Former MMA Big Show middleweight champion “Mojo” William Horne (4-2) submitted “Merciless” Kevin Barkdull (1-2) in a rear naked choke at 4:01 of round one in the co-main event.

Cornwell entered the cage with the crowd going crazy while Browning entered amidst a barrage of boos. Browning used great footwork to avoid a few shots and then gave one of his own that dropped Cornwell. Browning jumped on top of him and ended up in half guard. Browning looked for an arm and, while defending, Cornwell gave up his back. Browning rolled him over and used rubber guard to look for a gogoplata, coming close to pulling it off. Browning switched to a triangle and then to a reverse triangle which ended the fight.

The fight between Horne and Barkdull hit the ground quick; and, Barkdull did a great job getting to butterfly guard. Horne worked to pass and made it to side mount where he postured up to unleash punches. Barkdull looked for a leg lock, but let it go as Horne took mount. Barkdull defended by giving up his back. It didn’t take long for “Mojo” to lock in the rear naked choke.

MMA Gospel Radio broadcasted live from MMA Big Show at Belterra Casino.   You can listen the broadcast in the archive at www.blogtalkradio.com/mmagospel.

Chad Edward contributed to this report.

Reverend Turk will be joined by co-host Gary Friedman calling in from New York.

Expect to hear pre fight interviews as well as all the latest news from all around the world of mixed martial arts.
You can listen live as well as join the chat room at www.blogtalkradio.com/mmagospel

Browning will matchup versus Scott Cornwell (1-0), who won his pro debut by submitting Charles Cooper (1-4) in the first round at MMA Big Show: Mayhem at Belterra Casino September 12.

At UFC Fight Night 18 in Nashville April 1, Browning was submitted in a guillotine choke by “Magrinho” Cole Miller (15-4).

Middleweight “Mojo” William Horne (3-2) will return from his disappointing 43-second knockout loss to “Bubba” Robert McDaniel (14-5) at MMA Big Show: Mayhem.

Horne will try to right his career versus “Merciless” Kevin Barkdull (1-1).  Barkdull was submitted in a choke by Daniel Head (6-2) at War in the Yard in Anderson, Indiana August 9.

Fighters.com will be live at Belterra Casino covering the fights November 28.

Doors at Belterra Casino will open at 7:00 PM local time.  Tickets are available at Ticketmaster.

MMA Big Show: Mayhem kicks off at 7:00 PM Saturday at Belterra Casino and tickets starting at $25 can be bought at Ticketmaster. Fighters.com will be live at Belterra Casino to report all the action Saturday night.

“I don’t go into fights worried about what they have. I work on what I have,” Horne said about his preparation for the submissions specialist McDaniel. He also told Fighters.com about his experience auditioning for The Ultimate Fighter reality television contest. “They want a few jackasses,” said Horne.

McDaniel tapped Chris Spicer (4-2) in a rear naked choke at Bellator 5 in Corpus Christi 8 May. His claim to fame is pulling the same technique to expose “Kolohe” Kala Hose (7-1) in 41 seconds at EliteXC in Honolulu in June 2008.

Horne’s cache comes from a three-round unanimous decision over The Ultimate Fighter finalist “Bring the Pain” Josh Haynes (12-9) at MMA Big Show at Belterra Casino in May 2008.

Mayhem will be headlined by a lightweight fight between Team Jorge Gurgel‘s “Pitbull” Josh Souder (7-6), a one-time IFL vet, and Matt Traylor (2-0).

“Pitbull” comes in after losing a three-round UD to Jason Meaders (7-5) at Pryme Time MMA in Los Angeles 28 May.

Traylor TKO’d Clay Harvison (6-3) in 2:08 at KoKings MMA in Atlanta 20 June.

Tickets can be bought at Ticketmaster. Fighters.com will be live at Belterra Casino to report all the action 12 September.

MMA Big Show’s promoter, Jason Appleton, is a self-described “no bullshit kind of guy.”  At seven-feet tall, he sprawled across his lounger in his suburban Cincinnati home, spat dip into a plastic soda bottle, and told Fighters.com, “Anybody who thinks us promoters are making windfalls of cash are just are very, very ill-informed.  I lost thirty grand on my first show.  I lost over fifty grand on my second show!”

