MICHINORI Tanaka exposed Crisanto Pitpitunge’s inferior ground game and stripped the Filipino’s bantamweight title by unanimous decision in the Pacific Xtreme Combat 37 at Ynares Sports Arena on Saturday.
The Japanese grappler dominated Pitpitunge with his wide array of ground skills except in the closing minutes of the five-round encounter where the Team Lakay slugger tried but failed to pull off a knockout.
Tanaka, who trained for 20 days with UFC sensation Urijah Faber and the Team Alpha Male camp in California, burst into tears after all three judges came up with identical 48-46 scores.
“I couldn’t believe it. He was a tough opponent, but I’m determined to maintain my unbeaten record,’’ said the 22-year-old Tanaka, now unbeaten in eight fights, through an interpreter.
Trying to wriggle free from an adverse position on the mat, Pitpitunge finally succeeded in the fifth and full-mounted Tanaka in a frantic attempt to force the Japanese into submission.
But time ran out on the Baguio City cop who was egged on by the wildly cheering Filipino crowd.
Troy Bantiag, another Team Lakay bet, also lost by unanimous decision to Trevin Jones of Guam in another bantamweight clash.
But rising stars Ernesto Montilla and Rolando Dy prevailed in the eight-card fight facilitated by AKTV.
Montilla knocked out Jerome Wanawan early in the second round while Dy, son of former world boxing champion Rolando Navarette, won by submission over Arex Montalban with an armbar just a few seconds before the end of the opening round.