Tag: ONE Championship News

Former ONE Lightweight World Champion Eduard “Landslide” Folayang and Amir Khan are set to face each other at ONE: CONQUEST OF CHAMPIONS. They faced off for the final time ahead of their clash for the now vacant title at the City of Dreams in Manila, Philippines.

The two men will battle in the co-main event of the show which will take place at the Mall of Asia Arena on Friday, 23 November. Folayang lost his title to Martin Nguyen in November 2017, but after “The Situ-Asian” was forced to vacate the belt due to injury, the Filipino Warrior now has a chance to be a two-time champion.

While the bout will take place in Folayang’s country, Khan is not a complete stranger to competing in the Philippines. He’s been there once before back in April 2015 at ONE: VALOR OF CHAMPIONS.

Khan is pumped for his chance to compete in the Philippines again, and for a world title.

“I’m so excited to be fighting in Manila for the second time – this time for the vacant ONE Lightweight World Title,” Khan said.

“I’m going to be competing against Eduard Folayang, your hero. I have the utmost respect for Folayang. He is a warrior in the cage, he was the champ, and he is a high-caliber martial artist, but I’m 100 percent confident I’ll get the victory this Friday.

“To be honest, if you told me four years ago I’d have to face Eduard I’d think you were crazy. I wouldn’t stand a chance four years ago. But Singapore is the fastest developing country in the world, and so it goes with its athletes, and its people too.”

Khan has already set the record for the most wins in ONE history with 11. If he can defeat Folayang, he’ll extend his streak as well as capture his first world title. More than extending his record, Khan wants to win the belt.

“Becoming a World Champion means everything to me. I’m sure Eduard feels the same way. We will put our lives on the line for it. We will give it our all,” Khan added.

“This is what I’ve been working hard for in these past years. I feel I have grown so much in ONE Championship, and now I’m truly ready.”

Khan will have his hands full. Not only is Folayang a former world champion who is hungry to recapture gold, but he’s also a tough man to defeat in his country. Folayang has headlined multiple ONE cards in the Philippines. Nguyen was the last one to defeat Folayang in his homeland.

Folayang has seemingly regained his confidence after winning two straight since his loss to Nguyen. He’s earned the right to challenge for the title again and is hoping he can stop Khan to regain the belt.

“Last year I was in the same place, but things didn’t go as expected. I lost the belt, but I worked [hard], so now there is another story to be told,” Folayang said.

“Of course, that’s what martial arts is. I’m not just here to fight for the belt. I want to prove that even if you fall, there is always 100 chances for us to jump up and show the world a single defeat does not define us.

“It will unleash the best of us. My tough loss last year was very hard to get through, but I really worked hard, and now the opportunity is here again, and I don’t want to miss that gift. That’s why I did my part so I could be 100 percent ready for this fight on Friday.”

The post Folayang and Khan Talk About Their Matchup This Friday Night appeared first on LowKickMMA.com.

Brandon Vera says the unrelenting demands of the entertainment world have him primed to defend his heavyweight crown on Friday night.

Returning to the cage following a two-year hiatus – having starred on the silver screen in the critically acclaimed BuyBust – Vera is adamant he will be at the peak of his powers when he challenges Italian Mauro Cerilli.

Speaking at the official ONE: CONQUEST OF CHAMPIONS Kick-Off Press Conference in the City Of Dreams Ballroom in Manila, Vera admitted he was inspired to change his approach to his preparation for matches after he moved to the Philippines.

“Being a champion was just a cool thought, a cool idea that I would work towards,” 41-year-old Vera told the world’s media.

“I figured it would be something attainable if I didn’t have to work that hard at it.

“I didn’t understand all of this until I moved to the Philippines. I used to only work out two-to-three times a week. I was never in shape like I should have been. I didn’t train unless I had a camp or a contract.

“I came here to film a movie. Showbiz is hard, 14-hour days, 18-hour days is real. Showing up here in the Philippines, dealing with location sets, dealing with traffic, dealing with the entertainment world, dealing with contracts, dealing with the grind … now I work out every single day, twice a day then I go back to the set again.

“So am I ready after two years of being away from the center of that ring? … hell yes!

“To comeback is kind of scary after a long pause in the entertainment world, and for them to find this monster, Mauro – he beat his last five guys and knocked four out.

“So come Friday, I’ll show up, show out and enjoy the evening.”

