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Coming fresh from a career-high win at ONE Fighting Championship: Battle of Heroes in Jakarta, Felipe Enomoto brings the courage and confidence of a champion to face Zorobabel Moreira. His incredibly spirited battle against the highly-favoured Ole Laursen in Jakarta brought the crowd to their feet and left his critics at a loss for words. His courageous spirit won him not only that fight but also the main event of the upcoming ONE Fighting Championship: War of the Lions. Enomoto is a seasoned martial artist who has trained all over the world in a variety of lethal martial arts. He enters the cage with a will to prove that he can dominate a ground fighter in the same way that he dominated the Iron Fists of Ole Laursen.

Zorobabel “Zoro” Moreira, who stands at 187cm, is superbly skilled in utilizing his superior size and reach advantage to punish and demolish his opponents – especially when the fight goes to the ground. Originally from Brazil, Moreira is now based at Evolve MMA in Singapore and his reputation as one of the top lightweights in the region is no accident. With multiple national and international grappling tournaments under his belt, opponents know that going to the ground with this giant is the fastest way to lose a fight. Moreira has also been working relentlessly on adding Muay Thai skills to his arsenal and by harnessing his power into vicious strikes, he is ready to go toe-to-toe with any fighter.

No one expects this explosive fight to go the distance as these two gifted mixed martial artists clash in the main event of the night.

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Tatsuya Kawajiri is listed amongst the elite of mixed martial artists in Asia. Based purely on experience alone, this immense fighter has outfought more top-class competitors than most other Asian fighters have faced in their entire career. Currently considered one of the top 10 featherweights in the world, Kawajiri has fought in some of the biggest promotions including Shooto, PRIDE, Strikeforce and DREAM. A kickboxer by trade, Kawajiri earned his nickname “Crusher” due to his ability to dish out devastating ground-and-pound on his opponents. His extensive fight record speaks for itself with 12 of his 30 wins resulting from either KO or TKO. This iconic MMA fighter needs little introduction as he brings his star appeal and well-honed skills to Singapore and gives MMA fans a chance to relive the glory days of PRIDE.

All MMA fighters start with a strong base in a particular martial art and progress to include other skills to ensure a well-rounded game. But to find an MMA fighter who is truly versatile and all-rounded in both his standup and ground game is not as easy as it may seem. That’s what makes Donald Sanchez such a rarity. This 27-year-old fighter has submitted and KO-ed an equal number of opponents in the course of chocking up 24 professional MMA wins and he is about as fearless as they get. The King of the Cage Bantamweight Champion has no qualms going up against the best that Asian MMA has to offer, and he will be doing just that on the largest and most prestigious stage in Asian MMA on 31 March.

Though strong in all aspects of his game, Sanchez’s foray into fighting Japanese opponents did not end well for him when he took on Hatsu Hioki in 2011. But evidently, the defeat by triangle choke served as a catalyst for Sanchez to up his game and the result is a 3-fight winning streak which he will undoubtedly be looking to extend. Fans of Japanese MMA will be rooting for the “Crusher” to utterly demolish Sanchez’s hope of extending this streak with his trademark violence. Whichever way the fight goes, fans will be rewarded with a demonstration of devastating striking and skillful grappling when these two champions clash in an epic East vs West confrontation.

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This long overdue matchup may not be the main event, but it is perhaps the most talked-about card of the night. Originally scheduled to be the main event at the inaugural ONE Fighting Championship in September 2011, it had to be postponed due to an injury from Ole Laursen while Eduard Folayang went on to face Korean A Sol Kwon.

Ole Laursen is determined to avenge his loss by submission to Felipe Enomoto in Jakarta, and he will be seeking a decisive victory to propel him back up into the upper echelons of the MMA elite. Laursen’s key to success inside the cage has been his ability to remain technical even when fighting at an extremely high pace. Experienced, tough and incredibly powerful, the chiseled fighter's heart of a lion has won over many Asian MMA fans. Laursen knows how important it is for him to win this fight as the outcome will undoubtedly mark the turning point for the world champion’s career.

