One: Light of a Nation is June’s Special Treat to Martial Arts Fans

Wazzup Pilipinas!

Widely considered as the frontrunner of mixed martial arts in the Asian region, ONE Championship seeks to end the first half of 2017 on an astounding note as the organization makes its way back to the beautiful city of Yangon to stage its fourth live event in Myanmar at the Thuwunna Indoor Stadium on 30 June.

Looking to keep that big ball of momentum going generated its recent highly-acclaimed trips to Manila and Singapore, ONE: LIGHT OF A NATION will feature the absolute best in local and international MMA talent, accentuating a tremendous five-round middleweight championship rematch between reigning division kingpin Vitaly Bigdash and Myanmar’s favorite son Aung La N Sang.

“This year, we’re giving Yangon something new, a much deeper roster of talents. We are bringing guys from different parts of the globe to showcase world-class action,” ONE Championship Chairman and CEO Chatri Sityodtong said.

“The first bout was an absolute showcase of incredible skill and unwavering determination, and the rematch promises nothing short of another classic. We have an absolutely stacked card from top to bottom prepared for Yangon, and it will be a night fans will not want to miss,” he added.

Bigdash and Aung La first crossed paths five months ago at ONE: QUEST FOR POWER, where the Russian champion had to dig deep to take a unanimous decision victory.

The contest was evenly-matched for the first two rounds, but midway through the bout, Bigdash landed a powerful kick to the head of the Burmese hero that had everyone watching convinced it would be all over soon.

However, Aung La N Sang had other ideas as he proved that he would not go down without a fight, putting on an inspiring display of courage that showed the world that he had the true heart of a champion.

Aung La became an embodiment of incredible toughness and resolve, defending against Bigdash’s relentless assault while managing to mount a credible offense of his own.

Moreover, the proud Yangon native took Bigdash’s best shots and responded, lasting to the final bell in a valiant performance.

Although he was not able to claim victory, Aung La will challenge Bigdash once again this 30 June at ONE: LIGHT OF A NATION.

“It’s one of the most highly-anticipated rematches in history. Both of these guys know what to deliver on fight night. They have rich experience in their combat game. Strategically, it’s the perfect combination on June 30th,” Sityodtong stated about the encounter.

Aside from the main event, ONE Championship has prepared a special co-featured attraction to the Bigdash vs. Aung La II as Japan’s Mei “V.V.” Yamguchi squares off with fellow ex-world title contender Jenny Huang of Chinese Taipei.

The winner of scheduled three-round meeting between Yamaguchi and Huang could secure a rematch with Asian MMA superstar Angela “Unstoppable” Lee for the ONE Women’s Atomweight World Championship title.

Also slated on the undercard of ONE: LIGHT OF A NATION is Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu world champion Bruno "Pucci Bull" Pucci, who faces Filipino fighter Jimmy “The Silencer” Yabo.

Meanwhile, ONE Myanmar Featherweight Tournament 2015 Tha Pyay Nyo will return to the ONE Championship cage to battle former Lethwei fighter Htet Aung Oo, who makes his promotional debut.

Furthermore, South Korea’s Kevin “Old Boy” Chung is set to have his first ONE Championship debut against Chinese combatant Zhong Qingya.

ONE: LIGHT OF A NATION will likewise make history on 30 June as for the first time ever, a traditional Lethwei bout will be held inside the ONE Championship cage, showcasing front and center the beauty and authenticity of this ancient Burmese fighting discipline.

Lethwei fighters Shan Ko and Thway Thit Win Hlaing are set to display their amazing striking skills in front of a packed crowd eager for authentic Lethwei action.

In addition, ONE Championship has organized a Myanmar Flyweight Tournament to determine the country’s next flyweight superstar.

Saw Min Min will take on Tun Lwin Moe, while Ye Thway Ne battles Pat Kyaw Lin Naing in the semi-final matches. Shwe Kyaung Thar locks horns with Ye Yint Thway in the alternate bout.

With the box-office receptions of its two previous events, Sityodtong guarantees that ONE Championship’s fourth event in Myanmar will also be a night to remember.

