15 April 2016 – Manila, Philippines: The largest sports media property in Asian history, ONE Championship (ONE), put on a spectacular show at the 20,000-capacity Mall of Asia Arena, featuring the absolute best in local and international mixed martial arts talent. Geje Eustaquio turned in a masterful performance against young Malaysian prospect Gianni Subba to win by unanimous decision in the co-main event. In the main event, ONE Welterweight World Champion Ben “Funky” Askren overcame a spirited performance from Russian contender Nikolay Aleksakhin to win by unanimous decision in a five-round Super Fight.
In the main event of the evening, the United States’ Ben “Funky” Askren overcame a tremendous effort from Nikolay Aleksakhin of Seltso, Russia to win by unanimous decision in a five-round Super Fight. Askren put on an amazing display of high-level wrestling to score on multiple takedowns, maintaining control of Aleksakhin on the ground while doing damage from the mounted crucifix position. Aleksakhin connected on a few solid strikes, but it wasn’t enough to trump Askren’s overall solid performance.
In a much-awaited bantamweight contest, Team Lakay’s Geje “Gravity” Eustaquio completely outclassed top Malaysian prospect Gianni Subba in an exciting three-round bout in front of Eustaquio’s home crowd in Manila. Eustaquio kept Subba at bay all night at the end of his lightning fast kicks and sharp counterpunching. Subba could not get his offense going as Eustaquio dominated from end-to-end to earn the unanimous decision.
Lightweight standout Lowen Tynanes of Ewa Beach, Hawaii defeated highly-regarded Japanese veteran Koji “The Commander” Ando by unanimous decision in a gruelling contest. Tynanes used his superior wrestling skills to control the action in the cage, while also getting the better of Ando in the stand-up with his powerful leg kicks and straight right hand. After three rounds, Ando couldn’t amount to much as Tynanes ran away with the judges’ nod.
Filipino-Australian fighter Reece “Lightning” McLaren showed the world that he is an absolute force to be reckoned with by dominating former combat sambo world champion Muin “Tajik” Gafurov over three rounds. McLaren completely shut down Gafurov with his impeccable mat and cage control, displaying a high-level grappling game that Gafurov had no answer to. McLaren wins a unanimous decision in a very technical affair.
A memorable lightweight contest ensued between Filipino combatants Honorio “The Rock” Banario and Vaughn “The Spawn” Donayre. Banario dominated the striking exchanges, landing the right hand over the top frequently and with good, solid power. The former featherweight champion also controlled action on the ground, almost finishing the fight with an armbar submission, showcasing his improved grappling. In the end, Banario did just enough to earn the unanimous decision.
In an intense, crowd-pleasing fight, Martin “The Situ-Asian” Nguyen and China’s Li Kai Wen brought fans up to their feet with a display of fierce and explosive striking exchanges. The two fighters unloaded on each other from the opening bell. As they traded blows, Li dropped Nguyen with a punch but Nguyen was able to withstand the damage and recover. Once on the ground, Nguyen’s superiority showed as he was able to control Li’s back and finish the fight with punches from the top.
Team Lakay’s Joshua Pacio debuted for ONE Championship with a solid victory over Rabin Catalan, remaining an unbeaten young prospect. Pacio controlled the action from top position after scoring on a big slam over Catalan, landing some heavy blows in the first round. In the second round, Pacio again scored with a big overhead slam. This time, Pacio was able to step over into mount and finish the fight with ground-and-pound.
Team Lakay’s lady warrior April Osenio impressed the crowd with vastly improved grappling skills to win by submission over British-Filipina fighter Natalie Gonzales Hills in a battle of female atomweights. Although Hills was able to take Osenio down successfully, it was Osenio who was dangerous on the back. In her rubber guard, Osenio needed only a brief moment to latch on the fight-ending armbar.
Indonesia’s Sunoto overcame an ill-advised kimura attempt by Filipino contender Burn “Hitman” Soriano to win by technical knockout. After Sunoto found himself in mount position, the Indonesian fighter unloaded a volley of strikes to force the stoppage just minutes into the first round.
