UFC Fight Night: T.J. Dillashaw vs Dominick Cruz | Long Island MMA

UFC Fight Night: T.J. Dillashaw vs Dominick Cruz

UFC is heading to Boston, Massachusetts on January 17th 2016 with another exciting Fight Night card, airing exclusively on Fox Sports 1.  The headliner for this one is going to be an exciting battle for the UFC Bantamweight Championship.  T.J. Dillashaw will defend his title against former Bantamweight Champion Dominick Cruz, who had never actually lost the title in the first place!
Dominick Cruz was stripped of the Bantamweight Championship due to inactivity caused by repeated long-term injuries.  Upon his return, Cruz finished Takeya Mizugaki in an explosive knockout, 1:01 into the 1st round.  Cruz has defeated many great opponents and is actually the last person to defeat the Flyweight Champion Demetrious Johnson.  Dominick feels he is the rightful Champion of the division until someone can beat him inside the octagon, and Dillashaw believes he’s the man to do it!
T.J. Dillashaw’s most notable feat is when he took the title from the former champion, Renan Barao. Barao was on an undefeated win streak that lasted 9 years, at the time he was at the top of the Pound-for-Pound list.  Barao had the odds to win 20 to 1, but Dillashaw put on such an impressive and dominant performance that finished the former champion halfway through the 5th round.  Barao got his rematch a year later and Dillashaw put on an even better performance, this time finishing Barao in the 4th round.

There are some other matchups that evening that are very promising as well.  Eddie Alvarez vs. Anthony Pettis is bound to be an exciting war.  This is Pettis’s first fight since his loss to Lightweight Champion Rafael Dos Anjos, and Alverez will be riding off of his victory against Gilbert Melendez, both men trying to get there shot at the UFC Lightweight Championship.  Another match to pay attention to is Chris Wade vs. Mairbek Taisumov, both of these men are extremely explosive and have the potential to finish fights.  Chris Wade is a strong up-comer in the division fighting out of Long Island MMA in Farmingdale, New York.

The entire Fight Night Boston card is an exciting one, but make sure you really pay attention to the fights mentioned here, you will not be disappointed!

A Win for Long Island in UFC!

A Win for Long Island in UFC!

This past weekend at UFC 194 we witnessed the upsetting loss of the UFC Middleweight Champion,
Chris Weidman, to the former Strikeforce Middleweight Champion, Luke Rockhold.  Despite Chris’s
efforts to defend his title, Rockhold finished him with a 4th round TKO to become the new UFC Middleweight Champion.  This may have been an upsetting for many of Weidman’s hometown fans
from Long Island, NY, but luckily Chris wasn’t the only Long Island boy fighting this past weekend!
Ryan LaFlare, fighting out of his gym in Farmingdale, NY, took his 12th professional win against Mike Pierce on Friday at The Ultimate Fighter Finale.  LaFlare has won 5 of his 6 UFC fights, and intends on adding more to that list!  This fight against Mike Pierce was really important because LaFlare was coming off his first and only career loss, and he came back better than ever.  Ryan LaFlare dominated Mike Pierce for 3 rounds ending in a unanimous decision.  LaFlare had made some improvements in his striking game and out-struck Pierce with clean counters and devastating body kicks.  Pierce was forced to attempt his takedowns on LaFlare, but all his attempts failed as LaFlare was able to stuff them, create the space he needed, and continue dominating on the feet.  The excitement increased at the end of the 3rd when both fighters bit down on their mouth piece and finished with a barrage of punches until the bell rang.  Sometimes we lose, and sometimes we win.  It’s important to learn from the losses we encounter and

celebrate all the wins along the way!

2 things to avoid when in someone else's guard | Brazilian Jiu Jitsu

Long Island MMA Black-belt Billy Hofacker teaches us 2 things to avoid when you are in someone else's guard.

Often times when new students start training Brazilian Jiu Jitsu at Long Island MMA we notice students will try some common things that seem like a good idea but might wind up hurting you in the long run.

These are the 2 things we often see at Long Island MMA from brand new Jiu Jitsu practitioners.

1. When new students find themselves inside someone's guard we often see them try to pry open their opponents legs by digging their elbows into the legs of their opponent. This can work against them because it is repetitively easy for the person playing guard to stuff the top persons hand in-between their legs to attack a triangle choke.

Digging your elbows in someones legs is also just plain bad technique. Digging your elbows on the inside of your opponents thighs will never get an experienced player to open their guard you must you a specific guard break to open the guard.

2. Trying to choke someone from inside the guard.

We see this a lot, sometimes not exactly as depicted in the video but sometimes by a forearm across the neck. This is also an easy way for the bottom person to set up a submission but a lot of times we see the bottom person push the top guys arm aside, making it easy for the bottom guy to get the back-take.

These are just somethings we see at long island MMA. Let us know if you guys can think of anything else you shouldn't do inside the guard.

UFC Gym Long Island

The UFC (Ultimate Fighting Championship) is widely regarded as being the number one organization for Mixed Martial Arts in the entire world. Being that this is the case, it is bouts hosted by the Ultimate Fighting Championship that are most sought after for viewing because of their reputation for being of the highest caliber. Now if the UFC brand name is associated with the highest caliber of Mixed Martial Arts that there is to offer wouldn’t you be excited to hear that you can train at a UFC Gym? Of course your expectation may be that because of their reputation for being the best you will be receiving the absolute best form of Mixed Martial Arts training. Sadly this is just not the case, and new students who believe that they are receiving quality training are caught looking through the shroud of a huge name brand.

     It has been the case on more than one occasion that coaches have been found to have illegitimate credentials and coming from such a trusted name this is simply a disservice to the MMA community as a whole. The spread of Mixed Martial Arts culture should viewed with an utmost sense of seriousness and responsibility, not an effective way to make extra money. Having new students presented with possible misinformation not only has a direct effect on their ability to understand and apply the concepts taught to them, but it also indirectly effects the entire MMA community by allowing the spread of this illegitimacy to the less informed.

