ONE Championship: Masters of Fate Full Report

ONE Championship returned to Manila, Philippines on Friday, with “ONE Championship: Masters of Fate.” Headlining the card was Flyweight Champion Joshua Pacio defending his belt against Rene Catalan. The show was held within a ring, and had 13 bouts overall.

Bout 1: Rosham Mainam (3-1) vs. Khon Sichan (3-4) (135 lbs.) (MMA Bout)

Starting off the preliminary card was Indian fighter Rosham Mainam making his ONE debut against Khon Sichan. Mainam got a takedown a minute into the fight. He was dominant in top position, landing strikes and trying for submissions. After putting in an americano, Rosham Mainam got a quick victory to start the show.

Bout 2: Kim Kyu Sung (9-3) vs. Akihiro Fujisawa (5-2) (135 lbs) (MMA Bout)

The next bout saw ONE Hero Series winner Akihiro Fujisawa face Kim Kyu Sung. Both fighters were trying to come back from losses. After a minute of striking, Kim landed an uppercut which dropped Fujisawa and ended the bout. The quick and flashy victory put Kim Kyu Sung to 1-1 in ONE. Akihiro Fujisawa extended his ONE losing streak to three in a row.

Bout 3: Kim Jae Woong (9-3) vs. Rafael Nunes (11-2) (155 lbs) (MMA Bout)

The next fight saw Kim Jae Woong make his ONE debut against Rafael Nunes, who attempted to bounce back from a loss. Both fighters had some good striking early on. Nunes tried for a single leg takedown in the second minute of the fight, and got pelted with punches on the way down. Nunes kept getting tagged in stand-up. Nunes tried again for a takedown by initiating a body lock but couldn’t get it. Nunes was on the back of Woong as the round ended.

The second round started with a close striking battle. Nunes got a takedown in the second minute of the round, but Kim ended up on top. They got back up with Nunes on Woong’s back. They went back to striking halfway through the round. Woong landed a good knee in the clinch. Woong avoided another takedown in the final minute. Woong had Nunes cornered in the end of the round and started to pick him apart.

Halfway through the first minute, Woong landed a body punch that hurt Nunes. Woong came in with knees to the head until the referee called an end to the bout.

Bout 4: Tukkatatong Petpayathai (242-33) vs. Hiroaki Suzuki (41-12 Kickboxing) (145 lbs) (Muay Thai Bout)

The next preliminary bout saw experienced fighters Tukkatatong Petpayathai and Hiroaki Suzuki face off in a muay thai bout. They competed in MMA gloves. The first round saw lots of low kicks from both fighters. Suzuki was the quicker starter. Suzuki did a good job at catching kicks and using them as a counter. There was an especially good combination from Suzuki as the round ended, catching a kick and throwing hooks.

Suzuki continued to catch the kicks in the second round. Despite catching many kicks, damage started to show on the left side of Suzuki. Tukkatatong started to put together some solid punches in the second round.

The final round felt like it was mostly Tukkatatong coming forward and putting together strikes. With the fight going the distance, it needed scorecards to determine a winner. With a split decision, Tukkatatong Petpayathai got the victory.

Bout 5: Robin Catalan (8-6) vs. Gustavo Balart (8-3) (135 lbs) (MMA Bout)

Switching back to MMA, Gustavo Balart faced Robin Catalan. Early on in the fight, Balart was landing good shots. Being the first Filippino on the card, Catalan had the crowd loud. Balart put on a body lock, slowing down Catalan’s offence. As billed by the commentators, this was a striking versus wrestling battle. Balart got a takedown with two minutes to go in the round.

When the second round started, Balart chased another takedown. He got one halfway through the round. In the closing minute of the round, Catalan threw a leg kick which collapsed Balart. After a devastating KO, Robin Catalan moved his ONE record to 5-4.

Bout 6: Han Zi Hao (61-16) vs. Kongsak (183-39-2) (145 lbs) (Muay Thai Bout)

In the second-last muay thai fight of the evening, China’s Han Zi Hao faced Thailand’s Kongsak. The first round was a slow one, Kongsak catching a leg kick and countering with one of his own at one point.

Kongsak dictated the second round for the most part. The final round, like the ones before wasn’t a very fast-paced one. Heading to the scorecards, Kongsak got the victory via unanimous decision.

