81
TJay Thompson, who successfully ran mixed martial arts events in Hawaii for more than a decade, is bringing the sport back to the islands.
Thompson is Vice President of Fight Operations for ProElite Fighting, which will hold its first MMA show under Status Media Group, which recently acquired 95% of ProElite, August 27 at the Blaisdell Arena.
Thompson will run the show with Rich Chou, who served as matchmaker for StrikeForce until the company was purchased by Zuffa, which owns the UFC, earlier this year.
ProElite held events in Hawaii under the EliteXC banner in 2007 and 2008, featuring fighters including Nick Diaz, Robbie Lawler, Gina Carano and KJ Noons.
EliteXC events were eventually televised on CBS before the promotion folded in 2008.
Thompson last promoted an MMA show in Hawaii in April of 2009, called KingdomMMA, featuring a main event between Jason "Mayhem" Miller and Kala Kolohe Hose.
Hose is one of at least three fighters with local ties expected to compete on the card which is expected to have six fights.
While none of the fights have been made official, Hose (7-5) will likely face former UFC fighter Drew McFedries (9-6), who owns wins over Alessio Sakara and Marvin Eastman.
Also, Raquel Pa’aluhi (3-1) will compete in the only female bout against undefeated Sara McMann (2-0), who was the first American woman to receive a silver medal in women’s wrestling in the 2004 Summer Olympics in Greece.
Former University of Hawaii football player Jake Huen has agreed to fight heavyweight prospect Mark Ellis in another bout.
Ellis, the 2009 NCAA heavyweight champion in wrestling at Missouri, will make his MMA debut and trains with UFC heavyweight champion Cain Velasquez and StrikeForce fighter Daniel Cormier at American Kickboxing Academy.
Other names rumored for the card include former UFC heavyweight champion Andrei Arlovski and Maui’s Kendall Grove, who was released from the UFC following a loss in May.
