Boxing Champions Look to Raise Pinay MMA Banner in MOA Arena Once Again

In less than a week, ONE Fighting Championship will be staging what is likely to be the biggest local mixed martial arts event of the year when it brings ONE FC: Warriors Way to the Mall of Asia Arena. 

ONE FC: Warrior's Way

December 5^th looks to be an explosive night of fights as popular Pinoy fighters Eduard Folayang, Kevin Belingon, Rene Catalan, and former ONE FC Featherweight Champion Honorio Banario will be gracing the ONE FC cage once again. Highly regarded heavyweight and Fil-Am mixed martial artist Brandon Vera will also be making his promotional debut on the card.

"The Hurricane" and "Bad Girl" at ONE FC: Rise of Heroes. Photos property of ONE FC.

Not at all to be out done, returning Pinay fighters are also looking to earn second pro-MMA wins while electrifying the MOA Arena crowd. Successful boxers turned mixed martial artists Ana “The Hurricane” Julaton and Jujeath “Bad Girl” Nagaowa are also scheduled for bouts at Warrior’s Way.

Nagaowa in action. Photo property of ONE FC.

Nagaowa, a former WBC Asia Atomweight Champion, made her pro-MMA debut during ONE FC: Rise of Heroes, held last May at the MOA Arena. “Bad Girl” began her MMA career with a win over Jeet Toshi of India, whom she stopped via TKO in the second round. Jujeath aims to make it 2-0 at MOA Arena, and in MMA over all, when she meets Tharoth Sam.

Hailing from Cambodia, Sam is also undefeated at 2-0, with the renowned Kun Khmer fighter earning her latest victory via arm bar. While the styles vary, the bout looks to be a strike fest, with the two women looking to impose their wills and respective disciplines over the other.

Julaton throwing a left hook in her pro-MMA debut. Photo property of ONE FC.

Similar to Nagaowa, Ana Julaton also made her pro MMA debut at Rise of Heroes, earning a TKO victory against Egyptian kickboxer Aya Saeid Saber. Julaton then however, came up on the wrong end of a split decision against Ann “Athena” Osman at ONE FC: Reign of Champions, which was held last August in Dubai.

On December 5th, the former WBO and IBA Super Bantamweight champion will be meeting Walaa Abbas from Egypt, and will be looking to get back to her winning ways with the help of the home crowd. Abbas (2-1) on the other hand, will try to continue her current momentum, as the former national Egyptian kickboxing champion had recently racked up two consecutive wins.

To support these Pinay fighters and catch all the high stakes action live, tickets to ONE FC: Warrior’s way can be purchased via SM Tickets. Fans around Asia can also catch the action live on Fox Sports 1, while those in other areas can watch the live online stream at ONEFC.com.

Rich Franklin in the Philippines to Promote ONE FC: Warrior's Way

Former Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) Middleweight Champion and current ONE Fighting Championship (ONE FC) Vice President is visiting the Philippines to do promotional work for ONE FC: Warrior's Way. The upcoming ONE FC fight card is scheduled to go down this December 5th at the SM Mall of Asia Arena.

Promotional ad for Ace's appearance at the Asia Pacific BJJ Int'l.

Photo from the tourney appearance courtesy of Rich's official Facebook fan page.

Rich's first appearance was at last Saturday's Asia Pacific Brzilian Jiu Jitsu International held at the Mall of Asia's Music Hall. I was fortunate enough to meet the MMA legend and get a photo and have him sign a couple autographs:

Apart form the appearance at the BJJ tournament, "Ace" has, or will be, making appearances on Solar Sports Desk, Fox Sports Philippines, and DojoDrifter.com.

To learn more about Rich and his itinerary leading up to ONE FC: Warriors Way, follow him on Twitter at @RichFranklin. For more on the upcoming ONE FC event, visit www.ONEFC.com or view the complete fight week schedule here. 

ONE Fighting Championship Releases Schedule of Events Leading Up to ONE FC: Warriors Way

One Fighting Championship, Asia's largest MMA organization with a 90% market share, just released its schedule of related events that lead up the next ONE Fight Night to be held in the Philippines. ONE FC: Warrior's Way is scheduled to happen on December 5, 2014 at the SM Mall of Asia Arena.

For the entire week before the fight card, the promotion has schedules a series of events which can be attended by press and MMA fans in the country. Holding their first show in the Philippines in August of 2012, next month's ONE FC fight week is the first time the promotion has such a lead up towards a ONE FC fight night in the country.