“It will be bigger, better, bolder, crazier than ever before. It’s the month of June’s special gift to the great followers of this wonderful sport and to the genuine admirers of martial arts. June 30th in Yangon is going to be a massive, massive event. You’ve got to come out and show your love. It will be a lot of fun,” he ended.

​For more updates on ONE Championship, please visit www.onefc.com, follow us on Twitter and Instagram @ONEChampionship, and like us on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/ONEChampionship.

Welcome to the NBA G League

Wazzup Pilipinas!

The NBA and Gatorade announced that beginning today the NBA Development League (NBA D-League), the NBA’s minor league, will officially become the NBA G League.

Beginning with the 2017-18 season, the NBA G League will feature 26 teams, an expansion of four teams since last season, 22 of which are owned and operated by NBA franchises.

For the first time this coming fall, NBA teams can sign up to two “two-way” players to NBA contracts. These contracts allow “two-way” players to be with their NBA parent team for up to 45 days, spending most of the season in the NBA G League.

The NBA G League has more than tripled in size since it debuted with eight teams during the 2001-02 season. Last season, nearly 1.5 million fans attended games, marking the eighth straight year the league has surpassed 1 million fans.

For the 2017-18 season, the NBA G League will unveil new on-court uniforms and collaborate with the Gatorade Sports Science Institute (GSSI) on programs to enhance player sports performance and recovery. Gatorade will begin to incubate its latest product and equipment innovations into NBA G League locker rooms, and teams will have the opportunity to collaborate with Gatorade to help players maximize their athletic potential and on-court performance.

“This is a pivotal moment for the NBA G League,” said NBA G League President Malcolm Turner. “The league is experiencing unprecedented success both on and off the court, and our partnership with Gatorade is helping to drive momentum and create exciting opportunities for innovation, sports performance and player development.”

Forty-four percent of players on 2016-17 end-of-season NBA rosters had NBA G League experience, while 65 percent of players selected in NBA Draft 2016 presented by State Farm® spent time in the NBA G League last season, including more than half of the first-round picks.

To support today’s launch, the NBA G League debuted its new website, NBAGLeague.com, an updated NBA G League app, a slate of updated social media accounts on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and Snapchat, and a new official handle (@nbagleague) and hashtag (#NBAGLeague). Additionally, NBA G League merchandise is now available at NBAGLeagueStore.com.

Gatorade was a founding partner of the league, dating to the inaugural 2001-02 season.

Brillante Mendoza Presents “Anak” at TV 5 on June 25

Wazzup Pilipinas!

Anak, the latest episode in the Brillante Mendoza Presents series will warm the hearts of viewers with its family oriented theme when it airs at TV 5 on June 25 at 10:30 pm. The series is a collaboration between TV 5 and Director Brillante Mendoza with support from SM.

Starring real life couple Harlene Bautista as Risa and Romnick Sarmenta as Lex, Anak follows the story of an old barren couple who make a pilgrimage to the Obando Fertility Rites to petition for a child.

A few years later, the wife conceives miraculously despite her age, but undergoes a difficult pregnancy which is life threatening to both her and her unborn child. She suffers from hypertension and delivers prematurely, causing a huge risk to her newborn child. After a month of enduring the hardships of caring for a premature baby at the hospital, the couple are finally able to bring home their baby and become a family.

Viewers of this latest masterpiece by Director Brillante Mendoza will also have a glimpse of the festive traditional Obando Fertility Rights. Celebrated every May, pilgrims and locals dance and sing to ask Obando’s three patron saints: San Pascual, Santa Clara and Nuestra Señora de Salambáo to grant their wish for a child. Throughout the fertility dance ritual, they ask the saints for the spirit of life to enter in to the wombs of women for a child to be conceived.

Other Anak cast members include Perla Bautista as Joy Bismark, Bea Saw as Michelle Hernandez, Gay Quililan as Lydia Martinez, and Kimmy Maclang as Beth Salud. Arianna Martinez wrote the episode with Armando “Bing” Lao as creative consultant.