Benly Xamonty

My thoughts going into this tournament are extremely positive. Since my debut at MCC I’ve grown leaps and bounds. The time I’ve had “off” has been devoted to training. The more I watched videos on my last fight, the more dissatisfied I became with my performance. Sure it ended in the first round but I wanted to show people more of what I have to offer. I thought to myself, ”What if I was faster…bigger…. stronger.” So the past few months I’ve been going through a rigorous training schedule after my normal 10 hour work days.

My usual day consists of waking up at 6 in the morning and getting my morning cardio session in. I like to get in the quick bursts of energy early on so it keeps my metabolism revving throughout the day. After my 10 hour shift I come home and have a quick bite to eat. A short power nap allows me to unwind and prepare myself mentally for the evening workouts to come. My first workout consists of mitt work, Muay Thai pads and grappling with my training partners. I’ve been sparring more often during the week to keep that fighting mentality constantly on my mind and to constantly test my progression. Strength and cardio sessions end the evening only to await another day of the same grueling routine.

Since my last fight with Nick Walker, I’ve grown bigger, stronger, faster and more explosive than I have ever been in my professional career. I am completely focused with no distractions to slow me down whatsoever. My camp has been very supportive and driving me to reach 100%, and to fight at my full potential. All I care about is putting on a great performance for the fans at my highest level. My weight is where it needs to be. I’m just feeling great and enjoying life right now. Before a fight it’s always good to surround oneself with the positives and work off the negatives to drive you to become stronger. Not just as a fighter but as a person. If you work hard, good things will happen. Come June 16th I’ll come out ready to explode at any given moment, in both of my fights since I’ll be fighting twice in the same night!

- Benly Xamonty

Benly Xamonty

I will be competing for MCC 41 on June 16th in a four man tournament. My first opponent will be Will Shutt. The other match will be Luis Saldana vs Tom Ahrens, and the winners we be facing off on the same night, in the main event!

Leading up to the event, I will be posting a weekly blog discussing past and present, so please follow along each Monday on the MCC website or MCC Facebook that is posted below.

I started training Muay Thai at the age of 8 with my father. He was an experienced Muay Thai practitioner. He served in the Lao military and Muay Thai is the platform for their self-defense techniques. My dad was always in the garage just beating the heavy bag with vicious strikes and that got me hooked immediately. Now I had something positive that I could gear my energy towards. Unfortunately I could not avoid using my acquired skills on the school playground. After multiple fights my mother and father agreed that I needed a break from my Muay Thai training. Against my parent’s orders I still found ways to train.

In high school is when my father and I decided it was time to start training again. Little did he know that I was participating in boxing tournaments held by fellow classmates. There aren’t a lot of options for entertainment in Storm Lake, IA. After racking up a string of victories I decided it was time to really test myself. By the time I turned 18 my parents found out about my extracurricular activities.

My father encouraged me to participate in a local mma event called the Iron Man challenge. I was 18 and now about to fight grown men. The tournament consisted of a 4 man tournament much like my upcoming event. I ended up winning my weight class by TKO’ing my first opponent and submitting my second opponent. This caught the eye of a fight promotion, Glory Fighting Championships. I made the decision to move to Des Moines to pursue my dream of becoming a professional fighter. After a string of victories there and with other area fight promotions I was contacted by MCC who is giving me the biggest opportunity of my professional career. Come June 16 fans will not be disappointed.

I will get more in detail over the next few weeks, follow along at;

www.Facebook.com/MCC.Fights

or

www.MidwestCageChampionship.com

- Benly Xamonty

MCC 41 - June 16th

MCC 41′s four-man tourney takes the spotlight, winner takes interim crown

In what could quite possibly become the most exciting and stacked tournament in MCC’s history, the talents of four of the top up and comers have been tapped.

Round one kicks off when undefeated prospect, Luis Saldana faces gritty veteran, Tom “To the Top” Ahrens and former champ, Will “The Real Deal” Shutt takes on knockout artist, Benly Xamonty. The winners will face each other in the evening’s main event.

