Imagine yourself at 12 years old.  What were you like; what was your hair like, your social skills, your athletic abilities?  Now think of all the outlets you had to channel your youthful down-time into something constructive.  For little Ann-Maria Burns, she seems to gladly recalls what she was like.  For a little girl in Alton, Illinois who was hitting that awkward stage of life, and with only three sports to choose from at her local YMCA, Ann-Maria “slipped on a banana peel” and found her calling.

Pat “The Punisher” Russo, 33, is a U.S. Air Force Veteran, a former police officer in Plainfield, N.J., now a Pennsylvania state trooper and a professional mixed martial artist.

The former Military Police Officer, now a resident of Allentown, PA has been serving on the Pennsylvania state police out of the Belfast for eight years. The hours of his work schedule may vary from time to time, however they follow a pattern of 10 consecutive days on with four days off.

“If I’m not in a patrol car, I’m in the gym” Russo said.

Ripping the runway in his journey through the fight scene, Alan Jouban has always commanded the presence of a future star in mixed martial arts. An incredible talent combined with a hard work ethic it should come as no surprise as to why he has achieved great success thus far in his career. Returning after a year hiatus, Jouban finds himself at a pinnacle moment in his career as he gets a golden opportunity in a welterweight title fight against Rigo Oropeza.

USCS caught up with Jouban as he touches on his development as a fighter and the importance of his upcoming title fight.  

If there is a book with the most clichéd, over-used terms in sports I’m sure “the heart of a champion” is on the first few pages.  Yes, it does get a bit cheesy and played out, but through it all it does hold weight.  When there is an athlete that has heart and will power that almost trumps their world-class skills, that is a dangerous mixture.

For elite fighters such as Ben Askren, there is always something that separates him from being “great” or being “good.”  Always being open to putting your nose to the grindstone and going the extra mile is what makes someone great.  The little things; film, dieting, researching your opponent, looking to evolve your game…all of these things that happen outside of the gym is what counts the most.

Newly-signed Legacy bantamweight (and former WEC and UFC fighter) Damacio Page (15-8) will be stepping into the cage for his first post-UFC fight, against Patrick “The Juggernaut” Ybarra (4-0 out of American Revolution) at Legacy Fighting Championship 20, at the American Bank Center in Corpus Christi, Texas, on May 31, 2013, broadcast live on AXS TV.

USCS reporter Dan's Faggella's full interview with Stephan Kesting is titled "How to Beat Bigger and Stronger Grapplers - and you can download the entire interview with Stephan Kesting (plus a bonus eBook) online now at www.bjjebooks.com/kesting. 

Stephan Kesting is "one of those guys" who's been on the BJJ scene online since the early days. His site ("Grapplearts") has changed over the years but his emphasis has always been helping grapplers grow. When I was able to interview Stephan about winning against bigger and stronger opponents, I knew that one of the topics we'd enevitably touch upon was learning from wins and losses in competition.

The King of the Cage returns April 13,^,with an exciting card at the Lake of the Torches Casino in Lac Du Flambeau, Wisconsin. On the amateur fight card of “Lights Out”, one match up stands out from the rest as the exciting 2-0, Larry Watson will battle against 10-10, Cory Harsh of Michigan. The national promotion King of the Cage will be a great place for Watson to showcase his raw skills.

The fight at the Lake of the Torches Casino is an amateur bout using professional rules. Elbows, Knees to the face, and submission attacks to the legs are all acceptable during the bout. Each fighter is cutting weight from 170-pounds to battle at 155 (lightweight) on April 13.

There is little that Ben Askren has not accomplished in his lifetime: Men’s Freestyle Pan Am Gold Medalist, Gold Medalist in the World Championships, 2008 Olympian, BJJ Brown Belt, Bellator Welterweight Champion and an undefeated MMA record…get the picture?

On April 13, 2013, the Lake of the Torches Casino will be hosting King of the Cage mixed martial arts promotion. King of the Cage “Lights Out” will display nine amateur bouts of the fight card which will take place before the four professional fights listed on the card. The Lake of the Torches Casino draws a crowd across the Midwest as everyone anticipates a night full of exciting match-ups.

Frank Schuman, 19, hailing from Lac Du Flambeau, will get to display his skills in front of the home town audience. King of the Cage has Schuman battling with Chad Roge in a welterweight match-up. The bout will be the final amateur match of the evening before the professional bouts start.

There comes a point in every fighter’s journey where they come in contact with that important moment in their career that defines who they are. Traveling along down his fight venture Kieran O'Brien is about to hit a pinnacle moment in his amateur career as he gets the opportunity to fight for the featherweight title belt at “Man of War 6” in Dublin Ireland.

A lifelong martial arts practitioner O’Brien has put many years into his training that has got him to where he is today. With this deep dedication in what he does there is no denying that he would be rewarded with many great accolades in his venture.