THE FRONT ROW WITH JASON ELLIOTT: Saturday, August 15, 2015

The spotlight on the King of the Cage card this Thursday night might seem like it's on "Iron" Will Noland a little brighter, but not to him.

Not to a guy that has won four of his last five fights and has fought in Japan four times.

NOLAND WILL fight Alfonso Gonzales in the main event of "Bad Reputation" at the Coeur d'Alene Casino and Resort in Worley.

"It's always a huge fight when you're getting into the cage and representing this gym and all those people that train here," said Noland, 34, who trains out of the Coeur d'Alene based Trevor Prangley's American Kickboxing Academy. "We're all a team here. Even though it's just me, I'm representing everyone here in the cage. It's a big fight in that way."

With the retirement of the AKA namesake Prangley, Noland steps into the main event.

"I don't think I could ever fill Trevor's shoes in that way," said Noland about being the main draw. "I'm just going to be me. I know I've got to fill his shoes in a way, but I'm just going to go out and do what I do and be me."

Gonzales beat fellow AKA fighter Jordan Currie in a recent event in Worley.

"There's a little bit of a revenge factor going on there," Noland said. "But really, it's just me and him."

SINCE MAKING his professional debut in 2008, Noland has made a home in King of the Cage, going 5-2 in those bouts.

"I've came a long way, not just as a fighter, but as a person," Noland said. "I was a real knucklehead when I was a kid and when I started doing this with Trevor, all that stuff stopped. I haven't been in trouble for 10 years and he's kind of like the big brother I've never had. You really don't want to let him down because he'll beat you up."

In addition to fighting in the main event this week, Noland will also be cageside as a coach or cornering for some of the other AKA fighters.

"It's good and fun for me," Noland said. "The hard thing for me is I'd rather be fighting than coaching or cornering because you're not in control. It's kind of like a video game where you're telling them to do this or that in the cage, and then the button isn't working. It's fun to watch to see how those young guys do. Some guys come and go, but it's fun to see these guys be successful and grow as fighters."

The main card starts at 7 p.m., with other AKA fighters Swain, Zane Douglas, Currie and Preston O'Neil also in action.

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 [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter at @JEPressSports.