The Fight That Almost Wasn't Is Finally Going To Happen

Cody Garbrandt (l) Facing off with Dominic Mazzotta

On November 27th after Cody Garbrandt won his fight at Pinnacle Fighting Championship's Pittsburgh Challenge Series 5 he called out Dominic Mazzotta, Bantamweight Pro fighting for Pittsburgh-based promotion Gladiators of the Cage.

Ten days later on December 7th Dominic Mazzotta defeated Jordan Espinosa in the main event at Gladiators of the Cage: North Shore's Rise to Power III. In the post fight interview Mazzotta called out Garbrandt, and Cody managed to enter the cage for a face-off before Pennsylvania State Athletic Commission personnel separated them. (pictured above) 

On December 15th Cody Garbrandt posted this to his Facebook profile:

Cody Garbrandt
December 15 near Muse, PA via mobile

Hey Dom and Gladiators of the Cage:

It has been 19 days since I called you out and 8 days since you called me out in return. I have made it clear I will fight you at GOTC in March. I have already said I am not restricted by a contract and I will fight you anywhere, but I have heard nothing from GOTC or your camp. You have until high noon tomorrow (Monday) to respond to this last offer and then I am going to take another fight. Quit hiding and take this fight and we will settle this once and for all. Pittsburgh MMA fans demand this fight and who are we to deny them!

An article was written about this and posted over at StandThemUp.Org that can he read here. 

This was posted on a Sunday, and the day before that Dominic Mazzotta was in Philadelphia attending the Bellator Open Tryouts, and the day the "High Noon" ultimatum was posted Mazzotta was doing things not MMA related. Dominic posted this that same day (Sunday):

Dominic Alan Mazzotta
December 15 via mobile

Snowboarding in the mountains. I don't do business on Sundays. Life's good! We'll talk business tomorrow.

Apparently Mazzotta was having a meeting on Monday with his coach & manager to see what they felt was the best thing to do. 

I hadn't seen this until earlier tonight. I had contacted GotC match-maker Rich Miller and asked if the fight had been made or not. His response was:

"I don't think so. Because Garbrandt is too impatient."

When I asked whether Dominic's people had contacted him Miller responded with:

"Yes. We were going to do this big,TV coverage and contract signing. But he just couldn't wait. We were talking to Pinnacle about a dual promotion for this fight but oh well."

"Robert asked Dave Klick why he made that match. Just because we didn't hop when Cody said to doesn't mean we weren't working on it. We are calculated in what we do cause were professional . So there's thought in our process."

According to Robert Joseph & Rich Miller of Gladiators of the Cage, they were interested in co-promoting the fight/event with Pinnacle Fighting Championships. There was talks about 50/50 sharing of the upfront costs as well as sharing the profits from the event with Pinnacle. According to and article posted here.

"(Robert Joseph) wanted to take this the whole 9 yards… meaning a public contract signing, getting the Post-Gazette and Tribune to cover this, and do a “Road to the UFC” type special on both fighters with interviews, fight camps, training, etc.  This is an opportunity to showcase both fighters and truly do what’s best for both guys.  This could give them a push that neither GOTC nor Pinnacle could possibly give them on their own.  This could be the biggest fight in Pittsburgh MMA history.  Rich said that he’d be willing to do a Stage AE show with a 50/50 split of upfront costs, and post-fight monies as well."

It appears that from the stated timeline in this article, these talks ended at 11:40AM on Monday, giving time to contact Garbrandt. 

I can't tell what happened between 11:40AM and 12:06PM - but this is what Cody had posted this on his Facebook profile:

Cody Garbrandt
Monday 12/16/13 via mobile

It is 12:06 on Monday. I am tired of waiting for Dominic Alan Mazzotta and his Gladiators of the Cage handlers. Robert Joseph promised me he would make the fight right after Dom’s fight but nothing; no contact from Rich Miller, no communication, no hint of interest. We will let the fans be the judge of this.

In the meantime, I am happy to accept the challenge from Brazen Boxing’s Evan Cheminski at 140 on the Pinnacle Fighting Championships card in March.

I will be looking forward to the challenge! #TeamAlphaMale #FightClubPittsburgh

 

 

 And this is where things get complicated. According to the Mazzotta/GotC side of the situation, they were trying to do everything they could to make this fight happen with both promotions being involved with the fight.

According to the Garbrandt/Pinnacle side of things, they seem to think that Mazzotta didn't really want to fight Cody, and that GotC was making things more complicated than necessary. 

Matt Leyshock of Pinnacle Fighting Championships posted on Facebook:

"Let's not over-complicate things. They didn't need our permission or assistance with anything. They either call Cody's management and make the fight or they don't. In this case they didn't. Not a huge controversy just a missed opportunity in my opinion."

