DEDEPENSAHAN ni ONE Heavyweight World Champion Brandon “The Truth” Vera ang kanyang titulo kontra kay World title challenger Mauro “The Hammer” Cerilli sa kanilang paghaharap sa ONE:CONQUEST OF CHAMPIONS ngayon sa Coral Way sa MOA Arena.
Ayon kay Vera, sa kabila ng kanyang pagbabakasyon sa limelight, handa siya na depensahan ang kanyang titulo kung saan di niya alintana ang anumang pagod sa pagitan ng ensayo at shooting sa pelikula, mabigyan lamang ng magandang laban ang Pilipinas.
“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,”ani Vera na kasalukuyang lumabas na rin bilang artista sa pinilakang tabing.
Ngunit, hindi naman agad papatalo ang pambato ng Italya na si Cerelli kahit alam niya ang bentahe ni Vera. Sinabi ng MMA fighter na may 12-2-0 win slate na kakayanin at pipilitin niya na kunin ang titulo kay Vera.
“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,” pahayag naman ni Cerelli.
Samantala, babawi naman si dating ONE Lightweight World Champion na si Eduard “Landslide” Folayang sa kanyang pagharap kontra sa pambato ng Singapore na si Amir Khan. batid ni Folayang ang naging epekto ang kanyang kabiguan noong una kung kaya ayon sa kanya na gagawin niya ang lahat para mabigyan ng isang magandang laban si Khan.
“Thank you all for coming and for all the support. Last year, things didn’t go as I expected. I lost the title. But this year is a new chapter. 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,” pahayag ni Folayang.
-Annie Abad