One FC: Warrior's Way | Gearing Up for Fight Week!

One FC, Asia's largest mixed martial arts organization, has prepared a series of engaging pre-fight events for the public to witness and enjoy. Fans, partners, and media will get an opportunity to spend some time with the world-class stars billed on the December 5 event.

December 1 activities.

Tuesday (December 2) will provide the media the opportunity to witness three of the country’s best in action. Eduard Folayang, Honorio Banario, Kevin Belingon, Ana Julaton, and Brandon Vera will conduct an open workout session, where they will showcase their skills as well as share with the country their mindset ahead of the upcoming clashes at One FC: Warrior's Way. The event will be at Fight Factory at Karport, Bonifacio Global City at 1 p.m.

Selected gym partners will also be in for a treat as one of the greatest minds in the sport today, One FC Vice President of Operations, Matt Hume will be imparting his skills in an MMA seminar. Several of Hume’s students have gone on to win world championships and he will share his knowledge with a few lucky gym partners. There will also a summit for some of the martial arts leaders in the country on that day.

December 2 and 3 activities.

Fans looking to experience the training regime of these highly trained athletes now also get the opportunity to do so, with free trials at several gyms that are part of the One FC network. These gyms have produced talented mixed martial artists, several of whom have eventually gone on to compete against world-class stars at One FC.

The events will then culminate with the weigh-ins at the Mall Of Asia Atrium. This will be the last chance to catch the stars of One FC as they make their final public appearance and face off with their opponent ahead of their anticipated bouts the following day.

December 4 and 5 activities.

Finally, on 5 December, Manila will become the epicentre for world-class mixed martial arts action. One FC: Warrior's Way will happen live at MOA Arena and will be broadcast all around the world as the best mixed martial artists in the world do battle inside the One FC cage!

One FC: Warrior's Way | Brandon Vera leads pack of seven Filipino fighters.

On December 5, 2014, 7 Filipinos will show their warrior skills inside the cage in front of the Filipino audience at the SM Arena. The pack of 7 will be led by none less, Brandon Vera, international MMA superstar who is set to have his debut fight for One FC that night.

One FC: Warrior's Way is set to be the organization’s fifth stop in the country, and the star-studded card will feature seven Filipino superstars taking on foreign opponents. Jujeath Nagaowa, Ana Julaton, Rene Catalan, Honorio Banario, Kevin Belingon, Eduard Folayang and MMA superstar Brandon Vera are the seven Filipino stars set to feature on the card and the group form an impressive representation of the martial arts prowess of the Philippines. Both Jujeath Nagaowa and Ana Julaton have boxing pedigrees, with Julaton a former WBO and IBA Super Bantamweight Champion. Catalan, Banario, Belingon and Folayang all have a long list of accolades in Wushu and Brandon Vera is a kickboxing champion and one of the most highly touted fighters in recent history. A win for any of the Filipino stars could put them up for title contention in a future event.

One FC: Warrior's Way Fight Card.

Jujeath Nagaowa is taking on Tharoth Sam, a female mixed martial arts pioneer from Cambodia. Ana Julaton, who arguably had the loudest ovation at the last Manila event, will be back in action once again to take on Egyptian kickboxing champion Walaa Abbas. Julaton has been training with some of the top wrestling coaches in the states and is eager to showcase her new grappling chops in this bout. 

Former ONE FC Featherweight World Champion Honorio Banario will look to make the climb back into title contention, but he faces a stern test in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu world champion Herbert Burns. Belingon will be disappointed that he is not in the main event, considering he was dominating in a #1 contender bout against Dae Hwan Kim before succumbing to a submission. Dae now gets to compete in the main event and Belingon will be determined to gain a headlining spot.

Eduard Folayang has another stern test in Russia’s Timofey Nastyukhin. Folayang has staked his claim for a title opportunity by defeating Vincent Latoel and former ONE FC Lightweight World Champion Kotetsu Boku, and a win over Nastyukhin will make it hard for the matchmakers to overlook his claims.

The event will also see the debut of MMA superstar Brandon Vera in the Philipines. Fans in the country have been clamouring for an opportunity to see him live in action for more than a decade and will now get the chance at One FC: Warrior's Way. He will take on Igor Subora, a Ukrainian who has destroyed the regional scene in the Philippines. The clash of heavyweights is one of the most heavily-anticipated bouts of the year and will cap off the Filipino participation at this momentous event.

Tickets for One FC: Warriors Way on 5 December in Manila are on sale now at SM Tickets (http://www.smtickets.com). Ticket categories begin with the full Red Carpet and cageside experience for VIPs at PHP 6,360 followed by Patron PHP 3,180, Lower Box PHP 1,280, Upper Box PHP 640 and General Admission PHP 220. Prices include ticketing fee. Pre-sale packages are currently available.

ONE FC: Rise of Heroes | Julaton to Replicate Pacquiao's Feat?

Will Ana Julaton emerge victorious in her first-ever mixed martial arts fight?
After Manny Pacquiao's victory over Timothy Bradley, I bet this question has been looming over Filipino fans, and mixed martial arts fans in general.

Exactly one week from today, we will get the answer as Ana Julaton makes her debut on ONE Fighting Championship (ONE FC) at the Mall of Asia (MOA) Arena in the card featuring the world bantamweight title fight between Brazilian Bibiano Fernandes and Japanese Masakatsu Ueda.