Bout 7: Yoshitaka Naito (14-3) vs. Pongsiri Misatit (10-3) (125 lbs) (MMA Bout)

Finishing off the prelims was Yoshitaka Naito and Pongsiri Misatit in an MMA bout. Naito went for a single-leg takedown early on eventually getting it. They got back up, with it only taking a few more minutes before Naito brought it back to the ground. Misatit did not do much in the stand-up.

Similar to the first round, Naito got a takedown quickly. After being in top position on the ground for a few minutes, Naito tried for an armbar. Apart from a few moments, Naito had the whole round on the ground.

Misatit landed a leg kick early in the third round as Naito was getting up. We saw the first real striking battle between the two in the start of the third. Naito failed to score a single leg takedown. Misatit stuffed a takedown, landing knees to counter it. Naito tried for a heel hook. He was able to get in side control after Misatit escaped the heel hook. The fight ran out of time with Naito in top position landing strikes. The judges all favoured Yoshitaka Naito as the winner.

Bout 8: Paul Lumihi (7-3) vs. Li Kai Wen (9-4) (145 lbs) (MMA Bout)

Starting off the main card, Paul Lumihi and Li Kai Wen battled. The fight started hectic, as Li Kai Wen came charging in with a Jorge Masvidal-like flying knee. After more striking, Wen landed a takedown and scored a knee strike. He tried for a guillotine choke, but Lumihi escaped and went back to stand-up. Wen kept coming forward with hard strikes. Wen charged forward with punches, eventually dropping Lumihi and getting a win. With a hard to follow and explosive performance, Li Kai Wen got his fourth stoppage victory in ONE in a row.

Bout 9: Stamp Fairtex (2-0) vs. Bi Nguyen (5-4) (115 lbs) (MMA Bout)

In the next fight, experienced muay thai fighter Stamp Fairtex fought in her third MMA fight against Bi Nguyen. Fairtex had a clear height advantage. Nguyen came forward with strikes early on, and got tossed by Fairtex. In a clinch, she landed knee strikes. After being in the clinch for a while, Fairtex landed a trip takedown. They got back up, but Fairtex stayed on Nguyen’s back. Nguyen caught a kick from Fairtex and backed her into the ropes. Fairtex had good combinations of punches throughout the round.

In the second round, Fairtex landed good knees in a clinch many times. Fairtex had a good flurry of strikes with a minute left in the second round. Both fighters showed a good pace, not slowing down their activity in the round. Fairtex danced as she headed to her corner at the end of the round.

The fight stayed as a striking battle in the third round, although the pace did slow down. Fairtex had some moments throughout the round still being the dominant striker. When going to the scorecards, all three judges favoured Stamp Fairtex as the winner. This was the first win for Fairtex in MMA that was no via stoppage.

Bout 10: Geje Eustaquio (12-8) vs. Toni Tauru (11-7) (135 lbs) (MMA Bout)

In the next fight, Finland’s Toni Tauru faced former ONE Bantamweight Champion Geje Eustaquio. Tauru had a significant height advantage. In the first minute of the fight, Tauru got a takedown, taking the back of Eustaquio. He searched for a rear naked choke, but never got his arm under the chin of Eustaquio. He escaped and took top position. With 20 seconds left in the round, both fighters were stood up due to inactivity.

The second round included more stand-up. Eustaquio was able to dip into the pocket and land strikes. He landed a great sweep after catching a kick. As expected, the crowd was behind Eustaquio.

Eustaquio was the more active striker much early in the third round. Halfway through the round, Eustaquio landed a spinning back kick which took down Tauru. The referee stepped in before Eustaquio had to do more damage.

Bout 11: Sangmanee Sathian Muaythai (180-26-5) vs. Azize Hlali (99-17-1)(145 lbs) (Muay Thai Bout)

The final muay thai bout of the evening saw Azize Hlali face Sangmanee Sathian Muaythai. Both fighters were making their ONE debut. Hlali countered a body kick early, sweeping Sangmanee with a responding kick.

Sangmanee had a better second round, landing more kicks and knees in the clinch. Fighters were pretty tied up going into the final round.

Sangmanee landed a good trip in the first minute of the final round. The fight went all nine minutes, with Sangmee Sathian Muaythai taking the unanimous decision win.

