SUMMARY
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BEDOK, Singapore – On February 2, in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, two Filipino born and bred fighters will go against each other for the opportunity of a lifetime.
One FC will stage their 7th iteration dubbed “Return of Warriors,” where in the main event will crown the first ever One FC Featherweight champion.
In one corner stands Eric “The Natural” Kelly (9-0), a Wushu practitioner and the reigning Universal Reality Combat Championship (URCC) featherweight champion. Kelly is a Baguio City native and a pure-blooded Filipino now training out of the Muayfit stable in Malaysia.
Kelly is a very powerful striker with devastating leg kicks and overwhelming brute strength, both of which were on full display when he took apart MMA veteran Jens Pulver in Manila last August, 2012. Pulver has been around the Mixed Martial Arts scene for a long time and posed a great test for the raw and talented Kelly.
But Kelly’s powerful stand-up game proved too much for Pulver to handle. Kelly stopped Pulver in the 2nd round of their fight when his striking took over the contest.
The win earned “The Natural” a title shot and will now face an equally dangerous Filipino fighter out of Baguio City, this time fighting and training under the famous Team Lakay stable, Honorio “The Rock” Banario (7-1).
Banario has also had a great run in the One FC. Though he did lose to Korean Bae Young Kwon by rear naked choke in the only loss of his career back in One FC: Battle of Heroes, Banario redeemed himself with an impressive knockout of Andrew Benibe at One FC: Pride of a Nation.
Banario is also known for his stand-up, so the fight with Kelly is expected to be a real throw down.
Rise of the sport
Whatever happens, a Filipino is sure to be crowned and that’s a great thing for Mixed Martial Arts in the Philippines. The country has owned boxing for years now with popular stars Manny Pacquiao and Nonito Donaire.
It is time the Philippines is put on the MMA map.
Both Banario and Kelly have the opportunity to earn the prestige, although it is unfortunate that they have to face each other in order to claim the title.
Other fights to see include the four-man Malaysian featherweight tournament, with the first round featuring Raymond Tiew go up against Melvin Yeoh, and A.J. Lias Mansor take on Jian Kai Chee.
“One FC is stacked with a large roster of Asian champions, and the featherweight division is probably the most exciting division,” said CEO Victor Cui.
“It is time for us to crown national champions in Asia, and Tiew, Yeoh, Mansor and Chee have proven that they are the most exciting prospects in Malaysia” he added.
“We are giving these home-grown champions the chance to earn themselves the right to be called the Malaysian national champion and rise to the top of the division as the number one contender.”
One Fighting Championship: Return of Warriors is set to take place at the Stadium Putra in Kuala Lumpur. The entire event features non-stop MMA action and is available via online Pay-Per-View. – Rappler.com
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