Travis Browne is reportedly heading to the UFC, Browne is Scheduled to fight "TUF 10" Vet James McSweeney on the live finale of " The Ultimate Fighter 11" June 19th.

Browne currently trains at the Alliance Training Center training partners ranging from UFC veterans Brandon Vera, Joey Beltran and WEC bantamweight contender Dominick Cruz.


McSweeney, 29, has a (4-4) MMA and (1-0) UFC record. McSweeney has a win over Darrill Schoonover on the "TUF 10 finale, He trains with Jackson's team in New Mexico.

We want to wish Travis the best of luck for his upcoming fight's.

Here are the Amateur matchups for VFC 31.  This is not the set lineup and all fights are subject to change

205          Brian Houston (4-0) vs Josh Prokopec (7-0)      

170          Corey Clinbell (8-3) vs Jordan Larson (5-0)

145          Mitch Parker (5-0) vs Mirsad Bektic (4-0)

175        Josh Tjarks (15-0) vs Thanner Thiem (13-3)

145        James Smith (7-2) vs Corey Villalobos (9-4)

Story completed by MFF contributor and MMA competitor Brent Ault

On the amateur side of the card:

Jason “Lionheart” Russel 2-1 Vs. Mirsad Bektic 3-0

 Round 1: The fight starts off with Bektic and Russel trading some bombs. The fight then proceeds into a scramble and lands Bektic into half guard, raining down some beautiful blows setting him up (Mirsad) take full mount on Russel. Jason ends up giving his back to prevent further damage from the shots being landed. Mirsad Bektic shows his strength and hammers down on Russel for the victory, taking his record to a perfect 4 and 0 as the ref steps in to bring a halt to the fight.

Cody “Locked and Loaded” Land 8-2 Vs. Mark “Mayhem” Mickells 9-2
   
 Round 1: The fight gets to a quick start with Cody slamming Mark into his own corner. Mark begins to work his jiu jitsu and quickly locks up a triangle, then Cody does a great showing of power and slams Mark straight to the mat still locked up in the submission. With no stopping in sight, Mark rolls right over to try and lock up an armbar. The two men begin to scramble while Cody takes a half guard position throwing down some amazing ground and pound, bloodying the face of Mayhem. Through the scramble Mark is able to take Cody’s back and look for the rear naked while the round ends.

 Round 2: Once again Cody shows great wrestling ability with another slam. The men quickly return to their feet. The two get back into Cody’s corner as Mark keeps attempting submission after submission, from an armbar to a go-go plata, the jiu jitsu keeps coming out. Marks ground game was just too much for Cody to keep up with and was eventually caught in a tight triangle, to end the fight at 1:56 of round 2. Mickels  showed great heart coming back from a losing first round to increase his record to 10-2

Dallas “The Beast” Barrett 11-3 Vs. Steve Lucchino 9-2-1

 Round 1: The match gets started with both men circling feeling each other out. Dallas get rocked with a heavy right hand from Steve. Steve then moves into side control and sets Dallas up for a set of nasty elbows. Dallas reverses Steve, however it is quickly reversed once again in Lucchino’s favor. With the bout slowing down the men begin to stall in the red corner. Dallas begins to hit Steve with knees to the body while on the ground. The round comes to a close with little activity.
 
 Round 2: Both men show their respect with the touching of gloves. The two begin to circle once again. A slew of right hands land flush to Barrett’s chin. You can see the pain these punches are taking on Dallas, as the fight finally comes to an end with Steve knocking Dallas clean out. The knees buckled and the fight was quickly called by referee Mark Powell at 56 seconds into round number 2.

Brian Houston Vs. Jeff Souder 8-0

 Round 1: The bout starts of with Brian SLAMMING Jeff to the mat. The fight gets back to the feet within seconds, as the men lock up over unders. Brian once again shows his great wrestling abilities by catching Souder with another double leg taking him into the cage. Souder attempts to try and lock in a guillotine while it goes back to the feet. The men go back in the cage and straight to the ground. Once on the ground Souder at first takes the initiative and ends up in mount, but just for a moment as Brian reverses Souder and scrambles his way right back into mount himself. The round ends with the horn sounding just as Brian cocked his right hand back.

 Round 2: The two men meet in the middle to trade blows, but Brian has other plans and puts Souder to the ground with another big slam. Brian once again gets into mount, however quickly gets reversed. Souder gets into Brian’s open guard and attempts some ground and pound, but Houston is showing some great striking defense. The men work back towards their feet and once again Souder attempts the Guillotine. The round ends in this fashion. The round could have went either way for the judges.

 Round 3: The competitors meet in the blue corner as Souder lands a decent uppercut. Houston quickly recovers from the blow and takes it straight back to the mat with another giant slam. Brian gets into mount and yet again it goes back to the feet. At this point it is seeming that Souder may be tiring as his hands get lower and lower. The fight goes back to the ground as Houston claims the mount position. Little actions takes place until the last few seconds of the round where Brian postures up and lands two solid blows to the head.

 A great fight took place and was left up to the judges to decide the victor of this tough three round battle. Brian Houston’s wrestling helped him tremendously, as the slams and control on the ground seemed to be the deciding factor in the judges notion giving this split decision to Houston.

The professional fights card:

Ted “Red” Worthington 29-18 Vs. Leonardo Pecanha 10-6

 Round 1: The men circle around as Red looks to set things up with his jab. Leo takes a shot and is able to take Red down. Now that Red is in Leo’s element you wonder what will happen as the two jockey for position. Leo achieves half guard and lands a few shots from top. Leo stands over Red kicking at him as he lays on the ground. Leo then makes his move on Red and quickly proceeds into full mount. While rolling, Leonardo sets up a sick triangle from mount and then moves to his side to tighten the choke. Red attempts to slam Leonardo, but when you try this with a 2nd degree black belt it usually results in failure as was proved here. Quickly after the attempt Red taps out from the triangle.

