MANILA, Philippines — Unable to cause a ripple in previous fights, Ernesto Montilla Jr. has now become a hot topic for the vacant Pacific Xtreme Combat flyweight title after downing former champion Ale Cali in PXC43 Saturday night at Ynares Sports Arena in Pasig.
Montilla, of San Pedro, Laguna, made quick work of Cali, submitting the flashy striker via an armbar just two minutes into the first round for his fourth victory in his last five bouts.
By pouncing on Cali’s weakness on the mat, Montilla moved up the ladder in the 125-pound class, where Team Lakay’s Roldan Sangcha’an is the No.1 contender. Montilla’s only defeat in the cage came from Sangcha’an.
The flamboyant Cali absorbed a second successive loss after Hawaiian Louis Smolka stripped him of the title last November.
Smolka later gave up the belt and signed up with the Ultimate Fighting Championship where he won his coming-out party against Turkish fighter Alptekin Ozkilic.
Team Lakay’s Gina Iniong also won with a narrow split decision over Japanese Mei Yamaguchi in the co-main event of the promotion organized in partnership with Sports5.
It was the second straight win for the Baguio-based Iniong, who began her PXC career with a knockout of Nathalie Heidel in the atomweight division.
Scoring knockouts were Filipinos Dean Bermudez and lightweight Glen Ranillo. Bermudez floored Kid Orais with a head kick in the second round of their flyweight bout while Ranillo won with a right hook in the first round.
The other victorious fighters were bantamweight Ronaldo Gabriel Dy, flyweights Joseph Mercado and Jinel Lausa, Roy Doliguez (straw weight) and featherweight Arex Montalban.
Dy scored a unanimous decision victory over Korean Park Han-bin, Doliguez won over Jerome Wanawan by split decision, Mercado unanimously decisioned Dominiel Eduave and Lausa salvaged a split decision win over Venson Delopere.