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Former East Liverpool wrestler part of UF 19
By Greg Gulas
When Ultimate Fighter 19 makes its season debut in Las Vegas tonight on Fox Sports 1, East Liverpool native Joshua Stansbury will be part of its 32-man cast.
All fighters will be vying for a chance to earn a six-figure contract from the UFC ahead of the July 6 Ultimate Fighter 19 finale, which will air from Las Vegas’ Mandalay Bay Events Center.
“I knew back in 2005 when I first got started that this was going to be my path in life,” Stansbury said. “The tryouts and selection process for this year’s cast started back on Aug. 27 in Indianapolis and consisted of three stage. All went great for me and in September, that’s when I was selected as a part of this year’s cast.”
The cast, which consists of middleweights and light heavyweights from all over the world, had to pass a three-part selection process which included evaluation on grappling another opponent, an evaluation of their striking and if both areas were satisfactory with evaluators, then an interview process.
“If you made it past the interview then you moved on to the medical portion,” Stansbury said. “When I was chosen as one of this year’s cast members, I was absolutely humbled.”
The new cast will be coached by former UFC lightweight champions Frankie Edgar and B.J. Penn, with the bout taking place prior to their July 6 showdown to settle a long standing rivalry between the two competitors inside the Octagon.
That bout also will mark Penn’s first as a featherweight as he attempts to avenge two previous defeats suffered at the hands of Edgar.
Stansbury, a 2003 East Liverpool High School graduate, is a wrestler by trade and captured the Division II sectional and district wrestling championship for the Potters his junior year.
“I was always into contact sports and wrestling was my passion,” Stansbury said. “Two years after I graduated, I ran into Nick Spencer at the gym. [He was] a professional fighter who suggested I look into MMA. That changed my direction.
“I became a part of Next Level Fighting 2 Promotions in Steubenville, was fortunate to win my first fight and that is when everything began to take off.”
In his first amateur fight, Stansbury, nicknamed “The Sandman,” scored a first-round KO over Aaron Caw of Zanesville.
He proceeded to post a 10-2 amateur mark and was the 2007 North American Allied Fight Series national amateur champion as a heavyweight.
In 2008, he lost his last amateur fight to current heavyweight contender Stipe Miocic of Independence and turned pro the following year.
“I felt I was slicker and faster but gave up 42 pounds in my first professional fight to John Hawk,” Stansbury said. “I lost my first two pro fights before focusing on my diet, eventually losing 20 pounds as I tried to fight lighter.
“When I made weight the first time, I knew it was as a light heavyweight that I should compete.”
Stansbury has won five consecutive professional fights and his last time out scored a five-round unanimous decision over Hawk on Aug. 24. He beat the same fighter who ruined his professional debut.
“When you turn pro the rules change and you’re fighting for a purse,” Stansbury said. “The rounds are longer, but the biggest thing is that there is a pay day waiting for you in the end.”
Chuck Haskell, local MMA and cage fight promoter, was pleased that Ultimate Fighter 19 will include a local competitor.
“Although Josh has never fought on one of my cards, we’ve talked several times and I’m just pleased to see someone as dedicated as he is being chosen to represent our area on MMA’s biggest stage,” Haskell said.
The Ultimate Fighter 19 will air at 10 p.m. with 16 middleweights and 16 light heavyweights forced to fight their way into the house in order to continue on the show.
New episodes will air every week leading up to the July 6 season finale.
Fox Sports 1 can be seen on Armstrong Cable Channel 60 (170 HD) and Time-Warner Cable Channel 75 (1317 HD).