GSP IN THE PHILIPPINES!

Current UFC welterweight champion and TUF 12 coach, Georges "Rush" St-Pierre is visiting the Philippines this week for a meet and greet with fans at the SM Mall of Asia (MOA)'s Music Hall in Pasay City, Philippines, on September 25, 2010 (Friday), starting at 2:30 PM. He will be arriving in the country on September 23 for the 3-day visit. Here's Balls Channel's (the official channel that broadcasts MMA events in the Philippines) official video promotion of the event:

I sadly won't be able to attend the event, since I have prior engagements to attend to, but I personally think this isn't that big a loss. GSP isn't the first MMA superstar to visit the Philippines in cooperation with Balls Channel. The first that I'm aware of is current Light Heavyweight and Filipino-American Brandon "The Truth" Vera, who appeared in the Tri Noma Mall, then UFC Hall of Famer Chuck "The Iceman" Liddell appeared in the Mall of Asia a few months after.

I was really disappointed when I didn't get to see Vera (I learned about his appearance too late), but I got to see Chuck. I'm not sure what GSP's exact agenda during the event is, but Chuck did some light technique work that he commonly uses in MMA, including various kickboxing combinations, mixing up both punches and kicks, and the sprawls he so famously uses to defend against takedowns, but it's really not something any MMA fan hasn't seen before, and it only lasted about 15 minutes, maybe less. The crowd was really thick and rowdy too, so I had no choice but to watch the events unfold from a pretty far distance, winding up with some pretty blurry photos as my only mementos of the occassion. I was really saddened when I wasn't able to meet Chuck in person, since only a select few audience members were allowed access to the Hall of Famer (most of them local celebrities). Just being in the same room with The ICeman and soaking up his presence is more than enough, I guess.


Anyway, since GSP is appearing in the exact same place and the event is being managed by pretty much the exact same people, then I fully expect a pretty similar experience. In this case, I expect that the event won't be all that worth it for me to change my current plans for.

For other local MMA fans, though, this may be a very exciting occasion that should not be missed. If you're one of those who can attend, though, please share your experiences about the event by leaving a comment below! I'll very much appreciate reading what you thought of the event!