There is no charge for Awesomeness: The UFC Macau Experience

As most people viewing Balls Channel here in the Philippines know, I was one of the winners selected for the UFC Macau Ultimate Fan Experience. It was an online contest where on just had to answer a simple question and get a chance to fly to Macau and watch a UFC event live. The news itself that I won was overwhelming, but it would not compare to what was in-store for  me and my brother when we finally arrived in Macau.

Balls Channel Ultimate Fan Experience Macau

At the NAIA terminal 2 we met up with the representatives from Balls Channel and Boom Gonzales the host of Game Day. (Side note, hanging out with Boom was awesome, it was really great hanging with a guy who you could talk about any sport with).



Arrived at Cotai Central where the Holiday Inn was located.



Bumped into Chuck "The Iceman" Liddel at the food court. 

Upon arriving at the Macau Airport at around 10 in the morning, we we're greeted by our tour guide and brought to the Holiday Inn at the Cotai Central. We weren't able to do an early check-in so we decided to get some lunch instead. Then, when we were looking for some grub at the foodcourt we bump into the legendary "Iceman" Chuck Lidell.

After lunch, we went back to the hotel to check-in and freshen up a bit before attending the autograph signing and the weigh-ins for the fights.



Chuck signing my UFC Encyclopedia

  

With the "California Kid".

Kenny "Kenflo" Florian at the weigh-ins.

Me and my bro with Uriah Faber.

At the weigh-ins, we were treated not only to the entire weigh-in program, but also we were brought backstage to check out the OCTAGON and take more pictures.

  

With Chuck inside the Octagon

It was a great first day in Macau, and even though we were a bit sleepy due to the trip the "MMA High" kept us strong and awake as we really wanted to take the entire experience in and make the most of our time there.



Stuff I got signed the first day

On the second day we went on a tour of Macau. We were brought to the well know tourist spots in Macau, like the Macau tower, the Golden Lotus Square, St. Paul Ruins, and the Ama Temple among other places. It was also, our chance to buy "pasalubong" at our tour guide led us to the place where we could buy such items. We even bumped into Alex "Bruce Leeroy" Caceres during our visit to the St. Paul Ruins.





  

With the group at the Golden Lotus Square



  

Checking out the Macau Tower

  

With Bruce Leeroy



 Me and my bro at the Ama Temple



 After the tour, we once again retreated to our hotel rooms to rest and relax so we can be ready to watch the fight later that evening. Then finally, it was time to catch the fights.

It's Time!!!



Fight time has arrived and all I can say is it was just how I imaged it plus more. From hearing Bruce Buffer live to hearing the roar of the crowd and the thunderous leg kicks, it was overwhelming and at time is still could not believe I was there. My brother and I were both rooting for Rich Franklin as he has been one of our favorite fighters ever since we started watching the UFC and MMA, so you would have seen our behest when he was knocked out by Cung Le in the first round.



With my bro at the fight.



With Game Day host Boom Gonzales





With the Balls channel pips and the other winners.



The winner Jon Tuck, been watching him in the PXC.

After the fights, there was an after party, we went by and checked it out but there wasn't much going on during that time, so instead my brother and I headed to the Cotai Arena entrance where the fights took place and saw if we could by chance meet some of the fighters, which we actually did as we got some pictures with the fighters and I was also able to get Dong Jung Kim, Tiago Silva and Alex Caceres to sign my UFC Encyclopedia. We also saw the ring girls and Bruce Buffer but unfortunately the were in too much of a hurry to indulge us. We waited until 3am in what might be a chance to see Rich Franklin but concluded that he must have been brought to the hospital due to the devistating knock out he suffered in the main event.

The Stun Gun

With Jon Tuck

The next day we had a free day and spent most of the day at the Venecian hoping to still bump into some fighters, (still hoping to bump into Rich Franklin and possbily Jon Fitch as he cornered Riki Fukuda) but to no avail.



Just making the most out of our trip.



The entire experience was amazing and I cannot begin to express how much it means to me that I was one of the ultimate fans that Balls Channel to go to through this journey. I really soaked it all up and wouldn't have traded anything for it. So again, thank you Balls Channel, you've made an impression in me in a very big way, more power to you and you've not only brought the UFC to the Philippines but continue to bring much more.

PXC BRINGS BEST MMA ACTION IN THE REGION TO THE BIG DOME ON NOVEMBER 17th!

