ONE Championship’s first foray into the lucrative Japanese market takes place this weekend. ONE: A NEW ERA is set to go down inside Tokyo’s Ry?goku Kokugikan this Sunday.
The 16-bout card contains an all-star lineup from start to finish. The event features four title fights as well as the promotional debuts of Eddie Alvarez and Demetrious Johnson.
Alongside the action itself, there will be interest in how this event does ratings wise. The Japanese MMA market is somewhat of a sleeping giant at the moment. If ONE can begin to awaken the giant from its slumber, it would be a major coup for the promotion.
Four Title Fights
The ONE bantamweight, middleweight, lightweight and women’s s
The main event sees Team Lakay’s Eduard Folayang defending his lightweight belt against Japan’s Shinya Aoki. Aoki has been on a tear lately racking up three successive first-round victories. After back-to-back losses, he seems to have recovered his grappling mojo and has been absolutely manhandling recent opposition.
Folayang and Aoki have a history which dates back to 2016 when the Filipino defeated Aoki for the lightweight belt. The gameplans are simple for this one. Aoki needs to take the fight to the ground; Folayang needs to keep it standing.
In the co-main event, Angela Lee will attempt to make history by becoming ONE’s first female two-division MMA champion. The current
Jing Nan has won nine of her bouts via KO and will be hardest-hitting fighter Lee has fought against. Lee’s strength lies in her grappling. She is used to competing at a lighter weight so it will be interesting to see how she handles herself in the higher weight class.
An Anticpated Rematch
The middleweight title clash is a rematch of ONE’s “2018 Bout Of the Year” between Myanmar’s Aung La N Sang and Japan’s Ken Hasegawa.
Aung La emerged victorious from the pair’s barnstorming back-and-forth encounter last June. If Sunday’s bout is even as half decent as their first meeting, then fans will be in for a treat.
The opening title bout will be a rubber match between defending champion Kevin Belingon and the man he captured the belt from, Bibiano Fernandes. Belingon took home a razor-thin split decision victory when the two last met at ONE: Heart of the Lion in Singapore. Going into this bout, there is no clear cut favorite.
Belingon’s ability to move in and out of the pocket at speed is still his best asset, while Fernandes will again be looking to take the Filipino to the ground where the Brazilian can do his best work.
It is hard to see this bout ending quickly, both fighters are well aware of their opponent’s strengths and are intelligent and talented enough to avoid any traps. Expect a tense and intriguing five-round tussle.
The Arrival of ‘Mighty Mouse’ and Alvarez
For many North American fans and beyond, ONE: A NEW ERA will be their introduction to the ONE universe.
This interest is due to the signings of former UFC fighters Eddie Alvarez and Demetrious Johnson.
Alvarez takes on Russia’s Timofey Nastyukhin in a lightweight clash while Johnson faces Japan’s Yuya Wakamatsu in a flyweight bout. Both match-ups form part of the ONE Lightweight and Flyweight World Grand Prix tournaments.
It is hard to picture Alvarez or Johnson losing. However, if there is an upset, it will likely come from Nastyukhin defeating Alvarez. The 29-year-old holds victories over Eduard Folayang and Amir Khan and packs a solid punch. Nastyukhin will be primed for this fight, knowing that for a moment, the eyes of the MMA world will be upon him.
Best Of The Rest
Outside of the bouts previously mentioned, there are a number of contests that are equally deserving of attention.
Two Super Series matchups, in particular, stand out as must-sees. Andy Souwer and Yodsanklai IWE Fairtex will square off in a catchweight kickboxing bout which should prove to be one the highlights of the night, and Thai sensation Rodtang takes on Hakem Hamech in a Muay Thai Flyweight clash.
American BJJ prodigy Garry Tonon has also been added to the mix. Tonon is 3-0 since joining ONE but will face a solid competitor in the shape of Dutch-Indonesian Anthony Engelen.
Tonon’s striking has improved with each outing and he is shaping up as real prospect in the featherweight division.
Main Card (B/R Live & ONE App @ 5:30 a.m. EST):
Lightweight Title Bout: Eduard Folayang vs. Shinya Aoki
Women’s Strawweight Title Bout: Jing Nan Xiong vs. Angela Lee
Middleweight Title Bout: Aung La N Sang vs. Ken Hasegawa
Bantamweight Title Bout: Kevin Belingon vs. Bibiano Fernandes
Demetrious Johnson vs. Yuya Wakamatsu
Eddie Alvarez vs. Timofey Nastyukhin
Preliminary Card (Facebook @ 2:30 a.m. EST):
Senzo Ikeda vs. Danny Kingad
Ivanildo Delfino vs. Tatsumitsu Wada
Rodtang Jitmuangnon vs. Hakim Hamech
Kairat Akhmetov vs Reece McLaren
Kseniya Lachkova vs. Mei Yamaguchi
Panicos Yusuf vs. Mohammed Bin Mahmoud
Anthony Engelen vs. Garry Tonon
Yoon Chang Min vs. Bala Shetty
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