INTEREST in the Ultimate Fighting Championship’s first-ever stop in the Philippines is expected to intensify with the global mixed martial arts organization lining up a packed schedule on fight week leading up to its much-awaited Manila event on May 16.
Frankie Edgar / Urijah Faber
In a recent release, the UFC said octagon stars Demetrious “Mighty Mouse” Johnson, the current flyweight champion; no. 2 ranked women’s bantamweight fighter Miesha “Cupcake” Tate, bantamweight warrior Bryan “Kid Lightning” Caraway, and heavyweight Alistair “The Reem” Overeem will fly in next week to rally fan support in various events for “UFC Fight Night Manila: Edgar vs. Faber.”
Fans can check out the UFC stars as well as the combatants in Fight Night Manila in an open workout on May 13 at the Music Hall of the SM Mall of Asia at 6 p.m.
An ultimate media day is set for May 14 at 11:30 a.m. at the Solaire Resort & Casino, where some lucky fans can attend as well.
The official weigh-in is set for May 15, a day before fight night, at the Mall of Asia Arena at 4:30 p.m.
UFC Fight Night Manila is headlined by the featherweight encounter of MMA legends Frankie “The Answer” Edgar (18-4-1) and Urijah “The California Kid” Faber (32-7-0).
In an earlier press conference, both Messrs. Edgar and Faber vowed to give Filipino fans a “memorable fight night” and nonstop octagon action even as they said they are using the bout as a springboard at a title shot against current champion Jose Aldo of Brazil.
Also on tap for UFC Manila is the homecoming and final fight of Filipino-American fighter Mark “The Filipino Wrecking Machine” Muñoz (13-6-0), who will take on British Luke “Bigslow” Barnatt (8-2-0).
Local MMA will also be represented with Team Lakay’s Roldan Sangcha-an and Mark Eddiva seeing action against different opponents at flyweight and featherweight, respectively.
UFC Fight Night Manila: Edgar vs. Faber, to be held at the Mall of Asia Arena, is the maiden stop of the UFC in the country. It will also be the only UFC event this year in Southeast Asia, officials said.
Tickets for UFC Fight Night Manila are available in Mall of Asia Arena, SM Tickets outlets and online through www.smtickets.com, and are priced at P13,250 (VIP), P10,600 (Patron), P7,950 (Lower Box A), P5,830 (Lower Box B), P3,710 (Upper Box), and P1,590 (General Admission) plus applicable service charges. — Michael Angelo S. Murillo