Cage Titans returns for there first event of the year and they have put together an awesome card once again. This event will be held on January 25th, 2014 at the Plymouth Memorial Hall in Plymouth, MA. Warchild and I made our way down last time and discovered the Papa Gino's that is right around the corner and had a blast. This event has 17 fights total which include four professional fights. Tickets are still on sale so come on and stop by and you will be glad you did. Plymouth Memorial Hall is gorgeous and there is not a bad seat in the house. Parking and maneuvering through busy Plymouth can be fun but it is well worth the hassle. Special Thanks to the entire Cage Titans team for keeping us up to date with their news. Let me break down the card for you...
135lb AM – Dave Baxter (0-0, USMMA) vs Javier Rodriguez (0-0, Florian MMA)
For the first fight of the evening Dave Baxter takes on Javier Rodriguez at 135lbs in the amateur division. Dave is from USMMA and will be making his amateur debut. Javier is from Florian MMA and will also be making his amateur debut. Two fresh fighters making their amateur debut. Not a bad way to start out a night of mma action!
155lb AM - Mike Robertson (1-2, Independant) vs Nick Mahoney (0-0, Redline)
At 155lbs Mike Robertson squares off against Nick Mahoney. Mike is an independent fighter and has a 1-2 record. He has fought for Cage Titans for all of his fights so far. He lost one by submission and one by tko stoppage to strikes. In his last fight for Titans he won via submission against Jim McSweeney with a very nice guillotine early in the fight. His opponent Nick is from Redline and will be making his amateur debut. Being from Redline, I know he will be ready for a battle.
185lb AM – Michell Barrish (0-0, Wai Kru SS) vs Scott Sullivan (0-0, MAXX)
Next up at 185lbs Michell Barrish takes on Scott Sullivan. Michell is from Wai Kru South Shore and will be making his amateur debut. Scott is from Maxx MMA and will also be making his amateur debut. Not much I can add to this one but both schools are really good and no doubt this fight will be action packed.
145lb AM – Travis Demko (1-0, Wai Kru) vs Jeff Perez (2-1, SBG East Coast)
Then Travis Demko will face Jeff Perez at 145lbs amateur. Travis is from Wai Kru and has a 1-0 record. He won a split decision against Chris Caterino for his first taste of victory. His opponent Jeff is from SBG East Coast and has a 2-1 record. He won his first two fights by submission and decision. He then lost his 3rd fight against Kyle Bochniak back in April of last year by decision. This should be a good battle and I feel it will come down to a decision.
115lb AM - Val Parker (0-0, Independant) vs Nick Iaciofano (0-0, USMMA)
Next up Val Parker takes on Nick Iaciofano at 115lbs amateur. Wow 115lbs?? Val is an independent fighter and will be making his amateur debut. Nick is from USMMA and will also be making his amateur debut. I am excited for this fight because it is my first time seeing 115lb men compete in the cage. It would be nice to see a division starting for this weight.
135lb AM – Chris Suarez (1-3, Independant) vs Marc Novaco (0-0, Team Trifecta)
Chris Suarez squares off against Marc Novaco at 135lbs amateur. Chris is an independent fighter and has a 1-3 record. He lost two by submission and one by decision. For his win he had a nice knockout victory in just 12 seconds against Brian Squadrille. Marc is from team Trifecta and will be making his amateur debut. We will have to see if Chris's 4 fight experience makes a difference in this fight.
170lb AM – Carlos Correia (0-0, DCNU) vs Rich McLaughlin (0-0, Lauzon MMA)
Carlos Correia takes on Rich McLaughlin at 170lbs amateur. Carlos is from DCNU and will be making his amateur debut. Rich is also making his amateur debut and is from Lauzon MMA. Both of these schools are top notch so there fighters will be ready for sure.
170lb AM – Nick Renaud (0-0, Boneyard) vs Billy Connors (0-0, Boston Muay Thai)
At 170lbs amateur Nick Renaud takes on Billy Connors. Nick is from Boneyard MMA and will be making his amateur debut. Billy is from Boston Muay Thai and will also be making his amateur debut. As you can see lots of amateurs making their debuts this Saturday night so who knows what to expect when they all meet head to head!
145lb AM – Bryan Rossi (0-2, Gracie New England) vs Grant Mosley (1-1, Florian MMA)
At 145lbs Bryan Rossi faces Grant Mosley this Saturday night. Bryan trains with Gracie New England and has an 0-2 record. He has lost both of his fights by decision. He is still hungry for his first taste of victory in the cage. Grant is from Florian MMA and has a 1-1 record. Grant won his first fight by submission against Manny Bermudez. He then lost his second fight by decision to Dan Dubuque at a previous Reality Event. This should be a good fight and I suspect it will come down to a decision.
