Banario to headline One FC in Manila

ASIA'S largest mix martial arts promotion One Fighting Championship (One FC) is once again set to return to Manila after its successful hosting in August last year.

In a report from sherdog.com, Honorio Banario will headline the event and will defend his featherweight strap against his former tormentor, Bae Young Kwon.

Banario's own loss was actually dealt by Kwon during the One FC 2 event in February last year and since that, the former Criminology student racked up two victories including his conquest of fellow Filipino Eric Kelly to win the promotion's inaugural featherweight belt.

Banario defeated Kelly via a technical knockout in the fourth round of their scheduled fifth round encounter at the sold out Stadium Putra in Malaysia.

The two Filipino warriors went back and forth in a striking duel. The finish came in the fourth round as Banario won the striking battle with a punch that staggered Kelly.

“His first defense will be here in the Philippines and will face a foreign fighter,” quipped Team Lakay head coach Mark Sangiao during an earlier interview.

Sherdog added former Dream champ Bibiano Fernandes and Filipino star Eduard Folayang are scheduled to compete against as-yet-unnamed opponents on the May 31 card, which takes place at Mall of Asia Arena in Pasay, Philippines.

Fernandes, according to sherdog.com, has been victorious in his last five outings, most recently submitting Yoshiro Maeda in the first round of their Dream 18 encounter.

The Brazilian last appeared under the One FC banner in August, when he took a unanimous verdict over Gustavo Falciroli.

Folayang is 1-1 in a pair of One FC bouts, having dropped a split decision to Ole Laursen in March before taking a unanimous verdict over Felipe Enomoto in August.

Most recently, Folayang fell to underdog Lowen Tynanes via first-round TKO at URCC 22 in December. (Roderick Osis)