Southern Utah MMA fighter Brandon Honsvick set to make pro debut in front of hometown crowd

ST. GEORGE — Mixed martial arts fighter Brandon “Warrior” Honsvick of Hurricane is scheduled to make his pro debut Feb. 13 at Washington County Legacy Park.

Mountain Force MMA fight card (lineup subject to change) for “Mountain Force 22,” scheduled for Feb. 13. 2021 at Washington County Legacy Park in Hurricane, Utah | Image courtesy of Mountain Force MMA, St. George News

Honsvick, who trains at Empire MMA and Fitness in Cedar City, will headline the night’s fight card, which pits him against Josh Dillon of California.

“He’s a brawler,” Honsvick said of his opponent, who is also making his pro debut. “He’s going to come in and try taking my head off. It’s going to be a fun, amazing fight.”

“I think we’re both going to put on one heck of a show,” he added. “We are the main event, which is amazing for being our pro debut, that’s kind of unheard of.”

Honsvick has a 5-2 record as an amateur, starting with a victory in his debut at Mayhem in Mesquite XVI in December 2018. He said he’s especially looking forward to being in the cage in front of his hometown crowd. Originally from West Valley, Honsvick grew up in Hurricane and has lived there for the past two decades.

“I’ve sold a lot of tickets,” he said. “A lot of people are coming out to see me and the other fighters from here.”

While the Honsvick vs. Dillon bantamweight pro fight will cap off the evening, the event also features several amateur bouts on the fight card. The schedule, which is subject to change, includes four female bouts as well a few other local fighters in the lineup. Like Honsvick, Josh Remington trains at Empire MMA in Cedar City, while Morgun Colledge, Jeremiah Kaliko, Hyrum LeBaron and Hannah Silva are all out of Fusion MMA in St. George.

The event, titled “Mountain Force 22,” is scheduled for 7-10 p.m. on Feb. 13 at the Legacy Park’s Grafton Building in Hurricane. COVID-19 restrictions, including social distancing and mask requirements, will be in effect. Click here to purchase tickets or here for more information about the event. Ticket prices start at $30 for general admission.

MMA fighter Brandon Honsvick trains at Cedar City, Utah, Feb. 1, 2021 | Photo by Jeff Richards, St. George News / Cedar City News

Honsvick said he’s donating a percentage of the proceeds from his ticket and T-shirt sales to Root for Kids, a non-profit organization based in St. George that provides services to children and families in need of extra support.

Honsvick said the organization has been a great source of support for his young daughter, with whom he shares a birthday; she turns 4 on Saturday.

“My daughter has Down syndrome and I want to give back,” he said. “I want to let everyone know that there’s nothing wrong with Down syndrome children or adults. I want to bring awareness to the community. I fight for the kids.”

“What I love about this gym is that every single one of us have a cause,” he added. “There’s people who fight against suicide; there’s people who fight against child abuse. There’s fighters out there that are recovering addicts. Every single one of us has a reason to fight.”

Honsvick called the opportunity to fight professionally “a dream come true.”

“I would have never dreamed of ever fighting in a main event, pro debut, hometown crowd,” he said. “Everyone supporting me, everyone loving, like everything I do. I would have never dreamed of this. When I told everyone I wanted to be a fighter, it was like, that’s never going to happen. It’s never going to be this way. I thought it’d be fighting in backyards in front of chickens and stuff. It’s just amazing to me. It’s honestly my childhood dream.”

Copyright St. George News, SaintGeorgeUtah.com LLC, 2021, all rights reserved.

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