Clarksville MMA fighters prepare to make a smashing debut in June

Clarksville, TN – The Mixed Martial Arts fighters in Clarksville, TN are on the move and eager to make an impact. Nate Landwehr will make his professional MMA debut on June 22nd in Nashville, TN at The Nashville Municipal Auditorium.

The event is titled “XFC 18: Music Mayhem.” Landwehr’s blond hair may be long and pretty, but nothing will be pretty about the beating he plans to administer to Billy Mullins.

“I’m not gonna be shy to pull that trigger.” The 23 year-old fighter has been an athlete his entire life. Several months ago, he was jogging and discovered Clarksville’s SSF Submission Academy, owned by Ron Dayley, a former professional fighter. Landwehr peeked inside, signed up, and is making his professional debut in less than a month.

Like Landwehr, Molly Dupertuis has always enjoyed the thrill of combat. As a little girl in Tampa, FL, she practiced judo, brazilian jiu jitsu and other fighting styles. Her husband is in the military, which brought the couple to Clarksville, TN.

Dupertuis, 25, will be fighting Hannah Fitzpatrick at Absolute Action MMA 27: Caged Aggression in Belfry, KY at Belfry High School on June 23rd. Dupertuis is looking forward to facing a seasoned opponent. “The last time Fitzpatrick fought was in 2010. She’s a real tough girl. I get to rank myself with someone who’s been around for awhile,” said Dupertuis.

Dupertuis is known for her “spinning backfist.” In her previous bout against Tanekka Taylor, Dupertuis missed a kick but spun around and surprised Taylor with a crushing spinning-backfist right to the face. Taylor immediately dropped to the mat, unable to recover from the blow.

Dupertuis finished her off with a rear naked choke, ending the two- round contest. “One of the things I like to do is inspire other women,” said Dupertuis, who currently has a record of 1-1 in MMA and 1-0 in Muay Thai.

20 year-old Michael Graham is another fighter from SSF Submission Academy with a point to prove. After earning a 4-0 record as an amateur, Graham decided to turn pro and, along with Landwehr, will make his pro debut at XFC 18 next month. Before training at the gym, Graham used to wrestle in his backyard.

“We didn’t know there were gyms in this town,” he said. Three years ago, the Clarksville native signed up for classes at the gym and has been honing his craft ever since. A self-confident man, Graham says he enjoys mixed martial arts because there are no teammates to let him down. “I like how it isn’t a team sport. All the responsibility for winning and losing is on me,” he explained.

Graham will share the ring with Cory “Check-Mate” Robison on June 22nd. Robison excels at grappling on the ground, something that Graham plans on not allowing him to do. “Hopefully I can keep the fight standing,” said Graham.

Chris Coggins currently has a record of 5-2 as a professional. He will be fighting Austin Lyons at the Agricenter in Memphis, TN at Empire Fights on June 23rd. Coggins, also from Clarskville, is ready for the fight and even looking further ahead. “After I beat him, (Lyons) I’m going to call out the guy who’s ranked first at 145, who happens to be his teammate,” he said.

Another successful Clarksville fighter training at SSF Submission Academy is Steven Durr, who recently defeated Michael Manley at XFC Apocalypse 17. Durr, who has a professional record of 1-1, won the ISKA TN 145 State Championship last year before turning pro. The month of June will be an exciting one for these Clarksville fighters, each of whom is ready to dominate.