One FC World Champion Vitaly Bigdash Defends Title Against Aung La N Sang in Main Event

14 June 2017 – Yangon, Myanmar: The largest sports media property in Asian history, ONE Championship™ (ONE), will make its triumphant return to Yangon for another evening of authentic martial arts action. ONE: LIGHT OF A NATION takes place Friday, 30 June, and is set to once again electrify the iconic Thuwunna Indoor Stadium. In the main event, ONE Middleweight World Champion Vitaly Bigdash defends his title against hometown hero “The Burmese Python” Aung La N Sang. 
In addition, ONE Championship has organized a Myanmar Flyweight Tournament to determine the country’s next flyweight superstar. Saw Min Min will take on Tun Lwin Moe while Ye Thway Ne battles Pat Kyaw Lin Naing in the semi-final matches. Shwe Kyaung Thar takes on Ye Yint Thway in the alternate bout.
Ticket information for ONE: LIGHT OF A NATION is available at http://www.onefc.com
ONE Middleweight World Champion Vitaly Bigdash of Rostov-on-Don, Russia, has proven to be one of the most talented martial artists in the world. Making his ONE Championship debut in 2015, Bigdash captured the middleweight title with a resounding technical knockout victory over Igor Svirid, in one of the most action-packed contests in ONE Championship history. In his last bout, Bigdash successfully defended his world title for the first time against Aung La N Sang, winning by unanimous decision. With an unblemished professional record of nine wins and no losses, Bigdash is set to return to the ONE Championship cage in a rematch against the Myanmar hero.
32-year-old top middleweight contender Aung La N Sang is one of the world’s most renowned athletes from Myanmar, whose constricting style has earned him the moniker of ”The Burmese Python”. Born in Myitkyina in the mountainous Kachin State, he belongs to an ethnic minority known as the Kachin. In his most recent outing, Aung La N Sang battled valiantly against reigning ONE Middleweight World Champion Vitaly Bigdash, losing via decision. This time, the Myanmar national hero believes he can produce a different result with better preparation in a highly-anticipated rematch against Bigdash.
26-year-old Jenny Huang is a female martial arts athlete who represents Chinese Taipei. Highly-regarded as one of the most skilled talents in ONE Championship, Huang sports a professional record of five wins and one loss, losing only to reigning ONE Women’s Atomweight World Champion Angela Lee in her most recent bout. Of her five victories, Huang owns three via impressive submission. Huang is now set to make her much anticipated return to the ONE Championship cage and will take on Mei Yamaguchi.
34-year old Japanese martial arts veteran Mei “V.V” Yamaguchi is a female atomweight from Tokyo and is the former DEEP Jewels Featherweight Champion. She owns a stellar 15-10-1 professional record, including six submissions and two knockouts. In 2016, Yamaguchi challenged Angela Lee for the inaugural ONE Women’s Atomweight World Championship, an epic showdown that would later win multiple Fight of the Year honors. In her last bout, Yamaguchi fell to former 2-time Muay Thai world champion Istela Nunes. She is set to take on dangerous submission specialist Jenny Huang next.
26-year-old Brazilian jiu-jitsu world champion Bruno “Pucci Bull” Pucci from Brazil is ready to make his much-awaited return to the ONE Championship cage. A first degree BJJ black belt and world champion in No Gi, Pucci is famous for finishing all his fights via rear naked choke. Pucci has experienced mixed results so far in his professional mixed martial arts career, but he is determined to get back on the right track. He will take on Filipino Jimmy Yabo in his next contest.
36-year-old Jimmy “The Silencer” Yabo is a former Philippine featherweight standout with an impressive mixed martial arts record of 5-4, 1NC. He boasts one of the best finishing percentages in the division, having stopped all five of his opponents by either knockout or technical knockout. Although Yabo has experienced highs and lows throughout his career, the rededicated veteran is looking to add one more to the win column. However, he will have to go through grappling ace Bruno Pucci to earn the victory.
Unbeaten Tha Pyay Nyo, who owns an unblemished professional record of 3-0 and is the ONE Myanmar Featherweight Tournament 2015 Champion will return to the ONE Championship cage to face former Lethwei fighter Htet Aung Oo who makes his promotional debut.
Kevin “Old Boy” Chung is a 24-year-old South Korean who was born and raised in the United States. He started his amatuer mixed martial arts stint in his adoptive hometown of Centreville, Virginia, in 2010. Chung turned professional in 2015, and currently holds an perfect win-loss record of 4-0. Two of his four pro career wins have come by way of spectacular submission. Chung prides himself on being an exciting competitor, willing to please the crowd by always seeking the highlight-reel finish. He makes his ONE Championship debut against Zhong Qingya.
26-year-old Zhong Qing Ya is a Brazilian jiu-jitsu practitioner from Chengdu, China. Along with the rise of Chinese martial arts talent in Asia, Zhong will be making his much-anticipated ONE Championship debut against Kevin Chung.

