Complete card announced at ONE: IRON WILL set for March 24 in Bangkok

 Bibiano Fernandes, Martin Nguyen

5 March 2018 – Bangkok, Thailand: The largest global sports media property in Asian history, ONE Championship™ (ONE), has just announced the complete card at ONE: IRON WILL, set for 24 March at the Impact Arena in Bangkok, Thailand. In the main event, reigning ONE Bantamweight World Champion Bibiano “The Flash” Fernandes of Brazil will defend his title against ONE Featherweight & Lightweight World Champion Martin “The Situ-Asian” Nguyen of Sydney, Australia.

Ticket information for ONE: IRON WILL is available at www.onefc.com

Chatri Sityodtong, Chairman and CEO of ONE Championship, stated: “I am super excited to announce another huge world title bout as reigning ONE Bantamweight World Champion Bibiano Fernandes will face two-division ONE Featherweight & Lightweight World Champion Martin Nguyen at ONE: IRON WILL. It’s a tremendous matchup, and one that the whole world wants to see. I have no doubt that these two warriors will be putting on a great show for everyone watching live in Bangkok. This is the biggest martial arts event in the history of Thailand, and I can’t wait to be in Bangkok for this one. It’s going to be absolutely phenomenal.”

37-year-old Bibiano “The Flash” Fernandes of Brazil is the reigning ONE Bantamweight World Champion, and widely considered one of the best martial artists in the world bar none. He made his ONE Championship debut back in 2012 and captured the bantamweight world title in 2013. Since then, Fernandes has remained unbeaten inside the ONE Championship cage, showcasing tremendous striking and grappling ability and an unwavering will to win. In his most recent bout, Fernandes made quick work of top divisional contender Andrew Leone, submitting the American with a rear-naked choke in the very first round. In his next title defense, Fernandes is set to face ONE Championship two-division titleholder, Martin Nguyen.

29-year-old Martin “The Situ-Asian” Nguyen is one of the most highly-regarded martial arts champions in the world. With an impressive 10-1 professional record, which includes three submissions and seven knockouts, Nguyen’s all-around skill set allows him to perform at the highest level of competition. All of Nguyen’s wins have come by exciting finish. In his most recent bout, Nguyen scored a scintillating knockout victory over the Philippines’ Eduard Folayang to become the first man in the history of ONE Championship to hold two titles simultaneously in two different weight divisions. Nguyen now reigns as the ONE Featherweight & Lightweight World Champion, and this March in Bangkok, he attempts to make history once again in going for his third world title in as many divisions. Nguyen is scheduled to face ONE Bantamweight World Champion Bibiano “The Flash” Fernandes in his next bid for greatness.

Garry “The Lion Killer” Tonon of the United States is a Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt under Tom deBlass and Ricardo Almeida. He is a No Gi specialist who has clinched multiple world titles at the IBJJF World and Pan American Championships. At age 14, Tonon fell in love with wrestling and grappling and has developed into a bonafide grappling superstar over the course of his career. He is a prominent fixture in submission-only format competitions such as Metamoris, Polaris and the Eddie Bravo Invitational. After defeating Japanese legend Shinya Aoki via heel hook in a Grappling Super-Match in May of 2017, Tonon announced that he would transition to the ONE Championship cage. He makes his cage debut against Richard Corminal.

Filipino lightweight competitor Richard “Notorious” Corminal is a Filipino martial artist based in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, training out of MuayFit. He holds a professional record of four wins and three losses, with each of his career victories to date coming by way of knockout. In his most recent bout, Corminal succumbed to Frenchman Arnaud LePont via first-round submission. Corminal now aims for redemption, as he aims to spoil the much-anticipated debut of Garry Tonon.

Former ONE Strawweight World Champion Dejdamrong Sor Amnuaysirichoke is a three-time Lumpinee Stadium Muay Thai world champion with a Muay Thai record of 282-65-3 and an 8-3 professional record in ONE Championship. He is known as a technical striker with quick hands and lightning feet, employing some of the most unique and creative offensive combinations. As a martial artist with over 25 years of competitive experience, Dejdamrong is a seasoned veteran. Next, the Thai warrior goes up against Jeremy Miado.