I don't know if Pinnacle noticed that GotC wanted to share the upfront costs & the profits with Pinnacle, or if they were conveniently not noticing this aspect of what GotC wanted to do.

I'm not here to choose sides, I'm just trying to understand what happened to cause this fight to not happen - especially when two call-outs happened & both sides say they wanted it to go down. I did make a post on my Facebook page saying that since the fight wouldn't be happening for 10 - 12 weeks, what was the harm of waiting even 48 hours to see if GotC could get the details worked out for a fight that everyone both says they wanted & agree is a fight that all of Pittsburgh (actually Central/Western Pennsylvania) wants to see happen. Maybe Cody was a little impatient, maybe not. Maybe had GotC known Cody had an opponent waiting for him for the upcoming March 2014 Pinnacle event things would have progressed quicker/differently... maybe not.

But I don't really see it as a case of Mazzotta not wanting to fight Garbrandt. I think both fighters truly wanted this fight to happen - it's just the circumstances and timing seem to have prevented it from being signed. The Garbrandt/Pinnacle side had mentioned that Mazzotta being signed to an exclusive contract to GotC makes it harder to get the fight signed... and I feel this is a legitimate point to bring up as well as GotC saying Garbrandt could have waited a little longer.

But as of right now it's a moot point. Garbrandt is set to fight Evan Cheminski at Pinnacle Fighting Championships March 2014 event, and now Dominic Mazzotta is rumored to be possibly fighting Cody Stamman at Gladiators of the Cage's event  sometime in March 2014. (exact date not set as of tonight according to Robert Joseph and the match-up hasn't been signed at this point)

It should be mentioned that I had tried to come up with a solution last week when I suggested that the neutral location of Altoona, Pennsylvania be used for the fight - and that CDMMA match-maker Ryan Glunt make the matchup for CDMMA 10 so that neither fighter could claim a "hometown bias" because they fight for competing MMA promotions in Pittsburgh. Cody Garbrandt said he was willing to fight Dominic Mazzotta anywhere and that the promotion didn't matter to him, but the exclusive contract Mazzotta signed with GotC means that idea isn't a possibility.

However, considering that Robert Joseph was willing to co-promote the fight with Pinnacle... maybe he would be willing to do the same with CDMMA to make this fight happen? The Jaffa Shrine in Altoona, Pa. seems to have a larger capacity than any of the venues the Pittsburgh promotions use, and Pittsburgh is close enough that both fighters could bring large amount of fans to the event so that they are properly supported for what would be an historic fight. At CDMMA 9 a PSAC official made the comment to me that the location was the "best venue for MMA I have seen in Central or Western Pennsylvania". 

Anything is possible I guess, as long as both fighters still want the fight to happen & GotC is willing to work to make it happen somehow... or until the exclusive contract between Mazzotta & GotC expires & both fighters are free to fight for whichever promotion is willing to make the fight.

Like I said, I'm not picking sides. I'm speaking as both a journalist & a fan of MMA. I want to see the fight happen, and I don't care what needs to be done to make that a reality. That may be a bit unrealistic given the circumstances - but I believe deep down that all parties involved (Mazzotta, Garbrandt, Pinnacle & GotC) want this fight to happen - so hopefully it will soon enough!

UPDATE:

Since posting this article I had been messaging more with Cody Garbrandt, Dominic Mazzotta, Robert Joseph, and even Matt Leyshock on Facebook. I was told that the management for Cody's opponent (Jason Sargus of Brazen Boxing in Philly) was willing to let the fight between Cody Garbrandt & his fight er Evan Cheminski to be pulled if it meant the fight between Mazzotta & Garbrandt could be made.

Apparently Sargus had been following the interaction between the fighters & the promotions - and was willing to do his part to help facilitate things. I had spoken to Robert Joseph and he said he wanted to contact Matt Leyshock of Pinnacle Fighting Championships today (Wednesday) about the possibility of co-promoting the fight/event.

Well, I work up and there was a new development from Cody Garbrandt that may pave the way to this fight being signed.

Around 1AM or so Eastern time Cody posted this to a thread on Dominic's Facebook page that Robert Joseph has responded to:

Cody Garbrandt
12/18/13
8 hours ago via mobile


"Hello Robert

You never told my people to contact you about the fight. That is just not true Sir. You just stated above that:
“Dom has always had the freedom to pick and chose where he fights even under contract with us.”

Obviously that is not true either from what you are saying two posts later.

