Submitted photo – Cass Bell

Humboldt County’s own green monster will be hoping to pack some Hawaiian punch on Friday night, as he looks to continue what has been a remarkable run for North Coast MMA over the past couple of years.

Cass Bell will put his unbeaten run on the line against Pierre Daguzan in a 135-pound fight at Bellator’s Salute to the Troops in Hawaii, an event that will be televised live on the Paramount Network.

But he’s not the only unbeaten local pro fighter.

Since 2017, in fact, the five local pro MMA fighters — a group that also includes Bell’s teammate Tyson Miller as well as Orion and Louis Cosce and Austin Mitchell — are a combined 17-0 in the cage, which says a lot for the growth of the sport locally in recent years.

Bell, who fights out of the Institute of Combat in Arcata, is 4-0 as a pro and has won all four of his fights within the opening two rounds, all of them at prestigious Bellator events.

Preparation ahead of Friday’s big fight has been going well, and the former Arcata High wrestler made weight on Thursday afternoon.

The easily identifiable Bell was also sporting his traditional green hairdo for the occasion.

“My first fight at Cher Ae Heights Casino, I wanted to do something to stand out, and it’s my kid’s favorite color and my favorite color, and it seemed like it was something cool to do for Humboldt County,” Bell explained. “It just pops. Everybody recognizes me.”

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Ray Hamill writes at humboldtsports.com, where you can read lots more about sports in Humboldt County.