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Older and wiser, Collins aims to complete the ultimate comeback story in world title bout this Saturday at
CES 72 at Foxwoods Resort Casino
CES 72 at Foxwoods Resort Casino
MASHANTUCKET, Conn. – In combat sports, title shots don’t come overnight. Neither does success. For Fran "The Fury" Collins, it’s taken more than a decade – with a lot of turbulence in between – to get closer than most to reaching the pinnacle of his craft.
In 72 hours, the 37-year-old Collins returns to the cage for the third time since his comeback to face New Hampshire’s Tim Caron for the vacant CES MMA World Middleweight Title in the main event of CES 72 scheduled for this Saturday, March 18 at Foxwoods Resort Casino’s Great Cedar Showroom.
The Collins-Caron main event headlines a full day of mixed martial arts, which also includes seven pro fights and six amateur bouts beginning at 6:30 pm. Among them is eight-time UFC veteran and Hartford, CT, native William "Knightmare" Knight (11-5), who has been added to the card in a heavyweight showdown against 22-fight vet Jordan Powell – Knight’s first appearance with CES MMA since January of 2020. Tickets are available online at CESFights.com or Foxwoods.com or the Foxwoods box office.
There’s a lot to unpack with Collins reaching main event status only nine months after resuming his career following a 10-year layoff. An Irish fighter competing for a world title on St. Patrick’s Day weekend is also a great surface-level storyline, but there’s more to Collins’ legacy than heritage.
Most fighters begin to reach their physical prime around the time Collins stepped away from the sport, and while there’s a chance he could’ve fought for a title much sooner had he not endured such a long layoff, Collins says the late 20s version of "The Fury" might not have been ready for such a life-changing opportunity.
"The difference is when you’re younger you’re just going out there having fun," Collins said. "MMA is more of an art to me now. I take it much more seriously from the stretching to the breathing to the mobility. There’s so much more that goes into this than just going out there and scrapping."
The fact Collins has reached this stage is impressive in and of itself. A U.S. Air Force veteran and recovering alcoholic – he’s been sober since June 12, 2020 – Collins spent part of his time away from MMA pursuing semipro football, a sport he dominated in high school. MMA temporarily kept him out of trouble; his drinking problems began after his military career, but when he turned pro in 2011 he managed to focus long enough until alcoholism consumed him again just a couple years.
Life changed when a coworker told him he had a drinking problem. He quit the next day, beginning the inevitable road back to MMA. Within two years, he returned to the cage, beating Deran Martinez in 23 seconds at CES 69 in June.
Make no mistake, the comeback wasn’t about scratching an itch or proving a point, nor was it some one-off bucket-list item. Collins decided to rededicate his life to this sport for the sole purpose of chasing a world title, an opportunity to open doors that could help him provide for his 12-year-old daughter.
"I knew I’d get here," Collins said. "I manifested it in my mind. It’s about knowing what I can do."
"The toughest part was getting my mind right. When you become sober, you have to relearn everything. It was mainly the mental game. Anyone who’s competed will tell you it’s 85 percent mental. It took a long time, even the first couple of fights. Then you get to a point where you are in a groove and you’re like, ‘Just put me in there with anyone.’"
Collins reached that point in his last fight at CES 70 against Mus'Aib Baiyina. He struggled early, ran out of gas, and then found his second wind in the final round, finishing the fight via ground and pound with just over two minutes remaining.
"After grinding through it, I got to the end and realized, ‘I’m still here,’" Collins said. "That was the turning point for me to declare I’m ready for a title shot."
He faces a tall order Saturday against the durable, 35-year-old Caron (12-5, 5 KOs), also a military veteran and a five-time Bellator vet who last fought for CES in 2018 while making an appearance on Dana White’s Contender Series that same year. Caron also comes in hot, having beat 7-2 Salaiman Ahmadyar and 9-3 Alton Cunningham in his last two fights.
"I’m not worried. I know it’s an ‘any given Sunday’ scenario and he’s more experienced, but when you fight against [coach and former UFC world heavyweight title challenger] Gabriel Gonzaga every day in camp, it’s hard to be scared of many things," Collins said.
