With only a little over a weeks notice, Jason Robinson (19-5, 11 KOs) of Chicago, IL entered into the hostile environment of a pro Yahya McClain (25-8-2, 17 KOs) crowd in Duluth, GA to outwork his opponent and score a workmanlike unanimous decision. It was Robinson’s sheer determination, pressure, and execution that forced McClain into holding on the inside looking for ways to survive in the later rounds of the scheduled 10 for the NABF cruiserweight championship.

In the first four rounds of the fight it appeared that McClain would have an easy night as he dazzled his supporters and frustrated Robinson with fancy footwork, and lightning fast counter punches and jabs. Only in the third of the first four rounds was the southpaw Robinson able to catch McClain with a meaningful straight left that momentarily shook him. McClain complained that he was getting elbowed and head butted. However, McClain responded well to the punch and unintentional fouls and got back to his slick boxing style.

In the fifth it seemed like McClain’s energy simply abandoned the 42-year-old and he came out holding every time Robinson would work his way on the inside. After a few warnings from referee Jim Korb, McClain held on again and was deducted a point.

In the sixth round McClain was still holding a considerable amount as Robinson pressed on. Already clearly winning the round Robinson moved aggressively inside with about ten seconds left, and with both fighters stepping in, a hard head butt hurt McClain. As he winced in pain he was given about one minute to recover prior to officially ending the round at the sound of the bell.

In the seventh Robinson was coming in like a bull by constantly coming in head first and bullying McClain all over the ring. Although never seriously hurt, McClain continued to hold every time Robinson pinned him up against the ropes. Once again, Korb stepped in and deducted a point from McClain.

The eighth round was just like the seventh; Robinson outworking McClain and McClain holding. The constant holding would once again cost McClain his third point deduction of the fight.

In the ninth McClain, realizing that he was well behind due to the point deductions, he came out and appeared to hurt Robinson within the first minute. Pinning him in the neutral corner McClain let off a barrage of shots to the head and body. Robinson covered up allowing McClain to let unload clean shots. As was the case in most of the rounds, Robinson simply shrugged off the shots and turned the tables quickly sticking to his game plan of pressure and moving forward. McClain may have punched himself out with this last ‘hurrah’ as he once again resumed holding.

In the tenth both fighters looked a bit weary and Robinson finally looked tired, but a hard straight left punctuated the round as McClain looked to survive the last minute.

All three judges score the contest unanimously for Robinson as he captured the NABF cruiserweight title. Scores read: 97-90, 96-91, 96-93.

On Saturday night Yahya McClain will hope to be one step closer to what he feels is his destiny; a cruiserweight championship at the age of 42.  Unlike older fighters that stick around well beyond their best days, McClain’s comeback is different from the run of the mill “old” fighter trying to relive his glory days.

After losing a unanimous decision at the hands of Ramon Garbey in ’99 and interested in other things outside of boxing, McClain prematurely decided to hang it up with a decent record of 23-7-2 17KO and walked away from competing.  “I got caught with a left hook in the first round of that fight and I just decided to survive and walk away unscathed.  At the time I was looking into acting and had an audition lined up.  Realizing that a tough fight with Garbey could possibly ruin my opportunity to be in a film I simply decided that night that it was time to stop fighting and pursue other things that I wanted to accomplish in life” said McClain.

Although the acting ambitions never came into full fruition, McClain found himself back into boxing as he became the trainer, manager, and husband of arguably one of the best female fighters of all time in Laila Ali.  It was an encounter in 2003 as Ali was preparing for her mega fight against Christy Martin that McClain started thinking about a comeback. Said McClain “I was in Las Vegas at the time and there was this cat talking junk about how he could whip anybody in the gym that Laila was training in.  I got wind of it and went to the gym the next day.  The guy made the same claim so I said let’s do it.  I was out of boxing shape and sporting some casual linen shorts and still whipped the guy…I never heard from him again”.  With the desire to fight again starting to brew within, McClain found himself too busy as Ali’s manager and trainer to re-focus on his career.  He continued to work with Ali until her last fight in ’07 as she too decided to hang it up and retire with a perfect record of 24-0 21KO.

