Premier FC is back with their 18th show for their triumphant return! This will be their first and last show of 2015 and they are looking to go out with a bang. The show takes place in Springfield, Mass at the Mass Mutual Center. The doors for VIP for the catered guests and then the doors open at 6pm with the first fight set to start at 7:15pm. Tickets are still on sale at the link here and if they aren't sold out they will be available at the door. I wouldn't wait until last minute because I hear they are real close to selling out. After a few dropoffs the event will have 14 fights total in which 2 of them are title fights. This will be the first time Premier FC will be at the Mass Mutual Center and it can fit up to 1900 fight fans. Let me break down the fight card for you. Keep in mind that fights are subject to change and this might not be the exact fight order.
The first fight is at a catch weight of 150 lbs between Steve Romano and Mike Maldonado. Steve Romano will be making his amateur debut. He trains with Team Thunder and is ready show everyone how hard he has been training. His opponent is Mike Maldonado and he trains with Kore BJJ. He will also be making his amateur debut. This should be a great first battle to kick off the night of mma action.
153 AM Sam McCue (0-1 Thornton BJJ) vs. Swagath Pillai (0-0 Plus One Defense)
Then PFC has a catch weight fight at 153 lbs between Sam McCue and Swagath Pillai. Sam trains with Bushido/Metal Dog and comes into this fight with an 0-1 record. He lost his first fight at a Warrior Nation event against Connor Barry by ko/tko to strikes in Rd 2. His opponent is Swagath Pillai and he trains with Plus One Defense. He will be making his amateur debut this Saturday at Premier FC. Both fighters are hungry for their first mma win so they are going to be going hard.
170 AM Ray Johns (Thunder MMA 0-8) vs. Martin Thompson (FAA 0-0)
Ray Johns steps back into the PFC cage for the 9th time against Martin Thompson at 170 lbs. Johns trains with Thunder MMA and and comes into this fight with an 0-8 record. For his losses, he lost 2 by ko/tko, 5 by submission and 1 by decision. He is still hungry for his first mma victory. His opponent is Martin Thompson and he trains with Fighting Arts Academy. Thompson will be making his amateur debut. I am excited to see the new fighter coming out of FAA.
135 AM Josh Flores (Underdog BJJ 2-1) vs. Geoffrey Then (Kore BJJ 1-0)
At 135 lbs Josh Flores takes on Geoffrey Then. Flores trains with Underdog BJJ and comes into this fight with a 2-1 record. For his wins, he has 1 win by ko/tko and one win by decision. His sole loss came by a decision to Davis Roast at a previous Cage Titans event back in 2011. He hasn't fought in almost 2 years and is now ready to step back into the cage this Saturday. His opponent is Geoffrey Then and he trains with Kore BJJ. He comes into this fight with a 1-0 record with 1 win by decision in New York. Underdog BJJ fighters always bring it so this one should be a good battle.
155 AM Dan Bardellini ( Rivera BJJ 1-5) vs. Jose Rivera (Thornton BJJ 2-2)
At 155 lbs amateur Dan Bardellini will face Jose Rivera in the PFC Cage. Dan trains with Rivera BJJ and comes into this fight with a 1-5 record. He won his sole win by decision against Cody McMahon at a previous WNXFA show. His losses were spread out with losses by ko/tko, submission and decisions. His opponent is The Problem Jose Rivera. He trains with Thornton BJJ and comes into this fight with a 2-2 record with 2 wins by submission. For his losses, he lost 1 by submission and 1 by decision. I see this one being a good fight and I don't see it going to a decision.
125 AM Justin Valentin ( Underdog BJJ 2-0) vs. Mike Kimble (Thunder 0-0)
Justin Valentin takes on Mike Kimble at 125 lbs amateur. Valentin trains with Underdog BJJ and comes into this fight with a 2-0 record. Justin has 2 wins both by submission and he would love to add one more to the mix. His opponent is Mike Kimble and he trains with Team Thunder. He will be stepping into the cage for the first time and is anxious to show the PFC fans what he has to offer. He is going to have his work cut out for him as Valentin already has the 2 fight experience.
