Will Chope / Lanky Madness Fighting at URCC 23 Speaks to World MMA News Digest

Will Chope He's Tall and He Fights A Lot 

Watch him at URCC 23 Unrivaled

Will Chope (15-5-0)  vs Andrew Benibe (4-3-0) at URCC 23 Unrivaled
SMX Convention Center, Pasay, Philippines April 27th, 2013.

Will Chope had his first pro fight with almost no training way back in 2010 and quite rightly he lost, serves him right for showing off! He won his next fight and then reality caught up with him and he lost three in a row, Five fights in and he had fought under five different organisations and things did not look too promising with a 1-4 record.

But by now he was training harder and learning some real MMA skills. He fought in Thailand at DARE's first show and got a decision win and since then he has lost just once (to Ev TIng January 2012). At present he is on a ten fight winning streak and stands at 5-0 under the URCC banner. He has made it quite clear he wants the URCC belt and this interim championship belt bout will put him one big step closer.

Will very kindly took a break from being the tallest man in Baguio to speak to us.

Q) We have not spoken in a while so how about telling us a little bit about what you have been doing since your last fight at Friday Night Fight Night 2 when you defeated Tanaphong Khunhankaew via first round Rear-Naked Choke.

A) Yes it' been awhile. Things have been good. After my last fight I went to wife's hometown spent a lot of time with my family actually it was kind of a short break. But then got back to Phuket and kicked up training hard to get ready.

Q)  Andrew Benibe is a URCC regular who recently stepped up the ONE FC where he was beaten in the third round by Honario Banario who as we know recently defeated Eric Kelly. So going almost three full rounds shows that Benibe is versatile. What do you see as his biggest strengths?

A) If you watched that fight he got dominated the entire fight barely even striking back. It was one of the most 1 sided fights I have watched. In saying that Andrew Beninbe can take a beating from a world class guy, so he's durable. But I am here to prove I can beat ONE FC fighters and that is what I want to do and I want to do it fast, so that way I can make a statement.

Q) And how do you feel you two match up?

A) I think I matchup well he is more of a striker as am I but he is physically strong so I don't think I can bully him in the ring. Going to be good.

Q) Obviously this is another step towards that URCC championship belt that you have made it very clear you are after.

A) After this fight I want to reunify the title and fight Sapno for the undisputed FW title.

Q) If you win that event do you think you might get a call from ONE FC?

A) I don't know if I'll get a call I am looking to just keep winning and doing the best I can so I can get noticed by some bigger organizations.

Q) What has it been like re-uniting with Mark Striegl at Baguio?

A) Finishing my fight camp in Baguio is crucial, working with Mark fine tuning my wrestling and strength & conditioning with the altitude is great. Plus get to see all my friends and family here and train with all the new guys at Fight Corps MMA.

Q) It’s been a relatively quiet year for you so far, do you intend to step it up or are you getting lazy in your old age.

A) Yea I really apologize to my fans and supporters out there. I am dissappointed in myself as well. I really wanted to be fighting a whole lot more. Since the New Year I have only fought 2 times, one muay thai and one MMA. I will step it up and still try to push out 20 fights this year. This summer a lot of fights are coming up so will do my best to get on as many shows as possible.

Q) Any sponsors you want to mention?

A) Thanks to Phuket Pro Nutrition, Vicious Circle, and Kombat Mouthguards all companies based in Thailand and have supported me a lot through my training camp and career.
Thanks also to my friends and family for supporting me.

You can read more about this upcoming event HERE a superb story that gives some insight into the work that goes into making an event happen!

The Philippines Is The Center of Asian MMA as King of the Cage Join the Party

KING OF THE CAGE TO ENTER PHILIPPINES FOR FIRST EVENT

Fresh off their recent announcement of  entering the Philippines furthering its global expansion, KOTC announced today that it will hold its first live event in the Prestigious Mall of Asia Arena July 5th in Manila.
 
