Pretty Much Everyone Came in Heavy at the ONE FC ‘Rise to Power’ Weigh-Ins Today, Including Fatty Boom-Boom


(No, Tim, we do not know where they keep the rest of the honey. Photo via Sherdog.)

You guys, this might come as a Scanners.gif to you, but Tim Sylvia — best known around these parts as Fatty Boom-Boom — failed to make weight for his scheduled contest with Tony Johnson at ONE FC ‘Rise to Power’ tomorrow. Tipping the scales at a hefty-yet-slimmed down 271 pounds (perhaps The Maine-Iac 90 Day Weight Loss Challenge works after all!), Sylvia missed the heavyweight limit by 6 pounds earlier today. While some of you may accuse of us going after the low hanging fruit here, let us not forget that this is the same Tim Sylvia who just weeks ago was informing us of his desires to finish his career in the UFC. This is not a great start.

To be fair, Sylvia wasn’t the most egregious offender at today’s weigh-ins, not by a long shot. That dishonor would be bestowed upon Ryan “The Lion” Diaz, the 13-13 Strikeforce and KOTC veteran who had not competed in nearly three years before agreeing to face Yusup Saadulaev in a bantamweight contest. Weighing in at 144.8 pounds, Diaz surpassed the limit by nearly ten pounds. Somewhere, Anthony Johnson is eating his second straight double fudge ice cream sundae and smiling for completely unrelated reasons.

Sylvia and Diaz, along with Andrew Leone and Lowen Tynanes, will all face penalties for missing weight in the form of purse deductions, although just how much they will lose has yet to be disclosed by ONE FC officials. Thankfully, the scheduled title fights in Honorio Banario vs. Koji Oishi (featherweight) and Bibiano Fernandes vs. Koetsu Okazaki (bantamweight) will actually make it to fruition, as all four fighters successfully made weight.

The entire ONE FC ‘Rise to Power’ fight card can be purchased for just $9.99 through ONE FC’s official website. Featuring the likes of Phil Baroni, Kamal Shalorus, Masakatsu Ueda, and Eduard Folayang, the card is set to kick off tomorrow morning starting at 6:30 a.m. EST.

The full weigh-in results and a video preview of ONE FC ‘Rise to Power’ are after the jump. 


(No, Tim, we do not know where they keep the rest of the honey. Photo via Sherdog.)

You guys, this might come as a Scanners.gif to you, but Tim Sylvia — best known around these parts as Fatty Boom-Boom — failed to make weight for his scheduled contest with Tony Johnson at ONE FC ‘Rise to Power’ tomorrow. Tipping the scales at a hefty-yet-slimmed down 271 pounds (perhaps The Maine-Iac 90 Day Weight Loss Challenge works after all!), Sylvia missed the heavyweight limit by 6 pounds earlier today. While some of you may accuse of us going after the low hanging fruit here, let us not forget that this is the same Tim Sylvia who just weeks ago was informing us of his desires to finish his career in the UFC. This is not a great start.

To be fair, Sylvia wasn’t the most egregious offender at today’s weigh-ins, not by a long shot. That dishonor would be bestowed upon Ryan “The Lion” Diaz, the 13-13 Strikeforce and KOTC veteran who had not competed in nearly three years before agreeing to face Yusup Saadulaev in a bantamweight contest. Weighing in at 144.8 pounds, Diaz surpassed the limit by nearly ten pounds. Somewhere, Anthony Johnson is eating his second straight double fudge ice cream sundae and smiling for completely unrelated reasons.

Sylvia and Diaz, along with Andrew Leone and Lowen Tynanes, will all face penalties for missing weight in the form of purse deductions, although just how much they will lose has yet to be disclosed by ONE FC officials. Thankfully, the scheduled title fights in Honorio Banario vs. Koji Oishi (featherweight) and Bibiano Fernandes vs. Koetsu Okazaki (bantamweight) will actually make it to fruition, as all four fighters successfully made weight.

The entire ONE FC ‘Rise to Power’ fight card can be purchased for just $9.99 through ONE FC’s official website. Featuring the likes of Phil Baroni, Kamal Shalorus, Masakatsu Ueda, and Eduard Folayang, the card is set to kick off tomorrow morning starting at 6:30 a.m. EST.