155 AM Davon Zimmerman ( RGTF 1-2) vs. Kenny Peralta (Ultimate MMA 2-2)
At 155 lbs Davon Zimmerman will face off against Kenny Paralta. Davon comes into this fight with a 1-2 record with 1 win by decision. He trains with Renzo Gracie Training Facility out of CT. For his 2 losses, he lost them by 1 ko/tko and 1 by decision. His opponent is Kenny Peralta and he trains with Ultimate MMA. For his wins, he has 1 win by ko/tko to strikes and 1 by submission so far in his career. For his losses, he has 1 by submission and 1 by decision. This should be another close fight.
205 AM Joe Castanzo (Conroys MMA 0-0) vs. Rene Infantas (Underdog BJJ 1-0)
Then at 205 lbs Joe Castanzo takes on Rene Infantas. Castanzo trains with Conroy's MMA and will be making his amateur debut. His opponent is Rene Infantas and he trains with Underdog BJJ. He comes intot this fight with a 1-0 record. In his first fight he won by ko/tko in Rd 1 against George Smith. Underdog fighters are always ready for a battle so this should be an exciting one.
185 TITLE AM Justin Sumter (RGTF 8-1) vs. Aaron Goodwine (Tampa Bay Boxing 3-0)
At 185 lbs Justin Sumter will take on Aaron Goodwine for the coveted PFC amateur title. Sumter trains with RGTF and comes into this fight with an 8-1 record. The majority of Justin's wins came by ko/tko so he hits hard and knows how to finish. His opponent is Aaron Goodwine and he trains with Tampa Bay Boxing. He comes into this fight with a perfect 3-0 record. He has 2 wins by ko/tko and 1 by submission and he would love another one added to that win column and the belt. I have never seen either of these two fight in person so I am pumped to see them live.
170 PRO Vinicous De Jesus ( Link 1-1) vs. Gil Pinhierro (Thornton MMA 0-0)
In the first pro fight Vinicous De Jesus takes on Gil Pinhierro at 170lbs. De Jesus trains with Team Link and comes into this fight with a 1-1 record. He has 1 win by ko/tko and 1 loss by split decision. Being from Team Link you know he will be ready for anything. His opponent is Gil Pinhierro and he trains with Thornton MMA. From what I can find it looks like Gil had a decision win at a previous CFX show back in 2010. This is going to be a close battle to start off the pro section of the night.
170 PRO Ricardo Funch (Link 8-5) vs. Brett Oteri (Inner Strength 12-6)
Then at 170 lbs a big showdown between Ricardo Funch and Brett Oteri. Funch, the UFC veteran trains with Team Link and comes into this fight with an 8-5 record. For his wins he has 4 wins by ko/kto, 1 sub and 3 wins by decision. For his losses, he is currently at a 3 straight loss streak that he is looking to break for obvious reasons. He has 1 loss by ko/tko, 3 by submission and 1 by decision. He is a tough fighter that loves to grind out the victories by earning his takedowns and controlling the fighters. His opponent is Brett Oteri and he trains with Inner Strength. He comes into this fight with a 12-6 record with 1 win by ko/tko, 7 by submission, 3 by decision and one DQ victory. This fight has fight of the night written all over it and it is going to be an all out battle for position.
155 PRO Nate Andrews (NE Combat 7-1 ) vs. Mervin Rodriguez (Gracie Latham 8-9)
In another pro fight Nate Andrews takes on Mervin Rodriguez at 155 lbs. Andrews trains with NE Combat and comes into this fight with a 7-1 record. He has 4 wins by ko/tko and 3 wins by submission so far in his pro career. His only loss came by decision against Gemiyale Adkins at a previous CES event. His opponent is Mervin Rodriguez and he trains with Gracie Latham. He comes into this fight with a 8-9 record with 1 win by ko/tko, 4 by submissions, 2 decisions and 1 by DQ. For his losses, he has 4 by way of submission and 5 by decision. I think this is going to be a good stand up battle.
172 PRO Jon Manley ( Link 9-2) vs. Mike Perry (Team Sparta 4-0)
At a catch weight of 172 lbs Jon Manley will face off against Mike Perry. Manley trains with Team Link and comes into this fight with a 9-2 record. The former UFC vet has 4 wins by submission and 5 wins by decision. His only 2 losses were by way of decision. Jon is a head coach at the Team Link in Northampton Mass and has been training hard for this fight. His opponent is Mike Perry and he trains with Team Sparta. Perry comes into this fight with an undefeated record of 4-0 with all 4 wins by ko/tko. This is a great match up and you don't want to miss Manley fighting in our backyard.
