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GFL 4 Sept. 19th "New Rules" and some other cool shit.
On Sept 19th, GFL will bring yet another New and exciting aspect to the MMA world in NH. After several talks with the NH Boxing Commission, the GFL has been granted Unified rules for Main Events and "Featured Fights" This is a first in the History of the sport for NH to allow Unified rules in a sanctioned bout in our state. Not the UFC, Not Elite XC, K1, etc. But the GFL has brought you, again, more Awesomeness!
Now, the crappy news.....All fighters are now required to have their medicals done w… Continue
Now, the crappy news.....All fighters are now required to have their medicals done w… Continue
Posted by Dan Bonnell on June 29, 2009 at 9:33pm — 1 Comment
Published: June 14, 2009 11:51 pm ShareThisPrintThis 3 Resurrection Salisbury's Thistlewood victori…
Published: June 14, 2009 11:51 pm
ShareThisPrintThis
3
Resurrection
Salisbury's Thistlewood victorious at GFL 3
By Evan Mugford
staff writer
Salisbury native Kade Thistlewood isn't looking for anyone's sympathy. He isn't trying to conjure pity, and he isn't making any excuses.
Thistlewood, a 6-foot-4, 170-pound Global Fight League mixed martial artist, is looking for redemption, and he's on the fast track to earning it.
Life has been difficult for the gangly 25-year-old.
He was 3 when hi… Continue
ShareThisPrintThis
3
Resurrection
Salisbury's Thistlewood victorious at GFL 3
By Evan Mugford
staff writer
Salisbury native Kade Thistlewood isn't looking for anyone's sympathy. He isn't trying to conjure pity, and he isn't making any excuses.
Thistlewood, a 6-foot-4, 170-pound Global Fight League mixed martial artist, is looking for redemption, and he's on the fast track to earning it.
Life has been difficult for the gangly 25-year-old.
He was 3 when hi… Continue
Posted by kade"the rage thistlewood on June 20, 2009 at 10:54am — 1 Comment
Need Some Help
Brady Bonnell Born May 26th 2009 @ 10:28pm, 7 weeks premature.
Anyone who knows me personally knows I am an independent, do it yourself man.
I’m your typical don’t ask for directions, Learn the hard way guy. Where I lack ability and skill I make up for with such a big heart…
My Boy is fighting for his life right now at Brigham and Women’s, in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit. He was born 33 weeks into his Gestational period of growth at just a mere 4 lbs 3 oz. He was given steroids to speed his… Continue
Anyone who knows me personally knows I am an independent, do it yourself man.
I’m your typical don’t ask for directions, Learn the hard way guy. Where I lack ability and skill I make up for with such a big heart…
My Boy is fighting for his life right now at Brigham and Women’s, in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit. He was born 33 weeks into his Gestational period of growth at just a mere 4 lbs 3 oz. He was given steroids to speed his… Continue
Posted by Dan Bonnell on June 1, 2009 at 2:37pm — 7 Comments
More GFL 4 info in the Forum
GFL 4 information posted in the forum.
Taking names for the next show Now!
Taking names for the next show Now!
Posted by Dan Bonnell on May 23, 2009 at 12:52pm
GFL 4 September
With the great demand of fighters looking to fight on this GFL 3 show we have reached our max # of fights for the June 12th show and thus i will begin matchmaking for GFL 4 in September now.
If you are interested in Fighting on the next show, please contact me now either via email (danbonnell@yahoo.com) phone 978 815 4399, or message me here at www.GFLMMA.com
If you are interested in Fighting on the next show, please contact me now either via email (danbonnell@yahoo.com) phone 978 815 4399, or message me here at www.GFLMMA.com
Posted by Dan Bonnell on May 20, 2009 at 2:55pm
Forum
GFL 4 September 19th Concord NH 6 Replies
Started by Dan Bonnell. Last reply by Brian Wilmoth Jul 1.
GFL 3 1 Reply
Started by SOUCY. Last reply by Brent Bergeron Jun 23.
GFL 3 3 Replies
Started by Devin. Last reply by kade"the rage thistlewood Jun 16.
