Ring of Fire 43 both broadcast and webcast, Phil Baroni vs. Chris Holland headlines

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Ring of Fire is billing the headline event for ROF 43: BadBlood as two of the heaviest hitting welterweights, a valid point as UFC vetPhil Baroni  takes on Chris Holland.  Also on the card are two title fights withthe featherweight title and “Young Guns” lightweight title.  ROF 43 takes place June 2nd at the 1st BankCenter in Broomfield, CO with a main card televised on cable channel FIGHT NOWTV and the whole-show webcast on rofmma.com and fightnow.com for $7.95.

Phil Baroni4-3 Chris Holland is building a reputation with all four of his pro wins beingby KO/TKO and even in his amateur career never going to a judges’ decision buthe is relatively unknown outside the region, his most recent two fights (bothKO wins) being in the Fight To Win promotion. 14-14 Baroni is a fan favorite despite his record which following hislatest stint in the UFC (two losses in UFC 106 and UFC 125) has consisted of aunanimous decision win over Nick Noble in TFC in March 2011 and a unanimousdecision loss to Yoshiyuki Yoshida in One FC last September.  Both love to stand and bang but Baroni hasthe wrestling edge, unless he is overwhelmed early or makes the mistake ofstanding too long with Holland this could easily be Holland’s first time goingto a decision.

In the co-main event UFC vets Tyler Toner and Cameron Dollar square off for thefeatherweight title.  13-3-1 Toner went1-1 in WEC before taking a loss to Ian Loveland in the TUF finale, following upwith wins in ROF over Gilbert Sims and Nick Macias.  In the nearly two years since Dollar’s defeatby Jason Dent in the TUF season 9 finale the Colorado Fight Factory “Money Man”went on a five-fight win streak but took two losses last year to Carlo Praterand Cody Bollinger before starting 2012 with a win over Justin Houghton.

The “Young Guns” fight looks good but the hype according to rofmma.com “bothfighters have a perfect 10-0 record” is a little misleading as Justin Gaethjeis 3-0 as a pro while only six amateur wins can be verified for a total of9-0.  Gaethje’s three wins have been byKO/TKO, the most recent being against Donnie Bell in December so he still makesa good co-headliner.  Marcus Edwards wonthe title at ROF 40 with the defeat of Nick Laney and has since picked up threewins outside ROF most recently a unanimous decision over Milan Zerjal in KOTC,Edwards’ first fight to ever make it out of the first round.

The main card open with former American football player Leandro Veal making hisMMA debut against former WWE wrestler Chad Wicks.

ROF 43 main card:

Demetrin Veal vs.Chad Wicks
LW “Young Guns” title: Marcus Edwardsvs. Justin Gaethje
FW title: Tyler Toner vs. Cameron Dollar
Chris Holland vs. Phil Baroni