At M-1 Challenge: Bennett vs. Garner the battles for prime middleweight contention positioning are brewing but amongst the 185-pound duels, the fight between US Army Captain ‘G.I’ Jason Norwood and Eddie ‘Crazy Face’ Arizmendi is shaping up to be a show stealer. The action from The Hangar in Costa Mesa, California, Friday, July 8 can be captured live on Showtime starting at 11 p.m. ET (delayed on the West Coast).
Arizmendi has been the heart and soul of Arizona fight fans as he built up his 14-4 record; crowds watched him grow and mature as a fighter within the local ranks and the young Native American of Mexican heritage is making the jump to a new caliber of competition after being snatched up by Europe’s leading mixed martial arts promotion. Training out of Apex Gym with trainer Joey Rivera and under the management and guidance of Sky Andren of Fight Legion Inc., Arizmendi is the former RITC champion and rides a momentous eight-fight streak into Costa ‘Mesa, California; for the first time in his so-far illustrious career the ‘big fish in the little pond’ finds himself in new waters, taking his amped-up fighting style head-on into Norwood.
Standing a solid 6’ 3”, ‘Crazy Face’ fights with rage; his game is decorated with a versatile submission arsenal and he packs potent striking backed up with knock-out power. He’s also a finisher; of his 14 wins, he’s seen the judges’ scorecards only twice – that’s a finishing average of nearly 86%, a stat intoxicating to the M-1 executive brass and a perfect fit with M-1’s reputation for producing action-packed events.
Arizmendi’s ability to finish won’t scare Norwood; the Army combatives training officer has seen greater threats and disposed of them with relative ease. A native of Voorhees, New Jersey, 27 year old Jason Norwood equates fighting as the culmination of his life and says the military brings a similar feel to MMA, the main difference being that in the Army you either come home standing or “in a bag”. He’s spent time training at American Top Team Oklahoma and Matt Hughes’ H.I.T. squad but the Fort Still Combative Center is where he calls home and steadily improves his skills while perfecting a trademark ‘RNC’.
Boasting an 11-2 record, Norwood’ last outing was a systematic, three-round destruction of Billy ‘Mojo’ Horne this past March on M-1’s SHOWTIME debut. Over 15 minutes, the Captain exemplified what the US Army represents: a grinding, relentless pursuit of victory.
The key difference between the two men is their styles: Norwood is a tactical grinder where Arizmendi goes in ‘blitzkrieg’, looking to end things quickly.
Both are extremely skilled. Arizmendi is versatile, transitioning from boxing to wrestling to BJJ with slick, fluid movements and throwing precision combinations from all angles. Norwood leverages his wrestling base to secure take downs in order to wear out and pound out his opponents; his submission arsenal can compete with any fighter but he’s never needed to fight off his back, a real possible position for him this time out.
Expect neither man to change their styles; Arizmendi will aim to push the pace while Norwood tries to slow it down. Both have the tools to win and it’s a coin flip as to who walks away victorious. This is a great battle between two highly experienced warriors.
