Eh, braddahs an sistahs, you know how us guys ova hea in Hawaiʻi stay all nuts ’bout MMA, yeah? Well, da lawmakas stay looking how fo’ make um even mo’ big kine ovah hea! ??
Plenny local talent in da mixed martial arts world, an’ Hawaiʻi get choke MMA fans. So, dat’s why da lawmakas tinkin’ ’bout making one Combat Sports Commission in Hawaiʻi, brah. ??
Dey tink dat dis Commission goin’ pull mo’ MMA events ova hea, like da one an’ only Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), da multi-billion-dolla company. ??
Kendall Grove, one fo’ma UFC fightah an’ lifelong UFC fan, tink dat dis idea stay cherry. “Seeing dem come hea would be one dream come true,” he say. Grove, one Maui boy, stay professional fightah fo’ long time. ?️?
He wen scrap in da UFC an’ wen win da Ultimate Fighter (TUF) 3. Grove stay giving back now, teachin’ da up an’ coming UFC champions how fo’ fight. He hope da lawmakas goin’ see da benefits of bringing da UFC to Hawaiʻi. ??♂️
“Right now, da market stay booming, an’ get choke good fightahs in Hawaiʻi an’ da South Pacific. Bringing da UFC hea would be awesome. Would be one of da biggest shows dey evah had, I tink,” Grove say. ??
Senate Bill 1027 no just making one commission, but also goin’ provide regulation fo’ combat sports an’ put da kala fo’ um. Da kine bill would go undah da state Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs. ?♂️?
But da agency stay ‘gainst um. DCCA say dat funding one commission goin’ cost mo’ kala den running da already-existing MMA Program. ??
“Each licensee would have to assume deez costs. Get 150 total licensees wit’ active licenses. Dey would be responsible fo’ paying on average $2,819 fo’ fund one commission,” DCCA Communications Officer William Nhieu wen say. ??
Plus, DCCA not even sure if one commission goin’ bring mo’ MMA events to Hawaiʻi. “Da issue stay lack of venues wea promotahs tink goin’ fit da audience dey like have,” Nhieu say. ?️?
So, Hawaiʻi peeps, stay tuned fo’ see if dis kine idea goin’ happen o’ not. Fo’ now, jus’ keep enjoying da MMA action an’ cheering fo’ da local fightahs, cuz you nevah know, one day we might see UFC live in Hawaiʻi! ???
NOW IN ENGLISH
?? MMA in Hawai’i Going Big! Lawmakers Aim to Make It Even Bigger!
Hey, friends, you know how we here in Hawai’i are crazy about MMA, right? Well, lawmakers are trying to figure out how to make it even bigger here! ??
There’s a lot of local talent in the mixed martial arts world, and Hawai’i has numerous MMA fans. That’s why lawmakers are considering establishing a Combat Sports Commission in Hawai’i. ??
They believe this Commission will attract more MMA events to the state, like the renowned Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), the multi-billion-dollar company. ??
Kendall Grove, a former UFC fighter and lifelong UFC fan, thinks this idea is fantastic. “Seeing them come here would be a dream come true,” he said. Grove, a Maui native, has been a professional fighter for decades. ?️?
He has competed in the UFC and was the winner of The Ultimate Fighter (TUF) 3. Grove is now giving back by training potential future UFC champions. He hopes lawmakers will see the benefits of bringing the UFC to Hawai’i. ??♂️
“Right now, the market is booming, and there are a lot of great fighters here in the state of Hawai’i and in the South Pacific. Bringing the UFC here would be awesome. It would be one of the biggest shows they’ve ever had, I think,” Grove said. ??
Senate Bill 1027 would not only create a commission but also provide regulation for combat sports and appropriate funds. The bill would fall under the state Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs. ?♂️?
However, the agency is against it. The DCCA says that funding a commission would be much more costly than administering the already-existing MMA Program. ??
“Each licensee would have to assume these costs. There are 150 total licensees with active licenses. They would be responsible for paying an average of $2,819 to fund a commission,” DCCA Communications Officer William Nhieu stated. ??
Additionally, the DCCA is not sure whether a commission would actually bring more MMA events to the state. “The issue at hand remains the lack of venues where promoters feel would be able to accommodate the audiences they wish to have,” Nhieu explained. ?️?
So, Hawai’i folks, stay tuned to see if this idea becomes a reality or not. For now, just keep enjoying the MMA action and cheering for local fighters, because you never know, one day we might see the UFC live in Hawai’i! ???
