Ohio MMA Podcast

Amateur fighter Montanna Roberts joins the #OhioMMA Podcast. We discuss:-Facing Trevon Thomas at AFP 104 on Dec. 6 in Cleveland-Getting 21 second and 15 second KOs in last 2 fights - Which KO is his favorite-Facing Power Slap champion in last fight and a high level BJJ black belt in his first fight-Training at ADAMAS Jiu-Jitsu under BJJ world champ Dante Leon-His kickboxing background and how he got into MMA

Undefeated pro fighter RJ Harris joins the #OhioMMA Podcast. We discuss;-Facing Alex Marro at LFA 223 on Nov. 21 in New York -Facing an opponent in Alex Marro who training partner Matt Adams faced-Signing a 3-fight deal with LFA and fighting for LFA vs. fighting locally-Cross-training with Austin Green after facing him in most recent fight-Getting 2 wins as a pro via submission after being known as KO artist as an amateur-Being the #1 pro HW in Ohio-LFA in Ohio?-Recently getting married

Amateur fighter Damien Sanders joins the #OhioMMA Podcast this week. We discuss:-Facing Bryce Barnes at HRMMA 127 on Nov. 22 in Bowling Green, KY-Losing title fight in last outing via heel hook and he he plans to rebound-Getting start in MMA through wrestling - Mt. St. Joseph University-Training under Jeff Robison and Nik Hoobler at Club MMA since he was 11 - being a coach himself as well-Having advanced striking for a young fighter - coming out in boxing robe in second fight and getting KO-Fighting all of his fights in Kentucky vs. Ohio

Amateur fighter Robi Cvitic joins the #OhioMMA Podcast this week. We discuss:-Facing Josuwa Caban for flyweight title at Bayfront Brawl 18 on Nov. 26 in Erie, PA-Getting a third title fight and facing opponent in his hometown-Moving up a weight class in last fight but coming up short for title against Brent Troyer-Training at Ares Combat with Dave Graf and training with another top flyweight in Dom Savoca

This week debuting pro fighter Zach Russ joins the #OhioMMA Podcast. We discuss:-Making his pro debut at Ohio Combat League 41 on Oct. 18 in Newport, KY-Making pro debut at just 19 years old-Having almost 30 combat sports fights and over 200 grappling matches-What it means to have a finisher’s mindset-Being a tall fighter at 6’7” and using his height to his advantage-Training at Club MMA w/ Jeff Robison and Limitless BJJ w/ Robby Malof-His unique tiger kit signature apparel and how he got the nickname “The Ripper”-Being a nursing student and his passion for helping people

Pro MMA fighter Brian Rogers joins the #OhioMMA Podcast this week. We discuss: -Competing in his first MMA fight in more than 8 years when he faces Dustin Pape in the main event at AFP 103-Going out on two straight wins 8 years ago-The motivation come back after 8 years off and being 41 years old-Building brands inside and outside of MMA-Focus on being exciting as a fighter - dating to his early pro days-Going back and training at Strong Style in addition to FactoryX Muay Thai in Colorado-Making a film about upcoming fight

This week undefeated amateur MMA fighter Jahmon Spiller joins the #OhioMMA Podcast. We discuss:-Earning a first round rear naked choke submission over Brody Veyon at Ohio Combat League 39 to move to 2-0-Being an All-American wrestler at Thomas More University and his wrestling career-How he found MMA while wrestling-Training with Roger Bowling at Team Relentless -Team Relentless going 3-0 at OCL 39-Competing in grappling tournaments and grappling superfights in addition to MMA-How he feels his striking is progressing in his MMA career-Meeting people in MMA who believe and support his journey, something he is not used to-Now being a wrestling coach-How he got the nickname “Killa”

Pro MMA fighter Elijah Woodroof joins the #OhioMMA Podcast this week. We discuss-Making pro debut against Harrison Watkins at OCL 38 on May 17 in Newport, KY-Closing out amateur career winning HRMMA LW title in August-Facing toughest level of competition as an amateur, including now teammate Liam Hamill-Training at Team Hammer with Matt Hamill as well as with Sacan Martial Arts-How he got the nickname “Spooky”-Getting start in MMA through wrestling-Getting experience in amateur boxing

