Post-match scenes from the Loyola-Tampines match

After the match, I had a talk with Tampines striker Alex Duric who had very good words to say. "That is a very good football team you have there. Fine tuning. Some more experience. Better fitness and Loyola will be champions. Our games with Loyola are maybe our best of the season. You bring out the best in Tampines, yes. It is an honor to play them. And you have very good supporters."

I asked him if this is the end of the road for him and he says he'd like to win the Suzuki Cup. He would love to play the Philippines there.

Tampines head coach Tay Peng Kee and I have a post-game discussion that bordered on the tactical. He was mightily impressed with Loyola and how Philippine football has come a long way. "You have some very good players," he said. "Maybe they will be interested in playing in Singapore." He pointed out Mark Hartmann, Simon Greatwich, and Anto Gonzales as players he likes. 

Here's a pic of the post-match confrontation between Noh Alam Shah and Anto Gonzales. The Singaporean tried to shake Anto's hand or even plant a kiss on his cheek but to no avail. Anto flat out refused. More so when Shah admitted to deliberately spitting and slapping Anto. His reason was the referee did not catch it so it was all legal. Imagine that!

Outside the Jalan Besar Stadium, about a hundred fans remained where the players signed shirts and posed for photographs. Everyone including the coaches took part in this ritual.

Tampines ends Loyola’s Singapore Cup run

This appears in the Tuesday, October 9, 2012 edition of the Business Mirror.

Tampines ends Loyola’s Singapore Cup run

by rick olivares pic by brosi gonzales

Jalan Besar Stadium

Sunday, October 7, 2012

There was no spirited comeback. No fantastic Phil Younghusband or Mark Hartmann goal to ignite the Jalan Besar stands that were once more predominantly Filipino.

The incredible run by the Loyola Meralco Sparks in the 2012 Singapore Cup ended the way it began – in stunning fashion. The United Football League side made its international debut when it dispatched Geylang United and Kanbawza in the earlier rounds to advance to the semifinals. In both legs, Loyola went down a goal early before embarking on their patented rallies.

But in the final four clash with the cream of Singaporean club football, the Sparks needed to overhaul a two-goal deficit spotted them by the Tampines Rovers. It was quite a task but eminently doable. In the second leg, Loyola failed to build on the promise of a superb attacking first half to bow out of the tournament with a 3-0 loss and by an aggregate score of 5-nil.

The Sparks did what they should have done in the first leg of the semifinals series with the defending S. League champions – mark the wingers and double team striker Aleksandar Duric on top.

This time around the secondary moved in concert with the forward line of their 1-4-1-4 formation. Loyola got their passing game going that helped them carve up those impressive wins against Geylang United and Kanbawza. The Sparks repeatedly pierced the back three of the Stags’ 3-4-3 formation with give and go’s but the final pass and the finish left much to be desired.

In the 17^th minute, Phil Younghusband set up midfielder Jang Jowon but the Korean muffed his shot that was over the uprights. Eight minutes later, James and Phil Younghusband teamed up for a series of attacks that either misfired or Tampines goalkeeper Sasa Dreven saved.

The Stags played more defensively and conservatively, as they knew that Loyola would try to chase them around the pitch. Only when the opportunity for a counter presented itself did the Stags attack.

In the face of the early pressure from Loyola, Dreven’s defense was crucial in keeping Loyola off the board and there was concern that the home team was going to adjust. Adjust they did. Head coach Tay Peng Kee switched his trademark 3-4-3 formation to a more flexible 2-5-3 formation that bottled up the Sparks’ midfield. 

Tensions rose after a foul on Phil Younghusband outside the Tampines box in the 70^th minute. Loyola defender Chad Gould charged into Tampines counterpart Anaz Hadee that nearly sparked a free for all. Referee Mohd Yazeen Buhari carded both players.

Two minutes later, another near fight broke out this time in the Loyola side of the box when Stags forward Noh Alam Shah spat at Loyola midfielder Anto Gonzales then playfully slapped at his face. It took several minutes to placate a livid Gonzales who gave Shah the slit throat sign after Kee pulled him out for Jamil Ali.

With time not on the side of Loyola, the Sparks coaching staff sent a few of their defenders to support.

