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ProElite MMA Returns to the Blaisdell Center

Posted on December 9, 2011 by Damon

ProElite makes its return to the MMA-centric islands of Hawaii, featuring a fight card loaded with world class talent on January 21, 2012 at the Neal Blaisdell Center in Honolulu. The main event matches Kendall “Da Spyder” Grove against Ikuhisa “The PUNK” Minowa, and includes the semifinals of the ProElite Heavyweight Grand Prix.

Kendall Grover (Courtesy of ProElite)

Tickets for “ProElite: Da Spyder vs The PUNK” will be on sale soon to the general public at the Blaisdell Center box office, all Ticketmaster locations (800)745-3000, Ticketmaster online (www.ticketmaster.com) and http://www.ProElite.com . The ProElite event, a wholly-owned property of Stratus Media Group (www.stratusmediagroup.com), will be televised live on HDNet at 10 P.M. EST

Hawaii native Kendall “Da Spyder” Grove (13-9) returns to the ProElite cage to take on international fan favorite Ikuhisa “The PUNK” Minowa (51-32-8) of Nagoya, Japan. The 6-foot-6 Grove had an impressive showing on ProElite’s last card in Hawaii (August 27, 2011) where he choked out tough MMA veteran Joe “Diesel” Riggs with a guillotine choke at just :59 seconds of the first round.

With 35 of his 51 wins coming by way of submission, Japanese fight icon Minowa is one of the most well known and recognizable fighters on the international circuit today. He has competed in PrideFC and Dream, where he defeated three MMA giants including Bob Sapp (Achilles Lock), Hong Man Choi (Heel Hook), and Sokoudjou (TKO) to capture the Dream Super Hulk (Openweight) Grand Prix title. The January 21 fight will mark Minowa’s ProElite and North American debut.

The Honolulu Card also features the first semifinal match of the Heavyweight Grand Prix, and showcases the very tough Ryan Martinez (6-1) taking on headhunter Cody Griffin (5-2).

In his ProElite debut, Martinez handed 2009 NCAA Heavyweight wrestling champion Mark Ellis his first MMA defeat by unanimous decision in the first stage of the Grand Prix on November 5, 2011. Known for his go for broke fighting style, the 5-foot-11 Martinez hails from Greenley, Colorado where he trains out of Infinite MMA. Griffin, a true comeback kid, brings an explosive style to the match. Between the two fighters only 3 out of their 14 total fights have gone to decision.

The opposite bracket features the heavy hitting Jake “The Honey Bear” Heun (2-1) against the biggest physical competitor in the tournament at 6-foot-5, Richard “The Black Eagle” Odoms (6-0).

Heun looks to continue his rise to prominence after training with Chris “The Crippler” Leben during his time as a Linebacker at the University of Hawaii and is now refining his technique in Utah under the guidance of MMA pioneer Jeremy “Gumby” Horn. Heun has become a dangerous opponent for any fighter entering the cage with him.

Richard Odoms, an imposing 6-foot-5 and weighing in at the heavyweight limit of 265 pounds, is truly a giant in the cage. The San Antonio, Texas police officer dominated his November 5 fight against Rod Housley and won a clear cut unanimous decision to advance into the Honolulu semifinals.

Pro Elite MMA Heavyweight Grand Prix to Kick Off November 5 and Airing Live on HDNet (ballhyped.com)
Pro Elite Announces multi-fight deal with HDNET (mmameltdown.us)
Phenom Fighter Ryan Martinez has signed a multi-fight deal with ProElite (mmameltdown.us)
Reagan Penn Will Become the Face of ProElite (bleacherreport.com)
ProElite 1 Results: Kendall Grove, Reagan Penn, and Andrei Arlovski Victorious (bleacherreport.com)
Pro Elite 2′s Reagan Penn: With the Penn Last Name, Every Fight Is the Toughest (bleacherreport.com)
Breaking Down a UFC Heavyweight Grand Prix (bleacherreport.com)
Proelite Debuts Live and Nick Diaz to Visit “Inside Mma” (unlimitedfightnews.com)
Loretta Hunt: Alternative MMA promotion ProElite begins second life under new owners (sportsillustrated.cnn.com)

