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What’s Next For Zebaztian Kadestam And Winners At ONE: Reign of Valor

Zebaztian “The Bandit” Kadestam successfully defended his ONE Welterweight World Championship via second-round TKO last Friday night, 9 March in Yangon, Myanmar. Kadestam was being edged out by Georgiy Kichigin through the first couple of rounds until he caught the challenger with an elbow in the clinch. Kichigin survived the final few moments of the […]

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Zebaztian “The Bandit” Kadestam successfully defended his ONE Welterweight World Championship via second-round TKO last Friday night, 9 March in Yangon, Myanmar.

Kadestam was being edged out by Georgiy Kichigin through the first couple of rounds until he caught the challenger with an elbow in the clinch. Kichigin survived the final few moments of the round, but couldn’t answer the bell for the third.

Kadestam’s striking, toughness and stamina continue to be his best attributes. Expert-level grapplers are likely still his kryptonite, but the champion’s performance at ONE: REIGN OF VALOR is proof that any grappler will have to weather a storm of pressure to dethrone The Bandit.

If we’re looking ahead to the next opponent for Kadestam, Kiamrian Abbasov might be a top candidate. He’s coming off a dominant win over Agilan Thani and he’s compiled a 20-4 record as a professional.

Abbasov might have the kind of balanced skill set required to give Kadestam problems. The only issue is that Abbasov isn’t exactly on the same timeline as Kadestam. Abbasov last competed in December 2018. If he waits for Kadestam, he might be out of action for seven to nine months before climbing back into the cage.

That said, no one should complain about a Kadestam-Abbasov title bout.

Phoe “Bushido” Thaw

Talk about a rebound. Thaw bounced back from his first professional loss in mixed martial arts with a first-round TKO victory over Yohan “The Ice Man” Mulia Legowo. The win not only helped erase the first-round submission loss Thaw suffered in his last bout to Keanu Subba, but it also happened in front of his countrymen in Myanmar.

The 34-year-old is on track to become another Burmese legend akin to Aung La N Sang, but he has some work to do if he’s to become the well-rounded athlete and martial artist that the ONE Middleweight and Light Heavyweight World Champion has grown to be.

A spectacular next opponent for Thaw could be Edward “The Ferocious” Kelly. He is coming off a loss to Christian Lee, but Kelly is still a solid veteran.

Thaw needs a slow, but steady increase of opponents and Kelly is the right kind of foe for the Burmese up-and-comer. Thaw could test his evolving skills against an opponent who is trained at one of the top gyms in the world, Team Lakay.

If Thaw can emerge victorious against Kelly, it’s safe to say he’s ready to ascend to the next level and perhaps a win or two away from a title shot.

Rene “D’Challenger” Catalan

Almost no one expected Rene Catalan to defeat Yoshitaka “Nobita” Naito, and even fewer thought he’d win by stoppage. Catalan did both.

After such a big win another major opponent would seemingly be in line for Catalan.

Hayato Suzuki was originally supposed to face Joshua Pacio for the ONE Strawweight World Title, but an injury forced him out and Yosuke Saruta stepped up to battle for the belt.

Saruta upset Pacio and now the two men are set for a rematch at ONE: ROOTS OF HONOR on April 12. That would seemingly leave Suzuki without an opponent of merit in the time being.

A Catalan-Suzuki scrap could be great for a number of reasons. It would be a title eliminator of sorts, but there’s also a deeper connection.

Suzuki already owns a win over Rene’s younger brother Robin. If Rene could get a title shot, and revenge for the Catalan family in one fell swoop, it could be one of the most rewarding victories of the 40-year-old’s career.

Mauro “The Hammer” Cerilli

If anyone wondered how Cerilli earned an opportunity for a shot at Brandon Vera’s ONE Heavyweight World Title, they got their answer when the former Cage Warriors champion destroyed Alain “The Panther” Ngalani.

Cerilli is a powerful grappler but his most dangerous weapon is his titanic right hand. Against Ngalani he showed off his wrestling because he knew that was where his major advantage would be over the former kickboxer.

