Boxer Jose Haro signs with Sheer Sports Management

West Jordan, Utah, professional featherweight boxer Jose Haro is shown above in a promotional poster for a bout he won in 2018, earning the United States Featherweight title. Haro has not fought since the win. However, he recently signed with Sheer Sports Management and plans to resume his career in 2020. Haro is a world-class fight who can compete on an equal level with any featherweight in the world today.

On Dec. 14, in Salt Lake City, there was a boxing card. Among professionals, Francisco Jalel Lopez, Antonio Brown, Brandon Douglas were among winners. The full card results are at boxrec here. I appreciate Utah professional boxer Christian Aguirre keeping the blog up to date on results that night.

UFC MMA fighter Clay Collard, who has scored several wins as a pro boxer, plans to step into the boxing ring again on January 3 in Cincinnati, Ohio. He fights undefeated Quashawn Toler, 9-0. Based on the caliber of opposition both fighters have faced, I'm choosing Collard, 4-2-3, to win.

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Congratulations to professional kickboxer Kaecy Raddon, who holds a Mountain Force Kickboxing belt, for scoring a KO win, and a PanAmerican Kickboxing Confederation belt, in Guaynabo, Puerto Rico, on Dec.14.

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SteelFist MMA has a great fight card scheduled for Saturday, Jan. 4 at the Union Event Center in Salt Lake City. the main pro bout matches Eric Iman versus Zac Cavender for the 265-pound belt. Another pro fight matches Rowdy Akers versus Justus Minardi at 135 pounds. Also at 135 pounds, undefeated pros Warren Weingartner and Justin Horsley meet. The card also includes four amateur title belts. More information is here at SteelFist's website.

Another MMA card, from Fierce Fighting Championship, is set for Feb. 15, at the Maverik Center in West Valley City. The main event is a great match -- Bobby King versus Samson Phommabout. More on this card in a later post.

Fat City, still the best boxing novel

I've decided to throw up a book review I had published too many years ago in the long-gone Salt Lake City Event magazine. It is of the novel, Fat City, by Leonard Gardner. It's the best boxing novel published since The Harder They Fall. It's also a great John Huston-directed film. Things are slow in December in the fight game, so enjoy this review. Buy it here.
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Fat City

Fat City, by Leonard Gardner, reminds me a lot of a John Steinbeck novel. It takes place in northern California -- Stockton, to be exact -- and is a story about lost dreams, skid row, alcoholism, self destruction and day labor workers picking crops and being bossed around by callous overseers. The time is the late 1950s. Billy Tully is a washed-up 29-year-old ex-boxer who barely survives life in a downtown hotel. Tully carries a major torch for his ex-wife, who left him when his fighting career went south. He works picking fruit and spends his nights drinking. Sometimes he flirts with Oma, a young, alcoholic, bitter widow who lives with a black man.

One day Tully goes to a YMCA, and coaxes an 18-year-old named Ernie Munger to spar with him. To Tully's surprise, Ernie whips him handily that day. Prodded by Tully, Ernie goes to the gym and starts training under the eye of Ruben Luna, who used to train Tully. Ernie, who works nights at a gas station, marries his girlfriend Faye when she becomes pregnant. Tully keeps working the fields, but begins to imagine a comeback. He moves in with Oma, and then follows Ernie to the gym to start his own comeback under Luna s watch.

Fat City is a lot more than a boxing tale, however. Gardner's writing is superb. He has a talent for getting inside the heads of and fleshing out the personalities of even minor characters. For example, there's this young boxer named Wes Haynes. He trains hard and is filled with dreams of success. In his first fight, Wes is knocked out in the first round. "Wes ... was overcome with dejection. He had made no secret of his training. Acquaintances at school had spoke to him as if he were a professional, and he had not cared to correct them. He had believed he would be one soon enough ... Now he felt he should have known all along that he was nothing."

There is no glamour in the fight game in Gardner s novel. Tully and Ernie are brought to the gym for quixotic reasons; Tully to regain the glory he had in his youth (and maybe his ex-wife, although that's a pipe dream more fueled by booze than love). Ernie just wants enough extra cash to support a wife and baby. But there's no money in fighting. Ernie gets $10 for fighting four round bouts. Tully's comeback fight -- a main event 10-round tough win over a fading, ring-wise veteran from Mexico -- nets him only $100. He soon returns to booze -- even Oma has left him. Alcoholism destroys Tully. It makes him a self-pitying whiner. He blames his manager Luna for a long-ago boxing loss. Soon after Tully's comeback win, he is filthy and homeless, struggling to find a place to sleep on the street.

Perhaps Ernie is meant to be a younger Tully. However, he lacks the talent of his mentor and we're left with the impression that boxing won't consume his life. He's roped into marriage with Faye before he's ready. There is a scary scene where the usually mild-mannered Ernie is consumed with jealousy after seeing an ex-boyfriend of Faye's. In a mild yet chilling manner, he demands from Faye to know about her past sex life, all the while insisting it's no big deal. Faye, never having seen this insecure, possessive side of her new husband, eventually bursts into tears. "...that deep animal moaning, terrifying in its immodesty, rose from behind her hands. It was a sound he had never heard before. ... Faye, it doesn t bother me. It doesn't bother me. It really doesn't bother me."

Fat City gives voice to the shadow people of the streets. The ones who spend hours in the bars, wake up in ratty hotel rooms, hang out at bus stops waiting to be driven to a field to pick crops, and earn just enough cash to be able to go on a week-long bender in their hotel room. For Tully, there is no difference between winning and losing. His long-term fate has already been determined. His boxing ability can only provide a short respite from another slide. But Gardner does not see Tully as a quitter. No one s a quitter among Gardner s street people. They re survivors. They claw out lives any way they can, regardless of the baggage that keeps them down.

A footnote: Fat City was made into a movie in 1972. It was directed by John Huston and starred Stacy Keach as Tully and Jeff Bridges as Ernie. It garnered excellent reviews and is available on DVD.

-- Doug Gibson

Gomez defeats Mendoza on ESPN-Plus card

Just a few minutes ago, after a thrilling eight-round fight between two of the best young welterweight prospects in the world, West Jordan's Larry Gomez (seen above scoring a KO in an earlier bout) scored an eight-round split decision over previously unbeaten Top Rank-promoted boxer Brian Mendoza. We previewed this bout yesterday.

The scores were 77-75 twice for Gomez and 77-75 once for Mendoza. They consider the win an upset on ESPN-Plus, but we Utahns, having followed Larry's career, know better. This was no upset.

It was a great fight. Mendoza had the edge in the first two rounds as Gomez counter punched. Gomez, using aggression and sharp hooks, swept round three through five. Mendoza rallied to win round six with boxing skills. A key moment arrived late in round seven, a close round until Gomez hurt Mendoza with hard shots.

Gomez dominated round 8 over a tired, bloodied Mendoza. Both fighters fought with a lot of courage. Perhaps a re-match may be in the cards? In any event, we congratulate Larry and look forward to his next fight.

