- Details
- By Darren Thompson
WALKER, Minn. — On Saturday, Throne MMA hosted a 7-fight event to a sold-out crowd at the Northern Lights Casino on the Leech Lake Indian Reservation. Event promoters originally scheduled an 11-fight event on Saturday, February 5, but was rescheduled due to COVID-19 restrictions.
“Everyone in the crowd delivered, for sure,” said Throne MMA Founder and Co-Owner Dean Lamb said to Native News Online.
Want more Native News? Get the free daily newsletter today.
Throne MMA is a Native owned and operated fight promoter based in Alexandria, Minnesota. Lamb is a citizen of the White Earth Band of Ojibwe and co-owner David Amitrano is a citizen of the Bois Forte Band of Ojibwe. Together, they host and organize a variety of fights throughout the region. Saturday’s event is Throne MMA’s second event; their first was hosted at the Northern Lights Casino in December 2021.
The event’s original main event—Sam Cleveland vs. Jay Feiock—was canceled after Feiock’s no-show at weigh-in on Friday, but was replaced by Daven Staples vs. Christopher Clark, both Native fighters.
Clark, a White Earth Ojibwe citizen, defeated Daven Staples, of Leech Lake Ojibwe, by technical knockout (TKO) at 1:52 in the second round. Each fight had three rounds.
The Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe’s Department of Athletic Regulation Commission regulated the event with several experienced fight inspectors unable to attend.
“Our team of inspectors make me so proud,” said the Department of Athletic Regulation’s Executive Director Matt Roberson to Native News Online. “We had several of our most experienced inspectors out on vacation for spring break and our team stepped up to the challenge.”
“Overall, our operations didn’t miss a beat. Our team takes our training seriously—they work hard and trust each other,” said Roberson of Mille Lac’s Athletic Regulation Commission.
Throne MMA said this summer there will be several fundraising events in the Twin Cities featuring retired professional fighters aiming to raise awareness and funding for organizations that serve American Indian people and families.
Terry Goodsky, a member of the Bois Forte Band of Ojibwe, opened the evening’s event with a prayer and song in the Ojibwe language.
More Stories Like This
Navajo Technical University Rodeo Team Competes at 2025 College National Finals RodeoRestoring the Voice of a Leader: Sitting Bull's Songs Reclaimed
New Exhibition of Contemporary Northwest Coast Indigenous Art Opens at the American Museum of Natural History
"Your'e No Indian" Examines the Disenrollment Issue
Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians to Open New Exhibition: Section 14 – The Untold Story
Help us tell the stories that could save Native languages and food traditions
At a critical moment for Indian Country, Native News Online is embarking on our most ambitious reporting project yet: "Cultivating Culture," a three-year investigation into two forces shaping Native community survival—food sovereignty and language revitalization.
The devastating impact of COVID-19 accelerated the loss of Native elders and with them, irreplaceable cultural knowledge. Yet across tribal communities, innovative leaders are fighting back, reclaiming traditional food systems and breathing new life into Native languages. These aren't just cultural preservation efforts—they're powerful pathways to community health, healing, and resilience.
Our dedicated reporting team will spend three years documenting these stories through on-the-ground reporting in 18 tribal communities, producing over 200 in-depth stories, 18 podcast episodes, and multimedia content that amplifies Indigenous voices. We'll show policymakers, funders, and allies how cultural restoration directly impacts physical and mental wellness while celebrating successful models of sovereignty and self-determination.
This isn't corporate media parachuting into Indian Country for a quick story. This is sustained, relationship-based journalism by Native reporters who understand these communities. It's "Warrior Journalism"—fearless reporting that serves the 5.5 million readers who depend on us for news that mainstream media often ignores.
We need your help right now. While we've secured partial funding, we're still $450,000 short of our three-year budget. Our immediate goal is $25,000 this month to keep this critical work moving forward—funding reporter salaries, travel to remote communities, photography, and the deep reporting these stories deserve.
Every dollar directly supports Indigenous journalists telling Indigenous stories. Whether it's $5 or $50, your contribution ensures these vital narratives of resilience, innovation, and hope don't disappear into silence.
The stakes couldn't be higher. Native languages are being lost at an alarming rate. Food insecurity plagues many tribal communities. But solutions are emerging, and these stories need to be told.
Support independent Native journalism. Fund the stories that matter.
Levi Rickert (Potawatomi), Editor & Publisher