NAAFS "Midwest Combat Challenge 5"

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"

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"

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"

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"

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"

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"

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

NAAFS "Columbus Night of Pain III"

Columbus, Ohio
The Hoops Sports Complex

On Friday June 27, 2008, the NAAFS invaded Columbus, Ohio for the third time. Team GriffonRawl sent two MMA veterans into action. What follows is a recap of AJ Carl and Landon Khakdoust.AJ Carl took on Chip Hook of Higher Power MMA at 145lbs. Coming off three solid wins in a row, AJ took the fight immediately to the ground with a solid takedown and secured position in side mount. AJ then began a solid ground attack raining knee's into the side of Hook. The ferocity and accuracy of the strikes were enough in the referee's mind, causing him to stop the contest at 49 seconds of the very first round, giving AJ his fourth win in a row. Additionally, this victory vaulted AJ to the #4 ranked fighter in the NAAFS National Amatuer Featherweight rankings.Landon Khakdoust was pitted against a very tough JJ Rey of Team Bullrider at 185lbs. The pace these two set was ridiculously fast for men of this weight class and was talked about as a candidate for "fight of the night." In between rounds one and two, UFC veteran referee Mark Matheny brought the two fighters to the center of the cage and pronounced to the two men "This is what the fans came to see." Landon secured the mount in round one and fought from his back in round two looking for submissions. Round three found the two fighters both in triangle position but from non-tradition angles. Both were looking to end the fight with the choke but in the end JJ's inverted triangle was too much, forcing Landon to tap at 1:25 of the third round. As a side note, Danny Balon of Team DNA defeated Andrew McCoy by triangle choke at 4:36 of round one in a pro-bantam weight contest. Danny is a long-time friend of Team GriffonRawl.Written by:John M. StrmacComplete Results:Tony Nowalk overJason Rine Guillotine Choke 1 :41 Nick Boden over Mike Adkins Guillotine Choke 1 :56 Tom Wilson over Clinton Hughes KO 3 :49 Wes Van Meter over Charles Carr Rear Naked Choke 1 2:17 AJ Carl over Chip Hook TKO 1 :49 Adam Farrell over Aaron Caw TKO 1 1:49 Dane Bonnigson over Kyle Goss Rear Naked Choke 1 :41 Will Leu over Michael Krick Rear Naked Choke 3 2:41 Lyle Sansoucie over Anthony Hayes KO 1 :26 JJ Rey over Landon Khakdoust Inverted Triangle 3 1:25 Jeff McKee over Chris Green Split Decision 3 3:00 Jimmy Rommel over Tommy Ridenbaugh Heel Hook 1 1:50 Thad Schlichter over Ron Hedges TKO 1 2:47 Danny Balon over Andrew McCoy Triangle Choke 1 4:36 John Myers over Tony Jayme Unanimous Decision 3 5:00 Rob Wince over Willie Smalls Rear Naked Choke 1 1:35

NAAFS "Fight Nite in the Flats 4"

