ONE FC: 7 Reasons Why You Should Go Watch It
Better put those open-fingered gloves on because mixed martial arts is on a rapid rise here in the Philippines. More and more people are beginning to watch, and more than that, appreciate the beauty and downright awesomeness of this young sport. With the establishment of several local MMA promotions like URCC and PXC, the viewing public has grown more and more familiar with the rules of the cage and strategies that MMA fighters utilize. I love watching local action as much as the next guy; but when ONE FC, the biggest MMA promotion in Asia, brings their cage to Manila, I just have to get me some tickets.
Here are 7 reasons why you should join me the next time ONE FC holds a fight night here:
1. ONE FC is Asia’s premier mixed martial arts promotion.
I have met a lot of people who refuse to watch ONE FC because it “just isn’t as good as the UFC”. While this may be slightly true, this opinion tends to be greatly exaggerated sometimes. UFC is definitely the den of the world’s best, but one thing that this promotion lacks is a thicker selection of Asian talent; something ONE FC is all about. A lot of ONE FC fighters are just as badass as the ones at UFC. I promise you, there is just as much action inside the ONE FC cage as there is inside the octagon.
2. It’s mixed martial arts.
Karate, Judo, Boxing, Kickboxing, Muay Thai, Jiu Jitsu — all these and more in one sport. So many ways to inflict damage to an opponent. Not only are there punches and kicks, there are also knees and elbows, takedowns, and of course, the whole ground aspect of MMA. Fighters don’t just win by knock out or decision here in MMA, they can also claim victory by submission, which means the opponent has to tap out of an excruciating lock like a rear-naked choke or an armbar. It’s unlikely that you are to come across a boring mixed martial arts fight.
Photo courtesy of Peter Baltazar of Sports On Air.
3. This (Disembodied) Voice of ONE FC.
No combat sport is complete without a memorable announcer screaming the fighters’ names through the microphone. There’s Michael Buffer of the WBO, and then Bruce Buffer of the UFC. Both have unique styles in how they introduce their fighters. ONE FC has one of those too by the name of Anthony Suntay… but he’s not the guy I’m referring to.
The unique thing about ONE FC, though, is that they have this other announcer who never really shows his (or her?) face in the events. You just hear his/her high-pitched, multi-toned screams as the fighters walk in. The way he inflects his words very drastically per syllable is just…strange, and it may cause a few chuckles to first-timers. As soon as you get used to it, though, this disembodied voice will pump you up for the fights. Here’s a video of this voice in action:
4. The Ring Girls.
Need I say more? Just look as these hotties!
5. The Filipino crowd is the best.
If you’ve ever watched a large-profile sporting event once, you’ll know what I’m talking about. There’s something unique about Pinoy spectators; we tend to joke around a lot. Hence you’ve got all these hecklers ready to spit out witty remark after witty remark. I once was at a somewhat uneventful match when someone yelled out “Bilisan mo, Legal Wife na!”
This time when Folayang was throwing these brilliant kicks, one guy was like “Boom panes!” Lastly, at one of the heavyweight bouts, one fighter had a rather…rotund belly, so a heckler screamed “Let’s go, Belga!” The Filipino crowd surely lights up every stadium they enter.
6. Knockouts.
Pinoys will surely be familiar with the thrill of a knockout, what with our closeness to boxing. I have good news for y’all: Knockouts happen WAY more often in MMA. I don’t know if it’s the thinner gloves or the longer rounds, but bodies definitely hit the mat more frequently. Plus, MMA’s pace is noticeably faster than in boxing, thanks to the fact that a simple clinch won’t mean the end of an exchange of strikes.
In a clinch, fighters can punch and knee each other, and even take their opponent down. MMA has a very unforgiving pace and a fighter is in danger of being knocked out in every position. Don’t blink, because some fights end as soon as they start.
7. Extremely-talented Filipino fighters feed off of your support.
The Philippines just hasn’t seen the rise of MMA viewership; we have also seen the ascension of a fair number of promising young fighters (male and female) seeking to prove their stength on the international stage. Fighters like Ana Julaton, Ray Docyogen and Edward Folayang are just three of the local talents brimming with potential.
Who knows? One of them (or maybe even all all of them!) might end up as champions or maybe even conquer the world stage. As Folayang had put it in a post-match interview, we should continue to support Filipino fighters because there are a lot more great fights in store for the Pinoy fans.
It is my understanding that ONE FC is to make another visit here later this year, so I hope that I’ve convinced you to grab some tickets as soon as they start selling ‘em. When in Manila and in need of a dose of thrilling combat sports action, go watch ONE FC. You won’t regret it.
