GR News Page

Jim DeCredico "Purple Belt Promotion"

2011-12-26T14:02:00.000-08:00

Following this past Saturday BJJ class GR Black Belt Jiu-Jitsu Instructor Jeff Starr proudly promoted student Jim DeCredico to the rank of Purple Belt. Jim has showed the skill, attitude, and has been taking private lessons on a regular basis. Make sure the next time you see Jim you congradulate him on his accomplishment. If anyone else is looking to obtain rank make sure you attend classes somewhat consistantly and make sure you stick around to free after most classes when you can. Getting ranked requires you to be training and rolling in a gi during classes. Jeff looks at your skill but also your attendance. Obviously the more time you put on the mat the better you will most likely get.

GR Becomes an Officially Sanctioned School by the Thai Boxing Association!

2011-12-12T10:24:00.000-08:00

We are proud to announce that GR is now an officially sanctioned school under Master Ajarn Chai and the Thai Boxing Association.

What this means is that we plan to add a little more structure to our already successful Muay Thai program.Current Muay Thai Instructor Jason Dent used to operate through the now defunct United World Muay Thai Association while GR Co-Muay Thai Instuctror Aaron Veverka has always been through the T.B.A. Since the U.W.M.T.A. no longer exsists we plan to make sure all instructors (Jason Dent, Aaron Veverka, & Mark Fredebaugh) are on the same page as far as technique, etiquette, history, testing students, and lesson plans in general. All three of GR's Muay Thai Instructors have competed and won in Muay Thai. Jason has around 17 fights, Aaron has around 13 fights, and Mark has 1.

Being sanctioned by the T.BA. has lots of perks for our school, one of those will be having access to bring in some world reknown Muay Thai fighters for seminars right here at GR and possibly one day we may actually get Master Ajarn Chai himself here if we are lucky.

The new certificate will be up in the front room as soon as we get a frame on it. Again this will be a slow process of change as all of our experienced instructors will be getting together occassionally to review, test, and train together. If anyone has any questions see Kru Aaron Veverka on thursday nights when he teaches Thai and he can best answer your questions and assist you since he is already a certified instructor under the T.B.A.

Thanks to everyone for your support of GR and as always we promise to work hard to improve the gym in as many ways as possible so that everyone gets the most our of what they are willing to put in.

Rob Vogler "Blue Belt Promotion"

2011-11-28T21:54:00.000-08:00

Following tonights Monday night BJJ class GR Black Belt Jiu-Jitsu Instructor Jeff Starr proudly promoted student Rob Vogler to the rank of Blue Belt. Rob has showed the skill, attitude, and has been attending classes on a regular basis. Make sure the next time you see Rob you congradulate him on his accomplishment. If anyone else is looking to obtain rank make sure you attend classes somewhat consistantly and make sure you stick around to free after most classes when you can. Getting ranked requires you to be training and rolling in a gi during classes. Jeff looks at your skill but also your attendance. Obviously the more time you put on the mat the better you will most likely get.

Intra-Academy Grappling Tournament

2011-11-19T23:52:00.000-08:00

This past Saturday marked the inaugural grappling tournament for all students within GriffonRawl Academy. It was the first time that all of GR's wrestlers, jiu jitsu practitioners, and members of the fight team could test their skills amongst themselves, using the techniques and ground work that felt most comfortable to them in a tournament setting. And although most of the students have trained together at one time or another and have become close friends, there was no shortage of competitive spirit come time for the match ups.

With over 40 students scattered throughout 7 different weight classes, the night turned out to be quite the entertaining event filled with close victories, narrow defeats and an all around great showcase of what GR has to offer come 2012.

And out of those 7 weight classes the following champions were crowned:

George Murphy - 135lbs
Paul Compton - 145lbs
A. J. Carl - 155lbs
George Comer - 170lbs
Tony Reel - 185lbs
Miguel Defina - 205lbs
Brett Snyder - 265lbs

Congratulations to all who participated, and train hard, because with a turnout like the one we had last weekend you can be sure that another tournament will soon be in the works.

NAAFS "Rock N Rumble 8" Official Results

2011-08-27T06:34:00.000-07:00

On Saturday August 27th three GR warriors competed in Cleveland, Ohio at the NAAFS annual Rock N Rumble event. Reggie Parks & John Burbol both fought amateur while George Comer made his Pro debut. It ended up being a tough night for our team as all three of our guys ended up losing by decision this time around. On the flip side all three guys still have winning records and gained some good experience as each faced top level competition in there weight class.

We will lick our wounds and plan a come back as we always do if we lose. Thanks for all the support from those who helped these guys in training and or showed up to there fights to show your support. See everyone back in the gym.

Tim Hall "Blue Belt Promotion"

2011-08-22T19:28:00.000-07:00

Following tonights Monday night BJJ class GR Black Belt Jiu-Jitsu Instructor Jeff Starr proudly promoted student Tim Hall to the rank of Blue Belt. Tim has showed the skill, attitude, and has been attending classes on a regular basis. Make sure the next time you see Tim you congradulate him on his accomplishment. If anyone else is looking to obtain rank make sure you attend classes somewhat consistantly and make sure you stick around to free after most classes when you can. Getting ranked requires you to be training and rolling in a gi during classes. Jeff looks at your skill but also your attendance. Obviously the more time you put on the mat the better you will most likely get.

GR gets its own Song produced - Compliments of GmonE!!!

2011-08-11T21:31:00.000-07:00

GR now has its own song. The song turned out pretty cool and has alot of details pertaining to the gym in the lyrics. The song also name drops all of GR's head instructors Jason Dent, Donny Walker, & Jeff Starr as well as all of GR's Pro's in AJ Pulling, Paul Compton, Bryon McCroskey, & George Comer. This song should be released on the next volume of the NAAFS fight music Vol. 4 but we plan to also have a stack of singles produced to sell for an affordable price at the gyms pro sales shop as well. Thanks for the support everyone and here is a link if anyone would like the hear the song now.

Link to the GR song: http://www.reverbnation.com/play_now/song_9680511

GR's Jiu-Jitsu Instructor receives his Black Belt!

2011-08-11T05:44:00.000-07:00

Congrats to Jeff Starr on being promoted to Black Belt by Relson Gracie. Jeff got promoted at the grand opening or Robin Gieslers Academy in Columbus, Ohio on Friday July 29th following a seminar that was conducted by Relson. Everyone here at GR is extremely proud of Jeff for this awesome accomplishment. Make sure to congradulate Jeff next time you are at GR or in one of his classes. Jeff runs BJJ classes Mondays & Wednesdays from 7:45 to 9pm also on Saturdays from 2pm to 3pm.

GR's Donny Walker gets 2nd crack at UFC Fight Night 25"

2011-07-28T11:39:00.000-07:00

Donny 'Eagle Eye' Walker will have a second go around in the UFC, this time it will be on September 17th, 2011. Walker will take on America Top Team's Ken Stone in New Orleans at 135lbs. For more information, visit http://mmaweekly.com/bantamweights-ken-stone-and-donny-walker-meet-at-ufc-fight-night-shields-vs-ellenberger

GR's own Jason "Dynamite" Dent is set to defend the NAAFS Pro Series Title!

2011-07-28T11:26:00.000-07:00

4x UFC vet & Ultimate Fighter Season 9 star Jason 'Dynamite' Dent (21-11), the current NAAFS Professional Lightweight Champion has signed a deal to fight Interim Champion Daniel Strauss (16-3) in October, 2011. Dent suffered a broken ulna in his fight last June of 2010 and has not fought since. It will be great to see Jason back in action agains and especially locally. This fight will unify the NAAFS Lightweight belt and will headline the NAAFS event in a brand new 4,000 seat arena inside the International Exposition Center in Cleveland, Ohio. Tickets will be available at GR starting on September 1st.

Click the following link for the full news report: http://naafs.biz/site/2011/07/19/blockbuster-main-event-to-be-held-at-i-x-center-this-october-as-dent-vs-straus-will-unify-naafs-title-at-caged-fury-15/

GR's Paul Compton & George Comer get Multi Fight Deal and there own Baseball cards with the NAAFS!

2011-07-28T11:17:00.001-07:00

Both Paul 'Str8outta' Compton (145lbs) and 'Bonesaw' George Comer (155lbs), fighting out of the GriffonRawl MMA Academy, have signed 3-fight deals with the region's premier MMA organization, the North American Allied Fight Series.Both fighters are managed by GR's Jason Dent. Click on each link for the separate news write ups. In addition to the signings, both fighters now have NAAFS trading cards available for collection for a reasonable price. GR will do its best to get a stack of these cards to sell in house as soon as we can. Make sure you congradulate these guys the next time you see them in the gym.

Paul Compton story: http://naafs.biz/site/2011/05/31/comer-signs-3-fight-deal-with-naafs/

George Comer story: http://naafs.biz/site/2011/07/20/compton-and-holt-sign-multi-fight-deals-with-naafs/

Results for Donny's UFC 132 debut

2011-07-28T10:59:00.000-07:00

On Saturday, July 2, 2011 GriffonRawl's Donny 'Eagle Eye' Walker took on Jeff 'Hellbound' Hougland in The Ultimate Fighting Championship 132 "Cruz vs. Faber." It was Donny's first fight at bantamweight, having taken the fight on two week's notice. Donny came out at a slower pace than normal but nonetheless was the aggressor, pushing the pace throughout the fight. Jeff was able to keep things at bay in round one until he hit a takedown and went for a guillotine submission attempt. Hougland went for a few submission attempts throughout the three rounds, but was unable to finish Walker. Donny continued to stalk Jeff, and attempted a submission attempt of his own, but in the end it was to be Hougland's night. The judges scored the contest 30-27, 29-28, and 30-27.
Being the first fight of the night, performing well, and going the distance was enough to convince the UFC brass Donny earned another shot. Check the GriffonRawl events page for Donny's next fight. For complete results visit http://www.ufc.com/event/UFC132/results

GriffonRawl Fight Team gets its own "Sauna"

2011-07-16T07:44:00.000-07:00

GriffonRawl, already the premier MMA academy in the area, continues to invest in products and services to best service its fighters. The latest addition is a fully functional sauna. For now the Sauna is for official team fighters only. We may change the policy eventually. It can comfortably sit two, and depending on the weight class, three people. Please make sure to bring a towel with you in order to keep it as clean as possible. Also note, it takes about 10 minutes for the sauna to full heat up. Enjoy the latest addition!

Donny 'Eagle Eye' Walker "UFC 132"

2011-06-24T11:18:00.000-07:00

Griffonrawl's own Donny 'Eagle Eye' Walker, coming off an impressive 7 fight winning streak has inked a multi-fight contract with MMA's premier organization, The Ultimate Fighting Championship. Donny is a late replacement and will take on Jeff Hougland on July 2, 2011 at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, Nevada. For more information visit one of the following links below. Congratulations to Donny on the this tremendous accomplishment!
http://mmajunkie.com/news/24107/bantamweights-jeff-hougland-and-donny-walker-added-to-ufc-132.mma
http://www.mmafighting.com/2011/06/23/donny-walker-jeff-hougland-to-make-ufc-debuts-at-ufc-132/
http://www.profighting-fans.com/articles/ufc-donny-walker_062111.html
http://www.gatewaymma.com/ohio/2011/06/23/donny-walker-signs-with-ufc-debuts-against-jeff-houghland-at-ufc-132/

profighting-fans.com "Donny Walker Interview"

2011-06-15T08:46:00.000-07:00

Donny "Eagle Eye" Walker recently sat down to discuss his recent past, and his plans for the future with profighting-fans.com. Click the direct link to view the interview in full. http://www.profighting-fans.com/articles/donny-walker-interview_061311.html

GriffonRawl "Wristbands"

2011-06-15T08:43:00.000-07:00

The pro shop at Team GriffonRawl has recently been stocked with wristbands. A great way to show team pride, stop by and pick yours up today!

Relson Gracie "Seminar 6-6-11"

2011-06-07T11:00:00.000-07:00

On Monday, June 6, 2011, GriffonRawl was once again visited by Master Relson Gracie. Relson's visit was on short notice yet the eleven participants were treated to the lessons only Relson can bring. This was considered (just by chance) to be an advanced seminar since the lowest rank in attendance holds the rank of blue belt. The seminar was highlighted by the promotion of Tony Reel to brown belt and the self-defense test Jeff Starr took as part of his ongoing black belt assessment. We look forward to seeing Relson again in the very near future.

Tony Reel "Belt Promotion"

2011-06-07T10:56:00.001-07:00

Following the Relson Gracie seminar on June 6, 2011, Master Gracie acknowledged the dedication Tony Reel has committed to the study of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. After years of study, in both gi and no-gi training, Relson promoted Tony to the rank of brown belt. Pictured in the center, Tony is flanked by Master Gracie and head instructor of the academy, Jeff Starr.

GriffonRawl "Lanyards/Keychains"

2011-06-03T13:12:00.000-07:00

New GriffonRawl lanyards/key chains are now being stocked at the GR Pro Shop. GriffonRawl continues to expand the products available at the academy. This is just the latest way to show your team pride!

George Comer "NAAFS 3 Fight Contract"

2011-06-03T13:07:00.000-07:00

From the NAAFS: 5/31/11 (North Canton, OH): The NAAFS is pleased to announce that two time national amateur champion George Comer, has inked an exclusive three fight deal with the promotion. Comers professional debut is slated for July’s “War on the Shore” card in Geneva, Ohio.
Comer, an undefeated GriffonRawl product, won the 2009 NAAFS national lightweight title when he defeated Kevin Rothacker then followed that up the next year by winning the NAAFS welterweight title to become the first ever amateur to win national titles in two different weight classes.
“George is one of those fighters who you can see has the talent and mind set to make it to the highest level of this sport. We are looking forward to watching George continue to develop as a professional inside the NAAFS cage.” stated NAAFS president Greg Kalikas.
The NAAFS is expected to announce several more pro signings in the days and weeks to come.

EFC 8 "Bragging Rights"

2011-06-03T12:49:00.000-07:00

On Saturday, May 21, 2011 Paul "Str8outa" Compton faced (on about a week's notice) Matthew DiMarcantonio in a featherweight bout at EFC 8 in Erie, Pennsylvania. Several teammates accompanied Paul to Erie. What follows is a brief recap of the fight.
Paul started out extremely strong in round one, controlled the pace and action throughout the fist round and appeared poised for a similar course of events in round two. However, Matt showed his heart and skills and did enough to probably win the round. Round three, showed Paul's heart and his cardio training as Paul hit a nasty take down, slamming Matt's face into the canvas where it appeared he was dazed from the slam. Paul wasted not time in unleashing a barrage of hammer fists and elbows. Round three was the deciding round, and Paul earned not only a unanimous decision from the judges, but also his 5th professional victory!

