ONE Championship holds inaugural event in Macau
Adriano Moraes battles Andrew Leone for Interim ONE Flyweight World Championship
18 July 2016 – Macau, China: The largest sports media property in Asian history, ONE Championship™ (ONE), has just announced its first event in Macau, China. ONE: HEROES OF THE WORLD is set to take place on Saturday, 13 August, in the Cotai Arena at The Venetian Macao. All bouts save for one have been confirmed. In the main event, former ONE Flyweight World Champion Adriano Moraes will take on elite wrestler Andrew Leone for the Interim ONE Flyweight World Championship.
“It’s
my time now. I’ve been working very hard on my game, and feel I’m at
that point in my career where I’m ready to just take the reins and show
everyone who I am,” said Andrew Leone. “With an amazing team behind me, I
have all the tools I need to compete at the highest level.”
Former
ONE Flyweight World Champion Adriano “Mikinho” Moraes is a
highly-skilled Brazilian Jiu Jitsu black belt with solid striking
techniques. As champion, Moraes was rarely opposed inside the cage,
using his long limbs to wreak havoc from range while posing the constant
threat of submissions on the ground. He is on the comeback trail to
regain his title, but first he’ll have to get past the talented Andrew
Leone.
26-year-old
flyweight Andrew Leone of Cortland, New York, made waves in ONE
Championship when he debuted with a victory over top Filipino flyweight
Geje Eustaquio in 2013. He has since strung together two solid victories
over high-level opponents, including a unanimous decision over Japanese
MMA veteran Koetsu Okazaki in his last bout. Now Leone looks to
continue his winning ways by taking on his toughest assignment yet in
former champion Adriano Moraes.
Adrian
“The Hunter” Pang is a mixed martial arts veteran from Queensland,
Australia, with a 22-8-2 professional record. Throughout his storied
career, Pang has decimated opponents with his powerful strikes,
overwhelming them with brute strength. In his last bout, Pang easily
handled Malaysian star Peter Davis, stopping him with punches just 48
seconds into the first round. In his next bout, Pang will take on top
Filipino lightweight Eduard Folayang.
Eduard
“Landslide” Folayang is one of the Philippines’ most well-rounded mixed
martial artists, amassing an impressive 15-5 record over eight years as
a professional competing in various promotions. A ONE Championship
veteran since its first event in 2011, Folayang is a famed wushu
champion who has won tournaments all across Asia, but he has also
recently added solid grappling to his growing skill set. He now takes on
his sternest challenge yet in Adrian Pang.
Eddie
“The Magician” Ng is a 30-year-old lightweight standout originally from
Hong Kong. A ONE Championship veteran who has been with the promotion
since its first event in 2011, Ng is known for being a devastating
striker with lightning quick hands and feet, as well as a highly
technical grappler with a wide range of submissions. He returns to the
ONE Championship cage against former champion Honorio Banario.
A
former ONE Featherweight World Champion, Team Lakay’s Honorio “The
Rock” Banario has long been one of the Philippines’ most respected mixed
martial arts veterans. His vast cage experience has brought him all
over Asia, encompassing several memorable battles against top divisional
talent. Among his many talents, wushu expert Banario’s strength lies in
his striking, but he has recently improved on his grappling as well. He
is now ready to showcase his growing skills against Eddie Ng.
Christian
Lee, younger brother of ONE Women’s Atomweight Champion Angela
“Unstoppable” Lee, has impressed in his first few outings inside the ONE
Championship cage. His growing skillset boasts unorthodox and
unpredictable striking techniques, as well as technical grappling and
creative submission maneuvers. The undefeated Lee is riding the momentum
of five straight stoppage wins inside the ONE cage—three by highlight
reel knockout and the other two by crafty submission—and looks to
continue his early success against Martin Nguyen, his toughest opponent
to date.
27-year-old
Martin “The Situ-Asian” Nguyen of Sydney, Australia, is a former ONE
Featherweight title challenger with a 6-1 professional mixed martial
arts record. All of Nguyen’s victories have come within the distance in
the form of four solid TKO wins and two submissions, proving how
dangerous he is in all areas. Nguyen’s complete skillset allows him to
compete at the highest level as a professional, and he’ll be seeking to
re-enter title contention with a victory against the promising Christian
Lee.
Alain
“The Panther” Ngalani trains out of Impakt MMA in Hong Kong, and is a
veteran heavyweight contender with massive size and strength. Armed with
the agility and quickness of a lighter fighter, Ngalani is a terrifying
combination of size and speed, and is always looking to end fights
early. In his last bout, Ngalani needed just a little over a minute to
stop Ukraine’s Igor Subora, winning by TKO in the first round. Ngalani
now looks to entertain local fans in attendance with another spectacular
performance as he takes on Alexandre Machado.
Brazilian
heavyweight champion Alexandre “Bebezao” Machado is a rare breed of
heavyweight with a penchant for submissions. A Brazilian Jiu Jitsu black
belt, he currently sports a 7-2 professional mixed martial arts record,
and will be making his second appearance inside the ONE cage. He will
have his hands full dealing with the hulking Alain Ngalani in what
promises to be a classic and colossal clash of striker vs. grappler.
In
the evening’s initial bout offerings, rising Chinese prospects Ma Jia
Wen and Ma Hao Bin take on Filipino veteran Jimmy Yabo and Cambodian
star Chan Rothana respectively, while Thai national wrestling champion
Kritsada “Dream Man” Kongsrichai takes on Team Lakay’s undefeated
prospect Joshua Pacio.
For more updates on ONE Championship, please visit www.onefc.com and follow Twitter and Instagram @ONEChampionship and Facebook at www.facebook.com/ONEChampionship.
0 comments:
Post a Comment