Trained in unorthodox Wushu, Eduard Folayang enters the cage with an incredible record of 11 victories and only one loss. A member of the legendary Team Lakay based in Baguio City, Philippines, Eduard is determined to uphold the reputation that he and his teammates have pain-stakingly carved out for their team in Asian MMA. Folayang is a national hero in the Philippines where people love him for his fearless attitude and never-say-die approach to fighting.

Despite the fact that both fighters are of Filipino descent, their styles are poles apart. Laursen’s defining characteristic is his aggressiveness as he unleashes an unstoppable barrage with his legendary “iron fists” in search of an early KO. Although Folayang will undoubtedly be supremely confident as he enters the cage to face Laursen, he must pay due respect to the devastating fists of Laursen. Folayang will have no difficulties matching Laursen’s pace with his own incredible cardio endurance. The question is whether he will be able to avoid getting KO-ed before Laursen tires and the fight turns in his favour.

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Fabricio Monteiro is a 12-year veteran of the sport of MMA, boasting an impressive fight record of 19-9. Monteiro is one of the finest BJJ practitioners in the world, and has won many local, regional, national and international BJJ tournaments. Before signing on with ONE Fighting Championship, Monteiro had previously competed in all the major Brazilian MMA organizations, and ended many of his fights by choking out his opponent. Originally from Brazil, Monteiro is now based at Evolve MMA in Singapore where he instructs and trains alongside other world-class MMA champions.

Yuya Shirai’s fight record is no less shabby. The current undisputed DEEP Welterweight Champoin, he is a highly experienced and skilled Japanese mixed martial artist. Shirai is a master of grappling and submission fighting, holding a black belt in judo and winning the 2003 Japanese National Sambo Championship. Shirai has fought some of the world’s best fighters in the welterweight division, including a submission victory over British welterweight champion Che Mills. Because of his grappling and submission expertise, do not be surprised if Shirai takes his opponent to the ground and attempts to submit or knock him out.

Although both fighters are specialists on the ground and amongst the best in the world in close quarter combat, their styles are decidedly different. Martial artists around the world will watch this fight with great anticipation as two very capable representatives of the art of grappling meet in the cage to see if one is able to overcome the other using a different style within the same discipline. This matchup has the potential to be an exhibition of some of the best grappling skills ever witnessed in the ONE Fighting Championship cage.

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Melvin Manhoef is a KO specialist whose fists have done all the talking for him. He has secured 23 out of his 24 wins by way of knockout throughout his extensive career in pro MMA. Manhoef built a reputation for himself inside the cage by meeting and defeating some of the world’s best MMA artists in Dream, Strikeforce, K-1 Dynamite, Cage Rage and CFC. Be prepared for some exciting action when this experienced fighter lets loose his stunning knockout power and seeks to bring the fight to an early end without his back ever having to touch the mat.

Yoshiyuki Nakanishi is a highly-skilled Sambo fighter who is currently the DEEP Light Heavyweight Champion. With a fight record of 11 wins and only 2 losses in his long career as a mixed martial artist, Nakanishi has the required experience to face a champion like Manhoef. Nakanishi has faced some of the biggest names in Japanese MMA throughout his career in DEEP and he is well-known for ending his fights quickly and violently.

This match promises to be explosive as two world-class fighters take two very different martial arts into the cage to pit themselves against each other as representatives of their crafts. Experts do not expect this fight to go beyond the first round. While it is almost certain that Manhoef – who is one of most feared strikers in the world – will do all he can to keep the fight standing to secure a KO, it will be interesting to see if Nakanishi will stand and trade or bring the fight to the ground in search of a quick submission.