Pacific X-treme Combat (PXC), the premier MMA organization in the Philippines and Asia-Pacific region, has announced its biggest show to date to take place on November 17th at the famous Araneta Coliseum (aka “The Big Dome”) in Manila, Philippines. Headlining the star-studded international fight card will be some of the top rising stars of MMA from the Philippines, as well as Hawaii, Guam, Japan & Korea. The event is expected to draw thousands of MMA fans from all corners of the Philippines, and along with being broadcast live nation-wide on AKTV via IBC-13, the event will stream online for the world to experience as well!

PXC produced 2 events at Resorts World Manila’s Newport Performing Arts Theater in 2011 before relocating the show to The Ynares Sports Arena in Pasig City to produce 4 stellar events. On September 1st, PXC-33 broke new ground for MMA in the Philippines with almost 500,000 viewers of the live broadcast on AKTV and a sold-out Ynares Arena.
According to PXC’s CEO, E.J. Calvo, “We are extremely excited about the move to Araneta. Our fighters have worked hard and performed well, and deserve the exposure this event will bring. PXC, as an organization, has grown leaps and bounds over a decade, and there is no doubt PXC can stand up against any MMA promotion in the region right now.”
Calvo added, “Our goal is to continue to grow PXC for the benefit of MMA fans in the Philippines, as well as for the long-term growth of the sport in the entire region.”

In less than 2 years since PXC arrived in the Philippines, the promotion has clearly been established as the premier MMA organization in the country. Along with media co-production partner, AKTV, the sports channel of TV5, PXC has successfully built a mainstream viewing audience for the first time, attracting hundreds of thousands of viewers during nation-wide broadcasts of the MMA events. PXC is also one of the only MMA leagues outside of Japan sending fighters to The UFC, and continuously signing the best up and coming talent in Asia.

Over the last 3 months, PXC has released 2 of their top fighters to The UFC, and anticipates that several more will get the same opportunity over the next year or so. PXC Welterweight Champ, Hyun Gyu Lim, and Lightweight standout, Jon Tuck, were signed by The UFC to compete in their upcoming event in Macau on November 10th. PXC prides themselves on recruiting and showcasing the best up and coming MMA talent in the Asia-Pacific region, but also has been known to feature elite fighters from Brazil, Europe, Canada, and various areas of the US.

PXC has also treated fans by flying in Filipino-American stars of the sport, including Brandon Vera and Mark Munoz, to coach their gym mates from California, as well as “Big John” McCarthy to referee bouts and hold seminars with officials, meet fans, and promote MMA in the Philippines.

PXC-34 will be the 7th show in the Philippines for the Guam-based organization, and it is expected to elevate MMA in the Philippines to yet another level. Headlining the event will be the Philippines’ own, Ale “The Young Gun” Cali, the current Flyweight Champ, and prominent fighter and coach, Erwin Tagle.
PXC VP/Matchmaker, Eli Monge, stated, “We anticipate that several fighters on the card will be top prospects for The UFC in the near future, so it will be exciting to see them compete on their way up! PXC fighters to look out for include the Harris Sarmiento, Eugene Toquero, Russell Doane and Mark Striegl.”

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, and Loqal.ph.

For more information on PXC, check out www.pxc.com.ph or www.facebook.com/pxcmma.

MMA growth in Asia led by regional promotions

www.mixedmartialarts.com Regional promotions like Pacific X-treme Combat are setting the stage for a resurgence of mixed martial arts in Asia.  Instead of focusing solely on Japan, as was the case with past promotions like PrideFC and DREAMFC, today the most forward-looking companies are developing the sport in the Pacific Rim and China. 

 “If you look at the entire area, originally Japan was the only Asian country that was into MMA and then it kind of died out,” said legendary referee “Big” John McCarthy after officiating PXC 33 in Manila, which took place on September 1st 2012. McCarthy was referring to the serial demise of the two dominant Japanese promotions of the last 15 years, Pride FC, which shut down in 2007, and Fighting Entertainment Group, which produced DREAMFC and ceased operations in February 2012.  Despite the troubles of MMA in Japan, McCarthy sees opportunities for MMA in other parts of Asia because of the existing culture of martial arts and the increasing popularity of the lighter weight classes. “Now all the other countries in Asia are becoming involved and have so many good young lighter weight fighters that its just a matter of time before you see a lot of the top guys coming out of Asia again.”
McCarthy said he was surprised at how enthusiastic the fans in Manila were in the days leading up to PXC 33. “They are nuts about MMA, I’ve never been to a country where I was mobbed by more people everywhere I went than the Philippines, cooks coming out of the kitchen at the restaurants I'm eating at to meet me and things like that. It was amazing. They’re a fighting culture.”
The Philippines have long had a record of excellence with Boxing and the biggest boxing star in the world, six time World Champion, Manny Pacquiao hails from the island nation and is even a member of the Filipino congress.