George Comer "Cleats Sponsorship"

2011-05-03T10:09:00.001-07:00

Recently turned professional fighter "Bonesaw" George Comer recently agreed to a sponsorship with Cleats Club Seat Grille in Mentor, Ohio. Along with the fight sponsorship, Cleats has hosted private UFC showings for GriffonRawl MMA Academy members and friends. The management at Cleats also put up two plaques showcasing George in action. George is looking forward to his working relationship with Cleats as his begins his professional MMA career.

NBC Local Affiliate WKYC "Mixed Marital Arts Surges in Popularity"

2011-03-26T13:03:00.000-07:00

In mid-March NBC's Cleveland affiliate, WKYC, visited the GriffonRawl MMA Academy in preparation for a piece they were preparing on the sport of mixed martial arts. The piece aired on the 11pm news. From the WKYC website:

MENTOR -- It's a sport that not only has become a TV ratings powerhouse, kids of all ages are lining up to learn their mixed-martial arts, or MMA.

"A lot of people think we just grab these people off the street, and go at it," says Jason Dent, owner of GriffonWral MMA Academy in Mentor. "MMA is the furthest thing from street-fighting you're going to find."

Channel 3 recently visited the academy to see what the sport is all about.

We wanted to find out why kids and adults, men and women are getting in the cage to duke it out, rid themselves of stress and get a good workout all at the same time.

Click the link for the full story: http://www.wkyc.com/news/article/182317/45/Mixed-martial-arts-surges-in-popularity

UFC "The Ultimate Fighter 14 Tryouts"

2011-03-26T12:49:00.000-07:00

On March 21, 2011, Donny 'Eagle Eye' Walker, along with GriffonRawl's head coach and long time friend Jason 'Dynamite' Dent, made the trek to Newark, New Jersey in hopes of being selected as a participant for the popular television show "The Ultimate Fighter." Utilizing the valuable experience Jason had on 'TUF 9" Donny prepared himself well for the tryouts. Donny performed well in the opening round of grappling by defending a submission attempt, going for submissions himself, and kept busy throughout the grappling phase. After the striking phase, he was again passed on to the next stage--the interview portion. Donny said the interview went well mainly because he was himself. Not trying to play to the producers or putting on a show, Donny let his magnetic personality shine through. At this point, the producers are in the selection process, and only time will tell if Donny will be cast. TUF 14 will feature featherweights and bantamweights. Although Donny typically competes as a featherweight, he put himself into the mix at bantamweight, a drop he has been considering for some time. Whether he is selected, not selected, or chosen as an alternate, we wish to say congratulations and best wishes as Donny waits on the selection process.

NAAFS "Midwest Combat Challenge 13"

2011-03-25T09:10:00.000-07:00

On Saturday, March 12, 2011, five GriffonRawl warriors made their way to Akron, Ohio for the NAAFS' Midwest Combat Challenge 13.
Brad Bukovics made his debut at 170lbs against Julius Bello. Brad took the fight to the ground in both rounds one and two. In round one Julius was in trouble, but the round came to the end with Brad landing nice ground and pound. In round two Brad again had the fight on the ground, moved to the mount and Julius was unable to buck him off as Brad continued to strike from the top, forcing the referee to stop the contest.
Zoran Laden took on Jesse Greenhalgh in his second MMA fight. After a back and forth round one, Zoran opened up round two with a nice leg kick. Jesse attempted a takedown, but Zoran stuffed the attempt and got to Jesse's back. After an unsuccessful attempt at a choke, Zoran resorted to heavy strikes and tactic paid off as the referee was forced to stop the contest at 2:55 of round two.
Dan Vandevender made his debut at a catch weight of 150 lbs against Brian Brooks. Dan looked to keep the fight standing early, but Brooks landed a takedown and after a scramble they get back on their feet. Brooks secured another takedown, but Dan hit a nice sweep to get on top. Dan was a little too over anxious, looking to land heavy ground and pound, but Brian chained two submission attempts together, securing an arm bar at 2:25 of round one. Dan gained valuable experience in his debut for the team.
Mike MacDonald went up a weight class to lightweight to take on Pat Callaway. Both fighters exchanged nasty leg kicks and heavy shots throughout the contest. Callaway was busier in round one, but Mike went for a series of submissions including a deep arm bar late in round one. Round two and three were again back and forth. Mike was clearly rocked from a low-blow in round two and took quite a bit of time to recover. In round three Callaway landed a nice uppercut that dazed Mike, and the referee was forced to stop the contest in the latter part of round three.
Chuck Schilling made his way back to the cage after a long layoff against Nate Mango. After an initial leg kick by Mango, Schilling secured a takedown from the cage wall, but Mango was anticipating it, as he had a guillotine locked as they hit the ground. The contest ended at :33 of the first round. Chuck had a long layoff and this experience will only make him better.
For full results visit http://naafs.biz/news/2011/03/14/midwest-combat-challenge-13-play-by-play-results/

Bryon McCroskey "NAAFS Fighter of the Month"

2011-03-13T00:01:00.000-08:00

After his impressive TKO victory in his professional debut at NAAFS' Caged Fury 14 on February 26, 2011, Bryon McCroskey was selected as the NAAFS Fighter of the Month. Bryon has 9-4 overall MMA record and was the 2009 welterweight NAAFS co-champion. Congratulations to Bryon! Bryon clearly proves hard work and dedication pays dividends. For further information visit http://www.naafs.biz/fighterofweek/index.html

Ryan Barnard "Blue Belt Promotion"

2011-03-11T09:48:00.000-08:00

3/11/11: Ryan Barnard has been steadily improving his jiu-jitsu skills, and head of the Relson Gracie Jiu-Jitsu Academy at Team GriffonRawl took notice. Jeff Starr recently promoted Ryan Barnard to the rank of blue belt. Ryan's hard work and dedication earned him the promotion, and promptly after being promoted, Ryan took his skills to the Arnold Classic No-Gi Competition in Columbus, Ohio. Ryan won three out of four matches, earning himself a silver medal in his division. Take a moment to congratulate Ryan when you see him at the academy. Congratulations again, Ryan!

Rob "The DutchMan" Kaman Seminar

2011-03-10T18:55:00.000-08:00

Team GriffonRawl Members and long time friends Kru Aaron "Juice" Veverka, Jason "Dynamite" Dent and Donny "Eagle Eye" Walker attended the Rob "The Dutchman" Kaman seminar at Evolve MMA in Akron Ohio.

Kaman is a 9 time world Champion in both kickboxing and Muay Thai, and has fought many very notable opponents, winning many of his fights by KO. A pioneer in the sport, he has helped to shape it to what it is today.

Thanks to Evolve MMA for hosting the event, a fun time was had by all and more knowledge gleaned from the veteran gladiator! Thanks also to Rising Dragon as the GR combatants were able to mix it up and have some fun training back and forth with some of the rising stars in their ranks!

More Mat Space

2011-03-10T16:49:00.000-08:00

We have recently added 324 square feet of additional mat space to the academy. This addition will better help us to accommodate our growing number of students. We are always trying to better our facility and make this a safer and more comfortable place for you to train.

New Wall of Champions

2011-03-10T16:36:00.001-08:00

The academy has recently dedicated a wall to display team members' championship belts. Many of our fighters have brought in their belts to be displayed. Make sure you stop in and take a look at the results of the hard work and determination of our champions. If you have a championship belt at home that you earned under Team GriffonRawl and would like to bring it in to add to the display please let Jason know.

NAAFS "Caged Fury 14"

2011-03-03T10:06:00.000-08:00

On Saturday, February 26, 2011 the NAAFS held "Caged Fury 14" at the historic Gray's Armory in downtown Cleveland, Ohio. Three GriffonRawl warriors were set to compete.
Unfortunately John Burbol's (5-2) opponent backed out of the fight stating he had injured his knee the day before. John is currently on a three fight win streak and with his tremendous work ethic, he'll be looking to get back in the cage as soon as he can.
Miguel Defina took on Dave Spadell Jr. in the opening bout of the evening at 170lbs. Miguel was able to fully control rounds one and three and survived a vicious onslaught at the beginning of round two in route to a unanimous decision win. What was discovered later was Miguel had broken the ulna bone in his forearm in the beginning of round one and yet Miguel continued to fight and fight well despite the excruciating pain.
Bryon McCroskey (9-4; 1-0) made his professional debut against the unpredictable John 'Mongoose' Myers at 155lbs. Bryon had a solid round one controlling the pace and rocked Mongoose with a nice shot towards the end of round one. In the scramble that ensued Mongoose injured his knee and was unable to answer the bell for round two, thereby giving Bryon a TKO victory in his professional debut.
For full results visit www.naafs.tv

GR Level 1 TBA Muay Thai Test

2011-03-03T08:49:00.000-08:00

Big congratulations are due to the following Nak Muays (Muay Thai fighters) who passed their level one certifications: Kevin Peterson, George Comer, Ryan Lose, Brandon Walukas, Zac Popik and Kevin Faraci!! Awesome job guys, and let this only be the first step you take on your journey to the Thai combat arts!

The test was conducted by Kru Aaron Veverka who is a certified instructor under Ajarn Chai of the Thai Boxing Association. The test consisted Thai philosphy, technique, and even some conditioning as well.

GriffonRawl and Intimidation team up on New Fight Shorts

2011-02-26T15:09:00.000-08:00

Intimidation Clothing is pleased to announce they have teamed up with GriffonRawl MMA Academy in Mentor, Ohio to feature Intimidation’s new MMA board shorts. As part of their new agreement, Intimidation and GriffonRawl have chosen to work together to supply board shorts to each of GriffonRawl’s professional MMA fighters. With GriffonRawl’s logo and team colors of red & black, Intimidation red & black MMA board shorts were the ideal choice and feature both the Intimidation logo and GriffonRawl MMA Academy in block letters on the legs.

For more information on Intimidation MMA Board shorts click here: http://www.intimidationmma.com/intimidation-griffonrawl-mma-team-up-on-co-branded-fight-shorts/

Caged Fury 14 - Bryon McCroskey Interview

2011-02-26T07:56:00.001-08:00

Here is a link to an interview that was conducted less than a week ago with GR's very own Bryon McCroskey. Bryon is set to make his Pro debut at this Saturday nights NAAFS "Caged Fury 14" at the Gray's Armory in Cleveland, Ohio. Bryon is the first fighter since AJ Pulling to get turned Pro by his head coach & manager Jason Dent. Bryon also just signed a 3 fight deal with the NAAFS as well. Its a quick good read so check it out. If for some reason the link doesn't work just copy and past the URL in your web browser.

http://www.profighting-fans.com/articles/naafs-caged-fury14-bryon-mccroskey_022311.html

NAAFS 2010 AWARD RESULTS

2011-02-26T07:56:00.000-08:00

GriffonRawl proudly recieved two awards from the NAAFS 2010 Year End Awards.

Fight of the Year went to the Dent vs. Lozano fight which was held down in the Cleveland flats last June. This was an outstanding fight ending with Lozano taking the win by ref. stopage. The fight was an all out war and we here at GriffonRawl are all very proud of Jason Dent and the heart he showed in this fight. Having went up a weight class himself and Lozano coming down a class in order for this fight to take place Dent faced surmounting odds and made all of us very proud. Congratulations Jason!

Breakout fighter of the Year went to our very own Donny Walker. Donny has worked very hard this past year and has truly shown himself to be a force to be reconned with. We are expecting great things from Donny in 2011. Congratulations Donny!

Once again we would also like to congratulate our other fighter George Comer who was nominated for awards this past year. George came in a close second for Amateur Fighter of the Year. Great Job George.

OK Team it's time to storm 2011! Sweat more! Bleed Less!

McCroskey turns Pro & signs three fight deal with NAAFS!

2011-02-26T07:55:00.000-08:00

Congrats are in order for Bryon as he not only is entering the Pro ranks but has also landed a 3 fight deal with the NAAFS. Bryon had a very successufl amateur career as he won the 2009 NAAFS National Amateur Series Welterweight Title and also picked up the 2010 UMMAXX Lightweight Championship shortly after as well. Bryon has shown versatility in not only being able to submit some of his opponents but he has also won by KO as well.

For the official story on the NAAFS official story we have provided a link. Enjoy http://www.naafs.biz/news/2011/02/13/mccroskey-signs-three-fight-deal-with-naafs-new-opponent-announced-for-cf-14/

Vote for Team GriffonRawl!!

2011-01-24T07:11:00.000-08:00

NAAFS 2010 YEAR END AWARDS

VOTING ENDS JAN. 31ST

Click here to vote: http://naafs.biz/2010-awards-voting

Donny Walker has been nominated for Breakout Fighter of the Year

Donny has also been nominated for Pro Fighter of the Year.

George Comer has been nominated for Amateur Fighter of the Year.

For Fight of the Year we have THREE of our fighters in the running!!!

JASON DENT, DONNY WALKER, AND GEORGE COMER!!

Vote now and support Team GriffonRawl!!

StandThemUp Exclusive: Interview with Jason Dent

2011-01-20T09:39:00.000-08:00

Jason Dent is a legend of the sport and a veteran of many hard fought battles in the cage. He is a pioneer for MMA and one of my favorites.

STU:It is listed that You have been training and competing professionally since 2003 fighting names like Jeff Curan, Roger Huerta, Glieson Tibau and Chris Lozano. What do you feel was your toughest fight to date?

JD:I’d have to say the one guy that gave me the most trouble would have to have been Glieson Tibau. He was so strong it was ridiculous. It was one of my most boring fights but I say him because he was able to just shut me down and make the fight boring. I had exciting WARS with all the other guys.

STU:You fought Chris Lozano at Fight night in the flats,which was voted one of the best in 2010,how do you feel that he will do in the upcoming Bellator tournament?

JD: Chris is a stud no doubt about he is definitely on the rise and a force to be reckoned with. I always root for my past opponents and it doesn’t matter if I beat them or they beat me. He is more of a striker and the guy that will beat him will have to be decent on his but awesome at takedowns. When Chris and I fought I bumped up a weight a class from 155lbs and he bumped down from 185lbs to meet at 170lbs so with me being a natural lightweight its tuff to gauge how well he will continue to do against bigger guys.

To read more from this interview click here: http://www.standthemup.org/dr/content/standthemup-exclusive-ufc-veteran-and-naafs-champion-jason-dent

RFO "Mansfield Mayhem X"

2011-01-16T18:23:00.000-08:00

On Saturday, January 16, 2011 John Burbol was the lone GriffonRawl warrior set for action at RFO's "Mansfield Mayhem X." John was the main event fighting for their middleweight amateur championship taking on undefeated Nick "The Mauler" Mueller from Team Fight Farm. The fight was an all out war between two rising stars in amateur mixed martial arts. The back and forth battle raged deep into the third round, but it appeared Nick was ahead on the judges score cards. Almost like a script of a "Rocky" movie with the time keeper signaling there were just ten seconds left in the final round John landed a thunderous overhand right that knocked out the previously unbeaten Mueller giving John a KO victory at 2:52 of the 3rd round. The victory was John's third consecutive win and he now improves to 5-2. Congratulations to John!

