15 July 2015 – Yangon, Myanmar: Asia’s largest and the world’s most exciting mixed martial arts organization, ONE Championship™ (ONE), has announced the full line-up for ONE: KINGDOM OF WARRIORS — the first ever event in Yangon, Myanmar. Russian fighter Elena Pashnina will make her MMA debut in the ONE cage against Taiwanese fighter Jenny Huang in a female atomweight bout. The event will see a clash of Burmese lightweights as they vie to be crowned champion of the inaugural Myanmar Lightweight Tournament. The card will also feature local Burmese featherweights as they compete to be crowned champion of the Myanmar Featherweight Tournament. In addition, there will also be a special Lethwei bout between top Burmese Lethwei fighters, Soe Htet Oo and Phyan Tway.
The event is headlined by reigning ONE Bantamweight World Champion, Bibiano “The Flash” Fernandes, as he takes on challenger Toni Tauru. With such a great line-up, ONE: KINGDOM OF WARRIORS is set to ignite Thuwanna Stadium, Yangon, for the first time on 18 July.
CEO of ONE Championship™, Victor Cui, stated, “We had a successful press conference in Yangon just recently to announce ONE: KINGDOM OF WARRIORS, graced by the top media representatives in the country as well as all our partners in Myanmar such as Z Corp, Sky Net, and the Myanmar Traditional Lethwei Federation. The enthusiastic support shown by local media and various partners is highly encouraging. We look forward to hosting a memorable world-class event here in Yangon with a blend of the best local Burmese talent and top international fighters.”
Russian fighter Elena Pashnina is based in Chengdu, China and holds a black belt in Sanda. Pashnina boasts well-rounded stand up skills, incorporating wrestling and various mixed martial arts components into her solid striking game. The young 20-year-old will be making her ONE Championship debut this 18 July against a more experienced opponent Jenny Huang.
Jenny Huang is a Taiwanese female fighter with a 1-0 MMA record having emerged victorious by decision in her last fight in another promotion. She is The Philippines Asia Open white belt Gi & No-Gi champion, and holds a white belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and a black belt in Judo. Looking to make her mark in the ONE Championship female atomweight division, Jenny will bring her best to the cage to improve her record against Russia’s Elena Pashnina.
In the ONE Championship Myanmar Lightweight Tournament, Saw Ba Oo will face Dawna Aung while Thway Thit Aung will challenge Saw Thae Oo. In the Myanmar Lightweight Tournament Alternate Bout, Saw L Lay will face Saw Hla Doe.
Burmese fighter, Dawna Aung started learning Lethwei when he was nine years old after seeing some fights and deciding he wanted to try it himself. In 2006 he became a national Lethwei Champion and now he is determined to showcase his skills to fight fans outside of Myanmar by being successful in MMA. His opponent, Saw Ba Oo, has been training Lethwei since 2012. He is a long time MMA fan who will be fulfilling a lifetime dream by fighting for ONE Championship.
Thway Thit Aung comes from a rural agricultural background but has literally fought his way out of poverty as a Lethwei star. He has been training since childhood and is a Golden Belt Champion who is known for his devastating knees. Saw Thae Oo began training Lethwei in 2011 and is a full time fighter known for his powerful punches.
Lightweight fighter, Saw L Lay began training in 2011 after seeing his Dad compete in organized fights. Although his full time job involves computers, Saw L Lay has already won a few notable Lethwei fights against foreign fighters but is currently focused in training full time for his ONE Championship debut. His upcoming opponent, Saw Hla Toe is a Lethwei veteran who was inspired to take up martial arts by his grandfather and has been learning since childhood. He likes the respect and discipline which combat sports teaches and has won both local and regional titles as a Lethwei fighter. This 18 July, he is looking forward to being recognised as a bonafide MMA fighter.
In the ONE Championship Myanmar Featherweight Tournament, Min Htet Zaw is up against Myo Man Thit while Hlit Hlit Lay battles Tha Pyay Nyo for the chance to be crowned champion. The Myanmar Featherweight Tournament Alternate Bout will see a clash between Burmese fighters, Phoe Thaw and Kyal Sin Htoo.
Min Htet Zaw began training Lethwei in 2013 having previously been a promising footballer. The biggest win of his Lethwei career came in 2014 when he beat A Mae Thar in Thingyan. He is now set to pursue MMA in hopes of making his country and family proud. Going up against Min Htet Zaw for the Featherweight Tournament Champion Title is Myo Man Thit. Just like his opponent, he was extremely competitive in football previously and has taken this ‘win at all cost’ attitude into his fighting career.
Hlit Hlit Lay started training Lethwei at the age of 12 because his uncle was a fighter. He is the oldest of eight brothers and is known for his knees. Tha Pyay Nyo began training in Lethwei at the age of 16 for self-defense. He is one of six siblings and three of them are also fighters. His favourite memory from his Lethwei career is winning the Golden Belt Tournament.
The Alternate Bout features Phoe Thaw, a security guard at the Japanese embassy who began training martial arts in 2009 because he wanted to sharpen both his body and mind. He has also trained in Taekwondo, Karate and Aikido and describes himself as self-confident and strong-minded. Challenging Phoe Thaw is Kyal Sin, a farmer who started training at 19 to develop strength and stamina.
Tickets for ONE: KINGDOM OF WARRIORS on 18 July in Yangon are on sale now at Yangon Hotline 1876. Ticket categories begin with the cageside experience for VIPs at 200,000 Kyat, followed by Gold 50,000 Kyats, Silver 25,000 Kyats, and Bronze 10,000 Kyats.