Danny Kingad’s foe in ONE grand prix replaced

MANILA, Philippines – Filipino Danny Kingad’s initial opponent for the ONE Championship flyweight grand prix quarterfinal has been replaced after Andrew Leone was forced to withdraw due to an injury.

Instead of Leone, it will be Japanese Senzo Ikeda who will be locking horns with Kingad in ONE: A New Era set to be staged at the Ryogoku Kokugikan in Tokyo on March 31. 

Ikeda, the Pancrase flyweight champion, is a former undefeated boxer and currently holds a mixed martial arts record of 12-6-1.  

Kingad, meanwhile, boasts an impressive 12-1 record and comes off a unanimous decision win over Japan’s Tatsumitsu Wada that earned him a spot in the grand prix, which also features former UFC star Demetrious Johnson. 

Joining Kingad in the star-studded card are compatriots Eduard Folayang and Kevin Belingon, who will be defending their respective ONE belts.

Fighting in the main event, Folayang seeks to retain his lightweight title against Japan’s Shinya Aoki while Belingon faces Brazil’s for the third time for the bantamweight crown. 

Ikeda’s entry comes just in time as ONE and Pancrase, a Japanese mixed martial arts organization founded in 1993, recently struck an exclusive partnership. 

Under the deal, all Pancrase champions will have the opportunity to showcase their wares at the ONE stage. – Rappler.com