GriffonRawl "Coffee Mugs"

2011-01-16T18:15:00.000-08:00

The GriffonRawl team shop now has coffee mugs available for purchase. The mugs have the official GriffonRawl logo on one side and a funny saying on the other. Recently GriffonRawl beanies and stickers were also added to the team shop. Mugs are only $8.00 so pick up yours at the academy.

GriffonRawl "Beanies"

2011-01-15T10:08:00.000-08:00

The GriffonRawl MMA Store is now carrying NEW GriffonRawl Beanies for just $12.00. Perfect for stocking stuffers or for just surviving the northern Ohio weather. Stop in and get yours today!

Dan Vandevender Jiu-Jitsu "Belt Promotion"

2011-01-14T06:19:00.000-08:00

Team GriffonRawl and its Jiu-Jitsu program is pleased to announce coach Jeff Starr has promoted Dan Vandevender to the rank of blue belt. Dan has been working hard on the mat, attending classes, and free-rolling in a constant effort to improve his skills. Dan's ground game has improved tremendously and is deserving of the promotion. Congrats to Dan and keep up the good work!

HAPPY HOLIDAYS!

2010-12-19T19:02:00.000-08:00

Merry Christmas and Happy New Years from all of us here at GriffonRawl. The gym will be CLOSED Friday the 24th and Saturday the 25th for Christmas. We will also be CLOSED Friday the 31st. We will be OPEN Saturday January 1st so that everyone can get in here and work off all that holiday food. Thanks to everyone for a great year hear at GriffonRawl. We appreciate all of you who help to make GriffonRawl a success through your dedication and your support. Happy Holidays!

Gray 'The Bully' Maynard & Matt 'The Immortal' Brown "Seminars"

2010-12-19T15:38:00.000-08:00

It has come to our attention, that two of 2010 biggest highlights for the academy failed to be published. On Sunday, April 18, 2010 Gray 'The Bully' Maynard held an MMA seminar at GriffonRawl and then on Friday, August 27, 2010, Matt 'The Immortal' Brown followed suit. Both men ran the seminars where a variety of techniques, drills, and positioning were covered. Both stayed after for a question/answer period and for pictures, while Matt even stayed to spar with some of the fighters. In each case, a big "THANK YOU" goes out to both men and GriffonRawl continues to wish them our best in their respective careers!

New Product Available "Defense Soap"

2010-12-19T15:27:00.000-08:00

GriffonRawl is pleased to announce that the Team Shop is now carrying Defense Soap: "The Combat Athletes Soap." While we pride ourselves on the cleanliness of our facilities, nonetheless, we face the same predicaments that any gym does. From their website--Defense Soap is infused with nature's most powerful anti-microbial essential oils. These natural ingredients have been clinically proven to have antibacterial, antiviral and anti-fungal properties. In combination with the hygiene regimen recommended by Defense Soap our products are an effective, safe way to help guard against MRSA, Ringworm, Impetigo, Staph, and Herpes. Visit their website at http://www.defensesoap.com/

NAAFS "Night of Champions 2010"

2010-12-19T15:03:00.000-08:00

Saturday, December 4, 2010 marked the yearly installment of NAAFS' "Night of Champions." GriffonRawl's 'Bonesaw' George Comer and Donny 'Eagle Eye' Walker each had an opportunity to make NAAFS history.
While George was the 2009 Lightweight Amateur Champion, he stepped UP a weight class to Welterweight in 2010 and found himself in the finals for another chance at gold. Not only would George become the first amateur to win two amateur titles, he did so in different weight classes, and the fact he went up a weight class makes his accomplishment all the more remarkable. He was facing a very tough and dangerous Josh Oppenheimer from Evolve MMA. Giving up a considerable height and reach disadvantage, George showcased both his stand-up skills by landing multiple push kicks and leg kicks. But it was his grappling that sealed the victory for George and was rewarded with a unanimous decision victory and the 2010 NAAFS National Amateur Welterweight title.
Donny had the opportunity to be the first pro-series NAAFS champion to successfully defend a belt. He was pitted against the hard hitting and intense Billy 'The Goat' Vaughn, who had been tear as of late. It was after a September victory that Vaughn said he wanted his shot at Walker. Donny weathered an early barrage of strikes from Vaughn, and a heel hook submission attempt. However, Donny reversed positions and let his elbows do the talking. Landing a series of vicious shots, Vaughn turned his back and Walker was quickly able to sink in a rear naked choke, ending the contest at 2:58 of the very first round. That victory marked Donny's 7th consecutive professional victory and will no doubt raise his stock as he looks forward to joining the ranks of the UFC!
For full results visit www.naafs.tv

NAAFS "Kickboxing"

2010-12-19T14:42:00.000-08:00

On November 15, 2010, three GriffonRawl warriors were set for action in the yearly installment of the NAAFS' kickboxing show. Kevin Peterson got his first taste of action going up against veteran Tony Dipierio. Kevin looked amazing for his first fight but came up on the wrong side of the judges decision. Ryan 'The Loose Cannon' Lose dominated round one, even landing a flying knee to the delight of the crowd. Early in round two, however, John Rodriguez threw a right hook that found its mark and Lose was unable to continue. In the main event, Bryan McCroskey stepped in for Justin Steave and ended up on the short end of back and forth battle. Although a rough night for the team, each man gained valuable experience by participating. For full results visit: www.naafs.tv

Rhalan Gracie "Seminar"

2010-12-19T14:38:00.000-08:00

On Saturday, November 6, 2010 the eldest son of Master Relson Gracie conducted a two hour jiu-jitsu seminar at the Griffonrawl MMA Academy. Rhalan most recently won the 2010 Copa America absolute Gi division in March. This marked the first time Rhalan conducted a seminar at the academy. On behalf of the entire GriffonRawl family, we extend a heart felt "thank you!"

Morning MMA Classes

2010-12-19T14:33:00.000-08:00

Team GriffonRawl has begun morning MMA classes. Classes are Tuesday and Thursday's from 9am-10am. The classes have been growing and we look forward to seeing you when you can make it!

Bobish's Ultimate Cage Battles "Raging Bull"

2010-12-19T14:28:00.000-08:00

On October 23, 2010, two GriffonRawl warriors made their MMA debut's at Dan Bobish's Ultimate Cage Battles series. Both Zoran Laden and Pito Lagao were victorious, each winning by arm bar in the first round. GriffonRawl's jiu-jitsu program has always been rock solid and ever improving and Zoran and Lagao showed just why. Congratulations to both men. For full results visit: http://www.mixedmartialarts.com/mma.cfm?go=stats.fightCard&eid=c50a208b-a939-4d06-a561-23b59e0d5a67#fight_143213

NAAFS "Caged Fury 12"

2010-12-19T14:09:00.000-08:00

On October 12, 2010 Landon Khakdoust and George Comer represented the team at NAAFS "Caged Fury 12" at the historic Gray's Armory in Cleveland, Ohio. Landon started out strong but was clipped by a left hook. With Landon dazed just a bit his opponent was relentless with strikes on the ground until the referee was force to call a stop to the action. Landon kept things in perspective, knowing each fight he'll learn from. George Comer made the move FROM 155 to 170lbs to take on undefeated Nick Kilian in the NAAFS semi-finals. George controlled the entire fight, using a great game plan combined with outstanding athleticism to secure a unanimous decision from all three judges. Comer now has the opportunity to become the first 2x NAAFS amateur champion, and more impressively by going UP a weight class to do it!
For full results visit: www.naafs.tv

Relson Gracie "Seminar"

2010-12-19T14:00:00.000-08:00

On Saturday, September 12, 2010 Master Relson Gracie visited the academy and conducted an extensive Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu seminar. Relson is the 2nd oldest son of Grandmaster Helio Gracie and it is always an honor to have Relson at the academy. On behalf of the entire GriffonRawl family, we extend a warm "thank you" for another excellent seminar.

UMMAXX "X-treme 11"

2010-12-19T13:48:00.000-08:00

On Saturday, September 4, 2010, four members stepped into the cage representing GriffonRawl at UMMAXX "X-treme 11" in Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio.
Landon Khakdoust came up short in what many were calling the fight of the night. Landon lost a decision to the very tough and well rounded Joey Goyette. Dan Farnworth continued with his fourth win in a row. This time via arm bar submission at :55 of the very first round. Tommy Salvatore continued his unbeaten streak since coming under the GriffonRawl flag with a submission win in the second round. Bryon McCroskey won the UMMAXX lightweight amateur title by soundly defeating a game Kyle Rozewski by unanimous decision.
A great night of fights all around. For complete results visit: http://www.mixedmartialarts.com/mma.cfm?go=stats.fightCard&eid=77a03d51-281f-4cc9-b4bc-32923fd4fedf#fight_137919

Relson Gracie "Promotion"

2010-10-01T06:44:00.000-07:00

On September 12, 2010, Master Relson Gracie held a seminar at the Griffonrawl MMA Academy. Following the seminar, Relson promoted Jiu-Jitsu coach Jeff Starr to 4th stripe brown belt. Jeff has been training jiu-jitsu for well over 15 years and now begins his final preparations for his black belt test tenatively scheduled for the summer of 2011. Congratulations to Jeff for this rare accomplishment!

NAAFS "Rock N Rumble 2010"

2010-09-03T08:47:00.000-07:00

On Saturday, August 28, 2010, Donny 'Eagle Eye' Walker faced Mike Nesto for the NAAFS Pro-Series Featherweight Title. Donny survived a barrage of first round submission attempts, including a deep arm bar as the round ended. Following the first round Donny had counters for all of Nesto's submission attempts throughout the remaining four rounds. He stuffed takedown attempts and landed a good amount of elbow strikes. As the fight went into "championship rounds" four and five, Donny appeared in control and the judges agreed, giving Donny a unanimous decision victory over the ever-tough Nesto. This marked Donny's sixth consecutive professional victory. Following the fight, Donny addressed the WEC rumors by saying he feels ready and he just wants to keep fighting.

A mainstay at GriffonRawl for years, the entire academy would like to congratulate 'Eagle Eye's' well EARNED victory and new NAAFS Professional Featherweight Champion!

For full results, visit http://naafs.biz/news/2010/08/30/new-champions-crowned-at-4th-annual-rock-n-rumble/

Griffonrawl's "Best Wishes"

2010-08-26T09:26:00.000-07:00

This message, a full two-pages, will appear in the program for this weekend's NAAFS Rock N Rumble. All team members wish Donny 'Eagle Eye' Walker a successfull fight as he competes against Mike Nesto for the NAAFS Pro-Series Featherweight Title. Once again, best wishes to Donny! We hope to see everyone there as Donny looks for his 6th consecutive professional victory.

Congrats Kru Aaron "Juice" Veverka!!!

2010-08-25T07:19:00.000-07:00

Aaron "Juice" Veverka tested for instructorship in the Thai Boxing association this last weekend, of the 21 of august.

Aaron has been under Ajarn Surachai Sirisute since 1995. Due to a very active life it wasn't until the last couple years he was able to focus on obtaining instructorship in the association(Even though he was known as a teacher before this).
The test is actually in several parts, including but not limited to: Technique form, Ram Muay, Focus mitt training, and finally Thai pad rounds where you have to perform sixty kicks and forty knees per round while the holder is allowed to strike(with Thai pads) and kick you!
He has now achieved the level of "Kru" or instructor in and for the Thai Boxing Association.

Jason Dent MMA Seminar in Slippery Rock, PA

2010-08-25T04:23:00.000-07:00

On Saturday August 21st 2010 Jason Dent along with Donny Walker traveled out to Slipper Rock, PA to conduct a MMA seminar. The seminar was put on by a woman named Kelly Labor who is a huge fan and student of the sport. Here is a testimonial she was kind enough to e-mail in after the seminar.

Jason Dent and Donny Walker came to our location and held a three plus hour seminar for 8 members of our school. Their knowledge, ability to communicate ideas and their hands-on teaching was awesome. The group they taught aged from 14 through 40 years old and EVERYONE benefited. I'd highly recommend GriffonRawl Academy to anyone interested in real mixed martial arts.

Kelly Labor

Head Instructor/Owner: Slippery Rock (PA) Martial Arts

If anyone is every interested in having a seminar put on at there school they can feel free to contact the gym to one going.

NAAFS "War on the Shore 4"

2010-07-27T09:41:00.000-07:00

On Saturday, July 24, 2010, the NAAFS held "the summers biggest bash" at The Cove in Geneva, Ohio. War on the Shore featured six Griffonrawl combatants.
George Murphy made his debut at 135lbs. Although he fell victim to a guillotine choke in the third round, George was able to gain a great deal of valuable experience and put on a great showing taking and giving heavy blows throughout the contest. We look forward to seeing George much, much sooner than later.
Nick Albrecht made his debut at 145lbs. Nick had an excellent debut, demonstrating solid skills on his feet and on the ground. He weathered several heavy blows, but was in complete control throughout the contest. When the dust settled, he was rewarded by the judges with a unanimous decision from the judges.
John Burbol had to deal with opponents changing up until the week before the fight. Once he entered the cage, those distractions were of little consequence as John improved to 4-2 with his second TKO in as many fights. This one came late in the first round, when John unleashed a wicked straight right that dropped his opponent and forced the referee to stop the contest.
Dan Farnworth made history by posting the fastest victory by triangle choke in NAAFS history. Beating the previous record (39 seconds) by 5 seconds, Dan improved to 3-1 with his 34 seconds in the cage.
'Wildman' Matt Hopkins utilized a solid game plan to defeat a very tough Ricky Foster by unanimous decision. Matt displayed a strong showing on his feet as well as on the ground. Matt had been absent from the fight scene for some time, but showed no ring rust as he made his return in his hometown.
George Comer continued his winning ways by improving to 7-0 with a unanimous decision victory in the main event of the evening. George showed continued improvement of his feet, as well as his solid ground game. George demonstrated that the phrase uttered by Muhammad Ali, "The fight is won or lost far away from witnesses - behind the lines, in the gym, and out there on the road, long before I dance under those lights" is true.

A big thanks goes out to all the teachers and training partners at Griffonrawl who made this a great night of fights.

For complete results visit http://naafs.biz/news/2010/07/27/war-on-the-shore-provides-thrills-and-excitement-under-the-night-sky/

NAAFS Radio Exclusive w/ Undeafeted GR Fighter "George Comer"

2010-07-08T10:04:00.000-07:00

NAAFS Radio’s Nick Kubik recently caught up with 2009 National Amateur Lightweight Champion George Comer for an exclusive interview. Comer discusses the pressures of being undefeated, training with Jason Dent after Fight Nite in the Flats, competing in his own backyard, his thoughts on the Fight Nite in the Flats VI main event, headlining his first NAAFS event, competing against Al Pacosky, returning back to the Cove, his musical tastes, and much more. The complete interview is available online now by clicking on this link http://www.hitzthespot.com/podcast/podcast.php?category=NAAFS+Radio

Pro Fighting Fans "Jason Dent & Donny Walker Interviews"

2010-06-25T09:52:00.000-07:00

Following two of the most exciting and action packed fights in the history of the Griffonrawl MMA Academy, Pro Fighting Fans (http://www.profighting-fans.com/) writer Luke Jernigan sat down with team captain Jason 'Dynamite' Dent. In a seperate interview, Curt Heinrichs spoke with boxing instructor Donny 'Eagle Eye' Walker. Both are exceptional interviews and well worth the read.

