Jake “Dirty Bird” Brown vs. TJ “The Spider” O’Brien

Jake Brown

Strengths:  Knock out power in both hands, good wrestler, endurance
Keys to Victory:  Jake Brown will have to close the distance to land big punches on his feet.  If he takes the fight to the ground, he will need to immediately move to half guard or side control to deliver any damage.  It will be imperative that if he stays in the guard of O’Brien that he stays postured up and remains aware of O’Brien’s legs.

TJ O’Brien

Strengths:  MMA record holder for most wins via triangle choke, reach advantage, experience
Keys to Victory:  O’Brien should avoid getting into a slugging match with Brown.  Using his reach, he can effectively pick Brown apart with punches and kicks to try and force him to shoot for a takedown.  On the ground, O’Brien should avoid letting Brown get the distance needed in order to land big shots.  O’Brien will need to remain patient while he searches to lock up his patented triangle choke.

Since this bout is scheduled for five rounds, the advantage is with TJ O’Brien who will be searching for a submission as soon as the fight hits the mat.  O’Brien is very good at avoiding damage due to his lanky frame.  Using his long legs, he’s able to keep his opponent not only wrapped up, but he also has the ability to extend and keep them away.  Jake Brown will need to pick his shots wisely, but if he finds an opening he needs to take full advantage of it.  Brown is known for his heavy hands, and for good reason.  If he can remain in half guard or side control, he will be able to land the shots he needs to either out point O’Brien or win with strikes.

Styles make fights, and this one has the potential to be one of the most exciting bouts of the year.

Co-Main Event

Alonzo “Zo Diddy” Martinez vs. Paul “The Gingabread Man” Bird

Alonzo Martinez

Strengths:  Experience on big shows, aggressive, dangerous on the feet and ground
Keys to Victory:  Martinez will look to rely on his experiences in high profile fights.  He has a brutal ground and pound game and a big right hand.  He will, however, want to avoid getting into an exchange with Bird as this is where Bird is incredibly experienced.

Paul Bird

Strengths:  Lightning fast punches and kicks, good takedown and submission defense, performs well under pressure
Keys to Victory:  Bird will want to keep the fight standing where he is the strongest.  Although he has good submission defense, there is no need to spend anytime on his back taking shots from Martinez.  In the clinch, Bird will want to remain active and not let Martinez settle into his rhythm.

This is another high profile fight, and in my opinion, the winner could likely get thier shot in WEC or UFC.  Although this could put pressure on both fighters, Martinez has been in several of these bouts.  He has wins over three UFC vets and a five round draw with another.  Bird is extremely hungry, and he also has a recent first round stoppage over WEC and Pride veteran, Joe “The Triangular Strangular” Pearson.  He has flirted with the UFC already as a prelinary cast member of The Ulimate Fighter, so he will use this opportunity to try and catapault him back into their good graces and show the superbowl of mixed martial arts that he is deserving of a spot on their roster.  With both fighters possessing the ability to end the fight at any moment, I do not see this bout going the distance, but I do see this it as a highlight reel in the making.

Jason “Type One” Louck vs. Andy “Danger Zone” Branson

Jason Louck

Strengths: Former MCC Champion, experience with tough opponents, KO power in both hands Keys to Victory: When Louck has proven to be the strongest is right off the bat. I look for him to come out of his corner and go right after Branson. Louck has devastating punches and can end the fight with any one of them he lands.

Andy Branson

Strengths: Polished muay Thai skills, good submissions, relentless attacks Keys to Victory: Branson will want to avoid getting into a striking exchange with Louck as Louck has lighting fast, powerful punches. Branson would be better served using his punches to set up kicks and vice versa. Branson is a patient fighter who will look to land the right shot. If the fight goes to the ground, Branson has shown that he can submit his opponents from the top or the bottom, but I see him being strongest on his feet.

