Fighters climbing the regional MMA ladder converge on Monroeville for latest Brawl in the Burgh

With a knockout of Martin Justiz at the Brawl in the Burgh 21 in April, Plum’s Justin Patton staked his claim as one of the top MMA fighters in Western Pennsylvania.

But climbing the regional ladder isn’t the only motivation for Patton to climb into a cage and fight.

“Nothing else in the world makes you feel like this,” Patton said. “The main goal is to perform my best and get the win.”

Patton (6-3) will meet one of Cleveland’s top fighters, Tobiaus Taylor (7-6), in a 145-pound bout at the 247 Fighting Championships’ Brawl in the Burgh 22 at 6 p.m. Saturday at the Monroeville Convention Center. Former UFC fighter Khama Worthy is scheduled to fight in the main event.

It will be a doubleheader of sorts as Brawl in the Burgh 21.5 is scheduled for noon at the convention center.

“They have a great promotion and put on one of the most professional cards every time,” Patton said.

The owner of 247 Fighting Championships, Ryan Middleton, said his passion for MMA inspired him to start the company.

“I had a great passion for the sport and decided to do something on a personal level,” Middleton said. “I started a podcast and wrote some articles about the sport at first.”

After Middleton met with a promoter, his company took off faster than he anticipated.

“I talked to a Pittsburgh promoter who helped to brand and grow the company,” Middleton said.

The company has grown since its launch in 2018. That’s evident in the 23 fights that will take place Saturday in Monroeville.

Former West Virginia University wrestler Lucas Seibert (1-0) is scheduled to face New York fighter Nathaniel Grubham (0-1) in the main event of the afternoon card.

Seibert, 24, said one of the main reasons he moved to the Pittsburgh area was to further his MMA career.

“The gym that I am training at, Stout Gym, is located in Pittsburgh, so that’s one of the main reasons why I moved to the city,” Seibert said.

He said making it in the world of MMA world is not easy. It takes a certain kind of ambition.

“You have to be willing to sacrifice everything and take a lot of chances that come your way,” Seibert said.

For ticket information, visit 247fighting.com. The cards will also be streamed on the 247 Live app.