Fernandes (right) with interim belt (photo via ONE FC)

By FCF Staff

Japanese veteran Koiji Oishi became the second man to defeat Honorio Banario at ONE FC’s “Rise to Power” event today in the Philippines, by knocking out the Filipino with a booming right hand. With the win Oishi (24-9-10) became the ONE FC champion and dropped Banario’s record to 8-2.

In the co-main-event, Bibiano Fernandes largely relied on his world class grappling skills to work his way to a unanimous decision win over Koetsu Okazaki. Fernandes laid claim to the promotion’s bantamweight interim belt with the victory, and could fight current champ Soo Chul Kim next, who is recovering from a shoulder injury.

UFC vets Phil Baroni and Tim Sylvia were both defeated at today’s event. Baroni was knocked out by Nobutatsu Suzuki, and reportedly suffered an ankle injury as a result, while Sylvia was unable to continue in round three after being cut by Tony Johnson.

Here are the results for ONE FC “Rise to Power” (via MMA Fighting.com):

Main Card

Featherweight Championship

Koji Oishi def. Honorio Banario via KO at 1:45 R2

Bantamweight Interim Championship

Bibiano Fernandes def. Koetsu Okazaki via unanimous decision

Bantamweight Grand Prix Finale

Masakatsu Ueda def. Kevin Belingon via unanimous decision

Yasuhiro Urushitani def. Rey Docyogen via split decision

Nobutatsu Suzuki def. Phil Baroni via KO at 4:17 R1

Kamal Shalorus def. Eduard Folayang via unanimous decision

Andrew Leoned def. Geje Eustaquio via unanimous decision

Undercard

Yusup Saadulaev def. Ryan Diaz via submission (d’arce choke) at 2:57 R2

Lowen Tynanes def. Felipe Enomoto via TKO (referee stoppage, strikes) at 2:41 of R1

Tony Johnson def. Tim Sylvia via TKO (doctor stoppage) at 3:25 of R3

Banario (left) and Oishi square off (photo via ONE FC)

By FCF Staff

Here are the official weigh-in results for ONE FC’s “Rise to Power” event, which will take place May 31st at Manila’s SM MOA Arena. The card will feature featherweight champ Honorio Banario taking on Koji Oishi, as well as a bantamweight bout between Bibiano Fernandes and Koetsu Okazaki to determine an interim champ.

The event, which is available via online pay-per-view, will begin at 3:30 AM PST and 6:30 AM EST.

MAIN EVENT

ONE FC Featherweight World Championship bout: Honorio Banario (65.75 kg/ 144.7 lbs) VS Koji Oishi (65.8 kg/144.8 lbs)

MAIN CARD

Interim ONE FC Bantamweight World Championship bout: Bibiano Fernandes (61.1 kg/ 134.4 lbs) VS Koetsu Okazaki (61.1 kg/134.4 lbs)

ONE FC Bantamweight Grand Prix Final: Masakatsu Ueda (61.2 kg/ 134.6 lbs) VS Kevin Belingon (60.9 kg/134.0 lbs)

Flyweight bout: Yasuhiro Urushitani (56.7 kg/ 124.7 lbs) VS Rey Docyogen (56.7 kg/124.7 lbs)

Welterweight bout: Phil Baroni (76.8 kg/169.0 lbs) VS Nobutatsu Suzuki (77.0 kg/169.4 lbs)

Lightweight bout: Kamal Shalorus (70.1 kg/154.2 lbs) VS Eduard Folayang (70.2 kg/154.4 lbs)

Catchweight bout: Andrew Leone (58 kg/127.7 lbs) VS Geje Eustaquio (56.7 kg/124.7 lbs)

UNDER CARD

Catchweight bout: Felipe Enomoto (69.6 kg/153.1 lbs) VS Lowen Tynanes (70.55 kg/155.2 lbs)

Catchweight bout: Ryan Diaz (65.8kg/144.8 lbs) VS Yusup Saadulaev (61.1 kg/ 134.4 lbs)

Catchweight bout: Tony Johnson (120.1 kg/264.2 lbs) VS Tim Sylvia (123.2 kg/271.0 lbs)

Fodor (left) attempting a standing guillotine choke against Thomas Diagne at Strikeforce Challengers on July 23, 2010.

By Kelsey Mowatt

Strikeforce and UFC veteran Caros Fodor didn’t have to wait very long to secure a multi-fight deal with another of the sport’s top promotions, as recently the lightweight announce he’s signed with ONE FC. Although the rising promotion may not be a familiar name to casual fans here in North America, Fodor is excited about the new possibilities and opportunities his deal with ONE FC will bring.

