This year may have been challenging for almost everyone in the world, but for Filipino mixed martial artist Rolando Gabriel Dy, it is a year where his prizefighting career has benefited the most.
Dy’s latest exploit came in the form of a lightweight title eliminator on the undercard of Brave 44 in Bahrain during the wee hours of Friday morning (Manila time) defeating New Zealand’s John Brewin by way of unanimous decision with identical 29-28 scores across the board.
“I took the fight on two weeks’ notice. I didn’t have quality sparring for this fight nor trained with high-profile training partners. I only trained with my students for this one, and I beat a guy whose teammates are Israel Adesanya and Alex Volkanovski. This is a miracle win,” Dy said after the match.
Stepping into the three-round encounter on just 14 days’ notice, Dy proved his worth against the promotion’s 2019 Breakout Fighter of the Year as he took control of the pace right off the bat and utilized his impeccable striking for the majority of the bout.
With Brewin having the size and reach advantage, “The Incredible” methodically picked the Kiwi standout apart in the stand-up department, banking on his crisp counterpunches while consistently landing his signature left hook to keep his opponent at bay.
Although Brewin tried to change the complexion of the contest with several takedown attempts, Dy already knew what was coming ahead of him as he effortlessly stuffed efforts to have the exchanges on the mat.
Dy’s all-around performance evidently reflected on all three scorecards, having his hand raised in triumph for the second time this year.
According to the 29-year-old Dasmariñas, Cavite resident, it is a victory to be remembered as he defeated a City Boxing representative who shares the same gym with notable names and UFC world champions such as Israel Adesanya and Alexander Volkanovski.
“If God will allow you to win, even against the best team on the planet, you will win,” he said.
With the win over Brewin, Dy has improved his professional record to 14-9 and is now riding high on a two-fight winning streak.
In addition, he has earned a future date with Amin Ayoub, who defeated Cleiton Silva in the card’s main event via fourth-round knockout to capture the Brave World Lightweight Championship.
On the other hand, Brewin dropped to 6-2 and snapped his two-bout strife to taste his first defeat in nearly two years.
