ONE Championship Announces 45-event Schedule in 2019

Following a monumental 2018 in which the world’s largest martial arts organization hosted 24 shows, ONE Championship is set to up the ante even further.

Chatri Sityodtong, ONE Championship’s Chairman and CEO, announced on Facebook that the promotion is set to host 45 events in 2019.

The company’s 24 flagship ONE Championship events had already been announced and scheduled, including forays into new territories such as Japan, South Korea, and Vietnam.

In addition, Rich Franklin’s ONE Warriors Series will see double its number of 2018 live shows with six in 2019.

The groundbreaking documentary series kicked off with three thrilling cards held in Singapore, and saw ONE Vice President Rich Franklin unearthing Asia’s finest burgeoning talent.

This includes the likes of Thai sensation Stamp Fairtex, who captured the ONE Kickboxing Atomweight World Championship en route to being named ONE’s 2018 Breakthrough Athlete of the Year.

Furthermore, ONE will host 12 ONE Hero Series events in the coming year, with further details on the new format to be announced at a later date.

On top of the elite combat sports that are set to light up Asia in 2019, ONE Esports will also get underway. There will be three of the colossal gaming events on offer, held alongside the martial arts shows in weekend spectacles.

ONE Championship kicks off its 2019 with an event in Jakarta, Indonesia for ONE: ETERNAL GLORY on 19 January, which pits ONE Strawweight World Champion Joshua “The Passion” Pacio against Yosuke Saruta of Japan.

Six days after ONE: ETERNAL GLORY, ONE Championship makes its return to Manila, Philippines to stage ONE: HERO’S ASCENT, featuring the much-awaited rubber match between ONE Flyweight World Champion Geje “Gravity” Eustaquio and Adriano “Mikinho” Moraes.

More big news is expected to be announced in the coming weeks.

Christian Lee To Rematch Edward Kelly at ONE: ETERNAL GLORY

Former ONE Featherweight World Title challenger Christian “The Warrior” Lee of Singapore is set to face the Philippines’ Edward “The Ferocious” Kelly in a highly-anticipated rematch at ONE: ETERNAL GLORY, set for the Istora Senayan in Jakarta, Indonesia on 19 January. The two warriors have met each other before, with Lee dropping a disqualification loss to Kelly after an illegal suplex.

The two featherweights are tops in their division, whose champion is none other than Australia’s Martin “The Situ-Asian” Nguyen. A victory for Lee or Kelly would certainly bring either closer to a shot at the ONE Featherweight World Title.

The first time they met at ONE: BEYOND THE HORIZON last September, it started off as a heated battle. Kelly had his moments early, tagging Lee with a couple of hard shots, while the young Singaporean dominated the grappling exchanges. An ill-fated suplex ultimately led to the disqualification ruling, with Kelly landing on his head and the referee calling a halt to the contest shortly after.

Matters are expected to be resolved in the do-over bout, and this time, fans expect a more decisive finish.

The 20-year-old Lee is one of ONE Championship’s top prospects. Even at such a young age, “The Warrior” has shown incredible poise and polish. Guided by his father Ken Lee at United MMA in Hawaii, and by the world champions at Evolve MMA in Singapore, Lee is a martial arts prodigy.

He is the younger brother of reigning ONE Women’s Atomweight World Champion “Unstoppable” Angela Lee and often trains with her. In May 2018, Lee was on the wrong end of a split decision when he challenged Nguyen in his first shot at the ONE World Title. This championship experience however has made him a better fighter.

Kelly, on the other hand, is a prominent member of the famed Team Lakay, one of the top martial arts outfits in the world. The stable includes World Champions such as Eduard Folayang, Joshua Pacio, Geje Eustaquio, and Kevin Belingon, who Kelly trains with on the regular.

ONE: ETERNAL GLORY features a headline bout between ONE Strawweight World Champion Joshua “The Passion” Pacio and Japanese challenger Yosuke Saruta.

TURNER SPORTS REACHES MULTI-YEAR AGREEMENT WITH ONE CHAMPIONSHIP BEGINNING IN JANUARY 201

Turner Sports has reached a three-year partnership with ONE Championship™ (ONE), the world’s largest martial arts organization and the biggest global sports media property in Asian history, to distribute its live event coverage in the United States. Per terms of the agreement, B/R Live – Turner’s live sports streaming service – will be the primary destination for ONE Championship™ live events each year. B/R Live will present its first live ONE Championship event on Saturday, Jan. 19, with 24 overall events scheduled in 2019.

B/R Live will also distribute shoulder programming surrounding the live event experience. Additionally, Turner’s TNT will televise at least 12 one-hour, taped re-airs featuring ONE Championship events per year.

“ONE Championship is one of the most popular mixed martial arts organizations in the world, with a high concentration of passionate, millennial fans that make it a perfect fit for B/R Live and TNT,” said Lenny Daniels, President, Turner Sports. “We will leverage every opportunity within our portfolio to partner with ONE Championship and help further expand its footprint in the U.S.”

“We are thrilled to partner with Turner Sports, a truly iconic industry leader of premium sports content, to bring authentic, world-class martial arts action to American fans,” said Chatri Sityodtong, Chairman and CEO of ONE Championship. “As the Home of Martial Arts, ONE Championship has a simple formula of values, heroes, and stories that have resonated deeply across the globe. We look forward to showcasing the greatest martial artists in the world.”

Additional scheduling and distribution information, including pricing, will be shared at a later date.

ONE Championship is an organization that hosts bouts across all styles of martial arts including Muay Thai, Kickboxing, Karate, Kung Fu, Silat, Sanda, Lethwei, Mixed Martial Arts, Tae Kwon Do, Submission Grappling and more.

