Tag: ONE Championship News

Bruce Lee Inspired Kevin Belingon’s Martial Arts Career

Reigning ONE Bantamweight World Champion Kevin “The Silencer” Belingon was just like any other kid growing up. That was until he watched the legendary Bruce Lee on television and got completely hooked to martial arts. That’s when his life immediately changed. The young Belingon would become fixated on wanting to grow up to become like […]

The post Bruce Lee Inspired Kevin Belingon’s Martial Arts Career appeared first on LowKickMMA.com.

Reigning ONE Bantamweight World Champion Kevin “The Silencer” Belingon was just like any other kid growing up. That was until he watched the legendary Bruce Lee on television and got completely hooked to martial arts.

That’s when his life immediately changed. The young Belingon would become fixated on wanting to grow up to become like his idol.

“I grew up watching a lot of martial arts movies with my family,” Belingon said.

“The one man who caught my attention was the legendary Bruce Lee. Bruce became my idol when I was young. I loved his charisma, his style and the way he fought. He inspired me to take up martial arts and one day be as good as he was.”

As Belingon entered university, he never forgot his dream of following in Lee’s footsteps. So he signed up with his school’s wushu varsity team despite having very little knowledge of martial arts.

Coincidentally, heading his school’s wushu program was none other than Team Lakay founder and head coach Mark Sangiao. Sangiao instantly recognized Belingon’s potential and he ultimately took “The Silencer” under his wing.

Today, Sangiao has guided Belingon into becoming one of the premiere martial arts talents in Asia. The ferocious 31-year-old has taken on mixed martial arts’ biggest names and is now the reigning ONE Bantamweight World Champion.

“I always wanted to be like Bruce so when I got to college, I joined and trained with my school’s Wushu team,” Belingon said.

“That’s how I met coach Mark [Sangiao]. I had very little background with martial arts when I was young, but coach Mark saw my potential and took me under his wing. He cultivated my skills and turned me into the martial artist I am today.”

On 31 March at ONE: A NEW ERA set for Tokyo, Japan, Belingon puts his World Title on the line against rival Bibiano “The Flash” Fernandes of Brazil in one of three co-main events on the night. It’s the third meeting between the two, with each man having one win apiece.

When he steps into the ONE cage, Belingon will be looking to honor his idol Lee with his performance.

“Bruce Lee will always be my inspiration. I want to honor him with every performance. He was my childhood hero growing up,” Belingon concluded.

“If I can end my career being even just being half the man Bruce Lee was, I will be grateful.”

The post Bruce Lee Inspired Kevin Belingon’s Martial Arts Career appeared first on LowKickMMA.com.

Eddie Alvarez On A Mission For The ONE Lightweight World Title

Multiple-time lightweight World Champion Eddie “The Underground King” Alvarez has made it very clear since he joined ONE Championship that he is on the hunt for the ONE Lightweight World Title. Heading into his first bout with the promotion against Russia’s Timofey Nastyukhin at ONE: A NEW ERA, Alvarez takes the initial step towards his […]

The post Eddie Alvarez On A Mission For The ONE Lightweight World Title appeared first on LowKickMMA.com.

Multiple-time lightweight World Champion Eddie “The Underground King” Alvarez has made it very clear since he joined ONE Championship that he is on the hunt for the ONE Lightweight World Title.

Heading into his first bout with the promotion against Russia’s Timofey Nastyukhin at ONE: A NEW ERA, Alvarez takes the initial step towards his goal.

The pair of knockout artists are set to lock horns in the quarter-final round of the highly-anticipated ONE Lightweight World Grand Prix, which takes place 31 March at the Ryogoku Kokugikan in Tokyo, Japan.

ONE Championship

While Alvarez has dominated the North American martial arts promotions, winning the World Title in each of the major organizations, “The Underground King” has his eyes set on the only title he has yet to capture.

“I have traveled the world in the last 15 years fighting the best guys I can get my hands on everywhere,” Alvarez said.

“I have won every single World Title from every major organization and ONE Championship is the only organization that I don’t have their World Title.”

Make no mistake about it. The 35-year-old journeyman is coming for the ONE Championship belt, and according to him, it’s only a matter of time until he is able to wrap it around his waist.

“I am coming here to win MY World Title,” Alvarez said.

“I have made some space on my shelf for the ONE Championship belt. I know the fighters are tough and this group understands the integrity of the sport and what it means to be a martial artist and I want to be a part of that.”

Taking on Nastyukhin however, Alvarez is faced with a very tough challenge against the most dangerous opponent ONE could find. This matchup was certainly no coincidence. In fact, Alvarez had repeatedly pleaded for ONE to give him the most difficult opponent ever for his first foray into the promotion.

“Like I said before, I’ll fight anyone, whoever the baddest, toughest, most dangerous guy that’s who I want,” Alvarez concluded.

“Take me to him and we will have a good fight.”

