Televised on Sept 5th, 2009, at Vets Auditorium in Des Moines, IA, MCC 22 was a stacked fight card brought to you by Nutrishop & Mediacom. This exclusive production of MCC 22 includes the following bouts:

Lightweights
Chad Zurfluh v Mike Miller

Featherweights
Laramie Shaffer v Zak Laird

Heavyweights
Phil Conley v Barrett Eller

Middleweights
Nick Rouse v Brad Davis

Welterweights
Patrick Perkins v Miguel Rios

Middleweights
Dean Bradley v Ian Tice

Lightweights
Daraugh Canada v Nick Walker

Featherweights
Bill Kamery v Josh Henry

Light Heavyweights
Matt Scaggs v Josh Christensen

Light Heavyweights
Chad Vance v Jesse Lund

Lightweights
Alex Harper v Jake Brown

Lightweight Championship Bout
Chris Mickle v Joe Brammer

With the most stacked MCC card to date, the Midwest’s top promotion delivered what was promised to be non-stop action from start to finish.  MCC 22 “Reality Check” featured a Lightweight title match between reigning interim champion, Joe “The Hammer” Brammer and former featherweight champion, Chris “Mad Dog” Mickle.  Although most expected Brammer to finish the hard nosed brawler shortly into the contest, Mickle proved that he is still a contender taking the champion five, five minute rounds as he hung tough in losing a unanimous decision to the younger, more technical fighter.  Shortly after the fight, Brammer stated, “I thought I may have broken my hand in the second round, but, when I went back to my corner at the end of the third I knew it was broken.  I wanted to knock him out, but with only one hand I had to start using my elbows more, and I had to get him to the ground to do that.”  Brammer, who retained his title will have plenty of time to heal while he waits to face MCC lightweight champion, Bryce Teager in an upcoming event.

In what became fireworks from bell to bell, young guns Zak Laird and Laramie Shaffer put on a performance deserving of fight of the night honors.  It was Iowa versus Iowa State when the doctor to be, University of Iowa student, Zak Laird used his solid kick boxing skills to defeat ISU wrestler, Laramie Shaffer in a three round war.  MCC Co-owner, John Halverson said, “These are two of my favorite up and coming fighters.  I’d been telling everyone leading up to the show to keep an eye on this fight because I knew it was going to be the best of the night.”  He concluded with, “If we had these guys fight each other at every MCC, the fans would never get sick of watching it.”

In the upset of the night, WEC hopeful, Bill Kammery stepped in to the cage to put his undefeated record on the line when he squared up against Josh “Bam Bam” Henry.  Right out of the gate, Henry came out strong, taking the Golden Gloves champion to the ground.  However, he quickly found himself on the bottom eating heavy leather from the bearded bomber.  Clearly losing the first round, Bam Bam came out of his corner for the second a focused fighter.  With a slick takedown and transition to rear naked choke, Kammery was forced to tap out and Henry found himself at the winning end of the biggest fight of his young career.  Following his win, Henry said he knew he was the underdog, but that didn’t matter to him.  He knew he was going to be victorious no matter who was put in front of him.  Undefeated as a professional, he’s asked MCC for a title shot.  MCC co owner and matchmaker, Ryan Hass noted, “With a win over Kammery he is deserving of a title shot.  We’re going to take a look at scheduling and see when we can make it happen.”

The promotion which is known for showcasing the talents of the best up and coming fighters in the Midwest is already gearing up for their biggest show of the year- the annual “Thanksgiving Throwdown” which is set for Wednesday, November 25 at Vets Auditorium.  For more about MCC 22, the fighters, and upcoming events, log onto www.MidwestCageChampionship.com.

