Jaden Mattox and Abbas Abasov looking to break through at Ohio Combat League 28
Ohio Combat League 28 goes down in Columbus, Ohio this weekend, the annual event in conjunction with the Arnold Sports Festival for the promotion.
Squaring off in the main event will be two undefeated pro fighters who are both rising stars. Local standout Jaden Mattox comes in looking to improve on his 3-0 record when he welcomes 2-0 Abbas Abasov to Ohio.
A former two-time state champion wrestler who also wrestled at Ohio State, Mattox has run through the competition in his first three pro bouts. He’s produced three first round finishes and won the 2023 Ohio MMA News Pro Knockout of the Year for his knockout with elbows against Nick Mondelli in his pro debut. He trains at Grove City BJJ and regularly packs the house with fans. He’s spent his entire career fighting for OCL, and has the confidence, talent, and skill to make it to the big show. Still just 24 years old, he’s already the No. 3 ranked pro lightweight in the Buckeye State according to Tapology.
Abasov comes in representing American Top Team out of Coconut Creek, Florida. After winning three titles as an amateur, the judo specialist has picked up wins over the respected Zakariya Camara and Jeremy Henry in his first two pro bouts. He’s already ranked as the No. 1 pro featherweight in Illinois. He competed on the world stage in judo and is a big-time prospect looking to spoil the night for the hometown fans.
Also set for the event is a pro featherweight bout pitting Ilyaz Mamadaliyev and Daniel Boehle. Mamadaliev is 4-2 with four finishes, including three knockouts. He won the 2023 Ohio MMA News Fight of the Year for his highlight reel knockout win over Will Worley in his last outing.
“I was able to break him down slowly after the first round,” Mamadaliyev said of the fight when he joined the Ohio MMA Podcast. “After the first round, I don’t know what it was, but he was very tough, but once I was able to figure out the distance, the second round I started to land more than he did.”
Boehle comes in from Tennessee also looking to play spoiler. He’s 4-1 with a trio of stoppages, including submissions in his last two.
In other pro action, Asher Frederick looks to bounce back from the first loss of his pro career when he faces Marquis Johnson in a flyweight bout. Frederick reeled off two quick wins after making his pro debut last summer but lost a decision in his third outing. Originally from Ohio, Johnson now trains at Jackson-Wink MMA in Albuquerque with some of the sport’s top stars. He competes for the first time in Ohio as a pro and looks to improve his 3-5 record. He’s won three of his last four and looks to continue the momentum.
Two fighters both needing a win will also square off in a pro bantamweight bout. Andre Small has lost five in a row after winning his pro debut, and he’ll face Danny Moore, who recently picked up his first pro win after starting off 0-4.
On the amateur side of the card, Dom Johns will put his middleweight title on the line against Travon Eller. Johns stepped up on short notice to defend his title after not competing since winning it in 2022. He’s 7-6 overall and has been in some battles against multiple fighters who are now pros. Eller has been nothing short of spectacular in his amateur career. He’s 5-0 with five first round knockouts, including four in under 20 seconds and three in under 10. He won the light heavyweight title in his last outing and now drops down a weight class looking for a second title in the weight class where he’s likely to compete in as a pro.
Two excited amateur debuts are also set for the event. Former Division II national champion wrestler and All-American football player Cornell Beachem Jr. will make his debut against Jason Ferari.
“Really I’ve just been a busy athlete,” Beachem said when he joined the Ohio MMA Podcast. “Just staying busy with wrestling workouts, and football workouts. I mean, I really just never had a break. And now that I exhausted all of my college eligibility, I decided to transition to something else. I wanted to continue playing sports. I got out of college and MMA just happened to be something that I enjoyed.”
Also, former collegiate wrestler Andrew “AJ” Jones, who has a 10-1 combined kickboxing and Muay Thai record, will make his debut against Tristen Hutchko.
Ohio Combat League 28 takes place at The Columbus Anthanaeum and streams live via CombatSportsNow.com.
