CRISANTO PITPITUNGE knocked out Justin “The Shocker” Cruz of Guam with a vicious right to the chin in the first round on Saturday to bag the bantamweight crown in PXC 31 at the Ynares Sports Arena in Pasig.

The 25-year-old Pitpitunge, from Baguio City, improved his mixed martial arts record to 4-1 and avenged the loss of one of his coaches, Mark Sangiao, to the veteran Guamanian fighter. Cruz beat Sangiao by submission three years ago in a different mixed martial arts outfit.

Cruz suffered his fifth loss in 23 fights. It was Cruz’s first fight in nine months, while Pitpitunge last fought in PXC 29 in February where he won a unanimous decision over Victor Galdon.

Pitpitunge is the second Filipino to become PXC champion after Ali Cali, also from Baguio, beat Jesse Taitano of Guam via technical knockout in the battle for the flyweight title in PXC 29.