“This is anyone’s game,” commented MCC matchmaker, Ryan Hass. “If you look at the talent in the 145 lb division- which is probably one of our most talent-rich weight classes, these four stand out as the best of the best. Whoever wins this tournament is going to have to earn that interim title.”

Over the past three years, featherweight contender, Luis Saldana has improved each time he’s stepped into the cage. Going nearly flawless in his amateur career- avenging his only loss, the former DMX product has racked up win after win with his calm, cool approach to the game. Never one to get rattled under pressure, Saldana can pick the moment to strike, and when he’s ready to end the fight, more often than naught, that’s what happens.

Tom Ahrens has competed in both the lightweight and featherweight divisions. Following a last second submission loss to UFC vet, John Halverson, Ahrens went on a tear racking up a five fight win streak. After taking some time off, testing his boxing skills and dropping to the featherweight division, Ahrens has fought some of the best competition in the Midwest. Ahren’s has proven to be a tough fight for anyone and will be a true test for Saldana on June 16.

Former featherweight champion, Will “The Real Deal” Shutt, who is, by far, the most experienced fighter in the tournament, recently tried his hand out in the bantamweight division. Going to a draw in his first outing with now-MCC champ, Laramie Shaffer, Shutt dropped a five rounder to the champ although he certainly could have ended the fight at any moment if one of his lightning fast strikes connected properly. Known for his speed and power, Shutt will need to bring his A-game when he goes toe to toe with a near mirror image in Benly Xamonty.

Entering MCC with an impressive 8-1 professional record, mixed martial artist Benly Xamonty was known for his fight ending strikes. Pitted against cagey veteran, Nick “The Wolverine” Walker, he needed less than one round to make good on his reputation, downing the experienced journeyman with a highlight worthy head kick and winning his MCC debut with Knock out of the Night honors. His performance fast tracked Xamonty to the top of the heap, and on June 16 he will have the chance to prove he is the best of the best.

Complete Nutrition, Spartan Strength and Fourth Down Sports Bar present, MCC 41: Adrenaline, Saturday, June 16 at Hy Vee Hall, downtown Des Moines, Iowa. Tickets are available on-line at www.MidwestCageChampionship.com, Wells Fargo Arena Box Office and at all Dahl’s Food Store ticket outlets.

MCC 41- June 16

MCC announces next date, continues to stack card

The weather is not the only thing in Iowa that’s heating up! MCC officials are deep underway of putting together another blockbuster card for June 16 at Hy Vee Hall.

MCC 41: Adrenaline will feature a four-man tournament in the featherweight division putting four of the top 145 lb. fighters against each other to determine the MCC Interim Featherweight Champion, all in the same night!

“Look at who we’ve got,” stated MCC matchmaker, Ryan Hass. “We’ve got undefeated fighter Luis Saldana, knock out artist Benly Xamonty, former champ, Will Shutt, and Tom Ahrens- who we know is a tough fight for anyone at 145 or 155. This tourney is crazy.”

But that’s not all!

Fan favorite, Ronnie “Warfrog” Britt takes on Jeremy Castro, undefeated Anthony Bacaam faces off against wrestling phenom, Ryan Adams, and knock out fighter, Donavan Carboney tests his skills against Matt Rider. Plus, Shaun “Supa” McDermott vs Ben Halder, Justin Fuson vs Bryan Alden, Justen Shannon vs Roy Moore, Mike Owens vs Brody Jay and many more! 13 total fights on the card!

Tickets are available now on the website, www.MidwestCageChampionship.com.

LUND vs DICKE

Dicke takes belt from Lund in four-round barnburner

The meeting between MCC’s defending light heavyweight champion, Jesse Lund and Duke Rufus product, Will “The Franchise” Dicke certainly did not disappoint anyone in the packed crowd at Hy Vee Hall last Friday night.