ONE Championship recently made headlines when it expanded its roster with high-profile U.S. talent signings Eddie “The Underground King” Alvarez and Demetrious “Mighty Mouse” Johnson last October, followed by “Super” Sage Northcutt in November. The mixed martial arts standouts are set to join ONE Championship existing stars such as Singapore’s “Unstoppable” Angela Lee, the Philippines’ Eduard “Landslide” Folayang and Myanmar’s “The Burmese Python” Aung La N Sang.

This distribution agreement was reached in collaboration between Turner and ONE Championship, in association with Evolution Media.

For more updates on ONE Championship, please visit www.onefc.com, follow us on Twitter and Instagram @ONEChampionship, and like us on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/ONEChampionship.

About Turner Sports
Turner Sports, a division of Turner, is an industry leader in the delivery of premium sports content across all multimedia screens. Turner Sports’ television coverage includes the NBA, Major League Baseball, NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball Championship, ELEAGUE and professional golf, along with the UEFA Champions League and UEFA Europa League.  The company also manages some of the most popular sports destinations across digital and social platforms including Bleacher Report and its top-rated app, NCAA.com and the critically-acclaimed NCAA March Madness Live suite of products, PGA.com and the Sports Emmy Award-winning PGA Championship LIVE, as well as an accompanying collection of mobile sites and connected device apps.  Turner Sports and the NBA jointly manage NBA Digital, a robust collection of offerings including NBA TV, NBA.com, NBA LEAGUE PASS, the NBA App and NBAGLEAGUE.com. Turner Sports recently launched B/R Live, a premium live streaming sports platform that serves as the central hub for both the discovery and consumption of live sports content. The new streaming service allows fans to find and watch their favorite sports content anywhere, anytime and on the screen of their choice.

About ONE Championship™
ONE Championship (ONE) is the largest global sports media property in Asian history, and the largest producer of millennial live sports content in Asia. Headquartered in Singapore, ONE is the Home of Martial Arts, and is the world's largest martial arts organization, hosting bouts across all styles of martial arts such as Muay Thai, Kickboxing, Karate, Kung Fu, Silat, Sanda, Lethwei, Mixed Martial Arts, Tae Kwon Do, Submission Grappling, and more. ONE hosts the biggest sports entertainment events across Asia, featuring some of the world's best martial artists and world champions on the largest global media broadcast in Asia. ONE eSports, a subsidiary of ONE Championship, runs Asia's largest eSports league with some of the biggest blockbuster titles in the world. In addition to its digital platforms, ONE Championship broadcasts to over 1.7 billion potential viewers across 138 countries with some of the largest global broadcasters, including Fox Sports, ABS-CBN, Astro, ClaroSports, Bandsports, Startimes, Premier Sports, Thairath TV, Skynet, Mediacorp, OSN, and more.

JOSHUA PACIO TO DEFEND ONE STRAWWEIGHT WORLD TITLE AGAINST HAYATO SUZUKI

The largest global sports media property in Asian history, ONE Championship™ (ONE), has just announced the main event of ONE: ETERNAL GLORY, set for Istora Senayan in Jakarta on 19 January. Reigning ONE Strawweight World Champion Joshua “The Passion” Pacio of the Philippines is ready to defend his title against Hayato Suzuki of Japan in a highly-anticipated rematch.

Ticket information for ONE: ETERNAL GLORY is available at www.onefc.com.

Joshua “The Passion” Pacio, who hails from Baguio City, Philippines, captured the ONE Strawweight World Championship with a unanimous decision victory over former titleholder Yoshitaka Naito at ONE: CONQUEST OF HEROES last September. It was an epic rematch between the two warriors, as Pacio put together the performance of a lifetime to claim the prestigious title.

The 22-year-old Filipino has shown tremendous improvement over the past few years leading up to his title reign. With the ONE Strawweight World Championship firmly in his grasp, he looks to make a successful first defense against the last man to defeat him.

Hayato Suzuki, who hails from Takahagi City, Japan, 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.

An experienced grappler, Suzuki looks to replicate that stellar performance against Pacio and will attempt to claim the ONE Strawweight World Championship at ONE: ETERNAL GLORY on 19 January.

For more updates on ONE Championship, please visit www.onefc.com, follow us on Twitter and Instagram @ONEChampionship, and like us on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/ONEChampionship.

About ONE Championship™
ONE Championship (ONE) is the largest global sports media property in Asian history, and the largest producer of millennial live sports content in Asia. Headquartered in Singapore, ONE is the Home of Martial Arts, and is the world's largest martial arts organization, hosting bouts across all styles of martial arts such as Muay Thai, Kickboxing, Karate, Kung Fu, Silat, Sanda, Lethwei, Mixed Martial Arts, Tae Kwon Do, Submission Grappling, and more. ONE hosts the biggest sports entertainment events across Asia, featuring some of the world's best martial artists and world champions on the largest global media broadcast in Asia. ONE eSports, a subsidiary of ONE Championship, runs Asia's largest eSports league with some of the biggest blockbuster titles in the world. In addition to its digital platforms, ONE Championship broadcasts to over 1.7 billion potential viewers across 138 countries with some of the largest global broadcasters, including Fox Sports, ABS-CBN, Astro, ClaroSports, Bandsports, Startimes, Premier Sports, Thairath TV, Skynet, Mediacorp, OSN, and more.

TEAM LAKAY HONORED IN BAGUIO CITY’S CHAMPIONS PARADE

Baguio City, Philippines: Team Lakay were honored with a Champions Parade last Sunday, 2 December. Members of the world champion martial arts stable took to the streets of Baguio City in a motorcade to celebrate their achievements in 2018. 

