Robin Catalan has endured a very traumatic period in his life. After being plagued by injuries and financial hardship for much of 2016, the 26-year-old known as “The Ilonggo” is focused on making this year a positive one.

The Filipino will make his long-awaited return to the cage on Friday Night, 21 April, when he battles his heavy-handed countryman Jeremy “The Jaguar” Miado at ONE: KINGS OF DESTINY. This exciting strawweight contest will kick off the preliminary card, which airs live from the Mall Of Asia Arena in Manila.

For Catalan, this is an opportunity to restart his mixed martial arts career on proper footing, and climb his way up the division’s ranks.

“I am very eager and definitely very hungry to fight again,” the 26-year-old explains. “I want to win this fight and work my way up to a title shot.”

Catalan, a wushu expert and former IFMA World Muay Thai Champion, last appeared inside the ONE Championship cage back in March 2016, where he was submitted by surging contender Alex “Little Rock” Silva at ONE: UNION OF WARRIORS. That ended the Iloilo City native’s four-fight win streak, and dropped his professional record to 5-2.

The year only got rougher for Catalan, as he was sidelined with a slew of nagging injuries. Not only has that affected his career, but it also led to monetary issues.

“I have spent the past year recovering from injuries and have focused my training in areas where I still need improvements on,” he details. “The main challenge for me has been mostly financial. Being out of competition made it hard for me to provide financial support for my family and team.”

Fortunately, “The Ilonggo” is all healed up, and plans to use this forthcoming bout with Miado as a launchpad to greater things. His opponent, however, has the same intentions.

Miado made a name for himself as a promising amateur boxer in the Bicol Region before relocating to Manila to train at Sucuri MMA and starting a full-fledged transition into MMA. Since making his pro debut in January 2016, the 24-year-old has accumulated a perfect 6-0 record and captured the Blaze FC Strawweight Championship.

Now, “The Jaguar” takes the gargantuan leap from the regional scene to the major leagues with ONE Championship, where he will be facing world-class talent in every bout moving forward.

That starts with Catalan, a man who is exhilarated to resume his career and display some of the new moves he has learned.

“I am definitely happy to fight this guy,” he says of Miado. “The difference [on fight night] will be how I apply my new skills.”

Every professional fighter has a motivation behind what they do. To take part in such a mentally and physically demanding sport, you have to be driven. When Chan Rothana takes to the ONE Championship cage on 21 April in Manila, he’ll be heading into battle for his country, his family, and his art.

The Cambodian athlete has endured hardships that most will never know, including being born in a refugee camp during the infamous and brutal civil war in his home nation. The next generation of Cambodians, Chan included, want to prove that their country is past its troubles, and that there’s more to their country than memories of war and destruction.

Though he was 6 years old by the time he finally got to make it home, Chan knew that he would never leave again.

“I realized the beauty of my culture and the horror of the civil war. Now our country is changing, war is in the past, and I want to show that Cambodia is once again a great country like it was.”

Throughout the war, and with the terrible genocide that accompanied it, the regime sought to erase certain people and their heritage from Cambodia’s history books. Part of that involved eradicating the martial arts they practiced. Most were outlawed, with their practitioners killed or jailed. 

Chan’s father, one of only two grand masters, survived, and made it his aim to revive the Khmer martial art of Yutakhun Khom, and that’s another factor that fuels his son’s journey. 

It was Chan’s enthusiasm for this mission which led him to ONE Championship, after being on the brink of retirement to focus on teaching. When he heard the promotion was heading to his homeland, he saw it as a huge opportunity to use the platform to raise awareness for his martial heritage.

That was in 2014, and now Chan has five bouts to his credit in the ONE cage. With three knockout wins and his only losses coming via disqualification and decision, he has shown that his skills can contend with opponents at an elite level. Now, with the awareness and money he generates from his bouts, he seeks to improve the lives of less fortunate youths at home.

“We identify young fighters with high potential and support them, because they generally come from poor backgrounds,” revealed the Selapak coach, of the organization FightforCambodia.org.

The more success he has, and the more he can entertain the ONE Championship crowds, the more exposure and revenue he can garner to help this most noble of causes. 

“MMA is a great sport, and ONE Championship a great organization that changed my life conditions,” Chan stresses, and his continued success would only make things better.

On 21 April at ONE: KINGS OF DESTINY, he will be more motivated than ever for victory when he meets China’s Xie Bin, and it will take something special to stop him.

Christian “The Warrior” Lee is prepared for anyone that ONE Championship throws in his way.

