汤姆, Tony and Rich discuss the week in Combat Sports, focusing on the recent UFC Fight Night in Hamburg, 德国, the UFC debut of Phil Brooks (A.K.A. CM朋克) and the upcoming battle between Kell Brook and Gennady Golovkin.
分类存档: MMA
COMBATE AMERICAS HITS NEW YORK WITH FIRST WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP BOUT IN HISTORY, LIVE ON BEIN SPORTS EN ESPAÑOL AND UFC FIGHT PASS® ON FRIDAY, 华侨城. 14
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FROM HUMBLE BEGINNINGS TO A SHOT AT THE GOLD, JACKSON AND VELADO TAKE MMA CAREERS TO A NEW LEVEL AT NEF 25
由: 卡勒·奥克斯
Humility is the undertone for any conversation with Jimmy Jackson about his mixed martial arts career. It was a humbling experience that twisted Rafael Velado’s arm into the world of combat sports in the first place.
One of the men will depart Androscoggin Bank Colisee in Lewiston wielding a source of pride – the New England Fights amateur lightweight championship belt – after their clash at “NEF 25: Heroes and Villains” this 星期六, 九月 10.
Mention the idea of his earning a title shot in the hexagon and Jackson (3-2) almost can’t withhold a laugh.
“It’s a big opportunity for someone like me,”杰克逊说. “I never thought I would be fighting for a title. I’ve had a ton of teammates come up to me and say, ‘You deserve this! Way to go!’ I just never thought of myself as that top-tier fighter. I’ve always been the guy kind of behind the scenes.”
Easy enough for the Bangor fighter to blend in, considering that he trains at Young’s MMA with the likes of Aaron “Relentless” Lacey, “The” Ryan Sanders, and Josh “Hook On” Harvey.
Fighting for the belt vacated by stablemate Harvey isn’t an endeavor that would have entered Jackson’s mind back in 2012, when he accepted a fight in Vermont on a relative lark. He won via submission, with a choke, 在 96 秒.
“My training started out as me and a few other guys messing around in a basement,”杰克逊说. “My first fight was spur of the moment. I won and it sort of got the adrenaline going, 如, ‘I can do this. I did pretty good.’”
Through a co-worker, he connected up with Young’s MMA.
After a learning curve that included back-to-back losses in 2013, Jackson steadily improved and defeated two consecutive opponents to earn his title opportunity.
“It’s a blessing and a curse. It’s truly a family. These are guys who truly stand by each other, in hard times, bad times, in and out of the gym,” Jackson said of wearing Young’s colors. “But on the flip side, everybody’s watching you, expecting a certain amount of entertainment from you. I want to perform at such a level that people are excited to watch me fight.”
While most fighters go through the drudgery of training in order to bask in the glory of fight night, Jackson contends that it’s the training he loves most. And entering the cage, he claims, is not about him.
“Fighting, 对我来说, is just what I can do to show everybody what my coaches have accomplished,”杰克逊说. “They sacrifice so much to give us fighters the recognition and they get very little recognition in return. The only reason I get in the cage is to represent them.”
Jackson gravitated to MMA with minimal experience in combat sports. 含蓄, of Norridgewock, brought a decade of jiu-jitsu and a black belt to the table.
That journey had less glamorous beginnings, 然而.
“In July 2005, I was playing basketball and a guy on my own team, if you can believe it, punched me in the face. He took exception to something and he messed me up pretty good,”蒙面说道. “From watching UFC, I thought I knew what to do to defend myself, and I pulled him down with an arm bar. Pathetically, but I pulled him down.”
Velado called it a reality check, one that led him to enroll in jiu-jitsu classes taught by Aaron Blake in Boothbay Harbor.
“I think all guys think they will be able to defend themselves in a situation, and most of those guys are wrong,”蒙面说道.
In more than three years of tournament competition, Velado said he fought more than 50 times and lost only three matches.
He grew restless and sought a new challenge. It led him to John Raio’s First Class MMA in Topsham. Velado was primed for his debut, but a sparring session with heavyweight teammate Nick Gulliver led to a torn MCL in his knee.
“That took about six to eight months before I fully recovered,”蒙面说道. “I dropped in on John again in April 2015, and we got a plan together. He got me in there with a lot of good wrestler types, including himself. He let me train with Marcus Davis and some other guys to expand my skill set.”
