MCC 28

Burns Turns up the Heat, Williams Edges Out Giboo, and The King remains Royalty

Slams, slick submissions and surprise ending could have easily been the replacement title for MCC 28: “Impact”. The fight fans were able to see a little bit of everything as Veterans Auditorium hosted another exciting night of mixed martial arts action.

The evening started off with a four-man tournament in the featherweight division. Jordan “Boobie” Webb and Joe Agan made their MCC debuts, but it was Webb who wasted no time in making a statement as he quickly took the fight to the ground and waited for his opportunity to explode. That chance cam at just :42 seconds of the very first round as Agan fell victim to a huge slam that rendered him unconscious. Webb advanced to the finals.

Next up in the tournament, MCC veterans Matt “The Punisher” Young returned after a two year hiatus to face, Mitch “The Convict” Parker. Like the first bout, this one hit the mat quickly with both combatants exchanging strikes and superior positions. But at the one minute mark, Young displayed his Jiu Jitsu prowess as he locked up an incredibly tight triangle choke forcing the tap from Parker and advancing himself into the finals.

When Webb and Young finally met, the pace was furious but the ending was sudden. Just as Webb put Young on his back to inflict some serious ground and pound, Young slapped on another triangle choke. Webb rolled to relieve the pressure but wound up underneath and on the wrong end of a barrage of brutal punches. With nowhere to go, Webb had no other choice but to tap out or go out! Young was crowned the tournament winner.

In other action, MCC fan favorite Josh “Bull” Christensen got back into the winning column as he bested undefeated light heavyweight prospect, Travis Branson in the opening frame. One who favors the ground and pound game, no one, especially Branson, expected “The Bull” to use his submission skills to sneak in a triangle choke. Although it was tough to see that the choke was locked up so tight, Christensen was able to put his opponent to sleep as Branson refused to tap out. Immediately following the fight, Christensen asked MCC for a rematch with “Mean” Dean Bradley.

UFC veteran James Giboo returned to MCC to face up and comer Cole “The Edge” Williams. With both fighters having excellent wrestling pedigrees, most thought the fight would be won with striking. However, it was Williams who was able to get the fight to the ground first. As Giboo searched for a submission from the bottom, he suffered a knee injury which Williams quickly capitalized on as he battered Giboo forcing the tap from strikes. Tough break for Giboo, but a huge win for Williams who immediately shot himself to the top of the MCC food chain.

In the co-main event of the evening, MCC’s fastest rising start, Miguel “El Rey” Rios Jr. returned to the cage to face former training partner and friend, dangerous knock out artist, Ben Crowder. Although there was no bad blood leading up to the contest, feelings became a little more tense when Crowder missed the welterweight limit by ten pounds at Thursday’s weigh in. Not one to shy away from a challenge, Rios used that as a motivating factor in the cage. From the opening bell, Crowder was on the hunt looking to destroy Rios with every punch thrown. He showed his strength advantage on the ground as be rolled and punched Rios at a feverish rate. However, in true “El Rey” style, Rios locked up an uber-tight armbar almost out of nowhere. Crowder quickly tapped to avoid a broken arm. Rios remains undefeated and moves one step closer to a title shot.

To cap out the nights events, MCC newcomer, Kalel Robinson, made the trek across the Midwest to take on five-time UFC alum, Kevin “The Fire” Burns. Burns, who had an amazing training camp, put all of his skills on display as he bested the feared striker in every position in the game. Burns landed brutal punches and knees from the feet. He took the fight to the ground when he was ready, and when he decided to go for the kill he quickly pulled the trigger. Burns dominated the fight from start to finish and showed the world that he is ready to get back to the big show for another run.

With another successful night in the books, MCC gears up for the next event which take place in just one month, at the Guthrie County Fair- September 4th. Check out www.MidwestCageChampionship.com for all of the latest news, fighter interviews and more.

