Former UFC light heavyweight champion Vitor Belfort has signed with Asian based MMA promotion ONE Championship, according to sources. ESPN’s Ariel Helwani was the first to break the news via Twitter. Vitor Belfort has officially signed with ONE, according to sources. — Ariel Helwani (@arielhelwani) March 1, 2019 The news doesn’t come as much of […]
Belfort fought out his UFC contract and had all but said he would not be re-signing with world MMA leader. Many fans and MMA personalities speculated that Belfort would end up in Bellator with many other former UFC greats. However, in the end, ONE Championship has landed “The Phenom”.
The 41-year-old Belfort has won just two of his last six fights. He most recently suffered a brutal front kick knock out at the hands of Lyoto Machida at UFC 224 last May.
He does still own the UFC record for knockouts with 12. ONE appears to think there is still life in the “Phenom.” Do you?
Sage Northcutt has his first bout booked under the ONE Championship banner which will mark his promotional debut. The rising prospect decided during his time as a free agent that it was best for him to sign with ONE instead of staying with the UFC. Northcut made an appearance back in 2015 on the debut […]
Sage Northcutt has his first bout booked under the ONE Championship banner which will mark his promotional debut.
The rising prospect decided during his time as a free agent that it was best for him to sign with ONE instead of staying with the UFC. Northcut made an appearance back in 2015 on the debut episode of Dana White’s Lookin’ for a Fight web series. He would later go 6-2 in the UFC.
Northcutt announced on Tuesday at a media event in Los Angeles that he’s set to fight Cosmo Alexandre in a welterweight bout but under ONE rules, it will be a 185 lbs bout. This fight goes down on May 17 in Singapore.
In his latest fight, which was the co-headliner of UFC Boise at CenturyLink Arena in Boise, Idaho, the rising prospect picked up a win. He was able to secure a TKO win over the always-tough Zak Ottow. This fight didn’t go as originally planned for Northcutt as he had a tough first round. He got floored with a punch early in the fight and absorbed shots from top position. However, he was able to rebound and get his hand raised.
Northcutt bulked up for this fight as it was contested at welterweight. This is not his normal weight class even though he’s fought at 170 pounds a few times. After the fight, he made it known that he would entertain the idea of fighting at middleweight.
On the flip side, Alexandre (7-1) hasn’t competed in MMA since September 2016. He lost his professional debut with Bellator in 2011. He turned that around with winning seven straight.
You didn’t really believe that Vitor Belfort was retired. The decorated former UFC champion has been out of action since losing to a brutal front kick from Lyoto Machida at last May’s UFC 224. After the fight, Belfort left his gloves in the Octagon to signal his often-rumored retirement. The defeat was his fourth knockout […]
You didn’t really believe that Vitor Belfort was retired.
The decorated former UFC champion has been out of action since losing to a brutal front kick from Lyoto Machida at last May’s UFC 224. After the fight, Belfort left his gloves in the Octagon to signal his often-rumored retirement. The defeat was his fourth knockout loss in his last five fights (although his loss to Kelvin Gastelum was overturned).
However, as it often is for past-prime greats, the allure to return can become too great. Former rival Wanderlei Silva recently hinted at a rematch with Belfort in Bellator MMA. ‘The Phenom’ talked to the promotion, but he’s apparently much closer to signing with another major promotion.
Belfort is reportedly close to signing a multi-fight deal with Asia’s ONE Championship. The rising force has offered a deal according to ESPN’s Ariel Helwani and final details are being worked out. An announcement could come as soon as this week. Belfort traveled to Singapore to meet with ONE about a potential deal.
ONE has been making waves by signing former UFC names like Demetrious Johnson, Eddie Alvarez, Sage Northcutt, Yoshihiro Akiyama, and Yushin Okami. They’re absolutely huge in Asia, but they haven’t yet cracked the mainstream UFC market for MMA. That could all change with their tentpole show on March 31 from Tokyo.
Belfort could potentially add to that hype, yet he’s obviously far past his prime. If and when he signs with ONE, it will be the seventh promotion ‘The Phenom’ has competed for in his 23-year MMA career.
By Dan Paulo Errazo Eduard “Landslide” Folayang is headlining the ONE: A NEW ERA at the Ryōgoku Kokugikan on 31 March as one of the four World Champions defending their titles. Team Lakay began the year on a sour note when they lost two of their World Titles last January. Folayang instantly realized that it […]
Team Lakay began the year on a sour note when they lost two of their World Titles last January. Folayang instantly realized that it is up to him to boost the morale of their team by successfully defending his ONE Lightweight World Title at ONE: A NEW ERA against former foe Shinya “Tobikan Judan” Aoki.