Cleveland, Ohio
Plain Dealer Pavilion

On Saturday, June 7, 2008, the regions largest MMA promotion held it's biggest event of the year at Plain Dealer Pavilion in "the flats" of downtown Cleveland. Of the 16 fights, about 3/4-4/5ths of the matchups would be main events at any other show. It was clearly a night of intensity and anticipation! Team GriffonRawl sent three MMA veterans into action. What follows is a recap of these GriffonRawl members.First up in the amateur division at 155lbs was #1 ranked Dan Jones taking on #2 ranked Jeremy Joles. Some tension was present leading up to the fight and the two men wasted no time exchanging heavy blows to start round one. Jeremy was able to secure a takedown and retain side control. Dan was busy off his back, regaining guard and attempting submissions. Round two had Dan nearly sinking a guillotine along with excellent striking. Jeremy scored another takedown and gained a dominate position, while Dan was moving well on his back, defending and looking for another submission attempt. Round three again was action packed with heavy striking followed by another Joles takedown. Dan worked hard and had an arm bar sunk very deep but Jeremy was able to pull out and Joles scored a late takedown. It came down to a judges decision where Jeremy was awarded a split decision victory. As with any split decision, some controversy arises and one thing is for sure the fans are anxious to see these two warriors rematch sooner than later.In the pro-series lightweight division, Paul "Str8outta" Compton (the 2007 Am. Champion) was up against Mike Nesto (the 2006 Am. Champion) in a contest billed as "Champion vs. Champion." Both of these men came into the contest with impressive amateur records. After some initial striking, Paul was able to secure a takedown and immediately started landing wicked elbows inside the guard of Nesto. Mike immediately went for his patented leg attack looking to land a knee bar or an ankle lock and had the submission attempt fairly deep. Paul's athleticism showed bright and he was able to keep moving from side to side, creating a scramble which enabled him to escape, where the ground and pound from Compton continued as he landed more and more elbows. The referee stopped the contest half way through round one to have the doctor check some nasty cuts above the eyes of Nesto. After a few minutes the doctor gave his blessing and the contest picked up right where it left off, with Compton landing more and more elbows. Too much blood was coming from the ultra-tough Nesto forcing the referee to call a stop to the contest towards the end of round one, giving Paul his first pro victory and allowed him to remain unbeaten at 155lbs!In a night of unbelievable matchups only surpassed by the talent displayed, Team GriffonRawl's head coach and owner Jason "Dynamite" Dent was the main event of the evening! He was pitted against the man that knocked out then-champion Torrance Taylor, Nick Sorg for the NAAFS Pro-Series Lightweight Title. Jason started off throwing some "feeler" jabs and inside leg kicks as he felt his opponent out. Seeing an opportunity to close the distance Nick unleased a barrage of straight punches, upper cuts, body shots and a head kick that had the crowd rise to its feet. Jason stepped back, dropped his hands, shook his head "no" and motioned to Nick to keep bringing it on, sending electricity through the crowd as they chanted "Jay-son! Jay-son!" Jason appeared to find his rhythm and started landing solid shots, but Sorg proved he belonged not backing down as the round ended. Round two showed Dent as the aggressor landing solid combinations and forced Nick to go for a takedown where Jason's ground skills were put on display. Jason's secured a tight, high guard where he unleashed upwards of a dozen elbows to the head of Sorg, each seeming to find their mark. Attempting to break the guard, Jason hit a deep arm lock from his back forcing a very tough Nick Sorg to tap midway through the second round. Jason earned the NAAFS Pro-Series Lightweight title and remained unbeated at Fight Night in the Flats!In conclusion, everyone that stepped into the cage should be applauded. It was a very hot day coupled with extreme humidity, where conditioning, heart and talent were on display in each and every fight.Written by:John StrmacComplete Results:155 lbs Title – Jason “Dynamite” Dent 21-8 (Team Griffon-Rawl) over Nick Sorg 6-5 (Team Predator) by Armbar in Rd 2265 lbs Title – “Cujo” Joe McCall 6-0 (Team Instigator) over James Sendo 7-2 (Dragon's Den/Hammer House) by KO in Rd 1185 lbs Title– Mitch Whitesel 12-6 (Wreckroom Athletics) over Johnny Soeder 5-1-1 (Strong Style Fight Team) Armbar Rd 1150 lbs – Paul “Str8 Outta” Compton 11-2 (Team Griffon-Rawl) over Mike Nesto 10-5 (Schraders MMA) by TKO in Rd 2145 lbs - Cody "The Wolverine" Stevens 10-2 (Wreckroom Athletics) over Hobert Cornett 11-2 (Brewer's Gym) by Guillotine in Rd 1170 lbs - Brandon Pierce 6-1 (Team Jorge Gurgel) over Kellen Hughes 8-2 (Team Next Level) by Triangle in Rd 2NAAFS National Amateur Series Bouts265 lbs – Stipe Miocic 5-0 (Strong Style Fight Team) over Nick Turco 16-5 (Eastside Combat Club) by TKO in Rd 1170 lbs - John "Kuddles" Kuhner 12-0 (Black Dragon MMA) over Nick "The Savage" Duell 9-3-1 (Jungle Fight Team) by KO in Rd 1170 lbs – Frank “The Tank” Carabello 7-4 (Rising Dragon) over DJ “The Juggernaut” Jacobucci 4-3 (Strong Style) RNC Rd 1155 lbs - Jeremy Joles 5-2 (Independent) over Dan "The Daredevil" Jones 5-1 (Team Playland) by Split Decision175 lbs - Russ Halsey 4-1 (Pain Headquarters) over Chuck Ellison 7-3 (Instigator) by RNC in Rd 3125 lbs - Jessica Eye 1-0 (Strong Style Fight Team) over Kari Ricker 2-2 (Dragon's Den-HammerHouse) by TKO in Rd 3265 lbs – "Big" John Hawk 4-0 (Jungle Fight Team) over Matt Lust 4-2 (Black Dragon MMA) by RNC in Rd 2185 lbs - Chris Lozano 3-0 (Strong Style Fight Team) over Mickey Hughes 3-3 (H20 MMA) by Guillotine Choke in Rd 3155 lbs - Zach Sutek 4-1 (Instigator Fight Team) over Joey "The Hitman" Holt 4-2 (Gym City Gladiators) by RNC in Rd 2185 lbs - AJ Aeschlimann 3-0 (Team Instigator) over Sean Paul Veilleux 1-1 (Jungle Fight Team) by UD170 lbs - Bill Morsetti 1-0 (H20 MMA) over Steve Kosarko 1-1 (Strong Style) by TKO in Rd 1

Superior Cage Fighting "Round 1"

Sheffield, Ohio
Quaker Steak and Lube Outdoor Pavilion

On May 9, 2008, Superior Cage Fighting hosted "Round 1" of the Quaker Steak and Lube Fight Series. An exciting night of MMA action, team GriffonRawl sent five warriors into action. What follows is a recap of each fighter's bout.Reggie Parks took on Kevin Bolf at 170lbs in Reggie's MMA debut. Reggie wasted little time closing the gap and scored a quick takedown where he secured the mount and unleashed with a series of rights and lefts. Seeing an opportunity for an arm bar, Reggie moved in for the kill but Kevin showed his heart and defended the submission for about a minute. Reggie caught another takedown in round two and again moved to the mount. This time, he retained top position and rained down blows until the referee called a stop to the bout at 1:47, giving Reggie his first victory.Next up was John Burbol taking on collegiate wrestler Josh Gregorek at 185lbs. John looked good on his feet, but Josh was able to score take downs in all three rounds. Josh retained side control throughout most of the contest content to throw effective knees. John regained guard a few times and attempted an arm bar as round two ended. John showed good poise and technique against a very experienced grappler. When all was said and done, John gained a great deal of experience but fell short on the judges score cards as Josh was awarded a unanimous decision.Kevin Doyle was pitted against Dominic Jones at 155lbs. Dominic scored a takedown in round one and Kevin spent a fair amount of time working his guard game. Round two found Kevin working his guard again and landed a deeply sunk triangle. Midway through the round Kevin was pointing out to the ref what he believed was a tap, but the round continued and Dominic showed grit withstanding the submission attempt. It was clear the third round was tough on the lungs for both fighters. A slow round to be sure, Dominic finished strong posturing in guard and striking. A unanimous decision in favor of Jones was announced after three intense rounds.Landon Khakdoust took on Rob Rzeszotarski at 185lbs in the battle of "Try to Pronounce our Last Names." Landon has shown incredible improvement in all aspects of MMA and has proven to be one of the quickest learner's at the academy. Both men met quickly in the middle of the cage and clinched up. Landon exectued an arm drag to a rear naked choke position, pushed out the back of Rob and sat down for a beautifully executed RNC at a mere :20 of the very first round. Landon earned his second victory in as many appearances.Finally up was John Strmac taking on Dave Lyons for the SCF Featherweight title. John took an opportunity to move in for a takedown but was met with a series of good knees and a wicked left body hook. John got the takedown, retained side control and mounted for the final minute of the round. Round two had John retaining side control for most of the round striking with knees and left hooks. Round three started off good for John, until Dave executed a nasty body lock from guard and then switched to a triangle submission attempt. John finally escaped the submission and subsequent mount, only to reverse the position and finished the round in the mount. John received a unanimous decision and was announced as the new SCF Featherweight Champion. (This portion written by Jason Dent.)Overall it was a successful night for the team. The crowd was very energenic and the GriffonRawl supporters were loud and proud. Team GriffonRawl would like to thank Leif and Nate for an excellent promotion!Written by:John StrmacComplete Results:For complete results, please visit www.superiorcagefighting.com/RESULTS/5-9-08%20Round%201.pdf

