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Showing posts with label Martin Nguyen. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Martin Nguyen. Show all posts
Monday, April 29, 2019
ONE CHAMPIONSHIP STRENGTHENS ITS AGENT CERTIFICATION
Tuesday, April 16, 2019
ONE CHAMPIONSHIP ANNOUNCES PARTNERSHIP WITH GLOBAL ASSOCIATION OF MIXED MARTIAL ARTS (GAMMA)
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Saturday, April 13, 2019
MARTIN NGUYEN STOPS NARANTUNGALAG JADAMBAA TO RETAIN ONE FEATHERWEIGHT WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP
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Monday, August 13, 2018
Done with Bantamweight, Martin Nguyen Looks to Continue Reign in Featherweight and Lightweight Divisions
After coming up short in his two bids to become a three-division world champion in ONE Championship, two-division titleholder Martin ‘The Situ-Asian’ Nguyen has decided to bid goodbye to the bantamweight division.
The reigning ONE Featherweight and Lightweight World Champion first tried to wrestle the ONE Bantamweight World Championship from reigning champion Bibiano ‘The Flash’ Fernandes at ONE: IRON WILL in Bangkok back in March, only to lose via split decision.
Then just last July at ONE: REIGN OF KINGS in Manila, Nguyen suffered his second-consecutive bantamweight loss, courtesy of newly-crowned ONE Interim Bantamweight World Champion Kevin ‘The Silencer’ Belingon.
And while it was an invaluable experience getting to test his skills against arguably the two best names in the 65.8 KG-division today, Nguyen says that the smart move is to stay in the heavier weight divisions.
“I was naive. I thought the weight cut was not going to be an issue, but it played out in the fight,” Nguyen said via the official ONE Championship website (ONEFC.com). “I did not feel tired – I could have gone another five rounds, but with my toe, it just came to a point where my reactions were off, and Kevin’s speed was impeccable. I could not adjust, and everything just came into play.”
“It was a good learning curve, and a good experience overall, but I will stick to my roots where my body feels stronger and more comfortable.” Nguyen added.
Now, the Vietnamese-Australian star shifts his focus to the possible threats to both his featherweight and lightweight thrones, and there’s a plethora of challengers that are ready and willing to dethrone Nguyen from both kingdoms.
ONE Championship’s lightweight division remains as stacked as ever, especially with former world champions Shinya Aoki and Eduard Folayang on the upswing, and solid contenders such as Ev Ting, Timofey Nastyukhin, and Honorio Banario on the rise as well.
Nguyen has yet to defend the lightweight belt, but gave his take on who he believes should be in the front of the lightweight title picture.
“I would say Shinya Aoki. He is a legend, and he has taken out his last two opponents devastatingly with first-round finishes. He is not riding decisions like Eduard and Ev. Yeah, they put up good fights, and they have fought good opponents, but Shinya has fought good opponents, too, and he put them away in the first round.”
Aoki’s last two contests have lasted a combined five minutes and thirty-one seconds. He submitted Rasul Yakhyaev in just over three minutes in Singapore, before finishing off Shannon Wiratchai in just over two minutes in Manila.
“As far as Timofey Nastyukhin goes, he is not as busy as I would expect for someone who wants to get a title shot, and Amir Khan is fighting Honorio Banario in Shanghai, so we will see if he jumps ahead if he wins.” Nguyen added.
As for the featherweight division, Nguyen sees another former champion in Mongolia’s Narantungalag ‘Tungaa’ Jadambaa as a viable challenger to his title.
“If that is the next one for me, then I want Jadambaa. He is the ex-king, he is a legend, and he has been in this sport forever.” shared Nguyen.
It would be hard to argue with Nguyen, given that Jadambaa is 4-1 in his last five matches and is coming off back-to-back victories with a unanimous decision win against Kazuki Tokudome and a second-round TKO win over Edward Kelly.
Another intriguing direction for Nguyen would be a grudge match against the very man that he dethroned to become the featherweight king, former champion Marat ‘The Cobra’ Gafurov.
Currently, Nguyen and Gafurov have split their first two meetings, and a trilogy bout is something that the reigning champion believes is inevitable down the road.
“As for Marat, I had to wait two years and finish four guys consecutively to get my rematch with him, and he has only had one fight since the loss, and that is against Emilio [Urrutia]. He beat him in the first round, so good on him. It was a good finish, but I would like to see him fight two more times, at least.”
