Asia's King of Matchmaking The URCC's Will Carlos

An Exclusive Interview With The URCC's Will Carlos

Matchmaker Extraordinaire

We are very pleased to have an exclusive interview with Will Carlos the King of Asian matchmakers (IMHO). Will works at the URCC, Asia’s longest established MMA organization based in that hotbed of MMA the Philippines.

I have only met Will briefly on one occasion but he was such a warm and welcoming guy and he has always been happy to keep in touch. 

He informed me that this is the first ever interview he has been asked to do. I must say that firstly I am very surprised to hear that, but also very pleased that we can go some way towards raising his profile to  MMA fans beyond the Philippines.

One of the biggest pluses of this interview is that Will was willing to actually spend some time answering the questions in depth, for that we are very grateful.

It's much harder to discover talent than it is to just buy it in and Will Carlos CAN spot talent.

So without further ado it's time for:

Ten Questions with Will Carlos:

#1 The URCC has just celebrated ten years as an MMA Organisation to what do you attribute this success?

I can attribute the success of the show, to the MMA fans in the Philippines, without them there would be no growing interest in the sport of MMA, and the Teams and fighters, no matter how limited the resources are, they are still able to improve on their MMA knowledge and apply it to their training.

Every show I see great improvements on how our local fighters handle themselves in the ring. These improvements may not be leaps and bounds but it is really improving every time.

MMA is a living art, it breathes and it has its on life, same with Jiu JItsu. It is not a dead art, it is in constant flux.

Every year in the BJJ Mundials for example you will see new moves being used in the tournament that you have never seen before, the same with MMA, every time the coaches and fighters find new ways on how to finish their opponent in a more efficient way.

#2 You are widely regarded as one of, if not the best matchmaker in Asian MMA why do you think that is?

Wow. Thanks for that. I would really like to think so. Actually, Alvin (Aguilar) and I are regarded as MMA royalty here in the Philippines by some sport writers and MMA bloggers.

I never thought my name would be included together with Alvin's. And I dont really know what that means, but it sounds good so why the hell not. Hahaha.

Like I said before matchmaking is not really regarded as an integral part of an MMA promotion that is for the regular MMA fan.

But for the aficionados and those who follow the sport, the matchmakers are the ones that get the blame or praise from the people who follow the sport.

No matter what, it is good the fans and sport critics are taking notice of the match making in every event.

Actually, I do take my inspiration from these opinions and try to absorb it and make it as part of my process in making my cards.

But like you said haters will always be there, we can't please everyone. When you said this to me, it really stuck and I stopped feeling bad hahaha. Thank you for the extra "Cajones" now I have 3. Hahahaha.

Anyway, going back to the topic why am I the best? It is because, due to my limited resources. I guess I am I able to find talent where no one else would bother looking.

I' d like to think of my self as a treasure hunter of sorts. I do not have the resources to get famous MMA fighters and put them in our show to be able to pull fans. I am able to put unknown fighters in the ring and make them speak for themselves after the fight.

Then you have a new URCC star in the making. One recent example is from the top of my head, Andrew Benibe, as I took the match making duties in the URCC, the board and past match makers before never took notice of the potential of these fighter.

But I saw him as an underrated MMA fighter. I started giving him more fights and once I again I was right on the money. South East Asia took notice and OneFC picked him from my roster for their show in Manila.

Now Mr. Benibe is given due respect and admiration he deserves. Another would be "The Phenom" Alvin Ramirez. I picked him out to fight in one of our Black Tie events. He was a flashy, cocky, and exciting amateur mma fighter.

But I saw an opening for him to show me if my gut feel is spot on. So I put him against one of our veterans if not the best and toughest MMA fighter during that time. Mr. Charlie Angel. This fighter knocks out all his opponents and has a cinder block for a skull.

As I had predicted, it went the distance and my new discovery put up a good show, not minding who he was up against. Ramirez lost that fight. But still I knew I have stumbled upon something that would bring the young MMA enthusiasts back in our arms.

Later that year , I put him up against our Pinweight Champion Roy Docyogen. Ramirez with a no win record against a 8-0 champion, what the hell was I thinking?

I had to convince the URCC board to let me do this fight. And thank god they did. But the following week was hell for me because the writers and critics were up my ass until the event day.

It was an obvious "tomato can match-up" hahaha, i never knew that term until then. Hahhaa.

And so event day, before their match as co-main event I through up twice because it really got to me.

