Archive for the ‘Features’ Category

UFC 158: Story wins via TKO in opening round against Mulhern

by on March 16, 2013 7:47:12 PM in Features, Fighter Features   |   No Comments »

UFC welterweight Rick Story

UFC veteran Rick Story got the pleasure of ushering in Quinn Mulhern to the world’s premire MMA organization.

Story welcomed Mulhern to the Octagon with a left-hook and a takedown.  Story allowed the Strikeforce byproduct to get back to his feet, but didn’t ease up on the pressure.  Mulhern used combinations of punches and kicks to try to keep Story at bay.

In the midst of an exchange midway through Round 1, Story turned up the intensity.  He hit Mulhern with a punishing left punch that hurt the newcomer.  When blood was smelled, Story upped the volume of punches, forcing Mulhern to cover up on the mat until the referee stopped the bout.

The win places Story back in the win column after losing to Damien Maia in his last match, and elevates his record to 15-6.

Mulhern had his three-fight win streak snapped and drops to 18-3 in his career.

UFC 158: Dillashaw victorious over Tamura just 26 seconds into Round 2

by on March 16, 2013 7:31:36 PM in Features, Fighter Features   |   No Comments »

UFC featherweight T.J. Dillashaw

T.J. Dillashaw met Issei Tamura and showed that he is better in every aspect of the sport

Dillashaw, coming out of Team AlphaMale, showed great foot movement and striking in Round 1.  Dillashaw cut off angles and stuffed any offensive attempt Tamura came with, which was a testament of the high-level grappling conducted at his gym.  When the horn sounded at the end of the opening stanza, Dillashaw was clearly winning the match.

Dillashaw’s grappling, though exceptional, wasn’t what led him to victory.  The recent addition of Duane “Bang” Ludwig as a striking coach is what assisted Dillashaw in winning the bout.

Round 2 commenced and Dillashaw came out ready to trade strikes again.  Just 26 seconds into the frame and Dillashaw planted his shin on Tamura’s temple.  Tamura crumpled to the canvas and Dillashaw leapt on him.  Dillashaw dropped a flurry of punches until the referee halted the match.

The TKO victory gives Dillashaw a three-fight win streak, with his sole career loss coming against John Dodson at the “The Ultimate Fighter 14 Finale.”

Tamura has now lost two consecutive bouts and possesses a career record of 7-4.  The Japanese mixed martial artist alo has yet to win a fight outside his native country.

UFC 158: Roop earns decision in his bantamweight debut

by on March 16, 2013 7:11:21 PM in Features, Fighter Features   |   No Comments »

UFC bantamweight George Roop

After losing two consecutive fights at featherweight, George Roop opted to make the drop to bantamweight, and meet Reuben Duran in his debut in the division.

Roop’s length, standing 6’1”, was a decisive advantage on the ground in Round 1, as he could control Duran in his guard, while landing elbows from the bottom.

Roop went for Duran’s back immediately into the second frame.  With one hook in, Roop worked for a rear naked-choke, but Duran defended properly and escaped the compromising position.  On their feet, Roop and Duran spent most of the time clinching until “Hurricane” accomplished a takedown, but was unable to cause any significant damage.

Duran wasted no time taking Roop down in the final round, but the former Shawn Tompkins trained fighter was quick to get up.  Roop tied Duran up, pressed his opponent against the cage and bullied him with dirty boxing.  Roop, due to his length, could make Duran worry about knees, which left an opening for elbows and short punches.  Roop held Duran in his plum clinch for the majority of the remainder of the round, battering him with strikes.

The match went to the judges’ scorecards and Roop was awarded a unanimous decision (29-28×2, 30-27).  The TUF 8 participant looked energetic and poised in his bantamweight debut and is back in the win column, job safe and secure.

Duran, on the other hand, has now lost back-to-back bouts and three of his last four matches.

UFC 158: Win or lose, Nick Diaz’s employment has to be in question

by on March 16, 2013 1:15:41 PM in Features, Fighter Features   |   No Comments »

UFC welterweight Nick Diaz

The UFC 158 media duties are over and all that is left is the fight, but what happens after the fight?