Jeremy “Tic-Tac” Malaterre 3-1 Vs. Dakota Cochrane 1-0

 Round 1: The guys begin the bout with the men trading leg kicks back and forth, with Dakota taking the better of the exchange. Dakota catches the mid section kick and tosses Jeremy to the ground and signals for him to get back up. The men circle and Dakota’s power seems too much for Jeremy to take. Standing over him time after time raining down fierce blows, one after another. The referee stands them back up as Dakota rushes in for a takedown. Now split apart due to Jeremy taking a shot to the groin by one of Dakota’s knees. Jeremy is telegraphing his punches and giving Dakota far too much time to react and counter. With the round coming to an end Cochrane uses his power to keep Jeremy pinned in the corner.

 Round 2: Meeting in the middle to touch gloves, Dakota is able to land a small combination of a left right that land flush on Jeremy’s chin. Once again pinned into the corner, Cochrane uses his power to land a few punches. A shot attempt does not work out well and the two men get into a fight for position on the ground, with Jeremy ending up in the front headlock position. Dakota then is able to flow through and hit a great reversal landing him in closed guard, where he postures up and attempts some ground and pound. Throughout the fight Jeremy’s legs keep moving and any jiu jitsu practioner can tell he is trying to set Dakota up for submissions. Cochrane is able to escape into half guard where he then gives up his position to stand over Jeremy and try to land some blows, but the round ends as well as the attempts Dakota was trying for.

 Round 3: Cochrane attempts a takedown, but Jeremy is able to sprawl out and escape the shot attempt, landing once again in the front headlock position. The men both being skilled on the ground keep scrambling for a better position. The Referee stands the two men up and yet again Cochrane shoots for a takedown, it is stuffed by Jeremy. With two minutes remaining in the fight the two fighters keep working on improving their position, but for the most part it is just a stalemate. Stood up again, Jeremy is looking for some nice kicks to take him to a victory, one final shot attempt is taken by Cochrane, but it is up to the judges who will pull off this win.

 With Dakota coming out strong in the first round, it looked to be too much speed and power for Jeremy to handle, yet in the 2nd and 3rd rounds Jeremy’s cardio played a huge role in the fight. One judge gave a single round to Jeremy, but all three judges gave this victory to Dakota Cochrane. Dakota’s wrestling and pushing the fight seemed to be enough to put this one in the bag.

Jake Hecht 4-1 Vs. Anthony “Lionheart” Smith 5-4

 Round 1: Smith comes out throwing nice jabs and lead hooks to set up his powerful right hand, up until this point Hecht seems nervous to pursue anything. Hecht then powers smith into the corner and proceeds to take his lead leg before breaking off and taking him to the mat with a power double. Smith is too smashed into the corner to attempt any sweeps. Smith is able to get his head out of the corner and put Hecht into a tight rubber guard, Smith then sets up and attempts and omoplata. Failing the omoplata he is able to move into full mount before Hecht attempted a kneed bar the. It moved the men into position to better themselves with Hecht landing in Smiths guard. Smith was able to lock on a triangle, but the round ends.

 Round 2: The round starts off slow, but Hecht takes an attempt at flying knee, with Smith falling to the side to miss the shot, he falls to the ground where Hecht takes a front headlock position before shucking him to the side to take his back and land some serious blows. Smith finds it to be a better option to role to his back and give up half guard rather thank to take more punishment. Hecht takes a shot at a keylock, but fails as Smith muscled through it. Hecht stands up and signals for Smith to get up as well. Within seconds of standing it goes straight back to the ground with Hecht getting half guard and putting some damage on Smith. The round comes to a close with Hecht landing some short left hands.

 Round 3: Again the round starts slow with the two men picking a few shots to throw on each before Hecht is able to grab Smith up in a nice muay thai clinch and throw some knees to the body. Hecht threw the clinch and went for a takedown, getting Smith in half guard at a neutral corner. Smith is attempting to shrimp out of the guard, but it is only setting Hecht up to throw some right hands. The men are stood up and Smith tries to muster everything he has into a few shots, but the shots do not land and Hecht is able to take him down once more. Taking Smith’s back, Hecht is able to flatten Smith out and throw a mess of punches to end this fight at 4:35 of the 3rd round by tko, referee stoppage.

Travis “Hapa” Browne 7-0 Vs. Abe “Hurricane” Wagner 7-2

 Round 1: The heavyweight championship starts off with some intense action, with the men meeting in the middle to trade. Quickly Abe is rocked and even quicker he is finished with some shots on the ground, after being knocked down with strikes. 8 seconds into the fight it was called as a TKO by referee stoppage in one of the fastest flash knockouts in VFC history.

Nicholas “Garfield” Mamalis 7-3 Vs. Zach “The Maniac” Wolff 12-7

 Round 1: The Bantam weight championship starts off as any bout for a belt should, the men read each other as nick moves around the cage with quick and subtle feet. Neither fighter is landing any power until a right hook hits solid on The Maniac, but Zach gives a strong right hand back. Zach attempts an ankle lock before the two men end up in guard with nick on top. Garfield lands some nasty ground and pound until the fight goes back to the feet. Once the two men are standing Nick is able to unleash some killer combo’s. before going back to the ground. On the ground Zach starts working his submissions and tries for an armbar, but Nick is not letting it happen he slams him once and is about to go for another before going back to the ground to give more of a beating to The Maniac up until the round ends.

 Round 2: Leg kicks are exchanged between the fighters, but no damage is done. Nick grabs Zach with a headlock and muscles him to the ground where he fights for guard position. After a long fight for position Nick assumes the most practical strategy is to try and ground and pound while still being in closed guard. Zach keeps maneuvering for submissions, but nothing has come close enough to worry Nick. Nick is able to move into half guard and continue the assault on Wolff’s face. Not much damage has been done to either fighter, but with Nick being in constant control and a superior position it is not difficult to tell the round will be in favor of Nick. The round comes to a close with Nick firing down his hand trying to cause some damage.