But of course my intuition never failed, since then Ramirez has put up one the greatest fight in MMA history. He didn't win but URCC has a new superstar. I f you look at the crowd that night nobody was watching Docyogen , all eyes where on this kid from nowhere.

So after that night I raised my middle finger even higher to those critics. But I still have respect for them.

Another is "The Saint" the 47-year-old Dentist, Dr. Angelito Manguray who I was able to give a championship title shot which he won. And also was give an international fight against USA's Shane Wiggand. And the dentist or I mean "The Saint" proved me right once again.

#3 Please explain the process of putting a fight card together?

Hmmm.... i don't think I have a clear-cut process on how I put together my fight card. But I will try ...

First off I put together my main event and two co-main events and work my way to fill in the 8 slots. For balanced matching, I really do not look at the stats it's just secondary.

I look at the videos and past opponents and decide from there. Basically for me its all gut feel. I wish I could share more but that's how I put my fight card together. hahahaha. 

#4 How difficult is it in Asian MMA putting cards together when so many of the fighters are from different areas of martial arts and have no professional MMA records?

Ahhh... this is where my talent and gut feel comes in (Hahahaha). Like I said all is based on my intuition and how I see the fight happening in my head.

Since from the start I knew I had limited resources on how to match them up based on stats so I rely on video's of fighters. And of course I also look at how the crowd reacts to a certain fighter. 

#5 Given the dominance of gyms such as Team Lakay, what do you think is the special ingredient that makes one gym better than another in producing fighters?

For me it all comes down to the fighter themselves, if the fighters are dedicated and disciplined into putting 100% of their time and effort in their training, the team is well off on it's way into dominating any team they encounter.

#6 You have seen many Philippine fighters pass through the URCC over the years. Could you please list your top three and explain what makes then stand out?

My top three:

1. Andrew Benibe - because he was underrated and I knew he had great potential and I gave him the exposure that he needed when I took over the match making duties for URCC.

2. Richard "The Dancing Devil " Lasprilla - He was there in the infancy of the URCC and dominated the flyweight division until he lost to Kevin Belingon then the new era of Philippine MMA was born. 

3. Eduard "The Landslide" Folayang - What else can I say, Eduard is a hard worker, and I still believe he has not reached his full potential as a fighter. He needs to work on other aspects of his game. It was always his conditioning that gives him the victories but I believe his skills should follow suit, soon and I mean as soon as possible. Cross training is key.

7) What is it like working with Alvin and Bubbles? What makes them work so well together?

I practically grew up with the couple; Alvin has been my best friend since we were in preparatory school all the way into college. The key ingredient that they work so well together is because they share the same vision on where they want to take the URCC. And I share the same vision with them. 

#8 There have been rumours that the URCC are planning to run a show in America, are we any nearer to that becoming reality?

Yes there are rumors but I think Alvin would be the best person to answer that question. 

#9 Where do you think the URCC could be in ten years time?

Wow tough question... I think URCC will still be going strong with fighters even better than before, and I guess by that time we have already sent a couple of home-grown Filipino fighters to the UFC.

By this time I think I would still be doing the matchmaking I love what I do, and I love giving fighters a shot at their dreams of either fighting in the URCC or even becoming MMA champions. 

10) What are the benefits of working with ONE FC in your opinion?

The benefits of working with ONE FC? My network seems to grow even wider. People are taking notice of what I do. And ONE FC recognizes my knowledge in MMA for putting me as one of the core judges in their events. And I thank the ONE FC for recognizing that. And Alvin is proud of me for achieving such status in Asian MMA.

 You can read more from Will Carlos on his Blog HERE

The URCC Website is HERE

Ten Glorious Years - URCC 22 Dekada

Colt 45 URCC 22  Dekada

Universal Reality Combat Championship

Asia's Longest Running And One Of It's Most Respected MMA Organisations Celebrates 10 Years in Style

There are many reasons we here at Rear Naked News love the URCC. 

Not the least is the fact that they started the whole dam MMA thing ten years ago when many people in Asia had no idea what was going on.

They built a great following and more importantly they build a great group of fighters.

The Philippine MMA events play to probably the most knowledgable MMA fans in Asia, MMA is on TV everyday somewhere in the Philippines, they love the sport.

Because of that love they produce some real kick ass fighters, Team Lakey is probably the most successful MMA gym in Asia in real terms. 

But of course there are many other MMA gyms around the Philippines providing competition and that is why the Philippines is such a hot bed of quality young fighters.

