MANILA, Philippines—Sanda specialist Eduard Folayang showed new skills on the ground and emerged triumphant in the One Fighting Championship: Rise of Heroes late Friday night.
Folayang’s conquest of Japanese Kotetsu Boku in their lightweight bout capped a big evening for the Filipino fighters, all five of whom—including two first-timers in the cage—prevailed to the delight of a highly partisan crowd at Mall of Asia Arena.
The other winners were former world boxing champion Ana Julaton and Jujeath Nagaowa, who both debuted in the MMA, Eugene Toquero of Submission Sports Philippines and Team Lakay’s Rey Docyogen.
Feared more for his powerful strikes, Folayang of Team Lakay leaned on his improved wrestling skills and takedowns to beat Boku, a former One FC lightweight champion, by unanimous decision.
“The support of the crowd inspired us,” said Folayang, a silver medalist in wushu’s sanda event of the 2006 Doha Asian Games and champion in the 2011 Southeast Asian Games. “We’re not fighting only for ourselves, but for the entire country as well.”
Julaton, receiving the loudest applause from the stands, escaped disaster in the second round by eluding kickboxer Aya Saeid Saber’s guillotine choke.
The Filipina “Hurricane” then pummeled the Egyptian with a hail of devastating strikes, forcing the referee to stop the fight late in the third round.
“I’m glad to finally fight here in the Philippines—it’s nice to have people supporting you,” said Julaton after her victory ride on the shoulders of NBA player Ronny Turiaf of the Minnesota Timberwolves.
“I’m so used to going to different countries with the crowd cheering against you, so it’s nice to have people backing you up,” added the former women’s WBO and IBA super bantamweight world champion.
Nagaowa, a former WBC Asia atomweight champ from Team Insider Gym, quickly established her dominance with crisp strikes and then finished off seven-time kickboxing champion Jeet Toshi with a flurry of punches in the third round.
In the flyweight bout pitting Toquero against Malaysian Gianni Subba, the Filipino kickboxer flaunted superior skills both on the ground and standing up.
A gym instructor who trains show business personalities for a living, Toquero earned the nod of the judges with a barrage of elbow strikes in the final round. He inflicted Subba’s first defeat in four fights.
Also impressive was Docyogen, who earned a unanimous decision win over Joshua Alvarez of Guam.
Bantamweight champion Bibiano Fernandes, displaying grappling and striking skills, kept his title by outclassing Japanese Masakatsu Ueda in the night’s main event.
Australian Rob Lisita of Phuket Top Team exacted revenge on Japanese Yusuke Kawanago in their featherweight duel.
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