 Round 3:  Round 3 begins with Nick muscling Zach into the red corner and taking him down to the closed guard. Nick keeps trying to improve his position, but Zach’s jiu jitsu is enough to keep him restrained. Nick is able to shove Wolff into the cage and limit his movements throughout the round. More shots are landed from nick while Zach seems helpless to this more powerful fighter. Nearing the end of the round nothing crazy or hectic is being tried by either fighter.

 Round 4: A beautiful superman punch is landed by Nick, while Zach tries to counter. Nick throws a flurry of punches as well as knees and kicks to the head of The Maniac. The fighters scramble to the ground and for the first time in the night Nick is able to take the full mount. Showing total control of the fight Nick continues to dominate the fourth round by getting into side control and then advancing his position into full mount once again. Nick is able to secure a very tight arm triangle, but being pinned up against the cage he is not able to sit out and tighten it to its fullest. Both fighters scramble and it ends with both men back on their feet with Zach in a loose guillotine. The 4th round ends the same as the others, with Nick in the guard over powering Zach.

 Round 5: The fighters circle for a bit before throwing some small shots on each other. The fight goes to the ground with a shot blocked by Nick. Again Nick is able to get into half guard and control the pace of the fight. The men get stood up and after 23 minutes of fighting you can just now start to see the cardio playing a factor. Zach takes another shot that is again stuffed by Nick and then able to get to guard. The men are stood up and a very strong right uppercut is landed by Nick. The fight stays on its feet for the longest of the evening. For nearly 20 seconds the men tried their stand up game with nothing coming from it. To finish the fight off, Zach is thrown to the mat in a dominant manner, just as the entire fight had gone for him.

 The fight comes to a close after 25 minutes of grueling battle between the two fighters. It should come out to be a clear win for Nick. The announcer comes out to let everyone know what we all knew. A unanimous victory with all three judges scoring it 50-45 for the winner of the newly made VFC bantam weight  championship Nicholas “Garfield” Mamalis

Chase Hackett 3-0 Vs. Jimmy Seipel 3-0

 Round 1: The final fight of the evening gets straight into the action with Chase throwing some goods kicks, before the men tie up in the over under position. Hackett takes the better of the tie up and takes Jimmy to the mat as well as finishing in side guard and improving even further to full mount. Jimmy felt to open in full mount and rolled over to give his back. Once Chase locked in the hooks he began to unload some clean shots from top to the side of Jimmy’s head. Setting him up with the shots, Jimmy opens up and gives up the rear naked choke to end the fight at 2:34. The win gives Chase Hackett his first professional championship belt.

Victory Fighting Championships returns to the Mid America Center in Council Bluffs, Iowa on February 5th putting on one of the Midwest region's best attended Mixed Martial Arts events.  Pro/Am fight previews are complete, and the Bantamweight battle for the belt features two cage warriors that are no stranger to the VFC:

PRO CARD

At Bantamweight and the Main Event of the Evening for the Championship at 135 pounds -UPDATE-

Joe Doherty     vs.    Zach Wolff

Joe Doherty:   With original opponent Josh Rave unable to compete due to illness and injury, a ready, willing and able Joe Doherty, from Mid America Martial Arts in Omaha, Nebraska, steps in as a formidable opponent against Wolff.    No stranger to Victory, Doherty competed all the way back in VFC 8 and several times since.  This well rounded fighter has also competed in the Ring of Fire event, and holds a 4-1 record at the VFC.  For those who remember, his 5 round war with VFC and UFC vet Ryan Roberts showed that Doherty can flat out fight.  

Zach Wolff: This Wisconsin based fighter is known for many things inside the cage, chiefly his no fear attitude no matter who he is facing and his slick submission skills as well.  Most of his wins have come by submission, and his heart has never been in question in MMA competition.  Wolff holds wins over perennial VFC competitors Josh Arocho and Sean Wilson, but a loss against VFC and UFC vet Ryan Roberts.  Coming off his last win against Jeremy Stetz, Wolff seems to be focused and ready for this championship matchup.

Our View:  With a short notice opponent, don't look for Wolff to change up his game plan.  He always comes out full force and ready to bang.  Doherty has years of training and fighting experience behind him.  We anticipate Doherty to come in ready, despite the short notice, and Wolff to be exactly how he always is...EXCITING !  We wait along with the fans to find out the answer to that and many more questions, which certainly appear to be coming up at the Mid America Center in Council Bluffs, Iowa on February 5th!

In the Heavyweight Division and for the Championship at 265 pounds

Travis Browne    vs.    Abe Wagner

Abe Wagner: Veteran member of the The Ultimate Fighter Heavyweights season, who lost his first contest on the reality series by one of the nastiest cuts ever provided a fighter on television, Wagner returns to his stomping grounds inside the VFC.  Currently the VFC Heavyweight Champion, Wagner’s background of having a degree in Mechanical Engineering and being the Director of Finance at a major Omaha based corporation shouldn’t fool those who have been willing to enter the cage with him.   Five years ago, a highlight reel of Mirko “Cro Cop” Filipovic convinced Wagner that he had to start training in mixed martial arts, and he hasn’t stopped training since.  Word is that if Wagner can string 2 or 3 impressive victories together that the UFC may once again come calling.

Travis Browne: This 6 foot 7 inch 250 pound plus behemoth of a fighter enters the VFC for the first time coming out of North County Fight Club in California.  Undefeated in his Mixed Martial Arts career, winning nearly all of his bouts by knockout, Browne comes into hostile territory to take on one of the Midwest’s best heavyweights on his home turf.    Training with the likes of Jason Lambert and formerly Dan Henderson as well, look for Browne to be familiar with the ground game, even if his hands have done most of his talking in the cage.

