'Hurricane' set to hit Patriots Point tonight

MOUNT PLEASANT -- Hector "The Hurricane" Munoz of New Mexico said boxing turned his life around at a time when he was running with the wrong crowd on the streets of Albuquerque.

"Gangs, drugs, everything," he said of those days.

Getting married and becoming a father helped, too, he said.

"Having a baby is a blessing," he said.

Now he is on a mission.

"No more messing around for me. I'm ready for this fight," he said.

Tonight, he will box Ayi "Bruce Lee" Bruce of Ghana for a scheduled 10 rounds at the Omar Shrine Temple.

So far, Munoz has won 19 fights and lost four in welterweight competition. His opponent is 19-3.

"He's a pretty tough, durable guy," Munoz said.

Munoz and Bruce will compete in "Fight Night at the Point," a first of its kind event at Patriots Point that will also feature 10 three-round mixed martial arts fights.

In 2009, the General Assembly legalized mixed martial arts fights, also known as "ultimate fighting," in which contestants punch, kick and wrestle.

Last June, a 30-year-old man died after participating in his first professional mixed martial arts fight in Aiken, apparently from injuries sustained inside the ring. He collapsed following the fight and died without regaining consciousness after suffering bleeding inside his brain, according to news reports.

That prompted some criticism of the Legislature's decision to OK the contests.

The fights in Mount Pleasant are governed by the South Carolina State Athletic Commission and other pro fighting organizations, said promoter Andrew Stokes of Columbia.

"Every fighter that we have is a seasoned fighter," he said.

The Omar Shrine Temple venue can hold up to about 900 people. Doors open at 6 p.m. The fights begin at 7. Tickets are $25, said Jamie Lewis, event manager for the Omar Shrine Temple.

On Wednesday, the Omar Shrine Temple auditorium was being used by Charleston School of Law students preparing to take the state bar exam. The law students are scheduled to end studying there by this morning.

"As soon as they get out of here, we'll be setting up for the fights," Lewis said.

A portion of proceeds from the fights will go to Charleston Interfaith Crisis Ministries, Lewis said.