The MMA world at large has UFC 100 on the brain right now, however fans in the Northeast also have one eye looking ahead to UFC 101 on August 8.  Dana White and crew will be heading to Philadelphia for the first time.  One of the ‘fight of the night’ candidates will be the 155lb clash between New Jersey’s Kurt Pellegrino and and Iowa’s Josh Neer.  TriStaterFighter.com contributer Dan Holzhauer filed this report.

-By Dan Holzhauer

The MMA paths of New Jersey native Kurt “Batman” Pellegrino and Iowa’s Josh “The Dentist” Neer have crossed many times. Finally, they will collide on August 8th at the Wachovia Center in Philadelphia, PA. The road to UFC 101 has been long, but both fighters expect an exciting performance, and a bonus check, as a reward for their performances.

“My gameplan is to grind you out for 15 minutes,” says Pellegrino leading up to this matchup. “I want to see who can get me tired.” But stamina may not be an issue for either Neer or Pellegrino. Of their 49 combined professional fights, just ten have gone to a decision.

Both fighters began their journey to the UFC in 2002. Pellegrino took his first pro fight in August of 2002 in the then-upstart WEC promotion where he won a unanimous decision over future ‘The Ultimate Fighter’ winner Mac Danzig. Josh Neer started his career as an amateur at the Toad Holler Fight Club, a famous showcase for young Midwestern MMA fighters in Des Moines, Iowa that no longer exists. Neer was a staple of the Toad Holler shows, chasing down every opportunity to fight.

Since then, both men have built their reputations by putting on exciting fights from bell-to-bell. “Whoever I fight, I’m always going to bring it. No matter what. I mean win lose or draw I’m always going to bring it, and anyone who faces me, they’re going to have to deal with that,” said Neer after his recent fight at Ultimate Fight Night 17, a victory coincidentally over Mac Danzig. The UFC is thrilled to deal with the excitement. Neer and Pellegrino have combined for three ‘Fight of the Night’ bonuses in their last four fights.

Hard work, and winning, paid off for both fighters when their talents were first recognized by the UFC. At 13-1-1 Josh Neer made his UFC debut in the first fight of the night on the inaugural Ultimate Fight Night card against UFC veteran Drew Fickett. Less than one year later, the then 7-1 Kurt Pellegrino made his debut in the first fight of the night at UFC 61, coincidentally against UFC veteran Drew Fickett. Both fighters would go on to lose their UFC debuts, both by Rear Naked Choke.

Kurt Pellegrino was, of course, not the only fighter to suffer a loss at UFC 61. Later in the night Josh Neer had a three fight winning streak snapped by Josh Burkman. It was the first time that Pellegrino and Neer would appear on the same card. Since then they have appeared together at Ultimate Fight Nights 13 and 17.

Both Pellegrino and Neer will enter the cage with wins in 76% of their fights, and four common opponents on their resumes. Both men hold wins over Mac Danzing and losses to Drew Fickett and Nate Diaz. Neer took a unanimous decision over Joe “Daddy” Stevenson at Ultimate Fight Night 4, while Pellegrino suffered a unanimous decision loss to Stevenson at UFC 74.

Pellegrino found another way to connect with Neer in his fight with Alberto Crane. Pellegrino needed a dentist after an early head kick by jiu-jitsu ace Crane sent one of Pellegrino’s teeth through his lower lip. But Josh ‘The Dentist’ Neer’s nickname only intrigues Pellegrino. “I’m gonna put his name to the test, that’s for sure. I’m not gonna back down from someone that broke two people’s jaws,” Pellegrino says. “I’m looking forward to getting my head rocked and if he’s man enough to punch me and kick me in the face, I’m sure he’ll be man enough to get kicked back.”

Neer is more than happy to stand and trade with Pellegrino. “I‘m looking to put my knee, fist, elbow, shin, through someone’s head,” he says. “I’m always gonna be exciting.”

The fight promises to be a brawl, but both men are more than one-dimensional strikers. “I don’t care where the fight goes. I don’t care how much blood me and Josh leave on the floor,” Pellegrino says, “I’m a Mixed Martial Arts fighter. I go in there and I do Mixed Martial Arts.”

Pellegrino is a black belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu under UFC veteran Hermes Franca and a former New Jersey state wrestling finalist. After briefly moving his training to Jupiter, Florida, Pellegrino has returned to the Garden State. “I think Jersey is the best place to be a professional fighter,” Pellegrino says. “I came back to Jersey to get my head straight. It saved my whole career.” Kurt now runs his own gym, Pellegrino MMA, out of Belmar, New Jersey where he is surrounded by his own students and the support of training partners Kenny Florian and WEC 135 LB Bantamweight Champion Miguel Torres.

Neer spent most of his career training under UFC great Pat Miletich. The Miletich Fighting System is known for producing some of the best fighters in the world. “I feel my grappling is improved so much,” Neer says. “My jujitsu is just as good as Kurts.” Neer now trains at Des Moines MMA and with Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt Rodrigo Uzeda

Neer and Pellegrino are determined to put on a show and move up the crowded ladder that is the UFC’s 155LB weight class. “The UFC wants exciting fights and I’m here to give it to them,” Pellegrino says, “I can take someone down in a wrestling match, but we’re not wrestling, we’re fighting.”

—-

Dan Holzhauer is a copy editor/proofreader for University Sports Publications.