Philippines' Brandon Vera: Myanmar's Aung La N Sang is very well-rounded in life

Brandon Vera, Chatri Sityodtong, Aung La N Sang (©ONE Championship)

For ONE Heavyweight World Champion Brandon “The Truth” Vera, 41, of the Philippines, ONE Middleweight and Light Heavyweight World Champion Aung La N Sang, 33, of Myanmar is a good role model, a true martial artist and a person everyone can look up to and aspire to become. The two are set to headline the second part of “ONE: Century 世紀” at the Ryogoku Kokugikan in Tokyo, Japan on October 13, 2019.

“Aung La is younger than me but as a whole he is a man among men, and I do put him in a different category to other people,” Vera said of Aung. “He’s very well-rounded in life. He’s an alpha male in the most respectful and polite manner. If the world was full of Aung Las, the world would be a better place.”

While Vera has much respect for Aung, the Filipino-American mixed martial arts veteran believes that he could beat Aung at “ONE: Century 世紀” past the first round. The two will compete for the ONE Middleweight World Championship.

Vera finds it hard to break down Aung’s fighting style. The Filipino-American challenger could not really pick apart the Burmese defending champion’s game.

“We’re almost related,” Vera explained. “His coach came from my coach. We train the same, we know the same hardships, we’ve been through that grind.”

Aung’s new coach Henri Hooft was training with Vera’s former head kickboxing coach Rob Kaman. Since they were 17 years old, Hooft and Kaman have been sparring with each other so Vera and Aung’s styles are almost the same, according to the contender from the Philippines.

“I think the biggest difference between us is our experience,” Vera pointed out. “During his matches, I look for those little holes he still has because of his lack of experience. I’m not going to outpace Aung La, I’m not going to outwork Aung La.”

“I’m not going to be a bully because that’s impossible,” Vera continued. “He’s been through the same system. I have to find holes in Aung La’s game and exploit them while he’s doing the same thing to me. We come from the same school, the same train of thought, so this is why I’m super excited for this match.”

Meanwhile, here is Aung’s message to Vera:

Myanmar's Aung La N Sang retains ONE Middleweight World Championship, knocks out Japan's Ken Hasegawa

Ken Hasegawa, Aung La N Sang

29 June 2018 – Yangon, Myanmar: The largest global sports media property in Asian history, ONE Championship™ (ONE), once again electrified the Thuwunna Indoor Stadium in Yangon, Myanmar last Friday night, 29 June. ONE: SPIRIT OF A WARRIOR played host to another amazing evening of world-class martial arts action, as the world’s best martial arts talents took to the ONE Championship cage to showcase their incredible skills. In the main event, reigning ONE Middleweight World Champion “The Burmese Python” Aung La N Sang of Myanmar retained his title with a shock fifth round knockout of game challenger Ken Hasegawa of Japan.

In the main event of ONE: SPIRIT OF A WARRIOR, Myanmar national icon “The Burmese Python” Aung La N Sang successfully defended the ONE Middleweight World Championship, defeating Japan’s Ken Hasegawa by way of knockout. Although both men possess respected grappling pedigrees, the two stood toe-to-toe from start to finish. Aung La N Sang came out of the gates blazing, peppering Hasegawa with a torrent of heavy blows from different angles. However, the bout’s complexion changed in the second round when, from a southpaw stance, Hasegawa made it a competitive contest, repeatedly tagging Aung La N Sang with his boxing combinations. Drawing loud cheers from the raucous crowd, the two warriors unloaded blistering combinations that pushed each other to the limit. The rest of the match saw both men figure in one of the most exciting bouts in ONE Championship history, and an extremely close championship encounter. In the final moments of the fifth round, Aung La N Sang managed to sneak in a thunderous uppercut to shut the lights off on Hasegawa.

Brazilian jiu-jitsu world champion Leandro “Brodinho” Issa of Brazil overcame a devastating knockdown early in the first round against ONE Championship newcomer Roman “Boom” Alvarez of Guam to win by first-round submission. After recovering from a huge punch from Alvarez in the opening moments of the bout, Issa made it back to his feet and took his younger foe down to end up in half guard. From there, Issa latched on to an arm triangle choke to force the quick tap.