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NEW ENGLAND FIGHTS RADIO
NEF 27 - WCF7
Rick takes over the airwaves and invites the coach of Team Bombdsquad, Ryan Ciotoli, along for the ride. Join the guys as they review the upcoming World Championship Fighting 7 featuring a main event bout between Dan "The Ghost" Keefe and Woody Weatherby.
NEF 26 - WCF 6 Roundtable
Tune in for the first ever NEF roundtable discussion! Mike Littlefield and Tim O'Connor join Matt and Rick to breakdown WCF 6. Also, the guys give away another pair of tickets to WCF 6!
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Check out this Profile of Matt Smith; GFL Fighter and Owner of Smitty's Wrestling Barn!
Watch UFC 100 for Free This Saturday at The Mad River Tavern
July 11, 2009 at 10pm to July 12, 2009 at 1am
Come Join the GFL in their two favorite bars Mad River Tavern in Amesbury and Jillian's Manchester to watch UFC 100 for free. You can call in advance to reserve a table or just walk in- See you there for the greatest night of fights- in history ...
Watch UFC 100 for Free This Saturday at The Mad River Tavern
July 11, 2009 at 10pm to July 12, 2009 at 1am
Come Join the GFL in their two favorite bars Mad River Tavern in Amesbury and Jillian's Manchester to watch UFC 100 for free. You can call in advance to reserve a table or just walk in- See you there for the greatest night of fights- in history ...
It's the biggest event in mixed martial arts history, and for UFC® 100, the Ultimate Fighting Championship is bringing out the big guns. Two championships will be on the line when UFC® heavyweight title holder Brock Lesnar defends his crown agains...
Looking for fighters!
Looking For Fighters!Hello GFL community members,
GFL has had their meeting with the NH state boxing commission. Everything went as expected and we are about to sign a deal with a fantastic venue in southern NH.Once that is complete we will be choosing date late in 2008, for our inaugural promotion. Currently we are looking Ring Girls, Fighters!
You can contact us through this site. Just sign up and shoot us a message. If you have serious interest in growing with what promises to be New England's most exciting MMA Fight Promotion please send Resume, including all contact information, headshots, and Promo video to:
Global Fight League
P.O. Box 159
Amesbury, Ma. 01913
Find more videos like this on Global Fight League Thanks and look forward to hearing from you!- GFL
MMA NEWS
Michael Schiavello Talks K-1, HDNet and Competition Among Combat Sports
Posted Jul 08, 2009 2:40PM By Michael David Smith Michael Schiavello is well known in much of the world as the English-language voice of Japan's K-1 kickboxing, but in the United States, kickboxing is a small niche sport. In an interview in advance of K-1's July 13 event, I caught up with Schiavello for an interview to discuss where kickboxing is now, both in the United States and the rest of the world, and where it could go if it capitalizes on the boom in popularity of MMA and on its U.S. television deal with HDNet. The full interview is below. www.mma.fanhouse.comGegard Mousasi: ‘My Opponents Can’t Hurt Me’
July 8, 2009 by Cory Brady Gegard Mousasi is hands down one of the least talked about top talents in the sport today. Widely regarded my many of the MMA hardcore as one of the very best pound for pound fighters in the world, Mousasi plans on taking his respect as he prepares for the most high profile bout of his twenty eight fight career to date. The extremely dangerous Dutch-Armenian will be looking to celebrate his twenty fourth birthday in style as he faces off with the top rated Renato “Babalu” Sobral in a light-heavyweight match-up on August 1 in Anaheim, California as part of the “Affliction: Trilogy” main card. It would be impossible for Gegard to not have a certain level of confidence going into the bout with Babalu following a dozen consecutive victories, but according to the Red Devil trained brawler, training alongside the greatest fighter on the planet has done wonders for his mind-set. www.fiveouncesofpain.comHDNet Fights Video Vault: Nam Phan vs. Michihiro Omigawa at Sengoku grand prix
