Promoter Louis Neglia finds home in Atlantic City
June 27, 2008
The Press of Atlantic City

ATLANTIC CITY - Mixed martial arts promoter Louis Neglia figured out a
few years ago that it is easier to scale a mountain by taking a
roundabout route than by charging straight up its face.It is that
conservative approach that has kept Neglia's Ring of Combat as one of
MMA's strongest organizations while others have been forced to tap out
after becoming tapped out.According to published reports, organizations
such as EliteXC and International Fight League are struggling
financially and Vineland-based Cage Fury Fighting Championships folded
last year."Those other (MMA) promoters are like used-car salesmen just
looking to make a quick buck," said Neglia, who will stage Ring of
Combat XX tonight at Tropicana Casino and Resort. "I'm doing this for
the love of the sport."Neglia, a 55-year-old native of Brooklyn, N.Y.,
is one of MMA's pioneers. Along with Ray Longo, he staged the first
fight sanctioned by the New Jersey Athletic Control Board. On Feb. 26,
2000, Neglia convinced then-NJACB commissioner Larry Hazzard to approve
a one-round exhibition between Steve Anshelewitz and Mark Shopp as part
of a full-contact karate show held at the Trop. A few months later, the
NJACB got together with a few MMA promoters and fighters to devise the
rules and regulations that are now universally used in fights.In the
past eight years, a number of MMA organizations have held cards in
Atlantic City, including high-profile outfits such as UFC, EliteXC and
International Fight League. But none have had the consistent presence in
town like Ring of Combat. Tonight's card will be Neglia's 11th straight
on the Boardwalk."We've been doing business with Louis for a number of
years now and I can honestly say we have never had a single problem,"
said state Deputy Attorney General Nicholas Lembo, the NJACB's legal
counsel who also oversees most of the state's MMA shows. "We've never
had a single fighter complain, and that's rare in MMA and boxing."Louis
also deserves a lot of credit for the quality of his shows. If you're a
fan, you know that when you go to Ring of Combat, you're going to see
competitive, exciting fights."The Tropicana evidently agrees. Eighteen
of the previous 19 Ring of Combat cards have been held in its showroom -
Ring of Combat IX was in Asbury Park - and two more are scheduled for
Sept. 12 and Nov. 21, respectively.While other casinos such as the Trump
Taj Mahal Casino Resort and Showboat Casino-Hotel have dabbled in
professional MMA, the Trop is the only one that has made it a main
course on its entertainment menu. In addition to Ring of Combat, Battle
Cage Xtreme is slated to hold cards at the Trop on July 12 and Oct.
18."We were looking for something that would appeal to a younger
demographic that spends a lot of time in The Quarter (at the Trop),"
said Michelle Robb, Tropicana's entertainment director. "Some of our
concerts don't appeal to that age group, but MMA certainly does. Every
event we've had here has done very well."Ring of Combat's appeal centers
around its deep stable of fighters. Several of its top performers such
as Phil Barone, Frankie Edgar and Matt Serra have gone on to compete for
higher-profile organizations like UFC.Because Neglia does not permit
mismatches, each of tonight's 14 bouts is regarded as a toss-up.
Fighters who want to be coddled and protected should seek other
organizations. That usually makes for even, competitive matches that can
only help the sport."I'm not like some of the other promoters in that I
have no interest in signing has-beens or guys with no talent," said
Neglia, who was a three-time world kickboxing champion. "I don't care if
a guy is from Kalamazoo, Mich.; if he can fight, I'm interested."I pay
my fighters well (usually between $4,000 and $25,000), and they also
know that I look out for them and care about them. They all know that my
word is my bond and that's the most important thing."NOTES: Doors to
Tropicana's Showroom open at 8 p.m. with the first undercard bout
scheduled for 8:30 p.m. Three championship fights are scheduled. The
main event is the USKBA welterweight title bout between Nick Catone and
Erick Tavares. Tickets are priced from $50 to $150 and are available at
the Trop box office and through TicketMaster.