Kauai Cage 7 results

The level of competition in the Kauai Cage events has really improved over the years,  going from a lot of untrained brawlers to a group of highly skilled mixed martial artist.  The fans also seemed to be more educated in the sport and were for the most part supportive of the local fighters.  The bar has been raised on the competition for Kauai fighters and for the most part the Kauai fighters have kept with the fighters from abroad.

130 lbs Kickboxing

Julio Moreno   - Bulls Pen  vs. Mana Woosley- Team Hakuilua

In this kick boxing match Julio sought to press his taller opponent throwing some explosive strikes.  Mana backed up for most of the first round looking to counter with his longer reach.  Mana worked Julio's body with body kicks to try and slow down the smaller,  quicker and more aggressive fighter.   Late in the first Julio takes a front kick to the mid section and had to take a knee,  he recovers quickly and takes a standing 8 count.

In the second round Julio was pressing the fight again while Mana continued to counter.  Mana used his front kick effectively to keep Julio at distance.  It seemed like Mana was beginning to show signs of fatigue as his hands began to drop a little and his strikes seemed to have less snap.  Mana later landed a semi spinning back kick that caught Julio in the side of his ribs,  Julio was obviously hurt by that strike and had to retreat to regroup.  He not only survived the round but was able to get the upper hand again.

In the final round Julio tries to press but Mana is finding his range and levels Julio with a straight right that ends the fight.

Mana Woosley wins via KO

155 lbs MMA

Makana Fronda- Bulls Pen  vs. Tyson Hawelu- Kamole Jiu Jitsu - Kauai

Both fighters were making their pro MMA debut in this fight.  Tyson looked to continue his long streak of Jiu-Jitsu tournament victories in this MMA fight.  Tyson come out aggressively and is able to close the distance and clinch with Makana quickly and  without taking much damage.   Tyson gets an impressive takedown from the clinch and achieves side mount.  Tyson starts to land some serious leather from the side mount as the crowd erupts,  but as Tyson postures to get leverage for his punches Makana gets the space to escape and scramble.  Tyson ends up in the full guard and continues to land some good strikes but Makana is able to transition to a deep armbar.  Tyson defends for a while and attempts to spin out.  Tyson almost escapes but Makana readjusts and Tyson is forced to tap out.

Tyson is a hard worker.   His style of grappling is well suited for both MMA and sport Jiu-Jitsu .  He also has some heavy hands so there is no reason why he shouldn't bounce back from this set back.

Makana Fronda wins via armbar.

130 lbs MMA

Jon Barnard – God’s Army-Waianae  vs. Sergio Hurtado-   Kauai

Sergio looked to use his superior grappling in this match but had difficulty closing the distance on his taller opponent.  Jon sought to keep the distance and work his leg kicks.  Jon threw a leg kick that slightly buckled Sergio and Sergio responds by closing the distance and driving hard with a takedown which he secures.  Fighters are in the corner of the ring and Sergio looks to gain a superior position on the ground.  He achieves full mount and gets a pretty tight armbar.  Sergio works the armbar as Jon looks to spin out.  Sergio counters Jon's counter defense by changing the angle of the arm attack but Jon is now the fighter on top,  he picks Sergio up and drops him on his head.  Sergio doesn't seem to be hurt and reverses Jon.  Sergio pushes Jon into the corner of the ring and applies a guillotine choke but is unable to finish it before the round expires.

In the second round Sergio looks to take the fight to the ground again and shoots for a takedown from far away,  his takedown attempts are being stuffed.  Jon starts to punish Sergio in the corner,  Sergio puts all his energy into a takedown attempt and gets Jon to the ground but Jon manages to scramble back to his feet.  Sergio tries to pull Jon into his guard but Jon stands up.  Jon throws a couple of leg kicks to his downed opponent and lands a huge diving punch that hurts Sergio.  Jon starts to land some effective strikes from Sergio's guard.  Sergio manages to get to his feet but is unable to get another takedown while Jon starts to connect with his strikes.  Fight ends in a TKO.

Sergio showed a lot of heart in this fight and has the potential to be a top fighter in his class.   All he needs is more experience and perhaps more people to cross train the striking with.

Jon Barnard wins via TKO

145 lbs MMA

Paul Lopes vs. Nestor Honarato- Quick Silva- Kauai

Fighters start the fight with a quick size up and Nestor tries to get inside of his taller opponent with an overhand right that is partially blocked.  Paul applies a guillotine but Nestor counters with a slam.  Paul switches to a pretty deep armbar but Nestor is able to defend this well due to his compact body type.  Paul transitions well and gets Nestor's back goes for a rear naked choke which Nestor defends.  Paul is transitioning well from sub to sub and Nestor is forced to defend the chain of submissions,  Paul switches to an armbar from the rear mount but Nestor is finally able to reverse Paul after defending the submission.