Expecting a stand-up war between the two, Dicke, who is primarily known for his nine knock out’s in eleven outings, would no doubt be a tough challenge for Lund- an equally tough power puncher with just about more heart than anyone that steps inside the cage.

Round One

The feeling out process was brief as both fighters snapped off series after series of punches and kicks. Looking very comfortable on his feet, Dicke launched an assault on the lower left leg of Lund, peppering him with kicks. Then, unexpectedly, Lund, towards the end of the round took Dicke to the mat, however before time ran out Dicke had reversed the position and finished on top.

Round Two

Both fighters were a little slower than they were out of the gate. Dicke fighting with his mouth wide open. Near the two-minute mark Lund shoots for another takedown, but it was promptly stuffed by Dicke. With Dicke on top both fighters tried their luck at landing elbows; Lund from the bottom and Dicke from inside his guard. As Dicke tried to pass to side-control, Lund lands two or three elbows to the top of his dome. Dicke makes it half way there, settling for half guard as time expires.

Round Three

After a touch of gloves and come circling, Dicke, this time, shoots the takedown and gets it. We’re just 30 seconds into the round. Lund searches for a submission as Dicke tries to pass. The action starts to stall out and the fighters are told to get busy by the ref. Dicke moves to half guard and drops some hammer fists. Lund tries to escape and in doing so Dicke lands an illegal knee to the head of Lund. Lund is hurt!

The ref steps in and calls time out. Lund takes a minute to get his bearings. Dicke loses one point on the judges scorecards.

With just 33 seconds left in the third round the action continues. Both fighters swing for the fences. Dicke senses that Lund is hurt. Lund wants to finish the round strong to leave an impression for the judges. Dicke is relentless on attacking Lund’s left leg with kicks and the swelling and redness are clearly visible.

Round Four

We’re now in the championship rounds, and with Dicke losing a point in the third, it’s close!

Again, like a repeat of the last frame, Dicke shoots the takedown early after an exchange of punches and kicks. Lund tries to escape, and Dicke takes his back. This is not looking good for the champion. Now, Dicke sinks both hooks in and flattens Lund out. Dicke goes for a choke. It looks tight! Lund taps out!

Dicke is the new MCC light heavyweight champion.

Post Fight

After a speech from the new champion crediting his win to his team and all that have stood behind him, he thanked Jesse Lund for the opportunity and said he was the toughest person he’d ever fought.

When given the mic, Lund, being the ever-humble warrior congratulated Will Dicke and said that it wasn’t his night, but he would be back. Lund, who is one of the most popular fighters on the MCC roster received a standing ovation from the packed house for his hard fought fight.

MCC officials later commented, “The one thing about Jesse Lund- he has never, ever turned down a tough fight or complained and made excuses for his losses. He’s a warrior. Period. Will Dicke had to come in here tonight and beat him. That’s the thing; you don’t get a win over Jesse Lund- you have to beat Jesse Lund. Congrats to Will Dicke for doing what many others have tried and failed at.”

MCC is already gearing up for a June event featuring the return of fast-rising star, Luis Saldana, former champ, Brian “BG” Green, and veteran legend, Ronnie “Warfrog” Britt. Check out www.MidwestCageChampionship.com for more information.

For pictures of the event, up to the minute news and more, add;

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Morris vs O'Brien

Main Card Re-Cap

Chad Vandermark vs. Gary Hedlund

Making his professional debut, hard-hitting Chad Vandermark stepped in the cage to face Gary Hedlund- who was making his second appearance in MCC following an impressive three round fight with veteran, Ronnie Britt.

Most of the affair was spent in the clinch pressed against the cage. Despite the occasional power punch by Vandermark, it was pretty much tit for tat- Hedlund would throw a low kick, Vandermark would throw a low kick. Hedlund would jab, Vandermark would jab. Repeat.

It was however, the third round that set the two clearly apart when Vandermark landed the most significant series of elbows in the clinch that bloodied his opponent up. He finished off with a takedown to seal the deal.

