Six years ago, Hans Marrero Jr. watched a mixed martial arts documentary featuring Egan Inoue.

"That inspired me to get into MMA," Marrero said. "I wanted to be exactly like Egan Inoue. He had a shaved head at that time, so I shaved my head. I even tried to fight like him."

On May 16 in a matchup for the ages, Marrero will face Inoue in the main event of the X-1 World Events "Legends" card at the Blaisdell Center Arena.

Marrero, who is from Scottsdale, Ariz., was announced as Inoue's opponent yesterday. Marrero is 23; Inoue is 42.

"It's going to be interesting," Inoue said. "I could be his dad."

Inoue, who was one of Hawai'i's most popular fighters in the early 2000s, is fighting for the first time since 2003.

Marrero has a professional record of 15-6, and all 15 of his victories have come via armbar submission. He trains in a style called "Kobushi Sessan Jitsu," which he said is "a different form of MMA."

"He's legit," said Inoue, who has a record of 12-7. "He really intrigues me because it's strange to get all your wins by one submission. He must be exceptionally strong, I don't know."

Marrero said he started asking X-1 officials about the possibility of fighting Inoue several months ago.

"When I heard it was in Hawai'i, the first name I thought of was Egan," Marrero said. "He was one of my heroes, and I always wanted to test myself against a guy like that."

The bout will be in the 185-pound division, but no titles will be on the line.

Three X-1 championships will be decided on May 16: Shane Nelson of Hilo will defend his lightweight (155 pounds) title against Ray Cooper of Waipahu; Chad Reiner of Nebraska will defend his welterweight (170) title against Brandon Wolff of Kailua; and Kana Hyatt of the Big Island will defend his featherweight (135) title against Tyson Nam of Honolulu.

Tickets range from $25 to $150, and are available at the Blaisdell Center box office and online at www.ticketmaster.com.