Derek Perkins wins at XKO | photo: Sean Malone, Cage Authority

FORT WORTH, TX, May 20, 2013 – Coming out of his two-year amateur career with an official 1-4 record according to MMA.tv, It’s safe to say most people did not expect Phalanx Powerhouse’s Derek Perkins to come away with a win when he made his pro debut this past March at XKO 18 against Octagon MMA’s Rashad Coulter. Yet for all those expectations of another failure he turned the tide and made victory a reality with a win over his highly-touted opponent.

A fresh start, an undefeated record, and a new perspective on what he can do in the fighting world. In speaking to Derek, he surely seems to be using this momentum to motivate himself heading into his second pro fight this Saturday versus Jose Serna at STFC 25.

“When I fought Rashad, he was 3-0 KO’ing guys left and right. A lot of people felt it wasn’t a good fight (for me) to have my pro debut, but when you’re climbing a mountain you can’t take baby steps all the time. You have to take chances, and in this business I understand it’s about making an impact. In my debut I did that. It was the first time I ever was suggested to be an easy finish. I think you guys might of even had him as a 99% favorite to take me out. Glad I was left with that 1% because it’s was all I needed. I believe Rashad was ranked in Texas and I just want to be his replacement. And so on and so forth as I continue to knock off the guys in my way from being number one!”

“My mindset is to seek and destroy. I’m on a mission, and until I reach it, everybody else is just in the way! Just obstacles courses to get me to where I belong. I want to be the top 85′er or 70′er in Texas, that’s a goal of mine.”

From a training perspective, Derek Perkins feels a few changes – including a recent move into a new location for his team – have all helped make this fight camp good one for him heading into STFC 25.

“It (training for this fight) has been awesome. My fight team moved into a new location, and for the first time in a long time I can train as much as I want in every aspect of MMA under one roof. Phalanx doesn’t bring guys out, guys gravitate towards Phalanx and become members, because they see the work the team is putting in, and we’re making this a year to remember. We have a lot of elites under our roof, from Hayward Charles who’s on a 6-fight win streak to James Vick who was a Ultimate fighter semi-finalist. When you train with these guys, you have to increase or quit.”

“The only weird thing about this fight is that he (Joe Serna) is a ghost, I haven’t seen anything on the guy. It’s a shot in the dark. Good thing I have excellent aim, and I will hit my target, no matter what style he brings. He could be Anderson Silva good with striking, or GSP good with wrestling and ground and pound. I’m just training for every scenario and just have to enforce my will, keep him guessing, and get into his head early.”

Fighter Acknowledgements

“I want to give thanks for the time you took out to do this interview. Know I’m looking to push 2-0 with another statement May 24th. Shout out my team Phalanx Powerhouse all the way. Coach Durwyn Lamb and Lisa Marie all put in a lot of work with me whether its advice or lessons during class. Shout out my fans who have been supporting me from day 1, and push me as well. My management Killer Instinct with Mike Taylor/Lotis Butchko, Born2Bang – my sponsors. And last but not least the people  I know support me through thick and thin, Bryan Williams/Taylor France and my family thank you all. I won’t let you down!”

MAY 10, 2013

The McKinney North High School grad recently announced just last week that he and longtime girlfriend Marilyn were having a baby girl. And as if that weren’t enough, he’s set to make his debut in the AXS TV-aired Maximum Fighting Championship (MFC) this evening and in the MFC 37 main event no less!

Benoit’s bout versus Anthony Birchak (9-1) was elevated to main event status after the cancellation of MFC 37′s planned main event between Chris Barnett and Smealinho Rama.

“It’s a dream come true,” he says. “MFC is the real deal and a great promo. The exposure I’m getting is awesome. I was dying just to get on a card and now I’m the main event. It’s just crazy. It means a lot I feel very blessed about the opportunities that have been given and I’m so thankful.”

Fighting out of the Saekson Janjira Muay Thai camp in DFW and also training down in Mexico at Saul “Canelo” Alvarez’s gym in Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico whenever he can get down there, “Babyface” feels he has stepped up in both training and skill lately and has high hopes for what he can accomplish in 2013.

With that in mind, Ryan Benoit will look to follow up his 3-0 campaign in the Legacy Fighting Championship last year with his first MFC win over his most accredited opponent yet in Arizona-based Anthony Birchak.

