By MATT BOONE
MMANEWS.COM Staff Writer

Phil Lanides from X-1 Media Relations sent along the following ...

It’s no secret that Hawaii has been hit very hard by the down economy. As a result, mixed martial arts events have taken quite a hit as well. Gone are the days of regular events from Superbrawl, ICON, and Rumble on the Rock. Now carrying the torch for Hawaiian MMA are promotions like X-1 and Destiny. X-1’s next event, Sept. 11th’s “Heroes,” will feature the top two Hawaiian fighters not fighting for the UFC in headliners Falaniko Vitale and Kala Hose, as they battle for the X-1 Middleweight Championship.

As laid out in this article from the Honolulu Star-Advertiser’s Billy Hull (http://www.staradvertiser.com/sports/20100827_No_plans_for_UFC_in_Hawaii.html?mobile=true), many think that the UFC is looking at X-1’s “Heroes” as a barometer for whether or not the promotion will try to bring their brand of MMA to the Islands anytime soon. As a result, there’s a lot of pressure riding on X-1, as well as Niko and Kala, and the consequences of how “Heroes” does could be quite far-reaching.

Regards,
Phil Lanides
X-1 Media Relations