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.

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.

Nagaowa and Julaton Set the Stage for Filipinas in International WMMA

Come May 2nd, ONE Fighting Championship, the biggest MMA organization in Asia, will hold its first event in the Philippines for 2014. Dubbed ONE FC: Rise of Heroes, the card is set to feature local MMA standouts Eugene Tuquero, Rey Docyogen, and Eduard Folayang. Also, in a true tale of firsts, female mixed martial artists Jujeath Nagaowa and Ana Julaton will be making their pro-MMA debuts.

Jujeath "Bad Girl" Nagaowa

The first Filipina fighter signed by ONE FC, Jujeath Nagaowa will take on Indian kick boxer and three year MMA vet Jeet Toshi. While recognized more as a former World Boxing Council atom weight champion with eight knockouts in 12 career wins, Nagaowa is not completely foreign to other combat sports, with her first regulated fight was a Muay Thai bout. Initially set to make her debut with the promotion in a cancelled bout in December of last year, Nagaowa has long been training in all aspects of MMA, splitting time between gyms in Makati and Baguio. The fighter known as the “Bad Girl” looks to begin her MMA career with a victory in the first fight of the May 2 card, setting the bar for a big night of fights.

Ana "The Hurricane" Julaton

 

Subsequently, major WMMA signing Ana “The Hurricane” Julaton will also make her mixed martial arts and ONE FC debut on May 2^nd. The first Filipina boxer to win the women’s WBO Super Bantamweight and IBA Super Bantamweight World Championships, The Hurricane’s signing with the Singapore-based promotion is the first step in her quest of becoming a successful two-sport athlete. While the event will mark her pro-MMA debut, Julaton is no stranger to martial arts, as she has also earned black belts in Tae Kwon Do and Kenpo Karate. At ONE FC: Rise of Heroes, the San Diego-born Filipina looks forward to making her homecoming a successful one with a victory over Egyptian kickboxing champion Aya Saeid Saber at the MOA arena.

In a country where Manny Pacquiao still reigns supreme, mixed martial arts continues to grow in terms of fans and fighters, with many figuring the “next Paquiao” possibly being a mixed martial artist. Should Nagaowa and Julaton earn victories on May 2^nd, it will definitely be a point to consider that the country’s next possible combat sports icon may also be female.

ONE FC: Rise of Heroes is on May 2, 2014 and will be held at the Mall of Asia arena. For more information on the event, visit ONEFC.com.

ONE FC: Rise of Heroes

*photos from the official Facebook pages of ONE Fighting Championship, Ana "The Hurricane" Julaton, and  Jujeath "Badgirl" Nagaowa.