Another Filipino set to make UFC debut in June

MANILA, Philippines – Another Filipino fighter is heading his way to the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) as Roldan Sangcha-an will make his promotional debut on the undercard of UFC Fight Night 43 on June 28 (June 29 in the Philippines).

Sangcha-an would serve as a late replacement for Jon Delos Reyes, who was forced to withdraw from the bout due to an undisclosed injury, to square off with Richie Vaculik in a three-round flyweight tussle.

The Wushu-based standout has been perfect in his four professional outings, scoring two knockouts and two submissions since his initial mixed martial arts (MMA) introduction in April 2012.

“The Executioner” was last seen in action this past September at PXC 39, where he submitted Ernesto Montilla Jr. in the second round with a rear-naked choke.

With his impressive victory over Montilla, Sangcha-an established himself as the top contender for Pacific Xtreme Combat’s (PXC) vacant flyweight strap and was booked to vie for the belt at last March’s PXC 43, but his opponent Rambaa Somdet pulled out of the title tilt after suffering a herniated disc in training.

Along with homegrown talents Dave Galera and Mark Eddiva, Sangcha-an is officially the third combatant from Mark Sangiao’s Team Lakay to be part of the UFC roster.

On the other hand, Vaculik (9-2) snapped his five-fight winning streak in his first assignment as a UFC competitor against Justin Scoggins at UFC Fight Night 33 in December of last year.

In the 30-year-old Australian’s MMA career, all of his nine wins have ended by stoppage with six of them coming by tapout.

UFC Fight Night 43, which takes place at the Vector Arena in Auckland, New Zealand, is headlined by a middleweight clash between James Te-Huna and former Strikeforce welterweight titlist Nate Marquardt. – Rappler.com