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Matt Masterson went from renting UFC DVDs from Blockbuster in his teenager years to fighting for the UMMAXX Middleweight Championship a decade later. This Saturday will be Masterson’s biggest challenge in his MMA career when he goes toe to toe against Nate Kittredge. Kittredge is the top ranked Middleweight in New England and embraces an impressive record of 9-1. This battle is just one of six title fights on the stacked UMMAXX 10 Collision Course fight card.
` Masterson was a stand out football player in high school and became a fan of Mixed Martial Arts around the same time. Masterson, like many other cage fighters, went from the gridiron to the cage and has found much success in this transition. Masterson needed something to do after high school because he decided that college was not for him. Masterson decided he would turn to MMA and hasn’t looked back.
Masterson began training at Tracy’s Karate, now known as Strong Style. Masterson remembers the gym being a small one studio room with mats and other supplies that just got the job done. Now Strong Style is one of the top gyms in the area and has some of the top fighters and coaches around Northeast Ohio.
Masterson didn’t waste any time making a name for himself in the sport. “My debut was awesome, it was the first time I was ever at a MMA event and I was fighting on the card. It was an incredible experience!” stated Masterson. Ironically UMMAXX matchmaker Josh Hendricks promoted this fight in Mansfield. Let’s just say Hendricks has a good eye for potential. Masterson ended the fight early with a first round win via rear naked choke.
Masterson approaches every fight the same, it could be a small MMA event in a bar or could be on the main stage for the championship belt. He doesn’t think much about the fight, he just lets it happen. He sticks to the game plan and trains hard all the way up to the fight. This simple mind scheme has brought much success to Masterson in his pro fighting career.
When asked about his upcoming fight with “The Animal”, Masterson responded “I know he is a good wrestler and punches hard. That’s about it. I’m just going to go out there and fight my fight and stick to what my coaches have taught me.” Matt likes to keep it plain and simple and so far it has got the job done.
“I had dreams about pro fighting and it was something I just had to do” explained Masterson. “MMA is like a drug, like an addiction. It’s more like a lifestyle than a sport.” Masterson just loves the sport of MMA and takes a lot of pride in fighting. “Everyone thinks MMA is just competition, but I enjoy everything about it.” Matt lives his life one fight at a time and just hopes to keep doing well and finding success. We will all find out Saturday at UMMAXX if Masterson will build on his win streak.

Popularity: 24% [?]

1. How did you get started in wrestling?
1. My dad was a college wrestler and then a coach and he got me started when I was 4 years old. I went 0-2 that year.

2. What is your most memorable match in your life? Describe it.
2. My most memorable match would have to be winning my first state title sophomore year at 103 lbs. I won the match 9-1. It was only 1-0 me going into the 3rd and then I got a five count for 3pts. He called an injury time with 1 min left and I still remember my coach (John Heffernan) telling me “This is just like in the room, win this one minute go and you will be a state champ.” My opponent then got out but in desperation he made a mistake which I capitalized and managed to put him on his back for five points, and I held him there for the remainder of the match.

3. Was it hard to pick Virginia for next year? What other colleges were after you?
3. Yes, my choice was very hard. the other major schools I was looking at were Cornell and Penn. I made the choice based on where I thought I would not only be successful but also happy to spend the next five years of my life there.

5. Who are some Eagle wrestlers fans should keep an eye out for in the NCAA?
5. I think the guys people should be paying attention to are Danny Gonsor and Shawn Harris. From what im hearing they are putting in the work and should be working their way up there.

6. What is the most embarrassing song on your iPOD?
6. That would probably have to be All Around the World by ATC, not the most manly song out there but never fails to put a smile on my face.

7. Who is your favorite MMA fighter and why?
7. My favorite fighter is Randy Couture because not only was he a wrestler and now a UFC Hall of Famer, but he is definitely getting old and still able to hang with the best. To be in that kind of physical shape in the upper 40′s is impressive, I’m just hoping when I’m that old my gut isn’t too big.