While standing face to face, the respect between Vera and Cerilli was real.

“If I look back a few years ago, I could never have imagined that I would have the chance to be here in front of all this media, to have this huge opportunity to fight the legend in Brandon Vera, so I’m pretty blessed,” said Cerilli, a current heavyweight world champion.

“Even though you obviously cheer for him and he’s the local guy, I’m going to do my best to honor this chance, and I hope that no matter how this fight goes, I will gain the respect of ONE Championship and especially the Filipino people.”

Challenger Cerilli will make his debut in The Home Of Martial Arts this weekend, and he is delighted to be part of one of the biggest events of the year.

“I’m very pumped, I’m very excited,” he said.

“I think now is the moment for me to challenge a high level competitor like Brandon, so I couldn’t be happier.”

Having competed against the world’s best on the European circuit, 35-year-old Cerilli comes into this contest as the younger athlete, and he has also kept a more active schedule than his opponent, who has not competed since December 2016.

However, “The Hammer” does not expect Vera to be any less dangerous because of his layoff.

“Every fighter lives for this sport, but even though Brandon left the sport for two years, I’m sure that he’s going to be 100 percent, and I’m sure he did everything possible to be ready,” he said.

Vera stressed he has not lost his passion for competing and is determined to win in front of his adoring fans.

“I would much rather die, than lose in front of the Philippines,” he said.

“I’m even more committed. I just want it more now.”

The post Is Brandon Vera Ready For Battle After Two-Year Hiatus? appeared first on LowKickMMA.com.

ONE WARRIOR’S DREAM was an event packed with excitement and finishes in Jakarta, Indonesia. A total of 10 bouts ended before the final bell of the last round including the main event and co-main event bouts. Here are the five best finishes on the card.

Bruno Pucci def. Xie Chao via Guillotine Submission

As a Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu practitioner, Pucci is elite. He wasted no time taking advantage of Xie as he left his neck vulnerable during a failed grappling sequence. Pucci sold out for the choke and as you can see in the highlight below, the gamble paid off.

Xie attempted to fight off the pressure of the choke, but he failed and ultimately went to sleep. The victory ran Pucci’s record to 6-3 as a professional and it helped him rebound from a KO loss to Emilio Urrutia in his last bout.

Brown Pinas def. Yohann Fairtex Drai via KO on a Spinning Back Elbow

Muay Thai fans should keep an eye on Pinas. He’s the kind of dynamic striker capable of finishing opponents in a flash. Yohann found that out firsthand on Saturday when the 27-year-old French striker landed a devastating spinning back elbow to finish him in the second round of their preliminary bout.

It was a lightning-quick strike and his dynamic striking ability will put future opponents on notice when they face Pinas.

Elipitua Siregar def. Muhammad Imran via Rear-Naked Choke Submission

Indonesian native Siregar has been on a tear. He kept his professional MMA record perfect on Saturday with a second-round submission win over Imran. Siregar is now 3-0 as a professional, but he’s already considered Indonesia’s top MMA prospect. Against Imran, Siregar expertly took his opponent’s back, used the fence for leverage and locked in the choke. Within seconds, Imran was forced to tap out.

Siregar should slowly, but surely start to receive some tougher tests in the cage. If he can continue to get bouts to the ground, he could ultimately be a problem for most in the flyweight division.

Nieky Holzken def. Cosmo Alexandre via KO

The highly anticipated promotional debut for Nieky Holzken bolstered ONE’s Super Series roster and the Dutch legend quickly proved his worth and skill against Cosmo Alexandre. This was their second bout. Holzken won the first by decision back in 2010, but he’d win the rematch more emphatically.

It was something about the second round on this night, because, in the waning seconds of the frame, Holzken landed an overhand right that put Alexandre in peril. An uppercut snuck in and turn out the lights.

The 34-year-old Holzken didn’t appear to have lost a step despite competing in his 107th career kickboxing match. Holzken’s next fight hasn’t been announced, but he will have a tough act to follow after that finish.

Zebaztian Kadestam def. Tyler McGuire via KO

ONE crowned a new welterweight champion on Saturday and Zebaztian Kadestam left no doubt. As he pursued a tiring McGuire, Kadestam landed a looping right hand on his opponent’s chin. McGuire went down and Kadestam followed him to the ground planting a knee in his face on the way to the mat.

