ONE FC Pride of a Nation ~ Results and Review

ONE FC Pride of a Nation ~ Results and Review

Published on September 1, 2012 by The Editor in ONEFC

The Philippine Fans Do ONE FC Proud

The Fighters Put On A Great Show

The TV coverage started off showing us the fighters getting off of the coaches and walking into the venue and even at this stage Tim Sylvia looked wooden, I hope he looks better in the fight.

When then had the fighters introduced to the crowds by the horrible shrill voiced Lenne  Hardt an Asian MMA legend whose appeal I will never understand.

What I could see of the crowd I have to say it looks like the Philippine fans had come out in force, the Philippines is truly the hotbed of Asian MMA,

Under Card

First bout was:

Andrew Benibe vs Honario Bonario

Two Philippine Featherweight Contenders, the young gun Bonario and the old stager Benibe.

Round 1:

Good early leg kick from Bonario (HB) and his first take down comes at 1:15 in but Benibe (AB) is soon up. Again HB takes him down Benibe is being totally outclassed and this fight is already looking like an easy win for HB. For the rest of the round he totally outclasses AB without looking like he would stop him.

Round 2:

Followed a similar journey at no stage did it look like Benibe could put up any sort of challenge. Frankly it looks like a bad match up or a nice easy match up for what is a fighter being groomed for a title shot.

Round 3:

Eventually Benibe gets tired of being a punch bag and with about a minute to go after a flurry of punches and kicks seems to give up the struggle and the ref steps in to stop it although the official result is a Knockout which is puzzling surely it was a TKO?

Bout 2:

 Mitch Chilson vs Shannon Waratchai

The way the commentators were talking about Chilson and Evolve all the way to the cage, talking of his chance at a title fight (yes he is just 1 and 1 in ONE FC!) but the way they talked Shannon Waratchai wasn’t in this bout.

Round 1:

Chilson takes Waratchai down fairly easily and it’s all one way traffic for Chilson he looks to be in no danger.

Between the rounds, I have to say that Chilson is looking tired and the corner did seem concerned which was amazing when he had been in such control.

Round 2:

Chilson really does look tired that’s not championship material.

And even less so when he attacks Waratchai who looks amazingly confident for a fighter who lost the first round so easily. Well maybe he was right Chilson waded in swinging and caught a counter punch from Waratchai which landed him on his ass and follow-up kick from Waratchai and the ref stepped in and it was all over. Fist big shock of the night. Well done to Shannon Waratchai.

Bout 3:

Phil Baroni vs Rodrigo Ribeiro

Baroni came out caught Ribeiro with a straight punch and from then on it was all Baroni who battered a shocked Ribeiro until the ref stepped in with less than a minute gone. A great win and surely a shock for the Evolve team. Two losses in two fights.

 Bout 4:

 Nicholas Mann vs Gregor Gracie

Gracie has not impressed at all in his two ONE FC fights and Mann a URCC champion is going to be a big test or is he?

Round 1:

As it turned out not so much as after a few exchanges it was on the ground with Gracie on top and then it was all over as Gracie get an arm bar – 1:45 of the first round.

Main Event:

Kevin Belingon vs Soo Chul Kim

Bout 5:

Big crowd favourite Belingon came into the cage to massive cheers from the Philippine crowd.

Round 1:

Kim seemed to be un-phased by the whole event and was at Bellingon from the off.

He soon has Belingon on his back and bullied him for the whole round.

Round 2:

Much the same except for a couple of kicks from Bellingon including an up kick that did nothing good for Kims nose and saw the ref stop the fight so that the blood could be wiped away before resuming it on the ground with Kim on top.

Round 3:

Saw Belingon taking control and he spent the best part of the round on top of Kim which was not much of a plan as he really needed to impress the judges to win this fight.

 Unanimous Decision win to Kim and deservedly so.

Bout 6.

Jung Kwan Cha vs Igor Gracie

You would not know it listening to the commentators but Cha wins a lot of his fights by Submission (and also loses many that way).

Gracie of course given his breeding will be a BJJ expert.

Round 1:

A very good and even round but Gracie had to be the more aggressive and successful.

 Round 2:

Much the same but with Cha taking the round especially as he twice got Gracie in a Cruicfix and ruled the round.

Round 3:

Cha looking confident moved forward early and soon caught Gracie with a great punch and he went down, Cha pounced and in a modified side mount put a beating on Gracie who turtled up quickly until the ref stepped in. A great win.

Bout 8.

Tony Bonello vs Rolles Gracie

Bonello has a great record but has not been in the cage for a couple of years will it show or is he still fresh?

Gracie of course had the misfortune to fight Bob Tap Sapp and therefore had no chance to show us how good he was.

Round 1:

Bonello was on his back within a minute and then for the next four minutes we watched Rolles hold him down and slowly try to move him into a position that he could submit him from.

