In pro-wrestling, a WrestleMania moment is the biggest occasion a wrestler could hope for. It can either be a heart stopping performance or a heart warming scene. But any WrestleMania moment suddenly paled in comparison to what happened last May 16, 2015 at the SM Mall of Asia Arena in Pasay City.
The stars aligned for Filipino-American MMA veteran Mark Muñoz. Muñoz, a proud Filipino, never won a UFC Championship. But as the cliche goes, the stars aligned for one faithful night. He was competing in his last fight in front of a huge hometown crowd who adored him for so many years. Moreover, this was the first and only time he will compete in the Octagon in his home country.
To put the cherry on top, he dominated his opponent, Luke Barnatt, all throughout the match. After the match, one of the greatest UFC moments of all time happened as Mark Muñoz gave an emotional farewell to his countrymen, the UFC, and the sport of mixed martial arts.
“Thank you very much Philippines, I will represent you guys from the bottom of my heart.”
“From the day when I was a kid, I was watching cartoons and remember watching super-heroes. I get to reenact that every time I step into the cage.”
“This is something I’ve dreamed about. I know I didn’t accomplish, what I wanted to accomplish in the cage, but I invested a lot of my time in lives and I invested in treasures in their heart and I’ve been able to change lives and impact lives in a positive way. That’s what I’m here for.”
“I have a story to be able to give to kids and I want to be able to teach and come back here to the Philippines and be able to give my talents, gifts and abilities to you guys. And be able to help the Philippines in wrestling and that’s my goal. I have so much to give to this sport.”
“I’m putting my gloves in the center of the Octagon, because I’ve got so much love and admiration for the sport. Thank you to the best organization on the planet in mixed martial arts. Thank you UFC, thank you Dana White, thank you Lorenzo [Fertitta] — I will cherish these memories for a lifetime. We all have a story and mixed martial arts has been the story of my career. You might get hit by unforeseen things — people might have cancer, you might have diabetes, but your life doesn’t stop there, you get back up and you keep competing to the best of your ability and that’s what my career’s all about.”
