Team Lakay Fighters Ready for Combat at PXC 44

While most Pinoy MMA fans will be paying close attention to Roldan Sangcha-an as he makes his Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) debut in Auckaland, New Zealand, "The Executioner" will not be the only Pinoy fighter going in for combat over the weekend. Crisanto Pitpitunge (5-3) and Troy Bantiag (5-3), Sangcha-an's teammates from Team Lakay, will have their own bouts at PXC 44 this June 27th across the pond in Guam.


'The Slugger" Starting Road Back to the Title 

Duenas vs. Pipitunge. Photo property of PXC.

Pipitunge, a former Pacific Xtreme Combat bantamweight champion, will be facing Josh Duenas (4-4) of Saipan in a three-round flyweight affair. With his most recent PXC outing resulting in a third-round submission lost at the  hands of Han Bin Park at PXC 41, fans can expect "The Slugger" to be looking to bounce back in dominant fashion and get his name back into title contention.

Duenas has evenly split the wins and losses of his total eight pro fights, with the most recent being a victory by way of submission. Despite the slightly lower win percentage, it must be taken not of that all four of Duenas' victories have come in the form of a stoppage. While a true challenge, Pinoy MMA fans can expect Pipitunge to go into battle in true Team Lakay fashion, backed by months of hardwork and an exceptional unwillingness to yield.


Bantiag Hunting for Big Win

Aguon v. Bantiag. Photo property of PXC.

Like Pipitunge, Bantiag will for the first time be competing outside of the Philippines, taking on Guam’s Kyle Aguon. While "The Hunter" will likely not have the live crowd's support going up against a Guam-based competitor, many can expect Bantiag to be fighting with a great sense of urgency as he looks to snap a two-fight losing skid with a victory in a bout with title implications.


Despite his last fight being a loss, Aguon last competed against current bantamweight champion Michinori Tanaka, and a win against Bantiag will immediately get him back in title contention. With different, yet both high, stakes in the fight for both competitors, many expect the great blend of speed and skill commonly associated with the lighter weight classed to be on full display for this bout.

Pacific X-Treme Combat 44.

Pacific X-treme Combat 44

Pacific Xtreme Combat 44 will be held on June 27 at the UOG Filedhouse in Mangilao, Guam, headlined by a five-round bout between Josh Calvo and Zebaztian Kadestam for the vacant PXC Welterweight Championship.

Another Team Lakay Standout Set to Make Octagon Debut

On June 28th, another exceptional Pinoy fighter will be making his debut in mixed martial art's biggest stage. Roldan Sangcha-an, a mixed martial artist from the famed Team Lakay, will have his first fight in the Ultimate Fighting Championship, taking on former TUF contestant Richie Vaculik in a three-round featherweight affair. The fight will be part of the preliminary card of UFC Fight Night 43: "Marquardt vs Te Huna", which will be held at the Vector Arena in Auckland New Zealand.

Roldan Sangcha-an

With a record of 4-0 as a pro, all victories of which came by way of stoppage, Sangcha-an was slated to fight for the Pacific Xtreme Combat (PXC) Featherweight title. That fight would eventually fall through, as Sangcha-an's opponent would have to withdraw after suffering an injury in training.

Tale of the Tape. Photo property of the UFC.

True to the adage good things come to those who wait and all things happen for a reason, Sangcha-an is now set to grace the Octagon for the very first time, and the third Team Lakay fighter to do so.

He takes on Richie "Vas" Vaculik (9-2), a former contestant of The Ultimate Fighter: The Smashes, the season of the hit series in which Australian fighters were pit against those of England. During the show, Vaculik competed as a lightweight, but has since moved to the flyweight division, dropping his sole UFC bout to Justin Scoggins via TKO.

UFC Fight Night: Te Huna vs. Marquardt

Catch all the action of UFC Fight Night: Te Huna vs. Marquardt on June 28, 6:30pm Manila time, only on Balls Channel.

Despite Defeat, Pinoy Fighter Mark Eddiva Makes Entire Country Proud with UFC Fight of the Night Honors

UFC Fight Night: Maldonado vs. Miocic

On May 31, 2014 (June 1 Manila time), the Ultimate Fighting Championship held two events that provided 22 total mixed martial arts bouts for fans all over the world. As the first event, UFC Fight Night: Munoz vs. Mousasi drew to a close in Berlin, Germany, UFC Fight Night: Maldonado vs. Miocic began. The  latter event, which also served as the finale of the third installment of the Brazil edition of The Ultimate Fighter series, was held in Sao Paolo, Brazil.

 

Souza vs. Ediva fight metrics.

In the event's preliminary card, Pinoy fighter Mark Eddiva squared off against the host country's own Edimilson "Kevin" Souza. The bout began with the two fighters making a flurry of exchanges, with the Brazilian landing the more solid shots. The second round opened up a little differently, as Eddiva began hitting leg kicks to the suddenly tentative Souza. The Team Lakay standout hit "Kevin" with a handful of kicks to the legs and liver area, and at one point caught the Brazilian's own attempt at a kick and countered with a straight right hand.

As the second round was winding down however, Eddiva got caught with a straight right to the cheek. This was immediately followed by an overhand right from Souza, which caught Eddiva on the back of the head as he turned away during the action. He wound up caught against the cage and taking shots from the Brazilian striker, but still refused to go down. A final shot to the body eventually caused Eddiva to temporarily drop his guard, which unfortunately the referee felt was enough to call for the end of the fight.

Despite the loss, the Pinoy fighter's impressive showing in the hard fought battle earned him and his opponent Fight of the Night honors, which is given to the most exciting fight on the card. While the defeat will still be part of Eddiva's record, his performance earned him a signifcant bonus from the UFC, and likely opens up the door for a future fight in the promotion because chances are it will once again be battle that is very exciting to watch.