By KEVIN JAKAHI
By KEVIN JAKAHI
Hawaii Tribune-Herald
Cloey Hanato is only 9 years old, but she has already snagged her first invitation to a major kickboxing event on Oahu.
The fourth grader at Konawaena Elementary will compete in the Man up &Stand up show on Friday at Waipahu’s Filcom Center.
Cloey caught the eye of a promoter at the Kona Boxing Club’s Fight Night show, run by Sonny Westbrook, in September.
Though her bout was an exhibition, Cloey showed enough to earn the Big Island’s only bid to the event.
If any of the BIIF basketball fans were wondering if Cloey is related to Jessica Hanato, a 2005 Konawaena graduate, who led the school to its first state title in 2004, she’s not.
Cloey dances hula, paddles with the Keauhou Canoe Club, and also hunts. She also likes basketball, so there’s a chance she could become a future Wildcat.
Her mom Bunni joined Westbrook’s club for exercise, and Cloey tagged along and soon got hooked. Cloey has been with the Kona Boxing Club since May.
“She’s really enjoying it,” Bunni said. “I started going for exercise. My daughter came and watched and loved it. I’m not too sure if it’s going to be in her future. I do know that’s she’s pretty competitive and that she enjoys competition.”
If Cloey keeps competing, an MMA job is a good way to make a high-end living, if you’re an ex-champion like Ronda Rousey.
She lost her UFC belt to Holly Holm. Still, it’s been reported that Rousey clears $1 to $2 million on each fight with her pie slice of pay-per-view buys.
“My father calls her little Ronda Rousey,” said Natalee Westbrook, who promoted the Fight Night show. “That’s because Cloey resembles her and she is just amazing in training. He says that she has a lot of heart.”
The Man up &Stand up promoter saw that, too.
“In that September exhibition, she did really good,” Bunni said. That’s why the promoter wanted her to come down to Oahu.”
Cloey will have to miss a day of school on Thursday because she’ll weigh in at the Power Gym House in Pearl Kai. Then she fights in her first competition that counts on Friday.