Onra:10.09.08

Tremendous strides

The developments between the Mariana Islands through MMA has been tremendous. Although it’s great to see how far we’ve come in skill and talent, what’s just as impressive is the bridge that has been built with our brothers in the Marianas.

I was lucky enough to be involved with the Fury Fighting Islands Promotional Team. The first of the event series was in April of 2004 in Tinian, although the level of MMA on Guam has jumped incredibly since then, at the time we were still leaps ahead of the rest of the Marianas.

Now it’s a different story. Fighters like Frank Camacho, Cuki Alvarez, Charles Aiken and Patrick Ayuyu have stood with Guam’s best for a stronger international presence with a conscious promotion for all of the Marianas. There have been many initiatives to stimulate Mariana Island interactivity and it’s awesome that MMA has become another vehicle.

We’re going to be around for a long time. As our fighters start to venture internationally and more frequently, there will be victories, but we’re also bound to face some disappointments. Moving collectively among the islands, there will be bigger components to pick up the pieces.

It’s important that we recognize, if not emphasize, that MMA in the islands is not just here to entertain, or to prove who’s the best fighter on the island.

We are a sophisticated people and the longevity and community impact of our combat sports should already put us on top of that understanding.

Standing ovation

A standing ovation goes to Cuki Alvarez, who seems to have taken the lead in helping to provide our neighbors with a competitive MMA environment. An environment that can look through the importance of victory in competition, can appreciate the excitement of a good fight, and can recognize and celebrate technique.

All of this is done while providing a growing platform for fighter athlete hopefuls throughout all the islands of Micronesia.

Great rewards

We will be fortunate to live and grow in this spirit, especially this early in a sport and lifestyle that will continue to grab interest across every demographic. The rewards are bigger than a championship belt, a front-page photo in a magazine or an appearance on national TV. It is more about getting our name across; it is about supporting the name with quality backbone. And we are well on our way.

Biba Marianas!