It’s been nearly two years since we saw Coppell’s Jason Sampson wreck shop inside the confines of an MMA cage. Hampered by lingering injuries and subsequent surgeries, Sampson has not yet had a chance to fully capitalize on the talent that has led to a stellar 10-1 professional MMA record.
Sampson is no stranger to adversity in life. His days as a misspent youth saw him, and his family, deal with a plethora of hard knocks and drug abuse. In desperate need of an outlet in which to focus his energy and rage, Sampson found wrestling as a child and immediate took to the sport like a duck takes to water. As Sampson grew older, Jiu-Jitsu soon took the place of wrestling and it wasn’t long that he was tearing a path of destruction in the ultra competitive grappling community of Texas.
The fact that Sampson was awarded his black belt under Allen Mohler this past winter is a testament to his dedication to BJJ.
But for all his accomplishments on the mat Sampson is a fighter at heart. Upon rehabbing his injuries Sampson was immediately seen in various gyms within the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex working on his craft. While Sampson will always call Mohler MMA home, in recent months Sampson has been spotted at Dallas’ Octagon MMA tightening his fighting skillset with their tremendous fight team helmed by Coach Sayif Saud.
All of which is another step in Sampson’s quest to be the best fighter he knows he can be. So it is no surprise that all indications are that Sampson’s return to the cage, which will take place this Friday night at Bellator 128, has the DFW fight scene buzzing.
This Friday, October 10, Sampson will take on Danny Sykora on the Bellator undercard. It’s a big fight for one to make after being injured on the sidelines for nearly two years, but Sampson and his team seem confident and ready. If nothing else, climbing up the steps to the Bellator cage in many aspects is a victory of sorts given the life of Sampson.
MORE NORTH TEXAS FIGHTERS IN BELLATOR
Jason Sampson will not be the only North Texas based fighter on the Bellator 128 fight card. In fact, three other fighters from the DFW will be prominatly featured on the fight card.
Fort Worth’s Will Florentino (Phalanx Powerhouse/Metroflex) will look to continue his resurgence in the fight game when he takes on Cortez Coleman.
Plano’s Cody Walker (Next Generation) will take on Treston Thomison.
Greenville’s Stephen Banaszak (Chop Shop MMA) will return to the Bellator cage to fight Emmanuel Sanchez.
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