MANILA, Philippines — Fresh from disposing of challenger Scott McHugh in Newcastle, England, last weekend, Bare Knuckle Boxing (BKB) world superwelterweight champion Rolando Gabriel Dy isn’t ruling out crossing over to traditional fisticuffs for the chance to face WBC ruler Sebastian Fundora, the highly-touted 6-6 southpaw known as the Towering Inferno.
“If there’s a chance, why not?” said Dy when asked if he’d battle Fundora. “If may mag-alok ng fight, I’ll take it. That’s my dream.” Dy was named after his father Rolando Navarrete and boxing icon Gabriel (Flash) Elorde, both former WBC superfeatherweight titleholders. He would cherish following in their footsteps.
Dy, 34, was sensational in overwhelming McHugh, scoring three knockdowns in the second round and finishing him off at 0:47 of the third. McHugh fell on all fours from a vicious left hook and struggled to beat referee Clive Allison’s count, prompting his corner to throw in the towel. Dy said the win was bittersweet as while he relished the victory, it came at the expense of a good friend. “Scott’s a good man, a good father who takes care of a daughter with a brain tumor,” he said. “I wish it could’ve been somebody else I beat. I told the referee to stop it after the second round. But the ref’s a professional so he knows better.”
Dy said he had more difficulty defeating Liam Rees for the BKB title last December. “Nahirapan ako kay Rees kasi awkward ang style at malakas physically,” he said. “Kay Scott, I decided to wait and bait him to commit a mistake. Kumagat sa bait ko ng Round 2 then I went hard to finish him noong alam ko nasaktan siya.” McHugh walked out of the trigon with his face badly disfigured and announced his retirement from BKB.
Dy said he plans to make the third defense of his belt early next year, possibly against Iraqi Adel Altamimi. “Wala pa naman final,” he said. “Easy fight kung si Adel na flat-footed, stiff as a board, no boxing IQ, not at my level. It’s an insult to my capability kung siya ang kalaban. I’ll dismantle him in one round.”
Dy flew to Newcastle with his wife Stephanie and their two children. His mother Jennifer, who lives in Spain, joined them but stayed in the hotel with the two kids during the bout. Stephanie, a karate fighter, was in Dy’s corner with his uncle James Dy, BKB cutman Peppa Martin Smith and his MMA student Kris Anolin, now based in the UK as a nurse.