“Sexyama” has not fought since November of 2015 when he dropped a split decision to Alberto Mina at a UFC event in Seoul, South Korea. During his time with the UFC, he racked up a 2-5 record. He earned wins over the likes of Alan Belcher and Amir Sadollah. However, Akiyama was defeated by fighters such as Jake Shields, Vitor Belfort, and Michael Bisping.
In Korea, “Sexyama” has made quite the reputation for himself outside of the cage. He is known as Choo Sung-hoon and has made several appearances on popular reality shows. He was even the celebrity dad in The Return of Superman.
Throughout his combat sports career, Akiyama has represented both the countries of South Korea and Japan in judo competition. Having fought in both the welterweight and middleweight divisions, Akiyama is still undecided on where he’ll fight with ONE.
ONE has now inked yet another high-profile fighter to go along with the likes of Demetrious “Mighty Mouse” Johnson, Eddie Alvarez, and Miesha Tate.
The organization wants to break out as one of the premier mixed martial arts (MMA) promotions in the world, and they’ve done a tremendous job of doing so thus far.
Brandon Vera’s return to the cage was a brief but triumphant affair with the 41-year old stopping Italy’s Mauro Cerilli just after the one minute mark in the first round. The heavyweight title bout was the main event of ONE: Conquest of Champions held inside the Mall of Asia Arena in Manila, Philipines. There were […]
Brandon Vera’s return to the cage was a brief but triumphant affair with the 41-year old stopping Italy’s Mauro Cerilli just after the one minute mark in the first round. The heavyweight title bout was the main event of ONE: Conquest of Champions held inside the Mall of Asia Arena in Manila, Philipines.
There were questions asked about Vera in the lead-up to this bout. The defending champion was coming off a two-year break from competition and in Cerilli was facing a younger, more active fighter.
However, within moments of the contest beginning, it was apparent that Vera and Cerilli were operating at different levels.
The Italian never looked comfortable sharing the cage with Vera and seemed intent on landing a knock out blow as soon as possible. In his haste, he ran head first into a beautifully timed left hook from Vera which dropped the challenger, ending the match instantly.
It was the fifth bout in Vera’s ONE Championship career, as well as his fifth first-round stoppage and his third- title defense. Vera’s win has paved the way for the ONE super-bout between him and Myanmar’s Aung La N Sang for the Light-heavyweight championship. The bout has been hinted at by both the athletes as well as ONE CEO and founder Chatri Sityodtong. The idea has been floated that the two will meet in 2019 on one of the Japanese cards.
Folayang Regains Lightweight title
The night’s co-main event was a title clash between the Philipines Eduard Folayang and Singapore’s Amir Khan for the vacant ONE lightweight title.
Folayang was looking for redemption, in front of his home crowd, after losing the strap last November to Martin Nguyen. Kahn’s record of having the most finishes and the most knockouts in ONE Championship created an extra layer of hype around a contest that was already highly anticipated.
The first round began with both men testing each other’s defenses with probing leg kicks. Khan, in particular, looking relaxed and fluid had some success hitting Folayang on the counter.
The first round came to a close with Khan having the better of the exchanges but with neither man in the ascendancy.
It would be interesting to know what was said to Folayang during the break between rounds because whatever it was, it did the trick. Folayang dominated the second round from the outset continually pushing forward and unleashing a barrage of impressive and fan friendly offensive maneuvers.
The Filipino roared on by the highly partisan local crowd delivered multiple spinning back elbows and fists while he had Khan trapped against the cage.
Three-quarters of the way through the round, Khan, hoping to stem the tide launched himself at Folayang with a flying knee, only to end up being caught and dumped on his back.
The 24-year-old managed to return to his feet, without taking too much damage but was rewarded with another spinning elbow for his troubles. As the round ended a shell-shocked Khan made his way back to his corner. To his credit, Khan was able to regroup in the third but after the punishment he suffered in the second, never looked like posing a threat to Folayang.
The 34-year-old continued hitting Khan throughout the remaining rounds with a succession of spinning back fists and heavy elbows.
