‘Ultimate’ fights a box-office hit

Martial arts practitioner, commercial model, part-time actor and budding promoter Alvin Aguilar candidly confessed that he didn’t know if the gamble of staging a local version of the Ultimate Fighting Championships was worth the P400,000 risk.

But Aguilar, 28, took the chance anyway.

Last Nov. 23, over 3,000 fans packed the Casino Filipino Amphitheater in Paranaque to witness a rousing 19-fight card that Aguilar billed as "Mayhem in Manila–the Ultimate Reality Combat Championships." He wasn’t totally shocked at the turnout. Aguilar knew the "ultimate" nature of the fights would draw attention from curious fans since nothing of this sort had ever been done before. In fact, more than 300 were turned away at the gate. A few enterprising fans, who bought tickets at P280 apiece, turned scalpers and found takers for P800 a seat.

Aguilar, who’s a stranger to the business, shelled out P180,000 for a TV crew to film the proceedings and another P20,000 to rent a ring from Bebot Elorde. He had no sponsors and relied exclusively on ticket sales to pay the bills. Luckily, tickets went fast. Aguilar estimated he sold about 2,000 tickets. How some 1,000 other fans wormed their way into the Amphitheater, Aguilar will never know for sure. That’s the price he paid for inexperience.

Aguilar said there are about 15 active martial arts gyms with some 200 "ultimate" fighters in Manila. Among the martial arts involved in "ultimate fighting" are Gracie jiu-jitsu, yaw-yan (sayaw ng kamatayan), sari-an, boxing, submission fighting, suntokaran, todo bakbakan, pentjak-silat, judo, freestyle wrestling, taekwondo, kyokushinkai karate, and away kalye.

To entice the fighters to perform in his card, he guaranteed an appearance fee of P2,000 and a bonus of P5,000 for a win.

The tournament called for a modified no-holds-barred format. Unlike in the US-style "ultimate fighting," Aguilar ruled out elbow strikes and neck cranks. Also, he banned kicking or kneeing the head when a fighter is down on all fours. Another no-no was hitting the spine, neck or back of the head.

In the US, an "ultimate" fight ends when a protagonist surrenders or is completely incapacitated, meaning the bouts are to the finish. That’s why in some US states, "ultimate fighting" is prohibited. Incidents of death and serious injuries are commonplace in "ultimate" fights where no rules are the order of play.

Aguilar, of course, dismissed the notion of a fight-to-the-finish. His concept wasn’t to satisfy the lust of blood-thirsty fans. He’s not into brutality. Aguilar’s idea was to test the skills of martial arts practitioners against each other in the "ultimate" battle to determine combat superiority. When he outlawed elbow strikes, it was because they lead to bloody and gruesome cuts. Aguilar didn’t want the blood, only the guts on display in the ring.

In the Casino Filipino card, each fight featured two 10-minute rounds with a three-minute break in between. There were no judges. A referee and four ringmen–covering each side of the squared circle–were in charge of each bout. Aguilar explained that a fight can be stopped only when there is a knockout, a submission, a corner throws in the towel, the referee sees a protagonist not able to physically defend himself, and the ringside physician rules a fighter unfit to continue because of an injury such as a cut. At the end of two rounds, a draw is declared by the referee if neither fighter was able to establish clear superiority.

Judo brown belter Darwin Basas, 25, was the referee in all 19 fights.

Aguilar and Henry Kobayashi of the yaw-yan club paired the fighters. They were in effect the matchmakers. Fighters had to weigh within 10 pounds of each other. They were required to wear 14-ounce fingerless gloves and had the option to use a mouthpiece, a groin protector, and wrestling or taekwondo shoes. A fighter could choose to fight barefooted. Aguilar said in a rare exception, he agreed for a fighter to wear rubber shoes on condition he wouldn’t kick.

To prepare for anything untoward, Aguilar had on standby three doctors, two physical therapists, four paramedics, and two ambulances. He paid for the pre and post-medical examinations of each fighter. The tests included examinations for drug and steroid use.

The weight classes ranged from a low of 110 pounds to over 200. No age limit was imposed. In the case of the Bueza fighters, it was a family affair. Hermes Bueza, Sr. fought and lost to Louie Yap while his son Hermes, Jr, bowed to Richard Lasprilla and another son Joel was beaten by James San Agustin.

Former pro boxer Gary Garay, 35, was among the most impressive winners of the night. He knocked out Carlos Andrade in a single round. Garay turned pro in 1990 and compiled a 14-23-2 record before retiring in 1999. The high point in his career came when he outpointed world-rated Singnum Chuvatana in Bangkok in 1993.

Garay kicked a drug habit and went straight two years ago. He now teaches boxing and jiu-jitsu at the Red Corner gym in B.F. Homes, Paranaque. Aguilar, who started dabbling in martial arts when he was nine, manages the gym as the hub of his Defense Tactics Center.

"It’s been an uphill climb for Gary," said Aguilar. "This was his last chance. We gave him the opportunity to teach self-defense and make something out of his life."

Other big winners were Lasprilla, a gold medallist at the National Training Association Tournament in Los Angeles two years ago, and Yap, a Southeast Asian (SEA) Games bronze medallist in pentjak-silat. Lasprilla used a jiu-jitsu choke leglock to force Bueza, Jr.’s surrender. Yap, the Cavite karate kumite heavyweight champion, knocked out Bueza, Sr. in the first round.

Aguilar said he plans to promote another "ultimate fighting" show in March or April next year and will tap two foreigners to headline the card. He added that he will invite SEA Games judo gold medallist John Baylon and national wrestler Marcus Valda to see action in the next card.

A few days ago, Aguilar conferred with Games and Amusements Board (GAB) commissioner Emmanuel Palabrica in Makati to inquire about the agency’s requirements to license "ultimate fighting" as a regulated sport. Aguilar was asked by Palabrica to make a detailed presentation of what the sport is all about, its rules, and its safeguards before the GAB Board.

"We’re in the process of seeking legitimate recognition of our sport from the GAB," said Aguilar. "We’ll be applying for the appropriate licenses as soon as we get the green light from the GAB. We’re excited about the prospects of ‘ultimate fighting’ in the Philippines. We are determined to prove that our martial arts practitioners are among the world’s best."