Shortly after Ali’s retirement the two divorced and McClain moved back to Atlanta GA and opened his own gym in ’08.  Training and managing fighters McClain felt he could satisfy his thirst for competition by helping would be hopefuls fulfill their dreams as boxers.  “The gym was running great, but I just had something brewing inside me…something was missing and something about me just wasn’t complete”.  McClain continued “I was training and working with guys my size and weight, but they were ten to fifteen years younger.  Some were professional fighters, and when I would spar with them I was whipping them.”  This is when the comeback in McClain’s mind would be perfect.  With regards to the current state of the cruiser-weight division McClain feels its wide open.  “The cruiserweight division is in its worst state since its inception.  There isn’t one dominant cruise-weight out there, and instead of being the typical retired fighter who watches fights on TV saying that I could whip this guy and that guy I’m actually going to do it.”

The comeback was finally solidified last December when McClain took on tough Kentucky native Shane “Superman” Steele and scored a 3^rd round TKO.  Six weeks later he took on journeyman Leo Bercier and simply embarrassed the Montana native with a 6 round unanimous decision.

Content with his two victories McClain is wasting no time in attempting to accomplish his goal of being world champion.  Originally scheduled to take on former world champion Lou DelValle who is sidelined with a back injury, McClain will now face tough Chicago native Jason Robinson for the NABF cruise-weight title.  McClain is disappointed that the fight with DelValle did not pan out. “I wanted to fight DelValle bad, we have some unsettled business that needs to be settled in the ring”.  McClain goes on “now I have to fight someone who in my opinion is going to be a tougher fight for me.  Robinson is a tough fighter, he’s younger than Lou and like Lou he’s a southpaw.”  However McClain was quick to point out that his confidence in himself is higher than ever “let me still let you know that it doesn’t matter who I fight.  I’m fighting in my backyard and unfortunately for Robinson I’m in amazing shape, I’m stronger than ever and I’m hungry to sit atop the division.” McClain continued, “Not Robinson or no one can stop me I will be world champion and capturing the NABF title on Saturday night will be step one”.

Should he win on Saturday night McClain wants to jump back into the fray as soon as possible against any of the major title holders.  Although not a title holder in the division, there is one man that McClain wants to hold accountable to a promise.  “Antonio Tarver was supposed to come to my 1^st comeback fight and he couldn’t, but he did however call me and wish me luck”.  Apparently the conversation did not stop there as McClain explains it “Taver then called me back and said, if you mess around and make it to the top fifteen I’m gonna fight you”.  A conversation McClain will not forget as he vivaciously put it “knock knock knock, here I come Antonio and all you other cruiser-weights!!”

The fight is scheduled for ten rounds for the vacant NABF cruiser-weight title.  Wild Bills in Duluth GA (just North of Atlanta) will host the fight.

The final lineup for this Saturday night’s Wild Bill’s Fight Night is below featuring a main event between WAR MACHINE and TEX JOHNSON.

Who you taking? War Machine or Tex???

Click here to purchase tickets!

If you can’t make the fight, it will also be shown LIVE on internet PPV for only $9.95 at www.GoFightLive.tv!

PRO MMA:
War Machine (10-3) vs Tex Johnson (6-2): 187 lbs
Joe Merit (11-9-1) vs Andrew Montanez (10-11): 172 lbs
Dustin Chovanic (5-1) vs Dwayne Taylor (3-2): 174 lbs
Sean Kilgus (1-3) vs Johnny Buck (4-5): 185 lbs
Philip Schenuk (0-1) vs Andrew Higgins (1-0): 137 lbs

PRO BOXING:
Yahya McClain (25-7-2) vs Jason Robinson (18-5) for the NABF Cruiserweight Championship: 200 lbs

ADVANCED AMATEUR MMA:
Sean Wilson (2-1) vs Stephen Upchurch (2-2): 157 lbs
Brad Cole (1-2) vs Eric Heegard (3-3): 175 lbs

