Mixed Marial Arts event features CLS grad

It didn't take long for Crystal Lake South graduate Mike Stumpf to get bitten by the mixed martial arts bug.

"Right after high school I wasn't wrestling and was looking for a competitive sport," said Stumpf, a former wrestling and soccer star at South who later played soccer at McHenry County College.

"The summer after I graduated I went to an XFO (MMA organization) show with my buddy and loved it. I started to train and fell into it. I felt like it was something I could do as time went on."

And he's done quite well at it. Stumpf will bring a 9-1 record into Saturday's Adrenaline MMA 14-fight card at Sears Centre in Hoffman Estates (6 p.m. bell time; tickets at the box office or at www.searscentre.com). Stumpf will fight Dom O'Grady (5-0) in a preliminary bout.

With his foray into the increasingly popular MMA world ˆ­- a live CBS broadcast of a recent EliteXC card averaged over 6 million viewers - Stumpf has worked to master the different fighting styles of the sport.

"I went to Curran Martial Arts in Crystal Lake - it was closest to home - and walked in, took classes," said Stumpf. "It's still intense training. It's nothing new. I had to learn more Brazilian jiu jitsu and more of a boxing style. I look at myself as a fighter more than a wrestler.

"I've adapted and changed my style and turned into more of an MMA style. It wasn't really too hard. After a couple of fights I realized what I needed to work on and what I couldn't rely on.

"I knew I had to adapt to a variety of styles and learn submissions and learn a ground game. You can't just take down someone and pound on them. The hardest part was taking all of that knowledge and training and putting it into one fight style."

Stumpf said he has grown fond of fighting on his feet, something wrestling didn't afford him on a consistent basis.

"I've been working on my stand-up with my hands. My main focus is stand and bang," Stumpf said. "I've been working on my kicks and hands. I love fighting on my feet. I love standing on my feet and banging. I'm more of a stand-up fighter. I don't mind getting hit and I sure as (heck) don't mind throwing punches."

Stumpf, 21, isn't concerned about his lofty 9-1 MMA record, except for the right-hand number.

"The only thing I know is I have 1 loss," said Stumpf, the 2004 Daily Herald All-Area honorary boys soccer captain.

Stumpf is looking forward to fighting close to home Saturday.

"Hopefully I'll get a nice home crowd for me," Stumpf said. "It helps wonders when you are comfortable. I'm pretty stoked for this fight."

Stumpf is also thrilled to have a staunch supporter in his father, Don, a former longtime wrestling and soccer coach at South who coached his son in both sports.

"He loves it," said Stumpf. "He's always behind me in everything I do. He hasn't missed a fight yet. He's there cheering me on. He's always by my side. He helps me get ready for fights. He's definitely proud of me."

Stumpf isn't 100 percent sure what the future will hold for him in terms of MMA. He still has two years of college soccer eligibility after playing two years at MCC.

"I keep asking myself that question, too (how long will he keep fighting?). I will pursue it for awhile," said Stumpf. "I still have some things in mind. I want to get my teaching degree. I want to finish up school and I'm thinking about playing soccer. But I think I will fight for awhile."

Adrenaline MMA CEO Monte Cox, who has promoted over 600 shows and manages 60 fighters, said Stumpf's bout will be one to keep an eye on.

"I was just telling the people at HGNet (television channel that will broadcast a portion of the card) that they really will want to watch this fight," said Cox, the former editor of the Quad City Times newspaper. "Mike's definitely in a good fight."

Cox is also impressed with the competitiveness of the 14-fight card.

"You look at our matchups and we've got some great fights," said Cox. "There are no setups. One thing I've made clear. If I put you on my Adrenaline card, everybody is going to have a tough fight."

This is Adrenaline MMA's first U.S. show. The new promotion, which replaced the M-1 Global promotion in the U.S., features well-known MMA heavyweight fighters Tim Sylvia and Ben Rothwell who have signed multi-fight contracts with the group. Both are slated to be on Adrenaline's second show Sept. 6 in Moline, Ill.

However, fans that purchase a ringside seat to Saturday's show will be able to attend a meet-and-greet session with Sylvia, Rothwell and Andre Arlovski starting at 4 p.m. Fans with a ringside ticket who attend the session will also receive an Affliction T-shirt.

Saturday's main event was originally slated to pit Mike Russow, a Chicago police officer and one-time PRIDE fighter, against veteran Jeff Monson. However, Monson broke his hand in a May 18 fight against Josh Barnett and is out of Saturday's fight.

Russow (9-1) will now fight Jason Guida (17-15) in the heavyweight main event. Guida is the brother of Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) competitor Clay Guida.

Another featured bout pits Terry Martin (16-4) against Japan's Daiju Takase (7-11) in a battle of UFC veterans. Takase holds wins over UFC champion Anderson Silva and former UFC champion Carlos Newton.

HDNet, which signed a 3-fight deal with the group, will televise a portion of Saturday's card live starting at 8:30 p.m.

If you go

What: Adrenaline MMA

When: 6 p.m. Saturday

Where: Sears Centre, Hoffman Estates

Bell time: 6 p.m.

What: 14 bouts, including Crystal Lake South graduate Mike Stumpf (9-1) taking on Dom O'Grady (5-0). The main event pits Chicago police officer Mike Russow (9-1) against Jason Guida (17-15)

Tickets: $175, $125, $52, $42 (at the box office or www.searscentre.com)

On the Web: www.adrenaline-mma.com