R. Gracie (photo) debuted with victory at ONE FC. Photo: Josh Hedges/UFC
ONE FC 24, held this Friday (5) in Manila, capital of the Philippines, was nothing short of joy for the Brazilian fighters. Bibiano Fernandes, Roger gracie e Herbert Burns they got the better of their opponents without even needing the judges' decision.
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Making his debut in the Asian organization, Roger beat another UFC athlete, James McSweeney. The Brazilian, a specialist in the ground game and who had won five of his then six victories by submission, showed progress and surprised by knocking out the striker Englishman in the third round, connecting with a strong kick to the waist and completing with strikes on the ground. In his first fight since leaving Ultimate, it was Gracie's first victory by knockout or technical knockout.
In the fifth fight of the night, Herbert Burns maintained his undefeated record in MMA by submitting local athlete Honorio Banario. Burns, younger brother of Gilbert Durinho, UFC fighter, needed less than four minutes to submit his rival with a rear naked choke.
In the main attraction of the event, Bibiano Fernandes made his second defense of the bantamweight belt against the Filipino Dae Hwan Kim. In the second round, the Brazilian quickly took his rival's back and applied a rear naked choke, forcing Kim to tap out. Fernandes, 34 years old, won the belt in October last year after unifying the linear and interim titles.
ONE FC 23 also featured former UFC athlete Brandon Vera. Making his first fight outside of Ultimate since 2005, Vera knocked out Polish Igor Subora with a cross followed by goal shots, permitted by the rules of the Asian event.
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