by MMAjunkie.com Staff on Jul 07, 2009 at 5:10 pm ET In our latest installment of HDNet Fights Video Vault, we revisit a recent May 2 fight between Nam Phan and Michihiro Omigawa at World Victory Road's Sengoku Eighth Battle event. The bout, which took place at the Yoyogi National Gymnasium in Tokyo, Japan, was part of the organization's still-ongoing 2009 featherweight grand prix, which commenced in March. Phan, a Strikeforce veteran, got through the first round of the tournament with a TKO win over Hideki Kadowaki to set up the fight with Omigawa, a former UFC fighter who upset L.C. Davis and delivered the IFL vet just his second career loss in their opening-round bout. Each week HDNet and MMAjunkie.com release a new and exclusive fight from the ever-growing HDNet Fights video library. Stunning knockouts, slick submissions and shocking finishes are the norm for this weekly feature, and the Phan vs. Omigawa fight is no exception. During an eight-year career, Phan counted the elite of MMA among his few losses, including notables such as Josh Thomson, Rob McCullough and Gesias Cavalcante. With a 15-5 record, he was considered the favorite over Omigawa, who (despite the victory over Davis), was just 1-3-1 in his previous five fights and 5-7-1 overall. Would Phan pick up his fourth win in five fights, or would Omigawa pull off another upset victory? Check out the embedded clip for the answer. www.mmajunkie.comDel Rosario talks M-1 Challenge playoffs, possible move to light heavyweight, and Strikeforce in new interview
Posted on Wednesday, July 8, 2009 Shane Del Rosario is looking to follow in the footsteps of Brett Rogers and Brock Lesnar as new heavyweights to break into the top ten. Watch his evolution as a fighter continue July 4 on Internet PPV courtesy of M-1Global.com There has been a great deal of change within the world heavyweight landscape within the past 12 months. While notables such as Tim Sylvia and Andrei Arlovski have taken steps back after multiple losses, new blood such as Brock Lesnar, Brett Rogers, Cain Velasquez, and Shane Carwin have all ascended through the world heavyweight rankings. One fighter that is right on their heels is USA West heavyweight Shane Del Rosario. Rosario, a former high school basketball standout and professional Muay Thai fighter, improved his pro MMA record to 7-0 with a first round TKO on July 4 in South Korea. Facing Russian heavyweight Maxim Grishin, the EliteXC veteran needed just 21 seconds to record a TKO victory. The win was the sixth first round finish of his career and preserved Del Rosario’s perfect streak of never having had a fight go to the judges. A leading member of Colin Oyama’s Team Oyama in Orange County, Calif., Del Rosario is not only one of the brightest prospects in the M-1 Challenge, but in all of MMA. M-1Global.com recently sat down with Del Rosario for an exclusive interview. www.m-1global.comMatt Jaggers vs. Chan Sung Jung grand prix reserve bout set for Sengoku Ninth Battle
by MMAjunkie.com Staff on Jul 07, 2009 at 9:30 am ET A bout between Chan Sung Jung (6-1) and Matt Jaggers (11-5) that will serve as the night's featherweight grand prix reserve bout is set for World Victory Road's upcoming Sengoku Ninth Battle event. The Aug. 2 event features the semifinals and finale of the organization's featherweight tournament and takes place at the Saitama Super Arena in Saitama, Japan. Jaggers was eliminated in the first round of the 16-slot tournament in March, and Jung was eliminated in the second round two months later. The winner of the Jung vs. Jaggers reserve fight could get a second life in the grand prix if any advancing fighters are unable to continue in the tournament, which concludes with the semifinals and grand finale at Sengoku Ninth Battle. Jaggers, who most recently defeated Peter Dominguez via first-round submission at Bellator Fighting Championships' May 1 event, was knocked out of the grand prix when he was submitted by Marlon Sandro (who meets Michihiro Omigawa in a semifinal fight). Prior to the loss, the King of the Cage and EliteXC veteran had won eight of his previous 10 fights (six via stoppage). He now meets Jung, whose six-fight win streak came to an end when he was stopped via unanimous decision by Masanori Kanehara (who meets Hatsu Hioki in the semifinals) in the second round of the tourney. It was the first loss of the DEEP and Pancrase veteran's two-year career and followed a submission win over Shintaro Ishiwatari in the grand prix's opening round. The latest Sengoku Ninth Battle card now includes: www.mmajunkie.comNichols and GFL newcomers highlight ‘Live Free and Fight’
On Friday, June 12th at the Capitol Center for the Arts, the third chapter of the Global Fight League was set in stone.