NAAFS "Full Contact Kickboxing 3"

Euclid, Ohio
Euclid Sports Plant

While Team GriffonRawl has made a name for itself in the MMA world, Dan Rawling originally started the academy as a Muay Thai studio. On April 26, 2008, four memebers of GriffonRawl showcased the team's roots at the third edition of NAAFS Full Contact Kickboxing. What follows is a recap of GriffonRawl warriors Adam Sadny (170lbs), Aaron Veverka (155lbs), Anton Jackson (265lbs), and Mark Fredebaugh (155lbs).Mark Fredebaugh was first up for the team taking on Eric Rex of Jungle Fight Team. Eric took the action to Mark early and throughout round one, with Mark showing good counter attacks and excellent defenses. Mark weathered the initial storm, closed the distance to clinch and land solid straight and round knees. Rounds two and three showed the payoff of excellent conditioning as Eric seemed to fade as each round continued. Mark took this opportunity to land hand combinations and solid right leg kicks to the body and legs of Eric. All judges scored the bout 29-28 in favor of Mark, giving him a unanimous decision in his first outing.Anton Jackson took on the hard hitting Brandon "McNasty" Briggs of Rising Dragon. Anton came out hard throwing several beautiful left hooks and wicked high kicks that found thier mark. Both men were throwing hard and showed excellent counter attacks throughout round one. Rounds two and three showcased Anton's stamina and power, where Brandon was dropped in the final two rounds and was forced to take a "standing 8" count. Smelling blood after each, Anton came in looking to finish but was unable to stop the tough Briggs. When the dust settled, all three judges scored the contest 30-27, giving Anton his first victory to bring his record to 1-0-1.Aaron "Juice" Veverka was the first of the featured bouts taking on John "Mongoose" Myers of Instigator Fight Team in a rematch from years ago. Action for all three rounds went back and forth with Juice throwing several front kicks to the face that found their mark. Myers was more content to throw heavy hands and fight in tight. He was able to drop Juice to a knee in round two, causing a standing 8 count. Overall it appeared Juice landed more strikes, while Myers landed heavier shots. Both men showed great class throughout the bout, repeatedly touching gloves. When the dust settled, John Myers was awarded a split decision victory. John declared he'd be turning pro in MMA and Kickboxing...best of luck to John, who's a class act.In the nights main event, Adam Sadny took on the very experienced Elonzo "Hollywood" Harvey of Rising Dragon. Clearly aware of Adam's power, Elonzo kept away and then quickly closed the distance throwing fast combinations, then backing out. Adam returned the action and round one was an all out war. At the end of round one, Elonzo hit a solid right that clearly had Adam rocked and as the round ended, the referee was giving Adam a standing 8 count. Showing great drive, Adam shook off the cobwebs and came out to fight in rounds two and three. Adam appeared to be looking for his vicious leg kicks, but Elonzo kept closing the distance and appeared to do his homework. Rounds two and three were back and forth with each laying it all in the ring. The crowd came to it's feet in round three as both men were trading hard blows. Elonzo scored a unanimous decision and both applauded the other, showing great class by both.Overall it was an exciting night of action at the Euclid Sports Plant. One can only hope the NAAFS continues to hold these events and congratulations to all that competed on Saturday night.Written by:John StrmacComplete Results:Main Event - 170 lbs - Elonzo “Hollywood” Harvey 6-0 (Rising Dragon) over Adam Sadny 2-1 (Team GriffonRawl) by Unanimous Decision155 lbs - John “Mongoose” Myers 4-1 (Team Instigator) over Aaron “Juice” Veverka 6-6-1 (Team GriffonRawl) by Split Decision185 lbs - Nick “The Savage” Duell 2-1 (Jungle Fight Team) over Scott Alfer 1-2 (Powerkick Academy) by Split Decision265 lbs - John Hawk 1-0 (Jungle Fight Team) over Mike Revercomb 0-1 (Independent) by TKO @ 1:03 of Rd 1170 lbs - Scott Burr 1-0 (Fight Gym MMA) over Joe Johnston 0-2 (Rising Dragon) TKO @ 1:55 of Rd 3265 lbs - Anton Jackson 1-1 (Team GriffonRawl) over Brandon “McNasty” Briggs 0-1 (Rising Dragon) by Unanimous Decision155 lbs - Mark Fredebaugh 1-0 (Team Griffonrawl) over Eric Rex 0-1 (Jungle Fight Team) by Unanimous Decision155 lbs - Dan Doverspike 2-0 (Jungle Fight Team) over Alex Berdine 0-1 (Team AirGadfly) by TKO @ 1:38 of Rd 2160 lbs - Aaron Burkett 0-0 (Jungle Fight Team) over Justin Clark 0-1 (Team AirGadfly) by TKO @1:38 of Rd 3

