Demetrious Johnson and Eddie Alvarez will make their ONE Championship debuts just three months into the new year. On the heels of a landmark year, the Asia-based fight promotion hopes to have an even bigger 2019. ONE Championship will make its debut in Japan on March 31, 2019, at Ryogoku Kokugikan. That is an 11,000-capacity […]
Demetrious Johnson and Eddie Alvarez will make their ONE Championship debuts just three months into the new year.
On the heels of a landmark year, the Asia-based fight promotion hopes to have an even bigger 2019.
ONE Championship will make its debut in Japan on March 31, 2019, at Ryogoku Kokugikan. That is an 11,000-capacity venue near Tokyo. The event will stream on the promotion’s award-winning app.
In his first bout with the promotion Johnson will fight Yuya Wakamatsu in a flyweight bout. Alvarez will take on Timofey Nastyukin in his debut with ONE.
Also on the card, atomweight champion Angela Lee will move up in weight to challenge the strawweight champion Xiong Jing Nan. Middleweight champ Aung La N Sang and lightweight champ Eduard Folayang will defend their belts as well.
Along with “Super” Sage Northcutt, Johnson and Alvarez were three huge free agent sigings for ONE Championship this year. Couple that with the promotion landing Meisha Tate as an exeutive and a massive United States TV deal and the future looks bright for the ONE in 2019.
Sage Northcutt is expecting big things from his career with ONE Championship. The former UFC star recently signed with the Singapore-based mixed martial arts (MMA) promotion in free agency. At the young age of just 22-years-old, “Super” has some big goals for his tenure with ONE. Given the promotion has MMA, Kickboxing, and Muay Thai […]
Sage Northcutt is expecting big things from his career with ONE Championship.
The former UFC star recently signed with the Singapore-based mixed martial arts (MMA) promotion in free agency. At the young age of just 22-years-old, “Super” has some big goals for his tenure with ONE. Given the promotion has MMA, Kickboxing, and Muay Thai competition, Northcutt is aiming to become a three-sport champion, as he told Luke Thomas in an interview for “The MMA Hour” (via MMA Fighting):
“What I think is cool is, they have, not only do they have MMA, but they also have Muay Thai and they have kickboxing,” Northcutt said. “So, I want to be the champion in MMA, I want to be the champion in Muay Thai and kickboxing.
” I want to do it all. And I think that ONE Championship is going to be really cool because I believe that I’m going to display my different skills in each of those and I believe be the champ in each of those. I think it’s the perfect league.”
Northcutt is expected to make his ONE debut in March at the promotion’s show from Tokyo, Japan. While with the UFC, Northcutt suffered the only two losses of his MMA career. He was submitted by both Mickey Gall and Bryan Barberena. However, he ended his UFC career on a three-fight win streak.
Fighters are faced with plenty of obstacles throughout their professional careers, and every ONE athlete has a tale of overcoming adversity. Kairat “The Kazakh” Akhmetov is no different. After excelling as a Greco-Roman wrestler, Akhmetov made the transition into the world of professional martial arts and experienced immediate success. He reeled off a huge string […]
Fighters are faced with plenty of obstacles throughout their professional careers, and every ONE athlete has a tale of overcoming adversity. Kairat “The Kazakh” Akhmetov is no different.
After excelling as a Greco-Roman wrestler, Akhmetov made the transition into the world of professional martial arts and experienced immediate success.
He reeled off a huge string of consecutive wins before making a dream promotional debut with ONE, beating Adriano Moraes to win the ONE Flyweight World Championship in November 2015.
But less than a year later, Akhmetov suffered a debilitating back injury while training at the famed Jackson Wink MMA camp in Albuquerque, New Mexico.
“Honestly, in my mind, I never thought I would finish my career because of the injury. So even when it was very hard, and thoughts of retirement started to pop out in my head more often, deep inside I knew I could not leave that way, and I had more things to accomplish.”
