Press Release – Two of the top XFC’s middleweights are looking to steal the show in Knoxville, TN live on HDNet when Josh Samman takes on red hot Mikey Gomez in the co-main event of XFC 16 : High Stakes. Gomez is looking to extend his current win streak to four, while Samman is looking to jump to the front of the middleweight pack with the win.
Mikey Gomez extended his win streak to three in Orlando at XFC 14, in a tough back and forth fight with Mike Bernhard. After the contest it was revealed that Gomez’s father had passed away earlier in the day. Despite the tragedy, Gomez never thought about dropping out but insisted on competing to honor his father.
“Mikey Gomez is a tremendous fighter,” said XFC President John Prisco. “When he came from behind in that fight with Mike Bernhard in October and submitted him, he showed what being a warrior is all about. That was a tough fight and Gomez was the underdog coming in. But when I found out after the fight that his father passed away just a few hours earlier, it blew my mind. What Mikey did at XFC 14 is unbelievable and I had to get him back on an XFC card as soon as I could. Mikey is everything that is right with MMA.”
Gomez has fought some of the best fighters in the world and holds wins over Ultimate Fighter stars such as Jeremy May, Charles Blanchard, and Matt Brown. With a black belt in Brazilian jiu jitsu and dynamic striking, Gomez is a threat wherever the fight goes.
“Mikey is a amazing on the ground,” said Prisco. “I’ve seen him in a lot of trouble and then a few seconds later have his opponent tapping. If Mikey gets you on the ground, you are going to be in a lot of trouble. But just because he has a black belt in jiu jitsu, don’t think he can’t knock you out and finish you standing. After his performance at XFC 14, I’m excited to see what a focused Mikey Gomez can do without any distractions.”
Standing in the way of Gomez’s feel good story is Josh Samman. Samman has won five out of his last six and has built a reputation as a guy who finishes fights. In a 10 month span, from 2009 to 2010, the Team Scarz product finished 4 straight fights in the first round.
“Josh is a very well rounded fighter,” said Prisco. “He rarely goes to a decision and is a guy who is known as a finisher. He has excellent striking and has very good submissions. This is a very intriguing fight and even though Josh is the favorite on paper, I think it’s dead even. Josh may have better striking, but Gomez is lethal on the ground and has a lot of momentum. However it shakes out, it’s going to be an exciting fight and I know the fans in Knoxville and those watching on HDNet will be entertained.
In addition to Gomez vs. Samman, XFC 16 : High Stakes will also feature Drew Fickett vs. Jamie Varner in the main event, female fighters Heather Jo Clark vs Marianna Kheyfets in the feature bout, and 7 other Pro MMA bouts. The show is sponsored by Sheets Energy Strips & Overthrow Gear and will air live on HDnet from the Knoxville Civic Coliseum in Knoxville, TN on February 10th, 2012. Tickets are on sale now through OfficialXFC.com. To learn more about the XFC, please visit www.officialxfc.com, “Like” them on Facebook, and “Follow” the promotion on Twitter (@officialxfc).