It’s been a rough year for local and regional MMA. Since the pandemic hit, there have been very few options for up-and-coming fighters to compete. It’s nearly impossible for smaller promotions to host events with few or no fans, but one of those promoters will attempt to do just that with two events this week.
Pittsburgh-based 247 Fighting Championships hosted its first event in more than a year on Wednesday, as Brawl in the Burgh 4 was the warmup for Brawl in the Burgh 5 tonight at the Monroeville Convention Center. I’ll be there live providing the commentary (the event is available via iPPV here), but there will be no fans in attendance.
Brawl in the Burgh 4
First up, Wednesday’s event showcased a ton of amateur fighters, including a headliner on the verge of turning pro.
Eric Pozun (5-2) earned his first career win via decision, as he had stopped opponents in his previous four victories. “Viper” showed impressive striking and kept Ground Zero’s Collin Caprini (5-4) on the defensive for most of the fight. Pozun’s striking was a mixed bag, throwing in tons of body shots and using his range effectively. He mentioned that he’s been working with UFC lightweight Devonte Smith on his standup, and it clearly showed.
After the bout, an emotional Pozun said he had dedicated the fight to his friend, who died in a car accident a few weeks ago. He said he’s no ready to turn pro, and his game seems to be a great fit for the pro ranks.
Kaden Cassidy (1-0) won a wrestling state championship in Pennsylvania earlier this year, and he made his amateur MMA debut before beginning wrestling at George Mason. He’s been around MMA since he was a kid, as his dad Darren Cassidy is the wrestling coach at Gorilla House Gym in Altoona where he trains. His opponent was no slouch, however, as Kyle VanderLaan (0-1) has been wrestling since he was in first grade. He was a multiple time state qualifier in Virginia and now will compete at Ohio Valley University.
Cassidy mentioned to me that he wanted to show off his striking in the fight, and show off he did. He clipped VanderLaan early on before finishing a single leg takedown. VanderLaan made it back to his feet, but Cassidy faked another shot, reared back, and blasted a clean right hand to earn an impressive knockout win in his debut.
Another wrestling standout who made his debut on Wednesday night was Geoff Magin (1-0), who now trains at Stout Training Center in Pittsburgh. Magin was sixth in the state in wrestling and will eventually wrestle in college at Franklin & Marshall. He has an impressive athletic background, as he started training in Shotokan karate when he was four and eventually made the US Junior national team. He was also a standout lacrosse player in high school. He showed off impressive striking in his debut bout, however, landing a clean left hook to knock out Lakota Grimes (0-1). He’s definitely going to be special and is one to watch.
Brawl in the Burgh 5
On Saturday, the main event features two exciting fighters who seemingly don’t know how to have a boring fight. Ethan Hayes (2-0) and Ethan Goss (5-5) will square off in a featherweight bout that’s sure to be fun.
Hayes is 6’3″ and can make 145 pounds, which is scary for any future opponents. He won his first two pro bouts via first round submission, and comes in here looking for a marquee victory to add to his resume.
Goss has been a fan favorite since his amateur days, and the Gorilla House product has always seemed just shy of breaking through to the next level. Four of his five wins are via stoppage, but he looks to rebound from a tough loss against John De Jesus a year ago.
Cole Macek (3-0) vs. David Rice (4-1) is the type of bout that we could look back on in a few years when these guys are in the big show and wonder how we were so lucky to see them face off as amateurs. This bout was supposed to happen on Wednesday, but it was pushed back and will now have a title on the line.
Macek is a big, athletic middleweight who has all three of his wins via submission. The Mat Factory product played fullback at Army, so you know he’s super tough. Rice comes in from New York where he trains at the Renzo Gracie Academy. He is normally a welterweight but will move up to 185 pounds for this bout. He wrestled collegiately at New York University and has been impressive through his first five bouts. He looks to bounce back from his first career loss – a very close and controversial split decision – here.
Goss’ teammate Sydney Ross (4-3) competes in her eighth amateur bout at just 20 years old, as she looks to earn a victory over Virginia’s Kelsey Gilmore (4-4). Both fighters could really use a win here as Ross looks to stay above .500 and Gilmore has lost three of her last four.
Dylan Harnish (2-0) and Alan Liu (2-0) are a pair of young unbeaten fighters who have a ton of potential. Harnish is just 20 and has all kinds of combat sports experience, including grappling, boxing and kickboxing to go along with MMA. He fights for the first time since earning an impressive first round TKO just over a year ago. Liu is only 24 and trains all over Pittsburgh but his home base is Stout Training Center. He’s picked up a pair of decisions and looks to have a well rounded game. He’s nicknamed “The Chinese Disappoinment” because of his decision to pursue MMA rather than a Ph.D.
If you like heavyweights, then Raiden Keller (2-0) vs. Cody Gamble (1-0) is the fight for you. Keller has both of his wins via submission, including a triangle in his first fight. He’s a BJJ purple belt with four years of high school wrestling experience, with some kickboxing thrown in for good measure. Gamble represents The Mat Factory, and he absolutely annihilated his first opponent before earning the win via neck crank in the first round. He’s training full-time as an amateur at The Mat Factory, so he’s free of any distractions and going all-in on MMA.
Check out the fun tonight. The event starts at 6pm ET.