Mixed martial arts boom

The other day, I dropped by the Solar Entertainment office in Makati to check out the TV schedule for the coming Tournament of the Americas where National Basketball Association (NBA) stars like Allen Iverson, Tim Duncan and Jason Kidd will play for the US in the Olympic zonal qualifiers.

Solar’s publicist par excellence Arnold Arandilla excitedly told me all the US games will be shown, plus other contests involving hot contenders, on IBC-13 and cable Channel 29. Hostilities are slated Aug. 21-Sept. 1 in Puerto Rico.

That’s not all, said Arnold. Women’s National Basketball. Association (WNBA) games are now being aired almost daily on Solar’s cable Channel 29. Contests are shown live in the morning and replayed on prime time at night. The girls are better, bigger, and more beautiful than ever before, gushed Arnold with, of course, no tinge of exaggeration.

Then, there’s a weekly program produced by the NBA on its "farm" loop called the National Basketball Development League (NBDL) or the D-league, also shown on channel 29. Filipino fans will get a kick out of watching the NBDL highlights because several former Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) imports, including Sedric Webber, are often featured.

There’s more, added Arnold. The European basketball championships will air on Channel 29 on Sept. 5-14. That’s a first on local TV, said Arnold. No European tournament has ever been shown here. "We got a close look at European basketball when the Philippine team played in Italy last year and our players learned a lot from that experience," noted Arnold. "In the recent World Championships, a European team won. More and more, fans are beginning to appreciate the way the game is played in Europe. I expect a lot of interest in the European championships among Filipino fans."

But wait. As I talked to Solar executive vice president Peter Chanliong, I noticed a commotion in the basement of the bustling office. What’s going on, I asked. Solar vice president Ralph Roy suggested for me to check it out.

So I walked down a flight of stairs to see a bevy of beauties congregated for what appeared to be some kind of an audition. What a sight for tired eyes. I quickly spotted Alvin Aguilar in the thick of things. Alvin heads the Philippine Association of Mixed Martial Arts (PAMMA) which has staged two highly successful promotions called the Universal Reality Combat Championships (URCC). The first URCC was held at a jampacked Casino Filipino Amphitheater last November and the second also played to a huge crowd at the PhilSports Arena last April.

There were 15 girls lined up to audition for jobs in the third URCC show on Sept. 20 at the NBC Tent in the Fort. No, the girls weren’t fighters. They were auditioning to promote the show in bar tours and to act as ushers and round girls. More auditions are set at 4 to 6 this afternoon and on Monday, also from 4 to 6. From the looks of the applicants in the first batch, the third URCC should be quite a dazzling extravaganza.

Alvin said the third URCC card will not feature foreign fighters. "The fans would rather watch the best mixed martial arts fighters in the country unless the foreigners are well-known," he said. "We’re saving up for some big-name foreign fighters like Royce Gracie of Brazil to come for a URCC show next year."

Meanwhile, another mixed martial arts group is staging its version of ultimate fighting with a unique urban-pop party atmosphere at the PhilSports Arena tomorrow night starting at 7.

Sports and Entertainment Management Inc.(SEMI) is behind the Fearless Mixed Martial Arts Championships which has lined up 11 action-packed bouts arranged by matchmaker Joseph Zalamea with Kenneth Bone as promoter.

SEMI’s Casimiro Ynares III described the show as "the most unique mixed martial arts event of the year." Fearless organizers promised an action-packed event where the fighters will go the limit in a battle of skill, honor, and style in the octagon cage. Aside from the fighting, there will be a lot of partying with DJs and dancers fueling the revelry.

Both URCC and Fearless are sanctioned by the Games and Amusements Board (GAB) as professional sports specialists in mixed martial arts. They are regulated by the GAB’s Boxing and Wrestling Division headed by Noli Flores.

"Fearless brings mixed martial arts to the country on a professionally sanctioned level, striving to take the sport to the mainstream and showcasing that mixed martial arts is safe, if not safer, compared to other contact sports such as rugby and American football," said organizers.

The show’s main event pits Desi Miner of the 808 Fight Factory versus Chris Sanford of Caesar Gracie in a lightheavyweight clash. An interesting duel features former Philippine boxing champion Baby Lorona against Don Don Yuzon of Manus Extrema.

Ynares said tickets for the Fearless show are available at all SM Ticketnet outlets and at the Araneta Coliseum box office. Fans can call 911-5555 or the SEMI office at 932-6267 for ticket inquiries.