by Jim Genia
If you view the Northeast as a microcosm of the MMA world, then Ring of Combat and promoter Lou Neglia are akin to the UFC and Dana White. You simply cannot be a homegrown aspiring pro fighter around these parts without harboring designs on making your mark in ROC (or the Cage Fury Fighting Championship, but that's for another post), and given that dozens and dozens of UFC veterans can credit ROC as the stepping stone that helped them reach the Octagon, well, that makes Neglia the man who laid those stones down to create that path.
It's not hard to find old pics of Neglia from his championship-kickboxer days, but most of us know him as a promoter. Ring of Combat, which began in 2002 and is now up to its thirty-eighth pro installment, is perhaps his greatest achievement in the realm of MMA; however, there are amateur MMA events in there, too, plus a long-running NYC-based kickboxing show called Combat at the Capitale and a seemingly endless number of one-off events (Battle on Broadway featured kickboxing and MMA bouts in a hotel ballroom in Times Square almost a decade ago, while there was a recent kickboxing extravaganza out in Brighton Beach). Before that, there were fourteen Vengeance at the Vanderbilt installments on Long Island, which saw the likes of Matt Serra and Pete Sell getting their MMA on… heck, the first sanctioned MMA bout in New Jersey took place on one of Neglia's show in Atlantic City. "Longevity" may be an abstract concept to some promoters, but to Neglia, that word is like a genetic sequence coded into his DNA.
It takes a very shrewd business men to survive for any length of time in this sport, but Neglia has managed to temper that necessary shrewdness with traits like kindness, compassion and a genuine friendliness. If you're a reporter, he'll accomodate you; if you're a promising young upstart, he'll make sure you're tested (remember: padded records don't get you into the UFC, hard fights do); and if you're a grizzled veteran, he'll find a spot for you on the next card.
There's a few reasons why ROC has thrived for so long. But without question, the biggest one is Neglia.
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by Kevin Garvey
MMA has seen many new organizations try to go head to head with the UFC and fail. EliteXC, Affliction, Bodog and the IFL all tried to compete with the UFC, but soon realized why the UFC is the number 1 MMA organization in the world. It's nice to think big, but in MMA you have to be realistic. The UFC is number 1 for a reason. It has the best fighters on the planet and the best brand recognition. And when it comes to business, Dana White and the Ferttitta brothers take a no holds barred approach to beating the competition, which is why the UFC is still the undisputed champion of MMA promotions.
One organization, however, Lou Neglia's Ring of Combat, has managed to thrive where so many others have failed. The ROC is one of the longest running shows outside of the UFC, and the longest sanctioned promotion outside of the UFC. And there is good reason for this. Instead of trying to compete with the UFC, Lou Neglia sees his promotion as one where fighters can hone their skills to such a level that they can move on to the big show. Indeed, where other promoters try to lock up their fighters into contracts that forbid them from fighting in the UFC, Lou encourages his fighters to move upwards and onwards.
"The UFC deserves its place in history," Lou said. "They are the World Series of MMA. I have a great relationship with the UFC and even have their logo on one of my event posters. When a fighter tells me he has on offer from the UFC, I gladly rip up his contract."
As a former kickboxing world champion himself, Lou understands the ambitions of professional fighters, and has a keen insight into what it takes to be a high level professional athlete. He would never dream of trying to stifle their growth. Lou takes great pride in developing the talents of his fighters, to the extent that an astounding 44 fighters who have fought at the ROC have moved on to the UFC, including current UFC lightweight champion Frankie Edgar. Many more if you count those who have moved on to Bellator, the WEC and Strikeforce.
Not only is Neglia the CEO of Ring of Combat, he is the matchmaker too. And he's a tough matchmaker–there are no "gimme" fights at the ROC. In this way, Lou prepares fighters for the adversity they will face in the Octagon. He does his best to give fighters the kinds of tough fights they need to take the ultimate step in their MMA career.
"If you give people easy fights, what happens when they get to the UFC?" Lou said. "The best fighters are in the UFC and you need to be prepared."
