Ryan Mackin, Columbia Cage Fighter, Battling Tonight in Baltimore

Back in October of 2009, more than 5,000 boisterous fans attended Shogun Fights, the first sanctioned mixed martial arts event at Baltimore's 1st Mariner Arena.

One of the more exciting bouts of the evening featured the professional debut of 145-pound Ryan Mackin of Columbia, who scored a keylock submission hold for the win at 1 minute, 57 seconds of the second round over Joe Kelso. 

A former Maryland state wrestling champion at , Mackin had endured a bit of bludgeoning from Kelso's striking, which had caused blood to seep from an area below Mackin's hairline just above his forehead. The blood dripped into his eyes, down his face and onto his chest. 

The clash was as pulse-pounding for Mackin's fans as it was heart-wrenching for his loved ones. 

"I loved the crowd. A lot of my friends and my family got to come see it also," said Mackin, who overcame Kelso's initial takedown and a number of of submission attempts. "But I'm sure they're never going to watch again after this."

On Saturday night, the 29-year-old Mackin returns to the 1st Mariner Arena for the fourth Shogun Fights event. The undefeated fighter is seeking his fourth win, fighting against 6-foot-2, 29-year-old two-time national kickboxing champion, Dean Lavin (5-2 record), who fights out of Virginia's Team Assassin.

"This is a guy who has got a wealth of experience with over 20 kickboxing fights and seven MMA fights," said Mackin, evaluating his opponent. One of his two losses was to a guy who has fought in the UFC. The other loss was to a guy who hasn't fought since 2007, but stopped when he was 9-0.

"So this is a guy who lost to two legit fighters, and someone who is further along in his progression than I am," said Mackin. "My first fight was a submission, and so was my second. But this is a fight where nobody knows what's going to happen. I have a lot to gain and a lot to lose."

But these days, Mackin has the idea of losing in perspective, particularly after having suffered the greatest loss of his lifetime – the death of his 60-year-old father, Steven Mackin, in February. 

Ryan Mackin and one of his three sisters, Kristen, were by Steven Mackin's side when he collapsed in their home and never regained consciousness. He was taken by ambulance to nearby Howard County General Hospital, where he was pronounced dead. 

"He was going to come and watch, but it never materialized," Mackin said. "He'd just been able to watch the videos. Bottom line, he and I were tight. So obviously, the circumstances under which he passed, and just as close as he and I were, it's had a negative affect on me, without a doubt. There's nothing positive that can come out of something like that.

"So It's taken me a lot get my mind right, to get on the right foot, and to really pull myself together and get into training mode," said Mackin. "For a while there, I was doing a lot of drinking and eating. But I learned quickly that there are no answers in the bottom of a bottle. Me getting myself into a drunken stupor every night wasn't doing anything positive for me."

A wrestling coach at his alma mater, Mackin was back guiding his Bears to that night's dual meet victory over Parkdale of Prince George's County within hours of his father's death. 

Over the next few weeks, Mackin relied on support from his friends in the wrestling community, even attending the Howard County Tournament, where Steven Mackin had served as scorekeeper for nearly two decades. 

"There was a moment of silence observed. People were coming up and shaking my hand when I hadn't done anything but be a pain in the butt for 15 years," said Mackin. 

"But it really helps you get through something when you have all of that support and the kind words," said Mackin. "Still, it was a rough period for me. With three sisters and a mother, that's a lot of people you need to stay strong for. That's tough to do."

The overindulgence, for one, was taking its toll, to the point where Mackin gained a lot of weight before finally gaining strength, realizing – and focusing on – what his father would think of his only son's behavior. 

"I would like to say that if he were still alive, my dad would have slapped me upside of my head for acting like that and say, 'Man up. You've made a committment to this sport, so act like a man.' So that's how I've tried to act," said Mackin.

"My dad's always on my mind. Hopefully it can motivate me eventually to turn this thing around positively," said Mackin. "But as far as dedicating this fight to him, in the scheme of things, I feel like this fight is very small potatoes compared to the relationship that he and I had. But to say that it's not a motivating factor would be a lie also."

In July, Mackin left his job as a corrections officer after three years to devote more time to training. 

"I was coaching wrestling at that time, training twice a day and working the midnight to 8 a.m. graveyard shift at the jail," said Mackin. "So I was just getting kind of overwhelmed with what I was doing, and I had to cut one of those things out of my life or I was going to go nuts."

Close friend John Rallo has been among Mackin's biggest supporters. 

"Personally, I think that Ryan's going through a tough time, and I'm not sure that he's completely grieved his dad," said Rallo, the event's organizer and the owner of Baltimore's Ground Control facility where Mackin trains. 

"Ryan really assumed a lot of the responsibility of helping with the burial, supporting his mom and his sisters," said Rallo. "On the flip side, of the five guys that we have in the show, Friday was our last day of sparring, and Ryan looked the best. So I feel really comfortable with where Ryan's at."

Rallo serves as the Shogun Fights' matchmaker, along with Bryan Hamper. He said that Mackin vs. Lavin features a striker in Lavin against a striker-grappler in Mackin.

"The kid that Ryan's fighting is tough, but he's going to need more than kickboxing, because Ryan's got solid hands and feet, and he's been to Thailand twice already to work on his muay thai," said Rallo.

"On the ground, Ryan's very solid, and his ground and pound is pretty vicious. So I really think that Ryan is going to beat this dude up and submit him," said Rallo.

"I really just think that Ryan is a guy you'll see moving on to the next level. I feel really comfortable that if Ryan keeps himself focused, that Ryan will be fighting in the UFC in the near future."