abs-cbn sports+action fight expo

I’m not the biggest fan of contact sports like boxing, wrestling, and most of all, mixed martial arts (MMA). I always feel like the fighters are, well, fighting… like, personally! Hahaha! I get even more worried when I see blood, and would be all, “Why would they do that to each other? WHYYYYYY?” Hahaha!

With Michael being a big UFC fan, however, I found myself slowly understanding the elements of MMA. I’m still not the biggest fan, but now I understand the strategizing that goes with it, and how it’s not really about just brute force but more about techniques. Now, I even know some names of the fighters and I actually have some favorites! BUT. My criteria for choosing a favorite is if I think he’s good, and... kung mukha siyang mabait. HAHAHAHAHAHAHA.

With BJ Penn at an ABS-CBN press conference, back when I was still a Kapamilya (with overgrown bangs lol)

Michael with Mark Munoz. Mike interviewed him for a Men's Health cover story.

Yesterday (Nov. 8) was my first time to watch a live MMA fight. ABS-CBN Sports+Action held the country’s first ever Fight Expo at the Eastwood Mall open area. Fist Gym - where Michael trains – was a partner, and so we went there to support. Michael and a few other Fist guys also played ring marshals.

One of the highlights of the event was the appearance of UFC fighter Carlos Condit – who is actually one of my favorites (He does look kind, right? Haha!). They held a promo for a meet and greet. I didn’t join that but as they were having people line up, one of the guys said they can accommodate four more people. Nobody was standing up to grab the slot, so Michael and I went for it.

Michael also gave Carlos a Kunami San shirt, and he really appreciated it! *kilig*

TJ Manotoc and Jef Gaitan hosted the program

Another highlight was the demo fights: Five boxing matches, and five MMA fights. Fist Gym owner Ros Rosete helped facilitate these, along with other experts and professional fighters, and he also played commentator during the MMA games.

The fights really drew a big crowd at the Eastwood Mall. Both the boxers and the fighters did not disappoint: they all fought well, and the crowd was really entertained. I’m especially proud of the guys who Mike trains with sometimes at Fist.  They all won too!

Not to say that I got through the fights comfortably – medyo nakaka-tense kaya! The boxing, medyo okay pa, but the MMA fights… nakakaloka! Especially with the fighters' respective ringside crew yelling stuff like, “Lumpuhin mo na!” or “Wala nang hangin yan! Bugbugin mo na!” Tapos makikita mo na may dugo o kaya maga na yung mata… JUICE COLORED!!! I was standing beside one of the judges, and I was probably reacting quite loudly, that he told me, “Ma’am, mauuna pa kayong ma-high blood sa mga fighters! Relax lang!” Nakakahiya hahahaha!

Ros emphasized how we have a lot of great fighters in the country and how this kind of sport has a great potential. Boxing is already a given, considering we have a lot of Pinoy champions, but we also have a lot of talented MMA fighters that just need to be given the chance to show their stuff. To have a big network like ABS-CBN bring fighting to the forefront was a huge help, of course.

And I do hope ABS-CBN, through Sports+Action keeps it up. The Fight Expo is a great start, and more than a marketing tool, it was a great move to put contact sports at the forefront and give new fighters the opportunity to showcase their skills. I also appreciated how they had as guests the country’s current boxing champions, who may not be as popular as Pacquiao, but are well on their way. Putting arcade games was also a good touch.

Should they hold Fight Expo again, I would suggest the following, based on my experience as a spectator (and in events as well):

- Maybe hold quick Q&A games instead of a raffle, because raffles don’t usually work for whole day events, especially if it's done in a mall area. While some of the winners were still there, some had already left. Mas dagdag excitement din yung on-the-spot prize, plus you can highlight the details you want by asking questions like “Who is the sponsor of this event?” or “What is ABS-CBN’s sports channel?” This can also give the guys outside a chance to join, dahil pwede silang lapitan ng host.

- Create a hashtag for the event. The only hashtags that they asked be used were #rockitwithcondit and #domore (Rexona’s tagline). As such, when Condit had already gone, there was no longer a hashtag we can associate with Fight Expo.

- Have a ring/cage designed especially for MMA fights. The fights were also held in the boxing ring, which has no ample protection for takedowns and other moves since they could easily slip through the ropes. Also it was a little too high. The ring marshals had to secure the ropes, and since it's taller than they are, their arms could only hold up to the second level. Even the tallest guy had a hard time with this. Good thing the referee was listo and would bounce the fighters off the ropes whenever malapit na silang mahulog.

- Get a better VO. Nakakaloka yung male voice over, he was all over the place with his adlibs! I wanted to find him and tell him to write down his spiels na lang instead of adlibbing kasi laging nawawala yung train of thought, puro tuloy buckle.  It would also have helped if he addressed the crowd as “Kapamilya sports fans”, para associated na agad sa ABS-CBN and. Based on my experience as a host, that easily gets the attention of the crowd - which was the main goal anyway. He used this only once, during the latter part of the event.

Overall, the Fight Expo was a great event and it has so much potential to be bigger – even bigger than the brand. And when that happens, you know you've made a great impact.

Congratulations, ABS-CBN Sports+Action! And kudos as well to Fist Gym, Ros, and all the fighters who participated!