Tagbilaran City Mayor Baba Yap has congratulated Mark “Magnifico” for winning over Mexican brawler Julio Ceja, as the Boholano retained his undefeated record (23-0, 17 KOs) and elevated his status as among the top featherweights of the world.
Yap, in an interview over station dyRD on Sunday, said that he was set to call Magsayo to personally extend his congratulations.
“Dako kayong garbo ug kalipay sa dakbayan sa Tagbilaran na nidaog ang atoang Tagbilaranon na si Mark “Magnifico” Magsayo usa ni siya ka lumad na taga Barangay Booy, unya Tagbilaran City gyud ang gidala niya hantod sa pag fight niya sa Las Vegas,” said Yap.
The mayor monitored Magsayo’s fight at the City Hall which offered free viewing of the Pacquiao-Ugas mega bout and its undercard matches at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada for fully vaccinated residents of Tagbilaran City.
Magsayo is from Barangay Booy in Tagbilaran City and had fought twice in his hometown before starting his campaign in the US in mid-July.
The Boholano booked a slot in the Pacquiao-Ugas undercard as a fighter under Pacquiao’s MP Promotions.
Magsayo has credited Yap for introducing him to the fighting senator which led to his signing with MP Promotions under its president Sean Gibbons and eventually to his US campaign.
“Magpasalamat ko satong mayor na si Mayor Baba Yap kasi kung di tungod niya di jus ko ma-introduce ni Manny Pacquiao adto nagsugod ang tanan,” said Magsayo in a previous interview with the Chronicle.
“Dako kaayo ko og kalipay na na-sign ko ni Senator Manny Pacquiao ug diri sa PBC (Premier Boxing Champions) sa US maong karon lipay ko kaayo na maka-undercard kay Senator Manny Pacquiao,” he added.
Meanwhile, Governor Art Yap also extended his congratulations to Magsayo in a Facebook post.
He announced that the Bellevue Resort has pledged to offer free quarantine to Magsayo once he returns to the province.
However, Magsayo who has been in the US for his three straight previous fights since mid-2020 has no plans yet to return home as bigger fights are on the horizon for the Boholano.
“Og mo uli ko, ang coach, gym and promoter naa man diri sa US, kung mo uli ko wa koy duwa didto, wala koy trabaho. Pangingkamutan nako na maabot nako ang akong mga pangandoy na naa diri sa US,” he said.
The victory over Ceja elevated Magsayo to become the number one contender for the World Boxing Council (WBC) featherweight title held by Gary Russell, Jr.
Magsayo earlier told the Chronicle that MP Promotions president Sean Gibbons planned to set the fight between Russell and himself in the fourth quarter or early in 2022.