34°

Time to tape those fists, put on some colorful swim trunks and prepare for glory. Rough House Friday Night fights return this weekend to Juneau's Marlintini's Lounge.

Promoter Bob Haag from Anchorage's Big H promotions was still unsure of the number of fights during Thursday's registration, estimating that "six to eight" matches will pit Juneau residents against each other in boxing and mixed martial arts bouts.

The main event will be an MMA match between locals Roger Booth IV, 28, and James Stern, 27. Neither fighter has stepped into the ring for either an MMA or boxing match before, but Haag expects the 160-pound brawlers to light up this year's first event.

"There's a decent amount of guys training locally (for MMA) and I think they know what they're doing by now," Marlintini's owner Ethan Billings said. "Everybody's local this month, but they're going to be some good fights."

The semi-main event will match a pair of locals with plenty of Rough House experience. Walter Brown, 27, has become known as "The Showstopper" thanks to the nimble feet that carry his 270-pound body. He will square off against 23-year-old James Roberts, a heavy puncher not known to dance too much in the ring.

"Walter's a crowd favorite, but James can hit awful hard for his size," Haag said. "We're still taking names, but those are the two matches I want to see."

This year's event will feature mainly MMA fights, with fewer boxers showing up than in past years.

The event kicks off at 9 p.m. at Marlintini's in the Mendenhall Valley.