Top collegiate fighters clash in URCC

MANILA, Philippines - The country’s leading fighters from the collegiate ranks get to show their wares as Universal Reality Combat Championship (URCC) holds the second Colt 45 University Challenge tonight at the A. Venue Events Hall in Makati.

Twelve fights are in store for the mixed martial arts (MMA) fans but focus will be on La Salle’s Meshaal Al-Khuzeem and Jojo Tabang who are out to stamp their class once again in the event presented by Colt 45 and backed by Tribal Gear, Alaxan FR, SolarTV and Solar Sports.

The 5-foot-10 Al-Khuzeem used his grappling and takedown skills to beat Ateneo’s Ralph Mendita by rear naked choke decision in their welterweight duel last year.

The 5-foot-3 Tabang, on the other hand, downed Albert de Guzman by armbar submission in the first round of their pinweight tussle.

This time, Al-Khuzeem faces University of the Philippines’ Hani Ho in the lightweight division while Tabang goes up against Emielle Macalinao of PATTS College of Aeronautics in the event backed by E-Games, 99.5RT, NU 107, Rogue Magazine, Pinoy Exchange, Synermaxx, Yoshinoya and Chris Sports.

The other featured match in the event firing off at 8 p.m. is the featherweight tussle between Karl Rodriguez of Entrepreneur School of Asia and Marwin Ofracio of Lyceum.

Also gunning for a second win is STI College’s Isiah Ordiz who will be up against UE’s Glen Ranillo in the middleweight fight.

Also tipped to prevail over their respective foes are La Salle’s Kevin dela Cruz (light), EAC’s Jessie Jurial (bantam), San Beda’s Mark Lester Mauricio (middle), Letran’s Dennis Castro (feather), Charles Lubrica of Manila Central University (bantam) and Patrick Gambe of UE.

Tickets, pegged at P300 and P500, are also available at TicketWorld (891-9999).

Three fights are lined up in the lightweight and bantamweight, two in the featherweight and one each in the pinweight, flyweight, welterweight and middleweight.