8. Do you have any plans on getting in the cage when your older like former Eagle Gray Maynard?
8. The thought has definitely crossed my mind. I love to compete and I dont know if I will be able to hang that up right after college wrestling. However I have very little intention of making a living out of it.

9. What is your favorite movie?
9. My favorite movie is Gladiator. Russell Crowe is definitely a bad ass in it and the Gladiator scenes are insane.

10. Do you think MMA is the sport of the future or do you think it will fade away over the years?
10. I see MMA continuing to grow like crazy. There is just something about watching a guy beat another guy into a bloody pulp that entertains the hell out of us.

Popularity: 19% [?]

Explosive Fight Promotions yet again had another explosive event with Caged Madness 15. This event defitnitly left the fans happy. The card was filled with sick submissions and some stellar knockouts. Some famliar faces in the crowd included NAAFS Champions Reggie parks and Chris Lazono and also local pro fighter Jason Freeman. George Michael Phillips and his second to none announcing skills was on the mic for this fun night of fights. Caged Madness 15 was for sure an event for the books.

On the undercard, Brian Kerr defeated Nick Cobourn in the 1st round due to TKO. Fred Young defeated John Reed by unamous decision. In the next fight, Norm Carriero beat Jared Carle in a bloody battle in the 2nd round after punishing Carle the whole fight but he would not quit. Next up, Steve Burton defeated Michael Howell in the second round due to TKO. Also victorious on the undercard were Albert Pacosky, Dennis Millsaps, Josh Pyle, and Corey Wamsley.

On the main card, every fight was finished early and no fan was let down with a boring fight. Dylan Deacon, Douglas Brown, David Willis, Justin Murray, Aaron Tice, and Justin Woods all won their bouts. In the co-main event, Tommy Deroia defeated Jon Pipkins by first round by TKO. Deroia looked very good and controlled the fight. He shows slot of potential and might be fighting with a big organization in a few years. In the main event and Middle Weight Title Fight, Zac Gobel defeated Brandon Saling and defended his title successfully. Caged Madness 15 was an exciting for everyone and let’s all hope Caged Madness 16 can top this one.

Popularity: 12% [?]

1Q. How did you get started in mixed martial arts?

1A. I wanted to do it since I started watching it in high school. Last summer I started looking for a gym to train and a buddy of mine told me about Powerhouse where he trained. I went down to try it out and just liked it and felt comfortable there.

2Q. How do you like training with Powerhouse?

2A. I love it! The guys up there have become my brothers. Everybody is so unique in their own way. With all the talent there I am able to adjust to different things that I want or need to work on.

3A. What was your MMA debut like?

3Q. My debut fight sucked! I made a bad move and took a fight at the last second. I got asked to fight on a Sunday night and the event was that Friday. I had to end up dropping 25lbs before Friday. When it came to the fight, I just got tired real fast. I just got caught with a hook and got KO. It was the worst feeling of my life. After that I have been pushing myself as much as I can so it won’t happen again.

4Q. Where do you see yourself in 5 years in the sport?

4A. to be honest I don’t know, I’m not really worried about it right now. I’m just focusing on one fight at a time till I feel I’m able to go pro and if I’m healthy.

5Q. Who is your favorite fighter and why?

5A. The fighters I like the most are George St. Pierre, Bas Rutten, Anthony Johnson, Jon Jones, and Brock Lesnar. All these guys are just top notch fights and exciting to watch! I think my style comes from all these guys.

6Q. How you feeling about your fight coming up at War in the Heartland?

6A. I feel pretty good. I will be fighting Dave Klima out of Griffonrawl MMA Academy. He is 1-0, hasn’t fought since last march but comes from a good MMA school. Both of us are 6″2 so it’s an even match until we step into the cage and find out who is the better man.

7Q. Who or what are your inspirations for fighting?

7A. just watching the sport inspires me. I love competing. I did sports all my life so I just a competitor and this sport is the top when it comes to competing!

8Q. What is the most embarrassing song on your iPod?

8A. I don’t have anything embarrassing music on my iPod because it’s all stuff that I listen to.