Terry Trebilcock, CEO for King of the Cage states "It’s exciting to be hosting our first event in the 20,000 seat arena in the Mall of Asia. We will actually beat the NBA into the Philippines. They are scheduled to hold their first event at the same venue in the fall of 2013". 
 
With 2 undefeated world champions headlining the card, (11-0 Sean Strickland from USA @ 84 kilos and 5-0 Lowen Tynanes, a Philippino/Hawaiian at 73 kilos) and a TV deal to be announced shortly, KOTC looks to carry on its tradition of hosting world class entertainment to yet another country.
 
The show will have 11 professional fights, with 2 world titles, and will promote a minimum of 10 fighters that are from the Philippines.  The event on July 5th will be broadcast live or delayed in over 50 countries.

About King of the Cage King of the Cage is a mixture of several different martial arts, which pits one person's martial arts style versus another. It is a full contact sport, which has slowly but surely made its way to the mainstream public and most importantly into our living rooms every day. Today, King of the Cage is available weekly to over 50 million homes in the United States on cable and satellite television and also airs in more than 60 countries worldwide which include Canada, Mexico, Brazil, Mongolia, Thailand, South Africa, and most of Europe to name a few.  After performing 400+ events of blood, sweat and tears, King of the Cage has proven to be an integral part in the evolution of Mixed Martial Arts. No other production has promoted more fights than King of the Cage. KOTC has and continues to promote hundreds of shows throughout the world, including 17 of the United States and far-reaching countries such as: England, Singapore, South Africa, Canada, Japan, and Australia. King of the Cage has been a career staple for countless stars:  Forrest Griffin, Quinton Rampage Jackson, Rashad Evans, Krazy Horse, Keith Jardine, Mac Danzig, Urijah Faber, Joe Stevenson, and Diego Sanchez.  Sustainability is the key factor in any production, King of the Cage continues to operate because of a multitude of key factors with one of the most important being its allegiance to the fighters and the fans. King of the Cage is one of the founding fathers of not only a Sport, but a Lifestyle! http://www.kingofthecage.com

20 APRIL Keshena, WI "Certified" at Menominee Casino Resort 11 MAY Albuquerque, NM Sunshine Theater 25 MAY Las Vegas, NV "Future Legends 14" at Eastside Cannery Casino 25 MAY Scottsdale, AZ "World Championships" at Talking Stick Resort 1 JUNE Laughlin, NV "Future Legends 15" at Edgewater Casino 8 JUNE Hawaii TBA 13 JUNE Worley, ID "It's Personal" at Coeur d'Alane Casino

PXC News Update - PXC 35, 36 and 37

Look I've been away for a couple of weeks in Chiang Mai (yes, very nice thanks for asking) anyway it's time to update the news on one of Assia's best MMA events.

PXC News (Pacific X-Treme Combat)

PXC 35 

No other Asian Pacific MMA Organisation are as upfront and honest about their numbers:

Live Viewers per minute in the Philippines for the recent PXC 35 show: 627,660  

(The PXC don't just do what some another Asian organisations do and just claim everybody in a nation as it's audience and they should be respected for that).

PXC 36

PACIFIC X-TREME COMBAT-36 (Friday, March 8, 2013) Fight Card

PXC-36 Brings Renewed Rivalry, Big Comebacks and Future MMA Stars to Guam

PXC-36 to feature Bantamweights Trevin Jones versus Kyle Aguon in grudge match between two of Guams top MMA teams, the return of former PXC Heavyweight Champ, Roque Martinez, and PXC's 1st ever professional female bout!

