MANILA, Philippines – Some of the best mixed martial artists across Asia will convene next month in the first-ever Manila leg of the Asian Mixed Martial Arts (AMMA) championship.
The AMMA Manila Open will be held from October 14-16 at the Marriott Grand Ballroom in Pasay.
The Philippines is one of 16 countries who will see action in the tournament, which will feature 11 weight class divisions for both traditional and modern MMA.
Newly formed Nasyonal Mixed Martial Arts Pederasyon ng Pilipinas (NMMAPP) secretary-general Alvin Aguilar voiced excitement for the inaugural competition.
“We’re very happy that we’re gonna have the first Asian MMA here… This is really a momentous occasion because this is the first time our mixed martial arts athletes in the country will be representing our country — not just themselves or their clubs or their schools or affiliations,” Aguilar told Philstar.com.
“Now, they’re representing the country and that’s a longtime dream of all of us. And here it is, finally,” he added.
For now, the Philippine team already has a shortlist of athletes, but nothing is confirmed yet.
“Of course, we just want to make sure that we can get all the gold medals. So, only the best will represent the Philippines,” Aguilar, also the president of the Wrestling Association of the Philippines, stressed.
For his part, Philippine Olympic Committee president Bambol Tolentino said that the tournament will be a “big boost for Philippine athletes.”
“Malaking boost sa mga atleta natin. May pagpipilian sila. Hindi lang UFC, hindi lang ONE, hindi lang judo, hindi lang kurash, hindi lang other combat sports, wrestling. Meron nang MMA,” Tolentino told Philstar.com in a separate interview.
The official bared that there are already moves to include MMA in the Southeast Asian Games and Asian Games.
“Yes, [Filipinos are strong medal contenders.] Just like other sports na combat sports, martial arts, ito na MMA. Malakas tayo dito. Marami na kayong nakita diyan kasi allowed naman ang professional to play,” he added.
“Hindi lang laban ng MMA kundi kasama na sa medal haul, kasama na sa pag-represent ng bansa.”