Julaton, who is of Filipino descent, will be battling former Egyptian kickboxing champion Aya Saeid Saber, who holds an MMA record of 2-3 and has been competing in professional MMA since 2012. Critics say this is considered an added advantage against the Fil-Am.

Photo credit: Ana Julaton.

But what is going in favour of Julaton is her boxing skills and experience being the former WBO and the IBA women's super bantamweight champion. Her deep involvement with martial arts (she's been into it since she was a kid) and black belts in Tae Kwon Do and Kenpo Karate are also plus points for Julaton.

These skills, combined with the new ones she has learned as an MMA fighter will be initially on display when Julaton conducts an open workout for the media and interested fans on Tuesday, April 29, at 2 p.m. at World Muay Thai Team USA at 4008 Yague St, cor. Chino Roces, Makati City. 

Julaton’s entry into MMA is generating growing interest as fans are curious if she would be able to duplicate her success in boxing in the ONE FC cage. She admitted that the transition to MMA has been physically tough but she’s enjoying it, adding that she’s used to the pressure of top competition. She is aware that in MMA a fighter has to use the hands and the feet, the elbows and the knees as well as grappling.

“With an opportunity to fight for ONE FC, a stage that reaches 1 billion viewers in Asia, it's important for me to be humble and to continue getting better as a fighter. When I debut on May 2nd, in front of 20,000 ‘kababayans’, I must be focused. There's a lot on the line,” said Julaton in an interview with Rappler.

ONE FC: Rise of Heroes.

Other Filipinos on the ONE FC card are Eduard Folayang, Jujeath Nagaowa, Rey Docyogen, and Eugene Toquero.

Folayang (13-4), who won an exciting match just last December against Dutch-Indonesian Vincent Latoel, will face a former champion in Japanese Kotetsu Boku, who is also coming off a TKO win over Arnauld Lepont last March.

Former WBC Asia Atomweight Champion Nagaowa, the first Filipina who will be fighting in the ONE FC cage, will take on seven-time kickboxing champ Jeet Toshi of India.

Former URCC champion Docyogen will be looking to get back into the winners circle against American fighter Joshua Alvarez, while Toquero (4-1) will face undefeated Malaysian-American Gianna Subba (3-0).

ONE FC: Rise of Heroes | Ana Julaton set for MMA debut.

After making a name for herself in the world of professional boxing, Ana 'The Hurricane' Julaton will become a two-sport athlete as she makes her mixed martial arts debut in ONE FC.

CEO of ONE Fighting Championship™ Victor Cui stated, “ONE FC is returning to the Philippines with a night of exciting mixed martial arts action. Filipino fight fans have been clamoring to see Ana Julaton in action for years and their wait is finally over as Julaton will make her mixed martial arts debut opposite kickboxing champion Aya Saeid Saber. This explosive bout completes the lineup for ONE FC: RISE OF HEROES. Fans all over the world can look forward to a night of world class mixed martial arts action as ONE FC: RISE OF HEROES comes to you live from the Philippines!”

Photo credit: Kevin Iole

Ana 'The Hurricane' Julaton is the first Filipina boxer to win the women’s WBO Super Bantamweight and IBA Super Bantamweight World Championships. Julaton’s signing with ONE FC marks her first step to becoming a two-sport athlete. Her overpowering attacks in the ring earned her the nickname “The Hurricane” and made her a fan favorite in the Philippines. It took her only five professional bouts to win a championship in boxing and she hopes her mixed martial arts career will be equally successful.

Ana Julaton is excited to compete in the Philippines for the first time. She stated, "Aya Saber is an experienced MMA warrior and champion in kickboxing. I know she will bring her very best on May 2nd. I'm training for my ONE FC homecoming fight in Manila harder than ever before and what gives me strength through my ups and downs are the hearts of my kababayan all over.”

Julaton vs Saber - the match that completes the ONE FC: Rise of Heroes fight card.

Aya Saeid Saber is an Egyptian kickboxing champion who has conquered the kickboxing scene in the Middle East. Saber now sets her sights on scaling ONE FC’s highly competitive female circuit. She combines explosive kicks with steadily improving takedown skills. This is a clash of striking styles and Saber is relishing her opportunity to upstage Julaton and upset the boxing world champion in front of her 20,000-strong Filipino home crowd.

Saber stated, “I am excited and honored to be the first female mixed martial artist from Egypt to compete in ONE FC. I can’t wait to get into the cage and beat Ana and make my fight team and family proud. Unlike Ana, I am not new to MMA. Be careful Ana, you are entering my world. I’m coming!”

Tickets for ONE FC: RISE OF HEROES are on sale now at SM Tickets. Ticket categories begin with the full Red Carpet and cageside experience for VIPs at PHP 6,360 followed by Patron PHP 3,180, Lower Box PHP 1,280, Upper Box PHP 640 and General Admission PHP 220.

Fans in the Philippines can catch all the action live on FOX Sports Philippines while the rest of Asia can catch the action live on STAR Sports. Check your local listings. Also, fans from around the world can witness the action online via live streaming at www.onefc.livesport.tv. The event will be available for purchase at just US$9.99.