Ten years ago when Alvin Aquilar started the URCC I am sure he had no idea of the influence they would have over Asian MMA.

Whilst newer organisations for the main part are using Cages the URCC are very much traditionalists and like the once big Japanese organisations who they have outlasted they still fight in a Ring. Personally, I have no preference I am much more concerned about the quality of the bouts.

The quality of the bouts depends on matchmaking and the URCC have probably Asia's best matchmaker in Will Carlos.

These lead to very exciting events and of course being in the MMA crazy Philippines the crowds pour into these events.

And to celebrate ten years as one of Asia's best MMA organisations the URCC present  the Colt 45 URCC 22 - Dekada.

Some of the top names in Asian MMA will be fighting including Eric "The Natural" Kelly and Eduard Folayang.

At the SM Arena on December 1st starting at 8:00pm.

Here's the fight card:

Flyweight:

Janel Lanusa  vs Ramie Crisostomo (0-1-0) 

Roy Doliguez (2-0-0)  vs Dennis Salazar (2-3-0) 

Pinweight:

Spartan Sumogat vs Alvin Ramirez (5-5-0)

Featherweight:

Reydon Romero (4-3-0) vs Sulpiano Laurio Jr. (1-1-1)

Catchweight:

Ray Estrada (0-1-0) vs Coloy Baduria (7-4-1) 

Middleweight:

Froilan Sarenas (3-1-0) vs Rodrigo Praxedes (1-1-0)

Bantamweight:

Jessi Raffols vs Keiff Mangusan (3-1-0)

Reysaldo Transmonte (2-2-0) vs Hideo Morikawa (4-1-0) 

Featherweight:

Eric Kelly (8-0-0) vs Brad Terry (0-1-0) 

Superfight:

Lowens Tynanes (1-0-0) vs Eduard Folayang (12-2-0)

If you are outside of the Philippines you can watch a live stream of this event at URCCMMA.COM

PXC 34 - Asia's MMA Success Story

Pacific X-Treme 34 and Mark Striegl

The Smart Araneta Coliseum in Manila has history, big history, Muhammed Ali history, Thrilla in Manila history. And this was the first visit of fast rising Asian MMA organisation Pacific X-Treme who had outgrown their old venue.

The stadium was re-arranged and with the Stage and Screen in place the capacity was around 6000.

Pre-fight day the organisation had sold over 3000 tickets and on the night of the event a further 2000 plus turned up giving just over 5000 fans. This is first of all very impressive and secondly amazing when you consider the event was also screened live on TV on the Philippines and also to the rest of the world via Sherdog.com.

According to early reports from Neilsen Ratings - The peak viewing figure on AKTV reached an amazing 700,000.

Of course the crowd will only return if they are entertained and I think based upon this show they will be back for more.

I won't run through the whole event it's been covered in plenty of places and the videos are doing the rounds.

What I would like to say though is that PXC are really on the up and up this event was seen worldwide and prior to this the PXC had already proved to be a route through to the UFC.

One fighter I am sure the UFC are already watching must be Mark Striegl. prior to his fight with Harris Sarmiento  there seemed to be some question (certainly from the PXC commentary team) as to the legitimacy of his past opponents. Well Harris Sarmiento would wipe all that away in one fight. Sarmiento is just 29 years old and has an amazing 58 pro fights including in Strikeforce and he is still well up on the winning side. 

Well in 2:37 seconds Mark Striegl proved he is very much for real as he confidently tackled Sarmiento.

Sarmiento will be back he is a great fighter, but Striegl is a man on a mission and would not be stopped.

There can be no doubt that with the UFC coming more and more over to Asia there will be opportunities for this young man in the biggest organisation of them all, when he feels he is ready.

One thing about Mark Striegl compared with many in Asia is he is in the game for the long run. He does not want one losing fight in the UFC and to fade away, living on that for years, he wants to be a real success. Because of that fact he won't be in a hurry to move up. He has based himself in Baguio where he has a a great support. He also is a sponsors dream with his good looks and smart business attitude plus at the PXC he feels they understand and care for him and his needs.

He will build a real fan base in the Philippines, he will build on his film star good looks bringing more female fans into the sport and he will be big star in the Philippines and beyond. He has what it takes to raise the profile of Philippine MMA even further and already it's one of the hottest of hotbeds of MMA in Asia.

And Pacific X'Treme Combat to give it, it's will name will continue to grow into one of the worlds premier regional MMA organisations. With TV Coverage and Live Streaming they cannot fail.

