Sunday, February 26, 2017

West defeated in Washington bout; amateurs tussle in Brigham

Davis County pro boxer Jesse West headlined a card in Lacy, Wash., last night. The former amateur champ, 8-2, lost to another former amateur champ, Marquice Weston, 8-1-1. It was the main event bout.

According to PNW Pro Boxing, the promoter, the bout was stopped late in the fourth round due to a "fighter retirement." If we find out more, we'll add it here.

AMATEURS FIGHT IN BRIGHAM CITY

Last night Fractured gym sponsored an amateur card in Brigham City. Here are a partial list of results:

Adrianno Benn, of All Heart Boxing in Ogden, defeated Mateo Holt, 125 pounds.

From Lights Out Boxing in Clearfield:

John Daniells, 170 pounds, lost his bout, named fight of the night;

Preston Tiffany, 90 pounds, lost a decision to Tanner Gurlue;

Chris France, 135 pounds, was victorious

Ozmanny Sanchez, 75 pounds, was a winner;

and Jon Bryant, 152 pounds, won an amateur title belt.

From Foley's gym:

Alex Treadway, heavyweight, was a winner;

and Carson Matthews, 95 pounds won a decision.

If we get more results, we'll add them.



Thursday, February 23, 2017

Boxer Jesse West has important bout Saturday in Washington

Davis County cruiserweight boxer Jesse West has what is arguably his most important fight as a professional when he travels to Lacey Wash. Saturday to meet Marquice Weston. PNW Professional Boxing is the promoter.

While interest in the main event bout is still contained to the western United States both fighters are considered top prospects and the winner will be in a position to entertain more lucrative bouts. West, 8-1, is on a several-bout win streak after losing a split decision in California to a heavyweight a few years ago. He has since decided to fight as a cruiserweight.

Weston, 7-1-1, suffered a majority decision loss in his last bout when he also traveled away from home base to the eastern United States. West will have the task of taking a win in an opponent's home base.

I chatted with West briefly earlier this week. "Day four of the training camp has been OK. Yes, I mean day four," he said laughing. "They gave us a 10-day notice," which is tough, he added. (Here's a photo of West stopping Nick Rossborough in a recent bout, courtesy of Justin Hughes)



Both West and Weston have a common opponent, Price, Utah's David Sanchez (4-2). West stopped Sanchez in Utah, Weston decisioned Sanchez in Washington. Weston also recently stopped Utah boxer/MMA professional Mike Crisman. West and Weston had successful amateur careers. West, fighting as a heavyweight, was the Rocky Mountain Golden Gloves champion.

Earlier in his career, West had relied on his punching power to win bouts. In his most recent bout against previously undefeated Anthony Johnson, he showed strong boxing and defensive skills in earning a decision.

MORE AMATEURS FIGHTING IN BRIGHAM CITY

I talked to a couple of Northern Utah gyms who provided me the names of fighters who will be competing in Brigham City on Saturday:

"Jon Bryant, 152 pounds,  is fighting for a belt. John Daniels, 170 pounds, is fighting his first bout. (Also fighting are) Preston Tiffany, 90 pounds, Chris France, 135 pounds, and Ozmanny Sanchez, 70 pounds," Julian Stevens, of Lights Out gym in Clearfield, said.

"(We) have McKayla Gabaldan, 145 pounds, Kamryn Santiago, 141 pounds, and Santana DeCarlo, 125 pounds, fighting this weekend in Brigham City," Jason DeCarlo of All Heart Boxing in Ogden said.

SOME MMA NEWS

SteelFist's next MMA card is set for April 15. There are three pro bouts that I consider must-see for MMA fans. They are Jon Neal defending his 145-pound pro belt against Skyler Frazier, 155-pounder Jordan Chandler and Kerry Lattimer tussling, and 145-pounders AJ Garcia and Rowdy Akers meeting in a rematch from their amateur days.

We'll be trying to get interviews will all six of these fighters in the weeks ahead.




Monday, February 20, 2017

MMA winners include Whitmore, Guymon, Carlson at SteelFist card



We have the results of Saturday's SteelFist MMA card in Farmington. They are courtesy of the Fighting Out of Utah MMA News Facebook page. Any comments next to results are courtesy of Jeffrey Dutcher, who runs the page. We appreciate his regular updates:

205lbs pro: Trever Carlson def Eric Wallin via 1st round verbal tap to strikes. "Carlson was taking a beating and then turned it around at the very end of the round."

