KEITH “Khaos” Sablan of Guam closed out Saturday’s action-filled Cage of Fire at the Garapan Roundhouse with his hands raised, defeating Derrick “El Peligro” Rangamar of Saipan via unanimous decision in the main event.
The finale did not disappoint, with the fighters going the full three five-minute rounds.
In a post-fight interview, Sablan shared his strategy for the fight, saying, “Derek is a heavy hitter. He likes to throw overhands and likes to shoot for takedowns, so my game plan was to initiate him in the overhand and take him to the ground.”
Sablan did just that as he controlled the pace of the match by scoring multiple takedowns throughout all three rounds.
Where Rangamar excelled was in the standup exchange during which he landed a handful of haymakers and forced Sablan’s back against the cage.
However, with every attempted overhand, Sablan countered with a take down to regain the upper hand and went to work on the ground with carefully picked shots and position changes to maintain control.
Sablan secured victory in the third and final round as he quickly brought Rangamar to the ground once again with no intention of getting back on his feet. At one point, Rangamar nearly freed himself, but Sablan pinned him to the cage to prolong the Guamanian’s dominance.
Sablan held a tight grip until the very end and was declared the victor by unanimous decision.
This marked Sablan’s second win on Saipan. “I worked so hard for this moment,” he said. “Me and my boys put in the work day in and day out, mornings, afternoons, evenings — we are amateurs but we train like professionals,” he added. Asked how he felt after the main event bout, he said, “I could go 10 more rounds with this guy.”
Sablan noted that he was born on Saipan. “Man, I love Saipan’s energy. I wouldn’t mind coming back here every time for all my fights. The crowd is amazing, they cheer for every fighter whether you’re good or not — it’s actually the fans that give us the energy to perform,” he said.
Sablan dedicated his win to his mom who is currently battling an illness, his other family members, and coaches Zack and PJ Benavente of the Benavente Striking Academy.
“I want to give [the youth] a motivation to do something with their life and it could be something out of nothing just like me,” Sablan said.
When asked what was next, Sablan answered, “Cuki [Alvarez, the event organizer] you know where to find me. Me and my boys are always ready to put on a show — anytime, anywhere, at any place.”
Other matches
Nearly every other fight played out like the main event:
In the semi-main event, Dylan Benavente recorded a six-second knockout victory in the very first round over Jesus Norita.
Curt Aflleje submitted Vander Myers via rear naked choke just 23 seconds into round 1.
Brendon Manglona defeated Clarene Cabrera via referee stoppage at the end of round 2.
Hila’an San Nicolas triumphed via split decision against Teipo Asep.
Ethan Aflleje submitted Jadrien Camacho via rear naked choke at 1:43 of round 1.
Saips Thuy won via unanimous decision over Johnny Lee.
Rickson Menchor prevailed via verbal submission against Tyron Tumada at the end of round 1.
Enoch Pamintuan was the winner via unanimous decision against Ratu Simon.
Boom Taitano won via split decision over Joaquin Deleon Guerrero.
Salvatore Gotti Jr. triumphed via unanimous decision against Kody Palacios, and so did Ram Lee against Mark Jonota.
Jaziah Camacho likewise won via unanimous decision against Lorenzo Reyes while Aldric Valera scored a TKO over John Dela Cruz just 16 seconds into Round 1.
Gratchen Pintor, Keith Aldan, Phil Gregorio, and Skylee Mesa all won by unanimous decision, defeating Junene Cabe, Dee Ogo, Gable De Chavez, and Beckiy Ha, respectively.
For their part, Tano Camacho and Aiden Nekaifes fought to a split draw.
Successful
“The event, in general, was a total success!” organizer Cuki Alvarez of Trench Tech said. “The crowd was a little less than the two previous events for Ring of Fire, but that’s because there were so many events happening simultaneously along with Christmas parties and other functions. But there were at least 400 screaming fans in attendance cheering on all the island warriors!”
Alvarez added, “We plan on having at least two Ring of Fire events in the boxing ring and one Cage of Fire fight in the octagon as well as another Mats on Fire grappling submission fighting tournament. So, we forecast a busy and fun 2025 and beyond. We will keep everyone posted on the exact dates for each event.”
Alvarez at the same time personally thanked “all the fighter athletes and competitors for fighting their hearts out and entertaining all the fight fans at the Garapan Central Park Round House! Of course, thank you to all the fans who supported the event and purchased their tickets. And of course, to all our sponsors, namely, Monster Energy and Miller Lite, Hafa Adai Rent A Car, and Century Hotel. Last, but not least, a huge thank you to my team for all the hard work behind the scenes in making the magic happen.”
Guam’s Keith Sablan, center, poses with his family and the Benavente Striking Academy crew after winning Cage of Fire’s main event at the Garapan Roundhouse on Saturday night.
Keith Sablan of Guam goes to work on the ground against Derrick Rangamar of Saipan during the main event of Cage of Fire at the Garapan Roundhouse on Saturday night.
Derrick Rangamar of Saipan gets pinned to the cage as he attempts to escape the clutches of Keith Sablan of Guam during Cage of Fire’s main event at the Garapan Roundhouse on Saturday night.