This fight will crown the number one contender to the MCC Welterweight title. Louck has tested the waters at 170 pounds before, and this is Branson’s first fight as a welterweight mixed martial artist. The fans at MCC 24 will get a show with this bout for sure. I would like to see this fight stay on the feet, but often times, when you have two good strikers, game plans change and take downs, dominant positions and submissions come into play when putting together the ultimate game plan.

Katy Klinefelter vs. Cassie Roddish

Katy Klinefelter

Strengths: Nationally ranked boxer, experience
Keys to Victory:  Katy will need to rely on her boxing experience to keep her relaxed and one move ahead of her opponent as Roddish will look to put pressure on her from the opening bell.  Klinefelter is well versed in the submission game as well, so she does not have to rely on her hands to get the job done.  Klinefelter will want to watch out for kicks and unorthodox strikes that Roddish will surely fire off when given the chance.

Cassie Roddish

Strengths:  Heart, durable, never gives up
Keys to Victory:  What Roddish lacks in experience she makes up for with heart and drive.  She needs to apply pressure early and work her clinch game with knees and elbows.  Klinefelter will, most likely, look to pick her apart from the outside range, so Roddish will need to keep her hands up, chin down, and be relentless with her attacks.  Although Roddish has not finished any fights by submission, she has another female in her camp that is a purple belt in Brazillian Jiu Jitsu, so she is sure to be well versed in submission defense.

This could be a great fight as I do not look for either of them to shoot for a takedown.  We may see the classically trained boxer versus the muay Thai technician.  Although either could end the fight with a punch or a kick, I see both of them having the heart to tough it out for all three rounds.  I think at the end of the fight when the dust settles, these two may gain thousands of fans, a standing ovation, and possibly fight of the night honors.

Jake Brown

Focused and Ready, Jake Brown will Never Give Up

By Randy Thomas

Often times, diverse circumstances lure fighters into the sport of mixed martial arts.  For MCC lightweight contender, Jake “Dirty Bird” Brown, it took heartache and loss to push him towards finding MMA in his life by releasing his aggression in the cage.

In the Summer that Brown graduated from high school, his mother lost a two year battle to colon cancer.  Three years later, his youngest sister, Kaydie was lost in an accident.  During this time his life became overwhelming and he saw himself starting to lose control.  “My life was in a tailspin from 18-21.  At that point I decided I wanted to put myself in a position where I could be a voice of influence to younger people, but I wasn’t sure how.  When I was 22 I found mixed martial arts, which probably saved my life on many levels,” stated Brown.

Coming from a wrestling family, which included sixteen children, Brown, who started wrestling at just three years old, wanted to do something productive with the lessons he’d learned throughout his life.  Brown wrestled for Nodaway Valley and the team finished his senior year undefeated.  The competitive fire never left him when his wrestling career ended.

“Dirty Bird” entered the world of mixed martial arts with two quick victories on a small fight circuit in rural Iowa.  It was there where he met Lance Hood, a veteran of the sport who had retired from competition and focused on training up and coming fighters.  He also met MCC favorites, Jesse Lund and Josh “The Bull” Christensen.

Undefeated, following one more quick knock out victory in Waterloo, he was approached by the MCC matchmaker.  Brown recalled, “I was offered a fight against John “The Hurricane” Halverson.   I took the fight on short notice and lost very quickly!  I was out matched at that point of my career and lacked the knowledge to compete at that level.

Following his first defeat he managed to rack up two more losses by triangle choke.  The previously undefeated fighter found himself with a three and three record.  With doubt on his mind he wondered if this was the right sport for him.

However, when opportunity came knocking at the door, once again, Brown answered.  Ryan Langmaid pulled out of his fight with Jake Brown, following making weight for his bout. Aaron Garrett, who was an outstanding 4-0 jiu-jitsu fighter, stepped in on day of notice with complete confidence.  Brown won the fight in the very first round.  It was just the win he needed to keep him motivated.

But soon thereafter, Team Hood closed its doors which forced Brown to stop training completely.  It seemed as though the end of his career had come.