"I heard rumors that [Caron] says he’s going to knock me out. I find that funny considering he hasn’t finished any of his last few fights. We’ll see. All the best to him. Win, lose, or draw, we’ll shake hands when it’s all said and done."
Collins’ demeanor is that of a much more mature fighter who sees the game differently than he did a decade ago. Despite being nicknamed "The Fury" – an fitting nickname given his propensity to "go 110 percent with everything I do" – Collins has learned to pull back when necessary and push harder when it’s time to test his limits. He’s even imparted his wisdom on younger fighters when they’ve been willing to listen. But what’s most important now is focusing on Saturday night and what’s at stake. The Fran Collins who steps inside the cage this weekend is much more prepared for this opportunity than the one who took the region by storm more than a decade ago.
"If you are serious about this and it’s what you want to do, then each fight should sharpen one tool for the next fight," Collins said. "All of a sudden, you have this tool belt with everything in it. You have to remained focused. This is not a joke. You can lose your life inside that cage. This sport is not for the faint of heart."
Full fight card details are available online. Follow CES MMA on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter at @CESMMA.
In 72 hours, the 37-year-old Collins returns to the cage for the third time since his comeback to face New Hampshire’s Tim Caron for the vacant CES MMA World Middleweight Title in the main event of CES 72 scheduled for this Saturday, March 18 at Foxwoods Resort Casino’s Great Cedar Showroom.
The Collins-Caron main event headlines a full day of mixed martial arts, which also includes seven pro fights and six amateur bouts beginning at 6:30 pm. Among them is eight-time UFC veteran and Hartford, CT, native William "Knightmare" Knight (11-5), who has been added to the card in a heavyweight showdown against 22-fight vet Jordan Powell – Knight’s first appearance with CES MMA since January of 2020. Tickets are available online at CESFights.com or Foxwoods.com or the Foxwoods box office.
There’s a lot to unpack with Collins reaching main event status only nine months after resuming his career following a 10-year layoff. An Irish fighter competing for a world title on St. Patrick’s Day weekend is also a great surface-level storyline, but there’s more to Collins’ legacy than heritage.
Most fighters begin to reach their physical prime around the time Collins stepped away from the sport, and while there’s a chance he could’ve fought for a title much sooner had he not endured such a long layoff, Collins says the late 20s version of "The Fury" might not have been ready for such a life-changing opportunity.
"The difference is when you’re younger you’re just going out there having fun," Collins said. "MMA is more of an art to me now. I take it much more seriously from the stretching to the breathing to the mobility. There’s so much more that goes into this than just going out there and scrapping."
The fact Collins has reached this stage is impressive in and of itself. A U.S. Air Force veteran and recovering alcoholic – he’s been sober since June 12, 2020 – Collins spent part of his time away from MMA pursuing semipro football, a sport he dominated in high school. MMA temporarily kept him out of trouble; his drinking problems began after his military career, but when he turned pro in 2011 he managed to focus long enough until alcoholism consumed him again just a couple years.
Life changed when a coworker told him he had a drinking problem. He quit the next day, beginning the inevitable road back to MMA. Within two years, he returned to the cage, beating Deran Martinez in 23 seconds at CES 69 in June.
Make no mistake, the comeback wasn’t about scratching an itch or proving a point, nor was it some one-off bucket-list item. Collins decided to rededicate his life to this sport for the sole purpose of chasing a world title, an opportunity to open doors that could help him provide for his 12-year-old daughter.
"I knew I’d get here," Collins said. "I manifested it in my mind. It’s about knowing what I can do."
"The toughest part was getting my mind right. When you become sober, you have to relearn everything. It was mainly the mental game. Anyone who’s competed will tell you it’s 85 percent mental. It took a long time, even the first couple of fights. Then you get to a point where you are in a groove and you’re like, ‘Just put me in there with anyone.’"
Collins reached that point in his last fight at CES 70 against Mus'Aib Baiyina. He struggled early, ran out of gas, and then found his second wind in the final round, finishing the fight via ground and pound with just over two minutes remaining.