In the second round Nestor delivers a leg kick and is able to score a takedown off it.  Nestor gets Paul's back and is landing some heavy blows,   Paul is able to spin out but ends up in side mount where Nestor continues his onslaught.  Paul tries a rubber guard lock down but Nester powers out of it.

In the final round Nestor delivers a hard leg kick then lands to the body.  Nestor trips Paul and begins to kick at the legs of his downed opponent,  the referee stand them after some inaction.  Nestor lands an overhand right that drops Paul,  Nestor proceed to pummel a seemingly defenseless opponent for 15 seconds with solid ground shots.  Paul is slow to get up after the fight and is check by the doctor.  He is OK.

Nestor seems to be in great shape now and I've heard he is serious about his fighting career now.  He is working on his cardio and grappling to go along with his good boxing,  this should help him get to the next level.

Nestor Honorato wins via TKO.

65-70 Youth Kickboxing

Nainoa Dung- 5-0 boxing/ 02  vs. Kona Meyers- Team Hakuilua

As much as I am against kids this young fighting I have to say that this was an entertaining fight which would make me somewhat of a hypocrite I guess.  Nainoa was the aggressor in this kickboxing match and showed a flair for entertaining the crowd with his taunts.  Kona fought valiantly but was outclassed.

145 lbs Amateur Kickboxing Title

Zack Rapal- Fighters Union vs. Isaac Josaiah- Quicksilva- Kauai

This was one of the most exciting matches of the night.  Zack is an experienced fighter with lightning fast hand speed.  Isaac has only one speed,  full throttle and doesn't like going backwards.  Being known for his willingness to throw caution into the wind and go for the spectacular finish he is a fan favorite here.  The fight lived up to the hype as Isaac approached this fight like all the rest and started with a flurry of hooks that seemed to surprise even the experienced Zack.  Zack countered and tried to use his foot work to weather the storm.  Isaac put Zack in a Muay Thai plum and started to unload some serious knees to the head of Zack.  After the onslaught of knees the referee called a time out.  It is unclear if Isaac was warned about pulling down on the head too much which is legal in Thai boxing but not in American kick boxing.  Zack has a cut on his forehead and is checked by his corner. 

The fight resumes and Isaac continues where he left off with a swarm of punches.  Zack counters well but Isaac is undeterred.  The fighters clinch and Isaac goes for a nice (but illegal sweep) and lands in the side mount which the referee gives Isaac another warning.

After another time out the fight resumes and both fighters exchange strikes.  The round ends and the referee stops the fight during the break due to the cut.

Isaac will be making his MMA debut next month in the Molokai amateur fights.  He has really improved his kicking technique and his knees are pretty brutal.  If he can put the ground game together with his stand up he could be a force in the lightweight division.

Isaac Josaiah wins via TKO

135 lbs MMA

Mark Tajon- Bulls Pen  vs. Russell Doane- 808 Fight Factory

Russell starts the fight with a big slam and is working his strikes from Mark's guard but he is having a hard time mounting an effective offense against Mark's guard.  Mark ends up with a submission victory.

170 lbs MMA

Thomas Sedano- Bulls Pen  vs. Ben Santiago- God’s Army

Both fighters here make their pro MMA debut.  Ben is know for his KO power as he had a vicious KO in Kauai's fist MMA show.  Ben started the fight with a powerful kick and scores a takedown.  Thomas reverses and gets a full mount,  he is dropping some strikes and Ben is trying hard to escape,  he gives up his back to escape the punishment and Thomas puts Ben in a body lock while going for the rear naked choke.  Ben defends well but is unable to escape the body triangle but survives being in the bad position for the round.

In the second round Ben gets a good slam on Thomas but again Thomas reverses and ends up in the guard.  Ben stands up when Thomas attempts a slam from the guard.  Ben gets Thomas in a guillotine and is landing some knees but the attack doesn't seem that effective.

Ben seems to have a sense of urgency and is swinging hard.  Thomas closes the distance and puts Ben in a standing guillotine.  Ben tries to slam his way out of the move but gets stuck in the guard and is forced to tap.

Thomas Senano wins via guillotine choke.

205 lbs MMA

Kealoha Emsley- Team MMAD vs. Tesai Seamster- Kamole Jiu Jitsu- Kauai

From the beginning of the fight Tesai looks to get the fight to the ground.  Kealoha clearly has the advantage standing and is able to foil Tesai's early attempts to clinch.  He lands a few stiff jabs that Tesai takes well.  Embolden by his success Kealoha looks to turn up pressure on Tesai but instead Tesai is able to clinch.  Tesai is working very hard to get the fight to the ground,  Kealoha is trying his best to escape the clinch while he is being driven into the cage.  As Tesai works hard for a slam Kealoha is able to slip towards Tesai's back.  It almost seems as if Kelahoha has Tesai's back standing but Tesai does a sweet hip toss that plants his opponent flat on his back.  Tesai is in half guard and is controlling Kealoha.  Kealoha cannot mount any escapes as he is totally flattened out.  Tesai is mainly trying to control his opponent as opposed to trying to land hard ground shots,  as a result he is being busy enough to prevent the referee from standing up the fight but his opponent has little chance of escaping.