In attendance were ONE Championship superstars including ONE Lightweight World Champion Eduard “Landslide” Folayang, ONE Bantamweight World Champion Kevin “The Silencer” Belingon, ONE Flyweight World Champion Geje “Gravity” Eustaquio, and ONE Strawweight World Champion Joshua “The Passion” Pacio.

Accompanying the ONE World Champions were teammates Honorio “The Rock” Banario, Edward “The Ferocious” Kelly, Stephen “The Sniper” Loman, as well as Team Lakay head coach Mark Sangiao, among others.

Eduard Folayang, ONE Lightweight World Champion, stated:

“We are just normal citizens of Baguio City with big dreams. We worked hard to achieve our goals and now we’re here. We believe the Cordilleran can compete with anyone in the world and we have what it takes to be the best in our chosen field. Hard work and dedication is all it takes to achieve success. The great thing about martial arts is that it’s not just about fighting, it’s about living. Martial arts is a way of life. It’s our way of life. It’s pushing through adversity, taking on any challenge and using the human spirit to achieve victory.”

Kevin Belingon, ONE Bantamweight World Champion, stated:

“I just want to thank everyone for the support. It means a lot to the team, and it means a lot to me. Thank you to the city of Baguio for organizing this motorcade for us. Thank you for the continued support for all martial artists and athletes here in Baguio and the Cordilleras. It is an honor to hold this belt in front of you all. It is an honor to be your champion.”

Geje Eustaquio, ONE Flyweight World Champion, stated:

“We always say at Team Lakay that champions are not born, they are made. But we were made because of the people of Baguio City. We never claim victory as our own. This has always been the fruit of teamwork -- the people behind the scenes: our family, our fans and supporters, sponsors and Filipinos all over the world. We feed off your positive energy and it serves as inspiration for us. We would never be able to achieve all that we have without your support. There are more victories to come, and together, we can reach all of our goals.”

Joshua Pacio, ONE Strawweight World Champion, stated:

“Thank you everyone for all the support and prayers. It’s a happy time in Baguio City, where we can celebrate all our victories as one. This isn’t just our triumphs, but also the triumph of the entire Cordilleras. We pour in all the hard work, to improve and to keep getting better. We train during holidays, weekends, and sacrifice so much to bring glory to our country and to our city. But we could never have any success without your love and support. This year, we proved that the Philippines is world-class in martial arts. Next year, we plan to do the same again.”

For more updates on ONE Championship, please visit www.onefc.com, follow us on Twitter and Instagram @ONEChampionship, and like us on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/ONEChampionship.

About ONE Championship™

ONE Championship (ONE) is the largest global sports media property in Asian history, and the largest producer of millennial live sports content in Asia. Headquartered in Singapore, ONE is the Home of Martial Arts, and is the world's largest martial arts organization, hosting bouts across all styles of martial arts such as Muay Thai, Kickboxing, Karate, Kung Fu, Silat, Sanda, Lethwei, Mixed Martial Arts, Tae Kwon Do, Submission Grappling, and more. ONE hosts the biggest sports entertainment events across Asia, featuring some of the world's best martial artists and world champions on the largest global media broadcast in Asia. ONE eSports, a subsidiary of ONE Championship, runs Asia's largest eSports league with some of the biggest blockbuster titles in the world. In addition to its digital platforms, ONE Championship broadcasts to over 1.7 billion potential viewers across 138 countries with some of the largest global broadcasters, including Fox Sports, ABS-CBN, Astro, ClaroSports, Bandsports, Startimes, Premier Sports, Thairath TV, Skynet, Mediacorp, OSN, and more.

BRANDON VERA KNOCKS OUT MAURO CERILLI IN FIRST ROUND TO RETAIN ONE HEAVYWEIGHT WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP

The largest global sports media property in Asian history, ONE Championship™ (ONE), returned to the Mall Of Asia Arena for another exciting evening of world-class martial arts action. ONE: CONQUEST OF CHAMPIONS featured a series of compelling bouts, punctuated by two unforgettable championship clashes that left fans on the edge of their seats. In the main event, Filipino-American superstar Brandon Vera successfully defended his ONE Heavyweight World Championship against Italian challenger Mauro Cerilli. In the co-main event, Eduard Folayang of the Philippines defeated Singapore’s Amir Khan via unanimous decision to capture the vacant ONE Lightweight World Championship.

In the main event, reigning ONE Heavyweight World Champion Brandon “The Truth” Vera of the Philippines made quick work of Italy’s Mauro “The Hammer” Cerilli, stopping his opponent with a well-placed left hook counter to the jaw that turned the lights out on the Italian. After an aggressive Cerilli stalked Vera across the cage, the Filipino-American took a step back and uncorked the counter that landed right on the button. Cerilli was out before he hit the canvas as referee Olivier Coste stepped in to call a halt to the contest just passed the one minute mark. The victory also earned Vera GoDaddy KO of the Night honors.

Brandon Vera, ONE Heavyweight World Champion, stated: “Manila, all my countrymen, I’ve missed you all. Two years was a long time. I’m sorry I’ve been away for so long, but it looks like I can still do it. I’ve been watching Mauro’s tapes every night. Even as I sleep, I watch him train. I watch him fight. I watch everything he does. I know he swings hard. He did punch me in the mouth and it hurt, and then when he fell down, I was pretty surprised. So I’m glad I got that left hook in and dropped him with it. In the world of martial arts, the Philippines owns five world titles. We can do this. Continue your support. Let’s get all the belts!”

In the co-main event of the evening, the Philippines’ Eduard “Landslide” Folayang secured a thrilling five-round unanimous decision victory over Singapore’s Amir Khan to capture the vacant ONE Lightweight World Championship. Folayang dominated Khan from start to finish, punishing his younger opponent with a variety of striking combinations featuring spinning heel kicks and sharp elbows. Khan tried his best to counter Folayang’s offense, but appeared a step slower and couldn’t pin down Folayang’s timing. In the end, all three judges saw the bout in favor of Folayang.

