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By Patrick Lujan
Not much time to celebrate a big victory – if at all.

Baby Joe Taimanglo delivers one of many uppercuts to Andrew Fisher in Bellator 99. (screenshot of Spike TV)
Baby Joe Taimanglo is already back in training mode after his big unanimous decision win over Andrew Fisher in Bellator 99 last weekend in Temecula, California. But with the win comes a quick turnaround in preparation for the semifinals of the promotion’s featherweight tournament on Oct. 11 in Wichita, Kansas against Justin Wilcox in Bellator 103.
“I’m not partying out until the end of the tournament,” Taimanglo told GSPN. “I’m back in the gym again and I’m going to work harder and push even harder for the next fight.”
Family members from Las Vegas and Guamanians from around Temecula showed huge support for the island’s top featherweight in his win over a bigger opponent from England.
“I get training partners (that big) all the time. I fought a couple of guys at 6 foot so height is not a problem,” said the 5-foot-4 fighter. “I fight the way I want to fight it, not the way they want to fight it.”
BJT, with a high cage IQ, used his stand-up game to walk through with a unanimous decision victory, mostly using a vicious uppercut to apply punishment to his foe.
“It’s part of my stand-up game,” he said about his uppercut weapon. “He head-butted me like three times in the first round, so I found out the uppercut was landing when his head came forward. The head butts kind of bothered my vision in the second and third rounds.
“I always look forward to finish the fight. I had him rocked in the first round, and I tried to mix jiu-jitsu in the first round, but that was a mistake. I should’ve used my hands.”
Despite making solid contact with his overhand rights and uppercuts, Taimanglo credits Fisher for staying in the fight.
“Every hit that I landed, I put a stamp on those punches. Smarter fighters will recover and circle out, but I know I caught him a lot of times during the fight. It showed how big of a heart he has not to go down because I know I got him a bunch of times.”
Wants to Make History
Already competing at an elite level, Taimanglo wants to make history for himself and for Guam. With just two more wins, he will be a world champion in such a high-level of competition such as Bellator.
“I’m here to win the 145-lb tournament. It will be one of the biggest sports accomplishment for an athlete from Guam. I want to make history for myself and for my island. It’s very overwhelming and I’m trying to stay humble because I still have two more fights.”
Taimanglo would like to thank his sponsors for his last fight in Bellator 99: Docomo Pacific, Proa Restaurants, Elegant Reflections, Sokel Industries, Mini Camachili Tree Store and GSPN.
NOTE: Expected on the same fight card on Bellator 103 is former PXC fighter J.J. Ambrose, who is slated to fight David Rickels in a lightweight matchup in the Kansas Star Casino.
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GPS Sports Calendar
February 2023
- SU
- MO
- TU
- WE
- TH
- FR
- SA
Events for January
1st
ISA GIRLS SOCCER
ISA BOYS BASKETBALL
Events for February
2nd
ISA BASEBALL LEAGUE
ISA TRACK & FIELD MEET
IIAAG BEACH VOLLEYBALL
IIAAG TENNIS LEAGUE
Events for February
3rd
ISA TRACK & FIELD MEET
IIAAG BEACH VOLLEYBALL
IIAAG BOYS BASKETBALL
ISA GIRLS SOCCER
TRITONS BASEBALL INVITATIONAL PLAYOFFS
Events for February
4th
ISA BASEBALL LEAGUE
IIAAG BEACH VOLLEYBALL
Events for February
6th
IIAAG BEACH VOLLEYBALL
ISA GIRLS SOCCER
IIAAG BOYS BASKETBALL
ISA BOYS BASKETBALL
Events for February
7th
ISA BASEBALL LEAGUE
IIAAG BEACH VOLLEYBALL
IIAAG TENNIS LEAGUE
IIAAG BOYS BASKETBALL
Events for February
8th
ISA GIRLS SOCCER
ISA BOYS BASKETBALL
Events for February
9th
ISA BASEBALL LEAGUE
ISA TRACK & FIELD MEET
IIAAG BEACH VOLLEYBALL
IIAAG TENNIS LEAGUE
Events for February
10th
ISA GIRLS SOCCER
ISA TRACK & FIELD MEET
IIAAG BEACH VOLLEYBALL
IIAAG BOYS BASKETBALL
TRITONS BASEBALL INVITATIONAL FINALS
Events for February
12th
MONSTER ENERGY MOTOCROSS ROUND 2
Events for February
13th
IIAAG BEACH VOLLEYBALL PLAYOFFS
ISA GIRLS SOCCER
ISA BOYS BASKETBALL
IIAAG BOYS BASKETBALL
Events for February
14th
IIAAG BEACH VOLLEYBALL PLAYOFFS
ISA BASEBALL LEAGUE
IIAAG TENNIS LEAGUE
IIAAG BOYS BASKETBALL
Events for February
15th
IIAAG BEACH VOLLEYBALL PLAYOFFS
ISA BOYS BASKETBALL
ISA GIRLS SOCCER
Events for February
16th
ISA BASEBALL LEAGUE
ISA TRACK & FIELD MEET
IIAAG TENNIS LEAGUE
IIAAG BEACH VOLLEYBALL PLAYOFFS
Events for February
17th
ISA TRACK & FIELD MEET
IIAAG BOYS BASKETBALL
ISA GIRLS SOCCER
Events for February
18th
BLACK HISTORY MONTH 2K/5K
World Athletics Cross Country Championships
ISA BASEBALL LEAGUE
Events for February
20th
IIAAG BEACH VOLLEYBALL PLAYOFFS
ISA GIRLS SOCCER
ISA BOYS BASKETBALL
Events for February
21st
IIAAG BEACH VOLLEYBALL PLAYOFFS
ISA BASEBALL LEAGUE
IIAAG TENNIS LEAGUE
IIAAG BOYS BASKETBALL
Events for February
22nd
IIAAG BEACH VOLLEYBALL PLAYOFFS
ISA GIRLS SOCCER
ISA BOYS BASKETBALL
Events for February
23rd
IIAAG BEACH VOLLEYBALL PLAYOFFS
ISA BASEBALL LEAGUE
IIAAG TENNIS LEAGUE
Events for February
24th
ISA GIRLS SOCCER
IIAAG BOYS BASKETBALL QUARTERFINALS
Events for February
24th
Events for February
25th
Events for February
27th
IIAAG BEACH VOLLEYBALL PLAYOFFS
ISA BOYS BASKETBALL SEMIFINALS
ISA GIRLS SOCCER SEMIFINALS
Events for February
28th
IIAAG BEACH VOLLEYBALL FINALS
ISA BASEBALL LEAGUE SEMIFINALS
IIAAG TENNIS LEAGUE
IIAAG BOYS BASKETBALL SEMIFINALS

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