This mindset is why so many of his fighters have gone on to have great success in the Octagon. Chris Weidman is the latest example of a fighter who fought his entire pro career at the Ring of Combat and is now undefeated in three fights in the Octagon. His tough fights at the ROC have prepared him for the tough fights in the UFC.
But the ROC is about more than just finding and developing new talent. The shows always feature "superfights" which include some of the sport's biggest names from all around the world. At ROC XVIII, for example, the card featured fighters from Brazil, Canada and even the Republic of Georgia, making it a true international event.
This is all part of Lou's strategy to make the Ring of Combat the biggest show not competing with the UFC. And his formula is working. He is providing fighters with an opportunity of a lifetime, as well as giving MMA fans what they want most: the best fights you can find outside of the UFC.
Aug 1, 2011: Muay Thaimes: The Story of 3X World Champ Lou Neglia
Ring of Combat XXXI: A Night to Remember
By Shawn Baran
TheGARV.com
What can I say about the Ring of Combat XXXI card that took place Saturday night from The Tropicana Hotel & Casino in Atlantic City, NJ? Well, I will say that there is a reason that New Jersey produces some of the best MMA fighters out there today. One of the organizations that produce these fighters is Lou Neglia’s Ring of Combat. There have been 40+ fighters from ROC that have gone on to obtain UFC contracts. Saturday night proved exactly why that is.
From the preliminary card to the main card and the title fights, the action never let up. Neither did the crowd for that matter. There were several empty seats in the Grand Ballroom Saturday night, but it was not because people did show up. They just spent most of the night standing and cheering for their fighter. One thing about ROC events, they attract some of the die-hard fans of MMA and boy, are they passionate.
July 15, 2010
MMA Has Strong Local Flavor
by Steve Siniski
When Lou Neglia talks Mixed Martial Arts (MMA), people tend to listen — and for good reason. A former three-time world kickboxing champion in the 1980s who boasted a career record of 34-2, Neglia is now one of the preeminent MMA promoters in the United States.
His Ring of Combat promotion at the Tropicana Casino & Resort in Atlantic City has helped launch the careers of 39 MMA fighters to the sport’s top level, the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), including East Meadow’s Matt Serra. So when Neglia throws out the name of someone he thinks is nearing the launching pad to be the 40th to advance from the Ring of Combat ranks to the UFC, it carries plenty of weight. The fighter in his sights is Ryan LaFlare, the Ring of Combat’s current welterweight champion who competes out of the Bellmore Kickboxing Academy.
“I believe Ryan [can] be the next Ring of Combat fighter to get to the UFC,” said Neglia, who resides in Bellmore. “He fights to win and doesn’t fight not to lose. [Ryan] fights from the beginning to the end of a round, has a great fighting spirit, the heart of a lion and is in great condition.
“He does his homework and has the stamina and work ethic required.”
LaFlare sports a sparkling 6-0 mark as a professional in Ring of Combat competition and successfully defended his title June 11 in Atlantic City with a second-round technical knockout of Mike Medrano. The referee stopped the bout at the 4:07 mark of the round due to strikes by LaFlare. He’s scheduled to put the belt on the line again Sept. 24, but in a show promoted by Neglia, no outcome is a given. “Styles make fights,” said Neglia, who schedules up to 16 bouts per show at the routinely sold-out Tropicana. “When I match up fights at shows, I don’t even know who’s going to win.”
LaFlare agrees with that assertion. “I think it’s the most competitive [organization] besides Strikeforce and the UFC,” he said.
A former wrestler, LaFlare’s first experiences with mixed martial arts helped quench his thirst for competition. Now, he’s trying to turn it into a full-fledged career. “I’ve wrestled my entire life,” he said. “I always liked the competition and used to watch. Then I got into submission wrestling and saw all of the jiu jitsu.”
As a professional, he trains twice a day, five times a week in a variety of fighting disciplines. Trained by Keith Tremble of Bellmore’s Kickboxing Academy, LaFlare also hones his wrestling skills with coach Kenny Willis and develops his jiu jitsu skills at D’Arce Brazilian Jiu Jitsu. “You have to be equally good in everything,” LaFlare said. “All the training at Bellmore Kickboxing has really put that all together for me.”
