Now let’s take a deeper dive into the later of the two events, Brawl In The Burgh 7. An event that hosts eight action packed fights, 16 fighters ready to make the crowd roar, and a night full of mixed martial arts madness.

Brawl In The Burgh 7 is a fight card structured to make Pittsburgh go wild. Headlined by undefeated pro fighter Ethan Hayes and Fury Fight Team representative John Ramirez. Hayes is clearing a path of bodies straight to greatness, reeling off three consecutive first round submission victories. It’s all about “Tap, Snap, or Nap” for the All American MMA product.  Hayes said when stepping into the 247 cage on Saturday, “it is simply kill or be killed”.

In the other corner, Ramirez has just nine fights and has already stood across the cage from some of the top competitors in the world. The experienced he gained against competition like top ranked UFC Featherweight Sodiq Yusuff and former Bellator vet Eric Wisely, is just one of the many factors to watch going into this highly anticipated main event. He also feels, he has nothing to lose taking the fight on short notice. Ramirez’s shared his final thoughts before fight night with me saying, “The weight cut is going good. When I get out there, you’re going to see a different animal. I am going to go out there and take care of business. That’s what I do”.

Dominance vs Experience

In the co-main event of Brawl In The Burgh 7, it’s the fans who win! As Jacob Lowry is defending home turf against Tony “Tiger” Charles. This is a fight that sees both competitors not only making their pro debut, but also making their 247FC debut. Lowry is one of five fighters on Brawl In The Burgh 7 carrying the torch into battle for The Mat Factory Wrestling Club. He finished his amateur career in dominant fashion going 6-0, picking up three finishes in the process. Lowry is leaving the amateur rankings as the #1 Light Heavyweight in Pennsylvania and Ohio. Paving a road to the top, Lowry intends on proving why he was placed in the co-main event.

Across the cage is an animal from San Jose, CA and he goes by the nickname “Tiger”. Tony Charles is a fighters’ fighter to the core. Sharpening his game at the American Kickboxing Academy (AKA) under well-known coaches Javier Mendez and “Crazy” Bob Cook. The same coaches that helped legendary fighters like Daniel Cormier, Khabib Nurmagomedov, and Luke Rockhold achieve UFC gold. Well aware he’s marching into enemy territory Saturday night, in the words of the “Tiger” himself he said, “I am coming to spoil the party”.

This Means War

In war, many believe the king is the most important piece to victory. But it is the gladiators that carve the path of history on the battlefield. On Saturday, Chaka Worthy and Mike Johnson will be gladiators once again and the 247 cage will be their Colosseum”.

Chaka Worthy has followed in the footsteps of his older brother, UFC Lightweight Khama Worthy. Training with some of the best fighters in the world at The Academy Pittsburgh, Worthy is ready to become the lion that hunts its prey. A hurricane that destroys everything in its path. After a controversial split decision loss in his last fight, Chaka is aiming to take the judges out of the equation this time around. Worthy had one to thing to say about fight night, “I’ma be on my dawg s***”. If that’s any indication to how things will playout during the fight, we are in for an absolute war on Saturday.

On the other side of the battleground, Mike Johnson is a seasoned warrior out of Stars & Strikes MMA and is as eager as ever to put on a show in Pittsburgh. Traveling from Michigan and bringing the heart of Detroit with him, Johnson has zero plans of returning home with a loss. In combat sports a champion is not defined by the triumphs, they are defined in defeat. How they respond when they feel at the lowest of lows. Johnson is determined to prove that how he responds to adversity and overcomes obstacles, is exactly what will make him a champion one day. In regard to his fight this Saturday against Chaka Worthy, Johnson said, “The only thing I will promise, is it’s going to be a non-stop and fast paced kind of fight. I will look for the finish”.

No Judges Allowed

These next two gentleman are anything but gentle. 16 fights between the two, and only once has it ever reached the judges’ scorecards. At Brawl In The Burgh 7, when Marcus “Lights Out” Williamson and Damon “RosKo” Morosko enter the cage a presence will be felt. A Classic battle of two fighters that will stalk one another until the final bell. Bringing devastating power and a boxing background, Williamson’s last time in the cage resulted in his opponent tapping out to strikes in the second round. Heading into Saturday on a two-fight win streak, “Lights Out” prefers to paint his art in the form of violence.