Larry Gomez scheduled to fight on ESPN+ Saturday

The big news in the Utah fight game this week is that Northern Utah welterweight Larry Gomez (9-1) (above left) fights Brian Mendoza (18-0) in Las Vegas on Saturday, Nov. 30, in a fight that will be streamed on ESPN-Plus. It's part of a major card that features a few championship fights. As I mentioned, the Gomez v Mendoza bout is scheduled to be on the stream. The prelims will be streamed on ESPN-Plus beginning at 4:30 p.m. That's the best time to start watching. ESPN-Plus costs about $5 a month.

Larry has had a superb career to date; we wish him the best. The fight card is on this page.

In other news:

Mixed martial artist Aaron Thomson, of Utah, who had a good amateur career the last several years, made his pro debut recently, and it was a successful debut. Aaron, 180 pounds, traveled to Salem, Ore., and on Nov. 16 stopped previously undefeated Tobias Baker in round one,

One Nov. 15 in Salt Lake City, heavyweight contender Junior Fa decisioned Devin Vargas to win the WBO Oriental Heavyweight Title. The entire card, at the Salt Palace, is here.

On Aug. 22, in Salt Lake City, young professionals Lehi Dominguez, 155 pounds, and Hayden Brown, 170 pounds, scored wins in the main bouts of our local promoter, SteelFist MMA card. The results for all the fights are on this page.

Valentine, Guillemin win bouts, boxing card scheduled

Saturday night, in an MMA card in Colorado Springs, Colo., a couple of Northern Utah fighters participated. Amateur Brittany Guillemin, of Layton, scored a decision win over Brandi Hancock (29-28 on all cards).

In a professional bout, Eric Munoz, of Ogden, suffered his first loss as a pro against veteran Josh Watson. In the second round a punch from Watson broke Munoz' nose, leading to a stoppage.

In Las Vegas, in a no-submission match, John Valentine stopped Arron Carson at around two minutes. Both fighters had their moments before Valentine managed a leg lock to force a tap from Carson. Valentine's win came on a card that raised money to assist our Troops.

MMA fighter turned boxer Clay Collard fought on the Alvarev versus Kovalev super-card at MGM Grand in Las Vegas two weekends ago. Collard had enjoyed success barnstorming the nation, defeating prospects. However, his opponent, Bektemir Melikuziev, of Uzbekistan, is one of the top prospects in the world. The UFC fighter Collard was stopped in this bout.

This Friday in Salt Lake City, DiBella Promotions is putting on a boxing card at the Salt Palace. The main event matches heavyweight contender Junior Fa against former Olympian Devin Vargas. The  card is here, on bottom of page. More information is on the poster above.

Some reminders: Super middleweight boxer Larry Gomez has a big fight on Nov. 30, in Las Vegas, fighting undefeated Brian Mendoza on an ESPN Plus card. And SteelFist is back on Nov. 22 in Salt Lake City, at the Union Event Center. Hayden Brown and Lehi Dominguez are professionals competing in separate bouts.

John Valentine chats about upcoming bout with Arron Carson

One of the featured super-bouts on Saturday, Nov. 9 in Las Vegas at Sam's Town features John Valentine versus Arron Carson in a submission-only contest. They have fought previously with Valentine earning a win. It's Operation Knockout card, which is designed to help our Troops through Xtreme Couture's G.I. Foundation. 

Valentine, who lives in Las Vegas, enjoyed a long relationship with the Utah Fight Game, overseeing a women's' MMA program at Shadow Valley Gym and working with SteelFist MMA. He also is a former pro MMA fighter who continues in combat sports as a world-class no-submission competitor. We appreciated the opportunity to chat with him about Saturday's bout.

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1) How is training going for the bout? 

Valentine: My training has been solid, strong and consistent.  I changed a few things around this time starting with my lifting and dieting protocols.  I’ve had some really tough training partners who have taken every liberty of beating me up on a daily basis which is what you need to be strong going into the match.

2) What is a typical training day? 

Valentine: Typical training day starts at 4:30 a.m. in the morning six days a week where I lift and get in cardio work.  It can be grueling some days.  In the afternoons following work and family obligations I get in targeted training focused on three disciplines in Jiu Jitsu, Judo and wrestling training from 6-8 p.m. about four days per week.  It’s exhausting but the event and the cause keep me focused and motivated.  A sense of purpose is powerful thing.

3) Tell us about Arron Carson? What are you expecting in the rematch? 

Valentine: First I have nothing but respect for him.  He reached out to me almost a week after our last match last year long before we had another opponent selected and asked for this rematch.  He had some family situations that led him to want to do It again.  His brother, a former vet who walked him out for our last match, passed shortly after that night and Arron wanted to honor his memory and give back to the vets.  I was honored to see this and glad we could make it work.  While he will bring war neither of us care much about winning, simply supporting the vets that night by killing each other live! I know he will bring his A game. 

Our last match he was much stronger than I expected and his wrestling was in point as he slammed me and clearly out-wrestled me in the early part of the match up until I caught in the rolling heel hook.  I expect him to be focused and more aggressive this go round.  At 48 I am over 22 years his elder and I am sure he wants to test my cardio and that’s fine with me.  I have a good game plan and expect nothing but fireworks.  I am honored he stepped up and cares as much as he does.  We both respect each other and I know when the doors close we are not friends again until they open.  That mentality ensures a great show!

4) How has the effort to help the troops gone as the card approaches? 

Valentine: The response has been overwhelming. The arena is almost completely sold out.  Since the fight was announced response from my supporters have been crazy. Once again in the history of the 10-year event with the help of everyone and private donors I was able to generate almost $15,000 for the troops and in the end that’s all that counts, that’s all I care about.  That's a lot of revenue for a sub grappling match. That’s what makes the training, weight loss and grind worth it.  I am humbled that again we broke revenue records.  We all can give back we just need to want to. 

5) What are your fight plans after this? 

Valentine: Following this fight I would like to get 100 percent healthy and either compete in the Jiu Jitsu Pan-American games in March followed by taking another crack at The World Championship in November 2020.  I plan on dropping two weight classes from where I won previously in 2017.  This will take some time to do it correctly.  I also have some grappling super fight options on the horizon I’d like to explore. 

6) Is there anything else you wish to add to our readers?

Valentine: I want to say thank you to my family, friends and coaches at Robert Drysdale Jiu Jitsu.  My cage-side coaches have been with me for years. The decorated black belts, Utah’s own Brandon Guzzo and Gregory Kaleteich, have me laser-focused physically, spiritually and mentally so I thank them for their commitment.  

Most importantly I want to say is thank you, thank you to all of those who stepped up and showed actionable support for our men and women in uniform.  For those who stepped up so that the event could be a success.  I am humbled and honored as is my opponent to put on a show that night for them as well.  We both feel winning or losing really doesn’t matter all that matters is the people in the crowd and that the veterans benefit from one special night.  

Thanks to everyone the Randy Couture Operation Knockout 10 for the Troops will be a success! 

Good luck, John and Arron, we're proud of both of you. 

Akers wins at Steelfist; Olquin wins boxing belt

In an 150-pound pro bout, Rowdy Akers stopped Gregg McFarland in the main event at the SteelFist MMA card in Salt Lake City on Oct. 19. Results of all bouts on the card are available at the Fighting Out of Utah MMA News Facebook page.