Our View: Both fighters seem to love the standup game within the arena of Mixed Martial Arts.  With both of them fancying the striking aspect of the sport, we look forward to watching a bout that should culminate in a knockout, with the one scoring the telling blows having his hand raised at the end.  And, in the heavyweight division, knockouts usually only come in dramatic fashion.  Whoever is the most technical standing and lands the heavier and cleaner blows will win this fight, as we do not foresee this bout ending on the ground or in a submission.  This has knockout of the night potential written all over it!

At 155 Pounds the Lightweight Championship

Chase Hackett    vs.    Jimmy Siepel

Chase Hackett: Born and raised in Colorado, this former Professional Motocross Racer, who left that sport for MMA when he grew tired of the constant injuries in Motocross, defeated Adam Martinez for the Warriors Collide Amateur Lightweight Championship. Hackett helps teach many of the classes offered at Gumm Mixed Martial Arts as well as offering private one-on-one instruction. Hackett provided VFC and Omaha fighter Drew Dober his first taste of defeat in Mixed Martial Arts and was preliminarily scheduled to fight Seipel, who suffered his only defeat by the hands of Dober.  Hackett returns for VFC 30 looking to make up for lost time and hand Seipel his first loss as a pro.

Jimmy Seipel: Wanting to avenge his only career loss to Drew Dober but with that fight not yet able to happen, Seipel decided it would be wise to defeat the man who defeated Dober. Seipel is undefeated as a professional and is quickly becoming one of VFC’s most recognizable fighters. Coming off of a very impressive win over Bryce Teager in VFC 29, Seipel has re-dedicated himself to training for his upcoming fight. Seipel trains at Elite Performance Omaha with the likes of Matt Anderson, the brother's Ellenberger, Ryan Jensen, and host of other top tier wrestling, kickboxing and jiu jitsu practitioners and Instructors.

Our View: We view this as being a very technical battle between two cagey veterans.  Our belief is the one who makes the bigger mistakes in the fight, leaving himself open for either strikes or submission, will utlimately taste defeat.  More technical than a brawl, this fight is anyone's to win.

Championship Qualifier Match at 170 pounds

Anthony Smith    vs.    Jake Hecht

Anthony Smith: After a very impressive amateur career, Smith has struggled to find victory on the professional side. Although Smith is coming off of three straight losses and having not fought in several months, he has taken a new lease on life and is now training like a professional mixed martial artist for the first time in his career at Elite Performance Omaha.  It will be interesting to see Smith morph into a complete fighter on February 5th as he puts his striking and well rounded MMA skills to the test.  Known as "Lionheart", as many know, it will take a freight train to stop this refocused version of Anthony Smith.

Jake “The Hitman” Hecht: Sherdog lists his record as 4-1, three of which are by submission. He trains with American Top Team Missouri is currently riding a four fight winning streak after dropping his professional debut in a split decision.  Providing a Fight of the Night at the Absolute Fighting Championships in Florida, Hecht also has a background in wrestling and was a Missouri State Golden Gloves Champion and Runner up so his skills would certainly be described as "well rounded".

Our View: With Smith coming off a short break in his career, and Hecht on a win streak involving mostly submissions, we expect this bout to end by submission with either fighter being able to pull them off at any given time.  Both have solid standup skills to boot, so we envision striking leading to a clinch following by some dirty boxing and a takedown (or two).  Whoever gains position and retains it will probably come out the winner via submission in this bout.  That being said, with one (Smith) being known as a very technical brawler and the other (Hecht) being a technical striker, it wouldn't be surprising to see them try to provide the VFC with the "Fight of the Night" honors in this one as well.

Feature Matchup at 155 pounds

Dakota Cochrane  vs Jeremy Malaterre

Dakota Cochrane: Trains with Elite Performance in Omaha, Nebraska. Cochrane is a powerful fighter known for his explosive ground and pound and amazingly quick takedowns. Looking to follow up an extremely dominating performance over Alex Harper at the last VFC event. Cochrane has yet to taste defeat in a cage and is current owner of the “title” of the number one knockout of the year on PureFight.org.  Cochrane, quite simply is a smashing machine never having tasted defeat.

Jeremy Malaterre: Comes from the same team as Chase Hackett, Gumm MMA in Colorado.  Sporting a winning amateur and professional Mixed Martial Arts career, Malaterre has taken many of his fights the distance and has won most by decision.  Cardio seems to be his watchword as in his fights he seems to have that “never say quit” attitude and has a huge desire to compete and win.  According to the people at Gumm MMA “Jeremy is one of the most dedicated  fighters at Gumm Mixed Martial Arts, proving this daily through his attitude in training as well as his willingness to help his teammates train”.

Our View: We view this as Cochrane perhaps being too much for Malaterre to handle, however in many of Malaterre's bouts, he has outlasted several opponents to come away with decisions in his favor on the judges scorecards.  Surely a fight that should hit the ground sooner or later, the only question that remains for this bout is how soon it goes there, and how soon will it end?

Championsip Qualifier at 170 pounds

Ted Worthington  vs  Leonardo Pecanha

Ted Worthington: Worthington is not a stranger to most cages in the Midwest Region of the United States and has fought and won in many mid-major events, to include past outings in the VFC.  Recently had a war at MaxFightsDM against Rob Roy where Worthington attempted over 20 submissions per round showing his submission skill and versatility.  Worthington's experience level in the cage is nearly unmatched for not only most fighters in the Midwest, but probably around the country.  Worthington currently trains at Des Moines Mixed Martial Arts Academy with the likes of Anthony Porcelli, Josh Neer, Timmy Gorman, Brian Green and Chuck Grigsby to name but a few.  Still young at 25, and having a world of experience behind him, Worthington will certainly rely on his cage knowledge to try and pull out the win over a comparative newcomer to a man with his number of fights.

