MMA comes to Culpeper

Mixed martial artists training out of Zamora Boxing Gym have found plenty of success in Fredericksburg, Louisa, Stafford and Northern Virginia, but now they’re bringing their talents home to Culpeper along with the debut of a new promotion.

Warrior Fighting Championship will hold the first all-MMA show in Culpeper Saturday at the Reva Fire Hall with an event called, “The Beginning.” The night promises at least eight to 10 amateur fights and the possibility of three title bouts.

“We really want to build a fan base here in Culpeper,” said Eric Zamora, owner of Zamora Boxing Gym and creator of Warrior Fighting Championship. “A lot of people already know me and my fighters, they know we’re legit, and they know I care about the fighters.”

Zamora also hopes to dispel a nasty stereotype concerning mixed martial artists with Saturday’s event.

“We want to show people what MMA is all about, in terms of the quality of fights and fighters, sportsmanship and shared respect,” Zamora said. “We want people to see that guys who compete in MMA do it because they love it, and we’re more than just hoodlums.”

The fight card has yet to be finalized, but Zamora trained fighters Daniel Moreno, Arthur Milam, Gabby Holloway, Jamie Coleman, Shaine Adams, John Maxwell and Mike Bowen are all expected to compete.

The event will also feature current Operation Octagon 155-pound champion Jessie Mitchell, former kickboxing champion Dean Lavin and a 135-pound title fight between Daniel “Yager-Bomb” Yeagley and Sage Thomas.

Moreno and Holloway — the current Barbarian Fight Club 145-pound female champion — are also expected to compete for titles.

The event begins at 6 p.m. and the doors to the Reva Fire Hall on U.S. 29 south of town open at 5 p.m. Tickets can be purchased in advance at Zamora Boxing Gym on Montanus Drive or at the door, but Zamora said the venue can only seat between 275 and 300 people. Front row seats are $35 and all others are 30$.

A portion of the proceeds will be donated to Hearts Helping Autism, a new charity that hits close to home for Zamora, who has a younger brother stricken with the disorder.

“I’ve grown up with it, so I can understand how people struggle with it every day,” Zamora said. “I want people to know it’s a real thing, not some fluke occurrence.”

Zamora has been thinking about beginning his own promotion since opening Zamora Boxing Gym in 2007, but he said it was just about finding the time to do things the right way.

“I just wanted to make sure everything was lined up and we could put on a quality show,” he said. “Finding a sanctioning body takes time, and then you have guys that you think are good to fight and then they back out because life gets in the way. It’s been an interesting process.”

United Combat Association is sanctioning the event and providing all of the referees, judges and time keepers.

For more information on Saturday’s show, and future WFC events planned for November and December, check our warriorfc.biz.

Want to go?

What: Warrior Fighting Championship’s “The Beginning”

When: Saturday at 6 p.m.

Where: Reva Fire Hall

Admission: Front row, $35; all other seats, $30

For more information, check out warriorfc.biz