Rather than dwell on the issue, Akhmetov fought through the pain and worked his way back into the cage with a rematch with Moraes. That became yet another hurdle to leap, as he lost a unanimous decision in Macau and had to give up his belt.
But again, “The Kazakh” bounced straight back, splitting two fierce battles with Geje Eustaquio, before beating Ma Hao Bin at ONE: CONQUEST OF HEROES last September.
Akhmetov credits his support team for his renewed self-belief.
“It is crucial to have family and the right people with you,” he says. “I do not believe in the concept of a self-made man. We all achieve something because of the help of others. That is why it is important to have support, and also to give back to others, too.”
He realizes there are plenty of people out there facing challenges that don’t necessarily involve martial arts, and to them, he offers his favorite pieces of advice.
“First, always remember why you started, and what made you do it in the beginning. Second, you should know that it is always too soon to quit — if you quit, you will betray yourself. And third, always remember that a lot of people are counting on you, and you cannot let them down,” he shares.
They call him the ‘King of the Rematch’, and for good reason. Reigning ONE Flyweight World Champion Geje “Gravity” Eustaquio of Baguio City, Philippines is a soldier of vengeance inside the cage. Eustaquio has emerged victorious in every rematch of his career. There’s just something about having a second chance to do it right that […]
They call him the ‘King of the Rematch’, and for good reason. Reigning ONE Flyweight World Champion Geje “Gravity” Eustaquio of Baguio City, Philippines is a soldier of vengeance inside the cage.
Eustaquio has emerged victorious in every rematch of his career. There’s just something about having a second chance to do it right that appeals to the 29-year-old martial arts veteran.
“I’m a calculated fighter,” said Eustaquio. “I rely more on my skills, technique and intelligence rather than my speed and power like most guys. When I get a feel for an opponent the first time, I know what it will take to beat him the second time around.”
Eustaquio has lost and rematched guys such as Anatpong Bunrad and former flyweight titleholder Kairat Akhmetov, and he has come away with victories every time. Yet it is his long-standing rivalry with former conqueror Adriano Moraes that Eustaquio holds in the highest regard.
“Gravity” was submitted by Moraes via second-round guillotine choke when they first met in September 2014. It was Eustaquio’s first opportunity at a ONE World Title. Although it ultimately altered the course of his career, admittedly the Baguio City-native said he was a little green at the time.
“I guess I wasn’t ready to face a champion the caliber of Moraes then, although I was confident in my skills,” explained Eustaquio.
“It’s a different experience when you share the cage with the champion. I was shocked at the gap between us. It was a good learning opportunity for me. I discovered where I was lacking, and what I needed to work on.”
The loss to Moraes has served him well. Since then, Eustaquio has been tweaking his formula of success, adding bits and pieces to his overall game, particularly in the area of grappling and takedown defense.
The results have been mixed however, with losses to Bunrad, Akhmetov and Toni Tauru following not long after. But Eustaquio was determined. He knew how to mold and shape himself and the only thing on his mind was working his way back into title contention.
When he finally conjured up the correct formula for victory, Eustaquio knew he was ready to face the champion again.
“I knew I couldn’t let another opportunity slip through my fingers,” said Eustaquio. “So I hit the gym hard, worked on my overall skills, got my mindset right, and the rest was history. I’m confident now more than ever.”
Eustaquio defeated Akhmetov in early January, claiming the ONE Interim Flyweight World Title. It set up an inevitable showdown with Moraes months later, a highly-anticipated rematch four years in the making.
Finally, “Gravity” had landed the bout he had waited so long for. The title was within his grasp. All he had to do was beat the best in his division.
Entering the bout as the underdog, Eustaquio defeated Moraes via split decision after five gruelling back-and-forth rounds of action. Though it was certainly no walk in the park for the Filipino martial arts veteran, Eustaquio says it was a victory well deserved.
“It wasn’t easy, the split decision can attest to that,” said Eustaquio, who narrowly outpointed Moraes on the judges’ scorecards.
