Mountain Force MMA card this weekend, more

Mountain Force MMA is having its inaugural card in Utah this Saturday in Logan. Let's hope that a good crowd shows up. In recent years a couple of regular MMA promotions in Northern Utah has ceased operating, although SteelFist is still going strong and Jeremy Horn's has a couple of cards a year. It's at the Eccles Ice Arena at 7 p.m. Website is here. The promotion has a strong Facebook presence here. The card is here. Main bout matches Anthony Miller versus Allen Silva, pros. Another pro bout has Nick Clemm meeting Justus Minardi, who is a fill in for an injured Miles Welk. A pro bout matches Andy Pitcher and Ben Goins. An amateur 205 pound title bout matches Joe Flores versus Colton Hildebrand. Another amateur fights has Brittany Guillemin against Stephanie Hernandez.

Readers may have noticed the belt above. It will be at the Mountain Force MMA card. Stackd Fitness and AlphaSetBoxing have come together to donate this MMA championship belt to a child who is undergoing his cancer treatment. They will be surprising him this Saturday at the MMA event. If anyone wants to know more about this and offer assistance you can message professional fighter Christian Nava via Facebook. We give kudos to Stackd Fitness and AlphaSetBoxing for sponsoring this effort.

Mountain Force MMA also plans a June 2 card in Ogden. It will be a Pat Reeves Fight Night with some of the proceeds benefiting the late fighter's family. MMA pro Thomas Hughes will be fighting on the card.

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Fierce Fighting Championship in Price was last Saturday. In the 155-pound pro main event Nate Kearsley scored a decision over Cy Nelson. In a 125-pound amateur title bout Brandon Rease scored a decision (5 rounds) over Thomas Prestriedge. I was able to watch that bout via a smart phone video over Facebook. Both fighters competed very well. To get all the results go to Facebook's Fighting Out of Utah MMA News here.

I also watched amateur kickboxer Kaecy Raddon win a WAKO bout Saturday in Wisconsin thanks to a smart phone and social media. Raddon, who also fights as an amateur MMA, fights for a belt next month in the Pacific Northwest.

Invicta is having an MMA card Saturday, March 24 at the Union Event Center in Salt Lake City. The card is here. DeAnna Bennett is part of the co-main, fighting Karina Rodriguez of Mrexico. The undercard includes local Kaytlin Neil against Tracy Cortez of Arizona.

Finally, The Complex in Salt Lake City is scheduled to have a boxing pro am card on March 24. I have not garnered much information on it but it has been reported on social media that undefeated professional boxers Christian Aguirre and Bladimir Estrada will be meeting with the state title on the line (middleweight?). 

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.