Highs and lows from MMA showdown “Pride of a Nation”

MANILA, Philippines – The OneFC “Pride of a Nation “card which took place at the SMART Araneta Coliseum Friday, August 31 was a total success and featured 11 matches with exciting finishes. It was the largest Mixed Martial Arts event in the country and has opened the door for similar events to take place on Philippine soil in the future.

The atmosphere was electric, and was completely different from boxing which Pinoys are well accustomed to. The energy that filled the arena was more intense. Due to MMA’s fast paced and violent nature, it was easier to get into even for fans who are not familiar with the sport nor its fighters.

Here are my highs and lows from last night.

High: Raw, talented Kelly

Our contingent of Pinoy MMA practitioners came out victorious, save for Kevin “The Silencer” Belingon who dropped a decision to Korean opponent Soo Chul Kim. It was a great effort from Belingon, who tried his hardest to come back in Rounds 2 and 3 after dropping Round 1 to Kim unanimously.

Belingon fought back and even dominated the 3rd round, but it was simply too little, too late.

One thing’s for certain though: Pinoy MMA fighters have arrived on the elite global stage.

The most promising is young prospect Eric “The Natural” Kelly who took on MMA vet Jens “Lil Evil” Pulver from the USA. It was the raw and talented Kelly’s toughest challenge to date and he was tested in the early going, visibly getting rocked by Pulver on numerous occasions in the 1st round.

But the pure talent and power of Eric Kelly was simply too much for the ageing Pulver. Kelly dominated the 2nd with a myriad of punches and kicks. After a solid kick to the abdomen sent Pulver reeling to the floor in agonizing pain, Kelly finished him off with a flurry and the referee was forced to call a halt to the match.

After the fight, it was announced that Kelly was to face fellow Pinoy MMA fighter Honorio Banario at OneFC: Rise of Kings for a OneFC title belt which will take place in Singapore on October 6.

High: Polished Folayang

As amazing as Kelly was, Pinoy MMA superstar Eduard “Landslide” Folayang was equally as great, and remained Pinoy MMA’s most polished and most refined practitioner. Folayang dazzled with a display of solid Muay Thai featuring a wide range of strikes that completely overwhelmed his opponent Felipe Enomoto of Japan.

Perhaps what was most impressive about Folayang’s performance was the control he took of the fight, never letting Enomoto get into it. Folayang kept his opponent on the defensive the entire night with a seemingly endless reservoir of energy and stamina, fighting at a fast pace for the full 3 rounds which is what he’s known for.

In the end, Folayang came away with the unanimous decision after a masterful, thorough drubbing of Felipe Enomoto. It was announced after the fight that Folayang will also fight for a title in the next OneFC event, which makes that three Pinoys competing for a title.

Low: Arlovski-Sylvia controversy

The night however was not without controversy. The highly anticipated 4th fight between long-time rivals Andrei “The Pit Bull” Arlovski and Tim “The Maine-iac” Sylvia ended in an unpopular No Contest ruling after an illegal kick ended the match.

The 1st round was an even tussle, with Sylvia being successful fighting in the clinch letting rip uppercuts and hooks from his famous dirty boxing stance. Arlovski on the other hand found some success striking from the outside, utilizing his superior speed and movement on the forward-plodding Sylvia.

In the 2nd round, Arlovski upped the pace and turned on the heat, landing flush on Sylvia at will and looked as if he was on his way to a knockout which would have evened their rivalry at 2 wins apiece. Arlovski attacked Sylvia with reckless abandon and landed a huge right hand to the chin that dropped Sylvia on wobbly legs.

Arlovski then went on to place two soccer kicks to Sylvia’s head which were deemed an illegal move as the referee called a timeout. In MMA, it is illegal to place kicks or knees to the head of a downed opponent. Arlovski was penalized with a yellow card.

After careful deliberation by the referee and cage-side judges, the match ended in a No Contest ruling with fans raining boos down and clamoring for another fight between the two heavyweight legends.

Had Arlovski instead taken the fight to Sylvia for some ground and pound or to perhaps secure a fight-ending submission, he would have come away as the victor. It was a complete mental collapse from Arlovski as he let a golden opportunity slip away.

All in all, OneFC: Pride of a Nation was a complete success.

Maybe in the near future it will be the UFC’s (Ultimate Fighting Championship) turn to bring their brand of sports entertainment to Philippine shores. Dana White has expressed his interest in exploring the country’s as of yet untapped MMA market. Pinoy MMA fans can only hope as they wait in anticipation.

OneFC’s sucess in the Philippines proves MMA and boxing can co-exist in a country filled with avid fight fans.- Rappler.com