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.

Interviews with MMA amateurs Nathan Owens, Tyson Roberts

One of the title fights this Saturday at the SteelFist card in Salt Lake City matches amateur bantamweights Ha'va Nathan Owens, of Ogden, and Tyson Roberts, of Harrisville. It's an interesting matchup in a card that also includes a pro lightweight title bout between Clay Collard and Troy Dennison and a pro welterweight fight between Carson Gregory and Mike Jones. There is another amateur title bout, between welterweights Alonzo Salas and Lehi Dominguez.

We chatted with both Roberts and Owens this past week.

Utah Fight Game: Hos is training going?

Roberts: Training for a big fight like this one consists of more than just going to practice. I had a 20-pound weight cut so diet was a huge factor. I would wake up and start the day with a good cardio workout with the love of my life. Then I would continue with some great training over at One Hit MMA; a lot of the days I would be putting in 3 workouts a day spending more than 5 hours in the gym getting prepared for this bout!

Owens: ... I don't train for just one bout or get into fight camps. I always stay ready no matter what. I train hard every single day with no breaks. I train about 10-12 hours a day every day. 

Utah Fight Game: How will your strengths provide you the edge over your opponent on Saturday night?

Owens: ... My strength is that I will outwork anyone who decides to challenge me in any aspect. Striking, grappling, anything. Simply put, I choose how I want to finish the fight. My opponent I will be facing Saturday has disrespected me by not training as hard as I do. By not taking this fight seriously, Come Saturday night I will not give him the luxury of being finished early. I'm going to hurt him, cut him up, I'm going to break him. So after I beat him down Saturday night he'll have to look in the mirror every day at the scars I will leave him and he'll remember not to challenge me.. The dominate species. Just another step to becoming world champion.

Roberts: My strengths I have over my opponent this Saturday ... the biggest one is I have the best training partners and gym in the state, putting in work with Jon Neal, Rowdy Akers, and LJ Schulz. I know how Nate fights and I know once it hits the ground he is going to be in some big trouble. I have reach and have developed a strike game he will have to try and match. I can’t wait to get out there and showcase my skills after this 3-year break I have had since my last fight. Come Saturday I plan on having that belt around my waist.

Thanks to both competitors and we wish them well on Saturday night.

Some more MMA notes: Kaecy Raddon, 155 pounds, who recently fought for a Tuff N Uff title, is returning to the cage on Feb. 10 to fight Dean Cotton in SCL (Sparta Combat League) 65. The card is at the Grizzly Rose in Denver, Colo.

We announced last week that featherweight MMA fighter Rowdy Akers (One Hit MMA) is fighting Tyler Polito on March 10 for Fierce Fighting Championship. That's still on but Akers announced on social media that he also take a pro bout on Jan. 27 in Casper, Wyo., against Kehlin Wayne Roszel.

Interview with MMA pro Carson Gregory; Jose Haro to box in March

The next SteelFist card is Saturday, January 13, in SLC, and the co-main pro bout matches undefeated Carson Gregory, of Lehi (seen above), against a very tough veteran out of Idaho, Mike Jones. It's for the welterweight promotional belt.

We had the opportunity to chat with Jones recently and we share that with out readers now.

(About himself, his MMA history and fighters he admires) GREGORY:  I started MMA when I was 14 years old. I was looking for the new hobby. Throughout my high school years MMA has kept me clean and true to my values. Because I'm Mormon I'm often asked at church how I can fight when we believe we're all children of God. I simply tell them that MMA helps me fight my depression and anxiety and has kept me out of trouble since an early age. And then usually answer their question with another one of my own; Why wouldn't God want me in something that helps me stick to my values and keeps me clean? Francis Ngannou is a new and upcoming athlete in MMA who I look up to. He's all about the KO. I can relate to that. I don't believe that MMA should be a point game. I believe that when you step into that ring that it should be a "kill-or-be-killed" mentality, not to see who can score the most points or hold each other down. Another fighter I relate to and respect a lot would be Chuck Liddell. He was never anything special as far as an athlete goes. He just had tremendous heart and a deadly right overhand. I feel like I'm in a very similar boat. I'm nothing incredible as far as an athlete goes but I know I can hit like a freight train and I know I have more heart than any fighter! 