Bonello had a cut eye and a very puffy face so he obviously took quite a beating out of site of the camera underneath Rolles.

Round 2:

Much the same until  Gracie slips on a Rear naked Choke about 2 minutes in and it was all over, Frankly a mismatch and a boring fight. I can understand the reason for the bout on paper but Bonello really did not look like he was up to much certainly not given his recent lack of activity.

Bout 9:

Eric Kelly vs Jens Pulver

A very much anticipated fight, Eric Kelly the Philippine fighter against the ex UFC champion and old guard Jens Pulver.

Both men are real warriors who fight to improve their lives.

Round 1.

A great first round Kelly caught Pulver early and rocked him but he soon ended up on the floor under Pulver after a slip, he soon reversed Pulver and they stood up again, a great start. Kelly then got caught with a few good punches from Pulver and looked to be on wobbly legs. Kelly tried a one arm throw but ended up underneath Pulver and in trouble.  A great first round and I think Pulver took it.

Round 2:

Kelly came out and immediately caught Pulver with some good punches and they seemed to be having an effect. Pulver looked shaken and Kelly just kept coming, a kick sent him to the ground, Kelly was on him took his back and lay some punchs in until the ref stopped it.

A great fight from both fighters,  This was Kelly’s toughest challenge and he came through with flying colours. Pulver was gracious and said he will step down to 135 and we also heard that Eric Kelly will face Honarion Bonario for the 145 title on October 6th in Singapore. Should be a great event.

Bout 10.

Tim Sylvia vs Andre Arlovski 

The fourth time these old dinosaurs meet and the least interesting fight to me. I would rather have seen three more local bouts in its place for up and coming Philippine fighters. But hey we’ll take it.

It’s the un-fit looking Sylvia against the glass chinned Arlovski who will prevail.

Round 1:

Arlovski is much the faster but Sylvia has the advantage in durability of chin.

Sylvia gets Arlovski against the cage and holds him, on the occasions when he breaks free Arlovski looks OK, but every time Sylvia lands Arlovski looks vulnerable.

I think Sylvia wons the round but it was a dull round.

Round 2:

I had no interest in this fight when it was announced and I have even less interest now. They are both well beyond their sell by dates and bring nothing to this show. It’s fairly even and terribly boring. Bring back Eric Kelly and Jens Pulver.

Arlovski downed Sylvia with a good punch and then kicked him and that I thought was that but apparently the ref had not called that he was able to kick. And the ref called a time out instead it’s a mess, this whole kick, no kick thing needs to be sorted out in ONE FC, it just leads to controversy. And with Sylvia refusing to continue it’s a complete fuck-up and the crowd are pissed. It’s a No Contest.

And Jason Chambers NOBODY wants to see that shite fight again thank you.

Bout 11:

And back to a proper fight, this could take the roof off of the building if Folayang wins.

Eduard Folayang vs Felipe Enomoto

Round 1.

A quiet first round but Folayang did the most effective work. Enomoto seems unwilling to really engage.

Round 2.

Folayang took control in this round he was much more powerful with his punches and seemed to have no real problem with Enomoto’s height advantage. His speeed was a real advantage he would catch Enomoto in a flurry of punches and just keep pushing forward. Enomoto just kept walking forward but it was not working for him. With 30 seconds left Folayang punches Enomoto to the ground and then pounds him until the bell.

Round 3.

Enomoto puts on a much better display in this round and probably takes this round but it’s too little too late I am sure.

The judges announcement confirms Eduard Folayang via Unanimous Decision.

Bout 12. The Main Event

Gustavo Falciroli vs Bibiando Fernandes

Round 1.

Fernandes allegedly turned down UFC to join ONE FC a baffling decision for a sports man, not fighting in the biggest and best organisation. But maybe Fernandes knows that were he to head to America he would be a very small cog in a big wheel. At ONE FC he should be able to shine as one of it’s brightest lights.

Fernandes is soon on top of a grounded Falciroli and using elbows to Falcirolis horrible blue hair. They return to their feet where Fernandes looks much the more able fighter and then back on the ground with Fernandes again in control even at this early stage it’s hard top see Fernands losing this fight. A future ONE FC champion?  For sure. He easily contolled the first round.

Round 2.

Again Fernandes is totally in control of Falciroli and at no stage does he look to be in any danger of losing position. Sadly Fernandes is so much better than Falciroli that this is not much of a fight for the crowd it’s very technical but not full of exciting action. Two rounds down and Falciroli is not in this fight at all.

Round 3.

Attempted rear nacked choke, attempted arm bar all with in thirty seconds of the start of the round for Fernandes. Then Fernandes slows down and the rest of the round is much better for falciroli but not enough to cause Fernandes any problems.

Fernandes wins by Unanimous Decision

Summary

So in summary a very successful event from ONE FC. The Philippines is the perfect place for this show as unlike Indonesia or Malaysia MMA is already an established and very popular sport. And the Philippine people came out and made a great atmosphere.

