(Editor's note: this is the first of several preview entries that we will post throughout the next two days on this event)

Staff persons at Bellator Fighting Championship confirmed that the welterweight bout between UFC veteran Joe Riggs (39-14) and Strikeforce veteran Mike Bronzoulis (15-5-1) scheduled for Bellator 98 on Sept. 7 at Mohegan Sun in Uncasville was cancelled. Different media sources stated that Riggs, who has also fought with Strikeforce, sustained an eye injury.

The fight, which has been postponed to an undetermined date, is the finale for Bellator's Fight Master television program (essentially the organization's own version of The Ultimate Fighter with the variant of using four coaches rather than two).

The coaches for the program, which debuted this year, include UFC legend Randy Couture, famed MMA trainer Greg Jackson, former UFC middleweight champion Frank Shamrock and former Bellator featherweight champion Joe Warren.

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When Danbury resident Glover Teixeira knocked out Ryan Bader in the first round of the main bout of the UFC event on Fox Sports 1 this week, he apparently secured a shot at the winner of the forthcoming fight between UFC Light Heavyweight belt holder Jon Jones and challenger Alexander Gustafsson.

As Herb Dean waved off the fight at about three minutes into the round, Teixeira's winning streak effectively increased to 20 fights. The 33-year-old Brazilian native, who testified at the state capitol this year in favor of passing the bill sanctioning MMA in Connecticut, now has a 20-2 record following what is now his fifth fight with the UFC.

Bader and Teixeira both attempted takedowns before focusing on strikes. Each man attempted a head kick and Bader at first appeared dominant during the climatic striking exchange. During a protracted exchange of punches in which Teixeira was pinned against the fence, he managed to hit Bader on the chin and stun him following a short punching combination. Teixeira then landed blows on Bader, who had his hands up as he lay on the ground, before Dean ended the fight.

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Milford native Nick Newell, who is now competing as a lightweight with NBC's World Series of Fighting, made an impression on Saturday night with his first-round submission by rear naked choke of Keon Caldwell. Not only was it an impressive finish during an event on national television sponsored by one of the UFC's only real competitors (I know this could be healthily debated), but he accomplished this despite obstacles that many would find daunting; particularly athletes.

Newell, who now has a 10-0 professional MMA record as a result of his bout on Aug. 10, is a congenital amputee with no left arm above the elbow. This has not stopped him from amassing an impressive wrestling record through high school and college as well as earning his brown belt in BJJ. With his WSF debut, he is now in the national spotlight and poised to accomplish much. We look forward to posting an interview with him at the site one of these days.

He is not alone. Kyle Maynard, who was born with no arms or legs, pursued college wrestling and one MMA bout. Try watching the documentary A Fighting Chance, which details his fight, or read his auto biography No Excuses; both are humbling. More details on his amazing story may be found here; http://kyle-maynard.com/about-kyle/.

Here in Connecticut, I have also had the pleasure of making Ian Cannon's acquaintance. Despite having cerebral palsy and being in a wheelchair, he has established the organization Rolling with the Punches, which provides therapeutic boxing training for disabled people. He even competed in an exhibition match at the First Willie Pep Classic about two years ago in Hartford. His Facebook page is here; https://www.facebook.com/ianshku?fref=ts.

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Sources with the state legislature confirmed yesterday that Governor Dan Malloy signed Public Act 13-259 (formerly House Bill 5277) into law on July 11, making Mixed Martial Arts legal in Connecticut. Although he went on record with media sources as stating that he did not particularly enjoy the sport, he signed the bill 15 days after receiving it on June 26 -- had he taken no action, it would have automatically become a law, according to legislative sources.
This was the fifth time that legislators attempted to pass the bill. Former West Hartford Mayor Jonathan Harris attempted to get a bill passed sanctioning the sport in 2009 while he served as a state senator.
Here at www.nutmegmma.com we have previous blog entries and archived stories detailing the process.
Bill Vigil, president of the AMMO Fight League in Glastonbury, called it a great day for the state's MMA community, adding that his organization would be hosting its first MMA event at either the end of this year or in early 2014. He expressed concern regarding health provisions in a related budget bill that would make MMA organizations responsible for all the healths costs incurred by a fighter from an event.
In future articles at this site, we plan to examine how the law functions as it takes effect on Oct. 1.

