The 10-bout amateur fight card will feature fighters from all over the Central Valley including a co-main event featuring 2004 Hanford High wrestling star Steven Juarez.
Juarez, who won a state wrestling title for the Bullpups, will take on fellow wrestler Gerardo Garcia at 559 Fights 1 at the Kings Fair Grounds.
Both fighters will be making their MMA debuts.
Tickets start at just $20 and include an Ultimate Fighting Championship viewing party following the live amateur fights. Doors open at 2:30 p.m. and first fight is scheduled for 3:30.
Tickets can be purchased at http://www.559fights.com/ . VIP Tables are also available and can be purchased by calling 559-362-4046.
“It’s a great feeling having all my friends and family here supporting me,” said Juarez, who stopped competing after his senior year in high school and now looks to make a name for himself in MMA at 145 pounds. “It’s like going back to high school and having all these guys watch you again. I get to bring back the old days.”
The old days were certainly bright for Juarez, who capped his senior season at Hanford with a state title and has his photo hanging in the Hanford gym.
“I was kind of burned out and didn’t have passion no more for wrestling. I wanted to go to graphic design school in Arizona but that didn’t work out so I went to school in Riverside,” Juarez said. “I started having dreams again and wanted to have success and that competition. I wanted to bleed, sweat and have that feeling again. It took me a lot of years.”
And Juarez is back helping headline a show that’s quickly drawing a lot of attention in the Central Valley. 559 Fights is locally owned and operated by Joey Perez and Jeremy Luchau.
“This is an event like none other. I think that we are doing something different and unique and people are going to enjoy it,” Luchau said. “People enjoy live MMA action, but people also don’t want to miss watching UFC pay per views. We decided to give fans here the best of both worlds.”
Much like Juarez, Garcia took some time away from competing, but for much different reasons.
“I was born and raised in Reedley, but got in trouble, spent some time in prison, moved away and came back with a different look and new reputation,” said Garcia, who is the head coach of the Dream Training Center in Reedley.
“I lived in Los Angeles for years and then went to culinary school in San Francisco and then went back to LA, but it’s time to give back. We had an idea of putting together Dream Training Center. It’s just a 40 by 40 room matted up room with bags and mainly for me to help the community. This is not to develop fighters, but more for kids and women’s classes.”
Speaking of the women…
559 Fights 1 is headlined by one of the hottest up-and-coming female fighters in California – Fresno’s Kristen Gatz (4-1), who takes on Gilroy’s Brianna VanBuren (1-0).
“Training has been really good. I’ve upped my game in a lot of different areas,” Gatz said. “I’ve focused on areas I’m weak in I think you’ll see a different Kristen, a more determined Kristen.”
Meanwhile, VanBuren steps up to take on Gatz on just a week’s notice after several opponents backed out and turned down fighting the Thrive MMA product.
“I’ve had a long layoff because I was having a hard time finding opponents and thought about going pro, but then I was offered this fight at home and decided to take,” Gatz said. “I think it’s a combination of people not wanting to fight me because I’m 4-1 or we don’t have a lot of girls fighting. Some people don’t want to take tough fights and want to stay perfect.”
VanBuren is more than willing to take the tough fight.
“Kristen is a tough girl and I’m ready for it. I ready for this match up. I’m well rounded and I like to stand up, to wrestle and to grapple. I’m a mixed martial artist,” VanBuren said. “The way I see is I’m going to take the fight where I want to take. I’m not going in there trying to wrestle her or have a game plan. I’m going to go in there and feel it out.”
Also on the card is a heavyweight showdown, pitting Avenal’s Joe Aispuro (1-1) vs. Kingsburg’s John Mathison (1-1).
“It feels good to be fighting in the area. Feels like home I don’t have to drive hours away. My fans from Avenal can come out and it’s close to home,” said Aispuro, who trains with Lemoore’s Team Ochoa.
“I train in every area. I try to go out there have some fun, fight hard and entertain fans. I go for the knockout”
559 Fights 1 is sanctioned by California Amateur Mixed Martial Arts Organization. The weighins will take place at Fatte Albert’s Pizza in downtown Hanford at 10 a.m. on Saturday.
“We have several great fights on this fight card and it’s a great way to start live MMA in Hanford,” Luchau said. “I’m looking forward to seeing fighters like Gatz, Juarez and Aispuro. We have some talented competition coming in from the Gilroy and Bakersfield area as well.”
In other bouts;
-Selma, Calif. bantamweight Nick Contreras (2-0) vs. Tulare, Calif.’s Michael Ruiz (0-0).
-Hanford, Calif. flyweight Letty Guzman (0-0) vs. Los Angeles, Calif.’s Thea Wolfe (0-0).
-Caruthers, Calif. welterweight Evan Solorio (1-1) vs. Lemoore, Calif.’s Jason Ollivier (0-0).
-Lemoore, Calif. light heavyweight Anthony Martinez (0-0) vs. Hanford, Calif.’s Joseph Longoria (0-0).
-Madera, Calif. bantamweight Ray Aguilar (2-4) vs. Easton, Calif.’s Alberto Arreola (0-0).
-Hanford, Calif. featherweight Jose Pacheco (0-0) vs. Bakersfield, Calif.’s Samuel Montiel (0-0).
-Gilroy, Calif. featherweight Benjamin Amezquita (5-3) vs. TBA
-Gilroy, Calif. featherweight Adin Duenas (1-0) vs. TBA
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