Below is schedule courtesy of the ONE FC Official Facebook page:

For more information, interested parties can visit www.ONEFC.com. Tickets to ONE FC: Warrior's Way can be purchased online at via SM tickets. The fights can also be viewed live via pay-per-view at http://onefc.com/livestream. 

MMA Legend Dan "The Beast" Severn to Hold Seminar in Marikina City

Dan Severn, an Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) Hall-of-Famer and considered one of the pioneers of MMA, will pay the Philippines a visit and hold an MMA seminar at The Goat Locker Boxing Gym in Parang, Marikina City. As per the training facility's official Facebook page, "The Beast" will be in town December 6th, conducting a 2 hour MMA seminar, and with an additional 1 hour to sign autographs and take photos with participants.

Severn is mostly known for his time in the early years of the UFC. He, along with other legends such as Royce Gracie and Ken Shamrock, essentially served as the reasons for the rise of the promotion and the sport of MMA itself. On top of being a UFC Hall-of-Famer, he is also the promotion's first and only Triple Crown winner, and was the first competitor to be awarded a UFC title belt.

With a professional MMA record of  101-19-7, Severn's list of notable opponents include Shamrock, Gracie, Josh Barnett, David "Tank" Abbott, Oleg Taktarov, and a young Forrest Griffin. At UFC's Ultimate Ultimate 1995, Severn defeated Paul Valerans, Abbott, and UFC 6 Tournament Champion Taktarov all in the same night to win the tournament title.

For more information on The Beast's appearance and what he will be teaching participating Pinoy fighters, interested parties can visit The Goat Locker's official Facebook page for more information.

Established in January 2011, The Goat Locker Boxing Gym is owned and operated by Ferdinand Abadilla Munsayac. A retired U.S. Navy Chief, Munsayac decided to dedicated his time and money to help the needy.

Known as "Ang gym ng mahirap na may pangarap. Boxing, MMA, muay thai, BJJ, and arnis para sa fighters, dahil sa fighters", the gym has the primary goal of helping young, poverty stricken but skilled fighters develop their craft so they can provide a brighter future for their own families.

While the gym is focused on grass roots training, The Goat Locker also offers its high-level programs to the general public, with the proceeds from the classes used to maintain the operating expenses of the facilities and its scholars.

Two Titles on the Line at PXC's 2014 Year-Ender in the Philippines

Pacific Xtreme Combat (PXC) 46, the promotion's final event in the Philippines for 2014, promises to be one historic night with two title bouts serving as its co-main events. Set to go down this Friday, November 15, at the Ynares Sports Arena in Pasig City, PXC 46 will feature the promotion's Flyweight and Lightweight championships up for grabs in two 5-round affairs.

PXC 46

The PXC Flyweight title will be contested by two Pinoy fighters, with completely different backgrounds. "Iron" Ernesto Montilla, a homegrown talent out of San Pedro, Laguna, battles U.S.-based Pinoy fighter Alvin Cacdac.

Montilla vs. Cacdac

Cacdac (14-10), last saw competition in late 2013 when he won via rear-naked choke, submitting Trevin Jones at PXC 40. Montilla (4-2) on the other hand, last saw action this past May, earning an upset  submission victory over Ale Cale at PXC 43.

With a great deal of momentum coming from both sides, the flyweight battle looks to be a fast paced affair, with both fighters likely looking to add another submission win, and the Flyweight title, to their resume.

Ranillo vs. Kato

For the main event, Glen Ranillo (4-2) will look to put away Japanese competitor Chuji Kato (5-1-1) to secure the Lightweight championship for himself and the home crowd. Ranillo will be looking to take advantage of a rusty Kato, as the former last fought in May, while the former in October of last year. Both are coming of wins, with Ranillo earning a TKO victory in the first round over Reno Remigio at PXC 43, and Kato earning a decision win over Tyrone Jones at PXC 40.

With the stakes high in the weight class considered the most talent laden in all of MMA, the Ynares Arena crowd can expect the lightweight title bout to be a hotly contested affair.



Known to cater to the home crowd of its events, PXC 46 features a Filipino fighter in each fight of the card. Notable names expected to put on a show on November 15th include fan favorite Crisanto Pipitunge, and highly touted Pinay fighter Gina Iniong. Below is the complete card for PXC 46:

PXC 46 Fight Card.