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In my most recent blog entry, I reported that Governor Dan Malloy signed the proposed bill sanctioning MMA in Connecticut. This is incorrect; it has been assigned a public act number but not yet signed. The blog entry has been ammended to include the correct information and I apologize to our readers.

I regret the error and hope it will not diminish enjoyment of the site.

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House Bill 5277, which was proposed this year and passed both houses in the Connecticut State Legislature, was assigned Public Act 13-259 on June 19. After five attempts by state legislators, Mixed Martial Arts as a sport is now the closest it has yet come to being legal in Connecticut outside of the state's Indian reservations(the text for the act may be found here; http://www.cga.ct.gov/2013/ACT/PA/2013PA-00259-R00HB-05277-PA.htm).

If Governor Dan Malloy signs it, only New York will remain as a state where MMA is illegal. On some e-boards posters have commented that passage in Connecticut would likely provide the impetus required for New York to legalize the sport.

"I expected it," said Bill Vigil, owner of AMMO Fight League in Glastonbury, regarding the bill's progress. "Connecticut needs any opportunity that is presented to bring income to this state."

But what will happen next if it is passed?

Some people connected with the industry have expressed concern regarding a state budget provision that would require MMA organizations to pay health costs incurred by fighters from events.

Joe Cuff, the matchmaker and a spokesperson for the Marlborough-based MMA organization Reality Fighting/NAGA, said it was standard for state athletic commissions to require promotions to insure fighters. He added that it varied between states.

He speculated publicly to other media, however, about to what extent the state would require organizations to pay. He and Vigil commented to www.nutmegmma.com on June 19 that they were still forming an opinion on the health provisions, which were proposed as part of House Bill 6706 (now Public Act 13-247).

Vigil said that he and representatives of other organizations were discussing whether to wait until next year to hold an event in Connecticut. He said they want to observe how the public act will operate in practice if it is signed, adding that he hoped the state's regulations would not prove burdensome on smaller promotions.

(Editor's note: this blog entry contained a major error when it was first posted. I apologize to our readers).

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During the final day of this year's legislative session, the state senate approved a bill legalizing MMA in Connecticut. The bill, which the senate approved by a 26-9 vote on June 5, awaits final approval by Governor Dan Malloy as of press time.

State Senator Andres Ayala and State Representative Charles Clemons proposed House Bill 5277 in January, which marks the fifth attempt by Connecticut law makers to legalize the sport in Connecticut (a previous article on this topic may be found at http://www.nutmegmma.com/Spring-Summer2012_Archive2.html). The Mohegan Sun and Foxwoods resorts are able to host MMA events because they are located on Indian reservations, which are considered federally protected sovereign states and have tribal gaming commissions.

“Bringing MMA to Connecticut means two things: economic activity and jobs," said Ayala in a prepared statement. "This is the fastest growing sport in the nation, and the hundreds of thousands of Connecticut MMA fans are eagerly awaiting the opportunity to view these events in their home state.”

The bill passed the House on May 7 by 117 to 26. During public testimony on the bill, it faced ouspoken opposition by union represenatives.

Lori Pelletier, a spokesperson for the AFL-CIO, stated during public testimony given earlier in the process that the UFC had a bad past record in its labor dealings. She also criticized MMA in general for condoning violence, racism, mysogyny and homophobia.

UFC Chairman & CEO Lorenzo Fertitta thanked Danbury resident and fighter Glover Teixeira for his lobbying efforts in Hartford.

During the latest session, another proposal mentions the subject. House Bill 6706, which contains provisions for the two-year state budget ending in 2015 and was passed by both houses, contains a section requiring that organizations or individuals employing competitors for MMA events pay for health costs resulting from the events.

"We are aware that insurance and health care that would be the responsibility of the companies holding these events," said Vigil. "AMMO will be meeting with a few organizations to determine if it is feasible to conduct one this year or hold off until next year to see how the bylaws of this sport pan out in Connecticut."