Wreckroom Fight Series "Mansfield Mayhem 5"

Mansfield, Ohio
Richland County Fairgrounds

On March 22, 2008, Wreckroom Athletics held it’s fifth installment of “Mansfield Mayhem” in Mansfield, Ohio. Three GriffonRawl warriors entered the cage this night. For the second fight in a row, Kevin Doyle was unable to compete due to an opponent backing out. Look for Kevin to be in action in the very near future. What follows is a recap of Paul Keeney (135lbs), AJ Carl (155lbs) and Brian McCroskey (170lbs).Paul Keeney had the daunting task of making his MMA debut and being the first fight of the night, taking on Jullian Blanchard at 135lbs. Round one went well for Paul as he and Jullian traded heavy blows for the weight class. Early into round two, Jullian hit a solid right cross that sent Paul to the canvass. Thinking he won the fight Jullian turned around only to realize Paul’s warrior spirit had not thrown in the towel and as Paul was standing up, Jullian hit another solid shot that caused the referee to call a stop to the contest. Look for Paul, who’s tough as nails to be back soon!AJ Carl was pitted against Brian Smiley at 155lbs. Truly a 145lb fighter, AJ made the jump to taken on an experienced Smiley. Most of the posts on PKW were in favor of Smiley racking up another victory. AJ scored a quick takedown and began his ground and pound, but Smiley was able to stay safe in his guard and hit a deep arm lock. AJ remained calm, saving his arm from submission, and hit a series of devastating knees to the body that clearly caused damage as Smiley released the submission. AJ moved to a better position and began unloading, forcing the referee to call a stoppage in the first round. This fight improved AJ to 3-1 and he is on a three fight win streak.Brian McCroskey, fresh off his first MMA victory at Caged Combat II took on a very tough Marcus Turner at 170lbs. Brian seemed to be more comfortable in the cage than his first two matches and looked good in all aspects of the fight. He threw crisp hands and his ground game looked vastly improved, showing hard work does pay off. Brian executed a nice game plan but was unable to finish the tough Turner in regulation. The judges agreed Brian was the superior man in the cage rendering a unanimous decision in his favor, for his second MMA victory.Written by:John M. StrmacComplete Results:Preliminary BoutsHvwt - Nick Jones over Wade Roberts170lb - A.J. Winger over Brandon Mays155lb - A.J. Carl over Brian Smiley 1st Rd TKO205lb - Doug Bowling over Dave Howard135lb - Julian Blanchard over Paul Keeney185lb - Silas Maynard over Randy Adams170lb - Brian Mcroskey over Marcus Turner205lb - Hank Webb over Dan WinesHvwt - Brian Lewis over Andrew Johnson155lb - J.P. Jaranowski over Matt HatfieldMain EventWRFS 145lb TITLE FightMike Nesto over Bo Coleman 1st Rd rear naked choke

NAAFS "Midwest Combat Challenge 4"

