So, without knowing any of the fighters, why should you get out to as many local mixed martial arts events as possible?

It is simple! Local events and your support of them are the key to the future of this sport. If only friends and family of the amateur fighters or new pro fighters were to attend these events, the promoters wouldn’t be able to continue promoting fights due to financial reasons. Putting on a local MMA event is not cheap. The expenses include the purchase or rental of a cage or ring, rental of a venue, payroll, printing of fliers, tickets, and posters, sound, lighting, etc. As you can see, there is a lot that goes into putting on just one show, let alone a regular yearly schedule of shows.

Let’s discuss the fighters you would likely see at a local MMA event in your area. I am sure you already know that the skill level will be much lower than what is seen a a UFC event. This could be something that keeps you away; but, for me it is something that brings me to drive two hours to events such as MMA Big Show: Onslaught, which I attended November 28 at Belterra Casino in Indiana. If you only watch the most skilled of all MMMA athletes, then you are missing out on the true beauty of the sport. The rise from meager beginnings and very limited skill set to becoming a well-rounded top tier mixed martial artist.

This weekend I witnessed a few fighters that I believe will have a great future in the sport. Imagine getting to know Fighters.com Heavyweight Champion “Last Emperor” Fedor Emelianenko (31-1) or tenth-ranked “The Natural” Randy Couture (17-10)  when they were young and just starting sambo and wrestling respectively.  Then being able to follow their careers to where they are now. It would be quite amazing, wouldn’t it?

Lightweight Chris Bennett (0-0), middleweigth Michael Dabe (0-0), and welterweight Brian Fransisco (0-0) are three amateur fighters that could succeed in a sport where so many fail.

Bennett is the MMA Big Show lightweight champ and, along with a very savy submission game, he showed quick hands in his win over Brian Karmolinksi (0-0) at Onslaught. He is 16-1 in amateur fights and says he would like to get 25 wins before going pro.  I found that refreshing in a world where so many are looking to go pro and make the cash fast, record be damned.

Dabe has a record of 3-2 in amateur fights after his win last weekend. It was not his record that impressed me, but rather his composure in the cage and his submission victory. He pulled off an arm triangle from the bottom  which we rarely see, especially against a well-trained fighter like Fransisco. His rise to the top of the sport will only be limited by his dedication.

Fransisco is only 15 with a record of 2-1 in amateur fights. His uncle is “Mojo” William Horne (5-2) and he gets to train with guys like “Mojo”, “Pitbull” Josh Souder (7-4) and Neal Rowe (2-2). He was upset with his loss, but, at 15 and surrounded by such sound fighters, sky is the limit for this young teenager.

I am now able to follow these fighters, who I got to meet and form relationships with and one day I will be able to say I watched the UFC champ back when he was an amateur.

You have this opportunity as well, right there in your own city. We even see pro fighters like “Merciless” Kevin Barkdull (1-2), who has the right attitude and seems to only be lacking a solid camp to train with better fighters in order to take his game to next level. These fighters need your support and can use the help in getting their names out there. They are looking to you, the fans of MMA, to help them get to the upper echelons.

I am going to be attending Ohio Xtreme Fighting: Crossroads In Dayton December 12 to watch the rise of some new talent. OXF is an organization based out of my hometown, Dayton, and run by former UFC fighter and my ex coach Michael Patt (12-4). I will get to see the following pro fights: Mitch Lyons (1-1) versus Doug Bowling (0-0), Thor Castillo (1-2) versus Joseph Inboden (2-2), and Justin Fletcher (0-1) versus Carson Gainey (2-6).

Castillo and Lyons are two fighters I believe can become top-level fighters. The others I know nothing about and look forward to learning something about them. There will also be 16 other fights that night. That is 19 fights for the small price of $20.00 for general admission or $25.00 for ringside. I think that is a great deal for fight fans. Not only do you get to see 19 fights, but you get to see and meet other MMA fans.

