Two bouts added to ONE FC: Valor of Champions

MANILA, Philippines – ONE Fighting Championship’s first 2015 live event in the country on April 24 continues to take shape as Asia’s largest mixed martial arts organization has booked two high-profile bouts for its “Valor of Champions” card.

Team Lakay’s Geje Eustaquio faces Thai kickboxer Anatpong Bunrad in a three-round flyweight tussle, while Ukrainian heavyweight Igor Subora locks horns with Taiwanese-Canadian stalwart Paul Cheng.

The marquee match-ups were publicly confirmed during a press conference at City of Dreams in Parañaque City, Metro Manila.

Eustaquio (6-3) is coming off a submission loss to Adriano Moraes for the inaugural ONE FC flyweight championship this past September.

Although Eustaquio had the clear stand-up leverage over the 25-year-old Brazilian, Moraes found a way to counteract his opponent’s striking prowess in the second round, where he forced the 5-foot-5 Filipino to wave the white flag courtesy of a guillotine choke.

Prior to his disappoint defeat to Moraes, Eustaquio was riding high on a two-fight winning streak, thumping his fellow prospects such as Eugene Toquero and Kentaro Watanabe to make his case for a title opportunity.

The man standing in his re-entry to the winner’s column is Bunrad (4-1), who has won four of his five professional outings by either knockout or submission.

Bunrad was last seen in action when he turned the lights off on Marc Marcellinus in just 26 seconds with a soccer kick last October 17.

On the other hand, Subora (5-2) aims to put himself back on the winning track after losing his promotional debut against Filipino-American fighter Brandon Vera in December.

The former URCC heavyweight titleholder has never gone the distance in his prizefighting career, finishing all of his five triumphs in the first round.

Meanwhile, his opponent Cheng (5-1) is one of the top candidates to vie for the available ONE FC heavyweight belt, courtesy of his strong victories over the likes of Alain Ngalani and Mahmoud Hassan.

ONE FC: Valor of Champions, which takes place at the 20,000-seater SM Mall of Asia Arena in Pasay City, is headlined by a welterweight championship clash between reigning 170-pound kingpin Ben Askren and Luis Santos.

It will also feature the first ONE FC appearance of Mark Striegl, who is squaring off with undefeated American combatant Casey Suire. – Rappler.com