However, my people do not have to contact your people. I will make this very simple. I want to fight Dom. I will fight for $1.00 to show and $1.00 to win and 50% of ticket sales. I want the opportunity to sell at least 200 tickets. Talk to Dom and please let me know by Wednesday at 5:00PM. You can message me on Facebook with your answer and I will give you a number to fax the contract. Thank You. "

Like I had commented on my post of this article on Facebook. The 5 people I messaged yesterday about this subject (Cody Garbrandt, Dominic Mazzotta, Robert Joseph, Matt Leyshock, and Rich Miller) was very polite & professional, so I am hopeful that things can be worked out so that everyone is happy and this fight can happen.

UPDATE: 12/19/13


Thursday Robert Joseph posted in the Gladiators of the Cage Facebook page (seen here) that the deal had been made and that Cody will fight Dominic at the GotC event scheduled for March 15, 2014. Here is the text of that announcement plus the link for an article on the deal over at StandThemUp.Org


Well Pittsburgh MMA fans, it has finally been completed. The matchup between Dominic “The Honey Badger” Mazzotta and Cody Garbrandt is a go. The venue is none other than Stage AE along the North Shore the date March 15 2014. St. Patrick himself will be at this one. The lights will shine the cameras will roll and the fans will be bringing the house down. With the cooperation of Pinnacle Fighting Championships, The Pittsburgh Fight Club and The Matt Factory this event has become a reality. GOTC will strive to make this event a great start to the 2014 Pittsburgh MMA season. If you want tickets for this incredible show watch for posts from your favorite fighters for sale dates and availability. Watch for Ticketmaster sale dates on GOTC’s Facebook Page and website. If you want to see how this matchup came about tune into ROOT Sports on Friday December 20 2013 at 8pm and if you miss it there tune into My Pittsburgh TV on Saturday December 21 2013 at 10pm. The Fans demanded this fight and the workings of Pinnacle Fighting Championships, Pittsburgh Fight Club, The Matt Factory, and GOTC made it happen. Do not miss this one. Keep your eyes open, as Rich Miller GOTC’s ringmaster will be putting together a card that will truly bring St. Patrick to his feet.

(Blogger keeps giving me an error when I try to upload the video, so here's the link on Facebook)

Video link of Mazzotta/Garbrandt Face-off

Dominic Mazzotta faces-off with Cody Garbrandt

(Video used with permission of Robert Joseph & Gladiators of the Cage)

http://standthemup.org/dr/content/ladies-and-gentlemen-we-have-decision

It has been a tough couple days for everyone involved in the Mazzotta/Garbrandt “situation”.   We have had our ups and downs, the call outs and the “almosts but not quites” and of course about 5-7 averagely written articles.  5:00pm came and went but this time there was contact made and they filed for an extension til 9:00pm.  They somehow missed that deadline as well, but it was later announced that Dom had accepted the challenge and didn't have a contract in hand yet either.

The only thing I could think to myself is - what kind of contract are these guys making? Is it etched in stone? Carved from obsidian? Woven with blades of grass flown in last minute from the everglades? Welded with aluminum alloy and dipped into a melted steel vat and fashioned in the likeness of a hand drawn Spartan helmet?  I could honestly do this for at least 3 more creative, over built analogies but you get my point, hopefully.

But ladies (probably lady) and gentlemen, it is with great anticipation that I bring you the following news. Like smoke from the Vatican, it looks like we have finally come to a decision.

And that decision (drum roll please) is that Cody Garbrandt will be fighting Dom Mazzotta this coming March for … cough* another local promoter (can’t bring myself to do it).  The contract(s) are in route and it would appear that we are in store for a finale to all of this back and forth stuff we have been treated to as fans for the last few weeks.  It’s a bitter sweet moment for me and my team but at the end of the day, this is a good move not only for the sport but the region and that in itself bigger than anyone person involved.

All I can say is that someone better send me a Christmas card with some tickets in it.

Pittsburgh Challenge Series 5 Recap

Pinnacle Fighting Championships
Pittsburgh Challenge Series 5
Iceoplex at Southpointe
Cannonsburg, Pa.
11/27/13

The 5th installment of the "Pittsburgh Challenge Series" for Pinnacle Fighting Championships went down last night at the Icoplex at Southpointe. There were 10 amazing fights, including an exciting women's match between All-American wrestler out of Georgia Annie Descresente and local Pittsburgh fighter Jaime Chesney. Chesney went up to a catchweight 150 lb fight from her usual Featherweight an d the fight went the distance. 

Also on the fight card was local Central Pennsylvania fighters and CDMMA veterans Caleb "Costa" Dobosh and Ethan "The Wolverine" Goss. Goss was in action against the current CDMMA Featherweight (ammy 145) Champion Rich Cantolina for the Pinnacle Fighting Championships Featherweight title. Other notable fighters on the card from Western Pennsylvania were Khama Worthy, Reggie Merriweather, Julian Lane, & Joey Holt.   

