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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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Leone, Johnson Destined to Collide For Flyweight Gold According to Coach

They’re on opposite sides of the draw, and no guarantee to go toe-to-toe. But Bali MMA head coach Don Carlo-Clauss has forecast an All-American final in ONE Championship’s Flyweight World Grand Prix. Carlo-Clauss predicts that his protege, grappling specialist Andrew Leone will collide with 12-time flyweight champion Demetrious “Mighty Mouse” Johnson for ONE Championship gold. […]

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Carlo-Clauss predicts that his protege, grappling specialist Andrew Leone will collide with 12-time flyweight champion Demetrious “Mighty Mouse” Johnson for ONE Championship gold.

Leone must get through Filipino Danny Kingad in the quarter final, then beat the winner between Australian Reece McLaren and Kazakhstan’s Kairat Akhmetov in the semi-final to progress.

In his ONE Championship debut, Johnson must overcome Japan’s Yuya Wakamatsu in the quarters, then prevail over Japan’s Tatsumitsu Wada or Brazil’s Ivanildo Delfino in the semifinals to ensure he reaches the final round.

While acknowledging the supremely tough nature of the draw, Carlo-Clauss has every confidence Leone can make a charge towards the belt.

“Andrew’s one of the most talented guys I have ever coached,” Carlo-Clauss said.

“He pretty much dominates everyone he comes across. When the kid is on, he’s a handful for anyone in the world, so our goal is getting him in the right space so he can go out and perform the way we know he can.

“I think we’re still searching for that signature performance from him, but what better time for him to do it than Tokyo? He’s got a great position in the bracket and we’ve got to get through the guys in front of us.

“Danny Kingad is a great matchup and it’s a good opportunity for him to go out and showcase his skills and then we’ll continue to advance.

“I think of anyone who will give “DJ” a run for his money it’s Andrew Leone.”

The Pan-Asian Grappling Champion, Leone (8-4) meets Philippine Wushu Champion Kingad (29-1) in a bumper quarter final at ONE: A NEW ERA in Tokyo, Japan on 31 March.

The stacked card features four World Title bouts and the maiden appearances of Johnson and Eddie “The Underground King” Alvarez.

Carlo-Clauss admitted he was eager to compete against the famed Team Lakay.

“I think it will be an exciting fight,” Carlo-Clauss said of Leone’s match with Kingad.

“I love competing against Team Lakay because I know their guys are going to come well prepared and put on a fight. Their guys scrap, they’re tough and they never give up, so it’s going to test Andrew in that way.

“For me, I want to win those tough fights. I want to beat those guys who are highly regarded. We’re in this to win titles, not to win easy fights.

“It’s a great opportunity for Andrew to get a win against a tough opponent. He’s a well-rounded kid, he’s tough and scrappy and I really think that if we can give a really good performance and get that win, it gets the ball rolling in that Grand Prix.

“A lot of the time with these tournaments it’s a matter of who can stay healthy and who has the hot hands. If we take him out early, we can keep that momentum going right through and hopefully shock the world.”

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Kevin Belingon Plans To Finish Bibiano Fernandes In Their Upcoming Rubber Match

Undisputed ONE Bantamweight World Champion Kevin “The Silencer” Belingon is not planning on letting the judges decide the winner in a rubber match between him and Bibiano “The Flash” Fernandes on 31 March at ONE: A NEW ERA. Belingon took no breaks after learning that he will be defending his World Title against the former […]

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Belingon took no breaks after learning that he will be defending his World Title against the former champion at the Ry?goku Kokugikan. He has learned from past mistakes and wants to get a clear victory by finishing Fernandes within the distance.

“I have no plans of relinquishing my title to Bibiano [Fernandes],” Belingon said.

“That’s not in the cards. I don’t plan on leaving the result at the hands of the judges this time. I’m going for the decisive finish this time and if I see the opening, I’m going to take it. I can’t say which round, but I assure all the fans, if the opportunity comes I will grab it.”

Belingon is riding an unprecedented seven bout winning streak. His last victory was the most memorable, where he unified the bantamweight titles with a victory over Fernandes to become the undisputed titleholder.

Fernandes however, has long proven why he became one of the most dominant World Champions in the promotion’s history with his body of work since joining ONE Championship in August 2012.

Belingon knows what’s at stake in the rubber match, and wants to ensure victory by aiming for a stoppage early.