On a whim, he decided to take a fight against MCC contender, Paul Bird.  He wanted to get back into the sport he missed so much.   With no training camp or banner to fight under, all he managed to do was make a fight of it for a few minutes.  When Bird snatched up an arm bar, it was over.

At that show he got to meet and talk with former MCC Featherweight Champion, Will Shutt.  Shutt had moved back from Oregon and was training in Creston with a small group of fighters.  Brown needed the knowledge that Shutt possessed, and even on the night of defeat, he saw light at the end of the tunnel.

He started training every day with Shutt. He soaked up everything he could.  He focused on his ground game.  Brown was not giving up his dream. The group formed Team Vicious, and set up camp at Henry Tae Kwon Do.  They housed a small but very talented stable of fighters.

Brown’s next fight was against Steve “Black Jesus” Lawrence.  In what became the fight of the night, from bell to bell it was a three round back and forth battle.  The skills he had learned in his short time with Shutt paid off.  He was able to submit Lawrence with a shoulder lock at the final seconds of the third round to end the fight.  Although this was his most impressive performance to date, Brown broke his hand, which sidelined him once again.

And when he came back, he came with a vengeance.  He faced former boxer, Colby Karaidos, and ended the fight with a highlight worthy 24 second knock out.

Next on the list was Jeff Carstens, a fighter who had submitted him with a triangle choke in their first meeting. After surviving an extremely hard uppercut to the chin, Brown was able to return the favor. He was able to catch him in a guillotine choke to end the fight.  Now he was on a roll.

Just a few months later, he signed on to fight highly regarded prospect, Alex Harper.  Once again, Brown was back in the win column, with another knock out in the first round following an exciting back and fourth battle.

Now…  He is set to take on the former MCC Featherweight Champion, TJ “The Spider” O’Brien, at MCC 24.  With the motivation of his past life experiences, and the championship belt he’s had his eyes set on for three years, Brown is intent on making this opportunity pay off.  He is aware of the devastating triangle choke that O’Brien is known for.  He knows that O’Brien has a huge reach advantage over him.  It doesn’t matter to him.  He feels that it’s his time, and in the words of “Dirty Bird” himself, “If he wants the belt, he’s going to have to come take it….by force!”

Chris Mickle & Will Shutt

By Randy Thomas

Former Champions Collide in Non-Title Bout
 
At MCC 23 “Thanksgiving Throwdown,” two former champions have agreed to face each other in a bout that is expected to be one of the most fast paced of the evening.  Following a side-lining shoulder injury due to an automobile accident, Will “The Real Deal” Shutt will step back in the cage to take on Chris “Mad Dog” Mickle.  Prior to moving back up to his natural weight class, Mickle lost his featherweight belt to current champion, Eric Marriott,  who is set to defend his title at MCC 23.  Will Shutt, who has been on the hunt for the featherweight crown since losing the strap in 2007, will come up to the lightweight division in hopes to make a statement.  A win against Mickle could possibly set him up for another title shot down the road.
 
Any fight fan would agree, that Shutt vs Mickle is a very interesting match up.  Mickle’s last two fights have been five round title bouts where he battled until the final bell.  Both fights were main events along with the added pressure to perform since he had just competed in the WEC in front of millions.  With this contest only scheduled for three rounds, we should see the best Chris Mickle.   We caught up with the frustrated former champion, who stated, “I’m down three fights, and I won’t be at ease until I’m up more then three consecutive fights.”  He added, “I’m mad, and it just sucks for Will Shutt, because he will just be my first victim.”
 
  His opponent, Will Shutt answered, ”I feel we are tailor made for each other, and we’ll both be fighting with the same exact styles.”   The always exciting Shutt, and his go for broke fighting style makes this bout very much anticipated. He promised, “I’m coming out to knock Chris Mickles’ head off!  I’m looking for the big KO, as I know Mickle will be looking to do the same. Anything can happen though. If I don’t get it, I plan to earn my victory one way or another, even if it takes all three rounds.”  
 