For my opinions on this and previous attempts to sanction the sport, check out http://www.nutmegmma.com/NutmegMMABlog.html?entry=mma-bill-passes-house and http://www.nutmegmma.com/NutmegMMABlog.html?entry=connecticut-and-mma-an-opinion.

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House Bill 5277 (An Act Concerning Mixed Martial Arts), which would sanction MMA in Connecticut, made a significant step forward this week. The bill passed the House on May 7 by a 117-26 vote and now awaits a vote by the Senate.

Will the Senate vote on the bill during the current session or leave it to fail to pass due to lack of a vote like last year? Since the sport has at least the potential to create jobs, stimulate businesses in areas surrounding possible MMA venues and generate state revenues through permitting fees and taxes on event receipts, it would seem unfair to tax payers to marginalize the issue and let it fail by default due to lack of a vote. Praise the sport as an economic opportunity or dismiss it as mindless brutality, but at least give the topic its due.

An overview by the Office of Fiscal Analysis can be found at http://www.cga.ct.gov/2013/FN/2013HB-05277-R000394-FN.htm. A previous article on our site about this issue, which includes a link to public testimony, may be found at http://www.nutmegmma.com/NewsatNutmegMMA.html.

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Spokespersons for the Marlborough-based MMA organization Reality Fighting released part of the card for its next event at Mohegan Sun, which will be held on June 8. The evening will include an amateur women’s bout between Dar’ya Hamilton, who defeated Stacey Scappecia in her first professional fight during the last Reality Fighting event in Uncasville on Jan. 5, and Fernanda Araujo (0-2).

The organization also presents mixed grappling tournaments under the banner of NAGA (North American Grappling Association). NAGA held it's most recent Connecticut event at Western Connecticut State University in Dannbury on May 4 (results may be found at http://nagafighter.com/index.php?module=eventdetailpage/303) and will hold another tournament in Hartford on June 29 (see our calender of events at http://www.nutmegmma.com/Events.html, which includes a link to a calender of NAGA events throughout the country).

Jason Ward (2-2), who lost to Roger Zapata (3-1) during the same event after a technical knockout, is scheduled to fight Domenic Gagliardi (1-1) of Bristol at middleweight (an article about Gagliardi may be found at http://www.nutmegmma.com/Spring-Summer2012_Archive3.html). Zapata will fight Chip Moraza-Pollard at welterweight.

 Other bouts scheduled include; Dinlei Broenstrup versus Walter Howard at light heavyweight; Johnny Lopez versus Jon Marcheterre at bantamweight; Mike De los Reyes versus Theo Desjardin at flyweight; Kurt Chase-Patrick versus Thiago Carfi at bantamweight;  Miguel Santos versus Asa Zorn at 140 pounds; and Bob Valentine versus Manny Torres at 160 pounds. These will all be professional fights, according to organization sources.Reality Fighting matchmaker Joe Cuff said the June event be the organization's 78th MMA event and eighth Connecticut event since it formed in 1999.

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This Saturday is shaping up to be a fun time for Connecticut MMA fans. Not only will the UFC air its seventh event for FUEL TV at 3 p.m., but earlier in the day the AMMO Fight League will hold a grappling event in South Windsor (refer to http://www.nutmegmma.com/Events.html for details). This company is also selling patches for a good cause (check out http://www.facebook.com/NewtonCtBjjMemeorialPatch for more details).

In addition, Sensory Overload Lucha Libre will be holding a pro wrestling event in Bristol later that evening. Details are available at http://www.facebook.com/events/474972582549283/. It's a few degrees off topic, but it looks like fun.

Enjoy!

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As a reminder to our readers, the Glastonbury-based AMMO Fight League will be holding an event on Feb. 16 in South Windsor at 100 Bidwell Road. Details for the event, which will be one of six grappling events sponsored by AMMO this year, are available at http://www.nutmegmma.com/Events.html. The dates and details for the other five events are being determined.

Our previous piece on AMMO can be read at http://www.nutmegmma.com/Spring-Summer2012_Archive5.html.

