ALVIN Cacdac once worked as massage therapist who helped mixed martial artists soothe their aching bodies shortly after every bout.
On Saturday, he’ll be out to bring pain to someone else.
The 29-year-old Filipino-American will showcase his wrestling skills against Louis Smolka in the featured flyweight bout of the Pacific X-Treme Combat (PXC) 35 at the Ynares Sports Arena in Pasig.
“I was helping people and now I kind of hurt people,” Cacdac said with a grin on Thursday during the formal press conference of the meet, looking to do exactly that against his opponent from Hawaii when they square off in the main undercard of the lightweight title fight between champion Harris Sarmiento and Isaiah Ordiz.
Born to Filipino parents in Carranglan, Neva Ecija, Cacdac moved to California when he was only two years old and has been wrestling for 14 years since middle school in West Valley Junior College.
He turned pro in 2004.
“I still wanted to compete and I wanted to take my wrestling skills to a new level so MMA was the next level for me to expand that,” said Cacdac, who never forgot his Filipino roots as he sports a tattoo resembling the Philippine flag on his right arm.
“So everyone knows I’m Filipino and they know I’m proud to be one. And I’m a force to be reckoned with,” explained Cacadac, who first came back to the country two years ago for his first PXC fight.
The 5-foot-5 Cacdac, who disputes online records by saying his real (win-loss) slate is 14-7, last fought during the 31st edition of the PXC in July, scoring a first-round submission victory over Rex Wa-o.
He now faces a bigger fighter in Smolka, who’s unbeaten in two fights.
“People say I’m gonna have a hard time because he’s tall, but he’s not the tallest guy I’ve fought,” said Cacdac, claiming he once fought a six-footer. “So height doesn’t bother me at all.”
Apart from the Cacdac-Smolka flyweight bout and the main event between Sarmiento and Ordiz, the rest of the fights included in the event presented by San Mig Strong Ice and Sports 5 with special thanks to E-games, Fitness, First, FHM Philippines, FHM.com.ph, Premiere Condoms, Healthway Agility Phil, Beer Below Zero, Eden Nightclub, Real Sports Radio, and Loqal.ph, are likewise highly-anticipated.
Other matches to look forward to, according to PXC chief executive officer EJ Clavo, are the bantamweight bouts between Filipino Troy Bantiag and Tony Reyes; and Dario Banario against Joseph Mercado.
Get more of the latest sports news & updates on SPIN.ph
NOTICE ON UNAUTHORIZED AND UNLAWFUL USE, PUBLICATION, AND/OR DISSEMINATION OF SPIN.PH CONTENT: Please be notified that any unauthorized and unlawful use, publication, and/or dissemination of Spin.ph’s content and/or materials is a direct violation of its legal and exclusive rights to the same, and shall be subject to appropriate legal action/s.