Coined as GFL 3 “Live Free and Fight”, the showcase was a rapid-fire 13 fight conflagration of the region’s top prospective mixed martial artists that was finalized with another impressive showing by Somerville’s 19-year-old, 185-lb time bomb, Scott Nichols, who systematically wore down his opponent, Haverhill’s Ben Hudson, in the main event.
Unlike Hudson’s previous two GFL fights, his out-of-the-gates cadence appeared calmed, and the earth-shattering collision that most GFL fans were expecting never quite happened. Despite the absence of an impromptu flying knee or Superman punch, the fighters clashed, serving up shots in sporadic intervals with none landing too solid.
Unfortunately for Nichols, the power behind the toss was too much, and Hudson used the extra momentum to twist his way into Nichols’ full guard. After some Hudson ground and pound and a Nichols guillotine attempt, the action slowed and the referee stood the fighters up.
The fighters flailed punches at one another until Hudson dove in for the takedown. Again showing his hip power, Nichols reversed it and worked his ground game, eventually securing side mount. He rained down a few glancing shots, but Hudson squeezed his way out and climbed to his feet as the first round bell tolled.
A visibly gassed Hudson, who had been grabbing his knees at the conclusion of the first round, appeared worse for wear. Following a slip and a telegraphed Hudson overhand just moments into the round, the altercation moved drastically into Nichols’ court. Nichols spun onto Hudson’s back, sunk in his hooks, and following a pair of head shots, slipped in a rear naked choke for the win at 58 seconds of the second round.
“But all in all, I think we did a good job of giving the fans a show; transitioning from the ground to the feet,” said Nichols. “It was a good fight and a better win. I’m proud of it, and it was nice to actually finish someone.”
The first was a 155-lb match-up between Jimmy ‘Jimbo Slice’ Davidson (Sityodtong) and Mike Jacobs (Green Stout MMA).
Davidson was a man on a mission from the start; securing a takedown, and quickly transitioning from side mount to full mount. Jacobs was able to reverse, but Davidson brought it back to the ground, and gained full mount against the cage. Jacobs spun to his chest to avoid the onslaught, and it took Davidson seconds to lock hooks and sink in the rear naked choke at 1:36 in the first round.
The second amateur match was a 185-lb duel between Sean Nichols (BMAC) and Nick Vaughn (Ravenous).
Despite nearly going the distance, this fight was controlled by Vaughn nearly the entire way, as he continually pressed for the takedown, and did a fine job of ground transition with the occasional flash of ground and pound. Nichols weathered the storm well, and though he ended the second round with an apparently tight guillotine attempt, he spent most of the night going for escapes and parrying Vaughn’s ground strikes.
Both fighters were winded by the third, but ‘Sick Nick’ had enough left in the tank to manage a make-shift guillotine that concluded the fight at 1:47 in round three.
Launching the professional portion of the card was a 170-lb showdown between Kade Thistlewood (Cage Strikers) and Keith Bishop (Ragefighter Academy) – both of whom were making their professional debut.
Barnaby wasted no time going for the takedown, but put too much into it and Bergeron twisted into Barnaby’s guard. It was short-lived however, as Barnaby quickly reversed, eventually transitioning into back mount. Barnaby sunk in his hooks, flattened Bergeron on the mat, and combined heavy lefts and rights until the ref stopped it at 59 seconds in the initial round.
Christian Rivera (Wai Kru/Green Stout MMA) faced off against Trevor Stone (Seacoast BJJ) in the 135-lb weight class.
After some clinching to open the round, Stone secured the takedown, moved into side mount, and began working some ground and pound. Rivera ate some punches, but nearly grabbed an arm-bar in the process. Stone broke free and worked a heel hook, but Rivera escaped and then transitioned into a guillotine attempt. Stone slammed his way out of it, but was reversed by Rivera who readily followed up with another guillotine. Stone escaped just as the first round came to a halt.
The two fighters clinched to begin the second, and after some dirty boxing, the two separated and began trading leather with a myriad of looping hooks. Rivera landed the better of the wild exchange and stole momentum as he fixed a takedown and worked his transition game. ‘Lil Papi’ Rivera looked commanding as he continually shifted from full mount to back mount, and a weary Stone was unable to escape from Rivera’s body triangle. Following some well-placed shots, Rivera found his mark, drove his forearm beneath Stone’s chin, and forced Stone to tap via rear naked choke at 3:21 of the second round.