Bout 12: Eduard Folayang (21-8) vs. Amarsanaa Tsogookhuu (5-1) (170 lbs) (MMA Bout)

In the co-main event of the evening, Eduard Folayang looked to come back from recent losses to Shinya Aoki and Eddie Alvarez, facing 1-0 ONE fighter Amarsanaa Tsogookhuu. Both fighters started slow in the first round. Folayang had some good kicks in the first round.

At the start of the second round, the fighters went into a standing clinch after Tsogookhuu did a flying knee. Folayang got dropped halfway through the round, possibly colliding heads with Tsogookhuu. In top position, Tsogookhuu landed knees to the head. A doctor was brought in to check on Folayang’s cut. Since they passed the halfway point of the fight (by one second that is), they went to scorecards for a technical decision. Walking away with the victory was Eduard Folayang.

Bout 13: Joshua Pacio (17-3) vs. Rene Catalan (6-2) (ONE Strawweight Championship) (MMA Bout)

In the main event of the evening, ONE Strawweight (125 lbs) Champion Joshua Pacio put his championship on the line against fellow Filippino fighter Rene Catalan. The fight was scheduled for five rounds. Only a minute into the fight, Pacio got a takedown from a body lock. Catalan tried for a heel hook on the ground which Pacio eventually escaped. Pacio took top position on the ground, eventually switching into side control.

Pacio was the fighter marching forward with strikes at the start of the second round. Catalan tried for a takedown which Pacio stuffed. Pacio took top position on the ground in half guard. He looked for a head and arm choke. Catalan was in the head and arm choke for a while before finally tapping out. With a beautiful set up and head and arm choke, Joshua Pacio made his first defence of his championship reign.

ONE Championship: Dawn of Heroes Full Report

On Friday morning, ONE Championship hosted one of it’s bigger cards of the year. Besides it’s two championship bouts, the card also featured former UFC fighters Eddie Alvarez and Demetrious Johnson in their second ONE Championship fights. Since the card took place at the Mall of Asia Arena in Manila, Philippines, the show also had its fair share of Filippino fighters. Let’s look at the stacked 14 fight card, beginning with the prelims.

Bout 1: Sunoto vs. Muhammad Aiman (Bantamweight)

Starting off the evening in Manila was a MMA bout between Sunoto and Muhammad Aiman. Aiman had the youth advantage, being a whole decade younger than Sunoto. The first two minutes had evenly matched striking. Sunoto got a takedown in the third minute. Aiman was able to stand up and take it back to striking. Throughout the bout it was Aiman who was frequently coming forward. With two minutes left in the second round, the referee asked them for more action. Aiman landed a good overhand right shortly after. Sunoto got a takedown stuffed. Aiman tried for a guillotine in the final round. The fight went all three rounds with Aiman having a good finish, putting Sunoto in a corner and landing punches. Muhammad Aiman got the unanimous decision victory.

Bout 2: Ayaka Miura vs. Samara Santos (Strawweight)

In the next bout we had Japan’s Ayaka Miura face Brazil’s Samara Santos. Miura swarmed Santos right off the bat and scored a takedown. Miura landed knees to the head from top position while in the hold. Miura was in the hold for a few minutes, only escaping in the closing seconds of the round. Miura did the same thing at the start of the second round, getting another takedown. She put in an americana from side position, which gave her the win.

Bout 3: Miao Li Tao vs. Pongsiri Misatit (Catchweight 125 lbs)

In a catchweight bout, Miao Li Tao fought Pongsiri Misatit. Misatit comes from the Tiger Muay Thai gym. Tao landed a takedown in the first minute, eventually going into top position and throwing elbows and punches. He took Misatit’s back and tried for a rear naked choke. At the start of the second round, Tao threw Misatit to the ground. Tao stayed dominant until there was a minute and half to go, where Misatit got up. He was able to take Tao’s back for a few moments before he lost it. As the round as concluding, Tao put in a rear naked choke but couldn’t hold it for long enough. By the time the third round came around it was obvious that Tao was in complete control. It was easily his best round. The fight went it’s allotted time, with all three judges giving the fight to Miao Li Tao.