The full weigh-in results and a video preview of ONE FC ‘Rise to Power’ are below.

-Honorio Banario (144.7) vs. Koji Oishi (144.8) – for featherweight title
-Bibiano Fernandes (134.4) vs. Koetsu Okazaki (134.4) – for interim bantamweight title
-Kevin Belingon (134) vs. Masakatsu Ueda (134.6) – bantamweight grand-prix final
-Rey Docyogen (124.7) vs. Yasuhiro Urushitani (124.7)
-Phil Baroni (169) vs. Nobutatsu Suzuki (169.4)
-Eduard Folayang (154.4) vs. Kamal Shalorus (154.2)
-Geje Eustaquio (124.7) vs. Andrew Leone (127.7)
-Ryan Diaz (144.8) vs. Yusup Saadulaev (134.4)
-Felipe Enomoto (153.1) vs. Lowen Tynanes (155.2)
-Tony Johnson (264.2) vs. Tim Sylvia (271)

ONE FC ‘Rise to Power’ Preview

J. Jones

Where Are They Now – Damacio Page and Kamal Shalorus Receive Future Opponents


Photo courtesy of LegacyFights.Net

UFC veterans Damacio Page and Kamal Shalorus both had fairly similar runs in the Octagon. After showing promise in the WEC, both men were disappointing at best once called up to the sport’s biggest stage. Both men went 0-3 in the UFC before receiving their walking papers during the summer of 2012. Now, they’ve both recently booked their first fights in their post-UFC careers, and neither man has an easy rebound fight lined up.

When we last saw Damacio Page, he was being choked out by Alex Caceres during UFC on Fuel TV 4, marking his fourth straight loss. “The Angel of Death” was released from his contract shortly afterwards, and now, the former UFC bantamweight has decided to sign with Legacy FC. He will make his promotional debut against 4-0 prospect Patrick Ybarra at Legacy FC 20 on May 31.

Before you start screaming “squash match,” know that Ybarra has finished all four of his professional fights by armbar, and that none of those fights made it out of the first round. Combined with the fact that seven of Page’s eight losses have come by submission, Ybarra probably has a better chance at pulling off the upset than you think.


Photo courtesy of LegacyFights.Net

UFC veterans Damacio Page and Kamal Shalorus both had fairly similar runs in the Octagon. After showing promise in the WEC, both men were disappointing at best once called up to the sport’s biggest stage. Both men went 0-3 in the UFC before receiving their walking papers during the summer of 2012. Now, they’ve both recently booked their first fights in their post-UFC careers, and neither man has an easy rebound fight lined up.

When we last saw Damacio Page, he was being choked out by Alex Caceres during UFC on Fuel TV 4, marking his fourth straight loss. “The Angel of Death” was released from his contract shortly afterwards, and now, the former UFC bantamweight has decided to sign with Legacy FC. He will make his promotional debut against 4-0 prospect Patrick Ybarra at Legacy FC 20 on May 31.

Before you start screaming “squash match,” know that Ybarra has finished all four of his professional fights by armbar, and that none of those fights made it out of the first round. Combined with the fact that seven of Page’s eight losses have come by submission, Ybarra probably has a better chance at pulling off the upset than you think.

Likewise, when we last saw Kamal Shalorus, he was getting choked out by Rafael dos Anjos in the first round of their fight at UFC on Fuel TV 3. “The Prince of Persia” has recently signed on with ONE FC, and will be facing Eduard Folayang during his promotional debut at ONE FC 9 – which coincidentally also takes place on May 31. Even though both fighters are coming off of losses, this should be a very interesting match-up. Folayang is a very entertaining striker, and one of the top fighters that ONE FC has to offer.

So what do you think? Which fighter has the better chance of ending their losing streak this May?

@SethFalvo

Hot Potato: 23 Photos of One FC Ring Girl Felixia Yeap

Props to MMASucka for turning us on to model Felixia Yeap, a Miss Universe Malaysia finalist who was just picked up as a ring girl for ONE FC. A former kindergarten teacher and the imaginary girlfriend of cock-talking lawyers worldwide, Felixia hails from Kuala Lumpur and became Malaysia’s first Playboy Bunny when she was hired to work at the Playboy Club in Macao.