“I know the rematch is going to happen eventually, so we will see what happens.” Nguyen continued.
Nguyen successfully defended his featherweight title in Singapore back in May, defeating Christian Lee via Split Decision.
What’s next for Nguyen is yet to be determined for now. Whoever gets put in front of the two-division king, it’s sure to be a must-see matchup.
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.
Thursday, April 12, 2018
ONE Championship VP of Medical Services Says Athlete Health and Safety is Top Priority
As martial arts continues to introduce revolutionary developments in its rapid evolution over the last few years, safety for athletes has become even more paramount to the sustainability of the sport. When Dr. Warren Wang came on board ONE Championship as Vice President of Medical Services, the renowned physician saw plenty of opportunities to improve upon the promotion’s medical practices.
“It’s about making the sport safer for all participants,” said Dr. Wang. “Martial arts is a full contact sport, and athletes are its most important components. Whenever we have an opportunity to make the sport safer for athletes, we have to explore every possibility.”
Wang is an experienced physician in the field of Emergency Medicine with over 10 years of knowledge and practice under his belt. He joined ONE Championship in 2015 but has been with the company since 2014 under a different capacity.
He is also no stranger to martial arts, having trained in the art of Brazilian jiu-jitsu since 1996. Based in Taiwan, Wang helped bring martial arts to mainstream public consciousness with his work as Founder of the Taiwan Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Academy and Tournament Director of the Taiwan BJJ Open.
Needless to say, when it comes to martial arts, he certainly knows a thing or two.
“I know the specific risks that athletes take whenever they step into the cage. I am able to identify which areas of the sport require critical focus,” said Dr. Wang.
One of the major revolutions in ONE Championship’s safety procedures is the complete ban of weight-cutting by dehydration. Dr. Wang was part of the team that revolutionized ONE Championship’s weigh-in program a couple of years ago. Today, athletes are happier, healthier, and most importantly safer in competition.
“It’s developments such as this that is the future of martial arts,” said Dr. Wang. “I am proud of my team and what we have accomplished. My dream is for this to catch on with other organizations. Weight-cutting by dehydration is one of the most unsafe practices that has plagued combat sports, such as boxing for example. Here at ONE, safety is our top priority.”
Although relatively unseen cageside, Dr. Wang moves like a shadow watching matches closely as they unfold. At a moment’s notice, he’s always ready to swoop in and handle all situations as they arise. While most everyone else is fixated on the action inside the cage, Dr. Wang is busy making sure athletes are safe, amidst all the action.
“It’s my job to stay attentive. We can’t get carried away with the excitement of these bouts, although it’s very easy to fall into that,” said Dr. Wang. “Our team has to be focused on every athlete. Could they be hurt? Are they able to defend themselves properly? Are they too exhausted to compete? These are the things we watch out for.”
At any given event, ONE Championship has up to three doctors and a nurse backstage in the post-bout medical room ready to lend a helping hand. As such, Dr. Wang has the authority to halt any bout and check on the athletes should he notice anything of concern. He is also responsible for determining if athletes are able to continue or not.
“It’s my job to protect our athletes. Our martial artists are tough people, they will soldier on despite injury and will sacrifice a lot to get the victory,” concluded Dr. Wang. “So it’s my prerogative to have the better judgement.”
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/ONECh
*This is Press Release
Thursday, March 29, 2018
Manila Gearing Up for Debut of ONE Super Series at ONE: Heroes of Honor
While the Philippine capital is abuzz with the announcement of the main event showdown between Team Lakay’s Kevin “The Silencer” Belingon (17-5) and Bali-based American Andrew Leone (8-3), another spectacle is ready to be unveiled at the Mall of Asia Arena.
Making its debut on 20 April at ONE: HEROES OF HONOR is the highly-anticipated ONE Super Series, a new iteration in ONE Championship’s efforts to bring martial arts to the forefront in mainstream culture.
According to ONE Championship Chairman and CEO Chatri Sityodtong, the ONE Super Series aims to provide the world's best martial artists a prestigious global platform to showcase the beauty of Asia's striking arts such as Muay Thai, kickboxing, karate, taekwondo, Kung Fu, wushu, sanda, silat, lethwei, and more.
