Dakota Vance to make his pro MMA debut on July 30

By John Burbridge

sports@charlescitypress.com

CHARLES CITY — Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson’s signature pro wrestling finishing move was/is “The People’s Elbow”.

Now that he’s ascending to another level of mixed martial arts fighting, Dakota Vance looks to utilize a “Professional Elbow”.

“There were times I was tempted to use one,” Vance said of using the elbow(s) as a striking tool amidst combat. “I would see an opening where I could, but I knew it wasn’t allowed.”

For a span of roughly three years, Vance has fought as an amateur MMA fighter. Though deprived of using one of his body parts as a weapon — most amateur MMA organizations disallow striking elbows — Vance still managed to compile an undefeated (5-0) amatuer record.

Vance is scheduled to make his professional MMA debut on July 30 as part of a North Iowa Fights card at the Mason City Arena, 111 S. Washington Ave.

Professional MMA fighting allows for elbow strikes, but it should be noted that “The Rock’s” elbow is illegal by pro MMA standards — perpendicular elbow strikes (i.e. 12 o’clock to 6 o’clock) are barred as UFC star Jon Jones’s lone pro MMA loss was due to an alleged 12-to-6 illegal elbow.

Though it’s nice to have one more weapon at your disposal, that same weapon can also be used against you. Vance is well aware.

“I know I have to be able to protect myself against it,” he said, “but sometimes when I get hit in the (cage octagon) I don’t even feel it. There is so much adrenaline going on.”

Vance generally fights in the super welterweight (170-175 lbs.) and middleweight (175-185 lbs.) range.

In high school, he wrestled for Charles City and Rockford while becoming a state-qualifier for the latter school where he set a Warrior record for fall victories his senior season.

Shortly after graduating high school, Vance pursued a goal of becoming a second-generation MMA fighter as his father — Chad Vance — was a veteran fighter with a career winning record and several championship belts to his credit.

(The father and son earned the rare distinction of being on the same fight card — Elite Fight League 5, May 5, 2019 at the 5 Sullivan Center in Waterloo)

If you blinked, you might have missed the younger Vance winning his first two MMA bouts as it took him only 40 seconds (combined) to earn a pair of stoppage victories.

“I thought about going pro after that,” Vance said.

His next amatuer bout dampened his haste.

Against Deven Current as part of another Elite Fight League card — this one in Cedar Rapids — Vance was poised for another first-round win only to have Current force the issue to extend the fight to the three-round distance.

Vance, who later found out he was fighting with a respiratory ailment, was able to gut-out a split-decision.

Vance-Current 2, which occurred almost one year to the day to the scheduled upcoming card in Mason City, proved to be much shorter with Vance getting the submission win 1:10 into the first round.

That was Vance’s last fight.

As of last week, Vance didn’t know who he was going to face in Mason City. But he has been here before as several of his previous fights didn’t reveal an opponent until nearly the eve of the event.

“I just know it will be against a professional and he will likely be one of toughest fighters I have faced,” Vance said. “I want to face tougher competition. One of the reasons I’m going pro is because we couldn’t find good enough amateurs willing to fight me.”