Bibiano Fernandes successfully defends ONE FC Bantamweight World Championship

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ONE Fighting Championship™ (ONE FC), Asia’s largest Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) organization with a 90% market share, impressed the sold-out crowd in attendance at the state-of-the-art Mall of Asia (MOA) Arena with ONE FC: RISE OF HEROES. 

Fans were treated to an unforgettable night of mixed martial arts action, culminating in a successful title defence of the ONE FC Bantamweight World Championship by Bibiano Fernandes. Filipino fans in attendance also had reason to cheer, as all five Filipino mixed martial artists won their respective bouts.

Bibiano Fernandes displayed both grappling and striking skills en route to his first successful title defense. The first round of the main event was fairly even. Fernandes managed to take Ueda down, but Ueda reversed the position and landed a knee before time expired. Bibiano Fernandes established his dominance in the second round. He landed more strikes and also succeeded with a takedown attempt. Fernandes found success in the third round as well, ending the round with a rear naked choke attempt. Fernandes’ world class grappling prowess shone through in the championship rounds as Ueda failed to find an answer to his takedowns. All three judges scored the bout in Fernandes’ favour.

Striking pugilists Eduard Folayang and Kotetsu Boku went to battle in the co-main event, but it was Folayang’s improved wrestling skills that swung the bout in his favor. Both parties were highly respectful of each other’s striking pedigree and were hesitant to strike in the opening exchanges. Folayang took Boku down with an empathic slam in the first round, and came close to finishing the bout with an armbar attempt before time ran out. Folayang’s improved grappling was on full display in the second round, as he took Boku down on several attempts as well as grazed Boku with a spinning wheel kick. After a wild third round where both fighters attacked valiantly in search of the knockout finish, Folayang emerged with his hands raised with a unanimous decision victory.

Docyogen chalked up another win for the Philippines by defeating Joshua Alvarez. Alvarez began the bout by threatening with a rear naked choke, but Docyogen survived and went on to dominate the rest of the first round with superior grappling skills. Docyogen thwarted all of Alvarez’s takedown attempts in the second round while clearly winning the striking exchanges. Docyogen found his striking range again in the third round, landing countless strikes at will. All three judges awarded the unanimous decision to Docyogen.

Rob Lisita extended his winning streak to four by overcoming Yusuke Kawanago in his ONE FC debut. The pair fought two years ago, with Kawanago emerging victorious then. Lisita clearly had revenge on his mind as he fervently stalked Kawanago from the opening bell. Lisita caught Kawanago with a precise left hook while Kawanago was advancing, and jumped on the opportunity to finish the fight by unloading a series of punches. 

The heavyweight clash between Chris Lokteff and James McSweeney pitted two of ONE FC’s best strikers against each other, and it did not disappoint. The bout was contested entirely on the feet, with both fighters having their share of shots landed. With Lokteff backed up against the cage, McSweeney threw a perfect knee that landed flush on the chin of the Australian, knocking him out.

Leandro Ataides extended his impressive professional record to eight wins and no losses with a knockout victory over Tatsuya Mizuno. The victory marked Ataides’ second knockout in the ONE FC cage in as many appearances. Ataides hounded Mizuno across the cage, and a series of left hooks caused the Japanese mixed martial artist to collapse, signalling an end to the bout only forty seven seconds into the first round.

Boxing champion Ana Julaton received the loudest ovation of the evening, and proceeded to prove why she is one of the most popular sportswomen in the Philippines. Julaton demonstrated her newly acquired grappling skills in the first round, executing a successful takedown manoeuvre. Julaton faced some adversity in the second round when Saber attempted a guillotine choke, but she managed to defend the submission and retaliated with several slams and punches from top position. With the crowd cheering her every move, Julaton reversed Saber’s takedown attempt to gain a mounted position in the third round. She began to let loose a series of devastating punches that ended the bout with less than a minute remaining.

The flyweight bout between Gianni Subba and Eugene Toquero featured two of the most talented stars in the division. Toquero proved to be the superior mixed martial artist over three rounds, ending Subba’s three-fight winning streak in ONE FC with a unanimous decision victory. Toquero, a former muay thai practitioner, dictated the striking range with leg kicks in the first round. A well-timed takedown and superior ground control allowed Subba to control proceedings early in the second round, but Toquero reversed the position and hurt Subba with several deadly elbow strikes. Toquero secured several takedowns in the final stanza, and earned the nod on all three of the judges’ scorecards.

