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April 2, 2012

Premier FC 8 Tournament Holyoke MA April 1st 2012 Review


Arrived at the Log Cabin located in Holyoke MA nice and early to setup my laptop that was not performing properly.  I whipped it into shape.  It might be the blunder of the night/day!  I walk through the main entrance and I saw water running down the walls, fireplaces, beautiful stone tiled floor and a wall of vendors.  I noticed SuckperPunch Athletics and Get Punched.  Happy to see that they made the trip over to Western Mass!!  The infamous motorcycle is displayed right before you walk in.  The cage is set up and we got 10 fights tonight.  There was one ammy fight that got pulled due to medical issue but that one will take place on PFC 9.  Promo Pete made it in attendance and I am seeing alot of Sityodtong, Boss shirts and TPS!  Promoter Karyn Wesch is dressed all fancy.  The ring girls are Colleen and Alicia and they are looking lovely like always.  Marty Caproni, the funnyman is our host and the DJ is courtesy of Milestone Entertainment.  I noticed the Dominage, SuckerPunch and Get Punched posts on the cage. Many fighters were in attendance.  Rachel Doiron sang us a nice national anthem. Our photos were captured from Gary Emond.  Great job bud. Now this Premier FC is the first one located at the Log Cabin and this is the start of the tournament.  In tournaments sometimes friends/teammates have to fight each other.  It is the beauty of a tournment.  The room is starting to fill up..Karyn told me around 700+ were in attendance...now onto the fights!!


135lb Tournament


Jim Strife(Pin2Win)0-0 vs Carlos Candelori(Independent) 0-0

Jim comes out to AC/DC Hells Bells and Carlos comes out DMX X Gone Give it to Ya.  Jim starts out with a couple of takedown attempts.  Carlos defends well.  Jim gets the takedown and Carlos works an armbar. Jim pulls out and Carlos is now in Jim's guard and works a triangle.  He tightens it and gets the tap.

Carlos Candelori defeats Jim Strife via triangle in Rd 1.






Mike Velazquez(Sityodtong)0-0 vs. Mike Tabor(Guardian) 0-1

Mike Tabor comes out to Eminem-Til I Collapse.  Both throw a leg kick that hit.  Velazquez gets hit with a leg kick but counters with a nice right hand.  Velazquez gets in a big right hand.  These guys are going at it for their amateur debuts!!  Tabor gets a nice single leg takedown.  Tabor is now in Velazquez's guard.  Velazquez is working a triangle and they slide out and Velazquez stands up and pushes him up against the cage.  Velazquez gets a nice takedown and the round ends with him on top throwing some ground and pound.

Velasquez 10-9.

They clinch and they fall down together. Tabor gets the reverse and Velasquez is working an armbar.  Tabor   gets some huge hammerfirsts to the head and Velazquez has to let go.  Velasquez is now on top working the guard.  He gets in some big hammerfists and Tabor works an armbar.  Velazquez slides out and throws some big hammerfists as the round ends.  

Velasquez 10-9

Rd 3

They are coming out swinging.  Tabor clinches up against the cage and Velasquez reverses.  Tabor pushes him to the center and they break.  Velasquez gets a double leg takedown and is now working the guard.  He gets in some ground and pound and the round ends.  

Velasquez 10-9

Mike Velasquez defeats Mike Tabor via unanimous decision. Tabor and Velasquez looked real good.  Tabor took this fight on 5 days notice.  Congrats to your first ammy win Mike.  You had great poise and excellent counters.  I just talked to Mike Tabor and he said it was his second fight so I updated his record.





Shayne Stephenson(Independent) 1-3 vs. Nick Pallini(Independent) 2-2

Shayne gets a takedown.  Pallini works the bottom and works a sweet leg lock.  He tries for arm bars and some type of shoulder crank it looked like.  The round  ends.

Pallini 10-9

Rd 2  Shayne gets a huge leg kick.  Shayne does a slamming takedown.  Shayne is working the guard.  Shayne works an armbar and gets the tap.

Shayne Stephenson defeats Nick Pallini via armbar in Rd 2in 2:16 .





Marty calls out Jeremy Ross who is fighting for next AFO for a title, Gabriel Gladiator 8 time BJJ world champion and Mark Dellagrotte, owner of Team Sityodtong.  Karyn comes out and they give Tyson Chartier an award who is also fighting for next AFO for a title!  Onto the Boss's fight!




Jeremy Reipold(Ravenous)3-1 vs. Adler Jack(International Martial Arts) 2-0


Jeremy comes out to Beastie Boys Sabotoge and Adler comes out to Florida-Good Feeling. Adler throws a kick and Jer catches it and counters with a right hand.  They clinch and they fall to the ground.  Adler is working the guard.  Jeremy works the arm bar and Adler slams out of it.  Jer works a triangle but doesn't quite have it lined up right and Adler slams out of it again.  Jer locks up the triangle this time and as the saying goes third time is the charm and Adler is forced to tap.

