Dustin West has quietly built a reputation as a knockout artist and a fan favorite in the Southeast. Having ended numerous fights in under a minute, the heavy handed Tennessee native will take his KO road show to Knoxville, TN this Friday night to face Stoney Hale live on HDNet at XFC 16 ‘High Stakes’.
Before pursuing MMA, West served his country as a Marine. Now that he has had some success in the sport, ‘DWest’ is hoping he can shine a light on a cause near and dear to his heart; The Wounded Warrior Project.
The WWP is an organization that assists injured servicemen when they come home from war and helps them transition back to life as a civilian. Anyone who served in the military who has incurred injuries or illness due to their service on or after September 11, 2001 is eligible to enter the program. Whether it’s helping soldiers find jobs or simply helping with paperwork for benefits / grants, the WWP has helped thousands of soldiers since its institution in 2002.
“The XFC has given me a wonderful opportunity to compete on HDNet at ‘High Stakes’,” said West. “I really think it’s important to use this opportunity to give to others and bring awareness to The Wounded Warrior Project. I served in the Marine Corp and was fortunate to come back home with my health. There are a lot of others who aren’t as lucky as me. And I think it’s important to give back and honor those heroes. I encourage everyone who reads this to go to www.woundedwarriorproject.org and do what you can to support these brave men and women.”
Not only did West get permission to represent the Wounded Warrior Project at XFC 16, he will also have local Knoxville soldiers that were wounded in battle as his guests at the event.
XFC President John Prisco is thrilled to have Dustin West fighting on the card. “Dustin is an example of what honor and integrity is all about,” said Prisco. “I have watched Dustin progress in his career over the years and he is a very talented fighter. He’s been knocking out guys left and right. After his big knockout over Johnathan Ivey, I had to put him on the card at ‘High Stakes’. Once I put him on the card, I had some talks with him and his manager and realized just how important The Wounded Warrior Project was to him. It’s really good to see a young man like that who wants to give back to wounded men and women who come home from war. A lot of guys go after sponsors to make a quick buck but here’s a former Marine who is more concerned with helping his fellow soldiers. It’s really touching and I’m proud to have Dustin competing for the XFC.”
XFC 16 : High Stakes will feature Jamie Varner vs. Drew Fickett in the main event and is sponsored by Sheets Energy Strips & Overthrow Gear and will air live on HDnet from the Knoxville Civic Coliseum in Knoxville, TN on February 10th, 2012. Tickets are on sale now through OfficialXFC.com. To learn more about the XFC, please visit www.officialxfc.com, “Like” them on Facebook, and “Follow” the promotion on Twitter (@officialxfc).
