The Fight Week Flu has struck again, this time pulling Tanner Saraceno out of competition for his fight scheduled against Trukon Carson. In his place, Quinton McCottrell, a veteran of 45 professional fights, has stepped up on late notice to challenge the 2-0 Carson.
Carson might still be early in his professional fighting career, but he’s already made a powerful impression on the Fight For It stage. Indeed, Carson kicked off his professional experience with a devastating first-round knockout over Matthew Messer at Fight For It VIII. Carson notched his second win with a unanimous decision over Arthur Walcott-Ceesay at Valor Fighting Challenge 66 in November of 2019, and has since spent most of his competition time battling for the Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship. Last year, Carson earned a pair of first-round KOs bringing his BKFC record to 2-1.
McCottrell has been battling it out in the pro ranks since 2006, and has amassed a 15-30 record that includes fights with Bellator, King of the Cage, and other promotions nationwide. Fighting out of Joliet, IL, McCottrell will come to North Carolina looking to put a stop to Carson’s streak of success in the cage, and turn around his own seven-fight skid.
With a belt on the line, it could be quite the redemption arc for McCottrell, stepping in at the last minute to claim a title. And he’s a proven finisher, as well, with four wins by KO/TKO and nine by submission across his career. Carson would be wise to respect McCottrell’s varied experience. But Carson is the hungry young counterpart stepping up to a battle-tested opponent — and he’s already displayed a knack for dropping more experienced fighters to the canvas.
Both men will arrive with something to prove, setting up a dynamic championship bout you won’t want to miss.
Fight For It XVIII kicks off 2024 with a powerful card of kickboxing and MMA action at Charlotte’s Grady Cole Center on Saturday, Jan. 27. Catch every moment live or streaming via pay-per-view. Kickboxing prelims start at 3 p.m., and the MMA card ignites at 7 p.m. Tickets for the live event and pay-per-view stream are available now via 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.