(On where he trains, his coaches, and other athletes he trains and spars with) GREGORY:  I'm training out of Xcite MMA in Lehi. My coaches are Mark Balcer and Dustin Smith. I'm currently the only active fighter in our gym. My gym does not like to spar a whole bunch, we generally try to keep sparring at a minimum. Our training is focused around drills and lots of fight applicable mitt work.

(On his strengths, his opponent Jones' strengths and how he plans to win) GREGORY: My strengths are obviously in my hands. My footwork is very unorthodox and I can strike at awkward angles. My goal is to move like Muhammad Ali and hit like Mike Tyson. My opponent is an opportunist not a warrior. He has a good one two and a half-decent head kick. It's nothing special or that I haven't seen before. I just need to go out there and fight my fight. My game plan never changes its all the same. Use my footwork to break my opponent down then go in for the kill.

(On where he plans to be a year from now in the sport) GREGORY: A year from now I plan on fighting in UFC or at least Bellator. Sooner or later a bigger promotion like them is going to want an exciting fighter like me fighting for them. It's not a matter of if just when. The only thing that separates me from other fighters already in those promotions is experience. I'm still very young in this sport and just need a little more time.

Thanks for taking the time to speak with us, Carson, and good luck the 13th. We also wish Jones the best of luck as well, and all the competitors. It's a great card. The main pro bout matches former UFC fighter Clay Collard against Troy Dennison. It's a great opportunity for Troy. Two good amateur title bouts match Lehi Dominguez against Alonzo Salas and Ha'va Nathan Owens versus Tyson Roberts.

NOTES: A couple of news nuggets: Rowdy Akers, of One Hit MMA, an MMA pro who had retired after winning a very exciting bout over John Valentine, is making a comeback. He will fight Tyler Polito on March 10 on a card promoted by Fierce Fighting Championship. Valentine, by the way, has enjoyed success in top-flight grappling competitions recently. And Andy Pitcher, of Smithfield, will fight Ben Goins on the March 17 inaugural Mountain Force MMA card in Logan. 

BOXING

Big news for Utah boxing. Jose Haro, of West Jordan, the United States Boxing Association professional featherweight champ, announced this past week on social media that he will fight undefeated Jean Rivera on March 17 at the storied, historic Madison Square Garden in New York City. The bout will be televised on ESPN. Best of luck to Jose, and we hope to talk with him prior to the bout.

Jose Haro looks to 2018, Owens meets Roberts for MMA belt

Happy holidays from Utah Fight Game blog! We'll likely take a break next week but we wanted to get some news in. Jose Haro (seen above at left on the attack) the US featherweight champ, is featured in an article at fightnetwork.com (here). Jose, of West Jordan, almost fought for the world title this fall. But the bout failed to materialize. We hope he gets his shot in 2018 -- we think he'll win.

In MMA ... The January 13 SteelFist card is taking shape. Ha'va Nathan Owens (Mori) will fight Tyson Roberts (One Hit MMA) for the SteelFist amateur bantamweight title. Also, Alonzo Salas (KOA) will fight Lehi Dominguez for the amateur welterweight title. The entire scheduled card, which highlights Clay Collard versus Troy Dennison and Carson Gregory versus Mike Jones, is here.

Also, Top of Utahn amateur MMA fighter Destiny McCubbin, who fights out of Las Vegas and recently fought for a Tuff N Uff title, will be back in the cage on Feb. 3 fighting Valerie Wong. The bout is in Jackson, Calif.

Finally, a promotion, Mountain Force MMA, is presenting its first card in Utah on March 17 in Logan at the Eccles Ice Arena. The promotion's website is here. Several promotions are planned for next year.

Moa wins SteelFist title, Collard to meet Dennison

Last weekend in Salt Lake City, Ben Moa outlasted Eric Iman in a competitive match for the SteelFist promotional heavyweight belt. Jeffrey Dutcher, of  Fighting Out of Utah MMA News on Facebook, said: "I thought Moa was done... you could see he was gassed and you have to put Iman in a body bag to finish him. Moa landed a shot that put Iman down and then followed up with some shots to finally make (the referee) step in and call it. What a fight!"

