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Willamina Fight Club Storms Portland and Earns Two Championship Belts - Linton to defend on Jan. 16

On Saturday, December 12th a small fight club from Willamina, Oregon left for Portland and returned with two Championship belts and five overall victories in a single event. A feat well established world-renowned fight clubs hope to accomplish. The boys of Dog Pound MMA brought home these victories from Rumble @ The Roseland 48 after only 16 months of competing with the Full Contact Fighting Federation - a remarkable feat. Denny Linton, a 19-year-old former State Champion wrestler brought home the Bantamweight Belt and will defend it for the first time on Saturday, January 16th at Rumble @ The Roseland 49. Linton will face 135-pound veteran, Daniel Hickey of Team Quest.

Ray Carpenter, the trainer at Dog Pound MMA is also the Willamina high school Wrestling Coach and a competing athlete.He has transformed himself and his elite pool of former State Champion wrestlers into successful mma fighters. Dog Pound MMA started on the wrestling mats at the High School and has since found a permanent home in an mma gym. Dog Pound MMA is a tightly knit family unit. With each appearance at the Rumble @ The Roseland event, more local Willamina warriors join the ranks of Dog Pound MMA.

At Rumble @ The Roseland 48 the Dog Pound Team started off with a victory by Randy Thayer. Thayer, fighting at 135 pounds, defeated Jeff Alden via a TKO in 1:37 of round number three. "When Randy put that first win up there, he charged up all the other guys," said Carpenter. Next up was Brandon Linton, brother of Bantamweight Champion Denny Linton. Brandon, a State Champion wrestler himself defeated Ryan Berry via a tap out due to a choke in 1:10 of round number one. With back-to-back wins, Denny Linton was pumped as he entered the cage to battle for the 135-pound Championship against Dave Kohn of Team Quest. Linton overpowered Kohn and earned a TKO victory due to strikes in only 1:14 of round number one! Three wins and one Championship Title so far for Dog Pound MMA; the only kink in the entire night was the loss by Mitch Jones. Jones lost to John Alden of TSN via a TKO in round number three. The men of Dog Pound MMA rallied and Heavyweight Cameron Holdsclaw took the victory over Tim McAlexander via a TKO in 1:05 of round number one. Paul Hasslen was the final Dog Pound MMA fighter to step into the cage. At a previous Rumble, Hasslen fought a grueling three round battle against giant Tim Hansen and won. Hasslen defeated Damion Martindale for the Heavyweight Superfight Title. Martindale, in 1997 fought Brock Lesner at a National Collegiate Wrestling Tournament and won. Hasslen took the belt via a TKO due to strikes in 1:14 of round number two. The final tally was five wins; two titles and a new found dominance in the 135-pound Bantamweight division by Dog Pound MMA.

On Saturday, January 16th Denny Linton will return to Portland for Rumble @ The Roseland 49 for his first Bantamweight Title defense. Randy Thayer of Dog Pound MMA will also be on the event fight card. Four other Championship fights are scheduled as well as a FCFF Superfight! Tickets at www.tickestwest.com or at Safeway Tickets West locations.