Akron, Ohio
Chapparell's Community Center

The NAAFS treated MMA fans to an exciting night of action on Saturday night at the sold out Chapparell's Community Center in Akron, Ohio. Team GriffonRawl sent three veterans into action and what follows is a recap of each team member.Tom Lutz was pitted against Mark Strickland of Kombat MMA at 205lbs for his NAAFS debut. Tom looked excellent on his feet to start the first round, landing two beautiful combinations before Mark shot in for a takedown. Two times, Tom had Mark in a triangle choke but Mark was able to escape and moved to the mount position where he unleashed a wicked ground and pound attack. Tom escaped a choke to end a crazy round one. Both men were cut and bleeding and the fans knew these two were the real deal. Mark scored a takedown early in round two, where the G&P continued before the refereee was forced to stop the contest at 1:19 of the second round. Tom handled himself with class and will no doubt be back soon, better than ever.John Strmac was up against Edison "Puerto Rican Thunder" Martinez in a rematch from their November contest at 145lbs. John was able to score takedowns in all three rounds and executed ground and pound the entire fight, but could never finish the super tough Martinez as he kept tying up John and manuevering to rarely take a clean shot. John ended the final minute of round three in the mount position. After three rounds, all judges scorecards read 30-27 in favor of Strmac, giving him his fourth win in a row. (This portion written by Jason Dent.)Finally up for the team was Dominic "The Ironman" McGhee, taking on Joey "The Hitman" Holt from Gym City Gladiators at 155lbs. Joey and Dominic stood toe to toe for three exciting rounds, in what many deemed to be the fight of the night. The two appeared to forget it was an MMA fight and were happy to put on a kickboxing exhibition. Everytime one appeared to catch the other with a good hand combination, the other came right back and executed a combination of his own. Throw in wicked leg kicks, multiply that by three rounds and there's your fight. Both men laid it all on the line showing excellent striking and even better chin's. Announcer Jake Dingman summed up the fight by saying "Every time Holt hit McGhee he smiled, and everytime McGhee hit Holt he smiled." When the dust settled, a split decision in favor of Holt was rendered from the judges scorecards.Technically of Team Playland, Dan "Daredevil" Jones supplemented training at GriffonRawl. Taken from the NAAFS website, here is the NAAFS recap: "Dan “Daredevil” Jones (5-0/Team Playland) defeated Jason Davis (3-2/Pain Headquarters) at 0:29 into the first round after a Technical Knockout when the ref stopped the fight. The two touched gloves and Jason took an immediate swing with his right, which appeared to me to be a blatant cheap shot. Dan landed a quick punch, which busted Jason open badly. This was the shortest bloodbath I’ve ever seen. Dan totally dominated."The energy in the arena was electric and it was clear the fighters drew from it. Congratulations to all those that competed. On a personal note, I was able to meet a lot of fighters and enjoyed the "BS" sessions backstage.Written by:John M. StrmacComplete Results:Kris Morin (1-1/Team Air Gadfly) defeated James Fenske (1-1/Underground MMA) at 1:47, Rd 1Brad Muns (1-0/Underground MMA) defeated Mike Conner (0-2/Pain Headquarters) at 1:23 Rd 1 via Guillotine ChokeSean Hefflemen (2-2/East Coast Martial Arts) defeated Derrick Nothum (0-1/Team Air-Gadfly) at 2:30 RD 2 via Triangle ChokeMarvin Williams (2-0/Rising Dragon MMA) defeated Ric Ady (0-1/Team Instigator) via a Split Decision Josh Lang (2-0/Western New York MMA) defeated Fadi Nader (1-1/Kombat MMA) via a Unanimous DecisionKearn Nedd (1-1/Kombat MMA) defeated Brad Stanton (0-1/East Coast Martial Arts) at 1:30 Rd 2 via Technical Knockout Aaron “The Hamburglar” Bartow (2-0/Team Instigator) defeated Brandon “Birdman” Bailey (0-2/Independent) at 1:49 into the first round via tapout from strikesMax Gretch (2-1/Kombat MMA) defeated Garrett Matheron (1-2/Team Air-Gadfly) at 1:38 Rd 2 via Technical Knockout Mark Strickland (2-1/Kombat MMA) defeated Tom Lutz (2-1/GriffonRawl) via Technical Knockout at 1:19 Rd 2Chris Bradley (2-2/Team Instigator) defeated Dan Gale (2-2/Pain Headquarters) at 1:43 into the second round via armbarJohn Strmac (4-2/GriffonRawl) defeated Edison “Puerto Rican Thunder” Martinez (3-4-1/Lorain, Ohio) via unanimous decisionChase Martin (2-0/Team Instigator) defeated Paris Boyd (2-4/Underground MMA) at 2:41 Rd 2 via a rear-naked chokeJoey “Hit-Man” Holt (4-1/Gym City Gladiators) defeated Dominic “Iron Man” McGee (2-4/GriffonRawl) via a split decisionMatt “Light Breeze” Rosborough (2-2/Western New York MMA) defeated Anthony “Hurricane” Hayes (4-3/Gym City Gladiators) at 2:10 Rd 2 via triangle chokeRuss Halsey (3-1/Pain Headquarters) defeated Jacob Mitchell (1-3/Salem, Ohio) at 1:41 Rd 1 via Technical KnockoutJohn Hawk (3-0/Jungle Fight Team) defeated Richard Wadell (4-3/Higher Power) at 2:24 Rd 1 via Technical KnockoutDan “Daredevil” Jones (5-0/Team Playland) defeated Jason Davis (3-2/Pain Headquarters) at 0:29 Rd 1 via Technical Knockout Nick “The Savage” Duell (9-2-1/Jungle Fight Team) defeated Mickey Hughes (3-2/Team Bloody Buddy) at 2:23 Rd 1 via an armbar

Tim Payne Promotions "Caged Combat III"

Highland Heights, Ohio
Team Energenics Training Facility

Tim Payne held his third promotion of "Caged Combat" on Saturday night with another packed house in attendance. Team GriffonRawl, a go-to camp for Tim, was set to send nine men into action until Kevin Doyle and Reggie Parks' opponents cancelled thier bouts. What follows is a recap of the seven team members who represented Team GriffonRawl.First up was Miguel Defina against an experienced Luke Wilder. Miguel quickly took the fight to the ground where he looked impressive. Miguel moved from side position to full mount and unleashed a few solid strikes before Luke spun to escape. But Miguel was lying in wait and spread out his opponent flat on his stomach where a barrage of strikes forced Luke to tap at 1:35 of the very first round.Landon Kladoust made his MMA debut at 185lbs in impressive fashion, taking on Chris Hayes. Landon withstood an early flurry of strikes, countering with some of his own. Forcing his opponent against the fence, Landon took the fight to the ground where he eventually passed the half-guard and was able to tie up both of Chris' arms in a reverse crucifix. Landon was able to strike cleanly from the top position and forced Chris to tap to the strikes towards the end of round one.Miles King was pitted against the experienced and aggressive Josh Miller at 205lbs. Miles looked to stand early but Josh moved in for the takedown early and often. Josh looked to end the fight early with his ground and pound tactics, but Miles kept recovering his guard and defending himself from side body position, the back mount and inside the guard while Josh was landing solid shots. Rounds two and three went much the same as round one with Miles showing tremendous heart, tenacity and a never-say-die attitude. Josh was awarded a unanimous decision after three hard fought rounds.At 170lbs Brian McCroskey was looking to avenge his first loss against Keith VanDyke. Brian and Keith exchanged a few punches before Brian was able to move the action up against the cage, weathering a vicious hook that split his skin just to the side of his left eye. Showing improved ground work, Brian held side position before advancing to the mount where kept solid position while unloading on his opponent, forcing the referee to call at stop to the action at 2:43 seconds of round one.Jim Payne was pitted against Austin White at 185lbs. Austin showed his game plan early by shooting in and looking to unleash his ground and pound. Jim defended well from the guard, but was pressed against the cage. The referee stood them up, and again Austin scored a takedown. Jim defended the initial takedowns in round two and executed a beautiful hip toss to dominate position, where he trapped Austin's arm and unloaded a series of rights. Austin eventually scrambled out where he was able to secure the back of Jim and sunk in a deep rear naked choke that caused a stop at 2:17 of round two. An all out back and forth war that was bloody as they come, both men treated the crowd to an excellent contest.Tony Groys made his debut under the GriffonRawl flag against Corey Frantz at 155lbs. Tony came out intense and looked incredibly crisp landing solid upper cuts, hooks and straight rights. Corey scored a takedown where Tony recovered his guard and found himself being picked up for a slam when he released the guard and got the fight standing. Tony stalled a few takedown attempts and weathered two hard over-hand rights by Corey. Tony set up a right straight, left hook combo that hit right on the button knocking out Corey at 1:24 of the very first round.In the main event, Chuck Schilling battled Carl Kettle at 155lbs. Chuck scored an early takedown in round one where he held dominate position for most of the first round landing solid knees from side body position and good punches from different angles. Chuck appeared to be well on his way to victory in round two from the mount before Carl escaped and set up a nice arm bar attempt that had Chuck in trouble for about 15 seconds. He escaped to dominate position scoring with strikes as the round ended. The final round showed Carl's tremendous heart as he got taken down by Chuck but reversed positions to score strikes and appeared to have Chuck in trouble with a guillotine choke. After three exciting rounds, Chuck was awarded a split-decision victory.Everyone knows how hard and how ready Reggie and Kevin were and it's a shame they weren't able to compete. The team sent first timers and veterans into action and came away with a solid night, finishing 5-2, but more importantly gained a tremendous amount of experience as Team GriffonRawl continues to be one heck of a busy gym.Written by:John StrmacComplete Results:155: Kris Morin over Justin Taylor by Triangle; 1:19 Rd 2145: Ron Counter over Elijah Wallace by Choke; 1:11 Rd 1170: Miguel Defina over Luke Wilder by Tapout/Strikes; 1:35 Rd 1145: Lyle Sansoucie over Dustin Vitrano by RNC; 0:59 Rd 1145: Doug Hodges over Logan Cooper by Unanimous Decision185: Landon Kladoust over Chris Hayes by Tapout/Strikes; 2:33 Rd 1205: Josh Miller over Miles King by Unanimous Decision155: Ryan Victory over John Combest by TKO170: Brian McCroskey over Keith Van Dyke by TKO; 2:43 Rd 1185: Austin White over Jim Payne by RNC; 2:17 Rd 2155: Tony Groys over Corey Frantz by KO; 1:24 Rd 1145: Ivan Copenhaver over Jerrel Hamby by TKO; 1:15 Rd 1155: Chuck Schilling over Carl Kettle by Split Decision

