MANILA, Philippines — 'Di nagkandamayaw ang Filipino combat sports fans Biyernes ng gabi matapos dalhin ng pinakamalaking martial arts organization sa mundo ang umaatikabong 15 laban sa SM Mall of Asia Arena.
Nabawi ng dating kampeon na si Joshua Pacio mula kay Yosuke Saruta ang ONE Strawweight World Championship sa pamamagitan ng knockout kick sa ulo, dahilan para magkaroong muli ng ginto ang dating empty-handed na Team Lakay.
Naibalik ang ONE Strawweight World Championship kay Joshua Pacio ng Pilipinas sa pamamagitan ng knockout kick sa ulo ni Yosuke Saruta sa ika-apat na round! #ONEChampionship | via @ectoledoiv pic.twitter.com/wUnWcyLTyO
— Pilipino STAR Ngayon (@PilStarNgayon) April 12, 2019
Nagtagumpay naman si Martin Nguyen na madepensahan ang kanyang ONE Featherweight World Championship strap mula sa beteranong si Narantungalag Jadambaa sa main event.
Maliban sa 11 mixed martial arts bouts, naglaman din ito ng tigalawang Muay Thai at kickboxing matches.
Narito ang kumpletong resulta ng katatapos lang na ONE Championship Roots of Honor:
Prelims
- MMA: Ramon Gonzales wagi kay Akihiro Fujisawa via tapout (guillotine choke) – Round 1, 1:19
- MMA: Bi Nguyen wagi kay Dwi Ani Retno Wulan via TKO (ground and pound) – Round 1, 3:55
- Muay Thai: Lerdsila Chumpairtour wagi kay Momotaro via unanimous decision
- MMA: Niko Soe wagi kay Eko Roni Saputra via KO/TKO (doctor stoppage, injury) – Round 1, 3:03
- MMA: Xie Bin wagi kay Ahmad Qais Jasoor via tapout (D’Arce choke) – Round 2, 2:27
- Muay Thai: Saemapetch Fairtex wagi kay Ognjen Topic via majority decision
- MMA: Kwon Won Il wagi kay Eric Kelly via KO/TKO (punches) – Round 1, 0:19
Main Card
- Kickboxing: Anderson Silva wagi kay Andre Meunier via KO/TKO (overhand right) – Round 1, 1:14
- MMA: Edward Kelly wagi kay Sung Jong Lee via KO/TKO (ground and pound) – Round 2, 2:51
- MMA: James Nakashima wagi kay Luis Santos via KO/TKO (injury) – Round 2, 0:56
- Kickboxing: Andrei Stoica wagi kay Ibrahim El Bouni via unanimous decision
- MMA: Leandro Issa wagi kay Chang Xin Fu via submission (armbar) – Round 1, 3:03
- MMA: Tatsumitsu Wada wagi kay Gustavo Balart via unanimous decision
- MMA: Joshua Pacio wagi kay Yosuke Saruta via KO (head kick) – Round 4, 2:43
- MMA: Martin Nguyen wagi kay Narantungalag Jadambaa via KO (flying knee) – Round 2, 1:07
Tatlong Pinoy wagi, Eric Kelly 'di pinalad
Muling kuminang ang galing ng Pilipino kagabi matapos manaig ni Ramon Gonzales sa prelims at nina Edward Kelly at Pacio sa main card.
Gayunpaman, natalo sa loob ng 19 segundo ang kapatid ni Edward na si Eric Kelly.
Ayon kay Chatri Sityodtong, founder, chairperson at chief executive officer ng ONE Championship, pinakanagustuhan niya ang laban ni Edward Kelly sa lahat.
"I'd have to say Edward Kelly's fight, that was absolute insanity. I mean leg locks, heel hooks, you know, foot locks, I mean he had everything up his leg. I don't know how Edward survived that," sabi ni Sityodtong.
Edward: "I was confident that I can escape and tolerate his leg lock... [The] legs of Filipinos are strong enough..." #OneChampionship | via @ectoledoiv pic.twitter.com/dgw0hyXa4p
— Pilipino STAR Ngayon (@PilStarNgayon) April 12, 2019
"And they go to a hundred miles an hour. I enjoyed that fight the most," dagdag niya.
Namangha rin daw si Chatri sa husay na ipinamalas ni Pacio, kahit na sa una'y akala niyang matatalo siya.
"He was losing the fight and he pulled the rabbit out of the hat. But I don't think it was luck because you saw how many times Joshua went for the head kick," dagdag ni Sityodtong.
Hinirang din niyang knockout of the night ang panalo ni Joshua. Una na niyang nahulaan na magkakaroon ng definitive finish para sa strawweight championship.
Pagbabahagi ni Joshua, simula pa lang ng laban ay puntirya na niyang i-land ang knockout na sipa sa katunggaling si Yosuke Saruta.
"Yeah. Since round one, I was setting up the roundhouse kick in the head. I think I threw 10 to 15 roundhouse kicks in the head but it didn't landed," ani Pacio.
"Then when I got the opportunity in round four, because he's swingly wild[ly] and his head is down so that's the time when I set [it] up."
Speechless naman si Pacio sa kanyang pagkapanalo lalo na't pinaghirapan daw nila ito nang husto.
Bilang pinakabatang miyembro ng Team Lakay sa edad na 23-anyos, sinabi ni Joshua na marami pa siyang ibubuga at iuunlad sa loob ng cage.
"Para sa akin, maraming nagsasabi na nandoon na ako sa pinnacle, sa peak. Pero marami pa akong years na darating kasi hindi pa ito yung peak ko. Marami pa akong matutunan, kumbaga, marami pa 'kong kakainin. At nagle-level up yung mga athletes, yung mga kalaban. So kailangan din naming mag-level up," wika ni Pacio.
Team Lakay 'back in the game'
Samantala, proud na proud naman ang Benguet-based at decorated MMA team na Team Lakay sa mga panalong nakuha ng kanilang mga miyembro.
"Of course I'm very happy. And it's time to break the egg, it's time to getting back the belt again," sabi ni coach Mark Sangiao.
Matatandaang nawala kamakailan ang lahat ng belts mula sa Team Lakay nang mabitiwan nina Edward Folayang at Kevin Belingon ang ONE Lightweight World Title at ONE Bantamweight World Title.
"Na-execute niya [Joshua] nang husto yung game plan. Maganda. Maganda yung mga anggulo. Kahit saang anggulo pumupunta si Joshua, nababantayan niya talaga si Yosuke," dagdag ng coach.
"And for Edward, good for him kasi lagi siyang nakaka-escape. Nandoon lang yung attempt pero nakaka-escape siya, nakakabitaw siya."
Kasalukuyan namang naghahanda si Belingon para sa muling paghaharap nila ni Bibiano Fernandez para muling makuha ang ginto.