Velado has won three times in NEF, capped by a split decision over Mike Peitersen of Young’s.
“You’re in for a war. Young’s guys, they’re great. They’re all respectful. They train like savages,”蒙面说道. “Look who he’s training against…Those guys could fight anywhere in the United States and do well. You can’t not get better training against guys like that. You can’t not be a stud.”
杰克逊, who said that MMA has lowered his stress level while reminding him that there is nothing else in life he can’t handle, hinted that he is the underdog on paper.
“He went three rounds with Mike Pietersen, and Mike is a tough dude. I know he’s a black belt in jits,”杰克逊说. “I’m taking a realistic approach. I’m more focused on what I need to do and can’t worry about what he’s going to do. I don’t think he’s going to show me anything that I can’t handle.”
The question, Velado said, is whether or not Jackson’s modesty suggests any level of uncertainty.
“The difference between us is that I know I have jiu-jitsu in my tool box. He doesn’t have anything like that in his tool box that I know of,”蒙面说道. “He’s going to see what level he’s at in this fight. He’s going to find a way to get past me, or he’s going to take a step back and say is this something I really want to be doing? He definitely has to have confidence if he wants to beat me.”
The opening bell on this 星期六, 九月 10 被设定为 7 P.M. The current docket for “NEF 25: Heroes and Villains” includes three professional boxing matches, five pro mixed martial arts bouts and five amateur MMA scraps. Tickets start at $25 和可在 www.TheColisee.com or by calling the Colisee box office at 207.783.2009, 延期 525.
有关事件，并拼牌更新的详细信息, 请访问推广的网站 www.NewEnglandFights.com. 此外, 你可以在观看视频NEF www.youtube.com/NEFMMA, 按照他们的Twitter @nefights并加入官方Facebook集团“新英格兰战斗。”
BELLATOR 将在特拉维夫举办首场大型综合格斗赛事, 以色列 11 月 10
重量级世界冠军安德烈·科列什科夫在主赛事中对阵道格拉斯·利马
ALSO: 以色列陆军老兵诺德·拉哈特为 BELLATOR MMA 首次亮相对抗斯科特·克里夫
SANTA MONICA, CALIF (七. 7, 2016) – Bellator MMA 次中量级冠军 安德烈Koreshkov (19-1) 将第二次为他的腰带防御他一年多前从他那里拿走的人, 道格拉斯·利马 (27-6), 在促销活动在特拉维夫梅诺拉米夫塔希姆竞技场历史性的首次亮相的主要活动中 十一月 10.
此外, 该卡将在联合标题中以以色列自己的一张为特色, 当新签下 Bellator MMA 羽量级时 Noad所有 (9-2) 会见 斯科特·克利夫 (15-5). 额外的主卡和预赛将在未来几周内公布.
维亚康姆旗下的格斗促销历史性活动将在美国播出 SPIKE 星期五, 十一月 11 在 9 P.M. AND / 8 P.M. CT. Bellator与Ananey Communications合作, 一家以色列电视集团夸口 14 频道, 其中一些展示了维亚康姆的内容，包括自那以后在以色列广播 Bellator 的 EGO 和 EGO TOTAL 频道 2012.
该事件门票现已公开发售，并可以在购买 Bellator.com 或 Eventim.co.il/mma.
目前位于 Bellator MMA 次中量级组别, 26岁的冠军科列什科夫最近拆解了前世界冠军 本森亨德森 为 25 他有史以来第一次卫冕冠军的时间. 19-1 作为一个专业, “斯巴达”从那以后就没有尝过失败的滋味 2013 并且已经完成 13 通过淘汰赛或屈服击败他的对手. 值得注意的是，科列什科夫在前中量级冠军的带领下训练亚历山大Shlemenko.
从对顶级竞争者的统治性胜利中脱颖而出 保罗·戴利, “飞鸿” 利马赢得了挑战促销活动的 170 磅冠军的权利, 他曾经持有的. 美国顶级球队的佼佼者有在到达评委之前以壮观的方式赢得战斗的诀窍’ 记分卡, 他在 23 他 27 赢得作为一个专业. 出生在巴西, 自从开始他的职业生涯以来，这位 28 岁的球员已经在顶级比赛中取得了胜利 2006, 对阵本·桑德斯（Ben Saunders）的比赛 (2X), 瑞安福特, 史蒂夫卡尔和奥运选手里克霍恩. 现在完全健康, 自那以后，利马首次在一个日历年内打两场比赛 2013.
