Video and Results: URCC 28 hosts crazy 3 vs 3 bout, De Tomas and Lee defend titles

URCC 28 happened Sunday night in Manila, and the show dubbed as ‘Vindication’ saw 4 title bouts and crowned 2 new champions. While those quality bouts entertained and even made history for the promotion, what stood out on the night however, was the pretty insane 3 on 3 MMA exhibition bout that ended the card.

It was Team Chan vs Team Estroso, and if you include the 3 referees, there were 9 people in the cage during that wild contest. The crazy sequence included a TKO in less than a minute that dropped it to 3 vs 2, a brutal spinning backfist KO that evened it to 2 vs 2 less than 4 seconds after, and a lot more.

Paolo Tabuena

Watch some of the action below:

The wild 3 on 3 action clearly isn’t for everyone, and it went far off tangent from what we’re used to seeing from the longest running MMA promotion in South East Asia. That said, the spectacle clearly did what it set out to do, which is to attract fresh eyeballs before, during, and after the contest.

One would think that the URCC’s goal for setting up this type of match, along with their last event that featured two local celebrities, is to bring attention to their legitimate bouts. On URCC 28, they had plenty of those, including four title bouts.

Paolo Tabuena

Flyweight champion CJ De Tomas, took on a long time URCC star and perennial fan favorite in Alvin Ramirez in what was probably the most anticipated bout that evening. The ever gritty Ramirez managed to land the most devastating strikes on the contest, but the young prodigy’s superior wrestling was the difference maker. They traded on the feet, but De Tomas was able to control Ramirez on the ground for long stretches, which won him the decision.

Earlier in the year, a teenage De Tomas took the URCC belt from a Japanese champion who beat his father a few years back. With this first successful defense happening against the talented Ramirez, the promising and well rounded fighter in De Tomas now improves his record to 7-0 as a pro.

Paolo Tabuena

Two champions also made URCC history during the event. Geli Bulaong TKO’d Chinese Sanda expert Yan Qi Hui to become their first women’s flyweight champion, while light heavyweight champ Chris Hofmann dropped down and claimed the middleweight title to become the first ever to hold URCC belts in two divisions simultaneously.

Paolo Tabuena

The 4th title bout of the evening saw Korea’s Do Gyeom Lee win a decision against Filipino-American Ryan De La Cruz to retain his featherweight title.

Also picking up quality victories on the card, were former champ Red Romero, Drex Zamboanga, and Jiar Castillo, who became the Fight Farm series champion (basically the local equivalent of The Ultimate Fighter).

Paolo Tabuena

URCC 28: Vindication Results

Team Estroso def. Team Chan [3v3]

CJ De Tomas def. Alvin Ramirez by Unanimous Decision [Flyweight Title]

Do Gyeom Lee def. Ryan dela Cruz by Unanimous Decision [Featherweight Title]

Chris Hofmann def. Jon Adajar by TKO, R2 [Middleweight Title]

Geli Bulaong def. Yan Qi Hui by TKO, R1 [Women’s Flyweight Title]

Jiar Castillo def. Norman Agcopra by Unanimous Decision

Red Romero def. Miguel Mosquera by unanimous decision

Drex Zamboanga def. Sem Bicaldo by submission (Rear Naked Choke), R1

Solomon Dultra def. MJ Abrillo by submission (Triangle Choke), R2

Rodian Menchavez def. Arjay Bongala by TKO (doctor stoppage), R2

Photos by Paolo Tabuena