Former ONE Featherweight World Champion Honorio “The Rock” Banario of the Philippines overcame a game effort from challenger Rahul “The Kerala Krusher” Raju of Singapore to win by unanimous decision after three rounds. Banario dominated Raju in striking exchanges while also threatening with submissions in the first round. Raju made it a competitive bout in the second frame, but Banario came alive once again in the third and nearly finished the Singaporean with a rear naked choke. In the end, all three judges saw the bout in favor of Banario.

In a spirited ONE Super Series Muay Thai contest, bantamweights Saemapetch Fairtex of Thailand and Alaverdi Ramazanov of Russia put on an absolute show for fans at the Mall of Asia Arena. Ramazanov used his height and length to pose problems for Saemapetch early, but the Thai veteran would start to come on in the second round. Although Ramazanov would try his best to outwork his opponent, Saemapetch proved much too explosive and powerful. After three rounds of action, all three judges saw the bout in favor of Saemapetch to win by unanimous decision.

James Nakashima of the United States authored a solid all-around performance in his ONE Championship debut, dominating Russia’s Raimond Magomedaliev to earn a unanimous decision victory. Nakashima bucked a slow start in the first round after Magomedaliev’s range posed a problem for the former American National Wrestling Champion. Nakashima’s grappling prowess was put on display in the succeeding rounds as he took Magomedaliev down at will and consistently pounded him out. In the end, all three judges scored the bout in favor of Nakashima.

Japanese kickboxing ace Hiroaki Suzuki was victorious in his ONE Super Series debut, picking up a unanimous decision win over Lithuania’s Deividas Danyla. Danyla controlled the pace in the opening round, but Suzuki connected on a left hook that sent Danyla to the mat to close the first frame. In the second round, Danyla continued to put the paces on Suzuki who appeared to grow stronger as the bout wore on. In the third round, Suzuki turned up the pressure with a stream of thunderous kicks and punch combinations, enough to earn him the nod on all three judges’ scorecards.

French Muay Thai star Samy “AK-47” Sana picked up his first win on the ONE Super Series stage with a unanimous decision victory over Armen Petrosyan of Italy in their three-round kickboxing contest. The former WBC and A1 Muay Thai World Champion was dominant from bell to bell, rattling Petrosyan with swift combinations. Petrosyan managed to keep the bout competitive, but Sana was always a step ahead, and he took home a clear-cut decision win. 

In a clash between former ONE World Title contenders, Alexandre “Bebezao” Machado of Brazil returned to his winning ways with a spectacular second-round stoppage victory over Japan’s Hideki “Shrek” Sekine. Machado survived a strong first round from the Japanese grappler as he was taken down with a flurry of effective slams. In the second round, Machado showcased his striking superiority as he hammered Sekine with a barrage of heavy punches to claim the technical knockout. 

Han Zi Hao took home a first-round technical knockout victory over Malaysian debutant Azwan Che Wil. Both men employed fiery offense from the start with Han utilizing his speed and power to connect on a handful of thudding strikes, knocking Che Wil down late in the first round. With a few seconds remaining in the opening frame, Han dropped Che Wil again, this time with the Malaysian signalling to the referee that he could no longer continue. The victory was then awarded to the Chinese striker.

Jeremy “The Jaguar” Miado of the Philippines sent the crowd into a frenzy with a second-round technical knockout victory over China’s Peng Xue Wen. Miado looked to trade hands early on, clipping Peng with solid punches from different angles. With Peng opting to continue exchanging strikes in the second round, Miado capitalized on the opportunity, dropping his opponent to the mat with a stinging right uppercut and then drilling a barrage of follow-up blows to force the stoppage.

In an intense battle between ONE Warrior Series alumni, Akihiro “SuperJap” Fujisawa of Japan emerged triumphant, scoring a third-round technical knockout victory over Bangkok-based Filipino standout Rockie Bactol. Fujisawa had to weather an early storm, defending against Bactol’s blazing punch combinations in the first round. He turned the tide in the second frame, negating Bactol’s striking with his top-notch ground game. In the final period, Fujisawa grinded out Bactol on the mat for the majority of the round before securing the finish with a series of hard blows.

Setting the tone for an action-packed evening was a three-round flyweight encounter between Rudy “The Golden Boy” Agustian and Asraful “Warrior” Islam. Agustian turned in a dominant performance, outclassing Islam over the course of three rounds. Banking on his superior striking and smoothly-executed takedowns, Agustian walked away with the clear-cut unanimous decision victory.

Official results for ONE: CONQUEST OF CHAMPIONS
ONE Heavyweight World Championship bout: Brandon Vera defeats Mauro Cerilli by Knockout (KO) at 1:04 minutes of round 1
ONE Lightweight World Championship bout: Eduard Folayang defeats Amir Khan by Unanimous Decision (UD) after 5 rounds
Catch Weight bout (79.0kgs): Honorio Banario defeats Rahul Raju by Unanimous Decision (UD) after 3 rounds
ONE Super Series Muay Thai Bantamweight bout: Saemapetch Fairtex defeats Alaverdi Ramazanov by Unanimous Decision (UD) after 3 rounds
Welterweight bout: James Nakashima defeats Raimond Magomedaliev by Unanimous Decision (UD) after 3 rounds
ONE Super Series Kickboxing Bantamweight bout: Hiroaki Suzuki defeats Deividas Danyla by Unanimous Decision (UD) after 3 rounds
ONE Super Series Kickboxing Catch Weight bout (73.0kgs): Samy Sana defeats Armen Petrosyan by Unanimous Decision (UD) after 3 rounds
Heavyweight bout: Alexandre Machado defeats Hideki Sekine by TKO  at 1:44 minutes of round 2
ONE Super Series Muay Thai Bantamweight bout: Han Zi Hao defeats Azwan Che Wil by TKO (Referee Stoppage) at 2:52 minutes of round 1
Strawweight bout: Jeremy Miado defeats Peng Xue Wen by TKO (Strikes) at 0:53 minutes of round 2
Flyweight bout: Akihiro Fujisawa defeats Rockie Bactol by TKO (Strikes) at 4:40 minutes of round 3
Flyweight bout: Rudy Agustian defeats Asraful Islam by Unanimous Decision (UD) after 3 rounds

For more updates on ONE Championship, please visit www.onefc.com, follow us on Twitter and Instagram @ONEChampionship, and like us on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/ONEChampionship.

