3 weeks ago
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PORTERVILLE, Calif. (KSEE/KGPE) - The largest Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) promotion successful the Central Valley is making its mode to Porterville this month, and bringing erstwhile UFC Champions to Eagle Mountain Casino for a nighttime of nonrecreational and amateur fighting.
According to 559 Fights Founder Jeremy Luchau, 559 Fights started successful 2012 arsenic a amusement chiefly focused connected putting connected fights successful betwixt UFC pay-per-views.
But Luchau says it wasn't agelong earlier 559 Fights became a premier league for amateur MMA amusement and made the Visalia Convention Center its home.
"We started successful April of 2012. We were astatine fairgrounds shows - doing truly tiny venues," Luchau said. "[Now,] We astir apt person 50 to 60 licensed fighters. Within a 75-mile radius of the Visalia area, we've truly grown a lot."
Luchau says 559 Fights' maturation volition deed a caller milestone connected June 14, with its archetypal amusement astatine Eagle Mountain Casino featuring nonrecreational and amateur fights arsenic good arsenic erstwhile UFC Flyweight Champions Alexa Grasso and Brandon Moreno.
According to Luchau, 559 Fights is designed arsenic a developmental league for fighters to make "next level," nonrecreational skills arsenic good arsenic combat experience.
"I'm teaching athletes present however to decently capable retired paperwork, bash aesculapian exams, bash interviews with media," Luchau said. "So that erstwhile they get to the adjacent level, they person a limb up connected the different professionals."
Luchau says Grasso and Moreno's quality volition beryllium a large summation not conscionable for fans, but for fighters arsenic well.
"I wanted to beryllium capable to person Alexa Grasso and Brandon Moreno with each these guys determination truthful that they could speech to the athletes," Luchau said. "So they tin hitch shoulders with the athletes truthful that they cognize that warring astatine this level translates to warring astatine that level."
559 Fights' archetypal pro/am paper volition instrumentality spot astatine Eagle Mountain connected June 14, and tickets are available for acquisition online.
