Island Fights returns to Pensacola, Florida, near the end of October to give MMA, boxing, and kickboxing fans a great night filled with brutal knockouts and submissions.
With Island Fights bringing back professional fights–not just amateur fights–more people are looking forward to the event. We have Devin Cushing, a 14-0 boxer from Pensacola looking to go 15-0. We also have professional boxer Saben Cura who is also from Pensacola, Florida who is 12-0 looking to go 13-0 against a guy named Damian Marciano who is 20-10.
Saben says,“I don’t really pay attention to the amount of people there, I just go and beat whoever my opponent is.” Saben continues about his preparations for the fight, saying “Weight cutting isn’t that easy. Having to be on a strict diet and maintain a steady training schedule can be difficult, but since I have great discipline it becomes a lot easier than other fighters would say.”
All that being said, don’t let the professional fights make you look away from the amateur fights. Every professional fighter was an amateur once. I had the opportunity to go to the previous Island Fight 84. I was able to witness the first ever amateur double champion in MMA that Island Fights has ever had. His name is John Gunther and I actually happen to know him as well. I got to meet him at the Team Remedy MMA Gym.
He is the champion in two different divisions and won his last fight with an arm triangle. I asked Gunther what were his thoughts on his performance after that fight. Gunther said “I didn’t get to show what I wanted to show. I spent a month overseas training in Thailand. I brought a lot of things back and I didn’t even get to show the tip of the spear. I really had an arsenal ready to get this guy. I remember my coach saying let’s get in and get out. So, I had to go and take care of business. I think I could’ve made that fight go longer and I could have really shown it. I could have done irreparable damage to that man. But I truly respect that guy and I feel like I like him as a person. So I didn’t want to mess him up for [shits] and giggles because this is a serious sport at the end of the day.”
Island Fights comes to the Pensacola Bay Center every two or three months. Even if you’ve never seen a fight in your life, you can still enjoy Island Fights. It is an event for everyone. The pricing is cheap, and the atmosphere is always great there. When someone gets knocked out, everyone starts to yell and stand up. You can feel the vibe change in the room. We have even had fighters from Pensacola make it to the big league like an MMA fighter named Dumas who made it to the UFC and, of course, Roy Jones. I would recommend this event to anyone who is trying to have a good time.