Bout 4: Xie Bin vs. Edward Kelly (Featherweight)

The next fight had the first Filippino fighter on the card. Of course he got a warm welcome from the crowd. Both fighters landed some hard shots early on. Bin landed a takedown in the first minute. They stood up in clinch up against a corner. Exiting clinch, Bin landed a clean right cross punch. Bin scored another takedown over halfway through the round. He tried for a d’arce choke which looked pretty secure. Kelly stayed in this position for a long time before Bin let it go. Kelly took top position, postured up and landed some strikes. He stood up and dove down onto Bin with more strikes. In the first minute of the second round, Bin caught a kick and turned it into a takedown. He was in control for the minute that they were on the ground. Halfway through the round he scored a trip takedown. In top position, Bin focused more on punches this time. The referee stepped in due to punches to the back of the head. He was given the designated five minutes for injury time. The fight ended during the break, with the judges deciding who won the bout. With Edward Kelly out of the ring, it was announced that all three judges gave it to Xie Bin.

Bout 5: Yushin Okami vs. James Nakashima (Welterweight)

The fifth preliminary bout included Yushin Okami from Japan and James Nakashima from the United States. Nakashima, who trains in the MMA Lab, was putting his undefeated streak of 11 wins on the line. Okami tried for a single leg takedown early on, getting Nakashima to the ground for maybe a second. He held Nakashima’s torso from behind until Nakashima spun around and grabbed his neck. Nakashima went to the ground in an attempt for a guillotine choke. Still trying for the choke, Nakashima transitioned from being on his back into top position. Nakashima let the hold go eventually. The first rounded ended with both fighters in a standing clinch. In the second round, Okami had a takedown blocked quickly. Nakashima landed a right jab which dropped Okami. He landed a few more shots from top position, but Okami recovered and stopped the flurry. Nakashima had many more takedowns stopped in the third round. The fight went the distance with all three judges giving it to James Nakashima. He seemed injured afterwards, having trouble walking around.

Bout 6: Daichi Takenaka vs. Leandro Issa (Bantamweight)

In the second bantamweight bout of the night, Daichi Takenaka fought Leandro Issa. Takenaka demonstrated good striking from the start, stringing together fast combinations. Issa caught Takenaka, but Takenaka was the one who got the better of a takedown. While on the ground, a cut on Issa’s forehead became visible. Issa was able to take top position in a half guard after Takenaka was on his back for a while. During the stand-up trading in the second round, Issa landed a powerful overhand right, although it didn’t seem to both Takenaka. What seemed like another cut was opened on Issa’s face. While Issa was responding with strikes of his own, Takenaka had a higher volume of punches. With a minute left in the round, Takenaka tried for a guillotine. The stream cut out before round three started, with it coming back when Daichi Takenaka was announced as the winner via TKO. I guess that’s one of the downsides of covering an event online instead of in person.

Bout 7: Dae Sung Park vs. Honorio Banario (Lightweight)

Dae Sung Park was on the non-favoured end of the pro-Phillipines crowd, with Honorio Banario having the crowd on his side. Both fighters were in a clinch at the start, but the referee split them due to inactivity. The split seemingly favoured Park, as he exploded with punches and kicks, dropping Banario. In the closing seconds of the first, Banario landed a couple of punches that shook Park, and then got a takedown. The second round was a break for both fighters, with no takedowns or hard shots. Park landed a good body kick halfway through the final round. Park threw down Banario for a takedown in the closing seconds of the fight.

Bout 8: Yuya Wakamatsu (10-4) vs. Geje Esta (Flyweight World Grand Prix Reserve Bout)

In the final preliminary bout we had the reserve bout for the flyweight grand prix. While still in the feeling out process of the fight, Yuya Wakamatsu landed a two-punch combo which dropped Geje Esta and ended the bout. The win was a good bounce back from his loss against Demetrious Johnson back in March.

Bout 9: Andrew Miller vs. Rodlek PK.Saenchaimuaythaigym (Muay Thai) (Bantamweight)

After ONE did the introduction of all main card fighters, we had our first muay thai bout of the evening. Worth noting that the muay thai bouts on this card were done with MMA gloves. While both fighters threw punches in the first round, it felt like Rodlek threw the harder punches. Miller slipped in the final seconds of the round. Rodlek had another good round. In the final round, Rodlek landed a right cross which dropped Miller. He got up, although the referee had seen enough and ended it.

