MMA: Pikiao Tairua-Bracken takes Arsenal X win after 40 seconds

Hamilton combat sports fighter Pikiao “The Tiger” Tairua-Bracken, 28, won against Australian fighter Hassan Solati Moghaddam. Photo / Combat Sport Network (CSN)

Hamilton combat sports fighter Pikiao “The Tiger” Tairua-Bracken has clocked up a quick knockout win at the recent Arsenal X event in Auckland.

Arsenal X, now in its fourth edition, is the brainchild of six-time Kickboxing/Muay Thai world champion Jason Suttie.

As fighters progress through the event, which usually goes for three rounds, the sporting codes change: The first round is boxing, the second K1-Kickboxing, and the third Muay Thai.

Tairua-Bracken, 28, took on Australian fighter Hassan Solati Moghaddam, 28, in what was a very quick fight: it lasted less than a minute.

Moghaddam threw everything he had at him, but after 40 seconds, Tairua-Bracken landed a heavy shot, pushing Moghaddam to the floor.

Posting on social media after the fight, Tairua-Bracken said he was grateful for the fight.

“Still growing still evolving with my team!

“We really out here doing our thing. I’m so blessed & forever grateful for the people around me. Bring on the next chapter!

“To my opponent, my sponsors & the people around me: u already know it’s love nothing but love!”

Tairua-Bracken said he was now looking to be at the next BX-9 event, scheduled for December 13, however, the venue and line-up have not been announced yet.

Tairua-Bracken was one of three Waikato competitors taking part in Arsenal X.

Isaac “The Nightmare” Tshikula, 21, took on Waelin Karekare, 24, of Gisborne, while Hayden Crawford-Williams was scheduled to fight Mandela Ale, however, due to unknown reasons, the latter fight was pulled.

Tshikula and Karekare both walked into the fight at about 62kgs.

However, Karekare had a significant height advantage.

In the first round, boxing, Tshikula was accurate with his punches, landing and moving away.

Karekare did not use his reach and height, giving the Hamilton boxer chances to land some clean shots.

Round two, K1 kickboxing, was a little more even as Karekare was landing more shots, but this time with kicks.

Karekare did not throw many punches but was succeeding in throwing and landing lower kicks.

Tshikula was throwing a lot more finesse in his shots, doing spinning back fist strikes and spinning back kicks.

In round three, muay thai, both fighters were coming in aggressive.

It was a close fight and could have gone either way: Tshikula was very fast but Karekare continued to land lower kicks.

In the end it was Karekare who came away with the win by unanimous decision.

Benjamin Watt is a retired boxing judge and New Zealand boxing writer with a decade of experience. Watt has also been BoxRec’s New Zealand record-keeper since 2014.