Leonardo Pecanha: Leonardo is a 10-5 Pro with significant wins over Rudy Bears and Bobby Volker finishing both fights in under 2 mins by submission. He is training out of BJJ Lifestyle Academy with “Brazilian” Mike Rethmeyer in Belleville IL, but will be spending some time in Omaha at Mid-America Martial Arts to prepare for this fight.  He is a 2nd degree Black Belt under Andre Pederneiras and Gustavo Dantas out of Nova Uniao. He is a very accomplished Jiu-Jitsu competitor with multiple Brazilian National Championships and World European Championships. Born and rasied in Rio De Janerio he has made the move to the US to pursue a Fighting career full time with hopes to fight in the UFC.

Our View: We envision this fight with Worthington, even with his edge in cage experience, to try to keep the fight standing or use his own ground skills to reverse and or escape any attempts by Leonardo to keep him on the ground.  This could end in just about any fashion as just because both are skilled on the ground and in jiu jitsu doesn't mean this couldn't end up being a stand up war for the ages.  We greatly anticipate seeing exactly how this fight plays out as it is nearly a perfect match of experience and skill versus highly technical jiu jitsu.

Amateur Card                                                                        Amateur Card                                                                                             Amateur Card

Justin Rheaume    vs.    Jeff Souder   (205 pounds)

Justin Rheaume:  Comes to the VFC out of Mankato, Minnesota.  His last fight, he took Chris Miller to a 3 round decision win in November of 2009, but in September provided fellow Heavyweight fighter Emmit Culver a loss with Rheaume rendering him totally unconcscious in the first 42 seconds of the very first round. 

Jeff Souder:  Undefeated amateur heavyweight is considered by many to be the #1 amateur heavyweight in the Omaha Metro area. Took a hiatus from the fight scene to play with the New Orleans Saints. Former Nebraska Cornhusker and UNO Maverick is a steady draw whenever his name appears on an event’s fight card. Hometown is Bellevue, Nebraska. 

Our View:  We love seeing the big boys get after it, and this fight should not be lacking in the huge strikes and the huge slams.  Whoever falls down first is the loser in this one.

David Kalani      vs.    Mirsad Bektic (140 pounds) *Updated 1-27...Guttierez and Zaricor both injured, so Kalani vs Bektic match is on!*

David “The Night Marcher” Kalani: Has an amateur record of 7-0. Trains with Martial Arts Pride Academy in Columbus, Nebraska and is the current Torment Cage Combat Featherweight Champion, as well as the CKC 155 pound champion in Iowa. He is known for his fast strikes and ability to dish out more punishment than his opponents are able to handle.

Mirsad Bektic: Trains with Mid-America Martial Arts in Omaha, NE. Born in Bosnia, he, his mother and two brothers left when the war broke out. Eventully settled in Nebraska and not long after, he began taking karate lessons and started boxing in Middle School.   Shocked the local fanatics when he defeated highly touted and now undefeated professional, Charlie Dubray for the Tri-State Cage Fighting Featherweight Championship in just his 2nd fight. Holds an amateur record of 3-0. His last fight, in September at Fight To Win MMA, he avenged teammate Joel Mickell’s loss, by defeating Zac Chavez by TKO in round 2.

Our View:  This will be a true test for each of these unbeaten amateur fighters.  Both have the heart of a warrior, both love to stand toe to toe and bang hard and heavy, and even with the short notice change of opponents for both, we still believe that one or the other will suffer their first loss via knockout.  

Dallas Barrett     vs.    Steve Lucchino  (185 pounds)

Dallas Barrett:  Having roamed from promotion to promotion and state to state in search of the best competitors around, Dallas has made a name for himself in the Midwest amateur MMA circuits.  Having fought and won against many top tier amateurs from the Dakota's to the plains of Kansas, we look for the heavy handed Barrett to attempt to make his statement in the VFC.

Steve Lucchino:  Fighting out of Team Capitol Punishment, Lucchino sports an aura of confidence to go with the dynamite in his hands and had the Fight of the Year at a recent event competing with Enrique Torres in a 3 round war.  Never one to back down from a challenge, Lucchino is ready and willing to fight for his share of VFC glory and work his way up the rankings before turning pro.

Our View:  Someone is getting knocked out.  Enough said.

Mark Mickells     vs.    Cody Land  (135 pounds)

Mark Mickells:  This Mid America Martial Arts product, after having taken some time off, returns to MMA with a vengeance.  Always known for his ability to submit just about anyone from just about any position, but additionally competing in Muai Thai, Mickells has become one of the best well rounded fighters in the amateur ranks at his weight in the Midwest.

Cody Land:  Training and Fighting out of Hard Knocks gym in Hastings, Nebraska, this young man has been on a roll as of late and has shown dramatic improvements in each and every aspect of his game.  Although nicknamed "Locked and Loaded", we often call him "Non Stop Action" for his relentless quest to finish the fight.

Our View:  Both having well rounded skills makes this fight a toss up as to how the end will come.  Both can strike, both can grapple, and both can submit.  Our only regret is that both can't win. 

http://midwestfightersfocus.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=240:victory-fighting-championships-30-fight-previews&catid=42:fighter-news

Weigh-ins for VFC 30: XXX - NIGHT OF CHAMPIONS will be held at The Salty Dog Bar and Grill in Council Bluffs, IA on Thursday - February 4th at 7PM. Fans are invited to join the VICTORY Girls and all the VFC 30 fighters for this special event. The Salty Dog is located at 2411 South 24th St. in Council Bluffs, IA.

The "Voice of VICTORY" and ring announcer Michael C. Williams will be in attendance to host the event live. Photos and autographs with the fighters and VICTORY girls will be available. Tickets for Friday night's VFC 30: XXX - NIGHT OF CHAMPIONS event will be on sale during the weigh-ins. Special ticket pricing will be available for all those in attendance. There will also be a live drawing for VFC merchandise and a pair of VIP Ringside tickets for Friday night's show!

To purchase your tickets early for VFC 30: XXX - NIGHT OF CHAMPIONS log onto www.MidAmericaCenter.com, www.ticketmaster.com or www.VICTORYFIGHTER.com.

