URCC: A decade of championing Pinoy MMA
It seemed like only yesterday when I was co-hosting and producing the then fledgling radio sports talk-show "In The Zone" at DZSR Sports Radio 918 with fellow anchors Jude Turcuato, TJ Manotoc and Jannelle So (who was eventually succeeded by then Shaan Bermudez). I got a tip that a group was planning to launch a local version of the Ultimate Fighting Championships (UFC) and was, in fact, covering a Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) game in Dumaguete City when I received a call confirming all the details of this ambitious project. Standing right beside me was then Alaska slot-man Ali Peek who overheard the conversation with my source. Peek, an admitted UFC fan, was so intrigued by the event that he exclaimed, "I might just check that out!"
Back in Manila the next day, my source told me that a certain Alvin Aguilar, who was allegedly one of the organizers of the undertaking, was going to get in touch with me and after the mystery gentleman had called I agreed to have him on "In The Zone" to promote his endeavor.
After the interview, I remember telling Alvin as he left the booth: "Congratulations in advance." He gave me a quizzical look—as if not knowing whether I was just giving him encouragement or if I really meant I believed his event would be successful. The Universal Reality Combat Championship (URCC) was to be held in the Airport Casino Filipino (ACF) Amphitheatre; a modest venue with a seating capacity of almost one thousand. It was aptly entitled "Mayhem in Manila". I remember Alvin promising me a front row seat and I had just finished a coverage at the Cuneta Astrodome and decided that I'd take him up on that offer. I was stuck in traffic in front of the old MIA Domestic Airport for a full hour. Traffic was not moving in the slightest. I recall pitying those who were missing their flights due to the gridlock and decided to turn back lest my car overheat. I thought it was some major collision that led to the horrendous stand still.
The next day, I learned the reason for the jam: the roads leading to ACF were clogged by people trying to catch the first ever URCC. It was unprecedented.
"The companies we were trying to call to sponsor us just banged the phone on us when they heard about what we were trying to do," explains Alvin from my interview with him for a now defunct magazine back in 2003. "Me, my wife (Bubbles) and my partners (now Congressman Irwin Tieng, Jed Dario and Franz Von Muhlfeld) just pooled our resources together, hoping we could have some people come and watch our event." The 1,000-seat venue had to accommodate over 3,000 rabid fans and thus, the URCC was born.
Tonight, Alvin celebrates ten years of helping mixed martial artists from the Philippines and even neighboring countries realize their dreams of competing on the big stage.
The posh Mall Of Asia Arena will serve as the backdrop for the culmination of a decade of ass-kicking as URCC XXII (or better known as URCC Dekada) unveils a 10-bout fight card highlighted by URCC welterweight champion Eduard Folayang taking on undefeated Hawaiian cage specialist Lowens Tynanes in the main event.
Eric "The Natural" Kelley also stakes his unblemished record against up and coming Brad "Terrible" Terrey while Japan's Hideo Morikawa showcases why he is known as "The Death from Tokyo" as he takes on former Southeast Asian Games Muay-Thai silver medallist Reysaldo "Onyok" Transmonte in what is shaping up to be an epic battle in the bantamweight division (Morikawa-Transmonte Video Primer). DEFTAC's Red Romero faces off against Supiano Laurio of Sprawl MMA in featherweight clash while a duel for the URCC bantamweight title ensues with Jessi Raffols of D'Elements locks horns with Baguio Top Team's Keiff Mangusan as well as the middleweight championship war between Froilan Sarenas of Submission Sports going up against Rodrigo Praxedes representing Phuket Top Team. The fights commence at 8:00PM.
The URCC has been a major part of Philippine pop culture for more than a decade now and it is all thanks to the unwavering vision of Alvin Aguilar and his partners and supporters. MMA is very much alive in the archipelago, and we have to bow to the URCC for that.
Follow Noel on Twitter: @NoelZarate
Editor's note: The blogger's views do not represent Yahoo! Southeast Asia's position on the topic or issue being discussed in this post.
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