CES MMA: Classic
Entertainment Sports 40 Preview
Travis Lizotte:
There will be plenty to be thankful
for November 23rd at Twin River Casino in Lincoln, Rhode Island as
CES returns from Plymouth Rock. On Thanksgiving Eve if you are hungry for
action look no further than CES 40! With a Lightweight Main Event featuring a CES mainstay that
needs no introduction; Nate “the Snake” Andrews made his professional debut at
CES 11 and hopes that his 9th win in the CES cage will put him on
the radar of the largest National MMA Promotions. Andrews will be looking to
notch his 10th professional win against only one loss when he
squares off with George Sheppard, who will be stepping into the cage for the 27th
time as a pro and looking to make it 16 fights in the win column. The nights Co-Main Event will have another
CES Veteran and Bantamweight Contender Dinis “Sweetbread” Paiva will step back
into the CES cage after over a year long layoff and try to start a new winning
streak when he throws down with Las Vegas’ Zane Behrend who fights out of
Xtreme Couture gym. Joe “Lights Out”
Pingitore looks to overcome a loss to Matt Bessette at CES 37 when he calls
upon Hawaii’s Lightweight Spencer “Masaru” Higa. Featherweights Dylan Lockard
and ”Ruthless” Russell Campbell lock horns. Richard Hazard and 47 years young Joe “Julio”
Reverdes show down at 135 pounds. Gary “Tiger” Balletto Jr. faces
Montoyia “The Son of God” Swilling in a Welterweight bout. Bantamweight, Richard
Santiago, fresh off a win at CES 39 looks to go 3-0 when he faces Raymond “the
Reaper” Yanez. Pedro Gonzalez squares off against Russian Featherweight Vadim
Ogar. Kris Moutinho versus Mike “the
Beast from the Middle East” Karam will round out the exciting Thanksgiving eve card when they throw down in the Bantamweight division.
Richard Santiago (2-0) v. Raymond Yanez (3-8) Fight has been scrapped (Raymond Yanez has backed out, according to Santiago's facebook page) we wish the best for both fighters!
Bantamweight
Richard Santiago
Affiliation: BST MMA & Fitness
Record: 2-0 (2 Submissions)
Summary: Santiago is currently on a 6 fight winning
streak that spans into his Amateur career. His last 5 fights have been finished
by first round Choke Submissions.
Last fight: First round Submission
(Choke) against Devin Pilkington at CES39
Raymond Yanez
Affiliation: Fight Farm
Record: 3-8 (5 Submission losses)
Summary: Ohio’s Yanez has showed up
on the wrong side of his last 6 fights.
Last fight: Decision loss to
Anthony Flemming at Michigan Mixed Martial Arts: Series 1.
Breakdown: Santiago has made his name of late for first round
chokes and Yanez has been on the short side of some first round finishes. This
fight is going to be Yanez’s first in the Northeast and he is hoping to change
his string of bad luck but is certainly going to have his hands full with the
speedy Santiago.
Richard Hazard (0-0) v. Joe Reverdes (2-3)
Bantamweight
Richard Hazard
Affiliation: Hazzard MMA
Record: 0-0 (Pro Debut)
Summary: Hazard was 0-3 as an
Amateur and lost all of his fights inside the first two rounds falling twice to
submission and once to KO. Hazard will be taking to the cage for the first time
since 2014.
Last fight: First round KO loss to
Montez Jordan at Art of War FC 10.
Joe Reverdes
Affiliation: Tri-Force MMA
Record: 2-3 (1 KO and 1Decision
win)
Summary: Joe is making his long
awaited return to the CES cage and is stepping into the cage for the first time
since 2014.
Last fight: First round KO win against
Randy Campbell at CES 24.
Breakdown: Both fighters are making their first appearances in the
cage in over 2 years. For Hazard, he will be looking to notch his first MMA
victory, for Joe, it will be to add another win to his record at the ripe old age
of 47. Both fighters here are undoubtedly pleased to be back in the cage and to
be able to perform for the CES fans.
Kris Moutinho (1-0) v. Mike Karam (0-1)
Bantamweight
Kris Moutinho
Affiliation: Rivera Athletics
Record: 1-0 (1 decision win)
Summary: Kris has gone the distance in his last 3
fights and his last loss came as an amateur against Manny Bermudez. Moutinho
would like to add a finish to his undefeated professional record.
Last fight: Decision win against
Matthew Moldanado at CES 38.
