A Northern Mariana Islands former mixed martial art (MMA) fighter, who has developed the reputation of being something of a journeyman, says combat sports offer young people more opportunities than in the past.
Kelvin “The Big Hit” Fitial shared his thoughts after his first-round knock-out win over an American opponent at Big Dawg Bare Knuckle Boxing 7 (BDBKB 7) in California over the weekend.
The win sees Fitial, 42, mark a successful return to the win column following a loss in his BDBKB promotional debut in April.
It also continues his transition from MMA into bare-knuckle competition, where he has built a 2-1 record.
The CNMI fighter said that, having competed both with and without gloves, the two formats present different challenges.
“MMA isn’t an easy sport. It demands everything from you-physically, mentally, emotionally,” Fitial said.
“I’ve experienced both sides of it – fighting with gloves and bare knuckle. And honestly, bare knuckle is a different level. It’s raw, it’s real, and in many ways, I feel like it’s better than gloves because there’s no hiding behind anything.
“It’s just you, your skill, and your heart,” he added.
Fitial said combat sports have developed over the years and increased opportunities to help younger fighters to develop.
“Over the years, the sport of MMA has evolved in so many ways, and I’m proud to see how far it’s come. Back then, we didn’t have many options-we just showed up, worked hard, and made the most of what we had,” he said.
Fitial said fighters today have more opportunities, teams, and communities helping them develop.
“Now, it’s a different story. There are opportunities, there are teams, there are communities being built, and that’s something special,” he said.
Fitial also thanked various stakeholders working behind the scenes to grow combat sports, saying there were helping build something for the next generation and “giving them a path we didn’t always have”.
Combat sports rebuild
Fitial’s victory also comes as the CNMI’s combat sports community works to rebuild its local competition calendar following super typhoons Sinlaku and Bavi.
Trench Tech Purebred Saipan owner and former professional fighter Justis “Cuki” Alvarez said Saipan continues to have a large pool of aspiring fighters despite the lack of recent events.
“Saipan has a lot of young, hungry, beginner fighters who are just waiting and looking for events to compete in,” Alvarez said.
He pointed to participation in previous local events as evidence of the sport’s following in the CNMI.
“Remember, in the past three ROF (Ring of Fire) events and the past two COF (Cage of Fire) events, we had over 15-18 bouts/matches each event. That doesn’t even include the grappling events we have,” Alvarez said.
Alvarez said Trench Tech began 2026 with the Ballroom Blitz Grapplers Gala on 28 March at the Crowne Plaza Resort Saipan’s Hibiscus Hall.
At least three more events had been planned, including Rites of Fury 4 in July, Cage of Fire 3 in October, and Mats on Fire 3 toward the end of the year, but the typhoons disrupted those plans.
“We are working on a comeback to end the year banging,” Alvarez said.
Cage of Fire 3 is tentatively scheduled for Saturday, 12 December, he added.
Although local events were put on hold, CNMI fighters and grapplers continue to seek competition off-island.
Alvarez said members of Dr Ty Dorum’s Marianas Combat Arts and MMA team have traveled to represent the CNMI in amateur Muay Thai competitions.
Several competitors from Saipan Submissions and Trench Tech are also expected to compete against Guam counterparts during Submit International on 11 September.
Among them is Trench Tech’s Vince “The Clinch” Masga, who is scheduled to challenge Scotty “The Slayaa” Eclavea in a hybrid no-gi brown belt-versus-black belt match.
Alvarez said Fitial currently appears to be the CNMI’s only active fighter regularly traveling abroad to compete, making his latest victory especially significant for the islands’ combat sports community.