PXC 46 will be held on November 15, 7pm at Ynares Sports Arena in Pasig City. Tickets are available at the venue or can be purchased beforehand at SM Tickets and Ticketworld outlets.

URCC Set to Make Big Time Return This October

Universal Reality Combat Championship (URCC), the Philippines' first and longest running professional mixed martial arts promotion, is set to make its long anticipated return with a huge card scheduled for October 23rd. URCC: Takeover, the promotion's 25th event, will take place at the SM Mall of Asia Arena and will feature some of the best and brightest in the local and international MMA scene.

URCC: Takeover. October 23rd at the SM-MOA Arena.

The upcoming card will be the big event debut of URCC's new cage. Since its inception, the promotion had opted to utilize a ring similar to that of boxing during their contests. With most international MMA promotions using cages however, the URCC finally decided to have a cage designed for use during their own bouts. This was decided not to merely keep up with the trend however, as the URCC is known to willingly let their world-class fighters compete internationally, and having a cage is aimed to make it easier for them to acclimate when crossing over.

The URCC cage is also intended for the promotion's goals of strengthening its own international presence, and was unveiled last July during a relaunch party at Republiq at the Newport Mall in Pasay City. Giving fans a preview of URCC bouts inside the cage, three fights were held during the said event.

For October's card, the new cage will be the battleground for what is currently listed as 10 bouts, headlined by a contest between Deftac Philippines' Red Romero (7-5) and Malaysia's Jian Kay Chee (4-5), who trains out of T-Rex / Cross Muay Thai. The main event will be for the URCC Featherweight Title, which Romero looks to defend for the first time.

Other names expected to see competition on the card include local favorites Alvin Ramirez, Angelito Marungay, and Calor Baduria,and many others. With the aforementioned Pinoy fighters known to always make contests exiting, it is no surprise they are some of the many who have played a hand in the URCC's longevity.

For more information on URCC's upcoming big event and to know where to purchase tickets, make sure to visit their site, URCC-MMA.com, and liking their official Facebook page, Facebook.com/URCCMMA.ph.

Pinoy Fighters Kelly and Donayre Looking to Roar Back in ONE FC's Next Malaysia Event

ONE Fighting Championship, recognized as Asia's largest Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) organization, is living up to it's billing by once again holding a large fight card in the region. On October 17, the organization returns to Kuala Lumpur's Stadium Putra for ONE FC: Roar of Lions.

The event will be headlined by a featherweight bout between undefeated Marat Gafurov and hard-hitting "Ruthless" Rob Lisita. In the co-main event, Pinoy fighter Edward Kelly squares off against Malaysia's own Ev Ting.

ONE FC: Roar of Tigers

The younger brother of Featherweight contender Eric Kelly, Edward (5-1) made his ONE FC debut last December in an unfortunate loss to Brazilian Herbert Burns. While that bout resulted in the sole defeat of his career, the fighter training out of MuayFit Puchong in Malaysia and Lakay Central Gym in Baguio City, Philippines is approaching his upcoming bout with a great sense of urgency as he'll have his hands full with Ev Ting.

Edward Kelly vs. Ev Ting

The likely home crowd favorite, Ting sports a current record of 7-2, and is riding a wave of momentum. He won his last bout in devastating fashion, earning a TKO victory over Yuji Shimada in the first round of their ONE FC: Era of Champions bout last June.

Vaughn Donayre vs. Peter Davis

Also on the ONE FC: Roar of Lions card, Pinoy fighter Vaughn "The Spawn" Donayre will be looking for a quick turnaround by squaring off against Malaysian MMA star Peter Davis. A Cebu-native currently based in Dubai, Donayre made his debut for the promotion just last August, suffering a submission lose to Mohammed Walid. The former mechanical engineer aims for his first win in ONE FC by taking on Peter Davis.

Sporting a pro record of 8-3, Davis has won his last two bouts. His latest came by way of TKO over Olivier Coste at ONE FC: War of Nations last March. Considered the face of MMA in Malaysia, the Wuji Chuan exponent and part-time actor and model will look to extend his momentum and expand his celebrity by earning a win against "The Spawn." Donayre on the other hand, will look to be true to his reputation by putting up exciting fights and always looking for the finish, and will likely be looking to put away Davis the instant he has the opportunity.

