As if ONE: AGE OF DOMINATION wasn’t stacked enough. The December 2 fight card which takes place at the SM Mall of Asia Arena in Manila, Philippines, already features a star-studded roster of talented fighters, including ONE Heavyweight World Champion Brandon “The Truth” Vera. But the latest addition to the bout list is one Filipino fans will definitely appreciate.
ONE Championship has just announced that ONE Bantamweight World Champion Bibiano “The Flash” Fernandes (19-3) of Brazil is set to defend his title against rising young star Reece “Lightning” McLaren (9-3) of Toowoomba, Australia.
Fernandes, 36, is widely considered as one of the top bantamweight talents in the world. A 5-time Brazilian jiu-jitsu world champion and black belt holder, he is on an 11-fight win streak, having remained unbeaten since 2010. He captured the ONE Championship title in 2013 and is one of the promotion’s longest running champions.
A winner of his last three bouts by exciting finish, Fernandes was last seen inside the ONE Championship cage last January when he took on top Filipino bantamweight contender Kevin “The Silencer” Belingon.
Belingon was supposed to test Fernandes’ striking ability, but was unable to mount any meaningful offense as the Brazilian took matters to the ground quickly to finish the bout by submission.
Now, Fernandes takes on a new challenge in the form of top prospect McLaren.
McLaren, 25, is a former BRACE Bantamweight Champion and is a relative newcomer to ONE Championship, having just joined the promotion last December.
Virtually unknown at the time, McLaren shocked the world with a scintillating performance against Evolve MMA ward Mark “Mugen” Striegl, a highly-regarded opponent. McLaren overcame nearly being finished by Striegl to win by rear naked choke within three rounds.
It was a noteworthy performance, and one that certainly put the division on notice.
McLaren’s next bout came against top prospect from Tajikistan, Muin Gafurov. Again, McLaren was faced with a tough matchup but showcased his elite skills, outclassing Gafurov with his world-class grappling to earn a shot at Fernandes’ belt.
The fight card for ONE: AGE OF DOMINATION features some of the best MMA talents from the Philippines and is headlined by a ONE Heavyweight World Championship title bout between defending champion Brandon Vera and unbeaten Japanese challenger Hideki Sekine.