9A. Whats your favorite movie and why?

9A. My favorite movies is the Halloween movies. I love horror movies and it’s just my favorite out of them.

10Q. Other than MMA, what sports do you follow and who are some of your favorite players?

10A. I played football, ran track, and played basketball all my life so I try and follow basketball when I can. I love my Cavs and King James is a beast!!!

Popularity: 8% [?]

Intimidation Clothing is the newest and hottest MMA clothing company in Ohio and is spreading fast across the MMA nation. Intimidation Clothing has top of the line clothing for a very good price. Why pay twice as much for other MMA clothes when you can get Intimidation Clothing with unique designs and second to none quality for almost half the price. Intimidation Clothing sponsors fighters such as King of the Cage veteran, Donny Walker, ICF fighter, Carson Gainey, ICF fighter, Jim Davis, Strikeforce fighter, Greg Nagy, NAAFS Champion, Reggie Parks, MMA Big Show veteran and future Strikeforce fighter, Roger Bowling, and many more talented MMA fighters. To support your favorite Intimidation fighters check out http://www.intimidationclothing.com and pick up some exclusive MMA Apparel. Intimidation Clothing keeps the prices low and their clothing one of a kind. And for when the weather gets chilly, check out http://www.intimidationclothing.com/sweatshirts–hoodies.html to pick up a Intimidation Authority hoodie or zip up. Intimidation Clothing is a great company ran by spectacular individuals that love the sport and take pride in giving the MMA fans what they deserve. Be sure to pick up some of the best MMA inspired clothing on the market and remember that Intimidation Clothing gives you what you deserve at a reasonable price.

Popularity: 6% [?]

A recent trend in mixed martial arts is pro athletes making the jump to mixed martial arts and using their athletic ability to their advantage in the cage. Some of these pro athletes are making names for themselves in mixed martial arts and becoming quite successful in the sport but others are fading away just as quick as they came. These athletes use their techniques from their previous sport and use it to help themselves achieve success in mixed martial arts. This is very exciting to watch these athletes make this transition and it also benefits the organizations that land these good marketing tools.

Some athletes who made the shift to mixed martial arts and are making big names for themselves include UFC Heavyweight Champion and former WWE Superstar and NFL lineman, Brock Lesnar, Strikeforce Heavyweight and NFL Hall of Famer, Herschel Walker, King of the Cage vet and former Washington Redskin, Michael Westbrook, Strikeforce Heavyweight and former WWE Superstar, Bobby Lashley, and former Miami Dolphin and current UFC fighter, Kevin “Kimbo Slice” Ferguson. Brock Lesnar played for the Minnesota Vikings and was the front man of the WWE for a short amount of time before he tried mixed martial arts. Many critics and fans doubted that he would find success and said he should have stuck to fake wrestling. Lesnar definitely proved these haters wrong and is currently the UFC Heavyweight Champion and holds notable victories over UFC Hall of Famer Randy Couture and former World Champion Frank Mir. NFL Legend Hershel Walker is the most recent athlete to make the turn to mixed martial arts and won his debut in an exciting fight at Strikeforce Miami against Greg Nagy. Walker trains at one of the top gyms in the nation, American Kickboxing Academy, alongside Mike Swick, Daniel Cormier, Cung Le, Cain Velasquez, Phil Davis, Josh Koscheck, Jon Fitch, Dave Camarillo, Bobby Southworth and many other notable names in the MMA world. Dana White recently said he doesn’t want Walker in the UFC but I think Walker is comfortable with Scott Coker and Strikeforce. Former star NFL wide receiver and KOTC veteran, Michael Westbrook, is a world class Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu practioner. He made his KOTC debut against former Michigan Running Back, Jarrod Bunch, and defeated him at the end of the first round by rear naked choke. Westbrook has a 1-1 MMA record with 1 NC. He has made multiple appearances on popular MTV show, Bully Beatdown, alongside MMA crazy man Jason “Mayhem” Miller. Former WWE Superstar, Bobby Lashley, has been untouchable ever since he started mixed martial arts. Lashley is an impressive 5-0 with notable victories over Wes Sims, Jason Guida, and former pro wrestler and former NFL offensive lineman, Bob Sapp. Lashley is here to stay and Strikeforce is lucky to have this Heavyweight prospect. Kevin Ferguson aka Kimbo Slice, might be one of the most recognizable faces in the sport due to his YouTube popularity and his long black beard. Slice spent some time with the Miami Dolphins after playing for the Miami Hurricanes in college. Slice has a 4-1 pro MMA record and holds notable victories over Tank Abbott and Houston Alexander. Slice appeared on The Ultimate Fighter: Heavyweights and BET’s The Iron Ring and fought with Elite XC before he signed with the UFC. Kimbo’s next fight is at UFC 113 which he is going toe to toe against fellow TUF 10 cast mate, Matt Mitrione. This will be a very exciting fight to watch these two Heavyweight prospects brawl to secure their UFC spot. These fighters all have made big names for themselves in this exciting sport and let’s hope more athletes like these are on their way because these fighters bring a lot to the table and keep their fans entertained throughout their fights.

