Jason Erdos can hurt you in many, many ways.

The Butler native has boxed and kickboxed. He's a black belt inshorin-ryu karate and he's competed in several toughman competitions.

He teaches martial arts during the day and is a bouncer at night.

When he was in high school at Butler, he was a wrestler.

Mess with him at your own bodily risk.

"I've done a lot of different things," said Erdos, 31, who is now tackling his "ultimate" sport. "I think that makes me pretty well rounded for what I'm doing now."

What Erdos is doing now is blending all of his melee skills into one. He's getting takedowns and giving beatdowns. He's using karate, kickboxing, boxing and wrestling to pound his foes into submission.

Erdos is getting ready to become a professional ultimate fighter.

It's official name is mixed martial arts, but anyone with even a hint of testosterone in his bloodstream knows it as ultimate fighting.

It's one of the fastest growing sports in the world, is televised regularly on networks, such as Spike TV, and has turned Tito Ortiz and Randy Couture into household names.

And now Erdos wants to throw his name into the octagon.

"Everyone wants to do it," said Erdos' trainer, Jimmy Stewart. "Everyone wants to see it."

Erdos and Stewart met during their kickboxing days in the late 1990s.

Stewart became friends with ultimate fighter Todd Carney and introduced Erdos to him.

The two clicked and became fast friends. Carney suggested that the 5-foot-10, 190-pound Erdos had the build, eclectic background and grit to become an ultimate fighter.

"We sat down one night and started talking," Erdos said. "He said ultimate fighting might be the sport for me."

Stewart booked an amateur ultimate fight for Erdos inSt. Clairsville, Ohio, in October.

Erdos didn't disappoint in his debut. He came out and dominated Rodney Reed of Barnesville, Ohio, winning a three-round unanimous decision.

He said nothing he had done before that fight prepared him for the sheer brutality of being in the octagon.

"There was definitely an adrenaline rush I had never felt before," Erdos said. "It's not like boxing or kickboxing. You have to take it right to the guy. It's a straight street brawl. I just love it."

Erdos needs four more amateur fights to turn pro. The UFC requires at least five amateur bouts before a fighter can join the professional ranks.

"I'm not getting any younger," Erdos said. "I'm 31. I'd like to turn pro by the time I'm 32."

Erdos' birthday is in June. That gives him seven months in get four ultimate fights under his belt.

Training for an ultimate fight is grueling, Erdos said.

"You have to be in tremendous physical conditioning," Erdos said. "You have to train for everything. One day you'll wrestle, one day you'll strike. It's twice as hard as training for just a fight or a kickboxing match."

The fact that Erdos has a broad background has already helped him.

"You have to be good in all phases," Erdos said. "I think, because of everything I have done, I am solid no matter what comes at me."

Stewart agrees.

Erdos' trainer is no stranger to achieving great things in a sport.

Stewart holds three world kickboxing titles and finished his career with a spotless 19-0 record.

His kickboxing days are all but over now. Stewart's attention has now turned to getting Erdos ready.

"He's big and bulky. He's perfect for this sport," Stewart said.