Check out lots more of our favorite Felixia Yeap photos in the gallery after the jump, and if you like what you see, follow her life on twitterFacebook, and YouTube.

Props to MMASucka for turning us on to model Felixia Yeap, a Miss Universe Malaysia finalist who was just picked up as a ring girl for ONE FC. A former kindergarten teacher and the imaginary girlfriend of cock-talking lawyers worldwide, Felixia hails from Kuala Lumpur and became Malaysia’s first Playboy Bunny when she was hired to work at the Playboy Club in Macao.

Check out lots more of our favorite Felixia Yeap photos in the gallery above, and if you like what you see, follow her life on twitterFacebook, and YouTube.

One FC Changes Adopts ‘Full Pride Rules,’ to Allow Soccer Kicks


(The match up that launched a thousand rematches)

Last Friday we (and the rest of the known cyber MMA world) complained about Singapore MMA promotion One FC botching an otherwise solid event in the Philippines with convoluted rules relating to kicks to the heads of downed opponents. Referees somehow had to give fighters “permission” in the moment to throw kicks to the heads of their fallen opponents.

You might remember that Phil Baroni won his fight with a barrage of punches and kicks to the head of his opponent Rodrigo Ribeiro while Andrei Arlovski was penalized for kicking the head of the dropped Tim Sylvia. When the “Mainiac” could not continue, their fight was ruled a no-contest (GIFS of both fight endings here, full fight videos here).

Sunday night, a message was sent out from the OneFCMMA twitter account, hoping to set things right.

Effective immediately, ONE FC has adopted full PRIDE rules for soccer kicks.Catch ONE FC: Rise of Kings on Oct 6!

— ONE FC (@ONEFCMMA) September 3, 2012


(The match up that launched a thousand rematches)

Last Friday we (and the rest of the known cyber MMA world) complained about Singapore MMA promotion One FC botching an otherwise solid event in the Philippines with convoluted rules relating to kicks to the heads of downed opponents. Referees somehow had to give fighters “permission” in the moment to throw kicks to the heads of their fallen opponents.

You might remember that Phil Baroni won his fight with a barrage of punches and kicks to the head of his opponent Rodrigo Ribeiro while Andrei Arlovski was penalized for kicking the head of the dropped Tim Sylvia. When the “Mainiac” could not continue, their fight was ruled a no-contest (GIFS of both fight endings here, full fight videos here).

Sunday night, a message was sent out from the OneFCMMA twitter account, hoping to set things right.

While, grammatically, the announcement may still leave some uncertainty (are they adopting and implementing all of the rules last used by the now defunct Japanese MMA organization, Pride, or just the Pride rules pertaining to ‘soccer kicks?’ Also, we have to assume that they are referring to Pride rules used in Japan, not the adapted ones used by the organization in fights held in the United States) but it is probably safe to assume, at least, that One FC fighters will now be allowed to kick and knee the heads of their opponents on the feet and on the ground without fear of being penalized.

Last Friday, this writer said that what was needed from One FC was a simple, clear-cut decision to allow or not allow kicks and knees to the heads of downed opponents, not equivocation or delay. If they’ve done that, then it is a step in the right direction.

By the way, things sure do move fast without having to deal with athletic commissions to approve your organization’s rules, huh?

Elias Cepeda

Andrei Arlovski vs. Tim Sylvia 4 Booked for ONE FC; Soa Palelei Out Due to Contract Dispute


(* Sylvia’s physique subject to change.)

Well, it had to happen sooner or later. News broke this morning that heavyweight arch-rivals Andrei Arlovski and Tim Sylvia — who previously faced each other in three UFC title fights in 2005-2006, with Sylvia winning the last two — will fight for the fourth time at ONE FC: Pride of a Nation, August 31st in Manila. Arlovski was originally slated to fight Australian bruiser Soa “The Hulk” Palelei at the event, but as Palelei tweeted to us earlier today, ONE FC wouldn’t let him fight unless he signed a five-fight contract. And as everybody knows, a Hulk needs his freedom.

