Newton’s Dragons Move Back Into Playoff Mix; Pitbulls Strengthen Position
UNCASVILLE, Conn., April 13, 2007 - The Dragons and Pitbulls made big statements in the push for the International Fight League playoffs, earning victories at the IFL event before 6,131 at the Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Conn.  The Dragons, coached by Carlos "The Ronin" Newton and based in Toronto, topped Don Frye’s Scorpions, based in Tucson, by a 4-1 count.  The Pitbulls, led by Carlos Newton and based in New York, got by the Portland-based Wolfpack, trained by Matt Lindland and tonight led by substitute coach Kevin Jackson of USA Wrestling, by a 3-2 margin.

Wagnney Fabiano (Rio de Janeiro, Brazil) started things in the right direction for the Dragons (1-1 team, 6-4 individual composite) with a first-round side choke of Cam Ward (Tigard, Ore.) in the lightweight bout for a 1-0 lead for Newton’s Canada-based unit.  Welterweight Gideon Ray (Roselle, Ill.) doubled the advantage to 2-0 with a first-round TKO over Gabe Casillas (Tucson, Ariz.), using a flurry of punches to subdue the Scorpion, in the IFL debut for both athletes.  At 185 lb, Brent Beauparlant (Montreal, Quebec) clinched the Dragons’ win with a unanimous decision over Seth Baczynski (Phoenix) in an entertaining middleweight bout.  Mike Whitehead (Central Point, Ore.) got the Scorpions (0-2, 3-7) on the board with a dominant first-round TKO over Wojtek Kaszowski (Winnipeg, Manitoba) in the light heavyweight fight to remain unbeaten (3-0) in IFL competition.
Shane Ott (Reading, Pa.), a substitute who joined the Dragons on Thursday after an illness felled the team’s starting heavyweight, earned a surprising first-round submission victory over Chad Griggs (Tucson, Ariz.) to give the Dragons the final, convincing margin.

In the night’s second matchup, Ryan Schultz (North Platte, Neb.) grinded out a unanimous decision over Joe Sampieri (New York) to stake the Wolfpack (1-1, 4-6) to a 1-0 edge.  Delson Heleno (Rio de Janeiro, Brazil) answered with a unanimous decision of his own over Mike Dolce (Belmar, N.J.) at 170 lbs. to even the score at 1-1.  Middleweight Fabio Leopoldo (Sao Paulo,
Brazil) moved the Pitbulls (2-0, 8-2) in front 2-1, using a variety of submission attempts to earn a split decision over Gerald Harris (Portland, Ore.). Jamal Patterson (Hoboken, N.J.) finished things much faster in the light heavyweight matchup, giving the Pitbulls the victory with a quick tap-out over Matt Horwich (Gresham, Ore.), securing a guillotine choke.
Devin Cole (Medford, Ore.) won the heavyweight tilt via TKO over Bryan Vetell (New York) to complete the 3-2 margin.

The Dragons’ win moves Newton’s squad into a tie for fifth place with the Tiger Sharks and Silverbacks.  The Pitbulls now sit in second place and in strong position to advance.  The top four teams advance to the IFL playoffs, set for August 2 in East Rutherford, N.J. (semifinals) and September 15 in Los Angeles (finals).  Each of the 12 IFL teams has one match remaining in the regular season.

In the preliminary matchup which featured the alternate fighters, Deividas Taurosevicius of the Pitbulls scored a first-round submission win over Zac George (Norman, Okla.).

The IFL next visits the Sears Centre in Chicago on May 19, when the host Red Bears challenge the defending IFL Champion Silverbacks, and the Razorclaws battle the Condors.
 
About the IFL

International Fight LeagueT (IFL) is the world’s first professional mixed martial arts sports league. IFL has its headquarters in New York, NY and offices in Las Vegas, NV.  For more information about IFL, please see:
www.ifl.tv