About ONE Championship™
ONE Championship (ONE) is the largest global sports media property in Asian history, and the largest producer of millennial live sports content in Asia. Headquartered in Singapore, ONE is the Home of Martial Arts, and is the world's largest martial arts organization, hosting bouts across all styles of martial arts such as Muay Thai, Kickboxing, Karate, Kung Fu, Silat, Sanda, Lethwei, Mixed Martial Arts, Tae Kwon Do, Submission Grappling, and more. ONE hosts the biggest sports entertainment events across Asia, featuring some of the world's best martial artists and world champions on the largest global media broadcast in Asia. ONE eSports, a subsidiary of ONE Championship, runs Asia's largest eSports league with some of the biggest blockbuster titles in the world. In addition to its digital platforms, ONE Championship broadcasts to over 1.7 billion potential viewers across 138 countries with some of the largest global broadcasters, including Fox Sports, ABS-CBN, Astro, ClaroSports, Bandsports, Startimes, Premier Sports, Thairath TV, Skynet, Mediacorp, OSN, and more.

BRANDON VERA FACES OFF WITH MAURO CERILLI AT ONE: CONQUEST OF CHAMPIONS OPEN WORKOUT IN MANILA

Manila, Philippines: The largest global sports media property in Asian history, ONE Championship™ (ONE), recently held the official ONE: CONQUEST OF CHAMPIONS Face-off and Open Workout at the Victoria Sports Tower in Manila. In attendance was reigning ONE Heavyweight World Champion Brandon “The Truth” Vera of the Philippines, as well as his opponent Mauro “The Hammer” Cerilli of Italy. Co-main event participants Eduard “Landslide” Folayang of the Philippines and Amir Khan of Singapore also faced off.

Brandon Vera, ONE Heavyweight World Champion, stated:

“Thank you everyone for coming out here, it is an honor to be your champion, Philippines. I’ve been away for a while, almost two years, but don’t think for a second that I haven’t been training and keeping sharp. I’m stronger, faster, smarter, and better now than ever before. My team has made sure that I will be at my best by the time I step back into the ONE Cage. This is home for me. I really missed this and I am excited to perform in front of you all next Friday night. The belt is going to stay in the Philippines.”

Mauro Cerilli, ONE Athlete, stated:

“I am very honored to be here and to challenge your champion. Joining ONE Championship, I know the competition is fierce and I will be faced with the best in the world. Brandon [Vera] is a great champion, but he’s lost his edge. I am here to claim the ONE Heavyweight World Championship. When I step into the cage on 23 November, I will be in the best shape of my career and I’m looking to score the upset. Thank you for having me, Manila. It is an honor to be here.”

Eduard Folayang, ONE Athlete, stated:

“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. 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. Amir [Khan] is a great young martial artist. He has shown tremendous growth since his very first ONE Championship bout. I cannot underestimate him because he is younger than I am. This bout is special because it’s taking place in front of my hometown crowd in Manila. 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.”

Amir Khan, ONE Athlete, stated:

“It has been a long journey for me. I've worked very hard for this. Ever since I started this journey, I have had one goal in mind and that's to be champion. Everything I have done so far has been to work towards achieving that dream. I have 13 bouts in ONE Championship and 11 of those are wins. I've won my last two in exciting fashion. It's only right that I am now challenging for the World Title. I'll be facing former champion Eduard Folayang, and I'm going to his hometown, so I know it's going to be a tough challenge. He has the home crowd advantage, but I am confident of victory. I hope to be able to bring this belt back to Singapore. I foresee that I'll be the Joseph Schooling of mixed martial arts.”
For more updates on ONE Championship, please visit www.onefc.com, follow us on Twitter and Instagram @ONEChampionship, and like us on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/ONEChampionship.

BRANDON VERA TO DEFEND ONE HEAVYWEIGHT WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP AGAINST MAURO CERILLI AT ONE: CONQUEST OF CHAMPIONS

Chatri Sityodtong, Chairman and CEO of ONE Championship, stated: “The Philippines is a country that is extremely passionate about sports, especially martial arts. We have some of the greatest martial artists in Asia that call the Philippines home. One of those athletes is our ONE Heavyweight World Champion Brandon Vera. Brandon has been itching to get back in action to defend his heavyweight title for some time now, and I am thrilled to announce that he will be returning at ONE: CONQUEST OF CHAMPIONS. Brandon will have a very tough challenger in front of him in the form of Mauro Cerilli. The two provide an explosive matchup and a good contrast of styles. In addition, we’ve already announced it but I am super excited for the co-main event bout between Eduard Folayang and Amir Khan for the vacant ONE Lightweight World Championship. It’s going to be an electric evening at the Mall of Asia Arena in Manila.”

