Bellmore Kickboxing Claims Championship Gold at Battle of Champions IV

(Carroll and Iuzzolino)

Chris Cardona and Long Island Gladiator Promotions put on another thrilling, seamless night of fights at GLO in Westbury.  Electrifying knockouts, well-staffed bars, hard-to-ignore ring card girls, and ample air conditioning: a perfect evening for the Long Island Fight fan. Here’s a recap of the night’s highlights.


Nicky Cipolla vs. Chris Greek (98 lbs): Islip Kickboxing/MMA’s Cipolla (pictured below) seized control early in the fight and never let up. He kept Greek (Shaolin Self Defense) away with sound jabs and effective aggression. He dropped Greek early into Round 1, but Greek was game and got right back up. Cipolla was comfortable with his distance, put his hands on Greek’s headgear a few more times, and dropped him again, prompting the referee’s stoppage. Greek fought hard, but Cipolla’s hands and movement were the difference.

Ricky Apolinaro vs. Jose Fonesca (165 lbs.): The much smaller Apolinaro (LI MMA) was able to get inside and land some hooks early, but Fonesca (Bedrock Gym) came on strong as the clocked ticked. Fonesca landed a crisp straight right hand and a few spinning back kicks to the body that seemed to take some steam out of Apolinaro. In Round 2, Ricky again started strong with a tight uppercut and some hooks that scored, but the bigger, stronger Fonesca poured it on, pinning Apolinaro with both hands in the corner; the ref stepped in for the eight-count. Apolinaro met the count, but was subsequently overwhelmed by more punches from Fonesca. The ref called a stop to the action, giving Fonesca the Round 2 win via TKO.

Peter Lannon vs. Nick Marrero (180 lbs.): Both men traded early, but Marerro’s (Victory Kickboxing/MMA) seemed to carry more sting. Marerro pressed Lannon (Shaolin Self Defense) into the corner, pressured him with punches and dropped him with a right uppercut. Seconds later Lannon dropped Marerro with a kick. Then Marerro sent Lannon to the floor with another vicious right hand. And that’s it. Lannon’s done. Marerro throws some beast punches.

Kevin Coyne vs. Rob Peppers (165 lbs.): Fast action early, with Coyne (LI MMA) seeming to have the more crisp punches, kicks, and movement. Peppers (Campbell’s Kickboxing) came on strong, though, connecting with hard, wide hooks to the head that backed up Coyne against the red, white, and blue. A superman right hand snatched the momentum his way, and he never looked back. Coyne crumbled under a big right hand from Peppers, who maintained control of the center of the ring for the remainder of the fight. He found success with his spinning back kicks and fought through a few straight right hands from the taller, leaner Coyne. The final round saw less production from both fighters, but Peppers controlled the pacing of the fight and stalked Coyne throughout the ring. More spinning back kicks and right and left hooks punctuated a strong night for Peppers, who earned the judges’ decision.

LaRon McCravy vs. Jose Marrero (175 lbs): McCravy (Bellmore kickboxing/MMA) was too fast, strong, and accurate for the tough America’s Finest Kickboxing product.  He moved in, hit, and was out. And then did it again. He dropped Marrero with a solid 1-2, then with a right kick to the body when Marrero was against the ropes, and finally with a right hand down the middle. TKO RD. 1. McCravy is an animal. Check out a video of the fight below.

Jesse McBroom vs. Josh Corsito (170 lbs): This was a close fight from bell to bell. McBroom (Campbell’s Kickboxing) scored in Rd. 1 with hooks to the head, while Corsito (D’Arce Jiu Jitsu) scored with stinging leg kicks. Both fighters landed punches and kicks and were more productive overall in Rd. 2 than they were in the opening frame: Corsito landed the harder kicks, and McBroom get the better of the punch exchanges. In the final frame, McBroom landed the more effective power punches, he rocked Corsito’s head back a few times with the left hook, and was more aggressive to close the fight. The judges’ scorecards were all in favor of McBroom.

