ONE Championship returns to Manila, Philippines on Friday for “Fire & Fury.” Headlining the card, the promotion’s Strawweight World Champion (125 lbs) Joshua Pacio will attempt to defend his belt against Alex Silva. Also featured on the card is notable ONE talent like Eduard Folayang, Danny Kingad and more.
Follow along with the blog throughout the morning as live results roll in from the show. The six-fight “Lead Card” for the show starts at 5AM EST, with the “Main Card” beginning at 7:30AM EST. From the Mall of Asia Arena, it’s ONE Championship.
Quick Results:
Lead Card (5:00 AM EST)
Bout 1: Jomary Torres vs. Jenny Huang via No Contest (Torres Groin Injury)
Bout 2: Rodlek PK.Saenchaimuaythaigym def. Chris Shaw via Unanimous Decision (Muay Thai Bout)
Bout 3: Gina Iniong def. Asha Roka via Decision, Unanimous
Bout 4: Lito Adiwang def. Pongsiri Mitsatit via Submission, Kimura (RD 1, 3:02)
Bout 5: Anne Line Hogstad def. Alma Juniku via Decision, Majority (Muay Thai Bout)
Bout 6: Tatsumitsu Wada def. Ivanildo Delfino via Unanimous Decision
Main Card (7:30 AM EST)
Bout 7: Shoko Sato def. Kwon Won Il via Submission, Rear Naked Choke (RD 1, 4:05)
Bout 8: Petchdam Petchyindee Academy def. Momotaro via Decision, Majority
Bout 9: Danny Kingad (13-2) def. Xie Wei via Decision, Unanimous
Bout 10: Pieter Buist def. Eduard Folayang via Decision, Split
Bout 11: Joshua Pacio def. Alex Silva via Decision, Split (ONE MMA Strawweight Championship)
Live Coverage:
Bout 1: Jomary Torres (4-4) vs. Jenny Huang (5-5) (115 lbs) (MMA Bout)
In the first fight of the evening, Jomary Torres fought Jenny Huang. Both fighters were on a multiple-fight losing streak heading into this fight. A leg kick was caught by Torres at the start, throwing punches while keeping ahold of the leg. After trading punches, they went into a clinch against the cage. Injury time came as Torres was hit in the groin in the clinch. After a few minutes of a break, the fight resumed. Although the clinch was caused the strike, they resumed in stand-up. Huang tried for a judo throw in the clinch but couldn’t get it. In the clinch again, Torres was kneed in the groin again, causing another pause. Huang was awarded a yellow card, deducing 10 percent of her purse. The fight was then waved off and ruled a no contest.
Bout 2: Rodlek PK.Saenchaimuaythaigym vs. Chris Shaw (145 lbs) (Muay Thai Bout)
In the first of three Muay Thai bouts in the evening, Rodlek PK.Saenchaimuaythaigym fought Chris Shaw. Worth noting that ONE Championship Muay Thai fights are done in their MMA gloves. Rodlek walked out with a gladiator mask and cape. Shaw’s height advantage in the fight was visible. Lots of leg kicks were landed by both fighters in the first minute. Rodlek caught a few kicks in the round, always answering back with a punch.
Rodlek was coming forward and being more active at the start of the second round. In a clinch, Shaw threw Rodlek to the ground. Shaw kept trying to land an elbow to the head but never connected with it, it seemed. Shaw had a small cut on his nose.
Early in the final round, it looked like a cut was open on Rodlek’s head. Maybe one of those elbows connected. Rodlek had a good start to the round, although it became a more back-and-forth exchange as the round moved on. Shaw was swept in the second minute. While in a clinch against the cage, Rodlek waved at the crowd to get them to cheer. In the final minute, Rodlek landed a left-and-right hook combination that dropped Shaw. Rodlek didn’t do much more before the fight ran out of time. After securing a 10-8 round in the final moments, Rodlek PK.Saenchaimuaythaigym walked away with a safe unanimous decision win.
