Three Reasons Why Filipinos Need To Watch ONE: REIGN OF VALOR

ONE Championship will once again make its return to Yangon, Myanmar on Friday, 8 March for
ONE: REIGN OF VALOR at the iconic Thuwunna Indoor Stadium.

While all of the Filipino champions are scheduled in ONE: A NEW ERA, there are still plenty of reasons for local martial arts from the Philippines to tune-in and enjoy another loaded match card.

Here are just three main reasons why ONE: REIGN OF VALOR is a must-see.

Rene Catalan’s path to desired ONE World Title shot

Rene “The Challenger” Catalan’s amazing run in the talent-filled strawweight division is something that cannot be overlooked anymore.

After losing his first two matches in ONE Championship, Catalan finally found his rhythm and is now riding high on a five-match winning streak.

Standing in his way is former ONE Strawweight World Champion Yoshitaka “Nobita” Naito, who undoubtedly poses to be the ultimate test to Catalan’s World Title aspirations.

It will be a classic striker-versus-grappler affair, but Catalan has shown tremendous improvement when it comes to grappling in his previous matches.

At age 40, Catalan shows no signs of slowing down, and if he keeps his pace, then the next Filipino World Champion could very well come from the Catalan Fighting System.

Road to redemption of Jomary Torres

Jomary Torres is an exciting young Filipina who burst into the organization’s stacked women’s atomweight scene with three consecutive victories.

She may be on a slump as of late following consecutive decision losses to Priscilla Hertati Lumban Gaul and Mei “V.V” Yamaguchi, but those define does not ultimately define her as a mixed martial arts competitor.

Admittedly struggling to ankle issues in her past bouts, Torres has completed her training camp in tip-top condition and is raring to go back to her winning ways.

Given that her back is against the wall, Torres vows to be aggressive as she cannot afford to lose her third-straight match.

While her opponent in Lin Heqin is known for her willingness to stand and trade, this match has the potential to steal the whole show.

Zebaztian Kadestam’s first ONE World Title defense

Headlining the blockbuster event is knockout artist Zebaztian Kadestam as he defends his ONE Welterweight World Title against surging submission wizard Georgiy Kichigin. With World Title gold on the line, the stakes could not be higher in this classic clash of styles.

Kadestam put everyone on notice when he knocked out erstwhile-unbeaten American Tyler McGuire last November to be crowned as the ONE Welterweight World Champion.

His win over McGuire was Kadestam’s ninth knockout victory, making him one of the most fearsome competitors in the whole organization.

Kichigin, on the other hand, is a grappling wizard who is coming into ONE Championship on 14-match winning streak, with his last victory coming against another submission artist in Rousimar Palhares.

With two world-class talents bannering the card, there is no reason for Filipino martial arts fans to miss this event.

DEMETRIOUS JOHNSON AND EDDIE ALVAREZ LEAD ONE CHAMPIONSHIP LAS VEGAS OPEN WORKOUT

1 March 2019 – Las Vegas, NV: The largest global sports media property in Asian history, ONE Championship™ (ONE), recently held a ONE Championship Open Workout at Xtreme Couture MMA Gym in Las Vegas featuring ONE superstar athletes Demetrious “Mighty Mouse” Johnson and Eddie “The Underground King” Alvarez, who were accompanied by ONE Championship Vice Presidents and mixed martial arts legends Rich Franklin and Miesha Tate as well as newly-signed ONE Championship athlete Vitor "The Phenom" Belfort.

Demetrious “Mighty Mouse” Johnson of Kirkland, Washington, United States is a mixed martial artist and 12-time Flyweight World Champion with a professional record of 27-3-1. With a highly-technical style and world-class skills, Johnson has dominated his division for the past seven years. During this span, Johnson captured the flyweight World Title and ran up a win streak of 13 bouts since 2012. Today, he is widely considered one of the best mixed martial artists in the world pound-for-pound. Johnson now looks to continue his legendary career in the world’s largest martial arts organization, ONE Championship.

Demetrious Johnson, ONE Athlete, stated: “I’ve been fighting for a very long time. I’ve been champion for six years. There’s no surprise that he (Yuya Wakamatsu) is going to look through my fights and look through my wins and losses, efficiencies and deficiencies. That’s what athletes do. But a fight is a fight. A lot of people, when I get into the ring or cage with them, the first thing they notice is my speed. I’m going to go out there, fight my butt off, use my heart, my technique, and my skill set, and go out there and take it to him.”

Known as “The Underground King”, multiple-time World Champion Eddie Alvarez of the United States is a mixed martial arts legend who has competed for the world’s top mixed martial arts promotions. The experience he has gathered over a stellar 15-year professional career so far is beyond impressive, with wins over some of the biggest names in the sport. Alvarez’ most notable victories have come against the likes of Roger Huerta, Shinya Aoki, Gilbert Melendez, Anthony Pettis, Rafael Dos Anjos, and most recently Justin Gaethje.

Eddie Alvarez, ONE Athlete, stated: “I’m not going to lie, I do research on my opponents. I’ve done the same for Timofey Nastyukhin. I know he beat Eduard Folayang, he beat Amir Khan, he beat some of the top guys in ONE Championship. He’s dangerous. He hits hard. He comes to fight and I accept the challenge. I want the most vicious, dangerous guys ONE Championship has to offer. I always show up, so I can’t wait.”

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Demetrious Johnson Expresses Excitement to Be Competing in Japan

American mixed martial arts legend Demetrious “Mighty Mouse” Johnson will be competing for the first time outside of the United States for the first time in his career.

Johnson makes his debut at the Ryōgoku Kokugikan in Tokyo, Japan on 31 March where he is set to face Japanese warrior Yuya “Little Piranha” Wakamatsu in the quarter-final round of the ONE Flyweight World Grand Prix.

As a kid who grew up watching Japanese mixed martial arts, Johnson is happy to be competing in Tokyo.

“I’ve been watching Japanese mixed martial arts for a very long time and that’s what I grew up watching,” Johnson said.

“I’m very excited because I have never competed overseas before and obviously doing it in Japan is fantastic.”

ONE Championship is making a tremendous push into the Japanese market. And if the card on 31 March is any indication, it looks as if the promotion is pulling out all the stops to ensure this event is a success.

Johnson feels proud to be competing at ONE: A NEW ERA where the heavily-stacked fight card includes four reigning World Champions set to defend their titles.

“I’m excited to be one of the forerunners for Japanese mixed martial arts for ONE Championship in the coming years,” said Johnson.

Johnson may be visiting Tokyo next month to take care of business, but it isn’t the first time he’s been to the Land of the Rising Sun. Johnson has made trips to Japan in the past, but as a sightseer.

“Tokyo, Japan is beautiful it is my third time to visit here,” Johnson said.

“The food is amazing. The wagyu beef is fascinating, and I love it.”

As a 12-time Flyweight World Champion who dominated the Northern America promotions, Johnson is looking forward to showcasing his skills to his fans as well as a new Asian audience. The American is excited to discover how he would fare against Asian athletes.

“The fans can expect to see a complete martial artist who has conquered the North American market and now coming over here,” Johnson said.

“I want to see how much I hang with the Asian athletes.”

Johnson has spent the past few months training back home in preparation for his bout against Wakamatsu. With everything set and ready for his first bout, fans are about to witness a new chapter unfold in Johnson’s career.

“I’m looking forward to be competing with a new set of rules and weight class, fighting with fresh competition,” Johnson concluded.

“It’s a new beginning and a new adventure for me.”