PXC 34 November 17th SMART Araneta Coliseum

Pacific X-Treme 34 

You want to know how popular MMA is in the Philippines?

It's all over the TV on a daily basis, It has the longest running MMA organisation in Asia (URCC) and it's other well known MMA Organisation PXC is watched live on TV on the AKTV station by around 500,000 people. These shows play to full stadiums (as in sold out). Those stadiums are so full that they have been forced to find a bigger venue, the biggest venue the SMART Araneta Coliseum and believe me they aim for a genuine sell out.

PXC have got some of the best prospects in Asian MMA, people who genuinely can make the jump to Bellator or even the UFC and they have. MMA in the Philippines is not about hype it's about fact. The gyms are for warriors not wannabes and the fans love the product of these gyms.

The Philippines is blessed to have two of Asia's biggest and best MMA organisations and long may that continue.

And below is the reason why - PXC is eas xciting as MMA can be, with great fighters, great match ups and great fans.SO chck your diary November 17th PXC 34.

Of course we never claimed to be real journalists here at MMANewsAsia (unlike some!) so we don't have to be non biased. For that reason we would like to wish all the best to Mark "Mugen" Striegl friend of the website and all round nice guy. Best of luck buddy!

PXC 34 - It's Going To Be A Big Night

Further to our last post look what turned up on facebook, this poster.

Ali Cali (4-1) vs Erwin Tagle (1-1-2)

Harris Sarmiento (35-23) vs Marl Striegl (11- 0)

Eugene Toquero (3-0) vs Jerome Wanawan (3-0)

Holy crap! I mean that Sarmiento vs Stiegl bout is going to be something big - This will tell us one hell of a lot about where Mark Striegl really stands in the MMA worlds 145lb Division, a win here would surely move him up the ladder quite a few steps.

Not sure who Sarmiento is? Well he has in his amazing career having fought Nick Diaz, Roger Huerta and Gilbert Melendez to name a few and in a ten year professional career he has had 58 bouts!

If Striegl can do his usual tidy job and finish Sarmiento in regulation time many people will have to sit up and take notice and surely Striegls next step must be a championship bout.

PXC are taking the show to the Smart Araneta Coliseum this was necessary because all their previous shows have been sell outs. The Philippine fans it seems just cannot get enough of Pacific X-Treme Combat.

ONE FC Pride of a Nation ~ Results and Review

ONE FC Pride of a Nation ~ Results and Review

Published on September 1, 2012 by The Editor in ONEFC

The Philippine Fans Do ONE FC Proud

The Fighters Put On A Great Show

The TV coverage started off showing us the fighters getting off of the coaches and walking into the venue and even at this stage Tim Sylvia looked wooden, I hope he looks better in the fight.

When then had the fighters introduced to the crowds by the horrible shrill voiced Lenne  Hardt an Asian MMA legend whose appeal I will never understand.

What I could see of the crowd I have to say it looks like the Philippine fans had come out in force, the Philippines is truly the hotbed of Asian MMA,

Under Card

First bout was:

Andrew Benibe vs Honario Bonario

Two Philippine Featherweight Contenders, the young gun Bonario and the old stager Benibe.

Round 1:

Good early leg kick from Bonario (HB) and his first take down comes at 1:15 in but Benibe (AB) is soon up. Again HB takes him down Benibe is being totally outclassed and this fight is already looking like an easy win for HB. For the rest of the round he totally outclasses AB without looking like he would stop him.

Round 2:

Followed a similar journey at no stage did it look like Benibe could put up any sort of challenge. Frankly it looks like a bad match up or a nice easy match up for what is a fighter being groomed for a title shot.

Round 3:

Eventually Benibe gets tired of being a punch bag and with about a minute to go after a flurry of punches and kicks seems to give up the struggle and the ref steps in to stop it although the official result is a Knockout which is puzzling surely it was a TKO?

Bout 2:

 Mitch Chilson vs Shannon Waratchai

The way the commentators were talking about Chilson and Evolve all the way to the cage, talking of his chance at a title fight (yes he is just 1 and 1 in ONE FC!) but the way they talked Shannon Waratchai wasn’t in this bout.

Round 1:

Chilson takes Waratchai down fairly easily and it’s all one way traffic for Chilson he looks to be in no danger.

Between the rounds, I have to say that Chilson is looking tired and the corner did seem concerned which was amazing when he had been in such control.

