The Sky-High Stakes For The Stars Of ONE: HERO’S ASCENT

ONE Championship’s second event of 2019 sees the organization return to one of the most passionate hotbeds of martial arts in Asia for ONE: HERO’S ASCENT in Manila, Philippines.

The Mall of Asia Arena will be packed to the rafters for the event, which features a jam-packed card of world-class martial arts talent looking to kickstart their year with impressive performances.

The stakes are always high when the lights shine down on The Home Of Martial Arts, and here are the key plotlines to follow ahead of ONE’s return to Manila this Friday, 25 January.

ONE Flyweight World Title On The Line

Geje “Gravity” Eustaquio and Adriano “Mikinho” Moraes have plenty of history inside the ONE Championship cage, and the pair will look to secure bragging rights – and World Champion status – in their trilogy bout in Manila.

Moraes submitted “Gravity” in the second round of their first meeting back in 2014. Moraes was the ONE Flyweight World Champion at the time, and he defended his title in dominant fashion, using his Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu skills to defeat the wushu striker.

Since then, Eustaquio has developed his game significantly and proved that fact with a much-improved display that saw him edge out Moraes by split decision as he captured the World Title at ONE: PINNACLE OF POWER last June.

Now the pair will face off for a third time with the two athletes more closely matched than ever. Will Eustaquio claim back-to-back victories to cement his status as ONE Flyweight World Champion, or will Moraes bounce back and recapture the title once again?

Semi-Final Spot On The Line In The Lightweight GP

The identity of one of the ONE Lightweight World Grand Prix semi-finalists will be decided when Team Lakay’s former ONE Featherweight World Champion Honorio “The Rock” Banario faces off against undefeated Hawaiian Lowen Tynanes in the co-main event.

Banario has lost just once since 2015, with six wins from his last seven contests, while Tynanes returns to ONE Championship for his first bout since April 2016 hoping to continue his undefeated run and extend his record to 10-0.

Now injury free and determined to make his mark, Tynanes is excited to make his long-awaited return to the world’s largest martial arts organization, while Banario is focused on his quest to become a two-division ONE World Champion.

Only one man can progress to the semi-finals, where they will meet the winner of Eddie Alvarez VS Timofey Nasyukhin, which will take place at ONE: A NEW ERA on 31 March.

Flyweight Grand Prix Place Up For Grabs

The stakes have been raised for the elite flyweight bout between Danny “The King” Kingad and Tatsumitsu “The Sweeper” Wada.

As ONE Chairman and CEO Chatri Sityodtong announced at the pre-event press conference on Tuesday, 22 January, the winner of this contest will book their place in the ONE Flyweight World Grand Prix.

That tournament will begin on March 31 at ONE: A NEW ERA in Tokyo, Japan, as Demetrious “Mighty Mouse” Johnson takes on Yuya”Little Piranha” Wakamatsu in the first quarter-final.

Now there is more pressure on Wada and Kingad, as the well-rounded martial artists battle for a place alongside the very best athletes in their weight class, and the chance to write their names in martial arts history.

Middleweight Debutants Can Make A Big First Impression

Two debuting ONE Championship stars are set to go head to head in a battle of rising mixed martial arts athletes. One man could catapult himself towards a contender spot with an impressive victory.

Twenty-eight-year-old Dutchman Reinier De Ridder is a two-time European Mixed Martial Arts Champion who arrives in ONE Championship with an unblemished 9-0 record.

He will take on Chinese hot prospect Fan Rong, who is known as “King Kong Warrior” and heads into ONE: HERO’S ASCENT with an 11-1 record to his name.

The two middleweights are both looking to make an impact on their first ONE Championship appearance. Whoever can improve on their impressive record with a win over another rising star – especially if it is a highlight-reel finish – could find themselves on the fast track to a World Title shot.