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[av_heading heading=’BUZZER BEATER | Tough challenge for Ilonggo MMA star Lausa’ tag=’h3′ style=’blockquote modern-quote’ size=” subheading_active=’subheading_below’ subheading_size=’15’ padding=’10’ color=” custom_font=”]
By ADRIAN STEWART CO
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Sunday, April 9, 2017
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A BIG test awaits Filipino Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) star Jenel Lausa when he returns to the Ultimate Fighting Champion (UFC) stage against Magomed Bibulatov of Russia in the UFC 210 card today at KeyBank Center in Buffalo, New York.
It will be the second fight of the Concepcion, Iloilo-native Lausa in the prestigious mixed martial arts promotions after his decision victory over Chinese Yao Zhikui last November.
After a 2-2 start to his professional mixed martial arts career in 2011, the former Pacific Xtreme Combat (PXC) champion has now racked up five consecutive victories inside the octagon.
Bibulatov, who’s competed for organizations such as WSOF, ACB and WFCA, has posted 13 consecutive wins – seven of which have come via stoppage – since he started his career in 2013.
The 28-year-old Lausa, who is also a professional boxer, said that he prepared hard for his match as he is set to face a dangerous foe in Bibulatov, who is aiming for a title fight soon.
“I know I will be facing a tough opponent in Magomed Bibulatov so I decided to start my camp early so I can get my groove back. Also I am carefully studying his fight style,” Lausa said.
“I will taint his record. They should expect me to win this fight,” added the Ilonggo MMAer. “I hope (the Filipinos) will support me on my coming fight and pray for me so that I will be safe.”
The Lausa-Bibulatov card is the co-main event of clash between UFC light heavyweight champion Daniel Cormier and Anthony Johnson in a rematch from last year’s encounter. The fight can be viewed on UFC Asia’s Facebook Live.
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Hark work has finally paid off for undersized big man Jackson Corpuz after being signed for the rest of the season by the Mahindra Floodbuster on Friday, a day after leading the Racal Tile Masters to a runner-up finish in the 2017 PBA D-League Aspirants Cup.
Undrafted in the 2014 PBA Rookie Draft, Corpuz has jumped from one PBA D-League team to another (Bread Story, Derulo Accelero and Cebuana Lhullier Gems) before finally making his mark with the Tile Masters.
Corpuz averaged 12.4 points and 7.1 rebounds in the entire Aspirants Cup. In the best-of-three finals alone, the former Philippine Christian University Dolphins center normed 20 points and 9.3 rebounds.
Floodbuster team manager Joe Ramos said they have already been targeting Corpuz early in the 2017 Oppo PBA Commissioners’ Cup, but did not have a chance to enlist him with the Tile Masters having a good run in the Aspirants Cup.
“We wanted to sign him up earlier, but with Racal’s success in the playoffs, we did not want to disrupt their run,” said Ramos, who immediately offered Corpuz a contract minutes after Tile Masters’ heartbreaking defeat to the Cignal-San Beda Hawkeyes.
Tile Masters head coach Jerry Codinera, for his part, believes that the 27-year-old Corpuz is now PBA-ready following the improvement not only of his inside game but also his outside shooting.
“He’s very consistent and very promising. He’s a pro-bound player. He has the tools to become a good player. Very promising,” said Codinera. “So I am not surprised that he is the next player to be called up from the D-League.”
The blonde-haired Corpuz will make his PBA debut when the Floodbuster (1-4) faces the surging TNT Katropa (3-1) at 4:30 p.m. today at the SM Mall of Asia Arena in Pasay City./PN
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