"After grinding through it, I got to the end and realized, ‘I’m still here,’" Collins said. "That was the turning point for me to declare I’m ready for a title shot."
He faces a tall order Saturday against the durable, 35-year-old Caron (12-5, 5 KOs), also a military veteran and a five-time Bellator vet who last fought for CES in 2018 while making an appearance on Dana White’s Contender Series that same year. Caron also comes in hot, having beat 7-2 Salaiman Ahmadyar and 9-3 Alton Cunningham in his last two fights.
"I’m not worried. I know it’s an ‘any given Sunday’ scenario and he’s more experienced, but when you fight against [coach and former UFC world heavyweight title challenger] Gabriel Gonzaga every day in camp, it’s hard to be scared of many things," Collins said.
"I heard rumors that [Caron] says he’s going to knock me out. I find that funny considering he hasn’t finished any of his last few fights. We’ll see. All the best to him. Win, lose, or draw, we’ll shake hands when it’s all said and done."
Collins’ demeanor is that of a much more mature fighter who sees the game differently than he did a decade ago. Despite being nicknamed "The Fury" – an fitting nickname given his propensity to "go 110 percent with everything I do" – Collins has learned to pull back when necessary and push harder when it’s time to test his limits. He’s even imparted his wisdom on younger fighters when they’ve been willing to listen. But what’s most important now is focusing on Saturday night and what’s at stake. The Fran Collins who steps inside the cage this weekend is much more prepared for this opportunity than the one who took the region by storm more than a decade ago.
"If you are serious about this and it’s what you want to do, then each fight should sharpen one tool for the next fight," Collins said. "All of a sudden, you have this tool belt with everything in it. You have to remained focused. This is not a joke. You can lose your life inside that cage. This sport is not for the faint of heart."
Full fight card details are available online. Follow CES MMA on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter at @CESMMA.
INFORMATION
CES MMA is a mixed martial arts promotional company based out of Providence, R.I., founded by legendary boxing promoter Jimmy Burchfield Sr. It promoted the first sanctioned professional MMA event in the state of Rhode Island on Sept. 17, 2010 at Twin River Casino Hotel. Since its inception, CES MMA has been a gateway to the UFC developing the careers of UFC contenders Calvin Kattar, Rob Font, Charles Rosa, William Knight, Mike Rodriguez, Tony Gravely, Andre Soukhamthath and others. In October 2012, CES MMA promoted its first pay-per-view event at The Dunkin' Donuts Center in Providence, featuring the professional MMA debut of former WWE superstar Dave Bautista.
Since 1992, Foxwoods Resort Casino has offered guests The Wonder Of It All as the premier resort destination in the Northeast. As the largest resort casino in North America, Foxwoods offers a vast array of gaming in seven casinos; AAA Four-Diamond hotels, restaurants from gourmet to quick service, world-renowned spas, award-winning golf, state-of-the-art theaters, exclusive retailers and free-to-play online casino games. Foxwoods Resort Casino is owned and operated by the Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Nation, a federally recognized Indian tribe located at one of the oldest reservations in existence, Mashantucket, in Southeastern Connecticut. As pioneers of the Indian casino gaming industry, the history of the Mashantucket Pequots reveals one of America's greatest come-back stories. Today, the tribe owns and operates one of the largest gaming resort destinations in North America, Foxwoods Resort Casino, along with a variety of complementary business enterprises, including Eastern Connecticut's premiere luxury golf experience, Lake of Isles, and the decadent Spa at Norwich Inn. As one of the highest revenue contributors and largest employers in Connecticut, the Mashantucket Pequots have hosted more than 330 million visitors since 1992 and contributed over $4 billion in slot revenue payments to the State through a first-of-its-kind agreement, established in 1993. Likewise, the tribe has contributed hundreds of millions in donations and sponsorships to support worthy charities, community events and programs, and other tribes in need, locally and throughout the United States.
