ONE Championship has announced the first two bouts for their much antipiated lightweight Grand Prix. The promotion announced earile that veteran Honorio “The Rock” Banario will take on undefeated American Lowen Tynanes in the quarterfinal on January 25 in Manila. Eddie Alvarez will make his antipated debut two months later when he takes on Russia’s […]
ONE Championship has announced the first two bouts for their much antipiated lightweight Grand Prix.
The promotion announced earile that veteran Honorio “The Rock” Banario will take on undefeated American Lowen Tynanes in the quarterfinal on January 25 in Manila.
Eddie Alvarez will make his antipated debut two months later when he takes on Russia’s Timofey Nastyukhin at ONE’s first event in Tokyo on March 31.
Thus far these are the only two bouts announced for the lightweight Grand Prix.
The tournament format is rife in the MMA landscape. The Professional Fighters League (PFL) just completed their innaugrial season. And Bellator has had success with their heavyweight GP and now the welterweight GP.
ONE Championship Chairman and CEO Chatri Sityodtong announced the lightweight Grand Prix late last year to immediate fanfare. The hope is that an eight man tournament will flesh out the ‘true’ 155 pound champ.
ONE’s current lightweight champion is Banario’s teammate Eduard Folayang. He is scheduled to defend the ONE Lightweight World Title against Japanese legend Shinya Aoki also in Tokyo.
Banario has won seven of his last eight fights inside the ONE cage. He most recently defeated Rahul Raju in November to improve to 14-7.
As for his opponent, Tynanes boasts a an unbeaten 9-0 record. Five of his wins have came inside the ONE cage.
By Dan Paulo Errazo One of the most highly-anticipated rematches in recent memory is set to take place at ONE: A New Era when current ONE Lightweight World Champion Eduard “Landslide” Folayang of Baguio City, Philippines defends his title against Japanese legend Shinya “Tobikan Judan” Aoki. The bout is the headliner at the historic Ryogoku […]
One of the most highly-anticipated rematches in recent memory is set to take place at ONE: A New Era when current ONE Lightweight World Champion Eduard “Landslide” Folayang of Baguio City, Philippines defends his title against Japanese legend Shinya “Tobikan Judan” Aoki. The bout is the headliner at the historic Ryogoku Kokugikan arena in Tokyo on March 31.
The two mixed martial artists first met at ONE: DEFENDING HONOR in November 2016 in Singapore. Then, Folayang defeated Aoki with a barrage of strikes to earn a third round technical knockout.
Scoring a shocking victory over one of the most decorated Asian martial arts superstars in history, Folayang knew that a rematch was unavoidable.
“I knew that I will someday cross paths again with Shinya Aoki ever since our first encounter in 2016. It is an honor to share the cage with him for the second time,” he said.
“Aoki has been on a hot streak ever since losing the ONE Lightweight World Title. I can tell that he is hungry to get the belt back, seeing his past performances against world-class competition.”
The Filipino martial arts pioneer became ONE’s first ever two-time lightweight world champion when he defeated Amir Khan via thorough unanimous decision last November in the main event of ONE: Conquest of Champions.
With this triumph over the Singaporean, Team Lakay was able to capture its fourth ONE World Title. Now that the holiday season is over however, “Landslide” is getting ready to face his next big challenge.
“I am already doing light training for my upcoming fight. After New Year, the real work begins. I am happy that I won last month, but it’s time to move on and take on the next challenge,” he stated.
Aoki has been on a hot streak since his loss to former ONE Welterweight World Champion Ben Askren in 2017.
Since the beginning of 2018, Aoki has continuously made a case for another crack at the lightweight throne. Although the division is deep with talent ready to challenge for the title, Aoki’s three big victories over the past 12 months have really sent a message to the entire division.
He started off with a triangle choke submission of Rasul Yakhyaev in May, and followed up that performance with a thrilling technical knockout win over Shannon Wiratchai. Finally, an arm-triangle choke victory over former ONE World Title challenger Ev Ting earned Aoki a shot at the ONE Lightweight World Title.
