After years of hosting some of the best under-the-radar shows in the U.S. regionals, Michigan’s talent-rich MMA scene finally has a national broadcast outlet. WXC Warrior Wednesday 1 on February 27 marks the start of Warrior Xtreme Cagefighting’s “Warrior Wednesday” series, which will bring regular midweek events to UFC Fight Pass for the next two years.
Get acquainted with Michigan’s fastest growing promotion WXC, with notes on the top fights scheduled for this Wednesday’s WXC Warrior Wednesday 1 show.
WXC Warrior Wednesday 1 Event Details
Date: Wednesday, February 27
Time: 8 PM ET / 5 PM PT
Location: Crystal Gardens (Southgate, Michigan, USA)
Broadcast: UFC Fight Pass
WXC Top Alumni
UFC veterans who have shown their stuff inside the WXC cage include Johnny Bedford, Jared Brooks, Amanda Cooper, Daron Cruickshank, Sab Homasi, Bobby Moffett, Joe Riggs, Cody Stamann, and Chris Tickle.
Other notable WXC fighters include Justin Jaynes (WXC 145/155 champ), Leroy Johnson (WXC heavyweight champ), Dequan Townsend (WXC middleweight champ), Alesha Zappitella (Invicta), Jason Fischer (Bellator), and Josh Parisian (TUF 28).
Austin Tweedy vs. David Putvin
WXC Warrior Wednesday 1 Main Event
Two lightweights on the cusp of a big show promotion will square off in the first Warrior Wednesday main event when Austin Tweedy (10-2, #385 World 155) battles David Putvin (9-2, #338 World 155). “Playtime” Putvin, 26, has developed his martial arts skills under the tutelage of UFC legend Jeremy Horn in Utah. With eight choke finishes in nine pro wins, Putvin owns exactly the kind of submissions acumen you’d expect from a Horn protege. So far it’s been feast or famine for Putvin on the ground; his two pro losses in 2015-16 came against opponents who put him on the mat and kept him there for extended stretches.
Check out the sticky web that Putvin wove in his submission of Cy Nelson at Fierce FC 6 in September 2017:
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=COqWgUA3QLo]
Opposite Putvin will be Austin Tweedy, who earned a crack at the big show last June on Dana White Tuesday Night Contender Series but fell flat in 28 seconds courtesy of a Te Edwards KO punch. Before that lightning-quick setback, Indiana’s Tweedy had been on a tear through the midwest regionals including finishes of current LFA regular Brandon Jenkins and two-time UFC fighter Jason Gilliam. Like Putvin, Tweedy has finished his wins and fell short the one time he went to a decision. Sounds like a recipe for fireworks in the WXC 76 main event! Tweed showed off his explosive talents in his 40-second slam-and-tap of Gilliam at Midwest Fight Series 15 in January 2016:
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nb7GlAUTg5Q?start=17]
Saidyokub Kakharamonov vs. Felipe Vargas
WXC Warrior Wednesday 1 Co-Main Event
The co-main event of WXC 76 features two more solid young prospects from outside of the Michigan regionals. Saidyokub Kakharamonov (6-1, #344 World) made an impression on diehard PFL fans last August when he took highly touted prospect Umar Nurmagomedov to a 15-minute decision. Kakharamonov, 23, hung tough in all phases of the game against Khabib’s cousin, limiting Nurmagomedov to two takedowns while scoring more volume on the feet. The sting of losing his undefeated record didn’t last long, as Kakharamonov got straight back into the cage a month later and authored a first round finish of Giorgi Kudukhashvili at Ring of Combat 65 in September. Kakharamonov boasts a solid folkstyle wrestling base to go with nimble footwork and diverse kicks.
Check out Kakharamonov’s close battle with Nurmagomedov from PFL 8:
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cUfFWHzY2z4?start=133]
Colombia’s Felipe “Pipe” Vargas, 25, will be the man standing across the cage from Kakharamonov at WXC 76 with an upset in mind. Now training at American Top Team in Florida, Vargas (6-1) picked up a few early career wins in Spain before successful outings in Combate Americas and Titan FC. Things went sour for Vargas in his most recent bout, a first-round head kick TKO loss to Danny Chavez in an XFN 22 (Florida regional) main event. Now Vargas will try to bounce back in this high-profile opportunity against his most highly-regarded opponent to date.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7mIBB2TT1T8]
WXC Feature Fight: King vs. Johnson
In a battle of the top-ranked Michigan natives on the card, Adam King (5-2) will aim for his fourth WXC victory when he tangles with onetime WXC winner Jose Johnson (7-5, #406 World 135) at featherweight. These two have met once before, with Johnson emerging victorious in a September 2017 clash at Michigan regional show Pinnacle Fighting Organization. “Super Saiyan” King came out fast with takedowns in all three rounds, but Johnson’s jiu-jitsu skills allowed him to evade submissions, reverse position, and bloody King en route to a unanimous decision win. It will be interesting to see whether these two choose to engage in another grappling contest, or whether they’ll show off different dimensions to their game in the rematch.
Johnson vs King 1: Round 1
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dxdF9Ie575c]
Johnson vs King 1: Round 2
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FoF3iW1b-Uk]
Johnson vs King 1: Round 3
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=veGuS-1Tb2U]