Team Lakay’s Danny Kingad made an impressive ONE Championship debut with a victory over Malaysia’s Muhamad Haidar to kick off an exciting evening at ONE: GLOBAL RIVALS. Kingad showcased his wrestling ability by shooting for a double-leg takedown and taking Haidar for a ride with two emphatic slams before finishing the Malaysian off with ground-and-pound.
Official results for ONE: GLOBAL RIVALS
Catchweight Super Fight (85.3kg): Ben Askren defeats Nikolay Aleksakhin by Unanimous Decision
Bantamweight bout: Geje Eustaquio defeats Gianni Subba by Unanimous Decision
Lightweight bout: Lowen Tynanes defeats Koji Ando by Unanimous Decision
Bantamweight bout: Reece McLaren defeats Muin Gafurov by Unanimous Decision
Lightweight bout: Honorio Banario defeats Vaughn Donayre by Unanimous Decision
Featherweight bout: Martin Nguyen defeats Li Kai Wen by TKO (Strikes) at 4:44 minutes of round 1
Catchweight bout (57.4kg): Joshua Pacio defeats Rabin Catalan by TKO (Strikes) at 3:19 minutes of round 2
Women’s Atomweight bout bout: April Osenio defeats Natalie Gonzales Hills by Submission (Armbar) at 3:23 minutes of round 1
Catchweight bout (67.3kg): Sunoto defeats Burn Soriano by TKO (Strikes) at 3:50 minutes of round 1
Flyweight bout: Danny Kingad defeats Muhamad Haidar by TKO (Strikes) at 2:20 minutes of round 1
In case you missed the action log on to www.onefc.com/livestream for the full replay of the fights at only US $9.99.
For more updates on ONE Championship, please visit www.onefc.com and follow Twitter and Instagram @ONEFCMMA and Facebook at www.facebook.com/ONEFCMMA.
15 April 2016 – Manila, Philippines: The largest sports media property in Asian history, ONE Championship (ONE), put on a spectacular show at the 20,000-capacity Mall of Asia Arena, featuring the absolute best in local and international mixed martial arts talent. Geje Eustaquio turned in a masterful performance against young Malaysian prospect Gianni Subba to win by unanimous decision in the co-main event. In the main event, ONE Welterweight World Champion Ben “Funky” Askren overcame a spirited performance from Russian contender Nikolay Aleksakhin to win by unanimous decision in a five-round Super Fight.
In the main event of the evening, the United States’ Ben “Funky” Askren overcame a tremendous effort from Nikolay Aleksakhin of Seltso, Russia to win by unanimous decision in a five-round Super Fight. Askren put on an amazing display of high-level wrestling to score on multiple takedowns, maintaining control of Aleksakhin on the ground while doing damage from the mounted crucifix position. Aleksakhin connected on a few solid strikes, but it wasn’t enough to trump Askren’s overall solid performance.
In a much-awaited bantamweight contest, Team Lakay’s Geje “Gravity” Eustaquio completely outclassed top Malaysian prospect Gianni Subba in an exciting three-round bout in front of Eustaquio’s home crowd in Manila. Eustaquio kept Subba at bay all night at the end of his lightning fast kicks and sharp counterpunching. Subba could not get his offense going as Eustaquio dominated from end-to-end to earn the unanimous decision.
Lightweight standout Lowen Tynanes of Ewa Beach, Hawaii defeated highly-regarded Japanese veteran Koji “The Commander” Ando by unanimous decision in a gruelling contest. Tynanes used his superior wrestling skills to control the action in the cage, while also getting the better of Ando in the stand-up with his powerful leg kicks and straight right hand. After three rounds, Ando couldn’t amount to much as Tynanes ran away with the judges’ nod.
Filipino-Australian fighter Reece “Lightning” McLaren showed the world that he is an absolute force to be reckoned with by dominating former combat sambo world champion Muin “Tajik” Gafurov over three rounds. McLaren completely shut down Gafurov with his impeccable mat and cage control, displaying a high-level grappling game that Gafurov had no answer to. McLaren wins a unanimous decision in a very technical affair.