Appleton expects his 1 November show at the Northern Kentucky Convention Center in Covington, south of Cincinnati, to be much more successful; but, putting on a successful MMA event is kind of like wriggling free from a gogoplata.

The next show, MMA Big Show’s fifth since 2006, is headlined by local talent, MMA Big Show Welterweight Champion “Relentless” Roger Bowling (3-0).

“Nobody knows this but you, right now.  Roger doesn’t even know,” Appleton revealed.

Bowling was scheduled to fight Team Bison’s “The Squeeze” Sam Morgan (19-12); but, Morgan had taken a shot to his ribs from “Bang” Duane Ludwig (17-8) in Denver the previous weekend at Strikeforce Payback.

Appleton explained, “I got a call this morning from his coach and he said, ‘Hey, man, I just want to give you a heads up.  We’ve got to have Sammy checked out by the doctor because we tried to put some pressure on his ribs and it looks like he’s in bad shape.’  So, they pulled out on me today.”

The Main Event

“The very first thing I do is set my main event,” Appleton explained.  “I have an idea from the beginning of what local I want as the main event.  The challenge is making sure I can find a guy for him that’s available, that’s a fair fight, that, you know…that kind of thing.”

For his last show in Belterra, south of Cincinnati, 10 May, Appleton matched Cincinnati middleweight “Mojo” William Horne (2-0) versus TUF 3 runner-up “Bring the Pain” Josh Haynes (11-10).  What do you know?  “Mojo” won!

Appleton fawns over his local boys, promising Horne and Bowling will be on the next season of The Ultimate Fighter.

“I’m always, especially now, looking for guys who have some UFC experience.  It’s good for tickets and it’s good for the locals because, you know, there are a lot of…Cincinnati is such a hot house for up-and-coming guys, man.  And, they’re all fighting for me.”

Even though Morgan bailed on the fight, Appleton promised emphatically, “[Bowling] is going to fight a UFC vet.  I’ve got six phone calls out and a bunch of emails out.  I’m going to have a replacement and it’s going to be a UFC vet regardless, only because there is so much stuff to market Roger fighting a UFC vet.”

Appleton is grudgingly familiar with fighters who bail on fights.

“If I want to put on a 15-fight card, I’ll schedule 20 fights,” he claimed.

On the undercard of the Horne v Haynes fight, Appleton had a fighter check out of his hotel room and disappear overnight after he got a look at his opponent at the weigh-ins the day before.

“During fight week, [my wife] and I try to guess how many twisted ankles we’re going to have,” Appleton joked, calling the no-shows “tough guys in TapOut gear.”

“Once I have my main event, everything else typically falls into place,” Appleton explained.    “I call around.  I figure out what my main event is going to be and then I confirm everything with the commission.”

The Commission

Appleton detailed a litany of expenses every promotion incurs when promoting a mixed martial arts event, then added, “Not to mention you have to pay 5% of your gate to the commissions, plus other commission fees.”

Based in Cincinnati, MMA Big Show promotes events in Ohio, Kentucky, and Indiana.

“Trying to keep up with the differences between one commission and the other when you’re living in a tri-state, you know, it gets pretty hairy,” Appleton complained.   “There’s a huge difference between the Kentucky commission and the Ohio commission.”

Indiana doesn’t have an athletic commission sanctioning MMA; but, Appleton assured Fighters.com that he runs his Indiana events as though there is a commission.

“There are so many rules, laws, and regulations it’s not even funny.   Kentucky is definitely more lenient than Ohio, in every way,” said Appleton.

But, as MMA gains greater exposure, things are changing in Kentucky.

“Back in the day, if I had a fight card, if a fighter dropped out, I could find a last minute replacement, if someone’s ready.  Now, I have to submit my fight card in advance.  If I have a fighter drop out, I lose the fight,” Appleton lamented.

The Venue

“I set the venue tentatively,” Appleton spat into his plastic bottle.  “I’ll call the different venues and I’ll say, ‘Look, I’m looking to do an event.  What are your available dates over the next four months?’  I try to make sure none of my events are competing with the UFC, obviously.”

