Bright Lights and Fun Fights: Inside Regional MMA
Like many good stories, it all started with an ad. In this case, that ad was for an upcoming MMA event in my hometown. In addition to being a huge fan of the sport, the pandemic-era lack of big and hectic live events had left me, like many others, craving a return to that sort of atmosphere. I’d never heard of the promotion, Mountain Force, so I decided to check out their website. For being a regional promotion that mostly deals with amateur fights, their website looked pretty professional, containing plenty of information about the organization, their events, and what they stand for. On the top of the site I spotted a “Volunteer” tab. My curiosity got the better of me, and I decided to give it a click.
I figured that a volunteer opportunity could at least snag me free entry to the event, and if I was lucky, a good seat too. It wasn’t just the fact that I’m cheap that led me to click on the box (although that’s part of it), it was that I genuinely wanted to get involved more intimately with the sport I’ve come to love over the last several years. In the list of opportunities that they had posted, one immediately caught my attention: commentator.
Things like public speaking and performance have always interested me, and so upon seeing an opportunity to fuse that passion with my one for combat sports, I filled out the application with high hopes, remaining confident that even if they didn’t want me on the commentary team, at least I could end up doing security, or being a scantily-clad ring guy or something.
To my surprise, they got back to me several days later asking me to commentate the event. I was overjoyed! I’ve always been the type of person who likes to dip my toes into as many areas of life as possible, and so to be given the opportunity to get involved with something so interesting and novel had me hyped.
Even better, though, was the fact that they were looking for someone else to be in the commentary booth with me, and they asked if I had any recommendations. While several people came to mind, one stood out from the rest — a good friend and fellow MMA fan who has a background in journalism and sports broadcast. I knew that being comfortable and lively with your partner at the commentary table would be critical to giving the fighters their due hype and building maximum anticipation for the audience watching live from their homes. Both the promotion and my friend were willing, and so with that, we were on.
We both began preparing, making sure that we exercised due diligence and researched each and every fighter who would be on the card. I even asked Jon Anik himself for advice, and he was kind enough to respond:
At this level of MMA, researching fighters is not as easy of a process as you might think. There are relatively few sources to look towards, and information is often missing or contradictory for amateur fighters who have yet to fight in a major promotion. Nevertheless, we compiled a lengthy document that had information about every fighter, their background, their stats and of course, the “tale of the tape”. Closer to fight day, we were able to supplement the document using bio sheets that each fighter filled out by hand.
Unsurprisingly, fighters are a very interesting and diverse crowd. A playlist of their requested walkout songs would be as eclectic as any, and they came from all sorts of different places around the American West (as well as a token Canadian). One thing that they all had in common, though, was a clear competitive fighting spirit. They were hungry, they were ready, and they didn’t come all the way to Helena, Montana for any other reason but to kick some ass.
On Friday, the day of weigh-ins before fight night on Saturday, I had my first chance to sit down with the fighters who I would be promoting and analyzing the following evening. On one hand, the atmosphere at the weigh-ins was rather mellow; of course, many of the fighters were on the tail end of a multi-day weight cutting process that leaves them hungry and dehydrated. On the other hand, there was an undeniable energy and tension in the room. The whole event was taking place at a local vape and adult product store; that’s regional, amateur MMA for you.
Just as the whole experience of being an amateur MMA commentator was actualizing — becoming real — right before my eyes, so too was the reality of being a cagefighter becoming more and more real for the fighters themselves, many of whom were about to step into the cage for the very first time. The fighters themselves were also getting their first chance to lay eyes on their opponent in-person, opponents who they’d likely been studying for quite some time.
Despite their stoic faces and intimidating physiques, the fighters were nice as could be. At first, I was hesitant to approach many of them. As aforementioned, I figured that many of them might be irritable due to the weight cutting process. However, after getting a chance to have each fighter tell me about themselves and their experience leading up to this event, it became clear that the fighters were more than eager to talk about the sport and their role in it. Every fighter thinks they can win, and every fighter thinks they can get the finish. That being said, it never got old to hear them say it out loud, straight from the horse’s mouth. For many of the fighters, it was their first time in Montana. They could not have chosen a more beautiful weekend to perform in the Queen City of the Rockies. By the end of the weigh-ins, there was roughly 24 hours to go until the first fight would electrify the whole venue.
…
The Helena Civic Center sticks out like a sore thumb in the capital city. It’s styled like an old mosque, with a tall spire, sandy colors, and intricate geometric patterns all around it. I suspect that it was no coincidence that there was a grappling tournament in the ballroom of the civic center on the very same day. We, on the other hand, were in the main theater. It was far from the first time I’d performed in that theater. Many of our springtime band concerts were held there during middle and high school. It would, however, be the first MMA event ever held in that room. I was instantly excited to learn that we would be in that theater for one reason in particular: I knew that the sound of every strike would echo and rumble throughout the whole room.
