The grandson of reputed mob boss John Gotti continued making a name for himself in the fight game, scoring a quick 32-second TKO in his second professional MMA fight on Friday night. John Gotti III has eschewed the family business for cage fighting, and his performance at Classic Entertainment and Sports event in Westbury, NY […]
The grandson of reputed mob boss John Gotti continued making a name for himself in the fight game, scoring a quick 32-second TKO in his second professional MMA fight on Friday night.
John Gotti III has eschewed the family business for cage fighting, and his performance at Classic Entertainment and Sports event in Westbury, NY suggests Gotti may have a future in punching people’s lights out for a living rather than ending people’s lives with bullets.
Gotti took on Eddie Haws in a welterweight contest and after a short feeling out period, found his mark in the form of a counter punch as Haws was charging in.
The 24-year-old Gotti (2-0) compiled a 5-1 record as an amateur and says his father, John Gotti Jr., was actually the one who got him into mixed martial arts, specifically citing the third fight in the Randy Couture vs. Chuck Liddell trilogy as a turning point in his burgeoning interest into the sport.
Gotti III told MMA Fighting’s Ariel Helwani about how he got into MMA during this week’s edition of The MMA Hour:
“Just to bond with him, I wanted to watch the fights. So I tuned into the fights that night and ever since that night I became hooked.
“I’m happy that he supports me 100 percent. He’s behind me. He’s one of my biggest supporters. Without him, this would be a much harder journey.”
Gotti’s grandfather died in prison in 2002 after his conviction for murder, racketeering, conspiracy and a slew of other charges back in 1992. Gotti was the mob boss of the reputed Gambino family in New York.
But Gotti III is quickly making a name for himself on the East Coast MMA scene, and with a few more wins like this could truly find himself working towards a prominent spot in the sport.
Check out Gotti’s quick TKO in his second pro MMA bout below!
One MMA fighter had a scary moment at Friday night’s CES 48: Wiuff vs. Rebello event on AXS TV. Greg Rebello made quick work of heavyweight veteran Travis Wiuff in the main event by knocking him out 23 seconds into the fight and winning the CES MMA Heavyweight Championship. The card featured one fight that […]
One MMA fighter had a scary moment at Friday night’s CES 48: Wiuff vs. Rebello event on AXS TV.
Greg Rebello made quick work of heavyweight veteran Travis Wiuff in the main event by knocking him out 23 seconds into the fight and winning the CES MMA Heavyweight Championship.
The card featured one fight that had a rare and frightening moment which has surfaced online after the broadcast ended on the television network.
Around the 83 second mark of the first round, Timothy Woods was able to lock in a whizzer and attempted to throw his opponent, Tim Caron, down to the mat of the cage. However, this is when things went very wrong as when the two men crashed to the mat, Woods’ head violently struck the mat. Thus, it knocked him out cold.
This led to Caron landing a few punches to Woods, who was stunned at this time on the ground. The referee was able to step in and save Woods by calling off the contest. Caron was declared the winner via knockout.
The moment was captured and uploaded by MMA Gif-maker Zombie Prophet, which you can see here:
After the bell had sounded off on in the building, Woods was slow to regain consciousness. Sherdog is reporting that the fighter who holds a pro-MMA record of 7-6, was eventually removed from the cage by a stretcher from the medical team who were in attendance at this event. It should be noted that he was responsive and moving his arms.
Zombie Prophet also uploaded the immediate aftermath of the KO to his official Twitter account that you can see here:
Press Release – LINCOLN, R.I. (June 7th, 2013) – After doing his best to avoid the constant questions for the past few months, John “Doomsday” Howard made his intentions clear after yet another dominant win Friday night at Twin River Casino. “I might piss some people off, but I want to fight for the [Ultimate […]
Press Release – LINCOLN, R.I. (June 7th, 2013) – After doing his best to avoid the constant questions for the past few months, John “Doomsday” Howard made his intentions clear after yet another dominant win Friday night at Twin River Casino.
“I might piss some people off, but I want to fight for the [Ultimate Fighting Championship],” said the former UFC veteran from Boston. “I’ll fight for free on the Boston card [in August].”