Full fight results below:

Jordan Webb Vs. Joe Agan – Webb KO slam inside guard

Mitch Parker Vs. Matt Young- Young triangle choke

Ethan Underwood Vs. Stoney Stuart – Stuart guillotine choke

Leo Villarreal Vs. Brody Jay – Jay TKO

Joe Morris Vs. Mike Miller – Morris Rear Naked Choke

Tony Crowder Vs. Justin Morrison – Crowder by Triangle choke

Ted Worthington Vs. Ryan Bixler  – Bixler by unanimous decision

Travis Branson Vs. Josh Christensen – Christenson by triangle choke

Cole Williams Vs. James Giboo – Williams by Tap out Strikes

Jordan Webb Vs. Matt Young – Young by Tapout strikes

Ben Crowder Vs. Miguel Rios – Rios by armbar

Kalel Robinson Vs. Kevin Burns – Burns by arm triangle

MCC Announces Next Show; Looks for Repeat Performance

Des Moines, IA (USA)- On Friday, August 6, Midwest Cage Championship will return to Veterans Auditorium for the most explosive fight card of 2010.  MCC 28: “Impact” will feature UFC veterans, exciting up and coming stand-outs, and some of the promotions most popular mixed martial artists.  Fresh off the heels of one of the most impressive events in MCC’s history; MCC 27: “Mutapcic vs. Cummings”, the Midwest’s top MMA promotions looks to repeat its performance in delivering a top notch show for the fight fans.

In the main event of the evening, five-time UFC veteran, Kevin “The Fire” Burns continues his quest back to the big show as he faces dangerous striker, Kalel Robinson in a three round, non-title bout.  After a dominating performance by Burns at MCC 25: “Inferno” against Shawn Huffman, “The Fire” looks to continue his win streak as he welcomes Robinson to MCC. Robinson, a Tae Kwon Do black belt who also holds a purple belt in Vale Tudo with eight years of wrestling experience will look to make his own statement against the hometown fighter. This match up has fireworks written all over it.  Will this be Burns ticket back to the glitz and glamour of the UFC, or will Robinson attempt to utilize this opportunity to propel himself into the spotlight?

Fellow UFC veteran, and training partner of Kevin Burns; James Giboo will, once again, step back into the MCC cage to re-establish himself as a force in the welterweight division.  A wrestling standout, Giboo earned his ticket to the UFC following a series of impressive performances while finishing every opponent he faced.  At MCC 28, he will face an equally qualified grappler who is hungry to put himself on the radar.  That person is Cole Williams.  Owner of a 3-1 professional record, which includes wins over MCC veterans Evan “The Mercenary” Marks and Rod “The Mexicutioner” Montoya, as well as a second place finish in the open division of Mission to Submission Grappling Tournament with his sole loss at the hands of Giboo’s Jiu-Jitsu coach, Chris David, Williams will look to seek revenge with a win in his MCC debut.

Other feature bouts include undefeated submission specialist, Miguel “El Rey” Rios, Jr. and hard hitting knock out artists, Ben Crowder, as well as Josh “Bull” Christensen against Travis Branson.  Also, former Lightweight Champion, Ted “Red” Worthington will return in a rematch with Ryan Bixler.

Tickets for MCC 28: “Impact” are available on-line at www.MidwestCageChampionship.com, Iowa Events Center Box Office, by phone at 515-229-8566, and at all Dahl’s ticket outlets.  For more information on MCC 28, as well as fighter bogs, interviews, and up to the minute news, check out the web site.

Fighters and Fans Say Goodbye to DMX
 
This Wednesday marks the three year anniversary of the longest running weekly show in Iowa’s amateur mixed martial arts history.  Coincidentally, it marks the end of its run too due to new state laws regulating amateur events. Des Moines Xtreme (DMX) was started by the promoters who founded Midwest Cage Championship as a way to discover and cultivate new up and coming talent.
 
“The greatest success story would have to be that of Elvis “The King” Mutapcic.  Three years ago he showed up with a friend of his who was trying to get on an MCC card.    When Elvis was up, he performed great; won with highlight knock out, and subsequently received his invitation into MCC.  From there he’s worked his way up the ladder, putting on great fights time and time again.  He became the current Middleweight champion, defended his belt twice, and looks to be on his way to the big show.”
 
Other talented prospects that got their start from DMX include current MCC fighters Miguel Rios, Josh Henry, Mike Miller, Daraughn Canada, Joe Morris, Justin Morrison, Johnny Coleman, Luis Saldana, and many others.
 
DMX’s final show is this Wednesday night at Uncle Buck’s.  Doors open at 8:00 and the action starts at 9:30.  Expect a full fight card this week along with some additional surprises.  If you are a fighter who is interested in competing at DMX, please call 515-314-6719.
 
