Historic ONE: Empower event set for September 3

ONE: Empower

After being postponed due to the pandemic, ONE Championship has released a new date for its historic mixed martial event, ONE: Empower.

Originally booked for a late May date, the first all-women's fight card hosted by a major mixed martial arts outfit is scheduled to take place on September 3 at the Singapore Indoor Stadium.

The main event features Xiong Jing Nan defending her ONE Women's Strawweight title against 2nd-ranked Michelle Nicolini, but the highlight lies with the four quarterfinal matchups that comprise the ONE Women's Atomweight World Grand Prix.

Top-ranked atomweight contender Denice Zamboanga faces fifth-ranked Seo Hee Ham, with the latter making her ONE Championship debut.

Second-ranked Meng Bo takes on Ritu Phogat, with the Indian contender fresh from a victory against Lin Heqin.

Alyona Rassohyna and Stamp Fairtex face each other in a rematch from February.

Itsuki Hirata going up against ONE Championship newcomer Alyse Anderson.

Completing the main card for ONE: Empower is a kickboxing duel between Anissa Meksen and Cristina Morales.

For the lead card, Filipino-American striking sensation Jackie Buntan will go up against Daniela Lopez in the main feature as a ONE Super Series Muay Thai matchup.

Serving as a World Grand Prix alternate bout is a fight featuring Mei Yamaguchi and Julie Mezabarba, with another fight to be finalized by the end of ONE: Battleground III, as the winner of Bi Nguyen and Jenelyn Olsim gets to clash with Grace Cleveland.

The complete ONE: Empower card is as follows:

ONE Women’s Strawweight World Championship
(C) Xiong Jing Nan vs. (2) Michelle Nicolini
Strawweight: 52.3 KG–56.7 KG

Mixed Martial Arts – Atomweight World Grand Prix
(1) Denice Zamboanga vs. Seo Hee Ham
Atomweight: 47.7 KG–52.2 KG

Mxed Martial Arts – Atomweight World Grand Prix
(4) Stamp Fairtex vs. (3) Alyona Rassohyna
Atomweight: 47.7 KG–52.2 KG

Mixed Martial Arts – Atomweight World Grand Prix
(2) Meng Bo vs. Ritu Phogat
Atomweight: 47.7 KG–52.2 KG

Mixed Martial Arts – Atomweight World Grand Prix
Itsuki Hirata vs. Alyse Anderson
Atomweight: 47.7 KG–52.2 KG

Kickboxing
Anissa Meksen vs. Cristina Morales
Atomweight: 47.7 KG–52.2 KG

LEAD CARD

Muay Thai
Jackie Buntan vs. Daniela Lopez
Strawweight: 52.3 KG–56.7 KG

Mixed Martial Arts – Atomweight World Grand Prix Alternate
Mei Yamaguchi vs. Julie Mezabarba
Atomweight: 47.7 KG–52.2 KG

Mixed Martial Arts – Atomweight World Grand Prix Alternate
Bi Nguyen/Jenelyn Olsim vs. Grace Cleveland
Atomweight: 47.7 KG–52.2 KG

Lipeng extends Folayang's ONE Championship woes

 

Zhang Lipeng

ONE Championship became witness to an impressive debut, as Chinese veteran Zhang Lipeng made a successful debut with the outfit on Friday night.

Lipeng secured a unanimous decision victory over Eduard Folayang at the Singapore Indoor Stadium, capping off five exciting mixed martial arts matchups.

Zhang applied pressure early, taking Folayang to the ground successfully and controlling him on the mat. After securing the Filipino icon’s back, Zhang pounded away while threatening with a rear-naked choke.

Folayang tried to swing the momentum in the second round, using low kicks to chop his opponent’s legs. But Zhang made crucial adjustments and took the action back to the ground with a blast double.

In the third and final frame, Folayang had more success defending the takedowns as he continued to work Zhang’s legs. But a huge slam toward the end of the round sealed the deal for the Chinese stalwart. All three judges scored the bout for Zhang to win by unanimous decision.

Also lasting the distance is the matchup between Alex Silva and Miao Li Tao. Silva, the former ONE Strawweight World Champion utilized his expert grappling to stifle his Chinese opponent on the mat and earn a clear-cut unanimous decision. Silva threatened with submissions early in the first round, catching Miao in a deep armbar attempt. The grappling dominance continued in the second and third frames, allowing the Brazilian to pull ahead on the scorecards.

