Banario defends OneFC feather title vs South Korean

MANILA, Philippines – Filipino Honorio Banario will make his first featherweight title defense against South Korean Bae Young Kwon when the ONE Fighting Championship returns to the Philippines on May 31 at the Mall of Asia Arena in Pasay City.

From the Smart-Araneta Coliseum where ONE FC: "Pride of Nation" was staged last Aug. 31, ONE FC, Asia's most premier mixed martial arts organization, jumps to the 20-seater MOA Arena where the FIBA-Asia Championship is set to be held this August and the NBA pre-season game between the Indiana Pacers and the Houston Rockets on Oct. 20.

Interestingly, Banario lost to Bae when they first met in the ONE FC: Battle of Heroes in Jakarta, Indonesia two years ago when the Filipino lost the grappling battle to Bae with a first round defeat via rear-naked choke.

Banario, who has a 9-1 (win-loss) slate, hopes to exact revenge this time.

"I will beat him," said Banario in Filipino referring to Bae, who owns a 10-3 record including a loss to Filipino Eric Kelly in the ONE FC: Destiny of Warriors in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia last year.

Another local bet and Banario's Team Lakay teammate, wushu champion Eduard Folayang, is also scheduled to fight in this same card, which will reportedly sponsored by Casino Filipino, and in ONE FC's final bantamweight grand prix against a still unnamed foe

ONE FC marketing director Loren Mack said it is just fitting for ONE FC to make a return since its Big Dome success last year.

"The first time ONE FC went to Manila in August last year, we were amazed by the massive fan turnout and it showed us how big MMA following is in the Philippines," said Mack. "And when ONE FC holds a fight card at the MOA Arena this May, we expect to draw more fans and generate more excitement."

Truly, ONE FC: "Pride of Nation" drew 16,500 fans who witnessed Brazilian Bibiano Fernandez, who is set to also return in the May 31 fight, beat Australian Gustavo Falciroli in the main event.

There were also some former Ultimate Fighting Championship fighters like former heavyweight champions Tim Sylvia and Andrei Arlovski, ex-lightweight titlist Jens Pulver and brawler Phil Baroni who fought and delighted the MMA-hunger Filipino crowd.

Some of the members of the legendary Gracie family, known for introducing and popularizing jiu-jitsu, came and impressed the local fight fans.

And ONE FC hope to match, if not surpass, the event this May.

"Our goal to bring exciting fans in the Philippines and also to produce Filipino champions which we have already done in Honorio Banario," said Mack.

Meanwhile, ONE FC announces it will hold ONE FC will hold a fight card on April 5 in Singapore with Shinya Aoki clashing with reigning lightweight king Kotetsu Boku in an all-Japan title showdown.