Filipino-American Brandon “The Truth” Vera is a mixed martial arts veteran with a 15-7, 1 NC professional record. He joined ONE Championship in 2014 after competing for over a decade as one of the world’s best martial arts talents. A devastating striker known for his thunderous leg kicks as well as his well-rounded skills, Vera captured the ONE Heavyweight World Championship with a stunning knockout victory over Paul Cheng in December of 2015. In his last bout, Vera dominated Japanese challenger Hideki “Shrek” Sekine to win via technical knockout in the first round, successfully defending his title. Now Vera returns to defend his ONE Heavyweight World Championship once again, this time against Mauro Cerilli.

Mauro “The Hammer” Cerilli of Italy is a mixed martial artist with a professional record of 12-2. He is a Cage Warriors Heavyweight Champion and a certified finisher known for his knockout power and submission skills. Cerilli is currently riding a five-bout win streak, with four of those wins ending with emphatic knockouts. In his latest outing, Cerilli stopped Karl Moore of Ireland in just 15 seconds. “The Hammer” now joins ONE Championship and is set to make his promotional debut in the main event of ONE: CONQUEST OF CHAMPIONS, challenging veteran Brandon Vera for the ONE Heavyweight World Championship.

Former lightweight titleholder Eduard “Landslide” Folayang of Baguio City, Philippines is an alumni of the Philippine Wushu Team, winning 11 medals including three golds at the SEA Games to become a national hero. Not long after his amateur martial arts career, the Team Lakay veteran took up mixed martial arts and became a professional athlete under the guidance of Filipino martial arts pioneer Mark Sangiao. In 2016, Folayang scored his signature victory when he took on Shinya Aoki, shocking the Japanese legend with a third round knockout to capture the lightweight title. Folayang’s childhood hero Manny Pacquiao called him “one of the legends of mixed martial arts in the Philippines,” elevating the Filipino to superstar status. He now faces Amir Khan for a chance to capture the vacant ONE Lightweight World Championship.

Former Singaporean Muay Thai champion Amir Khan moved to the United States to attend high school in Louisiana, where he began cross-training in wrestling and Brazilian jiu-jitsu under BJJ black belt Relson Gracie. Upon returning to Singapore in 2014, Khan joined Evolve MMA and became a part of its famed competition team. He then joined ONE that same year, and has since accumulated several highlight-reel finishes, showcasing his immense talent and growing skills. In his most recent bout, Khan shocked highly-regarded Filipino lightweight veteran Honorio “The Rock” Banario, winning by first round submission. A winner of eight of his last nine bouts, Khan has earned a shot at the lightweight title and will face Eduard Folayang for the vacant ONE Lightweight World Championship.

For more updates on ONE Championship, please visit www.onefc.com, follow us on Twitter and Instagram @ONEChampionship, and like us on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/ONEChampionship.

ONE Championship and Global Citizen Team up to End Extreme Poverty by 2030

The partnership launching at ONE’s upcoming event in Manila, Philippines on 26 January, will harness the power of ONE’s platform to engage millions of martial arts fans around the world to support initiatives and find solutions to the issues associated with extreme poverty. Global Citizen and ONE will collaborate across 24 live ONE events scheduled in 2018, and various outreach activations throughout Asia. Fans will have the opportunity to take action and engage with specific policy areas including, education, food security, hunger and nutrition, global health, gender equality and empowerment.

Chatri Sityodtong, Chairman and CEO of ONE Championship, said: “It is with great excitement that I announce ONE Championship’s partnership with Global Citizen, an NGO with the goal of ending extreme poverty across the world by the year 2030. Just like Global Citizen, ONE Championship aims to inspire the people of the world to come together to solve some of the world’s biggest challenges. Our ONE Championship athletes embody the spirit of perseverance and many have risen through poverty through martial arts, inspiring millions of people around the world with their journey. Through our collaboration across all 24 of our live events scheduled in 2018, ONE Championship and Global Citizen aim to affect positive movement in our society.”

Wei Soo, Co-Founder of Global Citizen, said: “We are thrilled to be joining forces with ONE Championship to bring Global Citizen to Asia. ONE Championship reaches millions of young people around the region and together we will engage them on issues that impact the entire world. Since we launched Global Citizen in 2012, over 13 million actions have been taken, and we are excited to drive more actions and increase our impact for the world’s most marginalized people through this partnership.”

The first action ONE fans can take will be centred on global education. Fans will be able to call on donor countries such as Australia, New Zealand, South Korea, Japan, Singapore, Malaysia, and India, to attend the Global Partnership for Education’s (GPE) replenishment conference in Dakar, Senegal on 2 February 2018, and make a commitment to GPE to support better education for all. Currently, 264 million children around the world are missing out on an education. Over half are girls, and over 75 million have had their schooling disrupted by conflict or natural disasters. At the replenishment conference, the GPE will raise much needed funds that will allow it to continue to support quality, inclusive education to hundreds of millions of children around the world.

Headquartered in New York with offices in Canada, Australia, Germany, and the United Kingdom, Global Citizen was founded in 2012 with the goal of building the largest platform where people can learn about issues, take action on what matters most, and join a global movement working to end extreme poverty by 2030. Since then, millions of Global Citizens around the world have taken over ten million actions, which includes millions of emails, tweets, petition signatures, and phone calls targeting world leaders to end extreme poverty by 2030. To date, the actions by Global Citizen’s global community, along with its high-level advocacy efforts and various partners, have resulted in 130 commitments and policy announcements from leaders, including financial aid valued at over US $35-billion, that is set to affect the lives of over 1.3 billion people.

ONE Championship, Asia’s largest global sports media property, is a celebration of Asia’s greatest cultural treasure, martial arts. The promotion engages millions of people across Asia by building local martial arts superheroes, telling their inspirational stories of perseverance and triumph through martial arts, which has been home in Asia for the past 5,000 years.

For more updates on ONE Championship, please visit www.onefc.com, follow us on Twitter and Instagram @ONEChampionship, and like us on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/ONEChampionship.