It appeared he learned a bit from his loss to Vera. If he can continue to win with ONE, there’s a chance he could work his back toward a title shot. A road to that championship opportunity could include one of the newest additions to the ONE roster.

ONE just signed former world champion Vitor Belfort. The Brazilian legend has competed in a number of weight classes, and there is no question he could be a challenger at heavyweight.

He’s already called out retired boxer Roy Jones Jr., and the future Hall-of-Famer has accepted the challenge. However, if Belfort is interested in a mixed martial arts bout under the ONE Championship umbrella, Cerilli would make for an intriguing opponent.

Remember, Belfort is no stranger to facing bigger adversaries. He has faced the likes of Alistair Overeem and even defeated David “Tank” Abbott. If Belfort and Cerilli clash, you can bet on things ended in a finish. Neither man climbs into the cage anticipating their bouts to end in a decision.

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Bibiano Fernandes Wants to Exploit Kevin Belingon’s Weaknesses

Former bantamweight kingpin Bibiano “The Flash” Fernandes can’t wait for 31 March to come when he squares off against Kevin “The Silencer” Belingon in a highly-anticipated rubber match for the ONE Bantamweight World Title at the Ryōgoku Kokugikan in Tokyo, Japan. The fight card dubbed ONE: A NEW ERA promises an exciting night of action […]

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The fight card dubbed ONE: A NEW ERA promises an exciting night of action where four World Titles are on the line. Fernandes is laser focused in reclaiming the World Title he lost to Belingon.

“The ONE Bantamweight World Title is very important to me,” Fernandes said.

“I was able to hold on to that World Championship for five years, and now I am more hungry and more determined than ever to win it back. More than just defeating Kevin Belingon, getting the belt back only proves that I am the best bantamweight in ONE Championship, and that means the world to me. I am more determined now than ever to claim victory.”

The pair first met back in 2016 where Fernandes was able to secure a quick victory by way of Kimura in the first round. Two years later, Belingon — then interim bantamweight champ — showed “The Flash” his much-improved skill set as they duked it out for five whole rounds with the Filipino winning by a razor-thin margin to unify the bantamweight titles.

After experiencing defeat, Fernandes went back to the drawing board and analyzed both bouts with Belingon. It was there where he was able to better identify the current champion’s strengths and weaknesses and worked on a strategy to overcome the Team Lakay stalwart in their upcoming bout.

“For this training camp, I focused a lot of my effort on being a lot smarter with my movements as well as utilizing my strength,” Fernandes said.

“I have two bouts of experience with being in the cage with [Kevin] Belingon, so I know what he brings to the table. I know what he is capable of. My training has now been centered on overcoming his weaknesses. My team and I are coming up with a solid game plan to combat his strengths.”

Fernandes will enter the cage completely zeroed in on victory and hungry to cement his name as the best bantamweight in the promotion. And he promises the fans fireworks as soon as the first bell rings.

“The fans in Tokyo can expect an exciting encounter between myself and Kevin Belingon,” Fernandes concluded.

“I am coming in more hungry and more determined to become champion once again. This will be the first time in years that I will be playing the role of challenger, and I plan on once again taking the role of World Champion. I know Kevin will do everything that he can to defend his title, but I know that I can defeat him once again and become the king of the ONE Championship’s bantamweight division.”

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Anthony Engelen Set For Tokyo Clash With Garry Tonon

Anthony “The Archangel” Engelen did not waste any time getting back into his competitive groove after his return to ONE Championship at the tail end of 2018. After announcing he would compete in November’s ONE: HEART OF THE LION event in Singapore, “The Archangel” clocked up three contests in quick succession First-round stoppages over Meas […]

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Anthony “The Archangel” Engelen did not waste any time getting back into his competitive groove after his return to ONE Championship at the tail end of 2018.