Nick Diaz will challenge UFC welterweight champion Georges St-Pierre for his title Saturday at the Bell Centre in Montreal, Quebec.  It’s been one of the most anticipated fights in the history of the promotion, and the hype surrounding the match has been entertaining, yet maybe a bit much at times.

The beginning of this debacle began at a UFC 137 pre-fight press conference.  UFC president Dana White stood at the podium, St-Pierre seated to his right and a room full of media was present, however, the challenger, Diaz, was not in attendance.  This led to Diaz being pulled from the match by choice of White, and Carlos Condit was awarded the chance to challenge GSP for the belt.

St-Pierre suffered a torn ACL, forcing him to withdraw from the match, which set up a contest between Condit and Diaz.  Diaz lost a decision to Condit at UFC 143, and to add insult to injury, the former Strikeforce champion tested positive for marijuana metabolites, a banned substance, following the match.

Diaz served a 12-month suspension for his mishap, GSP defended his belt against Condit in November 2012, and a bout featuring the French-Canadian and the Cesar Gracie product came to fruition.  And the headaches began.

In January, White informed members of the media that Diaz has missed several appointments to film “UFC Primetime,” a program used to promote main events of such a high profile.  Coach Gracie reputed Diaz was unaware of the dates and times for filming until it was too late.  The UFC let that slide, but became incredibly concerned when Diaz missed his open workout in Montreal just days before the event.  An irritated White made it clear that if the Californian did not meet the rest of his media obligations the consequences would be severe.

Though, White insisted Diaz promote the fight, it may not have been the kind of campaign that sits well with the UFC once the Stockton native obliged.

Diaz, at a UFC 158 pre-fight press conference on Thursday, continuously blasted St-Pierre and White for selling “wolf tickets” – making up lies to sell the fight- to the fans.  Diaz claimed he doesn’t receive the same treatment as the champ, citing that he too would like a “buttered up photo” on the event poster.  He also kept no opinion to himself, as Diaz insinuated that the rules of the sport favor a fighter with GSP’s attributes, and said St-Pierre should’ve lost decisions, Condit and Jake Shields specifically, awarded to him.

The function had the fans and media abuzz, but had St-Pierre fuming, which is out of character for the champion.

Diaz’s tirade did not stop there.

He joined the “Tim and Sid” show after the pre-fight press conference.  Diaz used the Fan590 platform to hurl more accusations at St-Pierre, White and the UFC.  In the midst of saying GSP is afraid of him, and White is protecting their champion, Diaz made strong allegations of the Quebecer.

“Sure, I believe (St-Pierre) is on plenty of steroids and I don’t think they test around here, either,” Diaz told the Tim and Sid Show.  “I doubt I’ll be tested, as well.

“I don’t care what they’re saying or marketing to the media.  I don’t think either of us are going to be tested.  And if so, he’s probably got a bottle of piss in his pocket.  I doubt they’re standing over him, making sure he’s not on steroids.”

When an athlete such as St-Pierre, who is considered a great ambassador of the sport, is accused of such harsh acts, it is imperative to substantiate those allegations.  Furthermore, slandering your boss and company publically is never a positive method of securing employment.

If Diaz conquers St-Pierre, the UFC will be left with a champion that isn’t one for compromising.  Diaz does things his way, when he feels like it, whether it frustrates anyone or not.  White said if that is the case, he will have to have a “come to Jesus” meeting in Las Vegas to hash out the penalties should Diaz continue his negligent ways.  Stripping of the title and walking papers would definitely be on the list of consequences.

Should St-Pierre defend his title, then Diaz is left with virtually no leverage for his antics.  White would be hard pressed to tolerate Diaz’s disregard for media policies, public outbursts against the UFC and the company’s president if not involved in a title fight.  This, once again, would lead to Diaz being served with walking papers.

Win or lose, Diaz is in a position that if he doesn’t employ a new attitude, he’ll be searching for a new employer after the fight.

UFC 158: Hendricks headed to Vegas if victorious over Condit and still no title shot

by on March 14, 2013 12:44:06 PM in Features, Fighter Features   |   No Comments »

If it takes flying to Las Vegas to get some answers, Johny Hendricks will do it.

