Pros Pick Aldo vs Mendes II

Every UFC PPV Sherdog runs Pros Pick, an article in which pro fighters are polled for their opinion on the outcome of the upcoming PPV's main event.  Jason Dent is a frequent contributor to these polls.

From Sherdog.com:

No current Ultimate Fighting Championship titleholder has held promotional gold longer than Jose Aldo, who will have reigned over the UFC’s featherweight division for more than 1,400 days by the time he next enters the cage.

Aldo will defend the 145-pound crown against Team Alpha Male’s Chad Mendes in the UFC 179 main event on Saturday at Maracanazinho Gymnasium in Rio de Janeiro. The world’s top two featherweights met once previously, as Aldo knocked out “Money” with a first-round knee strike at UFC 142 in January 2012.

Sherdog.com touched base with a number of professional fighters and trainers to gauge their opinions on the UFC 179 headliner:

Jason Dent: I have to go with Aldo to win again in this rematch. I know Team Alpha Male has been on fire of late, but Jose is a finisher. While Mendes may get a few good rounds in, I think a 25-minute title fight works against him here. Jose will win this fight by cut, TKO or KO. I just don’t see it going the distance.

For the rest of the article click HERE

Adapted by: Bob Donaghy

Sutton and Porter Advance in Belt Ranking

As of last Monday, add two more names to the ranks of GR produced belt promotions.  Congratulations to Matt Porter on achieving Purple Belt, and William  Sutton for reaching Blue Belt status.

Matt Porter started BJJ training under Jeff Starr at GR in May of 2011.  BJJ was his sole focus. Just a year later he was awarded his Blue Belt (May 2, 2012).  He also competed in the first and second IGCs and once, last year, in the Columbus AGC. He plans to make use of his advanced standing to compete more in 2015.

William Sutton started BJJ at GR as well, putting his Gi on for the first time on New Years Day 2014.  It should be said that making Blue Belt in only 10 months shows both unusual aptitude and dedication to training.  That he’s managed this progress while also taking MMA classes, competing in outside tournaments and even his first cage fight is even more impressive.  Maybe the cross training accelerated his progress towards his Blue Belt.

Be sure to congratulate Matt and Bill when you see them around the Academy, and don’t forget to congratulate Jeff on two more home grown talents.

Written by: Bob Donaghy

Vanyo Smoker Opens Fall Fighting Season

Matt Perez, Masda Diaz, Kaylee Maynard, & Rob Rizer

Vanyo Martial Arts Fall Smoker went off without a hitch Friday night.  A packed gym of enthusiastic fight fans cheered on every fighter like they were their hometown favorite.  GR sent four fighters, Matt Perez, Masda Diaz, Kaylee Maynard, & Rob Rizer, and an even bigger support group than last time.  Six gyms sent teams, with a wide range of experience.  Some fighters had only a few months of training, some had many years.   But a smoker is all about the experience.  The idea is to give fighters a chance to compete in an unfamiliar environment, against people they do not normally train with, but without the pressure of knowing the results will follow them forever on their official fight record.

Every GR fighter went the distance, and every fight was back and forth and competitive.  Given the wide range of experience in the fighters Mark Vanyo must be applauded for arranging matchups that were so successful

Since these aren’t official fights, the organizing gym has the latitude to run some parts of the event  there own way.  Vanyo chose to assign two judges to score the fights in terms of ‘performance points’.  The judgement wasn’t to determine who won or lost the fight, but considered the quality of the technique along with how effective a strike was.  At the end of each fight the judges issues a score from 1 to 4 for each fighter.

The GR Smoker Team is grateful for Vanyo Martial Arts for once again offering us the opportunity to compete at their Fall Smoker.  We look forward eagerly to the next event.

Vanyo’s Martial Arts website is HERE            

Written by: Bob Donaghy

Dan Wojick Promoted to Purple Belt

Wednesday, Oct 8th GR added another name to the list of members achieving purple belt in BJJ.  Congratulations Dan Wojick.

Dan is a home grown talent.  Starting at GR late in 2011, initially in the no-gi program under Jason, George and Chuck, he soon expanded his interest in BJJ to include the formal classes with Jeff Starr.

Just to note the time, he went from white belt to purple belt in a little under three years.  That’s very fast progress in a tough program.   While doing that Dan trained in the Boxing and MMA programs and found time to compete in the IGC’s.  Be sure to congratulate Dan next time you see him around the academy.

Written: Bob Donaghy

Second Pererira Seminar Sells Out

Saturday, October 4th marked the second Jorge Pereira seminar at GR.  It was another big success, with the main room mat filled to near capacity for both sessions.  In one important change from the first seminar, Jason elected to keep the gym open for regular classes during the seminar.  It worked out well.  The boxing class moved into the cage room, and the kid’s mma class occupied the small mat.  It did make for a very busy gym, and Jacob Sievers deserves kudos for keeping the circus running while Jason was on the mats with Professor Pereira.

