Tags: Mixed Martial Arts
By Lawrence Casiraya
MAKATI CITY, METRO MANILA – After his impressive win in UFC 112, Mark Munoz is hailed as the best Filipino fighter in mixed martial arts right now. “The Filipino Wrecking in Machine” showed plenty of heart in his come-from-behind TKO win against Kendall Grove in the most recent UFC showcase in Abu Dhabi.
Grove actually scored pretty vicious strikes early on and tried to punish Munoz to submission. But the Filipino fighter survived before ground-and-pounding his opponent that led to the referee-stopped contest. (Watch a video of the fight here.)
The Filipino fighter, now based in Vallejo, California, pocketed $75,000 for the fight, which many hailed as one of the highlights of UFC 112. In this post-fight interview, Munoz talks about his win and how he derived inspiration from a pro-Filipino crowd.
With recent defeats by Brandon Vera and Philippe Nover, Munoz is now the only remaining Filipino with a good chance of capturing a UFC title. He is fighting in the middleweight division, after trimming down from light-heavyweight. After winning against Grove, MMA fans are already discussing who he should fight next.
Born in Japan, his father (a Navy serviceman) hails from Bicol while his mother is from Sta. Ana, Manila. In this interview with Examiner.com’s Dennis “dSource” Guillermo, Munoz shares his liking for Filipino food and beams with pride about carrying the Filipino’s “never say die” attitude in him.
After his inspired win against Grove, he’s being likened to Manny Pacquiao – he’s actually trained at the now-famous Wild Card Gym in Los Angeles under Freddie Roach and often cites the Filipino boxing hero as inspiration.
With his mixed martial arts career still peaking, the 32-year old Munoz is yet another source of pride from Filipino fight fans (his Facebook page has been filled with congratulatory remarks) this time in mixed martial arts.
(Photos taken from markmunoz.net)
For updates, bios and other information, check out the Mark Munoz official website.
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