Since then, Folayang has been training non-stop, even when he was overseas to support his stablemates in their own matches, so that he would be ready to face the Japanese legend.
“I am very happy to be the main event at ONE: A New Era. Any athlete would want to headline this card so I am grateful to ONE Championship for giving me the opportunity to showcase my skills in the main event,” said Folayang in an interview with Inquirer.net.
As the veteran of the group, Folayang wants to continue the winning momentum set by Danny Kingad and Gina Iniong and lead Team Lakay back to their winning ways.
The pressure felt was also alleviated upon the announcement of Kevin “The Silencer” Belingon’s rubber match against Bibiano Fernandes. Folayang became even more focused and motivated knowing that he has someone to turn to and gather strength from.
“Kevin’s addition to the card gave me an added motivation. We can share thoughts with each other on how we can successfully defend our belts in Japan. It will be a night full of fireworks,” Folayang said.
Folayang and Belingon are determined to give everything that they have and return to the Philippines with their World Titles still intact.
“The goal is to successfully defend both our titles on March 31, it’s so easy to think and say that but it will be very hard to do,” Folayang concluded.
“We shall do our best to bring back the World titles back home to the Philippines.”
Thailand’s Stamp Fairtex made ONE Championship history today in Singapore, by capturing the inaugural ONE Atomweight Muay Thai World Title at ONE: Call To Greatness. Stamp defeated American Janet Todd via unanimous decision and in doing so become the promotion’s first two-sport champion. The 21-year-old is also the ONE Atomweight Kickboxing World Champion. Stamp came […]
Thailand’s Stamp Fairtex made ONE Championship history today in Singapore, by capturing the inaugural ONE Atomweight Muay Thai World Title at ONE: Call To Greatness.
Stamp defeated American Janet Todd via unanimous decision and in doing so become the promotion’s first two-sport champion. The 21-year-old is also the ONE Atomweight Kickboxing World Champion. Stamp came into this bout as the overwhelming favorite. However, she was forced to work hard for the win throughout the five-round affair.
The opening round started as expected with the Thai looking relaxed and in control as she eased her way into the fight. A number of Todd’s kicks were caught by Stamp, allowing the Thai the opportunity to counter with heavy shots.
Todd switched up her gameplan in the second. The Californian native lessened her kicking output and began delivering impressive punching combinations of her own.
Stamp was still edging the exchanges but Todd’s attacking output meant the Thai was unable showboat the way she did when she claimed her kickboxing crown.
The final round broke from the script with Todd pouring on the pressure, forcing Stamp onto the back foot and making the Thai look vulnerable. Stamp kept her composure during Todd’s offensive surge. When the final bell rung she was the deserved winner.
Lightweight Grand Prix Continues
We now know the makeup of the first Lightweight Grand Prix semifinal bout.
Costa Rica’s Ariel Sexton and Turkey’s Saygid Guseyn Arslanaliev will square off later this year after emerging victorious from their quarterfinal encounters today. Arslanaliev needed less than a minute to dispatch veteran Ev Ting. The 24-year-old dropped his adversary with his first punch of the night. The referee then waved the contest off after the Dagestani fighter began raining down blows on Ting.
Saxon win was less straight forward than Arslanaliev’s. The BJJ black belt submitted Singapore’s Amir Khan in the third round but took a number of heavy shots before getting the stoppage.
Khan’s striking caused Saxon problems, but the Singaporean’s gas tank ran dry in the third.
Arslanaliev should be a cracking bout, but Arslanaliev hits a lot harder than Khan. Saxon will want to avoid having to rely on a strong chin to get past the Turkish fighter.
An MMA Legend Rolls Back The Clock
Do not write off Masakazu Imanari just yet. Tonight he showed there is still life in the old dog with a first-round submission win over undefeated South Korean Kwon Won Il.
The 43-old, perhaps playing to the gallery, attempted three Imanari rolls in the first minute. The first two failed but the third did the trick, and Kwon tapped out with 53 seconds on the clock.
It was Japanese fighter’s 27th submission win.
