5 Questions with … Lou Neglia

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT > SPORTS

By Lori Hoffman

Add Comment | Comments: 0 | Posted Apr. 12, 2010

Lou Neglia squares off with his ROC Ring Girls.

Lou Neglia is one of the pioneers of mixed martial arts. A former world kickboxing champion, he began by producing kick boxing fight cards, but became a big fan of mixed martial arts and created his Ring of Combat MMA events, many of which have taken place in Atlantic City. He’ll present Ring of Combat XIX this Friday, April 16, at the Tropicana, with ROC XXX to follow June 11.

What is it about mixed martial arts, as opposed to boxing and even kickboxing, that has created this explosion of its popularity in the last 15 years?
It shows all aspects of fighting and the fans fell in love with this sport because it is so different than boxing and kickboxing. When MMA was banned from TV, those fans watched it underground. The fans created the excitement and interest, and when it returned to TV on cable and PPV, those fans watched. Cable TV events also helped the growth of the sport.

You’ve been bringing your Ring of Combat event to Atlantic City for many years. How important is the Atlantic City market for MMA?
I think Atlantic City is one of the most exciting cities in the world and it deserves having one of the most exciting sports in the world. There is glamour in Atlantic City. The fans love to come here and the fighters love to come here. Here on the east coast, we have the best fans.

What do you say to people who think mixed martial arts is too violent and dangerous?
It’s a tough sport and is not for everybody, but it is safer than boxing. We know that from statistics. We’ve never had any deaths in the sport. New Jersey was the first state to create regulations and weight classes for MMA events; now they are universal. Boxers get hurt more because they take so many blows to the head. Here if a guy has you in a hold that will break your arm, you tap out. Also, New Jersey has the best referees; when someone on the ground is not fighting back they step in right away.

Who are the best fighters you’ve developed in ROC?
I’m proud that 32 ROC fighters have gone on to have success in the UFC (Ultimate Fighting Championship). I can pick the best fighters and match the best fighters. Ring of Combat develops fighters mostly from the Northeast [based out of Brooklyn, NY]. Our fighters develop a strong regional following and go on to national success. At the most recent UFC event three of my fighters were featured. Former ROC champions John Doomsday Howard and Jim Miller are undefeated in the UFC, and [New Jersey’s own] Kurt Pellegrino had the “Submission of the Night” in his last fight.

Who has the advantage, strikers or grapplers, or do you have to be good at both?
Who would win between a boxer and a grappler, MMA fights answers all those questions. You can use any fighting style in this cage. In the cage you can use boxing, but a boxer would have to adapt to other styles of fighting. A good grappler has good chance to win — everyone has an equal advantage. Ground fighters are knocking out opponents and kickboxers are winning by submission. At one point you could get away with being just a good grappler. Now you need both a good stand-up and ground game to have any chance of being successful in this sport.