“But our game plan worked. We were able to negate most of his strengths and we did what we wanted to do. All the hard work was worth it. It’s definitely my favorite victory above all.”
It was one of the closest contests of the year in ONE Championship, and one that fans will not mind seeing again. Eustaquio realizes that he needs another victory over Moraes to complete their series and prove once and for all who is the rightful owner of the flyweight World Title.
“I know one day we will meet each other in the cage again,” said Eustaquio.
“I’m looking forward to it. But there are a lot of things going on next year, with the Flyweight Grand Prix and Demetrious Johnson on the prowl. I just want to test myself against the best in the world and I’m thankful I have the opportunity to do that.”
It was only a matter of time before ONE Championship was airing in the United States. According to ESPN.com, sources informed them that ONE has signed a three-year television deal with Turner Sports. The event will feature 24 events airing live on TNT beginning next year. The TV goes into effect on January 1. It […]
It was only a matter of time before ONE Championship was airing in the United States.
According to ESPN.com, sources informed them that ONE has signed a three-year television deal with Turner Sports.
The event will feature 24 events airing live on TNT beginning next year. The TV goes into effect on January 1. It will also include other Turner digital platforms such as B/R Live. Other programming such as a reality show is supposedly in the works as well.
As ONE continues to grow in its native Asia, an outlet in the United States became clearly necessary.
ONE has made extreme waves in the world of mixed martial arts by signing former UFC champions Demetrious Johnson and Eddie Alvarez and rising star Sage Northcutt. Johnson was acquired in a first-of-its-kind trade for former ONE welterweight champion Ben Askren. Now, they have a platform to reach the Western Hemisphere.
Will they become a direct competitor to the UFC soon?
ONE Strawweight World Champion Joshua “The Passion” Pacio aims to add another belt to Team Lakay’s bulging trophy cabinet when he steps into the cage early next year. Pacio will be the first of Team Lakay’s World Champion quartet, which comprises of Eduard Folayang (lightweight), Kevin Belingon (bantamweight) and Geje Eustaquio (flyweight), to defend a […]
ONE Strawweight World Champion Joshua “The Passion” Pacio aims to add another belt to Team Lakay’s bulging trophy cabinet when he steps into the cage early next year.
Pacio will be the first of Team Lakay’s World Champion quartet, which comprises of Eduard Folayang (lightweight), Kevin Belingon (bantamweight) and Geje Eustaquio (flyweight), to defend a World Title in 2019.
The strawweight king enters his first title defense, challenging Japan’s Hayato Suzuki (20-1-2) in the main event at ONE: ETERNAL GLORY, set for Istora Senayan in Jakarta on 19 January.
“The Passion” Pacio will have redemption on his mind, having suffered his last defeat to Suzuki back when the Japanese warrior was just making his ONE debut.
Since that loss, Pacio has gone on a four-match win streak, overcoming fellow Filipino Roy Doliguez, China’s Ming Qiang Lan, Thailand’s Pongsiri Mitsatit and Japan’s Yoshitaka Naito.
Pacio’s win over Naito at ONE: CONQUEST OF HEROES last September ensured he not only turned the tables on the Japanese star, but also meant the strawweight title was in his possession.
Hailing from Baguio City in the Philippines, the 22-year-old Pacio has shown tremendous improvement over the past few years leading up to his title reign. And with the belt firmly in his grasp, Pacio aims to make a successful first defense against the last man to defeat him.
Suzuki, who hails from Takahagi City, first met Pacio in his promotional debut at ONE: KINGS & CONQUERORS in August 2017.
The 32-year-old scored a shocking first-round submission victory, forcing the Filipino to tap out via rear-naked choke. Since then, the Japanese grappler has been on a tear, winning his last three bouts with the same submission hold.
None of the bouts have gone past the second round, with Suzuki overcoming Thailand’s Pongsiri Mitsatit, Filipino Robin Catalan and Brazil’s Yago Bryan in quick time.
An experienced grappler, Suzuki looks to replicate that stellar run of form in the highly anticipated rematch against Pacio.
