Winning in Jakarta Will Be the Perfect Birthday Gift for Filipino Veteran Eric Kelly

Wazzup Pilipinas!

Considered as one of the most successful products of the established Philippine mixed martial art scene, Filipino veteran Eric “The Natural” Kelly celebrated his 36th birthday last April 30.

However, Kelly was not able to savor every bit of his special day as he is focused on his next assignment inside the ONE Championship cage.

The celebrated Baguio City-based mixed martial artist is set to duke it out with Japanese journeyman Tetsuya Yamada in a three-round catchweight contest on the undercard of ONE: GRIT AND GLORY, which takes place at the Jakarta Convention Center in Indonesia on May 12.

Although his cage meeting with Yamada is 12 days after his birthday, Kelly can't think of a better present for himself than to return home with the victory over the seasoned Japanese combatant.

"It will be a great birthday present for me to get the win. It's an added motivation going into the bout against an experienced martial artist like Tetsuya Yamada on May 12," he said. “I really want to go back home as the winner.”

Kelly was once considered as one of the best and brightest featherweight contenders in the Asian region when he started his professional mixed martial arts run in 2009, but his billing lost its luster due to a string of setbacks.

When Kelly entered enemy territory to face Malaysian-Kiwi dynamo Ev “E.T.” Ting in January 2016, he suffered a third-round submission defeat at the hands of the future ONE Lightweight World Championship title contender.

Kelly tried to bounce back from his loss to Ting by squaring off with former ONE Featherweight World Champion Narantungalag Jadambaa seven months later, but he yielded to the Mongolian hard-hitter by way of knockout in 44 seconds.

To compound the misery, he suffered his third-straight defeat at the hands of ex-ONE Lightweight World Champion Kotetsu “No Face” Boku in a featherweight encounter via third-round technical knockout in August 2017.

A victory inside the ONE Championship cage remained elusive to Kelly as he bowed down to returning Brazilian standout Rafael “Indio” Nunes by second-round submission this past January.

“I am taking it as a lesson. I have accepted the fact that I am in a bad spot, but I am taking all those experiences as lessons and inspecting them for my future matches,” Kelly stated.

Despite the series of losses, his confidence remains unfazed as he brings a indomitable and positive attitude into his upcoming bout against Yamada at ONE: GRIT AND GLORY.

“I want to show to those who believe in me that I can make it not just for myself, but for all,” he pointed out. “I want this victory so bad.”

The man standing in Kelly’s path to re-enter the winner’s circle is Yamada, a promising young martial artist with a distinct ability to seek out highlight-reel stoppages.

The 27-year-old native of Kanagawa, Japan made his ONE Championship debut in January 2016 in an extremely high-level wrestling showdown against future lightweight kingpin Eduard Folayang of the Philippines.

A seasoned grappler, over half of Yamada’s 24 career victories have come by spectacular finish, with the ability to end bouts either by submission or knockout.

Like Kelly, Yamada also seeks to get back on the winning track, following his third-round submission loss to Saygid Guseyn Arslanaliev last March.

“We can’t avoid setbacks. It’s mixed martial arts. This sport is unpredictable,” Kelly explained. “But I am still hungry. I still have the heart to compete.”

The last time that Kelly had his hand raised in triumph was when he outpointed Japan’s Hiroshige Tanaka by unanimous decision in October 2015.

Although a tough task is in front of him at ONE: GRIT AND GLORY, Kelly is more fired up than ever to arrest his losing spell and claim his first cage victory in nearly three years.

“It’s a good match-up for me. My opponent is no pushover because Yamada has a good ground game and a decent stand-up. I really want to get this win more than ever. No one can deny my eagerness to win,” he concluded.

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Singtel Group to Bring ONE Championship’s Martial Arts Content to Mobile Customers

Wazzup Pilipinas!

Singtel and its mobile associates Globe and Telkomsel today signed a Memorandum of Understanding to collaborate with ONE Championship, the world’s largest martial arts organisation, to deliver martial arts-related content and other digital assets to customers across Asia.

The Singtel Group and ONE Championship will explore integrating the Singtel Group’s mobile wallets and carrier billing services to power e-commerce functions in the just launched ONE Championship app which offers live and recorded telecasts of martial arts matches and events. Both companies will also consider jointly producing original content.