For Jason's interview visit www.profighting-fans.com/articles/jason-dent-interview_062010.html.

For Donny's interview visit www.profighting-fans.com/articles/donny-walker-interview_062310.html.

Intimidation Clothing "Jason Dynamite Dent"

2010-06-13T13:40:00.000-07:00

Intimidation Clothing, a leader in MMA inspired clothing and apparel, has recently added a Jason "Dynamite" Dent t-shirt to its clothing line. Shirts are available by visiting http://www.intimidationclothing.com/ or by visiting GriffonRawl MMA Academy's pro-shop.

Extreme Fight Club "Downtown Beatdown 3"

2010-06-13T12:27:00.000-07:00

Erie, Pennsylvania

Avalon Hotel Ballroom

On Saturday, June 12, 2010, Team GriffonRawl's Donny Walker took on Bombsquad MMA's (New York) Kenny Foster in a professional featherweight contest. Kenny entered the contest with a professional record of 7-1, with his only blemish coming at the hands of current World Extreme Cagefighting (WEC) featherweight Mackens "Da Menace" Semerzier.

Matchmaker Jason Lawrence showed he was a veteran of the MMA community by pitting two men who came to leave it all in the cage. Donny was dropped in the first round following a wicked overhand left from Foster, but showed why he is one of the most exciting featherweights in the country, rallying to get the fight standing where he landed damaging blows of his own.

In the second round, Donny landed a brutal knee to the face of Foster that not only broke his nose but cut Foster that caused a large amount of blood to come pouring from his face. The fight was stopped momentarily as the cage-side doctor examined and then determined Foster was able to continue. Literally and figuratively, Donny smelled blood and went back to work landing elbows to Foster that added to the damage and caused new cuts. Throughout both rounds, both men kept pressing forward landing heavy blows to the excitement of the crowd. The one-minute break between rounds two and three had to be extended to clean up the puddles that formed seemingly everywhere.

Early in round 3 Donny was attacking from his guard and opened up Foster again, but this time the referee determined there was simply too much blood loss from Foster to allow the contest to continue, thereby giving Donny a TKO victory and his fifth consecutive win.

In the post fight interview, Donny thanked his team and his wife for their support and then made his pitch to the WEC, asking to be called up to the world's leading promotion for featherweights. Having put on tremendous, exciting fights with WEC veterans Cub Swanson and Jeff Curran, coupled with his victory over an extremely tough Kenny Foster, Donny has taken yet another step towards goal---the WEC.

Donny's next scheduled fight is August 28, 2010. He is set to face Mike Nesto for the NAAFS pro-series featherweight title.

Griffonrawl MMA Academy "Face Lift"

2010-06-13T12:17:00.001-07:00

The Griffonrawl MMA Academy has received a "face lift" in two ways.

First, the physical side. Team captain and owner Jason Dent continues to put money back into the business in order to continually improve the academy. His latest venture was to have the windows stensiled with the new logo and cage images. His never-dying love for his academy has made Griffonrawl into the area's leading martial arts studio.

Next the technical side. Traditionally, the only "e-news" was fight results. Moving forward, promotions inside the academy, "smoker" results, grappling tournaments, seminars, and updates to the website or the academy itself will be in the e-news section of http://www.ohio-mma.com/.

Our hope is to keep visitors to the website more up-to-date on the academy and not to simply report the results of MMA competitions.

Belt Promotion "John Strmac"

2010-06-13T11:41:00.000-07:00

After many years of study under his main instructor Jeff Starr, John Strmac was promoted to purple belt on May 23, 2010 in the Relson Gracie Jiu-Jitsu Academy. John has participated in tournaments in Ohio and Pennsylvania and has attended seminars held by such names as Relson Gracie, Robin Geisler, Saulo and Xande Ribeiro, Romero "Jacare" Calvacant, Jeff Monson, "Zee," and Chris Brennan.

NAAFS "Fight Night in the Flats VI"

2010-06-13T11:20:00.000-07:00

Cleveland, Ohio

Nautica Pavilion

On Saturday June 5, 2010 three of GriffonRawl's veterans were set for action in the regions biggest event--Fight Night in the Flats VI.

Bryon McCroskey had his hands full with NAAFS veteran, Joey Holt. Both men fought well, hit hard, and looked to be in tremendous shape for the bout. In the end, Holt was awarded a split decision victory, and in a fight that close it could have gone either way. Both men showed why they are on the cusp of turning professional.

Reggie Parks fell short against Bill Morosetti, who chained submission attempts together in a most impressive fashion. Reggie was able to counter and defend the submission attempts in the first round but an arm bar by Morosetti was locked in during round 2 that forced Reggie to tap at the 1:56 mark.

Jason Dent moved up a weight class and Chris Lozano moved down a weight class, thereby pitting the NAAFS Lightweight Champion against the NAAFS Middleweight Champion in 5-round "superfight" championship bout. Lozano came out strong and threw a head kick that, when blocked by Dent, snapped Jason's left forearm in half. Ever the warrior, Jason kept fighting and between rounds one and two told his corner he wasn't going down without a fight, even though he could feel the bones in his arm moving left and right, and was unable to throw anything with his left hand. The two continued to bludgeon one another, but at the end of the forth round, Dr. Jerome Williams called a stop to the contest due to a large cut on Jason's forehead. Jason and Chris embraced, put their feud aside and took the opportunity in the post fight interview to complement one another on each other's toughness and skill.

Although the team came up short on paper, it was an epic night for GriffonRawl. All three men showed why they are true warriors, but more importantly truly classy men.

For full results visit www.naafs.tv

RFO: "Big Guns 5"

2010-05-26T10:11:00.000-07:00

On Saturday, May 22, 2010, John Strmac was the lone GriffonRawl member on the Revelation Fight Organization's "Big Guns 5" in Mansfield, Ohio.

Pitted against Greg Petty for the RFO amateur bantamweight title, John overcame a slow start and big bombs from Petty and rallied in rounds two and three to win a unanimous decision victory. Greg was intense, athletic and came strong throwing heavy shots throughout their three round bout. John was able to weather the onslaught and followed excellent, intelligent instruction from Jason Dent to improve to 8-2.

NAAFS "Caged Fury 11"

2010-04-28T08:36:00.000-07:00

On Saturday, April 24, 2010 Team GriffonRawl sent John Burbol and Landon Khakdoust into action at Potters Fieldhouse in East Liverpool, Ohio.

John Burbol (185lbs) had to knock 18 months of rust off in his bout against Dustin Moniger of Team Bloody Buddy. Going into the third round, John was either even or down on the judges scorecards. Landing a heavy shot on his feet, John followed Dustin to the ground, where John was able to trap Dustin's right arm and strike at will causing the referee to call a stop to the contest. John was declared victorious via TKO at :59 of the third round.

Landon Khakdoust (170lbs) was doing well in the first round until he caught in the mount position up against the fence. The experienced Hoppel was able to take advantage of the position and Landon was unable to escape causing the contest to be stopped at 2:35 of the first round. Landon continues to only fight the toughest competitors and no doubt will be better in the long run.

For full results visit http://www.naafs.tv/

NAAFS "Northcoast Showdown 5"

2010-04-28T08:13:00.000-07:00

Four of Griffonrawl's warriors were in action for NAAFS "Northcoast Showdown 5" in Streetsboro, Ohio on April 18, 2010.

Jason Departo made his debut at 145lbs. Although Jason lost by unanimous decision, he showed tremendous heart and perseverance throughout the contest and gained valuable experience that will pay dividends in the future.

Steve Hetzel also made his debut at 145lbs. Steve used a sound strategy to defeat the effective striker, Ray Ewert of Rising Dragon MMA. Steve was dominate in the first two rounds and was able to maintain control in round three to earn his first MMA victory. Having no previous martial arts experience prior to joining Team GriffonRawl, Steve showed what hard work and dedication can bring.

Dave Klima fell short of victory at 170lbs, but in the process of the three round fight he showed many good signs and fought valiantly throughout the nine minute contest. Showing sound resolve, Dave was at practice the following Monday eager to improve and move forward towards his next contest.

Tom Salvatore wasted little time in the cage starting out explosive with heavy strikes against Johnny Dionisi of Team Air-Gadfly. The contest was called at :35 of the very first round, earning Tom a TKO victory. Ever-impoving, Tom capitalized on his cross training to earn his second victory since joining the team.

Congratualtions to all members, who fought hard and represented Team Griffonrawl with class in each bout.

For full results visit www.naafs.tv

UMMAXX 10

2010-04-28T08:02:00.000-07:00

Two of Griffonrawl's finest were in action at UMMAXX 10 and both were up for title bouts.

George Comer used an excellent strategy against the seasoned and always game, Relentless Russ Halsey of Pain Headquarters to win the UMMAXX Amateur Lightweight title. After three exciting rounds, George was declared victorious by all three judges. Congrats to George on his second amateur title!

Paul Compton took on Jay McLean for the UMMAXX professional featherweight title. Jay landed an early head kick and the referee stepped in calling a stop to the contest at 1:40 seconds. Although Jay landed a clean shot, many believed it was a premature stoppage. Afterwards, a classy-Compton stated, "It may have been an early stoppage, but it was a great kick by Jay."

For full results visit www.ummaxx.net

NAAFS "Caged Fury 7 (SemiFinals)"

2010-03-15T07:45:00.000-07:00

On October 10, 2009, Team GriffonRawl sent four men into semi-final action of the 2009 NAAFS amateur series.

Ryan Lose failed in his attempt to avenge an earlier defeat to Doug Kulbis at 145lbs. An entertaining fight which Lose did a good deal of damage, both men showed incredible heart. It was Kulbis, however, that was able to secure a choke mid-way through round three.

George Comer defeated a very dangerous Jordan Knippelberg by unanimous decision to send the second amateur lightweight from the team to the finals in three years. George avoided the dangerous submission specialist utilizing his athleticism and well thought-out game plan.

Reggie Parks and Bryon McCroskey were both set for action at 170lbs. The former would showcase the spirit of competition and sportsmanship that makes Team Griffonrawl truly a TEAM. Bryon's opponent in August failed to show following weigh-ins and Bryon again found his opponent unable to fight due to a legitimate reason. In an incredible display of unselfishness, Reggie bowed out of the tournament, allowing Bryon to take his place and fight his opponent, Larry Ray. Bryon secured a victory in round one by ankle lock. NAAFS officials did the right move, and declared Reggie a winner in his "bout." Not willing to fight each other, Bryon and Reggie were declared co-champions in the welterweight division.

For full results visit www.naafs.tv

NAAFS "Night of Champions 2009 "

2010-03-15T07:36:00.000-07:00

On Saturday, December 5, 2009 Team Griffonrawl sent two men into action at NAAFS Night of Champions.

But first and foremost, Reggie Parks and Bryon McCroskey were honored as the 2009 NAAFS Welterweight C0-Champions!

In the cage, Bryon McCroskey made an unsuccessful drop to 155lbs, coming just short by a split decision from the judges. It appeared McCroskey did much more damage, but Tony Castillo may have been more active.

In the 155lb amateur title fight, George Comer, whom most had as a significant underdog, executed a great game plan to defeat rival Kevin Rothacker of Strong Style Fight Team. This is the second amateur lightweight title in three years for Team Griffonrawl.

For full results visit www.naafs.tv

NAAFS "Caged Fury 9"

2010-03-15T07:16:00.000-07:00

On February 20, 2010, three Griffonrawl veterans stepped into action at NAAFS "Caged Fury 9" at the historic Gray's Armory. Alongside 2009's Rock N Rumble, Caged Fury 9 will be looked back upon as a hallmark evening for Team Griffonrawl.

Bryon McCroskey (155) improved his record and showcased a beatiful combination on his feet and finished strong forcing a stop to the action, giving Bryan a :35 TKO victory over Instigator's Zack Sutek.

Reggie Parks (170) gained his unanimous decision victory via an extremely well thought out game plan, and exectued to perfection over previously unbeaten Travis Soto of Vander Fighting Systems.

Donny Walker moved into the finals of the pro-series featherweight tournament by defeating Dustin Kempf, in what all in attendance agree is a fight of the year candidate. NAAFS President, Greg Kalikas proclaimed, "That's the best fight I've ever seen in person." Donny secured the wild, back and forth war with a referee stoppage at 4:55 of the second round.

Not only did all three men come away victorious, they looked excellent in their performances as well. Team Griffonrawl showed great sportsmanship throughout the night, in and out of the cage.

For full results visit www.naafs.tv

SCF War in the Heartland "This One's Personal"

2010-02-26T05:29:00.000-08:00

Elyria, Ohio

Elyrian Roll Arena

On Saturday Februrary 26th 2010 GR once again returned to fight in the SCF organization. It ended up being another great night for us. We took one proffessional and three amateurs to compete on this night. Long story short we ended up going 3-1 and here are our teams results. Paul Compton won the 145lb Pro SCF Title via TKO in round three after hitting his opponent with a beatiful head kick and following it up by dropping some bombs on his dazed opponent Matt Horning. Paul is one of our Pro's and took this fight against the much more experienced Horning who has over 40 proffesional fights under his belt. Now on to our ammy's where Tommy Judd made his debut with our team winning by TKO improving his record to 1-1, Dan Farnworth continued his winning ways by finishing his tough opponent with a beautiful traingle choke improving his record to 2-1, and last but not the least the ever so tough Ryan Lose fought a very tough opponent and ended up getting caught with a big punch and getting TKOed. Losses do happen even to skilled fighters. Ryan will bounce back and be a force to reckon with for sure. Thanks to all of the family, friends, of the fighters whos showed up and supported us and a BIG thanks to all of the GR students who came out and supported as well.

NAAFS "Full Contact Kickboxing"

2009-10-05T13:04:00.001-07:00

GriffonRawl had the opportunity on Saturyday, October 3, 2009 to get back to its roots. Although Aaron "Juice" Veverka had his fight cancelled, Dan Farnworth and Landon Khakdoust represented the team in amateur kickboxing.

Landon was pitted against Chris Melilio from Evolve MMA at 170lbs. Before the fight began, Landon looked a bit disoriented after hitting the sauna. Although he was already at weight, he went to assist Dan with his final weight cut. Landon should take that approach going forward. From the opening bell to the final (unanimous) decision, Landon appeared in complete control, scoring several knockdowns which resulted in standing eight counts for Melilio. Melilio showed crazy heart and refused to stay down and kept fighting to the very end. For those who were there, Landon treated the crowd to a classic victory speech.

