The February SteelFist MMA card; about the American Boxing Organization

UPDATE: We just learned that Farmington fighter Trever Bradshaw is fighting a professional boxing match in Phoenix tonight at the Celebrity Theater. Trever will be boxing Texan Adrian Taylor at 185 pounds. MORE BELOW

The American Boxing Organization is a regional organization that has been very active of late, trying its best to bring boxing to many cities and develop a sort of farm system for up and coming fighters to gain a title and hopefully move up further. Utah's Jose Haro won an ABO title in Layton last year.

The photo above is of the newest ABA champion Achour Esho, 13-0, who won an ABO junior middleweight title Jan. 21 in Chicago. They have fights planned next month as well. I chatted with Juan Curiel, the CEO of the ABO, and asked him to tell our readers a little about the organization:

CURIEL: All we want to do is make a difference. I have the only organization in the world with former Olympian, world champions and hall of famers on the board. We have a program that will help indigent fighters and at-risk youth get back into society with relationship in social services and law enforcement. ...

("Among those involved are) Ernie Brown former amateur boxer, Leeroy Murphy former Gold Medalist and former IBF Cruiserweight World Champion Luis Mateo."

MORE FROM CURIEL: "Achour Esho fought Anthony Abruzzesse for the American ABO region Jr. Middleweight Championship crown January 21st at the UIC Pavilion in Chicago Illinois in front of great boxing fans. Future cards are  February 10th in Tijuana Mexico, with Ron Cruz from California fighting for the American ABO InterContinental Super Middleweight Championship crown. Also, February 24th Austin, Texas, to be announced."

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The ABO championship fight card in Layton with Haro last year was a great night for boxing. Also, we forgot to mention, as a reader commented, that former Olympic medalist and world champ pro boxer Montell Griffin is also associated with the ABO.

MMA news: The next SteelFist MMA card is Feb. 18 in Farmington, There's three pro title bouts: Trever Carlson versus Eric Wahlin, Anthony Johnson versus Jeremiah Guzman, and Carl Dieckmann versus Ed Whitmore. Dieckmann is making a comeback after a while off and Whitmore is a very tough opponent. All three bouts are excellent matchups. A couple of amateur title bouts include Justin Oswald versus Cole Shafer and Derrick Bates verses Michael O'Laskey.

Ben Guymon, a Top of Utah amateur, faces Kyle Frazier, and a women's amateur bout matches Lyza Hermosillo versus Heidi Wollebaek. There's several more scheduled bouts. More information at the promotion's website. I'll try to interview a couple of the fighters as the date draws near.

ONE MORE THING: MMA amateur woman Aubree Thompson, who used to fight out of Utah, has been in Salem, Ore., a while and has remained successful in the cage. She fights this Saturday in Eugene, Ore., in an amateur title fight against Cheyanne Vlismas. The 130-pound Thompson is hearing impaired and goes by the nickname The Silent Assassin.

BACK TO THE UPDATE NEWS: I chatted with Trever Bradshaw today. This will be his second boxing bout, although MMA is his main concern. "My focus is clearly on MMA but I like to stay active," he told me in a phone conversation from Phoenix. In his sole boxing match earlier this year, Trever stopped Utahn Mike Crisman in Layton, a veteran MMA fighter who has also boxes professionally. Taylor is 3-0 as a pro.

Bradshaw is a striker in MMA so moving to boxing is not difficult for him. He was offered the fight only about 24 hours ago and after blood tests hopped on a plane for Phoenix. We wish him the best of luck tonight.