Title bouts lined up in URCC’s ‘Unrivaled’

MANILA, Philippines - Two interim title bouts highlight the first major offering of the Universal Reality Combat Championships as it stages the Colt 45-URCC 23 dubbed as “Unrivaled” on April 27 at the SMX Convention Center in Pasay City.

Clashing for the interim URCC bantamweight title are fast-rising Dave Galera of Lakay MMA and Red Romero with the winner earning the right to face reigning champion Jessie Rafols in the next URCC card.

Rafols was supposed to defend his title against Romero in a rematch of their “Superfight” at URCC 20 last year but failed to get a doctor’s clearance to fight due to a recent goiter infection.

The co-main event presented by Colt 45 and sponsored by Chris Sports, Tribal Gear, Bulls and Anzahl Paints also features Will “The Kill” Chope who will stake his 10-match streak against Andrew Benibe for the interim featherweight title.

The winner between Benibe and Chope – the tallest featherweight contenders at 6-foot-4, will challenge reigning URCC titlist Ricardo “El Matador” Sapno in a unificiation bout.

Sapno was scheduled to meet Chope but the former pulled out due to personal reasons.

Tickets for the event, backed by Solar Sports, Uno Magazine, Juice.ph, Red Box and Optima, are now available at SM Ticketnet (470-2222), according to URCC founder and president Alvin Aguilar said.

Also on tap are eight equally exciting supporting fights that will pit Froilan Sarenas against Arvin Chan, Roy Doliquez vs Lito Adiwang, Suri Guga vs Onyok Transmonte, Mark Somes vs Melchor Cases, Qing Long vs MJ Abrillo, Fei Guo Lin vs Alvin Ramirez, Edmund Velasco vs Angelito Manguray and Rex Lara vs Vaughn Donayre.

For the first time, URCC, one of the dominant forces in the promotion of the sport in the Asian region, will now adopt the format of three rounds of five minutes each for regular matches and five rounds of five minutes each for title bouts.