Adriano MoraesDanny KingadEduard “Landslide” FolayangKevin BelingonKevin ChungMartin NguyenONE Championship™ (ONE)One FCPress ReleaseRich Franklin
Press Release: EDUARD FOLAYANG FACES OFF WITH MARTIN NGUYEN AT ONE: LEGENDS OF THE WORLD KICK-OFF PRESS CONFERENCE
The largest sports media property in
Asian history, ONE Championship™ (ONE), recently held the ONE: LEGENDS OF THE
WORLD Official Kick-Off Press Conference on 7 November at the Grand Ballroom of
City of Dreams, Manila. In attendance was Vice President of ONE Championship,
Rich Franklin, as well as athletes Eduard Folayang, Martin Nguyen, Adriano
Moraes, Danny Kingad, Kevin Belingon and Kevin Chung.
The press
conference was held ahead of all the action which takes place 10 November, at
the Mall of Asia Arena, which features reigning ONE Lightweight World Champion
Eduard “Landslide” Folayang who will defend his title against ONE Featherweight
World Champion Martin “The Situ-Asian” Nguyen in the evening’s main event.
Rich Franklin, Vice President of ONE
Championship, stated: “It is my honor and my pleasure to see some of the
greatest martial artists on the planet compete in ONE Championship. The thing
that makes ONE Championship different from any other organization in the world,
is that we want to build and unleash martial arts superheroes to ignite the
world with inspiration, hope, dreams, strength and courage. Our heroes are role
models not only in the cage, but also outside the cage. On Friday, we are one
with the Philippines in celebrating the beauty of martial arts as we have
prepared the very best match lineup for the delight of our Filipino audience
and the rest of the world.”
Eduard Folayang, ONE Lightweight World
Champion, stated: “Representing the Philippines and showcasing my skills is an
honor for me. Filipinos are truly world-class. We have the ability to hang with
the best, no matter what the field. That is why I accepted this challenge in
front of me. Join me as I continue my journey this coming Friday. Winning this
bout is my top priority, to keep this belt on my shoulder. It is going to be
tough, but I have my people to support me. I want to make everyone proud. I
want to show the fans that Filipino athletes are world-class.”
Martin Nguyen, ONE Featherweight World
Champion, stated: “I have worked very hard to be in this position. Eduard
Folayang is a great champion and embodies the true values of martial arts. I
know chances like this are very rare. I will do my best to take another world
title home for my family and all of my fans. 2017 has already been a big year
for me, and I am looking to end it with another belt on my shoulder.”
Adriano Moraes, ONE Flyweight World
Champion, stated: “It’s my first time in Manila. I am very excited to compete
against a highly-touted prospect like Danny Kingad. I respect him. It’s going
to be a tough night, but I’m looking forward to it. I’m going out on Friday to
try to keep my world championship belt around my waist.”
Danny
Kingad, ONE Athlete, stated: “I have waited so long for this. Ever since I
joined ONE Championship, I had my eyes set on becoming champion. This is what I
wanted when I became a martial artist – to be the best in the world. Now that
it is finally happening, and I have this opportunity right in front of me, the
feeling of nervousness quickly turned into motivation. I’m ready to showcase my
skills in front of the world. I believe it’s going to be a good and exciting
match with Adriano [Moraes].”
Kevin Belingon, ONE Athlete, stated: “I
would like to thank all the Filipino people, and all fans of martial arts for
the support. If you’re a fan of non-stop action and excitement, come and see us
at the Mall of Asia Arena on Friday. It’s going to be an amazing show. I am
preparing very hard so that I can make my country proud again. I know my
opponent is incredibly well-rounded and highly-skilled, so I will surely not be
taking him lightly. It’s going to be an absolute battle from beginning to end.”
Kevin Chung, ONE Athlete, stated: “I am
in this to prove my skills and my heart as a warrior. It doesn’t matter who I
am matched up against. What matters is that I am prepared well and that I am in
great physical condition. Everyday I put myself through the rigors of training
to become the best martial artist I can be. I am excited for this showdown
against Kevin Belingon. I believe there will be a big reward waiting for me if
I win.”
