Arreola steps up to 170 pounds to challenge McClain for title

VISALIA, Calif. – The build up for 559 Fights Friday in Visalia was one for the record books, pitting two of the top local amateur mixed martial artist against each other in a championship showdown.

But when an injury forced 559 Fights Lightweight Champion Evan Solorio (5-2) to withdraw, former Featherweight Champion Alberto Arreola was forced to make some big decisions for his return to Visalia Rawhide Stadium.

“I had some options on which direction to go. I could have sat out and waited for Evan, I could have fought some lesser opponents possibly, but ultimately I’m here to challenge myself,” said Lemoore’s Arreola, who carries an 11-0 record into Friday’s fights.

“Fighters get hurt, it’s part of the game. I’m not always 100 percent healthy, but I’m doing this for the experience and to make me a better professional in the future and that’s why I wanted to fight (Justin) McClain.”

559 Fights pieced together an equally high-profile fight, pitting the No. 2 ranked Welterweight in the State against Arreola.  Marina’s McClain carries a 12-5-1 record into the bout, winning five of his last six bouts.

“It’s never easy getting the calls about an injury or illness, but it happens so often you really have to be prepared to make some adjustments,” said 559 Fights President and Owner Jeremy Luchau. “We were blessed that we had two guys that were looking to challenge themselves rather than take the easy way out.”

Doors open at 6 p.m. and fights start at 7. Tickets start at just $20 and are available at Visalia Nutrishop or the Rawhide Box Office. For VIP information call 559-813-0307.

McClain was originally scheduled to take on Fresno’s Garret Marks (4-0) for the vacant Welterweight title, but Marks received a cut over his eye during training and could not compete.

“The cut sucks, but it happens. I’m happy to have Arreola step up and take the fight. Fighting on short notice is never easy, especially with records like ours,” McClain said. “I go for the finish. My last fight ended in knockout and I’d like to do the same.”

Arreola moved up two weight classes, vacating his Featherweight Title to compete for the Welterweight Title.

“The titles aren’t important. I’m honored to fight for 559 Fights, but really I just want to challenge myself. The toughest option for me was with McClain,” Arreola said. “I’m not sure what happens after this fight, but I will be looking to challenge myself regardless of weight class. I’m just trying to learn right now and get better. Maybe me and Evan can meet down the road, I’m sure that he’s injured pretty bad, because he was willing to vacate his title, which was the honorable thing to do in this situation.”

Weigh-ins will be held Friday morning at 10 a.m. at CrossFit West Visalia.

In the co-main event, 559 Fights Cruiserweight Champion Myles Shaw (9-2) defends his title for the first time against Paso Robles’ Andre Nickelson (6-4).

“There’s no one in the state that wants to fight this guy (Shaw),” Luchau said of the Stockton fighter, who is ranked No. 1 in the State. “I could only really think of one or two guys that would step up and compete, Andre was the first person that came to mind. He’s an athlete and was ranked in the Top 5 at 205 pounds. I wasn’t sure he would come up in weight, but he really stepped up to the challenge.”

In another cruiserweight showdown, Kerman’s Leo Cantu (8-3-1) takes on Hanford’s Daniel Hernandez (2-4) and in a flyweight rematch Fresno’s Carlos Hernandez squares off with Porterville’s Josh Sudbeck (2-1).

“There are a couple fights that are really important to the landscape of future title fights and main events,” Luchau said. “We have some pretty important undercard bouts on this card featuring several talented locals.”

Bakersfield middleweight Eric Huggins (2-3) takes on Hanford’s Daniel Ortiz (1-2) and Farmersville lightweight Juan Campos (2-1) fights Visalia’s Fabian Luevano (2-3-1).

In other bouts;

-Modesto bantamweight Daniel Osequera (3-2) vs. Hanford’s Ricardo Vasquez (1-3).

-Visalia bantamweight Aaron Warnke (1-1) vs. Ridgecrest’s Luis Garcia (0-2).

-Visalia welterweight Chris Gottschall (1-0) vs. Fresno’s Bryant Franklin (0-0).

-Escalon featherweight Steve Ronneberg (0-1) vs. Linden’s Edgar Quinonez (0-0).

-Huron featherweight Rudy Soto (0-1) vs. Ridgecrest Myles Lowis (0-0).

-Bakersfield lightweight Cameron Ramirez (0-0) vs. Stockton’s Anthony Taylor (0-0).