Though both the Pitbull and the Maine-iac endured their share of setbacks during their post-UFC careers, both men are currently riding win streaks. Arlovski scored back-to-back knockouts of Ray Lopez and Travis Fulton while competing in ProElite last year, while Sylvia has won his last three bouts, most recently a 12-second TKO of Randy Smith. And while you might see this match as a relatively meaningless nostalgia fight, for Arlovski it’s still very, very real. As he said earlier this year:

I would love to fight pee-pee taste…I beat him once and he beat me twice and it’s personal. He’s the only person in the word I really want to fight; really, really fight, it’d be a nasty fight. I don’t want to talk about what would happen in the fight, he’s a piece of shit and I’d just try to kick his blah blah blah.”

Will Arlovski even the score? Will Timmy take another step toward the UFC comeback that continues to elude him? Let us know what you think in the comments section, and re-watch their first two fights after the jump…


(* Sylvia’s physique subject to change.)

Well, it had to happen sooner or later. News broke this morning that heavyweight arch-rivals Andrei Arlovski and Tim Sylvia — who previously faced each other in three UFC title fights in 2005-2006, with Sylvia winning the last two — will fight for the fourth time at ONE FC: Pride of a Nation, August 31st in Manila. Arlovski was originally slated to fight Australian bruiser Soa “The Hulk” Palelei at the event, but as Palelei tweeted to us earlier today, ONE FC wouldn’t let him fight unless he signed a five-fight contract. And as everybody knows, a Hulk needs his freedom.

Though both the Pitbull and the Maine-iac endured their share of setbacks during their post-UFC careers, both men are currently riding win streaks. Arlovski scored back-to-back knockouts of Ray Lopez and Travis Fulton while competing in ProElite last year, while Sylvia has won his last three bouts, most recently a 12-second TKO of Randy Smith. And while you might see this match as a relatively meaningless nostalgia fight, for Arlovski it’s still very, very real. As he said earlier this year:

I would love to fight pee-pee taste…I beat him once and he beat me twice and it’s personal. He’s the only person in the word I really want to fight; really, really fight, it’d be a nasty fight. I don’t want to talk about what would happen in the fight, he’s a piece of shit and I’d just try to kick his blah blah blah.”

Will Arlovski even the score? Will Timmy take another step toward the UFC comeback that continues to elude him? Let us know what you think in the comments section, and re-watch their first two fights after the jump…


(Arlovski def. Sylvia via achilles lock, 0:47 of round 1, at UFC 51, 2/5/05.)


(Sylvia def. Arlovski via TKO, 2:43 of round 1, at UFC 59, 4/15/06.)

ONE FC Reportedly Signs Shinya Aoki and…Bibiano Fernandes? Wait, WHAT?!


Pictured: The closest Fernandes has come to landing a punch in the UFC.

After an astonishing 0-0 run in the UFC, it looks like Bibiano Fernandes already has a new home.

It’s being reported by MMAFighting.com that the former DREAM bantamweight champion has inked a deal with ONE FC and is set to make his promotional debut at an August 31 show in Manila, Philippines. An opponent has not been specified at this time.


Pictured: The closest Fernandes has come to landing a punch in the UFC.

After an astonishing 0-0 run in the UFC, it looks like Bibiano Fernandes already has a new home.

It’s being reported by MMAFighting.com that the former DREAM bantamweight champion has inked a deal with ONE FC and is set to make his promotional debut at an August 31 show in Manila, Philippines. An opponent has not been specified at this time.

For those of you keeping score, Bibiano Fernandes was initially set to make his UFC debut against Roland Delorme at UFC 149. However, after an injury sidelined Fernandes, Bibiano claimed to have never inked a deal with the UFC in the first place. In other words, we might not want to put too much stock in this signing until we actually see him in the cage on August 31.

Fernandes isn’t the only staple of the Japanese MMA scene to sign on with ONE FC. The promotion is also rumored to have signed former DREAM lightweight champion Shinya Aoki, who will also be making his promotional debut on this card. At this point, if DREAM isn’t actually dead, it might as well be.

Barring an injury curse the likes of which we haven’t seen since UFC 149, ONE FC’s Manila card is shaping up to be one hell of a follow-up to last weekend’s already entertaining efforts. Aside from the promotional debuts of Fernandes and Aoki, Renato “Babalu” Sobral is also scheduled to appear on this card.

We’ll keep you up to date as more information becomes available about this card.