The heavyweight clash between Thomas Narmo and Alain Ngalani ended in a no-contest, after the latter committed an unintentional foul that left the Norwegian fighter unable to continue in the second round.

Eko Roni Saputra needed just ten seconds to finish his matchup against Liu Peng Shuai, as the Indonesian rising star landed a dynamite right hand to force a historic quick conclusion. The victory was Saputra's fifth consecutive first round stoppage, and is the fastest in the history of the flyweight division for ONE Championship.

Opening the card was Rahul Raju securing a second round submission victory over Otgonbaatar Nergui. After withstanding a strong and aggressive approach from his Mongolian opponent in the first round, Raju rode on his grappling in the next one, eventually setting up a rear-naked choke to secure the win.

The official results for ONE: Battleground II are as follows:

Mixed Martial Arts - Lightweight: Zhang Lipeng def. Eduard Folayang via Unanimous Decision
Mixed Martial Arts - Strawweight: Alex Silva def. Miao Li Tao via Unanimous Decision
Mixed Martial Arts - Heavyweight: Thomas Narmo vs. Alain Ngalani - No Contest (NC)
Mixed Martial Arts - Flyweight: Eko Roni Saputra def. Liu Peng Shuai via Knockout (KO) at 0:10 of Round 1
Mixed Martial Arts - Lightweight: Rahul Raju def. Otgonbaatar Nergui via Submission (Rear-naked Choke) at 3:54 of Round 2

ONE Championship enters NFT space with Theta Drop

ONE Championship is set to enter the crypto realm with its exclusive global partnership with blockchain platform Theta Network.

The outcome of this partnership will be ONE.ThetaDrop.com, the online marketplace for ONE's non-fungible tokens (NFTs). These NFTs will be celebrating ONE's superstar athletes and their most memorable moments.

No official launch date has been set, but interested fans can already pre-register there for the first batch of limited ONE NFT packs once they are released.

Top-ranked NFT owners not only will get to own a piece of ONE Championship history but also have the opportunity to reap benefits like backstage passes, ringside seats, as well as other personalized fan experiences.

Group ONE Founder and CEO Chatri Sityodtong shares, "Our exclusive NFT partnership with Theta Network is part of our long-term vision that fan engagement and commerce around our World Champions — and ONE’s commitment to heroes, values, and stories — will transform live sports entertainment. Theta was the best choice of blockchain platforms to build this vision. We look forward to launching ONE NFTs on the Theta blockchain platform, starting with our pre-registration process."

Theta Labs Co-Founder and CEO Mitch Liu adds, "We’re thrilled to welcome ONE Championship to the Theta Network and see a big opportunity to mainstream NFTs powered by Theta to millions of global ONE users. This partnership paves the way to establish Theta as the de-facto standard for video and media NFTs, as the fastest and greenest blockchain built for media and entertainment. We’re at the beginning of Theta’s hyper growth and global adoption heading into 2022 and our partnership with ONE and other upcoming brands will accelerate this."

The collaboration with ONE Championship is the latest in Theta Network's strategy of combining live entertainment and NFTs. They already have a partnership with the World Poker Tour established this past April, and just recently announced an exclusive deal with Katy Perry in conjunction with her upcoming Las Vegas residency next year.

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United City set for regional eSports football tournament

eSports in Southeast Asia is about to get a boost with the establishment of a regional eFootball tournament, under the auspices of the Champions eFootball (CeF).

Set to take place from September 9 to October 7 of this year, it will involve eight of the best sides in the region to be played on KONAMI's eFootball PES 2021 Season Update on the Playstation 4 platform.

A combined $9,000 prize pool awaits, with matches to be shown through the league's social medal platforms.

Representing the Philippines in this competition is United City Football Club, which recently launched its eSports entity. The others are Johor Darul Ta’zim FC (Malaysia), Persib Bandung (Indonesia), Tampines Rovers FC (Singapore), Nagaworld FC (Cambodia), Ho Chi Minh City FC (Vietnam), Buriram United FC, and Chonburi FC (Thailand).