The opening bout of the evening featured two hard-hitting female mixed martial artists. Hometown favoriteJujeath Nagaowa quickly established her dominance in the first round, using crisp boxing skills to set up several takedowns. Nagaowa, the former WBO Atomweight Champion, decided to keep the fight standing in the second round. That proved to be the correct decision as she unleashed a barrage of punches that ultimately forced referee Oliver Coste to step in, earning Nagaowa a TKO victory. 

Official results for ONE FC: RISE OF HEROES:

ONE FC Bantamweight World Championship bout: 

Bibiano Fernandes defeats Masakatsu Ueda by Unanimous Decision at 5:00 minutes of round 5

Lightweight bout: 

Eduard Folayang defeats Kotetsu Boku by Unanimous Decision at 5:00 minutes of round 3

Flyweight bout: 

Rey Docyogen defeats Joshua Alvarez by Unanimous Decision at 5:00 minutes of round 3

Featherweight bout: 

Rob Lisita defeats Yusuke Kawanago by TKO (Strikes) at 0:28 minutes of round 1

Heavyweight bout: 

James McSweeney defeats Chris Lokteff by KO (Knee) at 3:04 minutes of round 1

Middleweight bout:

Leandro Ataides defeats Tatsuya Mizuno by TKO (Strikes) at 0:47 minutes of round 1

Flyweight bout: 

Ana Julaton defeats Aya Saeid Saber by TKO (Strikes) at 4:01 minutes of round 3

Flyweight bout: 

Eugene Toquero defeats Gianni Subba by Unanimous Decision at 5:00 minutes of round 3

Atomweight bout: 

Jujeath Nagaowa defeats Jeet Toshi by TKO (Strikes) at 1:07 minutes of round 2

In case you missed the action log on to www.onefc.livesport.tv for the full replay of the fights at only US $9.99.

For more updates on ONE Fighting Championship™, please visit www.onefc.com and follow on Twitter and Instagram @ONEFCMMA and Facebook at www.facebook.com/ONEFCMMA.

Spin.ph is the official online media partner of ONE FC: RISE OF HEROES.

  

Mixed Martial Arts at MOA Arena on May 2

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Get ready for more explosive Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) action as the world’s most exciting event returns to the Mall of Asia Arena on 02 May with a fight card featuring the world’s best fighters and local heroes. 

MMA has taken the world by a storm and millions of passionate fans in the Philippines have been eagerly awaiting the return of Asia’s biggest MMA event. With 10 bouts of world-class MMA scheduled for the evening, fans can look forward to watching MMA legend Bibiano “The Flash” Fernandes and local heroes like Eduard Folayang and Rey Docyogen back in action. 

ONE FC BANTAMWEIGHT WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP TITLE BOUT

This bout pits the best Asian bantamweight against the best bantamweight in Asia with the ONE FC Bantamweight World Championship title on the line. Bibiano Fernandes holds a 15-3 record and is a BJJ black belt who is also the reigning ONE FC Bantamweight World Champion. Before finding his home in ONE FC, "The Flash" has also won the DREAM Bantamweight Grand Prix and the DREAM Featherweight Grand Prix, emerging first out of a field of eight fighters on both occasions.

Fernandes may have an aura of complete invincibility, but in Masakatsu Ueda he is taking on an opponent who is more experienced and has a record with more wins and fewer defeats. Ueda’s record stands at an impressive 16-2-2 and he is a former Shooto World Champion who has beaten some of the best bantamweights in the world. The Japanese veteran also recently beat three separate opponents to become the ONE FC Bantamweight Grand Prix winner.

With a seven-fight win streak, Fernandes seems unstoppable but if anyone can halt the momentum of the Brazilian phenomenon it is the well rounded and highly experienced Ueda. The ONE FC Bantamweight World Championship title will be on the line and fireworks are guaranteed when two of the most dominant fighters the division has ever seen go head to head on 2 May.

