Pearl City’s Oshiro Enters The Ring

Wednesday - August 29, 2007
By .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)
E-mail this story | Print this page | Comments (1) | Archive | RSS | Share Del.icio.us

Pearl City fighter Mark Oshiro of Bull’s Pen is taking on Nui Wheeler of Maili Soljahs at the first-ever EliteXC/Icon Sport/Rumble on the Rock,“EliteXC: Uprising, ” Sept. 15 at Blaisdell Arena.

The match is rumored to be the biggest MMA show ever with the three promotion giants coming together.Adding to the excitement, the show will be televised live on Showtime.

“This is the first fight event in the history of Hawaii that’s televised nationally,” said Patrick Freitas of Icon Sport.

Oshiro’s 10-1 record and his recent upset win over Tyson Nam for the Icon Sport 135-pound state title last year established him as Hawaii’s premier fighter for his weight. It also has marked him as favored to win the upcoming bout.

“Oshiro has an uncanny ability to fight equally as a right-hander and as a southpaw or left-hander, and very few fighters have that ambidextrous fighting ability,” said Freitas.“He’s a ferocious fighter and an Icon champ, but you would never know it if you met him outside the arena. He’s just your average local boy.”

Unlike other MMA fighters, Oshiro surprisingly has no formal martial arts background. Almost immediately after starting, however, he excelled. His career began in 2004, and he’s only lost once since, which was a judges’ split decision that many agree could have gone either way.

“One day my cousin called me up and asked me if I wanted to fight, and I was like, yeah,” said the 24-year-old about how he entered the sport. “I like contact sports. I used to love to play football when I was younger.”

To prepare for the fight, Oshiro has been on a strict training regimen of two to three hours a day. He’s also kicked the extra curricular activities and has done some research on his opponent.

“I’ve seen him (Wheeler) fight before - actually he fought my cousin in kickboxing earlier this year,” said the Pearl City High School graduate.“I would say I have more experience and I have the mentality. He’s pretty much a kickboxer, and I’m an all-around fighter.”

The action starts at 3 p.m. to accommodate the live broadcast. Tickets are available at the Blaisdell box office, Times Supermarkets or at www.ticketmaster.com

Books Written By MidWeek Columnist

To Book Store >>

E-mail this story | Print this page | Comments (1) | Archive | RSS

Most Recent Comment(s):

For all comments click here.