Time to punch in
Another ‘day at the office’ on deck for Diekmann, Hendricks on Friday night
LINCOLN, R.I. (Feb. 2, 2012) – Josh Hendricks made a strong first impression Thursday when he walked into the Twin River Casino to weigh in for Friday’s fight.
“He’s big!” said Hendricks’ opponent, Josh Diekmann. “He’s a little bigger than I thought. Whatever – I’ve fought big guys before. It’s neither here, nor there.”
Diekmann (12-3, 8 KOs) and Hendricks (18-8, 5 KOs) will square off in one half of the heavyweight co-main event Friday, Feb. 3, 2012 at the Twin River Event Center as Classic Entertainment & Sports presents “Extreme Measures,” the 2012 debut for last year’s No. 1 mixed martial arts promotion in New England.
The other half of the heavyweight co-main event features undefeated Providence, R.I., native Eric Bedard (3-0, 1 KO) facing former NFL offensive lineman Tyler King (3-1, 1 KO) of Stoughton, Mass. Bedard clocked in Thursday at 225 pounds, which is the catchweight for Friday’s showdown, while King weighed 224.
A Westerly, R.I., native who now trains in Groton, Conn., Diekmann tipped the scales at 247 pounds, while the 6-foot-2 Hendricks, a former Ultimate Fighting Championships (UFC) contender from Wadsworth, Ohio, weighed 255 – no problem for Diekmann, who feels as strong as ever following a productive training camp working with Rhode Island-based Jiu-Jitsu instructor Tim Burrill.
“Same as they were before,” Diekmann said when asked about his thoughts entering Friday. “Every fight is a big fight, but every fight is just a fight. I’ve had a great time. Training with the guys has been real fun. The last eight weeks, we’ve worked hard.
“We’ve got a nice, loose atmosphere. I got the right amount of work in all areas.”
While Diekmann has maintained a workman-like pace since the start of camp, Hendricks has peaked in the last few weeks as he attempts one final run at championship glory.
“Honestly, in these last couple of weeks I feel as though I’ve made another jump,” Hendricks said. “I’ve gotten to spend more time with Clint Musser, my strength and conditioning coach, and more time boxing with my coach, Lorenzo Scott. We’ve gotten some good sessions in with real good sparring.
“For me, it’s just another day at the office – another fight. He’s a tough guy with a lot of experience, but I feel pretty good. I think things will go in my direction.”
Tickets for “Extreme Measures” are $35.00, $55.00, $100.00 and $125.00 and can be purchased by calling CES at 401.724.2253/2254, online at www.cesmma.com or www.twinriver.com, at the Players Club booth at Twin River, or through any TicketMaster location. Doors open 6 p.m. with the first bout scheduled for 7.
“Extreme Measures” also features two of the top-ranked fighters in the northeast as No. 1-ranked featherweight Saul Almeida (11-1) of Framingham, Mass., will battle Pawtucket, R.I., veteran Jeff Anderson (10-5, 2 KOs), and No. 1-ranked light heavyweight Greg Rebello (13-3, 7 KOs) of Providence will return to the cage for the first time since beating Cody Lightfoot at Twin River last September in one of the bloodiest battles of 2011.
The win kept Rebello (13-3, 7 KOs) – ranked No. 1 in the northeast among light heavyweights – on the cusp of earning a lucrative bout with one of mixed martial arts’ premier organizations, a spot he hopes to hold onto Friday when he faces White Plains, N.Y., native Mike Stewart (5-3, 2 KOs).
Each victory adds more pressure as Rebello works continuously to maintain a balance between focusing on the task at hand and acknowledging the importance of each fight, knowing one slip-up could knock him off the radar.
“Though it’s kind of hard not to, I don’t think about it at all, to tell you the truth,” Rebello said. “I’m just thinking about going in there and performing my best. More importantly, I’m trying to listen to what my coaches are telling me to do.”
Pawtucket’s Pete Jeffrey (4-4, 2 KOs) will fight for the first time in 15 months when he faces Lionel Young (6-9, 1 KO) of Boston in a lightweight bout.
Jeffrey, 34, has been through it all in mixed martial arts, a veteran of the sport long before it was legalized in Rhode Island, yet even he will have to shake off the proverbial “ring rust” – and his nerves – Friday as he fights for the first time since September of 2010, ending a 15-month layoff prolonged by a torn meniscus in his left that knee that required surgery less than six months ago.
Two fighters will make their professional debuts, including Brennan Ward of New London, Conn., facing Josh Mellen (1-5) of Framingham; and Joe Pingitore of Johnston, R.I., facing featherweight Pedro da Silva (1-3, 1 KO) of Lowell, Mass.
Undefeated lightweight Andres Jeudi (3-0, 1 KO) of Dorchester, Mass., will face Tim O’Connell (4-3) of Wakefield, R.I.; Sean Soriano (4-0), a featherweight out of Providence, will put his unbeaten record on the line against Lee Metcalf (5-5, 2 KOs) of Rockland, Mass.; welterweight Shawn Summey (2-0, 2 KOs) of Dedham, Mass., will battle Kevin Horowitz (3-4) of Queens, N.Y.; and Andre Soukhamthath (0-1), a bantamweight from Woonsocket, R.I., will aim for his first professional win against Gilvan Santos (0-2) of Framingham.
(Twin River has waived its 18+ rule for “Extreme Measures.” Anybody under the age of 18 must be accompanied by an adult and must enter through the West entrance.)
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