The Philippines Is An Asian MMA Heaven Right Now

The Philippines Is An Asian MMA Heaven Right Now

Published on August 8, 2012 by The Editor in ONEFC

URCC, PXC and ONE FC – It’s All Happening in The Philippines

Firstly our thoughts and prayers to the people of the Philippines who are suffering in the terribly floods at the moment. 

I am sure you have all heard about ONE FC heading to Manila and read countless stories leading up to the event from the ONE FC press network.

It genuinely has the potential to sell out, imagine that, some 16,500 screaming Asian MMA fans. The best thing about the Philippines is that HYPE is not necessary, The Philippines is the hotbed of Asian MMA, more than any where else the people of the Philippines love their MMA. It’s all over the TV and with the URCC the Philippines has probably  the longest established MMA organisation in Asia and of course they are part of that collective known as the ONE FC network.

PXC are relatively new in the Philippines, having a history in Guam before landing on the Philippine shores, but the Philippine fans have taken to them very well and they are attracting massive audiences both at events and on TV. There were some 500,000 TV viewers of the PXC 31 show, as well as selling out the Ynares Sports Arena for the second event in a row. Their next event is on the 1st September (PXC 33) and features some great match-ups. 

We will do a bigger article on that event soon.

ONE FC are coming to do their show before the PXC show on the 31st August with a mixture of fights featuring many well known names in World MMA and a lot of local favorites.

Jens Pulver, Phil Baroni, Andre Arlovski, Tim Sylvia who are all probably on the twilight of their careers having been dropped by the worlds premier MMA organisation the UFC, so they will be looking to relaunch themselves on a fresh stage.

Pulver is going to have to get through local favorite Eric Kelly. Kelly is a 7-0 fighter who built his name in the URCC before stepping up to the ONE FC. Pulver although far from his best, has experience against the likes of Urijah Faber, Leonard Garcia, Cub Swanson, Joe Lauzon and BJ Penn. It’s going to be a tough fight for Kelly but with the roar of 16,500 Philippine fight fans we here at MMANewsAsia believe he  can win.

Arlovski and Sylvia will battle each other, completing a quadrilogy of bouts. The first bout was right back in 2005 at UFC51 with Arlovski emerging victorious in just 47 seconds of the first round. Then in 2006 they fought twice more, Sylvia won them both at UFC 59 and 61. The first was a resounding first round TKO due to punches at 2:43. The third fight between these two went to a decision. And that was it. Who knew that six years later these two would be doing it again? Both of these guys are on a winning streak after some less successful times. I have heard a few disparaging remarks about this fight and I must admit I was disappointed when Sao Palelei who was originally due to fight Arlovski decided against signing a five fight deal with ONE FC.  But I think it’s still going to be a big thrill for the people of the Philippines to see these UFC veterans once more strut there stuff.

Baroni has of course already fought under the ONE FC banner; but one must wonder why he has been brought back again, Initially he was due to fight in the Kuala Lumpur show but was pulled due to fighting and losing via TKO punches at a Ring of Fire event in America. Before that fight I was all for him having another go in the ONE FC cage, but, now? His recent record is not what you would expect from a fighter on ‘Asia’s Premier MMA Organisation”  He has one win in his last six fights and that was a decision against the almost unknown Nick Nolte.

Australian URCC favorite Nicholas Mann will tackle a member of the most famous MMA family. Gregor Gracie. Gracie has two not so impressive ONE FC bouts to his name. A decision win at the first ONE FC event against Seok Mo Kim and a decision loss to Adam Shahir Kayoom at ONE FC 4. This will be a tough step up for Nicholas Mann but Gracie will have to show his best form to win.

URCC favorite Kevin Bellingon will be hoping to get a better result than his last short lived effort during ONE FC 3 when he was submitted by Masakazu Imanari and frankly I think he should be fine, he will have a great support from a fiercely partisan crowd as he takes on Soo Chul Kim who already has two losses at ONE FC to his name. I am pretty sure this will be three in a row for Kim.

This ONE FC event could truly be their coming of age. If as expected the crowd turns up in numbers and the fight card lives up to the promise of the majority of the match-ups it could be a great event.