The sleepy little rural town of Waimea came alive Saturday when the first mixed martial arts show to appear on Kaua‘i opened at Waimea High School’s gym, which was filled to near capacity. Brand new martial arts fans were treated
The sleepy little rural town of Waimea came alive Saturday when the first mixed martial arts show to appear on Kaua‘i opened at Waimea High School’s gym, which was filled to near capacity. Brand new martial arts fans were treated to exciting matches as well as two of the prettiest ring card girls, Tiffany Pestana and Jennifer Stiles.
The first match featured lightweights Carlos Rincon of Hilo and Cory Ferrara of 808 Fight Factory. The match provided comic relief as for most of the match Ferrara’s face was nearly buried in Rincon’s posterior. But that wasn’t the reason Ferrara lost. His corner conceded the fight by the end of the first round only due to the punishment received from Rincon.
In the second match Kainoa Walter knocked out Ryan Fukuda in spectacular fashion with what is called a standing guillantine choke. Fukuda came out blazing and crowded Walter against the ropes but was downed in an instant. Fukuda slept flat on his back for so long and peacefully that it is possible that he woke up highly refreshed.
But snoozing before a couple of thousand people makes it certain that this is a nap he will remember for the rest of his life. Match number three also didn’t make it to the second round. Abe Kaleka of Hilo laid a triangle choke on Waipahu’s Gerald Arevalo which ended the lightweight match in the first round.
Alika Rincon and Rob Villaplando finally provided a match that went the distance as Rincon pulled out a decision win. It was a close hard fought battle and one of the judges, Doug Gayagas called it a draw.
Kaua‘i’s Gayagas himself was slated to fight but injured himself in a prior jujitsu tournament. Hilo’s Aaron Carvalho ran into a little wrecking ball of a fighter, Jamam Dulao of 808 Fight Factory. Dulao had Cavalho bleeding from his left eyebrow. Carvalho seemed ready to pack it in, but dug deep within himself before Dulao had a chance to go from Fight Factory to Fun Factory, young Carvalho unloaded with three booming right hands, each one dropping Dulao on the seat of his pants.
The fight was stopped due to the three knockdown rule and Carvalho was declared the TKO winner. Heavy hitter, Kalim Santiago, three wins all by knockout from Puna and Shawn Taylor of Honolulu stepped into the ring for the 185 pound bout. It looked like an accident waiting to happen. Sure enough, a few seconds into the first round Santiago backed Taylor to the ropes and unleashed a tremendous right hand.
Taylor was knocked halfway through the ropes above the bottom strand and almost between the legs of JK of The JK Show, holding his movie camera and into the lap of the coach of Oki Boxing Club. Taylor snoozed for a while just as long as Fukuda did earlier. Kimo Mundon, Kaua‘i’s only entrant fighting out of Longman Jujitsu drew in a 170 pound bout against Kyle Miahana of 808 Fight Factory in an exhausting battle that was only the second which went the full course.
Sonny Westbrook of Kona formerly a light heavy weight state boxing champion now training and promoting mixed martial arts himself brought in a crafty light heavy, Tony Espita of the Kona Boxing Club. Espita who predicted that he would force Bryson “The Kid” Kamaka to tap out did just that in a short fast main bout which was highlighted by of all things, Kamaka’s beautiful hair coloring design.
