Mark Valerio knocks out foe in UAE Warriors on 5 days' notice

MANILA, Philippines – Vicious indeed.

Mark Gregory Valerio claimed a massive victory with a sensational knockout of Hussein Salem 11 seconds into the first round of their featherweight bout in UAE Warriors 41 at the Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates last Friday.

Valerio, who accepted the fight on five days’ notice after Hussein’s original opponent was unable to take the cage, landed a huge right to open the fight. Hussein backed into the fence and Valerio threw another right-handed strike. Although he missed, it provided an opening for a left-right combination that further rocked the Iraqi. He followed with another one-two combination that finally decked his foe, after which Valerio dropped five hammer fists before referee Daniel Movahedi waded in to stop the fight.

An ecstatic Valerio raced to the top of the cage where he celebrated. His triumph arrested a two-match slide in UAE Warriors and also put an end to three consecutive losses by fellow Filipinos in this Arabian mixed martial arts promotion.

Mark Streigl and Joevincent So both lost in UAE Warriors 39, while Jayson Margallo lost in the first round of UAE Warriors 36.

The last Pinoy to win in this event was Genil Francisco, whose rear-naked choke forced Russian Shamil Magomedov to tap out in the second round.

Valerio, the Meycauyan, Bulacan native, improved his overall record to 6-7 while Hussein tasted his fifth loss in 16 bouts and ended his three-match win streak.

The win helped put Valerio’s MMA career back on track. Prior to his recent win, he lost five straight and bounced from one promotion to another. UAE Warriors is his ninth promotion. 

Filipino Junifer Kimmayong (5-3) will make his UAE Warriors debut Saturday against Furkatbek Yokubov (7-3) at a 132-lb catchweight bout also at the Etihad Arena.