Appleton’s last two events have been held at Belterra Casino.  The Casino doesn’t charge for the venue, but takes the concessions profits and hopes spectators file into the casino when MMA Big Show lets out.  But, for the promotions’ two-year anniversary 1 November, MMA Big Show will return to the Northern Kentucky Convention Center.

“Every venue is different.  The Convention Center, I pay for absolutely everything,” Appleton  chuckled, then emphasized, “Absolutely everything!  They keep concessions.  Their big thing is that they’re not set-up for shows like mine.  I pay out the wazoo to do events at the Convention Center.  Not only are you paying for the venue, which is expensive.  Um…you’re paying for everything.  All of my staff, police, ushers…everything I’ve got to supply myself.  The convention center doesn’t help me with a thing.”

Recently, MMA Big Show inked a deal with U.S. Bank Arena in Cincinnati, the venue the UFC used for UFC 77, for four events in 2009.  Appleton expects the U.S. Bank Arena to assist him with promoting, organizing, and marketing MMA Big Show.

The Bottom Line

“I don’t make money unless I sell tickets,” Appleton boiled it down.  “To be honest, without sponsorship money, you’re not going to be able to make a profit as a promoter,” then added, “We’ve had very little sponsorship support.”

MMA Big Show has a television deal with the local CW affiliate, but receives no revenue from the deal.   “It’s good advertising,” Appleton explained.

But, “A lot of it boils down to ticket sales.  If I’ve got a bunch of local amateurs, the local amateur who, maybe he sold 100 tickets, you know, to friends and family and whatever, well obviously he’s got a fan base who wants to see him fight.”

It seems like the best thing you can do as a fighter is sell tickets.

“Man, I’ve never seen anyone sell tickets like [lightweight title challenger Chad Hinton (1-0)].  I have 600 total V.I.P. tickets for the November show.  They’re $55 each.  And, he’ll have 200 of them sold by the end of this weekend.  And, he wants another 200 to sell, which will take him another week.  And, he’s got 100 general admission tickets and he said he’s going to want more of those too.”

But, with sponsorships, MMA still has hurdles to jump.

Appleton explained, “When I first started, I had a lot of companies who were sponsoring all kinds of stuff, but they didn’t want to sponsor MMA because they didn’t want blood on their logo.  You know, and it was like…It’s MMA!  You know what I mean?  You’re going to bleed.

“I’ve been through so many people who’ve come to me and said, ‘I could sell sponsorships.’  And, I’m like, ‘Great.  I’ll give you 20%.’  And, then you never hear from them again.”

Appleton added, “House of Pain has been a sponsor for a little while now.  They’ve been on my fight mat and they’ve been real helpful.  I’ve got Fight Fuel.  They’ve been on my fight mat most recently.  I’ve got some sponsors, but I’m always looking.  But, at the same time, I’m only one man.”

“I’m a stand-up guy,” Horne confessed after the unanimous decision victory. “I thought he’d throw with me.”

Haynes, known for his gutsy brawling, and Horne tussled mostly on the mat.

“The takedown was there, so why not,” Haynes said.

“Mojo” shot from his corner at the opening bell and, after a flurried exchange, the fighters scrambled to the mat. Haynes swept Horne into Horne’s half guard and “Bring the Pain” brought it from the half mount. Horne soon reversed Haynes, taking the TUF runner-up’s back and sinking his hooks. “Mojo” transitioned to a body triangle as Haynes rocked side-to-side to defend the rear naked choke.

The body triangle would be the key to Horne’s victory.

Haynes admitted after the fight, “I didn’t defend the body triangle properly. I didn’t realize he was going to be that long.”

Towards the end of the first session, Haynes worked his way to a crouch at the cage with Horne on his back; and, eventually, both fighters took their feet for a brawl; but, the round closed back on the mat with Horne easily able to re-take Haynes’s back.

“Mojo” dropped Haynes with a right hook to begin the second round. Haynes scrambled to his feet on fumes and Horne let loose in a flurry, connecting a knee, snapping leg kick, and stiff straight left that drove Haynes to the cage.

In desperation, Haynes dove for a single leg takedown; but, the fighters scrambled back to their feet.

Haynes lunged in with a jarring right hook to Horne’s body, then took “Mojo” to his back.