In other pro bouts, William Dunkle stopped Trever Bradshaw in round one and Jared Toothaker won via disqualification over Tyson Cowan. According to Dutcher, "First round was stopped at 3 minutes instead of 5. Cowan refused to come back out in a mounted position. Hence the win going to Toothaker."

In an 185-pound amateur title bout, Jon Wixom stopped Cole Shafer in round one via an armbar, according to Dutcher. Get all the results at the Fighting Out of Utah MMA Facebook page or here.

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Collard to meet Dennison in January

The next SteelFist card is Jan. 13. An interesting main bout matched Clay Collard, who has UFC experience, against Troy Dennison. It's for the SteelFist lightweight pro bout. Also, for the welterweight title belt, Carson Gregory will fight Mike Jones. Also on the card, amateur Alonzo Salas will contend for promotion's 170-pound belt. 

Finally, undefeated MMA pro Jon Neal is in Las Vegas trying out for The Ultimate Fighter. We wish him luck.

Burkman, Rossborough lose UFC and PFL bouts; SteelFist results

It was a tough Saturday for two Northern Utah, Salt Lake  City MMA veteran professionals who fought web-televised preliminary bouts on major MMA cards. Nick Rossborough, a heavyweight, was pounded by Jared Rosholt over three rounds in Everett, Wash., as part of the Professional Fighters League, formerly the World Series of Fighting. Rossborough had no answer for Rosholt's ground game and took a lot of punishment although he survived to a decision loss.

In a UFC 214 preliminary in Anaheim, Josh Burkman suffered his fifth straight UFC loss, being stopped by Drew Dober in the first round. A recap of the lightweight bout, televised on UFC Fight Pass, is here.

STEELFIST RESULTS:

Friday night's SteelFist card in Salt Lake City had Carson Gregory stopping Jeff Roman after one round in an 170-pound bout. Also, Troy Dennison stopped AJ Garcia in round one in an 155-pound bout. Former Ute and NFL football player and heavyweight Ben Moa won his pro debut, stopping Trevor Kuresa after one round. Amateur Michael O'Laskey, defeated TJ Mitchell in a bout for the promotion's 170-pound title.

To get all the results go to Jeffrey Dutcher's Fighting Out of Utah MMA News Facebook page.

SteelFist 51 card Friday night, Horn card in Ogden next month

Tomorrow night is SteelFist 51 in Salt Lake City. It starts at 7 pm at Riverbend Sports and Event Center. Main bouts are listed above in the poster. We have interviewed both AJ Garcia and Troy Dennison. The entire card is listed here. Your blogger would love to be there but he works on Friday nights. We will be keeping an eye on the results and share them. 

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Some news on boxer Jose Haro's recent opponent, Daniel Franco. By the way, although he faces many challenges, Franco, has recovered well from an injury that was life threatening after his loss to Haro. You can read his dad's latest post here. (There is still opportunity to donate to help Franco)

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Jeremy Horn's Elite Fight Night will have an MMA card on Friday, Aug. 11 at the Weber County Fairgrounds. We hope to have a photographer there. Thomas Hughes, a member of the USA kickboxing team, will be fighting his first pro MMA bout. Hughes is undefeated in MMA. Also fighting will be Top of Utah amateur 205 pounder Eric Munoz. He says it will be his final MMA bout. We hope to interview both Hughes and Munoz over the next couple of weeks. Also, in September SteelFist has a Saturday card on the 16th that matches John Valentine against Rowdy Akers, a farewell bout for both. Here's a look at upcoming cards via the state's athletic commission.

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I chatted with Julian Stevens of Lights Out gym in Clearfield and he provided an update on how some of the boxers who train there did at the Junior Nationals Golden Gloves in Mesquite last week. 

"James Cox, 65 pounds, Dylan Bahena, 65 pounds, Oxmanny Sanchez, 75 pounds, all fought great for only training for six to eight months. They all lost but learned a great deal at the tournament. Preston Tiffany won his first fight and fought Randy Canaday, whom he beat at the national Junior Olympic finals to win the tournament. (He) lost a close decision," Stevens said.