IFBL "Fight Night 11"

Niles, Ohio
5x5 Training Facility

While the team had a large number of fighters in Highland Heights, GriffonRawl was represented by three men at IFBL Fight Night 11. Donny Walker, Brennen Sanders and Dominic McGhee each represented the team. What follows is a recap of the three men who represented Team GriffonRawl.Dominic "The Ironman" McGhee took on Michael Cardona at 155lbs. Dominic looked excellent in all areas and lived up to the name "Ironman" showing fantastic cardio in a fast paced match. The action went back and forth and Dominic appeared confident he'd won the decision after three intense rounds. However, the judges saw differently and scored a unanimous decision in favor of Cardona.Brennen Sanders was next up for the team, facing Corey Ruthsatz at 145lbs. Brennen started off well and was performing well, until he found himself inside a triangle choke. Brennen tried to fight off the submission but it was too deep and was forced to tap at 2:42 of the first round.In the main event of the evening, Donny "Eagle Eye" Walker faced WEC veteran and submission specialist Cub Swanson. Donny was given little chance by many leading up to the contest. Donny proved he belonged among the elite at 145lbs taking the action right to Cub, showing crisp had combinations. Cub was able to get the action to the ground in rounds one and two, where he was unable to finish several submission attempts including a deep triangle that Donny was able to escape from. Donny found himself defending an arm bar in round three when cub swithced tactics and was able to land a deep scissor choke that forced Donny to submit at 1:24 of the final round. Immediately afterwards and in radio interviews week's later, Cub had nothing but praise for Donny stating he was a very tough competitor and belongs in the upper tier of the 145lb class.Written by:John M. StrmacComplete Results:IFBL WORLD FEATHERWEIGHT TITLE FIGHTROC CASTRICONE defeated JASON MIKNUK (Triangle) in 1:31 RD 5IFBL WORLD LIGHT HEAVYWEIGHT TITLE FIGHTMITCH WHITESEL defeated JOSH GRIGGS (TKO medical stoppage) in :35 RD 3PRO BOUTS:CUB SWANSON defeated DONNY WALKER (Scissor Choke) in 1:24 RD 3SEAN LOEFFLER defeated BOBBY MARTINEZ (Armbar) in 3:11 RD 1AMATEUR BOUTS:JEFF HOLMES defeated JOSH MCBRIDE (TKO) in 1:25 RD 1MIKE NESTO defeated BO COLEMAN (RNC) in :46 RD 1JARRED ZARLINGO defeated ART LUDWICK (TO Strikes) in 1:29 RD 1FELIX CATHELINE defeated JARED CARLE (TKO) 1:30 RD 1JOHN OPFAR defeated DAVIS ORACIO (TKO) 2:20 RD 1COREY RUTHSATZ defeated BRENNEN SANDERS (Triangle) 2:42 RD 1SETH COLE defeated JOSH HANSEN (GUI) 1:36 RD 1JUSTIN HEAD defeated DAMON RELIGA by Unanimous DecisionTONY ABBATE defeated BRIAN MCCOY (GUI) 1:57 RD 3JASON LISS defeated JOHN WHITTEN (TKO) 2:07 RD 1MICHAEL CARDONA defeated DOMINIC MCGHEE by Unanimous DecisionTODD AMBROSIA defeated FRANK COSTELLO (TKO) 1:27 RD 1JAY MORRIS defeated LUKE BURDETTE by Unanimous DecisionJOHN ARNETTE defeated SCOTT ALFER by Unanimous Decision

Sonny Marchette Wrestling Seminar

Mentor, Ohio
GriffonRawl MMA Academy

On Sunday afternoon, Sonny and John Marchette treated Team GriffonRawl to a three hour wrestling seminar. Sonny is a two-time State and national wrestling champion and spent years at the Olympic Training Facility before coming back home to Ohio where he spent time as a coach and currently competes at the professional level in MMA.The seminar included extensive and detailed instruction on several takedowns to dominate position, positioning on the ground, reversals and takedown defense. The seminar covered the above positions for both pure grappling and full contact MMA and covered work in open areas as well as against the cage wall.All told it was an extensive seminar and everyone learned a great deal. Wrestling instructor, Chuck Schilling summed up his experience by stating, " I get pumped up when I learn different ways of hitting moves that I've been hitting for 10+ years." Team GriffonRawl would like to extend a hearty "thank you" to both Sonny and John for an excellent day of training and we look forward to another seminar in the future!

