It is great to see more Mixed Martial Arts events coming to the marketplace in the Tri-State area. Our friend Nick Lembo sent us this press notice about Instinct Sports Entertainment first event featuring the UFC’s Anderson Silva’s top student out of Brazil.
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Instinct Sports Entertainment’s inaugural Instinct fighting event will take place on Saturday, April 17th 2010 at the Essex County College Sports Center in Newark, NJ.

This first event in the new sport of Professional Stand-up Fighting will feature phenomenal stand-up fighters from 10 different countries!

Click through for full details and fight card match-ups.

So what does it take these days to generate over 220,000 views for a single Youtube video? Well, you can be a European TV host and lose your lunch with cameras rolling, maybe throw the name “Snookie” in the clip title and hop on the Jersey Shore TV show bandwagon, or … you can take a far more difficult path to internet stardom, as Tiger Schulmann fighter Nick Pace did, by delivering one of the top 10 knockouts in Mixed Martial Arts for 2009. (Pace KO video below)

(Click through for full story with active links)

Kurt Pellegrino is a legend in New Jersey high school wrestling for all his grappling success at Pt. Pleasant. The grown up version, nicknamed Batman, is on a three fight win streak in the UFC. Pellegrino was gracious enough to share a few secrets recently, and show how he works his ground game magic in the Octagon.

The UFC’s Ricardo Almeida has an immense challenge ahead at UFC 111 Vs. the rising Matt Brown. Not only will Almeida be dropping down in weight class to 170lb, but he will be faced with the emerging all-around talents of Brown under the tutelage of Matt Hume. During my last visit to Almeida’s gym in central Jersey, he shared this tip per working off the back defending the ground and pound.

Professional MMA

Ring of Combat XXVII
Promoter Louis Neglia
Tropicana Hotel and Casino showroom, Atlantic City
November 20, 2009

Referees Kevin Mulhall and Dan Miragliotta
Judges Jeff Blatnick, Cardo Urso and Carlos Rodriguez
Ringside Physicians Dr. Sherry Wulkan, Dr. Vincent Guida and Dr. Steven Oxler
Timekeeper Jason Robinson
Scorekeeper Ellen Rubin
Inspectors Jon Bilyk, Tony Tamburrino, Kerri Kaminski, Vincent Chapple, Todd Manfredi, Gary Gudzak, Erik Miller, Casper Oliver, Jim O’Connor, Paul Hafner, and Mike DiBella.
Announcer Peter Neglia

ROC Heavyweight Title
Silmar Rodrigo (111-435) Ricardo Romero (101-569)
Both fighters 211
Ref Miragliotta
Romero wins via tap due to v armlock at 4:56 of round one

ROC Featherweight Title
Jeff Lentz (103-160) Anthony Morrison (103-981)
Lentz 147. Morrison 145
Ref Mulhall
Morrison wins unanimous decision three rounds, all three judges 30-27

Marcelo Pereira (105-989) Gian Villante (105-386)
Pereira 212. Villante 215
Ref Miragliotta
Villante win via KO punch at 3:59 of round one
Pereira suspended 30 days for KO

Dante Rivera (105-584) Justin Haskins (103-055)
Rivera 185.5. Haskins. 185
Ref Miragliotta
Rivera win via tap due to rear naked choke at 3:51 of round two.
Rivera suspended indefinately pending opthalmological clearance

Mitch Whitesel (101-531) Uriah Hall (107-859)
Both fighters 186.5
Ref Miragliotta
Hall wins via TKO referee stoppage due to unanswered strikes at 2:34 of round three

Joshua Key (105-945) Al Iaquinta (105-390)
Iaquinta 156. Key 161
Ref Miragliotta
Iaquinta win via TKO referee stoppage due to unanswered punches at 1:47 of round one
Iaquinta suspended indefinately pending x-rays and orthopaedic clearance of right hand.

Ryan LaFlare (101-063) Marc Berrocal (105-912)
LaFlare 171. Berrocal 170.5
Ref Mulhall
LaFlare deducted two points in round one for illegal knee strike to downed opponent
LaFlare win via TKO stoppage due to unanswered punches at 3:19 of round one
Berrocal suspended 30 days for TKO
Berrocal suspended indefinately pending neurological clearance

Ariel Sepulveda (106-511) Plinio Cruz (104-467)
Sepulveda 185. Cruz. 186
Ref Miragliotta
Cruz via split decision three rounds 29-28, 29-28 and 28-29 Urso

Nate Williams (108-051) Louis Gaudinot (101-887)
Williams 126. Gaudinot 125.25
Ref Mulhall
Gaudinot wins unanimous decision three rounds, 30-27, 30-27 and 29-28 Blatnick

Jesus Martinez (110-980) Jim Tomczuk (105-385)
Martinez. 180. Tomczuk 179
Ref Mulhall
Martinez wins unanimous decision three rounds, all three judges 29-28

Mervin Rodriguez (101-649) Andrew Main (103-285)
Both fighters 146
Ref Mulhall
Main win via tap due to triangle at 1:05 at round two

Will Martinez, Jr. (105-880) Liam Kerrigan (101-642)
Martinez. 154. Kerrigan 156
Ref Mulhall
Kerrigan win via tap due to kneebar at 1:07 at round two

Since I will be on FoxFightGame.com tonight with Frankie Edgar, I thought I would honor the great Jersey fighter by digging up some old footage I posted months ago. Under the tutelage of training guru Martin Rooney, they are put through a workout tailored for the highest level MMA fighter. Martin Rooney trains many of best MMA fighters in the world and runs a highly successful pre NFL combine program for players seeking to be drafted.

Kurt Pellegrino is known for being one of best wrestlers in New Jersey high school history, for his current three fight win streak featuring a win over Josh Neer at UFC 101, and for his numerous tattoos. What does all the ink mean to Batman? Check out this video breakdown from the man himself.