柔术黑带, 拉哈特职业生涯首次亮相 2008, 在那里他开始了令人印象深刻的七连胜. 32岁的“尼奥”随后决定将自己的才华带到UFC, 在那里他又取得了两场胜利, 完善他目前的职业记录 9-2. 来自 Alfei Menashe, 撒玛利亚以色列, 拉哈特在过渡到他现在很有前途的 MMA 职业生涯之前也是以色列国防军的一名士兵. 他将寻求参加强大的 Bellator MMA 羽量级比赛，其中包括现任冠军 丹尼尔·斯特劳斯, 帕特·柯伦, 帕特里克“比特犬,” 丹尼尔Weichel, 和 格奥尔基Karakhanyan.
在 34 岁, Scott Cleve 将在 Bellator MMA 的旗帜下第五次出场, 科罗拉多本地人有提前结束战斗的诀窍, 阻止他的对手 11 他 15 胜利. 显着的胜利 “贱民综合格斗” 出色的履历包括战胜UFC老将阿贝尔·特鲁希略, 与 Bellator 的竞争对手一起 德里克场 和 马特·贝塞特.
“特拉维夫的 Bellator MMA”主卡:
次中量级世界冠军赛: 安德烈Koreshkov (19-1) VS. 道格拉斯·利马 (27-6)
羽特征回合: Noad所有 (9-2) VS. 斯科特·克利夫 (15-5)
HALL AND CRAFTS PREPARE FOR ONE LAST AMATEUR SCRAP BEFORE THE PROS
由: 卡勒·奥克斯
It is hard to believe that Caleb Hall and Johnny Crafts’ paths have not crossed in the New England Fights mixed martial arts hexagon before now.
Separated by only two years in age and only a handful of pounds on the scale, the two former high school athletes made the transition to the cage from other combat pursuits at around the same time. Hall was a champion wrestler, while Crafts was a decorated grappler in the jiu-jitsu realm.
They are even considering a jump to the professional ranks at the same time … after one final stop to stand toe-to-toe with one another in a clash of amateur champions at “NEF 25: Heroes and Villains.”
NEF amateur featherweight champion Hall (7-3) of Portland by way of Dixfield will collide with NEF amateur bantamweight titleholder Crafts (4-0) of Lisbon this 星期六, 九月 10.
“I’d say my days in the amateur ranks are numbered,” Hall said. “I feel at this point, as tough as the fights are getting, I might as well be a pro. I just didn’t want to do it too early. I wanted to be a legitimate pro athlete.”
Hall took a measured approach to his ascent through the ranks. Not many fighters stick around for a double-digit number of amateur bouts before either taking prize money or returning to the safety of spectator-hood.
然后又, not many debut in the sport as early as Hall. He remembers getting his first recruiting call from NEF co-owner and matchmaker Matt Peterson while helping a friend, Josh Thornton, train for an NEF appearance.
“He called me out of nowhere and tried to get me a fight on short notice. Then he saw me filling out the information sheet and noticed that I was still only 17,” Hall said, noting that the rules prohibit minors from entering the fray. “So I ended up fighting in September, a month after my 18日 生日. I was hooked from the first time I watched it. I knew it was something I wanted to do.”
Hall won his first three fights, largely on the strength of his wrestling acumen, while bouncing between his hometown in the Western mountains of Maine and Plymouth State University in New Hampshire.
While sparring at First Class MMA in Topsham, Hall heard NEF mainstay John Raio rave about the merits of the Choi Institute in Portland. Hall took the advice and quickly discovered a place where his boxing and striking skills improved exponentially.
“Most of my training has been stand-up. I’ve tried to improve on it,” Hall said. “I figure that I’ve wrestled so long that I can kind of put it down when it comes to training and put more effort in the areas where I need to improve my skills.”
Hall carries a two-fight winning streak. The latter victory was a second-round submission over Erik Nelson for the vacant 145-pound strap in April.
He has stayed busy, rarely skipping back-to-back NEF cards during his time with the organization. By contrast, Crafts had been out of the cage for a year prior to his third-round TKO of Henry Clark for the 135-pound title in February.