For more updates on ONE Championship, please visit http://www.onefc.com, follow us on Twitter and Instagram @ONEChampionship, and like us on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/ONEChampionship.

Vitaly Bigdash Faces Aung La N Sang in Highly-Anticipated Rematch at One: Light of a Nation

30​ May 2017 – Yangon, Myanmar: The largest sports media property in Asian history, ONE Championship™ (ONE), returns to Yangon, Myanmar on 30 June for another blockbuster evening of world-class, authentic martial arts action. The Thuwunna Indoor Stadium is set to play host to ONE: LIGHT OF A NATION, featuring ONE Middleweight World Champion Vitaly Bigdash, who will defend his title against hometown hero “The Burmese Python” Aung La N Sang in the main event.
Ticket information for ONE: LIGHT OF A NATION is available at http://www.onefc.com
Chatri Sityodtong, Chairman and CEO of ONE Championship, stated: “The first bout was an absolute showcase of incredible skill and unwavering determination, and the rematch promises nothing short of another classic. Yangon’s favorite son, Aung La N Sang, will get another crack at the ONE Middleweight World Championship held by Vitaly Bigdash. This time, it will be on his home turf. Fans will not want to miss all the action that goes down at ONE: LIGHT OF A NATION this June!”
ONE Middleweight World Champion Vitaly Bigdash of Rostov-on-Don, Russia, has proven to be one of the most talented martial artists in the world. Making his ONE Championship debut in 2015, Bigdash captured the middleweight title with a resounding technical knockout victory over Igor Svirid, in one of the most action-packed contests in ONE Championship history. In his last bout, Bigdash successfully defended his world title for the first time against Aung La N Sang, winning by unanimous decision. With an unblemished professional record of nine wins and no losses, Bigdash is set to return to the ONE Championship cage in a rematch against the Myanmar hero.
Vitaly Bigdash, ONE Middleweight World Champion, stated: “Aung La N Sang is one of the toughest fighters I have ever faced, and it will be an honor to come into his hometown to perform. I am not worried about the hometown advantage, because a true champion can fight anywhere and under any circumstance. I am excited to get back inside the cage and expect nothing less than a spectacular showing in Myanmar. Although I respect Aung La N Sang and what he brings to the table, I am returning home victorious, and with my belt still over my shoulder.”
32-year-old top middleweight contender Aung La N Sang is one of the world’s most renowned athletes from Myanmar, whose constricting style has earned him the moniker of ”The Burmese Python”. Born in Myitkyina in the mountainous Kachin State, he belongs to an ethnic minority known as the Kachin. In his most recent outing, Aung La N Sang battled valiantly against reigning ONE Middleweight World Champion Vitaly Bigdash, losing via decision. This time, the Myanmar national hero believes he can produce a different result with better preparation in a highly-anticipated rematch against Bigdash.
Aung La N Sang, ONE world title challenger, stated: “The last fight I took on short notice and I wasn’t at my best. This time, with better preparation and a full training camp, I vow to give a much better account of myself. Competing in Yangon in front of all my fans is such an honor, and I promise to do everything within my power to bring the belt back to Myanmar! It’s going to be an epic battle of attrition, and the better man will emerge victorious on the night.”

