RING OF FIRE

CHRIS HOLLAND FIGHT CAMP BEGINS

Eric — Mon, 23 Apr 2012 15:36:37 +0000

Follow the fighter. We are following Chris “The Hammer” Holland as he prepares for his fight with Phil Baroni on Ring of Fire 43 on June 2nd at the First Bank Events Center

NEW YORK BAD ASS IS COMING TO TOWN, TONER AND DOLLAR VIE FOR BELT AT ROF 43: BAD BLOOD

Eric — Sat, 21 Apr 2012 16:27:18 +0000

NEW YORK BAD ASS IS COMING TO TOWN, TONER AND DOLLAR VIE FOR BELT AT ROF 43: BAD BLOOD

Denver, CO -

RING OF FIRE MMA returns to the 1STBANK Center on Saturday June 2nd with the promotion’s 43rd installment, BAD BLOOD.

Headlining the event will be a battle of two of the heaviest hitters in the welter weight division as Phil THE NEW YORK BAD ASS Baroni will face Chris THE HAMMER Holland.

(above MMA legend Phil Baroni)

Phil Baroni is one of the most experienced fighters in the game having fought in MMA’s biggest promotions including the UFC, Strikeforce and PRIDE FC. The Long Island, New York native has a wrestling background but truly prefers to stand in the center of the cage and trade bombs with his opponents. Not one to ever back down from a challenge, he has faced some of the biggest names in the sport. His attitude both in and out of the cage are legendary for being “in your face”. When asked about his thoughts on his opponent he simply replied “Who am I fighting again? I’m gonna hit him forget him.”

(above Chris Hammer celebrates a KO win)

The same nonchalant approach can’t be said of Baroni’s opponent. Chris Holland knows full well who he is facing, and he considers himself a big fan of the NEW YORK BAD ASS. “I have so much respect for Phil Baroni, he is an MMA legend. I really enjoy the way he comes to fight and entertain the fans while he does it. He is a very hard puncher, and I know he has good wrestling.” But with a smile he also added “I can’t wait to put these hands on him!” Those hands have earned Holland the moniker of THE HAMMER in the cage. All of his 9 career wins have come by way of knockout.

(above Tyler Toner lands a punch at ROF 42)

The event theme BAD BLOOD couldn’t be more appropriate than in the co-main event of the evening. UFC veterans Tyler THUNDER Toner and Cameron MONEY MAN Dollar are scheduled for a five round title fight. In a post fight interview after a recent win, Dollar took the opportunity to specifically call Toner out. “I think Toner is good, but he is over rated” said Dollar. It didn’t take long for THUNDER to respond “He’s tough and a well rounded fighter, but has a bit of a big mouth. He’s made a lot of enemies.” All talk aside, Dollar’s 10-4 record matches well with Toner’s at 9-3, and stylistically could be fight of the night.

(above Cameron Dollar presses his opponent.)

The top two up and coming lightweights in the region will put there undefeated records on the line as Justin THE HIGHLIGHT Gaethje challenges Marcus BAD INTENTIONS Edwards. Both fighter’s have a perfect 10-0 record in a match that has been brewing for over a year.

(above Marcus Edwards victorious at ROF 40 )

Edwards last appeared at ROF 40 where he took on then undefeated Nick Laney for the promotions YOUNG GUN Championship. In a dominating performance Edwards captured the title by finishing Laney with an arm bar early in the first round.

(above “The HIGHLIGHT” stares across the cage)

Earlier that same night fans witnessed “The HIGHLIGHT” in action as Gaethje made quick work of his opponent. Gaethje used his high level wrestling to toss his opponent around before finishing him with brutal knees to the body. It was immediately apparent that Edwards and Gaethje were on a collision course, and the two will finally meet on June 2nd.

(Chad Wicks left, Leandro Veal on the right)

In Denver, Colorado there is no bigger sports franchise then the Denver Broncos. So when news broke that former Denver Bronco Leandro Veal was going to be making his MMA debut at RING OF FIRE, the storm of phone calls and e-mails have come in to ROF President Sven Bean. “The response has been pretty crazy actually. I’ve never seen this much attention go to a debut fighter ever. He’s training with some of the best heavyweights in the world at GRUDGE and holding his own, so I’m excited to see how he does in the cage. Veal will be facing former WWE wrestler Chad Wicks from Mason City, Iowa. The former “sports entertainer” has transitioned to MMA in 2010 and is excited about facing a former NFL player.

Full Fight Card to be released next week on ROFMMA.com

Stay Tuned!!