Undefeated amateur fighter Jadon Brewer joins the #OhioMMA Podcast this week. We discuss:-Facing Jackson Lengthhorn at AFP 102 on May 17 in Toledo-Earning a 7-second knockout in MMA debut at AFP 101 in February-His Muay Thai experience prior to MMA-Earning purple belt under Rob Hileman - competing in grappling as well-Training at a gym in Leverage BJJ that is known for grappling-Baseball being his first love and being a left-handed pitcher

Amateur fighter Hunter Frazer joins the #OhioMMA Podcast this week. We discuss:-Earning a 64-second TKO win over Dillon Zartman at OCL 37 to move amateur MMA record to 2-1-Training with legendary coaches Roger Bowling (Team Relentless), Kru Neal Rowe (Sacan Martial Arts), and Rob Radford. Also Alex Burkett from Gorilla Mode AJJ-His unique backstory and how he was connected to his coach from an unlikely source-Training with veteran fighters like Jimmy Sandlin and Elijah Woodroof-Getting start in boxing and Muay Thai before MMA, and also competing in grappling matches-Knowing that you’re going to face strong athletic fighters at MW/LHW-Facing at tough 3-0 opponent at LFC in second fight-Being a gym rat and having to remind himself to slow down-Making his MMA debut in his 30s and what the future holds-Having MMA Takes Podcast as sponsor-Walking out to Clepto Maniak song Spin Your Block, which features a sample from The Outfield’s “Your Love”

Veteran MMA fighter Joe "The Guardian" Garcia joins the #OhioMMA Podcast. We discuss:-What's different now from when he made his MMA debut all the way back in 2008-Returning to the cage in 2024 after 5 years off and earning his first pro win-What’s next and why this is his last year competing in MMA-Having 10 fighters from Garcia MMA compete at the debut event for Combate MVP-Going viral on social media with instructional and fun MMA videos-Having a healthy gym rivalry with Demolition Fight Team-Working in security, bail bonds, and being a bounty hunter

Undefeated amateur MMA fighter Ray Taylor joins the #OhioMMA Podcast. We discuss:-Returning to action against Robi Cvitic at Ohio Combat League 37 on April 19-Getting start in MMA by wrestling -Being a very tall flyweight-Showing off striking in first fight and then grappling in second fight-Training at VO2 Fitness and getting to fight in hometown-Facing opponents with much more experience and stepping up in competition

Undefeated amateur MMA fighter Keegan Mahafkey joins the #OhioMMA Podcast. We discuss:-Challenging Elijah Davis for Made Men Promotions bantamweight title at Live MMA at Penguin City 8 on April 19-First main event fight-Winning first 3 fights via 3 different methods-Getting started in MMA, coming from a wrestling background-Training at Ohio BJJ under Andrew Murray and George Talaganis-First baby due soon-Fighting at Penguin City Brewery for 3rd time

Sinisa Jovic joins the Ohio MMA Podcast this week. We discuss:-Returning to action against Jackson Dougherty at Caged Thunder 31 on April 12-Winning the 2024 Ohio MMA Amateur KO of the Year-Returning from a loss to Ashton Eyler at BCM 20 in Feb-Training martial arts since 7 in karate, boxing, and sambo-Wing the US national kickboxing championship and getting to represent USA in Abu Dhabi in November-Moving back and forth between the US and Serbia as a kid-Training at Rising Dragon MMA under Tiawan Howard. -Getting to fight with teammate Juan Goins at Caged Thunder 31

Veteran fighter Antonio Castillo Jr. joins the #OhioMMA Podcast this week. We discuss: -Fighting in co-main event at Caged Thunder 29 -motivation to face Dusty Shaffer -What it's like being so closely connected to the Ohio MMA scene -Running his own Mayanz Fight Team and being invitation only -What motivates him to keep going at 37 years old -Remembering memorable fights with Frank Caraballo and Khama Worthy