     When seeking out a place to begin training in Mixed Martial Arts it is usually best to seek out privately owned gyms. Like any other investment it is important to do your due diligence before investing in a facility however, you will be far better off in finding a true Mixed Martial Arts academy if you seek the best Mixed Martial Arts training rather than settling for a brand name that is nothing more than your average fitness gym masquerading as a loosely qualified MMA school. The best coaches are more often than not found at private academies such as Long Island Mixed Martial Arts and Fitness Center. The coaching staff at this gym consists of the absolutely highest qualified active MMA fighters such as the gym’s owner Ryan LaFlare (UFC Welterweight Contender) as well as Dennis Bermudez (UFC Featherweight Contender), Chris Wade (UFC Lightweight Contender) and Marcos Galvao (Bellator Bantamweight Champion).

     Long Island MMA is one of many qualified private MMA training facilities in the world that are true to what Mixed Martial Arts is and what its culture represents. Therefore in looking for a place to be introduced to MMA, seek out instruction from the real athletes, from the fighters themselves rather than a flashy brand. The UFC can stick to what it does best, hosting fights. But once again, in seeking instruction look to the fighters themselves. 

Congrats to UFC’s New Women’s Bantamweight Champion, Holly Holm! | Long Island MMA

Congrats to UFC’s New Women’s Bantamweight Champion, Holly Holm!

Holly Holm defeated Ronda Rousey at UFC 193, ending Rousey’s reign as the undefeated, undisputed champion of the women’s Bantamweight division.  After dominating Rousey throughout the entire fight, Holm finished her with a devastating head kick 59 seconds into the second round.  Holm executed her game plan perfectly; all the experts said that Holm needed to keep her distance and pick apart Rousey on her feet.  Dennis “The Menace” Bermudez, who fights out of Long Island MMA in Farmingdale NY, had commented that “The game plan that Holly stuck to is the only game plan I thought would ever work.” Rousey is known for being very aggressive, this is the reason she has won her fights in such a dominant and devastating fashion.  This is also a big reason why Holly’s game plan worked so well, Ronda needed to be patient and not let Holm pick her apart on her entries, but the more Holly landed the more frustrated and desperate Rousey seemed to become, ultimately ending in the head kick knockout. Having a new undefeated champion adds a lot of excitement to the Women’s Bantamweight division.We don’t know for sure what’s next for Ronda Rousey or Holly Holm, but we know that Holm’s career just took a big leap, and we could imagine Rousey will be getting a rematch sometime in the near future.

Long Island MMA Technique Series: Boxing | Long Island MMA

Long Island MMA Technique Series:

If you are from Long Island and in any way involved in the boxing community the name Herman Williams should ring a bell. Coach Herman is Long Island MMA’s head boxing coach. One of the things that make coach Herman unique is that although he is unquestionable a skilled boxer and boxing coach Herman is also well skilled in many other martial arts as well.

Coach Herman wrestled in his high school days as well as participated in many Brazilian jiu Jitsu classes shortly after.  Coach Herman has a deep understanding of the ground game when it comes to fighting which makes him an ideal boxing coach for a mixed martial artist. On Long Island it’s difficult to find a better suited coach for a MMA fighter.

In this video series coach Herman shows us some of the finer points on how to throw a Jab. Coach Herman teaches us how to defend a Jab as well. This is a great video for those of you starting out in mixed martial arts. The Jabs is one of the most fundamental strikes in MMA and you cannot be a good MMA fighter without a successful jab.

Pound for Pound Best Fighter in the World Returns to UFC!! | Long Island MMA

Pound for Pound Best Fighter in the World Returns to UFC!!

On October 23^rd 2015 the UFC announced the reinstatement of #1 light-heavyweight in the world, Jon “Bones” Jones.  Jones had pled guilty to his felony charge of a hit-and-run incident that left a pregnant woman with a broken arm.  As part of his plea agreement, Jones was given an 18-month probation stint and 72 community appearances.  Jones is eligible to return to competition immediately and the UFC expects him to meet all terms of his plea agreement as a condition of his reinstatement.  UFC Chairman and CEO Lorenzo Fertitta said “There are significant expectations we have regarding his conduct moving forward.”  And Jones had issued a statement saying “I am thankful to be able to do what I love once again and I look forward to proving myself as a champion in and outside of the Octagon.”  The future looks promising for Jones, hopefully he learned from this experience and will work to be the role model and inspiration that this sport needs.  Upon his return it is expected, though not confirmed, that he will have an immediate title shot with the current champion Daniel Cormier.  DC had lost his title fight against Jon Jones, but later replaced Jones in his fight against Anthony Johnson, where DC dominated Rumble Johnson on the ground and pulled out a submission victory in the 3^rd round to win the vacated Light-Heavyweight title.  The exact return date for Jones is yet to be determined but we are all looking forward to it, including Cormier, who congratulated Jones on his reinstatement to the UFC and said “I can’t wait to compete against him again.”

Long Islands Ryan LaFlare vs. Mike Pierce: December 11th 2015 | Long Island MMA

Long Islands Ryan LaFlare vs. Mike Pierce: December 11th 2015

Ryan LaFlare, fighting out of his gym Long Island MMA in Farmingdale New York, will be taking on Mike Pierce at The Ultimate Fighter Finale, scheduled for December 11th 2015.  This UFC card is very promising, also holding bouts with Frankie Edgar vs Chad Mendes and Khabib Nurmagomedov vs Tony Ferguson.  Both LaFlare and Pierce are coming off of a loss, but LaFlare has been a lot more active than Pierce.  Mike Pierce had suffered a sprained MCL and a torn ankle ligament due to his last opponent, Rousimar Palhares, neglecting to let go of a heel hook even after Pierce tapped out and the referee stepped in.  Palhares was then cut from the UFC the next day for his actions.  That fight took place on October 9th of 2013, more than two years before his upcoming bout with LaFlare.  Ryan LaFlare has had 4 fights in that time and has looked very good in all of them.  With wins over Santiago Ponzinibbio, Court McGee, and John Howard, and a 5-round decision loss to Demian Maia, Ryan Laflare is showing that he can go the distance and hang with the best of them.  Damian Maia is LaFlare’s first and only loss, and he plans to come back stronger and better than ever before.  The internet polls have Ryan LaFlare as the favorite and we are all excited to see him go out and represent the high-quality of fighters that comes out of Long Island New York!

