Debuting kickboxers Eric Johnson and Hartman Smith test their mettle at Fight For It XIV.

Only a year into his training journey at Combat Performance, Erin Johnson is stepping into the ring to test his kickboxing skills against Hartman Smith, a fellow debuting kickboxer from the esteemed Lake Norman Muay Thai Academy.

Debut bouts such as this make predictions moot, as neither man has yet shown where his strengths lie, nor how he’ll react to the bright lights and audience noise. However, with two reliably strong gyms backing these prospects, inexperience doesn’t equal inability; these two wouldn’t be in the ring if their coaches didn’t feel they had something to show the Fight For It crowd.

Perhaps this will be your first glimpse of the next championship contender. Perhaps this will be the barnburner of the night. When two unknowns clash, more than any other time in combat sports, anything can happen. There’s only one way to find out: Tune in on Feb. 18 as these two put it all on the line at Fight For It XIV.


Combat sports action returns to the Downtown Spartanburg Marriott in Spartanburg, SC when Fight For It XIV kicks off on Saturday, February 18. Catch every bout live in-person, or via pay-per-view, with tickets available now at fightforitcompany.com.

And be sure to download the Fight For It app on on The App Store or Google Play to pick your fantasy winners at Fight For It XIV. The pool is free to play and will award the top three scorers with their share of a $500 cash prize.