ONE: “Ascent to Power” is set for the Singapore Indoor Stadium this Friday night (May 6, 2016) and it looks likely to be one of the promotion’s biggest and best attended fight cards of the year with local favorite Angela Lee set to challenge for the inaugural women’s atomweight title in the main event.
There is also the intrigue of seeing a Gracie challenge for a major mixed martial arts (MMA) title for the first time in decades as Roger takes on undefeated Polish fighter Michael Pasternak for the organization’s inaugural light heavyweight belt. Meanwhile, former champions Kotetsu Boku and Narantungalag Jadambaa will be going head-to-head in arguably the fight of the night.
As always with ONE Championship, weights listed are the fighter’s walking weights. Here’s my preview of the first five fights on the card.
194lbs.: Brad Robinson vs Agilan Thani
This fight was put together at relatively short notice but is a big one in terms of the South East Asian scene. Brad Robinson (3-1) is a local celebrity in Singapore who co-presents a TV show but trains very seriously and is good on the ground.
Agilan Thani (4-0) came up through the burgeoning amateur scene in Malaysia and none of the nine opponents he’s faced to date have been able to cope with his grappling skills. Robinson is 16 years the senior so this is a matchup which pits youth against experience and might well go the distance.
170lbs.: Ma Jia Wen vs Saygid Guseyn Arslanaliev
Saygid Guseyn Arslanaliev (2-0) hails from Dagestan but is based in Turkey and earned a ONE Championship contract after flying out to Singapore to participate in a tryout. He has a background in Combat Sambo and displayed a devastatingly effective brand of aggression on his promotional debut.
None of the Chinese fighters signed by ONE so far have exactly taken the scene by storm and Ma Jia Wen (2-1) hasn’t done much to stand out from the crowd. He likes to plant his feet and throw bombs which could make for an entertaining brawl but the Russian will be the favorite.
155lbs.: Benedict Ang vs Jimmy Yabo
One of several Evolve MMA fighters on this card, Benedict Ang (2-0) will need to have his wits about him when he faces an opponent coming off one of the fastest knockouts in the promotion’s history. The Singaporean is well rounded but likes a takedown and might look to get this fight to the ground as soon as possible.
Yabo (5-2) comes from a Taekwondo background and should be full of confidence after that quickfire KO of Bashir Ahmad. He’s a counter fighter who will want Ang to chase him but the Singaporean is too well trained to fall into that trap and will probably win a decision.
170 lbs.: Chang Ching Hsiung vs Amir Khan
Whichever way you choose to spell his name (and there are a few different versions knocking around) Chang Ching Hsiung (4-3-1) is a decorated Sanda practitioner who has been competing in professional MMA since his opponent was a schoolboy.
Amir Khan (4-2) has a strong Muay Thai background and a blue belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (BJJ) and might look to take this one to the ground. With three wins in his last three fights, Hsiung has some momentum and if both decide to stand and bang this could be a classic clash of striking styles.
155 lbs.: Christian Lee vs Cary Bullos
While all eyes will be on Angela Lee as she fights for a title in the main event her younger brother is arguably an even more exciting prospect. Christian Lee (3-0) showcased some superb striking skills in his last fight and has finished all three of his ONE opponents in the third round.
Cary Bullos (7-3) is an experienced and aggressive kickboxer who will be happy to go toe to toe with Lee and that could mean fireworks. The Singaporean’s ability to stay in the pocket and use his head movement to slip punches and counter is truly a sight to behold and this should be a fun, fast fight.
ONE: “Ascent to Power” will be broadcast live all over Asia by FOX Sports and by various other networks worldwide. The pay-per-view (PPV) can be purchased for $9.99 from: http://onefc.com/livestream.