If Alvarez defeats Nastyukhin, he will be one step closer to reaching his goal. Waiting in the second round of the tournament is Hawaii’s Lowen Tynanes. Needless to say, it won’t be an easy road to the top and Alvarez would have it no other way.

The post Eddie Alvarez On A Mission For The ONE Lightweight World Title appeared first on LowKickMMA.com.

Discipline Is The Key To Success According To Danny Kingad

Team Lakay stalwart and Filipino mixed martial arts prodigy Danny “The King” Kingad may not be who he is today, had he not discovered martial arts and the valuable lesson of discipline that comes along with it. Kingad had a rough upbringing when he lost his father at only eight years of age. Without a […]

The post Discipline Is The Key To Success According To Danny Kingad appeared first on LowKickMMA.com.

Team Lakay stalwart and Filipino mixed martial arts prodigy Danny “The King” Kingad may not be who he is today, had he not discovered martial arts and the valuable lesson of discipline that comes along with it.

Kingad had a rough upbringing when he lost his father at only eight years of age. Without a father-figure to guide him, he would fall into bad company and a life of vice. He would often skip school and cause a lot of trouble as a teenager.

When he met coach Mark Sangiao, the leader of Team Lakay, that’s when his life took a 180-degree turn and he started to clean up his act and being a new life.

“Martial arts really changed my life,” Kingad said.

“Back then, I was such a mess as a teenager growing up. I fell into a bad crowd. Martial arts was a huge influence. The biggest thing that martial arts gave me was discipline. With hard work and discipline, I have accomplished so much.”

One of the biggest influences in Kingad’s life was when he learned the value of discipline.

“If you want to win, if you want to succeed, then you should have the dedication and the discipline to put in the long hours at the gym and never miss a day of training,” Kingad said.

“If you train correctly and regularly, then it becomes a part of your life. Study every aspect very well and do your due diligence.”

Kingad is scheduled to face Japanese sensation Senzo Ikeda in the quarter-final round of the highly-anticipated ONE Flyweight World Grand Prix. The two meet in a three-round bout at ONE: A NEW ERA, set for the Ryogoku Kokugikan in Tokyo, Japan on 31 March.

Kingad has his team and his coach to thank for getting things in his life in order. The 23-year-old says that martial arts has had such a huge impact on how he lives everyday, and he vows to be the best person he can be heading into the biggest match of his life.

“It also helps that I have a great coach and a team who helps me out every single day, even if I don’t have any upcoming match,” Kingad concluded.

“I am constantly in training, learning, and growing. I am blessed to have such an amazing group of guys, that I am surrounded by World Champions, and that I am absorbing everything that I can from them.

“This is such an important fight for me. The tournament will decide who challenges for the title and I have my eyes set on ONE Championship gold.”

The post Discipline Is The Key To Success According To Danny Kingad appeared first on LowKickMMA.com.

Video: Get Ready For Demetrious Johnson’s ONE Championship Debut

Dominant former UFC flyweight champion Demetrious Johnson will make his highly anticipated ONE debut when he meets Yuya Wakamatsu at next week’s (Sat., March 30, 2019) ONE Championship: A New Era from Ryōgoku Kokugikan in Tokyo, Japan. It will be the biggest debut in ONE history without doubt. ‘Mighty Mouse’ reigned over the UFC 125-pound […]

The post Video: Get Ready For Demetrious Johnson’s ONE Championship Debut appeared first on LowKickMMA.com.

Dominant former UFC flyweight champion Demetrious Johnson will make his highly anticipated ONE debut when he meets Yuya Wakamatsu at next week’s (Sat., March 30, 2019) ONE Championship: A New Era from Ry?goku Kokugikan in Tokyo, Japan.

It will be the biggest debut in ONE history without doubt. ‘Mighty Mouse’ reigned over the UFC 125-pound division with an iron fist. He broke Anderson Silva’s UFC record for consecutive title defenses with 11 in a row last year.

After losing the title to Henry Cejudo in a closely contested split decision last August, Johnson was “traded” to ONE for Ben Askren. He’s now set to make his first ONE appearance against Pancrase Grand Prix winner Wakamatsu. It’s a huge fight that could be the most anticipated on a card that features an unheard-of four title bouts.

Get ready for Johnson’s awaited debut in a recently-released promo from ONE Championship here:

The post Video: Get Ready For Demetrious Johnson’s ONE Championship Debut appeared first on LowKickMMA.com.

Angela Lee to Use Skill and Will to Dominate Xiong Jing Nan

ONE Women’s Atomweight World Champion Angela “Unstoppable” Lee looks to make history this 31 March, when ONE Championship hits the Ryogoku Kokugikan in Tokyo, Japan for the very first time. The 22-year-old female World Champion is scheduled to face reigning ONE Women’s Strawweight World Champion “The Panda” Xiong Jing Nan in one of three co-main […]

The post Angela Lee to Use Skill and Will to Dominate Xiong Jing Nan appeared first on LowKickMMA.com.

