TWO-NIGHT SHOWCASE OF PROFESSIONAL BOXERS & MMA FIGHTERS: WFC 160 & 161 ON OCT. 27 & 28 AT CHUMASH CASINO RESORT
SANTA YNEZ, CA, October 25, 2023 – Professional boxing and mixed martial arts will take over the Samala Showroom this weekend when the World Fighting Championships (WFC) return to the Chumash Casino Resort, hosting WFC 160, Live Boxing at 7 p.m. on Friday, Oct. 27, and WFC 161, Live MMA at 7 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 28. Tickets for each event are $55, $65, $75, $85 and $105.
The two-night showcase will feature homegrown fighters from a handful of local Central Coast boxing and MMA clubs, including JLD Boxing Academy in Santa Maria, Flores Boxing Club in Buellton and Knuckleheadz Boxing & MMA in Oxnard.
WFC 160’s Friday night boxing bouts will culminate with the fight card’s scheduled main event between the popular local favorite, John Dato (18-1-1) of Santa Maria, and his worthy opponent, Ronal Ron (14-3) of Pomona, CA, in an eight-round featherweight showdown.
Dato, who has never lost a fight at the Chumash Casino Resort, is known to electrify the Samala Showroom. His most recent fight at the resort in January saw him defeat the hard-hitting Jesus Rizo (12-2-1) of Santa Paula by unanimous decision in front of a raucous sold-out crowd.
Another highly anticipated fight on Friday night’s card will be between Rudy “El Toro” Ochoa (10-3) of Oxnard and John “Top Guy” Alimane (8-5) who fights out of Laguna Hills. Both fighters, who each lost their last fights, look to bounce back with wins and make their mark on WFC 160.
“We’re thrilled to present a weekend of combat sports at the Chumash Casino Resort,” said Matt McGovern, President of World Fighting Championships. “This event promises to be a thrilling two-night boxing and MMA event, with some of California’s finest fighters stepping into the ring and cage. We’re committed to helping local fighters showcase their skills and get to the next level. We also pride ourselves on delivering high-quality entertainment and this card is a testament to that commitment.”
WFC 161’s Saturday night matchups will feature up-and-coming local and regional mixed martial artists who are skilled in Muay Thai and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, among other martial arts. The night’s MMA fight card will come down to two talented fighters when Santa Barbara’s own, Bill “The Grill” Cooper (4-1), goes toe-to-toe with Matt “Mighty” Reed (1-4) of Fresno.
Saturday night’s co-main event features another dominant local fighter in Santa Maria’s Tre Alvarado (8-1) when he squares off with Evian Rodriguez (6-23), fighting out of Spokane, WA.
WFC is a combat sports company that promotes boxing, mixed martial arts and kickboxing. Getting its start in 2012, WFC has hosted over 160 events at casinos and venues in 25 different markets throughout the U.S. The company is dedicated to giving the best combat sports athletes in the world a place to showcase their talent and has been featured on Inside MMA, ESPN, Yahoo!, USA Today, CNN, Spike TV, MMA Junkie and Fox Sports during its history. For more information on WFC events, visit worldfightingchampionships.com.
Don’t miss your chance to see this battle of jabs in one of Santa Barbara County’s most popular entertainment venues.
Located on Highway 246 in Santa Ynez, California, the Chumash Casino Resort is an age 21-and-older venue. Tickets for all events are available at THE CLUB at Chumash or online at www.chumashcasino.com/entertainment.