For more information on Global Citizen, please visit www.globalcitizen.org.

About ONE Championship™

ONE Championship is the largest global sports media property in Asian history. Headquartered in Singapore, ONE Championship is the home of martial arts. The world’s most exciting martial arts organization hosts the largest sports entertainment events across Asia, featuring some of the world's best martial artists and world champions, all signed to exclusive contracts, on the largest media broadcast in Asia. In addition to its digital platforms, ONE Championship broadcasts to over 1.7-billion potential viewers across 128+ countries around the world with some of the largest global broadcasters, including Fox Sports, ABS-CBN, Astro, ClaroSports, Bandsports, Startimes, Premier Sports, Thairath TV, Skynet, Mediacorp, OSN, and more.

*This is Press Release

Mark Striegl talks about Manny Pacquiao’s influence, training with Brandon Vera

ONE Championship bantamweight standout Mark “Mugen” Striegl (14-2) is set to face Brazil’s Rafael Nunes (10-1) when the promotion returns to the Mall of Asia Arena on Friday, December 2 for ONE: Age of Domination. Streigl, 28, joined ONE Championship in 2015 and was recently named one of the hottest prospects in Asian MMA.

The Filipino-American stalwart splits his training between Evolve MMA in Singapore and the high-altitudes of Baguio City for his next matchup and says mixed martial arts is getting really big in the Philippines.

“Baguio is one of the best places to train in the Philippines because it’s high altitude. It’s 5,000-feet above sea level. It’s great for strength and conditioning,” said Striegl. “Manny Pacquiao also trained in Baguio in the past for some of his biggest fights. It’s been fantastic for my training.”

Striegl made his ONE Championship debut in April of 2015, defeating American Casey Suire impressively by first round submission. In his second bout months later however, he fell to Filipino-Australian prospect Reece McLaren.

Since his last bout, Striegl has been hard at work preparing for his return, training with none other than ONE Heavyweight World Champion Brandon “The Truth” Vera.

“Here in Manila I’ve been fortunate enough to train with Brandon Vera and AJ Matthews. Mark Munoz also came through one time so I got to pick his brain a bit,” said Striegl. “There are so many good gyms to work with in Manila. MMA is getting really big in this country. I’ve just been jumping around and training with Brandon and it’s been great.”

A well-rounded mixed martial artist with strengths in both striking and grappling, Striegl is one of the country’s top combat sports athletes. He began his career competing for various MMA promotions across Asia before landing a roster spot in ONE Championship last year.

As someone who has seen the rise of MMA as a sport in Asia, Striegl can’t help but feel in awe of the tremendous growth of combat sports in the region and credits a majority of it to eight-division boxing world champion Manny Pacquiao.

“MMA is getting really big in this country, thanks to ONE Championship. There’s a deeply embedded combat culture in this country with boxing. There are a lot of gyms all around and so many good places to train and so many good people to work with,” said Streigl.

“One of the greatest fighters of all time, Pacquiao, is a legend here and pretty much all over the world. He has put the Philippines on the map as far as fight sports are concerned. He’s a true global icon and one of my inspirations.”

During his time in Manila, Striegl says he just recently met Pacquiao for the first time in person. Pacquiao is training for his highly-anticipated return to boxing against WBO welterweight champion Jessie Vargas this November 5. He is also a full-time politician who owns a seat at the Philippine senate.

“I went to one of [Pacquiao’s] senate hearings and met him afterwards,” said Striegl. “Super nice guy, super down to earth guy. Just a humble, nice guy and I think that’s why he has so many fans. He’s the people’s champ. Everyone can relate to him.”

Pacquiao’s unique style, Striegl says, is something he tries to emulate in the MMA cage. And just like Pacquiao, Striegl aims to bring a world title back to the Philippines.

Against Brazil’s Nunes this December, Striegl has the opportunity to get back on the right track in his pursuit of ONE Championship gold. It won’t be easy, but Striegl says by channeling his inner- “Pac-Man”, he hopes to be able to make his people proud by becoming a world champion.

“One thing I love about Manny’s fight style is that he’s an action-packed fighter. He just keeps going and going and moving forward. That’s something I try to do in my fights,” said Striegl.

“You’ll never see me in a boring fight. I always press the action, I always come forward. I’m not a point fighter. Sometimes I put myself at risk by doing that but it’s better than being a point fighter, like a Floyd Mayweather-style kind of fighter.

“My goal when I entered this sport was and is to win a world championship title for the Philippines and bring it back here to Manila. That’s what I think about and it’s been my goal since I was young.”


*This is Press Release

Brandon "The Truth" Vera and Paul "Typhoon" Cheng Made Wight Ahead of ONE Heavyweight World Championship Bout

10 December 2015 – Manila, Philippines: The largest sports media property in Asian history, ONE Championship™ (ONE), announced today that the mixed martial artists competing at ONE: SPIRIT OF CHAMPIONS have made weight and are ready for all the action which takes place tomorrow evening, 11 December, at the state-of-the-art Mall of Asia Arena in Pasay City, Philippines. In the main event, Brandon “The Truth” Vera will take on Paul “Typhoon” Cheng for the inaugural ONE Heavyweight World Championship.

The fight between Geje Eustaquio and Yang Jian Bing has been cancelled due to Yang’s severe dehydration from attempting to make weight. Yang Jian Bing has suffered from dehydration and suspected heat stroke. He has been transported to the hospital where he is undergoing intensive rehydration treatment.

