Fearless Fighting to go nationwide

MANILA, Philippines - Apart from the coming Fearless 9 set Saturday, the Fearless Fighting Championships are also slated to invade the countryside within the year.

The organizing Fearless Promotions Inc. is planning to bring the popular mixed martial arts events in Luzon, and then barring financial constraints, may eventually include the Visayas and Mindanao regions.

Matchmaker Robert San Diego bared the proposal when he appeared in the weekly PSA Forum at the Shakey’s UN Avenue branch Tuesday along with defending featherweight champion Joel Amurao.

“Actually after the Fearless 9 tournament, we’re looking for four or three more competitions this year and that may include staging it in the provinces,” he said.

San Diego mentioned nearby areas in Luzon such as Bataan and Baguio as possible sites to hold the Fearless Fighting Championships. From there, Cebu and Mindanao are likely the next venues.

“Eventually we’ll have to go to the provinces because of the numerous mixed martial arts fans there,” he said in the session sponsored by Shakey’s, Accel, the Philippine Amusements and Gaming Corporation (Pagcor) and Outlast Battery.

Set April 4 at the Ynares Sports Center in Pasig, Fearless 9 is the latest offering in the local mixed martial arts series that has been going for four years now.

Amurao, a former boxer and wushu practitioner, stakes his 129-pound title against Kid Rodel Orais in one of the three featured championship matches.

The 28-year old fighter, a business administration graduate at the University of Cordillera, is making the second defense of his featherweight crown.

San Diego added two foreign fighters will be seeing action in the 12-match card.

The other championship duel includes Ryan “Lion” Diaz against Joe Taimanglo for the lightweight title and Razi Jabarri and Cesar Yarte squaring off for the middleweight crown.

“We want to be as consistent as possible in holding tournaments because this is the vehicle for fighters to showcase their talents,” said San Diego.