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Story By: King Eddie- MMA Hawaii Staff Writer
WHEW!!! If you thought part one was interesting then you had better catch your breath and drink some fluids because your brain is about to get rocked with the top three fights on the January 30th fight card. Lets get to it!
WOW. . . Elijah Manners has been stated by so many fighters as their toughest challenge. His fists are lightening quick and amazingly heavy. His resilience is that of legend. Manners played the comeback kid in his last fight after getting caught with hard shots and submission attempts early. He came through with a mission to destroy the man across the cage. His level of intensity is something that most cannot handle. He seems to overwhelm and overpower his opponents before they have time to know what is going on. Not to mention, he recovers quickly, sometimes shocking his adversaries. Keoni Farm is like a hurricane. When he hits Oahu, there is a chance he will leave behind some wreckage. His absolute power is something that you cannot teach. His wrestling skill lands him into dominant positions over and over again. His submission skills come into play once he has gained dominant position. And did I mention that his stand up is slightly unorthodox leading some opponents to take MAJOR damage. This will be a battle of attrition. Who can weather the storm. Who can outlast the beating, the slamming, the choking and the gassing. I feel as if this fight may come down to who has more gas in the tank.
What is there to say about Johnavan Vistante other than the kid has skills. He has dancing skills. He has talking skills. What doesn't this guy have on his side. Vistante is a veteran in every aspect of fighting. He has traveled the bumpy road that is the sport we love so much. His talent has lead him to Japan and back and caught the eye of many in the local scene. Vistante has had absolute wars with some of the toughest in the business and found holes in their game. His kickboxing can only be described as fluidity at its core. He is an utter visionary with his punches and kicks that seem to be more reflex than individually planned movements. What can this spell for Koa Giddens??? I don't think it spells the end of his career. This may be just the challenge that this young powerhouse needs in order to solidify himself as a contender for top ten rankings. Koa has the obvious size advantage. He has made it clear that his size translates to his fighting because he has BIG takedowns and DEVASTATING ground and pound. The possibility that he may be outmatched on the feet doesn't seem to get to Giddens in any way. He is very talented, very confident and VERY ready to handle business on January 30th. This is another fight that I fear will not make it out of the first round. No matter who wins.
Finally to cap off the entire night of head smashing fury, we have the one and only Zane Kamaka takes on Derek Stadler. Here is what we know about Zane. . The guy is big, the guy is quick, and he is definitely on the list of people not to mess with. He proved against Bruski Louis that he can neutralize the takedowns. He has quick and powerful hands that are attached to those yardsticks he calls arms. His reach is insane which may be part of what makes him so hard to deal with. Every time this guy fights, he makes another stamp on face of MMA here in Hawaii. I don't know much about Derek Stadler. But what I can say is, the number one fear in the world is the fear of the unknown. Since the skills and tools of Stadler are relatively unknown, Kamaka may be afraid. And if he isn't, maybe he should be. Never underestimate an opponent you have never encountered. No matter the skill of the opponent, we know that Zane will put on a show. But if he overlooks this opponent, we may be looking at the upset of the night.
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