The “365 MMA Club” of Andalusia will host its first mixed martial arts fight this Saturday night at the Kiwanis building.

Doors will open at 6 and admission for the event is $35 for ringside seats and $20 for general admission. Children 12 and under get in free. The fights will start at 7:30.

Andalusia natives Brian Earnest and David Daugherty founded the club.

They are holding the fight night Saturday in order to help them raise money to open a gym in Andalusia, and to also give donations to the Covington County Sheriff’s Auxiliary and Adopt-a-Pets.

“I’ve been interested in mixed martial arts for two years,” Earnest said. “I trained in some Brazilian jujitsu. David is a black belt and we became friends.”

Earnest said he and Daugherty have attended many MMA events and decided it would be a good idea to hold one here in Andalusia.

“We got together and partnered up and here we are,” Earnest said.

Earnest said there will be 14 full-contact fights with three five-minute rounds. Each fighter will be split up in different weight classifications, starting at 155 pounds and above. A “fight of the night” bronze trophy and a “submission of the night” bronze trophy will be presented.

Before the fight on Saturday night, there will be a weigh-in for all fighters at Beef O’ Brady’s on Friday at 9 p.m.

Fighters participating in the fight come from Gadsden, Montgomery, Panama City, Fla., Andalusia, Ft. Walton Beach, Fla., Dothan, Georgia and Mississippi.

“They are all trained fighters, but they’re not professional,” Earnest said.

Earnest said the interest in the MMA club is there, but right now he and Daugherty are only focusing on raising money for their gym.

“We’ve got several people that are showing interest and want to join, but we don’t have a gym,” he said. “We need about $20,000 to get it going and we’re doing everything we can to do it.”

Once the gym opens, Earnest said men and women will learn self-defense, grappling, boxing and Brazilian jujitsu, to name a few.

Earnest said that he believes the fight will bring a lot of people to Andalusia.

“It should boost some revenue,” he said. “There is a growing interest in MMA. Mixed martial arts is the fastest growing sport in America, right now. I think David and I caught the ‘flash in the pan’ right then, and hopefully we can get the gym opened up.”

For more information about the fight or to make reservations, contact Brian Earnest at 334-208-1183 or David Daugherty at 334-488-5456.