UFC’S BEST STRIKING COACH COMES TO LONG ISLAND, NEW YORK!

UFC’S BEST STRIKING COACH COMES TO LONG ISLAND, NEW YORK!

Renown striking coach, Henri Hooft, had made his way back to Long Island this past weekend for a kickboxing seminar at “Long Island MMA and Fitness Center” in Farmingdale, NY.  Hooft has trained some top fighters such as Anthony Johnson, Rashad Evans, Eddie Alverez, Vitor Belfort, Tyrone Spong, and Long Island’s own, Ryan Laflare.  It is never wise to miss an opportunity to train under such a knowledgeable coach.  With a style that blends the disciplines of Muay Thai and Dutch Kickboxing, there is no better way to take your striking game to the next level.

Henri Hooft left the soccer fields as a child to start karate lessons, and soon found his way into kickboxing.  After years of kickboxing he had moved to Thailand while still competing in the Netherlands.  The cross training helped attribute him to be such a well-rounded trainer with the ability to blend styles as needed.  Hooft holds 89 Kickboxing matches in his professional career, and has earned World and European titles.  He currently works as the head striking coach of Blackzillians fight team in Boca Raton, Florida.  We are lucky that we are able to host a Henri Hooft seminar, here at Long Island MMA in Farmingdale, once a year.  I know many people are looking forward to his next visit to New York

The turn out on this seminar was excellent.  There were enough people for everyone to work with many different partners of different skills and sizes, and Henri had made a point to give each person enough attention to help them advance their own game.  After almost two hours of cleaning up our fundamentals everyone had the opportunity to join in some sparring sessions at the end.  Asking around the gym afterwards all you could hear was positive reviews!  “It was a great experience and I will definitely be coming to the next one” says Long Island MMA’s Mike Morris.  “It was really awesome to work with such a renowned trainer who has worked with so many great fighters, some of the tips he gave me are going to have a big impact on my technique” said Keiran Kirk, member of Chris Weidman and Ray Longo’s Power MMA in Garden City, New York.   It’s good to see practitioners from all over Long Island to gather for such an event, everyone is looking forward to the next time Henri Hooft can make his way here!

Marine subdues gunman using Jiu Jitsu | Long Island MMA

Original Article

For some time the martial arts community has scrutinized the art of Brazilian Jiu Jitsu for being an art that is “street ineffective”. However, there have been several instances to date which have proven otherwise, these instances range from sexual assault cases to robberies etc. This is something that the martial artists at Long Island MMA believe in whole heartedly. In recent events possibly the most eye opening instance of Brazilian Jiu Jitsu’s effectiveness on the street took place on a train traveling from Amsterdam to Paris. During that trip, as the train was passing through Belgium an armed terrorist began to attack passengers. He was heavily armed with firearms such as an AK-47 assault rifle for which he also carried nine magazines of ammunition (that alone should be indicative of the type of evil that he had planned) a 9mm handgun as well as a box cutter to use as a melee weapon.

     Two of the three heroes that took down the assailant that day were military men; Spencer Stone of the US Air Force, Alek Skarlatos of the Army National Guard and Anthony Sadler whom is a college student. Spencer Stone is stationed with the Air Force in Portugal where he trains Brazilian Jiu Jitsu at the Gracie Lisbon branch. He was the first of the three to reach the assailant and was able to grapple his way into a tight rear naked choke.  As his friends disarmed the twenty six year old El-Khazanni of his firearms he began to attack stone with his box cutter and was able to sever his thumb as well as cause lacerations on his neck, Stone briefly lost the choke but was able to re-apply it and eventually choke the terrorist unconscious. As the attack unfolded several other passengers came to their aid in subduing the man by bludgeoning him with his own weapons.

     There are several things to take note of when analyzing what happened on this train. While Spencer Stone’s Jiu Jitsu training undoubtedly played a huge role in bringing down the attacker it may be more than just the techniques that did him in. As is stated quite well by Rener Gracie in his “Gracie Breakdown” of the incident “in Spencer’s case it was to their advantage especially when he said I am going to rush this guy, he has an AK-47 but that’s only good if we stay back, if we rush him it has no value and they were right”. The advantage that he is referencing is to the lack of space in the train car. However, to Spencer and all others that train Brazilian Jiu Jitsu the lack of space that other passengers on the train were intimidated by is a welcome opportunity to put to use that which he as well as other Jiu Jitsu fighters are trained to do.

     Another point that is made in this Gracie Breakdown is that it is also fair to note that Jiu Jitsu as well as other combat sports fosters a mentality of “going down fighting”. Every day on the mat as they are placed in dangerous and uncomfortable positions martial artists believe that there is always a way to achieve victory. Even coming back from the deepest depths in a losing battle, that battle may yet be won. And it is this “I will not bow down” mentality that possibly saved all of those lives that day. The fact that Spencer Stone and others that day refused to accept their fate, they fought back. The natural and unwavering instinct to fight back is something that is ingrained in a martial artist through their hard training, and in this case Spencer Stones instinct may be attributed to the art of Brazilian Jiu Jitsu.

2 FREE Techniques posted from Long Island MMA

Long Island MMA is happy to provide you guys with FREE MMA, BJJ and Wrestling Techniques. Both Techniques are wrestling techniques. Make sure you subscribe to Long Island MMA on YouTube so you can stay up to date on Long Island MMA Technique Videos.

THE SINGLE BEST EXERCISE TO IMPROVE STRENGTH FOR MMA | Long Island MMA

Rob Labiento Long Island MMA's head strength coach teaches us how to do a RDL or a Romanian dead lift.

Rob explains how and why this is the single best exercise you should add to your routine if you are interested in MMA or are an active hobbyist.

Check Rob out in this video!

Single Leg Defense | Long Island MMA

Coach Kyle Cerminara teaches us how to defend when the person attacks the single leg.
Get to know Kyle by listening him on this podcast Kyle's Podcast

Jiu Jitsu Technique - The Ninja Sweep from triangle

Jiu Jitsu Technique - The Ninja Sweep from triangle

     This sweep is a true testament to chain grappling! Professional MMA fighter Eric Uresk teaches us a counter to a counter off of the triangle choke that he calls the ninja sweep. This technique is excellent to apply during a scramble such as this and will help you maintain dominant position when you are in a tricky spot! We hope you can all apply it to your game.

