ONE FC: Honor and Glory

poster of the event

CEO of ONE Fighting Championship Victor Cui stated, “After months of anticipation, ONE FC will return to Singapore with another explosive night of world-class mixed martial arts action. Fans around the world have been eagerly awaiting the ONE FC debut of top welterweight, Ben Askren. He faces the toughest test of his career when he goes up against another top welterweight, Bakhtiyar Abbasov. ONE FC is redefining the mixed martial arts landscape and close to 12,000 fans will pack out the arena to witness history at ONE FC: HONOR & GLORY!”

Ben Askren is a legend in collegiate wrestling with four All-American awards. He finished his wrestling career at the University of Missouri with a record of 153-8. He has won 91 of those bouts with pins, third most in NCAA Division I history. He also wrestled in the US Olympics team in 2008 before transitioning to mixed martial arts. Since his mixed martial arts debut in 2009, he has won 12 bouts in a row in dominating fashion, winning multiple championships and earning recognition as one of the best welterweights in the world.

Bakhtiyar Abbasov is the best mixed martial artist to ever emerge from the eastern European country of Azerbaijan. He has defeated the best in Europe and has decided to come to Asia in search of new challenges. He will get all he can handle in wrestling legend Askren. The balanced knockouts and submission victories on his record is a testament to his versatility and predatory instincts, which will come in handy as he tries to become the first man in history to defeat Askren in a mixed martial arts bout. He has traditionally competed as a middleweight but has set his sights on the ONE FC Welterweight division.

Caros Fodor was one of the top Lightweights in Strikeforce where he ran up an impressive record and was on course for a title shot. A Muay Thai champion and submission grappling champion, he has gone to battle with some of the best in the business and wants to introduce himself to fight fans in Singapore with a spectacular performance.

Willy Ni is a Shooto veteran from the Netherlands. He has faced some of the best Lightweights in Europe, including British slugger, Dan Hardy. He is especially proficient with his grappling skills, having finished nine of his opponents by submission. He gets an opportunity to add another big name to his resume when he takes on the versatile and exciting Fodor.

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Malaysian Star SUBBA AIRS WARNING TO TOQUERO: DO NOT BE MISLED BY MY GOOD LOOKS

Mr. Gianni Suba

Do not be misled by my good looks. This was the warning given by undefeated Malaysian mixed martial arts contender Gianni Subba to Filipino Eugene Toquero.
Subba will bring to the cage a competitiveness and tenacity that made him
undefeated so far in his last three professional fights under the ONE
Fighting Championship (ONE FC) banner.
“The competitiveness of the sport really got me into MMA. Also watching my fellow Malaysian peers compete in great organizations like ONE FC made me really want to challenge myself,” Subba said.

Mr. Gianni Subba together with the other ONE FC fighters

Subba will be facing Toquero, a tough and more experienced Filipino
fighter who has also a string of victories before falling last December in
the ONE FC event at the Mall of Asia (MOA) Arena.

The Hawaii-born Malaysian is confident he will defeat Tuquero on May 2 at
ONE FC: Rise of Heroes, also at the MOA Arena, owing to certain advantages
in his skills. “I believe that I have more tools than Toquero and I will be able to mix things up better,” Subba said. At the young age of 22, the Malaysian is already being labelled as a well-rounded fighter with a solid offensive ground game that complements an excellent striking.

Mr. Subba together with Toquero

This was proven in his professional MMA debut at ONE FC 6: Rise of Kings in October 2012 in Singapore where he scored a knockout over hometown favorite Bruce Loh in just 33 seconds of the first round. He then dominated his next two bouts in Malaysia.
Subba is aware of his good looks, which could easily endear him to fans,
but he is more concerned about making a lasting impression as a fighter and
entertaining spectators during fights.

Mr. Gianni Subba

When told he looks more like a teen idol than an MMA fighter, Subba
quipped: “I suppose that’s a good thing and if it helps me get the Filipino
fans on my side then great! I’ll try to put on an exciting fight!”
He said he is not rushing himself to fight for a belt as he wants first to
fully develop his skills. “Personally I would like more time to develop
myself into a more complete mixed martial artist.”

Subba, who is thinking of finishing a college course, has this to say to
the present generation: “I’m not the wisest person, but I guess I can say
from experience that whatever you want to go into you can do it. It will
not be easy and there will be many better or more talented than you, but if
you just keep at it I guarantee many opportunities will come.”
The fighter spent his first two years as a kid in Laie, Hawaii, before
moving to Kathmandu, Nepal where his dad is living, then to Malaysia where his mom is from. He lived in Malaysia for 12 years before he and his
brother were sent to the US to finish high school. He did a year of college
in Hawaii before heading back to Malaysia.
According to Subba, his idols are his mother and father who helped him
where he is today.
As to being idolized, the Malaysian said: “I don’t want to be idolized. If
somehow what I do can help people get off their butts and work hard, that
would be nice.”