A pair of Filipinos will look to represent the country in impressive fashion at ONE: CLASH OF LEGENDS, which emanates from the Impact Arena in Bangkok, Thailand this Saturday, 16 February.
Gina “Conviction” Iniong and Mark “Tyson” Fairtex Abelardo will both be strutting their wares against separate foes.
While raising the Philippine flag high in ONE Championship will be their first order of business, they’ll be coming into the event with different motivations to win altogether.
“I want to show the Filipinos that even though I might be based in Thailand, I possess that Filipino fighting spirit that we’re known for,” said Abelardo, who will be taking on Japan’s Daichi Takenaka in a three-round bantamweight mixed martial arts affair.
Abelardo was born to Filipino parents in Auckland, New Zealand before moving to Thailand where he honed his natural skills and eventually got a break in Rich Franklin’s ONE Warrior Series.
Following his win at the ONE Warrior Series 3 event in October, he earned a lucrative contract with ONE Championship.
Now, it’s all about introducing himself to the casual Philippine mixed martial arts fans, and he vows to put on a show in his ONE debut.
“This is what I worked for and trained hard for all my life,” he said. “I will make the most out of this moment.”
While Abelardo is targeting an introduction, Iniong is battling for something bigger than herself.
Iniong, who is set to take on Malaysia’s Jihin “Shadow Cat” Radzuan in a women’s atomweight mixed martial arts clash, will be battling for her ailing mom when she makes her return to The Home Of The Martial Arts.
The mother of the Team Lakay standout was diagnosed with a stage 5 chronic kidney disease and is undergoing dialysis treatment right now.
“When we found out about her condition, we were all shocked. We were so clueless. Next thing we know, it’s already in stage 5,” Iniong shared.
“My mother didn’t want to go to the hospital even though she felt ill. It was only when my older sister noticed swelling [all] over her body that we were able to bring her to the hospital.”
When the cage door closes on Saturday night, there’s no doubt who will be in Iniong’s heart.
“This upcoming bout, this will be for my family,” she declared.