Catch ONE FC: Roar of Tigers live on October 17 at  Kuala Lumpur's Stadium Putra. The  event is also available for purchase and live viewing at www.ONEFC.com.

Pinoy Fighter Rolando Gabriel Dy will compete for the PXC's Bantamweight Title

Guam - On October 24th, Guam’s Kyle Aguon and the Philippine’s Rolando Gabriel Dy will compete for the vacant PXC Bantamweight Title. After an unsuccessful attempt at taking the title last year, Kyle Aguon returns to the PXC cage looking to bring the belt home. Rolando Dy will look to continue his great run of form in the PXC cage and further solidify himself as one of the PXC’s top Filipino fighters.

PXC 45 courtesy of the PXC

Here's a look at the official PXC 45 fight card:

Bantamweight Championship: Kyle Aguon vs Rolando Dy (135lbs)

Kyle Reyes vs Alex Volkanovski (145lbs)

Brogan Walker vs Yoojin Jung (125lbs)

Toby Misech vs Trevin Jones (135lbs)

Ricky Camp vs Mark Abelardo (135lbs)

Mike Sanchez vs Scotty Eclavea (125lbs)

Darren Uyenoyama vs Shane Alvarez (125lbs)

Tyrone Jones vs Hong Sung Chan (155lbs)

McKlane Alfred vs Vince Masga (125lbs)

 Check out the PXC's website for more information.

"Gravity" Looks to Make History at ONE FC: Rise of the Kingdom

On September 12, 2014, ONE Fighting Championship is set to make its promotional debut in the country of Cambodia with ONE FC: Rise of the Kingdom. To headline the promotion's foray into its third new venue in as many months will be a battle between Pinoy fighter Geje "Gravity" Eustaquio, and Brazilian competitor Adriano "Black Diamond" Moraes. The five-round main event will be for the inaugural ONE FC Flyweight Championship.

Geje "Gravity" Eustaquio

Eustaquio, who currently holds a record of 6-2, earned his way to the title fight by defeating Japanese fighter Kentaro Watanabe via unanimous decision at ONE FC 17. A member of the famed Team Lakay, "Gravity" is looking to add to his team's history of inaugural champions, as teammate Honorio "The Rock" Banario had also won the inaugural ONE FC Featherweight Championship in early 2013.

ONE FC: Rise of the Kingdom

Making Pinoy MMA history will be easier said than done however, as Eustaquio will have to overcome a game Adriano Moraes to become the first ever Flyweight title holder. "Black Diamond", who owns an overall pro-MMA record of 11-1, earned his shot at the title by submitting Japanese fighter Kosuke Suzuki via triangle choke at the same card in Jakarta, Indonesia where Eustaquio earned his shot.

To provide well wishes to “Gravity” as he embarks on the biggest fight of his pro-MMA career, Pinoy fight fans can do so on his official Facebook fan page, as well as Team Lakay’s.

ONE FC: Rise of the Kingdom will be happening this Friday, September 12th, at the Koh Pick Theater in Phnom Penh, Cambodia. For ticketing information or to know where to watch on television and online, visit www.ONEFC.com

Pinoy MMA to be Dispayed in the International Scene Once Again at ONE FC: Reign of Champions

On August 29th, ONE Fighting Championship, the largest mixed martial arts organization in Asia, will host it's first ever fight card in Dubai. Dubbed "ONE FC: Reign of Champions", the event will feature three title bouts, a first for the organization.

ONE FC: Reign of Champions

The main event will be a five-round affair between Kamal Shalorus and Lightweight champion Shinya Aoki. The co-main event will see the ONE FC Welterweight title be up for grabs as Nobutatsu Suzuki defends against American MMA star Ben Askren.

The third title bout will be a contest for the Featherweight title, as Narantungalag Jadaambaa takes on champion Koji Oishi. Jadaambaa steps in to replace Pinoy fighter Eric Kelly, as "The Natural" had was not medically cleared in time to train and subsequently compete in the Dubai card after winning a war with Rob "Ruthless" Lisita to be named number one contender.

While the title bouts do not include Pinoy fighters, Filipino MMA is still featured prominently in the event with two fights.



"The Hurricane" Looks to Top MMA Debut with Win Over "Athena"

Ann "Athena" Osman vs. Ana "The Hurricane" Julaton

Twenty days after receiving a special award from the Nevada Boxing Hall of Fame, Ana "The Hurricane" Julaton (1-0) takes on the pride of Malaysian WMMA, Ann Osman (0-1). Ana was recognized last August in Las Vegas, "For being the only athlete, male or female, to be competing at elite levels in both boxing and MMA", and looks to cap off her big month with a win over "Athena".

