Surging Australian Featherweight slugger Rob “Ruthless” Lisita faces the former URCC 145 pound Champion Eric “The Natural” Kelly at ONE FC 18 – War of Dragons in Taipei, Taiwan next month, on July 11, 2014.
ONE FC confirmed the news through their official Facebook fan page Friday morning.
Fresh off his amazing knockout win over Yusuke Kawanago in the Philippines last May, the heavy-handed Lisita is currently riding on a four-fight win streak. He made a huge statement in his promotional debut when he stopped Kawanago in the first frame of their rematch from a Legend FC event that saw Kawanago take home the belt.
“Ruthless’” power and skills will be tested once more when he meets one of the most well-known Filipino featherweights, Eric Kelly. This will be Kelly’s first fight since he scored a submission win over Jianbo Lu of China at URCC 24 last November of 2013. After failing to claim the title early last year against Honorio Banario in Malaysia, Kelly aims to run for the title again this year.
This is going to be one of the best fights of the night as these fighters are two of the most exciting and explosive talents in the ONE FC 145 pound division.
War of Dragons will also feature a lightweight showdown between two ONE FC newcomers as the former Legend FC 155 Champion Koji Ando faces the undefeated Brazilian prospect Rafael Nunes. Taiwan’s transplanted heavyweight Paul Cheng gets his dream come true to fight in his home country when he takes on Mahmoud Hassan.
More big men stack the card as massive wrestler Jake Butler takes on striker Mohamed Ali. Thrilling grappler Yusup Saadulaev is back inside the ONE FC cage to take on former contender Koetsu Okazaki.
ONE FC 18 War of Dragons
July 17, 2014
Natl. Taiwan Uni. Sports Center
Taipei, Taiwan
Heavyweight
Paul Cheng (4-1) vs Mahmoud Hassan (1-3)
Lightweight
Koji Ando (8-3-2) vs Rafael Nunes (10-0)
Bantamweight
Koetsu Okazaki (9-3) vs Yusup Saadulaev (12-3-1)
Light Heavyweight
Jake Butler (3-1) vs Mohamed Ali (9-6)
Featherweight
Robert Lisita (14-5) vs Eric Kelly (10-1)
Sung Ming Yen (2-1) vs Muhamad Haidar (2-1)
Zhang Zheng Jie (2-0) vs Rayner Kinsiong (2-0)
Nathan Ng (0-0) vs Florian Garel (2-3)
Press release:
20 June 2014 – SINGAPORE: ONE Fighting Championship™ (ONE FC), Asia’s largest mixed martial arts organization with a 90% market share, has added four exciting bouts to the ONE FC: WAR OF DRAGONS card set to take place on 11 July in Taipei, Taiwan. The blockbuster event is in partnership with AMC Live and will take place at the National Taiwan University Sports Center. A bout between top featherweight contenders Rob Lisita and Eric Kelly has been added to the card. Two top Taiwanese mixed martial artists will also be making their ONE FC debuts. Bantamweight Sung Ming Yen and lightweight Zhang Zheng Jie will meet Malaysian opponents Muhamad Haidar and Rayner Kinsiong respectively. Hong Kong’s Nathan Ng will also make his promotional debut against Taiwan-based French fighter Florian Garel.
Tickets for ONE FC: WAR OF DRAGONS are on sale now at www.ibon.com.tw. Ticket categories begin with the full red carpet and cage side experience forNT7,200. Tickets priced at NT3,600 and NT1,200 are also available. All applicable service charges apply.
CEO of ONE Fighting Championship™ Victor Cui stated, “ONE FC is bringing world-class mixed martial arts action to Taiwan for the first time on 11 July. Fans in Taipei will now get the opportunity to experience a night of adrenaline-pumping mixed martial arts action live! Rob Lisita and Eric Kelly are two of the best featherweights in the world and both of them consistently deliver crowd-pleasing bouts. The winner of this bout will set himself up to challenge Koji Oishi, the reigning ONE FC Featherweight World Champion, for the title in the near future. This is one of the most anticipated sporting events in Taiwan in recent years and fans in Taiwan will finally get to enjoy explosive MMA action!”
Rob Lisita is an Australian featherweight who has been on a tear in recent bouts. He has won seven of his last eight bouts, and in his ONE FC debut last May, avenged the only loss in that streak by knocking out Yusuke Kawanago. Lisita is ruthless in going for the finish and has seen the final bell only three times in his 14 victories.
Eric Kelly is one of the top featherweights in the world with an impressive 10 wins in his young career. He is adept at finishing his opponents and has only been to a decision once. A fan favorite in the Philippines, a victory could propel him to a title opportunity and the chance to become the country’s next great sports superstar.
Sung Ming Yen is a Taiwanese mixed martial arts pioneer who has proven himself as one of the top mixed martial artists in the country. Sung is equally adept in both grappling and striking, and prides himself on his aggressive style. He will have the support of the passionate Taiwanese fans behind him as he makes his promotional debut.
Muhamad Haidar is a Malaysian mixed martial arts veteran and one of the top bantamweights in the country. He has honed his skills training with the best fighters in Malaysia and will get to showcase them when he takes on Sung.
Zhang Zheng Jie is one of the best mixed martial artists in Taiwan. A submission expert, Zhang has finished most of his opponents via submission. He has cemented his position as the best lightweight in the country and has been itching to test his skills against opponents of a higher calibre. He gets that opportunity when he takes on decorated striker Kinsiong.
Rayner Kinsiong is a Malaysian mixed martial artist from Borneo, Malaysia. He is a 3rd Dan black belt in karate, and has won gold in the SEA Games while representing his country. Kinsiong is extremely confident he can knock out anybody on his feet and has added grappling skills to his arsenal. He has experience competing on the global stage and will use that to his advantage against his less-experienced opponent.
Nathan Ng is a Hong Kong model and mixed martial artist currently residing in Los Angeles. He is also a pageant winner, actor and a strength and conditioning coach. His first passion continues to be mixed martial arts, and he has a purple belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and a background in Kung Fu. Ng is eager to make a mark in ONE FC’s featherweight division and will want to earn a statement victory when he competes in Taipei on 11 July.
Originally from France, Florian Garel has made Taiwan his second home. He studied the Chinese language while in university and moved to Taiwan to marry his Taiwanese wife. A 4th Dan black belt in Karate, Garel eventually settled in Taichung where he now teaches martial arts.
Fans in Asia can catch all the action live on STAR Sports. Check your local listings. Also, fans from around the world can witness the action online via live streaming at www.onefc.livesport.tv. The event will be available for purchase at just US$9.99.
For more updates on ONE Fighting Championship™, please visit www.onefc.com and follow on Instagram and Twitter @ONEFCMMA and Facebook at www.facebook.com/ONEFCMMA.
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