Howard (20-7, 9 KOs) might get his chance after another knockout win in the main event of Jimmy Burchfield’s Classic Entertainment & Sports’ “New Blood” show Friday night. Howard made quick work of veteran Georgia middleweight Chris Woodall (12-4), scoring the knockout win with a series of unanswered strikes at the 2-minute, 14-second mark of the opening round. The win was the sixth in a row for Howard and fifth consecutive win by knockout since the UFC released him two years ago.
“John is the man in this weight class,” Woodall said. “When he gets back to the UFC, he’s going to dominate.”
The co-main event featured what might’ve been the final fight for Providence light heavyweight Greg “Ribz” Rebello (15-5), who suffered a tough, split-decision loss to Williamsport, Pa., native Lewis Rumsey (9-8), 27-30, 29-28, 28-29, and announced it would be his final fight after a stellar career in which he won 11 consecutive fights between 2011 and 2012.
“This is a young’s man game,” Rebello said. “I’ve got a baby daughter and a family at home. This is my last fight.”
Neither Rumsey or Rebello did much in terms of striking, but Rumsey earned the win by stuffing most of Rebello’s takedown attempts and preventing Rebello from establishing his presence. Fatigue was also a factor.
“I just hit a wall,” Rebello said. “I felt a little over-trained. At some point in the first round, I felt that adrenaline dump.”
On the undercard, Woonsocket, R.I., bantamweight Andre Soukhamthath improved to 5-1 and won his fifth consecutive fight in his toughest test to date, defeating Branford, Conn., veteran Blair Tugman (5-5) by unanimous decision, 30-27, 29-27, 29-28. Tugman tweaked Soukhamthath leading up to the fight by calling his opponent a “big fish in a small pond,” but Soukhamthath kept Tugman from taking the fight to the ground and dominated with his hands to win the fight easily despite a late surge by Tugman.
East Providence, R.I., lightweight Nate “The Snake” Andrews (5-0) also stepped up the level of competition, facing the tough veteran Jeff Anderson (11-8) of Lincoln, and won convincingly, choking out Anderson via rear-naked choke at 1:41 opening round while former UFC vet Chuck O’Neil (11-5) shook off an early scare from last-minute replacement Ralph Johnson (5-6) of Worcester, Mass., absorbing a big right hand to the start the fight, and eventually finished Johnson at the 1:30 mark of the opening round with a rear-naked choke. The Bridgewater, Mass., welterweight has now won back-to-back fights at Twin River after beating Keith Jeffrey in December.
Trained by veteran Scott Rehm, amateur welterweight standout Brian Sparrow (1-0) of Sandwich, Mass., put on an impressive performance in his professional debut, submitting fellow newcomer Ruben Ortiz (0-1) of Providence fifty-nine seconds into the third round via rear-naked choke. Ortiz, who trains out of former boxer Gary Balletto’s gym in Providence, hung in through two rounds with Sparrow, but Sparrow’s dominant reach – he entered the fight with a six-inch reach advantage – proved to be the difference, keeping Ortiz from using his boxing background to his advantage. Sparrow sunk in the choke early in the third and applied the pressure before Ortiz tapped.
Entering Friday having lost six consecutive fights, Williamsport, Pa., bantamweight Joshua Aarons (2-6) earned a huge win against hometown favorite Joe Reverdes (1-3) of Providence, submitting Reverdes via the guillotine at the 1:39 mark of the third round following two back-and-forth rounds. Aarons had youth on his side (27 years old, compared to Reverdes, who entered the cage at 39), but had a tough time dealing with Reverdes’ stand-up game until he took the fight to the canvas in the third round.
Making his highly-anticipated debut after a celebrated amateur career, bantamweight Sophanarith Am (1-0) of Braintree, Mass., rallied brilliantly against the gritty Carlos Hernandez (1-1) of Lynn, Mass., finishing Hernandez via rear-naked choke at the 2:25 mark of the third round. Hernandez looked strong in the first two rounds, but Am rebounded to earn the finish with his back against the wall in the third. Bombsquad veteran Ahsan Abdullah (4-3, 1 KO) of Cortland, N.Y., stopped Coventry, R.I., featherweight Shaun Marmas (5-5) at the 4:01 mark of the second round and Providence welterweight Eric Spicely (2-0) remained unbeaten after submitting newcomer Tundee Odumosu (0-1) of Johnston, R.I., via rear-naked choke at 1:41 of Round 1.
