SFC 301: Scott vs Osmoe

Shamrock Fighting Championships makes its St. Charles debut on Saturday at the Ameristar Casino.

The co-main event of SFC: 301 features two young powerhouses who are poster-ready and meeting in a welterweight bout.

Shaun Scott (2-1) will greet Adam Osmoe (4-1) in Osmoe's return to the 170-pound division.

Scott is coming off a first-round submission over Anthony Goldfield in November at SFC: 298. Scott's lone loss came at the hands of Wes Powers in February of last year, a 2017 Fight of the Year candidate.

Osmoe has been on the shelf since September 2016, when he suffered his first pro loss against Zach Fears at RFA 44.

The 25-year-old, Mount Olive, IL resident used the time to reflect on his place in the sport.

"I just needed to set back and figure things out and see if this was something I wanted to continue doing," Osmoe said. "I wasn't as motivated or as into it like I used to be."

Osmoe made his pro debut at welterweight, defeating Raymond Gray in the summer of 2015. He would go on to win his three bouts, all via first-round finishes, at 155-pounds.

"Making '55 is an awful cut, and the last one took a lot out of me," Osmoe said. "I'm not about that anymore. I need to be at '55 but making it at this moment is something I'm not willing to do."

Not having the albatross of the cut has made fight week much smoother.

"Normally at this point I'm dead," Osmoe said. "I'm not talking to anyone, and I'm just praying that the scale says 155.9."

Osmoe is usually the bigger and stronger fighter, but that likely won't be the case when he meets the much-muscled Scott.

"It's going to look like he's two weight classes above me," Osmoe said. "The dude is tough, and he uses his size and strength very well. He's well-conditioned, which is a surprise, and he's been able to outlast a lot of his opponents."

Part of the appeal for the bout was taking on a larger opponent.

"How much of a difference will the weight make is interesting to me," Osmoe said. "I'm curious to see. All of my other fights, when I grab on, I know immediately that I'm stronger."

This is Osmoe's first fight for SFC. He has not signed an extended contract with the organization and whether he returns will be determined after Saturday's performance.

Scott is a SFC staple, and this will be his 10th appearance for the organization. He makes the most of the area's open doors as far as training goes. Along with his home base of the Danger Room and JD's Gym, he's been found at North Broadway Jiu-Jitsu and Wentzville's The Wolf's Den.

Scott feels that the match-up is tailor-made for the fans.

"It's going to be fun because both of us are going to come out firing all the way through," Scott said. "From a spectator standpoint, it should be a really entertaining match to watch. It shouldn't be boring. Stylistically its very much a heads-up battle. He feels comfortable on the ground. I feel comfortable on the ground."

Scott is glad to be back in action just a few months off from his last fight.

"It's nice to have the quick turnaround," he said. "It makes the weight cut just a little bit easier and then too, Adam is a little more well-rounded. I think there is a bit of mutual respect there where both of us feel comfortable going in there. And we've kicked it in the backroom. I feel like afterward he'll take me up on the 'hey, buy me a beer situation.'"

After his last fight, Scott took a trip to Hawaii that included plenty of mountain climbing and stop off that UFC featherweight champion Max Holloway's gym for a few rolls. He squeezed in more mountain climbing in Colorado leading up to this bout.

Like his fight with Powers, Scott is looking to put together another nomination-worthy performance Saturday night.

"I think the thing people saw it that was a lot of heart for three rounds," he said. "It was a push. That's what you can expect, and that's what the fans can look forward to."

It goes without saying that Scott is a unique individual in the world of cage fighters. Not only is he an accomplished gymnast and a youth gymnastics instructor, but he is also a full-blown pacifist.

"I believe that violence is not a valid form of conflict resolution," he said. "I have never been in a fight where I've wanted to hurt somebody. Honestly, I can't recall one time where I've lost my temper. I'm very Spock-like. I think rationally through it, and at times I will not necessarily posture but I've had people want to fight me in the past, and it just doesn't happen. I use (MMA) as a way to push myself and progress, and I have five-year-olds who are going to give me shit if I catch a black eye or if I don't train or perform so well as I can. MMA is just a chess game. And I wish the best for everybody. There is nothing sadder than when someone comes out of a competitive sport event, and they're injured, and they're set back months in their training. That's not conducive to anybody individually, and it's not conducive to the community as a whole."

That non-aggressive mindset has played a role in the cage.

"It may be the case that when I have someone down, which happens if you watch my finishes, I'll typically soften up a guy longer than a different athlete would, who is trying to go for the TKO," Scott said. "I'm looking to go for the submission at the end there because I feel that is the way to end a fight amicably. I don't typically throw things maliciously.

For tickets and pay-per-view information for SFC: 301, visit shamrockfightingchampionships.com

Graphic courtesy of Shamrock FC