ONE Championship has just announced that it is making its way back to Manila, Philippines, on 2 December with ONE: AGE OF DOMINATION. The event will feature the return of ONE Heavyweight World Champion Brandon “The Truth” Vera (14-7, 1NC), who is set to defend his title against unbeaten Japanese fighter Hideki Sekine (7-0).
The Filipino-American mixed martial arts veteran last fought nearly a year ago, when he captured the Heavyweight world title belt with a 26-second first-round knockout of Paul “Typhoon” Cheng. He is a perfect 2-0 since making his debut for ONE Championship in 2014.
Vera’s opponent Sekine, on the other hand, is set to make his ONE Championship promotional debut after having established himself as a top prospect in Japanese MMA promotion DEEP.
Known for his incredible strength and technical grappling ability, Sekine owns an impressive three victories by submission and another three by knockout. When he takes on Vera for the heavyweight title, the matchup will represent his toughest challenge to date.
Elsewhere on the card, Filipino MMA sensation Mark “Mugen” Striegl also makes his return to the ONE cage, following a setback against Australian-Filipino newcomer Reece “Lightning” McLaren last December.
Striegl (14-2), a member of the Evolve Fight Team in Singapore, is set to take on Brazilian jiu-jitsu brown belt Rafael Nunes (10-1) in a battle of elite grapplers. 12 of Striegl’s 14 victories have come impressively by submission, while Nunes shares a similar record with nine submission wins out of 10 overall.
Also on the card are Team Lakay stalwarts former ONE Featherweight World Champion Honorio “The Rock” Banario, Geje “Gravity” Eustaquio, Edward “The Ferocious” Kelly, women’s MMA standout April Osenio, and touted prospect Danny Kingad.
While Banario, Eustaquio, Kelly, and Osenio all face stern international opposition, Kingad is set to take on perennial contender Eugene Toquero in a rare all-Filipino matchup.