Ana winning 2014 Special Achievement Award from Nevada Boxing Hall of Fame. Article by the Asian Journal. Photos from Ana Julaton's official Facebook page.

The upcoming bout will be the second for the two-time World Champion in boxing, as she won her debut by knocking out Aya Saber at ONE FC: Rise of Heroes last May in Manila.



"The Spawn" Debuts against Dubai FC Champion

Vaughn "The Spawn" Donayre vs. Mohamad Walid

A little higher up in ONE FC's Dubai card will be Vaughn "The Spawn" Donayre, who will be making his debut for the organization. Currently sporting a pro-MMA record of 7-1, Vaughn will compete against Dubai FC champion Mohamad Walid (3-0) in a catch-weight bout.

While Walid is only 21 years old, he already holds the title of Dubai's best fighter. An undefeated welterweight, the Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu purple belt and Karate black belt will also have something of a size advantage over Donayre, as "The Spawn" usually competes at lightweight.

Vaughn "The Spawn" Donayre. Photo from The Spawn's Facebook page.

A pro since 2010, Vaughn, from Cebu, relocated to the UAE several months ago to pursue MMA full time, seeking more training and a chance to compete more internationally. An accomplished fighter who represented Deftac Cebu locally, he now trains out of the Champions Club in Dubai. Apart from starting his pro-career by winning seven straight fights, he is also an accomplished Brazilian Jiu Jitsu practitioner, winning the gold in the 2010 Pan Asian Games.

Support Pinoy fighters Ana "The Hurricane" Julaton and Vaughn "The Spawn" Donayre by catching ONE FC: Reign of Champions on August 29 at the Dubai World Trade Center or live on pay-per-view at www.ONEFC.livesport.tv.

"The Hurricane" Now to Take on "Athena"

A couple of days ago, it was announced that Filipina World champion boxer Ana "The Hurricane" Julaton would have her second professional MMA fight at ONE Fighting Championship's first ever event in Dubai thic coming August. Her opponent was supposed to be against the debuting Irina Mazepa, a decorated Russian kickboxer and wushu parctioner making her MMA debut.

It seems however, that that match will no longer push through, as due to yet to be disclosed reasons, Mazepa is no longer part of the ONE FC: Reign of Champions card. In her place however, is the popular Ann "Athena" Osman.

"The Hurricane" vs. "Athena"

Osman was last seen in the ONE FC cage making her own MMA debut against Sherilyn Lim at ONE FC: Total Domination in Singapore. While Athena came up on the losing end of the bout, losing by split decision, the Malaysian mixed martial artist displayed great strength and wrestling skill. As the fight was close, it warranted a rematch, which unfortunately did push through however, due to Lim missing weight.

While the two fighters are basically new to the pro-MMA game, with Julaton winning her own ONE FC and MMA debut here in the Philippines last May, both have extensive experience in other combat sports. Julaton has won titles as a professional boxer, while Osman has competed at the amateur level in both MMA and Muay Thai.

Another intriguing factor in the fight will be weight, as Julaton competes at flyweight, which is a class higher than Osman's straw weight. While most may immediately cite Julaton as having the slight size advantage, a less strenuous weight cut may also play in the favor of Osman.

ONE FC: Reign of Champions

To see how it all goes down between two of the organization's most popular fighters, catch ONE FC: Reign of Champions this August 29th. The Dubai fight card will be headline by a bout between Shinya Aoki and Kamal Shalorus for the ONE FC World Lightweight Championship. The co-main event will also be a title bout, with Nobutatsu Suzuki defending his Welterweight Championship against American MMa star Ben Askren.

The Truth Refuses to Be Denied: Brandon Vera Signs with ONE FC

After ending an 8-year run with the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), many thought that Brandon "The Truth" Vera might step away from active competition. Not long after parting ways with UFC however, the Filipino-Italian fighter was signed by ONE Fighting Championship, the biggest MMA organization in Asia. The signing was announced via the organization's offical Twitter account, @onefcmma.

The Truth signs with the ONE FC.

