SOUTHEAST Asian Games bronze medallist Godwin Langbayan and Mark Striegl will be involved in a big fight scheduled to happen in the middle of a street on April 28 in Poblacion, a district in Makati City known for its easy-going vibe, culture, restaurants, bars and great nightlife.
The staging of a series of mixed martial arts fights in one night has never happened before in the colorful social scene of Poblacion, and this excites Langbayan and Striegl, who have fought many MMA battles through the years.
Traffic will be closed on a warm Sunday evening, starting at 5 p.m., to give to pre-match festivities.
And that’s before four bouts of an event dubbed as the “Kombat Sports Kalayaan MMA Festival” goes on starting at 8 p.m., at a ring that will soon go up at the intersection of P. Burgos and Durban St.
The 34-year-old Langbayan, returning from a two-year layoff from MMA after focusing his energies on sambo and kun bokator during the 2022 Southeast Asian Games, will clash with Singaporean Sim Khai Xiong in an MMA championship match.
“Nasa kundisyon ako. Hindi ako tumigil sa pag-compete. Ngayon din lang ako lalaban sa gitna ng kalsada. Iba ito,” said Langbayan, who is unbeaten in MMA in six fights.
Langbayan was a SEA Games’ bronze medallist in kun bokator before he came back to MMA recently.
Striegl, a grappler, will clash with Bacolod fighter Paige Alitao, a Brazilian jiujitsu specialist, in a superfight championship, one of the two main events of the night.
“I have never done this before. I’ve fought in the middle of bars, but never in the middle of streets. It’s gonna be fun,” said the 35-year-old Striegl, who is coming out of a 13-month layoff and after losing his last three fights.
In the undercards, Elorde Sandigon, a flyweight unbeaten in four matches, meets Indonesian fighter Andriawan Dharmita, while Joemar Gallarza takes on Robertson Abion.
Chief organizer Cyren Seno, a protégé of Team Pacquiao promoter Jonathan Penalosa, said the fights will be an interesting event for the community of Poblacion.
“It’s never been done before, and it’s going to be in the streets. The event aims to develop and strengthen the Filipino MMA athletes by creating an impartial platform for such competition,” said Seno.
Organizers expect a big turnout of spectators with the uniqueness of their event and the offerings that the restaurants and bars will come up during the fight.