Abbott, Kimo go head-to-head in Las Vegas

Huntington Beach residents David “Tank” Abbott and Kimo Leopold

travel to Las Vegas Friday to face each other at the Ultimate

Fighting Championship 43: Meltdown.

The heavyweight division bout will be the sixth fight on an

eight-fight card at the Thomas & Mack Center on the University of

Nevada Las Vegas campus.

Abbott, 38, is known as power-punching knockout specialist.

He will bring an 8-8 record into the match.

Kimo, a Hawaiian legend, is known for his submission style in the

ring.

The 35-year-old is 7-3-1 overall.

It will be the first fight between the Huntington Beach athletes,

said Jack Taylor of the Ultimate Fighting Championship.

“It’s a battle of two different styles,” he said. “We’ll find out

who is the real Huntington Beach bad boy when this fight is over.”

Abbott says he’s gone through intense training leading up to the

match and will be taking on an opponent he has never met.

“I’ve been training hard and will be ready for a war,” he said.

“I’m expecting nothing less than a blood bath.

“Kimo -- I’ve never met the guy. I’ve never even talked to him,

but this has been brewing for a long time and it’s going to be fun to

get this over with.”