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.