Hawaii’s two major newspapers are giving extensive coverage to the EliteXC: Return of the King card to be held at Honolulu’s Blaisdell Center Arena. The card features a number of fighters from the islands including headliner and lightweight champion KJ Noons who grew up on Kaiula, Kona.

From the Honolulu Star Bulletin:

Instead of fighting on EliteXC’s debut show May 31 on CBS — the first mixed martial arts event broadcast on network television — Noons finds himself in a better position.

His fight would have reached a larger audience, but nothing was more important to the former Big Island resident than coming back home to fight in the same place his MMA career began.

“It turned out better for me,” Noons said. “Now I’m headlining on a Showtime card. So I’m not on the undercard. This is a dream for me to be fighting the main event, especially back in my hometown.”

The Honolulu Advertiser focuses on some of the Hawaiian fighters on the undercard:

In the absence of Showtime exposure, several Hawai’i mixed martial arts fighters still want to put on a show tomorrow.

Hawai’i stars Kala Kolohe Hose and Mark Oshiro are among the fighters on the undercard of tomorrow’s “Return of the King” MMA card put on by the EliteXC organization. Preliminary bouts are scheduled to begin around 3 p.m. at the Blaisdell Center Arena.

“Every fight is big — it goes on your record, no matter what, if you win or lose,” Hose said. “It doesn’t make a difference to me if it’s on TV.”

Fighters like Hose and Oshiro appearing on the undercard says a lot about the main bouts.

Unlike many of the mainland states, Hawaiians are typically very knowledgable and supportive of mixed martial arts and take pride in their local champions like Noons and UFC lightweight champ BJ Penn.

EliteXC to show its stuff @ Honolulu Star Bulletin

Hawaii fighters hope to steal show @ Honolulu Advertiser

KHNL-NBC 8 Honolulu also has coverage online, including video:

The fight is called “Return of the King” as Big Island native KJ Noons returns to Hawaii to defend his elite XC World Lightweight title.

Well first of all, this isn’t going to be an easy fight for KJ Noons. His opponent is an experienced fighter in both the pride fighting championships and in the UFC.

Yves Edwards is the man looking to take the belt from Noons. He brings with him a record of 34 wins in 48 fights. In contrast, Noons is 5-1.

However, don’t count KJ out, he admits he’s probably the underdog in this fight, but he’s been in Edwards shoes, and he’s prepared for for whatever Edwards will bring.

Fighting for the title, you’re very motivated and you want to win, but defending the title, I feel like I’ve been there and I know what it takes to win the title, so I train a hundred times harder. If he can outright beat, I mean beat me round to round he deserves the belt because I just don’t see it happening,” said Noons.

Noons and Edwards are also friends, but they both say there will be no holding back when they step into the ring.

Local fighter returns to Hawaii to defend title @ KHNL NBC 8