CES matchmaker Pat Sullivan previews CES 53

It’s been a good year for CES MMA, they have run six shows and entered into two new markets. On November 2, they will have their last fight card of the year. It will mark 11 weeks since CES had it’s last MMA show, it will also be the last show of the year for the New England based organization so matchmaker Pat Sullivan knew he had to stack the card.

“This is kinda of a card, end of the year, last card of 2018, we’ve had a really good year, a fun year, maybe even been some of the best fights we’ve had with the promotion. We really wanted to end the year with a bang. Our last show was in August, I think there was ten weeks in between fights and there will be another ten weeks between fights when we fight in January. When we were putting the card together, I think all these fighters knew that it’s time to step up. You have to end the year with a bang, you can’t end the year with a boring performance. “

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With that said, Sullivan has loaded the cards with several of the Northeast’s best up and coming fighters such as Dylan Lockard, Richie Santiago and Kris Moutinho and is giving them their toughest test to date.

“What I love about working with Richie and Kris and Dylan is those guys want to fight they always want to fight the best guys I can get for them. They never turn a fighter down, it’s always who do you guys have? who do you guys have? These guys are all stepping up, those three are all the ones who come to mind the most, cause they’re really stepping up.”

Dylan Lockard and Kris Moutinho are facing Anthony Wright (3-0) and James Quigg (4-2) respectively. Both fighters train out of Team ROC in North Carolina and Sullivan says, they are not coming to Rhode Island just to be on TV.

“Anthony Wright and James Quigg, up here in the Northeast you may not know a lot about them but I’ve been following their careers and those guys are coming up to win, these guys aren’t coming up to get a paycheck or go on TV, these guys have bad intentions, they’re coming up here to be CES stars. Moutinho and Dylan Lockard are going to have to have their best performances.”

The main event of this card is a bantamweight title fight between Dinis Paiva and Tony Gravely. The belt was vacated when Andre Ewell was signed by the UFC after he defeated Paiva via submission. Paiva is a fan favorite who was previously on a four-fight win streak. His opponent Gravely, has a record of 15-5 and is a very active fighter. Recently he went to California and captured a title with King of the Cage. His losses have also come only to top competition, including UFC fighters Manny Bermudez and Merab Dvalishvili.

“Whoever wins that fight is truly going to be a world champion.”

The fight outside of the main event that excites Sullivan the most is Kody Nordby’s return to the CES cage. Nordby was deployed by the United States military oversees and on November 2, will return to the cage. He is a fan favorite and has faced top level competition, he even holds a win over Dinis Paiva who is fighting in the main event.

“When he goes out there, I’m expecting to see a lot of fanfare.”

Another intriguing storyline to CES 53 is the return of heavyweight Parker Porter. Porter was on CES 1 and has fought the likes of Jon Jones and Gabriel Gonzaga.

“He’s a guy we’ve always wanted to get back since the first one. It’s pretty cool, from 1 to 53, that shows his longevity in the sport.”

A fighter that has a big name and gets a lot of attention is fighting on the undercard at CES 53 is John Gotti III. So far Gotti has proven he is more than his last name by starting his MMA career undefeated at 2-0. In his last fight at CES NY 1, Gotti stopped Eddie Haws in the first round 32 seconds into the first round. Now he returns to face Josh Zuckerman (0-3). Sullivan has enjoyed the work Gotti has put into the CES cage so far.

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“He is certainly very entertaining and he leaves an entertaining mark in the cage.”

To Sullivan, what makes Gotti special is his willingness to fight for his recognition and not rely on his last name.

“I give him credit, he wants to perfect his craft and he doesn’t want any special treatment, he’s said that to us since day one.”

In addition to putting on entertaining fights in the cage, part of CES’ mission is to give back to their community. October is breast cancer awareness month and even though the event is a few days after October, they’d like everyone to wear pink honor those fighting breast cancer or who have sadly passed away because of it.

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“I’m encouraging all fans to wear pink to the fight, I’ll be wearing my pink suit and I encourage and ask all fans to wear pink as well. It’s November 2, its only 48-hours outside October, but we’re on national television, it’s our last TV fight of the year and I’d love nothing more than the whole audience wearing pink. I think it would send a huge message.”

Let’s create a whole row of pink and show the whole world on AXS TV that CES, that our fans, that our friends and our MMA community are standing up for each other and standing up to breast cancer together.”

You can donate to the American Cancer Society here: http://main.acsevents.org/site/TR/MakingStridesAgainstBreastCancer/RMWPCY18NER?px=46262281&pg=personal&fr_id=90385&_ga=2.124109507.85058680.1540559926-1539974440.1540559926

CES 53 will be televised live on AXS TV on November 2.

Learn more about CES competitors:

Josh Ricci: https://mymmanews.com/josh-ricci-ces-53/

Kris Moutinho: https://mymmanews.com/kris-moutinho-ces-53/

Dinis Paiva: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9Syxahp6oEc