ONE CHAMPIONSHIP : QUEST FOR GREATNESS - A NIGHT OF THRILLS, SPILLS AND DOMINATING WILL

KUALA LUMPUR 18 AUGUST 2017.
ONE CHAMPIONSHIP : QUEST FOR GREATNESS.

ONE returned to the city of Kuala Lumpur in the month of Malaysia's Merdeka month. Five Malaysian 'Tune Talk' Warriors enters the cage for their quest for greatness in which the night ended with mixed results.

ONE presents the fighters in the main cards in a show of glitzy videos and fireworks

In the main event of ONE: QUEST FOR GREATNESS, Martin “The Situ-Asian” Nguyen of Australia completed his journey through ONE Championship’s featherweight ranks by upsetting previously-unbeaten Russian champion Marat “Cobra” Gafurov via knockout within two rounds to clinch the highly-coveted ONE Featherweight World Championship.

read my post on Martin's victory here

pix provided by ONE

In the co-main event of the evening, former world title challenger Ev “E.T.” Ting of Malaysia placed his name back in the winner’s column by overwhelming Japanese veteran and former ONE Welterweight World Champion Nobutatsu Suzuki to win by devastating technical knockout.

From the opening bell, Ting paced himself well, keeping Suzuki at range with his accurate striking before executing the end sequence. After staggering Suzuki with a combination counter, Ting lunged in with a jumping knee, backed Suzuki to the cage. He pressured him there and lifted Suzuki up in the air and slams him on the canvas. Suzuki tried to control Ev's head. Ev peppered him with short punches. Once his head got free, he postured up and rain rapid thunderous left & right which referee Olivier Coste have seen enough & stopped the fight.

watch the full fight here

Ev is hungry for a rematch with Eduard Folayang . In his victory speech, he call out again to Eduard, that he is ready anywhere, anytime.

Post fight interview, on when he wants the rematch, Ev said,
" I am ready to fight any month of the year. I am a fighter by nature and this is a luxury to fight in front of all of you. We are fighting everyday in the gym, this is just a glorified platform and we are very blessed to be here; Anytime, anytime ( for that rematch )

Ev dedicates this win to his grandmother in Sarawak. A lot of his family & relatives came to KL to support him for this fight and after this he will be visiting his grandma whom is not feeling well in Sarawak.

pix by YK TANG

pix by YK TANG

22-year-old Agilan “The Alligator” Thani, gave The "Shark" a good beating to give himself a good reeason to celebrate his birthday on 18 August 2017. His dominant performances placed himself back on the winning track with a unanimous decision victory over Sherif “The Shark” Mohamed of Egypt.

read about the pre fight story here

Showing off new skills and techniques that he learned from training with the world-famous Team Quest, Thani swamped Mohamed with his wrestling while stifling his opponent with submission attempts. The former world title challenger finished the three-round welterweight contest on a strong note, delivering crisp ground strikes to the delight of his roaring countrymen.

pix provide by ONE

Steve Dawson commented that facing Sherif whom used to fight as a heavyweight & light heavyweight presented a danger for Agilan; that his usual strength and power which he uses to great effect in his pass 6 wins will not be his strong point. But Agilan proofed him wrong when he easily lifted Sherif & slams in on the canvas a couple of times.

Even though it was a dominating performance but Agilan mentioned in post fight interview that he was not too happy as the plan was to win by a finish. His hydration was off the mark and he felt he could have done better. He will not be calling out anyone in particular for his next fight but will focus on sharpening his techniques to become a better fighter and leaving it to ONE's board to pick his opponent.

watch the hi-light

pix provided b y ONE

In a clash of high-caliber flyweights, Malaysia’s Gianni Subba captured a hard-earned victory in front of a jubilant hometown crowd by routing Japan’s Riku “The Outsider” Shibuya. Subba showcased his pinpoint accurate striking early on, peppering Shibuya with stinging right hands and spinning back-kicks in the first round.

Although Shibuya easily converted his take-down attempts in the succeeding rounds to avoid striking exchanges, Subba kept himself active on the canvas, fishing for submissions while landing the more telling blows. In the end, Subba’s efforts were rewarded with a unanimous decision.

pix provided by ONE

In post fight interview Gianni remark,
" This is my 3rd title contender fight. I just fought 3 guys who fought for the title, so I think I'm a step closer for the title. I really would like to go to Manila in November to get a victory. I'm hungry, I'm ready, I'm gonna go get it."

pix provided by ONE

“Mighty” May Ooi of Singapore disappointed the excited bunch of Malaysians supporters in Stadium Negara that night, as she scored a major victory in her ONE Championship debut by submitting Malaysian female martial arts superstar Ann “Athena” Osman in the first round.

