Jimy "The Kid" Hettes

JH: I have been training in BJJ for around 6 years in that time i achieved a purple belt and before that I wrestled as a kid. So my whole life Ive been grappling in one way or another. I have been teaching at Gracie NEPA Swoyersville since i was 17 years old cause teaching just came natural to me. It was real convenient cause the gym is only 5 minutes away from my house so when i was small i would just walk there and train.

You’ve undercarded on some lower profile shows but really announced your presence with an :85 win over Steven Baker to open Shogun 1. First, let’s talk about Shogun, it sounds like that was a huge event. Being in an arena with the big-time production, did that affect you any?

JH: It was a real good showing at the Shogun event. It was nice to see such support for our sport, but on that note, the size of the crowd has never influenced me. Its a fight between two individuals and the rest are just there to watch. So i don’t put too much emphasis on anything that goes on outside the cage.

Your heading back down to Baltimore to face hometown favorite Binky Jones. This fight your in the clean up spot against the hometown guy. No body fights in a vacuum, so how are you preparing to be the “bad guy” fighting the home town hero?

JH: I don’t really concern myself with who is the bad or good guy for fights. The theatrics of mma has never concerned me. I like to go out and fight with all of my heart and all the knowledgeable fans will appreciate that.

When I first talked about this fight, I mentioned that Binky is old enough to be your father. He’s got an 18 year head start on you, and has 4 times as many pro fights. Obviously, once the door’s locked none of that matters, but how does his age and experience play into how you prepare?

JH: I know he has alot of experience as a fighter, but I feel ready to take on that experience. At the end of the day its still a fight between two people, and that is something i have been training my whole life for. So I am up for the challenge.

Your sponsored by MMAMelee.com, which is one probably the best fight-minded networking site. And it seems like whenever you go to a fight, MMA Melee runs up squad deep into the building. How did you get hooked up with Mike Malast and his crew, and how has the site helped you?

JH: Mike is from the same town as me, and is a huge fan of mma. So when he heard that we are from the same area he gave me a ton of good exposure and help on the politics of mma. Him and the others of MMA Melee have been extremely kind and supportive and i am extremely grateful.

The second half of 2009 was pretty active for you with 4 fights in six months. But this is the first fight of 2010. Have you thought about how active your going to be this year?

JH: I don’t really plan to far in advance when i have an upcoming fight. I believe in putting all my energy into that fight and then I will worry about the future after the fight.

One last one for the Shogun show. I could make a guess at your answer. But what’s your prediction for this fight?

JH: It will be a good fight. He is an excellent fighter and i have alot of respect for him as a person and fighter. I will let my training speak for itself. I want to push that pace and try to get another first round victory, either by submission or KO.

One of my goals for 2010 is to really build the casual MMA fan base in this area. So tell us why your a fan of MMA, what is it about going to fights that gets you excited? And what do you like to see at MMA events?

JH: For me I really enjoy the technical aspect of MMA. I’m not a big fan of the blood and gore but the martial arts aspect of the fight. I really enjoy the MMA shows with knowledgeable fans that know what is going on and not just screaming for blood.

Last question is traditionally the open mic. A chance to shout out whoever and plug your gym and your websites.

JH: I wanna give a big shout out to my gyms first. I have basically been living at these places for this fight so they have helped alot. thanks to Swoyersville Submission Wrestling, Gracie NEPA, and World Class Boxing. also thanks to my sponsors Newhart Chiropractic, Clinchgear, and of course MMA Melee.

Thanks to Mike Malast at MMA Melee for this, Jim Hettes vs Stephen Baker at Shogun 1.

Related posts:

1. Jim Hettes vs Steven Baker Grappling Match at Primal This Weekend
2. Jim Hettes War Wagon Rolls Through Scranton
3. An Unsolicited Plug for MMA Melee

Anyway, sit back and enjoy the pretty colors.

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Your cost? Zero dollars. If you want your gym or company logo on the card, I’ll sell them to you at cost – which is as low as $7 for 100. It really is that simple. I’ll cover the cost of shipping, and all you have to do is put them in a place where people will grab them.

MAMMA postcards are already being distributed by Tattoo Fightwear and Jamie Varner’s Combat Academy.

I’m also looking for potential distributors for MAMMA-Online stickers and t-shirts. Get a hold of me at paul@mamma-online.com.

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Fight 2
John Cholish (2-1) vs Matt Troyer (3-3)

Fight 3
Marcos Rodrigues (6-11-1) vs Kenny Foster (6-1)

Fight 4
Doug The Killer Miller (5-3) vs Timm Kitts (3-2)

Fight 5
Jimmie Rivera (4-1) vs Claudio Ledesma (1-0)

Fight 6
Glen Sandull (2-2-1) vs Robert Rodriguez (1-0)

Fight 7
Eric Henry (10-6) vs Chad Klingensmith (2-2)

Fight 8
Joshua Key (4-3) vs Hitalo Machado (5-3)

Fight 9
Dave Branch (4-0) vs John Troyer (1-3)

Fight 10
Ryan Quinn (2-1) vs Colin Shrader (2-0)

Fight 11
Ryan Contaldi (6-3) vs Lamont Lister (6-9)

Doors open at 7:00 PM with the first fight at 7:30. If your up in Jersey City, let a brother know how this show goes.