Vera, 36, was at one point a highly touted talent, even considered a future champion, thanks to an amazing 8-0 start to his MMA career. With notable wins such as a finish over former UFC Heavyweight champion Frank Mir, it seemed like the sky was the limit for Vera.

Unfortunately, issues with old management would keep him inactive for some time, and the bad experience from an invasion of a friend's home would end up further derailing The Truth's momentum. Those challenges coupled with health issues, put Vera in a spot where he seemingly could not pick up where he left off. After exploring the UFC's light heavyweight ranks and returning to heavyweight for what would be his final fight for the organization, Vera would finish with 5-7 record after his undefeated start.

While some of his losses in the UFC were definitive, it must be noted that he put up an exciting fight against former Pride and UFC Champion Mauricio "Shogun" Rua, and dropped a rather questionable decision to former UFC Champion Randy 'The Natural" Couture.

Brandon "The Truth' Vera

Though he may no longer be the hot prospect that he was earlier in his career, Vera still poses a great threat to his new organization's LHW and HW divisions. The Truth's muay thai-centered style lends itself well to ONE FC's rules.

It has yet to be determined which weight class Vera will compete in, or when his debut for ONE FC will be, as he is still currently tending to a nagging hand injury. Known as the biggest MMA organization in Asia, ONE FC has a large Filipino fan base, with may top class Pinoy fighters in its roster. With his Filipino lineage, Vera will likely be considered for the organization's year end event in Manila.

For Filipino MMA fans and the ONE FC, The Truth's signing is a winning situation. For Vera, it is a fresh start and an opportunity to re-establish a winning situation of his own.

"The Natural" Earns Win, Bonus, and Title Shot After Submitting "Ruthless" in Hard Fought Battle

Last July 11, ONE Fighting Championship hosted its first ever in Taipei, Taiwan. In what turned out to be the most exciting fight of the night, Eric "The Natural" Kelly defeated "Ruthless" Rob Lisita in the ONE FC: War of Dragons main event.

ONE FC: War of Dragons

As the fight began, Lisita came out guns blazing, getting the better of the stand-up exchange with the Baguio-born Pinoy fighter. Eventually, he took "The Natural" to the ground in an attempt to outgrapple Kelly and win by submission. After an intense scramble, Kelly managed to take Lisita's back, but "Ruthless" managed to avoid significant danger as the round ended.

The second round opened with the two warriors trading blows once again. True to his nickname, Lisita dished out some ruthless strikes which eventually caught Kelly on the nose, making it bleed profusely. In an attempt to turn the tide and to save himself from danger, Kelly attempted a takedown, which Lisita successfully defended. He eventually found his way to Kelly's back, and proceeded to rain down blows to the head.

Displaying grit and skill, Kelly sneakilly slipped out of danger and proceeded to take the Aussie fighter's back and attempt a rear naked choke. As he continued to attempt the hold, blood continuously poured out of his nose, forcing the referee to stop the action and have the cageside doctor check on it.

After determining that Kelly could continue, the two fighters were placed back in their original position from before the pause in the fight, but Lisita eventually managed to escape the hold and got back to his feet. As he pushed forward, he proceeded to take Kelly back to the ground. While the Australian tried for submissions, it was the Pinoy fighter who eventually got to Lisita's back, sinking in a rear-naked choke that left Ruthless with no choice but to submit.

"The Natural" synching in the winning submission. Photo courtesy of ONE FC.

A decorated and very dangerous fighter, Lisita had Kelly in trouble a handful of times during the fight. Yet, by relying on his training, skill, and a whole lot of heart, Eric Kelly put together the perfect comeback to earn the victory.

With his gritty performance, "The Natural" earned the night's "One Warrior Bonus", which is awarded to the one fighter who puts on the most exceptional performance at a given event. As the bonus was just created recently, Kelly is the first ever competitor to earn the One Warrior distinction in the organization's history.

"The Natural" officially declared the victor. Photo property of ONE FC

Along with the W, Kelly also earned another shot at the ONE FC Featherweight title. His last fight in the organization before the battle in Taipei was also for the belt, where he received his only professional defeat from countryman Honorio Banario.

It has yet to be announced where and when Kelly takes on current featherweight title holder Koji Oishi, but for the time being, it can be assumed that it may be soon. ONE FC recently announced that they are set to host a huge event in Dubai at the end of August, with four title bouts on the card.

If Kelly is set to compete by then, and Pinoy bantamweight Geje "Gravity" Eustaquio also gets his fight to be the first ever ONE FC Banatmweight Champion on the same night, August may prove to be historic for Filipino MMA.

