New York Fighter: Pat DeFranco

​After Winter Storm Jonas rolled in shutting down most of New York, MMA fighter Pat DeFranco still managed to get in a late night workout session. The next day he helped his roommates and fellow fighters, “Raging” Al Iaquinta and Aljamain “Funk Master” Sterling shovel the massive amounts of fresh powder that fell down on Long Island, and even made some time to chat with New York Fighting.

​Pat DeFranco (5-3-1), is a Lightweight fighter (155 pounds), standing 5’11”, who is coming off his September 25th Ring of Combat 52 win against Lashawn Alcocks. Defranco is currently in training camp for his upcoming March 4th fight at Ring of Combat 54, hosted at Tropicana Casino and Resort in Atlantic City, New Jersey. Defranco says he is “very excited and can’t wait” for his next fight.
​DeFranco originally started wrestling in high school, and soon after began learning jujitsu, which eventually led to boxing, and he then started competing in 2009. Currently training and fighting out of Team Serra-Longo, he is fortunate to work with his very skilled fighters-turned-coaches, Matt Serra and Eric Hyer. DeFranco is also coached by Ray Longo, who according to Newsday, is “the ultimate trainer.” He confidently says, “Without a doubt I know I’m in the right spot for where I want to go. I feel that we are one of the best teams in the world. I’m working with people with the same mission and the same goal.”

Pat hitting pars with Coach Eric Hyer – Photo: Carlos Cabán

With his March 4th fight in Atlantic City quickly approaching, DeFranco’s fight camp is progressing smoothly. “Camp is going good, my weight is the best it’s ever been. I feel healthy, I got my diet down, and I just feel good.” At Ring of Combat 54 he will be competing against Matt “The Sleeper” Church (2-1). Defranco says he doesn’t know too much about his opponent but he’s told that Church is “a stand-up fighter, so it should be a good fight.”

Since 1997 New York State has imposed a ban on competing in mixed martial arts, which is forcing these New York competitors elsewhere, like New Jersey and Nevada. Currently New York is the only state with an MMA ban, and the Ultimate Fighting Championship’s (UFC) parent company Zuffa LLC has sued the state to have this law overturned. After the January 2015 arrest of New York State Assembly Speaker, Sheldon Silver, which forced him to step down from the legislature, the UFC believed there was a strong chance of the ban finally being lifted. The UFC even went as far as booking a date in 2016 at Madison Square Garden in Manhattan, which ultimately had to be cancelled when it began to seem like the ban would remain in place.

As far as the prohibition of MMA in New York, DeFranco admits he doesn’t know all the details, but is not confident in the ban being lifted. “Do I think it will change? Probably not. I don’t know enough about it to give a straight answer, every year they talk about it, but it never passes.” A few seconds later DeFranco is realizing how much he does want the ban in New York lifted when he starts visualizing the possibility of competing at Madison Square Garden. Getting excited he says, “MSG would be awesome, that would be the bucket list.” Imagining the idea of all his family and friends being able to support him in New York he continues, “I don’t care what sport you do, Madison Square Garden is the pinnacle of everything! I would love to fight there.”
For now Madison Square Garden is just a New York dream, and he has to focus on his March 4th fight in New Jersey. DeFranco has a solid support system at home with his roommates, and his coaches. “My whole team motivates me. My motivation is to get in there and prove my worth and show that I belong at the next level. That’s what motivates me around all these guys doing big things. I want to do big things too.”

Flexing for the camera – Photo Carlos Cabán

Remembering his last win against Lawshawn Alcocks, DeFranco recalls “I knocked the guy out and I jumped in the crowd. It’s the night I will never forget.” He seems confident and ready to take on Matt Church in just a few short weeks in the cage. “I go in there and fight my fight regardless if there are a thousand people cheering me or a thousand people booing at me.” While boos might be unlikely when fighting next door in New Jersey, New York fighters can only hope that the sport will soon be legalized in New York so that the cheers for fighters like Pat DeFranco can be a little louder.

Ring of Combat 54 – Click for Tickets

Written by contributor, Traci Newman

Editor: Kyle Antonelli