By Nolan King

This Saturday evening, Pinnacle FC returns to FloCombat for yet another action-packed night of fights.

Pinnacle FC 17 takes place at the Printscape Arena in Canonsburg, Pennsylvania, featuring some of the area’s top professional and amateur fighters, including three championship fights.

The entire card will air live on FloCombat.com starting at 7pmET.

Watch Pinnacle FC 17 LIVE on FloCombat

Giving rise to names such as former UFC bantamweight champ and current contender Cody Garbrandt, UFC lightweight Paul Felder, UFC light heavyweight Adam Milstead, Bellator bantamweight contender Dominic Mazzotta, and countless others, Pinnacle FC has long represented some of the Tri-State Area's best talent, and that trend rolls on Saturday at Pinnacle FC 17.

The Main Event

The evening’s main event features a pro lightweight title fight between top prospects Nick Browne (7-1) and Jeffrey Pelton (5-1). 

Browne won the tile back in 2015 but has not defended it since, fighting strictly outside the promotion. Having a title defense on his resume would certainly increase Browne’s chances of being picked up the UFC or Bellator MMA. 

As the No. 4-ranked FloCombat lightweight prospect, he's certainly knocking on the door of such an opportunity. 

His opponent, Pelton, was a decorated collegiate wrestler during his stint at Notre Dame, going undefeated at 24-0 in 2010.

Since transitioning to mixed martial arts, Pelton has jumped on board with arguably the best gym in Ohio, Strong Style Fight Team. The Independence, Ohio-based gym currently houses UFC royalty in UFC Heavyweight Champion Stipe Miocic.

The winner of this fight will both win gold and take a huge step toward national recognition. 

Featherweight Gold On The Line

The Pinnacle FC Lightweight Championship isn’t the only belt on the line on Saturday night. The night’s co-main event features a championship tilt between pro featherweights John de Jesus (8-6) and Ruben Warr (10-8).

Anyone who watches MMA knows records can often times be deceiving. Despite holding near .500 records, both fighters have dominated the Midwest regional scene in the past few years.

A product of American Top Team, de Jesus has won four out of his last five bouts. In his last fight, de Jesus defeated Josh Rohler by unanimous decision.

Conversely, Warr has won his last six bouts, with two submission victories in that timeframe. The 29-year-old fighter will look to take it one step closer to the UFC by winning the vacant Pinnacle FC Featherweight Championship.

Prospect Alert

Before the top regional stars of today square off, the prospects of tomorrow will compete on the amateur portion of the card.

The third title fight of the night will be held at the amateur level and features top amateur flyweights Nolan Stahl (4-3) and Luke Chokan (3-1). 

Stahl, a native of Pennsylvania, kicked off his career losing three of his first five amateur bouts. Since that time, he has turned things around, winning his last two outings by three-round decision.

Nicknamed “The Canine,” Chokan has been extremely active since kicking off his amateur career this past summer. Just ten months into his competitive MMA venture, the 21-year-old already boasts a 3-1 record with two first round submissions. 

In a highlighted amateur bout, Pennsylvania’s Jake “Chill” Schilling (7-2) will throw down with Ohio’s Mikey “Flo-Motion” Flores (4-3). Don’t blink during this affair, as both competitors have fight-finishing abilities.

One of the more popular fighters on the local circuit, Schilling will be competing in his 10th amateur bout come fight night. With a lot of valuable experience to his name, Schilling will look to prove he is ready to take his skills to the next level.

Prior to losing to TJ Rigel at lightweight in his last bout, Schilling was riding a four-fight winning streak. Saturday’s bout will mark Schilling’s first time stepping into the cage in 14 months.

Flores is as seasoned an amateur as you’re going to find with his competitive career stemming back to 2010. His “kill or be killed” fighting style makes him an easy fan-favorite. 

In his last five outings, Flores has picked up four wins, including two finishes via knockout.

Much like his opponent, Flores has had a solid layoff leading into Pinnacle FC 17. The Ohioan has not competed since June of 2016, when he defeated Christopher Wolf at Primetime MMA.

Watch Pinnacle FC 17 LIVE on FloCombat