ONE Championship: 'Age of Champions' preview (Part two)

ONE: "Age of Champions" sees Adriano Moraes make the first defense of his flyweight strap when he takes on enigmatic Japanese fighter Asuka Mikami in a bout which pits the Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (BJJ) black belt against an opponent with a background in underground fighting.

There's also an opportunity to get a glimpse at Malaysia's top talent with Peter Davis, Ann Osman, and Ev Ting in action on the the top half of a card which consists of eight fights and will be taking place at Stadium Putra. It will be the sixth time that ONE Championship has put on an event in Kuala Lumpur.

Here is my preview of the final four fights on the card (for part one click here):

Ev Ting vs Cary Bullos

Malaysian-born featherweight Ev Ting (8-2) got his ONE Championship career off to the best possible start with two wins out of two and he faces Filipino Cary Bullos (7-2) who will be looking for his first-ever win for the promotion after being stopped by Major Overall in his most recent outing.

Ting was initially slated to face Overall, but the American was unavailable and so he takes on the Cebuano kickboxer instead. It's a fight which the Malaysian will be expected to win, but Bullos is well rounded and has the potential to cause him some problems.

Ann Osman vs Walaa Abas Mohamed

This will be the first mixed martial arts (MMA) fight to ever be broadcast live on national TV in Malaysia and it is fitting that it should feature a fighter who has become iconic in the development of the women's sport in the country. Ann Osman (2-1) is constantly in the headlines and will be looking for a third ONE Championship win.

Osman (2-1) has a background in Muay Thai but is a powerful grappler with a strong top game who will probably look to put her Egyptian opponent on her back. Walaa Abas Mohamed (2-2) has a slightly wild kickboxing style which caused Ana Julaton plenty of problems when they met in Manila, but I expect the Malaysian to have too much for her.

Peter Davis vs Rajinder Sinh Meena

Both of these fighters have similar records but whereas Peter Davis (9-3) will be looking for a seventh win inside the ONE Championship cage, Rajinder Singh Meena (8-1) has spent his entire career facing Indian opponents, although he was the Super Fight League (SFL) 155-pound champion.

Meena is a decorated Wushu fighter who has also won medals in kickboxing and amateur boxing so it's clear where his strengths lie and he will probably feel he has an advantage in striking terms. Davis is very confident in his stand-up but his unorthodox style seems to make him an easy target and the majority of his recent wins have come courtesy of a submission or ground and pound.

These are two fighters who very rarely go the distance and another first-round finish could well be in the cards. If Davis can put Meena on his back I think he will finish him fast, but if the fight stays standing, the Indian is more than capable of scoring an upset.

Adriano Moraes vs Asuka Mikami

I have never seen Asuka Mikami (11-2-1-1) fight, train, or spar. There is no footage of him anywhere online and I have no idea whether he is southpaw or orthodox, let alone what his strengths and weaknesses are and presumably Adriano Moraes (12-1) and his camp are in the same boat.

What I do know is that Mikami is a former underground fighter who is 10-0-1-1 in his last 12 fights (one of his wins was changed to a no contest due to a hand-wrapping controversy). He has wins by KO, TKO, submission and decision and beat one of Pancrase's best flyweights just last year.

Moraes is a big flyweight and had to shave his head to make weight for his title bout last September and he was recently awarded his BJJ black belt, with all three of his ONE Championship wins to date coming courtesy of a submission.

The Brazilian is without a doubt one of the best flyweights in the world, but his opponent is a complete mystery. Mikami has a high-caliber record and crucially he has wins over high-level fighters and he will be hoping to take advantage of this element of surprise and cause a major upset.

ONE Championship: "Age of Champions" is set for Stadium Putra in Kuala Lumpur on Friday, March 13th. Fans from around the world can witness the action online via live stream and the event will be available for purchase at just $9.99 from http://www.onefc.com/livestream.

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