| (Photo courtesy of ONE Championship) |
04 May 2016 – Bangkok, Thailand:
The largest sports media property in Asian history, ONE Championship™
(ONE), is set to electrify the Impact Arena in Bangkok, Thailand, on 27 May
with an electrifying fight card for ONE: KINGDOM OF CHAMPIONS. This
historic event is the first live ONE Championship event in Bangkok and
features hometown hero, ONE Strawweight World Champion Dejdamrong Sor
Amnuaysirichoke, in the card’s headlining bout against undefeated
Japanese fighter Yoshitaka “Nobita” Naito.
Yoshitaka
“Nobita” Naito of Chiba, Japan, is an unbeaten mixed martial artist
with a perfect 10-0 record. He has four wins by submission and one
knockout under his belt. The 32-year-old, who made a name for himself at
Japan’s world-famous Korakuen Hall competing as the Shooto flyweight
champion, will be fighting outside of his native Japan for the first
time, and it will be in a contest for the ONE Strawweight World
Championship against Thai titlist Dejdamrong Sor Amnuaysirichoke.
Marat
“Cobra” Gafurov of Russia is undefeated at 13 wins and no losses and is
the former M-1 featherweight champion. In his first four bouts with ONE
Championship, he defeated the top ranked fighters in his weight-class
with relative ease. Out of his 13 victories, 9 have come by submission,
proving that Gafurov is an absolute force to be reckoned with on the
ground. He is the reigning ONE Featherweight World Champion and will
defend his belt against Kazunori Yokota.
38-year-old
Kazunori Yokota of Chiba, Japan, is a mixed martial arts veteran with
over 12 years of professional fight experience under his belt. The
reigning Deep featherweight champion, Yokota is one of the toughest
fighters at featherweight, sporting a stellar record of 25 wins and just
5 defeats. He will be making his ONE Championship debut in a title bout
against reigning ONE Featherweight World Champion, Marat Gafurov.
Russia’s
Timofey Nastyukhin has notched a series of ferocious finishes since
joining ONE Championship, including stoppage wins over top fighters
Eduard Folayang and Yusuke Kawanago. Nastyukhin now returns to action
against one of the biggest names in Asian MMA, taking on striking
specialist Rob Lisita.
33-year-old
Rob "Warrior of God" Lisita of Campbelltown, Australia, is making his
highly-anticipated return to the ONE Cage. At 14-7, feared striker
Lisita is raring to go, and promises an overall improved martial arts
game in his next outing. He’ll battle Timofey Nastyukhin in what
promises to be an instant classic.
Leandro
Ataides of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, will return to the ONE Cage on a
mission to regain his standing in the middleweight ranks. Ataides, 29,
strung together eight straight victories before encountering his first
setback, and is a force to be reckoned with for any contender. Ataides
looks to get back on track by defeating his next opponent, Marcin
Prachnio.
Marcin
Prachnio is a Polish mixed martial artist with an impressive 10-2
professional record. He’s won his last five bouts, four of which by
devastating technical knockouts. The attacking machine was victorious in
his first appearance inside the ONE Cage, ousting Alexandre Machado
just last February, and is making a quick turnaround to face the
returning Leandro Ataides.
Thailand’s
Anatpong “Mak Mak” Bunrad is one of the fiercest competitors at
flyweight. He has a standout 5-2 professional mixed martial arts record,
and has defeated the likes of Geje Eustaquio and Marc Marcellinus.
Bunrad likes to pepper opponents with heavy handed strikes and powerful
kicks, maximizing the effectiveness of his world-class Muay Thai. His
next assignment is against Filipino Eugene Toquero.
Flyweight
standout Eugene Toquero is a former celebrity mixed martial arts and
fitness coach in his native Manila, Philippines. The Filipino stalwart
has a knack for highlight-reel striking techniques and operates at a
pace which opponents find hard to keep up with. In his last bout,
Toquero nearly defeated former ONE Flyweight World Champion Adriano
Moraes, showcasing his elite skills. He now faces Thailand’s Anatpong
Bunrad.
41-year-old
WBA Boxing World Champion Yodsanan “Little Tyson” Sityodtong of
Thailand is making his return to professional mixed martial arts
competition at ONE: KINGDOM OF CHAMPIONS. With the opportunity to
compete in Bangkok, Sityodtong just simply could not pass up the chance
to perform in front of his hometown crowd. He’ll take on Chrech Kosal of
Cambodia next.
Cambodian
bantamweight prospect Chrech Kosal has two wins and only one loss as a
professional mixed martial artist. A Khun Khmer specialist, Kosal is
quick on his feet and powerful with his strikes. Thailand and Cambodia
are set to rekindle their age-old rivalry when Kosal meets Thai boxing
specialist Yodsanan Sityodtong.
Shannon
Wiratchai is one of the promotion’s most devastating strikers. A Muay
Thai specialist with 4 wins and only 1 loss, Wiratchai has competed
against solid opposition since joining ONE Championship in 2012. In his
most recent bout, Wiratchai starred in an absolute classic against young
Singaporean prospect Amir Khan in one of the best bouts of the year.
Now, Wiratchai gets a chance to perform in front of his hometown crowd
in Bangkok against Kyal Linn Aung.
Myanmar’s
Kyal Linn Aung is a two-time Lethwei Gold Belt Champion, a glowing
testament to his elite striking ability. Kyal made his professional MMA
debut at ONE: UNION OF WARRIORS, prevailing in a hugely entertaining
three-round battle with Thway Thit Aung. He now faces Shannon Wiratchai
as his next assignment in ONE Championship in a clash between two of the
region’s national martial arts.
Also,
young local Thai mixed martial arts prospects Pongsiri Mitsatit and
Kritsada Konsrichai will take to the ONE Cage, against high-level
strikers Ye Thway Ne of Myanmar and Cambodia’s Kev Hemmorlor
respectively, to kick off what is expected to be an exciting night of
world-class mixed martial arts action.
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