Former Ring of Fire and current Fight to Win Bantamweight Champion Joe "JOBU" Doherty, is stepping up to take injured Josh Rave's spot to take on Zach Wolff in the VFC's first Bantamweight Title fight!

Joe, a North Platte native just moved to Omaha last year where he is now training at Mid America Martial Arts. He is currently on a 3 fight win streak. This fight will be a stand up battle as Joe is willing to stand toe to toe with anyone in the cage.

VFC 30: XXX – NIGHT OF CHAMPIONS set for Friday – February 5^th. With over eight years of experience and 29+ shows behind the VICTORY Fighting Championship, VFC 30 is being set up to be the very best VFC yet. Three titles will be up for grabs at the Mid-America Center on February 5^th. Local MMA shooting start Jimmy Seipel will take on Colorado native Chase Hackett in a border war that was originally scheduled for VFC 29 as a championship qualifier. Hackett backed out of the November fight at the last minute and left Jimmy fuming ever since. The two 155lbers will be fighting for the VFC Lightweight title recently vacated by Joe Ellenberger. Joe was originally scheduled to fight Jimmy in VFC 30 but had to retire due to a career ending blood disease. Both Hackett and Seipel are ready to rumble for the belt in VFC 30.

The VICTORY Fighting Championship is hosting a UFC 108 viewing party Saturday night, January 2nd at the Salty Dog Bar & Grill. Three VICTORY veteran fighters are on the UFC 108 card - Ryan Jensen, Jake Ellenberger and current 170lb. VFC Champion Jacob Volkmann. The viewing party will begin at 8PM with preliminary fights and carry over into the live pay-per-view action around 9PM. The Salty Dog Bar & Grill is the host and sponsor of the nights activities and they will be offering food and drink specials along with a FREE cover charge for all those in attendance. VICTORY will also be holding the first VICTORY GIRL / RING GIRL contest of the year later in the night. Those interested in trying out to be part of the VICTORY team  will need to enter at the Salty Dog no later than 9PM Saturday night. All those entering the contest will be given a VICTORY prize pack of tickets and merchandise as well as a chance to become an official VFC Ring Girl in 2010.

Come out and support local VICTORY veterans and join current VICTORY fighters, fans and Ring Girls tonight at the Salty Dog Bar & Grill for a great night of fights and festivities.

From www.MidwestFightersFocus.com:

Victory Fighting Championships put on another showcase event for fighters in the Midwest.  With matchups being about as evenly put together as possible, many saw local favorites garner both victory and defeat.  Several fights going the distance proves that Victory is finding the talent and putting together fights that are anyone's to win.  Full results are as follows:

VFC 29 The Rising
Full Results

Tahner Thiem Vs Dallas Barrett
Round 1
Both fighters come out and trade light punches, with Barrett getting the better of the exchanges countering Thiem. Thiem drops and shoots a double into side control. Little action happens and then Barrett stands and Thiem takes him right back down. Fighters are now jockeying for position in a scramble that ends with Thiem on top in side control. Barrett hits a nice reversal and ends up on top of Thiem in side control, only to have Thiem reverse him again. Thiem is working a key lock on Barrett and uses it to pass into mount. Barrett postures and goes for a heel hook on Thiem and the round ends.
MFF scoring 10-9 for Thiem on his control and takedowns
Round 2
Dallas comes out as the aggressor this time hitting a few punches and then he shoots a double and moves right into side control. Barrett lands a few good shots only to have Thiem move back to full guard and he grabs for a key lock that Barrett reverses and he takes Thiem's back. Thiem reverses and gets to half guard, trying to pass but Barrett won't allow it. Fighters stand and Barrett starts landing some hard shots, and Tahner, looking a bit stunned, shoots a single leg but Barrett stuffs it to end the round.
MFF scoring 10-10 round (but could go either way)
Round 3
Trading light strikes at the start, Thiem starts throwing bombs and it throws Barrett off enough that Thiem lands a takedown into side control. Thiem is working a kimura, then moves and postures to start dropping elbows and Barrett gets half guard back, then too full guard. Thiem passes back to half guard and lands 3 hard elbows. Barrett gets back to full guard with 10 seconds left. Barrett goes for a triangle and Thiem postures out to end the round.
MFF scoring 10-9 Thiem for a 29-27 decision for Thiem
 

OFFICIAL RESULTS: Unanimous Decision Tahner Thiem (30-27, 30-27, 29-28)

Danny Black Vs Matt Williams
Round 1
Fighters come out and touch gloves, and both start throwing punches with Black landing more than Williams. Williams clinches and Danny lands a good knee to the body.  Williams takes Blacks back while standing and hops onto Black's back. Williams is working the RNC and Black is defending well. Williams however gets it fully locked and Black tries to slam Williams to the mat to break the choke to no avail.  Black taps to the RNC.
OFFICIAL RESULTS: Williams Defeats Black by submission (RNC) in Round 1

Jerrod L'Heureux Vs Jason Prorok
Round 1
The fighters come out and Prorok shoots right away and misses.  He shoots again and Jerrod stuffs it. Jerrod lands a few good kicks, but Prorok then throws 2 punches and shoots again landing a double leg takedown. with Jerrod pulling full guard. Jerrod goes for an armbar and misses, then takes Prorok's back. Jerrod is landing some good punches working for the  RNC. Prorok reverses and lands in half guard on bottom. Jerrod then lands 3 punches as they stand up and Prorok shoots again and hits a double as the round ends.
MFF Scoring 10-9 for Jerrod L'Heureux
Round 2
Touch of gloves and Jerrod gets hit and Prorok shoots.  Jerrod pulls full guard on the takedown and locks in a deep armbar with Prorok defending. Prorok slips the armbar and goes to full mount. Jerrod rolls to his stomach and Prorok applies the RNC for the tap.
OFFICIAL RESULTS: Jason Prorok defeats Jerrod L'Heureux by Submission (RNC)

