After a month’s rest, former Camp Verde High School state wrestling champion Derrick Brown will be looking to extend his undefeated streak to five as a mixed martial arts featherweight fighter Saturday, June 28, in Chandler.
“My agent was looking to see if I could get into a title bout with the current champ since the guy I just beat was supposed to fight him,” said Brown, who defeated fellow 145-pound MMA fighter Marcus McGhee on May 26 at Talking Stick Resort in Phoenix to stay perfect at that weight and move to 12-4 overall as an amateur. “The good thing about it is, I’m not making money from the fights, but I can make money from ticket sales: The last fight, I sold 17 tickets and made 25 percent of the gate, or about $240.”
Brown, the 2012 state Division IV wrestling champion at 145 pounds, has been sparring Mondays and Wednesdays with current CVHS wrestlers Ryan Allred and Matt Mejia at the Sterrett Wrestling Complex, 321 W. Apache Trail, under the watchful eye of Cowboys assistant wrestling coach Mario Chagolla Sr.
For the full story, please see the Wednesday, June 18, issue of the Camp Verde Journal.