Hvy AM – Jeff Soivilien (1-0, Boston Muay Thai) vs Nick Fonteccio (1-1, Connors MMA)
In the heavyweight amateur division Jeff Soivilien takes on Nick Fonteccio. Jeff is from Boston Muay Thai and has a 1-0 record. He fought at the Office to Octagon and won by tko stoppage in Rd 1. Nick is from Connor's MMA and has a 1-1 record. He won his first fight by tko stoppage to strikes against James Smith. He then lost by knockout to Ed Gillis in the ammy championship fight. I predict this will be a good battle and I sure hope to see a knockout!
145lb AM – Aslan Otciev (0-0, Renzo Gracie CT) vs David Espino (1-1, Team Trifecta)
At 145lbs Aslan Otciev faces David Espino in the cage. Aslan is from Renzo Gracie CT and will be making his amateur debut. His opponent David is from Trifecta and has a 1-1 record. David lost his first fight by decision to Mark Cardarelli and won his second fight in just 18 seconds against Charlie Clark. I feel this will be a good ground battle.
125lb AM - Tim Flores (2-1, Legal Beatdown) vs Yushun Tsou (1-0, Redline)
In the 125lb division Tim Flores takes on Yushun Tsou. Tim is from Western Mass and trains out of Legal Beatdown with a 2-1 record. He is fresh off a nasty knockout from the last Warrior Nation card. You heard that right, a 125lber with a knockout. He won one other decision in his ammy career and lost via tko stoppage in Rd 3 in his first fight. Yushun is from Redline and has a 1-0 record. He won his first fight via submission in Rd 1 against Doug Sampson. This fight has fight of the night all over it so watch out everyone and don't leave to get the beer refill during this fight.
125lb AM – Ryan Kane (0-0, CCFA) vs Jared Dalgleish (0-0, Team Trifecta)
Another 125lb battle which is the last ammy fight of the night is between Ryan "Dazzle" Kane and Jared Dalgleish. Ryan is from CCFA and will be making his amateur debut. He has done many martial arts tournaments and no doubt will be ready for battle. His opponent Jared Dalgleish is also making his ammy debut and is from Trifecta. Trifecta guys are always ready for battle too and I can't wait to see how these guys match up in the cage.
175lb Pro Catchweight Jesse Merrit (1-1 Anubis) vs. Ryan White (SSSF 4-1)
For the first pro fight of the evening, Cage Titans has a catchweight battle at 175lbs between Jesse Merrit and Ryan White. Jesse is from Team Anubis and has a 1-1 record. He has won a decision and lost a decision so he can definitely go the distance in this battle if needed. Ryan is from SSSF and has a 4-1 record. I was not able to find all of his fights but he did have 2 submission victories including one to strikes. This should be a good battle and I think it will be a ground battle.
115lb Pro Shannon Harney (Independent 0-0) vs. Erin Cooney (SSSF 0-0)
Shannon Harney takes on Erin Cooney at 115lbs in the pro division. Both fighters fought at the last Cage Titans event and Erin Cooney won very quickly by tapout to strikes. Shannon complained she was poked in the eye and maybe that was the case. I was right there cageside writing and I didn't see anything but those type of things are hard to see without a replay. Well, we sort of get a replay now because both fighters turned pro and decided to rematch. Shannon is an independent fighter and Erin is from SSSF. Erin will be a crowd favorite and looking to show her first fight was no fluke against Shannon. I can't wait for this one and I expect to see some elbows ladies :)
125lb Pro Billy "The Wolverine" Giovanella (5-2 Connor's MMA) vs Tommy Balzano (1-2 Team Irish)
At 125lbs Billy Giovanella takes on Tommy Balzano. Billy is from Connor's MMA and has a 5-2 record. He has two decision victories, 1 sub and 2 by ko/tko so far in his career. He lost one by submission and one by tko/ko to strikes. He is very well versed on the ground and will try to use his wrestling to control this fight. Tommy is from Team Irish and has a 1-2 record. He lost one by submission and one by decision. His sole win came by submission to strikes against Jimmy Alexander. He trains with Marcus Davis and won't be coming down from Maine for a loss. I expect this to be a ground battle.
Pro Heavyweight Juliano 'Banana' Coutinho (5-1 CCFA) vs John Orr (6-6 Grindhouse MMA)
In the main event the heavyweight big boys throwdown. It is between Juliano Coutinho and John Orr and it is going to be a war. Juliano is from CCFA and has a 5-1 record. He has 3 victories by ko/tko, one decision and one by submission. His only loss came back in 2009 to Pat Bennett by tko/ko stoppage. John is from Grindhouse MMA and has a 6-6 record. He is travelling from Missouri for this fight. He has all 6 of his wins by ko/tko and he has fought for Bellator once. For his losses he lost 3 by ko/tko, 2 by sub and 1 by decision. This fight has fight of the night written all over it and I don't expect it to go the distance! You are all in for a treat on this one fight fans.
There you have the entire breakdown of the upcoming Cage Titans event. Make sure to get your tickets before they sell out because this one is going to be a good one. Warchild and I will be making the trip to beautiful Plymouth Mass and we should have a live play by play. One thing I would like to note is that there is a reason why all of the fighters are travelling to fight for Cage Titans and that is because they treat the fighters well and put on a solid show. See you all there!