Cage Titans returns this Saturday April 9th with another action packed night of mixed martial arts. The show will be taking place at the Plymouth Memorial Hall and the doors will be opening up at 6pm with the first fight to start at 7PM. There are a total of 19 fights which include 3 of them are title fights with 5 of them being professional. As you have seen not much has changed from the fight card except a few drop offs. Mike Polvere and company have done once again an awesome job at providing Massachusetts with what should be another exciting night of mixed martial arts action. Let me break down the fight card in its entirety.
145 AM Dan Shapiro (0-0, Redline) vs Matt Burton (0-0, DCNU)
The first fight is between Dan Shapiro and Matt Burton at 145 lbs. Shapiro trains with Redline and will be making his amateur debut. His opponent is Matt Burton and he trains with DCNU and will also be making his amateur debut. Both are very good mma schools in New England so this should be a great first battle.
145 AM Fabio Benoit (0-0, UFC Gym) vs Joe Smith (1-0, Lauzon MMA)
At 145 lbs Fabio Benoit will be taking on Joe Smith. Benoit trains out of UFC Gym and will be making his amateur debut. His opponent is Joe Smith and he trains out of Lauzon MMA. Smith comes into this fight with a 1-0 record in which he won his first fight by unanimous decision at Cage Titans 26. Smith has the 1 fight experience in which he will want to use that to his advantage in this battle.
205 AM Stephen Kimball (1-2, Nostos) vs Ron Marshall (0-0, Team Anubis)
Next battle is at 205 lbs and it is between Stephen Kimball and Ron Marshall. Kimball trains with Nostos MMA and comes into this fight with a 1-2 record. For his wins he has 1 win by submission and for his losses, 1 by ko/tko and 1 by submission. His opponent is Ron Marshall and he trains with Team Anubis. Marshall will be making his amateur debut this Saturday. Again, Kimball has the 3 fight experience under his belt so we will have to see if that plays a factor.
185 AM Chris Marriott (0-1-1, Team Anubis) vs Kris Silck (1-0, Hard Knocks/SSSF)
At 185 lbs Chris Marriott will be squaring off against Kris Silck. Marriott trains out of Team Anubis and comes into this fight with a 0-1-1 record. He has one draw and his sole loss by ko/tko at the last Cage Titans show. He is still hungry for his first taste of victory. His opponent is Kris Silck and he trains with Hard Knocks and SSSF. Kris comes into this fight with a record of 1-0 with 1 win by ko/tko to strikes. As you can see another close match up and I think this one will be a good stand up battle.
155 AM Austin Schalla (1-2, Dexter MMA) vs Mike Bulger (1-0, Sityodtong)
Austin Schalla will face off against Mike Bulger at Cage Titans this Saturday. Schalla trains with Dexter MMA and comes into this fight with an 1-2. Schalla won one fight by submission and lost 2 by decision. His opponent is Mike Bulger and he trains with Sityodtong. He comes into this fight with an 1-0 record with 1 win by decision. Both of these fighters have proven they can go the distance but who will be victorious this Saturday ?
150 AM Quentin Alexzander (0-0, Independent) vs Chris Sniger (0-1, Team EVT/SBG)
At a catch weight of 150 lbs Quentin Alexzander will face off against Chris Sniger. Alexzander is an independent fighter and comes into this fight making his amateur debut. His opponent is Chris Sniger and he trains with Team EVT/SBG. Chris comes into this fight with an 0-1 record with a decision loss back in 2008. This is another close match up for Cage Titans.
165 AM Trevor Gudde (0-0, Florian MMA) vs Donnell Ford (0-0, DCNU)
At 165 lbs Trevor Gudde will take on Donnell Ford. Gudde trains with Florian MMA and he will be making his amateur debut. His opponent is Donnell Ford and he trains out of CT with DCNU. Ford will also be making his amateur debut. Both fighters are from awesome schools which should make for an exciting battle.