Strawweight contender Jeremy “The Jaguar” Miado of Manila, Philippines is a martial artist with a 6-2 professional record and a former Blaze FC Strawweight Champion. He is a Muay Thai and boxing practitioner who owns a Muay Thai record of 76-7. In his most recent bout, Miado went shot for shot with rising Thai star Pongsiri Mitsatit. Miado is now ready to get back in the win column, and will face Muay Thai legend and former champion Dejdamrong Sor Amnuaysirichoke.

Light heavyweight knockout artist Alain “The Panther” Ngalani, who trains out of Impakt MMA in Hong Kong but is originally from Cameroon, is a terrifying combination of power and speed, and is always looking to end matches early. Owning a 25-7-1, 2 NC kickboxing record which includes 23 knockouts, Ngalani is a heavyweight world champion in Muay Thai and kickboxing. Last September, Ngalani scored a record-setting 11-second KO of former ONE Heavyweight World Title Challenger Hideki Sekine. Next for Ngalani is a matchup against Ariunbold Tur-Ochir.

28-year-old Ariunbold Tur-Ochir of Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia is set to make his ONE Championship debut. A boxing stylist with fast and powerful hands, Tur-Ochir is a Mongolian champion representing Irves Team. With a professional record of 4-1, Tur-Ochir joins a growing light heavyweight roster in ONE. He will be tasked to face the colossal Alain Ngalani in his first bout for the promotion.

29-year-old Shannon “OneShin” Wiratchai of Thailand is one of the most thrilling offensive innovators in ONE Championship. The creator of the OneShin Striking System, Wiratchai developed his own style which incorporates various elements from Muay Thai, boxing, wrestling, and Brazilian jiu-jitsu. Training out of Tiger Muay Thai and Bangkok Fight Lab, Wiratchai emerges as Thailand’s biggest and most exciting martial arts star. Wiratchai seeks to return to his winning ways as he faces Rahul Raju in his next contest.

“The Kerala Krusher” Rahul Raju of India is a 26-year-old Kung Fu stylist based in Singapore and trains out of the prestigious Juggernaut Fight Club. He is a former Ultimate Satira Champion and owns a professional record of 5-1. With heavy hands, Raju is known for his great knockout power and undeniable striking ability. He makes his ONE Championship debut against Shannon Wiratchai.

Jake Butler of the United States has firmly established himself as one of the top elite wrestlers in ONE Championship. He owns a highlight reel of victories with exciting finishes, and possesses some of the best wrestling and grappling in the sport having honed his skills as captain of the Princeton wrestling team. With a professional record of 7-2, Butler is unstoppable when he utilizes his signature techniques, but has also improved his striking skills by training with Muay Thai world champions in Asia. He takes on the tough Gilberto Galvao in his return to the ONE Championship cage.

Gilberto “Giba” Galvão is a martial arts veteran from Brazil, with extensive experience of over 30 professional bouts spanning over a decade in the cage. A solid top contender at middleweight, Galvao has competed largely in Brazil and has compiled 29 total victories, more than half of which have ended in submissions. A former Aspera FC Middleweight Champion, Galvao is looking to make run at the middleweight title, but will have to first go through talented American Jake Butler.

Rika “Tinydoll” Ishige is a 28-year-old female atomweight from Thailand who trains out of Tiger Muay Thai and Bangkok Fight Lab. She is of mixed Japanese and Thai heritage, beginning her martial arts training at age 9 with aikido and taekwondo. Heavily influenced by her late father who trained in judo, Ishige went on to hone her skills as a martial artist, and turned professional earlier this year. All of Ishige’s victories have ended via impressive finish, showcasing her high-level grappling skills. In her last bout, Ishige defeated Rome Trinidad by second-round submission. Ishige will look for her second-straight win when she takes on newcomer Angelie Sabnal.

28-year-old Angelie Sabnal of Cagayan de Oro City, Philippines is a former Muay Thai practitioner now making her professional cage debut. A national Muay Thai silver medalist, Sabnal hones her wide array of skills with other great talent at Mindanao Ultimate. The Filipino prospect is set to make her first appearance in ONE Championship. She will be taking on rising Thai star Rika Ishige.