Filed under: Hawaii, KO's, MMA, Oahu, Sports | Tagged: Ikuhisa Minowa, Kendall Grove, Mixed martial arts, Neal Blaisdell Center, ProElite MMA | Leave a Comment »

BJ Penn Lands Part on “Hawaii 5-0″ – Red Bull Cliff Diver Orlando Duque Recovering

Posted on November 23, 2011 by Damon

So here is a bit of local sports news and I just happen to have a picture of the two of them together. BJ Penn is going to guest star on Hawaii 5-0 and Orlando Duque is recovering following his third surgery.

I was reading BJ Penn’s first blog post on the Bleacher Report since he lost his last fight to Nate Diaz and one of the things that he revealed is that he landed a guest spot on “Hawaii 5-0″.

BJ writes:

…I have been back in Hawaii for a while now, but I haven’t been doing much as far as athletics go. This is partly because I think I sprained my finger or something, so because of that I have just been kind of laying low and enjoying life…

…As I am working on this piece, I am on my way to Oahu. I was given a part in an episode of the hit TV Show, Hawaii 5.0, and I will be filming for the next few days on set. It’s really good timing to be out in Oahu because the president of RVCA, Pat Tenore, and his whole family have taken a vacation this week out there, so when I’m not filming I plan on going and hanging out with them…

In other Hawaii related sports news, Red Bull Cliff Diver Orlando Duque is now recovering after his third surgery following his skydiving accident.

Orlando wrote on his Facebook page:

Going in for the 3rd surgery in a couple of hours. Almost all the hardware coming out :)

The following pictures is now his Facebook profile and he went on to say:

Surgery went well, thanks for the good vibes :) few days resting at home and hopefully soon some diving

I wish both of these athletes the best during these holiday seasons and may both of them recover soon.

UFC Gym BJ Penn Opens This Week in Hawaii (damontucker.com)
UFC 137 Results: Nick Diaz Defeats BJ Penn, Cheick Kongo Beats Matt Mitrione (VIDEO) (huffingtonpost.com)

Filed under: Announcements, BJ Penn, Entertainment, Hawaii, KO's, MMA, Sports | Tagged: BJ Penn, Hawaii 5-0, Nate Diaz, Orlando Duque, Ultimate Fighting Championship | 1 Comment »

Big Islands Faaloloto Taps in 17 Seconds at UFC 138

Posted on November 5, 2011 by Damon

Terry Etim submitted Big Island’s Edward Faaloloto by Guillotine in 17 seconds at tonights UFC 138.

…The Hawaiian was likely fighting for his job in this contest.

Faaloloto charged forward aggressively to start the fight. Etim jumped for an arm-in guillotine choke immediately. Faaloloto winced in pain as he slowly collapsed to his knees. The choke was very deep and Faaloloto was forced to tap, just moments into the fight…

UFC 138 Results: Terry Etim Dispatches of Edward Faaloloto in Only 17 Seconds (bleacherreport.com)

Filed under: Big Island, Entertainment, KO's, MMA, Sports | Tagged: Faaloloto, Terry Etim, UFC 138 Results, Ultimate Fighting Championship | Leave a Comment »

UFC Gym BJ Penn Opens This Week in Hawaii

Posted on October 16, 2011 by Damon

The new UFC BJ Penn Gym on Oahu is opening on Tuesday of this week.

“I’m very excited to be part of this tremendous opportunity,” the 32-year-old Penn, a native of Hilo, said. “I look forward to working with the UFC and UFC Gym to make this a huge success. It will be such an honor to have a UFC Gym with my name, especially in my homeland of Hawaii.”