Hendricks (Twitter: @JohnyHendricks), the UFC welterweight No. 1 contender, meets former UFC No. 1 contender Carlos Condit on Saturday at UFC 158 at the Bell Centre in Montreal, Quebec.

Prior to Hendricks’ last bout, a KO victory over Martin Kampmann, he was promised a title shot against the winner of Condit and champion Georges St-Pierre.  St-Pierre prevailed that night and a match against Hendricks was expected to follow.  However, GSP requested a fight with Nick Diaz, which took Hendricks out of title contention.

Hendricks, in an effort to stay active, was initially paired against Jake Ellenberger so that St-Pierre and Diaz could settle their feud.  Condit was scheduled to fight Rory MacDonald, and all three bouts were slated for the UFC 158 event.  After MacDonald fell victim to injury and withdrew from his bout, Hendricks was then pulled from his bout with Ellenberger and matched against Condit.

Though, the opponents have been switched and a title shot is out of the picture, Hendricks is now suited with his best option for the time being.

“Jake Ellenberger, he hasn’t had a shot at the title, so a win over Carlos Condit would help me more,” Hendricks told Amy Barton and Jason Kelly on Punch Drunk Radio on the MMA DieHards Radio Network.  “Secondly, Condit beat Ellenberger not too long ago, and he did lose to Martin Kampmann a long time ago, so there is a lot of things that play into this.  The heaviest one that I was excited about is he is just coming off the GSP (fight).  I’ve done a lot to be in the No. 1 contender spot, but now if I can beat (Condit), then there’s no questions.”

Hendricks was suffice fighting Ellenberger, he’s content competing against Condit, but if the injury went the other way he is not sure if he would be so keen on the idea of battling MacDonald.

It’s not that MacDonald isn’t a formidable opponent.  In his short UFC career he has had impressive showings, especially his most recent outing and dismantlement of B.J. Penn, and MacDonald is ranked in the Top 5 welterweights in the UFC.

MacDonald is a viable foe for Hendricks, but his affiliation with Tristar is something “Big Rigg” views as a possible personal disadvantage in the future.

“I want to fight Rory MacDonald, the reason I wouldn’t is because he is part of GSP’s camp,” Hendricks said.  “I thought something like that might have happened before Rory called out Carlos Condit, I thought me and him might be next.  That way GSP can help Rory MacDonald train for me and see how the outcome is.  So, then whenever our time comes, he can plan to nullify those things.  That’s one thing I don’t want to give him a shot at.  It’d be like him training two camps to fight me.  Then again, if Dana White said, ‘Hey Johnny, you got to fight Rory MacDonald.’  Then guess what?  I’m fighting Rory MacDonald.  That’s just the business.  Just because I don’t want to fight somebody, doesn’t mean I’m not going to.”

Hendricks is staying positive and active throughout his delayed title shot.  Though, he should be facing St-Pierre for the belt at UFC 158, Hendricks has a simple philosophy that keeps him on track.

“My philosophy is one day I will have the title,” Hendricks said.  “One day I’m going to have to step in the Octagon with these guys, why not now?  Why not make it clear that nobody, nobody is the number one contender except me?  There’s no reason anybody should bypass me.  That’s what I’m looking at right now.  If GSP wants to fight someone else, guess what?  Ok.  If the UFC wants me to fight somebody, sure let’s do it.  I’m going to have to fight them anyways.”

A victory over Condit puts Hendricks in a position that makes him undeniably next in line for a title shot.  There would be no sensible opponents left for Hendricks, and if still not awarded his much deserved title fight, he will be booking a trip to visit his employers

“I’m going to fly to Vegas,” Hendricks said.  “I’m going to fly to Vegas and ask them, ‘What do I need to do to prove that I should fight GSP?’  That’s my main focus, is getting to that belt.  Nobody cares if in five years I’m where I’m at now.  Say something happens and I can’t fight again, do you think people will remember who number two is?  In five, seven years?  No, man.  People care who has the belt, and that’s what I want, I want to get to that belt.”