ROF 43: BAD BLOOD KICK OFF PARTY/UFC 145 VIEWING PARTY

Eric — Sat, 21 Apr 2012 02:27:29 +0000

We are proud to announce our partnership with OAK TAVERN as they will host the OFFICIAL ROF 43: BAD BLOOD KICK OFF PARTY in conjunction with their UFC 145 VIEWING PARTY.

WHAT: ROF 43: BAD BLOOD KICK OFF PARTY/UFC 145 VIEWING PARTY

WHEN: Saturday, April 21, 7:00 PM

WHERE: OAK TAVERN Downtown Denver

Come on over to the ROF 43: BAD BLOOD KICK OFF PARTY at OAK TAVERN Downtown Denver. The event is open to the public so come down grab a spot, watch the UFC 145 PPV and help us get the momentum started for ROF 43 BAD BLOOD.

ROF fighters will be on hand to sign autographs and the ROF HOTTIES will be in the house with free tickets to the fights!

There is no better place to be to get pumped up for the June 2nd ROF event.

ADDRESS:

1416 Market Street,

Denver, CO 80202

phone: 303-888-0655

Tune into tonight at 7pm Mountain to MMA UNCENSORED!

Eric — Thu, 19 Apr 2012 22:57:01 +0000

Tune into tonight at 7pm Mountain to MMA UNCENSORED on http://www.gomilehigh.com/.

Chris the HAMMER Holland and Marcus BAD INTENTIONS Edwards will be guests and talking about their upcoming ROF 43 BAD BLOOD bouts!

Pistols and Predictions Episode 2: UFC 145 with Phil Baroni

Eric — Thu, 19 Apr 2012 01:15:02 +0000

Check out Phil NYBC Baroni as he heads down to The Gun Store to make his picks for UFC 145: Jones Vs. Evans.

courtesy MiddleEasyTV

It would just be wrong if the second episode of Pistols and Predictions didn’t include this classic Urban Dictionary entry on Phil Baroni:

“Phil Baroni is arguably the greatest showman in the history of human fighting. He is the New York Bad Ass and he represents the coolest faction in the fight scene, Hammer House (never bet the house against the Hammer House!). He wears a beautiful robe and sunglasses worth more than the average man’s life. He enjoys dancing to the ring and yelling at referees for touching his hair. He has big muscles and likes to show them off much to the asian/island women’s delight while wearing nothing but daisy dukes. The Baroni style of fighting consists of jiving around for a few seconds then promptly storming in and punching the opponent as hard as possible in the head until they are rendered unconscious; it is time tested and proven highly effective. There is also video evidence of Baroni mocking his opponents screams of pain during post-match interviews. Phil Baroni has a great amateur wrestling background but he refuses to use it because he is a showman and knows what the people want to see. Punching. And lots of it. Phil Baroni has claimed on more than one occasion that he is the greatest fighter in his weight class, which is a no brainer, but Baroni is too humble to say what most everyone else believes, that he is the greatest fighter in any weight class…ever. He also was a male stripper at a go-go bar.”

The above paragraph will hopefully prepare you for the next seven minutes of your life as Phil Baroni heads down to The Gun Store to make his picks for UFC 145: Jones Vs. Evans. You’ll laugh, you’ll cry, then you’ll be impressed by Phil’s match picking abilities (especially the main event) in Pistols and Predictions Episode 2. Please, pop the cork, pour yourself a glass, let it breathe a bit, then…Enjoy.

Cribs Chris “The Hammer” Holland

Eric — Thu, 19 Apr 2012 00:07:17 +0000

A look inside the home of professional MMA fighter Chris “The Hammer” Holland. Chris takes us on a tour of his crib prior to his Ring of Fire fight against Phil Baroni.

Duane Ludwig: “I’m Just Here to FIght and Have Fun”

Eric — Wed, 18 Jan 2012 19:37:41 +0000

In December, Duane Ludwig was going about his usual routine, while also preparing for the holidays, when he received a text from one of his students at his gym in Denver saying that UFC president Dana White announced that Ludwig now holds the official record of the fastest knockout in UFC history.

“I pulled up Twitter and seen it and was so excited Christmas came a little early,” Ludwig told The MMA Corner.

There were several candidates that were so close in seconds that UFC officials broke down the fights and determined that Ludwig’s finish was slightly sooner than the others, with a time of 6.06 seconds.

“It’s definitely cool to have that because it separates me from every human being, past, present, and possibly future in the world so it’s cool it turned out that way,” Ludwig said.

While the accomplishment of officially holding a record like that is honorable, Ludwig looked past it knowing that he has a fight coming up against Josh Neer on Jan.20 when the UFC will make its debut on FX from the Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, Tenn.