Talented Turkish lightweight contender by way of Dagestan, Russia, Saygid Guseyn Arslanaliev is rapidly making a name for himself as an unstoppable force inside the ONE Championship cage. He has just four victories and only one loss so far in his young martial arts career, but they are four of the fastest finishes in the promotion, resulting in an average cage time of just under a minute. Three of Saygid’s wins have come by technical knockout and one by submission, with all coming in the very first round. The 23-year-old from Istanbul will take on Tetsuya Yamada in his next challenge.

27-year-old Tetsuya Yamada of Kanagawa, Japan, is a promising young martial artist with a distinct ability to seek out highlight-reel stoppages. He made his ONE Championship debut in January of 2016 in an extremely high-level wrestling showdown against Eduard Folayang of the Philippines. A seasoned grappler, over half of Yamada’s 24 career victories have come by spectacular finish, with the ability to end bouts either by submission or knockout. In his most recent bout, Yamada made very quick work of Kyle Rozewski to win by first-round rear naked choke. Yamada will take on the dangerous Saygid Guseyn Arslanaliev.

Kaji “Alpha” Ebin is a 26-year-old martial artist from Manila, Philippines and a bantamweight newcomer in ONE Championship. Primarily a kickboxer who stifles opponents with his quick strikes and fluid combinations, Ebin is looking to make an impact in his first appearance as a ONE Championship athlete, squaring off with Indonesia’s Sunoto.

Indonesian martial arts veteran “The Terminator” Sunoto is a ONE Championship bantamweight and a former WKF Indonesia Champion. Representing IndoGym and Team Phantom, Sunoto features a style that combines elements of kickboxing, karate, and jiu-jitsu. With a penchant for scoring spectacular finishes, five of Sunoto’s seven victories have ended before the final bell. The 32-year-old is known as an aggressive warrior who never backs down from a challenge. In his last outing, Sunoto continued to impress on the global stage as he submitted Rin Saroth in the second round. His next bout will be against Kaji Ebin of the Philippines.

Strawweight contender Kritsada “Dream Man” Kongsrichai of Thailand is a talented martial artist and one of the most promising young athletes in ONE Championship. He made his promotional debut in ONE’s first ever show in Bangkok in 2016, stopping opponent Kev Hemmorlor via first-round technical knockout. In his last outing, Kongsrichai made quick work of the Philippines’ Rabin Catalan, finishing his opponent via first-round technical knockout. Kongsrichai wants to give another spectacular performance, this time against Rabin’s brother, Robin Catalan.

27-year old Robin “The Ilonggo” Catalan of Cagayan de Oro City, Philippines, is a member of the Catalan fighting family and a martial artist competing in the ONE Championship strawweight division. He currently owns a record of six wins and three losses, which includes two wins by submission and two by knockout. In his last bout, Catalan dropped a TKO loss to former champion Dejdamrong Sor Amnuaysirichoke. Now, Catalan is set to face Thailand’s Kritsada Kongsrichai.

Waqar “Psycho” Umar of Lahore, Pakistan is a featherweight with a 4-4 professional record. He is known as a Pakistani combat sports veteran. All four of his victories have come by submission, made possible by his well-established grappling skills. Inside the ONE Championship cage, he’s faced the likes of Peter Davis, Amir Khan, and Benedict Ang. His next task is to take on rising Chinese star Zhao Zhi Kang.

23-year-old Zhao Zhi Kang of Inner Mongolia is a top Chinese martial arts star with a professional record of 23-3. He is a former Chinese sanda champion. Although Zhao considers himself a striker first, the young competitor boasts of incredible submission skills, this in addition to his undeniable knockout power. In his most recent bout, Zhao submitted Thai Rithy in the first round. Representing Shanxi Xindu Martial Arts Club, Zhao will take on Waqar Umar in his return to action.