PXC promoter EJ Calvo has high hopes for the roster of fighters his promotion is helping to develop in the Philippines.  PXC has prides itself as an incubator for the next generation of talent and as the place for fans to watch future superstars in the early stages of their careers before they break out in the UFC. “Our Flyweight, Bantamweight, Lightweight and Featherweight divisions are all full of young talent from the Philippines and with more experience against elite fighters from the region, we expect that the Philippines will produce some of the world's toughest, as it has in Boxing."   One name that stood out from PXC 33 was undefeated Filipino featherweight Mark Striegel.  Striegel submitted his opponent early in the first round and McCarthy predicted that fans would see him in the UFC within the year.

Calvo notes his promotions record of developing talent, instead of signing aging stars on the downside of their careers, a practice he criticizes in some of PXC’s competitors in the region.   PXC, he says, is where to see young hungry fighters on their way up. "We've released 2 of our top fighters to The UFC within the last three months including John Tuck who is competing in the UFC’s huge show in Macau on Nov 10th.  We fully anticipate that others will be getting similar opportunities soon. PXC focuses on match-ups between the Asia-Pacific region's elite fighters, and our fans love to see rising talent climbing the rankings! There's so much talent in the Asia-Pacific that PXC will always have a stacked card with future stars on the rise."
About PXC: Since is debut in 2004 Pacific X-treme Combat has produced over 50 professional and amateur events and is one of the longest running promotions in mixed martial arts.  Based on the island of Guam, PXC recently signed a major TV deal with TV5 for the Philippines, airing free-to-air nationwide. The most recent broadcast, PXC-33 in September, recorded almost 500,000 viewers in the Philippines during live broadcast.  PXC 34 will take place live in Manila in November and is planned to be PXC’s biggest event to date.

The post was from   http://www.mixedmartialarts.com/news/423167/MMA-growth-in-Asia-led-by-regional-promotions/ by The Ratel | source: pacificxtremecombat.com

PXC 33 Rocks Manila! Let's get it on!

Pacific Xtreme Combat the premier Mix Martial Arts promotion in the Philippines is back this coming Saturday, September 1, 2012 with PXC 33. Headlining the event is the always dangerous PXC lightweight champion Harris Sarmiento taking on Seung Hwa Han from Korea. A special treat awaits Pinoy fight fans as world famous MMA referee Big John McCarthy will be the 3rd man in the Cage. So come and experience the best MMA show in the country and see you all at the Ynares Sports Arena this Saturday.

Full Fight Card

HARRIS SARMIENTO		VS	SEUNG HWA HAN
	5'6" (168cm)	HEIGHT
	155lbs (71KG)	WEIGHT	155lbs (71KG)
		COUNTRY
MARK STRIEGL		VS	ROBERT WUSSTIG
	5'8"	HEIGHT	5'9"
	145lbs	WEIGHT	145lbs
		COUNTRY
RUSSELL DOANE		VS	MASATO SANNAI
		HEIGHT	5'8"
	135lbs	WEIGHT	132lbs
		COUNTRY
RICHIE REDMAN		VS	HONG SEUNG CHAN
	5'7"	HEIGHT
	155lbs	WEIGHT
		COUNTRY
TROY BANTIAG		VS	JON DELOS REYES
	5'6"	HEIGHT	5'6"
	135lbs	WEIGHT	135lbs
		COUNTRY
EUGENE TOQUERO		VS	LEONARD CALIWA
	5'5"	HEIGHT	5'6"
	130lbs	WEIGHT	119lbs
		COUNTRY
VICTOR TORRE		VS	JEROME WANAWAN
	5'6"	HEIGHT	5'4"
	115lbs	WEIGHT	119lbs
		COUNTRY
KRISTOFFER PERSSON		VS	ISAIAH ORDIZ
		HEIGHT	6'1"
	169lbs	WEIGHT	161lbs
		COUNTRY
AREX MONTALBAN		VS	SALVADOR DOMASIAN
		HEIGHT	5'6"
		WEIGHT	159lbs
		COUNTRY

As a treat here is a primer/ music video for PXC 33. Let's get it on!!!