Julaton wants rematch against Osman, says trainer

MANILA, Philippines – If her return to the boxing ring does not push through by early 2015, Ana Julaton is eyeing a rematch with Malaysian fighter Ann Osman.

READ: Ana Julaton’s boxing return remains on hold

Both women first crossed paths in August of last year at ONE FC: Rise of Champions, where Osman handed Julaton the first defeat in her mixed martial arts (MMA) stint by narrowly claiming a split decision.

Although Julaton had the clear stand-up advantage by rocking her opponent on multiple occasions, Osman easily persuaded the cageside judges by scoring two legitimate takedowns in the bout and pacifying the 5-foot-5 Filipina on the ground.

According to head trainer Angelo Reyes, the 34-year-old Julaton has been vocal of her desire to get another piece of Osman.

As Julaton’s boxing comeback remains on hold due to the ongoing negotiation between her promoter Allan Tremblay and Top Rank’s Bob Arum, the striking coach sees an opportunity to stage a second encounter between his valued pupil and Osman.

“In terms of MMA, she wants Ann Osman as soon as possible. If it takes place in Manila, it will be great. I can assure you that the longer Osman waits, the worst it will be for her,” Reyes told Rappler.

ONE Fighting Championship (ONE FC) makes its way back to the Manila suburb of Pasay to host its 28th fight card at the 20,000-seater SM Mall of Asia Arena on April 24 as Ben Askren will defend the welterweight title against Luis Santos in the main event.

“So whichever one comes first is on a wait-and-see basis. For sure, you will see Ana fight in either late March or April in one of the sports,” Reyes disclosed.

Despite her absence in the squared-circle, Julaton remained active in the combat scene by inking an exclusive contract with Asia’s largest MMA organization, where she had three matches last year.

Julaton (2-1) made a successful transition from boxing to MMA in May at ONE FC: Rise of Heroes, stopping Aya Saeid Saber via third-round technical knockout.

However, Julaton failed to repeat the magic of her triumphant MMA debut as she bowed down to Osman.

The disappointing defeat compelled Julaton to go back to the drawing board and tap the assistance of Ricky Lundell to branch out her arsenal with the ancient art of wrestling.

Showcasing her grappling pedigree, the Filipina pugilist went back on the winning track by outpointing Walaa Abbas via unanimous decision on the undercard of ONE FC: Warrior’s Way last December 5.

Reyes revealed that Julaton stays busy by training with Lundell and former UFC heavyweight champion Frank Mir at Bishop Gorman High School in Las Vegas, Nevada.

“Ana is only getting better and better training with Ricky Lundell and Frank Mir. The next time you see Ana in the cage, her grappling will be 100 percent better,” he guaranteed.

On her social media account, Julaton expressed that she is prepared to return to the ONE FC cage anytime soon.

@rapplerdotcom @Nissi_Icasiano been training w/ Coach @Rickylundell staying ready for my next #MMA match @victoronefc I'm ready to go ASAP!!

— ANA JULATON (@anajulaton) January 20, 2015

Meanwhile, Osman (2-1) was last seen in action this past October when she thwarted Saber with vicious elbows in the first round at ONE FC: Roar of Tigers.

After having a dismal 2013 output by yielding to Singaporean strawweight Sherilyn Lim at ONE FC: Total Domination, Osman bounced back on a high note as a flyweight competitor, scoring huge back-to-back victories in 2014.

Julaton and Osman are arguably the leading candidates to vie for the inaugural ONE FC women’s flyweight championship. – Rappler.com