Noons: Coincidence and Choice

Ask K.J. Noons. There is no such thing as a coincidence.

Washing cars before becoming a professional fighter. Moving from Texas to San Diego because it was the closest thing on the mainland to his hometown of Kailua-Kona, Hawaii. Those were major steps for Karl James Noons (Pictures) on a career he had yet to embark on but had long sweated over. They all led him in the direction of his future throne in mixed martial arts.

In 2005, Noons was hitting pads with Brandon Vera (Pictures) and the fight team at City Boxing. Strictly a striker, he was helping his teammates prepare for the week leading up to the Pride tryouts in Los Angeles. His sparring partners suggested he tag along and demonstrate his skills to what was then Japan's MMA powerhouse. He declined until he was coerced, reluctantly accepting with ulterior motives.

"I didn't really want to go," reveals Noons. "But I just went to go and go party it up in L.A."

Bustling nightlife aside, City Boxing was there for business. A casual attitude for Noons, however, persisted.

"I just entered for fun while I was up there with them," he says. "I actually ended up getting best striker, signed with Pride, so all of a sudden I'm in MMA."

Hungover from the sudden change of course, Noons was sent to Seattle to work with ground wizard Matt Hume (Pictures). The AMC Pankration founder had an empty canvas to wipe with Noons' sweat. A lifelong striker, Noons had dabbled on the ground in his San Diego gym, but this was the first time he rolled on the mats.

Three knockouts later and Noons had made an impact in Hawaii's MMA scene under his contract with Dream Stage Entertainment affiliate Super Brawl. The wins got him a call from Pride's infamous lightweight class. Noons stepped back from MMA and turned to professional boxing, however, instead of competing overseas.

"My third fight I was fighting a guy with over 30 fights," says Noons of his decision to leave MMA.

He didn't leave due to the severe step up in competition, though. He wanted to fight -- just a different kind of fight.

Then came Gary Shaw. The boxing and MMA promoter offered Noons a contract in both combat sports.

Returning to MMA on EliteXC's inaugural show against Charles Bennett (Pictures) in 2007, Noons sported a technical advantage and had power to match "Krazy Horse." It was a coming-out party for the San Diegan that was crashed by Bennett's right hand that crumbled him to the floor.

Noons' career later took a sharp swerve in the right direction.

He knocked out James Edson Berto (Pictures) with a perfectly timed knee, and another knee opened the first of many cuts on Nick Diaz (Pictures) in a win that made Noons the EliteXC lightweight champion. His MMA career may have started on a coincidence, but the knees (alongside his hands) that secured him a title prove there is no such thing for Noons.

"I felt very confident going into that [Diaz] fight. Training for that fight showed me I know how to train even harder and better," says Noons, who has developed a reputation for training too hard despite fears of overtraining.

Defending his belt for the first time against Yves Edwards (Pictures) this Saturday, confidence is why Noons feels "even more prepared for this fight."

The more experienced Edwards, a UFC and Pride veteran, is a favorite against the champion. Noons is accustomed to these circumstances. The added dynamics of defending his title for the first time and fighting in front of his hometown crowd does not change the fight.

"I really don't feel too much pressure," Noons says. "I feel back at home [in Hawaii]. Once again I'm fighting a guy with over 50 fights. He's the guy that's supposed to win."

Noons promises he is a complete mixed martial artist; he no longer resents the ground game. He says he's comfortable on the mat, where he expects the "Thugjitsu" practitioner to take the fight. And standing? That's where Noons' swagger comes from, if he has any.

His boxing coach, Vernon Lee, believes Noons' has "enormous power."

"If you get hit with those four-ounce gloves, you're going down," asserts the City Boxing trainer.

Lee has studied the rangy Edwards: "Yeah, no, I don't think he has what it takes."

EliteXC matchmaker and Vice President Jared Shaw offers a more subjective critique.

"[Yves] refound himself ever since he's come to EliteXC, and he's switched back to American Top Team," Shaw says. "He's 3-0 and looked fantastic."

Coming off the heels of six million-plus viewers on CBS, EliteXC expects new fans to tune into Showtime on Saturday and provide a bigger stage for Noons versus Edwards.

"It's really intriguing to see how good K.J. Noons really is. Some people like to think he's a guy who got knocked out. Other people like to believe he's a guy who is now a crowned champion," says Shaw, who sees a star in Noons because "he's good looking, he's charismatic, he's got a fan friendly style of fighting."

Win or lose, Noons is going to dedicate himself to boxing and attempt to nail down a championship in that sport also. The EliteXC lightweight title is only half of the equation for the ambitious fighter, who will fight Nick Diaz again should both win Saturday.

Shaw is fine with Noons' double-pronged adventure, as long as he is ready to defend his title three to four times a year.

"It's up to K.J., withstanding he can handle the regiment of a boxing schedule and a mixed martial arts schedule," Shaw says.

Noons points to the seven-month layoff between capturing EliteXC gold and defending it as ample time to prepare for a boxing bout. Regardless, MMA or boxing, Noons knows what lies ahead.

"It's a long road," he says. "It's a lot of hard work."

Starting martial arts when kids still disclose their age by holding up their fingers, Noons developed a strong standup game in Hawaii's native martial art -- kempo karate. He eventually moved on to training with B.J. Penn (Pictures)'s coach Rudy Valentino, as well as collecting muay Thai and professional boxing experience. The array of striking skills developed over the 25-year-old's life has translated well to MMA.

Now "King Karl" thinks having a title is "pretty cool." There is more to be done, though, and more fights to win, whatever the combat sport of choice.