(CNN Philippines) — When Mark Muñoz takes his final bow at the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) Fight Night Manila, another Filipino hopes to make a name for himself.
Baguio native Mark Eddiva is set to face off against Levan Makashvili, a replacement of his original opponent Alex White who bowed out due to injury, and expects to snatch his seventh UFC victory on Saturday (May 16) at the Mall of Asia Arena.
“Isang step na naman ‘to para one up higher again para sa top… para sa championship,” said the 29-year-old fighter. “So kailangan din ko mapanalo ‘tong fight na ‘to.”
Related: Changes in fight card as Makashvili replaces White
The UFC announced a week ago that Makashvili would replace White, but the change didn’t worry Eddiva that much.
“May konting pagalinlalangan din pero yun nga, lahat naman pinagaaralan,” said Eddiva. “Hindi naman kasi naman gaanong kahirap basahin ung laro nya, kaya ok lang.”
Read: Edgar, Faber display respect before featherweight clash in UFC Manila
Eddiva, one of the four Filipinos that will compete on Saturday, confesses his gameplan is to rely “more on striking” which will result into a more exciting fight.
Asked on what the outcome of his match versus Makashvili will be, Eddiva confidently said: “Of course [a] big win.”
Read: Luke Barnatt predicts first round knockout of Mark Muñoz
