Fitial wins heavyweight championship at PXC 24 in Manila

Fitial used ground and pound to finish Martinez in the 4th

by Ken San Nicolas

Guam - Pacific Xtreme Combat held its first ever show in the Philippines this past Saturday, at the Resorts World, Manila. With over 190,000 Filipino viewers watching at home, 16 fighters showcased their talents over the course of the event-filled evening.

In the first fight of the night, Spike 22's (GUAM) Ricky Camp dominated Submission Sports (PI) grappling savant Carlos Tiongson on route to a 2nd round referee stoppage. Camp controlled the pace and the location of the fight, peppering Tiongson with strikes on the feet and continuing that onslaught when the action went to the ground. Tiongson never found his rhythm and the end came quickly in round 2 when camp threw strikes from Tiongson's back.

In the second untelevised fight of the night, Alliance MMA's (USA) Diego Garijo earned a hard fought decision over Korean Top Team's (KOREA) Tae Kyun Kim. Garijo, a seasoned fighter with a notable win over Jens Pulver, pressed the offense early in the first round, using his size and strength to manipulate his smaller Korean opponent. However, Kim was very game and started to capitalize on Garijo's fatigue during the second and third rounds. Garijo would not be denied the victory however, as he would fight through a broken hand and secure enough takedowns and points to persuade the judges' decision in his favor.

The final untelevised match saw Guam's own Josh Alvarez take on former professional boxer Rogelito Plomeda (PI). Plomeda quickly introduced fans to just how great his hands were, as he dropped Alvarez with a strong body shot. Alvarez, never submitted in his professional MMA career, regained composure, secured a takedown and quickly took Plomeda's back. Alvarez would secure the victory with a rear naked choke in the waning minutes of the first round.

In the first televised battle of PXC 24, legendary Hawaiian fighter Harris Sarmiento earned a hard fought unanimous decision over Underworld Xtreme's Alex Castro (GUAM). Contrary to expectations, Sarmiento abandoned the battle on the feet and took Castro down early and often. Castro defended very well from the bottom and would consistently regain his guard. Unfortunately, he could never get back to his feet or being any form of offense -- granting Sarmiento the unanimous decision.

Alliance MMA's Rolando Perez escaped a large scare in round 1 of his fight with Ground Fu's Tony Reyes (GUAM) en route to a unanimous decision. Reyes caught Perez with a very slick triangle choke early in round 1. However, Perez would escape the hold and survive the round. The San Diego muay thai fighter would turn up the pressure for the next 10 minutes as he peppered Reyes with a variety of strikes. Reyes would counter and drop Perez with a right cross late in the third, but the damage was already done. Rolando Perez would take the decision on all three judges' score cards.

American Top Team's Rafael Dias (BRASIL) and Korean Top Team's Jang Yong Kim excited the crowd with their impressive fight. Dias attempted takedown after takedown but Kim showed impressive balance to prevent most attempts. However, Dias would not be denied as he would finally get Kim to the mat and take his back to end round 1. Kim would come back strong in the second and third, as he would catch Dias with a variety of unorthodox strikes, including a spinning back kick to the face in the third. After 15 minutes of action, each judge held a different opinion and the fight was ruled a split draw. (29-27, 27-29, 28-28).

In the first of two main events, Guam's own Baby Joe Taimanglo would increase his streak of putting people to sleep to 3. His opponent, Korean Top Team's Young Jun Kim, never had a chance as "Juggernaut" quickly took his back, locked on a tight body triangle, and secured the rear naked choke. 

Saipan's Kelvin Fitial would not leave his fate in the hands of the judges in the main event as he forced a stoppage in round 4 of his heavyweight championship fight with Roque Martinez. The much anticipated rematch started right where their first fight left off, as both Martinez and Fitial traded heavy leather for much of the affair. The champ almost put Fitial away in the third, as he would catch his opponent with a big left hook, staggering him against the cage. Fitial however, would survive the onslaught and put a definitive stamp on the 3rd round by delivering unanswered blows to Martinez before the bell rang. A slip in the fourth would cause the demise for the champ, as Fitial would secure control from top and rain down blows to Martinez' stomach. A crushing right to the face of Martinez would seal the deal, forcing the referee to stop the fight and leaving Martinez bloodied.

For more footage, visit the PXC website.