Also on Oct. 19, at a UFC MMA card in Boston, Utahn Court McGee dropped a three-round decision to undefeated Sean Brady.

Speaking of Akers, he was scheduled to fight in a submission-only limited-rules 7-minute bout in Las Vegas Nov. 9 at Sam's Town against John Valentine. The pair fought a memorable MMA bout a couple of years ago that Akers won. However, this past week Valentine announced on social media that Arron Carson will be replacing Akers. It will be the second bout between the pair. Valentine won the first match.

SteelFist's next card is Nov. 22 in Salt Lake City at the Union Event Center. Bouts include professional fighters Hayden Brown and Joe Maama fighting at 175 pounds. Also, Lehi Dominguez will fight Jordan Marriott in a lightweight pro bout.

BOXING

In Salt Lake City on Oct. 11, heavyweight Helaman Olquin won the FKF promotional state pro heavyweight title with a majority decision over Joseph Jones. In two other pro boxing bouts, both super-lightweight, undefeated Ignacio Chairez scored a decision over Anthony Curtiss and Joey Borrero decisioned Edison Charley.

According to state athletic commission website, DiBella Entertainment is planning a pro boxing card on Nov. 15 at the Salt Palace Convention Center. I have heard no information on that card as of yet.

KICKBOXING -- This week professional kickboxer Kaecy Raddon, who now lives in Colorado, is competing in Sarajevo in the 22nd WAKO Masters World Championships. Raddon is Mountain Force Kickboxing promotional pro champion. On Wednesday Raddon was defeated in the tourney by Marzaq Soufiane of Morroco. Mountain Force Kickboxing plans a kick boxing card in Ogden on Nov. 16.

Larry Gomez to box, Court McGee tabbed for MMA bout, more

Lots of nuggets of fight news in Utah right now. Let's start with the earliest:

On Friday, Oct. 11, at the 801 Event Center in Salt Lake City, there will be a pro boxing card, with also some amateur kickboxing. In the main bout, for the FKF promotion state pro heavyweight championship, Helaman Olguin (above middle) fights Joseph Jones. In another pro bout, undefeated Utahn Ignacio Chairez, fights Anthony Curtiss. In a third pro bout, Joey Borrero meets Edison Charley. The card is near the bottom of this page (link).

Also, northern Utah pro boxer Larry Gomez (9-1) has a major bout on Nov. 30 in Las Vegas against undefeated Brian Mendoza, 18-0. Scroll down this link to see the entire ESPN-Plus streamed card, which includes work-class boxers Oscar Valdez, Arnold Barboza Jr., and Carl Frampton in bouts.

Finally, Jon Bryant, who took the Bronze in the national open Golden Gloves, is competing in the Eastern Qualifiers over the next few days. He is seeded fifth in his category and won his first bout last night. He has several more bouts. Jon is seeking an opportunity to earn a qualifying spot in the Olympics trials.

MMA

On October 18, on the card UFC on ESPN 6, veteran Utah MMA pro Court McGee, 19-8, fights undefeated Sean Brady, 10-0. The entire card is here. It's a preliminary so bout will likely be streamed via ESPN.

Oct. 19, in Salt Lake City at The Union Event Center, is the next SteelFist pro/am MMA card. The main bout pits veteran pros Rowdy Akers and Gregg McFarland. Matt Oyler of Undefeated by Choice has interviewed McFarland here and I imagine Akers will be interviewed as well. The entire card is here.

On Oct. 4, on the Front Street Fights card in Boise, Idaho, pro MMA fighter Kerry Lattimer, of Idaho, who fights often in Utah, was defeated by Darrell Flores in the co-main event.

Finally, on Nov. 9 in Colorado Springs, Colo., Ogden area MMA pro Eric Munoz, who is undefeated, takes on Josh Watson on the card No Mercy 68, Also on the card will by Northern Utah MMA amateur Brittany Guillemin.

Gero wins MMA main bout, Collard gets more boxing wins

Last weekend in Logan, Dom Gero, of Ogden, (seen above in a photo from his Facebook page) used strong wrestling skills to defeat pro debuting Max Riddle. Gero is now 2-2 as a pro. Riddle is a former Mountain Force MMA amateur champ. The rest of the card is here.

SteelFist MMA has a fight card planned for Oct. 19 in Salt Lake City. Rowdy Akers versus Gregg Mcfarland is the main pro bout. Card is here.

BOXING:

Utah UFC MMA pro Clay Collard continues what has been a remarkable year in pro boxing, barnstorming across the nation, fighting highly regarded prospects in their home areas, and mostly defeating them. Collards's latest win was Saturday, Sept. 21 over Gerald Sherrell (10-2) via unanimous decision over six rounds at Meadows RaceTrack and Casino, Washington. I watched round one via social media and Collard, using good ring generalship, slowly moved inside his opponent's strong jab, eventually flooring him with a counter shot and nearly ending the bout early. On Dec. 6, Collard (4-1-3) knocked out DuShane Crooks (13-2) in New Orleans.

FKP Promotions plan another pro am boxing card in Salt Lake City on Oct. 11 at 801 Event Center. The card will include a heavyweight pro bout with Helaman Olguin, of West Jordan, 5-3.

Mountain Force MMA, which also has kickboxing, announced on social media that it plans to promote boxing cards in 2020.

Foley's gym in Ogden plans an amateur boxing card at its gym in Ogden on Oct. 19.

Louie's Boxing Club will have an amateur boxing card at the Northwest Rec Center in Salt Lake City on Oct. 26.

Valentine, Akers set to fight again in submission-only bout

On Nov. 9 in Las Vegas, at Sam's Town, John Valentine and Rowdy Akers will meet in a submission-only match, scheduled for seven minutes. It's part of a card that is designed to raise money to help assist our U.. Armed Forces troops and veterans.

Utah fight fans will recall that Akers defeated Valentine in a memorable 2017 SteelFist co-main event. It was Valentine's sole loss. Since then, Valentine, who lives in Las Vegas, has competed successfully in submission-only events, including earlier cards, from the Nov. 9, promotion, Xtreme Couture GI Foundation, that were also to benefit the troops. Akers, who now lives in Idaho, continues to compete in professional MMA and also recently won a promotional title belt in bareknuckle boxing.

The two have remained friends. "(Rowdy) has been part of my training camp," Valentine said, adding that they "banter back and forth" and both thought that participating in the Nov. 9 card was a chance to both do something good for the troops
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Valentine has been rehabbing from a snapped Achilles but is getting stronger as his training has been going on. "I've been lifting since February," he said, tagging his weight at about 170. The match is set for 155 pounds.

In October, Utah Fight Game plans to interview both combatants prior to the Nov. 9 card. I asked Valentine to share information on the card with readers. He was kind enough to do so.

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On November 9, 2019 Randy Couture’s ROUND 10: OPERATION KNOCKOUT Fight For Our Troops.  Partnering with Randy himself, this events' founder Vinnie Mannino, has been going strong for 10 years running and to date has raised over $316,000.00 to benefit the troops.  A part of Randy’s Xtreme Couture GI Foundation, it is a 501 (c) 3 non-profit corporation with all proceeds we raised goes directly into the hands of soldiers wounded in action.  Each year Randy Couture visits Walter Reed National Military Medical Center and writes $10,000 checks to families in need. With your help for this event your donations you can rest assured it is going directly to help a soldier.
For John it is an honor to be the featured co-main event for four years running and thanks to all your help I (we) hold the revenue and ticket record for any other single fighter in the 10-year history of the event.