Meredith Vs Lucchino
Round 1
Fighters touch gloves and feel each other out at the start.  Meredith then shoots a single and pushes Lucchino up against the cage. Meredith continues looking for the single and Lucchino is defending well. They finally break and Meredith lands a partially blocked head kick and trips. Lucchino runs at him to rush him but Meredith shoots a double and Lucchino sprawls. Fighters clinch in the corner again and an accidental knee to the groin of Meredith halts the action. At the restart Lucchino is chasing Meredith throwing bombs and the round ends.
MFF Scoring 10-9 Lucchino
Round 2
Touch of gloves to start and another feeling out period as Lucchino starts chasing Meredith down, with Meredith shooting another double. Lucchino reverses and gets the takedown and Meredith pulls guard. Lucchino lands some good shots, but Meredith locks in a triangle and Lucchino slams out of the submission. Meredith takes the mount on the scramble after the slam. Stalled action in the corner leads Lucchino out of the mount and he stands. End of Round
MFF Scoring 10-9 Meredith
Round 3
Again another feeling out between the two to open Round 3 and Meredith shoots the takedown.  Lucchino trips and pulls guard. Meredith pushes Lucchino into the corner and Meredith postures to strike and then passes into mount. Lucchino rolls and Meredith sinks his hooks as Lucchino stands and slams Meredith into full guard with Lucchino on top. Round ends in this position with little action.
MFF scoring 10-9 Meredith
OFFICAL RESULTS: Meredith defeats Lucchino by Unanimous Decision (29-28 all judges)

Seffron Vs Ricehouse
Round 1
Seffron lands a good 1-2 to open the fight as Ricehouse shoots a single and Seffron defends well. Ricehouse trips and a scramble ensues. Fighters trade from the clinch and Ricehouse takes the back of Seffron and sinks the RNC gaining a quick tap from Seffron.
OFFICAL RESULTS: Ricehouse Defeats Seffron by Submission (RNC) Rd 1

Lindsay Vs Villalobos
Round 1
Fighters trade back and forth standing to start the round and Villalobos shoots a takedown clinch on the cage and then Lindsay grabs the plumb.  Villalobos rushes in and a scramble leads to Lindsay taking Villalobos' back. Villalobos scrambles back to his feet and then takes Lindsay's back. Lindsay rolls and gets into Villalobos guard. Villalobos works his legs high and Lindsay’s lands some good shots to end the round.
MFF Scoring 10-9 Lindsay
Round 2
Fighters trade to start again with Lindsay getting the better of Villalobos. Villalobos misses a superman punch, they clinch again then separate and Villalobos catches a Lindsay kick and hits an over hand right. Lindsay then lands a double to side control as Villalobos escapes but eats a good amount of punches as he does.  Round ends with Villalobos on all fours and Lindsay landing shots from his side.
MFF Scoring 10-9 Lindsay
Round 3
Lindsay flurries to start and backs Villalobos to the cage.  Villalobos lands a good right hand and  then clinches, shoots a takedown, and lands into side control. Lindsay reverses and lands some good shots only to have Villalobos reverse him. From side control, Villalobos stands and lands some big shots on Lindsay.  Lindsay then reverses and takes Villalobos back, works the RNC and gets the tap.
OFFICAL RESULTS: Lindsay defeats Villalobos by Submission (RNC) Rd 1

Dober Vs Girtz
Round 1  Dober strikes from the outside to start the round and Girtz hits a double leg as Dober gets full guard. Girtz pushes Dober to the cage. Girtz lands some light shots and then the ref stands the fight up. Dober lands a left and Girtz shoots again and gets the takedown with Dober again gaining full guard.  Girtz passes to half guard momentarily then Dober stands. Dober lands some very good strikes standing and while throwing a second knee Girtz grabs it and takes Dober down again. After a lull in the action from this position, the referee stands the fighters up. Dober throws his hands hard and connects on a 3 shot combo, then lands a partially blocked head kick. Dober continues to stalk Girtz as the round comes to an end.
MFF Scoring 10-9 Girtz
Round 2
Dober opens up with a leg kick and Girtz retreats. Girtz mouthpiece falls and the ref stops the action to put it back in place.  Girtz garners a double leg takedown and gets into side control. Dober gets back to full guard and then attempts an armbar which Girtz defends. Fighters stand again and Dober rocks Girtz with a flurry.  Another two knee combo ends with Girtz catching the last one for the takedown.  Dober stands briefly before being taken back down with Dober now looking for the kimura.  Girtz lands a few light body punches as the round comes to an end.
MFF Scoring 10-9 Girtz
Round 3
Girtz opens up with a jab and Dober is trying to strike. Girtz shoots and Dober lands a wicked knee, but Girtz gets the takedown. Dober reverses and lands in top position in half guard. Both stand and Dober again rocks Girtz, throws 2 knees and the 2nd gets caught and he gets taken down. They stand and clinch against the cage. Dober pushes off and Girtz shoots for the takedown to the cage. Dober gets back up and connects on 2 more knees but gets taken down again to end the round.
MFF Scoring 10-9 Girtz
OFFICAL RESULTS: Girtz Defeats Dober by Unanimous Decision (30-27, 29-28 twice)

