The Clown Prince of Philippines mixed martial arts returns to the ONE cage.
ONE Championship, Asia’s largest mixed martial arts promotion, returns to Myanmar for ONE Championship: Union of Warriors to be held at the Thuwunna Stadium in Yangon, Myanmar on March 18, 2016.
“Last year, as part of our growth plan to bring opportunities to countries with a rich history in martial arts, we entered Myanmar for the first time in June, bringing our signature brand of world-class MMA to fans here in Yangon with the support of Z Corp, Skynet, the Lethwei Federation, and the Ministry of Sports,” ONE Championship CEO Victor Cui said about the company’s return to Myanmar. “This time, we intend to play off our success and establish yet another amazing night of MMA action.”
In the co-main event of the card, Filipino flyweight Eugene Toquero (8-2) takes on former ONE World Flyweight Champion Adriano Moraes in his biggest fight in his MMA career.
Toquero has a knack for highlight reel striking techniques and operates at a pace which opponents find hard to keep up with. During ONE Spirit of Champions last December here in Manila, Toquero wowed the hometown crowd with a thrilling technical knockout victory over China’s Li Wei Bin.
In his way is “Mikinho”. Moraes had his title reign cut short in his last bout, dropping a heartbreaking split decision to current ONE Flyweight World Champion Kairat Akhmetov. As champion, Moraes was skilful and dominant, and was rarely opposed inside the ONE Cage.
With a win, Toquero will solidify his spot as the #1 contender for the ONE Flyweight crown.
In the undercard, Robin Catalan makes his ONE Championship debut while Edward Kelly looks to bounce back.
25 year old Robin Catalan will follow in the footsteps of relatives Ruel and Rene to the ONE cage. Catalan is a mixed martial artist and trainer currently based in Metro Manila. In his five wins, the Filipino strawweight has finished all but one of his opponents. Catalan will go to Myanmar with vengeance on his mind as he faces of with “The Catalan Killer” Alex Silva.
His opponent Silva is 3-1 as a professional, and is riding a two-fight win streak over Robin’s brothers Rene and Ruel Catalan, making this fight especially personal for Robin Catalan.
Edward Kelly (6-3) is also featured on the card as he is set to face Mark Striegl’s supposed opponent last December Jordan Lucas (8-0).
Edward “The Ferocious” Kelly is the younger brother of ONE Championship standout Eric Kelly. One of the brightest featherweight talents to emerge from the Philippines, Kelly brings Team Lakay’s world-renowned Wushu Sanshou to center stage as he showcases his skills inside the ONE Cage. Kelly is looking to get his ONE Championship career back on track with his bout against Jordan Lucas.
21-year-old Jordan “Showtime” Lucas is undefeated with eight wins and no losses. He is one of Australia’s top bantamweights and is coming off two straight submission finishes in as many outings. Lucas was supposed to make his ONE Championship debut last December against Mark Striegl. Lucas though fell to an injury that forced him out of the card and was replaced by Fil-Australian Reece McLaren.
Fans from around the world can witness the action online via live streaming at http://www.onefc.com/livestream. The event will be available for purchase at just US$9.99.