Enrollment Center Opens Tuesday October 18th at 8am
Special Construction Rates Available
660 Ala Moana Blvd, Honolulu, HI
808-672-2655

UFC 137: Why BJ Penn Will Destroy Nick Diaz (bleacherreport.com)
UFC President Dana White: B.J. Penn Lied (bleacherreport.com)
UFC 137 Fight Card: BJ Penn Trains for His Fight Against Nick Diaz (bleacherreport.com)
UFC 137 Nick Diaz vs. BJ Penn: Early Head to Toe Breakdown (bleacherreport.com)
UFC: If Nick Diaz Defeats BJ Penn, Dana White Is Ready to Give Him a Title Shot (bleacherreport.com)

Filed under: Announcements, BJ Penn, Hawaii, KO's, MMA, Something New?, Sports | Tagged: BJ Penn, UFC Gym, Ultimate Fighting Championship | Leave a Comment »

This Weekend BJ Penn Presents – “Just Scrap: Cage of Horrors”

Posted on October 13, 2011 by Damon

BJ Penn presents “Just Scrap: Cage of Horrors” this Saturday evening October 15, 2o11.

If you’re trick or treating for blood, gore, and MMA action. Get down to the Hilo Civic Auditorium this Saturday, for BJPenn.coms Cage of Horrors.

Filed under: Announcements, Big Island, BJ Penn, Entertainment, Hawaii, KO's, MMA, Sports | Tagged: BJ Penn, Cage of Horrors, Just Scrap Results | Leave a Comment »

The Craziest Mountain Bike Accident You Will Ever See!

Posted on October 10, 2011 by Damon

Mountain Biker, Evan van der Spuy of Team Jeep South Africa got taken out by a RED HARTEBEES at a mountain bike race at Albert Falls Dam. Check out this crazy footage which was taken by teammate Travis Walker on his GoPro Camera.

Filed under: Comedy, KO's, Sports, Transportation, Unexplained Phenomenon | Tagged: Evan van der Spuy, Moose hits Mountain Biker | Leave a Comment »

Mayweather vs. Ortiz – Was it a Sucker Punch? The Poll

Posted on September 17, 2011 by Damon

Floyd Mayweather Jr. knocked out Victor Ortiz in the 4th round of tonight’s WBC Welterweight boxing match up that many folks are saying that Mayweather “sucker punched” Ortiz.

Floyd Mayweather KO's Victor Ortiz in the 4th Round

Floyd Mayweather Jr. KO's Victor Ortiz in the 4th Round

I’ll let you judge for yourself, but if I was a boxer and someone had just headbutted me like Ortiz did… and then laid a kiss on to me… I’d be pissed as hell and probably take him out as well.

Here is a video of the the action:

I’ll let you be the judge with this poll.

Floyd Mayweather Jr. vs. Ortiz: Why a Mayweather Loss Will Destroy Boxing (bleacherreport.com)

Filed under: Blogs, Entertainment, KO's, Rumors, Sports | Tagged: Floyd Mayweather Jr. vs. Victor Ortiz, Poll, Sucker Punch | 1 Comment »

Reagan Penn Defeats Paul Gardiner in His MMA Debut at ProElite… The Video

Posted on August 27, 2011 by Damon

Reagan Penn defeated Paul Gardiner by tap out in 1 minute 10 seconds of the first round of his MMA Debut at ProElite over at the Blaisdell arena on Oahu tonight.

Here is the video courtesy of ZPMMAVideos:

Filed under: BJ Penn, KO's, MMA, Sports | Tagged: Reagan Penn Defeats Paul Gardiner, RJ Kaneao | Leave a Comment »

Exclusive Interviews With ProElite Fighters & Official Weigh-In

Posted on August 27, 2011 by Damon

BJPenn.com takes you behind the scenes of ProElite 2.0, bringing you exclusive interviews with the fighters and personnel involved in the event.

See how the promoters struggle to keep the fighters on time as they try to cut weight for their official weigh in and watch as they face off for the last time before fight night.