UCFC President Eric Gottschalk shares, "Esports is a fast-growing and popular sport in the Philippines and we have been thinking of how to engage ourselves with esports. This is the perfect event for us to start an esports program especially with the big names in this region. We appreciate Champions eFootball for providing this opportunity to take part in the official esports competition and hope this platform can grow and provide us with access to new fan audiences worldwide and to allows us to play against the big names in the football world since I can see the possibility."

The CeF is divided into two divisions: ELITE and STAR. The former will have professional eSports players in competitive action,  whilst the latter will involve star footballers across the region, including Philippine international Justin Baas, and will provide entertainment and light-hearted content.

In launching this competition, Champions eFootball CEO Yong-Chul Yun says, "It is no surprise that esports and competitive gaming have become a cornerstone of entertainment and we are proud to bring this platform to the sporting world. In essence, our vision for Champions eFootball is to provide a platform for some of the best football clubs in the world to compete at a high level while attracting younger audiences and esports enthusiasts from across the region."

Endorsed by the Asian Electronic Sports Federation, their presence ensures a quality experience for all participants. This is most apparent in their role as Technical Delegate for this competition. AESF General Secretary Sebastian Lau shares, "AESF is excited to work with Champions eFootball as an innovative platform that fosters synergy between two giants of the sporting world; football and esports. We are excited to see what the future holds for football clubs and fans in the region as they venture to compete for glory in esports."

Aside from this regional tourney, CeF is also looking at establishing relationships with the various local leagues with the idea of having them act as qualifiers. It also potentially could see CeF winners facing off against European counterparts in a future tournament.

Further updates about Champions eFootball can be seen on www.championsefootball.com via their Facebook and YouTube.

New song to mark upcoming LaLiga season

Colombian singer/songwriter Camilo remixed a song of his for the upcoming La Liga campaign.

With the 2021/22 LaLiga Santander and LaLiga Smartbank season set to start on August 13, Colombian singer-songwriter Camilo remixed his song KESI to be the league's official song, infused with football references. A Latin GRAMMY winner and a GRAMMY-nominated artist, he is also one of most-followed artists on social media, with over 25 million followers on Tiktok, 22 million on Instagram, and has six million views on his YouTube action.

The remix highlights the similarities football and music have in generating passion. Football is capable of moving people, just like music, and they are powerful tools for triggering all kinds of emotions. Fusing the two of them magnifies that further.

Camilo shared his feelings being a part of this season: "It’s a dream come true for me to be involved in the LaLiga song for the 2021/22 season. This is the first tour of my life and the first concerts have been in Spain, a country that has really made me feel at home." He adds that, "music and football are one; the passion of singing a song and celebrating a goal go beyond the rational. It makes you connect with the here and now and completely forget everything else. It’s a magical moment."

The upcoming season is significant with fans being allowed back into stadiums for the first time since the eruption of the pandemic. To continue to get things moving, LaLiga is also setting up a new campaign, called #PlayLaLigaSantander. The hashtag reiterates the commitment it has to reaching and engaging with a younger audience through the power of music and football, doing so by incorporating entertainment, technology, and emotion.

LaLiga Global Brand Director Eva Lopez shares, "Thanks to LaLiga’s efforts to adopt its content, Fans under the age of 24 have grown by 10% in Spain since 2017. Fans are finally returning to stadiums in Spain and this season we were in no doubt thot Camilo was the artist who could best help LaLiga get this emotion across to the public." She adds, "Our objective is to unite fans around the heartbeat of football, and now through music as well."

Rise Up Stronger: NCAA Season 96 to cap off Sunday

The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) is set to put a bow on its 96th season with a special program on Sunday, August 8.

To be shown on GTV at 5:05pm, the closing ceremonies will feature performances from The Clash alumni Jessica Villarubin, Jeremiah Tiangco, and Anthony Rosaldo, who sang this season's theme as well as "Patuloy ang Pangarap." Rise Up Stronger NCAA Season 96 hosts Martin Javier and Sophia Senoron will also host this special presentation.

Reflecting the signs of the times and observing health and safety protocols, the abbreviated season commenced last June 13 and featured poomsae and speed kicking for taekwondo, chess, and skills challenges in basketball and volleyball.