AJ Garcia, Troy Dennison to meet in SteelFist MMA bout

In a pro lightweight bout on July 28 in Salt Lake City, Troy Dennison will meet AJ Garcia in an intriguing match. Garcia defeated Rowdy Akers in his pro debut and Dennison has enjoyed a successful pro career that included a shot for a SteelFist promotion title. (Above is, at top, Garcia after winning a bout, and below, Dennison (at left) with others at Victory MMA.)

We've chatted with both fighters and share the conversations as a preview for the bout:

Troy Dennison:

1) What motivates you about the bout. What drives you to get out there and train daily?

Dennison: What motivated me to compete in MMA is (SteelFist promoter) Pat Patton. I was a street kid fighting in the streets almost every day in my life, got real good at it and was in and out of trouble all the time wuth the law. Pat Patton took me under his wing, helped me get my life right and got me my very first MMA fight way before SteelFist was around and I feel in love with all the positives that came with it. I was so used to negative in my life; it was a big difference,  gave me a reason to stay out of trouble and work and fight for something worth fighting for. 

I'm looking for a title shot again for SteelFist after this fight. That has been my main goal is getting the belt. In today's world the fighter that inspires me is Connor McGregor; to see him getting welfare checks one day and a few years later a self-made millionaire shows me anything is possible if you work hard enough and truly believe you can do it. The thing that is most important to me bout this fight is winning. It is just another fight, nothing too important, just a other day doing what I like to do. And the thing that pushed me the most to train and keep in shape is to prove all the doubters that I still have it. I feel there is alot of people who have forgot who I am and are doubting me on this fight.

AJ Garcia:

1) How is training going? Any changes based on learning from your first bout?

Garcia: Training is going great. My fight with Rowdy was my first pro fight so it was the first time having five minute rounds along with a few other rules that are different. Now that I know what that feels like I feel I'll be even more ready for this fight and in even better shape. 

Troy Dennison:

2) What's your fight style and how do you hope to neutralize your opponent? (Dennison seen below)

Dennison: My fight style is most definitely striking. I'm known as a stand up fighter with power in both hands. Out of my 8 wins 6 of them are TKO in the first round. The key strength of my opponent is his wrestling. I feel he will try to get me to the ground and control the fight there.Of course he will try to pound me out or submit me. The way I neutralize that is by footwork and sprawl, get in and out and not stand right in front of him.

AJ Garcia:

2) What do you know about your opponent and what does this fight mean to you?

Garcia: Troy is a tough guy that's been around for a while. He has over 10 pro fights compared to my one, but I had a lot of amateur fights and fought the best guys around here so that I could be ready for anything when I went pro. Getting a win over a vet like Troy would be a big deal for a guy with one pro fight. I feel solid everywhere but always know that I can fall back on my bread and butter which is my ground game.

Troy Dennison:

3) How goes training? Who trains you and who do you train with? 

Dennison: My training is different this time around than my last fights. I am mostly focusing on strength and conditioning. I have not been to the gym much this fight camp due to work but I'm always training every day, whether it be in the gym sparring and working take down defense. If I'm not there, (I'm still)  hitting the bag and running in high altitude, always doing something every day to keep my cardio up. When I do go to the gym it's Victory MMA. The coaches are Kam Tuller, Jake Paul, Cole Rose, and Kyle Herrera. My two favorite people to train with and spar with is Cole Rose and Kyle Herrera.

AJ Garcia:

3) How is training going and who are some of those helping you, both in the gym and outside? (Below, Garcia on top in the bout versus Rowdy Akers).

Garcia: The guys at The Pack MMA are getting me ready along with Anthony Lobato. Digital Smoke has also helped me a ton and just bought me a ton of new training gear for this fight as a bonus for winning my pro debut. I honestly wouldn't be able to train the way I do if it wasn't for them so big shout out to them. I can't wait for this fight and will be ready to bring it when that cage gets locked.

Troy Dennison:

4) How has MMA changed your life and what are your future plans in the sport?