When the dust settled the judges had Vandermark ahead on all scorecards giving him the unanimous decision victory.

Jeremiah Deever vs. Jeff Carstens

With all of the verbal jabs, head grinding and shoves at weigh ins the night before, the stage was set for a good old fashioned grudge match. Originally scheduled for a lightweight bout, the two agreed to meet at 165 lbs days before the bout. When Carstens stepped on the scale a couple pounds over, Deever was not happy which led to the brief disturbance. Nonetheless, the two would settle it in the cage.

The last time Deever stepped in the cage he displayed a stand up game much improved, but this time it would be Jeff Carstens who struck first. Looking more aggressive than usual, Carstens appeared to back up his words. Peppering Deever with a barrage of punches and knees Carstens put on his best performance to date.

Unfortunately, the assault would only last for two and a half minutes before he gassed and clearer heads would prevail. Although rocked, Deever put his Elite Edge training to good use as he saw the open road that would lead to victory as Carstens hit the mat and exposed his neck. Deever promptly took his back and sunk in the rear naked choke getting the tap at 2:46 of the opening frame.

Rob Morrow vs. Mike Van Meer

Former middleweight champion, Mike “Mini Van” Van Meer briefly retired last year citing weight issues and lack of motivation in training. When he announced his return many thought that the break would give him the time to get his head back in the game and make another run at the middleweight crowd, however, when he stepped back in the cage Friday night it was not as a middleweight. It was not as a light heavyweight either. This fight was contested at 215 lbs- a heavyweight bout!

Despite the clear size advantage from his opponent, Van Meer stepped in looking focused and ready to return to the “w” column. When the bout started Van Meer, although heavier than normal, appeared light on his feet, using good footwork and head movement, he avoided the reach advantage of Morrow.

Not willing to stay on the outside to trade jabs, Van Meer launched a huge overhead right that clipped Morrow and sent him reeling backwards into the cage. Van Meer followed and as he locked up he landed his signature foot stomps.

But just as Van Meer had him where he wanted him, Morrow reversed the position and landed a barrage of 30 plus body and head shots along with the occasional uppercut. Van Meer dropped to the mat and covered up while Morrow continued the assault. Looking on cautiously, the referee allowed Van Meer to protect himself, but Morrow’s punches were too much, and at just 2:19 of round one, Mike Van Meer’s return was unsuccessful.

Tough break for the former champ who said that he would be back later this Summer as he’s just recently joined a new camp and looks forward to continue his training.

Corey McIntosh vs. Miguel Rios, Jr.

To sum this bout up in one word; dominance! But then again, with only one minor set back in his career, who has Miguel Rios, Jr. not dominated?

This time, it took a mere 42 seconds to take his opponent to the mat and lock up a head and arm choke. McIntosh may have been a formidable opponent, but Rios didn’t care to find out- nor grind out a three round victory like he did in his last fight against Doug Jenkins.

Rios received a huge ovation for his performance as well as a laugh from the audience when he announced that he, and his expecting-wife, Tiffany were taking a vacation and his main objective in this fight was to “stay pretty” so he didn’t have to answer any questions or get funny looks while they enjoyed the beach.

The sky is the limit for this future superstar of mixed martial arts.

Joe Morris vs. TJ O’Brien

Booked as a last minute feature, UFC veteran, TJ “The Spider” O’Brien put a lot on the line when he signed on to face one of the toughest lightweight fighters in the MCC roster- Joe “The Gentlemen” Morris.

With more awards for Heart of a Warrior than any other MCC fighter, Morris took the fight with nothing to lose stating, “I had planned to take time off until after my wedding, but when MCC called with this opportunity I wanted to take advantage of it.”

And any other night, Joe Morris may have had a chance against O’Brien, but Friday night everyone saw a totally different TJ O’Brien.