It will feature various-styled bouts under ONE Championship’s unique rule sets, including kickboxing and Muay Thai, some in the ring, some in the cage, and with ONE Championship branded boxing or grappling gloves. It’s an exciting development in the professional martial arts landscape that could have a lasting effect on the future of the sport.
The premiere offering for Manila’s ONE Super Series is a battle featuring international kickboxing superstar Giorgio Petrosyan of Italy, who takes on 25-year-old “Smokin’” Jo Nattawut of Thailand.
The 32-year-old Petrosyan is known as one of the finest kickboxing talents in the world. He began his professional Muay Thai career at the age of 16 competing between bantamweight and middleweight, winning multiple titles across each division.
With a professional kickboxing record of 85-2-2, 2NC, Petrosyan is known for his incredible 6-year 42-bout win streak which is considered one of the most dominant reigns in middleweight history.
On the other hand, Nattawut is a kickboxing star from Atlanta, Georgia with a professional kickboxing record of 60-11-2. Originally from Korat, Thailand, Nattawut is a former Lion Fight Super Welterweight Champion and WMC Champion, known for his powerful elbow and knee strikes.
Aside from the marquee talent debuting at ONE Super Series in Manila, is the unveiling of a brand new ONE Super Series five-rope ring. Up until this point, ONE Championship has held martial arts bouts inside the famed ONE cage, but at ONE: HEROES OF HONOR, a new battlefield will be revealed.
Specifications and details have yet to be announced, but all bouts are expected to be held inside the new ring, including bouts that are officiated under ONE’s Global Rule Set. This means that, for the first time in ONE Championship history, Mixed Martial Arts contests will be held in the ring instead of in the cage.
This is a huge development and one that could be a potential game-changer. The ring is set to be unveiled in the coming weeks, with select media getting the opportunity to have a first-look before the arena doors open to the public.
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/
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 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. 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 136 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
Wednesday, March 28, 2018
Crashing Bantamweight Title Picture is in Andrew Leon*e’s Crosshairs
After falling short in his bid to become a world champion in the sport nearly eight months ago, former world title challenger Andrew Leone is brimming with eagerness to redeem himself as he kicks off his 2018 with a marquee match-up versus a celebrated Filipino dynamo.
Leone is slated to lock horns with Team Lakay’s Kevin Belingon in the main event of ONE: HEROES OF HONOR, which takes place at the 20,000-seater SM Mall of Asia Arena in Manila, Philippines on 20 April.
“I love Asia. I’ve been living and competing here for a very long time. I’ve been to different countries and cities, including Manila. Manila is a special place because it’s where I had my promotional debut for ONE Championship,” he said.
“It’s great to have my first match for 2018 in Manila. It feels like I’ve gone full circle,” Leone quipped.
Leone, an eight-year mixed martial arts veteran who dynamically carved his niche in the Asian combat scene, seems destined to be a world champion after making waves in the organization when he debuted with a victory over Belingon’s teammate and future ONE Interim Flyweight World Champion Geje Eustaquio in May 2013.
Ever since his maiden appearance in ONE Championship, the 28-year-old native of Cortland, New York has strung together two solid victories over high-level opponents inside the cage.
For a highly-decorated competitor like Leone, who trains alongside some of the most talented combat sports athletes in Asia at the renowned Bali MMA gym in Bali, Indonesia, it took him four arduous years to get a crack at ONE Championship’s prestigious bantamweight crown.
“There were moments in my career when I was already near to the title shot, but suddenly I lost the momentum due to circumstances that were beyond my control. I really pushed myself very hard to reach the top. Finally after four years, I had the chance to vie for the world title,” he shared.
Leone challenged Bibiano Fernandes for the ONE Bantamweight World Championship in August 2017, but he yielded to the Brazilian legend via first-round submission.
“It was a tough loss. I worked very hard for that bout, and I only lasted for almost two minutes inside the cage with him. I believe I could have done more against Bibiano Fernandes, but it is what it is,” he recalled.
Leone affirmed that he still has gold on his mind, revealing that he views his upcoming meeting with Belingon as a chance to throw himself back into the world title mix.
“I heard Kevin Belingon was supposed to be next in line for the title, but the promotion had other plans. Winning the title is my happy ending in this journey. If I win this, I know I will be in a great position to face Bibiano for the title again,” he stated.