Harper Vs Cochrane
Round 1
Cochrane takes  a hard right from Harper to start the fight, but Cochrane then shoots the takedown and gets it landing some good shots but he cannot pass Harpers guard. Ref stands the fight up, and Harper again hits a good combo and Dakota gets low and shoots for the takedown and gets it. Harper reverses and takes Cochrane's back. Dakota rolls and ends up in Harper full guard. Dakota lands some very hard shots in the last 30 seconds to end the round.
MFF Scoring 10-9 Cochrane
Round 2
Harper comes out aggressive and Dakota evades. Dakota misses a head kick and trips. Dakota then shoots and gets the takedown but Harper gets his full guard.  Dakota then passes to half guard, with Harper scrambling to get back to full. Harper take some shots, and a cut has been opened on Harper's skull. The fighters stand again, and Dakota drops Harper with a hard right, then lets him back up, only to shoot for a takedown right after. Harper has full guard and looks for an armbar, Dakota then drops some shots on him and the round ends.
MFF Scoring 10-9 Cochrane (possible 10-8 round)
Round 3
Dakota opens up with a good flurry that stuns Harper and drops him, then Dakota lets him stand up again and Harper stuns Dakota briefly with strikes. Dakota shoots and gets the takedown with Harper trying for the guillotine choke that doesn't work.  A break in any meaningful action means the ref stands the fight up and Dakota shoots again, with Harper trying for the guillotine, then switches to a triangle, but to no avail.
Dakota is now in Harper's full guard. A short break in activity causes the ref to break them again, and Dakota secures another takedown.  I appears Harper may be looking for a triangle but the round comes to a close.
MFF Scoring 10-9 Cochrane
OFFICAL RESULTS: Cochrane Defeats Harper by Unanimous Decision (30-26, 30-27 twice)

Van Camp Vs Rave
Round 1 Both fighters strike center cage then Rave shoots and gets a double leg takedown and slams Van Camp hard to the mat. In half guard, Rave is on top working some shots but Van camp stands up. Both strike again with Rave trying a flying knee that lands and he immediately follows up with the takedown.  Rave works to half guard and both fighters are active with Rave hitting his strikes and Van Camp trying to find subs. Rave stands then falls back into Van Camps guard.  The ref, Big Jim Axtell, stands the fighters after light strikes by both cause him to break the action.  Rave shoots but Van Camp stuffs it. Van Camp misses with a head kick as the round ends.
MFF scoring 10-9 Rave
Round 2
Fighters come out and trade some blows they separate and Rave throws a flying knee that puts Van Camp to sleep on the mat.
OFFICAL RESULTS: Rave defeats Van Camp by KO Rd 2

Teager Vs Seipel
Round 1 Seipel comes out with knees from the plumb; Bryce clinches and throws Seipel, and Seipel lands in full guard.  Bryce is very active from Jimmy’s guard, Bryce stands, and Seipel kicks him back and Bryce pulls guard. Both fighters stand and Bryce trips Seipel and takes side control. Seipel gets his full guard back, but  Bryce passes to side control again and works some knees until the end of the round.
MFF Scoring 10-9 Teager
Round 2
Seipel comes out striking hard and Bryce lands a nice right hook. Seipel tries a flying knee that misses and Bryce hits a double leg takedown. Bryce puts Seipel into the corner as Bryce passes to Seipel's half guard but Seipel stands out of the situation.  Both trade heavy blows and again Seipel grabs the plumb landing a vicious knee that drops Bryce. Bryce then pulls half guard, and Jimmy moves to mount and lands some great shots.  Bryce rolls and Seipel looks for the RNC, but Bryce reverses to top position to end the round.
MFF Scoring 10-9 Seipel
Round 3
Bryce lands a good right to open the fight; Jimmy again pulls plumb and knees Bryce to the head. Bryce shoots and Seipel pulls guard looking for a knee bar but moving from there to the mount.  Bryce gets back to half guard as Seipel goes for the guillotine choke.  Bryce initially defends but finally succumbs to the choke.
OFFICIAL RESULT: Seipel Defeats Teager by Submission (guillotine) Rd 3

Grigsby Vs Richards
Round 1
From the starting gate D-Mo shoots the takedown but Grigsby denies it. They both clinch and Grigsby throws 2 knees, one hits the body the other looks to have hit in the groin. Jim Axtell calls time for D-Mo to recover from the accidental  shot.  The fight restarts and the fighters clinch again.  D-mo this time hits a knee that lands in Grigsby's groin area. Jim again calls time to give Grigsby time to recover and before the restart seems to tell both fighters to keep the fight clean or points will start being decucted.  The fight resumes and the fighter’s trade punches then clinch, and D-Mo hits a trip takedown into Grigsby's guard. D-Mo is looking for strikes but is missing on almost all of his shots. Grigsby tries to stand and D-Mo pushes him back down. Grigsby then reverses to top position and D-Mo rolls as Grigsby takes his back working the RNC until the end of the round.
MFF Scoring 10-9 Grigsby
Round 2
Grigsby opens with a good uppercut, then D-mo clinches as Grigsby hits a takedown.  The two stand back up and go right back to the clinch. Grigsby pushes away to strike and hits a few jabs. D-mo moves in and clinches again, but he is looking extremely tired at this point.  Neither fighter is landing anything from the clinch yet they remain primarily in this position with neither fighter doing much with the position.  
MFF scoring 10-9 Grigsby
Round 3
Round 3 saw both fighters only able to throw one punch at a time with both now seemingly exhausted from the earlier clinch work.  The fight finally goes to the ground on a trip by Grigsby who takes D-mo's back and works the RNC until he finally gets the tap.
OFFICAL RESULTS Grigsby defeats Richards by Submission Rd 3

Weigh-ins for VFC 29: THE RISING will be held at the Quaker Steak & Lube in Council Bluffs, IA on Thursday - November 12th at 7PM. Fans are invited to join the VICTORY Girls and all the VFC 29 fighters for this special event. The Quaker Steak & Lube is located at 3220 Mid America Drive in Council Bluffs, IA.

The new “Voice of VICTORY” and ring announcer Michael C. Williams will be in attendance to host the event live. Photos and autographs with the fighters and VICTORY girls will be available. Tickets for Friday nights VFC 29: THE RISING event will be on sale during the weigh-ins. Special ticket pricing will be available for all those in attendance. There will also be a live drawing for VFC merchandise and a pair of VIP Ringside tickets for Friday night’s show.

For specific directions to Quaker Steak & Lube log onto www.QuakerSteakAndLube.com. And to purchase your tickets early for VFC 29: THE RISING log onto www.MidAmericaCenter.com or www.VICTORYFIGHTER.com.