UFC 158: Jordan Mein on UFC welterweights: ‘I want to fight them all’

by on March 12, 2013 2:21:44 PM in Features, Fighter Features   |   No Comments »

Jordan Mein (L) hitting Marius Zaromskis (R)

Now in the UFC, Jordan Mein aspires to test himself against all competitors in the welterweight division.

Hailing from Lethbridge, Alberta, Mein (Twitter: @fightingmeins) makes his UFC debut Saturday at UFC 158 against Dan Miller at the Bell Centre in Montreal, Quebec.  It’s been a lifelong goal for Mein to compete in the Octagon, and at 23-years-old, the Canadian has put in the work throughout his 34-fight career.

Mein’s journey to the UFC began was he was a teenager and had his first professional fight against a now well-known UFC welterweight.

“(Rory MacDonald and I) were 16(-years-old), and it was at the Enmax Centre,” Mein told Jason Kelly and Joe Rizzo on MMA DieHards Radio on the MMA DieHards Radio Network.  “It’s one of the bigger buildings we have in Lethbridge, they put on big concerts and my dad (the promoter) had the fights there.  We’ve had a few there, but usually we had them at The Pavilion (At Lethbridge Exhibition Grounds), which is a smaller venue.

“I brought the family out there and it was a great night.  We had a lot of fun.  Unfortunately I lost in front of my friends and family, so that was kind of embarrassing, but you get over it and get better from it and learn.”

Though, Mein suffered a loss in his pro debut, he rebounded with back-to-back victories and continued gaining experience in western Canada.  After racking up wins against UFC veterans such as Joe Riggs and Josh Burkman, Mein got a call from The Score Fighting Series to scrap international sensation Marius Zaromskis.  Mein defeated Zaromskis via decision, and got an opportunity to show his skills under the Zuffa banner in Strikeforce.

First up, Mein met Evangelista “Cyborg” Santos, and brutalized the Brazilian with standing elbows, resulting in a TKO victory.  He then dropped a split decision against Tyron Woodley, but was victorious in his final Strikeforce match against Tyler Stinson.

With the closing event in Strikeforce’s existence scheduled, Mein was not required for the card.  This led to the Canadian returning to SFS and fighting another UFC veteran in Forrest Petz, who Mein dismantled in Round 1, but it was still unsure if the Albertan’s next bout would be in the Octagon.

Fortunately, Mein didn’t endure a great deal of anxiety after defeating Petz.

“It took about a few weeks for them to get a hold of us,” Mein said.  “They sent the contract, and yeah, that’s the only organization we talked to.  That’s basically the only organization we wanted to talk to because that’s been my goal for a while now, to get in the UFC.”

In his inaugural UFC match, Mein is not being handed any favors, nor is he requesting any.  Meeting Miller in his debut will gauge where Mein stands amongst the UFC welterweight division, and he is honored to test his mettle against such a formidable foe.

“He’s one of the best guys in the organization,” Mein said.  “Coming down from middleweight, he fought Ricardo Funch.  I watched that fight; I watched basically all of his fights.  He’s a really tough guy, he’s never been finished, he’s one of the best and he’s had a long UFC career.  I’m super excited I get my first fight to be with a guy like that.  It means a lot to me.”

Defeating Miller is first on Mein’s list-to-do, but he does foresee a plethora of intriguing matches in his UFC career.

Mein said avenging a loss against MacDonald, or any of his previous opponents he suffered defeat to would be grand.  But, with a talent laden pool of 170-pound fighters in his division, Mein is not picky with who he is matched against.

“There’s so many guys, right?” Mein said.  “You got Kyle Noke, Nick Catone, Seth Baczynski, Brian Ebersole, T.J. Waldburger, Claude Patrick, there’s so many names out there.  Maybe not a whole lot of people know who they are, but they’re all really solid fighters.  There’s so many good guys to fight and I want to fight all of them.”

Alexis Davis: ‘I’m dying for that shot’ against Rousey

by on March 4, 2013 9:38:05 AM in Features, Fighter Features   |   8 Comments »
Alexis_Davis

Alexis Davis

If Alexis Davis fought Ronda Rousey for the UFC women’s bantamweight title, it could be like her whole town is watching.