Belingon has won four-straight contests since October 2016, including scintillating triumphs over ex-bantamweight title contenders such as Toni Tauru and Reece McLaren.
The 30-year-old Baguio City resident desperately wants a second shot at the ONE Bantamweight World Championship after being submitted by Fernandes in January 2016.
Against a stand-up specialist like Belingon, there are clear areas where Leone sees that he has an advantage and will be looking to capitalize, including the exuberance of youth.
"I’m a lot younger. I think I’m faster, I’ve got some good scrambling, and I’m a little bit taller," he explained. "I’m going to get there in and just wrestle him. I see a lot of different positions coming up that I’m going to take advantage of and come out on top.”
According to Leone, his warpath back to the ONE Bantamweight World Championship picture commences on 20 April.
“A win in this match will definitely put me in line for a rematch against Bibiano. I want that title shot again. If Kevin Belingon is blocking my way to earn that spot, I have to take him out. I will give everything I’ve got,” he ended.
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/ON
*This is Press Release
Sunday, March 25, 2018
BIBIANO FERNANDES OUTLASTS MARTIN NGUYEN TO RETAIN ONE BANTAMWEIGHT WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP
In a gruelling five-round title tiff, reigning ONE Bantamweight World Champion Bibiano “The Flash” Fernandes of Brazil turned in a gutsy performance, overcoming a spirited effort from ONE Featherweight & Lightweight World Champion Martin “The Situ-Asian” Nguyen of Sydney, Australia to win via razor-thin split decision. The action was electric all throughout the bout, with both men having their moments. Although Nguyen landed the harder, more telling blows, Fernandes was the busier ma and performed slightly better overall with his takedowns and accurate combinations. In the final frame, Fernandes pulled away just slightly, outworking Nguyen over the last five minutes of the contest. In the end, the Brazilian did just enough to retain his title in front of a packed Impact Arena crowd. The victory cemented Fernandes’ claim as the best in the world at bantamweight, earning him a record eight title defenses to remain the most dominant ONE world champion in history.
Bibiano Fernandes, ONE Bantamweight World Champion, stated: “I said I would win, and I did. I really live for these challenges. I’m the champion, and I’m here to stay. I’m the best bantamweight in the world. I’ve proven it many times. Bangkok, Thailand -- thank you for having me.”
In the co-main event of the evening, Jeremy “The Jaguar” Miado of the Philippines overcame insurmountable odds, knocking out former world champion Dejdamrong Sor Amnuaysirichoke in the first round. In a wild exchange of punches, Miado clipped Amnuaysirichoke with a thunderous right cross, sending the Thai hometown hero crashing to the canvas as the referee waved off the contest immediately.
Shannon “OneShin” Wiratchai of Thailand authored one of the most dominant performances of the night, reinserting his name into the winner’s column with a quick knockout victory over Singapore-based Indian martial artist Rahul Raju. Wiratchai only needed 21 seconds to shut the lights out on Raju, landing a hard right hook to clinch the scintillating knockout. With his impressive conquest of Raju, Wiratchai earned the GoDaddy Knockout of the Night.
In a clash of talented female atomweights, Angelie Sabanal of the Philippines captured a hard-earned victory, routing Thai rising star Rika Ishige via unanimous decision in her ONE Championship debut. Sabanal and Ishige kept the action focused primarily at the center of the ONE Championship cage for the majority of the bout. The Filipina newcomer showcased her pinpoint accurate striking early on, peppering Ishige with stinging kicks and stiff punches. Although Ishige boldly traded strikes with the Filipina kickboxer from bell to bell, the latter pulled away in the final round, landing the more telling blows. In the end, Sabanal earned the undivided nod from the three judges at cageside.
23-year-old Saygid Guseyn Arslanaliev reignited his meteoric rise through the ranks, defeating seasoned Japanese veteran Tetsuya Yamada by submission. Both men started out aggressively, but it was Arslanaliev who showed a more capable set of both striking and grappling skills throughout the three-round lightweight match. As Yamada avoided trading strikes in the stand-up, Arslanaliev spun a web of crafty grappling on the ground to overwhelm the Japanese veteran. Driven to score a finish, Arslanaliev was able to get the submission in the third round, making Yamada tap from a wrenching belly-down armbar.