Last year John was asked to join the Operation Knockout Board of Directors to help organize, raise awareness and revenue and this year will be the best year ever.  Along with his fight you will all also witness some of upcoming MMA greats as they leave it on the line in Vegas.
 
There are 3 ways you can help support:

Attend the event and contact me for tickets.  Seats are selling out quick.
Purchase a ticket(s) to sponsor a veteran and their family to go to the event even if you are unable to attend.

Reach out on ways you or your company can help sponsor the event or Xtreme Couture GI Foundation, or Operation knockout.  The event presents an opportunity for your company to highlight their commitment and support some of our nation’s finest.

The Akers vs Valentine Match-up

The fight will be limited rules submission-only and with no points.  Along with other fellow fighters, Both Rowdy and John are honored to be a part of this event help raise money and awareness for those wounded in action and their families whose courage, strength and determination to win this battles for us on and off the battlefield make it possible that we live the lives we do in this country.

NOTE:  John is also active in the Utah community and partnering with SteelFist MMA donates free tickets to their shows for various causes.

Their Last Fight 2017

In one of the bloodiest and most entertaining fights of that year in 2017 for SteelFist, Rowdy won via TKO, halting John, the former Jiu Jitsu world champion’s attacks, through effective elbow strikes.  John says he’s ready for redemption and will ensure their encounter will not only be entertaining but destructive. In addition to the night being special for the troops it is also special for Rowdy as it is his birthday.

"I intend to give him a very special present he won’t forget for years to come," Valentine said.

Rowdy and John are friends; in fact after their bloody fight Rowdy drove to Vegas and was part his fight training camp in his Las Vegas televised fight against decorated black belt Mark Wells.  This fact however seems to be lost when they face each other.  Both Rowdy and John are excited to give back to the troops and entertain the fans.
 
More information:

Date: November 9, 2019
Age: All Ages Show
Location: live at Sam’s Town Hotel & Gambling Hall, Las Vegas, NV.
Ticket Prices: $20, $35 and $55

John Valentine: Athlete bio

John Valentine is sponsored professional athlete and sought after speaker and self defense, MMA and Jiu Jitsu fight trainer who was born and raised in Las Vegas  where he was a decorated athlete in multiple sports.  John went on to college at the University of Nevada Las Vegas where he earned a degree in Biology and wrestled on the university's club wrestling club team as the official program had be scrapped due to university budgets restraints.  John continued to train competing and fighting in several disciplines including Judo, Jiu Jitsu, Muay Thai and MMA.  In these events, he gained notoriety and was also asked to train other top level professional fighters and athletes.  While best known for his MMA and Jiu Jitsu accolades here are more details on Johns accomplishments:

-MMA

5-1 pro record
Former cage side commentator and TV Host for SteelFist Fight Night
Previous head MMA Coach for one of the nations largest all-female fight team
Former female MMA MATCH maker and manager for some females fighting at some of the largest organizations in the world
One of the fastest TK0s in Utah history at 10 seconds

-Jiu Jitsu

Black Belt under the famed multiple-time World Champion Robert Drysdale
IBJJF Jiu Jitsu Gold medalist and World Champion
Pan-American games medalist
Multiple time IBJJF Jiu Jitsu National Champion and medalist
Over three dozen gold medals and championship belts in Jiu jitsu in the expert division with organizations such as NAGA.
Undefeated Jiu Jitsu Super fight Champion (televised events)
4-time Randy Couture’s Operation Knockout Co-Main event (Next scheduled for 11/9/19)
Submission Hunter Pro Grappling, Black Belt Main Event Las Vegas, NV
Proving Grounds Invitational Utah, Co-Main Event

-Muay Thai

Kru under Legend and Master Sakasem Kanthawong
Decorated athlete and coach
Head Coach at Hidden Valley MMA and Muay Thai

Other:

John has been the main featured in on radio, print and his fights have televised on regional and national TV such is NBC sports.

John donates 100 percent  of everything he makes back to charity.  John holds the record for most revenue and ticket sales by a single fighter having raised tens of thousands of dollars for charity.  This comes through his fan base and large collection of corporate and private sponsors.

Iman, Cruz among winners at LFA card in Utah

A quick Utah Game Blog:

On Sept. 6 at The Maverick Center in West Valley, LFA 75 had its pro MMA card. In the main event, Idaho's Andrew Cruz upset Utah's Jon Neal at 145 pounds via a rear naked choke in round two. In the co-main, in a very close bout, Mauro Chaulet of Brazil took a split decision over Utah's Samson Phommabout, 145 pounds. Also, heavyweight Eric Iman of Utah (above) scored a left hook KO in round one over previously undefeated Tony Darling.

In a bout between Utahns at 145 pounds Bobby King defeated Westin Wilson, via decision. At 175 pounds, Idaho's Miles Hunsinger defeated Utah's Nate Kearsley via decision. At 185 pounds, Ty Gwerder stopped Mike Jones of Utah with a body kick in round one. And in a slugfest between two Utah pros, Dominico Salas stopped Trever Bradshaw, via strikes, in round two. The entire card's results are here.

-- A reminder that on Sept. 21 in North Logan, Mountain Force MMA 12: Homecoming, has a pro and amateur event. The main event matches local pros Dom Gero and Max Riddle, 175 pounds. The card is here.

BOXING: Top of Utah professional welterweight boxer Christian Aguirre traveled to San Bernadino. In the main event, he was defeated by unbeaten Leo Ruiz Acevedo.

Neal, several other locals, on September LFA card in West Valley

Some quick updates on the Utah Fight Game:

On Sept. 6, in West Valley at The Maverik Center, Ogden's Jon Neal is the co-main event on an LFA card, fighting Idaho's Andrew Cruz. Several area  MMA professionals are on the card, including Samson Phommabout, Westin Wilson, Carson Hardman, Eric Iman, Kaytlin Neil, Trever Bradshaw, and Mike Jones. The entire card is here.

On Oct. 19, at The Union Event Center in Salt Lake City, professionals Rowdy Akers and Gregg McFarland head the SteelFist MMA card.

On Sept. 21, at the Eccles Ice Arena in Logan, professional Dom Gero of Ogden meets debuting Max Riddle in the pro main bout for Mountain Force MMA.

Some recent MMA cards:

SteelFist, Aug. 9: In the main event, former amateur champion Hayden Brown made his pro debut against veteran Nick Martinez, who used his experience to score a win. The entire card is here.

Mountain Force MMA, Aug. 3: Veteran Aaron Sutton, of Idaho, announced his retirement after losing in the main bout to Billy Carothers. Results are here. ... Also Utah's Court McGee will meet Sean Brady in a UFC bout Oct. 18 in Boston.

Fierce Fighting Championships, Aug. 3: Phommabout defeated Randy Rowland in the main bout. On the undercard, Thomas Prestriedge won the 135 pound amateur belt, defeating Simon Prado. Results are here.