In the early minutes, May survived a huge right hand from Osman and Ooi took matters to the canvas, where she maneuvered her cage counterpart with ease courtesy of her impeccable ground game. The 41-year-old Singaporean executed a flawless transition into a rear-naked choke that left Osman no choice but to tap out.

pix provided by ONE

Although sad that she didn't gave the fans a reason to cheer, Ann is taking the loss positively. It's a position she has been in before last year also in Stadium Negara, also losing by a rear naked choke. But Ann bounced back after that loss with a round 1 TKO victory in Feb this year. IT's a small bump in the road for her as she will be going back to the drawing board to correct her weakness and improve on her techniques & promise to be back stronger!

Christian “The Warrior” Lee of Singapore exhibited stellar form, proving himself a top featherweight contender in ONE Championship by scoring an impressive submission over Malaysia’s Keanu Subba. Both highly-touted prospects started out aggressively, but it was Lee who showed a more capable set of grappling skills. Lee spun a web of crafty grappling to overwhelm Subba as the 19-year-old Singaporean standout was able to get the submission finish in the third round, making Subba tap from a wrenching armbar.

pix provided by ONE

The rest of the results.

Filipino knockout artist Kevin “The Silencer” Belingon completed yet another scintillating finish, his second in a row, by defeating Australian submission specialist Reece “Lightning” McLaren by knockout. Belingon finished the job in just 62 seconds, dropping his Australian opponent with a hard right straight before punctuating with follow-up strikes on the ground to compel referee Olivier Coste to step in and halt the contest. The revered Team Lakay veteran recorded his seventh knockout win as a professional with the impressive triumph over McLaren.

pix by YK TANG

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Former ONE Strawweight World Champion Dejdamrong Sor Amnuaysirichoke of Thailand brushed off a lackluster start to topple Robin “The Ilonggo” Catalan of the Philippines via second-round technical knockout. Showcasing tremendous power with every strike and drawing cheers from the crowd after each landed blow, Dejdamrong’s thunderous knees proved too much for Catalan as the Filipino lost his footing, forcing the referee to wave it off and award the victory to the celebrated Thai kickboxer.

pix by YK TANG

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Emilio “The Honey Badger” Urrutia of the United States made a triumphant promotional debut in ONE Championship by edging out Team Lakay stalwart Edward “The Ferocious” Kelly of the Philippines in their three-round featherweight encounter. Urrutia relied on his solid ground game to pacify his Filipino opponent’s firepower in the stand-up trade, wearing down Kelly and steering him to a decisive victory by way of unanimous decision.

pix by YK TANG

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Earlier on, kicking off ONE: QUEST FOR GREATNESS was a strawweight encounter between wushu practitioner Rene Catalan of the Philippines and Chinese grappling prodigy Bu Huo You Ga. After dropping his opponent with a clean left straight in first round, Catalan secured top control and went to work. With a dominant top game, Catalan notched his third straight victory, defeating Bu Huo as all three judges saw the bout in favor of Catalan to win by unanimous decision.

pix by YK TANG

ONE presented a night of  fireworks, gorgeous eye candy and glorious fights in KL

next stop is SHANGHAI!

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ONE CHAMPIONSHIP: ALLIGATOR VS SHARK

Agilan “Alligator” Thani of Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, will be making his return to the ONE Championship cage following his first shot at a world title opposite reigning ONE Welterweight World Champion Ben Askren in May this year.

His is of a name now rather well known among casual sports fans. Agilan name first became known when he bulldozed through the welterweight division of amateur tournament MIMMA ( Malaysian Invasion MMA) to became it's 2nd season Champion.

MIMMA 2 Welterweight Champion

As a champion, media attention on him increases as his is a story of young kid overcoming adversity. Growing up in Sentul, an area in KL known to be the Bronx of Malaysia, Agilan had to deal with crime prone enviroment, racism and classism which was rife in his neighborhood. Also constantly bullied and overweight when he was a child, he decided to pick up martial arts to defend himself & loose weight. he never looked back since.

ONE Championship signed him up for his pro debut fight in Mac 2015. Agilan again bulldoze through all his opponent in fights that never went the distance, picking up 6 wins by stoppages. Which sets him up for a title fight against Ben Askren. 