Bout 3: Gina Iniong (8-4) vs. Asha Roka (4-1) (115 lbs) (MMA Bout)
In the next fight, 115-pound fighters Gina Iniong fought Asha Roka in an MMA bout. Roka’s last fight was a loss to against ONE’s star Stamp Fairtex. Iniong shot for a takedown right off the bat, getting it after a little resistance. Iniong went from half guard into side control. She went back into half guard as Roka wrapped one of Iniong’s legs between hers. Iniong landed lots of punches to the body. Iniong went into full guard. Iniong stood up, then went back to the ground in half guard. Iniong continued to throw strikes from her position. The round ended on the ground after Iniong stood up for a short moment.
Iniong got her second takedown a minute into the next round. Roka was able to escape bottom position, taking side control. Iniong flipped the position, putting Roka back on her back. Iniong put in a guillotine choke with a minute left in the round. Roka tried to punch her way out, but endured the choke until the round ended.
In the final round, they went into the clinch as Iniong wanted the fight to go back to the ground. She got a trip takedown in the second minute. They stayed on the ground until the final minute, where the referee stood them up due to inactivity. Roka landed some good punches as the fight ended, although she didn’t do anything substantial. The fight went all three rounds, with Gina Iniong getting the unanimous decision victory.
Bout 4: Lito Adiwang (10-2) vs. Pongsiri Mitsatit (10-4) (125 lbs) (MMA Bout)
Lito Adiwang, who is on a six-fight winning streak next fought Pongsiri Mitsatit, who has lost four of his last five. Adiwang charged forward with punches in the first minute, dropping Mitsatit. He continued with ground and pound, although Mitsatit was able to get back up and recover. Adiwang got a takedown in the second minute, trying for a choke although Mitsatit got up again, this time holding Adiwang from behind. They went back to the ground. Adiwang was still being held, although he was trying for a kimura. He went into a side control where he continued trying for the kimura, eventually making Mitsatit tap out. Lito Adiwang extended his winning streak to seven, being the fifth of those five wins via stoppage.
Bout 5: Alma Juniku vs. Anne Line Hogstad (115 lbs) (Muay Thai Bout)
Switching back to Muay Thai, the next fight was between Alma Juniku and Anne Line Hogstad. Juniku’s first fight in ONE was a Muay Thai loss to Stamp Fairtex. In the first round, Juniku caught a leg and ran Hogstad into the cage. The referee warned her that she can only hold the leg for a second. With under a minute left in the round, the referee told them to be more active.
Juniku took Hogstad down at the start of the second round by catching a leg again. Hogstad landed a good punch combination. Juniku caught a leg and swept Hogstad because of it. A pause came as the referee deemed this the third time that Juniku didn’t follow the rules for leg holding. Juniku was given a yellow card, which took away 10 percent of her fight purse. They resumed for the final few seconds of the round.
Both fighters had maybe their best striking exchange at the start of the final round. The fight survived all three rounds, needing scorecards to decide who won. When looking at the scores, it was a majority decision that went in favour of Anne Line Hogstad.
Bout 6: Tatsumitsu Wada (21-11-2) vs. Ivanildo Delfino (8-0) (135 lbs) (MMA Bout)
The preliminary card wrapped up with Tatsumitsu Wada facing the undefeated Ivanildo Delfino. Wada’s last fight was a loss to Demetrious Johnson in August. This was Delfino’s ONE debut. The fighters went into a clinch in the first minute after Delfino caught a kick. Wada got a takedown from the clinch. With two minutes left in the round, Wada landed elbows to Delfino. Wada stood up, raining punches down to Delfino. Wada stayed in top position, throwing punches and elbows until the first round ended.
Wada landed a solid right hook in the first minute of the second round. He came in and went into a clinch with Delfino against the cage. They stayed in the clinch for many minutes, both landing strikes. Wada got a takedown in the final minute of the round. Wada did ground and pound for the final minute.