ONE: IRON WILL

Saturday, 24 March

Impact Arena, Bangkok, Thailand

Prelims start at 7:00 PM local time

Main card starts at 8:30 PM local time

Main Event

Bibiano Fernandes vs Martin Nguyen

ONE Bantamweight World Championship

Main Card

Garry Tonon vs Richard Corminal

Lightweight

Dejdamrong Sor Amnuaysirichoke vs Jeremy Miado

Strawweight

Alain Ngalani vs Ariunbold Tur-Ochir

Light Heavyweight

Shannon Wiratchai vs Rahul Raju

Lightweight

Jake Butler vs Gilberto Galvao

Middleweight

Rika Ishige vs Angelie Sabanal

Atomweight

Saygid Guseyn Arslanaliev vs Tetsuya Yamada

Lightweight

Prelims

Kaji Ebin vs Sunoto

Bantamweight

Kritsada Kongsrichai vs Robin Catalan

Strawweight

Waqar Umar vs Zhao Zhi Kang

Featherweight

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.

Upcoming challenge ignites Bibiano Fernandes’ drive to extend reign as bantamweight king

Bibiano Fernandes

ONE Bantamweight World Champion Bibiano “The Flash” Fernandes has certainly proven himself to be the world’s best bantamweight martial artist. Holding a black belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and a five-time world champion in the discipline known as the Gentle Art, he showcased tremendous striking and grappling ability inside the ONE Championship cage for years.

Fernandes has been the ONE Bantamweight World Champion since becoming the promotion’s official 65.8-kilogram kingpin in October 2013 when he outpointed Soo Chul Kim in a title unification bout. The 37-year-old native of Manaus, Brazil is currently riding high on an impressive 13-match winning streak and has not been beaten yet in ONE Championship since joining Asia’s

premier martial arts organization in 2012.

Bibiano Fernandes, Andrew Leone

A gallant cage warrior who has not lost a single match in almost seven years, Fernandes has answered a promotional record seven title challenges with victory and is looking to extend his winning roll. He puts his ONE Bantamweight World Championship title on the line for the eighth time on 24 March as he collides with two-division world champion Martin “The Situ-Asian” Nguyen in the main event of ONE: IRON WILL, which takes place at the Impact Arena in Bangkok, Thailand.

Known by the moniker “The Flash” due to his finesse on the mat and his savvy for swift submission triumphs, Fernandes has the opportunity to put the bar up for most successful title defenses as a bantamweight and in ONE Championship history. However, it will not be a walk in the park for Fernandes as he shares the global stage with Nguyen, who has scored five knockouts in his last six outings.

Bibiano Fernandes

“When Chatri Sityodtong (Chairman and CEO of ONE Championship) called me and asked me what I thought about facing Martin Nguyen. I said it would be great. If that is what he wants, I will do it because that is my job. I have to defend my belt. It does not matter who it is. I am willing to face anyone,” he mentioned.

“I have already beaten everybody in the weight class, so when Chatri said Nguyen wanted to come for my belt, I was open to the idea. Now, I do not have to face anybody that I have already beaten. I think this is a very good opportunity. It is not only good for me, but it is also good for the organization and good for the business,” Fernandes added.

Although success has been synonymous to his name as he has been cleaning out the rest of the division, Fernandes does not still give a room for complacency against Nguyen.

“I am a motivated guy. I do not need someone to motivate me to face him. I do not work like that. I am just here to do my job as a professional martial artist. It is not about motivation, but it is about the challenge,” he explained.

“For me, Nguyen is a challenge. Let’s see how good he is. Let’s see how tough he is, and let’s see how good his skills are. I want to see that,” Fernandes further stated.

The 28-year-old Vietnamese-Australian dual titleholder is one of the most talked about martial artists in the world today after notching a scintillating knockout victory over the Philippines’ Eduard Folayang in November 2017 to become the first man in ONE Championship history to hold two world titles simultaneously in two different weight divisions.

Nguyen seeks to make history again as he squares off with Fernandes, putting all the stops as he attempts to snare a third world title.

“His main strength is that he is a one-punch guy. If you watch his matches, he has one-punch power. He waits to throw that punch,” Fernandes said of Nguyen.

Despite coming into the scheduled five-round championship contest as the heavy favorite, many cageside observers believe that a tough test awaits Fernandes in the stand-up exchanges due to his opponent’s knockout power.

However, Fernandes asserted that he has a fair share of knowledge in terms of delivering blows from a toe-to-toe stance.