Since 1992, Foxwoods Resort Casino has offered guests The Wonder Of It All as the premier resort destination in the Northeast. As the largest resort casino in North America, Foxwoods offers a vast array of gaming in seven casinos; AAA Four-Diamond hotels, restaurants from gourmet to quick service, world-renowned spas, award-winning golf, state-of-the-art theaters, exclusive retailers and free-to-play online casino games. Foxwoods Resort Casino is owned and operated by the Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Nation, a federally recognized Indian tribe located at one of the oldest reservations in existence, Mashantucket, in Southeastern Connecticut. As pioneers of the Indian casino gaming industry, the history of the Mashantucket Pequots reveals one of America's greatest come-back stories. Today, the tribe owns and operates one of the largest gaming resort destinations in North America, Foxwoods Resort Casino, along with a variety of complementary business enterprises, including Eastern Connecticut's premiere luxury golf experience, Lake of Isles, and the decadent Spa at Norwich Inn. As one of the highest revenue contributors and largest employers in Connecticut, the Mashantucket Pequots have hosted more than 330 million visitors since 1992 and contributed over $4 billion in slot revenue payments to the State through a first-of-its-kind agreement, established in 1993. Likewise, the tribe has contributed hundreds of millions in donations and sponsorships to support worthy charities, community events and programs, and other tribes in need, locally and throughout the United States.
–CES–
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You've heard mention of the Armory community garden during several past management team meetings and you are invited to a special day at the garden tomorrow, Saturday June 4th from 12 - 2 pm.
We will be having an abbreviated garden workday where we do some planting, watering and weeding, and we will also have a presentation from Yale School of Architecture professor Elihu Rubin and several of his students (who are also all Armory gardeners) on our beloved Goffe Street Armory which serves as a beautiful backdrop to the garden AND we'll be having a cooking demo from the one and only Farmer D!
The workday will run from 12 - 12:30 pm, the Armory presentation from 12:30 - 1 pm, and the cooking demo from 1 - 2 pm. Please feel free to share among your networks as we learn more about our historic armory and efforts to save it and enjoy some delicious vegan food as well.
The garden is located at 97 County Street (one-way side) across the street from Goffe Street Park.
See the flyer below for more info and we look forward to seeing you tomorrow...
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Ida B. Wells and Frederick Douglass at the Stetson Branch Library last Sunday… what a great event from our member organization The Greater New Haven African American Historical Society and Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library!
Visit the second floor of the New Stetson Branch Library and take in the breathtaking artwork of local artist Katro Storm, Carl Van Vechten’s Harlem Heroes portrait collection, “O, Write My Name”, and African Artwork donated by the Yale University ~ Peabody Museum, New Haven, Connecticut. Our thanks to Gabe Da Silva and The Frame Shop & Da Silva Gallery.
[IMAGE DESCRIPTION: Collage featuring Carl Van Vechten’s Harlem Heroes portraits, artist Katro Stom’s paintings hung on a green wall above the library’s teen fiction collection, a portrait of Trayvon Martin by artist Katro Strom hung outside the Teen Discovery Lounge of Stetson Library, and African artwork hung on the walls among Stetson Library’s African Diaspora Non-Fiction collection.]
New Haven Free Public Library
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CLICK LINK TO WATCH VIDEO
Ebony Horsewomen, Inc. Equestrian and Therapeutic Center Winter Wonderland w/Santa and Mrs. Claus was a success, and we appreciate everyone for turning out to ring in the holiday w/us at the barn! We enjoyed making everyone's day. It certainly made ours. We would like to give a RESOUNDING thank you to the Cigna Foundation for their generous grant and Marine Toys for Tots Foundation for their donations and for helping make Winter Wonderland possible. If you were at this past Saturday's event, please tag us in your photos. Happy Holidays and see y'all next year's event! 
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To further our mission of using horses to foster healing, learning, and riding, we have become a regional leader of cultural humility in Equine Assisted Therapy and Psychotherapy.
WE BELIEVE IN THE POWER OF HORSES TO HEAL! To find out how to schedule an equine therapy/psychotherapy session, riding lessons, or updates on upcoming workshops and community events, please visit our website at www.ebonyhorsewomen.org. Stay connected through social media.
