On Friday, July 12, American Kombat Alliance (AKA) touches down at the Horseshoe Casino in Bossier City, Louisiana, United States for a 14-fight event streaming live on FloCombat. 

The AKA Rite of Passage 8 event, which features both amateur and professional mixed martial arts fights, is largely composed of fighters representing the U.S. Southeast, specifically Louisiana and Texas. 

Watch AKA: Rite of Passage 8 LIVE on FloCombat

The card is set to showcase three title fights, with two amateur championships and one professional belt on the line. The pro welterweight title will serve as the event’s co-main, while the amateur lightweight and amateur heavyweight championships will close out the amateur portion of the card. 

In the first title match of the night, AKA amateur lightweight champion Don Doyle (6-1) will look to defend his belt against Arlington, Texas’, Danny Pena (5-6).

Doyle, widely regarded as one of the region’s top amateur lightweights, captured the AKA title in May on the strength of a second-round TKO Jacob Charles (3-4) at Rite of Passage 7. 

Since beginning his career in 2017, Doyle has been extremely active. The FFF gym product has fought three times in both 2018 and 2019, with this title defense opportunity marking his fourth fight of the year, and his third fight in three months.

Doyle’s victory over Charles was an immediate rematch of their previous meeting, which took place at LFA 62. Doyle won the pair’s original meeting, too, by unanimous decision.

Doyle will look to continue his four-fight winning streak and defend his AKA title against Danny Pena.

Pena, 25, has had a spotty start to his amateur MMA career. After losing his first two bouts in 2010 and 2012, respectively, Pena picked up two straight wins.

Then 2-2, Pena dropped back-to-back fights before putting together a three-fight winning streak. The five-fight span stretched from 2013 to 2015 and saw the GroundKing Jiu Jitsu product rack up several finishes.

Pena then came up short in his final two bouts to date, the latter of which came in 2016. Pena has yet to compete since 2016, but he will look to make a triumphant return against Doyle.

Watch AKA: Rite of Passage 8 LIVE on FloCombat

In the final fight of the amateur portion of the card, Darnell Trotter (1-2) will make his promotional debut against Hunter Jones (2-1) for the AKA amateur heavyweight title.

Trotter, 32, has fought infrequently since beginning his MMA career in 2010. Following a debut loss, he returned two years later to score a second-round knockout of Fury FC staple and boxer Juan Torres (8-15). 

Despite the win, Trotter’s next MMA fight would come nearly six years later at Ark-La-Tex Konflict 1, where he would drop a unanimous decision to top Louisiana amateur Corris Dandre (4-0-1). 

Now, Trotter will look to even up his record and add a title to his resume at AKA Rite of Passage 8. 

Standing in his way is Monroe, Louisiana’s, Hunter Jones (2-1). Jones began his MMA career in 2018, winning both of his first two fights by first round knockout in under a combined five minutes. 

In March, Jones fell short to top Mississippi amateur Odie Delaney (2-0) by way of armbar in the first round. Jones will look to bounce back in a big way with championship aspirations on the line in the amateur portion headliner. 

The lone title fight on the professional main card pits defending AKA welterweight champion Steve Jones (3-1) against Shamrock FC and Island Fights veteran Montrel James (2-3).

Jones, 29, won the AKA welterweight belt in January with a split-decision victory over LFA veteran Josh Davila (9-18). Following the win, Jones was signed to LFA, where he dropped his promotional debut to Nico Echeverry (7-2) by way of third-round knockout.

Now, the defending AKA welterweight champ is back to where it all began to stave off the challenge brought by promotional newcomer Montrel James.

James, 27, turned pro in 2017 on the heels of a spotty 4-4 amateur career. It appears as though James’ streakiness has continued into the professional ranks, as the Main Street product scored wins in his first two bouts before dropping his last three.

Watch AKA: Rite of Passage 8 LIVE on FloCombat

It is worth noting that while Jones has won two of his pro wins by knockout, James has been stopped by strikes just once in his combined thirteen amateur and professional appearances. 

The co-main event is likely to be an entertaining firefight, and the winner will walk away with the AKA welterweight title.