INQUIRER Sports

MANILA, Philippines ? The Organizing Universal Reality Combat Championship hopes ride mixed martial arts wave and key the rise of new stars when it presents the Colt 45 URCC University Challenge 2009 on September12 at the A. Venue Events Hall in Makati.

URCC founder and president Alvin Aguilar is confident they can identify the next MMA stars since they have invited all the finest collegiate players, including those from rival schools like Ateneo and La Salle.

Jojo Tabang and Andrew Laxa will spearhead the charge of La Salle in the tournament presented by Colt 45 and backed by Alaxan FF, E-Games, Chris Sports, Seair, Yoshinoya and Tribal Gear.

Ralph Mendita, on the other hand, is determined to keep the Ateneo flag flying in the event that follows the professional MMA rules except that there will be three five-minute rounds instead of the usual two 10-minute rounds.

Other players to watch are San Beda?s Mike Dula, La Salle?s Meeshal Al-Khuzeem and Chuck Chang, Samson College?s Jean-Marc Martin, St. Paul?s Angelo Cristi, Juan Sumulong University?s Nino Banatao and San Beda?s Rain Balibalos.

The tournament, which starts at 7 p.m., is a follow-up to the successful staging of the Colt 45 URCC ?Aggression? last July. For tickets, call 9115555, 3810940 or 09178121616. For more details log on to www.urccmma.com.