The Heroes Of ONE: A NEW ERA Show Their Respect On Social Media
In victory or defeat, the heroes of ONE Championship always display humility and respect, and they showed their class after ONE: A NEW ERA.
The martial arts world stopped as one on Sunday, 31 March to watch the greatest spectacle in ONE Championship history in Tokyo, Japan, when 30 world-class athletes competed in high-stakes contests inside the cage.
When the bouts were over at the Ryugoku Kokugikan, the victors were elated, and the defeated warriors were crestfallen, but every one of them showed the spirit of true martial artists when they addressed their fans via social media afterward.
Xiong Jing Nan & Angela Lee
Unsurprisingly, “The Panda” Xiong Jing Nan was ecstatic after her incredible comeback victory, which saw her defend the ONE Women’s Strawweight World Title against “Unstoppable” Angela Lee.
That was reflected in her celebrations and post-event interview, but her Instagram post was dedicated to others, as she paid respect to her opponent and thanked her team.
In the other corner, Lee did not hide her disappointment and made no excuses for her defeat, but she vowed to come back stronger.
Aung La N Sang & Ken Hasegawa
After another successful defense of his ONE Middleweight World Title, two-division ONE World Champion Aung La “The Burmese Python” N Sang is already looking ahead to his next challenge.
Though he reflected on his success and the support he received, he quickly turned his focus to ONE Heavyweight World Champion Brandon “The Truth” Vera. These knockout artists are set to meet in a ONE Light Heavyweight World Title match the next time The Home Of Martial Arts visits Tokyo – at ONE: GREATNESS UNLEASHED in October.
Aung La N Sang also sent his best wishes to his opponent, Ken Hasegawa, who was knocked out for the second time by “The Burmese Python.”
Demetrious Johnson & Yuya Wakamatsu
Demetrious “Mighty Mouse” Johnson was thrilled after his second-round submission of Yuya “Little Piraha” Wakamatsu in the ONE Flyweight World Grand Prix, and filled with gratitude because of the people who helped him make a successful ONE debut.
His opponent may not have had his hand raised, but he held his head high after a fantastic performance that pushed the American harder than most competitors have managed in recent memory.
Yodsanklai IWE Fairtex & Andy Souwer
https://www.instagram.com/p/BvsX8QdlNBN/
Yodsanklai IWE Fairtex had only just finished avenging a defeat with a knockout of a fellow martial arts legend in Andy “Souwer Power” Souwer, but he was quickly looking to the future.
The ONE Super Series Featherweight World Grand Prix is on the horizon, and “The Hero” is eager to test himself in a tournament bracket with seven more of the best strikers on the planet.
In defeat, Souwer did not hide his disappointment, but emphasized his passion for competition has been renewed in ONE. Expect to see him take on another challenge later this year.
Danny Kingad & Senzo Ikeda
Danny “The King” Kingad earned a unanimous decision to progress in the ONE Flyweight World Grand Prix thanks to another all-action, 15-minute battle in the cage with Senzo Ikeda.
Like all his Team Lakay training partners, the 23-year-old did not dwell on personal glory – instead, giving all the credit to the people who gave him the strength to battle through the toughest moments under the lights.
His opponent from Japan took this challenge on just two weeks’ notice, but still held himself to the highest standard and admitted that he was frustrated with the result. However, he vowed to be back in the cage soon to take on another challenge.
The Pancrase Flyweight World Champion is also famous for his beaming smile, so despite his disappointment, he was still grinning the following day when he met a man he admired – his weight class’ greatest ever competitor – Demetrious Johnson.
