The ULTIMATE WARRIOR CHALLENGE lands at the nation’s Capital on Saturday, April 25th, with UWC: CAPITAL PUNISHMENT. PRO MMA (promma.info) will be live on hand at the George Mason University Patriot Center Arena in Fairfax, Virginia to cover all the action.
The event will feature a UWC Bantamweight Title fight between Mike “The Hulk” Easton (6-1) and Josh “Taz” Ferguson (6-1) and a co-main event between former UFC fighter and Ultimate Fighter contestant, War Machine (7-2), who will be taking on local standout and Lloyd Irvin-trained Reshad Woods (4-1).
Mike Easton is the current UWC Bantamweight Champion, former two-time Reality Fighting Champion, Pan Am silver medalist, former Grappler’s Quest, and Naga Champion. He is a BJJ specialist out of Lloyd Irvin’s camp but is also quite proficient in muay thai and striking.
Easton’s opponent, Josh Ferguson fights out of Team Cruz in Louisville, Kentucky. He is a purple belt in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu and has won all six of his fights by submission. His only loss came from a decision. No one else has been able to make it out of round two with “Taz”.
In the co-main event, Reshad Woods and the fighter formerly known as Jon Koppenhaver, henceforth called War Machine, will fight at a catch weight of 175 pounds, although Woods typically fights at middleweight and War Machine at welterweight.
Woods holds the most celebrated knockout win in UWC history over now fellow teammate Ron Stallings from UWC 4: INVASION in April of 2008. He trains with UFC veteran Brandon Vera and UWC bantamweight champion Mike Easton. All four of Woods’ professional wins have come by first round stoppages due to strikes.
ULTIMATE WARRIOR CHALLENGE CEO S. Marcello Foran said regarding the War Machine vs. Reshad Woods match up, “There isn’t space for every contender, so something has to give. Woods’s vicious stoppages have proven he’s the best in the area, but he needs to test himself in deeper waters. War Machine was a hot prospect after the reality show, but let personal demons get in the way. Now he’s refocused and has looked excellent in his last two tough fights. Both fighters have a lot to prove here and the stakes couldn’t be higher. This fight is going to be a real treat for fans of high-level MMA in Washington, DC.”
War Machine has won both his last two fights in the first round, one by submission and one KO. The more wins he can keep stringing together, the further away he can push this past year’s negative press. There is no doubt War Machine has tons of potential that is waiting to be realized as long as he can keep his personal life straight.
Here is the full fight card for UWC: CAPITAL PUNISHMENT:
UWC: Capital Punishment
UWC Bantamweight Championship
Mike Easton vs. Josh Ferguson
non-title bouts
Jamal Patterson vs. Ryan Jimmo
Jose Villirisco vs. Mikey Lovato
Marcus Foran vs. Richie Hightower
Frank Camacho vs. Binky Jones
Brendan Schaub vs. Dave Brytus
Kris McCray vs. Ronnie Wuest
Reshad Woods vs. Jon Koppenhaver
Ronald Stallings vs. TBA
Phil Davis vs. TBA
(bouts subject to change)
The UWC is also hosting an UltimateVIP Contest – Meet and Greet w/ TITO ORTIZ. For a chance to “WIN” the UltimateVIP Fight Night Ticket Package and a Meet and Greet with Tito and other special celebrity guests TEXT “VIP” to 30644. To learn more about this event or the UWC check out their website at www.uwcmma.com.
By: Jack Bratcher