Not long after his victory over Ting, ONE Championship Chairman and CEO Chatri Sityodtong announced that Aoki would be competing for the lightweight belt when the promotion holds its first ever event in Japan in 2019.
That event is now penned in for the Ryogoku Kokugikan arena in Tokyo on March 31. Now that Folayang is booked to make the first defense of his title against a previous foe out for revenge, the Baguio City native is hard at work preparing for one of the biggest bouts of his career.
As such, he isn’t taking Aoki lightly by any means and says the challenger would be wise to do the same for him.
“Facing someone like Aoki is never easy, but I think I have a good understanding of his style and what he brings to the table,” Folayang concluded.
“I will expect a different Aoki in Japan, and he can expect the same from me.”
By Dan Paulo Errazo Team Lakay’s 2018 can be summarized as a dominant year for the humble La Trinidad, Benguet gym. In this year alone, they were able to capture four world titles under the ONE Championship banner, which is unheard of. Geje “Gravity” Eustaquio was the first to bring home a world title, when […]
Team Lakay’s 2018 can be summarized as a dominant year for the humble La Trinidad, Benguet gym. In this year alone, they were able to capture four world titles under the ONE Championship banner, which is unheard of.
Geje “Gravity” Eustaquio was the first to bring home a world title, when he became the undisputed ONE Flyweight World Champion at ONE: Pinnacle of Power in Macau.
In September, Joshua “The Passion” Pacio faced off against Yoshitaka Naito for the second time and bagged the ONE Strawweight World Title at ONE: Conquest for Heroes.
Kevin “The Silencer” Belingon’s turn came next in the main event of ONE: Heart of the Lion in Singapore. It was a cliffhanger but “The Silencer” came out on top after a tough bout against Bibiano Fernandes.
Capping the year off on last November at ONE: Conquest of Champions, Eduard “Landslide” Folayang became a two-time ONE Lightweight World Champion after a well-deserved unanimous decision victory over Singapore’s Amir Khan.
Although Eustaquio, Pacio, and Folayang had certainly turned in impressive performances this year, it was Belingon who was perceived by most to have been most dominant over the past 12 months.
The Baguio City native first encountered Fernandes back in January 2016 at ONE: Dynasty of Champions in China, where the Team Lakay representative tapped out after the Brazilian was able to secure a guillotine choke hold.
Despite the loss, Belingon felt even more motivated and poured in extra hours in their gym to improve his skills.
His hard work paid off when he won five straight bouts, including an scintillating TKO win over American Andrew Leone. Belingon added a permanent clip to his highlight reel with a powerful spinning back-kick that made the audience cringe as if they were on the receiving end.
Many thought that his performance over Leone would finally earn him a world title shot against Fernandes, however the Brazilian was injured at the time and was in no condition to defend his title.
Belingon remained patient. He respected ONE’s decision to push the Fernandes bout back. But instead of sitting on the sidelines, “The Silencer” accepted a superfight with Australia’s Martin “The Situ-Asian” Nguyen for the ONE Interim Bantamweight World Title.
In the end however, Belingon once again emerged victorious, scoring a unanimous decision over Nguyen. Not long after that, the Fernandes rematch was finally announced.
Belingon did not waste any time making preparations for the bout. After all, it was the biggest match of his career. Even though Belingon was on an unprecedented six bout win streak, he was still considered the underdog against Fernandes, who had been undefeated since 2011 and remains to this day the longest reigning ONE Bantamweight World Title holder.
When the bout against Fernandes finally rolled around, Belingon made sure to put in his best performance yet. He let all of his most powerful strikes loose, controlled the standup clashes and even held his own against Fernandes in the grappling arena. The result was a close split decision victory that tipped in the Filipino’s favor.
It wasn’t his most dominant performance, but that had more to do with Fernandes’ own great performance over five gruelling rounds. But Belingon made sure history would not repeat itself with a showcase of his much improved grappling skills, allowing him to escape several of Fernandes’ submission attempts.