“Injuries are what have screwed me over. I should have a lot more fights for as long as I’ve been at it,” Crafts said. “If I’m healthy, 输赢, I think this is probably my last fight as an amateur. 我 24. I don’t want to drag it on too long.”
Crafts agreed with Hall’s assessment that whichever of the two fighters is able to step out of his comfort zone on the mat will gain the upper hand.
“Caleb is a really good wrestler. I never wrestled in high school, just jiu-jitsu. But with jiu-jitsu, you learn how to wrestle,” Crafts said. “I think people are going to be surprised by my wrestling, and I think everybody’s going to be impressed with my boxing. I feel more confident. I think he’s going to be surprised when I punch him in the face.”
Hall has fought all but two of his fights at 145 pounds and said that he considers that weight class “home.” Crafts dismissed any disadvantage in having to step up, noting that his walking-around weight is in the 160s.
“This is my first time fighting at 145. I’m really excited about it. Getting down to 135 is a really big cut for me. I felt it in the last fight. I could just tell. I really shouldn’t have been as tired as I was,” Crafts said. “And Henry was a good opponent. I was working on things, using more of my stand-up. That kind of prolonged it.
“He’s definitely the best at 145 在我看来,” Crafts added in reference to Hall. “He’s one of the most experienced amateurs out there. He’s definitely the best guy for me to fight.”
The opening bell this 星期六, 九月 10 被设定为 7 P.M. The current docket for “NEF 25: Heroes and Villains” includes three professional boxing matches, five pro mixed martial arts bouts and six amateur MMA scraps. Tickets start at $25 和可在 www.TheColisee.com or by calling the Colisee box office at 207.783.2009, 延期 525.
有关事件，并拼牌更新的详细信息, 请访问推广的网站 www.NewEnglandFights.com. 此外, 你可以在观看视频NEF www.youtube.com/NEFMMA, 按照他们的Twitter @nefights并加入官方Facebook集团“新英格兰战斗。”
关于新英格兰战斗
新英格兰战斗 (“NEF”) 是打架事件推广公司. NEF的使命是创造缅因州的战斗机和球迷的一致好评最高的质量事件. NEF的执行团队在作战体育管理方面拥有丰富的经验, 生产活动, 媒体关系, 市场营销, 法律和广告.
Event Details: 凯奇勇士 78, 回声竞技场, 利物浦, 英国. 七 10, 2016
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Meet MMA Superstar Frankie “The Answer” Edgar at Autism Radio Casino Night Saturday, 九月 24 in Totowa, 新泽西州
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TRAHAN AND DENNING IN SEARCH OF A MUCH-NEEDED WIN IN THE MMA CAGE
路易斯顿, 缅因 (九月 5, 2016) – Taylor Trahan is a statistical oddity.
A native of Littleton, 新罕布什尔州, now living in East Concord, 佛蒙特, the 25-year-old pursued mixed martial arts seven years ago, soon as he was legally old enough to do so. He has entered the cage a total of 20 times in professional and amateur competition.
All that experience in this neck of the woods, yet his featherweight bout against Matt Denning at “NEF 25: Heroes and Villains” on 星期六, 七. 10 at Androscoggin Bank Colisee will be his debut with New England Fights.
Trahan (5-6) is not buying the underdog or bad-guy label, even though he will walk into the historic arena in a city that Denning (3-3) calls home.
“This is only a two-hour trip (each way) for most of my fans,” Trahan said. “Most of them are used to traveling four hours or more to watch me fight. They’re like, '哦, sweet.’”
Both fighters hope the matchup will reverse their recent career fortunes. Trahan has lost five consecutive fights since a red-hot start to his pro docket, while Denning has dropped three of his last four contests.
Denning is quick to point out that the results are deceiving on both sides.
“He fought a guy named Joe Pingitore. Beat him the first time with a rear naked choke and then lost to him in the rematch,丹宁说. “That’s a guy who is one of the best 145-pounders in New England.”
If anyone has the right to consider himself an expert in ranking those middle weight classes, it’s Denning.