Idaho professional MMA pro Kerry Lattimer remained busy, scoring a win in Hawaii and a loss in northern California.

Finally, Utah MMA pro Court McGee is back in the UFC cage on Oct. 18 in Boston. He meets Sean Brady.

BOXING:

On Aug. 31 at the One Event Center in SLC, there is a boxing card. Professional Helaman Olguin will be fighting. Bouts that included featherweight Jose Haro and super middleweight Christian Nava will not be occurring. ... Salt Lake City welterweight pro Christian Aguirre is scheduled to fight on Sept. 6 in northern California.

Jose Haro to fight in near future, more news

SOME UPDATES: Plans have changed, and Jose Haro will fight but not in Wendover on Aug. 17.  According to Haro, plans are for a bout in the near future in Salt Lake City. Also, Aaron Thomson has had to withdraw from pro MMA bout against Eric Munoz on Aug. 3 in Price. No news yet of whether there is a replacement to fight Munoz.

It has been a while since Northern Utah boxer Jose Haro (seen above earlier in his career) has been in the ring. In his last bout he won a United States professional championship. On Saturday, Aug. 18, he fights for FKP promotions in Wendover against an opponent to be named. Also on the card will be Northern Utah professional Larry Gomez. Both Haro and Gomez also hold American Boxing Organization titles as well.

Clay Collard is a world class MMA fighter but for two months this year he boxed four times, barnstorming around the nation fighting preliminary bouts against -- I presume -- hometown favorites. He did very well considering the strong opponents and rushed schedule, compiling one win, one loss and three draws. His overall boxing record is now 2-1-3.

The Junior Olympics national championship was held recently. Several local boxers represented the Rocky Mountain states. Payson fighters Aaron Garcia Jr. and Austin Garcia were among those crowned champions.

In the last SteelFist card, Brian Thomas decisioned Carson Hardman in the main bout. Thomas' ground game was the difference. Eric Iman also scored a win. Entire card is here.

An excellent card set this Friday night in Price. Two pro bouts of note are Samson Phommabout versus Randy Rowland and Eric Munoz versus Aaron Thomson. Undercard includes veteran amateurs Thomas Prestriedge and Brandon Rease in separate bouts. Card is here.

Aaron Sutton headlines on Aug. 3 in Idaho Falls, Idaho against Billy Carrothers in a Mountain Force MMA event. Card is here.

Aug. 9, Friday, is the next SteelFist card in SLC at Union Event Center. Amateur middleweight champion Hayden Brown makes his pro debut in the main event. Card and more information is here.

And Utah MMA pro Steven Siler, who was a finalist in the PFL featherweight tournament last, was eliminated last week from this year's tourney in a nationally televised bout.

Gomez, Jones, Chairez, Bradshaw among recent fight winners

Boxing:

Last Saturday in Wendover Utah boxers Larry Gomez and Christian Aguirre met in a rematch of a 2018 bout won by Gomez. Gomez won the rematch as well, with Aguirre retiring after three rounds. In other bouts, local professional Bladmir Estrada lost via decision to Kevin Hand and professional Helaman Olguin scored a win over Joseph Jones. Card is here..

A couple of weeks ago in SLC professional boxing brothers Ignacio Chairez and Gabriel Chairez competed in separate bouts. Gabriel won a decision over Edison Charley and Ignacio (seen above on right defeating Jorge Soto in a previous bout) ended in a no contest bout against Mikhail Lyubarsky. Early in round one, Lyubarsky, preferring to hold and clutch Chairez rather than fight, dragged Chairez to the floor. Things spiraled out of control and the bout was halted.

MMA

In the most recent SteelFist card in May, Mike Jones stopped Tracy Hardy in the main pro bout. In another pro bout, Trever Bradshaw knocked out Joe Maama in the first round. Card is here. On June 28, Carson Hardman headlines in a pro bout against Brian Thomas. The card, which also includes a heavyweight pro bout between Eric Iman and Mike Robinson, is here.

Father and son MMA fighters Eric and Jordan Munoz have separate bouts set. On Aug. 3, in Price, Utah, in an intriguing match, Eric Munoz (2-0) fights pro debuting Aaron Thomson, a one-time amateur of note. And on Aug. 9, on a SteelFist card, amateur Jordan Munoz (1-0) meets Doug Anderson.

Bryant gets bronze at Golden Gloves, Rose takes kickboxing bout, more

Some very quick Utah Fight Game notes:

We neglected to mention that Top of Utah amateur boxer Jon Bryant (seen above at left) earned a medal in the recent national Golden Gloves tourney, 132 pounds. Jon will later this year attempt to earn a spot in the U.S. Olympics team qualifying competition.

Both Ignacio and Gabriel Chairez, Northern Utah professional boxers, are slated to fight against separate opponents on June 8 in Salt Lake City. Two other area competitors, professional boxers Larry Gomez and Christian Aguirre, headline a June 15 card in Wendover.

Utah MMA professional Clay Collard had his second professional boxing bout last weekend in Dearborn, Mich. Collard, a former UFC fighter, is now 1-0-1 after holding undefeated Tipton Walker, 6-0-1, to a six-round draw. Given that Walker is from Michigan, achieving a draw speaks well for Collard's effort.

On May 31 and June 1 at The Utah Stair Fairpark, Junior Olympics amateur boxing champs from Utah and three other Rocky Mountain States will be competing for a chance to go to the national tournament in Wisconsin.

Last weekend in Farmington, Cole Rose wrested a regional 170-pound Mountain Force Kickboxing pro title via a five round decision over former titlist Jarrett Kelton. Results of the entire card were posted May 19 on the promotion's Facebook page here.

And, in SLC on May 31, SteelFist has another professional/amateur MMA card. Tracy Hardy and Mike Jones headline the card in a professional bout. Other professionals competing include Thomas Hughes and Trevor Bradshaw. Entire card is here.

And last Thursday, Northern Utah MMA professional Steven Siler was defeated in his first bout in the 2019 PFL Featherweight MMA tournament. Siler, a finalist last year, dropped a decision to Gadzhi Rabadanov. Siler can still move further into this year's tournament with a win in his next bout this summer.

Kelton meets Rose in kickboxing title tiff

Tomorrow night, May 18, Mountain Force Kickboxing will be at the Legacy Events Center in Farmington. Main bout has promotional champ Jarrett Kelton defending his 170 pound belt against Cole Rose. It's an intriguing match. More information on card is at the promotion's Facebook page. ... In other kickboxing news, Kaecy Raddon, who is a Mountain Force champ, announced that he has been selected as a member of WAKO Team USA Kickboxing and will represent our nation at the World Championships in October at Saravejo, Bosna Herzegovina.

Last Friday night LFA 66 MMA card was at West Valley. Jon Neal met former UFC TUF fighter Tyler Diamond in the main bout. It was very competitive with Diamond earning a hard-fought decision. Neal started strong early but was stunned midway through round one and had to focus on defense to recover. Round two was more even with Diamond's ground game giving him an edge. Utah Fight Game scored round three for Neal, who rallied the final third of the round as Diamond seemed to be tiring. The decision for Diamond was unanimous. In the c-main Josh Burkman announced his retirement after losing a split decision to William Macario. Other bouts included Joe Rodriguez dropping a hard-fought decision to undefeated Trevino, and LJ Schulz being decisioned by undefeated Hunter Azure. The entire card results are here.

