Professional MMA heavyweight and Middlesboro native Ben Rowland will be in Batesville, Ark. on Saturday for Pyramid Fights: 12, where he will square off against fellow heavyweight Justin Frazier.

Frazier and Rowland headline the event. Pyramid 12 will be held in the Batesville Community Center with fights beginning at 7 p.m.

According to tapology.com, Rowland is ranked as the No. 2 pro heavyweight fighter in the state of Kentucky. He also comes in at No. 14 in the Southeast region and 76th in the nation. Rowland has amassed a professional record of 4-1-0, with his last fight being a loss by stoppage in March 2018.

Rowland has been fighting for four years and has held three amateur titles, as well as three professional titles. Rowland and his wife, Michelle, train extensively to prepare for upcoming fights.

“My wife and I train about four times a day when I’m getting ready for a fight,” said Rowland. “We start the day lifting weights, then a two to four mile hike after that. We do few hours of mma training which consists of sparring, then my wife holds mits and the kick pad, and we finish the day with core and cardio at Xtreme Fitness, who is my sponsor.”

It was the respect and competition amongst the other fighters that piqued Rowland’s interest to further his career in MMA. “I started off training my son for it and decided to give it a try one day,” said Rowland. “I loved the competition and the respect that the other fighters had for each other. It definitely increased my interest in the sport.”

Ahead of his match-up with Frazier on Saturday, Rowland knows he has his work cut out for him but is ready to leave it all in the cage.

“I’ve held three amateur titles and three pro titles, but this is a huge fight (against) Justin Frazier. He is an 11-3 fighter who made it to the final of the UFC Ultimate Fighter (TV show). One thing is for sure, Saturday night it will all be left in the cage, win or lose. I’m thankful for this chance in Arkansas, and I’m ready to get after it.”