When you ask the casual mixed martial arts fan when it was that they started watching the sport, most will tell you....”the beginning man. I watched UFC 1 live,” yet they could not tell you who Royce Gracie defeated to win the organization’s first event that November night in Colorado back in 1993.

Jeff Darienzo is actually one those fans who has been there and has done that. How do we know? Because I have been friends with and known Jeff for more than 20 plus years.

In that time I have witnessed Jeff fight before there were amateur and professional divisions. Mixed martial arts had not yet been sanctioned in the state of Pennsylvania so he was traveling to Massachusetts to get experience inside the cage.

NO Easy Road

The road he traveled was not easy. His first fight was against a fighter who too was making his debut in the fighting world; a man who would later go on to dethrone the World Extreme Cagefighting (WEC) featherweight phenom, Urijah Faber, not once but twice, taking his title in the process. That man was Mike Thomas Brown.

Ain’t Nothin’ But a Good Time

While Darienzo lost that fight 12 ½ years ago, he adopted a nickname that would depict his future outlook on the sport; “Good Times.”

“Good Times” would suffer a severe facial injury from a punch during an MMA bout several years later that required multiple surgeries after his orbital bone has been crushed. A titanium plate and screws were also inserted in his face thus the athletic commissions often times would not clear him medically to participate further in competition.

Making a Difference in the Sport

From there Darienzo sought out judging mixed martial arts as a way to stay involved in the sport. After witnessing many bad calls by judges who had never once experienced a fight themselves, he vowed to help make a difference but it did not stop there. He then went on to be the third man in the cage as he took up a position as a referee.

Now, Darienzo has come full circle and is holding his first mixed martial arts show as a promoter. In just about one month’s time Darienzo will hold East Coast Caged Monkey MMA at the Fernwood Resorts in Bushkill, Pa. The November 15 fight card features 4 professional and 10 amateur bouts.

We recently had the chance to speak with Darienzo regarding his lifelong love for the sport and what it was like putting together his first fight card. Here’s what he had to say:

USCS - You've held positions in nearly every aspect of fighting. You fought professionally, then you were a judge, and lastly a referee. Now you are trying your hand at promoting. Tell us a bit about why you decided to move through each of those and how it all came about.

Darienzo – “If I had the choice, I would still be fighting but due to injury, I've been on a National Suspension List. I just wanted to stay involved in the sport and in the industry so the easiest thing to do was become a judge. There are a lot of bad judges so I thought I would try my hand at it. Then I had the opportunity to ref, which is what I really wanted to do and I still do, just not in the state of PA. The next step, to really have your hand in everything, was to host my own show and get my promoters license. It just seemed like the natural next chapter in my MMA career.”

USCS - Why the name East Coast Caged Monkey?

Darienzo - “I had been trying to come up with a good name for a long time, I had a few and my wife and I decided that this was the best combination and if NOTHING else, we would sell a couple shirts.”

USCS - What was it like putting together your first fight card? The event hasn't happened yet but what are some of the lessons learned along the way?

Darienzo - It has NOT been an easy thing to do. There is so much that goes on behind the scenes and the simplest thing is NEVER the simplest thing, something always goes wrong. Dealing with managers, coaches, fighters, everyone has a different opinion of what should be done. I wish I could deal directly with the fighters. Less bullshit. The biggest lesson is to give everything extra time. If there is a task that SHOULD take about an hour, make sure you allot for three. Something is always going to come up. ALWAYS.”

USCS - Do you have any aspirations of competing in MMA again yourself?

Darienzo – “I hope to get back in the cage, at least a couple more times. There is nothing I love more. There is nothing I love more than preparing and putting it all on the line for that one moment. I miss the rush. I miss it a lot.”

USCS - How supportive has your family and friends been through this process?

Darienzo - “My family has been incredibly supportive. This show would not be happening without the help of my father, who has done more than I could ask for. And my wife, who has put almost as much blood sweat and tears as I have, she has done a lot of the ‘other stuff,’ the grunt work, so I can spend my time building the card and dealing with the matchmaking. The show is going to be INCREDIBLE.”

USCS - Which fights are you really looking forward to on your card and why?

Darienzo – “Eli Garshnick vs. Ryan Contaldi. These two guys lay it on the line every time they get in the cage. They don't want a decision, they want to win a fight. Knock out or be knocked out. That's why I made it the main event. Also looking forward to Soslan Abanokov; seeing him in action. He's an up and coming big name in the making, coming out of K Dojo. Any time you get someone from K Dojo on the card, you know you're in for a good show.”

ECCM MMA Info
General admission for the event is $35, and VIP is $60. For more information go to facebook.com/eastcoastcagedmonkey

If you have questions or would like to be on the card contact Darienzo at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

Last Words

“I'm putting everything on the line,” Darienzo said. “Every expense has come out of my pocket, my family has allowed me to follow my dream and if that means we don't eat, we don't eat. But I know that this will be a success and I know that there is a future. I'm here, East Coast Caged Monkey is HERE, and we aren't going anywhere. I want to thank my wife, without her support and hard work, I couldn't do this. My father, without him I would have struggled a lot more than I have. I've got a Dream Team and if I can't do this, no one can. ECCM baby, we are HERE.”