Visit the official ONE: SPIRIT OF CHAMPIONS weigh-in photo gallery by clicking: https://www.dropbox.com/sh/6k384krsvdao0f3/AABoZfKfuYDUszYYrjf_77sta?dl=0

Brandon “The Truth” Vera of the Philippines stated, “Big ups to Paul Cheng for taking this fight on short notice. It takes a warrior-mentality and a lot of guts to step inside the cage, especially against a guy like me, but we put it all on the line for the fans. This fight means a lot to me, my family and my country, and I will do everything in my power to bring home the belt. I’m ready as I’ll ever be.”

Paul “Typhoon” Cheng of Taiwan stated, “This is definitely the toughest fight of my life. Brandon Vera is one of the most well-known fighters in the sport. I don’t expect anything easy by all means, but I’m always down for a good scrap, even if the fight goes one round or five. I’m never giving up. I have a lot to fight for – I’m fighting for the people of Taiwan, represent! I’m ready to get in there and put on a show.”

Tickets for ONE: SPIRIT OF CHAMPIONS, are still available at www.smtickets.com.

COMPLETE WEIGH-IN RESULTS

MAIN EVENT

ONE Heavyweight World Championship bout: Brandon Vera (112.3kg/247.5lbs) VS Paul Cheng (113.4kg/250.0lbs)

MAIN CARD

Bantamweight bout: Mark Striegl (61.0kg/134.4lbs) VS Recce McLaren (60.8kg/134.0lbs)

Flyweight bout: Eugene Toquero (56.7kg/125.0lbs) VS Li Wei Bin (56.6kg/124.5lbs)

Flyweight bout: Ana Julaton (56.7kg/125.0 lbs) VS Irina Mazepa (56.4kg/124.0lbs)

Strawweight bout: Angela Lee (51.9kg/114.0lbs) VS Lena Tkhorevska (51.8kg/114.0lbs)

UNDERCARD

Featherweight bout: Bruno Pucci (65.7kg/144.5lbs) VS Anthony Engelen (65.4kg/144.0lbs)

Flyweight bout: Alex Silva (56.4kg/124.0lbs) VS Ruel Catalan (56.2kg/123.5lbs)

Featherweight bout: Christian Lee (65.3kg/143.0lbs) VS David Meak (65.1kg/143.5lbs)

Fans from around the world can witness the action online via live streaming at www.ONEPPV.com. The event will be available for purchase at just US$9.99.

For more updates on ONE Championship™, please visit www.onefc.com and follow Twitter and Instagram @ONEFCMMA and Facebook at www.facebook.com/ONEFCMMA

About ONE Championship™

ONE Championship is the largest sports media property in Asian history. Headquartered in Singapore, the world’s most exciting mixed martial arts organization hosts the best Asian mixed martial artists and world champions, all signed to exclusive contracts, on the largest media broadcast in Asia. ONE Championship™ has partnered with FOX and STAR Sports for an unprecedented 10-year cable television deal with a coverage that spans 70+ countries across the world.

Vera, Striegl, Julaton Showcase Wares at Media Open Workout

Just a few days ahead of ONE Championship’s annual year-end show in Manila, Philippines, Filipino Mixed Martial Arts superstars Brandon “The Truth” Vera, Mark “Mugen” Striegl and Ana “Hurricane” Julaton appeared at the KMA Fitness Gym in Makati to showcase their skills to invited media in an ‘open workout.’

The trio will represent the Philippines, along with a posse of local fighters, at ONE: SPIRIT OF CHAMPIONS, which takes place Friday, December 11 at the Mall of Asia Arena in Pasay City.

“I just can’t wait to kick his ass,” said Vera, who will be competing for the inaugural ONE Heavyweight World Championship against former English pro-basketball player, Chi “Chopper” Lewis-Parry.

“I’ve never been in shape like this. I’ve never been this big and my body fat has never been this low. My cardio’s never been this high. My confidence is through the roof with this,” Vera added.

“You need to train 1000% all the time -- 500% training and the other 500% you need to take care of your body.”

The life of a fighter is a long and arduous one, with countless nights spent in a sweltering gym, wailing away at leather, honing a craft that will be ultimately responsible for either victory or defeat.

Yet for a veteran like Vera, it’s something that simply comes second nature to him.

Across the spectrum sits bantamweight standout, Mark Striegl, who is one of the most talented fighters in his division. Striegl too is of Filipino origins and calls the Philippines his home.

Striegl is coming off a huge win over the highly-regarded Casey Suire last April, and owns a 14-1 record going into Friday night’s matchup.

He takes on Reece McLaren (7-3) of Queensland, Australia.

“To be fighting for ONE in the Philippines is a dream come true for me,” said Striegl. “My opponent is a champion from Australia and I know he is a tough one.” 

Striegl now lives and trains in Singapore as a member of the Evolve Fight Team, where he works out with various world champions in different combat sports.

“I’ve never been in a boring fight and I will always go for a knockout,” Striegl added.

Among the boys, stands a lone female warrior -- former boxing world champion Ana “Hurricane” Julaton who makes her much anticipated return to the ONE Cage.

Julaton has been working tirelessly with legendary MMA coach Ricky Lundell in Las Vegas, and by all accounts, fans are expected to see the best version of Julaton yet.

“Everyone has their own style, but I have my own style that I am comfortable fighting with,” said Julaton.

“Anyone who has been watching my first three fights can delete that image because that’s not the same Ana anymore. I feel that time I was a boxer stepping into MMA but now I am different.”

Julaton had figured in two wins with one loss so far, since transitioning to MMA. The move had been somewhat difficult as Julaton tried to adjust to different fighting disciplines. Her work in Las Vegas however, promises a new and improved Julaton, one that is ready to take the MMA world by storm.

“I’m used to going to a boxing gym, putting my shoes on. Now I have gotten used to a new environment when I go to a wrestling gym.”

Vera, Striegl and Julaton are ready, as are the fans, for an evening that should be nothing short of spectacular.