· Carolinas’ Fight Scene Heats Up In February
February is proving to be an interesting month for MMA in the Carolinas. Young fighters with tremendous potential will be competing this month and fans in multiple regions have the opportunity to catch some quality MMA shows live. Important fights of note:
Adam Dehart (1-1 pro; 12-5 amateur) picked up his first win as a pro by defeating Darrion Billock (0-1; 5-2 amateur) at the “Jawbreakers” event in Raleigh this past weekend. Dehart is a talented young middleweight and this was a nice victory for him and his team. On that same card, impressive amateur lightweight Blake Risk (5-0) remained undefeated with a win over James Ronsick (0-1).
Coming up this weekend (February 26), MMA fans in the Palmetto State will have two great events to choose from. Fans in the Columbia, S.C. area can catch live action as promoter Sam King brings "Caged Chaos II" to the Jamil Temple. Call 803-467-3297 for ticket information. Here are a few of the fights lined up for that night:
Bantamweight fight: Tim Goodwin (5-2) faces Josh Robinson (4-3)
Storyline of interest: Tim “The Terror” Goodwin, a former D-1 collegiate wrestler from Columbia, has positioned himself as one of the top pro bantamweights in the Southeast and is hoping to kick off 2011 with an impressive win here. Robinson, a fighter from Florida, has four first round stoppages to his credit and is a dangerous opponent.
Middleweight fight: Josh Eagans (5-1) faces Jason Law (2-0)
Storyline of interest: Josh “The Juggernaut” Eagans is, without question, one of the toughest 185 pound fighters around. At the young age of 21, Josh has already caught the attention of fans and promoters in the Southeast with his exciting style and skill. For his part, Law has gotten his career off to a perfect start with both wins coming by stoppage early in the first round. With these two paired to square off, this fight should be a good scrap.
Bantamweight (amateur) fight: Solon Staley (5-1) faces Cory Grizzard (3-0)
Storyline of interest: amateur bantamweight Solon Staley not only is having a good amateur run, he appears to have the talent to be a winning fighter at the professional level. On this night, however, he’ll be facing a fighter that is equally dangerous. Grizzard is one of Georgia’s top amateurs in this weight class and this matchup has the potential to be “Fight of the Night.”
On the same night, Carolina Fight Promotions brings MMA back to the Myrtle Beach Convention Center with a stacked pro/am card at Carolina Fight Promotions 15. Fans can visit carolinafightpromotions.com for ticket information. Some notable fights that night will be:
Light heavyweight fight: Tomar Washington (5-0) vs. Chris McNally (3-3)
Storyline of interest: Myrtle Beach, S.C. fighter Washington has yet to lose in this sport, going 5-0 as an amateur and 5-0 thus far in his pro career. At the age of 32, 2011 looks to be a breakthrough year for him. McNally is a tough fighter that has fought some quality competition. This is a title fight scheduled for five rounds but one way or another this fight will end early for someone.
Featherweight fight: Chris Cain (1-1) vs. Lee Stuckey (4-2)
Storyline of interest: Chris Cain takes on veteran Lee “Leatherneck” Stuckey of Alabama in what could be one of the best fights of the night. Cain boasts an interesting combination of charisma (he can really sell a fight and gets the crowd into it) and dangerous grappling skills. Stuckey is a tough fighter with four first round submission victories and is the favorite in this matchup.
Lightweight fight: Franklin Hickman (0-0) vs. Bill Karmolinski (0-2)
Storyline of interest: one of the most interesting aspects on this card will be the pro debut of nationally ranked D-1 collegiate wrestler Franklin Hickman. Hickman, a North Carolina native, went 2-0 as an amateur but has spent most of the past few years putting together an impressive resume in collegiate wrestling. The Bloomsburg University wrestler was nationally ranked and appears to have the ability to make a serious run in the sport of MMA.
Light heavyweight (amateur) fight: Chris Sutton (5-0) vs. Daniel Skipper (4-0)
Storyline of interest: in the past year, 6’6” Chris Sutton has become recognized as the best amateur heavyweight in the Carolinas. However, the former N.C. State wrestler is now poised to pursue a run in the 205 pound division. This could be an “even money” fight being that his opponent, Skipper, is a gifted fighter with impressive submission skills. It is rare that you have a quality matchup between two undefeated amateurs but this one should be an entertaining one for the fans in attendance.
