The Philippines and Brazil have been well represented in the ONE Bantamweight division and they have been performing up to expectations but as of today there is no rivalry yet between the two.
The Philippines, mainly represented by Team Lakay, have been performing well but seemingly couldn’t get a win every time they face the Brazilians. The Cordilleran Gym has lot of catching up to do if there is to be a rivalry.
The victory count in recent matches is now 6-1 in favor of Brazil, making the time when Bibiano Fernandes and Kevin Belingon were just the options for a championship fight look like ages ago when it was actually just some three years ago.
After Kevin Belingon snatched the ONE Bantamweight title from Fernandes on November 2018 by split decision, it was Brazil all the way.
Belingon yielded back the title to the former champion by illegal blows on March 2019 and got stopped by a rear-naked choke in another attempt at the title on October 2019.
Fernandes is actually 3-1 over Belingon by virtue of an earlier kimura submission victory in another championship bout on January 2016.
Then new fighters joined the promotion and John Lineker continued to turn on the heat as he knocked out Belingon on November 2020 for another Brazil victory.
Last week, a third Brazilian joined the fray as Fabricio “Wonder Boy” Andrade delayed Jeremy Pacatiw’s wish to gain traction in ONE’s bantamweight division.
A perfect counter-shot from 4th-ranked bantamweight found its target at the 1:37 mark of the first round of their bout during ONE: Full Circle held on February 25, 2022 at Singapore did the trick.
The hit was a knee to the liver that send “The Juggernaut” crumbling against the fence, forcing referee Justin Brown to halt the fight in favor of the Brazilian.
Pacatiw actually started with energy and confidence, pushing forward and dictating the pace.
Knowing Andrade sets the tone when he gets control of the center of the cage, “The Juggernaut” immediately went to work to prevent that, firing a hard leg kick with combinations and looping overhands that force Andrade to be backpedaling and on defense mode.
“Wonder Boy”, however, didn’t panic and composed himself to connect his first combination of the night shortly after which pushed Pacatiw to the Circle Wall.
“The Juggernaut” continued to an elusive target as he connected an overhand right after catching a kick the Brazilian’s kick and then connected with an overhand right.
In the end, Andrade in the middle of The Circle gives him a massive advantage. He jabbed to establish his position and fired the fatal knee to an onrushing Pacatiw, his oncoming momentum added to its devastating impact, to end the fight
Pacatiw’s MMA record drops to 11-5 while Andrade improved his 7-2.
Andrade is now riding a six-fight winning streak. He scored a first-round technical knockout against Li Kai Wen at ONE: Winter Warriors II last December.
The Philippines has a quadruplet to match the Brazilian trio.
Team Lakay newcomers Stephen Loman and Jhanlo Mark Sangiao, who both had explosive promotional debuts, are yet to be tested against Brazilian opponents.
Loman is a proven commodity, establishing mutliple championship records in BRAVE Combat Federation before jumping ship to ONE.
See related story: Loman poised to continue legendary reign in ONE
Sangiao still has a long way to go but he must not ignore the challenges presented by the Brazilians, who are crowding the top of the ONE Official rankings.
He will have to get through them if he is to get beyond the tag of a promising fighter.
Fans will surely want to see a true rivalry between both countries in the division.
Both Loman and Sangiao have to step up their games if the Brazil-Philippines domination of the ONE bantamweight division is to be relived.
By Armando M. Bolislis
