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MMA: Stith goes for third win Saturday


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July 12, 2011

 

MMA: Stith goes for third win Saturday

Jeff MMA fighter puts undefeated record on the line against DelPrado

By MATT KOESTERS

Matt.Koesters@newsandtribune.com The News and Tribune Tue Jul 12, 2011, 11:43 PM EDT

 

JEFFERSONVILLE ? Ultimate Fighting Championship?s ?The Ultimate Fighter? television series on Spike features young mixed-martial artists looking to make good in the top echelons of the sport. But to get there, the fighters need to have a professional record of at least 3-0 to get there.

 

On Saturday, Jeffersonville native Josh ?Sledgehammer? Stith will try to cross the threshold of the top ranks when he tries to get his third professional win against Merrillville native Brandon DelPrado. Both fighters are 2-0.

 

The two will meet at Total Warrior Challenge 9: Beserk at the Venue Conference Center in Indianapolis on Saturday. Fights will begin at 7 p.m.

 

Stith, who is 5-0 in his amateur career in addition to his current professional run, is a firefighter in Jeffersonville who trains with Team Jeff Wrestling and Full Moon Martial Arts along Middle Road. Stith knows that a win on Saturday in front of a larger crowd means bigger things could be ahead.

 

?It?s a lot bigger show,? Stith said. ?There?s a couple of guys that used to the UFC that are headlining it. And then a guy that was fighting ... in Strikeforce. I figure if I put on a pretty good show, I?ll be taking on those guys next.?

 

Both of Stith?s professional wins have come via submission by strikes, meaning he?s pummeled his opposition into submission. DelPrado?s wins in the pro ranks have come via technical knockout. However, in his amateur days, DelPrado relied largely on submission holds to get wins, with just one of his 11 amateur victories coming via knockout.

 

Stith?s not impressed.

 

?From all of the tapes I saw, none of the guys looked like they?d ever wrestled at all,? Stith said. ?None of them looked built or anything. The guys he?s fought were skinny, not real aggressive. That?s just what it looked like to me.?

 

Stith says he?s the opposite of what DelPrado has seen so far. Stith has years of experience in amateur wrestling and has a ground game he thinks will give DelPrado headaches.

 

?I definitely think I have an advantage on the ground because he?s never wrestled or anything,? Stith said. ?It?s a different kind of strength.?

 

That, and he?s just never fought anyone who works as hard as Stith.

 

?I usually run about 5-6 miles per day in the morning,? Stith said. ?I wake up and run 5 or 6 miles, and then I do boxing, MMA or wrestling later on that night, unless I?m at the firehouse. Then I?ll do circuit training.?

 

 

 

ON THE WEB

 

Both Brandon DelPrado and Josh Stith have video of their fights posted to YouTube.com. To see them, visit YouTube and search the fighters? names. For the full card of Total Warrior Challenge 9, visit www.totalwarriorchallenge.com.

 

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