The undefeated Askren is a high level wrestler and many consider the best welterweight in the world. Although Agilan had dominated his opposition in the past with relentless takedowns, stellar submissions, and unforgiving ground-and-pound, the tables were turned on him. He experienced his first-ever loss courtesy of the American Olympic wrestler, who took him down and submitted him via arm-triangle in the first round.

For “Alligator,” it was a devastating setback, and a wake up call. Despite appearing to possess unbreakable self-belief, the Malaysian was mentally shaken, and “starstruck” just by the mere glimpse of the legendary Askren. That night, he learned a valuable lesson.

The aftermath of the loss, media attention swarmed on him like never before. Due to some press coverage with press headline that seems to put down Agilan's effort in that title fight, the public and some fans began to reacted angrily. Many questioning the lack of support from the government due to his ethnicity.

Agilan was dissapointed with this situation as he never like begging for assistance and always practice self reliant. He never blamed anyone for that lost but himself.

But this quickly turn around as positive community supports began pouring in. Malaysian Indian Congress gave him recognition and some financial supports. Radio station & the major media began covering him on a better light as a high caliber athlete.

Although Agilan fell short of victory against Askren, he gained a great amount of experience as a result and has emerged as a more seasoned combatant.

 

Agilan with coach Samir and his Monarchy MMA team

Usually Agilan will spend his fight camp in the gym he grew up in, Monarchy MMA, under the guidance of Samir Mrabet. For his tonight's fight vs Sherif Mohamed of Egypt, Askren is taking his training up a notch. He travel to US, to learn from some of the best in the business

"I went to the US in mid June and came back end of July. I trained at Team Quest at Temecula, California. (Team Quest is founded by three American MMA legend, Randy Couture, Matt Lindland, and Dan Henderson)

I met Dan Henderson and he gave me some tips in training. I also helped UFC's Sam Alvey prepared for his fight vs former UFC's light heavyweight champion Rashad Evans. I was one of Sam's main sparring partners. 

I learn a lot during my stay here. I also met Sean Strickland, Chris Curtis and a lot more guys in Team Quest with a bigger record than me with more fight. The best part is getting to meet all these different people with more experience and vast fight knowledge & trying to pick up and learn from them as much as possible.

You were very motivated going into the fight vs Askren & you mentioned in pre fight that the pressure was on him & you were not intimidated by his reputation, but post fight you mentioned that you felt you lost the fight because you let him got into your head....why is that? Can u tell readers what happened?
"Well let me get things straight, I said I let the hype of the fight got into my head not Askren himself. Simply put it,  how many times in life do you get to fight for a world title against one of the best fighter not only in Asia but the whole world? 

Ben is rank no. 1 outside of the main promotion not only in Asia but the whole world. Going against him is certainly not an easy task.

It's just that moment when you see someone as big name and skilled as Askren u just get star struck.  And all the media hype plus all the nay sayer and haters, I just haven't got used to it . 

But ultimately the support from all the people from Malaysia has been a really big motivation going into that fight."

There's was lot of media attention after your fight & recognition comes in from various bodies. In fact I felt there was more coverage and attention to you after the fight. How did you deal with all the spot light? How does it makes you feel?

"I was surprised too. I have fought 7 times in my pro career before Askren and I have not got any of these. It was hard to accept at first because all these came from a loss.

But I have learned that blessings are supposed to be accepted the way it is and I am truly grateful to all the support and sponsors who got me back on track."

What's the biggest thing you learn from that Askren fight?

That everything around comes and goes and to fight someone good you have to truly believe in yourself before anyone else does.

Agilan's tonights opponent is Eygptian Sherif "The Shark" Mohamed. Plying his trade in his early MMA career in EFC, in which he won the EFC Ligh Heavyweight title. He is a big guy.

Sherif is a well-versed kickboxer and wrestler with all eight of his wins coming by finish. Of his total victories, Sherif owns four submissions and four knockouts, proving his versatility and well-rounded game. 

Fight Analyst and commentor Steve Dawson puts the disadvantage at Agilan for this fight. Commenting that Agilan's strong points has always been his strength and power. But going against Sherif whom has fought as a heavyweight before, Agilan will need to rely more on his techniques rather than strength.

Agilan don't mind being the underdog and he would love to proof Steve wrong. Spiritually he gain strengths from a Buddhist mantra that he chants each time before entering the cage. 

