Goldman "The Beast" Butler (left) will return to action on Nov. 19 at Strikeforce Challengers 12.

Goldman “The Beast” Butler, heavyweight fighter with Team AGEMA and Tupelo Brazilian Jiu Jitsu (TBJJ), will travel to Jackson, Miss., on Nov. 19 to face former Ultimate Fighter 10 competitor Wes Shivers at Strikeforce Challengers 12.

Butler (1-3) and his trainer, Chris Gates of TBJJ, announced this weekend that Butler will take part in the event and looks forward to the challenge which will take place at the Jackson Convention Center.

Butler is a husband and father that moved from Houston, Texas, to North Mississippi eight years ago with his wife and five children and began training in MMA about two years ago.  He trains at Tupelo BJJ and also at Team Paragon in North Miss..

He has faced tough opponents in his four pro fights and has paid his dues along the way.  Chris Gates, as head trainer of Team AGEMA and TBJJ, doesn’t believe in making it easy on his fighters and tries to match them up with the best quality opponents out there.  This fight fits that bill.

I asked Goldman what makes him love MMA so much and he responded “The conditioning.  It weeds out the men from the mice.  And, it’s an individual sport, you have to be fully dependant on yourself to perform.”  Goldman credits his dad, Goldman Sr., as the one person who has motivated him the most in his life.  “He taught me, even though I was hard-headed, to treat people right,” said Butler.

Butler’s teammates respect him and his fans love him because he is a dedicated family man who personifies all that we hope to see in a true sportsman.  He is gracious outside the cage and ferocious inside it.  When asked what was the most important thing to him outside the cage,  he answered quickly, “ My family. You have to spend some time away from your family to be good at this, and they have endured a lot for me.  I want to perform at my best to honor them, especially my wife Caroline.”

I asked him what he would want people to know about him as a person.  He said, “That I have always been a straight-forward guy and have been honest with everyone.  If I can help someone out, I will.  I like to enjoy life.”

Six-foot-five Wes Shivers (2-0)  has a loyal fan base as well.  He is a Mississippi State football standout, former NFL player and starred on Spike TV’s The Ultimate Fighter: Heavyweights.  He brings a lot to a show like this.  Goldman’s fans see this as a kind of “David vs. Goliath” type scenario.  A simple family man facing a large, powerful opponent has a draw to it and Goldman’s fans intend to make sure he knows they are behind him.  One thing is for sure, it will be a barn burner.

You can purchase tickets in support of Goldman Butler at 662-643-9430 or call the numbers on his team website at http://tupleomma.blogspot.com.

Other bouts currently scheduled for Strikeforce Challengers 12 include Ovince St. Preux vs. Antwain Britt, Ryan Couture vs. Juan Zapata and Vitor Ribeiro vs. Justin Wilcox.

One thought on “Goldman Butler looking to unleash “The Beast” against Wes Shivers at Strikeforce Challengers 12 on Nov. 19”
  1. This will be a very intense fight. I understand Butler will be a underdog but I have seen him fight on a few occasions and he is a vicious striker and anything can happen!

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