“I faced so many guys in my career with hard punches, and I handled those guys. He has good power, but I have good power as well. People think I am a Jiu-Jitsu guy, but if you look back at my matches, I have dropped people and I finish people. I do everything,” he warned.

While his list of preys includes talented bantamweights like Toni Tauru, Kevin Belingon, Reece McLaren and Andrew Leone, Fernandes credits all of his accomplishment to hard work and in-depth preparation.

“I train hard. Confidence in my training is more important. Training makes me win. I always say that. I am confident that I will bring a good fight. That is how I am. That is always what I do. I can bring the victory, for sure,” he shared.

Fernandes makes sure that the title tilt versus Nguyen will live up to its hype and promises that he will push the action from bell to bell.

“I push the fight. If he won’t fight, I’ll make him fight. It’s always the same for everybody,” he assured.

Ringstar's Michael Dasmarinas shows Philippine media what he's made of at open workshop at Kerry Sports

Ringstar’s Michael Dasmarinas who topbills ‘Roar of Singapore IV - Night of Champions’ at the Singapore Indoor Stadium on April 20, shows off his wares at a packed open workout at Kerry Sports at Shangri-La, BGC.

08 MARCH 2018 - MANILA, PHILIPPINES: Ringstar’s Michael “Gloves on Fire” Dasmarinas, impressed the packed crowd at Kerry Sports at Shangri-La at the Fort, with his speed and strong punches, at an open media workout held recently. He is set to take on French boxer Karim Guerfi on April 20, 2018, and both are eyeing the International Boxing Organization (IBO) world title in the main card of Ringstar’s "Roar of Singapore IV - Night of Champions" to be held at the 10,000-seater Singapore Indoor Stadium.

Dasmarinas, who is currently ranked 12th by the World Boxing Council (WBC) says, “Suportahan niyo po ako at pagdasal sa laban na ito sa April 20 sa Singapore, at sana po manalo tayo.  Hindi lang po ito para sa pamilya ko, para sa bansa din natin ito.”  (Please support and pray for my fight on April 20 in Singapore, I hope we win.  This is not only for my family, it is also for the country.)

Ringstar Boxing, Asia’s fastest growing sports media property has now reached an overwhelming broadcast footprint of over a potential billion viewers across the globe, and is currently gearing up for its April 20 show, ‘The Roar of Singapore IV – ‘Night of Champions’, to be held at the 10,000-seater Singapore Indoor Stadium.

Tickets are now available at www.sportshub.com.sg/RoarofSG4.  

Ticket prices for VVIP tables at SGD 5,000, with early bird rates at SGD 4,000, up to March 20, 2018.  This includes a 4-course dinner with free-flowing wine and beer, VVIP gift bag which includes Ringstar shirts, corporate branding on the table, half-page ad in the fight program, exclusive VIP entrance and red-carpet access and photo opportunities with top celebrities and world-renowned athletes.

Category 1 Seats are at SGD 48, with early bird rates at SGD 38 while Stadium Seats are at SGD 38, with early bird rates at SGD 28.  

Promo code ‘RINGSTAR’ will entitle ticket buyers 50% off the rates, over and above the early bird rate, (for tickets only).  

Sponsors and Partners of ‘Night of Champions’ include Roomaif International and Alexandre Christie.

For more information on promo codes and ‘RoarofSG4’, please visit www.sportshub.com.sg/roarofsg4.

Initial bouts announced at 'ONE: Visions of Victory' set for March 9, 2018 in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

07 February 2018 – Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia: The largest global sports media property in Asian history, ONE Championship™ (ONE), has just announced its return to Malaysia’s bustling capital city of Kuala Lumpur. ONE: VISIONS OF VICTORY is set to ignite the Axiata Stadium with an evening of authentic martial arts action. While a main event is yet to be announced, ONE Championship has revealed a handful of compelling bouts featuring the absolute best in local and international martial arts talent.

Ticket information for ONE: VISIONS OF VICTORY is available at www.onefc.com.

