ONE Championship will harness the power of the Thrilla in Manilla combined with a cage and soccer kicks at their Spirit of Champions event in the Philippines. At the Mall of Asia Arena in Manila, ONE Championship mainstays Brandon Vera, Angela Lee, and Ana Julaton will attempt to create some legendary moments via ONE Championship cage enclosed violence. MiddleEasy was on the scene all week in Manilla and will have both pre and post-fight video coverage.
-Brandon Vera hates buses. Even though he hates buses and Chi Lewis Parry we asked Vera about both. Vera was born to fight in front of thousands in the Philippines. Before his ONE Championship title fight with Paul Cheng, Vera talked to MiddleEasy about life outside the UFC, fighting in his homeland, his favorite Filipino comfort food, and soccer kicks.
-Angela Lee crunched her last opponent’s neck with a Twister. Less than a month later the 19-year-old strawweight is back inside the ONE Championship cage. Already a human highlight reel, Lee will look for her fourth first round submission win in as many fights! MiddleEasy talked to Lee about Hawaii life, being a 19 year pro cage killer, Creed, and twisters.
-Female boxers turned MMA fighters are all the rage. Former WBO boxing champ Ana Julaton is a huge part of ONE Championship women’s MMA movement. Julaton fights in her home country of the Philippines at ONE: Sprite of Champions. MiddleEasy spoke with Julaton about training in Las Vegas, the Filipino fighting sprite, and feeling Holly Holm boxing to MMA inspiration.
-One week ago Paul Cheng was filming a TV Show with no fights booked. Now Paul Cheng is in the main event of a major ONE Championship event and fighting Brandon Vera for a 26-pound gold belt. Cheng is intense about life and this golden opportunity to spoil Vera’s homecoming. MiddleEasy caught up with an intense Cheng after the ONE Championship weigh-ins to talk the Vera-Parry beef, the Canadian bobsled team, and dedicating fights to his fallen canine friends.
-Lena Tkhorevska will look to slay the Angela Lee hype machine monster. Before her strawweight fight with Angela Lee at ONE: Sprite of Champions, Tkhorevska and MiddleEasy chilled at a Filipino coffee shop. Tkhorevska talks the Poland MMA scene, Angela Lee’s kryptonite, and tourist spots in Warsaw.
-Before ONE Championship fighters can soccer kick each other in the face they have to weigh roughly the same amount. In Manilla the ONE: Sprite of Champions weigh-ins took place in front of a raucous Filipino crowd. Brandon Vera takes on late replacement Paul Cheng in the main event while the undercard is packed with ONE, Championship homegrown talent including: Angela Lee, Ana Julaton, Mark Striegl, Eugene Toquero, and more!