Davis (Twitter: @AlexisDavisMMA) hails from Port Colborne, Ontario.  The town of Port Colborne is on the north shore of Fort Erie, has hovered around a population of 18,000 people since 1991, and is known as a retirement community with nice beaches and good fishing, not for its MMA.

Davis joined one of the few martial arts gyms in her locale that specialized in jiu-jitsu, where she became a member of the Dayboll Jiu-Jitsu and Fitness Academy.  The Japanese and Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt excelled in in the art and competed at the highest levels before transferring to MMA.

After stockpiling an ample amount of victories, Davis headed south and then west to train with some of the sport’s top fighters — and one well-notarized trainer.

“I followed my instructor down there,” Davis told Jason Kelly and Joe Rizzo on MMA DieHards Radio on the MMA DieHards Radio Network.  “We went down to Florida; I had the opportunity to train with (Pablo) Popovitch.  Then down at The Armoury, it was Edson Barboza and Marlon Moraes.  Then we were kind of going through a transition period (and) I moved out to California. And I’m here now under Cesar (Gracie).”

Under Gracie’s wing, Davis competed three times in Strikeforce and twice in Invicta FC, losing only once.  In fact, Davis’ five career blemishes have come against the highly regarded Tara LaRosa, Shayna Baszler, Elaina Maxwell and Sarah Kaufman (twice). In her 13 wins, Davis has finished nine opponents.

Davis’ winning ways and exciting bouts, coupled with an existing Zuffa contract from fighting under the Strikeforce banner, garnered the Canadian employment with the world’s premiere MMA organization.

“At first, (the UFC) called me and said they were bringing everybody over,” Davis said.  “(They said), ‘You have a Zuffa contract and we’re going to bring you over on that, we’re just slowly making our rounds, through.’  I was kind of pumped, but didn’t quite believe it yet.  Then we went and signed a new contract and that’s signed and put forth now.”

Same as a standard contract offered to male combatants, Davis signed a four-fight UFC deal.  She is currently awaiting an opponent for her debut.  With limited options in the depth for the UFC women’s bantamweight (135-pound) division, Davis sees just one suitable contest.

“It’s something I would take in a heartbeat,” Davis said.  “I said from the very beginning that when they said no one would fight Rousey, I said I would fight her.  I’m dying for that shot.  It’s something hopefully that’s soon to come, (but) it’s in the hands of them. We (have) to wait for the UFC.”

That patience is a virtue is a reality Davis may soon have to swallow.  UFC president Dana White hinted at the fact that the victor of Miesha Tate vs. Cat Zingano could receive the next chance to compete against Rousey for her strap.

That idea doesn’t sit well with Davis.

“It kills me that he said that,” Davis said.  “I’d be more than willing to wait a couple of months if I was told I would get that shot.  If it came down to, you know, (they) want to give Ronda a couple months’ break, I would wait for that shot.  I would rather fight her than anyone else at this point because, you know, you risk getting injured or hurt, if not in the fight, then in training.  I really hope — and I am pushing for — that fight.”

A fight against Rousey would attract an incredible amount of attention and draw a large crowd.  Given the right venue, Davis could compete for the UFC women’s bantamweight title in front of a live audience with as many people as the population of the town she was raised in.

A title match with 18,000 onlookers is all it would take and Davis would feel right at home.

UFC on FUEL TV 8: Silva hushes retirement talks with KO victory over Stann

by on March 3, 2013 6:12:15 PM in Features, Fighter Features   |   No Comments »

Wanderlei Silva

Wanderlei Silva yielded retirement talks with a violent, risky performance to earn a victory at UFC on FUEL TV 8, but an applied game plan could’ve caused a different outcome for the fight and his career.

Saturday, Silva defeated Stann via KO at Saitama Super Arena in Saitama, Japan.  It was a highlight reel finish, as the “Axe Murderer” connected with a right, left combination that collapsed Stann in Round 2, but not after a sketchy opening frame for Silva.

