Veterans of UFC add buzz for first sanctioned MMA fight in state
The weigh-in for Resurrection Fighting Alliance 17 held Thursday night at a downtown bar came off as incomparable – and not just as a precursor to the first sanctioned mixed martial arts fight in state history.
A handful of Ultimate Fighting Championship regulars were on hand for the show before the show – it's hard to imagine that being the norm in the developmental leagues. The biggest name at Wiley's: Anderson Silva, widely considered to be an all-timer.
The 39-year-old Brazilian, who is in the midst of an anxiously anticipated comeback from a gruesome leg break, declined interview requests; he preferred that the focus be placed on the 24 participants of RFA 17.
But his presence said enough. Established fighters see value in promoting the sport to new markets.
Area fighters take center stage at MMA event
How will region respond to sanctioned MMA?
"I think it's real important that the guys that have been around for a long time like myself, that we support the events like this," said Josh Thomson, the No. 6-ranked lightweight in the UFC. "I remember when we used to fight on cards that no one wanted to watch – we're the last of a dying breed."
Thomson can relate, having started his career in Idaho before that state began to sanction the sport. He had to travel far and wide to find fights, complicating the task of climbing the ranks.
Cat Zingano is the No. 1-ranked contender to champ Ronda Rousey in the UFC women's bantamweight division. She showed up for two reasons: Her manager is Ed Soares, the RFA president, and she has family in Mitchell. MMA is still young enough that there's still common ground between stars and starters.
"I'm encouraged by the evolution of [the sport]," Zingano said. She also noted being impressed by the $19 million Pentagon, a 1-year old venue that's expected to draw a capacity crowd in the range of 3,000 tonight.
The 12-bout card begins at 6:30 p.m. with the second half being aired on AXS TV, the network owned by Mark Cuban. Ten South Dakota fighters have spots, and – not surprisingly – they drew the largest applause during the staged, public portion of the weigh-in. (The real weigh-in took place about an hour earlier behind closed doors and under inspection by the new South Dakota Athletic Commission.)
But the imports aren't lacking for interesting backstories or accomplishments. Four train with Power MMA, a nationally noteworthy gym with ties to NBA veteran Mike Miller. One of them, 205-pounder Aaron Brown (1-0), was a seventh-round pick of the St. Louis Rams in the 2012 NFL Draft. He's fighting Lincoln High grad Devin Clark (1-0) – a former junior college national champion in wrestling – on the preliminary portion of the card.
The main card features six bouts, and there are whispers that the winners of the final three could land contracts with the UFC – as has become a trend. At least one fighter from every RFA event has gone on to sign with the UFC.
At 135 pounds, Luke Sanders (7-0) of Nashville, Tenn., is facing Darrick Minner (9-3) of Nebraska City, Neb. The 28-year-old Sanders boasts wins in three reputable feeder leagues – the defunct Strikeforce, Xtreme Fighting Championships and RFA – and has gained online buzz as a top prospect since joining The MMA Lab, a renowned training center in Glendale, Arizona.
The penultimate pairing is for the featherweight title, Mark Dickman (9-1) taking on Justin Lawrence (5-2). Both fighters originally are from Missouri. Dickman, 30, is a former NAIA national champion wrestler and was on the inaugural RFA card.
He's hoping to become the RFA champ some three years after being set back by a loss in a top-contender bout.
Lawrence has reached the UFC, been released, and is on the brink of returning – all at age 24. He's been training in an Orlando gym with former UFC bantamweight champ Dominick Cruz.
"A lot of guys haven't made it there yet," Lawrence said. "For me, this is another fight. I've been on the huge stage."
In the finale, Dakota Cochrane (17-5) of Omaha faces Christos Giagos (9-2) of Los Angeles for the lightweight title. A former sprinter and pole vaulter for Nebraska-Kearney, Cochrane has amassed 22 pro bouts in less than four years with several wins over UFC-level fighters, but has yet to stick with the big circuit. His only sniff consisted of a single bout on Season 15 of the reality show "The Ultimate Fighter."
Giagos is the reigning 155-pound champ of the longtime California circuit Tachi Palace Fights, and has won three fights in a row – all by stoppage. He and Cochrane looked among the most emaciated and exhausted during the weigh-in process. Unofficial estimates had them dropping in the range of 10 pounds in order to make weight then likely gaining most of that back by fight time.
This is what trained, licensed MMA fighters do, it seems. And now they can do so in this state.
"It's exciting," Dickman said. "It's an honor to be a part of this first MMA show down here in South Dakota."
At a Glance
What: Resurrection Fighting Alliance 17, tonight, 6:30 p.m. at the Sanford Pentagon
Tickets: Pentagon officials expect the event will sell out, but tickets remain available at Ticketmaster.com