Fight of the Night? I Think Kelly vs Pulver, A real pair of warriors who can to throw down.

Non Event of the Night? Arlovski vs Sylvia – No more please

The fights were interesting and there were a few shocks. ONE FC really did put on a good show. Now how about dropping that soccer kick, it’s either allowed or it’s not, lets take away the onus on the ref to call it.

And please ONE FC lets call it ONE FC Championship Belts not World Championship Belts, please.

ONE FC ~ Baroni Out ~ Zoro Steps into Face Huerta

ONE FC ~ Baroni Out ~ Zoro Steps into Face Huerta

Published on June 7, 2012 by The Coffee Boy in ONEFC

“Zoro” steps in to face Roger Huerta at ONE FC

So unfortunately, Phil Baroni has been removed from his fight with Roger Huerta after losing his fight at Ring of Fire 43 last weekend to Chris “The Hammer” Holland.  We here at MMA News Asia wish him well and hope he comes back real soon – gotta love the NYBA.

The replacement stepping in for Baroni is none other than the lanky lightweight Brazilian Zorobabel Moreira, who trains out of Evolve MMA over in Singapore.

Zorobabel Moreira (6 – 1) has been on a tear recently, absolutely dominating Andy Wang back in September of 2011, and then submitting Felipe Enomoto in the 3rd round after a back and forth battle between the two at ONE FC 3 in March.

He’s tall, he has great reach, he’s talented, and he’s not someone to mess with. At the lightweight division, it’s hard to see who could best him in either the standup game or the ground game.

But then comes Roger Huerta (21 – 6), a seasoned mixed martial artist having fought some of the best in the UFC, putting on memorable performances against the likes of Clay Guida, Douglas Evans, and Leonard Garcia.

After being dropped from the UFC, Huerta fought for several promotions, and is currently riding a three-fight losing streak. Now back on his feet and preparing at Phuket Top Team he is ready for action, I expect a driven and improved version of the man who once was all the rave after being on the cover of Sports Illustrated.

Huerta moved up to the welterweight division recently, and Zorobabel Moreira will be moving up in weight to fight him. This shouldn’t be a big problem for “Zoro”, considering he’s ridiculously tall and could feasibly compete at the middleweight division competitively if he wanted to.

Should this fight excite you? Definitely. This is Roger Huerta’s comeback party. This is Zorobabel Moreira’s chance to beat someone whom many believe to still be an elite-level fighter.

I expect a back and forth brawl, a lot of slick Muay Thai striking, and someone’s going down late in the second round.

Catch Roger Huerta vs Zorobabel Moreira at ONE FC 4 Destiny of Warriors is happening June 23rd in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. 

What’s Next For Evolve’s Shinya Aoki ~ ONE FC?

What’s Next For Evolve’s Shinya Aoki ~ ONE FC?

Published on April 22, 2012 by The Coffee Boy in Opinion

Shinya Aoki Could ONE FC Be Next?

Shinya Aoki – Where does this loss leave him?

The “Grandmaster of Flying Submissions” now stands at 30-6-1 following his loss to former Bellator Lightweight Champion Eddie Alvarez at their rematch. Alvarez dropped Shinya Aoki with a nice right hook, and while tentative at first, he eventually jumped in and dropped bombs on Aoki’s face until the referee jumped in.

The big question for Shinya Aoki now: What’s next for this submission phenom? He has fought only three times in the US, and stands at 1-2 there, an unimpressive record. He has fought mostly in Japan, and has certainly beaten some of the best lightweights out there. But after this loss to Alvarez, what could possibly be next?

Shinya Aoki is still the DREAM Lightweight Champion, and there are a couple possible rematches which could happen. Unfortunately, none of the rematches would really generate too much interest, seeing as the DREAM lightweights have overall not been very impressive lately.

Also keep in mind that ONE Fighting Championship – touted by many as the “UFC of Asia” – recently signed Shinya Aoki on to their growing roster of stacked fighters.

Shinya Aoki is by no means a chump. He has beaten many great fighters such as Lyle Beerbohm, Rich Clementi, Rob McCullough, Tatsuya Kawajiri, Joachim Hansen, and Vitor Ribeiro. He trains out of probably the best gym in Asia – Evolve MMA, home to Eddie Ng, Zorobabel Moreira, Rafael dos Anjos, Leandro Issa, and Fabricio Monteiro.

The problem now is that most of the best lightweights are in the UFC and Bellator, and he has just lost to Eddie Alvarez who barely makes the top 10 lightweight rankings in the world.

Aoki usually comes back a better fighter after a loss. After his loss to Hayato Sakurai in 2009, he went on a three-fight win streak and earned himself a title shot against Gilbert Melendez in Strikeforce. He came up short in that fight, but then went on a seven-fight tear until losing in his rematch to Alvarez.