A Unanimous Win
As the fifth drew to a close, the crowd sensing Folayang’s impending victory ratcheted up the volume. The hometown hero then put a stamp on his dominance with a pair of punishing sidekicks as well as flying kick to Khan’s midriff for good measure. There was little suspense, but plenty of excitement as the judge’s scorecards were read out. Folayang emerging the winner with a well-deserved unanimous decision victory.
Folayang’s win now means that Team Lakay hold four of the eight available men’s titles. It is a staggering achievement for the Baguio City crew.
The arrival of Eddie Alvarez and Demetrious “Mighty <ouse” Johnson will surely test their dominance in the lightweight and flyweight divisions, but those are challenges for another day.
Nakashima Wins In Debut
James Nakashima kept his undefeated record alive taking it to 10-0 after claiming a unanimous decision victory over the previously unbeaten Russian Raimond Magomedaliev.
The former LFA welterweight champion showed no signs of nerves in his ONE debut, looking calm and composed throughout the course of the bout.
Magomedaliev started quickly but despite opening up a cut on Nakashima’s head in the first-round never looked to have the Amercian in any real danger.
Nakashima’s wrestling game began in impose itself in the second round, and by the third, he was entirely in control. The 30-year-old’s ground and pound slowly wearing down Magomedaliev in the second half of the contest.
It may yet be too early for talk of a shot at the title, but one or two more performances like this and Nakashima will be knocking at the door of whomever holds the belt.
ONE: CONQUEST OF CHAMPIONS Full Results
Brandon Vera def. Mauro Cerilli via first-round knockout
Eduard Folayang def. Amir Khan via unanimous decision
Honorio Banario def. Rahul Raju via via unanimous decision
Saemapetch Fairtex def. Alaverdi Ramazanov via unanimous decision
James Nakashima def. Raimond Magomedaliev via unanimous decision
Hiroaki Suzuki def. Deividas Danyla via unanimous decision
Prelims:
Samy Sana def. Armen Petrosyan via unanimous decision
Alexandre Machado def. Hideki Sekine via second-round TKO
Han Zi Hao def. Azwan Che Wil via first-round TKO
Jeremy Miado def. Peng Xue Wen via second-round TKO
Akihiro Fujisawa def. Rockie Bactol via third-round TKO
Rudy Agustian def. Asraful Islam via unanimous decision
On Friday, November 23, former ONE Lightweight World Champion Eduard “Landslide” Folayang will have his much-awaited second crack at the lightweight belt when he goes toe-to-toe against Singaporean star Amir Khan in the co-main event of ONE: CONQUEST OF CHAMPIONS, set for the Mall of Asia Arena in Manila, Philippines. The 35-year-old Baguio City native […]
On Friday, November 23, former ONE Lightweight World Champion Eduard “Landslide” Folayang will have his much-awaited second crack at the lightweight belt when he goes toe-to-toe against Singaporean star Amir Khan in the co-main event of ONE: CONQUEST OF CHAMPIONS, set for the Mall of Asia Arena in Manila, Philippines.
The 35-year-old Baguio City native who has been competing professionally for more than 11 years believes that his second shot at the world title came about as a result of his hard work and determination since losing the title in front of his countrymen nearly a year ago.
As such, Folayang believes that this bout could quite possibly be the most significant of his career.
“Losing my belt in front of my countrymen was one of the toughest things I went through not just in my career as an athlete, but also personally and I admit that was not an easy one to go through,” Folayang expressed.
“But that loss gave me more motivation to be a better athlete both mentally and physically. I worked extremely hard to come back here for another opportunity at the belt. I’ve been inspired by my teammates, my coach, and all the fans. This is the biggest bout of my career, and I am excited to give the best performance of my life.”
Folayang believes that his showdown with the Singaporean standout will be the perfect way for him to gauge how much he has developed as a fighter since his stunning loss. It also serves an extra dish of redemption, as he is given the opportunity to reclaim the title he lost in the same venue.
“This year is a new chapter. I learned a lot from my loss and I have worked very hard since then. On Friday (23 November) we can see how much I really improved as an athlete,” Folayang said. “It also represents a chance for me to redeem myself because this is the same place I lost the title,” he added.
Folayang also acknowledges the opportunity to win the title in front of his countrymen which adds to the excitement as he heads into the biggest match of his life.
“Winning a World Title in front of your countrymen is always my dream as a mixed martial artist. Now that the opportunity is already here, I don’t have any plans for wasting it. Expect the best Eduard Folayang on Friday,” he ended.