A memorable lightweight contest ensued between Filipino combatants Honorio “The Rock” Banario and Vaughn “The Spawn” Donayre. Banario dominated the striking exchanges, landing the right hand over the top frequently and with good, solid power. The former featherweight champion also controlled action on the ground, almost finishing the fight with an armbar submission, showcasing his improved grappling. In the end, Banario did just enough to earn the unanimous decision.
In an intense, crowd-pleasing fight, Martin “The Situ-Asian” Nguyen and China’s Li Kai Wen brought fans up to their feet with a display of fierce and explosive striking exchanges. The two fighters unloaded on each other from the opening bell. As they traded blows, Li dropped Nguyen with a punch but Nguyen was able to withstand the damage and recover. Once on the ground, Nguyen’s superiority showed as he was able to control Li’s back and finish the fight with punches from the top.
Team Lakay’s Joshua Pacio debuted for ONE Championship with a solid victory over Rabin Catalan, remaining an unbeaten young prospect. Pacio controlled the action from top position after scoring on a big slam over Catalan, landing some heavy blows in the first round. In the second round, Pacio again scored with a big overhead slam. This time, Pacio was able to step over into mount and finish the fight with ground-and-pound.
Team Lakay’s lady warrior April Osenio impressed the crowd with vastly improved grappling skills to win by submission over British-Filipina fighter Natalie Gonzales Hills in a battle of female atomweights. Although Hills was able to take Osenio down successfully, it was Osenio who was dangerous on the back. In her rubber guard, Osenio needed only a brief moment to latch on the fight-ending armbar.
Indonesia’s Sunoto overcame an ill-advised kimura attempt by Filipino contender Burn “Hitman” Soriano to win by technical knockout. After Sunoto found himself in mount position, the Indonesian fighter unloaded a volley of strikes to force the stoppage just minutes into the first round.
Team Lakay’s Danny Kingad made an impressive ONE Championship debut with a victory over Malaysia’s Muhamad Haidar to kick off an exciting evening at ONE: GLOBAL RIVALS. Kingad showcased his wrestling ability by shooting for a double-leg takedown and taking Haidar for a ride with two emphatic slams before finishing the Malaysian off with ground-and-pound.
Official results for ONE: GLOBAL RIVALS
Catchweight Super Fight (85.3kg): Ben Askren defeats Nikolay Aleksakhin by Unanimous Decision
Bantamweight bout: Geje Eustaquio defeats Gianni Subba by Unanimous Decision
Lightweight bout: Lowen Tynanes defeats Koji Ando by Unanimous Decision
Bantamweight bout: Reece McLaren defeats Muin Gafurov by Unanimous Decision
Lightweight bout: Honorio Banario defeats Vaughn Donayre by Unanimous Decision
Featherweight bout: Martin Nguyen defeats Li Kai Wen by TKO (Strikes) at 4:44 minutes of round 1
Catchweight bout (57.4kg): Joshua Pacio defeats Rabin Catalan by TKO (Strikes) at 3:19 minutes of round 2
Women’s Atomweight bout bout: April Osenio defeats Natalie Gonzales Hills by Submission (Armbar) at 3:23 minutes of round 1
Catchweight bout (67.3kg): Sunoto defeats Burn Soriano by TKO (Strikes) at 3:50 minutes of round 1
Flyweight bout: Danny Kingad defeats Muhamad Haidar by TKO (Strikes) at 2:20 minutes of round 1
In case you missed the action log on to www.onefc.com/livestream for the full replay of the fights at only US $9.99.
For more updates on ONE Championship, please visit www.onefc.com and follow Twitter and Instagram @ONEFCMMA and Facebook at www.facebook.com/ONEFCMMA.
The last time Ben Askren headlined an event in Manila, things didn’t go according to plan. What looked set to be a close and competitive fight with Luis Santos came to an abrupt and premature end when the Brazilian was unable to continue after a first-round eye poke.