Although the event is a tournament based around mixed grappling styles, company founder Bill "Idol" Vigil stresses that the events are intended to mirror the style of the UFC and other major MMA organizations. Grapplers holding a belt in the organization do not pay a registration fee as long as they defend their titles, he said, and also receive a portion of the event revenues as well as $10 for each event in which a fighter they refer to the company participates.

He added the organization is partnered with the Rhode Island company Classic Entertainment Sports, which organizes MMA events. He confirmed there is interest in cultivating some of the company's grapplers for MMA events.

The company's reigning belt holders from last year will defend their belts tommorow in an event that will also feature divisions for children that grapple. There will be both gi and no-gi matches.

It will also mark the debut of women grapplers in the organization. Female matches will be held in the lightweight and middleweight divisions.

"There has been a lot of interest expressed in this," said Vigil.

The weight classes for men at the tournament include Super Heavyweight, Heavyweight, Cruiserweight, Light Heavyweight, Middleweight, Welterweight, Lightweight, Featherweight, Bantamweight and Flyweight.

Further articles on AMMO, including grappler profiles, are coming.

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A fight between 150-pounders Matt Bessette and Jeff Anderson will be among the highlights of the Reality Fighting event scheduled for January 5 at the Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville. A previous piece we have done on Bessette (AKA The Mangler) can be found at http://www.nutmegmma.com/Spring-Summer2012_Archive6.html.

Nuri Shakir is also scheduled to fight Brett Oteri that evening in a welterweight title bout. The organization originally announced in September of last year that Oteri, who won the belt on June 2 after submitting Nate Lamotte, would fight former UFC competitor Ricardo Funch (see blog entry at http://www.nutmegmma.com/NutmegMMABlog.html?entry=ct-s-brett-oteri-to). Oteri also defeated Wang Sai due to disqualification during a middleweight bout at WCMMA I, which was hold at Foxwoods in Mashantucket (see story at http://www.nutmegmma.com/).

The evening's other title fight will be between Dwight Grant and Harley Beekham. The winner will receive an interim belt for the division.

A complete card for the event may be found at http://nagafighter.com/nagablue/index.php?module=eventinformationpage/279#.

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 Matt Secor of The Ultimate Fighter television show will appear at the latest Reality Fighting event at the Mohegan Sun Arena on January 5, according to information from Reality Fighting/NAGA. One-hundred-and-seventy-pound Secor, who has fought with Bellator and other organizations, is scheduled to sign autographs from 7 to 8 p.m. in the arena.

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I am happy to announce that our site nutmegmma.com, which is based on coverage of mixed martial arts and related topics with a Connecticut focus, is back after a brief hiatus due to outside circumstances. We will be updating our events calender shortly.

I wanted to restart things properly by posting a link to an announcement for AMMO Fight League's next mixed grappling event. It can be found at http://www.facebook.com/notifications#!/photo.php?fbid=389647251116239&set=a.297693910311574.71612.295383227209309&type=1&theater.

 An article we have put up about AMMO can be found at http://www.nutmegmma.com/Spring-Summer2012_Archive5.html.

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It's been a busy year for Reality Fighting's Brett Oteri. Not only did he win the Marlborough-based company's welterweight belt after submitting Nate Lamotte (see story at http://nutmegmma.com/Spring-Summer2012_Archive4.html), but he won at WCMMA's first event when his opponent, Wang Sai of Team China was disqualified (see story at http://nutmegmma.com/index.html).

On January 5, he will meet former UFC fighter Ricardo Funch during Reality Fighting's next event at Mohegan Sun in Uncasville. Spokespersons for the organization announced this during its latest event at the resort (coverage to be posted as a blog entry this week).

Funch, who has an 8-4 record according to his profile at www.ufc.com, is not the first fighter from the sport's best-known brand to compete in Reality Fighting. Gabriel Gonzaga, who returned to the UFC in January, fought Southington native Parker Porter at one of the company's events at the resort on Oct. 8. The fight, and Oteri's subsequent career in both Reality Fighting and WCMMA, should prove interesting.

