Pinoy Honorio Banario eager to reclaim ONE FC MMA belt
For the second time this year Honorio Banario will face Japan's Koji Oishi in Manila, only this time, it is the Featherweight from Team Lakay who is the hunter, and Oishi who is the hunted.
Their title bout on December 6 in the Mall of Asia Arena is the main event in ONE FC : Moment of Truth, which is the third Manila fight card for Asia's number one Mixed martial arts promotion.
Last May Oishi (24-9-10) knocked out the 23-year old Banario (8-2) in the second round of the Pinoy's first title defense. In the rematch, the son of Mankayan, Benguet is hoping for revenge and redemption.
"I need to be more patient" he said in Tagalog last Thursday at the open workout in Resorts World Mall. "I saw in the first round that I could handle him so I rushed it."
Banario was clearly dominating the fight before the Japanese vet rocked him with one punch then followed up with a barrage of strikes that forced the referee to stop the fight.
This time Banario and the other Filipino fighters on the card will have an advantage. Iranian wrestling coach Ali Hyderabadi will be in their corner.
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The 44-year old former European 135 lb champ is married to a Filipina and lives in Cavite. Team Lakay has acquired his services to help boost the wrestling skills of the Wushu- based fighters in the Baguio stable. Hyderabadi was also a former coach of the Cyprus national team.
"They are Wushu wrestlers so the way they wrestle is not complete” he asserts. “But they are improving. We are working on their takedowns and takedown defense. I think they have improved by more than 50% (with me)" added Hyderabadi.
"They are amazing. I have been with other teams before and these guys are fast learners."
Another Filipino pugilist benefiting from the Iranian's tutelage is Kevin Belingon. He squares off against Spain's David Aranda in a Bantamweight fight. Belingon (11-3) reached the final of ONE FC's Bantamweight Grand Prix recently, losing to Japan's Masakatsu Ueda.
A third Pinoy seeing action on the sixth is Ruel Catalan. The Santa Barbara, Iloilo native will battle Cambodian Khim Dima in the flyweight division.
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Two months ago Dima knocked out Catalan's brother Rene in ONE FC: Warrior Spirit in Kuala Lumpur, but the match was subsequently adjudged a No Contest because the Filipino was struck several times in the back of the head, which is illegal in MMA.
Rather than face the Cambodian again, the elder Catalan is allowing his brother to fight Dima.
"We want to finish the fight on the ground" said Rene. Ruel, like Rene, has a Wushu background. Dima learned MMA by way of Khmer Boxing, a close cousin of Muay Thai.
Filipino Eduard Folayang (12-4) is also slated to fight in Moment Of Truth. He will take on the challenge of Indonesian Vincent Latoel in a Lightweight encounter. Folayang has lost his last two fights, to American Lowen Tynanes and Iranian Kamal Shalorus. He desperately needs this bout to defibrillate his MMA career. Latoel is a Shooto specialist.
Pinoy Flyweights Eugene Toquero and Geje Eustaquio will also match up in one of the undercards.
Also at the open workout on Thursday was Cameroonian-born Hong Konger Alain Ngalani, who will fight Taiwanese Paul Cheng in the heavyweight class. Ngalani impressed everyone in Resorts World with his incredibly muscular physique.
But the focus now is on Banario. If he can reclaim his belt then it will be a huge shot in the arm for Pinoy MMA, which has been in the wilderness of late, especially since the debacle last May, when all five Filipinos lost in front of the home crowd in the MOA Arena.
When asked if he would agree to a third meeting if he defeats Oishi, Banario answered in Tagalog “if that is what ONE FC wants, then I can't refuse. But I have to get my belt back first.”
Follow Bob on Twitter @PassionateFanPH. Follow ONE FC @ONEFCMMA. Tickets are available through smtickets.com.
