The fledgling World Fighting Federation will hold its second Tucson mixed martial arts competition Saturday in the AVA Amphitheater at Casino del Sol.
The first Tucson match drew about 2,000 spectators in October, said Thom Ortiz, one of WFF's founders.
He's expecting double that many on Saturday. The amphitheater seats 5,000, and as of Tuesday, all but five of the 90 seats closest to the cage had already sold at $150 a piece.
The WWF has committed to two more shows, June 19 and Sept. 25, at the casino, he said.
To the uninitiated, mixed martial arts is a blend of boxing, wrestling, kick-boxing and jiu-jitsu.
Fights take place in a cage, and rounds last three or five minutes depending on the level of competition. A fighter can win by knockout, a technical knockout, submission or judges' decision.
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"It's generally more exciting and faster paced then let's say just boxing, wrestling or jiu jitsu because you're incorporating all three so the element of surprise is higher," said Ortiz.
Mixed martial arts has been called the fastest-growing sport in the world, and right now the Ultimate Fighting Championship is its largest association. The WFF, which Ortiz started with performance coach Al Fuentes, is one of several smaller associations.
Ortiz is a familiar name to Arizona wrestling fans. He wrestled at Sunnyside High School from 1982 to '85, and was the head wrestling coach at Arizona State University from 2001 until last year.
Three of Ortiz's former ASU wrestlers compete in the UFC. One of them, Cain Velazquez, will make an appearance on Saturday and sign autographs an hour before the competition.
Music is a big part of the event.
"Every fighter will have a song he comes out to. Some like country, some like rap, some like rock 'n' roll, some like heavy metal and others like Mexican music like Norteñoor Tejano," Ortiz said. "There's a lot of cheering. It's a real positive vibration."
The two championship rounds include heavyweight George "The Brown Bomber" Castro, who manages Boxing Inc. at 4165 W. Ina Road. He will take on Estevez Jones of Sierra Vista.
In the welterweight class, Joey "Boom Boom" Rivera, who owns Apex Mixed Martial Arts at 701 E. Fort Lowell Road will fight R.J. Gamez of Casa Grande.
"We love giving an opportunity to the local fighters to compete in mixed martial arts," Ortiz said.
Ortiz, who competes in other associations, said mixed martial arts is also getting popular as a way to get fit.
"It's a great cardiovascular exercise and it's great for your reflexes," he said. "Every day when you go to the gym you could try something new."
If you go
• What: World Fighting Federation's "Fight for the Belt." Mixed martial arts competition features 10 professional fights, two amateur fights and a guest appearance by UFC star Cain Velasquez.
• When: 7 p.m. April 24.
• Where: Casino del Sol's AVA , 5655 W. Valencia Road.
• Tickets: $15-$150 at casinodelsol.com
• More info: www.wffmma.com