Judging by the results of his first six professional bouts, all wins, with two coming via knockout, two by technical knockout and two by armbar submissions, it’s clear LaFlare has developed into a well-rounded fighter. “There’s so many ways to win,” Neglia said. “That’s what makes it so exciting. If you get hit and don’t like what’s happening, you can take it down [to the mat]. Anything can happen at any time.”
As important as the physical aspect of MMA is, the mental aspect plays just as big, if not a bigger role in the development of a fighter’s career. As Neglia points out, being successful takes far more than just showing up in an arena on fight night with a mean mug and a big right hook. “That journey of two and a half to three months of gruesome training is the hard part,” he said. “The hard part is getting competition-ready. It’s a lot of sacrificing that a lot of people couldn’t handle.”
Decried by some as brutal, including New York lawmakers who continue to ban the sport in the state and refuse to approve sanctioning, MMA’s hopes for a reversal were recently dealt another blow when a proposed bill to allow professional bouts was struck down by the state assembly.
New York remains one of just six states that does not sanction MMA fights, but the long-running debate appears to be far from over. “The greatest fighters in MMA should fight in the greatest arena [Madison Square Garden],” said Neglia, who experienced that exact rush by winning the World Kickboxing title at MSG in 1983.
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| June 28, 2008 |
With Ring of Combat, Lou Neglia shows MMA promoters how it should be done |
PRESS RELEASE
November 30, 2007
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MARK CUBAN’S HDNET FIGHTS & LOUIS NEGLIA’S RING OF COMBAT JOIN FORCES TO BRING THE NORTHEAST’S LEADING MMA EVENT INTO MILLIONS OF HOUSEHOLDS The Kicks-Off Event Will be Held at the Tropicana Casino in Atlantic City, November 30, 2007 (Atlantic City, NJ) – November XX, 2007 – HDNet Fights, the newly launched Mixed Martial Arts League from Dallas Mavericks owner and Internet broadcasting pioneer Mark Cuban today announced an exciting new partnership with legendary World Champion Louis Neglia’s Ring of Combat, the northeast’s leading Mixed Martian Arts (MMA) event series. The partnership will debut with the broadcast of HDNet Fights Presents: Ring of Combat. This first telecast on HDNet will be of Neglia’s Ring of Combat Beasts of the Northeast Tournament Finals on November 30, 2007 at the Tropicana Casino in Atlantic City, NJ. HDNet will air the event at a later date to be determined. The mission of HDNet Fights is to grow the sport through its own events via the HDNet Fights brand and by bringing attention to the top regional MMA organizations, such as Ring of Combat, through its “HDNet Fights Presents” banner. For over ten years, Louis Neglia has provided the most action-packed MMA events in the Northeast through his Ring of Combat tournaments. This partnership with HDNet Fights affirms Neglia’s ongoing commitment to bringing quality fighters from around the world together and producing the best events in the region and is now leading the charge in bringing high-definition quality MMA bouts to living rooms nationwide. Previous Ring of Combat events have been televised on the Madison Square Garden Cable Network, Telemundo, Sports Channel, ESPN2 and on iNDEMAND Pay-Per-View. The main fight-card for the November 30th Tournament will feature bouts between MMA stars Gregor Gracie from Team Renzo Gracie vs. Eric Henry (from Team XXX), as well as Jim Miller (XXXX) vs. Chris Liguori (XXXXX), among many other action packed bouts. “Mixed Martial Arts is becoming a truly revolutionary sport, surpassing almost every major sport in popularity among its target demographic,” stated World Champion and Ring of Combat promoter Louis Neglia, whose tireless efforts have developed a truly loyal and energetic fan base. “We are committed to producing some of the greatest MMA events and giving our fighters the respect and care they deserve.” Louis Neglia is a three-time world kickboxing champion, and has performed in some of the largest arenas in the world. He was named “Fighter of the Year” and inducted into the Karate Hall of Fame, among other notable achievements. Louis Neglia Presents… has hosted sellout Mixed Martial Arts events at the Taj Mahal, Caesars Palace and the Tropicana in Atlantic City, the Marriott International, the Meadowlands, The Capitale in New York City and Madison Square Garden, to name