Ascension Athletics Holds Grand-Opening With Connecticut’s Top Mixed Martial Artists

Ascension Athletics 255 West Street, Bristol, CT 06010

Ascension Athletics – a mixed martial arts gym in partnership with the Don Tinty Boys & Girls Club of Bristol Family Center – hosted their grand opening on June 4th, 2016 in Bristol, Connecticut.

Owned and operated by Jeff Emil Haddad (5-0) and Matt “The Mangler” Bessette (19-7) – lifelong best friends, training partners and professional mixed martial artists – the opening featured Coaches Haddad and Bessette showcasing their personal areas of combat expertise with the help (and in front of) some of the top MMA athletes in Connecticut.

Catered by Chef Dylan Chace, the family-orientated affair featured the local Bristol Gladiators during the wrestling showcase, while Brazilian Jiu Jitsu black belt Professor Rafael Quinones showcased his world-class expertise during the BJJ demonstration.

While Bessette is still active – currently ranked #1 at Featherweight and Lightweight in New England/Northeast as well as the P4P #1 fighter in New England/Northeast – Haddad retired from professional competition undefeated, including capturing the Reality Fighting Bantamweight Championship with a Knockout Of The Year victory in 2011.

Coaches Bessette & Haddad

“Growing up, I had the wonderful opportunity to train with and alongside some of the best wrestlers in the world. I learned the value of hard work, consistency, time management and teamwork. Transitioning into MMA, these skills remain as cornerstones for training.” – Coach Haddad

Offering a high-level learning opportunity to Central Connecticut, the team at Ascension Athletics featured some prominent veterans and prospects within the mixed martial arts community – including the newly-minted Reality Fighting Bantamweight Champion Johnny “Mr. Nice Guy” Lopez (7-3), as well as:

Striking Drills

• Nick “The Hurricane” Enzor (1st Place, 2016 Ammo 2 Gi)
• Carlos “The Cannon” Candelario (4-0 Professional Flyweight)
• Roberto Rios (2-4 Amateur Bantamweight)
• Este Lara (Division II nationally-ranked wrestler)
• Sifu Russell Leake (Owner/Instructor, Underdog BJJ)
• Justin Valentin (3-1 Amateur Flyweight)
• “Notorious” Nick Newell (13-1 Professional Lightweight)

Despite fighting for the upcoming CES MMA Featherweight Championship on August 12th, 2016, Coach Bessette felt compelled to continue sharing the knowledge and expertise his own instructors, mentors and teammates have shared with him along his professional career:

“I am real excited to be able to share my knowledge to our team and to see what we can do with a person from square one. I’ve been coaching and teaching for years, but just not getting the credit as a coach would. Which is perfectly fine because I never wanted a coach’s position; I just like to share my knowledge as much as possible. If there’s one thing that is great for our students – but maybe not great for overall money-making strategies – it’s that both Jeff and I share everything with our teammates and students. We keep nothing from them.” – Coach Bessette

Teaching a variety of mixed martial arts to promote confidence, fitness, family and safety and facilitated by two hard-working, disciplined and accomplished professional MMA Head Coaches, the future of Ascension Athletics and Connecticut athletes now appears that much brighter.

“Being able to share these skills as a tool for training – but more importantly life – is what drives me to continue to grow. Matt and I are firm believers in personal growth on and off of the mat and I know that we are going to help motivate others to do the same. I am very excited for what’s ahead!” – Coach Haddad

“I really believe that Jeff and I are going to help make some incredibly impressive, confident, polite, grateful, hard-working students. I’m pumped!” – Coach Bessette

ASCENSION ATHLETICS

255 West Street, Bristol CT / (860) 796-1720

Monday

• 6:00pm – 7:00pm: Women’s Combative Training
• 7:00pm – 8:00pm: Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (No Gi)
• 8:00pm – 9:00pm: MMA

Tuesday

• 8:00pm – 9:00pm: Striking
• 9:00pm – 10:00pm: Wrestling (MMA based)

Wednesday

• 4:30pm – 5:30pm: Open Mats
• 5:30pm – 6:30pm: Boxing

Thursday

• 8:00pm – 9:00pm: Striking
• 9:00pm – 10:00pm: Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (No Gi)

 Friday

• 6:00pm – 7:00pm: MMA
• 7:00pm – 8:00pm: Open Mat

Saturday

• 11:00am – 12:00pm: Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (No Gi)
• 12:00pm – 1:00pm: MMA