MMA

OGDEN -- Ogden's mixed martial arts professional Jon Neal scored his fifth win with a first-round stoppage over Utah veteran Curtis Johnsen in the main event Friday night at Ogden's Summit Hotel ballroom.

Neal (5-0), who fights out of Foley's gym and One Hit MMA, used a combination of wrestling skills to take Johnsen (8-6) to the ground. Once there Neal maintained control, hammering the game Johnsen before forcing an arm tap out at the 3.53 mark. Neal weighed 166.5 pounds for the fight.

Ogden mixed martial arts professionals Jon Neal and Patrick Reeves are preparing for key bouts in May. On Friday, Neal headlines the Total Mayhem pro/am MMA card at the Ogden Marriott, and Reeves fights undefeated Lance Palmer on May 10 at the Showdown MMA card in Orem.

LAYTON — A former high school wrestling star struck by a chronic disease in adulthood is planning a comeback, this time in mixed martial arts.

Mike Brown started wrestling when he was in the sixth grade. That was the year he also won his first tournament.

After that, he wrestled for Central Davis Junior High School, losing only twice during those three middle school years. At Layton High School, he became a region champion his sophomore year and took third place in state as a senior.

After college, Brown began working in the juvenile justice system and then Wahlquist Junior High School as an academic counselor. He was also given the job as the school’s wrestling coach, in addition to coaching wrestling at Rocky Mountain Junior High School.

Then he got sick. Very sick.

While most fighters in Bellator Mixed Martial Arts dream of winning $100,000 and a chance at the championship, Will Brooks looks at the promotion as a way to pass on his uplifting message about the “champion’s mindset.” Brooks, who will face Saad Awad in the lightweight semifinals Thursday during Bellator 91, once made the typical mistakes so many youths in challenged neighborhoods make.

“When I was younger, I went through a lot of different things,” said Brooks, 26, from Schaumburg, Ill. “I had my own personal issues with my father. ... We bumped our heads. I was very, very rebellious and just put myself in positions where I was getting mixed up with the wrong people and just not really doing anything with my life. I was completely heading down the wrong path.”

WEST VALLEY CITY — Rad Martinez of West Jordan was defeated by Shahbulat Shamhalaev of Russia in the Bellator tournament MMA featherweight championship on Thursday night at the Maverik Center.

During the bout, televised live on the Spike TV network, Martinez, 14-3, had the edge in round one due to a strong ground game. However, Shamhalaev, 12-1 stunned Martinez with strikes early in round two and eventually knocked him out with a hard right hand punch. Both fighters weighed 145.9 pounds.

After years of dismissing women’s mixed martial arts, Ultimate Fighting Championship will not only feature its first women’s fight Saturday but the bout will headline UFC 157.

The five-round fight between Ronda Rousey and Liz Carmouche will headline a strong card that also features a three-round light heavyweight showdown between Dan Henderson and Lyoto Machida, with that winner likely to receive a title shot.

Shortly after Rampage Jackson bids a bitter farewell to the UFC on Saturday night, flyweight champion Demetrious Johnson and challenger John Dodson will introduce themselves to a national audience.

Chicago’s United Center will be a crossroads for several fighters getting together in the UFC’s latest show on Fox.

Johnson’s first title defense against Dodson is the main event, but the 125-pounders realize they could be upstaged by bigger guys. Jackson is making what he says is his final UFC appearance against Brazil’s feared Glover Teixeira, while crowd-pleasing lightweight contenders Donald Cerrone and Anthony Pettis meet on the televised undercard.