The young Singaporean prospect was originally scheduled to square off against Malaysia’s Keanu Subba in a featherweight contest at ONE: KINGS OF DESTINY on Friday Night, 21 April. An untimely injury, however, has forced Subba to withdraw from the bout.

Now, “The Werewolf” Wan Jian Ping steps in for the Malaysian, and will clash with Lee at the stacked event, which broadcasts live from the Mall Of Asia Arena in Manila, Philippines.

For Lee, it does not matter whom he fights. He is determined to win no matter what.

“Often times, fighters will panic and turn down last-minute fights. But for me, I am just grateful to still be fighting on 21 April,” the 18-year-old MMA prodigy explains. “I have put in a lot of hard work to get here, and no one is going to stop me from getting my hand raised on Friday Night. I envision the fight being a war, ending with me victorious 10 out of 10 times.”

After starting his promising career with five consecutive first-round victories, Lee fell to former ONE title contender Martin “The Situ-Asian” Nguyen at ONE: HEROES OF THE WORLD last August. At that show, Nguyen rocked the Singaporean with a left hook, which led to a match-ending guillotine choke.

That caused “The Warrior” to take an eight-month break from competition, in which he studied fight techniques, furthered his skills at Singapore’s Evolve MMA, and gave his body a well-deserved rest. After all, Lee — a Pankration World Champion and BJJ brown belt — has been in constant training camp ever since he made his professional debut in December 2015.

Heading into Manila, he feels re-energized, and wants to maintain an active schedule once again.

“I plan on staying very busy. I feel 2017 is my year to make a breakthrough, and my year to show the world who Christian Lee really is,” he explains. “I plan on coming out victorious in this fight, and fighting as frequently as possible.”

Wan is looking to ruin his rival’s immediate goals, however. “The Werewolf”, who represents the Shanghai Dragon Warrior Fighting Fitness Club, holds a 6-3 professional record. He last competed for ONE in July at ONE: DYNASTY OF CHAMPIONS (HEFEI), where he was submitted by Bu Huo You Ga.

Although he accepted the bout with Lee at just two weeks’ notice, Wan presents a dangerous challenge, and is just as motivated to earn a victory. For the 32-year-old Chinese mixed martial artist, he wants to experience his first win inside the ONE cage.

A last-minute opponent change always poses a new challenge, and usually causes fighters to alter their game plans. However, Lee is not changing his game plan, originally meant for Subba. After all, his only plan is to leave the Mall Of Asia Arena with a win, no matter whom he fights.

“I train to beat the best fighters in the world, so at the end of the day, if one guy steps out and another one steps in, it does not make a difference,” he states. “You can put whoever you want in there with me, and I plan on taking him out.”

If you’re a fan of great grappling and Brazilian jiu-jitsu, ONE: KINGS OF DESTINY will be a must-watch event.

World-famous BJJ practitioner Michelle Nicolini returns to the cage on 21 April, at the Mall of Asia Arena in Manila, Philippines, in an effort to extend her ONE winning streak to two.

However, Nicolini has a stiff test in front of her. The eight-time BJJ world champion and International Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Federation Hall of Famer squares off with the undefeated Irina Mazepa, in a highly-anticipated strawweight showdown.

The bout is the latest chapter in MMA’s grappler versus striker book, with Nicolini owning the advantage on the mat, while her Russian adversary Mazepa is a feared striker and five-time wushu world champion.

Nicolini, who calls Singapore’s Evolve MMA home, is ready to put on a show for every fan.

“Fans can expect me to give my best,” the 35-year-old Brazilian promises. “I have improved a lot since I joined Evolve.”

In many ways, Nicolini’s path to MMA was anything but certain. She had a thriving BJJ career teaching seminars and competing around the world. Her early attempts at dipping a toe in the waters of MMA left her wondering if professional fighting was a worthwhile pursuit.

“Every time I trained for a fight, the promotion cancelled,” she recalls of her early days. At one point, she was so discouraged, she even thought: “Maybe this is not for me.”

In October 2014, Nicolini hit the crossroads of her MMA career. She suffered her first professional loss, and took two years away from the sport she’d been pursuing part-time. She had decisions to make.

Nicolini still had a burning desire to compete, but BJJ was no longer providing fuel for that fire. In 2016, she made some radical life changes. She walked away from the sport she’d previously dedicated her life to, moved to Singapore, and started training at Evolve MMA alongside the many world champions there to become a full-time mixed martial artist.

The gamble paid off. That November, Nicolini made her ONE Championship debut. It was a short day of work, as she finished Egypt’s Mona Samir via submission at a little over two minutes into the opening round.