Bout 10: Reece McLaren vs. Danny Kingad (Flyweight World Grand Prix Semi-Final)

We got the first of two semi-final Flyweight GP fights next. Reece McLaren fought Danny Kingad. McLaren got a takedown in the first minute of the bout. Kingad tried for an armbar but lost it immediately. The crowd erupted when he almost put in the move. McLaren was on Kingad’s back for a long time, but then Kingad took top position as the round was ending. It was overwhelming how loud the crowd was cheering. McLaren took the fight back to the ground in the second round after Kingad missed a kick. When they went back to stand-up, Kingad threw good strikes. McLaren scored another takedown and kept in control for the second half of the round. At the start of the final round, Kingad was able to reverse a takedown. When they stood back up, he defended a take as well. McLaren stopped Kingad’s momentum with a takedown. Kingad had lots of ground control in the second half of the round. He had a strong round. In a split decision, Danny Kingad walked away with a victory. I doubt that score would be the same in a 10 point must system fight.

Bout 11: Demetrious Johnson vs. Tatsumitsu Wada (Flyweight World Grand Prix Semi-Final)

To see who would face Danny Kingad in the finals, Demetrious Johnson battled Tatsumitsu Wada. During the fight, Wada looked way bigger than Johnson. In the first round, both fighters battled in the clinch for a minute or so before Wada took Johnson’s back and landed on the canvas. Johnson flipped himself around for a moment, until Wada brought him back to the position before. While he didn’t do much, Wada was in control for most of the first round. A large amount of the second round was contested in a standing clinch. Both fighters threw knees to the mid-section and legs during the clinch. Johnson eventually got a double leg takedown. He was in top position for the rest of the round. In the first minute of the third round, Johnson caught a leg and got a single leg takedown. Wada was hit with an elbow on the ground which cut him open. The referee stopped halfway through the round for the cut to be checked on. The fight resumed, with Wada getting up from the ground with a minute left in the fight. With 20 seconds left in the fight, Wada took Johnson’s back. Just like the other semi-final fight, the bout went all three rounds. While it was a challenging bout for Demetrious Johnson, he won the fight via unanimous decision.

Bout 12: Eduard Folayang vs. Eddie Alvarez (Lightweight World Grand Prix Semi-Final)

Another familiar face for people who don’t frequent ONE was in the next fight. In his second ONE Championship fight, Eddie Alvarez fought Eduard Folayang in the semi-finals of the lightweight GP. Folayang was throwing explosive kicks throughout. Alvarez seemingly got dropped by a leg kick. Folayang did ground and pound, attempting to close out the fight, but Alvarez was able to take top position. Folayang gave up his back and was put in a rear naked choke which ended the bout. In what could have been another tragic stoppage for Alvarez, he was able to out-wrestle Folayang to win.

Bout 13: Jonathan Haggerty vs. Rodtang Jitmuangnon (ONE Flyweight Muay Thai World Championship)

The co-main event of the evening was a muay thai bout for the promotion’s flyweight muay thai championship. Jonathan Haggerty attempted to defend his belt. It was schedule for five rounds of three minutes. Haggerty did a good job of utilizing push kicks in the first round. In the second round Rodtang landed an elbow after the referee shouted to stop a break. Rodtang woke up in the third round, letting his fists go a little more. This was a really exciting round to watch. Rodtang was obviously confident in his third-round performance, jumping on the ropes and egging on the crowd when the round ended. Rodtang’s performance peaked in the fourth round when he scored a knockdown via punches. The fight went all five rounds. By unanimous decision, Rodtang Jitmuangnon was crowned the new ONE Flyweight Muay Thai World Champion.

Bout 14: Martin Nguyen (12-3) vs. Koyomi Matsushima (11-3) (ONE Lightweight Championship)

In the main event of the evening, Martin Nguyen attempted to defend his ONE Lightweight Championship against Koyomi Matsushima. After some quiet stand-up, Matsushima scored a takedown. Many more times Matsushima would score takedowns and out-wrestle Nguyen. In an attempt to defend, Nguyen would put some of his body outside of the ring, which Matsushima was fed up with by the time the round was ending. In the final moments of the first round Nguyen landed a knee exiting a takedown attempt by Matsushima. Early in the second round Nguyen was able to stuff a takedown. Nguyen kept it in stand-up in the second and started to lay down hard strikes. Matsushima was getting pelted with punches on the ground until the referee stepped in and ended the bout.