Meadowbrook hosting 'Massacre in the Meadow' cage fighting event on Saturday night

Calvin "The Boston Finisher" Kattar, the reigning NCAB champion in mixed martial arts and one of the top ranked professional fighters in the Northeast, will return to the cage in the main event when Combat Zone Mixed Martial Arts 33 moves to the Meadowbrook US Cellular Pavilion as part of the Laconia Bike Week events. The "Massacre in the Meadow", sponsored by Miller Lite, will take center stage on Saturday, June 19 and promises an evenly matched card of 15 intensely competitive MMA matches.

Kattar (9-2-0), who hails from Methuen, MA and is one of the most popular and charismatic fighters in the region, takes on Chris Connor (5-2-0) from Winchester, VA in the highly anticipated bout in the 155-lb. class. Connor's record is deceiving because while he has had just seven professional matches, he won 10 of 13 amateur fights before turning pro.

Local fight fans are well acquainted with Kattar, who is enormously tough, talented, and strong in the cage. But they might think they're seeing double when Connor is introduced by the ringmaster. That's because Chris Connor is the twin brother of Robert Connor, who lost for the first time in his pro career when defeated by Derry's Tom Moreau by unanimous decision in the main event of Combat Zone 32 at Rockingham Park this past March.

In addition to Kattar, there will be plenty of star power on the 15-bout card. UFC veteran Josh "Heavy" Hendricks (15-6-0) from Ohio will match up against Jesse McElligott (3-0-0) in a test of the heavyweights that is an important stop for Hendricks along the comeback trail. Brent Kinberger from Manchester (5-2-0), who trains with the Militech Fighting System in Hooksett and lost consecutive tough fights in his last two outings, goes up against the more experienced Nuri Shakir (13-16-0) in the 170-lb. pro division in a battle that shapes up as one of the best of the night.

McElligott isn't the only pro putting his undefeated record on the line. Travis Clark (6-0-0) from Medina, Ohio, Pat McGreal (5-0-0), who hails from Boston but fights for the always competitive Team Bomb Squad out of Cortland, NY, and Luiz Rodriguez (2-0-0) from Somerville, MA look to keep their records unblemished despite all having drawn tough opponents in their weight classes.

Another fight that is sure to garner a great deal of interest is the one in the 185-lb. class between Will "The Brown Bomber" Santiago of Lawrence, MA and Lowell Zangri of Manchester, NH. Both of the up and coming young amateurs are undefeated at 2-0-0 and match up well in their abilities as each attempts to climb the ranks.

Other combatants who figure to draw attention include RJ LeTendre (1-0-0), who is a police officer in his hometown of Rollinsford, NH, Taylor Trahan (4-3-0) of Lunenburg, VT, who has redeemed himself from a slow start in the cage by winning his last four fights decisively, and Nick Olson (1-0-0) from Amherst, NH. Olson is the brother of Dennis Olson, the top ranked pro at 170 lbs. in New England and a rising star in the sport, and both train with Gracie Barra NH in Nashua.

Doors open at 6 p.m. and the first cage fight begins at 7. Tickets are available through www.czmma.com or through www.meadowbrook.net and range from $120 to $25, plus a service charge. The weigh in, which is open to the public, starts at 6 p.m. on Friday, June 18 at Meadowbrook, which is also hosting the Faux Fest 2010 concert featuring a tribute to bands that rock.

For more information about the events or any of the fighters, visit www.czmma.com or www.meadowbrook.net.