Mixed Martial Arts Division
On September 17, 2010, CES officially launched its long-awaited mixed martial arts division, promoting the first mixed martial arts show in the history of Rhode Island at the Twin River Casino. Mike Campbell of Providence, Rhode Island faced Magno Almeida in the main event. The event drew a sold-out crowd at Twin River and established CES as a major player in the mixed martial arts division.
All told, CES promoted three mixed martial arts events in 2012, including a show at Foxwoods Resort Casino, but officially burst onto the scene as a dominant force in the northeast in 2011.
On February 25, 2011, CES MMA kicked off its season with Chattelle defeating former The Ultimate Fighter reality television series participant Woody Weatherby at Twin River Casino, launching a successful year for Chattelle in which he finished 4-0 overall and earned Fighter of the Year and Comeback Fighter of the Year honors by the Boston Herald.
April 8 featured a knockout victory for former King of the Cage contender Tony Hervey against Campbell. Chattelle also won that night, defeating Jeff Nader, who has also competed for Reality Fighting and the Bellator Fighting Championships, the latter which have been featured on MTV2.
Karalexis made his CES MMA debut on June 10 in a controversial loss to Tiawan Howard at Twin River.
On September 9, CES returned to Twin River Casino for the third time in 2011 as locals Chattelle, Rehm, Greg Rebello of Providence, Rhode Island and professional lacrosse player John Ortolani of the Major League Lacrosse champion Boston Cannons each earned victories.
The 2011 season ended with CES MMA hosting its first title fight at Twin River. Chattelle defeated former professional bodybuilder Brett Oteri to capture CES' inaugural middleweight championship. The show also featured Campbell's second victory of the year, a second-round knockout win over Jeff Anderson.
CES signed five fighters in 2011 and also earned top honors in the Boston Herald as New England's No. 1 mixed martial arts promotion. The Boston Herald also honored Patrick Sullivan as New England's best matchmaker.
The mixed martial arts division made its 2012 debut at Twin River on February 3 with a standing-room only crowd to watch former Ultimate Fighting Championships contender Josh Hendricks defeat Josh Diekmann in the second half of the show's heavyweight co-main event. The show also featured a special ceremony honoring recently-retired Ultimate Fighting Championships veteran Jorge Rivera of Framingham, Massachusetts.
CES MMA will return to Twin River Casino on April 13 when Chattelle defends his title against former Ultimate Fighting Championships welterweight John Howard of Boston, Massachusetts.
Read more about this topic: Classic Entertainment And Sports
Famous quotes containing the words mixed, martial, arts and/or division:
“Haiti is full of nonsense and superstition. They’re always mixed up with a lot of mysteries that’ll turn your hair gray.”
—Garnett Weston. Victor Halperin. Dr. Brunner (Joseph Cawthorn)
“What, then, does a chaste girl do?
She does not offer, yet she does not say “No.””
—Marcus Valerius Martial (c. 40–104)
“In the arts of life man invents nothing; but in the arts of death he outdoes Nature herself, and produces by chemistry and machinery all the slaughter of plague, pestilence, and famine.”
—George Bernard Shaw (1856–1950)
“God and the Devil are an effort after specialization and the division of labor.”
—Samuel Butler (1835–1902)