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The largest global sports media property in Asian history, ONE Championship™ (ONE), has just announced the complete card for ONE: AGE OF DRAGONS, set to take place at the Cadillac Arena in Beijing on Saturday, 16 November. Once again, the world’s greatest martial arts athletes are ready to descend upon the Chinese mainland to showcase their incredible skills.
ONE Championship has also announced a partnership with Bloomage International, who is the strategic partner and will work closely with the organization in developing the ONE Championship brand across all platforms.
Bloomage International has three main pillars: investments, operations, and commercial real-estate industries. The organization owns more than 30 subsidiary companies, holding companies, and joint-stock companies. It also owns the world-renowned stadium, the Cadillac Center, which is the only venue that has the capacity to host both the Summer Olympics and Winter Olympics.
Hua Fung Teh, Group President of ONE Championship, stated: “It is my pleasure to announce ONE Championship’s partnership with Bloomage International. We are constantly on the lookout for the right partners to join us in bringing authentic martial arts to a worldwide audience. I am super excited to also announce our next show in Beijing, ONE: AGE OF DRAGONS. ONE Championship remains dedicated to delivering Chinese martial arts fans the very best in sports entertainment. Showcasing our elite Chinese ONE Championship athletes and giving them the global platform to shine is our goal. I can’t wait for this amazing event this November!”
Zhao Yan, President of Bloomage International Investment Group, stated: “We are very pleased to be partnering with ONE Championship, a globally influential sports media property. Bloomage International Culture and Sports Development Co Ltd, a wholly owned subsidiary of Bloomage Group, has long been committed to the development of China’s culture and sports industry, and has deep experience in operating world-class sports stadiums and events, and developing sports intellectual property assets. Our development goal aligns with ONE Championship’s vision in China, and we are confident that this cooperation will be a successful model of large-scale cultural and business cooperation between China and Singapore companies.”
More information on ONE: AGE OF DRAGONS is available at www.onefc.com.
In the main event, reigning ONE Flyweight Kickboxing World Champion Ilias Ennahachi of the Netherlands will defend his World Title against challenger “Metal Storm” Wang Wenfeng of China.
Also, in the co-main event, Tarik “The Tank” Khbabez of Morocco and Roman Kryklia of Ukraine will do battle for the inaugural ONE Light Heavyweight Kickboxing World Championship.
At just 23 years of age, Ennahachi is already a multiple-time Kickboxing World Champion. He made his resounding ONE Super Series debut last August at ONE: DREAMS OF GOLD, when he dethroned former World Champion Petchdam “Baby Shark” Petchyindee Academy to capture the ONE Flyweight Kickboxing World Championship.
Ennahachi’s first World Title defense won’t come easy, as he is tasked to take on local martial arts hero, Wan Wenfeng, who will no doubt have the full support of his hometown fans in Beijing.
In the evening’s co-main event, the inaugural ONE Light Heavyweight Kickboxing World Champion will be crowned when Khbabez meets Kryklia at the center of the ONE Championship ring.
Khbabez, a 2-time SUPERKOMBAT Heavyweight World Champion, is known for his aggressive style, and his fast and powerful combinations. The heavy-handed Moroccan striker has been perfect so far in ONE Super Series, winning all four of his bouts impressively.
Khbabez’ latest conquest came last June, when he toppled Brazil’s Anderson Silva to win by unanimous decision in front of Chinese fans in Shanghai. The victory earned him a spot opposite Kryklia in this World Title matchup.
Kryklia, on the other hand, is currently riding an eight-bout winning streak heading into his ONE Super Series debut. He is a former Kunlun Fight World Champion.
More ONE Super Series action is slated for ONE: AGE OF DRAGONS.
Legendary Thai warrior “The Hero” Yodsanklai IWE Fairtex is back in action in a Muay Thai contest against Ukraine’s Sasha Moisa. Both Yodsanklai and Moisa were participants in the ONE Featherweight Kickboxing World Grand Prix, which concluded recently with Italy’s Giorgio Petrosyan being crowned the tournament champion.
In a kickboxing contest with 10-ounce gloves, former K-1 World Champion Enriko “The Hurricane” Kehl of Germany will face Armen Petrosyan of Italy. Both Kehl and Petrosyan joined the stacked featherweight division of ONE Super Series to compete among the best strikers in the world. A victory here for either would no doubt push the winner higher up the rankings.