Making his ONE Super Series debut, Thailand’s Sorgraw Petchyindee Academy impressively marched to a majority decision victory over Samy Sana of France in a three-round catchweight contest. The two squared off in a spirited clash of gifted strikers, peppering each other with fiery combinations while showcasing great defense. Sorgraw closed out the final round of the match on a strong note, limiting Sana’s offense with his counter strikes. In the end, Sorgraw earned two of the three judges’ nod to have his hand raised by majority decision.

Lumpinee and Rajadamnern Stadium champion and Muay Thai legend Sagetdao “Deadly Star” Petpayathai put together a solid performance, defeating opponent “The Cannon” Ma Jia Wen in a razor-thin close three-round featherweight showdown. Operating behind a thudding lead left kick, Sagetdao unloaded a myriad of strikes on Ma, who was more than willing to take the punishment in order to deliver his own. Ma also had his moments, making the bout extremely close. In the end however, all three judges deemed Sagetdao the victor by unanimous decision.

Top featherweight contender Tetsuya Yamada of Japan put together one of his most impressive grappling performances to date, finishing opponent Rafael Nunes of Brazil in the second round. After two rounds of back-and-forth action on the mat, it was Yamada who showcased his grappling mastery, stifling Nunes with seemingly effortless transitions while threatening constantly with submissions. The end came in the final minute of the second frame, after Yamada blasted Nunes with ground-and-pound which opened up a deep cut, coercing the cageside physician to call a halt to the contest.

In a battle of undefeated bantamweights, “Rock Man” Chen Lei of China exited the famed ONE Championship cage as the only competitor with an unblemished professional record, thwarting Indian debutant Ahmad Qais Jasoor in the third round. Both men provided fans with a tremendous display of offense in a contest that saw the two warriors swapping solid blows and momentum-shifting takedowns for three rounds. Chen capitalized on a drained Jasoor in the final frame, getting the finish by drenching his opponent with unforgiving strikes on the canvas.

After pulling off a shocking knockout of former strawweight kingpin Dejdamrong Sor Amnuaysirichoke last March, Jeremy “The Jaguar” Miado of the Philippines had his huge wave of momentum halted by the streaking Kritsada Kongsrichai of Thailand. Kongsrichai authored one of the most dominant performances of the night, wearing out Miado with slams to the mat and punishing ground-and-pound. Prohibiting Miado from fully utilizing his advantage in the stand-up with his grappling proficiency, the 13-time Thai national wrestling champion easily cruised to a unanimous decision victory.

Thailand’s Tukkatatong Petpayathai made his highly-anticipated ONE Super Series debut, defeating opponent Mehdi Zatout in a spirited clash of striking specialists. The kickboxing contest featured fierce action all throughout, with Tukkatatong pulling away on the scorecards. Tukkatatong scored on a monstrous left hook which dropped Zatout at the end of the first. In the end, all three judges scored in favor of Tukkatatong to win by unanimous decision.

Local Myanmar athletes and former lethwei stars Saw Darwait and Mite Yine locked horns at the center of the cage to the roar of a packed arena. Looking to make an impression in his first outing under the ONE Championship banner, former two-time Gold Belt Champion Mite Yine made quick work of his compatriot, drilling Saw Darwait with a barrage of ground strikes to force the stoppage in the first round.

Kicking off ONE: SPIRIT OF A WARRIOR live from the Thuwunna Indoor Stadium were ONE Super Series kickboxers Elliot “The Dragon” Compton and Matthew “Sobek” Semper who put together an exciting three-round striking showcase. In the end, it was Compton who emerged victorious after utilizing a superb jab, knocking down Semper on multiple occasions to win by unanimous decision.

