PORT ANGELES — The North Olympic Peninsula is getting a first in sports events with an outdoors Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) show at Civic Field, normally the venue for high school football, soccer and baseball games.
It’s the first time MMA has gone outdoors in the area.
“Fights at the Field,” sponsored by CageworX and LLC, will start at 7 p.m. Saturday.
This is the debut show for the new CageworX Gym in Port Angeles that opened in May had its grand opening June 23.
“This is the first of many shows we will be putting on,” Cody Houston, CageworX manager and coach, said.
Houston, who put on many MMA shows in Bellingham, plans to switch venues and have events indoors, possibly at Vern Burton Community Center in the future.
“Outdoors events are a gamble because of the weather,” he said.
But the weather should be near perfect for Saturday evening if the heat wave moves on by then.
“The weather will be beautiful,” Houston said.
“Plus we will be starting in the evening when it starts to cool down.”
The doors open at 5 p.m. with the MMA fights starting two hours later.
There will be 10 fights that will include seven fighters from the Peninsula.
Weight classes will be from 135 pounds to heavyweight.
The main event will include heavyweight Chris Hayman of Port Angeles, a Marine with two or three tours overseas and military fighting experience.
Hayman will go against Ben Hawk, a heavyweight from Roy who has fought several times in MMA events at 7 Cedars Casino.
Fighters at Saturday’s show mostly will use fighting moves from Brazilian jiu-jitsu, wrestling, kickboxing, Muay Thai boxing and boxing.
Many of the same martial arts are taught at the CageworX Gym, which also teaches women’s only MMA and youth and teen programs.
CageworX features MMA fitness and training.
Saturday’s event is billed as an all-ages, family friendly event with no alcohol allowed or sold.
There will be other food and drink available at the stadium, including barbecue food and drinks from Roundup Alatte.
Tickets are $30 general admission and $60 for VIP Cage side seats.
Tickets are available at 7 Cedars Casino, CageworX gym, Roundup Alatte, Murray Motors, Fitness West, Drake’s Pizza and Sub, and Reef Tanning & Apparel at least through today and at the door Saturday.
