Marat Gafurov and Narantungalag Jadambaa Square off in One Featherweight World Championship Unification Bout
One Flyweight World Champion, Adriano Moraes Meets Undefeated Kazakhstani Fighter
Kairat Akhmetov in the Co-main Event
Also: Beijing Featherweight Tournament Ii to Feature Some of the Best Local Talent
27 October 2015 – Singapore: The largest sports media property in Asian history, ONE Championship™ (ONE), in partnership with Wujie, has announced its return to Beijing, China for another blockbuster evening of world-class mixed martial arts action. ONE WUJIE: DYNASTY OF CHAMPIONS will be held on 21 November at the Gymnasium of National Olympic Sports Centre and will feature the highly-anticipated showdown between featherweight champions Marat Gafurov and Narantungalag Jadambaa as well as the Beijing Featherweight Tournament II.
The two-year partnership between ONE and Wujie will see the two parties working together to bring 26 exciting MMA events to China over a two-year period, starting from the upcoming 21st November event in Beijing.
CEO of ONE Championship™ Victor Cui stated, “ONE Championship continues its dedication to bringing mixed martial arts to the mainland. We have lined up another exciting night of fights for fans in China, featuring a featherweight unification bout that will surely bring the crowd to their feet! Get ready as we broadcast ONE WUJIE: DYNASTY OF CHAMPIONS live all across the world!”
With an impressive victory over Martin Nguyen last month, the undefeated Marat “Cobra” Gafurov of Russia captured the interim ONE Featherweight World Championship via another signature submission finish. Gafurov has been on an absolute tear, blazing a trail of exciting wins in ONE’s loaded featherweight division. He will now look to unify the featherweight titles against incumbent champion Narantungalag Jadambaa.
“I always finish what I start. When I started MMA, I wanted to be the best in my division and be crowned the ONE Featherweight World Champion. I won the interim belt in Jakarta but that is not enough for me, so now I am coming for the title. Jadambaa is a strong fighter but I was born to fight. It will be an explosive match between us,” said Gafurov.
Narantungalag Jadambaa is a Mongolian kickboxer and is the reigning ONE Featherweight World Champion. Jadambaa has been eyeing his return to the ONE Cage ever since he captured the title with a victory over Koji Oishi last year. Now, he’ll get the chance to defend his belt for the very first time against an extremely formidable opponent in Marat Gafurov.
“My ancestors are all warriors, so combat is in my blood. I will prove to the world that I am the undisputed ONE Featherweight World Champion. I will continue to bring pride to my country. Gafurov is a tough opponent but I am tougher,” said the reigning and defending ONE Featherweight World Champion.
Fans can expect a scintillating battle of prime featherweights as Gafurov and Jadambaa both aim to become the undisputed ONE Featherweight World Champion.
In what will serve as the co-main event of the evening, ONE Flyweight World Champion, Adriano Moraes of Brazil, will return to the ONE Cage to put his title on the line against one of Kazakhstan’s top flyweights in Kairat Akhmetov. Moraes is on a four-fight win streak which includes capturing the world title last year. The Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu specialist is ready to stand his ground and defend his belt against Akhmetov who will pose as his biggest test to date.
“I am looking forward to returning to the ONE Cage and have been training really hard for Kairat for months. His record is impressive but I believe that my polished skill set will deter him from taking the belt. I am ready and I can’t wait to be back in action this November!,” said the Brazilian Flyweight Champion.
Kairat Akhmetov of Kazakhstan is undefeated with an outstanding record of 21 wins with no losses. The 28-year-old has finished 17 of his opponents by either knockout or submission and will look to have the same success in his ONE Championship debut. In a world title bout that will surely keep fans on the edge of their seats, Akhmetov is ready to compete for the belt against Adriano Moraes when they meet at the center of the ONE Cage.
“I am excited to fight in Asia’s largest MMA promotion and my aim is to be the best flyweight in the world. I will make my debut a memorable one by capturing the title. I respect Moraes but I want nothing more than to have that belt strapped around my waist,” Akhmetov commented on his upcoming debut with ONE.
Alongside the two main events, the Beijing Featherweight Tournament II will feature some of the best local talents in the mainland. Zhang Jia Cai will meet Qiao Long Fei while Yang Sen challenges Ala Teng Bu Ri Ge De in the preliminary rounds before the winners of each bouts meet at the semi-finals.
Zhang said, “Fans will see my strength, stamina and ground skills stand out in this tournament. I have what it takes, and I am determined to be the ONE China Featherweight National Champion.”
His opponent, Qiao said, “ONE Championship has so many world class fighters and I am fighting in ONE to challenge myself. I have been training hard for this four-man tournament and I am already prepared for both fights on fight night. China will soon have a world champion in MMA and I want it to be me.”
Yang, who has been training in martial arts since he was a kid is excited to represent his country. He said, “My dad taught me since my youth to love my country. It has always been my dream to fight for China internationally like this. I’ve already prepared a long time for this tournament. I will fight relaxed and with confidence. I’m serious about becoming the champion, and I will let this performance prove my strength.”
Yang will be facing a tough opponent in Ala Teng who shares the same goal as him. “ONE Championship is Asia largest fight-sport organization. I want to prove I can pass the test of competing on this huge platform and reach my goal as a fighter. I’m competing in this ONE Championship tournament to to let you, him, and everyone know who I am. It feels great to represent China on such a big platform. Not only to represent my country internationally, but also to represent our sport to the people in China,” said Ala Teng.
For more updates on ONE Championship™, please visit www.onefc.com and follow Twitter and Instagram @ONEFCMMA and Facebook at www.facebook.com/ONEFCMMA.
About ONE Championship™
ONE Championship is the largest sports media property in Asian history. Headquartered in Singapore, the world’s most exciting mixed martial arts organization hosts the best Asian mixed martial artists and world champions, all signed to exclusive contracts, on the largest media broadcast in Asia. ONE Championship™ has partnered with FOX and STAR Sports for an unprecedented 10-year cable television deal with a coverage that spans 70+ countries across the world.
Media Contact:
Loren Mack, ONE Championship
(m): +65 9771 5617
(e): [email protected]
@Lorenonefc