185lbs Pro Belt: Ed Whitmore defeated Carl Dieckmann via 2nd round TKO. "Whitmore timed an amazing kick when Carl went for a takedown."

135lbs Pro Belt: Anthony Miller def Jeremiah Guzman via 2nd round TKO.

145lbs ammy: Ben Guymon (seen below) def Kyle Frazier via 1st round RNC. "Frazier was landing hard shots, Guymon was able to persevere and end up taking Frazier's back finishing the fight with only seconds left."




130lbs ammy: Jordan Marshall def Ahmed Alkhafji via 1st round guillotine. "Alkhafji didn't tap and went to sleep. Both of these guys show promise to be good fighters."

205lbs ammy belt: Cole Shafer def Justin Oswald via unanimous decision. "A HARD fought win. Both fighters overcame being rocked and dropped multiple times. I also believe I heard Oswald say, "you're a tough son of a bitch...keep hitting me...I love it."

170lbs ammy women's: Lyza Hermosillo def Heidi Wollebaek via unanimous decision.

185lbs ammy: Ryan Wilkerson def Jason Horrocks via tap "to what I believe was an injury to his arm?"

170lbs ammy: Mike O'Laskey def Derrick Bates via 1st round RNC. "More of a jaw crusher than choke."

190lbs ammy: Jordan Taylor def Ryan Thaxton via unanimous decision.

150lbs ammy: Nick Birch def Ahmed Kareem via 1st round tap due to strikes.

205lbs ammy: Sean Pollock def Thomas Harper via unanimous decision.

185lbs ammy: Jon Wixom def Jake Memmott via 1st round TKO.

More news: At the fights it was announced that Jon Neal would defend his 145-pound SteelFist belt against Skyler Frazier on April 15 at Riverbend in Salt Lake City. The co-main will match 155 veterans Jordan Chandler and Kerry Lattimer.


Thursday, February 16, 2017

Talking with MMA fighters Carl Dieckmann and Ben Guymon


Last week we interviewed Ed Whitmore, who is fighting Carl Dieckmann for the 185-pound SteelFist pro title this Saturday at the Legacy Events Center in Farmington. This week, we chatted with Dieckmann (he's the one sans a shirt in the above football photo) about the fight and what it's like to come back after a few years out due to a long-term injury from football.

Dieckmann: "While playing footbalI broke my Fibula and Tibula. After my surgery to fix the damage I developed compartment syndrome. Long story short; my body tried to kill my leg off. 

"I am stubborn and decided I wanted to fight and continue pushing myself. Boxing and wrestling and jitz all the time., while adapting a smarter way to train, so as to not reinjure myself!! ... I love combat, I wanted to compete and was offered a fight by Blake Sprouse

"I admire the older guys, who fight to fight!! ... I never really research whom I fight, I rely on my knowledge skills and toughness and go out and truly see who comes out on top!! (The gentlemen in the above photo) have been my rock and rebuild crew!! #Oilerforlife #Gofightwin #BTW

Whitmore versus Dieckmann looks to be a great bout, and we wish both good luck.

A CHAT WITH AMATEUR BEN GUYMON



Also on Saturday's card is a three-round amateur bout between Box Elder County's Ben Guymon, who trains with Pat Reeves' Pack at Foley's gym in Ogden. His opponent in the 145 pound bout is Kyle Frazier of One Hit MMA. 

Ben, seen working out with fellow Pack member, amateur Eric Munoz, was kind enough to spare a few minutes to talk about the bout. 

Guymon: "I've been training 6 days a week for this fight. I do drills on Monday, spar on Wednesday and grapple  Thursdays. I then have a mitt session on Friday. ...

"I also lift kettle bells every other day, and run or do some form of cardio on the days I don't lift. My trainers are Patrick Reeves, Billy Zumbrun and Dave Foley. My training partners are Eric Munoz, Geovanni Gavilanez, Todd Pacheco and Justin Roberts. ...