This is where Tampines pounced.

In the 77^th minute, an errant pass by Loyola midfielder Simon Greatwich saw the Stags race forward. Duric raced in front the left and found himself one on one with defender Park Min Ho. The Singaporean striker turned then smashed home a dagger with his left boot.

The floodgates opened as Ali pounced on another errant pass and whipped a pass to Duric who deftly side stepped his defender to boot in his second goal of the game.

To add insult, Tampines scored their third goal of the match in stoppage time when Ali found space before setting up Imran Sahib for the coup de grace.

The Stags move on to the Singapore Cup Finals on the 28^th of October where they will face Singapore Armed Forces who dispatched Gombak United by an aggregate score of 2-0.

Loyola will have the opportunity to bow out of the tournament on a high note when they play Gombak in the battle for third place also on the 28^th of October at Jalan Besar Stadium.

Loyola Meralco Sparks: Ref Cuaresma, Alexandro Elnar, Chad Gould, Park Min Ho, Roxy Dorlas (Peter Fadrigalan 83'), Andres Gonzales, Simon Greatwich, Mark Hartmann, James Younghusband, Jang Jowon (Jake Morallo 79'), Philip Younghusband.

Tampines Rovers: Sasa Dreven, Anaz Hadee, Mustafic Fahrudin, Jufri Taha, Imran Sahib, Ahmad Latiff, Gligor Gligorov, Ismadi Mukhtar, Aleksandar Duric (Ahmed Fahmie 86'), Sead Hadzibulic (Sazali Salleh 60'), Noh Alam Shah (Jamil Ali 75')

Notes: When Alex Duric was subbed out in the 86^th minute, the Singaporean striker was applauded by the Filipino supporters. Duric who has scored five goals in this tournament (while adding eight in the S. League) will be retiring at the end of the season. Attendance for the match was pegged at 1,248. There was a confrontation after the match between Loyola midfielder Anto Gonzales and Tampines Rovers forward Noh Alam Shah who admitted that he spat and slapped the Filipino. Said the Singaporean: “If the referee didn’t see it there’s nothing wrong.” A livid Gonzales had to be restrained even as Shah tried to shake his hand.

Loyola Meralco Sparks: The wolf, the pack, and the attempt for another comeback.

The wolf, the pack, and the attempt for another comeback.

Loyola Meralco Sparks vs. Tampines Rovers

Leg 2

by rick olivares

In the pre-game team meeting for the first leg of Loyola’s semifinals series with Tampines Rovers, club president Randy Roxas quoted that timeless adage from the book The Law of the Jungle about how “the strength of the wolf is the pack and the strength of the pack is the wolf.” It was meant to tell the team that the while they are talented individually, they could win only as a team.”

During lunch immediately after that meeting, I went around and asked the players for a few quotes that I could send back to my fellow journalists in Manila. Goalkeeper Ref Cuaresma, who has made “ve-ry nice” a catch phrase in the team, was lost for a moment before he quoted Roxas’ “the strength of the wolf…” to the hilarity of some.

A table across, defender Alex Elnar also quoted from The Law of the Jungle. So did Simon Greatwich.

After that 2-nil opening match loss to the Stags where the lack of cohesion on the pitch showed, that truism is never more relevant.

Here are the lads and their thoughts about today’s huge match.

Anto Gonzales

I think we paid a lot of attention to Aleksandar Duric. We didn’t close down the source of those long balls and diagonal balls. We were slow to pressure and they were able to play their game.

Ref Cuaresma

We were competitive in the first 10 minutes as we threatened in our counters but we focused on Mr. Duric that we forgot their players on their wing.

The first goal was my lapse. I tried my best to keep Tampines from scoring more goals. They really are a good football team.

We lost 2-nil but we know what we did wrong. We will make our adjustments but I remain positive about the second game.

Chad Gould

These are early days for us. Honestly, we thought they were going to completely destroy us. But we held. I am not massively disappointed because it is something we can build on. This was our first full 90 minutes together in a real match and not just a friendly.