Brammer vs Mickle. Another big fight in the MCC looms close and I look forward to it like many of you do of course, but I also have some trepidation.  You see, the fighters involved are two friends of mine and this fight means a great deal to both of them.  Someone is going to win and possibly move on to bigger things, the loser will have to regroup and start all over again. I have trained with both of these guys extensively over the years, most recently to prepare for my final fight. Both Chris and Joe have been instrumental in making me a better fighter and I cant thank them enough for their dedication.  I love them both and have a tremendous amount of respect for them not only as fighters but also as friends. Come Sept 5th, I will be elated for one of them, heartbroken for the other. Given the nature of the sport, I have become somewhat accustomed to guys I know competing against each other. Heck, I too have fought guys I consider friends, but it doesn’t mean I have to like it. I will be glad when its over, that’s for sure!

Joe Brammer used to train with the DMEF team quite a bit several years ago. He was one of the youngest guys that came to our gym, but he had a world of potential.  Not everyone endures brutal sparring sessions with seasoned tough guys…and then comes back the next day for more. Not only did Joe do that, he would go to other places to train as well. I marveled at this young kid and his humble manner and I still do. He soaked up any training advice we could give him or any techniques as well.  Joe hasn’t changed at all, he is still the same dude…just a hell of a lot tougher. Joe has traveled and trained at a variety of places and its paid off for him. He is one of the most well rounded fighters to compete for the MCC. His stand-up game is precise and accurate, he can kick and punch as well as anybody. Joe has heart and a great chin that complements that stand up game very well.  He trains with the Des Moines Jiu Jitsu Academy so you know his ground game is top notch. Fans of the local fight scene know Joe can go the distance and he can end it quick.

A few months after Joe moved on, Chris Mickle was introduced to the DMEF (Des Moines Extreme Fighting) team by Mike Van Meer and he has trained with us pretty much most of the time since then aside from is service with the military until recently.  Chris is a fighter at heart through and through, he was born to be a warrior.  I don’t know if I have ever seen anyone with as much determination and heart as Chris. What he lacks in precision, form and accuracy, he makes up for in volume, ferocity and intensity.  He is like one of those horror movie guys that just keeps coming after you, even when you think they are done. Right away I recognized Chris for the hard nosed kind of fighter he was, seldom do you see a guy with as little fear as him. He doesn’t care if he gets punched or kicked, in fact I think the little demented goof likes it. Most people will shy away from going toe to toe with someone, but Chris has a way of actually bringing that out of you while sparring and in fighting.  The next thing you know you are in a slugfest. But Chris is well rounded as well, his ground game is under appreciated. What Chris is known for is his stamina and granite chin, but I think he just stubbornly refuses to get tired or hurt. A big part of his success in reality is his strength and his skill set that he applies with it.

So how do I see the fight going? Probably not to different than many of you.  I don’t know if I can see either of them submitting the other, at least not right away. Maybe in the 4th or 5th round if one is rocked or tired perhaps, but I don’t think it will be a submission. I can say that while doing many rounds with these guys, they don’t usually look for a sub right away, they will both bang a bit.  Can either of these guys knock the other out? Most definitely. Joe has good, sneaky hooks that can make you see stars, Chris has punches that come from nowhere that makes the birdies tweet in your head. Also in the striking department, Joe also has tremendous head kicks, lord knows I have felt those on many of occasions. He will throw kicks in combinations and mixes them in very well. Chris can kick but it isn’t his forte, he will throw lots of punches with very bad intentions. I can see both guys coming out and taking their time till the first flush punch lands, and then it will be on!  Look for Chris to press Joe and look for Joe to use precision counter punching. Both guys are experienced and patient fighters, they will not rush into any mistakes.  Joe can be very hard to hit, he is very elusive. Chris can be very easy to hit, mainly cuz he likes that. This is probably going to be a huge factor, but you recall how I said that Chris has a way of turning it into a slugfest? Well, his head is right there and the temptation to punch him is too overwhelming (don’t try it if you meet him though). Both guys are as tough as they come, Chris has inhuman pain tolerance and Joe will have his hands full.  So who is going to be the winner?  Well, it’s you… the fans! See you guys at the cage.

