Take a look at all the action from the most recent Showdown Fights – Shootout event. You will see big names including Urijah Faber, Tim McKenzie, Jordan Smith and many others. The ring girls are always a treat and attending the event has it’s benefits.
http://www.showdownfights.com/photo-gallery/shootout/
Josh McDonald of the Cesar Gracie team is also a WEC and Strikeforce veteran and one of the biggest names to come to Utah in hopes of continuing his success and possibly getting to the UFC. Josh will be fighting Jordan Smith in the main event who is a Utah native but also making news after winning a fight in Brazil and also training at Blackhouse.
This main event has all the makings of a “fight of the night” . Fights will get started at 7 PM on November 18th and be available online live with Go Fight Live TV. If you’re unable to attend the show make sure you watch all the action online!
Evolution will again feature world class mixed martial arts fights. Many of the fighters that have been featured previously have gone on to the UFC and become local favorites as well as successful fighters at the top level of competition. Many of the fighters you may recognize include Court McGee, Ramsey Nijem, Steven Siler, Cole Escovedo and many more to come soon.
Catch the young up and coming talent as they continue to fight their way to the UFC as well as some of the UFC veterans that are proving they deserve to fight at the top level of competition. Details will be coming soon regarding the fight card, tickets and venue information.
Ramsey Nijem of Pit Elevated fight team is featured in The Ultimate Fighter Finale
Ramsey Nijem followed in his teammate’s footsteps all the way to the finals! Nijem’s teammate and training partner Court McGee reached the finals one year previously and went on to become the season 11 Champion. Nijem was considered by many to be the favorite going into the finals.
Nijem was aggressive in the finale but came up short against his opponent Tony Ferguson. Nijem had a good showing throughout the season and was the crazy wild one in the house. Although Nijem is not guaranteed a UFC contract there are many that will be looking to see him soon in the UFC.
Showdown fights main event. April 2011. Tim “the wrecking machine” Mckenzie vs Jordan “Mata Ele” Smith
Steve “Razor” Sharp vs team alpha male’s Justin Buchholz
Showdown Fights provided another night of exciting fights but left the crowd stunned ashometown fighters in both the main event and co-main event were stopped in theirrespective bouts.
In the main event, rising prospect Jordan “Mata Ele” Smith (15-2-1) succumbed to the standup striking of Tim “The Wrecking Machine” McKenzie (13-8). The two gladiators squared up from the opening bell and McKenzie dropped Smith with a counter right hand and then finished the fight with a couple more strikes on the ground for good measure at 11 seconds in Round 1. McKenzie was not fazed by the raucous crowd who were vocal for their support of Smith.
In the co-main event Justin Buchholz (10-6) quieted the crowd with a rear naked choke submission victory over Salt Lake City resident Steve “Razor” Sharp midway through Round 1. Sharp had settled into a rhythm on his feet landing punches and scoring points in the standup game, but then the fight went to the ground where it was all Buchholz as he displayed a high-level of grappling in securing a body triangle followed by the choke for the tapout win.
The 11-bout card only had one decision the entire night. The packed crowd got to witness plenty of knockouts and submissions to satisfy any fight fan. The only way to watch this exciting card now is to order it exclusively at GFL.tv!
By Drew Archer
With an overabundance of local events taking place throughout the country, you won’t find many that are as well booked, promoted and produced as SHOWDOWN Fights in Utah. Just north of the fight capital of the world, Las Vegas, Nevada which is home to the 800-pound gorilla that is Zuffa and the UFC, SHOWDOWN Fights has given the area fighters a first class event to compete on and MMA fans a top-level regional show where they can see
mixture of big-named veterans, up and comers and fighters looking to take that next step and perform on a worldwide stage. SHOWDOWN’S next offering titled Shootout, presents just that opportunity in its main event where Tim “The Wrecking Machine” McKenzie (12-8) battles Jordan “Mata Ele” Smith (15-1) on April 16 in Orem, UT.