Round 2:

Chilson really does look tired that’s not championship material.

And even less so when he attacks Waratchai who looks amazingly confident for a fighter who lost the first round so easily. Well maybe he was right Chilson waded in swinging and caught a counter punch from Waratchai which landed him on his ass and follow-up kick from Waratchai and the ref stepped in and it was all over. Fist big shock of the night. Well done to Shannon Waratchai.

Bout 3:

Phil Baroni vs Rodrigo Ribeiro

Baroni came out caught Ribeiro with a straight punch and from then on it was all Baroni who battered a shocked Ribeiro until the ref stepped in with less than a minute gone. A great win and surely a shock for the Evolve team. Two losses in two fights.

 Bout 4:

 Nicholas Mann vs Gregor Gracie

Gracie has not impressed at all in his two ONE FC fights and Mann a URCC champion is going to be a big test or is he?

Round 1:

As it turned out not so much as after a few exchanges it was on the ground with Gracie on top and then it was all over as Gracie get an arm bar – 1:45 of the first round.

Main Event:

Kevin Belingon vs Soo Chul Kim

Bout 5:

Big crowd favourite Belingon came into the cage to massive cheers from the Philippine crowd.

Round 1:

Kim seemed to be un-phased by the whole event and was at Bellingon from the off.

He soon has Belingon on his back and bullied him for the whole round.

Round 2:

Much the same except for a couple of kicks from Bellingon including an up kick that did nothing good for Kims nose and saw the ref stop the fight so that the blood could be wiped away before resuming it on the ground with Kim on top.

Round 3:

Saw Belingon taking control and he spent the best part of the round on top of Kim which was not much of a plan as he really needed to impress the judges to win this fight.

 Unanimous Decision win to Kim and deservedly so.

Bout 6.

Jung Kwan Cha vs Igor Gracie

You would not know it listening to the commentators but Cha wins a lot of his fights by Submission (and also loses many that way).

Gracie of course given his breeding will be a BJJ expert.

Round 1:

A very good and even round but Gracie had to be the more aggressive and successful.

 Round 2:

Much the same but with Cha taking the round especially as he twice got Gracie in a Cruicfix and ruled the round.

Round 3:

Cha looking confident moved forward early and soon caught Gracie with a great punch and he went down, Cha pounced and in a modified side mount put a beating on Gracie who turtled up quickly until the ref stepped in. A great win.

Bout 8.

Tony Bonello vs Rolles Gracie

Bonello has a great record but has not been in the cage for a couple of years will it show or is he still fresh?

Gracie of course had the misfortune to fight Bob Tap Sapp and therefore had no chance to show us how good he was.

Round 1:

Bonello was on his back within a minute and then for the next four minutes we watched Rolles hold him down and slowly try to move him into a position that he could submit him from.

Bonello had a cut eye and a very puffy face so he obviously took quite a beating out of site of the camera underneath Rolles.

Round 2:

Much the same until  Gracie slips on a Rear naked Choke about 2 minutes in and it was all over, Frankly a mismatch and a boring fight. I can understand the reason for the bout on paper but Bonello really did not look like he was up to much certainly not given his recent lack of activity.

Bout 9:

Eric Kelly vs Jens Pulver

A very much anticipated fight, Eric Kelly the Philippine fighter against the ex UFC champion and old guard Jens Pulver.

Both men are real warriors who fight to improve their lives.

Round 1.

A great first round Kelly caught Pulver early and rocked him but he soon ended up on the floor under Pulver after a slip, he soon reversed Pulver and they stood up again, a great start. Kelly then got caught with a few good punches from Pulver and looked to be on wobbly legs. Kelly tried a one arm throw but ended up underneath Pulver and in trouble.  A great first round and I think Pulver took it.

Round 2:

Kelly came out and immediately caught Pulver with some good punches and they seemed to be having an effect. Pulver looked shaken and Kelly just kept coming, a kick sent him to the ground, Kelly was on him took his back and lay some punchs in until the ref stopped it.

A great fight from both fighters,  This was Kelly’s toughest challenge and he came through with flying colours. Pulver was gracious and said he will step down to 135 and we also heard that Eric Kelly will face Honarion Bonario for the 145 title on October 6th in Singapore. Should be a great event.

Bout 10.

Tim Sylvia vs Andre Arlovski 

The fourth time these old dinosaurs meet and the least interesting fight to me. I would rather have seen three more local bouts in its place for up and coming Philippine fighters. But hey we’ll take it.