Commutations and COVID, a look at what’s happening inside Connecticut’s prison population
Event by Music Festivals Online
Public · Anyone on or off Facebook
Kansas City R&B Music Festival
Starring Ja Rule and Ashanti, Monica, Tank, Jeremih, Jacquees, and more
This is a show you do not want to miss!!!!!
Ticket on Sale January 7th @ 10:00am
Kansas City R&B Music Fest featuring Monica, Ashanti, Ja Rule, Tank, Jeremiah, Jacques and more
Recovery starts with connection. We're here to help. Visit local harm reduction and treatment providers if you, or someone you know, is struggling with addiction.
City Hall with an update on the parking ban. Por favor espere para escuchar este mensaje en español.
The citywide parking ban will be lifted at 12:00 PM (noon) today. If you’ve parking in a school lot please remove your car by 2 PM. If you’ve parked in a Yale lot please remove your car by 5 PM. We appreciate everyone’s patience and cooperation.
Please remember to clear your sidewalk – it’s the law.
Thanks, and have a good day.
The CT Violence Intervention Program works to build strong relationships with community-based groups and the highest-risk youth to prevent conflict, neighborhood shootings and homicide. Skilled Violence Prevention Professionals are prepared for crisis and de-escalation situations that occur in the community. LEARN MORE https://bit.ly/3pQiXsl #violenceprevention #highriskyouth #commnitygroup
"President Obama: "The future of our country is at stake." -- Michelle Obama: "We're working to change the future of this nation.""
Protect our Democratic House Majority
Supreme thanks to Barbara Fair for hosting in my behalf and in my absence to the Tom Ficklin Radio Show on Friday morning at 11 am Eastern on WNHH 103.5 fm. Her topic is "Prisons. Places of Rehabilitation or Warehousing and Abuse.Join Barbara and her guests live .Click Here
My shows are also recorded for your after broadcast listening pleasure at Click Here
Listen in via the internet Click Here
My blogs
COVID-19 Vaccine Clinics and Health Information Week of 01/10/22. https://www.nhps.net/coronavirus
Sec. Cardona (left) and Rep. Courtney toured Thames River Magnet School along with Principal Jamie Giordano (right), Groton Public Schools Superintendent Susan Austin, and others.
I had the opportunity to host U.S. Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona—a former Connecticut educator—in Groton so he could see firsthand how our local schools are taking full advantage of federal support to create K-12 programs that are nationally recognized for connecting graduates to a growing eastern CT workforce. We started the morning at the Thames River Magnet School, which in 2021 was named a Blue Ribbon School by the U.S. Department of Education. We toured its new facility, and the Secretary was like a fish in water back in the classroom, bonding with the kids and staff. The STEM focus is marine sciences, and even the youngest students were glued to the classwork.
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| Secretary Cardona and Rep. Courtney toured the manufacturing program at Grasso Technical High School. Read more here from the Norwich Bulletin. |
In addition, Grasso Tech is the site for the "manufacturing pipeline" program that offers pre-apprenticeship training that today is recognized as a national model for successful job training. Electric Boat shipyard, and hundreds of other employers are snapping up pipeline graduates as fast as they come. The Secretary was impressed to see how Grasso Tech stays afternoons and evenings to train adults after the school population has left campus, and we both agreed that making school facilities available to job training will expand opportunities to fill job openings, and is a smart education and labor policy. At both schools, the U.S. Department of Education plays a major role in funding school budgets in communities like Groton. Federal support through Title One, special education funding, and Impact Aid for military host communities plays a big role in the student success we witnessed today. The American Rescue Plan has also come through with emergency funds for all school districts to help with COVID challenges.
I want thank all the students who welcomed us on today’s visit, as well as the teachers and staff who were in attendance safely keeping in-person education possible. Big thank you to Superintendents Susan Austin (Groton Public Schools) and Dr. Ellen Solek (CTEAC), Principals Jamie Giordano (Thames River Magnet School) and Patricia Feeney (Grasso Technical HS), and all their staff for hosting us today. My team and I are proud to support the great work of these outstanding educators.