For more updates on ONE Championship, please visit http://www.onefc.com, follow us on Twitter and Instagram @ONEChampionship, and like us on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/ONEChampionship.

And Still ONE Middleweight World Champion Vitaly Bigdash

14 January 2017 – Jakarta, Indonesia: The largest sports media property in Asian history, ONE Championship™ (ONE), returned to the Jakarta Convention Center for another evening of world-class mixed martial arts (MMA) action. ONE: QUEST FOR POWER set the tone for what will be an amazing 2017 for ONE Championship with a series of compelling bouts featuring the absolute best in local and international MMA talent. In the main event, ONE Middleweight World Champion Vitaly Bigdash retained his title, defeating top contender “The Burmese Python” Aung La N Sang by unanimous decision after five rounds.

In the main event of the evening, ONE Middleweight World Champion Vitaly Bigdash of Rostov-on-Don, Russia impressed with a great show of strength in a dominant performance over “The Burmese Python” Aung La N Sang of Myanmar. Throughout the bout, Bigdash kept N Sang at bay with his sharp combinations, while on the mat he connected with multiple elbows. After five rounds of action, it was a clear win for Bigdash who met very little resistance in outlasting the durable N Sang to remain undefeated, retaining his ONE Middleweight World Championship.


In the co-main event of the evening, 27-year-old Martin “The Situ-Asian” Nguyen of Sydney, Australia authored one of the most spectacular finishes of the evening, stopping Japanese MMA veteran Kazunori Yokota with strikes to win by technical knockout just past the midway point of the first round. Yokota stalked Nguyen, looking to throw combinations but Nguyen timed Yokota with an overhand right that dropped him to the canvas. From there, Nguyen jumped on his foe and rained down punches from the top to earn the stoppage victory.


Lightweight contenders Vincent “MagniVincent” Latoel and Vaughn “The Spawn” Donayre put on an exciting show for fans in attendance, tagging each other with intense combinations for the majority of the three-round lightweight contest. On the mat, Donayre showcased his grappling skills, threatening with various submissions off his back. Latoel however was more consistent throughout and scored points with his takedowns and cage control. All three judges saw the bout in favor of Latoel to win by unanimous decision.


The highly-anticipated lightweight showdown between Georgi Stoyanov of Bulgaria and Saygid Guseyn Arslanaliev of Russia ended on an unfortunate note, as the bout resulted in a No Contest ruling. Although Arslanaliev swarmed Stoyanov from the beginning of the bout and completely outclassed the Bulgarian, an ill-advised technical ground kick landed for Arslanaliev and Stoyanov was unable to continue.


Dutch featherweight standout based in Jakarta, Anthony “The Archangel” Engelen, put on a masterful performance, stopping Malaysian fight veteran A.J. “Pyro” Lias Mansor in under two minutes in the first round of a scheduled three-round bout. Engelen pressed Mansor up against the cage fence with a combination before a beautiful right hand felled Mansor, earning Engelen one of the most spectacular knockouts of his career.


Fans were treated to an action-packed clash of colossal light heavyweights as Igor Subora of the Ukraine and Sherif Mohamed of Egypt pushed each other to the limit in a tremendous three-round show of determination from both fighters. Subora effectively used his reach advantage to keep the smaller, stockier Mohamed at bay with his boxing throughout the bout. In the third round, both fighters fought through sheer exhaustion to make it to the final bell as Subora did just enough to outlast Mohamed to earn the unanimous decision.


Local martial arts hero from Jakarta, “The Terminator” Sunoto, brought the crowd to its feet with a riveting performance to defeat Cambodia’s Chan Heng by technical knockout just a little under three minutes into the first round. Sunoto wasted no time in taking the fight directly to Heng, challenging the Khun Khmer practitioner to a striking showdown at the center of the ONE Championship cage. Sunoto however, proved too much for the Cambodian after he gained mount and unleashed the ground-and-pound.