Some other athletes turned fighters that also found success include NFL vet, Bobby Jones, former 1st round draft pick, Marcus Jones, former NFL and AFL player, Brandan Schaub, former NFL player Matt Mitrione, and former CFL running back, Marvin “The Beastman” Eastman. Bobby Jones played a few seasons with the New York Giants. He has found success with organizations such as UMMAXX, NAAFS, and was signed with Elite XC. He also tried out for The Ultimate Fighter: Heavyweights but didn’t make it into the house. Former Tampa Bay Buccaneer, Marcus Jones, has a 4-2 pro MMA record and appeared on TUF 10. Jones was one of the most popular fighters of the season and was many people’s favorite to win. Sadly his stay in the UFC was shorter than Eric Crouch’s stint in the NFL. Brendan Shaub, TUF Cast Member and former Utah Blaze and Buffalo Bill lineman, has a 4-1 record and found alot of success on TUF. He lost to Roy Nelson in the finals but still received a UFC contract and is going toe to toe against Chase Gormley at UFC on Versus: Vera vs. Jones. Matt Mitrione, played for the Giants, Niners, and Vikings, has an undefeated pro record and is stepping into the octagon against fellow TUF 10 cast mate and NFL vet Kimbo Slice at UFC 113 in Canada. Former CFL superstar, Marvin Eastman, fought with organizations such as the UFC and KOTC. He holds a notable victory over UFC Light Heavyweight Quinton “Rampage” Jackson in his KOTC debut. These fighters bring a whole new element to the cage and so far it has paid off in their mixed martial arts careers.

Some athletes turned fighters who should have stuck to their old sport or just retired include former Kansas City Chief, Johnnie Morton, Tennessee Titan, Wes Shrivers, former Michigan Running Back and New York Giant, Jarrod Bunch, and former homerun king, Jose Canseco. Johnnie Morton has a rough 0-1 record and lost his first match by a brutal TKO coming in the very first round. After his debut, Morton tested positive for performance enhancing drugs and left the sport soon after. Former MLB superstar, Jose Canseco, made his MMA debut against Hong Man Choi at Dream 9. He lost in the first round via submission due to strikes. Canseco has now spoken out that he wants to fight Strikeforce fighter, Herschel Walker. Former Titan and TUF vet, Wes Shrivers was booted early off The Ultimate Fighter after losing his first match and he never returned to cage since. Jarrod Bunch, a former star football player, lost at KOTC Payback against Michael Westbrook and retired from his MMA career shortly after. For these fighters the effort was not worth it and they should have just stuck to their first choice.

