UNCASVILLE, CONN. -- A near-capacity crowd of 6,131 filled the Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Conn. Friday night for two regular season International Fight League matches. The first team matchup featured the Toronto Dragons vs. the Tucson Scorpions.
The Dragons, coached by mixed martial arts veteran Carlos Newton, earned the team matchup victory by winning four out of the five individual matches.
Dragons (1-1) lightweight Wagnney Fabiano took down Cameron Ward and earned a victory by arm triangle choke in the first round. Dragons welterweight Gideon Ray beat Gabe Casillas by TKO 2:39 in the first round. Brent Beauparlant won a tough fought unanimous decision against Scorpions (0-2) middleweight Seth Baczynski.
The Scorpions finally earned a win when light heavyweight Mike Whitehead took the back of Wojtek Kaszowski and earned a referee stoppage win after multiple unanswered strikes to the head.
But the Dragons earned their fourth win of the night when Shane Ott caught Chad Griggs in a kimura arm-lock in the first round.
NEW YORK PITBULLS VS. PORTLAND WOLFPACK
The second match featured Renzo Gracie's New York Pitbulls vs. the Portland Wolfpack, who were coached by Olympic Gold Medal winning wrestler Kevin Jackson. Jackson is substituting for Matt Lindland, who is fighting Fedor Emelianenko in Russia for Bodogfight on Saturday.
Jamal Patterson jumped guard and applied a match-ending guillotine choke to Matt Horwich in the light heavyweight match, earning the Pitbulls the third win and the team-match victory.
Lightweight Ryan Schultz got the Wolfpack (1-1) off to a good start with the unanimous decision victory against former Hofstra football and lacrosse player Joe Sampieri, who was filling in for the injured Erik Owings. It was Sampieri's professional mixed martial arts debut.
In maybe the most impressive performance of the night, Delson Heleno tied the score, 1-1, for the Pitbulls (2-0) earning a unanimous decision victory against the Wolfpack's Mike Dolce. Heleno showed a nice display of Brazilian jiu-jitsu with strong wrestling skills and had the back of Dolce a couple of times during the three-rounder.
Fabio Leopoldo put on a Brazilian jiu-jitsu display, but at the same time Gerald Harris' strong wrestling background kept him out of numerous arm bar and triangle attempts by Leopoldo. The slams and takedowns went to Harris, but the groundwork went to Leopoldo as the fight went the distance. Even though many in the crowd didn't agree with the decision, Leopoldo earned the split-decision victory and put the Pitbulls ahead, 2-1.
In the final fight of the night, Brooklyn native and Hofstra graduate Bryan Vetell faced the Wolfpack's Devin Cole. Vetell had a solid first round, but Cole was able to open a cut near Vetell's eye in the second round. Cole earned the full mount position after a quick scramble and rained punches down on the former Hofstra wrestler, earning the Wolfpack a referee stoppage win.
Comments (8)
Great show...great comments...please keep covering the local guys...get it in the paper...
I went to Mohegan Sun with my boyfriend and that was the most professional-looking MMA event I ever went to! I didn't know any of the guys fighting (just Renzo Gracie, who was a coach), but the fights were awesome!! I hope they come to NYC soon.
I was at the event and it was great. Some of the best mma fights I have seen in along time. I really like the team concept. Go Pitbulls
Ryan Schultz is sick! Saw him fight at Mohegan Sun! That guy is a beast! Was KICK ASS!!
Great to see IFL coverage. They put out one of the best MMA shows around.
The IFL event at Mohegan Sun was a great show of MMA and the future of the sport. There was constant excitement and great energy inside of the arena. It was my first event but I will be back for more.
Mohegan Sun was awesome! My boyfriend made me go with him and his friends, and by the end of the night I was cheering right with him--especially when Devin Cole knocked out Brian Vitell!
I was at the event and thought it was great! All of the fights were some amazing MMA action. I can't wait until the next IFL event comes back to the tri state area.
GO PITBULLS!