Eduard “Landslide” Folayang of the
legendary Team Lakay in Baguio City is one of the Philippines’ most experienced
martial artists. After nearly a decade of competing in various promotions,
Folayang has amassed an impressive 18-5 professional record. The 33-year-old
veteran is currently riding a four-bout winning streak against high-profile
opponents, including an emphatic technical knockout victory over Japanese
legend Shinya Aoki to capture the ONE Lightweight World Championship in 2016.
Showcasing a highly-improved wrestling and grappling arsenal, Folayang
thoroughly defeated top challenger Ev Ting in his first title defense last
April. Now set to return to the ONE Championship cage in Manila, Folayang will
face ONE Featherweight World Champion Martin Nguyen in a cross-divisional
showdown.
28-year-old
Martin “The Situ-Asian” Nguyen of Sydney, Australia, is a highly-skilled
finisher and one of the most talented featherweights in martial arts. In his
most recent bout, Nguyen stepped into the ONE Championship cage last August,
scoring the biggest victory of his career when he stopped former undefeated
featherweight champion Marat “Cobra” Gafurov in Kuala Lumpur to capture the ONE
Featherweight World Championship. Sporting a 9-1 professional record, Nguyen’s
all-around skill set allows him to compete at the highest level of competition.
In a much-anticipated battle between division champions, Nguyen is set to face
the Philippines’ Eduard Folayang in Manila for the Filipino’s coveted ONE
Lightweight World Championship.
28-year-old Adriano “Mikinho” Moraes of
Brazil is a Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt with well-rounded striking and
grappling skills. He is the undisputed ONE Flyweight World Champion, and one of
the most highly-skilled and dominant world champions in martial arts. Rarely
opposed in the ONE Championship cage, Moraes thoroughly defeated former
champion Kairat Akhmetov in an epic rematch last August, snapping the
Kazakhstani’s perfect 23-bout win streak and reclaiming his belt. He is now set
to defend his title against rising star Danny Kingad.
An unbeaten
flyweight from Team Lakay, Danny “The King” Kingad is a regional wushu champion
and martial artist with a perfect professional record of 5-0. A true warrior
from the mountains of the Philippines and one of the top prospects to come out
of Baguio City, Kingad is a tremendous striker who possesses well-rounded
grappling skills. In his most recent bout, Kingad turned in a complete
performance, putting his wide range of techniques on full display in a
unanimous decision victory over Malaysia’s Muhammad Aiman. The impressive
victory earned Kingad a shot at the ONE Flyweight World Championship, as he
next meets defending champion Adriano Moraes.
Kevin “The
Silencer” Belingon of the famed Team Lakay in Baguio City, Philippines, is one
of the country’s most talented martial artists. With a professional record of
16-5, the Filipino champion and former world title challenger is known as a
fierce competitor with the ability to finish opponents in a variety of methods.
The 29-year old wushu stalwart owns seven huge knockouts on his resume, and is
one of the most feared strikers in ONE Championship’s deep bantamweight
division. In his last bout, Belingon stopped a top contender in Reece McLaren
of Australia with a volley of devastating strikes. He now takes on another
tough task ahead in Kevin Chung.
Kevin “Old Boy” Chung is a 24-year-old
South Korean martial artist who was born and raised in the United States. He
began his amatuer career in his adoptive hometown of Centreville, Virginia, in
2010, and has since impressed with his spectacular performances inside the
cage. Chung turned professional in 2015, and currently holds a perfect
professional record of 4-0, with two of his four career wins having come by way
of spectacular stoppage. Chung prides himself on being an exciting competitor,
willing to please the crowd by constantly seeking the highlight-reel finish. He
is set to face feared striker Kevin Belingon next.
For more
updates on ONE Championship, please visit www.onefc.com, follow us
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