ONE FC Destiny of Warriors Delivers in Kuala Lumpur
(Kuala Lumpur 5:00am Sunday-It’s been a long exciting night!)
OK this is the big one Malaysia has never seen an MMA event of anything approaching of this size.
A big crowd is fully expected to create one heck of a buzz, I mean one heck of a buzz! The Stadium Negara has been transformed into a stadium fit for the fastest growing sport in the world.
The crowd mingling outside were looking expectant already wearing shirts showing the latest MMA labels or the MMA Gym or indeed MMA fighter they were supporting.
We got there early it was not due to kick off until 8:00pm and already a fair-sized crowd was mingling around outside, even some of the fighters were there still chatting to friends and fans.
Once we got inside the full-scale of the show became clear. It’s a nice stadium certainly on a par with the Singapore stadium that ONE FC inhabits when on home ground.
Today would be a big test, how would the Malaysian crowd respond to this event, after all to Malaysia this really is the dawning of s new sport. Before today’s show a few worthy local gyms had run smaller shows laying valuable ground work for the event to come tonight, but, this was the big one.
Sport has a great habit of bringing people together with its drama and excitement and tonight an expected 8000 plus people are going to be brought together to cheer on their fellow countrymen and witness some of the many international fighters who train in Malaysia plus of course some top quality international fighters including an amazing six fighters from the home of MMA, Brazil.
This is a show that probably less than two years ago no MMA fan in Malaysia would have even dreamed of seeing happen in their own country and yet amazingly here it was and it was real.
The ONE FC machine has become increasingly slick from event to event and this was looking smooth from the entry.
Their were sponsors stalls outside and plenty of people to visit them and outside it was approaching evening on a delightfully sunny KL day. It was nice to enter the stadium to access cooler air.
Soon though that air would be charged as warriors entered the cage to do battle.
First order of the day was to meet the fighters they were introduced one and at time and stood circling the cage, an impressive site.
Sadly the fight between Alamurad Kurayev and Roldan Sangcha-an was cancelled due to medical reasons. A real shame Alamurad deserves a stage of this size especially a he trains in KL with the Muayfit Team and this would have been like his home town, we look forward to seeing him in a future ONE FC event.
Bout 1:
Queck Kim Hock – Peter Davis
It’s the Singaporean youngster vs the more experienced Malaysian.
It’s nice to see that ONE FC is now allowing the fighters from all teams to approach the cage with a full size entourage as it makes a much for fun spectacle for the entrance.
But of course the real action happens in the cage.
Round 1:
This was a different Pete Davis to the one I have seen fight at MFC and ONE FC from the start he was more composed and aggressive and a spinning back kick early in the round unsettled Hock and Davis then started an onslaught of knees and punches before the referee stepped in to save Hock from serious beating, as it was it looked like he might have lost the odd tooth (or three)!
Bout 2:
Marcos Escobar – Rodrigo Praxedes
Escobar a Brazilian based in Kuala Lumpur and at 36 starting his MMA career at a late stage.
Praxedes a fellow Brazilian is not much more experienced on the MMA stage. But don’t be fooled both these guys are top quality black belt BBJ practitioners.
Round 1.
These two went straight for it for the first 30 seconds or so exchanging punches and kicks before Praxedes took it to the floor. The main damage at this stage though was probably from the Elbows of Escobar from the ground which unsettled Praxedes. When they returned to their feet Praxedes caught Escobar with a kick on the way up. They soon circled again and Escobar went for a take down which he achieved easily enough and although Praxede looked less mobile he soon got up but was almost immediately taken down again and as Escobar took control for the rest of the round, unleashing knees and ground and pound till the rounds end.
Round 2.
Escobar looked the fresher of the two men, Praxedes actually looked gassed. Escobar was looking in control although their was a stoppage as Escobar kicked Praxedes in the groin.
When they resumed Escobar immediately took control. Then with two minutes of the round left they exchanged punches and Escobar went down with Praxedes following for a short while he had control but then they stood up again and Escobar agin took Praxedes down and was in total control, the ref must have been seriously considering stopping the fight but Praxedes managed to hold on although he did not look too good going back to his corner.
Round 3.
Escobar took Praxedes down easily and with less than 1:05 of the round gone Escobar succeeded in submitting Praxedes with a choke hold.
Bout 3.
AJ Lias Mansor v Mitch Chilson
It’s AJ from Borneo against Evolve team member the American Mitch Chilson.
AJ came out too rapturous applause.
During the early stages of round 1 he quickly and easily took Chilson down but Chilson soon sprung up again and then he took AJ down, from there, Chilson was in control with a series of takedowns and then he got AJ’s back and at 1:39 he completed a rear naked choke and AJ had to tap.
End of the Prelims
Bout 4.
Brian Choi Vs Arnaud Lepont
Round 1.
These two didn’t bother with any niceties then went straight for it from the bell exchanging brutal blows and kicks before Choi got Lepont down about two minutes in and he controlled him for the best part of the next two minutes and then they spent the last-minute on their feet exchanging blows right at the death Arnaud from his back attempted a submission but it was too late as the bell rang.
Round 2.
Tehses two started the second round with a tap of gloves and then a hug and then another tap of the gloves much to the crowd’s delight.
Choi looks the fresher of the two at the start and the second round goes much like the first to start with Choi succeeding with a number of take downs and controlling the fight on the floor.
Round 3.
Lepont looks really tired but is not willing to give an inch, Choi again takes him down and commences to ground and pound but Lepont managed to escape and then from nowhere Lepont did what he has done so many times before and pulled a couple of submission attempts before finally getting a real tight rear naked choke which finished it as Choi had no option but to tap. A Lepont special.