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Eddie Ng is one of the best MMA fighters to ever emerge from Hong Kong. He fights and trains with some of the best martial arts practitioners in the world at Evolve MMA, Singapore. A BJJ expert, he has an excellent ground game and is working tirelessly on his standup with several world champion Muay Thai trainers. After an emphatic win at ONE Fighting Championship: Champion vs Champion where he out-paced, out-punched and eventually knocked out his opponent, Ng will hold nothing back from securing another resounding win on Asia’s largest MMA stage at the Singapore Indoor Stadium.

Muay Thai specialist Jian Kai Chee has proven that he cannot be underestimated. Chee got the attention of critics and fans alike when he made an impressive MMA debut with a fight against the highly-experienced Ole Laursen. Although he lost the fight ultimately, Chee surprised many by dropping Laursen with a well-timed punch in the first round and almost secured a huge upset victory over the champion. Chee’s ability to trade punches with the best in the game is well-known and he credits his arsenal of skill to his diverse background in Muay Thai, Wushu and Sanshou.

This fight may appear to be a classic striker vs grappler matchup at face value, but the undercurrents may make a larger difference to the outcome of this fight than the styles. Chee faces a cross-road in his career as he enters this fight with an even fight record of 3 wins and 3 losses. The importance of winning this fight on the largest stage in Asia will add a huge amount of pressure that could see him performing better, or crumbling. Ng will also be facing one of the hardest fights of his career as he seeks to solidify his position as an MMA champion against a fighter who is desperate to keep his place on future fight cards. With so much at stake for both these fighters, there is no likelihood of this fight going to the judges for a decision.

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Masakazu Imanari has brought some of the best fighters in MMA to their knees – quite literally – with his devastating heel hooks and toe holds. Often referred to as Ashikan Judan, which translates to “Master of Leglocks”, Imanari has fought some of the best mixed martial artists in DREAM, DEEP, PRIDE, ZST and Cage Rage. For Imanari, winning by submission is his modus operandi and when he unleashes his technical skills to garner a leglock – his favorite method of submission – the fight usually ends decisively with either an immediate tap out, or like in his bout against Mike Brown in DEEP, a dislocation of his opponent’s joints.

A background in Wushu has made Belingon an extremely versatile fighter. His perfect MMA record of nine wins secured by a mixture of submissions and TKOs is proof of his versatility. Training alongside other Filipino champions in Team Lakay has equipped this young fighter with skills that have made him a force to be reckoned with in the cage. Powerful in his striking, swift in his submissions and driven with superb conditioning from his training in the oxygen-deficient highlands of Baguio City, Belingon will stop at nothing to keep his record perfect with a decisive win at his ONE Fighting Championship debut.

Despite being evenly matched in height and weight, Masakazu Imanari brings almost 12 years more experience and age into the cage. The outcome of this fight will show decisively that experience can overcome youth – or vice versa.

If Belingon is able to keep himself out of Imanari’s devastating leg holds, he will still have to deal with the Japanese fighter’s insatiable desire to prove himself on the Asian MMA stage having experienced mixed results in 2011. Belingon, on the contrary, steps into the cage with unrivalled confidence of an undefeated fighter whose superb physical conditioning makes anything possible, and will be looking to achieve a decisive win over his far more experienced opponent.

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Kim Hock is a competitive boxer who is single-minded in his determination to win at all costs. Trained by pro-boxer Arvind Lalwani from Juggernaut Fight Club, he has made a swift and decisive advance into the world of combat sports after taking up boxing at the age of 18. The National Boxing Champion has one-punch knockout power and speed that keeps him floating just out of the opponent’s reach. Not content to remain only as a boxer, the full-time student went on to begin training in BJJ and wrestling to equip himself with skills to handle all aspects of cage fighting. His rapidly improving ground skills were endorsed by his selection into the National Wrestling team in early 2012.

Major Overall is a half-Japanese, half-Native Indian fighter from the USA. Based in Bangkok, he trains and instructs in MMA for a living and is fighting out of Muayfit gym. An experienced BJJ practitioner, he is very comfortable fighting from his back and is gradually improving in his Muay Thai game. Overall is coming straight off a convincing win at his pro-MMA debut in DARE where he impressed observers with his aggressive and relentless attacks. He will want to keep the momentum going by defeating “The Hulk” in his second professional fight. Taking on this fight on such short notice may compromise Overall’s ability to match his opponent’s cardio endurance, but it definitely makes no impact on his skills and fighting prowess.