On that same night in Las Vegas, Top of Utah Fighters Hayden Brown and Tyson Craig earned TuffNUff amateur titles, Hayden at 185 pounds and Tyson at 155 pounds.The card results are here.

IN BOXING NEWS ... Utah professionals Larry Gomez and Christian Aguirre, who fought a memorable fight last year, won by Gomez via decision, have signed for a rematch June 15 in Wendover. And this weekend there is Junior Olympics state tournament amateur boxing at Foley's gym in Ogden. Bouts start at 3 p.m. Saturday.

Interview with MMA pro Joe Rodriguez, LFA MMA card Friday

It's a big night tomorrow for Utah MMA. Legacy Fighting Alliance is in West Valley City at The Maverik Center. The AXS TV card headlines Jon Neal, of Ogden, against Tyler Diamond. Also fighting in bouts are Josh Burkman, LJ Schulz, Westin Wilson, Kaytlin Neil, Zac Cavender, and Marco Sanchez. Also, Bobby King meets Fabio Serrao.

Also on the card is veteran 185 pounder Joe Rodriguez, who trains out of One Hit MMA and University of Grappling. He meets Emilio Trevino. We've followed Joe's successful career for years and appreciate him granting Utah Fight Game a pre-fight interview.

What does it mean for you to return to an LFA fight card, particularly one in Northern Utah?

Rodriguez:  I wasn't expecting to fight on a big show. After Glory kickboxing, an injury put me out for a year then I couldn't find any fights a year later for 185 lbs. (After) two years of not fighting I was about to call it quits. Beginning of 2018 I moved up to 205 lbs to fight a guy from Colorado, then I had another one after that and now LFA will be my 3rd fight at 205. I'm honored to fight for LFA given the fact that I am 41 years of age so maybe I do have some fight left in me.

What do you know about your opponent?

Rodriguez: I know my opponent has a karate background, fights southpaw and orthodox. Doesn't matter to me, I've trained with the best southpaw in Utah (Jordan Smith) for years. He hasn't fought the level of guys I have fought so I'm sure I'll be a challenge for him but I will not underestimate him.

How has training gone? It's at One Hit MMA and University of Grappling.

Rodriguez: Training has been good, One Hit MMA (Aldo Oreggia) and University Of Grappling (Marc Brewer). I train and spar with all my guys, big and small with experience from both gyms. It's good to have a variety of styles and people always making the movement different.

Where do you hope to be in your career a year from now?

Rodriguez: I am 41 years old. I didn't imagine fighting this long so where I'll be in a year, I really can't say. I've accomplished something that I never would have imagined doing, Fighting Bellator twice, RFA, Glory Kickboxing and now LFA. Not many people can say they've done what I have starting at 34 years old with absolutely no fight experience, not knowing a thing about MMA.

Good luck Joe, tomorrow night, as well as the others on the card. 

A couple of extra notes. As we mentioned last week, Utah MMA amateur Hayden Brown fights for a Tuff-N-Uff title Saturday in Las Vegas. Also, last week, MMA fighter Rowdy Akers scored a first round stoppage in his debut as a professional kickboxer, winning a Bare Knuckle Combat League title. And last weekend in Georgia, Kaecy Raddon, formerly of Utah now living in Colorado, who is a Mountain Force Kickboxing champion, scored a kickboxing win over Mexico's Luis Espinosa in international competition sanctioned by the World Association of Kickboxing Organizations (WAKO).

Lattimer, Munoz among SteelFist winners, LFA card nears

(The poster above advertises one of the pro bouts from LFA on Friday May 10, at The Maverik Center in West Valley. Ogden's LJ Schulz fights Hunter Azure in a bantamweight bout. This card is, to use a cliche, stacked. Ogden's Jon Neal meets Tyler Diamond in the main event. Here is the card on Tapology. Fighting against various tough opponents are Josh Burkman, Joe Rodriguez, Westin Wilson, Katlyn Neil, and two others, Bobby King and Fabio Serrao, meet in a highly anticipated bout. Although Tapology does not include, undefeated pro Zac Cavender is also on the card. His bout shows on MixedMartialArts page. The card will be televised on AXS, which is carried by Dish and DirectTV.

-- Last weekend SteelFist results -- Two of our better 155 pound regional vets, Kerry Lattimer and Troy Dennison, headlined. It was Lattimer's night, winning via submission in round one. In another pro bout, middleweight Eric Munoz went to 2-0 with a first round stoppage of Nick Martinez. And Munoz's son, Jordan, won his amateur debut in a competitive bout with Jayden Marshall, via third round stoppage. In two amateur title bouts, Michael Eastwood stopped Jordan Marshall in round one (115 pounds) and in a brutal bout, Tanner Hinds stopped Cole Shafer in round 2, 165 pounds. The entire card results are here. Also, you can watch the card here via YouTube. The next SteelFist card is May 31 in SLC. Tracy Hardy fights Mike Jones in the main bout. Also fighting is professional Thomas Hughes. Card is here.

Layton amateur middleweight MMA fighter Hayden Brown travels to Las Vegas travels to Las Vegas on May 10 to fight Theo Greenidge for the Tuff-N-Uff belt.

... In what was an extremely close professional boxing match in Las Vegas recently, Midvale's Larry Gomez, 8-1, dropped a split decision to 7-1 Kevin Johnson. You can see excerpts from the bout, courtesy of the promoter, Final Fight Championship, on Larry's Facebook page here. On that same card, in an MMA bout, Utah professional Clay Collard also won. Some local pro fighters, Christian Aguirre, Gary Cobia, Gabriel Chairez, and Bladimer Estrada, have recently said they will be back in the ring soon.

Jon Neal to headline LFA card at Maverik Center

Some quick recent takes from the Utah fight game:

On May 10, undefeated MMA featherweight Jon Neal headlines an excellent pro card in West Valley City. Neal meets Tyler Diamond in a bout that will be televised through the AXS network. Also competing on the card in bouts are Joe Rodriguez, LJ Schulz, Westin Wilson and Josh Burkman. Another excellent match on the card (here) is Bobby King versus Fabio Serrao.

On April 27, on a UFC card telecast on ESPN Plus, 170-pound pro Court McGee fights Dhiego Lima.

On April 26 at the Union Event Center in Salt Lake City, veteran 155 pound pro Troy Dennison and Kerry Lattimer headline the SteelFist MMA card. Another pro bout matches Eric Munoz versus Nick Martinez. Card is here.

Here are results from a card in Logan on March 30 from Mountain Force MMA. The promotion's kickboxing unit plans a card May 18 in Farmington that will headline Jarrett Kelton versus Cole Rose.

Results from the Fitcon MMA card April 12 in Salt Lake City included Dustin Clements stopping Eric Iman in a heavyweight pro bout and Mike Chavez taking a split decision over Lehi Dominguez for the promotion's 155 pound amateur title. Professional Mike Jones also logged a win.

Amateur middleweight MMA fighter Hayden Brown will fight for a TuffNUff middleweight title on May 10 in Las Vegas.

