Tag: ONE Championship

Eddie Alvarez On A Mission For The ONE Lightweight World Title

Multiple-time lightweight World Champion Eddie “The Underground King” Alvarez has made it very clear since he joined ONE Championship that he is on the hunt for the ONE Lightweight World Title. Heading into his first bout with the promotion against Russia’s Timofey Nastyukhin at ONE: A NEW ERA, Alvarez takes the initial step towards his […]

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Multiple-time lightweight World Champion Eddie “The Underground King” Alvarez has made it very clear since he joined ONE Championship that he is on the hunt for the ONE Lightweight World Title.

Heading into his first bout with the promotion against Russia’s Timofey Nastyukhin at ONE: A NEW ERA, Alvarez takes the initial step towards his goal.

The pair of knockout artists are set to lock horns in the quarter-final round of the highly-anticipated ONE Lightweight World Grand Prix, which takes place 31 March at the Ryogoku Kokugikan in Tokyo, Japan.

ONE Championship

While Alvarez has dominated the North American martial arts promotions, winning the World Title in each of the major organizations, “The Underground King” has his eyes set on the only title he has yet to capture.

“I have traveled the world in the last 15 years fighting the best guys I can get my hands on everywhere,” Alvarez said.

“I have won every single World Title from every major organization and ONE Championship is the only organization that I don’t have their World Title.”

Make no mistake about it. The 35-year-old journeyman is coming for the ONE Championship belt, and according to him, it’s only a matter of time until he is able to wrap it around his waist.

“I am coming here to win MY World Title,” Alvarez said.

“I have made some space on my shelf for the ONE Championship belt. I know the fighters are tough and this group understands the integrity of the sport and what it means to be a martial artist and I want to be a part of that.”

Taking on Nastyukhin however, Alvarez is faced with a very tough challenge against the most dangerous opponent ONE could find. This matchup was certainly no coincidence. In fact, Alvarez had repeatedly pleaded for ONE to give him the most difficult opponent ever for his first foray into the promotion.

“Like I said before, I’ll fight anyone, whoever the baddest, toughest, most dangerous guy that’s who I want,” Alvarez concluded.

“Take me to him and we will have a good fight.”

If Alvarez defeats Nastyukhin, he will be one step closer to reaching his goal. Waiting in the second round of the tournament is Hawaii’s Lowen Tynanes. Needless to say, it won’t be an easy road to the top and Alvarez would have it no other way.

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Discipline Is The Key To Success According To Danny Kingad

Team Lakay stalwart and Filipino mixed martial arts prodigy Danny “The King” Kingad may not be who he is today, had he not discovered martial arts and the valuable lesson of discipline that comes along with it. Kingad had a rough upbringing when he lost his father at only eight years of age. Without a […]

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Team Lakay stalwart and Filipino mixed martial arts prodigy Danny “The King” Kingad may not be who he is today, had he not discovered martial arts and the valuable lesson of discipline that comes along with it.

Kingad had a rough upbringing when he lost his father at only eight years of age. Without a father-figure to guide him, he would fall into bad company and a life of vice. He would often skip school and cause a lot of trouble as a teenager.

When he met coach Mark Sangiao, the leader of Team Lakay, that’s when his life took a 180-degree turn and he started to clean up his act and being a new life.

“Martial arts really changed my life,” Kingad said.

“Back then, I was such a mess as a teenager growing up. I fell into a bad crowd. Martial arts was a huge influence. The biggest thing that martial arts gave me was discipline. With hard work and discipline, I have accomplished so much.”

One of the biggest influences in Kingad’s life was when he learned the value of discipline.

“If you want to win, if you want to succeed, then you should have the dedication and the discipline to put in the long hours at the gym and never miss a day of training,” Kingad said.

“If you train correctly and regularly, then it becomes a part of your life. Study every aspect very well and do your due diligence.”

Kingad is scheduled to face Japanese sensation Senzo Ikeda in the quarter-final round of the highly-anticipated ONE Flyweight World Grand Prix. The two meet in a three-round bout at ONE: A NEW ERA, set for the Ryogoku Kokugikan in Tokyo, Japan on 31 March.

Kingad has his team and his coach to thank for getting things in his life in order. The 23-year-old says that martial arts has had such a huge impact on how he lives everyday, and he vows to be the best person he can be heading into the biggest match of his life.

“It also helps that I have a great coach and a team who helps me out every single day, even if I don’t have any upcoming match,” Kingad concluded.

“I am constantly in training, learning, and growing. I am blessed to have such an amazing group of guys, that I am surrounded by World Champions, and that I am absorbing everything that I can from them.

“This is such an important fight for me. The tournament will decide who challenges for the title and I have my eyes set on ONE Championship gold.”