It was a major disappointment for the Filipino fans who were getting their first glimpse at arguably the world’s best welterweight. Askren has a chance to make some amends this Friday (April 15, 2016) when he defends his belt against Nikolay Aleksakhin in the exact same arena.
The American’s title bout against the Russian headlines ONE: “Global Rivals” and Askren is determined to show the Manila audience exactly what he is capable of.
“I am very excited to be fighting in Manila again. The fans in Manila have always been truly amazing and there’s a real fight culture there I do enjoy fighting there and I feel like I owe the fans a good show after what happened the last time.”
Much has been made of how this fight will pit the Combat Sambo of the Russian against the wrestling of the U.S. Olympian and two time NCAA Division-1 champion but the American doesn’t expect Aleksakhin to pose him many problems.
“I think that he is physically strong and tough, but I think his style is limited in what he can do and he is not very dynamic. I think his style will play right into my game plan.”
The “no contest” against Santos was followed by an aborted rematch with the Brazilian. It means he hasn’t completed a fight since 2014 and will be looking to make up for lost time this year.
“I better get moving then! I looking to retain my title and I am coming for that ‘W’.”
The Santos non-finish is the closest thing to a blemish on Askren’s record which currently reads 14-0-0-1. No elite level mixed martial artist has ever retired undefeated but it’s an accomplishment that looks to be well within the grasp of the former Bellator champion.
Wrestlers do seem to enjoy longevity in MMA with both Randy Couture and Dan Henderson enjoying success well into their 40s. Askren is currently 31 which means his competitive career could conceivably last for at least another decade but he says he will be hanging up his gloves a lot sooner than that.
“No chance of that (fighting into his 40s) happening for me. When I eventually retire from the sport I would definitely run my wrestling academies. It is very important to me personally because I love passing on my wrestling knowledge to the next generation of wrestlers so that they can have some of the successes that I did.”
With his successful chain of wrestling academies Askren has strong roots in the U.S. but he has been spending an increasing amount of time in Asia recently. He always does the final stage of his training camp at Evolve MMA in Singapore and says he will be well prepared for Aleksakhin.
“Well I spent the first part of my camp back in Milwaukee with Roufusport. I am currently finishing my fight camp with Evolve MMA here in Singapore with Heath Sims, head coach of the Evolve Fight Team, and the rest of my teammates such as Leandro Issa, Eddie Ng, Amir Khan, and an entire bunch of Muay Thai world champions.”
Instead of cutting 10-15 pounds in the days leading up to the fight Askren merely has to prove that his walking weight is 185 pounds or less and he thinks it is a big step in the right direction.
“I think that ONE has made an outstanding move adopting the new policies and I am very excited to see them be the leader in this category. Hopefully other MMA organizations will follow their lead soon because it is for the better of the fighters safety.”
There’s been some speculation that the disparity in size between Santos and Askren makes a rematch impossible. However both men are currently plying their trade in the same division and the champion feels has some unfinished business with the Brazilian.
“I would very much like to give him a good beating. I just don’t know if he will show up to the fight. This is a score that I would definitely like to settle in the future.”
Santos is coming off an impressive first round stoppage win so the rematch looks at least a possibility. Before that can happen Askren has business to attend to in Manila on Friday night and after suffering frustration on his last trip to the Philippines he is determined to make a big impression second time around.
The last time Ben Askren headlined an event in Manila, things didn’t go according to plan. What looked set to be a close and competitive fight with Luis Santos came to an abrupt and premature end when the Brazilian was unable to continue after a first-round eye poke.
It was a major disappointment for the Filipino fans who were getting their first glimpse at arguably the world’s best welterweight. Askren has a chance to make some amends this Friday (April 15, 2016) when he defends his belt against Nikolay Aleksakhin in the exact same arena.
The American’s title bout against the Russian headlines ONE: “Global Rivals” and Askren is determined to show the Manila audience exactly what he is capable of.
