Fighters Weighed in for Combat Sports Championship’s Fight Night I

Tomorrow’s debut event for the Combat Sports Championships will feature a co-main event of Bobby Voelker, 20-6, taking on Brendan Seguin, 17-16-1, in a welterweight contest and a featherweight clash between Eric Marriott (14-1) and UFC veteran Ryan Roberts (8-6).

Founded by veteran MMA and boxing promoter Joe Kelly, the Combat Sports Championships goal is to provide a platform for up-and-coming prospects to advance to national MMA promotions such as the UFC, Strikeforce, and the WEC.

However, the promotion also has national aspirations of its own.

“We’re not looking to compete with the UFC or Strikeforce,” Kelly stated. “However, Friday’s event is just the beginning in what will be a long evolution for the Combat Sports Championships. That evolution consists of bulding a much bigger platform for our fighters and emerging as the final destination before the UFC or Strikeforce. We are currently involved in negotiations for a television deal and have major expansion plans for 2010.”

The co-main events scheduled for Friday’s event at the historic Memorial Hall in Kansas City, Kansas will feature home town favorites and blue chips prospects Voelker and Marriott in separate bouts. As both took to the scales on Thursday, rumors were swirling that both fighters are currently being recruited by major MMA promotions.

In addition to Voelker vs. Seguin and Marriott vs. Roberts, CSC’s first-ever event will also feature rising stars Ramiro Hernandez, Tyler Stinson, Joe Wilk, Brett Stevens, Chad Vandenberg, and Tuan Pham.

Hernandez is a protege of the legendary Pat Miletich and trains out of Miletich Fighting Systems in Bettendorf, Iowa. A talented featherweight, pundits believe that Hernandez has the potential to eventually compete in the WEC.

However, he first must get past Brian Davidson, 4-0.

Stevens was a late addition to the card and his involvement has created a great deal of intrigue as Friday’s fight vs. John Ott will be his first in two years. The first half of Stevens’ hiatus was voluntary, as he left Iowa for Los Angeles so that he could gain valuable experience training under Rob Kaman and Rigan Machado.

Stevens’ absence from competition was extended following a severe auto accident in September of 2008. The Iowa native shattered his hand and doctors advised him not to fight again. However, Stevens was inspired to return to MMA after winning his own weight class as well as the Absolute Division in the ADCC regionals in Las Vegas this past summer.

Pham, the 2003 WKA Featherweight Muay Thai Champion, trains out of the Fight Firm in Philadelphia, PA and made it known after the weigh-ins that his goal heading into 2010 is to be a charter member of the WEC’s rumored flyweight class.

Official weigh-in results for Friday’s event are listed below:

9. Welterweight (170 lbs.): Bobby Voelker (170.4) vs. Brendan Seguin (170.4)
8. Featherweight (145 lbs.): Eric Marriott (149.2) vs. Ryan Roberts (149.8)
7. Featherweight (145 lbs.): Brian Davidson (146.8) vs. Ramiro Hernandez (146.2)
6. Welterweight (170 lbs.): Tyler Stinson (171) vs. Brandon Newsome (N/A)
5. Lightweight (155 lbs.): Deryck Ripley (156) vs. Joe Wilk (156)
4. 190 lbs. Catchweight: John Ott (189) vs. Brett Stevens (189)
3. Bantamweight (135 lbs.): Chad Vandenberg (138) vs. Shad Lankford (135)
2. 128 lbs. Catchweight: Tuan Pham (127) vs. Nate Williams (128.2)
1. Amateur Lightweight (155 lbs.): Justin Seffron (152) vs. Todd Bell (156)