Pat Gallagher/The Valdosta Daily Times Mixed Martial Arts fighters Shawn Snow (bottom) and Chris Calhoun get in some sparring time Wednesday before the upcoming Summer Heat fight Saturday evening at Mathis City Auditorium.

VALDOSTA – Just when you thought it couldn’t get any hotter in Valdosta, it will, as Summer Heat returns to the Mathis City Auditorium this Saturday.

“Just like the poster says, there will be some knockouts, tap-outs, and choke outs this Saturday,” said James Corbett, the head sensei and trainer at the Valdosta Martial Arts Center.

Mixed Martial Arts has grown exponentially over the past decade and with major networks now airing fights on prime time the fan base is destined to increase.

And those big names like Tito Ortiz, Ken Shamrock, and Forrest Whitaker got their starts at the same level as the fighters coming to Valdosta on Saturday.

The main event for Summer Heat will again feature home town favorite Brett Chism. He will be looking to have a better outing than the last time he fought here, and his win at Wild Bill’s in Atlanta last month has given him that extra push.

“I kind of lot everybody down in my last event here and that will definitely be extra motivation this time,” said Chism. “Everybody has been working hard around here and I think they’re all ready for a win.”

Chism, who has a 4-3 pro record, is a Valdosta State University student and pharmacy technician at SGMC. He has also been training and teaching for a long time at VMAC.

His opponent in the light heavyweight fight will be Jason Wells, from the Xtreme Fighting Academy in Douglas. Wells is a former Valdosta City Schools coach and area Baptist church youth minister.

“I’ll definitely be looking to stand up and hopefully get a knock out,” said Chism. “My opponent is real good on the ground, but I have more of a wrestling background so I feel confident.”

The other professional fights for VMAC will feature Shawn Snow, Shaun Gay, Kamrin Naville, and Nathan Barnes.

Gay is one of the veterans of the sport as he has fought over 80 times in the last 13 years. But after six months away from the ring he can’t wait to get back in.

“I always feel good when I fight in Valdosta,” said Gay. “I’m looking for the nasty knock outs – it’s what everybody wants to see.

“Head kicks are one of my favorite things.”

Gay will be fighting in the 170 pound weight class against an opponent he says is bigger in size, which should make for a good fight.

“He’s going to try and overpower me,” said Gay. “I expect it to be an explosive fight and I’m going to go non-stop until somebody’s laying down.”

Naville is another local crowd favorite and he is also looking to get a win for the fans this time around. He lost his last fight in Valdosta, but he is coming off a big win in Macon last month.

“I feel good and I’m just trying to carry that conditioning from last month into this fight,” said Naville. “I’ve got to train for anything that can happen in the ring, all around.”

Naville’s opponent in the 157 pound lightweight class will be out of Miami, representing American Top Team. Their school is one of the largest in the world and has fighters competing at all levels in MMA, but that doesn’t bother Naville.

“I don’t really like to go into fights with a strict plan, I’d rather see how it develops,” said Naville. “I fight and I react. Whatever comes, comes, so let’s do it.”

Shawn Snow (1-2 pro) will also be fighting in the lightweight class and his opponent will be Ryan Leaf out of Florida. Snow, like Naville, is also coming off a win in Macon last month.

“I think it’s going to be a good fight and I’m coming off a win which helped my confidence a lot,” said Snow. “I’ve been doing a lot of cardio training, which will be improved from my last time in Valdosta.”

There will also be a handful of amateur fights and first time fighters on the card at Summer Heat on Saturday. Among the amateur fighters are Dickey Wilson, Brent Johnson, and Jarvis Stallings.

Wilson has been a force to be reckoned with and holds a 3-1 record going into this weekend’s fight. He will be fighting in the 205 pound heavy weight class.

“I’m ready to knock somebody out – end it quick, that’s my goal,” said Wilson.

Johnson was scratched from the card in the last event in Valdosta, but is looking even more lean and ready to enter the ring. Since he began training just under a year ago Johnson has lost over 60 pounds and is ready to put his skills to the test.

“I began this originally just to loose weight, but the more progress I made I didn’t want to give it up,” said Johnson. “It makes me feel a whole lot better cardiovascular wise and my hand speed has gotten a whole lot better.”

Jarvis Stallings will also be in his first fight representing VMAC. He will be fighting in the 155 pound class.

“I feel pretty good, pumped up and anxious,” said Stallings. “I’m looking just to go out there and strike with him.”

Two other fighters making their debut will be Jason Davis and John Reid, who will be representing the White Tiger Academy.

In all, the Valdosta Martial Arts Center fighters are ready to go out and give fans of the sport another great showing, full of action and excitement.

Tickets are still available and can be bought at VMAC, Family Pizza, Southland Pawn, American Muffler and other locations. For more information you can also visit www.valdostamac.com.