Revenge in the works

It was a total wipeout for four Filipino mixed martial arts fighters by Chinese invaders in the seventh edition of the Universal Reality Combat Championships (URCC) at the Araneta Coliseum last week and organizer Alvin Aguilar is determined to exact revenge sooner or later.

There’s no such thing as a hometown decision in a URCC event where fighters virtually go for the kill and that was evident in Aguilar’s latest blockbuster show called "The Art of War."

Inviting Chinese military fighters over from the Mainland was a big gamble but Aguilar’s idea was to test the mettle of the local boys who’ve thrilled fans here in six previous URCC extravaganzas with their toughness.

As things turned out, the Chinese visitors were grittier, more experienced and hungrier. The Filipinos were bloodied, battered and bruised but walked away unbowed, vowing to return with a vengeance.

Former world kickboxing champion Vince Soberano, a US-based Filipino who’s promoting mixed martial arts in China, brought in the military "sanda" fighters. "Sanda" is a Chinese martial art that is an offshoot of "sanshou." According to Filipino expert Del Bacho, the Chinese soldiers polished their mixed martial arts skills training under Brazilian guru Rickson Gracie.

"They’re exceptional fighters, much better than us at this point," said Bacho who was the referee in three of the 10 bouts on the card. "They’re patient and well-trained. It looked like they scouted our fighters. Videos of our previous URCC events are available in the market and I suspect they bought copies. Their submission maneuvers are solid. They set up very well and their ground techniques indicate they’re well trained. Even their escape moves were impressive."

Bacho said only Christian Wong came close to beating his Chinese opponent among the Filipinos. But he wound up losing to Ao Hai Ling on a submission. Wong tapped out as Ling locked him in an arm bar. Previously unbeaten Mark Sangiao was struck by a roundhouse kick to the jaw by Ha Peng and crumpled to the canvas. The word is his jaw was dislocated. The two other Filipino victims were Mike Banayad who lost to Dai Shuang Hai on a rear naked choke and Badong Daomasian who was completely dominated by Zhang Tie Quan.

"The crowd was quiet," said Bacho. "It was like Manny Pacquiao just lost a fight. The celebrities in the crowd like Diether Ocampo, Boy 2 Quizon and Jackie Forster were stunned. We were outclassed. The Chinese were better prepared, in better condition. They never got flustered, they never panicked under fire. Their experience showed. But we learned a lot from them. We’ll be back."

In other fights involving Filipinos, Lito Tagakay beat Charlie Angel, Wennie Paderna defeated Karlo Sevilla, Vincent Valdueza upended Luke Mark Catubig, Ricky Pat surrendered to Deo Anacio on a guillotine choke and Benio Penzon trounced Kenichi Klemann.

Bacho said there are plans for a revenge dual meet in China but the country’s best fighters are itching for payback here.

"Our heavyweight champion T. J. Tiu wants a chance for redemption," said Bacho. "Fritz Rodriguez, another one of our top mixed martial arts fighters, wants to fight, too, and he’s set his sights on Ling. I wouldn’t be surprised if Alvin himself returns to the ring to lead the charge."

Aguilar, 31, is regarded as the country’s foremost martial arts exponent. A Brazilian jiu-jitsu specialist, he took second place at the National Grace Training Association tournament in Detroit in 1999 but won the hearts of the fans by fighting in the finals with a broken ankle. Aguilar beat three straight opponents to qualify for the title match but suffered a broken ankle in his third bout. Despite the pain, Aguilar raced to a 6-0 lead on points in the finals before yielding on a triangle choke to an American champion from Texas.

Aguilar’s last fight came during the world championships in Brazil in 2001. He won two matches before losing by submission to a Brazilian. Rodriguez, Pichon Garcia and Raffy Garcia were other Filipinos who competed in the tournament but only Aguilar won his matches. The heat was unbearable, said Aguilar, and it eventually drained him in his final fight.

Aguilar recently said he’s ready to stage a comeback after a four-year layoff from active competition. He plans to campaign in the US, starting in the Pan American Games in Florida in February and proceeding to the world championships in Brazil in June. His goal is to eventually clinch an invitation to perform in the big-money cards in Japan.

Japanese ultimate fighting bouts often attract as many as 100,000 spectators and purses sometimes shoot up to over $100,000 for each protagonist.

A recent Basic Management Program graduate at the Asian Institute of Management, Aguilar said he?ll continue to promote URCC events and help in managing the four Red Corner gyms where he has an investment even as he pursues his own fighting career.

"This is just the first round," said Bacho. "We were beaten, fair and square. They pricked our pride. That won’t happen again. Sure, our guys aren’t full-time mixed martial arts fighters unlike the Chinese who make it their way of life. But we were embarrassed in our home turf. And it’s not healthy to do that because Alvin and his boys won’t take it sitting down."

I can’t wait for "The Art of War," part two.