“I loved it,” she says, reflecting on the bout. “It was an amazing experience to fight in Singapore. It was relaxing to fight at home, and be a part of the big show with my team and students there for support. Everything was perfect.”

At ONE: KINGS OF DESTINY, she looks to make lightning strike twice. With Mazepa’s striking skills, Nicolini will likely look to get this one to the canvas and end it early. No matter where the fight goes, she promises the bout will be one to keep an eye on.

“We have been watching [Mazepa] a lot and working on some things,” the Evolve MMA product says. “I think she is good. She is pretty fast with a lot of experience standing. We are going to put on a show for everybody.”

If Toni Tauru can get a new submission streak going, he may have to change his fight nickname from “Dynamite” to “Team Lakay Slayer.”

Tauru, who owns eight professional submissions in 11 wins, is set to lock horns with wushu master and Team Lakay veteran Kevin Belingon at ONE: KINGS OF DESTINY on 21 April, at the Mall of Asia Arena in Manila, Philippines.

In “The Silencer,” Tauru will have the quintessential striker versus grappler contest. With five of his 14 professional wins coming by way of knockout, Belingon’s hands pack a mighty wallop. Record aside, Tauru has no doubts that if, or when, the fight hits the mat, there’s only one way things will end.

“I do not mind facing hard hitters,” the 32-year-old Finn says. “I have great respect for Team Lakay. They have been doing great work and have a number of great warriors. The fight goes how it goes, but in the end, I will find that submission.”

The former CWFC Bantamweight champion and ex-challenger for ONE’s bantamweight crown, Tauru holds an impressive record and training regimen himself. In addition to his string of submission wins, he’s become a globetrotter of sorts, traveling the world to find the best training partners to hone his skills.

“My home gym is GB Kouvola, where MMA Utti works,” Tauru explains. “Overall, we have great opportunities to train jiu-jitsu, wrestling, and MMA in Kouvola. I also find time to travel for training. I have always felt like it is part of my routine to go to new gyms and find new training partners around Finland, and sometimes other countries.”

Tauru will bring all that knowledge to the cage on fight night. Additionally, he holds a win against another member of Belingon’s camp. Last December at ONE: AGE OF DOMINATION, “Dynamite” snapped a three-fight losing streak with a rear-naked choke victory over Geje “Gravity” Eustaquio.

A win over Belingon will move Tauru to 2-0 against Team Lakay fighters, and with the reputation that camp holds in the MMA world, that would be quite the feather in the 32-year-old’s cap.

Tauru is ready for Belingon wherever the fight goes, but fully expects “The Silencer” to want to contest the bout on the feet — far away from Tauru’s grappling strengths.

“If he wants to make it grappling contest, well thank you, but I do not see that coming,” Tauru says. “Kevin is good on his feet, and that is where he wants to stay. Of course it would be sweet for him to get revenge, but that is also something that’s not going to happen.”

As for fight night, Tauru is once again walking into hostile territory facing a Filipino fighter. That’s not a problem for a man who has no problem playing the bad guy en route to putting on a show for the fans.

“I know that my fans will be watching,” Tauru says. “Kevin (Belingon) and I are going to give you a fight. With our ability to end fights, you will want to see this one. I know that I am stepping once again in enemy territory, and I dare all in Manila to come and make some noise at the event.”

When Irina Mazepa meets Michelle Nicolini at ONE: KINGS OF DESTINY on 21 April, there’ll be plenty of ways to describe how enticing the matchup is. It’s striker vs. grappler, world champion vs. world champion, and so much more.

Mazepa is a world champion in both wushu and K-1, so her striking resume speaks for itself. Her fearsome stand-up game has seen her post a 2-0 professional MMA record to date, including a victory over former boxing world champion Ana Julaton.

This shows that her striking style has already blended well into mixed martial arts, but she’ll square off against one of the greatest female grapplers ever in Nicolini, an eight-time BJJ world champion. Though it’s no surprise what her opponent will try and do, it’s easier said than done to stop. Mazepa is confident that she is fully capable of doing just that.

“I know she will try to put me on ground,” Mazepa states. “I have good control, and a lot of instruments and tools in my skill set that I can work with.”

Not every elite grappler can transfer their game successfully into MMA, and we’ve seen some of the best try and fail. However, just look at ONE Light Heavyweight World Champion Roger Gracie, and it is apparent that BJJ can also be extremely effective. Mazepa is just focused on doing enough to prevent a ground battle with someone as savvy as the Brazilian Nicolini.

