Interim welterweight champion Will “The Kill” Chope aims for revenge when he takes on Filipino challenger Brian Paule in the Universal Reality Combat Championship 85: UNDERDOG at the DD Night Club in Tomas Morato, Quezon City on June 2.
After capturing the vacant interim URCC belt against aretired Filipino fighter Arvin Chan last December, the 32-year-old former Ultimate Fighting Championship outlasted his three next opponents in different fight leagues before returning for a fight in the country.
“Since winning the URCC title, life is the same and hasn’t changed at all,” said Chope, a three-time URCC champion, who sports a 41-19 win-loss record. “I still actively coach and train and fighting as much as I can.”
Paule, an expert in boxing and wrestling, has already defeated Chope five years ago via knockout in an MMA bout in Dipolog City. And he’s out to prove that his victory was no fluke.
“It’s a mission on my part to get the title back for the Filipinos, URCC title is for Filipino fighters. And I want to prove that I can beat him again,” the 33-year-old fighter from Bulacan said. “I know how he fights so my wrestling prowess will take care of him, so I can avoid takedowns.”
Chope, however, said he will be wiser this time, when they face again.
“Fighting Brian is just another fight. It is nice to win against him because I get to avenge my loss to him when we fought in an exhibition match in 2017,” added Chope, who is now based and training in Thailand.
“That bout was just for fun, he weighed a lot more. This time on June second, it counts as a pro. I am a lot bigger, weight wise and also a lot better, skills wise. I am excited to get back in the URCC cage and get another win,” Chope said.
Paule sports a combined 8-1 win-loss record in MMA pro and amateur bouts.
“I will get the interim title from him for sure,” Paule said.
The URCC fight card organized by founding president Alvin Aguilar and URCC co-owner/ General Manager Aleksandr Sofronov is supported by Crazywin and DD Night Club.
Other highlights of URCC 85 are the co-main event bouts featuring Rugbi Boy (2-0) and Allen Wycoco (1-0), who also both graced the fight’s news conference a week ago as they showcased their unwavering determination and readiness for their Bare Knuckle Welterweight Championship.
“This is going to be more exciting than the previous ones and all the fight matches are thrilling quality fights,” Sofronov said, adding that the URCC has groundbreaking plans for the upcoming URCC events.
“Additionally, the announcement of the Basket Brawl and the URCC 8-Man Bareknuckle Tournament in each division added another layer of excitement, promising intense battles and unforgettable moments,” he added.
For Inquiries about future fight events, check the official URCC website http://www.urcc.online or download the official URCC app https://apps.wix.com/place-invites/join-lp/b4e05b90-55a0-40a8-8fac17ccf4a2c074?ref=pre_banner_top, which is available for iOS and Google.
In MMA preliminary fights, Rhyle Lugo meets Richard Lachica in a featherweight bout and Tokartzhy Ushqyn squares off with Dave Morata at lightweight, while the bare knuckle featherweight division features Gerard Sismundo and Dan Ascano.
For the Philippines’ Mixed Martial Arts Federation, Jerald Vellarde clashes with John Vallega at lightweight; Jessa Sarabia collides against Catherine Soria in the women’s strawweight category; Tristan De Mena fights Shidjiroh Delantar at light heavyweight; while Paolo Cruz faces Gemil Clarinio at bantamweight in amateur MMA.
“Fans were thrilled to learn about the highly anticipated URCC Bareknuckle 5-Person Free-For-All, an exhilarating display of combat skills and endurance,” Sofronov added.