I said a’boom boom boom… a let me hear you say way-oh!
Top Team & FSA/Monkey Man rocked up in Malaysia ready for a dose of the fastest rising promotion in the history of Asia-MMA. Thailand’s première Mixed Martial Arts camp has three fighters on the card, with Professor Adam Kayoom squaring off against Gregor Gracie, Professor Rodrigo Praxedes pitted against fellow black belt and Nova Uniao alumni Marcos Escobar, and former UFC star Roger Huerta taking on Evolve MMA’s Zorobabel Moreira in the absence of Phil Baroni, under medical suspension after losing his tune-up fight earlier in the month.
Phuket Top Team has a fourth fighter contracted to One FC, in touted flyweight and Asia Bantamweight Grand Prix finalist Andrew Leone, who has gone 1-1 with the tournament champion. Leone, an American from New York, is set to drop back down to his ‘natural’ weight class, and will face Roy Docyogen in his One FC debut at the Manila show.
Discerning viewers, look away now. This is strictly for those who can abide Gonzo journalism; here goes.
I had thought the mature, adult, responsible thing to do would be to stay up all night in order to not miss my flight. Having woken up in a bar in Rawai at 8:30am in a confused state of mind, made a drunk dash to the airport through traffic so preposterous you’d think God himself had a personal stake in me not making my flight, to finally rocking up still clad in unbuttoned cuban shirt, swimming trunks and flip flops, to an impromptu pizza with One FC boss Victor Cui, it is safe to say that it possibly wasn’t.
Having arrived with all the style of a socially awkward pre-fame writer, still reeking of the classic and potent combination of whiskey and cigarettes, and suitably dressed to kill, I was able to grab some pizza with owner/founder and CEO Victor Cui, along with several members of the One FC staff (including Jason Chambers), and have a chat about potential matchups as well. Victor was kind and gracious enough to let me think one of my fanciful suggestions was noteworthy and worth pursuing; though saying that, if One FC book a main-event of former #1 ranked lightweight versus former DREAM champion (not naming names) then I take full credit! Or at least half. Or a twelfth.
One FC IV: Destiny of Warriors will be headlined by Renato “Babalu” Sobral taking on Japanese light-heavyweight Tatsuya Mizuno. The former UFC star and Strikeforce champion will have his work cut out against a man who came back from being blasted by Cro Cop in the inaugural DREAM to briefly hit the limelight with a shock win over Melvin Manhoef and a competitive loss to Gegard Mousasi. Though his subsequent return to heavyweight was disastrous, getting starched by the burly Russian Sergei Kharitonov, Mizuno’s stock remains fairly high at 205lbs, where he is viewed as a potentially dangerous fight for most fighters at the weight. Babalu should have too much though. We shall see.
Twitter @DanielFletcher