Long Island MMA teaches us how to do an armbar from the mount | BJJ Technique

   
 This technique is taught by Long Island MMA’s own Brent Appiarius; a brown belt in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu. The arm lock from the mounted position is extremely efficient being that it allows the offensive man to maintain his position on top. Unlike other arm locks which require you to fall to your back, this variation lessens the chances of being reversed and ending up in the bottom position. Brent emphasizes that pulling up on your opponents head when in S-mount will nullify their ability to bridge you out of position. We hope that you are all able to make good use of this arm lock; stay tuned for more great techniques from Long Island MMA!

Wrestling Technique's from coach Kyle Cerminara | Long Island MMA

 In these two videos Long Island MMA coach Kyle Cerminara teaches us some cool techniques one set on techniques from a collar tie and one set of techniques from a fake single.

We see how to manipulate our opponent by creating a dominant angle and there by executing either the throw by to single leg, or the knee pick. Each take-down is excellent for its own particular application and we hope you are all able to add these to your drilling. Remember, perfect practice makes perfect execution!

The second set of techniques is from a fake or failed shot. Coach Kyle enlists the help of UFC fighter "The Menace" Dennis Bermudez to help him demonstrate the technique. First you get your opponent to step back using a leg touch or a single leg attempt and then when your opponent steps away you use superior footwork and some specific positioning to  get to a high crotch take-down.

MMA Technique - Pole Drag Side Kick | Long Island MMA

In this video Long Island MMA Muay Thai coach, Anthony D’Angelo, teaches us the pole drag side kick. This technique is excellent for closing distance and entering into punching range. As demonstrated, the pole drag side kick is followed up by several punches and Coach D’Angelo stresses that the combination be ended with a kick; really sticking it to our opponent. This should be an extremely useful kick for strikers that are having trouble closing the distance to land their punches.

Brazilian jiu jitsu Technique - Ninja Choke | Long Island MMA

Brazilian jiu jitsu Technique - Ninja Choke

  
  This technique is taught out of Long Island MMA by Professional MMA fighter and Bellator bantamweight champion Marcos “Loro” Galvao. The ninja choke is excellent to apply against an opponent that is working an active half guard and is very tight in their transitions. This technique is simple and extremely effective! We hope that you will all be able to apply it to your game.


Marcos fights in Bellator defending his 135lb championship on October 23rd on spike TV!

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Long Island MMA returns to the NYFE | Long Island Mixed Martial Arts

     The amateur MMA scene in New York only has bigger and better things coming up in its future and lucky for fans they will not have to wait too long until their next taste of New York MMA. New York Fight Exchange 8 “Unstoppable” will be taking place on the twelfth of September and it will be stacked high with talented athletes from gyms across the state and beyond! This organization is not unfamiliar to having a roster heavy with Long Island Mixed Martial Arts and Fitness Center fighters and this event will once again be heavy with them; with a majority of returning NYFE MMA fighters as well as one long awaited debut fighter. Fighting out of Long Island MMA in Farmingdale New York, Joseph “The Saint” Ninomiya, Daren “The Bat” Feliciano, “Hurricane” Rob Scotti, Chrissy “The Doll” Yandolli and Matt “The Horror” Bilella will be stepping into the cage at Club Amazura to give the fans the show that they should always expect from the Long Island MMA camp. With professional coaches such as Ryan LaFlare and Dennis Bermudez among many others these fighters’ performances are sure to shake up the crowd!

     “The Saint” is coming off of a first round submission victory and is eager to continue showcasing his diversity. “The Bat” will be returning after one if not the most impressive highlight takedown in NYFE history and will be sure to continue showcasing his high level wrestling as well as his ever improving striking game! “The Hurricane”, a nickname truly deserved of Rob Scotti for his fierce striking. Fans can be sure to be wowed by his mixture of technique and aggression as he defends his featherweight title! “The Doll” is predominantly known as an extremely experienced striker, however, her grappling skills have been a main point of focus as she has transitioned into the MMA world and although she is dangerous on the feet, one should be wary of underestimating her skills on the ground. Last but nowhere near the least of Long Island MMA’s athletes is “The Horror” whom will be making his much anticipated MMA debut. He has been waiting years to be able to mix it up in the cage and whoever the man across from him on September 12 turns out to be should be very afraid to have been picked as the first contestant on the Horror Show.

The BEST MMA GYM on Long Island New York | Long Island MMA

     I am sure that most of us have heard the term “McDojo” before. It is a term used to describe a chain or individual martial arts establishment that lacks legitimacy or one could even say is poorly managed. As the sport of Mixed Martial Arts exploded into mainstream entertainment the martial arts world experienced a flood of these so called McDojos attempting to hop on the band wagon of Mixed Martial Arts popularity. To the untrained eye it is hard to tell a legitimate school from a farce, especially when they are toting flashy equipment and a clean facility. But time has shown that simply hopping on the popularity train does not prove enough to maintain a successful gym. Schools were opening under individuals with martial arts experience but no business sense, vice versa.

     When the dust settled from the excitement of the opportunity that MMA presented, schools were failing due to lack of business experience, or lack in legitimate training credentials. Certain gyms were forced to downsize and some even forced to close. But there are always exceptions to the norm. These came in the form of gyms run by professional trainers or fighters themselves; those that had the passion, experience and love of the sport. These gyms excelled where others failed. Long Island Mixed Martial Arts is one of those gyms and is a prime example of the criteria previously stated. They first opened their doors in November of 2011 and have been steam rolling the New York MMA scene ever since. Owned by now current UFC Welterweight Ryan LaFlare and Brazilian Jiu Jitsu Blackbelt/ MMA Coach Gregg DePasquale; Long Island MMA was bred of a true love for the sport of Mixed Martial Arts and it truly shows in the way that members experience their training.

