KYACEY USCOLA TALKS KOTC & BODOG

by MMAWeekly.com

This Friday, November 10th marks the PPV debut of King of the Cage’s “All Stars” show which took place in Reno, Nevada last month. Among the fights that will be featured on the PPV will be Kyacey Uscola of the Primal Tribe Fighting Club taking on PRIDE veteran Akira Shoji in a Superfight showdown.

Uscola possesses a name that is instantly recognizable to the hardcore fans of the western states fighting circuit. Since making his amateur debut in Chael Sonnen’s FCFF promotion in 2003, Kyacey hasn’t let up, fighting an astounding 25 times in the amateur and pro ranks combined.

At “All Stars” Uscola took a big step forward in his ongoing quest to become recognized as one of the toughest and best young talents around when he laid out Shoji with one of the most vicious knockouts in recent memory half way through the second round of their bout.

“I went against Akira Shoji. I thought it was going to be for a belt at 185, but they switched it on me, so now it’s the Superfight title, but it was a good knockout, a good win,” said Kyacey of his win over Akira.

“The first round went good, we had a gameplan that if I got taken down or for some reason I lose the first round I’d go to my wrestling skills, take him down and win the next two [rounds]. I never had the chance to go to ‘Plan B,’ I just won the first round with striking and grappling and in the second round it was pretty much the same,” continued Uscola.

At the start of the second round Shoji came out like a man possessed, attacking Kyacey all-out before Uscola finally backed him off and implemented the gameplan that would win him the fight.

By keeping himself in the center of the cage and forcing Akira to constantly circle and not set his feet, Kyacey set himself up to pot-shot the Japanese fighter the entire round, reddening and swelling Shoji’s face before finally putting the end to the fight with the final barrage of strikes.

“It’s crazy; I almost knew he was going to do that,” said Uscola of Akira’s charge. “Right when we came out [for the second round] he had it in his eyes, and I could tell he was going to come out like that. So I just let him flurry, parried a couple, ducked a couple, covered up well and he either shot himself out or he changed his mind because it wasn’t working. Then I just executed my gameplan from there on out.”

Kyacey further commented, “I couldn’t believe how well it [the strategy] went for us. Usually you have to switch up your strategy during the fight, but this one was just picture perfect, we went with it the whole time.”

With his win over Shoji, Uscola has put a positive turn on a tumultuous year that isn’t quite over yet for him.

“I had my ups and downs in 2006 for sure, but it’s almost a new year and I’ve got a deal with Bodog and those guys, so things are looking up right now,” exclaimed Kyacey. “You can check out my Bodog episode [versus Trevor Prangley] on The Men’s Channel on Dish Network [next Tuesday], and them I’m going to have another one on the 12th of December in Russia, so that one will be good as well.”

Bodog aside, Uscola may have some unfinished business to deal with in early 2007 as a proposed rematch between Kyacey and Jamie Jara could determine the championship that was supposed to have been competed for on the “All Stars” show.

“Definitely I’d like to fight Jaime Jara again,” affirmed Uscola. “If they [KOTC] want to put it together and pay us what we’re worth and I’d definitely be down to have that fight…especially when he beat me with a split decision [in 2004] that I thought I won – that everyone in the arena thought I won. So I’d definitely love to get that off my record and win that title as well.”

So with the KOTC “All Stars” PPV debuting this Friday, his BodogFight episode premiering on November 14th, a BodogFight in Russia in December, and a possible title fight against Jara in early 2007, Uscola feels he could be someone to watch in the coming months.

“I’d like to thank BodyBuilding.com and Fairtex; they’ve been helping me out,” concluded Kyacey.” “For the fans, just keep watching me, I’m going to turn some heads this year and next for sure.”