MMA at the Rock Tonight

The tough and talented Don Carlo-Clauss, who is well known to MMA fans throughout the Northeast, will now be the opponent of John Ortolani in the main event when Combat Zone presents an outstanding night of cage fighting at Rockingham Park on Friday, January 27, the promoter announced today. Bellator veteran Rene "The Brazilian Bomber" Nazare (10-1-0) was scratched from the fight due to unavoidable circumstances.  

In what figures to be the best and most exciting of the always competitive and thrilling Combat Zone MMA fight cards yet, WEC and Strike Force veterans will also invade from New York and Chicago to do battle in the cage with some of the fastest rising regional stars.   

The main event at 155 pounds still promises to be intensely competitive between Ortolani (7-2-1), who is a two-sport star and also plays for the Boston Cannons of Major League Lacrosse, and Carlo-Clauss (7-6-0), a former standout wrestler at the University of Virginia now representing the power house Team Bomb Squad in New York. Ortolani, always an exciting fighter, is turning heads in this weight division as he tears through the ranks rapidly. He trains with Gracie Barra in Nashua, N.H. and hails from Billerica, Mass.  

The other pro fights shape up as equally appealing and two look especially tough. WEC fighter John Franchi (11-6-0), also now representing Team Bomb Squad, will match up at 145 pounds with Cody "The Machine" Stevens (9-3-0), who will look to get back on the winning track after three straight but very hard-fought losses by unanimous decision. Chicago's Louis Taylor (7-2-0), a Strike Force veteran, meets Perry "Filthy" Filkins (5-1-0), who is turning a lot of heads as he climbs the middleweight ranks. Filkins, training with the Militech Fighting System in Hooksett, N.H., comes in with three straight victories by TKO and the last two were executed with only seconds elapsed in the first round.

The entire 15-fight card is packed with amateurs and pros from across the region, including Salem's own Brandon Cyr (0-1-0), who takes on Ray Shawdee (1-1-0) at 170 pounds in the co-main event.  

The full card, which is subject to change without notice, can be viewed at:   http://www.czmma.com/fights.asp?cznum=40  

Doors open at 6:30 p.m. and the first fight kicks off in Rockingham’s Sports Club at 8 p.m. Tickets for the event are $40 for general admission, $50, $75, $90 or $120 for ringside seating and parking is free. Tickets may be purchased at www.combatzonemma.com or by calling promoter David George at 978-360-3846.