      There are other successful gyms in the Long Island area however, a key point that sets Long Island MMA apart is the fact that everyone that comes in to L.I.M.M.A. receives attention and is treated with equal priority. This is likely a big part of why the team of amateur fighters at Long Island MMA is so talent rich. Everyone has potential and the coaches at Long Island MMA make it their mission to bring out the best in all of their students! Aside from the more than qualified coaching staff another key part of running a gym, like any business would be an education in such an area. While Ryan LaFlare is a professional athlete, he also has a college education. Ryan graduated from Farmingdale State College with a business degree; a degree which has helped turn his once small gym from Lindenhurst into a massive 12,000 square foot facility located in Farmingdale NY. It is the business know how of its owners that has kept Long Island MMA constantly growing and improving, rather than downsizing like so many other schools have had to do.  At Long Island MMA classes are constantly being improved; be it adding more of them or simply improving existing ones. Needless to say, with the foundation and care that makes up Long Island MMA the only place that it will be going is forward to even greater things!

MMA in NY?

Unfortunately for all New York Mixed Martial Artists it is yet another sad day in exile. New York State politicians have once again failed to pass the bill which would legalize the professional practice and regulation of MMA in New York through the State Legislature. All of us here in the state of New York are certainly dumbfounded to hear that this has happened yet again. With excellent athletes and gyms located throughout the state, in the city and out on Long Island it is a shame to see those athletes go another year being banned from fighting in front of their home crowd. UFC (Ultimate Fighting Championship) Welterweight  and owner of Long Island Mixed Martial Arts and Fitness Center Ryan LaFlare, states that it is one of his dreams to finally be able to fight here at home in front of his fellow New Yorkers. Other professionals training at the Long Island MMA camp in Farmingdale, New York such as UFC featherweight Dennis Bermudez and UFC Lightweight Chris Wade are sure to share his sentiments towards the issue.

     Aside from all of the obvious economic benefits that the legalization of MMA in the state of New York would bring it is the way the ban on the sport ostracizes a massive population of both talented athletes and devout fans from both experiencing and contributing to something that they are very passionate about. Each year has only been getting better and each time we come closer to our goal. One day soon, fighters like Ryan LaFlare will see their dream of fighting here in New York come true. For the sake of the citizens of New York, both fighters and fans alike; we can only hope that 2016 will be the dawn of justice for those of us that have supported and striven to bring the world’s greatest sport home to the Empire State! 

 

MMA HOTBED LONG ISLAND HOUSES UFC CHAMPION!

     Chris “The All American” Weidman is currently the UFC middleweight champion and is the biggest name of Long Island’s MMA fighters. On May twenty third Chris successfully defended his title at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas Nevada against Vitor “The Phenom” Belfort. In the past, regardless of his excellent performances both in acquiring the title and in defending it some believed that Weidman had not yet proved himself as deserving of the middleweight title. It seems now that many of those naysayers are turning the tune of their speech in favor of the champion. With his recent domination of Vitor Belfort it is finally becoming evident that Chris Weidman is the real deal and will likely retain the title for some time! Fighting out of Baldwin, New York, Chris trains with several other active UFC fighters here on Long Island such as Ryan LaFlare who is the owner of Long Island Mixed Martial Arts and Fitness Center located in Farmingdale NY.

     Now the discussion must be had as to whom will be the next best opponent to face Chris in the octagon. Two names particularly stand out and they are Jacare Souza and Luke Rockhold. Both men are coming off of impressive victories and are riding extensive win streaks. Each time a dangerous contender has stood in Weidman’s path there has been talk of adversity and possible failures yet The All American has shown fans each time why he is the one holding the belt, by putting on fast and decisive performances. Long Island must have something in the water to be producing such a number of high level fighters, and no matter the opponent, Chris Weidman is going to show them exactly what Long Island MMA is all about with more quick and decisive finishes!

The Reebok deal...

     It seems as if from the second the UFC/Reebok sponsorship deal was set in motion it was a surrounded by controversy. Everyone had been asking the question as to whether the deal would actually be a legitimate benefit to the fighters as it had been promised. Well, the official pay scale for the deal has been released and many UFC fighters as well as members of the MMA community are not at all impressed or happy with its turn out. Just to shed some light on exactly why this is upsetting everyone so much here is an example of the lowest tier in the pay scale: Fighters that have five or less fights in the UFC will only be being paid $2,500 per fight.

     For professional athletes this number is absolutely absurd! To be paying fighters that little money based on their time in the organization rather than performance or a series of other more logical factors is cruel and unjust. Many that were affected by the release of this information took to social media to express their concern and disapproval of the new pay scale. UFC middleweight Roger Navarez took to twitter in a message that states “Wow 2500$ for my next fight for reebok sponsorship. ....i mad twice that off 1 sponsor my last fight!!!! Sucks!” For a fighter to have made twice that amount from only one of their sponsors and now be dropped down to such a low pay grade is wrong and as Navarez also states, this is going to be extremely hard on a lot of fighters.

     While this deal was undoubtedly designed to innovate and progress the way the
UFC operates it may end up back firing severely. It would not be a surprise to see many UFC fighters leaving the organization in favor of others such as World Series of Fighting or Bellator MMA as we have seen recently when UFC light heavyweight Phil “Mr. Wonderful” Davis left the UFC in favor of their competitor, Bellator MMA. The UFC must proceed with caution considering their present circumstances; and hopefully there will be more developments in the future that somehow make this situation better for all of the hard working athletes in the UFC that deserve proper compensation for their effort

“The Fight of the Century” | Long Island MMA

     “The Fight of the Century”, or so it was labeled as the combat sports world crept closer and closer to the long awaited bout between Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Manny Pacquiao. A fight that took an approximate five to seven years to come to fruition; and it did not seem to be quite what most fans were expecting to see. But one must ask, what exactly did fans expect? Did they expect a slug fest, or a story book comeback, perhaps a flash knockout? Realistically the fight went the way that it probably should have gone according to the fighters styles.

     Floyd Mayweather is an expert defensive/counter striker while Manny Pacquiao is an extremely aggressive fighter that throws a massive volume of strikes. When the two were put together, Pacquiao attempted to fight his fight by initiating several exchanges using combinations however most of those exchanges were stifled by a well thought out game plan. If Pacquiao was to initiate the exchange all Floyd had to do was simply maintain his stance and clinch with him stifling his offense. There were certain instances in which Manny was able to unleash large combinations on Mayweather as he had his back to the ropes but they were few and not damaging enough to turn the tide of the battle.

