U Gotta Belive In the Filipino Fighters Spirit: Interview of Ferdie Munsayac

 

There is a man who rose above the rest and alleviated poverty in fighters in a measurable manner, to be the better version of himself and uplift others in a highly-visible way is a victory at the moment itself. The struggle of training, the weariness of battle, the agony of defeat and the soaring moment of triumph are reaped by those in the athletic world.

Ferdie Munsayac, also known as Papa Goat, stepped up with all his military training and the unwavering support of a bevy of combat fighters, both male and female, from Davao to beyond Bicol to pursue a common goal.  

Ferdie has a dream for Philippine Sports, which was sadly delayed by the pandemic, and is awaiting one last signature. As he forged this goal to have our own professional sport in the form of Juego Todo, a blend of our national sport of Arnis and mixed martial arts, the reason for his pursuit of our classification of this is for the Filipino presence to be felt in the worldwide arena. 

Contemplate for a moment how our athletes excel in many sports activities, but our own Arnis has not made it beyond Asian competitions. This is one of the pursuits of Ferdie for the sport of Juego Todo, which is All Game, and is currently being played as a combat sport by their team. 

Highlights of the Interview with Ferdie Munsayac

Describe Yourself

I LOVE CHALLENGES. TELL ME I CAN'T AND I'LL SHOW U HOW! IM VERY HARD HEADED! I WILL DO WHAT I PLEASE TO ACHIEVE MY GOALS.

Top three characteristics that drives your success 

PASSION

ADVOCACY

HEART

What does it mean for you to be a fighter?

NEVER GIVE UP! FIGHT TILL

THE END! IT AIN'T OVER TILL IT'S OVER.

What do you want to be remembered for at the end of your career?

I AM THE ONE WHO WILL CHANGE PEOPLE'S LIVES OF THE LOCAL FIGHT INDUSTRY, A DAY AT A TIME!!!

IT ALL STARTED WITH A PASSION THAT TURNED INTO AN ADVOCACY. BY THE TIME IM LONG GONE, THIS WILL BE MY LEGACY!

Words of Wisdom 

SET GOALS.

PERSEVERE, NO MATTER WHAT.

EMBRANCE CHALLENGES TO GIVE U ADDITIONAL FUEL BOOSTERS TO SUCCEED.

THE BEST GRATIFICATION IN LIFE IS PROVING ALL YOUR DETRACTORS WRONG UPON ACHIEVING YOUR SUCCESS!

I'M POSSIBLE!!!

Ferdie mentioned during the interview that UGB has another meaning which is U Gotta Believe. Indeed, we manifest our thoughts into action, like UGB, there is skilled action and poverty alleviation through sports. 

About UGB MMA Corp. (Underground Battle Mixed Martial Arts)

This is the Philippines' most active MMA promotion that currently conducted 91 documented fight sports events. The UGB MMA fight leagues are FUN FIGHT Amateur Fight League, PREDATOR FIGHT SERIES, BLAZE FIGHTING CHAMPIONSHIP, JUEGO TODO "Weaponized Cage Fighting", UGB MMA CHAMPIONSHIP and Event Collaborations. Also, UGB MMA conducts Mixed Martial Arts workshops. In 2015, UGB MMA became the official licensee of the Las Vegas-based World Series of Fighting (WSOF) Global in the country.

UGB MMA Advocates Filipino culture. In addition to the aforementioned fight leagues, it also has JUEGO TODO, which is a Weaponized Cage Fighting featuring FMA (Filipino Martial Arts) "Arnis / Kali / Escrima". This is designed to promote the Philippines' National Martial Art And Sports (Republic Act 9850) and for all FMA practitioners, especially the masters and grandmasters who we consider national treasures.

UGB MMA Stands Up Against Poverty through Sports. UGB MMA gives opportunities to poor and deserving fighters. Through UGB MMA fighter orphanage, UGB MMA gives fighters shelter, food, supplements, and other necessities. UGB MMA has full-time fighter scholars who are given the greatest exposure, as well as part-time fighter scholars who are basically students or regular employees who want to experience fighting in the cage.

Their goal is to provide fighters with the opportunities they need to succeed and to make sure that they have the food, shelter, supplements, and other necessities they need. 

UGB MMA was born out of the frustration of poverty and inequality and has since risen to become one of the most innovative companies in the fight industry in the Philippines. The business is built on three crucial pillars: Fighting poverty together, providing fighters with opportunities, and helping people reach their potential. These three guiding principles maintain loyalty to those who deserve it most.