“I found out a couple of weeks after UFC 157, when the UFC decided to release me,” Fodor said on the most recent episode of Full Contact Fighter Radio, while discussing the signing that materialized, after he lost by split decision to Sam Stout on February 23rd. “I was devastated. My manager and myself, we looked around and I signed with ONE FC, which was my first choice.I get to travel; I love their rules over there.”

Of course, for veteran MMA fans who followed PRIDE, ONE FC’s use of a similar rule set is what sets the promotion apart from mainstream organizations like the UFC. In fact, for fans who have only watched cards utilizing the unified rules, a ONE FC bout can include pretty alarming and yet memorable techniques.

“They get to knee to the head on the ground, soccer kicks to the head on the  ground, elbows now, and you get to fight in the cage,” Fodor noted. “It’s just perfect for me. I’m loving it. I’m super excited.”

Fodor has an insider’s perspective to ONE FC as well, since his head coach at AMC Pankration, is Matt Hume. The legendary trainer is also the VP of Operations and Competition for ONE FC.

“We spoke about it and he mentioned that there is Bellator and the World Series of Fighting and to talk to them, but the rules are such a big draw for me over there; I think I can take advantage of. Plus, you get to travel, and seeing the world, I don’t think I’d be able to do that with the other organizations.”

Caros Fodor. Photo credit: Esther Lin/Strikeforce

“ONE FC travels to every country in Asia pretty much so I’m really looking forward to it.”

Fodor rose through the Strikeforce rankings during 2010 and 2011 by scoring five straight wins with the promotion, before he was tapped out by Pat Healy in March, 2012. While it’s because of this success he’s signed a deal with ONE FC, he also understands that his upcoming bouts might fly under the radar with mainstream fans in Canada and the U.S.

“It really sucks that I might lose some fans over here because I don’t know if they’ll be able to see my fights,” noted Fodor, as ONE FC live stream broadcasts typically take place early in the morning here in North America. “It’s just one of those things.”

When news surfaced that Fodor had been cut by the UFC, some fans and pundits were likely surprised, considering that his bout with the rugged Stout was extremely competitive.

“Definitely; I thought they would give me at least one more because the fight was so close,” Fodor said, when asked if he was surprised by his UFC release. “It was a split decision and I think it could have gone either way. I thought it was a good enough show and he’s a really tough guy. I wasn’t too happy with my performance though. There was a lot of time where my back was against the cage and I was kind of hanging out.”

“I knew they were going to clean house but I was definitely shocked.”

Fodor’s ONE FC debut, and who he will fight, has not been determined yet.

Caros "The Future" Fodor. Photo Credit: Esther Lin/Strikeforce

By FCF Staff

The latest edition of Full Contact Fighter Radio features discussions with UFC and Strikeforce vet Caros Fodor, and second degree Brazilian Jiu Jitsu black belt and Champion’s Creed instructor Brian Bird.

Fodor recently signed a multi-fight deal with ONE FC, after falling by split decision to Sam Stout at UFC 157 this past February, and shares his thoughts on the rising organization and its unique rules set.

Bird talks with host Kelsey Mowatt about some of the notable competitors he trains, like UFC middleweight Nick Ring, and discusses in length how BJJ is taught and implemented in relation to MMA.

You can listen to the program by heading here or via iTunes.

As one would likely expect, it hasn’t taken UFC and Strikeforce vet Caros Fodor to find work, as the lightweight has informed Full Contact Fighter that he’s signed a six fight deal with ONE FC.

Fodor (7-3), who was released by the UFC following a split decision loss to Sam Stout in February, said he’s hoping to make his ONE FC debut in July.

The 29 year-old-fighter made his way to the UFC after Strikeforce shuttered its doors, by putting together a 5-1 run with the ZUFFA owned promotion. During his time with Strikeforce, Fodor scored wins over Justin Wilcox, James Terry, Ousmane Thomas Diagne, David Douglas and Derek Getzel.

The only man to defeat Fodor under the Strikeforce banner was Pat Healy, who tapped him out with a third round, arm-triangle-choke last March.

Fodor trains out of AMC Pankration in Washington State, and under renowned trainer Matt Hume, who is ONE FC’s Vice President of Operations and Competition.

By Joshua Molina
So-called “soccer kicks” should not be allowed in MMA anymore.
Soccer kicks were once a hallmark of Pride Fighting Championships, and have recently been revived by One FC, a Singapore-based mixed martial arts company.

One FC on Friday promoted a mega show featuring former UFC champs Andrei Arlovski and Tim Sylvia.

It was the fourth “epic” matchup between these two fighters, who are both well past their primes.

The fight ended after Arlovski dropped Sylvia with a right hand and then kicked him in the head a couple of times with his left foot while Sylvia was down, forcing the referee to stop the fight.

