Desert Rage V full of local MMA talent

Fourteen Yuma area mixed martial arts fighters will be looking to leave their mark on Desert Rage V.
 
Saturday's card of 13 fights is headlined by local fan favorite Chance Farrar in the co-main event. Farrar (7-2) will defend the DR 145-pound title against challenger Ernie Davila (3-6) in the final fight of the night.
 
Alex Garcia (6-3) and Landon Piercey (3-1) make up the other half of the main event.
 
General admission tickets are $30, VIP $50 and ringside $75. Gates open at 5 p.m. Saturday with three amateur fights starting at 7 p.m.
 
Weigh-ins take place at 5 p.m. today at Cocopah Casino.
 
More than being the Desert Rage 145-pound title holder and former WEC title contender, Farrar is respected as being one of the fighters that brought MMA as it is to Yuma.
 
"Chance is the cornerstone of all the MMA here in Yuma," said Yuma High wrestling coach Jeff Welsing, who is on the card at 160 pounds. "Obviously, now we have four guys in the big time professional league, that's pretty good for a town of 80,000."
 
Farrar is part owner and head MMA instructor of the Arizona Athletic Club. He is also co-founder of Desert Rage Full Contact Fighting along with Anthony and Justin Haile.
"Chance is well rounded everywhere. His wrestling is really good, jiu jitsu is really good, his stand up is really good," Anthony Haile said. "And he is probably the toughest guy I ever sparred with."
 
He is defending his title against Davila from Holtville. Davila earned the title shot because he has been in every Desert Rage with a 2-2 record and is always a tough competitor.
 
"His last fight in Desert Rage (was) a three round war, but Ernie (Davila) has fought with us and we felt he earned his chance to be a title contender so we gave him the opportunity," Anthony Haile said.
 
Garcia, who lives in El Centro but trains at the Arizona Athletic Club, is the cousin of Edgar Garcia, who has his UFC debut June 20 at "The Ultimate Fighter" season 9 finale.
 
Alex Garcia is a former high school champion wrestler in California with strengths in Muay Thai and jiu jitsu.
 
"Alex is an explosive, exciting fighter and he's fought enough times his experience in the ring makes him a main event fighter," Anthony Haile said.
 
His opponent, Piercey of San Diego, has his three wins by submissions: triangle choke, Achilles lock and armbar.
 
The following is a quick look at some of the other local fighters on Saturday's card:

• PRELIMINARY FIGHTS

Just starting his tale is Joey Lugo, one year out of high school after a successful career on the Cibola wrestling team. He is in his first fight against another newcomer in Matt Mamo who is training out of Tempe's Arizona Combat Sports, a highly respected club with several Ultimate Fighting Championship competitors.
 
Another newcomer, Justin Lillies, has been training for five months at Yuma's Torture Athletics under Carlos Flores. Flores said Lillies came to him weighing 365 pounds and in the worst shape of his life and has gone from unable to jump to competing in the 260 pound heavyweight class.

• MAIN CARD

After sunset the main card starts with Mike Garcia in what is jokingly called a neighborhood grudge match.
 
Garcia is the 31-year-old head instructor of the kids program at the Arizona Athletic Club who will be taking on Juan Saenz.

"He's actually a neighbor of mine. He lives about four blocks down from me, it's a weird situation," Garcia said. "I drive by and I can see him and wave when I go by."
 
Garcia (1-1) has been studying Brazilian jiu jitsu for three years and plans to stay in the sport for longer than he is able too.
 
"It's a really good outlet, it also keeps me focused on my everyday life. I try to push through tough times, just like you are in a hard training session and you have to mentally push to get through it. It's like that in life," Garcia said.
 
At 145, Yuman Mike Cypher (1-0) has a fight against the experienced Ruben Salazar (3-2) from El Centro, Calif.
 
"Ruben has quite a bit more experience than him, but we like this fight," Haile said.
 
In the year Cypher trained with Haile, he's shown his ability to use his height and length to box and can keep the stand up Salazar away.