Mixed Martial Arts event set to kick up excitement after hiatus

It’s been six years since 3D Sideouts in Island Lake hosted an MMA event. On Aug. 9, the thrills return.

Sideouts owner Jerry DeLaurentis and others said people have been clamoring for the return of the Outdoor War, which had been an annual summertime staple at Sideouts from 2005 to 2019. Like many events, it disappeared because of crowd-thwarting protocols during the 2020 pandemic.

XFO Presents: Return of the Outdoor War will feature more than 15 bouts plus a title fight between Jaime Martinez and Austin Cloe. Ankle picks, sweeps, chokes, kicks, strikes and more start at 5 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 9, at Sideouts Sports Tavern, 4018 W. Roberts Road, Island Lake.

Tickets range from $30 for general admission to $1,000 for a cage-side VIP table for 10. Visit fightertix.com for details.

Among those especially excited to see the mixed martial arts event’s return is former top-ranked MMA fighter Jeff Curran of Island Lake. The owner and operator of Curran Jiu-Jitsu Academy in Crystal Lake, Curran founded the Xtreme Fighting Organization, now relaunched by one of Curran’s former XFO partners, Dan Lardy.

Curran said he never missed an XFO MMA event at Sideouts during the Outdoor War’s former run. He always was there as a coach, fielding Team Curran. The main reason he and then-partners Lardy and Monte Cox started the Midwest’s XFO was to give area fighters a forum, he said. Many of those fighters, including Curran, went on to have careers in the UFC and with other upper-echelon organizations.

“This year, I’m just going to get to go there and enjoy it,” Curran said. “The shows at Sideouts were never disappointing. It was always our favorite one of the year. It’s like a big gathering. You’re not just stuck in your seat waiting for the next fight. You can float around, eat, drink and socialize.”

Lardy, who grew up in Wauconda and lives in Texas, agreed. He said his phone hasn’t stopped ringing and pinging since he announced the event’s return on his social media channels.

“It’s always been my favorite event,” he said. “The atmosphere, the fights, being outside – everybody loves it. It’s a big, giant party. We’ve had a lot of named fighters come through there and a lot of people who went on to the bigger show.”

Among those was local name Clay Guida, DeLaurentis and Curran said. A featured fighter at the first Outdoor War in 2005, Guida went on to have a 19-year career in the UFC.

The elevated, caged ring, which is 24 feet in diameter, will be built into the sand east of Sideouts’ volleyball courts, where Bands in the Sand used to take place. The full fight card is at fightertix.com. Lardy said names to watch this year include Ian Mullen and Marco Delgadillo.

“Both are standout ex-wrestlers,” he said, adding, “We have fighters coming from all over the Midwest and a couple are flying in from Florida.”

Curran said fans won’t want to miss the Return of the Outdoor War, and even those unfamiliar with MMA or looking for an out-of-the-box date night should check it out.

“It’s just so real, you know?” he said. “There’s so much at stake physically. And a lot of times, you’re witnessing whether this is a career path a person can go down.”

For more information about the venue, visit 3dsideouts.com, email staff@sideouts.com or call 847-526-7174. The Xtreme Fighting Organization can be found on Facebook and Instagram @xfomma.

If you go

What: XFO Presents: Return of the Outdoor War

Where: 3D Sideouts Sports Tavern, 4018 W. Roberts Road, Island Lake

When: 5 to 9 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 9

Tickets: fightertix.com