There were 4 title fights among the amateur fights on the fight card, and all four were under the Advanced Amateur Rules for Pennsylvania. There were some amazing decisions as well as awesome finishes that went down at the Icoplex, and the fights were definitely crowd pleasing! Pennsylvania knows how to do MMA right and the fans who spend their hard-earned money expect great fights between the best fighters that can be matched-up. There are several gyms in Pennsylvania producing exceptional fighters - many who have gone on to regional and national promotions. If you are a fan of MMA here in Pennsylvania, you definitely have several great promotions doing things right, from Pittsburgh to Philadelphia! Last night it was Pinnacle Fighting Championships... December 7th it will be Gladiators of the Cage. Do yourself a favor & check out these shows when they are in your area to see the MMA stars of tomorrow... you can thank me later!

The Iceoplex at Southpointe

Pittsburgh Challenge Series 5 Results:

Professional Fights:
Main Event:
Julian Lane defeats Joey Holt by Unanimous Decision

Co-main Event:
Cody Garbrandt defeats Shane Manley by KO at 3:57 of Round 1

Khama Worthy defeats Reggie Merriweather by Unanimous Decision

Amateur Fights:
Eric Bledsoe defeats Matt Conohan by KO at 1:25 of Round 1 to become the PFC Lightweight (155 ammy) Champion
Davey Crockett defeats Vic Guarriello by TKO (D'arce Choke) at 1:34 of Round 1 to retain the PFC Bantamweight (135 ammy) Title
Rich Cantolina defeats Ethan Gross by Split Decision to become the PFC Featherweight (145 ammy) Champion
Jim Rendeiro defeats Dino Juklo by Unanimous Decision to become the PFC Middleweight (185 ammy) Champion
Matt Hester defeats Caleb Dobosh by Guillotine at 1:21 of Round 1
Zack Grossman defeats Mike Bothwell by TKO at 0:24 of Round 3
Annie Descresente defeats Jaime Chesney by Unanimous Decision
Steven Jones defeats Kevin Miller by Ref Stoppage (Cut/Blood) at 1:01 of Round 1
Ryan Arreola defeats Aaron Finch by Triangle Choke at 1:00 of Round 1

Annie Descresente Vs. Jaime Chesney

Mike Bothwell Vs. Zack Grossman

Caleb Dobosh Vs. Matt Hester

Dino Juklo Vs. Jim Rendeiro

Ethan Goss Vs. Rich Cantolina

Davey Crockett Vs Victor Guarriello

Eric Bledsoe Vs. Matt Conahan

Reggie Merriweather Vs. Khama Worthy

Shane Manley Vs. Cody Garbrandt

Joey Holt Vs. Julian Lane

#SupportLocalMMA #PinnacleFightingChampionships #PittsburghChallengeSeries5

I want to thank Clark Young for sending me result updates from cageside and to Mark Cherico for the update on the first two fights!!

Pinnacle Fighting Championships Pittsburgh Challenge Series 5 Results at MMAmadhouse.com

CDMMA 9 Recap

CDMMA 9

November 16, 2013

Jaffa Shrine

Altoona, Pa.

Complete Devastation MMA made a triumphant return with the 9th installment of CDMMA. The venue switched from the previous location of the Blair County Convention Center to the new location of the Jaffa Shrine in Altoona, Pa. The Jaffa Shrine has a larger seating capacity (3,500 according to the Jaffa staff) and has been described as "the best location for MMA in Central/Western Pennsylvania" by a member of the Pennsylvania State Athletic Commission. CDMMA 9  was also the first full event under the new ownership of Drew D'Auria and the audio/video production of Nova 6 Studios.

Matchmaker Ryan Glunt had put together 10 fights for this fight card, but only 8 fights survived for fight night. Ryan put together an great fight card of 3 professional fights and 7 amateur fights, and it was 2 of the amateur fights that did not happen for various reasons. The fights that did happen were very exciting, and the crowd in attendance was very satisfied.

I had been partial to the events at the Blair County Convention Center, but I must say that I like the new location much better. The way the seats are arranged at the Jaffa Shrine are more like a amphitheater or sports arena, and the acoustics make it perfect for an action-packed event like Mixed Martial arts. I feel that this location really does not have a bad seat in the house, and the improvements made by the new owner have made the events even better.

The old cage is mostly the same, except that there is a new cage floor covering that allows for better video for the fights. New features are a catwalk around the cage and the addition of more lights in a four-sided lighting rack. The audio from a different/better PA system was suited very well for the Jaffa Shrine.