Although he has been out of the cage for some time, Shutt says the break was a blessing in disguise, and it gave him the much needed time to re-charge. Not to mention, sitting back and watching the success of his training partners Jake Brown and Josh Henry, has done nothing but light a fire and help him improve.
 
Shutt concluded with, “Come Wednesday, November 25th at Vets, this will be the most excited I will ever be to get in the cage. And, I couldn’t be more excited to do it against such a veteran of the sport.”
 
MCC 23 “Thanksgiving Throwdown”, Wednesday, November 25 at Vets Auditorium features three title bouts.  Tickets are available on-line at MidwestCageChampionship.com, or by phone at 515-229-8566.  To see the full card, visit the MCC web site.

Jesse Lund

My name is Jesse Lund, MCC Light Heavyweight contender, who will be fighting Derrick Mehman for the Interim Light Heavyweight Championship, on Wednesday, November 25th at Vets Auditorium. Each Wednesday, I’ll have a weekly blog posted on the MCC website, leading up to fight my fight. I would love to jump right in from the first fight to the one coming up, but for those who don’t know me, here it is.

I was born in North Carolina way back in 1977. I currently live in Greenfield, IA., where I grew up. I have always been competitive in any sport that I participated in, and wanted to be the best at what I was competing in. It started somewhere around 4th grade when I jumped into wrestling. I started varsity my freshman year winning only 3 matches (2 against the same kid). I had second thoughts after that wonderful year, but stuck it out and made it to state my senior year, following in the footsteps of my older brother. I also participated in football where I played middle linebacker and halfback.

After high school I bailed on college and decided to get a job and start my family. I married Teresa in 2001 and we added the first addition to our family, Baylie.  I then picked up stock car racing to fuel my need to compete. I raced hobby stocks for several years in Boone, Jefferson, Stuart, and Corning. I racked up a few wins over the years along with a lot of fun. The birth of our second child Blake, and soon the expensive sport became too much, so in 2005 I gave it up.

During my year off of sports I picked up beer drinking and pizza eating and went from 200lbs to 265ish. After looking at my wedding pictures, I decided that, well, I was FAT! One of the guys that I worked with was just starting to train in MMA, and I figured, why not? I have a few pounds to lose. We trained in the basement of this guy’s house in DeSoto.  Lance Hood, who started training with John Halverson, Danny Anderson, and Ronnie Britt, was now whooping my butt twice a week. At first it was fun. We started off pretty slow with a handful of guys, Jake Brown, Nathan Woosley, Jim & Joe Beason, Jason Hass, Josh “Bull” Christenson, and few of in and out guys. I remember my first sparring session very well. With my wresting background and watching some UFC fights, I thought this wouldn’t be too bad. Ha! Boy was I wrong! I went home with a black eye, broken nose and no desire to ever go back. Once my pride healed, and the nose, I was hooked.

I trained for a year and was slowly getting back into shape. After attending a few fights I really wanted to step in the cage. Teresa didn’t like that idea at all. I took her to a fight in Winterset, which was mainly an amateur card with the main event as a pro fight. I wanted to show her that this was not just a bar brawl and that it was a safe sport. The fights were ok and no one was bleeding all over or gimping around with broken bones, so I was in.

Somehow I ended up with Ryan Hass’s number and called him about getting a fight. I was still around 230, so the first fight would be at heavyweight. About 2 weeks from the fight, Jake “Dirty Bird” Brown and I were training and I kicked him in the shin, breaking my big toe. So my first fight had to be put off until I was healed.

Next week I will continue on with the first fights, and hope that I am not boring the living heck out of everyone!
Jesse Lund

“Only a man who knows what it is like to be defeated can reach down to the bottom of his soul and come up with the extra ounce of power it takes to win when the match is even.” – Muhammad Ali