By James Sablan
james@mvariety.com
Variety News Staff
AS the mats are rolled out and the tension mounts at the University of Guam Calvo Field House, a veteran of the Marianas combat sports scene, Vince “The Clinch” Masga, is preparing to return to the Copa De Marianas 2026 on January 31.
His journey from the cage of the PXC to the technical depths of the brown belt jiu-jitsu division is a testament to the “win or learn” mentality that defines elite athletes.
Masga is no stranger to the grind. His journey began in 2008, a time when the MMA scene was exploding on the regional stage. He spent six years as a formidable mixed martial artist, establishing himself as a household name in organizations like the PXC. However, in 2014, Masga made a pivotal decision to narrow his focus.
“I started training in 2008; I fought MMA until 2014, and then I switched over to just purely jiu-jitsu,” Masga explained in an interview with Variety. This shift was not a departure from competition but a refinement of it. Over the last decade, he has climbed the ranks to become one of the island’s most respected brown belts.
The road to the 2026 Copa De Marianas has been paved with both victory and lessons. In November of last year, Masga faced a tough outing at the Marianas Open, finishing third in the featherweight division. Rather than being discouraged, he used the result as fuel and recently rebounded with a dominant performance at the Mats on Fire II event, securing double gold and silver in the absolute division.
For the Copa De Marianas, Masga will compete in the Lightweight Division (167 lbs), testing his speed and precision against fellow brown belts, as well as the Absolute (Open Weight) Division, where weight classes are discarded and technique is the only equalizer.
When asked why he would compete in the Absolute Division, Masga said, “I’ve been fighting big guys. I feel like I’m going to test myself — if my skills and my technique really work. I don’t mind fighting the heavyweights or the ultra-heavyweights.”
Preparation for such a grueling schedule requires more than just time on the mat. Although Masga is a seasoned veteran, he has been undergoing a physical transformation under the watchful eye of coach Angel San Nicolas, replacing traditional training with a new regimen focused on strength and conditioning.
This regimen emphasizes explosive power, including deadlifts, power cleans, and clean and jerks to build what Masga calls “jiu-jitsu base explosiveness,” along with endurance overload, which increases training intensity from standard five-minute rounds to eight or nine rounds of continuous live rolling.
“The last two months I’ve been working with Coach Angel. The volume of the training is just different from what I used to do,” Masga admits. This focus on endurance is a strategic move to ensure that in the deep waters of a 10-minute brown belt match, he remains the fresher athlete.
A community legacy
While the individual accolades draw fans to the stands, Masga views his success as a reflection of his home academy, Trench Tech. He credits his development to God, his professors — Cuki Alvarez, Clinton Dela Cruz, and Anthony Torres — and the brothers he trains with daily.
As he prepares to step onto the mats, Masga’s objective is clear. Whether he walks away with gold or a new set of problems to solve, his philosophy remains unchanged.
“There is no losing in jiu-jitsu. You either win or you learn,” said Masga.
James Sablan has been a sports reporter for Variety since 2013. He was a liberal arts student of Northern Marianas College and covers all local sports.