Official results for ONE: SPIRIT OF A WARRIOR

ONE Middleweight World Championship bout: Aung La N Sang defeats Ken Hasegawa by Knockout (KO) at 3:13 minutes of round 5

Bantamweight bout: Leandro Issa defeats Roman Alvarez by Submission (Arm Triangle Choke) at 1:26 minutes of round 1

ONE Super Series Kickboxing Catchweight bout (72.0kg): Sorgraw Petchyindee Academy defeats Samy Sana by Majority Decision (MD) after 3 rounds

Featherweight bout: Sagetdao Petpayathai defeats Ma Jia Wen by Unanimous Decision (UD) after 3 rounds

Featherweight bout: Tetsuya Yamada defeats Rafael Nunes by TKO (Doctor’s Stoppage) at 4:05 minutes of round 2

Bantamweight bout: Chen Lei defeats Ahmad Qais Jasoor by TKO (Strikes) at 1:27 minutes of round 3

Strawweight bout: Kritsada Kongsrichai defeats Jeremy Miado by Unanimous Decision (UD) after 3 rounds

ONE Super Series Kickboxing Catchweight bout (67.0kg): Tukkatatong Petpayathai defeats Mehdi Zatout by Unanimous Decision (UD) after 3 rounds

Flyweight bout: Mite Yine defeats Saw Darwait by TKO (Strikes) at 2:48 minutes of round 1

ONE Super Series Kickboxing Lightweight bout: Elliot Compton defeats Matthew Semper by Unanimous Decision (UD) after 3 rounds

For more updates on ONE Championship, please visit www.onefc.com, follow us on Twitter and Instagram @ONEChampionship, and like us on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/ONEChampionship.

Aung La N Sang to defend ONE Middleweight World Championship against Ken Hasegawa in Yangon

Aung La N Sang, Mitch Chilson

PRESS RELEASE

23 May 2018 – Yangon, Myanmar: The largest global sports media property in Asian history, ONE Championship™ (ONE), has just announced the main event for the upcoming card, ONE: SPIRIT OF A WARRIOR, which is set for 29 June at the Thuwunna Indoor Stadium in Yangon, Myanmar. Reigning ONE Middleweight and Light Heavyweight World Champion “The Burmese Python” Aung La N Sang of Myanmar will defend his middleweight title against Ken Hasegawa of Japan.

Ticket information for ONE: SPIRIT OF A WARRIOR is available at www.onefc.com.

Chatri Sityodtong, Chairman and CEO of ONE Championship, stated: “Whenever Aung La N Sang steps foot on Myanmar soil, he is greeted by throngs of screaming fans. He truly is Myanmar’s biggest star, and is a great representative of the country’s strength and resolve. Our ONE Middleweight and Light Heavyweight World Champion is ready to face a tough new opponent in Japan’s Ken Hasegawa, and I am super excited for another action-packed evening in Yangon. ONE: SPIRIT OF A WARRIOR is shaping up to be one of the biggest nights in Myanmar’s martial arts history, and fans will not want to miss what goes down at the Thuwunna Indoor Stadium.”

33-year-old Aung La N Sang is Myanmar’s most successful athlete in history, whose impressive submission skills have earned him the moniker of ”The Burmese Python”. Born in Myitkyina in the mountainous Kachin State, he belongs to an ethnic minority known as the Kachin. Aung La N Sang captured the ONE Middleweight World Championship with a unanimous decision victory over Vitaly Bigdash in June of 2017. In his most recent bout, he defeated Brazil’s Alexandre Machado to be crowned the new ONE Light Heavyweight World Champion. Next up, Aung La N Sang will defend his middleweight title against Ken Hasegawa.

31-year-old Ken Hasegawa of Kanagawa, Japan is a martial arts veteran set to make his ONE Championship debut. The middleweight contender has finished three of his last five opponents, showcasing the undeniable submission skills and thunderous knockout power that he has become known for competing in Japanese martial arts promotions Deep and Rizin. With a professional record of 16-2-1, which includes four submissions and six scintillating knockouts, Hasegawa will step into the ONE Championship cage for the first time at ONE: SPIRIT OF A WARRIOR. He is set to challenge Aung La N Sang for the ONE Middleweight World Championship.

Aung La N Sang, ONE Middleweight and Light Heavyweight World Champion, stated: “It is always a pleasure and a privilege to share my skills and talents to everyone back home. As champion, I am willing to take on all comers. It is an honor to represent the country of Myanmar on the biggest global stage of martial arts competition. This world championship means a lot to me, to those who have been behind my career from the very beginning, to my family, and to my friends. I will do everything in my power to defend this title against the hungry lion that is Ken Hasegawa.”