“I am very excited to be fighting in Manila again. The fans in Manila have always been truly amazing and there’s a real fight culture there I do enjoy fighting there and I feel like I owe the fans a good show after what happened the last time.”
Much has been made of how this fight will pit the Combat Sambo of the Russian against the wrestling of the U.S. Olympian and two time NCAA Division-1 champion but the American doesn’t expect Aleksakhin to pose him many problems.
“I think that he is physically strong and tough, but I think his style is limited in what he can do and he is not very dynamic. I think his style will play right into my game plan.”
The “no contest” against Santos was followed by an aborted rematch with the Brazilian. It means he hasn’t completed a fight since 2014 and will be looking to make up for lost time this year.
“I better get moving then! I looking to retain my title and I am coming for that ‘W’.”
The Santos non-finish is the closest thing to a blemish on Askren’s record which currently reads 14-0-0-1. No elite level mixed martial artist has ever retired undefeated but it’s an accomplishment that looks to be well within the grasp of the former Bellator champion.
Wrestlers do seem to enjoy longevity in MMA with both Randy Couture and Dan Henderson enjoying success well into their 40s. Askren is currently 31 which means his competitive career could conceivably last for at least another decade but he says he will be hanging up his gloves a lot sooner than that.
“No chance of that (fighting into his 40s) happening for me. When I eventually retire from the sport I would definitely run my wrestling academies. It is very important to me personally because I love passing on my wrestling knowledge to the next generation of wrestlers so that they can have some of the successes that I did.”
With his successful chain of wrestling academies Askren has strong roots in the U.S. but he has been spending an increasing amount of time in Asia recently. He always does the final stage of his training camp at Evolve MMA in Singapore and says he will be well prepared for Aleksakhin.
“Well I spent the first part of my camp back in Milwaukee with Roufusport. I am currently finishing my fight camp with Evolve MMA here in Singapore with Heath Sims, head coach of the Evolve Fight Team, and the rest of my teammates such as Leandro Issa, Eddie Ng, Amir Khan, and an entire bunch of Muay Thai world champions.”
Instead of cutting 10-15 pounds in the days leading up to the fight Askren merely has to prove that his walking weight is 185 pounds or less and he thinks it is a big step in the right direction.
“I think that ONE has made an outstanding move adopting the new policies and I am very excited to see them be the leader in this category. Hopefully other MMA organizations will follow their lead soon because it is for the better of the fighters safety.”
There’s been some speculation that the disparity in size between Santos and Askren makes a rematch impossible. However both men are currently plying their trade in the same division and the champion feels has some unfinished business with the Brazilian.
“I would very much like to give him a good beating. I just don’t know if he will show up to the fight. This is a score that I would definitely like to settle in the future.”
Santos is coming off an impressive first round stoppage win so the rematch looks at least a possibility. Before that can happen Askren has business to attend to in Manila on Friday night and after suffering frustration on his last trip to the Philippines he is determined to make a big impression second time around.
ONE: “Global Rivals” is set for Manila on Friday night (April 15, 2016) and sees Ben Askren defending his welterweight title against Russian challenger Nikolay Aleksakhin. Here is my preview of the final four fights on the card.
For a p…
ONE: “Global Rivals” is set for Manila on Friday night (April 15, 2016) and sees Ben Askren defending his welterweight title against Russian challenger Nikolay Aleksakhin. Here is my preview of the final four fights on the card.
For a preview of the first five fights click here.
145 lbs.: Reece McLaren vs Muin Gafurov
ONE Championship’s bantamweight division is stacked so it’s difficult to predict how the title picture will pan out but these are two top contenders. Muin Gafurov (10-0) is still only 19 but has looked spectacular in both his fights for the promotion, the Tajik fighter is a former Combat Sambo world champion and a top, top prospect.
Reece McLaren (8-3) might not have such an impressive record but he holds a purple belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (BJJ) and is coming off a dominant win over top ranked Filipino Mark Striegl. Gafurov has a spinning back kick KO while the Australian was very effective with leg kicks in his last fight so they can both strike, submit and wrestle which makes this a very interesting fight indeed.