There’s been no love lost between the two ever since the fight was announced with both fighters chattering back and forth on Twitter.

“I hate that guy,” says Ryan Benoit. “No seriously the trash talk just comes with the fighting. Personally I think he is a douche but at the same I don’t have any personal reason to hate him besides him signing the contract to fight me. (As an opponent for me) He isn’t the most experienced but has the best record. I think we match up good but I think my skills will dominate his skills. I’m looking for a first-round TKO. Then hopefully it’s the UFC but if not I’ll fight for the MFC bantamweight title in August.”

“I would like to thank Saekson Janjira, my teacher for sure. I wish he was here with me. Thanks also to my sponsors: KO Reps, Lockout Supplements, and all my sponsors.  Thank God for all these opportunities and for giving me my baby girl coming in October. Time to go win this fight.”

FORT WORTH, TX, April 23, 2013

Luckily or him, or rather as a testament to his hard work, times have changed and Johnny is no longer grinding it out to making a career living on the fringes of MMA after seven years in the sport. Quite the opposite, he’ll be taking on late replacement Bryan Caraway this coming Saturday on the FX undercard of UFC 159, scheduled for Newark, NJ. If he wins, it will be his third UFC win in a row.

Originally growing up in Woodville, Ohio, Bedford’s journey actually began much further back than the seven years he’s had in MMA. He started wrestling at five years old and continued in the sport al throughout his scholastic years. It wasn’t until his collegiate career at Cleveland State University ended that he got the urge to compete in MMA.

He went 6-0 as an amateur and turned pro in September 2006 – losing his first fight by submission. In fact, he would go 2-4-1 in his first 7 fights but he persevered. It wasn’t until Johnny moved to Texas in March of 2007 that he was finally able to hit his stride after making the commitment to train full-time. Since them he’s won two different titles and took his record to 17-9-1 before getting his big break to appear in season 14 of The Ultimate Fighter. He’d make it to the semi-finals of that season – beating highly touted Carson Beebe and Josh Ferguson along the way before succumbing to John Dodson in the semi-finals. He would then bounce back with a convincing win over fellow cast mate Louis Gaudinot in the TUF 14 Finale.

After beating Brazilian Marcos Vinicius in his last bout Johnny will low look to make it a hat trick against Caraway this Saturday after his original opponent and fellow Texan Erik Perez was hospitalized with a staph infection. A win here and a little more consistency could lead him to title contention sooner rather than later.

“(They’re) completely different fighters but I’m confident it will be the same outcome,” he says about the change in opponent. “Time to become 3-0 in the UFC and keep climbing that ladder!”

Check out this UFFL video on “A Day in the Life of Johnny Bedford”

Will Campuzano defends against Alan Nascimento

DALLAS, TX, April 16, 2013 – The Allen Event Center in North Dallas once again played host to the Legacy Fighting Championship and AXS TV this past Friday night.

Legacy Fighting Championship 19 featured a workmanlike title defense in the flyweight division as champion Will Campuzano defended his belt for the very first time against a tough opponent in Brazilian import Alan Nascimento. The two went a full five rounds with William using his veteran savvy, striking, and some well-tooled wrestling (ala Johnny Bedford) to control the submission-minded 21 year old prospect en route to the victory.

In the co-main event of the evening, DREAM and Bellator vet Georgi Karakhanyan showed he may be UFC-ready by scoring his 7th straight win over longtime veteran Din Thomas. “Insane” now improves to 21-3 overall and looks to be as good a prospect as any in the world at 145 lbs.

Georgi Karakhanyan picks up big win over Din Thomas

Speaking of prospects, another one that may be ready for even bigger fights sooner rather than later is a guy by the name of Robert Drysdale. Maybe you’ve heard of him.

Taking on his toughest challenge yet in his third fight since signing with Legacy, he would face 20+ fight veteran D.J. Linderman. A wrestler by background who can also strike, “Da Protege” was projected by some to be the opponent that would take Drysdale into deeper waters. Instead he became just another stat in this one, namely Robert’s sixth straight victory by way of first round submission.

Aside from the three main bouts at the top of the card, some of the most exciting performances of the evening were found lower down in the fight order as well.

Most notably, George Pacurariu and Rey Trujillo rose to the occasion with scintillating knockout performances over Steven Peterson and Chris Jones to stake a claim for themselves as probable title contenders.

