CARLOS Alvarez scored a technical knockout win, and fellow MMA fighter Jean Claude Saclag also won convincingly to barge into the medal rounds following their dominant wins in the 20th Asian Games in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan.
Alvarez and Saclag won over their foes in dominant fashion on Sunday to clinch semifinal berths, ensuring that they will go home with at least a bronze medal at the end of the Asiad competition.
The 27-year-old Alvarez won via TKO in the men’s traditional -77kg quarterfinal bout over Ananda Wahyu Setyo of Indonesia with 22 seconds left in Round 2. It was their first bout after both fighters drew a bye in the preliminary round.
Saclag started his bid for his second career Asiad medal by drawing a bye in the preliminary round of the men’s traditional -65kg and defeated Saud Fawaz Almolhem via unanimous decision in the quarterfinals.
Alvarez will face Kazakh fighter Yerkingali Burkutalin, who also scored a knockout win over Yoon Taeyoung of Korea in the quarterfinals.
Saclag, who will turn 32 on Friday, is a wushu silver medalist in the 2014 Asian Games, and could book a finals seat on Monday if he wins his semifinal bout against Daisuke Murayama of Japan, who won via TKO over Gibran Alfarizi of Indonesia.
Gina Iniong-Araos, however, failed to advance as the reigning Asian champion bowed to Thailand’s Kanjutha Phattaraboonsorn, 3-0.
Alvarez and Saclag, training with Team Lakay, are also fighters under the ONE Championship umbrella, competing in ONE Friday Fights.
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