MMA: Eric Kelly returns to action in October

Nissi Icasiano

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MMA: Eric Kelly returns to action in October
After sitting on the sidelines for nearly 15 months, Filipino fighter Eric Kelly will make his return at ONE's "Tigers of Asia" card in Malaysia

MANILA, Philippines – After sitting on the sidelines for nearly 15 months, Filipino fighter Eric Kelly will make his return inside the ONE Championship cage against Japanese stalwart Hiroshige Tanaka on October 9.

A source tells Rappler that Kelly will be part of ONE’s “Tigers of Asia” fight card, which is set to take place at the 16,000-capacity Stadium Putra in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

“He finally got the call from ONE FC and he will be fighting on the company’s Malaysian fight card in October,” the source said.

Kelly (11-1), one of the most successful products of Philippine mixed martial arts (MMA), has won 9 of his 11 professional bouts via submission, including a come-from-behind victory over Rob Lisita in July 2014 that earned him the right to vie for the ONE featherweight championship.

Bathed in his own blood, the 33-year-old native of Baguio City overcame significant difficulty to latch on a rear-naked choke to force Lisita to wave the white flag in the second round.

Despite the impressive triumph against Lisita, Kelly’s nose was badly injured due to his refusal to relent against the hard-hitting Australian in the earlier proceedings of the match. The injury left him with no other choice but to put his championship aspiration on hold as he was not medically cleared to challenge then-titleholder Koji Oishi in August of the same year.

Mongolian kickboxer Jadamba Narantungalag took Kelly’s spot to square off with Oishi and successfully walked away with the 145-pound division’s top prize by routing the Japanese veteran via unanimous decision.

Kelly was eventually penciled to battle the newly-minted featherweight champion in the main event of the “Warrior’s Way” card this past December in front of a hometown crowd, but the championship clash never materialized as negotiations between his management and ONE fell apart.

The fallout was triggered by a low fight purse as Kelly would supposedly get $3,000 in a title tilt versus Jadamba, comparatively below par from what the company’s other top fighters receive, a source claims.

The source also added that beginner’s contract starts at $1,500 with a guarantee of five fights, plus an additional $1,500 if the fighter wins.

Kelly has been strutting his wares under the ONE banner since September 2011 when he submitted Mitch Chilson with a rear-naked choke in the first round.

After his stellar ONE debut, Kelly had 4 more fights, including a tough loss to compatriot Honorio Banario via technical knockout for the inaugural featherweight crown in February 2013.

ONE chief Victor Cui dismissed the notion that money was the issue in an interview with Rappler last December and claimed that Kelly persisted with issues and remained irresolute when matchmaker Matt Hume made the offer to face Jadamba.

Although he publicly stated that his ONE contract had expired in February, Kelly confided to Rappler that Asia’s largest MMA promotion did not terminate the deal as he was not able to fulfill the terms and obligations stipulated in his agreement due to his inactivity.

With the current situation at hand, Kelly is left with no choice but to satisfy the conditions that he entered into with ONE.

Kelly and his manager Christopher Romine could not understand how the contract was held in abeyance, prohibiting them from sitting down and talking with other MMA companies such as Pacific Xtreme Combat.

The source disclosed that ONE relayed to Kelly’s camp that he has 3 fights left in his contract, but he has already fulfilled 5 contracted bouts.

“His fight in Malaysia is supposed to be his last fight. Prior to this fight booking, he already had 5 fights in ONE FC. It’s confusing actually,” the source stated.

In the other corner, Tanaka (10-2) is also coming off a one-year layoff as he was last seen in action when he dropped a unanimous decision to Herbert Burns in August 2014.

Prior to his disappointing setback to Burns, Tanaka owned a 7-fight winning streak that he accomplished under the Japan-based Shooto organization. – Rappler.com

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