Local fighters make show a collection of short stories

There were tasty story lines from beginning to end Saturday at ProElite’s MMA show at the Blaisdell. A shot at redemption (Kendall Grove); tough local girl (Rocky Pa‘aluhi); UH football player turned fighter (Jake Heun). There were even two world champions working — Jesus Salud in Pa’aluhi’s corner, and B.J. Penn in that of his brother, Reagan, who was making his pro debut.

I guess since B.J. is known as The Prodigy you could call his younger brother The Protege. Out of the cage Reagan’s an easygoing sort and he might just laugh it off — especially since he has one less thing to prove after Saturday night. He needed 70 seconds to take care of business against Paul Gardiner, who came in with a 3-0 record.

Beforehand, B.J. was the one pacing around backstage while Reagan appeared calm.

"He doesn’t get nervous for anything," said B.J. "He’s always been that way. It’s hard to gauge him. You don’t know what he’s thinking."

Reagan, 30 and two years younger than B.J., said the fact that his brother is such a huge icon in the sport didn’t add pressure.

"There’s already a lot, with all the fans and everything, and just the idea of getting hit," he said. "I just went in hoping no one gets hurt and we put on a good show. I didn’t know what was going to happen. I got in a good position early, a position I’ve been working on a lot."

IF THAT SOUNDS easy, don’t believe it. As Salud reminds us, MMA training is like preparing for a decathlon.

"You have so many different things you have to learn. One day is jiujitsu, one day is kicks, one day is striking …"

Reagan is certainly not a novice, since he’s spent a lot of time working out with B.J. and others for more than a decade.

"He’s the most-seasoned one-fight wonder you’ll ever meet," said Rob Garcia, a trainer and nutritionist in the Penn camp.

Reagan and B.J. grew up on the Big Island playing soccer and studying jiujitsu. As B.J.’s star rose, Reagan helped him in the gym, and on the Internet.

"I lived in the Silicon Valley from 1999 to 2001 and have a lot of background in computers, and of course jiujitsu," he said. "I did a lot of work on the website (bjpenn.com)."

So who won the inevitable scraps between brothers growing up just a couple of years apart in age, and training together in martial arts?

"I got mine here and there. Some days you can do good, some days worse," said Reagan, who at 5-foot-11 has 2 inches on B.J. "He’s way better than me in a lot of positions. I’m a little better than him in a few. Yeah, I have a little reach, but that’s not always a good thing. When he’s inside on me, it’s a bad thing."

GROVE, ANOTHER neighbor-island-bred star, from Maui, finally got his revenge seven years after losing to Joe "Diesel" Riggs.

Pa‘aluhi and Heun lost despite vocal support. When MMA cards were more plentiful, charismatic young fighters like them could be brought along slower, building up unbeaten records and big followings.

On Saturday, they were just proof that unfortunately not all interesting stories have happy endings for the home crowd.

Reach Dave Reardon at dreardon@staradvertiser.com or 529-4783.