UGB MMA, was created and founded by Ferdinand Munsayac, a former US Navy Chief who has always been fascinated with combat sports and martial arts. When he decided to retire in the Philippines after 20 years of military service, putting up a gym and fight sport promotion became his focus. Munsayac opened The Goat Locker Boxing Gym in 2011, which also offers Mixed Martial Arts, FMA and Muay Thai. He later launched a platform for amateur fighters designed to groom fighters before they plunged into professional league, and thus Underground Battle MMA was born.

Ferdie created this company with the advocacy of helping talented yet underprivileged Filipino martial artists. Having had to go through many hardships himself, he knows what it is like to need help from others to achieve one's dreams.

Author's Note: Of Juego Todo, Tagalog, and Adobo 

The one-mindedness in pursuit of Filipino passion is integral to building an identity in our melting pot of cultures. The Filipino people, hospitable in every which way, have opened our doors to foreign influences and adapted. The search for the Filipino identity is achieved by simply being the best version of ourselves. It is not just showing the world who we are with pride but sharing the best of our heritage, culture, skill and talents. 

During the animated interview with Ferdie, I mentioned how my grandfather, Jose Villa Panganiban, the former Director of the National Institute of Language, was instrumental in making Tagalog the Filipino language. My grandfather had said that Tagalog was the most beautiful language in the world, as it is read the way it is written, aside from other things. He also stated that it is a living language to which words are added as we develop as a nation. 

My grandfather achieved his dream and wrote books to create the foundation for our language, such as the Balarila, the first Filipino Grammar book, the first Filipino dictionary, and the voluminous Thesaurus Filipino-English thesaurus, among many over 1,000 published works. Interestingly enough, he also was the original rapper with his short poems. 

My pursuit of having Lechon Baboy (Pig) as our national food As explained in my award-winning blog, "The style of cooking lechon is the same all over the Philippines. This is the reason why lechon baboy should actually be the National Food instead of adobo, a vinegar-based dish, as the ingredients vary, and the cooking procedure may entail it being fried, boiled, or both. When it comes lechon baboy, it is the same procedure, and the ingredients placed inside the lechon to flavor it vary only slightly differently, yet that difference does make a lechon tastier. And, the lechon is identifiable Filipino.

Ferdie Munsayac has the driving passion to integrate a sport into the international arena that is identifiably Filipino. His pursuit is based on history, from our epic duels such as that of Lapu-Lapu and Magellan, along with how we have madirigmas (fighters) who crafted their own weapons and safety gear. The use of the arnis stick in Juego Todo hails from how a Filipino can wield an ordinary stick, using it as a disguised walking cane to ward away dogs, as actually a self-defence weapon. Juego Todo is a fabulous interplay from fighting with the special Arnis-style sticks to bare hands combat. 

Though the arena of sports is different from that of language and food, it still has the same love of country exemplified. 

To enter the UGB arena takes skill and strength. Still, anyone can take part in becoming a combat fighter for our country by supporting such sports activities as UGB MMA as an audience, sponsor or becoming a fighter. Thid world encourages people to become the better version of themselves by becoming fit and controlling their power, among other things.

When you see the glint in the eyes of these fighters, you will not see rage. Instead, you will see the hunger some have gone through, the mental anguish associated with poverty and lack of health that they hit down, and the submission hold struggle to succeed. 

The fights are glorious, as in winning or losing, and there is still that level of success as the reality of life is that of acceptance of sportsmanlike attitudes. 

We all talk about making the changes society needs and what we need more combat fighters in the world, like Ferdie and his team, to be the change and make the difference in a positive and healthy manner. 

Takeaway: Manifestation

It all starts with a thought. Our thoughts have power, and when we write it down, it becomes real. What we think can be reality, and when we manifest these things, such as a dream for a better life, it already is ours. 

This story is an entry to COMCO Mundo's "UNMASKED: The COMCO Mundo Write to Ignite Season 3". The initiative aims to pull and collate powerful stories from the Philippine blogging communities. "UNMASKED" aims to explore how each mask is a person brimming with hope and wonders to share with others, as well as why it is important to tell their inspiring journeys in life. The "Write to Ignite" Season 3 is made possible by COMCO Mundo League of Enterprises, with airasia, Babyflo, PHILUSA Corporation, Century Tuna, Licealiz, Lamoiyan Corporation, Rémy Martin, and Uratex Monoblock as brand partners.

Image credits:  UGB MMA Facebook page and

Personal profile of Ferdinand Abadilla Munsayac