After almost a two-year layoff, ONE Heavyweight World Champion Brandon Vera is set to make his return to the cage.
On Friday, November 23, the Filipino-American champion will make his second title defense as he goes up against Italian heavyweight Mauro Cerilli.
This will serve as the headliner for ONE: Conquest of Champions at the SM Mall of Asia Arena in Pasay City.
“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 Conquest of Champions,” said ONE CEO Chatri Sityodtong.
Vera, who owns a 15-7-1 record, won the Heavyweight crown against Paul Cheng last December 11, 2015. The now-41-year-old defended his title once back in 2016, blasting Japanese fighter Hideki Sekine.
He has been inactive ever since, delving into other endeavors.
However, his opponent Cerilli will be a tough nut to crack.
Cerilli, a 35-year-old heavyweight who owns a record of 12-2, is the current heavyweight champion for English promotion Cage Warriors.
“Brandon will have a very tough challenger in front of him in the form of Mauro Cerilli. The two provide an explosive match-up and a good contrast of styles,” he added.
He is currently on a five-fight winning streak, with only one going the distance.
Last November 25, he won the belt after stopping Nills van Noord to win the vacant crown. He made his first title defense last March, needing just 15 seconds to dispose of Karl Moore.
This will be the second championship match in the stacked card as Eduard Folayang looks to become a two-time Lightweight World Champion as he takes on Amir Khan for the vacant crown.
“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,” Sityodtong closed.
