Asia’s largest and the world’s most exciting mixed martial arts organization, ONE Championship (ONE), has announced the full line-up for ONE: DYNASTY OF CHAMPIONS (SHANGHAI) — the second ONE event in China this year.
Roger Huerta returns against Koji Ando at ONE Championship 30
Roger Huerta returns to the ONE cage to face Japanese fighter Koji Ando in a highly anticipated lightweight contest while Korean bantamweight sensation Dae Hwan Kim will meet Japan’s Koetsu Okazaki. Major Overall will face Kotetsu Boku in an exciting featherweight bout while Singapore’s MMA darling Angela Lee will meet Russian kickboxer Elena Pashnina in a female atomweight bout.
For the China Superfight, Chinese featherweights clash as Teng Li Ge meets Ayideng Jumayi. The semi-finalists for the Shanghai Flyweight Tournament will also compete for the chance to be crowned the Shanghai Flyweight Tournament Champion. Liu Xiao Yang will face Hu Ri Ge, while Wang Ya Yong will face Li Gao Yang. The Shanghai Flyweight Tournament Alternate Bout will see a match between Wan Jian Ping and Yang Jian Bing.
The main event of ONE: DYNASTY OF CHAMPIONS (SHANGHAI) features a middleweight title bout between ONE Middleweight World Champion Igor “Lionheart” Svirid and the challenger Vitaly Bigdash. ONE: DYNASTY OF CHAMPIONS (SHANGHAI) is set to light up the city with an explosive fight card that fans will not want to miss.
CEO of ONE Championship, Victor Cui, stated, “We are excited to make our mark in Shanghai this September as we bring the best local and international fighters once again to mainland China. This card is headlined by a ONE Middleweight World Championship title bout and it will be very exciting to see our Kazakhstani world champion defend his title. We also have a roster of the best international fighters showcasing their talents in the ONE cage such as Roger Huerta, Dae Hwan Kim, and Kotetsu Boku. Also, our female MMA warriors will show combat sport fans around the world what women can do inside the cage. Local flyweights will also be competing to be the best and the chance to be the winner of our ONE Shanghai Flyweight Tournament.”
Roger “El Matador” Huerta returns to the ONE cage a year after winning his fight against Christian Holley last August 2014. Huerta has been in the MMA game for more than a decade and has a wealth of experience on his resume. With a solid background in Muay Thai and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, Huerta is one of the best lightweights in the world and is looking to outdo Japanese stalwart Koji Ando who is fresh off challenging division leader Shinya Aoki for the title.
Koji Ando is one of Japan’s fiercest competitors, having been a mixed martial artist since 2008. The Japanese fighter, who recently faced Lightweight King Shinya Aoki, is never in a boring fight and always remains a threat no matter the opponent. With an array of diverse striking skills coupled with solid submission grappling credentials, Ando is ready to claim victory against Roger Huerta.
Dae Hwan Kim challenged for the ONE Bantamweight World Championship in his last fight, but came up short against reigning champion Bibiano Fernandes. Despite the setback, Kim gave the champ all he could handle and delighted fans with his fast-paced, high volume attack. Kim’s striking prowess is virtually unmatched in the division, and it will be interesting to see how effective he’ll be against fellow striker, Koetsu Okazaki.
Koetsu Okazaki embodies what being a Japanese mixed martial artist is all about. He has the heart, will and technical ability to give opponents a rough time in the cage, but also possesses the tenacity to overcome obstacles and claim victory. Okazaki has never been knocked out or stopped with strikes due to his excellent ability to take a punch, but also doesn’t mind trading blows in order to unleash his own combinations. He is prepared to show the world that he can beat the highly regarded Dae Hwan Kim.
In a featherweight bout, Singapore-based American fighter Major Overall is looking to impress the Chinese crowd with his exciting, all-action style in the ONE cage. Overall has a highlight reel of stoppages in his six victories as a mixed martial artist and has built a reputation as one of the most dangerous and exciting fighters in the division. He looks to continue his dominance with a win over perennial competitor Kotetsu Boku.
Kotetsu “No Face” Boku, although originally from South Korea, is a Japanese MMA legend and former champion. With more than 30 professional fights on his resume, Boku has the experience of a seasoned veteran and has seen it all inside the cage. He gets to showcase his dynamite fists once again inside the ONE cage as he takes on Major Overall in an explosive clash of featherweights.
Russian kickboxer Elena Pashnina is based in Chengdu, China and holds a black belt in Sanda. Pashnina boasts well-rounded stand up skills, incorporating wrestling and various mixed martial arts components into her solid striking game. The young 20-year-old is fresh off her first test inside the ONE cage last July against Jenny Huang. This time Pashnina takes on Singapore’s MMA darling, Angela Lee.
Angela “Unstoppable” Lee’s family is originally from Singapore but she has lived and trained mixed martial arts in Waipahu, Hawaii for most of her life. At just 19 years of age, Lee is one of the most promising young fighters on ONE Championship’s growing roster. She scored an impressive victory over Aya Saber in her ONE Championship debut last May, submitting her opponent in the first round with an Armbar. Lee looks to impress fans once again as she battles Elena Pashnina.