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THE  HAMMER, the recent independent film biography of UFC fighter and TUF house alumni Matt Hamill, was released to little fan fare despite being the first biographical feature film about an MMA star. The movie, which focuses on Hamill's amateur wrestling days instead of his MMA career, is engrossing and competently made but treads the familiar territory typically found in sports movies.

Hamill's true story as a deaf man who started wrestling at age four and eventually wrestled in Division III of the NCAA, first attracted national attention after his appearance in the third season of The Ultimate Fighter. His life is obviously engrossing enough for a film; director Oren Kaplan and writers Eben Kostbar and Joseph McKelheer wisely let the subject matter dominate the film. The film's cliched theme, which is that sports can serve as a conduit for anyone with a can-do attitude to surmount devestating problems, is well-intentioned but frankly needs the boost.

The film has clever touches, such as the use of fragmented subtitles when Hamill is attempting to lip read during his early days in Loveland, Ohio. When he eventually attends Rochester Institute of Technology, the film focuses on different nuances of deaf subculture.

The film's wrestling sequences are also well-executed. They are of course sandwiched in between human interest elements that include the obligatory tragic low points (a prom disaster at Loveland High School, being kicked off the Perdue University wrestling team) with the eventual triumphs. 

Russell Harvard, who is deaf in real life, is persuasive as Hamill. The rest of the cast, which includes Shoshannah Stern as Hamill's politically active love interest Kristi, are good.

Despite the quality of the acting, some of the characters are a little too pat. Raymond Barry as Hammill's grandfather gives the expected inspirational speeches about not wallowing in self-pity while Michael Anthony Spady is the brash but good-hearted college roommate straight out of central casting (Spady's character does provide some fascinating insight into deaf culture, however). There are chunks of the film that seem like something from the Hallmark Channel, although the cinematography is gorgeous and the general production values are excellent..

Perhaps Hamill's announced return to the UFC will generate interest in this film. It's worth a look to MMA fans and those interested in issues involving the deaf community.

 The DVD extras include a light interview with Hamill and trainer Duff Holmes that provides personal insight into the film's content. While the film depicts Hammill using an interpreter during classes at Peudue, for example, Hamill himself clarified that the distance that person had to drive made it difficult for everybody involved. There is also an extended cameo by UFC star Rich Franklin as a wrestling coach.

Hamill's website is located at http://www.matthamill.com/. An entry on Hamill may also be found at http://nwhof.org/?wrestler=2379.

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The film HAYWIRE, which stars former Strikeforce and Elite XC MMA fighter Gina Carano, was treated as a revelation when it came out earlier this year. It stars an MMA fighter and doesn't suck! Although it is an enjoyable film and a diverting throwback to 70s's or early 80's spy films like THE AMATUER, it is still underwhelming in some respects.

To appreciate some of the attention the film received, one needs to understand that it is usually the kiss of death for a film to feature an MMA fighter as the star. Sad, but true.

Check out films like NEVER SURRENDER or CONFESSIONS OF A PIT FIGHTER; better yet, don't! They are almost always the usual direct-to-video drudge with badly choreographed fights, gratuitous nudity and hackneyed plots involving illegal bare knuckle fights. The occasional attempt at a good film involving the sport, such as REDBELT or WARRIOR, is a rarity and it would appear that the quintessential sports flick on the subject has yet to be made.

HAYWIRE wisely operates in a different genre, in this case the espionage picture, but integrates MMA moves into the excellent action scenes. Look for lots of elbows, knees and submission holds to be mixed in with the gun play and car chases.

The plot features Carano as Mallory Kane, who is the top employee for a private sector firm that performs covert operations for governmental agencies. She is betrayed following her rescue of a Chinese dissident and hunted as a fugitive. The loyalties of several of the film's chracters, including Kane, emerge as multi-layered.

Carano acquits herself well considering that she is essentially a non-actress. She has presence and maintains screen chemistry with her co-stars. Her athleticism and fighting skills are the film's anchor, but director Steven Soderbergh gives the action scenes room to breathe; he isn't afraid to use stylistic flourishes (his zen-like directing style is an acquired taste and at times intrusive) and tries to develop an actual story story rather than cater to viewers expecting non-stop violence. Carano's natural beauty is also used without seeming exploitive.