170 lbs.: Lowen Tynanes vs Koji Ando
Lowen Tynanes (8-0) burst onto the scene by beating up Eduard Folayang and he he has been punishing opponents with a wrestling based strategy ever since. The Hawaiian likes to take people down and keep them down and is dangerous with submissions and ground and pound.
Koji Ando (12-4-2) is more well rounded and has excellent Judo, a solid ground game and is a southpaw with a good straight left who has never been stopped. The Japanese fighter has an advantage in terms of experience but Tynanes fights fearlessly and this looks to be a very well matched lightweight bout.
145 lbs.: Geje Eustaquio vs Gianni Subba
Early in his career Gianni Subba (7-1) showcased some devastating striking but his last two bouts have both gone the distance and he seems to be pacing himself more. The Malaysian has spent his entire competitive career in the ONE cage and has decent wrestling and serious punching power.
By contrast Geje Eustaquio (7-4) tends to go the distance but is coming off the most impressive KO of his career, with a left hook landing flush to the face of Muay Thai veteran Saiful Merican. This could turn into a chess match but both men have enough power to make it an interesting contest in which anything could happen.
185 lbs.: Ben Askren vs Nikolay Aleksakhin
Anything other than an Ben Askren win here would be a massive surprise. Nikolay Aleksakhin (17-3) has an impressive sounding record but doesn’t seem to possess the sort of skill set which would be required to beat arguably the best welterweight in the world.
It is no secret what Askren (14-0-0-1) is good at but stopping him from doing it is another matter altogether. If you don’t have world class takedown defense you are going to struggle against the two time NCAA Division One champion and US Olympian and it’s going to be extremely difficult for Aleksakhin to keep this fight standing,
Striking definitely isn’t Askren’s strength and any fighter who can stuff his takedowns, something Luis Santos did well, has the potential to cause him some problems. Aleksakhin will be hoping he can keep this standing long enough to land some telling strikes and hurt the champion but his chances of doing so look slim at best.
ONE: “Global Rivals” is being broadcast on a number of networks across the world and will be live on FOX Sports 2 in Asia. The pay-per-view (PPV) can be purchased for $9.99 USD from www.oneppv.com.
ONE: “Global Rivals” is set for Manila on Friday night (April 15, 2016) and sees Ben Askren defending his welterweight title against Russian challenger Nikolay Aleksakhin.
There will also be big fights in the bantamweight division and f…
ONE: “Global Rivals” is set for Manila on Friday night (April 15, 2016) and sees Ben Askren defending his welterweight title against Russian challenger Nikolay Aleksakhin.
There will also be big fights in the bantamweight division and featherweight division with the likes of Lowen Tynanes, Muin Gafurov, and Gianni Subba all potentially just one win away from a title shot. As usual in the Philippines there will be a large contingent of local fights although Eric Kelly’s bout with Timofey Nastyukhin was nixed when the Russian revealed he was struggling with his weight.
The show takes place at the SM Mall of Asia Arena and here’s my preview of the first five fights (please note that all weights listed are the fighter’s walking weights).
135 lbs.: Danny Kingad vs Muhamed Haidar
Danny Kingad (2-0) has the typical Team Lakay style although he tends to favor low kicks over body kicks. The Filipino likes a takedown and has fought several times on the Baguio scene, both at an amateur and a professional level, although several of these bouts are missing from his official record.
Muhamed Haidar is making his pro debut but is a veteran of five amateur fights who has been in with some of the better flyweights in Malaysia. Takedown defense isn’t his strong point and he seems a bit reluctant to pull the trigger in striking exchanges, although in fairness the only footage I could find was three years old.
145 lbs.: Sunoto vs Bernard Soriano
Sunoto (3-2) will be fighting for ONE Championship for the fourth time and this experience could give him an edge, particularly as he’s already fought in this venue once. He switches stance seamlessly and looks to be more confident on the ground although he was submitted in under a minute in his last fight.