Phil Younghusband

Before that first goal, we lurked dangerously. The first goal shook us. It felt like we kept battling for possession and playing catch up. But for us, it was staying in the game. With a score of 2-0 there is still a possibility. Anything more than that then it’s all over. Going into the next game, we have to get a goal early on.

James Younghusband

The experience in a football environment like Singapore is priceless. The facilities, the quality of football, and the fans – it’s all wonderful. Jalan Besar has been like a home field for us. Winning on that pitch gives us that feeling.

The task is quite obvious – offensively, it’s to score as quickly as possible in order to draw level. Defensively, it is to stop the supply of long balls or passes to Aleksandar Duric up front and to stop the runs from the flanks. The onus is on Loyola to make the adjustments as they return to their “home field” of Jalan Besar.

Thus far, the Sparks have beaten Singapore side Geylang United and Burmese eleven Kanbawza. Can Loyola, which has a history of stories comebacks, turn the trick one more time?

We’ll find out in a few hours’ time.

Volunteering for Singapore F1 Grand Prix

Volunteering for Singapore F1 Grand Prix

By Monark Buhain

Formula 1 has always been regarded as the pinnacle of motor sports. I have been a follower of the sport since the days when Mika Hakkinen and Michael Schumacher were duking it out for their respective teams, McLaren and Ferrari. That was around the late 90s. From there, motor sport has given some sort of a refuge away from the usual busy schedule of my number 1 sport - basketball.

The sheer speed of how fast these drivers are hauling their cars around the racetrack is enough to make one’s enthusiasm pique. Not to mention the grueling conditions their bodies have to take during a race that lasts an average of 1.5 hours.

Now, I’m not as physically fit as these drivers are. Or, shall we say, I’m not fit at all. However, the idea of being able to marshal along the track where these drivers throw their cars at around 200Km/h intrigued me. It gave me an urge to prove something to myself that I can do this. Heck, if the old guy in a jumpsuit being shown in ESPN running across the track to pick up a debris from a car can do it then I can do it just as well.

Singapore GP, the promoter and organizing committee of Formula 1 Singapore, has been regularly recruiting volunteers every year. It’s not until the 5^th year of the race that I decided to sign up. An urging from an old friend who has been a race official since year 1 also helped in making the decision. Also, this was the last year of the existing contract between Formula 1 and Singapore to hold the race. I couldn’t get the chance to take part of the only night race in Formula 1 history to slip by. (Newly ratified contract between Formula 1 and Singapore to extend the race for 5 more years was only announced recently).

So I signed up to become a race marshal during the earlier part of this year around mid February. And, luckily, I received a confirmation that I will be an on-track marshal. I only found out later that being an on-track marshal on your first year is not an easy gig to get in.

By April, training has started. It’s mostly held in classrooms made available by Singapore Management University (SMU). We were taught the basics of formula 1 racing (e.g. racing line, hand signals, flags). It wasn’t all that tough. You just have to listen. Or so I thought.

In May, exact roles and track assignments were handed out. I was assigned on Turn/Sector 12.0. This is the turn that comes right after the Singapore Sling - the most famous and tricky part of the Singapore track. Turn 12 is a turn where you can expect some drivers to be a bit on the wild side after negotiating the Singapore Sling corners. Hence, people have to be on their toes.

However, I got a bit of a downer when later I found out that my role was an Observer Marshal. You have to know that every sector has a Sector Lead, Observer Marshal, Track Marshals, Flag Marshals and Fire Marshals. An Observer is the one that wears that big muffled headset coupled with a noise reducer microphone who constantly communicates everything about what’s happening at their sector to Race Control. I mean everything. From an accident that happened at your sector, to reporting of damaged safety barriers, and even the stinking portable toilets that you and your team use to relieve yourselves must be reported. You see, I thought I was going to be a “tracky”. Track Marshals or “tracky” are the ones who goes running out on the track in case an accident happens. They are the ones who check up on the driver if he’s ok or not, and move the car out of harms way.

But I guess, everything has a plan. Maybe the Man upstairs thought I’d still need to earn my spot before I can become a tracky. In short, I got to lose weight.

It wasn’t long until the “support” races (Porsche Carrera Cup, Ferrari Challenge and GP2) started that I realized it doesn’t matter if I was a tracky, “flaggy”/ Flag Marshal or Observer. Once the cars came zooming at your corner, you have to be on your toes. These “support” races helped me in getting into groove for the ultimate race – the Formula 1 race Sunday night. 

