Eric “the Natural” Kelly and “Ruthless” Rob Lisita both made weight yesterday ahead of their featured featherweight mixed martial arts (MMA) bout at the ONE FC: War of Dragons event in Taipei tonight, the first of its kind to be held in the nation.
Kelly weighed in at 144.8 pounds (65.7kg) and Lisita at 145 pounds at yesterday’s weigh-in.
Kelly and Lisita are to contest for the right to challenge ONE FC featherweight champion Koji Oishi as they headline a stacked card of 10 fights that features three Taiwanese fighters.
Photo courtesy of ONE FC
This evening, Taipei-born Taiwanese-Canadian Paul “The Typhoon” Cheng is to continue his quest to become the world’s first Asian heavyweight champion before a home crowd when he takes on former Egyptian national boxing champion Mahmoud “Hellboy” Hassan, while Taiwanese MMA pioneer Sung Ming-yen and financial consultant-turned-cage fighter Jeff Huang will be seeking to impress in their ONE FC debuts.
Not joining his compatriots tonight is Former Republic of China Marine Zhang Zheng-jie, who failed his pre-fight medical and will be replaced by Tough MMA teammate Eliot Corley (1-2-0) of the US. Corley is to face Malaysia’s Rayner Kinsiong (2-0-0), a third-degree karate blackbelt and Southeast Asian Games karate gold medalist. Kinsiong, who has previously fought as a welterweight, failed to make the 155-pound lightweight limit and the bout will be fought at a catchweight of 157 pounds.
In the co-main event, former Legend FC lightweight champion Koji Ando of Japan (9-3-2) takes on undefeated Brazilian Rafael Nunes (10-0-0), who is making his ONE FC and international debut. Ando weighed in at 154.5 pounds, while Nunes weighed 154.3 pounds.
The event will be the first in Taiwan staged by ONE FC, Asia’s biggest mixed martial arts promoter which has previously sold out events in Singapore, Manila and Kuala Lumpur, and in the midst of an aggressive expansion across Asia and the Middle East.
ONE FC owner and chief executive Victor Cui was happy that all but one of his fighters made weight and promises Taiwanese fans a night of excitement.
“The fighters made weight and that’s always a really good start. Fighters have two jobs: They’ve got to make weight and they’ve got to put on an entertaining fight, and we’re halfway through that now,” Cui told the Taipei Times at the weigh-in.
“I think Taiwanese fans are going to be shocked at how exciting tomorrow night is going to be,” he said. “We’ve got a fantastic card, with some great local heroes and a couple of heavyweight guys on the card, and everyone loves to watch the big boys bang.”
Cui on Wednesday announced on Twitter and Facebook that he will award a US$50,000 bonus to standout fighters that thrill the fans and “show incredible warrior spirit.”
Philippine fan favorite Kelly (10-1-0), a rising star who has posted wins over former UFC lightweight champion Jens Pulver and Mitch “The Dragon” Chilson, is making his return to ONE FC after suffering his first loss in February last year against Honorio Banario, when they vied for ONE FC’s inaugural featherweight championship. Kelly suffered a shock eye injury in the fourth round and was unable to continue. Banario was awarded a technical knockout, and the title, which he later lost to Oishi.
Kelly has since recovered and after scoring a confidence-building comeback victory outside ONE FC, is ready to return for another shot at a title fight.
“My training was good and I’m 100 percent ready to go to represent the Philippines,” he said at the weigh-in.
Kelly’s opponent, Australia’s Lisita (14-5-0), is riding a four-fight win streak, all by knockout or submission. Lisita made a statement in his ONE FC debut in May, when he avenged his last defeat by knocking out Japan’s Yusuke Kawanago 28 seconds into the first round.
“There’s a reason why we’re the main event. It’s because we’re some of the best in the world,” he told reporters at the weigh-in. “Tell your friends, tell your family, tell your dog to buy the pay-per-view, because you’re going to see a fight.”
Lisita is aiming to win by stoppage, saying: “My time is now. When that bell rings, I’m coming after him. So pay attention, and don’t blink.”
Leading the Taiwanese fighters is former Canadian Football League defensive lineman Cheng (4-1-0), who weighed in at an intimidating 253.5 pounds, while his opponent Hassan tipped the scales at 224.9 pounds.
Cheng said that the opportunity to fight in the capital is a dream come true. He won his last three fights by stoppage in the first round and had earlier told the Taipei Times that he intends to do the same against Hassan.
Fighting out of Tough MMA, Hsinchu’s Sung (2-1-0) will be out to exorcise the demons of the first-round knockout he suffered at the hands of Philippine striker Augustin Delarmino in February 2012 when he returns to the cage to take on 19-year-old Singaporean Nick Lee (2-1-0) in a bantamweight bout. Sung, 34, weighed in at 132.3 pounds, while Lee weighed in at 134.9 pounds.
Welterweight Huang (3-1-0) is returning to his alma mater, National Taiwan University, as a cage fighter after trading in a 12-year career as a financial consultant to pursue his warrior dreams. Huang will fight Indian Muay Thai champion Bala Shetty, who will be making his professional MMA debut. Huang and Shetty weighed in at 167.1 pounds and 168.9 pounds respectively.
Greater Taichung-based Frenchman Florian Garel (2-3-0) will be starting the action against Hong Kong’s Nathan Ng, who is making his professional debut in the featherweight bout.
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