What's At Stake For The Stars Of ONE: DAWN OF HEROES

By Onefc.com

The biggest martial arts event in Philippine history goes down next Friday, 2 August as ONE Championship returns to Manila for ONE: DAWN OF HEROES.

A spectacular card features more high-stakes match-ups than the Mall Of Asia Arena has ever seen on one night before – gold is on the line in two bouts, and superstars will go to battle in two World Grand Prix tournaments.

Before the martial arts superstars step under the lights in the Filipino capital, learn what they will compete for as millions of fans around the world watch on.

“The Situ-Asian’s” World Championship

Martin “The Situ-Asian” Nguyen returns to action in Manila as he puts his ONE Featherweight World Title on the line against dangerous Japanese contender Koyomi “Moushigo” Matsushima in the night’s main event.

The Vietnamese-Australian has become one of the best pound-for-pound athletes in The Home Of Martial Arts over the last couple of years thanks to his achievements in multiple divisions, but now he is focused on establishing a long-lasting legacy in his natural weight class.

He will face the toughest challenger for his belt to date in Matsushima, who can cause problems for anyone, wherever a contest takes place. The Japanese athlete showed his striking power with a first-round knockout of former World Champion Marat “Cobra” Gafurov, and then displayed his wrestling skills when he dominated “Pretty Boy” Kwon Won Il.

A win for “The Situ-Asian” will make him the most dominant competitor in featherweight history, while his rival will bid to reclaim honor for his country and become its only ONE World Champion.

Muay Thai Gold In The Flyweight Division

One of the most exciting bouts in ONE Super Series is set for the co-main event of the evening as Jonathan “The General” Haggerty defends his ONE Flyweight Muay Thai World Title for the first time against Thai phenom Rodtang “Iron Man” Jitmuangnon.

The British superstar produced the performance of his career to win the gold as he twice dropped the great Sam-A Gaiyanghadao to seal a unanimous decision win at ONE: FOR HONOR in Jakarta, Indonesia.

Now, “The General” may face an even tougher test as he meets a surging contender whose thrilling performances have made him one of the biggest fan-favorites on the ONE roster.

The current top dog is confident he can remain the only Englishman to hold a World Championship on the global stage, while Rodtang wants to take the prize back to the home of “the art of eight limbs” – Thailand.

The Second ONE Lightweight World Grand Prix Final Spot

Saygid “Dagi” Guseyn Arslanaliev has surged into the ONE Lightweight World Grand Prix tournament final with two spectacular first-round knockouts of Ev “E.T.” Ting in February and then Amir Khan in May. Now, the Turkish sensation just needs an opponent, and he will be a very interested spectator as the second semifinal takes place in Manila.

Unfortunately, injuries to Lowen Tynanes and Timofey Nastyukhin scuppered plans for two quarterfinal winners to face off, but they have been replaced by two icons of mixed martial arts.

The new semifinal will see former ONE Lightweight World Champion Eduard “Landslide” Folayang face off against four-time lightweight mixed martial arts World Champion Eddie “The Underground King” Alvarez.

This will be one of the biggest lightweight bouts in the sport’s history as highly-decorated icons from the East and West lock horns and aim to show they can still climb back to the top of the mountain.

Filipino superstar Folayang will compete on home soil in front of his legion of fans, but America’s Alvarez has made his name for facing the world’s best and upsetting the odds.

2 Places In The ONE Flyweight World Grand Prix Final

Before the lightweight tournament’s second phase concludes, the final four in the ONE Flyweight World Grand Prix will be whittled down to two as the two semifinals play a starring role in Manila.

On one side of the bracket, record-breaking, 12-time flyweight mixed martial arts World Champion Demetrious “Mighty Mouse” Johnson will take on DEEP Flyweight World Champion Tatsumitsu “The Sweeper” Wada.

Over on the other side, two natural-born entertainers will face off as the Philippines’ own Danny “The King” Kingad faces Australian star Reece “Lightning” McLaren, who stepped in for the injured Kairat “The Kazakh” Akhmetov.

The flyweight action will also be bolstered by a World Grand Prix reserve bout between Geje “Gravity” Eustaquio and Yuya ”Little Piranha” Wakamatsu. A win for either man could be a huge boost to their ambitions in the division, but it could also give them a ticket to the tournament final at ONE: CENTURY if there are any other withdrawals.