Lil' Dan Farnworth was taking on NAAFS veteran Druicer Dru Schottenheimer at 145lbs. In a classic moment before the fight, Dan and Dru said to one another, "Let's go put on the fight of the night"...and they did just that. A back and forth battle, with Dan's aggressiveness and Dru's heavy body kicks kept the crowd on the edge of their seats the entire time. Every time Dru threw a head kick, Dan answered with one of his own. The pace through all three rounds was amazing. Dan appeared to have control the first two rounds, but they were close to be sure. Late in the third, Dan took 2-3 heavy shots and appeared to be rocked, but kept firing back. Dan was awarded a split-decision win for his efforts and both men received a deserving standing ovation for their efforts.

For full results visit http://www.naafs.tv/

NAAFS "Caged Vengeance 6"

2009-09-23T08:00:00.000-07:00

Columbus, Ohio

Lifestyles Pavilion

A picture is worth a thousand words and the photo of the victorious Donny 'Eagle Eye' Walker and his opponent, Tony Jayme, is no exception.

On Saturday, September 19, 2009, the two professional featherweights treated NAAFS fans to a fantastic three round fight. This back and forth fight was a true example of mixed martial arts where both fighters displayed their skills standing, getting or preventing a takedown and ground fighting. They both looked to be having an absolute blast and showed great class throughout the fight.

Donny showed his vastly improved takedown defense, grappling and landed a nice head kick in the third round. Depending on your vantage point, you could make a case for either fighter, but in the end, Donny was awarded a split-decision victory from the judges. Immediately following the final bell, the entire crowd rose to give both fighters a standing ovation. A possible fight of the year candidate, Walker / Jayme was one for the ages.

For complete results, visit http://www.naafs.tv/.

(Photo credit: Ryan Heckert.)

Jeff "The Snowman" Monson MMA Seminar

2009-09-07T06:15:00.001-07:00

There have been many guests to grace the halls of GriffonRawl MMA Academy. Relson Gracie, Kit Cope and Sonny Marchette are just a few of the names that have held seminars at the academy. However, Team GriffonRawl, in conjunction with the NAAFS and Robert Donaghy, played host to one of the most recognizable names in MMA today. Jeff 'The Snowman' Monson was on site for a three hour MMA seminar on Thursday, August 27, 2009.

Jeff's credentials are impressive to say the least. A Division I college wrestler, Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Blackbelt, a two-time ADCC champion, over 30 MMA wins and much more. On top of his athletic accomplishments, Jeff was approachable, friendly and had time for everyone.

He began the session sharing some of his favorite techniques for warm-ups, core strength training and stretching as well as the philosophy behind each. He moved on to takedowns, focusing on the basic fundamental understanding of each motion as he covered multiple attacks. Guard passing, half guard, ground and pound, hip movement and positioning were covered as the seminar continued. Of course, no seminar of Jeff's would be complete without his showing of the famous "Monson Choke" and all the details that make it work. Following the official seminar, many stayed afterwards to partake in full speed grappling drills, monitored and instructed by Jeff.

Its safe to say everyone enjoyed themselves and learned a great deal. Members of Evolution BJJ, Team T.A.P., Evolve MMA, Jamestown MMA and Team DNA were all in attendance.

Team GriffonRawl takes this opportunity to thank Greg Kalikas, Bob Donaghy, its guests, and of course "The Snowman" for an excellent seminar.

NAAFS "Rock N Rumble 3"

2009-09-07T05:44:00.000-07:00

Cleveland, Ohio

Nautica Pavilion

On Saturday, August 29, 2009 five veterans of GriffonRawl were set for action at the third annual NAAFS Rock N Rumble. Brian McCroskey, Reggie Parks, and John Strmac were scheduled for amateur action, while AJ Pulling and Paul Compton were set for bouts in the pro ranks.

Brian McCroskey had trained extremely hard for his bout with Okey Lawrence of Non-Stop MMA. Having a bit of a reputation for pulling out of fights, Okey weighed in, but never returned to face McCroskey. Brian will no doubt be back sooner than later as he remains one of the top ranked welterweights in the NAAFS.

From the NAAFS website and additional comments, the remaining four recaps are below.

The first fight of the night pitted John Strmac making his 135lb debut against #1 ranked Sean Barnett of Peak Submission MMA. From naafs.tv: "It might not have been the most exciting fight on the card to some of the fans in attendance, but John Strmac (7-2) did what was necessary to pick up the win over Sean Barnett (11-4) in their National Amateur Bantamweight fight. Strmac used a smart strategy, by closing the gap and taking away Barnett's reach advantage."

Next up was Reggie Parks at welterweight versus Huey Contreras. "Reggie Parks (7-2) was making sure that his fight at Rock N Rumble wasn't going to end up in the hands of the judges this time and he did so in a very impressive manner, by defeating the previously unbeaten Huey Contreras (5-1) by TKO in just 35 seconds to make a very loud statement."

"Paul Compton (12-5) made a successful return to teh NAAFS, defeating Jason Carrier (11-12) by Triangle Choke submission at 1:17 of the second round. Compton has always been known for his stand up game and striking abilities, but as a professional he has dedicated more time in the gym to his submissions in order to become a better overall mixed martial artist."

"AJ Pulling (9-3) of Team GriffonRawl pulled off one of the biggest wins of his young career when he defeated Mickey Hughes (6-5) by Armbar submission in the first round of their Pro Series Welterweight contest. Pulling has always been an unorthodox fighter, willing to make the necessary adaptations to counter teh strengths of his opponent and he did that once again, resulting in yet another victory for the GriffonRawl fighter."

Overall the team went 4-0; 5-0 if you consider the McCroskey fight. The guys trained hard and it showed in the cage at Nautica on Saturday night.

(Special mention to Jessica Zomcik of Team DNA. Jessica cross trains with GriffonRawl and wrecked her opponent on the feet. However, she lost by arm bar in the second round of her womens matchup, but not without controversy. Upon reviewing the video, it was clear her opponent tapped out earlier in the round.)

UMMAXX 8 "All Heart, No Fear"

2009-08-20T11:53:00.000-07:00

Akron, Ohio

John S. Knight Center

Reggie Parks, Landon Khakdoust and Donny Walker were in action on Saturday, August 15, 2009. Reggie and Landon were in MMA amateur action, while Donny was fighting at the professional level.

Landon Khakdoust (170lbs) wasted no time in showing why a drop from 185lbs to 170lbs was a good idea. Having taken nearly nine months off, Landon looked in mid-season form as he quickly disposed of John Keffer via TKO at a mere 1:07 of the very first round!

Reggie Parks (170lbs) was called out by Chris Melillo after Reggie defeated Chris earlier this year. Similiar to the result in April, Reggie controlled much of the action, executing heavy strikes and landing takedowns in each round. As was the result in April, Reggie scored a unanimous decision from the judges.

Donny 'Eagle Eye' Walker was in professional action against BJ Ferguson at 145lbs. Although a highly touted Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu purple belt, BJ came out throwing bombs. It was clear his plan was to brawl the technical Walker. As history has shown, Donny has a granite chin and has no problem getting hit as he keeps moving forward. The action was tight throughout the fight with Donny seemingly having the upper hand. As round three approached half way, Donny found himself in a scramble throwing submission attempts at the game Ferguson, until an arm bar found it's mark, forcing Ferguson to tap out at 2:04 of the third round.

Congratulations to all as the team was able to secure a 3-0 mark on the evening!

NAAFS "Rukus at the Riverside"

2009-08-09T14:48:00.000-07:00

Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio

Riverside Outdoor Pavilion

Kevin Doyle, Dan Farnworth, Kevin Faraci and Ryan Lose (each fighting at 145lbs) were all in action on Saturday, August 8, 2009 for a NAAFS Club Series event in Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio. What follows is a recap of each fight.

Kevin Doyle was first up for the team taking on Joe Drotos of Team Twisted. Kevin took a big shot to start the fight and immediately went in for a takedown. He stayed patient in the guard picking his shots carefully, but throwing heavy body and head shots. Round one found Kevin eventually passing the guard and securing the mount, but the round ended. Round two again found Kevin in guard and once again he was able to pass and secure the mount. When Joe slightly raised his right arm to block a punch, Kevin was able to secure an arm triangle, dismounted, dropped his weight and sunk in the submission at 2:15 of round two earning him his first win in the cage.

Dan Farnworth was next up for the team. Dan fought off guillotine attempts in each round, as Brett Gruber of OhioBJJC continued to try to sink that submission. Dan's fight could've been a commerical for the academy showcasing an unreal demonstration of each class offered. He threw crisp hands, wicked leg kicks and showcased excellent head movement. His takedown defense was top knotch and hit a beautiful Judo hip toss in round two. He defended submission attempts, passed the guard and showed excellent control on the ground. This fight truly demonstrated what MIXED martial arts is all about. In the end, Dan was awarded a split decision victory, but the crowd afterwards, was left befuddled, wondering how it was not a unanimous victory.

Kevin Faraci was taking on Josh Kissinger of Instigator Fight Team. It was clear Josh wanted the fight on the ground and was able to score takedowns in each round. Kevin showed great heart and effort as he recovered guard, kept his composure and continued to throw strikes from his guard. In rounds two and three Kevin landed solid combinations on his feet, but again the takedowns from Kissinger were scored. Kevin gained valuable experience going the distance in defeat and will no doubt be back in the cage sooner than later.

In the co-main event, Ryan "The Loose Cannon" Lose added to his lore from War on the Shore on July 25th, where he wouldn't tap to an arm lock with :10 seconds remaining to take this fight on three days notice. And it wasn't just against anyone as he was up against #2 ranked Doug Kulbis of Evolve MMA. Having to cut nearly 18 pounds in three days, Ryan was in good spirits as fight time came. Ryan got the better of the standup, especially in rounds two and three, but Kulbis was able to score takedowns in each round, where he did a good job controlling Ryan, landing knees and strikes. Ryan was able to recover guard and threw a few submission attempts. In the end, Doug was awarded the decision and took time to thank Ryan for taking the fight on short notice and acknowledging what a war they just had.

Overall, it was a good night for the team. Everyone gained valuable experience and are better men for it. Congratulations go out to Kevin Doyle and Dan Farnworth for truly EARNING their first wins!

NAAFS on STO adds new broadcaster

2009-07-27T13:56:00.000-07:00

The North American Allied Fight Series is broadcasted multiple times per week on Sports Time Ohio television. John Strmac replaced an ill Greg Kalikas at Fight Nite in the Flats V and took to the position well. In early July, NAAFS President Greg Kalikas announced John Strmac of Team GriffonRawl will be the new, full time "color man" for NAAFS broadcasts. While there will be a transition period, the team of Steve Hindman and John Strmac will be calling the action going forward. Greg will be a third commentator until John is fully comfortable taking direction from the producers and other STO personnel. War on the Shore 3 marked John's first "official" night of broadcasting.

NAAFS "War on the Shore 3"

2009-07-27T13:32:00.000-07:00

Geneva-on-the-Lake, Ohio

The Cove

On saturday, July 25, 2009, Reggie Parks, Ryan Lose, and George Comer saw action at the NAAFS' third installment of "War on the Shore." What follows is a recap of each fight.

"Bonesaw" George Comer improved to 3-0 with a unanimous decision win over Andy Crabill (3-1) from Hess MMA. George took advantage of his wrestling base to secure takedowns in each round. His ever improving jiu-jitsu skills were also on display as he avoided triangle choke attempts in each round and not only stuffed the submission, but incorporated a guard pass each time. Vicious knees from side control and effective strikes coupled with outstanding ground control sums up the majority of this fight.

Ryan "The Loose Canon" Lose (4-1) bounced back from a previous loss with a dominate performance over Cory Ruthsatz (2-2) from Hess MMA. Ryan wanted to stand and stand badly in this fight. On numerous occassions he "shamed" his opponent up from guard. Landing nice jabs and combinations Ryan dominated the striking. He nearly had a referee stoppage at the end of round two as he unloaded a barrage from the mount position. Round three was again all Ryan, but with 10 seconds left Ryan gained legendary status to ride out a deep arm bar as the round ended. Saying later "A broken arm will heal, but a loss stays with you forever" Ryan showed exactly what he all about. He earned a 30-27 unanimous decision from the judges.

Reggie Parks was pitted against Graham Governor in the co-main event of the evening. Round one was extremely tight with Reggie getting the better of the striking and landing a takedowns. He fought off multiple guillotine choke attempts in a very, very close round one. Round 2 was tight until Reggie slipped on a sweat spot allowing Governor to gain the back mount position. Again Reggie defended the submission and reversed positions. Round three appeared to be in Reggies favor as he had Governor up against the cage landing heavy strikes in another action packed third round. The television announcers were left commentating it's anyone's fight. The judges scored the bout 29-28 Governor, 28-28 draw and an odd 30-27 Governor, giving Reggie his second loss. Afterwards, Reggie was in good spirits and commented "If I don't finish someone, I don't deserve the win." Reggie will be back...in three weeks as he's staying as busy as possible.

As a side note, Jessica Zomcik of Team DNA looked dominate as she dispatched of Janel Kraft in 26 seconds. Jessica cross trains with Team GriffonRawl's Muay Thai program. Her debut victory was one of the most impressive debuts (man or woman) in NAAFS history, complemented by the fact she has only been training since December of 2008.

Dan "The Beast" Severn MMA Seminar

2009-07-22T17:30:00.000-07:00

Madison, Ohio

Five of us made the short journey over to the Madison Combined Martial Arts Association to attend the seminar with "The Beast". For those that don't know Dan Severn is a UFC Hall of Famer as he was the UFC 5 tournament champ, the Ultimate Ultimate 96 tournament champ, and the UFC 9 super fight champ. Dan is also one of a handful of guys in the world to have over 100 MMA bouts under his belt.

The five GR members that made the seminar were (from left to right) Ryan Barnard, Mike Lachina, Donny Walker, Jason Dent, and Jeff Lee. The seminar covered some clinching techniques, takedowns, and submissions. To wrap things up the seminar had a Q&A session and pictures with Dan.

The Ultimate Fighter: United States vs. United Kingdom

2009-07-14T14:02:00.001-07:00

Everyone has heard stories, both in business and individually, where a specific event changed one's life. GriffonRawl's team captain Jason 'Dynamite' Dent probably didn't realize he was about to have such a life changing adventure take place when he decided to journey to Chicago, Illinois in December of 2008. Already a two time UFC (Ultimate Fighting Championship) veteran, Jason decided to take the tough road as he made his effort to make the cast of The Ultimate Fighter (TUF), Season 9. Sure, he could have tried to call contacts inside the UFC organization to by-pass the qualifying portion of the casting and go straight to the interview portion, but that's not the path he chose.

On a cold December day, he made the trip to the McCormick Center in downtown Chicago, along with nearly 800 other fighters from around the country. This portion of the casting took about 16 hours to complete. First, participants were assigned numbers and when called upon were told to grapple with another participant, while UFC representatives tapped those who'd continue to the striking portion and eliminating others. Passing the grappling portion, Jason took to the striking round, where he once again was tapped and therefore was to continue to an interview session with producers. In the same day, Jason "passed" the grappling session, the striking session and had his interview, but that outcome would be determined at a later date. Exhausted and left wondering the outcome, Jason made the trek east along Interstate 90 back to Thompson, Ohio.

