Josiah Harrell headlines lineup featuring five title bouts at Ohio Combat League 18
Ohio Combat League is set to hold its annual event weekend in conjunction with the Arnold Sports Festival in Columbus, Ohio this weekend, with Ohio Combat League 18 headlining the festivities with a full MMA event on Saturday night at the Hollywood Casino.
In the main event, undefeated pro Josiah Harrell will look to take home the OCL lightweight title, as he faces John Ramirez at 155 pounds. The 23-year-old Harrell is one of the best prospects in Ohio, and he has posted a 4-0 pro record with all of his wins via stoppage under the OCL banner. Most recently, he topped a fellow unbeaten fighter in Homer Mangram via rear naked choke in the first round at OCL 16 in November.
Ramirez comes in from Iowa with his mind on an upset. The 25-year-old has back-to-back wins over unbeaten fighters, as he topped Ethan Hayes at 247 FC: Brawl in the Burgh 7 and Dylan Mantello at Ring of Combat 75 to claim that promotion’s lightweight title. Five of his six wins are via stoppage, including four submissions.
On the amateur portion of the card, four titles will be on the line. Welterweight champion Alonzo Turner will defend his title for the first time against 6-0 challenger Tom Kizer. Turner won a four-man tournament with two first round stoppages to claim the title in 2021. Kizer is the No. 1 ranked amateur welterweight in West Virginia and looks to win his third amateur title in a row.
Two veteran middleweights will vie for the 185-pound title, as local fighter Marcus Keuchler takes on Pennsylvania’s Logan Thompson. Keuchler returned to action in 2021 after a two-year layoff, and he earned a title shot with a decision win over Marcus Williamson at OCL 16 in November. Thompson has won back-to-back bouts, including a title victory over Tywan Stills, who topped Keuchler in 2021.
Two featherweight finishers will throw down for the 145-pound title, as Jeremy Balboa faces Michigan’s Jake Scott. Balboa has three wins via knockout, but he earned the 2021 Ohio MMA News Amateur Submission of the Year with his arm bar finish of James Haley in December. Scott is an aggressive striker who has all of his wins via knockout, including a 19-second finish in his last bout in February.
And finally, the OCL promotional heavyweight title will be on the line when unbeaten Mark Gordon faces former Ohio state wrestling champion Matt Adams. Gordon stormed onto the scene late in 2021, and he has produced impressive finishes in his first two fights. Adams returned to action after a layoff of more than three years in 2021, earning a submission win. He’s also been working on his standup and recently finished second in a 16-man boxing tournament in West Virginia.
OCL 18 features a total of 14 bouts and will be streamed live via Combat Sports Now.
Ohio Combat League will also host a pro boxing event at the Hollywood Casino on Friday night, as well as a “Guns & Hoses” amateur boxing event featuring police and firefighters from around Ohio.
