Smoke & Guns X: Why firefighters, law enforcement go toe-to-toe for charity

First responders from Oklahoma and surrounding states are going toe-to-toe in an MMA cage for charity.

The annual Smoke & Guns charity fight night pits firefighters and law enforcement against each other to earn money for their respective charities and bragging rights for their departments and agencies.

Here are 3 things to know about the event:

Fight Card

This year's fight card features 10 fights between firefighters and law enforcement and an additional "Patriot Fight" between members of the Oklahoma Air National Guard and the Oklahoma Army National Guard.

The main event is a light heavyweight MMA matchup between Dillon Dolezal of Chickasaw Nation Lighthorse PD and Bobby Winfrey of Strang Fire. Both fighters came out with victories last year, with Winfrey winning by knockout.

There are also two female bouts. Owasso firefighter Alissa Loftin and Chickasaw Nation Lighthorse Police officer Kaelee Langley are squaring off in a lightweight MMA fight. "I remember before I was a firefighter sitting in the stands thinking 'wow, that would be awesome to fight in that one day,' so here we are," said Loftin.

Charity Fight Night

In the last decade Smoke & Guns has raised nearly half a million dollars for charity. This year proceeds from the event will benefit the Oklahoma Firefighters Burn Camp and Special Olympics of Oklahoma. "Whoever wins the most fights that night between the firefighters and law enforcement will get 60% of the funds and the loser gets 40%," said Dustin Fletcher, president of 918 Fully Involved.

The Oklahoma Firefighters Burn Camp is a free summer camp for children ages 6-16 who have suffered major burns or disfiguring injuries. Special Olympics of Oklahoma provides year-round sports training and athletic competition in a variety of sports for children and adults with intellectual disabilities.

Loftin said she got into the fire service to help others and this fight aligns with that mission. "Giving back to charity is something that I try to do as much as I can," she continued saying, "I try to give more than I take, there is probably better ways than getting punched in the face to give back to charity, but here we go."

Smoke & Guns X

The 10th annual charity fight night is Saturday, April 26 at the BOK Center. The event is organized by the nonprofit 918 Fully Involved and is presented by QuikTrip.

"It is without a doubt the biggest MMA charity event in the country between firefighters and police officers," Fletcher said. "We want people that are willing to step out in front of a big crowd and put everything on the line and not worry about their reputation, because they want to get in there and throwdown."

The fights start at 7 p.m. General admission tickets are $30 and can be purchased on the Ticketmaster website.