This trend is going to become very popular in the near future. Athletes are able to bring their skills from their previous sport and find success in MMA. Even athletes use MMA as their off season tool to stay on top of their game. These athletes include former Heisman trophy winner and current Cardinal QB, Matt Leinart, NFL All Pro linebacker and former Defensive Rookie of the Year, Patrick Willis, and even current Cleveland Cavaliers center and former league MVP, Shaquille O’Neal. Chad Ochocinco, of the Cincinnati Bengals, challenged UFC Middleweight Champ, Anderson Silva to a fight for charity. Gerald Harris, UFC middleweight, played semi pro football before making it to the UFC. Stipe Miocic, an undefeated fighter in the NAAFS, was drafted in the MLB before training MMA. And even Mirko Cro Cop played Wide Receiver for a Croatian football team. In these rare cases, the fighters actually turned to athletes and tried out other sports but clearly they are more suit for mixed martial arts. Keep an eye on this trend before it blows up and the sport of mixed martial arts will become more diverse than ever before. And who wouldn’t want to see guys like Ron Artest, Ray Lewis, or Albert Haynesworth step in the cage and bust some heads.

Popularity: 100% [?]

NAAFS Caged Fury 9 definitely lived up to its hype and impressed all the fans that came to watch at Gray’s Armory Saturday night. The night started off with quick action with Bryon McCrowsky (Griffon Rawl), Cory Bresson (Kombat MMA) RJ Buck (Ohio BJJC), Kenny Jackson (Strongstyle) and Reggie Parks (Griffon Rawl) all winning their amateur fights. After the intermission, the big boys stepped out and the pro fights began. Stipe Miocic (Strongstyle) won his pro debut in exciting fashion with a 17 second knockout. Chuck Ellison (Instigator Fight Team) and Mike Nesto (Shrader’s MMA) also won their pro fights by not letting their fights reach decision and getting it done early. Up next was featherweight bout Dustin “The Reaper” Kempf and Donny “Eagle Eye” Walker (Griffon Rawl) going toe to toe for a potential NAAFS Fight of the Year. Donny Walker won in the 2nd round by TKO after dropping Kempf with a leg kick a finishing him right before the bell. These two fighters had much respect for each other and were throwing like it was their last fight ever. These two fighters gave the crowd a show and proved that these they are guys who you should take seriously in the cage. After this fight was the Interim Pro Series Lightweight Title with Daniel Straus (Vision MMA) taking on the title holder Frank “The Tank” Caraballo (Strongstyle). Straus dominated the whole fighter scoring takedowns and punishing Caraballo on the ground. Straus finished the fight in the fifth and final with a brutal TKO. Straus will be taking on UFC vet Jason Dent at Fight Night in the Flats on June 5th. This will be a fight for any MMA fan to see. In the main event of the night John Hawk (Strongstyle) took on Joe McCall (The Hit Squad) for the Heavyweight Title. Hawk retained his belt but a rematch between these two will be coming very soon. The NAAFS keeps fans thinking “Can the next event be any better” and the answer is yes. Each NAAFS event is becoming more and more deep with fighters and exciting with spectacular knockouts and great submissions. Be sure to check out Caged Fury 10 in Uhrichsville, Ohio on March 27th. Check out www.fpmma.weebly.com and www.fpmma-cflynna.blogspot for new MMA news updated daily.

Popularity: 19% [?]

Events Coming To North East Ohio
For all you mixed martial arts fans in North East Ohio, February and March are going to be two incredible months for you! UMMAXX, UEC, Cage Stars, NAAFS, and XFS are all putting on exciting events near the Cleveland area. This is a good opportunity to see the best local fighters, former UFC veterans, and some of the biggest MMA prospects in the game square off right here in our city.

On February 20th at Grays Armory in Cleveland, NAAFS is hosting Caged Fury 9. This is the biggest card so far of 2010 for NAAFS. There is two title fights with John Hawk and Joe McCall squaring off for the Heavyweight Championship and Frank Caraballo and Daniel Straus squaring off for the Lightweight Championship. Former NFL star Bobby Jones and KOTC vet Donny “Eagle Eye” Walker will also be fighting on this stacked card. This is definitely a card for the ages and you can check out the full card at www.naafs.tv for more information.

