What's Next For The Winners At ONE: CONQUEST OF CHAMPIONS?

ONE: CONQUEST OF CHAMPIONS was one of the biggest cards in the history of Filipino martial arts.

The country’s biggest stars made triumphant returns to the ONE Championship cage in Manila, Philippines as Eduard Folayang and Brandon Vera had their hands raised in the two World Title bouts at the top of the card.

As the dust settles on their victories at the Mall Of Asia Arena on Friday, 23 November, they – along with the rest of the night’s biggest winners – can look forward to some huge match-ups.

Here is what could lie ahead for some of these heroes in 2019.

Brandon “The Truth” Vera

It did not take long for Brandon “The Truth” Vera to remind fans just how dominant he is as ONE Heavyweight World Champion.

After nearly two years on the sidelines to focus on his acting career, Vera returned to action against Italy’s Mauro “The Hammer” Cerilli, and made quick work of his challenger to retain his belt in style. It took just 64 seconds for him to put the Italian away with a left hook.

Vera’s next defense could be against Brazil’s Alexandre “Bebezao” Machado, who was victorious against former World Title challenger Hideki Sekine earlier in the evening.

Machado is a big, strong, well-rounded competitor, who seems to perform at his best when he can pack on size to compete at heavyweight, and poses a different set of challenges for Vera with his dangerous submission game.

Vera has also said he would like to challenge “The Burmese Python” Aung La N Sang for the ONE Light Heavyweight World Title in Tokyo, Japan.

The two-division World Champion from Myanmar is open to the idea, according to ONE Chairman and CEO Chatri Sityodtong, so we could see this super-bout go down in October.

Eduard “Landslide”  Folayang

After a long year of hard work and perseverance, Eduard “Landslide” Folayang is a World Champion once again.

The Filipino hero put together a masterful striking performance to outclass Singapore’s Amir Khan and capture the vacant ONE Lightweight World Championship last Friday.

The top contender for Folayang’s crown is a familiar foe – the man he beat to win the belt for the first time in 2016, Shinya “Tobikan Judan” Aoki.

The Japanese star defeated Malaysia’s Ev Ting in October to earn the right to compete for top honors when ONE Championship hits Tokyo in March 2019. Assuming that deal is still on the table, the Folayang-Aoki rematch is easily one of the biggest bouts to make next year.

However, since Aoki’s last match, the ONE Lightweight World Grand Prix was announced, and it is yet to be confirmed whether the World Champion will enter the fray with seven other top lightweights – including newly-signed Eddie “The Underground King” Alvarez.

If there is any way Aoki does not end up in a rematch with Folayang, you can bet it will be because both men will factor in next year’s groundbreaking tournament.

Honorio “The Rock” Banario

Former ONE Featherweight World Champion Honorio “The Rock” Banario had to battle hard against a late-replacement opponent, but he managed to return to the win column.

The former ONE Featherweight World Champion had to adjust at the last minute to face Singapore’s Rahul “The Kerala Krusher” Raju at a catch weight, but he managed to prevail via unanimous decision – despite being pushed for all 15 minutes of action.

With six wins in his last seven bouts, “The Rock” is among the elite lightweights in the world’s largest martial arts organization, and he has earned his spot in the grand prix.

In the first round of the bracket, he could face Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt Ariel “Tarzan” Sexton, who would put the 29-year-old’s grappling skills to the test.

A rematch with Ev “E.T.” Ting could also be on the cards, as Banario often says how he would love to repay the Malaysian-Kiwi for the result of their first bout which took place at featherweight.

James Nakashima

James Nakashima is a man on a mission, and his goal is clear. He wants to be the ONE Welterweight World Champion.

In a bout against undefeated Russian Raimond Magomedaliev, Nakashima rose to the occasion and put together a dominant performance to maintain his unblemished record by unanimous decision, and make his case for a title shot.

Although he is a promotional newcomer, Nakashima is an LFA Welterweight Champion with a record of dominating his opponents with physicality, technique, and strategy.

Because of his impressive resume, it would not be too crazy to suggest the American could jump straight to the front of the queue to take on Zebaztian “The Bandit” Kadestam. The Swede claimed the ONE Welterweight World Title with a scintillating performance against Tyler McGuire a week ago.

Another tough outing for Nakashima awaits in veteran Luis “Sapo” Santos of Brazil, who showcased his frightening power once again with a first-round knockout of Daichi Abe in October.