205 PRO TITLE Jabril Patterson ( WNYMMA 4-0) vs. Shedrick Goodridge (6-8)
The main event is a 205 pro title fight between Jabril Patterson and Shedrick Goodridge. Patterson trains with WNYMMA and comes into this fight with a 4-0 record. Out of his 4 wins he has 3 by ko/tko and 1 by decision so far in his pro career. I saw one of his wins up in New Hampshire against Robert Taylor in which he won in just 10 seconds! His opponent is Shedrick Goodridge and comes into this fight with an 6-8 record. For his wins he has 2 by ko/tko, 2 by submission and 2 by decision. For his losses, he has 3 by ko/tko 2 by submission and 3 by decision. I think this is going to be a nice stand up battle for the fans.
There you have the complete breakdown and I hope I have teased you all enough to want to come out and see mixed martial arts action. If that isn't enough incentive, how about coming to see the new Premier FC ring girl?? Warchild and I will be making the trip to cover the event for you all so make sure you come say HI. Special thanks to the promotor/matchmaker of PFC, Karyn Wesch for always hooking us up with the latest fight cards four you all. Hope to see you all there!
135 AM Josh Flores (Underdog BJJ 2-1) vs. Geoffrey Then (Kore BJJ 1-0)
At 135 lbs Josh Flores takes on Geoffrey Then. Flores trains with Underdog BJJ and comes into this fight with a 2-1 record. For his wins, he has 1 win by ko/tko and one win by decision. His sole loss came by a decision to Davis Roast at a previous Cage Titans event back in 2011. He hasn't fought in almost 2 years and is now ready to step back into the cage this Saturday. His opponent is Geoffrey Then and he trains with Kore BJJ. He comes into this fight with a 1-0 record with 1 win by decision in New York. Underdog BJJ fighters always bring it so this one should be a good battle.
155 AM Dan Bardellini ( Rivera BJJ 1-5) vs. Jose Rivera (Thornton BJJ 2-2)
At 155 lbs amateur Dan Bardellini will face Jose Rivera in the PFC Cage. Dan trains with Rivera BJJ and comes into this fight with a 1-5 record. He won his sole win by decision against Cody McMahon at a previous WNXFA show. His losses were spread out with losses by ko/tko, submission and decisions. His opponent is The Problem Jose Rivera. He trains with Thornton BJJ and comes into this fight with a 2-2 record with 2 wins by submission. For his losses, he lost 1 by submission and 1 by decision. I see this one being a good fight and I don't see it going to a decision.
125 AM Justin Valentin ( Underdog BJJ 2-0) vs. Mike Kimble (Thunder 0-0)
Justin Valentin takes on Mike Kimble at 125 lbs amateur. Valentin trains with Underdog BJJ and comes into this fight with a 2-0 record. Justin has 2 wins both by submission and he would love to add one more to the mix. His opponent is Mike Kimble and he trains with Team Thunder. He will be stepping into the cage for the first time and is anxious to show the PFC fans what he has to offer. He is going to have his work cut out for him as Valentin already has the 2 fight experience.
155 AM Davon Zimmerman ( RGTF 1-2) vs. Kenny Peralta (Ultimate MMA 2-2)
At 155 lbs Davon Zimmerman will face off against Kenny Paralta. Davon comes into this fight with a 1-2 record with 1 win by decision. He trains with Renzo Gracie Training Facility out of CT. For his 2 losses, he lost them by 1 ko/tko and 1 by decision. His opponent is Kenny Peralta and he trains with Ultimate MMA. For his wins, he has 1 win by ko/tko to strikes and 1 by submission so far in his career. For his losses, he has 1 by submission and 1 by decision. This should be another close fight.
205 AM Joe Castanzo (Conroys MMA 0-0) vs. Rene Infantas (Underdog BJJ 1-0)
Then at 205 lbs Joe Castanzo takes on Rene Infantas. Castanzo trains with Conroy's MMA and will be making his amateur debut. His opponent is Rene Infantas and he trains with Underdog BJJ. He comes intot this fight with a 1-0 record. In his first fight he won by ko/tko in Rd 1 against George Smith. Underdog fighters are always ready for a battle so this should be an exciting one.
