to the back of Foran's head. With his mother tearing up cageside, Marcello had to sort things out before an Attica-style riot ensued. One thing I’ve learned covering this sport is that MMA fans have standards. Underhanded tactics are not tolerated and the crowd drowned Hightower in contempt. As emotional as it was to see his little brother laying motionless on the mat, Marcello had to remain neutral. It was his show, but the state athletic commission held the authority on whether or not the blows were illegal. When a bout ends early because a fighter cannot continue, the result is usually a win for whoever is ahead on the scorecards. But this was different. This was a borderline illegal strike, so the result wasn’t surprising after seven minutes of conjecture.
    “This bout is ruled a no contest,” the announcer said to the crowd. It might not have been a popular decision, but it was the right one.
     The rest of the night was smooth although one of the local favorites, Antwain Britt, was upset by a fighter from New York City, Jamal Patterson in a blinding fast guillotine choke. That’s the risk you run when ringers are brought in. Being from Maryland, Britt had the crowd behind him, but only for 44 seconds until Patterson made him tap out.
     Flyweights (125 pounds and under) are Speedy Gonzalez fast and never seem to get tired or go down. When a 250-pound heavyweight hits something, it usually falls over. But flyweights John Dodson and Jose Villarisco had more stamina than Ron Jeremy on Viagra. After three rounds I was exhausted watching them, but not so much because they fought hard.
    “That’s twice now,” Marcello commented after the fight. “That’s two fights now that he [Dodson] has gotten on his bike and pedaled around the cage. It may be a strategy, but I don’t think we’re going to invite him back.” You could say John “The Magician” Dodson used superior footwork to stay outside Villarisco’s striking range or you could say he danced around the cage like Tinkerbell avoiding any decisive engagements. Both would be accurate. It was a sound strategy, but it prompted a few boos at Dodson’s apparent respect for Villarisco’s punching power. He might have notched the win, but that didn’t mean Foran had to give him another opportunity to fight in his show. That’s the prerogative promoters have. It’s their party. They can invite whoever they want to. 
    The main event was predictable. Though Justin Robbins should be publicly commended for stepping up at the last minute in Chase Beebe’s absence, he was neither prepared for Mike Easton nor skilled enough at taking him out. After Foran put the featherweight belt around his waist and the lights came up, it had been four hours of MMA action.

A Place in the Sun

     Days later Foran was pleased. His marketing plan of saturating the local area strategically and releasing fight information incrementally worked. “Using different tools at different times is the way to go,” he says. But he’s a divided man. On the one hand, he’s comfortable with the position he’s carved out in MMA and what he’s accomplished.
     “I’ve learned that it’s okay to be the UWC,” he says. “I don’t have to be the UFC to be successful. We didn’t lose money from this show and don’t plan to from here on out. You don’t have to spend $50 million to succeed and we’re proof of that. Organizations that have...