Kurt Pellegrino Prepares For War

Point Pleasant native Kurt Pellegrino couldn't be happier to be fighting in his home state.

On Saturday, the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) lightweight will step back into the Octagon during UFC 128 at the Prudential Center in Newark, facing off against Brazilian mixed martial artist Gleison Tibau.

"It means the world to me to compete in the state of New Jersey," said Pellegrino,  who operates his own martial arts school, Pellegrino MMA Academy, in Lake Como. "It's just amazing."

The fight will be broadcast live on Facebook. While some of the bouts that evening will be shown on basic cable's SpikeTV network and the rest on pay-per-view, the Facebook bout will be viewable to audiences worldwide and commercial-free.

"I'm actually excited to be on the Facebook card," he said. "It's more exposure for me. It's just great."

After countless hours of preparation, Pellegrino has a very simple explanation for his approach to the match.

"My approach to the fight is to bring as much violence as I can to the table," he said.

The appearance will be Pellegrino's first time back in action since July 2010 when he tore his ACL in the first round of a fight against George Sotiropoulos. Despite the debilitating injury, Pellegrino would go toe to toe with Sotiropoulos for three rounds on his way to a loss by decision. 

Since the injury, the Point Pleasant native with a professional record of 15-5 has undergone a major surgery to repair the knee ligament and has taken on a new approach to his training.

Pellegrino began working with renowned martial arts coach Brian Wright of Real Elite Training Center in Asbury Park several months ago and the results show.

"It's been fun again. I think Brian made it fun," he said. "I actually really needed that."

The two began as business competitors, with Pellegrino operating Pellegrino MMA Academy on Main Street in Lake Como, mere miles from Wright's school on Fourth Avenue in Asbury Park.

"We've got just a really good marriage of skills and mentalities right now," Wright said. "It's been really easy to work with him because Kurt's a really hardworking guy."

While some in the mixed martial arts community consider Pellegrino the underdog in his fight against Tibau, none have seen the fighter's commitment to training as well as Wright has.

"He never quit," Wright said of Pellegrino during their preparation for the fight. "I actually had to tell him to stop."

Wright is confident that Pellegrino is prepared for the bout.

"I just want to see him to fight smart and beat this guy," he said. "Kurt's prepared in every aspect." 

Pellegrino also stepped up his conditioning under the tutelage of fitness coachJonathan Chaimberg and has also looked to the help of friend and UFC standoutKenny Florian and his brother Keith during his preparation for the fight.

"I have a great stable behind me," he said.

A standout wrestler at Point Pleasant Boro High School, Pellegrino was twice a state finalist. Now 31, the dynamic fighter led the  to a historically successful season as head coach.

"I'm going to honor those kids, the way they honored me and motivated me," Pellegrino said of his students both at his academy and at St. Rose. "They just believed in the work ethic."

"I hope I show them the stuff that they showed me," he added. "Never quit."