Agilan “Alligator” Thani of Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia is a 22-year-old martial artist and one of the top welterweights in ONE Championship. Thani’s quick rise through the ranks has seen him amass a stellar 8-1 professional record, including a title shot against former ONE Welterweight World Champion Ben Askren in May of 2017. Although Thani fell short of victory against the American, he gained a great amount of experience as a result and has emerged as a more seasoned combatant. All but one of Thani’s victories have come by exciting finish. The young Malaysian has shown steady improvement in each outing and he will now face Amitesh Chaubey in his next assignment.

Amitesh Chaubey is a martial artist from India and a welterweight newcomer in ONE Championship. He owns a professional record of 8-5 and is a former SFL Welterweight Champion known for his knockout power. Primarily a boxing stylist who stifles opponents with his quick hands and fluid combinations, Chaubey joins a deep ONE Championship welterweight division looking for a new champion. He takes on former welterweight title challenger Agilan Thani in his promotional debut.

19-year-old Christian “The Warrior” Lee, 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. He has impressed fans with his ability to seek out stoppage wins over top-caliber opponents. A former Pankration World Champion, Lee toppled Japanese veteran and former ONE Lightweight World Champion Kotetsu Boku in his most recent bout, winning by first-round technical knockout to improve his record to 8-1. Known as a creative and fluid striker with unorthodox grappling technique, Lee is now set to face another Japanese veteran in Kazunori Yokota.

39-year-old Kazunori Yokota of Chiba, Japan is a martial arts fixture with over 12 years of professional experience under his belt. A champion of Japanese promotion, DEEP, Yokota is one of the toughest competitors at featherweight as he has constantly punished his opponents and grinded out impressive victories. Yokota made his ONE Championship debut in May of 2016, challenging former ONE Featherweight World Champion Marat Gafurov for the title. Yokota sports a stellar record of 26-7-3 and in his most recent bout, submitted his opponent in another promotion. Now, Yokota is set to take on the surging Christian Lee.

Malaysia’s Gianni Subba is a 25-year old flyweight talent from the capital city of Kuala Lumpur. He spends time carefully honing his craft with talented teammates, including brother Keanu, at Bali MMA in Indonesia. A winner of six of his last seven bouts, Subba is a seasoned athlete with a stellar 9-2 clip in his young career. Five of his nine wins have come either by submission or by crowd-pleasing knockout. In his next assignment, the crafty wushu specialist Danny Kingad poses a stern challenge.

Top flyweight talent from the famed Team Lakay of Baguio City, Danny “The King” Kingad is a regional wushu champion with a wushu record of 29-1 and martial artist with a professional record of 8-1. A true warrior from the mountains of the Philippines and one of the top prospects to come out of the country, Kingad is a tremendous striker who possesses well-rounded grappling skills. In his most recent bout, Kingad suffered the first defeat of his career after being submitted by reigning ONE Flyweight World Champion Adriano Moraes in the first round. Kingad will now return to action against Gianni Subba.

Former amateur standout Muhammad Aiman of Malaysia is one of the country’s fastest rising young martial arts talents. Featuring a well-rounded skill set, Aiman has impressed in his time inside the ONE Championship cage thus far, defeating Hisyam Samsudin by unanimous decision in his first match in the promotion before stopping Brazilian grappler Eduardo Novaes in his second outing. In his most recent contest, Aiman thoroughly dominated Chinese prospect Yang Fei to win a unanimous decision. The 23-year-old is now set to take on his next challenge in Burn Soriano.

Burn “The Hitman” Soriano of Ilocos Sur, Philippines, is coming off a tough contest against China’s Chen Lei last November. The Filipino featherweight features an aggressive style, with solid power and seasoned grappling technique leading to all of his wins to date coming by way of stoppage. His 15-second spinning back fist knockout of Indonesia’s Mario Sitya Wirawan in 2016 was one of the fastest finishes in ONE history. A national kickboxing champion with a kickboxing record of 14-3, Soriano has shown steady improvement over his last few contests and now looks for victory next against Muhammad Aiman.

18-year-old Jihin Radzuan of Johor Bahru, Malaysia is a highly-touted young martial arts prospect making her ONE Championship debut. A well-rounded competitor, Radzuan is a Muay Thai and boxing practitioner with a blue belt in Brazilian jiu-jitsu. A former Southeast Asian Open Gold and Silver Medalist in Muay Thai, Radzuan is known for her varied striking skills and terrific knockout power. Radzuan will step into the ONE Championship cage in Kuala Lumpur to face Puja Tomar.

