Carnage Media

by Clayton Skulina

Mixed Martial Arts action returns to Findlay, OH this Saturday night, when Carnage Fight Series 3 kicks off at The Cube entertainment complex. The MMA promotion’s founders, Zac Dominique and Wade Anthony, are both Findlay natives and excited to bring MMA action back to Flag City. Dominique, a former MMA fighter turned promoter, cited his fighting roots as a motivating factor to bring an MMA show to The Cube, saying,

“I’m excited to bring CFS to Findlay, Ohio. I started my own fight career training in Findlay, then I got to fight in Findlay on the Iron Tiger Fight Series at the Cube. It’s nice to bring it full circle by being able to put on a card at the Cube in Findlay. There is so much talent around this area, and I’m just happy I’m able to help give these guys a place to display all that talent. Doing it in Findlay is icing on the cake, brings back a lot of memories! Hopefully, these fighters can have the same experiences as the fans!”

Anthony, a former Findlay high school wrestler, also expressed his excitement for the event.

“It’s a blessing to be able to bring CFS to my hometown. We get to show our friends and family the hard work we’ve been putting in and give them a night fueled with some badass fights. We have a former UFC vet as the main event. These fights won’t disappoint.”

CFS’s first event in its founding city is headlined by former UFC middleweight Dylan “The Mindless Hulk” Budka (8-5) against Ohio MMA veteran Jimmy “The Sandstorm” Sandlin (9-12). Budka, 25, is coming off of a split decision victory over Robert Gidron at American Fight Promotions 102 in May, and is making his welterweight debut after competing primarily in the middleweight division throughout most of his professional career.

When asked about his mindset heading into his welterweight debut, the Mindless Hulk spared no words for how he felt leading into it-

“I believe God sent me here to do exactly what I’m doing right now, right here. To give people hope who struggle. To show them what God can do if they accept them in their heart and mind. Because since I have , I became one of the most dangerous and powerful humans in this sport and on this earth. As I walk with God I continue to show how different I am from the rest, and next saturday night you guys will see who’s coming to take over the welterweight division, and if I wasn’t me I’d be shitting down my leg.”

The former collegiate wrestler has been very open recently about his struggles with addiction and depression during his UFC tenure, and has worked towards getting back to the biggest promotion in the sport. On the other hand, the 30 year old Sandlin is coming off of a fight of the year contender against Quintin “The Guy” Richards at Carnage Fight Series 2 in Sandusky, OH. Although he came up short, Sandlin’s toughness and grit earned the respect of all in attendance (see the fight here) and set him up for a match with Budka, one of Ohio’s top fighters not currently in the UFC. Sandlin, who’s hovered around 170 pounds for most of his career, took a jab at Budka’s weight miss at UFC Fight Night: Burns vs Brady in September 2024, saying

“He’s thinking about the fight and thinking about making me miss for an opening, he’s got to worry about not missing weight.”

Budka weighed in 2.5 pounds over the 186 pound limit, and has made his diet a new focus in this training camp, working with a professional nutritionist and cutting out certain things from his life. 

The co main event features heavy handed Juan “El Beaner” Silva (0-1) takes on Blair “Mr. No Gimmick” Phillips (1-1) in a heavyweight contest. Both of these fighters have ties to the Northwest Ohio area (Silva is from Fostoria, Phillips currently trains in Findlay), and promise to bring the action when the cage doors close.

On the amateur side, Colton “The Hash Slinging Slasher” Hensley (3-1) battles Aaron “Money” Mock (3-1) for the vacant CFS Amateur Welterweight Championship. Hensley, a Louisville, KY police officer, was initially scheduled to challenge Ohio prospect Brayden Benson in June, but an injury to Benson forced the bout to be cancelled. Mock, 28, steps in looking to make a statement on his quest to turn professional, and both athletes are looking to capture their first amateur titles this weekend. (Catch their interview on Carnage Unleashed here). Also on the card is Deacon Sawchuck (1-0), who is coming off an impressive 9-second KO in April, taking on veteran James “Hotsauce” Gibson (4-5), who recently won a decision at CFS 2 in June. You can check out the full bout list here.

Clayton’s Picks of the Weekend

Fight of the night: Budka vs Sandlin. This fight has a lot of questions that will need to be answered. Can Budka adapt to fighting at a new weight? Can Sandlin utilize his striking and bounce back from a hard loss to steal the show? Budka is from a wrestling background, Sandlin has experience in all aspects, with over 20 professional MMA fights and over 30 total fights. 

X Factor- Budka’s hands. We saw how difficult it was to take Sandlin down, as seasoned grappler Quintin Richards struggled to do in his last fight. This gave Sandlin an opportunity to show off his stinking, hitting Richards repeatedly and breaking his nose. I’m wondering if Budka will be able to utilize his striking to keep Sandlin honest and set up a takedown.

Prediction: Budka by decision

Fighter to Watch: Deacon Sawchuck. We’ve only seen 9 seconds of action out of the young prospect, and James Gibson tends to drag his opponents into deep waters during his fights. I’m curious to see how Sawchuck handles someone with that level of experience.

Prediction: Sawchuck by TKO

Performance of the Night: Winner of Mock vs Hensley. This fight is sure to be an Ohio classic, with both fighters itching to get their first amateur title. Whoever emerges from this war will have to have the show stopping performance necessary of an MMA Champion.

Prediction: Absolute fireworks

There are still tickets available at the door, and you can’t make the fights in person, you can purchase the pay-per-view right here at carnagemediappv.com!! See you at the fights!