Monday, October 5, 2009

NAAFS "Full Contact Kickboxing"


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/

Wednesday, September 23, 2009

NAAFS "Caged Vengeance 6"


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.)

Monday, September 7, 2009

Jeff "The Snowman" Monson MMA Seminar

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"


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.)


Thursday, August 20, 2009

UMMAXX 8 "All Heart, No Fear"

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!

Sunday, August 9, 2009

NAAFS "Rukus at the Riverside"


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!

Monday, July 27, 2009

NAAFS on STO adds new broadcaster


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"

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.

Wednesday, July 22, 2009

Dan "The Beast" Severn MMA Seminar

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.

Tuesday, July 14, 2009

The Ultimate Fighter: United States vs. United Kingdom




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.

Friday, July 10, 2009

UFC "The Ultimate Fighter 9 Finale"


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.

Wednesday, June 10, 2009

NAAFS "Fight Night in the Flats V"


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.

Saturday, May 23, 2009

Dan 'Tanis' Rawlings "Muay Thai Seminar"


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"


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"


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.

Saturday, April 11, 2009

Superior Cage Fighting "Resurrection!"


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/.

Tuesday, April 7, 2009

Espn Radio


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.




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.


Thursday, April 2, 2009

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


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/.

Monday, March 9, 2009

Spike TV Reveals TUF 9 Cast

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