“We are excited to collaborate with ONE Championship to bring new entertainment offerings such as martial arts to our customers while raising the profile of the martial arts community here.” said Arthur Lang, CEO of International Group at Singtel. “Content, particularly premium sports content, delivered over our advanced network is one of the key pillars of our consumer strategy. This is why we will also be exploring ways to develop and deliver exclusive martial arts content to not just customers in Singapore and Australia but also our regional associates in Thailand, the Philippines, Indonesia and India. Sports content is a big winner with our consumers, with millennials comprising a large part of our customer base.”

ONE Championship CEO Chatri Sityodtong said: “We are pleased to enter into this MOU with communications giant, the Singtel Group, on a range of initiatives. ONE Championship is focused on bringing the unique action and adrenaline of our live ONE Championship events straight to our audience on all platforms, making sure that millions of martial arts fans around the world have access to our digital content. I am excited to work with Singtel in executing this vision, delivering the unique experience of Asian martial arts to the world.”

The MOU was announced alongside the launch of ONE Championship’s mobile app in Singtel’s newly-revamped flagship store, where Singapore’s mixed martial arts champion Angela Lee made an appearance. Lee will defend her ONE Women’s Atomweight World Championship title against Japan’s Mei Yamaguchi on 18 May 2018.

Available on Android and iOS mobile platforms, the app aims to give fans of the sport access to ONE Championship live events, as well as their complete library of digital content for free. Content will be streamed in full HD and will also provide users with statistical information and a detailed background on ONE Championship superstars. Singtel Group subscribers can also look forward to perks such as exclusive or early access to content, ticket discounts and invites to VIP events at ONE Championship matches.

AIM and BGC Launch Fellowship Program to Build Ecosystem of Innovators

Wazzup Pilipinas!

50 BGC Innovation Scholars, to be selected

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The Asian Institute of Management (AIM), together with Bonifacio Global City (BGC), announced its pioneer Innovation Fellowship Program for start-up entrepreneurs, marketing professionals, business school students, and aspiring innovators.

Through the partnership, AIM and BGC will build an ecosystem of innovators, which will serve as a platform that will enable companies, entrepreneurs, and communities alike to respond in a quick and flexible way to environmental changes, as well as exercise collaboration to deliver greater impact and value-providing solutions to the current and future challenges of the city.

In the Fellowship Program, driven individuals will undergo a one-month transformational journey hinged on Formal, Social, and Experiential Learning, mentored by professors from AIM and subject matter experts from BGC. BGC will also provide live innovation cases for students, where they can take on challenges and see opportunities for growth and development.

BGC Innovation Scholars, wanted

Participants must have two to five years of working experience to qualify. Interested parties are encouraged to apply for the program by sending an email to the AIM x BGC Innovation Team at jsantos@aim.edu. From the pool of applicants, the AIM Fellowship Innovation Committee and BGC will be choosing 50 BGC Innovation Scholars who will be entitled to a subsidized fee of PHP 38,000. The full program fee is at PHP 60,000.

Upon completion of the program, students will earn a Certificate of Complex Problem Solving, and become part of the AIM Alumni Network.

“We have designed a learning journey that aims to enable individuals and entities to discover new insights, learn proven frameworks, and establish a network built on the desire for growth and development. Students of this program will gain skills that will equip them to create innovative solutions to real time problems we experience today as a growing community. In turn, our partner, Bonifacio Global City, will benefit from a new culture of innovation,” said Associate Professor Richard Cruz, Head of School of Executive Education, Asian Institute of Management.

The first intake of the program will be on May 9 until June 2, 2018. Classes will be held at Clock In BGC Co-working Space, the perfect venue to house the innovators as it has a wonderful mix of work and play that promotes a culture of sharing, collaboration, and networking.

“With the rapid developments we are experiencing today, Bonifacio Global City wants to be prepared for the changes that come with it. We are committed to innovation, which is why we have partnered with AIM in this initiative. We believe in the talent of our citizens and we are looking forward to collaborating with our innovators,” said Christine Novera, Business Development Manager, Bonifacio Global City.

“Our cities are quickly developing and our communities are continuously growing. Along with this, we are experiencing unprecedented changes. This Fellowship Program developed by the AIM School of Executive Education encourages individuals to transform themselves into innovators and provide original solutions to the complex challenges we face today,” said Jikyeong Kang, President and Dean, Asian Institute of Management.

Through this ground-breaking program, AIM and BGC are on its way to building an ecosystem of innovators equipped with skills and mindsets needed to design creative solutions for tomorrow’s challenges.