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Angela Lee to Use Skill and Will to Dominate Xiong Jing Nan

ONE Women’s Atomweight World Champion Angela “Unstoppable” Lee looks to make history this 31 March, when ONE Championship hits the Ryogoku Kokugikan in Tokyo, Japan for the very first time. The 22-year-old female World Champion is scheduled to face reigning ONE Women’s Strawweight World Champion “The Panda” Xiong Jing Nan in one of three co-main […]

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ONE Women’s Atomweight World Champion Angela “Unstoppable” Lee looks to make history this 31 March, when ONE Championship hits the Ryogoku Kokugikan in Tokyo, Japan for the very first time.

The 22-year-old female World Champion is scheduled to face reigning ONE Women’s Strawweight World Champion “The Panda” Xiong Jing Nan in one of three co-main events at ONE: A NEW ERA.

Their original encounter was supposed to take place last November in Singapore, but due to a disk injury, Lee was deemed medically unfit and was forced to withdraw from the contest.

“I was heartbroken. I thought that I wouldn’t be able to have this opportunity again,” Lee said.

“I had my heart set on making history but unfortunately, unforeseen circumstances occurred. It was out of my control and instead I was faced with another test of patience.”

Now, with the bout rescheduled for Japan, Lee is absolutely pumped at the chance to make history and become the first female concurrent two-division World Champion in mixed martial arts history.

One of the biggest challenges that Lee faces however is accustoming herself to the new weight class. Lee, the atomweight champion in ONE Championship, will move a full division up to strawweight to challenge for the title there.

Despite training for a new weight class however, Lee feels she is much stronger at strawweight and that it will show in the match.

“To be honest, I am very excited to be competing in the strawweight division,” Lee said.

“Sure, it’s a step up in what I’m used to, but it’s also closer to my natural weight. Moving up in weight has made me more dangerous than ever. Instead of worrying about my weight descent, I’ve had 100% focus on my fight and game plan.”

At 22 years of age, Lee simply will not be denied. As good as Xiong is, Lee looks to put forth her most comprehensive and dominant performance yet.

“I’ll be looking to dominate in every area of the fight,” Lee concluded.

“I will use my skill and will to break Xiong Jing Nan and capture the ONE Women’s Strawweight World Title.”

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Danny Kingad Credits Team Lakay For Success

Top ONE flyweight and former ONE World Title challenger Danny “The King” Kingad would not be where he’s at in his career now without that help of his brothers at the renowned Team Lakay. A troubled youth who fell into bad company when he was a teenager, Kingad recalled how his life has changed when […]

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Top ONE flyweight and former ONE World Title challenger Danny “The King” Kingad would not be where he’s at in his career now without that help of his brothers at the renowned Team Lakay.

A troubled youth who fell into bad company when he was a teenager, Kingad recalled how his life has changed when he met Coach Mark Sangiao and discovered martial arts.

“I first met coach Mark [Sangiao] when my cousin invited me to train at their gym,” Kingad said.

“I just went there every day and joined the team in their training until one day, the coach approached me and told me that I have the potential to become a World Champion. That is how I joined Team Lakay.”

“The King” led a life of many vices among bad influences before joining the dominant Baguio City gym. He would oftentimes get into a lot of trouble, and even skipped school regularly.

With the training and guidance of Sangiao and the rest of Team Lakay however, he was able to learn and practice true martial arts values which turned his life around completely.

“Team Lakay saved me and taught me more than just kicking and punching,” Kingad said.

“They taught and instilled discipline and respect in me. They are my second family and a huge part of my life. The values that I learned from coach Mark and the team is more important than being a famous mixed martial artist. It is something that I will bring with me even after I retire.”

Kingad and the rest of Team Lakay have long talked about what makes their group so special. It’s the bond that they keep, which ties them like family. Even outside of training, the members of Team Lakay all maintain personal relationships. They consider themselves blood brothers.

“Outside the gym, we are really close and good friends,” Kingad said.

“We do things together like eating out at a restaurant or celebrating special occasions together. Sometimes when we have free time, we go and do trail runs. It’s really more like a family than a team. They are my brothers and we all take care of each other.”

Kingad’s success today is a direct effect of his time training with Team Lakay. The 23-year-old is proud to share his victories and defeats with his most trusted cornermen.

As such, “The King” is quick to give credit where it is due, and to thank those who have helped him along this path.

“I am truly happy and blessed to be a part of Team Lakay,” Kingad concluded.

“Without my brothers, I don’t know where I would be right now. The team gave me a purpose and a means to provide for my family. They are always there to help me whether it is about mixed martial arts or about my personal life.”

Kingad returns to action at ONE: A NEW ERA, which takes place at the Ryogoku Kokugikan in Tokyo, Japan on 31 March. He faces Japanese veteran and current Pancrase Flyweight World Champion Senzo Ikeda in the quarter-final round of the ONE Flyweight World Grand Prix.