Unbeaten amateur fighter Jared Campbell joins the #OhioMMA Podcast this week. We discuss: -Fighting Dec. 14 against Chris Dailey at Made Men Live MMA at Penguin City 7 -Wrestling background - state champ in Ohio and NCAA All-American -Wrestling at Notre Dame College -Being a wrestling coach now -Being from the small town of Congress, Ohio -How he got into MMA and winning first fight via bulldog choke -Who he trains with -How he got the nickname "Hillbilly Assassin"

Undefeated amateur MMA fighter Connor Cleveland joins the #ohiomma Podcast this week. We discuss: -Fighting against Jeremiah Slagle at Live MMA at Morgantown Nov. 9 -Fighting out of state in WV for the first time -Training at Gracie Orwell under Cody Lewis and Brad Bukovics -Having a lot of amateurs with similar experience on his team -How he got into MMA -Getting a submission over a fighter from Strong Style in last fight -Coming from the small town of Jefferson, Ohio with a population of 3,000 -His plans for future in MMA

Undefeated amateur fighter Alekzander Hazelwood joins the #OhiioMMA Podcast this week. On this episode we discuss: -Fighting against Jade Batross at OCL 32 - taking a big step up in competition -Training at Ronin Training Center under Josh Williams and Ryan Benedetto, training with Ethan Shirk, Asher Frederick, and Mark Antonelli -Getting started in MMA through wrestling and competing in BJJ as a kid -Growing up fighting and having 4 brothers-Getting two wins via stoppage in his first two fights -Finding a nickname -Plans for the next year in fighting

This week undefeated amateur fighter Gavin Baisden joins the #OhioMMA Podcast. We discuss: -3-0 fighter was supposed to fight at BCM October 18 -How he got started in MMA -Getting to make MMA debut in New Jersey -Finishing first 3 fights via first round submission -Competing in grappling events as well as MMA -Training every day with Matt Brown at Immortal Martial Arts -Teammates mentioning him as a fighter to watch -Working as a special needs caretaker

This week undefeated amateur fighter Brayden Benson joins the #OhioMMA Podcast. On this episode we discuss: -Wing middleweight title with first round TKO over Nate Doss at ECC Cage Wars 10 -Starting wrestling with an eye to eventually compete in MMA -Training with a UFC fighter in Dylan Budka every day -Branching out to fight in other promotions and other states -Grandfather as influence in life -Where he thinks he’ll be a year from now

Undefeated amateur MMA fighter AJ Jones joins the #OhioMMA Podcast this week. We discuss: -Fighting October 5 against Jeremy Riley at Caged Thunder NexGen 3 -Background in wrestling and kickboxing and transitioning to MMA -Winning first 3 MMA bouts via TKO - 2 via leg kicks -Fighting at both light heavyweight and heavyweight in MMA -Training at Ronin Training Center and training closely with Melvin Harris -Now being a wrestling coach for kids at Team Miron

Undefeated pro fighter Josh Perreira joins the #OhioMMA Podcast this week. We discuss: -Fighting for his first pro title against another unbeaten fighter in Gage Mitchell at SICP 6 -Facing opponent who is #1 in Indiana while he is #1 in Ohio and Kentucky -Opponent who has a lot of grappling and kickboxing experience -Two fights in LFA but now fighting for another smaller regional promotion -Long training camp ahead of this fight -The importance of impressive finishes to keep climbing the ranks

Undefeated pro fighter Josiah Harrell joins the #OhioMMA Podcast this week. We discuss: -Fighting Oct 18 at LFA 194 against Uelliton Silva -Returning to MMA after recovery from surgery for moyamoya -The quick turnaround of just 16 months since last fight -Reaching out to Vince Murdock who had same surgery -Training at both Grove City BJJ and Immortal Martial Arts -Matt Brown transitioning from training partner to coach after retiring

Pro fighter Myles Robinson joins the #OhioMMA Podcast this week. On this episode, we discuss: -Fighting at Chosen Few FC 25 on Oct 5 in Wisconsin against Garrett Carlson -Training at both Immortal and Strongstyle-Training with Matt Brown and his role as a coach now that he’s retired -Training at West Side Barbell and incorporating powerlifting into his training -The mental side of coming off of a KO loss after winning first 4 pro fights via KO -Owner of own clothing brand - Don’t Melt

