On paper, Combat on Capitol Hill 3 already looks to be the best professional mixed martial events Minnesota has seen outside of the Target Center (XKL and UFC).

Vivid MMA and Seconds Out Promotions are bringing Minnesota MMA fans the matchups they deserve on Sept. 17 at the St. Paul Armory. There are four fights on this card that could be main events on almost any other pro card in the state. And there's another matchup that features two undefeated fighters. That means there are at least five pro fights MMA fans SHOULD be excited to watch, not to mention a handful of quality amateur matchups.

The highlight fights include Marcus "The Prospect" LeVesseur (18-3) vs. Strikeforce veteran Josh Bumgarner (14-3) in a 155-pound showdown, Minnesota Martial Arts Academy's Brandon Bergeron (9-3) vs. American Top Team's Mitch Jackson (14-1) at 145, ATT's Austin Judge (10-5-1) vs. Mike Plazola (14-4) and MMAA's Jay Wood (2-0) vs. Team Crazy's Jake Meyer (3-3) at 170. Add in Minnesota Fight Factory's Nick Kirk (4-0) vs. Joe Ayala (3-0) and you already have an outstanding event. Plus, Minnesota standouts like Zach Juusola, Brandon Merkt and Brandon Buchholz will be in action, not to mention elite amateurs such as Dan Moret (4-0), Donald Williams (4-0) and Blake Hagert (3-0).

With such a loaded card in the works, Minnesota MMA News wanted to track down matchmaker Drew Studer to speak about this loaded Sept. 17 card. So that's what we did. And we threw five questions his way to keep Minnesota MMA fans "in the know" about this epic upcoming event.

Drew, there are plenty of great fights on this card. Which one has you the most jacked?

STUDER: It's hard to even choose. There are four or five main-event caliber fights on the card. Judge/Plazola is going to be an absolute war. A battle between the

crafty veteran and the young slugger. Plazola had Bergeron on shaky legs before falling prey to a triangle. The last time Judge fought locally was against Rich Taylor in what was an instant classic. This one contains all the ingredients for a 'Fight of the Night' caliber bout.

You had more than 3,000 screaming MMA fans at your last event. With a much more loaded card planned for Sept. 17, are you guys outgrowing the St. Paul Armory?

STUDER: Not really. I mean, all the shows are doing well financially and each has drawn better than it's predecessor. I'll admit that I have been surprised with how quickly we've been able to develop the 'Vivid MMA' brand into a major attraction locally. The first year here was all about building a base. We've clearly accomplished that, and probably a bit quicker than most expected. There's a venue in Minneapolis we've been looking at for awhile to host a bigger show. Tony (Grygelko) and Craig (Murphy) have major plans to expand on the growth of the company. I expect those plans to start coming into fruition in early 2011.

Marcus "The Prospect" LeVesseur is taking a huge step up in competition over his last few fights. Is he ready for this kind of jump?

STUDER: LeVesseur suffered a setback against Jason Buck. He quickly rebounded with back-to-back knockouts in a six-week span. Marcus has been pro for five years now. Everyone agrees it's time to start stepping up the quality of opposition. Bumgarner is a good-sized lightweight, who has had experience on the big stage with Strikeforce. I believe Marcus is ready to go, though. He's been training with Sergio (Cunha at the Minnesota Fight Factory) for just about a year now. It's the longest he's ever been with one trainer/gym. I can promise you that you're going to see the best of Marcus LeVesseur in this one.

There are some great amateurs fighting on this card as well. Which one jumps out at you?

STUDER: Dan Moret will be making his Vivid MMA debut against Iowa's Cody Askvig. Moret has had success on some of the smaller shows locally. He's got a title defense next week, but the guy he's facing isn't really on his level. I truly believe Dan is ready to step up and face someone of his own caliber on a bigger show. Askvig is 5-2 and holds a win over amateur prospect Jordan Ackerman (12-1). He's now making the drive from Iowa on weekends to train with the guys over at 10th Planet Jiu Jitsu/Next Level Combat in Woodbury. I feel that we'll have the two best 155-pound amateurs in Minnesota throwing down in our cage on Sept. 17.

Finally, Brandon Bergeron is fighting 14-1 Mitch Jackson on this card. Bergeron is ripping through the competition. Is it time for people to start taking this kid seriously?

STUDER: He should be taken seriously, to say the least. The way he's rebounded is the story of the year as far as local MMA is concerned. He's run right through Thomas Aherns, Mike Plazola and Courtney Buck since recovering in April from a broken jaw. Not one of those guys escaped the first round and Bergeron showed he has a vast array of weapons in his arsenal by using a different submission to finish each one off. He trains with some of the best fighters and coaches in the sport. It's pretty easy to get lost in the shuffle when you take into consideration who else trains alongside Brandon at the Minnesota Martial Arts Academy, but the way he's been trucking through competition lately is making it hard not to notice his stellar rise.