On February 27th at Midway Mall in Elyria, Cage Stars will be hosting Brawl at the Mall. The first bell is at 7 pm. Cage Stars hopes to keep up the success from last event in Elyria and hopes to keep on improving as time goes on. There will be 20 brutal fights going down and it will be one event to remember. Check out www.cagestars.com for more information on this fantastic event.

On the same night at the Emidio and Sons Civic Center, XFS will be hosting Rude Awakening at 7 pm. Brandon Poindexter and Nate Mango will be going toe to toe for the Featherweight Championship and Jessica “The DNA Princess” Zomcik will also be fighting on this card. Check out www.akronmma.com for the complete fight card and more information on XFS: Rude awakening.

On March 13th in Cleveland at 8 pm, UEC will be hosting Retribution. This is the second event of the new organization will for sure be a must see for MMA fans. UEC’s motto is “Bring Your Best” and that is exactly what they are doing! Check out www.uecmma.com for more info.

And finally on March 27th at the Cuyahoga Convention Center, UMMAXX will be hosting their tenth event Collision Course. This card is absolutely stacked! Torrance Taylor, a Strikeforce Veteran, Jason Riley, a Adrenaline MMA vet, Matthew Masterson, a KOTC vet, and local superstar Paul Compton will all be fighting on this dream card. This event is completely stacked from top to bottom and you don’t want to miss a second of it. Check out www.ummaxx.net for more info.

For more MMA news from local events to events across the globe check out www.fpmma.weebly.com.

Popularity: 58% [?]

Best Fighter of 2009- BJ Penn (UFC)
Best Fight of 2009- Ben Henderson vs Donald Cerrone (WEC)
Best Knockout of 2009- Anthony Njokuani (WEC)
Best Submission of 2009- Jason Dent (UFC)
Best Comeback of 2009- Scott Smith (Strikeforce)
Best Overall Performance of 2009- Jake Shields (Strikeforce)
Break Through Fighter of the Year- Jon Jones (UFC)
Best Prospect of the Year- Chad Mendes (WEC)
Best Walkout Performance- Jason Mayhem Miller (Strikeforce)
Worst Hair of 2009- Dan Hardy (UFC)
Best Hair of 2009- Scott Jorgenson (WEC)
Promotion of 2009- World Extreme Cagefighting
Best Fight Card of 2009- Strikeforce: Fedor vs Rogers
Best Post Fight Speech of 2009- Brock Lesnar (UFC)
Clothing Company of 2009- Tapout
Best MMA Magazine of 2009- Fight Magazine
Best MMA Website of 2009- FPMMA
Worst Cut of 2009- Diego Sanchez (UFC)
Most Heart in 2009- Urijah Faber (WEC) and Clay Guida (UFC)
Worst Decision of 2009- Rua vs Machida (UFC)
Best Referee of 2009- Herb Dean
Worst Referee of 2009- Steve Mazzagatti
Up and Coming Fight Organization of 2009- NAAFS
MMA Based Show of 2009- The Loco Life
Best Camp of 2009- Team Quest
MMA Personality of 2009- Charles Mask Lewis

Popularity: 2% [?]

I have been to many MMA events in my day and for some reason whenever the women’s fight come along the crowds seems to get a little bit louder. Maybe it’s the testerone kicking in or these guys just love to see the ladies knuckle up. Billy Lawrence, a MMA fan, stated “I like women’s MMA because they bring it just as hard as the boys and look good doing it.” This statement is very true! Exciting fighters like Jessica Zomcik and Jessica Eye from the NAAFS always leave all that they have in the cage and give the audience a good show event after event. Danny Poutz on the other hand has a few different reasons why he loves women’s MMA, he said “They just go at each other and plus, who doesn’t want to see women in practically underwear on top of each other!” Also in Strikeforce, big names such as Cyborg Santos and Gina Carano always bring all that they have and give the crowd what they came to see. If you haven’t saw a women’s fight live, I strongly suggest it before you start talking crap saying that it wouldn’t be exciting because trust me on this one, its defiantly worth the excitement. These gals can brawl!

Popularity: 6% [?]