After thanking his fans and promoting the Chucky’s Fight website, Rivera called out PMA/Renzo NH fighter, Matt Smith.
“Me and Matt were supposed to fight last December, but because I had a fractured rib, me, Scott, and Dan had a talk and we figured it would be best if I sat it out and waited for it to heal,” said Rivera, a native of Gloucester, MA. “We figured two fights would be a good interval, and then the Matt Smith match-up would happen.
“I’d like to keep it standing, but I understand how Matt likes to fight, and I’ll be ready for whatever he brings. People like to underestimate me, so that’s fine. But I think my power will help me out when we meet.”
Josh Hersey (Cage Strikers) and Steve Butler (Dragon Warrior) collided in the 155-lb division, and for the second straight GFL, a Hersey fight ended with uncertainty.
The fighters met with fists flying, but a Butler takedown thwarted Hersey’s stand-up scheme. Immediately after Butler hopped into half mount, Hersey scrambled and made it to his feet where the fighters once again traded; with Hersey connecting on a flurry of straights. Butler dove in for the takedown, rose up, and slammed Hersey down in a deafening heap.
The aftermath, other than Hersey being awarded a knock-out victory at 28 seconds of the first round, remains a mystery (or until video is reviewed). Speculation is divided: either Butler knocked himself unconscious with the takedown, or Hersey, following the takedown, knocked out Butler with a right cross while in Butler’s guard.
“In comparison to what happened last time,” recalled Hersey, who lost his last GFL match due to a quick ref stoppage, “I couldn’t really care. It’s a win for me. I’m just glad it went in my favor.”
At 140-lbs, the match between D.J. Grimes (The Shop) and Keith Rodriguez (Team Fury) also ended with controversy; albeit with sound and clear reasoning.
The first round featured Grimes connecting with punches early, and between the fighters trading takedowns, Rodriquez landed several knees in the clinch. Following a Grimes slam, the Shop fighter transitioned into a knee-bar. The fighters untangled, and separated into stand-up as the round expired.
The next match was between Matt Smith (PMA/Renzo NH) and Jose Sanchez (Fenix Fight Club) in the 135-lb weight class, and it was a welcome debut for GFL newcomer, Smith.
“It didn’t seem that fast,” said Smith, a 25-year-old native of Danville, NH. “I actually thought it was much longer than 21 seconds, but as soon as we hit the mat, he left an arm hanging and I just hit the arm-bar.”
“It’s nice to have someone step up,” said Smith, who is now 5-2 professionally. “It gets old when people drop out against me and don’t want to take fights, so I’m glad he stepped up and I appreciate it. It’s going to be a tough fight for him though.”
Josh Spearman (Dragon Warrior) and Peter Cole (Bomb Squad) squared off in the 120-lb division.
The second was a tighter affair as Spearman secured the takedown and moved to full mount before Cole reversed and fell into Spearman’s guard. After a ref stand-up, the fighters collided with a torrent of hooks and blows before Cole ducked in for the takedown. Spearman reversed and went for the guillotine, but Cole scrambled, and dished out effective ground strikes before the round concluded.
In the 145-lb division, Justin Homsey (PMA/Renzo NH) faced Joe Brennan (Extreme MMA).
The first round began with a huge Superman punch by ‘The Ego’ Fisette, and followed up with a takedown and immediate ground strikes. Fortier scrambled and the fighters were back on their feet. Fisette secured another takedown and dished out more ground and pound, but Fortier remained calm, and narrowly missed a triangle choke.
The second began with a Fortier takedown. The fighters reversed back and forth, but Fortier ended up in side mount, went for a kimura, and then transitioned to another knee-bar while Fisette retaliated with a heel hook submission. Fortier rolled out and once again found full mount. More accurate ground and pound was delivered, and a scrambling Fisette could only force north/south positioning. Fisette collected full guard, but Fortier passed into side mount. Fisette spent the rest of the round fighting from his back, defending Fortier’s attempts to transition.