History has shown us that Shinya Aoki learns from his mistakes and comes back better than before. But with so few options left, what does he do?

To keep himself relevant, One FC has a roster full of good match-ups for him. It is unlikely he would be forced to face Evolve MMA teammates Eddie Ng or Zorobabel Moreira, but the current roster does offer a few appropriate fighters. Let us take a look at three names off the current One FC roster who could be good possibilities:

1) Felipe Enomoto

Coming off of a submission loss to Zorobabel Moreira, this matchup is good for both parties because it gives Shinya Aoki a chance to fight someone who has a decent overall game and build his confidence, but also for Enomoto because it should motivate him to come back strong.

Enomoto has had his fair share of wars. Back in February he fought a tough fight against Ole Laursen in a back-and-forth battle. He eventually landed a good head kick and finished Laursen with a rear-naked choke. His record now stands at 6-4, and one no contest.

If this fight happens, I predict a fairly even fight until Aoki gets it to the ground. That’s when we get to see what Enomoto is made of, and also it gives Aoki a good chance to build up his confidence again if he plans on staying a world-class combat athlete.

2) Danny van Bergen

This fighter’s record stands at 11-10-3 (1), and would be a good matchup for Shinya Aoki because a) Danny is definitely looking to make it big, and b) Danny looked very impressive in his last fight against American prospect Richie Whitson, winning via a classic armbar.

This matchup would provide the fireworks needed to keep Shinya on his toes, and the fans would be entertained to a slick fight. On the ground, Aoki certainly outclasses most opponents. However, Bergen would still be somewhat of a challenge, having won 7 fights by submission, and should keep Aoki alert.

3) Ole Laursen

Ole Laursen is coming off a great battle against Eduard Folayang, in what many have said was one of the most exciting fights of the year thus far. Folayang hit Laursen with spinning strikes and devastating kicks, but Laursen kept coming forward, took him down repeatedly, and eventually got the win via judges’ decision.

His current record stands at 6-3, and would definitely have a striker’s chance against Shinya Aoki. If Aoki wants to test his striking ability, it would be a no-brainer to have it tested against hard –hitting Ole Laursen.

Laursen is a Muay Thai and Kickboxing champion, holding titles in several promotions. His MMA career took off to a slow start, but now it’s on track and he’s ready to dominate.

This is a good matchup because Shinya’s standup would be tested, and Ole’s ground game – or takedown defense – would be pushed to a whole new limit. This is the fight that would have the crowd on its feet, and the fight that could take One FC one step closer to completely dominating the Asian MMA scene.

Shinya Aoki will be back, but without the UFC and maybe Bellator, it’s up to One FC to provide him with credible match-ups to keep his reputation as a world-class mixed martial artist.

ONE FC War of the Lions – All Fighters Made Weight

ONE FC War of the Lions – All Fighters Made Weight

Published on March 31, 2012 by The Editor in ONEFC

ONE FC War of the Lions – Ready For Action

Saturday Evening in Singapore and it’s Time for ONE FC War of the Lions. The good news is all the fighters made weight.Here’s the official press release from ONE FC.

30 March 2012 – Singapore: All fighters have made weight for ONE Fighting Championship War of the Lions. The torrential rain did not deter MMA fans who turned out in full force at Chevron House earlier today. The public not only got to meet and have their photos taken with the stunning ONE FC Ring Girls, they also witnessed the amazing lineup of elite MMA fighters from around Asia and the world at the official weigh-in event of ONE FC’s second show in Singapore.

After a series of intense stare downs in front of a massive crowd in the heart of Singapore’s Central Business District, Asia’s largest mixed martial arts (MMA) organization is now full speed ahead for an epic showdown at the Singapore Indoor Stadium on 31 March 2012. The event will be headlined by a battle between Felipe Enomoto from Japan and Zorobabel Moreira from Brazil.

ONE Fighting Championship War of the Lions also features a treat for Japanese MMA fans with an impressive line-up of DREAM and DEEP Champions. Thanks to the ONE FC Network and the partnership with DREAM, tomorrow’s fights will include phenomenal match-ups that feature DREAM superstar Tatsuya Kawajiri and DEEP Champions Masakazu Imanari, Yuya Shirai and Yoshiyuki Nakanishi.

A host of other international champions will also be featured in the event tomorrow. Melvin Manhoef, a K-1, DREAM and Strikeforce superstar from Holland, is one of the most feared strikers in the world. He will be facing DEEP Light Heavyweight Champion Yoshiyuki Nakanishi.

The most anticipated fights for Asian MMA fans would be the clash between Eduard Folayang and Ole Laursen, as well as the professional MMA debut of Singapore’s first female professional MMA fighter Nicole Chua. Nicole Chua will be competing against 7-time National Kickboxing Champion Jeet Toshi from India.

