Ruben Baraiac will have more than a hundred friends and fans out to support him when he makes his professional MMA debut against Kalamazoo, Michigan’s James “The Ninja Bunny of Doom” Carrow (2-1) this Saturday night at The Palace of Auburn Hills as part of Donofrio MMA’s “No Guts No Glory” event.

The Romanian-born (Stelich was his original first name and is now legally his middle) Baraiac says he’s ready to go. “It doesn’t matter who I fight, I’m always nervous,” he admits, “but then, after the first punch is thrown, it all goes out the window.”

Troy, Michigan’s Baraiac got a very late start in MMA. A two time all-state wrestler in high school, he had forgotten all about his athletic talent until one fateful night when he was 26. “I was watching UFC on TV and told myself ‘hey, I could do that,’ so I got back into shape and went for it.”

In the two years since, Baraiac joined the Ronin Fight Team in Fraser, Michigan, under the tutelage of Coach Brad Burrick, went 11-2 as an amateur, and is now appearing in front of thousands in Michigan’s premier venue for mixed martial arts.

“I competed at the Palace three times for the state wrestling meet and then I fought there as an amateur and got a seven second knockout. It’s down the street from where I live now, so it’s like my backyard. I’m excited.”

Impact Fight League 51 “No Guts No Glory” is being presented by Donofrio MMA in association with Palace Sports & Entertainment.

Tickets for Impact Fight League 51 “No Guts No Glory” start at $15 and are available at Palacenet.com, The Palace box office, and all TicketMaster outlets, or by phone at 1-800-745-3000. VIP Cageside Tables are available by calling 248.770.6000. The action starts at 7:00 PM, with doors opening at 6 PM.

For more information, visit donofriomma.com.

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