Bringing MMA back to the Med City

Med City Fighting Championship’s debut card is on Saturday, January 28 at 5 PM.

(ABC 6 News) — What started out as simply a thought in passing quickly formed into an ambitious and exciting new venture for former fighter Jay Paulson and combat sports lover Matthew Vogt.

“There’s really not a whole lot of entertainment,” MCFC co-owner and CEO Matthew Vogt said. “A lot of people say there’s not really any proper entertainment or stuff to do in Rochester. And I thought, ‘Hey, do you know where I can rent a cage?’ Because I’m looking at starting a promotion. (Jay’s) like ‘Hey, I have been actually wanting to start a promotion.'”

“Something that I’ve been doing since I was seventeen,” co-owner and match maker Jay Paulson added. “And I was at the stage where I got hurt and I couldn’t fight anymore. So, I’m like, ‘What’s next?’ So, I figured promoting was the next thing, coaching and just getting the next generation of fighters out there.”

Thus, Med City Fighting Championships was born. This Saturday will mark its debut card and a key draw is that nearly every fighter is from the southern Minnesota area; bringing a hometown feel to the fledgling promotion.

“Being able to fight in your hometown is just the greatest thing ever,” Mayo alum Tremaine “Freight Train” Jackson reflected. “A lot of my friends and family are from here so a lot of them don’t like traveling five hours away to watch my fights. So, if I can bring it to them, that was just like a great opportunity for me. So, (I) had to get on board.”

For the fighters themselves, this will be the first time most of them have stepped into an MMA ring, including Colin Law. The Kasson native has been training for the past several months and is eager to both start his career and be part of something new.

“I think the fight in me comes from my hockey playing, I actually was never a wrestler per se,” Law explained. “I’m excited to show the area what somebody who didn’t even wrestle in high school can do with a couple years of jiu-jitsu training and boxing and show them that everyone can fight.”

It’s not just MMA that will be on the card either, three jiu-jitsu matches will also take place. Martial artist Evan Block sees it as a chance to show off his skills and to show fans the many ways to learn fighting and self-defense.

“Yeah, I think it’ll be good kind of showing the community what we bring here,” Block, a Zumbrota-Mazeppa alum noted. “I think me and Tremaine will do very well. Yeah, I mean it’s probably the most important thing to learn to defend yourself, could save your life.”

With more cards planned for the future including in Mankato. Paulson and Vogt anticipate that MCFC will be a blast for MMA lovers. In the long run, they hope to establish southern Minnesota as a stepping stone for the MMA stars of tomorrow.

“Ultimately, we want people in the midwest to have a high-produced mid-level promotion for people to get discovered by the big promotions,” Vogt stated. “Like ONE, the UFC, Bellator, PFL.”

“Because that’s the one of the things about fighters is that you can go out and fight as much as you want,” Paulson said. “But if the crowd and the people behind you don’t support you; it’s hard to get to the next level. So, hopefully, these guys can get people behind them.”

Ticket information for MCFC 1 can be found at the promotion’s website and is slated for 5 PM on Saturday at the Mayo Civic Center.