Longtime pro fighter Jeremy Pender joins the #OhioMMA Podcast this week to discuss his upcoming main event bout against Mark Coates at Empire Fight Series 3. Pender also discusses his long career and thinking about retiring, his layoff of over two years since his last fight, and coaching the next group of stars out of Vision MMA

Amateur fighter Hayden Jacoby joins the #OhioMMA Podcast this week to discuss his recent lightweight title victory at Signature Combat Sports: Route 30 Rumble 3. Hayden discusses his history in competing in sports, including football, track, and the decathlon. He also discusses being a full-time student and his plans for the future

Melvin Harris joins the #OhioMMA Podcast to discuss his upcoming bout against Omoyele Gonzalez at Ohio Combat League 31. Harris discusses competing in multiple different disciplines in addition to MMA, how training at Ronin Training Center has evolved, and his goals for his career.

Nick "Jaws" Walls joins the #OhioMMA Podcast this week to discuss his pro debut at Caged Thunder 28. Nick discusses his lengthy amateur career, always facing the toughest opponents and a high level of competition, and his goals for his pro debut and the next year.

"Bad" Matt Adams joins the #OhioMMA Podcast to chat about his recent 42-second knockout win in his debut at LFA 189. We also discuss him recently opening his own gym, climbing the heavyweight rankings, and what his future holds.

Jerrell "Thunderkat" Hodge joins the #OhioMMA Podcast to discuss his upcoming main event bout at Caged Thunder 28: Fight Night in the Flats. Hodge discusses what he's been up to in his year off, his strategy for facing an aggressive opponent, and what his goals are at this point in his career.

Kobe Woodall joins the Ohio MMA Podcast this week to discuss his decision victory at WXC 94 over the weekend. In addition to his win, we also discuss his days as a collegiate linebacker, having to travel to find fights, and his maturation as a fighter and in his career.

JT Isenberg joins the Ohio MMA Podcast this week. He discusses his upcoming title bout against Devon Watkins at Bayfront Brawl 15 in Pennsylvania. We also talk about him training at a small gym, reinventing himself and bulking up from bantamweight to lightweight, and how he got his start in backyard fighting.

Amateur fighter Cody "The Warrior" Wilson joins the Ohio MMA Podcast this week. We discuss him winning two fights in less than a month, taking almost nine years between fights, and his upcoming amateur title fight.

Alex "Aleko" Poinar joins the #OhioMMA Podcast to discuss his upcoming main event bout at Made Men Promotions: Live MMA at NEO 3. He discusses living in Las Vegas and training at Xtreme Couture, his future goal to return to Ohio and open a gym, and his desire to still become a world champion.

Undefeated amateur fighter Jade Batross joins the #OhioMMA Podcast this week to discuss his upcoming bout at Ohio Combat League 30. Jade talks about his career thus far, going 3-0 with 3 different types of wins. He also discusses training at VO2 Fitness, getting to be a full-time fighter, and his lofty goals for his career.

Mark Antonelli joins the #OhioMMA Podcast this week to discuss his pro debut at Ohio Combat League 30. Antonelli posted a 7-2 amateur career, and he discusses waiting to make his pro debut, leaving his teaching job to start his own business, and finally believing in himself after years of doubt.

Undefeated pro fighter Chris Porter joins the #OhioMMA Podcast this week to discuss his upcoming fight against Cedric Lochard at Samourai MMA 10 in Montreal. Porter discusses his questionable split decision win in his last outing, his pacing as a fighter, and wanting to put himself in uncomfortable situations. You can catch Samourai MMA 10 on UFC Fight Pass on June 21.

Chelsea Conner joins the Ohio MMA podcast this week to discuss her upcoming bout against Miki Rogers in the main event at EGO Fight Series 3. Chelsea discusses her goal to get to the UFC by the end of the year, recently earning her jiu-jitsu blue belt, and more.

