STEVE "Red Knight" Grandeza scored a stunning knockout victory over Francis "Baguio" Romero in the Ultimate Strikers Championship 5 Saturday at the SM Bicutan in Parañaque City.
Two of Grandeza's teammates fashioned out huge wins that made it a triple celebration for Team Moo Duk Kwan Davao supported by Phoenix Fuel, Davao City Mayor Inday Sara Duterte, Vice Mayor Rodrigo R. Duterte and Christopher "Bong" Go.
Grandeza dominated his champion rival from Luzon, scoring at will with a variety of kicks -- jumping side kick, roundhouse and axe kick--before coasting to victory. He busted Romero's lips with a roundhouse in the first round and bloodied his nose in the second with a roundhouse to the face.
Grandeza finished off his rival with a jumping side kick to the body, the final blow of the match.
The victory was a morale-booster for Grandeza, who will fight for the world title in Dubai this October.
The Davao fighter was originally scheduled to fight Rommel "Big Daddy" Del-is but the latter failed to make the 64-kilogram weight limit.
Tacogue defeated Christopher Tamayo via unanimous decision while Carlo Laude scored a third round knockout win over Manuel "Cobra" Silvano of Quezon City.
It was a gigantic win for Laude as Silvano is a legend and a champion in muay thai in Manila who was never knocked out in his entire career.
Grandeza and the rest of the coaching staff composed of Edgar Ala Paulino, regional director of the National Muay Thai Kickboxing Council of the Philippines, Bryan Grandeza and Jojo Gatmaitan, thanked their supporters.
The Moo Duk Kwan Davao's trainer and instructor is Master Edgardo Grandeza.