Being an observer, you have to listen intently for Race Control directives. Then you have to relay that information to your Flag Marshals. Even if the accident happens from a different part of the track, you have to know if the Yellow Flag need to be hoisted to inform the drivers of an impending accident down the road. And of course, there’s the very serious need to raise the Red Flag. Red Flag means something very serious happened. Hence drivers need to back off from their racing stance and observe a much more safer defensive driving.

By the time all the practice races (Friday) and qualifying races (Saturday) were finished, I was all geared up for the Formula 1 race (Sunday). And the moment came on the 1^st lap of the race. Ferrari driver Felipe Massa spun 180 degrees at our turn causing his rear left tire to puncture. And so my duty called…

“Race control this is Post 12.”

“Post 12, send.”

“Car number 6 (Massa’s car designation) spun driver right. Off racing line. Rear left tire punctured. Driver continued.”

“Copy that Post 12.”

And that was my contribution to the 2012 Singapore Grand Prix. Massa limped back to the pit and got his tire changed. He eventually finished the race earning him and Ferrari some valuable points. Sebastian Vettel of Red Bull won the race keeping him an arms length from Championship points leader Fernando Alonso of Ferrari.

Apart from the minor accident that Massa encountered, I would have to say the whole Formula 1 experience is memorable. I said earlier that drivers endure 1.5 hours of being in an enclosed heated works space. But the marshals had to be at their stations from Thursday to Sunday from 12 noon up to around 12 midnight, every single day. Singapore’s climate is hot and humid. So you can guess how it feels to be inside your overalls from morning to night. And you’d have to be on your feet most of the time. Marshals are expected to keep the track safe for drivers to race, to help them in times of trouble, and to be the eyes and ears of Race Control.

You will form a bond with your teammates in a manner you least expect it. The sweltering heat and harsh conditions will force you to bond as brothers. Knowing that your track marshals will be there to respond when needed, your flag marshals will wave the flag for minutes on until it needs to be withdrawn, and your observer will keep everybody informed are all essential in making the race a successful one.

As the Singapore Grand Prix Clerk of Course, Gabriel Tan, bid this year’s volunteers, “We are now established as THE jewel in the F1 Crown.

We started out to be the best, and we achieved it in the most spectacular fashion. The way forward now is to maintain that status every single time Singapore hosts the Grand Prix. Remember (in the words of Emergency Coordinator Daniel Yong), we are only as good as the next event. But for now, let’s enjoy the moment and bask in the afterglow of the event’s success.”

--------------------------

Monark is a very good friend of mine who lives in Singapore. Incredibly, we became friends through my blog Bleachers' Brew that he reads (thanks, bud) but since we've become very good friends. Going to the Lion State is always a treat when I meet up with him and his wife, Noreen.

An appreciation for the One Fighting Championship

I've covered a lot of sporting and non-sporting events in the Philippines and abroad and there have been good and bad outfits running them. And there are truly excellent and classy ones. And one of those is the One Fighting Championship. From the moment I worked with them in the Manila event Pride of a Nation, I thought that they were well organized and very friendly. Even on fight day itself, looking at the set up inside the venues I marveled at their organization and how they moved around like clockwork. Doing this a second time around with the event being held in Singapore was a treat. 

One of the neat devices that was available for the media was this miniature radio where we could hear the live commentary from announcers Steve Dawson and Jason Chambers. Plus, they had material available for all to use. 

The ear piece for media use that had the
audio commentary.

The Rise of Kings was a fantastic if not a vastly superior follow up to Pride of a Nation that for all its landmark implications in the Philippines came with its share of problems. The crowd was fantastic and very classy. They applauded for all fighters and showed their displeasure with unsportsmanlike play. It helped that all the fights were not just well fought but also entertaining. There's a concern that some of the fighters are either too green or over the hill but in this night of The Rise of Kings, it was all perfect.

