Mike Campbell, a resident of Franklin, MA and an MMA fighter coached by Tom Hafers, owner of United States Mixed Martial Arts (USMMA) studio in Bellingham, MA and New England Boxing Champion Matt Phinney, is set for a nationally televised WEC (World Extreme Cagefighting) bout at the San Diego Sports Arena on January 25, 2009.
Campbell, at 5’8” and 170 lbs. will put his perfect 6-0 record on the line against his opponent, Danillo Villefort, a 6’1”, 170 lbs. fighter holding an established 8-2 record. The two will meet in the WEC, one of the largest mixed martial arts organizations in the world. Facing talented fighters is nothing new to Campbell however, as his past two fights have been against some of the toughest New England has to offer. Campbell was named “Fighter of the Month” in MassMMA in June after defeating top-ranked welterweight Rich Moskowitz by KO in the first round. He then went on to defeat Tim Pinney. That fight being televised later in a reality MMA TV show called Tapout that featured Campbell and followed him through his training.
“I’m very excited about the match. Both Tom and Matt at USMMA are great coaches who have helped me get where I am today. I’ve trained hard and I’m definitely ready to take on Villefort,” noted Campbell. Campbell’s training for Mixed Martial Arts competition is made up of a compilation of combat skills involving Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, Thai boxing, wrestling, kickboxing and judo. These skills, coupled with his conditioning, will be Campbell’s advantage in the cage on January 25th.
Campbell’s match precedes the World Lightweight Championship match between Jamie Varner and undefeated Donald “Cowboy” Cerrone main event and the co-main event rematch of Urijah Faber against Jens Pulver. This show is a step up in class, though the lights and cameras are nothing new to Campbell. “We’ve had the cameras around for the fights before and it wasn’t a issue. My focus is on the task at hand and I have a great team behind me that I know I can count on,” says Campbell.
Mike Campbell and his training camp will arrive in San Diego a few days before the event for final preparations. Weigh-ins are held the day before and Campbell will fight the following night. “This has been one of the toughest training camps I’ve run,” says Hafers. “Mike is in peak condition and his skills are there to match. I am very impressed by his work ethic; he has a very bright future ahead of him.”
With the training camp winding down and the fight date fast approaching, Campbell, Hafers, and Phinney put the finishing touches into training. Like so many great fighters from the past, Campbell appears to wear the mantle of a champion with a confident familiarity. His greatest test now coming before him, Mike Campbell is poised and ready to show the world in explosive fashion, the product of all his hard work.
The WEC event will be televised nationally on VERSUS at 9:30 p.m. EST (Visit the website versus.com/findversus to find the fight.) Tickets may be purchased through the San Diego Sports Arena Box Office or through Ticketmaster at 619-220-8497 or at ticketmaster.com.
For more information about WEC, visit www.wec.tv.
About USMMA
USMMA focuses on elevating the physical and spiritual well being of students through Mixed Martial Arts and Yoga. Classes offered include Strength & Conditioning; Brazilian Jiu Jitsu; Thai Boxing; Cardio Thai Boxing; Wrestling; Cardio and Open Mat; Kids Mixed Martial Arts; Pilates; Power Yoga and Deep Flow Yoga.
USMMA’s state of the art, 4,000 square foot training facility is complete with a 2,000 square foot padded MMA training floor equipped with heavy bags and conditioning equipment, a 1,500 square foot yoga studio, locker rooms, showers and a juice bar. USMMA is located at 316 Hartford Avenue in Bellingham. For more information, call 508-966-5006 or visit their website at www.usmma.org.
USMMA’s Mike Campbell to Fight in WEC Championship in San Diego on January 25thRead More
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