Ken Hasegawa, ONE World Title Challenger, stated: “After eight years of excellence as a professional, I have reached the next stage in my career, and I can’t be any more excited for what is in store for me. I am grateful to ONE Championship for giving me the opportunity to showcase my talents to the world. It is an honor to face Aung La N Sang for the belt. I respect him and what he has accomplished, but I am confident of victory, and my hand will be raised as the new middleweight champion.”

For more updates on ONE Championship, please visit www.onefc.com, follow us on Twitter and Instagram @ONEChampionship, and like us on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/ONEChampionship.

ONE Championship’s outstanding martial artists of 2017

While all ONE Championship athletes go out and give their all inside the cage, there are just a handful who have shown the true championship quality over the past twelve months.

These competitors have gone above and beyond their personal limits, delighting fans with spectacular performances.

Moreover, these martial artists have captured the imaginations of fans in their home countries and fans from all over the world.

Here are the top five martial artists who left an indelible mark on the ONE Championship stage this 2017.

#5) Aung La N Sang

Aung La N Sang

Aung La N Sang is Myanmar’s most successful athlete in history, whose constricting style has earned him the moniker of ”The Burmese Python” as he owns 12 victories by way of submission.

After starting his 2017 on a sour note by losing the first world title bout of his career on 14 January at ONE: QUEST FOR POWER in Jakarta, Indonesia, Aung La N Sang redeemed himself by stunning former undefeated champion Vitaly Bigdash of Russia in a highly-anticipated rematch to be crowned the new ONE Middleweight World Champion at ONE: LIGHT OF A NATION in Yangon, Myanmar on 30 June.

Aung La N Sang was focused from the second he stepped into the Thuwunna Indoor Stadium, and once the bell rang, he was unstoppable.

The 32-year-old hometown hero rocked the champion minutes into the contest and nearly secured a first-round stoppage victory.

Despite being grounded by the Russian in the following stanzas, Aung La N Sang clearly did more damage in striking exchanges throughout the course of the bout.

As a result, Aung La N Sang earned a unanimous decision nod and claimed the ONE Middleweight World Championship.

Aung La N Sang concluded his 2017 by taking part of ONE Championship’s openweight super-bout against highly-decorated heavyweight kickboxer Alain “The Panther” Ngalani, which headlined ONE: HERO’S DREAM in Yangon, Myanmar on 3 November.

Aung La N Sang weathered an early storm from his Cameroonian heavyweight opponent, working in guard to defend himself from Ngalani’s top game.

Recognizing an opening for a standing guillotine choke, Aung La N Sang wrapped his arm around Ngalani’s neck and pulled guard to finish his opponent by submission in the first round.

#4) Christian Lee

Christian Lee, Koketsu Boku

Christian “The Warrior” Lee, the younger brother of reigning ONE Women’s Atomweight World Champion “Unstoppable” Angela Lee, began his professional career on an absolute tear, railing off five straight victories by thrilling finish.

Lee has impressed fans with his ability to seek out stoppage wins over top-caliber opponents in 2017.

After steamrolling Chinese stalwart Wan Jan Ping at ONE: KINGS OF DESTINY in Manila, Philippines on 21 April, Lee toppled fellow top featherweight Keanu Subba of Malaysia in his most recent bout, winning by third-round submission in a competitive contest at ONE: QUEST FOR GREATNESS in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia on 18 August.

The 19-year-old Singaporean martial arts sensation took another step in fulfilling all of those on 9 December as he delivered a masterful performance against former ONE Lightweight World Champion Kotetsu “No Face” Boku at ONE: WARRIORS OF THE WORLD in Bangkok, Thailand.

In perhaps his most impressive performance to date, Lee brought his best against a dangerous opponent in Boku as he employed the perfect strategy and completed a rapturous knockout triumph that undoubtedly signals his readiness to challenge the upper tier of talent in the promotion’s most stacked division.

Bringing the action right to Boku, Lee blasted the Japanese veteran with powerful strikes, takedowns and submission attempts.

Just past the three-minute mark, Lee quickly took Boku’s back and executed a textbook trip takedown with such incredible power that it knocked Japanese veteran out.

The impressive win over Boku was Lee’s seventh first-round stoppage victory and tied the promotional record for most finishes at eight.

