June 17, 2015 10:42 am

Ring of Combat 51 – A Night of Champions

The famed Ring of Combat cage

Lou Neglia’s Ring Of Combat is viewed by many in the mixed martial arts world as a gateway to the UFC. A stage setter, so to speak, that has propelled many to fame and championship titles. Hoping to join the likes of Matt Serra, Chris Weidman, and Frankie Edgar, pro-fighters from the New York area display their skills, training, and athleticism in Atlantic City’s Tropicana Resort. ROC 51, billed as an exciting event that was to feature 5 title fights, was no disappointment to those that attended.

Champion Julio Arce advancing on his opponent Mike Imperato

The evening was capped by a winning performance from Julio Arce (Tiger Schulman MMA) over Mike Imperato (Tapstar). The 11th and final fight of the evening went the full three rounds, with Arce (8-0) claiming a unanimous decision. The crowd appeared to hang on every exchange although the knockout did not materialize. The fight took place largely on the feet where Arce was able to stick to his effective boxing strategy rather than look for grappling exchanges or kicks. Takedown attempts by Imperato were quickly met Arce’s quick defense and a scurry to get away. In the end, Imperato (7-2) conceded and attempted to out-box his opponent. However, this proved to be an erroneous decision. Arce imposed his presence in the cage by striking at will. Ultimately, Arce retained his belt at the 135 lbs. weight class.

Earlier in the night the title fights began with a loss for one of our local fighters. Mervin Rodriguez of Amsterdam, N.Y., added one to the “L” column after facing Mike Santiago from Chicago, Illinois. Santiago (14-9) dominated all three rounds by actively pursuing several takedowns. Rodriguez (7-9), more often reacting rather than initiating, was seen either pressed against the cage or in “turtle guard” throughout the fight. Santiago showed that he was no stranger to ground work by continuously attacking Rodriguez with back takes and submission attempts. The highlight of the fight was in the closing minute of the first round when Santiago attempted a rear naked choke that did not come to fruition. The fight continued for the full scheduled three and concluded with Santiago the victor by unanimous decision.

Newly crowned Champion Gregor Gillespi stalking his opponent

Newly crowned Champion Gregor Gillespie stalking his opponent, George Sheppard

Three other title fights provided some much-anticipated excitement that is synonymous with Ring of Combat. The fireworks began with a quick submission finish in the fight between Gregor Gillespie (Bellmore Kickboxing and MMA/ Scarola BJJ), and George Sheppard (MMA institute). At the start of the opening bell, the fighters met at center cage and exchanged some strikes; clearly the two had a quick knockout in mind. However, Gillespie (5-0) closed the gap and led the combative dance by pinning Sheppard (15-11) against the cage. Sheppard managed to defend the takedown attempt and remained upright for a brief moment. Undaunted, Gillespie stayed the course and delivered a takedown that led to a full mount. Gillespie capitalized on the position with a kata-gatame (head and arm choke) that led to a submission victory at the 3 minutes and 45 sec mark of the first round. Sporting a Texas style white gallon hat, Gillespie looked into the crowd as Mr. Neglia placed the coveted championship belt around his waist. I’m sure the newly crowned champion is looking forward to any and all challengers in future title defense bouts.

The crowds’ cheers and exuberance did not wane with the ensuing contest. After being crowned the Welterweight champion earlier this year at ROC 50, Randy “Rude Boy” Brown (Budokan Martial Arts) entered the cage with title defense in mind. Brown did not disappoint the crowd from the moment he emerged to his walkout song from his native Jamaica. Facing Rocky Edwards (Topp Dogg MMA, Sunberry, Ohio), Brown circled the cage with the grace and poise of a lion preparing for his meal.