After a few weeks passed, Jason received a call and was told he'd be flown to UFC Headquarters in Las Vegas, Nevada, for medical checkups and a final interview with the head producer of TUF, along with his associate producers and UFC brass. Once again, the waiting game took center stage. Towards the end of December Jason did receive the call he was hoping for and was told he'd be on of eight American Lightweights selected for the show. But that didn't mean he was going to be a cast member. Of the eight American's selected, only four would represent the United States. There would be a random draw pitting Jason against an unnamed opponent and the winner of the fight earning a spot on TUF 9. We'll explain why TUF 9 was different than any other season in the past, but we'll get to that in just a bit.

Told by producers secrecy was paramount, Jason was unable to confirm he'd been selected. Those spending time at the gym and with Jason were somewhat able to put the pieces together. While telling everyone he might have a fight booked, it was obvious his workouts were more intense than normal. In hindsight it should have been clear by the way he was dieting, working on cardiovascular training, and all aspects of mixed martial arts fighting that he definetly had something booked and something big!

Season 9 of TUF had a different flare than past seasons. This time it was country versus country as it was The United States vs. The United Kingdom. In the past, Jason would've been selected as one of 16 lightweights to potentially earn one of the eight spots in the house, but this time he was one of eight...obvioulsy teh other eight were fighters from The UK, making his selection all the more impressive. Once fighters earned their way into the house there would be four Americans and four British fighters in the lightweight (155lbs) and welterweight (170lbs) divisions, totaling 16 men.

If Jason thought the selection process took odd turns, he was about to have even more curveballs thrown his way, through the fault of no one. Upon arriving in Las Vegas, he saw a familiar picture next to his. It was apparent his opponent would be a man he previously defeated at NAAFS Fight Nite in the Flats I, Josh Souder. For some reason, Josh could not make the trip so Jason sweated out the remaining few pounds to reach 155lbs as he prepared to face John Shackelford. Final medicals were done and doctors didn't clear John to fight, so would Jason get a free pass into the house? The next curve in the road was a sharp one. The UFC flew out a last minute replacement and when Rob Browning walked through the door at the UFC training facility, electricity was in the air. Brother of season 8 bad boy Junie Browning, Rob had a reputation that obvioulsy followed him to Las Vegas, and he wouldn't disappoint as we'll find out shortly. To give him time to get acclimated to Las Vegas the Dent vs. Browning fight would happen in three days time, with both Dent and Browning moving into the UFC fighter house. One of their stays would be short lived.

As the show aired on Spike TV across America, Team GriffonRawl's members, family and friends would gather each week at Buffalo Wild Wings in Mentor to watch. Each outing drew nearly 150-175 people. Rob took this opportunity to showcase his evil side. That first night he got incredibly drunk, urinated in the shower and alienated himself from both the British and American fighters alike. While Rob played basketball by himself, the other 16 fighters hammered out ground rules for the house and everyone was saying Jason would take care of their problem and eliminate Rob. Having to cut weight two times in a week, having the pressure of the entire house counting on him, allowing the British fighters to essentially scout him, all while trying to earn his spot in the house, Jason admitted he was extremely nervous for the elimination fight.

Those nerves didn't appear in the octagon as Jason took control of the fight early and often, eventaully dispatcihng of the younger Browning by TKO in the very first round and earning his spot of The Ultimate Fighter. MMA power website http://www.sherdog.com/ immediately listed "best of the best lightweights" as American Jason Dent and The UK's Ross Pearson. Now the "fun" part of the journey officially began. A trying time to be sequestered away from family and friends, with no media sources allowed, no cell phone, not even a book was allowed in the house, Dana White's comment at the beginning of the show would come true as he stated, "This will be the best and worst experience of your lives."

As will happen when you put 16 people, let alone fighters, under one roof, tensions flared early and often, the most notable being the butting of heads between Jason and fellow American lightweight, Cameron Dollar. The British team as a whole appeared to be a tight-knit unit, while the Americans were having trouble coming together as a team.

As the show continued, fans kept waiting for Jason to be picked for quarterfinal action in the lightweight tournament. Eventually after weeks of waiting, Jason was selected to take on the UK's Jeff Lawson. Known for his submissions, round one began and Jason took time to feel out Lawson, and not get caught in a bad spot as they traded combinations. Lawson scored a takedown, but found himself inside the guard of Jason. Jason attempted an arm lock that failed and spent the remainder of the round switching between covering from Lawson's ground and pound, and unloading elbow strikes of his own. Saying he could hear Lawson losing steam quickly, Jason rode out the round. Clearly fatigued in round two, Lawson shot in for a takedown but was stuffed. Jason quickly applied the anaconda choke, rolled over and sunk inthe submission causing Lawson to tap out early in round two. UFC President Dana White took time following the contest to jab at Dent, saying the fight was totally unimpressive. Boy, would that tune change and soon.

As the four remaining lightweights awaited the matchmaking, each fighter was brought before Dana White, USA coach Dan Henderson, and UK coach Michael Bisping and asked their opinions. Everyone except Cameron Dollar said they didn't care who the match-up was against. Cameron said he wanted to fight Jason, sparking a confused Bisping to ask, "You'd fight a teammate?" Cameron responded he and Jason had problems and that's the only guy he wanted to fight. Dana contemplated teh idea, guaranteeing a US vs. UK finale, but ultimately it would be the two men http://www.sherdog.com/ had as "best of the best." It would be Ross vs. Dent for the right to advance to the finals at The Palms Casino in June.

Ross and Jason wasted little time showing why there were considered the two best lightweights in the house. Ross came out the aggressor but each traded combinations and poundings against the cage wall in an action packed round one. With one minute remaining, Ross was again aggressive on the attack, though Dent survived and answered with punches in return. Coach Henderson was screaming for a takedown seconds remaining in the round, but Dent unloaded a final flurry of punches as time expired. Round two found Dent on the attack in the clinch, throwing good cominations and knees. Ross retaliated and again the round is back and forth. Round two ended with Ross riding in top position on the ground. At this point it's anyone's guess as to what the judge's scorecards read, but Ross may have the advantage. The final round began with another exchange of blows, when Ross landed a takedown. Dent worked his guard and Ross moved to a better position where Jason couldn't shake Ross' ground and pound. Ross was declared the winner by unanimous decision. Afterwards UFC President Dana White comments on Dent, "The kid that came in to fight Ross Pearson tonight, is not the kid that I've seen all season. He gained more respect in the loss than in his last two wins on The Ultimate Fighter."

The filming of the show ended, Jason returned home and comments days later at the GriffonRawl MMA Academy, "Wow! I feel like a stranger in my own gym. I'm just glad there were so many people who helped to make the academy run smooth while I was gone." Taking time to heal up and organize the business end of the academy, there would be little rest for the wicked as Jason, albeit not in the finals, would be on The Ultimate Fighter 9 Finale card at the Palms in Las Vegas. Hmm, with Cameron Dollar also coming up short in the semi-finals, there left little doubt in fight fans minds whom his next match would be against.

UFC "The Ultimate Fighter 9 Finale"

2009-07-10T08:14:00.000-07:00

Las Vegas, Nevada

The Pearl at The Palms

The Ultimate Fighter: United States vs. United Kingdom reality show came to a head on Saturday, June 20, 2009 at The Palms casino in Las Vegas, Nevada. Team captain, Jason 'Dynamite' Dent took on fellow American Cameron Dollar in a lightweight preliminary contest.

Several GriffonRawl members made the trek to Las Vegas in support of Jason. Jeff Lee, George Comer, John Strmac, plus other friends were in attendance to watch. AJ Pulling and Donny Walker took the role as corner men and supporters.

Dent and Dollar had issues on the show and with both coming up short in semi-final action, this fight was a no-brainer for UFC match-maker Joe Silva. They'd finally get their chance to settle their differences in the ultimate proving ground, the UFC octagon.

Cameron came out the agressor early in round one landing good hand combinations and showing vastly improved boxing. Dent, like many other fights, played a passive role, choosing to pick his shots carefully, play "rope-a-dope" and land a few nice leg kicks in the process. For the majority of round one Cameron held the advantage, but late into the round Dent landed a hard left hook to the body that appeared to hurt Cameron. Cameron looked for a take down but was stuffed and in a mirror image of the Dent/Lawson fight, Jason was able to sink in an anaconda choke, gator roll and finish cameron at 4:46 of the very first round.

At the end of the night, Jason was awarded "Submission of the Night" honors by UFC brass, earning a handsome bonus check as well as putting an exclamation point at the end of his TUF experience.

It would appear with his success on The Ultimate Fighter, earning fight of the night and submission of the night honors in two out of three appearances, Jason is set to become a staple for the UFC organization.

NAAFS "Fight Night in the Flats V"

2009-06-10T10:55:00.000-07:00

Cleveland, Ohio

Nautica Pavilion

Dan "The Daredevil" Jones (155lbs) was pitted against Instigator Fight Team's Zack Sutek at the region's biggest promotion and event, NAAFS "Fight Night in the Flats." Dan, coming off three straight losses, rededicated himself to training for this fight. As he said prior to the fight, "Whatever happens, I've never trained harder for this fight...I just have to win."

Whatever nerves were present prior to the bout escaped Dan as he entered the cage. He was more patient than ever before, throwing hard and accurate shots to start the contest, but never over-extended himself. He was able to stop an initial few takedown attempts from Zack and when the fight finally hit the ground, Dan was able to get back to his feet quickly. Wanting to strike with Jones, the two premier lightweights were toe-to-toe when Dan hit a nice upper-cut followed by another upper-cut and then a left hook/right straight combination that sent Zutek to the floor, forcing the referee to call a stop to the contest at 1:44 of the very first round.

Dan put an amazing effort into this fight and the training showed in the cage. In his post fight interview, Dan took time to thank EVERYONE at GriffonRawl MMA Academy for a team effort victory. With the win over the previous once-defeated Sutek, Jones has made his presence known once again in the NAAFS lightweight division.

Dan 'Tanis' Rawlings "Muay Thai Seminar"

2009-05-23T16:00:00.000-07:00

Mentor, Ohio

GriffonRawl MMA Academy

On Sunday, May 3, 2009, Dan 'Tanis' Rawlings returned to the academy he started to give a three hour Muay Thai Seminar. About 25-30 men from Team DNA, Team Non-Stop MMA, Evolve MMA, Powerhouse Gym, Jungle Fight Team, and of course, Team GriffonRawl were in attendance.

To try to make an analogy of Dan's movement in the ring is tough. Dan has fought Muay Thai all over the world, most recently as part of Chuck Norris' World Combat League and has his one and only MMA fight (victorious) in Zuffa's World Extreme Cagefighting. As a member of Team DNA said, "It's like watching someone float across the mat."

Dan gave those in attendance an excellent workout as well as lessons in stretching, conditioning, striking, kicking, combinations and strategies just to list a few of the items covered in the seminar. Dan concluded the outstanding seminar with a bow to each attendee, followed by trading a leg kick with each man. I don't think anyone enjoyed that portion of the seminar, even though Dan was trowing about 20% power!

Thanks to all who attended and especially the guest of honor, Dan 'Tanis' Rawlings!

NAAFS "Midwest Combat Challenge 7"

2009-05-23T15:33:00.000-07:00

Akron, Ohio

Chapparell’s Center

Team GriffonRawl sent four veterans into MMA action on April 25, 2009 for NAAFS' "Midwest Combat Challenge 7". Reggie Parks, Bryon McCroskey, Ryan Lose, and John Strmac represented the team. What follows is a recap of each fighter's match.

Ryan "Loose Cannon" Lose (155lbs) was facing Kenny "The Black Spartan" Jackson. After an initial feeling out process Kenny landed a big left hook that sent Ryan to the mat. Ryan immediately jumped back up with his hand ready, but the referee called a stop to the contest. Clearly upset, Ryan pleaded with the referee saying he wasn't hurt. A big solid shot was landed by Kenny, to be sure, but most in attendance would agree it was an early stoppage. Ryan took it with a grain of salt, saying he'd never been hit that hard but is anxious to get back and show NAAFS fans the kind of fighter he is.

Reggie Parks (170lbs) was facing the once defeated Chris Melillo. Reggie utilized his wrestling to take Chirs down and started a barrage of wicked body shots in the first round. Reggie would get the better of the standup in each round and when Chris would come in for a big shot, he'd change levels and execute a takedown continuing the ground and pound. Reggie had to fight off a kimura attempt for a portion of round three, but when the dust settled he earned an unanimous decision victory from the judges scorecards. Reggie took time to thank his training partners and coaches in his post fight interview. Reggie improved to an impressive 5-1 record.

Bryon McCroskey (170lbs) took on the game Jeremy “The Worm” Matheny in one of the nights featured bouts. Jeremy was quick and struck hard at the outset. He was able to land a big shot early on in the contest that dropped Bryon to the canvass and the fight looked to be over. But the equally game McCroskey rallied and the fight continued. With action up against the cage, Bryon hit a beautiful double leg takedown/slam and began strking from "knee of belly" position. Jeremy turned his back and Bryon was able to end the contest via tapout from a rear naked choke at 2:18 of Round 1, giving Bryon his fifth win in seven contests.

John Strmac (145lbs) took on Jason Eckles in another featured bout of the night. From the NAAFS website: "Team GriffonRawl’s John Strmac improved to 6-2 with his win over Jason Eckles by Triangle Choke at :39 of the first round. The former state champion wrestler stuck with his strengths, but it was the craftiness of Strmac’s ground game that ultimately won out in the end, giving yet another victory to Team GriffonRawl on the night."

Overall, the team went 3-1 on the night. An impressive mark for any MMA promotion, but considering the NAAFS is the regions premier promotion, it makes it all that more gratifying.

UMMAXX 7 "Out of the Cage"

2009-05-23T15:20:00.000-07:00

Akron, Ohio

John S. Knight Center

Donny "Eagle Eye" Walker and Paul "Str8outta" Compton were set for professional featherweight action on Saturday May 2, 2009. Unfortunately Paul's opponent had a family emergency and therefore left Paul without an opponent.

Donny came out strong against Brad Fonck landing a heavy right early in round one. Donny executed perfect takedown defense, reversed positions and started a wicked display of ground and pound. At :32 of the very first round the referee was forced to call a stop to the action giving Donny another professional victory.

For complete results, photos and video visit www.ummaxx.net.

Superior Cage Fighting "Resurrection!"

2009-04-11T14:44:00.000-07:00

Elyria, Ohio
Elyria Roll Arena

Five GriffonRawl warriors made their way to Elyria to participate in Superior Cage Fighting's latest promotion. Superior Cage Fighting and GriffonRawl MMA have had a long standing relationship, participating in each of their events. What follows is a recap of each fighter's bout.