a few. HDNet produces more original sports, music, news, and entertainment programming than any other domestic network. HDNet Fights is HDNet’s new Mixed Martial Arts initiative showcasing cutting-edge competition and events for the ultimate MMA fan. “Inside MMA” on HDNet brings viewers inside the world of Mixed Martial Arts with expert coverage and in-depth interviews with todays top MMA fighters and trainers. Launched in 2001 by Mark Cuban and General Manager Philip Garvin, the HDNet is available on AT&T, Bright House Networks, Charter Communications, DIRECTV, DISH Network, Insight, Mediacom, Time Warner Cable, Verizon and more than 40 NCTC cable affiliate companies. For more information, please visit www.hd.net, www.hdnetfights.com, or www.ringofcombat.com. |
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The EVILMASTER REPORT |
LEGENDARY FIGHTER & PROMOTER LOUIS NEGLIA TO ANNOUNCE PPV SCHEDULE FOR THE RING OF COMBAT World Champion Louis Neglia today announced the season premiere of Ring of Combat – Tournament of Champions championship Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) events. The first available pay-per-view broadcast of the event debuts on Friday, June 29, 2007, at 10:00 PM EDT with replays throughout the month of June and July and will cost a budget-minded $19.95.
Louis Neglia’s Ring of Combat has held many of the most action packed MMA events that the Northeast has seen and is moving up to the next level of competition and moving up to a new level of broadcast exposure. "Mixed Martial Arts is becoming a truly revolutionary sport, surpassing almost every major sport in popularity among its target demographic group of 18-34 year old males,” said Louis Neglia, founder and promoter of Ring of Combat. “2007 will be the best year yet for the Ring of Combat tournament and our partnership with Pay Per View is breaking new ground for our fans and creating new exposure for our sport and broadcasting partners. Our PPV broadcasts will be available for a reasonable and affordable $19.95, giving fight fans and the hard working man and woman the opportunity to be inside the ring when the action starts.” Recent Pay-Per-View (PPV) broadcasts of MMA events exceeded 700,000 buys in early 2006 and then closed out the year with the highest PPV buys ever with more than 1,000,000 for a single event. Louis Neglia’s Ring of Combat is sure to be a crowd pleaser, with finals scheduled for and April 27th respectively. The top fighters in each of three different weight divisions – Lightweight, Welterweight and Middleweight will vie to be the Champion in their respective divisions and for their share of more than $100,000 in prize money. Louis Neglia’s Ring of Combat – Tournament of Champions Finals will be held live at the Tropicana Hotel & Casino in Atlantic City, NJ on Friday, April 27, 2007 at 9:00pm EDT. Fighters from around the world will be competing for their share of a $100,000 purse. MMA finalists competing in the Tournament of Champions Finals include, Binky Jones of Maryland vs. Ian Loveland of Oregon; Todd War of Texas vs. Philippe Nova of New York and Marc Stevens of Delaware vs. Jason House of Texas. “Having been a former world champion myself, I know how difficult the life of a fighter is and this is why I created Ring of Combat in 2000 into one of the only MMA events that truly rewards talented and undiscovered fighters with substantial compensation and TV exposure for their hard-fought efforts,” added Neglia. “With Ring of Combat, we are giving these up-and-coming fighters the support and compensation they deserve and bringing honor to the MMA world.” About World Champion Louis Neglia Presents…Louis Neglia is a three-time world kickboxing champion, has performed in some of the largest arenas in the world and has starred in three martial arts films. He was named “Fighter of the Year” and inducted into the Karate Hall of Fame, among other notable achievements. Louis Neglia Presents has hosted sellout Mixed Martial Arts events at the Taj Mahal, Caesars Palace and the Tropicana in Atlantic City, the Marriott International, the Meadowlands, The Capitale in New York City and Madison Square Garden, to name a few. Louis Neglia Presents events have been televised on the Madison Square Garden Cable Network, Telemundo, Sports Channel, ESPN2 and on Pay Per View. Louis Neglia Presents Ring of Combat is one of the most action packed Mixed Martial Arts events that the Northeast has seen. For more information visit: www.louneglia.com. |
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