Mike Karam
Affiliation: Dojo1
Record: 0-1 (1 Decision Loss)
Summary: Mike has shown finishing
abilities as he stopped his opponent in each of his final 2 Amateur fights.
Karam will also be testing the waters of New England MMA for the first time.
Last fight: Lost decision to
Xavier Alaoui at Rivals MMA: 1 in Canada.
Breakdown: Both fighters
will be looking to make a statement in this fight. Karam is looking to avenge a
loss and looking to do so against a talent pool from an unfamiliar region of
the United States. While Moutinho hopes that he can use the Hometown advantage
to finish the fight without going to the judges table for a decision.
Dylan Lockard (1-0) v. Russell Campbell (0-2)
Featherweight
Dylan Lockard
Affiliation: Sityodtong Boston
Record: 1-0 (1 Decision win)
Summary: Dylan has been the winner of each of his first
5 fights spanning his Amateur and Pro career including a submission and TKO to
his record.
Last fight: Decision Win over Mak
Kelleher at CES 37
Russell Campbell
Affiliation: Team Campbell
Record: 0-2 (2 Submission losses)
Summary: Campbell is also making his New England debut
coming from Michigan and looking to add a win to his professional record.
Last fight: Second round Submission
loss to Mike Taylor at Wartime Promotions: Kalamazoo Invasion
Breakdown: Another New England fighter; Lockard, looks to defend
his home turf against Michigan native Russell Campbell. Many fighters on the
card tonight are looking to revitalize their careers and are taking to the
tough class of the Northeast to attempt to do so, Lockard will be looking to
show Campbell that the Northeast is not the easiest place to pick up a
win.
Pedro Gonzalez (11-5) v. Vadim Ogar (6-1)
Featherweight
Pedro Gonzalez
Affiliation: Sityodtong Boston
Record: 11-5 (10 Submission wins)
Summary: Pedro has won his last 4
fights by submission chokes and 10 of his 11 pro wins came by way of the
choke. Pedro has not lost since 2012 and
has fought all over the Northeast.
Last fight: Third round Submission
victory over Andres Jeudi at CES 35
Vadim Ogar
Affiliation: K-Dojo Warrior Tribe
Record: 6-1 (3 Submissions and 3
Decision wins)
Summary: Ogar has been the victor
in this last 6 fights including 2 first round submissions and 3 total wins by
limb lock, 2 leg locks and an arm lock. If Ogar harvests a limb he could use it
to finish a fight early.
Last fight: First round submission
of Chaitanya Gavali at WSOF Global Championship 1: China.
Breakdown: This fight is
shaping up to be a submission and grappling battle. Both fighters have
impressive lists of Submissions on their records and will be looking to add a
win to their records with their yet another tapout. I am forecasting some
ferocious grappling in this match and waiting for one of these fighters to
capitalize on a mistake or holes in the others game.
Gary Balletto Jr. (1-1) v. Montoyia Swilling (0-6)
Welterweight
Gary Balletto Jr.
Affiliation: New England Combat
Record: 1-1 (1 Submission Victory)
Summary: This will be Balletto’s
third fight in the CES cage and he is looking for his second victory. He will
look to do so in exciting fashion against an opponent looking for his first win
in their professional career.
Last fight: First round Submission
Leglock victory over Cruz Johnson at CES 33
Montoyia Swilling
Affiliation: Champions in Christ
Record: 0-6 (2 KOs and 4 submission
losses)
Summary: Swilling is looking for a
change of scenery and a change of fortune when he steps into the cage for the
seventh time in search of his first professional win. This will be his first
fight for the CES banner and hopes it can breathe new life into his career.
Last fight: First round knockout
loss to Addison O’Neil at Premier FC 21
Breakdown: Balletto Jr. will
see great success if he can get this fight to the ground or into close
quarters, Swilling is a Muay Thai fighter who will be looking to find his range
from the outside and strike his way into the win column. If Balletto can get
inside and close the range on Swilling this could be a quick night for these
two.
Joe Pingitore (6-2-1) v. Spencer Higa (5-6)
Featherweight
Joe Pingitore
Affiliation: Tri-Force MMA
Record: 6-2-1 (2 KOs and 1
Submission)
Summary: Pingitore is New Englands
11th ranked Featherweight and has fought some of the best
competition in his weight class including fighting Matt Bessette for the CES
Featherweight strap.
Last fight: Second round Leg Lock
Submission loss to Matt Bessette at CES 37.
