Press Release – 13 December 2012 – Singapore: ONE Fighting Championship™ (ONE FC) announced today that it will be returning to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, on 2 February 2013 with a Featherweight World Championship title fight between Eric “The Natural” Kelly and Honorio “The Rock” Banario. All the action takes place live from the state-of-the-art Stadium Putra in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
Plus, the first two bouts of the inaugural four-man Malaysian National Featherweight Championship Tournament will take place as National Silat Champion AJ “Pyro” Lias Mansor squares off against Muay Thai Champion Jian Kai Chee and the slugger from Johor, Melvin Yeoh will look to score an impressive win in his ONE FC debut against Raymond Tiew.
In addition, the top MMA prospects in Malaysia prepare for a battle of supremacy as UK CFC Champion Peter Davis takes on Indonesia’s Leo Krishna and the up-and-coming Gianni Subba battles highly experienced Muay Thai fighter Saiful Merican.
Tickets for ONE FC: RETURN OF WARRIORS are on sale now at www.AirAsiaRedTix.com. Tickets are priced at RM345 for the complete VIP experience that includes exclusive red carpet entrance, access to the VIP lounge and premium cage-side seating. The categories that follow are priced at RM145, RM95 and RM45 respectively. Booking fees and service charges apply.
CEO of ONE Fighting Championship™ Victor Cui stated, “I’m beyond excited to kick off a packed out schedule of events in 2013 at the state-of-the-art Stadium Putra in Malaysia! Eric Kelly vs Honorio Banario for the ONE FC Featherweight World Championship Title could possibly be the most demanded fight in Asian MMA history and I know the fans cannot wait to watch these two champions clash in the ONE FC cage. I am also proud to announce that this card is stacked with the top Malaysian fighters who have found their home with the largest MMA promotion in Asia. I expect fireworks on 2 February and not just inside the cage. Malaysians love their sport and they will go crazy for their local champions.”
Kelly is one of the most dominant fighters in ONE FC and is still unbeaten in his MMA career. Kelly will have his toughest test to date when he rumbles with arguably the most exciting featherweight in all of Asia, Honorio “The Rock” Banario.
Banario is a proud representative of the legendary Team Lakay from Baguio City, Philippines. Training alongside Filipino champions like Eduard “Landslide” Folayang and Kevin “The Silencer” Belingon, the Wushu expert is renowned for his pin-point striking accuracy. At ONE FC: RETURN OF WARRIORS, fans from all around the world can expect an explosive battle as these warriors battle for the most prestigious belt in all of Asia.
ONE FC: RETURN OF WARRIORS is stacked with the most exciting Malaysian prospects in all of MMA. Peter Davis is back in action after a decisive TKO win over Singaporean Quek Kim Hock at ONE FC: DESTINY OF WARRIORS. Davis’ spinning back kick in the first few seconds of the fight brought the home crowd roaring to their feet and staggered his Singaporean opponent enough to set up an exciting TKO finish. With 2 February just around the corner, Davis is gearing up to do the same devastating moves against his Indonesian opponent, Leo Krishna. Fast-rising prospect Gianni Subba will look to ride on the momentum of his stunning KO debut when he battles a legendary striker, Muay Thai veteran Saiful Merican.
ONE FC will also launch the four-man Malaysian National Featherweight Championship Tournament to determine who the number 1 Featherweight Contender in Malaysia is.
Cui further commented, “As part of ONE FC’s initiatives to continually grow and support the local MMA community, we are launching the first ever Malaysian National Championship Title. We are starting with the Featherweight title which will be spread over two events. ONE FC already has the very best Malaysian MMA fighters signed to exclusivity and this is a way for us to identify a true Malaysian National Champion.”
For more updates on ONE Fighting Championship™, please visit www.onefc.com and follow on Twitter @ONEFCMMA and Facebook at www.facebook.com/ONEFCMMA.
About ONE Fighting Championship™
Headquartered in Singapore, ONE Fighting Championship™ (http://www.onefc.com) is Asia’s largest mixed martial arts organization. ONE Fighting Championship™ hosts the best Asian mixed martial artists and world champions on the largest media broadcast in Asia. ONE Fighting Championship™ has partnered with ESPN STAR Sports, the number one leader in sports content, for an unprecedented 10-year cable television deal with a coverage that spans across 28 countries in Asia.
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