The largest sports media property in Asian history, ONE Championship™ (ONE) will return to Manila, Philippines for a highly-anticipated match between top ranked heavyweight contenders Brandon “The Truth” Vera and Chi Lewis “Chopper” Parry at the Mall of Asia (MOA) Arena on 11 December 2015, with the winner set to be crowned the inaugural ONE Heavyweight World Champion.
ONE: SPIRIT OF CHAMPIONS will play host to the titanic showdown, as world-renowned Muay Thai stylist and 8-time Grappler’s Quest Champion Vera looks to claim the gold against unbeaten British kickboxing stalwart Parry, who challenged the Filipino-American Vera after both fighters recorded recent first round knockout wins. Filipino mixed martial arts superstars Ana Julaton, Mark Striegl and Ruel Catalan also return to the ONE Cage to electrify Filipino fight fans who are expected to pack the rafters.
CEO of ONE Championship, Victor Cui stated, “Each year in Manila, we try to outdo ourselves by putting on increasingly exciting fight cards for passionate fight fans in the Philippines. In addition to the already tremendous main event bout between heavyweights Brandon Vera and Chi Lewis Parry, we are bringing back fan favorites Ana Julaton, Mark Striegl and Ruel Catalan. Get ready for an amazing night of world-class MMA action!”
Tickets for ONE: SPIRIT OF CHAMPIONS are available now at www.smtickets.com.
The owner of eight KO victories, Brandon Vera is one of the most recognizable figures in the game, as well as one of the most feared Muay Thai practitioners in the world. Renowned for possessing outstanding striking technique, Vera devastated Ukrainian heavyweight Igor Subora with a straight left and a flurry of kicks in his ONE Championship debut to the delight of the fans in Manila. Now, Vera looks to utilize his outstanding ability and vast experience fighting some of the very best fighters in the world to his advantage as he accepts the challenge of prospect Chi Lewis Parry.
At six feet and nine inches tall, colossal British stand out Chi Lewis Parry has one of the most imposing frames in MMA today, with an outstanding professional record to match. With five first round finishes to his credit, Parry remains undefeated in MMA competition and has immediately turned his attention to Brandon “The Truth” Vera in his quest for the heavyweight title. At ONE: SPIRIT OF CHAMPIONS, Parry will get his wish as Vera steps into the cage to meet him head on.
Female boxing world champion, Ana “Hurricane” Julaton, was last seen in the cage scoring a unanimous decision victory over Egypt’s Walaa Abbas last December. She has steadily been improving her ground game since then under the watchful guidance of a new grappling coach and cannot wait to show fight fans just how much she has learned in training. Julaton finally gets her chance to showcase her wares in front of her passionate Filipino fan base against Russian kickboxer Irina Mazepa.
Irina Mazepa of St. Petersburg, Russia is a former kickboxing world champion who is just fresh off defeating the highly-regarded Ann “Athena” Osman in Kuala Lumpur earlier this month at ONE: TIGERS OF ASIA. Mazepa stopped Osman via TKO in the very first round of her ONE Championship debut, shocking Osman’s hometown crowd. Mazepa is in for another tough test however, as she takes on Ana Julaton of the Philippines.
Mark “Mugen” Striegl is one of the Philippines’ most talented young bantamweights. He owns a 14-1 professional record which includes 12 submission victories. The well-rounded grappler is a complete fighter however, boasting world-class striking skills honed throughout his time training in the top gyms in the Philippines, Malaysia and Singapore. Striegl is set to take on the undefeated Jordan “Showtime” Lucas of Melbourne, Australia.
21-year old Jordan “Showtime” Lucas is undefeated at eight wins and no losses. He is one of Australia’s top bantamweights and has railed off two straight submission finishes in his last two outings. The talented Lucas will now face a stern challenge from one of the best fighters in his division, Mark Striegl, in his ONE Championship debut.
Ruel Catalan of the Philippines is looking to get back on track after two recent setbacks. The promising 27-year old flyweight is long and quick with his striking and boasts a capable ground game. Training out of his older brother’s Catalan Fighting System gym, Ruel is set for another battle inside the ONE Cage, this time against Brazilian grappler, Alex Silva.
Alex Silva last competed in ONE Championship two years ago, scoring a hard-earned victory over Rene Catalan. He is a Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu specialist with a terrifying ground game and knack for securing highlight reel submission finishes. Silva makes his return to the ONE Cage now, two years later against his previous opponent’s younger brother, Ruel Catalan, in a flyweight matchup that is sure to get fans up on their feet.
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