Dan Farnworth (0-1, 145lbs), fresh off his eighteenth birthday, pulled double duty as he battled both Kelli Gotardo and a nasty flu virus as well. Dan had a solid triangle and subsequent arm bar in the latter part of round one, but Kelli was able to fight through it as the round ended. Kelli was able to land takedowns in both rounds two and three, remaining on top for most of the rounds, while Dan worked submissions from the guard. The fight ended with a unanimous decision in favor of Kelli.

George Comer (2-0, 155lbs) remained unbeated in MMA competition by scoring a split decision victory over Mike Maderitz. While round one was clearly won by George, Mike showed solid standup and a very active guard from the bottom, including a near arm bar in round three. George's balance, wrestling and effective ground and pound was enough to control the fight, giving him his second victory in as many outings.

Dave Klima (1-0, 170lbs) found out early in round one he was in for a battle, as Deramus Cannon landed a solid right straight that sent the action to the ground. Dave endured a brief ground and pound before he was able to move his hips to the side and began climbing his way to the back of Deramus, where he locked in a rear naked choke in the middle of round one. Deramus had no choice but to tap as the choke was solid and deep, giving Dave his first tast of victory inside the cage.

Dan Jones (5-3, 155lbs) looked to stand and bang early, but Dominic Jones, an accomplished wrestler, was able to keep the fight on the ground, while Dan positioned himself for submissions attempts. In round two, Dan nearly had an arm bar sunk deep, but props to Dominic who was able to fight through the lock. Rounds two and three were much of the same from Dominic, who kept looking for the takedown. The referre repeatedly stood the fighters up in the later rounds, but when the dust settled, Dan was handed a loss in the form of a unanimous decision.

Rounding out GriffonRawl's night was AJ Carl (6-1, 145lbs) who won a majority decision victory over a very tough and well conditioned Jason Schmucker. AJ clearly dominated round one with spectacular takedowns and wicked ground and pound. Rounds two and three found AJ on top most of the time, following multiple takedowns. Jason had a rear naked choke sunk deep late in the contest, but somehow AJ was able to pry Jason's arm away from his throat and reverse positions. AJ earned the Interim Featherweight Championship!

Congratulations to all who competed and thanks to all who drove the distance to Elyria.

More information may be obtained by visiting http://www.superiorcagefighting.com/.

Espn Radio

2009-04-07T13:10:00.000-07:00

Every Saturday morning from 1100am-1200pm, WKNR2, AM 1540 is the home to the newest MMA radio show with GriffonRawl's head coach, Jason 'Dynamite' Dent.

From http://www.espncleveland.com/:

GET “INSIDE THE CAGE” EVERY SATURDAY MORNING AT ELEVEN ON CLEVELAND’S AM 1540 KNR2.
JOIN JORDAN SHERWOOD, ANTONIO CASTRO AND STAR OF THE ULTIMATE FIGHTER SEASON NINE JASON DENT AS THEY BRING YOU THE MOST INDEPTH AND INTERACTIVE MMA SHOW IN NORTHEAST OHIO.
THE FIGHT OF THE NIGHT, LIVE INTERVIEWS WITH STARS OF MMA AND FIGHT PICKS, IT’S ALL PART OF “INSIDE THE CAGE” SATURDAY MORNINGS AT ELEVEN ON CLEVELAND’S AM 1540 KNR2.
EMAIL ADDRESS: insidethecage@espncleveland.com
CALL-IN LINE: 1-216-583-9527
TUNE IN TO SEE IF YOU CAN LAND A PRIVATE V.I.P PARTY AT CHRISTIE'S CABARET FOR THE NEXT BIG UFC PAY PER VIEW.

For more information visit: http://www.espncleveland.com/pages/pages.php?page=62

'Ultimate Fighter' makes a 'Dynamite' Dent in town

2009-04-02T13:54:00.000-07:00

This is an article taken from The Morning Journal.

LORAIN — On April 10th you could possibly meet the next Ultimate Fighter, Jason "Dynamite" Dent.Dent will be in attendance and will sign autographs at Lorain County's next Mixed Martial Arts "fight night", as Superior Cage Fighting puts on "Battle in the Heartland II" at Elyria Roll Arena.Dent, who has won nearly every major title in Northeast Ohio in his weight class, is one of the contestants on SpikeTV's reality-series 'Ultimate Fighter', which begins tonight at 10 p.m. This season the show pits U.S. fighters against United Kingdom fighters in a competition to be the "next" ultimate fighter. The prize — a six figure contract with the Ultimate Fighting Championship.It starts off with 32 fighters and only 16 make it to the next level. Will Dent make it? Stay tuned."I'm in my prime," said Dent, who went the distance in UFC 63 against Roger Huerta and UFC 68 against Gleison Tibau, but lost both bouts by scoring decision, 30-27. "I'm 28 years old and I don't know how much longer I'm gonna be fighting. Getting a contract is very important to me. I wanna be recognized as one of the best, and the best fight in the UFC — they got all the best."Dent was intrigued by the reality show that is entering its ninth season."When I went to Chicago there were over 700 people trying out," Dent said. "That intrigued me. I wanna fight the best in the world — and that's in the UFC — that's why I wanna be there. The smartest path was through the Ultimate Fighter."For now, Dent will have to keep his lips sealed about the outcome until after the live season finale on June 20.In the meanwhile, Dent is excited to have Dan Jones, A.J. Carl, George Comer, Dan Farnworth and Dave Klima represent his academy on April 10. His academy, which is based in Mentor, has five professionals, including himself, and over 20 amateurs."In MMA, you can use your feet, you can use your knees, you can use your elbows, you can wrestle a guy — there's so many ways to win and unfortunately so many ways to lose. That's what makes our sport so exciting ... it takes a lot of blood, sweat and tears to be successful."The night will feature four title fights. Amherst's Mike Garcher (2-0) will take on middle weight champion Trey Duplessee (4-0), who is from Elyria, for his title. Elyria's Paul Trotman will square up with Southview's Edison Martinez for the 135 pound title. Dominic Jones (Amherst) will fight for the 155 pound interim title against Jones, from GriffonRawl. In the fourth title bout, GriffonRawl's A.J. Carl will take on Jason Schmucker (Canton).Other locals fighting are Southview's Jose Martinez and Joe Wilson and Lorain's Eric Parks. Amherst has representatives Tony Rottari, Kenny Shinfelt and Mike Maderitz. Elyria also has Marcus Washington. Eric Belottie, who is a LaGrange native that went to St. Ed's, will also be on the card. Midview's Kyle Norton and Clyde's Nathan Schwartz, who wrestled at Cleveland State, fill out the card. Powerhouse Gym, located in Elyria, will have nine fighters represent their gym, joining the likes of other fighters from Indiana and Pennyslvania. In total, there is approximately 20 fights scheduled."Every time I go to Superior Cage Fighting's show, the crowds keep getting bigger and bigger," Dent said. "They keep bringing in better and better fighters. Superior Cage Fighting is putting it together good and they're growing."Dent will be signing autographs at 5 p.m. the day of the show. For tickets or more information, call (440) 309-4459 or go to http://www.superiorcagefighting.com/.

Spike TV Reveals TUF 9 Cast

2009-03-09T12:01:00.000-07:00

Las Vegas, Nevada

Taken from http://www.sherdog.com/Monday, March 09, 2009by Brian KnappFighters from opposite sides of the globe will carry the banners of the United States and the United Kingdom on season nine of “The Ultimate Fighter,” the cast for which was released on Monday by Spike TV representatives. UFC superstars Dan Henderson and Michael Bisping will serve as coaches. Henderson, a two-time Olympian, remains the only man to ever hold major titles in two different weight classes simultaneously. The 30-year-old Bisping, the light heavyweight winner on “The Ultimate Fighter 3,” has posted three consecutive wins since he dropped to 185 pounds. The show -- which will feature lightweights and welterweights -- will premiere on Spike TV at 10 p.m. ET/PT on April 1 and will culminate at “The Ultimate Fighter 9” Finale on June 20 at the Palms Casino Resort in Las Vegas. World Extreme Cagefighting veteran Kevin Knabjian (10-3-1) and former International Fight League standout Mark Miller (8-5) headline the American cast, along with journeyman Ray Elbe (20-11) and Miletich Fighting Systems products Jason Pierce (6-0) and Kiel Reid (0-1). The 24-year-old Knabjian, a wrestler spawned by the same university, Eastern Illinois, as future UFC hall of famer Matt Hughes, will carry a four-fight winning streak into his appearance on the show. Miller, meanwhile, holds victories against UFC veterans Brad Blackburn and Josh Neer. In fact, he remains the only man to knock out Neer in 33 career bouts. Welterweight prospect Che Mells, who cut his teeth inside the Cage Rage promotion, carries the hopes of the United Kingdom roster, along with Team Rough House product Andre Winner (9-2-1), Jeff Lawson (12-2) and Alex Reid (8-8-1, 1 NC). Though the 33-year-old Reid has lost six fights in a row, he has tested himself against high-caliber competition, including Murilo Rua, Jorge Rivera and one-time UFC middleweight champion Dave Menne. The UK cast also includes Gary Kelly (2-1, 1 NC), the brother of UFC veteran Paul Kelly. “The Ultimate Fighter” reality series has served as a launching pad for some of the sport’s best-known fighters, including reigning UFC light heavyweight king Rashad Evans, former 205-pound titleholder Forrest Griffin and lightweight contenders Diego Sanchez and Kenny Florian. The full cast for “The Ultimate Fighter 9” follows: Team USA cast.United States Welterweights• Ryan Biglar• Ray Elbe• Christian Fulgium• Damarques Johnson• Kevin Knabjian• Mark Miller• Jason Pierce• Kiel Reid United Kingdom Welterweights• Dean Amasinger• James Bateman• David Faulkner• Tommy Maguire• Che Mills• Nicholas Osipczak• Alex Reid• James Wilks United States Lightweights• Paul Bird• Santino Defranco• Jason Dent• Cameron Dollar• Tom Hayden• Waylon Lowe• Josh Souder• Richie Whitson United Kingdom Lightweights• James Bryan• Dan James• Gary Kelly• Jeff Lawson• Ross Pearson• Martin Stapleton• AJ Wenn• Andre Winner

NAAFS "Midwest Combat Challenge 5"

2008-11-08T11:59:00.000-08:00

Akron, Ohio
Chapparell's Center

On Saturday night, three GriffonRawl members took to the cage for NAAFS "Midwest Combat Challenge 5". What follows is a recap of John Burbol, Matt Hopkins and Landon Khakdoust.John Burbol (185) was coming off consecutive knockouts as he faced Elijah Garshnick. No doubt his reputation preceeded himself, Elijah took the fight to the ground where John fought well, but was forced to tap out to an arm bar 2/3 of the way through round number one.Matt "Wildman" Hopkins (170) has shown tremendous dedication since joining Team GriffonRawl and is easily one of the hardest working men in the gym. That dedication paid off as he dominated Chris Bradley each and every round. He was able to sink a rear naked choke early into round three. His performance was so impressive fans took to the NAAFS message boards to praise his tenacity and skill, claiming Matt to be the early favorite at welterweight for 2009.Landon Khakdoust (185) found out only days before he'd be taking on NAAFS powerhouse Mickey Hughes. Mickey has an impressive resume of opponents and Landon looked forward to the challenge. Landon fought hard for two rounds against the ultra tough Hughes. Towards the end of round two, Mickey handed a wicked body shot that clearly took its toll. In between rounds, Landon was having trouble breathing and it was clear he sustained one or multiple broken ribs. Unable to answer the bell, Landon was forced to conceed a TKO to Mickey. This will no doubt be a fight that propells Landon to becoming much more accomplished fighter. Written by:John StrmacComplete Results:Cory Jones over Tim Chylik TKO 1 2:49 Matt Kaus over Trevor Traven Guillotine Choke 1 1:31 Jonathan Bobel over Dominick Wholpe Rear Naked Choke 2 1:45 Cody Fouts over Jimmy Duncan Tapout from Strikes 2 1:17 Chris Mellio over Rick Foster Rear Naked Choke 2 1:26 Elijah Garshnick over John Burble Armbar 1 2:07 Justin Head over Bob Schluneker Triangle Choke 1 1:44 Dru Schottenheimer over Sean Barnett TKO 2 2:02 Josh Castro over Abe Peterman Rear Naked Choke 2 1:42 Rashad Pearson over Neil Delos Reyes Kimura 2 1:23 Matt Hopkins over Chris Bradley Rear Naked Choke 3 1:01 Mickey Hughes over Landon Khakdoust TKO 2 3:00 Adam Saal over Mario Micale Armbar 1 1:28 Larry Shuck over Jon Neese Guillotine Choke 1 :45 Aaron Maynard over Russ Halsey Triangle Choke 1 1:28

Supreme Cage Fighting "Caged Combat IV"

2008-10-25T11:57:00.000-07:00

Cleveland, Ohio
Gray's Armory

Nate White, in conjuction with Tim Payne Promotions held Caged Combat IV at the historic Gray's Armory on Saturday the 25th of October. From Supreme Cage Fighting's website: Despite several setbacks and lack of responsibility by a few select fighters, Saturday Night was a night of rock-solid, heart pounding action! These fights have reminded the fans once again, why they love MMA. Absolute stunning action, and even better sportsmanship. Thanks to everyone who aided in part of making this event wonderful!Brennan Sanders fought a back and forth battle against Corey Frantz at 145lbs. The action was non-stop and Brennan looked good after a long lay off from the cage. Team Captain, Jason Dent, disagreed with the judges decision but admitted it was a close fight that could have gone either way. When the dust settled, Corey was awarded a split decision from the panel.Miguel Defina wasted little time in defeating Chris Hayes by arm bar in the first round. Miguel's ever improving standup coupled with a fierce ground attack has made him a force at 170lbs. Once the fight hit the ground, Miguel retained top control landing heavy blows until Chris exposed his arm, where Miguel took the opportunity and landed a solid arm lock.Writtten by:John StrmacComplete Results:John Combest, DEFEATED Doug Hodges at 0:33 in the 2nd round at 155lbs.Josh Burke, DEFEATED Joe Norris at 0:41 in the 1st round at 310 lbs.John Goodwin, DEFEATED Andy Hergit at 2:43 in the 1st round at 170lbs.Dave White, DEFEATED Elijah Wallace at 1:29 in the 1st round at 145lbs.Correy Frantz, DEFEATED Brennan Sanders by decision at 145 lbs.Tim Wagner, DEFEATED Josh Varney at 2:30 in the 2nd round at 170 lbs.Miguel Defina, DEFEATED Chris Hayes at 2:09 in the 1st round at 170 lbs

NAAFS "Caged Fury 5"

