MMA event set for Veterans Memorial Stadium

Former Lisbon state wrestling champion and well-known mixed martial arts trainer Zach Light, who has worked with renowned fighters like Rampage Jackson and Michael Bisping, will headline Revolution Combat Championships' "Hostile Takeover" at Veterans Memorial Stadium on July 24.

Here is a slideshow from Light's recent fight against former University of Missouri All-American Wrestler Tyron Woodley at a Strikeforce event last fall.

Read the news release below:

For the first time ever on at 6pm on Saturday, July 24th the Cedar Rapids Kernels Stadium will host a professional mixed martial arts show. Promoted by Revolution Combat Championships (RCC), the show marks the return of the largest MMA event to Cedar Rapids since the Warriors For Warriors event at the US Cellular Center in November of 2008. The card will feature 12 professional matches showcasing the area's best MMA veterans as well as new up-and-coming talent. Tickets for RCC 12 “Hostile Takeover” are on sale now and can be purchased through the Cedar Rapids Kernels website. Ticket prices range from $18.50 to $55.

One of the MMA veterans fighting as the co-main event is Cedar Rapid's own Keoni “The Berzerker” Koch. This fight will mark the 30 year-old Koch's return to the cage after a 3 year hiatus. Koch holds a perfect 3-0 professional MMA record, and while he hasn't competed recently, he has been in the gym faithfully training alongside his teammates at Cedar Rapid's Valhalla Combat Club. Keoni first became interested in mixed martial arts when he was fascinated by a VHS of UFC1 that he rented from Blockbuster at the age of 14. Ever since then, the father of two has been studying, training in, and coaching mixed martial arts with a passion.

Between working full time at Aegon, raising two young children, and being the head coach of Valhalla Combat Club, Koch says that this comeback fight represents a crossroads for him: whether he will peruse a career as a professional MMA fighter, or whether he is better as a coach. As busy as he is, Koch still finds time to train at least once or twice everyday, even working out of his lunch hour. However, even that much training is not as much as he would like in order to be a competitive fighter again. “I'd rather coach, or sit in the sauna with my guy rather than have to cut weight and diet myself. But when I do it (compete), I do it right, and I do it hard, with the intention of destroying the guy I'm fighting.”

In the other co-main event, Cedar Rapid's Andre “The Bull” Kase will face Iowa wrestling legend Zach “Lisbon's Outlaw” Light at 170lbs. The 37 year-old Kase is a veteran of 20 professional MMA fights. Always having enjoyed contact sports, Kase began training for MMA four years ago and has steadily improved ever since. Andre has taken on some tough competition in his career, often fighting in the other fighter's hometown. Kase has fought all over the country in states such as North Carolina, Oklahoma, and Alabama.

Zach Light will be another tough test for Kase, as Light is not only and outstanding wrestler, but is also a veteran of many well-recognized MMA promotions such as the UFC, the WEC, Strikeforce, and Bodog,. Kase is looking forward to the challenge: “I train three times a day, I'm well rounded, I am comfortable anywhere, standing or on the ground. I like to fight, I like to punish people, I like to see blood.” Even though Kase is 37 year-old, he “sees no end in sight,” especially now that he is training his 17 year-old son, Andre Kase Jr., for his first MMA fight after he turns 18. Andre Jr. has always been athletic, playing high school football and basketball, but has also always liked fighting, and has watched many of his father's fights. The father and son duo have been training for over six months now, with Andre Jr. just recently joining the regular training sessions at Valhalla Combat Club/Team Harddrive.

Other Cedar Rapids Valhalla Combat Club fighters on the RCC 12 card include: Bill Kamery, Jared Downing, Brent Stepanek, Sarah Lacina, Chris Lane, and Eric Vo. Also appearing on the card are Iowa City fighters Dan Almeida, Emily Klinefelter, Billy Murphy, Eric Keeler, and Joey Nguyen.