Hamilton's Pikiao Tairua-Bracken beat Caeden Skipper with a first-round knockout at the Arsenal-X 3: Hybrid Fight Series, mixed rules event at EventFinda Stadium. Photo / Leo Kurono Kirk
Three Waikato MMA fighters challenged the best fighters in the country on Saturday, making the trek to Auckland to compete at the Arsenal-X 3: Hybrid Fight Series, mixed rules event at EventFinda Stadium.
Arsenal-X is the same show that lifted Aaron Tauzemup Tau to Dana White’s Contender Series, as well as New Zealand’s most recent UFC signing, Navajo Stirling also fighting under the innovative mixed rules format.
Combatants were tasked to fight one round of kickboxing, one of MMA and the final round with full Muay Thai rules featuring elbows and knees to the head.
Core MMA’s Ezra Berghan joined Hamilton-based Tihipuke Muaythai (TMT) fighters Pikiao Tairua-Bracken and Hamza Perwaisy.
Tairua-Bracken led the charge, beating Auckland-based City Kickboxing fighter Caeden Skipper in the main event with a first-round knockout.
The 27-year-old has a wealth of experience across MMA and kickboxing and carried a significant 19-fight experience advantage over the Aucklander.
Berghan beat South Island Lee Gar’s Dane Edge via unanimous decision points and Perwaisy lost via a body shot knockout in the first round to Strikeforce Gym’s (Auckland) Jeffery Kelly.
“It was crazy. It felt like a dream. When I’m in the ring I turn into someone else. It’s like my home, my happy place and I feel free. It’s like the whole world stops,” Tairua-Bracken said.
“I’ve been fighting since I turned 17. I was bullied as a young kid and it built a fire in me.
“I went to my first event, Knees of Fury in Hamilton, and when I saw the show I knew that’s what I wanted to do.
“The feeling it gave me, I can’t explain it, but I knew from that night I wanted to be a fighter.”
Tairua-Bracken said using three fighting rules in one bout changed his whole preparation.
“You had to adapt and come in with a different mindset or plan for each round - it’s crazy. You just don’t know what to expect.”
Tairua-Bracken thanked his Tihipuke Muaythai family, his brother-in-law Perwaisy and younger sister Bubba Tairua-Bracken.
“They keep me pushing and keep me honest. Without them by my side, I don’t think I could have achieved half the things I’ve done in the fight game.”
Next up for the Hamilton fighter is a welterweight belt clash on October 19 at GLOBOX Arena, Claudelands.
“My little sister Bubba is fighting for a belt too,” Tairua-Bracken said.
“She’s been right next to me and trust me, she’s the next big thing in the women’s division. Her drive shows she’s destined for greatness.”
Tairua-Bracken will face Leon Pettifer for the WKBF Super Welter Weight NZ Title while his sister will take on Meg Barlow for the WKBF Flyweight NZ Title.
Former heavyweight kickboxer and six-time Muay Thai world champion Jason Suttie is the organiser of Arsenal-X and said the fights were amazing.
“They were amazing match-ups. Everyone deserved to be there,” Suttie said.
“Pikiao versus Cayden – he’s a firecracker and it was probably a big upset - Pikiao won in the first round.”
“I’d like to thank all the fighters and all the gyms. It’s a big ask to fight in a cage and to fight three different rules in one fight. I thought that was very impressive.
“The pressure to fight three different rules when someone is trying to knock your head off and stick to the rules is huge and they all did it.
“I’d like to give thanks in these tough times to the crowd that turned up and to our sponsors, we can’t do it without them.”
Tairua-Bracken is part of a group of impressive young, Waikato fighters rapidly carving out a niche at the top echelon of New Zealand fight sports with two recent King in the Ring 8-man champions in Michael Isaac (House of Pain), Titus Proctor (TMT) and arguably New Zealand’s top up-and-coming young MMA talent in Ethan Brocket (Core MMA).
Arsenal-X commentator and UFC coach Mike Angove is seeing a rising tide of talent coming from the Waikato.
“That guys coming from Hamilton are young and yet so polished is a testament to the job their coaches are doing, they’ve been toiling away below the radar for some time and are now producing a new wave of talent,” Angove said.
“Titus Proctor is a beast, who won the King in the Ring at just 19 years of age, and Ethan Brocket has beaten the best young fighters across three codes in the past 12 months - it’s impressive.
“That Pikiao, who comes from the gym as Titus, is main eventing, is an endorsement for Waikato fighters and coaches who are now turning up not just to take part, but to win.”
Proctor will also feature at GLOBOX Arena next month, facing Cory Crittenden for the WKBF Pro Muay Thai Middleweight World Title.
The Arsenal-X 3: Hybrid Fight Series replay is available on TVNZ+.
Jesse Wood is a multimedia journalist based in Te Awamutu. He joined NZME in 2020.