Spencer Higa
Affiliation: Top Notch (Honolulu,
Hawaii)
Record: 5-6 (2 Submissions, 2 KO
wins)
Summary: Spencer is on a 3 fight
win streak with 2 finishes in his last 3 fights. This is his first time fighting on the East
coast and he has come a long way from Honolulu, Hawaii to fight one of New
England’s best featherweights.
Last fight: Second round submission
choke win over Anthony Bain at TXC Legends 8.
Breakdown: This could be one of the more intriguing fights on the
card. Higa is pretty much an unknown commodity on the Northeast MMA scene, but
he has reeled off 3 straight wins which is pretty impressive no matter where
you are. Joe Pingitore is the know commodity here and he is known for fighting
some of the top Featherweights around, he looks to prove that a loss in the
title fight is not going to define his path back to the top. I do not see this
fight going to the judges as both of these veterans will likely look to finish
this fight early.
Zane Behrend (2-1) v. Dinis Paiva (7-6)
Bantamweight
Zane Behrend
Affiliation: Xtreme Couture
Record: 2-1 (1 Submission, 1 KO)
Summary: After starting off his
Professional career 2-0 Behrend will be looking to avenge the only blemish on
his record when he faces off with Paiva.
Last fight: Second round Submission
loss via Submission to David Archangel at RFA 31.
Dinis Paiva
Affiliation: Cape Cod Fighting
Alliance
Record: 7-6 (4 KOs and 2
Submissions)
Summary: Paiva has a record that
spans all the way back to CES 6 when he made his Professional debut. Each of
Dinis’ 13 Professional fights have been in the CES cage where he has delivered
7 wins with 6 of them coming by finish.
Last fight: First round Submission
loss to Kody Nordby at CES 31.
Breakdown: If Las Vegas’ Behrend is going to add his third win to
his Professional record his is going to have to do so against one of the more
talented Bantamweights in New England. Behrend has showed his ability to finish
fights as he has in each of his 2 Professional wins. CCFA’s Paiva will be
making his 14th appearance in the CES cage and will again draw a
tough opponent, something he is very familiar with. Dinis will look to continue
a successful run in the CES cage which includes wins in 4 of his last 5 fights.
Stylistically this fight is a hard one to predict given the somewhat unknown
game of the out of town guy Behrend, Paiva has the veteran where with all to
clash with fighters of all styles. If either of these fighters can establish a
game plan early I can see this fight being finished in the second or third
rounds.
Nate Andrews (9-1) v. George Sheppard (15-11)
Lightweight
Nate Andrews
Affiliation: New England Combat
Record: 9-1 (5 KOs, 4 Submissions)
Summary: Rhode Island’s Andrews is
not only considered one of New England’s best Lightweights, but one of its top
Pound for Pound fighters. Nate “the Snake” is hoping that a win at CES 40 will
launch him into the national scene and award him a fight with one of the top
national promotions.
Last fight: Third round Submission
victory over Manny Maro at CES 36.
George Sheppard
Affiliation: MMA Institute
Record: 15-11 (9 KOs, 2 Submissions)
Summary: Richmond, Virginia’s
Sheppard is a veteran of 26 fights spanning over a 7 year Professional career.
This will be Sheppard’s 2nd fight in the CES cage, his first
resulting in a TKO loss to New England staple and top talent Gil de Freitas at
CES 25.
Last fight: First round Submission
loss to Gregor Gillespie at Ring of Combat 51.
Breakdown: These fighters
are undoubtedly on different paths that just happen to meet in the CES cage.
Providence’s Nate Andrews is likely one win away from a call up to fight for a
national promotion, with an impressive 9 Professional wins in 10 fights.
Andrews has fought some of the top guys at 155 in the Northeast and his only
loss was a decision to Gemiyale Adkins at CES 25, aside from that fight none of
Andrews’ opponents have made it to the final bell. There is no secret here
Sheppard will be looking to derail the Nate Andrews hype train. Sheppard is a veteran
of 26 MMA fights where he has amassed 11 finishes of his own over his 15
victories. Andrews brings some exciting talent to the cage but with 26 Pro
fights, it will be hard to come up with a game plan that Sheppard has not seen
or encountered before. Sheppard hopes that he can figure out a way to end his
personal 3 fight losing streak at the expense of Andrews, meanwhile it Nate will
be looking to make a statement and win his 4th contest in a row
vaulting him on to the National MMA scene. This fight should be full of action
as both fighters will be looking to take each other’s heads off, this is
another fight where I do not think judges will be needed.