Jorge  Pereira is a Coral Belt under Rickson Gracie (7th Degree Black Belts become Coral after 30 years).  He is Head Instructor at RioHero in Miami where Tony Reel trained while on vacation last Summer.   Tony was so taken with Professor Pereira's instruction that when he returned to GR, he convinced Jason to bring the professor North for a seminar.  Tony said, "It’s rare to have a chance to roll with someone as well rounded and experienced as Jorge Pereira.  When I found out it was possible to have him instruct at GR, I knew it had to make it happen.”

Was Joe Rogan there?

That was in June; it went so well that Jason resolved immediately to get  the professor back again as soon as possible.   Which brings us to last Saturday.

12.30 saw the start of the gi only seminar. Event sponsor Tony Reel had the honor of being Professor Pereira's go to demonstration partner.  It was two hours of detailed instruction on new technique and subtle changes to techniques we thought we understood to make them better.


The first session ended at 2:30, after 30 minute break, the session on no-gi technique started.  With only a few changes in participants, the no-gi group was slightly larger.  There was no sign that the two hours of gi work had diminished anyone’s enthusiasm for rolling.  No-gi went to 5 pm.

Jason had this to say after the seminar:  “It was a pleasure having Jorge back to GR as he is not only a Coral Belt under LEGENDARY Rickson Gracie but also a seasoned MMA Pro as well. I was really pleased with the turnout. Though is was disappointing  only four of our official Team Fighters took advantage of this opportunity to train with the very best.”

For more on Jorge Pereira click HERE    
For more on RioHero click HERE    

Thanks to Reel's Auto for again stepping up and sponsoring this event!

Written by: Bob Donaghy

NAAFS Rock 'n Rumble 8 is in the Books

 Saturday night saw the 8th edition of NAAFS end of Summer spectacular: Rock n Rumble.   Due to a scheduling conflict the event was delayed a month, and moved from its traditional venue in the Flats to Canton Civic Arena.  Next year, Rock n Rumble will return to Cleveland.

As usual for this event it was a stacked card.  Sixteen fights in all, with pro fighters brought in from other states to fill the top of the card and many special guests.  It’s a tribute to the quality of our home grown talent the many of the guests (UFC stars Stipe Miocic and Jessica Eye), are actually local, and the main event, Cody Steven v Frank Caraballo, featured two local fighters.

What was not usual, was that Ahmad Douglas was GriffonRawl’s sole representative on the card.  Normally we have a least three, but moving the event a month made for irreconcilable conflict with the schedules of the fighters we had lined up.   Rather than see GR completely absent from the biggest NAAFS event of the year for the first time, Ahmad Douglas stepped up on relatively short notice to fill the gap.  Ahmad’s fight was a semi-final in the NAAFS Flyweight Amatuer National Tournament.  The winner will fight for the belt in December.

Unfortunately, Saturday was not Ahmad’s night.  He fought a tough, grinding fight against a wrestling specialist in undefeated Adli Edwards from Ronin Fight Team.  Ahmad demonstrated the superior striking skills, but often had to fight moving backward to stymie Edwards’ relentless takedown attempts.  Ahmad was successful in doing damage, but in the end the judges saw Edwards’ efforts as deserving the unanimous decision win.

Ahmad Douglas told his coach and corner George the loss does not discourage him, but will fuel his fire for additional training.  He finished by saying to George,  “I'll see you Tuesday at practice”.

George Comer said while he was disappointed with the loss, he  is not disappointed in his young student.  “Ahmad  is only 19 years old and was in the semi finals for the NAAFS amateur title which is nearly 7 years younger than I  was when I competed.  Ahmad’s  got a ton of potential.”

Ahmad will be fighting again sooner rather than later.  Be sure to congratulate him on his gritty effort when you see him on Tuesday.

Main Card Results

• Frank Caraballo def Cody Stevens  by UD
• Cody 'No Love' Garbrandt def Charles 'The Trinity' Stanford byTKO round 1 @ 1:37
• John 'Big' Hawk def Bobby 'Zombie' Brents by DQ (Groin Strike) round 3  @ 3:07
• Matt 'The Cat' DiMarcantonio def Wesley 'Wild Wild' Hanson by UD
• Eric Bledsoe def Ronald 'R.J.' Buck by Submission (Rear-Naked Choke) round 1 @ 3:36
• Jeff 'Lights Out' Hughes def Devon Wilson by Submission (Guillotine Choke) round 1 @ 3:52

Special thanks to Mike Wrobel of ShootitMMA.com for getting these pictures to us ahead of his own publication date.

Written by: Bob Donaghy