I spoke to One Fighting Championship CEO Victor Cui several times during the match and I had to commend him for the professionalism in which his organization went about their business. He then gave me a scoop by saying that there will be about eight One FC events next year with some possibly held in places like Istanbul, Turkey and Rio de Janeiro in Brazil. The Rise of Kings was their seventh event and they have held the fight in four Southeast Asian countries: the home base of Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, and the Philippines. Cui said that the clamor has been great but he will have to assess the situation as he'd prefer to keep it in Asia proper. "But you can never say no to opportunities that will be good for the brand." As the One Fighting Championship prepares for a December fight event in Kuala Lumpur, they are also looking to next year where they will make a triumphant return to Manila. There's a lot of work to be done for sure.

Minutes after the fight, Cui gave a few interviews at the media area after which he was whisked off for a post-event meeting. Talk about a hungry organization that knows that time if gold.

Now if they can get a media center where the wifi works fantastically (it conked out for some reason in both Pride of the Nation and The Rise of Kings) it would be perfecto!

One Fighting Championship: The Rise and Return of the Kings

Shinya Aoki chokes Arnaud Lepont. Take a look as Lepont is about to explode.

This appears in the Monday, October 8, 2012 edition of the Business Mirror.

The rise and return of the kings

by rick olivares pic from one fc

For some it was a night of redemption. For others, it continued their ascent into the Mount Olympus of mixed martial arts. While for a few, they’ll have to realize that it will take more than talk to walk the walk.

The One Fighting Championship returned to Singapore with a mighty exclamation point with its aptly event-theme ‘Rise of Kings” at the island state’s sold out Indoor Stadium. Fighters were crowned champions and the sport made a huge case as the fastest rising sport in the world.

Matt Chilson, Kevin Belingon, and Jens Pulver put their careers back on the winning track with contrasting wins over their opponents after poor outings in the recent One FC: Pride of a Nation held in Manila last August 31.

Chilson, who in his last fight nearly had his head kicked off by Shannon Wiratchai (it was declared a no-contest due to an illegal kick), turned a takedown by Indonesian wrestler Ngabdi Mulyadi to his advantage as he managed to stay on top. After Chilson escaped a near guillotine choke, he unleashed a series of strikes and knees on his foe leaving referee Yuji Shimada no choice to but stop the fight 1:03 into the second round.

After Belingon was overwhelmed from the get-go by Korean Soo Chul Kim in Manila (that led to his second successive One FC loss), “The Silencer” silenced his critics with an impressive win against Russian submission specialist Yusup Saadulaev.

The Filipino started out very aggressive with a series of kicks and knees to Saadulaev’s body. “The Maestro” as Saadulaev in known by, attempted a take down that failed and he found himself in all sorts of trouble as Belingon had him a side control then locked his arm for a paintbrush submission and a TKO at 3:18 minutes of Round 1.

Pulver, who considered retirement after the beating he received from Filipino Eric Kelly in Manila, took a lot of early punishment from young Chinese striker Zhao Ya Fei who landed several shots to the American’s right face. For much of the first round, it looked as if the American who has been trying to resuscitate a fading career was going to be once more on the receiving end of a fusillade of punches and kicks. But he would occasionally throw a powerful jab or two to let his opponent know that he still had some power in him.

In the second round, Pulver unleashed a left hook that floored Fei and sent his mouth guard skittering away. The man they call Li’l Evil immediately pounced and a series of brutal punches and knees that had the crowd roaring. But he couldn’t put Fei away as the bell ended the round and the clinch.

In the third round, Fei kicked Pulver twice in the groin in the span of a minute that caused the American to crumple to the canvass in pain. Referee Shimada gave Fei a yellow card that assured that the 20-year old would not come away in his One FC debut with a win. Pulver could not continue as he was carried out on a stretcher but he did come away with a win via unanimous decision to give him his 27^th win in 45 fights.

The middleweight fight between Pancrase middleweight champion Ryu “Rambo” Kawamura, who has made a name for himself as a knockout artist, and Dutch kickboxer Melvin Manhoef was not only entertaining but also ended with one of the evening’s most incredible knockouts.

Kawamura entered wearing unusually tight and small trunks. Then Manhoef entered to the Argentine tango composer Carlos Gardel’s “Por Uno Cabeza” that translated means “by a head of a horse” that refers to winning a race by one head’s distance.

