Geisler, Matos train hard for grudge match

Baron Geisler (left) vs Kiko Matos face off with URCC president Alvin Aguilar in the middle. Photo by Mark Giongco

It may only be an exhibition match, but both Baron Geisler and Kiko Matos are taking their upcoming URCC fight seriously.

The two combatants said Tuesday during the weekly PSA Forum in Shakey’s Malate that they are undergoing strenuous preparations as they eye to top each other at URCC Fight Night on Saturday at Valkyrie.

Geisler, who is the brother of former Olympian Donald, shared that he has kept his taekwondo skills of old.

“I started taekwondo since I was six years old and competed in meets when I was seven,” he said.

But much of his know-how will be driven from his previous street encounters.

“Meron akong experience pagdating sa laban. May experience na rin ako masaktan. Bata pa lang, sanay na akong makipag-sparring.”

Geisler bragged a bit about his street fights, estimating that he has been in about eight or 10 and that he knocked all of his opponents out.

The actor said that he has experience in boxing but not in other disciplines of MMA.

“I used to train boxing. Meron akong konting background dun, but pagdating sa grappling at mixed martial arts, pinagaaralan ko pa lang.”

Matos, meanwhile, is no stranger in the world of MMA. Growing up in Paranaque, he said he “was exposed to
people who do jiu jitsu.”

“I have egged myself on MMA training and trained ako sa striking,” he said.

UFC president Alvin Aguilar also said that back in the formative years of URCC, Matos was one of those kids who kept on pestering them as they trained in their gym.

“They were the ones knocking on our windows and laughing at us. And we had to shoo them away,” he said.

Even so, Matos admitted that MMA is “all new” to him.

Geisler also took exception of what he felt was a slight bias against him, saying Matos trains in the same gym as that of Aguilar’s Deftac stable.

But Aguilar made it clear that Geisler is welcome anytime to the train in the gym, and Matos is preparing with another friend in Batangas.