Flyweight competitor Puja Tomar is a martial artist from India with a professional record of three wins and two losses. With a knack for showcasing her solid striking skills, Tomar has recorded all three of her victories by knockout. Competing largely in her home country of India, the former India wushu champion Tomar now makes her second appearance on the biggest stage in Asian martial arts as she is set to face Jihin Radzuan in the ONE Championship cage.

Hisyam “Zephyrus” Samsudin of Malaysia is a former WBF Asia-Pacific Light Heavyweight Boxing Champion who trains at the highly-regarded Borneo Tribal Squad with former female strawweight talent Ann “Athena” Osman and coach AJ “Pyro” Lias Mansor. Samsudin likes to pepper opponents with heavy handed strikes, utilizing his world-class boxing base to break down opponents. Samsudin’s next assignment is against Jerome S. Paye.

Liberian martial artist Jerome S. Paye made his ONE Championship debut in February 2016 against China’s Li Hao Jie. In the bout, Paye showcased a well-rounded set of techniques, stifling his opponent with an array of striking combinations. With the ability to make bouts difficult for any opponent, Paye has shown incredible heart and determination in his time inside the ONE Championship cage. This time Paye will take on Malaysia’s Hisyam Samsudin.

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.

Singaporean martial arts prodigy Amir Khan marches on to fulfill destiny

Amir Khan 

Persistence plays a pivotal role in life. It is defined as continuing to move on with whatever goal has been planned originally even though an external event or initial losses may have slowed down, or temporarily halt a person while the person is on the way towards achieving their goals. It requires a person to continue keeping their mental attitude positive no matter what happened.

Singapore martial arts sensation Amir Khan had to hold onto his persistence as he found out at an early age that life was never a straightforward pathway.

The 23-year-old prospect from Singapore is a self-described introvert as he was once embarrassed by his peers due to the involuntary tics and twitches that were caused by having the neurological disorder Tourette's Syndrome.

Although Khan has learned to control his tics now, life was very different for him when he was younger.

“Growing up, I used to have spasms. I used to shake my head a lot. I would blink my eyes and make facial expressions. When I was younger, it was really bad. When I was in school, the other kids would pick on me and imitate me. It was tough growing up with it,” he recalled.

Khan took up martial arts to gain confidence after a difficult time at school, when his Tourette's Syndrome was at its worst.

"After I did martial arts, partly because I look better and mentally I feel better as well, I have more confidence," he said. “I didn't really enjoy my school days. After a while, I gained more confidence and it subsided. I felt more confident and I wasn't embarrassed about myself.”

With a supportive family behind him, Khan never felt his condition prevented him from achieving his goals.

Khan started his martial arts journey at the age of 13, having the sudden impulse to learn Muay Thai and quickly falling in love with it. He discovered that Muay Thai, which is widely regarded as the art of eight limbs, helped him focus and eventually overcome his disorder.

“I believe martial arts has helped me through my Tourette’s. Whenever I felt like I could not control my Tourette’s, then I would go to the gym and I would sweat it out. I felt relaxed and better after each session,” he stated.

“In martial arts, you cannot really take your eyes off your opponent when you are sparring with him. You have got to really focus, or else you will get hurt, so it definitely taught me how to focus, and I was able to bring it over into real-life situations,” he added.

Muay Thai began to flow through Khan’s blood, and soon at the tender age of 14, he competed in his first amateur contest.

After a few more bouts, he spent two months training in Thailand, which led him to consider turning professional.

After mastering Muay Thai that demands steady hands and Zen-like concentration despite having Tourette's Syndrome, Khan transitioned to the constantly-evolving world of mixed martial arts, winning his first four amateur bouts from 2012 to 2014 in the U.S. state of Louisiana.

Khan honed his skills there for nearly four years before returning to Singapore, aspiring to make himself a household name.

Four years later, Khan is considered one of the most promising young talents to represent Singapore on the international stage of martial arts like ONE Championship.

