Vicksburg, are you ready to rumble?

If you go

What: Rage on the River III

Where: Vicksburg Convention Center

When: today, 6 p.m. Fights start at 7 p.m.

Tickets: prices are $25 for general admission and  $30 and $50 for reserved seating.

 

Mixed martial arts is coming to the Vicksburg Convention Center today as Psychout Promotions brings another multi-card bout to town.

Mixed martial arts is a combination of different martial arts disciplines into a sport that features both striking and grappling.

Tonight’s fight will be a homecoming for one Vicksburg native.

Local fighter Jonathan Speed will be fighting in the event, as he does battle with Daniel Adams in the 185-pound class.

Speed has won his last two fights for Psychout, winning the first on Sept. 14 via referee stoppage over Jason Grossie and the second on Sept. 30 via ankle lock over Dustin Harris.

The headliner is the welterweight title bout between Tony “Babalu” Godbold and Patrick Jones.

Jones won the first battle between the two on Sept. 14 in Byram via split decision and will defend his title against Godbold in the rematch.

The other main event is the 155-pound, lightweight class, as Juan Zapatta battles Tim Moore for Psychout MMA championship.

Psychout MMA is run by Brian McGwire and is in its third year of operation in the Magnolia State. This will be the third card the Clinton-based promoter has brought to Vicksburg and the eighth MMA event Psychout has put on in the state.

Putting together one of his events involves a ton of leg work and plenty of cell phone minutes.

“It takes a lot of phone work,” McGwire said via telephone. “About a month out before the event, I’m constantly everyday talking with managers and fighters. I’ve got to have an extra fighter in every weight class because you never know when someone might get injured or have to back out.”

According to McGwire, most of his fighters hail from the Southeast.

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Contact Steve Wilson at swilson@vicksburgpost.com.