MATIBAY at handang makibangasan ang pamosong Pinoy mixed martial arts fighter na sina Brandon ‘The Truth’ Vera at Eduard ‘The Landslide’ Folayang laban sa kani-kanilang foreign rival sa main event ng ONE Conquest of Champions bukas sa MOA Arena.

VERA: ‘I’d rather die, than lose in the Philippines

VERA: ‘I’d rather die, than lose in the Philippines

Makikipagsabayan din si dating ONE Featherweight World Champion Honorio “The Rock” Banario kontra sa replacement na si Rahul Taju ng India. Orihinal na karibal ni Banario si Korean contender Dae Sung Park, ngunit nabigo itong makakuha ng kinakailangang medical clearance.

Matagal na nabakante sa laban ang Filipino-American heavyweight champion, ngunit hindi umano ito hadlang para patunayan na siya ang natatanging heavyweight fighter sa Asya.

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“I’d rather die, than losing a fight in the Philippines,” pahayag ni Vera sa ginanap na media conference nitong Martes sa City of Dreams.

“Dalawang taon akong nawala sa circle, pero kondisyon tayo dahil hindi tayo nagpabaya sa training,” sambit ni Vera na nagkaroon ng pagkakataon na lumabas sa TV at sa Indie movie na ‘Buy Bust’.

“I owe the Philippines a lot for inspiring me to work harder than I ever have before. Am I ready after spending two years away from the cage? Hell yes. I’ve prepared very hard for this bout. I’ve trained every day, in between traffic, shoots, and everything in the middle. I am confident of victory. I’m still hungry and I want it more now. Mauro [Cerilli] is a worthy opponent, he’s been knocking guys out while I was away, and I am in no way underestimating him,” aniya.

Taglay ni Vera ang malinis na marka mula nang maging bahagi ng ONE.

Masusubok ang kanyang tikas ni challenger Mauro Cerilli – tangan ang apat na panalo sa huling limang laban via stoppages.

“Thank you to ONE Championship. I am very happy to be here. The way ONE promotes martial arts is true to my character. I know Brandon [Vera] is the local hero, and I have all the respect for him. But I will do my best to win the title. If you would have told me years ago I would be facing a legend like Brandon, I would not have believed you. I’ve worked very hard to get to this point, so I am grateful for the opportunity,” sambit ni Cerilli.

Sa co-main event, masusubok ang katatagan ni Folayang kay Singaporean knockout artist Amir Khan para sa bakanteng ONE lightweight title.

“I want to prove to the world that I am not done yet in this sport and that I can still be world champion,” pahayag ng pamosong miyembro ng Team Lakay.

I worked extremely hard to come back here for another opportunity at the belt. I’ve been inspired by my teammates, my coach, and all the fans. This is the biggest bout of my career, and I am excited to give the best performance of my life,” aniya.

Sa nakalipas na taon, nabitiwan ni Folayang ang lightweight titlenang mabigo kay Martin Nguyen via knockout sa harap nang nagbubunying hometown crowd.

“[Fighting in Manila] represents a chance for me to redeem myself because this is the same place I lost the title one year ago,” pahayag ng 33-anyo na si Folayang.

Pinangunahan ni ONE Championship Chief Financial Officer Mr. Hua Fung The ang pagsalubong sa mga fighters sa isinagawang media conference. Nagbigay din ng suporta sina CMO of Zilingo Marita Abraham, at Vice President, Gaming Operations of COD, Mr. Roger Lwin.

Mabibili ng ticket sa www.onefc.com.

“It is always great to be back in Manila because the Philippines is one of the countries that truly and deeply appreciate martial arts. This is the reason why ONE Championship continually upkeeps holding blockbuster shows for our passionate Filipino fans. Brandon Vera and Eduard Folayang, two of the biggest superstars in the Philippines are ready to see action against incredibly tough opponents. It’s going to be an amazing evening of action. On Friday, Manila, let us make history again. Thank you and see you at the Mall of Asia Arena!” pahayag ni The.

-RAFAEL BANDAYREL