Ludwig trains out of a solid camp in Denver at Grudge Training Center, where there are many well-conditioned, well-trained partners to help prepare him for this upcoming fight.

“Training camp is going well,”Ludwig stated. “There’s always some little thing going on, but I’ve got a good crew of guys behind me helping me out.”

In the last two years, Ludwig has suffered two serious injuries; first, an ankle injury after his fight with Spencer Fisher in 2010, then a sternum problem in the following year. But now healthy, Ludwig can withstand a full training camp without setbacks or the inability to train.

“In this training camp I’m able to spar, go live, wrestle, and do everything,” said Ludwig. “That was a blessing, a little bit different to get a full training camp in and train in all aspects.”

Ludwig is currently on a two-fight win streak, with one of the those victories coming against The Ultimate Fighter season seven winner Amir Sadollah in August. The former ISKA Muay Thai and K-1 Max USA champion outclassed Sadollah in the stand-up department and earned a unanimous decision.

But Ludwig isn’t concerned with what has happened in the past.

“I don’t like to look at my past fights,” Ludwig said boldly. “Each fight is it’s own separate event, I just go in there and prepare my best for the fight. I don’t really write off the past and just go into each fight like it’s my first.”

His opponent on Friday night will be Josh “The Dentist” Neer, a veteran of 43 MMA fights at only 28 years old. Neer has served in three stints in the UFC: his first in 2005-2006, then ’08-’09, and now in 2011-12. “The Dentist” returned to the UFC in Oct. 2011 after winning in his last four bouts, all before the third round. Neer defeated Keith Wisniewski in his comeback fight by TKO.

But even with the success Neer has had of late, those five opponents he has defeated are not on the same level as the man he’s about to face, according to Ludwig.

“I think his last five opponents obviously were not me; I’m on a different level for sure,” Ludwig said confidently. “I think if he tries to do his past strategy it’s gonna be a different outcome. I’d prefer him to come forward, that would be a very fun fight for me.”

Along with being a different fighter than Neer’s past opponents, Ludwig stated that there are areas where he will take advantage of his opponent.

“I’m a lot faster, I hit harder, I’m good at working angles, just a combination of those things are the keys for me winning the fight,” declared Ludwig. “There’s not going to be a specific gameplan. I’m just gonna fight the way I fight and just have a clear mind and a good time.”

Before packing his things and heading to Nashville for the fight, Ludwig left with a prediction on how he will win.

“Speed, angles, and power. I’m just gonna out-class him in the striking.”

INSTINCT 3: THATCH vs. GRANDMONT – February 25th in Sherbrooke, Quebec

Eric — Wed, 18 Jan 2012 17:45:15 +0000

SHERBROOKE TO BE THE HOST OF THE MUCH ANTICIPATED INSTINCT 3 EVENT

INSTINCT 3: THATCH vs. GRANDMONT TO HEADLINE THE FIRST EVER MMA DOUBLE HEADER IN CANADA

MONTREAL (QUEBEC) January 17^th, 2012 – After weeks of anticipation and meetings with officials from various cities, Instinct MMA is proud to announce that the promotion’s third event will be held on Saturday, February 25^th in the beautiful city of Sherbrooke, Quebec. Actually, it is not one but TWO events that will be held in the Estrie region’s metropolis as Instinct will hold the first doubleheader in the history of Canadian mixed martial arts. A first card will be held in the afternoon showcasing young prospects from the area and abroad. That evening, at 7:00 PM sharp, the stars of Instinct MMA step into the cage for an action packed card airing on pay-per-view from coast to coast in Canada in both English and French as well as in the US on Fight Now!

Keep the bomb squad on standby as Sherbrooke, Quebec will be the site of THE most explosive striking battle of the year in MMA! The two most prolific standup fighters in the welterweight division are set to faceoff in the main event of Instinct 3 as local hero MARTIN “THE HAAMMER” GRANDMONT (12-6-0, 9 KO) takes on Denver Colorado’s “RUKUS” BRANDON THATCH (6-1-0, 5 KO). These two incredible athletes have a lot to prove and fans can rest assured that they will both bring their A-game to the cage on that night. Both men have proven to have exceptional knockout power in both their hands and feet so the slightest opening conceded may result in one of them having his lights turned out.