Robert Drysdale stays undefeated

Meanwhile, another Octagon MMA fighter did cement a title spot for himself in Matt Hobar. Scoring a convincing win over a game fighter in Nelson Salas, “Crowbar” now finds himself in a position to challenge for the bantamweight belt – presumably against Houston’s Angel Huerta.

Last but not least to score a win on the televised card was Kevin Aguilar of Longview, TX. Fighting under the Legacy banner for just the second time, Kevin took on undefeated Jackson’s MMA prospect and Waxahachie, TX native Hunter Tucker and gave him the first loss on his record via first round armbar submission. Kevin now moves to 8-0 and has to be considered one of the blue chip prospects right now in all of Texas MMA.

Legacy Fighting Championship 19 – Quick Results

Will Campuzano over Allan Nascimento by unanimous decision (49-45, 48-46, 48-46)

Georgi Karakhanyan over Din Thomas by unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 29-28)

Robert Drysdale over DJ Linderman by submission (rear-naked choke) at 1:48 of round one

Matt Hobar over Nelson Salas by unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)

George Pacurariu over Steven Peterson by knockout (punch) at 3:42 of round one

Rey Trujillo over Chris Jones by knockout (punches) at 3:59 of round one

Kevin Aguilar over Hunter Tucker by submission (armbar) at 2:24 of round one

Brad Mitchell over David Armas by split decision

Evan Thompson over Angelus Raymond McFarlane by unanimous decision

Bull Lawal over Jabari Shakur by unanimous decision.

Vernon Lewis over James Hall by TKO (Doctor Stoppage) at 5:00 of round one

TXMMA Fight Night Awards

Fight of the Night – Will Campuzano vs. Allan Nascimento

Knockout of the Night – George Pacurariu

Submission of the Night – Kevin Aguilar

Legacy Fighting Championship 19 – Event Photo Gallery

High-resolution images from Legacy FC 19 and past events available for print and download purchase via mikecalimbas.com.

DALLAS, TX, April 11, 2013

A lifelong wrestler and a pro currently with a 6-1 record, the highly-regarded last fought back at Legacy FC 16 this past December, avenging the only loss of his career to Steven Peterson and a blemish on his record only put there by virtue of a freak injury that left his arm dangling at his side after their first fight last August.

“I saw that only loss as a minor setback,” he says about that first loss. Obviously it was an unfortunate situation but never bothered him mentally. And now he’s past it.

“I do not want to let any fighter or injury get in my way of reaching my goals in MMA, especially this fight (with Salas) because it is a title contention fight.

Taking on the undefeated Salas is pivotal – as in a de facto #1 contender match where, barring any unforeseen circumstances, the winner should be placed in a title fight versus Houston’s Angel Huerta – a fighter Hobar’s opponent has already beat.

No matter, that doesn’t bother the “Crowbar” (Hobar) either.

“I feel I improve every fight and I am so much of a different fighter now than I was 2 or 3 years ago. This sport has helped me mature as a person emotionally and spiritually. The discipline that is needed for this keeps me humble and honest with myself. I feel my striking has improved to a high level. In my first few amateur and pro fights I had little to no striking and relied heavily on my wrestling. Now I use my wrestling only when I need it and prefer to stand, just the opposite of when I started.”

“I like this match up. Salas is very good all-around fighter but I feel he doesn’t have one particular discipline he is extremely good at. I am the veteran wrestler and the bigger fighter with the longer reach too which I will be looking to use against him. I am looking to put Salas away quick. I want to finish this fight, on the ground or standing, I do not care. Then I want to fight for the bantamweight belt in Legacy. I hope to fight Angel Huerta for the belt after this. That’s the plan.”

“My teammate Geo Pacariu (who is also fighting at LFC 19 vs. the aforementioned S. Peterson) and I have been training a lot together. We did a little trade off this camp. I helped him with his wrestling and he helped me with my striking. If I can stand and strike with him I know I can do it with the best in MMA. I’ve also I have been working my cardio extensively with former Ohio state and North Carolina wrestler Keegan Mueller. I know Salas has never fought a full fifteen minutes before so I am definitely going to test his gas tank.”

“This is my life and my job, there is no ill-will or evil intentions, but I will not let anyone get in the way of me being successful.”