-Visalia cruiserweight Jef McQuilliams (0-0) vs. San Leandro’s Amir Lacey (2-0).

-Citrus Heights middleweight Casey Parcell (0-0) vs. Stockton’s Levi Scott (0-0).

Arreola and Loza vie for 559 Fights Featherweight strap at Kings Fair

HANFORD, Calif. – The fireworks will continue on Friday, July 5 at the Kings County Fair in Hanford when 559 Fights drops it’s mixed martial arts cage at the outdoor concert venue.

559 Fights returns to where the company started it’s amateur MMA promotion in April of 2012 with one of its largest fight cards, which includes a Featherweight Title fight between Lemoore’s Alberto Arreola (9-0) against Exeter’s Edgar Loza (4-1-1).

“The Kings Fair was host to one of the largest amateur MMA shows in the state last year and we are excited to be back,” said 559 Fights President Jeremy Luchau. “Our events are certainly different from a lot of others in the area. We are very excited to be able to continue to give opportunities under the bright lights for the amateur fighters in our area.”

Tickets start at just $30 and include fair admission. Doors open at 6 p.m. and fights start at 7.

559 Fights tickets are available at the Kings Fair Box Office, Visalia’s MMA Gear in the Sequoia Mall in Visalia and online at www.559fights.com. For VIP Table and ticket information please call5598130307.

Arreola is a former West Hills College Lemoore wrestling star, who has amassed a perfect amateur record against fighters in four different weight classes. Meanwhile, Loza is one of the more exciting strikers in the Valley and currently holds a title in another promotion.

“This is one of those fights that the MMA fans in the Valley have been asking for. I’m really excited to see how Arreola is going to react to Loza’s standup game. Loza did very well against another top wrestler, Adin Duenas, so I think this is going to be an amazing fight for our title,” Luchau said.

559 Fights crowned it’s first ever champion in June, as Fresno’s Matt Perez edged Loza’s teammate Alex Valencia by decision. The regional promotion has 15 shows under its belt.

“Team KO in Farmersville is the premier amateur camp in the Valley right now. They have more amateurs than any other team and all have been fighting the longest,” Luchau said. “It’s a testament to their hardwork that they have had two fighters competing for titles with us at 559 Fights.”

In the co-main event, Arreola’s teammate at Team Ochoa Eddie Godinho (2-0) takes on Caruthers’ Evan Solorio (2-2).

“This fight has fight-of-the-night written all over it,” Luchau said. “Neither of these guys is even thinking about a takedown. I expect these guys to sit in the pocket and throw bombs. It really also says something about the folks from Team Ochoa,  that they have two guys fighting in the main and co-main event.”

Hanford cruiserweight Alfredo Cervantes (2-1) takes on unbeaten Brian Kyle (1-0) of Exeter in another key matchup.

Plus there’s a showdown between Kerman’s Chris Gonzales (1-1) and Exeter’s Anthony Torres (2-1) of up-start 125-pounders.

“This card is loaded with local talent. We have 15 fights currently scheduled and barring any injuries, this will be the deepest fight card we’ve put together,” Luchau said.

Fight fans are also encouraged to attend the official weighin at the Wrecking Bar in Hanford at10 a.m. on Friday and return for the post-fight party.

In other action;

-Hanford middleweight Daniel Ortiz (1-1) vs. Bakersfield’s Cody Sons (2-0).

-Fowler welterweight Juan Barajas (0-1) vs. Visalia’s Fabian Luevano (1-2).

-Hanford flyweight Joey Martinez (1-3) vs. Porterville’s Josh Sudbeck (0-0).

-Fresno flyweight Abel Garcia (2-5) vs. Tulare’s Chance Warnock (1-0).

-Hanford light heavyweight Daniel Hernandez (1-1) vs. Lemoore’s Tyrell Mayfield (0-1).

-Kettleman City middleweight Pedro Serrato (0-1) vs. Visalia’s Cody Goodes (0-0).

-Lemoore bantamweight Zach Currin (0-0) vs. Porterville’s Jacob Godoy (0-0).

-Caruthers lightweight Nick Childress (0-3) vs. Porterville’s Omar Contreras (0-0).

-Fresno lightweight Andrew Johnson (0-0) vs. Delano’s Ernesto Zamano (1-5).

-Fresno flyweight Rick Perez (2-0) vs. Stockton’s Tony Gonzales (0-0).

