Because of her love for MMA, Ottem, who trains but does not compete, formed the NFA and began promoting shows in March 2004. “I have always loved MMA and am a huge PRIDE fan,” Ottem said. “Fighting is hard, and when a fighter is good and can display his/her talent, it is a beautiful thing to watch. I think that is the reason I love the sport so much.”
Putting her love of the sport into action, Ottem contacted Travis Fulton and asked him to do matchmaking for her first show. “The first show worked out well, and we just kept going,” she continued. With 10 shows under her belt in just over a year, the NFA is staying busy.
When asked how the shut down of MMA in N.D. affected her organization, Ottem didn’t skip a beat saying, “I plan on going to the casinos and Minnesota. The next fight is at Spirit Lake Casino in ND (July 23), and the two after are in MN (late August).”
Also in upcoming weeks, don’t miss Keith Wisniewski’s Duneland Classic II on August 6 at Portage High in Portage, Indiana. For more information, contact Keith or Justin at (219) 762-6998 or e-mail at keithjustinwisniewski@msn.com.
This Saturday, July 23, Monte Cox brings Extreme Challenge 63 to the LCO Casino in Hayward, Wisconsin! Sherdog.com will be there to give you a full accounting of the night’s event.
Lineup:
Main Event
Ed Herman (9-2) vs. Dave Menne (41-11-2)
Eight-Man Middleweight Tournament
A Bracket:
Ryan McGivern (4-0) vs. Tom Jones (4-2)
Joey Guel (7-3) vs. Chris Clements (2-0)
B Bracket:
Damarcus Johnson (1-1) vs. Brock Larson (9-0)
Neal Rowe (3-0) vs. Ryan Jensen (4-0)
Alternate bout
Sean Huffman (5-4) vs. Eddie Sanchez (6-5)
Tickets are available by calling LCO Casino at 1-800-LCO-CASH. All tickets are $35 in advance, $45 at the door.