where he submitted Matt Bentley with a triangle choke in the second round.

Other fights that are now official include Mike Lullo vs Josh Schmidt, Demo Richards vs Steve Laureto, Ed Carpenter vs Harley Hiner, Carson Beebe vs Nate Williams and Adam Ward vs Shannon Slack.

The full line up now looks like:
•    145 lbs Vince Ramos (MTC) 0-0 vs.  Danny Black (DC) 1-0
•    155 lbs Mike Lullo (MTC) 5-1 vs. Josh Schmidt (DC) 8-7
•    145 lbs Tony Marti (MTC) 7-2 vs. Dustin Neace (Hit Squad) 25-15
•    205 lbs Demo Richards (DC) 4-1 vs. Steve Laureto (Hackneys) 3-1
•    HWT Ed Carpenter (MTC) 3-1 vs.  Harley Hiner (DC) 1-1
•    135 lbs Carson Beebe (Gilbert’s) 0-0 vs.  Nate Williams (DC) 5-6
•    145 lbs Adam Ward (GIlbert’s) 0-0 vs.  Shannon Slack (DC) 1-0
•    155 lbs Kyle Watson (Hit Squad) 16-6  vs.  Tyler Combs 12-4
•    Main Event:  185 lbs Chris Albandia (MTC) 10-4  vs.  Jeremy May 6-6

XFO 32 is set to take place on Saturday October 10 at Marino’s Country Aire Banquet Hall in New Munster, Wisconsin.  Like many XFO cards, there will be both an amateur and a pro card for the night.  The pro card will be headlined by WEC and IFL veteran Bart Palaszewski taking on Tyler Combs.

Tickets for the event are on sale now starting at just $25 and can be purchased at Curran Martial Arts in Crystal Lake, Illinois.  The night of fights will feature eight pro fights and nine amateur fights.

The full card includes:

PRO

155-Bart Palaszewski vs. Tyler Combs

155-Pat Curran vs.  Quinton McCottrel

155-Jon Murphy vs. Daniel Straus

155-Mike Lullo vs. Jay Little

155-Ryan Williams vs. Jay Ellis

185-Mike Pitz vs. Ryan Scheeper

145-Tony Marti vs. Jeremy Pender

145-Patrick Ferm vs. TBA

Amateur

185-Kent Rexford vs. Josh Johns

170-Lorenzo Clark vs. TBA

170-Dale Bowser vs. Percy Hicks

155-Scott Goldberg vs. Jose Pachenco

140-Sean Baker vs. James Ettling

155-Nick Scotti vs. Steven Sprague

225-Dwayne Thomas vs. TBA

185-Bill Stockwell vs. Brian Kalsto

135-Victor Loyd vs. TBA