ONE Championship makes its way to the Philippines this Friday with ONE: Conquest of Champions taking place in Manila’s Mall of Asia Arena. A pair of title bouts will headline the card. In the main event, Brandon Vera returns after a two-year layoff to defend his heavyweight crown against Italy’s Mauro Cerilli. The co-main event […]
ONE Championship makes its way to the Philippines this Friday with ONE: Conquest of Champions taking place in Manila’s Mall of Asia Arena.
A pair of title bouts will headline the card.
In the main event, Brandon Vera returns after a two-year layoff to defend his heavyweight crown against Italy’s Mauro Cerilli. The co-main event will see Team Lakay’s Eduard Folayang locking horns with Singapore’s Amir Khan for the vacant lightweight strap.
The fact that two of the Philippines’ favorite sporting sons are set to compete should make for a lively atmosphere.
The Return Of Vera
Vera has been nothing if not dominant since his arrival at ONE Championship. His three bouts have all been first-round finishes, and it could be argued that “The Truth” has yet to be genuinely tested since moving to the Singapore-based promotion.
Thankfully, the ONE matchmakers have found an athlete who appears to be set on taking the fight to the reigning champion.
The 35-year-old Cerrilli comes into this clash on the back of a five-bout winning streak with four of those victories coming via way of stoppage. The Italian’s last outing was a 15-second demolition of Northern Ireland’s Karl Moore in defense of his Cage Warriors Heavyweight Championship.
“The Hammer” brings with him a reputation for being a heavy-hitting knock-out artist, but it would be doing his skills a disservice to classify him as a simple one-dimensional brawler.
An accomplished grappler, Cereilli holds a black belt in Judo and a purple belt in Brazilian jiu-jitsu. He is also, having fought four times in the last two years, match-fit.
Vera is now 41 years old, and while he has consistently competed at a higher level than Cereilli, it remains to be seen how the two-year break will impact Vera when the cage doors close.
Vera will go into the bout as the favorite, but in Cereilli he will face an opponent who can change the complexion of the contest with a single punch.
A Lightweight Champion Will Be Crowned
In September, former ONE lightweight champion Martin Nguyen was forced to relinquish the title following an injury.
Nguyen’s misfortune has presented Folayang, the man he defeated for the strap last November, with an unexpected but not unwelcome chance at redemption. Losing the belt was hard enough for the ONE veteran, but what made the loss harder to swallow was that it took place on his home soil.
Folayang bounced back from his defeat to Nguyen to record back-to-back decision victories over Russian grapplers Kharun Atlangeriev and Aziz Pahrudinov. A decorated wushu expert, Folayang is known for his impressive stand-up abilities but he is also a more-than-capable wrestler.
However, it his stand-up that is likely to be tested this week. Khan is one of the division’s top strikers and currently holds the promotion’s record for most finishes and knockouts.
A product of Evolve MMA, Khan spars daily with some of the world’s best Muay Thai fighters and will not be overwhelmed by the thought of standing and trading with Folayang. The 24-year-old comes into this bout following a comprehensive first-round victory over Folayang’s teammate, Honorio Banario.
Folayang has been something of a point’s machine since joining ONE Championship. He has competed 14 times but has just one stoppage win to his credit. The 35-year-old dominated his last two bouts but was unable to put either of his opponents away despite his clear striking advantage.
In Khan, he will be facing an athlete levels above his recent competition, one who is unlikely to become fatigued and who is capable of capitalizing on the slightest error he makes.
The Filipino will be the favorite heading into the bout, but it would be no surprise to see the ONE lightweight title winging its way to Singapore this weekend.
Nakashima makes his ONE Debut
Outside of the two title bouts, the most intriguing contest of the night will be the debut of former LFA welterweight champion James Nakashima.
The undefeated American will take on fellow newcomer Raimond Magomedaliev in a bout that is likely to set the winner on a path to a title shot.
Magomedaliev, who is also undefeated, should provide a stern test for Nakashima. The Russian has previously fought in Fight Nights Global and comes from a sambo and wrestling background.
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 […]
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.”
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 […]
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.
“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.
Brandon Vera stars in the movie BuyBust
“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.”
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