Unbeaten Indonesian flyweight prospect Stefer Rahardian defeated Jakarta-based Liberian fighter Jerome S. Paye via unanimous decision in the second preliminary bout of the evening. Rahardian showcased tremendous cage-control for the majority of the fight, smothering Paye with a consistent attack that left the Liberian stifled throughout the contest. The 30-year-old Rahardian left very little openings for Paye who just couldn’t get his offense going. In the end, Rahardian had just enough in the tank to complete a comprehensive three-round performance, earning the nod on all three judges’ scorecards.


Strawweights Rene Catalan of the Philippines and Adrian Matheis of Indonesia kicked off ONE: QUEST FOR POWER with a spirited display of mixed martial arts action, on a bustling Saturday night in Jakarta. After a dominant first round from Catalan, one that saw the Filipino attempt various finishes, the end came swiftly in the second when Catalan was able to execute an armbar to earn the submission victory.


Official results for ONE: QUEST FOR POWER
ONE Middleweight World Championship bout: Vitaly Bigdash defeats Aung La N Sang by Unanimous Decision (UD) after five rounds
Featherweight bout: Martin Nguyen defeats Kazunori Yokota by TKO (Strikes) at 3:36 minutes of round 1
Lightweight bout: Vincent Latoel defeats Vaughn Donayre by Unanimous Decision (UD) after three rounds
Lightweight bout: Georgi Stoyanov, Saygid Guseyn Arslanaliev (No Contest)
Featherweight bout: Anthony Engelen defeats AJ Lias Mansor by Knockout (KO) at 1:42 minutes of round 1
Light Heavyweight bout: Igor Subora defeats Sherif Mohamed by Unanimous Decision (UD) after three rounds
Bantamweight bout: Sunoto defeats Chan Heng by TKO (Strikes) at 2:30 minutes of round 1
Flyweight bout: Stefer Rahardian defeats Jerome S. Paye by Unanimous Decision (UD) after three rounds
Strawweight bout: Rene Catalan defeats Adrian Matheis by Submission (Armbar) at 2:08 minutes of round 2


In case you missed the action log on to www.onefc.com/livestream for the full replay of the fights at only US $9.99.


For more updates on ONE Championship, please visit www.onefc.com, follow on Twitter and Instagram @ONEChampionship, and like on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/ONEChampionship.


About ONE Championship™

ONE Championship is the largest sports media property in Asian history. Headquartered in Singapore, the world’s most exciting mixed martial arts organization hosts the largest sports entertainment events across Asia featuring the best Asian mixed martial artists and world champions, all signed to exclusive contracts, on the largest media broadcast in Asia. ONE Championship is broadcast to over 1 billion viewers across 118+ countries around the world with some of the largest global broadcasters, including FOX Sports, Setanta, MNC, Astro, Thairath TV, ABS-CBN, TV5, MYTV, HTV, Esporte Interativo and more.

Aung La N Sang eyes to win intricately-crafted world title for Myanmar

Aung La N Sang might be an ordinary mixed martial arts (MMA) fighter in the eyes of many in the world, but he is extremely revered by over 53 million Burmese people as a hero in his motherland.
A national treasure like Nobel Peace Prize winner Aung San Suu Kyi in Myanmar, the whole country stands still each time that Aung La steps inside the ONE Championship cage.
Aung La’s superstar status has been published in every mainstream newspaper in Myanmar. He has been a regular staple on each household’s television screen.
On the day of his bout, all walks of like unite in support of Aung La, which he then compensates with a sweet victory.
Myanmar’s beloved son will have the biggest fight in his nearly 12-year professional MMA career as he is set to challenge Vitaly Bigdash for the ONE Middleweight World Championship title at ONE: QUEST FOR POWER in Jakarta, Indonesia on 14 January.
Capturing the ONE Middleweight World Championship belt will not only put Aung La in history books as the first Burmese MMA competitor to claim a world title, but he will also have an intricately-crafted hardware in his possession.
Beyond the prestige that marks the bearer as the best fighter in his weight class across the Asian region, the belt is designed as a symbolic ornament of honor and glory.
Weighing more than 7 kilograms, the jewel-encrusted silver and gold-plated belt is mounted by hand on a thick natural leather strap that is locked together securely with 10 steel studs.
The pair of warring lions that frame the centerpiece ONE Championship logo represents royalty and prestige, and it is complimented by a crown motif at the belt’s apex.
Two blood-red rubies are placed in the eyes of the lions, while two secondary plates added eminent value to the handmade masterpiece as it is studded with 52 crystals on each side.
“The ONE Championship belt is one of the most prestigious MMA titles in the sport today. Having that makes you the best in the game. That’s why I want to win it so bad,” Aung La said.
In gratitude to the nation’s steadfast support, Aung La is determined to bring home the ONE Middleweight World Championship to Myanmar.