To say that this is the most important fight of these men’s budding MMA careers would be an understatement. Both Overall and Kim have a lot to prove in this fight and fans can expect to see them making every second count as they search for a quick submission or a decisive KO. Overall must take the fight to the ground early to capitalize on Quek’s weakness, but he will first have to get past the dangerous fists of the boxing champion in order to succeed.

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Fit, fast and skillful, the “Northern Tiger” brings his unique brand of Chinese MMA to the cage to challenge all other forms of mixed martial arts. A boxer by trade, Jiang is reputed to have a wide variety of skills that he has yet to utilize in the cage. With only a handful of MMA victories to his name, he hopes to continue representing Chinese MMA by upholding its reputation for ferocity and relentlessness. Jiang has proven his ability to make short work of his opponent in his first MMA victory at the Chinese MMA promotion, Art of War, but more of his recent fights have allowed Jiang to display his mettle to keep up the pace for three grueling rounds. His earlier lost to Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu World Champion Leandro Issa shone a spotlight on his need for a much-improved ground game.

To be recognized as one of the best boxers Thailand has ever produced is no mean feat. Yodsanan “Little Tyson” Sityodtong is a former WBA Super Featherweight World Champion who knocked out 47 of his 58 opponents as a professional boxer. He intends to bring every ounce of knockout power with him into the cage for the second time as he seeks to keep his professional MMA record intact with a resounding win. Training alongside other MMA world champions at Evolve MMA in Singapore, Yodsanan has been working to add a plethora of ground fighting skills to complement his explosive punches. If this fight goes to the ground, fans may be able to see this former boxing champion put his new-found skills to devastatingly good use.

When two boxing champions meet in the cage, a bout of technical striking seems imminent. Both fighters are fully aware of his opponent’s prowess and may look to turn the tables on the opponent early by using kicks or bringing the fight to the ground. Whether it remains standing or hits the ground, this fight promises to be exciting and electric as fans watch with bated breath for these two relatively new MMA fighters to break out of their illustrious backgrounds and find a niche for themselves amongst the top Asian MMA fighters.

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This matchup is a fitting way to kick-off a night of thrilling fights as two seasoned international MMA fighters enter ONE FC’s cage to show the true fighting spirit of warring lions.

Hailing from Mike’s Gym – one of the most respected striker’s gym in the world – Danny Van Bergen comes from a league of stand-up artists that are second to none. With world-renowned fighters like Melvin Manhoef as his training partners, Van Bergen is equipped with all the skills of a world-class MMA fighter. Landing his inaugural fight in Asia on the largest and most prestigious stage for MMA in Asia is a move that is calculated to propel him to stardom when he finishes this match in style. It would be a game-costing mistake for any opponent to underestimate this magnificent striker if the fight goes to the ground. Those familiar with his grappling prowess will not be surprised if he seeks to finish the fight by submission. After all, he has earned 5 of his career wins via well-executed submissions.

Richie Whitson is completely unfazed by the experience and striking abilities of his competitor. He is unquestionably confident in his own striking abilities and well-honed skills that are a result of training with one of the top MMA teams in the USA – Team Quest. With 11 MMA wins under his belt and a perfect record of 5-0 in amateur boxing, the fiery fighter sees no reason why this fight will go into the second round. With a reputation of bringing the fight to the competitor, one can expect to see Whitson pushing the pace of the fight with the wild, explosive attacks that have earned him the nickname of “Hell Boy”.

With so much combined skill and experience, plus the energy from the audience to motivate the show-starters, no one expects this opening fight to go beyond the first round. When both these strikers pit their skills against each other in the ONE FC cage, the crowd can look forward to two things with surety – a sensational slug-fest and a vicious KO.