Main Event: Trevin Jones (Guam) versus Kyle Aguon (Guam) - Bantamweights

Kaiyana Rain (California) versus Kailin Curran (Hawaii) - Strawweights (Female Bout)

Roque Martinez (Guam) versus Mylo Lassiter (Saipan) - Heavyweights

Josh Calvo (Guam/Washington) versus Chris Cisneros (Hawaii) - Welterweights

Michinori Tanaka (Japan) versus Caleb Vallotton (California) - Bantamweights

Toby Misech (Hawaii) versus Seung Hwan Jo (South Korea) - Featherweights

Ricky Camp (Guam) versus Ian Dela Cuesta (Hawaii) - Bantamweights

Tyrone Jones (Guam) versus Koshi Matsumoto (Japan) - Lightweights

Robert Wustigg (Guam) versus Nate Quiniola (Hawaii) - Featherweights

“As PXC's first show of the year in Guam, we didn't hold back by bringing in high quality fighters to battle in front of thousands of loyal PXC fans. We will also be upgrading production of the show and expect to sell out. It should be a historic night at the UOG Fieldhouse!”

— EJ Calvo, PXC Promoter & CEO

This card features the best up and coming MMA fighters in Guam, Saipan, Hawaii, Japan and Korea. Look out for new PXC fighters making their debut, including Josh Calvo and Toby Misech from BJ Penn's camp in Hawaii.”

— Eli Monge, PXC VP & Head-Matchmaker

PXC 37

PXC-37 to Showcase the Best MMA Fighters in the Philippines!

Two PXC Title Fights Being Set for a Huge May Event; A Possible Third in Discussion!

Ale "The Young Gun" Cali and Crisanto "The Slugger" Pitpitunge to be featured at PXC-37 in Title Fights for their belts, while Mark Striegl and other PXC stars step up against the some of the best fighters in the world!

3 Filipino fighters will headline PXC's 3rd event in 2013, and 37th installment overall. Ale Cali (reigning PXC Flyweight Champion), Crisanto Pitpitunge (reigning PXC Bantamweight Champion) and Mark Striegl (Top PXC Featherweight Contender) will all be tested once more inside the PXC cage!

After a stellar card in February 2013, Pacific X-treme Combat returns to Philippine soil to showcase some of the best fighters the promotion has to offer. Other exciting, up-and-coming PXC talent will also be featured on the event's undercard.

Hailing from Davao, Ale Cali, has been making waves in the Philippine MMA scene with his fast hands and incredible take down defense. He will be facing one of Hawaii's top Flyweights in Louis "Da Last Samurai" Smolka. Smolka recently cemented his spot to be the #1 contender for Cali's title when he beat the heavy-handed Alvin Cacdac, a Filipino-American MMA figher and who has not lost in the PXC since 2011. Cali and Smolka will slug it out in a battle of striking versus wrestling styles in the PXC cage!

PXC Bantamweight Champ, Crisanto Pitpitunge, and Featherweight Contender, Mark Striegl, are also two of the best MMA fighters in the Philippines today, hands down. Training in Baguio City, Philippines, Pitpitungue and Striegl are set to return to battle their respective opponents - still to be named by PXC.

"The Slugger" has not lost since 2011, making this his first Title Defense, and a handful of PXC Bantamweight contenders are being considered for the May Title Fight, including Japan's Michinori Tanaka, Guam's Trevin Jones & Kyle Aguon, and Hawaii's Russel Doane.

"Mugen" has yet to be defeated in his pro MMA career at 12-0, and discussions are ongoing to determine if PXC Featherweight Champ, Joe Taimanglo of Guam, is available to put his belt on the line against Striegl after suffering an injury late last year in a Featherweight Title Defense. An announcement is expected to come soon. 

"We're very pleased how PXC has grown in the Asia Pacific region, especially in the Philippines. More and more MMA Fight Fans are loving the sport and we're humbled that PXC is trending as one of the top regional promotions in the world of Mixed Martial Arts," said EJ Calvo, PXC CEO and Promoter. 

PXC is presented by San Mig Strong Ice and Sports 5. With special thanks to PLDT MY DSL, Fitness First, FHM Philippines, FHM.com.ph, Premiere Condoms, Healthway Agility Phil, Beer Below Zero, Real Sports Radio, Loqal.ph, Filquet Media Concepts, Eden Night Club, SM Tickets and TicketWorld.

Visit www.pxc.com.ph or www.facebook.com/pxcmma for more updates.