Dakota Vance wins MMA debut with stunning 16-second TKO

By John Burbridge sports@charlescitypress.com

WATERLOO — There are long-term plans and short-term plans.

In reference to Dakota Vance’s budding mixed martial arts career, both are going accordingly.

Shortly after finishing his high school wrestling career at Rockford, where he set a Warrior record with 27 fall victories in a season and was a podium placer at state despite being hampered with an illness, the Charles City 19-year-old had set his sights on becoming an MMA fighter.

More than a year of training culminated with a 16-second TKO victory Vance recorded against Jonathan Ware in an 185-pound amateur bout as part of the Ascendancy Fighting Championships 18, Saturday at the Five Sullivan Brothers Convention Center.

“That’s what the plan was,” Vance said of his stunningly fast debut victory. “I wanted to finish this fight as quickly as possible.

Keeping to a “plan” in combat sports is not always easy. Even Mike Tyson has mentioned that pre-fight plans tend to go out the window once you get rocked with a solid punch.

But against Ware, Vance was the only one doing the punching. In textbook ground-and-pound fashion, Vance was able to “takedown” the “Irish Werewolf” while utilizing his wrestling skills then proceeded to pummel his opponent from the top position.

It roused the crowd, already anxious for some stoppage action. In the proceeding amatuer fights, several combatants displayed game standup skills but seemed reluctant to go for the kill when it appeared they had their opponents in trouble.

But Vance was a fury of aggression right from the opening air horn (what the card used as the bell).

Though this was his MMA debut, for Vance it wasn’t exactly his “first rodeo” as he comported himself Saturday as someone who has been in and around the cage before. As a youngster, Vance grew up with the sport and often led the entourage leading up to the cage for his father’s MMA fights.

Chad Vance, a former Charles City Comet wrestler who continued his career at Iowa Central Community College where he was a National Junior College Wrestling Coaches Association All-American before transferring to the University of Iowa, got into MMA during its formative years when it was just emerging from the underground. He eventually compiled a winning professional record and held an American Fighting Association title.

“But I never had a victory like that,” said the elder Vance, who was in his son’s corner and was among the first to attend to the well-being of Ware, who needed EMT assistance before leaving the cage.

“He still has a way to go before matching my accomplishments,” said the elder Vance, who has mentioned that his son at 19 is a better MMA fighter than he was when he started at 28, “but he has worked hard, and I’m very proud of him.”

During his long road to his first MMA bout, Dakota has trained and sparred with some of his father’s colleagues, including several UFC veterans. Now that he’s made his first steps in and out of the cage, Dakota says that …

“It feels awesome. I hope I can get a shot at an amateur title soon.”

Sounds like a plan.