     The fight was a strategic victory for Mayweather by his use of the clinch as well as cutting angles and countering with single accurate strikes on the aggressive Pacquiao. Now there have been certain extenuating circumstances that have surfaced since their fight has taken place involving a shoulder injury that Manny entered the fight with that may be a possible explanation for his lack of volume in his offense. . Due to the length of time it took to make the fight a reality it is possible fans had built up an unrealistic set of expectations for the bout. Had he been healthy the fight may have been different; perhaps he would have been able to maintain significant offensive volume and avoid the clinch but unless we are blessed with a rematch and a healthy Manny Pacquiao the result we received should have come as no surprise. Expert strategy wins fights and Floyd Mayweather seemed to have absolutely implemented an expert strategy.

What it means to be a champion| A Look at the UFC's Jon "Bones"Jones | Long Island MMA

     What is it exactly that constitutes being a champion? Is it simply having the skills to defeat all of your rivals?

       Some would say that winning alone is enough to have one dubbed a champion. Others however, may disagree and say that with the role of champion one takes on certain unspoken responsibilities. Not only must a champion win, he/she must also be an exceptional human being. Some say a champion must also be kind and respectful, disciplined and honorable, honest and responsible. Essentially one may say that the same qualities that must reside in a champion are alike the ones that must reside in a leader. After all that is what a champion is isn’t it? They are the “leaders” in their respective areas. They have a unique position of power similar to many other types of leaders. With their position they can inspire and motivate people, they can educate and be role models for people; all of which is what would seem to be what we expect of a champion.

     That is not to say that one couldn't do the opposite. A “champion” could be irresponsible, dishonest, unfair and vulgar; while that may not seem to be what we expect of such an individual it is yet a fact that they do carry the title. But after all what are titles? They are artificial constructs of language that guide our perception, but when our understanding of such a thing contradicts its definition (in this instance it would be in regards to a wrong doing champion) that individual simply is not what their title dictates. Perhaps the biggest topic in MMA as of late has been the arrest of the former light heavyweight champion Jon “Bones” Jones. While Jones has unquestionably been one of the most dominant fighters in UFC history, he simply has not been able to fill the “unspoken requirements” that we had mentioned earlier. Realistically speaking Jon Jones has displayed quite the opposite of what is expected of a champion.

     He has been caught in the past for taking an illegal narcotic, that drug being cocaine. Taking any sort of narcotic drug in and of itself is uncharacteristic of any professional athlete that is serious about their career and their training. What does it say about Jon Jones when he is titled as the champion, the one who is supposed to be the best and setting a proper example as to why when he has been taking an illegal drug like cocaine? It can certainly not be anything to his credit. Even more recently Jon Jones has been charged with a felony in a hit and run involving himself and a pregnant woman whom was injured in the accident. He fled the scene of an accident in which he harmed another needless to say she was pregnant! If honesty and responsibility are qualities that we believe reside in a champion then obviously Jon Jones can not be a champion.

    That is certainly the way that the UFC (Ultimate Fighting Championship) has seen it. The organization has concluded that Jon “Bones” Jones has been stripped of his title and suspended from competition indefinitely. This is only just, and not to mention the possibly and likely jail time that the former “champion” (if he can be called that) will face for his recklessness. This outcome could have been predicted, given the prior behavior of Jones. He may have been one of the most skilled while in the cage, but outside he was no champion and the record is now set straight. One can only slip up so many times; he was never a champion, just a thug with a title.

One of our coaches Kyle Cerminara said it best on Facebook:

   

Connor McGregor Vs Jose Aldo as told by Long Island MMA

     Throughout the history of the UFC (Ultimate Fighting Championship) there have been quite the number of intense rivalries some of which include legends such as Rashad Evans and Rampage Jackson, Tito Ortiz and Chuck Lidell, and now possibly towering above all is Connor McGregor and Jose Aldo. The UFC has put an incredible amount of effort and time into propagating this intense rivalry with an international media tour which spanned five different nations and eight different cities across the world. It is safe to say that this is one fight that the entire world may stop to watch! The charismatic McGregor has certainly done his part in drawing attention to the event; especially in his home country of Ireland where he snatched up the belt of Jose Aldo from right in front of him, holding it above his head as if already victorious.

     Stylistically this fight should hold up to the hype as well, the brutally violent muay thai machine that is Jose Aldo vs. the sniper accurate technician in Connor McGregor. We have seen such ferocious finishes from the champion by way of twenty punch combinations and flying knees and from the challenger we have seen sniper accurate counter striking and deception through the use of his Irish “Up-Down” boxing; which he has cleverly combined with his exotic Tae-Kwon-Do style kicking. However, one criticism that some have for the challenger Connor McGregor is that they believe he has not yet been truly tested by a high level wrestler whereas Jose Aldo has been several times. Although It may be detrimental to the flashy brutal striking war that all fans are praying for it wouldn’t be too far out of the strategic domain of Aldo to take the fight to the ground and utilize his high level Jiu Jitsu to carry the day. Reports have surfaced that in training with some of Eddie Bravo’s high level competitors McGregor performed superbly, however, as many believe, it must be proven in the octagon.

     The rollercoaster of hype and drama surrounding this bout will come to a hopefully thunderous conclusion on Sat. July 11^th at UFC 189! Besides the obvious, this card is stacked with several very promising fights including the match up of Jeremy “Lil Heathen” Stevens and Long Island MMA’s own Dennis “The Menace” Bermudez! The 11^th of July will without a doubt be a night to remember in the world of mixed martial arts, especially with the looming possibility of the champion Jose Aldo being dethroned. Should this come to pass we may be ushering in the age of the fighting Irishman; The Notorious One, Connor McGregor

Gabriel Gonzaga vs. Mirco Cro Cop 2 | Long Island MMA

Set to take place on UFC Fight Night this Saturday, Gabriel Gonzaga vs. Mirco Cro Cop is quite interesting. For Gonzaga this fight will be an affirmation of his dominant victory in their first meeting. For Cro Cop this fight is all about redemption! When these two heavyweights last met their bout ended suddenly and with the utmost surprise. Gabriel Gonzaga was able to finish Mirco Cro Cop with his own signature technique, that which had defined his MMA career particularly during his time fighting for Pride Fighting Championships; after being dominated on the ground for the entirety of the first round he was knocked out with a devastating right head kick just shy of the bell.