The day began with a demonstration from local Martial Arts gyms as part of the F.S.I. MMA Heroes program sponsored by Family Services Incorporated. In attendance was the "Frownie Brownie" from one of the sponsors, King's Family Restaurant.  The demonstration launched the program to the public that is a joint effort between CDMMA and Family Services Incorporated that is essentially an anti-bullying program. F.S.I. MMA Heroes is hoping to have future demonstrations in schools not only in Blair County but all over Central Pennsylvania. 

The National Anthem was sung by CDMMA announcer (cageside commentator/Cage Nation TV co-host) Drew Shannon. The crowd appreciated his rendition of the song, and a standing ovation was given by the crowd in attendance.

It was a great night of fights, with several exciting stoppages and two fights that went the distance.

The results for CDMMA 9 are:

Pro Fights:
Main Event
Brett "Showtime" Shoenfelt defeated Ted "Red" Worthington by RNC at 1:45 of Round 2
Shoenfelt becomes the new CDMMA Welterweight (170lb Pro) Champion
Co-main Event
Charlie "Madman" Gathers defeats Greg Saumenig by Guillotine at 0:45 of Round 1
Billy Ward defeats PJ Palmer by RNC at 3:32 of Round 1
Ammy Fights:
Ethan "Wolverine" Goss defeats Walter Hess by Guillotine at 2:04 of Round 2
Osahon Omo-Osagie defeats Josh Lear by North/South Choke at 0:55 of Round 1
Justin Johnston defeats Brandon Laney by Unanimous Decision
Jacob Kozorosky defeats Juan Hernandez by Unanimous Decision
Daniel O'Neill defeats John Rearick by Armbar at 0:38 of Round 1

Scratched Fights:

Paul Riggleman had medical issues and the fight with Rick Shawley was scratched at fight time

Dylan Hughes (18 years old) was not given clearance due to age for his ammy debut against Luke Ickes (23 years old and also an ammy debut) according to the Athletic Commission
 

Fight break-down:

John Rearick Vs. Daniel O'Neill

The first fight of the night was John Rearick against Daniel O'Neill. O'Neill is a recent BJJ Blue Belt under Ryan Gruhn from Central PA Mixed Martial Arts. (A Renzo Gracie affiliated school) Rearick had a record of 1 - 2 and O'Neill was 0 -1. This fight began fast & furious, but quickly it went to the ground and at 38 seconds in the first round Dan O'Neill secured an armbar causing John Rearick to tapout. Rearick was clearly upset with the quick loss and stormed out of the CDMMA cage. His cornermen got him to re-enter the cage so that announcer Drew Shannon could read the official result, but then Rearick immediately exited the cage again, ultimately pushing the doctor at cageside who was about to do the post-fight examination. Ron Russitano from the Pennsylvania State Athletic Commission at cageside informed Rearick's corner that John would be getting suspended for his post-fight actions. It was later reported that John Rearick was suspended for 90 days & fined $100 by the P.S.A.C.

Jacob Kozorosky Vs. Juan Hernandez

Next up was a battle of  unbeaten fighters. Jacob Kozorosky (2 - 0) had previously fought and won at CDMMA 7 & 8, and Juan Hernandez (2 - 0)  is a Judo Black belt, and a BJJ Purple belt. The fight was hard fought, and Hernandez was bloodied a few times. It went the full three rounds, and the result was a unanimous decision victory for Kozorosky, who will potentially be fighting under the advanced amateur rules in Pennsylvania for his next amateur fights.

Justin Johnston Vs. Brandon Laney

The third fight of the night was between two amateurs making their debut in MMA. It ended up being one of the most exciting fights on the fight card, and if the promotion awarded a "Fight of the Night" this match between Justin Johnston & Brandon Laney probably wins hands down. It is without a doubt the bloodiest fight I have seen in CDMMA history. I have been the person to clean up any blood in the cage since CDMMA 3, and in the one round alone I had to use 5 rags to clean up the blood coming from Brandon Laney's nose. Referee Jim Chappel and "cage twin" Steve Henneman were also helping to clean up the blood for this fight - and I feel that at one point or another almost every section of the cage floor had been covered in blood. There was so much blood I was anticipating a break in the action being called so that the cage floor could be fully mopped to make sure all blood was removed from the floor. For a moment I thought the fight might be stopped from the amount of blood Laney had lost, but the referee had the cageside doctor look at Laney between rounds and the fight was allowed to continue. By the end of the fight Johnston won by unanimous decision and had broken both of his hands, while Laney had received a broken nose.

