Rampage Jackson graces KOTC: First Blood tonight

MANILA, Philippines – Expect fireworks when the King of the Cage Worldwide will debut in the country tonight (Friday) at the SM Mall of Asia Arena.

With former UFC light heavyweight Quinton “Rampage” Jackson watching as a special guest and UFC referee Herb Dean officiating the main events, 20 Filipinos will show their wares in the KOTC: The First Blood. (read related story: Ex-UFC star Rampage Jackson roots for Pacquiao)

It will be an interesting local flavoured-MMA action in the first 10 undercards with the 20 Filipinos slug it out against each other leading up to the two main events featuring American Joe “The Technician” Condon against Korean Kaleo Kwan in a non-title fight and the middleweight championship between undefeated Sean “Tarzan” Strickland defending his title against Japan’s Yuske Sakashita.

“Tomorrow night (tonight), you’ll see fireworks,” said Strickland, who will stake his belt and his unbeaten record of 11-0 record since debuting in pro Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) at the age of sixteen.

“The Japanese guy is tough but I’m better than him,” said the 21-year old champion on Thursday during the press conference held at Eclipse Bar inside the Solaire Casino in Pasay City.

“I don’t have a game plan. I never go to fight with a game plan. I’m going to step in there will hit him.  You’ll see it works out for me when you see my arms raised.”

Sean Strickland poses with his KOTC middlewight belt. Alder Almo

In the other main event, Condon was supposed to fight Fil-Hawaiian Lowen Tyananes for his KOTC junior welterweight belt. But Kwan stepped in as a late substitute after Tynanes suffered a broken nose, which will sideline him from eight to twelve weeks according to KOTC founder Terry Trebilock, who is in town to oversee the promotion’s debut in Philippine soil personally.

The winner of the non-title bout will face Tynanes when he returns to action.

Of the 10 undercards featuring Filipinos, who went to qualifiers under the watch of local MMA legend Erwin Tagle, KOTC Philippine chairman Ray Young, Trebilock and his staff from the US last summer in SM Marikina, the most promising bout will be that of Fil-Am Reign Sotto and Uno Legaspi in the welterweight division.

Sotto, a full-blooded Filipino, who traces his roots to Pampanga but born in California, will be making his professional debut after a 5-1 record in the amateurs.

“Ang kaibahan nila [from the other international MMA outfits that came aboard] is they focused on Filipinos. They want to develop Filipino talents by gaining experience competing against each other para maiwasan ang mismatches,” Tagle said. “By the time na may Filipino champion na, then that’s the time they go internationally.”

“Ang kagandahan nito ay franchise siya, so it’s here to stay. Kung puwede nga lang daw every month or once in two months, they’ll do a fight,” said Tagle, who was introduced to the KOTC group by Ilocos Sur Congressman and businessman Ronald Singson.

Tagle, however, clarified he’s not exclusive to the group as he has also helped Guam-based PXC broke into the Philippine MMA scene earlier. The MMA legend, who owns a world-class gym – Ultimate Fitness in Metrowalk, Ortigas – is just happy that the sport is rapidly growing in the country.  

“I’m just here to help promote Filipino MMA because I love the sport. I want to have a Manny Pacquiao in in the international MMA someday,” Tagle said.

Tagle said Young promised that a Filipino fighter who wins four in a row in the KOTC Philippines will be sent to the US to train and fight in the KOTC Worldwide.

Tickets for tonight’s fight are pegged at P2,500 (VIP), P,000 (Patron), P550 (Lower Box) and P350 (Upper Box). Visit www.smtickets.com for more ticket information and KOTC Philippines FB page at www.faceook.com/KOTCph for more about the bouts.