Tarkong finished his Guam-based opponent two minutes into the first round via rear naked choke hold, handing him his first MMA loss.
“I really trained hard for the fight. Out training program for fighters takes three months – a lot of conditioning, a lot of sparring. The only good thing about this was, I didn’t need to hit hard. I could’ve thrown a little harder but I was conserving my energy and I was still feeling up my opponent,” Tarkong told Marianas Variety after the match.
Both fighters went off to an even start, exchanging jabs and Cruz keeping his distance. The more experienced Tarkong – now holding10 wins and two losses – forced Cruz to the cage, launching two body shots. Both men resorted to the ground, with Tarkong persistent on punches. The ‘Rush’ charged for a mount, transferred to rear mount, and connected his finishing move. Cruz, curling in defense, saw no way out and was forced to tap.
“The fight was pretty good. We exchanged some good punches. I allowed him to make his move and he made a mistake. I ended up getting the full mount, then the rear mount, and I choked him out,” said Tarkong.
Cruz now has two wins and one loss.
“He’s pretty good. I wanted to finish the fight sooner. I really want to thank my team, Trench Tech, and Cuki Alvarez. You’re only as good as the gym you train at and the people you train with. I truly feel, in my heart, that we have the best gym in the CNMI,” added Tarkong.
Meanwhile, Trench Tech’s Fasi ‘Quikdraw’ Jesse broke his losing streak in a ‘USA versus Saipan super fight’ against Will ‘The Kill’ Chope. The odds seemed to favor Chope at first, who had a 76’’ reach – 10 inches more than Jesse’s.
With a mere 10 seconds left in the third round however, Will succumbed to a tight head-and-arm lock and tapped out. Jesse, who took a brutal leg kick early in the first round, turned to his ground game to even the match. Chope’s restricted arm and leg movements shortly put him at a disadvantage. He eventually slipped out and charged for a kimura but failed.
Both fighters sped off to the ground in the second round, with Jesse gaining side control. Chope, who received several head blows, was saved by the bell. Jesse thrived on successful take down attempts before ending the match.
“I’d like to get back here and win next time,” Fasi noted.
Chope, who despite his loss was content with the fight, was willing to return to Saipan for more action.
Marianas Elite’s Derrick ‘El Peligro’ Rangamar also won his rematch against Chris ‘No Luv’ Laayug in the 136-145 lbs. category.
Rangamar won at the end of round one due to verbal submission. Laayug – who was taken down in the final seconds of the first round – suffered a knee injury and could not go on. Chris briefly had the upper hand after catching his foe in a guard position. Rangamar absorbed multiple punches before turning around and slipping off Laayug.
The night consisted of 15 other bouts ranging from MMA to K-1 kickboxing and boxing. A youth exhibition boxing match was also held between eight-year-old Josenio ‘Little Bear’ Alvarez and nine-year-old PJ ‘Lightning’ Litulumar.
“Despite the tsunami threat and warning evacuations generated by the massive 8.9 earthquake in Japan, ROP 10 had a great turn out,” said TT president Cuki Alvarez in an email to Marianas Variety.
“Trench Tech wants to thank all the diehard fans who made the trek down to the Saipan World Resort to enjoy the best MMA action in the Marianas.”