After announcing he would compete in November’s ONE: HEART OF THE LION event in Singapore, “The Archangel” clocked up three contests in quick succession

First-round stoppages over Meas Meul and Jimmy Yabo then saw the Dutch-Indonesian’s stock rise significantly in the ONE featherweight division.

However, Engelen’s standing took a slight dip in January at ONE: ETERNAL GLORY when South Korea’s Kwon Won Il KO’d the 33-year-old, a minute into their contest, in the Indonesian capital.

Undeterred Engelen returned to the gym and set about correcting his mistakes, confident he would soon get a chance to redeem himself under the bright lights of the ONE cage.

“I only took two weeks off and then straight back into training. Just picking up where I left off,” Engelen says

Thankfully he did not have to wait too long before being given another opportunity to impress.

On 31 March at ONE: A NEW ERA, Engelen will face off against highly-rated American submission artist Garry “The Lion Killer” Tonon, in what promises to be a historic night inside the Ryogoku Kokugikan in Tokyo.

“I was happy to get offered to fight in Japan — the biggest ONE card ever. And fighting in Japan is a dream come true,” Engelen said.

“Fighting in Japan is like the holy grail of martial arts, and to do so while competing alongside the best in the world, my heroes who I watched while I was still a beginner in the sport, it’s an honor. Of course it is also a great opportunity to share the cage with Garry Tonon, the best grappler in the world.”

When Engelen refers to Tonon as “the best grappler in the world,” he is not exaggerating. The 27-year-old American Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu specialist is a five-time Eddie Bravo Invitational World Champion, who is trained by the legendary John Danaher.

Tonon is riding a three-bout win streak, since making the switch to mixed martial arts and is regarded as one of the promotion’s most significant signings of 2018.

While Engelen is aware of the submission skillset Tonon brings to the cage, he also knows that it would be unwise to only focus on the American’s ground game.

“At this level, everyone is dangerous in all areas,” he said.

“It just doesn’t happen that a pro fighter has no knowledge at all about a certain aspect, whether it’s striking, grappling, wrestling. So I just need to train as usual — train my striking, train my grappling and wrestling, and hopefully, I don’t get caught in a heel hook.”

After his disappointing loss to Kwon, Engelen sat down and examined what went wrong in a bout that he was more than capable of winning.

“During my bout in Jakarta, I just had too many things going through my mind, too many distractions. That loss definitely got my head straight again. And I won’t make the same mistake again,” he promises.

Training out of Bali MMA, Engelen is fortunate enough to be surrounded by some of the world’s top martial artists. The gym will be well represented in Tokyo with three of their athletes including Engelen competing at ONE: A NEW ERA.

Andrew Leone will take on Team Lakay’s Danny Kingad in their ONE Flyweight World Grand Prix Quarter-final match up. While later in the night ONE Women’s Strawweight World Champion Xiong Jing Nan will defend her crown against Angela Lee in one of the most anticipated bouts of the card.

For a gym like Bali MMA, major events like Tokyo are just what comes with the territory when you have a camp stacked with world class athletes.

“In Bali MMA we got people preparing for bouts almost every day of the week. We got people competing in organizations all over the world,” Engelen says.

“So for us, it’s just business as usual. We train hard, and we support each other. Whether or not we are preparing for a fight, it doesn’t change anything. Just grinding every day in paradise,” he adds.

If Engelen can record a victory over Tonon on 31 March, his return flight to paradise will be that much sweeter.

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Eduard Folayang Respects Shinya Aoki But Will Look To Finish Him

Reigning ONE Lightweight World Champion Eduard “Landslide” Folayang will defend his title at ONE: A NEW ERA against a man he respects, Japanese legend Shinya “Tobikan Judan” Aoki. The square off in the main event on 31 March at the Ryōgoku Kokugikan in Tokyo, Japan. Folayang knew Aoki was perhaps the best grappler he had […]

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Folayang knew Aoki was perhaps the best grappler he had ever faced in his entire career even when he first challenged the Japanese warrior back in 2016.