Tickets for the show in Singapore are on sale via www.SISTIC.com.sg. MMA fans from anywhere in the world* can catch the action via live streaming free-of-charge on YouTube at http://www.youtube.com/ONEFCmma.

Live streaming commences:

8:00 PM – Kuala Lumpur

1:00 PM – London

8:00 AM – New York City

5:00 AM – San Francisco

About ONE Fighting Championship

Headquartered in Singapore, ONE Fighting ChampionshipTM (http://www.onefc.com) is Asia’s largest mixed martial arts organization. ONE Fighting ChampionshipTM hosts the best Asian mixed martial artists and world champions on the largest media broadcast in Asia. ONE Fighting ChampionshipTM has partnered with ESPN STAR Sports, the number one leader in sports content, for an unprecedented 10 year cable television deal with a coverage that spans across 24 countries in Asia.

ONE FC War of the Lions – Main Card Breakdown: Tatsuya Kawajiri vs Donald Sanchez

ONE FC War of the Lions – Main Card Breakdown: Tatsuya Kawajiri vs Donald Sanchez

Published on March 22, 2012 by The Coffee Boy in ONEFC

Main Card Breakdown: Tatsuya Kawajiri vs Donald Sanchez

 Our wunderkid ONE FC insider The Coffee Boy has another part of his ONE FC Main Card Breakdown for us to enjoy:

EHe has already written two for you:

Enomoto Vs Moreira

and

Laursen Vs Folayang

So why not check them out as well:  OK, Let’s see what he’s got to say shall we?

When One FC announced their signing of the menace which is Tatsuya Kawajiri, the first thing I thought was “awesome”, and the second thing I thought was “I hope they bring him a game opponent.” His opponent is none other than the current King Of The Cage Bantamweight Champion Donald Sanchez. Let’s take a quick look at both of their backgrounds and recent fights.

Tatsuya Kawajiri (30 – 7) is certainly no stranger to this beautiful sport. He was born in Japan, and currently lives and trains there out of T-Blood. Known as the “Crusher”, he got the nickname from his superior strength in the clinch and brutal ground and pound techniques. He made his professional debut back in 2000, losing by way of rear-naked choke. He took some time off, and came back and put together a respectable record in the 155 division. His style is primarily kickboxing and wrestling.

Kawajiri won the Shooto title in 2004 by beating Vitor Robeiro via TKO, and later successfully defended it against Joachim Hansen. He had a good career in Pride and Dream, although he would eventually get a shot at the DREAM title, ultimately losing to Shinya Aoki via submission. He rebounded that loss in 2010 by dominating Josh Thomson at Dynamite!! 2010, repeatedly taking him down and unleashing ground and pound. He was then signed on to Strikeforce, to fight against Gilbert Melendez for the Lightweight Championship. He would go on to lose in the first round by way of TKO. After getting back and beating Drew Fickett, he dropped to the 145 division, and submitted two opponents in a row there. He currently is riding a 3 – fight win streak, finishing all 3 opponents.

Donald Sanchez (25 – 12) fights out of New Mexico in America, training with Fit NHB. He made his professional debut back in 2005 defeating Joseph Davidson via submission. He is known mostly for his wrestling approach, but is more than willing to stand with his opponents, and often throws wild haymakers and the occasional flying knee. While he may not be as well-known as his opponent, he certainly has a respectable record and has put on some stellar fights.

Sanchez won the KOTC interim Bantamweight title in 2009, and defended it two times before successfully unifying the titles by beating Angelo Sanchez by a close split decision in a grudge match. He would successfully defend it twice before losing to Jeremy Spoon. Since then, he beat 3 opponents in a row, finishing all 3 in the first round and won the Bantamweight title once again.

What’s intriguing about this fight is that I’m trying to figure out in my head how Donald Sanchez is going to approach this fight. Does he plan on trying to take down a great wrestler in Kawajiri? Does he want to stand and bang it out with a very good and dangerous kickboxer? Donald Sanchez has a 3-inch height advantage, and that could very well determine how the standup game pans out.

Standing up, I see Sanchez having a slight edge in terms of ability to throw a wide range of strikes. However, I believe Kawajiri is still very dangerous with that heavy right hand of his which has rocked several of his opponents. Kawajiri likes to push the pace when he’s on his feet, throwing a lot of straight punches right to his opponents face. Sanchez likes to throw wild knees and hooks, much different from Kawajiri.

On the ground, I give the edge to Kawajiri. He has meticulous and strong takedowns, great transitioning, vicious ground and pound, and sprawls very well. Donald Sanchez does have a decent ground game though, but I still don’t see him able to overcome the strength and experience of Kawajiri.

It’s a little hard for me to predict how this fight is going to go down, mainly because 1) Donald Sanchez will have to come up with a really smart game plan, and I’ve noticed he doesn’t always adapt well to certain situations, which he most certainly will have to if he gets taken down by Kawajiri and 2) Kawajiri has to show up to fight, because Sanchez is not going to just give him an easy fight. Against Gilbert Melendez, Kawajiri looked sluggish and unfocused, and he’ll need to be in top form for this fight if he wants to leave a lasting impression.