The film's plot, while entertaining, holds few surprises for serious genre afficianados. It's the usual set of double-crosses that can be found in the grittier spy flicks that try to contrast the more glamorized "spy-fi" approach used in the James Bond series. The idea of a private agency working for the government in a covert role and becoming compromised by traitors was more effectively used in the 70's version of THE KILLER ELITE (itself a film with good martial arts sequences).

It also has an overqualified supporting cast (Michael Douglas, Antonio Banderas, Channing Tatum, Ewan MacGregor, Michael Fassbinder) that is of limited use to it in the greater scheme of things. Seasoned spy movie fans will easily determine which characters emerge as villians.

Michael Angarano as an ordinary shmuck drawn into Kane's world is engaging but barely used. A romance between these characters, while an obvious touch, could have proven amusing.

Bill Paxton is interesting as Kane's father, but little is made of their relationship other than hints of the toll that her work may have taken on it.

HAYWIRE, while competently constructed, is more specifically for admirers of Carano or those curious about the film's novelty casting than for jaded action fans. The film's scattered fight scenes are its strongest aspect.

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This year, another bill introduced by state legislators to legalize MMA in Connecticut effectively did not pass (the text of Senate Bill 326 may be found at http://www.cga.ct.gov/asp/cgabillstatus/cgabillstatus.asp?selBillType=Bill&bill_num=326&which_year=2012&SUBMIT1.x=10&SUBMIT1.y=10). There were the usual criticisms from opponents about how the sport is a spectacle that lowers the bar for human entertainment while others defended it as a potential source of revenue for the state that will have an economic "trickle-down" effect for local businesses. Fans of the sport argued that it could be perfectly safe if properly regulated and it is already held at the state's casinos, which are on Indian land and exempt from Connecticut's prizefighting statute.

Spokespersons for the Connecticut AFL-CIO referred to bad business practices by Zuffa LLC, which owns the UFC (the premier company presenting MMA events) as part of the reason that they do not approve of sanctioning the sport in Connecticut at this time. But is it proper to punish an entire industry to prevent one company from doing business in Connecticut?

Bellator, the UFC's only real competition, conducts events at Mohegan Sun. King of the Cage holds events at Foxwoods. Reality Fighting/NAGA is based out of Marlborough. AMMO Fight League is based out of Glastonbury. ASAP operates a training facility in Baltic.

Do these companies need to be punished over a dispute between the UFC and the union?

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Although Connecticut does not currently sanction MMA, making the casinos on Indian land the only venue in our state to legally enjoy these events, fans in the "nutmeg state" still have options.

Among them is the Europa fitness exposition that comes to Connecticut each summer. 

NAGA (North American Grappling Association), a branch of the Marlborough-based MMA organization Reality Fighting, hosted its second annual Hartford event under the auspices of the most recent Europa Expo. The two-day event that began on June 29 at the Connecticut Convention Center offered a variety of activities such as body building and tourament Karate that emphasized physical fitness.

 During the NAGA event on June 30, participants from a variety of ages and experience levels participated in divisions for grapplers with or without a gi. Winning teams and individuals were assigned national rankings by NAGA.

It will be interesting to see what kind of talent that grappling events like those offered by NAGA or the AMMO Fight League will cultivate.

Results may be found at;

http://nagafighter.com/index.php?module=eventdetailpage/254#

NAGA's home page may be found here.

http://nagafighter.com/index.php?module=homepage

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Welcome to Nutmeg MMA. We are a fledgeling site focusing, as our name suggests, on mixed martial arts in Connecticut ("the Nutmeg State").

Although the sport is still not officially sanctioned in Connecticut, it has a presence here that can't be ignored. We not only have home-grown fighters and MMA training schools, but the Casinos located on the Indian reservations in our state host events as well due to their status as federally protected sovereign nations.

We want to explore the sanctioning issues, interview local fighters and cover events here. But we also want to explore related issues that, while related to MMA and Connecticut, fall just outside of these topics.

Look for film and book reviews, discussions of traditional martial arts and fitness issues here as well.

We hope you enjoy your stay.

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