155 AM Derek Peterson (1-3, Gillett’s MMA) vs Dan Bardellini (1-5, Rivera Athletics)
Derek Peterson will step into the cage against Dan Bardellini at 155 lb weight division. Peterson trains with Gillett's MMA and comes into this fight with a 1-3 record with 1 win by by decision over Rob Moser. In the loss column, he lost 1 by ko/tko, 1 by sub and 1 by decision. His opponent is Dan Bardellini and he trains with Rivera Athletics. Dan comes into this fight with a 1-5 record with his 1 win by decision. In the loss column he has 1 by ko/tko, 2 by sub and 1 by decision. Almost virtually identical records as both fighters have been struggling and they are looking to bring home the W with another notch in their win column. I see this one being a good battle and going to a decision.
185 AM Dave Sheehan (0-0, Connors MMA) vs Tommy Lee Davis (0-0, Juniko)
Next up is at 185 lbs Dave Sheehan taking on Tommy Lee Davis. Sheehan trains out of Connor's MMA and will be making his amateur debut. Also making his amateur debut is Tommy Lee Davis who trains out of Juniko. Two new fresh fighters looking to display their raw untapped energy in the cage for your eyes to feast on.
130 AM Karoline Francis (0-0, Nostos) vs Jeannette Pomales (2-1, Sityodtong)
In the only female bout of the night Karoline Francis will face Jeanette Pomales at a catch weight of 130 lbs. Francis trains out of Nostos MMA and she will be making her amateur debut. Her opponent is Jeannette Pomales and she trains with Sityodtong. Pomales comes into this fight with a 2-1 record with 1 win by knockout and 1 win by decision. Her one loss came by submission at a Legacy event. I have seen her two wins and she has shown some excellent striking which one would expect from Sityodtong. This fight is going to be an awesome one as I see it being an all out stand up war.
145 AM Justin Bombardier (0-0, MAXX) vs Antoine Caparotta (1-0, SSSF)
Next up is at 145 lbs Justin Bombardier will square off against Antoine Caparotta. Justin trains with Team Maxx and he will be making his amateur debut. His opponent is Antoine Caparotta and he trains out of SSSF. Antoine steps into the cage with a record of 1-0 with a submission victory over Stephen Langlais. I give the edge to Caparotta in this one with his 1 fight experience over Justin but as we all know its mma and anything can happen! Now onto the main card.
125 AM TITLE Rich Santiago (RAC 4-4) vs. Nate Russell (4-0 FAA)
At 125 lbs Rich Santiago defends his title against Nate Russell in the first title fight of the night. Rich trains with Rivera Athletics Center and he comes into this fight with a 4-4 record. For his wins, he has 1 ko/tko, 2 by submission and 1 by way of decision. His last fight was a big win against Ryan Kane in which he won the title and now this will be his first defense. For his losses, he lost 3 by submission and 1 by decision. With 3 straight wins and the title on the line he is going to fight hard to not lose it. His opponent is Nate Russell and he trains with Fighting Arts Academy and comes into this fight with an undefeated record of 4-0. For his wins he has 2 wins by ko/tko and 2 wins by submission. I see this fight being a ground battle and ending by submission. Both fighters are very good on the ground and impress me more and more each fight and I for one can't wait to see how this one pans out.
155 AM TITLE Ryan DiBartolomeo (Team Link NH 4-4) vs. Alex Ortiz (3-1 Speed School)
At 155 lbs Ryan DiBartolomeo will face off against Alex Ortiz for the 155 Amateur title. Ryan trains with Team Link now and comes into this fight with a 4-4 record. In the win column he has 1 win by submission and 3 by decision. For his losses, he lost 3 by ko/tko and 1 by decision. In his last fight he lost a title fight fight to Josh Harvey and he is now with a different school and looking for another notch in the win column.
His opponent is Alex Ortiz and he trains with Speed School MMA. He comes into this fight with a 3-1 record with 1 wins by submission and 2 by decision. For his losses, he lost 1 by ko/tko to strikes against Don Shainis. I see this one being an awesome stand up battle and it is one you definitely don't want to miss.
