The 12 World Champions Set For Action At ONE: DAWN OF HEROES

By Onefc.com

ONE Championship will bring the biggest card of martial arts action the Philippines has ever seen to Manila this Friday, 2 August.

ONE: DAWN OF HEROES is stacked with elite athletes across two World Title contests, three World Grand Prix battles, and a supporting undercard of elite Muay Thai and mixed martial arts.

The line-up features some of the most celebrated names in combat history, including a dozen World Champion athletes from multiple disciplines.

These are all 12 set for action in the Mall Of Asia Arena.

Martin Nguyen

Martin “The Situ-Asian” Nguyen’s aim is to retain the ONE Featherweight World Championship at the top of the bill in Manila.

The Vietnamese-Australian is also a former ONE Lightweight World Champion, but he vacated that lightweight crown to concentrate on his natural weight class.

On Friday, he will face off against his toughest challenger yet – Japan’s Koyomi “Moushigo” Matsushima – in his third World Title defense.

Jonathan Haggerty

As well as winning two of the most exciting ONE Super Series contests we have ever seen, Jonathan “The General” Haggerty also claimed the ONE Flyweight Muay Thai World Title in his thriller with Sam-A Gaiyanghadao back in May.

Before he joined the world’s largest martial arts organization, “The General” won ISKA and Roar Combat League World Titles to earmark himself as one of the greatest proponents of “the art of eight limbs” outside of Thailand.

Rodtang Jitmuangnon

Rodtang “The Iron Man” Jitmuangnon has won two Omnoi Stadium Muay Thai World Championships, but if belts were awarded for excitement, the fearless Thai superstar would be even more decorated.

He will, however, have the chance to add another accolade to his collection when he challenges Haggerty for the ONE Flyweight Muay Thai World Championship in the ONE: DAWN OF HEROES co-main event.

Eduard Folayang

Filipino hero Eduard “Landslide” Folayang is one of of the most successful and revered competitors ever to grace the ONE Circle thanks to his two reigns as ONE Lightweight World Champion.

If he can win in front of his compatriots in Manila, he will move to within one more match of challenging for the gold once again.

Eddie Alvarez

There are very few competitors in mixed martial arts history that can rival Eddie “The Underground King” Alvarez’s résumé.

The American superstar has won World Title gold in his nation’s two biggest organizations, and now his main focus is claiming martial arts’ biggest prize in ONE.

He will square off against Folayang in the ONE Lightweight World Grand Prix for a place in the final against Saygid “Dagi” Guseyn Arslanaliev.

Demetrious Johnson

Demetrious “Mighty Mouse” Johnson is the most dominant World Champion in mixed martial arts history, and considered to be the greatest competitor of all time by many of his peers, fans, and analysts.

“Mighty Mouse” won the UFC Flyweight World Title and then defended it eleven consecutive times, smashing promotional records along the way.

Tatsumitsu Wada

He has a colossal task ahead of him, but Tatsumitsu “The Sweeper” Wada has the skill and experience to cause an upset.

The DEEP Flyweight World Champion booked his ticket into the ONE Flyweight World Grand Prix semifinals with a win over Gustavo Balart, and now he will face Johnson for a place in the tournament’s final.

Rodlek PK.Saenchaimuaythaigym

Another Thai icon will return to action in ONE Super Series, as Channel 7 Stadium Muay Thai World Champion Rodlek PK.Saenchaimuaythaigym is set to bring his blistering offense to the Mall Of Asia Arena.

He will face late replacement Andrew “Maddog Fairtex” Miller in a bantamweight Muay Thai clash.

Geje Eustaquio

Team Lakay’s Geje “Gravity” Eustaquio is a former ONE Flyweight World Champion, and one of his division’s most seasoned campaigners.

He takes on Yuya “Little Piranha” Wakamatsu in a reserve bout for the ONE Flyweight World Grand Prix. In the event of an injury to one of the finalists, a win could see him enter the fray, as long as it is not against his teammate and protegé Danny “The King” Kingad.

Mauro Cerilli

Fresh off his first victory in ONE, hard-hitting Italian Mauro “The Hammer” Cerilli is back in action and on the hunt for a second shot at the ONE Heavyweight World Title.

The CWFC Heavyweight World Champion will face a tough test in the form of debuting Indian wrestling sensation, Arjan “Singh” Bhullar.

Honorio Banario

Honorio “The Rock” Banario joins four of his teammates from Baguio City’s Team Lakay on the bill in his home nation of the Philippines and, like Folayang and Eustaquio, he is a former ONE World Champion.

“The Rock” was the inaugural king of the featherweight division, but he is now a veteran campaigner in the lightweight division, where he will take on South Korean star “Crazy Dog” Dae Sung Park.

Leandro Issa

BJJ World Champion Leandro “Brodinho” Issa has used his grappling acumen to submit 11 opponents in his mixed martial arts career, and work his way to the upper echelon of the ONE bantamweight division.

The Evolve representative takes on durable Shooto Pacific Rim Champion Daichi Takenaka on 2 August.

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