Erwin Tagle has it made in the local mixed martial arts (MMA) scene.
With a record of 1 win, 1 loss and 2 draws, it’s surprising to note that this fighter had no professional training in the sport.
Tagle’s non-conventional fighting style is born from a mix of wrestling and Brazilian jiu-jitsu. One of his signature moves is the guillotine choke that took down Rolly Chulhang by submission in the Universal Reality Combat Championship (URCC) 5 back in 2004.
Defeating Chulhang wasn’t easy as he is a wushu artist who has competed in various competitions here and abroad.
Since then, Tagle has shown great potential in the combat sport and is even considered among the great MMA fighters in the country.
He has mentored other fighters like Carlos Tiongson and Rogelito Plomeda in the Pacific Xtreme Combat (PXC) 24 league last year.
Tagle, who is currently connected with Submission Sport Philippines, still sees the combat sport as an underdog in the country. But he remains positive that this will continue to grow as more Filipinos are becoming familiar of popular competitions like the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) over the years.
Known as the largest MMA promotion company in the world, the UFC has produced famed fighters of Filipino descent such as Mark ‘The Filipino Wrecking Machine’ Munoz, Brandon ‘The Truth’ Vera and Eddie ‘The Filipino Phenom’ Yagin.
Tagle is hoping to see a Filipino follow in the footsteps of such fighters. He believes in the innate ability of the Filipino to excel in sports and the passion to always put up a good show.