Matt Comer joins the #OhioMMA Podcast to discuss his co-main event bout against Tussel Conner Jr. at EGO Fight Series 3 on June 15 in Troy, Ohio. Matt has been fighting for more than a decade, and he's had a resurrection of his career with two straight wins to move to 4-5 on his career. He talks about being a fighter and training with Demolition Fight Team. He also discusses his role promoting fights as well.

Rising amateur fighter Connor "Showtime" Smith joins the Ohio MMA Podcast this week. Smith returns to the cage at EGO Fight Series 3 on June 15 in Troy, Ohio. He discusses his career thus far, being active as a fighter and only being 19, how his love of pro wrestling helps him be a showman, and how the podcast is helping achieve his goals for the year.

Asher Frederick joins the Ohio MMA Podcast to discuss his bout at Ohio Combat League 29 against Victor Guarriello. Frederick is 3-1 on his pro career and is one of the top flyweight prospects in the Midwest. He discusses getting to train in Las Vegas at Xtreme Couture for his camp, being an aggressive ground and pound fighter, and his plans for the future.

Clinton Ewing joins the Ohio MMA Podcast to discuss recently winning the Made Men Promotions amateur featherweight title. Ewing submitted champion Matt Dugan to win the title in the main event at Live MMA at Penguin City 5. With the win, he closed out his amateur career and now plans to turn pro this summer. He also won the April Ohio MMA Amateur Fighter of the Month.

"Mad" Max Metzgar joins the #OhioMMA Podcast to discuss his pro debut at Ohio Combat League 29 on May 18. Metzgar signed with Bellator and was slated to make his pro debut for them last year, but he decided to make his pro debut in Ohio after a long layoff and not getting a fight. Max talks about being a student of MMA, his amateur career where he went 7-0, and his plans for the future.

Koby Carr-Pierce joins the #OhioMMA Podcast this week to discuss recently winning the bantamweight title at BCM Promotions: Fight Night 16. Carr-Pierce is now the No. 1 ranked amateur bantamweight in Ohio, and he talks about winning his first title and getting to main event, getting to train full time, his growth and winning five fights in a row after losing his debut.

Undefeated amateur fighter Anthony Monachino joins the #OhioMMA Podcast this week. Monachino returns to action at Made Men Promotions: Live MMA at Penguin City 5. He discusses his journey into MMA, being a wrestler but training at a striking gym, and his career plans.

This week rising amateur featherweight Matt Dugan joins the #OhioMMA Podcast. Matt discusses defending his amateur title at Made Men Promotions: Live MMA at Penguin City 5, why he has so many wins via guillotine, and training at a small gym in Sprawlin & Brawlin MMA.

This week amateur heavyweight fighter "Undead" Jeremy Riley joins the #OhioMMA Podcast. Jeremy discusses winning via a highlight reel knockout at Caged Thunder 26, how bittersweet it is to lose in the fight of the year, and how he began training at Apex Fight Systems.

This week amateur MMA fighter Jordon Tague joins the #OhioMMA Podcast. Jordon also serves as the head wrestling coach at Notre Dame College, and recently had his first All-American. Jordon discusses transitioning from wrestling to coaching, his MMA training, the legacy of Notre Dame College wrestlers transitioning to MMA, and more.

This week pro MMA fighter Chelsea Conner joins the #OhioMMA Podcast. Chelsea is set to compete at LFA 180 in Louisville, Kentucky this weekend. She talks about taking a 5-year layoff, returning to LFA for the second time, balancing fighting, her family, and owning a gym, and more.

Undefeated amateur fighter RJ "The Hammer" Harris joins me on the Ohio MMA Podcast this week. Harris returns to the cage at Made Men Promotions - Live MMA at NEO 2 on March 23, looking to improve to 3-0. He won the 2023 Ohio MMA Amateur Knockout of the Year award for his 9-second KO of Dillon Burke in his amateur debut. RJ discusses how he got his start in Toughman Contests in West Virginia, being a 290-pound lead blocker in high school football, his wrestling career, how he got his nickname "The Hammer", and more.