Whereas Fisette began the first round with a strong punch, Fortier began the third with a pair of stiff jabs that appeared to rattle Fisette. Fortier dove in for the takedown, and in full guard, began to crank Fisette’s neck. Half guard turned into side mount, which in turn led to hard Fortier strikes. The remainder of the fight witnessed Fisette doing his best to escape, but Fortier held strong, securing back mounts and timely ground and pound, and was consequently award the unanimous decision to a chorus of pleased fight fans.
GFL matchmaker, Dan Bonnell, and GFL president, Scott Millette, were both elated with the event’s outcome, and cited specific moments as personal highlights.
“My favorite moments had to be when ‘Sweet Caroline’ came on, and even when the fight resumed, the crowd kept singing the chorus,” explained Millette. “Also the Matt Smith fight, and how he brought many of his young wrestlers down to the ring with him – those two moments helped distinguish the GFL from your typical surly fight card, to an actual family event. It was really great to see, and over all I was just stoked; Matsuda looked great, the Fortier/Fisette fight was awesome; I was impressed by all the fights.”
In addition to commenting on the GFL’s presentation, Bonnell also noted the continuing emergence of the GFL’s youngest fighter.
“Scotty Nichols shocked people with the Fisette win, and again went into the Hudson fight as a huge underdog in many people’s eyes,” said Bonnell, “but the way he stepped in and competed, it was just awesome.
“I thought the opening was ridiculous,” said Bonnell. “It seemed like a Pride show of old. This wasn’t simply a ‘welcome to this organization, here are the fights’, this was a genuine show. It looked and sounded great.”
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Watch UFC 100 for Free This Saturday
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Find more videos like this on Global Fight League
THE GLOBAL FIGHT LEAGUE IS PROUD TO ANNOUNCE A PARTNERSHIP WITH 100.3 WHEB ON THE SEACOAST AND ROCK 101 WGIR INLAND.
Find more videos like this on Global Fight League
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The best bartender/mattress salesman/rock star/cage fighter in Portsmouth
Meet Cyrus Clark, an undefeated mixed martial arts champion ... after one fight
Cyrus Clark is not a fighter.
Sure, he's had a few scraps in his life (10 by his count). But he claims he's never started one. And with his laid-back, skater-dude demeanor, he's the last guy you'd expect to see throwing down.But there he was earlier this year, moments before his mixed martial arts debut, hopping up and down like a madman, ready to rip his opponent's head off.
"It was pretty sudden for all of us," said Ted Roberts, Clark's friend from Portsmouth High School. "He wasn't a wimp, but he wasn't the kind of guy going around picking fights."
"Starting his career at 32, I think, was pretty funny," said Jay Krecklow, another longtime friend.
Clark, a lifelong Portsmouth resident and drummer for the band The Han Solos, used to watch mixed martial arts on TV at the Daniel Street Tavern, where he has bartended for the past 2½ years. But it wasn't until he and Krecklow attended a fight at the Ioka Theater in Exeter last year that he came up with his crazy idea.
"Immediately after that, that's all I kept talking about — how I wanted to do it," Clark said. "I had watched UFC, but then once I saw it in real life, it was way better, and I wanted to do it."
So Clark got a hold of Scott Millette of Hampton, who runs the 8-month-old Global Fight League, and told him he wanted to fight at the group's February show at the Capitol Center in Concord .
"He was like, 'No, no, the card's lined up,' and there was really no room for me." Then, suddenly, there was an opening. One of the fighters scheduled for the show had to pull out after losing by technical knockout in another fight.
Millette called Clark. "Here's your chance," he said.
As they approach their mid-30s, it's not unusual for men to try out extreme activities like sky diving or bungee jumping in an attempt to cling to their fading youth. But that's not Clark. He did it for the fun of it, and because, as his friend Roberts noted, it would give him a great story to tell to every girl he meets.
But in order to have a story to tell, Clark had to win the fight. And it wasn't going to be easy, as he only had two weeks to get ready, and no experience as an MMA fighter. He scarcely had time to get the required medical paperwork together, let alone train.
Cyrus had worked briefly as a bouncer, but dealing with drunks isn't much of a challenge.
("It's like handling a 6 year old," he said.) Other than that, his only physical training was running regularly, and carting around mattresses for his day job at National Discount Mattress on Islington Street.