Two of the top featherweights currently competing in Asia will make their promotional debuts when Rob Lisita and Yusuke Kawanago clash at ONE FC: RISE OF HEROES. Kawanago’s record is 13-3-2 and he is an Asia Pacific Featherweight Champion who has already beaten Lisita once, defeating him by unanimous decision to defend his belt in 2012. 

But the hard hitting Australian, whose record stands at 13-5, has not lost since that encounter with Kawanago, stopping each of his last three opponents. Lisita is thrilled by this opportunity to avenge that defeat and claims to have totally redeveloped his fighting style since their last encounter. 

There was immense excitement among MMA fans when Lisita’s ONE FC signing was announced because this is a featherweight who knows how to finish fights. Most of his victories have come inside the distance and he is equally adept at securing submission wins or highlight-reel KOs. Kawanago comes into ONE FC as a champion and is determined to work his way into contention for a shot at Koji Oishi’s belt, but Lisita is in the best form of his fighting career and after losing to Kawanago by decision the last time, will be determined to win decisively when they meet at the SM Mall of Asia Arena in Manila.

James McSweeney is a top English mixed martial artist and kickboxer who has competed against some of the best heavyweights in the world, racking up numerous titles in the process. He is currently on the best streak of his career, with eight wins in his last 10 fights. McSweeney is a proven finisher and have gone to a decision only once in 23 fights. He brings probably the highest level of elite striking the heavyweight division has ever witnessed and is confident that there is no other striker who would dare to stand and trade with him in the ONE FC cage. 

Chris Lokteff is one of the top heavyweight prospects in the world. The Australian has amassed an impressive record of twelve wins and one loss at just 27 years of age. He made a remarkable ONE FC debut, convincingly defeating famed American wrestler Tony Johnson last November. After falling in love with the sport of MMA just 5 years ago, Lokteff does not have a single-dimensional view of combat and has trained equally hard in all aspects of his game. His diversity has been the key to him beating some of the top heavyweights in Asia and he will look to extend his winning streak when he faces McSweeney. The ONE FC Heavyweight division remains without a champion and the winner of this bout will likely earn a spot in the inaugural title bout.

Gianni Subba is one of ONE FC’s fastest rising stars having won all of his professional MMA fights via stoppages. The Malaysian has a perfect professional record of 3-0 but faces the greatest challenge of his MMA career when he takes on feared Filipino Muay Thai expert Eugene Toquero. 

Although Toquero suffered a disappointing decision defeat against Geje Eustqauo on his ONE FC debut, he gave fans a reason to rally behind him as he put on a spirited and skillful display that showcased his striking. He is determined to redeem himself against Subba and with 100% of his wins coming by way of TKO, he has the power to put the up and coming prospect away.

Subba has shown that he is capable of finishing opponents with either a submission or a KO/TKO, but he has never been the distance and 80% of Toquero’s bouts have also ended with a stoppage, so this flyweight matchup is unlikely to end up in the hands of the judges. Expect Toquero to go all out for the knockout as he is fighting in front of 20,000 fans in Manila, but Subba would love nothing more than to score an upset and defeat the Filipino in his hometown.

Aung La N Sang will be the first mixed martial artist of Myanmar descent to make it big on the world stage and to enter the ONE FC cage. He is a member of the Kachin, a group of indigenous people currently embroiled in civil war with the Myanmar army. This match will bear major historic significance for the people of Myanmar as one of their warriors enters the melee of Asian MMA in a bold step forward. Aung La N Sang left Myanmar to study in the United States, where he discovered Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and subsequently, mixed martial arts. Aung is nicknamed “The Burmese Python” for his constricting ability which has led him to nine submission wins.

Mahmoud Salama is a veteran of the Egyptian mixed martial arts scene. He has never been defeated in his home country, racking up all four of his wins by TKO. Salama boasts power in both hands and will look to knockout any opponent standing in his way. This clash against Aung represents the classic striker against grappler matchup and the striker, Salama, seeks to emerge victorious in this matchup.

Jujeath Nagaowa will make history when she enters the ONE FC cage at ONE FC: RISE OF HEROES, becoming the first Filipina mixed martial artist in Asia’s largest mixed martial arts organization. The former WBC Asia Atomweight Champion will be making the transition from boxing with an impressive resume that features 12 professional victories. Nagaowa has nifty footwork that she uses to get out of her opponents’ punches and knockout power in both hands. She will be looking to demonstrate her boxing skills along with her newly acquired mixed martial arts techniques as she makes her ONE FC debut in front of her fellow countrymen.

