Q & A with Dwayne

We've put this off long enough. This Friday night the clash between fighters will be matched only by the battle of promotions across T-Town.

Winners will be decided in the ring or cage. Hands will be raised and after parties will rock. Losers will be consoled in the locker room. Wives and fiancés will offer a shoulder and more than likely, after parties will still take place.

The promotional matchup might be just as intriguing. However, there will likely be no clear-cut winner or loser. Xtreme Fight Night and King of the Cage will present Tulsa shows in the future. A dismal fan turnout may delay the next show for either, but neither is unlikely to give up on this hotbed.

According to hardrockcasinotulsa.com the Xtreme Fight Night event is almost sold out. The riverspirittulsa.com site indicates the KOTC show still has plenty of seating options available at this time.

White Belt

Can you tell me about the two shows taking place on Friday, September 21? Absolutely. Xtreme Fight Night 9 takes place inside The Joint at Hard Rock Hotel and Casino. The homegrown promotion is run by Dale Cook.

King of the Cage is a national promotion with local flair. Their show will be held at the River Spirit Event Center. Their cards feature a couple of local fighters in each city they visit.

How much are tickets to these events? The King of the Cage show lists tickets ranging from $40 to $70 at the River Spirit Event Center website.

The XFN event tickets list from $43 to $103. You can also obtain tickets directly from fighters on this card although it may be a little late for that option just days away from the fights.

Purple Belt

JARRETT ROUSE MORGAN CLEMENTS

What are the main events? XFN 9 showcases Oklahoma State wrestling legend Jake Rosholt (12-4). The former All-American wrestler is clawing his way back to the UFC. He battles another former UFC fighter in Anthony "Rumble" Johnson (12-4).

KOTC features Tulsa's Josh "The Beast" Bryant (14-1). Bryant once starred on The Ultimate Fighter reality show. He goes for the middleweight championship against Sean Strickland (9-0).

Bryant hopes to fight a bit more regularly and pile up a few more wins. He only earned one fight in the UFC but a string of victories and he might get the call up. If you are not familiar with his fighting exploits then you have at least heard his guest spots on 92.1 The Beat's BMMS.

Which main event means more in the world of MMA? This is going to seem like a copout but here goes. Going in, the national media and fight fans across the nation care more about the Rosholt and Johnson matchup.

However, if Josh Bryant looks spectacular it could vault him into the spotlight once again. If Bryant wins in nondescript fashion or loses it will be a blip on the radar.

Is this like a boxing card or will additional fights of interest take place? Yes. Great question. XFN lists a 14-fight card consisting of mostly MMA fights with a couple of kickboxing and boxing bouts.

KOTC is scheduled to be a nine-fight card. All of their bouts will be standard MMA fights.

Black Belt

Aside from the main events, which fights or fighters should we pay attention to? Here is where it gets tricky. Admittedly I am more familiar with the fighters competing on the XFN card.

However, the semi-main event at KOTC features Kinny Spotwood (2-0). Spotwood is a former University of Tulsa defensive end. He is a big, athletic striker training out of Ghost Dog Boxing.

His last fight took place at the same venue under the same promotional banner. He fought a grizzly bear. Well that is not exactly true. The heavyweight battled what can only be described as a super heavyweight.

The fight was contested on their feet with Spotwood earning a decision. His next challenge is in the form of Cody East. East will test Spotwood's ground game and takedown defense. He is a former New Mexico wrestler who might not like the taste of Spotwood's glove.

On the other end of town we have several to choose from. The XFN card features local stars such as Andrew Todhunter, Levi Avera, Dylan Smith, Thomas Longacre, Jarrett Rouse and others.

The XFL welterweight championship is on the line when Levi Avera (17-11) defends his belt against Dylan Smith (8-4). This is a rematch. They fought to a close decision earlier this year.

Andrew "The Sniper" Todhunter (3-0) faces wily vet Brandon Gaines. While Gaines record does not impress (6-20) his huge experience advantage is a step up for Todhunter.

The ISKA middleweight kickboxing championship bout is fascinating. The next time Thomas Longacre has a boring fight will be a first. His opponent Maricio Navarro comes to fight so ring control will determine who gets off the most accurate power shots.

Is that it? Any other big news fight fans need to know about? This may be the pinnacle of combat sports this fall in Tulsa. However, just down the road in Oklahoma City a huge event begins to simmer.

STRIKEFORCE descends on the Chesapeake Energy Arena on November 3. A heavyweight championship matchup between fan favorite and burgeoning superstar Daniel Cormier takes on former UFC champion Frank Mir.

What does STRIKEFORCE CEO Scott Coker have to say about this matchup? "As a former Oklahoma State wrestler and two-time Olympian, Cormier has used his wrestling background to immediately put himself among the sport's elite. On November 3 he faces his toughest opponent to date in former UFC heavyweight champ Frank Mir, who has beaten legend after legend on his own path to the title. We've had a lot of big heavyweight bouts in the history of STRIKEFORCE, but I can tell you, without a doubt, that this is the one that you don't want to miss."

Should the promotion have chosen Tulsa over Oklahoma City? As Drake might say, every day.

Will more Tulsans end up filling the Oklahoma City venue than actual OKC'ers? Judging by the 2009 UFC show down the turnpike the answer is yes. Tickets are on sale now.

See you there? See you there.