Lewiston’s Randall hitting another big stage
MMA fighter Drake Randall of Lewiston is set for his next pro fight today
Lewiston-based mixed martial arts fighter Drake Randall will be taking a step up in competition and visibility alike as he takes on Jose Ferreira of Chile today in Miami as part of a fight card put on by the organization Combate Global.
His sensei, Austin Arnett, believes Randall is ready.
“He’s a very mentally strong kid,” Arnett said. “He doesn’t get shook very much; bright lights don’t intimidate him.”
The fight card begins today at 5 p.m. Pacific, and will be livestreamed on the YouTube channel @CombateGlobalOfficial.
Randall is at the forefront of a group of around two-dozen fighters in Arnett’s Martial Arts America dojo, including about 10 who have gone pro. Other standouts include 21-year-olds Dmitri Morales and Melvin Joye, both of whom will feature on a card closer to home at the Clearwater River Casino on April 19.
Randall, a 145-pound featherweight, sports a professional record of 6-1, with the lone defeat having come on a second-round TKO against Radley “Snake Eyes” da Silva of Canada in his most recent outing last September. Before that, Randall had posted a notable TKO win over “Iron” Mike Kuehne of Kalispell, Mont., to claim the EF Lightweight Championship during a Conquest of the Cage event held in Spokane last July.
A Lewiston High alum, Randall earned All-American honors as a wrestler for Eastern Oregon, where he graduated in 2019. He returned to the valley after college and took up MMA under Arnett’s guidance in 2022. Randall made rapid progress, going professional within a year after only two amateur bouts and running off an immediate string of victories.
Given his background, it is no surprise where Randall’s greatest strength in his new sport lies.
“His grappling is where he shines, and where a lot of our advantages are going to be in this fight,” Arnett said.
As for Ferreira, who holds a 12-2 professional ledger, Arnett offered no shortage of praise, calling him “a good fighter; very tough; well-rounded; good striker (with) good grappling.”
Nicknamed “Tiro Loco” (Spanish for “Crazy Shot”), Ferreira has a significant edge in experience, having been fighting professionally since 2017, and has held his own against a high standard of opposition, with his last half-dozen opponents entering with a combined record of 53-16-1.
“It’s going to be a good test for Drake to see where he stands with some of the more elite fighters of the world,” Arnett said.
Users on the MMA fan site tapology.com rate Ferreira as the favorite for this encounter, with 82% of voters predicting a victory for the 26-year-old Chilean. Arnett, however, backs his man to rise to the occasion.
“It’s something he’s been looking forward to,” Arnett said. “He wants to fight against the best in the world.”
Wendt may be contacted at (208) 848-2268, or [email protected].
