KABILANG si Team Lakay mainstay Honorio ‘The Rock Banario sa pinakamahusay sa featherweight fighter ng ONE Championship. Patunay ang pagiging kauna-unahang ONE Featherweight World Champion sa kasaysayan ng pamosong MMA promotion.

Matapos ang ilang taon, magbabalik ang 30-anyos Baguio City native sa dibisyon na minsan na niyang pinagharian.

Sisimulan ni Banario ang kampanyang muling mangibabaw sa naturang dibisyon sa pakikipagtruso kay Shannon ‘OneShin’ Wiratchai ng Thailand sa ONE: KING OF THE JUNGLE sa sa Feb. 28 sa Singapore.

“This is my first match going back down to the featherweight division,” pahayag ni Banario.

“Here, I am faster, more explosive, and the fans will surely enjoy an exciting match between two hungry veterans looking to make a statement to start the year.”

Matapos ang nakadidismayang kampanya, nagdesisyon si Banario na sumabak sa lightweight class kung saan naitala niya ang limang sunod na panalo. Ngunit, tila hindi siya komportable sa naturang dibisyon.

“When I first competed at lightweight, I felt good because I was able to bring my power and speed up there and still felt light,” sambit ni Banario.

“However, after two years I dealt with injuries and I felt heavier even if I was in peak condition, so I decided to move back down to a more natural weight. Even before my last bout, I wanted to move to featherweight. However, I couldn’t pass on the chance to compete against a legend like Shinya (Aoki).”

Aniya, mas handa ang kanyang katawan at isipan sa paglaban sa featherweight class.

“My reaction time is a bit later than I want. It’s a huge factor in my decision to move down.I believe that moving to featherweight will help bring the best out of me. It also motivates me to work even harder especially after competing in lightweight for quite a while. I can’t relax in my training,” aniya.

“I just hope to win this one and keep on winning this year. I’m returning to my original weight division, and I want to continue to work my way back up the top,” pahayag ni Banario.