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| URCC President Alvin Aguilar (middle) sets up the face-off between Mark Palomar (left) and China’s Darui Tang. URCC |
MANILA—Heavyweights will collide on Sept. 28 as the Universal Reality Combat Championship makes its first stop at the Octopus Bar in Makati for its upcoming fight night.
Filipino fighter Mark Palomar makes his comeback to the mixed martial arts stage as he battles Chinese opponent Darui Tang in the headliner of the fight card backed by Primo Gaming, IWant TFC, and Octopus Bar.
Palomar is fighting for the first time since the COVID-19 pandemic struck as he looks to rebuild his mixed martial arts career.
Palomar seemed to be on track to building a winning run following a not-so-solid 1-3 career start after he submitted Mark Gatmaitan on Jan. 11, 2020, at Davao Urban FC Fight Night 17, but the pandemic derailed his plans. Palomar would eventually dabble in the entertainment industry, working as a stuntman for various action movies and TV series, most recently with the GMA primetime program Black Rider.
Despite having a new job, Palomar said during the press conference on Friday at the said venue that he still trains for a future MMA contest.
“I train every day, and I do not miss any schedule especially now. I am very thrilled and excited,” Palomar said.
Palomar's comeback fight will be against Beijing native Tang, who is making his pro MMA debut.
“He will eat my fist, and I guarantee that,” Palomar said to Tang during their meet-up.
When he shifted his training camp to the Philippines, though, Tang decided to polish his skills at the renowned Catalan Fighting System Gym.
“I came there to learn. Thank you so much to my coach," Tang expressed his gratitude to the gym owner — MMA legend Rene Catalan Sr.
“I will win my fight here and I will knock him out.”
Tang, 31, was a former wushu sanda practitioner for 10 years and had a record of 10-3 win-loss record.
“It is going to be a great fight between two heavyweight warriors from the Philippines and China. It is going to be a thrilling heavyweight clash between two heavyweights,” the founding father of Filipino MMA, URCC president and founder Alvin Aguilar, said.
The co-main event will feature Jacis Makasinag and Ezekiel Isidro in a bantamweight contest.
The other fights pit Dave Valencia and Ferdinand Aquino in the strawweight division, Jared Alzate and Rocky Vergara in one flyweight clash, Ariel Oliveros and Kenneth Maningat in another 125-pound battle, JR Alejandro and Marvin Malunes in the third fight in the flyweight, and Cris Baguio and MJ Montealto in a lightweight clash.
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