Mark “Tyson” Fairtex Abelardo is a name that is only starting to get picked up by Filipino martial arts fans all over the country.
By the end of the week, however, he hopes the nickname “Tyson” becomes a household name when talking about Filipino warriors in ONE Championship.
Abelardo is set to face unbeaten bantamweight Daichi Takenaka on the undercard of ONE: CLASH OF LEGENDS, which emanates from the Impact Arena in Bangkok, Thailand on Saturday, 16 February.
“I feel more than ready to finally showcase my skill on the global stage,” said Abelardo, who earned a contract with ONE Championship following his victory at ONE Warrior Series 3 in October.
“This is what I worked and trained hard for all my life, and I will make sure to make the most out of this moment.”
Abelardo is born to Filipino parents in Auckland, New Zealand, and now he is currently based in Pattaya, Thailand, where he is slowly making a name for himself as a martial artist.
Currently 17-5 in his mixed martial arts career, he is targeting an impressive performance which will leave a lasting impression among Filipino fans who will be watching him compete for the first time inside a cage.
“I am based in Thailand, but I will be out to show the fans out there that I possess the Filipino fighting spirit that Pinoys are known for,” he states.
“I proudly represent the Philippines in ONE Championship.”
With his heavy hands and his willingness to stand and trade, endearing himself to Filipino fans would not really be a problem for Abelardo.
All he has to do now is put all of that together and concentrate on the task at hand. If he were to do that, then he could become the first person to defeat Takenaka.
That would surely get his name known.
“A difficult fight is what I hoped for. I feel that this is the kind of fight I needed in order to step up my level and go up the rankings in the bantamweight division. Fans will be in for a treat that evening,” said Abelardo.
“The goal is to win impressively, get my name out there, and represent the Philippine flag on a global stage.”
