Iniong: From a kitten to a tigress

Looking at Gina Iniong, one would never guess she’s a mixed martial arts fighter.

Iniong is a petite 5-footer in ponytail, who is slight in build.

She was visibly nervous when introduced to the media during the PXC-41 press conference last Thursday at Country Spice restaurant on Sgt. Esguerra St. in Quezon City.

Iniong was scheduled to make her PXC debut two days later against Nathalie Heidel of France at Ynares Center. It was the first time female fighters were featured in Pacific Xtreme Combat.

Once inside the cage, the lass from Central Luzon went through a transformation. From a purring kitten, she turned into a roaring tigress.

Iniong never gave her opponent a chance. Trained in boxing and wushu, she  connected with her right early in the first round, hitting the Frenchwoman smack in the face and bringing her down on the floor. She then followed this with a flurry of punches from which Heidel never recovered.

The poor woman didn’t even have the strength to fight back or parry Iniong’s punches, forcing the referee to stop the fight.

Even before the Iniong-Heidel bout, PXC promoter AJ Calvo expressed optimism about the future of female mixed martial arts in the country. If the initial episode were any indication, he’s right.

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“Do you want the job or not? Do you think you can do it?”

These were the questions Richie Ticzon said his interviewer asked him when he was offered the head coaching job of Globalport.

“I was taken by surprise,” said the former PBA cager. “It was an offer I never expected to come my way this early in my career. But I feel I’m up to the challenge and I’m excited. This is a rare opportunity not only for me but for the entire coaching staff of Batang Pier.

“It’s practically a brand-new team, with new acquisitions and rookies. We’ve  only been practicing for little over a week. I hope we jell sooner than later.”

Ticzon initially joined Globalport as a coaching assistant.

He envisions a run-and-gun team for Batang Pier since the majority of his players are young and quick.

“We will go for the three-point shot on every transition if we can. We have the guns to do that. We will run every time,” Ticzon said.