DALLAS, TX, April 11, 2013

Looking further down on the main card, one of the best fights to look forward to features DFW-based veteran Steven “Ocho” Peterson taking on another prospect in rising Romanian Geo Pacurariu (interviewed here).

Both these fighters have high hopes of moving up the ladder of contention in the crowded Legacy bantamweight division, and this fight on Friday night will be very telling on the immediate futures of both with respect to that goal.

We recently caught up with “Ocho” to get his thoughts on tomorrow night’s fight.

Legacy FC 19 Interview – Steven “Ocho” Peterson (Gracie Gym)

Ocho, tell our fans a little bit about your lifestyle and who you are heading into this fight at LFC 19.

Well I am a full-time fighter. I train my heart out 5-6 days a week 2-4 times a day. I strive to be the best and am constantly working to fix all and any holes in my game. I do the same in my personal life as well. I am far from perfect, but I always work on fixing my flaws and to be a better father to my son and a better husband to my wife.

I am extremely motivated heading into this fight. I was caught off guard by my opponent’s game plan in my last fight (versus Matt Hobar, LFC 16) but this time I am prepared for anything.

Tell us more about that. What have you changed since then and how will that translate in the cage?

I have done some new things with how I’ve been training for this one and I’ve gained some new resources and training partners. I’m not going to give all the details before the fight but I will give credit where credit is due. What I can say is that I’ve improved in all areas of my fight game. I’ve taken my training to another level and I don’t think I’m as closed-minded as I once was. I am looking to make a statement in this fight. Fight my fight, not my opponent’s. And most importantly, I want to get this win. 2013 will be my year. My goal is to step foot in the UFC cage and walk out with the win by the end of the year.

What do you think of your matchup with Geo Pacurariu specifically?

It’s definitely an interesting matchup stylistically. He is short and stalky where I am tall and longer yet I still like to get in there and bang. Will I find myself in a brawl or will I use my reach and stay on the outside? I don’t know the answer to that but I know he’ll be tough. We’ll just have to see how I choose to go about it once I get in there… Overall I think he has an impressive resume, but I will show him that I’m on another level. This is my fight to win or lose, and I will keep my composure and do what I need to do to walk out with a victory.

Any bold predictions as far as how this one ends?

Not sure, I envision many different outcomes in my mind. I see this fight being a fast-paced, exciting fight just like the rest of them have been. In all my scenarios I walk out with my hand raised. I predict I will finish it in the first or second round.

Any immediate plans follow the fight? Last words?

I’m going to try out for The Ultimate Fighter and hope to make it on the show and win the whole thing!

I want to thank my coaches; Arjan Carlos Moreno, Marcus Neuenschwander, Dave Masi and Cam Buchanan. I also want to thank my beautiful wife Amanda for being by my side through this amazing journey and my son Keison for waking me up early every morning so I have no choice but to get up and get to the gym. Shout out to all my sponsors; Last Round Nutrition, Crossfit 380, Chiropractic 360, Gracie Plano, Team 515, Athletic performance Texas, Vip Mouthguards, War Tribe Gear, Good Brand, Phat Paint, David Ray Law, North American Energy Management, Cheetah Muay Thai, AMTA, Nissan Lewisville, JustBreakIt.com and TXMMA.com. And thank you Mike Calimbas for the exposure and your incredible photography!

DALLAS, TX, April 9, 2013 – Heading into Legacy FC 19 this coming Friday at the Allen Event Center there are plenty of fighters that deserve recognition. Some, like Will Campuzano and Robert Drysdale, are already fairly well-known to most astute fight fans while others may not have been so visible as of yet but deserve some notice in the run-up to the event.

Today’s interviewee is one of them.

A Romanian national, George Pacurariu has one heck of a backstory before making it into the world of Texas Mixed Martial Arts.

Living in a Communist Bloc country and growing up in a time of upheaval for the region, “Geo” had an upbringing very different than most fighter we’ve spoken to – making it through the Romanian revolution and while growing up in the up in the village of Topleţ. As a rule, Romanian coluture emphasises physical training as part of their overall education so naturally he was drawn into sports. With a  penchant for soccer play he advanced to professional play but the time he was in high school and continued on until he was conscripted into the Armata Română (Romanian Army) at the age of 20. Discovering combative sports during his last two months in the army, Geo finally found his “true” calling. No less than six months after he started, Geo had become a national champion in Kempo and decided to abandon soccer in lieu of focusing on martial arts.

