Huge fight night

Showtime arrives at the OC Fair & Event Center Friday night in the form of mixed martial arts.

The premium cable channel plans to televise live at the Hangar at 8 p.m. If you cannot make it to the venue, you can follow the M-1 Global promotions’ headline fight between Pat Bennett (4-2) and Kenny Garner (6-3) at home.

The M-1 Challenge 26 heavyweight bout is a rematch. The two fighters met last September, when Garner knocked out Bennett in the first round of the finale of the 2010 M-1 Selection Americas Tournament.

Bennett wasn’t supposed to face Garner on this eight-bout card, but M-1 Global promotions’ heavyweight champion, Guram Gugenishvili, withdrew from his U.S. debut because of an injury.

Gugenishvili, who hails from the country of Georgia, has already beaten Garner.

Garner wants another shot at Gugenishvili. To earn it, he has to get through Bennett again and most likely win another match to set up another Garner-Gugenishvili match.

Garner does not feel Bennett will challenge him.

“I will end this fight faster than the last time I beat him, trust me,” Garner said in a press release.

Before Garner and Bennett meet, seven other MMA fights are on tap. With M-1 Global,Europe’s top MMA promoter, there is an international flavor.

One of the more promising matches features Tyson Jeffries (7-5), the 2010 M-1 Selection Americas middleweight tournament winner. Jeffries faces Russian striker Arthur Guseinov (7-2).

German’s Daniel Weichel (26-7) meets Beau Baker (8-4) in a lightweight fight. Baker is a former NCAA Division I wrestler.

European Mairbek Taisumov (14-3) is up against Josh Bacallao (6-3) in another lightweight match.

In a middleweight bout, Jason Norwood (11-2) fights Eddie Arizmendi (14-4).

The catch-weight fight features two fighters from California, Richard Schiller (5-2-1) and Aaron Miller (9-7).

Diman Morris (2-1) meets Brandon Michaels (1-3) in a light heavyweight match.

Mike Derobers (1-0) and Max Martyniouk (0-1) will square off in a lightweight match.