Saturday, September 5th, 2009 @ Vets Auditorium

Bantamweight
Josh Troen	VS	Nate Williams
Lightweight
Steve Lawrence	VS	Mike Miller
Featherweight
Laramie Shaffer	VS	Zak Laird
Heavyweight
Phil Conley	VS	Barrett Eller
Welterweight
Nick Rouse	VS	Brad Davis
Welterweight
Patrick Perkins	VS	Miguel Rios
Middleweight
Jessie Wilson	VS	Ian Tice
Lightweight
Daraughn Canada	VS	Nick Walker
Featherweight
Bill Kamery	VS	Josh Henry
Light Heavyweight
Matt Scaggs	VS	Josh Christenson
Light Heavyweight
Chad Vance	VS	Jesse Lund
Lightweight
Alex Harper	VS	Jake Brown
Lightweight Interim Championship
Chris Mickle	VS	Joe Brammer

Earlier this month, Midwest Cage Championship held it second ever trials show as they scouted the MMA scene for fresh, up and coming fighters.  In front of a sell out crowd, several fighters earned their invitations into MCC, and a few of them will make their debut at MCC 22.  In one of the most exciting back and forth bouts of the night, Nate “Teddy Bear” Williams and Josh “The Jackhammer” Troen agreed to a rematch.  Fighters such as Laramie Shaffer, Zak Laird, and Nick Rouse all came up with big wins, and look to keep their streak going as they step up to the lights, cameras, and big crowd at MCC 22.

Seasoned veterans and MCC favorites like Josh “The Bull” Christensen, Jesse Lund, Alex Harper, and Jake “Dirty Bird” Brown will also be back in action looking to take one step closer to the titles in their respective weight divisions.  MCC co-owner, John Halverson commented, “This card has some of the best veterans mixed with some of the best up and coming fighters.  Some of these guys you see on this show will be some of the guys you’ll be watching on pay per view in the future.  Trust me.”

Tickets for MCC 22 are available now and be purchased on line at www.MidwestCageChampionship.com, by phone at 515-229-8566, or at the Vets ticket office.

Nutrishop is the one stop shop for supplements, and they are the OFFICIAL sponsor of the Midwest Cage Championship. Nutrishop is located at 640 S 50th St, West Des Moines, IA. Phone: 515-440-0455.

Mission 2 Submission

Des Moines, IA: With the increased interest in Mixed Martial Arts reality shows, all styles of Mixed Martial Arts are starting to hit the mainstream, people finally are getting to see what styles of fighting, fitness and strength conditioning are really all about. Submission Grappling has gained the most popularity based on the numerous styles of jiu-jitsu, wrestling, judo, and others all being combined into one.

On Saturday, August 1st, 2009, Mission 2 Submission will be holding it’s first ever NO GI SUBMISSION TOURNAMENT, at Noth High Shcool in Des Moines, IA. This grappling tournament is open to all competitors of all styles, gender, and age. You do not need to be on a team or be a member of any organization to enter. We at Mission 2 Submission are proud to present an event that is structured on being safe, while having fun by competing against other grapplers of the Midwest. Each competitor can choose the weight and division, as well as weighing in the night before or the day of the event.

In the main attraction, there will be an ABSOLUTE division. This division is a open weight class with competitors such Worldwide MMA fighter Jake Ellenberger, UFC Vet Rob Kimmons, Jiu-Jitsu Ace Chris David, WEC Vet Chris Mickle, MCC Champion Joe Brammer, WEC Vet James Krause, Jiu-Jitsu phenom Jason Stegger, and many more. These grapplers will compete for prizes, and to determine who’s the best of the Midwest.

Pre-registration is now open and we encourage individuals to get their forms in as soon as possible. This will not only help the tournament run smoother, but will also give those who pre-register a discount. Online registration and more information is available at www.Mission2Submission.com