Hailing from Kapangan, Benguet, Philippines, Crisanto Pitpitunge is an Igorot mixed martial artist currently signed with Bahrain-based MMA promotion Brave Combat Federation. He trains at Team Lakay in La Trinidad, Benguet.

Crisanto Pitpitunge vs Jalal Al Daaja

Pitpitunge will face Jalal Al Daaja of Jordan at “Brave 10: The Kingdom Rises.” They will battle it out in the bantamweight division in the 10th event of Brave CF.

A graduate of criminology from the University of Cordilleras in Baguio City, Philippines, Pitpitunge is a police officer. He comes from the same university as his fellow Team Lakay members and Brave CF fighters Jeremy Pacatiw and Stephen Loman, the reigning bantamweight champion of the promotion.

Born on December 28, 1986, Pitpitunge was from a family surviving on one meal a day. Now on the right side of the law catching criminals, he is proud to be an MMA fighter and a policeman.

“At first, balancing MMA with police duty was a bit challenging,” Pitpitunge admitted. “But with wise time management, I got used to it now.”

It was Team Lakay head coach Mark Sangiao who introduced Pitpitunge to MMA, which developed a high level of discipline and changed the life of the man from Kapangan once and for all. Currently, the Igorot MMA fighter holds a professional record of 9 wins out of his 14 appearances.

“Brave 10: The Kingdom Rises” will take place on March 2, 2018 at the Prince Hamzah Sports Hall in Amman, Jordan. Pitpitunge will make history as the first Filipino fight in a professional MMA bout in Jordan.

Kapangan, Benguet

Kapangan is a mountainous municipality rich in cultural heritage and natural landscapes. Its legal existence traces back to November 22, 1900, when it was established as a township under Act No. 48 during the American Civil Government. It later achieved status as a regular municipality in 1963.

The rugged terrain of Kapangan is home to two primary ethnolinguistic groups: the Ibaloi and the Kankanaey. For generations, these communities have maintained traditional agricultural practices alongside ancestral customs. Historically, the municipality served as a crucial sanctuary during World War II. Its remote mountains housed Camp Utopia, the general headquarters of the 66th Infantry Regiment of the United States Armed Forces in the Philippines–Northern Luzon and local Igorot guerrillas who defended the territory.

Blessed with rolling hills, creeks, and the Amburayan River, Kapangan relies heavily on agriculture. Its farmers have traditionally produced rice, root crops like camote and gabi, bananas, and tiger grass—the primary raw material used to craft the region’s famous durable brooms.