Osahon Omo-Osagie Vs. Josh Lear

The fourth fight of the night was between Osahon Omo-Osagie (0 - 1) of Titan Fitness PA and Josh Lear (0 - 2). Omo-Osagie is a team-mate of CDMMA 7 fighter Tyler "The Daywalker" Saltsman and CDMMA veteran Ethan "Wolverine" Goss and is an assistant boxing instructor at Penn State University. Lear is a member of Dignan/Brumbaugh MMA Fight Team. Both fighters were looking for their first win. Omo-Osagie is known for his heavy hands, but he was the one who took the fight to the ground relatively quickly. "Os" as he is known by his team-mates ended up winning the fight at 55 seconds of the first round by the rare North-South Choke.

Paul "Lionheart" Riggleman Vs. Rick Shawley

The next fight of the night was supposed to be between Paul Riggleman (0 - 1) and Rick Shawley, who was making his ammy debut. However, after Riggleman's name was called the announcer was asked to give Paul a moment to get to the cage... but after a moment match-maker Ryan Glunt came to cageside to inform announcer Drew Shannon that the Riggleman/Shawley fight had been scrapped. Rumors surfaced from Riggleman was dealing with dehydration issues because of the weight cut to Riggleman was overcome by nerves and couldn't fight. 

Ethan "Wolverine" Goss Vs. Walter Hess

The final amateur fight of the night was and "advanced amateur rules" fight between CDMMA veteran Ethan Goss (3 -1) of Titan Fitness PA and Walter Hess (2 -1). Ethan has been making a name for himself lately, and after his win over Hess by Guillotine at 2:04 of the 2nd round CDMMA owner had said he wanted to talk with Ethan about a title fight against the current CDMMA Featherweight champion (145lb ammy) Rich Cantolina. Before those talks could be formalized Pittsburgh based promotion Pinnacle Fighting Championships made a title fight match between Rich Cantolina & Ethan Goss for the PFC Featherweight (145 lb ammy) title. So it is quite possible that these two fighters will face each other again at CDMMA 10 to settle who the CDMMA Featherweight champion is.

P.J. Palmer Vs. Billy Ward

After a short intermission where the CDMMA Cage Girls tossed Sickem Kustoms Cycles t-shirts to some lucky members of the audience, the professional fight portion of the fight card began. The first of three pro fights was between Detroit native & CDMMA veteran Billy Ward (3 - 2 - 1) and Pittsburgh area native P.J. Palmer (2 -2). This was a late addition to the CDMMA 9 fight card, and both fighters are to be commended for stepping up on short notice. Ward had a win over CDMMA match-maker Ryan Glunt at CDMMA 6, and lost to Brett "Showtime" Shoenfelt in the main event at CDMMA 8.  Palmer has a recent win over CDMMA veteran Mitchell Killeen in a fight for another promotion. The fight was exciting and fast-paced, and Billy Ward won the fight by RNC at 3:32 of round 1. During the post-fight interview Ward announced that he had brought his father (Bill Ward Sr.) along and that the two of them have been working to repair their relationship as father & son.

Charlie "Madman" Gathers Vs. Greg Saumenig

The co-main event was between "hometown favorite" and CDMMA veteran Charlie Gathers (2 - 4) of Dignan/Brumbaugh MMA Fight Team and Greg Saumenig (1 -1). Both fighters had been amateur champions, and this was the 6th time Gathers had fought for CDMMA. (3 as an amateur & 3 as a pro) Charlie had been coming off back-to-back losses by Guillotine choke, and it was poetic justice that Charlie ended up winning this fight by Guillotine. I had been sitting cageside and I saw when Gathers was able to sink in the choke. I was trying to remain neutral, but I could see Charlie's determination in his face... and after Saumenig tapped out I couldn't help but say "He wanted it more!" - meaning that Charlie made the win happen by forcing Saumenig to bend to his will. It was a cathartic moment for Gathers, who had been dealing with a family emergency all week that could have easily derailed his mental game if not for the support system he has in the form of family, friends, team-mates & coaches/instructors/cornermen.

Brett "Showtime" Shoenfelt Vs. Ted "Red" Worthington

The main event was between local favorite Brett Shoenfelt (5 - 3) and Iowa native Ted Worthington (34 - 41). When interviewed by Cage Nation TV Worthington claimed to have had an additional 40 fights that aren't on his record, which easily makes him the most experienced fighter to have ever fought for CDMMA. Shoenfelt had spent time training with Tenyeh "Skinnyman" Dixon for this fight. (Dixon has held titles for multiple MMA promotions) Worthington had fought against former UFC champion terry Martin as well as UFC Veterans Joe Ellenberger, Darren Elkins & Bobby Voekler as well as CDMMA Veteran Tyler Combs. The first round was full of action & lots of scrambles. Shoenfelt was dominating most of the round, and mixed it up between pummeling Worthington with strikes & submission attempts. Round two picked up where the first round left off, and at 1:45 of the 2nd round Shoenfelt managed to submit Worthington by RNC to become the new CDMMA Welterweight (170lb pro) Champion. The previous person to hold that title was Jordan Rinaldi (who had been part of the UFC's "The Ultimate Fighter" 15 (a.k.a. The Ultimate Fighter Live) but didn't make it into the TUF15 house.

