Vitale may represent Hawai'i's last shot to take down Japan's Suda, the Super Brawl world champion at 185 pounds.

"I know there's a lot of pressure on me for this one," said Vitale, a Waipahu High graduate who now resides in 'Ewa. "I'm fine with it. That's part of competition, and if I want to move up in this sport, this is the kind of fight I have to win."

Vitale is 19-3, 11-1 since 2002. Suda is 21-8-3, and has not lost since 2001.

Suda already owns victories over three of Hawai'i's top mixed martial arts fighters — Egan Inoue, Ronald Jhun and Ray Cooper. Suda won the Super Brawl championship with a stunning first-round knockout of Inoue in May of 2003.

Super Brawl officials are hyping tomorrow's main event as "Destiny," and promotional posters proclaim: "For the glory ... for the legacy ... for Hawai'i ... for the belt."

"The spotlight is on Niko," Super Brawl promoter T. Jay Thompson said.

Vitale is a mix of Samoan, Chinese, German and Portuguese, and Super Brawl officials are looking at him to become the new face of headline fighters from Hawai'i.

"He has the superstar potential," Thompson said. "And this is the fight that could launch him up to that level."

Officials from some of Japan's top mixed martial arts organizations are expected to be in attendance to watch the fight and assess Vitale's potential.

Vitale has already fought twice in the prestigious Ultimate Fighting Championship, but he said tomorrow's bout will be the biggest of his career.

"The UFC wasn't about me," he said. "This one is like a showcase for me, that's why it's so big. Winning this fight will take me places in this sport."

If Vitale can prevail, he could earn a six-figure contract with one of the Japanese organizations.

For Vitale, who has a wife and two daughters, it would be a much needed payoff. Unlike many top professional mixed martial arts fighters, Vitale is not a full-time fighter.

When not training at the 808 Fight Factory in Waipahu, he works for a construction and demolition company.

"I enjoy keeping myself busy," he said. "But it'll be nice to get some big paydays if this fight goes well for me."

His wife, Mandy, said: "His day-to-day job takes enough of a toll on him because it's a physical job. But then he goes to the gym and trains for three to four hours every day. He's just really exhausted sometimes, but that shows how much he wants it."

Vitale's rise to the No. 1-contender ranking in the Super Brawl organization is even more impressive considering he has no formal martial arts training.

"I wish I took martial arts as a kid," said Vitale, 30. "I started this sport at 23 and I knew nothing, basically."

Vitale has compensated for his inexperience with physical strength and an aggressive nature he learned in another sport.

Prior to taking up mixed martial arts, Vitale was a talented football player. He was an all-state defensive back at Waipahu High and later became a star player for several of Hawai'i's professional indoor football teams. He was even good enough to get a tryout with the Dallas Cowboys.

"I miss football, sometimes, when I watch games on TV," he said. "But I'm over that part of my life. My only focus is on (mixed martial arts)."

He said he started training in mixed martial arts "for fun," but started to take it more serious after he won his first two bouts in 1999.

"I guess when you start something and you see you're good at it, your goals change," he said. "I realized that this was a way I could support my family, and that's what motivates me the most."

Mandy and daughters Jasmine, 7, and Lexy, 1, will be in attendance tomorrow.

"I get butterflies in my stomach every time he fights, but it's because I'm more worried about his safety," Mandy said. "But this is what he loves to do and we know he's also doing it to support us, so we support him."

Notes

Among the preliminary bouts, Hawai'i's Harris Sarmiento will take on Canada's Kultar Gill for the North American championship at 155 pounds. Also, Justin Mercado will take on Jim Kikuchi for the Hawai'i Championship at 145 pounds. Eleven preliminary bouts are scheduled before the main event.