Nobody saw that coming.
In fact, it’s rather safe to say that whenever Mark Striegl is on a fight card, his lone appearance somewhat overshadows the entire event.
But you can’t blame fans. The 25-year-old has slowly built a reputation in the Asian region, conjuring up an impressive 12-0 record prior to this bout. Simply put, Striegl was the favorite and was expected to garner the 145-lbs strap in everyone’s eyes.
PXC 39 results/event video: Kim submits Striegl, claims 145-lbs strap
However, Jang Yong Kim, Striegl’s opponent at this past Saturday’s PXC 39 in Pasig City, Philippines, was having none of it. The South Korean seemed unfazed by all the positive vibes surrounding his Team Buffet counterpart, knowing that he was the underdog at the Ynares Sports Arena.
Round one saw a technical battle on the canvas between both fighters who had near submissions of their own. The 2nd frame saw Striegl tire a bit, in which Kim managed to capitalized on. The South Korean shocked the Filipino MMA scene in the 3rd stanza when he forced Striegl to tap from Leg-Scissors choke. This happened following a nice array of kicks, a kimura submission attempt, and a nice combination which forced Striegl to give up his back.
Kim defied all odds and became the new PXC 145-lbs champ.
Elsewhere on the card, there were only two fights which went the distance.
Legacy gym’s Zebaztian Kadestam extended his streak of stoppage victories with a TKO win over Ross Ebanez. The vintage brutal leg kicks proved a charm once again for Kadestam as a kick dropped Ebanez, promptly forcing the referee to make a swift intervention.
Here are the rest of the results and a video of the entire event. The official timings, however, could not be obtained:
- Jang Yong Kim def. Mark Striegl via Submission (Leg-Scissors Choke) in Round 3
- Louis Smolka def. Jessie Rafols via Submission (Rear-Naked Choke) in Round 1
- Roldan Sangcha’an def. Ernesto Montilla Jr. via Submission (Rear-Naked Choke) in Round 2
- Rolando Dy def. Kyle Reyes via Unanimous Decision
- Glenn Ranillo def. Isaiah Ordiz via Unanimous Decision
- Zebaztian Kadestam def. Ross Ebanez via TKO (Kick & Punches) in Round 1
- Jinel Lausa def. Adam Cacay via TKO (Verbal Submission) in Round 3
- Dario Banario def. Adamson Torbiso via Submission (Armbar) in Round 1
Click here to watch the event in its entirety.
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