Mentally for tonight's fight, motivation is certainly not lacking as not only is he fighting in Malaysia's independence month, but he is fighting on his 22nd birthday! 

He wants to put on a good show and let Malaysian fans and himself have a great celebration afterward.

His girlfriend Amy usually prepares healthy meals for him during his fight camp, but with tonight's win fried chicken and pop corn will certainly be on the menu as these are food he crave during fight camp.

 

Agilan extending his thanks to all his sponsors & supporters for his fights

Click to watch Tune Talk video on Agilan's love

Warriors of Borneo wishes a very HAPPY BIRTHDAY to Agilan and may he be victorious in the cage tonight!

Malaysian Warriors in ONE Championship: Quest for Greatness

Chatri Sityodtong ONE Championship Chairman & CEO regularly pointed out that ONE is always about offering talented martial artists and local heroes from each country an opportunity to shine on the largest global stage for martial arts in Asia. Embodying traditional martial arts values such as humility, respect, and discipline, these local heroes will serve to inspire hope, strength, and dreams in their respective communities.

This values and mission serves Malaysia well as ONE Championship returns to Kuala Lumpur for the 2nd time this year, aptly and returning at the month of August which is the 'Merdeka' (independence) month, in which Malaysia will celebrate it's independence day on 31 August.

This Friday night 18 August 2017, ONE Championship: Quest for Greatness, will be held at Stadium Negara, just besides to Stadium Merdeka, where our country's first Prime Minister Tunku Abdul Rahman, declared three times the triumphant cry of ‘Merdeka'. This year's August is also extra special as Malaysia host the South East Asian Games in Kuala Lumpur.

Five Malaysian MMA warriors will battle it out among the 10 bouts offered that night. In the main event is a highly-anticipated contest featuring reigning ONE Featherweight World Champion Marat Gafurov (15-0), who rematches surging challenger Martin Nguyen (8-1) for the title.

The five Malaysian warrior launch the BAD LAB @ Watsons Online 

The five Malaysian fighters are Ev Ting, Agilan Thani, brothers Gianni & Keanu Subba & female sensation Ann Osman

Malaysian most decorated MMA fighter, Ev “E.T.” Ting was born in Kuala Lumpur but grew up in New Zealand. He is living and training out of Auckland, New Zealand, Ting owns a stellar 13-4 professional record, including four wins by submission and four exciting knockouts. A winner of four of his last five bouts over top-caliber opponents, Ting is one of the most talented competitors to come out of Malaysia.

In his most recent bout, Ting challenged ONE Lightweight World Champion Eduard Folayang, falling by unanimous decision in a gruelling five-round matchup. Ting now returns to Kuala Lumpur to face another challenge in Nobutatsu Suzuki.

A 39-year-old Japanese veteran from Tokyo, Nobutatsu Suzuki is the former ONE Welterweight World Champion. With a professional record of 11-2-2, Suzuki is adept in both striking and grappling, also possessing well-rounded wrestling ability. He captured the inaugural title with a victory over veteran competitor Brock Larson in only his second fight with ONE, only to succumb to now-reigning champion Ben Askren in the bout following. That was in Kuala Lumpur. After a break from competition, Suzuki now returns as a lightweight to face Ev Ting.

This will be a stand-up war for the crowd at the Stadium Negara, and quite possibly the best bout of the evening. Ting can finish his opponents in impressive style and a variety of ways, but his last three bouts have all gone the distance.

That conditioning and experience will stand him in good stead against the bigger man, who may be tougher to handle than even Folayang, Kamal Shalorus, and Rob Lisita, all of whom resisted submission with guile and strength.

Suzuki has good power, as he showed against Phil Baroni in 2013. His naturally larger state may exacerbate this problem for Ting. It’s speed against power, in simple terms. Youth against experience may also characterise the massive matchup.

Agilan “Alligator” Thani of Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, will be making his return to the ONE Championship cage following his first shot at a world title opposite reigning ONE Welterweight World Champion Ben Askren.

Although Thani fell short of victory against the American, he gained a great amount of experience as a result and has emerged as a more seasoned combatant. The 21-year old is 7-1 as a professional, with five of his seven victories ending in the first round. All of Thani’s victories have come by exciting finish. The young Malaysian has shown steady improvement in each outing. He is now set to take on Sherif Mohamed.