We, at DMX would like to thank all of the fighters and loyal fight fans for all you have given over the past three years.  Your support has helped to grow the sport of mixed martial arts immensely.

Help us celebreate the last night of DMX this Wednesday, as we go out with a BANG!

DMX at Uncle Bucks (1720 25th - West Des Moines, IA)

Doors open at 8pm

MCC 27: “Mutapcic vs Cummings” Makes History

With another event in the books, MCC 27 is already being regarded as quite possibly, the best event in the promotions history. From open to close, these warriors came out to put on a show for the fight fans, and with raw talent, determination, and the willingness to push each other beyond imaginable limits, they performed beyond expectations. And when the dust settled, every one left Veterans Auditorium raving.

The night started out with two MCC newcomers; Josiah Oppman and Dustin Updike bringing the crowd to their feet with three rounds of solid striking. With neither fighter willing to take the match to the ground, they bloodied and battered each other at a feverishly fast pace. With Updike getting the better of the exchanges, Oppman looked to land the one punch knock out. Unfortunately, time ran out and the judges awarded a unanimous decision victory to Dustin Updike. Look for big things to come from both of these young competitors.

A welterweight match up between Jiu-Jitsu specialist, Jay Olsen and hard-nosed striker Chad Vandermark turned out to be an extremely close, back and forth battle. Midway through the third round, Olsen attempted a rear naked choke, but when he was unable to secure the submission, the referee called the fight back up to the feet and Vandermark saw that as a sign to turn up the intensity. He was able to finish strong and for his efforts, he was awarded a split decision victory over the previously undefeated Olsen.

Former MCC Featherweight Champion, Will “The Real Deal” Shutt returned to the cage to face Omaha’s Jordan “The Nebraskan Nightmare” Eggli, who was making his MCC debut. Although Eggli got off to a slow start, he was able to defend over ten arm bar and triangle submission attempts from Shutt, while going for submissions of his own. The Vaghi Jiu Jitsu blue belt, remained calm and composed as he wore down the former champ. But, at 3:44 of the final round, Shutt was finally able to secure the triangle choke that he had been searching for the entire night, forcing Eggli to tap.

Touted as one of the best fights of 2009, Laramie “The Contract Killer” Shaffer and Zak “The Maniac” Laird, agreed to a rematch which marked both fighters professional debut. History was able to repeat itself as both of these warriors went back and forth with punches, kicks and incredible grappling. Laird was able to get off some clean shots that clearly took its toll on the face of Shaffer, while Shaffer attempted to utilize his superior wrestling skills to take the fight to the mat. When the final bell sounded, all three judges saw it the same- a unanimous decision victory for Zak “The Maniac” Laird. The rematch lived up to the hype, and I think all fight fans would agree that we could stand to watch these two go at it on every MCC card.

In the two number on contender bouts, Jesse Lund proved to be too much for “Mean” Dean Bradley. Bradley, who had been on a winning streak, taking out Josh “Bull” Christensen and former MCC Middleweight Champ, Mike “Mini Van” Van Meer, put on an excellent performance, and, at moments, had the more experienced Lund in some compromising positions. However, Lund showed his hard training and never say die attitude as he forced a tap out by strikes late in the second round.

Chris “Mad Dog” Mickle once again proved that strategy can overcome strength and power as he wasted no time going to the mat with hard hitting, Cory “Tha Projekt” Simpson and ending the fight just two minutes into the very first round with an arm bar. Simpson, who made it known that he wanted to stand and trade punches, never had the opportunity to use his hands. It was a tough break for Simpson and a solid win for Mickle. After the fight, Mickle announced that he would be deployed to Afghanistan later this year.

The main event of the evening re-classified the definition of talent and heart! Former MCC Middleweight Champion, Zak Cummings returned to face the current title holder, Elvis “The King” Mutapcic. For five rounds, fans watched the native of Sarajevo, Bosnia pick apart the grappler with brutal leg kicks and punches. While Cummings was able to get off several clean punches of his own, Mutapcic was clearly the superior striker. Cummings took shot after shot, only to be shrugged off and countered by the current champ. Late in the fifth and final round, Cummings grazed the eye of Mutapcic which set him up for a swift combination. Momentarily, Mutapcic was wobbled as the referee looked on closely. It appeared that, although Mutapcic had secured all of the previous rounds decisively, he would be finished. Digging deep, Mutapcic was not only able to survive, but reverse the position to finish out the fight in a dominant fashion. The crowd was electrifying and the atmosphere was almost deafening as Bosnian and American supporters alike, cheered for “The King”. Mutapcic had faced and conquered his toughest opponent to date and proved that he has what it takes to fight amongst the most elite mixed martial artists in the world. Fight fans can expect big things from Mutapcic in the upcoming months!