Holding a professional record of 9-2, Khan is currently riding high on a six-match winning streak with his victories coming by way of exciting finish.

In his recent trip to the ONE Championship cage last November, Khan figured in his most impressive performance yet, overwhelming lightweight veteran Adrian “The Hunter” Pang with a showcase of impeccable striking and great takedown defense.

Khan will once again strut his wares on the global stage as he takes on Russian wrecking machine Timofey Nastyukhin at ONE: QUEST FOR GOLD, which takes place at the Thuwunna Indoor Stadium in Yangon, Myanmar on 23 February.

While Khan admitted his decision to choose a path less travelled has earned him the derision of his naysayers, he is determined to prove them wrong by carving a successful career in the sport.

“I try to stay positive, but then sometimes people will talk and negative thoughts go into your head,” he stressed. “Some of them are sarcastic and mock me for taking the sport so seriously. They question if I can make a living out of it, and ask what happens when I’m old and have no other skills.

“So I tell them to watch me. In ten years, let’s see who’s successful. I have my long-term goals in the sport and I’ll remain focused on achieving them. That’s the best way to prove my critics wrong,” he said.

Among Khan’s goals is to inspire others to pursue their dreams and passion wholeheartedly. In order to champion that cause, he knows that he will first have to show that he can reach the top and win a ONE Championship world title.

“My current goal is to be a world champion on a big global promotion like ONE Championship. What I hope to do is inspire people to chase what they love. I want my martial arts career to be proof that if you have the passion for something, and if you’re good at it, you’ll be able to make a living out of it,” he ended.

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 Amir Khan, Vaughn Donayre

Amir Khan, Yuji Shimada, Adrian Pang

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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.

2 Pinoys to headline Ringstar Boxing's 'Roar of Singapore IV- Night of Champions' on April 20

Fight poster for ‘Roar of Singapore IV - Night of Champions’ 

05 FEBRUARY 2018 - SINGAPORE: Expect an action-packed fight night at Ringstar Boxing’s ‘Roar of Singapore IV - Night of Champions’ on April 20, which will be held at the Singapore Indoor Stadium.  The back-to-back IBO and WBC event will also be the first professional boxing bout at the venue. 

The ‘Night of Champions’ will have 3 main events, with unbeaten Singaporean boxer Muhamad “The Chosen Wan” Ridhwan (9-0), who will go against 23-year old Filipino boxer Jeson Umbal, currently ranked 8 places higher than Ridhwan in their IBO ranking.  At stake is the vacant Intercontinental Featherweight title for both boxers.  

Another Filipino boxer who is making waves in his country, Michael Dasmarinas, will go against French boxer Karim Guerfi, at stake is an IBO world championship title. Finally, the last main event will witness Malaysia’s Mirage Kahn show his wares against New Zealander Chase “Hellboy” Haley, who will be defending his current IBO Oceania title, as they both challenge each other for the vacant WBC Asia Continental light heavyweight title.

Ringstar Founder & CEO Scott Farrell says, “We are Asia’s hottest sporting property and we have raised the bar by having the first professional international boxing match at the Singapore Indoor Stadium - a premiere venue in Singapore.”

Tickets go live on February 10, 2018, with ticket prices for VVIP tables at SGD 5,000, with early bird rates at SGD 4,000, up to March 20, 2018.  This includes a 4-course dinner with free-flowing wine and beer, VVIP gift bag which includes Ringstar shirts, corporate branding on the table, half-page ad in the fight program, exclusive VIP entrance and red-carpet access and photo opportunities with top celebrities and world-renowned athletes.

The VIP Ringside Seats are at SGD 288, with early bird rates of SGD 200 up to March 20, 2018 while Stadium Seating are at SGD 38, with early bird rates at SGD 20. Promo codes will also be released on sale date - February 10, 2018.

Sponsors and partners of ‘Night of Champions’ include Roomaif International, and Marina Bay Sands, which will be the official venue for the pre-fight events, such as the press conference and the weigh-ins, also for the post-fight events.

For more information, please visit www.ringstar-boxing.com.  Tickets go live on sale on February 10, at www.sportshub.com.sg/roarofsg4