Sherif “The Shark” Mohamed is a professional martial artist from Cairo, Egypt, with a 8-3 record. The Evolution Light Heavyweight Champion, Sherif is a well-versed kickboxer and wrestler with all eight of his wins coming by finish. Of his total victories, Sherif owns four submissions and four knockouts, proving his versatility and well-rounded game. In his last bout, the Egyptian Top Team standout made his ONE Championship debut opposite Igor Subora. This time, Sherif takes on top welterweight Agilan Thani.

Malaysia’s Gianni Subba is a 24-year-old flyweight prospect from Kuala Lumpur. He spends time carefully honing his craft with talented teammates, including brother Keanu, at Bali MMA in Indonesia. A winner of five of his last six bouts, Subba is a seasoned athlete with a stellar 8-2 clip in his young career. Five of his seven wins have come either by submission or by crowd-pleasing technical knockout. In his next assignment, the crafty Riku Shibuya poses a stern challenge.

Asuka Mikami, also goes by the name Riki Shibuya. This Japanese martial arts sensation won the hearts of fans with his exciting, unorthodox style and powerful combinations. With a professional martial arts record of 13-3-2, Shibuya has figured in a series of exciting battles throughout his career.

A former ONE Flyweight World Championship title contender, Shibuya is a veteran and easily one of the most enjoyable competitors to watch. In his last bout, the 32-year-old took on Roy Doliguez in January 2016 to win a unanimous decision. It was after this bout that he realised that he suffered a bad eye injury that require surgery. After a recuperative break, Shibuya returns to take on Gianni Subba in what should be an intense matchup.

31-year-old Ann “Athena” Osman of Kota Kinabalu is Malaysia’s premier women’s combat sports star. Training out of the coastal locale of Sabah, the female warrior hones her craft at Borneo Tribal Squad, advancing her skills in various disciplines such as wrestling, Brazilian jiu-jitsu, and Muay Thai. A well-rounded martial artist, Osman likes to use her strength to overpower opponents and is extremely aggressive, always looking for the finish. Osman will take on Singapore’s May Ooi in her return to the ONE Championship cage.

Ann will be looking to avenge her lost in her pro debut in 2013. She lost to Singaporean Sherilyn Lim. A rematch was booked right after, schedule for Mac 2014, but Lim didn't made weight. Since then, Ann went on to build her MMA career taking up 7 fights.

Singaporean female strawweight prospect May Ooi is a professional martial artist and a ONE Championship ndebutant. With a 2-2 professional record, Ooi is a hard-working competitor possessing well-rounded striking and grappling skills. A former swimmer, Ooi represented Singapore in the 1992 Summer Olympics held in Barcelona. Today, she is one of the country’s most talented martial artists. Ooi is set to make her ONE Championship debut opposite Malaysia’s Ann Osman.

Aside from being an Olympian, May is also a trained doctor. But the life of a competitive martial artist entices her more. Even at 41, she is still fighting fit, thanks to her swimming training which buikds her endurance.

Ann told ONE 

“It is an exciting bout and a good match-up. We have different styles. She likes to take it three rounds, whereas I am very explosive. Anyone would love to finish it early, and that is what I do. 

Most of my matches are over in the first round, but we just have to be ready for what’s to come. She may try to delay and stick to her striking, but I will be ready.”


This rivalry will be getting lots of attention as recently a controversial remark by May's compatriot & Olympian swimmer Joseph Schooling about wanting to teach Malaysians “a thing or two” in their backyard during the SEA Games in Kuala Lumpur.

22-year-old Keanu Subba of Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, is one of the most promising young talents in ONE Championship’s featherweight ranks. He is 5-2 as a professional after making a name for himself as a MIMMA featherweight champion.

In his most recent bout, Subba trumped fellow top prospect Ahmed Mujtaba of Pakistan, winning impressively by first-round submission. Subba’s experience inside the ONE Championship cage as a young fighter has taught him great lessons that he says has helped him improve his overall game. He is set to face Christian Lee in a highly-anticipated clash of young stars.

19-year-old Christian “The Warrior” Lee, younger brother of reigning ONE Women’s Atomweight World Champion “Unstoppable” Angela Lee, began his professional martial arts career on an absolute tear, railing off five straight victories by thrilling finish.

He has impressed fans with his ability to seek out stoppage wins over top-caliber opponents. In his last bout, Lee toppled Chinese prospect Wan Jianping via first-round technical knockout to improve his record to 6-1. Known as an unpredictable striker with unorthodox grappling technique, Lee is now set to face rival Keanu Subba of Malaysia.


note: some text taken from ONE Championship site