The local favorite known as “Ken Doll” has never shied away from fighting the best that NEF has to offer fighters in the neighborhood of 145. Denning twice defeated Derek Shorey. He inched upward in weight, unsuccessfully, against Jon Lemke at 150 and Josh Harvey at 155. 最近, Brandon Bushaw beat him by submission at “NEF 24: Promised Land” in June.
“You think about Lemke and Harvey, and I train with Jesse Erickson (at Central Maine Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu),丹宁说. “The only one really missing is Devin Powell. I feel like I’ve fought and trained with the best group of guys around.”
Jiu-jitsu is the go-to for both fighters. Trahan is a brown belt, while Denning is a purple belt.
In other areas, their styles clash. Three of Trahan’s pro wins have come by decision. 丹宁, 与此同时, has never gone the distance as a pro. He only went to the cards once as an amateur – a loss to Dom Cofone in his cage debut.
Trahan stopped short of a prediction but said that he expects to prevail by submission.
“I see it being a slow first round for at least the first couple minutes,“他说，. “Then once I get my timing down and start doing the things I want to do, I don’t see it going into the third round.”
Denning has prepared for a lengthy encounter. He confessed that he smoked through most of his career but has quit.
Couple that with a renewed commitment to road work and Denning forecasts that his fans will be pleased with his readiness for the relatively unknown foe.
“I believe the longest fight I’ve had was two minutes left in the third round,丹宁说. “I feel good conditioning-wise. I’m a shorter guy, so I’ve got to stay at 145.”
He said that sparring against Erickson has prepared him for the taller Trahan.
Denning believes that his striking and wrestling are superior to Trahan’s repertoire, but he complemented his rival by adding that he considers him another in a line of rugged opponents.
“I wanted to pick someone hard to fight. This is my fourth fight in six months,丹宁说. “Before that I took a year off. The last time I won in Lewiston was September of last year. I’m hoping the hometown advantage will help a little bit this time.”
Given the unpredictable nature of MMA, pro fighters must have short memories while applying the hard lessons they learn from losses. Trahan, like Denning, thinks he has achieved that.
“I’ve learned that I have to stick to what I know, and don’t do what’s not me,” Trahan said. “I think that in order for me to win, I have to take it to the ground. I favor the ground style. He’s excellent on the ground, 别误会我的意思, but I’ve seen some things I think I can exploit.”
The opening bell this 星期六, 九月 10 被设定为 7 P.M. The current docket for “NEF 25: Heroes and Villains” includes three professional boxing matches, five pro mixed martial arts bouts and five amateur MMA scraps. Tickets start at $25 和可在www.TheColisee.com or by calling the Colisee box office at 207.783.2009, 延期 525.
有关事件，并拼牌更新的详细信息, 请访问推广的网站 www.NewEnglandFights.com. 此外, 你可以在观看视频NEF www.youtube.com/NEFMMA, 按照他们的Twitter @nefights并加入官方Facebook集团“新英格兰战斗。”
FROM MAINE TO FLORIDA, FINDING FIGHTS IS THE CHALLENGE FOR FEMALE MMA ATHLETES
即时发布: 路易斯顿, 缅因 (九月 4, 2016) – Rachael Joyce has her civil engineering degree from the University of Maine. Jessica Borga is a veterinary technician from Lakeland, 佛罗里达.
Read those one-line biographies of the two women and they probably do not fit whatever is your personal profile of a mixed-martial-artist. And perhaps that presumption, and maybe a lingering societal bias against female fighters, is the reason Joyce and Borga have struggled mightily to find opponents in their corners of the country.
Each woman will end what is almost a one-year hiatus from the cage when Joyce (1-0) welcomes Borga (2-1) to Maine in a bantamweight bout at “NEF 25: Heroes and Villains.” New England Fights returns to its hub venue, 安德罗斯科金银行体育馆, 上 星期六, 九月 10.
“I’ve had one fight, 去年十月. I’ve found it really hard to find fights. It’s just tough. Maine doesn’t have the population density for it. It’s just hard to find that pool of fighters,”乔伊斯说. “Early in your career you want to build that experience close to home. It’s the best thing for your whole team, given the commitment that is involved.”
乔伊斯, who lives in the Penobscot County village of Veazie, splits her training time between Bangor, Portland and Boston.
The competitive grass is no greener for Borga, who is known to her fans as “The Black Widow” and is coached by Ross Kellin.
