Preparing for Kombat

The Straight Blast Gym in Kalispell isn’t wasting time decorating the walls.

In less than one year, the upstart gym for local mixed martial artists has become the home of four title belts that shine down from the walls in the downtown Kalispell facility.

The belts hang as a motivating reminder for the increasing number of fighters who show up and train every day of the week; but at the same time, it’s a sign of the continuing growth of one of Montana’s newfound MMA training centers.

This Friday, the Straight Blast gang is looking to keep their reputation rolling and add another belt to the wall along the way.

Locally-owned FightForce is hosting the mixed martial arts event Kalispell Kombat starting at 7:30 p.m. at the Majestic Valley Arena. The current fight card is scheduled to include nine amateur fights and one professional bout.

Three local fighters are competing out of Kalispell’s SBG, including 24-year-old Jake Oyler, who is on the hunt for the first victory in his young professional career. The 155-pounder will face Justin Reason of Nebraska in the main event.

Oyler lost his first two fights in close contests but has been training almost 20 hours of training a week on a consistent basis, according to his coach/trainer and SBG Montana owner Travis Davison.

“I don’t have any doubt that they’re all going to do well,” Davison said of his three fighters.

In recent weeks, a small group of competitive fighters including Oyler has gathered downtown at SBG and worked endlessly honing their boxing, wrestling and Jiu-Jitsu.

“The last (fight) my cardio gave out on me and that usually doesn’t happen,” Oyler said. “Hopefully I can knock (Reason) out. If I stick and move, he’ll just tire out. I think he’s going to come out throwing really big punches. So if I just jab and move I’m hoping I can just catch him.”

Oyler has had help from quite the sparring partner.

Twenty-nine-year-old Zach Dickson is one of the original members of SBG and holds three of SBG’s four belts at 145 pounds. On Friday, he try to defend the belt he first won in front of a crowd upwards of 1,000 people at Kalispell Kombat last April. He takes on Butte’s Kahl Clark in a rematch from a an event last summer and looks to go 2-0 versus Clark.

“I’m feeling good,” Dickson said. “Our cardio is always better and our ground game is definitely better, everybody knows that. That’s our focus is Jiu-Jitsu, and our boxing and wrestling has really been coming around also.”

Dickson has won five-straight fights and will compete as an amateur once more after Friday before turning professional.

“I never really had any ambitions but I’m doing it for free now so I might as well make a few bucks off it,” he joked. “I’m not going to make a living at it, but it’s fun. I do it just to goof off.”One of the youngest fighters stepping into the ring on Friday will be 20-year-old Will Barnhart, who is entering only his second MMA bout. Barnhart, a 2007 graduate of Flathead High, will face Arlee’s Louie Moses in the 155-pound division.

Barnhart is SBG’s newest up and comer and won his first fight last month after waiting through nearly two years of training before stepping into the ring.

“I think my biggest strength is that I’m pretty big and tall for 155 (pounds) and I got a lot of experience on the ground,” Barnhart said. “If I can get it on the ground, it’s probably going to go well for me.”

After last Saturday’s final hard practice, Barnhart and the others who are fighting on Friday sat back and took a moment to settle.

Exhausted never looked so exhausting, but not before long the group was joking around and planning a get-together to watch the pay-per-view Ultimate Fighting event that night.

Not your typical fight and then flight group.

“I think one of the things that’s unique is the fact that if you look at them, they’re fighting MMA yet they’re basically your average guys, guys that watch my kids for me and stuff like that,” Davison said afterward. “They’re not your typical meat head or bully-type person and I think that’s unique. There’s definitely a closeness and a culture within our gym ... Kind of our motto is ‘One tribe, One vibe.’ So it’s just kind of this overriding theme throughout the gym.”

FightForce Kalispell Kombat

Friday

Doors open at 6 p.m., fights at 7:30 p.m.

Majestic Valley Arena

www.ultimatefightforce.com

Current Fight Card

Main event: Jacob Oyler, SBG Montana of Kalispell vs. Justin Reason, Freestyle of Nebraska

155 lbs. (title fight): Kahl Clark, SOB of Butte vs. Zach Dickson, SBG Montana of Kalispell

155 lbs: Will Barnhart, SBG Montana of Kalispell vs. Louie Moses, 406 Jiu-Jitsu of Arlee

160 lbs: Nick McMarrel, Team EFC of Eureka vs. Kolton Menzak, Team PFA of Canada

135 lbs: Lance McMarell, Team EFC of Eureka vs. Eric Oakland, Big Sky MMA of Big Sky

185 lbs: Julian Hendrickson, GNFC of Missoula vs. Kenny Weaselhead, Team PFA of Canada

155 lbs: Joe Kessick, Team PFA of Helena vs. Thomas Lamarr, GNFC of Missoula

170 lbs: Donnie Cheaney, Wolfpack FC of Ronan vs. William Bailey, Freestyle of Kalispell

170 lbs: Martin Besa, Wolfpack FC of Ronan vs. Jeremy Combs, Freestyle of Montana

165 lbs: Matthew Johnson, Wolfpack FC of Ronan vs. Eliah Wallowing, 406 Jiu-Jitsu of Arlee

Reporter Dillon Tabish can be reached at 758-4463, or by e-mail at dtabish@dailyinterlake.com.