Then the Japanese fighter proceeded to do the spaghetti legs dance as popularized by former Liverpool Football Club goalkeeper Bruce Grobbelaar that once did to distract opposing penalty takers to success. It was a strange tactic employed by Kawamura and at one point Manhoef dropped his hands in frustration. “I came here to fight not to dance,” exclaimed the Dutchman after the fight in a conversation with this author by the VIP Section.

Manhoef landed a few shots but with time running down in the first round, he threw a thunderous right hook that sent Kawamura crashing to the canvas. He got off another strike to the fallen Japanese that had his body twitching before the referee put a stop to the fight.

In the first championship bout of the event, Soo Chul Kim faced off with Brazilian Leandro Issa for the One FC Bantamweight belt. Kim was more cautious against Isaa as opposed to his quick start against Belingon in Pride of the Nation. Kim took the full measure of his Brazilian opponent before striking in the second round as an overhand right connected and dropped the latter. The Korean rained several hammer fists before the referee put a stop to the match to give Kim a knockout win 15 seconds in the round.

An overjoyed Kim, wept when he was handed the championship belt. Through an interpreter, his honesty had the crowd roaring in approval: “I did my best. I feel like I am over the moon and it’s my birthday.”

Prior to the One FC Lightweight Championship bout between Japanese stand up specialist Kotetsu Boku and Brazilian Jiu Jitsu champion Zorobabel Moreira, television fight analyst Steve Dawson said that one punch can change a complexion of a match. And this match was testament to that.

Boku who was reeling in the face of the onslaught of Moreira who regained his wits after being knocked down in the first round. The Brazilian unleashed a barrage of kicks, knees and strikes at Boku for the entire second and much of the third round. The Japanese was back pedaling like some kung fu drunken master caught Moreira with a right that dropped him lack a sack of potatoes. Boku threw in a few more strikes before the referee threw himself in the middle to protect the glassy eyed Brazilian.

The One FC Lightweight Championship was the biggest achievement of the 11-year veteran who after the match quipped of the beating he took: “Tomorrow I will have a problem going to the toilet.”

The Boku-Moreira fight that went back and forth with one counter offensive after another was the perfect set up for the event’s Super Fight between trash talking Arnaud Lepont and submission specialist Shinya Aoki. All week long, Lepont, the brash fighting Frenchman has been goading Aoki with the books that had “Beating Aoki for Dummies” on the cover and other threats such as breaking his idol’s arm. If Lepont should have known anything (and the official fight souvenir program served warning that the fight will end violently and swiftly), Aoki is a man who prefers to do his talking inside the ring.

From the opening bell, Aoki threw a jab at Lepont’s face momentarily stunning him. Seconds later, Aoki took down the Frenchman then locked him up in a triangle choke submission. Lepont was turning purple when the referee put a stop to the fight in only 1:25 as Aoki was declared the first ever One FC Super Fight winner. 

Now if any of the challengers read the program, it is predicted that Aoki will reign long and supreme. The king of the cage is back.

--------------

People ask me if I love watching MMA. Of course, I do. I used to write a lot about the UFC events but stopped because of work load concerns. Doing the One FC fights will hopefully see me get back into the flow of things Here are more thoughts about the fight from last night.

With Kevin Belingon after his fight (above) and with Philippine Star's Joey Villar and Yahoo Philippines' Bob Guerrero. 

Singapore Diary: Alex Duric, Sasa Dreven, Simon Greatwich, and the search for cold water

Catching up with Alex Duric before the match outside Clementi Stadium. The man has a mania for keeping fit! He just lost some pounds to stay in football shape. After the match, he signaled to me and said, "That goal (Tampines Rovers' first) was for you." I laughed. But you know I am with Loyola? Replied The Legend: "I know. But you're such a big football fan and of Singapore football." I smiled. I'll take it. Wish we didn't lose though. Good to see you, Alex!

With Tampines Rovers' goalkeeper Sasa Dreven. I asked him if he liked Singapore. "Yes. It's nice here. Hot and humid though. But I like living in an international city."