“SHOWDOWN is the top promotion in Utah, so being the main event is pretty cool. I’m coming back to Utah for this matchup with Tim. I need fights with well-known guys, and Tim has that.” Smith recounts.
Tim McKenzie definitely has earned his name in MMA. He has traveled the globe throughout his 10+ year career that has seen stints with the UFC, WEC, Bodog and Pancrase. The Wrecking Machine has done damage on several continents and after having moderate success in those organizations, McKenzie is focused on doing what is necessary to return to the roster spot he once held. He has now situated himself and his training in Northern California, a mecca for MMA. He splits his time between San Francisco and the world famous Fairtex gym and Stockton, two hotbed areas which are home to several world champions. “I’ve got to the UFC…I want to get back there. I want to go out on top and I don’t plan on going out any time soon. I have quite a few fights left in me. I’m going to fight until I can’t fight anymore. I’m only 28 years old.”
McKenzie believes SHOWDOWN Fights is also the right platform for him to pick up steam. “In 2011 we’re open. If they [SHOWDOWN] want me to come back that would be great. I’d love to have a home there. SHOWDOWN is a great organization. I’ve fought with Scott Adams in the past, he’s a great guy, knows what he’s doing, and I look forward to working with him again.”
McKenzie realizes the environment he will walk into on April 16 will not be a friendly one. “He’s the local guy, so that means I’m going to have to beat him everywhere the fight goes. He’s the hometown hero and I’m going to beat the hometown hero. It will be a battle of attrition and one that I will win. To get where I need to be, I have to get a couple wins in a row and right now, Jordan is one of my obstacles.”
Jordan Smith is more than an obstacle. A former 7th grade science teacher, Smith retired from that profession last year so he could focus full-time on his MMA career. Now Smith is represented by Tough Media Inc., the management side of the world famous Black House family which also represents such fighters as UFC Champions Anderson Silva and Jose Aldo, former UFC champion Lyoto Machida, #1 UFC Contender Junior Dos Santos the Nogueira brothers and several others. As one of the fastest rising young stars in the sport, Smith trains with a goldmine of talent.
Beaming with confidence, Smith explained, “The training sessions at Black House are ridiculous. When you’re used to getting punched by Anderson Silva or kicked in the head by Lyoto Machida there’s not much out there that scares you. My standup is definitely my strongest point. There is nothing that Tim McKenzie is going to be able to do standup-wise to me except catch my punches.”
But a standup war is exactly what McKenzie wants too. “I’m excited about the matchup. He likes to stand and bang as do I and that makes for an exciting fight. I only like to put on entertaining fights and this one looks to be an amazing fight. I’m here to cash checks and break necks.”
Both men exude an overwhelming confidence in their abilities also observed by their flashy nicknames. “The Wrecking Machine” is pretty self-explanatory and creates a visual image that is crystal clear. But unless you are fluent in Portuguese, “Mata Ele” is a bit more mysterious. Smith explains “I got the nickname from one of my trainers, Aldo Oreggia. It means ‘Kill him’ in Portuguese. It’s started as a war cry that Brazilians say before going into battle and it turned into my nickname when I had a few fights and went with a balls to the wall fighting style.” That style of fighting helped Smith win “Fight of the Night” in his last showing in Brazil with Bitetti Combat, where he was the only American on the card.
Along with a great night of fights, the production quality of SHOWDOWN Fights is sure to add to its ongoing value in the MMA marketplace. Very few regional promotions have the ability to offer the type of attraction that SHOWDOWN gives to the fans. With Shootout streaming live on GFL.tv it will provide an excellent setting for the fighters to showcase their abilities to a wider audience and it’s one of the few things both McKenzie and Smith agree on.
“That’s a great promotion for not only us the fighters but also the fans to be able to have access to the fights on the internet,” said McKenzie
“I think it’s great to have internet pay-per-views. Putting fights on the web and having that outlet for fans to watch online is great for the sport. We can get more sponsorship money and so can the promoters, which helps sell the sport,” explained Smith.
