SINGAPORE ? Manny Pacquiao laid down the blue print for the Filipino fighter, according the face of Philippine mixed martial arts, Eduard Folayang.
And apparently, the newly minted WBO welterweight champion and senator is also one of the reasons why ONE Champion is growing and reaping benefits.
According to the promotion?s founder Chatri Sityodton, the boxer is the embodiment of the ?Asian warrior spirit.?
?He?s a monster inside the ring. That?s beautiful. But outside, he?s also kind,? said Sityodton, who is also ONE?s chair.
?It?s all about the celebration of the beauty of martial arts. It?s about celebrating the courage, the humility and the warrior spirit of Asians,? Sityodton added. ?This is not about fighting and violence.?
He also noted that the Philippines ? as a geographic location ? had been on the forefront of ONE?s success. Sportshub ( Article MRec ), pagematch: 1, sectionmatch: 1
?I think it?s one of the best markets for MMA in all of Asia. The average Filipino has warrior blood in them.?
?We all Jackie Chan, Bruce Lee, Jet Li ? they are movie heroes. We all watch those Chinese, Hong Kong movies when we were kids. It?s no surprise that Chan is the most popular in Asia and he?s a martial artist,? the top honcho said.
?The Philippines is a land of warriors. There?s definitely something about the Filipino blood.?
Two Filipinos in Folayang and Cebu?s Vaughn Donayre will try to prove just that as they take the cage tonight at the Singapore Indoor Stadium. The former, who had been seeking his first title with ONE, will challenge Japanese Shinya Aoki. The latter, though, will try to exorcise the demons of his past as he tries to break an aging stereotype, upset a local star and snare his first victory in the promotion.
Undercard fights will kick off at 7:00 p.m.