Silva and Stann put on a fight reminiscent of those that the Brazilian presented in his days with Pride FC.  Both combatants initiated the bout with an intense level of aggression.  As they stood clinched in one another’s single-collar tie, Silva and Stann rifled punches back and forth, neglecting defense.  Silva was dropped, but Stann was bleeding from his nose.

Silva took the center of the Octagon and challenged Stann, and the Marine did not shy away.  They squared up and exchanged punches, where Silva was put down again.  The Brazilian prevented from being laid flat out by clinching with Stann, and then the pair of mixed martial artists engaged in yet another unguarded exchange of fists.  Silva was wobbled a couple of times from Stann’s shots, but the American hit the canvas once, as well.

In Round 2, Silva was more conservative with his strikes, but Stann continued with his radicalness of loaded punches and seeking a KO.  Stann was loading up to throw a right-straight punch when Silva caught him first with the same punch, then followed up with a left-hook and sent “The All-American” to the canvas.  It took a few effortless punches when Stann was on the mat for the referee to halt the match and declare Silva the winner.

For a fighter like Stann, who is equipped with adequate skills and strategizes game plans with MMA mastermind Greg Jackson, he did not employ those assets in this bout.  Had he picked his punches with accuracy and avoided Silva’s heavy hands, Stann very well likely could’ve been the victor.

Silva has shown in recent years that he can’t absorb the punishment he once could.  While still one of the toughest athletes the sport has ever seen, the former Pride FC middleweight champion has been on the wrong end of some brain rattling knockouts throughout his 49-fight, 17-year career.

Silva, whether he stays in the light heavyweight division or returns to the 185-pound weight class, will be matched against a formidable foe in his next outing.  If he can lure his opponent into the sandstorm of strikes, the odds are in his favor, but against an implemented game plan, it could be his demise from the sport.

How dare you criticize referee Yves Lavigne?

by on February 25, 2013 2:18:28 PM in Features, Fighter Features   |   No Comments »

Referee Yves Lavigne (Photo courtesy of mmaconvent)

Ignorant critics are just part of the job for veteran referee Yves Lavigne.

As a member of the Canadian karate team, Lavigne (Twitter: @YvesLavignemma) competed at the highest levels.  After retiring from karate he trained in the sweet science of boxing.  Not being a competitor anymore, the French-Canadian began judging kickboxing matches in his native province of Quebec after being offered a position from a friend in the athletic commission.

Combat sports were a major interest in Lavigne’s life, and when he first witnessed a 170-pound Brazilian defeat combatants that were much larger in size, he knew it was something special.

“When I saw the first UFC,” Lavigne explained to Amy Barton and John Petit on Punch Drunk Radio on the MMA DieHards Radio Network.  “You know the little guy with the pajamas beating everybody?  His name was Royce Gracie.  I didn’t understand what he was doing because I was coming from a striking background.  I’m like, ‘Kick the guy, punch him.  How come he’s winning?’  I was yelling at the TV.  I didn’t really didn’t understand, but I loved what I was watching.”

Lavigne told the commissioner of the athletic commission in Quebec that MMA is the future, but the idea was shunned.  To their surprise, Lavigne was correct in his predictions and the sport was legalized in Quebec in 1996.

Issues with unsanctioned bouts on Indian reserves were a problem at the time, so Lavigne assisted in structuring the sport and established rules, guidelines and precautionary measures in Quebec.  This also led to his career as an MMA referee.

“I worked with the government in Quebec to legalize the sport,” Lavigne said.  “In 1997 or ’98 we had the first legal sanctioned mixed martial arts in Quebec, and I was one of the refs.  When we finished the process and came up with the rules we needed a ref and judge.  They all looked at me and I said, ‘Ok, I’ll be the ref.’ It started like that.”

Now, a familiar face in the Octagon, Lavigne is watched under a microscope by people all over the world.  Though, Lavigne is one of the best at his job, he is still human and makes errors from time to time.

Refereeing is the most underappreciated job in MMA.  Gratitude is infrequently handed out, yet criticism is readily available.

“When everything goes right, it’s like you’re not there and they don’t even notice you,” Lavigne said.  “When something goes wrong everybody is on you.”

