Despite main event cancellation, Ruff and Tuff II a success

LOCAL MIXED Martial Arts (MMA) champion Jeremy Rodulfo will have to wait a bit longer for his much-anticipated rematch with Guyanese fighter Carl Ramsay, after the latter was unable to make it to Trinidad in time for the Ruff and Tuff MMA tournament on October 1.

Rodulfo, 28, defeated Ramsay via knockout at the International MMA Federation's (IMMAF) Pan American championships in June.

President of the Ruff and Tuff MMA League, Jason Fraser, told Newsday that Ramsay and his entourage could not get a flight out of Guyana, owing to difficulties with the arrival of spectators for the Caribbean Premier League (CPL).

Fraser said promoters made a last-minute replacement with a Jamaican fighter.

He said while the Jamaican fighter was able to reach as far as the Piarco International Airport on September 30, he was deported shortly after owing to an arrest over drug possession in Barbados in 2015.

In an interview with Newsday, Rodulfo said he was disappointed over the fight's cancellation and apologised to his supporters.

"I was ready to fight and put on a good show for everyone so it's really disappointing that this didn't happen according to plan.

"I know Jason and the promoters did their best to make this a reality but unfortunately it didn't come to pass this time.

"I know a lot of my fans came out from all over to support me so it really does break my heart to have to explain to them that the main event was cancelled, especially as I won't be fighting on Trinidadian soil for a while again."

In December, Rodulfo and other local fighters will travel to St Martin to compete in that country's MMA tournament.

He is also expected to compete in MMA world championships next year.

Fraser said while he was also disappointed over the cancellation of the fight, he felt the tournament was a success as the 11 remaining bouts continued without incident.

He said while it was difficult to say exactly when Rodulfo and Ramsay would have their rematch, it may happen as early as March 2023.

"As the head of the organisation I felt very hurt, I felt like we did everything we were supposed to, but Jeremy took it well and he understood our position and he understood the lengths Ruff and Tuff went to, to ensure that he could compete.

"The crowd understood and we know we're going to make this an epic event going forward in the future.

"There are some things we don't have control over.

"We are not crazy people to promote something and not deliver at the end of the day we could have been sued for that."

Fraser added that, despite the tight budget for hosting the event, he was pleased with the outcome and thanked technical director Warren Gill and participants for their work.