Omaha, NE. – November 16, 2011 – A few short months ago Dakota Cochrane clinched the biggest win of his professional MMA fight career, defeating former WEC champ Jamie Varner in devastating fashion, live on HDNet . In just a few short weeks, Cochrane, who fights out of Premier Combat Center in Omaha, NE, will head to Las Vegas to pursue his dream of fighting for the UFC. Open tryouts for “Ultimate Fighter 15” kick off on Dec. 5 at Texas Station in North Las Vegas. Although Cochrane will be competing against hundreds of hopefuls to get a coveted spot on the show, he is confident that he will make the cut.
Cochrane had this to say about the upcoming tryouts, “I am ready for this! My fight game has come a long way since I’ve been training at Premier Combat Center. Every day I train with UFC level fighters that know exactly what it takes to make it to the big stage, fighters like Jason Brilz, Jake Ellenberger, Ryan Jensen and Houston Alexander. All of them have fought under the UFC banner.”
According to Ryan Jensen, UFC Vet and co-owner of Premier Combat Sports, “How you evolve as a fighter has a lot to do with the competition that you train with and Dakota consistently trains with some of the best guys out there. Training with fighters like Brilz and Ellenberger definitely gives him an edge. If he can hold his own with these guys, he can take on anyone. I have no doubt that Dakota will be a stand out at the ‘TUF 15’ tryouts.”
Cochran’s “edge” was apparent when he fought Varner in September. He clearly dominated the eight-time WEC and two-time UFC vet from the moment he stepped into the cage, despite the fact that he accepted the bout just days before the Titan Fighting Championship event. Cochrane accepted the challenge without hesitation and clearly made the most of his opportunity.
Premier Combat Center is no stranger to producing top-level contenders. At the recent IBJJF No-Gi World Championships in Long Beach, CA Premier Combat competitors John Hansen, Becky Phillips and Aaron Steele all made impressive showings; each taking home medals in their respective divisions, and two of the team’s A-list fighters will take to the cage this weekend.
On Nov. 18, Premier Combat fighter Anthony Smith will take on Adlan Amagov at Strikeforce Challengers 20 and on Saturday, November 19 Premier Combat fighter Jason Brilz will take on Ryan Bader at UFC 139. The teams rising star, Dakota Cochrane, hopes to be the next Premier Combat Center fighter to get signed by the UFC. Showcasing his skills at the “Tuf 15” tryouts will give him a chance to earn that opportunity.