Press Release – PRESS RELEASE – To say that John Howard has been on a tear lately would be an understatement. “Doomsday” has won five consecutive bouts, his last four by knockout and each within two rounds. He’s been cutting through his opponents like a knife through warm butter and he doesn’t appear to be […]
Press Release – PRESS RELEASE – To say that John Howard has been on a tear lately would be an understatement. “Doomsday” has won five consecutive bouts, his last four by knockout and each within two rounds. He’s been cutting through his opponents like a knife through warm butter and he doesn’t appear to be slowing down anytime soon.
Howard, whose bout a month ago lasted just 23 seconds, is hell bent on continuing his winning streak and eventually landing back inside the Ultimate Fighting Championship’s famed Octagon later this summer. The UFC, the world’s largest MMA organization, is headed to Boston on August 17, which fits Howard perfectly considering that Beantown is where he’s from.
“That’s my goal, to get back to the UFC,” Howard said. “When I get to the point where I’ve won six fights in a row I think they’ll have to take a look at me again. The UFC is always looking for fighters and I’m definitely the kind of fighter they look for. It’d be a dream to fight for them again, especially in Boston.”
At one point in his career Howard was one of the hottest contenders on the circuit and was brought into the Las Vegas-based giant’s fold. Howard made the most of his opportunity in the UFC as he reeled off four straight wins in impressive fashion. In his debut for the company on the UFC 94 card, he eked out a split decision win over the highly-touted Chris Wilson, a battle that won both men the coveted fight of the night honors.
A decision win over the dangerous Tamdan McCrory and a knockout of long-time veteran Dennis Hallman followed but “Doomsday” wasn’t finished. He capped his impressive winning streak with a spectacular KO of Daniel Roberts on the UFC Live 1: Vera vs. Jones card. The highlight reel punch-out won him the knockout of the night award and it seemed as though he was on a fast track toward the title.
Unfortunately, Howard was stopped by top contender Jake Ellenberger in his next bout. He then dropped consecutive decisions to former world title challenger Thiago Alves and the always menacing Matt Brown.
During that span, Howard had lost his grandmother, with whom he was extremely close. The loss crippled his focus and he had an incredibly difficult time in dealing with her passing. His training wasn’t as keen and his desire had weaned. With three straight losses, he was eventually dropped from the Zuffa roster.
“I was really close with her and I didn’t prepare for that and I missed her a lot,” he reflected. “It was really hard on me and I wasn’t as focused as I should have been. I wasn’t able to recover from losing her at that time and it showed in my performances.
“Eventually I did recover from that and I’ve since been able to refocus my life and my career,” he added. “I’ve never been so focused in all of my life like I am now. Right now I think I’m one of the best middleweights in the world and I’d just like an opportunity to prove myself against the absolute best.”
If the way he’s fought during the past 18 months is any indication, “Doomsday” might have his wish come true. He’s recommitted himself fully to training and says he’s never felt better in his career.
“I’m definitely much better today than how I was a few years ago,” he said. “It’s different because I’m doing what I need to be doing. I used to not have a good diet where I was not eating the right foods. But I’ve been eating right, taking much better care of my body and I’ve got a much stronger team of guys at Wai Kru MMA that push me every day. My whole mindset is different in that I am more focused now than ever before.”
But for Howard, the current middleweight champion for Classic Entertainment & Sports (CES) MMA, to realize his dreams, he first must get passed grizzled veteran Chris Woodall. It’s a dangerous fight for Howard for several reasons, but most notably is that Woodall, who hasn’t fought professional in MMA in almost seven years, has nothing to lose. He’s tough to begin with and has a balanced arsenal of striking power and submission prowess. Though he’s been inactive for so long, Howard expects Woodall to come in with the best he has to offer and try to score the upset.
“He’s got nothing to lose and I expect him to come in and try to beat me,” he said. “My job is to not let that happen and knock him out. He’s going to try and derail me but that’s not going to happen. It doesn’t matter who is put in front of me; my job, my goal is to always win every time.