All ten member-schools (Arellano University, Colegio de San Juan de Letran, De La Salle University-College of Saint Benilde, Emilio Aguinaldo College, Jose Rizal University, Lyceum of the Philippines University, Mapua University, San Beda University, San Sebastian College-Recoletos, and University of Perpetual Help System DALTA) of the NCAA participated this season, the first collegiate athletic league to safely conduct a sports tournament since the eruption of the coronavirus pandemic, living up to their theme, "Rise Up Stronger."

Aside from the performances, members of the NCAA Policy Board and the Management Committee will grace the NCAA Studio of Champions, which has served as the hub of coverage for the season.

Season 96 Policy Board President Fr. Clarence Victor C. Marquez, OP expressed his gratitude to the viewing public for their support of the season. "Admittedly, it has been a challenging season as we joined the rest of the world in confronting this pandemic—enduring death, disease, and other difficulties; continuing with whatever remains of our plans and offering our courageous response, our wonderful hope to our member school communities, to our student-athletes, and to our fans," he shares.

The Letran rector adds, "By the grace of God, we have found a new broadcast partner in GMA Network, Inc. and opened this special Season 96 with much promise and pomp. By pushing through and completing this special Season 96, we have made the NCAA to rise together stronger than ever, more relevant and ready for the next chapter of our history."

Also set to take place is the handover to next season's hosts, CSB. Incoming Policy Board President Br. Edmundo Fernandez, FSC provided some optimism for the upcoming campaign. "We have seen how Filipinos strive and persist despite many challenges. The grit, passion and commitment to do what is necessary to win and achieve our goals are especially evident in the stories of our athletes. This year we were reminded of our national pride and the Filipino spirit through our national athletes who raised our flags and brought home medals from the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. Inspired by our national athletes and our students, such as Hidilyn Diaz, the first Olympic Gold Medalist of the country, we continue to provide a venue for our student athletes to develop the values and discipline through NCAA. With united spirits, let us continue to train and inspire our students to use their gifts and abilities, and strive to build our nation. May the next season be a year of extraordinary unity for all of our schools and nation."

NCAA Season 96 is the first season of the new deal the league had with the GMA Network, who stepped up to handle the broadcast rights after the collapse of ABS-CBN. Chairman and CEO Atty. Felipe L. Gozon shares, "From all of us here in GMA Network, we extend our warmest congratulations to the NCAA Season 96 Policy Board and Management Committee, NCAA student-athletes and coaches, and the entire NCAA community for successfully mounting its most challenging and fruitful season yet. Once again, NCAA has made history by becoming the first collegiate athletic league in the Philippines to safely hold a sports tournament in the time of pandemic. Keeping the spirit of sportsmanship alive during these trying times is a necessary message that promotes unity and hope. That when we all come together, we can all rise up stronger. This makes us even more proud to call GMA the home of NCAA. We feel even more honored to be part of an institution that continuously helps shape the future of our young athletes and national pride. So, as we culminate NCAA Season 96, we leave you with a promise that GMA Network will remain committed to provide NCAA with a world-class treatment and a well-deserved global recognition. Ang inyong Kapuso Network, buong puso para sa NCAA."

Aside from GTV, the closing ceremonies will be seen overseas on GMA Pinoy TV and GMA News TV.

For more details, check out www.ncaa.com.ph and follow both @ncaaphilippines and @gmasynergy on Instagram.

GMA Network secures Pacquiao-Spence rights

Manny Pacquiao is set to be on your free televsion later this month, as GMA Network, in partnership with TAP Digital Media Ventures Corp., has secured broadcast rights to his matchup against Errol Spence Jr., later this month.

The boxing event, called "Pacquiao vs Spence Jr.: Generational Showdown" will take place on August 21 (22 in the Philippines). Las Vegas will host it, specifically at the T-Mobile Arena.

Local television coverage will commence at 11am on GMA-7, but those who want blow-by-blow coverage can do so via AM radio through Super Radyo DZBB 594 and its sister stations across the country. Their coverage starts at 9am.

Replay for those who missed the fight is scheduled at 1030pm, also on GMA.

The fight is for Spence's International Boxing Federation (IBF) and World Boxing Council (WBC) titles, which he has held since 2017 for the former and 2019 for the latter.

Manny is fresh from claiming the WBA super welterweight title against Keith Thurman just over a couple of years ago.