But, Horne was again able to sweep to Haynes’s back and apply the body triangle. The round closed with Haynes effectively defending the rear naked choke.

“No, I was never in trouble,” described Haynes of Horne’s submission attempts. But, trouble was on the judges’ cards.

Haynes wanted to brawl to begin round three. The warriors threw leather; and Haynes pushed out of Horne’s clinch attempt. Eventually, though, the fight couldn’t avoid the cycle that had been set. The final bell rang with Horne on Haynes’s back, wrapped in a body triangle, while Haynes defended a rear naked choke.

The sold-out crowd roared, anticipating the victory for Horne.

Fighters.com scored all three rounds for undefeated Horne, who said next up is, “Hopefully fighting for more money.”

Haynes was distraught after the loss and complained of the referee allowing the fight to linger on the mat as he successfully defended all of Horne’s rear naked choke attempts.

Before the main event, MMA Big Show Welterweight Champion Dustin Winterhalt (4-0) tapped late replacement Nicco Boscarino (0-1) at 2:27 of the third round beneath a ground’n'pound barrage.

Boscarino withered beneath Winterhalt’s powerful beat down, but defended well-enough for taking the fight on a day’s notice.

“He hasn’t even trained in three weeks,” Boscarino’s trainer said.

In the second round, Boscarino was deducted a point after sucker punching Winterhalt as the referee stood them.

In the third, Winterhalt pounded hammer fists and elbows from side control until Boscarino rolled to his stomach and tapped.

MMA Big Show Heavyweight Champion Brian Heden (4-0) knocked out challenger Rod Housley (2-2) in 1:49.

Heden pushed Housley to the fence and Housley rocketed knees to Heden’s body in the Thai clinch. Heden wrestled for separation and landed a right haymaker that fell Housley.

A late stoppage by the referee caused Housley to take two too many punches on the mat and, after several somber minutes, he had to be escorted from the cage by the paramedics.

Lightweight Chad Hinton (1-0) wore down Mick Berwanger (0-1) in a round-and-a-half with strong G’n'P.

The ripped up Hinton took tatted up Berwanger to the mat in side control to begin the fight. Berwanger was determined to bang, walking back up to his feet.

But, Hinton was more determined. In the clinch, Hinton connected with a knee to Berwanger’s body, then pulled guard. Hinton was just too strong. He hammered Berwanger in spurts of G’n'P; but, the spurts weren’t frequent enough to satisfy the referee.

They were put back on their feet and Hinton closed round one connecting with a right hook, right cross combo.

Hinton went right back to work in round two. He caught a Berwanger kick and dumped his foe, continuing the G’n'P attack. Berwanger rolled to his back and Hinton flattened him out and drove fists into his head until the referee ended the fight.

In amateur action, featherweight Brian Ross (0-0) entered the cage to Hank Williams, Jr. Canadian Scott Gilesby (0-0) trotted in to Eminem. After two action-packed rounds and a nap in the third, Ross left the cage with split decision victory 29-28 twice, 28-29 once. Fighters.com scored it 29-28 for Gilesby and Ross had tapped at the end of the second round anyway, but the ref missed the call.

Cincinnati welterweight Ben Cox (0-0) fought through a broken nose and first-round barrage to choke out Jeff Brooks 38-seconds into the third by rear naked.

“The Marine” Jordan Sullivan (0-0) transitioned quickly into an armbar to submit “The Gorilla” Luis Gonzales (0-0) 33 seconds into round one of a middleweight scrap. Gonzales was later seen in the casino with ice on his left inside elbow.

Lightweight Jon Bilagot (0-0) knocked out Charles Malcolm (0-0) with a knee strike in only nine seconds.

Prince Speights (0-0) submitted “Boss” Matthew Smith (0-0) in an armbar 51 seconds into round two.

“Hit Like 10″ Ray Allen (0-0) submitted “Sub Human” Dylan Human (0-0) in a standing guillotine transitioned after pulling guard.

Heavyweight Mike Powell’s (0-0) seat at the buffet didn’t get cold in the time it took Ron Mitchell (0-0) to TKO him standing.

“The Caveman” David Cagg TKO’d heavyweight Matt Gaustad at 1:26 of the first round.

Photos by Damion Torrez.