Jeremy Reipold defeats Adler Jack via triangle in Rd 1. 






145lb Tournament

Leon Campbell(Sityodtong) 2-0 vs.Dan Walsh(Independent) 0-0

Leon comes out to Beastie Boys-Intergalactic and Dan comes out to Andrew W.K-Party Hard.  Leon goes to work and gets some nice outside leg kicks.  He is working the jab and connecting with some.  Dan got in a nice right hand himself.  Leon follows back with a nice outside kick and some jabs.  Leon catches him a huge right hand and he stumbles back.  Leon finishes him up with a few more punches and he gets the KO victory.

Leon Campbell defeats Dan Walsh with a KO in 1:52 in Rd 1.  It was a tough fight for Dan taking on a 2-0 but thats what happens sometimes in a tournament.  Congrats to both fighters, the fight was awesome.  Great job Leon...can't wait til Round 2!!







Mike Wicks(Pin2Win) 0-0 vs Soap Am(TPS) 0-0

Mike comes out swinging.  Soap picks him up and slams him.  Soap is working the guard.  Mike is defending well but Soap gets in a few shots from the top.  Soap gets some seperation and gets some more ground and pound.  He doesn't let Mike up is now in half guard.  Soap is now working the side and getting in some more ground and pound .  Mike gets in some shots from the bottom as the round ends.

Soap Am 10-9

Rd 2: Mike goes for a takedown and Soap works teh guilliotine.  He lets go and reverses.  Soap now takes the side and is trying to get some separation.  Soap moves to the north south then moves back to the side. Soap gets in some knees to the body.  The crowd roars.  Soap is working a kimura and passes to full mount.  He is laying down some vicious ground and pound as the round ends.

Soap 10-9

Rd 3:
Mike works teh single leg takedown and gets it.  Soap reverses and is now working the side again.  Soap works the armbar and gets the tap.  

Soap Am defeats Mike Wicks via armbar in Rd 3.




Now Karyn announces the next tournaments matchup for the 135lb division which will take place on May 20th, 2012.  They are Mike Velazques vs Carlos Candelori and Jeremy Reipold vs. Shayne Stephenson.




170lb Tournament

George Abele(Sityodtong)1-0 vs Bret Braxton(AMAC/Combat Sports Boston) 1-1

George comes to Bonecrusher Ft. Onslaught -Come on and Bret comes out to Saigon-Bring Me Down Pt. 2.  Brett starts us off with a outside leg kick.  Goeroge misses high with a kick.  George gets a nice kick to the body.  George gets a high kick that sounds hit and sounded like a firecrackers.  They clinch and Bret works a guilliotine.  George pulled down Bret with a single leg.  George controls on top for a bit and Bret uses the cage to stand and they clinch against the cage as the round ends.

George 10-9

Rd 2: Bret misses with a big right hand.  He follows it up with a kick to the body.  George gets hit with a low kick and takes a minute and they go right back at it.  Both fighters miss with high kicks.  This is a very fast paced fight.  They sprawl low and go to the ground.  George is now on top working up against the cage.  George works a guillotine. 

George 10-9  Bret was pushing the pace but George was connecting more and had the dominant position at the end.

Rd 3: Brett fires high.  George fires back with a kick of his own.  George connects with a nice combo and they clinch up against the cage.  George gets the takedown and is now working half guard.  George is controlling well on top and get a big knee to the body.  George seprates and gets some huge ground and pound as the horn sounds.

George 10-9

George Abele defeats Bret Braxton via unanimous decision.  This was a really good fight.  It had some great standup and some excellent ground action.




Karyn then introduced the 145lb tournament round 2 matchup between Soap Am and Leon Cambell..that is gonna be an awesome fight!!



Lou Grigneffini(Independent) 1-0 vs Myles Reid(International Martial Arts) 0-0

Lou comes out to Social Distortion-Ring of Fire..great song.  Lou is a young 43 years old.    They clinch right away and Miles is overpowering him and they go to the ground.    Lou weathers the storm but Miles is now on the bottom working a guillotine.  He gets the tap.

Myles Reid defeats Lou Grigneffini via guillotine in 1minute even in Rd 1.






Extra Bonus Fights

Josh Mellen(Independent) 1-8 vs Carlos Rivera(Independent) 0-3 185lbs

Josh comes out to The Air I Breath-Deliverance...good tune.  Carlos overpowers Josh with a big right hand that drops him.  He quickly covers him with a barrage of ground and pound to get the ref stoppage.

Carlos Rivera defeats Josh Mellen via ref stoppage to punches in 33 seconds in rd 1.