Going into it, I didn’t realize that one of the funnest parts of the whole day would be setting up the cage itself. In contrast to the UFC’s octagon or a classic square boxing ring, Mountain Force’s cage is hexagonal. Personally, I was a fan of the more prominent corners, as it would be easier to get backed into one, and harder to circle back out. A crew of several men, including myself and my commentary partner, spent several hours setting up the stage upon which the fighters would be performing.
In case you’re curious, it starts with a heavy and sturdy metal skeleton. Big, thick pieces of plywood are then puzzle-pieced over top, after which a series of mats are similarly placed overtop of it all. A massive piece of canvas is then stretched out over the whole thing and secured tightly down in place with rope. The cage walls are then hoisted up and bolted into place. Lastly, all the padding is placed around the corners and edges of the cage. Voila, you have your modern colosseum!
The fighters started to trickle in later in the day, many taking a minute to circle about the cage, getting a feel for the space in which they’d be throwing kicks, flicking jabs, and slamming their opponent to the ground. As the crowd trickled in as well, the energy in the theater began to build. Family and friends of the fighters, couples, groups of young teens, business parties, and the local “Just Bleeders” alike began to flood the arena, we started to settle into our place cageside at the commentary table. The entire theater filled with buzzing chatter, and the bright lights came on, illuminating the cage and temporarily blinding any unfortunate commentators who might have been looking up at that moment.
My partner and I had planned out and rehearsed an elaborate introduction to the event, but before we knew it, the music started to blare through the speakers as the announcer began calling out the first fighter. Thankfully, we’re both flexible guys. We hastily began our livestream, getting out a mix of welcoming statements and background info on the first fighter, Nolan Legg. After Legg, we welcomed his opponent, Spencer Woodland, to the cage as well. Moments later, the ref (who I must say did a fantastic job for the entire event), began the fight.
Right there before my eyes, Woodland started the fight big by throwing a flashy spinning wheel kick. Him and Legg began to trade back and forth, find their ranges, and prepare for the inevitable clash to come. Despite Woodland continuing to fire off a variety of kicks, Legg started to get comfortable with his hands. Once he had Woodland backed against the cage, Legg timed a perfect counter left hand that rocked Woodland, leading to follow up shots that were mere formalities to get the TKO stoppage. After a moment of celebration, there was a moment that truly got the night rolling with positive vibes, and gave me a memory I’ll never forget. Legg came strolling up to us at the commentary booth, where we were losing our minds about the finish, and gave us a nod and a big ol’ thumbs up. A small gesture, but a meaningful one.
I’ll spare you the details of every fight, but to say that the card delivered would be an understatement. To be completely honest, I didn’t expect the highest level MMA from these guys. Most of them are young and fresh fighters who are just now making their way up the ladder; remember, any one of these fights could end in a knockout that goes viral and lands them a spot on a show like Dana White’s Tuesday Night Contender Series. Events like the ones put on by Mountain Force are the proving grounds of an unforgiving sport. At this point in their careers, it’s not about the pay, it’s about development. The reputation and skill that get guys into the octagon one day are forged in local civic center theaters like the one here in Helena.
Chris Smith, a native of the city, got a brutal first round knockout over his opponent, ensuring that the amateur heavyweight belt got wrapped around his waist at the end. His camp told me that they want him to see everything possible in the cage as an amateur before he steps up for a pro bout. After this latest win over a tough and skilled opponent, though, it’s clear that he has the ability to fight in the big leagues. Another Helena native, Louie Lopez, may have ended up losing his fight that night, but he got to share some good news with the crowd after the bout — he has recently been signed by another prominent fighting organization, the Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship (BKFC).
At various points throughout the night, I had my face and the papers in front of me splattered with the blood of a fighter’s busted nose, had a fighter’s contact lens land on my lap, and got to hear and see every shot with perfect clarity. I could see how it wouldn’t be everybody’s cup of tea, but for me, there’s nowhere I’d rather have been that night.
I don’t know if I’ll ever commentate another MMA event again. I loved doing it, and I’d love to do it again, but it’s an opportunity that is few and far between unless you’re willing to travel all around the country with a promotion. But rest assured, every promotion in Montana will be receiving a message from me if I hear about their event. After watching back the entire event on YouTube, I came to learn that our audio levels were totally off. For much of the event, you are forced to choose between having my voice barely audible or my partner’s voice blaring in your ear. But when I learned that, I just laughed. It’s a rookie mistake, not to check levels from the get-go, but it kind of fits the amateur MMA vibe, so I’m alright with it.
So my advice to all the fans of mixed martial arts out there: click that “volunteer” button when you see a local card coming to your area. Is it going to be the UFC? No. Is it a worthwhile experience? Absolutely. You get to see where all those fighters in the UFC got their start, and what sort of conditions and fights they had to get through to make it to the top of the sport. You don’t have to commentate to get involved. These local shows often need help with things like setting up the cage, getting the arena ready, acting as security, or otherwise helping the event run as smoothly as possible for the fighters. It doesn’t hurt that you just might end up with the best seat in the house.
