BLYN — Bristol Marunde says athletes are built tougher on the North Olympic Peninsula.
A handful of area fighters will get a chance to prove just that during a night of Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) at 7 Cedars Casino on Saturday.
The latest in a line of promotions from Marunde, the event features 14 fights pitting competitors from all over the Pacific Northwest, including 14 from Port Angeles and Sequim.
“The Peninsula is becoming hot bed for MMA fighters,” said Marunde, a Sequim native who now fights professionally out of Las Vegas and runs Reign Promotions.
“It’s really catching on. We’re kind of creating a Peninsula fight league.”
The event is set to begin at 7 p.m. inside the casino.
General admission tickets cost $35, while reserved seats can be purchased for $65.
Those who come to the show can expect to see a wide range of fighting styles, according to Marunde, from traditional wrestling to tae kwon do to Brazilian jiu jitsu.
“We’re going to see everything,” Marunde said. “Pretty much every fighting art is going to be represented, and that’s what makes it exciting.
“[The question becomes] who’s fighting style is going to show up and reign supreme?”
A full range of abilities, backgrounds and weight classes will also be involved with six fighters making their debut.
Highlighting the proceeding will be a pair of main events, including a 170-pound professional bout between Wes Golden of Tacoma and John Heath of Portland, Ore., to close out the evening.
The other co-main event is an amateur fight pitting Spokane’s Adam Smith (6-3 overall) against Port Angeles’ Andrew Heuett at 170 pounds.
Smith won the fight of the night in Marunde’s last production at 7 Cedars.
Meanwhile, Heuett, an active Port Angeles police officer, has yet to lose in five matches.
“We have a full night of fights, so it’s going to be action-packed,” Marunde said. “There’s going to be very little breaks.
“It’s going to be exciting from start to finish.”
The only thing fight fans will not be treated to is a show from Marunde himself.
The former Sequim High School standout wrestler and football player is 13-6 in his career and just three weeks removed from a big decision victory over Chuck Grigsby (19-5) in Las Vegas.
Because of all the work that goes into promoting his fight cards, however, he never participates in his own productions.
“This is for the fighters on the Peninsula,” Marunde said. “The show is a huge success on the Peninsula, and I just want to thank the fighters and fans for supporting us.
“I have a huge heart for this place because it’s where I grew up, and I just want to see the sport grow.”
For more information on the fights, visit www.7cedarsresort.com.