It’s the un-fit looking Sylvia against the glass chinned Arlovski who will prevail.

Round 1:

Arlovski is much the faster but Sylvia has the advantage in durability of chin.

Sylvia gets Arlovski against the cage and holds him, on the occasions when he breaks free Arlovski looks OK, but every time Sylvia lands Arlovski looks vulnerable.

I think Sylvia wons the round but it was a dull round.

Round 2:

I had no interest in this fight when it was announced and I have even less interest now. They are both well beyond their sell by dates and bring nothing to this show. It’s fairly even and terribly boring. Bring back Eric Kelly and Jens Pulver.

Arlovski downed Sylvia with a good punch and then kicked him and that I thought was that but apparently the ref had not called that he was able to kick. And the ref called a time out instead it’s a mess, this whole kick, no kick thing needs to be sorted out in ONE FC, it just leads to controversy. And with Sylvia refusing to continue it’s a complete fuck-up and the crowd are pissed. It’s a No Contest.

And Jason Chambers NOBODY wants to see that shite fight again thank you.

Bout 11:

And back to a proper fight, this could take the roof off of the building if Folayang wins.

Eduard Folayang vs Felipe Enomoto

Round 1.

A quiet first round but Folayang did the most effective work. Enomoto seems unwilling to really engage.

Round 2.

Folayang took control in this round he was much more powerful with his punches and seemed to have no real problem with Enomoto’s height advantage. His speeed was a real advantage he would catch Enomoto in a flurry of punches and just keep pushing forward. Enomoto just kept walking forward but it was not working for him. With 30 seconds left Folayang punches Enomoto to the ground and then pounds him until the bell.

Round 3.

Enomoto puts on a much better display in this round and probably takes this round but it’s too little too late I am sure.

The judges announcement confirms Eduard Folayang via Unanimous Decision.

Bout 12. The Main Event

Gustavo Falciroli vs Bibiando Fernandes

Round 1.

Fernandes allegedly turned down UFC to join ONE FC a baffling decision for a sports man, not fighting in the biggest and best organisation. But maybe Fernandes knows that were he to head to America he would be a very small cog in a big wheel. At ONE FC he should be able to shine as one of it’s brightest lights.

Fernandes is soon on top of a grounded Falciroli and using elbows to Falcirolis horrible blue hair. They return to their feet where Fernandes looks much the more able fighter and then back on the ground with Fernandes again in control even at this early stage it’s hard top see Fernands losing this fight. A future ONE FC champion?  For sure. He easily contolled the first round.

Round 2.

Again Fernandes is totally in control of Falciroli and at no stage does he look to be in any danger of losing position. Sadly Fernandes is so much better than Falciroli that this is not much of a fight for the crowd it’s very technical but not full of exciting action. Two rounds down and Falciroli is not in this fight at all.

Round 3.

Attempted rear nacked choke, attempted arm bar all with in thirty seconds of the start of the round for Fernandes. Then Fernandes slows down and the rest of the round is much better for falciroli but not enough to cause Fernandes any problems.

Fernandes wins by Unanimous Decision

Summary

So in summary a very successful event from ONE FC. The Philippines is the perfect place for this show as unlike Indonesia or Malaysia MMA is already an established and very popular sport. And the Philippine people came out and made a great atmosphere.

Fight of the Night? I Think Kelly vs Pulver, A real pair of warriors who can to throw down.

Non Event of the Night? Arlovski vs Sylvia – No more please

The fights were interesting and there were a few shocks. ONE FC really did put on a good show. Now how about dropping that soccer kick, it’s either allowed or it’s not, lets take away the onus on the ref to call it.

And please ONE FC lets call it ONE FC Championship Belts not World Championship Belts, please.

MMANewsAsia Ep64 MMAOrient.nets Zike Talks ONE FC

Ep64 MMAOrient.nets Zike Talks ONE FC

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OK here's the deal (yes it's excuse time again) Zike from MMAOrient.net is our guest today and he came on to tell us all about ONE FC and PXC both of which I am sure you know all about.

But, after managing to get ONE FC done (with a couple of technical glitches) Zikes feed became a horrible mess just as we started on PXC, It was so bad that we bailed (I left a touch of it so you can see what I am talking about). 

We have arranged to do a part 2 but sometimes these things don't happen. 

Assuming it does this is Part One and features ONE FC Pride of a Nation and following later in the week will be Part  Two covering PXC 33......... Maybe.