Malik Kara vs. Nick Kosevick (HW): Kara (Islip Kickboxing/MMA) exploded at the opening bell, smothering Kosevick (Lotus Gym), but bpaying for it with a low blow from the bigger Kosevick. He didn’t like that at all. He kicked Kosevick’s back leg and dropped him. He continued with big leg kicks and heavy punches and shrugged off a head kick from big Nick. Kara effectively kicked low and punched high. Kosevivk closed the opening round by landing clean kicks to the body. Round 2 opened with more heavy, chopping low kicks from Kara. Low blow again from Kosevick. Kara let his hands go once action resumed, and Kosevick looked a little fatigued after the onslaught; he answered Kara’s leg kicks with leg strikes of his own, but Kara kept coming. A blistering left hand sent Kosevick staggering into the blue corner, and Kara swarmed with punches. Body kicks and left hooks from Kara forced the ref’s eight-count. Kara dropped Kosevick right after the count, but was then kicked low again. Both men crash to the ground after a Kosevick high kick missed the mark. The fight ended with a good left hook from Kosevick, which Kara countered with two straight punches. Malik Kara earned the decision victory.

Stan Czarnecki vs. Edgar Pabon (160 lbs): Czarnecki (LI MMA) landed two right hands early in Round 1 while Pabon (The Pitt, Rochester) targeted the legs. After a good 1-2 from Pabon, Czarnecki scored with a 1-2 down the pipe. Pabon charged across the ring with two rights to the jaw and another big right backed Czarnecki into a neutral corner. Pabon landed a spinning back fist; Czarnecki counters with a hard left hand to cap off an exciting Rd. 1. In Rounds 2 and 3, Pabon stayed busy with spinning back kicks to the ribs; Czarnecki scored with his own body kicks and jabs. A mean right hand from Czarnecki snapped back Pabon’s head and backed him into a corner. Pabon answered with a right hand downstairs and then up. The end of the fight got a little weird, as Czarnecki seemed to have been dealing with some mouthpiece issues. After three rounds of back and forth action, Pabon was declared the winner.

Larry Batista vs. Slaid Sainevil (142 lbs.): This was the fight of the night. From the opening bell, both fighters were active and intense, and the atmosphere of the room picked up when these two went at it. Both men exchanged early shots and combinations, and on a few occasions in Round 1, Batista (Bellmore Kicboxing/MMA) and Sainevil (Campbell’s Kickboxing) attacked one another with the same combination at the same time. And landed. Batista sent Sainevil down with a quick punch combination midway through the opening round, but Sainevil charged back, as both men exchanged punches and kicks, high and low. Round 1 was like a movie fight scene. Batista seemed to find his distance for his kicks in the second, but Sainevil kept sneaking in with punches. Batista ducked a huge right from Sainevil and landed a tight left. Sainevil countered a body kick from Batista with two hard punches. Batista connected with a 1-2 combination, and Sainevil retaliates with a stinging left of his own. It was like this all night. Sainevil doubled up his jab and connected with the bouncing Batista, who landed a head kick to end the second round. Batista was able to keep Sainevil away with his front kicks, but not for long. Sainevil connected with a hard right hand and poured on the punches. Batista ignited the already buzzing crown with a spinning back kick to the head and a short right hand; Sainevil answers with a right hand – and another after losing his mouthpiece. In the final seconds, Batista lands a couple more spinning kicks, which Sainevil countered with a short right cross. The judges were unanimous in declaring Larry Batista the winner by decision. Let’s have these two go at it again.

Chris Torres vs. Edward Pabon (160 lbs.): Torres (Jungle Gym) and Pabon (The Pitt, Rochester) traded heavy leg kicks early, and Pabon got off first with a punch combination that backed up Torres. Pabon went to work on the body, but Torres answers with two BIG, wide right hands that sent Pabon reeling. Torres put in some body work and landed an overhand right and then a right hand to the mid-section. Another big right from Torres. In Round 2, Torres dropped another cracking right overhand, followed by a body kick. 1-2 from Torres, followed by a right hand. And more hard right hands to a cornered Pabon, who succumbs to the overwhelming right hands of Torres and is sent crashing through the ropes and nearly out of the ring. Knockout of the night, no matter what card you're watching.