2nd-Generation Hawaiian Fighter Raquel Pa’aluhi Keeping it in the Family (unlimitedfightnews.com)
You: ProElite Returns! Watch the Kickoff Presser Video Live on MMAWeekly.com at 4pm ET (mmaweekly.com)
10 Reasons Why BAMMA Could, and Should, Be On Spike TV (bleacherreport.com)
You: BJ Penn’s Brother, Reagan Penn, to Make MMA Debut at ProElite’s Return Event (mmaweekly.com)
Kendall Grove Looks to Avenge Himself Against Joe Riggs (unlimitedfightnews.com)
MMAWeekly Radio Monday: Brendan Schaub, Mark Ellis and Eddie Yagin (mmaweekly.com)
You: ProElite August 27 Fight Card Rumors (mmaweekly.com)
You: Andrei Arlovski and Mark Ellis Officially Signed; Signals New Approach for Pro Elite (mmaweekly.com)

Filed under: BJ Penn, Entertainment, Hawaii, KO's, MMA, Sports | Tagged: Chad Thomas, ProElite 2.0, Reagan Penn, Weigh-ins | Leave a Comment »

Puna Hitchhiker Attacks Wrong Driver… Ends Up Wounded in the Bushes

Posted on July 6, 2011 by Damon

Media Release:

Big Island police are investigating an attempted robbery that reportedly occurred in the Puna District on Monday (July 4).

A 20-year-old Kea’au man reported that at about 1 a.m. Monday, he picked up a man in the area of highway 11 near the Shipman Industrial park entrance. He reported that after traveling south on Route 11 in a light green Honda, he turned into the Fern Acres subdivision in Puna and the male passenger attempted to carjack him. The victim said that while attempting to steal the vehicle, the suspect was injured and was last seen running into the bushes.

The victim was not injured during the incident. He described the suspect as a “hapa” or mixed-race man in his 20s, about 5-foot-9 to 5-foot-10. He was last seen wearing a dark hooded jacket over a white T-shirt and dark blue knee-length jeans shorts. He may have an injury to his left thigh area.

Police are investigating this incident as a first-degree attempted robbery and ask that anyone who may have knowledge as to the identity of this individual call Detective John Rodrigues Jr. at 961-2382.

Tipsters who prefer to remain anonymous may call Crime Stoppers at 961-8300 in Hilo or 329-8181 in Kona and may be eligible for a reward of up to $1,000. Crime Stoppers is a volunteer program run by ordinary citizens who want to keep their community safe. Crime Stoppers doesn’t record calls or subscribe to caller ID. All Crime Stoppers information is kept confidential.

Filed under: Big Island, Hawaii, KO's, Legal, Puna | Tagged: Crime Stoppers, Hawaii, Hitch Hiking on the Big Island | 2 Comments »

Stratus Media Group Announces Upcoming ProElite MMA Event in Hawaii

Posted on June 29, 2011 by Damon

Media Release:

ProElite, Inc, today announces its next step in mixed martial arts (MMA) with a fight in Oahu, Hawaii on Saturday, August 27th.

The chosen venue is the Neal S. Blaisdell Arena in Waikiki, the world-famous beach resort destination, marking the third time ProElite will bring its MMA event to the Arena.

The August event is ProElite’s first under the new ownership of Stratus Media Group Inc. Stratus Media Group recently closed the acquisition of 95% of ProElite.

Jay Thompson

“The timing could not be better!” said Jay Thompson, Vice President of ProElite Fight Operations. “MMA continues to see solid growth and has achieved mainstream acceptance across all visual media platforms in the last few years. It still has plenty of time to mature in the sporting arena.”

Fighter signings and match-ups for the August 27th Blaisdell Arena card will be released soon.

Filed under: aloha, Announcements, BJ Penn, Entertainment, KO's, MMA, Oahu, Sports | Tagged: Jay Thompson, Martial Arts, Mixed martial arts, Oahu, Submission Fighting and MMA, Ultimate Fighting Championship | Leave a Comment »

Effing Centipede Bit Me Last Night!

Posted on April 11, 2011 by Damon

Note Sorry for the disgusting pictures… but just documenting another event in my life”

So last night I’m sound asleep and I get awoken to this sharp piercing pain in my right foot and at first I thought I had cut off the blood to my foot and thought it had just fallen asleep… but after taking a closer look, I noticed a couple bite marks!

