Once Jamelle Jones finished his collegiate wrestling career, his family urged him to find something that he enjoyed doing with his life.

Next Saturday night, his fun will just be getting started.

JONES WILL make his mixed martial arts debut in next Saturday's Arena Rumble: Rising Stars 2, scheduled for 7 p.m. at the Spokane Shock Training Center, located at 3212 N. Eden Road in the Spokane Valley.

He won the NJCAA title at 197 pounds in 2011 in Spokane, his sophomore season at North Idaho College before moving on to Campbellsville University in Kentucky and finishing third in last year's NAIA championships.

This year, he returned to the NIC wrestling program as a volunteer assistant coach.

"I've always been interested in the sport of wrestling," Jones said. "But there isn't any money in it. I've been training in MMA and had my mind set on going pro in it for a few years. As wrestlers, there's no pro level for us - no NBA or no NFL, so a lot of us are making the conversion to MMA."

His interest in wrestling took him to the World Wrestling Entertainment for a tryout.

"I went down there, but it just wasn't for me," Jones said.

Jones will face Dominic Cudmore, who has a 12-3 record at heavyweight, in the double main event - the other main event pitting Nathan Thompson vs. Michael Barrett at 145 pounds.

"I know he's got a few victories," Jones said of Cudmore. "I'm planning on going for a knockout. I've been watching myself on video and didn't look comfortable with my hands. But I've been working on my stand-up boxing and working on my miata-thia and working extra hard - both morning and night and I want to knock him out. I've got a game plan to work with my hands and if he's a little better, I'm taking him down and going to ground and pound him."

Jones credited Arena Rumble promoter and Spokane Shock owner Brady Nelson for getting him started in mixed martial arts.

"Brady's really helped me a lot," Jones said. "But everything else was my call. My mom and everyone else back home wanted me to find something. They didn't really want me to go with this, but it's where my heart is. I love to compete, like the competitive edge and the man-to-man combat."

Jones also trains at Trevor Prangley's Coeur d'Alene-based American Kickboxing Academy. Prangley is another former NIC wrestler.

"Coaching has really helped me mature as far as the wrestling game goes," Jones said. "I'm coaching what I know. It's my life and I love the atmosphere. I'm very grateful that (NIC wrestling coach) Pat (Whitcomb) gave me an opportunity to be here. Trevor's been great. He treats me well and pushes me to get better. He's broken me a couple times - but it's all love and he's got over 30 fights and knows what he's doing."

WHEN PROMOTERS held the first Arena Rumble in 2009 at the Spokane Arena, 4,000 fans showed up - at the time a state record for fans at an MMA event, Nelson said.

Nelson expects between 1,000 and 1,200 this time.

"I think it will be cool," Nelson said. "It's going to be a little smaller obviously and going to have a more intimate feel (at the Shock Training Center), but will have most of the bells and whistles that you get at the Arena - just not the same surroundings."

In the 2009 event, Ben McCombs - a defensive lineman for the Shock - competed, and won his bout. With the season beginning soon, no Shock players will fight this time.

"We could have had some fight, but nobody could do it," Nelson said. "The last time, it was a month after the season and Ben was able to train and do really well. He was a warrior."

Tickets are available by visiting www.arenarumble.com. The event will be filmed and broadcast on a tape delay in two weeks on KSKN 22 in Spokane.

"Our main drive to feature amateurs is that there's not many pros around here," Nelson said. "There's not many fights you can make and sometimes they can go from being a local pro to national pro like that. A lot of them fight on local amateur shows until they get their break and you never see them again. What I'm hoping to identify is the best local guys and letting fans come here to see them - and I think Jamelle is one of those guys. He's got a tremendous upside and is physically gifted too. He's a beast."

Jason Elliott is a sports writer for the Coeur d'Alene Press. He can be reached by telephone at 664-8176, Ext. 2020 or via email at jelliott@cdapress.com.