     For Mirco Cro Cop there are a couple of key factors that should certainly be taken into account in this rematch. The first one would be for Mirco to open up with his striking. In their first bout Cro Cop only threw one straight right and one round kick the entire fight. Being that his base and strength is his striking it would make sense that he should use it to take control of the fight the second time around. The second factor is in regards to his movement and footwork. Mirco is a southpaw and Gonzaga is an orthodox fighter; for the duration of the first round each time Gonzaga would engage him Cro Cop would consistently circle to his left. This undoubtedly is the reason that Gonzaga was able to set up the round kick that ended the fight. The second time around Cro Cop should certainly consider mixing up his movement patterns and if possible avoid circling towards the power side of Gonzaga. 
     Lastly, it is extremely likely that Cro Cop will once again be on the receiving end of a takedown from Gonzaga and for their rematch working takedown defense and maintaining an active guard should he be taken down are of the utmost importance. Cro Cop was cut by one of Gonzaga’s elbow strikes from the guard. Gonzaga’s ability to consistently strike Cro Cop could be attributed to his lack of movement on the bottom. Come UFC Fight Night on 4/11/15 we will see if Mirco Cro Cop has made the necessary adjustments to achieve redemption against Gabriel Gonzaga!

Dennis Bermudez VS Jeremy Stephens | Long Island MMA

UFC 189 is set for July 11 at MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas and it is already being predicted as a “summer blockbuster”. What better fighter to have on such a blockbuster than Dennis “The Menace” Bermudez. Fighting out of Long Island Mixed Martial Arts, the tenacious Bermudez is coming off of a loss to Ricardo Lamas. However, he fully intends to bounce right back into the win column with an impressive victory over his next opponent, Jeremy “Lil Heathen” Stephens. Stephens is a true veteran of the sport with 34 total professional contests with 23 of them being victories. He is aggressive and certainly packs a punch; if the fans are to expect a blockbuster then this fight is one that they should certainly be looking forward to.

   
“Lil Heathen” is coming off of two consecutive unanimous decision losses so it is likely that he will return to the cage with purpose. Both fighters possess extremely dangerous striking and explosiveness. As far as overall style is concerned these men are very similar which certainly bodes for a war! However, Dennis Bermudez likely possesses the advantage in the wrestling department so it should be interesting to see which direction the fight will take. Will “The Menace” chose to initiate the takedown, or will they choose to slug it out? That is a question that is absolutely worth getting an answer for by watching UFC 189 on July 11. 

Long Island MMA at the NYFE 6 | Long Island MMA

     Long Island MMA has a long history with the NYFE (New York Fight Exchange). Since the very first show the NYFE has had Long Island MMA has been featured on the card. Long Island MMA has had many victories with the promotion including the acquisition of several titles: such as Rob Scotti’s featherweight title, Hugh McKenna’s welterweight title and Eric Ott’s middleweight title.
               
     

 The NYFE will host its 6^th event this Saturday March 28^th! Long Island MMA will once again be sending its warriors to compete. This time around those warriors are Mike “The Caveman” Kuhn, Chrissy “The Doll” Yandolli and Joseph “The Saint” Ninomiya. These three are some of Long Island MMA’s finest amateur fighters. “The Caveman” is the former NYFE bantamweight champion and he is returning to the cage to face Rich Pabon. A tough opponent, however, Mike Kuhn is determined to push his way back into title contention. “The Doll” is an extremely decorated kick boxer and holds several titles to that regard. Now having a go at MMA she is 2-1-0 and set to face Alyssa Franco. We can always expect to see strong striking exchanges whenever The Doll steps into the cage; but don’t be fooled she is very keen to round out her skills and may lock up a submission at any moment! Last but not the least is “The Saint” although he certainly doesn’t seem to be when he steps into the cage. Joseph Ninomiya is coming off an extremely controversial split decision loss and wants nothing more than to make an example of his next opponent to reinstate his presence to all at bantamweight.

     Long Island MMA will rise to the occasion as it always has; each of these warriors will be returning with their shields or on them. After having trained as hard as they have for these past months everyone should expect to see fireworks from each of them when they step out on to the canvas this Saturday night, the 28^th of March. 

Check out Long Island MMA's HL video's:

Marcos "Loro" Galvao Vs. Joe Warren | Long Island MMA

     This Friday March 27^th at Bellator 135 a man will receive a second chance; something that doesn’t come easily or often. That man is Long Island MMA fighter Marcos “Loro” Galvao. Having been robbed of the bantamweight title back in 2011 after an extremely controversial decision loss to the current champion Joe Warren, he is back and he is prepared to capture that which is rightfully his. Their first meeting consisted of an extremely entertaining combination of crowd pleasing exchanges as well as aggressive grappling and clinch work. Surely to the surprise of the current champion and his following, Loro was able to best the man at his own game taking Warren down from within the clinch.

     Having taken Warren down Loro was able to apply his greatest strength, his Brazilian Jiu Jitsu. He was able to take the back of Warren and land several devastating strikes. The striking game was not much better for him. Joe Warren used consistent forward pressure and aggressive striking however, he was walking right into the skilled counter striking of Loro, counter-striking that was both effective and creative; as in several flying knees! The fact that the judges gave the decision to Joe Warren was a travesty. Now it is 2015, four years later. Four years of hard training to destroy the man that has been wearing the belt stolen from him. Marcos Galvao is on the war path and Joe Warren had better hope that he has improved significantly since their first meeting or we can all expect to see Marcos “Loro” Galvao  reign victorious AGAIN.

   

The New UFC Champion Joanna Jędrzejczyk

March 14 UFC 185 took place; and on this day we beheld quite a spectacle! That spectacle being the expert striking of the new women’s strawweight champion Joanna Jędrzejczyk, which ended her title bout against the now former champion Carla Esparza by way of a devastating TKO stoppage. Needless to say, Jędrzejczyk dominated Esparza with her constant pressure and volume of accurate strikes. Despite several attempts by Esparza to acquire the takedown the fight remained standing; exactly where Joanna knew it needed to be. After all, with a record of over sixty victories as a professional Muay Thai fighter why not utilize such a dangerous weapon?