As soon as he made contact, McGuire was out and the referee almost immediately called a halt to the bout. Kadestam’s powerful knee strike not only won him the world title, but it also handed McGuire his first career loss. After his title-winning victory, here is what Kadestam said after the loss:

“I feel pretty good. I want to say I’m sorry I didn’t put the pace that I usually do,” Kadestam told Mitch Chilson in his post-bout interview.

“His shots were so powerful. I couldn’t get my combos going. I tried to entertain as always. Anyways, thank you so much, it feels amazing.”

We’ll all be watching for Kadestam’s first title defense, but for now, he’s likely just enjoying his win.

The post ONE: WARRIOR’S DREAM: 5 Best Finishes From Jakarta appeared first on LowKickMMA.com.

After losing his title last year to former two-division World Champion Martin “The Situ-Asian” Nguyen in Manila, Eduard “Landslide” Folayang will have his much-awaited chance to not only reclaim the lightweight title but also to redeem himself in front of his countrymen.

The Filipino martial arts hero will have his second shot at the ONE Lightweight World Championship as he is now scheduled to go toe-to-toe against Singaporean star Amir Khan for the vacant belt in the co-main event of ONE: CONQUEST OF CHAMPIONS at the Mall of Asia Arena in Manila, Philippines on Friday, 23 November.

This will be Folayang’s third and most important match this 2018 and despite winning his previous two matches in impressive passion, the 34-year-old Baguio City native believes that his bout against Khan will be the ultimate showcase of just how much he has improved as a martial artist after his stunning loss back in November 2017.

“This bout is special because it’s taking place in front of my hometown crowd in Manila,” Folayang addressed the media at the ONE: CONQUEST OF CHAMPIONS Open Workout in Quezon City last Friday.

“It also represents a chance for me to redeem myself because this is the same place I lost the title one year ago. I have worked very hard since then and now the opportunity was once again given to me.”

Folayang also did not mince words when asked how much excitement he is feeling with the second opportunity that was given to him to capture the ONE Lightweight World Title.

“I am so happy for the opportunity to once again be fighting for the world title. As always, I feel motivated and encouraged to do my best.

“I want to prove to the world that I am not done yet in this sport and that I can still be world champion,” Folayang expressed.

“Losing the title for the first time, it was a very painful feeling but in defeat, I have discovered my weaknesses and made efforts to improve certain parts of my game. Now I am ready to showcase my championship form once again,” Folayang ended.

The post Eduard Folayang Looks For Redemption appeared first on LowKickMMA.com.

He’s endured a rough childhood. But Dutchman Nieky Holzken won’t let his difficult past get in the way of his goal of becoming a ONE Super Series World Champion.

Holzken, 34, will make his promotional debut in the co-main event of ONE: WARRIOR’S DREAM on 17 November at Stadium Istora in Jakarta, Indonesia. He will take on tough Brazilian Cosmo Alexandre in the lead up to the ONE Welterweight World Title bout between Sweden’s Zebaztian Kadestam and American Tyler McGuire.

Touted by many as one the greatest kickboxers in the world today, Holzken revealed that his difficult past eventually led his focus on honing his skills in martial arts. The sport, he says, molded him to become a better person through years of training.

“I was a problem child,” Holzken revealed.

“I got kicked out of school when I was 9. I had to go to another school. I did not enjoy school. I was very smart, but I didn’t want to learn. If I could do it again, I would do it differently.

“I trained with Ramon Dekkers, Cor Hemmers, and Sjef Weber. Sjef was very good with my boxing, and Ramon and Cor with kickboxing. It gave me personality, character, and respect.”

Other than refusing to learn in school, “The Natural” also shared that he was raised out of a broken family. He ultimately took something positive out of the situation and used it to motivate himself to become a good father.

“My parents separated, and I only had contact with my father’s family, and no contact with my mother. It made me very hard, and it helped me along the way,” Holzken said.

“I want my children to live with a mom and dad who are together. What I experienced definitely makes me a better dad.

Having learned from his past and with a goal in sight, Holzken is determined to impress in his ONE Championship debut as he aims to become one of the organization’s world champions in the very near future.

“To win in my debut would be great. I want to become the World Champion in ONE,” Holzken said.

The post Nieky Holzken Overcomes Rough Childhood to Become Martial Arts Champion appeared first on LowKickMMA.com.