The Internet has been buzzing and people have been raving over MCC 27 for the past several hours. With fight fans hungry for more, MCC has already started working on the next line up, which will take place in August. For more information, check out www.MidwestCageChampionship.com.

Full Results Below:

Josiah Oppman v Dustin Updike -    Updike by  Unanimous decision- 3 rounds
Henry Meza v Eric Kapayou-     Kapayou by triangle choke 2:32 Rd 1
Seth Craig v Johnny Coleman-    Craig by RNC :22 rd 1
Jay Olsen v Chad Vandermark-    Vandermark by split decision - 3 rounds
Mitch Parker v Luis Saldana –     Saldana by RNC 1:40 rd 2
Jordan Eggli v Will Shutt – Shutt by triangle choke – 3:44 rd 3
Jeff Carstens  v Miguel Rios –  Rios by RNC 1:41 rd 1
Rick Glenn v Colby Karaidos – Glen by TKO 2:49 rd 1
Laramie Schaffer v Zak Laird – Laird by Unanimous decision- 3 rounds
Jesse Lund v Dean Bradley- Lund by Tapout from strikes  3:34 rd 2
Cory Simpson v Chris Mickle –  Mickle by Armbar 2:00 rd 1 

Middleweight Championship

Zak Cummings v Elvis Mutapcic- Mutapcic by unanimous decision after 5 rounds

 
Nick Henry
BORN: March 25, 1992
DIED: May 28, 2010
LOCATION: Creston, IA

Moreno vs. Crowder Scrapped, Replaced with Mickle vs. Simpson
 
At MCC 25: “Inferno”, Cory “The Projekt” Simpson made his return to the cage with a dominating performance over fellow lightweight striker, Jake Burriola.  He returned at MCC 26: “Triple Crown” to replace injured title contender, Chris “Mad Dog” Mickle, in a title bout with lightweight champion, Bryce Teager.  Although Simpson was unsuccessful in his quest for the belt, fight fans will not have to wait very long to see him back in action!
 
The Simpson camp has verbally agreed to face the fighter he recently replaced; Chris “Mad Dog” Mickle in a three round bout at MCC 27: “Mutapcic vs. Cummings”.  The bout will take place Friday, June 11 at Veterans Auditorium.
 
MCC official’s reported early Sunday morning, “We received word from Moreno that he had lost his fight in North Dakota and was too banged up to continue training or fight Ben Crowder in June.  It was disappointing because their bout had been heavily promoted already, but these things happen.  We are very excited that, once again, Cory Simpson has stepped up to the plate to take a tough fight.  Hopefully we can get Crowder and Moreno in the cage down the road so they can finally settle their grudge.”
 
Mickle, a former MCC champion and a veteran of the UFC’s sister promotion, WEC, has faced some of the toughest competition in the game.  Whether the fight is standing or on the ground, Mickle has been known for his heart and willingness to take the fight wherever it needs to go.  On facing a devastating knock out artist like Simpson, Mickle simply stated, “Let’s do it!”
 
Tickets for MCC 27: “Mutapcic vs. Cummings” are available at www.MidwestCageChampionship.com, by phone at 515-229-8566 or at all Dahl’s ticket outlets.  For more information including interviews, fighter blogs, and up to the minute news, check out the MCC web site.

Hey everyone my name is Mean Dean Bradley,  but as most people know I’m really not so mean. I was born on the Southside of Des Moines where I was raised along with my sister, by my mother. I’ve lived on the southide for 15 years until I moved out to Urbandale with my girlfriend. I went to Lincoln High School where I played football and wrestled. I was all conference in football my senior year where I helped the team to the state play offs. I finished 31-6 in wrestling but didn’t qualify for state. But I learned under Mike McGivern there that is helping me out now. After graduating from Lincoln I attended DMACC where for a year where I majored in Computer Aided Drafting and Design. It only took a year to decide that it wasn’t for me. Which led to my interest in fighting.