BOXING

On April 12, Rocky Mountain Golden Gloves met to determine who will send fighters to the nationals in Tennessee next month. Locals Jon Bryant, Diego Alvarez and Jay Wright are among those making the trip. A story on the bouts in SLC is here.

Utah professional boxer Christian Aguirre fought on national TV last Saturday against undefeated middleweight Money Powell IV. The bout was scheduled for six round. Early in round 6, Powell floored Aguirre and the fight was stopped.

Undefeated pro boxer Larry Gomez, of Midvale, announced this week he is fighting 6-1 pro Kevin Johnson is Las Vegas Friday, April 19.

Mountain Force MMA card Saturday in Logan

This Saturday night in Logan at the Cache County Event Center, beginning at 7 p.m., is Mountain Force MMA 9. The main bout matches Tyson Craig against Jeff Carson, 145 pounds, pro. The card, via Tapology, is here. It will be streamed for a price at The Fite app. It's an all-ages event. The promotion's website is here.

---

In SteelFist's main event last weekend, Clay Collard stopped Lucus Montoya in round one. A competitive bout changed abruptly when Collard landed a shot to the liver, resulting in a slightly delayed reaction from Montoya, who was badly hurt from the shot. Collard got Montoya to the ground and the fight was stopped.

Results of the entire card in SLC are here. SteelFist's next card is April 26 at the Union Event Center in SLC.

Montoya, Collard main bout at SteelFist; more boxing, MMA results

SteelFist has a big fight Friday night at The Union Event Center in SLC. It matches comebacking former WSOF MMA fighter Lucus Montoya against SteelFist welterweight champ Clay Collard, who of course had a long stint in the UFC. Both these fighters are returning to where they excelled early in their careers and the winner will likely see a path back into the PFL, Bellator or UFC. Although Montoya has competed in grappling events, he hasn't been in the cage since he broke his forearm in WSOF 20, on nationally TV, almost four years ago. Collard, after winning a title at SteelFist, suffered a setback late last year Final Fight Championship 33.

The entire SteelFist card is here. Undefeated pro Zac Cavender fights at 205 pounds against Chris Thompson. In another pro bout for the women's 125-pound belt, Kaytlin Neil fights Shannon Sinn. In a 115 pound women's amateur title fight, Brittany Guillemin fights Sadie Ault. Others on the card include Ryder Newman and Zack Partridge in separate bouts.

A couple of weeks ago at the Utah State Fairpark, Fierce Fighting Championships had an MMA card. In the main bout for the promotion's 155-pound title, Bobby King stopped Nate Kearsley. In an actin-packed pro co-main that saw a lot of ebb and flow over five minutes, Randy Rowland, 155 pounds, stopped Thomas Hughes just prior to the end of round one, referee call due to strikes. The entire card is here.

BOXING

In SLC on March 8 undefeated Midvale pro welterweight Larry Gomez moved to 8-0 with a first round KO over veteran Mikhail Lyubarsky. Counter left hooks eventually left Lyubarsky stunned and on the canvas. In other bouts, former MMA fighter Eric Wahlen remained undefeated as a boxer, defeating Garrard Williams, heavyweights; Helaman Olguin defeated Anjel Osiris, heavyweights; Brandon Douglas defeated Mulapi Enjani, featherweights; In an amateur bout, Jay Wright defeated Emmanuel Gonzales, and amateur Gary Bailey also was a winner.

Last weekend at the Utah State Fairpark, there was the state Golden Gloves. Jon Bryant repeated as Utah 152-pound Golden Gloves champ with a decision on Saturday over Julian Ruiz. And 132-pound GG champ Diego Alvarez also repeated with a decision win over the aforementioned Wright, who fights out of Foley's gym. In the 165-pound GG final, Danny Galloway defeated Bailey for the state title. I don't have all Sunday results but here's a few: Carlos Padilla decisioned Isaac Lugo, 150; anfd Juan Higuera decisioned Robert Martinez, 201-plus pounds.

On Saturday, which included some semifinal bouts, winners were Eric Castanada, Dillan Neuyen, Alvarez, Kathryn Lopdez, Ruiz, Emmanual Gonzales; Carson Matthews; Jayden Lopez; Wright; Jesus Garcia; Galloway; Dan Butterfield; and Toa Piutua.

Raddon wins kickboxing title; Hughes among MMA fights this weekend

On Feb. 23 in Farmington at Mountain Force Kickboxing 2, Kaecy Raddon, 6-4, stopped Ian Scott, 5-3, in round one to win the promotion's lightweight title belt. Raddon, who has competed internationally, had too much experience for the game Scott, who has dropped seconds after the opening bell and then pummeled until the bout was stopped. You can see the bout at Raddon's Facebook page.

At the card it was announced that the promotion's pro welterweight champion, Jarrett Kelton, will defend his title on May 18 against Cole Rose. (See poster above)

This Saturday in Salt Lake City Fierce Fighting Championship 10 will have an MMA card at the Utah State Fair Park. The main event matches Bobby King and Nate Kearsley for the promotion's 155-pound belt. The co-main matches Ogden MMA pro Thomas Hughes against Randy Rowland. Local fighters competing on the card include Brandon Rease, Jeffery Prado-Morales and Kelsey Skillman. More info on FCC is here.

In boxing news, as we reported previously, undefeated pro Larry Gomez headlines a card in SLC on March 8 and Christian Aguirre fights Thomas Hill in Texas on March 16 on the undercard of Erroll Spence Jr. versus Mikey Garcia world welterweight championship bout..

Gregory wins at SteelFist; Larry Gomez to box on March 8

Some nuggets of fight news in Utah.

At the SteelFist MMA card last Saturday, 170-pound pro Carson Gregory (7-1) scored a first-round win, via strikes, over Craig Grove. After withstanding an early attack from Groves, Gregory took charge, wearing his opponent down before bout was stopped at 2.37.

In other pro bouts, heavyweight Eric Iman and 170-pounder Trever Bradshaw scored first round stoppages over Joshua Brown and Joe Maama. And 185-pounder Tracy Hardy stopped Marco Sanchez in round two in a pro bout. In a 265-pound amateur title bout, Dakota Witkopf stopped Kent Mafileo in round 4. All card results are here.

--- On March 8 in Salt Lake City, undefeated boxer Larry Gomez, (7-0), of Midvale, will headline a boxing card. It's at the 801 Event Center. Fights start at 7 p.m. Above photo shows Gomez after a KO win.

-- Tomorrow night, Saturday, March 23, at the Legacy Events Center in Farmington, Mountain Force Kickboxing will have its second promotion. Kaecy Raddon, formerly of Utah and now fighting out of Colorado, will fight for the promotion's super- lightweight belt against Ian Scott. A list of the bouts is here. One fighter, Joe Flores, had to pull out due to injury.

--- Finally, last night in Southern California, for Fight Club OC promotion, at the Hangar in Costa Mesa, Calif., Utah pro MMA welterweight Westin Wilson (7-3) scored a first-round choke submission over Javier Garcia, (4-3). Westin stunned Garcia with a leg shot from the floor before getting him into a choke finish.