Bernard Soriano (3-2) made his pro debut back in 2010 and has a background in kickboxing. He doesn’t move his feet much and has a patient striking style but the Filipino does look good on the ground which would suggest that even though he’s only fought five times in five years he has been consistently training MMA.
115 lbs.: April Osenio vs Natalie Gonzalez Hills
April Osenio (0-1) took a fight against Kirstie Gannaway on very short notice in early 2015 and gave a very good account of herself before succumbing to a second round rear-naked choke. She’s a decorated Wushu practitioner who has won medals in grappling and looks a good prospect.
Natalie Gonzalez Hills (2-3) was born in the Philippines but has spent most of her career competing in Australia. She’s faced some much bigger opponents but should be more in her element as an atomweight and looked very strong in the clinch before getting submitted by Angela Lee in her ONE Championship debut last year.
155 lbs.: Martin Nguyen vs Li Kai Wen
Martin Nguyen (5-1) took an interim title fight with Marat Gafurov at less than a week’s notice last year and suffered the first and only defeat of his career to date. The Australian looks strongest on the ground and will probably look to take this fight down.
Li Kai Wen (5-1) has won four fights out of four for ONE Championship despite looking a little on the small size for a featherweight. He likes to attack with kicks but can be devastating with his hands, as he proved by knocking out Nathan Ng with a one-punch KO.
170 lbs.: Honorio Banario vs Vaughn Donayre
After some disappointing recent results both these Filipino fighters are moving up a division. The parallels don’t stop there, Donayre and Banario both won six fights out of six under the URCC banner but haven’t been quite so successful with other promotions.
Honorio Banario (8-6) was the inaugural ONE featherweight champion but is on a five-fight losing skid. He has good Wushu style striking but his submission defense is an issue which is something that Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (BJJ) veteran Vaughn Donayre (8-4) will obviously be looking to exploit.
ONE: “Global Rivals” is being broadcast on a number of networks across the world and will be live on FOX Sports 2 in Asia. The pay-per-view (PPV) can be purchased for $9.99 USD from www.oneppv.com.
The ONE: “Kingdom of Champions” card now has six fights including a main event that pits two undefeated strawweight champions together. The event is set for the Impact Arena in Bangkok on May 27th and will be the promotion’s first ever card …
The ONE: “Kingdom of Champions” card now has six fights including a main event that pits two undefeated strawweight champions together. The event is set for the Impact Arena in Bangkok on May 27th and will be the promotion’s first ever card in Thailand.
Reigning ONE strawweight champion Dejdamrong Sor Amnuayrichoke (6-0) will be headlining the show, which also features performances by two of Thailand’s biggest bands. His opponent was announced this week and he will be taking on a top ranked Japanese fighter.
Yoshitaka Naito (10-0) is the reigning Shooto 115-pound champion and has beaten some of the best fighters in the division. The Chiba based fighter will be making his promotional debut in Bangkok and fighting outside of his native Japan for the first time.
it is one of two title fights on the card with Marat Gafurov (13-0) also set to make the first defense of his featherweight belt against an opponent on a 13-fight winning streak. Current Deep 145-pound champion Kazunori Yokota (25-5-2) is enjoying the best form of his career and will be looking to add the ONE belt to his collection.
The card also sees former WBA 130-pound champion Yodsanan Sityodtong (1-1) returning to the cage after a four-year absence. The Thai veteran will be taking on Cambodia’s Chrech Kosal (2-1) in a bantamweight grudge match that is sure to get the crowd at the Impact Arena going.
The other Thai on the card is Anatpong Bunrad (5-2) and he will be fighting in his homeland for the very first time. His opponent is Filipino flyweight Eugene Toquero (8-3) who came very close to stopping former champion Adriano Moraes in the opening round recently.
The other fights announced are a catchweight contest between Rob Lisita (14-7) and Timofey Nastyukhin (9-2) and a middleweight matchup which pits former title challenger Leandro Ataides (8-2) against Marcin Prachnio (10-2). Thai fighters Shannon Wiratchai and Pongsiri Mitsatit are also expected to feature.