To hear the barking from the fans is something Lavigne can tolerate, but when people who claim to be in the know slander the referee, he questions their understanding of the sport.

“When you have supposedly knowledgeable people who criticize your job or put a bad joke about you on the internet,” Lavigne said.  “Sometimes it’s so specific.  By the comment they (write) you find out they don’t know what there are talking about.  It’s like sometimes a journalist or people that are supposed to know don’t know the rules we have to obey.  They don’t know that the unified rules are not unified in all of the states.  Sometimes we have to deal with different rules, and we get criticized because we are applying those rules.  That kind of makes me mad sometimes, but its part of the job.”

Mark DellaGrotte: ‘I got bit hard’ by the acting bug

by on February 25, 2013 8:10:49 AM in Features, Fighter Features   |   No Comments »

Mark DellaGrotte (L) training Kevin James (R)

Mark DellaGrotte never thought getting hit with a boxing glove would lead to getting bit by the acting bug.

DellaGrotte (Twitter: @MarkDellaGrotte), owner of Sityodtong gym in Somerville, Mass., is a world-renowned martial artist.  After devoting his life to many walks of martial arts, DellaGrotte moved to Thailand to train Muay Thai kickboxing under Kru Yodtong, and then he was appointed as one of two US representatives eight years later.

As martial arts modernized and MMA popularized, DellaGrotte grew with the times and began instructing mixed martial artists.  Martial arts have served as DellaGrotte’s vehicle for travels and opportunities that span the world, but when Kevin James walked into Sityodtong in 2010, it led to an opportunity the Bostonian couldn’t see coming.

“I never looked at martial arts to do half the things I’ve done in my life,” DellaGrotte told Jason Kelly on MMA DieHards Radio on the MMA DieHards Radio Network.  “I never knew that martial arts would take me around the world and show me different cultures, I never thought that martial arts would help me provide for my family and keep a roof over their head.  I certainly never thought martial arts would land me alongside an actress like Salma Hayek or an actor like Henry Winkler in a major motion picture.  I’m truly blessed at what the sport has done for me and I’m truly grateful.”

James, star and director of “Here Comes The Boom,” offered DellaGrotte a role in the MMA-romantic-comedy as himself; an MMA cornerman.  DellaGrotte gladly accepted the proposition.  He worked with the aforementioned Winkler and Hayek, as well as “King of Queens” star James and fellow martial artist Bas Rutten on “Here Comes The Boom,” which he described as all great co-workers.

“It was a tremendous experience,” DellaGrotte said.  “I’m glad that I got to contribute to not only the growth and prosperity of the sport, but I also got to appear in a major motion film.”

While playing cornerman to James’ character, Scott Voss, DellaGrotte was called upon to give some insight behind the scenes,

“Kevin and I had discussed prior to the movie, alongside Bas Rutten,” DellaGrotte explained.  “He said, ‘Hey, look, if there is anything we’re doing in this movie that is not the way it is supposed to be, let us know.’  There was one particular time that I can remember.  I was wrapping his hands once and there was no commissioner there.  We all know that in the state of Nevada, if a fighter is getting his hands wrapped, there’s a red coat watching.  There was one particular scene where it was off and Bas and I had to play the director role.”

DellaGrotte said acting is something he never imagined himself doing, and playing himself was not a big challenge, therefore, he would like the chance to play an actual character.  He enjoys the fun roles, but could even see himself be cast as a serious martial artist in a film.

Martial arts is DellaGrotte’s true passion, so don’t expect him to abandon his lifestyle in an effort to win an Oscar, but don’t be surprised if you see him in front of the camera again.

“The one day I said to Kevin (James), ‘I think I got bit hard,’” DellaGrotte explained.  “Bas said, ‘I think I got bit hard,’ you know, he mocked my Boston accent and we laughed about it.  (Rutten) said, ‘You got bit?  You love this stuff, don’t you?’  I said, ‘How could you not?’  I get to hang out with cool people, I get to do what I like to do – in this case it was mixed martial arts- and I get paid to do it all.  It wasn’t much, but it was a great experience and something I would thoroughly enjoy doing again.”

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