#3) Kevin Belingon

Kevin Belingon, Kevin Chung

Representing the famed Team Lakay in Baguio City, Philippines, Kevin “The Silencer” Belingon is one of the country’s most talented martial artists with a professional record of 16-5.

Belingon is known as a fierce competitor with the ability to finish opponents in a variety of methods as the 29-year old Wushu practitioner owns seven huge knockouts on his resume and is considered as one of the most feared strikers in ONE Championship’s deep bantamweight division.

Since losing to reigning ONE Bantamweight World Champion Bibiano “The Flash” Fernandes in January 2016, Belingon has barged through his top rivals with a slew of fearsome striking performances and showcased his incredible punching power.

It began with a thorough defeat of Tajikistan’s highly-touted Muin Gafurov in October 2016, followed by a complete first-round annihilation of Finnish submission wizard Toni “Dynamite” Tauru at ONE KINGS OF DESTINY in Manila, Philippines on 21 April.

Those two consecutive wins earned Belingon a showdown with top bantamweight contender Reece “Lightning” McLaren at ONE: QUEST FOR GREATNESS in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia on 18 August.

Belingon needed just 62 seconds to end matters abruptly as hee began the bout-ending sequence by dropping McLaren with a well-placed overhand right.

As the Aussie crashed to the canvas, Belingon followed with a relentless volley of punches to finish the contest.

At ONE: LEGENDS OF THE WORLD in Manila, Philippines on 10 November, Belingon scored his fourth straight victory by defeating Korean-American contender Kevin “Old Boy” Chung via unanimous decision.

With his recent excellence inside the ONE Championship cage, Belingon is validating his case for a title rematch against Fernandes in 2018.

#2) Alex Silva

Yoshitaka Naito, Alex Silva

Alex “Little Rock” Silva just wrapped up a banner year in ONE Championship as the 35-year-old Brazilian submission wizard brilliantly defeated a pair of top contenders and then outclassed previously-undefeated titleholder Yoshitaka “Nobita” Naito to clinch the ONE Strawweight World Championship.

Following his third-round submission of Filipino journeyman Roy Doliguez at ONE: THRONE OF TIGERS in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia on 10 February, Alex “Little Rock” Silva displayed his elite Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu skills on another elite Japanese martial artist.

Silva met an unbeaten Hayato Suzuki, a highly-regarded wrestler and Grachan champion, on the undercard of ONE: LEGENDS OF THE WORLD in Manila, Philippines on 10 November.

Fans expected a technical ground war with two talented grapplers each wanting to showcase their best techniques, but what they got instead was a complete shocker.

From out of nowhere, Silva out-scrambled Suzuki following a takedown attempt and latched onto an armbar that forced a quick tap from Suzuki.

The result marked Suzuki’s first loss in 20 bouts as a professional and conversely catapulted Silva to an eventual world title shot weeks later.

Silva routed Naito by way of unanimous decision to bring home the ONE Strawweight World Championship in the main event of ONE: WARRIORS OF THE WORLD in Bangkok, Thailand on 9 December.

Honorable mention: Amir Khan of Singapore, Mei Yamaguchi of Japan, and Jomary Torres of the Philippines

#1) Martin Nguyen

Martin Nguyen

Martin “The Situ-Asian” Nguyen of Sydney, Australia is a highly-skilled finisher and one of the most talented martial artists in the world today.

Sporting a 10-1 professional record, Nguyen’s all-around skill set allows him to compete at the highest level of competition.

2017 had been a remarkable year for Nguyen as he captured two coveted world titles. Nguyen stepped into the ONE Championship cage on 18 August at ONE: QUEST FOR GREATNESS in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, notching his first gold under the ONE Championship banner when he stopped former undefeated featherweight champion Marat “Cobra” Gafurov to claim the ONE Featherweight World Championship.

Nguyen wrote his name in history books as the first man to hold two world titles simultaneously in ONE Championship by knocking out beloved Filipino martial arts superstar Eduard “Landslide” Folayang to bring home the ONE Lightweight World Championship in the main event of ONE: LEGENDS OF THE WORLD in Manila, Philippines on 10 November.

​For more updates on ONE Championship, please visit www.onefc.com, follow us on Twitter and Instagram @ONEChampionship, and like us on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/ONEChampionship.