WALTER ALIBEY
T&T’s Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) fighters will take on the best of the United States, Guyana, Barbados, Curacao and Jamaica on a card being promoted by the T&T Sambo and Combat Sambo Federation on Saturday at the Central Regional Indoor Sports Arena, Chaguanas.
The feature bout, however, will be an all-local affair with Jeremy Rudolpho taking on Steffon Mahase in a Heavyweight showdown. Rudolpho made a name for himself at the Pan American Championship in Paraguay last year by claiming gold medal in the Combat Sambo, as well as bronze in the Sport Sambo at the same competition. He also participated at the World Championship in Bulgaria late in 2016 where he gained much needed experience in the Super Middleweight Division, by losing on points in the quarter-final round.
He will attempt to stamp his dominance in the division against Mahase, a rising talent in the sport who has made a transition from body-building to mixed martial arts. That bout will be proceeded by a number of equally interesting figthts, including a Lightweight match-up between Earland Maloney and Paul Ignitius of the Guyana Police Service. President of the T&T Sambo and Combat Sambo Federation Jason Fraser said Maloney is the most improved MMA fighter in the country, sporting an unbeaten record as an amateur who has only fought competitively against international fighters.
According to the local sambio boss Maloney, as an amateur has shown his worth against the best internationally and is well poised to be among the best in the world in the coming years.
Maloney, who is being coached by Warren Gill and Rondell Benjamin, has already been picked on the T&T team to compete at the World Sambo Championship later in November in Bahrain and according to Fraser the country can benefiot tremendously when he and other members of the team, take the ring for action.
Saturday’s card which begins at 6pm will also feature the first Women’s bout in two years, with T&T’s Amy Rajkumar of the Southern Warriors Gym expected to make her debut against another newcomer- Shenese Bobb of the Guyana Police Service. Fraser desribed the fight as being equally matched as both will be fighting competitively for the first time and both are talented.
Meanwhile, popular TV personality Robert Alexander will be a guess at Saturday’s card. Alexander a 28 year veteran announcer of both MMA and boxing who was inducted into the Florida Boxing Hall of Fame in 2010. The weigh-in for the card will take place tomorrow, following a press conference at the Long Circular Mall Gym at 11:50am.
UNDER CARD
n Akeil Mc Donald VS Leo Grant (Lightweight)
n Anthony Joseph VS Osaf Selman (lightweight)
n Lashawn Sladden VS Kyle Procope (middleweight)
n Ahmad Khan VS Dimitri Joseph (lightweight)
n Timmy Ramkhalawan VS Kadine Hope (flyweight)
n Christopher Mc Kenzie VS Tevin Millington (light heavyweight)
n Stephen Rawlins VS Anthony Durgadeen (flyweight)
n Ronald Primus VS Kwashawn Mc Lean (bantamweight)
n Nile Mohammed VS Adonijah Charles (lightweight)
n Amrit Mallian VS Troy Bobb (bantamweight)
n Jeffrey Ranghel VS Larry Anderson (welterweight)
n Timothy Lutchmansingh VS Jesse Romeo (flyweight)
n Angel Bonavita VS Larry Paponette (lightweight)