Falaniko Vitale has been making a big impression on the Hawaii fans. First as a stand out player for the University of Hawaii football team and now as a successful NHB fighter. Hawaii people live and die behind high school and college sports because that is the closest thing we have to a professional team. The fans stand behind and support their own which may be a reason why mixed martial arts has been steadily growing for a number of years now. Niko is a very calm and quiet young man with a bodybuilder type body and movie star looks. The average person would never think that he is a professional fighter, maybe a Baywatch Hawaii extra. Niko is quite the fighter with a well-rounded game of punches, kicking, clinching, and ground techniques. He is an explosive fighter that rises to the occasion. I sat down with Niko after, probably the biggest win of his young career over UFC veteran Todd Medina, the Warrior's Quest at Blaisdell arena on May 29, 2001.

FCF: What did you expect in the fight knowing that Medina was a UFC veteran, Carlson Gracie Brown belt in BJJ, and a seasoned fighter?
Falaniko Vitale: I tried to block all of that out. I wanted to take my fight to him and that's basically what I did, but that wasn't the plan. I wanted to really stand up with him. That's why I was always training my standup game. The fight was kind of boring, I think. I don't know. I guess I came out with a good win.

FCF: Did it throw you off when he crouched down a bit, looking like he was going shoot the whole time and didn't bother to attempt the stand up game?
FT: I've been training that way for the last month. I knew he was going to try to shoot in. I just wanted to wait for him to shoot and if not, I'll just try to leg check him and I knew he doesn't like that so…

FCF: How soon in the fight did you know that your knees were so devastating and making it hard for him to walk?
FT: Actually in the first round, that was my game plan, to take his legs out. Eventually, I got him. I knew I got him so I kept on going. My corner man, Egan, said, "take the knees, take the knees" so I kept the fight there.

FCF: Did you see him hobble back to his corner in the first round (Note: After the first round, Medina's legs were all red and lumpy from the knees and kicks that Niko gave him)?
FT: I didn't see him so Egan just told me to (leg) check him, keep going for the legs, so I did what I had to do so eventually, it came out good.

FCF: The knees were the biggest factor in changing the tempo of the fight. I know you were concentrating on your standup for primarily a month?
FT: Oh longer than that. I've been training for a while. I've been training hard core my stand up. The fight didn't go the way I wanted, but it just happened.

FCF: Have you been working more on the boxing aspects or the total game including the knees?
FT: I trained a lot. I trained with Joe Silva, Wilberg, Hulk from the Kodokan school. Joe Silva's from the Waimanalo kickboxing school and also owns a kempo school. They helped me out. Tali (Kuliha'apai from Grappling Unlimited) helps me out with my stand up. Lately, I've been getting more standup than the ground game. I think I'm confident enough to move on the ground.

FCF: How were you modifying your stand up training to something you can use in NHB?
FT: I concentrate more on the leg kicks, the short kicks, one-two combinations. I don't want to all out brawl, you know. I just want to tap them, hit them, and shoot when I have to. If my stand up's good enough to stand up with the guy, then I'll stand up with him.

FCF: You have always been strong in your clinching and Greco-Roman type of positions. Have you been working on this aspect of your game?
FT: I've been training with a lot of big guys at Egan's (Inoue) school like Kumu, Cabbage, and the other guys. They help me with my stand up. Usually, I don't work too much with the wrestling aspect for fighting, but I think I'm confident enough with my wrestling skills. I think I'm good enough to sprawl on the takedown and stuff like that.

FCF: Let's talk about the transition you made to Grappling Unlimited. First, why?
FT: First of all, I live in Kaneohe and it's a far drive to drive to Kapolei everyday (to go to the Jesus is Lord's gym) (author's note: In Hawaii, a 45 minute traffic-free drive is a really long drive to everyone and we have one of the country's worst traffic congestion during rush hour). It was a hard decision to make so I left them and decided to join Egan because I knew Egan and we were good friends so I that's why I came. It's just the traveling part.

FCF: What kind of differences do you see between the Jesus is Lord team and Grappling Unlimited?
FT: They are both the same to me. They are both intense training. They get down to the point where… actually the Jesus is Lord team is more stand up artists and Grappling and Egan is more grappling and Muay Thai style, but the training is totally the same.

FCF: Do you have more of your sized training partners at Grappling?
FT: Yeah, there's a lot of bigger guys there so it's better for me.

FCF: It looks like from the last fight, your conditioning has improved. I noticed that at the end of your last fight, you seemed to gas at the end. This fight you looked strong all the way through. Is this a direct relation to Egan's crazy workouts?
FT: Egan has some intense training too. I love his training. I love his style. He has helped me out with my conditioning; everybody at that school has helped me out with my conditioning. They get most of the credit.

FCF: Lets go into your background. What kind of style did you start off with?
FT: Actually, I had no style to start of with. I had good wrestling skills I thought and I trained with Kelly Matsukawa when he started his Kaneohe Jiu-Jitsu Klub (Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu) and I've been training with him for about two years. He had his career set so he didn't have time to teach anymore so I went to the Jesus is Lord team, then I got with them and fought a couple fights for them and eventually now I'm here with Grappling Unlimited.

FCF: After beating Todd Medina, you have established yourself that you can beat notable opponents. Are you looking to fight someone of a higher caliber next or are you going to walk yourself up?
FT: I'll take one step at a time, work my way up there. I'm in no rush to fight any top fighters, but if Egan thinks I'm ready then I'll fight.

FCF: Has there been any talk of a particular opponent or event?
FT: I'm looking at the IFC, possibly. Hopefully in July, he'll (the promoter) invite me to his card.

FCF: Locally, you are known from your football background (Niko played for the University of Hawaii football team) and that draws many people to your fights. Has your football background helped you in anyway with your NHB?
FT: Maybe, I know a lot of people in Hawaii and I have a lot of friends too. I meet new people everyday so I guess that is part of it to. I do a lot of the agility drills in football and they work on my explosiveness. It's good stuff. Track style training, I do a lot of those in football and in NHB training.

FCF: You ended your fight with a proposal to your long time girlfriend. Thank God you won! It worked out well (both laugh). Do you have any date set yet?
FT: Hopefully next year, the same time, during the summer. We're going to plan it some time this month. We'll see what she wants and what I want. Whenever is convenient for us. Now, I got to start saving some money (laughs).

FCF: Was the proposal something you planned for a while or was it going to be your next NHB if you didn't propose?
FT: If I lost this fight, I wouldn't have proposed. I guess it was meant to be tonight. We've been together for a long time. She deserves it.

FCF: Congratulations on our fight and upcoming wedding. We'll see you again soon.
FT: Alright man.