HONOLULU -- Experiments in moving weight classes seemed to work well for some and not so well for others, as fighters competing at Icon Sport’s “Hard Times” event this Saturday at the Neal S. Blaisdell Arena stepped on the scales to make their bouts official.
In his first step towards a possible shift to welterweight, current Icon Sport middleweight champion Kala Kolohe Hose meets
Rolando Dominique (Pictures) at a catch weight of 180 pounds. Both Hose and Dominique weighed in within the one-pound leeway given to fighters, coming in at 180.6 and 180.5 pounds.
Former Icon Sport bantamweight champion
Mark Oshiro (Pictures) recently found himself without his title as the promotion has dropped the traditional bantamweight limit of 135 pounds in favor of the 140-pound limit used by parent company ProElite.
The hard-hitting Hawaiian will take on tough veteran
Bao Quach (Pictures) for the new 140-pound title. The fighters made their title scrap official, as they both stepped on the scales at a fit 140 pounds.
Coming off a successful debut in his new, lighter weight class,
Phil Baroni (Pictures) came in with room to spare, weighing 173.5 for his 175-pound showdown with Superbrawl and Icon Sport veteran
Ron Verdadero (Pictures), who weighed in at 175 pounds his first time after dropping from middleweight.
Sydney Silva, who is dropping from 170 pounds where he previously held the Icon state title, made weight unofficially at 161 pounds before the weigh-ins began, but a miscommunication led him to believe he had been officially cleared for combat.
The Brazilian transplant then began rehydrating before he was informed that he would have to make weight again when his opponent, Hyato “Mach” Sakurai pupil Hideto Kondo, arrived. Silva’s second trip to the scales revealed that he had already soaked up two pounds after drinking water.
The Japanese fighter and his trainer were unwilling to concede the extra two pounds, and Silva was forced to re-cut the excess weight. After some work in the sauna, Silva was able to again make the 161-pound limit.
Former 145-pound champion
Sadhu Bott (Pictures) had some trouble dropping to the new 140-pound class. Bott last weighed in at 142 pounds, but could not cut the final pound. Rather than accept an offer to forfeit part of his purse to opponent Kurrent Cockett (140.5), Bott instead opted to make the final cut tomorrow before the fight.
All other fighters competing on the card either made weight or agreed to catch weights, making a total of twelve fights official, with a possible thirteenth in the balance if Bott can come through tomorrow.
Icon Sport “Hard Times” Weigh-in Results
Rolando Dominique (Pictures) (180.5) vs. Kala Kolohe Hose (180.5)
Bao Quach (Pictures) (140) vs.
Mark Oshiro (Pictures) (140)
Ron Verdadero (Pictures) (175) vs.
Phil Baroni (Pictures) (173.5)
Hideto Kondo (160) vs.
Sidney Silva (Pictures) (161)
Jose Diaz (Pictures) (184.5) vs. Mario Miranda (185.5)
Eddie Rincon (Pictures) (159) vs.
Dean Lista (Pictures) (159.5)
Ed Newalu (Pictures) (152*) vs.
Ricky Wallace (Pictures) (150.5)
Kurrent Cockett (140.5) vs.
Sadhu Bott (Pictures) (142**)
Maui Wolfgram (203.5) vs. Richard Desforge (202.5)
Kyle Miyahana (168) vs. Brewski Louis (169)
Ian Dela Cuesta (140.5) vs. Ola Silva (139)
Brad Tavares (183) vs. Devin Kauwe (185.5)
Mark Tajon (142.5) vs.
Alan Lima (Pictures) (145)
*Newalu was a pound over the 151-pound limit, but will still be able to compete after forfeiting a percentage of his purse to opponent Ricky Wallace (Pictures).
**Bott will attempt to make weight before the start of the event on Saturday.