Champion Randy Brown on top of opponent Rocky Edwards, moments before the ref steps in

The two began the bout in the middle with some light exchanges. After Brown (4-0) attempted a head kick teep, Edwards (7-5) rushed in for a takedown. Determined to go to the ground on his own terms, Brown successfully defended the attempts and remained standing but pressed against the cage. Edwards’ low ankle pick proved futile for it resulted in Brown taking his back. The first round rolled along with Brown controlling all aspects of the fight. The second round was the unraveling of Edwards. The onetime Golden Gloves champion, Brown displayed his pugilistic skills by unleashing a series of jabs and right crosses. Not wanting any parts of a stand up fight, Edwards immediately closed the gap with a halfhearted takedown attempt. This resulted in Brown defending and ultimately taking Edwards’ back. Edwards’ chances at winning the belt slipped away when Brown continued striking from the rear mount position as he retained his Welterweight title with a TKO due to referee stoppage at the 4 minutes and 25 second mark of the second round.

Champion. throwing a vicious right hand at his opponent, Brian Booth

Champion Oluwale Bamboose throwing a vicious right hand at his opponent, Brian Booth

One word, three syllables can only be used to describe the 10th fight of the evening; EX-PLO-SIVE! Oluwale “The Holy War Angel” Bamgbose (Bronx, N.Y, C-1 MMA/Tightan Gym) successfully defended his championship with a bang. Bamgbose faced the challenger Brian Booth (Team Top Notch). The opening bell signaled the start of a fight that only lasted 24 seconds. Bamgbose (5-0) exploded with a barrage of strikes that left Booth (3-2) reeling back and looking for cover. One of the multiple punches connected beautifully and knocked Booth to the floor. Bamgbose attempted to follow Booth to the ground but was stopped by the referee who immediately called an end to the fight. As Mr. Neglia placed the championship belt around Bamgbose’s waist, he was met with chants of “UFC!…UFC!..” from the crowd. I later observed Booth escorted out of the theater by emergency medical technicians. We hope all is well with him.

The rest of the card featured quite a few fighters out of the New Jersey area; all of which fared well in their respective bouts. One notable fighter from New York hailed from the Serra-Longo fight team. A southpaw, Anthony Genovese (1-0) made his professional mma debut at ROC 51. With Matt Serra and Ray Longo in his corner, Genovese went to work at dismantling his opponent, Tyson Kellerman from Maryland.

Anthony Genovese attempting a Kimora on opponent, Tyson Kellerman

Genovese dictated the course of the fight by pressing Kellerman against the fence and attempting several takedowns. However, Kellerman managed to survive the first round by stuffing Genovese’s takedown attempts. The round came to a close with a flurry of kicks and punches from both corners, with few connecting. The second round picked up where the first left off with not much action within the cage. The start of the third round clearly indicated who would prevail in this fight. Genovese led off with a beautiful body slam that had Kellerman hoisted high in the air. The takedown placed Genovese in side control from which he dominated the rest of the match. Genovese attempted several submissions (Kimura and armbar), but none led to a stoppage of the fight. With a clear domination of the third round, Genovese won by a unanimous decision. To quote Matt Serra, “ Anthony has a bright future!”

In other featured action, the highly touted Lightweight Max “the Cobra” Bohanan upped his undefeated record to 4-0 with another first round stoppage (by TKO) over a game but outmatched Lashawn Alcocks (4-5). In the Bantamweight division, Cody Mooney (2-1) claimed a rear naked choke submission victory over Zarrukh Adashev (0-1), and Frank Buenafuente (3-2) defeated Tim Dooling (1-2) by unanimous decision. Azamat Murzakanov moved to 2-0 with a quick TKO win over Alec Hooben (2-2) just 20 seconds into the first round. In the opening bout of the evening, Karl Robinson (1-0) took a unanimous decision over Chike Obi (0-1).

In the end, Ring of Combat 51 proved to be an evening of not just entertainment, but that of mutual respect and honor. The athletes were given the opportunity to showcase their skills and passion. Many young fighters move one step closer to reaching their goals, and you just might see someone from ROC51 on a UFC card in the near future….. time will tell.