“It’s true that he hasn’t fought in a long time but he knows what he’s doing and I expect him to be in shape and at his best,” he continued. “I expect him to be aggressive and try to come in there and start banging, so I’ll bang right back.”
Win or lose, Howard is determined to achieve his goals but he’s realistic and patient. He knows as long as he keeps winning, he’s optimistic that he’ll eventually get the call to return to the UFC. But for now, he’s content with defending his CES title and knocking down every obstacle put in front of him. He’s grateful for the opportunities that have been given to him since being dropped from the Zuffa roster.
“CES is great,” he stated. “They treat me very well and they give me good fights. They are very good to me and I’m their champion. I have no complaints about CES at all; they’re doing the right things.”
Howard’s battle with Woodhall headlines the CES: New Blood event this Friday, June 7 at the Twin River Casino in Lincoln, Rhode Island. Aside from the bout that could prove to be Howard’s send-off from CES and back to the UFC, CES has a stacked undercard filled with intriguing matchups.
The Ultimate Fighter reality TV series (TUF 13) standout and Bridgewater, Mass, resident Chuck “Cold Steel” O’Neil (10-5, 2 KOs) will square off against Andrew Osborne (6-5, 1 KO) in a welterweight encounter; Providence fighter Greg “Ribz” Rebello (15-4, 8 KOs) will lock horns with Lewis Rumsey (8-8, 4 KOs) in a light heavyweight encounter; a great intra-state showdown will also take place between East Providence, R.I., lightweight Nate “The Snake” Andrews (4-0, 2 KOs) and Lincoln veteran Jeff “Candyman” Anderson (11-7, 2 KOs).
“New Blood” also features four exciting bantamweight bouts, highlighted by the showdown between Andre Soukhamthath (4-1, 3 KOs) of Woonsocket, R.I., and Blair Tugman (5-4) of Branford, Conn. Soukhamthath has won four consecutive fights since losing his debut while Tugman is returning to the cage for the first time since April of 2011, when he lost to John McLaughlin at the Bellator Fighting Championships.
Also in the bantamweight division, highly-touted amateur Sophanarith Am will make his professional debut against Carlos Hernandez of Lynn, Mass., and Providence veteran Joe Reverdes (1-2) will fight Williamsport’s Joshua Aarons (1-6). In what could be one of the best fights on the undercard, veterans Pedro Gonzalez (7-5) of Rockport, Mass., and Sidemar Honario (8-3, 2 KOs) will square off in a three-round bantamweight bout.
Tickets for “New Blood” are $36.00, $56.00, $101.00 and $126.00 and can be purchased by calling CES at 401.724.2253/2254, online at www.shop.cesboxing.com or www.twinriver.com, at the Players Club booth at Twin River, or through any TicketMaster location. Doors open 6 p.m. with the first bout scheduled for 7.
(Twin River has waived its 18+ rule for “New Blood.” Anybody under the age of 18 must be accompanied by an adult and must enter through the West entrance).
Press Release – LINCOLN, R.I. (May 29th, 2013) — In what has been a long stretch of “must-win” fights for John “Doomsday” Howard since his release from the Ultimate Fighting Championships (UFC), another tough test looms on the horizon next Friday at Twin River Casino. The pressure is greater than ever as the Boston native […]
Press Release – LINCOLN, R.I. (May 29th, 2013) — In what has been a long stretch of “must-win” fights for John “Doomsday” Howard since his release from the Ultimate Fighting Championships (UFC), another tough test looms on the horizon next Friday at Twin River Casino.
The pressure is greater than ever as the Boston native Howard (19-7, 8 KOs) prepares for his main-event showdown with veteran Chris Woodall (12-3, 5 KOS) of Cummings, Ga., which will highlight Classic Entertainment & Sports’ “New Blood” mixed martial arts event scheduled for Friday, June 7th, 2013.
Tickets for “New Blood” are $36.00, $56.00, $101.00 and $126.00 and can be purchased by calling CES at 401.724.2253/2254, online at www.shop.cesboxing.com or www.twinriver.com, at the Players Club booth at Twin River, or through any TicketMaster location. Doors open 6 p.m. with the first bout scheduled for 7.