Jeet Toshi is a 7x kickboxing champion from India. Her illustrious kickboxing career has led her to coaching and training stints in Bahrain and Australia. As the pioneer for female mixed martial arts in India, she has paved the way for more women in the populous country to participate in the sport, and will look to make a statement by emerging victorious in this bout. But she will have to keep her focus as she faces a hometown girl supported by 20,000 passionate fans at the Mall of Asia Arena on 2 May if she hopes to clinch a win and get back to her winning ways in the ONE FC cage.

ONE FC presents boxing world champion Ana Julaton's open workout

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ONE Fighting Championship™ welcomed boxing world champion Ana Julaton into Asia’s largest mixed martial arts organization today with an open workout in Manila, The Philippines. Julaton demonstrated to the media in attendance her trademark boxing skills that earned her the nickname ‘The Hurricane’, as well as her newly acquired grappling skills.

ONE FC: RISE OF HEROES on May 2, 2014, is set to be the largest mixed martial arts event ever witnessed in the history of the Philippines. Held at the 20,000-capacity Mall of Asia Arena in Manila, the event promises a stacked fight card featuring the explosive battle for the ONE FC Bantamweight World Championship title belt in the Main Event

After conquering the boxing world, Ana Julaton will now make her mixed martial arts debut this Friday in a highly anticipated bout against Middle Eastern kickboxing champion, Aya Saeid Saber. Julaton is the first Filipino American boxer to win the Women's WBO Super Bantamweight and IBA Super Bantamweight titles. ONE FC: RISE OF HEROES will mark the first time she competes in the Philippines. She excitedly stated, "Aya Saber is an experienced MMA warrior and champion in kickboxing. I know she will bring her very best on May 2nd. I'm training for my ONE FC homecoming fight in Manila harder than ever before and what gives me strength through my ups and downs are the hearts of my Kababayon all over.”

Millions of MMA fans around the world have also been eagerly anticipating this moment when the ONE FC Bantamweight Grand Prix winner, Masakatsu Ueda, will rise up to challenge the reigning and defending world champion Bibiano Fernandes for the honor of being crowned the ONE FC Bantamweight World Champion.

Tickets for ONE FC: RISE OF HEROES are on sale now at SM Tickets (www.smtickets.com). Ticket categories begin with the full Red Carpet and cageside experience for VIPs at PHP 6,360 followed by Patron PHP 3,180, Lower Box PHP 1,280, Upper Box PHP 640 and General Admission PHP 220.

Fans in Asia can catch all the action live on STAR Sports. Check your local listings. Also, fans from around the world can witness the action online via live streaming at www.onefc.livesport.tv. The event will be available for purchase at just US$9.99.

For more updates on ONE Fighting Championship™, please visitwww.onefc.com and follow on Instagram and Twitter @ONEFCMMA and Facebook atwww.facebook.com/ONEFCMMA.

Photos for the open workout can be found here:https://www.dropbox.com/sh/51561rh4ia4jsln/MOgps9N4Un

ONE Fighting Championship: Rise of Heroes at the MOA Arena on May 2

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4 Filipinos, 1 Fil-Am battle foreign foes in ONE Fighting Championship: Rise of Heroes at the Mall of Asia (MOA) Arena on May 2 starting at 7 pm.

Filipino mixed martial arts (MMA) fans will have something to cheer on when four Filipinos and one Fil-Am battle it out for cage honors at ONE Fighting Championship: Rise of Heroes.

These Filipinos and one Fil-Am will figure in five of the 10 explosive fight cards to be beamed around the world to more than 500 million viewers by partner channels of ONE FC, considered the biggest MMA organization in Asia.

Adding to the excitement are the 15 foreigners who are coming in to see action in the same cage with the Filipinos led by Brazilian bantamweight champion Bibiano Fernandes, who will be staking his title against Japanese Masakatsu Ueda.

The Filipino fighters will be bannered by Team Lakay's Eduard Folayang, who is expected to have a tough fight for lightweight honors against Japanese knockout artist Kotetsu Boku in the co-main event.

