MCC36: Back in Action

7:00pm Friday Sept 23 @ Hy-Vee Hall
730 3rd St, Des Moines IA

Welterweight Division
Jeramiah Deever	VS	Chris Fannon
Light Heavyweight Division
Adam Kickbush	VS	Bryan Alden
Light Heavyweight Division
Bryce Schmidt	VS	Brian Sykes
Featherweight Division
Cody Sheehy	VS	Isaac Adamson
Lightweight Division
Anthony Baccam	VS	Brody Jay
Lightweight Division
Jeff Carstens	VS	Matt Rider
Female Catchweight 110
Mariah Johnson	VS	Cassie Rodish
Welterweight Division
Doug Jenkins	VS	Ronnie Britt
Light Heavyweight Division
Ryan Delf	VS	Josh Christensen
Featherweight Division
Jose Colon	VS	Luis Saldana
Main Event – Middleweight Division
Kyle Davis	VS	Brian Green

MCC28 Impact

Friday, August 6th @ Vets Auditorium

Featherweight 4 man tournament Round 1
Jordan Webb	VS	Joe Agan
Featherweight 4 man tournament Round 2
Mitch Parker	VS	Matt Young
Featherweight Division
Ethan Underwood	VS	Stoney Stuart
Lightweight Division
Leo Villarreal	VS	Brody Jay
Lightweight Division
Joe Morris	VS	Mike Miller
Featherweight Division
Tony Crowder	VS	Justin Morrison
Lightweight Division
Ted Worthington	VS	Ryan Bixler
Light Heavy Weight Division
Travis Branson	VS	Josh Christensen
Welterweight Division
Cole Williams	VS	James Giboo
Featherweight 4 Man Final
TBD Round 1 winner	VS	TBD Round 2 winner
Welterweight Division
Ben Crowder	VS	Miguel Rios
Welterweight Division
Kalel Robinson	VS	Kevin Burns

MCC Lights up Des Moines With an Inferno

On the heels of one of the most exciting nights in mixed martial arts, Midwest Cage Championship has announced the date for their upcoming event.  Fight fans can officially mark their calendars for March 13, as the Midwest’s top promotion moves their event just next door from historic Veterans Auditorium to Hy Vee Hall.

The fight card is already shaping up as fan favorite, Josh “Bull” Christensen (6-2) has agreed to take on “Mean” Dean Bradley (4-2); the heavy handed slugger who just netted the second fastest knock out in MCC history with his destruction of Mike Downey at MCC 24: “Reloaded”.  Christensen is looking for the win that will propel him towards the coveted Light Heavyweight Championship belt as Bradley looks to make a statement over his toughest, most experienced opponent to date.

In the co-main event of the evening, five-time UFC veteran and Des Moines native, Kevin “The Fire” Burns (7-4) returns to his hometown on his quest for dominance as he takes on one of the hottest up and coming prospects in the game; Justin DeMoney (12-1).  MMA fans worldwide have come to know Kevin Burns as a fighter who will stand in the pocket and trade with anyone.  Burns is well known for his two epic battles with Anthony “Rumble” Johnson, as well as one of 2008′s top submissions over jiu jitsu black belt, Roan Carneiro.  DeMoney has a recent second round TKO victory over fellow UFC alum, Jesse “Iron Jaw” Sanders, and he looks to take one step closer to his dream with a win over Burns.

The main event features the current MCC Middleweight Champion, Elvis “The King” Mutapcic (5-1), as he defends his belt against MCC newcomer, Brett “The Natural Disaster” Stevens (13-3).  The former 246 pound heavyweight has rededicated his life to MMA, and the Machado trained submission wizard, who has recently captured a gold medal in ADCC grappling tourney, is looking to add some more hardware to his collection when he faces “The King”.  The native of Sarajevo, Bosnia who now calls Ames, Iowa home is intent on prolonging his reign and looks to show that he is the next big thing to come out of the Midwest.

Tickets for MCC 25: “Inferno” are available on-line at www.MidwestCageChampionship.com, by phone at 515-229-8566, or at all Dahl’s Gocery Store ticket outlets.  Ticket prices are $25, $35, $40, and $50.  VIP table seating is also available.  For more information of the fight card as well as all up to date MCC news, log on to the web site. MCC is always an ALL AGES EVENT.

