EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J., April 4, 2008 – International Fight League titleholders Vladimir “The Janitor” Matyushenko (Belarus), Wagnney Fabiano (Rio de Janeiro, Brazil) and Jay “The Thorobred” Hieron (Freeport, N.Y./Las Vegas) each retained their respective titles at the IFL event at the Izod Center in East Rutherford, N.J. in front of 5131 spectators this evening.

Matyushenko weathered a strong first round by Jamal “The Suit” Patterson (Jersey City, N.J.), then punished the challenger with a series of right hands before the bout was stopped with 30 seconds left in the second round.

Fabiano, known for his world-class Brazilian Jiu Jitsu expertise, stunned Shad Lierley (Seattle) with a solid punch just 37 seconds into the first round to record the KO.

Hieron dominated the entire round against Mark Miller (Chicago), finishing the round with a ground-and-pound until the referee stepped in for the TKO.

In the camp vs. camp competition between Miletich Fighting Systems and American Top Team, LC Davis (Kansas City, Mo.) of MFS scored a knockout of Rafael Dias (Rio de Janeiro, Brazil) with just seconds remaining in the third round of a very competitive featherweight bout. ATT’s welterweight Emyr Bussade (Fort Lauderdale, Fla.) won a second-round submission via kneebar over Jesse Lennox (Cedar Rapids, Iowa). The light heavyweight bout between Carmelo Marrero (Douglasville, Pa.) and Mike Ciesnolevicz (Williamstown, Pa.) was ruled a no contest when a cut from the head of Marrero from an inadvertent head butt would not stop.

In addition to Matyushenko vs. Patterson, in the bouts between Midwest Combat and Renzo Gracie Academy, Gracie’s Jim Miller (Sparta, N.J.) scored a unanimous decision over Bart Palaszewski (Wonder Lake, Ill.) in a highly entertaining lightweight bout; Brad Blackburn (Olympia, Wash.) turned around a welterweight bout in which he was trailing with a third-round KO over Delson Heleno (Rio de Janeiro, Brazil).

The night started with a non-title bout between light heavyweights, with IFL veteran Alex Schoenauer (Las Vegas) claiming a split decision over Brendan Barrett (Tuckerton, N.J.). In another non-title bout, Chris “The Polish Hammer” Horodecki (London, Ontario) scored a narrow but unanimous decision over Nate Lamotte (New Hampshire).

IFL East Rutherford, N.J.
Friday, April 4, 2008

Non-Title Bouts
205 lbs.: Alex Schoenauer (Las Vegas) def. Brendan Barrett (Tuckerton, N.J.) via decision (split) after three rounds
155 lbs.: Chris Horodecki (London, Ontario) def. Nate Lamotte (New Hampshire) via decision (unanimous) after three rounds

American Top Team vs. Miletich Fighting Systems
145 lbs.: LC Davis (Kansas City, Mo.) def. Rafael Dias (Rio de Janeiro, Brazil) via KO (strikes), 3:56, 3rd 170 lbs.: Emyr Bussade (Fort Lauderdale, Fla.) def. Jesse Lennox (Cedar Rapids, Iowa) via submission (kneebar) 1:25, 2nd
205 lbs.: Mike Ciesnolevicz (Williamstown, Pa.) vs. Carmelo Marrero (Douglasville, Pa.), no contest

Midwest Combat vs. Renzo Gracie Academy
155 lbs.: Jim Miller (Sparta, N.J.) def. Bart Palaszewski (Wonder Lake, Ill.) via decision (unanimous) after three rounds 170 lbs.: Brad Blackburn (Olympia, Wash.) def. Delson Heleno (Rio de Janeiro, Brazil) via KO (strikes), 1:50, 3rd

Championship Bouts
205 lbs.: Vladimir Matyushenko (Belarus) def. Jamal Patterson (Jersey City, N.J.) via TKO (strikes), 3:35, 2nd
145 lbs.: Wagnney Fabiano (Rio de Janeiro, Brazil) def. Shad Lierley (Seattle) via KO (punch), 0:37, 1st 170 lbs.: Jay Hieron (Freeport, N.Y.) def. Mark Miller (Chicago) via TKO (strikes), 2:10, 1st