The Coffee Boy’s prediction: I’m going to go with the Japanese “Crusher”. He has great wrestling, seems to be in great shape since dropping to the 145 division, and is probably hungry to hold a title again one day soon. Tatusya Kawajiri def. Donald Sanchez via Submission

ONE FC War of the Lions – Enomoto Vs Moreira

ONE FC War of the Lions – Enomoto Vs Moreira

Published on March 7, 2012 by The Coffee Boy in ONEFC

ONE FC War of the Lions Main Card Breakdown: Felipe Enomoto vs Zorobabel Moreira

The Coffee Boy Previews One Of The Main Card Fights at War of the Lions:

One FC 3: War of the Lions, happening the 31^st of March has put together a great fight for its main event, pitting Swiss mixed martial artist Felipe Enomoto against Brazilian mixed martial artist and BJJ Nationals champion Zorobabel Moreira.

This fight has all the makings for an all out war as both fighters will be fighting the biggest fight of their MMA career thus far. One FC plans to eventually crown their own champions, and this fight will give us a clearer picture of who are among the elite and close to a title shot in the heavily stacked lightweight division. Lets take a closer look at each fighter, and break down this fight.

Felipe Enomoto (6 – 3 – 1) lives and trains in Zurich, Switzerland, fighting out of Enomoto Dojo run by him and his brother Yasubey Enomoto, also a mixed martial artist and Thai kickboxing champion. Felipe Enomoto stands at 5’ 11”, and is known for his explosive style, dangerous ground and pound, and possesses the guillotine and rear-naked choke submissions equivalent to a knockout punch – once he has you in a choke, its best you tap. He has competed in Germany, England, Russia, and Indonesia, among other countries.

After putting together a respectable record of 5 wins, 1 loss and 1. No Contest, Enomotosuffered two consecutive losses at the hands of Rich Clementi (via armbar) and Gor Hartunian (via unanimous decision). After taking several months off, he signed with One FCand fought last month, breaking his losing streak by submitting Ole Laursen via rear-naked choke after a back and forth battle in Indonesia.

Zorobabel Moreira (5 – 1) was born in Brazil, starting BJJ as a child and after ten years of hard work, he earned his black belt from Carlos Gracie Jr. He fought twice in Brazil, finishing both his opponents, before moving to Singapore to join the highly respectable mixed martial arts gym Evolve MMA. Standing 6’ 3” tall, he is a big, strong, and lanky lightweight, proving to be a lot to handle for his opponents. Aside from his high-level grappling, he is known for his explosive striking, utilizing his length and size to his advantage throwing spinning elbows, vicious knees, and brutal combos, displaying this in his last fight against Andy Wang at ONE FC’s inaugural event back in September of 2011.

After going 2 – 0 in Brazil, Moreira moved to Singapore to join Evolve MMA and start his career in Asia. His first fight in Asia was in Singapore under Martial Combat, suffering his first professional loss by way of knockout in 14 seconds. He came back strong at the next two Martial Combat events, defeating Yun Seob Kwak by rear-naked choke and Ferrid Khederby decision. He then signed with One FC and walked right though Ultimate Fighter alumAndy Wang, defeating him by knees to the body and punches.

On paper, it is a very close call in terms of how this fight will play out. While Moreirapossesses the height, size, and reach advantage and has very explosive striking, Felipe Enomoto is not new to the stand up game. He trains with world class strikers, and has seen everything Moreira could possibly throw at him. However, how will he deal with the size advantage against him? A good, current example of this is the UFC light heavyweight champion Jon Jones. His size and reach advantage proved too much for the Muay Thai phenom Mauricio “Shogun” Rua, who was flustered and confused and couldn’t overcomeJones’ unique ability. So right now, on paper at least, it looks to be a clash of experience against natural strengths.

Next we take a look at the ground game. While Enomoto does have killer chokes and seems to be able to put himself in good positions, Moreira is a high-level practitioner of Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, and trains with among the best in Asia. Again, the size advantage possessed by Moreiramay prove to be too much for Enomoto on the ground.

What’s interesting about this fight is the question of who will be the aggressor. Both fighters like to push the pace and try to finish fights dominantly. Both fighters possess unique skills, and these could clash. It has all the makings for a very exciting and unpredictable fight. Expect a thriller, and regardless of the outcome, expect to see both fighters around for awhile.

 The Coffee Boy’s prediction: Zorobabel Moreira is going to come prepared, in all his height, reach, and build, and will be able to effectively strike with Felipe Enomoto. While Moreirahas a suspect chin, we don’t really know if he has a glass jaw. I’m going to give him the benefit of the doubt, and predict that Moreira defeats Enomoto via TKO in the 2^nd round, in what should be one heck of a fight. 

