Mixed martial arts: Experience and youth meet again

Apii Taia (left) and Bishop Poi Poi go at it during a South Island title fight at Dunedin's...
Apii Taia (left) and Bishop Poi Poi go at it during a South Island title fight at Dunedin's Caledonian gymnasium in 2013, which Taia won. Photo by Dave Burke.
Two New Zealand titles will go on the line at the Hammerhead Productions fight night at the Caledonian Gymnasium tonight.

The main event will match experience against youth when Dunedin man Apii Taia (35) takes on Palmerston North's Bishop Poi Poi (20) for the vacant International Sport Karate Association New Zealand MMA heavyweight title.

The men squared off in 2013 for Taia's South Island title.

Taia (Hammerhead) won a unanimous three-round decision, but Poi Poi (Fightshop) was far from disgraced.

He fought on short notice and in the second round briefly dropped Taia with a nice two-punch combo, before Taia dominated the third.

Taia goes into the fight with a five win, one loss record while Poi Poi's is one win and one loss.

Poi Poi's win was an International Kickboxing Federation New Zealand MMA title last year, and he has had three amateur wins.

Taia said he felt in top shape and was confident of putting on a good performance.

''Last time was a bit of a feeling-out stage, and this time I will be going all out for the win,'' Taia said.

Poi Poi said he was still growing in the sport and he took a lot of confidence out of his first effort.

''I am young, I'm hungry and I am keen,'' Poi Poi said.

In an intriguing co-main event, Dunedin's Brogan Anderson (Hammerhead) will make his welterweight debut when he clashes with Auckland's John Vake (American Top Team NZ).

Anderson goes into the ISKA NZ MMA welterweight title fight with a four win, one loss professional record, plus a number of amateur wins, while Vake has a seven win, three loss record, including three fights at welterweight.

Anderson said Vake liked to ''grind out and smother'' his opponents and he expected him to bring a ''strong, well-rounded game''.

Cutting down to 77kg from his most recent middleweight 84kg had gone smoothly.

''It's a bit of a trade-off from strength for cardio and speed, but I feel ready,'' Anderson said.

Vake trains out of the same gym as Mark Hunt, and is coming off a unanimous decision win about five weeks ago.

He expected a tough fight, but he had fought tough fighters before.

On the undercard, welterweights Beau Rawiri (StrikeForce Auckland) and Queenstown's Renan Secco (Carlson Gracie) square off, with the winner getting a future title shot.

Rawiri (5-1) will need to be on top of his jiujitsu defensive game because Secco (4-0-1 draw) has a phenomenal skill set and is lightning fast with his submissions.

Some fine boxing skills should be on display when welterweights Pat Hammer (Hammerhead) and Christchurch's Ollie Low (Cage Fight Academy) face off.

Hammer has some cracking hand speed, winning his only previous fight with a first-round knockout.

In a kickboxing bout, Melbourne-based Dunedin man Chase Haley (Hammerhead) has a rematch with Invercargill's David Watts.

They fought out an exhibition draw last year, but with the shin guards discarded and the usual kickboxing blows permitted, this fight might end early.

In a women's MMA clash, Sarah Archer (Hammerhead) takes on Ashleigh Officer (Ultimate MMA).

Hammerhead promoter Matt Toa said crowd capacity had been cut from about 850 to 600 due to ''legislation and restrictions'', and it was sold out.

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