 Ricardo Funch MMA |
Once again, Black and Blue Entertainment has put on a tight Cage Fight MMA event. None of the fights seemed mismatched this time around, although some of the fighters did end up getting dominated and manhandled for whatever reason. Everyone has a bad day sometimes.
Brent Kinberger
The sole Team Woo competitor this time around, Brent Kinberger, dominated once again. I’ve talked to Brent on several occasions and he’s really a genuine nice guy. When it’s time to step into the ring though, he kicks it up a notch. Both times that I’ve had the honor to see Brent fight, he just walked into the cage and kicks major ass. He’ll just jump on top of you and beat you until the ref stops the fight. I am totally a Brent fan.
Josh Spearman
Another great fight was #9 Josh Spearman vs. Ethan Kane. Ethan looked great, but Josh looked awesome. This guy is a tiny ball of muscle. He speeds around the ring like Taz. One second he’s standing, the next second he’s thrown 6 lightening fast punches to the face of his opponent who’s lying on the floor, and then before you know it he’s back on his feet bouncing around the cage again. Josh is definitely a hardcore fighter.
Ricardo Funch in the Main Event
The main event was sick. This was a true UFC style main event. All 3 rounds could have gone either way for either fighter, although I specifically remember Ricardo Funch nearly had Denis Grachev submitted several times. Denis is a great fighter in his own regard though; each time you thought he was done for, he slipped out. Looking back on it, Ricardo was definitely the dominant fighter but not for Denis’ lack of effort. Ricardo is the real deal I feel. He looks like a fighter and acts like a fighter. Seemed like a real professional back in the locker room, too. Now, at 7-0 in professional fights, I wonder what is next in store for Ricardo Funch.
Fight Results
CageFight MMA
“Blunt Force Trauma”
August 23, 2008
JFK Memorial Coliseum – Manchester, NH
Sanctioned by the NH Boxing & Wrestling Commission
Official Results:
AMATEUR FIGHTS (3 X 2 min. rds.):
- Sam Kesseli – Team K.I. vs. Rick Corrigan – Team Kaze 150#
Winner: Sam Kesseli via TKO (ref stoppage) 1:25 1st rd. - Nicholas Santos – Team Fury vs. Adam Della Bianca – Dogpound 135#
Winner: Adam Della Bianca via Tapout (RNC) 1:56 3rd rd. - Jason Sarbacker – Team Dynamic Martial Arts vs. Sean Lally – Team Kaze 165#
Winner: Jason Sarbacker via TKO (ref stoppage) :30 1st rd.
PRO FIGHTS (3 X 4 min. rds.):
- Ricky Hines – Team Fury vs. Mark Matheson – Dragon Warrior MMA 155#
Winner: Ricky Hines via Tapout (injury) :34 1st rd. - Frank Rivera – New Britain Judo/Boxing vs. Eddie Brito – Team Valor 170#
Winner: Eddie Brito via TKO (ref stoppage) 3:29 2nd rd. - Brandon Chagnon – Team Fury vs. Matt Pattison – Premier Martial Arts 170#
Winner: Matt Pattison via Tapout (RNC) 1:27 1st rd. - Patrick McDonough – Terry Dow’s Academy of Martial Arts vs. Michael Mulligan – Cape Cod Fighting Alliance 225+ lbs.
Winner: Michael Mulligan via TKO (ref stoppage) 1:58 1st rd. - James Soucie – Team Fury vs. Chris Correia – Team Kaze 145#
Winner: Chris Correia via Tapout (guillotine choke) 2:20 1st rd. - Dennis Pignataro – Close Range Combat vs. Ryan Verrett – Lions Den 215#
Winner: Ryan Verrett via TKO (ref stoppage) 3:41 1st rd. - Jeff Soucie – Team Fury vs. Roberto Conception – Dragon Warrior MMA 170#
Winner: Jeff Soucie via Tapout (guillotine choke) 2:07 1st rd. - Brent Kinberger – Team Woo vs. Jeremy Ross – Team Link 160#
Winner: Brent Kinberger via TKO (ref stoppage) 1:18 1st rd. - Ethan Kane – Team Ravenous vs. Josh Spearman – Dragon Warrior MMA 135#
Winner: Josh Spearman via Tapout (injury) :50 3rd rd.
MAIN EVENT (3 X 5 min. rds.)
Ricardo Funch – Team Link (7-0) vs. Denis Grachev – City Boxing (3-1) 170#
Winner: Ricardo Funch via unanimous decision 89/82
On Being a ‘Runner’
I worked at this fight. Oh yes. My job was to get the fighters ready to roll when their music played to introduce them. Let me tell you, the locker room environment is action packed. I was busy back there, but once I got the hang of ‘running’ after the first 3 amateur fights, I was able to watch at least half of most of the pro fights, although I did miss a couple fights that ended midway through the first round.
This gave me a good chance to see and talk to the fighters before they went in the cage and after their fight as well. Obviously it isn’t a good idea to try to talk to anyone after they lost a fight, but it is fun to hear what the winners have to say. I got a chance to talk to some of the trainers and corners too, really getting a feel of the excitement at one of these events from the fighters’ prospectives rather than just as a spectator.
The Next Event
I don’t know any details about the next Black and Blue Entertainment event yet, except that it is scheduled for October 25th. I would imagine that it will be bigger and better than either of the first two Black and Blue events, and there’s no doubt that it will be worth attending. You can be sure that I will publish more details when I know more.
Tags: black and blue entertainment, cage fight, cagefight, manchester, mixed martial arts, mma, new hampshire, nh, team woo
Jason Sarbacker
Jason had his first fight tonight, representing the dynamic martial athletics team out of Townsend MA. He weighed in at 162 lbs, standing 5’8” This guy had a lot of muscle and power packed into his explosive frame, which was exhibited by his straight-right that sent opponent Sean Lally (1-1) on back, subsequently ending the fight (ref stoppage). Sarbacker finished his night’s work in only 30 seconds of the first round. No doubt his amatuer debut will fuel the fire for more action and undoubtedly many more wins for this rising hopeful.