CEBU, Philippines – Cebu’s pride Engi “The Destroyer” Piloto and Canadian Sabah “The Persian Warrior” Fadai are all set for one big war against separate foes in the Colt 45 Universal Reality Combat Championship Cebu IV: Proving Grounds that features for URCC Visayas championship fights this Saturday at the Cebu International Convention Center.
Piloto of Yaw-Yan Cebu ArDigma will go up against 2007 Southeast Asian (SEA) Games wushu gold medallist Mark Ediva of Baguio’s Lakay Wushu Team in a surefire explosive battle for the URCC Visayas featherweight title.
“I’m doing a lot of circuit training, round Jiu-jitsu and Yaw-Yan kickboxing. For me, this is a very tough fight that is why I took a one-month leave from my job just to focus on my training,” said the 27-year-old Piloto, a police officer assigned in Loboc, Bohol.
That’s what makes Yaw-Yan ArDigma founder Master Benigno “Ekin” R. Caniga, Jr. confident of Piloto’s fitness level.
“Engi is now 95 percent fit for this Saturday’s fight, but we are not taking any chances,” Caniga said.
Caniga has reasons to be cautious though as Ediva comes from a respected team that presently holds four URCC national belts and are renowned for their legendary high-altitude training in Baguio.
“But this is MMA. Anything can happen,” said Piloto’s soft-spoken trainer.
In contrast, Fadai is more certain of victory when he represents Cebu against Andrew Benibe of Manila‘s Maics Gym.
“I will keep the fight standing up and knock him out. I will not stop until I will knock him down in the first round. This fight should not go up to the second round, I’m pretty sure this is going to happen,” Fadai said. “I have nothing against Benibe but I have to win this fight because this is my first in Cebu,” he added.
URCC producer Renault Lao, on the other hand, looks forward to a more excting and action-packed MMA showdown.
“Aside from the foreigners who will be seeing action, this is also our first time to promote URCC title fights so the fighters will have something to look forward to,” said Lao. — Marigold P. Lebumfacil (THE FREEMAN)