Walden makes quick work of opponent

Vancouver mixed martial arts fighter Willie Walden hopes to make his professional debut in March after making quick work of his Full Contact Fighting Federation heavyweight championship fight on Saturday in Portland.

Walden, 28, knocked out Shaun Mierjavadi of Portland 1:38 into Saturday’s main event during Rumble at the Roseland 49 at the Roseland Theater. The victory improved Walden, who fights for Gresham-based Team Quest, to 3-0 in amateur MMA.

A 2000 Evergreen High School graduate who played college football at Oregon and Montana, Walden said he is tentatively scheduled to make his professional debut during SportFight XXVII on March 12 at Spirit Mountain Casino in Grand Ronde, Ore.

In Saturday’s Roseland bout, both fighters were on their feet throughout the brief battle. Walden said Mierjavadi, who tried to work the taller Walden against the cage, landed one good punch. As planned, the 6-foot-7 Walden made his longer reach count against the aggressive, 6-2, 265-pound Mierjavadi.

“He did what I expected him to do,” Walden said. “I wanted to use my range and I was able to do that and dictate the pace of the fight.”

The fight ended when Walden landed a right hook, knocking out Mierjavadi. Walden said he faked a left jab, creating the opportunity for the right-handed knockout blow.

“I worked extremely hard. I come in prepared to win,” Walden said. “I expected to win. When you put a lot of hard into something it’s good to see the benefit.”

None of Walden’s three amateur fights has lasted past the first round.

Story wins again — Rick Story, part-owner of Vancouver’s Brave Legion, improved his professional MMA record to 9-3 on Jan. 11 with a majority decision over Jesse Lennox at Fairfax, Va.

The fight was on the undercard of a UFC Fight Night event that featured Gray Maynard defeating Nate Diaz.

Brave Legion is a mixed martial arts training gym located in the Salmon Creek area.