Jesse Lund

As another week goes by, I always wonder if I am doing everything I can do to prepare for the next event. There is always room for improvement, but not always time to apply myself the way I think I need to. 

Coming back from a two fight loosing streak was next on the agenda. The first win came by taking a fight on a days notice. Not the smartest thing in the world to do when you are on vacation and have not stepped in the gym for about a month! I would fill in for “Bull” who opted to take the title fight against Grigsby. This is the only fight that I felt I dominated from start to finish, and would put the fire back in my eyes to move forward in the sports.

Picking up the pace in my training for the next few fights would really pay off.  I bounced from gym to gym, house to house, and a dance studio. I had sessions at TJ O’Brien’s house to flip, throw, and sledge hammer tractor tires, kettle bell workouts, and sprints. Then we would switch it up the next week to my wife’s dance studio where we would do the same workouts, and then spar and grapple until we could not move. This training helped me to win the Warrior Spirit Award in two of my next three fights.

Fitting training in with a full time job, three children, and making time for my wife has been a challenge. Teresa works evenings so I have the runts all night. The goal is to get off work by five, hopefully have a sitter lined up, and get to practice. Then when I get home, spend the rest of the night with the family, get the kids in bed and finally have about an hour of time with Teresa to catch up on the day’s activities, if I don’t crash on the couch first! Does that work everyday? No. I could write a book on why it doesn’t but it’s just called life. I have the utmost respect for my family and what I put them through when I train.

My last loss has now been over two years ago. I have won all six of my last fights on the way to my title fight. I think it is well deserved. I plan on taking home the belt and hanging it in my son’s room. I guess until then, back to the gym. Don’t forget to check back in next week!!!!!!!!
 
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

Jesse Lund

I am now 6 weeks out from the fight and things are starting to take off well, so back to where I left off last week. Healed and ready to go, my first fight was on. It is really hard to explain what goes through a fighters mind the last few days, or hours, before the fight. As I stepped onto the cage I remember thinking “what the heck am I doing?” When the cage door closed it was the worst feeling I have ever experienced. I knew the only way out was through him, or the other way around. All training was out the door and I had forgotten anything about a game plan. As the fight progressed, things fell into place and I now had a taste of victory in the cage.

The next two fights would not go as good. I dropped 2 fights back to back and began to second guess if I really belonged in this sport. With the support of fellow training partner and best friend, Josh, and the support from my wife, I kept going.
Bull and I wrestled together for nodaway valley and were friends but not that close. After high school, we went our separate ways. In fact we did not talk for several years. I happened to run into Bull one night at the local YMCA while training for a fight. I found out he was also training but not looking to fight yet. We kept in touch the next few weeks and met up to start training together. I worked out great because I didn’t have anybody my size in the camp I was working out at. We have been training together since.
Keeping bodies consistent at a gym is a problem I have dealt with from the begining. While numbers dwindled off and I started improving, I looked for a tougher gym to train at. I found “The Reverend,” and started at Team Revolution after my next fight. I think this was one of the best decisions I ever made in regards to training. Chuck Grigsby welcomed me in and of course, put me through the “test.”  I survived the beatings along with the “revlocks” that would make a normal person never come back. Rev taught me a lot. I started over with my boxing and improved my submission game with the help of Chuck and Razak Al-Hassan.  Razak (Razor), really worked my kicks and clinch work.  Team Revolution became like a family to me, I looked up to everyone there and they helped me become the fighter I am today. I guess at heart, I still fight under Team Revolution.
After Team Revolution closed the doors I began training anywhere I could. I landed in Creston at Henry’s Tae Kwon Do.  Chuck, the owner, has a room in the back set up just for MMA training.  Well, more of a bust your ass, grappling, sparring, beat down. I also was introduced to Spartan Strength in Waukee, Team Round Kick, and a new gym in creston ran by Matt Fredrickson. Most of my training takes place at Spartan and Round Kick, and an occasional visit to Matt’s gym.    

 
Next week I week I will fill you in on a little about what I do for workouts, and how I balance training with a full time job, and trying to be the best dad and husband I can.
 

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

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