The other fight that almost happened but didn't was the amateur bout between Dylan Hughes and Luke Ickes. Both would have been making their amateur debuts, but the fight had not been approved by the P.S.A.C. and the word from the athletic commission was that the age of Dylan Hughes was the reason. Hughes is 18 years old & Ickes is 23. Not sure why his age was a factor, but that was the reason given.

The venue at the Jaffa Shrine has about three times the capacity as the previous location of the Blair County Convention Center. And even though it appeared that the event had less people in attendance than previous events, because of the size difference in locations I'd be willing to guess that CDMMA 9 had a higher attendance than any other Complete Devastation MMA event.

There were no major problems other than the fight that got scrubbed at fight time, so the owner of CDMMA can definitely consider this a success. After the main event Brett Shoenfelt had raffled off some items, and probably spent almost a full hour taking photos with fans & signing autographs. I was impressed that he refused nobody, and had time for everyone who wanted to congratulate him on his victory. 

Not sure when the next CDMMA event will be, but with the foundation the new owner has laid, any event in the future has an excellent chance of being even better than CDMMA 9 was. I have heard some fight rumors for potential match-ups, and if any of them come true, people will be very satisfied with the hard work that Ryan Glunt is putting in to make #10 be the best event it possibly can be!

If you missed out on #9, do yourself a favor and get to CDMMA 10 when it comes to town!! (you can thank me later)

The new cage/lights look (not fully set-up)

The view from the 2nd Tier

From the CDMMA 9 program

Family Services, Inc

King's Family Restaurants "Frownie Brownie"

F.S.I. MMA Heroes Program

Dan O'Neill defeating John Rearick by Armbar

Ethan Goss after his Guillotine victory

Ethan Goss post-fight interview

Ethan "Wolverine" Goss

Billy "Psycho" Ward after his RNC submission win

Charlie "Madman" Gathers getting prepped for the cage

Charlie "Madman" Gathers with his hand raised in victory

Pat Johnston, Gathers, Jason & Joleen Dignan

Charlie "Madman" post-fight interview

Brett Shoenfelt getting prepped for the cage

The moment "Showtime" became CDMMA champion

Brett "Showtime" Shoenfelt Welterweight champion

Drew Shannon with the National Anthem

Jim Dignan Jr & Pat Johnston Dignan/Brumbaugh MMA

Albert Cameron of Cage Nation TV and "the chair"

Jim Dignan Jr. - Cage Nation TV interview

"Lenny" Karlheim - Cage Nation TV interview

Me w/ CDMMA Cage Girls Stephanie (l) & Courtney

Me with GotC champion Chris Dempsey

Me with Charlie "Madman" Gathers

Me w/ CDMMA Welterweight Champ Brett Shoenfelt

Blood spilling outside the cage

CDMMA Announcer Drew Shannon

Face-off: Shoenfelt (l) & Worthington

The Next Chapter For MMA Begins

The first UFC event was held in 1993 in Denver, Colorado. The purpose of the event was to identify the most effective martial art in a real fight between competitors of different fighting disciplines, including Boxing, Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, Sambo, Wrestling, Muay Thai, Karate, Judo, and other styles. In subsequent competitions, fighters began adopting effective techniques from more than one discipline, which indirectly helped create an entirely separate style of fighting known as present-day mixed martial arts.

The Ultimate Fighting Championship (later renamed UFC 1: The Beginning) was the first mixed martial arts event by the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), held at the McNichols Sports Arena in Denver, Colorado, on November 12, 1993. The event was broadcast live on pay-per-view and later released on home video.

UFC 1 used an eight-man tournament format, with the winner receiving $50,000. The tournament had no weight classes and consisted of single-round fights to the finish. The match only ended by submission, knockout, throwing in the towel, or referee stoppage due to a severe cut or injury. Gloves were allowed as shown by Art Jimmerson in his Quarterfinal bout against Royce Gracie, Jimmerson had only one boxing glove on.

