Tag Archives: Mark Deluca

Diamond Heart – Mark Deluca says farewell to Muay Thai…for good?

Posted on November 23, 2011 by John Wolcott

By John Wolcott It’s in the all-telling square where Muaythai fighters exchange limb for limb and somehow, through some transcending act, convert the perils of pain into personal pleasure. Both physically and mentally it takes a special kind of person to subject themselves to such feats; a sort of madness that only lives in those who dare enough to extinguish the boredoms of life with the thrill of the fight. However, if we dig even deeper we come to learn that brawn and brute are not the only defining characteristics of a Muaythai pugilist. Also found are the virtues of humility, respect, and loyalty. It’s these very traits that separate a Muaythai fighter from someone who just fights in Muaythai. If you’ve been around the sport for some time you acquire a good idea of the fighters who embody these basic, albeit scarce, qualities. One of these fighters is Pittsburgh’s Mark DeLuca. I recently found out about DeLuca’s retirement and like many others in the Muaythai community, I saw it as nothing short of a surprise. Immediately, I was compelled to write. After all, Muaythai is just starting to grow in the states and I’d wondered how it would be with one less traditional representative on the East coast. In an area where establishing mixed martial artists take to the ring and boast the monicker of “Muaythai fighter” for the night, it was a breath of fresh air to see DeLuca’s name grace any fight card. With a very traditional … Continue reading →

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Journey Fight Series 8-Man Tournament Finale RESULTS!

Posted on October 24, 2011 by muaythailife

It began with 8 of North America’s top Muay Thai talent. Saturday Night in Calgary, Alberta, Canada; the two remaining fighters, both Canadians, put on a very technical and exciting fight to determine who would take home $10,000 CAD (aprox. $9,950 US) and the first ever North American WMC Championship Belt. In the end the judges decided in favor of Siam No. 1′s Matt Embree, who is now the first ever WMC North American Champion! Embree’s opponent, Josh Palmer definitely carried a size advantage into each bout during the entire tournament. Coupling his size with his technical prowess, vicious elbows, and long devastating knees, for many Palmer was the favorite going into the final. Palmer controlled the initial rounds of the contest, however as the fight carried over into the final rounds, Embree began to pick up the pace and find his rhythm. Embree pressed Palmer with a multitude of attacks that scored highly for the Toronto based fighter and had the larger Palmer backpedaling. In the end the judges felt that Matt Embree did what was needed to win the fight and thus awarded him with the unanimous decision. In the other standout fight of the night, Pittsburgh Muay Thai’s Mark Deluca was looking to mix it up once again with Calgary’s own “Nasty” Nate Smandych. These two talented nakmuays had faced off with each other as amateurs with Smandych taking that fight by decision. However, this time around Nate was not looking to allow this one to be … Continue reading →

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Our Muay Thai Weekend Guide – M-One, Take On, Journey Fight Series, and more!

Posted on October 20, 2011 by muaythailife

Call your friends, grab some beers, and hook up your PC or Laptop to the TV this weekend because it’s going to be an action packed weekend chock full of complete Muay Thai madness. Muay Thai continues it’s exponential growth in the U.S. as not one, not two, but FIVE Muay Thai events are taking place this weekend here in the good ol’ U.S. of A and will be showcasing some of the top names from North America and Thailand! 3 of these events will be available via GFL.tv so after reading the event descriptions below, check out the links at the bottom of the post for direct access to the live stream purchase page as well as some recent posts you may want to take a look at to prep for this weekend’s events. Help support Muay Thai by buying the live Pay-Per-View streams. You can purchase all 3 Pay-Per-View streams and still pay less than what you would pay for an entire UFC event! So don’t be lame! Check out the links below to purchase the live PPV streams for each event: M-One Grand Muay Thai “USA vs Thailand” live from Los Angeles, CA. *Make sure to tune in exactly at the start of the event. Due to the event being broadcast in Thailand, all pro matches will be first. Take On Productions “Battle at Bally’s” live from Atlantic City, NJ Journey Fight Series Finale – live from Calgary, Alberta, Canada Related Posts: “Into the Fight” Vol. 3 … Continue reading →

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Journey Fight Series Final between Matt Embree and Josh Palmer now for WMC North American Title!

Posted on October 11, 2011 by muaythailife

The Final of the Journey Fight Series takes place on October 22nd, an already stacked weekend for Muay Thai, and will feature the all-Canada final of the 10,000 8-man tournament between Josh Palmer and Matt Embree. Below is the latest press release from the Journey Fight Series regarding the upcoming event…plus the big announcement that the Palmer vs. Embree main event will now be for the WMC North American Title! —————————————— After starting with 8 of the top 140lb professional Muay Thai fighters in North America, the field has been narrowed to two! In an all Canadian final, Toronto’s Matt Embree takes on Josh Palmer of Halifax. Both fighters have been very active in 2011 and are looking to get their hands on the $10 000 winner’s fight purse! As an extra incentive the bout will be for the vacant WMC North American Title, the first ever North American WMC belt awarded! This event will also feature hometown athlete “Nasty” Nate Smandych against Mark Deluca. These accomplished athletes battled once before as amateurs with Smandych winning. Deluca looks to even the score as a professional! Regular Fight of the Night winner Jessica “Thumper” Gladstone steps into the ring bringing her nonstop, action packed style to the fans against Celeste Saenz of Tijuana, Mexico. “Shotgun” Sean McKinnon and Billy “Kung Fu Panda” Kim round out 5 professional bouts! A full undercard of local amateurs will complete the card as Calgary’s Chris McMillan continues to climb the rankings and attempts to avenge … Continue reading →

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