145 AM TITLE Arslan Octiyev (Speed School 3-2-1) vs. Bryan Rossi (Sityodtong 3-2)
In the last title fight of the night Arslan Octiyev takes on Bryan Rossi for the 145 lb title. Octiyev trains with Speed School and comes into this fight with 3-2-1. All of his wins came by way of submission. He has never been finished as his 2 losses came by decision and one draw. His opponent is Bryan Rossi who trains with Sityodtong. He also comes into this fight with a 3-2 record with 2 wins by ko/tko and 1 by decision. His only two losses came by way of decision. In this fight, I see Bryan wanted to keep it standing and work his striking and his power. Arslan will look to clinch and get this fight to the ground and try to work a submission.
195 PRO Joe Levasseur (1-1 Triforce) vs. Roger Brackett (6-4 Lakeville)
At a catch weight of 195 lbs Joe Levasseur will be taking on Roger Brackett. Joe trains with Triforce and comes into this fight with a 1-1 record. Joe has one loss by decision back in 2009 and 1 win by submission in 2014. His opponent is Roger Brackett and he trains with Lakeville MMA. Roger comes into this fight with a 6-4 record with 2 wins by ko/tko, 3 by submission and 1 by dq. For his losses, he lost 3 by submission and 1 by decision. This is a good match up as both fighters are seasoned veterans which should make for an exciting pro fight.
At 170 lbs Alex Dolan will face Carlos Correia. Dolan trains with UFC Gym and will be making his pro debut with an amateur record of 0-4. His opponent is Carlos Correia who trains out of DCNU. He will also be making his pro debut. Carlos as an amateur went 3-1 with 1 submission and 2 decision victories. Carlos is a dog whisperer by day and professional smasher by night. I have never seen Dolan fight before but I see Carlos winning this one fairly easy in the first or second round by submission.
170 PRO Sean Lally ( 3-2 Juniko ) vs. Keegan Hornstra (Nostos 2-8)
At 170 lbs Sean Lally will be squaring off against Keegan Hornstra. Lally trains with Juniko and comes into this fight with a 3-2 record. In the win column, Sean has 2 wins by ko/tko and 1 win by submission. His two losses have come by way of submission. His opponent is Keegan Hornstra and he trains with Nostos MMA. Keegan comes into this fight with a record of 2-8 with 1 win by ko/tko and 1 win by submission. For his losses, he lost 3 by ko/tko and 5 by way of submission. Both fighters have been very vocal about this fight which as a fan I love. Keegan is right, at 170lbs he has fought much better than with the weight cut and he has been training hard. Lally is a force that comes out like a bull and earns his takedowns overpowering his opponents. This one is going to be an awesome one!
155 PRO Jeff Anderson (11-10 BK Boxing) vs. Peter Barrett (Sityodtong 5-0)
At 155 lbs Jeff Anderson steps back into the cage against Peter Barrett. Anderson trains with BK Boxing and comes into this fight with an 11-10 record with 2 wins by ko/tko and 9 wins by decision. For his losses, he lost 3 by ko/tko, 3 by submission and 4 by decision. He has 6 straight losses and is looking to turn that around. His opponent is Peter Barrett and he trains out of Sityodtong and comes into this fight with a perfect 5-0 record with 4 wins by ko/tko and 1 win by submission. While Anderson is a tough opponent I don't think Barrett will have much of a problem with him and I see him winning this one by ko/tko to strikes in Rd 2.
125 PRO Remo Cardarelli (RAC 5-3) vs. Andy Aiello (Lauzon 3-1)
The main event is the much awaited rematch between Remo Cardarelli and Andy Aiello at 125 lbs. Remo trains out of RAC and comes into this fight with a 5-3 record with 4 wins by submission and 1 win by decision. His 3 losses all came by way of ko/tko to strikes. His opponent is Andy Aiello and he trains out of Lauzon MMA. Andy comes into this fight with a 3-1 record with 2 wins by ko/tko and 1 by decision. His only loss came against Kody Nordby in which he lost by submission back at a previous AFO. The first time around was a stand up battle and Andy connected with a liver shot that hurt Remo and the fight ended at 3 minutes into the first round. This time around I think the fight will be much like the first fight with an exciting stand up battle but the question is who will be victorious and have their hand raised at the end? Stop by Cage Titans this Saturday to find out!
Thanks for reading along with this and special thanks to Cage Titans for providing us with the up to date fight card. I hope to see you all there!