Junior Adult Boxing Program starts at GR

Mentor, Ohio
GriffonRawl MMA Academy

On Monday, February 4, 2008, GriffonRawl held its first class with the inagural "Junior Adult Boxing" program. Classes are geared towards the younger athlete not quite ready for adult competition. Beginners and those with experience are welcomed to attend. The minimum age to attend is eight years old.This is just another example of the ever expanding GriffonRawl academy. Classes will be held Monday's and Wednesday's from 7:30-8:30pm and Saturday's from 10:00-11:00am.Joe Lapaglia brings a wealth of experience to lead these classes. Having competed in Golden Gloves Boxing and numerous kickboxing tournaments, combined with coaching the Ledgemont Boxing Club and being a high-school teacher, Joe is an ideal instructor for the young adult looking to learn the sweet science, improve his/her standup and get an excellent workout. We look forward to having another "group" join the GriffonRawl team.

Team Training Day at GR Academy

Mentor, Ohio
GriffonRawl MMA Academy

A team challenge? Well, not quite…On Sunday, January 27, 2008 Team Griffon-Rawl hosted an open gym with members of Team DNA, Wreckroom Athletics and Team Playland in attendance. The day started a little awkward with guys stretching and keeping to their roots until a few started rolling. The purpose of the day quickly took hold as fighters from different teams partnered with each other for free rolling and frequently changed partners. Egos were checked at the door and everyone grappled hard but with control. Eventually fighters turned their attention to the boxing ring for Muay Thai sparring rounds and finally to the cage for controlled MMA sparring. It was great to see guys who’ve faced each other in the cage and members from “rival” camps helping the other prepare for their next fight, sharing techniques and offering strategies. Dan Swift and Donny Walker come immediately to mind. It was fun to watch champions roll around (Paul Compton & Cody Stevens), professionals spar (Jason Dent & Dominic Qurazzo) and the established help the up and comers (Joe Lewis & Tom Lutz).All told, it was a great day of training with new and old friends coming together. Thanks to all who attended from Team DNA (Dan Swift), Wreckroom Athletics (Matt Trukovich, Cody Stevens, Joe Lewis, Mitch Whitesel, Seth Cole, Brian Lewis), Team Playland (Dominic Qurazzo, Dan Jones) and Team Griffon-Rawl (Jason Dent, Donny Walker, Jeff Starr, Tony Groys, Jim Payne, Dan Farnsworth, John Strmac, Tom Lutz, Paul Compton, Adam Sadny, Kevin Doyle, Nick Kilian, Jordan Smith, Chuck Schilling, Matt Hopkins, Dominic McGhee, Chad Mullins, Miguel Defina). If anyone was forgotten, our apologies…there was a lot of fighters present.We hope to see everyone again soon and best of luck to those competing in the future.Written by:John StrmacPictures by:Tim Payne

NAAFS "Northcoast Showdown II"