“To all my fans and supporters, I want to tell you that you can expect a very explosive performance from me this time around,” Belingon said.

“I want to be aggressive and push the pace in this bout.”

With an entire nation and his team looking on to him to get that first successful title defense, Belingon will definitely stop at nothing to make his country and fans proud.

“I will do everything I can to win this match for you guys,” Belingon concluded.

“I fight for the honor and glory of my country, and with an entire nation behind my back, I am confident I can pull off the victory once again.”

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Eduard Folayang Fortifying Takedown Defense Against Submission Specialist Shinya Aoki

By Dan Paulo Errazo Reigning ONE Lightweight World Champion Eduard “Landslide” Folayang will headline ONE: A NEW ERA on 31 March as he defends his ONE Lightweight World Title against Japanese legend, Shinya “Tobikan Judan” Aoki in a highly-anticipated rematch. The heavily stacked card at the Ryōgoku Kokugikan in Tokyo, Japan will house the rematch […]

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By Dan Paulo Errazo

Reigning ONE Lightweight World Champion Eduard “Landslide” Folayang will headline ONE: A NEW ERA on 31 March as he defends his ONE Lightweight World Title against Japanese legend, Shinya “Tobikan Judan” Aoki in a highly-anticipated rematch.

The heavily stacked card at the Ry?goku Kokugikan in Tokyo, Japan will house the rematch between the Filipino striker and the Japanese submission artist. After relinquishing his golden strap to Folayang, Aoki made a statement by winning his last three matches in the first round where two of those were by submission, and one impressively by knockout.

The wins earned Aoki another shot at the ONE Lightweight World Title, setting up an epic showdown in Japan.

“I knew at one point or another, I would be facing Shinya [Aoki] again. It was inevitable,” Folayang said.

“He was quickly coming back up and I had just won the title again. Plus, the huge Japan event was announced. I anticipated defending the lightweight belt against him there. “

Folayang was happy with the news that he would be facing Aoki once more. He feels that this is another opportunity to see how much he has improved against the hungry Japanese veteran.

“Nevertheless, I am grateful for the opportunity to once again face this legend,” Folayang said.

“He’s the greatest submission artist in mixed martial arts history. I couldn’t be happier to headline this event against him. It is an honor.”

Coming into this bout, Folayang’s game plan involves heavy focus on takedown defense.

Knowing that Aoki is known for his vaunted ground game, Folayang has been working closely with coach Mark Sangiao in developing techniques to counter and escape each and every position on the ground.

A successful title defense would mean a lot to Folayang and Team Lakay as they slowly rise back to the top of the sport. Takedown defense, and avoiding the mat with Aoki at all costs, it seems, is the primary focus.

“As much as possible, I will not give him the opportunity to bring me down to the mat,” Folayang concluded.

“It all boils down to how well I defend myself from his takedowns, knowing how expertly he moves with this sole purpose in mind. Takedown defense is a very important part of my training right now, and I am constantly improving in this area.”

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ONE: Reign Of Valor Results Recap

At today’s ONE: Reign Of Valor in Yangon, Myanmar, ONE Welterweight Champion Zebaztian Kadestam successfully retained his title. The Swede defeated Kazakhstan’s Georgiy Kichigin via second-round TKO to record his first title defense. A crashing elbow to the head of Kichigin in the final seconds of the second frame rocked the challenger, who up until […]

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A crashing elbow to the head of Kichigin in the final seconds of the second frame rocked the challenger, who up until that point was looking impressive. However, despite walking back to his corner and talking with his trainers when the bell for the third sounded, the Kazakh showed no desire to leave his stool.

It will be interesting to find out if there was some unseen injury that made Kichigin decide to throw in the towel. The shot that caused the stoppage was heavy but it did not appear to have caused enough damage to stop the contest.

Not that Kadestam will particularly care. In the post-fight interview, the 28-year-old was open about the troubles he had in camp during the build-up for this bout. The champion did look out of sorts in the opening exchanges. Up until that elbow, Kichigin appeared to be rising.

Kichigin’s submission skills lived up the hype, and he seemed to be wearing Kadestam down with his suffocating ground game. The 30-year-old was also having success on his feet, sending a number of clean straight shots to the head of Kadestam.

In the end, the champion showed heart and did what he needed to do to get the win. Kadestam will now sit back, survey the welterweight landscape and wait for his next challenger to put their hand up.

