CEBU CITY – History was made on Saturday, March 4, when Dapitan City and the provincial government of Zamboanga del Norte jointly hosted the first-ever Universal Reality Combat Championship (URCC) card in Mindanao.
DAPITAN City Mayor Seth Frederick ‘Bullet’ Jalosjos (third from left) graces the ‘URCC 83: Bloodline’ at the packed Zamboanga del Norte Sports and Cultural Center on Saturday, March 4. (Photo via Calvin Cordova)
Fast becoming the premier destination for sports tourism in Mindanao, Dapitan hosted ‘’URCC 83: Bloodline’’ at the packed Zamboanga del Norte Sports and Cultural Center.
Dapitan City Mayor Seth Frederick “Bullet” Jalosjos said bringing the URCC is expected to attract more tourist arrivals and would “help in improving the livelihood and tourism sectors in Dapitan and the whole Zamboanga del Norte.”
The event which was also made possible by Zamboanga del Norte Gov. Rosalina G. Jalosjos represented by Provincial Administrator Atty. Christopher Mah showcased Mixed Martial Artists (MMA) from Dapitan and Dipolog City who went up against visiting fighters from Manila.
The main event featured Filipino fighter Chris Hoffman versus South Korean Min Seok Kim. Hoffman won the match via a second-round technical knockout.
“We brought here the best of the bests to show that our MMA fighters here are capable of going up against Manila-based opponents. We hope to seal a partnership with URCC to promote combat sports here and in the whole country,” said Jalosjos, also an MMA enthusiast.
For Jalosjos, bringing the URCC to Dapitan also aims to continue the legacy of the country’s national hero, Dr. Jose Rizal, who taught martial arts, including judo, wrestling, fencing, boxing, and arnis to his students during his four-year exile in Dapitan.
"To continue the legacy of Dr. Rizal, the city government of Dapitan focuses on the preservation and promotion of the life and works of the national hero," Jalosjos said.
Alex Sofronov, vice president and co-owner of URCC, said bigger URCC cards will be brought to Dapitan in the future.
“It’s our first in Dapitan and will not be the last. We’re planning to do an international event in Dapitan, Russia versus the Philippines probably in July,” Sofronov said.
URCC events are usually held in Metro Manila but it has started making its presence felt in the Visayas and Mindanao not just to promote brand awareness but also to push awareness of the sport, Sofronov said.
“We want to show that we’re here, ready to go and our mission and vision this time is to bring the actual local Filipino flavor to the MMA community. We want to show that the Filipinos are not just smiling people but also feisty. We want to show the spirit of the Filipinos,” Sofronov said.
Sofronov, a Russian, said bringing URCC to Dapitan will surely give the city a boost in tourism.
He said he himself was mesmerized by the beauty of Dapitan.
“This place is gorgeous. Boracay is nice but Dapitan is better,” said Sofronov, who particularly mentioned the Dakak Beach Resort.
Sofronov said the absence of known popular fastfood chains give visitors “a local authentic place.”
“You get that vibe. The place itself is like a jungle, it feels nice if you're gonna go hiking. If you are going to go industrial, you have a city and there is a rich history involving (Dr. Jose) Rizal. And they have resorts like Dakak, it's beautiful. Everything is here,” Sofronov said.
Sofronov assured that Dapitan can count on URCC to promote the city through sports tourism.
“We just have to do better promotion from our aspect also. To make sure that people know where Dapitan is, not only the Filipinos but internationally, including Russians, Americans, and Australians. We want to show that this is Dapitan, this is the place to be. I myself am a travel enthusiast. I used to go to Dubai once a month just to kind of relax but I think I’m now gonna switch to Dapitan,” Sofronov said.