Only time will tell if the two Pinoy contenders will fight, and hopefully win, on the same card. For the moment however, congratulations Eric "The Natural" Kelly, for putting on a performance for the ages in Taiwan and earning the win, the first ever One Warrior Bonus, and another crack at the title.

Pinoy Fighter Eric Kelly Headlines ONE FC Event Against Rob Lisita With a Title Shot on the Line

On July 11th, Eric "The Natural" Kelly battles Rob "Ruthless" Lisita in the main event of ONE FC: Rise of Dragons at the NTU Sports Center in Taipei, Taiwan.
 

ONE FC: War of Dragons

Already expected by ONE FC fans to be hard hitting affair, more than a win is up for grabs as the bout is also a title eliminator, with the victor likely to be named the number one contender to Koji Oishi's ONE FC Featherweight Title.

Eric Kelly vs. Jens Pulver. Photo property of ONE FC.

Kelly (10-1) last fought under the OneFC banner in November of 2013, losing a bout to fellow Pinoy fighter Honorio Banario for the inaugural ONE FC Featherweight Title. As the title is now on the waist of Oishi, a win over Lisita (14-5) will no doubt place Kelly back on the path towards his ultimate goal of being an MMA world title holder.

The journey will not be easy however, as he is pitted against a fighter who is on a four fight winning streak, with Ruthless's latest coming by way of TKO over Yusuke Kawanago at ONE FC: Rise of Heroes last May in Manila. With an eighty percent finish rate, Lisita has been calling for a title shot since his victorious ONE FC debut, and will likely get his shot should he defeat The Natural.

Rob "Ruthless" Lisita. Photo property of ONE FC.

While it's close to two years since Kelly's last ONE FC bout, the only loss of his pro MMA career, he is entering the Taipei bout coming off a win, as he last fought for local promotion Universal Reality Combat Championship (URCC), earning a victory over Jianbo Lu last November. While some viewers worry about the possibility of ring rust due to extended periods in between bouts, Kelly's desire to be back in competition and all the hard work he's put in during the layoffs may be what can get him past the ruthless one.

A win away from a coveted title shot, count on both Kelly and Lisita to leave it all in the cage this Friday in Taipei.

Pacific X-treme Combat Launches Laban MMA in August

Pacific X-treme Combat (PXC), the premier Mixed Martial Arts Event company in the Pacific Region is set to launch Laban MMA, a provincial MMA development league to encourage the development of local MMA fighters. Laban MMA will provide a venue for fighters to begin their career path to becoming a world class pro fighter that can compete on the biggest stage.

Three years after entering the Philippines MMA scene, the PXC has successfully earned its position as the one of the Top Professional MMA promotions in the country. In continuing to pursue its mission to promote the spirit of athleticism and sportsmanship and to encourage the development of local and regional athletes, the PXC launches Laban MMA, a provincial MMA development league that will provide a starting point for local fighters to kick-off their career path to becoming a world class fighter.

Joey Calvo, PXC's President adds, "The PXC is consistently sending fighters to the world's top MMA leagues and Laban MMA will provide a breeding ground for future MMA legends to begin their journey to the top." 

 Laban MMA events are being planned in 10 Philippine cities: Baguio, Angeles City, Subic, Malolos Bulacan, Manila, Batangas, Boracay, Bacolod, Cebu and Davao are among the first Philippine MMA hotbeds that can expect to host a Laban MMA event.

 EJ Calvo, PXC’s CEO, reveals: “There’s a huge outcry from our fans and the MMA community in the Philippines for this league. The impact will be huge, and millions of new fans will be drawn to the sport as their hometown heroes compete for the opportunity to show their athletic skills and fighting spirit.”

 The first Laban MMA event will take place on August 16th in Batangas at the Lipa City Youth and Cultural Center. Updates on fight card for Laban MMA Batangas will be posted at www.labanmma.com.

About Pacific X-treme Combat

Pacific X-treme Combat (PXC) was established in 2004 in the US island territory of Guam, and since then, has set the region on fire showcasing the highest level of MMA action on a consistent basis. Owned and operated by the Calvo family, PXC has produced over 40 professional events and 50 amateur shows in Guam and the Philippines, where PXC events consistency records over 700,000 viewers during live broadcasts, and thousands more during online stream.