Chrissy Yandolli vs. Tara Smith (128 lbs): Smith (Warriors Martial Arts) came up from Virgina and was unfazed by the pro-Yandolli (LI MMA) crowd. Smith pressured early and was able to land punches from the inside against the taller Yandolli, who connected from the inside as well. She snapped a lead left hook and kicked upstairs. Yandolli lunged in with a good lead left. Smith doubled up the jab and connected with a 1-2. Yandolli scored with a good kick to the body, but Smith kept headhunting with kicks. In Round 2, Yandolli was more active early, but Smith was the aggressor. Smith punctuated a good exchange with a straight right hand. Uppercut from Yandolli; right counter from Smith, who, in the final seconds of Round 2, rushed in and connected with a left hand. Good body kick from Smith opened Round 3. Yandoli charged in with a crisp 1-2 before they’re tangled. Straight right hand from Yandolli cracks Smith, who counters with a left hook to the head and a high kick. Smith pumped her jab and connected; Yandolli kicked the body. The Virginia fighters upsets the hometown favorite via unanimous decision in an exciting fight.

Vinny Iuzzolino vs. Eric Bloodaxe (190 lbs.): In the featured amateur fight of the night, Iuzzolino (Bellmore Kickboxing/MMA) was aggressive early and dropped Bloodaxe (Modern Fighting Arts Academy) early in Round 1 with a hard kick to the back leg. The crowd liked that. Iuzzolino attacked the legs and waded in with sweeping, heavy hooks to the body. Bloodaxe landed a straight right and left hand; Iuzzolino countered with a 1-2. Iuzzolino lunged in, body then head. Iuzzolino doubled up his jab, stepped back, and scored with a lead left hook. Bloodaxe cracked Iuzzolino with a left hook and a follow-up right hand. Iuzzolino worked on the body from in close, and Bloodaxe adroitly stepped away from an uppercut in the final moments of Round 1. In the second, Iuzzolino swung for the head, and Bloodaxe front kicked his opponent’s chest and kept him at bay. Iuzzolino waded in with hooks, and Bloodaxe countered with a straight left hand. More kicks from Bloodaxe, and then a right hand and a jab. Iuzzolino kept coming and popped Bloodaxe with a jab. And another. Both men traded punches from the inside, and Iuzzolino lands a short right at the bell. Bloodaxe opened the third with a lard kick to the lead thigh and followed with a high kick and a front kick that kept Iuzzolino at a safe distance. Left jab and leg kick from Iuzzolino; Bloodaxe countered with a spinning back fist to the top of the forehead. In Bloodaxe’s corner, Iuzzolino connected with a high left hook and then a short 1-2. A chopping left hook from Iuzzolino connected at the final bell. After three close rounds, Vinny Iuzzolino earned the judges’ favor.

Matt Bokelmann vs. Chuck Jewell (Super HW): As the big boys kicked off the professional portion of the card, and both men tested the waters early with low kicks. Bokelmann (Bellmore Kickboxing/MMA) pressed forward with the left jab and backed Jewell (The Pitt, Rochester) into the corner with a right hook to the head. Jewell connected with a left to the body; Bokelmann answered with a left hook. Jewell narrowly missed with a left uppercut. A right and then left front push kick from Bokelmann. Right hand from Jewell. Bokelmann hit with a left hook and a follow-up right hand.Chopping right hands from Bokelmann had Jewell again in the corner, but he avoided any real damage and put Bokelmann onto the mat with a short, low leg kick at the end of the opening round. Jewell landed a hard kick to the body and a clean left hand to open Round 2. Two good left hands to the jaw from Jewell; counter right to the body and a left hook up top from Bokelmann. Bokelmann pressed with hooks, but Jewell covered up and landed a good left hand and then a stiff right. His sights were set, it seemed, on attacking bokelmann’s lead leg, and he enjoyed success. A lead left hand from Jewell kicked off Round 3. More kicks to the leg and body from Jewell throughout the final two rounds. Bokelmann attacked Jewell’s lead leg and countered a right from Jewell with a looping left hook. Left uppercut, right to the body, and a left to the jaw from Jewell. Bokelmann hit the canvas after being dropped by a clean front kick to the abdomen from Jewell. Jewell again focused in on Bokelmann’s lead leg and scored as he lunged in with both hands and a subsequent superman punch. Jewell snapped a left jab and a kick to the ribs, which Bokelmann countered with a left hook. Chuck Jewell earned the unanimous decision win. Check out a video clip of the final round below:

Josh Foley vs. Peter Kaljevic (165 lbs): Foley (Bellmore Kickboxing/MMA) put his NY State WKA Super Middleweight title on the line against the experienced, dangerous veteran Kaljevic (Lotus Gym, NYC) and cruised through the first two rounds by vastly outpunching Kaljevic and staying out of the way of vicious kicks to the body. Kaljevic drew the ire – and amusement -of many in attendance as he calmly wiped away Foley’s heavy punches in a crafty display of showmanship during the opening seconds of the fight, but Foley wasn’t buying it. He kicked low and punched the body and head as he charged in. Kaljevic fired a right hand at Foley, who ducked it and countered with a straight right hand. A superman right punch bounced off Kaljevic’s gloves, and Kaljevic threw a body kick, which Foley blocked. Foley fired uppercuts from in close; Kaljevic stepped back a bit and kicked the lead leg. Front kick to the body from Kaljevic, who just missed a nasty head kick. Foley ducked underneath and fired off punches inside. Both men trade shots, and Kaljevic punctuated the exchange with a short right hand. In Round 2, Kaljevic opened the offense with hard low kicks, but Foley seemed to answer Kaljevic’s kicks with right and left hands that were delivered in abundance and with variety. Such was the pattern for the first two rounds. Kaljevic staggered back after some right hands from Foley, but you had to sense that at any moment, Kaljevic would let the bombs go, that those big kicks that were barely missing would eventually hit the target. Kaljevic had more success with his punches in the third round as Foley kept up the fire. Foley’s right uppercut seemed to be there all night. In Rounds 4 and 5, Kaljevic connected with more body kicks than he was able to in the early rounds, and so did Foley. A right and left hook, a head kick, a follow-up right hook to the head from Kaljevic, who then countered a Foley uppercut with a short right hand. Kaljevic started picking up some steam at this point in the fourth. More kicks from Kaljevic and a glancing overhand right that Foley counters with a left hook. Kaljevic again connected with a short right hand from close quarters at the end of the fourth, his most productive round. In the final frame, Foley again scored with flurries of punches and an early, big right kick upstairs. He ducked a right hand from Kaljevic and popped him with body punches. Foley was touching Kaljevic’s beard, seemingly at will. Big overhand right from Kaljevic, short punches from Foley. Foley pushed Kaljevic back and landed a blistering right that turned up the crowd. Left kick to the body and a left hook high from Kaljevic. In the final seconds of the fight, Kaljevic was looking for a big kick, but Foley smothered him against the ropes, and both men traded short punches. Josh Foley takes the decision and retains his belt.

Jordan Carroll vs. Dan Lucas (WKA North American HW title fight): Carroll (Bellmore Kickboxing/MMA) opened the scoring with a couple of thundering kicks to Lucas’s (Bedrock Gym) lead thigh. Carroll popped in with lead left hook, attacked that thigh again, doubled up the jab, and fired a hard right hand to the body. Left hook to the head from Carroll. Right hook to the head from Carroll. Left hook, uppercut, uppercut, right hand bang! Lucas took heavy punishment from those punches and dropped to a knee in his corner. He did not answer the referee’s count. The hard-hitting Carroll wins via TKO in Round 1.