Despite the fact that I’ve never been bitten by a centipede… I knew exactly that is what had happened! My foot instantly felt paralyzed and the throbbing pain was just unbearable.

I didn’t know if the swelling was going to keep going up my leg or what so I woke my wife up and asked her to take me to the local Fire Department at about midnight. The closest emergency room is nearly 45 minutes away from where I live.

The firemen confirmed that it was a centipede bite, one even mentioned that he had been bitten over 20 times and they told me the only way to really treat a centipede bite is to wash the wound and apply cold presses and heat presses to the area of the bite wound.

Well I did that all night… and my foot is still swollen as of this moment and I can’t put any pressure on my foot at all. I will keep a close eye on it and make sure that it doesn’t get infected.

Gee... Big Foot?

Filed under: Agriculture, Announcements, Environment, Hawaii, Health, KO's, Unexplained Phenomenon | Tagged: Centipede Bite, Centipedes in Hawaii, Pain, Treating a Centipede Bite | 10 Comments »

Pro Surfer Sunny Garcia Gets in Fight off the Gold Coast

Posted on February 19, 2011 by Damon

Hawaii’s former world champion Sunny Garcia and world tour competitor Jeremy Flores of France were allegedly involved in a fracas not far from where the Burleigh Breaka Pro heats were taking place on Saturday…

…Police are investigating and a spokesman told AAP that video evidence had been obtained.

A witness told Brisbane’s The Sunday Mail a fight broke out when Garcia’s 16-year-old son was pushed by a young local surfer…

Full Story Here: Pro Surfers Embroiled in Fight

Another Clip:

Filed under: KO's, Rumors, Sports | Tagged: Fight, Jeremy Flores, Sunny Garcia | Leave a Comment »

The Scaries Defeat the Fairies… Roller Derby Returns to Hawaii

Posted on November 27, 2010 by Damon

Tonight marked the return of Roller Derby on the Big Island of Hawaii and The Paradise Roller Girls put on one hell of a show to a sold out Hilo Civic Stadium.

The Team Rosters (Click to Enlarge)

The Scaries

The Fairies

The match was pretty even up until the final few minutes of the game and thats when the Scaries pulled away for the win 137 – 112.

I have never seen the civic so full before and this is a great sign for things to come.

“…We are your mothers, sisters, aunts, cousins, daughters and friends. Take a close look at our roster… You may be surprised by some of the faces you see. Yes, that is the woman who sold you your house last year. Yes, that other girl owns that store you go into all the time. And that chick, yep, she’s your son’s elementary school teacher… ” Meg Premo President of Paradise Roller Girls stated in the brochure.

So be sure to check out the next bout when it happens. I’ll be sure to announce it here as well. Here is a short clip of a “Jam”:

For those of you that think this might be the fake stuff… well you can ask “Knuckle Slamwitch” how fake this is as she ended up with a pretty serious injury.

I had a great time… and even my son tried to get in on the action with a little half time hula hoop show!

Feel free to click on any of the pictures below or above for a larger shot:

: The Team Rosters

Of course we can’t forget the Ref’s and the other members of the Paradise Roller Girls:

2010 National Roller Derby Championships (PHOTOS) (huffingtonpost.com)

Filed under: aloha, Announcements, Big Island, Entertainment, Hawaii, Health, Hilo, KO's, Something New?, Sports, Tourism | Tagged: Fairies vs. Scaries, Hilo Civic Auditorium, Paradise Roller Girls, Roller Derby in Hawaii | 1 Comment »

“Andy Irons Would Scrap” BJ vs. Matt Hughes… The Shirt

Posted on November 21, 2010 by Damon

I love it… BJ Penn “Represented” in more then one way:

BJ Penn beats Matt Hughes in 21 seconds at UFC 123 wearing a T-Shirt in memory of Andy Irons “A.I.Would Scrap”