Both fighters come from a win. Boku registered a first-round knockout victory over Arnaud Lepont at ONE FC 14 in March, while Folayang took a decision from Dutch-Indonesian Vincent Latoel at ONE FC 13 in December at the MOA Arena.

Another Team Lakay fighter, Rey Docyogen, is looking forward to snatching his first ONE FC win in the flyweight division after being without fight for 11 months.

A former pinweight champion of the URCC, he suffered two successive defeats at ONE FC, the first at ONE FC 7 against Shinichi Kojima and the second at ONE FC 9 in a split decision to Yasuhiro Urushitani. This time he will be facing Guam-based Joshua Alvarez, who has an impressive record of 12 wins, nine of which were by submission.

Another Filipino, Eugene Toquero, will be facing undefeated Malaysian-American Gianni Subba. Although Toquero has tasted his first loss at the ONE FC event last December against compatriot Geje Eustaquio, his experience in the cage is expected to make the difference against Subba, who has only three MMA fights thus far.

Jujeath Nagaowa, the first Filipina fighting under ONE FC, will be squaring off with Indian seven-time kickboxing champion Jeet Toshi, who is also considered India’s pioneer for female MMA. Nagaowa has cut her teeth in Asian boxing before making the switch to MMA being a former WBC Asia Atomweight champion.

MMA fans, Filipinos and non-Filipinos alike, are anticipating the first appearance in the octagon cage of Fil-Am world female boxing champion Ana Julaton after she decided to make the switch. She will test her newly acquired MMA skills against champion kick boxer Aya Saeid Saber of Egypt.

ONE FC chief executive Victor Cui described the Julaton-Saber fight as “explosive” as both love to engage. “Filipinos and MMA fans around the world will surely like this match between two explosive fighters on May 2,” he said.

The main event on May 2 is between Brazilian Bibiano Fernandes and Japanese Masakatsu Ueda. Fernandes has won seven straight fights, including all three of his fights for ONE FC by unanimous decision. He hasn’t lost in more than three years.

Ueda, a former Shooto featherweight champion, has won three straight fights with ONE FC, including one against Team Lakay’s Kevin Belingon at ONE FC 9, and has defeated some MMA legends.

The other exciting bouts are between top Australian featherweight prospect Rob Lisita and Japanese featherweight champion Yusuke Kawanago in the bantamweight division; Japanese Tatsuya Mizuno and Brazilian Leandro Ataidas in the middleweight division; English James McSweeney and Australian Chris Lokteff in the heavyweight division, and Burmese Aung La Sang and Egyptian Mahmoud Salama in the middleweight division. 

Tickets for ONE FC: RISE OF HEROES are on sale now at SM Tickets(www.smtickets.com). Ticket categories begin with the full Red Carpet and cageside experience for VIPs at PHP 6,360, followed by Patron PHP 3,180, Lower Box PHP 1,280, Upper Box PHP 640 and General Admission PHP 220. Prices include ticketing fee.

Spin.ph is the official online media partner of ONE FC: RISE OF HEROES.

More bouts for ONE FC: RISE TO POWER

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ONE FIGHTING CHAMPIONSHIP™ three additional bouts for

ONE FC: RISE TO POWER

KEVIN BELINGON VS MASAKATSU UEDA

EDUARD FOLAYANG VS KAMAL SHALORUS

PHIL BARONI VS NOBUTATSU SUZUKI

ONE Fighting Championship™ (ONE FC), presented by Casino Filipino and in association with Universal Reality Combat Championship (URCC), announced today three additional bouts for ONE FC: RISE TO POWER.

Kevin Belingon will battle Masakatsu Ueda in the final of the Bantamweight Grand Prix. The winner will get a shot at the ONE FC Bantamweight Title. Plus, Eduard Folayang is back in action against Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) veteran Kamal Shalorus and fan favorite Phil Baroni will return to the famed ONE FC cage to take on the KO artist from Japan, Nobutatsu Suzuki. All the action takes place live on 31 May from the MOA Arena in Manila, Philippines.

Tickets for ONE FC: RISE TO POWER will launch in Casino Filipino branches across the Philippines starting on 22 April 2013. 

Fans from around the world can witness the action online via live streaming at www.onefc.livesport.tv.

The first two undercard fights are available for viewing free-of-charge and the main card fights will be available for purchase at just US$9.99.

