NH Martial Arts - MMA & UFC

For the first time, DeVos Place hosted a Mixed Martial Arts event Saturday night, “The Best of the Best” amateur cage fighting.

DeVos Place was set up for 2,500 fans to experience vendor booths, concessions and 15 fights.

“This is a top-notch facility,” said Scott Engwall, 46, of Hudsonville, who also has fought in the cage before. “This is what every fighter wants.”

The initial excitement slowly began to fade when the fights, which were slated to begin at 7:30 p.m., were pushed back to 9 p.m. because of a problem with the fight card.

Early Ultimate Fighting Championship events included the occasional ill-prepared sumo wrestler. Japanese shows have featured everyone from cartoon characters to Olympic athletes making abrupt transitions to a new sport.

UFC President Dana White has chosen a different path. Until now. At UFC 118 on Saturday, boxer James Toney will make his mixed martial arts debut against one of the sport's most accomplished veterans, Randy Couture.

Fans are loving MMA right now, with the UFC Championships gearing up for number 118.

Bridgewater lightweight Joe Lauzon got the building rocking with a high-energy domination of Gabe Ruediger in this much-anticipated Massachusetts debut of the UFC, the major leagues of mixed martial arts. But neither Marcus Davis nor Kenny Florian could keep the Boston Tee-off Party going.

Twenty-six students representing New Hampshire’s Dojo Combative Martial Arts program participated in a National Promoters League International competition Aug. 21 at the West Jupiter Recreation Center.

Every student placed among the top four in their age divisions. The school won three Grand Champion trophies.

New Hampshire is getting its first nationally televised mixed martial arts event soon after new state regulations take effect next month.

Bellator Fighting Championships is bringing its weekly event to the Rave/Eagles Club in Milwaukee on Sept. 16.

“The Bellator Season 3 event will feature two main-card semi-final tournament fights that include heavyweight tournament action along with special middleweight and light heavyweight feature fights, as well a host of exciting local feature fights,” a news release announcing the event said.