A fighting chance

CEDAR RAPIDS - Derrick Mehmen calls the move to the heavyweight class of mixed martial arts more than a year ago the best decision of his career.

The Waterloo native and Cedar Rapids resident gets the chance to validate the decision when he faces Smealinho Rama on Saturday in Edmonton, Alberta, for the inaugural World Series of Fighting mixed martial arts heavyweight championship.

'I honestly think I'm going to knock him out,” Mehmen said before a workout at Hard Drive MMA gym in Cedar Rapids. 'The shots I've hit my last few opponents with, if I hit him with any of those shots he's going down.”

The bout is part of the 'WSOF 14” fight card that will be televised live on NBC Sports Network at 8 p.m.

The 29-year-old Mehmen (18-5 with 11 knockouts) earned a shot at the vacant title by going undefeated in three heavyweight fights. Despite the fact he will be fighting in Rama's home Canadian province of Alberta, Mehmen dismisses the notion it provides his opponent any advantage.

'If anything, it's bad because you have so much more pressure,” he said. 'All your friends and family, you feel like you've got to perform. This kid already knows he's going to lose, so it's worse for him.”

The fight is the first of Mehmen's four-fight, 18-month deal with World Series of Fighting, a burgeoning promotion company jockeying for second position in the MMA game along with Bellator behind longtime giant Ultimate Fighting Championship. The deal is his second with WSOF, which in addition to its broadcast deal with NBC Sports is preparing to venture into the lucrative pay-per-view arena.

'Overall, they've treated me really well,” Mehmen said. 'I think if they keep pushing it the right way, it's going to grow for the sport.”

Rama (6-foot, 235 pounds) enters with a record of 8-1, including a unanimous decision over former Iowa heavyweight wrestler Steve Mocco. Rama, 22, is known as a stand-up grappler with decent takedown defense who effectively picks his spots to throw kicks. Mehmen hopes to catch the younger Rama with his hands open and utilize his four-inch and nearly 10-pound advantage to overwhelm the Canadian.

'He's definitely not going to try and take me down,” Mehmen said. 'I'm just going to come up, get in his face, bully him around and break him mentally.”

After a successful stint with American Top Team in Florida, Mehmen returned home to train alongside fellow area fighters Steve Carl and Otmane Benjilany at Hard Drive MMA on Oakland Road. In the weeks leading up to the fight, the sessions have consisted of daily weightlifting, strongman exercises, grappling and twice-weekly sparring. Mehmen feels the grinding mentality and physical demand of wrestling - a skill he cultivated at Denver High School, Ellsworth Community College and the University of Iowa - meshes well with mixed martial arts.

Saturday night, the long road and years of training could yield a world championship - and the heightened profile that comes with it.

'Win these fights, keep this belt and I put myself in a really great position for my future in mixed martial arts,” Mehmen said.

l Comments: douglas.miles@thegazette.com