“I have a lot of power, and I can stop her if she does try to [take me down],” continued Mazepa, who has been spending a lot of time brushing up on her own ground skills.

“I learned some techniques on the ground. There is always more to learn. I like this process and working in both areas, but I prefer striking more.”

The Russian isn’t here to shirk any challenges, and ultimately has her sights set on the very top. That was evident, when in her debut, she took on the more experienced Ann Osman and picked up a first-round KO back in 2015.

Just two months later, she returned to the cage to take on Julaton, and was successful over three rounds to claim a unanimous decision. However, since then, she’s been out of action, although it could be a blessing in disguise, giving the elite striker more time to work diligently on other aspects of her game.

The time away hasn’t dampened her ambition or confidence at all, it seems, as she announced: “I feel that this whole weight division is mine.”

“I have power and I can work well against all the opposition that these girls present. So for sure, I deserve to be champion in this weight division,” said Mazepa.

If Mazepa can get past an opponent with the quality that Nicolini brings to the cage on 21 April in the Mall of Asia Arena in Manila, then her assertions could very well be true. With three wins under her belt over more experienced opponents, each world-class in their respective fields, the St. Petersburg native would definitely be turning heads.

Nicolini will have other ideas, but the Russian will be aiming to show that it is she who will prevail on the night.

LEICESTER, England – Leicester City’s fairytale Champions League journey came to an end at the King Power Stadium on Tuesday when they were held to a 1-1 draw by Atletico Madrid, who reached the semi-finals for the third time in four seasons with a 2-1 aggregate win.

A first-half goal by Saul Niguez proved enough to ease the Spanish side through to the last four despite Leicester’s spirited revival in the second half when Jamie Vardy equalised on the night.

Diego Simeone’s side, who won the first leg in Madrid 1-0, had the better of the opening exchanges, but after Leicester finally found their feet, Shinji Okazaki firing over from close range, Saul extended Atletico’s overall lead in the 26th minute, heading home powerfully from Filipe Luis’s superb cross.

The Premier League champions, in their first Champions League campaign, responded strongly, dominating the second half, and England striker Vardy equalised on 61 minutes after Ben Chilwell’s shot was blocked, but it was not quite enough.

As the former ONE Featherweight World Champion, Honorio “The Rock” Banario knows what it feels like to be at the top of the world. Upon losing his title and hitting a five-fight skid, he also knows what it feels like to tumble right back down.

The only way to recover from such a setback is through hard work and perseverance, and Banario has been putting in the time and effort. When he returns to the cage at ONE: KINGS OF DESTINY, live from the Mall Of Asia Arena in Manila, Philippines, he knows he has put in the hours behind the scenes.

Standing across from the Czech Republic’s Jaroslav Jartim, he will have the confidence of a man that is well prepared, and one with momentum behind him.

After going without a win from 2013 to 2015, the Team Lakay veteran needed a change of scenery, and moved up to lightweight. Since the move, he has a three-fight win streak under his belt, and has put the losses behind him by plowing through some quality opposition.

“The Rock” scored back-to-back decision victories over Vaughn Donayre and Eddie Ng, and then finished India’s Rajinder Singh Meena with a first-round armbar back in December.

Banario has another tough encounter this Friday evening on 21 April, but he feels that the change in opponent has worked in his favor.

“I have seen fights with Jartim. He is well-rounded. His skills are good, but not as good as Rob Lisita’s,“ the 27-year-old Filipino offers, who was originally preparing for a bout with the Australian slugger until Lisita was forced to withdraw. “I am better in all aspects of the game, especially striking and wrestling. Also, the strength I have is another advantage over my opponent.”

Jartim is no walkover, however. The Czech brings an 8-5-1 record to Manila, with three of his victories coming by TKO, and another three by submission. Like Banario, he has also won his last three bouts, including his most recent one in Slovakia nearly two weeks ago, so he is brimming with confidence.

Nonetheless, Banario is competing in his home country, and is convinced he will have no problems with Jartim come fight night.

“I will finish him with a stoppage or submission,” he asserts.

Although nobody should ever take an opponent lightly, the mood in the Team Lakay camp for this event is at an all-time high, with his teammates all preparing together for some tantalizing match-ups on the same card.

Eduard Folayang will defend the ONE Lightweight World Championship for the first time, competing alongside Kevin Belingon, Danny Kingad, and Gina Iniong. Add thousands of passionate Filipino MMA fans at the Mall Of Asia Arena into the mix, and surely the recipe for success is there.

Banario is well within his rights to be as spirited as ever, and he will be hoping the performance shows just that.