Dennis Alexio, a former undisputed world kickboxing champion, was arrested yesterday by the U.S. Marshal's Hawai'i Fugitive Task Force on a subpoena charging him with failure to appear before a grand jury in West Virginia on an Internal Revenue Service tax case.

Alexio, 48, was also arrested on an outstanding federal warrant issued in San Francisco for bank fraud.

Alexio was arrested shortly before 2 p.m. at his 'Aiea home, according to Mike Ferstl, chief deputy U.S. marshal for the district of Hawai'i.

Ferstl said Alexio claimed to be a citizen of the sovereign nation of Hawai'i, not the United States. An identity status hearing is scheduled Friday before a federal magistrate. Alexio is being held at the Federal Detention Center.

Alexio reportedly retired from kickboxing with a record of 70-2. He was at one time the undisputed world heavyweight kickboxing champion, holding several titles.

Alexio won his heavyweight world title in Hawai'i in 1997 when he defeated Barrington Patterson of London.