Morosko makes the walk Saturday after delivering a VICIOUS 29 second knockout in his last fight. Although it has been over two years since “RosKo” competed, there are no worries in the mind of the Ground Zero MMA warrior. As the old saying goes, “Iron sharpens iron”. Never coming off as “cocky”, Morosko believes it is his dedication during his time away that will allow for another highlight reel knockout this Saturday.

Lethal Weapons

In a battle of heavyweights, The Mat Factory continues to provide lethal weapons for Brawl In The Burgh 7. As “The Incredible” Cody Gamble makes his return to the 247 cage after an extremely questionable split decision loss, to face off against debuting fighter Tim McFarland. Gamble enters just the third fight of his career as the largest favorite on the card. When Gamble steps into the 247 cage he has one thing on his mind, bad intentions. With his confidence soaring and the odds in his favor Gamble said, “I’m just looking forward to putting on a show for the fans. I’m coming GUNS BLAZING”.

Training out of Monroe Jiu-Jitsu, Tim McFarland is banking on his tricky ground game to make his opponent uncomfortable anytime the fight hits the mat. Saying McFarland is a big underdog is an understatement, but he believes it will just make the victory taste that much sweeter. Always confident in his Jiu-Jitsu, the debuting McFarland is looking to make a name of his own of Gamble by making him tap out.

A Worthy Foe

In this matchup we see a Mat Factory fighter in “Game” Jermaine Moye making his debut. Against a worthy foe from Delaware Terrell Brittingham. Training independently Brittingham is crossing enemy lines to cancel Moye’s coming out party. For Moye conditioning is a lifestyle, and he will apply pressure from the opening bell. “Game” Jermaine plans to throw bombs on fight night and test the threshold of his power. Moye’s last comment before Brawl In The Burgh 7 was, “I will win in devastating fashion. I will secure the last name MOYE in Pittsburgh history. You better not blink; this will be a knockout that’s never forgotten”.

But across from him is a man that has no plans to quit. Brittingham is walking into battle for the fourth time and will try to take his debuting opponent to places he’s never been before. Trying to bounce back after a tough loss, Brittingham is going out there to show Pittsburgh he will not stop until he is the last man standing.

Expect The Unexpected

The opening fight of Brawl In The Burgh 7 will have every fan in attendance on their feet! Two heavyweights prepared and ready to see who’s chin can handle the most damage. Getting in a fight is like throwing fire, while you stand in the flames. Luckily for us, diving into the “flames” is exactly what Justin “Blacc Mutant” Pippens and fellow PA native training out of The Shop David Krouse intend to do. Pippens intentions heading into his second fight are simple, continue to swing home runs when inside the 247 cage. Somehow Pippens last opponent endured brutal shots, and the fight ultimately went to decision. A decision that ended up being a SPLIT DRAW. The “Blacc Mutant” is aiming to make a statement and prove a point that he won the last fight, and he will be a problem moving forward. Pippens said one last thing before Saturday, “Expect the unexpected”.

But David Krouse believes he has all the answers to minimize the insane power his opponent has. Krouse has been grinding at The Shop and wants to forge his own route to the top. Normally, you would worry about a guy with no experience fighting a guy that’s went the full distance of a fight before. But with Krouse training at The Shop with tons of up and coming talent, it would be a foolish move to underestimate him.

Saturday May 22nd!!!!!! Fights start at 7pm @ Monroeville Convention Center. Buy your ticket HERE

Fight Card

Main Event

(3-0) Ethan Hayes vs (4-5) John Ramirez* (150lbs)

Co-Main Event

(0-0) Jacob Lowry vs (0-0) Tony Charles*(185lbs)

(3-3) Chaka Worthy vs (4-5) Mike Johnson*(140lbs)

(4-7) Marcus Williamson vs (2-2) Damon Morosko (170lbs)

(1-1) Cody Gamble vs (0-0) Tim McFarland (250lbs)

(0-0) Jermaine Moye vs (1-2) Terrell Brittingham (200lbs)

(0-0-1) Justin Pippens (250lbs) vs (0-0) David Krouse (240lbs)

[* Pro Fights]