So, as you can see, at a local MMA fight you get to see more fights than a UFC or Strikeforce card and you get to watch the rise of the next big stars in mixed martial arts and even have the chance to become friends with these fighters. Right now local MMA is a hit or miss business for most promoters. They have to schedule fights and worry about low attendance due to college football games, NFL games, UFC, or Strikeforce fights, among many other things. It is in our hands, the fans of MMA, to keep this sport alive. Without a place for local fighters to test their skills this sport will fail due to lack of a steady stream of improving fighters.

Get out and support your local mixed martial arts organizations and tell your family and friends about the good time you have and the great fights you’ll see. Then call into MMA Gospel Radio and let us where you have gone to keep the future of MMA alive.

Tune in and call in to MMA Gospel Radio at 6:00 PM ET/3:00 PM PT every Saturday. MMA Gospel encourages listeners to call in to the show or join us in the live chat room at www.blogtalkradio.com/mmagospel.

Liddell lay unconcious on the canvas for several minutes after the punch.

Evans jitter-bugged around a stalking Liddell the entire fight.  Liddell never really got a beat on him, but landed a straight right in the first round.  Evans back-pedalled and taunted Liddell with a dance.

In the second round, Liddell lunged for an uppercut and took Evans’s counter right hook square on the jaw to end the fight at 1:51.

Franklin Finishes Friend

“Ace” Rich Franklin (24-3) TKO’d his friend and former training partner “Hammer” Matt Hamill (4-2) at 39 seconds of round three with a left kick to Hamill’s floating rib in Franklin’s return to 205.

Franklin had landed the same kick consistently through the first two rounds.  In the third, the kick dropped Hamill and Franklin landed two punches before referee Mario Yamasaki waved the fight off.

Franklin took a deep cut over his right eye from a Hamill uppercut in the first round.  In the second round, Yamasaki asked a referee to take a look at the cut.

“I’m walking around with a black eye already; so, it wasn’t too bad,” Franklin said of the cut after the fight.

The fight continued; and, Hamill chose to stand with “Ace” after several takedown attempts were resisted.

Of his new weight class, Franklin said, “Cutting weight this week was awesome; but, pushing around another 20 pounds wasn’t.”

Marquardt Kayos Kampmann

Middleweight Nathan Marquardt (27-8-2) quickly KO’d kickboxer “Hitman” Martin Kampmann (13-2) at 1:22 of round one Saturday night in Atlanta.

After the fight, Marquardt said, “I knew I was better and, though he was a kickboxer, I knew I could take him standing.”

Marquardt connected early with a right head kick that plopped Kampmann on his ass.  Kampmann bounced back up, but ate Marquardt’s straights while backpedaling to cage.  At the fence, Marquardt dug an uppercut into Kampmann’s chin.  Kampmann fell and the fight was stopped.

Pellegrino Brutalizes Tavares

Before Saturday night, only two fighters had ever defeated lightweight Brazilian Thiago Tavares (13-3).  “Batman” Kurt Pellegrino (12-4) beat him twice in Atlanta.

Officially, the judges scored the unanimous decision 29-27 twice and 29-8, all for Pellegrino.

Pellegrino won a 10-8 first round on two score cards, dropping Tavares with a flush right hook and crackling uppercut.  On the mat, Pellegrino’s elbows opened up cuts on each of Tavares’s temples and under his righ eyelid.

In the second round, the only round Tavares won (paritally due to an inadvertant eye poke by Tavares), Pellegrino squeezed an armbar from his back; and, Tavares appeared to tap; but, referee Yves Lavigne missed the call.

After the fight, Pellegrino said, “I know it was super duper tight.  Yeah, he tapped.  All I remember him saying was ‘you couldn’t get me.’”

Pellegrino eeked out a close third between two exhausted fighters to put away the unanimous decision.

Barbarian Chops Down Patt

After peppering Octagon rookie Michael Patt (12-3) with right hooks, “Barbarian” Tim Boetsch (8-2) crashed a straight right through Patt’s guard.

Patt took a seat on the mat with a split lip and a faint idea where he was.  Boetsch pounded the fight closed at 2:03.

Boetsch said after the fight, “I’m pumped.  I trained real hard to get an explosive finish like this.”

