Waikoloa’s Jake Babian set for Netflix debut on Rousey-Carano fight card

HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow) – Mixed martial arts is set to make its Netflix debut this weekend with a fight card headlined by Ronda Rousey and Gina Carano.

Read more Kamehameha Highway to fully close at Waimea Bay for rockfall mitigation work

The main card also features some of the biggest names in the sport, including Nate Diaz and Francis Ngannou.

And headlining the preliminary card is Hawaiʻi Island fighter Jake Babian of Waikoloa, who is set to take on Namo Fazil.

“A lot of good support back home, so we feel prepared and just ready to go out there and do our thing,” Babian said.

Babian made his professional MMA debut in 2023 and has a 6-1 record, with four wins by knockout.

Babian said tensions with Fazil had already escalated during fight week.

“The suspense we’ve had, Namo tried to fight me in the elevator yesterday. He tried to attack me and my team out in the lobby, so like it’s creating a lot of attention,” Babian said. “But you know, like where I’m from, it’s all about respect and aloha, so I just keep my head down moving forward and save it for Saturday.”

The Waikoloa native is set to fight at Intuit Dome in Los Angeles in a card that will be broadcast live on Netflix.

Read more First Alert Weather Day declared for threat of heavy rain

“I’m gonna be fighting in a venue that holds more people than my village, you know, like, it’s unreal,” Babian said.

And while his nickname is the Barbarian, the fighter shared a moment he felt starstruck.

“I saw Rhonda for the first time yesterday. Man, I was like a fanboy. ‘Oh my god, it’s Ronda Rousey,’” Babian said. “Dude, if you told me I was gonna be fighting on this card with her, like, I would have laughed in your face.”

Babian said he hopes his moment on a major stage can help open doors for other local fighters.

“I wanna pave the way for a lot more local fighters. I wanna encourage the youth to get involved,” Babian said.

“We got some of the best fighters out here,” he said. “It’s just, some of the resources we lack with getting out to the mainland for more experience, more competition.”

Read more Helicopter to install rockfall netting at Waimea Bay, Kamehameha Hwy temporary closure