ONE Championship

When Vaughn Donayre directed his career path to ONE Championship nearly three years ago, he was once touted as a promising Filipino talent from the beautiful province of Cebu.

However, the luster of his billing as a top-notch prospect slowly faded when a string of setbacks came his way.

The 37-year-old Cebu native suffered a first-round submission defeat at the hands of Emirati combatant Mohammed Walidin in his August 2014 promotional debut.

Sacrifice means to give up something cherished in order to get something even more valuable in the future. This concept also applies to mixed martial arts (MMA) as the path to becoming a world champion is paved with much sacrifice.

To set foot on the pinnacle of success, all fighters must go through blood, sweat and tears in training. Moreover, MMA athletes have to be separated from their families for months to dedicate their lives to the craft that they seek to perfect.

The Philippines has produced many notable boxers throughout the years, including Francisco “Pancho Villa” Guilledo, Gabriel "Flash" Elorde and eight-division world champion Manny Pacquiao.

Although the country has become a breeding ground of world-class boxers, it is quickly carving a niche in other combat sports, particularly in mixed martial arts (MMA).

Former professional mixed martial artist turned fight coach, George Castro, is set to arrive in Manila the first week of January to make good on Brandon Vera’s promise to bring the world-famous Alliance MMA gym to Philippine shores.

Castro, who has worked with Vera for the past four years, previously served as the strength and conditioning coach at Alliance MMA in San Diego, California.

“The plan is to bring a new style -- my style of training -- to the Philippines. I want to go everywhere and show everybody what I know and spread my knowledge,” said Castro. “Asia has a bunch of tough fighters with a lot of heart, especially in the Philippines.”

04 January 2017 – Bangkok, Thailand: The largest sports media property in Asian history, ONE Championship™ (ONE), has just announced its return to Bangkok on 11 March for another exciting evening of world-class mixed martial arts action. ONE: WARRIOR KINGDOM is set to electrify the Impact Arena once again with the absolute best in local and international mixed martial arts talent. Headlining the fight card is ONE Women’s Atomweight World Champion Angela Lee who is set to defend her title against rising star Jenny Huang.

Winning has been closely associated with Filipino fighter Rene Catalan (1-2) in international Wushu tournaments as he has brought home numerous gold medals for the Philippines.

However, having his hand raised as the winner in mixed martial arts (MMA) has been elusive since he transitioned to the world’s fastest-growing sport in 2013.

Like capturing the gold medal at the 2006 Asian Games in Doha, one unforgettable moment in his illustrious fighting career was when Catalan finally claimed his first victory as an MMA competitor last September.

MARCIN PRACHNIO OUT OF MAIN EVENT DUE TO INJURY

COMPLETE FIGHT CARD SET FOR ONE: QUEST FOR POWER

03 January 2017 – Jakarta, Indonesia: The largest sports media property in Asian history, ONE Championship™ (ONE), has just announced that middleweight contender Marcin Prachnio has suffered an injury and is out of ONE: QUEST FOR POWER.

12 December 2016 – Baguio City, Philippines: Baguio City officials organized a parade for newly crowned ONE Lightweight World Champion Eduard “Landslide” Folayang last Friday, 9 December. Folayang won the title at ONE: DEFENDING HONOR which took place 11 November at the Singapore Indoor Stadium in Singapore. The Filipino mixed martial arts (MMA) veteran defeated former champion, Japanese MMA legend Shinya “Tobikan Judan” Aoki via third round technical knockout.