ONE: “Dawn of Heroes” is set for the MOA Arena in Manila on Friday night. It is a star-studded card that features two title fights but for the Filipino fans the main attraction will clearly be a lightweight bout between Eduard Folayang and Eddie Alvarez.
That matchup will serve as the semifinal of a Lightweight Grand Prix which has been blighted by injury. There are also two semifinal bouts in the Flyweight Grand Prix and the card features no fewer than two former UFC champions.
Here’s my preview of the top half of the card (for part one click here).
Mauro Cerilli vs. Arjan Bhullar (Heavyweight)
Mauro Cerilli (13-3) did not look impressive against Brandon Vera. His two ONE Championship appearances have lasted a grand total of 3:34 but he looks to be basically a brawler.
Arjan Bhullar (9-1) is coming off back-to-back UFC wins heading into this bout. He’s been beating better opponents than Cerilli and will be a strong favorite to win this fight.
Geje Eustaquio vs. Yuya Wakamatsu (Flyweight Grand Prix Reserve Bout)
Geje Eustaquio (12-7) has massively surpassed expectations in his ONE Championship career. He is energetic with a wushu based style of striking and has excellent stamina and solid submission defence.
Yuya Wakamatsu (10-4) emerged from his bout with Demetrious Johnson with a lot of credit, even if he didn’t get the win. But “Little Piranha” was beaten by Eustaquio’s teammate Danny Kingad and could be in for a similar sort of night here.
Muay Thai: Rotlek PKSaenchaigym vs. Chris Shaw (Bantamweight)
The Thais haven’t had it all their own way in the ONE Super Series but Rotlek PKSaenchaigym looked very impressive against Liam Harrison, dropping the Englishman multiple times.
Chris Shaw doesn’t quite have the same sort of reputation as Harrison and faces an uphill task against the much more experienced Thai.
Danny Kingad vs. Reece McLaren (Flyweight Grand Prix Semifinal)
Danny Kingad (12-1) has only ever lost once, and that was against reigning flyweight champion Adriano Moraes. He has the traditional Team Lakay style but is more prone to shooting for takedowns then some of his teammates.
Reece McLaren (12-6) is a BJJ black belt and should have the advantage on the ground. Kingad will want to make this a striking match and use his kicks to punish the Australian.
Demetrious Johnson vs. Tatsumitsu Wada (Flyweight Grand Prix Semifinal)
Demetrious Johnson (28-3-1) can do it all. He’s the best flyweight in the history of the sport, has some spectacular submissions on his record and is accustomed to fighting opponents who are significantly taller than him.
Tatsumitsu Wada (21-10-2) might have height on his side but that’s about all the Japanese flyweight has going for him in this contest. He knows how to use his reach with straight punches and low kicks and will need to keep Johnson on the outside at all times if he wants to pull off the upset.
Eduard Folayang vs. Eddie Alvarez (Lightweight Grand Prix Semifinal)
This could be war. Eduard Folayang (21-7) is known for his ability to attack relentlessly for 15 minutes and is guaranteed to be aggressive and to constantly throw kicks and haymakers.
Eddie Alvarez (29-7-0-1) has the power. He can finish the fight with a single punch which isn’t something that Folayang is known for and both have been knocked out a few times, which makes this particularly interesting.
Muay Thai: Jonathan Haggerty (c) vs. Rodtang Jitmuangnon (For Flyweight Title)
Jonathan Haggerty absolutely dominated Sam-A Gaiyanghadao but the Thai veteran was fighting in the wrong weight class and is several years past his prime. Rodtang Jitmuangnon is at his peak and is in his natural division.
However Rodtang will never have faced an opponent as tall as Haggerty and the Englishman really knows how to use his height and reach. He will try to keep the Thai at a distance while ‘The Tank’ will look to get in the pocket and trade.
Martin Nguyen (c) vs. Koyomi Matsushima (For Featherweight Title)
If you take away the two losses at bantamweight then what Martin Nguyen (12-3) has achieved with ONE Championship is unbelievable. He always wins, and does so in emphatic fashion.
Nguyen’s right hand is legendary but he showcased a more diverse striking offence against Jadamba Narantungalag last time out. By contrast Koyomi Matsushima (11-3) did not look particularly impressive in grinding out a decision win over Kwon Won Il.
Matsushima looked every inch the top contender when he scored a devastating stoppage win against former champion Marat Gafurov. But the ultra cautious wrestling gameplan he employed last time out is unlikely to bear fruit against Nguyen.
The Japanese fighter is unpredictable but the champion should retain his title here.
The entire ONE: “Dawn of Heroes” fight card will be available to view live and free in some territories using the newly launched app which you can download here. In the U.S. it will be streamed on B/R Live.