Fast forward to present day and he’s now at Octagon MMA continuing to pursue his dream of becoming a professional mixed martial artist. Taking his first US fight in 2011 and winning that fight by submission, Pacurariu is undefeated since his move to the U.S. and now stands with a 4-1 record heading into his biggest fight yet this Friday against Steven “Ocho” Peterson (8-3) at Legacy Fighting Championship 19.

Like we said in the beginning of this article, Pacurariu may not be a household name yet but given the backgrounds of both these men – this fight is definitely one to look forward to.

Legacy FC 19 Interview – George Pacurariu (Octagon MMA)

Geo, thanks for talking to us before your fight at LFC 19. Tell us a bit about yourself.

I started practicing martial arts 8 years ago in Romania. I started when I was in the Army; service was required at that time at minimum 18 years of age. After two years of training I became a National, European and World Champion several times at different combat styles. I fought for the Romanian National Kempo and San Shou team and traveling abroad. I fought all over Europe including: Russia, France, Azerbaijan, Portugal and also in Japan. I fought pro for the first time in June 2007 in Paris, France. I remember it well. There were some great fighters also on the card like Tarec  Saffiedine and others. I wanted to work on my ground game and wrestling and I knew I need to relocate to the States to get high level training and that’s how I ended up in Dallas. I did some research and wanted to come to a bigger gym with a lot of pros. I found Octagon MMA and it was a perfect fit for me. There are over twenty young hungry pros that I train with every day now and we make each other better.

What have you improved most since you got there to Octagon MMA? How ready do you feel for this fight on Friday?

For the last 2 years since I’ve arrived to USA I’ve focused more on my wrestling and BJJ skills than anything but I haven’t neglected my main weapon either, which is striking. I had a great camp for this fight. I am 100% ready. I consider all my coaches playing an important part in my preparation, and of course my teammates also help tremendously. I want to follow my game plan that we prepared for this fight. I will be looking to use all my skill and experience to dominate my opponent and come with a win.

Looking deeper into this fight with Steven, how do you think you match up specifically?

I was looking forward for this fight and I am happy to be fighting him. He is a tough well-rounded fighter; I believe I have some advantages in this fight and I will try to utilize them. I guarantee you that it will be an exciting one to watch. If I follow my game plan and fight my way everything should work out just fine.

What’s next for you after this? Any plans for the rest of the year?

First of all I want to win this fight and I will do everything for that. For the rest of this year, I want to have more fights and to accomplish my goal and dream of becoming an UFC fighter. I hope I’ll make it to The Ultimate Fighter show or continue to fight in Legacy FC. Legacy is a great organization that is known all across the country as one of the premiere orgs in the game so it’s good to fight for them.

Any last words for Steven Peterson before Friday?

I wish him good luck and thank him for accepting this fight.

Anything else I haven’t asked that you want to put out there or anyone else to thank, etc.?

I want to thank God for helping me to be where I am today and also my wonderful family and friends for their support. I want to thank my teammates at Octagon MMA. I want to thank my head Coach Sayif Saud who has brought me in and guided me. He took me in when I first came to this country and didn’t know anyone. My English wasn’t very good but everyone always made me feel at home. My Coaches and Team are my family away from Romania. I also want to thank Coach Bertolino for refining my wrestling game and Coach Octavio for working on my Jiu-Jitsu and my Romanian Coach Viorel Mihaila for boxing. Lastly thank you to KO Reps for everything they do with my sponsors, Core Power, ONNIT, Ammo To Go and Throwdown.

DALLAS, TX, April 8 2013 – It’s time for another professional MMA fight week out in the DFW Metroplex as the Legacy FC comes rolling into the Allen Event Center this Friday night for Legacy Fighting Championship 19, scheduled to air LIVE on AXS TV.

Marking the second North Texas trip for the Mick Maynard-led organization, LFC 19 features a strong fight card with a whole host of up-and-coming prospects and local veterans. The card is strongest up top with undefeated Robert Drysdale taking on seasoned vet DJ Linderman in the co-main event and Legacy Flyweight Champ Will Campuzano defending his title or the very first time against another undefeated opponent in Alan Nascimento.

