BRAVE 22 is Stephen Loman’s Homecoming

February 18, 2019John Hudson Go

49342953_1209220899254669_5585029962521378816_o

Here’s what you need to know ahead of Stephen Loman’s fight against Elias Boudegzdame at Brave 22

At the close of 2018, Team Lakay had five world champions. But unlike Folayang, Belingon, Eustaquio, and Pacio, BRAVE bantamweight champion Mark Stephen Loman has never had the bright lights of the SM Mall of Asia Arena shine on him in his two championship fights.

Loman wrested the BRAVE bantamweight title from Frans Mlambo on June 9, 2018 in hostile Belfast, Northern Ireland. He defended his belt against Brazilian Felipe Efrain on November 16, 2018 in Bahrain. It was after his successful defense that BRAVE’s top brass promised Loman the opportunity to showcase his skill set on Philippine soil. And on March 15, they’re making good on their promise.

We’ve seen Loman fight before under the PXC banner. His most impressive victory under the Guam-based promotion was against KO machine Mark Abelardo. He was scheduled to challenge PXC bantamweight champ Trevin Jones; the fight never materialized following weight cut complications on the American’s end.

Loman’s potential next challenger Jose “Shorty” Torres describes the Lakay as someone who “always comes back from adversity.” “He’s a slow starter and almost always loses the first round,” observes the former UFC fighter. “Even in his last fight, we thought Felipe Efrain would put him away, but then he came back stronger each round and was able to stay the champion.”

Five of Loman’s last six victories have gone the distance. His last loss (personally the first time I saw Loman fight live) was care of a flash KO by Rex de Lara. Not one to have a granite chin, Loman’s measured pace could very well be his way to make sure that he doesn’t get caught twice. “In the first round, I’m feeling out the power of my opponents, always [finding] my range to land clean shots,” Loman defended against Torres’ critique. “There were times I was hit hard, but I managed to come back and make adjustments in the fight.”
(more…)

Standout Performances: Tiger BRAWL Bacolod

January 29, 2019January 29, 2019Mark Raymundo

Excellent matchups, no circus of any form, just fights — the return of Tiger BRAWL Bacolod is in the books. Seriously, the only real intermission that night was when the crowd sang “Happy birthday” to Rio Saoy. On a night filled with thrilling performances, here are a few that stand out:

Mark “The Shark” Nimanand (6100 Martial Arts and Fitness) vs. Rio “Pitbull” Saoy (Mactan Combat Sports)

A well-conditioned Saoy absorbed the best of Nimanand’s punches, and even took him down in the heat of battle. But Nimanand had takedowns of his own, and finished strong on all three rounds to take the unanimous decision.

>> Huge props to the young Nimanand for forcing a former Muay Thai national team member to take the fight to the ground on several occasions. With the backing of a solid team, this young prospect may find his place in the industry if he gives the sport enough focus.

Joemar “The Island Fighter” Bayang (Legacy Gym Boracay) vs. Pablo “The Boomer” Meñosa (Pure Muscle Gym)

(more…)

Here’s How You Can Watch “Dillashaw vs. Cejudo” for Free

January 19, 2019January 19, 2019John Hudson Go

FOX+ is the New Home of the UFC in the Philippines

I don’t know about you, but a little piece of me died when Hyper HD was replaced by One Sports last January 9, 2019. It was a mad scramble for us to find out where we could watch live UFC events, more so as the fated clash between TJ “Snake” Dillashaw – attempting to become a two-division champ – and Henry Cejudo draws near.

Yesterday, UFC and FOX Networks Group Asia announced a multi-year media-rights deal in the Philippines that will see the streaming of UFC’s 42 live events in 2019, including its prestigious Pay-Per-View (PPV) events and original programming, on video-streaming service FOX+. As expected, the first event is the highly anticipated flyweight championship superfight between UFC flyweight champion Henry Cejudo and UFC bantamweight champion TJ Dillashaw. It will be streamed live on Sunday, January 20, starting at 11am on FOX+ with a catch up option post the live event.

FOX+ is FOX Networks Group Asia’s video-streaming service available on Android and iOS devices as well as on Apple TV and select Android TVs. The good news is, a free 30-day trial is available for new subscribers.

(more…)