ONE Championship, Asia’s largest sports media property, is angling to start 2018 with a bang as it begins with a title fight in the women’s strawweight division.
Happening in Jakarta, Indonesia, on Jan. 20, “ONE: Kings of Courage” will be headlined by the clash between Singapore’s Tiffany “No Chill” Teo and “The Panda” Xiong Jing Nan of China for the inaugural women’s strawweight world championship.
Serving as co-main event is the flyweight battle of hometown bet Stefer Rahardian against Muhammad Imran of Pakistan.
“I am super excited to announce Tiffany Teo versus Xiong Jing Nan at ONE: Kings of Courage in Jakarta. It is our first global broadcast of 2018 and we are going big. The two women are exemplary martial artists who compete at the highest level of skill. It should be an exciting bout for all the fans watching, and at the end of the night, we will be crowning our first ONE Women’s Strawweight World Champion,” said ONE Chief Executive Officer and Chairman Chatri Sityodtong as they announced their maiden offering for 2018 this week.
Tapped to take center stage in ONE’s initial foray for the coming year, both Misses Teo and Nan expressed excitement and gratitude for the opportunity given to them.
“First of all, I would like to thank ONE Championship for believing in me. I’ve always kept my head down and let the hard work and my achievements speak for themselves. I got the win in my last bout, but I still feel like I could have done better. As a martial artist, I am constantly seeking to improve. This title shot means a lot to me and I am excited to get right back in the cage. I would like to thank Xiong Jing Nan for the opportunity to showcase my skills again. This one is for my fans in Singapore. I will bring the belt home for you guys,” Ms. Teo said.
Meanwhile, Ms. Nan said he looks at the title fight as a great opportunity to fulfill her dream.
“I am so glad to have a title shot against Tiffany [Teo]. This is a great honor for me, and for China. I have been training and dreaming of becoming a world champion for a long time and I am ready to defeat whoever is standing in front of me. My entire career has been about making this dream come true, and now it’s time for me to make that dream a reality,” Ms. Nan said.
Following a solid year in 2017, ONE Championship said it is gearing up for 2018 with more live events around the region, including four fights here in Manila.
Since 2012, ONE Championship has been in the Philippines a dozen times, the last one in November with “ONE: Legends of the World.” It considers the country one of the prime destinations for mixed martial arts for its knowledgeable and passionate fans. — Michael Angelo S. Murillo
