Five MMA Fighters that Make Us Proud to be Pinoys

If pundits are to be believed, boxing is already a dying sport. Could that be the reason why mixed martial arts is steadily gaining popularity here in the Philippines? While the sport is very much alive in the Philippines, one can’t deny that more and more people are following MMA organizations like ONE Championship and UFC. But why, exactly? Is it because the fights are shorter and “more exciting?” Whatever it is, one thing that we can agree on is that we are glad Filipinos are well-represented in MMA. For the uninitiated, here are the five MMA fighters that make us proud to be Pinoys:

Geje Eustaquio

Geje “Gravity” Eustaquio is an MMA fighter from Baguio City who trains with the well-known Team Lakay. He started learning kickboxing at the age of 14 and even dabbled in wushu. After a brief stint as an educator, he pursued his martial arts career, debuting in the cage in 2011. In ONE Championship, Eustaquio was able to snatch the ONE Interim Flyweight World Championship from Kairat Akhmetov and became the undisputed flyweight champion after defeating Moraes, unifying the titles in the process.

Brandon Vera

At age 41, Brandon Vera continues to defy expectations by retaining the heavyweight title at the recent ONE Championship 85. In the main event, he only needed 64 seconds to knock out Mauro Cerilli. What’s even more amazing about Vera is that he hasn’t fought professionally in two years. His last fight was in December 2016. Oh yeah, Vera might also seem familiar to non-MMA fans since he starred in the hit local movie “Buy Bust” with famous Filipino actress Anne Curtis.

Mark Munoz

As one of the guys who brought good publicity to the sport in this part of the world, Mark Munoz retired after six years in the UFC. Until today, his name and reputation as one of the nicest MMA fighters are still echoed by fans and fighters alike. He had a stellar career, boasting a 14-6 overall record. What makes Munoz truly special, however, is the work he’s done for his local community through several activities including an anti-bullying campaign.

Eduard Folayang

Eduard “Landslide” Folayang, also from Baguio City, was already a decorated martial artist even before he began his MMA career. Folayang was a part of the Philippine Wushu Team and has won several gold medals. After transitioning to mixed martial arts with the help of Team Lakay, Folayang quickly established himself as a fierce fighter. He was able to capture the ONE Lightweight World Title against then-reigning champion Shinya Aoki in 2016. After a crushing defeat in 2017 at the hands of Martin Nguyen, Folayang bounced back with three consecutive wins against top fighters to regain the ONE Lightweight World Championship.

Kevin Belingon

Kevin “The Silencer” Belingon stunned the MMA scene just recently with his performance at the ONE Championship 78. After facing and defeating two-division ONE Championship title-holder Martin Nguyen, Belingon took on the biggest challenge of his career fighting Bibiano Fernandes. It took one incredible fight and show of strength from Belingon to win against Fernandes who hadn’t lost a fight in eight years. It was a fight to remember.

via Fox Sports Asia / Harry Kettle