SUMMARY
This is AI generated summarization, which may have errors. For context, always refer to the full article.
MANILA, Philippines – Following a spectacular win inside the Pacific Xtreme Combat (PXC) cage over the weekend, Filipino fighter Rolando Gabriel Dy sets his sights on a heftier prize as he aims to challenge Alex Volkanovski for the organization’s featherweight championship.
Dy, the 24-year-old son of former boxing world champion Rolando Navarrete, made a successful return to featherweight on Saturday, January 16, at PXC 51 with a lopsided decision triumph against compatriot Miguel Mosquera.
With his impressive outing versus Mosquera, Dy realized that the 145-pound weight class is the right bracket for his 5-foot-9 brawny physique.
“I am staying at featherweight for good,” Dy told Rappler. “It’s the right weight class for me. Yes, I am still cutting weight. But unlike at bantamweight, I don’t have to cut that much at featherweight.”
Along with his decision stay at featherweight on a permanent basis, Dy stressed that he seeks to receive a crack at Volkanovski’s silver-plated strap.
“I want that chance to fight him in the future. It’s my goal to beat Alex [for the PXC featherweight title],” he said.
Volkanovski (11-1), who hails from New South Wales, Australia, won the PXC featherweight belt by dethroning Japanese stalwart Yusuke Yachi via fourth-round submission this past December.
Prior to his title-winning performance versus Yachi, Volkanovski captured Australian Fighting Championship’s vacant featherweight trinket by trouncing New Zealand’s James Bishop by first-round stoppage.
On the other hand, Dy (6-4) was unsuccessful in his two PXC championship bids, falling short against Kyle Aguon for the available bantamweight belt in October 2014 before losing to the Guamanian combatant once more in their June 2015 rematch.
After outpointing highly-touted Guamanian prospect Kyle Reyes in September 2013, Dy inserted his name as one of the few featherweights to be considered for a title shot, but he opted to transfer to bantamweight and claimed a statement-making victory over Han Bin Park in March 2014.
Dy knows that he has to climb up the featherweight rankings again to prove that he is a worthy candidate to face Volkanovski.
“It’s a step-by-step process. I will just take my time and prove that I deserve a shot,” he stated.
Dy is most likely to be booked for PXC’s second 2016 card at Solaire Resort and Casino’s Grand Ballroom in Parañaque City on April 2.
“PXC offered me a fight on April 2, and I already said yes. But I still don’t know whom I will face on that date,” he ended. – Rappler.com
Add a comment
How does this make you feel?
There are no comments yet. Add your comment to start the conversation.