It is yet to be decided who will take the next step forward in their career. That will be resolved in the cage. Make no mistake; Tim McKenzie VS Jordan Smith has all the credibility of a matchup that could be on any promotions’ fight card, including a UFC card. The fans in Orem, UT and on GFL.tv are in for a treat with a highly competitive night of fights and an outstanding main event, when SHOWDOWN Fights Presents Shootout on April 16.
Jordan Smith doesn’t feel any pressure heading into his headlining bout at Showdown Fights: Shootout
opposite former UFC and WEC competitor Tim “The Wrecking Machine” McKenzie.
As one of the top prospects in the sport, Smith has been in the spotlight a time or two in the past, and instead of his successes preparing him for next Saturday’s main event, it’s his failures that give Smith a sense of ease as he prepares
to be the last man to walk into the cage at the UCCU Center in Orem on April 16.
“One of the biggest problems fighters have with making this their career is the pressure they put on themselves,
especially going into The Ultimate Fighter,” admitted Smith, who made it to the qualifying round of the hit reality TV show’s eleventh season.
Smith was expected to make it into the Las Vegas house and compete for the season’s six-figure contract. Instead, unheralded Shawn Tompkins prospect Brad Tavares caught him with a jumping knee, knocking out and sending him home.
“My first loss ever ended up on national television,” Smith said with a laugh, clearly moved on from his brief stint on
Spike TV. “To deal with that, first of all you keep training and get back in the cage, and when I got back in the cage, I knocked out Nick Rossborough, my next opponent after getting knocked out myself, and that helps.
“After getting knocked out, the pressure to lose was gone. I got knocked out on national television. It doesn’t get much worse than that. The first time your friends can watch you on TV, and you get knocked out.”
While he can laugh about the experience now and has taken steps to prepare himself mentally for the possibility of it happening again, Smith has also worked to improve his skills to make him an even more dangerous fighter inside the cage.
Though he still works with the team at One Hit MMA in Clearfield, Smith now spends his fight camps training alongside UFC middleweight champion Anderson Silva, Lyoto Machida, and the Nogueira Brothers at the Black House facility in Los Angeles. It’s a move the 26-year-old feels was necessary to take his game to the next level.
“I get a lot of good training and sparring partners in Utah, but there is a big different being in the cage with a world-class fighter who you know is going to push you and make you better. Being here, every time you roll, you’re rolling with guys who have won the Pan-Ams and guys that have had their black belts for years. You can’t mimic that no matter how hard you try.
“When I’m here, the level of competition is so much better than you can get anywhere. The simple fact that I’m getting beat up by guys that are better than me helps make me better. I need people who are better than me so that I can get to the next level, so training with guys that are the best in the world is an easy decision.”
Earning a victory over someone like McKenzie will also help Smith in his quest to make it to the next level.
The veteran has competed against the likes of Chael Sonnen, Scott Smith and former WEC light heavyweight champion Steve Cantwell over his twenty-fight career, and that experience is something Smith is vary of heading into their headlining encounter on April 16.
“Even if he gets in trouble, if he gets caught, he’s going to remain poised and keep his composure, he’ll be smart about stuff. He’s got good jiu jitsu off his back, so if I get him in trouble and I’m trying to finish the fight, I need to be careful not to get over-zealous and put myself in a bad position or get caught.”
In addition to having been knocked out in his television debut, another reason Smith feels little pressure when he steps into the cage is his previous job. Headlining an event is one thing, but sitting down to tell a parent why their child was failing with a fresh black eye is something totally different, and it’s an experience the former seventh grade science teacher won’t soon forget.
“I was fighting in amateur shows before I started teaching, then I turned pro while I was teaching. The first three years of my professional career I was training after school, after work. It always seemed like I would get a black eye right before the week we had parent-teacher conferences too. Here I am in my shirt and tie, and I’m meeting all these parents and they look at you funny, so you have to explain it.”