ONE: AGE OF DRAGONS will also see the highly-anticipated ONE Super Series debut of Dutch kickboxing sensation Jorina Baars. Baars takes on DKKO German Champion Christina Breuer.
A native of Den Helder, Netherlands, the 30-year old Baars is easily one of the most sought-after martial artists in the world and has attained success in every stage that she has competed in. Among Baars’ accolades include the ISKA Welterweight World Championship, a National Dutch Muay Thai Championship, the Amazon of K-1 Muay Thai Grand Prix Championship, and the inaugural Lion Fight Muay Thai Women’s Welterweight World Championship.
Baars remains undefeated in 49 Muay Thai contests, owning an impressive 46-0-3 record with 16 of those victories coming by way of knockout. The most notable win in Baars’ stellar resumé is a unanimous decision victory over multiple-time mixed martial arts World Champion Cristiane “Cyborg” Justino.
Speaking of high-profile appearances, Commonwealth Wrestling Gold Medalist and Indian martial arts superstar Ritu Phogat is set to make her professional mixed martial arts debut opposite Malaysia’s Cindy Tiong.
Phogat is a champion wrestler and top women’s mixed martial arts prospect who comes from a family of martial artists. She began training in wrestling at the age of eight under the guidance of her father, Mahavir Singh Phogat. The 2016 blockbuster Indian sports film, Dangal, was loosely based on Phogat and her family.
Over the course of her wrestling career, Phogat has captured a Commonwealth Wrestling Championships gold medal, a World U23 Wrestling World Championships silver medal, an Asian Wrestling Championships bronze medal, and multiple Indian National Wrestling Championship titles.
China will also be well-represented on the ONE Championship global stage for mixed martial arts competition.
Chinese mixed martial arts champion Meng Bo makes her ONE Championship debut against former ONE World Title Challenger Laura “La Gladiadora” Balin of Argentina. Shaolin martial arts star Miao Li Tao takes on the Philippines’ Jeremy “The Jaguar” Miado. National Freestyle Wrestling Silver Medalist “The Cannon” Ma Jia Wen faces ONE Warrior Series contract winner Shinechagtga Zoltsetseg of Mongolia in an explosive featherweight contest. Tang Kai faces Team Lakay’s Edward “The Ferocious” Kelly, and “Wolf of the Grasslands” Hexigetu goes head-to-head with Ramon “The Bicolano” Gonzales of the Philippines.
Lastly, TFC Featherweight Champion and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt Yusup Saadulaev of Russia takes on the dangerous Daichi Takenaka of Japan in a bantamweight contest.
Bout cards and order are subject to change.
ONE: AGE OF DRAGONS
Saturday, 16 November
Cadillac Arena, Beijing, China
Main Event
ONE Flyweight Kickboxing World Championship
Ilias Ennahachi (C) vs Wang Wenfeng
Kickboxing (8oz gloves): 61.2kg
Co-Main Event
ONE Light Heavyweight Kickboxing World Championship
Tarik Khbabez vs Roman Kryklia
Kickboxing (4oz gloves): 102.1kg
Meng Bo vs Laura Balin
Mixed Martial Arts: 52.2kg
Yodsanklai IWE Fairtex vs Sasha Moisa
Muay Thai (4oz gloves): 72.0kg
Miao Li Tao vs Jeremy Miado
Mixed Martial Arts: 56.7kg
Jorina Baars vs Christina Breuer
Kickboxing (10oz gloves): 70.3kg
Ritu Phogat vs Cindy Tiong
Mixed Martial Arts: 52.2kg
Ma Jia Wen vs Shinechagtga Zoltsetseg
Mixed Martial Arts: 70.3kg
Yusup Saadulaev vs Daichi Takenaka
Mixed Martial Arts: 65.8kg
Enriko Kehl vs Armen Petrosyan
Kickboxing (10oz gloves): 73.0kg
Tang Kai vs Edward Kelly
Mixed Martial Arts: 70.3kg
Hexigetu vs Ramon Gonzales
Mixed Martial Arts: 56.7kg
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