AMATEUR MMA:
Shea Taylor (0-0) vs Kevin Keller (0-0): 162 lbs
Lee Cain (2-0) vs Joey Ward (1-0): 157 lbs
Will Bolt (1-0) vs Rusty Riddle (0-1): 172 lbs
Seth Colwell (0-1) vs Gabe Letherman (0-0): 172 lbs
Steve Wicinski (0-0) vs Eric Castro (0-0): 160 lbs

In an NABF cruiserweight title fight hyped up with bad blood featuring Yahya McClain versus Lou Del Valle less than two weeks away, Del Valle has been sidelined by an apparent back injury. According to the Del Valle camp the injury occurred while he was training this past weekend. A doctors analysis has not been performed and is currently scheduled for Wednesday. McClain senses something fishy in the works. “How can a man be injured so severely that he can’t fight, but hasn’t even gone to see a doctor yet?” McClain told Fightnews Tuesday afternoon. Stepping in to fill the void is 35 year old Jason Robinson (18-5 11KO) of the Chicago area. Robinson is a viable, and experienced challenge for McClain being that he’s duked it out with world champions James Toney, Ezra Sellers, and O’Neal Bell in the past.

Said McClain “Jason is a tough guy and I must be ready to face him, just as I was going to be for Del Valle. I know the guy is coming into my hometown to upset me and my fans, but it’s not going to happen. Nothing or no one can stand in my way of capturing a world title in the cruiserweight division in 2010.” The title fight will be held at Wild Bills in Duluth GA, just north of Atlanta on April 17th. For more information on the entire fight card and tickets click here.

And guess who’s working War Machine’s corner…Junie Browning!

War Machine enters with a 10-3 record vs Tex’s 6-2 record. The fight will be competed at 185 lbs.

Tickets for Wild Bill’s Fight Night on Saturday, April 17 are now on sale at all Ticketmaster locations for as low as $25 or online at Ticketmaster by clicking here. 

On Friday Yahya and Salima Ayanna McClain gave birth to Yahya Is’rahil McClain.

Please join us in congratulating the McClain’s in the comment section below.

Last night at The Pit in Atlanta GA, Yahya “The Yah-ster” McClain (25-7-2 17KO) took one step closer in getting his eagerly desired title shot in the cruiserweight division as he completely dominated Leo “Busido” Bercier (8-12-1 4KO) of Great Falls MT for six rounds.

In the first round McClain came out uncustomarily aggressive; standing his ground and taking the lead with lead jabs followed by straight rights to the body. Known for his great counter-punching an aggressive McClain dominated the round as Bercier had absolutely no answer.

After receiving instruction from his corner to let his hands go, Bercier’s attempts were nullified by speedy, accurate shots that had the Montana native stuck with little offense if any.

Other than a faint flurry in the last ten seconds of the fight, Bercier was outboxed, outgunned, and simply outclassed by the resurging Yahya McClain. All three judges scored the fight 60-54

In other action:

Looking to up his game, Atlanta’s knockout hungry light heavy-weight Donta Woods (5-0 5KO) took on 78 fight pro Shannon “Trouble” Miller (24-46-8 18KO) of Columbus MS. Woods passed the test in just :22 of round one by landing a solid right that sent Miller to the canvas. After getting up at the count of 7, referee Brian Stutts took a close look and asked Miller to step forward. Miller wobbled two steps to his right forcing Stutts to stop the fight.

Jamar “Sandman” Saunders (3-5-1 1KO) of Stone Mountain GA outlasted Alabama native John Willoughby (1-2 1KO) in a super light-weight clash. Although the fight was fought at a frenzied pace Saunders landed cleaner blows and scored a 6 round unanimous decision. Scores read 59-55, 60-54 twice.

Super welterweight Omar Bell (7-1 5KO) (brother of former undisputed cruiser-weight champ O’neil Bell) rebounded from his only loss as a pro with a KO victory. Taking on the showboating Jose Felix (10-8-2 3KO) of Savannah GA, Bell stuck to his game plan and did not seem frazzled by the trash talking Felix. In the second round Felix continued with his antics and stuck out his chin after catching a jab with his nose. Bell obliged and landed three straight rights that dropped Felix and had him floundering as he attempted to rise to his feet. His attempt was feeble as the referee counted him out. Official time was 1:22 of the 2nd round.