“My coach has scheduled fights for me that have fallen through. I was supposed to fight eight times this year, and this will be my first one.
Borga was beaten badly in her previous bout, a November 2015 clash against Caitlin Sammons for which she weighed in at 126.5 英镑, just above the flyweight limit.
She said that women feel added pressure to make drastic weight cuts due to the lack of available fight opportunities, and in her case it was especially dangerous.
“I learned that I will never fight at 125 再次,” Borga said “It was my own fault. I lost 25 英镑 in two weeks. I was sick in camp, and I fought sick.”
Before the episode was over, Borga was hospitalized twice with strep throat, a kidney infection and a bladder infection.
“I do believe (the weight cut) was part of it,“ 她说. “You’re putting that strain on your body and your mind. My mental game struggled with what I had to put myself through. I think it’s harder for women, 也. I won’t ever do that again. I learned that it’s better to withdraw than to take a loss.”
Borga has experienced no such issues in this camp. She said her energy level is way up and that she can train harder for longer periods of time.
She also is eager to visit from the Sunshine State, an eagerness that isn’t lost on her opponent.
“When an opponent is flying up from Florida, that’s exciting,”乔伊斯说. “It shows that she’s really committed to it. It is hard to find opponents who are as committed as you are.”
Both women are BJJ blue belts. Joyce has trained in the discipline for more than two years.
It is an extension of her childhood, when she played three varsity sports in each year of high school. She joked that she strongly considered a fourth.
“I was always the girl who tried to convince my parents to let me play football,”乔伊斯说. “They would not hear any of it. I’m sure they’re thrilled that their 20-something-year-old daughter is now a fighter. 别, they’re supportive, but now it’s my decision.”
Joyce never tried individual sports before the combat realm, but she quickly developed into a fan of women’s MMA as it exploded in popularity at the UFC level.
“Miesha Tate and Ronda Rousey were coming up, 进而 (UFC president) Dana White had his famous line that ‘there will never be women in UFC,”乔伊斯说. “I saw what they were doing and I said, ‘I can do that. I’m going to do that.’”
Now the women wait for a spike in female participation that has not appeared to follow the success of those international role models.
Joyce said she received invitations to fight in New Jersey earlier this year but that those, 也, would have required an uncomfortable cut to a same-day weigh-in of 125 or even 115 英镑.
So she retreated into a game of train-and-wait. Thanks to the like-minded, equally fight-challenged Borga, the wait is almost over.
“I’ve always loved MMA, always loved fighting. I guess I was known for that as a kid. Everybody who knows me always pushed me to get into this,” Borga said. “I tried eight years ago and found out right away that I was pregnant, so that put a stop to it. When my son turned five, 我说, ‘It’s now or never.’ I started training and developed really fast. My coaches said I had a knack for it.”
开盘上 九月 10 被设定为 7 P.M. The current docket for “NEF 25: Heroes and Villains” includes four professional boxing matches, six pro mixed martial arts bouts and five amateur MMA scraps. Tickets start at $25 和可在 www.TheColisee.com or by calling the Colisee box office at 207.783.2009, 延期 525.
有关事件，并拼牌更新的详细信息, 请访问推广的网站 www.NewEnglandFights.com. 此外, 你可以在观看视频NEF www.youtube.com/NEFMMA, 按照他们的Twitter @nefights并加入官方Facebook集团“新英格兰战斗。”
BRANDON MONTELLA PREPARES FOR BOXING BATTLE IN LEWISTON, 缅因
路易斯顿, 缅因 (九月 2, 2016) – The 3,800-square foot warehouse in Woburn, 马萨诸塞州, is known simply as “The Way.”
No coincidence, since the proprietor who lives out his passion as a personal trainer under its roof, 布兰登蒙特拉, has found a way, in his own unique way.
From a turbulent childhood in North Anson, 缅因, to four years of meritorious service in the United States Marine Corps, to the mixed emotions of staying ahead in the professional rat race, to intense personal tragedy, 蒙特拉, 36, has endured what most would consider a lifetime’s worth of challenges.
Yet he perseveres, finding strength and clarity in a life devoted to helping others. And he stays sharp, counter-intuitive as it may seem to the uninitiated, by letting other people punch him in the face.
