NMI MMA fighters off to PXC Guam

From left, Roman Alvarez, Josh Duenas, and Shane Alvarez show their fine form after one of their training sessions at the Trench Tech Gym in Garapan. The three will be seeing action against separate opponents in Friday’s Pacific Xtreme Combat 50 at the University of Guam Calvo Fieldhouse.
(Jon Perez)

Three CNMI mixed martial arts fighters left Saipan last Saturday evening with the hopes of returning with wins in their respective bouts in the Pacific Xtreme Combat 50 this Friday at the University of Guam Calvo Fieldhouse in Mangilao.

Cousins Roman “Boom” and Shane “Pikaboo” Alvarez and Josh “Chaos” Duenas will be facing separate foes in the undercard of two main title fights that feature Frank “The Crank” Camacho (17-3) going up against Tyrone “Bones” Jones (5-4) for the vacant PXC lightweight belt.

Camacho and Jones will be fighting for the 155-lb title vacated by Japan’s Chuji Kato, who retired after beating Glen Ranillo in PXC 46 last Nov. 15, 2014. PXC featherweight titleholder Yusuke Yachi (13-4) will also be defending his belt against Alex Volkanovski (10-1) in the other title fight.

Roman Alvarez, the reigning Trench Warz 145-lb champion remains undefeated after seven fights including three wins by knockout. He is also 3-0 in PXC and hopes to keep it that way when he faces Mark Abelardo (11-4, 6 KOs) in the bantamweight class.

His latest win was against Ernie Braca in PXC 48 after the Filipino warrior was disqualified for kicking a grounded fighter on the head.

Abelardo, born in New Zealand to Filipino parents, lost his last match inside the PXC Terrordome when he suffered a unanimous decision defeat to Trevin Jones in PXC 49 last Aug. 7.

Alvarez’s cousin Shane (11-2, 3 KOs) will take on replacement fighter Yutaro Muramoto (2-1) of Japan in a flyweight match after his countryman Kentaro Watanabe (10-7, 3 KOs) suddenly pulled out.

Both Shane and Muramoto have won their respective last bouts with the former scoring a submission win by rear-naked choke over Jessie Rafols (8-5, 1 KO) in last August’s PXC 49, while the Japanese bet defeated compatriot Keni Yamanaka by KO (flying knee) in Tribe Tokyo Challenge 5 last September.

Duenas (4-5, 1 KO), on the other hand, will be climbing the Terrordome for the first time since a unanimous decision loss to Crisanto Pitpitunge in PXC 44 on June 27 last year.

That was Duenas’ third straight loss in the PXC and he hopes to end his misfortunes against New Zealand’s Kai Cara-France (10-5, 5 KOs) in the featherweight division.

Duenas, who hasn’t fought for a year since losing to Pitpitunge, is also a replacement fighter after Vince “The Clinch” Masga had to pull out when he suffered a concussion while training for his fight against Cara-France.