Six Filipino mixed martial arts fighters led by ONE strawweight world champion Joshua Pacio and former two-time champion Eduard Folayang are all set for the ONE: Fire & Fury at the Mall of Asia Arena on Jan. 31.
MMA fans expect fireworks in every bout, as all six Filipino fighters vowed to finish their fights in an impressive fashion, as the biggest MMA promotion in Asia returns to Manila.
The 15,000-seating capacity MOA is always jampacked every time ONE holds an event featuring Team Lakay fighters from the Cordillera.
The 23-year-old Pacio will face Alex Silva, 37, as he defends his belt for the second time in the main event of the night.
Pacio successfully defended the belt against fellow Filipino challenger Rene Catalan via arm-triangle choke in November 2019 after clinching the best for the second time with a knockout of former champion Yosuke Saruta.
Folayang will also be back to once again display his striking arsenal when he faces Ahmed “The Wolverine” Mujtaba of Pakistan.
Also to see action during fight night are ONE flyweight contender Danny Kingad, ONE prospect Lito Adiwang, Gina Iniong, and Jomary Torres.
Kingad fought pound-for-pound king Xie Wei of China in one of the main events of the night.
Kingad is one of the hottest prospects in the country’s MMA. Since challenging Adriano Moraes for the title in 2017, he has won six out of his last seven bouts. He blitzed through the ONE flyweight world grand prix with victories over Senzo Ikeda and Reece McLaren, and then faced Johnson in the final round.
Adiwang will battle former flyweight contender Pongsiri “The Smiling Assassin” Mitsatit of Thailand.
Adiwang made a successful main roster debut back in October, when he finished the highly-regarded Senzo Ikeda in the first round.
Iniong takes on Asha “Knockout Queen” Roka of India in the atomweight bout.
Torres of the Catalan Fighting System, on the other hand, will fight Jenny Huang, also in one of the atomweight matches. – Harley F. Palangchao
April 25, 2024
