Reigning ONE Heavyweight World Champion Brandon “The Truth” Vera was the first Filipino to be announced as part of the ONE INFINITY Series events.
He headlines ONE: INFINITY 2 at the Mall Of Asia Arena on 29 May against number one contender “Singh” Arjan Bhullar.
With the plethora of talent in the Philippines, it looks like Vera will not be the last local athlete to grace ONE Championship’s tentpole events.
With ONE: INFINITY 1 set for Jakarta on 10 April and ONE: INFINITY 3 set for Tokyo on 25 October, here are three other Philippine athletes you might find at those events.
Denice “The Menace Fairtex” Zamboanga
After a big win over Mei “V.V” Yamaguchi, Denice “The Menace Fairtex” Zamboanga punched herself a date with longtime ONE Women’s Atomweight Division World Champion “Unstoppable” Angela Lee.
The only question now is when that will happen.
A logical move would be to put that showdown as one of the World Title bouts at ONE: INFINITY 2 to spice-up the challenger’s eventual homecoming, and with ONE Chairman and CEO Chatri Sityodtong promising three World Title bouts for each INFINITY card, this match fits right in.
If this Women’s World Title match happens in Manila, not only would it be a homecoming for Zamboanga, but it will also pit the beloved Lee siblings against separate foes on that historic night.
Aside from the ONE Heavyweight World Title clash, the ONE Lightweight World Title is also at stake when Angela’s brother – Christian “The Warrior” Lee – defends his strap against Iuri Lapicus in the co-main event.
Joshua “The Passion” Pacio
Having competed twice in the past three months, reigning ONE Strawweight World Champion Joshua “The Passion” Pacio certainly deserves some rest.
But would that mean he misses out on the promotion’s biggest shows? Not quite.
With the final INFINITY card scheduled for Japan in October, it would be perfect for the 24-year-old dynamo to mark his third World Title defense in the Land Of The Rising Sun.
Pacio was noticeably absent in the first two cards in Tokyo last year, but it will only be a matter of time before the prodigious talent performs in the mecca of martial arts.
He would not have any shortage of challengers as well – he can potentially finalize trilogies with Japanese stars like Yoshitaka “Nobita” Naito and Yosuke “The Ninja” Saruta, assuming they keep winning.
Kevin “The Silencer” Belingon
It has been awhile since Kevin “The Silencer” Belingon competed in the Circle, and being a former ONE Bantamweight World Champion, it will not be surprising if he marks his return on one of the INFINITY cards.
“The Silencer” said in the past that he is ready to make his return anytime. He is only waiting for that phone call from the ONE matchmakers.
With three World Title bouts already announced for ONE: INFINITY 1, why not spice up the rest of the card by adding an exciting former World Champion like Belingon?
Before ONE: INFINITY 1, the world’s best strikers will converge at the Phu Tho Indoor Stadium in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam for ONE: HEART OF HEROES on 20 March.
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