-Kingsburg lightweight Jacob Banuelos (0-0) vs. Exeter’s Aaron Akers (0-0).

 

Arreola headlines MMA event in Lemoore

CLOVIS, Calif. – Alberto Arreola puts his perfect amateur mixed martial arts record on the line this Saturday in Lemoore, Calif.

Arreola has amassed a 7-0 mark in less than a year fighting in three different weight classes for 559 Fights. He makes his long awaited debut in Lemoore where he wrestled for West Hills College Lemoore and now trains at Team Ochoa.

“Arreola is one of those guys who is always ready and in shape,” said 559 Fights president Jeremy Luchau. “You can really appreciate a fighter like that. He is one of the main reasons we wanted to come to Lemoore to do some fights.”

559 Fights will make its first trip to Lemoore, as the cage will drop down at the Cinnamon Recreation Complex. Tickets start at just $30 and can be purchased at Visalia’s MMA Gear in the Sequoia Mall in Visalia, Black Market Supplements in Fresno and online at www.559fights.com

Doors open at 6 p.m. and fights start at 7.

Kurt Eberhard (2-0) steps up to take on Arreola in the lightweight main event. This will be Eberhard’s biggest test in the cage to date.

In the co-main event, Lemoore welterweight Nick Sierra (3-0) will battle Madera’s Chris Huerta (3-4).

“We have 15 fights on this card right now and I’m pretty excited about a lot of these bouts. I think the Sierra vs. Huerta bout will be fun and I’m really looking forward to the Anthony Martinez vs. Eric Huggins bout.”

Lemoore’s Martinez (3-1) takes on an up-and-coming middleweight from Bakersfield in Huggins (2-1).

559 Fights has had 11 events in less than a year and is one of the fastest growing amateur promotions in California.

“We take a lot of pride in putting a great product out for people to see. We work really hard on our production, or videos and our fights,” said Luchau, who formerly promoted Tachi Palace Fights.

“We want to feed into a lot of the other bigger promotions in the state and help give fighters a launch pad to start their young careers.”

Weighins take place at Ethel Red’s Chop House at 10 a.m.

In other bouts;

-Kerman cruiserweight Leo Cantu (5-1-1) vs. Fresno’s Paul Porter (1-1).

-Fresno welterweight Evan Solorio (2-1) vs. Mountain View’s Benji Silva (4-2).

-Fresno featherweight James Spear (2-4-1) vs. Bakersfield’s Marcel Cyprian (2-1).

-Lemoore middleweight Pedro Serrato (0-0) s. Hanford’s Mark Scambia (1-0).

-Delano featherweight Ernesto Zamano (0-4) vs. Exeter’s Alex Valencia (1-1).

-Porterville welterweight Aaron Ziegler (0-0) vs. Fowler’s Juan Barajas (0-0).

-Reedley lightweight William Johnson (0-1) vs. Tulare’s David Anthony Garcia (1-2).

-Porterville cruiserweight Rosendo Razon (0-0) vs. Hanford’s Alfredo Cervantes (2-0).

Arreola meets Hickox in 559 Fights return to Tulare County Fair

HANFORD, Ca. – The Tulare County Fair will play host to the next addition of 559 Fights on Saturday, September 15.

Lemoore’s Alberto Arreola puts his unbeaten record of 3-0 on the line against Exeter’s Dakota Hickox (1-0) in a lightweight headliner at the Tulare Fair.

Tickets start at $25 and include fair admission. Tickets can be purchased at the Tulare County Fair office, Visalia’s MMA Gear in the Sequoia Mall in Visalia and at www.559fights.com.

“ We are very excited to be returning to Tulare. We had a great event in July and we are looking for a great crowd with some action-packed fights at this year’s fair,” said 559 Fights President Jeremy Luchau.

“Currently we have 16 scheduled fights, which includes 12 athletes from Tulare County. Also on the card are three bouts in the junior division, which features contestants under the age of 18 in bouts with modified MMA rules, including protective gear.”

In the co-main event, Tulare’s Ruben Rojas (1-0) from locally run Kings Knights take on Madera’s Matt Perez (2-0). Kings Knights also feature two competitors in the junior division, as Joseph Madrid makes his debut against Hanford’s Freddy Esquivel and Valentino Esparza makes his debut against Madera’s Angel Berrazza.

In the other youth bout, Clovis’ Porter Sharp meets Visalia’s Daniel Sauceda.

