Fierce Fighting Championship set to pack punch with Lightweight Grand Prix

THE FIGHT GAME
Glory begins here.
Local mixed martial arts gym and training ground, Fierce MMA, is sponsoring its Lightweight Grand Prix on Saturday at the Carbon County Event Center.
Doors open at 5 p.m. and the fisticuffs begin at 6 p.m.
Cody Bunderson sat down with the Sun Advocate this week and talked about the professional elimination tournament.
In this age of ever-increasing anxiety over hosting events that draw people to the area, Bunderson, owner of Fierce MMA & Fitness, said Saturday’s cage matches should entice almost a thousand attendees if not more.
Bunderson is no stranger to hosting professional fights. This will be his group’s eighth such event. He’s hosted well-attended brawls in Salt Lake City and Tooele as well as in Carbon County.
Saturday’s lineup with include four amateur fights and four professional bouts. More than 100 professionals applied to compete in the tournament, so Bunderson is confident he matched up equally skilled pro fighters, most of whom are still early in their careers.
Nonetheless, Bunderson says at least one, if not more, will “be a future star.”
“I have no doubt about that,” he says.
Bunderson said he and his coterie of instructors at Fierce MMA culled the applicants down to a hand full, making sure fighters of similar experience were matched to their opponents. Many of the applicants chosen to fight either are from or train in the Intermountain West region—Utah, Idaho, Colorado  and Arizona mostly.
Bunderson said he was surprised at the caliber of fighter who wanted to compete, including a few with Ultimate Fighting Championship bouts under their belts.
The high caliber fighters no doubt applied because the tournament features a more than decent pay scale for MMA gladiators.
Saturday will entail the first round of competition, or four fights between eight contestants. Each will receive $500 just for showing up. Winners will receive an additional $500. And for fighters who put their quarry out through knockout or submission, another $500 goes into their pocket.
Those prizes double during the semi-final round, which is slated to take place in October. The two fighters who reach the finals each get $2,500 just for showing, another for winning and yet another $2,500 for the kill shot.
The final round is scheduled for January.
This weekend fighters will face off in a circular 24-foot ring, with professional lighting and sound. A DJ will provide pre-fight and in-between bout entertainment.
Tickets are going for $30 general admission and $50 for VIP seating. Special seating includes some tables right up to the cages, and these include dinner and a drink. Alcohol will be on tap during the event. Still, the show is open to all ages.
Bunderson and his crew, which includes fellow Fierce MMA instructors Mike Jones, a coach and professional fighter, Andy Farlaino, a Muay Thai professional, and Brandon Wise, who teaches Jiujitsu and wrestling, are all old hands when it comes to mixed martial arts. Besides students of fighting themselves, they have the hearts of teachers.
Bunderson, a professional fighter with about 14 years experience, is an experienced Muay Thai kickboxer, holds a purple belt with stripes in Brazilian Jujitsu, and started wrestling when he was 6 years old.
He’s from Wellington originally and wrestled for Carbon High School.
Putting on exciting local fights is just one way he gives back. He says proceeds from the October event will go to a local charity.
Bunderson’s Fierce MMA offers more than 30 classes for kids and adults. Multiple fighting disciplines are taught and members get 24-hour access to the huge gym the business operates. Classes and memberships are reasonably priced as well.
“We’re like a family. We call ourselves the Fierce family,” Bunderson said.
Recently, Bunderson made another gesture of good will. When 80 juveniles faced possible charges after a post-graduation party was busted in a nice neighborhood near Price, Bunderson offered local kids free classes and training for a month in June.
“We try to have good energy around here,” he said.
Fierce MMA was already a place local kids, particularly those struggling with bad habits or who were experiencing any bullying at school or in the neighborhood, could come and find a positive place to learn new things.
There are classes and training for women and girls, including weight training and kickboxing.
Bunderson has been in business for more than three years. He started with a few heavy bags and big space for wrestling mats. In fact, his barnlike metal building housed a boat when he first opened the business along Highway 10. Now there are heavy bags everywhere, a fighting ring, complete gym with cardio equipment and weights. He also added a sauna for members.
Jones, who is original from Cleveland, in Emery County, said he joined Fierce MMA after deciding to take a break from the professional circuit. He’d most recently been training at Factory X, a strike gym, in Denver. An electrician at Intermountain Electronics, Jones said he enjoys teaching martial arts, “giving some back to the kids,” and training, not to mention helping put on shows like this weekend’s Lightweight Grand Prix.
“These are going to be quality matches. These guys are going to put on a good show,” he said.