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Make sure to save Aug. 16 on your calendar.
That’s the newly announced date when Hialeah Mayor Carlos Hernandez and Miami Lakes Mayor Michael Pizzi will go head-to-head in the octagon at Milander Auditorium in Hialeah.
“Since the fight will be at Milander Auditorium, the pre-fight weigh-in will be two weeks before the fight in the parking lot of the Miami Lakes Automall,” Pizzi said, adding that tickets for the fight are expected to go on sale sometime within the next 10 days.
Proceeds from the fight will go to children’s organizations and charities in both cities.
Before the mayors battle each other in what will be the main event, five professional mixed martial arts fights will take place.
“The first round will be boxing, and rounds two and three will be full-blown, everything-goes mixed martial arts fighting,” Pizzi said. “It’s going to be the first mixed martial arts match in history between two mayors, anywhere in the world.”
Both mayors agreed to a fight a few weeks ago during a dinner conversation at Shula’s Steakhouse about who was the “tougher guy” growing up.
Pizzi, who grew up in Brooklyn, New York, said his fighting reputation earned him the nickname the “Brooklyn Brawler” as a teen.
Meanwhile, Hernandez has been practicing martial arts since he was a teen and continues to be involved in the sport.
When the fight was first announced, Pizzi joked about cutting back to one beer on Saturday and a couple slices of pizza a week as being his “training” diet.
Now he’s taking things a bit more serious and is training daily at the Biscayne Boxing & Fitness Club, 7200 Biscayne Blvd.
“Every morning at 6 a.m., between now and Aug. 16, I am at the Biscayne Boxing Club. I’m being trained by Mickey Demos, who is the coach of University of Miami boxing team,” Pizzi said. “He put me on a strict diet of protein shakes and tuna fish. No pizza. No beer. I can’t even have a garlic roll.”
He said he’s lost 6 pounds within the first week of his new training routine.
“I joke about the beer and eating pizza, but I want my community to be healthy,” Pizzi said. “I want to look good, and I want to set an example that you can get in shape and you’re never too old to get healthy.”
He said he’s planning on holding events — from now until fight day — during which residents can exercise with the mayor.
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