We’ll preview the whole card later on this week here on TXMMA but we recently had a conversation with the champion, Will Campuzano and what we can say is that he’s taking this main event very seriously.

“I’m feeling very selfish right now,” he says about the fight. “I don’t think or worry about my opponents (including this one). These next few years are gonna be the pinnacle of my career. Right now I feel at my strongest. I’ve put the work in and I’m ready to show the world who Will Campuzano is.”

At only 26 years old, William has already been “there and back” as far as levels of MMA goes. He debuted in the WEC way back in 2009 and also fought twice in the UFC as recently as 2011. Unfortunately for him, he had to do it at 135 lbs. way before the UFC began featuring the flyweight division – a weight class he now considers home and where he fights strongest. That level of appropriateness means the world at the highest levels of MMA. And while Will has always been knowing nationally as an exciting fighter, he’s not content with just putting on a good showing, he wants to continue to be champion and them achieve the same thing at the highest levels. And that means defending his belt against any and all comers until he gets the call to chase one at the next level back in the UFC.

As far as his opponent for this Friday night in Allen, the Mohler MMA-trained Campuzano isn’t all that worried about the Brazilian.

Nicknamed “Puro Osso,” Allan Nascimento is only 21 years of age yet boasts 7 wins – all finishes. His record includes a slick kneebar  over Terry Acker at Legacy FC 12 that earned him submission of the night honors.

Will Campuzano does not care.

This is his belt. His home city. And his time to show the world what he can really do no matter who is across from him in that cage.

“I used to be hesitant but now I’m looking for a scrap,” he says. “This guy is too young and too green to recognize the terrible mistake he made by taking this fight. I’m better all-around and that will show by the second round if it gets there. Better Keep your hands up and chin down.”

It’s all about knockouts, staying active, and more tough fights for the flyweight champion.

Legacy Fighting Championship 19 – Main Card

125 – Will Campuzano 11-4 v. Allan Nascimento 7-0 (TITLE)
205 – Robert Drysdale 5-0 v. DJ Linderman 13-4
135 – Matt Hobar 6-1 v. Nelson Salas 4-0
145 – Chris Jones 8-1 v. Rey Trujillo 13-9
170 – Charles Byrd 5-3 v. Roy Spoon 7-5
135 – Steven Peterson 8-3 v. George Pacurariu 4-1
145 – Hunter Tucker 6-0 v. Kevin Aguilar 6-0

Legacy Fighting Championship 19 – Undercard

145 – David Armas vs Brad Mitchell
185 – Evan Thompson v. Angelus McFarlane
185 – Bull Lawal v. Jabari Shakur
170 – Melvin Jordan v. Bobby Moore
HVY – James Hall vs Vernon Lewis

ARLINGTON, TX, March 25, 2013

In the main event of the evening, submission whiz Hayward Charles scored his fifth straight victory (all by submission) over Kano Gregoire to snap his own streak of two wins in a row. With this win it really seems like everything is starting to come together for Charles as he’s built some impressive consistency as of late as opposed to earlier on in his career where he alternated a few wins and losses. Not sure what is next for him post-XKO 18 but I’d imagine a major TV fight or a title shot in some org wouldn’t be out of the realm of possibility.

Meanwhile in the co-main event, XKO 18 featured another fighter looking to build some consistency of her own with Mohler MMA-trained Amber Stautzenberger. Taking part in the first-ever female MMA bout in Xtreme Knockout history, Amber the “Apex Predator” picked up her second win in a row over fellow local fighter Ashley Allen. It’s her second win as a pro and she’ll look to follow it up with even more in the first half of 2013 when she competes against Soannia Tiem at the upcoming PFS 4.

As for the rest of the event, there were a few notables that caught our eye.

David Armas picked up his very first submission win over of his 11 fight MMA career with a triangle choke over Moises Diaz in the second round to move to 4-7 overall.

Derek Perkins scored what has to be considered an upset over highly-touted prospect Rashad Coulter with a first round kimura to move to 1-0 as a pro while Rashad drops to 3-1.

Stephen Banaszack debuted in XKO and picked up his first pro win by armbar in the second round over Humberto Martinez.

Jeff Glemond and Jewel Snell complete the winners circle with decision wins over Mark Raso and Sean Douglas respectively while Timothy Stephenson and Steven Cloud went to a no-contest after an accidental foul forced the doctors to call a halt to the bout in the first round.