At this time Karyn announces the 170lb tournament Round 2 matchup for May 20th, 2012...it is George Abele vs. Myles Reid...this is gonna be another great fight.  Can't wait!!



Desmond Green(Bombsquad) 0-0 vs. Rob Font(Sityodtong)1-0 155lbs

Rob comes out to Kanye West & Jay-Z -No Church in the Wild and Desmond comes out to Bob Marley-Buffalo Soldier.  Desmond goes for a takedown and Rob gets in a huge right hand as they go down.  Desmond is working the guard   Rob is staying very active on the bottom sweeping out and Rob pushes him up against the cage and gets the takedown.  Desmond is up quick and working the guillotine.  He is now on top in the guard and Rob works an armbar but Desmond slips out fast and stands up.  He gets hit with a good upckick and  then lets Rob up.  They clinch and both fall down.  Again Rob is very active from the bottom and is working a triangle.  Demond recognizes fast and gets out.  Desmond finishes on top as the round ends.

Desmond 10-9

Rd 2: They clinch and Desmond gets the takedown.  Desmond is on top working the guard.  Rob threatens with an armbar but Desmond slips out quickly.  Not a whole lot of action for a bit but Rob is working very well from the bottom.  Desmond finishes off the round on top.

Desmond 10-9

Rd 3:  Desmond goes for a takedown and gets hit with a knee to the head but he holds is own .  Desmond works on top and then gets bucked off and stands briefly.  Demond dives right back in the guard.  They stand briefly and Rob jumps guard and is so close to locking the triangle but Desmond slips out.  This is a great ground battle.  Rob works for some more arm bars.  He has a nice leg lock in and throws some elbows from the bottom to the head.  Desmond gets some separation and lays some ground and pound as the round ends.

Desmond 10-9

Desmond Green defeats Rob Font unanimous decision.  This was a really good fight.  Rob was very active from the bottom and although he lost the decision he defended well from the bottom.  Desmond showed great wrestling and great jui jitsu skills recognizing every submission that Rob was throwing at him.  These two fighters aren't going anywhere and I expect big things from both of them in the near future!  Speaking of future Rob Font will be fighting at Warrior Nation on April 20th against John Naples.  Rob always takes tough fights!!






Awards:

Fight of the Night: Mike Velazquez vs. Mike Tabor
Submission of the Night:  Tie Jeremy Reipold vs. Adler Jack Triangle Soap Am Arm Bar!
KO of the Night: Leon Campbell vs. Dan Walsh
Blunder of the Night: My Dell Netbook not booting..I should have bought a MAC

Rating of the Show(1-5, 5 Being the Best)

Quality of Fights:4.5 great night of fights..10 fights!
Star Quality: 4, lots of fighters in attendance, Mark and Big John from team Syt.  Promo Pete!
Sound:5 no mic cutouts..everything sounded great.
Refs: 5..I had no problems with the ref..I thought everything was a good stoppage.
Announcer: 5 Marty does a great job..loves to throw in jokes..he made one that said the next fight was going to be an exhibition match in the children's 65lb division.  I know Gladiator trains little Gladiators so I thought this was real but the joke was on me...it was an April's Fools Joke.  For this my friend you get a 5!
Ring Girls: 5 I am happy to see Premier FC bring back Colleen and Alicia.  I enjoyed the outfits not to showy..just right!
Vendors: 5 GetPunched and SuckerPunch and many more in attendance.  I saw lots of people perusing and shopping.  The setup was great because as the fans walk in you had to walk through the vendors...bound to have something catch you eye!
Overall: 4.78

Thank you to Karyn and the Premier FC crew for allowing us to cover the show.  The Artist had a good time filming all the fights and we will get to work on that shortly.  I was anxious to see how this tournament turned out and was wondering if they were going to get enough fighters in time due to all the other local events happening around this time.  I am happy to see that they split up the round 1 of the tournament.  Fighters get in on this for May 20th...the prize is a vacation plus great experience!  Thanks to all the fighters who put their all in the cage and made a great Sunday afternoon.  The beauty of the tournament is you get to see the next round and you are all familiar with all the fighters.  You get the best of the best in the tournament and the fighters make the best matchup all on their own!  For those of you who are just joining us and don't know how we do things..we will be posting all the fight videos on our youtube and on here.  Also all of the 900+ pics we took will be going up on our fanpage sometime this week.  Congrats to all the winners and we look forward to seeing you all on May 20th, 2012 for the second installment of Premier FC Tournament!!  If you enjoyed this review, please share it on facebook and leave us some comments! I will close this out with a few back stage pics!

Leon Campbell getting checked out

Mark Hoxie made it up from New York to corner Nick Pallini from PA!!!

The Boss talking to Sarah Payant before the fights start


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