Honorio Banario Admits He Faces A 'Big Challenge' In GP Quarter-Final

Honorio “The Rock” Banario wanted a tough test in his first ONE Championship bout of 2019, and that is exactly what he has been given.

The Filipino hero will kick off the ONE Lightweight World Grand Prix at ONE: HERO’S ASCENT on 25 January in Manila when he faces off against Lowen Tynanes in the first quarter-final match-up of the tournament.

For Banario, it is the perfect opportunity to score a big win and establish some early-season momentum as he bids to become a World Champion in a second weight class in The Home Of Martial Arts.

The former ONE Featherweight World Champion moved up to lightweight to compete at his natural weight class in 2016, and he has been in fantastic form since he made the switch. “The Rock” is 6-1 in his new home, despite having faced some stiff competition.

Against Hawaii’s Tynanes, he believes he has the perfect opportunity to showcase his ever-improving skill set to the world.

“This will be a good bout because this will test if I have really improved my wrestling,” he explains.

“Lowen Tynanes is something else. He has good wrestling and is a high-level athlete. He’s a very well-rounded martial artist, who is yet to be defeated.”

The American heads into the contest with a 9-0 record, which includes four submission finishes and two knockouts.

His combination of aggressive wrestling and boxing has seen him score some notable wins already in his career, including a victory over Banario’s teammate and current ONE Lightweight World Champion Eduard “Landslide” Folayang.

Banario knows the scale of the challenge awaiting him, but he and his colleagues at Team Lakay in Baguio City are relishing the challenge of preparing for the undefeated Hawaiian.

“It’s a big challenge for me to face him,” the Filipino admits.

“My team was surprised when we found out that he will be my first opponent for the ONE Lightweight Grand Prix, but we have a lot of time for training, so we can come up with a game plan to beat him. I will be prepared for him.”

Team Lakay had a year to remember in 2018, as their athletes captured four ONE World Titles in an unforgettable 12 months for the Baguio City gym.

Folayang, Joshua Pacio, Kevin Belingon, and Geje Eustaquio all won the gold in a stellar year for the collective, and Banario hopes to continue that form with a victory over Tynanes.

After battling to victory against Indian star Rahul “The Kerala Krusher” Raju in his most recent outing last November, Banario is ready to make a statement.

He could accomplish that by handing Tynanes his first career defeat and moving on in the ONE Lightweight World Grand Prix.

“I have huge respect for him as a mixed martial artist,” he says.

“I think Tynanes will attempt to take me down, so I have to defend his takedowns and do my best to keep it standing. I am hoping for a favorable outcome in this bout.”