Cass Bell with his team from the Institute of Combat after his final fight in Bellator 292. (Photo courtesy of Cass Bell)
Blue Lake Casino and Cagebound FC will present their first of many planned mixed martial arts events, Bringing the Heat Vol. me on saturday And the vision of this first fight series is to bring higher quality competition to an area that has shown a strong interest in martial arts.
“It’s going to be some really good fights. I’m happy with the promoter who ran it,” said Cass Bell, who will face Tim Riscen in one of the three main events at Blue Lake. “They want to bring high-level fights to Humboldt County. And I think that’s what’s going to happen with this card.”
In order to achieve this high level of competition, the event involves numerous high-calibre participants from outside Humboldt County, in addition to strong local competitors such as Bell. Dupree Stewart, who trains with Bell under trainer John Thompson, also headlines the event with a welterweight fight against Aaron Klinghardt. Stewart was due to make his pro debut with Bellator 292 in March, but his opponent was late with injury.
“It’s crazy how much support we’re getting here,” Stewart said. “I have family members who send me pictures of our billboards in almost every place they go…so they can see that and see me on the billboard when they drive into town, that’s really cool.” It’s really surreal.”
Bellator 292 was also the last time Bell fought when he fought Josh Hill but fell through a controversial decision. Bell is still hoping for a Hill rematch but was excited at the opportunity to fight in Humboldt County for the first time in several years while he’s between his contracts with Bellator.
“The reason I’m fighting back here now is because they want to bring big boys and have competitive fights. They don’t want a lot of one-sided fights,” Bell said. “I love fighting in front of my people and putting on a good show for everyone.”
Bell’s opponent is another example of the effort to produce quality matchups. Riscen, who fights in Ventura, holds a 7-6 record in pro fights and has previous experience in Bellator. For Bell, the match is a nice change of pace from his past battles against elite contenders like Hill, Jornel Lugo, and Raufeon Stots.
“It will be a good fight for me. Of course I think I can beat anyone. “I would get in the cage with Josh Hill if I had a rematch with him,” Bell said. “But with Tim, I mean he’s kind of all-around. He’s in good shape. He’s coming off pretty hot, like he did at the start of the first lap, with a fast pace, so I’ll wait for that. And then he has good ground play.”
Stewart will also face a quality test in his first pro fight against Klinghardt, who holds a 1-1 pro record. Stewart is 5-0 in the amateur fights before the match.
“Kilinghardt, he has a great record as an amateur,” Stewart said. “It’s nice to have someone who has experience and a great background just like me. That way I can do my best and make sure I’m in top shape and able to perform for my family and friends as well.”
The third main event will feature local competitor Gabriel Smith, who is teammates with Bell and Stewart at the Institute of Combat. Like Stewart, Smith will make his pro debut on Saturday when he takes on Hesperia’s Carlos Morales.
“I’m super excited to be the headliner on this map,” Bell added. “And I also help my teammates. They’ve always helped me train and I’ve helped them. But now everyone who comes to this fight can see them. I want them to build relationships with my teammates.”
The map will feature a total of eight Institute of Combat fighters, meaning there will still be a healthy balance of local competitors and high-level fighters from outside the area. This weekend’s event will hopefully be the first step forward in creating a more competitive environment for the sport on the North Shore.
“We are martial artists. We want to be competitive, we want it to be as fair as possible,” Bell said. “Of course we want to win, but we also want hard fights. I feel better when I’m in a good war.”
Jake Matson can be reached at 707-441-0526.
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