ONE Championship: Global Superheroes in Manila Features Interim Flyweight Title Fight

Kairat Akhmetov vs Geje Eustaquio. ONE Championship
Kairat Akhmetov vs Geje Eustaquio. Credit: ONE Championship

ONE Championship has announced its return to the Philippines — and it’s just weeks away!

In a press release distributed on Wednesday, Asian MMA outfit ONE Championship announced that it would be returning to the Mall of Asia Arena in Manila later this month. ONE Championship: Global Superheroes will take place January 26, and feature an interim flyweight title fight between Geje “Gravity” Eustaquio and Kairat Akhmetov. Akhmetov is a former ONE flyweight champion who suffered his first loss when he lost the title to Adriano Martins in August, after winning the belt from the Brazilian in his previous bout.

Akhmetov (24-1) bounced back with a win over Geje Eustaquio at ONE Championship: Total Victory in September. Now, the pair will clash again in a rematch of that split decision, this time with interim flyweight gold on the line.

Eustaquio (9-6) is 2-2 in his last four bouts, all of which have come under the ONE banner. Prior to the Akhmetov loss, he picked up a split decision win over Anatpong Bunrad at ONE Championship: Dynasty of Heroes last May.

Also booked for the Global Superheroes card in Manila are strawweights Joshua Pacio and Pongsiri Mitsatit. Mitsatit (9-0) will be putting his perfect record on the line against The Philippines’ own Pacio (10-2). And at featherweight, Eric Kelly (12-4) will face Brazil’s Rafael Nunes (10-1). Kelly will be looking to snap a three fight losing streak in ONE Championship.

Additional fights set for ONE Championship: Global Superheroes include:

Sotir Kichukov vs. Ma Hao Bin.
Yago Bryan vs. Hayato Suzuki
Bruno Pucci vs. Emilio Urrutia
Edward Kelly vs. Meas Meul
Rajinder Singh Meena vs. Zhang Ze Hao