“It was exciting and stressful,” said Ford, competing in front of plenty of his friends, “I wanted to prove what I could do, and show that anybody can do this and be successful.” The Montezuma County judo and karate aficionado outlasted Farmington’s Anthony Morgan to win by unanimous decision in the 170-pound division. Included among them, 22-year-old Austin Ford took center stage and earned his first win of his young fighting career. Setting up matches across the country, FightWorld made sure to access one of the sport’s growing fan bases in Towaoc to showcase several Four Corners combatants. The FightWorld MMA organization, based in Albuquerque, boasts serving as a launchpad for some of the most recognizable names in the sport, including Carlos Condit and Tim Means. 16, FightWorld MMA 30 brought the house down with a full slate of intense bouts, with many of the fans in attendance fired up to see the homegrown fighters take center stage. In front of a vibrant crowd at the Ute Mountain Casino on Sept. As one of the fastest growing sports in the country, it was only a matter of time before MMA fans in Southwest Colorado got another chance to witness some of the action up close.

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