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By: King Eddie - MMA Hawaii Staff Reporter
A new location, a new show and a ton of new faces made a major impact on the Hawaii MMA scene. The atmosphere at Veterans Hall was absolutely amazing on Oct. 30th as a plethora of up and coming bangers put the screws to one another in one heck of an exciting event. 808 Battleground proved that it is a legit show for the fans to enjoy. The place was packed to capacity and with good reason. The fights that were delivered kept every person on their feet on several occasions. From the young guns on the rise, to some familiar faces we have seen before, the fights were well matched and proved it.
The night seemed like it started with a bang and just didn’t quit. Anybody who appreciates MMA at it’s true roots could see the potential in this promotion. When the fighters are matched together well, there are no snooze fest fights. Though there were some one sided bouts, it was more than entertaining. Most of the time I love to go into detail with a few of the fights and let people get their name out there, but I cannot  make that the case with this event. It just wouldn’t seem fair considering ALL of the fights were top shelf! Literally! There were so many favorites that it is almost impossible to nail it down.
The top three fights are the ones that most came to see, but the whole card was a main event. Look on MMA Hawaii and find the card that was posted. Make a mental note of it. ALL OF THESE FIGHTERS CAME TO WAGE WAR AND THEY DID JUST THAT! 808BG was just one of those “you had to be there” types of shows. Everyone needs to pray that there is a DVD of this one, because it is a must have for the collection.
As we all know, Brennan Kamaka and Kala Kuni finally hashed out their differences in the cage. This fight has been a long time coming, but it wasn’t a long time lasting. Kamaka flash KO’d Kuni within the first thirty seconds of the fight. Though these two really seemed to have it out for one another, they were nothing but respectful after the fight. That really speaks to the character of both men. However…….Do I smell a rematch???
The ONE, the ONLY, THE DIRTY, THE CURTY. . .Was taken out in the first round via ref stoppage. The fight was pretty one sided but the determination of Curty to get that first win shown through. DIRTY was slightly displeased with the stoppage to say the least. But as always he did put on a show. The fans were entertained and his opponent did a very good job controlling him pretty much the entire fight - Hard hits, dominant positions ground and pound...what else could the fight fans ask for?
Finally Danny Lopez and Maki Pitolo came to the cage ready to make some noise. Danny was more intense than ever. He looked like a man on a mission. Maki didn’t seem to be worried at all. He stalled out to the cage and put his hands up in anticipation. The two men met in the middle and that is about as far as it went. Maki weathered some VICIOUS and CRUSHING punches by Lopez seconds into the fight but was quickly taken down into side control. As he rolled his hips Danny took his back and that was all she wrote.
All and all this was a very great show. The atmosphere was comforting. The fights were jaw dropping and they just seemed to continue that way the whole night. Thanks to all who put this show together and all who came out to support. 808 Battleground was about as close to perfect as you can get. This reporter CANNOT WAIT for another edition!
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