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Philippines, 04 Feb 2026 |
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MARIO SISMUNDO BATTLES TANG TAI ON REBEL FIGHTING CHAMPIONSHIP By Ed de la Vega, DDS PhilBoxing.com Sun, 22 Apr 2018  Mario Sismundo who started as a boxer had the privilege of training with the great Manny Pacquiao. But his career in boxing did not go as well as it should have and he decided to transition to MMA in 2008. On Sunday April 28th, Sismundo travels to Shanghai, China to tangle with a Chinese warrior, Tang Tai on the Rebel Championship Fight card to be held the following day. Before he left, he had a brief ambush interview with Jun Aquino, a great friend and the personal painter of Manny Pacquiao. The following are the excerpts provided to us by Mr. Aquino of that interview which was done inTagalog and translated to English by this writer for this article. Jun Aquino: I know you are from the GenSan area, how did you meet Manny Pacquiao? Mario Sismundo: I met Manny Pacquiao in our younger days. I often see him fight on weekends. His ring name then was Kid Kulafu. Later on when he left for Manila, I stayed in GenSan and started boxing. When Manny won the WBC title he took me and four other boxers and introduced us to his manager, Polding Correa. JA: What made you chose MMA rather than stay in boxing? MS: When Manny brought us to Manila, I started boxing at Malabon. But Manny left his manager and that left us in limbo because the manager lost interest too. We were left on our own in the gym and we didn?t land any fights. To make a living we worked in the construction business. Once in a while our manager will come and tell us to prepare as we have a fight. Mostly that happens on a two week notice and we did not have enough training to win the fights. In 2003, I stopped boxing and went into construction. I also worked in a factory and occasionally as a boxing instructor in a gym. It was at that gym where I was introduced to MMA. I tried it and I like it so I just stuck to it. JA: You are now at an age where you should be retiring, isn?t it too late to dabble In MMA? MS: No it?s not too late even if I am a bit older now. I still love the sport and I feel very strong in mind and body. JA: With all the fights you had how come the records only show a record of 3 wins and 5 losses? MS: I had over 30 fights but the promoters never reported the results. JA: What championship belt are you now targeting? MS: I am now focused on winning the URCC Championship belt. Sismundo is hoping that the road to the URCC belt begins with his fight versus Tai. In Shanghai on the 29th. It?s a long shot but as they say, never say never! Sismundo?s trip to China is sponsored by Meycauayan, Bulacan Mayor Henry Villarica and the town council. Click here to view a list of other articles written by Ed de la Vega, DDS.  |
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