Pakistani martial artist Waqar Umar made an astounding statement in his return to the ONE Championship cage after nearly two years of absence, submitting Chinese prospect Zhao Zhi Kang in the first round of their featherweight clash. With a game plan to take matters to the ground, Umar got the job done by fastening a rear-naked choke to force the tap from Zhao.
American submission wizard Garry “The Lion Killer” Tonon impressed in his highly-anticipated ONE Championship debut, toppling Filipino lightweight Richard Corminal in his maiden assignment wearing four-ounce gloves on the premier martial arts stage. The Brazilian jiu-jitsu superstar put forth a dominant striking performance, unveiling a new dimension to his evolving skill set by putting together dynamic combinations. In an offensive clinic against his Filipino counterpart, Tonon overwhelmed Corminal with punishing strikes from the get-go, blasting his opponent with rocking right hands and cracking kicks. In the second round, Tonon took matters to the ground and quickly got mount, finishing Corminal with a pair of elbows.
Kritsada “Dream Man” Kongsrichai made quick work of the Philippines’ Robin Catalan to continue his winning ways inside the ONE Championship cage. Opening up the contest by taking the action right to Catalan, Kongsrichai pounced on his Filipino opponent with a series of powerful strikes, including solid knees from the clinch. As he pushed Catalan constantly back up against the cage, Kongsrichai wrapped his arms around his foe’s midsection and took him for a ride with a belly-to-back suplex. Catalan was deemed unable to continue when he landed on the mat, forcing the referee to wave it off and declare Kongsrichai as the victor by way of stoppage.
Multiple-time kickboxing world champion Alain “The Panther” Ngalani placed himself back on the winning track by edging out promotional newcomer Ariunbold Tur-Ochir of Mongolia via split decision. Both men gave fans a spirited effort over three rounds, which featured a healthy stream of action from both corners. After a gruelling contest, it was Ngalani who walked out with his hand raised in triumph.
Gilberto Galvao of Brazil spoiled the much-awaited return of Jake Butler to competition, defeating the decorated American wrestler by technical knockout in the second round. Galvao finished the job in the opening sequence of the contest’s second frame, checking a low kick from Butler with a hard knee. As Butler dropped to the canvas, he held onto his leg and hit the ground writhing in pain, the referee stepped in and called a halt to the bout, awarding the victory to Galvao.
A three-round bantamweight encounter served as the curtain-raiser for ONE: IRON WILL as “The Terminator” Sunoto battled it out with Malaysian standout Hisyam Samsudin. Leaning on his impeccable grappling, Sunoto burned out his opponent, consistently bringing Samsudin to the canvas and controlling the action with crisp ground strikes. With a dominant top game, Sunoto notched his second consecutive victory in 2018, defeating Samsudin as all three judges saw the bout in favor of the Indonesian to win by unanimous decision.
Official results for ONE: IRON WILL
ONE Bantamweight World Championship bout: Bibiano Fernandes defeats Martin Nguyen by Split Decision (SD) after 3 rounds
Strawweight bout: Jeremy Miado defeats Dejdamrong Sor Amnuaysirichoke by Knockout (KO) at 1:29 minutes of round 1
Lightweight bout: Shannon Wiratchai defeats Rahul Raju by Knockout (KO) at 0:21 minutes of round 1
Women’s atomweight bout: Angelie Sabanal defeats Rika Ishige by Unanimous Decision (UD)
Lightweight bout: Saygid Guseyn Arslanaliev defeats Tetsuya Yamada by Submission (Armbar) at 2:51 minutes of round 3
Featherweight bout: Waqar Umar defeats Zhao Zhi Kang by Submission (Rear Naked Choke) at 4:21 minutes of round 1
Lightweight bout: Garry Tonon defeats Richard Corminal by TKO (Strikes) at 3:40 minutes of round 2
Strawweight bout: Kritsada Kongsrichai defeats Robin Catalan by TKO (Slam) at 1:40 minutes of round 1
Light Heavyweight bout: Alain Ngalani defeats Ariunbold Tur-Ochir by Split Decision (SD) after 3 rounds
Middleweight bout: Gilberto Galvao defeats Jake Butler by TKO (Strikes) at 0:07 minutes of round 2
Bantamweight bout: Sunoto defeats Hisyam Samsudin by Unanimous Decision (UD) after 3 rounds
In case you missed the action log on to www.onefc.com/livestream for the full replay of the fights at only US $9.99.
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/ONECh
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 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. 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 136 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.
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