  
     The current champion is undefeated in professional MMA with a record of nine victories and zero losses.  The type of pace and experience she brings to the cage certainly makes for exciting fights! With over ten years of Muay Thai training it is safe to say that although she has only 9 total MMA fights she is a hardened veteran of competition.  And her Muay Thai experience certainly translates well into MMA, for example: the use of her elbows to punish Esparza and defend against her takedown attempts. If Joanna Jędrzejczyk is able to replicate the performance that we all saw on March 14 I think it is safe to say that she will remain champion and continue to entertain us with excellent contests!

Josh Koscheck to face Erick Silva on UFC Fight-Night LaFlare vs. Maia

Josh Koscheck recently fought at UFC 184 losing by a brutal front choke courtesy of Jake Ellenberger. 

A lot of people were under the impression that the Ellenberger fight was going to be Josh’s final fight inside the octagon, but on short notice Koshceck stepped up to fill a co main even spot on the Ryan LaFlare Vs. Demian Maia card in Rio.

Koscheck Vs. Sila will serve as the Co-Headliner at UFC fight-night 62 in Rio de Janeiro.

The Main card is looking solid with Long Island MMA’s Ryan LaFlare at the top of the card.

 Main Card:
Demian Maia vs. Ryan LaFlare
Erick Silva vs. Josh Koscheck
Gilbert Burns vs. Alex Oliveira
Tony Martin vs. Leonardo Santos
Shayna Baszler vs. Amanda Nunes

Hendricks vs Brown UFC 185 | Long Island MMA

UFC 185 is set to take place March, 14 and it is a stacked card! The event is to be headlined by a lightweight title fight between Anthony “Showtime” Pettis and Rafael Dos Anjos. The main card is filled with exciting fights such as Johnny “Big Rig” Hendricks vs. Matt “The Immortal” Brown. This fight promises fireworks! Johnny Hendricks is coming off of two title fights, the most recent of which resulted in the loss of his welterweight title. He will certainly be returning to the octagon with a vengeance. Matt Brown had been riding a three fight win streak until his most recent loss to the current champion Robbie Lawler; a loss which is now shared by both men.

     Both of these contenders are extremely vicious in their striking and have the potential to knock each other out. While Johnny Hendricks is predominantly known for his wrestling and extremely strong knock out power The Immortal has a record of serious TKO finishes that are due to his instinctual pursuit of the kill so to speak. When Matt Brown hurts you, he continues to hurt you until you are finished.

     Having a bout between fighters possessing such entertaining finishing abilities bodes for a great contest. However, being that Hendricks’s last two fights have been five round wars one may infer that his conditioning and ability to push the pace may overtake Brown if they were to go the distance. Regardless, on March 14 fight fans are certainly in for a treat when Big Rig and The Immortal face off in the octagon!  

Ronda Rousey's 14 second finish begs the question, Who's Next? | Long Island MMA

Ronda Rousey’s last 2 fights have been under 20 seconds long. Her last fight over the weekend was just 14 seconds long, long enough to fit on instagram in its entirety.

          Ronda finished Cat in 14 seconds which was the fastest submission in UFC championship history. What was truly impressive about the finish wasn’t just the speed of the submission but it was way Ronda did it. Ronda looked like she was about to be dragged down by Cat and then was able to literally flip over Cat and maintain the top position it was from there where she went for her signature arm-bar. 
          Ronda looked impressive and it looked like Cat might have been her toughest challenge to date but she blew right past her. This begs the question, who is going to be the next challenge for Rousey? The obvious answer is Cris “Cyborg” Justino, however Cyborg fights at 145 and Ronda is the 135lb champion. The challenger should be the one who cuts the weight and challenge Rousey. Many question Cyborg’s ability to make the weight class and are accusing her of abusing PED’s an issue that seems to be plaguing the UFC lately.

Our question for you guys is simple, who’s next?

Ronda Rousey vs. Cat Zingano UFC 184 | Long Island MMA analysis

     The UFC women’s bantamweight champion “Rowdy” Rhonda Rousey has quite literally been ripping apart her competition since her debut in mixed martial arts on August 6, 2010. Rousey became the first woman to win an Olympic medal in Judo in Beijing two years prior. For the majority of her career it has been here extremely powerful judo base that has dominated here bouts and lead her to victory. Her consistency is quite the marvel considering her first eleven fights were all finished by way of arm bar. However, as some may suggest, Rhonda Rousey is not a one trick pony. She has been able to showcase her improved striking abilities in her last two bouts which have ended via TKO and KO respectively.  Rhonda’s title retention has created a situation similar to that of light heavyweight champion Jon Jones. Who is she to fight? With every victory the list of possible contenders keeps getting smaller and smaller. UFC President Dana White has even made jokes about having Rhonda fight men.

     However, simply because the list does seem to be shrinking the challenges presented still stand strong. Rousey’s next opponent is set to be Cat Zingano and she is no pushover. Zingano possesses some very high level wrestling credentials in that she is a four time all American national champion from the University of the Cumberlands. Cat brings ferocity to the competition in the way that she pursues the finish. This is particularly true of the way she fights in the clinch and it is perfectly exemplified in her TKO victory over long time title contender Miesha Tate. After landing several devastating elbows and knees Tate was unable to continue and the referee stepped in.  If there were a position that an opponent of Rousey’s would absolutely need to excel in it would be the clinch. Considering the clinch is one of Rousey’s most devastating it is an aspect of her game that needs to be neutralized in order to achieve victory.

     It would be safe to say that of Rhonda’s thirteen opponents none of them have been able to do any sort of significant damage from the clinch; damage which could turn the tables of the bout. If the clinch is too dangerous to enter and execute a throw how then will the champion acquire the takedown? If she is to resort to her wrestling it may become problematic considering the strong wrestling base of Zingano. These scenarios are what will undoubtedly make this fight exciting and also possibly the greatest challenge of the champion’s career.  Their bout is set to take place on February 28 at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, California and it is a date that could possibly shake the foundations of the division!