18 March 2016 – Yangon, Myanmar: The largest sports media property in Asian history, ONE Championship™ (ONE), successfully returned to Myanmar to electrify the beautiful city of Yangon with another evening of world-class mixed martial arts action. Fans flocked to the Thuwunna Stadium to witness the absolute best in local and international mixed martial arts talent compete on the global stage. In the main event of ONE: UNION OF WARRIORS, Aung La N Sang returned home to a raucous crowd cheering his name. Aung La submitted challenger Mohamed Ali via Guillotine Choke in round one.
Visit the official ONE: UNION OF WARRIORS photo gallery by clicking: https://www.dropbox.com/sh/ivh34n9pza3q94o/AADwuMwRg-gnDecd5AIBoQyTa?dl=0
Aung La N Sang returned to Yangon, Myanmar to an eruption of cheers from his hometown crowd. “The Burmese Python” weathered the early storm from opponent Mohamed Ali of Egypt to secure a deep Guillotine Choke to force Ali to tap out. Aung La showed technical finesse as well as true grit and determination in overcoming a spirited effort from Ali. After the bout, Aung La then took the time to call out ONE Middleweight World Champion, Vitaly Bigdash.
“We did it guys! We did it,” said Aung La. “Bigdash, you have my belt! We want that belt!”
Former flyweight champion Adriano “Mikinho” Moraes of Brazil successfully returned to the ONE Cage after losing the title in his last bout, defeating charismatic opponent Eugene Toquero of the Philippines. Midway into the fight, Toquero rocked Moraes with a flying knee and follow up strikes. This caused Moraes to rely on his Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu skills to carry him to victory. Once on the mat, Moraes sunk in a D’Arce Choke to seal the deal.
Tha Pyay Nyo remains unbeaten inside the ONE Cage with a gutsy performance against fellow Burmese fighter Kyal Sin Phyo. The two battled to near exhaustion for three rounds to the delight of the crowd, but in the end, it was Tha Pyay Nyo who emerged victorious. A barrage of strikes which landed for Tha Pyay Nyo compelled the referee to step in and call a halt to the contest.
Evolve-MMA’s Christian “The Warrior” Lee turned in a masterful performance, completely dominating opponent Anthony “The Archangel” Engelen with vicious strikes and solid ground control. Lee showcased his array of dazzling spin kicks but it was his zippy left hooks that found a home on Engelen’s chin. After dropping Engelen with a punch, Lee chased him to the mat and finished him off with ground-and-pound.
Lethwei golden belt champions Kyal Linn Aung and Thway Thit Aung graced the international MMA scene, putting on an exciting performance inside the ONE Cage. Both fighters traded heavy blows for the majority of the three round bout, but Kyal Linn Aung’s infamous punch resistance carried him to victory as he overpowered Thway Thit Aung to win by unanimous decision.
Alex “Little Rock” Silva of Brazil overcame a workmanlike performance from Robin “The Ilonggo” Catalan of the Philippines, winning by submission over his third straight Catalan opponent. Catalan had some success trading blows with Silva at the center of the cage, but Silva constantly looked for the takedown and was finally able to get it deep in the first round. An arm triangle choke forced Catalan to tap out shortly after.
Local mixed martial artists Phoe Thaw and Saw L Lay put on a show for fans in Yangon, exchanging strikes at the center of the cage to loud cheers of the packed crowd. Thaw used his reach advantage to keep L Lay at bay with stinging jabs. On the ground, Thaw gained full mount and delivered ground-and-pound to attain the referee stoppage.
Filipino featherweight Edward “The Ferocious” Kelly of Team Lakay offset a spirited effort from debuting fighter Jordan “Showtime” Lucas of Australia, winning by submission in the first round. After a couple of successful takedowns from Lucas, Kelly was able to sneak in a rear naked choke, forcing the previously unbeaten Australian to tap out.
Burmese combatants Thar A Thal Ta Pwint and Kyaw Kyar gave fans a taste of some local flavor with a good, solid contest. In a short bout, Ta Pwint danced inside the cage victorious after securing mount and finishing Kyar with ground-and-pound.
Myanmar fighters Ye Yint Aung and San Thu Oo kicked off ONE: UNION OF WARRIORS with an exciting encounter of local fighters. Ye Yint Aung overcame a fast start by San Thu Oo to win by technical knockout after gaining mount and unloading ground-and-pound.
Official results for ONE: UNION OF WARRIORS
Middleweight bout: Aung La N Sang defeats Mohamed Ali by Submission (Guillotine Choke) at 2:38 minutes of round 1
Flyweight bout: Adriano Moraes defeats Eugene Toquero by Submission (D’Arce Choke) at 4:53 minutes of round 1
Bantamweight bout: Tha Pyay Nyo defeats Kyal Sin Phyo by TKO (Strikes) at 1:36 minutes of round 3
Catchweight bout (73kg): Christian Lee defeats Anthony Engelen by TKO (Strikes) at 4:14 minutes of round 1
Lightweight bout: Kyal Linn Aung defeats Thway Thit Aung by Unanimous Decision
Strawweight bout: Alex Silva defeats Robin Catalan by Submission (Arm Triangle Choke) at 4:32 minutes of round 1
Featherweight bout: Phoe Thaw defeats Saw L Lay by TKO (Strikes) at 2:27 minutes of round 1
Featherweight bout: Edward Kelly defeats Jordan Lucas by Submission (Rear Naked Choke) at 3:47 minutes of round 1
Bantamweight bout: Thar A Thal Ta Pwint defeats Kyaw Kyar by TKO (Strikes) at 2:58 minutes of round 1
Lightweight bout: Ye Yint Aung defeats San Thu Oo by TKO (Strikes) at 3:50 minutes of round 1
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.
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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 best Asian mixed martial artists and world champions, all signed to exclusive contracts, on the largest media broadcast in Asia. ONE Championship™ has partnered with FOX and STAR Sports for an unprecedented 10-year cable television deal with a coverage that spans 70+ countries across the world.