Often accused of not using his reach advantage and stand up skills, O’Brien shut any haters up. Mixing up his punches and kicks, O’Brien busted Morris up early, wobbling the uber-tough Morris early, and not giving him an inch to breathe. Morris was never able to fully settle into the fight.

After a couple minutes of punishment, O’Brien locked up and pulled Morris into his guard as he searched for a finish. He went from triangle to arm bar, then back to the patented triangle choke. Morris fought hard and tried to roll, but against a fighter who leads the pack for triangle finishes, it was no use- Morris was forced to tap out at 2:22 in the opening frame.

O’Brien is now 2-0 post-UFC. With his eyes on a return to the Octagon, if he continues to fight like he did Friday night, a return is inevitable.

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MCC 40

MCC 40 Undercard Re Cap

Jordan Webb vs. Stoney Stuart

The evenings festivities kicked off in the lightweight division as two former DMX fighters went head to head. Jordan “Boobie” Webb and Stoney Stuart, two aggressive grappler’s wasted little time getting right after it. Stuart, however, established dominance early, and throughout the first two rounds had Webb in trouble, several times, coming close to submitting the elusive Webb.

Webb, however, showed a bright moment mid-way through the second round when a big right hand sent Stuart staggering against the cage. Webb followed that up with a nice lateral drop, however, Stuart was able to get his bearing and finish the round strong.

In the third and final frame, Webb again landed a nice punch, but when it hit the mat, Stuart was able to reverse the position and in a scramble took Webb’s back. At 1:41 Stuart was able to lock in the rear naked choke submitting Webb to advance his record to 8-2.

Antonio Castillo vs. Ryan Fitzgerald

Antonio Castillo, taking his first fight in the stacked bantamweight division following an unsuccessful two fight streak as a featherweight, finally found his nitch, as he showed tremendous improvement in a one-sided win over Ryan Fitzgerald.

Fitzgerald was coming off a huge win over Cody Sheehy and has proven to fight well off his back. It was, however, a ground and pound attack that kept Fitzgerald on the defensive following a huge slam by Castillo.

“Fitz” fought tough, but the relentless attack of Castillo was more than he could handle Friday night. Giving up his back to avoid more punches, he exposed his neck and that’s all Castillo needed to lock in the choke at just 1:31 of the opening frame.

Nick Dewitt vs. Chris Fannon

Following a last minute opponent switch (something Fannon should be used to by now since Jake McDonald has pulled out three times now!), Chris Fannon faced off against Fight of the Night winner, Nick Dewitt.

While most thought it would be a stand up war, welcomed by both, it was Dewitt who initiated the ground game. Dewitt shot, locked up, and executed a huge slam. Unfortunately, his best attack of the fight turned out the be his biggest mistake. As Dewitt drove Fannon into the mat he put himself in danger positioning himself inside the triangle of Fannon. Call it a “give me”, but Fannon did the right thing and locked it in for the tap.

Fannon, who is primarily known as a knock out puncher claimed his first submission victory. Subsequently, he won Fighter of the Night award for his performance, and vowed that it would not be the last time fight fans saw his ground game as he says that he’s improving daily.

Zac Goodrich vs. Cody Sheehy

Already a name on the scene at just 18 years old, Goodrich is officially the youngest fighter in the MCC stable, however, at 7-1, he certainly has plenty of actual fight experience.

Friday night, Goodrich made his MCC debut against Cody Sheehy, and he certainly did not disappoint!

After a brief exchange of punches and kicks, Sheehy tried to grab a guillotine, and Goodrich picked him up overhead and tried to slam him into Hy Vee Hall’s basement! In doing so, he used perfect technique to pass Sheehy’s guard in mid-air. Once on the ground in side control, Goodrich looked for a step-over arm bar. When he missed that he immediately moved to the mount position and fed Sheehy some leather. As his opponent rolled to avoid damage, Goodrich found an opening that would seal the deal.

At just 1:20 Zac Goodrich would make his MCC debut successful. Look for big things to come from this kid. What are they feeding these guys in Creston?

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