ONE: Call To Greatness Full Results
Stamp Fairtex defeated Janet Todd by Unanimous Decision
Ariel Sexton defeated Amir Khan by third-round Submission
Saygid Guseyn Arslanaliev defeats Ev Ting by first-round knockout
Nieky Holzken defeats Mustapha Haida by Unanimous Decision
Dejdamrong Sor Amnuaysirichoke defeats Jeremy Miado by second-round TKO
Petchdam Petchyindee Academy defeats Masahide Kudo by second-round knockout
Zhang Chenglong defeated Kong Sambo by Split Decision
Prelims:
Regian Eersel defeated Anthony Njokuani by second-round knockout
Ayaka Miura defeated Laura Balin by first-round submission
Masakazu Imanari defeats Kwon Won Il byfirst-round submission
Rudy Agustian defeats Khon Sichan by first-round submission
ONE Championship heads to Singapore this week for ONE: Call To Greatness. The event takes place on Friday, February 22, 2019, inside the Lion City’s Indoor Stadium. The main event features Thailand’s Stamp Fairtex and America’s Janet Todd competing for the inaugural ONE Atomweight Muay Thai World Title. The ONE Lightweight Grand Prix also continues […]
ONE Championship heads to Singapore this week for ONE: Call To Greatness. The event takes place on Friday, February 22, 2019, inside the Lion City’s Indoor Stadium.
The main event features Thailand’s Stamp Fairtex and America’s Janet Todd competing for the inaugural ONE Atomweight Muay Thai World Title.
The ONE Lightweight Grand Prix also continues in earnest this week with two quarterfinal bouts scheduled to occur.
A Muay Thai Champion Will Be Crowned
Stamp Fairtex is already the ONE Super Series Atomweight Kickboxing World Champion. On Friday she will aim to become the first female champ-champ in ONE’s history by claiming the atomweight Muay Thai title.
The 21-year-old began fighting competitively at the age of five and developed a reputation as one of the best up-and-coming female fighters in Thailand. Stamp’s success earned her a coveted sponsorship deal with the legendary Fairtex gym, becoming the gym’s first female fighter.
Last October, she cruised to a unanimous decision victory over Taiwan’s Kai Ting Chuang to claim her kickboxing crown and will be the favorite going into Friday’s clash.
Todd discovered Muay Thai in her final year of college, developing an instant passion for the sport. Since taking up the ‘Art of Eight Limbs,’ the 33-year-old Californian native has accumulated bronze medals at the World Games and IFMA World Championships, as well as gold at the IFMA Pan American Championships.
Training out of Boxing Works, California under the tutelage of the renowned Bryan Popejoy, Todd will need to establish herself early on and attempt to unsettle Stamp before the Thai establishes her rhythm. Todd will have the height advantage, and in a fight with an athlete as technically strong as Stamp, any advantage helps.
ONE’s Singapore cards seem to bring out the best in its fighters so expect to see an entertaining bout when these two clash.
Lightweight Grand Prix Tournament Continues
By the end of ONE: Call to Greatness, the makeup of one of the Lightweight Grand Prix Tournament’s semifinal bouts will be known. The two scheduled quarterfinal bouts come from the same side of the Grand Prix bracket.
The first match-up sees Malaysian-born Kiwi Ev Ting taking on Turkey’s Saygid Guseyn Arslanaliev. Following the pair’s clash, hometown hero Amir Khan takes on Costa Rica’s Ariel Sexton in the evening’s co-main event.
Fans should pay close attention to Ting vs. Arslanaliev. Arslanaliev, is known for producing vicious first-round finishes. All but one of his seven professional fights have ended in the opening round.
The 24-year-old comes into this bout on the back of stunning knockout of Russian Timofey Nastyukhin. In Ting, Arslanaliev will be fighting one of the promotion’s veterans.
The 29-year-old was riding a three-fight winning streak last year before falling to Shinya Aoki in their lightweight title eliminator in October. Ting is a well-rounded fighter who will provide Arslanaliev a step up in competition.
The early exchanges will be revealing. If Ting can survive Arslanaliev’s opening surge, his experience could prove to be more than the Dagestani can handle.
In the night’s second quarterfinal, Khan will look to bounce back after his recent loss to reigning champion Eduard Folayang. Khan’s strength is his stand-up which is what would have made the loss to follow striker Folayang even more disheartening. In Sexton, he will be facing a BJJ black belt with nine submissions to his name.
The clash of styles could make for a tense opening round. Both men will look to engage their opponent in the area where they feel the strongest.
An MMA Legend Returns
For a newer generation of MMA fans, Japan’s Masakazu Imanari is likely to be more well known for the moves he created, like the “Imanari Roll” than his in-ring exploits. Friday night offers these, as well as older, fans a rare opportunity to see the man himself in action
The 43-year-old will met undefeated South Korean Kwon Won Il in a bantamweight clash.
It will be a fast turn around for Kwon, who only made his promotional debut a month ago at ONE: Eternal Glory, which he won with an eye-catching first-round finish of Anthony Engelen.
Imanari comes into this bout on the back of last October’s first-round submission win over Radeem Rahman. The Japanese fighter made his ONE debut in 2018 and fought three times for a record of 1-2.
Imanari may not be the force he once was, but the savvy veteran is still capable of embarrassing any opponent who takes him lightly.