The final round opened with Wada getting another takedown, although they stood up in a clinch before much was done. They went back to the ground, where Wada was on top in side control. The rest of the round felt like a replay of the first, as Wada stayed in control and kept with striking from the top. Going to a decision, there was no doubt that Tatsumitsu Wada would prevail on all three scorecards.
Bout 7: Kwon Won Il (8-2) vs. Shoko Sato (34-16-3) (145 lbs) (MMA Bout)
The main card started with the very experienced Shoko Sato facing knockout artist Kwon Won Il. Il was showing some strong punches early in the fight. Sato put them into a clinch, backing Il up against the cage. They separated, with Sato trying for a takedown a minute later. Sato was wrapped around Il’s right leg against the cage. He failed to get the fight to the ground this time, as they returned to striking. Sato tried again for a takedown with two minutes left in the round. He got it to the ground with just over a minute left. Sato got on Il’s back, putting in a rear naked choke. The choke was fully put on, making Il tap out within seconds. While it took a while for Shoko Sato to get the fight to the ground, once he did, this fight was over.
Bout 8: Petchdam Petchyindee Academy vs. Momotaro (135 lbs) (Muay Thai Bout)
In the final Muay Thai bout of the evening, Petchdam Petchyindee Academy fought Momotaro. Like the other two Muay Thai fights earlier on the card, it was fought with the promotion’s MMA gloves. The fighters had fast leg kicks at the start. Momotaro came forward with punches in the first minute, dumping Petchdam at the end of the clinch. Momotaro caught a knee to the body, throwing Petchdam down. The referee warned him for that throw. In the final seconds of the round, Petchdam landed a hard elbow in the clinch. Petchdam danced while heading to his corner at the end of the round.
Momotaro opened the second round by dumping Petchdam to the ground. While it didn’t connect clean, Momotaro threw the rare axe kick to the head. This was a really good round for Momotaro, who landed lots of punches and came off as confident. Petchdam had a good combo of punches as the round ended.
Petchdam landed good knees in a clinch in the third round, and followed up with a kick to the body. The final round was a close one. The fight went to the scorecards. Both fighters were very respectful to each other after the fight. A majority decision went in favour of Petchdam Petchyindee Academy.
Bout 9: Danny Kingad (13-2) vs. Xie Wei (5-2) (135 lbs) (MMA Bout)
The first of three headlining fights featuring a Filippino fighter was Danny Kingad facing Xie Wei. Wei was making his ONE Championship debut after winning five-straight on the ONE Warrior and Hero Series. Kingad landed a loud left hook early in the fight. Xie caught a leg kick, connecting with punches because of it. Xie got a takedown, trying for a guillotine as Kingad picked him up and slammed him. Kingad had half guard on top. Xie was able to get up with two minutes to go in the round.
Xie landed a hook at the start of the second round which shook Kingad. They went into a clinch in the second minute. Xie did shoulder strikes in the clinch. Xie tried to throw Kingad down for a takedown, although Kingad got back up in the clinch a second after. They went back to striking with two minutes left.
Kingad shot for a takedown in the first minute of the final round. Xie stuffed it, landing knees to the head in the process. Xie got the fight to the ground, catching a kick and throwing punches which tripped Kingad. The referee stepped in and ended the ground game as Xie headbutted Kingad once. When they resumed, they went into a clinch against the cage. Xie threw another shoulder strike. Xie got a takedown and tried for a rear naked choke, although Kingad escaped and got back to his feet. They went back to the clinch. Xie stuffed another takedown in the final minute. Another timeout happened in the final minute as Xie kneed Kingad in the back of the head. They resumed in stand-up, in a clinch as the fight concluded. Consulting the judges, all three were in agreement that Danny Kingad won.