Dennison: I have been competing an MMA for the last 7 years and it has changed me into a better man in all ways of life: respect honor discipline, things that I have never learned as a kid it has completely changed my life. I was into gang,s heavy drugs by the time I was 13 years old, stealing cars and just really going down a dark road. I feel if it was not for MMA I would be dead or in prison. It changed me in every way; took all that negative and turned it into positive. I have a 4 year old now and a beautiful woman that I may not have (today) if MMA did not change my life.

We wish both Garcia and Dennison the best later this month in the cage. We appreciate all they do for the sport.

The entire SteelFist card is here.

Valentine meets Akers in a farewell pro MMA bout

Yesterday evening SteelFist made an early announcement on a Sept. 16 Salt Lake City pro MMA bout. Undefeated John Valentine meets another veteran, Rowdy Akers. Valentine, 46, now lives in Las Vegas but used to reside locally and is the female matchmaker for SteelFist. Akers, 42, trains out of One Hit MMA in Layton. Both fighters plan this to be their final pro MMA bout.. It is being advertised as a "Dual Retirement Fight."

I plan to interview both as fight date draws near but I did chat with Valentine earlier this week and he offered reasons for ending his pro career. He said this, which was also published earlier on social media):

Recently I sat on the mats and I watched my children who at a young age have accomplished so much such as judo and Grappling state titles and recently securing National Ju Jitsu titles.  I asked myself how far they would be with even more coaching, more effort from me their father and coach.  Answer: a lot 

As a result I made the easiest decision in my life.  I wanted to let you know that while I feel I have another 10 years of fighting in me that for my family I decided to take one last fight (I will still do my Ju Jitsu superfights and tourneys) bit I have nothing more to prove. My goal is to retire undefeated and I am working towards that.

Valentine has high praise for Akers, calling him a strong competitor (the bout will be at 150 pounds). He says he will be at his best and expects his opponent will also be at his best. 

He's grateful for all the support SteelFist has provided him over the years, calling it a fitting location for a final bout. Pat, Kevin, Brady, Troy and the crew have been like family and I am grateful for this opportunity, he said.

Akers, as mentioned, represents One Hit MMA. Valentine represents Team Zenith and Robert Drysdale. We will have original interviews with both competitors as the date draws near. We're big fans of both these competitors and will miss seeing them in the pro cage. They have condusted themselves as strong professionals with integrity and are worthy of the respect this final bout provides. Here is SteelFist's website.

Garcia and Denniston to be interviewed

Next week we will be interviewing MMA pros AJ Garcia and Troy Dennison, who will be facing off in a pro bout July 28 at the SteelFist card in SLC.

Edminister to fight in Idaho

Another note: Bryce Edminister, an amateur MMA fighter with The Garage gym, has signed to fight Aug. 18 in Boise, Idaho, as part of the Front Street Fights card that night. According to his Facebook page, Bryce will fight Kellen VanCamp, of Kentucky.

Finally, next week we'll keep an eye on Junior National Golden Gloves in Mesquite, Nevada and let you know how locals do.

AJ Garcia versus Troy Dennison part of SteelFist in July

SteelFist's July MMA card in Salt Lake City is being slowly unveiled. An intriguing lightweight match is between Ogden's AJ Garcia, who recently defeated Rowdy Akers in his pro debut, against a tough veteran, Troy Dennison.

Other bouts include the pro debut of former University of Utah and NFL football player, Ben Moa. The heavyweight will meet Trevor Kuresa. Another pro bout matches Carson Gregory, who won a wild pro bout recently, against Jeff Roman, welterweights.

Finally, Mike O'Laskey will try to defend his SteelFist amateur welterweight belt against TJ Mitchell. More bouts will be announced over time.

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Here's a look at scheduled events from the state athletic commission. August 11 at the Weber County Fairgrounds will be Elite Fight Night 27. We'll be there. SteelFist is scheduled for Sept. 16 (we hope to be there) and Fierce Fighting Championships is back Sept. 30 in Granstville. ... In July, Mesquite, Nev. will host Junior Golden Gloves. We'll work to get a list of local fighters competing.

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Just a reminder, Daniel Franco, injured after losing his nationally televised bout to West Jordan's Jose Haro, Utah's USBA featherweight champ, is still on the long road to recovery. According to his dad, Al, the prayers, thoughts and contributions have really helped this resilient young man. A Go Fund Me account for Daniel is here.