My interest first kicked off when I started going to DMX fight night to watch the amateur fights on Wednesdays. I had no intentions of fighting what so ever, but a close friend talked me into it because he knew I would win with my wrestling background. So I said why not. The fight ended with me winning in round one by rear naked. I was exhausted already but the crowd wanted me to return. I won again, but I ended up with a big gash over my eye that I had to get stitches for and at the time I didn’t have insurance so it put me in a big hole. But I’ll never regret it because if it wasn’t for that, then I would have never wanted more and would had never stepped into the cage again.
After awhile of fight at DMX on Wednesdays I started to get noticed more and got noticed by my old manager. He saw potential and got me some amateur fights out of town. I went to random different shows where I won 3 different amateur championship belts. Also I was noticed by MCC while fighting at DMX. One night after the DMX fights where I fought a very tough Jonathon Youngbear and pulled out an arm bar in the second round, they asked if I would like to fight in trials and of course, I said yes! I then went on to fight in trials and won and impressed the MCC managers even more and received an invite to fight at the next MCC! At the time I was fighting for different events that were trying to use me to fight for them against their guys, and supposed to lose, or just fight for them and get nothing in return. But MCC talked to me and got me away from all of them. Thanks to MCC my name is out there more than ever and I’m bigger than I’ve ever been. They keep testing me every fight they give me, and that’s what I like, and that’s whats gonna get me better! It seemed like I was actually going places in the sport. But one thing at the time that stopped me was my lack of training. I never really thought I would go pro or anything at the time, so I was like, “I’m doing good on my own so there’s really no need to train.”

But one of the main reasons I couldn’t train was because of my mother being sick. She has kidney failure where  she only has 25% of one kidney left, so I was always busy taking care of her and taking countless trips to Iowa city for her to see the kidney specialist. Along with not having a car and my mother being sick, it just made it hard. But my mom started getting better and I got a car, so it was time to start taking things seriously.

So now I’m taking things more seriously and training at least 3 times a day. I hit the gym every morning for my conditioning and then training at night. I train with the likes of Josh Neer, Elvis Mutaptic, and Victor Moreno.

I was very excited to get this fight with Jesse Lund! He is a tough guy and the former light heavyweight contender. So a win here will guarantee me a shot at the belt and my spot in MCC history! Because of my recent dedication, I am 4-1 as a pro and I don’t plan on losing anytime soon. I plan on getting that light heavyweight belt and showing everyone that the short stocky kid from the southside is doing big things. So hope you guys catch up each week on my blog and hope to see you guys there June 11th at Vets as I take on former light heavyweight number one contender Jesse Lund.

- “MEAN” Dean Bradley

MCC Announces Next Card, a Night of Tests and Bad Blood

On Friday, June 11 Midwest Cage Championship returns to the historic Veterans Auditorium for MCC 27: “Mutapcic vs. Cummings”.

The main event of the night pits defending middleweight champion, Elvis “The King” Mutapcic against former middleweight champion, Zak Cummings, who returns from a stint in Strikeforce to claim what he feels is rightfully his.

Cummings, the Missouri native who made his MCC debut as a relative unknown ran through the competition as he nabbed the middleweight crown.  He vacated the title when he was picked up by Strikeforce, one of the nation’s top promotions.

Mutapcic has become known as not only one of the most feared strikers in MCC history, as fight fans witnessed during his two-round destruction of former middleweight champion, Mike “Mini Van: Van Meer, but he also displayed his submission skills in his first title defense, submitting ADCC champion, Brett “The Natural Disaster” Stevens.

Also on the fight card, another former MCC champion, Victor “Superman” Moreno returns to MCC to face Ben Crowder in the grudge match of the century.

MCC officials report, “These two have run into each other for the last couple years, calling each other out, letting the bad blood boil, at times, very close to coming to blows.  Finally, it worked out for these two to meet at MCC 27.  These two legitimately hate each other, so fight fans can expect a raw, violent display of skills with each one going for the finish with every strike thrown.”

Rounding out the evening’s featured bouts, the unstoppable freight train better known as “Mean” Dean Bradley returns to face former number one light heavyweight contender, Jesse Lund in a match that will determine who will earn their way to a title shot.

