It has been 49 long months since Ramon “The Bicolano” Gonzales made his debut with ONE Championship — and now, the wait for his highly anticipated Manila premiere is almost over.
This coming Friday, 12 April, Gonzales will finally compete in front of his hometown crowd. He will face Japan’s Akihiro “Superjap” Fujisawa on the preliminary card of ONE: ROOTS OF HONOR, which takes place at the Mall Of Asia Arena.
“I’m very excited. I’ve been asking for this for a long time, and finally, it was given to me,” the 31-year-old said. “What excites me is that I’m finally going to perform in front of my family.”
This will be Gonzales’ first match-up in the Philippines since kicking off his mixed martial arts career in a regional promotion back in August 2009.
A former National Kyokushin Karate Champion, “The Bicolano” has showcased his improved all-around game in his last two battles, as he stopped both Dodi Mardian and “The Little Squirrel” Liu De Li Ge Ri Hu via submission.
The match with Fujisawa in Manila was originally scheduled to be contested in the strawweight division, but it was recently moved up a weight class.
“We moved to flyweight, but that’s the only change that we made for this match. In terms of preparation, it’s pretty much the same — you’ll see me always fighting and never giving up,” Gonzales explained.
An impressive win for Gonzales would undoubtedly elevate his status in the division, considering it would be his third straight victory
However, that will be easier said than done.
Fujisawa is unbeaten in his mixed martial arts career. The 39-year-old ONE Warrior Series alumnus has won his last five matches, including a third-round TKO victory over Rockie Bactol at ONE: CONQUEST OF CHAMPIONS last November.
Despite his Japanese opponent’s exceptional credentials, Gonzales believes he has what it takes to have his hand raised in triumph on Friday.
“I am not taking this fight lightly at all. He’s undefeated, and he’s a good foe. We’re preparing for everything. Whether this hits the ground or it remains standing up, we’ll put up a good fight,” the Filipino promised.
“All I can say is I’ll do everything to get that win. Will there be a highlight? You better wait for it on 12 April.”
