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Koreans to face local warriors
Referee Jason Tarkong gives instructions to ACE Korea’s Sang Hyun Park, left, and Mark “The Dark” Niuique before their duel in Rites of Passage 21: Throwdown last year at the Marianas Business Plaza. Park will be back on Saipan to compete in Rites of Passage 23: Beatdown later this month and will face Vince “The Clinch” Masga. (Saipan Tribune)
Three South Korean fighters from different gyms will be coming to Saipan to test the mettle of three local warriors in the Rites of Passage 23: Beatdown set on April 27 at the Marianas Business Plaza.
Korean Top Team’s Seung Jun Lee, Team ACE Korea’s Sang Hyun Park, and Korean MMA’s Song Ho Lee will each face Team Gualo Rai’s Ryan “Trobz” Ngirbabul, and TrenchTech veterans Vince “The Clinch” Masga, and Shane “Pikaboo” Alvarez in three of the 14 featured MMA bouts in ROP 23. Roman “Sonic Boom” Alvarez (6-1, 3 knockouts) will headline ROP 23 when he defends his featherweight title against Russian Andrei “The Venus Project” Zaitsev (0-3).
The Lee-Ngirbabul match is set at 205 lbs (light heavyweight), while Park and Masga will be featured in a featherweight clash at 145 lbs, and Lee and Shane Alvarez’s bout is set at the bantamweight (135 lbs) class.
The three Korean mixed martial arts gyms have become regulars in several fights promoted by TrenchTech co-founder Cuki Alvarez. KTT’s Sang Kwon Kim and Min Ju Lee, and Sang Hyung Park of Team ACE competed on Saipan a few years ago, while Ultimate Fighting Championship fighter Kwan Ho “Handsome” Kwak, who made his MMA debut in Trench Warz 17, also visited the island.
Meanwhile, two boxing matches will start the fight night in ROP 23 with Independent Guam’s Jason Henderson and Jom Ebo taking on TrechTech’s Nick Cruz and Team Zalaka’s Dave Cruz at 170 and 145 lbs, respectively.
Guam Muay Thai’s Eric “Young ASAP” Lacambra faces C.J. Hofschneider of Team No Team in a 135-lb kickboxing match, while female warriors Maegan Smith and Jessme Jones clash to begin the featured 14 MMA card.
Ken Evans-Sitchiru Langu, Corey San Nicolas-Chico Quidachay, John Mendiola-Angel Oliveras, Manny “The Kid” Camacho-Don “Don Won” Lujan; Austin John King-Andres “The Tanapag Beach Bad Boy” Camacho, L.D. Ogo-Napu “Fong Fung” Reyes, Greg “Peskadude” Sasamoto-Wildon “The Beast”Camacho, J-Boy Langu-Kimo Adriano, and Austin “Auzzy Pete” Petrus-Mark “The Dark” Nuique are the other featured MMA bouts.
Steel Athletics’ Jeff Mesa is among the eight standby fighters with his opponent for a 155-lb bout yet to be announced. Roland Meno, Josh Muna, Austin Gaspay, Kyle Gumataotao, Vince Campos, Josh Revoy, and Ethan Mariur are the others warriors waiting to be called out at the octagon later this month. All fights are subject to change.