ONE FC 3 – War of the Lions – Singapore Indoor Stadium

ONE FC 3 – War of the Lions – Singapore Indoor Stadium

Published on March 6, 2012 by The Coffee Boy in ONEFC

Rundown Edition — ONE FC 3: War of the Lions

Well people, today, I (The Editor) get to introduce you to my secret weapon in my own battle to become the biggest MMA website covering the Asia Pacific area it’s our new contributor and he is a much nicer person than me.

Below is his first article for MMAnewsAsia.com – Ladies and Gentlemen, Please rise for The Coffee Boy!

At long last, after weeks (and for some, months) of eager waiting, rumors, and speculation, One Fighting Championship has finally released the full fight card for its 3rd event to be held at the Singapore Indoor Stadium, 31^st of March. It certainly took them long enough and one may find it odd that the “UFC of Asia”, as some have called it, would take this long to put together the card, but more on that later. So, if you haven’t already found out about the card, here you go:

1) Felipe Onomoto vs Zorobabel Moreira (Main Event)

2) Tatsuya Kawajiri vs (To be announced later this week)

3) Eduard Folayang vs Ole Laursen

4) Yuya Shirai vs Fabricio Monteiro

5) Melvin Manhoef vs Yoshiyuki Nakanishi

6) Jian Kai Chee vs Eddie Ng

7) Mazakazu Imanari vs Kevin Belingon

8) Jeet Toshi vs Nicole Chua

9) Quek Kim Hock vs Juan Wen Jie

10) Jiang Long Yun vs Yodsanan Sityodtong

11) Danny Van Bergen vs Richie Whitson

Personally, I was absolutely stoked when I finally read the list of fights announced.

There are a bunch of recipes for pure action-packed fights.

The main event pits Zorobabel Moreira (5-1-0) against Felipe Onomoto (6-1-1), and one can only imagine the fireworks bound to happen in the cage. Moreira is coming off of a solid win over The Ultimate Fighter alum Andy Wang, winning via TKO (knees to the body and punches), after dominating most of the fight working the flashy Muay Thai-type strikes and solid clinch work. Enomoto is coming off a win over Ole Laursen via rear-naked choke after a back-and-forth battle.

Other exciting fighters to watch out for include Tatsuya Kawajiri (Pride FC and Shooto vet),Eddie Ng (IBJJF White Belt Gold Medalist), Eduard Folayang (URCC Champion), and American prospect fighting out of Team Quest (Chael Sonnen, Dan Henderson, etc) Richie Whitson. Also, this card feature ONE FC’s first women’s MMA bout, pitting Jeet Toshi, a 7-time kickboxing champion against Nicole Chua, an amateur World Muay Thai Games Bronze medalist.

This is the 3^rd ONE FC event is putting together, and quite honestly is probably their most stacked card thus far. They put on a good show back in 2011, where Eduard Folayang fought a hard fight against A Sol Kwon in an exciting match, and last month they had a decent event with a decent crowd showing up. While they haven’t exactly been drawing the numbers they probably had expected (an estimated 6000+ showed up to the first event, filling up only a little over half of the stadiums capacity), they certainly have been in the news weekly, dropping mind-blowing news about its network of promotions and gyms, its new ties to DREAM, and the 10-year deal they struck with ESPN Star Sports.

However, there are still some questions and doubts fans have as of late, one being the sudden disappearance of new signee Renato Sobral (UFC, Strikeforce vet) from this months card. Speculation arose among fans that Sobral had severed ties with the company as news of his next fight arose, happening at Impact MMA against former hockey player Steve Bosse. We here at MMA News Asia are pleased to reveal though, that Sobral is, according to Victor Cuicommenting on a post on his Facebook page, still with the company and that he is supposed to fight at their next event.

Another question many fans have on their minds has to do with this relatively late announcement of the full fight card. While ONE FC had for the last month or so been promoting this event, revealing several fighters who were to make an appearance, they were already telling people to buy tickets expecting them to be pleased with whatever the matchups were! It is a little odd that the “UFC of Asia” would wait this long to reveal the matchups.Victor Cui, again according to a post on his Facebook page, offered what might be a hint at why it took this long to put the fights together:

“Great fight cards are easy to make when fighters are willing to fight. Unfortunately, many fighters prefer to talk and duck. Thank you to all the fighters who made this awesome fight card happen for ONE FC: War of the Lions!”

Whatever the reason may be, at the very least they have finally pulled through and have put together what has the makings for a solid event. Stay tuned to find out whom will be matched up against Tatsuya Kawajiri, and for in-depth looks and predictions of several of the fights happening at the end of this month. 

ONE FC 3 Battle of the Lions – Who Will Fight Who?

ONE FC 3 Battle of the Lions – Who Will Fight Who?

