EliteXC returns to Hawaii on June 14
Former Big Island resident KJ Noons will fight in Hawaii for the first time in more than two years when he headlines an Elite Xtreme Combat card June 14 at the Blaisdell Arena.
Noons will defend his EliteXC lightweight title against Yves Edwards in a fight made official during last night's EliteXC/StrikeForce co-promoted event in San Jose, Calif.
It's the first fight for Noons (6-2) since knocking out Nick Diaz to become the champion. Edwards (33-13-1), a veteran of both PRIDE and the UFC, is on a three-fight win streak.
The June 14 card will be broadcast on Showtime and is also expected to feature a fight between Jake Shields and Drew Fickett to crown the organization's first welterweight champion. That fight was originally scheduled to take place on last night's show, but Shields pulled out of the fight a week ago with a back injury.
It'll be the second mixed martial arts show in Hawaii broadcast live in the U.S. on cable TV. Last September's EliteXC event featured Robbie Lawler knocking out Murilo "Ninja" Rua to become the middleweight champ. Lawler is headlining the first prime-time MMA event on network television May 31 when he defends the belt against Scott Smith on CBS.