What he did have, though, is a lot of what his friend Krecklow calls "pent-up aggression." And some experience getting beaten up as a kid by his older brother.
To get Clark ready for the fight, Millette took him to a gym in Haverhill, Mass.
"They beat the crap out of Cyrus for three weeks," Millette said.
"He gave me a crash course in stand-up boxing," Clark said. This entailed how to stand, where to hold his hands, and how to protect himself. "There's definitely an art to that."
When Clark broke a rib sparring just four days before his fight, he kept his mouth shut, afraid he might lose his chance to fight.
"I didn't realize at first I had broken a rib," he said. "Then it started to hurt. I definitely knew I was still gonna fight, though. I wanted to bad enough. I was afraid I wouldn't get another chance." For his corner team, Clark hooked up with Team Burgess at the weigh-in on Friday, the night before the fight. Then he worked his regular shift at the mattress store.
Saturday morning, a few hours before the bout, Team Burgess gave him his game plan for the fight. That helped him stay calm. It also helped that he had experience playing in a band.
"I know what it's like stepping out onto the stage," he said. "It was just a different event." The night of the fight, a group of friends showed up to support Clark.
"He was pretty pumped up," said Jason Stiles, his boss at the Daniel Street Tavern. "He was in the zone. He walked right past us." Physically, Clark seemed to match up pretty well against his opponent — at 6 feet tall, he had a 3-inch height advantage, and they both weighed in the neighborhood of 175 pounds.
Still, "Me and pretty much the rest of my friends all thought he was going to get his a** kicked," Roberts said.
When the fight started, it flashed through Clark's mind that he was going to have to try to kill the other guy, or be killed himself.
His plan had been to box, but the punches he was throwing kept missing. His opponent, on the other hand, had little difficulty landing a number of strong punches. Eventually, Clark grabbed the guy around the waist and pulled him to the ground.
Once on the mat, Clark managed to get his opponent in a full nelson. His cornermen started screaming, "Choke him out, baby" — a legal MMA move in which one fighter wraps his arm around the other's throat and chokes him into submission.
A minute and 20 seconds into the fight, Clark's opponent tapped-out, signaling that he was giving up.
Clark leapt into the air. As the referee raised his hands in victory, he pointed to his supporters in the crowd.
Despite his easy win, Clark said he has no plans to fight again.
"I'm already working 55 hours a week," he pointed out. "To really do MMA, you need to give 20 to 40 hours a week. There's no way. I'm officially retired, undefeated." Millette said he'd love to see Clark fight again. In fact, the GFL is building a new campaign, "So you want to be a Global Fighter?" around Clark's sudden success.
Still, Millette figures it's unlikely that he'll lure Clark back into the ring.
"He just wanted to do it once," he said. "He pretty much likened it to the top three experiences in his life, next to losing his virginity — he couldn't think of the third one."
By Marc Fortier
May 03, 2009 6:00 AM
Sign up to be part of the GFL community- What is it? Well its place where you can socialize with fans, and fighters from all over the Globe sharing one common bond- MMA. So whether you want to learn a new move from inside the ring, or your checking up on events, or schools in your area the GFL community takes you inside the CAGE!
Every Week Watch Inside MMA - Here on the GFL WEBSITE
Cyrus Clark is not a fighter.
Sure, he's had a few scraps in his life (10 by his count). But he claims he's never started one. And with his laid-back, skater-dude demeanor, he's the last guy you'd expect to see throwing down.But there he was earlier this year, moments before his mixed martial arts debut, hopping up and down like a madman, ready to rip his opponent's head off.
"It was pretty sudden for all of us," said Ted Roberts, Clark's friend from Portsmouth High School. "He wasn't a wimp, but he wasn't the kind of guy going around picking fights."
"Starting his career at 32, I think, was pretty funny," said Jay Krecklow, another longtime friend.
Clark, a lifelong Portsmouth resident and drummer for the band The Han Solos, used to watch mixed martial arts on TV at the Daniel Street Tavern, where he has bartended for the past 2½ years. But it wasn't until he and Krecklow attended a fight at the Ioka Theater in Exeter last year that he came up with his crazy idea.