“Every challenge put in front of Bradley, he’s taken out.  He stopped Josh “Bull” Christensen in the first round.  He won a decision over Mike “Mini Van” Van Meer.  He’s knocked out or submitted everyone else he has faced although he comes in the underdog in every single fight.  If he gets by Lund, he has more than earned his shot at the title,” stated MCC matchmaker.

The fight card has shaped up to include twelve action packed bouts.  Tickets for MCC 27: “Mutapcic vs. Cummings” went on sale today at www.MidwestCageChampionship.com, by phone at 515-229-8566, and all Dahl’s ticket outlets.  For more information, including up to the minute news, fighters interviews, and video blogs, check out the MCC web site.

Nutrishop Celebrates its Newest Location in Ankeny

 
This Saturday, MCC’s title sponsor, Nutrishop, will celebrate the opening of their third location with celebrity appearances, free supplement samples, door prizes, and MCC ticket giveaways.  The festivities will kick off at12:00 p.m. at Nutrishop, located at 2010 SE Deleware in Ankeny, and last until 4pm.
 
Television reality star and spokesperson for thermogenics, Trista Sutter, whose appearances on The Bachelor and The Bachelorette made her America’s sweetheart, will be on hand to sign autographs and meet fans.  UFC fighters Kevin “The Fire” Burns and Joe “The South Side Strangler” Brammer will also be on hand alongside MCC champion, Elvis “The King” Mutapcic and number on contender, Andy “Danger Zone” Branson, to meet and greet everyone.
 
Nutrishop is the leading high-quality sports nutrition and weight loss superstore with other locations at 640 S. 50th Street in West Des Moines, and 4518 Mortensen in Ames.  Stop in to any location for all of your fitness, supplementation, and diet needs.

At 9pm that night, Twisted Parrot (6500 Hickman rd) will be televising UFC 112: “Invincible” live from Abu Dhabi.  The main event on the card has Lightweight Champion, BJ “The Prodigy” Penn in his highly anticipated match with up and coming New Jersey native, Frankie “The Answer” Edgar.  Reigning Middleweight Champion, Anderson “The Spider” Silva will defend his title against Brazillian jiu jitsu master, Demian Maia, and former Welterweight belt holder, Matt Hughes will take on Renzo Gracie.

 
As the fighters make their final preparations to step into the cage, MCC gears up for one of the most stacked cards to date.  With a move just next door to Vets Auditorium into Hy Vee Hall, MCC 25: “Inferno” is talent laden with mixed martial arts superstars and stars in the making.  The main event of the evening features a five-round title bout with newly crowned Middleweight Champion, Elvis “The King” Mutapcic as he defends the title against Brett “The Natural Disaster” Stevens.  Co-headlining the card is five time UFC veteran and Des Moines Native, Kevin “The Fire” Burns, returning to his home town after two years with the world’s most popular mixed martial arts promotion.

The festivities begin Friday night at The Twisted Parrot where all 24 of the competitors step on the scale and square off during the official weigh in.  If you’ve never attended a weigh in, this is the one you want to catch.  There has already been plenty of hype and smack talk between several of the fighters, so you never know what you may see and hear Friday night.  Plus, The Twisted Parrot has the best drink specials in town, an amazing menu, and a special performance by the hilarious music group that’s taken the Midwest by storm; DDEP.

Fight Card

Elvis Mutapcic vs. Brett Stevens- Middleweight Championship

Kevin Burns vs. Sean Huffman- Co Main Event

Josh Christensen vs. Dean Bradley

Will Shutt vs. Tom Ahrens

Rick Glenn vs. Lonnie Scriven

Cory Simpson vs. Jake Burriola

Jeff Carstens vs. Maurice Spiers

Zak Laird vs. DJ Whitlach

Justin Morrison vs. Chad Zurfluh

Patrick Perkins vs. Jobe Hinders

Jon Youngbear vs. Travis Branson

Johnny Coleman vs. Chris Helm

Tickets are available on-line at www.MidwestCageChampionship.com, Wells Fargo Arena Box Office, by phone at 515-229-8566, or at all Dahl’s grocery ticket outlets.  For more information, including fighter blogs, interviews, and up to the minute news, check out the web site.  Also, fight fans can expect bigs news on Saturday as we release the details to MCC 26: “Triple Crown” in April.