With the sport becoming one of the biggest and most popular in the world, mixed martial arts has become big talk in sporting news.

Now, thanks to the Orbit Room and Ahrens Promotions, Grand Rapids will see one of its biggest fighting events to date. However, it’s not taking place in the eight-sided cage most MMA fighters call home, and it’s going to settle quite a dispute within the sports world.

The Orbit Room will host an eight-fight card that will feature eight separate matches pitting professional boxers against professional MMA fighters. The event will take place within a boxing ring.

Recently, professional MMA fighter Randy Couture took down former boxing Heavyweight Champion James Toney by way of a submission in the opening round of their match at UFC 118. Toney could not land a single punch as he was easily taken to the ground and forced into submission.

But the event at the Orbit Room will feature boxing-only matches. Known as the “stand up” portion of an MMA fighter’s repertoire, boxing is one half of any well-rounded MMA fighter’s skill set.

“A fighter needs to be well-rounded in all aspects of unarmed combat competition,” said Sean Malone of Grand Rapids Mixed Martial Arts. “Since all fights begin standing up, that is the first ‘style’ that will be used against an opponent. From that point, if the fighter is a good stand up guy, he can stay standing and hopefully win without going into the uncertain territory of the ground game.”

Among the combatants that will take to the ring will be a collection of local fighters, both boxers and MMA fighters. Fighters such as Holland’s Alex “El Cubanito” Otero will take on MMA locals such as Nate Cary of Grand Rapids in these special fights, according to a press release released by Ahrens Promotions.

However, the biggest, both literally and figuratively, fighter that will head to the squared circle will be Eric Esch, better known to the public as the 400-pound behemoth Butterbean.

“Most people only see Butterbean as a big guy and a joke of a fighter taking on bum opponents in one sided bouts,” said promoter Greg Ahrens. “However, people don’t realize that the guy has genuine knockout power in either hand of his, and with a record of 77 wins, eight losses and four draws, the guy is genuinely gifted at boxing. He even took Hall of Fame fighter Larry Holmes to 10 rounds, even getting a knockdown of the former Heavyweight Champion.”

The event is one in the ever-growing popularity of mixed martial arts.

“I think the reason it’s so popular really depends on the person,” Malone said. “It’s raw, the action, the violence, which of course interests a lot of people, but to me it’s more than just that. It’s the well roundedness that you need to have to be a half decent fighter. You need to know all types and styles of martial arts, you need to be ready for it, and you need to be ready to be on the offensive, and the defensive, side of the battle. It’s a true chess match.”

The boxing event will take place at The Orbit Room on Oct. 9. Tickets are priced at $30, $40, $50 and $60, and are available at the Orbit Room box office, at the door (if available), online at the Ticketmaster webpage, or by phone at 616-456-3333 or 1-800-745-3000.

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