FORMER UFC campaigner Will “The Kill” Chope returned to the Universal Reality Combat Championship (URCC) action in style by capturing his third title in three different weight classes with a smooth yet lethal performance on Tuesday night.
Chope easily negated Filipino Arvin Chan’s striking skills with his expertise in grappling and jiu-jitsu and finished off his foe one minute and 45 seconds in the first round via rear naked choke to annex interim welterweight belt at the URCC 81 Decade of Success at the Cove in Okada Manila.
“I just wanted to cement my legacy in the URCC,” said the 33-year-old Chope, the 2013 featherweight and 2016 lightweight URCC champion. “This like my comeback fight in the URCC and Arvin [Chan] has a seven-fight win streak so I did my best to get him at his neck.”
Chope’s impressive win was witnessed by more than 3,000 fans.
The 6-foot-4 Chope, now based in Bangkok, improved his win-loss record to 40-19 27 by submission, 23 of which came by the same rear naked choke—while the 5-foot-10 Chan fell to 9-6 won-lost.
After the fight, reigning URCC welterweight champion Jon Adajar entered the cage and challenged Chope to a unification bout next year.
The durable South Koreans, meanwhile, busted the Filipino troika of Sugar Ray “The Mammoth” Estroso, former URCC champion Caloy “The Bad Boy” Baduria and Boss Bullet Manlilic in a thrilling 3 Versus 3 battle that was part of the main event.
Despite losing Won Tae Cho due to a disqualifying kick against a fallen Bullet, the Koreans still prevailed after Estroso suffered an injured shoulder prior to the fight’s resumption. This forced Team Philippines’s Baduria to fight by his lonesome against South Korea’s chosen fighter.
Team South Korea then chose the bigger Jeong Minhun over Jeon Young Jun, and Minhun easily clobbered and pinned Baduria to the corner.
Baduria fought valiantly but absorbed several unanswered blows that prompted a referee stoppage.
“It was such an awesome night. Everybody went all out but it’s just too bad the last fight ended that way,” URCC founding President Alvin Aguilar said. “The Koreans were supposed to be disqualified for a foot stomp [on Bullet] while Sugar hurt his shoulder.”
In the other mixed martial arts bouts, Mariano “The Hitman” Jones of Costa Rica crushed Filipino Gester Maglaque in 4:39 of the first round to get a stoppage win in their 185-lb clash, while, Dunlee Stewart beat John Tirona via a first-round technical knockout in a 170-lb tussle.
Kimbert Alintozon defeated Junie Kimayong via rear naked choke in the second round of their 125-lb affair, Rhyle Lugo defeated Alex Aballe (145 lbs) via first-round stoppage and Eros Baluyot outlasted MJ Abrillo (125 lbs) via arm bar in the second round.
In the similarly thrilling bare-knuckle bouts, Joseph “King Pinoy” Cabral defeated Damsa Abrenica via first round stoppage, Mark Jalaron blasted Denzel Dimaguila via first round technical knockout (TKO) and Dondon Serrano whipped Sherwin Niro via second round TKO.