Missouri-based Fighting Alliance Championship (FAC) is set for a return to the Heartland on Friday, Dec. 9 for FAC 17. The show should serve as a worthy appetizer to UFC 282 for many fight fans and will feature a lightweight main event between Gauge Young and Bobby Lee. The event is set to emanate from the Cable Dahmer Arena in Independence, Missouri.
Fight fans can catch FAC 17 streaming on UFC Fight Pass beginning at 10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT. The amateur preliminaries will stream live on the MMA Futures YouTube channel starting at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT.
Main Event – Young vs. Lee
Lightweights Young and Lee will collide in a midwest main event that pits a fast-rising prospect against a tested veteran. Young, 22, made his professional debut in 2020 and has proceeded to go a perfect 5-0 with finishes in each of his last three. Young has fought the entirety of his career within the FAC promotion and even picked up a first-round finish against David Evans at FAC 12: Lookin’ For a Fight. Having already once impressed UFC President Dana White, Young could be looking at an opportunity on next year’s season of Dana White’s Contender Series provided gets the win on Friday and doesn’t make it to the big show sooner.
Lee, a veteran of Bellator, will represent the toughest test of Young’s career to date. Despite having totaled 16 fights to his name thus far, Lee is just 26 years old in his own right. However, he went winless in three Bellator bouts and is now set to fight for FAC for the first time in his career. One additional storyline to watch will be how Young’s corner shakes out for the fight. He will be without Glory MMA Head Coach James Krause, as Joe Wooster, a licensed matchmaker in Missouri and co-founder of FAC, told ESPN on Monday that Krause will have “nothing to do” with FAC 17.
Oddsmakers currently see Young as the -295 favorite, while Lee can be had for a price tag of around +235.
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Co-Main Event – Schroder vs. Mazany
Friday will also feature the return of UFC veteran Gina Mazany, who is set to fight Elizabeth Schroder in the women’s flyweight co-main event. Mazany, another Glory MMA fighter, ended her latest UFC tenure on a sour note and enters Friday on the heels of stoppage losses at the hands of Shanna Young and Priscilla Cachoeira. She could be in danger of a third consecutive defeat when she steps into the cage with Combate Global veteran Schroder, who has finished her last two bouts, including her most recent win against TUF 30 alum Chantel Coates. If Mazany can start fast and put a pace on her less experienced opponent, it could be her fight to lose.
Rest of the Card
Five additional professional fights will surround Friday’s main event and co-main event. The featured fight will see local lightweights Michael Banks and Mike Murray meet in the cage for the first time as professionals. The fight will be a rematch of the final amateur fight for both men, which Murray won with a guillotine choke 19 seconds into the second round. Both fighters have finished each of their three combined pro wins with a rear naked choke.
Mikey England, a 7-1 prospect, is also set for welterweight competition against 5-4 Josh Tulley. England has impressed during his career-long run in FAC, and enters Friday’s show riding a three-fight winning streak with finishes in each win. The 39-year-old Tulley will likely be looking to brawl, which could lead to a stellar fight for the Missouri fans. Bernard Mayberry is also set for action against Juan Carlos Estrada at 185 pounds, and Kendal Holowell is also scheduled for a women’s flyweight fight against Alexa Culp. Welterweight action fighters Deron Carlis and Bryan McDowell will kick off the main card. Between the two of them, Carlis and McDowell have finished more than 95 percent of their combined wins.
FAC 17 Results
Main Card
Bobby Lee def. Gauge Young via Submission in Round 2
Gina Mazany def. Elizabeth Schroder via Split Decision (28-29, 29-28, 29-28)
Kendal Holowell def. Alexa Culp via Split Decision*
Jeremiah Cutright def. Deron Carlis via Submission (triangle choke) in Round 1
Mike Murray def. Michael Banks via Submission (RNC) in Round 1
Bernard Mayberry def. Juan Carlos Estrada via TKO (strikes) in Round 3
Amateur Preliminary Card
Ray Hayes def. Austin Spangler via Submission (D’Arce choke) at :28 of Round 1
Jordan Kryfka def. Anthony Dalle via Submission (armbar) at 3:13 of Round 2
Steffon Fassett def. Matt Guymon via TKO (punches) at 2:37 of Round 3
Mitchell Gilmore def. Chris Terry via Submisison (RNC) at 2:32 of Round 1
Tyree Robins def. Rex Stidham via Submisison (RNC) at 1:13 of Round 1
* – denotes kickboxing match