Kim Barely Beats Brown

“Stun Gun” Dong Hyun Kim (11-0-1) remained undefeated versus Matt Brown (7-7)…barely.

Kim won a split decision 29-28 twice and 28-29 for Brown.  Fighters.com scored it 29-28 for Kim; but, UFC commentator Joe Rogan told the disappointed crowd he thought Brown had won.

Kim rode Brown’s back most of round one, nearly finishing Brown in a rear naked choke while Brown stood.

Apparently, that was the controversial round as two judges and Fighters.com scored it 10-9 for Kim while Cecil Peoples scored round one 10-9 for Brown.

Kim was sluggish in round two.  Brown took advantage, capturing Kim in his Thai clinch and hammering knees to the Korean’s midsection.

In round three, Brown walked right through a square Kim left hook; but, Kim followed up with a toss into Brown’s full guard.  Kim opened up a deep cut under Brown’s left cheekbone with a slick elbow.

Kim lamented, “I hate to go to a decision.  Next time I’m going to be different.”

Brown made clear after the fight, “I don’t fight for the judges.  I fight for the fans and to finish.”

MacDonald Avenges Maia Loss

Middleweight “Athlete” Jason MacDonald (21-10) willed a second-round submission ”W” over “Punisher” Jason Lambert (23-9) after nearly being forced to tap in a guilltoine himself at the end of round one.

MacDonald said after the fight, “[The guillotine] was pretty tight; but, my head was toward the screen and I knew I could hold my breath for six seconds.”

MacDonald held on and dumped Lambert on his ass to open the second round, then passed to mount.  Lambert rolled right into J-Mac’s rear naked choke at 1:20.

“I knew he was getting tired from making the cut to 185 pounds,” MacDonald said, ”so I knew if I could take it into the later rounds I would get him.”

Chonan Earns Split Decision

Two of the three cageside judges prevented welterweight “Jucao” Roan Carneiro (12-8) from serving “Piranha” Ryo Chonan (15-8) a cold dish of revenge for 2005 TKO loss.

Chonan won a split decision by 29-28 twice and 28-29 once in favor of Carneiro.  Fighters.com scored the fight for Carneiro 29-28.

Carneiro dominated round one, flopping “Piranha” on his back and chiseling a cut over Chonan’s right eye with elbows.  Earlier in the round, Carneiro had nearly scored an omoplata transitioned from a triangle; but, Chonan rolled free.

Chonan won the second round by stuffing Carneiro’s shot and out wrestling him while landing infrequent punches.  The crowd pleaded with referee Herb Dean to stand the fighters; but, Dean let them tussle for position.

Chonan stuffed Carneiro’s shot again in the third, but rolled into Carneiro’s guard.  Carneiro landed a few shots before Chonan regained his feet.  Chonan gained top position before the round ended, but did little damage.

Hendo’ Earns First UFC “W” Since 1998

“It’s been awhile,” said “Hollywood” Dan Henderson (23-7) after squeaking a unanimous decision “W” over “Toquinho” Rousimar Palhares (8-2) passed the judges by scores of 30-27 twice and 29-28.

A timid Hendo’ wanted no part of Palhares’s Brazilian jiu-jiu, consistently waving off the ground game throughout the three rounds.

Instead, “Hollywood” stalked with his devastating right hand cocked.

“Normally I’m more aggressive,” he said, “so, I apologize about that.

Palhares shot often, almost all of them stuffed by Henderson.  Palhares also peppered Hendo’ with an impressive array of kicks and nearly locked in two knee bars.

Hendo’ only landed his overhand right cleanly with ten seconds left in the fight, dropping Palhares.  Hendo’s pounced with two more overhands to steal the round.

Patt, who trains with Jorge Gurgel (12-4) in Ohio, submitted Jarred Taylor (2-4) in the first round this month at the Texas-based Urban Rumble Championship.

Patt will face “Barbarian” Tim Boetsch (7-2), who was TKO’d in the second round by “Hammer” Matt Hamill (4-1) in April.