We go through the whole card and over all it's a bloody good card. ONE FC is defiantly on the rise and they can be sure of having their best ever crowd in Manila. I am not sure they will reach the sell out point of 16500 but for sure this will be the biggest ever MMA event in the Philippines. And don't forget that Strikeforces last event the much talked about and hyped Rousey vs Kaufman, had less than 4000 paying customers at the door. So ONE FC will easily stroll past that.

Our Intro Music is by Stratovarius and you can get at at iTunes HERE or via the Amazon link on the right of this page

Our outro music is Friday On My Mind by David Bowie and you can get it HERE or at the Amazon link on the right of this website

MMANewsAsia Ep63 Guest EJ Calvo from Pacific X-Treme Combat (PXC)

Welcome to Ep63 and our Guest EJ Calvo 

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EJ Calvo from Pacific X-Treme Combat (PXC)

Well what a kerfuffle! All seemed to be going well with this show until I came back to add the finishing touches.

Somewhere in the recording of this show on my end of things a horrible echo was set up and I carried on not realising it was actually recording into the system.

So I had two options scrap it or do some serious production work - ten hours later we have a show!

So heres what I had to do, in fact forget that listen to the show I explain it all!

Our guest today is EJ Clavo from the Pacific X-Treme Combat Organisation (PXC). This is one of the top organisations in Asian MMA and next weekend they will have PXC 33 in Manila, The Philippines with an expected live TV audience of around 500,000 screaming MMA fans probably making it the most watched live MMA event in Asia.

Anyway, you don’t need to hear all this stuff it’s podcast time,  so give it a listen and if you like it tell your friends and share away.

Our Intro Music is by Stratovarius and you can get at at iTunes HERE or via the Amazon link on the right of this page

Our outro music today is Clocks from Coldplay (Always reminds me of Loveline if you know that show!)  and you can get it HERE

It's quite surprising to me that with the large numbers of listeners of the show, that nobody bothers to comment on what  we do. So a plea. We would like to to hear what you guys do and do not like about our shows

URCC Davao Digmaan 4 ~ Davao, Philippines

URCC Davao Digmaan 4 ~ Davao, Philippines

Published on August 11, 2012 by The Editor in URCC

August 19th, 2012. Garden Oasis Resort and Convention Center, Davao, Philippines

The URCC are taking their exciting show on the road again, hitting the provinces as the URCC is in Davao for Digmaan 4.

Finding details on this event seems almost impossible what we do have is this one bout an Interim URCC Featherweight Championship Bout.

 Ricardo “El Matador” Sapno (5-1) vs Joward Agao (0-1)

And a short promo reel.

More news as and when.

PXC 33 ~ More News ~ Big John McCarthy to Referee ~ How Epic is That?

PXC 33 ~ More News ~ Big John McCarthy to Referee ~ How Epic is That?

Published on August 10, 2012 by The Editor in Pacific X-treme Combat

PRESS RELEASE:

MMA LEGEND “BIG” JOHN MCCARTHY TO REFEREE PXC 33 IN THE PHILIPPINES

Pacific X-treme Combat (PXC), the top Mixed Martial Arts organization in the Philippines, pulls out all the stops once more with their announcement that MMA Legend, “Big” John McCarthy, will be a guest referee for the September 1st event at The Ynares Sports Arena in Pasig, Manila, Philippines.

“Our mission is to showcase the best talent from the Asia-Pacific region, in search for MMA stars of the future. Icons of the sport such as “Big” John McCarthy will inspire and help educate PXC fighters on how to compete in the highest level of MMA in the world. Other organizations build their shows around former UFC fighters, but PXC is all about developing future MMA stars,” stated PXC’s CEO, E.J. Calvo.

McCarthy will also work closely with the Games & Amusement Board of the Philippines and will conduct meetings with fighters and other officials in order to share his vast experience in the sport.

McCarthy has been an imposing figure in the world of mixed martial arts since his appearance in UFC-2, and is probably the most popular referee of any sport in the world. He is the first Head-Referee of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), a retired Los Angeles Police Officer, and a Tactical Self-Defense Instructor at the Los Angeles Police Academy. He has served as head referee for hundreds of bouts in major MMA promotions dating back to 1993. McCarthy is also the founder of C.O.M.M.A.N.D., the training and certification school for MMA referees and judges.

McCarthy was quoted, “This will be my first visit to the Philippines, and I am very excited about being a part of this PXC event. I also look forward to seeing how MMA has grown in the Philippines.”