In the end, Belingon was able to unify the bantamweight titles and put an end to Fernandes’ unbeaten streak in ONE Championship.
All of Belingon’s achievements across the past 12 months have earned him ONE Championship’s 2018 Warrior of the Year award, beating out other top contenders which included Myanmar’s Aung La N Sang, China’s Xiong Jing Nan, Japan’s Shinya Aoki, and fellow Team Lakay member Eduard Folayang.
2019 has yet to hit, but three of Belingon’s Team Lakay brothers already have title defenses scheduled in the first quarter of the year. Belingon has yet to have a bout announced, but many fans and observers expect that a trilogy bout with Fernandes could be in the cards.
But given that no official announcement has been made as of yet, Belingon will again be patient and train hard until the call of duty arrives.
By Dan Paulo Errazo Reigning ONE Lightweight World Champion Eduard “Landslide” Folayang of Baguio City proudly represents the Philippines not only as a World Champion mixed martial artist, but also as a true full-blooded Filipino warrior. And it certainly shows in his choice of attire in front of the cameras. Folayang is known to don […]
Reigning ONE Lightweight World Champion Eduard “Landslide” Folayang of Baguio City proudly represents the Philippines not only as a World Champion mixed martial artist, but also as a true full-blooded Filipino warrior. And it certainly shows in his choice of attire in front of the cameras.
Folayang is known to don the Barong Tagalog for his media obligations, a traditional Filipino formal garment for men. It is usually made out of Piña fabric (hand-loomed pineapple leaf fibers) or Jusi fabric (mechanically woven abaca or banana silk).
“Landslide” is often seen wearing the Barong Tagalog for press conferences, public face offs, and other formal or informal occasions. It is his way of proudly telling the world of who he is and where he’s from.
“I represent the Philippines and my ethnicity by wearing a Barong. I am proud to wear it each and every time. I also use a Barong for awardings and speaking engagements,” Folayang said.
“I think it sends a message that you do not have to imitate other nation’s style to look good. We have to be proud of your own identity.”
Folayang recently bagged the ONE Lightweight World Title with a unanimous decision win over Amir Khan last November 23, 2018 at ONE: Conquest of Champions in Manila.
During the promotion of his last match, the Team Lakay veteran wore the Barong Tagalog, which he recently picked up in Easter Weaving Baguio. This store is known for making a wide array of products that highlight the country’s culture and heritage.
While other athletes wore suits, Folayang simply pointed out that he prides himself in standing out by wearing a unique and completely ethnic formal garment.
“Our Barong is unique, which is why I like wearing it so much. I want to show how unique Filipinos are. I am very proud of where I came from,” he explained.
Folayang soon became known as the martial artist who wears a Barong Tagalog, and it even caught the attention of ONE Championship’s CEO International, Victor Cui.
When Folayang found out that Cui admired his formal attire a lot, he went out and got one for the CEO.
“Victor Cui likes my formal attire so much,” Folayang recalled with a smile.
“The fact he likes it so much, I had to buy one for him. He was very happy when he got it.”
Folayang is scheduled to defend his ONE Lightweight World Title against Japanese martial arts legend Shinya “Tobikan Judan” Aoki in the main event of ONE: A New Era, which emanates from the Ryogoku Kokugikan arena in Tokyo, Japan.
Given that he’s stepping on enemy territory to defend his belt, you can be sure that “Landslide” will do everything he can to represent the Philippines, including wear his Barong Tagalog to all the media events.
By Dan Paulo Errazo The holiday season in the Philippines usually means people rushing about to buy gifts, going to numerous parties, and simply enjoying a little time off with their loved ones. But according to reigning ONE Strawweight World Champion Joshua “The Passion” Pacio, a true professional does not waste a single moment to […]
The holiday season in the Philippines usually means people rushing about to buy gifts, going to numerous parties, and simply enjoying a little time off with their loved ones. But according to reigning ONE Strawweight World Champion Joshua “The Passion” Pacio, a true professional does not waste a single moment to train.
