Nigeria warns of nationwide cholera risk as 352 die
Source: Reuters ABUJA, Aug 26 (Reuters) - Nigerian health authorities have warned of a nationwide cholera risk after the death toll from an outbreak concentrated largely in the north of Africa's most populous nation ...

A Great Game Plan by Trainers Sets Up Local Fighters for Victory in the Cage. Bellingham’s Usmma Mixed Martial Arts Fighters Win Big at Wcf Fight Nig

With three local fighters winning their bouts in the first round, their trainers at USMMA based in Bellingham truly had something to be proud of.  Mike Campbell, Devin Wessinger and Kevin Corrigan each won their weight class recently at the World Championship Fighting (WCF) Fight Night competition at the Shriner’s Auditorium in Wilmington, MA.
Corrigan, fighting at 155 pounds and standing 5’11”, started off the night for USMMA in his first professional fight against Ruben Gonzalez. The bell sounded and both fighters came out strong.  After circling briefly, Corrigan closed the distance with punches drawing a lead leg kick from Gonzalez.  Corrigan caught the kick and closed on his opponent’s hip, lifting and slamming Gonzalez. The crowd reacted with a roar, Gonzalez tried for a guillotine but Corrigan mounted. From there, it only took :48 seconds for Corrigan to win with a KO in the first round.
Corrigan, a 35-year-old native of Bellingham, now lives in Franklin, MA.  He graduated from Bellingham High School in 1991 and he played baseball and hockey there.  He attended the University of Massachusetts in Dartmouth and Framingham State College. When asked about his first win, his first thought was, “Unbelievable!!” he said.  “It was the best thing that has ever happened to me.  It was a feeling that was completely different for me because I am so used to team sports.  This was something I did completely by myself,” he said.
“I have never worked so hard for anything in my life and the pay-off was worth it for me in the end,” said Corrigan. “Matt Phinney at USMMA put together a game plan for me and it worked perfectly … absolutely perfectly!  It was almost easy to win because I was so prepared.  I practiced so hard and was just ready for every move,” he added.   Corrigan said that he trained hard for 10 to 12 weeks to prepare for the fight.  He would grapple with the other fighters at USMMA one after another, so facing just one opponent in his first fight was not as nerve-wracking as he thought it would be.  “I was very calm.  I felt very prepared and at ease and I knew I had my support system there,” he said.
“USMMA is the best gym around.  Tom Hafers, Matt Phinney and Jorge Rivera, prepare fighters better than anyone.  All of the fighters know we are trained better than anyone every time we step into the ring.  They really take care of me and they have all become like a second family to me,” said Corrigan.  “We have such a team spirit at USMMA.  If I win, they win and vice versa.  You don’t want to let them down,” he said.  His next fight is September 13, 2008 in Wilmington, MA.
Wessinger, fighting at 155 pounds, and returning to fighting after a year off, was next up on the card for USMMA in a fight against Jose Lopez. The bell sounded and both circled. Lopez threw a leg kick and Wessinger pressured in with punches, backing Lopez into the ropes. Lopez clinched with Wessinger and drove forward getting the takedown into Wessinger’s guard. Wessinger started working for a triangle then transitioned into and Omaplata, a submission move. It was shortly after that Lopez tapped earning Wessinger the victory at 1:19 seconds into the first round.   His record is now 4-1.
Wessinger, a native of Whitinsville, MA, graduated from Blackstone Valley Regional Technical High School in 2003.  While there, the well-rounded athlete played football, lacrosse, basketball and some baseball and hockey.   After graduating, Wessinger began working as a machinist and truly missed the competition of sports.  He tried Mixed Martial Arts and truly enjoyed it. 
“I really missed playing sports after high school and working out at USMMA gave me a great outlet,” said Wessinger.  “The trainers there, Tom Hafers and Matt Phinney, are the best in New England.  They always have a game plan for me.  They know what will happen and what the other guys is planning to do.  It makes me a calmer and more focused fighter because they are there for me,” he said.  “In and out of the ring, I am a happier person because of my training.  I don’t feel frustrated or aggravated because I leave all of that in the ring,” he added.
Wessinger trains about 12 hours a week at USMMA.  He incorporates Brazilian Jiu-Jutsu Mai Tai and sparring.  His next fight is scheduled for September 13, 2008 at the Shriner’s Auditorium in Wilmington, MA.
The most anticipated fight of the night proved it’s worth with headliner and professional fighter Campbell vs. Rich Moskowitz and the crowd was ready for it.  The bell sounded and the fighters began to circle.  Moskowitz looked to close the distance on Campbell with kicks and punches but Campbell proved that he is too elusive.  Using superior footwork and timing, Campbell set up his openings.  Just one minute into the first round, Campbell countered with a cross that sent Moskowitz to the mat.  He rushed in to finish the fight and the referee stopped the fight at 1:28.  Campbell’s victory leaves him with a 5-0 record.
Campbell, a 25-year-old from Franklin, MA, fights in the welterweight division at 5’9”, 170 lbs.  He graduated from Coventry High School in Rhode Island.  While in high school, his dream was to play college football.  It was dream he shared with his father.  After his father passed away from a heroin overdose in 2001, Campbell put aside his football plans, as it was a passion they had always shared together. “My dad and I both loved football and we shared the passion for the game and for me playing.  When he passed away, I didn’t want to play anymore.”
Being no stranger to competition, and missing playing sports, Campbell was inspired to try power lifting.  He represented the US as a power lifter at the Power Lifting World
Championships when he was 22-years-old.  From there, Campbell found Mixed Martial Arts training at USMMA.  As a professional MMA fighter, he has built a solid career path for himself with a 5-0 record that includes 3 KO’s.  He holds a local title belt for the 170 lb. welterweight division. 
He is just getting started.  Campbell was chosen as the feature fighter on the reality show “Tap Out” on the Versus Network.  The “Tap Out” crew has been following Campbell and watching his training and fights that will be featured on an upcoming episode that documents their quest for the best up and coming Mixed Martial Arts fighters in the United States.  “It has been kind of weird having them follow me around, but I know that this will help take me to the next level in my career as a fighter,” said Campbell.  The episode will air in September. 
Campbell also trains with Hafers and Phinney at the USMMA facility in Bellingham, MA.  “They always come up with a great game plan and it always works!” he said.  “Tom and Matt are there for me 100 percent.  They have helped me to develop, not only as a fighter, but as and individual, as well,” he added. 
The United States Mixed Martial Arts Training Center, located on Hartford Avenue in Bellingham, focuses on elevating the physical and spiritual well being of students through Mixed Martial Arts and Yoga. This is accomplished through a four-pronged approach to reality self-defense training centered in total body wellness. 
The state of the art, 4,000-square foot training facility is complete with a 2,000-square foot padded MMA training floor equipped with heavy bags and conditioning equipment, a 15 hundred-square foot yoga studio, locker rooms, showers, a retail store and a juice bar.  USMMA also conducts kid’s programs including birthday parties, hip-hop classes and summer camps.  To contact USMMA, call 508-966-5006 or visit their website at www.usmma.org.

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