Published on March 5, 2012 by The Editor in ONEFC, Opinion

ONE Fighting Championship 3: Battle of the Lions

March 31, 2012 – Singapore Indoor StadiumONE FC Announce Another Bout, But With Less Than A Month To Go Who’s Going To Fill The Gaps?

Asia’s most prestigious etc etc yadda yadda……. you know the rest are kind of leaving us in the dark.

All the copypasta’s have told us there is a new bout released but as usual nobody is questioning the gaps. Although I have seen it described as stacked! As it stands there are so many holes in the card that questions have got to be asked. A marketing department needs fuel to feed it’s promotional fire and ONE FC are not giving much fuel, What they have given is exciting and promises much, but it’s as thin as a supermodel. Try going to the ONE FC website and clicking on the Fight Card for ONE FC3 and nothing happens. But you are invited to buy tickets!

As we already reported back on February 23rd Ranato “Babalu” Sobral is going to be fighting in Canada instead of against Melvin Manhoef although you won’t find that in many of the other local MMA sites. Nobody has reported what was behind this change of heart and Manhoef is still looking for an opponent.

Are these fighters all really queueing up to fight, preparing to fight, training for unknown opponents, or do they know who they will be facing but ONE FC are just holding it back from us?. The people at the top of the tree the UFC release details of fights when they know them, build up the anticipation. ONE FCjust seem to want to keep it all a secret an interesting tactic, let’s hope it’s reflected in massive ticket sales!

So as it stands we only have four confirmed fights.

Masakazu “Ashikan Judan” Imanari (24-10-2) (Japan)  Vs Kevin “The Silencer” Belingon (9-0-0) (Philippines)

Eduard “Landslide” Folayang (11-1–0) (Philippines) Vs Ole “Iron Fist” Laursen (5-3-0) (Philippines)

Zorobabel “Zorro” Moreira (5-1-0) (Brazil) Vs Felipe Enomoto (6-3-1) (Switzerland)

Nicole Chua (0-0-0) (Singapore) Vs Jeet Toshi (1-0-0) (India)

By my reckoning we have three contests with good quality fighters and an undercard level fight that is in to please the local crowd and introduce the possibility of further Women’s MMA fights. I like the idea of that, but this really is looking like a shallow pond if that’s whats going to launch Women’s MMA at ONE FC.

However at a recent ONE FC presser, Nicole Chua was completely surrounded by Journalists while the other fighters present where, well, less popular. I don’t know what that says about the local press, I guess they know the local girl is a much bigger story than some world class MMA fighter like Eduard Folayang. Personally, I choose to speak to Folayang, but then I am an MMA fan and he is frankly awesome!

So what of the rest of the card?

Well thankfully we don’t have a Bob “The Tap” Sapp fight in this event, for that we should be thankful.

We do have a collection of people ready willing and able to fight but no more information on who.

We already mentioned Melvin “No Mercy” Manhoef (24-9-1) (Holland) and his aborted fight withSobral. And, I guess he is still on board but we have no opponent yet. Manhoef is no Bob Sapp yet, but his recent record isn’t great, So, I guess he is going to be a real challenge for anybody other wise his career will be in deep trouble.

Tatsuya “Crusher” Kawajiri (30-7-2) (Japan) is still very much in the good side of his career  with a recent 3-0 record and he will be a massive addition to the card once his opponent is announced.

Gregor Gracie (6-1-0) (Brazil) while relatively unproven at a higher level will offer a test to most fighters and could provide an interesting match-up.

Eddie “The Magician” Ng (4-1-0) (Hong Kong) Smartly brought over from England, a proven fighter given a chance to “come home” and make a name for himself. He shows a lot of promise if his first showing at ONE FC is anything to go by.

“Magical” Ray Elbe (23-11-0) (USA) Elbe has not fought since the days of Martial Combat (you remember Martial Combat dont you? Asia’s most prestigious etc etc yadda yadda you get the picture) Anyway this guy is highly talented and proven. We all know that Arnaud “The Game” LePont (7-1-0) (France) called him out at a recent DARE Fighting Championship event. That fight was not accepted, but a fight of that level would be great fun. Elbe needs to be back in the cage he is too good of a fighter to retire just yet.

Yodsanan “3K Battery” Sityodtong (1-0-0) (Thailand) We don’t really know his level, he beat Daniel Mashiamate at ONE FC but frankly that was no real test Mashiamate proved to be well out of his depth in MMA of this level.

Yuya Shirai (22-10-1) (Japan) a Deep veteren will be  a great asset to ONE FC, he needs credible opponent to make a show stopping thriller of a fight, let’s hope he get’s one.

So as you can see ONE FC 3 Battle of the Lions is filled with lots and lots of genuinely exciting possibilities, but at the moment what we have is a box of jig saw pieces and a half finished puzzle. I am filled with anticipation that when it’s finished it will be a great picture but for now it’s full of holes.

Here’s hoping.