Pacio, who captured the strawweight strap with a unanimous decision victory over former champion Yoshitaka Naito last September, will make the first defense of his title on January 19, 2019, at ONE: Eternal Glory set for Istora Senayan in Jakarta, Indonesia. He will square off against Yosuke “Tobizaru” Saruta.
Despite the holiday season, Pacio is maximizing the time he has left before the main event by putting in the hours to make sure that he is more than ready to face his challenger.
“It’s the sacrifice that I have to do because it’s my first title defense,” said the 22-year-old Baguio native.
“On Christmas Eve, I spent it with my family, but the day after, I was back in training.”
“The Passion” was initially scheduled for a rematch with Hayato Suzuki, but due to an injury that forced Suzuki to withdraw from the contest, Saruta was tapped to step in and compete for the title.
Yet even with the sudden change in opponent, the Baguio City native Pacio’s focus remained steadfast.
“As a martial artist, you need to adapt. It has already happened to me in the past, and I was able to adapt through it,” he said.
“The game plan will be changed, but that’s okay. It’s better now because there are still weeks to prepare.”
With a few weeks left before one of the most important matches in Pacio’s career, he is confident that he is on track with his training and is determined more than ever to do what it takes to keep the title.
“The training is going fine. Now it’s all about peaking at the right time in training,” he shared.
“Regardless of my opponent, I will do my best to defend my title successfully.”
ONE Championship female atomweight competitor Rome “The Rebel” Trinidad says 2018 Miss Universe winner Catriona Gray has given her an extra jolt of inspiration. Gray is the fourth Filipina to wear the Miss Universe crown, but the road was full of challenges. After placing in the Top Five of Miss World 2016, Gray then worked […]
ONE Championship female atomweight competitor Rome “The Rebel” Trinidad says 2018 Miss Universe winner Catriona Gray has given her an extra jolt of inspiration.
Gray is the fourth Filipina to wear the Miss Universe crown, but the road was full of challenges. After placing in the Top Five of Miss World 2016, Gray then worked hard to win Binibining Pilipinas which led her to represent the Philippines in the recently concluded global beauty pageant.
Gray’s underdog tale of victory has inspired Trinidad despite hardships in her own professional mixed martial arts career.
“She didn’t give up on her dream. Failures didn’t stop her to reach for her ultimate goal. It is empowering to have a fellow Filipina like Catriona Gray,” said Trinidad.
“We belong in totally different fields, but seeing her succeed boosted my morale and continues to inspire me to pursue my dreams just like her.”
The 2018 Miss Universe Gray, it turns out, is no stranger to martial arts. She is a black belt in Choi Kwang-Do, which was a recurring backstory in her run up through the pageant. In addition, Gray is also an advocate of Paraiso: A Bright Beginnings Project, whose main goal is to provide free education for children.
“Catriona is truly an inspiration for us women. She is living proof that anything is possible through hard work,” Trinidad said.
Conversely, Trinidad herself was formerly a freelance model and has appeared in commercials. But she eventually switched professions and became a mixed martial artist when she joined Elorde Boxing Gym.
Unfortunately for “The Rebel,” things didn’t really get off to a hot start. She made her professional debut in December 2017 and has since dropped two losses against prominent opponents. The Filipina was submitted in the second round by Rika “Tiny Doll” Ishige in her debut ONE: Warriors of the World last December 2017, and then dropped a first round submission to Priscilla Hertati Lumban Gaol months later.
Still, Trinidad remains determined to get back on track and pursue her dreams in the cage. Given the recent string of victories for the Philippines in the mixed martial arts arena, as well as Catriona Gray’s spectacular showing at the 2018 Miss Universe, Trinidad has plenty of avenues of inspiration.
And she will use these as a springboard for a run in 2019.
“We never lose. It’s either we win or we learn. My match against Rika Ishige in Bangkok, Thailand was a learning process for me and my team.
“It proved to be a year of success for the Philippines. I am drawing inspiration from that success as I open a new chapter in 2019. Like them, I am not giving up. I will be back stronger than ever,” Trinidad vowed.