"Immediately after that, that's all I kept talking about — how I wanted to do it," Clark said. "I had watched UFC, but then once I saw it in real life, it was way better, and I wanted to do it."
So Clark got a hold of Scott Millette of Hampton, who runs the 8-month-old Global Fight League, and told him he wanted to fight at the group's February show at the Capitol Center in Concord .
"He was like, 'No, no, the card's lined up,' and there was really no room for me." Then, suddenly, there was an opening. One of the fighters scheduled for the show had to pull out after losing by technical knockout in another fight.
Millette called Clark. "Here's your chance," he said.
As they approach their mid-30s, it's not unusual for men to try out extreme activities like sky diving or bungee jumping in an attempt to cling to their fading youth. But that's not Clark. He did it for the fun of it, and because, as his friend Roberts noted, it would give him a great story to tell to every girl he meets.
But in order to have a story to tell, Clark had to win the fight. And it wasn't going to be easy, as he only had two weeks to get ready, and no experience as an MMA fighter. He scarcely had time to get the required medical paperwork together, let alone train.
Cyrus had worked briefly as a bouncer, but dealing with drunks isn't much of a challenge.
("It's like handling a 6 year old," he said.) Other than that, his only physical training was running regularly, and carting around mattresses for his day job at National Discount Mattress on Islington Street.
What he did have, though, is a lot of what his friend Krecklow calls "pent-up aggression." And some experience getting beaten up as a kid by his older brother.
To get Clark ready for the fight, Millette took him to a gym in Haverhill, Mass.
"They beat the crap out of Cyrus for three weeks," Millette said.
"He gave me a crash course in stand-up boxing," Clark said. This entailed how to stand, where to hold his hands, and how to protect himself. "There's definitely an art to that."
When Clark broke a rib sparring just four days before his fight, he kept his mouth shut, afraid he might lose his chance to fight.
"I didn't realize at first I had broken a rib," he said. "Then it started to hurt. I definitely knew I was still gonna fight, though. I wanted to bad enough. I was afraid I wouldn't get another chance." For his corner team, Clark hooked up with Team Burgess at the weigh-in on Friday, the night before the fight. Then he worked his regular shift at the mattress store.
Saturday morning, a few hours before the bout, Team Burgess gave him his game plan for the fight. That helped him stay calm. It also helped that he had experience playing in a band.
"I know what it's like stepping out onto the stage," he said. "It was just a different event." The night of the fight, a group of friends showed up to support Clark.
"He was pretty pumped up," said Jason Stiles, his boss at the Daniel Street Tavern. "He was in the zone. He walked right past us." Physically, Clark seemed to match up pretty well against his opponent — at 6 feet tall, he had a 3-inch height advantage, and they both weighed in the neighborhood of 175 pounds.
Still, "Me and pretty much the rest of my friends all thought he was going to get his a** kicked," Roberts said.
When the fight started, it flashed through Clark's mind that he was going to have to try to kill the other guy, or be killed himself.
His plan had been to box, but the punches he was throwing kept missing. His opponent, on the other hand, had little difficulty landing a number of strong punches. Eventually, Clark grabbed the guy around the waist and pulled him to the ground.
Once on the mat, Clark managed to get his opponent in a full nelson. His cornermen started screaming, "Choke him out, baby" — a legal MMA move in which one fighter wraps his arm around the other's throat and chokes him into submission.
A minute and 20 seconds into the fight, Clark's opponent tapped-out, signaling that he was giving up.
Clark leapt into the air. As the referee raised his hands in victory, he pointed to his supporters in the crowd.
Despite his easy win, Clark said he has no plans to fight again.
"I'm already working 55 hours a week," he pointed out. "To really do MMA, you need to give 20 to 40 hours a week. There's no way. I'm officially retired, undefeated." Millette said he'd love to see Clark fight again. In fact, the GFL is building a new campaign, "So you want to be a Global Fighter?" around Clark's sudden success.
Still, Millette figures it's unlikely that he'll lure Clark back into the ring.
"He just wanted to do it once," he said. "He pretty much likened it to the top three experiences in his life, next to losing his virginity — he couldn't think of the third one."
By Marc Fortier
May 03, 2009 6:00 AM
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