Angela Lee is dropping down a division to challenge for the first title of her pro career at the Singapore Indoor Stadium on May 6, 2016. At ONE: “Tribe of Warriors” the 19-year-old phenom will be fighting Mei Yamaguchi for the organization’…
Angela Lee is dropping down a division to challenge for the first title of her pro career at the Singapore Indoor Stadium on May 6, 2016. At ONE: “Tribe of Warriors” the 19-year-old phenom will be fighting Mei Yamaguchi for the organization’s inaugural atomweight title.
The winner will earn the right to call themselves the first ever female ONE Championship champion but for Lee it represents something of a step into the unknown because all her fights to date have been in the strawweight division, or even slightly higher.
By contrast Yamaguchi has been competing at atomweight for several years and recently won the Deep-Jewels title in that division, claiming the strap by way of an eight-woman tournament. She has approximately five times as many fights as Lee but the Singaporean-Korean is not intimidated by her opponent’s experience.
“I have done my research on Mei and I think her greatest strength will be her experience and her confidence. However, I know that Mei has never fought anyone like me before. I am a completely different fighter then what she’s use to and I bring a whole new set of challenges that she’s never seen before,” Lee said.
Lee also says she will have no issue getting down to the right walking weight in order to pass all the ONE Championship checks (see here for explanation).
“Technically this is my first ever fight at atomweight as all my other fights have been at strawweight or at a catchweight. My walking weight is 120 pounds so it will be an easy diet to go down to 115 pounds.”
To compete in ONE Championship’s atomweight division Lee needs to show that her walking weight is 115 pounds or less while as a strawweight her walking weight can be up to 125 pounds. She’s confident she can compete in both divisions and won’t rule out moving up again in the future.
“Because my walking weight is right in the middle of the atomweight and strawweight division, I feel that both of those are my natural divisions.”
Lee lives and trains in Singapore where she is a member of the fight team at Evolve MMA. It makes her May 6th title shot particularly special.
“Winning the title in Singapore and becoming their first world champion will be a dream come true for me. I’m not just winning this belt for myself. I’m winning it for my family, my friends, my teams and for Singapore.”
Yamaguchi is 14 years the senior of Lee and has a clear advantage in terms of experience. She’s already a veteran of several atomweights but the teenager doesn’t think this will necessarily play in her opponent’s favor.
“I don’t see that as an advantage for her. That just means that she’s used to fighting smaller girls. I’ve fought girls at 115, 120, and 125 pounds in my MMA career so if anything, I’ll be the one with the advantage.”
Yamaguchi won titles at 115 pounds early in her career and has faced some of the most famous female fighters around including Emi Fujino and Ayaka Hamasaki. However, she is a couple of inches shorter than Lee, as the teenager discovered first hand when they faced off for a recent photo shoot in Singapore.
It means the Singaporean-Korean spent a lot of time in close proximity to her next opponent but Lee feels this is just part of the sport.
“It wasn’t strange for me. I’m always professional with all of my opponents and I don’t let my emotions get involved. It’s strictly business, I don’t feel a need to ‘hate’ my opponents. If you respect me, I will respect you. I feel like the respect between me and Mei is mutual.”
For Lee training is more often than not a family affair because she works out alongside her brother Christian, who will also be fighting at ONE: “Tribe of Warriors.” Their Father, Ken, is a Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (BJJ) black belt and the three of them have also enlisted the help of the Evolve MMA fighters and trainers.
“For this fight camp I will be training entirely in Singapore with my head coach and Dad, Ken Lee, coach Heath Sims, Kru No and Kru Yod. I’m also lucky to have awesome teammates to work with such as my Brother, Christian Lee, Alex Silva, current men’s strawweight champ, Dejdamrong Sor Amnuaysirichok, and Leandro ‘Brodinho’ Issa.”
It is a dream team which she helps will give her the impetus to become the first ever female champion with Asia’s biggest MMA promotion. A highly experienced and well decorated opponent stands in her way but Lee believes that on May 6th it is youth that will prevail.