Competitors under the age of 18 wear protective head gear, shin guards for certain age groups and compete with modified rules such as no head strikes, elbow strikes and only a select few submission holds are allowed.

“We had a great response from our last event in Hanford featuring some of the youth and junior competitors and the folks in Tulare really wanted to bring some of those bouts out there,” Luchau said. “Plus we have some other pretty interesting local bouts, featuring fighters from local gyms.”

Visalia featherweight Cameron Ramirez (2-1) makes his return to action against Bakersfield’s David Mendoza (1-0) and Tulare’s Armando Espinoza makes his highly anticipated lightweight debut against Merced’s Edward Mackey (0-0).

Doors open for the event at 6 p.m. and fights start at 7.

In other action;

-Lemoore light heavyweight Anthony Martinez (2-1) vs. Taft’s Shaquil Gant (1-0).

-Tulare lightweight Tyrell Tucker (1-1-1) vs. Madera’s Chris Huerta (2-4).

-Hanford middleweight Daniel Ortiz (1-0) vs. Fresno’s Art Hernandez (1-1).

-Tulare featherweight J.J. Madrid (1-2) vs. Bakersfield’s Ernesto Zamano (0-1).

-Hanford featherweight Jason Ollivier (0-1) vs. Bakersfield’s Samuel Montiel (0-2).

-Lemoore lightweight Jesus Sanchez (0-1) vs. Fresno’s Rudy Sanchez (1-0).

-Tulare welterweight Nick Griffin (0-1) vs. Porterville’s Mike Pinon (0-0).

-Kingsburg middleweight Robert Vildosola (0-2) vs. Fresno’s Raymond Rhan (0-0).

-Dos Palos flyweight Salomon Ramirez (0-1) vs. Fresno’s Bryan Lopez (0-0).

559 Fights Results

Dakota Hickox defeats Damian Mendoza at 1:35 of RD 1 by referee stoppage

Philip Cedeno defeats Nohelin Hernandez by unanimous decision

Daniel Ortiz defeats Jacob Johnson at :33 seconds of rd 1 by referee stoppage due to strikes

Rafael Hernandez defeats Anthony Torres at 1:48 of RD 3 by referee stoppage due to strikes

Abel Garcia defeats Joey Martinez by unanimous decision

Alfredo Cervantes defeats Joseph Longoria by split decision

Wilbert Rogers Defeats Anthony Sias by unanimous decision

Andrew Skyers defeats Stephen Sandoval by unanimous decision

Aaron Mathis defeats Antonio VanBuren by unanimous decision

Alberto Arreola defeats Cisco Ortega unanimous decision

Jace Luchau defeats Austin Terry at 1:48 of rd 3 by referee stoppage

559 Fights 4 Full Fight Card For August 18, 2012

Kings County Fairgrounds

Hanford, Ca.

Main Event

Youth 90 Pounders

Selma, Calif.’s Jace Luchau (0-0) vs. Taft, Calif.’s Austin Terry (0-0)

Co-Main Event

Featherweights

Lemoore, Calif.’s Alberto Arreola (2-0) vs. Visalia, Calif.’s Cisco Ortega (1-0-1)

Cruiserweight

Gilroy, Calif.’s Antonio VanBuren (2-0) vs. Hanford, Calif.’s Aaron Mathis (1-1)

Bantamweights

Lemoore, Calif.’s Stephen Sandoval (0-0) vs. Lemoore, Calif.’s Andrew Skyers (0-3)

Heavyweights

Hanford, Calif.’s Wilbert Rogers (0-1) vs. Hanford, Calif.’s Anthony Sias (0-1)

Cruiserweights

Hanford, Calif.’s Joseph Longoria (0-2) vs. Hanford, Calif.’s Alfredo Cervantes (0-0)  

Lightweights

Tulare, Calif.’s Luis Flores (0-0) vs. Visalia, Calif.’s Corey Hargis (1-0)  

Bantamweights (130)

Hanford, Calif.’s Joey Martinez (1-0) vs. Fresno, Calif.’s Abel Garcia (1-0)

Flyweights

Exeter, Calif.’s Anthony Torres (1-0) vs. Bakersfield, Calif.’s Rafael Hernandez (2-0)

Middleweights

Hanford, Calif.’s Daniel Ortiz (0-0) vs. Taft, Calif.’s Jacob Johnson (0-0)