In the second round Tesai immediately shoots a single leg takedown and both fighters battle to impose their will.  Tesai slowly but surely is able to turn the corner and suck up his opponents leg.  Kealoha tries to strike but Tesai takes the punishement and gets another takedown.  Once on the ground Tesai totally immobilizes his opponent again and keeps busy with the ground strikes until the round ends.

In the final round Tesai is 1 takedown away from a unanimous decision and he seems to have figured out how to close the distance without getting hit much.  He shoots for another single leg and gets a takedown.  Kealoha has not solved Tesai's ground control and Tesai easily wins the round.

This was a very interesting match up.  Kealoha might be a more well rounded fighter and he comes from a top MMA school in Oahu.  Tesai is the personification of a fighter who knows what his strengths are and comes up with a game plan that maximizes them.   It is really frustrating seeing fighters who have poor or no game plans going into fights or fighters that forget their plans once they get hit.   Tesai never deviates from his game plan and it has served him well.  If Tesai can increase his ground striking power without losing his immobilization ability he will be a dangerous fighter at the next level.

Tesai Seamster wins via unanimous judges decision.

155 lbs MMA

Dom Ah Nee- Maui Jiu Jitsu vs. Ikaika Moreno- Bulls Pen

In the first round Dom gets kicked but is able to get the takedown.  His head is stuck in a guillotine hold that isn't choking but is trapping the head.  Dom escapes after a while and is the half guard.  He passes to mount,  his opopnent tries to escape and Dom transitions to the back.  Dom is pounding Ikaika hard and locks in a rear naked choke.

Dom Ah Nee wins via rear naked choke.

155 lbs MMA

Travis Texeirara- 808 Fight Factory vs. Shane Kahananui- KTI Kauai

In this fight Shane faces greatest test yet.  Travis is the is taller and is pursuing Shane hard.  He clearly has the advantage standing but Shane hangs tough and carefully looks to pick his shots.  After circling for a while Shane scores a takedown.  Travis is tying up Shane well and Shane slams him from his guard to free his arms.  Travis scrambles up but Shane gets another takedown before the round ends.

In the second round Shane is able to get another takedown without receiving too much damage.  Travis is able to stand up using the cage.  Travis begins to chop away at Shane's legs.  Shane shoots hard and drives Travis to the fence where he gets another takedown.  He gets a quick mount and as his opponent spins he gets his back.  Shane is landing some hard shots from the ground and he transitions to an armbar but is unable to finish it before time runs out.

In the final round Shane goes for another takedown and after working hard puts his opponent on his back.  Shane starts to unload some very hard elbows,  passes the guard and then mounts.  Travis is getting punished badly and out of desperation rolls to his stomach.   Shane gets both hooks in and flattens  Travis out and has the rear naked choke in very deep but Travis escapes but is stopped via strikes.

Shane doesn't have any glaring weaknesses and seems to get the most out of his skills.  It will be interesting how he responds to better competition he will face in the future.

Shane Kahananui win via TKO.

135 lbs MMA

Bryson Hanson- Team MMAD vs. Pauly Kuwamura- KTI  Kauai

Pauly was coming of a total domination victory over a very experienced Julio Moreno.  Pauly was unable to get started in this fight as he was caught with a straight punch and received a flurry of unanswered punches. 

It's hard to infer anything from a fight like this.  The best fighters in the world can get caught like Pauly did.   Pauly already showed his potential in his victory in his first fight.   Pauly is a rough fighter that likes to be aggressive,  aggressiveness sometimes  leaves you vulnerable.

155 lbs MMA

Cisco Bringas- Jus Rush- Kailua  vs. Kyle Sukehira- Kamole Jiu Jitsu - Kauai

In the main event Kyle faced his toughest challenge in Cisco.  Kyle came out willing to exchange with both fighters landing good strikes.  Kyle was able to close the distance and push Cisco to the fence where he got a a fairly good slam.  Kyle delivered some solid ground strikes but Cisco continued to defend and work and escape.  Cisco was able to stand but Kyle stayed on him and was able to get another slam.  Kyle continued to land hard strikes and Cisco would escape to his feet temporally again.  Though Cisco was a skilled and slippery fighter, Kyle never seemed to lose control of the fight and was able to answer every escape,  counter, and scramble move for move.  As the match proceeded Kyle's control seemed to get tighter and he was able to unload some hard strikes from the rear mount and sink in the rear naked choke. 

This was a dominating victory for Kyle in his return to MMA after a few years absence.  Like Tesai,  Kyle gets the most out of his skills,  and Kyle has a lot more weapons than most people.  It will be interesting how far Kyle can go.  Hopefully Kyle can get a shot in Elite XC down the road.