XKO 18 – Quick Results from March 23, 2013

Hayward Charles over Kano Gregoire by submission (guillotine choke), RD1

Amber Stautzenberger over Ashley Allen by unanimous decision.

David Armas over Moises Diaz by submission (triangle choke), RD2

Jeff Glemoud over Mark Raso by unanimous decision.

Timothy Stephenson vs. Steven Cloud was ruled a no-contest after RD1 (accidental foul)

Derek Perkins over Rashad Coulter by submission (kimura), RD1

Jewel Snell over Sean Douglas by unanimous decision

Stephen Banaszack over Humberto Martinez by submission (armbar), RD2

DALLAS, TX, March 20, 2013 – JP Cole describes himself as a “Saekson made traditional Muay Thai fighter” that loves his “kicks, knees and elbows.” Cole’s love of Muay Thai extends beyond just competition and he feels the same amount of passion for teaching the art of the 8 limbs as he does displaying it’s elegant brutality in a ring or cage. Cole is thankful for his good fortune, and is excited to be representing his style of fighting in mixed martial arts competition. Never one to be complacent with life Cole believes that “at this point in [his] career the only place he “can go is up.” In order for Cole to continue on his path of ascension he will have to stay low and avoid the ground game of Isaiah Gutierrez. This fight looks to pit the classical matchup of grappler vs. striker and that means whoever takes things to their comfort zone will likely end up the victor.

JP Cole took some time to tell TXMMA about his evolution from Thai Fighter to Mixed Martial Artist, his preparations for his Flyweight matchup, the potential for blink-and-you’ll miss type shenanigans, and he also discussed the kind of style he’s trying to bring to the table. Here is everything he had to say!

XKO 18 Pre-Fight Interview – JP Cole (Saekson Janjira Muay Thai)

TXMMA: You are starting to look more and more comfortable fighting MMA; did your last fight go as planned and were you able to learn any lessons from that experience?

JPC: My last fight was against Akira Smith (super cool guy). The weight cut killed me and I had no energy to perform the way I wanted so it didn’t go too well but you live and you learn. We went all 3 rounds I lost to a unanimous decision. Since then I’ve been trying to watch my weight better since I’m at the bigger end of 125. I walk around at 150lbs and 4% body fat so I don’t have much to lose.

TXMMA: Your main strength is your Muay Thai, Do you feel like if it isn’t broken you shouldn’t fix it or are you doing something to help compliment your excellent striking pedigree?

JPC: I feel right now that I’m constantly evolving as a fighter. I’m always learning new techniques and ways to move. Every fight makes me better and every fight makes me stronger. I compete because I love everything about the sport, the training and bonding, the lights, the crowd; the competition there’s nothing better. As for where I’m going in the sport I have no choice but to be Great.

TXMMA: Obviously, you are still developing as a fighter, but in the brief span of your fighting career what has been the most challenging and the most memorable moment you’ve experienced in MMA?

JPC: My greatest challenge in MMA so far has been balancing the different martial arts. The schedule gets crazy a lot of times. My most memorable moments would be my last amateur fight out in Odessa, Texas and my first pro fight. Both times I got to fight and train with my best friends Albert Bocardo and Soannia Tiem.

TXMMA: How do you handle the moments before a fight? Are you anxious to get started or unaffected by pre-fight jitters?

JPC: Nothing really goes through my head when I enter the cage. It’s just another day at the gym for me. I fought 6 times last year and had 4 fights cancel on me the day of [the fight] so I’m pretty used to everything now. Besides, after the weight cut the fight is the easy part.

TXMMA: What can you tell our readers about your preparations for this fight? Have you been seeking new training partners and cross-training at different gyms?

JPC: Nooo comment…

TXMMA: Fair enough, are you worried about your opponent’s ground skills, do you think you’ll be able to keep him from bringing it to the mat?

JPC: Good luck [with that]. I know he’s going to try to take me down right out the gate for a fact so I’m ready for that. I just hope he’s prepared to stand with me because I’m pretty sure it’s not going to go down so smooth.

TXMMA: Who helped you get ready for Gutierrez and what’s next after him?

JPC: Thank you Saekson, Albert and Soannia love you guys! After this fight I’m going to get ready for my next one at Premier over in Fort Worth. I like to stay busy!