“On a personal level it helped me so much. I had a lot of fear, maybe a little lack of confidence, due to some of the abuse in my past,” Montella said. “Boxing helped me so much with that. It made me a more complete person. I’m a better husband, a better businessman, a better man since I started fighting.”
A late bloomer who didn’t fully immerse himself in the fight game until his 30s, 蒙特拉 (4-0, 3 科斯) will put his undefeated credentials on the line against Tollison Lewis (2-1, 1 KO) 在“NEF 25: Heroes and Villains” on 星期六, 九月 10 在安德罗斯科银行Colisée酒店在路易斯顿, 缅因, the venerable boxing venue that in 1965, when it was known as “圣. Domenic’s Hall,” played host to the infamous Muhammad Ali-Sonny Liston II world heavyweight title rematch. (是的, the same boxing bout that spawned rumors of the “phantom punch,” and produced the most iconic image in the history of sports photography.)
Montella was born in Massachusetts but spent much of his childhood in the Western foothills of Maine, where he graduated from Carrabec High School. He describes those formative years as “a tough time, a little bit of a struggle,” and says fighting was both a means of both self-defense and a way of compensating for that lack of self-esteem.
“I wouldn’t change it for the world now,” Montella said. “It helped shape who I am. I tell everybody the Marine Corps started the process of my becoming a man, and boxing helped finish it.”
He spent four years in the service before receiving an honorable discharge. Along the way he met his wife, Tonya, and settled into the comfortable habit of seeking significance through work.
Fatefully, and admittedly on a lark, he accepted a military buddy’s challenge to enter a Toughman contest. It was the amateur, brawling, distant cousin of boxing that Eric “Butterbean” Esch made famous.
“I was a 240-pound meathead. Three one-minute rounds; that seemed like it was right up my alley,” Montella said.
进行中, Montella discovered that getting back in shape, setting goals and chasing intangible successes that were larger than wins and losses suited him, 太.
“That was a turning point for me. Corporate America, I just wasn’t into it,” Montella said. “I couldn’t lie to people and take advantage of them. I couldn’t deal with it morally. I had to turn my back on that. The Marine Corps taught me a different code. I cashed in my 401(ķ), moved to Massachusetts, became a personal trainer.”
很好, it wasn’t quite that easy. He had to sell Tonya, whom he describes as “the major breadwinner in the house,” on the merits of such a change. She already had politely proclaimed Maine a great vacation spot but not a place she cared to settle down, for professional reasons.
在 2008, work took Tonya to Boston.
“It was when the Celtics were getting ready to win the championship. She got caught up in the atmosphere and came home and told me, ‘I would move to Boston.’ I said OK,” Montella recalled with a laugh. “I didn’t let her take that back.”
Montella started his gym in a 10-feet-by-10-feet basement of a townhouse. He took up amateur boxing, 部分, to set an example for his clients.
“I decided I couldn’t train athletes if I’m not doing the (东西). I want to wear the boots before the suits, 你知道?” Montella said. “六个月后 I was the No. 1 ranked heavyweight in New England. It blew my mind. I found a place that was home.”
他赢了 14 他 21 业余打架, including a novice heavyweight championship in Golden Gloves.
Montella’s trainees have watched him conquer adversity in the prize ring and fight through tragedy in his personal life. Tonya and Brandon’s first child was stillborn on Christmas 2015.
拳击, and the wilderness in the shadow of Sugarloaf Mountain that holds so many contradictory memories for Montella, are part of his healing process.
“I’m here in Maine now getting ready, diving off 40-foot cliffs, doing hill sprints up 100-foot sand dunes, training like a savage,” Montella said. “We used to go up there to drink. All the crazy stuff I did as a kid, now I use it to make myself the best I can be.
“I preach it all the time at my gym: See the world as your training facility. What someone else sees as a cliff, I see as place to work on my focus and mental control. Where they see nothing but trees and open space, I see as a place to go and meditate. In my 30s, I don’t need drugs or alcohol now to be open with my emotions. Boxing has given me the strength to be who I always wanted to be.”
开盘上 九月 10 被设定为 7 P.M. The current docket for “NEF 25: Heroes and Villains” includes three professional boxing matches, five pro mixed martial arts bouts and six amateur MMA scraps. Tickets start at $25 和可在 www.TheColisee.com or by calling the Colisee box office at207.783.2009, 延期 525.
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