Though he was able to win the match by way of technical knockout in the third round, Folayang was tested in every way as Aoki took every opportunity to bring the Filipino into his grappling world.

“I have the utmost respect for Shinya [Aoki],” Folayang said.

“In my opinion, he’s a terrific martial artist and a true martial arts hero. He’s been around for so long and he’s faced the best in the sport. I am certainly not taking him lightly. Shinya is and will always be a legend in my eyes. That being said, I’m preparing to take him out on March 31st. In my mind, I finish him within the distance.”

In a classic striker versus grappler matchup, Folayang has done his due diligence in studying everything about Aoki’s style. He knows that Aoki will inevitably be able to take him down, so he and his teammates at Team Lakay are coming up with a game plan to make sure he is able to hold his own against the Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and Judo black belt.

“If he does successfully take me down to the mat, I have to remain calm and work to escape,” Folayang said.

“The thing with Shinya is, if he’s able to bring you into his world, it can be extremely dangerous, especially if you panic. You are prone to making mistakes and trust me, he recognizes every opening.”

Besides his improved takedown defense, Folayang also plans on keeping Aoki busy with his heavy strikes. While Aoki is on the defensive, Folayang will continue to unleash a barrage of punches and kicks until he claims the desired result.

“I have to make sure my explosiveness is there in this bout,” Folayang said.

“I have to be very aggressive and keep him on the defensive. He’s going to eat a handful of strikes if he tries to come close, that’s for sure.”

Folayang is confident that his training has equipped him the tools necessary to finish off Aoki once and for all, as he has no plans of letting the result go to the judges’ scorecards. It is hands down the most important title defense in his career and Folayang will push forward for the people who have motivated him since day one.

“I am dedicating this match to our Lord, my family, to my teammates at Team Lakay, and all the fans in the Philippines,” Folayang concluded.

“I will do my best to finish this guy within the distance and not put the result in the hands of the judges.”

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Mei Yamaguchi Wants to Impress at ONE: A NEW ERA to Earn Another Title Shot

When it comes to female involvement in Japanese martial arts, few have been more of a pioneer than Mei Yamaguchi. When word spread that ONE Championship would be bringing a show to Japan for the very first time, ONE: A NEW ERA, Yamaguchi made it her mission to find her way on the card in […]

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When it comes to female involvement in Japanese martial arts, few have been more of a pioneer than Mei Yamaguchi.

When word spread that ONE Championship would be bringing a show to Japan for the very first time, ONE: A NEW ERA, Yamaguchi made it her mission to find her way on the card in some capacity.

“I was in the press conference for ONE: A NEW ERA, and I really wanted to compete on the card,” she says. “I really wanted to get the chance to fight in front of my hometown.”

Yamaguchi got what she asked for when her bout with Pankration World Champion Kseniya “The Tigress” Lachkova was added to the already stacked supercard.

Despite a pair of losses to current ONE Women’s Atomweight World Champion Angela Lee, Yamaguchi sits in the thick of the division’s title picture.

Yamaguchi closed 2018 with a dominant unanimous-decision victory over the Philippines’ Jomary Torres at ONE: DESTINY OF CHAMPIONS in December.

While Lee has gotten the better of Yamaguchi in their two matchups, both bouts have been difficult for the Singaporean champion. The most recent meeting between the two women took place at ONE: UNSTOPPABLE DREAMS in May 2018, and Yamaguchi appeared to push Lee to her limit.

Though she’s had two failed opportunities to defeat Lee, Yamaguchi still believes she can topple her rival.

“The third time’s the charm. I definitely want to win the [atomweight] belt,” she explains.

Time may be running out for Yamaguchi to defeat Lee for the atomweight title however. Lee is already scheduled to compete on the ONE: A NEW ERA card, but she is moving up to strawweight to challenge Xiong Jing Nan for her ONE Strawweight World Title.

If Lee is successful in winning the title in that division, she’ll become the first female martial artist to win World Titles in two different weight classes. Also, there is a chance she won’t come back down to atomweight to compete, depending on how she feels at strawweight. Would Yamaguchi be willing to move up to challenge her?

