Friday night will be a historic one for Thompson-Boling Arena as it hosts the first sanctioned professional Mixed Martial Arts fight in Tennessee history.
Knoxville will play host to Xtreme Fighting Championship 7: “School of Hard Knox” as undefeated heavyweight giants Chad Corvin and Scott Barrett face off in the first professional MMA wrestling match in Tennessee.
The event is one of several shows put on by the organization Xtreme Fighting Championships. The XFC is a league of MMA fighters engaging in head-to-head competition, much like the well-known Ultimate Fighting Championship or UFC circuit.
“UFC was really the first MMA group to come on to the scene,” said XFC President John Prisco. “They’re a billion-dollar industry, so it’s exciting to be mentioned in the same breath as them. We’re growing as well, and we’re now seen as one of the fastest growing promotions in the nation.”
Friday night will feature two fights, the first featuring former Volunteer linebacker Ovince St. Preux squaring off against CT Turner in a light heavyweight showdown. The main event will follow as Chad Corvin (4-0) and Scott Barrett (6-0) both enter as undefeated heavyweights. The two enter with high expectations and plenty of confidence.
“I respect Chad, but there’s just no way I’m losing this fight,” Barrett said. “I don’t care if he shatters my face. I’ll just bend back my nose, spit out my teeth and continue fighting.”
Coming in to Friday night’s contest, Corvin has built a 4-0 record. Each opponent in his previous four fights has been knocked out in the first round.
“I try to end it quick,” Corvin said. “Whatever I gotta do to win, I’m gonna do. I’m out for blood.”
Heralded by many as the next great American heavyweight, Corvin has attracted a lot of attention from the MMA community, bringing all the more excitement to Friday night’s contest.
“Chad is an animal on his feet,” Prisco said. “He has tremendous punching power, but Scott is also a very accomplished wrestler. He might be the one to take Chad in to the second or third round. If Scott survives the initial onslaught from Chad, this should be a very interesting battle.”
In addition to Friday night’s event, the XFC have already scheduled another event for Thompson-Boling Arena in April. Prisco is convinced MMA will catch on in Tennessee and throughout the South.
“These are very talented fighters,” Prisco said. “Most of them are black belts in one discipline or another. Once you see this product you will become a fan of MMA, you can’t help it. This is the next up-and-coming sport in the country and is becoming the fastest growing sport in the nation.”
XFC 7: “School of Hard Knox” featuring undefeated heavyweights Chad Corvin vs. Scott Barrett will debut tonight at 8 p.m. in Thompson-Boling Arena.