Euclid, Ohio
Euclid Sports Plant

On Saturday, January 19, 2008 the NAAFS kicked off its 2008 promotion in Euclid, Ohio at the Euclid Sports Plant. Although the weather outside was snowy and the temperature well below freezing, inside the arena the action was hot and heavy from start to finish. Team Griffon-Rawl sent five veterans into action on Saturday. What follows is a recap of Griffon-Rawl participants.Jim Payne (2-0) led off the Griffon-Rawl charge, taking on a tough and well-rounded Mickey Hughes (2-1) from Team Bloody Buddy. After a brief exchange of hands, the two tied up with each looking for a takedown. Jim went in, but Mickey was able to reverse and land a hip toss that put Jim on his back with Mickey in side control. Jim stayed safe and calm, looking to improve his position. After jockeying for position against the cage, a scramble ensued and Mickey was able to sink in his hooks and looked for a rear naked choke. Jim defended well, but Mickey was able to sink his arm in the extra inch he needed, forcing Jim to tap near the end of round one. Look for Jim to be back better than ever very soon!John Strmac (2-2) was next up facing heavy handed Charles Cooper III (2-1) from Team Predator. John looked for the takedown early but was unable to keep position on the ground where Charles unleashed a flurry of strikes, landing hard right hands throughout most of the first round. Round two went better for John who was able to get a series of takedowns but had trouble advancing his position while Charles continued the ground and pound from different angles. John landed a solid leg kick followed by a takedown to the mount to begin round three. Charles tied him up and reversed position putting himself in the guard and as he attempted another hard right. John was able to get a triangle choke position and kept jockeying to tighten the hold. Charles picked him up and slammed him but it only sunk the choke in deeper. Charles continued to look for an escape but was forced to tap at 2:15 of the final round. (This portion written by Jason Dent.)Tony “The Killer” Wolf (3-1) recently teamed up with Griffon-Rawl to take on a very tough Joey “The Hitman” Holt (2-1) from Baileys MMA. Tony looked excellent on his feet taking the fight to Joey and getting the better of the standup, landing solid combinations. Seeing an opportunity, Tony shot in and landed a nice takedown but found himself deep inside a guillotine choke where Joey reared back and forced Tony to tap at 0:58 seconds through the first round. Everyone at Griffon-Rawl is happy Tony will be training here and look for him to keep improving in all areas.The final Griffon-Rawl amateur was Nick Killian (2-0), taking on Steve Zornes (2-0) from Team JAD. Steve closed in quick to take down Nick and the fight went quickly to a fight for position showcasing both men’s takedown skills and defenses. Steve again went in for a single leg where Nick landed a wicked upper cut that sent Steve’s eyes rolling into the back of his head. As Steve landed he gathered himself and attempted a leg lock, but Nick was landing too many precise shots from a dominate position, forcing the referee to call a stop to the contest at 1:27 of the very first round. Both fighters showed great class at the end of the contest. Look for both to rise in the NAAFS rankings.AJ Pulling (6-3) said good-bye to the amateur ranks and made his professional debut against “Truckin” Chad Trukovich (3-4) from Wreckroom Athletics. Both men were feeling each other out to start round one when AJ seized an opportunity to hit a nice takedown and move to a solid side position. Never one to relax, AJ moved quickly until he found Chad’s back and sunk in his hooks very deep where he could begin striking at will. He landed a number of solid shots forcing Chad to tap to strikes at 2:05 of the very first round. Overall Team Griffon-Rawl had a solid showing. The NAAFS, teamed with Sports Time Ohio television, is perhaps the biggest MMA shows in the Midwest. The team fared well to start 2008, posting a 3-2 record. Look for the return of the above fighters as well as more Griffon-Rawl warriors to enter NAAFS and other shows this year. Thanks for all who braved the weather and supported Team Griffon-Rawl!Written by:John StrmacComplete Results:Professional Results:205 lbs - John “The Bullet” Fields 5-2 (Team Instigator) over Jason “Freebird” Freeman 7-3 (Vander Fighting) by Tapout from Strikes @ :32 of Rd 1SHW - "The Irish Hitman" Bobby Favors 4-5 (Team Playland) over Justin "Give me your Lunch Money" Wade 6-3 (Team Truth) by TKO @ 2:07 of Rd 1140 lbs - Danny “Lil Thunder” Balon 11-4 (Team DNA) over “Small” Paul Martin 13-4 (Team Out Cold) by Rear Naked Choke @ 3:48 of Rd 2170 lbs - AJ Pulling 7-3 (Team GriffonRawl) over "Truckin" Chad Trukovich 3-5 (Wreckroom Athletics) by Verbal Submission from Strikes @ 2:05 of Rd 1Amateur:145 lbs - Mike Nesto 7-3 (Schrader's MMA) over Eric Noel 5-2 (Team Next Level) by Split Decision 145 lbs - John Strmac 3-2 (Team GriffonRawl) over Charles Cooper 2-2 (Team Predator) by Triangle Choke @ 2:15 of Rd 3185 lbs - Nick Kilian 3-0 (Team GriffonRawl) over Steve Zornes 2-1 (Team JAD) by TKO @ 1:27 of Rd 1185 lbs - Mickey Hughes 3-1 (Team Bloody Buddy) over Jim Payne 2-2 (Team GriffonRawl) by Rear Naked Choke @ 2:53 of Rd 1 155 lbs - Joey “The Hitman” Holt 3-1 (Baileys MMA) over Tony “The Killer” Wolf 3-2 (Team Griffonrawl) by Guillotine Choke @ :58 of Rd 1145 lbs - Anthony “The Hurricane” Hayes 4-2 (Next level) over Codean Roff 3-5 (Team KSD) by Unanimous Decision265 lbs - John Hawk 2-0 (Jungle Fight Team) over Jarred Carle 2-3 (Team Explosion) by Rear Naked Choke @ 1:08 of Rd 1185 lbs - Sean Paul Veilleux 1-0 (Jungle Fight Team) over "Heavy Hands" Chad Heilman 0-1 (Independent) by Arm Bar @ :58 of Rd 1145 lbs - Doug Kulbis 2-0 (Team JAD) over Jack “The Ripper” Mardis 2-2 (Team Constriction) by Unanimous Decision170 lbs - Scott Burr 3-2 (Team KSD) over Dan Cain 1-2 (Team Constriction) by TKO @ 1:56 of Rd 1145 lbs – Josh "Kiss of Death" Kissinger 1-0 (Instigator Fight team) over Jerry “The Bear” Barrick 1-3 (Vander Fighting) by Doctor Stoppage at the end of Rd 1265 lbs - "McNasty" Brandon Briggs 1-0 (Rising Dragon MMA) over Cody Rook 0-2 (Devil Dogs MMA) by Unanimous Decision

SCF "Playing for Keeps"

Elyria, Ohio
St. John Lutheran Gymnasium

On Friday, January 11, 2008 Superior Cage Fighting Promotions invaded Elyria, Ohio. Dave Osborne and Miles King were the two Griffon-Rawl warrior set to represent the team.Dave Osborne brought a heavy heart to the arena, yet was set and ready to go only to find out his opponent pulled a no-show when it came time to answer the bell, giving Dave a "walk through" victory. The Griffon-Rawl family sends their love and sympathy to Dave on the loss of his father.Miles King made his MMA debut at 205lbs taking on a very strong and intimidating Miguel Calderon. When the bell rang, Miles looked like a seasoned veteran stalking his opponent throughout the contest like a rabid dog. Miles smiled when he took a few leg kicks and prevented a takedown attempt with a solid sprawl. Miles landed beautiful combinations and kicks and hit a nasty upper-cut with Miguel against the cage. As Miguel hit the canvass Miles was on top of his prey unleashing a relentless ground and pound that forced the referee to call a stop to the contest. Miles got his first taste of action via a TKO victory in the very first round!Look for both Dave and Miles to be in action again soon!Written by:John Strmac