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2. New Breed Fighters Bout Sheet
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We're gonna need a bigger boat.

I have two surprises for you. This six or seven inches of rain we’ve gotten over the last three days, yeah, that would have been the 30″s of snow that the Farmer’s Almanac predicted for this weekend. The second surprise: there’s still a Farmer’s Almanac.

We’re going to kick this pig with a quick run around of the region’s fighters in national promotions.
First, as reported last week, Daddis FC fighters Wilson Reis will face Shad Lierely in the first round of Bellator’s featherweight tournament. That fight is set for Bellator 14, April 15th in Chicago. The Eddie Alvarez vs Josh Neer Superfight is booked for Bellator 17 on May 6th in Boston. That fight is booked at a 160 pound catchweight. Matt Makowski’s bout with Matt Lee is pending medical clearance, and has not yet been added to the schedule.

Around the UFC, Kurt Pellegrino will fight later this month on the UFC 111 preliminary card against Fabricio Camoes. The Pride of Harrisburg, Phil Davis will fight on the UFC 112 preliminary card against Sweden’s Alexander Gustafsson. Also on that card, Toms River NJ’s Frankie Edgar will challenge 155 champion BJ Penn for the belt.

That being said, on the local front, UCC runs their first show ever out of the Jersey City Armory on Friday the 19th. Lamont Lister main events in a 190 pound fight catchweight (billed as “Cruiserweight”) fight against Ryan Contaldi.

Heading to the other end of the region, Valley Fight League returns with a MMA/boxing hybrid card on Friday in Cheswick PA. James Brasco looks to anchor the event against a fighter to be announced.

The weekend continues in Irving NY. Our first official fight coverage in the Empire State is Raging Wolf Western NY Fight League. This all amateur event is slated for 13 fights at Gil Lay Arena. To wrap up the weekend, EFC’s Beatdown By the Bay 2 goes down at Sassafrass Pier in Erie PA. Sean Sentella will fight Michael Phillips for the newly minted 135 pound title. EFC’s website is the worst MMA website I’ve ever seen. Please, EFC, redesign it.

Here in the heart of MAMMAlopolis, the Greater Philadelphia region, its all quiet. But, if your clicking in from New York or Pittsburgh, go and enjoy some fights this weekend.

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Roxanne Modafferi, photo by: Ester Lin for Strikeforce.

As part of a new and ongoing series to grow MMA’s casual fanbase, and encourage fans to go experience fights in person, The Mid-Atlantic MMA Blog has contacted several people active in the MMA community to share why they are fans of mixed martial arts. In this first edition, Roxanne Modafferi explains how she went from a mild mannered judo girl to a professional fighter.

At that moment, I fell in love. Okay, maybe a small crush on Aaron Riley, who fought Robbie Lawler that night May 2002 at UFC 37. But mostly with the sport of MMA. I’d already been getting into it – the Judo girl who wanted to follow the “gentle” way, resisted the more violent aspect of MMA. After moving away to college, I joined a submission grappling gym (Amherst Athletic) which gradually turned into a full MMA gym. The sport was still a little bit underground at that point, destined to blow up three years later with the release of first Ultimate Fighter.

In high school, I lived in the wooden mountains of Berkshire County, Western Massachusetts, and went to a small Judo club and BJJ Royce Association, so I only had the chance to see major shows like the UFC on TV at my training buddy’s house. It was the highlight of the month – a room full of fighters and fans shouting advice at the TV, discussing strategy in between rounds. I think UFC 31 (Shonie Carter def. Matt Serra by spinning backfist) was the first of such gatherings for me. Still partially averted to punches, I watched slack-jawed, and shouted “Ooooh!” with the rest of them as Serra (who was, and
still is SO FRICK’N COOL) got knocked down with that shot.

Then I started going to Mass Destruction and Reality Fighting – two local but popular shows run by NAGA in New England. The promoter/owner Kipp Kollar was best friends with my coach Kirik Jenness. I started taking road trips New Jersey to work at the events, setting up the ring and selling T shirts. What an adventure! I felt like I was building the foundation for something great, and when the crowds showed up, everyone was so excited that it was like a big, barely contained party. The packed event hall, which was usually a high school gymnasium or night club, pulsed with raw energy from the fighters and the spectators. I loved taking a break from selling T shirts and roaming through the event hall during the intermissions, just hearing laughter, excited conversations, and see everyone enjoying themselves.

That was 6 years ago. Since then I’ve moved to Japan and have helped set up and run Cage Force and Valkyrie in Tokyo. Building a cage takes way more people than a ring, let me tell you- it takes no less than 4 guys or 5 gals to carry some of those heavy metal platforms. But it’s the stage of greatness. As a fighter or fan, my heart will always stir when the lights go out and entrance music starts.

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1. Reminder: Roxanne Modafferi Fights This Weekend
2. New Roxanne Modafferi Training Video
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