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Kevin Belingon Says Winning and Losing is Part of the Game

Reigning ONE Bantamweight World Champion Kevin “The Silencer” Belingon is putting all his efforts in preparation for his first title defense against Bibiano “The Flash” Fernandes. The highly-anticipated matchup is one of three co-main events to be held at ONE: A NEW ERA, which takes place at the Ryōgoku Kokugikan on 31 March. Earlier this […]

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Reigning ONE Bantamweight World Champion Kevin “The Silencer” Belingon is putting all his efforts in preparation for his first title defense against Bibiano “The Flash” Fernandes. The highly-anticipated matchup is one of three co-main events to be held at ONE: A NEW ERA, which takes place at the Ry?goku Kokugikan on 31 March.

Earlier this year, Belingon’s Team Lakay stablemates Joshua Pacio and Geje Eustaquio lost their World Titles via razor-thin split decisions. Although Belingon is confident of victory ahead of his bout against Fernandes, “The Silencer” understands that losing is also part of the game.

“This is a competitive sport,” Belingon said.

“Winning and losing are both parts of the game. I personally do not feel the need to avenge Joshua [Pacio] or Geje [Eustaquio]. They did their best inside the cage and poured their hearts out into their performances. That’s all you could really ask for. I’m confident they’ll be back in prime position to regain their titles. We are extremely proud of them, win or lose.”

Belingon is deep in preparations for perhaps the most significant test in his career thus far. He is hard at work sharpening his skills and plugging any holes in his game that Fernandes can take advantage of.

With an entire nation behind him, and the support of his Team Lakay brothers, friends and family, Belingon is laser-focused on achieving his goal.

“Right now, I’m just focused on successfully defending my ONE Bantamweight World Title,” Belingon said.

“This bout is dedicated to my family, Team Lakay, and the entire nation of the Philippines. Without a doubt, this is my toughest test yet and I need to pass with flying colors.”

Belingon and Fernandes have met twice before, and both have a win each in their series. The winner of this highly-anticipated rubber match will crown the rightful owner of the ONE Bantamweight World Title.

The 31-year-old feels that he knows exactly what Fernandes brings to the table and will be ready for anything the Brazilian dishes out at him.

“Bibiano [Fernandes] is a very dangerous opponent,” Belingon concluded.

“But I feel like, after two fights, I know him very well already and I can better deal with his strengths in this third bout.”

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Eduard Folayang Promises The Best Performance Of His Career In Rematch With Shinya Aoki

Eduard “Landslide” Folayang is honored to defend his ONE Lightweight World Title at the Ryōgoku Kokugikan in Tokyo, Japan against legend, Shinya “Tobikan Judan” Aoki, as they headline ONE: A NEW ERA on 31 March. The 35-year-old veteran martial artist is prepared to go all out and deliver the best performance of his career on […]

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Eduard “Landslide” Folayang is honored to defend his ONE Lightweight World Title at the Ry?goku Kokugikan in Tokyo, Japan against legend, Shinya “Tobikan Judan” Aoki, as they headline ONE: A NEW ERA on 31 March.

The 35-year-old veteran martial artist is prepared to go all out and deliver the best performance of his career on ONE Championship’s biggest card yet.

“It is truly an honor and a blessing to compete in the main event of ONE Championship’s inaugural event in Japan,” Folayang said.

“In addition, facing a legend like Shinya Aoki is an honor in front of his hometown crowd no less. I’m excited to face him again in this rematch, and I can only promise to deliver my best performance yet.”

With the whole world fixated on ONE: A NEW ERA, Folayang knows millions across the globe will be watching. The event is without a doubt ONE Championship’s finest to date, with four World Title bouts taking place alongside the high-profile promotional debuts of Demetrious Johnson and Eddie Alvarez.

While most athletes would be nervous heading into such a spectacle, Folayang reveals that he is more concerned about representing himself well and performing to the best of his abilities.

“I am not nervous at all heading into this matchup,” Folayang said.

“What I am nervous about is whether or not I will be able to perform to my satisfaction. Winning and losing is already a given in any sport, but it’s how you perform that will give you the most fulfillment. If you are able to do what you wanted to do, there will be no regrets. The only thing we can control is our own selves, especially in the heat of battle.”

With less than three weeks left until the event, Folayang appears steadfast and confident of victory. He will step into the ONE cage at the iconic Sumo Hall with his band of brothers at Team Lakay in his corner, and the weight of an entire nation behind him.

“Landslide” is more than willing to rise to the occasion and vows to bring the title back to the Philippines in epic fashion.

“Having the entire Team Lakay behind me when we hit Tokyo is going to be crucial,” Folayang concluded.

“Just the support they offer mentally and physically is already such a huge factor in this. I’m going to be looking for the finish. I want to make my brothers and my country proud.”

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