"(My opponent's) name is Kyle Frazier. He trains at One Hit MMA. He's a wrestler and a kick boxer. ... I define my style as freestyle. There is a little bit of everything in what I do. I constantly work on being a complete fighter. I got bullied every day when I was a kid. As soon as I could, I started in Martial Arts. I began with Shaolin Kung Fu and a variety of other Martial arts, including Muay Thai and Judo. ... 

"When I was 17 I saw a couple of UFC cards. I thought it looked fun, so I sought out some trainers and got to work! ... I would love to make fighting my career, and will work myself to the bone to get there! ... Georges St. Pierre is the fighter I most admire. I always thought it was cool how much respect he showed his opponents. Yet he was still dangerous."

Thanks Ben, I'd like to chat with him more about how learning MMA helped him deal with childhood bullying. We wish Ben and Kyle the best on Saturday night.

A FEW MORE STRAIGHT RIGHTS ...

Munoz, by the way, is set to fight in Ogden in April. ... There's a Brigham City amateur boxing card on Feb. 25. Dave Foley of Foley's gym provided me a list of gym fighters who will compete. They are: Carson Matthews, 12, 95 pounds; Lizbeth Herrera, 17, 147 pounds; Alex Treadway, 18, heavyweight; Luis Cornejo, 16, 135 pounds, Vinnie Apodaca, 10, 86 pounds; and Cole Kunzler, 17, 120 pounds. Other gyms with fighters are invited to email me their fighters competing: doug1963@gmail.com

Finally, professional boxer Josh Morales left the hospital today after being seriously ill for a while. There's a Go Fund Me account for those wishing to help here.




Thursday, February 9, 2017

MMA pro Ed Whitmore readies for SteelFist title bout



Ed Whitmore, an 185-pound MMA pro with an 11-5 record, from Provo ((see above), has enjoyed success with Team Unbreakable. In fact, most of his recent bouts have been for regional titles, including SteelFist and The Clash,

He's part of SteelFist promotion's Feb. 18 card at the Legacy Events Center in Farmington, where he'll fight another Utahn, Carl Dieckmann, for the SteelFist 185-pound pro title. It's an intriguing match. Dieckmann, of Team Extreme, 11-2, is returning after a three-year absence. Whitmore has wins over Cody Udy, Cisco Alcantara and Mike Crisman. Dieckmann has wins over Alcantara, Crisman and Shawn Conroy.

I chatted with Whitmore as he prepares for the five-round bout:

On training: Whitmore: My training for this bout is about the same as always. It includes several sparring sessions and several grappling session per week, along with lots and lots of cardio conditioning. 

On Carl Dieckmann: Whitmore: I don't know very much about my opponent's fighting style. I heard that he got hurt somehow and wasn't expected to return to MMA. Having over two years off might be a good thing for him or it might be a disadvantage. It's hard to say. 

On his fight style: Whitmore: I define my fight style as Mixed Martial Arts. You have to be good at everything in this sport and so that's what I focus on: everything. I hate watching boring fights and I hate being a part of boring fights even more. I'm not here to just win; I'm here to bust people up and make them never want to fight me again. I'm motivated to train hard for two reasons: hurting my opponent and giving a good show. I've always been into fighting, often unsanctioned. I grew up moving around a lot so there were always new people to throw down with. When I was 21 I discovered an MMA gym close to me and started training there. That was almost 8 years ago now. I see myself as having the discipline and skill of an athlete mixed with the aggression and toughness of a brawler. 

On long-term goals in MMA: Whitmore: My long term goals are to get to the highest level that I can. I'm here to fight because I love it and I don't anticipate stopping anytime soon. I haven't even reached my physical prime yet!

"Fighters that I admire are guys who put it all on the line, fighting with relentless fury. I like guys like Robbie Lawler, Diego Sanchez, Dan Henerson, and Cody Garbrandt.

Thanks a lot for the interview Ed, and we wish you the best on the 18th. It will be a good matchup. Dieckmann is a strong opponent; kudos to SteelFist for the match. More info on card here.



