After seven events across Asia in 2013, fans of ONE Fighting Championship are set to be treated to the promotion’s first show of 2014 in March.
ONE FC returns to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia for its fourteenth installment, titled ‘War of Nations’, on March 14 at the iconic Stadium Negara. As with previous events, the main card airs LIVE on Star Sports in Asia. Global fans can catch all the action online at www.onefc.livesport.tv, for a price of USD $9.99.
Promotional fight poster for ONE FC 14: War of Nations.
The Singapore-based promotion has announced four grand contests for the event. In the main event, Nobutatsu Suzuki (10-1-2) battles former UFC vet Brock Larson (37-7) for the inaugural Welterweight championship title, while Bantamweight contenders Kevin Belingon (12-3) and Dae Hwan Kim (9-0-1) collide in a featured c0-main event. Japanese vet Yasuhiro Urushitani (21-6-6) returns to the ONE FC banner in a Flyweight tilt against Adriano Moraes (9-1), and a rematch is set to ensue between Malaysia’s own Ann Osman (0-1) and Singapore’s Sherilyn Lim (1-0).
Officials confirmed the match-ups with MMASucka.com late Monday afternoon.
Suzuki was set to face Phuket Top Team’s Adam Kayoom for the 170-lbs title late last year at ONE FC 12: Warrior Spirit. But an injury forced Kayoom out of the bill, and a non-title affair was scheduled with Vitor Pinto instead. The new match-up, however, took a turn for the worst at the weigh-ins, when Pinto failed pre-fight medical exam. Officials that made a decision to scratch the match-up from the card altogether. Nonetheless, Suzuki, 36, will be looking to build on from his ONE FC debut victory, when he TKO’ed former PRIDE and UFC stand-out, Phil Baroni. A former ZST vet, all of Suzuki’s victories have come via stoppage, making his fights, undoubtedly, a must-watch for fight fans worldwide. His opponent, Brock Larson, meanwhile, is one of the promotion’s most experienced fighters. A former WEC and UFC staple, Larson has brings a wealth of experience to his second ONE FC appearance having faced the likes of Carlos Condit, Carlo Prater, Mike Pierce and Tarec Saffiedine. The 36-year-old is on a four-fight win streak, that includes a promotional debut victory over striking expert, Melvin Manhoef.
The Philippines’ Belingon, a multi-time ONE FC veteran, makes his sixth appearance under the promotion’s banner, and will be looking for his fourth victory in five outings. “The Silencer” has only dropped losses to the likes of former champ Soo Chul Kim, Masakazu Imanari and Masakatsu Ueda thus far, but his upcoming tussle with Dae Hwan Kim will probably be his toughest challenge yet. Kim, 26, is an unbeaten South Korean prospect looking to climb up above the 135-lbs division ladder. The Spirit MC vet showcased his skills against Thanh Vu in a “Fight of the Year” contender at ONE FC 13: Moment of Truth, and will be looking to do more of the same when he takes on Belingon, next.
Point to prove: Yasuhiro Urushitani is coming off two close decision victories, and is yet to make a real statement since his release from the UFC.
After going 4-1 in 2013, Brazil’s Adriano Moraes hopes to top Yasuhiro Urushitani in an intriguing 125-lbs encounter. Moraes dropped a close split-decision defeat against Yusup Saadulaev in his previous outing, and he will be determined to be the victor the next time around. But that will be easier said than done against Urushitani, a former UFC vet, who has gone 2-0 in his post-Zuffa career. At 37, although the Japanese vet hasn’t quite impressed the masses yet, experience lies firmly in his corner and he will certainly be hoping to use it when he locks horns with his Brazilian counterpart in March.
The first match-up between Ann Osman and Sherilyn Lim at ONE FC 11: Total Domination was close, but Lim, in the judges’ eyes, did enough to warrant a decision victory on that night. It caused a bit of fracas, though, as many observers had the bout scored in favor of Osman. This time, however, the Malaysian will enjoy the support of her countrymen. Her impressive takedowns and ground-and-pound may prove to be the decisive factor in this Women’s Straweight bout.
“Following the resounding success of ONE FC’s jam-packed events in Malaysia in 2013, we are returning to Kuala Lumpur with one of the best cards in the organization’s history. Fans around the world have been eagerly awaiting the next ONE FC World Championship title belt to be introduced, and now, the wait is over,” stated Victor Cui, CEO of ONE FC. “The ONE FC Welterweight division is filled with the most talented mixed martial artists in the world and we will crown the best of the best when Nobutatsu Suzuki meets Brock Larson. Our passionate fans in Malaysia will be treated to a night of unforgettable mixed martial arts action!”
More match-ups are expected to be announced in the coming weeks so do keep it locked to MMASucka.com for the latest in Asian MMA news.
The fight card for ONE FC 14: War of Nations now includes:
- Nobutatsu Suzuki vs. Brock Larson (For inaugural ONE FC Welterweight Championship title)
- Kevin Belingon vs. Dae Hwan Kim
- Yasuhiro Urushitani vs. Adriano Moraes
- Ann Osman vs. Sherilyn Lim II
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