Prime FS Has A Cause For More Than Just Combat Sports

What makes an MMA promotion? Is it the fighters on the roster or the people behind the scenes bringing it together? This Saturday, August 8th and up and coming promotion in the city of St. Louis, Mo. is looking to prove that they are more than just another mixed martial arts promotion. Guess what? We are all paying attention. Prime FS is a mixed martial arts promotion founded by Shane Rice who was looking to change the atmosphere of what a live event should be. Heading into their next event “Fighting For Autism”, he and his crew have opened the eyes of a city that already has a rich history in the world of combat sports. Things did not start that easy for the upstart promotion who have seen many changes in its early inception and with the help of Kain Royer, who also books for the largest ammy promotion in the midwest “Fight Hard”, little by little things started to come together.

VAVEL MMA has covered the two recent events for Prime FS and have seen growth not only in attendance but overall showmanship. Nestled in the backstreets of St. Louis, county in an area most refer to as “L.A.” (lower Affton), Prime FS has found a home at the Center St. Louis Sports Complex. While there are still designs on further expansion, including other cities, the promotion has definitely made a footprint in the regional landscape even competing with larger promotion in the same area during its first events. This Saturday, the night will belong to Prime FS for St. Louis mixed martial arts even though there is a pretty significant boxing event not too far away. This is not a deterrent though as Saturday’s event is a fight for more than just a belt or bragging rights; it's for a cause. One that we are all aware of and more than likely have seen first hand through friends and family. That cause is Autism Awareness.

Primes FS has partnered with “Fighting For Autism” and has made an impact tremendously on social media and of course their live events. To add to that, PFS has upped the game by including youth championships on their cards which adds a whole new appeal to the presentation. There have been some that are critical of the kids participating but the promotion has done everything necessary to ensure the safety of these young athletes. Witnessing first hand a walk out full of kids is a spectacular experience and one you know they will never forget. Two young gentlemen who will get a chance to experience this are JP Gillespie and Alex Russo. They have both been training hard and show a true love and dedication to the sport. This allows Shane, Kain and the rest of the Prime FS promotion to provide these young fighters with an experience they will never forget. Putting in the work allows the two of them to receive the benefits of competing just like any other athlete, and yes, we are all better for it. It’s hard to determine the impact that something such as this can have on a young person’s life but the willingness to let it evolve is nothing less than admirable.

Another thing Prime FS has done is included the inception of live musical acts on their card. This is a great way to break up the monotony and serves well for the always stacked cards that the group brings to the table. Their fourth event on the day will house many of the things we come to expect from Prime FS, including mixed martial arts, Muay thai, Kickboxing and of course the youth title matches. Pamela Rossi has signed on to be the latest feature for Prime FS, lending her vocal cords to the event which hopes to be a long term deal. If you are in the St. Louis area, don’t delay as tickets are selling out fast. For more information, visit the links below and take a look at the action packed card for Saturday’s Prime FS “Fighting For Autism” schedule:

Jason Newman vs. Thomas Nguyen - 155 Muay Thai Championship

Rodney Cotton vs. Fred Freeman - 145 MMA

Shaun Scott vs. David Maness Jr - 185 MMA

Bobby Mendica vs. Tavae Lewis - 170 MMA

Ben McCabe vs. Robbie Dunham - 155 MMA

Matt Materson vs. Chris Gideon

Ace Anderson vs. Mike Hulsey - 150 MMA

Jake Willyard vs. Da’Rell Fulgham - 155 MMA

Savannah Shahan vs. Mimi Kutzin - 135 womens K1

JP Gillespie vs. Matt Murphy - Exhibition Grappling

Trinity Capps vs. Zoey Hahn - Girls Youth 105 Championship

Stephan Becker vs. Joey Gianino - 125 MMA