Modern Fighting

HONOLULU (June 14, 2008) - On a night fit for a King, not even a post-fight scuffle could ruin the moment for KJ Noons, who retained the EliteXC lightweight title with a devastating 48-second, first-round TKO over Yves Edwards Saturday at the Blaisdell Arena on SHOWTIME.
In the co-feature on a card billed as “Return Of The King,” Nick Diaz registered a third-round TKO over Muhsin Corbbrey.
The victories by Noons, who was raised in Kailua-Kona until he was 16, and Diaz sets up what could be a rematch, but a return bout can’t come soon enough for the fighters’ volatile camp members who nearly came to blows in the cage after the main event. The fracas caught most everyone off guard.
“I’m not sure what happened or who started what, but I feel bad for Yves, a class act who trained really hard for this fight,” Noons said. “Nick has no class, he’s a bum, a piece of (expletive) and he and his team disrespected my family and I with their gestures and trash talk and tried to upstage our fight.
“I’m the champion and have the EliteXC belt. I’ll fight anybody. I didn’t see his fight but if they say Nick deserves a rematch, then we can fight and I’ll beat him again - if he can make 160 pounds.”
Noons shocked the MMA world when he captured the first-ever EliteXC lightweight belt with an upset TKO victory over Diaz during EliteXC’s fight card on Nov. 10, 2007, on SHOWTIME. “I hope they make the fight with Diaz right here at the Blaisdell, but wherever it is, I will be ready,” Noons said.
Offered Diaz, who weighed in at 169 pounds a day earlier: “I’m sorry about what happened in the cage afterward, but I didn’t start it. His guys were talking (expletive) to us.”
The event was presented by Los Angeles-based ProElite, Inc.’s EliteXC, and aired on SHOWTIME at 10 p.m. ET/PT (delayed on the west coast). The explosive main event can be seen exclusively on Cage Cam at SHO.com/Sports.
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“We accomplished what we set out to do on each and every fight card and that is deliver quality, exciting, entertaining fights,” said Douglas DeLuca, Executive Chairman, ProElite, Inc. “The fights were outstanding. I can’t say enough about the athletes’ performances. They were just spectacular.
“It was great being back in Honolulu. The fans in attendance and those watching on SHOWTIME got a terrific night of mixed martial arts.”

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K.J. Noons def. Yves Edwards (TKO R1)
Nick Diaz def. Muhsin Corbbrey (TKO R3)
Murilo “Ninja” Rua def. Tony Bonello (TKO R1)
Dave Herman def. Ron Waterman (TKO R1)
Rafael Feijao def. Wayne Cole (TKO R1)
Bubba McDaniel def. Kala Kalohe Hose (Submission R1)
Mark Oshiro def. Chris Willems (Submission R1)
Mike Aina def. Kaleo Kwan (Unanimous Decision)