CEO of ONE Fighting Championship™ Victor Cui stated, “ONE FC: RISE TO POWER will feature some of the biggest names in Asian MMA as we return to the fight capital of Asia. I’m beyond excited to see Honorio Banario back in action in front of his home crowd at the state-of-the art Mall of Asia Arena. Bibiano Fernandes taking on Koetsu Okazaki has all the ingredients for a possible Fight of the Night with one of the world’s greatest pound-for-pound fighters squaring off against a Japanese submission artist who is known for his impressive grappling game. I know fans cannot wait to watch these warriors collide on 31 May.”

The Bantamweight Grand Prix Final is also set and both fighters are ready to showcase their skills in Manila to earn a shot at the biggest Bantamweight title belt in Asia.

Bantamweight GP Finalist Kevin Belingon is a Filipino MMA champion and one of the best MMA fighters ever to emerge from the Philippines. It took him a few fights to become accustomed to competing inside the ONE FC cage but once he found his rhythm, the result was spectacular as he blasted through Yusup Saadulaev and Thanh Vu in less than a round to earn a slot in the Bantamweight Grand Prix Final. Known as “The Silencer” because he prefers to let his fists and feet do the talking, Belingon is a Wushu specialist with fast hands and devastating low kicks. He says that he is in the best shape of his life and nothing can stop him from earning a shot at the coveted ONE FC Bantamweight World Championship Title.  His opponent is a veteran who is not at all concerned about fighting on Belingon’s home soil on 31 May.

Masakatsu Ueda is a Bellator veteran and former Shooto Featherweight Champion, a belt he defended successfully three times. He has an outstanding 17-2-2 record which makes him one of the best Bantamweights in the world. He was a very successful college wrestler who won numerous national wrestling competitions in Japan as well as the all Japan Shooto Grappling Championship. A very well-rounded fighter, he submitted MMA legend Jens Pulver at ONE FC: KINGS & CHAMPIONS to earn a slot in the final of the Bantamweight Grand Prix. Ueda understands the magnitude of this fight and knows very well that Belingon will be the toughest test of his career.

A Lightweight bout that is sure to get the crowd on their feet will pit Filipino MMA legend Eduard Folayang against UFC veteran Kamal Shalorus.

Folayang is a legend in the Philippines where he is universally regarded as MMA’s equivalent to boxing phenomenon Manny Pacquiao. A former school teacher, he is renowned for being humble and respectful outside the cage but a determined and relentless competitor inside. The Baguio-born mixed martial artist is never in a boring fight and the sight of Folayang struggling in a tough battle, but somehow finding a way to win in the end, is one which fight fans have become accustomed to. Folayang will square off against the resilient submission specialist from Iran, Kamal Shalorus.

Shalorus was born in the city of Khalkhal in Iran. He began wrestling as a teenager before moving to the United States to train in MMA. He is a UFC and WEC veteran with notable wins over Justin Milles and Bart Palaszewski. Shalorus will need to bring it all when he steps into the ONE FC cage for the first time at ONE FC: RISE TO POWER.

Manila’s favorite slugger Phil Baroni will be back in action on 31 May when he battles up and coming Japanese mixed martial artist Nobutatsu Suzuki.  Baroni has faced some of the toughest opponents in the world and is renowned for his one-punch knockout power. Despite being one of the hardest punchers to ever compete in MMA, it’s not just Baroni’s hard-hitting fists that the fans come to see. His brash and charismatic personality and inimitable swagger down the fighter’s entrance makes him one of the biggest showmen in MMA. Suzuki is the complete opposite in personality but identical in fighting style. Eight of his fights have been won via impressive KO. On 31 May, he will look to make Baroni number nine.

ONE FC: RISE TO POWER is headlined  by a ONE FC Featherweight World Championship bout between reigning champion Honorio “The Rock” Banario against number one contender Koji Oishi and pound-for-pound king Bibiano Fernandes taking on Koetsu Okazaki for the ONE FC Bantamweight Interim Title.  All the action takes place live from the MOA Arena in Manila, Philippines.

For more updates on ONE Fighting Championship™, please visit www.onefc.com and follow on Twitter @ONEFCMMA and Facebook at www.facebook.com/ONEFCMMA.