A chat with MMA pro Carson Gregory, Aguirre to box in March

Saturday night in Salt Lake City, SteelFist has an MMA card at The Union Event Center, 7 p.m., 235 N. 500 West, that headlines pro welterweights Carson Gregory against Craig Grove. The co-main matches Eric Iman against Joshua Brown. In other pro bouts, both middleweight fights, Trever Bradshaw fights Joe Maama and Tracy Hardy meets Marco Sanchez. In a 265 pound amateur promotional title fight, Dakota Witkopf meets Kent Mafileo. Card is here.

We chatted with Gregory, 6-1, as he prepares to meet Grove:

UFG: Carson, I want to get a little personal here. You suffered your first professional loss, then you took on a tough, spoiler fighter in Kerry Lattimer and you got the win. How is it coming back from a loss? Do you have a pragmatic attitude, or do you have to deal with the subsequent feelings of setback, and get right in your fighter's mind, as much as learning new ways to improve?

Gregory: It was tough losing to Clay in the fact that I didn't fight at my best. It's one thing to lose when you go out there and do the best you can, but it's humiliating losing because you choked and looked like a fool in doing so. Leading into the Lattimer fight I had the thought of having another mental breakdown and choking mid-fight. I was constantly pushing thoughts of self doubt out of my head, even during the match. It wasn't until weeks after I won the Lattimer fight (that) I regained my confidence back. I learned that the key to moving past a loss like that, is to not obsess over it and focus on what you can change.

UFG: What do you know about Groves? How is training going?

Gregory: Groves is a gamer and I definitely understand why he gets the fight name of "Caveman." He fights violently and he definitely has strength behind his punches. But that being said he also has the fight IQ of a caveman. He's done great at capitalizing on mistakes and pulling out the win, anyone can do that. I respect him for those wins but I think he will soon find out that I'm on a whole other level than his past opponents.

Training has been great. We have focused on getting back to our roots. Reconnecting so to speak. We have learned that less is more, and technique will always triumph over physical strength. I feel confident in my physical abilities as well as my skills as a martial artist.

UFG: Where do you want to be in a year?

Gregory: I would love to be fighting full time in a year in a higher level promotion, such as Bellator or UFC! Supporting my family and living the dream, being one of the world's greatest fighters is all that I want in life!

Thanks Carson, and good luck this weekend. We extend those same wishes to all the fighters on Saturday night.

BOXING UPDATE: Utah super-welterweight Christian Aguirre will be back in the ring next week. He fights Thomas Hill on March 16 in Dallas, Texas. ... Saturday there is an amateur card at the South Salt Lake Police Athletic League.

BACK TO MMA: Speaking of Lattimer, he fights in Hawaii on Saturday against Robby Ostovich for Trinity Kings promotion's title. Card is here.

Two weekends ago some local fighters competed in Idaho at Front Street Fights 18. Bryce Edminister, 145 pounds, lost a very competitive pro bout against Cody Sattler via majority decision. Carl Dieckmann of Utah retired after round one due to injury to his ribs against Emilio Trevino, 205 pounds, and Andrew Cruz won a promotional pro belt, 145 pounds, stopping Drew Brokenshire in round 3. Card results are here.

Montoya takes on Collard in SteelFist MMA bout in March

Here are some news briefs involving the Utah Fight Game:

Tonight in Boise, Idaho, Front Street Fights 18 card includes Top of Utahn Bryce Edminister (2-1) who meets Cody Sattler in a 145-pound pro bout. Also, Utah pro Carl Dieckmann meets Emilio Trevino at 205 pounds. And the main bout, for a 145-pound promotional pro belt, matches Idaho's Andrew Cruz against Drew Brokenshire. Card is here.

Last weekend, Jan. 26, Top of Utah amateur Hayden Brown fought in Grand Junction, Colo. Brown, 6-2, was victorious, stopping Tanner Ellenberger in round one. In Pocatello, Idaho, veteran Kerry Lattimer, of Idaho, stopped Monte Klistoff in round 3. Lattimer announced afterward that he will travel to Hawaii to fight for a promotional belt on Feb. 16. The Junction City card is listed here. The Pocatello results are here.

Utah amateur MMA fighter Joe Flores will be fighting David Meeks on Feb. 23 in a kickboxing match, 190 pounds, as part of Mountain Force Kickboxing 2. The card is in Farmington and Kaecy Raddon headlines in the main title bout (160 pounds) against Ian Scott.

As you can see from the above graphic, SteelFist has announced a major MMA bout between comebacking Lucus Montoya and veteran Clay Collard. It's for the SteelFist pro welterweight title. Montoya is a former WSOF competitor who has rehabbed for a few years after breaking his arm in a nationally televised. He has prepped for this return by competing in events such as Proving Grounds. Collard is a former UFC fighter who is on a SteelFist winning streak of late. A co-main pro bout that will be for the SteelFist women's flyweight title will match Kaytlin Neil of Spanish Fork against Shannon Sinn. Also scheduled to fight that night is undefeated Utah heavyweight pro Zac Cavender.

And SteelFist has a card on Feb. 16 in Salt Lake City. Main bout matches Carson Gregory against Craig Grove.

Kelsey Skillman, a Top of Utah amateur MMA, will fight Asia Negron on March 2 in Salt Lake City on the Fierce Fighting Championship. Ogden professional MMA fighter Thomas Hughes is fighting Bobby Rowland in a 155-pound pro bout and Top of Utahn Brandon Rease will defend his amateur 125 pound belt against Andrew Arrellano. Main bout for the pro 155 title matches Thiago Alves against Bobby King. Card is here.

Hughes, Raddon, Edminister have fights scheduled

A quick Utah Fight News report this week.

-- Proving Grounds Invitational 5 was held this past weekend in SLC. I don't have results but its FB pages is here and website here.

--- Mountain Force MMA unfortunately had to cancel its card in Logan last week due to just plain bad luck of fights falling out the last week. Here's a press release. Mountain Force does plan another MMA card in Utah, in Logan on March 30.

Factum gym in Sandy had an amateur card last weekend. Photos and more are at the gym's Facebook page here. Winners included Jon Bryant and Jay Wright. ... There is another amateur card Jan. 26 in Pocatello where many locals will box. Former MMA fighter Brad Davidson will make his amateur boxing debut.

-- Thomas Hughes, MMA professional (above), will be fighting March 2 in SLC in a Fierce Fighting Championships card. He's training at One Hit Gym with Kaecy Raddon, who has a scheduled kickboxing bout with Mountain Force Kickboxing Feb. 23 in Farmington. Both Hughes and Raddon have international kickboxing experience, as well as being MMA fighters.

-- Bryce Edminister has a professional MMA bout in Boise on Feb. 1. Edminister trains at KOA Kingdom gym and has been training there with Raddon as well.

-- Madie Meacham, of One Hit, fought on a televised card with LFA promotions last weekend. She did well but was stopped due to a permanent retainer inside her mouth that broke and caused a cut.

--- Remember, Feb. 16, in SLC, Carson Gregory versus Craig Grove headlines the next SteelFist MMA card.

-- And there is a PFK pro/amateur boxing card scheduled for March 8 in SLC at the 801 Event Center. ... You can see a complete list of fights cards on the Utah athletics site here.