2008-10-04T11:47:00.000-07:00

Cleveland, Ohio
Gray's Armory

The NAAFS held it's fifth installment of "Caged Fury" on Saturday night. Team GriffonRawl sent three men into action in a national "semi-final" with the winners getting an amateur title shot at "Night of Champions." Chuck Schilling (145), Dan Jones (155) and Bryon McCroskey (170) went to war. What follows is a recap of each fight.#2 ranked Chuck Schilling was taking on #4 ranked Lyle Sancouice of Team DNA. Chuck scored a quick takedown to start round one and fought off a deep arm bar and a triangle. Chuck controlled the action from the top, while Lyle was busy from the bottom, showing a very active guard. A difficult round to score. Round two was at first controlled by Lyle, with Chuck reversing positions and ground and pounding his way through most of round two. Lyle also reversed positions landing some solid shots from top position. As round three, began Lyle appeared to be severly hurt, and looked very unbalanced. Chuck shot in scoring a solid takedown, but Lyle dug deep to sink in an armbar from the bottom that was simply too tight to fight. Both of these men showed tremendous class before, during and after the contest and Team GriffonRawl wishes Lyle best of luck as he takes on #1 Ranked Eric Noel in December.#2 ranked Dan Jones was thrown a curve ball earlier in the week as his opponent was changed. Dan had been training for a solid kickboxer, when he received the news the opponent was switched to Josh Johnson, an accomplished wrestler by trade. All three rounds followed the same outline: Dan was able to show dominate striking from the feet, a takedown attempt by Josh, where Dan attempted a guillotine choke. Josh was able to retain top control as Dan attempted to recover guard. Josh was extremely fast and able to move well and keep Dan pinned on his back. The judges saw each round in favor of Josh, giving him a unanimous decision.#3 ranked Bryon McCroskey was pitted against the very well rounded "Thee SPV" Sean-Paul Veilleux in a welterweight showdown. Bryon got the better of rounds one and two showing an excellent clich game as he worked his way through the devestating leg kicks of SPV. Up against the cage, Bryon was able to get the better of the clich, sending the fight to the ground, where Bryon kept a relentless ground and pound going. Knowing he was down two rounds to zero, SPV dug as deep as he could go coming out early throwing solid combinations. Bryon was game utilizing a wicked slip & jab of his own. SPV closed the distance late in the third round, spun to right and landed a solid right that sent Bryon to the canvass where SPV would not allow Bryon to recover. The referee was forced to stop the action late in the third round. Bryon was horribly disappointed but knows this experience can only make him better in the long run.It was a disappointing night for the team, going 0-3 overall but all men fought top notch opponents, fought hard for all three rounds and represented GriffonRawl with class. Personally, I was proud to be wearing the colors even coming up short in all three fights.Written by:John StrmacComplete Results:Bill Elek over Ryan Victory TKO 3 :53 Sean Paul Veilleux over Bryon McKrosky TKO 3 2:20 Dane Bonnigson over Josh Moore Rear Naked Choke 1 2:01 Marc Strickland over Josh Miller Unanimous Decision 3 3:30 Lyle Sancoucie over Chuck Schilling Armbar 3 1:00 Josh Johnson over Dan Jones Unanimous Decision 3 3:00 LA Hampton over Jeremy Joles Unanimous Decision 1 3:00 Adam Farell over Pete Hunter Triangle Choke 1 1:16 John Hawk over Felix Catheline “ Tap Out By Strikes 1 1:34 Mike Williams over Bobby Favors Split Decision 3 3:00 Paul Bradley over Pat Horner Unanimous Decision 3 3:00 Ryan Madigan over Brandon Pierce Triangle Choke 1 3:33

IFBL "Fight Night 13"

2008-09-20T11:45:00.000-07:00

Niles, Ohio
Eastwood Expo Center

The IFBL made it's return as it hosted it's 13th "Fight Night" on September 20, 2008. Team GriffonRawl was represented by Kevin Faraci and Landon Khakdoust in the amateur division and AJ Pulling and Jason Dent in the pro series.Both Landon Khakdoust (185) and Kevin Faraci (155) fought hard and came prepared, but both wound up on the losing end of their bouts. Both gained experience and no doubt will be come back stronger than ever. It's often and rightfully said, you learn more from a loss than a win.AJ Pulling (170) took on the hard hitting Team Rising Dragon star, Alonzo "Hollywood" Harvey in a pro series matchup. AJ's standup looked great and midway through round one, AJ landed a big right hand that sent Alonzo to the canvass. Once the fight hit the ground, AJ proved his ground game was just as potent as he secured a triangle choke forcing Alonzo to tap out, giving AJ his second consecutive professional win.Team Captain, Jason Dent (already the IFBL Lightweight Champion) bucked the current MMA trend and jumped UP a weight class to take on Matt Shaw for the IFBL Welterweight Pro Title. After an action packed round one, Jason took the fight to the ground in round two where his Jiu-Jitsu skills were on display. Jason saw an opportunity and hit an Americana submission, forcing Matt to tap out midway through the second round. Jason is now the IFBL Professional Champion at both Lightweight and Welterweight. Congratulations to the four men that represented Team GriffoRawl at IFBL "Fight Night 13".Written by:John StrmacComplete Results:(taken from http://www.mixedmartialarts.com/)Jason Dent over Matt Shaw Submission 2nd 3:41 AJ Pulling over Elonzo Harvey Submission 1st 2:10 Billy Vaughan over York Ash KO 1st 0:14 Brandon Ezzo over Travis Burnett Submission 1st 0:53 Jon Arnette over Landon Khakdoust TKO/RSC 1st 1:33 Adam Penberthy over William Bollinger Submission 2nd 1:19 Matt Kaus over Kevin Faraci Submission 1st 0:44 Mike Wilkins over Brian McCoy Submission 1st 2:26 Brent Curcio over Daniel Sutcliffe Decision 3rd Mike Linza over Chris Barnhizer TKO/RSC 1st 2:52

Lake County "Lethal Weapon 1"

2008-09-05T11:42:00.000-07:00

Mentor, Ohio
Mentor Heisley Racquet Club

A new promotion held it's first event of Friday, September 5, 2008 at the Mentor Heisley Racquet Club in Mentor, Ohio. Team GriffonRawl sent five men into action. What follows is a brief recap of those who competed.Ryan Lose looked to remain unbeated as he took the cage against also-unbeaten Dominick Jones from Team Powerhouse. All three rounds showed Ryan looking to stand and bang, while Dominick looked for the takedown to get the fight on the ground. Ryan ended the first two rounds with near submissions, but both times, the horn sounded to end the round. Round three was a test of both men's endurance in the fast paced match, where Ryan landed some nice hands, followed by another good takedown from Dominick. When the judges decision was announced, a split decision in favor of Ryan was announced, bringing the most evenly matched fight of the night to conclusion.George Comer was making his MMA debut for GriffonRawl taking on Josh Pyle. George wasted little time landing a beautiful takedown, landing in dominate position, where a barrage of strikes caused the referree to stop the contest in the very first round. George showcased his excellent wrestling ability and looked like a seasoned veteran on way to his first win.John Burbel, fresh off a quick knockout in his last outing, took on Josh Halleeen. After initially getting caught with a solid jab from Josh, John threw a text-book right hook as Josh looked to close the distance. Josh was out on the canvass for several minutes and thankfully walked away under his own power. John took the time during the post fight interview to remain humble. John scored his second knockout in as many fights as he improved to 2-1.Reggie Parks was looking to avenge a loss in his last outing as he took on John Yordy at 170lbs. Reggie controlled the first round with a solid combination of standup, takedowns and ground and pound. In the second round, Reggie was finally able to secure a position where he could finish off the tough Yordy. Reggie scored a TKO for his second time in three fights as he improved to 3-1 overall.Bryon McCrosky was pitted against Josh Rines in the main event at 170lbs. Bryon closed the distance and unleased good knee's as the fight found its way to the ground. Bryon seized an opportunity and landed a number of good strikes, forcing the referee to call a stop to the contest midway throught the very first round. After a tough start, Bryon has rebounded and is currently on a four fight win streak.All in all the event was a success, as "Lake County Lethal Weapons" held its innaguaral event. The team finished 5-0 and Team GriffonRawl had a large number of supporters in attendance.Written by:John StrmacComplete Results:Coming soon!

RFO "Richland Rumble"

2008-08-16T11:40:00.000-07:00

Mansfield, Ohio
Fairhaven Hall

Dan Osborne and Dan Jones were set to compete in Mansfield on Saturday, August 16, 2008. Unfortunately after training hard and being ready to fight, Dan's oppononent was a no-show for the contest. What follows is a recap of "Super" Dave Osborne's fight."Super" Dave Osborne took on Dave Aubrey at 185lbs. In summary, it was a three round war. Osborne looked real good on his feet landing nice hand combinations and wicked body and leg kicks throughout the contest. Aubrey showed he was no joke and nearly finished in the second round with a deep arm-bar Osborne eventually escaped from. Osborne showed a few nice takedowns and aggressive ground and pound. Aubrey never gave up and was giving as much back to Osborne as he was taking. When the third rounded ended, all three judges scored a unanimous decision in favor of Osborne giving "Super" Dave his second MMA win.Written by: John StrmacComplete Results:Coming soon!

NAAFS "War on the Shore II"

2008-07-26T11:38:00.000-07:00

Geneva-on-the-Lake, Ohio
The Cove

On Saturday July 26, 2008 the NAAFS held its second installment of “War on the Shore” on the historic Geneva-on-the-Lake strip. Team GriffonRawl sent four veterans into action. What follows is a recap of these warriors.First up was Jim Payne taking on Tyler Wilson at 185lbs. Jim started quickly scoring a takedown and proceeded to land some good shots from top position. The fight found its way back up to the feet where Tyler was throwing a good amount of combinations. At the exact moment Tyler was throwing a left body kick, Jim dropped his level to shoot in and his shin hit hard right on the bridge of Jim’s nose. Due to the fact this was an amateur contest, the referee immediately stepped in to halt the contest. Jim’s nose was badly broken and the fight was declared a no-contest.AJ Carl represented the team at 145lbs, taking on perennial fan-favorite CoDean Roff of Team KSD. AJ scored a hard fought takedown in round one and retained top position for most of the first round landing good shots. Round two found AJ on his back in the guard defending strikes and position as CoDean continued advancing his position. Round 3 again found CoDean in dominate position where AJ’s heart and tenacity shined as he refused to submit despite being in a compromising position. As AJ pulled his head free from CoDean’s legs he seized an opportunity to wrap his arm around CoDean’s neck and sat back into guard with a very tight guillotine forcing him to tap at 1:37 of the third round. AJ is ranked #4 in the NAAFS featherweight rankings, is on a five fight win streak and looks to be a staple in the NAAFS!Bryon McRosky was next up to take on a very experienced Tim Hendrix at 170lbs. Bryon and Tim exchanged on the feet where Bryon pushed the action up against the cage, landing nice hand combinations and solid knees. The fight found its way to the ground with Bryon on top inflicting damage and trying to secure the mount position, but Tim defended well. At the :10 second left mark, Bryon started unloading catching Tim several times where Tim tapped out due to strikes at 2:59 seconds of the first round. Bryon is ever improving and one of the hardest working members at the gym. This victory improved Bryon to 3-1 and his third victory in a row.Long-time GriffonRawl warrior, Chuck Schilling, made the move to 145lbs taking on Bo Coleman of Team Beatdown. Bo asked for this fight, no doubt to avenge a victory over Bo’s teammate one year ago. Bo came out hard throwing excellent combinations from the feet with Chuck throwing right back. Chuck took an opportunity to shoot in where Bo landed a deep guillotine choke that Chuck eventually fought free from. Almost immediately Chuck found himself in one of the deepest triangle chokes I’d ever seen. Again, Chuck ultimately fought free. It’s safe to say Chuck’s head was purple for 2 of the first three minutes. As round two began it was clear Chuck shed a bit of “ring rust." He scored a takedown and landed some solid knee strikes before sinking in Sunday class’ favorite submission, the D’Arce Choke at 1:16. Moving to 145lbs, coupled with a 6-1 record, Chuck will no doubt vault into the NAAFS featherweight rankings.All told it was an exciting night of action, with 3-4 bouts being argued by fans as to what was fight of the night. Written by:John M. StrmacComplete Results:Preliminary Bouts205 lbs - Josh Talsma 1-0 (Team Xtreme) over Damien Dicken 0-1 (Geneva, OH) by TKO @ :53 of Rd 1170 lbs – John Roach 1-0 (Kombat MMA) over Casimir Heynoski 0-1 (Erie, PA) by Tapout From Strikes @ 1:25 of Rd 1185 lbs - Mike Macdonald 1-0 (Team Xtreme) over Dan Capp 0-1 (Team Pitbull) by Guillotine Choke @ :44 of Rd 1185 lbs – Neil Delos Reyes 1-0 (Jungle Fight Team) over Chris Cunningham 0-1 (Team Xtreme) by Rear Naked Choke @ 2:03 of Rd 1155 lbs – Ryan Victory 2-3 (Team DNA) over Dustin Varney 0-1 (Mayhem MMA) by Rear Naked Choke @ 1:35 of Rd 2135 lbs – Mike Connor 1-2 (Pain Headquarters) over Keith Mitchell 0-2 (Mayhem MMA) by Rear Naked Choke @ 2:38 of Rd 1155 lbs – Dru Shottenheimer 2-0 (Team Twisted) over Justin Clevenger 0-1 (Geneva, OH) by Guillotine Choke @ :26 of Rd 2185 lbs - Tyler Wilson 0-0-1 (Team Xtreme) vs Jim Payne 2-2-1 (Team Griffonrawl) No Contest (Head Strike)155 lbs – Trevor Traven 1-1 (Geneva, OH) over Lance Johnson 2-3 (TKO Erie) by Guillotine Choke @ :43 of Rd 1185 lbs - Jack Tolley 2-0 (Pittsburgh, PA) over Scott Blank 0-1 (Point Blank MMA) by Unanimous Decision145 lbs – Doug Kulbis 3-0 (Team JAD) over Chris Nash 3-1 (Team Takedown) by Unanimous DecisionFeatured Bouts155 lbs – Sylvester Organka 3-0 (Kombat MMA) over Jason “The Monster” Lawrence 2-2 (Erie, PA) by Unanimous Decision145 lbs - AJ Carl 5-1 (Team GriffonRawl) over CoDean Roff 4-6 (Team KSD) by Guillotine Choke @ 1:37 of Rd 3170 lbs – Bryon McRosky 3-1 (Team GriffonRawl) over Tim Hendrix 5-4 (Kentucky Combat) by Tapout From Strikes @ 2:59 of Rd 1155 lbs - LA Hampton 5-2 (Cleveland, OH) over Joey “The Hitman” Holt 4-3 (Gym City Gladiators) by KO @ 1:47 of Rd 2145 lbs - Chuck Schilling 6-1 (Team GriffonRawl) over Bo Coleman 8-6 (Team Beatdown) by Head & Arm Triangle @ 1:16 of Rd 2265 lbs – Adam Farrell 3-0 (Team DNA) over Felix “The Cat” Catheline 6-3 (Buckeye MMA) by Triangle Choke @ 2:06 of Rd 1185 lbs – AJ Aeschlimann 4-0 (Team Instigator) over John Opfar 5-3 (Pittsburgh, PA) by Guillotine Choke @ :55 of Rd 2