Bout 5.
Bae Yong Kwon Vs Eric Kelly
I must admit that here at MMANewsAsia there is more than a little love for Eric “The Natural” Kelly and we were so pleased when we heard that he was back in the cage, it’s been too long.
This was not going to be an easy fight though and so it turned out as they exchanged heavy blows from the First round, Kwon also took Kelly down on a few occasions and looked to have him in trouble with a few solid submission attempts but Kelly survived.
Round 2.
The second round was another close fought battle with both fighters having their fair share of effective punches and kicks and submission attempts but although a close round Kwon got given a yellow card for an illegal elbow.
Round 3.
Again we had the same scene a very close fight and both fighters had their chances but then with just two minutes left Eric Kelly got his favored Rear Naked Choke on and it looked all over for Kwon, but somehow he managed to escape and Kwon was on top of him for the remainder of the round although not really in an effective way.
This was a very entertaining fight and the winner really earned his W tonight, the loser deserves another chance for sure.
Eric Kelly won with a unanimous decision much to the happy relief of the MMANewsAsia team.
Bout 6.
Grogor Gracie vs Adam Kayoom
This is a Gracie, the most famous name in MMA, against local hero Adam Kayoom. This is a fight that will make the crowd go crazy if the local boy wins.
But don’t forget he is fighting a Gracie it won’t be easy, but if he does it will be epic. Gracie is by far the younger at just 25 years of age against Kayooms 34.
Kayoome enters to Michael Jackson,s Don’t Stop To You Get Enough which got the crowd going even more.
Round 1.
A few early kicks from Kayoom but before the first minute is out Gracie has his first take down. He made best use of it and started to go to work on Kayoom, But being put on bis back by MMA royalty did not make him panic he remained calm and defended himself. With about 1:30 left Gracie took his back and started to pound him all the while I am sure looking for an opening for a rear naked choke but the clock kept ticking on and although Gracie stayed on top Kayoom made it relatively unscathed to the rounds end.
Round 2.
The round started with Kayoom throwing a few kicks unfortunately one of them hit the Gracie crown jewels and the fighters had a rest.
Kayoom again continued with kicks and when Gracie took him down Kayoom did his best to neutralize the situation and Gracie really struggled to make the best of it beyond being in top position
When the ref stood it back up Kayoom made Gracie pay and worked him, Gracie looked tired.
Round 3.
Kayoom did his best to keep the fight on its feet where he was definitely the boss, But of course Gracie took him down a few times, even so Gracie again really failed to do much beyond control Kayoom on the ground. The fight actually finished with Kayoom on top of Gracie and he really pounded him and when the fight finished Gracie did not get off the floor without help.
It was no surprise to anybody when it was announced Kayoom was victorious with a unanimous decision.
The crowd rightly went crazy this is a historic victory in Malaysian MMA a Malaysian fighter beating a member of the famed Gracie family.
Bout 7.
Leandro Issa Vs Masakaza Imanari
Ashikan Judan is what they call him Master of Leg Locks and with good reason, Imanari not only tells you what he is going to do to you, but then he does it, he does it with such astonishing speed that even though people expect It they seem powerless to stop it. It’s a special kind of magic. So Issa is really going to have to work hard.
Round 1.
Imanari is such a showman he just circles coolly and attempts a few spinning back fists this goes on for a full three minutes Issa does not really know what to do with him. I’m not sure if it was a punch or a kick but Imanari went down. Once on the ground Issa pounces and quickly grounds and pounds but Imanari is calm and it soon comes down to him beneath Issa but not really suffering too much damage.
Round 2.
Round 2 is much the same as the first until Issa does a great leg kick that takes Imanari down, but he gets up like nothing happened. Finally Issa get Imanari down and seems to be in control until about the last 15 seconds when they stand up again. Another blow from Issa and Imanari is down but stands up easily as the bell rings.
Round 3.
Same as the first two until on the three-minute mark Issa took Imanari down and again was controlling him, the feared leglock seemed just a rumor. With 1:40 to go they stood up but a few seconds later and Issa had Imanari down again. With a minute to go they again stood up. With 30 seconds to go Issa again had top position this must be his fight.
This fight goes to the judges and it’s Leandro Issa who is the winner by Unanimous Decision.
Bout 8.
Roger Huerta Vs Zorobabel Moeira
Round 1.
This was another fight that started full of hard-fought action with a tough and even first round probably with honors roughly even.
Round 2.
Moeira took control and started to really work Huerta over and many times he had him rocked before finally throwing him to the ground and holding him down and h\throwing an amazing football kick to the head of an already dazed Huerta knocking him spark out in the most brutal fashion.
A superb display from Moeira and his third straight win in a ONE FC cage. Who can stop him?
Bout 9.
Renato Sobral Vs Tasuya Mizuno
Who could have believed it was true two such top quality fighters in a cage in Malaysia?
And anybody anywhere who knows MMA knows the name Renato “Bablu” Sobral he is literally as big a name as there is in MMA. God only knows how One FC managed to get him, but we here at MMANewsAsia are mighty glad he did, let’s just hope he can reach our expectations………………
And it was over before it began Mizuno threw a few big bombs and then from off of his back Zobral threw up an armbar and it was over. He did not disappoint! His speed was astounding.
So that was it a full night of incredible bouts. ONE FC really hit a home run with this show. It was slick and professional.
The MMANewsAsia team would like to thank ONE FC for looking after us.