ONE Women’s Atomweight World Champion Angela “Unstoppable” Lee looks to make history this 31 March, when ONE Championship hits the Ryogoku Kokugikan in Tokyo, Japan for the very first time.

The 22-year-old female World Champion is scheduled to face reigning ONE Women’s Strawweight World Champion “The Panda” Xiong Jing Nan in one of three co-main events at ONE: A NEW ERA.

Their original encounter was supposed to take place last November in Singapore, but due to a disk injury, Lee was deemed medically unfit and was forced to withdraw from the contest.

“I was heartbroken. I thought that I wouldn’t be able to have this opportunity again,” Lee said.

“I had my heart set on making history but unfortunately, unforeseen circumstances occurred. It was out of my control and instead I was faced with another test of patience.”

Now, with the bout rescheduled for Japan, Lee is absolutely pumped at the chance to make history and become the first female concurrent two-division World Champion in mixed martial arts history.

One of the biggest challenges that Lee faces however is accustoming herself to the new weight class. Lee, the atomweight champion in ONE Championship, will move a full division up to strawweight to challenge for the title there.

Despite training for a new weight class however, Lee feels she is much stronger at strawweight and that it will show in the match.

“To be honest, I am very excited to be competing in the strawweight division,” Lee said.

“Sure, it’s a step up in what I’m used to, but it’s also closer to my natural weight. Moving up in weight has made me more dangerous than ever. Instead of worrying about my weight descent, I’ve had 100% focus on my fight and game plan.”

At 22 years of age, Lee simply will not be denied. As good as Xiong is, Lee looks to put forth her most comprehensive and dominant performance yet.

“I’ll be looking to dominate in every area of the fight,” Lee concluded.

“I will use my skill and will to break Xiong Jing Nan and capture the ONE Women’s Strawweight World Title.”

The post Angela Lee to Use Skill and Will to Dominate Xiong Jing Nan appeared first on LowKickMMA.com.

Danny Kingad Credits Team Lakay For Success

Top ONE flyweight and former ONE World Title challenger Danny “The King” Kingad would not be where he’s at in his career now without that help of his brothers at the renowned Team Lakay. A troubled youth who fell into bad company when he was a teenager, Kingad recalled how his life has changed when […]

The post Danny Kingad Credits Team Lakay For Success appeared first on LowKickMMA.com.

Top ONE flyweight and former ONE World Title challenger Danny “The King” Kingad would not be where he’s at in his career now without that help of his brothers at the renowned Team Lakay.

A troubled youth who fell into bad company when he was a teenager, Kingad recalled how his life has changed when he met Coach Mark Sangiao and discovered martial arts.

“I first met coach Mark [Sangiao] when my cousin invited me to train at their gym,” Kingad said.

“I just went there every day and joined the team in their training until one day, the coach approached me and told me that I have the potential to become a World Champion. That is how I joined Team Lakay.”

“The King” led a life of many vices among bad influences before joining the dominant Baguio City gym. He would oftentimes get into a lot of trouble, and even skipped school regularly.

With the training and guidance of Sangiao and the rest of Team Lakay however, he was able to learn and practice true martial arts values which turned his life around completely.

“Team Lakay saved me and taught me more than just kicking and punching,” Kingad said.

“They taught and instilled discipline and respect in me. They are my second family and a huge part of my life. The values that I learned from coach Mark and the team is more important than being a famous mixed martial artist. It is something that I will bring with me even after I retire.”

Kingad and the rest of Team Lakay have long talked about what makes their group so special. It’s the bond that they keep, which ties them like family. Even outside of training, the members of Team Lakay all maintain personal relationships. They consider themselves blood brothers.

“Outside the gym, we are really close and good friends,” Kingad said.

“We do things together like eating out at a restaurant or celebrating special occasions together. Sometimes when we have free time, we go and do trail runs. It’s really more like a family than a team. They are my brothers and we all take care of each other.”

Kingad’s success today is a direct effect of his time training with Team Lakay. The 23-year-old is proud to share his victories and defeats with his most trusted cornermen.

As such, “The King” is quick to give credit where it is due, and to thank those who have helped him along this path.

“I am truly happy and blessed to be a part of Team Lakay,” Kingad concluded.

“Without my brothers, I don’t know where I would be right now. The team gave me a purpose and a means to provide for my family. They are always there to help me whether it is about mixed martial arts or about my personal life.”

Kingad returns to action at ONE: A NEW ERA, which takes place at the Ryogoku Kokugikan in Tokyo, Japan on 31 March. He faces Japanese veteran and current Pancrase Flyweight World Champion Senzo Ikeda in the quarter-final round of the ONE Flyweight World Grand Prix.

The post Danny Kingad Credits Team Lakay For Success appeared first on LowKickMMA.com.