Despite being billed as having "no rules" there were limitations on what the fighters could do, including no biting and no eye gouging. Royce Gracie won the tournament by defeating Gerard Gordeau via tap out due to a rear naked choke. The referees for UFC 1 were João Alberto Barreto and Hélio Vigio, two veteran vale tudo referees from Brazil.

The commentary team for the pay-per-view was Bill Wallace, Jim Brown and Kathy Long, with additional analysis from Rod Machado and post-fight interviews by Brian Kilmeade. Jason DeLucia was an alternate for the event, having defeated Trent Jenkins in the alternate bout. However, as no fighter pulled out during the tournament, he was not called upon.

Under the current five-minute round rules, every fight on this card would have ended within the first round.

Fast forward 20 years & The Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) is the largest mixed martial arts promotion company in the world, which hosts most of the top-ranked fighters in the sport and produces events worldwide. Based in the United States, the UFC has eight weight divisions and enforces the Unified Rules of Mixed Martial Arts. Dana White serves as the president of the UFC while brothers Frank and Lorenzo Fertitta control the UFC's parent company, Zuffa, LLC.

UFC 167: St-Pierre Vs. Hendricks is 20th anniversary event for the UFC to be held on November 16, 2013 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada.

2013 has been called the best year in the UFC's history, having several record-breaking events in terms of PPV "buys" and dollars brought in. It has also set attendance records for some of the venues where the events are held.

With UFC 167 some people are saying that the "Next Chapter" of Mixed Martial Arts is beginning. The sport is growing fast and you can find local/regional promotions all over the Country offering quality MMA fights and producing the MMA stars of tomorrow that you will see in the larger promotions like the UFC.

On November 16th there is another promotion looking to begin the next chapter of its history. Complete Devastation MMA, an MMA promotion based out of Altoona, Pennsylvania will put on CDMMA 9, the first full event under the new ownership. The promotion has had 8 successful events and is looking to improve upon the previous success in every way possible.

New Owner Drew D'Auria and Nova6 Studios are looking for ways to improve upon the production quality as well as bring the best possible match-ups to the Central Pennsylvania area. CDMMA was the first to bring women's MMA to the Central Pennsylvania region, and you can expect more women's MMA as well as exciting men's match-ups coming from this new version of an already successful promotion in the future!

The last Complete Devastation event was back in March, and the new owner decided to take some time to determine what was working, what wasn't, and what else could be done to make Complete Devastation MMA events the best possible for fans, fighters, and everyone else involved. (coaches/instructors/cornerman, vendors, sponsors/advertisers, spectators, family/friends of fighters, etc) Nova6 Studios brings superior audio/video production to the table, and with a new venue (the Jaffa Shrine in Altoona) having at least twice the capacity as the previous location at the Blair County Convention Center this event has the potential to be exponentially better & much more successful than previous CDMMA events.

I'm not sure if the new owner chose the date for the event knowing that it is also the "20th Anniversary event date" for the UFC, who are putting on UFC 167 almost 20 years to the day of the first UFC Mixed Martial Arts event here in the US - but either way, this date marks a new chapter for both the UFC as well as Complete Devastation MMA.

Tickets for CDMMA 9 can still be purchased online until November 15th... and start at ONLY $15!

2 - 4pm FREE open house - FSI MMA Heroes

Doors open at 6, fights starts at 7

Ticket prices:

Cageside - $100
2nd row -  $65
3rd row -  $65
4th row -  $45
5th row -  $35
1st tier -   $25
2nd tier -  $15

http://www.cdmmaonline.com


Fight Card (Subject To Change):


Main Event
Brett Shoenfelt Vs. Ted Worthington
Co-Main Event
Charlie Gathers Vs. Gregory Saumenig
PJ Palmer Vs. William Ward
Amateur Fights
Ethan Goss Vs. Walter Hess
Rick Shawley Vs. Paul Riggleman
Justin Johnson Vs. Brandon Laney
Jacob Kozorosky Vs. Juan Hernandez
Osahon Omo-Osagie Vs. Josh Lear
John Rearick Vs. Daniel O'Neill
Dylan Hughes Vs. Luke Ickes

 

The Next Chapter For MMA Begins for the UFC and Complete Devastation MMA on November 16th 2013. But since you probably can't afford $1,000 per ticket (not counting airfare, hotel, car rental, food, etc) to go see the 20th anniversary event for the UFC in Las Vegas, I suggest you support local MMA and get a ticket to see the next generation of MMA stars in action at the Jaffa Shrine in Altoona, Pa. By supporting these local/regional shows it allows promotions to put on more events, which allows fighters to develop and be signed by the larger promotions like the UFC. Supporting local MMA is supporting MMA at the National/International level. So... November 16th - Complete Devastation 9 - BE THERE!!!