Nearly everything was put on hold because of COVID-19, and ONE Championship was not spared from its effects.
In result, The Home Of Martial Arts had to postpone events and reschedule matches, prioritizing the health and the well-being of its athletes in such trying times.
On the flipside, at least there are things to look forward to once life return to normalcy and the largest martial arts organization in the world kicks off action again.
Here are three matches to look forward to when restrictions are lifted.
“Unstoppable” Angela Lee vs. Denice “The Menace Fairtex” Zamboanga
Zamboanga will have a chance to become the first Filipina World Champion after earning her stripes against Mei “V.V” Yamaguchi at ONE: KING OF THE JUNGLE with a convincing decision win.
Now it’s time to truly see what the 23-year-old from Quezon City is made off.
Lee has ruled over her division since 2016 and she is yet to taste defeat in the weight class, winning all 10 bouts in the ONE women’s atomweight division. Zamboanga, however, will be an interesting challenger as she brings in a solid striking foundation and an ever-evolving grappling skillset that only gets better with time.
Will that be enough to usurp Lee from the pinnacle? Time will tell.
Brandon “The Truth” Vera vs. “Singh” Arjan Bhullar
Since Vera touched ground in The Home Of Martial Arts back in 2014, he has remained the undisputed top dog in the heavyweight division.
Now he may have found the biggest threat to his throne – Bhullar.
Bhullar had an outstanding debut at ONE: CENTURY PART II last October when he outpointed Mauro “The Hammer” Cerilli and from then on he has set his eyes on the Filipino-American power hitter.
Vera is pretty much open to the challenge as he wants nothing more than to erase the memories of his loss to Aung La “The Burmese Python” N Sang on the same event where Bhullar made his debut.
A win over the red-hot Bhullar would only prove that Vera is untouchable in the weight class.
Adriano “Mikinho” Moraes vs Demetrious “Mighty Mouse” Johnson
The only World Title match on the list that does not involve a local athlete, it is still a bout worth noting given that it involves the most dominant flyweight in the promotion – Moraes – and the legendary American who needs no further introduction.
But aside from that, fans of Team Lakay are certainly taking note of this match because of the implications that it has on its young star in Danny “The King” Kingad.
Kingad lost to both men in the past, dropping a decision to Johnson most recently in the ONE Flyweight World Grand Prix Championship at ONE: CENTURY PART I. However, the 24-year-old has been hellbent on getting a shot at either man once more, and who he will face first depends on the result of this match.
To commemorate the Philippine Independence Day, ONE Championship has released exclusive merchandise donning the country’s colors. Check out ONE.SHOP for the fresh drops.
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