“I want to challenge for the atomweight title again, as well as the strawweight title,” Yamaguchi says.

“I am ready to fight Xiong Jing Nan or Angela Lee – whoever is ready. I want to knock them out with hard punches.”

At 35 years old, Yamaguchi is showing no signs of leaving her gloves in the cage. She’s been a martial artist for 12 years, and during that time, she’s accomplished a great deal despite standing just five-feet tall and getting a relatively late start in the sport as a professional.

Yamaguchi is also as tough as they come. Despite enduring 11 losses in her career, no opponent has been able to finish her.

The main card of ONE: A NEW ERA is already jam-packed with explosive matchups. But the addition of Yamaguchi to the card is icing on the cake.

ONE: A NEW ERA takes place at the Ryogoku Kokugikan in Tokyo, Japan on Sunday, 31 March.

In the main event, ONE Lightweight World Champion Eduard “Landslide” Folayang defends his title against Japanese legend Shinya “Tobikan Judan” Aoki in a highly-anticipated rematch.

In addition, there will be three co-main events. ONE Light Heavyweight and Middleweight World Champion Aung La N Sang defends his middleweight title against Ken Hasegawa. ONE Women’s Strawweight World Champion Xiong Jing Nan puts her title on the line against Angela Lee. Reigning ONE Bantamweight World Champion Kevin Belingon takes on Bibiano Fernandes for the third time to determine who is the true king of the division.

The heavily featured card also showcases the promotional debuts of Demetrious Johnson and Eddie Alvarez. It’s going to be an amazing show, one that the whole world will not want to miss.

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Danny Kingad Not Underestimating Andrew Leone In Their Grand Prix Match

By Dan Paulo Errazo Filipino wushu champion Danny “The King” Kingad of the famed Team Lakay is getting ready to face American Andrew Leone in the quarter-final round of the eight-man ONE Flyweight World Grand Prix tournament set to take place at ONE: A NEW ERA on 31 March. Kingad couldn’t be happier after he […]

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By Dan Paulo Errazo

Filipino wushu champion Danny “The King” Kingad of the famed Team Lakay is getting ready to face American Andrew Leone in the quarter-final round of the eight-man ONE Flyweight World Grand Prix tournament set to take place at ONE: A NEW ERA on 31 March.

Kingad couldn’t be happier after he learned that he will be competing in an exclusive tournament among the best in his division at the Ry?goku Kokugikan following his spectacular win at ONE: HERO’S ASCENT last 25 January.

“I’m very excited to be competing in ONE Championship’s first ever show in Japan,” Kingad said.

“It’s a great honor for me to take part in one of the most significant events in Asian martial arts history. I can’t wait to show how much I have improved since my last performance.”

Kingad has been one of the most active competitors on the flyweight roster. His current professional records stands at 9-1, with the lone loss coming against current ONE Flyweight World Champion Adriano Moraes.

Though Leone has only participated in five matches since his debut with the promotion, Kingad still thinks of his opponent as a dangerous one who can knock him out of the Grand Prix.

It’s a thought that continues to motivate Kingad to increase his tenacity in preparation for his upcoming bout.

“I don’t think the time off for [Andrew] Leone makes that much of a difference,” Kingad said.

“He may have only competed five times since 2013, but that’s not enough to cause me to underestimate him. You should never underestimate anyone in this game. He has much more experience than me and that can work to his advantage. I’m not sure what it’s going to be like for him at flyweight, but let’s see. I’m doing everything I can to come out on top.”

As he prepares for one of the most important matches in his career, Kingad took a moment to look back and thank the people who helped him get to this point and dedicates this Grand Prix to them.

“I dedicate this fight to my family, my brothers and sisters at Team Lakay, and of course, to my fans and for everyone in the Philippines,” Kingad concluded.

“I want to make everyone proud and win this tournament. You can expect nothing less than the best from me.”

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