185 TITLE AM Justin Sumter (RGTF 8-1) vs. Aaron Goodwine (Tampa Bay Boxing 3-0)
At 185 lbs Justin Sumter will take on Aaron Goodwine for the coveted PFC amateur title. Sumter trains with RGTF and comes into this fight with an 8-1 record. The majority of Justin's wins came by ko/tko so he hits hard and knows how to finish. His opponent is Aaron Goodwine and he trains with Tampa Bay Boxing. He comes into this fight with a perfect 3-0 record. He has 2 wins by ko/tko and 1 by submission and he would love another one added to that win column and the belt. I have never seen either of these two fight in person so I am pumped to see them live.
170 PRO Vinicous De Jesus ( Link 1-1) vs. Gil Pinhierro (Thornton MMA 0-0)
In the first pro fight Vinicous De Jesus takes on Gil Pinhierro at 170lbs. De Jesus trains with Team Link and comes into this fight with a 1-1 record. He has 1 win by ko/tko and 1 loss by split decision. Being from Team Link you know he will be ready for anything. His opponent is Gil Pinhierro and he trains with Thornton MMA. From what I can find it looks like Gil had a decision win at a previous CFX show back in 2010. This is going to be a close battle to start off the pro section of the night.
170 PRO Ricardo Funch (Link 8-5) vs. Brett Oteri (Inner Strength 12-6)
Then at 170 lbs a big showdown between Ricardo Funch and Brett Oteri. Funch, the UFC veteran trains with Team Link and comes into this fight with an 8-5 record. For his wins he has 4 wins by ko/kto, 1 sub and 3 wins by decision. For his losses, he is currently at a 3 straight loss streak that he is looking to break for obvious reasons. He has 1 loss by ko/tko, 3 by submission and 1 by decision. He is a tough fighter that loves to grind out the victories by earning his takedowns and controlling the fighters. His opponent is Brett Oteri and he trains with Inner Strength. He comes into this fight with a 12-6 record with 1 win by ko/tko, 7 by submission, 3 by decision and one DQ victory. This fight has fight of the night written all over it and it is going to be an all out battle for position.
155 PRO Nate Andrews (NE Combat 7-1 ) vs. Mervin Rodriguez (Gracie Latham 8-9)
In another pro fight Nate Andrews takes on Mervin Rodriguez at 155 lbs. Andrews trains with NE Combat and comes into this fight with a 7-1 record. He has 4 wins by ko/tko and 3 wins by submission so far in his pro career. His only loss came by decision against Gemiyale Adkins at a previous CES event. His opponent is Mervin Rodriguez and he trains with Gracie Latham. He comes into this fight with a 8-9 record with 1 win by ko/tko, 4 by submissions, 2 decisions and 1 by DQ. For his losses, he has 4 by way of submission and 5 by decision. I think this is going to be a good stand up battle.
172 PRO Jon Manley ( Link 9-2) vs. Mike Perry (Team Sparta 4-0)
At a catch weight of 172 lbs Jon Manley will face off against Mike Perry. Manley trains with Team Link and comes into this fight with a 9-2 record. The former UFC vet has 4 wins by submission and 5 wins by decision. His only 2 losses were by way of decision. Jon is a head coach at the Team Link in Northampton Mass and has been training hard for this fight. His opponent is Mike Perry and he trains with Team Sparta. Perry comes into this fight with an undefeated record of 4-0 with all 4 wins by ko/tko. This is a great match up and you don't want to miss Manley fighting in our backyard.
205 PRO TITLE Jabril Patterson ( WNYMMA 4-0) vs. Shedrick Goodridge (6-8)
The main event is a 205 pro title fight between Jabril Patterson and Shedrick Goodridge. Patterson trains with WNYMMA and comes into this fight with a 4-0 record. Out of his 4 wins he has 3 by ko/tko and 1 by decision so far in his pro career. I saw one of his wins up in New Hampshire against Robert Taylor in which he won in just 10 seconds! His opponent is Shedrick Goodridge and comes into this fight with an 6-8 record. For his wins he has 2 by ko/tko, 2 by submission and 2 by decision. For his losses, he has 3 by ko/tko 2 by submission and 3 by decision. I think this is going to be a nice stand up battle for the fans.
There you have the complete breakdown and I hope I have teased you all enough to want to come out and see mixed martial arts action. If that isn't enough incentive, how about coming to see the new Premier FC ring girl?? Warchild and I will be making the trip to cover the event for you all so make sure you come say HI. Special thanks to the promotor/matchmaker of PFC, Karyn Wesch for always hooking us up with the latest fight cards four you all. Hope to see you all there!