The referee, however, declared the fight a “No Contest” because Arlovski used the soccer kicks before it was legally OK for him to kick a fighter while down.
In One FC, the referee must somehow signal that a fighter can proceed with a soccer kick.

Regardless of the rules, and Arlovski’s mistake, allowing soccer kicks in the modern day world of MMA seems unnecessary and borderline unsportsmanlike. How can a fighter, already dazed from a punch, defend himself from a brutal kick to the head? Gravity is not on your side.

Take the case of Roger Huerta at One FC’s show in June. The former UFC and Bellator fighter was kicked unconscious, in a scene that would make anyone sick if they saw it.

From a fan perspective, soccer kicks can be exciting. They usually lead to knockouts. And one downside to modern mixed martial arts is the rise in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu practitioners who coast on their backs to run out the time or lay on their backs and wait, like a spider, to capture their opponents in armbar or triangle choke.

Can you imagine what would have happened had Fedor Emelianenko been allowed to soccer kick Fabricio Werdum in San Jose, California in 2010? Fedor dropped Werdum with a right hand, but as he leaned in to try to KO with him with another right, Werdum, a black belt in Brazillian Jiu-Jitsu, grabbed his arm and choked him out with a triangle choke. Had Fedor been able to soccer kick him, the fight would have been over and Fedor’s future would have turned out entirely different.

But those aren’t the rules. Soccer kicks, thankfully, are not allowed in the UFC, Strikeforce or Bellator.

It’s just unfair to allow one fighter to kick another fighter while down. There’s no art or skill to that. That’s purely primal – and MMA should be a battle of talents among multiple disciplines, not a showcase of cowardly head kicks.

Last night was supposed to be the big battle between Jon Jones and Dan Henderson.
Instead, what we got was Jones mouthing off again about Henderson. Henderson injured his knee and was forced to withdraw from the fight. Chael Sonnen agreed to fight Jones – on eight days notices – but Jones, refused to fight him. Jones’ refusal led to Dana White vilifying Jones, questioning his manhood and courage, and ultimately canceling the show.

Jones over weekend said that he had considered paying the purses to the fighters who lost money with the cancelation of the show, but that he changed his mind when he read that the undercard fighters were saying bad things about him.

Then, Jones in response to a tweet from an MMA fan who said “I have no plans tonight” thanks to Jon Jones, said this: “Thanks to the old man and his knee I don’t either.”Actually Jones would have plans had he accepted Sonnen’s challenge. And to call Dan Henderson an old man is just disrespectful.

When Sonnen, the sport’s best trash talker, talks about his opponents, it’s in character and everyone knows that. It’s part of the Sonnen persona that he is created. When Jones says things like that, it is disrespectful and mean. Jones clearly believes his own hype.

Will Jon Jones be fighting when he is 42 years old?

Contact reporter Joshua Molina at jmolina@fcfighter.com. Or follow him on Twitter at https://twitter.com/JoshuaMolinaMMA

Andrei Arlovski (top) is one of several big names on tomorrow's ONE FC card

By Joshua Molina

One FC is the home to a legends match tomorrow between Andrei Arlovski, once considered in the same league as Fedor Emelianenko, and Tim Sylvia, who two months ago was rumored to be fighting Daniel Cormier in Strikeforce.

The fight takes place in the Philippines, in what isn’t even billed as the main event.

It’s do or die for both fighters in this special attraction.

The two have already fought three times, with Sylvia winning two of the three fights.

Both fighters are well past their primes, but the winner could position himself for another big payday somewhere.

Arlovski was on a roll before he was KO’d by Fedor Emelianenko, which led to a series of knockout losses against lower level fighters. Arlovski is a scary competitor, with his fake fangs on his mouthpiece, but, like many MMA fighters, cannot take a punch.

Sylvia, who never looks like he spends a lot time in the gym, was once famously KO’d by an old Ray Mercer, former boxing champion, in nine seconds

Let’s hope this is the last fight between these two, both of whom have nothing to prove by fighting one another.

One man who does have something to prove, however, is Phil Baroni, who is also fighting on the One FC card. Baroni, known as “The New York Bad Ass,” looks like a million dollars, but has a record of 14-15 in mixed martial arts. With a record like that, if he were a pro boxer, he would be done. In MMA, he has a few fights left.

Baroni, who once tested positive for steroid use, has survived in MMA this long on his looks, charisma and flashy entrances. Like many fighters reaching the final stages of their careers, Baroni promises that he has turned his life around, has better stamina than in previous fights, and won’t lose anymore.

Baroni will take on Rodrigo Ribeiro, in a fight that promises to be a major challenge for Baroni.

The card streams live on pay per view at www.onefc.com.