With Simon Greatwich who is back in Loyola. Always a good locker room presence like his older brother, Chris. Hoping for his success with the Sparks. Here's my account of the first-leg match between Loyola and Tampines.

Visiting an old haunt in the Arab Quarter. Had some iced coffee because it was so darn hot. When I also asked for water the waiter directed me to the next restaurant. Two Caucasian ladies sat down in the table next to us and after some discussion he also pointed out to the next restaurant. Turns out his English wasn't so good that one of the other veteran waiters kidded him about it. When I asked the veteran waiter for water, he asked in return, "You mean iced water?" You kidding me right? "Yes, Iced water."

Hosting an impromptu press conference for Loyola with members of Singaporean media and Pinoy bloggers based in the Lion State. We held in the morning at the hotel where we are staying.

With Bob Guerrero, Anthony Suntay, and Joey Villar at the weigh in for the One Fighting Championship: Rise of Kings at the Cathay Plaza atrium. 

At the One FC: Rise of Kings weigh-in: like a grenade waiting to go off

This appears in abs-cbnnews.com

At the One FC: Rise of Kings weigh-in: like a grenade waiting to go off

by rick olivares pic by brosi gonzales

There’s flash and there’s some trash. Well, trash talking that is. Frenchman Arnaud LePont (10-1-0) pounced on the stage during the weigh in for the One Fighting Championship held at the Cathay Atrium wearing a hockey mask painted in black. If you were expecting Jason of those Friday the 13^th slasher flicks, LePont was far from the type who wanted to rip opponent Shinya Aoki’s guts out. He smiled by way of taunting and when the Japanese mixed martial artist was introduced on stage, LePont pulled out a magazine that had a headline that screamed: BEATING AOKI FOR DUMMIES".

Aoki (30-6-1) on the other hand looked like a shark while on the scales with black and cold eyes. When asked what he thought of his fight – the main event of One Fighting Championship: Rise of Kings that will be fought tomorrow at the Singapore Indoor Stadium – Aoki simply said in his raspy voice: “It will be a good fight.”

LePont didn’t fall for that Zen-like tranquility that the Japanese exuded. “He said he will knock me out? I will bleeping knock him out,” he promised as he signed my souvenir program.

Earlier Dutch kick boxer Melvin Menhoef (25-9-1) got right into opponent Ryo “Rambo” Kawamura’s face that saw the Japanese knockout artist’s face momentarily flash with anger.

“Lotsa testosterone in the atmosphere,” said Jens Pulver to no one in particular. “Gonna be a great fight night tomorrow.”

The seventh Mixed Martial Arts event organized by One FC, Rise of Kings promises to be an explosive one as 20 of Asia’s top fighters collide in Singapore. For some it’s further establishing themselves as some of the top fighters in the world. For some, it’s about survival.

As the music blared and taunts were hurled, Kevin Belingon (9-2-0), the lone Filipino fighter in this event, sat inside the dressing room unperturbed. He looked a man who didn’t want to be there. But for Belingon, it was all about keeping his focus on what needed doing – coming away with a win against Yusup Saadulaev (9-1-0), a Russian fighter known for his ruthlessness.

The year 2012 hasn’t gone well for the man they call “The Silencer”. Belingon lost his last two One FC fights: a first round loss to Masakazu Imanari via reverse heel hook in War of the Lions last  March 31 in Kallang, Singapore, and a unanimous decision loss to Soo Chul Kim who never let him in the match in the recent Pride of a Nation in Manila.

Belingon sustained an eye injury during his training for his fight with Kim and it somewhat bothered him. “Pero walang excuse,” he admitted. The Ifugao native was all too happy to see a familiar face (the author) who deigned to pop his face inside a locker room that was teeming with bad asses.

Belingon refuses to think that his career is at a crossroads following the string of losses. “Pagsubok lang,” he rationalizes.

He thinks that fighting in Singapore will be good for him. There were a lot of expectations in Manila. He expressed disappointment at being the only Filipino not to win in Pride of the Nation. “Ganyan talaga. Bawi na lang. Pero focused talaga ako ngayon.”

Outside the dressing room there’s bedlam. There’s rock music. Some flash and some trash.

“Tomorrow,” says Pulver to no one again in particular, “is like a grenade is going to go off.”