PXC 33 will be broadcast Live from The Ynares Sports Arena in Pasig, Manila, on Saturday, September 1st, and will feature 2 Title Fights in addition to a lineup of huge professional MMA matchups showcasing fighters from The Philippines, US Mainland, Hawaii, Guam, Japan, and Korea.

PXC is presented by San Mig Strong Ice and Sports 5. With special thanks to e-Games, Fitness First, FHM Philippines, FHM.com.ph, Premiere Condoms, Healthway Agility Phil, Beer Below Zero, Real Sports Radio, Loqal.ph, SM Tickets and Ticketworld.

Cali vs Tagle Video

Click for PXC 33 teaser video

For more information on PXC 33, check out www.pxc.com.ph or visit us on Facebook.

PXC ~ Pacific X-Treme 33 Preview

PXC ~ Pacific X-Treme 33 Preview

Published on August 9, 2012 by The Editor in Pacific X-treme Combat

Exciting Times in Philippines MMA

The Philippines is looking forward to a couple of big MMA events in the next few weeks. The first will be ONE FC – Pride of a Nation and then a day later it will be Pacific X-Treme Combats time to shine.

PXC have in a short period of time become a major player in the Philippines with a local TV audience reaches over high half a million viewers and it genuinely sells out it’s events.

The Event PXC 33 is going to be on September 1st 2012, at Ynares Sports Arena. Pasig City, Manila.

The Fight Card:

PXC Lightweight Title:

 Harris “The Hitman” Sarmiento (34-23) vs Jon “Super Saiyan” Tuck (6-0)

Sarmiento has a bucket load of experience starting his pro career right back in 2002.  Tuck on the other hand since 2007 has had just seven bouts all of which he won in the first round. His most famous win was over the URCC champion and present ONE FC fighter Eduard Folayang that took just 8 seconds. (Gorilla Warfare 3, 2009).

Flyweight Title Bout:

Ali “The Young Gun”  Cali (4-1) and Erwin Tagle (1-1-2)

Rest of the Card:

Mark “Mugen” Striegl (10-0) vs Robert “The Real Deal” Wusstig (4-5)

Striegl is the newest addition to the PFC roster a very talented and experienced fighter with Legend, URCC, PRO and DARE bouts under his belt. He hoped to fight Mitch Chilson at ONE FC in Manila but he was ignored. ONE FC’s loss is most defiantly the PXC’s gain and having signed a three-fight deal he must have a chance at a featherweight title shot soon. He will certainly become a very big crowd favorite and he hopes to really make a name for himself amongst the Philippine public.

Anthony Leone (11-5) vs Satoshi Inaba (8-7-2)

Leone is a Strikeforce and Bellator veteran and shows the higher level that PXC is aiming for.

Richie “Rich” Redman (2-2) vs Sung Chan Hong (debut)

Troy Bantiag (2-0) vs Jon Delos Reyes “The Heat”  (6-1)

Eugene Toquero (2-0) vs Leonard “Bruce” Caliwa (1-1)

Victor “Gladiator” Torre (6-1)  vs Jerome “Torogi” Wanawan (2-0)

Kristoffer “Ludakris” Persson (1-1) vs Isaiah Ordiz  (no record)

Dave Galera (1-0) vs TBA

Arex Montalban (1-0) vs Salvador “Badong” Domasian (1-3-1)

An exciting night is in store for those Cageside

PXC33 Teaser 1 (click link to watch)

PXC is co-produced in the Philippines by Sports 5 and telecasts via AKTV, the sports channel of TV5, featured primetime on IBC 13 free-to-air nationwide. According to PXC Promoter & CEO, EJ Calvo, “Our partnership with TV5 has been a major reason for our success in the Philippines. Ratings have increased every show since launching last year, and soon we expect PXC events to be drawing more viewers than most sports in the Philippines.” Over 500,000 actual viewers tuned into PXC31 in July”.

PXC 33 will take place on Saturday, September 1st, and will broadcast Live from The Ynares Sports Arena in Pasig City.

PXC is presented by San Mig Strong Ice and Sports 5. With special thanks to Rogin-e, Best Western F1 Hotel, e-Games, Fitness First, FHM Philippines, FHM.com.ph, Premiere Condoms, Healthway Agility Phil, Beer Below Zero, Real Sports Radio, Loqal.ph, SM Tickets and Ticketworld.