“I would like to repay the unwavering support that they gave me all throughout the years by winning the ONE Middleweight World Championship belt. It’s my way of saying thank you to them,” Aung La stated.
Chinese zodiac refers to 2017 as “The Year of the Fire Rooster,” but Aung La believes that it will be the year of “The Burmese Python.”
“2016 is a set up for 2017. After every fight, I am back in the gym trying to improve and get better. 2017 is going to be my year,” he ended.

Vitaly Bigdash Wants To Unleash His Finish Move In His First Title Defense

ONE Middleweight World Champion Vitaly Bigdash has a 100 percent finishing rate in his eight-fight professional mixed martial arts (MMA) career, owning four knockout victories and four submission wins.

In his most recent trip to the ONE Championship cage, Bigdash captured the intricately-crafted ONE Middleweight World Championship belt with a scintillating second-round knockout conquest of Igor Svirid.

The 32-year-old Russian combatant looks to accomplish another emphatic triumph as he defends his gold-plated strap for the first time against Burmese MMA superstar Aung La N Sang in the main event of ONE: QUEST FOR POWER, which takes place at the Jakarta Convention Center in Jakarta, Indonesia on 14 January.

“I don’t want to leave any doubt every time that I step inside the cage. The judges are not always on your side. The outcome of the fight should be decided by the fighter. That’s why I always go for the finish,” he said.

“I won all of my fights by either knockout or submission. I would like to continue my way of winning fights in my first title defense,” Bigdash added.

However, it appears that fishing for the stoppage will be a tough task for Bigdash as Aung La has 95 percent success rate of thwarting his opponents.

Aung La holds 11 wins by way of submission as well as seven knockouts. Moreover, the 31-year-old Burmese fighter has stopped three of his last four foes in ONE Championship.

Bigdash has a tall order in front of him, but the champion remains optimistic that he will walk away with the ONE Middleweight World Championship title around his waist.

Although he does not see any week spot in Aung La, Bigdash believes that he has the upper hand in the stand-up department.

“He does not have weak spots, but his striking is weaker that his grappling for sure. Grappling is his stronghold. If he prefers to strike with me, I know that I will have the edge,” he stated,

Aung La might have an elite submission arsenal coming into the bout, but Bigdash issued a stern warning about his ground game.

“I am 100 percent ready for his ground game. I am fine to get on the ground with him. Grappling is my favorite area of MMA. I would love to try it with a high-level grappler like him,” he claimed.

With Aung La’s gutsy mentality of looking for the finish, Bigdash expects that his five-round championship clash against his Burmese counterpart will have no shortage of firepower.

“This will be an exciting fight. He always goes for the finish. I also want a knockout or submission. Fans can expect an awesome fight,” he ended.
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For more updates on ONE Championship, please visit http://www.onefc.com, follow on Twitter and Instagram @ONEChampionship, and like on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/ONEChampionship.

About ONE Championship™
ONE Championship is the largest sports media property in Asian history. Headquartered in Singapore, the world’s most exciting mixed martial arts organization hosts the largest sports entertainment events across Asia featuring the best Asian mixed martial artists and world champions, all signed to exclusive contracts, on the largest media broadcast in Asia. ONE Championship is broadcast to over 1 billion viewers across 118+ countries around the world with some of the largest global broadcasters, including FOX Sports, Setanta, MNC, Astro, Thairath TV, ABS-CBN, TV5, MYTV, HTV, Esporte Interativo and more.