Having come through those conferences and endured the embarrassment of being knocked out on national television, Smith is well versed at going through adversity and emerging stronger on the other side.
Next Saturday, the 15-1-1 fighter known as “Mata Ele” hopes to deliver another exhilarating performance for the Showdown Fights faithful.
“This is going to be a good fight and the Utah fans know that I put on good fights, so does Showdown. When I get in the cage, it’s exciting to watch and that’s something I pride myself as a fighter to have is that excitement factor.
“I’m not going to wrestle somebody to the ground and just lay on him for three rounds. I’m going to be throwing bombs and trying to finish the fight. I go out there and do my best, fight as hard as I can and make sure it’s exciting.”
To learn more about Jordan Smith, visit www.jordansmithmma.com
Watch Smith bring his exciting brand of fighting to the Showdown Fights cage on April 16 at the UCCE Center in Orem, Utah.
Jan Jorgensen always knew he wanted to be a fighter.
The former BYU football standout started loading up his fighting toolbox long before he started playing football. Like many involved in the sport today, watching UFC 1 was a seminal moment for Jorgensen, and while a career in the NFL was his dream after college, making the transition to the cage was always in the back of his head.
While people know Jorgensen for his exploits as an all-conference lineman, the 6’3” heavyweight actually started wrestling before shifting to football in high school. Though he gave up grappling for the gridiron, Jorgensen knows his wrestling experience will help him as he transitions into mixed martial arts.
“That’s actually something that I’d like people to forget,” kidded the affable Jorgensen. “It’s not a bad thing; I just want my opponents to think that I’m a football player and I don’t have that wrestling background.
“I grew up wrestling; I started when I was three-years-old and wrestled all the way until I was in the eighth grade, but part of the reason I went back to it during my senior year of high school was that I knew it would prepare me if I wanted to fight. It’s kind of cool to have it come full circle.”
Jorgensen will get to put all his fighting abilities to the test for the second time as he competes against Jeff Prescott on the undercard of Showdown Fights: Shootout on April 16.
The ability to compete under the Showdown banner in friendly territory is something Jorgensen says makes the transition from football to fighting a little easier, though he admits it’s a very challenging process.
“There is nowhere to hide in the cage. On the football field, you’re out there with 21 other individuals, but in the cage, there are just two of you. If you get tired on the football field, you can make it look like you’re working hard and try to hide yourself amongst the other players. In the cage, if you get tired, there is no hiding; it’s you and another person, and it’s very different.
“Getting the opportunity to fight in the Showdown is something I’m pretty grateful for,” says Jorgensen. “Because of my exposure as a football player, I’m getting an opportunity to fight in this event. Most guys that are starting out are fighting in smaller shows, in front of smaller crowds, and it’s been a really cool opportunity to fight in front of people who know me from my football career.”
The April 16 event in Orem is a split card featuring both amateur and professional contest. While Jorgensen is just starting out and still embarking on his amateur career as a fighter, the former Cougar has long-term plans for his transition into the cage.
“The reason I go into anything is to be the best at it. I have a plan in mind, and I want to make it to the UFC. I want to be the UFC heavyweight champion. I’m not into something like this because I want to go out and fight as a hobby.
“I have a plan in my head, and part of the reason I’m still doing amateur fights is because of that plan. I want to get the experience and be able to get better at my craft before I jump into the professional ranks and start working my way towards the UFC.
“Hopefully I go get the win [next Saturday] and hopefully I can keep winning, keep making that rise up towards the UFC. When I decide to go pro, I want it to be because I know I can compete with anybody. I’m following my plan right now and working my way towards that level.”
Jorgensen says he hope to make his professional debut towards the end of the year. When the time comes, you can be sure that the former BYU standout will do so inside the Showdown Fights cage.
Showdown Fights: Shootout takes place April 16 at the UCCU Center in Orem, Utah.
