RENAN “Flash” Noblefranca was once one of the most feared strikers in the local circuit, possessing a combination of blinding speed and power.
But after a long layoff from the ring, Noblefranca hopes to regain his once-feared reputation in his ring return, with two Muay Thai fights before the year ends.
Noblefranca takes on Ely Fernandez of Makati City on Dec. 7, 2019 in Kibawe, Bukidnon before taking on veteran Cebuano fighter Tonix Borres on Dec. 30, 2019 in the Muay Thai main event of Yaw-Yan Ardigma Cebu’s Cebu Fighting Championship (CFC) at the Buanoy Sports Complex in Balamban, Cebu.
“He has changed. He doesn’t look the same as before,” Yaw-Yan Ardigma Cebu founder and CEO Benigno “Ekin” Caniga told SunStar Cebu. “He needs the fights. He already has a family of his own. I expect his fight with Borres to be a good one. Borres has a bit of an advantage because he has been fighting regularly. He’s also in his peak.”
Noblefranca’s last high-profile fight was back in 2013, when he won a stoppage win over American Kenny Epstien in a kickboxing match in Vallejo, California.
Noblefranca stayed in the US for a while, before returning to the Philippines.
Caniga isn’t sure if Noblefranca will return to his peak form by fight night, but he’s optimistic that he’ll look better and better in the days to come.
“I hope he regains his form,” he said. “I’m not sure what will happen (against Fernandez). His opponent is very strong and fast, and is still very young at 23 years old.”
Noblefranca is a veteran of countless Muay Thai and kickboxing fights. He’s also an MMA fighter and is listed at 1-1, fighting in the Universal Reality Combat Championship (URCC).
The Noblefranca vs. Borres fight will share the limelight in the CFC with an MMA bout between Joseph Mercado of YawYan Coron Palawan and Edmund Vergara of Black Panther MMA.
Also one of the main features is an MMA fight between Mactan Combat Sports’ Niño Rio Saoy and Iligan Gan Soo Do Pitbulls. (EKA)