Brandon Thatch came to Quebec for the first time last December and was a relative unknown to the local fight fans. He brought with him a strong reputation for hard work and dedication as well as a very impressive record but how we would he fare against a man labeled as France’s top MMA prospect in Patrick Vallée? Needless to say Thatch went from unknown to superstar in the blink of an eye, almost literally, as he knocked out Vallée in just 15 seconds. Thatch is now 6-1 for his career with all his wins coming in the first round. In addition, 5 wins have come by way of knockout, all of which in the first minute of the fight! He was thus an obvious choice for Instinct President Stephane Patry to be in the main event of the promotion’s next card, but who would he face? After all, not everyone is willing to step into the cage with such a dangerous man who the top promoters in the world have labeled the next big thing in the 170-pound division.

However there was one man who, after the result of his latest fight, felt the need to prove himself. This fearless competitor has been known throughout his career to be ready and willing to take on anyone in his weight class, whether they are world-caliber superstars or blue chip prospects. That man is Martin Grandmont. The Canadian striker is well known to fans in La Belle Province and to label him a fan favourite would be a huge understatement. His never-say-die, forward moving, punch-counterpunch style has earned him the respect of all who have seen him fight over the course of his 7-year career. “The Hammer” has been on a great run lately despite hitting a bump in the road at Instinct 2 when he faced Pete Spratt in the main event. He has won 7 of his last 9 contests, 5 of which by knockout. The Drummondville native realizes that he is risking a lot on this fight but aims to prove beyond a shadow of a doubt that he is the best striker in Instinct MMA. Grandmont is definitely the most difficult opponent Thatch has ever faced and the latter may find himself in a standup war for the first time of his career. Will “The Hammer’s” experience rule the day or will “Rukus” add another name to his growing list of victims? We will soon find out.

The year 2011 was an incredible one for the Montreal-based mixed martial arts promotion as Instinct presented its first two events in the cities of Boisbriand and Quebec City. The company made good on its promise of delivering world caliber fights to its fans as names such as Steve Bosse, Patrick Cote, Waylon Lowe, Houston Alexander and Pete Spratt have already dawned the gloves in the Instinct cage. Added to that list are local superstars Martin Grandmont, Derek Gauthier, Tim Wadsworth as well as up and coming talents such as Colorado’s Brandon Thatch, Toronto’s Todd Stoute and Saguenay’s Alexander Gauthier.

2012 promises to be even bigger and better for Instinct MMA and it all begins on Saturday, February 25^th as we get ready to rock the Eastern Townships. As had been reported in many circles, many cities had submitted bids in order to host this incredible event and company President Stephane Patry has selected Sherbrooke as the site.

To quote our ring announcer Anthony Horng: “Sherbrooke, Quebec: Are you ready?!”

Make sure to regularly check the official Instinct MMA website at www.instinctmma.tv, join our Facebook group or follow us on Twitter @InstinctMMA as ticket information and the fight cards will be announced in the coming days.

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Eric — Mon, 02 Jan 2012 21:02:19 +0000

The entire Ring of Fire staff wish you a safe and happy 2012!

Bang Ludwig Awarded Fastest KO in UFC History

Eric — Wed, 28 Dec 2011 16:38:19 +0000

Merry Christmas to Duane “Bang” Ludwig!

That was the message from UFC president Dana White to the UFC welterweight fighter who has been campaigning for the fastest knockout in UFC history.

Ludwig has been campaigning to have the official record for fastest knockout put under his name, but finally made it happen just before 2011 comes to a close.

A Facebook page titled “Petition for Duane Ludwig to recieve fast KO in UFC history” reads:

Duane Ludwig knocked out Jonathan Goulet at UFC: Ultimate Fight Night 3. The clock recorded it as 0:11 in the first round due to a mistake, when it actually happened in 4 seconds! The “official” record is 7 seconds by Todd Duffee, but it belongs to Ludwig! Ludwig would like to have this as a story to tell his grandkids in the future and so forth, so please support him and send this to all your friends so he can have this wish come true!

Although the Nevada State Athletic Commission denied the request to change the official time of the knockout, White granted Ludwig’s request, making the knockout official, at least in the annals of the UFC. It won’t, however, be recorded as such with Nevada.

“@DUANEBANGCOM @ufc and for x mas you have the fastest KO in UFC history and it will be changed ASAP,” wrote White on Monday, the day after Christmas, handing Ludwig a belated present.

“Gotta thank Dana White for stepping in and once again having my back and being a man of his word,” Ludwig told MMAWeekly.com on Monday. “Thanks to Joe Rogan, Ariel Helwani, MMAWeekly.com and all the websites and all the fans that have helped push this forward and manifest this into reality. It’s a victory for all of us that have helped.”

Ludwig is currently in training to face Josh Neer at the inaugural UFC on FX event on Jan. 20 in Nashville.