Filed under: aloha, Announcements, BJ Penn, Entertainment, Hawaii, Hawaiian, Hilo, KO's, MMA, Something New?, Sports | Tagged: Andy Irons Would Scrap, BJ Penn vs. Matt Hughes | Leave a Comment »

BJ Penn KO’s Matt Hughes in 21 Seconds at UFC 123

Posted on November 20, 2010 by Damon

B.J. Penn made frighteningly short work of Matt Hughes at UFC 123. He demolished the former welterweight champ in 0:21 of the first round with a hard right hand followed up by a brutal series of punches from the top…

More here: UFC 123 Results

Filed under: aloha, Announcements, Big Island, BJ Penn, Entertainment, Hilo, KO's, MMA, Sports | Tagged: BJ Penn Knock's Out Matt Hughes, UFC 123 | 1 Comment »

The Derby is On TODAY!

Posted on November 19, 2010 by Damon

Media Release:

For the first time in decades, Hilo will set the stage for an action-packed evening of women’s roller derby, the Saturday after Thanksgiving.

The Paradise Roller Girls rolls out its first derby bout, “Fairies vs. Scaries” on Sat., Nov. 27 at Hilo’s Afook-Chinen Civic Auditorium. Doors open at 5 p.m., and the action starts at 6 p.m.

Tickets are $8 in advance or $10 at the door the night of the event. Tickets can be purchased online at www.brownpapertickets.com, at local outlets including CD Wizard, Hilo Burger Joint, and Mountain View Village Video, or from your favorite derby girl.

Paradise Roller Girls is a women’s flat track roller derby league based in Hilo, Hawaii. The league was formed in February by a dozen or so adventurous women looking for something fun to do in a quiet town. Now, more than 60 women are part of the spirited “warriors on wheels” group, which holds practices several times a week throughout East Hawaii.

“You’ll be surprised at the familiar faces on the program,” said PRG’s president, Meg Premo, aka Megative. “We’re a diverse group that includes realtors, mothers, farmers, teachers, business owners, you name it. What we share in common is a love to skate and the sisterhood of being a Paradise Roller Girl,” she said.

At Saturday’s bout at the Civic, fans will watch the Scaries and the Fairies compete against each other in two 30-minute “jams.” During each jam, which is a simultaneous match of offense and defense, a sprinting skater or “jammer” from each team tries to score as many points as she can. PRG adheres to Women’s Flat Track Derby Association (WFTDA) rules and has qualified referees in the league.

Come out and support your local roller derby, with action packed entertainment, and family fun. For more information and to “meet” the PRG, check out www.paradiserollergirls.com.

Filed under: aloha, Announcements, Big Island, Community, Entertainment, Hawaii, Kids, KO's, Something New?, Sports | Tagged: Paradise Roller Girls, Roller Derby in Hawaii, Roller Skating, Women's Flat Track Derby Association | Leave a Comment »

BJ Penn UFC 118 Pre-Fight Interview

Posted on August 28, 2010 by Damon

HeavyMMA.com’s Ryan Loco talks with “The Prodigy” B.J. Penn about his upcoming bout with Frankie Edgar for the UFC lightweight championship at UFC 118.

Filed under: Announcements, Big Island, BJ Penn, Entertainment, KO's, MMA, Sports | Tagged: BJ Penn vs. Frankie Edgar, Live Stream, Pre-Fight Interview, UFC 118 Live | Leave a Comment »

How Not to Surf in Hawaii

Posted on January 26, 2010 by Damon

Filed under: Blogs, Comedy, Entertainment, Idiots, KO's, Sports | Tagged: How Not to Surf in Hawaii | Leave a Comment »

Lightning, Thunder, a Cat Scrap and the Pahoa Wrestling Tournament

Posted on December 19, 2009 by Damon

Well were having lightning, thunder, rains and our island is under a flash flood advisory… despite all that… the Pahoa wrestling tournament still took place today.

I’ll just bring you one of the girls matches. I find it cool that girls are able to participate in wrestling here in Hawaii.