Bush And Collier Take Local Area And Gym To UFC Saturday

For years local professional MMA Athletes and UFC Fighters Dakota “Hairy”  Bush, St. Clair, and Jake “The Prototype” Collier, Cuba, have worked their ways up through the amateur MMA ranks, LFA-Pro fights and have both been on the main stage of the UFC the last couple years, but never on the same fight card.

Bush and Collier were each instructed by Cuba resident and MMA Instructor/Coach Patrick Smith in their humble beginnings and now the two, who still train together, will each have their own MMA battles in the octagon the same night - Saturday, January 15, from Las Vegas, NV.

“This is a big deal, a great deal. Two area kids training in a 14 ft. by 16 ft. shed are in the big leagues and on the same card,” said Patrick Smith, owner of Smith Pit, Cage Champions MMA, well-known MMA Coach/Instructor. “These two are very close friends who always trained together and have fought on several cards together. In fact, they both started their MMA careers in the Cage Champs MMA’s at Sullivan as amateurs and had their first professional fights in Sullivan as well. Both at the Fraternal Order of Eagles Hall in Sullivan at Cage Champs.”

Smith and his gym have trained roughly 80 athletes through the years since 2005-06, but this is the first time two local MMA Athletes from literally the same area and same gym upbringing have fought on the National stage of UFC.

“This is a rare event to happen. Two guys that go to the same gym and both make it to the UFC to fight on the same card - it’s like winning the lottery for them,” said Smith. “The odds are pretty rare; it would be like two kids being drafted and playing in major league baseball with the Chicago Cubs at same time.”

Smith stated that MMA fighters need to have the right ingredients to make it to the UFC in that they need to learn the technical side, but also need to have what he refers to as “a dog in them.”

“Bush and Collier have that ‘dog in them,’ and that’s something that’s hard to teach. You just have to see it in them and bring that out,” said Smith. “MMA is the sport while UFC is the top of the sport, and these two guys have made it.”

Smith stated that he really learned a lot from UFC Steve Berger, who taught him how to grind out a fight even though Berger had no idea he was teaching it to Smith.

“I went to two MMA’s in St. Louis and two in Springfield, and that’s when I decided I needed to start my own gym and MMA events, “ said Smith, discussing the start of Smith Pit, Cage Champions and now leading members of his gym family to the UFC.

On Saturday night, Dakota Bush, St. Clair, will have his second UFC fight as he takes on Viacheslav Borshchev.

“Dakota Bush was undefeated as an amateur and took off as a pro MMA fighter and was brought to UFC where he lost his first fight… He had a week’s notice and had to cut some 31 pounds in seven days, but he’s ready to go for this fight. He’s been training also with Glory MMA and has a extremely tough Russian in Borshchev who has a wrestling background, but Dakota has more ways to win this fight. However, there is a lot of hype on Borshchev, but we plan on being the wrecking party for him coming into the UFC.”

Bush was a standout wrestler at St. Clair High School and also helps wrestling teams currently at St. Clair and also happens to be the son-in-law of Patrick Smith.

Bush will fight on the preliminary UFC Fight Night Card, which can be seen starting at 3 p.m. on ESPN Plus and UFC Fight Pass.

Jake Collier, Cuba, was born and raised in Cuba, attended Cuba High School and will face Chase Sherman on the main fight card beginning around 5 p.m.

“Jake dominated his amateur and pro fights through LFA where he won the title in the 185 class,” said Smith. “He has a four and five pro record and is one of few UFC fighters to fight in three different weight classes: the 185, 205 and heavy weight.”

Collier won a UFC $50,000 bonus in his fight against Alberton with a spring back kick that captured the knock out of the night.

“Chase Sherman will be an interesting fight. In heavyweights it’s harder to keep on your feet; it’s a stand up war where you have to focus on anything your opponent is neglecting, and I think Jake is ready to take this one,” said Smith.

With everything being said, Smith stated this night is something the three have always talked about happening and it’s exciting to see it come to fruition this Saturday evening.

Smith stated that there will be a local watch party for the UFC event Saturday at RockFair, 506 South Franklin St., Cuba starting at 3 p.m.

To catch the fights Saturday tune in to UFC FightPass or ESPN Plus.