Sage Northcutt will be making his debut on May 18. The Americian seems a lock in for a title challenge if he can record a couple of victories.

Catalan Makes Case For Shot At Strawweight Title

Rene Catalan’s first-round demolition of former strawweight champion Yoshitaka Naito has put him pole position for a shot at the strawweight title

The Filipino became the first person since 2012 to stop time the Japanese grappling dynamo. Coming into this bout, the thinking was that Catalan needed to avoid being taken to the ground to have any chance of winning.Yet it was Naito’s myopic search for a submission at all costs, that ended up working in the Filipino’s favor.

The former champion got the early takedown he wanted after locking in a firm hold around the legs of Catalan. He then went to work looking for submission. However, the Wushu world champion was given free use of his hands. which he immediately turned to his advantage. The 40-year-old consistently created pockets of space which allowed him to deliver a steady diet of headshots to Naito.

Natio’s attempt to grit these attacks out proved unwise. With 30 seconds left in the round Catalan’s shots become too much for the Japanese fighter who wilted under the drumbeat of punches.

The victory extends Catalan’s winning streak to six. It would seem only fair for the veteran’s next fight to be for the title.

Hometown Heroes Deliver

The home crowd went home happy today after all three local Myanmar fighters recorded wins.

In the co-main event, Phoe Thaw demonstrated a vastly improved ground game against Yohan Mulia Legowo. The Indonesian was able to take the fight to the ground early on but was unable to put Phoe Thaw in any serious danger.

There were moments where it looked like Phoe Thaw was about to be dragged into deep waters, but the former Lethwei fighter escaped these situations without too much difficulty.

At the tail end of the first round, he managed to get back to standing position before throwing a barrage of punches at the grounded Legowo.

The referee stepped in once it became clear Legowo could no safely longer defend himself.

Phoe Thaw will still need time to upskill his grappling if he wants to hang with the elite of the division, but he appears to be on the right path.

Earlier in the night, Bozhena Antoniyar returned to the winner’s circle with a stoppage win over Audreylaura Boniface while Tial Thang record a unanimous decision on debut.

ONE: Reign Of Valor Full Results:

Zebaztian Kadestam defeats Georgiy Kichigin via TKO

Phoe Thaw defeated Yohan Mulia Legowo via round-one TKO

Mauro Cerilli defeated Alain Ngalani via round-one TKO

Rene Catalan defeated Yoshitaka Naito by first-round TKO

Gurdarshan Mangat defeated Toni Tauru via third-round knockout

Petchmorakot Petchyindee Academy defeated Kenta Yamada via unanimous decision

Tial Thang defeated Rin Saroth via unanimous decision

Enriko Kehl defeats Liam Nolan via second-round knockout

Prelims:

Tarik Khbabez defeated Andrei Stoica via
unanimous decision

Lin Heqin submits Jomary Torres first-round submission

Chen Rui defeated Roman Alvarez via second-round TKO

Bozhena Antoniyar defeated Audreylaura Boniface via second-round TKO

Rui Botelho defeated Yuta Watanabe via unanimous decision

Kohei Kodera defeated Kenny Tse via unanimous decision

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Vitor Belfort Says Roy Jones Jr. Has Agreed To ONE Championship Fight

Vitor Belfort says in a recent post on social media that 50-year-old boxing champion Roy Jones Jr. has agreed to a fight in ONE Championship. Thus, it appears that Belfort has a comeback fight. It should be noted that the promotion has yet to confirm the bout but is expected to do so. This news […]

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Vitor Belfort says in a recent post on social media that 50-year-old boxing champion Roy Jones Jr. has agreed to a fight in ONE Championship.

Thus, it appears that Belfort has a comeback fight. It should be noted that the promotion has yet to confirm the bout but is expected to do so.

This news comes after earlier this week Belfort revealed that he had signed with ONE Championship now that he’s out of retirement. As of this writing, there’s no word yet on the date of his next fight.

Belfort took to his official Instagram account where he thanked Jones for accepting the fight:

“I was in the middle of filming for an upcoming project (which I’m excited to share with you all soon) when I got the official response from @RoyJonesJr so I thought I would share that little moment with you all,” Belfort posted. “I am very excited for what’s to come with @OneChampionship and this upcoming fight, I’m even more excited to be the first to bring you this new way of competition, it allows for the 1st time different worlds to collide in a way that’s fair and exciting! Thank you accepting Roy and I am looking forward to this fight!”