Bout 10: Eduard Folayang (22-8) vs. Pieter Buist (16-4) (170 lbs) (MMA Bout)
Before the next fight, Brandon “The Truth” Vero announced he will return on May 29th to defend his ONE Heavyweight Championship in the Philippines. In the co-main event of the evening, Filipino fighter Eduard Folayang challenged Pieter Buist. While Folayang entered the cage with more experience, Buist was riding a seven-fight winning streak heading into the fight. Buist was kicked in the groin, causing a pause in the second minute. When they resumed, Folayang went into a clinch after Buist landed some strikes. Buist tried for a standing guillotine from the clinch. Folayang got a takedown, escaping the choke in the process. Buist got up, and was caught in a guillotine choke in the process. They went back to the ground, where Buist was able to scramble out of the choke. They got up again, with Folayang still holding onto Buist. They returned to striking for the final seconds of the round.
After 30 seconds of striking at the start of the second round, they went into a clinch again. During that striking, Buist landed a good right hook. Buist slipped and fell in the second minute, allowing Folayang to get top position on the ground. Buist tried for a triangle choke on the ground. He switched to an armbar attempt which Folayang got out of. Folayang went into half guard. Not much more happened on the ground until the round ended.
Buist landed a head kick in the first minute of the final round which hurt Folayang. Buist tried for a standing guillotine, but Folayang escaped and went into a clinch. When they returned to striking, it was much slower paced as they were quite tired. Folayang caught a leg kick in the final minute, landing a takedown from it. The fight went all three rounds. The judges had a split decision, with two of the three judges giving the win to Pieter Buist. A great performance for Buist, who took the fight on two-weeks notice.
Bout 11: Joshua Pacio (18-3) vs. Alex Silva (9-4) (125 lbs) (ONE MMA Strawweight Championship)
Finally, the main event of the evening saw Filipino fighter Joshua Pacio attempt to defend his ONE Strawweight Championship against Alex Silva. Silva landed a punch at the start, then clinched up and pulled guard. Pacio got up and made the fight go back to the feet. They clinched up again in the second minute. While Silva was the one trying to get the fight to the ground, Pacio ended up in top position. Pacio eventually got up, forcing the fight to go back to the feet again. Pacio landed a spinning back kick to Silva’s body. Pacio caught a leg kick in the final minute, bringing Silva to the ground. Silva stood up after Pacio did not seem interesting in going down. Silva shot for a takedown but got caught in a guillotine choke on the way down. He escaped, trying for a heel hook before they stood up again.
Silva caught a leg kick at the start of the second round, going to the ground again. While Pacio was in top position at the start, Silva scrambled into top position. Pacio threatened a guillotine choke many times. They got up and went back down with Pacio in top position, although stood up shortly after. Silva got another takedown with two minutes left in the round. Silva put in a head and arm choke from top position. Pacio eventually escaped the choke. Pacio almost got trapped in a heel hook as the round ended.
The third round started slow after two very active rounds. Silva was denied a takedown attempt many times in a row. When he finally got to the ground, he was in bottom position. They went back to stand-up shortly after. Silva got another takedown denied. Silva got top position on the ground in the final minute, although they didn’t do much.
In the fourth round, Silva pulled guard again. They stood up with just under half of the round left. Silva hit a head kick. A few moments later he also landed a good overhand left. Pacio’s jabs were powerful. Silva got a takedown with over a minute left in the round. Pacio scrabled into top position in north-south, and then half guard.
The fighters hugged to start the fifth and final round. Pacio landed a flying knee which rocked Silva. Silva got a takedown to stop the momentum. They got up again in a clinch. Pacio dumped Silva to the ground, then waited for the referee to stand him up. With two minutes to go, Silva got a single leg takedown. Silva stayed in top position until the round ended. Going all 25 minutes, scorecards we needed to see if Pacio would keep his belt. When going to decision, the fight was a split decision. Two of the three judges saw the winner as Joshua Pacio, making it the second defence of his championship.
JackWannan.com 