Grand Ronde, OR - Spirit Mountain Casino debuts one of many MMA events April 3rd with SportFight XXV. This action-packed night of mixed martial arts features an 11-bout card with two title fights.

 
Josh "The Machine" Queen (12-0 amateur, 2-0 professional), a fast-striking freestyle fighter from Idaho, takes on DJ "Da Protégé" Linderman (11-0-1 amateur, 3-0 professional) a freestyle fighter from California, in a 5-round heavyweight title fight.

Queen made his MMA professional debut with a heavyweight title fight against Jeremiah Constant, which he won by submission with a rear naked choke just six seconds prior to the end of the first round. Six months later, he defended that title against Josh Bennett, a freestyle fighter from Washington. Queen defeated Bennett 2 minutes, 16 seconds into the first round with what seems to be his signature move, the rear naked choke.

 
As an amateur, Linderman held titles with the Full Contact Fighting Federation and Brass Knuckles Promotions before signing on as a professional with Matt Lindland at SportFight. After winning his first three professional bouts against stand out wrestler Justin Moody, kick boxer Mychal Clark and International Fight League veteran Devin Cole, Linderman has earned his first title shot against Queen in SportFight XXV.

 [NW Fightscene Editor's Note: Josh Queen is no longer on the card due to being medically suspended by the Idaho State Athletic Commission after a TKO loss March 27th in Coeur D'Alene. He has been replaced by Kyle Keeney in a non-title fight vs DJ Linderman. Ed Nuno has also been replaced in his Pro 165 lb bout with Lloyd Woodward by Carmen Casella.]

Portland's own Tyson Jefferies (8-3 amateur, 2-0 professional), a versatile freestyle fighter goes head-to-head with Mario Miranda (2-0 amateur, 6-0 professional), a grappling, wrestling and jiu-jitsu style fighter from Rio de Janeiro in a 5-round title fight.

SportFight, founded in 2003 by Matt Lindland and Randy Couture, is the leading mixed martial arts promotion in the northwest and has produced a number of fighters for major MMA organizations including the Ultimate Fighting Championship, Pride FC, K-1, the International Fight League, BodogFIGHT and Elite XC.

Tickets for the debut MMA event at the Spirit Mountain Casino Events Center are on sale now for $25, $35, $50, $75 and $100 through Star Tickets Plus. Tickets can be purchased online at starticketsplus.com or by calling (800) 585-3737. With a seating capacity of 1,744, excellent seats can also be purchased at www.spiritmountain.com or at the casino Coyote Club desk. The first bout is scheduled for 8 p.m.; the doors open at 7:00 p.m. 

Other scheduled fights on the card: In a 3-round professional bout, Chris Ensley takes on Daryl Fenner, Ed Nuno faces off with Lloyd Woodward, Daryl Cutler vs. Casey Manrique, Josh Bennet against Ryan Pope, and Chris Yee vs. Nathan Wallner. Chris Nealson takes on Tommy Grajo in a 3-round amateur heavyweight fight, and Big Will Walden goes head-to-head with Mike Hartley in a 3-round amateur super heavyweight bout. And scheduled for a 3-round amateur match, we have Colt Toombs against Tom Shrout and Calito Fransico vs. Chris Beacock.

FIGHT CARD (Subject to Change) 

11th Bout - Professional - Heavy Weight Fight - 3 rounds / 5 minutes
Kyle Keeney  vs. DJ Linderman

10th Bout - Professional - Title Fight 185lbs. - 5 rounds / 5 minutes
Tyson Jefferies vs. Mario Miranda

9th Bout - Professional - 170lbs. - 3 rounds / 5 minutes
Chris Ensley vs. Daryl Fenner

8th Bout Professional - 165lbs. - 3 rounds / 5 minutes
Carman Casella vs. Lloyd Woodward

7th Bout - Professional - 185lbs. - 3 rounds / 5 minutes
Daryl Cutler vs. Casey Manrique

6th Bout - Professional - Heavy Weight - 3 rounds / 5 minutes
Josh Bennet vs. Ryan Pope

5th Bout - Professional - 165lbs. - 3 rounds / 5 minutes
Chris Yee vs. Nathan Wallner

4th Bout - Amateur - Super Heavy Weight - 3 rounds / 3 minutes
Big Will Walden vs. Mike Hartley

3rd Bout - Amateur - Heavy Weight - 3 rounds / 3 minutes
Tommy Grajo vs. Chris Nealson

2nd Bout - Amateur 145 lbs. - 3 rounds / 3 minutes
Colt Toombs vs. Tom Shrout

1st Bout - Amateur - 3 rounds / 3 minutes
Calito Fransico vs. Chris Beacock

About Spirit Mountain Casino

SMC opened its doors in October 1995. Named as Oregon's #1 visitor destination for over a decade, Spirit Mountain offers the most dynamic gaming and entertainment options in the region. The casino is located just 90 minutes west of Portland, nestled in the Willamette Valley's coastal range. 

Presenting the largest and most diverse gaming options in the Northwest, Spirit Mountain offers Nevada-style slots, blackjack, craps, roulette, poker, pai gow, keno and bingo throughout its spacious 90,000-square foot casino.

With 254 tastefully decorated rooms, including 14 elaborate suites, Spirit Mountain Lodge provides comfort and exemplary service for its overnight guests. 

Whether it's fine cuisine at its signature Legends restaurant, enjoying Oregon's largest buffet at Cedar Plank, or trying one of the other food outlets, patrons have a variety of high-quality dining options. 

Spirit Mountain Casino is an enterprise of The Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde. For more information, please visit www.spiritmountain.com

About SportFight

Founded in 2003 by Matt Lindland and Randy Couture, SportFight is the leading mixed martial arts promotionin the northwestern United States. Together with its subsidiary brands, "Proving Grounds" and "Clash at the Casino," SportFight has produced more than 30 live MMA events in Oregon, Nevada and Colorado.

SportFight was Oregon's first sanctioned mixed martial arts promotion and has served as a showcase for many of the sport's emerging stars and best-known veterans, such as Sean Sherk, Rameau Thierry Sokoudjou, Jeff Monson, Chris Leben, Ed Herman, Gesias "JZ" Calvancanti, Paul Daley, Chael Sonnen and Dennis Hallman. Furthermore, SportFight has graduated fighters to every major MMA organization, including the Ultimate Fighting Championship, Pride FC, K-1, the International Fight League, BodogFIGHT and Elite XC. 

Check out SportFight TV every Saturday at 10 pm on Comcast SportsNet. SportFight has an extensive library of event footage and highlight compilations that are available on DVD at Wal-Mart, Hollywood Video and many other retail locations. For more information, visit www.sportfight.tv.