SOME BOXING NEWS

Chatted with Julian Stevens of Lights Out gym in Clearfield. He had a couple of amateur boxers compete on a card in Idaho last weekend. Here's his report:

STEVENS: "Ozmanny Sanchez, 9 years old, fought Ty Harris from Pocatello 11 years old. (He) lost a close decision in his first fight but improved every round. Destiny McCubbin (also an amateur MMA fighter) won against Hailey Russel, out of Mori Academy. She looked phenomenal. We couldn't get our elite fighters matched but John Daniels, Josh Morales, Chris France and Jon Bryant should all be fighting on the 25th in Brigham City."

FINAL BLURBS

Professional boxer from Logan, Christian Nava, says he's likely to be in the ring again soon, perhaps in March. ... MMA professional from Ogden Jordan Chandler will be fighting on the SteelFist April card. Opponent is yet to be named. ... Pro boxer Jose Haro of West Jordan says training is going well as he rehabs from a foot injury. ... Also, please spare some thoughts and prayers for the aforementioned pro boxer Josh Morales, who was seriously ill earlier this week.

Thursday, February 2, 2017

MMA amateur Enriquez to fight with national promotion


I was talking recently with John Valentine, who started a women's MMA program at Hidden Valley gym in Draper that has made an impact in female mixed martial arts. (I once did a feature on the program)  He books more matches than likely anyone in Utah and is considered one of the key female matchmakers in the western United States, creating matches in Las Vegas and beyond. His company is named VSM.

Enriquez, he announced recently, will fight for Combate Americas, a U.S. Hispanic MMA sports franchise. On the blog we plan to interview Enriquez, 27, known as "Little Hands of Stone. Enriquez has logged the fastest knockout in Utah and has won both the 105- and 115-pound SteelFist belts.

Until then, we'll share Valentine's recent Facebook post on Enriquez:

"I have a very special announcement tonight regarding one of your very own local fighters that has just been signed to a major fight organization. I've been in talks for just over a month and we are finally we're able to finalize the contract for Brenda "Little Hands of Stone" Enriquez. 

"This generous multi-fight contract will be with none other than Combate Americas, the first U.S. Hispanic Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) sports franchise in history, designed to build Latino fighting champions and serve Hispanic and American fans. The franchise includes award winning reality TV programming; action-packed, world championship live events. The company's CEO, Campbell McLaren, is universally recognized as the co-founder/co-creator of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). They recently began partnering with TV Azteca which means all of Brenda's fights will air nationally and take her across the globe. Her fights will also air on UFC fight Pass. She will also be fighting across the globe.

"In addition to amazing contract, Combate Americas is committed to continuing to partner with myself and her team to build Brenda's career and brand. This exclusive contract means Brenda must be poised to face world championship level MMA competition. Several camps will be joining forces in this task including Team Victory and Hidden Valley MMA will be preparing for her professional transition.

"Brenda will make her debut with the organization on a highly anticipated and televised card against a top name opponent which I am in now in talks with the organization as we speak.

"As you know Brenda has work very hard surmising a near perfect amateur record 7-1 and being the only female Utah fighter to hold 2 title belts in 2 different weight divisions and also holds Utah record for the fastest female finish in the cage. Her hard work and dedication led to this amazing opportunity in addition to her unwavering loyalty to stick with the people that have been there since the beginning her coaches and team. Loyalty builds unbreakable partnership.

"I want to thank Steelfist for taking the time to also invest and build Brenda's career. None of this would have happened without the dedication from Kevin, Pat, Troy and the rest of the crew led to this opportunity. Steelfist is the place to build your career.

"Those interested in national recognition and sponsorship with Brenda "Team Enriquez" can feel free to inbox me. All budget considerations considered.

"Please join me in congratulating Brenda on this amazing life changing opportunity and her future. Thank you."

--

Another peek at scheduled events from the state athletic commission shows a relatively thin schedule through spring. SteelFist has an all-ages MMA card Feb. 18 in Farmington at Legacy Events Center. Nothing shows up for March. April has an all-ages SteelFist card in Salt Lake at Riverbend on the 15th. FitCon has two cards in April at the Salt Palace. The 21st is MMA and the 22nd is Muay Thai.

Finally, in May, there will be a South Valley Slam MMA card in Hurricane on the 13th, We hope to interview two or three contestants on the Feb. 18th card soon

Happy to see consistent MMA cards; hope we get some more boxing cards as well.