Bantamweights

Gilroy, Calif.’s Nohelin Hernandez (0-0) vs. Bakersfield, Calif.’s Phillip Cedeno (0-0)

Lightweights (150)

Exeter, Calif.’s Dakota Hickox (0-0) vs. Modesto, Calif.’s Damian Mendoza (0-0)

Lightweights (150)

Lemoore, Calif.’s Jason Ollivier (0-1) vs. Tulare, Calif.’s JJ Madrid (1-2) 

Hanford’s Juarez returns to action at 559 Fights

HANFORD, Ca. – 559 Fights returns to action at the Kings Fairgrounds in Hanford, Calif. this Saturday and will be headlined by Hanford’s Steven Juarez.

Juarez made his amateur mixed martial arts debut in April, winning by submission and spearheading a successful debut for the up-start 559 Fights promotion.

 “Steve looked great in his debut and I’m happy we are able to bring him back and help continue to mold his future,” said 559 Fight’s Jeremy Luchau.

559 Fights second installment of MMA action will take place indoors and feature 11 action packed bouts that include fighters from all over Kings County and beyond including a co-main event featuring Avenal heavyweight Jose Aispuro.

“Joey Perez and I are dedicated to bringing the very best amateur MMA possible to Hanford. Our last event was a huge success and most importantly was a good experience for the fighters and fans. This event has several popular fighters in the area from some of the best gyms in our area,” Luchau said.

Doors open at 2:30 p.m. with fights starting at 3 p.m. Tickets start at just $20 with reserved seating being priced at $35. Tickets can be purchased online at www.559fights.com or at the Kings Fairgrounds Office. VIP Tables are also available and can be purchased by calling 559-362-4046.

Juarez will be pitted against Lemoore’s Alberto Arreola, who also made a successful debut in April. Arreola is also a standout wrestler, who earned all-American honors at West Hills College Lemoore last year.

 “I know he is a wrestler. He was a high school state champ and I wasn’t but I’m a college all-American and he isn’t so that evens things out,” Arreola said of Juarez. “I think it’s going to come out to who can be better on the feet or get the takedown.”’

Juarez has been focused on becoming comfortable in the cage and developing his own skill set.

"I’ve been working on being comfortable in the cage. It is what's important especially right now. I need to combine everything in the cage. In the first fight I wanted to comfortable and to get the first fight out of the way and see my flaws. That was a stepping stone this fight will be different,” Juarez said.

“I know him somewhat. He has a background in wrestling, but my skill level is different. I feel I'm stronger in wrestling. But this fight I can step outside that and show some different things,” the former Hanford High state champ added.

In the co-main event, Aispuro (1-1) meets Kingsburg’s John Mathison (1-1), which was supposed to take place in April, but Mathison was sidelined with an illness following weigh-ins.

“I think Aispuro is a rising star in the area and some one that will probably be making the jump to the professional level soon. He has a very large following,” Luchau said. “Mathison is just a tough guy and is stepping up to try and steal some of that spotlight that Aispuro has been receiving since he started his career.”

Also returning to action is Lemoore’s Anthony Martinez (1-0), who is a teammate of Aispuro on Team Ochoa. Martinez will take on Mathison’s teammate Robert Vildasola (0-0).

In other bouts;

- Orosi, Calif. middleweight Leo Quezada (1-2) vs. Fresno, Calif.’s Rudy Gutierrez (0-3).
- Modesto, Calif. lightweight Scott Flesher (1-0) vs. Tulare, Calif.’s Derek Bailey (0-0).
- Visalia, Calif. featherweight Cameron Ramirez (0-0) vs. Reedley, Calif.’s Gerardo Garcia (0-1).
- Lemoore, Calif. bantamweight Andrew Skyers (0-2) vs. Tulare, Calif.’s J.J. Madrid (0-1).
- Hanford, Calif. cruiserweight Joseph Longoria (0-1) vs. Gilroy, Calif.’s Antonio VanBuren (1-0).
- Hanford, Calif. lightweight Jason Ollivier (0-0) vs. Tulare, Calif.’s Tyrell Tucker (0-0).
- Visalia, Calif. featherweight Cisco Ortega (0-0) vs. Tulare, Calif.’s Edgar Loza (1-0).
 - Hanford, Calif. flyweight Tannar Jordan (0-0) vs. Fresno, Calif.’s Able Garcia (0-0).