Since the UFC released him in 2011, Howard has won five consecutive fights, including the last four by knockout, putting him on the precipice of a possible return to the UFC. As fate would have it, the UFC is coming to Howard’s backyard in August at the TD Garden in an event that will air as the centerpiece of the launch of FOX Sports’ new 24-hour network, FOX Sports 1.\
UFC or no UFC, next Friday’s battle against Woodall is another big fight for Howard, not only to keep his win streak alive, but also to keep him at the head of the class among middleweights in the northeast. The 39-year-old Woodall brings plenty of experience to the table; next Friday, he’ll end a seven-year layoff, returning to the cage for the first time since August of 2006.
While next Friday’s event could serve as the final sendoff for Howard on his route back to the UFC, the undercard is loaded with tremendous regional matchups and intra-state showdowns, including the return of Providence light heavyweight Greg “Ribz” Rebello (15-4, 8 KOs) and Bridgewater, Mass., welterweight and former The Ultimate Fighter reality television series standout Chuck “Cold Steel” O’Neil (10-5, 2 KOs).
After knocking out hometown favorite Jesse Peterson in Maine in February, Rebello will face Williamsport, Pa., veteran Lewis Rumsey (8-8, 4 KOs) next Friday while O’Neil, fresh off his win over Rhode Island’s Keith Jeffrey in December, will face Andrew Osborne (6-5, 1 KO) of Fayetteville, N.C.
One of the best intra-state showdowns will take place between East Providence, R.I., lightweight Nate “The Snake” Andrews (4-0, 2 KOs) and Lincoln veteran Jeff “Candyman” Anderson (11-7, 2 KOs). Andrews has risen considerably in the past year with wins in each of his first four fights, but has yet to face anyone as experienced and as tough as Anderson; known for fighting the best opposition in the northeast, Anderson has wins over Damien Trites, John Ortolani and Pete Jeffrey on his resume, but has lost three consecutive bouts, albeit against Mike Campbell, Matt Bessette and Saul Almeida, who have combined for 36 wins.
“New Blood” also features four exciting bantamweight bouts, highlighted by the showdown between Andre Soukhamthath (4-1, 3 KOs) of Woonsocket, R.I., and Blair Tugman (5-4) of Branford, Conn. Soukhamthath has won four consecutive fights since losing his debut while Tugman is returning to the cage for the first time since April of 2011, when he lost to John McLaughlin at the Bellator Fighting Championships.
Also in the bantamweight division, highly-touted amateur Sophanarith Am will make his professional debut Carlos Hernandez of Lynn, Mass., and Providence veteran Joe Reverdes (1-2) – fighting for the first time since August – will fight Williamsport’s Joshua Aarons (1-6). In what could be one of the best fights on the undercard, veterans Pedro Gonzalez (7-5) of Rockport, Mass., and Sidemar Honario (8-3, 2 KOs) will square off in a three-round bantamweight bout.
After beating Thomas Evans in April, Coventry, R.I., featherweight Shaun Marmas (5-4) will step up to face undefeated Boston native Sergio Cabrera (2-0-1) in what will be Marmas’ toughest test to date. Providence welterweight Ruben Ortiz will make his highly-anticipated debut against fellow newcomer Brian Sparrow of Sandwich, Mass., and Eric Spicely (1-0) of Providence will take on newcomer Tundee Oduyingho of Johnston, R.I., in a welterweight bout. All fights and fighters are subject to change.
(Twin River has waived its 18+ rule for “New Blood.” Anybody under the age of 18 must be accompanied by an adult and must enter through the West entrance).
Twin River Casino is an exciting gaming, dining and entertainment destination, located in Lincoln, R.I., just 45 minutes from Boston and 10 minutes from Providence. Twin River features more than 4,700 slot machines, many virtual gaming options with black jack and roulette tables and more. This unique gaming facility also hosts simulcasting of the best thoroughbred and greyhound racing from around the country, a 29,000-plus square foot Twin River Event Center with headline entertainment, the legendary Catch a Rising Star Comedy Club, free concerts at the Lighthouse Bar, Fred & Steve’s Steakhouse and Wicked Good Bar & Grill, as well as 13 other dining outlets.
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