WATCH: Tearful Ali, Cristine Reyes exchange wedding vows

MANILA - Mixed martial arts fighter Ali Khatibi was nearly in tears as he exchanged wedding vows with Kapamilya actress Cristine Reyes, as seen in their wedding film released by Nice Print Photography on Thursday.

Reyes and Khatibi, who have a baby daughter named Amarah, got married on Wednesday in an intimate wedding ceremony attended by their close friends and family in Balesin Island.

Khatibi, who got engaged to Reyes seven months after the actress gave birth, is seen in the video crying as Reyes walked down the aisle. The "Tubig at Langis" star, likewise, turned emotional as she thanked Khatibi for showing her the true meaning of love.

"Ikaw 'yung reason kung bakit ko nasabi na ikaw na nga 'yung taong pakakasalan ko," Reyes told her now-husband. "Kasi ikaw 'yung nagpakita sa akin ng totoong kahulugan ng pag-ibig."

"Dahil ang pag-ibig ay hindi lang puro masaya. Ang pag-ibig ay mahirap din. Ang pag-ibig ay paulit-ulit na pagiintindi, pagtitiis, pagaaruga, at pagpapaubaya. Ang pag-ibig ay sa hirap at sa ginhawa," she added.

For his part, Khatibi vowed to help Reyes achieve her dreams. "I want you to never stop dreaming. Because this is one of the things I love and admire about you," he said.

"As your husband, together we shall reach for the stars and make them come true. I promise to be your faithful lover, to work hard and fulfill our needs, and lastly, to never forget this moment. For in this moment, my life ends and ours begin. I love you so much."

Reyes first met Khatibi back in 2005 but only began dating in 2013. In an interview on the now-defunct afternoon talk show "The Buzz" a year later, Reyes revealed that she was pregnant with Khatibi's child.

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

LOOK: Cristine Reyes weds Ali Khatibi in Balesin

MANILA – Cristine Reyes has finally tied the knot with her fiancé, MMA fighter Ali Khatibi.

The intimate ceremony was held at the Balesin Island on Wednesday which was only attended by the couple’s family and a few close friends.

Photos from the ceremony were posted by Reyes’ sister, Ara Mina, on Instagram. Reyes can be seen wearing a white dress, while Khatibi was wearing a white long sleeve shirt.

Mobile users can view the desktop version of this slideshow here.

 source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

LOOK: Cristine Reyes' magazine debut as real-life mom

MANILA – Actress Cristine Reyes has totally let go of her sexy image as she makes her magazine debut as a real-life mother.

The former sexy star is seen holding her baby daughter, Amarah, on the latest cover of Smart Parenting magazine.

Amarah is her child with Ali Khatibi, a mixed martial arts fighter.

 

Referring to her first few months of motherhood, Reyes recalled in an interview with Smart Parenting: “I was scared, because I’m a first-time mom and my baby is a preemie.”

“Pakiramdam ko kailangan na kailangan ako ni Amarah at tutok na tutok ako dapat sa kanya. I was so worried if I could do it on my own,” she added.

Reyes, who started out as a reality show contestant, got her big break on ABS-CBN for taking on daring roles. She was once named by a men’s magazine as the sexiest woman in the country and went on to star in several box office hits.

Reyes later on announced that she is leaving sexy roles behind and move on to more “dramatic” projects. (READ: 10 reasons we will miss Cristine Reyes in sexy roles)

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

Cristine Reyes' baby girl is now home

MANILA -- Actress Cristine Reyes was able to bring her baby daughter Amarah home more than a week after she gave birth last February 8.

Reyes posted a photo of Amarah on her Facebook page on Tuesday.

This was only the second time the actress shared a photo of the baby, who was born prematurely. Reyes posted the first photo of Amarah five days after giving birth.

"She really is a fighter," Reyes wrote in the caption, which is also a reference to the baby's father, MMA fighter Ali Khatibi.

Reyes said the baby spent 10 days in the hospital, including six days in a neonatal intensive-care unit. Amarah was also on oxygen support for a day.

"Thank you mommies and preemie moms for the prayers," Reyes said.

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

MMA fighter opens up on GF Cristine Reyes

MANILA, Philippines – The father of Cristine Reyes’ child is not only a model but a bona fide former mixed martial arts (MMA) champion.

Ali Khatibi used to be the featherweight champion of Universal Reality Combat Championship (URCC), the local version of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC).

In an interview with Large on Sports, Khatibi admitted that he was overwhelmed by the attention he received after it was reported that he is the father of Reyes’ baby.

“I knew there was gonna be some buzz but I never expected it to be like this. It's overwhelming. Cristine obviously knows how to deal with this but me I'm still overwhelmed,” said the 31-year-old model who already appeared on the pages of Cosmopolitan Philippines.

He said he hopes to use his newfound popularity to promote the sport of MMA in the Philippines.

Although the sport has become popular through the UFC, MMA remains in its infancy stage here in the country.

“If I can bring more attention to local mixed martial arts, that would be perfect. It's still a growing sport here in the country even though it's been around for quite some time. I strongly encourage everyone out there to follow and support local MMA fighters,” said Khatibi.

As a fighter, he holds a record of 1-1. He has yet to return to the ring since he last fought in November 2013.

“[I’ll be returning] very, very soon. My only concern at the moment is ring rust but my team should be able to address that. I honestly feel this is the best time to fight. I've regained the hunger I lost when I slacked off before,” he said.

Khatibi opened up that he met Reyes through a common friend. The sexy actress told him she always wanted to study Jiu-Jitsu so he invited her over to the gym.

Their relationship blossomed after that.

Khatibi described Reyes as a very good student. “Truth be told, she is doing very well. She has a high level of skill right now that I actually feel she is ready for competition,” he said.

“But obviously, for now that has to wait, but after the baby comes, I know she will do well in tournaments.”

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com